A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....06-08-05....Words - It's Story Time

DollyCali | 06-08-05 | DollyCali

[DollyCali]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

If you have a suggestion, or an idea, or if there's a FReeper you would like to see featured, please drop one of us a note in FR mail.

We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, Mama_Bear, dutchess, Aquamarine, DollyCali ~

WORDS!!! - It's Story Time

TTT/PPP/MMM Part 1

Tall Tails and Trivia; Pithy Platitudes and Proverbs; Monumental Movies and Minutia

Oh My.. words.. how they can paint a picture, rip apart a soul or start a war. From the same lips a mother can soothe a crying child and moments later destroy the ego of the child’s dad. Lyricists have inspired romance, tears and suicide. Authors make fortunes with eager fans awaiting the next offering from their keyboard. Poets are memorialized from the offerings of a broken or troubled soul. Screenwriters are in demand for the way they can modify existing writing or develop original material for the big screen. Students can be inspired or devastated by the words from their teachers and mentors over the years.

Words can be truthful, sincere, loving, supportive, encouraging. They can be evil, piercing, disingenuous, destructive, and deceitful. They can mend or they can rend.

The very same words from the same mouth can be quite different with tone, volume & body language at variance.

Words come from the heart and often the heart must be examined.

Today we will have fun with words…. Phrases, paragraphs, short stories.

What are the words that were the best you ever heard? What are the words that tore your soul apart? What is the funniest story you ever heard? The saddest? Most life changing?

What is your idea of a “good/acceptable” lie.. or is there such a thing?

What is your favorite biblical proverb?

What is the favorite or most memorable saying from your childhood (parent or teacher origin)?

What is your favorite author? His/her works?

What is your favorite movie? Screenwriter?

What is the funniest joke you can recall? What is the funniest play on words you recall? Are you an oxymoron fan?

Do you have story of personally being wounded by a “friend’s” words?

Do you have a favorite word?

Tall Tails


(Yes, I know it should be “tales” but then it wouldn’t fit my “tails” series, would it?)

“When I was your age I walked 15 miles each way to school in knee deep snow with holes in my shoes”

“You better clean your plate because the children in China are starving “ - huh?

“ It is just up the road “a piece”… you CAN’T miss it”

“My wife doesn’t understand me”

“Easy assembly”

“Pro wrestling is real… the moon landings are faked.”

“I just buy Playboy for the great articles.”

“Now, I am not meaning to gossip, I am just telling you this so you can PRAY FOR HER.”

“Love means never having to say you are sorry”

“No, my dog doesn’t bite (hard)”

“I have the prettiest blind date to fix you up with.”

.

Quotable Quotes

“It is Finished” Jesus Christ 33 AD

“God is dead” Nietzsche 1882 AD

“Nietzsche is dead” God 1900 AD

“Before God we are all equally wise – and equally foolish” - Einstein 1879 - 1955 AD

“Imagination is more important than knowledge – Einstein

“Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes” Confucius 551 – 479 BC

“Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles” Confucius

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say , and what you do are in harmony” Mahatma Gandhi 1869-1948 AD

“I believe in equality for everyone, except reporters and photographers” Gandhi

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong” Gandhi

Trivia

Email, internet postings, crossword puzzles & a game called Trivial pursuit have made us a world knowledgeable on trivia. How else would you know:

The extract vanilla comes from an orchid plant

Orchid means “testicles”

Who the fourteenth secretary of state was.

The number of electrons in a hydrogen atom.

Pithy Platitudes

A stitch in time saves nine

A penny saved is a penny earned

The early bird gets the worm (great if you like worms, huh?)

The second mouse gets the cheese

The fool says in his heart, there is no God.

Time waits for no man.

Honey attracts more bees than vinegar.

Confession is good for the soul

Honesty is the best policy

Haste makes waste

Close only counts in horseshoes

There are no atheists in Foxholes

Fine wine is like a fine woman (or is it the other way around?)

Never do anything important when you are exhausted

Don’t put a pea in your nose

Proverbs

From the mind of Solomon, perhaps the wisest man who penned scripture (well if you consider someone with thousands of wives wise) comes the biblical book of Proverbs.

A few of my favorites:

12:18 – “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

23: 9 – “Do not speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words.”

12:10 – “a righteous man cares for the needs of his animal, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.”

31: 8-9 – “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

21:3 – “To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.”

1: 7-9 – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Listen my son to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. They will be a garland to grace your head & a chain to adorn your neck.”

19:22 – What a man desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar.”

12:11 – “He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment.”

26:20 – “Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down”

12:19-20 – Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment. There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil, but joy for those who promote peace.”

12:22 “The Lords detests lying lips but he delights in men who are truthful.

20:3 – “It is a man’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.”

25:15 – Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.

26:18-19 – Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”

Monumental Movies

Yes, yes, I know –I KNOW!!! -.. Gone with the Wind, right? BUT…A movie with a title that goes with the thread today & is a really funny movie is TRUE LIES. Staring Jamie Lee Curtis & The Arnold. The tango scene was a hoot as was the scene when they are describing their “careers”…real & “the lies” with the bad guys.

