Stuart Aken's Blog, page 273

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Onomatopoeia

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Onomatopoeia: noun - the shaping of a word byimitation of the sound connected with the thing or action denominated; a wordformed this way; in Rhetoric - the use of naturally suggestive language foreffect.
Here's a list of some thatcome to mind. There are more, but I'll let you discover those for yourselves.
Ah, baa, bang, beep, belch,boo, buzz, cheep, chirp, clang, clap, cluck, clunk, crunch, fizz, giggle, growl,gurgle, hiccup, hiss, honk, hum, jangle, meow, moo, murmur, neigh, oink, ouch, phew,piss, ping, plop, purr, quack, rattle, roar, screech, shush, sizzle, slap, sniff,splash, squelch, thud, thump, tinkle, twang, ugh, vroom, whack, wham, whip, whizz, zap,zoom, etc….
'The tinkle of thefountain was interrupted by the plop and splash of the coins Christina tossedinto the pool, making her giggle with delight but causing grumpy Godfrey growlwith dismay at the waste.'
'In the golden fields ofcorn, the cattle meowed and the crows purred; flying overhead, the hissingbears collided with zooming pigs causing them to neigh in annoyance, as, alongthe horizon, a long line of lions oinked and buzzed as they devoured the janglingflowers.'What do you mean, that'snonsense?
1154 - Henry II wascrowned King of England.
1910 - 1st city ordinancerequiring white and black residential areas was made in Baltimore. It would beyears before such discrimination was first recognised for the injustice it was,and then made illegal. Of course, there remain idiots who still consider racialseparation to be a good thing; but such ignorance and fear simply identifies theseunfortunates as either stupid or ill-informed.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot (Antonyms): Nab/Release

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Nab/Release
Nab: verb - catch and take someone into custody; apprehend, arrest; snatchor seize something; steal.
Release: verb - liberate; free from physicalrestraint or imprisonment; let go of.
'Noreen left her place inthe check-out queue to step outside and nab the man she'd watched steal a canof Coke from the supermarket shelves.'
'Keep an eye out for thebarman, whilst I nab some beer from the pump.'
'When the allies marchedinto the town, they were able to release the prisoners of war who'd been heldin camps for so long.'
'I want you to releasethat cash into my custody, where I'll make damned good use of it.'
1621 - the Englishparliament unanimously accepted Protestation, and the roots for conflict were formallyplanted. In parts of the UK that conflict remains and provides certain ill-informedfools with a motive for indiscriminate killing.
1960 - A General Meetingof the UN condemned apartheid. In backward parts of the world, such prejudiceremains, allowing the ignorant and afraid to blame all misfortune on those whofail to appear to be like them.

