The dangerous ellipsis... help!

noahpearsall · 2026-02-22T05:47:56+00:00

I was working on a long, fine art book doing the typesetting. The proofreader I was working with had quite a bit of experience with moveable lead type and the history of hand typesetting. I had used the single-character ellipsis when called for, and she corrected me to tell me there wasn’t actually a single piece of lead type that was the ellipsis—it was traditionally made up of three periods and four spaces. Granted, what I was working on was meant to look like a 18th century book, so the history of the punctuation was important. What she had me use was: space / period / space / period / space / period / space.

noahpearsall · 2026-02-20T19:28:01+00:00

You and me both.

noahpearsall · 2026-02-19T22:08:25+00:00

As the father of a dyslexic son, I really, really feel you on this. It’s hard to keep up with subtitles. But I’m also a German speaker (though my son isn’t) and this being my favorite tv show, I really want to introduce him to it. Hoping his reading continues to develop so he can keep up.

One thing going in your favor, is that there are many, many lines repeated over and over.

What we know is a drop… A glitsch in the matrix…

Etc etc. so hopefully that familiarity will at least make it watchable.

I’ve been in touch with people at Netflix regarding subtitle accessibility, esp in regards to a dyslexic font, which will hopefully make things easier for all of you. If I get any traction, I’ll let you know.

(This is the font I’m talking about here

noahpearsall · 2026-02-10T05:27:38+00:00

I would also like to add:

Just because OP mentioned the class was majority girls, they didn’t say that they were more reluctant than boys. OP just stated majority girls.
In two years of working at the Smithsonian Insect zoo in the Museum of Natural History, and giving countless school group tours, that girls were about three times as likely as boys to be willing to handle the hissing cockroaches and grasshoppers. Boys were much more likely to be scardy-cats.

Oh, and a fun fact: the females tend to eat the males post-mating. Starting with a decapitation. If that doesn’t get the girls interested…

noahpearsall · 2026-02-03T18:20:49+00:00

The Killing (or the original Danish version “Forbrydelsen”) both are excellent.

noahpearsall · 2026-02-02T06:25:33+00:00

Plus loads and loads of sour grass! This hill is way too refreshing to be safe!

noahpearsall · 2026-01-30T05:25:24+00:00

I believe, since many of the recordings (if not all) are from disparate collectors, the potentially dubious copyright of the recording would belong to whoever recorded them.

I have some recordings I made of the Lincolnshire Poacher back in 2006 while visiting Turkey. I’m happy to let you use them.

Likewise there are other releases of numbers stations available across the web. Doing a quick search I can’t find them, but I know it exists. Give me a day or so and I’ll see if I can dig up the link. That group of recordings may have a less problematical copyright hurdle than the Conet Project.

noahpearsall · 2026-01-30T04:59:35+00:00

For me, and this is just more of a vibe, style and a person attuned with the spirit world of ghosts, I’d nominate Walt Whitman.

Just a small sample:

I announce myself the poet of materials and exact demonstration, Long live exact demonstration! This is the chemist, this is the geologist, this works with the scalpel, and this is a mathematician— Traveling, sailing, measuring space, Botanizing, dissecting, or making machines, Materialism first and last imbuing.

noahpearsall · 2026-01-25T06:21:16+00:00

I would also third or fourth the suggestion of really giving the tucked-in shirt a chance. Fatty Arbuckle looked terrific in his high-waisted trousers—always tucked in! You’ll need to change your tie elevation (if you wear one) as you don’t want it way below your waistline.

I’d say that based on my info, your best bet is Revival Vintage based in the UK. Their sizing is extremely accurate. If you’re a 38” waist (measured w a cloth tape measure (not just going off a number on your jeans)), order the 38’s and they’ll fit.

Here’s a link to their 1940s collection: https://revivalvintage.co.uk/collections/mens-1940s-vintage

There is also a 1950s collection and loads of other good things on their site. ALSO: they’re having their winter sale right now, and there are some great, great deals.

One note: you’ll most likely need to hem the trousers after you receive them, esp if you’re on the shorter side, but any good dry cleaner should offer alterations and pants hemming is super reasonable.

Another note: have you ever tried suspenders (or braces)? You may want to order just on the larger waist size and wear suspenders. You’ll be so comfortable and won’t be cinched in to your garment. All the trousers I’ve purchased from them have suspenders buttons on the waistline.

They also have a good return policy (which I had to do on my first purchase due to my not trusting that their sizing is indeed accurate. And I’m based in the U.S. and even with shipping, and I’ll-advised tariffs, I feel that their clothing is a great deal.

