Egypt is trying to slaughter all of the country's pigs. Is this because they are trying to prevent swine flu from getting a foot-hold in the country?
That's what the government is telling people. But I wonder if this decision wasn't made easier by the fact that the pigs are raised for consumption by the Christian minority (being considered 'unclean' and therefore not consumable by the Muslim majority).
Of course, the Christians are going to have no trouble surviving without pork chops or ham for a few months. But those poor pig farmers are going to hurt. They're not even given compensation... Ouch.
This story made me think of the possibility that this flu outbreak can be seen by radical (and some not so radical) muslims as clear evidence that god disfavors the decadent pig-eaters from the west.
The WHO tells us that we're at threat level 5. I guess the religious wars are over. Muslims win. Oh wait, The other chosen people are still in the game.
Oh pigs... why'd you have to go an be so damn tasty!
Homer: Are you saying you're never going to eat any animal again? What about bacon?
Lisa: No.
Homer: Ham?
Lisa: No.
Homer: Pork chops?
Lisa: Dad, those all come from the same animal.
Homer: Heh heh heh. Ooh, yeah, right, Lisa. A wonderful, magical animal.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Paper Hearts
This is not a documentary (although everyone seems to be playing themselves).
I'm not sure if it is because of my love affair with michael cera, or maybe it just plain looks like a fun movie, but I can't wait to see it.
I'm not sure if it is because of my love affair with michael cera, or maybe it just plain looks like a fun movie, but I can't wait to see it.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
How we (liguists) roll.
A parable in several, unlabeled acts.
A zoologist goes out into the field, maybe even a literal field, and finds a brand new species of rabbit. He captures that rabbit and brings it back to his university/zoo (they are often hard to tell apart, universities and zoos).
He then proceeds to skin the rabbit, gut it and put all of it's different inner bits into separate jars. He then sends the carcass, the pelt, and each organ to the respective fur/carcass/organ specialists. He does this in the hope that, some day soon when the results of each specialist's analyses come back, we will understand something about the rabbit, something that we wouldn't be able to understand from observing the living rabbit itself as well as everything that we could. (that last, difficult to comprehend sentence involves what linguists call grammatically questionable ELLIPSIS)
But the zoologist doesn't wait for the results. In fact, there's no one waiting for the results.
The gallbladder expert gets his sample and then analyzes the rabbit's gallbladder (do rabbits have gallbladders?). He publishes his results, which are then read by a small handful of gallbladder experts who use what he learned from the rabbit's gallbladder and apply it to other gallbladders. The heart expert does the same, as does the fur expert, etc. Once in a while, the stomach expert chats with the intestine expert and, together they learn something new about the digestive system of all the animals they've seen. A few people get excited, but they all soon go back to work since the toe-nail, eyeball, and ulna experts aren't quite sure what to make of that exciting new research. The spleen expert hasn't even heard of it.
In the meantime, the zoologist goes back out to the field and gets a mouse and repeats the process.
Certainly, to some extent, real world biology works this way, or at least it does in my twisted mind. But the critical difference is that zoologists exist not to feed anatomical biologists' grisly need for carcasses (although it would be fun to picture Dr. Frankenstein's Igor as a zoologist). There are several scientists in the field of biology who study whole, living rabbits: their diets, environments, sexual habits (perverts), etc.
The problem in linguistics is that no linguists are studying the sexual habits of the Ob-Ugric language family. And what I mean by that is, as hard as it might seem, more linguists need to attempt to make a career out of designing clever ways to put all that shit together, or fuckin' stop tearing up rabbits.
This hyperbole was brought to you by Coffee and viewers like you.
A zoologist goes out into the field, maybe even a literal field, and finds a brand new species of rabbit. He captures that rabbit and brings it back to his university/zoo (they are often hard to tell apart, universities and zoos).
He then proceeds to skin the rabbit, gut it and put all of it's different inner bits into separate jars. He then sends the carcass, the pelt, and each organ to the respective fur/carcass/organ specialists. He does this in the hope that, some day soon when the results of each specialist's analyses come back, we will understand something about the rabbit, something that we wouldn't be able to understand from observing the living rabbit itself as well as everything that we could. (that last, difficult to comprehend sentence involves what linguists call grammatically questionable ELLIPSIS)
But the zoologist doesn't wait for the results. In fact, there's no one waiting for the results.
The gallbladder expert gets his sample and then analyzes the rabbit's gallbladder (do rabbits have gallbladders?). He publishes his results, which are then read by a small handful of gallbladder experts who use what he learned from the rabbit's gallbladder and apply it to other gallbladders. The heart expert does the same, as does the fur expert, etc. Once in a while, the stomach expert chats with the intestine expert and, together they learn something new about the digestive system of all the animals they've seen. A few people get excited, but they all soon go back to work since the toe-nail, eyeball, and ulna experts aren't quite sure what to make of that exciting new research. The spleen expert hasn't even heard of it.
In the meantime, the zoologist goes back out to the field and gets a mouse and repeats the process.
Certainly, to some extent, real world biology works this way, or at least it does in my twisted mind. But the critical difference is that zoologists exist not to feed anatomical biologists' grisly need for carcasses (although it would be fun to picture Dr. Frankenstein's Igor as a zoologist). There are several scientists in the field of biology who study whole, living rabbits: their diets, environments, sexual habits (perverts), etc.
The problem in linguistics is that no linguists are studying the sexual habits of the Ob-Ugric language family. And what I mean by that is, as hard as it might seem, more linguists need to attempt to make a career out of designing clever ways to put all that shit together, or fuckin' stop tearing up rabbits.
This hyperbole was brought to you by Coffee and viewers like you.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Hidden Camera's are one of humanity's greatest and worst invention
I had a great time with this website (no it isn't porn). In my very short life I have maintained a 100% success rate at job interviews (7 interviews, 7 job offers). I think, now, I'm realizing why.
[Updated] where the hell did that apostrophe in the title come from?
[Updated] where the hell did that apostrophe in the title come from?
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
They were this really funny comedy troupe
at long last, my DVD collection will finally be complete.
The State is finally coming.
I just hope that it's as good as I remember it.
The State is finally coming.
I just hope that it's as good as I remember it.
Shenanigans
Shenanigans! I declare shenanigans!
PS. I've always wanted to declare shenanigans. I think I'll do it more often from now on.
South Park Shenanigans:
Supertrooper shenanigans:
PPS. While the OED doesn't seem to have an entry for 'shenanigans', M-W does. But M-W doesn't seem to know where it came from. I'd put the word Shenanigans on my top ten list of coolest words in English. Sesquipedalian would be on there too. I'm still waiting for a good opportunity to use sesquipedalian.
PS. I've always wanted to declare shenanigans. I think I'll do it more often from now on.
South Park Shenanigans:
Supertrooper shenanigans:
PPS. While the OED doesn't seem to have an entry for 'shenanigans', M-W does. But M-W doesn't seem to know where it came from. I'd put the word Shenanigans on my top ten list of coolest words in English. Sesquipedalian would be on there too. I'm still waiting for a good opportunity to use sesquipedalian.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
God protects us, don't you know
You know what? Maybe this guy (a congressman) is right. Maybe the bible is all the evidence we need to know, without doubt, that there is no reason to fear global climate change.
Then again, maybe this is about as sad and pathetic as irrational, unquestioning, blind devotion can get.
Then again, maybe this is about as sad and pathetic as irrational, unquestioning, blind devotion can get.
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