The interrobang and me

Today’s ‘Positive and Optimistic Sunday’. I’ve previously written that ‘The older I get, the less I know. Or maybe…the more I don't know’ [1]. This applies to literally everything – including the English language. In three days time I’ll be 63¾ years old. You’d think in that not inconsiderable time I’d have learnt all there is to learn about my mother tongue. Maybe not its words and grammar, but at least its punctuation marks. Conventionally it has 14 punctuation marks [2, 3]. I thought 14’s all there were. Until last week when in her weekly podcast [4] Grammar Girl dropped what to me felt like a bombshell. (A figurative one, anyway). A fifteenth. Indeed a combination of two of the 14, i.e. an exclamation mark and a question mark superimposed over each other. It signifies the simultaneous meaning of both, i.e. an interrogative exclamation mark, or an exclamatory question mark. Its name? Interrobang (or interabang). Grammar Girl says that you shouldn’t use the interrobang in formal writing, but it’s suited for blogs and other informal communication. She adds that you can insert an interrobang as a special character from the ‘Wingdings 2’ font in your word processing program. And she provides unicode values for adding the interrobang to your website. So there you have it. Not for the first [5] but for the second time, I’ve devoted a Sunday Farmdoc’s Blog post to something Grammar Girl’s taught me. Given my venerable age, how positive and optimistic is that.

This week's compendium

Here’s this week’s compendium – slightly longer than usual, to mark the last compendium of 2010. This week…

1. my cyberfriend Wordsmith sent me a link to a really good Alzheimer’s article in the NYT [1]. Thanks, mate.

2. a later, equally interesting NYT article focuses on the morality of Alzheimer’s screening in people with few or no dementia symptoms, given that so far there’s no effective treatment [2]. A quandary indeed.

3. the journal blood reported that a stem cell transplant produced an HIV cure [3]. I think there’ll be lots more stem cell transplant success in coming years.

4. the Annals of Internal Medicine reported that Echinacea produced only a minor (i.e. statistically insignificant) reduction in common cold severity or duration [4]. Ho hum.

5. Hepburn Wind’s two turbines are en route from Germany on the SE Panthea [5a]. (Click on ‘Current Vessel’s Track’ (left sidebar) to see its current position.) Slightly too early for transport on a high tech carbon neutral cargo ship – due to begin service in 2012 [5b].

6. the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council approved engine changes for F1 – downsizing from eight to four cylinders – starting in 2013 [6]. Fuel consumption will be 35% less. I reckon the reason for this change is financial and not environmental.

7. Nutrition Diva said there’s no reason not to drink water during meals [7]. Doing so promotes satiety and thus assists weight loss.

8. Grammar Girl published a list of the four most frequent grammar questions put to her in 2010 [8]. Fascinating.

9. US researchers found that happiness increases creativity [9]. And creativity increases happiness. So it’s a positive feedback loop.

10. and because happiness and creativity are both linked to physical fitness, here are the latest US [10a] and Aussie [10b] physical activity guidelines. Brisk walking for 150 minutes per week is all it takes, folks.

Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.

This week's compendium

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…

1. treehugger.com quoted an Australian report concluding increased energy efficiency could deliver 65% of worldwide carbon cuts by 2020, i.e. almost twice renewable energy, nuclear power and clean coal combined [1]. So surely this is the way to go, world.

2. in a US court, 91 Israeli civilian victims of the 1996 Second Lebanon War, filed a US$91.2B lawsuit against al-Jazeera claiming it intentionally reported realtime coverage of rocket strike locations in Israel, so Hezbollah could more accurately aim its rockets [2]. The Israelis must have good evidence. Time will tell.

3. the Age reported that Melbourne researchers who’ve developed a revolutionary treatment for Alzheimer’s, are having trouble raising A$1.5M of the A$3M needed for a clinical trial [3]. The Victorian Government wastes A$50M+ on the Grand Prix. Each year.

4. Grammar Girl's topic was ‘When to use Female Nouns’ [4]. I like her summary: 'What matters is getting across the massages you want to send, and trying to block those you don't'.

