Michal's mulling over the notion of beefing up his gallant Fiction Corpus with a treatise on welfare reforms; cites fatigue
Posted:
I don't question the concept of employing English as everybody's second language. I don't accept the prevailing program by which the English language is taught.
Refining a person's finesse for a language isn't like developing a better pair of eyeglasses. A language - a common language - is not merely an instrument that you can teach yourself to use with a greater amount of precision. A shared tongue can't be cleaved from the prevailing culture of a society 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 pupil to recite English is to rob him of its cultural context. A good instructor must develop a technique for introducing it; the insightful pupil ventures out to seek it.
A dictionary can be an influential tool. The best dictionaries define words on the basis of a specific corpus, a body of writing of varying size and consistency. They can contain everything from a book about literature to some real adventure stories. I burned many candles laboring on my "run-of-the-mill" Fiction Corpus in order to form a unique sort 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 prepared a million words and I have investigated them, reshaping them - not just to teach English vocabulary but to defend the human spirit, and to encourage 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 union in some kind of way.
If you want to communicate an idea using the word union, 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 union is located in the fabric of a language, the better you will be at exploiting its cultural power.
Pronunciation of Union
I have yet to publish a pronunciation for the word union.
Video of me pronouncing "union."
Definition of Union
I have yet to publish the definition of union.
I'm sure it won't take too long.
Common use of union in illustrative example sentences
I have yet to come up with a fourth sentence using the word union.
Audio of me saying the sentence:
I have yet to come up with a fifth sentence using the word union.
Audio of me saying the sentence:
I have yet to come up with a sixth sentence using the word union.
Audio of me saying the sentence:
I have yet to come up with a seventh sentence using the word union.
Audio of me saying the sentence:
Usage of Union 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 union.
That doesn't mean it's not high on my list.
Table of Frequency for the Word "Union."
This table lists in descending order the total number of times that the word unionand 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 union, 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 #827
im at the hospital. anns here. my mother called her. shes administering last rights. how is nana supposed to take communion through a tube.
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.
When the driver was asked very politely to turn and park his vehicle on the side of the road, he exploded: pieces of terrorist flesh, car parts, and flesh from honest men flew everywhere. Suddenly, the checkpoint was under attack: mortar fire scattered a few troops but then they regrouped. Union helicopters began firing rockets into houses in various neighborhoods in eastern Berlin, especially around Berlin Mitte, which the Union General Staff believed was the center of operations for terrorist activities throughout the beleaguered city. Small arms fire gave the generals an excuse to target buildings that they thought were terrorist strongholds. Many innocent people died.
It was difficult to be sympathetic, considering that everyone else was also suffering. If America had one ally though, it was Poland. After the Russian Federation and China, Poland had the next largest economically recoverable coal reserve in the world. Crippled by pressure within the European Union (namely France and Germany), Poland ultimately ratified the Protocol, but, if not for Australia's demurral, would have been the next to the last sovereign country to do so.
"Anyway, despite the fact that in the United States I had always received Communion in the hands, I didn't feel the need to rebel. I always enjoyed going up to the altar rail and kneeling - it made me feel closer to God. Once I were kneeling, I also enjoyed taking Communion on the lips - why not? After a few years, however, the archbishop changed his mind. Now you could take Communion in your hands. However, the priests didn't mention that. They kept silent. Instead, they announced that, from now on, we should form lines instead of rushing up to the altar rail. To ensure that we did it, they came out from behind the railing and had deacons and altar servers form the first lines.
In those days, out of all the member states of the European Union, Poland had the strictest gun control laws. It was hard to get any kind of firearm, but even handguns took two years of paperwork. They were expensive, and thank God I bought a stolen one for four hundred dollars from my friend. That was a gift, even if the numbers were scratched off.
