Multiple Musings

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18968739617397571542012-01-10T20:53:05.865+11:00Multiple MusingsA collection of thoughts and often random ramblings that seem to fall from my head and onto the page during that wonderful adventure we call day to day life.Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.comBlogger9081100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-37079231310222302992012-01-10T20:52:00.000+11:002012-01-10T20:53:05.880+11:00Wasps and good timing- Just not for me!

Way back in the last century, we bought a small 2 bedroom flat in South Croydon, and although we stayed in it for a few months, My wife and I never lived there permanently but our oldest child did for over seven years, with some of her later time there, sharing it first with her brother and lastly, also with her little sister, till they all moved out into a bigger place at the beginning of 2003.

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-90236389116644009182012-01-10T06:39:00.003+11:002012-01-10T06:42:43.302+11:00TOWGP

This blog is of more relevance to my e-mail recipients than to anyone on here, but I put it out here for your understanding anyway. Thanks TOWGP=========================================================================== As well as writing a few blog items myself, I also forward on a lot of other emails and blog items on to friends and acquaintances that I think interesting or funny.

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-66881132821779043392011-12-30T21:12:00.000+11:002011-12-30T21:13:35.622+11:00Symbol, or the real thing?

Recently posted a blog “Ichthus again”, about the Fish symbol within Christianity and received the following comment: “Okay Walter, I like the idea of the fish symbol and I knew it's origin but I have to say, I REALLY cannot stand doves. I know that the dove represents the Holy Spirit but I HATE dove stickers on cars. Maybe my aversion to dove sticker/ornaments is because of the Roman Catholic

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-55814414338488653192011-12-28T08:51:00.000+11:002011-12-28T08:52:30.888+11:00When you should take your Christmas decorations down?

A couple of years back, I asked on this forum, the question, “When do you take your Christmas decorations down?” I asked this question because there were a lot of differing opinions floating around. And after I asked the question, I received even more opinions too. Some I liked and will include here. Such as: Well, traditionally they are supposed to stay up until January 6th, being that is the

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-8696596490860463472011-12-27T14:51:00.000+11:002011-12-27T14:52:30.497+11:00The Meaning behind the song, the Twelve Days of Christmas.

Now I am sure we have all heard many, many times the Song “the twelve days of Christmas’ and especially at this time of year too. But do you know what the alluded significance behind these words is? I have blogged elsewhere when the twelve days of Christmas are, but here in this song the gifts on each of the twelve days has a specific, even if hidden meaning to the those in the know. So the

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-13416182186378682172011-12-24T13:44:00.000+11:002011-12-24T13:45:23.702+11:00Does everyone expect you to be a Santa too?

In this old “For Better or For Worse” comic Strip by Lynn Johnston, from 20/12/09, she has the mother and her two young children walking down a street at Christmas time and in the first 3 panels, while at different locations, there is a Santa clause in each one. As also in the 4th panel, where the young son turns to his mother and asks: “Mom? How come there are so many Santas?” “We saw one in the

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-8013923343936616362011-11-01T11:08:00.000+11:002011-11-01T11:11:56.352+11:00Milquetoast is not milk toast, nor can you eat it.

In a recent blog (Ferly is not necessarily feral but fairly close.) I closed with this question: “What are some other words that you know or have used in the past, only to find they don’t actually meant what you first thought they meant?” Well today I thought I would start the ball rolling with one of my own. Another that I have long known and long erroneously believed I knew what it meant when I

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-1465883485340013992011-10-26T15:46:00.000+11:002011-10-26T15:47:24.295+11:00Ferly is not necessarily feral but fairly close.

The first time I ever heard ferly used was in a song by an American singer, and I assumed (incorrectly) that it was the American version or our term “Feral” (for wild and uncouth people. {Oft times now called Bogans too!}) Thus I was somewhat surprised when reading the Word of the Day for Sunday, October 23, 2011, to find that Ferly had both a different, (although somewhat similar) meaning and a

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-60494246552597867802011-10-23T08:18:00.001+11:002011-10-23T08:20:53.573+11:00When Culture costs lives it is time to change Culture don’t you think?

Was saddened to read in an on--line Newspaper item that in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, (where we lived and worked for nearly 12 years), 40 young men in the prime of their lives had died and another 150 roughly, were injured, from botched circumcisms in the Xhosa coming of age ritual. What is really sad is that these are roughly the same numbers form botched right of age circumcisms for

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-23357160117598965642011-10-10T14:33:00.000+11:002011-10-10T14:34:33.095+11:00One way to handle difficult projects

Recently had the opportunity to play a very small role in a major project. A friend of a friend decided that this mutual friend really needed a more reliable car than the one she had for her Christian ministry, but also knew that she could / would never be able to do so on her present limited income. So he decided to do something to help, but didn’t have the resources himself to fully do so.

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-85883068373103185962011-09-11T08:27:00.000+10:002011-09-11T08:29:25.310+10:00Who doesn’t use relaxed pronunciation now?

The following is taken largely from “The Hot Word” Blog site and is about the relaxed usage of some English words to the point that they almost become a spelling of their own. Thus”“Didja ever think that there are ways of speaking that feel perfectly comfortable that would seem wrong if you wrote them down? Sorta like the way this sentence is written. Lemme tell you ‘bout this very phenomenon,

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-81676871063701873752011-09-09T09:00:00.000+10:002011-09-09T09:01:38.024+10:00Do you teach or bore when you Inculcate?

Yes, inculcate, the Word of the Day for Thursday, September 8, 2011, is another of those words that describe an action that can either be productive or counterproductive. Depending both on how you do it and on how the listener perceives it!Inculcate, is a transitive verb that means to teach and impress by frequent repetition or instruction. And again many people only learn by repetition and thus

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-47300031214691892352011-09-08T08:40:00.000+10:002011-09-08T08:41:04.726+10:00Do you feign to Know?

