Anti-word of the day
Copious - deeply overused word meaning - quite simply - 'lots of'.
Most often heard in conjunction with a noun depicting something the speaker/writer considers to be cool, edgy or taboo, e.g. "Lets go out on Friday and drink copious amounts of alcohol", or "we grow copious amounts of ganga, yeah?". Note how the speaker in the first example has joined "copious" with another device; that of using longer words than are necessary. This is an attempt - presumably - to sound intelligent. Hence "lets go out on Friday and drink copious amounts of alcohol" can be translated into non-irritating English as "lets go out on Friday and get drunk", or "lets go out on Friday and drink lots of beer".
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
Monday, February 23, 2004
Welcome to the World of American Business
1. Wearing those eighties shirts. You know the ones. The coloUred stripey ones with white collar and cuffs. Suck!
2. Wearing sunglasses on the underground. Suck!
3. Being apologetic when they get in your way, but making no effort to not be in the way in the first place. SUCK!
4. Bring me your poor, your weary, your downtrodden, and we'll put them to work at supermarket checkouts. SUCK!
5. Cab drivers for driving like fucking loonies and not knowing where they're going even though it's only two blocks away.
6. War veterans thinking they have a right to beg me for money. It's not my fault their government is fucking stupid for sending them there in the frist place.
7. Being refused entry to a bar becuase you haven't got photo ID, even though you look fifty, because you ARE fifty.
Things that are funny about America(ns).
1. Playing the 1812 Overture as the climax of the July 4th celebrations. The 1812 being about the napoleonic wars. Presumably they don't play the
yellow rose of texas because it doesn't quite hit the spot. Hah!
2. Buskers on the underground. The act really surprised when they don't get any money, even though they are very good. I thought that was the point of
busking?
3. Shop assistants who eagerly ask if you require and help, then go on to prove that they know fuck all about anything.
4. Budweiser really does look like piss when taken out of the bottle.
Things that are cool about America.
1. Pool halls the size of football pitches. Need I say more.
1. Wearing those eighties shirts. You know the ones. The coloUred stripey ones with white collar and cuffs. Suck!
2. Wearing sunglasses on the underground. Suck!
3. Being apologetic when they get in your way, but making no effort to not be in the way in the first place. SUCK!
4. Bring me your poor, your weary, your downtrodden, and we'll put them to work at supermarket checkouts. SUCK!
5. Cab drivers for driving like fucking loonies and not knowing where they're going even though it's only two blocks away.
6. War veterans thinking they have a right to beg me for money. It's not my fault their government is fucking stupid for sending them there in the frist place.
7. Being refused entry to a bar becuase you haven't got photo ID, even though you look fifty, because you ARE fifty.
Things that are funny about America(ns).
1. Playing the 1812 Overture as the climax of the July 4th celebrations. The 1812 being about the napoleonic wars. Presumably they don't play the
yellow rose of texas because it doesn't quite hit the spot. Hah!
2. Buskers on the underground. The act really surprised when they don't get any money, even though they are very good. I thought that was the point of
busking?
3. Shop assistants who eagerly ask if you require and help, then go on to prove that they know fuck all about anything.
4. Budweiser really does look like piss when taken out of the bottle.
Things that are cool about America.
1. Pool halls the size of football pitches. Need I say more.
Ode to Jose
Ode to Jose the curse of Cuervo,
So hard to say no though it gives one the fever,
Pretends to be friendly,
Then it's all over, over,
It's all over, over,
Pretends to be fine,
Then the curse of...
Tequila,
It makes me happy,
Tequila it feels fine,
Con Tequila when the doors are opened,
And con Tequila when they're calling time,
That's the curse of,
Sierra sunrise and Margarita,
They'll break your heart in the desert heat,
Tell you you're thirsty,
They'll tell you you're sober, sober,
It's all over, over,
They'll tell you you're fine,
Then the curse of Tequila....
If there's a lot on your mind it's there to help you forget,
To relax and rewind and leave behind the regret,
First sip makes you well before you know it it's time,
And you're saying to hell with the salt, lemon and lime,
Salt, lemon and lime, time Tequila,
That's the curse of Tequila.....
Ode to Jose the curse of Cuervo,
So hard to say no though it gives one the fever,
Pretends to be friendly,
Then it's all over, over,
It's all over, over,
Pretends to be fine,
Then the curse of...
Tequila,
It makes me happy,
Tequila it feels fine,
Con Tequila when the doors are opened,
And con Tequila when they're calling time,
That's the curse of,
Sierra sunrise and Margarita,
They'll break your heart in the desert heat,
Tell you you're thirsty,
They'll tell you you're sober, sober,
It's all over, over,
They'll tell you you're fine,
Then the curse of Tequila....
If there's a lot on your mind it's there to help you forget,
To relax and rewind and leave behind the regret,
First sip makes you well before you know it it's time,
And you're saying to hell with the salt, lemon and lime,
Salt, lemon and lime, time Tequila,
That's the curse of Tequila.....
Main Heading
lambaste \lam-BAYST\, transitive verb:
1. To give a thrashing to; to beat severely.
2. To scold sharply; to attack verbally; to berate.
. . . someone who spends most of his time lambasting his opponents for supporting the wrong ideas and the wrong courses of action.
--Richard Bernstein, "A Conservative Who's Outgrown His Pigeonhole," [1] New York Times, August 11, 1995
Evening after evening, Hiro and his teammates were lambasted for their failures and shortcomings.
--Noboru Yoshimura and Philip Anderson, [2] Inside the Kaisha
Michael Porter, a leading Harvard business guru, offered further ammunition to critics of Europe's economic management, lambasting continental business culture for failing to promote entrepreneurship.
--Gary Duncan, "Euro 'likely to mean single government,' " [3] Times (London), January 27, 2001
Eventually, at a 1965 conference of African and Asian revolutionaries in Algiers, he exploded, publicly lambasting the Russian leaders as "accomplices to imperialist exploitation."
--Peter Canby, "Poster Boy for the Revolution," [4]New York Times, May 18, 1997
Lambaste is perhaps from lam, "to beat soundly; to thrash" + baste, "to beat vigorously."
lambaste \lam-BAYST\, transitive verb:
1. To give a thrashing to; to beat severely.
2. To scold sharply; to attack verbally; to berate.
. . . someone who spends most of his time lambasting his opponents for supporting the wrong ideas and the wrong courses of action.
--Richard Bernstein, "A Conservative Who's Outgrown His Pigeonhole," [1] New York Times, August 11, 1995
Evening after evening, Hiro and his teammates were lambasted for their failures and shortcomings.
--Noboru Yoshimura and Philip Anderson, [2] Inside the Kaisha
Michael Porter, a leading Harvard business guru, offered further ammunition to critics of Europe's economic management, lambasting continental business culture for failing to promote entrepreneurship.
--Gary Duncan, "Euro 'likely to mean single government,' " [3] Times (London), January 27, 2001
Eventually, at a 1965 conference of African and Asian revolutionaries in Algiers, he exploded, publicly lambasting the Russian leaders as "accomplices to imperialist exploitation."
--Peter Canby, "Poster Boy for the Revolution," [4]New York Times, May 18, 1997
Lambaste is perhaps from lam, "to beat soundly; to thrash" + baste, "to beat vigorously."
Ambidextrousness, Ambidexterity
Both Ambidextrousness and Ambidexterity are real words.
Ambidextrousness is given as:
1. The quality of being ambidextrous; ambidexterity
2. the property of being equally skillful with each hand
while Ambidexterity is given as:
1. The state or quality of being ambidextrous
2. Deceit or hypocrisy
Both Ambidextrousness and Ambidexterity are real words.
Ambidextrousness is given as:
1. The quality of being ambidextrous; ambidexterity
2. the property of being equally skillful with each hand
while Ambidexterity is given as:
1. The state or quality of being ambidextrous
2. Deceit or hypocrisy
Word of the Day
gauche \GOHSH\, adjective:
Lacking social polish; tactless; awkward; clumsy.
He was largely exempted from the formal socializing he said he found so hard to manage, flustered and gauche in polite company as he had always been.
--John Sturrock, "Well on the Way to Paranoia," [1] New York Times, July 28, 1991
He was by nature intellectual, shy, even gauche and he always believed he lacked the common touch.
--"Editor whose legacy was diversity," [2] Irish Times, October 9, 1999
The audience's performance was altogether more gauche, with scores of people in the stalls constantly turning round to gawp at Mick Jagger seated ten rows back.
--Noreen Taylor, "How was it for him?" [3] Times (London), August 3, 2000
Gauche is from the French for left, awkward.
The left side of anything is often considered to be unlucky or bad, and our language reflects this. A "left-handed compliment," one that is insincere, backhanded, or dubious, is not one you are happy to receive; a "left-handed oath" is one not intended to be binding. Sinister, Latin for left, suggests or threatens evil. Gauche is tactless, awkward and clumsy, but droit, the French word for right, gives us adroit, "skillful," and dexter, the Latin for right, gives us dexterous (also meaning skillful). If you are ambidextrous, able to use both hands with equal facility, then, etymologically speaking, you have right hands on both sides (ambi-, "on both sides"). Left itself comes from Old English lyft, left, "weak, useless," since it names the hand which in most people is weaker.
gauche \GOHSH\, adjective:
Lacking social polish; tactless; awkward; clumsy.
He was largely exempted from the formal socializing he said he found so hard to manage, flustered and gauche in polite company as he had always been.
--John Sturrock, "Well on the Way to Paranoia," [1] New York Times, July 28, 1991
He was by nature intellectual, shy, even gauche and he always believed he lacked the common touch.
--"Editor whose legacy was diversity," [2] Irish Times, October 9, 1999
The audience's performance was altogether more gauche, with scores of people in the stalls constantly turning round to gawp at Mick Jagger seated ten rows back.
--Noreen Taylor, "How was it for him?" [3] Times (London), August 3, 2000
Gauche is from the French for left, awkward.
The left side of anything is often considered to be unlucky or bad, and our language reflects this. A "left-handed compliment," one that is insincere, backhanded, or dubious, is not one you are happy to receive; a "left-handed oath" is one not intended to be binding. Sinister, Latin for left, suggests or threatens evil. Gauche is tactless, awkward and clumsy, but droit, the French word for right, gives us adroit, "skillful," and dexter, the Latin for right, gives us dexterous (also meaning skillful). If you are ambidextrous, able to use both hands with equal facility, then, etymologically speaking, you have right hands on both sides (ambi-, "on both sides"). Left itself comes from Old English lyft, left, "weak, useless," since it names the hand which in most people is weaker.
Are they closing in on Osama Bin Laden?
According to reports in the Autralian newspaper, The Sunday Telegraph, and on the BBC News website, the English newspaper, The Sunday Express is reporting that Osama bin Laden has been found and is surrounded by US special forces in an area of land bordering north-west Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Fox Spews is also reporting that "Pakistan has stepped up security along the Afghan border ahead of new operations against Al Qaeda and Taliban in the tribal belt where Usama bin Laden may be hiding, Pakistani military and intelligence sources said Sunday."
Fox Spews has a handy guide to knowing your enemy - just in case you meet them down at the supermarket presumably. If you take a look at the timeline, it's interesting to note that they are no longer using the term suicide bomber, but rather "homicide bomber".
