Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Mad

MAD, adj. Affected with a high degree of intellectual independence; not conforming to standards of thought, speech and action derived by the conformants from study of themselves; at odds with the majority; in short, unusual. It is noteworthy that persons are pronounced mad by officials destitute of evidence that themselves are sane. For illustration, this present (and illustrious) lexicographer is no firmer in the faith of his own sanity than is any inmate of any madhouse in the land; yet for aught he knows to the contrary, instead of the lofty occupation that seems to him to be engaging his powers he may really be beating his hands against the window bars of an asylum and declaring himself Noah Webster, to the innocent delight of many thoughtless spectators.

2006 Update: Fixated on anachronisms such as eternity and evolution. After the fashion of a march hare in May.

Rabbit, Rabbit!


52 comments:

Anonymous said...

mad what you're trying to make us by posting so late!

Anonymous said...

technically NOT first, judging by all the complaints on the previous post about the tardiness of a certain dawg. Don't why why we're complaining. Tardiness is getting to be the norm.

The Dawg doesn't post by 4:30 a.m. any more and the world is going mad!

Unknown said...

what, me worry?

Dog, Dog!


gotjwr: got jiggy with rabbit

Anonymous said...

Damn, damn damn, I'm so mad I'm not first. Really tried

Mutha said...

How did mad get to mean "angry" in this culture? Hmmmmmm...there's some over-generalization about the American psyche in there somewhere, but I'm too glazed over to figure it out. I'll check in later if something comes to me. Don't wait up.

Sar said...

Today's word reminds me of something I wrote in a post once upon a time...

People don't get mad
dogs get mad
people get angry
George Bush is mad
and that makes me angry

The Old Mule said...

mad: something so cool it's hot. i.e. to be not mad is to be lukewarm. and who wants to be bathwater?

do I make sense anymore? have I gone...

Mo'a said...

Rabbit, Rabbit at a tea party with the Mad Hatter.

There is a giveaway at one of my blogs and a photo of baby on the other.....I am not mad, just very, very happy.

mireille said...

You're my favorite Wild Hare. Rabbit, rabbit! xoxo

Anonymous said...

Mad Hat Hare, Mad Hat Hare.

sigh Karma took mine... which is a sign, i suppose, of my good taste and/or her lack of it. (as a long-time fan of all things Alfred E. Newman, i vote for the 1st)

Anonymous said...

The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!”
~Jack Kerouac

couldn't imagine a better time and/or place to share one of my absolute favorite quotes, than here and/or now. ; )

javajazz said...

ynnub, ynnub...

(let this not detract
from your theme of mad.)

there's certainly a delicate line
between madness
and brilliance.
i wouldn't know where it is, though.
i'm too nuts.

Anonymous said...

Mad: how I'm feelings towards Canada Post. Package sent April 14...now May 1st...no package. Mad. Very very mad. Grr. (Ferocious huh?)

And here I thought today's word would be casserole dish just so I could find out if I had one.

Rabbit rabbit

TLP said...

Ambrose has this just right. Your update is good of course, but I'm mad for Ambrose's definition.

We're all crazy, just in different ways. Or the reverse. We all have a touch of sanity somewhere in us.

*sigh* if I have to try to get past your verifier a third time, I will go MAD!

Rabbit Rabbit.

Anonymous said...

MAD: A two-gun military posture, with one held to your own head and the other to your opponent's.

Perfect for May Day, thanks, Doug.

G said...

The rappers use it in the correct vernacular though, i.e., crazy money or mad money (which reminds me of my Aunt Margie who always advised to have a little pocket cash or mad money with which to buy a special treat).

Doug The Una said...

Quilly, I just want my Sunday School teaching friends to really understand us poor sinners.

Karma, you were right on time with that. One tusked blue half-elephant,One tusked blue half-elephant.

Pia, you forget we know you. You were probably here first and debated whether you worthy for half an hour.

Mutha, its because we're too refined, maybe?

Sar, that post is here, back when you were your brother's keeper.

Christian, Mule? Maybe. " I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. " Revelations 3:16-17 (NKJV)

Mo'a, I'll start every treasure hunt at your place.

Mireille, and you're the world's most elegant punstress.

I didn't realize he was such a preacher, Neva. Thanks for sharing.

JJ, welcome and make yourself at home. No worries about sticking to the theme, either. Two years in, we still haven't made by-laws.

Jenna, if Canada Post knows what's right they'll put you on the priority list or start delivering carpeting with every cardboard tube.

Rabbit, rabbit, TLP. Brer Ambrose didn't leave me much room to work, it's true.

Al, I think you made it so. The perfect description of a truly egalitarian revolution.

G, Aunt Margie sounds like a pickpocket I used to know.

Minka said...

mad,: first half of Angelina Jolie´s oldest. The next half is (d)ox!
Insanity passed through unrelated genes! It´s gonna take over isn´t it?

Minka said...

“Humor is reason gone mad.”

Groucho Marx

Ariel the Thief said...

nobody can beat Old Mule's definition! I love my bathwater, though.

The Old Mule said...

Ok. I give. Hands are in the air. What in the nation of goodness is this *Rabbit Rabbit* business!?

ariel - I will send you crisp, unmarked bills and a bag of southern grits.

Doug The Una said...

Minka, "Diogenes is Socrates gone mad."-Plato

Ariel, still you should drain it now and again.

Mule, rabbit rabbit on the first of the month identifies a site as part of the extended Pezosphere. It starts with AP3 but Dddragon wrote the official history.

The Old Mule said...

Rabbit. Rabbit. Goose.

Mother Theresa said...

So, a nomad would be someone who is sane, or would it be someone with a lack of intellectual independence?

Kyahgirl said...

Rabbit Rabbit Doug. Welcome to the mad month of May.

Sadly, I'm a product of the 60s and can only think of that goofy magazine when I hear the word MAD!

Anonymous said...

a "wise" man once said (on my blog sometime last week): A deadline is a form of madness that passes.

the same might be said for great ideas and/or bad gas.

Doug The Una said...

Honk honk, Mule.

And/or, Theresa.

Kyah, I don't know what's sad about that. I think we need a primer.

Neva, great ideas never pass. At least not in Congress.

javajazz said...

why, thank you, dry Dog...
until the by-laws come into effect, perhaps i shall step in periodically, and offer some kind of unrelated comic relief...
i honestly cannot keep up with you word wizards...
but i love to watch!
(tell your friends.)
xo lisa

Anonymous said...

The March Hare will be much the most interesting, and perhaps as this is May it won't be raving mad -- at least not so mad as it was in March. ~ Alice, Through the Looking Glass.

i believe this post and/or these comments show how little that stupid and/or delusional girl knew.

actually, i'm only sharing that particular quote in lieu of one from an SNL sketch a few years ago, in which Steve Buscemi played -- what else -- the Mad Hatter. make that the Mad Mad MAD Mad Hatter (needless to say, it was hilarious)

Jamie Dawn said...

Rabbit, rabbit!
I'm glad to see The Old Mule has joined in on all the rabbit, rabbit fun. He is assured of good luck this month which means he won't be nearly as MAD as usual.

Mad: The state of mind of one who believes he/she has no chinks in his/her intellectual armor.

Gracias por la respuesta inteligente.

I'm MAD for macaroni!
Just give me some of them cheese to add to it, and I'll have me some good eatin'.

Anonymous said...

"Mad for Macaroni" sounds like Google's Italian translation of "Coo-coo for Cocoa Puffs."

Sreekesh Menon said...

Misguided intelligence

Doug The Una said...

JJ, there's no pressure and you're welcome as often or as rarely as you want to be here, but 2/3 of the people you see here started with "I can't keep with you word wizards." So of course you can and just did.

Puppy, I'm sure. Lewis is always good for a good quote and you and Actonbell know them all, it seems.

Haha, Actonbell, yeah I remember watching that on a black and white tv twice a year and you're right. The entire English-speaking world and New York got at least one line.

Jamie Dawn, pro cierto, mi amiga linda. Estoy un poquito estupido en Español tambien.

Al, when Google itself gets lazy it's time to put on a layer of fat for the apocalypse.

Redundant, Sree.

javajazz said...

well, thank you kindly, DougDog...
maybe by osmosis
my macaroni
will start resembling
yours,
though i do have
a few unique shapes
of my own...

TLP said...

"when Google itself gets lazy it's time to put on a layer of fat for the apocalypse." I love that line. I'm stealing it immediately. (I already have the fat layer anyway.)