The Google Protocol had successfully controlled the emission of dangerous chemicals into the atmosphere by proscribing the unlimited burning of biomass and fossil fuels. The Polish government, which, in the case of European Union protocols, had already established a precedent of absurdity (by, in that case, insisting that restaurants serve soup at exactly sixty-five degrees Celsius and pork cutlets, for example, at exactly seventy-five degrees Celsius or else lose their licenses), took a step further. After several homeowners had successfully sued local Catholic cemeteries for allowing masses and masses of people to light candles on All Saints' Day weekend, the next year, Parliament, under pressure from the Catholic Church to do 'something,' passed a statute which completely outlawed the burning of candles. Obviously, this satisfied no one.
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.
Among these photographs, there were a lot of small decorative objects: homemade objets d'art - like: cotton-ball snowmen with carefully glued faces. There was pottery with fingerprints. There were men made out of alphabet blocks, with felt strips for legs and arms and big felt hats on top of wooden spherical heads. Their faces were simply painted; they had bells for hands and feet. I picked one up and it jingled for me. I really liked it. I smiled. It had the letter 'M' on its belly. I put it back on the shelf, next to the letter 'I' man and the letter 'K,' both of whom were sitting in the shade of a tall communion candle. "These must be Olympia's," I thought, as I carefully closed the glass door.
– Title 3, Regarding a Dream, Chapter 1, The First Day, Part 1, Victory & Calendar Reform, Section 6, The Drawing Room, Paragraph 5
By then, our Nike had reestablished himself with dearest alma mater. Several times I paid a visit to his house on Prospect Street, but only before he invited Macy to live with him. I heard about that from Luke, when we were discussing his own return to campus. At that point, I knew I could not escape the inevitable reunion; I spent many a day in agonizing self-reflection.
If Nike were plagued with happiness - if he could not shake that feeling of joy, that irrepressible feeling of perfect communion - he would not understand why he must be so happy. He would still know why he's not unhappy - and if some strange fortune were smiling on him, he would know exactly why he be happy at that particular moment in time - that's precisely why he's so comfortable, because he knows what sorts of things are capable of satisfying him.
– Title 3, Regarding a Dream, Chapter 1, The First Day, Part 1, Victory & Calendar Reform, Section 1, Cancer, Paragraph 7, Clauses 1-2
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.
It seemed to Gog like a good time to consummate their union. Magog disagreed. "I'm not ready to let you saddle me with children," she said. "There are other things I have to do first."
Gog didn't want to argue.
The next day, they entered a valley. A softly rising ridge seemed to lead all the way to the mountain. "It looks like a day's journey," said Gog.
His consort squinted. She noticed there were no trees along the ridge. They would have to find firewood to take with them. "Good thinking," said Gog. "Go find some."
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.
LUKE: Hoopani Koopani.
Hoopani Koopani.
Witi tay rah!
Kissa kissa kissa ha!
Kissa kissa kissa ha!
Winna tee, winna tee.
Tee tee ta.
FLETCHER: What the devil was that?
LESBIAN: It's a haka dance developed by the Maori people of New Zealand. I didn't know Aussies could appreciate it.
LUKE: It's me old school chant - thanks to the junior rugby union.
– ACT I, lines 369-378
LUKE: Hoopani Koopani.
Witi tay rah!
Kissa kissa kissa ha!
Kissa kissa kissa ha!
Winna tee, winna tee.
Tee tee ta.
FLETCHER: What the devil was that?
LESBIAN: It's a haka dance developed by the Maori people of New Zealand. I didn't know Aussies could appreciate it.
LUKE: It's me old school chant - thanks to the junior rugby union.
GREY GOOSE: Your husband's been teaching it to me.
– ACT I, lines 370-379
LUKE: Winna tee, winna tee.
Tee tee ta.
FLETCHER: What the devil was that?
LESBIAN: It's a haka dance developed by the Maori people of New Zealand. I didn't know Aussies could appreciate it.
LUKE: It's me old school chant - thanks to the junior rugby union.
GREY GOOSE: Your husband's been teaching it to me.
