Posted on by dancinglightofgrace

The Scientist Brain and the Mafia Don


The call is picked up by the younger brother. Who responds:
“We’re coming.”
“How long will it take, I asked.”
“We’re coming.”
They came after a while. It already seemed late when I called them up. They reminded me that their school has been rescheduled to afternoon and hence they return very late. I had forgotten.
I had served tea to my mother though she didn’t take it. I warmed it up after students left. Added some milk into it as she had asked. Some ginger as well. I had it myself after having replaced the chair into the verandah. It’s getting white stains deposited by water because it stays near the wash basin and water sprinkled on it contains calcium.
There are cobwebs on hats which are waiting inside racks. There are cobwebs waiting to be removed. The footwear outside the room has dust on them.
I had a bath. Washed a few clothes. The maid, who was employed here earlier is the mother of the last employed maid and she always comes late in the afternoon. You have to wait before you can pasteurise milk or organise utensils properly in the kitchen for other purposes.
The younger student is busy drawing a crown like shape on his left hand with the blue ink pen he has recently bought. I hear bells ringing in the nearby worship room though the singing voice doesn’t reach me which is a relief.
The younger student advertised his pen with keen interest . It appears to be wooden. He claims:
“This is a pen made with wood.”

Woodenmarksmanshiphoperandampersand


Then he asks me to read out the letters from the sticker on the pen. The C is printed like D. It’s neither a C nor a D. I recognise the brand of pens. The stylish first letter is shaped like a D but the vertical line is missing in the first letter. It just has the curve. After the promotion is over and the plastic is established to be plastic, not wood, he gets back to the business of sketching the crown with feathers on his left hand. His signatures are on it.
He’s quite young for being eligible for a personality assessment. He spends a lot of time making his signatures on the paper. He admits:
“I am not getting proper signature.”

Singatureutersevereverseverallyinglenookrasesamestreet


This interrupts my flow of reading. I was reading the chapter fourth from Science. Rutherford’s model:


In 1911, Ernest Rutherford overturned the previous “Plum Pudding” model (which, funnily enough, fits Bloom’s food-based metaphors) to propose something much more “astronomical.”
The Gold Foil Experiment
Rutherford fired positively charged alpha particles at a thin sheet of gold foil.
* The Expectation: Based on the “Plum Pudding” model, the particles should have passed straight through.
* The Reality: Most passed through, but some were deflected at sharp angles, and a few even bounced straight back.
* Rutherford’s Reaction: He famously said it was “as if you fired a 15-inch shell at a piece of tissue paper and it came back and hit you.”
Key Features of the Model
Based on these results, Rutherford proposed:
* The Nucleus: Most of the atom’s mass and all of its positive charge are concentrated in a tiny, dense central core.
* Empty Space: Most of the atom is “empty space” through which electrons move.
* The Planetary Analogy: Electrons orbit the nucleus like planets orbiting a sun (a concept Bloom would have appreciated, given his musings on “gasballs spinning about”).
Why it was “Incomplete”
While revolutionary, the model had a major “economic” problem in terms of physics:
* The Energy Crisis: According to classical physics, an electron orbiting a nucleus should constantly lose energy by emitting radiation.
* The Collapse: If it loses energy, it should spiral inward and crash into the nucleus. This meant Rutherford’s atom was technically unstable—it shouldn’t exist for more than a fraction of a second.
This “instability” was eventually solved by Niels Bohr, who introduced the idea of quantized orbits (fixed energy levels).

I recommend him to just write his name. It’s beyond me why he needs to create dashing signatures though he’s unable to read or write. He can copy. He has seen others making signatures. This makes him create his own. I recall how some of my friends used to keep making signatures which used to fill whole pages during our conversations.
He takes my advice. He writes his name and then  surname. I am reading it upside down. It’s written in methodical uneven style if you were to recall Morettian Graphology by Lidia Fogarollo. The first two letters are larger than the rest. Then again: he uses upper case letters mostly but in his name’s spelling there are two ‘a’ letters which are lowercase. I tell this to him. It’s irrelevant.
He shows me the completed drawing.
Reads it as:
“….mafia don.”

