Friday,
December 12th, 2003
In Today's Tribune
I don't know if you've heard, but starting Jan 1, 2004 you will no
longer be able to use a cell phone while driving unless you have a
"hands
free" adapter. I went to Circuit City and they wanted $50 for a
headset
with a boom microphone for my cell phone. I have come up with an
alternative, working through Office Depot.
These kits are compatible with any mobile phone and one size fits
all. I paid $0.08 each because I bought in quantity. I'm selling
them for
$1.00. They'd make a great Christmas present.
I tried them out on Erickson, Motorola, Nokia, Sprint, and PCS
phones and they worked perfectly.
Take a look and let me know if you want one.
Here's today's
tidbits
Born on
December 12th
Edward G.
Robinson
(1893)
Frank Sinatra
(1915)
Joe Williams
(1918)
Bob Barker
(1923)
Connie Francis
(1938)
Dionne Warwick
(1941)
Cathy Rigby
(1952)
Sheila E.
(1957)
Mädchen Amick
(1970)
Mayim Bialik
(1975)
Too
Long
Two elegant ladies were out for their weekly luncheon and
had been sitting for a very long time in the restaurant. One
of the ladies said, "We've been sitting here for so long my
rear end has gone to sleep!"
The other lady responded, "Yes I know, I heard it snoring."
What
is the Daily Buzzword for December 12th?
cursory \KER-suh-ree\
adjective
What does it mean?
: rapid and usually careless : hasty
How do you use it?
Mr. Aquino told us that we should give the poem more than
a cursory reading if we want to make any sense of it.
Are you a word wiz?
Think fast! "Cursory" comes from "currere," a Latin word
that has to do with speed. What do you think "currere" means?
A. to run
B. to stick
C. to sleep
D. to befriend
Answer:
It's true that you can be fast asleep, stuck fast, or fast
friends, but only answer A, "to run," suggests speed. When you
do something in a cursory way, you run through it quickly
without paying attention to detail. Let's take a quick look
at other "currere" offspring. One is "courier," which means
"messenger," someone you hope will move quickly. It traveled
from Latin through Italian and French before arriving in
English. Another relative is "precursor," meaning something
or someone that arrives before another. It came from the
"currere" compound "praecurrere," meaning "to run before."
Today's Jigsaw
puzzle
CLICK HERE 
ELEMENTARY
That's all
for this week. Tune in Monday for more neat stuff.
The following is what appeared
in Thursday's edition...................
In Today's Tribune
Today I was gonna rip into a
lot of people for the lack of responses regarding the Tamalada but
when I saw the message board this morning I gave a great big sigh of
relief. I swear, I was wracking my brain all night trying to conjure
up the most vilest, offensive words to say to you people. Thank God
for small favors. We've yet to hear from some hick towns like San
Dimas and Covina but there's always tomorrow, I guess.
The consensus is this: Just
bring your $10 to the Bash and get to work. Simple, huh? Ten dollars
gets you a dozen.
I can't wait to see this
"new" spreading technique. I hope the Tamale Nazi wasn't spreading
it on too thick. See you Saturday.
To John Aquino & Smokey,
Thanks for your kind words.
It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside when I saw your message.
I'm glad that some of you appreciate all the hard work and time that
goes into the making of a daily publication.
Here's today's
tidbits
Born on
December 11th
Carlo Ponti
(1913)
Rita Moreno
(1931)
Donna Mills
(1942)
Brenda Lee
(1944)
Teri Garr
(1949)
Jermaine Jackson
(1954)
Rider Strong
(1979)
Arthritis
A drunk that smelled like a brewery got on a bus one day. He sat
down next
to a priest. The drunk's shirt was stained, his face was full of
bright red
lipstick and he had a half-empty bottle of wine sticking out of his
pocket.
He opened his newspaper and started reading. A couple minutes later,
he
asked the priest, "Father, what causes arthritis?"
"Mister, it's caused by loose living, being with cheap, wicked
women, too
much alcohol, and contempt for your fellow man," the priest replied.
"Imagine that," the drunk muttered. He returned to reading his
paper.
The priest, thinking about what he had said, turned to the man and
apologized: "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come on so strong. How long
have
you had arthritis?"
"I don't have arthritis, Father," the drunk said, "but I just read
in the
paper that the Pope does!"
What
is the Daily Buzzword for December 11th?
spruce \SPROOS\ verb
What does it mean?
: to make or make oneself neat or stylish in appearance
How do you use it?
After the party, Anya rushed to spruce up the living room
before her parents got home.
Are you a word wiz?
The verb "spruce," which is often used with "up," goes
back over 400 years. How do you think it originated?
