Slog - Comments on Electrocuted Elephants Are a Rich Metaphor http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/electrocuted_elephants_are_a_rich_metaph One hundred and five years ago today, Thomas Edison electrocuted an elephant to try and discredit Westinghouse and Tesla's alternating current. Edison's aggressive campaign to discredit the new current took the macabre form of a series of animal electrocutions using AC (a killing process he referred to snidely as getting "Westinghoused"). Edison got his big chance, though, when the Luna Park Zoo at Coney Island decided that Topsy, >a cranky female elephant who had squashed three handlers in three years (including one idiot who tried feeding her a lighted cigarette), had to go. In order to make sure that Topsy... Copyright 2008 Fri, 04 Jan 2008 11:51:53 -0800 Fri, 04 Jan 2008 21:21:25 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Justin Jesus Christ, man!

I mean, seriously, fuck.....

]]> Justin http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/electrocuted_elephants_are_a_rich_metaph#c887905 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/electrocuted_elephants_are_a_rich_metaph#c887905 History Fri, 04 Jan 2008 11:57:15 -0800 Comment by Bellevue Ave the thing that is laughable is that edison was on the wrong side of the argument.

]]> Bellevue Ave http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/electrocuted_elephants_are_a_rich_metaph#c887917 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/electrocuted_elephants_are_a_rich_metaph#c887917 History Fri, 04 Jan 2008 12:04:02 -0800 Comment by pablocjr Not cool, funny, exciting or whatever else you're trying to convey.

Asshole.

]]> pablocjr http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/electrocuted_elephants_are_a_rich_metaph#c887920 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/electrocuted_elephants_are_a_rich_metaph#c887920 History Fri, 04 Jan 2008 12:06:21 -0800 Comment by apres_moi hey it was all in the name of science back then.

]]> apres_moi http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/electrocuted_elephants_are_a_rich_metaph#c887955 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/electrocuted_elephants_are_a_rich_metaph#c887955 History Fri, 04 Jan 2008 12:27:51 -0800 Comment by Jubilation T. Cornball The German is *the* perfect touch!

]]> Jubilation T. Cornball http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/electrocuted_elephants_are_a_rich_metaph#c887991 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/electrocuted_elephants_are_a_rich_metaph#c887991 History Fri, 04 Jan 2008 12:53:50 -0800 Comment by Reverse Polarity (formerly SDA in SEA) I did NOT need to see that.

*shudder*

]]> Reverse Polarity (formerly SDA in SEA) http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/electrocuted_elephants_are_a_rich_metaph#c888041 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/electrocuted_elephants_are_a_rich_metaph#c888041 History Fri, 04 Jan 2008 13:20:39 -0800 Comment by Bellevue Ave edison was wrong wrong wrong

]]> Bellevue Ave http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/electrocuted_elephants_are_a_rich_metaph#c888048 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/electrocuted_elephants_are_a_rich_metaph#c888048 History Fri, 04 Jan 2008 13:26:06 -0800 Comment by keshmeshi And, since DC was so unpredictable, you were far more likely to wind up like Topsy if you didn't switch to AC.

]]> keshmeshi http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/electrocuted_elephants_are_a_rich_metaph#c888050 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/electrocuted_elephants_are_a_rich_metaph#c888050 History Fri, 04 Jan 2008 13:26:42 -0800 Comment by ms.fire Tentacled Sawfish -- a side project of some of the Circus Contraption Band -- has a song about Topsy.

You can listen to it here: http://www.myspace.com/tentacledsawfish

poor topsy :(


]]> ms.fire http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/electrocuted_elephants_are_a_rich_metaph#c888198 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/electrocuted_elephants_are_a_rich_metaph#c888198 History Fri, 04 Jan 2008 14:34:53 -0800 Comment by jean genie Excuse me, but, why did you have to do that?

]]> jean genie http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/electrocuted_elephants_are_a_rich_metaph#c888332 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/electrocuted_elephants_are_a_rich_metaph#c888332 History Fri, 04 Jan 2008 15:34:23 -0800 Comment by andy niable Yes, a story very similar to one Laurie Anderson told in her epic UNITED STATES over two decades ago.

]]> andy niable http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/electrocuted_elephants_are_a_rich_metaph#c888559 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/electrocuted_elephants_are_a_rich_metaph#c888559 History Fri, 04 Jan 2008 21:21:25 -0800