Douglas Adam's Hitchhiker's Guide Typewriter Up for Sale [Hitchhikers]

Douglas Adam's Hitchhiker's Guide Typewriter Up for Sale [Hitchhikers]: "

See that battered old Hermes Standard 8 typewriter there, in a fetching shade of institutional brown? I'd practically saw my own leg off to own it. Why? Because I'm a huge Douglas Adams fan, and that battered old thing is the very typewriter DNA used to bring The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to the world. A surprisingly analog gadget, for such a self-avowed technology fan as he. And get this: it's actually on sale by a British bookseller, as part of a package with a 'fine' condition first-edition copy of Hitchhiker's. The package, complete with autograph on the typewriter lid, will set you back over $25,000. A vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big sum. But, boy... wouldn't it be worth it? [Abe Books via BBG]

(Via Gizmodo.)

Word of the Week — July 14-20

ignominious • \ig-nuh-MIN-ee-us\ • adjective

1 : marked with or characterized by disgrace or shame : dishonorable 2 : deserving of shame or infamy : despicable *3 : humiliating, degrading

Example Sentence:

The director's first film was an ignominious failure, panned by critics and ignored by moviegoers.

Did you know?

The "-nom-" of "ignominious" comes from "nomen," the Latin word for "name" or "repute." (It's also the root of "misnomer," "nomenclature," and "nominal," among others.) The "ig-" part of the word is akin to the negative prefix "in-"; when joined to the root "-nom-," it indicates the namelessness that goes with shame or dishonor. To suffer an ignominious fate is to lose the opportunity to make a name for oneself or to lose one's good name. When "ignominious" was first borrowed from a French form of the word in the 15th century, it meant "disgraced" or "dishonorable." "Ignominious" continues to have such meanings, but it also has somewhat milder meanings -- "embarrassing" and "humiliating."

Courtesy of Merriam-Webster Online

VOTD: Muppets July 4th Viral Video

Oh my GOD! I may not be American, but this is the funniest thing I have seen in a LONG time! E-mail it to all your friends!

VOTD: Muppets July 4th Viral Video: "

Muppets’ July 4th Viral Video

The Pitch: Have no idea where this comes from, or who created it, but once I saw it I knew that we needed to post this second Video of the Day on July 4th. ‘I, Sam the Eagle, present a musical salute to America.’

(Via /Film.)

Sharper Image Human Touch Massage Chairs Look Familiar [Sharper Image]

Sharper Image Human Touch Massage Chairs Look Familiar [Sharper Image]: "

Reader Tim points out that this massage chair, seen at Sharper Image, looks really familiar. You know, we think he's right, but we can't quite get a grasp on it. We just hope they keep on selling these things even after their stores close—you know, for the human touch. Seriously, it's like on the tip of our tongue. What is this thing? It's gotta be staring us right in the eye. [Thanks Tim!]

(Via Gizmodo.)

Free Replacements Available For NC Residents With "WTF" License Plates

Free Replacements Available For NC Residents With "WTF" License Plates: "

So the folks at the North Carolina DMV just now caught wind of things called 'texting' and 'the interwebs' and learned that the license plates they were issuing that started with 'WTF' had a deeper, darker, what the fuckier side.

Last year, state officials notified nearly 10,000 holders of license plates with the letter combination 'WTF' that they could get a replacement at no charge after officials learned that the combination is a common acronym in text messaging for a vulgar phrase, 'What the ...'


WTF was the first random letter combination available when DMV switched from blue- to red-lettered plates. DMV spokeswoman Marge Howell received a sample plate WTF-5506 to use as a prop for news stories about the switch.

But while tracking down the errant plates, no one at the Division of Motor Vehicles checked their own Web site. 'WTF-5505' is shown as a sample of a personalized plate.

Interesting. But does this mean just the random, state-issued plates are being recalled, or all plates with 'WTF'? Because I'll be damned if they try and take 'WTF BITS' away from me.

State's sample license plate: What the ... [newsobserver]
Picture [flickr]

Thanks Zippy, are they trying to take your WTF plate too?"

(Via Geekologie - Gadgets, Gizmos, and Awesome.)

Rogers.com - iPhone 3G Voice & Data Packages

They're up! I'll comment later.

Rogers.com - iPhone 3G Voice & Data Packages: ""

Word of the Week — June 23-29

Since I've missed a couple weeks, I'm going to give you a couple words. It only seems fair.

litotes • \LYE-tuh-teez\ • noun

1 : understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of the contrary

Example Sentence:

Jamie blushingly acknowledged her victory by litotes, saying that her scores were "not bad" and that she was "not displeased" with her performance.

Did you know?

Even if you've never heard the word "litotes," chances are you've encountered this figure of speech. If you've ever approved of a job well done by exclaiming "Not bad!" or told someone that you are "not unhappy" when you are ecstatic, you've even used it yourself. In fact, you might say that it would be "no mean feat" to avoid this common feature of our language! And litotes isn't only common; it's also "simple" -- etymologically speaking, that is. "Litotes" evolved from a Greek word meaning "simple," and perhaps ultimately from another Greek word meaning "linen cloth."

obeisance • \oh-BEE-sunss\ • noun

1 : a movement of the body made in token of respect or submission : bow *2 : acknowledgment of another's superiority or importance : homage

Example Sentence:

The people paid obeisance to their god by kneeling at the shrine.

Did you know?

When it first appeared in English in the late 14th century, "obeisance" shared the same meaning as "obedience." This makes sense given that "obeisance" can be traced back to the Anglo-French verb "obeir," which means "to obey" and is also an ancestor of our word "obey." The other senses of "obeisance" also date from the 14th century, but they have stood the test of time whereas the obedience sense is now obsolete.

Courtesy of Merriam-Webster Online

So there we are. Back on track!

Stay tuned, friends. It won't be long now.