Wednesday, December 4, 2019


In the weeds of a recent poll conducted by The Economist and YouGov, this word—impnoncoop—appears.  You’ll find the first instance in the report’s table of contents, page 2 of the file, then also on page 94.  This is not an error for "nincompoop!"  It is, instead, the poll-taker’s abbreviation for "impeachment non-cooperation", impnoncoop (with coop pronounced as two syllables:  co-op).  This strikes me as a thing of accidental beauty for a couple of reasons.  First, because it’s a useful abbreviation.  In that sense, it not only cuts the phrase down from 25 characters to 10, and from nine syllables to four (or three, depending on how you choose to pronounce it), but it also stamps this very particular event with a very specific term which will probably never be used again.  This word is an anagram of nincompoop.  It uses precisely the same letters, only in a different order.  Christopher Daly  https://thebettereditor.wordpress.com/2019/12/03/impnoncoop/

December 2, 2019  We asked this year’s Center for Fiction First Novel Prize finalists about their earliest love affairs with reading.  Meet them all at the Finalist Reading and Fête on December 9 at The Center for Fiction.  Read titles, comments and see graphics at https://lithub.com/what-was-the-first-book-you-fell-in-love-with-4/

There are 31 states plus Washington D.C. that require a front license plate.  It's not just drivers who object to required front plates on cars, but also lawmakers in some states.  They argue that manufacturing and distributing front plates costs more than it's worth.  However, due to the fines levied on violations of the law, other lawmakers argue that the plates pay for themselves.  For example, in Denver, a particular toll road generates up to a third of its revenue by scanning front license plates.  States not requiring front plates often see a large number of toll violators due to unreadable rear plates.  The Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport in Arizona calculates parking fees with Automated License Plate Recognition.  But due to glare on the rear license plates, it is forced to determine fees on up to 15 percent of vehicles by hand rather than automatically.  Naturally, this requires more manpower and paying workers to go out and take down license plates.  Proponents of front plates argue that they make the public safer.  Two plates generally make it easier to find stolen cars, according to the police.  License Plate Reader systems are used by the police to identify stolen cars and cars whose owners have outstanding violations or arrest warrants.  The police use this technology by taking pictures of passing vehicles with a high-speed camera.  The reader identifies the plate numbers and checks them against a hot list.  LPR systems are able to read 10,000 plates in about eight hours.  If the LPR is only able to work with a rear plate, that number falls by half.  Another area where this applies is when victims or bystanders need to read the plate numbers of a vehicle leaving the scene of a crime or accident.  When only one plate is required, it makes it more difficult for the authorities and witnesses to correctly identify the plate.  Read more and find lists at https://www.autolist.com/guides/front-license-plate

This is my go-to method for creating perfect al dente spaghetti squash strands to use in vegetable sides and main dishes.  The exact timing will vary depending on the heat of your oven and the size of your squash.  Jeanine Donofrio  serves 2 to 4

English businessman Thomas Merton arrived in Massachusetts in 1624.  Within a few short years, Morton established his own unrecognized offshoot of the Plymouth Colony, in what is now the town of Quincy, Massachusetts (the birthplace of presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams.  Published in 1637, his New English Canaan mounted a harsh and heretical critique of Puritan customs and power structures that went far beyond what most New English settlers could accept.  So they banned it—making it likely the first book explicitly banned in what is now the United States.  A first edition of Morton’s tell-all—which, among other things, compares the Puritan leadership to crustaceans—sold at auction at Christie’s for $60,000.  https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/americas-first-banned-book

box camera is a simple type of camera, the most common form being a cardboard or plastic box with a lens in one end and film at the other.  They were sold in large numbers during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  The lenses are often single element designs meniscus fixed focus lens, or in better quality box cameras a doublet lens with minimal (if any) possible adjustments to the aperture or shutter speeds.  Because of the inability to adjust focus, the small lens aperture and the low sensitivity of the sensitive materials available, these cameras work best in bright daylight scenes when subjects move little during the exposure.  Eventually, box cameras with photographic flash, shutter and aperture adjustment were introduced, allowing indoor photos. The KODAK camera introduced in 1888 was the first box camera to become widely adopted by the public and its design became the archetype for box camera designs introduced by many different manufacturers.  The use of flexible roll film meant that the cameras were light and portable and could be used without the encumbrance of tripods and the attendant difficulty of using glass photographic plates which were typical of professional cameras.  Before the introduction of the Kodak, photographers were responsible for making their own arrangements for the development and printing of their pictures.  The first Kodak came pre-loaded with film and the customer returned the camera to Kodak for processing and to be reloaded with film for the customer.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box_camera

In English grammar, a sentence adverb is a word that modifies a sentence as a whole or an entire clause within a sentence.  Also known as a sentence adverbial or a disjunct.   Common sentence adverbs include actually, apparently, basically, briefly, certainly, clearly, conceivably, confidentially, curiously, evidently, fortunately, hopefully, however, ideally, incidentally, indeed, interestingly, ironically, naturally, predictably, presumably, regrettably, seriously, strangely, surprisingly, thankfully, theoretically, therefore, truthfully, ultimately, and wisely.  Richard Nordquist  https://www.thoughtco.com/sentence-adverb-1692084   Sentence adverbs are extraneous or filler words. 

What podiatrist treats a detective for flat feet?  Wonders if a patient with two right feet could be helped if only he had a patient with two left feet?  Dr. Henry Heckyl.  Read about a slapstick film at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Heckyl_and_Mr._Hype  In the film, police drive pink cars.  A pink neon sign over their headquarters blinks POLICE  DON'T CALL US  WE'LL CALL YOU

The definition of "public benefits" is broad, and it includes such things as professional and occupational licenses, as well as a driver's license.  The exact documentation required varies by state.  The easiest way to prove your case is with a birth certificate issued by a United States government--city, county, state or possession such as Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.  If you were born a citizen but born overseas, you can show a U.S. Certificate of Birth Abroad or a Report of Birth Abroad of a U.S. Citizen.  The birth document should be either the original or a certified copy--photocopies won't do it.  A United States passport is another proof of legal presence.  In California, an expired passport is acceptable if someone applies for a real-estate license.  In Oregon, by contrast, someone applying for a driver's license can't use a passport that expired more than five years ago.  Passports from Puerto Rico, Guam and other U.S. possessions are also acceptable.  Oregon also allows tribal ID cards if the tribe is federally recognized and based in the state.  Fraser Sherman  Read more at https://smallbusiness.chron.com/list-acceptable-documents-establish-legal-presence-72324.html

Reflex vs. reflect   The confusion comes from the origin of this word from the Latin word ‘reflectere’ meaning bend back, a noun denoting reflection.  In British English, the word reflex is still (although rarely) used to denoted reflection (of light, thoughts, something bent backwards).  Reflex means an action done without any conscious thought or effort.  For example, if someone throws a ball at you, your quick ‘reflex’ is to catch or divert it so you don’t get hurt.  Thus, in the study of reflexes (reflexology), the hand, feet or head are called as ‘reflex points’ of the body.  https://www.grammar.com/reflex_vs_reflect

A story should have a beginning, a middle, and an end, but not necessarily in that order. - Jean-Luc Godard, film director (b. 3 Dec 1930)

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 2192  December 4, 2019

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