12.11.2008

Stirred, not shaken.

There is a gentleman who volunteers with us here @ work - who we are completely convinced should lend (no library pun intended) his wit/thoughts to the greeting card industry. He is a very private person and a man of very few words; in fact, I've never known anyone of as few words.

A couple of birthdays ago, I was utterly surprised by his signature on my birthday card. He says so little; in fact, his greeting is usually a respectful nod of the head. ...But he can deliver a fantastic one-liner. Perfectly dry (with two olives) and such a fun contrast against the typical [perfectly well intentioned] "happy birthday"s. Not that I don't appreciate any and every well-wish from my coworkers - because I do! His signature has simply become the highlight of each office birthday.

In 2006, he signed...

"With deepest sympathy on this mournful occasion."

2007...

"What happens on your birthday, stays on your birthday."

2008...(which I received today)

May the birthday beagle not leave presents on the carpet of your life.

Thanks, William, you're a gem!

11.24.2008

Lego my.......

It's not the title of this one...it's the legos. The article is about the evolution of the tradition in male circumcision; it considers art, legal sources, and literature. One of it's references, or subjects of reference, is what caught our eye... Typically a formal request for permissions to use a figure/image must be submitted, but as this is not a thesis or other academic paper (but a blog)...I'm hoping informal citation will suffice and the authors will be flattered. These are among the best figures/photos we have EVER seen in an article/essay; they may be the best in fact. We'll have to see @ the awards ceremony, won't we?

The images below are published within an medical essay written by Nicola Zampieri (Department of Surgical Sciences, Pediatric Surgical Unit, University of Verona, Verona, Italy), Emanuela Pianezzola (University of Verona, Verona, Italy), Cecilia Zampieri (Department of Geography, University of Verona, Verona, Italy).

Essay title: Male circumcision through the ages: the role of tradition.

(Published in Acta Paediatrica 2008 Sep;97(9):1305-7)


P.S. Upon further research (I read more of the article), I learned the images originated @ the Brick Testament. Apparently Brendan Powell Smith has been bricking up bible for quite some time. Not your typical bible lesson, nor is it meant to be.

These 3 things...

(1) Alas! Mystery solved!

Props to authors Cindy Meston and David Buss for the ultimate unraveling.

Article title:
Why Humans Have Sex.

(Published in: Archives of Sexual Behavior 2007 Aug;36(4):477-507)

(2) Let's not be too specific. Just read it out loud.

Article title:
Generalization of improved general approximation tests to split-plot designs with multiple between-subjects factors and/or multiple within-subjects factors.

(Published in the British Journal of Mathematical and Statistical Psychology, 1997)

(3) Wide open.

Article title: Eye injuries after nonocular surgery. (Published in Anesthesiology. 1996 Nov;85(5):1020-7)

The more I work I did for this patron, I realized the article was/is to do with injury to the optic nerve following anesthesia. Still, the article title doesn't include that...or even allude to it. It presents as random as ankle injuries following hysterectomies.

11.19.2008

Lend me your tongue...

Renee came across this one a couple of years ago; I have a small version on the corkboard in my office :). If you don't have it in you to read it all, skip to the last few sentences...the last in particular, and know that it's an article directing how to remove a foreign object from the eye...in 1859.



(Click image for to enlarge.)