Steel White Table

Speech Accent Archive:
…is established to uniformly exhibit a large set of speech accents from a variety of language backgrounds. Native and non-native speakers of English all read the same English paragraph and are carefully recorded
There are 14 English Canadian samples, with only one from Atlantic Canada (Barneys River, N.S., wherever the hell that is).

Have Ratings/Tasting Notes Gone Too Far?
…all ratings are relative - a whisky is scored relative to the mood you are in, the other whiskies you might be trying, where you are sitting as you try them, what you had for dinner, the time of day, the argument you had with your girlfriend the other day, [...]

Literally, A Web Log:
Misuse of the word “literally”? gets my blood boiling (no, not literally). It started as a nit-picking distraction, grew to a frustrating obsession, and finally resulted in the creation of this blog.
An example post: literally coughing his head off.
There are a few blogs about bad grammar:
- Grammar Hell
- Triangle Grammar Guide
- Doc [...]

Had I known the Whole Wheat Radio wheat seeds would grow so fast, I would have carefully set up my camera to record their growth. Instead, I just took a snapshot every day from what was a probably a slightly different angle. Subsequently, the time-lapse effect is somewhat ineffective. I’ll do a better job the [...]

Who gives a @#$% about profanity?
…a healthy 64 percent [of Americans questioned] said they use the F-word — ranging from several times a day (8 percent) to a few times a year (15 percent).
“What we hear, it’s gross,” says Kramer, 67. “I tell them, ‘I have a dictionary and a Roget’s Thesaurus, and I don’t [...]

The Thunderlords:
What would happen if the Wiggles met White Zombie backstage at an Iron Maiden concert and decided to form a band? I’m not really sure, but I’d bet they would sound a lot like The Thunderlords. The Thunderlords play loud heavy music with goofy fun lyrics that everyone can enjoy, except those looking for [...]

I wouldn’t recognized Jolie Holland if I met her in person.

(Though I guess I would now.) Her new album, that comes out May 8th, looks like this:

My dream has come true: I have a cello. It’s shorter than I expected: around 4 feet tall, with the 3 inch metal stand stuck in its bottom. I have no idea how to play it except like a bass, and I haven’t played a fretless bass in 20 years. The [...]

The Motorcycle Personality Test:
Because this test is based on Science, you may discover that you are riding the wrong motorcycle right now. If this happens, you must trust the test results and and sell your bike as soon as possible, or else your life will undoubtedly be miserable.
My result:
Honda Goldwing: Motorcycling isn’t really [...]

Automatic bicycle pump:
Fill your bicycle wheels with conveniently available pressurized air stored in automobiles.
Take your bike and go find a hummer (or some other overweight vehicle). Fold the hose in your hand so you don’t waste any precious energy. Attach one end to the automobile tyre and the other to your bike. When you unfold [...]

This is a long shot, but here it comes.
I’m looking for two female actors, mid-20s or early-30s, to play the lead and supporting roles in a short film I’m directing on April 9th. It’s a single-day, single-location shoot in St. John’s, Newfoundland. They would have to be available for at least three rehearsals before the [...]

How to Play Jazz Piano:
Even though it probably sounds horrible, practice for long enough and you’ll sound more and more like what’s written there without you even knowing it. You can always go back to the sheet music to see how they’re voicing the chords in clever ways that you’re not.
That’s the key: practice, practice, [...]

Serial comma is a:
…comma used immediately before a conjunction (such as “and” or “or”) in a list of three or more items. The phrase “ham, chips, and eggs” is written with a serial comma, but “ham, chips and eggs” is not.
So what? you say. Well, it’s a big deal for editors and many writers. The [...]

How Do Transistors Work?
Electric current never flows, since an electric current is not a stuff. Electric current is a flow of something else. (Ask yourself this: what’s the stuff that flows in a river, is it “current” or is it called “water?”)
Wires are not full of current, they are full of charges that can move. [...]

Greeks Can Worship Ancient Greek Deities:
At the moment Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Aphrodite, Athens, Hermes, etc. are being worshipped by 100,000 Greeks. Until now Ministry of Culture banned them from conducting public worship at archeological sites and their gatherings were often secretive.
I wonder if the Celtic Gods are still being worshipped.