January 2010
58 posts
My favourite Finnish proverbs
Always exist branch grabbers, when exist fir-tree haulers.
Weeping does not help at the marketplace.
One should not go farther than the sea to fish.
Someone already wet will not be afraid of water.
Even the worst trousers are a match for a skirt.
An accident won’t arrive with a bell on its neck.
It’s more likely for the earth to rip than for a whore to feel ashamed.
If tar,...
Year in Photos →
I’ve posted heaps of things from the Official White House Flickr before, but this set might be the best yet. Each photo is annotated by the photographer (Pete Souza, who might just have one of the best jobs imaginable) and reveals more to Obama and his White House than fifty press releases.
I want this kitchen →
Old New →
Why Did We Focus on Securing Haiti Rather Than... →
Rather sad that disasters like Haiti are exacerbated—to a degree—through poor management.
“Dear Sir,
Your letter is an insoluble puzzle to me. The handwriting is good...”
– Best letter ever?
three hundred and sixty five →
This might just be my favourite new blog.
Homoeopathy sceptics plan mass 'overdose' →
“So, I was even more pleased. I like life. When you are dead these things...”
– Vignelli again, this time remarking on the simple joys of life, liking finding out the identity of a piece of art.
From here.
“I often buy things based on the packing. I assume if the packaging is nice the...”
– Massimo Vignelli, via Rob.
I think there’s a lot to this idea. The obvious example is Apple, and their incredibly well designed packages. The Japanese, I’m told, take pleasure in wrapping things. So the most mundane item is treated as if it is a priceless objet d’art.
“Prescriptivism” is nothing more than linguistic elitism, and like any...”
– languagehat.com: DAVID FOSTER WALLACE DEMOLISHED. | A follower on twitter liked to use the club on me.
The death of ‘shabby chic’ | The Spectator →
One can see this trend very clearly in Grand Designs.
McSweeney's Internet Tendency: Some Common Life... →
LEICA M9 →
An impressive camera
1 tag
formspring.me
Why the log face?
There was a time where my inability and aversion to maths could have been altered.
In year nine I had a math teacher of the old school style. He was strict—he was the head teacher of my HS’s math department—but he was kind and fair.
He pushed me to move beyond my inherent lack of numerical skills and in the few weeks I had him I made genuine improvements. I...
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formspring.me
What’s the oldest piece of clothing you still own and wear?
There’s a rather nice tie that I have, which my grandad gave me from his collection when I was in the early years of high school. It is in my tie collection and I still occasionally wear it, on the few occasions were ties are required. It is blue silk with the occasional jaunty red thin diagonal stripe.
Ask...
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formspring.me
What’s your favorite city?
It is a hard question to answer. Despite my attempts at worldly sophistication, I have not travelled much at all. In fact the only cities I have visited are Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne.
I feel a sense of loyalty should make me pick Sydney. There is a lot to like about Sydney, it can have a sense of energy and confidence to itself. But I have...
The Most Relevant Identity Work of the Decade -... →
It’s fascinating looking at the development of trends and design.
A useful guide to Thai made-to-measure. →
(via putthison)
“LOUISVILLE, KY—At first glance, high school senior Lucas Faber, 18, seems like...”
– Gay Teen Worried He Might Be Christian | The Onion - America’s Finest News Source
Letters of Note: You must not even think of... →
“These attacks and the surveillance they have uncovered—combined with the...”
– Official Google Blog: A new approach to China | Seems pretty major that Google would say it doesn’t want a part in a billion person strong market (although of course what percentage of China’s population uses the internet regularly?) Via @bennettgreen on twitter.
“For sound complexity, one language stands out. !Xóõ, spoken by just a few...”
– Difficult languages: Tongue twisters | The Economist
“The first criminal trial without a jury to take place in England and Wales in...”
– Heathrow robbery trial breaks with 400-year tradition of trial by jury | UK news | The Guardian | Gosh, first the HMS Pinafore was decommissioned, and now Trial by Jury is on the way out. What next, the Mikado is killed?
“In 1940s New York, Harry Dubin and his teenage son went out every weekend to...”
– Great Dad? Or Greatest Dad? | MetaFilter | What a clever photographic project and the results are infused with a real joy and sense of fun.
BBC News - Reporter breaks an 'unbreakable' mobile... →
Pride then the fall, right?
Conversations About The Internet #5: Anonymous... →
Fairly scary; apparently facebook never deletes anything. Everything is hoarded, like one of those crazy bag people on the news.
“With the Surtees, the situation was rather unique. Whenever Mr. and Mrs Surtee...”
– A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry.
Now that’s how to deal with arguments.
“The policeman clapped his hands for hush. His brown eyes bored intelligently...”
– A simple way to keep law and order – make everyone kiss and cuddle - Telegraph
BBC - Magazine Monitor: 100 things we didn't know... →
Some are quite disturbing (like 71). Some are fascinating (like 43). An interesting list all in all.
By George →
This—the last instalment of the Pursuit of Happiness—was sitting in google reader for days because I knew once I read it there’d be no more.
PROJECT 880: THE AVATAR THAT ALMOST WAS →
From the looks of it Avatar could have been a whole lot better.
Lunch à la street cart [Monocle] →
I’d like if this trend came to Australia, I really would.
