Michal is contemplating the notion of complementing his epic Fiction Corpus with a morality play about founding an online library; cites fatigue
Posted:
I don't doubt the concept of exercising English as a universal language. I do question the pedantic style in which English is presented for study.
Reenforcing one's expertness with a language isn't like launching a stronger mast. A language - a common tongue - is not merely a tool that you can learn to employ with greater amounts of precision. A common language can not be disengaged from the professed knowledge of a circle of people of which it is a description. A language isn't recited; it happens - and keeps happening as long as a circle of people keeps using it.
Teaching a person to recite English is to strip her of its cultural context. A capable educator has to have a strategy for introducing it; the prudent student ventures out to seek it.
A dictionary - properly used - can become an influential tool. The best dictionaries describe a language based on a specific corpus, a set of written language of various scope and consistency. A corpus can include everything from a book about literature to a bunch of flash fiction. I lost many a sleepless night creating my "towering" Fiction Corpus in order to form a distinct genre of dictionary based on the ability of one man to tell a story in myriad forms. It is a labor of love and listening.
I have strung together a million words and I have divided them, reshaping them - not simply to teach English vocabulary but to defend the human spirit, and to propel that soul or spirit not just to recite but to happen.
A word can represent many things. First and foremost it represents a type of gesture. A specific way of speaking. A specific way of inscribing a mark. A specific way of moving your hand. To know one of these kinds of gestures is to know how to pronounce the word time in some kind of way.
If you want to communicate an idea using the word time, you will need to know what other people are made to think when you make the gesture. You will never have complete awareness of or control over the associations or identities that are invoked by a set of words, but you can know what was and what is a single word's jointly accepted definition, at least for a given place, thereby tracing a direction which will help you to understand what kinds of associations and identities are driving its use.
By using the word yourself, you enter into a long-standing albeit oftentimes unconscious debate over its definition, forever entangling yourself into the history of its use. The way you use it, and which other words you use it with carries weight.
The more you know about where the word time is located in the fabric of a language, the better you will be at exploiting its cultural power.
Pronunciation of Time
I have yet to publish a pronunciation for the word time.
Video of me pronouncing "time."
Definition of Time
Time is how one thing ends up occupying the space where another thing used to be.
Common use of time in illustrative example sentences
I have yet to come up with a fourth sentence using the word time.
Audio of me saying the sentence:
I have yet to come up with a fifth sentence using the word time.
Audio of me saying the sentence:
I have yet to come up with a sixth sentence using the word time.
Audio of me saying the sentence:
I have yet to come up with a seventh sentence using the word time.
Audio of me saying the sentence:
Usage of Time in Michal's Fiction Corpus
Michal's Fiction Corpus of Acceptance Literature (FiCAL) is presented under the Bare Bottom imprint. It is currently comprised of six bodies of work, each representing a different pillar of culture and incorporating a wide variety of writhing styles.
I have yet to make a morphological analysis of the word time.
That doesn't mean it's not high on my list.
Table of Frequency for the Word "Time."
This table lists in descending order the total number of times that the word timeand any of its morphological derivations appears in the Fiction Corpus, along with a breakdown of frequency by title, the respective rank of each word in the complete list of all words in the Corpus, as calculated both densely and competitively, as well as the percent increase in frequency of the word over the frequency of the next lowest rank in the complete list.
Percent Increase over next rank
RANK
WORD
Frequency
TOTAL # of occurences
MCDONALDS
JESUS
SEX
TSIGA
JACKSON
DINGBATS
dense
competitive
modern/sloppy
biblical/terse
poetic/high-brow
hard/fast
talky
mixed salad
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
I have yet to publish the table of frequency for the word time, but I will get to it shortly. -Michal
A story bible for a comic book series set in a post climate-change California narrated by eight characters who live through a natural disaster that sinks Los Angeles and triggers a war with an expansionist Mexican government covertly supported by China.
Frame #4318
i shouldve bugged expedia's compact a long time ago. i can leave the receiver in the office. access it from home. make sure skype's not around.
