Pedantry rules, is that all right with you?

Thanks to Lynne Truss and others more attention is being given to punctuation and spelling. Syntax even gets a look in. So this is for the forgotten triplet, semantics.

So many times have I seen the wrong one from "principal" and "principle" selected that I have to check myself every time. The most amusing (?) example was on a letter from the General Teachers' Council (great was the rejoicing when the NASUWT finally got the apostrophe in the right place in that one, forgive the tangent) to a principal, with the wrong word used in the address line. Wish I'd kept a copy.

More usually though it's a word or phrase with the wrong meaning. "Catch-22" is not the same as a "no-win situation" but you'd certainly think so from its usual usage. "Enormity" - even on the BBC news - where the word is "magnitude" or even "enormousness" (yes you can create words in a living language). A tsunami is not an enormity as it is not an evil act. And others have spoken about that flipping woman and her "ironic" song so we won't go on about it here. Actually I guess you can sing it ironically.

There is however one TV detective who attempts to use language correctly. Sadly it is not Inspector Linley who completely gratuitously and totally erroneously just said "beg the question".

Bring back Mayo!

Chain of Circumstance

Funny how things turn out. When we moved down here I wasn't getting my gaming fix anymore. So I saw a small listing in an irregular small-circulation magazine about a "Hobbymeet". The phone number didn't work so I worked out what day it should be on and just turned up on the far side of Bristol not knowing anyone there. Which was a bit of a surprise to an established group who'd forgotten all about the listing - since they hadn't heard of the mag it was in, because it had just taken the listing from another one.

Anyway the gaming community made me welcome, even though I barely knew what a fanzine was.

Years later and I am a stalwart of the group, to the extent that Bill and I were this month's group - the tradition being maintained by a game of Mykenos (excellent).

Of such chances and chains are communities built. There's a sermon here somewhere. Go and write it.

Born Too Late

They Don't Write Them Like That Anymore:

You don't hear many songs these days about a girl's love for an older man. In fact I wondered again what the reaction would be if it came out today?

From the other side:

When You Ask About Love - The Crickets.

An oldie but goodie

I am reminded of the old joke, "What's the difference between a minister and a Local Preacher?"

A minister is paid to be good and a Local Preacher is good for nothing.

Many a true word spoken in jest.

Another day, another thousand words

I just hope that they say something sensible and acceptable. And just what do you put in a bibliography anyway?

We built this city

Music for different moods. I was still playing soca/cumbia in the car this afternoon in the middle of a downpour (tropical monsoon?) - but that's really lazy sunny music.

So on the way back with no sun to be seen I changed to the Born to be Wild compilation. Still the best when it's grey outside. There's a reason why Britain produces the best driving rock.

Track 2 We Built This City on Rock n Roll. Of course we did.

Ordinary or extra-ordinary

Wesley understood the need for both. But is the ordinary the enemy of the extra-ordinary?

The wonder of creation

I thought it was time for a picture.

The Original Crazy Diamond

Last night BBC repeated the documentary about Syd Barrett to mark his passing.

Marvellous quote from it, "Nutters have moments of clarity, all the time. They see things sometimes more clearly then most of us do." Quite.

Goodbye Syd.

Mercury

1. An element, the only common metal liquid at room temperatures, freezes easily, extremely toxic. Slightly volatile at room temperature. Also called quicksilver. Has many uses.

2. The nearest planet to the Sun.
Mercury was named by the Romans after the fleet-footed messenger of the gods because it seemed to move more quickly than any other planet.

3. The Roman god of merchandise, theft, and eloquence, messenger of the gods. The swiftest of the Gods. A precocious youth. To the Babylonians he was viewed as the bearer of riches. To the astrologers of the Renaissance he was the bringer of misfortune.

Mercurial, adj. having the qualities attributed to persons born under the planet - eloquent etc; active, sprightly, often changing; temperamental, volatile.

Helping Yourself

What's the difference between Bible classes and Bible study?

In one case you have to go to a lot of boring meetings.

Colours of day

The minister covers what remains of the elements with a white cloth.

Well, to me of course that's like a red rag to a bull, if you'll pardon the phrase (what's the opposite of a pun?) I mean the use of the descriptor, white. Why white?

Presumably it's symbolic, but of what? White represents purity and innocence. It can represent life, and also death (which is why John is wearing a white suit on the cover of Abbey Road, of course). Does white mean all these in this case, and are there others?

I understand that at Conference this year they used a tartan cloth - to celebrate being in Scotland, or to emphasis a Methodist service? Great.

So I wondered if we should have different colours at different times of year, like in the vestments etc. Blood-red in Lent? Now there would be a powerful symbol that would bring us up. Easter Day - white edged in gold? purple (for kingship?).

Other suggestions?

Less is more

If you can say it in four words why use four hundred?

Thank God for the weather

I love the hot sun. Lazy hazy days. Yes, the rain is good too, but the sun is happy. Enjoy it while it lasts. Tomorrow may be something else.

Blogger Support Network

OK so I've been a bit slow on this one, and only saw the story today on Ceefax. This is the new homepage of La Petite Anglaise who has been sacked by her employers for keeping a blog which "might" lead them to be identified. Now of course she and they are all over the media.

Competition Time - The Shortest Sermon in the World

Here is my entry, to be delivered this Sunday at Watley's End and Zion:

"What time is it?"

That is not the title - it is the sermon.

Since there should be space in the service, I shall also be delivering my second entry:

"Is that the time?"

Further entries welcome, but I'm not promising a prize, only glory.

Cinderella fella

Did you ever want to start a fire but all you were allowed to do was rake over the ashes?

Crisis Management

Well this week I was going to do a series of thoughtful posts on science and theology but again I've reached a crisis point. Fortunately I have a lot of people who help me out of them when I can't see where to go. It's going to be a little while yet though until the nails have all been cleared up. Normal service will be resumed ... sometime. Or maybe this is normal service?

Text, pretext and context

Well I was going to write something about quoting random fragments of Scripture out of context and ladling meaning into them to support whatever argument you wish to espouse, but someone's beaten me to it. So I suggest you just go to this comment to see the counter-blast well stated. Saved me a job anyway.

Late Arrivals at the University Ball

Please welcome the Dhin brothers from India:

the successful essay writer Handidi Dhin, and the less successful Chukhdi.

I thang you.

(If you don't understand this you haven't listened to enough editions of I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue. Get online or to BBC7 and do so.)