Why comment?

Insecure Writers Support Group Badge

During April I read more blog posts than usual, mainly as part of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. However, I didn’t comment on as many of them as I should have done, judging by some amazing people like the Ninja Captain. How does he do it?

I know that it is common courtesy to acknowledge the effort someone has made writing a post. So I tried to tweet most of them. But that’s another insecurity: how to thanks all my own re-tweeters like others do.

Anyway back to the comments. I made a few, even trying to stick to the letter of the day – expressing enthusiastic enchantment OR waxing weighty worded warnings.

Quality not quantity?

And when a post already has 96 comments, I hesitate to add another one aping others – unless I have a unique perspective that is worth sharing. But that’s unlikely.

Does my reluctance mean anything? Never that I disliked the post, even when some were long articles although erudite ones.

But I suspect making few comments reduces the traffic to my site. The figures support that fact – 96:3.

What do you think? Or is it a matter of “No Comment”?

 

NOTE: I won’t comment on any posts for a few days as I’m travelling = a better excuse than the gerbil chewed my thoughts. How about the monster maelstrom sucks?

Maybe sometimes, monster shark munches severely, meaning stressed mind spasms. Maelstrom swamps my serenity.

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The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. We post our thoughts on our own blogs. We talk about our doubts and the fears we have conquered. We discuss our struggles and triumphs. We offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling.

Please visit others in the group and connect with my fellow writers.

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

And be sure to check out our Facebook group –https://www.facebook.com/groups/IWSG13/

The awesome co-hosts for the May 4 posting of the IWSG are Stephen Tremp, Fundy Blue, MJ Fifield, Loni Townsend, Bish Denham, Susan Gourley, and Stephanie Faris! 

Z for Zelotic – #atozchallenge

Z

“A Brilliant Conspiracy” Episode 26

Blurb & other Episodes

 

Zelotic prisoners detained means gratitude.

Quinella strategized, xenial Archibald lures Jamila racing. Nirvana unbounded – kismet.

Though habile Yoshi escapes custody, vanishing over borders, while Interpol fumes.

 

Glossary:

Habile                          dexterous; adroit

Kismet                         fate; destiny

Nirvana                       any place of complete bliss and delight and peace;  (Hinduism and Buddhism NOT for Archibald) the beatitude that transcends the cycle of reincarnation; characterized by the extinction of desire and suffering and individual consciousness

Quinella                       bet predicting first and second-place finishers, in either order

Xenial                          relating to hospitality

Zelotic                         of the nature of a zealot

 

Archibald’s ‘Horse of the Day’

http://www.paulaura.com/betgloss.htm

Zenyatta won 19 of 20 starts; first mare to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic (2009); first to win two different Breeders’ Cup races (Ladies’ Classic in 2008, Classic in 2009).

But I have to accept that Betting is a mug’s game and Zero is, “The value of most betting systems and tips!”

 

Jamila’s ‘Daily Poison’

http://www.britannica.com/science/poison-biochemistry/Types-of-poison#ref396648

Zarontin   Trade name for Ethosuximide, an anti-epileptic medication;

Symptoms: can cause swelling of the limbs, liver failure, and fatal bone marrow aplasia. There is a delay of one to several days in the onset of the coma, mainly because it takes several hours for the above symptoms to kick in.  Acute overdoses may produce nausea, vomiting, and CNS depression including coma with respiratory depression.

A relationship between ethosuximide toxicity and its plasma levels has not been established.

 

Word Links

http://www.wordfind.com/

http://phrontistery.info/glossaries.html

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/wordlist/adverbs.shtml

https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/prepositions-list.htm

 

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The Challenge runs over 26 days – with Sundays off for good behaviour – and each day will be based on the alphabet, from A through to Z.

Read more about the Challenge I set myself in my Theme Reveal:

Blogging from A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal 2016

For more on the Blogging from A to Z Challenge and to visit the other brave bloggers, go to the official site and this linky list.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Y for Yearling – #atozchallenge

Y

“A Brilliant Conspiracy” Episode 25

Blurb & other Episodes

 

Yearling deaths were less. Archibald proposes klendusic factors. Or unintentional miscalculations.

Hyperhidrosis  betrays Xander; incriminating evidence justifies the second guilty verdict.

Recreational zols calm querimonious nerves.

 

Glossary:

Hyperhidrosis              excessive sweating

Querimonious              adj. Complaining; querulous; apt to complain.

Klendusic                    able to withstand disease due to protective mechanism

Zol                               a hand-rolled cigarette, especially of cannabis.

 

Archibald’s ‘Horse of the Day’

http://www.paulaura.com/betgloss.htm

Yigitbasi is a successful Turkish bred horse, although in Arabian Horse Racing. I’m beginning to think that my Canadian might be a Yankee.

 

Jamila’s ‘Daily Poison’

http://www.britannica.com/science/poison-biochemistry/Types-of-poison#ref396648

Yellow Jacket, hornet (Vespula species);

Distribution: temperate regions;

Toxic principle: similar to bee venom; also acetylcholine;

Symptoms: they can both bite and sting; the sting is similar to that of the honeybee’s but more painful; yellow jackets are quite aggressive; stings may be fatal.

 

Word Links

http://www.wordfind.com/

http://phrontistery.info/glossaries.html

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/wordlist/adverbs.shtml

https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/prepositions-list.htm

 

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The Challenge runs over 26 days – with Sundays off for good behaviour – and each day will be based on the alphabet, from A through to Z.

Read more about the Challenge I set myself in my Theme Reveal:

Blogging from A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal 2016

For more on the Blogging from A to Z Challenge and to visit the other brave bloggers, go to the official site and this linky list.