According to reports in the Autralian newspaper, The Sunday Telegraph, and on the BBC News website, the English newspaper, The Sunday Express is reporting that Osama bin Laden has been found and is surrounded by US special forces in an area of land bordering north-west Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Fox Spews is also reporting that "Pakistan has stepped up security along the Afghan border ahead of new operations against Al Qaeda and Taliban in the tribal belt where Usama bin Laden may be hiding, Pakistani military and intelligence sources said Sunday."
Fox Spews has a handy guide to knowing your enemy - just in case you meet them down at the supermarket presumably. If you take a look at the timeline, it's interesting to note that they are no longer using the term suicide bomber, but rather "homicide bomber".
Saturday, February 21, 2004
Word of the Day
expiate \EK-spee-ayt\, transitive verb:
To make amends for; to atone for.
Then his devout and long-suffering widow, a princess born, built a beautiful church on the estate to expiate his sins.
-- Serge Schmemann, [1] Echoes of a Native Land
And if you have offended each other, you expiate your sins and offenses by confessing them and apologizing.
--Aung San Suu Kyi, [2] The Voice of Hope
The characters often attempt, however futilely, to expiate their past mistakes.
--Michael Ruhlman, "A Writer at His Best." [3] New York Times, September 20, 1987
Expiate comes from Latin expiare, from ex-, here used intensively, + piare, to seek to appease by an offering, to make good, to atone for, from pius, dutiful.
The act of expiating is expiation; that which serves to expiate is expiatory.
expiate \EK-spee-ayt\, transitive verb:
To make amends for; to atone for.
Then his devout and long-suffering widow, a princess born, built a beautiful church on the estate to expiate his sins.
-- Serge Schmemann, [1] Echoes of a Native Land
And if you have offended each other, you expiate your sins and offenses by confessing them and apologizing.
--Aung San Suu Kyi, [2] The Voice of Hope
The characters often attempt, however futilely, to expiate their past mistakes.
--Michael Ruhlman, "A Writer at His Best." [3] New York Times, September 20, 1987
Expiate comes from Latin expiare, from ex-, here used intensively, + piare, to seek to appease by an offering, to make good, to atone for, from pius, dutiful.
The act of expiating is expiation; that which serves to expiate is expiatory.
Friday, February 20, 2004
More Fox Spews
Fair and balanced Fox reveals Democratic candidates touting 'populist notions' live in mansions!
It seems that this blog is developing an anti Fox, anti Sun, anti Murdoch stance. Well, it may - and I may have found my purpose in life.
What else does Murdoch own?
Fair and balanced Fox reveals Democratic candidates touting 'populist notions' live in mansions!
It seems that this blog is developing an anti Fox, anti Sun, anti Murdoch stance. Well, it may - and I may have found my purpose in life.
What else does Murdoch own?
Biased Reporting on Guantanamo Bay
The Independent - After 772 days, five Britons face freedom from Guantanamo Bay.
The Independent - 'We want answers: why have they been held so long without charge?'
Jack Straw's statement - It does seem a little strange to me that this statement makes reference to 9/11, and Afghanistan, but some of these prisoners were caught in Iraq. Isn't this mis-direction?
BBC - Guantanamo Investigations Begin
And then there'a another great example of biased reporting from The Sun.
Murdoch? Isn't he the fool from the A-Team?
The Independent - After 772 days, five Britons face freedom from Guantanamo Bay.
The Independent - 'We want answers: why have they been held so long without charge?'
Jack Straw's statement - It does seem a little strange to me that this statement makes reference to 9/11, and Afghanistan, but some of these prisoners were caught in Iraq. Isn't this mis-direction?
BBC - Guantanamo Investigations Begin
And then there'a another great example of biased reporting from The Sun.
Murdoch? Isn't he the fool from the A-Team?
Word of the Day
avatar \AV-uh-tar\, noun:
1. The incarnation of a deity -- chiefly associated in Hinduism with the incarnations of Vishnu.
2. An embodiment, as of a quality, concept, philosophy, or tradition; an archetype.
3. A temporary manifestation or aspect of a continuing entity.
In 1517, the year of their first contact, the Aztecs took
the Spaniards to be avatars of Quetzalcoatl, the plumed
serpent, god of learning and of wind.
--Paul Theroux, [1] Fresh Air Fiend
People . . . believe he was some sort of avatar of peace and love, the ultimate hippie.
--Edna Gundersen, "For $60, a ticket to read," [2] USA Today, October 5, 2000
It would seem that no definitive identification can be made (Rimbaud the symbolist, the surrealist, the Bolshevik, Rimbaud the bourgeois, the crook, the pervert, Rimbaud the prophet, the superman, the mystic, Rimbaud the Catholic, the cabalist, the atheist, etc.); the latest "proved" avatar is forever recycled as evidence -- faulty or secure -- on which to base the next.
--Richard Howard, "There Was Only One Rimbaud," [3] New York Times, November 19, 2000
Avatar is from Sanskrit avatara, "descent" (of a deity from heaven), from avatarati, "he descends," from ava-, "down" + tarati, "he crosses, he passes over."
avatar \AV-uh-tar\, noun:
1. The incarnation of a deity -- chiefly associated in Hinduism with the incarnations of Vishnu.
2. An embodiment, as of a quality, concept, philosophy, or tradition; an archetype.
3. A temporary manifestation or aspect of a continuing entity.
In 1517, the year of their first contact, the Aztecs took
the Spaniards to be avatars of Quetzalcoatl, the plumed
serpent, god of learning and of wind.
--Paul Theroux, [1] Fresh Air Fiend
People . . . believe he was some sort of avatar of peace and love, the ultimate hippie.
--Edna Gundersen, "For $60, a ticket to read," [2] USA Today, October 5, 2000
It would seem that no definitive identification can be made (Rimbaud the symbolist, the surrealist, the Bolshevik, Rimbaud the bourgeois, the crook, the pervert, Rimbaud the prophet, the superman, the mystic, Rimbaud the Catholic, the cabalist, the atheist, etc.); the latest "proved" avatar is forever recycled as evidence -- faulty or secure -- on which to base the next.
--Richard Howard, "There Was Only One Rimbaud," [3] New York Times, November 19, 2000
Avatar is from Sanskrit avatara, "descent" (of a deity from heaven), from avatarati, "he descends," from ava-, "down" + tarati, "he crosses, he passes over."
Camel Spiders
Urban legends about the camel spider (properly termed a solpugid or solifugid) are as old as the proverbial hills, but they made a huge resurgence when vectored by American troops in Kuwait during Desert Storm. They're not quite as big as your hand (unless you're a five-year-old), and very shy and secretive. They do like to hide in the shadows, and they do run very, very quickly for a critter (they can reach about 10 MPH, the fastest known non-flying arthropod). They make no noise whatsoever, they have no venom whatsoever, and they do not eat flesh--they eat small desert arthropods like crickets and pillbugs. The rumors of their attacking camels, or crawling onto sleeping GIs' faces, apparently stem from one of two things, both of which may be true to some extent: (1) they may use hair to line their burrow when they are about to lay a batch of eggs, said hair being clipped from dead camels or other dead mammals (and a sleeping GI is not much different), and/or (2) dead camels are covered with flies, and crawling over a camel corpse may make for a convenient way to get a good meal of flies.
What I do know about this creature, from this video, is that it is a scary looking mo-fo, that should be shot at by Sigourney Weaver.
Urban legends about the camel spider (properly termed a solpugid or solifugid) are as old as the proverbial hills, but they made a huge resurgence when vectored by American troops in Kuwait during Desert Storm. They're not quite as big as your hand (unless you're a five-year-old), and very shy and secretive. They do like to hide in the shadows, and they do run very, very quickly for a critter (they can reach about 10 MPH, the fastest known non-flying arthropod). They make no noise whatsoever, they have no venom whatsoever, and they do not eat flesh--they eat small desert arthropods like crickets and pillbugs. The rumors of their attacking camels, or crawling onto sleeping GIs' faces, apparently stem from one of two things, both of which may be true to some extent: (1) they may use hair to line their burrow when they are about to lay a batch of eggs, said hair being clipped from dead camels or other dead mammals (and a sleeping GI is not much different), and/or (2) dead camels are covered with flies, and crawling over a camel corpse may make for a convenient way to get a good meal of flies.
What I do know about this creature, from this video, is that it is a scary looking mo-fo, that should be shot at by Sigourney Weaver.
Thursday, February 19, 2004
Ginger Test
With this handy utility you can test yourself for being ginger. I did, and apparently I am not.
With this handy utility you can test yourself for being ginger. I did, and apparently I am not.
Being published in Nature
I just heard that a good friend of mine is having her PhD dissertation accepted to be published in Nature. I'll post more when I find out exactly when. Go Sarah, go Sarah!
I just heard that a good friend of mine is having her PhD dissertation accepted to be published in Nature. I'll post more when I find out exactly when. Go Sarah, go Sarah!
Main Heading
inscrutable \in-SKROO-tuh-buhl\, adjective:
Difficult to fathom or understand; difficult to be explained or accounted for satisfactorily; obscure; incomprehensible; impenetrable.
US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright recalled the inscrutable comment of a French diplomat about the interaction of the various European organisations: "It will work in practice, yes. But will it work in theory?"
--Jonathan Fenby, [1] France on the Brink
There is nothing mysterious to a seaman unless it be the sea itself, which is the mistress of his existence and as inscrutable as Destiny.
--Joseph Conrad, [2] The Heart of Darkness
He delighted in keeping people guessing. His thought processes were eclectic, inscrutable and unpredictable.
--"Martin Mogridge," [3] Times (London), March 17, 2000
A page of John Lennon's enigmatic lyrics for "I Am [the] Walrus," one of the Beatles' most inscrutable songs, was sold for £78,500 at auction in London yesterday.
--John Shaw, "Lennon lyric sells for £78,500," [4] Times (London), October 1, 1999
Inscrutable is from Late Latin inscrutabilis, from Latin in-, "not" + Late Latin scrutabilis, "searchable," from Latin scrutari, "to search through, to examine thoroughly (as if rummaging the trash or a heap of discarded garments)," from scruta, "trash, rags." The noun form is inscrutability. It is related to scrutiny, "careful examination."
inscrutable \in-SKROO-tuh-buhl\, adjective:
Difficult to fathom or understand; difficult to be explained or accounted for satisfactorily; obscure; incomprehensible; impenetrable.
US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright recalled the inscrutable comment of a French diplomat about the interaction of the various European organisations: "It will work in practice, yes. But will it work in theory?"
--Jonathan Fenby, [1] France on the Brink
There is nothing mysterious to a seaman unless it be the sea itself, which is the mistress of his existence and as inscrutable as Destiny.
--Joseph Conrad, [2] The Heart of Darkness
He delighted in keeping people guessing. His thought processes were eclectic, inscrutable and unpredictable.
--"Martin Mogridge," [3] Times (London), March 17, 2000
A page of John Lennon's enigmatic lyrics for "I Am [the] Walrus," one of the Beatles' most inscrutable songs, was sold for £78,500 at auction in London yesterday.
--John Shaw, "Lennon lyric sells for £78,500," [4] Times (London), October 1, 1999
Inscrutable is from Late Latin inscrutabilis, from Latin in-, "not" + Late Latin scrutabilis, "searchable," from Latin scrutari, "to search through, to examine thoroughly (as if rummaging the trash or a heap of discarded garments)," from scruta, "trash, rags." The noun form is inscrutability. It is related to scrutiny, "careful examination."
