This is the best book title I've seen in ages:
Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride.
Apparently a YA novel; sounds like urban fantasy perhaps. Will have to check this out — all based on the title.
Thus, the moral of today's story is that a good title sells books. (Or at least encourages readers to take books out of the library.)
Monday, May 30, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
Fondly remembered and deeply missed
"He was a bright man who made bad puns and verbal quips, injected trivia, big words and foreign phrases into his teaching, joked about popular culture, politics, the world around us. No one like this had entered my orbit before, and I was transfixed by both his intelligence and his obvious love for his profession." — from an assignment for EDSE 504, July 2006
There are no words.
L
There are no words.
L
Monday, May 23, 2011
How Social Media Will Contribute to the Erasure of History
Have you ever looked up one of your favourite musicians or actors on Wikipedia? Was that person ever involved in any sort of criminal activity (for instance, spousal battering)? If so, chances are the celebrity's PR people are actively monitoring the Internet to ensure that any references to that criminal activity, whether proved in court or not, are absent.
Say you were a relatively important Seventies folk-rock singer. Say you were involved in the 1980s with a beautiful, talented, well-known actress. Say your relationship ended and subsequently allegations of domestic assault arose. Could it be possible that you, formerly important musician, have enough resources to sue the allegations out of existence, and to ensure that these allegations (now "retracted") stay extinguished? Even to the point of ensuring that your PR handlers tell journalists foolishly seeking to interview you NOT to raise "The Thing"?
Well, ha, Mr Formerly Famous Musician. Ha. I may like your music, but you personally just may be a waste of skin as a human being.
Say you were a relatively important Seventies folk-rock singer. Say you were involved in the 1980s with a beautiful, talented, well-known actress. Say your relationship ended and subsequently allegations of domestic assault arose. Could it be possible that you, formerly important musician, have enough resources to sue the allegations out of existence, and to ensure that these allegations (now "retracted") stay extinguished? Even to the point of ensuring that your PR handlers tell journalists foolishly seeking to interview you NOT to raise "The Thing"?
Well, ha, Mr Formerly Famous Musician. Ha. I may like your music, but you personally just may be a waste of skin as a human being.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
The Insomnia Defence
The Best Health blog reports today that "A study done by business school professors and published in the Academy of Management Journal that looked at the behaviour [of] sleep-deprived students and nurses found that those who lacked sufficient shut-eye increased bad behaviour such as rudeness, inappropriate responses and even stealing."
This explains a great deal, I think!
Sleepy and surly,
L
This explains a great deal, I think!
Sleepy and surly,
L
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Outraged, again
According to an article in this morning's Edmonton Journal, Helena Guergis' abrupt dismissal from the federal cabinet and Conservative Party of Canada last year was "an employee–employer relationship" issue.
Strange, that. This is Canada, where MPs serve not at the pleasure of the prime minister but at the will of the Canadian public.
Perhaps the prime minister in question forgot that point.
According to the article, Guergis' error was that "she didn't come clean with her employer," according to the private detective who made the allegations against Guergis.
There was no reason I would have voted for the CPC anyway, but this item adds to the mountain of evidence condemning the Harper government as secretive, petty, and autocratic.
An MP is accountable to the people of her constituency. The people employ her — or fire her. The prime minister's heavy-handed tactics in this matter, based on vague and still-unproved allegations, compromised Canadian democracy.
But then that's hardly unusual for this administration, is it?
It's been a bad week, Mr Harper. I hope the next two are even worse.
Looking forward to the day Harper is no longer in power,
L
Strange, that. This is Canada, where MPs serve not at the pleasure of the prime minister but at the will of the Canadian public.
Perhaps the prime minister in question forgot that point.
According to the article, Guergis' error was that "she didn't come clean with her employer," according to the private detective who made the allegations against Guergis.
There was no reason I would have voted for the CPC anyway, but this item adds to the mountain of evidence condemning the Harper government as secretive, petty, and autocratic.
An MP is accountable to the people of her constituency. The people employ her — or fire her. The prime minister's heavy-handed tactics in this matter, based on vague and still-unproved allegations, compromised Canadian democracy.
But then that's hardly unusual for this administration, is it?
It's been a bad week, Mr Harper. I hope the next two are even worse.
