…just a short moment of your time

I’ve become rather addicted to checking Amazon for price changes in various Oxford products. If you’re quick, the leather Shorter is now 70% off and is available for a mere US$105 (+pp)! I’m a bit staggered really. That’s cheaper than the non leather edition. Yeah I know, turning into a sad sack.

bundling

Just browsing a blog I haven’t checked in a while and noticed an article on how to buy a dictionary. I’m not an expert myself though I have a fondness for such. My own approach is to have the Shorter Oxford (6th ed was published around Aug/Sept 2007) as my main reference; with the Macquarie Dictionary alongside it. I’ve not owned a Shorter for very long, so much of my life has been spent relying on the Macquarie. To some extent that suggests, at least 2 dictionaries is a good thing, an OED (or Shorter OED) combined with the main dictionary of the country you inhabit. That seems to work for me at least.

Hmmm…the main site for the Macquarie Dictionary seems to be down at the moment which means I can’t explore this wordmap of Australian regionalisms I’ve just stumbled across. Will have another go later; while I’m waiting I keep an eye on updates to worldcat.

twank it

Via A&L, comes a nice little article on wordplay.

nice away message :-)

Having bought some new books recently, and realising I’d not visited Library Thing in simply ages, I decided to pop over. Alas, it’s down for servicing at the moment but I really liked their “away” message.

I don’t know whether that appeared in other countries as “Australia” but it’s a nice touch.

perendinate

Somewhat appropriately, while trying to catch up on some blog reading*, I was browsing language hat and came across an article on that mighty word, procrastination. I still haven’t got round to reading this article on what I’m guessing is a comparison of linux window environments: KDE and GNOME, possibly even explaining the differences. Then there’s this really interesting site based around the question “Does science make belief in God obsolete ?” referred to by one of the blogs I perused on Monday; I don’t remember the blog and have yet to do more than glance at the site.

* with the house move, my blog reading has been rather curtailed. I’m also waiting for my ADSL to be transferred to my new residence which means blog reading can only be done at work, and hence but briefly.

gone gone gone

A couple of hours ago, my house was settled. I am free. Free of house and free of mortgage. Finished moving everything out around lunchtime. Still house hunting but all good right now. I have several thousand books, and 9 bookcases in storage Yay for me.