A Fun Day on the Road

I don't normally use thisspace to promote personal matters, but yesterday deserves mention, if for noother reason than to thank those who helped in my moment of need.
The day began to unravel atthe not particularly early time of 08:45, when I left home to collect Kate, mydaughter, from her university in Preston; a journey of some 114 miles. Iexpected to meet a bit of bad weather on the way, as I had to cross the spineof England, the Pennines, and those wonders of modern inaccuracy, the weatherforecasters, had predicted snow for somewhere in these odd islands of ours. But the car was wellprepared for emergencies, since I've often travelled in adverse weatherconditions.Following a long, slowcircuit of York, caused by millions on the hunt Xmas gifts, the first hint thatsomething might not be quite right was a brief flash of red from the dashboardas I entered Knaresborough, some 50 or so miles from home. I couldn't decide whetheror not I'd imagined it. A pause for a natural break in a car park (well,actually, I made use a public convenience), a sandwich and a check of the mapto remind me how to get to the university residence block, made all appear fine.So, intrepid traveller that I am, off I went again. Another 12 miles oftrouble free motoring found me descending the steepish hill overlooking picturesqueFewston Reservoir. Here, I was flashed again. This time more substantially. Adefinite warning and one not to be taken lightly, since ahead rose the isolatedand rather high Greenhow Hill; not a place to be driving a dickey car inwinter. Fortunately, the red light took up permanent residence at this pointand, as I was conveniently passing a curve of the old road that had been turnedinto a lay-by, I swiftly turned into it. For a few moments, I sat in thestationary car watching the light and listening to the radio click on and offin a slightly sinister fashion, whilst the clock display changed by the second,suggesting I was in some sort of Dr Who time-warp. Not a mechanic, Inevertheless recognised that this was not a good sign. The car was clearlyobjecting to something and it might not be a good idea to force it furtherwithout some of the attention it seemed to desire.I insure my car withDirect Line (a good company that provides comprehensive cover for reasonablepremiums - and has the advantage of allowing my daughter, as a named driver, tobuild up her own no-claims bonus) and they are involved with the breakdown service,Green Flag, which I'd joined as a result. So, I called the emergency number andwas connected with a man who clearly knew the geography of the region where Iwas located. So much more reassuring than the usual Asian call centre, wherethey try to help but haven't a clue whether Driffield is a town or some sort ofobscure agricultural reference.The man organised a pickup and told me it would be with me within the hour. I sent a text message (yes,despite my advanced years, I can thumb the keys with the best of them) to Kateto let her know I'd be delayed. Quick as a flash, she was on the phone to makesure I'd still be able to rescue her from threatening isolation on campus.Alas, I was unable to provide such reassurance at this point.I had my camera with me,so took a little stroll and a few pictures, before retiring to the now cold carto await mechanical help. The recovery vehicle arrived just before certain delicateparts of my anatomy became permanently detached from my person. He swiftlydiagnosed the problem as a dead alternator. It seemed I had alternatives; a towback home (leaving Kate isolated), a tow to Preston (leaving the pair of usisolated with a buggered car), or he could phone a friend and arrange a fix. Ithought the latter the most attractive and he made said call. We travelled toGargrave, a small town not far from Settle, where I once lived, and more orless on the way to my final destination. The guy who runs ADLMotors on the small industrial estate on Eshton Road was out on a job. But hischarming receptionist took control, handed me a key to a loan car (whichhappened to be the same model as my own) and said they'd have the car fixed formy return. No fuss, no unnecessary questions. Off I went. Snow filled the sky andcoated the road with slush as I approached Preston, where I made 798 hillstarts as I joined a queue of traffic trying to enter the town; though Godalone knows what would make the place so popular. Fortunately, my memory hadn'tdeserted me completely and I made only one false turning, into a university carpark - the wrong one, but soon found the right one. Another text and Kate wasthere like magic in minutes.Packing, sorting andtransportation from room to car achieved, we set off back to Gargrave. Thistime, the traffic seemed determined to join us on the way out of Preston. Icould understand their desire to leave the place but wished they'd chosen a bettertime to become fans of my leadership. Though, to be fair, I was more a followerthan a leader at this time.Eventually, we left behindthe hordes and found ourselves on a less crowded road until we found thecompletely deserted track that led to Gargrave. Arriving only minutes after thespare part had been delivered, we left the borrowed car, full of Kate'sbelongings (mostly the gift of dirty washing for her mother to cure), and wentin search of food for Kate, since she'd had no lunch and it was now around16:30.The local Co-op (Good withfood), provided us with a couple of warm snacks and some flavoured water. Ialso picked up a copy of The Silence of the Lambs, by Thomas Harris, for a quidfrom a charity bin; a nice touch of serendipity.Back at the garage, ourcar was ready to collect. We transferred the goods from borrowed to owned car,paid the bill, and set off for home, eternally grateful to the lovely folk fromthe breakdown service and the garage, who'd all been so charming and helpful.All went swimmingly, withme driving, until we reached a roundabout just outside Knaresborough. Here, theA59 leads to York and every motorist in the country had decided to travel thatroute with us. I sneaked in behind a Mini that was clinging to the tale of afairly new Audi, and many more trailed behind us. It soon became evident thatthe driver of the Audi was either drunk, dim-witted or demented. Here he was,driving a car with the power to eat up tarmac at over 100 miles an hour butdetermined never to exceed 30 mph. The A59 isn't a road with many places toovertake, especially when the oncoming traffic is a more or less unbrokenchain. Eventually, the Mini pulled off onto a side road and I was stuck behindthe dithering Audi. A brief break in the oncoming traffic gave hope and Igrasped it, overtaking and driving about seven miles at the permitted speedlimit of 60 mph. Some 3 miles from York, wehit the end of the queue approaching the city. That was fun. It took us over anhour to travel up to and round the ring road. And such wonderful scenery onshow under the black night sky, to keep us occupied. (for those who don't knowthe area, York sits on a flat, featureless plain and the ring road is banal andboring).At last, we reached thebridge to take us from the A64, up and over to join the A166, which eventuallyreaches the seaside resort town of Bridlington. A short way along this stretch,I pulled into a lay-by next to a petrol station and Kate assumed the drivingseat. She took us, fast and safe, the last miles home, so we arrived in time tounpack the car just before the evening meal was ready. Good timing by Valerie,my adorable wife, and a great end to a somewhat wearing day. But it was worth theeffort to get Kate home for the holidays.

Passion to Die For, by Marilyn Pappano, Reviewed.

