Jean-Pierre Brisset’s false etymologies: proto-Derrida, demented fun

Xavier (check his crazy blog, Le dicon) in an interesting comment has introduced me to Jean-Pierre Brisset. Brisset is interesting because he anticipates Derrida (différance) by taking a a lexical trick that works only in French and using it as the basis for universal theory, despite most of us not having been blessed with an…

Pontiff Beer/Papst-Bier

From the mid-fifteenth century translation into Spanish of Peter Apian‘s Cosmography: The towns of the Duchy of Saxony. – Wittemberg, Witenberga. 30.30/51.50. – Halberstat, Halberstadium, 28.38/52.11. – Lunenborg, Luneburgum, 27.50/54.0. – Braunsvick, Brunsuicum, 28.0/52.34. – Embeck, Embica, In this region they make very good beer. 27.32/52.6. – Lebenberg, Leoburgum, 28.2/54.10. – Hal, Hallis Saxoniae, 26.49/51.41.…

Summer travels

Not as dramatic as this gentleman but probably better company, Steve Vaught (“The fat man walking”) is walking across the States to try to lose weight. Two local guys (“Dos en un burro”) are cheating and have a donkey pulling them. I hope it gets more Three men in a boat-ish, because there’s promise in…

FAQs

I’ve been told to take myself a bit more seriously, so the Baldie FAQs have been updated.

House ads

A decent picture is still worth quite a lot, even if you write your words really big.

British national branding

I think Stephen Moss is wrong to suggest that the British have only recently become patriotic–I think they probably always were to a much greater degree than BBC programming suggested. Some kind of shift in perceptions of Britain has, however, taken place. Whereas the Union Jack used to associated with the European far right, now…

Loving and horning

Says Gabriel Laguna here. Re his essay: I wonder if the sense of godliness induced by romantic love is why an inability to accept the existence of a deity used (sorry, can’t think of a ref) to be identified with an incapacity to love truly.

Shortest blog ever?

I have a funny feeling that Juan isn’t going to take up the reins after the holiday.

More compliments

The weird and wonderful Karim says I’m bizarre, which suggests I’ve made some kind of progress from when the woodwork teacher threatened to break my legs. If I don’t get my keys and mobile back by lunch, I will move to Tunisia and sing 80s music in beach hotels. If you see a blonde walking…