Last week’s eclipse with associated travel and general disruption played havoc with my summer schedule here, abbreviated as it is. However, I’ll try to get back on track today. Longtime visitors know major hurricanes usually are noted here ever since Katrina. Now, we have Harvey, and I don’t have anything to add. It is truly awful. I can’t imagine what metropolitan Houston will be like going forward. We probably will talk more about this, but I stand by my statement: I don’t have much to add. It’s overwhelming.
150 responses to “…and whole milk!”
We had a nice rain yesterday afternoon and I-696 flooded. It was due to a power failure to the pumps in the area. I-696 is pretty much underground for a few miles and when the power goes out during a rain storm, this will happen.
I did not know this and was pretty much stuck for 30-60 minutes. As we started to move, I started to see headlights. Cars had turned around and where going back up the entrance ramp. So I was able to turn and get off the highway. A 45 minute drive took 3 hours.
Still very tame by Houston standards.
I have tried not to watch tv but it is on sometimes, to my distress. I just contributed to the Red Cross. Today Ghost and I will contribute to Salvation Army and probably ASPCA for pets.
If you can please consider donating to a safe charity to help Houston and Texas. This drawfs Katrina unfortunately.
In Nuclear Medicine Department, waiting while Jackie has a bone scan, idly wondering if if she will glow in the dark tonight; it will be OK if she does.
My main source of distress is that The Muary Povich Show is on the waiting room TV. How in (insert name of deity of choice)’s name can that be considered entertainment?
Ghost, the same way people used to go see the 10-in-1 shows at carnivals and fairs.
Ten-In-One — One of the two “classic” form of the midway show (the other is the “single o”). The Ten-in-One was a show featuring (approximately) ten acts or attractions, lasting a total of about 40 minutes. Similar shows had been playing circuses for decades. But in the carnival setting of the 1904 Canadian National Exhibition, ex-wrestler Walter K. Sibley took several of his existing ‘single-o’ attractions and packaged them together for a single admission, and the next year he expanded the show and presented it as the ‘ten-in-one’, where it came to wider attention as a distinct type of attraction. Features included a variable mix of acts: born freaks who would display themselves, lecture briefly and sell pitch cards or novelties, “made freaks” who would do the same, performers like magicians or sword-swallowers, and curiosities like an “electric chair act.” Typically, there would be a “ding” or “blowoff” at the end for additional profit. The bannerline could feature each attraction in a spectacular and dazzling array, and of course the showman could change out one banner for another as acts came and went. Of course, a showman might have a “Five-In-One” or any variation.
Two restaurants having a conversation via their signs: http://www.al.com/living/index.ssf/2017/08/chick-fil-a_moes_in_mobile_mak.html#incart_river_home
https://www.facebook.com/WowSoPunny/photos/a.985057168177019.1073741829.984774068205329/1811650678850993/?type=3
I’m sure the Salvation Army is already cranking up their disaster relief teams, but this may even be a bit much for them, and they have years of practice. I’m waiting to see if our corps is going to get a call. We have a canteen that can be used, and we are part of the Southern Territory. I am not sure the disaster area is in the Southern or Western territory, some parts of Texas are southern and some are western.
Twelve years ago today, I was hunkered down with my mom, my sister, and my brother-in-law, riding out Hurricane Katrina. Not being at home, I was not there when her winds dropped a 100+ year-old- oak tree across the center of my house. Now my mom is gone, my sister is gone, and my house is gone, but I am still here. Non deficere.
My heart goes out to those who have been affected by Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Katrina, and all other natural disasters.
God bless you, Ursen. Based on prior experience, SA is the relief agency to whom I prefer to donate. I would urge all of the Villagers to do the same to their preferred agency.
I sent to Red Cross this morning. It’s going to be awful consequences in so many ways.
Not hard to figure out why I like today’s [T 29 Aug ’17] ‘Dustin.’
http://dustincomics.com/
A current pet peeve is ‘impact’. Hate to admit it, and have not checked into the history of its misuse, but it may derive from the phrase ‘environmental impact’. Maybe I’ll ask Anu Garg.
Peace,
I donated to the Red Cross, Houston Humane Society and will donate to Salvation Army as well. I set up a Houston Humane Society donation button through Facebook in Dickens name.
I did donate to a fourth site one of my friends set up on Facebook for an approved charity. These are paid through approved secure links, no individual gets any money.
The Dustin comic linked above is a canard. I had already let this pass without comment because Mr. Johnson gave us a new post. There are other more pressing topics. And I just don’t like it. But there seems to be some persistence of purpose. If it is not joy, it is at least desire to appear elevated above such pedestrian use of language.
