The spectacularly obtuse blog

"An abomination" vs. "beautiful, astonishing, hugely funny"

Mon, 11 Apr 2005 21:44:44 GMT

MJ Simpson writes that the upcoming Hitchhiker film is "an abomination", while Jim Lynn claims it's "beautiful, astonishing, hugely funny, sometimes moving and infinitely cherishable movie".

Anything with that much praise is bound to make me very, very suspicious.

The endangered apostrophe

Fri, 08 Apr 2005 19:23:49 GMT

CSS Zen Garden shows the same content using different CSS-based layouts. Some of the designs are very nice. (via)

Scan your skin project (via)

The generator blog for all your generating needs

The apostrophe protection society

Want some rain? Here, have mine

Fri, 08 Apr 2005 07:03:09 GMT

If I wanted to live in a mudhole, I'd move to bloody Ireland.

Write blog entries dead tired I will not

Thu, 07 Apr 2005 20:01:09 GMT

Gallery of shaken faces (via)

Maryland horse farm quarantined due to unknown illness.

Park Wars and Star Park: The Musical: Star Wars x South Park.

How to talk like Yoda and more SW links

Man accused of microwave arson "after he allegedly heated a can containing gasoline in a microwave oven following a domestic dispute". Smart move.

Attn: colour enthusiasts

Wed, 06 Apr 2005 05:19:09 GMT

The days of boring, more or less mud-coloured critters are over: now we can dye them any colour we want. (link via)

Then again, maybe this is just slightly over the top.

Har har

Mon, 04 Apr 2005 18:43:53 GMT

Tornion poliisi nappasi kiinni kilpikonnan (Finnish only)

Five questions to verify if an entity is a robot

Movie ads 1914-1993 (via)

How to paint rocks -- some cool turtles, owls and snakes (more galleries).

Everything reviewed

Tough guy

Sat, 02 Apr 2005 15:33:59 GMT

"I don't think he is at the point of dying," said Silvestrini, who said the Pope was breathing without oxygen.

So what's he breathing then -- filtered air stripped of oxygen?

And while we're on the subject...

Fri, 01 Apr 2005 12:30:29 GMT

"BBC clampdown on satirical blogs" (via)

I sort of wish they'd leave it like that

Fri, 01 Apr 2005 12:14:33 GMT

I'm surprised TLC didn't do this earlier. I do ~~enjoy~~ ~~like~~ obsess on Potter as much (or more) as any adult Potterite, but sometimes the fandom is a bit too much.

The doctor ordered you WHAT?

Tue, 29 Mar 2005 20:07:13 GMT

Whipping therapy cures depression and suicide crises (via):

"Siberian scientists believe that addiction to alcohol and narcotics, as well as depression, suicidal thoughts and psychosomatic diseases occur when an individual loses his or her interest in life. The absence of the will to live is caused with decreasing production of endorphins - the substance, which is known as the hormone of happiness. If a depressed individual receives a physical punishment, whipping that is, it will stir up endorphin receptors, activate the "production of happiness" and eventually remove depressive feelings.

A phone call

Tue, 29 Mar 2005 11:14:09 GMT

Almost Next Door: Hi, Almost Next Door here. I was wondering if you need some hay for the horses.
Me: [Trying to resist the temptation to ask whether our overweight elephant-sized monsters look as if they need any more hay or aren't being fed enough.] Kind of you to ask, but we've already bought plenty of feed for the summer and autumn.
Almost Next Door: Well, it wasn't that good anyway. A bit mouldy.
Me: Besides, we only use haylage [as you should know, as you've been told at least once].
Almost Next Door: By the way, are you and X both unemployed these days?
Me: [rolling my eyes] Er... I don't think we've ever been that.
Almost Next Door: But you're at home all the time, aren't you?
Me: ...and working all day, yes.
Almost Next Door: But not working for someone else, see.

So what's this logic then -- working at home = unemployed? Some of the locals seem to think it's way cool to run your own business, but a freelancer equals unemployed (as if people are working at home only because no-one will have them at a "real" job, when in fact the situation is quite the opposite for most people.)

I wonder if someone who's both a freelancer and runs her own business (i.e. me) is too complicated a thought for the local gossips.

