Another late day for the Report... I'm afraid I accidentally slept in a
bit today and spent quite a bit of the morning feeling like this little guy.
But now I've got a stomach full of terrible work coffee and my eyes are
open, at least for a little while. Great responses to yesterday's soda
debate (sodebate?), as Mr. Mueth offered another map
and some perspective from "an odd island of soda in a sea of pop."
Tamara, meanwhile, found more examples of Rhode Island-ese, in her
attempt to translate PSDS: "We saw BSNDS at the zoo in Franklin Park.
We bought it at CS and
Roebuck's. Mother always said, "Don't forget to wash behind your ES."
The Boos and GS got to Mantle. PS are a juicy fruit. Crying causes TS.
This car VS to the left."
While yesterday we discussed words that divide from within a
culture, today, we're discussing words that cross from one language and
culture to another. The BBC has a great article on the Hobson-Jobson dictionary,
which catalogs words the English language has borrowed from India. The
origin of "dam(n)" is particularly interesting, but what really
surprised me was how many commonplace words have Indian roots. Of
course, words like yoga, jodhpur, sari, and guru come from India, but so
many of the words (pyjamas, cot, shampoo, atoll, bandana, etc.) are
ones that I've always assumed have long been English, not adopted. The
repetition-based words are also fun to say out loud. Though you'll
probably look silly mumbling "higgledy-piggledy" to yourself at work.
And as long as we're looking at items involving Britain interfacing
with the world, check out the video that the BBC is using as their
Olympics titles. (NOTE: The link auto-plays a video, so be ready for
sound right when you click here.)
The video is a brilliant concept, featuring the Olympics just
completely taking over England, from the city to the country. (Surely
better than the Opening Ceremonies where the English countryside takes over the Olympics... Including live animals!)
And even beyond the phenomenal integration of sport to site, the
transitions between events and locations is also great. I'm
particularly taken with the diver-to-rower transition.
Don't stop thinkin' about tomorrow... Because it will be Friday!
But as you think about that, find some time to think about today, too,
and about the 69th birthday of Christine McVie, the Fleetwood Mac member who wrote "Don't Stop," "You Make Lovin' Fun" and other hit songs for the greatest album of all time, Rumours.
It'll soon be here!
From the Desk of the Morning Reporter: A guided tour of the Internet.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
The Pale King of Pop
Things are underway a bit late here at the Report, but it's allowed
us to gather some great material for you today, continuing a debate that
I inadvertently spurred yesterday with my flippant comment on Sodapop.
(No, not the Outsider.
The drink he's holding.) Yes, having taken linguistics classes, I
should have acknowledged that there are regional differences in the
words people use for things. In New England, things are "wicked cool."
In Rhode Island, a lot of women (and some men) have "PSDS".
People in the midwest pack things into "baygs." In the non-existent,
imaginary region that my Dad's voice is from, people drink "melk." But
few words create more regional tension than those that define.
Courtesy of Andrew Sullivan over at the Dish, I have found an objective investigation of the soda-pop-coke phenomenon. Interesting method of data accumulation. I was particularly taken with the filtering to ensure only soft drink related posts were tagged, then avoid talking of "Coke" as a brandname... Though interesting he doesn't acknowledge filtering out alternative uses of Coke... Interesting that soda is such a coastal term... How did it pass over the middle of the nation without touching down? And seriously, what cutesy fantasy world is it where "fizzy drink" is a common expression? Oh, New Zealand? Okay. That makes sense. Freaking Hobbits.
The second major story today is an interesting article on the largest piece of literary intrigue in the past year. No, Dan Brown didn't release a new book. (If he did, chances are someone's secret child is part of some organization's plot for world domination.) I'm referring to the Pulitzer Prize Board's decision not to award a prize for literature in 2012, in spite of what I understand were three pretty outstanding nominees. Well, Michael Cunningham, author of The Hours and Specimen Days, and one of the three jurors for this year's decision has come out with a "letter" explaining the process. Really, though, his piece is much more than that, as it offers a thoughtful reflection on the general awarding of prizes to works of literature.
My favorite quote from the piece, though, is on generational subjectivity:
"What seem fatal flaws to one generation strike the next as displays of artistic courage. Who cares that Henry James went on sometimes at questionable length because he was being paid by the word? Who cares, for that matter, that Marconi merely invented radio transmission when his actual goal was to pick up the voices of the dead?"
One generation's failure can be another generation's American Top 40 with Casey Kasem! (Screw you, Seacrest.)
And to prevent things from getting too intellectual here at the Report, here are two cute things: First, a sweet parody of a song that's been making the Internet rounds, featuring a friend who taught many of us one of our first C-words. (Get your mind out of the gutter, readers!) Second, a sour encounter with a healthier snack.
