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The current New Yorker cover makes me want to imagine the eagle looking, somewhere, for an appropriately-scaled bald Attic tragedian...
Traducing Dylan Thomas
Nov. 14th, 2020 08:17 pm The Guardian has the following headline about the Trumpist March in Washington: "Million Maga March: Trump fans rage against dying of the light".
I must register my firm disapprobation of the use of the phrase "dying of the light" here. GRRM's use in a title is passable, but applying Thomas' poem about death to the winding down of a presidential term is just not acceptable.
I must register my firm disapprobation of the use of the phrase "dying of the light" here. GRRM's use in a title is passable, but applying Thomas' poem about death to the winding down of a presidential term is just not acceptable.
Could somebody please point out...
Oct. 3rd, 2020 10:03 pm ... that when somebody who is three days into a COVID-19 infection says that they are feeling "fine", or "better" it has no useful value and should not be covered on news?
(Aside from a few cases of people who fall off a cliff immediately, this seems to be one of those diseases where it's the first couple of weeks, not days, which are critical.)
(Aside from a few cases of people who fall off a cliff immediately, this seems to be one of those diseases where it's the first couple of weeks, not days, which are critical.)
Commercialized dissonance
Mar. 14th, 2020 09:06 amThe National Post has one of those all-advertising wrappers this morning. The top story listed on the cover (the little bit not given over to advertising) is "Ottawa advises against foreign travel, restricts incoming flights". The advertisement is "Collect Memories: Explore amazing destinations in the USA".
Somebody on CBC...
Dec. 17th, 2019 07:37 pm ...just referred to The Sopranos as "the most intellectual TV comedy since 'I Love Lucy'". I must object.
"Yes, Minister" is surely the most intellectual TV comedy since "I Live Lucy", and possibly ever. And I'm betting "Blackadder" beats out "The Sopranos" as well.
"Yes, Minister" is surely the most intellectual TV comedy since "I Live Lucy", and possibly ever. And I'm betting "Blackadder" beats out "The Sopranos" as well.
Before the Constitution
Sep. 13th, 2018 06:14 amA National Post opinion piece begins: "... Maybe that's because I grew up in Canada before it had one [a constitution]",
Whereby the author not only displays complete ignorance but is self-disqualified in an own goal from writing about it.
It's not that this was obscure: it was part of High School History, even Grade 8 history: Canada had a constitution under the name of the BNA Act (actually, BNA Act, 1867 and a series of following BNA Acts, such as the one that admitted Newfoundland in 1949), renamed in 1982 to Constitution Act, 1867 usw.
(I was in graduate school in 1982: I remember perfectly well what we were taught prior to that time.)
Showing that you weren't competent or interested enough to pay attention to basics like this disqualifies you forever from writing about anything in that domain.
Even if the writer was this ignorant, it should not have got by the copy-editor. It's not a big surprise: it's the Post, after all.
Total and Complete Travesty
Jul. 16th, 2018 10:43 pm I have just finished watching two episodes of the BBC Father Brown.
There is nothing good to say of it. To proceed from most fundamental to less so:
There is nothing good to say of it. To proceed from most fundamental to less so:
- The scriptwriters show no signs of having read Chesterton.
- The plots are unrecognizable.
- There is no Chestertonian paradox; none of Chesterton's style; no theology.
- Where is Flambeau?
- Why is an RC priest shown in a chasuble, about to celebrate a nuptial mass in the 1950s, without a biretta?
- Why is a RC priest shown wearing a surplice and black scarf?
- He is neither short enough nor plump enough.
How standards have slid...
May. 17th, 2018 08:39 pmFrom an article on the chaos within the White House communications department: "People could be canned, in other words, to set an example for others."
Back in the day, when people at least kept commonplace-books, in default of actual learning[1] this would have been phrased as "... pour encourager les autres".
[1]"What though his head be empty, if his commonplace-book be full", per Jonathan Swift.
Back in the day, when people at least kept commonplace-books, in default of actual learning[1] this would have been phrased as "... pour encourager les autres".
[1]"What though his head be empty, if his commonplace-book be full", per Jonathan Swift.
An observation
Apr. 11th, 2018 06:16 am For all that the Guardian continues to publish both news and opinion articles heavily critical of Facebook, I still see the little "f" indicators of Facebook sharing on their webpages.
