Chris in the weeds
@chrisintheweeds.bsky.social
Gardener, dad, language geek, programmer, sinister leftie (🙌), rat-adjacent, permanently bemused. Open to friendly discussion about most things. He/him/any.
But if your interests are somewhat niche, the odd secondhand bookshop is your best chance now, because even the biggest sellers of new books in the country are going big on cafes and airy spaces and not on dense shelving.
February 20, 2025 at 6:23 PM
But if your interests are somewhat niche, the odd secondhand bookshop is your best chance now, because even the biggest sellers of new books in the country are going big on cafes and airy spaces and not on dense shelving.
I guess they assume everyone will just get access via Amazon or... other online methods. But it's nice to just browse physical books and discover interesting things.
February 20, 2025 at 6:21 PM
I guess they assume everyone will just get access via Amazon or... other online methods. But it's nice to just browse physical books and discover interesting things.
The sad thing, though, is how impoverished places like Foyles are for academic books. They used to have all kind of random interesting stuff... now the linguistics section is a few shelves of introductory stuff.
February 20, 2025 at 6:19 PM
The sad thing, though, is how impoverished places like Foyles are for academic books. They used to have all kind of random interesting stuff... now the linguistics section is a few shelves of introductory stuff.
I don't really agree with the theoretical stance of many of the authors, but it's still interesting to see how different people approach things.
February 20, 2025 at 6:16 PM
I don't really agree with the theoretical stance of many of the authors, but it's still interesting to see how different people approach things.
But if this is the case, it does mean it'll get worse if Trump concedes elsewhere. If China takes Taiwan and Trump breaks NATO etc etc., then bullying some weaker neighbours will be the way to prove this isn't evidence of the irreversible decline of US power.
February 16, 2025 at 9:33 PM
But if this is the case, it does mean it'll get worse if Trump concedes elsewhere. If China takes Taiwan and Trump breaks NATO etc etc., then bullying some weaker neighbours will be the way to prove this isn't evidence of the irreversible decline of US power.
How can they be weak when they can bully Canada and Denmark so successfully?
February 16, 2025 at 9:27 PM
How can they be weak when they can bully Canada and Denmark so successfully?
Although I suppose the current aggression is because they're starting to worry that maybe they might lose face or status as others rise and the relative capabilities of the US decline. Trump is the way they deny that possibility and bury it.
February 16, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Although I suppose the current aggression is because they're starting to worry that maybe they might lose face or status as others rise and the relative capabilities of the US decline. Trump is the way they deny that possibility and bury it.
The US hasn't really lost for so long, they can't really imagine what losing something would feel like. The losses they talk about are mostly just invading someone else then eventually going home, not losing their own territory or being forced to be a client state run by quislings.
February 16, 2025 at 9:23 PM
The US hasn't really lost for so long, they can't really imagine what losing something would feel like. The losses they talk about are mostly just invading someone else then eventually going home, not losing their own territory or being forced to be a client state run by quislings.
Idk, it's hard to increase exports when your domestic market has very different tastes and regulations to most of the international market.
February 16, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Idk, it's hard to increase exports when your domestic market has very different tastes and regulations to most of the international market.
Our new family car is a Skoda Octavia, a decent sized estate, which looks more or less like this. It does everything we need and it's not as tall, as heavy or as big as the most popular American SUV types.
February 16, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Our new family car is a Skoda Octavia, a decent sized estate, which looks more or less like this. It does everything we need and it's not as tall, as heavy or as big as the most popular American SUV types.
This means that any American company that sells monster trucks in the domestic market needs to manufacture whole new lines specifically for export.
February 16, 2025 at 4:37 PM
This means that any American company that sells monster trucks in the domestic market needs to manufacture whole new lines specifically for export.
European cars have gotten a bit bigger in recent years, but they're still very much sub American SUV and not monster trucks. Partly because of cost and partly because of environmental regulations.
February 16, 2025 at 4:36 PM
European cars have gotten a bit bigger in recent years, but they're still very much sub American SUV and not monster trucks. Partly because of cost and partly because of environmental regulations.
A Ka looks like this.
February 16, 2025 at 4:35 PM
A Ka looks like this.
The thing about Marind though is that much of the morphology is a bit separable anyway. Arguably, you could also say almost the entire set of verb inflections is hosted by an auxiliary copular and all other verbs are really coverbs, instead of a zero copula hypothesis?
February 16, 2025 at 4:13 PM
The thing about Marind though is that much of the morphology is a bit separable anyway. Arguably, you could also say almost the entire set of verb inflections is hosted by an auxiliary copular and all other verbs are really coverbs, instead of a zero copula hypothesis?
Mr Blobby would probably do a better job than most reporters we have now.
February 16, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Mr Blobby would probably do a better job than most reporters we have now.
The Orban strategy
February 16, 2025 at 2:31 PM
The Orban strategy
Congratulations!
February 16, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Congratulations!
It's perfect. It doesn't need a massive front if there's no ICE inside, and it allows much better visibility of small humans (children) for a vehicle travelling along urban roads a lot.
February 16, 2025 at 1:16 PM
It's perfect. It doesn't need a massive front if there's no ICE inside, and it allows much better visibility of small humans (children) for a vehicle travelling along urban roads a lot.
Uncertain times are awkward. I don't think retreating into bonds is as low risk as it used to be either. And holding cash doesn't pay much.
February 16, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Uncertain times are awkward. I don't think retreating into bonds is as low risk as it used to be either. And holding cash doesn't pay much.
The distinction just doesn't matter much in societies with anglo nuclear family arrangements. Related by marriage but not blood + generation is more than enough information.
February 16, 2025 at 11:38 AM
The distinction just doesn't matter much in societies with anglo nuclear family arrangements. Related by marriage but not blood + generation is more than enough information.