Anne Freeman: While Milo’s been toiling away in the sand and heat, I spent most of this weekend at a unit family retreat in the mountains. I feel guilty sometimes, having fun while he’s away, but I needed this break. I spent the weekend hiking, biking, swimming, getting massaged, and attending mandatory seminars on how to build a healthy marriage. As much fun…
To improve my vocabulary (and my reading) I always keep a dictionary close at hand because I aspire to a Shakespearian vocabulary. Inspired by the new PBS Kids show Word Girl, I’ve decided to add My Words as an occasional feature here at Have Coffee Will Write. The word I’ve chosen for today is gistful.
Which is a melding of:
Gist: n. 1. The central idea; the essence. See Synonyms at substance. 2. Law The grounds for action in a suit. [From Anglo-Norman (cest action) gist, (this action) lies, third person sing. of gesir, to lie, from Latin iacēre; see yē- in Indo-European roots.]
And
-ful: adjective suffix 1. full of, prideful. 2. characterized by, peaceful. 3. having the qualities of, masterful. 4. tending, given, or liable, to helpful.
So gistful would be a person or institution that was characterized by a central idea.
I could never bring myself to forward all the email jokes, cartoons and other Internet comedy that land in my inbox. But then I started posting the ones my dad sends me. Judging from my comments and emails, my dad has become one of my greatest blogging assets. So for your morning blog chuckle I present: From My Dad.
The liquid inside young coconuts can be used as a substitute for blood plasma.
No piece of paper can be folded in half more than seven times.
Donkeys kill more people annually than plane crashes.
You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television.
Oak trees do not produce acorns until they are fifty years of age or older.
The first product to have a bar code was Wrigley’s gum.
The King of Hearts is the only king without a mustache
American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one olive from each salad served in first-class.
Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise.
Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning
Most dust particles in your house are made from dead skin.
The first owner of the Marlboro Company died of lung cancer. So did the first ” Marlboro Man. ”
Walt Disney was afraid of mice
Pearls melt in vinegar
The three most valuable brand names on earth: Marlboro, Coca Cola, and Budweiser, in that order.
It is possible to lead a cow upstairs, but, not downstairs.
A duck’s quack doesn’t echo, and no one knows why.
Dentists have recommended that a toothbrush be kept at least six feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush.
Richard Millhouse Nixon was the first U.S. president whose name contains all the letters from the word “criminal.”
The second? William Jefferson Clinton.
And the best for last…..
Turtles can breathe through their rear end.
My name is Jeff Hess and I’m a biblioholic. I own hundreds of books. Not valuable books, mostly Science Fiction paperbacks and text books, tomes rescued by the bag from library book sales. A few years ago, in the interest of not burying myself, I began reading more books from the library and taking notes. My electronic chapbook was born.
This is a passage I copied from Sweeping Changes: A Practical Guide to Zen in Your Home by Gary Thorp.
When an accident did occur and a [tea ceremony] cup was broken, there were certain instances in which the cup was repaired with gold. Rather than trying to restore it in a way that would cover up the fact that it had been broken, the cracks were celebrated in a bold and spirited way. The thin paths of shining gold completely encircled the ceramic cup, announcing to the world that cup was broken and repaired and vulnerable to change. And in this way, its value was even further enhanced. p. 51
I still have the carefully photocopied (and redacted, the cartoons were blanked out) copy of Playboy’s October 1967 interview with New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison that my dad gave me. It was my introduction, long before Oliver Stone, to the idea of conspiracy and cover-up as a way of doing business in America. My dad calls these scary.
In 1990, when Supreme Court Justice David Souter was sworn in, he said, “Some human life is going to be changed by what we do. And so we had better use every power of our minds and our hearts and our beings to get those rulings right.”
Ten years later, we now find out, his mind, heart and being were troubled by the 5-4 decision to stop the Florida vote recount and hand the presidency to George W. Bush, even though he could not possibly have imagined how many human lives would be changed by that decision.
In his new book, “The Nine,” Jeffrey Toobin writes that while the other justices put the case behind them, “David Souter alone was shattered,” at times weeping when he thought of the case.
“For many months, it was not at all clear whether he would remain as a justice…At the urging of a handful of close friends, he decided to stay on, but his attitude toward the Court was never the same.”
