Friday, June 26, 2009

Bread and Circuses

While Rome (the US) burns, figuratively, of course, the Fourth Branch of Government (the mass media) offer us fluff for news. This morning I was listening to the radio while getting ready for the day. Neal Boortz was talking about the Congress getting ready to vote on the energy bill, with all its new fees (hidden taxes) on the middle class. Then came the news on the hour (ABC, if you care, it could have been any of them). What is the top story that took up over a minute of the 5 minute (minus advertising)? Michael Jackson! Do you think we are declining as Rome was?

Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses (Juvenal, Satire 10.77–81).

Monday, June 22, 2009

Great letter on Glenn Beck program

I listen to Glenn Beck on occasion. Last week he read a great letter from a woman in Arizona who is tired of the two political parties. What she says is fantastic. Here is the first paragraph:
I’m a home grown American citizen, 53, registered Democrat all my life. Before the last presidential election I registered as a Republican because I no longer felt the Democratic Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. Now I no longer feel the Republican Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. The fact is I no longer feel any political party or representative in Washington represents my views or works to pursue the issues important to me. There must be someone. Please tell me who you are. Please stand up and tell me that you are there and that you’re willing to fight for our Constitution as it was written. Please stand up now. You might ask yourself what my views and issues are that I would horribly feel so disenfranchised by both major political parties. What kind of nut job am I? Will you please tell me?


Read the whole thing here and an interview he has with the author here.

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Lawn woes

Last week my mower died. It took several trips to various mower stores, but I finally found a push-type lawn mower I can afford. Man, those things cost a lot. My mechanic told me to get a John Deere because they have a Kawasaki overhead valve engine, but all the ones I saw had regular old Briggs & Stratton side valves, and cost $100 more than other brands. I even had a JD salesman tell me they did not reorder the J series because they had too many returned last year. So I got a hardly used Lawn Boy. It even has an oil pump. I need that because I mow an embankment. Now I know why mowers did not last long for me, because when I mow the embankment, only one of the cylinders was getting any oil! Now, off to do the job before the next rainfall.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Something fun!

Over at World Magazine Blog, several of us have been keeping a fun thread alive for over six months. But alas and alack, it died last night because no one added another word for two days. It is a game of Cyber Scrabble with these rules:

* We’ll start off with the word “Pray.”
* The first player should change one letter of “Pray” and post it in the comment section.
* Subsequent players should work off the last word published in the comment section.
* You can’t add letters.
* You can’t use foreign (or foul!) languages.
* You can only change one letter.
* You can’t repeat a word already used.

I know the list of 2129 words below contains some not allowed in the board game, but they are all according to the rules. If you wish to play along, go for it! I am going to add one word each day until I run out of usable words. In order not to repeat, use the "find" function of your browser (usually under the "Edit" on the menu bar). Or, copy and paste the list into Word or another word processor with a "find" function. If you are stumped for words, do what I do. I go to Dictionary.com.

Let's have fun!