ALICE: That's what you do together. I thought you drank.
GREY GOOSE: Actually, I just challenged him to a drinking contest. He accepted.
LUKE: I'm not gonna let him drink with the flies, am I? Besides, he just challenged me.
MS. JACKSON: Go.
– ACT I, lines 374-383
LUKE: Kissa kissa kissa ha!
Winna tee, winna tee.
Tee tee ta.
FLETCHER: What the devil was that?
LESBIAN: It's a haka dance developed by the Maori people of New Zealand. I didn't know Aussies could appreciate it.
LUKE: It's me old school chant - thanks to the junior rugby union.
GREY GOOSE: Your husband's been teaching it to me.
ALICE: That's what you do together. I thought you drank.
GREY GOOSE: Actually, I just challenged him to a drinking contest. He accepted.
LUKE: I'm not gonna let him drink with the flies, am I? Besides, he just challenged me.
– ACT I, lines 373-382
LUKE: Witi tay rah!
Kissa kissa kissa ha!
Kissa kissa kissa ha!
Winna tee, winna tee.
Tee tee ta.
FLETCHER: What the devil was that?
LESBIAN: It's a haka dance developed by the Maori people of New Zealand. I didn't know Aussies could appreciate it.
LUKE: It's me old school chant - thanks to the junior rugby union.
GREY GOOSE: Your husband's been teaching it to me.
ALICE: That's what you do together. I thought you drank.
A story book full of short fiction stories. An interesting bedtime mystery. A fairy tale. Science fiction romance. Adult life. Uninspiring gay fiction. Horror.
"Let's stick to the models," said Proctor. "They've got a union we can contact."
Bob laughed. "Figure models have a union? How do you know?"
"My wife, Elizabeth," said Proctor. "She used to be a member. A long time ago."
Proctor and Bob interviewed the union leadership. Nobody recognized the victims. Either they weren't members or they hadn't paid dues in a while. Bob got a list of members going back ten years. It had Elizabeth's name on it. He showed it to Proctor. Proctor crossed her name out.
Problems arose when a new development was begun at the western end of Profile at Login Road. That particular section of Login had fallen under the purview of City Rural Route 15 as the result of a union grievance involving guaranteed work-hours. Never mind that the rest of City Rural Route 15 was ten miles away.
Management, rather than allow any rural route to permanently profit from this massive windfall of mail, decided it didn't have time to settle the issue immediately. Yet dictator Steve the Second somehow found time to drive out to Profile and Login every single day to personally deliver one woman's mail. Until he could hire and train a temp to do it for him.
The rural union filed a grievance. Of course a month was not enough time to arbitrate a local matter. Not with the National Mail Count on the horizon. There were grievances all over.
On the next day one of the old men was back. I asked him to come inside but he stayed at the window. He wanted to know where I was from. I gave him a brief history of my country and we started arguing over European aid to Africa and whether the Soviet Union was right to have ever been there. It seemed like no matter what I said I was wrong. At least the man treated me like a civil human being. Until he got angry with me and left. I went back to teaching my imaginary class.
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 union 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 "union." I hope I can get it done sometime soon. -Michal
St. Sebastian was a member of the Roman Emperor's praetorian guard who had the audacity to teach Christian values while on the job. I think active duty American military men and women who don't vote or who don't publicly express a political opinion because of the uniform are either being idiotic or are being cowed by the threat of punishment from a superior. Either way, they're eunuchs. My purpose in creating the St. Sebastian Series is to put the flesh and face of the true soldier front and center. The good soldier puts his mission ahead of himself. He often ends up dead. The true soldier knows a bad mission when he sees one and he isn't afraid to say it. Saint Sebastian was not a cow, despite what clever people would have you believe. Saint Sebastian is a patron saint for all protestors who face the arrows of the mob for speaking out.
Help me keep the "Union" page alive...
If you love women and art...
Michal is exporting Polish art...is he touched?
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.