Friday, January 16, 2009

Loss

LOSS, n. Privation of that which we had, or had not. Thus, in the latter sense, it is said of a defeated candidate that he "lost his election"; and of that eminent man, the poet Gilder, that he has "lost his mind." It is in the former and more legitimate sense, that the word is used in the famous epitaph:
Here Huntington's ashes long have lain
Whose loss is our eternal gain,
For while he exercised all his powers
Whatever he gained, the loss was ours.
2009 Update: In banking and industry, a warrant for surplus revenue.

25 comments:

Indeterminacy said...

Their gain is our loss.

Anonymous said...

Andrew Wyeth's death is our loss :-(


A new administration next week is not a loss :-)

Anonymous said...

Indeterminancy said exactly what I was going to say

I want to take the Constitution for granted. I want to be apolitical. That's nobody's loss

Oh, here we shag not jitterbug :)

TLP said...

Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most. It was no great loss, but it was all I had.

Minka said...

Tlp, that is pretty greatly said!

loss,n. always the present moment; we spend it wondering about tomorrow and only find it in the future when looking back

Anonymous said...

Löss, n. Windblown sediment. My löss is your loss, if it blew from your farm onto mine. Sorry 'bout that, pal. Act of Nature, y'know.

;)

Ariel the Thief said...

Loss, illusion. Illusions can kill, though!

Tom & Icy said...

When we apply for a loan we have to fill out detailed forms explaining what the money is for, but the banks get bail outs and don't tell nothing.
I don't know what that has to do with loss, but just saying.
BTW, Doug, Icy used your picture in a video she posted on her Playground blog in a video. Just to let you know.

Anonymous said...

LOSS: The Newtonian ripple generated by a Winners Circle.

in my head this made sense. that said, having suffered the same loss as dear TLP, i can't be held responsible for the clever and/or amusing things i... thunk.

word veri: mingsta ~ ancient gangster Chinese Ceramisist?

Anonymous said...

PS: i DO think the above is better than the definition i originally planned to use, which began with the words: "hair today..."

i think we all know why i haven't been around lately, and suspect everyone will agree: it's best to let sleeping blogs lie.

Anonymous said...

I'm at a loss for words and it's freaking me out.

Unknown said...

what i feel being away so long. guess it's the loss straw

tantio: ointment to counteract sunburn

Jim said...

Yes, and a warrant for golden parachutes.

Loss: My loss of blogging for the last two weeks has seen a 'bailout.'

I have started to blog again now after a two week break (did put on a poem on the other blog yesterday). I hope I can keep up now but it may still be going slow for me.
-->So come see me at Jim's Little Blog <--
..

Anonymous said...

"When I compare
What I have lost with what I have gained,
What I have missed with what attained,
Little room do I find for pride.

I am aware
How many days have been idly spent;
How like an arrow the good intent
Has fallen short or been turned aside.

But who shall dare
To measure loss and gain in this wise?
Defeat may be victory in disguise;
The lowest ebb is the turn of the tide."


It's much easier at this time of the morning to find someone else's words.

Nice definition Doug.

Anonymous said...

nice epitaph,equally applies to Bush, i feel NO loss at his departure..He ,as father have looted the American Taxpayer...in his defense,must say; Icelandic Bankers looted Their citizens,N.Korea starves Their citizens,Red China and Russia maintain an iron grip on the average,joe.Iran ,they stone you...So no Loss at the retirement of yet another common thief....Peace

Anonymous said...

The decor of the Big Four restaurant, in San Francisco's Huntington Hotel, named for the Huntington of Bierce's definition, makes quite a study. Alternating with grandiose images of Huntington and his achievements are reproductions of cartoons from The Wasp that attack the railroad monopoly established by Huntington and his cronies (including Leland Stanford Jr., the Stanford of Stanford University).

Provided on behalf of those who, in the 21st century, are at a loss to know who the bleep is this Huntington cat.

Doug The Una said...

Ain't that the way, Indie. Darn them.

Sauerkraut, I got the news from your comment.

Pia, bring some Northern jitterbug. I'm sure your neighbors would love to learn.

TLP, I'll check my sock drawer.

At least we still have it, Minka.

Amoeba, it's not bad soil. I'll keep it. Your Loess.

Ice and Icy, the bank of Doug's image is always open and interest-free.

Hey, welcome back, Snups! I have no idea why you haven't been around lately.

Jenn, that freaks me out a little, too.

There's always one more straw, K. This is like old home day.

Take your time, Jim. After a 10-day cruise you must be exhausted!

Nice poem, Coop. I think the job of a person every day is to be for 24 hours. The rest is gravy.

Peace, Bear. Doggone Icelandic bankers stealing loans into everybody's hands, anyhow!

Good of you, Amoeba. I have at home an illustrated history of The Wasp. Some of the cartoons are pretty spectacular.

Anonymous said...

Oh,so true,it was the uninformed citizens who just borrowed into tomorrow,sounds like here...As it should be, Corp. did NOTHING WRONG..it was the stupid population...anyway :-)

Ariel the Thief said...

Ice was me, hehe... Icy's video is very funny!

Doug The Una said...

We all walk together, Bear. Or stagger.

Ah, as in Grapefruit.

Anonymous said...

not that all is lost,there is Selfoss...Peace

Anonymous said...

yes,those grapefruits can be quite difficult to maneuver around....Peace and productive dreams :-)

Doug The Una said...

Right on!

Anonymous said...

Soul destroying character building.

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Thanks Doug for your visit much appreciated, I did enjoy my stay in America last year everyone was so friendly.
Keep up the good work and take care.


Yvonne