10 November 2011

Some fun stuff...

The absolute funniest animal classification I've ever encountered, given to us by Doctor Johnston in Eng349:

Borges' Animals

In "The Analytical Language of  John Wilkins," Borges describes 'a certain Chinese Encyclopedia,' the Celestial Emporium of Benevolent Knowledge, in which it is written that animals are divided into:
  1. those that belong to the Emperor,
  2. embalmed ones,
  3. those that are trained,
  4. suckling pigs,
  5. mermaids,
  6. fabulous ones,
  7. stray dogs,
  8. those included in the present classification,
  9. those that tremble as if they were mad,
  10. innumerable ones,
  11. those drawn with a very fine camelhair brush,
  12. others,
  13. those that have just broken a flower vase,
  14. those that from a long way off look like flies.
This classification has been used by many writers. It "shattered all the familiar landmarks of his thought" for Michel Foucault. Anthropologists and ethnographers, German teachers, postmodern feminists, Australian museum curators, and artists quote it.
http://www.multicians.org/thvv/borges-animals.html


What one of my friend's siri iphone app said when he asked "where to hide a body":




And finally, the awesome picture I just dug out of that time in high school that I dressed as a boy (it was Halloween, and it was awesome). I dig the attitude:

1 comment:

  1. I love this. These kind of encyclopedic classifications are so interesting! (and hilarious)

    ReplyDelete