Humor Archive
February 3, 2012
The New Brill Typeface
Targuman Christian Brady tells us of a new Unicode typeface from Brill. It is really quite lovely and has great support for diacritical marks and Greek. Two things stopped me from adopting it as Abnormal Interest's official typeface. First it...Read all of "The New Brill Typeface"
Posted by Duane Smith at 10:25 AM
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December 31, 2011
This Marks The End Of Abnormal Blogging Until Next Year
Have a happy New Year. My New Year’s resolution is to stop using 2011 by mid-March 2012....Read all of "This Marks The End Of Abnormal Blogging Until Next Year"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:07 PM
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December 21, 2011
The End Of The World
As of 2:16 PM PST the world hasn’t ended. I’ll let you know if anything changes....Read all of "The End Of The World"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:16 PM
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July 27, 2011
Philo, Shirley and the Society of Biblical Literature
Jim Davila of PaleoJudaica.com directs us to Philonica et Neotestamentica and Torrey Seland’s post on the schedule for the Philo of Alexandria Seminar sessions at the upcoming SBL Annual Meeting. Philo is the principle reason I can’t get Shirley to...Read all of "Philo, Shirley and the Society of Biblical Literature"
Posted by Duane Smith at 12:39 PM
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May 9, 2011
The Proper Order Of Things
I’m working on an essay that I plan to submit to an open access journal that publishes stuff on the Hebrew Bible. But every time I read my evolving but nearly complete drafts, I worry that there is something wrong...Read all of "The Proper Order Of Things"
Posted by Duane Smith at 11:04 AM
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April 26, 2011
My Thoughts On The Upcoming Royal Wedding
Thanks for asking....Read all of "My Thoughts On The Upcoming Royal Wedding"
Posted by Duane Smith at 10:57 AM
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April 24, 2011
Too Much Of A Good Thing
The important message from this latest study is interesting because, while saying that swearing as a response to pain might be beneficial, there is evidence that if you swear too often in everyday situations the power of swearing won't be...Read all of "Too Much Of A Good Thing"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:37 AM
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April 14, 2011
Should We Have A Bake Sale?
According to today’s print edition of the Los Angeles Times, the CEO of Exxon Mobil Corporation “received slightly lower compensation last year.” At a measly $21.4 million, a 1% decrease from the year before, and with gas prices on the...Read all of "Should We Have A Bake Sale?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:35 AM
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March 21, 2011
Osso Buco and Augury at Ugarit
I don’t even claim to know any Italian but that doesn’t mean that I’m exempt from dealing with it from time to time. My main problem with the language is that after struggling with a few words or a sentence...Read all of "Osso Buco and Augury at Ugarit"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:49 AM
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March 12, 2011
What Do You Call A Reception At A Cemetery?
A few thousand of my fellow alumni, their families and I have been invited to a funeral reception. Why would anyone host a funeral reception for a university president at a cemetery? Personally, I try my best to avoid receptions...Read all of "What Do You Call A Reception At A Cemetery?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:32 AM
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January 19, 2011
Need To Fake An Incoming Call?
Provided you have the right Samsung phone, Boing Boing has instructions straight out of the manual. Don’t call me about this. I’ll just call myself and tell myself that at least one such phone is the Samsung S3500. Checkout page...Read all of "Need To Fake An Incoming Call?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 4:46 PM
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January 16, 2011
Are They Trying To Tell Me Something?