Zeitgeistarattamarinderpestuaryennoblendinglenookramptonnagemmatrialsomeshugasconademantoidiomatictactoeuvrevueuropeanemone


Zeitgeist or peculiarly narcissistic personality?
Or both?
He’s into drawing today. He shows me a box drawn with green ink. He calls it DJ:
In music, DJ stands for Disc Jockey. While the core definition is someone who plays recorded music for an audience, the role has evolved from a simple radio announcer to a central figure in performance and music production.
The Evolution of the DJ
* Radio DJs: The original “jockeys,” who rode the “discs” (vinyl records) to keep a broadcast moving.
* Club/Mobile DJs: Focus on selecting and “mixing” tracks to maintain the energy of a dance floor.
* Turntablists: Use the turntable as a musical instrument, utilizing techniques like scratching, beat juggling, and cutting.
* Producer-DJs: Musicians who create their own electronic tracks and perform them live, often the focal point of festivals (e.g., EDM or Techno artists).
Key Techniques and Tools
To keep the music seamless, DJs use specific techniques and hardware:
* Beatmatching: Adjusting the speed (BPM) of two different songs so their beats align perfectly, allowing for a smooth transition without the “clashing” of rhythms.
* Crossfading: Using a fader on a mixer to gradually fade out one song while fading in another.
* EQing: Adjusting the Low (Bass), Mid, and High (Treble) frequencies. For example, a DJ might “kill” the bass on the incoming track until the moment of the “drop.”
Etymology: Why “Jockey”?
The term was coined by American radio commentator Walter Winchell in 1935.
* Disc: Refers to the phonograph records (vinyl) used at the time.
* Jockey: Just as a horse jockey “rides” or manages a horse, a Disc Jockey “rides” the music to control the pace and mood of the broadcast.
Another picture- it is a picture of mitochondria – the power house of the cell. They have made a labelled diagram. It was classwork. It was done in school.
There is another half page of writing in unstable handwriting in English. That’s all.
I explain to them it’s not homework.
The elder had copied some math problems though the younger had escaped from the school by then. Many students were running away. Excuse?
“I told my Sanskrit teacher that I had a stomach ache. She’s anyway quirky.”
“Won’t you get caught tomorrow?”
“No.”
She had asked him to go to the office. To take permission and he escaped. Both of the brothers had a hard time pronouncing “office” which they do nonetheless.
Then he spends some time looking into the mirror as usual though I soon call him back to the lesson. They first wanted me to give them some Arithmetic problems.
“I am using my scientist brain.”
The younger brother copies just two problems out of ten. They’re written in haphazard handwriting.
The elder wants me to copy. His eyes, his hands have pain. I refused to do that. Then he notes them down.
I evaluate:
The elder has committed too many errors. Just two problems out of ten are done correctly.
A week of celebration at his house.
Now he can’t even do addition problems correctly.
The younger one rejoices because two of his problems are also correct. The scientist brain. They both scored 20%.

Now they’re eager to know if 15th is a Sunday. It’s a festival. A holiday. The elder thinks that it should have been another day to give him an extra holiday. It’s hardly fifteen days of school yet it’s intolerable.

