Links of mild interest - and a bit of language thinking

[heliopausa]

I'm posting a lot, I know, right now, in the attempt to find some counterweights to the world's worth of bad news.  I hope I'm not wearing you all out! 

Here's the not-internet world still ticking over - fanzines live!

I was really happy to see what might be the beginning of widespread fair wages for fast-food workers in the US. 

I very much like this hard-edged, seen-it-all take on Emilia's speech about marital unfaithfulness, in Othello.  (video, 1:19 minutes -for some reason for me it goes to the bottom of the page - you have to scroll up to find the video) 

It only just struck me this week:  when Cockneys are written as saying "Wotcher!"  as a greeting, it's the rubbed-down, easy-going descendant of "What cheer?"  (Did everyone else know this all along?)

Meanwhile, the French are edging away from the circumflex! which feels so un-French - or so unlike the purity-of-the-language French I was threatened with, at school.  But there it is - circumflexes, wotcher- languages shift, even the inflexible French.

and something pretty to end the week on:  opalised shells.  Or pearls, the scientists do say, but they looked like shells!

Comments

[redsnake05]

I will confess, I am having the sort of day where I just looked at the pretty opalised shells and made happy noises at the science. Thank you for linking that!

[heliopausa]

I'm glad you liked them! :)
Your mention of the word "science" sparks my conscience though - I called them shells, but I guess shouldn't have, so I've guiltily amended the post.

[marmota_b]

It goes to the end of the page because of the little "#comments" tucked at the end of the URL. :-)
I don't have time or strength to watch it right now, but, hey, Shakespeare, I'll do it eventually.