
A Latin saying, heard on Escape Pod:
It is well to remember that there are five reasons for drinking: The arrival of a friend; one's present or future thirst; the excellence of the wine; or any other reason.
Following two sell-out shows at the Fringe last year, I'm on at the Fringe again: 11.25 Monday 4 August, Stand 2 w/Lucy Remnant and S...
It is well to remember that there are five reasons for drinking: The arrival of a friend; one's present or future thirst; the excellence of the wine; or any other reason.
The British universities, Oxford and Cambridge included, are under siege from a system of state control that is undermining the one thing upon which their worldwide reputation depends: the caliber of their scholarship. The theories and practices that are driving this assault are mostly American in origin, conceived in American business schools and management consulting firms. They are frequently embedded in intensive management systems that make use of information technology (IT) marketed by corporations such as IBM, Oracle, and SAP. They are then sold to clients such as the UK government and its bureaucracies, including the universities. This alliance between the public and private sector has become a threat to academic freedom in the UK, and a warning to the American academy about how its own freedoms can be threatened.
VS Naipaul’s Rules for Beginners 1.
Do not write long sentences. A sentence should not have more than ten or twelve words.2.
Each sentence should make a clear statement. It should add to the statement that went before. A good paragraph is a series of clear, linked statements.3.
Do not use big words. If your computer tells you that your average word is more than five letters long, there is something wrong. The use of small words compels you to think about what you are writing. Even difficult ideas can be broken down into small words.4.
Never use words whose meaning you are not sure of. If you break this rule you should look for other work.5.
The beginner should avoid using adjectives, except those of colour, size and number. Use as few adverbs as possible.6.
Avoid the abstract. Always go for the concrete.7.
Every day, for six months at least, practice writing in this way. Small words; short, clear, concrete sentences. It may be awkward, but it’s training you in the use of language. It may even be getting rid of the bad language habits you picked up at the university. You may go beyond these rules after you have thoroughly understood and mastered them.
Though written long before the Internet age, the memo immediately went viral. It was published verbatim in The Washington Post, which also praised it in an accompanying editorial. It generated a marriage proposal from a Boston Globe columnist, who gushed: “Alfred Kahn, I love you. I know you’re in your late 50s and are married, but let’s run away together.” A Singapore newspaper suggested that Mr. Kahn be awarded a Nobel Prize. A Kansas City newspaper urged him to run for president. And, shortly after the memo’s appearance, he was appointed to the usage panel of the American Heritage Dictionary, a position he held until his death.
The Aurora from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.
I've never seen the northern lights, I hope I will one day.