Now the word of the Day for Friday, July 22, 2011, was feign, which I’m pretty sure you all know, means: 1. To represent fictitiously; put on an appearance of.2. To invent fictitiously or deceptively, as a story or an excuse.3. To make believe; pretend. Again, a pretty straightforward and common word and meaning, I believe. So today I’m not asking if you know what it means, but rather if you do

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-48950691296143826382011-09-07T08:35:00.001+10:002011-09-07T08:35:52.266+10:00Watermelon. Fruit or vegetable?

In an earlier Blog I quoted the popular saying that Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a Fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.” Well today I have a query for you: Is a watermelon a fruit or vegetable? I ask this because, believe it or not many people have debated for years, whether a watermelon is a fruit or a vegetable, with some calling it both.(The information below

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-56494649574039031772011-09-06T09:00:00.001+10:002011-09-06T09:02:05.162+10:00Are you always careful when you Homologate?

Today’s question is: “Are you always careful when you Homologate?” Perhaps I may even have to ask, whether you ever, even if only rarely, homologate, at all? Yes! Do you approve and / or, affirm those you associate with?For that is what the Word of the Day for Sunday, August 28, 2011. (Homologate = huh-MOL-uh-geyt), means in its main sense:1. To approve; confirm or ratify.2. To register (a

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-83926754130013535392011-09-05T09:39:00.000+10:002011-09-05T09:40:04.731+10:00How do you handle mistaken identity?

Was reading in the Melbourne Herald Sun on August 29 that “English born Aussie actor Nicholas Bishop is used to being asked for autographs in Hollywood, except for one problem… they think he is Simon Baker.” I also thought that momentarily when I first saw Him on “Body of Proof” when it first started here in Oz! Although both Baker and Bishop are Aussie actors that started on

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-6945378354497415562011-09-03T08:20:00.000+10:002011-09-03T08:21:33.172+10:00Say it now in the living years.

As we come to Father’s Day here in Australia tomorrow, I was recently struck by a line from the Mike and the Mechanics big 1988 hit, “In the living years". In this song, the singer mentions that he and his father didn’t always see eye to eye but he still loved him, although he never said so and he now laments that missed opportunity to say so to his father, in his father’s living years! Now some

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-49264508523348575652011-09-02T09:51:00.000+10:002011-09-02T09:52:42.666+10:00How will you be remembered? Another view!

In my recent Blog, (How will you be remembered?) I wrote how our honorary Nephew from Transkei in South Africa, remembers me. There, he first referred to me in passing as “the husband of a woman who makes the most divine roast pork and apple sauce my taste buds have yet come to know!” Fortunately this lovely young friend of ours, unexpectedly also had added directly to me: “I must say though,

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-88761490441059752852011-09-01T08:44:00.000+10:002011-09-01T09:02:54.638+10:00How will you be remembered?

Once upon a time, long, long ago, and way back in the last century when we were living in the Transkei, we invited one of our Xhosa neighbours over for tea one night as a thank you for helping us settle in so well there upon our then recent arrival there. And had roast pork and apple source to commemorate this relationship. Now at that time we weren’t aware, that despite the numerous numbers of

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-36015147168164736342011-08-31T09:25:00.000+10:002011-08-31T09:26:44.013+10:00Your life: Runic, Rune, or completely open?

Today, I thought we might look at, not just the word of the day for August 19 2011, but also at the noun it came from. Yes, ‘runic’, Word of the Day for Friday, August 19, 2011, is the adjectival form of the Noun, ‘Rune’, which means: 1. Any of the characters of certain ancient alphabets, as of a script used for writing the Germanic languages, especially of Scandinavia and Britain, from c200 to

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-6856065495071888842011-08-30T08:46:00.000+10:002011-08-30T08:47:18.683+10:00Ambsace: Good or bad?

Ambsace, (pronounced, EYMZ-eys*) and Word of the Day for Sunday, July 31, 2011, is another of those now obscure words that have totally different meanings, depending on the context and usage. Here are 3 for you: 1. The smallest amount or distance. 2. The lowest throw at dice, the double ace (two ones.) 3. Bad luck; misfortune. In the first instance, being at the smallest amount of distance can

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-49090540537012723312011-08-29T09:48:00.000+10:002011-08-29T09:49:34.967+10:00For what it’s worth.

For what it is worth, for what it is worth, is the name of a massive 60’s hit song for a group called Buffalo Springfield, which if known at all today, is known for producing Stephen Stills who went on to greater fame in Crosby Stills and Nash. As well, Buffalo Springfield also introduced the world to Canadian Neil Young, who had great fame as a soloist and also as an, on again, off again, member

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-67022557784016878922011-08-27T09:25:00.000+10:002011-08-27T09:26:22.508+10:00Do you sublimate?

Sublimate, Word of the Day for Saturday, July 9, 2011, has 3 major meanings as seen below: 1. In psychology, to direct the energy of a primitive impulse into activities that are considered to be socially more acceptable. 2. In chemistry, to refine or purify a substance. 3. To make nobler or purer. Now, few of us are chemists or likely to often refine or purify substances normally. But all of us

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-29397019958093577052011-08-26T08:57:00.000+10:002011-08-26T09:06:04.579+10:00When does it become a crime in your mind?

Victor Hugo, in his book Les misérables: Volume 1, wrote: “To climb a wall, to break a branch, to purloin apples, is a mischievous trick in a child; for a man it is a misdemeanour; for a convict it is a crime.” I thought this a fascinating insight into how we look at certain deeds and actions don’t you? For little children, we not only often excuse their wrong behaviour, but sometimes even

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-39287893007807535202011-08-25T09:10:00.000+10:002011-08-25T09:11:38.321+10:00Do you really have the right to Usufruct?