.

I am an epic movie fan & a fan of movies based on historical facts.. Loved many of the war movies of past & contemporary. Troy, The Patriot, Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia, Saving Private Ryan….big casts, action, human emotions, joy & sadness.

The sentimental & scary ones.. Titanic, Casablanca, Ghost, Sixth Sense, Wizard of Oz, Psycho, and who could forget Jack Nicholson’s face in The Shining?

Special effects to me are special. Harry Potter, Matrix series, Star Wars, LOTR… In awe & think, How DO they DO that? I love good acting & when I want it, love live theater… no special effects (well, sometimes a few) there!

What are your favorites… what words in them struck a cord? Which character do you associate with to make this a relevant movie? (this shows the screenwriter did a good job!) AND MOST IMPORTANT FOR THIS THREAD, WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE LINE(S)???

Minutia

Much of minutia is the stuff that doesn’t need to be said…or dwelt on… like one’s digestive process or lack thereof; hours of telling & retelling and yet AGAIN telling what your cat or dog or kid did last night; the fun details of your three week hospital stay; recap of your weeks soap operas.. Believe you get the picture. Good or better minutia in conversation might include your true weight & age & hair color (ha); your best recipe for “whatever”. Still might not need to be said but at least they will feel the satisfaction of getting some REAL info.

NOW what is last word from you? Words of wisdom? Two Cents – opps that is tomorrow.

03-29-05 ~ Hall of Fame #11

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 6-09-05 Military Monday D-Day by The Mayor 6-10-05 Mission Possible by Billie

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' Every Thursday at the Finest The guy's good, folks!

[Libertina]

Good morning you wonderful Finest ladies and gents!

This is a funny line, from my (current) favorite movie, "The Writer" (Jeremy Piven...sigh ;)

Hostess to woman arriving at her party...
"How good to see you! If I'd known you were coming I would have sent you and invitation!"
LOLOL Funny, huh?

I'll be back later, hopefully with a ta(i)l or two. Have a great day everyone.

[fivekid]

Please GOD give me strength :)

[Mrs.Nooseman]

LOL.

I do remember that phrase!

Boils down to going wherever God sends you - keeping your perspective and a sense of humor - - and beseeching The Good Lord repeatedly to "Please Help Me!!" - - -

I agree!

God bless you!!!

[fivekid]

Gotta go...

kids, mud puppies, hubby...... bbl

GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS!!!!!!!

[DollyCali]

Cooking Words Accurately Defined

Tongue: A variety of meat, rarely served because it clearly crosses
the line between a cut of beef and a piece of dead cow.

Yogurt: Semi-solid dairy product made from partially evaporated and
fermented milk. Yogurt is one of only three foods that taste exactly
the same as they sound. The other two are goulash and squid.

Calorie: Basic measure of the amount of rationalization offered
by the average individual prior to taking a second helping of a
particular food.


Recipe: A series of step-by-step instructions for preparing
ingredients you forgot to buy, in utensils you don't own, to make a
dish the dog won't eat.

Porridge: Thick oatmeal rarely found on American tables since
children were granted the right to sue their parents. The name is an
amalgamation of the words "Putrid," "hORRId," and "sluDGE."

Preheat: To turn on the heat in an oven for a period of time before
cooking a dish, so that the fingers may be burned when the food is
put in, as well as when it is removed.


Oven: Compact home incinerator used for disposing of bulky pieces of
meat and poultry.

Microwave Oven: Space-age kitchen appliance that uses the principle
of radar to locate and immediately destroy any food placed within the
cooking compartment.

[DollyCali]

My style of writing can obviously come under scrutiny.. many might call it "loose".. I call it casual. In either event if I were in High school English, I might get a c- if lucky.. but prolly a D... so in the effort to improve, heresawhatImagonnado...a new set of rules for editing.

1. Verbs HAS to agree with their subjects.
2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
3. And don't start a sentence with a conjunction.
4. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.
5. Avoid cliches like the plague. (They're old hat)
6. Also, always avoid annoying alliteration.
7. Be more or less specific.
8. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary.
9. Also too, never, ever use repetitive redundancies.
10. No sentence fragments.
11. Contractions aren't necessary and shouldn't be used.
12. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.
13. Do not be redundant; do not use more words than necessary; it's highly superfluous.
14. One should NEVER generalise.
15. Comparisons are as bad as cliches.
16. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
17. One-word sentences? Eliminate.
18. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.
19. The passive voice is to be ignored.
20. Eliminate commas, that are, not necessary. Parenthetical words however should be enclosed in commas.
21. Never use a big word when a diminutive one would suffice.
22. Use words correctly, irregardless of how others use them.
23. Understatement is always the absolute best way to put forth earth shaking ideas.
24. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know."
25. If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times: Resist hyperbole; not one writer in a million can use it correctly.
26. Puns are for children, not groan readers.
27. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.
28. Even IF a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.
29. Who needs rhetorical questions?
30. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.
And the last one...
31. Proofread carefully to see if you any words out

[Fawnn]

Cute.

