likethebeer

An Early Copy of the Magna Carta Was Found Forgotten in an Old Scrapbook
An archivist in England stumbled upon a 715-year-old edition of the charter credited for initiating a new framework of governance

By Laura Clark
smithsonian.com
February 10, 2015

http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2014/08/25/the-psychology-of-writing-daily-routine/

Maybe that's why I'm so into routines. It would be nice to get the writing going, too, though.

Grandiloquent Word of the Day: Inkhornism (INK•horn•iz•im) Noun: -Overworking something such as a piece of writing. -Pedantry -A show of knowledge. -Unimaginative or unduly emphasis of minutiae in the presentation or use of knowledge. -Undue display of learning. -Slavish attention to rules, details, etc. A literary composition of the sixteenth century that “smelled of the lamp” – meaning that it was overworked – perhaps from too much “burning of the midnight oil” by hack writers, who were sometimes called candlewasters. The inspiration for inkhornism was a small, portable case of writing instruments first made of wood and used from the 1300’s to the 1700’s. An inkling, the diminutive of ink, which was related to an older Anglo-Saxon verb imt, ”to mutter,” once was a sample of a written idea. A person who engaged in inkhornism was called an inkhornist. Used in a sentence: "If it weren't for my talent for inkhornism, my essays would never be long enough to receive full credit for the assignment."

Grandiloquent Word of the Day: Inkhornism
(INK•horn•iz•im)
Noun:
-Overworking something such as a piece of writing.
-Pedantry
-A show of knowledge.
-Unimaginative or unduly emphasis of minutiae in the presentation or use of knowledge.
-Undue display of learning.
-Slavish attention to rules, details, etc.

A literary composition of the sixteenth century that “smelled of the lamp” – meaning that it was overworked – perhaps from too much “burning of the midnight oil” by hack writers, who were sometimes called candlewasters. The inspiration for inkhornism was a small, portable case of writing instruments first made of wood and used from the 1300’s to the 1700’s. An inkling, the diminutive of ink, which was related to an older Anglo-Saxon verb imt, ”to mutter,” once was a sample of a written idea.
A person who engaged in inkhornism was called an inkhornist.

Used in a sentence:
"If it weren't for my talent for inkhornism, my essays would never be long enough to receive full credit for the assignment."

http://www.upworthy.com/6-ways-to-make-sure-you-dont-hate-your-life-and-actually-enjoy-it-and-stuff-5?c=slt1
It's a video of his commencement speech and is around 20 minutes long. The person who links to this said her favorite part starts at 9:40.




I've put this here because I know I will want to find it later, but his main point, "Make good art," makes me sad, because I don't make art.

Ah, but there was that thing that we said in grad school: "Those who can't make art, teach art history."

C.M. Kornbluth's story, "The Marching Morons" involves a man from the 20th Century who wakes up in a future in which the average I.Q. has been lowered to the level of moron (I don't think calling someone whose I.Q. is below 70 a "moron" is allowed any longer, although it used to actually be used).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Marching_Morons (<--spoiler alert)

Here it is reprinted on-line:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/23657356/The-Marching-Morons

Here's an article by Slate that includes the poem. Nice thing for winter.