Category: words mean things (Page 101 of 223)

When you’re on hold with non-toll-free technical support in California, you’re really in an existential bind. If you keep holding, you could be holding forever, and never get to speak to one of those low-paid drones who probably can’t answer your question anyway. And the longer you hold, if you end up hanging up because you waited too long, the worse off you are, because you racked up all these charges for no reason.

On the other hand, they may possibly be able to answer your question. (As Judy Tenuta would say, “It could happen!”) And if you hang up, you might be hanging up just seconds before they would have answered your call and your question. You have no way of knowing this, but like Charlie Brown and the football, you hope for the best.

Until you end up hanging up anyway.

The news underlined a statement by U.S. President George Bush Wednesday, warning President Saddam Hussein to be truthful. ?Should he again deny that this arsenal exists, he will have entered his final stage with a lie,? Bush said in a speech to NATO leaders in Prague.

–MSNBC

Well, apparently we don’t need weapons inspectors after all. GWB is on the case. Gotta love the “his final stage” language too. Way to be tough, George. When will Osama get to that “final stage” again? My mom always told me to finish one job before starting on the next one.

My horoscope today

Although you generally know your limits, you might have one too many of everything today. You are bowled over by circumstances that require you to think on your feet. The best thing to do is remain clam.

Typos make me smile.

Quote of the day

“Only two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity. And I’m not sure about the universe.”
– Albert Einstein

Bulletin

I hate everyone. It’s just been one of those days.

Thank you.

Word of the day: ineluctable

Funny or sad – you decide

-Excite news this morning

Memo to Anne Geddes:

In the name of all that is holy, put down the camera, and back away from it slowly.

“I do not need to explain why I say things. ? That’s the interesting thing about being the President. ? Maybe somebody needs to explain to me why they say something, but I don’t feel like I owe anybody an explanation.”
-U.S. President George W. Bush

Finished “The Bush Dyslexicon” yesterday. The title and the image of GWB on the cover would lead you to think this is just a thrown-together joke book of malapropisms. But it’s actually a rather detailed look at how Bush’s language betrays his actual nature. The quote above, given as part of a hagiographic 60 Minutes piece hawking Bob Woodward’s new book, “Bush at War,” is a perfect example of this. Bush looks at the presidency as his birthright, and gets a little exasperated when people actually require him to explain himself.

What the book also does is show the difference between a speaker and a thinker. We may not care that the president is the former, but I think we should care if he’s the latter.

Most people get the urge to clean in the spring. I never get the urge to clean. But I do get the urge to throw stuff out – especially in the fall. In between reading “The Bush Dyslexicon” today, I’m filling up garbage bags with junk I can’t believe I held on to for this long. And this isn’t even stuff to give to St. Vincent’s: CDs for ancient software, old software boxes, all kinds of useless papers, envelopes of out-of-focus reunion photos, etc. And that’s just the office. Some people shop for therapy – I toss. It feels great.

Anybody want 10 years of Wired magazines?