My food advice du jour:

Get thyself some fig preserves!

It's hard to find, but my overnight "cooking" experiment proved it's well worth getting! (My sister-in-law found some for me at Whole Foods Market when she was in Ann Arbor over the weekend. It's also available via http://www.spoon.com .)

I made some lemon-shallot-avocado-creme fraiche dressing and added it and a layer of fig preserves (plus some cucumber slices and ham) to some "tea sandwiches." Absolutely delicious!!!

No idea exactly how I'm going to work that into the next cookbook, but I'm confident that I'll find a way. ;)

[The Mayor]

June 8, 2005

A Crooked Generation

Read:
Philippians 2:12-16

Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless . . . in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. —Philippians 2:14-15

Bible In One Year: Proverbs 25-28

You could call today's generation "crooked and perverse," just as Paul described his own generation in Philippians 2:15. Even Moses would have understood what Paul was talking about, for he said of Israel, "They have corrupted themselves; they are not His children, because of their blemish: a perverse and crooked generation" (Deuteronomy 32:5).

Crookedness refers to the means by which people accomplish their objectives—doing whatever it takes to get what they want. Shortcuts to success are applauded. Some even boast about how they circumvent the law.

Perversion refers to the way people distort the truth. For example, I heard about three teenagers who wanted to end their stay in a youth hostel long before their expected departure. They angrily insisted that the manager return their nonrefundable deposit. When he finally gave in and the three teens were on their way out, they exclaimed to the hostel's other guests that they had been forced to leave.

We may sometimes get hurt by the crooked behavior and distorted thinking of people. But we are called to be "blameless and harmless" and to "shine as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:15).

Let's show the world a different way of living. —Albert Lee

We are called with a holy calling
The light of the world to be,
To lift up the lamp of the Savior
That others His light may see. —Anon.

The straight and narrow way is God's way for a crooked generation.

FOR FURTHER STUDY
Right & Wrong

[DollyCali]

drooling again(yesterday it was over hunks)... I refuse to tell you what I just gobbled down (combo of breakfast/lunch).

sounds wonderful Fawnn.. I love all the ideas you share. How has your health been? Hoping maybe you can join us in the next Ohio/WVa get together later this summer. WE are going to have two California FReepers come here to see us.
will be in I-77/I-70 vicinity - I will keep you in loop via email. We aren't putting details on any thread.

And Nan could use some cooking lessons.. she says she doesn't cook. How does someone not cook? She needs to post a thread on that one..

[The Mayor]

I have no ping list, just grabbed some names..
My computer is in MrK's hands and hope fully soon I will have it back.
Hard drive decided to just stop working. I hope to be able to get some of the data.
If not, oh well have to start all over.
Could one of you send me freep mail the ping list.
I will wait on the other stuff till I get my puter back or
till the weekend before Monday.
I am on my kids gaming computer..

[dutchess]

Hi Rus. Sorry about your computer troubles. I'm at work, my ping list at home! We had a computer crash a few months ago. What a pain! BTW, when is your primary?

[DollyCali]

Heeeeesss BACK!

So good to see you Rus and thank you for coffee & devotional. What was the final analysis on computer?

[DollyCali]

check the FReepmail. list sent

[dutchess]

What a great thread Dolly. And LOVE the "presentation", backgrounds, colors, fonts. You sure learn fast!

Hmmmm....one of mom's biggies..."If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all". Also, "not MY son" (my brother is three years older than me and she thought he was PERFECT! (he always did his nasty big brother things behind her back :o) )

Sigh...back to work, will try to stop in later! ((((dolly)))))

[The Mayor]

My computer's drive is being evaluated. I will let you know what result is..

There may not be a primary.. I knocked another one out of the race.. Lookie here..


http://www.tonawanda-news.com/story.asp?id=2856
Naab withdraws Erie County Legislature bid
Stacey Shepard
Monday, June 06, 2005

What started off as a challenge now may be in a shoe-in for Rus Thompson.

[The Mayor]

Got it!

Thank you : )

[DollyCali]

I've met Mr K... at your buffalo meeting at Johnny Macs! Need to go mow & finish planting the few tomato & pepper plants I bought this year. Later all

[The Mayor]

He's a hero in my book!

[DollyCali]

Thanks Ilene.. but I have learned what not to delete from billie's template, how to substitute urls to the tables, a few key no-nos to avoid & to continue to love copy/paste.

Bathing suit on.. of course I waited for the heat of day to start.. not on purpose - thought I would post thread in "wee hours" and do mowing starting at 6 AM..

HA!

[DollyCali]

Maybe you could identify him & a few others (and ping them) in this pix.. and the lovely Mrs. Mayor. It was a dark room & to get far enough back for everyone to get in , the flash was not terribly effective. did you have better results?