Who is Bill?

 

You're teasing about Bill (whoever he is) claiming copyright for anything posted here, aren't you? (He couldn't do that.)

That's how Bill makes his living.  He gets exclusive control of the copyrights to other people's creative works and then sells them at rackrent prices to the world!  If his victims object, he sends in his thugs to toss 'em out the windows and, even if they leave, the gate hits 'em in the rear with its tiny, flaccid tool as they flee!

 

Don't mess with Bill!

 

(And you need to explain to your writing instructor (as tactfully as possible) that there is no such thing as a "galvanized metaphor".  It's no more than tinkling brass, nice sounding but misquoted.  Or maybe it should be compared to a tinkling symbol)

Lib, who is Bill?

 

My writing teacher did not tell me about galvanized metaphors. I told her about them. I encountered them in Jacques Barzun's book on grammar and syntax and usage, Simple & Direct (Harper and Row, 1975). Barzun called them "the latent metaphors in good ordinary words, which misuse galvanizes into fresh life," p. 138.

 

I love galvanized metaphors. I am thrilled when I come across one. One of my favorites is "The cost of building chimneys has gone right through the roof."

 

 

"Tinkling symbol" is a good pun.

Bill Gates, owner of this place.  There's a widespread notion that his terms of service include laying claim to everything posted here but I can't find anything supporting it.  At most Microsoft seems to say it can't protect posters' copoyrights. Then again, I take pride in not actually reading the TOS since, way back in MSNBC days, they were shown to be enforced in so arbitrary a fashion as to be meaningless.

 

Lest anyone think me arrogant for my position, I'll add that I will gladly quit any board at the request of its owner or manager so my refusal to toe their editorial lines doesn't actually threaten anything except the pretense of some that they "oppose censorship, but..."

 

I'll ponder that definition of "galvanized metaphor".  Thanks.

 

 

My copyright to this story is established. I suppose what the MSN people mean is they can't keep others from trying to steal a copyright from anyone who posts an original work. They disclaim liability if anyone does. Which certainly makes sense. I'll delete the story now, since it has been posted long enough for anyone on this board who wants to read it to do so.

Xer, I'm going to have to meet you so that you can read me some of your poetry (not to mention, show me some pictures of yourself, you funny man!).

 

My husband used to sit around the table reading the things I wrote. I said, "Why are you reading me? I'm sitting right here." To get back at him, I would sit around the table looking at pictures of him. I loved photographing him. I've got cabinet drawers overflowing with pictures of him in many different settings. One time we had some U.S. flag bunting, which he draped all around him and stood with his back to the Sound at Deception Pass State Park. We couldn't find a flashlight, so he held up one of those map-readers in the pose of the Statue of Liberty while I photographed him. We captioned that picture, "Patriotism is the last refuge..."

 

When we meet, I'll give you a copy of that picture if I can find one in the haystack.

We should do a poll, Xer, to see how many women would rather be read than heard.

 

How many men would rather be looked at than have their pictures looked at?

 

I was a very lucky woman.

I'll bet you're a handsome devil. (Texas men are.)

 

(With one notable exception.)