Take an item from two weeks ago, The Nauseous Coaster. Remember a roller coaster is inanimate and has no digestive system. It cannot suffer nausea. Therefore it can only figuratively be described as nauseous. The rider who was nauseated by the roller coaster experience has vestibular and digestive systems in distress, and is literally (accurately) nauseous. I hope this helps to illustrate the figuratively vs. literally dilemma so that clarity is achieved.
However as an intensifier, literally has been used figuratively for literally a couple centuries and more in both speech and prose by respected persons on both sides of the Atlantic divide of anglophone culture.
Although to be truly pedantic the particular use of literally referring to a spoken comment is itself figurative regardless of exactitude. Because to be literal the referenced item must first be written using letters, not just spoken. Or is that taking the topic much too literally?
Jimmy:
I’m with you.
A catastrophe of truly biblical proportions is beyond my ability to discuss.
All I can write is that I feel is a great sorrow. I have no other words.
Charlotte: ‘Emerita?’ A nice distinction, to which I have no objection. It gets nasty, however, when some male chauvinist pig [I believe it was a member of Congress] asks some LLB or LLD if she is a ‘lawyeress’? Happened sometime in the last decade or two. When it comes to college grads, I just use ‘alum’ and ‘alums’. Peace,
When Tuscaloosa was hit by that massive tornado my end of town had multiple groups set up in the parking lot of a destroyed shopping center. Among the first and best was the Salvation Army. Also in there were a number of faith-based groups and multiple local (alabama) restaurants who brought their mobile catering setups to feed those who didn’t have power, water or gas.
Seeing the photos of all those who are turning out to help in Texas gives me hope for this country, in spite of all the mess some have tried to stir up. God bless all those who are helping and give them strength to cope with what they have to do.
It seems that “Restless Pedant” not only believes that language is whatever “the people” make it, but that such change is inevitably good. In the long run, language clearly is whatever the people make it. But language is also a vehicle for communication. That communication is of many sorts: informative, poetic, legal, rabble-rousing, edifying, and deceptive, to name a few. Note: “Restless Pedant” is a new username here. S/he may be a new poster, but may not.
Many words have related but distinct meanings. If two or more such words are used interchangeably, clarity is lost, and the language is poorer for the change. In particular, it becomes less informative and edifying, but perhaps more rabble-rousing or deceptive. If we decide the only non-elitist route is to let the majority rule, we can perhaps look forward to the following sorts of dictionary entries: figurative: obs.-see literal; effect: obs.-see impact; theory: obs.-see guess.
“Pedant” has also renewed the question of motivation, which I thought we had laid to rest. First: once bitten, twice shy. I’ve consistently ignored structure and usage bits here for weeks, and will likely continue to do so if I continue posting here. Second: I take no “joy” in pointing such out, but I do enjoy copy-editing, and copy-edit for free for several grateful people. As I wrote earlier: “Please broaden your perception re copy editing, and please do not impugn my motives.” That “Pedant” brings it up again when I had already clarified my position suggests the possibility that someone is motivated by personal animosity. It may be, to paraphrase another’s post above, a “mess [that Pedant has] tried to stir up” To quote “Pedant”, I just don’t like it. Perhaps “Pedant” wants me out of here.
emb, or “impactful”, which I have seen used and grates on me like the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard.
Mark: Thanks. effective: obs.-see impactful. Peace,
Debbe: https://scontent-dft4-3.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/21106429_1589424284434499_6701008826992214834_n.jpg?oh=b22bc7ecac98f5d4511b18549df89165&oe=5A5C4602
emb, You are welcome. Peace and good health to you.
emb, thanks for the compliment.
OK, I had to look up ‘canard’. I thought I knew but wanted to be sure. And the definition made me laugh…it is both an unfounded rumor and a stabilizer. 🙂 Words are funny.
Restless Pedant, you sound very familiar…is that you, Dan ? Regardless, nice to meet you.
As for beginning a road trip, there’s the Muppets’ song “Moving down the road…”
Have a good day, everyone.
Another video and different lyrics to “Hallelujah”
https://www.facebook.com/CountryDaily/videos/1723585074353660/
well i lost the linking thing, you may have to copy/paste to get there…..
Here’s that same “Hallelujah” on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msYPbjFC50w
Good morning Villagers…..
Dad’s A/C went out, but not complaining as it is a partly cloudy day with temp right now at 70 degrees.
Picked three more red tomatoes off my two plants….yea!!! Farmer’s Market is wanting $5 for a watermellon…don’t think so. May check out the cantelopes…they are almost out of season.
Better go do my running before ACDC man gets here.
Mark, thanks for the grins.
later gaters 🙂
some wisdom:
https://i.chzbgr.com/full/9068612096/hECCDBBD9/