An experimental science fiction Christology that makes Jesus the hard boiled narrator of his own early years on a bizarro earth made dark by volcanic ash and informally ruled by a man from Mars who sells bottled air.
"Yes: this is the one you'd be working in, Jesus. The storefront's on the other side. Not many people come in. It's pretty small - not a very good location, either. It's a block away from the main road, but there's nothing else around: nothing that would attract people. I keep it closed most of the time; the other stores are more important: I use this one mostly for storage. Local people buy stockings: that's about it."
"Goddamn estate! Trinkets, trifles, and baubles piled in heaps all over the place! Things they took from the garbage! I tried to vacuum their carpets - you know what they gave me to use? A vacuum cleaner they took from the dump! I wanted to wash Andrew's dirty shirts - they do their laundry twice a year: in spring and fall. He gave me an open bin with a rotor. 'That's the best kind,' he said. 'It's a washing machine for the field.' It's a washing machine he took from the dump: they haven't sold those for forty years - it's Russian crap! The agitator tore everything apart. I told him, 'Andrew, get yourself a wife!' But who's going to marry a fifty year old with five teeth? He never had time to go to the dentist. And why?"
"No problem," said his uncle. "Listen: if you need some work - I mean, if you want some money: you know, for your own...whatever - you can work in the store. I need someone to watch it. You can work whenever you want. The thing is: your father: he's got some things to do: some legal stuff now that your mother's dead - God bless her soul. It's nothing you need to worry about, but: who knows how long it's gonna take? You know? These legal things always tend to take a while. Anyway, you can live with your grandmother up in Treblinka, or, you can stay at my place up in Treblinka - either way, you can come and go whenever you want. Here's the key to my house. And here is the key to your grandmother's house. I can give you the store key, too, later, if you want. I don't have much time, you know? I'm always going around, doing stuff, like..." He trailed off. "Anyway, if you want to work, we can make a schedule, you know? So: that's entirely up to you. Like I said, who knows how long things are gonna take? When you get back from your mother's village, you can give me a call - anytime. I'll come pick you up. Hey: do you mind if we stop at the warehouse for a second? I need to pick up some clothes."
A literature book narrated by a pair of siblings on either side of the Atlantic whose profoundly weird sexual experiences pose a serious challenge to their traditional understanding of mathematicians, marriage, gay young men and God.
Do you know what I was reading recently? As you probably know, the City of Westminster began life as a monastery (hence the famous Abbey). But at the time, the area of Whitehall and the Houses of Parliament was nothing more than a gravely little island surrounded by marshland. Once upon a time, there was another river.
My stomach was something more than empty; I was ten times hungrier than I had been, but now I could not eat. I sat there staring at my food; Macy asked me what was wrong. I said nothing. He returned to his food, but, before taking his first bite, he said: "I suppose this is what it's like." I shot him a glance but then I dropped; I sighed heavily and brought my hand to my forehead.
You should, however, go down to Jermyn Street and find me something. I don't care what it is exactly, so long as it's something mannish, something you would like. It's not for me to wear: I want to spray it around the house, all over the furniture, the bathrooms, the studio, and especially my bed. Obviously I'll refrain from entering the other bedrooms - don't worry about that. Besides, you're not planning on coming back any time soon, so there's no reason why you shouldn't do it. If you don't want to go all the way to St. James then go to Mayfair. Although I suppose that would be the same thing. Go to Knightsbridge - but stay away from Harrod's: I don't want you doing business there. Although, come to think of it, why would I have you do business anywhere in the West End?
A collection of stories featuring a sexy Parisian ghost, a spooky Moon base full of vagina-faced aliens, a policeman with an Irish name, a truck full of watermelons, a flautist, and a man who has to see another man about a diseased horse.
The handmaidens filed out of the tent in silence. Fear was written on their faces. The guards asked the last one about Magog. She said the queen consort wanted time alone with the goddess. She was not to be disturbed. Nobody saw the heifer escaping through the back. In the darkness, it was hard to see. Its hide had been scorched black.