Looking forward to the day Harper is no longer in power,
L
Saturday, April 09, 2011
Politics: No thinking allowed
So CBC reports that Stephen Harper is pledging to eliminate the deficit a year earlier than planned: here
How? Magic!
Seriously, if he could eliminate the deficit a year earlier than planned — a deficit HIS government created and a debt-elimination timetable that HIS budget introduced — then why didn't HIS government do so this year?
Makes me wonder. But then I read this.
Oh. That's the magic. Huh.
L
How? Magic!
Seriously, if he could eliminate the deficit a year earlier than planned — a deficit HIS government created and a debt-elimination timetable that HIS budget introduced — then why didn't HIS government do so this year?
Makes me wonder. But then I read this.
Oh. That's the magic. Huh.
L
Monday, April 04, 2011
Sunday, March 06, 2011
Capturing synecdoche and hyperbole in an anecdote
Or, there is no antidote for antimetabole.
Or, as scholar Jila Ghomeshi remarks, "You can't always look at a word and know how to pronounce it and you can't always hear a word and know how to spell it. Mastering English spelling is a spectacular feat of memorization."
Something to think about as I write my chapter (number six!) on readers, writers, and the language arts as social processes.
L
Or, as scholar Jila Ghomeshi remarks, "You can't always look at a word and know how to pronounce it and you can't always hear a word and know how to spell it. Mastering English spelling is a spectacular feat of memorization."
Something to think about as I write my chapter (number six!) on readers, writers, and the language arts as social processes.
L
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Leonard Cohen reminds me of E.E. Cummings
From "The Great Divide"
And when I gathered up to leave
You drew me to your side
To be as Adam was to Eve
Before the Great Divide
And fastened here we cannot move
Except to one another
We spread and drown as lilies do
From nowhere to the centre
And here I cannot lift a hand
To trace the lines of beauty
But lines are traced and love is glad
To come and go so freely
And here no sin can be confessed
No sinner be forgiven
It's written that the law must rest
Before the law is written
And here the silence is erased
The background all dismantled
Your beauty cannot be compared
No mirror here, no shadow ...
Note the feminine ("almost") rhymes, B!
L
And when I gathered up to leave
You drew me to your side
To be as Adam was to Eve
Before the Great Divide
And fastened here we cannot move
Except to one another
We spread and drown as lilies do
From nowhere to the centre
And here I cannot lift a hand
To trace the lines of beauty
But lines are traced and love is glad
To come and go so freely
And here no sin can be confessed
No sinner be forgiven
It's written that the law must rest
Before the law is written
And here the silence is erased
The background all dismantled
Your beauty cannot be compared
No mirror here, no shadow ...
Note the feminine ("almost") rhymes, B!
L
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Sunday, January 09, 2011
My hope for the world
If I could teach students, writers, and copyeditors only one thing, it might be this: the past tense of lead (verb, pronounced LEED: to guide others by going in advance of) is led, not lead (noun, pronounced LED: a soft grey metal). I see this error made so commonly that I'm starting to doubt that the distinction is correct (but it is: I checked!).
Professional editors should not make this mistake. But perhaps I am a lone voice in this particular language wilderness.
Sighfully,
L
Professional editors should not make this mistake. But perhaps I am a lone voice in this particular language wilderness.
Sighfully,
L
Saturday, January 08, 2011
Toward the new year
From "It Won't Take Long" (as performed by Indigo Girls; original lyrics by Ferron)
...oh beware you sagging diplomats
for you will not hear one gun
and though our homes be torn and ransacked
we will not be undone
for as we let ourselves be bought
we're gonna let ourselves be free
and if you think we stand alone
take a look around and you will see
we are children in the rafters
we are babies in the park
we are lovers at the movies
we are candles in the dark
we are changes in the weather
we are snowflakes in july
we are women grown together
we are men who easily cry
we are words not quickly spoken
we're the deeper side of try
we are dreamers in the making
we are not afraid of why
Ah.