5. an HonestReporting item revealed a Lancet multi-article series on Palestinian health that’s scandalously and unequivocally biased [5]. It’s okay if the Lancet wants to be a political journal. But it shouldn’t masquerade as a medical journal.

6. the Archives of Internal Medicine published a 6-year prospective study finding a correlation between low vitamin D levels and the onset and progression of cognitive decline [6]. A chicken-and-egg scenario. But there’s no downside to ensuring one’s vitamin D level’s normal.

7. treehugger.com reported on a London urban orchard [7]. It’s terrific, but not as salubrious as the Artist as Family’s Food Forest in Sydney.

8. speaking of which, AaF’s Food Forest Plant-in Day last Saturday got some great media [8]. Well done, AaF.

Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.

Janus-sunaJ

Janus, in Roman mythology, is the god of gates, doors, doorways, starts and ends [1]. January, the gateway to the New Year, is named after him. He’s usually depicted with two faces or heads facing in opposite directions. That is, at the same time looking back to the past and forward to the future. I knew all that before. But until last Tuesday when I read this Grammar Girl item [2], I didn’t know what a Janus Word is. Surprise surprise, it’s a word with two opposite meanings. Presumably such words are word usage mutations. Examples GG gives are sanction, cleave, screen and trim. A little internet trolling reveals the proper name for Janus Word is contronym (sometimes spelt contranym), or alternatively antagonym or autantonym or contradictanym; and these words are special examples of homonyms, i.e. words with the same spelling but different meanings. Indeed they’re homonymic antonyms. And they’re examples of polysemy, i.e. when a word has multiple meanings. Me? Compared with all these words ending in ‘nym’, I prefer the name Janus Word. Several webpages give us many more Janus Words [3, 4, 5]. Oh what fun. Ho hum.

P.S. Literally two minutes after I completed this post, I received an email from darling Emily saying she loved the Janus Word inclusion on Grammar Girl’s newsletter. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, Em.

This week's compendium

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…

1. my Canadian cyberfriend Chrows25 [1a] sent me a link to a site showing the size of the Gulf oil spill [1b]. Scary. Very scary.

2. with superb timing, the Rocky Mountain Institute launched Reinventing Fire – its plan for a secure and climate-safe energy system [2a]. Watch the video here [2b].

3. further to item 3 in last week’s compendium, Yahoo stopped using its iPhone weather app to make a political statement [3]. Good on you for sticking to your knitting, Yahoo.

4. planetgreen wrote of a Wafu – a Sydney Japanese restaurant offering a 30% discount to customers who eat all the food they order [4a]. Wafu has other interesting policies too [4b].

5. in central Australia a 17 km bike path was opened; and it’s made entirely of discarded printer cartridges [5]. How wonderful.

6. Grammar Girl explained the whys and wherefores of ellipses [6]. Well…okay then.

7. Jono remembered the Anzacs [7]. No comment can do it justice.

8. Daylesford Organics closed its farmgate shop until the Spring [8]. What a spectacular opening season it was, guys.

Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.

This week's compendium

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…

1. Nokia, one of the world’s greenest tech companies [1a], unveiled Eco Profiles for each of its new products [1b]. Nice, Nokia.

2. a research article concluded hot packs and cold packs were equally ineffective for acute neck or back pain treated by ibuprofen [2]. But patients liked them.

3. Yahoo began using its iPhone weather application to make a political statement [3]. Stick to your knitting, Yahoo.

4. Grammar Girl distinguished between ‘assure’ and ‘ensure’ and ‘insure’ [4]. Rest assured it’ll ensure you know the difference.

5. a Lancet paper showed that allopurinol, a drug heretofore used only for gout, increases exercise capacity and lessens effort-related symptoms in patients with chronic stable angina [5]. A fascinating discovery.

6. I liked this Radiolab podcast about tumours, which included a segment about Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumour Disease [6]. I didn't know a Dutchman discovered TDFTD.

7. Nutrition Diva tells us to eat fish fat, and why [7]. Okay.

8. in fact yesterday, was the 50th anniversary of my Bar Mitzvah [8]. Time flies when…

Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.

This week's compendium

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…

1.OECD members voted unanimously to invite Israel to join [1]. It’s nice to start a compendium with some good news.

