** Ok, so she admits it. They knew all along that the kid wasn’t in the balloon. I’m so happy that’s over. We won’t hear any more about now, right? Right? Right? ** Asterix turns 50! I remember first reading Asterix as a kid. The Romans all spoke in Latin phrases that have made it […]
Archive | October, 2009
Yes, It's Penisology!
I’ve mentioned before that I listen to, and highly recommend, the entertaining and smart Science Weekly podcast from the Guardian [subscribe here]. This week’s broadcasts has plenty of explicit sexual language, so I know you’re interested: Penisology. By the way, Science Weekly is normally hosted by a guy named Alok Jha, and he does a […]
World’s Best Microscope Photography
From Wired Science, beautiful and fascinating images from the last 35 years. [Thanks to boingboing for the link.]
Evolutionary Theory… or Fact?
Dawkins has written a new book about evolution. The reviewer at the NYT Sunday Book Review reviews the book, makes it clear that he considers evolutionary theory to be correct, then wastes 800 words (well over half the review) on a completely misguided argument about how evolution is a theory, not a fact. Again, he […]
Sex in the Dictionary
Not sex, really, but words that refer to sexual acts. This Slate article, by the editor-at-large of the Oxford English Dictionary, sheds light on the difficulty of defining sexual words that some people would rather not see in the dictionary. And not just the words, but phrases that use those words in proper context. Don’t […]
Google Flu and Agreement on Books
Flu. Books agreement.
Not Necessarily
It’s not a big deal, but some people have a habit of throwing the word “necessarily” into odd places in a sentence. “We wouldn’t necessarily want to be disemboweled by a grizzly bear, so we’re bringing bear repellant.” “Necessarily” there doesn’t really mean anything that a dictionary could help you understand. But listeners usually just […]
Lawyers Are Allowed to Lie
So, you know, Roman Polanski is in prison. Polanski’s lawyers are asking that the Swiss court release him on bail [link]. Here’s the quote that made me choke and splutter while trying innocently to drink some cool water: “One of the lawyers, Herve Temime, added that Polanski did not pose a flight risk.” Seriously? Are […]
Looking for a Good Book?
The Man Booker prize is about to be announced. Check out the short list. I haven’t read any of them. (Here’s a set of condensed versions of each book, apparently with spoilers.) The National Book Foundation presents its 5 under 25 list of five great young writers. I’ve read only one story by one author […]
Book Banning
I’ve posted before about book bannings. This time, I’ll just link without comment to a list of the most frequently challenged books of 2008.