-------- MANTEX NEWSLETTER -------- Number 93 - June 2004 - ISSN 1470-1863 Slang - Art - Design - Literature 0----- 'Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English' For unconventional, read 'smu-t', 'swe-aring', 'fi-lth', and 'obs-cenity'. This is a dictionary originally composed in an era when such terms were not supposed to officially exist. Fortunately, Eric Partridge ignored this limitation and produced a number of books on 'unconventional' English which are still of interest today. This is a cut-down version of his classic. It includes only slang which originated in the last hundred years. I put this book to the test only tonight to settle a dinner table argument on 'geek' - and sure enough there was the answer. Full review and details at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/part-2.htm 0----- Pub Quiz - Question #1 What is a glaive? 0----- Weird facts #1 Attila the Hun bled to death from a nosebleed - on his wedding night. Symbolic? Ironic? 0----- Lesley Hall's "Quirky Stuff" Collection of links to bizarre, curious, and hilariously funny web sites - from Theremin World and urban legends to the Journal of Mundane Behaviour, the Gallery of Misused Quotation Marks and the Apostrophe Protection Society. Great fun at - http://homepages.primex.co.uk/~lesleyah/webdoc10.htm 0----- Pub Quiz - Question #2 What type of fruit is a jargonelle? 0----- Weird Facts #2 Donald Duck comics were once banned in Finland - because he doesn't wear trousers. It's true. 0----- 'Writing at University' - new edition The newly expanded second edition of this best-seller includes sections on report writing, electronic writing, learning journals, and using the Internet. See full review at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/creme.htm 0----- Pub Quiz - Question #3 Who wrote 'The Beast in the Jungle'? 0----- Weird Facts #3 Our eyes are always the same size from birth. 0----- 'Windows XP Hacks' - new book XP was the first major re-vamp of the Windows operating system since Windows 95, Most people are so relieved that it's more stable that they don't bother looking beneath the desktop to see what's possible. In fact you can customise and adjust the operating system to an astonishing extent, using tools which are part of XP itself, or are freely available on the Net. All of these procedures are explained in Preston Gralla's new book, which talks you through the procedures in very simple language. There's something here for everybody - from changing your desktop themes and colours, to editing the Registry to boost performance. It's all presented in O'Reilly's impeccable format, with full details of tips, workarounds, and warnings, plus listings of sites for free downloads . Did you know that when you shut down Outlook Express it doesn't really shut down, but continues running in the background. Invaluable advice. Full details and review at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/gralla.htm 0----- Pub Quiz - Question #4 Who designed the Pompidou Centre in Paris? 0----- Weird Facts #4 Leonardo da Vinci invented scissors. Sharp guy. 0----- The Russian Novel - guidance notes These are 'notes in progress' - Version 1.0 of Russian Literature - prose fiction of the nineteenth and twentieth century. The notes run from Pushkin and 'Eugene Onegin' to Solzhenitsyn's 'Lenin in Zurich' The first part available is the nineteenth century novel: Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol, Dostoyevski, Tolstoy, and Turgenev. More will follow. Details at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/ou/aa810/rus-19c.htm 0----- Pub Quiz - Question #5 Which river flows through Budapest? 0----- Weird Facts #5 Australia is the only country that is also a continent. 0----- 'Internet Art' - new book The Internet is a brand new medium of communication, and it now has experimental artists exploring the new forms of expression it makes possible. These include HTML galleries, interactive art, video games, and multi-media projects, The possibilities are quite bewildering. All of them are explored in Rachel Greene's new book from the Thames and Hudson cheap-and-cheerful paperback World of Art series. She's very well informed on recent developments, and although you'll have to cope with a pretentious Art School mode of expression, the book is profusely illustrated to give you an idea of what's possible in digital visual arts. Full review at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/greene.htm 0----- Pub Quiz - Question #6 Which leaves taste of aniseed? 0----- Weird Facts #6 Marilyn Monroe had six toes on one foot. 0----- 'Web Design: Start Here' - new book Ilex books have produced a very stylish series of books on web matters and graphic design. This is an overview of what's required for a good Web site. You don't have to follow every suggestion. It spells out the basics - from page layout to navigation and graphic manipulation, to special effects such as graphic decoration and animated effects. You might need further detailed guidance on any topic, but it's a good coverage of what's required in Web design. And it's another very stylish production from Ilex. Full details and review at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/nettle.htm 0----- Pub Quiz Question #7 Which two countries are separated by the Skagerrack? 0----- Weird Facts #7 The word 'samba' means 'to rub navels together'. 0----- 'Bloomsbury Rooms' - new book I spotted a superb book on Bloomsbury art the other day. It covers all the obvious topics - the paintings of Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant, and Roger Fry - but also their domestic interiors, graphic designs, fabrics, and book jackets. There are lots of paintings and photographs I have never seen before, and it's a very handsomely produced work. A must-see for any Bloomsbury fans. Details and links on our Bloomsbury Group page: http://www.mantex.co.uk/ou/a319/bloom-01.htm 0----- Feedback + Corrections Several people emailed to suggest that the largest organ in the human body is not the liver - but the skin. And they're right! Thanks in particular to Simon Gill in the Czech Republic for suggesting a reliable source for confirmation. http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/ And to Elsa Luciano Feal in Puerto Rico for this site: http://kidshealth.org/kid/body/skin_SW.html 0----- Quotable quotes - "The pen is mightier than the sword - and considerably easier to write with." Marty Feldman. 0----- PUB QUIZ - ANSWERS What is a glaive? ANSWER: A sword What type of fruit is a jargonelle? ANSWER: A pear Who wrote 'The Beast in the Jungle'? ANSWER: Henry James Who designed the Pompidou Centre in Paris? ANSWER: Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano Which river flows through Budapest? ANSWER: The Danube Which leaves taste of aniseed? ANSWER: Fennel Which two countries are separated by the Skagerrack? ANSWER: Denmark and Norway 0----- COMING SOON 'Spidering Hacks' - new book 'Web Animation: Start Here' - new book 'Digital Art' - new book (c) Copyright 2004, MANTEX All Rights Reserved PO Box 100 Tel +44 0161 432 5811 Manchester Fax +44 0161 443 2766 M20 6GZ UK www.mantex.co.uk If you like this newsletter, PLEASE FORWARD IT to friends and colleagues. New subscribers should register at the following address -- http://www.mantex.co.uk/newslet.htm BACK ISSUES featuring news items, reviews, and product details at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/news/archive.htm Please retain the copyright and list-joining information. It may be posted, in its entirety or partially, to newsgroups or mailing lists, so long as the copyright and list-joining information remains. If you have any requests, observations, or items you would like to be included in our next issues, just mail us at -- news@mantex.co.uk You receive the MANTEX newsletter because you subscribed to it. If you wish to leave the list, go to -- http://www.mantex.co.uk/newslet.htm News-93-June-2004 ISSN 1470-1863 The British Library