Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Disguise of the day

Monday, March 26, 2012

Limerick of the day


Il y avait un jeune home de Dijon
Qui aimait fort peu la religion.
Il disait: 'Quant a moi
Je déteste tous les trois
Le pere, et le fils, et le pigeon.'

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Translation of the day


Der Jammerwoch

Es brillig war. Die schlichte Toven
Wirrten und wimmelten in Waben;
Und aller-mümsige Burggoven
Die mohmen Räth' ausgraben.


»Bewahre doch vor Jammerwoch!
Die Zähne knirschen, Krallen kratzen!
Bewahr' vor Jubjub-Vogel, vor
Frumiösen Banderschntzchen!«


Er griff sein vorpals Schwertchen zu,
Er suchte lang das manchsan' Ding;
Dann, stehend unterm Tumtum Baum,
Er an-zu-denken-fing.


Als stand er tief in Andacht auf,
Des Jammerwochen's Augen-feuer
Durch tulgen Wald mit Wiffek kam
Ein burbelnd Ungeheuer!


Eins, Zwei! Eins, Zwei! Und durch und durch
Sein vorpals Schwert zerschnifer-schnück,
Da blieb es todt! Er, Kopf in Hand,
Geläumfig zog zurück.


»Und schlugst Du ja den Jammerwoch?
Umarme mich, mien Böhm'sches Kind!
O Freuden-Tag! O Halloo-Schlag!«
Er schortelt froh-gesinnt.


Es brillig war. Die schlichte Toven
Wirrten und wimmelten in Waben;
Und aller-mümsige Burggoven
Die mohmen Räth' ausgraben.

Robert Scott 1872

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Picture of the day



Liu Bolin

Friday, March 16, 2012

RIP Merv the Swerve

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Photo of the day

Wednesday, March 07, 2012

Fake food


At a Singapore conference yesterday, I was reminded of the Chinese scam of manufacturing eggs using chemicals, chiefly alginic acid. Here's an example of an advertisement for this get rich quick scheme:

Chicken” You’re Fired!
Man-Made Eggs a path to riches!

“… Our company has promoted the technology of “Man-Made Eggs with Shells” and trained at least 70,000 people in more than 20 Provinces and cities nationwide. We have a great reputation and excellent economic results, in part due to our performance at the Third Annual New Technology and Product Exhibition, where we won the Gold Medal …

… Total cost for one-on-one training: RMB880; or RMB580 for a manual and a set of equipment for eggshells, egg whites and eggyolks as well as manuals for man-made beef, chicken and five other manuals for man-made products.

Technical secrets are under copyright and any dissemination without permission will be punished!


Let's not think about man-made beef and chicken...

Thursday, March 01, 2012

Streets of gold


Strolling along Park Lane towards Hyde Park Corner yesterday, I noticed a man stop a couple of yards ahead of me to pick something up from the pavement. Turning around he announced triumphantly, "Look what I've found - it's my lucky day!" and he showed me a wide banded gold ring in the palm of his hand. I complimented him on his good fortune and walked on. "Madam, stop!" he cried. "This ring's too big for me, why don't you have it?" I hesitated. He asked where I was from and told me he was Serbian. "Why don't you take the ring and give me some money for food?" he suggested. I then twigged: the ring had been his all along.