December 2007
110 posts
He Directed That? →
Every once in a while a director will throw us for a loop and make a film that is inconsistent with his or her other work. Here’s a compilation that has been brewing in my head for a long time – a list of the most famous cinematic anomalies from great directors.
Ballistic Jaw Propulsion of Trap-Jaw Ants →
Saw this as part of IFC’s Short Attention Span Cinema. To capture the 145mph mandibles of the trap-jaw ant, the filmmakers shot 100,000 frames per second. — courtneyc
Blame it on Kipling →
Been a while since the blame [it] on debate was mentioned.
The Annual nostrich.net Christmas Message →
I just published my obligatory-for-bloggers Christmas entry on my blog. It’s soppy as hell, and pretty boring, so I wouldn’t bother reading it. I’m only mentioning it here as an excuse to say Merry Christmas! (fuck Festivus) to my followers.
How should men wear a scarf? →
I’m a flinger, personally.
2007 ToKTA: Food For Thought - Linguistics and...
Rich likes words, especially the quirky little things that happen in the corners of English. Without his tumblelog, I never would have realized that I didn’t know what polysyndeton was.
Official 2007 Told or Known Tumblr Award Winner — toldorknown
Thanks, Rob Rod!
FSJ Shutdown
Come on people, it’s a(n excellent) hoax. It’s pretty fucking obvious. But if you want something concrete, note:
After he was gone I called Tony Clifton and told him what happened and he’s like, Well, my friend, you really screwed the pooch on this one. A half million? And you turned it down? Well, good for you, you dumb prick.
Now go google Tony Clifton. And then Andy...
Worldwide Lexicon →
Worldwide Lexicon is a service which enables community-driven translations on any website.
This is a useful service. It aims to get round the problem of terrible machine translation by providing a service allowing you to submit a URL for translation and have it translated by a real person that actually knows the desired language.
Useful, in theory — most of us have come across examples of how...
Believing in Santa One More Year →
Last week I got a voicemail from my wife: “I just thought you should know, on the way to school today your daughter announced she no longer believes in Santa Claus.”
Chuck Norris sues, says his tears don't cure... →
— livejamie
The story doesn’t mention whether or not it’s true that Chuck Norris is the second highest cause of death in the US, unfortunately.
Pascal's Wager →
Pascal’s Wager (or Pascal’s Gambit) is the application by the French philosopher Blaise Pascal of decision theory to the belief in God. It was set out in the Pensées, a posthumously published collection of notes made by Pascal towards his unfinished treatise on Christian apologetics.
I'll teach you to undernegate! →
Brief look at under-negation on Language Log.
'Tis the season →
Traditionally, the British Medical Journal publishes a number of spoof articles in its Christmas issue, and this year is no different.
This blog entry on Language Log rounds up a few (including “Origins of magic: review of genetic and epigenetic effects”, using Muggles as participants) of this year’s and looks back to some from past years — including some the BBC was foolish...
Note to Self
No Tumblr when drunk.
ok listenq
listen ok i am drunk11!
ok?
and lauguhging
A Quick Note to Anyone Talking About Me
That’s nostrich with a small ‘n’ and numblr with a small ‘n’. I just wanted to make that clear.
I realise that’s a little odd, particularly considering my anal attention to detail when it comes to grammar and language, but I like to be a little edgy and out there. You know, like Noel Fielding’s dress sense. My names are like Noel Fielding. Keep it in...
Xmas →
Some interesting seasonal linguistic trivia — “Why do we use the abbreviation Xmas for Christmas?” and “How do you pronounce Xmas?”
The explanation for the pronunciation of Xmas is kinda unsatisfying, to me. The author just discusses the use of the indefinite articles “a” and “an” when words either start or don’t start with a vowel — as in,...
Cut Copy “So Cosmic” mix →
In lieu of a new album (it’s on the way), Cut Copy put together this mix, featuring classic tracks (Equinoxe!) and plenty of new stuff.
