Continuing my trend of providing free advertising to people who make science cool and accessible: Made With Molecules. ThinkGeek already did the t-shirt thing with their caffeine molecules, but the jewellery is very lovely, especially the earrings and simple necklaces (I loathe charm bracelets). Putting on my once-was-jewellery-designer hat, I'm all for putting a premium on design work and charging people accordingly, but I think the prices are just out of reach for those (grad students/postdocs) who might want this sort of thing the most. I mean, I know precious metal prices have risen ridiculously in the last 2 years, but I wouldn't stretch to $85 for a simple silver necklace.
I know, what a killjoy, right?
June 19, 2006
Via John Hawks: big words make readers think you're not clever
At Edge.org: Jaron Lanier on the aggregating-phenomena of the the web, where he views Wikipedia (for example) as one of many "online fetish site(s) for foolish collectivism".
Yeah, exactly. The Jolie-Pitt enterprise and celebrity colonialism. Remind me again what Geri Halliwell does for the UN?
Moleskine's City Notebooks (via Londonist). I covet, nngh. Londonist's flickr group is also a great source of internerdly distraction.
Where you get your first post-PhD job really matters.
Language Log's old but clever posts that have a jolly good time ripping apart that Da Vinci Code book.
The decline of the art of the lecture.
Slate's slideshow on mad scientists at the cinema. Grr, gnash, wail. A pet peeve.
Thoughtful post about men's attempts to defuse feminist anger through joking.
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In other news, today I voluntarily wore socks and sandals [1]. I don't know how the style part of my brain has been coerced into thinking this is acceptable. It's not fashionable, but certainly comfortable. Maybe all those deputy principals were on to something. I'll be a bit horrified if I start with the wearing of walk shorts, though.
1. Perusal of the link leads to the conclusion that sock+sandal wearers are overwhelming male, 40+, white and overweight. Hmm. Where are all the proud women s+s wearers? (No, don't answer that, honest.)
June 1, 2006
So I'm horrifying myself looking at DefExpo India, a huge arms fair on in New Delhi this week. On the rules and regulations page:
Dress code : The Organisers reserve the right to determine whether the attire of the Exhibitor is acceptable, and is in keeping with the best interest of the exposition, All Exhibitors are expected to be dressed formally in safari suit, national dress, lounge suit or service uniform.
Just what is a formal safari suit? I would have thought the shorts were a bit casual, myself. And I wonder about the definition of a lounge suit; are crocodile skin lapels acceptable?
The mind boggles, but it was doing that at the concept of price comparison on heavy artillery anyhow.
January 31, 2006
