Michael Gates's Blog, page 58
December 23, 2013
The T&T List
Iñaki Osa Goikoetxea
Coffee Intelligence
chlorogenic acid
FutureCeuticals
Seymour Stein
St Vincent
Grown Backwards
Andrei Tolstov
Hodinkee
"A Closer Winter Tunnel, February-March"
the Oe
Weihnachtsmarkt
December 22, 2013
Word of the Day: alible
What's "the word I'm thinking of"? Today, it's....
alible [AL-uh-bull] (adjective)
Having nutrients; nourishing
"'I care not how alible it is,' Humphrey hissed as he tossed his Christmas gift, a colorful fruitcake, out of the window."
There. A perfectly alible use of an obscure word, that. I feel more intelligent just knowing what it means.
~~~
TWITO, page 12!
alible [AL-uh-bull] (adjective)
Having nutrients; nourishing
"'I care not how alible it is,' Humphrey hissed as he tossed his Christmas gift, a colorful fruitcake, out of the window."
There. A perfectly alible use of an obscure word, that. I feel more intelligent just knowing what it means.
~~~
TWITO, page 12!
December 21, 2013
Link Mania: 'Tis the Season
'Tis and 10 Other Fun Proclitic Words (via Mental Floss)
Yes, 'tis he season, as it 'twere. 'Twould behove you (behove?) to click the link. 'Twill enlighten you about, uh, procliticization. 'Taint nothing to be afraid of.
Yes, 'tis he season, as it 'twere. 'Twould behove you (behove?) to click the link. 'Twill enlighten you about, uh, procliticization. 'Taint nothing to be afraid of.
December 18, 2013
Brain Dump
Go for the gold coin operated vending machine part two by two three blind mice eat cheese sandwich shop till you drop dead in the water park the car in the lot of money is the root canal boat dock your pay the piper. Face the music hall monitor your blood pressure point your gun barrel of monkeys around the world class clown suit yourself. Pass the salt water fish fry the egg cup of coffee pot calling the kettle black tie event horizon. Fasten your seat belt one out of your mind your own business meeting someone new age before beauty.
December 12, 2013
Photo of the Week
My cousin Herb, who works at the Comanche Ridge nuclear power plant, gave me a tour of his work site recently. This is the storage module where radioactive fuel rods are kept. When I put my hand on the door, it was warm to the touch. "Don't do that," Herb said.
Actually, I just made that up. This is the back end of a fuel-oil truck I saw in a parking lot and decided to photograph. What can I say? I like bright red shiny objects, especially ones that look as dangerous as this does. Click the pic for a close-up view. It won't burn you.
December 11, 2013
Word of the Day: gaberlunzie
What's "the word I'm thinking of"? Today, it's...
gaberlunzie [gab-er-LUN-zee] (noun)
A wandering beggar (originally Scottish)
"The gaberlunzie offered to sing for a copper, or to refrain from singing for two coppers.
~~~
TWITO, page 59!
gaberlunzie [gab-er-LUN-zee] (noun)
A wandering beggar (originally Scottish)
"The gaberlunzie offered to sing for a copper, or to refrain from singing for two coppers.
~~~
TWITO, page 59!
December 10, 2013
Brain Dump
Annual Persecutional Rate (APR) for Purchases on Your DisasterCard
How long will the penalty APR apply?
If an APR is quadrupled for any usurious reason or at our capricious discretion, the Penalty APR may apply in perpetuity to future generations. If we do not receive a Minimum Prostration and statement of utter humility, submission, and adoration within 60 minutes of the date and time due, the Penalty APR will at minimum apply to all first-born children and future descendants unto the seventh generation; but if we receive 600 consecutive Maximum Payments before the due date, beginning at least one decade before the increase, the Penalty APR may stop being applied, at our sole erratic discretion, to transactions that occurred within 14 seconds after we provided you notice about the APR increase via third-class carrier pigeon.
How long will the penalty APR apply?
If an APR is quadrupled for any usurious reason or at our capricious discretion, the Penalty APR may apply in perpetuity to future generations. If we do not receive a Minimum Prostration and statement of utter humility, submission, and adoration within 60 minutes of the date and time due, the Penalty APR will at minimum apply to all first-born children and future descendants unto the seventh generation; but if we receive 600 consecutive Maximum Payments before the due date, beginning at least one decade before the increase, the Penalty APR may stop being applied, at our sole erratic discretion, to transactions that occurred within 14 seconds after we provided you notice about the APR increase via third-class carrier pigeon.
December 9, 2013
Random Sequence
[Scene: a French restaurant]
....I decided to order a fruit crepe. "What's a 'crap'?" my son asked in a loud voice.
"It's sort of like a big Pop Tart," I hissed. "Now keep your voice down."
He decided to order the only thing on the menu he recognized -- a glass of lemonade.
When it arrived, he was surprised to find that it actually was what it purported to be: a drink made from the juice of freshly squeezed real lemons, not the frozen, sugar-sweetened facsimile he was used to.
"This tastes awful," he said.
My wife suggested that he add some sugar to it and try again. After dumping in half the sugar bowl and maniacally stirring the drink, with the ice cubes clinking loudly, he decided it was drinkable enough to take a few sips.
"I want to go home," he announced just as our crepes arrived.
"Just be patient," my wife advised. "Want a bite?"
He made a face and repeated that he wanted to leave.
"Look at that," I said, desperately pointing to a mechanical fish on the wall over our table. "What do you think of that?"
--from "C'est la vie" (by me), originally published in Hudson Current
....I decided to order a fruit crepe. "What's a 'crap'?" my son asked in a loud voice.
"It's sort of like a big Pop Tart," I hissed. "Now keep your voice down."
He decided to order the only thing on the menu he recognized -- a glass of lemonade.
When it arrived, he was surprised to find that it actually was what it purported to be: a drink made from the juice of freshly squeezed real lemons, not the frozen, sugar-sweetened facsimile he was used to.
"This tastes awful," he said.
My wife suggested that he add some sugar to it and try again. After dumping in half the sugar bowl and maniacally stirring the drink, with the ice cubes clinking loudly, he decided it was drinkable enough to take a few sips.
"I want to go home," he announced just as our crepes arrived.
"Just be patient," my wife advised. "Want a bite?"
He made a face and repeated that he wanted to leave.
"Look at that," I said, desperately pointing to a mechanical fish on the wall over our table. "What do you think of that?"
--from "C'est la vie" (by me), originally published in Hudson Current
December 8, 2013
Link Mania: Funny Words
12 Words and Phrases That Originated in the Funny Pages
"Once upon a time, newspaper comic strips were as influential in molding American pop culture (and the way we spoke) as television and social media are today."
--Mental Floss
~~~
Double whammies give worryworts and wimpy milquetoasts the heebie-jeebies. Right?
"Once upon a time, newspaper comic strips were as influential in molding American pop culture (and the way we spoke) as television and social media are today."
--Mental Floss
~~~
Double whammies give worryworts and wimpy milquetoasts the heebie-jeebies. Right?
December 5, 2013
Word of the Day: barmecidal
What's "the word I'm thinking of"? Today, it's...
barmecidal [bar-muh-SIGH-dul] (adjective)
Presenting only the illusion of abundance
Zenobia had a vast collection of wax and plastic fruit, which she called her barmecidal feast.
~~~
TWITO, page 19!
barmecidal [bar-muh-SIGH-dul] (adjective)
Presenting only the illusion of abundance
Zenobia had a vast collection of wax and plastic fruit, which she called her barmecidal feast.
~~~
TWITO, page 19!