 

 

 

 

 

 

X for Xenagogue – #atozchallenge

X

“A Brilliant Conspiracy” Episode 24

Blurb & other Episodes

 

Xenagogue peculiarities impel Jamila to make vegetative observations, forcing yard audits.

Displaying no qualms, Zollie unloads everything, blatantly claiming lethal kyphosis weakens him. Guilty sentence reduced.

 

Glossary:

Kyphosis                     hunchbacked condition

Xenagogue                  guide; someone who conducts strangers

 

Archibald’s ‘Horse of the Day’

http://www.paulaura.com/betgloss.htm

Xanthi FC sounds Greek. Agreed, my mind is on another sport and the “X” means ‘a draw’ on a soccer betting coupon. However, there is a US racehorse called Xanadu.

 

Jamila’s ‘Daily Poison’

http://www.britannica.com/science/poison-biochemistry/Types-of-poison#ref396648

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol used as a sweetener. It is naturally found in low concentrations in the fibers of many fruits and vegetables.

Xylitol has no known toxicity in humans, but is often fatal to dogs.

Whereas Xanax (alprazolam) can be addictive to humans and potentiate other benzodiazepine drugs.

 

Word Links

http://www.wordfind.com/

http://phrontistery.info/glossaries.html

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/wordlist/adverbs.shtml

https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/prepositions-list.htm

 

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 The Challenge runs over 26 days – with Sundays off for good behaviour – and each day will be based on the alphabet, from A through to Z.

Read more about the Challenge I set myself in my Theme Reveal:

Blogging from A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal 2016

For more on the Blogging from A to Z Challenge and to visit the other brave bloggers, go to the official site and this linky list.

 

 

 

 

 

 

W for Wharfage – #atozchallenge

W

“A Brilliant Conspiracy” Episode 23

Blurb & other Episodes

 

Wharfage records unequivocal evidence; ketch movements finger vexed litigants.

Xemes groan outside the pitted courthouse. A youthful judge demands silence.

No zanyism inside his quirky bailiwick.

 

Glossary:

Bailie               1. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) (in Scotland) a municipal magistrate; 2. (Professions) an obsolete or dialect spelling of bailiff

Bailiwick         1. the district within which a bailie or bailiff has jurisdiction; 2. a person’s area of skill, knowledge, authority, or work.

Wharfage        (Nautical Terms) 1. accommodation for ships at wharves; 2. a charge for use of a wharf; 3. wharves collectively.

Xeme               a fork-tailed gull

Zanyism          buffoonery

 

Archibald’s ‘Horse of the Day’

http://www.paulaura.com/betgloss.htm

Winning Colors appealed to this ladies’ man, as she was the third filly to win the Kentucky Derby (1988). Another Win so I won’t Welch on this pay-out.

 

Jamila’s ‘Daily Poison’

http://www.britannica.com/science/poison-biochemistry/Types-of-poison#ref396648

Weever fish (Trachinus draco);

Distribution: Mediterranean Sea;

Toxic principle: weever fish venom, chemistry unknown;

Symptoms: opercular and dorsal fin spines can produce instant pain, burning, stabbing or crushing sensation; pain spreads and becomes progressively more intense, causing the victim to scream with anguish and suffer loss of consciousness, numbness about the wound, swelling, redness, nausea, delirium, difficulty in breathing, convulsions, and death; no known antidote.

 

 

Word Links

http://www.wordfind.com/

http://phrontistery.info/glossaries.html

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/wordlist/adverbs.shtml

https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/prepositions-list.htm

 

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The Challenge runs over 26 days – with Sundays off for good behaviour – and each day will be based on the alphabet, from A through to Z.

Read more about the Challenge I set myself in my Theme Reveal:

Blogging from A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal 2016

For more on the Blogging from A to Z Challenge and to visit the other brave bloggers, go to the official site and this linky list.

 

 

 

 

 

 

V for Verdict – #atozchallenge

V

“A Brilliant Conspiracy” Episode 22

Blurb & other Episodes

 

Verdict by coroner: two grooms – homicides; four wolves and six racehorses – misadventure.

Not exactly xenogenous killings. “Deadly phytotoxins yielded loss of zoetic qualities,” utters Jamila.

 

Glossary:

Phytotoxins                 plant poisons

Xenogenous                due to an outside cause

Zoetic                          living; vital

 

Archibald’s ‘Horse of the Day’

http://www.paulaura.com/betgloss.htm

Veillantif was Roland’s horse in the La Chanson de Roland – not a racehorse but Roland’s my hero, of course. Value for some here.

 

Jamila’s ‘Daily Poison’

http://www.britannica.com/science/poison-biochemistry/Types-of-poison#ref396648

Venomous ticks (species of Ixodes and Ornithodoros);

Distribution: temperate and tropical regions;

Toxic principle: unknown;

Symptoms: tick bites result in swelling, redness, intense pain, headache, muscle cramps, loss of memory, etc. Cause diseases such as Lime Disease, Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Colorado Tick Fever, Powassan Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and Tularemia, some of which can be fatal.

 

Word Links

http://www.wordfind.com/

http://phrontistery.info/glossaries.html

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/wordlist/adverbs.shtml

https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/prepositions-list.htm

 

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The Challenge runs over 26 days – with Sundays off for good behaviour – and each day will be based on the alphabet, from A through to Z.

Read more about the Challenge I set myself in my Theme Reveal:

Blogging from A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal 2016

For more on the Blogging from A to Z Challenge and to visit the other brave bloggers, go to the official site and this linky list.