Doggie Heaven
There exists, out there on the interwebnet a site so hideously sickly cute it should carry a health warning before viewing - dogster
There exists, out there on the interwebnet a site so hideously sickly cute it should carry a health warning before viewing - dogster
Euro 2004
No, it's not the strength of the European currency against the dollar, hah - it's the game schedule for the Euro 2004 finals in Portugal. I have decided to post all the results up here too.
No, it's not the strength of the European currency against the dollar, hah - it's the game schedule for the Euro 2004 finals in Portugal. I have decided to post all the results up here too.
Wednesday, February 18, 2004
I Believe in the BBC
AFP - Government considering dismantling BBC
And I believe in the BBC
As IAmZero eloquently puts it, "If Britain's chattering classes are the overwhelming majority of citizens who were disgusted at Blair's insistence on taking us into a war that we did not want, as a lapdog to a blinkered, arrogant superpower, on the basis of 'intelligence' which was clearly no such thing, then I am happy to be a member. What John Gibson seems unable to comprehend is that organisations like the BBC are something to be proud of, because of their willingness to challenge the official party line, and call the government into question. While the 'flag-wearing, US anchors' continue to blindly support the actions of the American government without even pausing to think for a second whether those actions may be questionable, the hope for any kind of balanced discussion fades further into the distance."
AFP - Government considering dismantling BBC
And I believe in the BBC
As IAmZero eloquently puts it, "If Britain's chattering classes are the overwhelming majority of citizens who were disgusted at Blair's insistence on taking us into a war that we did not want, as a lapdog to a blinkered, arrogant superpower, on the basis of 'intelligence' which was clearly no such thing, then I am happy to be a member. What John Gibson seems unable to comprehend is that organisations like the BBC are something to be proud of, because of their willingness to challenge the official party line, and call the government into question. While the 'flag-wearing, US anchors' continue to blindly support the actions of the American government without even pausing to think for a second whether those actions may be questionable, the hope for any kind of balanced discussion fades further into the distance."
Word of the Day
quietus \kwy-EE-tuhs\, noun:
1. Final discharge or acquittance, as from debt or obligation.
2. Removal from activity; rest; death.
3. Something that serves to suppress or quiet.
I have put a quietus upon that ticking. Depend upon it, the ticking will trouble you no more.
--Herman Melville, "The Apple-Tree Table"
Consider a small police-blotter report from an 1875 issue of The Grant County Herald in Silver City, N[ew] M[exico]: "We learn that on Friday, Jose Garcia, who lives at the Chino copper mines, caught his wife in flagrante delicto -- we leave the reader to guess the crime -- Jose, then and there, gave her the quietus with an axe."
--Thomas Kunkel, "The Pen Is Mightier Than the Six-Shooter," [1] New York Times, August 30, 1998
It was after eleven when Fanning put the quietus to his day, retreating to the "Hospitality Suite" where he'd been hanging his hat these past weeks.
--David Long, [2] The Daughters of Simon Lamoreaux
During his final illness, someone asked Schiller how he felt: "calmer and calmer" was the reply. It was a quietus he richly deserved.
--Roger Kimball, "Schiller's 'Aesthetic Education,' " [3] New Criterion, March 2001
Quietus is from Medieval Latin quietus (est), "(it is) at rest" (said of an obligation that has been discharged), from Latin quietus, "at rest."
quietus \kwy-EE-tuhs\, noun:
1. Final discharge or acquittance, as from debt or obligation.
2. Removal from activity; rest; death.
3. Something that serves to suppress or quiet.
I have put a quietus upon that ticking. Depend upon it, the ticking will trouble you no more.
--Herman Melville, "The Apple-Tree Table"
Consider a small police-blotter report from an 1875 issue of The Grant County Herald in Silver City, N[ew] M[exico]: "We learn that on Friday, Jose Garcia, who lives at the Chino copper mines, caught his wife in flagrante delicto -- we leave the reader to guess the crime -- Jose, then and there, gave her the quietus with an axe."
--Thomas Kunkel, "The Pen Is Mightier Than the Six-Shooter," [1] New York Times, August 30, 1998
It was after eleven when Fanning put the quietus to his day, retreating to the "Hospitality Suite" where he'd been hanging his hat these past weeks.
--David Long, [2] The Daughters of Simon Lamoreaux
During his final illness, someone asked Schiller how he felt: "calmer and calmer" was the reply. It was a quietus he richly deserved.
--Roger Kimball, "Schiller's 'Aesthetic Education,' " [3] New Criterion, March 2001
Quietus is from Medieval Latin quietus (est), "(it is) at rest" (said of an obligation that has been discharged), from Latin quietus, "at rest."
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
Word of the Day
tractable \TRAK-tuh-buhl\, adjective:
1. Capable of being easily led, taught, or managed; docile.
2. Easily handled, managed, or worked; malleable.
I have always found horses, an animal I am attached to, very tractable when treated with humanity and steadiness.
--Mary Wollstonecraft, [1] A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
He thought that our temperaments are at least partly innate: "Some men by unalterable frame of their constitution are stout, others timorous, some confident, others modest and tractable."
--Jonathan Weiner, [2] Time, Love, Memory
Alice gets out her calculator and begins solving what, for her, is a far more tractable kind of problem.
--Stephen S. Hall, "The Smart Set," [3] New York Times Magazine, June 4, 2000
tractable \TRAK-tuh-buhl\, adjective:
1. Capable of being easily led, taught, or managed; docile.
2. Easily handled, managed, or worked; malleable.
I have always found horses, an animal I am attached to, very tractable when treated with humanity and steadiness.
--Mary Wollstonecraft, [1] A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
He thought that our temperaments are at least partly innate: "Some men by unalterable frame of their constitution are stout, others timorous, some confident, others modest and tractable."
--Jonathan Weiner, [2] Time, Love, Memory
Alice gets out her calculator and begins solving what, for her, is a far more tractable kind of problem.
--Stephen S. Hall, "The Smart Set," [3] New York Times Magazine, June 4, 2000
Monday, February 16, 2004
FOX NEWS SPEWS
John Gibson
I never really watched Fox Spews when I was in the US, only when I was craving some sensationalism and there the Superstation wasn't showing one of the Die Hard films that night, but I didn't think it was that bad, fairly innocuous, but harmless in its own way. I mean, who really watches it, right?
So there's this guy over at Fox Spews (owned by Rupert Murdock, who also owns, amongst other things, The Sun newspaper in the UK) who has taken it upon himself to be the voice of the nation - the Fox Spews watching nation that is. His name is John Gibson and he offers two minute sound bites on everything he considers political from how the UK apparently (according to John) hates the US, and how he "has no real beef with [homosexuals]".
John is on record at Fox Spews "My Word" archives as stating that
'Bush doesn't speak well, but ... he does the right thing.
Gore speaks well, and he would have done precisely the wrong thing.'
Apparently, that is the opinion of a pundit on a network which dares call the BBC biased and untruthful.
Know your enemy, this man
is a twunt (in my opinion)
His kind of reporting is at best xenophobic, at worst racial stereotyping. Maybe John would say that the first amendment gives him the right to purge himself of his ludicrous, subjective drivel, but does the first amendment protect one who would make racially-charged statements?
One look at the archive of inane monkey chatter will tell you that the guy isn't worth listening to, yet you know that people will listen to him because they don't know any better.
I like America, I like Americans, but John, it is possible for people to have contrary opinions without thinking that all Americans are idiots, or all of America is stupid. That's a special place we reserve for you and people like you.
So you have a job which probably pays you lots of money to talk crap. Do you think that maybe, just maybe you would get still get paid if you talked through your mouth, instead of the top of your head?
Not on the Fox News network, that's for sure.
That's my word.
Last Word Archives
For an alternative perspective
email the show - myword@foxnews.com
Fun fact: John Gibson was a stand-in for Geraldo Rivera
In honour of John I will now be posting up the dictionary definitions for xenophobe, racist, inane, biased, subjective, prejudiced, and ignorant.
In honour of the BBC I will be posting dictionary definitions to impartial, objective, knowledgeable, moron, sarcasm, and irony.
John Gibson
I never really watched Fox Spews when I was in the US, only when I was craving some sensationalism and there the Superstation wasn't showing one of the Die Hard films that night, but I didn't think it was that bad, fairly innocuous, but harmless in its own way. I mean, who really watches it, right?
So there's this guy over at Fox Spews (owned by Rupert Murdock, who also owns, amongst other things, The Sun newspaper in the UK) who has taken it upon himself to be the voice of the nation - the Fox Spews watching nation that is. His name is John Gibson and he offers two minute sound bites on everything he considers political from how the UK apparently (according to John) hates the US, and how he "has no real beef with [homosexuals]".
John is on record at Fox Spews "My Word" archives as stating that
'Bush doesn't speak well, but ... he does the right thing.
Gore speaks well, and he would have done precisely the wrong thing.'
Apparently, that is the opinion of a pundit on a network which dares call the BBC biased and untruthful.
Know your enemy, this man
is a twunt (in my opinion)
His kind of reporting is at best xenophobic, at worst racial stereotyping. Maybe John would say that the first amendment gives him the right to purge himself of his ludicrous, subjective drivel, but does the first amendment protect one who would make racially-charged statements?
One look at the archive of inane monkey chatter will tell you that the guy isn't worth listening to, yet you know that people will listen to him because they don't know any better.
I like America, I like Americans, but John, it is possible for people to have contrary opinions without thinking that all Americans are idiots, or all of America is stupid. That's a special place we reserve for you and people like you.
So you have a job which probably pays you lots of money to talk crap. Do you think that maybe, just maybe you would get still get paid if you talked through your mouth, instead of the top of your head?
Not on the Fox News network, that's for sure.
That's my word.
Last Word Archives
For an alternative perspective
email the show - myword@foxnews.com
Fun fact: John Gibson was a stand-in for Geraldo Rivera
In honour of John I will now be posting up the dictionary definitions for xenophobe, racist, inane, biased, subjective, prejudiced, and ignorant.
In honour of the BBC I will be posting dictionary definitions to impartial, objective, knowledgeable, moron, sarcasm, and irony.
Mirror Weirdness
If you're like me and can't stand it when somebody asks you to name all seven of the seven dwarfs, or answer a question that appears, on the surface to be easy, but in actuality, is just plain bizzare, then you won't like this.
How come the image in a mirror if back to front left-right, but not upside-down?
I looked it up, then got even more confused.
If you're like me and can't stand it when somebody asks you to name all seven of the seven dwarfs, or answer a question that appears, on the surface to be easy, but in actuality, is just plain bizzare, then you won't like this.
How come the image in a mirror if back to front left-right, but not upside-down?
I looked it up, then got even more confused.
Word of the Day
plaintive \PLAYN-tiv\, adjective:
Expressive of sorrow or melancholy; mournful; sad.
Meanwhile Jack Byron's plight in France was becoming desperate and his letters to his sister increasingly plaintive.
--Phyllis Grosskurth, [1] Byron: The Flawed Angel
The shadows have lengthened, and the night birds have begun their plaintive chorus.
--Valerie Martin, "Being St. Francis," [2] The Atlantic, August 2000
... the plaintive cries of loneliness of the immigrant.