Usufruct, the Word of the Day for Thursday, July 14, 2011, is another r of those words that although most of us have never heard of it, it describes an action most of us have done and often. But sometimes illegally too, but with little or no regard to that fact! So, what does Usufruct actually mean and how can we do it illegally? Usufruct (YOO-zoo-fruhkt), means: “The right to use the property of

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-55993046833299445702011-08-24T09:26:00.001+10:002011-08-24T09:26:53.846+10:00Aspidistras making a comeback again.

Was interested to learn that in some circles, Aspidistras are making a comeback again in some gardener’s minds. Now if you don’t know what an aspidistra is: according to Wikipedia, the Aspidistra elatior ("cast-iron plant") is a popular foliage plant, grown as a landscape plant in shaded spots in areas with mild winters, or as a houseplant elsewhere. They are grown for their ability to survive

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-49859374012809101952011-08-23T09:06:00.000+10:002011-08-23T09:07:35.139+10:00Moxie: Do you have it and on what is it based?

Moxie, the Word of the Day for Saturday, August 6, 2011, entered “common speech from the 1908 Moxie, a trademark name registered 1924 for a bitter non-alcoholic beverage; it was used as far back as 1876 as the name of a patent medicine advertised to "build up your nerve," and it is perhaps ultimately from a New England tribal word.” It now has these 3 popular meanings: 1.Vigor; verve; pep. 2.

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-39972380442915369482011-08-22T16:10:00.000+10:002011-08-22T16:11:02.258+10:00Do you suffer from Aporia?

According to the Word of the Day for Tuesday, July 5, 2011, aporia (uh-PAWR-ee-uh\) means: 1. Difficulty determining the truth of an idea due to equally valid arguments for and against it. 2. In rhetoric, the expression of a simulated or real doubt, as about where to begin or what to do or say. So again, do you suffer from aporia in either of its two meanings? Yes, do you have trouble discerning

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-51416023670101852042011-08-21T08:16:00.000+10:002011-08-21T08:17:44.928+10:00Always remember Erma Bombeck's advice.

Now I am sure that you have heard that old adage that “The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, many times, but have you also heard Erma Bombeck's very sage advice about Greener Grass? Have absolutely no idea of who Erma Bombeck* was, but her advice about greener Grass is absolutely spot on. She supposedly said, 'The grass usually looks greener over someone else's septic

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-22600668660676787332011-08-19T08:20:00.000+10:002011-08-19T08:21:07.976+10:00Are you trig?

Trig, the Word of the Day for Monday, July 11, 2011, is another of those words that is both not used very often now, and also one with more than one clear meaning. Thus trig, can mean either: 1. Neat, trim, smart. 2. To make neat or trim. 3. A wedge or block used to prevent a wheel, cask, or the like, from rolling. 4. In good physical condition; sound; well. Now 3 of these meanings, although

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-52125317393129659832011-08-18T09:10:00.000+10:002011-08-18T09:13:31.429+10:00Mondegreens –Everyone has made one.

Now you may not know what a mondegreen is, but I am pretty confident that not only have you heard at least one in your life, but that you have probably made one or two of your own along the way! According to the “Hot word” blog, “A mondegreen is a misinterpretation of a word or phrase that shares homophony (sounds like) another word or phrase that has been heard. Not to be confused with a

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-68055373926635545762011-08-17T09:05:00.000+10:002011-08-17T09:06:23.704+10:00Are you Futilitarian? I’m Not!

Futilitarian, the Word of the Day for Thursday, July 7, 2011, means “Believing that human hopes are vain and unjustified.” (Futilitarian is a satirical coinage from the 1820s combining "futility" and "utilitarian.”) Now while some human hopes and dreams are indeed vain and unjustified, I believe that all human hope based on and sustained by God, are not vain, nor unjustified. But conversely, all

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-81313698897320177312011-08-16T09:03:00.000+10:002011-08-16T09:10:33.489+10:00Basic headache Cures

Recently saw the following posted on Face Book: “******* Has the worst head ache, can't get rid of it. Tried water, panadol please any other options????” Then came the following advice: 1. Rest? 2. Rest??? More panadol, or nurofen... 3. Advil. 4. neck massage with lavander oil, and stretches of the neck, 5. Sleep!! Now I am no trained medical practitioner, but as one who has been plagued with

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-29045986002641645042011-08-15T11:26:00.000+10:002011-08-15T11:27:38.075+10:00Very American

In a recent blog (“Pardon my Whatever”, which was a follow on blog from my previous, “Pardon My Xhosa / French”) I commented on a reply from my oldest younger sister in response to my original post, where she replied with: ““Pardon my French or whatever”? “Whatever” now is usually used in a derivative/ derogative way. It really means I don't care. Very American!” Now I replied to her full

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-32983840825493936592011-08-14T08:43:00.000+10:002011-08-14T08:44:38.197+10:00Do you use eisegesis or exegesis?

Now I do understand that while you may not exactly know either of these two words, every one of us, when we speak about a subject or topic known to us, do so using the method of one or the other of these two ways of interpreting words and subjects. Eisegesis, which was the Word of the Day for Saturday, June 18, 201, is an interpretation that expresses the interpreter's own ideas, bias, or the

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-16069021139868044672011-08-13T08:56:00.000+10:002011-08-13T08:57:07.826+10:00Pardon my “Whatever”.

In a recent blog (Pardon My Xhosa / French.) I concluded with the following statement: “Which finally brings us to our point today. Whether in French, Xhosa, any of the thousands of other languages currently in the world, or even in modern idiom, what words or expressions are you currently using, that the people that you are speaking to have no clue, what you are saying and by rights you too

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-28013963390727479692011-08-12T09:29:00.000+10:002011-08-12T09:30:35.795+10:00Pardon My Xhosa / French.

