70s Slang

Here’s a site for nostalgia: Terms of the ‘70s, Slang of the ‘70s. I grew up in the ‘70s; I still rememer when most of these words were current. Phrases like “Keep on truckin’” and “You’re so stunned” were part of everyday life then. I can’t say I’m sorry to see them less popular now.

The Museum of Small Things

Here’s an interesting concept for a museum: the online Museum of Small Things. The items featured here are often so small they are only visible through a microscope. There are four collections: · the freshwater collection · the marine collection · the insectarium · the botanical garden Some items featured include the water flea, a mosquito wing (which is amazingly attractive up close), algae, and daisy pollen. I would have like to see a little more information on some of the material, as some of the displays only have a label with no explanation of what they are. For example, I have no idea what a sessile is. Despite this, the site is still a good browse.

Old Testament Parenting

If you’d like a little humour to brighten your day, check out Ian Frazier’s Old Testament Parenting: Laws of Forbidden Places. Here’s a sample:

And though your stick of carrot does indeed resemble a marker, draw not with it upon the table, even in pretend, for we do not do that, that is why. And though the pieces of broccoli are very like small trees, do not stand them upright to make a forest, because we do not do that, that is why.

You don’t have to belong to the Judeo-Christian tradition to appreciate this. Via Books, Inq.

Sports Superstitions

Here’s an entertaining article: Sports Superstitions. I’d heard that athletes, especially professional players, were superstitious. This article spells out a few of the quirks of specific athletes and also lists some common superstitions according to the game. Thanks to this article, I now know the following:

Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra gets dressed the same way every day, makes sure to step on each dugout step with both feet, and tugs at his batting gloves and taps his toes during each at-bat.

I’ve also learned that bowlers believe that wearing the same clothes will continue a winning streak, and that in both rodeos and tennis you should never wear yellow. Golfers apparently should only begin with odd-numbered clubs. Via Yahoo! Directory—What’s New.

What Your Inbox Says About You

Here’s an interesting article: "Hoarders vs. Deleters: What Your Inbox Says About You". According to psychologist Dave Greenfield, how we handle our incoming E-mail is a reflection of how we handle the rest of our lives. He says "If you keep your inbox full rather than empty, it may mean you keep your life cluttered in other ways." He’s not full of approval for those who have super-tidy inboxes, either.

If you obsessively clean your inbox every 10 minutes, you may be so quick to move on that you miss opportunities and ignore nuances. Or your compulsion for order may be sapping your energy from other endeavors, such as your family.

The article cites the example of one person (a finance executive) who had 10,000 E-mail in his inbox, presumably unread. Perhaps part of the problem here is not that these people are always disorganised (although I’m sure that’s true for many). But some of them too may dread dealing with E-mail simply because they read slowly, type slowly, and hate to write. An E-mail that would take some people two minutes to respond to might necessitate 15 minutes work on their part. Via LifeHacker.

Mick Jagger’s Ongoing Education

Apparently Mick Jagger has now, after over 40 years of being a lead singer, decided to take voice lessons. No, it’s not because he wants to change his style—he wants to learn how to take care of his voice. Via Knotted Knickers.

The Vulcan Salute

Rabbi Yonassan Gershom tells us that there is a Jewish origin to the Vulcan salute. Rabbi Gershom has a manuscript that covers this (and other related matters); it's called Jewish Themes In Star Trek. He’s currently seeking a publisher for it. It would be fun reading for Trekkers; according to the Rabbi’s web site, it contains such topics as whether Vulcan culture is based on rabbinical Judaism and whether Worf is a Klingon version of a ba'al tshuvah (which, according to Jay Litvin's article, means a “returnee to Judaism”). Via Rebecca’s Pocket.

The Church Of The Flying Spaghetti Monster

Well, here’s a good spoof site to check out: the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Bobby Henderson got tired of U.S. schools teaching creationism (aka Intelligent Design) as science. In his words,

I don't have a problem with religion. What I have a problem with is religion posing as science. Teach creationism in school, fine, but DON'T teach it in a science classroom. Science = the study of repeatable, observable, natural phenomena. Accepting a supernatural explanation is a cop-out. It's faith, NOT science.

As a result, he sent letters to those schools teaching creationism:

Let us remember that there are multiple theories of Intelligent Design. I and many others around the world are of the strong belief that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster. It was He who created all that we see and all that we feel. We feel strongly that the overwhelming scientific evidence pointing towards evolutionary processes is nothing but a coincidence, put in place by Him. It is for this reason that I’m writing you today, to formally request that this alternative theory be taught in your schools, along with the other two theories. In fact, I will go so far as to say, if you do not agree to do this, we will be forced to proceed with legal action. I’m sure you see where we are coming from. If the Intelligent Design theory is not based on faith, but instead another scientific theory, as is claimed, then you must also allow our theory to be taught, as it is also based on science, not on faith.

