So this just in from Mom,

My baby sister Heather and her friends just placed first in a 48-hour film contest, and are entering their project into the nationals. Their film also also placed first in the acting and directing categories.

Their task: Given a genre, one prop, one quote, and one name, the crew had 48 hours to write, shoot, and edit a film. Specifically:

Genre – Film de Femme
Character – Alex Gomm – County Employee
Prop – Spoon
Line of Dialogue – “Keep that thing away from me.”

These kids were up for two days straight. They came up with this.

I found it an entertaining Generation-Y twist on Pearl Jam’s nineties classic, Jeremy.

Heather does an exceptional job playing Terra (cool name!), the hottie in the white car. I’m probably just biased, but, hey, what proud big brother isn’t?

Nice job, kids!

“Come to believe that I better not leave before I get my chance to ride.”
— Red Hot Chili Peppers

More words for you to learn that’ll make you appear smarter than everyone else at your next board meeting or coffee break.

May – can (might – could). May and might imply permission or possibility; can and could, ability or power.
• You may send them the double-boot water ski on trial. (Permission.)
• The report may be true. (Possibility.)
• Can he present a workable schedule? (Has he the ability?)
• Mrs. McNamara said I might (permission) have the time off if I could (had the ability to) finish my work in time.
• Please call me if you think I can be of help. (Emphasizes the ability to help.)
• Please call me if you think I may be of help. (Emphasizes the possibility of helping.)

Maybe – may be. Maybe is an adverb, used to describe a verb, or an adjective, or another adverb; may be is a verb.
• If we don’t receive a letter from them today, maybe (an adverb meaning “perhaps”) we should call.
• Slayer may be (a verb) at The Universal Amphitheater in Studio City this Saturday night.

Anymore – any more.
• We used to vacation in Barbados, but we don’t go there anymore (any longer.)
• Please call me if you have any more (any additional) suggestions.

Anytime – any time.
• Come see us anytime you are in town. (One word meaning “whenever.”)
• Did you have dealings with Sassafras at any time in the past? (Two words after a preposition such as at.)
• Can you spend any time (any amount of time) with Matilda and me when you next come to Tangerine?

Anyway – any way.
• Anyway (in any case), we can’t go skiing now.
• If we can help in any way (by any method), please phone.

Source: The Gregg Reference Manual

This is a real headstone in a Montreal cemetery. The epitaph was ordered by John’s ex-wife and mistress. It wasn’t until the job was finished that the engraver noticed something unusual about the message. A bona fide acrostic!

From the Sony Walkman to Milton Bradley’s Simon to the Atari 2600 to the Speak & Spell by Texas Instruments, this list will bring you back in one way or another.

ps: What, no Clapper???

A couple months ago there was a very orderly moment at 12:34 in the afternoon. For one minute, it was 12:34 5/6/7. For those of us not on military time, it happened twice that day.

I was chatting with somebody recently and he pointed out that an even cooler moment happened seventeen years ago (and one hundred seventeen years ago, for that matter). I only wish I’d remembered to look at a digital watch at exactly 12:34 and 56 seconds on 7/8/90. Or even the summer before that, at exactly 01:23:45 on 6/7/89.

Anyway, here are ten useful words to add to your vocabulary, all related to the theme of order:

1. acrostic: a composition usually in verse in which sets of letters (as the initial or final letters of the lines) taken in order form a word or phrase or a regular sequence of letters of the alphabet.

2. cavalcade: a dramatic sequence or procession.

3. tierce: a sequence of three playing cards of the same suit.

4. barcarole: a Venetian boat song usually in 6/8 or 12/8 time characterized by the alternation of a strong and weak beat that suggests a rowing rhythm.

5. polystichous: arranged in several rows.

6. apparitor: an official formerly sent to carry out the orders of a magistrate, judge, or court.

7. Fibonacci number: an integer in the infinite sequence 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13,… of which the first two terms are 1 and 1 and each succeeding term is the sum of the two immediately preceding.

8. anastrophe: inversion of the usual syntactical order of words for rhetorical effect.

9. denouement: the outcome of a complex sequence of events.

10. perfecta: a bet in which the bettor picks the first and second place finishers in order.

A classic exercise in creative thinking, with a solution that offers the essence of how to think about design. Your task: Without taking pen off paper, and using only four straight lines, connect the nine dots.

I’ll post the answer in a few days.

These are not interchangeable. The former is synonymous with “entirely”, while the latter means “all in one group”.

• He is altogether (entirely) too lazy to be a success.
• The papers are all together (all in a group) in the binder I sent you.

Kona skunked again.
Happens twice a year or so.
The fun never ends.