Memes for a Monday

A gaggle of s..ts and giggles for a Monday morning. Many of them related to those damn electronics we love to hate but we are glued to right now.

And to receive scam calls that we ignore because we don’t recognize the phone number.

For Doctor Spo and others – no we’re not laughing at you but with (ach)you.

AI is easier.

And those of us who don’t garden depend on that.

If only ….

This is for one special person – you know who you are.

You try to help people and they get all pissy. Honestly!

Hmm. Am a traitor to my generation if I call “overstating”?

Well thank god for nerds!

But how else do I get my windows cleaned?

I thought the skies were not cloudy?

When I worked at Ottawa Airport a pilot once told me that he navigate to Toronto by following the telephone poles and turn right at the Lake.

I wore shorts for a skit at the Club the other evening they didn’t have to use the lights!

My work for the week.

The word for April 15^th is:
Meme /mēm/: [noun]
^1.1 A unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another.
^1.2 Any unit of cultural information, such as a practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another.
^1.3 A self-propagating unit of cultural evolution having a resemblance to the gene (the unit of genetics).
^1.4 A thought, idea, joke, or concept that spreads online, often virally. Can be in the form of an image, a video, an email, an animation, or music.
1976, introduced by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in “The Selfish Gene,” coined by him from Greek sources, such as mimeisthai “to imitate” and intended to echo gene. Digital Age sense of “an image or snippet of video or text considered witty or incisive that is spread widely and rapidly by internet users” is by 1997.

Mercoledi Musicale

There is no question that Cole Porter was one of the great composer-song writers of the 20^th century. However while listening to a jazz station on Sirius today I wondered what the hell inspired him to write Miss Otis Regrets. It is certainly one of his quirkiest songs. So being of an inquiring mind I did a bit of enquiring.

Apparently the song started out as a bit of a joke at a New York house party in 1934. After hearing a cowboy’s lament that was playing on the radio Porter sat at the piano and improvised a parody of the tale of a wronged woman who had her revenge but paid for it in the end. The tune is blues inspired but the lyrics turn the country girl into a society lady who observes her Emily Post to the bitter end. The song became a popular party piece for Porter with his old friend Monty Woolley performing it as a butler conveying the news of Miss Otis’s sad fate to his mistress. And that’s how the great British comic actor Douglas Byng played it when it was performed on stage in a London revue.

Monty Woolley as himself in the highly fictionalized Night and Day – the story of Cole Porter’s life.

Strangely for such a trifling pedigree it became one of the most frequently covered of the songs in his prolific catalogue. And not just by the usual suspects. Sure Ella, Frank, Tony et al have put their stamp on it but so have Bryan Ferry, Bette Midler, Marlene Dietrich, Linda Ronstadt, Edith Piaf, Nat King Cole, Josh White, Van Morrison, Ute Lemper, Bobby Short, José Facliciano, Kristy MacColl with the pipes and drums of the Irish Guards (!) and more.

It has also become a standard with cabaret artists and as an instrumental number with jazz musicians. Perhaps that later explains why it has morphed over the past seven decades from the comic to, at the very least, the semi-serious. Under the parody lyrics the melody has a bluesy tone that expresses real heartache. But even the sparse, almost brutal, lyrics suggest a very human tragedy. And that is the genius of Cole Porter – a trifle composed on a whim that is a chameleon and has become a standard.

A bit of grammar for January 31^st:
Inquire and Enquire have the same roots from the Latin word quaere (to ask). The two are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference. The word “enquire” (or “enquiry”) means to ask a general question, both formally and informally. While “inquire” (or ‘inquiry”) is more formal and used to request information in legal or official investigations. I guess that would explain why it’s The National Enquirer.

Memes for a Monday

A bagful of Christmasy memes to bring a snicker, a snort, or a smile to your hectic day.

Time is running out but you can always blame Canada Post!

Finally the last tin icicle (250 of the little buggers) has been hung on our tree but there may be people just starting their tree.

A logical answer to my mind but …..

Then get a smaller tree!

We thank who ever came up with the idea of prelit! You have a star on your crown in Heaven.

I’ll just let you deal with this.

I hate being judged by some old white guy’s standards.

Only if Santa ODed on Jennie Craig would I look like Santa Claus.

