Tuesday Trivia

I was up too late last night and, consequently, up too late this morning; i.e., I'm a slug today. I am, however, emerging from my languorous stupor long enough to make a few observations.

3Did you know that there are online sites where one can purchase over 58,000 different fonts these days? Geez! And what do you think of this? There's a documentary called "Helvetica" which explores that particular typeface and they say it's actually getting good reviews. A documentary about -- typefaces? I personally can't imagine anything much more boring. There's a person in Indiana who's started an online movement to ban the Comic Sans font. How bored must he or she be?!

Author John Lescroart wasn't sure what font he used when asked. After checking, he deduced that he was using Times New Roman-12. That makes sense. Many publishers insist on receiving submissions in TNR-12. I don't like it myself. I think it's hard to read with the spacing pressing words together, but what're you going to do? If that's what they want, that's what we must give them.

Typefaces are categorized into two main groups: serif and sans serif. Serif includes the letters' tiny top, bottom, and end flourishes; sans doesn't. Professional preferences include Verdana, Arial, and Calibri (sans) and Georgia and Times New Roman (serif). The bold fonts are not much appreciated in the workplace. I don't like Arial myself. I think it's too small, plain, and boring. For my own e-mail, I use Century Gothic-12.

Horror novelist James Herbert once insisted that his publisher sack an entire first run of a novel because they used a typeface other than Century Old Style.

Whatever turns you on...

3Britney skipped another custody hearing yesterday, thereby once again forfeiting visitation rights with her kids. Let's see -- she's spouting a weird quasi-British accent now and she car shopped over the weekend wearing (what passed for) a wedding dress (apparently, the one she married Fedderline in). If there's still any doubt that the girl has lost it and is in serious need of psychiatric intervention, I think those rumors can be laid to rest.

3The Juice is in the custody of a bail bondsman pending his appearance tomorrow in a Las Vegas courtroom. Maybe this time... But hell, who are we kidding? He'll come out unscathed and unscarred -- as always. Maybe he and Britney should hook up. I'm sure that with shared moonlight and scars, they'd make some beautiful music indeed. Did I just say that? God, I am so a liar. **snerk**

3Without any fanfare, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff dictated revealed the final rules for REAL ID during a meeting last Thursday with an advisory council.

Pursuant to the new rules, by 2014, anyone boarding an airplane or entering a federal building would have to present a REAL ID-compliant driver's license

Among other details of the REAL ID plan:

-- The traditional driver's license photograph would be taken at the beginning of the application process instead of the end so that should someone be rejected for failure to prove identity and citizenship, the applicant's photo would be kept on file and checked in the future if that person attempted to con the system again.

-- The cards will have three layers of security measures but will not contain microchips as some had expected. States will be able to choose from a menu which security measures they will put in their cards.

Over the next year, the government expects all states to begin checking both the Social Security numbers and immigration status of license applicants. Most states currently check Social Security numbers and about half check immigration status. Some, like New York, Virginia, North Carolina, and California, already have implemented many of the security measures envisioned in REAL ID. In California, for example, officials expect the only major change to adopt the first phase would be to take the photograph at the beginning of the application process instead of the end.

After the Social Security and immigration status checks become nationwide practice, officials plan to move on to more expansive security checks, including state DMV offices checking with the State Department to verify those applicants who use passports to get a driver's license, verifying birth certificates and checking with other states to ensure an applicant doesn't have more than one license.

National Identity Cards -- somehow, America is beginning to feel less like America every day. Kind of gives me the scary heebie-jeebies.

Never fear, these Words Gone Wild don't give TWISTED LINGUISTICS the heebie-jeebies.

excuted - The ex swelled up and exploded from sheer cuteness.

induendos - A clique of Spanish chaperons -- who may sing duets from time to time.

illertiate - A novice who is about to be initiated into illiteracy.

stereoids - Muscle speakers.

Why don't you guys take these?

their is an interest
forgat
populas
Sceintology