--Jeremy Eichler, "Tango and the Individual Talent," [3] New Republic, July 3, 2000
Plaintive derives from Old French plainte, "complaint," from Latin planctus, past participle of plangere, "to strike (one's breast), to lament."
plaintive \PLAYN-tiv\, adjective:
Expressive of sorrow or melancholy; mournful; sad.
Meanwhile Jack Byron's plight in France was becoming desperate and his letters to his sister increasingly plaintive.
--Phyllis Grosskurth, [1] Byron: The Flawed Angel
The shadows have lengthened, and the night birds have begun their plaintive chorus.
--Valerie Martin, "Being St. Francis," [2] The Atlantic, August 2000
... the plaintive cries of loneliness of the immigrant.
--Jeremy Eichler, "Tango and the Individual Talent," [3] New Republic, July 3, 2000
Plaintive derives from Old French plainte, "complaint," from Latin planctus, past participle of plangere, "to strike (one's breast), to lament."
Angel is a Muppet - It's Official
We like Angel, the TV series about a brooding vampire lawyer. Frankly, this season, writer Joss Whedon has been at the crack pipe. Which clearly is a good thing, as he's decided to transform the series into Fraggle Rock. Ace.
We like Angel, the TV series about a brooding vampire lawyer. Frankly, this season, writer Joss Whedon has been at the crack pipe. Which clearly is a good thing, as he's decided to transform the series into Fraggle Rock. Ace.
A game, apparently
You can interact with it, and there's a score and level-ups and power-ups and everything. It's utterly absorbing, but I just can't work out what it is?
See for yourself
You can interact with it, and there's a score and level-ups and power-ups and everything. It's utterly absorbing, but I just can't work out what it is?
See for yourself
Fire in a Fireworks Factory
It's all a bit tame at first, but gird your loins at about 24 seconds. It gets nasty
It's all a bit tame at first, but gird your loins at about 24 seconds. It gets nasty
Rainbow Smutfest
Did you ever see that episode of Rainbow where every line was an innuendo? Well now you can, here
I just tried this link again and I know that it doesn't work right now, but I am going to post it up here anyway in the hopes that it will be again, soon
Did you ever see that episode of Rainbow where every line was an innuendo? Well now you can, here
I just tried this link again and I know that it doesn't work right now, but I am going to post it up here anyway in the hopes that it will be again, soon
Slang
So over at B3TA they ran a slang survey to find out what new slang has been amusing and bemusing you recently.
So over at B3TA they ran a slang survey to find out what new slang has been amusing and bemusing you recently.
PAYE Tax Calculator
I found a very handy PAYE tax calculator for calculating how much I have tax and NI I have been overcharged this year.
I found a very handy PAYE tax calculator for calculating how much I have tax and NI I have been overcharged this year.
Hutton
I am supporting Brian Wiley for the Beeb. Speaking of the Beeb, check out this US Fox News report into how the BBC handled the whole Andrew Gilligan issue. I don't think he likes us.
Is Fox News really the Daily Mail in disguise?
I am supporting Brian Wiley for the Beeb. Speaking of the Beeb, check out this US Fox News report into how the BBC handled the whole Andrew Gilligan issue. I don't think he likes us.
Is Fox News really the Daily Mail in disguise?
Sunday, February 15, 2004
Word of The Day
Word of the Day
buss \BUS\, noun:
A kiss; a playful kiss; a smack.
transitive verb:
To kiss; especially to kiss with a smack.
Lucky guesser gets a buss upon his plucky kisser.
--William H. Gass, [1] Cartesian Sonata and Other Novellas
Exchange a random peace greeting during Mass with a stranger in the next pew and the odds are roughly one in fifty that you shake the hand or buss the cheek of a parishioner who has had at least one marriage voided by a diocesan tribunal.
--Robert H. Vasoli, [2] What God Has Joined Together
Buss is probably from Old English basse, from Latin basium, "kiss."
Word of the Day
buss \BUS\, noun:
A kiss; a playful kiss; a smack.
transitive verb:
To kiss; especially to kiss with a smack.
Lucky guesser gets a buss upon his plucky kisser.
--William H. Gass, [1] Cartesian Sonata and Other Novellas
Exchange a random peace greeting during Mass with a stranger in the next pew and the odds are roughly one in fifty that you shake the hand or buss the cheek of a parishioner who has had at least one marriage voided by a diocesan tribunal.
--Robert H. Vasoli, [2] What God Has Joined Together
Buss is probably from Old English basse, from Latin basium, "kiss."
Friday, February 13, 2004
Word of the Day
hinterland \HIN-tur-land\, noun:
1. A region situated inland from a coast.
2. A region remote from urban areas; backcountry.
3. A region situated beyond the major metropolitan or cultural centers.
After the plains, I could see in my mind's eye the mountains of Bosnia emerging abruptly, shrouded by mist or haze. Clouds on rocks. Birds circling. The smell of pine and plum brandy. Beyond that the oleander and the heady, Dalmatian coast opening out like some lush dream from the backdrop of a stony hinterland.
--Roger Cohen, [1] Hearts Grown Brutal: Sagas of Sarajevo
It is hard to imagine fromwithin our cultural envelope, but try: You live in a country ruled by an elusive, all-powerful leader, where through no fault of your own you find yourself in an even more faraway corner, one bordering on sprawling prairie and desert hinterland.
--David M. Bethea, "Swallowed Again and Again," [2] New York Times, November 17, 1996
Cities did nothing for me. It was the hinterlands that made me.
--Paul Theroux, [3] Fresh Air Fiend
hinterland \HIN-tur-land\, noun:
1. A region situated inland from a coast.
2. A region remote from urban areas; backcountry.
3. A region situated beyond the major metropolitan or cultural centers.
After the plains, I could see in my mind's eye the mountains of Bosnia emerging abruptly, shrouded by mist or haze. Clouds on rocks. Birds circling. The smell of pine and plum brandy. Beyond that the oleander and the heady, Dalmatian coast opening out like some lush dream from the backdrop of a stony hinterland.
--Roger Cohen, [1] Hearts Grown Brutal: Sagas of Sarajevo
It is hard to imagine fromwithin our cultural envelope, but try: You live in a country ruled by an elusive, all-powerful leader, where through no fault of your own you find yourself in an even more faraway corner, one bordering on sprawling prairie and desert hinterland.
--David M. Bethea, "Swallowed Again and Again," [2] New York Times, November 17, 1996
Cities did nothing for me. It was the hinterlands that made me.
--Paul Theroux, [3] Fresh Air Fiend
I Love Death
I Love Death. Life is shit, and then you die, beautifully animated and set to music using the medium of Flash.
I Love Death. Life is shit, and then you die, beautifully animated and set to music using the medium of Flash.
Home Despot
This page is a parody of the Home Depot, whose stores have a much smaller selection of surface-to-air missiles
This page is a parody of the Home Depot, whose stores have a much smaller selection of surface-to-air missiles
Space, Explained
Don't wait for Stephen Hawking or John Gribbin to exlpain the structure of the universe. I think that this handy guide will be quite all you need.
Don't wait for Stephen Hawking or John Gribbin to exlpain the structure of the universe. I think that this handy guide will be quite all you need.
Eat something Different
Are you bored of fish and chips, meatloaf or sausage and mash? Then pop yourself over to eatbabies.com for some truly refreshing recipes.
(Who the hell could ever get bored with sausage and mash?)
Are you bored of fish and chips, meatloaf or sausage and mash? Then pop yourself over to eatbabies.com for some truly refreshing recipes.
(Who the hell could ever get bored with sausage and mash?)
Froggy Factoid
When a frog eats something poisonous, it can throw up its entire stomach. The frog lets the stomach dangle out of its mouth, before using its right forearm to dig out the contents. It then re-swallows the stomach again. It uses the right limb because its stomach is slightly towards its left side - and so it pulls to the right when regurgitated.
When a frog eats something poisonous, it can throw up its entire stomach. The frog lets the stomach dangle out of its mouth, before using its right forearm to dig out the contents. It then re-swallows the stomach again. It uses the right limb because its stomach is slightly towards its left side - and so it pulls to the right when regurgitated.
Thursday, February 12, 2004
Know your Grammar?
Do you know the difference between a demonstrative and an indefinite pronoun? What about superlative and comparative adverbs? No? Well, now you can fill yer boots with the Grammar Glossary.
Do you know the difference between a demonstrative and an indefinite pronoun? What about superlative and comparative adverbs? No? Well, now you can fill yer boots with the Grammar Glossary.
Word of the Day
latitudinarian \lat-uh-too-din-AIR-ee-un; -tyoo-\, adjective:
Having or expressing broad and tolerant views, especially in religious matters.
noun:
1. A person who is broad-minded and tolerant; one who displays freedom in thinking, especially in religious matters.
2. (Often capitalized) A member of the Church of England, in the time of Charles II, who adopted more liberal notions in respect to the authority, government, and doctrines of the church than generally prevailed.
More was nothing like his supposed example, the gently latitudinarian Cicero, for instance: Cicero's philosophical and religious dialogues (as opposed to his legal and political speeches, of course) often read as if he delighted in being contradicted, while More's are spittingly conclusive.
--Caleb Crain, [1] American Sympathy
. . . the optimism preached in England by latitudinarians trying to soften the Puritan concepts of an inscrutable, cruel God and an abject, fallen humanity.
--James Wood, [2] The Broken Estate
Latitudinarian comes from Latin latitudo, latitudin-, "latitude" (from latus, "broad, wide") + the suffix -arian.
latitudinarian \lat-uh-too-din-AIR-ee-un; -tyoo-\, adjective:
Having or expressing broad and tolerant views, especially in religious matters.
noun:
1. A person who is broad-minded and tolerant; one who displays freedom in thinking, especially in religious matters.
2. (Often capitalized) A member of the Church of England, in the time of Charles II, who adopted more liberal notions in respect to the authority, government, and doctrines of the church than generally prevailed.
More was nothing like his supposed example, the gently latitudinarian Cicero, for instance: Cicero's philosophical and religious dialogues (as opposed to his legal and political speeches, of course) often read as if he delighted in being contradicted, while More's are spittingly conclusive.
--Caleb Crain, [1] American Sympathy
. . . the optimism preached in England by latitudinarians trying to soften the Puritan concepts of an inscrutable, cruel God and an abject, fallen humanity.
--James Wood, [2] The Broken Estate
Latitudinarian comes from Latin latitudo, latitudin-, "latitude" (from latus, "broad, wide") + the suffix -arian.
Wednesday, February 11, 2004
International Sign Language - A True Story
About two years ago my wife and I were living in a very nice apartment block in Cambridge, Massachusetts (and paying a handsome price for the privilege). During the summer, twice a week, a grounds keeping company would come along, early in the morning and dig the borders, cut the grass, prune the plants, etc. It was all very nice and I didn’t have any problem with this as it was all included in the price of the apartment.
Later on in the summer, while it was still very hot, as the leaves started to fall from the trees, the groundskeepers would employ the use of a petrol-driven leaf blower to rid the car park, at the back of the block, of a ton of leaves.
