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Found Wikipedia item: Eiji Toyoda

Zocimporter — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 19:28:42 +0000

Detroit isn’t the only town in trouble. Toyota City, where Toyota Motor Corporation keeps its headquarters, is gloomy, with the company projecting its first operating loss in 70 years today. We looked up the man who made Toyota (originally called Toyoda) the global brand it is today.

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Found Wikipedia Item: Tobacco Warnings

Zocimporter — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 06:28:42 +0000

The Supreme Court ruled today that makers of light cigarettes can be sued for fraud, based on the law that governs the labeling of cigarettes. The labels – listed by country in this Wikipedia article – are already quite strongly worded, though they don’t explain that light doesn’t mean healthier. The most foreboding label comes from Western Europe: “Smoking can lead to a slow and painful death.”

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Found Wikipedia item: Charles Ponzi

Zocimporter — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 02:00:08 +0000

Meet the man who gave his name to the scheme that got Wall Street fixture Bernard L. Madoff arrested Thursday. (Madoff has quite rapidly been linked to this Wikipedia entry.) Ponzi, it turns out, was long a dabbler in crime but actually hoped that the fraud that now carries his name would one day pay off for him and his hapless investors.

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Found Wikipedia item: Megiddo

Zocimporter — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 23:51:47 +0000

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger warned today that if the legislature doesn’t enact some economic reforms, California is “headed toward a financial Armageddon.” Politicians freely use, say, “perfect storm” or “judgment day,” but it’s rare to see “Armageddon” dropped when it doesn’t refer to the end of the world, the last battle between God and Satan. The usage put us in the mood to Wikipedia its literal origin. We came upon Megiddo, a hill in Israel that has witnessed many major battles and is apparently set to witness at least one more.

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Found Wikipedia item: The 27 Club

Zocimporter — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 23:50:03 +0000

Jim Morrison would have been eligible for retirement today. But the Doors lead singer died decades ago, at age 27, becoming an initiate into the so-called 27 Club, a collection of musicians who all passed at that apparently unlucky age. The Wikipedia entry includes the five best known members and expands to include some near-entrants to the club, like Nick Drake and Otis Redding. (And as an aside, John Lennon, who died 28 years ago today, was 40 years old.)

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Found Wikipedia item: Bootstrapping

Zocimporter — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:01:49 +0000

Depending on who you ask, Americans might have to do a lot of boot-strapping, or bootstrap pull-upping, and so on, in the coming years. But for every field of knowledge, there is a different definition of the term, says Wikipedia. And one footnote has the best explanation for the origin of the term (having something to do with one baron pulling himself out of a swamp by his own hair).

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Found Wikipedia item: Other Black Fridays

Zocimporter — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:33:31 +0000

With three reported deaths on our national day of shopping, Black Friday was a morbid day indeed. Wikipedia lists other days known as “Black Friday.” None are very cheerful, and one is particularly eerie.

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Found Wikipedia item: Tamagozake

Zocimporter — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 00:00:45 +0000

Your blogger has lost her voice, thanks to seasons changing and rain pouring on Los Angeles, which only weeks ago baked in 90 degree heat. Wikipedia did turn out an entry for hot toddy, if not a recipe, but tamagozake, linked therein, seemed more intriguing.

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Found Wikipedia item: Harvest festivals

Zocimporter — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 22:00:00 +0000

To paraphrase the old saw (and poorly), it’s always harvest somewhere. The day before Thanksgiving, let Wikipedia give you reasons to celebrate year-round with its list of harvest festivals. Unfortunately, we doubt all the celebrations feature stuffed and splayed meat and crushed tubers.

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Found Wikipedia item: Twin people

Zocimporter — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:00:17 +0000

In honor of the 27th anniversary of the birth of the Bush twins, we bring you Wikipedia’s list of “twin people.” Note especially novelty act twins, divine (but notably not considered fake) twins, and the world’s heaviest twins.

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