Thursday 17 October 2024

Happy Birthday to the one and only Mark Gatiss, Master of all things Jamesian and the Unheimlich! Thank you very much for the GSFC series, the three part History of Horror, for the brilliant Beardsley documentary, for the unsettling and hilarious League of Gentlemen and many more! Chapeau to you, Sir.

Wednesday 16 October 2024

Um. Whilst writing concisely is beneficial for both the author and the audience, it’s not always the point. Yes, avoiding rambles and cliches is a no brainer, but using a few somewhat longer structured phrases couldn’t harm either. Also, in this example perfectly fine phrasal forms are mixed up with the absolute worst, such as “in spite of the fact that.”

Tuesday 15 October 2024

That one video about contemporary living with the usual suspect, a renowned architect or a designer. “This is my converted factory: empty space, full of stylish concrete, with two objects d’art from 17th century China. Cosy blankie, you ask? Ew, don’t know her. Why should I”

Monday 14 October 2024

Телетайп

Впервые за очень долгое время я почти довольна результатами прошедшего дня, чего со мной не случалось уже довольно давно (о провиденсовских записках не забыла, конечно: выложу).

Sunday 13 October 2024

Nothings and triviality (+x/twitter ramblings)

3 дня твиттера, и боты все так же стараются изо всех сил выяснить, что же мне нужно — с переменным успехом: котики сменяются трад. политсрачами вперемешку с цитатами псевдо-Витгенштейна, научным ангстом и готик-лором.Из неожиданного: обилие красивеньких картинок (борьба с Инстой за почетное звание дома высокой культуры быта? я хз, но не против, конечно).
***
Ну что, накрасилась дымчатым пурпуром из палетки Too Faced, подвела глаза модным в этом сезоне бордовым кайялом Zoeva, и о чудо! В зеркале мне показали иллюстрацию из монографии «Советская женщина и быт». Все смыла, кнчн.

Saturday 12 October 2024

Two hot book purchases (En)

Thrifted this beauty (Pan Macmillan, 1968) for £3 today: it’s amusing to see the announcement of a new bestseller on the last page—Ira Levin’s “Rosemary’s Baby”:


This gem by Nunkie (aka Robert Lloyd Perry) was delivered this morning, and it’s delightful:

Friday 11 October 2024

Yet again: “The peer review industry: implausible and outrageous” (TLS; En)

I had no clue that Robert Maxwell began his business career in academic publishing, lol: that explains a lot. We hate them, my Precious, we do.
Why do we – academics, universities, taxpayers – go along with this? This is a complex question, and many things will go into the answer. One part of the answer is that many journals have established their reputations over decades, and academic communities are reluctant to abandon these titles with their established infrastructure and back catalogues. Another part is the difficulty of initiating methods of research publication different from the journal system as it now is. In the TLS of October 27, 2017, Timothy Gowers, Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge – who has been a strong campaigner against the status quo in the world of academic journals – proposed a number of alternatives to the usual peer review structure. The trouble is that significant change requires a level of collective action and cooperation that seems to be beyond academics and universities, now so pitifully competing with one another for everything. ©

Thursday 10 October 2024

“The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time” (according to Variety): a quick random rage (En)

This list is obscene—as per usual. Pasolini’s art house work has been ranked 9th, really? Why not Bergman’s then—Wild Strawberries and such? And the retro slasher (a good one, no doubt) as the first? Pure idiocy.

Wednesday 9 October 2024

Завела твиттер (не спрашивайте).
Ну в целом пока что впечатления такие: в парадном углу Маск, брейкинг ньюз и модные мемасики, но основной контент фида — фешн ангст людей примерно на 25 лет младше. Но живенько и интересно. Наблюдаем дальше. 

Tuesday 8 October 2024

Рабочее-короткое (дисклеймер)

Что-то я немного выдохлась. Работы полно, а я как болван — не знаю, за что хвататься в первую очередь. Соберусь с духом и перенесу сюда оставшиеся заметки с Армитаджа, а потом и французские.