Now, our bedroom window overlooked the car park and it was on the first floor, so the noise and smell from the leaf blower engine was quite painful, but it was easy to make sure that I was in another room for the duration, but the time at which the company did the ground maintenance got earlier and earlier, sometimes before 8am, whilst I was still asleep, in bed, with the windows wide open, and quite contrary to the terms of our quiet enjoyment of our apartment, as written into our contract. I wrote to and phoned the management company a few times, but they did nothing about making sure they did it later in the day.
So, one morning I got fed up – really fed up and decided to do something about it myself. I went outside and found the guy with the leaf blower. He was a small Mexican guy, still beavering away, and making myself heard was the first problem. I asked him to turn off the leaf blower so that I could talk to him, but at first he could hear, then it became apparent that he didn’t speak English. Actually I hadn’t though about it, but very few of the guys in that company can speak English. So I resorted to what everyone would do in that situation - international sign language. Firstly, I asked him quietly to be quiet, a request accompanied with a straightened forefinger to the mouth, in a shhsshing way. Then I asked him to turn off the leaf blower, and accompanied this request with a finger drawn across the throat – the motion for silence. Well the guy went white, turned on his heels and ran away, the leaf blower still spewing both noise and stink.
I didn’t understand, but when I heard the leaf blower being turned off a few minutes later, I was ecstatic with my success. I went round to the front of the apartment, where the other guys had stopped working and was met by another Mexican guy whom I assumed was his manager. He was going apeshit in Spanish and I didn’t understand what he was saying, but since I had succeeded in getting the leaf blower turned off through a nice chat, I considered it “job done”, and a little confused I retired back to the apartment.
It wasn’t until I talked to my wife about my confusion regarding their reactions that it became clear what had happened. In thinking that I had said, in my motioned sign language, “please be quiet and turn off the machine”, I had actually communicated, “stay quiet, I am going to kill you”. It was very early in the morning and I had drawn my finger across my throat instead of using a whole-handed, “cut-it” type motion.
No wonder he ran away.
About two years ago my wife and I were living in a very nice apartment block in Cambridge, Massachusetts (and paying a handsome price for the privilege). During the summer, twice a week, a grounds keeping company would come along, early in the morning and dig the borders, cut the grass, prune the plants, etc. It was all very nice and I didn’t have any problem with this as it was all included in the price of the apartment.
Later on in the summer, while it was still very hot, as the leaves started to fall from the trees, the groundskeepers would employ the use of a petrol-driven leaf blower to rid the car park, at the back of the block, of a ton of leaves.
Now, our bedroom window overlooked the car park and it was on the first floor, so the noise and smell from the leaf blower engine was quite painful, but it was easy to make sure that I was in another room for the duration, but the time at which the company did the ground maintenance got earlier and earlier, sometimes before 8am, whilst I was still asleep, in bed, with the windows wide open, and quite contrary to the terms of our quiet enjoyment of our apartment, as written into our contract. I wrote to and phoned the management company a few times, but they did nothing about making sure they did it later in the day.
So, one morning I got fed up – really fed up and decided to do something about it myself. I went outside and found the guy with the leaf blower. He was a small Mexican guy, still beavering away, and making myself heard was the first problem. I asked him to turn off the leaf blower so that I could talk to him, but at first he could hear, then it became apparent that he didn’t speak English. Actually I hadn’t though about it, but very few of the guys in that company can speak English. So I resorted to what everyone would do in that situation - international sign language. Firstly, I asked him quietly to be quiet, a request accompanied with a straightened forefinger to the mouth, in a shhsshing way. Then I asked him to turn off the leaf blower, and accompanied this request with a finger drawn across the throat – the motion for silence. Well the guy went white, turned on his heels and ran away, the leaf blower still spewing both noise and stink.
I didn’t understand, but when I heard the leaf blower being turned off a few minutes later, I was ecstatic with my success. I went round to the front of the apartment, where the other guys had stopped working and was met by another Mexican guy whom I assumed was his manager. He was going apeshit in Spanish and I didn’t understand what he was saying, but since I had succeeded in getting the leaf blower turned off through a nice chat, I considered it “job done”, and a little confused I retired back to the apartment.
It wasn’t until I talked to my wife about my confusion regarding their reactions that it became clear what had happened. In thinking that I had said, in my motioned sign language, “please be quiet and turn off the machine”, I had actually communicated, “stay quiet, I am going to kill you”. It was very early in the morning and I had drawn my finger across my throat instead of using a whole-handed, “cut-it” type motion.
No wonder he ran away.
Keyboard Disgust
Ug, disgusting. If you don't want to scare yourself, do NOT perform the keyboard shake test. What I need is a self-cleaning keyboard.
Ug, disgusting. If you don't want to scare yourself, do NOT perform the keyboard shake test. What I need is a self-cleaning keyboard.
Word of the Day
insuperable \in-SOO-pur-uh-bul\, adjective:
Incapable of being passed over, surmounted, or overcome; insurmountable; as, "insuperable difficulties."
They have overcome almost insuperable odds that the poor facilities and elements have brought about.
--Raimund E. Goerler (Editor), [1]To the Pole: The Diary and Notebook of Richard E. Byrd, 1925-1927
Once the Soviet Union acquired the bomb, in 1949, proposals for nuclear disarmament were rejected on grounds that the character of the Soviet regime posed an insuperable obstacle.
--Jonathan Schell, [2]The Gift of Time
Insuperable comes from Latin insuperabilis, from in-, "not" + superare, "to go above or over, to surmount," from super, "above, over."
insuperable \in-SOO-pur-uh-bul\, adjective:
Incapable of being passed over, surmounted, or overcome; insurmountable; as, "insuperable difficulties."
They have overcome almost insuperable odds that the poor facilities and elements have brought about.
--Raimund E. Goerler (Editor), [1]To the Pole: The Diary and Notebook of Richard E. Byrd, 1925-1927
Once the Soviet Union acquired the bomb, in 1949, proposals for nuclear disarmament were rejected on grounds that the character of the Soviet regime posed an insuperable obstacle.
--Jonathan Schell, [2]The Gift of Time
Insuperable comes from Latin insuperabilis, from in-, "not" + superare, "to go above or over, to surmount," from super, "above, over."
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
Word of the Day
bombinate \BOM-buh-nayt\, intransitive verb:
To buzz; to hum; to drone.
He is often drunk. His head hurts. Snatches of conversation, remembered precepts, prefigured cries of terror bombinate about his skull.
--Elspeth Barker, "Nobs and the rabble, all in the same boat," [1] Independent, September 22, 1996
Sometimes the computer bombinates way into the night, stops for a bit of rest, then resumes its hum at the early hours of the morning.
--Cheryl Glenn and Robert J. Connors, [2] New St. Martins Guide to Teaching Writing
Bombinate is from Late Latin bombinatus, past participle of bombinare, alteration of Latin bombilare, from bombus, "a boom."
bombinate \BOM-buh-nayt\, intransitive verb:
To buzz; to hum; to drone.
He is often drunk. His head hurts. Snatches of conversation, remembered precepts, prefigured cries of terror bombinate about his skull.
--Elspeth Barker, "Nobs and the rabble, all in the same boat," [1] Independent, September 22, 1996
Sometimes the computer bombinates way into the night, stops for a bit of rest, then resumes its hum at the early hours of the morning.
--Cheryl Glenn and Robert J. Connors, [2] New St. Martins Guide to Teaching Writing
Bombinate is from Late Latin bombinatus, past participle of bombinare, alteration of Latin bombilare, from bombus, "a boom."
My Date With Drew
Well, not my date. It's Brian Herzlinger's documentary of his attempt to get a date with Drew Barrymore.
Herzlinger's film My Date With Drew has been selected for the HBO US Comedy Arts Festival.
Check out the trailer.
Well, not my date. It's Brian Herzlinger's documentary of his attempt to get a date with Drew Barrymore.
Herzlinger's film My Date With Drew has been selected for the HBO US Comedy Arts Festival.
Check out the trailer.
The Personality Forge
Welcome to the The Personality Forge, the world's first community of living people and artificial intelligence entities called bots. Come on in, and chat with bots and botmasters, then create your own artificial intelligence personality, and turn it loose to chat with real people and other chat bots. Inside you'll find thousands of AI personalities, including bartenders, college students, flirts, rebels, adventurers, fairies, gods, aliens, reconstructions of real people, cartoon characters, and even an AI hamster.
Welcome to the The Personality Forge, the world's first community of living people and artificial intelligence entities called bots. Come on in, and chat with bots and botmasters, then create your own artificial intelligence personality, and turn it loose to chat with real people and other chat bots. Inside you'll find thousands of AI personalities, including bartenders, college students, flirts, rebels, adventurers, fairies, gods, aliens, reconstructions of real people, cartoon characters, and even an AI hamster.
Monday, February 09, 2004
Kazaa causes headache
I was just contacted by our internal support department who came to my machine and checked it for 'issues'. It turns out that the 'issue' was Kazaa hammering away on our test network, using mega-bandwith usage and causing some of our remote users (and offices - sorry Hong Kong) to fall over. Oops. Anyway, I have had Kazaa taken from me and placed in the teachers desk-drawer with my pea-shooter and catapult.
I should stick to KazaaLite in future apparently. Maybe this is why I get redirected to PerfectNav whenever I try to go to a site on my home machine. This is because Kazaa is 'spyware'. I thought spyware would be stuff like pens that fire bombs and shoes with go-karts in them, but no, spyware is far more dangerous. It sits on your machine and looks at everything you do, then tells someone else, rather like your boss.
I was just contacted by our internal support department who came to my machine and checked it for 'issues'. It turns out that the 'issue' was Kazaa hammering away on our test network, using mega-bandwith usage and causing some of our remote users (and offices - sorry Hong Kong) to fall over. Oops. Anyway, I have had Kazaa taken from me and placed in the teachers desk-drawer with my pea-shooter and catapult.
I should stick to KazaaLite in future apparently. Maybe this is why I get redirected to PerfectNav whenever I try to go to a site on my home machine. This is because Kazaa is 'spyware'. I thought spyware would be stuff like pens that fire bombs and shoes with go-karts in them, but no, spyware is far more dangerous. It sits on your machine and looks at everything you do, then tells someone else, rather like your boss.
Word of the Day
forcible \FOR-suh-buhl\, adjective:
1. Using force against opposition or resistance; effected or accomplished by force; as, "forcible entry or abduction."
2. Characterized by force, efficiency, or energy; powerful.
Robbery, the forcible taking of property from the person of the victim, is the crime most likely to be committed by a stranger; 75 percent of victims are robbed by strangers.
--Adam Walinsky, "The Crisis of Public Order," [1] The Atlantic, July 1995
The separation of religion from the state does not mean the establishment of irreligion by the state, still less the forcible imposition of an anti-religious philosophy.
--Bernard Lewis, "The Roots of Muslim Rage," [2] The Atlantic, September 1990
Mr. Wilson replied to Mr. Evarts in a forcible argument, wasting no words, and showing clearly that there was no precedent in any impeachment case tried by the Senate for granting so much delay at this stage of the proceedings.
--"President Johnson's Answer to the Charges and Specifications," [3] New York Times, March 23, 1868
It was a masterpiece, the Cincinnati Daily Gazette declared, "the most pointed and most forcible political letter ever written."
