FUN WITH WORD VERIFICATION

Verification words are an endless source of amusement. Every time I leave a comment on someone’s blog I look forward to the random configuration of letters that I am required to type first in order to make sure that I am not some insidious blog spamming bot.

A seemingly random process, most of the verification words that I have come across contain the proper vowel- consonant ratio to make them seem like believable words, albeit from some parallel universe where the English language evolved differently.

Here are the last three verification words that I have come across today (I have referenced the source blog where I left comments beside it)

impiout - (Bad Tempered Zombie)

hunip - (Flying Buttresses)

tiver - (Everything is Pop)

Of course, I couldn’t resist the temptation to provide definitions for these new words;

Tiver: Derived from the French word “hiver” (“winter”) - used to describe the short bursts of winter like conditions that can occasionally surface in times of year more associated with temperate weather - tiver is an abbreviated version of the French phrase “petits hiver” (i.e. “small winter”) . Example: “The unexpected snow fall in late April indicates that we may be entering a period of tiver like conditions for the next few days”

Tiver can also refer to a person, or group of people, self-identified as being ardent admirers or fans of indie-folk musician Bon Iver. Example: "Like a true tiver, she is going to every concert on Bon Iver's west coast tour this summer"

Impiout: Describing a person who expresses blatant disrespect for the religious beliefs or practices of others , often in an abrasive or brazen manner. The word evolved as a hybrid of “impious” and “idiot”. For example, "His refusal to take off his shoes in the temple indicated that he was acting like a real impiout".

Hunip: A woolen tunic typically worn by Attila the Hun’s army that helped keep soldiers warm while riding across the cold plains of central Europe & Asia. The hunip often included a convenient slit in the side to rest a sword and scabbard for easy access, while also providing a warm resting place for cold fingers between battles.

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Feel free to try a few of your own new verification words with definitions and pass them along. Perhaps we can start a linguistic revolution one random word at a time!

FLYING CARS & RELENTLESS RAIN

Other than a brief priod of respite today, there have been relentless torrents of rain day after day on the aptly named "Wet Coast" where I live. Much to the dismay of my umbrella, the sideways blowing rain has subverted it's one and only purpose in life, thus giving it some serious self-esteem issues to contend with.

Of course the ubiquitous November darkness, which can drive one to despair on a good day, has been given that extra shot of soul sapping and depression inducing weariness courtesy of endless waves of pounding wind and precipitation . It would be a good call to stay away from those Joy Division records this month.

I went grocery shopping the other day and had to tread water through large parking lot lakes while trying to keep a 4kg bag of flour dry, which is no small accomplishment. Have you ever tried to walk through a two foot deep puddle balancing groceries in one hand and a skin scorching latte in the other? Life here is harsh my friends.

Seeing as we are now well into the 21st century my biggest complaint is that we should really have all had flying cars by this time, or at the very least portable jet packs that we could use to fly above the soggy madness below. I could easily strap one of these over my gore-tex coat and be on my merry way out of the rain.

In the movie Blade Runner (which takes place in the year 2019) there is also lots of rain, and of course, flying cars everywhere for convenience. Sure, there are psychotic killer androids in the midst of an existential crisis on the loose, but the flying cars more than make up for this.

Of course the inhospitable weather has brought to surface my latent slacker tendencies, as what else does one want to do while the weather outside is so frightful but sit by the fire with some hot chai, a good book, or some mindless zombie movies to wile away the evening. A perfectly justifiable act under the circumstances.

On second thought, let it pour. Flying cars and rain be damned .... let the slacking begin!

GETTING TO KNOW MY BLOG AGAIN

Like a lover scorned, my blog is completely unimpressed with my recent neglectful behavior.

I used to be so attentive to it's needs, so filled with wonderful flowery language and playful imagery to satisfy it's insatiable appetite for an endless stream of content.

Alas, now our relationship is a mere shadow of it's former glory. Where once the Great Muse bestowed me with many inspired offerings, there is now only dust, mere fragments of a once great promise.

I have tried to make amends, though the whole "it's not you, it's me" line did not go over very well with my blog. I have also tried to coast on my charm, though this is wearing thin as well. The only form of appeasement is through the provision of content.

So then, here I start again... digital signals form words as I type, giving shape to the random thoughts and flights of fancy that consume my mind.

My dear blog, I hope you are happy.....