But some things are universal, or maybe it’s just that our brains are pattern-seeky.
Y’know, when you’re in love, you think every boil-on-the-ass story is about you.

A rare ailment, yes, but serious: a bad case of the falsetto jackass.

Two moments in time from this afternoon:
a. a guy I have warned at least 5 times not to leave his stuff lying around because it’ll just get stolen, comes to the desk to complain that something he left lying around has been stolen.
b. small boy who wants books about LIONS! and is thrilled when I find him one that he can read.

Another piece of spam caught my eye today, and a brief examination of its target link confirms that eMarketResearchGroup (or maybe eMarket Research Group) is indistinguishable from the Consumer Research Corporation. It’s unlikely you’ll get your free tv, and it most assuredly won’t be free by the time you get it.

Historic Australian travel posters!

Again, in the French-English dictionary, some things translate easily, some don’t:
trainspotter: personne dont le passe-temps est de noter les numeros des trains
he’s a bit of a trainspotter: il est vraiment ringard

Flip to ringard: uncool, unhip

While anorak: anorak

Take a look at historic Des Moines, WA!

While looking for the French word for fan-boat, I browsed through a book on Cajun French (if anyone has a need for this word, it would be Louisianans), but instead found “Dos brilliant et ventre criant”- referring to people who spend too much on clothing and too little on food!

The National Park Service has a really neat archive of historic photos, including this one of a child chained (for her safety!) to the deck of a canal boat.

Loyal reader John again sends a gem: geek t-shirts in France. Apparently English is the language of many geeks, or at least many geek shirt manufacturers: these vendors seem quite pleased that they are able to offer a few francophone togs.