--"Thomas Jefferson: Radical and Racist," [4] The Atlantic, October 1996
Forcible ultimately derives from Latin fortis, "strong."
forcible \FOR-suh-buhl\, adjective:
1. Using force against opposition or resistance; effected or accomplished by force; as, "forcible entry or abduction."
2. Characterized by force, efficiency, or energy; powerful.
Robbery, the forcible taking of property from the person of the victim, is the crime most likely to be committed by a stranger; 75 percent of victims are robbed by strangers.
--Adam Walinsky, "The Crisis of Public Order," [1] The Atlantic, July 1995
The separation of religion from the state does not mean the establishment of irreligion by the state, still less the forcible imposition of an anti-religious philosophy.
--Bernard Lewis, "The Roots of Muslim Rage," [2] The Atlantic, September 1990
Mr. Wilson replied to Mr. Evarts in a forcible argument, wasting no words, and showing clearly that there was no precedent in any impeachment case tried by the Senate for granting so much delay at this stage of the proceedings.
--"President Johnson's Answer to the Charges and Specifications," [3] New York Times, March 23, 1868
It was a masterpiece, the Cincinnati Daily Gazette declared, "the most pointed and most forcible political letter ever written."
--"Thomas Jefferson: Radical and Racist," [4] The Atlantic, October 1996
Forcible ultimately derives from Latin fortis, "strong."
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
They're finally making the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy into a film, and Tim, from BBC's The Office is going to be playing Arthur Dent!
Other castings so far are:
Ford Prefect - Mos Def
Trilian - Zooey Deschanel
Marvin - Warwick Davis
Zaphod - Sam Rockwell
Warwick Davis - the actor playing Marvin, was Leprechaun in ALL of the "Leprechaun" movies. (They're now up to number six in this series - "Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood")
I just can't wait for Sam Rockwell to appear from the Total Perspective Vortex to annouce what a totally cool guy he is.
They're finally making the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy into a film, and Tim, from BBC's The Office is going to be playing Arthur Dent!
Other castings so far are:
Ford Prefect - Mos Def
Trilian - Zooey Deschanel
Marvin - Warwick Davis
Zaphod - Sam Rockwell
Warwick Davis - the actor playing Marvin, was Leprechaun in ALL of the "Leprechaun" movies. (They're now up to number six in this series - "Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood")
I just can't wait for Sam Rockwell to appear from the Total Perspective Vortex to annouce what a totally cool guy he is.
Sunday, February 08, 2004
Word of the Day
rapport \ra-POR; ruh-\, noun:
A relation, especially one characterized by sympathetic understanding, emotional affinity, or mutual trust.
He established a tremendous rapport with younger patients and routinely skipped classes and missed tests to take children to the circus or for rides in his convertible, often stopping for ice cream at Frank Monaco's drugstore on the South Side.
--James T. Fisher, [1]Dr. America
Scott and Shackleton could not have been temperamentally more dissimilar and had virtually no rapport.
--Caroline Alexander, [2]The Endurance
The two men shared similar backgrounds and enjoyed a good rapport: both were born to wealth and influence, Cambridge educated, connoisseurs of culture, and world-class in knowledge, ability, and outlook.
--George Perkovich, [3]India's Nuclear Bomb
Although we are not very old friends, we struck up a rapport on that trip which was more than that of mere shipboard acquaintances.
--James Hamilton-Paterson, [4]Three Miles Down
Rapport comes from French, from Old French, from raporter, "to bring back," from re-, "back, again" (from Latin) + aporter, "to bring" (from Latin apportare, from ad-, "to" + portare, "to carry").
rapport \ra-POR; ruh-\, noun:
A relation, especially one characterized by sympathetic understanding, emotional affinity, or mutual trust.
He established a tremendous rapport with younger patients and routinely skipped classes and missed tests to take children to the circus or for rides in his convertible, often stopping for ice cream at Frank Monaco's drugstore on the South Side.
--James T. Fisher, [1]Dr. America
Scott and Shackleton could not have been temperamentally more dissimilar and had virtually no rapport.
--Caroline Alexander, [2]The Endurance
The two men shared similar backgrounds and enjoyed a good rapport: both were born to wealth and influence, Cambridge educated, connoisseurs of culture, and world-class in knowledge, ability, and outlook.
--George Perkovich, [3]India's Nuclear Bomb
Although we are not very old friends, we struck up a rapport on that trip which was more than that of mere shipboard acquaintances.
--James Hamilton-Paterson, [4]Three Miles Down
Rapport comes from French, from Old French, from raporter, "to bring back," from re-, "back, again" (from Latin) + aporter, "to bring" (from Latin apportare, from ad-, "to" + portare, "to carry").
Saturday, February 07, 2004
I found this link to an obituary of Heidi's grandad. Now I don't mean to I be irreverent, but I like the bit that talks about him building a boat out of "futuristic materials". Heidi told me that it was the sixties and the "futuristic materials" were fibreglass and epoxy resin.
Word of the Day
miasma \my-AZ-muh; mee-\, noun:
1. A vaporous exhalation (as of marshes or putrid matter) formerly thought to cause disease; broadly, a thick vaporous atmosphere or emanation.
2. A harmful or corrupting atmosphere or influence; also, an atmosphere that obscures; a fog.
The critics, he says, "will sit in their large automobiles, spewing a miasma of toxic gas into the atmosphere, and they will thank you for not smoking a cigarette."
--Charles E. Little, "No One Communes Anymore," [1]New York
Times, October 17, 1993
To destroy such prejudices, which many a time rise and spread themselves like a miasma, is an imperative duty of theory, for the misbegotten offspring of human reason can also be in turn destroyed by pure reason.
--Carl von Clausewitz, [2]On War (Translated by Colonel
James John Graham)
He spends whatever money he has on hash and eventually heroin . . . and proceeds to sink into a miasma of anger
and alienation.
--Jhumpa Lahiri, "Money Talks in Pakistan," [3]New York
Times, March 12, 2000
Girls of my generation stumbled through much of our early adolescence in a dense miasma of longing.
--Ellen Pall, "She had a Crush on Them," [4]New York Times,
July 29, 1990
Miasma comes from Greek miasma, "pollution," from miainein, "to pollute."
miasma \my-AZ-muh; mee-\, noun:
1. A vaporous exhalation (as of marshes or putrid matter) formerly thought to cause disease; broadly, a thick vaporous atmosphere or emanation.
2. A harmful or corrupting atmosphere or influence; also, an atmosphere that obscures; a fog.
The critics, he says, "will sit in their large automobiles, spewing a miasma of toxic gas into the atmosphere, and they will thank you for not smoking a cigarette."
--Charles E. Little, "No One Communes Anymore," [1]New York
Times, October 17, 1993
To destroy such prejudices, which many a time rise and spread themselves like a miasma, is an imperative duty of theory, for the misbegotten offspring of human reason can also be in turn destroyed by pure reason.
--Carl von Clausewitz, [2]On War (Translated by Colonel
James John Graham)
He spends whatever money he has on hash and eventually heroin . . . and proceeds to sink into a miasma of anger
and alienation.
--Jhumpa Lahiri, "Money Talks in Pakistan," [3]New York
Times, March 12, 2000
Girls of my generation stumbled through much of our early adolescence in a dense miasma of longing.
--Ellen Pall, "She had a Crush on Them," [4]New York Times,
July 29, 1990
Miasma comes from Greek miasma, "pollution," from miainein, "to pollute."
Friday, February 06, 2004
I found this artist whilst I was doing a google search for my mum's name. I must try to track down some of her work - Artist Irene Phillips
Word of the Day
hector \HEK-tur\, noun:
A bully.
transitive verb:
To intimidate or harass in a blustering way; to bully.
intransitive verb:
To play the bully; to bluster.
At both ends of the escalators, attendants... hector and berate any passenger who steps out of line.
--Jeffrey Tayler, "A Means of Transport," [1]The Atlantic, February 1998
. . . salespersons who glom onto you and relentlessly hector you until you buy a service agreement.
--Dave Barry, "Service Calls," [2]Washington Post, September 2, 2001
Hector derives from Greek Hektor, in Greek mythology the chief Trojan warrior and the eldest son of Priam, King of Troy.
hector \HEK-tur\, noun:
A bully.
transitive verb:
To intimidate or harass in a blustering way; to bully.
intransitive verb:
To play the bully; to bluster.
At both ends of the escalators, attendants... hector and berate any passenger who steps out of line.
--Jeffrey Tayler, "A Means of Transport," [1]The Atlantic, February 1998
. . . salespersons who glom onto you and relentlessly hector you until you buy a service agreement.
--Dave Barry, "Service Calls," [2]Washington Post, September 2, 2001
Hector derives from Greek Hektor, in Greek mythology the chief Trojan warrior and the eldest son of Priam, King of Troy.
Lookalikes
I could spend all day looking at these... http://www.splitting-images.com/celebrity_list.html
I could spend all day looking at these... http://www.splitting-images.com/celebrity_list.html
AT LAST - DAILY MAIL TOSS EXPOSED
At last, people have realised what a pile of wank toss the Daily Mail is. The people over at B3TA are running a competition to spotlight the worst aspects of the disgraceful rag. (and personally I think the whole rag is a piece of crap) see it here
At last, people have realised what a pile of wank toss the Daily Mail is. The people over at B3TA are running a competition to spotlight the worst aspects of the disgraceful rag. (and personally I think the whole rag is a piece of crap) see it here
Dice man
I read an interview with Luke Rhinehart in the Metro this morning about his book "The Dice Man".
A brief synopsis - "The cult classic that can still change your life... Let the dice decide! This is the philosophy that changes the life of bored psychiatrist Luke Rhinehart -- and in some ways changes the world as well. Because once you hand over your life to the dice, anything can happen. Entertaining, humorous, scary, shocking, subversive, The Dice Man is one of the cult bestsellers of our time."
I think I may be my next read.
I read an interview with Luke Rhinehart in the Metro this morning about his book "The Dice Man".
A brief synopsis - "The cult classic that can still change your life... Let the dice decide! This is the philosophy that changes the life of bored psychiatrist Luke Rhinehart -- and in some ways changes the world as well. Because once you hand over your life to the dice, anything can happen. Entertaining, humorous, scary, shocking, subversive, The Dice Man is one of the cult bestsellers of our time."
I think I may be my next read.
Thursday, February 05, 2004
Colour Match
This utility will help you select a matching 6-color palette for your website. Define a single color that you like. Matching colors will be calculated.
This utility will help you select a matching 6-color palette for your website. Define a single color that you like. Matching colors will be calculated.
3 Accused of Putting Hairpieces on Cows
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Three livestock exhibitors at last year's Ohio State Fair have been disqualified for allegedly outfitting their Holstein cows with hairpieces.
State Fair inspectors said the three glued or painted hair from another part of the animal or from another animal to create straighter backs on the cows and enhance their appearance in the show ring.
Kreg Krebs and his brother Kenneth of Fredericksburg, and Scott Long of Clayton, Mich., could be required to forfeit all winnings, said Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Melanie Wilt. The winnings had been withheld by fair officials.
Wilt said state inspectors at the fair discovered the fake hair when the cows were leaving the show ring on Aug. 10.
The men have 30 days to request a hearing in which they could present their cases to an independent hearing officer.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Three livestock exhibitors at last year's Ohio State Fair have been disqualified for allegedly outfitting their Holstein cows with hairpieces.
State Fair inspectors said the three glued or painted hair from another part of the animal or from another animal to create straighter backs on the cows and enhance their appearance in the show ring.