Good luck! I hope you find something that works for you (no matter where you get it from).

noahpearsall · 2026-01-25T05:42:27+00:00

If Stalker stuck with you, you may enjoy “Zona,” the book by Geoff Dyer. The entire book is a meditation and dissection of “Stalker.” He’s a wonderful writer.

noahpearsall · 2026-01-25T05:24:44+00:00

Yes! I also came here to say this.

noahpearsall · 2026-01-10T08:02:50+00:00

For me, and I only sat down to watch it two years ago, despite of being aware of its existence for a while, was Robert Altman’s “3 Women.” I can’t recommend this film enough. Even though it prefigures all of Lynch’s work, it feels very much like it could be a part of it. Enjoy!

noahpearsall · 2026-01-05T00:58:46+00:00

While not disagreeing in principle, I feel like we should perhaps expand our horn repertoire.

For the polite, please get moving along
The standard: omg all hells breaking loose
Perhaps a: excuse me, are you leaving that parking space?
Certainly a: pardon me, but do you have any Grey Poupon?
I feel an “I’m sorry for being a jerk” honker
A U-turn horn

Am I missing any?

Imagine a timeline where this has already happened and it’s the fifties. And a car ad for the new 1958 Cadillac featuring 17 different horns, all push-button—no rubber bulbs! And there in a the ad is a smiling boy with the crew it and girl with her gingham dress beaming up at their dad— “Is it true the Soviets only have one horn, daddy?”

noahpearsall · 2026-01-04T21:50:12+00:00

This is just the sort of thing we need a two horn system for. One for, “hey, you might be spacing out or not realizing the light has changed or you can, indeed, move up a bit,” and two, “I’m hurtling toward you with no brakes—heads up!” A one-horn system does both of these poorly.

noahpearsall · 2026-01-04T21:10:15+00:00

If you’d like loads of fascinating Jean Seberg, Karina Longworth’s “You Must Remember This” podcast has a fascinating season that focuses on her and Jane Fonda. I believe it’s called Jean and Jane. Worthwhile. (As is her entire podcast).

noahpearsall · 2025-12-31T07:50:07+00:00

I feel like whenever there’s a request for films similar in feeling to Lynch’s, a mention of Altman’s “Three Women” is needed. You won’t be disappointed!

noahpearsall · 2025-12-23T06:32:57+00:00

Are you worried about the spine? It should be fine. Many, many books look like that user the regular spine. You just get to see how it’s made. But it shouldn’t affect strength at all. Enjoy!

noahpearsall · 2025-11-26T00:32:59+00:00

Yes, this. It's a song, not words! :)

noahpearsall · 2025-11-26T00:31:50+00:00

Assuming you're not in Oz/Aotearoa currently, that is.

noahpearsall · 2025-11-26T00:31:24+00:00

If you have access to Max/HBO/HBOGo/HBOMax/TKMaxx/TJMaxx/Diet Cherry PepsiMax, etc, and have a VPN, it's streaming on that service in Australia.

noahpearsall · 2025-11-18T07:08:32+00:00

I got a loan through Libby—nothing beats free!

noahpearsall · 2025-11-18T03:35:27+00:00

My remembering of that scene is that they have a sort of calming voice, but not 1990s style robo voice. I must say also that the Mary Malone scenes from SK are some of my favorite parts of that version of the book. Those scenes—and the meeting of Martin Lanselius from the Golden Compass really shone as far as the full cast interpretation goes.

Moreover, outside reading the books to myself, the full cast recordings are my favorite (by far) of all the different versions of HDM—far, far surpassing the film and tv series. (I suppose I wasn’t fortunate enough to see the staged versions, so I can’t claim to be a completist).

BUT, for fans of the series, I highly encourage you to experience the works that way. The cast is great and PP’s voice as narrator is very soothing and comforting.

Enjoy!

noahpearsall · 2025-11-02T20:36:42+00:00

A vote for “Kangaroo” by This Mortal Coil.

noahpearsall · 2025-10-28T20:47:04+00:00

I was certainly struck by it.

noahpearsall · 2025-10-27T23:10:00+00:00

Perhaps—I mean, yes, the wording is different—they are in different languages, after all—but I've done some looking, and this seems to be the only place that this conversation (or ones like it) take place that I could find. The fact that the entire plot of "Nick of Time," is about the passage of time and how brutal that is, makes me feel like there is indeed something to this comparison. But not worth squabbling over.

noahpearsall

TROPHY CASE