This romance is more than a mere love story, otherwise, as a man, Iwouldn't have read it. With its undertones of menace, thread of injustice, mysteryto be solved and unspoken comments on small town American life this is a novelthat should attract readers from both genders and all adult age ranges.The characters are alive and, whether nasty or nice, cynical or naive, beautifulor ugly, they portray traits we can all both recognise and empathise with. Themain story, of unrequited love, is interwoven with another that deals withjealousy, intrigue, hatred and injustice. The reader is driven to first trust the heroine and then doubt thattrust, as she grows through the experiences she faces and even doubts herself.The hero remains a stalwart but retains his professional concerns andsuspicions so that he is reluctant to make the conclusions necessary to end thedoubts he's faced with.I won't spoil the story by alluding to the ending, except to remarkthat it is apposite; it fits without being contrived.As a reader of many different styles and genres, I found I was drawninto this novel by the characters very early on. The mystery and intrigue keptme absorbed and the emotional content, coupled with the well-drawn characters,carried me through to the ending.A book I enjoyed and can happily recommend to men and women alike.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Metaphor

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Metaphor: noun - a figure of speech where a name,descriptive word or pertinent phrase is assigned to an object or actiondifferent from, but similar to, that to which it is literally relevant; aninstance of this, a metaphorical expression.
'One indication that anovel falls into the genre of literary fiction is the confident use of metaphorthroughout the writing.'
'Crossing the beach from thesea in her bikini, the girl burned the eyes of her followers as theyfelt the heat wave she left in her wake.' 'A breath of wind stirred the standingbarley, sending waves across the field.'  'The hippie girl swayed in her rainbow muslin sheath.'   
942 - William I ofNormandy was assassinated.
1900 - A first prize of 10,000francs was offered for communications with extra-terrestrials, but Martians wereexcluded as they were considered too easy. Could be a retrospective claim offalse discrimination, taking account of current knowledge.

Stuarts' Daily Word Spot: Metaphor

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Metaphor: noun - a figure of speech where a name,descriptive word or pertinent phrase is assigned to an object or actiondifferent from, but similar to, that to which it is literally relevant; aninstance of this, a metaphorical expression.
'One indication that anovel falls into the genre of literary fiction is the confident use of metaphorthroughout the writing.'
'Crossing the beach from thesea in her bikini, the girl burned the eyes of her followers as theyfelt the heat wave she left in her wake.' 'A breath of wind stirred the standingbarley, sending waves across the field.'  'The hippie girl swayed in her rainbow muslin sheath.'   
942 - William I ofNormandy was assassinated.
1900 - A first prize of 10,000francs was offered for communications with extra-terrestrials, but Martians wereexcluded as they were considered too easy. Could be a retrospective claim offalse discrimination, taking account of current knowledge.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot (Antonyms): Laborious/Easy

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Laborious/Easy
Laborious: adjective - assiduous, industrious,hard-working; characterized by or involving labour or exertion; necessitatinglabour in execution.
Easy: adjective - comfortable, quiet, tranquil; characterized by ease orrest; conducive to ease or comfort; an action or task that can be completedwith little effort.
'As the eldest daughter, Dubaku,was forced into the laborious task of providing water for the whole family bywalking two miles each way to the well, carrying two ewers, four times everyday.'
'Fadil led an easy life,as a married man with three wives and seven daughters, he had nothing to do allday but sit and talk with his contemporaries, whilst the women did all the workand kept him fed and comfortable.'  
1431 - King Henry VI ofEngland was crowned king of France; just think, if subsequent wars hadn'tintervened, the English and French would now be a single nation!
1631 - Mount Vesuvius,Italy erupted, destroying 6 villages and killing 4,000 local inhabitants. Itwas this eruption that led to the discovery of Pompeii. There is strongevidence to suggest it will erupt again in the near future, which, with over2,000,000 people living within the immediate vicinity, could cause significantloss of life.
1653 - Oliver Cromwell wassworn in as English Lord Protector, ostensibly replacing the late King CharlesI as head of the nation. As usually happens with leaders, he quickly forgot hisdislike of dictatorship and became a tyrant.