Kreg Krebs and his brother Kenneth of Fredericksburg, and Scott Long of Clayton, Mich., could be required to forfeit all winnings, said Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Melanie Wilt. The winnings had been withheld by fair officials.
Wilt said state inspectors at the fair discovered the fake hair when the cows were leaving the show ring on Aug. 10.
The men have 30 days to request a hearing in which they could present their cases to an independent hearing officer.
I guess they're used to people sleeping at their desks
Tax official's desk death unnoticed for two days
A tax official who died at his desk in Helsinki went unnoticed by colleagues for two days.
The man, a tax auditor in his 60s, died last Tuesday while checking tax returns.
But newspaper reports say no-one realised he was dead until Thursday.
The head of personnel at the office in the Finnish capital said the man's closest colleagues were out at meetings when he died.
He said everyone at the tax office was feeling dreadful - and procedures would have to be reviewed, says BBC News Online.
According to the Finnish tabloid newspaper Ilta-Sanomat, co-workers assumed the dead man was silently poring over returns.
"The reason for this was caused by many coincidences," Anita Wickstroem, director at the Helsinki tax office, told AFP news agency.
"He was very much working alone and often visiting companies, while his friends and colleagues who used to have lunch or coffee with him were busy in meetings or outside the office at the time," she added.
There were about 100 other staff in the auditing department on the same floor the dead tax official worked on.
Tax official's desk death unnoticed for two days
A tax official who died at his desk in Helsinki went unnoticed by colleagues for two days.
The man, a tax auditor in his 60s, died last Tuesday while checking tax returns.
But newspaper reports say no-one realised he was dead until Thursday.
The head of personnel at the office in the Finnish capital said the man's closest colleagues were out at meetings when he died.
He said everyone at the tax office was feeling dreadful - and procedures would have to be reviewed, says BBC News Online.
According to the Finnish tabloid newspaper Ilta-Sanomat, co-workers assumed the dead man was silently poring over returns.
"The reason for this was caused by many coincidences," Anita Wickstroem, director at the Helsinki tax office, told AFP news agency.
"He was very much working alone and often visiting companies, while his friends and colleagues who used to have lunch or coffee with him were busy in meetings or outside the office at the time," she added.
There were about 100 other staff in the auditing department on the same floor the dead tax official worked on.
Gym workout 'guarantees more orgasms'
A London gym has developed a new fitness regime that it guarantees will increase the frequency, intensity and quality of customer's orgasms.
The Shag Workout is being launched at Gymbox in Holborn - and some participants claim to have reached a climax during test classes.
Gym bosses say the class involves a three-step process that aims to develop sexual technique, confidence and endurance resulting in a more satisfying session in the sack whilst improving fitness levels.
A Gymbox spokesman said: "Once inhibitions have been lowered and specific muscles targeted 25% of women participants in the test classes have reported experiencing the elusive and much sought after multiple orgasm for the first time in their lives.
He added all participants have said their sex lives have vastly improved and stamina levels increased. The workout incorporates relaxation and meditation with visualisation techniques to help develop various Tantric sex skills.
Each week a different Tantric sex technique is focused upon to concentrate on different aspects of lovemaking. These include guidance on achieving multiple orgasms, helping your partner to orgasm without ejaculation and how to prolong sex and the climax.
Later classes include the Motion in the Ocean aerobic workout, which is tailored to work targeted areas of the body in specific ways. This is achieved via a technique called F.A.S.T.E.R (Flexibility, Agility, Stamina, Tone, Endurance and Rhythm), which utilises functional sexual movements.
Workout creator and Gymbox founder, Richard Hilton said: "The Gymbox Shag Workout means that there is now a proven, embarrassment-free way to improve your sex life through hands-on coaching, rather than theoretical hearsay or guess work."
A London gym has developed a new fitness regime that it guarantees will increase the frequency, intensity and quality of customer's orgasms.
The Shag Workout is being launched at Gymbox in Holborn - and some participants claim to have reached a climax during test classes.
Gym bosses say the class involves a three-step process that aims to develop sexual technique, confidence and endurance resulting in a more satisfying session in the sack whilst improving fitness levels.
A Gymbox spokesman said: "Once inhibitions have been lowered and specific muscles targeted 25% of women participants in the test classes have reported experiencing the elusive and much sought after multiple orgasm for the first time in their lives.
He added all participants have said their sex lives have vastly improved and stamina levels increased. The workout incorporates relaxation and meditation with visualisation techniques to help develop various Tantric sex skills.
Each week a different Tantric sex technique is focused upon to concentrate on different aspects of lovemaking. These include guidance on achieving multiple orgasms, helping your partner to orgasm without ejaculation and how to prolong sex and the climax.
Later classes include the Motion in the Ocean aerobic workout, which is tailored to work targeted areas of the body in specific ways. This is achieved via a technique called F.A.S.T.E.R (Flexibility, Agility, Stamina, Tone, Endurance and Rhythm), which utilises functional sexual movements.
Workout creator and Gymbox founder, Richard Hilton said: "The Gymbox Shag Workout means that there is now a proven, embarrassment-free way to improve your sex life through hands-on coaching, rather than theoretical hearsay or guess work."
Miss Peru 'mistaken for prostitute' by African president
Miss Peru has sparked an international incident after allegedly being mistaken for a prostitute by Gabon's president.
Beauty queen Ivette Santa Maria says she had been offered an all-expense paid trip to an exotic African nation, lucrative sponsorship deals and a chance to be the star promoter of a new beauty contest.
She said after arriving at Gabonese President Omar Bongo's palace "he pressed a button and some sliding doors opened, revealing a large bed."
She added: "I told him I was not a prostitute, that I was a Miss Peru. I started to cry and panicked."
Miss Santa Maria stressed that the president never touched her, nor tried to stop her from fleeing and was probably not involved in what she calls a scheme by would-be pageant organisers who lured her to the West African nation.
Peru's UN ambassador in New York contacted his Gabonese counterpart "and expressed the Peruvian government's serious concern over the events", Peru's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Peru's Foreign Minister Manuel Rodriguez told reporters that his office was awaiting a response from Gabon's UN ambassador.
A spokesman for Bongo, Vincent Mavoungou Bouyou, said by telephone from the Gabonese capital, Libreville, that he was unaware of the allegations.
Miss Santa Maria said she received a phone call several months ago from an Argentine woman claiming to be a publicist working on the launch of a new Miss Humanity beauty pageant in Libreville.
She says she was offered £800 for a week's work, a suite in the Inter-Continental Hotel and the possibility of sponsorship deals with companies such as Air Gabon.
Santa Maria said she arrived in Libreville with her boyfriend on January 19 but was taken alone to the presidential palace. She took a lift that opened into a wood-panelled room. Bongo came down shortly afterward. "I felt silly because I couldn't communicate with him, not speaking French," she said.
She said she fled the room and was running around the palace grounds when guards offered to drive her back to her hotel. When the car took a different route, she feared she was being abducted and jumped out.
Back at the hotel, pageant organisers and government officials apologised for "any misunderstanding," Santa Maria said. But she said it took until Friday to settle her hotel bill, and she left Gabon for South America soon after.
Miss Peru has sparked an international incident after allegedly being mistaken for a prostitute by Gabon's president.
Beauty queen Ivette Santa Maria says she had been offered an all-expense paid trip to an exotic African nation, lucrative sponsorship deals and a chance to be the star promoter of a new beauty contest.
She said after arriving at Gabonese President Omar Bongo's palace "he pressed a button and some sliding doors opened, revealing a large bed."
She added: "I told him I was not a prostitute, that I was a Miss Peru. I started to cry and panicked."
Miss Santa Maria stressed that the president never touched her, nor tried to stop her from fleeing and was probably not involved in what she calls a scheme by would-be pageant organisers who lured her to the West African nation.
Peru's UN ambassador in New York contacted his Gabonese counterpart "and expressed the Peruvian government's serious concern over the events", Peru's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Peru's Foreign Minister Manuel Rodriguez told reporters that his office was awaiting a response from Gabon's UN ambassador.
A spokesman for Bongo, Vincent Mavoungou Bouyou, said by telephone from the Gabonese capital, Libreville, that he was unaware of the allegations.
Miss Santa Maria said she received a phone call several months ago from an Argentine woman claiming to be a publicist working on the launch of a new Miss Humanity beauty pageant in Libreville.
She says she was offered £800 for a week's work, a suite in the Inter-Continental Hotel and the possibility of sponsorship deals with companies such as Air Gabon.
Santa Maria said she arrived in Libreville with her boyfriend on January 19 but was taken alone to the presidential palace. She took a lift that opened into a wood-panelled room. Bongo came down shortly afterward. "I felt silly because I couldn't communicate with him, not speaking French," she said.
She said she fled the room and was running around the palace grounds when guards offered to drive her back to her hotel. When the car took a different route, she feared she was being abducted and jumped out.
Back at the hotel, pageant organisers and government officials apologised for "any misunderstanding," Santa Maria said. But she said it took until Friday to settle her hotel bill, and she left Gabon for South America soon after.
My Latest Read
The Meaning of Everything:
The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary
The world is full of people who love words and language, and Simon Winchester is one of those people. His enthusiasm comes through on every page of this wonderful book. One gets the impression that Mr. Winchester, if he possessed a time machine, would happily go back to, say, 1880, and be one of the numerous and unsung readers that sent in "slips" to the editors of the "great dictionary project," to show the various historical usages of words.
As Mr. Winchester points out, the dictionary was a labor of love by the few who were paid, and by the many who were unpaid. The man who was mainly responsible for the form the dictionary assumed, its thoroughness and layout, and who guided the great project from when he signed a formal contract in March 1879, up until his death in 1915, was James Murray. (The 1879 contract, by the way, specified that the project would be completed within 10 years. It wasn't. The OED wasn't completed until 1928, 13 years after Murray's death.) Murray was an amazing man. Although he had very little formal education, he was intellectually formidable - being familiar with over 20 languages.
Victorian England seemed to produce an inordinate number of such people - and quite a few of them contributed to the creation of the dictionary. A great deal of the fun of this book comes from learning about the personalities of some of these people. Murray's predecessor, Frederick Furnivall, was a brilliant man, but he lacked staying power and lost interest in the project - leaving things in a muddle. (When Murray took over he had to try to track down millions of the vital "usage slips" that were scattered all over the place - Furnivall had some and readers all over England, Europe and North America had others. There were sacks and sacks of crumbling, moldy, wet, and sometimes illegible slips. One sack had a dead rat in it. Another sack had a family of mice living quite happily amongst all that paper, which was perfect "nesting material.")
Unfortunately for the dictionary, Furnivall seemed to be more interested in women. He "sacked" his wife and, at the age of 58, took up with his 21 year old secretary. He was also very interested in sculling, and manged to combine his two favorite interests by frequenting the local teashop and gathering up as many pretty waitresses as he could, and taking them out on the river to teach them the joys of sculling. Another interesting man was Henry Bradley, who became joint senior editor in 1896. He had taught himself Russian in 14 days, and had the uncanny ability to read a book when it was upside down.
Mr. Winchester also mentioins that the editors sometimes consulted "linguistic advisers," such as James Platt "who knew scores of languages and once famously declared that the first twelve tongues were always the most difficult, but having mastered them, the following hundred should not pose too much of a problem." Sometimes Mr. Winchester mentions a contributor only, I suspect, because of the author's love of language: he relishes telling us about the "magnificently named" Hereward Thimbleby Price, who was born in - are you ready for this? - Amatolakinandisamisichana, Madagascar.
