Monday, May 16, 2005

Lists, and Quotes and Poetry, Oh My

Some interesting things to help you recover from Monday:

  • From Wikipedia, a list of fictional swear words. Most of them come from scifi books or movies. And a good many of them appear to be creative ("Belgium" from Hitchhiker's Guide--no word on how Belgians feel about this) and not so creative ("frick" used on the tv show Scrubs but not a new word as I can attest to using it when I was a kid so my Mom couldn't punish me for swearing) alternatives for the word "fuck." "Shit" takes second place in case you were wondering.
  • If you are feeling anti-Harry Potter and you or the kids want to branch out and try other books this summer, NPR offers a list. How can anyone pass up a book called Sorcery Cecelia, or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot?
  • Looking for that perfect quote? Maybe Samuel Johnson can help you! You can search for particular quotes or just go for the sampler. Here's a taste: "Paradise Lost is one of the books which the reader admires and puts down, and forgets to take up again. None ever wished it longer than it is."
  • A new way to read the Waste Land with notes and hypertext. I just might acutally make it through the whole poem this time and it just might manage to make some sense.
  • Looking for a story with a good moral? Then check out Aesops Fables online. The fables are grouped in tables with the corresponding moral, not the easiest way to search, but it works.