this is how she fight start: April 2013

Monday, 29 April 2013

Doing Applied Linguistics

Nicholas Groom and Jeanette Littlemore, 2011

(April 2013)

In which I announce a new project.

I have no truck with the notion of an afterlife. If you do then good luck to you, but being of a somewhat lazy tendency myself I’ve always had to fight against my natural urge to put off until tomorrow what I really should be doing today. The prospect of putting off until the next life what I should be doing in this one strikes me as a step too far – I’d never get anything done.

Japan: World Famous for its Sprightly and Youthful Population

No, wait. We all know the real reason for this one,

Turing's Cathedral

The Origins of the Digital Universe

George Dyson, 2012

(April 2013)

As semi-scholarly works of research go this is quite extraordinarily digressive. It is, in fact, all over the fucking shop. That’s not always a bad thing, in fact often it’s quite interesting, but equally as often it’s a very definite weakness.

A Leisurely Stroke

This Year’s Hot New Metaphor

I am slightly too fond of the occasional high-falutin’ metaphor. I could, and probably have, go(ne) on about how they’re an essential function of how we explain – and maybe even perceive – the world around us, but more than anything else they’re useful. This is especially true in my position as a teacher and a trainer of teachers. We’re into that time of year when it’s all a little more hands-on, so if you’ll forgive me I’d like to give another one a test-run here. Thank you for your continued patience.

A Pretty Mouth

Molly Tanzer, 2012

(April 2013)

Sod’s Law, isn’t it? You wait ages for a Lovecraft/Wodehouse mashup, featuring everyone’s favourite Gentleman’s Gentleman pitting his wits against eldritch forces, and then two come along at once.

The Killing Moon

N.K. Jemisin, 2012

(March 2013)

I blame Austin Powers.

Kind of a Big Deal

Woop. Back in school, back in the classroom. For all that I go on about the annoyances of work and life in Japan, they are no more or less prevalent than they would be anywhere else, doing almost anything else. Truth is I love the important parts of my job and life in general is pretty good.

The Wrong Goodbye

Chris F. Holm, 2012

(March 2013)

Now this is that pacey and fun urban fantasy I should have read. The sequel to Dead Harvest and it does everything you need it to. Angels, demons, magic, and a lovely pulpy, noir-ey vibe to the whole affair.

The Boys Vol. 3 and 4

Vol. 3: Good for the Soul, Vol. 4: We Gotta Go Now

Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson (2008-2009)

(March 2013)

Coincidentally, I read these over the weekend of St. Patrick’s Day, or ‘St. Paddy’s Day’ as an American colleague referred to it when we were saying our goodbyes on the Friday. He was hoping I had a good one, and while I appreciated the sentiment the only reason I know it’s on March 17^th is because I googled it just before writing this.