Now I am sure you have all heard the idiomatic request to “Pardon my French”, when someone has used a swear word in polite circles. But have you ever wondered where the expression came from and why it was French and not say Spanish or Portuguese or any other language for that matter, that you were being asked to pardon? Well I was reading somewhere (Hot Word Blog) that: ““Pardon my French,” or “

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-35201840184359762052011-08-11T09:17:00.000+10:002011-08-11T09:18:50.181+10:00Transkei, the place to die, not!

When we lived in the former Republic of Transkei, (now part of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa), there were occasional stories of Dead people coming to Life. One time the coffin bearers were carrying the coffin of a deceased young lady to the Umtata Cemetery, when they dropped it and the women came back to life. (Sadly she died again a week later.) And in a land saturated with

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-16407649437424111112011-08-10T08:44:00.001+10:002011-08-10T08:46:37.009+10:00Is your life Canonical?

Being canonical does not mean that you are or ever will be included in the Cannon of the Bible, but you can still be canonical in other ways though! So, thew question is not if you are in the Bible at all! No! The question is: is your life authentic, recognised and accepted by those around you? Or in other words: Can your life be used as a measuring line for others? If so, then you are

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-27146578800693792512011-08-10T08:44:00.000+10:002011-08-10T08:46:35.491+10:00Is your life Canonical?

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-38780206897174193522011-08-09T08:48:00.000+10:002011-08-09T08:52:25.181+10:00Zugzwang moments.

Now, you may not know what a Zugzwang moment is, but I’m pretty sure that, sad as they are, every one of us has had at least one zugzwang situation in our lives. A moment where we have just had to suck it up and make the best of a bad situation. For that is what zugzwang, Word of the Day for Tuesday, July 19, 2011, actually means. Yes. Zugzwang, describes a situation in which a player is

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-46067909181142705702011-08-08T10:14:00.000+10:002011-08-08T10:16:08.221+10:00You say Batata, I say potato!

In a recent Blog, “The Dogs of The Canary islands,” I asked this question at the end: “What other incorrect perceptions have crept into English through the misunderstanding of the original language in which it was named? Such as “White Rhino” for instance, which isn’t white at all!” Well not quite a misconception, but certainly a mispronunciation, is the English word Potato. Was Looking at a

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-21076933854633784122011-08-06T08:56:00.000+10:002011-08-06T08:57:51.157+10:00Why is a Manse called a Manse?

Was talking to someone the other day about the manse and they asked me why it was called a manse? A good question and despite living in one for some time, I had no idea why it/they are called Manses. So I went to my good friend Wikipedia and culled the following information.“A manse (ˈmæns; from Latin mansus, "dwelling", from manere, "to remain") is a house inhabited by, or formerly inhabited

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-25230164297158988512011-08-05T08:26:00.000+10:002011-08-05T08:27:19.302+10:00Where do canaries come from?

In a recent blog, “The dogs of The of Canary Island, I informed you (If you needed informing) that the Canary Islands were not named after canaries at all, but in fact the English name came from the Latin for Dogs. Thus The Canary Islands got their name from dogs and not from the Canary bird as most people erroneously believe! Which is all very fine and interesting, but where in fact did

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-30004558845681869672011-08-04T08:29:00.000+10:002011-08-04T08:45:16.283+10:00The Dogs of The Canary Islands.

In a recent blog, “Hagar The Horrible’s perpetration of an incorrect Myth.” I mentioned that I was disappointed at the incorrect and misleading information implies in it. And of course that misleading information, which was implied, was what most people already mistakenly believe! And that is, that the Canary Islands were named after the Canary bird. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Normally one would say

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-90929648327415337842011-08-03T08:29:00.000+10:002011-08-03T08:34:06.109+10:00Hagar The Horrible’s Perpetration of an incorrect Myth.

As regular readers of these blogs may have already twigged by now, I like comics and get a few good ideas and lots of interesting, if not always useful, information from them. Among my favourites would normally be Hagar the Horrible. However at the moment I am a bit concerned about the misleading, although not totally incorrect (but still misleading) information implied in a recent Hagar

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-40364291943876780272011-08-02T08:21:00.000+10:002011-08-02T08:22:08.363+10:00Pathos or Bathos?

In an earlier blog, “Patios or Pathos? I discussed the difference between the two words. When looking up Pathos in the dictionary, I also discovered that it also gets confused with Bathos as well!Now if you have read the earlier blog, you will already know that Pathos, means:1. The quality or power in an actual life experience or in literature, music, speech, or other forms of expression, of

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-34352522593933322342011-08-01T09:45:00.000+10:002011-08-01T09:46:16.325+10:00Patios or Pathos?

Patois is one of those words where I always thought I knew what it meant, but have since discovered that I was thinking of the meaning of pathos and not patios.Patios, the word of the Day for Friday, July 8, 201, I have since discovered, actually means:1. A regional version of a language differing from its standard, literary form.2. A rural or provincial form of speech. 3. Any jargon or private

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-81969011434792039382011-07-29T08:32:00.000+10:002011-07-29T08:33:51.161+10:00How Skylarking came to be.

Skylark, Word of the Day for Sunday, July 10, 2011, is another of those words whose original meaning has changed somewhat since the beginning. Technically, a Skylark is a brown-speckled European lark, (Alauda arvensis), famed for its melodious song, and for it’s flitting about in the sky. And it is from this latter habit, thanks to bored but playful sailors, that the more common meaning of

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-56847621263778244552011-07-28T09:23:00.000+10:002011-07-28T09:24:26.253+10:00Do you use tropes too?

