(via Jennifer)
Codpieces are one of those bizarre accidents of history that must have made sense at the time but are now utterly giggle-worthy. (Funnily enough, I couldn’t find a YouTube video about merkins.) Anyway, for this video blame my current obsession with all things medieval (or, this case, cod medieval…).
Nicola Griffith 
I just had to read this blog entry. What a wonderfully funny title!
Well, I knew what a codpiece was, but didn’t remember what a merkin might be. Once again, I had to look it up. Seems to be a resurrgence in the popularity of merkins going on. Found an interesting pic of one on wikipedia.For any others out there who are as clueless as I was about merkins, I provide these urls:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merkinhttp://tinyurl.com/5bqd3sAnd in case you want to buy your own:http://www.merkinworld.com/or how about getting yourself a franchise (only $20,000):http://tinyurl.com/5hcbpgAccording to wikipedia, “In gay slang, “merkin” may refer to a man who acts as the date for, or even marries, a lesbian — usually for the purpose of making her appear heterosexual for various social reasons.” Can’t say I ever heard that slang used.
pierce, I wish I could claim the title but I can’t–it belongs to the people who made the video.jennifer, I think the ‘merkin’ slang is something someone really, really wishes were true but didn’t really catch on. Slang doesn’t work if most people don’t know, on some level, what the word means.
Hilarious!! I’ve got a lot of Fest friends who would love to see this.Just as an aside, the mention of wikipedia made me think of this video.I’m tempted to show some of this to my students when we come to report time. http://www.mamohanraj.com/journal/show-entry.php?Entry_ID=4470
janine, it’s a small world: Mary Ann Mohanraj was one of my students at Clarion West in 1997.With regard to Wikipedia, all knowledge is relative. (Note, I said ‘knowledge’ not ‘truth’.) Researching Hild has taught me a vast great deal about academic fashions, about historical ‘truth’. Personally, I’ve found wikipedia a most marvellous place to begin a search. But as with all things (web and print) it’s a good idea to get verification from another source. Having said that, wikipedia is a self-correcting, slef-policing source. (Go look at the elephants article, for example. Colbert’s joke got locked out.) I think it’s astonishingly accurate given its setup.But the one reference I trust above all others is the OED.
I think you’re absolutely right. I, myself, search on wikipedia as a place to start. Sort of figuring out which search strings to try next.The key with my students is to teach them the difference between that and their preferred alternative–to use wiki as their only source. Re: Mary Ann Mohanraj, no kidding! My partner Leela has been chatting with her for a while and has even taken one of her writing workshops online. Do you still go to Clarion?
Clarion isn’t something one goes to on a continuing basis. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime residential writing workshop, a six-week bootcamp for trainee professional writers. (It’s where I met Kelley in 1988.) There’s a different instructor every week.Some instructors teach every few years. I’ve taught once and would love to it again but the workshop isn’t currently physically accessible to me, so that’s not going to happen.Every couple of years I show up at one of the Clarion West parties here in Seattle. Every few years Kelley and I hold one of those parties–like last year (when Kelley was one of the instructors).Hmmn. I see this is getting weirdly tangled. Okay. There are 3 ‘Clarion’ workshops. Each happens once a year. Clarion, the original, which used to be at MSU (where I met Kelley) but is now in San Diego. Clarion West, held in Seattle. And Clarion South, in Australia.Here, just to get totally recursive, is the wikipedia article:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarion_Workshop
And the circle is complete!
The You Tube film was just too funny! The beehive CP had me laughing as it brought back a news story here recently where some workers came upon a beehive in some brush. (Unfortunately occurs too often where I live with deadly consequences) This time, however, no one was hurt. They interviewed this poor worker who said “the bees just came out of the bee hole.” For some reason that made me laugh outloud and I still laugh when I think about it. Nicola, maybe my neurons are already fused. :)
Nope, sounds as though your mirror neurons are working just fine. I bet humour is closely linked to MNs. I’m going to have to get a book and do some real reading.
I’m glad I don’t have to choose a codpiece! I’d be torn between beehives and grapes.Re: Wikipedia. I used to think it was pretty accurate, until I met < HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Chong" REL="nofollow">Kevin Chong<> and Steven Galloway. They’re Vancouver-based authors who like to play < HREF="http://www.bookninja.com/?p=1641" REL="nofollow">pranks<> on one another. So Galloway edited Chong’s Wikipedia page. I suspect he added the bits that read:<>“He is a practitioner of the martial art-like aerobic exercise form Tae Bo, Kevin Chong had a minor role in the film Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite[3] He is also active in Vancouver’s underground music scene, performing jazz under his stage name, “Butterscotch Panda.” You can find Chong sitting alone at the bar, nursing a fine pint of beer at the always fun place The Rugby Club. Chong lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is an accomplished show dog handler and lives at home with his Mom, Dad and Lil’ Brother.”<>A few journalists have already fallen for it. They’ve written bio blurbs to accompany their review of Kevin’s work based on his Wikipedia entry.
Pranks have always made me kind of grumpy. They’re just so pointless. Actually, the point seems to be to embarrass somebody. I don’t like the notion.Umph. Maybe my blood sugar is low. Must go eat more banana bread…
Yeah, I don’t like them either. Pranks have a way of getting so out of hand.
Embarrassment, and shame about embarrassing others, is dangerously unstable, emotional nitroglycerine. Horrible.