A couple of people have pointed out Dante's Inferno: the video game, since I was vaguely thinking about making a game based around Inferno as well. However, there are some subtle differences between the game as it currently stands, and the poem. Here's a quick guide for telling the difference between The Divine Comedy, three poems published by ( Read more... )

Stephen Conroy's office sent me a form letter. I have included it, with my comments, below.
( Internet Filtering )

Any comments before I post it?


( Read more... )

I just found a whole bunch of different readings of the last few lines of Coleridge's Kubla Khan, here. This is the bit they're talking about:

A damsel with a dulcimer
In a vision once I saw :
It was an Abyssinian maid,
And on her dulcimer she played,
Singing of Mount Abora.Could I revive within me ( Read more... )

Look, here I am, at home, wearing a hat!

However, this is a far better hat, courtesy Catie.

I just found this (via Mind Hacks). Apparently you only understand the garbled version after listening to the non-garbled version, but I didn't have any problem understanding the garbled version straight-off. I don't think I have magical ears, so I'm keen to find out if the same applies to you ( Read more... )

EXT. A SMALL CAFE IN THE CITY. LUNCH-HOUR RUSH ( Read more... )

The first time I heard W.H. Auden's "Funeral Blues", which begins

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

I thought it was pretty strange that Auden would make such a tasteless connection between dog bones and ( Read more... )

Parliamentary question time yesterday was full of grandstanding disguised as "questions" about the Government's decision to guarantee bank deposits. A lot of the focus was on Treasury secretary Ken Henry, who (it is claimed) misrepresented the opinion of the Reserve Bank governor to Kevin Rudd (more infoI'd just like to share with you this part of ( Read more... )

Today I took a break from fixing non-existent bugs to attend the Crows Nest Fair with Catie (and, unexpectedly but pleasantly, Peter). I did like the book stall with one section labelled "women's books" and another labelled "blokes", but I was a little disappointed overall ( Read more... )