Tag: Reference

Sunshine Blogger Award

It appears I have been nominated for a Sunshine Blogger Award.  When I started this blog, it was not with the intention of winning anything, but just to be an outlet for my writing.

I felt it would be better to put it somewhere, and maybe others might like to read it, and, for better or worse, either like it or hate it or be somewhere in between.  MY hope is always that people might get some enjoyment out of the short, long, and serialized stories.

Of course, that expanded into an irreverent look at certain words with many meanings, adding to the confusion that is the English language, bits of my attempts to write, observations of the sometimes crazy world around me, and lately the adventures of being owned by a cantankerous cat.

I guess a lot of us writers have similar owners.

That said, I must thank Debby Winter for nominating me, and at some point, I will nominate another 11 bloggers whom I believe also deserve the award.

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I note that the Sunshine Blogger Award isn’t an official award, but it’s a fun way of spreading motivation and inspiration.

If you read this and like to get involved (and why wouldn’t you?) don’t be shy and consider yourself nominated!!

Nadia D. Mazonis,  Tales from the Neon Beach,  Scarlett79,  Geet,   Stefanie Dibben,  Gwenny,  Shayleene MacReynolds,  marilyn jaye lewis.  balladeer,  Jewels of a Magnolia,  Tessa

 

As for the questions

1) Are you familiar with SEO strategies? Have you optimized your site yourself? Did you do off-site or on-site SEO for your blog or website and are you happy with the results?

The answer to this question is that I have no idea what SEO is, well, I do know a little about it, but not enough to do anything meaningful, especially with my own blog.  I doubt that WordPress will allow me to make whatever modifications that would make it better, unless, of course, I pay them wads of money for the privilege.  So, not being blessed with millions, I’m happy to remain in obscurity.

2) What is the most embarrassing clothing item you have ever worn?

I can’t say that I have anything I’d call embarrassing, but then it has been said that most of my clothes would fit into that category, depending on who you meet.  Everyone seems to have a judgemental streak in them, and I dare anyone to say they haven’t judged someone based on their clothes.  I know I have.

3) Have you ever intentionally broken the law? When? Where? and how?

This is a tricky one.  We often break the law, but whether it’s intentionally or otherwise is a moot point.  I speak of speeding, going through stops signs without stopping, and running traffic lights as they go from yellow to red.  But straight out intentionally?  The thing is, very few of us intentionally break the law.  That’s the way we’re taught, both from our family and from both the church and educational institutions.

4) If you were given $750 to spend on anything you wanted, what would you buy?

To someone who has spent most of their lives struggling to make ends meet, $750 is a lot of money.  We were not exactly poor, but we managed.  There never seemed to be a time when we had a spare $750 because as soon as we managed to get ahead, something would go wrong.  What would I do with it?  Put it aside and wait for the next ‘problem’.

5) If you had enough money that you never needed to work again, what would you do with your time?

Work tirelessly to get people to read.  People who read have less time to get into mischief.

6) If you could start over your life and change one thing, what would you change?

That’s a tricky one, and if we could defy the time/space continuum I’d have to say, my parents.  And, yes, I know, if I changed them, I wouldn’t exist to be asked this question.  It’s the very definition of being on a merry-go-round.

7) What do you consider your greatest strength, your greatest weakness?

Greatest strength:  Being there for my children and grandchildren, even when they say they don’t need me.

Greatest weakness:  Having psioratic arthritis.  With the COVID-19 virus, my odds of surviving it are low.

I know stating your weakness means something else, like drinking too much, or smoking, or easily losing your temper, but those are stress-related and are common weaknesses.  We all have those.

8) What have you tried lately that is new and exciting?

Define lately!  In the life and times of a pandemic, perhaps what is new, but not necessarily for some, exciting, is just staying home.  You either get to reacquaint yourself with your family, or you begin to hate them.  What’s that old saying, familiarity breeds contempt, and children.

If this was not a pandemic, going somewhere I’ve not been before and trying some food that I’ve not tried before.  So far in all my travel experiences, that was a week spent in Tuscany, in Italy.

9) What was the greatest adventure in your life so far?

Taking my grandchildren overseas to see how the other half of the world lives, and seeing their eyes opened to the fact they live in one of the best countries in the world, Australia.  Of course, the rest of the world will disagree with me, but then, we’re all parochial in one way or another.

10) What makes you happiest and when you think about it you cannot help but smile?