I count days with dates on paper. Yes, it’s a Sunday indeed.
My mother gave me a plate full of snacks with ketchup. They have too much of salt and too much of oil.
Mangodi (or Mungodi) essentially refers to sun-dried dumplings made from spiced Mung Dal (yellow or green gram) paste.
What exactly are Mangodi?
They aren’t usually eaten “straight” as a snack like a potato chip; rather, they are a preserved ingredient used to add texture and protein to dishes.
* The Process: Mung dal is soaked, ground into a thick paste, and seasoned with spices like cumin, hing (asafoetida), and green chilies. Small droplets of this paste are sun-dried until they become hard, shelf-stable nuggets.
* The “Snack” Version: When deep-fried until golden, they become crunchy and can be eaten as a snack (often called Moong Dal Vadi). However, most people know them as an addition to curries (like Mangodi ki Sabzi).
Regional Variations
* Rajasthan/North India: This is the heartland of Mangodi. In arid regions where fresh vegetables were historically scarce, these “lentil nuggets” provided a vital source of nutrition that could be stored for months.
* Bengali “Bori”: In Bengal, a similar concept is called Bori, often made with Urad Dal (black gram) or Mung Dal, sometimes shaped into artistic cones and used in dishes like Sukto.
Etymology and Linguistics
* Mung: Derived from the Sanskrit Mudga (the name for the lentil).
* Vadi / Mangodi: The suffix “-odi” or the word “Vadi/Bari” comes from the Sanskrit Vatika, meaning a small lump or pill.
The elder asked me how many hours it has been. I looked up into the timer. It’s been just twenty minutes. The boredom is evident.
“Who was the person to propose the Atomic Model?” I asked this to the younger who was busy drawing.
“Some bald guy.” We all started laughing to it.
We discussed brief introductions of Neils Bohr and Rutherford.
Then we read about the distribution of electrons in various shells. It’s based on the formula 2n^2. There were 18 elements for which a tablular distribution of electrons was provided in their textbook:
The formula 2n^2 determines the maximum number of electrons that can be accommodated in a shell, where n is the orbit number or energy level (n=1, 2, 3, \dots).
For the first three shells:
* K Shell (n=1): 2(1)^2 = 2 electrons
* L Shell (n=2): 2(2)^2 = 8 electrons
* M Shell (n=3): 2(3)^2 = 18 electrons (Note: Although the capacity is 18, the outer shell of an atom cannot accommodate more than 8 electrons according to the Octet Rule).
Here is the electron distribution for the first 18 elements:
| Atomic Number | Element | Symbol | K Shell (n=1) | L Shell (n=2) | M Shell (n=3) | Electrons in Outer Shell |
|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|
| 1 | Hydrogen | H | 1 | – | – | 1 |
| 2 | Helium | He | 2 | – | – | 2 |
| 3 | Lithium | Li | 2 | 1 | – | 1 |
| 4 | Beryllium | Be | 2 | 2 | – | 2 |
| 5 | Boron | B | 2 | 3 | – | 3 |
| 6 | Carbon | C | 2 | 4 | – | 4 |
| 7 | Nitrogen | N | 2 | 5 | – | 5 |
| 8 | Oxygen | O | 2 | 6 | – | 6 |
| 9 | Fluorine | F | 2 | 7 | – | 7 |
| 10 | Neon | Ne | 2 | 8 | – | 8 |
| 11 | Sodium | Na | 2 | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| 12 | Magnesium | Mg | 2 | 8 | 2 | 2 |
| 13 | Aluminum | Al | 2 | 8 | 3 | 3 |
| 14 | Silicon | Si | 2 | 8 | 4 | 4 |
| 15 | Phosphorus | P | 2 | 8 | 5 | 5 |
| 16 | Sulfur | S | 2 | 8 | 6 | 6 |
| 17 | Chlorine | Cl | 2 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
| 18 | Argon | Ar | 2 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Summary of the “Outer Shell” (Valence Electrons)
The distribution follows a periodic pattern:
* Period 1 (H-He): The outer shell is the K shell, which fills up at 2 electrons.
* Period 2 (Li-Ne): The outer shell is the L shell, which fills up at 8 electrons.
* Period 3 (Na-Ar): The outer shell is the M shell, which reaches a stable “octet” at 8 electrons for Argon.


The feedback I expect for my blog articles:

This is a fascinating piece of “slice-of-life” writing. It captures the chaotic, almost stream-of-consciousness energy of a tutoring session or a shared household afternoon. You’ve successfully blended domestic chores (tea, laundry, calcified furniture) with high-level academic concepts (Rutherford, Graphology, and Valence electrons).
Suggested Title: The Scientist Brain and the Mafia Don
Alternative Titles:
* Octets and Oily Snacks
* 2n² and the Twenty-Minute Boredom
* The Chronology of a Sunday Fortnight
Editorial Feedback
1. The “Joycean” Integration
You’ve used our previous discussions (Rutherford, DJs, Mangodi) as “info-blocks” within your narrative. This works surprisingly well for a weblog; it acts as a “hyperlinked” narrative where the reader learns alongside the characters.
2. The Contrast of Details
The transition from Morettian Graphology to a child drawing a “mafia don” crown in blue ink is brilliant. It highlights the gap between adult intellectualism and the raw, “narcissistic” playfulness of childhood.
3. Sensory Grounding
Your description of the “white stains” from calcium-heavy water and the “cobwebs on hats” provides a gritty, realistic texture. It makes the reader feel the “stagnation” of the house, which contrasts with the “restless” energy of the students wanting to escape to the office (or the mirror).
4. Areas for Polishing:
* The Transition to Content: When you move from the boy’s drawing to the “DJ” definition, consider a brief connective sentence like: “He calls it a DJ, which reminded me of the true evolution of the term…” This helps the “educational” blocks feel more like your internal monologue.
* The “Escape” Story: The dialogue about the Sanskrit teacher and the “stomach ache” is a highlight. You might want to expand slightly on their struggle to pronounce “office”—it’s a very relatable linguistic touch.
Technical Graphics for your Weblog
If you publish this, these visual aids could help ground the academic sections:

