In which our hero listens to the locals and meets a ghost

The quest for the Honest Scrap continues . . .


The inn in Mordavia is a cheery, bustling place full of happy, friendly people. Except without the cheer. And the bustle. And the happy, friendly people . . .



The music in the inn, barely audible in the background, is Anitra's Dance by composer Edvard Grieg:



The same (a jazzed up version of it) by Regina Carter:


MORE >

The Eyes Have It

-
Here is that old question again---it goes way back in time:


Why is it that when a man tells a woman that he wants her . . . she looks down?


Most women do.

In-depth, thought-provoking looks at issues such as this have long been part of a renowned and respected Wulfshead's tradition epitomized by Ben Varkentine's esteemed Philosophy Lectures series [1] [2] [3].

In keeping with the tradition, it is my pleasure to present to you today: Dr. Paul Vehorn!


How to Know if a Shy Girl Likes You -- powered by eHow.com

Dr. Paul Vehorn has a Ph.D and did graduate work in behavior psychology. He has also been a nationwide talk show host on the Sun Radio Network. Dr. Vehorn wrote "Dynamic Dating" and "Boomer Girls, a Woman's Guide to Men & Dating."
MORE >

J'entends le Moulin

Refrain:

J'entends le moulin
Tique, tique, taque
J'entends le moulin, taque.

Mon père a fait bâtir maison
J'entends le moulin taque
L'a fait bâtir à trois pignons
Tique, tique, tique, taque.

Sont trois charpentiers qui la font,
J'entends le moulin taque,
Mais le plus jeun', c'est mon mignon,
Tique, tique, tique, taque.

Qu'apportes-tu, mon p'tit fripon?
J'entends le moulin taque
C'est un pâté de trois pigeons
Tique, tique, tique, taque.

Asseyons- nous et le mangeons
J'entends le moulin taque
En s'asseyant, il fit un bond
Tique, tique, tique, taque.

En s'asseyant, il fit un bond
J'entends le moulin taque
Qui fit trembler mer et poissons
Tique, tique, tique, taque.

Qui fit trembler mer et poissons,
J'entends le moulin taque
Et les cailloux qui sont au fond
Tique, tique, tique, taque.
MORE >

KEEP EM COMING BARTENDER

The most we can ask from life is that it takes a day off from kicking us in the ass Bartender.

I worked for years on the unions negotiating committee. Was an officer and active in local politics. Was able to get benefits for my brothers and sisters we never had. Guaranteed work week. Job and benefit protections. Pay parity between male and female workers. Allowed to use accrued sick time to take care of family members.

In one ten minute meeting, the negotiating committee that replaced mine gave it all back. When I asked them what the hell was going on the big union chief said "They can do this. I can't hear you."

I expect and even respect the opposition trying to stick it to us. That's their job. Why my side thought they needed help is beyond me.

One more for the road Bartender.

MORE >

COOL ORWELLIAN LAPD TV SPOT CREEPING FOLKS OUT

An ad released by the Los Angeles Police Department urging the public to participate in an anti-terror snooping program is being described by numerous observers and news sources by a single word: Creepy.

The one-and-a-half minute spot, which can be viewed below, features a multicultural line-up of speakers explaining why they participate in iWatch, a "neighborhood watch for the whole city," as the ad describes it.

"If you see, hear, or smell something suspicious, report it. Reporting is easy. Use the web or the phone," the speakers state. "A single report can lead to actions that can stop a terrorist attack. Think about that. Think about the power of that. Think about the power of iWatch."

And indeed plenty of people are now thinking about the power of iWatch, and many observers are not impressed. Allison Kilkenny, on her TrueSlant blog, says it won't be long before iWatch will be exploited by people for their own purposes.

Tina Dupuy at the media-affairs blog MediaBistro writes that the ad "is universally thought to be creepy and not unlike we've imagined PSA's on Orwell's telescreens to be like."

But our reaction is why did this take so long? Hello! September 11th 2001 was like eight years ago. It's taken the LAPD this long to ask Angelenos to be on the look out for anything suspicious in regards to terrorism?! What, did they get stuck in traffic for the better part of a decade?

The full story.....

MORE >

Jabberwocky

Jose de Creeft's Alice in Wonderland (click on the photo to enlarge.)

Alice in Wonderland

by Lewis Carroll, author of 'Jabberwocky.'

"Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

“And, hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

MORE >

Do you like Pistachios?

Ahhh.... well then, Click Here to see a 12 second video of me cracking one open. My sincerest apologies for stealing a 10 pound bag of the Wulfshead pistachio stock. Without them I'd never have attempted to try this for it took me quite some time to perfect my technique. ;-)
MORE >

Wulfshead Banned Phrases List

Realization doesn't destroy the individual any more than the reflection of the moon breaks a drop of water. A drop of water can reflect the whole sky.

---Dogen

The very act of observing disturbs the system.

---Walter Heisenberg

God hated reality but realized it was still the only place to get a good steak.

---Woody Allen

'Whatever' tops list of annoying slang
CBC News

The popular term "whatever" topped a list of five most annoying phrases, easily beating "you know," according to a poll by New York.-based Marist College.

The survey found that 47 per cent of Americans were highly annoyed by the slacker term, followed by 25 per cent who were most peeved at "you know."

Other annoying contenders were "it is what it is," with 11 per cent and "anyway," with seven per cent.

If you're not familiar with the phrase "it is what it is," (except from American TV) then there's a good chance you're Canadian.

That's because the two nations do have different slang, even in an era of Tweeting, texting and Facebooking, according to David Stover, president of the Oxford University Press Canada.

Thanks to the internet and the rise of social media, the English language is in a time of terrific change, with texting terms making it into daily conversation, at least among the younger crowd, he said.

The term "emo", is an example, said Stover. Emo is short for emotional in the texting world, but more and more it's making its way into spoken conversation.

But who knows how long it will last. Like the old saying, the bigger they are the harder they fall, the faster a slang term rises the quicker it seems to die, said Stover.

"What lexicographers have found in regard to slang — because of Twitter and Facebook — is that slang tends to bubble up even more quickly, but they last like mayflies. They disappear even faster," said Stover.

So far, annoying terms like "whatever," "like," and even "bootylicious," seem to be here for the long term, said Stover.

"Bootylicious has been around for a while, since 1992. And it's not going away any time soon," he said.

"Human beings are very creative. We tend not to just speak a language, but also play with a language," said Stover.

And besides leaders in popular culture, who are the great producers of new slang?

"Teenaged girls are among the most creative users," said Stover.

Asked why that is, Stover, the father of a teen daughter, joked that a psychologist might better answer the question, but added in all seriousness that it's because teen girls do a lot of talking with each other.

Stover says slang can be annoying but as a language lover, he wouldn't have it any other way.

"Annoyance is in the ear of the beholder," he said. "Repetition can make a phrase annoying but it also makes for a liveliness in everyday life. And you always have the option — if it's annoying just ignore it."

The Marist College poll surveyed 938 U.S. adults.

The five choices of phrases were chosen by people at the poll discussing what popular words and phrases might be considered especially annoying, said college spokeswoman Mary Azzoli.

with files from The Associated Press

http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2009/10/08/consumer-slang-poll.html
MORE >