I think I'm going to take some time away from social media to pursue my dream of being a failed novelist.

Two Arabic expressions for Mother's Day. In Egypt they shake a baby (gently one hopes) in a sieve seven days after it's born in a ritual called subūʿ and say: Listen to what your father says, don't listen to your mother اسمع كلام ابوك متسمعش كلام امك ismaʿ kalām abūk, mā tismaʿsh kalām ummak

When someone is adored so much that even his vices are praised: "For them it's as if when he farted he praised God." fulānun idhā ḍaraṭa fa-ʿindahum annahu qad sabbaḥa

"I'll do such-and-such a thing as much as a dick pisses." wa-llāhi la-afʿalanna kadhā ʿadada kulli ayrin bāla

What does France have in common with the oldest Arabic dictionary? They both start with Ain.

I went to get my vision checked and order some new glasses. I'm looking forward to being able to see again, I go slowly blind every three years or so. Anyway that was my Responsible Thing probably going to just fuck around for the rest of the day now.

Pre-Islamic insult verse from Aws ibn Hajar فلو كنتم من الليالي لكنتم كليلة سر لا هلال ولا بدر If you were a night, you'd be without any moon, full or crescent.

"Boils come with a fever." Said when facing one tribulation after another. ~When it rains it pours maʿa l-ḥummā dummаl

Just another normal day here in America

Them: So do you have any questions for us? Me: Yes, do you like Werner Herzog films?

You can watch Werner Herzog's Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World for free on YouTube

If I could hack into things, Canvas would be pretty low on my list but what whatever floats your boat I guess.

This is an interesting review (posting it all in the thread). Not sure I'm motivated to read the whole book

Ziggi's COFFEE COMING SOON

Snow today, no tomorrow.

Here's something for you cognitive neuroscientists. I'm pretty sure I can smell the sauce packet when the noodles are cooking.

In Zoom meetings sometimes people have to look at their screen very closely to see small text and then you just see the top of their head

🤯

@nathanielbdemiller.bsky.social There's lots of them!

Very interesting Martian dune formations photographed from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Clearing up

These same trees this morning

Well, I think that, if we lived in a world in which subtlety about anything still existed at all, we would all have a very nice laugh about the unintended second possible reading of this headline.

It's a snow day tomorrow. Well for everyone but me.

Hiding under the coffee table

I find AI really improves my productivity at work. It frees up time to apply for other jobs.

Getting some much needed rain

Interesting Arabic coinage I hadn't seen until now: al-zamakān, a portmanteau of al-zamān and al-makān, meaning space-time

Liquids are interesting

rizz means something quite different in Arabic

2023

Have a good Wheekend #guineapig

Is it like a thing for jobs to get advertised on Fridays? I always get like three to ten recruiter calls on Fridays. I thought that was pig posting day.

With I'm at it. ACADEMICS! Stop posting that you're delighted to give a talk—summarize it in 300 characters! That's what these platforms are for! Most of us are never going to see your talk and this is your chance to get your little point out into the world. Notice how I made my point in < 300 chars

Did you know that in the stories the Revenant is based on the other guy took his gun, not killed his son? As a son-owner I feel manipulated.

He looks SO much like he's in Queen

Goblins is going to be the new em dashes, isn't it?

Where should they do it? I'd go with Atlanta actually.

I've missed the Maine discourse entirely. I just wanted to let you all know.

People really have strong feelings about Pluto. You'd think someone had brought up the Urheimat of Proto-Indo-European.

I had a friend who was doing his PhD in physics. I asked him if when he saw the world if it was all swirling math stuff like digital and code and green. He said it wasn't.

I've been in the private sector for a year and I still don't know what anyone does.

Sandstone fantasyland 🌿

Sand Canyon sandstone Sunday 🌿

My wife took the guinea pigs to her school today (she's a teacher). They were let loose on the grass and apparently Kimp tried to escape. I'm thinking of writing and illustrating The Guineas Take a Trip.

New fad diet just dropped

Dust is dead skin, textile fibers and meteorites.

Blue interlace. #mathart

And people say the #opentowork on LinkedIn doesn't work

It's raining for a change on the Front Range in Colorado so let's see here. The Arabic word of the day is either الطش al-ṭashsh "sprinkle" البغشة al-baghsha "weak shower"