It's even more complicated than that. Figuring out whether to use a comma, dash, semicolon, or colon to separate two clauses can be quite nerve-wracking.
Saturday, August 31, 2019
Colons and Semicolons
It's even more complicated than that. Figuring out whether to use a comma, dash, semicolon, or colon to separate two clauses can be quite nerve-wracking.
Friday, August 30, 2019
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Book Excerpt for the Day
The
whole Wendy’s thing is a long story but I’ll try to explain it all. My life isn’t just one problem where Wendy’s
burned down, it’s a whole mixture of trouble.
It’s like you’re born and they put eggs and index cards and fish in a
blender, and you have to drink it. Every
sip is worse, but you have to keep going every day. The last sip is horrible and then the glass
is empty, and life’s over.
(from Veins by Drew)
.
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Art Appreciation Monday
"The Nightmare" by Henry Fuseli (1741-1825), painted in 1781. Until today, I'd never heard of him.
Monday, August 26, 2019
Sunday, August 25, 2019
Saturday, August 24, 2019
Friday, August 23, 2019
Book Excerpt for the Day
“Nigel. Come here.
Now.”
Nigel raced to the door wearing a look of terror. “You weren’t supposed to make yourself
comfortable in this room…”
“Please explain these clothes.”
Without hesitation, he spoke.
“These are my mother’s clothes.
She’s quite a shopper.”
“Fifty pairs of identical panties?”
“She’s a creature of habit.”
I
ground my teeth. “Nigel, these are
bikini briefs. Eighty year old women do
not wear bikini briefs.”
“I
think my mother is having an affair.
Let’s not discuss it.”
(from The Secret
Diary of Alice in Wonderland by Barbara
Silkstone)
.
Thursday, August 22, 2019
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Monday, August 19, 2019
Book Excerpt for the Day
“Wait!”
I called after him. “I’m coming with
you.”
Socrates looked up as he heard my voice and shot me a beaming
smile. I rushed up to him. “I’m coming,” I said breathlessly. “I want to help.”
“Are you certain? It may be
dangerous.”
“This place is too boring anyway,” I said. “When are we leaving?”
“As soon as we’re ready.”
“And where are we going?”
“Wherever the world takes us.”
“I’ll get my things.”
(from Blood and
Steam by Jamie Sedgwick)
.
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Friday, August 16, 2019
TV Channels
Eight channels! WTF!? When I was a kid, we had only four channels to choose from - ABC, NBC, CBS, and PBS. And PBS sucked in those days. IIRC, the channel numbers were 3, 8, 10, and 12.
Later on, they added a fifth channel, one that was "local" in some way. It was channel 5.
Thursday, August 15, 2019
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Book Excerpt for the Day
“Nora,” came the voice from beneath the
sleeping bag, slow and dreamlike.
She turned. “Yes?”
Smithback looked at her. “Nora,”
he said again. “You know, after all
that’s happened between us … well, I’d really like to tell you how I feel.”
She stared at him. Then, gliding
closer, she took his hand in hers.
“Yes?”
His lips parted in a feeble grin.
“I really feel like shit,” came the dry whisper.
Nora shook her head, laughing despite herself. “You’re incorrigible.”
(from Thunderhead,
by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child)
.
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
Book Lovers - A Checklist
I don't do #8 very much (re-reading a book), but the rest of these all apply to me.
Monday, August 12, 2019
Sunday, August 11, 2019
Archaeology
My boyhood dream was to be an archaeologist. My guidance counselor thought I was joking, and I became a chemist instead. Not quite as exciting, but it pays better.
Saturday, August 10, 2019
Crickets
And when lightning flashes nearby, counting the number of seconds ("one-one thousand, two-one thousand", etc.) until you hear its thunder will tell you how many miles away (one mile per every five seconds) it was.
We did that a lot, during the Pennsylvania summers, when I was growing up. Yes, we were easily amused back then.
Friday, August 09, 2019
Thursday, August 08, 2019
Book Excerpt for the Day
“We
need to head that way,” he told the grifter, pointing down the intersection to
their right. “Grab the others and get
going!”
The driver of the halted buggy waited the requisite half second before
leaning on his horn and mouthing something that looked like an accusation about
Blade’s mother and a particularly well-endowed unicorn. The wailing of the horn spread like a cough at
a billiards match; by the time Blade had used an ancient hand gesture to
suggest the honking driver self-impregnate himself and then turned back to look
at the wagon, and entire orchestra of horns was playing an improvised but
intense symphony.
(from The Sleeping
Dragon by Jonny Nexus)
.
Wednesday, August 07, 2019
Odysseus was a weirdo
I'd like to tell you this isn't an accurate portrayal of how things really went down in that scene in The Odyssey. But it is.
Tuesday, August 06, 2019
Sporran
Word for the day: Sporran (n.): "a small pouch worn around the waist so as to hang in front of the kilt as part of men's Scottish Highland dress."
Who the heck knew there was a word for this thingamajig?!
Monday, August 05, 2019
Sunday, August 04, 2019
Saturday, August 03, 2019
Book Excerpt for the Day
Another
planet has been discovered that apparently may be made of diamonds. It is called 55 Cancri e and is about double the size of the Earth but weighs about eight
times more. (…) The planet was found to be rich in carbon,
which might constitute about a third of its mass. It is also scalding hot, with a temperature
of 5,400 degrees Kelvin. One theory
postulates that the heat and pressure in the core may be extraordinary enough
to give rise to a diamond planet.
However, these glittering deposits, if they indeed exist, are forty
light-years from us, so mining them is beyond our current capabilities.
(from The Future
of Humanity by Michio Kaku)
.
Friday, August 02, 2019
Thursday, August 01, 2019
Retirement
As of today, after a challenging and fulfilling 46 years at the same company I am officially and happily retired.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)