Saturday, March 28, 2009

...:smiliemoment:...

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I thought I might make a permanent record of the origin of the ...:smiliemoment:..., a 'phrase' that I use occasionally ... OK, maybe frequently, on the web.

I have always disliked using ordinary emoticons or static/animated smilies. Regular text/character emoticons just seemed a little goofy to me. So I generally did not use them.

When I did . . .things seemed to go wrong. In fact, I was once taken to task for using an emoticon/smilie to inadequately deflect the true meaning of a post on a message board. The poster replied with their own silly little post filled with silly jabs and pokes at me and then posted a smilie at the end.

Image source: schoschie via flickr dot com

Their point was that a smilie did not always mitigate the content of a post.


At that moment I invented my own silly ...:smiliemoment:... Which could be embedded with a descriptive statement. ...:likethissmiliemoment:...

So now when I am just teasing, I can leave a ...:justteasingsmiliemoment:...

If I am saying something so 'outrageous' and so jokingly that it should not need explanation that I am kidding it would result in ...:donotmakemeuseasmiliemoment:...


Part of the 'fun' (or torture) of others reading a ...:smiliemoment:... is deciphering or 'parsing' the hidden message in it. ...:ifyouknowwhatimeansmiliemoment:... At least some have told me they find it interesting.


Over time, the need for a 'quick' smilie evolved into a shorter version. Namely the ...:minism:...


Anyway. So now I use them all over the web, even for audiences that may not know what they mean.

But at least now if you see me leaving a ...:smiliemoment:... somewhere you now might have a better idea of what it means and why I use them.


Next lesson: sleeper's/...tom...'s use of ...smalllol...


...tom...

A collection of more text emoticons than I ever suspected existed...
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Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Nine on the Ninth__March

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OK, OK. Just a wee bit late with 'nine on the ninth' this month.

The whole idea, at least as I try to apply it, is to motivate myself to take more pictures, to be more critical about which ones I post, and to further my photography 'experience' . . .whatever the h3ll that means.

So here I am, two weeks-plus late, grabbing some photos over the last day or two, and throwing them up here late at night. ...sigh...


Anyway . . .away we go. Oh wait..!!

Do note that I am just going to 'center' them all. I have found the blogspot/blogger does a crap job of formatting the arrangement of photos across various browsers and video displays/monitors. So the heck with it this month; I will just post everything down the middle and see how it looks.


OK . . .now ...away we go..!!



Lead with your weakest stuff, right..??

A cardinal, a regular visitor to our crabapple trees, photographed through triple-pane window and plastic film ...with digital zoom dialed full on. Could have tried to go outside and capture him ...but surely he would have flown away. (Did I mention wifey is a 'cardinal nut'..??)


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Some postcards picked up to send to an Eps friend currently hospitalized. As I told the wifey . . .they have to shout 'Iowa'.

Well, lets see: giant ear of corn, cute pigs, and a windmill. That and 'Iowa' emblazoned all over them. Mission accomplished.


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Cupboard door under sink, rug in front of sink, wooden floor. Kinda interesting patterns ... and I am desperate for a kinda decent picture to use here...


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Fruit, light, shadows. I like this one. I would try to 'isolate' the pineapple and bananas more next time, but still works for me...


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Cup ...coffee ...shadow ...reflection.


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Light from a western-oriented window streaming through a bottle of dishwashing liquid. I like the color of the fluid, the light, the shadows, the diffraction...


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Nighttime, walnut tree, moon ...not as good as I wanted but . . .meh. I really liked the color of the moon ...so I did not try to correct the color of the overall picture. Which leaves the branches looking a bit strange ...but I love that moon.


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That later-afternoon sunlight streaming through the window again. Falling on the cabinets opposite the sink in our smallish galley kitchen. I love the way the molding on the doors breaks up the lines of light.


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Our son came over for dinner tonight. Parked his car on the street (despite room for a half dozen cars in our two driveways.) Daft neighbor backs his pickup into the rear of it. Idiot, son and neighbor. Says he is good for it. We will see.


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Anyway. That is it. Nine for the ninth ...early in the morning on the 26th. Promising myself a better effort for next month. It is almost/is spring time..!! Lots of outdoor color and activity coming up..!!



...tom...
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Monday, March 23, 2009

Monolithic Oil

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OK, OK. These music and video posts are so cheap . . .but what the hey.

"Monolithic Oil Corporation. We want you to . . .pay."





...tom...
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Saturday, March 14, 2009

' Say what..?!? ' Number 3

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Previous 'say what' posts ... where I discuss and link various 'unique phrases' I have found while reading online.

Say What #2, Feb 2009

Say What #1, Sep 2008





What defines a 'unique phrase'..?? Well, it has to be at least two words. A one word phrase makes no sense, right..?? These unique phrases also have to be made up of real words, though I will stretch the definition for a word or phrase that still would be recognizable for most readers.

With more and more bloggers every day . . .I am sure more and more unique phrases will continue to be created and shared across the web


So again, as I stated in my earlier post two word 'unique' phrases earn a gold medal, three words a silver, and four word unique phrases draw a bronze medal.

See, that is all kinda cool. Come along with me. Lets see what shiny baubles we have found this time.



Unique phrases I have crafted or discovered:





No results found for "feeling autopsied"
Not even the place where I found it. What is up Google..??

"This book left me feeling autopsied." From an Epinions review of a Patricia Daniels Cornwell novel featuring Dr. Kay Scarpetta, ... a renown(sic) forensic pathologist. Apparently some of the medical descriptions were a bit over the top...

Two results found for "poise of emptiness."
From another Epinions review: "They have to be to fix such poise of emptiness."

The writer was describing a book that captures that island of Cuba in photographs. As the author of the review notes: "There's no depth, no momentum" to the pictures of the book. A wonderful phrase and a wonderful review.

No results found for "cooing idiocy"
A comment on yet another Epinions review: " ... she has neither 'hardened' to the point of detached coldness nor 'softened' to mere cooing idiocy as many people we've encountered seem to in the professional animal care industry."

The comment was addressing the idea that some animal shelter workers become 'cold and hard' by their work while others go to the opposite extreme of "cooing idiocy"

Two results found for "with wincing beauty"
Yet another Eps review: "They're authentic emotions encountered on the rollercoaster of feelings during life ... displayed ... with wincing beauty."

These words are from a review of the film Marley and Me, describing the experience of viewing the film.

Just another example of the quality of writing found on Epinions.



Once again, just the latest update on my little web reading-n-writing obsession. Looking forward to sharing more once again on down the road.

Hey, if you have any examples of your own please share them in a comment..!!


...tom...
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Thursday, March 5, 2009

Obsession Confession...

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Even the name of the song is cool: 'Obsession Confession'.

First heard it while listening to a 'smooth jazz' station on-line. When I alt-tabbed backed to the page, to see who was playing the guitar . . .my jaw dropped.

So much for that stereotype..!!


'Obsession Confession'



Apparently this was featured in the 1996 film Curdled. Never heard of the film before, never heard the song before. But wow..!! It impresses me right now.

I guess stereotypes are made to be broken. This is the last song I would have guessed Slash to be playing..!!

Anyway . . .hopefully you did/will enjoy it as much as I did.


...tom...