Snowbound,
L
...oh beware you sagging diplomats
for you will not hear one gun
and though our homes be torn and ransacked
we will not be undone
for as we let ourselves be bought
we're gonna let ourselves be free
and if you think we stand alone
take a look around and you will see
we are children in the rafters
we are babies in the park
we are lovers at the movies
we are candles in the dark
we are changes in the weather
we are snowflakes in july
we are women grown together
we are men who easily cry
we are words not quickly spoken
we're the deeper side of try
we are dreamers in the making
we are not afraid of why
Ah.
Snowbound,
L
Monday, January 03, 2011
What Book Am I?
Took a quiz to find out what book I am. Here is the result:
You're The Dictionary!
by Merriam-Webster
You're one of those know-it-all types, with an amazing amount of knowledge at your command. People really enjoy spending time with you in very short spurts, but hanging out with you for a long time tends to bore them. When folks really need an authority to refer to, however, you're the one they seek. You're an exceptional speller and very well organized.
Wow! I'm amazed.
Want to take the book quiz yourself? Go here. Enjoy!
You're The Dictionary!
by Merriam-Webster
You're one of those know-it-all types, with an amazing amount of knowledge at your command. People really enjoy spending time with you in very short spurts, but hanging out with you for a long time tends to bore them. When folks really need an authority to refer to, however, you're the one they seek. You're an exceptional speller and very well organized.
Wow! I'm amazed.
Want to take the book quiz yourself? Go here. Enjoy!
Monday, December 20, 2010
Procrastination!
Nothing adds to putting off the inevitable like a joke...
Q. What's a dyslexic agnostic insomniac?
A. Someone who lies awake all night wondering if there really is a dog.
L,
wondering whether she in fact knows a dyslexic agnostic insomniac
Q. What's a dyslexic agnostic insomniac?
A. Someone who lies awake all night wondering if there really is a dog.
L,
wondering whether she in fact knows a dyslexic agnostic insomniac
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
An aphorism ...
... demonstrating rhetorical schemes ...
"Do you have what you need? Do you need what you have?"
L
"Do you have what you need? Do you need what you have?"
L
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving!
Here's hoping it's wonderful for everyone.
L
(And is there anything as satisfying as shredding documents for an hour?!? woot!)
L
(And is there anything as satisfying as shredding documents for an hour?!? woot!)
Friday, September 17, 2010
I hear a lot of stories; I suppose they could be true
What to believe: what one says or what one does? After all, I have faith; I just want proof...
Very very tired,
L
Very very tired,
L
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Brer Rabbit Days
As a wise man once wrote, "I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams." Or, to put it another way: "You cannot, sir, take from me anything that I will more willingly part withal..."
Hmm.
"Landslide"
I took my love and I took it down,
Climbed a mountain and turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills
'Til the landslide brought it down
Oh, mirror in the sky, What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?
I don't know, I don't know
Well, I've been afraid of changing
Because I've built my life around you
But time makes you bolder,
Even children get older
And I'm getting older, too
So, take my love, take it down
Climb a mountain and turn around
And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills
Well, the landslide will bring it down
The landslide will bring it down...
Hmm.
"Landslide"
I took my love and I took it down,
Climbed a mountain and turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills
'Til the landslide brought it down
Oh, mirror in the sky, What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?
I don't know, I don't know
Well, I've been afraid of changing
Because I've built my life around you
But time makes you bolder,
Even children get older
And I'm getting older, too
So, take my love, take it down
Climb a mountain and turn around
And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills
Well, the landslide will bring it down
The landslide will bring it down...
