Word: meaninglessness
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
There has been some striking speculation that whales may have a language. Cetaceans have a highly developed sense of hearing that evolved--as did echolocution--to compensate for an inability to see underwater. The noises they make sound like clicks and whistles and meaningless barks to the human ear. However, some observers have noticed that whales put these sounds together in startling ways. Cummings and Philippi, who worked on the Navy's marine mammal research program, found that in the right whale, "Low frequency sounds occurred in similar stanzas lasting 11 to 14 minutes...These phonetic components...were so orderly...
...cuts where Scaggs hangs back and plays safe are not particularly outstanding. "A Clue" is pretty and lyrical and at the same time thoughtful and boring; the crashing of cymbals in "We're Waiting" is meaningless and facile; "Tomorrow Never Came" is pure filler. Half of the songs on the album just don't work, and are failures made all the more disappointing by the excellence of the other half of the album. Scaggs may have cut his own throat on this record by not sustaining high standards the whole way through, but if his fans stick with him through...
...Shatner. He is offset by David Moore, who turns in a creditable performance, save for an inexplicable tendency to yell when talking will clearly suffice. Other good points include the clever set, which makes use of some unusual and effective ramps, and brilliant lighting. Still, there are too many meaningless moments and hackneyed dramatic devices in Failing, the winner of last year's Phyllis Anderson Prize for Harvard student playwriting, to allow an ecstatic reaction. There are several excellent scenes, however, and Gallo's potential is evident. Even if the show is somewhat baffling, it is good...
Harvard smokers acquainted with the smoke-out, however, said they either thought that a one-day break would be meaningless, or that they were unable to stop...
...reporter but also as an invited guest, he must protest vigorously any attempt by a speaker to go off the record. He should point out that the meeting was scheduled as open to the press, that any attempt at secrecy with a group that large is manifestly meaningless, ineffective, nonsensical, etc., and should declare he will not be bound by the limitation. If he is then requested to leave, he will...