2. a report concluded that a federal government plan to give every Australian a unique e-health record would save our health system A$7.6b a year and prevent 5,000 deaths [2]. It’s due to start in July 2012.

3. Grammar Girl gave us the rundown on adverbs [3]. She did it so expertly.

4. a paper in the Archives of Internal Medicine concluded nuts – any nuts – helped blood lipid levels; and the more the better [4]. Okay then.

5. a UK study showed just five minutes of fresh air and exercise makes a huge difference in mood and self-esteem [5]. And the effect’s even bigger if water – e.g. a lake or river – is added.

6. I read of sharedearth.com which is a kind of craigslist linking prospective gardeners with those with gardens [6a, 6b]. And it’s free of charge.

7. a Canberra University report on saving in Australia showed the best savers are aged 45-54 years, and men are better savers than women [7]. Ho hum.

8. regarding dementia, a US study showed spouses of dementia sufferers have a 6-fold increased risk of developing dementia themselves [8a]; and whilst a review showed a current lack of evidence that omega-3 fatty acids are effective in dementia prevention [8b], an Israeli breakthrough has brought stem cell therapy a step closer [8c]. Currently the scope for prevention’s bleak; but treatment via stem cell therapy looks promising.

Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.

This week's compendium

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…

1. Grammar Girl pointed out the tautology in ‘please RSVP’ [1]. Yep.

2. Nutrition Diva wrote an informative article about ‘Which Type of Rice is Healthiest’ [2]. Everyone who eats rice would do well to read it.

3. Cornell University psychologists reminded us that more consumer gadgetry doesn’t mean more happiness [3]. And our planet benefits.

4. I couldn’t help but marvel at the EcoARK – a 3-storey Taipei building constructed using 1.5M plastic bottles [4]. As with item 3 above, a win-win situation.

5. I first heard that in 2007 actress Geena Davis had established The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media [5]. I compliment her and hope the Institute achieves its aims.

6. further to this Farmdoc’s Blog post [6], the scat seekers sought scats on our property last Thursday for two hours. I’ll post the results which I’ll learn only after weeks or months of DNA testing.

7. further to this Farmdoc’s Blog post [7a], Sweetheart Vivienne alerted me to this salon.com item titled ‘Good glasses make wine taste better’ [7b]. It links to a Riedel wineglass website, of course.

8. on darling Kate’s Foxs Lane blog I admired the fox name tag Kate received in a name tag swap [8]. These craft people are so imaginative.

Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.

farmdoc's blog post number 615

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…

1. I read on Planet Ark’s website of the outstanding success of South Australia’s ban on plastic bags. In the first six months of the ban, plastic bag usage has fallen by an estimated 200 million. [1] What’s holding back the other Australian states – including Victoria and Tasmania?

2. regarding reporting on the Middle East, the HonestReporting website published the nominees for, and winner of, its ‘Dishonest Reporter Award 2009’ [2]. Regrettably there was no shortage of worthy nominees – unsurprisingly including the Age.

3. the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists launched a website titled Inside Radiology aiming to provide consumers (patients, potential users) and referrers (medical and other health professionals) with accurate, up to date and accessible information about radiology procedures and interventions [3]. An excellent resource.

4. Grammar Girl listed the four commonest grammar questions put to her in 2009, with links to full explanations of the answers [4]. Interesting holiday reading.

5. Nutrition Diva explained when you add wine or other liquor to a recipe, although some of the alcohol ‘cooks off’, up to 85% of the alcohol remains in the finished dish [5]. Now you know.

6. the North American Aerospace Defence Command [NORAD] set up an official NORAD Santa Tracker website [6]. Maybe NORAD knows something I don’t know. That wouldn’t be difficult – because I don’t know much.

7. the 2009 Global Solar Report Card gave Australia a C minus for focus on solar energy, and a C regarding incentives for installing solar [7]. (Germany was top nation, with A minus for each.) Ho hum.

8. Daylesford Organics received a council permit for farm gate sales of its prize-winning organic fruit, vegetables and eggs. Now sales can, and will, begin in early January as planned. Details are here [8]. Good luck, guys. Actually, luck isn’t needed – because your top quality produce speaks for itself.

Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.