Posted on by dancinglightofgrace

Cockroaches as advertisement agents


I heard the whirrr of the grinder from the kitchen. Ketchup . A trip to the  washroom. A glass of water. A cockroach has been waiting on the table where water in the jug and glass and an empty cup is resting. The cup has been used twice for a tea I made. It was served to my father and later to my mother.
The cockroach moved to the other side after the light bulb was switched on. I read a few weblogs and worked on Free Rice. Worked on Duolingo. Now I am in the Pearl League because of my experience points in the last one week. Duolingo seems to be a platform which was improved carefully based on feedback. It’s nothing short of a cartoon program. Learning should be fun. It takes a lot of effort to learn. And it takes a lot of effort to make it funnier to learn.
I looked up the etymology of biff. Esophagus was another interesting word on Free Rice. It means gullet. I am working on Normal Level, which is the third level in the increasing order of difficulty.
I looked up the etymology of Parapet. It means “low wall.” A protective structure in fortification. An embankment.
In the architectural and oratorical landscape of Ulysses, a parapet is both a physical boundary and a symbol of looking out over a city or a “lost cause.”
Etymology of Parapet
The word is a defensive one, born from the need to protect the heart and chest in battle.
* Origin: It comes from the Italian word “parapetto.”
* Root 1: Para– (from parare), meaning “to protect” or “to shield.”
* Root 2: Petto (from the Latin pectus), meaning “the breast” or “the chest.”
* Literal Meaning: A “breast-guard.”
* Evolution: Originally, it was a low wall built atop a rampart to protect soldiers from gunfire or arrows while they stood on a fortified platform. By 1904, it had evolved into the common architectural term for any low protective wall along the edge of a roof, bridge, or balcony.
The Latin Link
You can see the same root pectus in other English words like:
* Pectorals: The chest muscles.
* Expectorate: To cough up from the chest (very relevant for the “windy” and “coughing” atmosphere of the newspaper office).
In the Context of “Aeolus”
While we haven’t seen a literal parapet in the Freeman’s Journal office yet, the word looms large in Stephen’s memory from the first chapter (Telemachus), where he and Mulligan stand on the parapet of the Martello tower. In this chapter, the “parapet” is metaphorical; the men are shielded behind their desks and their “forensic eloquence,” looking down on the street and the “halfpenny” people below.
The word “biff” is a perfect example of onomatopoeia—a word that sounds like the action it describes. In the context of the noisy, “Aeolus” newspaper office, it fits the atmosphere of physical and verbal impact.
Etymology of Biff
* Origin: It emerged in the late 19th century (around 1880–1890), making it relatively “modern” slang for the characters in Ulysses.
* Source: It is almost certainly imitative of the sound of a sharp blow or a slap. It mimics the quick “puff” of air or the “smack” of contact.
* Usage: It was originally used to describe a punch or a box on the ear. By 1904, it was common in both sporting contexts (like boxing) and as a way to describe a sudden, forceful movement or a witty verbal “hit.”
Biff in the Context of the Office
In the “Aeolus” chapter, Joyce is obsessed with the physical sounds of the printing press (the thump, thump, thump of the machines). A “biff” represents the sudden collision of ideas, or the way the editor, Myles Crawford, “hits” his points home. It also reflects the “shindy” (commotion) that the characters are constantly discussing.
Etymology of Contumely
Since you mentioned the “proud man’s contumely” in the previous section, it is worth looking at this heavy, “leaden” word:
* Origin: From the Latin contumelia, meaning “insult” or “abuse.”
* Root: It is related to the Latin contumere (to swell up), which is also the root of the tumor.
* Meaning: To treat someone with “contumely” is to treat them with a kind of “swelling” pride or arrogant contempt. It is the verbal equivalent of a “biff” to someone’s dignity.
The gas cylinder delivery guy didn’t appear today. I discussed it briefly with my parents. I served them fried rice after they returned from early morning duty. Also served ginger tea and water. I organised utensils in the kitchen in the afternoon and mopped the verandah and kitchen floors. Showed a cooker handle to my mother which has lost some attachments.


