brainylady

Damn it.

Not only did I just write a post and have it disappear, but the post in question included all kinds of links and was long and had taken me bloody ages. So I'll try to rewrite it, but it will not be as charming this time. And it was charming, my friends. But now I'm a bit pissed.

Thanks for all the votes and comments: I'm going with Combo B. There may actually have been a few more votes for the greens than the reds (though celebrities like Hello Kitty and Taiwanese manufactured-girl-pop group S.H.E. voted for the reds, don't you know). It came down to a choice between comfy cosy fall colours (the greens) and spicy bright colours (the reds). It's cloudy and dreary today, so I went for the cheerful spicy colour combo. I do love that leaf green, though. I'm going to have to make something with the leaf green. [Added later: Look at the fab leaf-green clogs that Nicole made!]

So, as I said, the post that just vanished contained lotsa links. Here's how it went: first, I reminded you of the good old days when I had a full-time office job and used to put up links for you; then, I remarked on the fact that it's just wrong that I'm a Media Studies student who is "too busy" to read newspapers anymore. So today I'm reading the papers. And as I've been reading, I've been linking. Now let's see if I can find what I was reading! (I'm in the school library, and I was typing away and the whole browser shut down. Grrr.) Oh, right -- first it was about spelling...

The BBC has developed a Pop Idol-style TV show aimed at kids and teens, to inspire them to value and improve their spelling skills: read "'Ooh, I know this one!'" The Guardian tried to get a bunch of cultural smartypants(es?) to take a spelling test; most declined, but some were brave. The words were hard! I'm a pretty good speller -- and I think it's important to be a good speller -- but one word I always misspell is "embarrass," just like schools minister Stephen Twigg did:

One 'r', two 'r's. E.M.B.A.R.A.S.S. Blimey. Stupid language. Doesn't make any sense.

And in other spelling news (how often does one get to use that segue?), "Boy, 9, learns to spell 310-letter word."

Do you like British romantic comedies? You know, "I like you -- just as you are" and so on. Well, too bad for you. Working Title, the production company that has made nearly all of them in the last ten years, wants to change direction: read "That's enough, actually."

Good environmental news: "Kyoto Protocol ratified." I'm putting this link in for Americans, in case this is not front-page news in a country that refuses to sign on to the agreement (which is meant to combat climate change), while producing 25 percent of the world's greenhouse gases.

Speaking of global warming, what would you do if the world was ending tomorrow? This is the question Blockbu$ter video recently asked the British public, and the answers were pathetically stupid and more than a little depressing: read "I'll have a big Mac and fries to go before I go."

In top spot, most popular answer to 'What would you do if the world was ending tomorrow?' is the curious 'Resign from work'. I suppose it's good to know that even in moments of extreme crisis, we would remain sufficiently well-mannered to observe professional formalities. ('Dear Mr Smith, I have greatly enjoyed my time in your employ but...')

Here's a shocking bit of news: it seems that Prince Charles, a middle-aged mummy's boy trained since birth to become the King of England, is "out of touch with Britain's education system"! Good heavens, how did this happen? Story here.

OK, I'm quite sure there was at least another one, but I can't remember what it was, and I've now spent waaay too much time sitting here. Gotta run!