Easter linkdump

Sun, 27 Mar 2005 14:20:45 GMT

Octopi sometimes tiptoe on two arms. Cool video. (via)

From Homogenous to Honey is a comic written in the 80's by one Mr. Gaiman to oppose the inafamous Section 28 (a local authority "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality" or "promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship"). (via)

Ireland's history in maps (via)

Medieval and renaissance instruments (via)

How to fight the religious right (via)

People of Jewusalem! Wome is your fwiend!

Fri, 25 Mar 2005 19:24:00 GMT

How to really confuse your party guests (via)
PEZ dispensers -- I had no idea there were that many.
Life of Brian goodies: script, images, sound and video clips. (via)
Two must-haves: new novels by Emma Donoghue and Umberto Eco
"Charles Darwin has a posse" stickers and bookmarks (via)

Stuff

Thu, 24 Mar 2005 19:47:11 GMT

Gargoyles in NY City. This one seems to be sporting a definite Bartimaeus attitude. (via)

Theorists in Lego: Butler, Foucault & co. (via)

Sex your brain. This test is actually quite interesting and surprisingly gay- and TG-friendly. Some of the more interesting results:
Seriously though -- if you only take one online test a year, take this one. Even though it told me nothing new, it was fun.
Photos from a heavy horse show. Talk about giants! I wonder if this guy ever gets vertigo driving this? (More giants)

Borg ponies, Socratic math and whatnot

Tue, 22 Mar 2005 06:40:39 GMT

My Borg Pony (via)
British pubs introduce thin beer glasses for women. Silliest thing I've heard in ages. Last time I've been to a pub (about the time dinosaurs died out), women were perfectly able to grab a pint. (via)
All beware! It's the She-blogger! (via)
Teaching binary arithmetic with the Socratic method (via): "The following is a transcript of a teaching experiment, using the Socratic method, with a regular third grade class in a suburban elementary school. I present my perspective and views on the session, and on the Socratic method as a teaching tool, following the transcript. The class was conducted on a Friday afternoon beginning at 1:30, late in May, with about two weeks left in the school year. This time was purposely chosen as one of the most difficult times to entice and hold these children's concentration about a somewhat complex intellectual matter. The point was to demonstrate the power of the Socratic method for both teaching and also for getting students involved and excited about the material being taught." I have to say the transcript's pretty amazing. That's one difficult lot, young kids on a Friday afternoon in May.

Sloppy journalists and unfortunate dwarves; no energy for more tonight

Mon, 21 Mar 2005 20:42:03 GMT

This hoax certainly shows how sloppy journalists have become. It seems an e-mail to AICN is all it takes to make it to The Guardian.

...

I can't help thinking Litur the dwarf must be the most tragicomic character in all European mythology. Baldur -- the god of light -- is killed by his own brother. His wife dies of heartache and gets burned on Baldur's funeral boat. There's more than just the two of them though; there's also Baldur's chopped-up horse, and Litur, who gets kicked in by Thór at the last minute. This is pretty much all we hear about this dwarf. His fifteen minutes of fame may not be glorious, but at least they're memorable.

Tasteeee

Sun, 20 Mar 2005 21:34:48 GMT

Delicacies of horseflesh:

"Karta
For making one karta: 100 g of karta, salt, green pepper or dill to taste.

The thick part of the rectum is washed without removing fat, then carefully turned inside out so that the fat should be inside, washed once more and tied up on both sides."

I think I prefer looking at their outside rather than turning them inside out. (link via)

Floggies 2004

Wed, 16 Mar 2005 22:56:09 GMT

So. Time for the Finnish Bloggies again. A few bloggers have already picked out three memorable entries to help voters choose their Best Entry favourites.

No such service here. Let's face it -- no-one votes for a blog that's basically a personal linkdump with a bit of whining, whingeing and grumbling on the side. Bile and some more bile with weird equine repro links or whining on the woes of haylage? I certainly wouldn't bother wading through the S.O.B. searching for something to vote for. Come to think of it, I can't even find those three memorable entries.

