Less is More, Except When It's Not

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

There's a blaze of light
In every word,
It doesn't matter which you heard,
The holy or the broken hallelujah.
("Hallelujah," Leonard Cohen)

Consider this,
The hint of the century...
("Losing My Religion," R.E.M.)


Subtlety.

sub·tle·ty (sŭt'l-tē)
n.
1. The quality or state of being subtle.
2. Something subtle, especially a nicety of thought or a fine distinction.

The quality of being difficult to detect or analyze.

"The virtue of justice consists in moderation, as regulated by wisdom." ~Aristotle

"To go beyond the bounds of moderation is to outrage humanity." ~Blaise Pascal


Sometimes I'll go back over my work and suddenly get hit with a lightning bolt -- "TMI, girlfriend! You're explaining too much." I then realize that if I had written it more effectively to begin with, there would be no need to "explain" to the reader, so they'll "get it." People are quite capable of reading between the lines. On the other hand, if it's too subtle, some shoring up may be necessary. After all, readers don't want to have to also be code-breakers. But they also don't want to have everything laid out before them, negating their need to think. There is a fine balance to be struck between the subdued and the overt.

There's nothing wrong with moderation. Or subtlety. Subtlety and moderation have much the same meaning when viewed in the context of taking it easy. It's not necessary to beat people over the head with an idea, a thing, or a concept. To do so is boring, and potentially irritating to those being overwhelmed with it. Small doses will get the job done much more effectively than a steady diet of any one thing, or of drowning people in one's ideas. Or of repeating an act to the point of redundancy and saturation, which is extremely annoying to those it is inflicted upon.


Once again, my gmail account was swimming in spam -- also quite redundant, suffocating, and annoying. I can, of course, simply delete it all sight unseen. I thought I'd take a look at a few of them, though, and maybe have a little fun with them.

Daisy Gonzalez, cikcelandineatgolddesigner.com, wants to sell me top quality Replica watches. Yeah, I'm sure that's got to be a real bargain.

LeoniTerriocatdenvergals.com wants to sell me orgasms. Hmmm. I admit, I kind of wonder how that works.

nathanaelbriettatgot.net would like to peddle FDA approved medications to me at 80% off prescription costs. Oh, sure, I'd be real smart to swallow those.

telephusion.comatlittlesproutsdaycare.com would like for me to try his enhancement pills. They might fare better peddling that to those who have the proper equipment for enhancement.

supportatintl.paypal.com to jray96 would like to gain access to my Paypal account. Well, of course he does! Dream on, dude.

Danny Martin, adultcareofkc.comatlndinfotech.com, would like to peddle some cut-rate Cialis, Viagra, and/or Levitra to me.

Eli Gray, maidofhonorhelp.comatjamespenn.com, writes me to say, "Over a several millions men have been helped with the potent ingredients in Penis Growth Patch - men have experienced bigger size, deeper penetration, more action, and super-satisfying results for themselves and their partners.

Don't be left behind! Take advantage of price specials going on now.."

Well, damn, if had myself a penis, I'd sure enough jump right on that. Penis Patches. Who knew?

I'd be embarrassed to admit I had nothing better to do than spam peoples' mailboxes.

Words Gone Wild might also be embarrassed, if they possessed the capacity to recognize themselves. Instead, they just go downhill and end up in 12-Step Programs for Twisted Linguistics.

vacinity - The empty lot where bad novels go to die.

copywrited - What the writter did with what he writted.

freeked out - What happens when Words Gone Wild get their freak on.

spirir filled - We don't know what a spirir is, but you'll be the first to know when we find out.

raoyalties - Dividends paid on new designs made with rayon.

listners - People who can't stand up straight.

vaires - Vampire fairies.


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