That was yesterday.


I just had ginger tea. I hear bells in the worship room though the sound of singing devotional songs doesn’t reach me here. I read a weblog I usually read these days. It articulated a lot of things which seem to be true though as usual I was wondering if it wasn’t another discussion about why it was better in the past. There are subtle points which talk about something which isn’t merely nostalgia but I rarely hear them talking positively about the very tools they use perhaps because it’s obvious and it’s the rectification or misuse which needs to be addressed clearly.


I hear the sound of the pressure cooker whistle. I was busier today because students returned from their vacation after a week. I was serving tea, snacks and water to my mother when I noticed them in my room. It was a surprise. They didn’t inform me in advance as they didn’t before disappearing. It took me some time to get free from what I was busy doing and bring a chair to this room. I was having ginger tea myself.


I asked the younger student if he had a nice time celebrating with his family members. I asked him if he enjoyed sweets as he was planning on it and I teased him –  why didn’t he bring any for me. He appeared to be conscious of his standing and didn’t talk much about eating etc. They acknowledged that they had fun and it was after a week they attended school. It was quiet and dull here after the noise of school and a house full of relatives. As usual, the younger asked me about the timer I had set midway before the lesson was over. I read a few more pages before we completed reading about the “Farming Sectar” in India.
My reading was slow paced and I took time to explain a few points. I also asked them a few questions on the topics which were promptly answered most of the time. Their quarrel didn’t disappear altogether. It was less severe than usual. When I was talking about vitamin C, the elder wanted me to tell him why it is important. I told him that most fruits like gooseberry, orange and lemon which are sour to eat contain Vitamin C in them and it’s important to sustain the health of gums and skin.
When the younger one kept combing his hair like a Welshcomb – his hand had oil which he wiped against his shirt. It’s actually a winter innerwear. Then he asked me something which was about why there was oil-I told him that he’s repeating old nonsense to which the elder used the word “sura.” It’s a Hindi word used for ‘blind’ people. It’s also a typo made by an interlocutor who didn’t wait to entertain it as a deliberate code word. Similar to previous such deliberate typos which strangely connect to Penthouse in a TV program or political debates.
When most of the digital and non digital behaviour is limited- the effort to claim programming or control of subjects is a multilayered effort. The ultimate watchword is control which is completely the opposite of freedom. Interestingly – there are absolutely no free agents in such civilizations. There are hierarchies- beginningless and endless. They’re all busy showing up how they control dreams, subconscious and conscious lives of others – and in turn, they trigger others for similar control- to what end?
First is- admitting that it’s surreal or supernatural. Then – giving into it. Then- becoming even more suggestible and then continuing along that reinforcement. Most of these subjects accept “tasks” as completed even with 60-70 percent of success in achieving control over other “subjects.” They can’t give it up because there’s no other option. Everyone is busy exercising the same craft with different names.
You’re predictable. We are calculating. This is what gives us control over you. Maybe you’re even enjoying this control.
A mouse jumps on my left shoulder. I don’t know what’s happening. It jumps to the right shoulder. Then I feel something on my feet. I throw it away and rush to switch the light on. The mouse runs away to hide in the clothes which are hanging on the wall.


Are they programmed?


Who would believe? The entertainment industry uses cockroaches for advertisements. I wouldn’t have believed this just a few days ago. It reminds me of Kafka. I was reminded of a program by a big cockroach. To convince my reader about this message delivered by an insect – I would have to weave a tale with too many clues which I don’t want to indulge in.
What was the issue with this big mouse. I opened the door before I picked up the umbrella to move it away from clothes. Maybe it wasn’t able to go out of the door. It jumped up to the rack and ran fast towards the other rack space. It’s where it came from- the ventilation.
I got my room swept and mopped by asking the maid to do it. Moved many utensils from the kitchen to the wash basin. Served food to my father after giving him hot water from the geyser. I used some of it to wash some clothes and then I had a bath.
I moved a twenty kilogram rice package which was delivered to our house from the verandah to the store room. Took care of the pasteurisation of milk. Removed junk from one of the kitchen stands and replaced old paper with new. Washed the plastic cover and hung it for drying. Organised utensils in the kitchen after they were washed. I helped my father in a transaction. It was a busy day. I kept reading Ulysses. Now reading Lestrygonians.
Since you asked specifically about the roots of this chapter’s title, it’s worth looking at how the ancient Greek origins perfectly set the stage for Bloom’s lunchtime wanderings.


