What's going down in the 'hood?
The latest entries into the pit of despair
- Half dutch
- 16 August
This cropped up as a
(more…)most read
lead on BBC News online. What at first appeared to be a compelling national statement on social media abstinence, however, turns out to be a very much more mundane tale of a minor celebrity stepping away from InstaTweet. What a let down! (thumbdown)
attention whore; BBC editorial standards: how many monkeys does it take…?; celeb; grumpy; snowflake; teh soschull notwerk- Careless talc costs lives
- 12 August
Johnson & Johnson is to stop making and selling its legendary baby talc due to health concerns—raised in US civil litigation, natch! People who want a scapegoat's money to compensate for their disease, claim that the company's talc is contaminated with asbestos. Hence cancer.*
(more…)- health; in the news; the rumour mill
- Bottompox
- 12 August
The US government has declared monkeypox to be a public health emergency. The disease causes painful blisters which, in gay men at least, occur around the mouth, anus, and penis. Sounds like a portal of entry lesion. *cough*
(more…)- health; pandering
- Breaking news: a little more transparency?
- 12 August
Another breaking news story on the BBC, this time concerning an attack on the author Sir Salman Rushdie, in New York. This time, however, the footnote advises not only that this is a breaking story to be updated, but also that refreshing the page will bring the most recent version. With neither clarification as to what's been updated or corrected, nor any edit timestamp as to when it occurred. Naturally. (rolleyes)
(more…)- BBC editorial standards: how many monkeys does it take…?; in the news
- Hun the wiser
- 12 August
Many of us associate Attila the Hun—rightly or wrongly, I'm no historian—among the pantheon of genocidal conquerors, alongside Ivan the Terrible; Vlad the Impaler; Genghis the Khan; and President the Pooh. But, as Kenny Rogers once opined, there's someone for everyone; and your views on genocidal conquerors may just depend on what side of the genocidally conquering/conquered divide you stand.
(more…)- history; random thoughts & brain farts
The latest updates to past woes
- My outstanding H-index
- 17 August
Now she's replied to my query from two weeks' ago and, as I expected, all is as I expected. The flow of drinking tokens isn't in my favour.
(more…)- predatory publishing & conferences; unsolicited commercial email
- Breaking news: a little more transparency?
- 13 August
It's all over now. At least, I think it is. The breaking news advisory has gone. I don't know what changed in the interim, or when. Nevermind, such are the ways of
(more…)the world's most trusted international news broadcaster
™.- BBC editorial standards: how many monkeys does it take…?; in the news
- Of obesity and weight management
- 12 August
Sharon is more tenacious, or oblivious, than I'd given her credit for. But, at this point, I'm going to call it quits.
(more…)- predatory publishing & conferences; unsolicited commercial email
- The new office...portal
- 12 August
Light the torches! Grab the pitchforks! The peasants are revolting!
(more…)- corporate cobblers; security
- 'Boiz will be 'boiz
- 9 August
Nine months on, and things have settled down. The pissing contest's over, and everyone's moved on.
(more…)- entertainment