They say you can learn something new every day! But they also say that there is nothing new under the sun either. I just discovered both truths in my recent discovery of ‘tropes’. Now, like me, you probably have never heard of tropes before either, but also like me, you will probably also find that they are not new to you either; and in fact find that you probably use them all the time too! Yes

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-86050926251821079302011-07-27T11:56:00.002+10:002011-07-27T11:57:01.103+10:00Do you Stonewall or just Filibuster?

Stonewall, which is the Word of the Day for Wednesday, July 6, 2011 is an interesting word! For although its meaning is derived from what a stone wall does, it is not a literal stone wall itself! No, while a stone wall literally blocks or obstructs someone’s passage physically, to stonewall means to metaphorically but also practically, block or stymie someone’s progress as the following 3

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-22477975022250620442011-07-27T11:56:00.001+10:002011-07-27T11:56:56.113+10:00Do you Stonewall or just Filibuster?

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-42979995876665189242011-07-26T09:18:00.000+10:002011-07-26T09:19:02.948+10:00Zip lining anyone?

Zip lining seems to be all the rage now, but it is also not something new but rather, something old given a new name and turned into something trendy for the young travellers.So while Zip lining is now the trendy way to view rain forest canopies; and to cover rugged or steep terrain easily, it is nothing new: but simply the old Flying Fox updated and remarketed again. Yes, according to Wikipedia,

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-36481470610523056322011-07-25T10:39:00.000+10:002011-07-25T10:40:35.158+10:00Are you SAD again?

According to the Melbourne Herald Sun Newspaper on June 24 2011, now that winter is upon us again here, that “for some, the cooler, darker months can bring debilitating depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). About one in 300 Australians suffer from it, as opposed to the more common “winter blues”. “SAD is a recurrent depression where people experience at least a couple of full blown

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-86628697341962136192011-07-23T10:47:00.000+10:002011-07-23T10:49:13.330+10:00Coati in Melbourne again.

No I didn’t say it was coat time in Melbourne again, although that said, it is very true of our weather right now. That also said, these Coati, do come complete with fur coats though! Yes, I am talking about furry animals here.According to the Melbourne Herald Sun Newspaper on July 15th 2011, Melbourne Zoo now has some Coatis again. Although I can’t ever remember hearing of them before, the last

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-10103505551039778102011-07-22T09:42:00.001+10:002011-07-22T09:48:15.224+10:00Ball-peen, Ball-pein or Ball-pane Hammer?

Now I am one of the first to admit that my spelling is atrocious, and I think that Spell Checker is the greatest invention ever. Even if it does spell American and not proper English! Anyway, the other day I wrote a blog (Over the top with the sledgehammer I think.) in which I mentioned a Ballpeen Hammer. Which the spell check rejected. So I looked up the online dictionary to find out its proper

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-61703094872039899362011-07-21T10:49:00.000+10:002011-07-21T10:50:15.397+10:00Over the top with the sledgehammer I think.

Recently posted a blog (How heavy is my sledgehammer?) about a 12 pound sledge hammer that I had bought previously, only to find later that it was a little heavier than I would have preferred. In response to that blog, I received this reply from a former South African friend now living in Scotland:“This brought back another thought. In 1969, I worked with a lady, whose husband had been in a

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-31534087014341045192011-07-20T10:29:00.000+10:002011-07-20T10:32:46.312+10:00Civet Coffee anyone?

In a recent Blog “Junket, Rennet and You”. I briefly mentioned coffee made from Coffee beans that have passed literally through the digestive system of Civets, and is greatly prized for its flavour.According to Wikipedia, “Kopi luwak (Malay pronunciation: [ˈkopi ˈlu.aʔ]), or civet coffee, is one of the world's most expensive and low-production varieties of coffee. It is made from the beans of

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-80900805879587478862011-07-19T09:23:00.000+10:002011-07-19T09:25:04.983+10:00Junket, Rennet and You.

In a recent blog, I asked, “What does Junket mean to you? To which my younger but not youngest sister replied with: “Yummy! Junket with hundred and thousands!Crushing the junket tablets, adding sugar? hot water and stirring until all the tablets were dissolved. Tasting it while unset and releasing the pleasant aroma and then adding the fresh warm milk and stiring then patiently or not so

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-37142319935010835142011-07-18T10:41:00.000+10:002011-07-18T10:42:45.745+10:00Ever heard of a “Furry” before?

Just when I thought I had heard of everything, I came across a group of people, called “Furry’ in the singular, and ”Furries’ or “Furs” in the plural.According to Wikipedia, (from where all the following information comes): “The word furry has several meanings, dependent on the context in which it is used. Predominantly, it means "consisting of or resembling fur".It also pertains to an interest

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-4009313566742361052011-07-17T08:07:00.000+10:002011-07-17T08:13:53.220+10:00What are your first seven words?

In his Book “Hard wired Humans”, a review of which was in the Weekend supplement of the Melbourne Herald Sun Newspaper, on the 9th of July, Andrew O’Keeffe, talks about how humans tend to judge and classify people within the first few seconds of meeting people and once these judgements are made, it is very hard to get them to change their judgements. Thus he says, that even if you meet and talk

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-73865109530202602182011-07-16T20:33:00.000+10:002011-07-16T20:34:37.101+10:00Do you literally mean, “Welcome to Bedlam”?

Ever used the phrase, “Welcome to Bedlam? If you have, you are in fact inviting people into an official Insane Asylum or Mad House! For that is what Bedlam originally meant. Of course it is now used in the broader and unofficial sense of temporary madness and confusion and not the official thing! At least I hope that is how you use is it!Yes, Bedlam, the “Word of the Day” for Saturday, July 2,

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-74271878342016207592011-07-15T08:36:00.000+10:002011-07-15T08:37:16.166+10:00Do you have Jujitsu?