A. It comes from the Latin word
meaning "tidy."
B. It comes from the name of a place where fine leather
was produced.
C. It comes from the name of a comic character who's
exceptionally neat.
D. It comes from the name of Sarah Spruce, a dressmaker
to a queen.
Answer:
Before the 19th century, Prussia was an independent German
kingdom. In Middle English it was called "Pruce" or more
commonly "Spruce." Prussia exported many fine products to
England, including Spruce leather, Spruce iron, and Spruce
canvas. Spruce leather, which was used to make jackets that
were fashionable in England in the 16th century, apparently
was the source of the verb "spruce," meaning "to make oneself
stylish in appearance." Another import from Prussia was the
spruce tree, a tall, straight, strong, and light evergreen
that was used for the masts of England's sailing ships. Long
after the country was no longer called "Spruce," the name of
the tree remained.
Today's Jigsaw
puzzle
CLICK HERE THE
CALIFORNIA TREAT
That's all
for today. Tune in tomorrow for more neat stuff.
The following is what appeared
in Wednesday's edition...................
In Today's Tribune
Here's today's
tidbits
Born on
December 10th
Emily Dickinson
(1830)
Chet Huntley
(1911)
Dorothy Lamour
(1914)
Dan Blocker
(1928)
Susan Dey
(1952)
Kenneth Branagh
(1960)
The
Secretary
The
Secretary came in late for work the third day in a row. The
Boss called her into his office and said,
"Now look
Sharon, I know we had a wild fling for a while, but that's over. I
expect you to conduct yourself like any other employee around here.
Who told you you could come and go as you please around here ?"
Sharon simply smiled, lit up a cigarette, and while exhaling said,
"My lawyer."
What
is the Daily Buzzword for December 10th?
magnanimous
\mag-NAN-uh-mus\ adjective
What does it mean?
1 : having or showing a noble and courageous spirit
2 : being generous and forgiving
How do you use it?
Jessica proved she was quite magnanimous when she donated
all but two of her favorite stuffed animals to charity.
Are you a word wiz?
"Magnanimous" is a great word to add to your vocabulary.
What word below do you think is a synonym of "magnanimous"?
A. picayune
B. paltry
C. magnified
D. greathearted
Answer:
If you picked D, you're doing great! "Magnanimous" comes
from the Latin words "magnus," meaning "great," and "animus,"
meaning "spirit." You might also describe a person with a
great spirit as "greathearted." "Greathearted" is from the
English words "great" and "heart." Like "magnanimous," it
can mean "courageous" or "generous." If you feel like neither
"magnanimous" or "greathearted" is quite the word you are
looking for? Then try "noble," also a synonym of "magnanimous."
Today's Jigsaw
puzzle
CLICK HERE
CHRISTMAS JOY
That's all
for today. Tune in tomorrow for more neat stuff.
The following is what appeared
in Tuesday's edition......................
In Today's Tribune
It was the
day after Christmas at a church in San Francisco. The pastor of the
church was looking over the cradle when he noticed that the baby
Jesus was missing from among the figures of the nativity set.
Immediately he turned and went outside and saw a little boy with a
red wagon, and in the wagon was the figure of the little infant,
Jesus. So he walked up to the boy and said, "Well, where did you get
Him, my fine friend?"
The little boy replied, "I got him from the church."
"And why did you take him?"
The boy said, "Well, about a week before Christmas I prayed to the
little Lord Jesus and I told him if he would bring me a red wagon
for Christmas I would give him a ride around the block in it."
Here's today's
tidbits
Born on
December 9th
Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
(1909)
Kirk Douglas
(1916)
Redd Foxx
(1922)
Dina Merrill
(1925)
Dick Van Patten
(1928)
Buck Henry
(1930)
Beau Bridges
(1941)
Dick Butkus
(1942)
John Malkovich
(1953)
Donny Osmond
(1957)
Jakob Dylan
(1969)
David Kersh
(1970)
Emjay
(1974)
The
Shoe Solution
Two guys were hiking through the jungle when they spotted a
tiger who looked both hungry and fast. One of the guys
reached into his pack and pulled out a pair of Nikes. His
friend looked at him. ''Do you really think those shoes are
going to make you run faster than that tiger?''
''I don't have to run faster than that tiger,'' his friend
replied.
''I just have to run faster than you.''