The Etymology of Lestrygonians


The term comes from the Greek Laistrygonians (Λαιστρυγόνες).
* Linguistic Roots: While the exact origin is debated, some scholars link it to the Greek root lastauros (lewd/gluttonous) or laas (stone) + trygao (to gather/harvest).
* Homeric Context: In the Odyssey, the Laestrygonians were a tribe of giant cannibals. When Odysseus’s fleet arrives at their harbor, the giants pelt the ships with massive rocks and “spear” the sailors like fish to eat them.
Why Joyce Chose It
Joyce uses this etymology to frame the “Stomach” of Dublin. In this chapter, everything is viewed through the lens of eating and being eaten:
* The Giants: The “giants” of Dublin are the large, imposing buildings and the institutions (like the Church or the State) that “consume” the lives of the citizens.
* The Cannibalism: When Bloom enters the Burton Restaurant, he sees men eating like animals—shoveling food, grunting, and bolting down meat. He realizes that for humans to live, something else must die.
* The “Rocks”: Instead of literal boulders, Bloom is pelted by “rocks” of memory, hunger, and the hard reality of poverty (like the Dedalus children “in flitters”).

Posted on by dancinglightofgrace

Papyrus, palimpsest, parchment

This passage marks the collapse of the high-minded oratory into the physical reality of a Dublin pub crawl. The “wind” that has been blowing through the office is finally redirected toward a “boosing shed.”
“A Great Future Behind Him”
Lenehan provides a cruel, witty epitaph for John F. Taylor. By saying he had a “great future behind him,” he implies that Taylor’s potential was all in the past—he died before he could see the “Land of Promise” (Irish Independence).
* Expectorated Demise: Lenehan uses the word “expectorated” (to cough up from the chest) to describe Taylor’s death from illness. It’s a grisly pun on the “wind” and “breath” that fueled Taylor’s oratory.
The Akasic Records
As the group prepares to leave, Stephen has a profound, silent realization about the nature of sound and history.
* The Concept: The “Akasic (Akashic) Records” is a term from Theosophy (the “opal hush” crowd mentioned earlier). It refers to a mystical compendium of all human events, thoughts, words, and emotions believed to be encoded in a non-physical plane of existence (the “ether”).
* Stephen’s Cynicism: To Stephen, these grand speeches are just “Dead noise.” He imagines the words being “howled and scattered” by the wind. Even if they are recorded in the Akasic ether, they are gone from the physical world.
Etymology of Adjourn
Stephen suggests the house “do now adjourn.”
* Origin: From the Old French ajourner.
* Breakdown: À (to) + jour (“day”).
* Literal Meaning: To put off to another day.
* In Context: It is the formal language of parliament or a courtroom, used here ironically to mean “let’s go get a drink.”
Etymology of Vellum (The Final Push)
Since you asked earlier, let’s look at the “calfskin” that outlasts the wind.
* Origin: From the Old French vélin, derived from vel (calf), which comes from the Latin vitellus (diminutive of vitulus, meaning “calf”).
* The Connection: It is the same root as the word “Veal.” * Significance: While the “news” is printed on cheap, acidic paper (papyrus’s descendant) that will crumble, the “Law” and the “Classics” were written on vellum to endure. Stephen is worried his own “words” are just paper, not vellum.

