Not prop-icious.
Monday, April 24th, 2006
Okay, I typed it in, and here’s what came up, without links because I just don’t want to encourage this behavior: Daal-icious!, Apple-icious, The Market’s Gone Google-icious, Riddle-Icious Books, Scandal-icious Apparel, Jewlicious » Herzl-icious, Dill-icious Cheese Spread, Sequel-icious, People-icious, ya.flickr.icious, Bubbly-icious, Scrumdilly-icious, dexy-licious, Fiddle-icious, Pound iddly iddly icious, Bubble-icious.
No, wait, that’s just the first page.
Sandal-icious, Anderson Cooper is Kerfuffle-icious, MacGyver-icious Speakers, Mall-icious, meatballicious, Bagel-Icious, turtle-icious, six babble-icious years, Devil-icious Halloween, Folly-icious, Turcaret-icious, Maple-icious, nipple-icious, Simp-didily-icious!, Gloopee-icious, Nancy O’Dell-icious, Halo-icious!, Fertile-icious, pUrpLe|iciOus, Chill-icious Frozen Yogurt, ogle-icious, salty-icious, Chocol-icious Bread Pudding Muffins, Kiwi Melon-icious…oh, I can’t go on.
Please, please, think before you suffix.
Hed to come.
Monday, April 24th, 2006
As part of a flurry of library-book-reading after my finishing Arthur Gelb’s massive “City Room” memoir (a Christmas gift from a couple of years ago), I checked out the huge collection of New York Times front page reproductions called “Page One”—significant front pages from 1900 through 2000.
I think they were inspired by The Onion’s seminal “Our Dumb Century” or maybe it’s the other way around, but no matter.
Paging through, I was struck by how many words…especially headline words…have fallen out of use, just so much abandoned lead on a forgotten composing room floor.
“Parley” for one. And “Bloc”, “Strife”, “Truculent”, “Convoked”, “Pomp”, “Supercilious”, “Waylay”, “Spur”, “Stevedore”, “Hot-Rod”, and of course, “H-Bomb.”
I’m not sure that the all-parsing Google News page would know what to make of some of those…let alone those who parse their news from online aggregations and feeds.
You’ll also find an affirmation of the Times’ remarkably unchanging style in the abundant sprinkings of the passive voice: “Might Is Stressed”, “Rancor Continues”, “Democrats Concerned”, “Resistance Is Noted”, “Trial Data Given”, “Tactics Are Watched”, “U.S. Ties Hinted”, “Firm Grip Mapped”, and “Peace Is Sought.”
That passivity reminds me: my fellow Ohio University Post alums chuckle over the Nelsonville, Ohio paper’s simple one-column headlines to this day: “Meat Burned” (A tragic pot-roast incident on page one!) and “Snake on Square” (reptiles on the loose in downtown!). What was that paper’s name? Um, sorry, don’t remember.
Petulance among the rose petals.
Tuesday, April 18th, 2006
With little other comment, the New York Times quotes our decider-in-chief:
“I’m the decider, and I decide what’s best,” Mr. Bush said in the Rose Garden. “And what’s best is for Don Rumsfeld to remain as the secretary of defense.”
Does he even have a vague idea of his job description? Does he even have a vague idea of “what’s best”?
Seven times seven years.
Tuesday, April 11th, 2006
At three past midnight early this morning, our kitchen was filled with revelers singing ‘Happy Birthday,’ and we did not pay royalties to the songwriters.
And I was the sing-ee, which was quite a delight…perhaps a bit more because, well, the chorus included dear friends, friends of friends, and, well, miscellaneous NCTA National Show attendees. Why? Well, Rebecca said with the conference in our town (as opposed to hers) it was high time for a party, and who were we to disagree?
Yes, we had conventioneers over for Sammy’s delectable chili, yummy, spinach casserole, killer brownies, and our well-fortified bar. They left satisfied…and I think they liked the food too.
They also seemed to enjoy being out of the hubbub of the convention center and various hotels downtown. Did they get a taste of the real Atlanta here? Well, no, but they got a real taste of..uh..our world.
And, despite the singing, the party had nothing to do with my birthday (our friend Rebecca was, in fact, the person of honor), and that was kind of a treat too.
Nice way to segue into a fine, fine April 11th.
