Did you hear? Yesterday was World Beard Day! Yes, the first Saturday of September is the official day to celebrate great facial hair. This is timely for me, as I returned from my recent holiday sporting a beard that ties me to my Scottish roots (see picture to the right of my great, great grandfather … Continue reading World Beard Day
The Year 2011
This year will be an interesting one ... in many ways. We have four unusual dates: 1. 1/1/11 2. 1/11/11 3. 11/1/11 4. 11/11/11 Then for something really different ... 1. Take the last two digits of the year you were born ... 2. Add that number to the age you will be this year … Continue reading The Year 2011
The English Language
They say the English language is a difficult one to learn and is arguably the largest language by the number of words. I've only ever spoken English - with a little Australian and American accent thrown in at different times. My wife speaks fluent German, her native tongue, as well as Afrikaans, after growing up … Continue reading The English Language
Ever Read a Entire Dictionary?
The Oxford English Dictionary has become the word lover's Mount Everest ever since its initial publication eighty years ago. Weighing in a 62 kilograms, it is the dictionary to end all dictionaries. Ammon Shea has been reading dictionaries since he was ten years old. Recently, Ammon set aside an entire year to read the OED … Continue reading Ever Read a Entire Dictionary?
The Impact of Exponential Change
Our world has experienced an incredible amount of progress in the last 100 years. Progress has been upward and onward, resulting in a rapid acceleration of change. Just think of: the speed of travel (our family took 23 days to travel to the USA via boat back in 1972!), the power of computers (the internet wasn’t … Continue reading The Impact of Exponential Change