Think about it – he goes from house to house drinking milk out of millions of glasses – he’s lucky that’s all he got!

I don’t blame him.

Come on – he only works one night a year – he has to have a sideline to get by.

Why? Just why?

As much as I love antipasti – no! Just no!

And you thought the Caesar was “unusual”.

There are only two Christmas cakes that I enjoyed – my father’s and my dear friend John’s.

And because we approach a religious season ..

Probably the third most read story at Christmas – such a lovely tradition.

The word for December 18^th is:
Sideline /sīd′līn″/: [^1. noun ^2. verb]
^1.1 A line along either of the two sides of a playing court or field, marking its limits.
^1.2 The space outside such limits, occupied by coaches, inactive players, and spectators.
^1.3 The position or point of view of those who observe rather than participate in an activity.
^1.4 A subsidiary line of merchandise.
^1.5 An activity pursued in addition to one’s regular occupation.
^2.1 To remove or keep from active participation.
1768: “line extending along or attached to the side of anything,” 1768. The specific sense of “line marking the limits of playing area” (on a football field, etc.) is by 1862.The meaning “course of business aside from one’s regular occupation” is from 1890. The figurative sense of “position removed from active participation” is attested from 1934 (because players who are not in the game stand along the sidelines). The verb meaning “put out of play” is from 1945.

Memes for a Monday

After of Sunday of glorious sunshine it’s turned dreary and cool so time to brighten up Monday. And since it’s the Dog Days here’s some canine giggles. Note: I am using my iPad for the next two weeks and I am still not sure of all bells and whistle. Please bear with me as the formatting may be a bit off.

I don’t know about you but we’ve support our local vets. They drive BMWs and we have a six year old Elantra.

Hmmm and how do we get the results ….. never mind.

Nicky owns the bottom left post on our four poster.

…. I’m just to cool for these puppy things

The Fabio of canines ……

Not a problem in our house …… it’s always cookie.

Small things ….. or maybe small pleasures.

Okay kid work it! Give me coy! Give me the old Come hither!

Something tells this won’t be Dave’s last puppy cone.

And because I believe in charity I ask you to give generously to this worthy cause.

The word for August 21st is:
Hither ˈhiT͟Hər: [adverb]
to or toward this place.
ˈOld English hider, of Germanic origin; related to he and here.

Throwback Thursday

No faithful reader this is not a repeat of a previous post – the sort of thing the good Dr Spo rails against as being unimaginative. It is a reminiscence that goes back to long before I began to blog to when I was but a callow youth. Let’s take the Wayback Machine to a high school in a community on the western edge of Toronto sixty-0dd years ago.

Quels chapeaux! That hat was comic relief enough.

When writing about Kismet yesterday I was reminded of The Forest Prince, a “floperetetta” that we presented at Alderwood Collegiate back in the day. The music was adapted from the works of Tchaikovsky: rousing manly drinking choruses, courtly dances, more manly military choruses, spinning choruses for the female ensemble, touching love duets and triumphant finales. The story was the standard operetta plot: Russian princess held captive by Cossacks reluctantly falls in love with their brave leader. The Tsar’s army is headed by a cowardly prince who, with the court jester, provides comic relief. The brave Cossack leader defeats the invading Tarters and in the end turns out to be the Tsar’s long lost son. QUEL SURPRISE! The Princess and new found Tsarevich could safely wed as they were only first cousins. The cowardly prince disappeared after Act 2 and did not reappear until the curtain call.

A bold Cossack and a cowardly Prince with Judy Cameron who did their make up!

I was the cowardly Prince Dmitri and I dare say the only comic relief provided was the hat I was given to wear and my spindly shanks in white tights.

The word for August 10^th is:
Coward kou′ərd: [noun]
^1.1 One who shows ignoble fear in the face of danger or pain.
^1.2 One who lacks courage to meet danger; one who shrinks from exposure to possible harm of any kind; a timid or pusillanimous person; a poltroon; a craven.
^1.3 In heraldry, an animal represented with the tail hanging down, or turned up between the legs, as a lion or other beast of prey. Also coué.
From Old French coart, cuard ( > French couard), from coe (“tail”) + -ard (“pejorative agent noun”); coe is in turn from Latin cauda. The reference seems to be to an animal “turning tail”, or having its tail between its legs, especially a dog.