Two For The Price Of One
THE BINGO GIRLS
Today's Useless Fact -
The
origin of "by and large":
It's difficult to fix a precise meaning
for "by and large" since it means "generally speaking" or "on the
whole". But originally the phrase had a very precise meaning in the
language of sailors. In the days of sailing ships, when a vessel was
running close- hauled, the man at the helm would usually be given
one of two orders, "full and by" or "by and large". The first
command, used with a skillful helmsman, meant "sail as close to the
wind as you can." The second, "by and large", meant "sail slightly
off the wind" and was given to the inexperienced helmsman since this
tack would leave him in less danger of being "taken aback."
So the phrase "by and large" has come
to indicate imprecise generalities. A person speaking "by and large"
about a subject can be considered to be something less than entirely
expert on it.
What
is the Daily Buzzword for December 9th?
penchant
\PEN-chunt\ noun
What does it mean?
: a strong liking
How do you use it?
Louise has a penchant for baking, which means she always
has freshly baked cookies at her house.
Are you a word wiz?
"Penchant" comes from the Latin word "pendere," meaning "to
weigh." Which of the following do you think is another word
that comes from "pendere"?
A. pretend
B. bend
C. expend
D. dare
Answer:
If you have a penchant for answer C, you've weighed the
choices and come up with the right answer! One of the meanings
of "expend" is "to pay out or spend," but it originally meant
"to weigh out." Another word that comes from "pendere" is
"append." To append something is to add something extra to it
(even if it doesn't weigh much), in the way a postscript is
appended to a letter. "Suspend" comes from "pendere" too;
something that is suspended from a hook hangs with its weight
unsupported.
Today's Jigsaw
puzzle
CLICK HERE Christmas
Chaos
That's all
for today. Tune in tomorrow for more stuff.
The following is what appeared
in Monday's edition......................
In Today's Tribune
A water
bearer in China had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole
which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it,
while the other pot was perfect and always
delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from
the stream to the House, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For
a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer
delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house. Of
course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect
for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of it's
own imperfection. And miserable that it was able to accomplish only
half of what it had been made to do.
After two
years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the
water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I
want to apologize to you. I have been able to
deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water
to leak out all the way back to your house. Because of my flaws, you
have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your
efforts," the pot said.
The bearer
said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on
your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's
because I have always known about your flaw. So I planted flower
seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back,
you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these
beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the
way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house?
Moral: Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots.
But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives
together so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take
each person for what they are, and look for the good in them.
Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.
Remember to appreciate all the different people in your life.
Blessings to all my cracked pot friends.
Here's today's
tidbits
Born on
December 8th
James Thurber
(1894)
Lee J. Cobb
(1911)
Sammy Davis, Jr.
(1925)
Maximillian Schell
(1930)
Flip Wilson
(1933)
David Carradine
(1936)
James Galway
(1939)
Jim Morrison
(1943)
Gregg Allman
(1947)
Kim Basinger
(1953)
Teri Hatcher
(1964)
Sinead O'Connor
(1966)
Butt
Graft
There was a married couple who
were in a terrible accident. The woman's face was burned
severely. The doctor told the husband they couldn't graft
any skin from her body because she was so thin. The husband
then donated some of his skin.
However, the only place suitable to the doctor was from his
buttocks. The husband requested that no one be told of this,
because after all this was a very delicate matter.
After the surgery was completed, everyone was astounded at
the woman's new beauty. She looked more beautiful than she
ever did before. All her friends and relatives just ranted
and raved at her youthful beauty.
She was alone with her husband one day and she wanted to
thank him for what he did. She said, "Dear, I just want to
thank you for everything you did for me. There is no way I
could ever repay you."
He replied, "Oh don't worry, Honey. I get plenty thanks
enough every time your mother comes over and kisses you on
your cheek!"
What
is the Daily Buzzword for December 8th?
nadir \NAY-deer\
noun
What does it mean?
1 : the point of the celestial sphere that is directly
opposite the zenith and directly under the observer
2 : the lowest point
How do you use it?
With six losses in a row, we hope the hockey team is at its
nadir and the season record won't get worse.
Are you a word wiz?
English speakers adopted "nadir" and its opposite "zenith"
from another language. What language do you think "nadir"
and "zenith" come from?
A. Arabic
B. Latin
C. Spanish
D. Hindi
Answer:
Both "nadir" and "zenith" trace to Arabic roots where their
opposite natures are clear. "Nadir" comes from an Arabic word
that means "opposite," and specifically refers to "opposite
the zenith." "Zenith" means "the point of the celestial sphere
that is directly above the observer and directly opposite the
nadir." It also has the meaning "the highest point" (as in,
"a writer at the zenith of her career.") "Zenith" comes from
an Arabic phrase meaning literally "way" and specifically
refers to "way over your head."
Today's Jigsaw
puzzle
CLICK HERE
CHRISTMAS
That's all
for today. Tune in tomorrow for more stuff.
