The Dailies

Word of the Day

Edict (n., E-dihkt)

Let it be known, by order of The Dailies, once-a-weekday website of great renown, that an edict is a formal proclamation that has a force of law. This definition is now binding. You are all bound to this definition—by penalty of literary death. It has been spoken. So shall it be.

Gif of the Day

In honor of the NHL season starting tonight, enjoy this look at how the logos of the league's teams have changed over the years.

Tags SportsHockeyLogosTime lapsesDon't mess with good thingsWow, the 1990s were badBack to the futureInfographics

Link of the Day

The subtext buried in movie chess scenes

There are lots of things in movies that illustrate a larger point. Chess is one of them. This makes sense, of course: chess is a game of strategy, which makes it an ideal illustration of the dynamics between two opposing sides, and tension is the basis of all good drama. A good chess match can demonstrate what's going on in the movie.

And yet, we often miss what's happening right under our noses because we're paying more attention to the dialogue.

Over at FiveThirtyEight, Walt Hickey and Oliver Roeder have done a great job documenting seven chess scenes and analyzing how they affect or illustrate the movie as a whole. All of these are interesting. My favorite is the one in X-Men: First Class but the one linked above is probably the best match of the group, from From Russia With Love. It's an interesting list to peruse.

ArtMoviesGamesFiveThirtyEightNo, Mr. Bond, I expect you to resign.ChessZugzwang