Thursday, March 15, 2012

They Don't Know the Truth, But They Hope You Will Buy Their Book

Here's another instalment in the "What else will people believe?" deartment.


Well, it's like this, see:  Something MIGHT have happened.  And nobody knows for sure what happened.  And since nobody knows for sure what happened, then by golly almost ANYTHING could have happened!



After all, Atlantis will rise by the year 2000 to herald a New Age!

CONFESSION TIME:  Like all of the book covers featured, I actually bought these books.  If it makes any difference, the fact that I bought them secondhand means that I didn't DIRECTLY give any money to the writer.  Does that make a difference?

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Dumb Amazon Suggestions ( a Series)

I appreciate that Amazon's helpful promptings are intended to make them money by parsing your previous purchases and trying to tell you about other items "you might like."

But sometimes I think that their algorithms are out to lunch!

Here are a couple of silly examples.


The book mentioned as the basis for these recommendations is just another in the "Who-was-Jack-the-Ripper" library.  What the HECK does Jack the Ripper have to do with these cooking utensils? 

True, in 1888 a human kidney was sent to the Metro Police with a letter in which Jack claimed that he had nibbled on the other one.

True, there was a 1911 book, The Lodger, by Marie Belloc Lowndes, in which a meek couple rents their upstairs room to a guy that readers are led to believe was Saucy Jack.  And the brand name for these items is "Lodge."

But, still!?!  You tell me -- can you think of a reason for these suggestions?

More to come in this tale of consumer silliness!
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