The boy laughed. "At least I know what those taste like." Gog swiped after the boy's ankles. The child dodged. He dove into the water. By the time the eunuchs pulled him out, Gog was gripping the oars of his boat. This time, he wouldn't give up.
The eunuchs rowed for their lives. "Faster," cried the boy. It was no use. Gog came alongside.
Gog went to the shore. He found a group calling themselves Hellenes [i.e., the Greeks]. They knew the valley as Kolkhis. They said it was ruled a long time ago by a king named Aeëtes, the son of Helios, himself the son of Oceanus. The latter ruled the underground river through which the former drove his solar chariot at night.
A real play. With drama in it. Talk fast. It takes two hours. Set in a guest house. In a small community. After a murder. Lots of suspicion. The characters learn to listen to each other. It's funny.
MS. JACKSON: I'm done with denials.
FLETCHER: You've yearned for this for years.
MS. JACKSON: What do you know?
FLETCHER: What you've told us.
GREY GOOSE: We've seen it on your face.
FLETCHER: You can't hide it.
GREY GOOSE: You've been begging for it.
FLETCHER: Like a baby begs for a boob.
GREY GOOSE: You can't help it.
FLETCHER: Every time you've had Kokomo's fish-
– ACT I, lines 1142-1151
FLETCHER: Oh, Money! God of first fruits! Bringer of knowledge! Harvester of truth! Where would Man be without thy cold kindness? Give me your hand. Let the lorikeets squeak out the rhythm of our steps. We'll dance a polonaise. I'll sashay you around the South Pacific. Who could prove to be a better partner? No man could be as faithful; no woman either. Even if she bleed by the moon, her temper is not as mild. Obedience notwithstanding, her character can seem, at times, positively restive. Feistiness is a woman's most vicious virtue. It can burn a man's pride even while it warms his heart. In truth, a man who marries money is liable to finding a bed so stiff the kingfisher would laugh. Without it, one would cry at night like the ghost bird. Thanks to money, nature is Man's slave. Weathering the vicissitudes of fortune, the wealthy man works the ground for as long as the ground does not work him. When that day comes, let's hope that our money has not defrauded us of our nature.
– ACT I, line 797
ALICE: (getting on the table) Almost.
FLETCHER: Take your time.
ALICE: You can turn around.
– ACT I, lines 573-575
KOKOMO: It's easy. The very thought of prostituting myself makes me sick to my stomach. All I have to do is stick my finger in.
FLETCHER: I assure you, Mother, to the modern woman it comes quite naturally.
GREY GOOSE: They do it all the time.
MS. JACKSON: You knew about this?
FLETCHER: Know about it? He was twisting my arm for a bigger cut.
GREY GOOSE: I deserve it. I'm the one who brought in those big spenders. John the orthodontist?
FLETCHER: He wanted everything just right.
GREY GOOSE: Michael the podiatrist?
KOKOMO: He put his foot in it.
GREY GOOSE: Rob the general practitioner?
– ACT II, lines 441-450
FLETCHER: If he came to you in penitence, would you accept him?
MS. JACKSON: That's difficult for me to say.
FLETCHER: It's not. Tell us. If he were sorry, would you forgive him?
MS. JACKSON: If he came to me repentant of his sins - I mean all of them - I would forgive him. I would consider allowing him to return to this house. Do you think I don't want him? I want him more than you could ever know. I want him in a way that, unfortunately, I have never had him. I won't settle for less than I deserve. That's all I'm going to say on the subject. It upsets me. Your father has behaved strangely in the past; as of late, his actions have been frightening me. Maybe it is the climate around here - I'm not going to take any chances.
(to KOKOMO) I want you to watch out for him, in case he should try to violate you.
FLETCHER: That is unwarranted.
MS. JACKSON: It may have taken a hundred and fifty years for another murder to occur, but we are not immune to rape. We need only bear witness to what took place on Pitcairn in recent times. Six men were found guilty of sexual offenses. That's almost the entire adult male population over there. I'm not going to let that happen around here - not while I'm alive. Do you understand? As soon as you're done with this mess, Kokomo, I would like these towels to go to the laundry. We have all of Lesbian's things to wash.
