Archive for: October, 2009

Free for All Friday 44

Oct 30 2009 Published by Sarah, etc. under Free for all Friday

This FFAF brought to you by Apollo and Chez. There really wouldn’t be one if they hadn’t spent the week funneling me links. I can’t even pick a standarized capitalization.

  • Via Matt, The World of Tomorrow If the Internet Disappeared Today
  • Halloween Frog Egg Drink. Mmm. Amphibiany.
  • From Apollo, Courage wolf tells it like it is.
  • Also from Apollo, Dumb Jokes That are Funny. I love this. I really do. The second random joke I got was one that was told to me in front of a group of people and they thought it was funnier watching me not quite get it, then suddenly understand. It’s the one that goes, “What did the fish say when he swam into a wall?” “Dam!” Except I heard, “Damn!” And I just kinda smiled for a sec thinking, “Cos it’s funny when animals use swear words?” And then I got it, and evidently the look of comprehension was significantly amusing. RIMSHOT.
  • Unreality TV- The BS in CBS:

    On Monday night, the television show “CSI: Miami” launched a vicious attack on American farmers, corn farmers in particular; an angry assault motivated by willful ignorance and driven by scientific illiteracy.

    The result was worse than bad television. It was malicious propaganda based on distortions and lies about the common practices of modern agriculture. Call it “un-reality TV.”

  • October 22 was INTERNATIONAL CAPSLOCK DAY OMG and we missed it. Lucky June 28 is also INTERNATIONAL CAPSLOCK DAY so it’s cool. But go view that page. Santa? Santa!
  • Another Frog Spawn Drink. With bonus lychee eyeball.
  • If Apollo hadn’t sent me the warning about the Magic Quadrilateral, I don’t know what I would’ve done.
  • Chez wants you to know that this is not funny. Not at all. Don’t laugh. You’ll go to hell. Blasphemer. STOP LAUGHING!!!
  • We go back and forth about the pie for breakfast thing all the time, right? Even though you all are wearing me down with your nutrient-counts and optimism, I’m still not fully comfortable with the idea of pie for breakfast. Captain Capitalism wants to take it up to 11 with ice cream for breakfast:

    YES I SHOULD HAVE ICE CREAM FOR BREAKFAST. This has been a communist plot of our elders to keep us ignorant as children. Studies show that ice cream for breakfast increases your IQ by 40 points. It also has immeasurable health benefits such as strong bones due to the calcium in the ice cream, endorphins are released early on in your day, and it’s a well-known fact that ice cream cures the common cold and attracts members of the opposite sex. A whole plethora of health benefits come with eating ice cream. Ergo it is a moral imperative that you eat it during the morning hours.

Speaking of Ice Cream, Bacon

6 responses so far

There Are No Cows in Space

Oct 29 2009 Published by Sarah, etc. under Fandom

I know I’m probably the last person on earth to have seen this, but just in case:

Do I think I should move on? Yes. But. I like it.

8 responses so far

Voila! The ZF-1

Oct 28 2009 Published by Sarah, etc. under Gratuitous Movie Quote

It’s light. Handle’s adjustable for easy carrying, good for righties and lefties. Breaks down into four parts, undetectable by x-ray, ideal for quick, discreet interventions. A word on firepower. Titanium recharger, three thousand round clip with bursts of three to three hundred, and with the Replay button – another Zorg invention – it’s even easier.

FWOOSH!

4 responses so far

Free for All Friday 43

Oct 23 2009 Published by Sarah, etc. under Free for all Friday

Without further ado, mostly because I can’t think of any ado…

Not Much Ado About Bacon

6 responses so far

Ain’t Gonna Hurt His Feelings

Oct 22 2009 Published by Sarah, etc. under Uncategorized

Honu Girl just linked me this video. It is grand. If anybody tries to get on my case for enjoying living in Alabama, I’m just going to play them this video.

4 responses so far

Are You Human?

Oct 21 2009 Published by Sarah, etc. under Gratuitous Movie Quote

Negative. I am a meat popsicle.

