Blog and Dear DMC
Strunk & White — what makes it great?
This Dull Man reads grammar books for fun.
Strunk & White's The Elements of Style has always been my favorite. This review of a paean to that book explains why:
A Brief History of The Elements of Style and What Makes It Great — reviewed in "Brain Pickings":
http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/02/03/stylized-elements-of-style/
Mark R Yeatts
Lexington, South Carolina
February 6, 2012
Earth is getting lighter?
Dear DMC
It seems the earth is getting lighter. I was planning to go on a diet, but now I am not sure this is a good idea as it will only add to the problem.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/magazine-16787636
Best wishes
Steve Reszetniak
(Temporarily in Kosovo)
1 February 2012
Day in life of Ikea tolley
Here's a link to a video that shows what Ikea and its shoppers looks like from a trolley's viewpoint: click here
It reminds me of the 1982 film ET The Extra-Terrestrial. The film was shot from a lower camera angle — from a child's point-of-view — to encourage younger viewers to identify with the characters — to simulate how overwhelming and threatening adults look to children.
So was this video of the Ikea shopping trolley shot from a lower angle — from the trolley's point-of-view — to show how overwhelming and threading shoppers look to trolleys?
I hope readers enjoy this.
A warning, however: the music on this video is too exuberant for us dull men.
Norman Quest
London
Those annoying cards that fall out of magazines
Do other readers besides me get annoyed with all those subscription solicitation cards that fall out of magazines?
Put them in a mailbox. Let them go back to the magazine company. The company needs to pay the postage even if the cards are not filled out.
They are what the U.S Postal Service (USPS) calls Business Reply Mail (BRM). The companies pay the postage only if/when a card is returned.
This does two things: (1) gets rid of litter; (2) penalizes the companies.
Thanks for the help to improve our environment.
Will Post
Washington DC
January 29, 2012
----------
Will . . . excellent idea . . . actually, it's one of our policidal issues of key importance . . . click here.
Grover
Pitch Drop Experiment — Truly Safe Excitement
85-year experiment still going strong to test the viscosity of pitch (a tar derivative). You can watch tar drip once every couple of years live via webcam. This is science at its most interesting:
http://smp.uq.edu.au/content/pitch-drop-experiment
Scott Dicus
Kansas City
January 27, 2012
Extroverted Introvert
January 28, 2012
Thanks for bringing Quiet to my attention [click here to see blog post about the book]. I bought it and am enjoying reading it. I've never been quite sure whether I am an introvert or extrovert.
I heard something a while back that there such a thing as an Extroverted Introvert: when he's talking to you, instead of looking at his shoes looks, he looks at your shoes.
Joe Kerr
New York
Queen's Honours: look who's said "No Thanks"
27 January 2012
Reuters today: "Revealed: Famous names who snubbed UK Queen"s honors"
Dear DMC
Our humble readers will enjoy reading what's on Reuters today about the snubs.
Avoiding limelight . . . avoiding fame . . . avoiding glitz and glam . . . these are hallmarks of dull men.
Turning down one of the many honours handed out under the Queen's system for this twice a year — not joining one of the many Knights, Dames, CBEs, QBEs, MBEs — isn't that one of noblest acts a dull man can undertake?
Click here to get to the Snub List on Reuter's.
Norman Quest
London
Join the DMC?
Want to join the DMC? It's simple to do, if you qualify.
We've held off having a membership drive. We've always felt that would be pushy of us. (There's no Prince Pushy in our club).
But, as we are often asked how does one become a member of the DMC, we'll explain here how to join us.
First determine whether you qualify. There's a test for this. It's self-assessment. Click here to get to the test.
Second, you can print out your membership certificate. Click here to get to the certificate.
Third, we'd like you to email us letting us know that you've joined. Click here for our Contact Us page.
New book out today: "Quiet" — it's about accomplishments of introverts
January 24, 2012
Dear DMC members and website readers,
A great book out today that I'm enjoying reading:
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking"
I see in the book that it's OK to do things introverts do. Like staying in on New Year's Eve. Just like us dull men. I stayed in this time. I practiced writing 2012 over and over again. It's paid off. I have not made any mistakes this year when writing checks.
Click here to order Quiet from Amazon.
Sincerely,
Paige Turner
DMC Book Review Editor
Wisconsin Recall Webcam — draws big audience
From our Facebook page:
I just wanted to inform all Dull Men about a new webcam in Wisconsin. It sounds fascinating:
Paul Schearf
Extreme Salad Bar Consuming
Dear Grover
This is a tricky one. I admire the ingenuity involved in building a salad tower, but I am not sure if we should encourage the craze. Perhaps we could advise readers to “enjoy salad responsibly”. It seems to work for whisky.
Regards
Steve Reszetniak
London
Watching Paint Dry Championsips
Goal: After England's recent disappointments in sports — football and rugby ("it's more exciting to watch paint dry") — it's time to find something at which England can excel. The sponsors of these championships think watching paint dry could be the answer.
How to Enter: send in (1) picture of you watching paint dry; (2) state the longest time you've stared at a wall, watching paint dry, without looking away; (3) favorite paint color to watch dry and why.
Dull Man of the Year 2011 Announced (also Runners-Up)
Dull Man of Year
Michael Kennedy — moves rocks every day to build seawall
Michael, who lives in Hunstanton on the Norfolk coast, spends two hours every day, except Saturdays, moving rocks to build a seawall that prevents erosion of the cliffs along the coast.
He moves about 40 pounds of rocks each day. He’s been doing this for 14 years. He’s worked 9,000 hour, has moved 200 tons of rocks.
“I used to walk to Old Hunstanton and back, two and a half miles every day, but that wasn't enough physical exercise for me. I started moving rocks and now I can’t stop. It’s better than sitting in the armchair and I’ll do it for as long as I’m healthy.”
Read more: Dull Man of the Year 2011 Announced (also Runners-Up)
Frost: watching it thaw
Dear Fellow Dull Men,
I have a new activity that can be practiced by dull men--watching frost thaw.
This morning I was at a golf course where a sharp freeze had covered the ground with frost. Because the dull men who run the course won't let people play until the frost is gone -- walking on the frost might kill the grass and that would be exciting -- a bunch of dull men were standing around just staring at the first tee, watching the frost thaw.
As I see it, watching frost thaw is duller than
Page 1 of 17
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next > End >>NAVIGATION BUTTONS to the world's largest compilation of ordinary, everyday things: