andamu

What is Goofy?

I've heard many people ask this in some of those lazy, nonsensical conversations groups of friends have when they are relaxing. As far as I'm concerned, the answer is easy: He's a dog.

But he can't be a dog, the cry goes up. Pluto is a dog, and he's well, a dog. A pet. Goofy is not the same, he's well, humanoid, like Mickey.

Precisely. Goofy is a dog like Mickey is a mouse, in an upright-walking humanoid fashion. Pluto is a dog in a dog-like pet fashion.
(How's that for eloquence and elegance?)

I'm waiting to rack up those enlightened souls who agree with me in order to counter those who would attempt to disabuse me of my folly.

I am glad to see that everyone agrees with me. I guess you know what is good for you *twitch* *twitch*

Under ordinary circumstances I use google somewhere between five and fifteen times a day. And yet BB's comment came as a revelation to me - I had never even considered googling Goofy to find out what kind of an animal he is. And I guess to some extent I really did not want the definitive answer; some things are better left as delicious puzzles. It is almost like looking in the back of the book first to find out whodunnit.

But spurred on by the prompting, google it I did and came up with Wikipedia. First they reminded me of the word that I so clumsily tried to replace with "humanoid," namely anthropomorphic. (I knew that word, really I did. I just mislaid it a bit, an increasingly frequent occurence these days.)

They begin by describing Goofy as an anthropomorphic dog (which might be dismissed as just another opinion), but then bring irrefutable proof: Goofy started out as a character called "Dippy Dawg," before undergoing his name change.

So there!

(Read the article)

We never have an accent to our own ears. Ask a mid-westerner about their accent, and they look at you as if you're from another planet.

A friend had settled in the deep south some years ago. When his brother came to visit from abroad, he decided to take him to a diner for a "true American experience."

Realizing that the accents are likely to create some difficulties, he prepared his brother, saying "The waitress will offer you the Special of the Day. You won't understand her, and even if you could, you won't know what the food is. But it is usually good so, whatever she says, just say 'Yes, thank you.'"

And so, well-prepared, they set off for the restaurant. The friend was busy getting their coats settled when the waitress approached his brother. He responded, well-rehearsed, "Yes, thank you."

She looked puzzled, and repeated herself. He wondered if she had a problem with his accent, and said more slowly and more clearly, "yes, thank you."

When the friend arrived at the table it was in the middle of the third go-round, just in time to tranlate for his brother that "mape ye" means "may I help you?"
::
I you doubt what I say about accents, try saying "water" in an American conversation. But pronounce it the British way, say the "t" as a "t" and not a "d." If you don't know what I mean, listen to some BBC America, and try and copy what they say.

It is a simple word, one we frequently use in all sorts of conversations, and it never fails to produce a double-take. I have to repeat the word on average three times before the other person understands what I am saying.

... I haven't updated my booklists in the sidebar for a month.

And I am not about to do it right now either. I am just checking in before racing off again, trying to work off the ever-growing list of things to do and get before our trip to India (which, by the way, is now less than four weeks away).

Yesterday we had a Trick or Treat event at the lab where employees set up candy stations at their desks, random spots of decoration break out, and we organize some fun games and prizes. Then everyone are allowed to bring their kids through in the afternoon, all decked out in their costumes, to trick or treat in a safe environment while bringing some light hearted fun to us all.

As one of the organizers I can attest to the fact that it required a mountain of work and effort, but seeing it all come together was wonderful; now if only my aching muscles can get into the spirit of things this morning!

This is a news story that developed over the past few weeks. Let me know if you want links to the full story - here I am just relating the broad approximate outline.

One morning we woke to a rather unusual story: an Emergency Room nurse in her fifties arrived home late at night after her shift ended, when she was allegedly attacked by an alleged burglar surprised in her house (I don't know the legal requirements, so I will just liberally season the story with "allegations").

She then strangled the alleged intruder in alleged self-defense. Afterward she walked over to the neighbor's house to call the police.

So far so good - a rather surprising story, but one that we can just about process.

A few days later, we woke to the follow-up story. Police had arrested the nurse's estranged husband. The alleged burglar was employed by him at his place of business, and had allegedly been hired for some extra-curricular activity namely murdering the estranged wife, allegedly going so far as letting the alleged hitman into the house by disarming the alarms and opening the doors.

Next time I find the plot of a mystery or thriller a little far-fetched, I will have to remind myself of stories like this.