Month: September 2008
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The Evolution of Language
Bartleby, the free (as in beer) ‘Internet publisher’, has available a fascinating graphic depicting the evolution of language (all those stemming from the single Proto-Indo-European language, anyway). Now I know the historic route of my native tongue (as opposed to my cradle tongue), Welsh: it’s closest ‘relatives’ are Cornish and Breton (in that order) as…
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Charlie Brooker’s Screenwipe (Again!)
It’s not often I actually laugh out loud while watching something on TV, but these last few days I’ve been re-watching Charlie Brooker’s Screenwipe on YouTube and have been laughing constantly. Its sarcastic look at TV and Charlie Brooker’s customary cutting remarks and commentary keeps this show as one of the best I’ve seen. If…
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Banning Film Posters Glamorising Guns
With the recent ASA ruling that the posters advertising the Jolie crapfest that is Wanted should be banned due to its glamorisation of guns, The Guardian presents us with 8 more classic movie posters that should be banned if these asinine rules were rigidly applied. The Man with the Golden Gun Naked Killer Hitman Gunslinger…
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Top 10 Physics Videos
Wired Science compiles the top 10 physics videos on YouTube. The Musical Tesla Coil Inhaling Sulphur Hexafluoride Boomerang in Zero Gravity Helium Superfluid Halo of Water Vapour Around a Supersonic F-14 Jet Reuben’s Tube Water Droplets in Zero Gravity Ferrofluids Superconducting Levitation The Large Hadron Collider Rap via Link Banana
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Church of England to Apologise to Charles Darwin
A breath of fresh air:the Church of England is to officially apologise to Charles Darwin—126 years following his death—for dismissing his theory of evolution. This apology coincides with the release of a new CoE website promoting Darwin and his views, released this morning. The trouble with homo sapiens is that we’re only human. People, and…
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Top 25 Documentaries
The International Documentary Association celebrated its 25th anniversary last year by asking its members to select the top 25 documentaries in history. These were the results: Hoop Dreams (1994) The Thin Blue Line (1988) Bowling for Columbine (2002) Spellbound (2002) Harlan County U.S.A. (1976) An Inconvenient Truth (2006) Crumb (1994) Gimme Shelter (1970) The Fog…
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Best Book Ever Written for Entrepreneurs
Paul Allen (the lesser) initiates a discussion on the best book ever written for entrepreneurs. It starts by saying that Guy Kawasaki’s infamous The Art of the Start is a must-read, but goes on to extol the virtues of Richard White’s 1977 book The Entrepreneur’s Manual; an, unfortunately, out-of-print book with many unique ideas. The…
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Spolsky on Starbucks’ Business Model
After a less-than-satisfactory experience at his usual Starbucks, Joel Spolsky searched-out Starbucks Gossip to find the reasoning behind a new type of employee: the ‘expediter’. What he discovered prompted him to write an article for Inc. Magazine on what happenes when Starbucks’ business models go awry. In the article Spolsky confuses operations research with operations…
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Great Arts on YouTube
The Guardian selects the 50 greatest arts videos on YouTube. YouTube is best known for its offbeat videos that become viral sensations. But among its millions of clips is a treasure trove of rare and fascinating arts footage, lovingly posted by fans. Ajesh Patalay selects 50 of the best – Joy Division’s TV debut, readings…