Jun 17 2008
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squeleton orchestra 1 (via jm_frappier)
Jun 14 2008
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Uhm. A development podcast. With a logo that depicts the silhouette of a woman who’s bending over.
This stuff just mocks itself.
May 05 2008
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“ There is a strong case to be made that, in recent years, it is with good reason that the English-speaking cultures of the world have lost interest in France. Certainly, French writers no longer enjoy the world standing they once had - the most prominent figure in French letters is probably the novelist Michel Houellebecq, known outside France mainly for peddling a stew of gloomy and sensationalist filth.
Meanwhile, French philosophy has become a quaint relic when it is not a joke (the name of Jacques Derrida, to cite only the most recently dead, already evokes, in the style of Life on Mars, the far-off era of early-Seventies prog rock and Maoism). French politics are a model of duplicity and corruption. French cinema has not produced anything worth watching in decades. French cooking is said to be in terminal decline. Even Paris - the crucible of European modernity - wears an old-fashioned air, a fact acknowledged by its young people, who flock to New York and London in search of employment. It seems that only the age-old sport of French-bashing, now equally popular on both sides of the Atlantic, reminds us of the existence of the French at all.
Meanwhile, French philosophy has become a quaint relic when it is not a joke (the name of Jacques Derrida, to cite only the most recently dead, already evokes, in the style of Life on Mars, the far-off era of early-Seventies prog rock and Maoism). French politics are a model of duplicity and corruption. French cinema has not produced anything worth watching in decades. French cooking is said to be in terminal decline. Even Paris - the crucible of European modernity - wears an old-fashioned air, a fact acknowledged by its young people, who flock to New York and London in search of employment. It seems that only the age-old sport of French-bashing, now equally popular on both sides of the Atlantic, reminds us of the existence of the French at all.
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Andrew Hussey’s Observer review of Graham Robb’s The Discovery of France. English swine. Also, wrong on so very many counts. (via czupcaks)
That whole article? Written by somebody who’s never set foot in France.
The following quote: “It is, however, one of the lingering ironies of this book that although the ‘discovery’ of this defining dynamic of French history is clear to an English historian such as Robb, it is yet to be discovered by the French themselves.”?
Written by somebody who’s never talked to a French person.
Apr 29 2008
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Slang Stock Market
I’m shorting the word “douche.”
After a strong resurgence in 2005 and showing strong staying power through 2007, its day has come. Lately most of the people I’ve seen use it fit into two categories, or a combination of both:
1) people over 40 who have finally had the word passed down the cool chain from their younger friends and co-workers
2) the “douches” originally being described themselves
Pretty soon even the douches won’t be calling people douches, which is when the stock will completely crash.
The worst thing about “douche” is that it lacks a clear meaning. Calling someone an “asshole” means something. So do “loser” and “jerk”. But when someone says “douche”, it just means “I don’t like them, but am too lazy to articulate why”. Maybe that person is a violent, alcoholic banker on trial for rape, or maybe he’s a pot head from the midwest who writes about conspiracies on his blog.
“I don’t like ‘em and I’m not sayin’ why.”
Well, to me “douche” means despicable. For any reason. However,the word “despicable” has something of a moustache twirling James Bond villain from the Seventies implication to it, which is why I use the word douche.
Also, and this is a big part of the appeal for me, it sounds right. Much like “fuck”, the sound carries and complements the meaning well.
Mar 18 2008
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tina fey intersection (via Mop Top Stumptown)
Mar 11 2008
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There’s a huge, brilliant rainbow over Paris, and I can see it out of my office window. Like life standing still for a couple of minutes.
Mar 10 2008
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Feb 26 2008
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“ This strip’s been up for 800 seconds and it’s already the most controversial thing I’ve ever written, beating out comics about cunnilingus, the Obama endorsement, and my making 4chan tiny on the map of the internet.
Feb 20 2008
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