Stuarts' Daily Word Spot (Antonyms): Laborious/Easy

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Laborious/Easy
Laborious: adjective - assiduous, industrious,hard-working; characterized by or involving labour or exertion; necessitatinglabour in execution.
Easy: adjective - comfortable, quiet, tranquil; characterized by ease orrest; conducive to ease or comfort; an action or task that can be completedwith little effort.
'As the eldest daughter, Dubaku,was forced into the laborious task of providing water for the whole family bywalking two miles each way to the well, carrying two ewers, four times everyday.'
'Fadil led an easy life,as a married man with three wives and seven daughters, he had nothing to do allday but sit and talk with his contemporaries, whilst the women did all the workand kept him fed and comfortable.'  
1431 - King Henry VI ofEngland was crowned king of France; just think, if subsequent wars hadn'tintervened, the English and French would now be a single nation!
1631 - Mount Vesuvius,Italy erupted, destroying 6 villages and killing 4,000 local inhabitants. Itwas this eruption that led to the discovery of Pompeii. There is strongevidence to suggest it will erupt again in the near future, which, with over2,000,000 people living within the immediate vicinity, could cause significantloss of life.
1653 - Oliver Cromwell wassworn in as English Lord Protector, ostensibly replacing the late King CharlesI as head of the nation. As usually happens with leaders, he quickly forgot hisdislike of dictatorship and became a tyrant.

Have We Reached Overload on Passwords and Security?

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I don't know how you feelabout passwords, security questions and the proliferation of barriers placedbefore us so we can supposedly safeguard our online activities. But I'mreaching saturation point with it. Those who devise websites and, especially,those who produce the ever-growing range of security products and advice, wouldhave us invent a new password for each of the sites and applications we usewhere personal information is stored. They also want us to produce securityquestions and answers for each; all different from the others. I've actuallyrun out of mothers to provide maiden names, towns I was born in and favouritefilms, books or pasta dishes.Just to confuse the issuefurther, we are required, REQUIRED mind you, if we are not to break the primaryrule that, 'You MUST NOT write any of this information down'. Now, I acceptthat I am approaching my dotage and will soon achieve my ambition of becoming acantankerous old sod (what do you mean, I already have?), but even the youngadmit to running out of personal memory space (as opposed to the virtual type)to store and retrieve all these different passwords and the accompanyingparaphernalia. And then, just in case wethought we'd managed to jump through all the hoops and commit all thisinformation to memory, they tell you that you should change the lot every threemonths or so. In fact, at my place of employment, they recently introduced awonderful new system that must be accessed if you want to find out what you'vebeen paid each month; they no longer produce the printed versions they used to.(Exactly how one is supposed to provide an original pay slip for thoseorganisations that require such evidence in the future, I've no idea and they'vefailed to explain). But, on this wonderful site, which most of us took at leastseven attempts to actually access the first time, due to its idiosyncrasies, thepassword lasts for, wait for it….40 days. 40 DAYS; that's right. So, every 40days you have to think of a new password. This means that most payslips willonly be accessible after a change of password. Brilliant, eh?I foresee a future inwhich all education will revolve around the invention of passwords and securityquestions and answers, at the expense of actual learning. Of course, most peoplewill continue to consider that 'password' is adequate security and forget thattheir date of birth, mother's maiden name and place of birth are all readilyaccessible to the public from their many profiles on social networks.So, is there a solution,something that will render this whole farrago redundant? Well, Norton 360 seemsto have partially solved the problem by offering to store passwords securelyfor you and then retrieve them at your request. And I'm sure there must beother such helpful solutions out there. But I'm looking for something a littlemore radical, something that requires no memory at all, in fact.If all PC, Mac, Mobilemanufacturers (all those who produce any device that require us to installsecurity, in fact), were required, by law, to include a fingerprint or irisreader, none of us could lose or forget our means of access (unless we sufferedamputation or blinding, of course). Further, it would be near impossible tosteal or otherwise retrieve the necessary entry requirements. Of course, themanufacturers of security software would lose a lucrative market. But who'smore important here; the customer or the business that makes money out of thecustomer?Sorry, silly question. Ofcourse the business is far more important. Or so they would have us believe.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Kaput

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Kaput: adjective – slang: worn out, dead, finished, made useless or unableto function, destroyed, broken.
'The armadillo you sold meas a pet yesterday is kaput; it is dead, no longer extant, finished, no use,defunct, incapable of any function, done for and generally no longer acceptableas a companion. What are you going to do about it?' (With apologies to MontyPython's Flying Circus 'Dead Parrot' Sketch.)
A question for you toponder: Should you get to heaven (in the doubtful event that such a place actuallyexists), will you get stuck for eternity in the clothes you were buriedin? 
1488 - Bartholomeus Diaz arrivedback in Portugal having sailed around the Cape of Good Hope.1612 - Simon Marius was thefirst to observe the Andromeda galaxy through a telescope, thus hammeringanother nail in the coffin of those who believed in a flat Earth, anEarth-centric universe and the concomitant lies put about by the various holyauthorities of the age.