In their words:
We’ve been putting together a psychedelic disco mixtape called ‘So Cosmic’ containing snippets of new tracks and music that inspired the record[.]
Follow the link for a(n excellent) tracklisting.
Scrabble for Cheaters →
This is great. Non-profit writing org. 826NYC are holding a Scrabble for Cheaters competition. All the proceeds go towards their program and students, and the more money a team raises, the more they can cheat.
Some of the cheats include making a tile blank for $100, playing a word in another language for $250, and inventing a word for $500.
What an excellent idea. (via.)
Cooper Brown: He's Out There →
Cooper Brown’s is one of the best, most consistently entertaining, columns in the Independent, and today’s is a goody.
I hear a sickening “click” from behind me and I realise that my front door has closed and I’m locked out of the Cooperdome, naked, covered in barf with my ex-future fiancée and son just four minutes away.
For the uninitiated, Cooper Brown is a...
Lily Allen pregnant with Chemical Brother's baby →
Seems like a good week for celebrity pregnancy.
Best part of this story:
“However, as the pregnancy is at a very, very early stage, the couple ask that you respect their privacy, as the health of Lily and their child is their paramount concern. [“]
Um, oops.
Synchronized Global Orgasm for Peace →
December 22 is World Orgasm Day, to
…effect positive change in the energy field of the Earth through input of the largest possible instantaneous surge of human biological, mental and spiritual energy. — dailymeh
A great British obsession →
A chance interrogation by his girlfriend one day got Sandy Balfour hooked on the Guardian’s cryptic crossword. Here was a realm where Araucaria was Beethoven, Rufus was Mozart. Anagrams became a second instinct, but what set these enigmatic, hard-headed puzzle masters apart from their rivals? Balfour found that ‘broken window admits the answer’ (3, 3, 6: solution, bottom of...
Justice - The Fader mix →
This mix has already spread throughout the music blogs like wildfire, deservedly, but it bears another mention, in case you missed it.
Justice’s mix for the release party of The Fader’s 50th issue.
Radio 1 puts the "faggot" back into Christmas →
BBC Radio 1 has said it will allow the Pogues’ Fairytale of New York to be played on the station uncut, after criticism of a decision to censor it.
De-sponded →
Kottke says,
If one doesn’t already exist, there needs to be a term for writing a blog comment or Twitter update, thinking better of it, and then discarding it by closing the browser tab without clicking “Post”.
Some of my favourite suggestions from the comments are “de-sponded” and “commenticide.”
This reminded me instantly of an IRC channel I used...
Lost Wallet Test →
“100 wallets deliberately lost to test honesty[.]”
A Fairly Indie Christmas →
Looking for festive music? There’s a lot of choice, with every music blog and their wife publishing Christmas playlists, but having looked at most of them, I decree this one the best.
There’s a good mix of indie greats (Asobi Seksu, Feist, Arcade Fire), classics (Brenda Lee, Otis Redding) and the occasional oddball (Alvin & The Chipmunks!). And, of course, there is the seasonal...
Police say woman groped Santa →
“The security officer at the mall said Santa Claus has been sexually assaulted[.]”
Poor Santa.
“Look, that car is an executable file! Hah!”
– My mother, of all people, having seen a car with the number plate “EXE”
From albedo to zugunruhe →
Excellent (though rather long) article from last weekend’s Guardian about using unusual words.
Tumblelogs of the Year
Tom asks what your 5 favourite tumblelogs of the year are. Here are mine (in no particular order):
Inky — Because it’s consistently interesting, and not just re-hashed content from elsewhere.
livejamie — Because it frequently makes me laugh or smile, and I enjoy doing both.
cubicle17 — One of the first tumblelogs I read, and a purveyor of excellent themes, but also an interesting read.
...
100 Followers
I just broke into the triple digits with followers. Why am I telling you this? Partly to brag a little, and partly to say thanks.
My 100th follower was Peroty — which is funny, because I know the guy outside Tumblr, too. So thanks Peroty and the 99 other people with nothing better to do!