Lila said...

Rabbit, rabbit!

Anonymous said...

This word always reminds me of one of my favorite books:

`But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
`Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: `we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.'
`How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice.
`You must be,' said the Cat, `or you wouldn't have come here.

I see that Neva has already quoted from it, but it deserves to be quoted whenever possible.

Squaregirl

Anonymous said...

amen, Squaregirl ~ and well quoted! that link i did a few comments ago features part of the script from the aforementioned Steve Buscemi guest spot on SNL -- and happens to be a variation of your quote. and by "variation", i mean... "holy Dormouse! that's one mad-crazy mother-fu**...er, i mean, hatter!" ; )

Anonymous said...

mad checks clock ... jumps up and down ...foams at mouth ... hollers: Dawg! It's Wednesday. Where's my fable?

Minka said...

quilly, what did I tell you yesterday about breathing?

Pascover, you lazy or somethin´?

Doug The Una said...

JJ, I think you can look forward to your pasta not resembling mine, but it takes all kind of noodles.

TLP, all I have is thine.

Rabbit, rabbit, Sis!

Square, I think maybe you want "Waking Lewis," just down the hall.

Neva, I'm stealing "Holy dormouse!"

Quilly, sorry. I'm up now and working on it.

Minka, Do you know how hard I worked to stay up and watch the end of Golden State v Dallas last night? I'm a man of vigor! (And late)

I just got up, folks. Look for Quilly's fable around 9:30 TLPDST.

Minka said...

vigor?

ok!

That, and ignorance!

You realize that when you are behind scedule...about 5 other people will be too?

*calls her work*

noone ever told you about the ripples caused by a stone thrown into the water?

Anonymous said...

consider "Holy Dormouse" my gift to you.

no worries if you're not yet ready with today's post -- i'll simply direct everyone to teh SNARK, where a certain Penguin is entertaining folks with another educational-yet-hilarious post about -- what else -- Iceland! ; )

javajazz said...

oops, me and my fettucine metaphors.
that coupled with menopause brain, and look at the kinds of embarrassing things that emerge from what's left of my mind...
you're right DD (Dry Dog),
each persons spaghetti is unique
unto themselves...
good morning...
take your time waking up...

Anonymous said...

9:30! I'll be at work -- that place where I can read, but not comment! How could you do this to me!

Doug The Una said...

Minka, vigor and ignorance are two sides of the same coin.

Oh, boy! Thanks, puppy!

Good morning, JJ. You're doing fine and we can use a little free verse around here, if you ask me.

Quilly, that was 9:30 in Pennsylvania, the Greenwich of the Blogosphere. It was also a little optimistic as it turns out.

javajazz said...

oh thank you Dry Dog!
i honestly heaved a sigh of relief
reading that...no joking.
sometimes its just too much work
to keep to the theme.
think i'll just continue
happily making up my own....
woof woof, DD,
and i mean that in the nicest
of ways....

i find your use of word verification rather quaint now.
thought people had stopped...(did
they kill off all the robots or somethin'? but its also amusing because the words they use are nuts and meaningless and its just odd to see the word Macaroni and Isvdu on the same page...
but still, i can still understand where a little protection
goes a long way...
(thats like something my grandmother might have uttered...)

The Old Mule said...

This is almost the record for comments, ya?

Doug The Una said...

JJ, all is well and all is well and every manner of thing shall be well. This is an easy place to be, really.

Not at all mule. Spring, 2006 almost drove me out of the business. I just looked back to answer your comments. May 16 theres 138. I nearly wept.

Ariel the Thief said...

I remember that, it was funny. Doug asked his visitors to comment only if they have a relating definition to add or go to hell. people thought it was very cute. he almost went crazy... *grinning*

Doug The Una said...

That's funny to remember, Ariel, and quit your grinning. Here's historical documentation Mule should appreciate. Around that time title of this blog was temporarily changed from "Waking Ambrose" to "Ceci N'est Pas Un Bordello" I remember, Ariel, you wrote something along the lines of "So what you're saying is 'this is not what it looks like even though it looks like that.'"

I can't believe I'm getting nostalgic for my own blog.

Anonymous said...

i remember that day... *sigh*

talk about hilarity. ; )