Best definition ever

From Music Since 1900, by Nicolas Slonimsky, pp. 1489-1490: Sesquipedalian Macropolysyllabiflcation. Quaquaversal lucubration about pervicacious torosity and diverticular prosiliency in diatonic formication and chromatic papulation, engendering carotic carmination and decubital nyctalopia, causing borborygmic susurration, teratological urticulation, macroptic dysmimia, bregmatic obstipation, Continue reading Best definition ever

License agreement as literature

George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm (August, 1945) has 29,966 words. Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451 (October, 1953) has 46,118 words. Apple’s  “Apple Developer Program License Agreement” (June, 2017) has 42,993 words. In terms of plot, setting, and character, the license agreement is no Continue reading License agreement as literature

Contains fish

Ikea sells furniture. Ikea has a restaurant, and it sells salmon fillets. The fillets contain fish. Consider yourself warned.

AI and haiku

Siri does haiku. Haiku is a very ancient form of Japanese poetry, based on a pattern of seventeen syllables over three lines of five, seven and five syllables. It is also the bane of introductory literature students unfamiliar with poetry Continue reading AI and haiku

Visual BASIC in Romanian

What do you do if you need a quick reference to Visual BASIC and the only available reference is in Romanian? Let us consider this logically: First off, you do not wonder, “Why is there a Visual BASIC manual in Continue reading Visual BASIC in Romanian

Pay now. But what?

Possible interpretations for this sign: Pay for people? Pay for children? Buy this sign? While we are on the subject of this sign: do you pay at the kiosk, or do you pay at the pay station? Must you pay Continue reading Pay now. But what?

Not taking that exit

I am leaving. An exit sign beckons in front of me. But I don’t think I want to walk in that direction. Infectious laughter? Excellent. Infectious diseases? Sorry, I’ll pass.

Mini-burger

American marketing is given to excess: “The greatest thing since sliced bread!” “The boldest step in home living since the flush toilet!” “This crew-cab truck is sooo big, you’ll need an aircraft hanger to garage it!” “100 times more powerful Continue reading Mini-burger