That’s probably the most difficult question to ask anyone because there are very few who can say they are ‘happy’ or ‘content’ with their lives.  I don’t think anyone can say there’s been a sustained period where they’ve been happy, but, there may be times when we reflectively smile at an event, like seeing your child being born, the day you bring a puppy home and your children’s faces light up, but, then, as the years, pass, life gets in the way, and those events become distant memories.

Some people will disagree, and I’m glad they can for their sakes.

11) Are some people’s lives worth more than others? Why or why not?

Isn’t that the same as ‘playing God’?

Here’s the thing, no one’s life is more important or less important than another because the moment we start making choices, where does it end?  Like Germany in the 1930s and 1940s?

Watch the movie ‘Soylent Green’, or ‘Logan’s Run’, and then think about whose life you believe is less important.

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THE RULES

* Introduce yourself

* Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link back to their site –> https://aloysius5.com/

* Provide a link to a favourite article on your blog :> http://bit.ly/2TPxxiv

* Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you

* List all rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award in your blog post.

* Nominate 11 new bloggers and their blogs. Leave a comment on their blog to let them know they received the reward and ask your nominees 11 questions.

 

Oh, yes, and the 11 questions are:

1)   What do you do for work, and what would you rather be doing, if you were given the opportunity?

2)   Do you read constantly or sporadically, and what is your favourite genre

3)   Boring, I know, but what is your favourite television show, and why?

4)   If you could be anywhere in the world rather than where you are, where would that be and why?

5)   What is the most annoying thing about people you dislike?

6)   How many people can you count on as ‘real’ friends, if your situation turned to the worst-case scenario?

7)   If you are young, where would you like to be in, say, 30 years time, and if you are older, what is one thing you would have done differently?

8)   Do you prefer to travel by car, bus, train, or aeroplane, and why?

9)   If you could retire tomorrow, where would that be, and why?

10)   Is having having wealth or health more important to you?

11)   and the doozie for the last question, if you have a current partner, do you think this is the ‘one’ or do you think the ‘one’ might still be out there?

(You do not need to answer this, but in my case, I have found the ‘one’ and we’ve been together nearly 45 years.)

In a word: Can

Yes, another three letter word with a multitude of meanings, like

I can do this, it’s what we tell ourselves when faced with an impossible mission

You might want to carry a can, perhaps of drink, once made out of steel but now from aluminium.  It can also hold food, like baked beans

You might have a jerry can, which holds petrol, mighty handy if you are driving and run out.  It’s happened to me once

There’s the can-can, but that’s a dance

Can you do this, can I have a drink, you can park over there, it seems we can seek or be given permission

It is an informal name for either prison or a toilet, though it depends on where you are

And in the United States, a ‘tin can’ can also be used to describe a navy vessel

If you get canned from your job, it really means you got fired

In the can means the film has been completed

Of course, there is always a trash can which makes both a mess and a loud noise when they tip over, particularly at night

And, which also make a good set of wickets, painted on, when playing backyard cricket with your friends

 

 

In a word: Bill

Yes, it is a name, short for William, though I’m not sure how Bill was derived from William.

But…

As you know, like many words this one has a number of other meanings, like,

A bird has a bill, particularly those birds with webbed feet

A bill is something you are sent to pay for goods or services, and often turn up when least expected, or when money is tight

And, sadly, they are neverending.

Then there’s fit the bill, which means it is suitable.

It could also be a list of people who appear in a programme.

It is used to describe banknotes, such as a twenty dollar bill.

It could be a waybill, used for the consignment of goods.

It could also be a piece of legislation introduced into parliament.

In some places in the world, it could be the peak of a cap

But the most obscure use of the word bill goes to:  the point of an anchor fluke.

In a word: Good

There is a TV show that was on the TV called ‘The Good Place’.

It’s really the bad place which makes you wonder if there really is a ‘good place’.

This started me thinking.

How many people do you know, when you ask them how they are, they say ‘good’?

Can we see behind the facade that is their expression of how they really feel?

And how many of us reveal our true feelings?

It seems to me there is an acceptable level of understanding that we take people at their word and move on from there.

And how many times when we suspect there is something wrong, we tend to overlook it in what is regarded as respect for that person?

What if something awful happened?

What if we could have prevented it?

What if we could have tried to gently probe deeper?

The problem is we seem to be too polite and there is nothing wrong with that.

But maybe, just maybe, the next time …

It’s just a thought.

 

In a word: Order

I gave the order to my assistant to order the supplies we needed in order to maintain stock levels.

Oh, yes, the word order is one of my favourites, because it can confuse the hell out of many people in its simplicity and yet complexity.