pray, play, plan, clan, clap, flap, flip, flit, flat, blat, beat, seat, seal, peal, pear, peat, meat, heat, hear, dear, deer, doer, dyer, dyes, dyed, died, dies, pies, hies, hits, fits, bits, zits, pits, pots, pats, path, bath, math, moth, mote, mite, site, sire, hire, mire, mere, more, fore, fort, tort, sort, sore, bore, bork, born, torn, morn, corn, horn, worn, wort, wore, lore, lyre, pyre, tyre, tyro, pyro, piro, lure, cure, core, cord, curd, card, bard, bird, bind, wind, wins, wink, wine, line, lone, pone, pong, pond, pony, puny, punt, runt, hunt, hint, hind, rind, kind, mind, mild, mile, mill, till, tilt, silt, silk, sill, will, wilt, welt, weld, meld, melt, molt, dolt, jolt, jilt, hilt, halt, malt, salt, sale, sole, sold, bold, told, gold, good, food, wood, mood, mold, hold, cold, cola, coda, code, cope, cape, care, pare, pane, wane, cane, café, cake, cade, made, wade, wale, male, pale, pace, race, rate, fate, face, fact, tact, pact, part, past, fast, last, list, mist, most, must, bust, bunt, bent, cent, lent, vent, went, wend, send, sent, tent, gent, pent, dent, dint, dirt, dart, cart, curt, hurt, hurl, burl, burn, burd, barm, bark, back, lack, lark, lurk, turk, tusk, rusk, risk, rise, rice, nice, mice, nite, note, rite, rote, robe, rube, cube, cute, lute, late, date, mate, maze, haze, hate, hare, harm, hard, herd, head, heap, reap, real, read, lead, bead, dead, fear, feat, neat, next, nest, best, west, test, jest, just, mush, hush, hash, gash, gush, push, bush, bash, cash, lash, lush, rush, ruse, rude, ride, hide, bide, side, tide, time, dime, mime, lime, like, link, sink, pink, pine, fine, find, fink, fins, pins, sins, sing, ring, rink, tink, tine, mine, mile, mule, mull, bull, full, fill, fall, tall, gall, ball, hall, haul, hail, jail, bail, wail, tail, fail, foil, fool, foot, hoot, toot, moot, boot, soot, root, coot, coon, loon, moon, moor, door, dour, four, foul, fowl, foal, coal, coat, goat, boat, boar, bear, gear, tear, tsar, csar, char, chap, chip, chit, chic, chin, shin, thin, than, that, what, chat, chad, chap, phat, prat, plat, plot, slot, slog, slug, smug, smog, shog, shot, spot, spat, spit, spin, span, spun, shun, shan, scar, scam, scat, scut, scug, snug, snag, snap, swap, swab, stab, star, soar, sour, soup, soul, soil, toil, roil, roll, toll, moll, tool, cool, pool, poll, boll, bowl, rows, cows, sows, sews, news, pews, hews, haws, hags, hams, hats, cats, bats, rats, mats, vats, vets, nets, bets, gets, lets, sets, pets, wets, wits, with, kith, kite, bite, bike, pike, pile, file, rile, bile, bole, mole, role, pole, poke, joke, loke, roke, rose, tote, cote, note, nose, lose, dose, pose, pope, rope, nope, hope, hole, hale, gale, bale, bake, hake, take, tace, mace, dace, lace, lice, tice, tike, hike, mike, nike, dike, dine, done, dome, dote, dope, dupe, dude, duke, dune, tune, tule, tale, talk, walk, wall, mall, mail, maid, said, paid, raid, rail, nail, sail, pail, pain, rain, main, gain, gawn, lawn, pawn, dawn, darn, dark, hark, mark, mare, make, sake, rake, fake, fare, dare, dame, fame, fume, fuse, muse, mute, mure, murk, musk, dusk, desk, deck, neck, nick, pick, pack, tack, sack, suck, sick, lick, luck, huck, tuck, buck, duck, dock, mock, monk, mink, minx, mint, lint, lino, dino, dink, ding, dong, long, gong, gone, hone, none, nine, kine, king, ping, wing, ling, lung, rung, sung, song, tong, tone, cone, come, home, hose, host, lost, cost, colt, bolt, belt, felt, pelt, pert, cert, cere, were, here, sere, Serb, herb, hero, herm, berm, beam, bean, wean, lean, leap, leak, peak, peas, pens, hens, lens, dens, deny, defy, deft, daft, raft, rapt, rant, pant, can’t, cast, cask, mask, task, bask, bank, tank, rank, sank, sunk, dunk, punk, puns, pang, yang, ying, zing, bing, bine, zine, zone, bone, bote, vote, vite, vise, vine, vane, vale, dale, kale, rale, rule, rune, runs, guns, suns, sums, bums, rums, rams, cams, dams, damp, ramp, camp, lamp, lamb, lame, same, tame, tams, tabs, cabs, cubs, hubs, rubs, rugs, bugs, hugs, hogs, dogs, pogs, pigs, figs, rigs, digs, gigs, wigs, jigs, jugs, mugs, tugs, pugs, pubs, pups, sups, sops, sots, tops, tots, mops, maps, caps, saps, naps, daps, taps, raps, laps, yaps, gaps, gape, gaze, raze, rage, rags, zags, bags, tags, tans, tang, dang, sang, fang, fans, fads, bads, bids, bins, buns, bunk, lunk, tunk, tonk, bonk, honk, hunk, hulk, sulk, bulk, balk, balm, calm, palm, pals, gals, gads, cads, dads, duds, buds, suds, subs, tubs, tuba, tube, tobe, tope, tore, gore, pore, port, mort, moat, doat, dost, post, wost, wast, wasp, gasp, rasp, rash, dash, mash, mast, hast, bast, vast, vest, rest, pest, lest, fest, fent, rent, reit, rein, reim, ream, team, teal, teat, teak, teas, seas, seam, slam, sham, shag, stag, swag, sway, swat, swan, swam, spam, spay, spar, slar, sear, rear, roar, road, load, toad, goad, goal, soal, soap, slap, slip, slop, stop, stob, stub, stun, stud, spud, scud, scum, slum, glum, glue, blue, clue, slue, flue, flub, flab, blab, blub, blob, slob, slub, club, chub, chug, chum, crum, cham, cram, gram, grim, grip, trip, trim, tram, trap, tray, fray, gray, grey, trey, prey, drey, dreg, drag, draw, craw, crew, crow, grow, brow, brew, blew, blow, slow, slew, stew, step, stem, seem, seed, seep, keep, peep, peel, reel, feel, feed, heed, heel, keel, keen, been, beet, beep, deep, jeep, veep, veer, seer, beer, bier, tier, pier, pien, lien, linn, lion, pion, poon, noon, nook, look, kook, cook, book, boon, soon, goon, gown, down, town, mown, mows, tows, toys, boys, buys, guys, goys, joys, jays, pays, cays, days, bays, rays, lays, says, saws, paws, jaws, jabs, jobs, joes, foes, roes, toes, ties, lies, lips, hips, sips, tips, tins, tint, tift, sift, soft, loft, loot, loop, coop, poop, hoop, hood, hoed, coed, toed, teed, deed, weed, reed, peed, pend, lend, tend, bend, fend, rend, mend, mead, mean, meal, veal, deal, dean, dern, tern, pern, porn, pork, fork, dork, cork, work, word, worm, warm, ward, wars, warn, barn, tarn, yarn, yard, lard, lord, lorn, loan, loam, roam, foam, form, norm, dorm, doom, room, boom, loom, zoom, coom, coos, boos, boas, bogs, bods, bode, rode, node, nude, nuke, puke, pure, sure, dure, dire, fire, wire, tire, tare, tape, type, tope, lope, lobe, lobs, logs, loge, doge, dove, love, live, hive, hove, move, wove, wave, have, pave, save, sane, safe, sage, sate, gate, gave, game, came, cave, case, cage, page, mage, mane, mase, mise, miss, moss, boss, toss, loss, less, fess, fest, fist, gist, hist, hiss, kiss, kips, dips, dins, dons, sons, sobs, gobs, mobs, toms, tomb, comb, bomb, boob, boor, poor, pour, pout, tout, tour, hour, hoar, hoer, hoes, goes, does, dots, cots, rots, robs, bobs, bibs, dibs, ribs, fibs, libs, jibs, nibs, nips, rips, rims, rime, rife, life, wife, wipe, ripe, pipe, kipe, lipe, sipe, sine, cine, cite, cate, pate, bate, base, babe, bade, fade, jade, hade, lade, lode, mode, mope, moue, roué, rout, bout, lout, loud, laud, baud, bald, band, bond, fond, fund, funk, sunk, gunk, junk, June, jube, lube, luge, lugs, lags, legs, kegs, begs, beds, bees, sees, seek, seen, teen, tees, tens, Bens, Kens, Kent, Keno, kino, kink, Kirk, kick, tick, tics, Tims, aims, dims, doms, moms, mome, some, soma, sofa, soda, coda, coma, loma, lima, limb, limp, gimp, wimp, wamp, warp, carp, harp, tarp, taro, tars, tart, mart, hart, wart, want, wand, land, lane, lake, wake, ware, rare, rave, lave, lava, lama, rama, raga, riga, ruga, yuga, yoga, toga, togs, tobs, toby, Tory, dory, gory, Cory, lory, Lori, loci, lock, cock, rock, hock, pock, puck, muck, yuck, ruck, rusk, busk, husk, cusk, cusp, cush, cuss, fuss, buss, bass, bars, cars, carb, garb, barb, barf, bare, Bari, Bali, Mali, Magi, mags, sags, wags, nags, nabs, Labs, lats, eats, ears, Mars, oars, oats, gats, gabs, dabs, dais, daws, laws, lows, bows, vows, pows, wows, woes, woks, woke, coke, cove, rove, jove, Rome, Nome, name, nape, rape, Raye, rabe, rase, lase, ease, east, oast, oust, rust, lust, gust, dust, duct, duet, duel, fuel, furl, curl, curb, curs, furs, firs, firm, farm, marm, marl, maul, waul, gaul, guar, gaud, gaum, geum, germ, perm, peri, perk, park, pard, para, parr, pars, jars, jams, gams, gums, guts, juts, puts, ruts, nuts, buts, butt, putt, putz, lutz, futz, fuzz, fuze, faze, daze, doze, dole, doll, dell, fell, well, tell, sell, self, delf, dels, gels, delf, geld, gild, gilt, lilt, lift, gift, girt, airt, airs, sirs, sits, nits, kits, kids, lids, Lido, Fido, fids, feds, fees, pees, peer, weer, week, meek, leek, peek, reek, geek, beek, beck, bock, sock, nock, yock, jock, jook, took, rook, hook, hoof, goof, roof, loof, loaf, leaf, deaf, neaf, near, wear, weak, weal, heal, hell, hill, yill, yell, bell, bill, pill, dill, gill, rill, kill, kiln, Kirn, kern, karn, earn, Earl, carl, cark, nark, nary, Navy, nave, neve, nene, gene, gens, fens, yens, mens, mess, mass, pass, pads, lads, lass, sass, tass, tase, vase, vasa, visa, vita, pita, pika, puka, puma, duma, dumb, dump, pump, hump, bump, lump, rump, rums, hums, huts, cuts, cues, sues, dues, hues, rues, ryes, ayes, eyes, eyed, eked, ekes, ukes, Utes, uses, used, user, Umer, omer, oner, over, aver, Acer, aces, Ares, ages, ales, Alps, alms, elms, elds, ends, ands, ants, arts, aits, acts, alts, alto, alas, Alan, Klan, flan, flag, flog, blog, clog, Clow, glow, glop, plop, plow, flow, flaw, slaw, slab, slay, flay, flam, flak, flax, flex, flea, flee, glee, gled, sled, fled, flew, fley, Frey, fret, free, tree, Cree, bree, Brie, brim, brig, grig, grit, brit, bris, bras, brat, bran, brag, bray, brad, bred, bled, blet, blot, clot, clod, clad, clay, cloy, clop, clou, chou, chop, chow, show, snow, stow, scow, scop, Scot, swot, swob, swab, scab, scad, shad, shod, shop, shoe, shoo, shmo, sumo, sump, gump, gamp, samp, simp, sims, jims, mims, mums, tums, tuts, tits, tats, tads, Taos, Laos, naos, nays, ways, wads, weds, Reds, Keds, zeds, meds, megs, pegs, regs, refs, rifs, rins, vins, hins, huns, duns, nuns