Thinking Chaos, Thinking Fences

This is for those who descend into the code
and make their room a fridge for Superman

Monday, May 26, 2003

Style Guidance
Apparently they good people at the Economist take their style very seriously. I particularly like their slightly tongue-in-cheek entry on slang and journalese:

Do not be too free with slang (eg, He really hit the big time in 1994). Slang, like metaphors, should be used only occasionally if it is to have effect. Avoid expressions used only by journalists, such as giving people the thumbs up, the thumbs down or the green light. Stay clear of gravy trains and salami tactics. Do not use the likes of.

2:58:37 PM

Film Critics Get Their Own
Now this is a site I can sink my teeth into: Hollywoodbitchslap.com, cutting through the hype. On why they started the site:

Essentially, we got sick of being continually conned into paying to see the latest big Hollywood blockbuster franchise movies, believing the hype and coming out feeling thoroughly anally probed. We pay a heap for tickets, we pay way too much for popcorn and soda, and we expect we'll be rewarded at some point in the process with a quality film. Well, for too long these wishes have been ignored, so now we're fighting back. This is the place where Joe Public smacks the heck out of the studio execs that treat us like cattle.

Of particular interest are their 2002 Criticwatch awards, which highlight the industry's 'quotewhores'. I'm totally unsurprised to see the shameless Rolling Stone reporter Peter Travers at the top of the list. Has Rolling Stone ever not liked a film? Scroll down for hilarious quotes and other journalistic dreck.

2:55:38 PM