KOKOMO: I have a question, ma'am.
MS. JACKSON: Yes?
KOKOMO: Will our guest from New Zealand be staying with us for considerably longer than planned? If that's the case, I'm going to have to make a new schedule.
A story book full of short fiction stories. An interesting bedtime mystery. A fairy tale. Science fiction romance. Adult life. Uninspiring gay fiction. Horror.
I avoided Parker for the rest of the summer. I didn't mean anything by it. I thought I should give her space. I was surprised when Jeff mentioned it to me later. He told me Parker was convinced I thought she was a slut. I told him I thought nothing of the kind. I asked him to explain things to Parker. I don't know if he ever did.
After camp was over I went back to the city. I bumped into Sarah one day at the hair salon. She told me she had seen Parker recently. She wasn't doing so well. She had just broken up with Matt.
The Amazon assigned a top-notch surveillance unit to watch Orbitz's every move. They watched him clear out his flight deck locker. They watched him go to the gym one last time before turning in his passcard. They watched him share a smoke with the old-time janitor. They tweaked their earpieces as they listened to him tell stories about the janitor's great-great-grandfather who was shining floors and taking names the last time Orbitz was around. They fell asleep. The Amazon found out. He went crazy. He warned them that Orbitz was capable of anything. He had a thousand year head start. He was the richest man in the universe. He spoke hundreds of languages. He could have treasure buried on every planet in the Orion cluster if not the entire Orion arm of the galaxy. They were sleeping while Orbitz was on a transport to Earth.
I guess we were fated, you know. Me and my brothers. We came out first though. Not those other guys. That's why we won. That's why I won. I always said I was the oldest. I never had any proof though, you know. I mean we were probably switched around ten times when we were babies. So who was to say. But I always believed I was the eldest. You know. Now nobody can argue with me.
This table lists in descending order of frequency a selection of word pairs that appear in the Fiction Corpus and groups them according to the morphological derivation of the word time that appears in the pair.
Type
WORD
Frequency
TOTAL # of occurences
MCDONALDS
JESUS
SEX
TSIGA
JACKSON
DINGBATS
modern/sloppy
biblical/terse
poetic/high-brow
hard/fast
talky
mixed salad
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
I have yet to perform a collocation analysis of "time." I hope I can get it done sometime soon. -Michal
If a 45-year-old businesswoman and hard working mother of three kids is going to pose nude for a calendar, it's gonna have to be a good one. Margo didn't start a coffee shop called the Vagina Cafe to win her favors from the establishment. Even as she dishes out prizes to the 20 women who placed last in the twentienth anniversary run of her town's biggest road race, her business, unlike everyone else, doesn't get mentioned. She was an official sponsor for Christ's sake! But the announcer just couldn't swallow his patriarchy and get the words "Vagina Cafe" out of his mouth. That's not something a proper gentleman would say in front of a crowd of humble God-fearing "ladies" who cherish their modesty! And a Body Acceptance Calendar is certainly not what a humble God-fearing book-seller like a Barnes and Noble would put on their shelves! So how do I expect to sell this in the mainstream? Maybe if you download the free versions a thousand billion times it might help. Start downloading.
Help support the "Time" page...
If you love women and art...
Michal is exporting art from Poland...is he bonkers?
Michal's Sales Pitch Lot 1: Silesian Handicrafts
T-shirt fundraiser for sale
Last T-Shirt with the logo that I designed.
From a set of, I believe, twenty produced by Margo and given out to a portion of the last 20 women to finish the 20th anniversary Fiat Road Race in Bielsko-Biała, cf. the movie. This is the last one left in it's original packaging and my supporters - like the poor women of Bielsko - are going to have to fight for it. Whoever invests the most money with me, and who lets me borrow it to invest in the next lot, will not only be rewarded with some beautiful piece of art, but will get this priceless t-shirt as a reward for being my top supporter. $1000.00 or best offer. Remember to authorize me to hold the sum as credit against a future purchase and to authorize me to borrow against it.
