1660 Diary Becomes 2003 Weblog
EnlightenmentFan writes "When technology improves a book that was already good, that's good news for nerds. I'm not talking about the Two Towers, but the diary of Samuel Pepys (1633-1703) (pronounced Peeps, as in marshmallow peeps), whose diaries record not only the Great Fire of London and the plague but his many seductions, trickeries, encounters with the king, almost getting executed, etc. Brit blogger Phil Gyford realized that this diary would make a great weblog--clickable footnotes, online feedback and all. So now he is serializing it daily, starting Jan 2, 1660, supposedly over the next ten years. The BBC has the backstory. I hope Gyford will deviate from Gutenberg's 1893 version to include some of Pepys's more outrageous sexual adventures, reduced by the 1893 version to "....""
Who knows, this could become more popular than userfriendly.org! I mean, who doesn't want to read a 300 year old diary...
"As long as defiance continues, they can't claim victory." -Slashdot comment
maybe in the year 2300 someone will take the slashdot archives and start posting them daily to a web log...i wonder if people will get the "FP" and "In Soviet Russia" references...
"Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true." - Homer Simpson
I hope Gyford will deviate from Gutenberg's 1893 version to include some of Pepys's more outrageous sexual adventures, reduced by the 1893 version to "....""
Yes, the one thing the Internet lacks is sex.
Oh, I don't know. I browse at -1: it's amazing what images can be evoked using only punctuation. :-)
"Einstein argued that [...] God is not capricious or arbitrary. No such faith comforts the software engineer." ~ Brooks
Does anyone have Bernard Schifman's story? I'd be willing to turn that into a movie.
"Did Shakespear ever recover from being Bowlderized?"
Who? Oh, Shakespeare. No, I think one or two really booky people have heard of him.
Jan 11, 1660: Not much happening today. Lost one o my kids in the bog.
Jan 12, 1660: Damne bog ate my dog. Off to the pub for a pint.
Jan 13, 1660: Walking back from the pub early this morn, almost fell into the bog.
Jan 14, 1660: Good Lord.. the Mayor fell into the bog. Presumed lost. Kenny Axeblood wants to take over. 'Aye' I say.
Jan 15, 1660: God hates our wee village; Kenny Axeblook walked into the bog and disappeared from our sight. We think it's that woman with the wart. Off to burn her.
Jan 16, 1660: Burnt the witch and threw her remains into the bog.
Trolling is a art,
We're Slashdotting someone who's been dead for 300 years.
Bet he didn't see that one coming.
-... ---
Was that really necessary? I mean, are there really people out there who don't know how to pronounce Pepys? Did you not learn anything at school? Sheesh!
BTW, I haven't the faintest clue what marshmallow peeps are...
"The invisible and the non-existent look very much alike." -- Delos B. McKown
http://www.progress.demon.co.uk/Fun/AOLer-diary
It's Christmas everyday with BitTorrent.
"And do you pronounce it Fro-der-ick Frahnk-en-steen?"
"No, it's Frederick. Why do you ask?"
"I don't know."
"Let's go, Igor."
"That's Eye-gor."
The Two Towers film did not improve upon the book. Faramir is spinning in his grave.
Uh... you are aware, right, that Lord of the Rings is not actually a history? Just to be clear: fictional character, never existed, not in grave. Okay?
I write in my journal
Members of the historic Pepys family said today they pronounce the name "Throat-wobbler Mangrove."
In other news, hillbillies today said that they would prefer to be called "sons of the soil."
I write in my journal
My roommate has them aged. He says about after a year they become really good.
I think he is just smoking crack entirely too much.
Man, what a bunch of sissies. My wife has a friend that married a gentleman named "Dorkson".
Yup, you heard me, "Dorkson".
He's a great guy, and all, but man - what do you say to that? Understandably, she insists that we pronounce it "Dorrson" because the 'k' is silent, you know.
"Lawyers are for sucks."
- Doug McKenzie
From http://www.studioproteus.com/mn9912news.html :
His diary was written in a shorthand code called tachygraphy that was not deciphered until the 19th century. Pepys never expected the diary to be decoded and so wrote only for himself--the diary is brutally frank
This is a clear example of DRM circumvention! Stop the terrorists! Now, where did i put my UAV?
Any sufficiently advanced libertarian utopia is indistinguishable from government.
"I can assure you that Lord Cottenham pronounces it 'Pepp-iss' and so do
his son, the Viscount Crowhurst"
If they can't hire a secretary that understands subject/verb agreement, I have doubts about their ability to pronounce their own last names.
Homer: I love you, Pepsi.
Pepys: It's Pepys, Papa Homer
It's probably a lot more interesting than some 19 year old angsty girl talking about her ex-boyfriend saying "BOYS SUCK!@#!@#"
"You are so offeth my friends list!"
In Soviet Russia the dead Slashdot you.
how about i kill both of you in your sleep
mstyne: real name, no gimmicks