The author tells us that the dictionary was supposed to take 10 years to complete, but it took 54; it was supposed to be 7,000 pages, but it wound up being 16,000; and it was supposed to cost 9,000 pounds, but wound up costing 300,000 pounds. Lest you think the delays and cost overruns have something to do with British academic quirkiness, Mr. Winchester explains that it is much more a matter of thoroughness. He points out that a German dictionary started in 1838 was not finished until 1961; a Dutch dictionary started in 1851 was not completed until 1998; and the Swedes, who started a comprehensive dictionary back in the 1800's, are currently stuck on the letter S.
"The Meaning of Everything" is a great story, well and lovingly told by Mr. Winchester, full of incredibly bright and interesting people, and - best of all - giving you a behind-the-scenes look at the labor-intensive creation of this great dictionary.
The Meaning of Everything:
The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary
The world is full of people who love words and language, and Simon Winchester is one of those people. His enthusiasm comes through on every page of this wonderful book. One gets the impression that Mr. Winchester, if he possessed a time machine, would happily go back to, say, 1880, and be one of the numerous and unsung readers that sent in "slips" to the editors of the "great dictionary project," to show the various historical usages of words.
As Mr. Winchester points out, the dictionary was a labor of love by the few who were paid, and by the many who were unpaid. The man who was mainly responsible for the form the dictionary assumed, its thoroughness and layout, and who guided the great project from when he signed a formal contract in March 1879, up until his death in 1915, was James Murray. (The 1879 contract, by the way, specified that the project would be completed within 10 years. It wasn't. The OED wasn't completed until 1928, 13 years after Murray's death.) Murray was an amazing man. Although he had very little formal education, he was intellectually formidable - being familiar with over 20 languages.
Victorian England seemed to produce an inordinate number of such people - and quite a few of them contributed to the creation of the dictionary. A great deal of the fun of this book comes from learning about the personalities of some of these people. Murray's predecessor, Frederick Furnivall, was a brilliant man, but he lacked staying power and lost interest in the project - leaving things in a muddle. (When Murray took over he had to try to track down millions of the vital "usage slips" that were scattered all over the place - Furnivall had some and readers all over England, Europe and North America had others. There were sacks and sacks of crumbling, moldy, wet, and sometimes illegible slips. One sack had a dead rat in it. Another sack had a family of mice living quite happily amongst all that paper, which was perfect "nesting material.")
Unfortunately for the dictionary, Furnivall seemed to be more interested in women. He "sacked" his wife and, at the age of 58, took up with his 21 year old secretary. He was also very interested in sculling, and manged to combine his two favorite interests by frequenting the local teashop and gathering up as many pretty waitresses as he could, and taking them out on the river to teach them the joys of sculling. Another interesting man was Henry Bradley, who became joint senior editor in 1896. He had taught himself Russian in 14 days, and had the uncanny ability to read a book when it was upside down.
Mr. Winchester also mentioins that the editors sometimes consulted "linguistic advisers," such as James Platt "who knew scores of languages and once famously declared that the first twelve tongues were always the most difficult, but having mastered them, the following hundred should not pose too much of a problem." Sometimes Mr. Winchester mentions a contributor only, I suspect, because of the author's love of language: he relishes telling us about the "magnificently named" Hereward Thimbleby Price, who was born in - are you ready for this? - Amatolakinandisamisichana, Madagascar.
The author tells us that the dictionary was supposed to take 10 years to complete, but it took 54; it was supposed to be 7,000 pages, but it wound up being 16,000; and it was supposed to cost 9,000 pounds, but wound up costing 300,000 pounds. Lest you think the delays and cost overruns have something to do with British academic quirkiness, Mr. Winchester explains that it is much more a matter of thoroughness. He points out that a German dictionary started in 1838 was not finished until 1961; a Dutch dictionary started in 1851 was not completed until 1998; and the Swedes, who started a comprehensive dictionary back in the 1800's, are currently stuck on the letter S.
"The Meaning of Everything" is a great story, well and lovingly told by Mr. Winchester, full of incredibly bright and interesting people, and - best of all - giving you a behind-the-scenes look at the labor-intensive creation of this great dictionary.
A Little Social Experimentation
The guy sitting next to me on my course is taking up 3/4 of the desk with his shit. He's put his notepad right next to my keyboard, leaving me very little space. When I cam back from lunch I put my sandwich right on his notepad. He just sat there for the next 1/2 hour listening to the instructor and I could tell he was really agitated as he wanted to write on his notepad, but he wouldn't say anything.
Interesting.
More scientific results later.
The guy sitting next to me on my course is taking up 3/4 of the desk with his shit. He's put his notepad right next to my keyboard, leaving me very little space. When I cam back from lunch I put my sandwich right on his notepad. He just sat there for the next 1/2 hour listening to the instructor and I could tell he was really agitated as he wanted to write on his notepad, but he wouldn't say anything.
Interesting.
More scientific results later.
Word of the Day
censure \SEN-shur\, noun:
1. The act of blaming or finding fault with and condemning as wrong; reprehension; blame.
2. An official reprimand or expression of disapproval.
transitive verb:
1. To find fault with and condemn as wrong; to blame; to criticize severely.
2. To express official disapproval of.
She was tired of their disapproval, the silent censure, their eagerness always to assume the worst.
--Mary McGarry Morris, [1] Fiona Range
But it was the dread news of death from scurvy that dominated headlines. A naval court of inquiry censured Nares for failing to provide his sledge crew with fresh lime juice.
--Leonard F. Guttridge, [2] Ghosts of Cape Sabine
The reason Vinnie was censured and put on probation rather than terminated was the extenuating circumstances of his behavior.
--Robin Cook, [3] Vector
censure \SEN-shur\, noun:
1. The act of blaming or finding fault with and condemning as wrong; reprehension; blame.
2. An official reprimand or expression of disapproval.
transitive verb:
1. To find fault with and condemn as wrong; to blame; to criticize severely.
2. To express official disapproval of.
She was tired of their disapproval, the silent censure, their eagerness always to assume the worst.
--Mary McGarry Morris, [1] Fiona Range
But it was the dread news of death from scurvy that dominated headlines. A naval court of inquiry censured Nares for failing to provide his sledge crew with fresh lime juice.
--Leonard F. Guttridge, [2] Ghosts of Cape Sabine
The reason Vinnie was censured and put on probation rather than terminated was the extenuating circumstances of his behavior.
--Robin Cook, [3] Vector
Science wins ancient bones battle
A US appeals court has given permission to scientists to study a 9,000-year-old skeleton - despite the objections of some American Indian tribes.
The bones were found by two teenagers near Kennewick, Washington, in 1996.
American Indians want to bury what they call the remains of a distant relative, but scientists say the unusual features of the skeleton need further study.
Appeal judges ruled it was impossible to establish a relationship between the Indian tribes and "Kennewick Man".
Judge Ronald M Gould wrote that, under the law, the remains could only be considered Native American if they "bear some relationship to presently existing tribe or people or culture".
Because "limited studies to date" could not establish that link, the San Francisco-based 9th Circuit Court of Appeals gave the green light to the scientists.
We "affirm the judgment of the district court barring the transfer of the skeleton for immediate burial and instead permitting scientific study of the skeleton," the court wrote.
Department of the Interior scientists say "Kennewick Man" is unlike any known modern Indians, although they do not rule out a distant biological connection.
They hope further study on the bones will shed light on early North Americans.
"From the perspective of [the scientists] this skeleton is an irreplaceable source of information about early New World populations that warrants careful scientific inquiry to advance knowledge of distant times," wrote Judge Gould.
"I think it's the way forward," Dr Silvia Gonzalez, an expert in human origins at Liverpool John Moores University, UK, told BBC News Online.
"We have so many questions to answer about where the first Native Americans came from."
"It's so rare, so unique to have [this specimen]. But unfortunately, we have already lost some very precious materials that are irreplaceable."
The appeal court ruling backs a 2002 decision by a US magistrate that the remains should be studied.
Previous court rulings had favoured the Umatilla, Yakama, Colville and Nez Perce tribes.
"Kennewick Man" is housed at the Burke Museum at the University of Washington in Seattle.
A US appeals court has given permission to scientists to study a 9,000-year-old skeleton - despite the objections of some American Indian tribes.
The bones were found by two teenagers near Kennewick, Washington, in 1996.
American Indians want to bury what they call the remains of a distant relative, but scientists say the unusual features of the skeleton need further study.
Appeal judges ruled it was impossible to establish a relationship between the Indian tribes and "Kennewick Man".
Judge Ronald M Gould wrote that, under the law, the remains could only be considered Native American if they "bear some relationship to presently existing tribe or people or culture".
Because "limited studies to date" could not establish that link, the San Francisco-based 9th Circuit Court of Appeals gave the green light to the scientists.
We "affirm the judgment of the district court barring the transfer of the skeleton for immediate burial and instead permitting scientific study of the skeleton," the court wrote.
Department of the Interior scientists say "Kennewick Man" is unlike any known modern Indians, although they do not rule out a distant biological connection.
They hope further study on the bones will shed light on early North Americans.
"From the perspective of [the scientists] this skeleton is an irreplaceable source of information about early New World populations that warrants careful scientific inquiry to advance knowledge of distant times," wrote Judge Gould.
"I think it's the way forward," Dr Silvia Gonzalez, an expert in human origins at Liverpool John Moores University, UK, told BBC News Online.
"We have so many questions to answer about where the first Native Americans came from."
"It's so rare, so unique to have [this specimen]. But unfortunately, we have already lost some very precious materials that are irreplaceable."
The appeal court ruling backs a 2002 decision by a US magistrate that the remains should be studied.
Previous court rulings had favoured the Umatilla, Yakama, Colville and Nez Perce tribes.
"Kennewick Man" is housed at the Burke Museum at the University of Washington in Seattle.
I just saw this blind woman walking down the pavement, crossing the road and walking down the other side. She was carrying a white stick, but it was shorter than the ones that I am used to seeing. She was holding it with both hands, upright, with the top about chest height and the bottom end about at her knees. She wasn't using it to touch the ground or the side of the pavements, or walls. What was it? Did it have some kind of sensing device in it, or was she just so used to the walk that she didn't need to use it?
Wednesday, February 04, 2004
User Interface...
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
I Laughed, I Cried, I Wrote a Check
Andrew Sullivan
Get your mind out of the gutter
Babbette
bluishorange The nice kids
Community Service For the Blind
The not-so-nice kids
Katha Pollit
Linux Kitty
Lisa Brecht Deep thoughts
Shelly
udaho uhudma!
One Time Hits
Gates Not that one, the cool one
Poster boy for the misunderestimated
Fluff Sigh. A flash that makes me laugh every time I doodle with it.
The second coming of Al Gore
Is it really Ecstasy
The gift that
Before we bust up Microsoft, would it be ok if we fix this problem
Why Blogging is dead (circa Nov. 2000).
Blogging will never happen (circa Nov. 1999)
Bomb joke student spared jail
A British student who was arrested at an American airport after joking she had a bomb in her bag, should be able to fly home on Friday subject to legal formalities.
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