Please note that I didn’t ask if you know Jujitsu, but rather if you have Jujitsu. Yes Jujitsu is another of those words whose secondary meaning has over time, became in most people’s minds the priority meaning. However, according to the “Word of the Day for Thursday, June 23, 2011, jujitsu originally meant: “The ability to accomplish a task with no apparent effort or resistance.” And only later

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-37336080921817733082011-07-14T09:49:00.000+10:002011-07-14T09:50:33.649+10:00How heavy is my Sledge hammer?

Having grown up on a small farm on the then country outskirts of Melbourne, there was always a wide variety of tools around the farm to borrow if I needed something but not enough to buy my own when I moved out and into my own home. A sledge hammer was one such tool that I occasionally borrowed from home. However upon our return from our many years overseas, I decided that I had enough need of a

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-33699389476378151622011-07-13T09:11:00.000+10:002011-07-13T09:12:41.904+10:00Are you Catawampus today?

Catawampus, according to the “Word of the Day” for Tuesday, June 28, 2011, means something or someone who is:1. Off-centre; askew; awry.2. Positioned diagonally; cater-cornered.So the question today is: “How is your life now? Is it currently catawampus and off centre and diagonally positioned to everything and everyone else? And if so, are you really happy about that? If not, and if it is you who

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-48922459095403103752011-07-12T06:30:00.000+10:002011-07-12T06:31:36.728+10:00Remembering Hawthorn Hedges.

Now it doesn’t really matter whether you spell it ‘Hawthorne’ or ‘Hawthorn’, it is the same tree and the name simply means "thorny hedge." I was reminded of this Hedge plant a couple of times recently. Firstly I was recently watching a Scottish show with my First born and she remarked on the hedges in Scotland, along with the stone fences, and I reminded her that in at least one place in Victoria

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-1798333934186950222011-07-11T08:38:00.001+10:002011-07-11T08:40:00.755+10:00Something got lost in the pronunciation.

In a couple of recent Blogs (What does Junket mean to you? & Are you Kosher or even Cosher?) I mentioned in passing, the dangers of mishearing and/ or the danger of mispronunciation. All this triggered in my memory, an event that happened over 20 years ago, when we first arrived in the then Republic of Transkei.Until we had time to rent a place of our own, it had earlier been arranged for us that

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-16152508780287618182011-07-11T08:38:00.000+10:002011-07-11T08:39:52.510+10:00Something got lost in the pronunciation.

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-14055519749805595672011-07-09T09:21:00.000+10:002011-07-09T09:22:38.059+10:00Are you Kosher or even Cosher?

Here is a case of two words looking very similar, (although pronounced differently) and with two distinct different meanings.The second and Word of the Day for Monday, June 13, 2011 is ‘cosher’ and pronounced \KOSH-er\, and means “To treat with special fondness”. The other and more familiar word to most, is ‘kosher’ and pronounced as [koh-sher], and in its relationship to Judaism, it means either

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-14090116368515663272011-07-08T09:21:00.000+10:002011-07-08T09:26:15.852+10:00What does Junket mean to you?

Recently noticed the following comment on Face book from an Australian friend currently in America. She says: “To send something to the tip / dump as Americans say - you junket. To those of my age junket was something you have for dessert.” Personally I think that American usage/understanding, is just a mispronouncement and contraction of how Americans pronounce, ‘Junk it.*’ Particularly as I

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-52453438465034539642011-07-07T09:49:00.000+10:002011-07-07T10:00:24.721+10:00Who is the real Galah?

In my recent Blog, “Taking the bad with the Good” I mentioned that we had a problem with our plan in attracting Parrots to our Balcony and how some other birds such as the Galahs, were dominating and bossing away the birds we really wanted to keep feeding. I also mentioned how it got so bad last year that we stopped feeding all the birds at one stage but started again recently now that the

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-22869332990479016762011-07-06T10:14:00.000+10:002011-07-06T10:20:14.791+10:00Taking the Bad with the Good.

In my recent Blog, “Pardon My Parroting On,” I mentioned how we started putting some Parrot seed out to attract some local parrots into our backyard and onto our balcony. I also mentioned that it worked better than I could have dreamt it would, and soon we had not only the local parrots but other non-local parrots and rarer birds as well, including the now, not so common, Common Bronze wing

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-3410904190305996832011-07-05T10:07:00.000+10:002011-07-05T10:10:38.071+10:00Pardon my parroting on.

At our previous place of residence, we noticed some parrots in the nearby trees and so bought some bird seed to try and encourage them to come and visit us. Which they didn’t really do. Or if they did, the Magpies soon drove them away. I have blogged elsewhere about the Magpies, but over a short time my wife was feeding up to 20 of them until we went on a month’s holiday and never restarted

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-34971654903742131542011-07-04T10:01:00.001+10:002011-07-04T10:17:33.855+10:00Face book: Friend or foe?

A family brouhaha, has currently developed on Face book between some family members over what is appropriate and when, on Face Book.My wife received a phone call on Friday Morning saying that her father was in a bad way and not expected to make out the weekend. So it was not surprising on Saturday night that I was woken from a deep sleep not long before Midnight to receive the sad news of his

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-72290502501985028762011-07-03T08:50:00.000+10:002011-07-03T08:51:31.596+10:00What is a Million Dollars’ worth these days?

According to the Melbourne Herald Sun Newspaper on June 24 2011, “In just the last two years, the number of Australians worth more than $1 million has increased by more than 45%”. I heard somewhere else that that means 11% of Australians are now millionaires! Sadly I and no one I know are that, but I couldn’t help wondering just how far a million Dollars would actually go these days? When I was a

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-90823145950833939022011-07-02T09:47:00.000+10:002011-07-02T09:48:16.875+10:00What does Gay mean to you now?