2 responses so far

On the Discord Arising from the Excessive Love of a Hat Words

Oct 19 2009 Published by Sarah, etc. under Brand New Words, Lexpionage

Alright. I took a bit of a break from the literary vocabulary out of respect for Mervyn Peake and also because I was bored and worn-out of it. But now! I am still kind of bored and worn out. Nevertheless, there is lexpionage. Because that is what we do around here. Words for the next few weeks will be from Gentlemen of the Road by Michael Chabon. Y’all know I’m a huge Chabon fan. I hope you are, too, or are considering becoming one. Last year I did the Yiddish Policeman’s lexpionage, from his novel of similar title. Remember that? Zugzwang! This novel, though, doesn’t lend itself so easily to titling, punny or otherwise. So the title is the title of the first chapter of the book, from which we get the first three words. Which I should probably throw out there already. Ahem.

Ever heard of shatranj? Me neither, until now:

Engrossed in the study of a small ivory shatranj board with pieces of ebony and horn, and in the stew of chickpeas, carrots, dried lemons and mutton for which the carvansary was renowned, the African held the place nearest the fire, his broad back to the bird, with a view of the doors and the windows with its shutters thrown open to the blue dusk.

Shatranj is a the board game from which Chess developed.* The word itself is Arabic (from which English derives the word “Chess” via French) but can be traced back to the Sanskrit word chaturanga, and from there to Old Persian chatrang. The missing “u” is the result of syncope, the same phonetic process usually inflicted on unstressed vowels that has us say “gonna” when we mean “going to.” Interestingly enough, “chaturanga” survives intact in yoga. It breaks down into two words “four” and “arms,” as in Chaturanga Dandasana, the Four Limbed Staff Pose.

Nor had I heard of bambakion, which goes like so:

The precise origin of the African remained a mystery. In his quilted gray bambakion with its frayed hood, worn over a ragged white tunic, there was a hint of former service in the armies of Byzantium, while the brass eyelets on the straps of his buskins suggested a sojourn in the West.

Clothing word! Exciting! I never get tired of learning these. This one is a little difficult for me to picture. It’s definitely worn on the top half of the body. Wikipedia says that it’s a protective garmet for the Cataphract warrior (mounted cavalry), and is distinguished from infantry gear by composition (leather) and color (red). Leather to protect your sensitive rib cage and guts. Except The African’s is quilted, so maybe not so much leather.

So we’ll leave that to marinate and move on to mahout:

Neither the beardless stripling who was sitting just to the right of its victim, nor the one-eyed majout who was the stripling’s companion, would ever forget the dagger’s keening as it stung the air.

A mahout is the keeper or driver of an elephant. This is a major plot point. And one I should have seen just from the cover of the book, but didn’t, because I like to ignore all signs and symbols on the covers of books and just let literature flow over me. No, just kidding. I can be completely seduced or sickened by covers. The cover of this particular book did neither, though. The word is from the mid-17th century, which makes it a bit out of place for a story set in A.D. 950. Nevertheless, it’s forerunner, the Sanskrit mahamatta, would have been just that much harder to figure out.

So! Wow! No Latin in sight! How do you feel?

*“Not much is known of early days of chess beyond a fairly vague recourse / that fifteen hundred years ago two Princes fought / though brothers for a Hindu throne….”

2 responses so far

Free for All Friday 42

Oct 16 2009 Published by Sarah, etc. under Free for all Friday

This is number 42. I think that’s all I have to say about that! :D

Life, the Universe, and Bacon

And with that, I gotta bug out, because I kind of want one of everything from Fred Flare and things could quickly turn into Mrs Sarah Big Poorhouse Adventure.

Lady Glutter on bacon

Apollo on Lady Glutter on bacon

3 responses so far

Kiss Me, Son of God

Oct 15 2009 Published by Sarah, etc. under Speechifying

As TMBG said in another song, not to put too fine a point on it, a little something via Iowahawk:

I’ve always liked that song. Now I really, really like that song.

6 responses so far

The Last of the Gratuitous Galaxy Quest Quotes

Oct 14 2009 Published by Sarah, etc. under Uncategorized

Okay, y’all, say it with me:

Never give up! Never surrender!

Woo! Feels good! Now vote in the poll:

[poll id="3"]

2 responses so far

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