You could call him Aaron Burr by the way he's dropping Hamiltons... And today, he did drop Hamilton. It's the 208th anniversary of that famous duel. The Wikipedia piece is an interesting read. It appears Ham shot first. (Though George Lucas routinely tampers with the Wiki to edit the past.)
Courtesy of Andrew Sullivan over at the Dish, I have found an objective investigation of the soda-pop-coke phenomenon. Interesting method of data accumulation. I was particularly taken with the filtering to ensure only soft drink related posts were tagged, then avoid talking of "Coke" as a brandname... Though interesting he doesn't acknowledge filtering out alternative uses of Coke... Interesting that soda is such a coastal term... How did it pass over the middle of the nation without touching down? And seriously, what cutesy fantasy world is it where "fizzy drink" is a common expression? Oh, New Zealand? Okay. That makes sense. Freaking Hobbits.
The second major story today is an interesting article on the largest piece of literary intrigue in the past year. No, Dan Brown didn't release a new book. (If he did, chances are someone's secret child is part of some organization's plot for world domination.) I'm referring to the Pulitzer Prize Board's decision not to award a prize for literature in 2012, in spite of what I understand were three pretty outstanding nominees. Well, Michael Cunningham, author of The Hours and Specimen Days, and one of the three jurors for this year's decision has come out with a "letter" explaining the process. Really, though, his piece is much more than that, as it offers a thoughtful reflection on the general awarding of prizes to works of literature.
My favorite quote from the piece, though, is on generational subjectivity:
"What seem fatal flaws to one generation strike the next as displays of artistic courage. Who cares that Henry James went on sometimes at questionable length because he was being paid by the word? Who cares, for that matter, that Marconi merely invented radio transmission when his actual goal was to pick up the voices of the dead?"
One generation's failure can be another generation's American Top 40 with Casey Kasem! (Screw you, Seacrest.)
And to prevent things from getting too intellectual here at the Report, here are two cute things: First, a sweet parody of a song that's been making the Internet rounds, featuring a friend who taught many of us one of our first C-words. (Get your mind out of the gutter, readers!) Second, a sour encounter with a healthier snack.
You could call him Aaron Burr by the way he's dropping Hamiltons... And today, he did drop Hamilton. It's the 208th anniversary of that famous duel. The Wikipedia piece is an interesting read. It appears Ham shot first. (Though George Lucas routinely tampers with the Wiki to edit the past.)
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Soda Pop-Culture
Strong support yesterday for the adorable story of Joshie, as well as
for the scientific method of reporting on the Higgs Boson. Higgs also
inspired last night's (tragically non-winning) trivia team name: "Are
You There, God Particle, It's Me, Margaret." Because, y'know... The
Higgs Boson wants to hear all about the Mag's Pre-Teen Problems.
Today we move from science to soda. (Which, in the world of secret recipes and carbonation, is a type of science.) John Nese shares his obsession with soda (or "pop" or "Coke" to those of you who are wrong/from other regions) in this thirteen minute interview. Admittedly it's a bit long, but for those of you who work through it, you'll find some interesting trivia and rewarding comments. Nese getting all worked up about energy drinks is good stuff, but what's really fun is watching his enthusiasm build as he explores his own shelves. A kid in a candy store has seldom seemed a more appropriate parallel than here with this man in his soda shop. As one of the few Moxie fans that I know, I was thrilled to learn that it is the only soda name found in the dictionary. And coffee soda?! What-the-what?!
To pair with the refreshing bubbles of soda-pop, we've got a couple of video-game related items. First, some video games that have been re-created as traditional Japanese art. Not gonna lie, some of these games are dramatically improved by this art shift. A Samurai Starfox would have been great, though I'm also a fan of the Wes Anderson take on that world of barrel-rolls. Pokemon's apparent move to some seedy underbelly of the gambling world exposes the danger and corruption involved in what is essentially dog-fighting (just with more varied breeds). And following Mario Kart: Double-Dash, I'm surprised Nintendo didn't try to tap transportation nostalgia and draft "Mario Kart: Rickshaw Racers." Speaking of Mario, here's an excellent map detailing the Mario World of Nesteros. An entertaining link for Game of Thrones fans, and one which has me searching for "Who-Plays-Who" parallels between the fantasy series and the games. All I've got is a Peach-esque Daenerys searching all over for three Yoshis that she somehow managed to lose.
JAY! JAY! JAY! It's Sophia Vergara's birthday and that's got me hungry... Hungry for more Hunger Gaaaaaaaames!
[One reader hoped this Report's title referred to Rob Lowe's classic performance as Sodapop Curtis in The Outsiders. This led to my proposal of a new weekly report on Rob Lowe's activities, called "The Rob Lowedown." I also proposed a cute toy / street gang mash-up of My Little Ponyboy. Neither of these projects materialized.]
