The Major Motion Picture Jaws
is celebrating its 50th anniversary. If you ever wonder what's special about this blog and its perpetrator, it's this: I am the only living human who could have seen it contemporaneously with its release and haven't seen it until now. Fifty years Jaws-free, an omission I finally repaired.
There But For Fortune
Please observe at right a genuine fortune from a genuine fortune cookie from as genuine a Chinese restaurant one is likely to find in Sedona, Arizona.
I do not expect to discover this talent within myself! |
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So there's this obscure band named Ellie Pop who perpetrated an equally obscure, eponymous album. One of the songs, Seven North Frederick by name, has a wonderful two-part hook, the parts of which are separated by a mondegreen. The whole song is on YouTube, the subject of discussion is right here. 11 Seconds of unforgettable music: "...Money money money everywhere!" But what about the mondegreen? Listen as many times as necessary to decipher the lyric between Seven North Frederic and all that money. I did and failed miserably.
Terry to the rescue: She says, with impeccable logic, it reads "Seven North Frederick, better side o' town, money money money money everywhere."
Her version is correct, I'm sure, but I prefer mine: Butter Side Down.
First World Problem - Escheatment
If you ever wonder why you're so busy and never have time to do anything useful, consider this story. I returned to my place of striving for one of my occasional visits and started reading my stale postal mail. There was a letter claiming "action" was required. The dreaded "action" required making a telephone call, already a time sink. Apparently the ever-vigilant state of NJ was about to receive the proceeds of a dividend check I had neglected to deposit years ago. The check amount? 31 cents. My options were to do nothing, in which case the money would end up with the state treasurer who might dutifully try to find me and inform me of this treasure. Dreading having to deal with a state bureaucracy, I asked if it was possible to "do nothing" and have it all disappear? No! My other option was to request the company replace the check (by post, of course), wasting my time with the verification process and re-wasting their money, which they hopefully can spare for the postage which is probably about double the value of the check.*
Arrogant and Presumptuous
I've been thinking about these two words recently. I could write either too much or not enough about those thoughts. I'm going with "not enough."
Whoopsie. I accidentally left out "meddlesome."
Sensitivity Reader, Authenticity Reader
If you plan to write a book, either to be self-published or to be published by one of the organizations still in the business of creating and selling such artifacts, you might find my recent discovery interesting. And disquieting. These are two occupations of which I had never heard until recently.
A "sensitivity reader" is someone hired to look for offensive content, stereotypes, and bias in a literary work, and to create a report for an author or publisher with suggested changes.
"Authenticity readers" are experienced beta readers who think critically about a piece of writing. They are often hired by authors who are writing outside of their direct experience.
I've been intrigued for several years about the proliferation of professions, jobs, and activities. It's probably neither surprise nor insight that in the past, most people either farmed or made and sold stuff. There were no social media coordinators or influencers, Content creators had a much more limited role, and were often called writers or even authors. Pretty much everything I've read by genuine authors hasn't had the benefit of these two new professions. People who wrote "outside of their direct experience" who wanted their work to be authentic usually undertook "research." People who write offensive content and stereotypes benefit from knowing that anyone who enjoys their writing will most likely keep buying and reading, sensitivity be damned.
And people who write fiction? Quoting from a long-time newsgroup: "It's fiction, babe!"
Internet Search and Google's AI Mode
Two really quick stories about my recent interactions with Google.
1: I bought a container of Talenti Gelato, which was on sale. I couldn't open it. In fact, I couldn't even tell if I was supposed to pry off the top of the container or twist it off. The cover was unresponsive to either manual attempt.
Q: Dear Google: How do I open my gelato?
A: You have to stick a butter knife under the lid and rotate the container until the knife can circle the periphery.
Apparently the internet knows, even if Talenti neither includes a butter knife with purchase nor mentions this on the label
2: I have always used the words moiety and aliquot interchangeably, and I took to wondering what the distinction between them might be.
Q: Dear Google: What is the difference between the words moiety and aliquot.
A: Try it yourself. Ask a simple question and you get a pageant!
I have been reading recently that AI makes you stupid and internet search is devolving into mush. And yet, from the above vignettes, the only thing making me stupid at the moment is my advancing dotage. The internet is doing OK.
Lucy
| Lucy is a golden doodle puppy. Yes, we got a puppy. Beyond being quadrupeds, Lucy and Winston the Puppy couldn't be less alike. And yet, here she is! Quite the showoff, no? |
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* Or triple or quadruple if you're reading this in the future. Assuming, of course, there remains such a thing as "the post."
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