In my 2010 blog, “What does a referee do?” I concluded with: “Again it just shows that even when using familiar words, they don't always have the meaning that we are familiar with, do they? And so we need to be careful at all times that we both know what the other means when using otherwise familiar words, don’t we?So, are there any other familiar words that you have always used that now, you

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-25692518112680185172011-07-01T11:40:00.001+10:002011-07-01T11:40:53.084+10:00What does cleave mean?

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-31847179358347993192011-06-30T08:29:00.001+10:002011-06-30T08:29:57.181+10:00What are we really bringing home with us?

In this “For Better or For Worse” comic by Lynn Johnston updated: 09/27/2010, Lynn has young Michael, snuffling and sniffing in the first Panel. Then in the second Panel, Lynn has his younger sister, hacking, coughing, sneezing & wheezing. While in the third panel, his mother is also honking her nose, coughing and sneezing. Then in the final panel, Mike’s father, sitting comfortably in his chair

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-22288100524357992512011-06-29T08:43:00.000+10:002011-06-29T08:49:12.413+10:00Thirty Page Rule For Book Reading?

This “Rabbits Against Magic” Cartoon Strip by Jonathan Lemon from July 18, 2009 has a rabbit sitting under a tree reading a book, when approached by another rabbit who asks, “Trixie, do you finish every book you start?’ To which Trixie replies, “I have a 30 page rule. When I get that far I make the decision to go to the end or not.” To which the first rabbit sadly mumbles to itself as it shuffles

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-44744253585858873022011-06-28T09:18:00.001+10:002011-06-28T09:18:51.403+10:00The Seven P’s of Life.

I took the following off of a Face book site of a friend, a little while back where he wrote: “Discipline makes things easier....plan, prioritise, execute!” To which another friend of his replied with: "True that, I live my life by the seven P's: Prior Proper Planning Prevents Pitiful Poor Performance”Now, apart from being very clever at composing a meaningful sentence with only P words, there is

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-17086811725749165482011-06-27T09:42:00.001+10:002011-06-27T09:44:11.546+10:00Suffering Sesquipedalianism

It has sometimes, okay, oft times, been said that I suffer from sesquipedalianism. And sadly I have to admit that I do have a propensity to and adoration of being sesquipedalianism at times. Yes! I admit it. I am “Given to using long words”, and/or, using “large words when smaller ones will do.” Which is exactly what Sesquipedalianism, the Word of the Day for Sunday, May 2, 2010, means:1. Given

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-35608434758538617962011-06-26T08:30:00.000+10:002011-06-26T08:31:19.665+10:00Who really is the negative one?

This is another blog inspired by the Comic strip, “Dark Side of the Horse by Samson” and taken from the internet on October 8, 2010. Here we see the black horse Horace walking along and complaining to a little bird in a tree that: “I hate all this Negativity… All I hear is NO, NO, NO!”To which the little bird replies: “Oh no!” Then adds: “I think you’re asking the wrong questions.” To which

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-56315868818689838212011-06-25T08:22:00.000+10:002011-06-25T08:24:01.597+10:00What School Did You Go To?

Ever been asked a simple question, and realised that the answer is not so simple? For instance recently I was asked, “Where did your kids go to School”? Like, which kid and which year?For me the answer is simple. Not only did I not go to Kindergarten, but I only ever went to two schools in my whole life. Three if you count Bible Collage! {They were Kangaroo Ground Primary School, and Watsonia

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-29178976984844944912011-06-24T10:39:00.000+10:002011-06-24T10:40:12.800+10:00What does WHARF mean?

I’m assuming that we all know what a WHARF is now, but do you know what it originally was and how the word came into being? Originally it wasn’t even a proper word, simply an acronym. Now I’m also pretty sure that you know that an acronym is a word formed from the initial letters or groups of letters of words in a set phrase or series of words. And such is WHARF! Which stands for: W..Whare, H..

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-31038308016670815592011-06-23T09:00:00.000+10:002011-06-23T09:01:16.649+10:00Postage cost verses cost of original item?

Since our return to Australia late 2002, I have been in the habit of sending some cheap but colourful Australian calendars to a few of our close overseas friends. One year I wanted to send an even better one to a particular friend, and finally choosing a really nice one, paid, $12.50 for it, then was shocked and horrified to find that the only way I could supposedly send it to them was by

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-73783893217061174872011-06-22T09:05:00.000+10:002011-06-22T09:09:33.360+10:00Moved on some, since 1910

I received this e-mail last year and it compared life then (2010) with life one hundred years earlier. It has plenty for us to ponder on at the progress made since 1910 and thus I thought it worth some reflection time of our own too! Maybe not to 100 years ago, but perhaps to our own childhoods, and to what has changed in just our own Life time. Anyway here it is for your reflection:The year is

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-76574875520857656512011-06-21T17:03:00.000+10:002011-06-21T17:04:51.648+10:00I Remember ...

A while back I received an email that talked about how different things were when the writer was a Kid. Being someone who was born smack dab in the middle of the last century, many of those things listed in her memory, although now unheard and often forgotten, were common for me and my siblings then too. Yes although living little more than 25 Miles from Melbourne, the second biggest city in

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-9691760988619451772011-06-20T09:11:00.000+10:002011-06-20T09:23:46.201+10:00Are you a cater-cousin?

At first hearing/glance, a cater-cousin doesn’t sound all that nice does it? Especially if you think of other words like Caterwaul, which is a long wailing cry or utterance, or similar sound, such as a howl or screech like cats fighting.Anyway back to cater-cousins which was the word of the Day for Wednesday, June 8, 2011. Now like many words, cater-cousin can be used in both a good or bad

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-46179583199504316352011-06-20T09:10:00.000+10:002011-06-20T09:11:25.240+10:00Same Pants, Wrong Leg.

