Villa Grammatica

Imponderables / Terms I Just Made Up, Part V

nobody@vox.com(Apostrophina) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:47:53 -0700

The imponderable: why do people send e-mails asking me to "just look at [this] for grammar and spelling" when that is already 90% of my job?

The Term: Businesscardia
Category: Professional

When you proofread so many business cards your heart yearns for anything else.*

*(Except a calendar: I hate calendars.)

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

You Lie!

nobody@vox.com(Apostrophina) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:43:43 -0700

Hah! No, it's not going to be topical, sorry.

I have wanted to change my name since...ever, basically, and finally took the plunge and altered my middle name this summer, after years of hearing people tell me it was going to be an unholy nuisance and hundreds of dollars of expense. So far:

$47- name change
$4- cost of parking near courthouse
$0- new SS card
$0- new bank cards
$0- new credit cards
$22- the DMV whole shebang (license, title and registration), and they said the title didn't have to be reprinted
$25- ordering happy little postcard announcements from Moo.com

By far the biggest nuisance has been 1) Finding the Social Security office, which relocated from the time of initial research to the time of applying for a new card; 2) Answering the people who say "You...changed your middle name?" (I changed it to Alexandra, and have been referring to this process as establishing my AlDentity.)

I suppose my point is, without the internet, I'd still be believe all the friends and family who didn't want to learn a new name. ALWAYS look things up, people.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Who Knew?

nobody@vox.com(Apostrophina) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 09:03:41 -0700

Turns out that, at least in one way, cats are smarter than my 8-year-old self. Fortunately for my dignity, I do know from needing to clarify words...

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Why Is It...

nobody@vox.com(Apostrophina) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 05:12:26 -0700

...that Germany has the most interesting cannibalism cases? First there was the man who recruited his own enthusiastic murder victim, and now this unique take on a grandmother's recipe.

Somehow, I think this impulse came from the same bizarre lust for experimentation that leads young men to light farts.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Awww...

nobody@vox.com(Apostrophina) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 04:56:34 -0700

This may well be the cutest thing I've ever seen!

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Quick Hits: Not Quite As Intended?

nobody@vox.com(Apostrophina) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 11:01:09 -0700

From a local paper: Highway floral displays face cuts

From an e-mail, in which a chocolate shop was apparently having an Easter sale: 20% off Toady!!!!
(The poor toady: you know it's a harsh economy when even henchmen get downsized...)

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

I Am Alarmed

nobody@vox.com(Apostrophina) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 09:51:55 -0700

I finally gave in and bought this alarm clock (though not at this price!) after Old Faithful let me down again last week. I hope I like it, and hope it stays around as long as the old one.*

Which is going to live in the closet. I seem to have some separation issues.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Misplaced Madness!

nobody@vox.com(Apostrophina) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 11:27:11 -0700

From Yahoo!, of course:

Fish eats cell phone, still works after a week

Thank heavens--I don't know where you take a fish for warranty service.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Quick Hits

nobody@vox.com(Apostrophina) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:54:14 -0700

As all the blog seems to have gone out of me lately, a few things I found interesting:

The "space bat"--In the wake of the Natasha Richardson tragedy, this story about a bat spotted clinging to the space shuttle (but never seen getting the hell off it) was like a depressing little cherry on a pie made of suck.
From CrunchGear, a story on the coolest business cards ever.
And a top 10 list from Wired that I found vaguely sexist, if only because I'm an even bigger geek than many of the guys I know.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Oh, Dear.

nobody@vox.com(Apostrophina) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:44:17 -0800

I knew it!

Read and post comments | Send to a friend