I gave the order, it’s what happens in the armed forces, and a lot of other places, but mostly we would associate it with organisations that have hierarchical authority.

The military, for one, cut orders, the means of sending one of its minions to another place, or to do a specific job.

Order supplies, well, just about anyone can order something from somewhere, usually on the internet, and sometimes require or are given an order number so it can be tracked.

In order to maintain, in order to get what I want, in order to get elected, this is just another way of using the word, with the aim of achieving something, though I’m sure there’s probably a better way of expressing these sentiments.

Law and order, well, doesn’t everyone want this, and doesn’t it always turn up in an election campaign, and seems to be the first thing sacrificed after the election.  The thing is, no one can guarantee law and order.

There is the law and there is administering it.  There is no order that comes with it, we just hope that order is maintained, and deplore the situation when it isn’t.

Perhaps in order to maintain law and order, we might need more police.

Then, of course, there is alphabetical order, and numerical order, where things can be designated from A to Z, like this challenge, or from 1 to 10, or more.  We can sort words alphabetically, numbers numerically and data items by keys or an index.

This is naturally called a sort order.

Then there is my car, or bike, or washing machine, or mixmaster.  They are currently in good working order, though that might not last.

And lastly, in deference to all those out there who are thinking of becoming dictators, it’s always possible, one day, there will be a new world order.  They might actually be in their own particular order, whose intellect might be (?) of the highest order.

Surely that is one order too many.

In a word: Joe

Aside from being the short form of the name Joseph, ie a man’s name, there is also a derivative for women, Jo.

The name Joe is said to be used from the mid-1800s.

My favourite Joe name is Joe Bloggs, and he features in some of my stories.

It’s anonymous enough for someone to use as a cover when booking into a sleazy motel and is a little more refined than Smith or Jones, names that more than likely already feature in the register.

Jo could be a short form for Josephine, a name I’m sure some women would prefer not to be called.

But…

Did you know it’s also a name given to a cup of coffee?

Well, that didn’t make much of a splash.  I don’t think anyone these days refers to coffee as Joe because there are so many different variations with names I couldn’t pronounce let alone spell, I think it’s been lost in the mists of time because there was only one type of coffee.

It was called coffee.  Funny about that.

However…

There is another definition, and that is for the ‘average Joe’, an ordinary fellow who works for a living.

Odd, because I thought that was what most of us did, but perhaps it refers to tradespeople, or blue collar workers, not the white collar brigade.

Hang on, isn’t there a GI Joe, a universal description of the average soldier?

In a word: Arm

Like leg, arm is a word that is mostly associated with a body part.

Like being legless, another description for being drunk, being rendered ‘armless’ means you are no threat, in a rather awful but funny way by saying it.

I guess we all have a dash of ‘sick’ humour in all of us.

However, arm can also be used to describe a part of a structure too.

It could also describe the arm of an ‘armchair’.

But…

Arm also means to give people weapons like guns, usually from an armoury.

I’m guessing that a whole lot of people with arms is an army!

You can also say that taking those weapons away would be to disarm them.

It might take the long arm of the law to do it, too.

And to disarm someone doesn’t necessarily mean to take away their arms, but to ‘charm’ them with your wit and humour.

An arm can also be a river or streams tributary, so I could say instead of staying on the main river, I’ll take the ‘named’ arm, but just remember, sometimes this can be dangerous, getting off the main route.

On a boat, there is a yardarm, and this was once used to hang seamen who committed serious crimes such as mutiny.

A call to arms was to declare war,

And lastly, an arm of the defence services could be any one of Army, Navy, Marines or Airforce.

Just steer clear of the Navy for the aforementioned reasons.

 

In a word: Angle

We all know this to be an intersection of two lines like a crossroad is at a 90-degree angle

But…

It’s an angle bracket that keeps the shelf up, hopefully with books on it.

Did you know that it was something someone did in order to get something?

She began to angle for an invitation to a party that she would not normally be invited to, or he has angled his answers to the prospective employer in a bid to be more likely to be selected for the position.

It can also refer to a position, or judgement, so that someone might say, try and see it from my angle, or another angle.

Or that it refers to fishing, and the fisherman or woman is known as an angler.

It can be a position from which something is viewed, or in crime parlance, the CSI people will work out the angle of the bullet’s entry do they can locate the position of the shooter.

Angle can refer to people of Germanic origin, such as an Anglo Saxon

And, here’s something even I didn’t know, in Astrology, it is each of the four cardinal points of a chart, from which the first, fourth, seventh, and tenth houses extend anticlockwise respectively.