To purchase please mail a USPS money order in an envelope clearly marked Lot #1/Item #1 to M. Slaby at house number 201 on Ridge Road in the town of West Milford, in the state of New Jersey, one of the beautiful United States of America. The postal code is 07480-3112.
Felt handbag for sale
Felt bag by Dorota.
Entirely hand-sewn. Base: polyester felt, 100% PE. Motif: South American woolen yarn, dyed, 100% wool. Hand-worked with a needle. Unique and inimitable design. Inside: cotton fabric, closes with zipper, inside pocket. Available now for $220.00. Ships free of additional charge via USPS (uninsured) unless otherwise directed.
To purchase please mail a USPS money order in an envelope clearly marked Lot #1/Item #2 to M. Slaby at house number 201 on Ridge Road in the town of West Milford, in the state of New Jersey, one of the beautiful United States of America. The postal code is 07480-3112.
Decorative collar for sale
Decorative collar by Zuzanna.
Ethnic layered cloth jewelry constructed on a cotton base and adorned with ribbons, tassels, and a yellow fringe. Fastened on the side with 11 buttons, fitted entirely with a pleasant lining. The style is an Indo-Asian-African multinational color combination. The collar is very extravagant and an extraordinary addition to any clothing, guaranteed to attract attention. Just a simple dress and a unique image is ready. Dry-cleaning recommended. Available now for $200.00. Ships free of additional charge via USPS (uninsured) unless otherwise directed.
To purchase please mail a USPS money order in an envelope clearly marked Lot #1/Item #3 to M. Slaby at house number 201 on Ridge Road in the town of West Milford, in the state of New Jersey, one of the beautiful United States of America. The postal code is 07480-3112.
Seamless handbag for sale
Handbag by Sylwia.
Handmade from felted all-natural Australian and South American wool. Entirely felted, seamless. Finished with a white lining, inside is a small pocket. Lining is sewn and stitched in by hand. Available now for $180.00. Ships free of additional charge via USPS (uninsured) unless otherwise directed.
To purchase please mail a USPS money order in an envelope clearly marked Lot #1/Item #4 to M. Slaby at house number 201 on Ridge Road in the town of West Milford, in the state of New Jersey, one of the beautiful United States of America. The postal code is 07480-3112.
Patchwork quilt for sale
Patchwork quilt by Alicja.
Bedspread made of cotton and polyester material. Inserted with polyester lining. 90 by 70 cm. Available now for $120.00. Ships free of additional charge via USPS (uninsured) unless otherwise directed.
To purchase please mail a USPS money order in an envelope clearly marked Lot #1/Item #5 to M. Slaby at house number 201 on Ridge Road in the town of West Milford, in the state of New Jersey, one of the beautiful United States of America. The postal code is 07480-3112.
Nuno-felt shawl for sale
Shawl by Sylwia.
Scarf made with the nuno felting technique (wet felting fibre into a silk gauze) using South American wool. Two-sided scarf with latticework at the ends. Wholly in the colors red, black, green in an abstract pattern. Available now for $100.00. Ships free of additional charge via USPS (uninsured) unless otherwise directed.
To purchase please mail a USPS money order in an envelope clearly marked Lot #1/Item #6 to M. Slaby at house number 201 on Ridge Road in the town of West Milford, in the state of New Jersey, one of the beautiful United States of America. The postal code is 07480-3112.
Clara the doll for sale
Clara by Alicja.
Clara loves roses and greenery, adores tormenting spiders with long legs and sleeping soundly in the afternoon. Cuddly toy made of cotton and polyester, stuffed with polyester lining. Available now for $70.00. Ships free of additional charge via USPS (uninsured) unless otherwise directed.
To purchase please mail a USPS money order in an envelope clearly marked Lot #1/Item #7 to M. Slaby at house number 201 on Ridge Road in the town of West Milford, in the state of New Jersey, one of the beautiful United States of America. The postal code is 07480-3112.
Noah the doll for sale
Noah by Alicja.
