We Get Mail
The Gazette is fortunate to have attracted a fairly active cadre of commenters, the contributions of which enhance the livability of this space in every important way, but we also receive a fair amount of email from good folk who -- for various reasons -- prefer not to entrust their communications to the comment section. Since I'm still recovering from last night's four-hour Passion Play rehearsal and can't generate anything worth posting on my own, I thought I'd dip into the mailbag and share some of the messages we've recently received. (This should be a cautionary reminder that unless you explicitly tell me otherwise, all email related to the Gazette is fodder for posting, although I'll always respect the sender's privacy to the extent it deserves respecting. Whatever that means.)
- Larry wrote to suggest a meme, one that has possibilities but which is also too challenging for my feeble capabilities. He suggests that the fact that there's nothing in the English language that rhymes with "orange" is due to a lack of trying, and that a properly motivated and creative readership could surely come up with "orange" rhymes by combining other words with the "-range" suffix. He even provided the first example: "scorange" as in "The range or distance from which a score or point is made in a game, e.g. 'He shot from the 3-point scorange.' (basketball)." Setting aside the definite possibility that Larry has perhaps too much idle time on his hands, I'm sure some intrepid Gazette readers could run with this idea.
- Abbye's recent loss of vision has generated several encouraging emails. Tammy wrote to say that her nine-year-old dog Raymond lost his sight to diabetes, but regained it after a lens transplant. Jennifer forwarded an excerpt from an online journal written by a woman who is dealing with a puppy that was born with extremely limited vision. She shares several tips that have helped dog and owner adjust, including the creation of a bandana (for the dog) that reads "I'm seeing impaired, please ask before you pet me," which is designed to keep the pup from being surprised when a strange hand descends upon him. Aside from the practical value of these suggestions, it's very touching to know that people are moved to share them in the first place.
- Some of you may recall a recent post with the theme of "Grits and Grace". Our friend Sherry had shared something related to that discussion which we included in a second post called "More Grits." As a follow-up to her follow-up, she wrote earlier this week that her friend's father -- the focus of her "More Grits" story -- lost his battle with his health problems. Of course, sad as that is from one perspective, it's also a story of winning a much more important war, and so we can imagine that there's a good bit of rejoicing going on in that family as well.
- Our musings about the challenge of offering charity to strangers who we might think don't deserve it struck a chord with a self-described social worker living in Dallas. She wrote "Reading your account of your day in benevolence brought back so many memories of Midland. You impressed me with your sensitivity and insight into the Catch-22 of providing financial or other assistance for a population largely unknown to us and whose use of our assistance may be totally off center from what we would want or expect." I don't know that I have any special insight, but it's encouraging to know that even the "pros" sometimes struggle with these issues.
- Last, but far from least, regular commenter Gwynne has been asking a number of questions that seem to indicate that she's being lured by the siren song of the blogging, um, siren. I've tried my best to dissuade her -- the last thing I need is yet more competition from someone who actually has something to say and knows how to say it -- but seeing as how she is still intent on definitely considering the possibility of perhaps someday thinking about getting serious about planning an approach to blogging, the best advice I can give her is to watch what I do here...then do just the opposite. And never delete any emails.
Larry -
Rhymes with orange: cringe. At least the way I say 'em. To me (from me?) "orange" is two syllables: OR-inj. Cringe is just one, but it ends with the same "inj" sound.
They say "silver" has no rhyme either. And I think I agree with that one. Though if you mumble, I'm willing to argue that "pilfer" comes close enough...
Posted by: Brian at March 17, 2006 07:07 PMC'mon Gwynne you know you wanna blog. Me and Eric want to comment on your site for a change.
Posted by: Jim at March 17, 2006 08:25 PMJim, That's exactly what I fear. ;-)
Posted by: Gwynne at March 17, 2006 09:18 PMGwynne, the Blog side of the Force calls you! Resist it you must!
Communication, discussion; the Blog side of the Force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you on a site. If once you start down the blog path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will, as it did Seigmund's apprentice. ;-)
Posted by: Mr. Freen at March 18, 2006 04:57 AMNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO....
Posted by: Jim at March 18, 2006 06:44 AMYay, Gwynne, blog! Can't tell you how many times I've rolled over your name in the comment box, only to be disappointed.
Posted by: ern at March 18, 2006 10:04 AM...Siegmund's apprentice.
I have an apprentice? Why was I not informed of this sooner? I could have been producing even less content for this blog!
Yay, Gwynne, blog!
Gwynne, the call for your blogging contributions is now an international phenomenon. ;-)
Posted by: Eric at March 18, 2006 10:21 AMThank you, Ern! :-) Although I'm still trying to figure out your relationship to Ms Anthrope. [shudder]
And thanks, Eric and Jim...I take your "fear" of competition and encouragement to blog as the highest of compliments, coming from two of the best in the "business."
But Mr. Freen has hit the real nail on the head...I fear I will be consumed by the Force!
See you all on the other side...but not 'til after April 15th (a different Force is controlling my life at the moment, and it pays the bills ;-).
Posted by: Gwynne at March 18, 2006 10:46 AMtwo of the best in the "business."