On the one hand, I just received an email notification for the 14th Applied Stochastic Models and Data Analysis International Conference this June in Rome. While I am interested in the topic, I rather doubt that my limited ability to...Read all of "Are They Trying To Tell Me Something?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 12:14 PM
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December 17, 2010
I Get Comments
Generally, more than half of them are spam comments but today I got an extra load. Here’s one I practically liked but didn’t agree to post. “As a contractor, I address some of these issues are (sic) a regular basis...thanks...Posted by Duane Smith at 2:27 PM
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November 30, 2010
A 41 Year Old Quesadilla – Bon Appétit
While making arrangements for a group lunch this Thursday, I noticed this item on the menu, Aged Cheese Quesadilla (1969) Cheddar and Jack Cheeses Grilled in a Handmade Flour Tortilla. (with Beef, Roasted Pork or...Read all of "A 41 Year Old Quesadilla – Bon Appétit"
Posted by Duane Smith at 11:09 AM
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October 27, 2010
Common English Bible
I just received a “complementary” leather bound copy of the Common English Bible’s Christian New Testament translation and boy am I disappointed. I thought "common" meant vulgar and I was expecting a lot of profanity and dirty words. So far,...Read all of "Common English Bible"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:50 AM
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October 23, 2010
Getting Even
Thoreau at Unqualified Offerings has a beef with big companies. The beef is about the asymmetry in the way mistakes are addressed. When he makes a mistake, he must fix it immediately. When big companies make a mistake, they take...Posted by Duane Smith at 4:18 PM
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October 12, 2010
Finally
I’m pleased to report that someone I didn’t know and never heard of died yesterday. When you reach my age, you don't get that kind of news very often. It would be insensitive of me to give the deceased’s name....Posted by Duane Smith at 12:29 PM
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August 10, 2010
On My Lack Of Clarity
Now that I’m in the process of getting a few things published I must deal with reviewers and editors. Why do they bother to ask me to clarify a comment or phrase? Don’t they understand that had I been clear,...Read all of "On My Lack Of Clarity"
Posted by Duane Smith at 12:24 PM
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July 18, 2010
The Onion Scoops Forthcoming Twain Autobiography
An Onion News in Brief exposes Mark Twain’s views on our world....Read all of "The Onion Scoops Forthcoming Twain Autobiography"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:17 PM
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July 16, 2010
Is That CAD Or CAD?
These days when I see the letters CAD I think, Chicago Assyrian Dictionary. Doesn’t everyone? So when I got an email whose subject read, “CAD Software Plugins,” I was baffled for a few moments. WOW, CAD software plugins! Wow, CAD...Read all of "Is That CAD Or CAD?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:45 AM
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March 3, 2010
Unready for Memnon of Troy or Noah
Memnon of Troy may be one of my relatives. Noah may be also. But who isn’t related to Noah? However, I have my doubts about these long lost relatives. I’ve mention a couple of times that Shirley is working on...Read all of "Unready for Memnon of Troy or Noah"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:17 PM
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February 11, 2010
Do It Yourself Spam
Should I really have to fill in my own name on a spam email? Recently my spam filter trapped an email that began as follows, [FIRST_NAME], listen... I'm not going to waste your time or insult your intelligence with petty...Read all of "Do It Yourself Spam"
Posted by Duane Smith at 4:58 PM
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February 3, 2010
A Little Egyptian Graffiti
Quinn Dombrowski at Crescat Graffiti, Vita Excolatur discovered an Egyptian text at the University of Chicago. You might fine it abnormal if not abnormally interesting. Students at the U of C seem to be skilled at multiplexing. Via משלי אדם...Read all of "A Little Egyptian Graffiti"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:50 PM
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January 30, 2010
On My Scottish Heritage
Shirley continues to research my Scottish heritage. Archibald Livingston was my 16th great granduncle, the brother of my 16th great grandfather. One source describes him as a “natural idiot.” Shirley worries that this may run in the family....Read all of "On My Scottish Heritage"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:11 PM
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January 22, 2010
A Little Out Of Control
In his latest “Skeptic” piece in Scientific American, Michael Shermer asks us to think of a time when we felt out of control and then says, “Now take a look at the top illustration on this page. What do you...Read all of "A Little Out Of Control"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:20 PM
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January 9, 2010
Cat Summoned For Jury Duty In East Boston
Considering a few jurors with whom I have served, Sal the cat might have been more helpful. His owners tried to get him off on the basis that he can't speak English. Speaking English is apparently a requirement in Sal's...Read all of "Cat Summoned For Jury Duty In East Boston"
Posted by Duane Smith at 10:38 AM
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January 5, 2010
Improving the Moral Climate One Footnote At A Time
Over at Ancient Hebrew Poetry, John Hobbins has begun what I think will be a series of reviews of a trilogy that I am not likely to read. The topic is not within the scope of my normal abnormal interests...Read all of "Improving the Moral Climate One Footnote At A Time"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:28 PM
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December 16, 2009
Defending Our Western Heritage
Why are Jay Crisostomo and his wife not telling their daughter about Santa? You'll need to drop by mu-pad3-da to find out....Read all of "Defending Our Western Heritage"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:20 PM
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November 29, 2009
An Easy Labor
The other day Greg Laden and his wife welcomed a baby into the world. Aside from providing the normal statistics for young Huxley, Greg makes this abnormal observation, "Labor was 8.5 hours long, a record for our midwife. In fact,...Posted by Duane Smith at 4:18 PM
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November 24, 2009
Meeting Summary
Not being able to attend the Society of Biblical Literature or the American Schools of Oriental Research meetings this year, I eagerly await all conference reports. The Angry Professor of A Gentleman's C just filed this, The conferences were meh....Posted by Duane Smith at 9:34 AM
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Titles Only From Here On
November 20, 2009
"Preapproved" You Say; "Hurry" You Say
Scholars Brawl
November 13, 2009
Don't Tell Our Cat
October 21, 2009
What Do They Have Against Sewers?