Searching for locations: Surfers Paradise, Queensland, Australia

It was recently topical because of the Commonwealth Games, but we have been to the Gold Coast on many occasions and nearly always stayed at the Hilton.

Nearly all of the photos here are taken from floor 13 through to 45, some close to the ocean, others facing north, and west, towards the hinterland.

Below is one of the main beaches, where the typical sun, sand, and surf pretty well sums it up.  Been ion the water a few times myself, and it is amazing how warm it can be on some days, and how cold it can be on others.

And a surfer’s paradise it sure is!

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At the bottom, the start of the shopping centers and eateries.  The is more different types of food there that can be counted on the fingers and toes together.

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The beach just to the north, and where the market stalls set up at night.

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Further north, through the highrises, and far, far into the distance towards Brisbane.

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North, again, looking up Cavill Avenue.

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South, showing highrises and the Q Tower.

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South, taken from the Q Tower, the coastline to Coolangatta dotted with high rise apartment blocks.

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The two towers behind the Grand Chancellor, are the twin towers of the Hilton Hotel.

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From the Q Tower, looking towards the canal residential precinct.

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Yes, we were looking for whales, no we didn’t see any.  The ocean, though, was unusually calm.

Just one of many reading lists – part 2

**Please don’t assume that you have to, nor would I ever expect you to,  read any or all of these books.  You don’t.**

Everyone, it seems, will publish what they call the top 100 books that you should read.  Some are voted on, some belong to the opinion of the editor of the book review section of a newspaper, and, as you know, there are a lot of newspapers, a lot of editors, and a lot of opinions.

I’m not a newspaper, I’m not an editor, but I have a list, based on personal experience, and many, many years of reading.

It’s in no particular order.

21.  Passage of Arms by Eric Ambler, I have to say I have read most of his novels and they are very good

22.  Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, a very powerful story of a courageous, independent woman

23.  The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers, a 1903 secret service story, and a good example of an early espionage novel

24.  The Father Brown stories by G. K. Chesterton, which features a Roman Catholic priest who is also an amateur detective

25.  The Grantchester Mysteries by James Runcie, similar to the above, but featuring an Anglican vicar Sidney Chambers and set in the 1950s.  Recently brought to life on television.

26.  The High Commissioner by Jon Cleary, an Australian author, this novel introduces Sargeant Scobie Malone, in the first of many adventures

27.  A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, the first Dickens book I read, possibly because it was one of the shortest, and paved the way to reading all of his books.  Who could forget Madame Defarge

28.  Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh, another of those delightful but depressing stories of the 20s through to the 40s, perhaps for some, the golden age.  What could be said, in the end, about the Flytes?

29.  The Godfather by Mario Puzo, is the story of the Corleone mafia family, and for me, the most interesting part was that of the horse’s head, and of course, the death and mayhem

30.  The Shipping News by Annie Prouix, a Pulitzer Prize winner, and a story about a man, Quoyle, who against all odds puts his life slowly back together

31.  Detection Unlimited by Georgette Heyer, noted mostly for her Regency romances, she also wrote a series of detective novels.  This was her last detective novel published in 1953

32.  Poldark by Winston Graham, a series of stories about the Poldarks and Cornwall, and his arch-nemesis, George Warleggan

33.  Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene, one of many very interesting novels, this the first I read, followed by the Quiet American and Travels With My Aunt.  Seeing movies of some didn’t enhance the reading experience.

34.  The Mayor Of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy, another of his interesting but sometimes hard to read novels of rural England.  This led to Jude the Obscure and others in the ‘series’.  It all started with Tess of the D’Urbervilles.

35.  A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, set during the Italian campaign of World War 1.  He also wrote The Old Man of the Sea

36.  Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis, I don’t think he was all that lucky

37.  Whiskey Galore by Compton MacKenzie, the story of the ‘resue’ of several hundred cases of whiskey and the locals’ efforts to hide it.  Also famous for writing Monarch of the Glen, later a television series

38.  The Expedition of Humphry Clinker by Tobias Smollett, a collection of satirical observations of English life in the 1700s in spa towns and seaside resorts

39.  Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope, part of the series known as the Chronicles of Barsetshire and features the unpopular Bishop Proudie and Mrs. Proudie

40. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie, Christie’s first book published in 1920, and introduced Poirot, Arthur Hastings, and Inspector Japp.  Who knew so many books would follow

The list continues