Tumblr.com →
I don’t know how many people are aware — since it hasn’t been formally announced — but there is content on the homepage of Tumblr again. The most popular tumblelogs has been replaced by “favo[u]rites” now, and there is a “feature spotlight” at the bottom, highlighting some of Tumblr’s features (and it’s a lot prettier than it was). Just an FYI!
Trends
Two recent trends that disturb me:
1. Not having a Facebook account, and bragging about it.
2. Having a MySpace account, but making sure everyone knows it’s only because (a) some of your friends use it, (b) you haven’t deleted it, even though you never really use it.
Out With the New, In With the Old →
Mr. Rice will often write a letter on his typewriter, scan it into his computer, and then send the image as an e-mail attachment. “Some people are tickled by it,” he says. “Some people are absolutely annoyed.”
This guy doesn’t like the “mushy” keys on keyboards, so instead, he sends e-mails as described above. There’s technophobia, and...
Crosswords: Lost unions fail? (anag 5,8) →
The cryptic crossword, known outside the UK as the British crossword, is a deviant language where Geg (9,3) means Scrambled Egg, Presbyterians are not people but an anagram of Britney Spears and, HIJKLMNO is Water (H to O).
Excellent article from the Independent about the demise of the cryptic crossword.
I really enjoy a good crossword (I find the Guardian’s a little better than the...
Dimensions, metaphors, and prepositions →
The usage of in/on/at, like that of most prepositions, is metaphorically locative and, in the case of these three, dimensional.
John Lawler explains how the prepositions at, on, and in work in English.
Getting rid prepositions →
There have been proposals reducing and improving English years and years. One these was eliminate the past tense, example. Years failure have shown us that this is little value. It’s not feasible do this. We can’t neglect what’s happened the past. But the use prepositions is hardly important. One thing, they’re difficult children learn and non-native speakers have lots...
Polysyndeton →
Polysyndeton is the use of several conjunctions in close succession, especially where some might be omitted (as in “he ran and jumped and laughed for joy”). It is a stylistic scheme used to slow the rhythm of prose and can add an air of solemnity to a passage. In grammar, a polysyndetic coordination is a coordination in which all conjuncts are linked by coordinating conjunctions...
How Many Five Year Olds Could You Take in a Fight? →
Ah, the age old question. I could take 21, apparently (mostly due to my utter lack of moral compass, I imagine).
Redesigned
I have redesigned this ‘ere tumblelog. (Yes, I’m afraid that means the wonderful Christmas theme has been retired early.)
Personally, I think it’s rather nice (though the header is a little boring). It may well be riddled with slight inconsistencies, and god help the man that dares to look at the source, but I remain pleased with how it has turned out.
I won’t be...
Will Self: PsychoGeography →
How can it be, they ask, that flying 15,000 delegates, media types and soi-disant “green campaigners” around the world, in the process dumping a further 100,000 tons of CO2 in the atmosphere, will really help to improve things? After all, this is equal to the emissions of the entire country of Chad for a single year!
This very point was made by a delegate to the summit, and luckily...
My life as a hack. →
something has changed. These days, when the pros and cons are put on the scale, the minus side sinks every time. I’ve spent 29 years as a freelancer—some of it full time, most of it on the side—but it may finally be time to take down my shingle.
Nice piece about freelance writing, and how it’s changing. (Or not, as the case may be.) (via)
In Soviet Russia, X Ys you! →
An explanation of one the most eminent snowclones in popular usage, the so-called Russian reversal. As exemplified here, by toldorknown (“In Soviet Russia, Tumblr watches you!”). I, for one, welcome our new Tumblr overlords.
Google and Theory of Mind →
An excellent blog post by Anil Dash that serves up some real food for thought.
Theory of mind is the awareness that others are aware, and its absence is the weakness that Google doesn’t know it has. This shortcoming exists at a deep cultural level within the organization, and it keeps manifesting itself in the decisions that the company makes about its products and services.
(I usually...
Gullible
Something interesting I found out tonight. The word gullible isn’t in most dictionaries. Seriously, look for yourself.