Skip to content Skip to navigation

culture

One in a Million

In Classical times, being "one in a million" at something meant having about 170 peers in that field, spread out all over a world that took months or years to traverse such that the chances of directly interacting or competing with one was next to none. Even by the Renaissance, when "one in a million" meant about 500 peers, it remains remarkable that, for example Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo interacted and had a direct rivalry.


Lunar New Year

It bugs me when Chinese New Year is called "Lunar New Year" (as the City of Vancouver is wont to do). Areas with large populations of Chinese ex-pats follow lock-step with the timing as it applies to the Chinese time zone, so calling it "Chinese New Year" is wholly appropriate. In the smattering of countries that officially use the exact mechanism of Chinese calendar outside of China occasionally the day for the beginning of the year is different because local time causes the first new moon after the winter solstice to fall on a different day.


On the Value of Zombie Walk


Culture Jamming with a Meaningless Mob instead of a Pointless Protest 


Synchronized Peeing, New Olympic Sport

I bet, if you tried, you couldn't get a herd of sheep to all pee at the same time. I'm just sayin'…

Oringinal post: http://mbarrick.livejournal.com/909630.html


It's a Sad State of Affairs, part 2: Rogers was Predictably Useless

Continued from It's a Sad State of Affairs:

And, as expected, my attempt to get someone to resolve my problem at a Rogers Wireless outlet was useless.


It's a Sad State of Affairs

I have pretty low expectations in the integrity and competence of others. I didn't always, but being repeatedly bludgeoned by scenarios like the one that is currently playing out have slowly inverted by approach to other people from one of "benefit of the doubt" to "respect must be earned."

Clowns


Pages

Subscribe to RSS - culture