Noah doesn't know what to like and what not to like but keeps wondering and thinking about it. Cuddly toy made of cotton and polyester, stuffed with polyester lining. Available now for $70.00. Ships free of additional charge via USPS (uninsured) unless otherwise directed.
To purchase please mail a USPS money order in an envelope clearly marked Lot #1/Item #8 to M. Slaby at house number 201 on Ridge Road in the town of West Milford, in the state of New Jersey, one of the beautiful United States of America. The postal code is 07480-3112.
Black suspenders for sale
Black suspenders by Zuzanna.
Two-sided suspenders from black material with a rose motif on one side and striped cotton on the other. Connected by a leather triangle. Adjustable length. Hand washing in cold water recommended. Available now for $50.00. Ships free of additional charge via USPS (uninsured) unless otherwise directed.
To purchase please mail a USPS money order in an envelope clearly marked Lot #1/Item #9 to M. Slaby at house number 201 on Ridge Road in the town of West Milford, in the state of New Jersey, one of the beautiful United States of America. The postal code is 07480-3112.
Orange suspenders for sale
Orange suspenders by Zuzanna.
Two-sided suspenders made of denim and orange material with a Polish floral folk design. Connected by a leather triangle. Adjustable length. Hand washing in cold water recommended. Available now for $50.00. Ships free of additional charge via USPS (uninsured) unless otherwise directed.
To purchase please mail a USPS money order in an envelope clearly marked Lot #1/Item #10 to M. Slaby at house number 201 on Ridge Road in the town of West Milford, in the state of New Jersey, one of the beautiful United States of America. The postal code is 07480-3112.
Green suspenders for sale
Green suspenders by Zuzanna.
Two-sided suspenders made of denim and green material with a mountain folk design. Connected by a leather triangle. Adjustable length. Hand washing in cold water recommended. Available now for $50.00. Ships free of additional charge via USPS (uninsured) unless otherwise directed.
To purchase please mail a USPS money order in an envelope clearly marked Lot #1/Item #11 to M. Slaby at house number 201 on Ridge Road in the town of West Milford, in the state of New Jersey, one of the beautiful United States of America. The postal code is 07480-3112.
Felt earrings for sale
Felt earrings by Dorota.
Material: South American woolen yarn, dyed, 100% wool. Hand-worked with a needle. Pendant of anti-allergenic metal. Available now for $40.00. Ships free of additional charge via USPS (uninsured) unless otherwise directed.
To purchase please mail a USPS money order in an envelope clearly marked Lot #1/Item #12 to M. Slaby at house number 201 on Ridge Road in the town of West Milford, in the state of New Jersey, one of the beautiful United States of America. The postal code is 07480-3112.
Round ceramic earrings for sale
Round ceramic earrings by Dorota.
Material: Glazed ceramics, hand-molded. Available now for $40.00. Ships free of additional charge via USPS (uninsured) unless otherwise directed.
To purchase please mail a USPS money order in an envelope clearly marked Lot #1/Item #13 to M. Slaby at house number 201 on Ridge Road in the town of West Milford, in the state of New Jersey, one of the beautiful United States of America. The postal code is 07480-3112.
Oblong ceramic earrings for sale
Oblong ceramic earrings by Dorota.
Material: Glazed ceramics, hand-molded. Available now for $40.00. Ships free of additional charge via USPS (uninsured) unless otherwise directed.
To purchase please mail a USPS money order in an envelope clearly marked Lot #1/Item #14 to M. Slaby at house number 201 on Ridge Road in the town of West Milford, in the state of New Jersey, one of the beautiful United States of America. The postal code is 07480-3112.
'Coral' necklace for sale
Corals by Sylwia.
Necklace made of cotton pieces with organdy and decorated with beads, suspended on cotton strings. Can be worn as a necklace, as a brooch or as a belt tied at the side. Available now for $40.00. Ships free of additional charge via USPS (uninsured) unless otherwise directed.
To purchase please mail a USPS money order in an envelope clearly marked Lot #1/Item #15 to M. Slaby at house number 201 on Ridge Road in the town of West Milford, in the state of New Jersey, one of the beautiful United States of America. The postal code is 07480-3112.
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