The irony of Souter”s dissent in that case and distress afterward lies in the fact that he was appointed to the Court by George W. Bush”s father in the belief that he was a true conservative. He was and is, but not in the warped sense that the Bushes have given the word in the years since. Robert Stein
Part of being a good citizen of the blogosphere is visiting, reading and, most importantly, taking the time to leave a comment on other’s blogs. It’s all about the conversation. In the interest of setting an example I’ve decided to link to those blog posts that have compelled me to leave a comment.
1612 Thoughts on “the big one”
I’m constantly tossing interesting websites into what I call my blogpile. Some of them find their way here in the form of regular posts, but more often than not they languish and get buried deeper in the pile. The end result is that I have to go back and do a bit of shoveling. Today’s item is Your Guide to Never Feeling Tired Again.
Eddie: Yesterday was going to be a pretty chill day, because at night we had a raid to go on. To start the day off we were to go around to some of the banks in our sector and talk with them and assess their situation. I was among the dismounts that day, and at each bank I’d hop out with a few other guys and we’d go with the Squad Leader in charge while he did his…
Because he’ll be pleading Not Guilty, Michael Righi’s case, if it isn’t dismissed, will come before a judge in Parma’s Municipal Court, not Brooklyn’s Mayor’s Court. A legal defense fund for Righi has accumulated some $3,500 which is less than half of the $7,500 he has already been billed for by his lawyer.
Consider making a contribution. Any money left over will be given to the American Civil Liberties Union.
I could never bring myself to forward all the email jokes, cartoons and other Internet comedy that land in my inbox. But then I started posting the ones my dad sends me. Judging from my comments and emails, my dad has become one of my greatest blogging assets. So for your morning blog chuckle I present: From My Dad.
All of these are legitimate companies that didn’t spend quite enough time considering how their online names might appear and be misread.
1. Who Represents (http://www.whorepresents.com/)is where you can find the name of the agent that represents any celebrity.
2 . Experts Exchange (http://www.expertsexchange.com)is a knowledge base where programmers can exchange advice and views.
3. Looking for a pen? Look no further than Pen Island (http://www.penisland.net/).
4. Need a therapist? Try Therapist Finder (http://www.therapistfinder.com/).
5. There’s the Italian Power Generator company (http://www.powergenitalia.com/).
6. And don’t forget the Mole Station Native Nursery in New South Wales (http://www.molestationnursery.com/).
7. If you’re looking for IP computer software, there’s always: (http://www.ipanywhere.com/) and finally,
8. The First Cumming Methodist Church Web site is (http://www.cummingfirst.com/).
My name is Jeff Hess and I’m a biblioholic. I own hundreds of books. Not valuable books, mostly Science Fiction paperbacks and text books, tomes rescued by the bag from library book sales. A few years ago, in the interest of not burying myself, I began reading more books from the library and taking notes. My electronic chapbook was born.
This is a passage I copied from Sweeping Changes: A Practical Guide to Zen in Your Home by Gary Thorp.
Dogen wrote, “All things are Buddha… To carry yourself forward in order to experience things is your delusion. But to allow things to come forward on their own and to experience themselves is enlightenment.” How can you give all things the freedom to experience their own natures? Simply by looking at things as they are, and not interjecting your own values, personality, preferences or judgments upon them. So, when you wipe up the milk that was spilled and sweep up the shards of broken glass, try to focus on the fact that some things will not last forever, [shouldn”t this be: “nothing lasts forever?” JH] and that there can be an element of danger or surprise in even the most benign occasion. You can then begin to confront the many possibilities inherent in all endings and beginnings. p. 50
I’m constantly tossing interesting websites into what I call my blogpile. Some of them find their way here in the form of regular posts, but more often than not they languish and get buried deeper in the pile. The end result is that I have to go back and do a bit of shoveling. Today’s item is Learning Curves: Daniel Handler.
Teflon Don: Iraqi cities look something like others that I’ve seen, and the fertile stretches along the river are less impressive than the green farmland back home. The desert, though — the desert is different. The sky was clear of dust and haze. We were far past the lights of the city, and the stars shone soft and brilliant. The Milky Way stretched out over…
When I die
choose a star and name it
after me so that I may shine
down on you, until you join
me in darkness and silence
together.
From For My Daughter by David Ignatow.
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