Best blog - Best blogs, actually. There's Marginaali -- not everyone gets involved with the police because of their blog, and Jani blogs often, which is terribly important to a reader like me. And then there's Kolikon kääntöpuoli. And Linko, of course. So there -- my Finnish blog survival kit. Could live without the rest but I'd miss each one of these terribly in case any of them quit.

Best new blog - I only read a few new(ish) blogs, and the best one's probably kirjastotäti by Eva I. who's truly a net veteran (in the positive sense of the word) if there ever was one.

Best diary - Do I read any pureblood diaries? What's a diary anyway?

Best "special field" blog - Kuukauden kuvat

Best column - ...I'm having a hard time defining "a column" here: aren't most blog entries columns to some extent?

Best-designed blog - Fabula?

Best least-known blog - Hmm. Geek Savant? Axis of Ævil?

Best tagline (slogan) - Äitis lukee Kobaïaa. (Kobaïa)

Best individual entry - Äipällä on paituli @ Hämärää länkytystä

Most humorous blog - As a whole, I suppose that'd be Tuuba

If there was a category for best non-Finnish blog, I'd probably vote for Finland for Thought or Gaeilgeoir na Fionlainne -- my Irish is less than rudimentary, but I still think this blog rocks.

Pick your choice

Tue, 15 Mar 2005 19:59:11 GMT

Belief assistant helps you find your true calling (link via):

Around the world in 80 seconds

Tue, 15 Mar 2005 10:29:32 GMT

Iceland: an alien landscape full of waterfalls. Portfolio by Bruce Percy. (via)
An Leabhar Mór - The Great Book of Gaelic. Beautifully illustrated poetry in Irish Gaelic, audio included. The illustrations are beautiful, and this poem sends shivers down my spine; it seems to be one of those poems that can't be extracted, just like this one by Gunnar Ekelöf. (link via)
More geography: Geography Olympics. (via)
Photography by Roman Loranc, nice B&W landscapes (via)
Overheard in New York (via)
SF and fantasy set in Ireland (via)

Sunday night scrounge

Sun, 13 Mar 2005 21:57:57 GMT

Stick avalanche: move your stick figure away from falling stuff. Oddly addictive. (via)
No traces. Photoblog with lots of links to other bhotoblogs such as Beyond Monochrome.
Unphotographable, an anti-photoblog. (via)
Floodfonts, free fonts with funky names. Squid, anyone? (via)
Tips for mastering e-mail overload. Not bad, but are people really so stupid these things need to be spelled out for them? (via)
Amphibian and reptile images (via)

Place the state

Sun, 13 Mar 2005 12:08:06 GMT

American states geography game. Not that I'm particularly interested -- I'd rather guess, say, ex-Soviet or African countries or rivers, mountains and lakes...

Ep III trailer

Fri, 11 Mar 2005 17:51:37 GMT

Ep III torrent (via)

I hate the way the SW geek in me is still sort of waiting for Ep III even though it's not likely to be any good.

On Women's Day...

Tue, 08 Mar 2005 11:35:42 GMT

...I have nothing to add to my last year's entry. Still think anyone who designs articles on women's day in bloody pink deserves to die -- and don't get me started on defining the term "woman", because that'll be the end of us all.

If the world were a logical place, men would ride side saddle

Tue, 08 Mar 2005 10:43:28 GMT

A horsey news item just made me blink twice. Hästmagazinet, a Swedish monthly, reports that a popular stallion has been diagnosed with "equine viral abortion".

To me, a young stallion having been diagnosed with viral abortion sounds a bit like human males diagnosed with vaginal yeast. The term "viral abortion" is usually reserved for one particular situation: when a mare aborts due to the equine herpes virus (EHV). (What the horse was in fact diagnosed with was equine viral arteritis, EVA.)

In English and Finnish, you don't usually talk about viral abortion in other circumstances than actual abortion. All horses may spread the virus, but in their case we call it by its true name, the equine herpes virus. Swedes do use virusabort (viral abortion) in other circumstances than actual abortion (illogically enough), but it doesn't change the fact that viral abortion (EHV) and equine viral arteritis (EVA) are still two separate diseases...

Hästmagazinet's caption "Florencio has viral abortion":

Horse & Hound article: "Popular sire, Florencio, has tested positive to Equine Viral Arteritis":