word of the day
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Science Continues to be Unsettled
Local geology doesn’t yield such a sight, so Frank went back a few weeks later and crawled inside. It was a single shaft, about 15 feet long; at its end, while on his back, he found what looked like claw marks all over the ceiling. Unable to identify any natural geological explanation for the cave’s… Read more
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Today I learned some new phrases
Say what you will about mindlessly surfing the Internet, I’m always learning something in my semi-random virtual peregrinations Those places aren’t sh!th*les, they’re “fecalized environments,” I had no idea the urge to knock 20 pounds off my lazy ass was “healthism,” and Skipping the purchase of a shooting vest kept me from becoming a “tactical Read more
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Collegiality…
…is one of those flexible terms academicians use to describe fellow faculty who “do what I like” or “do the committee work I abhor” or “don’t vote for Republicans” or something of that sort. But I’ve come up with a simpler, more objective, and operationally measurable definition: A fellow faculty member is collegial if he Read more
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The digitus impudicus and more
Here’s a fascinating primer on gestures. Who knew that the rude finger gesture is more durable than its very name? Tip from the Geek Press. Read more
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Pay no attention to the C-17 behind the curtain
The President’s recent bus tour, revealed as eyewash. Big surprise. Tip from the Parkway Rest Stop. Read more
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Here comes the DYSCALCULA epidemic
Back in grad school, whenever a statistical problem had us stumped, we would joke about having a bad case of dyscalcula, comparing ourselves to dyslexics because the problem was so puzzling we weren’t sure we understood the question, let alone had a clue about finding the answer. Well, dyscalcula is making its real-world debut. Oh Read more
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Just tatoo “Redneck LOSER” on your forehead…
…it would be a lot cheaper than Confederate license plates. But what the heck, we’re catering to every other gang of perverts, layabouts, and degenerates in society, so why not let these hapless mooks self-identify? Update (10 May). The affliction isn’t confined to pseudo-conservative Jacksonians! The Guardian has a series of essays (inadvertently) explaining why Read more
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Let’s push the “abstract behavior rules”
The latest in NewSpeak is renaming Easter Eggs as “spring spheres”. We were doing some linguistic horsing around yesterday, and decided “spring spheres” lacked any sort of multicultural element. We decided to call them “cojones colorados.” That should provoke some discussion. Tip from the Corner. Read more
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Deconstruction
"One Orange County city has already taken bold steps to correct its $10 million deficit. It may be a model for other cities and states across the country. Internally, it has decided it will not replace any city worker that dies, retires, moves or quits." Read all about it. Tip from Overpaid Government Worker, via Read more
The Random Texan 