Now I've seen everything. Well, OK, not everything. I haven't seen anyone throw a waffle at the Pope. I haven't seen a Republican candidate that I could imagine voting for without (or, hell, with) a gun to my head. But I have seen something I hadn't imagined existed: Wordplay, a blog devoted to crossword puzzle criticism.
Really? "I found Shortz' use of vertical clues pedestrian, but I give him credit for going four years without asking us to identify the Thin Man's dog."
Talk about having too much time on one's hands. This is the problem with blogs. Sure, they allow people to explore their creativity and perhaps break news stories deemed too provincial or controversial for the major news outlets. But all too often, blogs become nothing more than platforms for the autistic ramblings of cranks and crackpots, obsessed with minutiae of no interest to anyone beyond a handful of head-shaking friends and relatives. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm busy working on an essay about comma usage in the works of Cormac McCarthy.
[DIGRESSION: Just read that last sentence to WOS, and she said that Cormac McCarthy might be interesting to some people. Possibly, I said, but I doubt many people are interested in his use of commas.
[ADDITIONAL DIGRESSION: But they should be. EOAD]
[WOS said "Oh, I see what you're saying." Then, I realized that WOS thought I had said, "comma usage AND the works of Cormac McCarthy," so I apologized for my mumbling. WOS then said that I'd better make sure I pronounce it clearly in the blog. . . . Yeah, I know. EOD]
At any rate, this made me realize that there is a vast untapped reserve of material out there--all kinds of things that people encounter on a daily basis that can be itemized, analyzed, reviewed, or reviled. If people will read a daily blog about crossword puzzles, what WON'T they read a blog about? The periodic table of elements? The serial numbers of bills in my wallet? License plates? If I want to capitalize on this whole interwebs thing, I need to start branching out.
So. . . .I am thrilled to announce my FIRST second blog, or, as WOS says, the blog you've been waiting for but didn't know it: The Daily Numeral. (Yes, I know it sounds like a newspaper published on "Sesame Street," but still. . . ). Every day, I will bring my adoring fans. . . .a NUMBER!
Yeah, that's all, just a number.
(You mean, like, lottery numbers?)
No, just a number.
(I don't understand. You mean a lucky number?)
If you think it's lucky. . . .
(But--)
Oh, just click the link. And tell your friends! I'm telling you, this'll give that Huffington woman a run for her money!
By the way, it's "ASTA."
The Thin Man's dog was NOT "Asta" (Not all caps, in any event. He was not tha American Society of Terrier Assholes!)
ReplyDeleteThe Thin Man was the VICTIM in both the book and the film!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Asta was Nick & Nora Charles' Dog!
Neither Nick, nor Nora, were the Tin Man!
THAT is the reason we NEED "Wordplay"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!