Maybe. Possibly. It’s well and good to stay informed, but sometimes news is nothing so much as arterial spray: here one minute, gone the next, and what the hell can we do about it anyway? E.g., the blogfolk at Pandagon are thorough and tend to very often bring up salient points, but the problem is […]
News as arterial spray likely isn’t the most brilliant metaphor I’ve ever devised, but it works
Posted by Ben on March 31, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/news-as-arterial-spray-likely-isnt-the-most-brilliant-metaphor-ive-ever-devised-but-it-works/
Greener planet, deader ocean
“The United Nations opened a global environment summit Monday, warning about the growing number of ‘dead zones’ in the world’s oceans but painting a picture of a greener planet with an increase of vegetation in many regions. … “But so-called ‘dead zones’ – oxygen-starved stretches of ocean that are devoid of life – topped UNEP’s […]
Posted by Ben on March 30, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/greener-planet-deader-ocean/
Perspective on violence
World Press Review is always a good place to see what kinds of things are getting printed in newspapers around the world (often including pieces translated into English from other languages, which is helpful in revealing a wider range of perspectives than might otherwise come across). The newest feature on their web site is a […]
Posted by Ben on March 29, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/perspective-on-violence/
When the question isn’t How or What but Why?
h = Q.(12+3s/8) There’s really no way to make an educated guess as to what this formula refers, and even though you’d almost certainly be better off not knowing, I’m going to tell you anyway: high heels. Yes, high heels. Why? Why? Why? No, that’s not an explanation.
Posted by Ben on March 29, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/when-the-question-isnt-how-or-what-but-why/
Truth be told, you smoke yer brains out
So it turns out, maybe, that smoking and stupidity are not only linked by correlation, but also by causation, i.e., smoking makes you stupider. Dig? Dieses Artikel ist auf deutsch; wenn Sie es auf englisch brauchen, Google hilft (ein bisschen).
Posted by Ben on March 28, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/truth-be-told-you-smoke-yer-brains-out/
Pick The Right Caption! Win a Prize!
Which of the following captions goes with this picture? Don’t worry, it’s not a trick question: one of them actually does fit the picture, believe it or not. A) Like many redbone coonhounds, Cal is eager to try out new things; B) Jesus said that we should help others and that means our parents too, […]
Posted by Ben on March 28, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/pick-the-right-caption-win-a-prize/
Killing Zoe
(1994) dir. Roger Avery – w/ Eric Stolz, Julie Delpy, Jean-Hughes Anglade, and a bunch of wholly insignificant figures, most of whom die (particularly one who plays a stupid American) Synopsis: A bank-heist in France. You know how it is: one last job before everyone buys his own private island, resting in the lap of […]
Posted by Ben on March 27, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/killing-zoe/
What Makes a Good Story?
Blood! A new report (*.pdf – requires Acrobat Reader) produced by the Fritz Institute and Reuters Foundation’s AlertNet paints an interesting picture of the relationship between media coverage and humanitarian crisis. Most of the findings are hardly surprising (more press coverage = more private donations? incredible!!!), but the report is significant in that it’s (apparently) […]
Posted by Ben on March 26, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/what-makes-a-good-story/
First the Good News
Easy come, easy go. At least we’ll know what the dragonfish look like before we wipe them off the face of the planet. Good luck little guy.
Posted by Ben on March 25, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/first-the-good-news/
Driving Blind (fragment)
Draco Carsten Muyskens said on the television, he wanted to get the people who did this to him. He didn’t say it, but everyone knew what ‘this’ was. He appeared on The Television, sitting in a wheelchair and wearing an expensive blue suit and a neat white mask that hid his face. When he spoke, […]
Posted by Ben on March 25, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/driving-blind-fragment/