, nubs, bubs, burs, ours, outs, orts, orbs, arbs, albs, alls, ally, illy, ills, ells, Elks, Elko, Esks, asks, arks, arms, arcs, arfs, ares, awes, axes, Abes, Abel, abet, abed, aged, aced, acid, arid, grid, grin, gein, vein, vain, lain, loin, join, coin, coil, boil, moil, noil, noir, coir, coit, Voit, Toit, twit, twig, twin, tain, fain, fair, pair, lair, laid, laic, lais, lams, yams, yaws, caws, cans, cons, cobs, cogs, cods, cops, bops, bors, bots, mots, lots, jots, jogs, jags, gags, dags, fags, fogs, fogy, dogy, dozy, doxy, dopy, copy, copt, COFT, toft, tuft, tuff, buff, huff, puff, duff, guff, puff, muff, miff, tiff, biff, jiff, riff, rifs, rids, aids, ails, awls, owls, owns, owes, ores, ones, odes, odea, idea, Ikea, ilea, plea, plew, pled, plod, prod, prom, prop, crop, drop, trop, trow, prow, frow, frog, grog, grot, GRAT, grit, gait, wait, whit, whet, when, whew, chew, chaw, Chas, chis, this, thus, thud, thug, trug, true, grue, grub, grum, gaum, GAUS, gars, gays, geys, keys, leys, leds, peds, teds, tews, Jews, mews, dews, dewy, demy, demo, memo, meme, deme, heme, hemp, hems, gems, rems, reps, ceps, cups, tups, tupi, tipi, Topi, tori, tors, mors, mods, muds, cuds, cuda, Cuba, Suda, Sura, surf, turf, turn, curn, carn, Cain, Caen, Haen, taen, Jaen, Jael, jarl, farl, fard, nard, nerd, need, meed, meet, feet, deet, deem, derm, dere, fere, fern, hern, hers, herp, Hera, Bera, Bert, Bern, berg, burg, burp, burr, bury, fury, jury, Jura, Bura, bora, bort, bott, both, doth, loth, lota, rota, rotl, roti, Roth, ruth, rath, Gath, Goth, SOTH, Seth, meth, Mets, muts, muss, muns, mans, Mays, maya, mayo, kayo, Karo, Faro, Fars, fats, nats, SATS, SANS, bans, bams, Sams, Pams, paps, pans, pons, mons, eons, tons, ions, inns, inks, irks, ires, ides, ices, iced, Icee, inee, knee, knew, know, knob, knot, knit, snit, slit, skit, skim, swim, slim, shim, ship, whip, whim, whom, whop, whap, wrap, crap, crab, drab, dram, drat, frat, fiat, fiar, liar, Lear, year, yeas, yean, yead, yeld, held, helm, help, yelp, yelk, Belk, bels, eels, eens, wens, wans, vans, vang, hang, gang, dang, rang, bang, lang, lans, Hans, haps, hops, hobs, nobs, fobs, foss, doss, docs, dors, Dora, Mora, Cora, fora, forb, ford, fold, folk, polk, yolk, yold, wold, wolf, golf, rolf, roff, doff, daff, gaff, guff, goff, coff, coif, coof, poof, woof, wool, mool, Kool, Lohl, koel, Joel, noel, noll, Nell, cell, call, cull, cult, celt, delt, gelt, geat, gean, pean, Kean, keas, leas, yeas, leal, geal, feal, zeal, Beal, baal, baul, Raul, Paul, pall, paly, poly, holy, holt, holm, holp, halp, hasp, hase, hame, mame, mama, mara, Mary, miry, wiry, wary, Gary, Cary, carf, zarf, Zara, Zada, nada, dada, dado, dato, NATO, Nate, Tate, Kate, yate, Yale, nale, Nile, wile, tile, vile, vice, dice, dece, duce, puce, pule, pull, pulp, gulp, gull, dull, lull, loll, lall, lill, sall, sull, wull, woll, woul, joul, jowl, cowl, coll, cole, tole, toke, hoke

Oh, and if you want to see the original thread, complete with comments about what some of the obscure words mean, click here.

ADDENDUM: June 9- I've been busy, so have not gotten to this. New word: JOWL.
Since tomorrow I leave for a short vacation, here are a few more words: COWL, COLL (to embrace), COLE (besides a name, it is a kind of mustard), TOLE, TOKE, HOKE

Current count: 2143.