Today we move from science to soda. (Which, in the world of secret recipes and carbonation, is a type of science.) John Nese shares his obsession with soda (or "pop" or "Coke" to those of you who are wrong/from other regions) in this thirteen minute interview. Admittedly it's a bit long, but for those of you who work through it, you'll find some interesting trivia and rewarding comments. Nese getting all worked up about energy drinks is good stuff, but what's really fun is watching his enthusiasm build as he explores his own shelves. A kid in a candy store has seldom seemed a more appropriate parallel than here with this man in his soda shop. As one of the few Moxie fans that I know, I was thrilled to learn that it is the only soda name found in the dictionary. And coffee soda?! What-the-what?!
To pair with the refreshing bubbles of soda-pop, we've got a couple of video-game related items. First, some video games that have been re-created as traditional Japanese art. Not gonna lie, some of these games are dramatically improved by this art shift. A Samurai Starfox would have been great, though I'm also a fan of the Wes Anderson take on that world of barrel-rolls. Pokemon's apparent move to some seedy underbelly of the gambling world exposes the danger and corruption involved in what is essentially dog-fighting (just with more varied breeds). And following Mario Kart: Double-Dash, I'm surprised Nintendo didn't try to tap transportation nostalgia and draft "Mario Kart: Rickshaw Racers." Speaking of Mario, here's an excellent map detailing the Mario World of Nesteros. An entertaining link for Game of Thrones fans, and one which has me searching for "Who-Plays-Who" parallels between the fantasy series and the games. All I've got is a Peach-esque Daenerys searching all over for three Yoshis that she somehow managed to lose.
JAY! JAY! JAY! It's Sophia Vergara's birthday and that's got me hungry... Hungry for more Hunger Gaaaaaaaames!
[One reader hoped this Report's title referred to Rob Lowe's classic performance as Sodapop Curtis in The Outsiders. This led to my proposal of a new weekly report on Rob Lowe's activities, called "The Rob Lowedown." I also proposed a cute toy / street gang mash-up of My Little Ponyboy. Neither of these projects materialized.]
Monday, July 9, 2012
A Giraffe and a Half-Life
I hope everyone survived the heatwave this weekend! (But I do so with
the selfish hope of keeping our readership up over fifty.) Those of you
wrapping up 4th of July vacations or celebrating birthdays (!!!), I
hope you had a great time. While I was not on vacation at the end of
last week, the Report was due to some work busy-ness. This leaves some
reporting to be done on major events last week.
Specifically, the big ticket news item that everyone's talking about and no one really totally understands... The Higgs Boson! I still don't totally get all the ramifications, though I think I'm in the good company of... Everyone. I am pleased that one of the positive results was that CERN did not create a blackhole that destroyed us all. Though as one item featured in this list of memes points out, our problems with the collider may be far from over, given the apparent employment of Half-Life's Gordon Freeman. I love the joke circulating about the Higgs Boson walking into the church... Though I'm sure God has something to say about it.
A more relaxing and adorable story to pair with the hard science above, a stuffed giraffe went on a lovely vacation recently... And was left behind by his owner, leading to his own Toy Story-esque adventure. But rather than rely on his own cunning to return to his owner, Joshie the Giraffe had help from Ritz Carlton, but not before his own extended vacation. This has to be the most heartwarming story in recent Report history; it reminds me of the elementary-school days of having a class stuffed animal that came home with a student for the weekend for an adventure and an accompanying journal entry. Thanks to Tamara for the tip-off on this great piece of customer service.
If you're going to sing happy birthday today, be sure to get someone to accompany you on a giant piano; It's Tom Hanks' birthday. Someone get the man a volleyball... So long as they also plan on getting tissues for everyone else.
Happy Argentinian Independence Day!
Specifically, the big ticket news item that everyone's talking about and no one really totally understands... The Higgs Boson! I still don't totally get all the ramifications, though I think I'm in the good company of... Everyone. I am pleased that one of the positive results was that CERN did not create a blackhole that destroyed us all. Though as one item featured in this list of memes points out, our problems with the collider may be far from over, given the apparent employment of Half-Life's Gordon Freeman. I love the joke circulating about the Higgs Boson walking into the church... Though I'm sure God has something to say about it.
A more relaxing and adorable story to pair with the hard science above, a stuffed giraffe went on a lovely vacation recently... And was left behind by his owner, leading to his own Toy Story-esque adventure. But rather than rely on his own cunning to return to his owner, Joshie the Giraffe had help from Ritz Carlton, but not before his own extended vacation. This has to be the most heartwarming story in recent Report history; it reminds me of the elementary-school days of having a class stuffed animal that came home with a student for the weekend for an adventure and an accompanying journal entry. Thanks to Tamara for the tip-off on this great piece of customer service.
If you're going to sing happy birthday today, be sure to get someone to accompany you on a giant piano; It's Tom Hanks' birthday. Someone get the man a volleyball... So long as they also plan on getting tissues for everyone else.
Happy Argentinian Independence Day!
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