Some people are upset over the name of a joint Russian-Nigerian Energy project, NiGaz

For those who are interested there is a Facebook group: Nigerians No Nigaz (kind of funny they include the offensive term in the name of their group).

Reuters LAGOS, Nigeria — Gazprom has inadvertently walked into an online racism debate with the announcement of its new joint venture in Nigeria — NiGaz Energy.

President Dmitry Medvedev and his Nigerian counterpart, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, last week agreed on the $2.5 billion venture to build refineries, pipelines and gas power stations in Africa’s most populous nation.

The name is meant to be an amalgamation of “Nigeria” and “Gazprom,” pronounced “nye-gaz,” but can be read phonetically as an offensive term for people of black African origin.

[Ring ....]

Hello? AnswerMan here!

A** M****** J******'* r****** t* b* i****** i* t** N**********?

Wrong, Beat-It Breath. Michael Jackson's remains will not be intered in the Netherlands.

But thank you for calling The AnswerMan


Uber-entertainer and uber-weirdo, huh Claws.

“The world is a tragedy to those who feel, but a comedy to those who think.”


"Mystery is the wisdom of blockheads."



-----Horace Walpole

Is it possible to die of ennui? Could that be the cause of many deaths? One says "I've seen this before. I know why you are doing what you are doing. I know how it will turn out. Earlier, it was a puzzle, a challenge, but now it's a repetition. Is there no progress?"

Psychoanalysts say we are stuck with the nature we were born with and the structures that develop in childhood. But they also say that we can have self-knowledge. We do not have to be captives of unresolved conflicts, forever repeating attempts to undo them.

When I first glanced at this (see attachment) in a local paper, I wondered why they were looking for a list of bugs, but then....it hit me.


Intended word: buglers

Presently, all the type is very small. It appears as if it is between 6 and 8 points. I did get new glasses this year and they work very well. Plus, I have a 21 inch monitor. I still can't read the text. Does anyone know if there are setting on the site to change the text size for everything? Maybe I just want everything bigger. I'm not sure. Perhaps it is the coloring. The site on my screen is outlined in dark blue, gray, light blue and white. I'm not sure if changing the colors would make any difference. Does anyone have any ideas besides having the monitor 3 inches away from my face?

Grins,
Diane

Hire a Proofreader

I was listening to the BBC. A commentator (a Britisher) was talking about Michael Jackson. Twice, he pronounced 'singer' as 'sing-er'. Coincidentally, when I was watching the BBC on TV the same night, I heard another commentator (I believe he is also a British), pronouncing the word with the 'g' sound.

Did I hear it wrongly?

This morning's (Sun. 06/28/09) Austin American-Statesman's op-ed page contained an article written by a Boston Globe columnist, Scot Lehigh, about infidelities ruining political careers. One line read:

"But as someone who didn't think Clinton's infidelities disqualified him from running for president in 1992, or that his offputting in-office dalliance with a 22-year-old flibbertigibbet warranted resignation or impeachment ...." [Referring to Monica Lewinski, of course]

American Heritage Dictionary's definition: "a silly, scatterbrained, or garrulous person."

Wow! What a cool word! Now to learn to pronounce it casually, fluently.


You haven't hiked at all until you've hiked Argentina, right Claws?

I found this quotation decorating a chapter heading in a police procedural/potboiler today (potboilers are often classed-up with profound-sounding quotes from respected philosophers):

A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Well, one reading revealed that this is pretty illogical -- in the same sentence Emerson claims heroes are both no braver than AND braver than others. However, you can't have it both ways. So I e-mailed the author of the potboiler pointing this out, and in his almost immediate reply, he labeled my observation "the most absurd single letter" he'd received in 30 years, etc. He didn't dispute my observation, just dismissed it. So I looked around the Internet, and found this same quote flaunted in various contexts. It apparently inspires the hell out of everybody, so I guess I shouldn't be so unappreciative of its message as to point out its illogicality. I can't but wonder whether Emerson wouldn't prefer to have a corrected version of his assertion used instead. And anyway, I think bravery often lasts as long as its needed, which may be much more than five minutes.

TOTWs have to be spell-check-proof. Spell-check woulda gagged on this one. I'm watching the U. of Texas play LSU in the 2nd game of the three-game (if necessary) College World Series (CWS) final series on ESPN in Omaha. Lots of excitement, color. LSU has gone unbeaten in three previous CWS best-of-three double-elimination games to reach the the final series vs. Texas. An LSU player's mom (ostensibly) had made a large sign (I'm not sure of the first three lines). She was waving and showing it in the stands:
__________

YES
LSU
PLAYS
UNDEATED!


How do ya get spell-check to check a 2' X 2' cardboard sign, Claws?

Can one say:
1-That is a man beaten.
instead of:
2-That is a beaten man.

A-He saw his own house destroyed.

Does this sentence mean:
1-He saw his own house get destroyed.
2-He saw his own house after it had been destroyed.
3-The sentence is ambiguous.

We should arrest him before he does something stupid.

1-Yes. But we need an excuse. What has he done so that we can arrest him? He is careful not to give us an excuse to arrest him.
2-Yes. But we need an excuse. What has he done for us to arrest him? He is careful not to give us an excuse to arrest him.


3-Yes. But we need an excuse. He has to do something so that we can arrest him. And he has no intention of doing it.
4-4-Yes. But we need an excuse. He has to do something for us to arrest him. And he has no intention of doing it.

1 to 4 are uttered in response to the sentence in the beginning.

Which of the sentences in block letters are correct in this context?
(Meaning: He has to do something that we can arrest him for.
What has he done that we can arrest him for?)

Watching ESPN's broadcast of the soccer game between Brazil and Italy this afternoon (Sun.), I distinctly heard the announcer say:

"The ball was blocked at the point of impact."

Duh? Could it happen any other way?

Claws, I was watching the game and listening to it, too. He was describing a ball that was no more than an inch off the kicker's foot when it was blocked -- one of those bang-bang plays. Jeez, give him a break.

Sorry, Voices. It just sounded kinda funny at the time. Those announcers have to describe something when it happens. Immediately. You're right. As a retired newspaper reporter (well, for a year's worth, anyway) I had the luxury of thinking about what and how I was gonna write.