In this “For Better or For Worse” comic Strip by Lynn Johnston from 2009, she has the mother paying for her Groceries at the Supermarket check-out, when she suddenly notices that her young daughter is not with her, and frantically yells out, “LIZZIE? LIZZIE, where are you?” Next, you see Lizzie holding on happily to a pair of legs in Blue Jeans, next to another set of legs in Blue jeans! Just

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-989577828485071022011-06-19T13:41:00.000+10:002011-06-19T13:43:23.759+10:00How adaptable are you really?

Went for a walk up the street to get a paper and took the dogs with me. Of course they had to stop along the way to “Cock their leg.” As they did so, my mind went back to another dog and another time, and even another country. Here, it appears both our current dogs are ambidextrous when it comes to lifting their hind legs, when they need to go. But over there, our Doyle boy, obviously wasn’t. I

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-48357711184195065042011-06-18T10:46:00.001+10:002011-06-18T10:46:59.243+10:00Who will give in first?

The first independent item that I ever wrote that received a lot of positive reaction among my family, (as opposed to my letters to them) and which was the inspiration for both these blogs and this Blog site*, was about Our First Born’s Dog, George and his persistence at getting to the other side of any obstacle put in his way to stop him! And there have been as least one more since then, and

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-34423543987452146832011-06-17T15:08:00.000+10:002011-06-17T15:10:00.613+10:00Who is the real insensitive one?

In this 2010 Comic strip, “Dark Side of the Horse by Samson” and taken from the internet on September 29, 2010 Samson has his anti –hero Horace the Black horse, outside with ear muffs on complaining bitterly: “Monday Morning, 6am. My neighbour is already blowing his air horn. What an idiot”. And then we see in the next panel why Horace has really got his ear muffs on. For there, he is outside

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-66340348595299848442011-06-17T15:06:00.000+10:002011-06-17T15:08:03.031+10:00How well do you know someone before you judge them?

In this 2010 Comic strip, “Dark Side of the Horse by Samson” and taken from the internet on September 29, 2010 Samson has his anti –hero Horace the Black horse, outside walking along and complaining bitterly about his neighbour, saying: “I used to dislike my neighbor.” Then, in the next frame, he adds: “Then I decided to get to know him better!” Then finally in the final frame, Horace concludes

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-24594491307997945572011-06-17T15:05:00.000+10:002011-06-17T15:06:14.599+10:00Are you a neighbour like this?

In this 2010 Comic strip, “Dark Side of the Horse by Samson” and taken from the internet on September 29, 2010 Samson has his anti –hero Horace the Black horse outside walking and complaining bitterly about his neighbour, saying: “I will never forget the first time I met my neighbour.” -------- “No matter how hard I try!” I guess we have all met someone like that, even if not quite had one for

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-63918843709767271552011-06-16T11:56:00.000+10:002011-06-16T11:57:06.032+10:00Is it gossip or Human Interest stories that you share?

In this “For Better or For Worse” comic Strip by Lynn Johnston, from May 2009, she has two ladies sitting at the table chatting over a cup of Coffee. One, Anne says, “So, how’s Connie these days? Still depressed? Still manhunting? “Her friend Ely replies sharply, “Well, Anne – Connie is a close friend and I could never talk about her behind her back. I hate gossip! I refuse to be a Gossip! Then

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-77071669419805325922011-06-16T11:54:00.000+10:002011-06-16T11:55:27.741+10:00Is that the message you really want to send?

In this “For Better or For Worse” comic Strip by Lynn Johnston, from January 2010, Lynn has two men, Ted and John, walking in the snow, chatting. Ted says, “Got anything for the wife yet John?” To which John replies, “No’’’ But I have some ideas.” To which Ted queries, “Diamonds? Pearls?” To which he is rebuffed with, “Nah. Elly’s far too practical for that stuff, Ted.” Then adds, “I’m thinking

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-19793984987516005102011-06-15T08:37:00.000+10:002011-06-15T08:38:47.616+10:00New breeds of dogs?

On July first 2010, I took this off the Web under the heading of; “Master the 3 new “official” dog breeds: What Cane Corso means.”It then went on to say: “Today the AKC (American Kennel Club), the main organization for dog breeders in the United States, recognized three new dog breeds: the Icelandic Sheepdog, the Leonberger, and the Cane Corso. This means that breeders of these three types of

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-1277530969818744102011-06-14T08:29:00.000+10:002011-06-14T08:30:23.490+10:00Rooibos Tea: Red and Green!

Having spent many years in South Africa, we had become very familiar with Rooibos, or as the Xhosa people call it, “Bush Tea”.Despite that, most of what follows, comes from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.Rooibos is pronounced “ROY-bos, and is Afrikaans for "red bush". Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, European travellers and botanists visiting the Cedarburg region in South Africa

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-24232595520101574652011-06-13T10:57:00.000+10:002011-06-13T10:58:20.840+10:00That’s why I’m here.

Was listening to a CD of James Taylor’s greatest hits, when I was struck by the words of one of his lesser known songs, “That’s why I’m here.” Whilst the full lyrics don’t always make sense, to me at least, I was struck by the chorus. Below is the first stanza & Chorus.“Person to person and man to manI'm back in touch with my long lost friendlisten to reason and understandand think of me from way

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1896873961739757154.post-30401706544365114182011-06-11T10:11:00.000+10:002011-06-11T10:12:42.314+10:00Vertiginous by my own Hand.

The Word of the Day for Saturday, May 28, 2011was vertiginous which has four basic meanings:1. Affected with vertigo; giddy; dizzy.2. Causing or tending to cause dizziness.3. Turning round; whirling; revolving.4. Inclined to change quickly or frequently; inconstant.Recently I had some sudden and frightening vertiginous attacks which came under the first 2 categories. At first I was quite

Walter parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509386742779995402noreply@blogger.com0