Fun Articles

⇒ Cory Doctorow: In Praise of Fanfic (link from Jun 6, 2007)

Two things are sure about all fanfic, though: first, that people who write and read fanfic are already avid readers of writers whose work they're paying homage to; and second, that the people who write and read fanfic derive fantastic satisfaction from their labors. This is great news for writers.

⇒ Did Pirates Really Say Arrrr? (link from Jun 6, 2007)

Probably not. Both that phrase and the accent that goes with it are strictly Hollywood. They originated with Robert Newton, the actor who played Long John Silver in the movies and on TV through much of the 1950s. Newton was from Dorset, in the Cotswolds district of southwest England, and the regional accent he brought to the movies included a rolled "r."

(via kottke.org)