Word-whore. I write 'em. I talk 'em. Information, politics, media, and the cybers. I drink. I use bad words. All publication is a political act. All communication is propaganda. All art is pornography. All business is personal. All hail Eris! Vive les poissons rouges sauvages!
Yes, Australian actor Heath Ledger is dead, possibly from a drug overdose. So now it’s time to collect all the jokes, ‘cos he can’t sue you for libel. Please add them in the comments.
Tasteless? Yes. Exploitative? Probably. Too soon for this? Yeah probably that too.
So why do it?
It’s an experiment…
For a lolcat version of this website, click here.
Mind you, there was one great quote on the final Parkinson, from Dame Edna Everage: “I think I’m bringing a squirt of much-needed oestrogen to the show.” Indeed, apart from Dame Judi Dench and some dodgy comedian, it was just a bunch of old farts talking about their once-great pasts.
On her personal blog, Quatrefoil tells us that “Touched” is…
… just the name someone thought to give to the style of incredibly ordinary bra I bought this evening. Honestly! I think it describes their state of mind. (Un)fortunately the other styles by the same manufacturer were not called ‘squeezed’, ‘groped’ or ‘felt up’. Who comes up with these names anyway?
To which I replied…
Bra names are set by the International Brassiere Nomenclature Union (UIBN) under the rules agreed upon by the UIBN Convention of 1885, which was held at the Palace of Versailles.
The UIBN Approvals Committee comprises representatives from the five founding nations (France, Britain, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands), the Treaty nations of 1919 (in order, Austria, Monaco, Luxembourg, Russia, Hungary, Greece, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Ireland, Germany and the US), plus two rotating “guest nations”, currently Libya and South Korea.
All names must adhere to all 15 “Règles de la Nomenclature”. In this case, the name “Touched” has been selected under Rule 3, which specifies that single-word names must have an inherent “Référence à la passion érotique” without being explicit. The other words you suggest would fail that test.
You do have the right of appeal, however, to the International Court of Appeals for Brassiere Names in Geneva, provided that your petition is supported by a member of parliament from one of the UIBN Treaty nations or (since 1975) a Member of the European Parliament.
Perhaps Wikipedia needs to be updated in the light of this new-found information.
Then again, it has been said that I have too much time on my hands.
Rhys McDonald, who comments here and lives in our village a long way from our village up the coast somewhere, is apparently too shy to pimp his rather amusing cartoon of this week’s poster boy for post-natal abortion. Enjoy.
Actually, it’ll be interesting to see what sort of satire is generated by this boy. Do tell me if you see anything.
[Update 21 January 2008: For some reason I thought Rhys was a local. I was wrong.]
Maybe it’s just because I’m an Australian of A Certain Age, but I find this sign in an African grocery shop on Enmore Road rather funny. The fact that it’s “organic” is even better.