Just Another Writer's Journal

I rarely read the descriptions posted with App updates, but the latest description for the Vimeo update may just change that: "In this week's episode of The Viemo App, the welcome screen finally dumps its bf, gets a mini-makeover, and finds the confidence it needed all along. Meanwhile, the homepage and navigation system end up embroiled in a fierce battle with some feisty bugs (spoiler alert: the bugs always lose)."

More fun uses of words. In the British comedy series Yes Minister, the minister, Jim Hacker, constantly battles with his Permanent Secretary, Humphrey Appleby. Though not stupid, the minister is not always up with the play, as witnessed in this exchange where the minister is reading a newspaper article about himself: Minister : …was none other than the egregious Jim Hacker. (Pause) What does egregious mean? Humphrey : Uh..it means outstanding… Minister : Oh. Humphrey : In one way or another. adjective:   1. extraordinary in some bad way; glaring; flagrant You can hear the exchange in this YouTube clip (unfortunately, there's no video until later in the episode.)

I like words, and it's fun to come across a word that's used infrequently—or that you don't use frequently yourself. It can be even more fun trying to figure out if the word is being used correctly. Case in point: An article I read today began with the headline: Mark Zuckerberg refuses to testify in the UK yet again .  But then it went on to say: Mark Zuckerberg has yet again rebuked a UK parliamentary request... Rebuked? Really? That seemed out of place; and I'm not saying that because I don't think I have ever used that word in a sentence. Read it, yes, but said it or written it? I doubt it! The reason I doubted it was because a) refusing is not the same—or even similar—as rebuking someone, and b) I couldn't believe that Zuckerberg would rebuke the UK parliament. At least, not unless they really pissed him off. REBUKE verb, 1. to express sharp, stern disapproval of; reprove; reprimand. I mean, he may have rebuked them, but it's a bit strong—e...

Oh Dear! I was perusing a movie site—checking for performance times of  First Man— when my eyes fell upon an ad for a new film;  The Happy Prince, written, directed and starring Rupert Everett, and based on Oscar Wilde's downfall and last years. What a happy time that will be. My biggest concern was that First Man is no longer showing in local theaters—its run of a few weeks suggesting that it did not find favor with modern audiences. Most of whom are probably convinced that man never walked on the moon; and would not want to see such nonsense! But I digress. For I cannot imagine that a movie about Oscar Wilde's later years will be a happy way to spend an evening. If they don't want to see a movie about successfully landing on the moon, why would they want to see one about abject failure? I am, of course, annoyed. I have been working on a short play about Oscar Wilde's last years for a while now, and I am distressed to see someone else making a hash of it be...