Read the rest of his letter on his home page, and check out all the rest of his great site too. One of the more popular sections is his Hate Mail blog. It’s both funny and sad. Via In The Middle.

Koopa The Turtle

Here’s a terrific site: TurtleKiss.com Thanks to his person, Kira, Koopa the turtle has managed to produce artwork currently for sale on eBay; it hangs in 49 of the 50 states. 20% of the profits go to turtle rescue groups ($10,000 US has been donated so far). There are also some great videos of Koopa on YouTube. Via Boing Boing.

The Pseudo-Elizabethan Name Generator

Well, this is fun: the Pseudo-Elizabethan Name Generator. This generator is subtitled “The Suburban Subdivision Placename Generator,” and the suggestions they create are pretty apt parodies. Maybe we’ll give our house a name. The trouble is, there are so many wonderful possibilities to choose from just in the first page of names: Peasewynne, Ulversgate, Featherbottle, or Cunningcleak. I like Thrushwalk, even though there are no thrushes to be seen in our neighbourhood. This would be a great site to find a name for a new blog! Via Paperback Writer.

Pop Music in North American and England

Here’s an article from the New Yorker Online called "Atlantic Crossing". In it, pop music critic Sasha Frere-Jones talks to Ben Freeman about the differences and similarities between North American and British pop, the evolution of British pop, and much more. I don’t agree with their assessment of ColdPlay, but it’s a good article despite that.

New Rickie Lee Jones Song

On Sunday Rickie Lee Jones released a new song aimed at voters everywhere. You can listen to “Have You Had Enough?” for free; click on this link to get to the Crooks and Liars blog; once you’re there, click on the Audio-MP3 link. Via Robot Wisdom.

Happy Saskatchewan Day

Here in Saskatchewan it’s our civic holiday, a time to celebrate the province. There aren’t any activities organised that I’m aware of, but to do my bit to promote the province, here’s a list of links: · Wikipedia entry on Saskatchewan · SaskTourism · Official Provincial Government Website · Virtual Saskatchewan (an online magazine) · CBC Saskatchewan · SaskBlogs Aggregator

Celebrating King Arthur

Today is the final day of a festival in Tintagel, Cornwall that celebrates the final battle of King Arthur. The festival features two mock battles which involve over 600 people. Participants train once a week all year round to learn how to use the weapons (real, but blunted) and how to defend themselves. Over 1,000 people watch the battles, one of which is a re-enactment of the final struggle between King Arthur and Mordred. There are also contests for those who want to show off their skills with swords or bows and arrows. You can read more details of the festival here and you can see the official web site of Tintagel here.

How Much Is Your Blog Worth?

Here’s an interesting little calculator. It’s not meant as a joke; the numbers are generated based on research into the value of each link. Tristan Louis explains that, “Many in the blogosphere say that traffic is not a good measure of what blogs are but that conversation, as represented by links and indexes like Technorati, represent a more accurate view of the value of a blog.” Accordingly, Dane Carlson built this little tool for us to figure out what our blog is worth in (American) dollars.

My blog is worth $8,468.10.
How much is your blog worth?

Via random Walks.

What The Rolling Stones Want In Their Dressing Rooms

Would you like to know what kind of flowers Keith Richards wants in his dressing room? What station the boys in the band want their television tuned to? Check out the band’s 8 pages of specifications. There’s an intro at the top of this page; to see the complete details of the band’s requirements, scroll down to the very bottom. In the left hand corner there are numbers from 1-8; these are the links to the 8 pages of the document. Two nuggets: the band brings along its own snooker table, and Mick Jagger needs a running area.

What’s Your Hippie Name?

My God-damned hippie name is Aquamarine Nero. Take The Damned Hippie Name Generator today! Created with Rum and Monkey's Name Generator Generator. Via Henny Penny.

Owen Will Soon Have A Hippo Friend Too

You remember Owen, the orphaned baby hippo who bonded with Mzee, a giant tortoise? Owen will soon be introduced to Cleo, another hippopotamus. It’s hoped that he will learn about hippopotamus behaviour from her. For updates and photos of Owen, Mzee, Cleo, and other animals in the sanctuary, see Owen and Mzee’s Web Log. There’s a photo of Owen resting his chin on Mzee’s shell that’s particularly charming. There’s also a photo of Owen and Mzee eating along with a bushbuck (a very shy antelope). Via Popbitch.

Top 50 Movie Endings

Here’s a good list if you’re a fan of movies: the Top 50 Movie Endings Of All Time (warning: spoilers). I was pleased to see Hannah and Her Sisters listed there, and not at all surprised at the rank of Citizen Kane. Via Boing Boing.