I was doing a bit of research into the whole Georgia/South Ossetia and just this simple map, at least, made me think that whatever the larger governments say, the historical and regional makeup of this volatile region has plenty to do with the current conflict.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Nerd Alert: the Caucaus
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
"A Bit O' Pidgin..."
The English used in Nigeria, as Edward Harris of the AP reports,"has developed over the years with a Nigerian twist."
For example, a TV isn't switched on or off — it's "on-ed" or "off-ed."
A Nigerian congratulating someone on a success or victory will likely "felicitate" him rather than offer felicitations. Similarly, people are invited to "jubilate," or celebrate, a triumph.
Sentence structure often reflects local languages, says Daramola. In the Yoruba language, adjectives can be altered by repeating them. So in Nigerian English a very small boy would be a "small, small boy."
Also, Yoruba English speakers may "smell" soup, rather than taste it, because the words are similar in Yoruba.
"The influence of native languages have combined to make performance a little peculiar," says the introduction to the textbook "Nigerian English," published in 2004. "The Nigerian variant of English seems to have emerged since there are so many influences impinging on its acquisition and use in its new home."
Many words are simply holdovers from the colonial era. Eateries are called "Chop Houses" — once popular but now all but vanished from Britain.
Upset stomach? Take "gripe water." Puncture? Take the tire to the "vulcanizer."
Street children are "urchins," and police often brand criminals as "touts," "rascals," or "miscreants" who carry "cutlasses" — machetes.
In reporting crime, Nigerian newspapers say police open a can of worms when raiding criminal hideouts. A dead or jailed robber is often said to meet his Waterloo. Politicians "heap calumny" on those they accuse of corruption.
In another influence of Nigerian languages, no letter is missed when speaking English. Fuel is FOO-el. A receipt is a "re-seeped," and yacht frequently rhymes with hatched. Wednesday is pronounced exactly as written — Wed-nes-day — and a leopard rhymes with leotard.
Evidently they make great pets...
This is a capybara. Otherwise known as the worlds largest rodent. Not quite as cute as a guinea pig, but then again, I wonder what kind of disgusting plague ridden mess Big Guy could make in my house... I am not rodent friendly I guess...
Friday, August 29, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
On the wings of an ... Owl?
The BBC reports on planned nuptials with an unusual ring bearer-- Casber the barn owl:
A barn owl has been entrusted with a very special task at a wedding - flying in the rings for the bride and groom.
Three-year-old Casber will swoop down the aisle to give the rings to the best man at the wedding of bird owner Islwyn Jones's daughter Jenni in Denbighshire.
Mr Jones said Casber has been training hard and is confident the wedding will go smoothly at Ruthin register office.
Photo of Casber in training by Andrew Price.
Oh boy a Geep!
I think that it was the sheppard's fault... Clearly he wasn't watching the sheep mix with the goats...
The Boars of War
War pigs, also known as incendiary pigs, are those pigs speculated to have been used at most rarely in ancient warfare as a countermeasure to war elephants. The pigs were allegedly covered with tar, pitch, olive oil, or other flammable materials, set on fire, and driven towards enemy war elephants, with the intention that the elephants, terrified by the piercing squeals and oncoming flames, would flee in panic through the lines of their drivers' own army. Obviously, a burning pig is difficult to command and thus easily could quickly turn into a loose cannon and cause harm to friendly soldiers. However, the hope of stopping war elephants was enough to make war pigs a desirable tactic.
Pliny the Elder reported that "elephants are scared by the smallest squeal of a pig" (book VIII ch. 9). Antipater's siege of Megara during the Wars of the Diadochi was reportedly broken when the Megarians poured oil on a herd of pigs, set them alight, and drove them towards the enemy's massed war elephants. The elephants bolted in terror from the flaming squealing pigs often killing great numbers of the army the elephant was part of (Aelian, de Natura Animalium book XVI, ch. 36). The Romans would later use the squeals of pigs to frighten Pyrrhus' elephants, thus winning a great victory (ibid., book I ch. 38). Procopius, in book VIII of his History of the Wars, records the defenders of Edessa using a pig suspended from the walls to frighten away Khosrau's siege elephants.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
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