July 2011
June 2011
“Self magnification is a contributing factor to many of our social problems.”
—
David Brooks (via aifestival)
Reminds me of a (shorter, obviously) version of a lot of stuff a different David (F.W.) said a lot.
Oxford Writing and Style Guide no longer recommending the Oxford comma →
kottke.org
As a general rule, do not use the serial/Oxford comma: so write ‘a, b and c’ not ‘a, b, and c’. But when a comma would assist in the meaning of the sentence or helps to resolve ambiguity, it can be used — especially where one of the items in the list is already joined by ‘and’.
YES. I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
RIP Oxford Comma
I AM NOT EXCITED ABOUT THIS. ILU OXFORD COMMA.
I stand by the Oxford Comma and therefore will not be retiring its use, adoration, and adulation within that of my writing.
That’s right: you fucking saw what I did there.
Preach on, sister of my heart, soul, and associated internal organs/concepts.
Oxford Writing and Style Guide no longer recommending the Oxford comma →
kottke.org
As a general rule, do not use the serial/Oxford comma: so write ‘a, b and c’ not ‘a, b, and c’. But when a comma would assist in the meaning of the sentence or helps to resolve ambiguity, it can be used — especially where one of the items in the list is already joined by ‘and’.
YES. I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
RIP Oxford Comma
I AM NOT EXCITED ABOUT THIS. ILU OXFORD COMMA.
“Coontz’s basic thesis is that what we think of as the traditional marriage — marriage based on love — was not the purpose of marriage for thousands of years. Instead, marriage was about acquiring in-laws, jockeying for political and economic advantage, and building the family labor force. If you were a farmer, you had children in order to increase the workforce, for example. Admittedly not very romantic, but very pragmatic. It was only 200 years ago that people began to believe that young people could choose their own mates, and should choose their own mates on the basis of something like love, which had formerly been considered a threat to marriage. As soon as people began to do that, all of the demands that we now think of as radical new demands — from the demand for divorce, to the right to refuse a shotgun marriage, to even recognition of same-sex relations — were immediately raised. But it was not until the last 30 years that people began to actually act on the new ideals for beloved marriage. Social conservatives say that there has been a marriage crisis for the last 30 years, and I agree with them that marriage has been tremendously weakened as an institution. Where I disagree with them is whether this is such a bad thing. What is clear is that marriage has lost its monopoly over organizing sexuality, male-female relations, political, social, and economic rights. I agree that this shift poses tremendous challenges to us, but I disagree with the idea that one could make marriage better by trying to shoehorn everyone back into the gender roles that have been rendered obsolete. We need newer, more relevant metaphors to live by because the main things that have weakened marriage as an institution are the same things that have strengthened marriage as a relationship.”
—The Marriage Myth (via azspot)
“
The following day, I attended a workshop about preventing gender violence, facilitated by Katz. There, he posed a question to all of the men in the room: “Men, what things do you do to protect yourself from being raped or sexually assaulted?”
Not one man, including myself, could quickly answer the question. Finally, one man raised his hand and said, “Nothing.” Then Katz asked the women, “What things do you do to protect yourself from being raped or sexually assaulted?” Nearly all of the women in the room raised their hand. One by one, each woman testified:
“I don’t make eye contact with men when I walk down the street,” said one.
“I don’t put my drink down at parties,” said another.
“I use the buddy system when I go to parties.”
“I cross the street when I see a group of guys walking in my direction.”
“I use my keys as a potential weapon.”
The women went on for several minutes, until their side of the blackboard was completely filled with responses. The men’s side of the blackboard was blank. I was stunned. I had never heard a group of women say these things before. I thought about all of the women in my life — including my mother, sister and girlfriend — and realized that I had a lot to learn about gender.
” —Why I Am A Male Feminist (via petitefeministe)
(via black-culture)
Prepare to Have Your Email Read by the NSA →
theatlanticwire.com
With a new major hacking incident seemingly daily, the Department of Defense is scrambling to find the right shield against future for attacks. But why hide behind a shield when you can charge onto the battlefield underneath the invisible but ironclad cloak of the National Security Agency? That’s exactly how the DoD is mounting it’s first strike back at the hackers—a preemptive strike that will increase online surveillance at defense contractors by partnering with internet service providers for privileged access to the rivers of data flowing through their cables. AT&T, Verizon and CenturyLink are all on board.
Giving the NSA more access to the same internet tubes that power your Gmail account sounds a little invasive. At least that’s what James X. Dempsey, vice president for public policy at the civil liberties watchdog group the Center for Democracy and Technology. “We wouldn’t want this to become a backdoor form of surveillance,” Dempsey told The Washington Post, referring to the pilot program that DoD insists will remain limited to the contractors working closely with the government.
Read more at The Atlantic Wire
“Ya’ll gon’ make me lose my head up in here, up in here!”
—Charles I of England (via historysaidwhat)
HBO Greenlights World War I Miniseries Parade's End' with Benedict Cumberbatch and Rebecca Hall | Deadline →
deadline.com
Parade’s End will be a five-part miniseries set during World War I, written by Oscar winner Tom Stoppard (!), directed by Generation Kill’s Susanna White, and co-produced by HBO and the BBC. It’s based off the series of novels of the same name by Ford Madox Ford.
Benedict Cumberbatch is blowing up (figuratively).
That Awkward Moment
When pretty girls check themselves out in every available bathroom mirror to make sure they are still pretty
And I’m standing there, waiting to wash my hands like:
