Does your language affect your bank account?

Dictionary.com's Hot Word blog summarizes recent research about the effects of future-time-reference ("FTR") on speakers of various languages.

Analyzing retirement savings’ patterns, along with health habits, Chen found that people who speak weak-FTR languages prepare more thoroughly for the future than people who speak strong-FTR languages. In fact, weak-FTR countries save, on average, 6% more of their GDP every year. They also smoke less, exercise more, and are less likely to be overweight.

German is cited as a weak-FTR language.  No word on how FTR influences attitudes about chicken intelligence.

Full post here.

Werner Herzog on Chickens

Werner Herzog on Chickens from Tom Streithorst on Vimeo.

Bad Girls from M.I.A.

On the one hand, I love the commentary on anti-woman driving laws.  I'm relieved that no more redheads are getting exploded.   I'm relieved that I don't have to revisit my conflicted feelings about Straight to Hell's inevitable downgrade from song to sample. But I am so confused. 

Oh, great.  The liberation of Kuwait has begun. 

What on Earth are you wearing?  Also—note Arab-attired men in background standing with arms crossed.

Ladies stand (and "dance") with arms crossed.

Back to the men. Same stance, new location.  What are they standing on?  Are these pipeline segments?

This would be a great place for some log-driver type fancy footwork.



Or guinea pigs!




Ladies!  Just one in the car... I think?  Or is that a car full of festively hijabed and niqabed ladies?  Or just very strange upholstery?

Spacekisser

This is wonderful!  The people who brought us Orientalized Doctor Who comedy have now parodied Turkish Star Trek.

Spacekisser!


Thank you dokuztaneprogramla!

’Twas the Morning of Groundhog's

A Visit from a Groundhog
by Autumn Ward, adapted from Clement Clarke Moore

‘Twas the morning of Groundhog's, and all above the burrow
Not a crop row was stirring, not even a furrow.
Calories were stored in fat rolls with care,
In hopes the spring equinox soon would be there.

The marmots were nestled all snug in their dens,
While visions of vegetables danced in their heads.
And mamma in her slippers, and I, sans my shoes,
Were all settled in for a late morning’s snooze.

When out on the lawn there arose such a rumpus,
I slid from my bed to see what all the fuss was.
Across to the window I walked in a haze,
Opened the curtains and focused my gaze.

The sun on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Shone bright, then diffuse, fluctuating its glow,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a drowsy woodchuck departing his lair.

As dry leaves that before the calm breeze skate,
When they meet with an obstacle, flutter and shake,
So out of the burrow the rodent did heave,
Assessing the shadows, ‘hogmancy to weave.

"Pony" by Tim Lewis

Via BoingBoing.

Okay, never mind about the skiing and the dancing. Winter would be better if ostriches were occasionally kinetic sculptures with humanoid limbs. And they are!



More info:
http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/9510/1/tim-lewis-at-kinetica-art-fair

Ostriches!

Winter would be better with more skiing ostriches.





The creator of this next video doesn't explain what this ostrich was doing in Iran. Escaping from something? Wikipedia confirms that ostrich is an African animal, although it does intriguingly allude to a now extinct Arabian Ostrich.



Equally, winter would be better with more dancing ostriches.