Sunday, September 05, 2010
Musicians Are Bossy
The other night, B observed that there are many songs that instruct listeners "don't" do something. Being who I am, I wanted to know how many songs in my iTunes would demonstrate the concept. Here's the list (and there are others that I know but don't own). — L
Don't Ask Me No Questions - Lynyrd Skynyd
Don't Ask Me Why - Billy Joel
Don't Ask Me Why - Eurythmics
Don't Be Cruel - Cheap Trick
Don't Be Lonely - Quarterflash
Don't Bring Me Down - ELO
Don't Close the Door - Gerry Rafferty
Don't Cry for Me Argentina - Sinéad O'Connor
Don't Cry Out Loud - Melissa Manchester
Don't Explain - Herbie Hancock
Don't Fade Away - Milla
(Don't Fear) The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult
Don't Fence Me In - David Byrne
Don't Fight It - Kenny Loggins
Don't Fight It - Red Rider
Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone) - Glass Tiger
Don't Forget to Dance - The Kinks
Don't Get Mad, Get Even - Aerosmith
Don't Get Me Wrong - The Pretenders
Don't Give Up - Peter Gabriel
Don't Go - Yaz
Don't Go Breaking My Heart - Elton John and Kiki Dee
Don't Go to Strangers - Joni Mitchell
Don't Interrupt the Sorrow - Joni Mitchell
Don't Leave Me This Way - Thelma Houston
Don't Let Him Know - Prism
Don't Let It End - Styx
Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight - James Taylor
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood - The Animals
Don't Let Me Down - No Doubt
Don't Let Me Go - Billy Squier
Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me - Elton John (also by Oleta Adams and by Roger Daltry)
Don't Make Me Come to Vegas - Tori Amos
Don't Mess with Orgasmatron - DJ Earworm
Don't Pass Me By - The Beatles
Don't Pull Your Love - Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds
Don't Push Your Foot on the Heartbrake - Kate Bush
Don't Put It Down - Hair Soundtrack
Don't Say No - Billy Squier
Don't Say You Love Me - Billy Squier
Don't Speak - No Doubt
Don't Stand So Close to Me - The Police
Don't Stop - Chilliwack
Don't Stop - Olivia Newton-John
Don't Stop - The Rolling Stones
Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough - Michael Jackson
Don't Stop Believin' - Journey
Don't Stop Believing - Olivia Newton-John
Don't Stop Me Now - Queen
Don't Stop the Music - Rhianna
Don't Tell Me - Blancmange
Don't Think of Me - Dido
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right - Bob Dylan
Don't Walk Away - ELO
Don't Worry 'Bout Me - Joni Mitchell
Don't You (Forget About Me) - Simple Minds
Don't Ask Me No Questions - Lynyrd Skynyd
Don't Ask Me Why - Billy Joel
Don't Ask Me Why - Eurythmics
Don't Be Cruel - Cheap Trick
Don't Be Lonely - Quarterflash
Don't Bring Me Down - ELO
Don't Close the Door - Gerry Rafferty
Don't Cry for Me Argentina - Sinéad O'Connor
Don't Cry Out Loud - Melissa Manchester
Don't Explain - Herbie Hancock
Don't Fade Away - Milla
(Don't Fear) The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult
Don't Fence Me In - David Byrne
Don't Fight It - Kenny Loggins
Don't Fight It - Red Rider
Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone) - Glass Tiger
Don't Forget to Dance - The Kinks
Don't Get Mad, Get Even - Aerosmith
Don't Get Me Wrong - The Pretenders
Don't Give Up - Peter Gabriel
Don't Go - Yaz
Don't Go Breaking My Heart - Elton John and Kiki Dee
Don't Go to Strangers - Joni Mitchell
Don't Interrupt the Sorrow - Joni Mitchell
Don't Leave Me This Way - Thelma Houston
Don't Let Him Know - Prism
Don't Let It End - Styx
Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight - James Taylor
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood - The Animals
Don't Let Me Down - No Doubt
Don't Let Me Go - Billy Squier
Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me - Elton John (also by Oleta Adams and by Roger Daltry)
Don't Make Me Come to Vegas - Tori Amos
Don't Mess with Orgasmatron - DJ Earworm
Don't Pass Me By - The Beatles
Don't Pull Your Love - Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds
Don't Push Your Foot on the Heartbrake - Kate Bush
Don't Put It Down - Hair Soundtrack
Don't Say No - Billy Squier
Don't Say You Love Me - Billy Squier
Don't Speak - No Doubt
Don't Stand So Close to Me - The Police
Don't Stop - Chilliwack
Don't Stop - Olivia Newton-John
Don't Stop - The Rolling Stones
Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough - Michael Jackson
Don't Stop Believin' - Journey
Don't Stop Believing - Olivia Newton-John
Don't Stop Me Now - Queen
Don't Stop the Music - Rhianna
Don't Tell Me - Blancmange
Don't Think of Me - Dido
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right - Bob Dylan
Don't Walk Away - ELO
Don't Worry 'Bout Me - Joni Mitchell
Don't You (Forget About Me) - Simple Minds
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
