Under construction

February 1, 2009

in Uncategorized

Please excuse the mess while I get things situated. I’m still working out the design and content.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for a light read, I’d suggest “Fandom, Dead Bands, & Reunion Tours.”

Thank you.

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British government opposes “i before e, except after c.”

To be honest, I don’t know where I stand on such a dangerous and controversial topic. In my head, “i before e, except after c” is most often processed as “e before i after c. Usually.”

ETA: Husband has informed me of a mnemonic for some of the exceptions to the now-challenged rule:

“Neither leisured foreigners seized weird heights.”

Tacking on “or their veils” at the end of that sentence seems to work. And adds an interesting plot point to boot.

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A language question that has baffled me since I was a child (I blame Nixon): how do you know if this two-fingered hand gesture shown below means victory or peace?

Written/spoken homonyms are generally understood by their context, but without other words forming a sentence around it, how should this isolated sign be read?

The country or native language in which the sign is made may provide a context, but here in the U.S. the sign can mean either victory or peace. In such a case, do the circumstances under which the sign is made make the difference? If so, then how does one read a hand displayed at a peaceful protest of a disputed election? Does the demonstration’s hope/goal trump all, or does its method of non-violence? Do two open fingers at an anti-war demonstration automatically signify the hope for peace, or can it suggest the desire for achieving the goal of troop withdrawal?

When you see this gesture, do you think victory, or do you think peace? Why?

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Knowledge is power: Political upheaval in the Information Age

June 15, 2009

When I went to bed last night, I had planned on spending Monday morning writing up a progress report to let you kind folks know what I’ve been up to; but while I slept, Tehran exploded.
Communication is my vocation, not politics. I don’t intend to go on a spirited rant about the questionable Iranian elections, [...]

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Man, ignorance really is bliss.

June 11, 2009

Full pun intended.
Texas town says goodbye to ‘hello’
KINGSVILLE, Texas (AP) – In this friendly little ranching town, “hello” is wearing out its welcome. And Leonso Canales Jr. is happy as heck.
At his urging, the Kleberg County commissioners on Monday unanimously designated “heaven-o” as the county’s official greeting. The reason: “hello” contains the word “hell.”
Guess they’ll [...]

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Appropriation is the sincerest form of flattery

June 5, 2009

My friend foobella has decided that my article on stewartcopeland.net embodies her Police reunion tour experience so well that she no longer has to write about the experience herself. Which is enormously flattering. Cheating, but flattering.
Thank you, foobella.

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Strange things happen: I have a byline on the Official Site of Stewart Copeland

June 3, 2009

A 2999-word summary of the flag that ate my life.
Eventually the page will feature photos of the flag’s appearances around the world, but the site’s redesign is still a work in progress, so I’m waiting until it’s finished before I send the link to my three aunts as my mother would have wanted to do.
But [...]

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Last Mother’s Day

May 10, 2009

My mother spent her last Mother’s Day in a coma.
On Friday, May 12, 2006, my mother suffered a ruptured cerebral aneurysm. She had just returned from the garden center with a trunkful of small red flowers (Mom loved flowers) and had asked my father if he wanted the last slice of cold pizza (Mom loved [...]

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Insert some sort of legal briefs pun here

April 17, 2009

It’s all over Twitter already, but this really can’t get too much support:
“The most epic typo in the history of errors,” thanks to Schaffer the Darklord.
I’m in love with the pithy ending to the story as well.

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Adventures in Google Images: Still haven’t found what I’m looking for

April 9, 2009

Yeah, yeah, I know: I’m way behind on writing over here. I’m not proud. I’ll be back to it as soon as I can.
In the meantime, courtesy of my friend Susan, an amusing not-quite-typo:
To accompany an article about recent statements made by U2 manager Paul McGuinness, a photo of McGuinness with singer Bono was posted. [...]

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Friday Night Epiphany

April 3, 2009

I’ve just spent a week working on an article. I’ve written nine drafts, tens of thousands of words (I’m too afraid to even calculate the actual number), and for seven days—from first cup of coffee to last cup of tea or gin—have arranged and rearranged, struggling to find that missing word or transition or element [...]

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