Hold on a minute while I get my hip boots.
Posted by: Jim at March 18, 2006 06:23 PMBlog, Gwynne, Blog!!! After reading your comments and laughing, I guarantee your readership would grow! You have a great sense of humor!
Posted by: Janie at March 18, 2006 07:05 PMOne more vote in favor, Gwynne.
Do it!
Well, everyone seems in favor of Gwynne starting a blog! Always two there are, no more, no less: a master and an apprentice. Agree with you the council does. Disappoint not your fans!
"I have an apprentice? Why was I not informed of this sooner?"
Responsible for his blogging you are! A heavy burden for a Jedi that must be, mmmMMMmmm yes, a heavy burden.
Posted by: Mr. Freen at March 18, 2006 11:56 PMAnother vote for Gwynne.
Am I correct in stating that,
I always cringe
When you put orange
In my porridge?
Don't forget the woman who wrote the poet so often for a rhyme with silver, that finally he had his fill of her.
Un-seriously, here are the new words we can rhyme with orange. Have at them.
New word, and example of pronunciation:
1 AORANGE Aorta
2 BLORANGE Bloom
3 BORANGE Boring
4 BRORANGE Broke
5 CHORANGE Choose
6 CHRORANGE Chrome
7 CHLORANGE Chlorine
8 CLORANGE Close
9 CORANGE Corn
10 CRORANGE Croak
11 DORANGE Dorsal
12 DRORANGE Drone
13 EORANGE Eonian
14 FLORANGE Florida
15 FORANGE Forage
16 FRORANGE Front
17 GLORANGE Glorious
18 GORANGE Gorge
19 GRORANGE Grow
20 HORANGE Hope
21 IORANGE Iodine
22 JORANGE Jordan
23 KLORANGE Klaxon
24 KNORANGE Knock
25 KORANGE Kosher
26 KRORANGE Krone
27 LORANGE Loan
28 MORANGE More
29 NORANGE Nose
30 PHLORANGE Phlox
31 PHORANGE Phone
32 PLORANGE Plover
33 PNORANGE Pneumonia
34 PORANGE Poke
35 PRORANGE Program
36 PSORANGE Psocid (booklice)
37 PTORANGE Ptomain
38 QUORANGE Quorum
39 RHORANGE Rhombus
40 RORANGE Romaine
41 SCORANGE Score
42 SHORANGE Shore
43 SKORANGE Skosh
44 SLORANGE Slow
45 SORANGE Sold
46 SPORANGE Sport
47 STORANGE Store
48 SWORANGE Sword
49 THORANGE Thorn
50 THRORANGE Throne
51 TORANGE Told
52 TRORANGE Troll
53 UORANGE
54 VORANGE Vortex
55 WHORANGE Whole
56 WORANGE Won't
57 WRORANGE Wrong
58 XORANGE
59 YORANGE Yore
60 ZORANGE Zone
Adding new words to the Lexicon, one impossible rhyme at a time,
Posted by: Larry S at March 19, 2006 12:07 PMOkay, fine, I'll do it then...stop it already. [blushing]
Put your boots away, Jim. You're embarrassing me. ;-)
Mr. Freen, Janie, where are your blogs, hmmm? Maybe we should cross over together.
Thanks for all the encouragement...I think. One day, I may be calling on you all to be my sponsors. ;-)
Off to think up an appropriate blog name...what do you guys think of "Glorange" (thanks, Larry)?
Posted by: Gwynne at March 19, 2006 11:57 PMBTW, I meant "sponsors" in the Bloggers Anonymous sense of the word, but don't be surprised if I call on you for financial aid as well. ;-)
Posted by: Gwynne at March 20, 2006 12:00 AMOkay, fine, I'll do it then...stop it already. [blushing]
Yay!
but don't be surprised if I call on you for financial aid as well.
Oh. Did you think we were suggesting that you start a blog? Oh my...how ever did such miscommunication occur? You wouldn't like blogging at all! ;-)
Yes, that's it, Gwynne! We could do the Freen Gwynne Janie collaborative blog. It's all browser based anyway, eh???
Posted by: Janie at March 21, 2006 08:56 PMAbout the publisher
Random Abbye photos...
Random Thursday: The Abbreviated Tuesday Political Edition
More rattler than meets the eye
Poop happens. And then disappears.
How the West was Won
Beware of Vampire Dog
Tieing? There's no tieing in gymnastics!
NBC Bungles Web Video
Random Thursday: The Monday Olympics Edition
On Holiday
Random Thursday
Chair Play
Book Review: "The Road"
Education is paramount. Well, next to jet skiing.
Warbirds, Old and New
The Neighborhood:
West Texas Blogs:
[Midland unless otherwise indicated]
Other Texas Blogs:
The Business:
The Church:
The World:
Eric, the thought of me competing with you is laughable, unless it's a competition of ineptitude. Besides, I'm still just in the "considering" phase. And besides (again), you and Jim started it. ;-)
IF I ever get to the "blogging" phase, I'll be sure to send my reader(s) over to your place for real content.
Posted by: Gwynne at March 17, 2006 05:24 PM