June 2008

From Adventures in Stock Photography:

First, you need to make sure you’re not about to dispense a thumbs-up in an inappropriate situation, such as a funeral* or sawmill calamity aftermath. Peep around or over something – a corner, bush or riot shield – so that you can confirm that what’s going on is definitely something to which you want to give your approval and/or encouragement.

Thanks to Megan for the link.

June 26, 2008

Any stickers—small, large, political, apolitical. Even ones that say “Dennis Kucinich for President.”

That’s the upshot of a new study from Colorado State University.

CSU social psychologist William Szlemko observed that drivers who have “territorial markers” on their cars—decals, bumper stickers, vanity plates—are more likely to get road rage. The Journal of Applied Social Psychology recently published the results of Szlemko’s study, which found that drivers without markers were much less likely to honk, tailgate or exhibit other aggressive behavior.

And here’s the really surprising thing: it doesn’t matter what the markers say. Whether the bumper sticker reads “I’m reloading” or “My child made the honor roll at Fairview Middle School,” the propensity of the driver is the same: aggression.

June 18, 2008

I take a certain amount of joy in pointing out the following goof from our favorite fair and balanced cable news network.

“Hardcore dictionaries”

Via Language Log

P.S. At (an estimated) 8.6 lbs., my Webster’s Unabridged is pretty hardcore.

June 13, 2008