September 7, 2009
Happy Labor Day To Me
August 31, 2009
On The Wrong Mailing List Again
August 28, 2009
What Now? Corrupting of Youth?
August 16, 2009
Mermaid Reward
August 15, 2009
Closing The Arts Library at UCLA
July 31, 2009
Blog Headline Of The Day Weak Week
July 12, 2009
No News Here
July 8, 2009
Motivational Reading
June 3, 2009
King of Saudi Arabia Becomes Pope!
May 17, 2009
Amazing
May 11, 2009
Careful: Chinese Women's Writing Is Just A Click From Ancient Mesopotamia
April 26, 2009
Flying Too Low?
April 14, 2009
How Can I Go On Without A Reference?
April 8, 2009
Ingredients Ezekiel Forgot
February 10, 2009
Room for Confusion
December 18, 2008
The Finest Facilities
November 11, 2008
Correcting A Possible False Impression
November 2, 2008
There's Abnormal and There's Just Plain Weird
August 29, 2008
Friday Loanword: māḫāzu
June 30, 2008
David Ker's Parody Carnival
June 18, 2008
The German Language and Involuntary Swearing
May 30, 2008
The Dirt on Geologists, Anthropologists and Archaeologists
May 12, 2008
A Well-rounded Individual
April 1, 2008
Not In My Family, Not This Time
March 25, 2008
A Fine Disassemblage
March 20, 2008
Chris Heard Is Using Strong Language
January 25, 2008
This May Light Up Your Life
January 5, 2008
My Predictions for 2008
December 31, 2007
How Did I Do On My 2007 Predictions?
December 15, 2007
Rated R for Metaphysics
December 10, 2007
A New Home for My Research
October 9, 2007
Depleting the Language
September 19, 2007
It Makes No More Sense in Pirate Talk
August 29, 2007
Getting Ready
July 15, 2007
On Learning Greek
July 6, 2007
Not in My Family
June 29, 2007
One of My Worshippers Sent Me an Ecard!
April 1, 2007
A New Inscription from Ugarit
February 5, 2007
A Teacher's Work is Never Done
January 3, 2007
What Is Really Going to Happen in 2007 and What Is Not
December 16, 2006
And Now For Something Completely Stupid
September 13, 2006
On the Fine Art of Unavailability
September 7, 2006
Every Day in Everyway, I'm Getting Better and Better
July 18, 2006
I Support the Presidents Right to Use the S Word
May 28, 2006
Just for Fun
May 17, 2006
Why I Seldom Make Predictions
May 6, 2006
My Mona Lisa
April 1, 2006
King David's Seal and Hebrew as the Ancestor of all Languages
April 1 Reading List
March 30, 2006
Angels in the Gaps
February 14, 2006
The Cat is On the Roof
January 22, 2006
Solving the World's Problems One at a Time - Freeway Traffic
January 12, 2006
New Arboreal Species Shows Intelligent Design
January 3, 2006
Nerdier Than Thou
November 17, 2005
New Government Mental Health Program for Seniors
November 10, 2005
The Punchline From Dover
October 30, 2005
I'm A Monkey
August 13, 2005
LA County Circumcised for State Fair
July 27, 2005
Get Your Viking Name While They Last
May 25, 2005
Make Sure You and Your Dogs and Cats Understand the Laws in California
May 18, 2005
I'm Luke Skywalker
April 30, 2005
Amazing - I'm a Little Bit Republican
April 13, 2005
A Short Lexicon of the Neo-con Language
April 1, 2005
April 1, A Dangerous Day to Post
March 20, 2005
Just Follow Your Nose
February 19, 2005
A Book in Hand Is Worth Two in the Bush
February 16, 2005
Gas Too High?