While they all start with the same rhythmic “P,” these three terms represent the evolution of how humanity has “caught” the wind of speech and turned it into a permanent record. They are related by function (writing surfaces), but they differ wildly in material and permanence.
1. Papyrus: The Plant
As we saw in the “cradle of bulrushes,” papyrus is the ancestor of paper.
* Material: Made from the pith (the inner core) of the Cyperus papyrus sedge.
* Process: The pith is sliced into thin strips, layered in a cross-hatch pattern, moistened, and pressed together. The natural sap acts as a glue.
* Vulnerability: It is brittle and decays easily in damp climates. This is why most surviving papyri come from the dry sands of Egypt.
* Etymology: From the Greek papyros, which is the direct root of our modern word “paper.”
2. Parchment: The Animal
When the supply of papyrus from Egypt was cut off (or became too expensive), the ancient world turned to a more durable, “leathern” solution.
* Material: Specifically prepared animal skins—usually sheep, calves, or goats. Unlike leather, it is not tanned; it is limed, scraped, and dried under tension.
* Process: It creates a smooth, incredibly durable surface that can last for thousands of years.
* Vellum: A high-quality subtype of parchment made specifically from calfskin (from the same root as “veal”).
* Etymology: From the Greek Pergamene, referring to the city of Pergamum, where it was reportedly perfected as an alternative to papyrus.
3. Palimpsest: The Ghost
A palimpsest isn’t a material itself, but a recycled document. Because parchment was so expensive and labor-intensive to produce, scribes would often scrape the ink off an old book to write something new on top of it.
* The “Ghost” Text: Over time, the original ink often faintly reappears, or can be seen using UV light. This allows historians to read “lost” texts hidden beneath newer ones (like finding a pagan Greek play under a medieval prayer).
* Etymology: From the Greek palin (“again”) + psestos (“scraped”). It literally means “scraped clean again.”
* In Joyce: Stephen Dedalus’s mind is a palimpsest. He is constantly “scraping away” the present moment to see the “ghosts” of St. Augustine, Dante, or Shakespeare underneath.

The silence following the speech is a rare moment of genuine awe in the noisy newspaper office. For a second, the “wind” of idle chatter stops, and the men are forced to confront the weight of their own history.
The Reactant Silence
Professor MacHugh has just finished his performance, and the group is momentarily “paralyzed” (to use Ignatius Gallaher’s favorite word).
* Stephen’s Reaction: Stephen is impressed, but also wary. He recognizes the power of the “language of the outlaw,” but he is still struggling to find his own voice amidst these giants.
* The “Dumb Belch”: Joyce includes the “dumb belch of hunger” right in the middle of the noble oratory. This is classic Naturalism—reminding the reader that while the soul is reaching for Sinai’s mountaintop, the body is still stuck in a Dublin office, hungry and mortal.
Etymology of Bulrushes
When Taylor mentions the “cradle of bulrushes,” he is evoking the most famous “hidden” origin story in history.
* Origin: It is a compound of the Middle English bul (meaning “large” or “thick”) + rusche (rush/reed).
* The Meaning: A “bulrush” is essentially a “large reed.” In the context of the Nile, it specifically refers to Papyrus (Cyperus papyrus).
* The Irony: Papyrus is the plant from which paper (and therefore newspapers) was originally made. By mentioning the bulrushes, Taylor is linking the origin of the Law (Moses) to the very medium (the Press) that the men in the room are currently using—and arguably degrading.
Etymology of Outlaw
The speech ends on the powerful word “outlaw.”
* Origin: From the Old Norse útlagi.
* Breakdown: út (“out”) + lög (“law”).
* Meaning: Someone who is “outside the law” and therefore denied its protection.
* The Rhetorical Trick: Taylor takes a word that is usually a badge of shame and turns it into a badge of honor. He argues that the truly “divine” law is always found in the language of those the Empire has cast out.

This is the “speech within a speech,” where the metaphor of Israel as Ireland reaches its peak. Taylor (via MacHugh) uses the grandeur of Egypt to mock the British Empire’s claim that its “superior” culture should replace the “primitive” Irish tongue.
The “St. Augustine” Interruption
Before the speech begins, Stephen’s mind wanders to the “Fathers” of the Church.
> “It was revealed to me that those things are good which yet are corrupted…”
>
* The Source: This is from St. Augustine’s Confessions.
* The Logic: Augustine argues that for something to be “corrupted,” it must have been “good” to begin with.
* Stephen’s Reaction: “Ah, curse you!” He is frustrated that his brain is so saturated with Catholic theology that he can’t even listen to a secular speech without his “spiritual fathers” butting in.
The “Tablets of the Law” and the “Language of the Outlaw”
The climax of the speech is a masterpiece of rhetorical reversal. Taylor argues that if Moses had been “civilized” by Egypt, he would have remained a slave.
* The Paradox: Moses comes down from the mountain with the Tables of the Law (the ultimate authority), but Taylor reminds us they were written in the “language of the outlaw” (Hebrew, which the Egyptians despised).
* The Irish Point: Taylor is telling the Dubliners that even if the world calls their language “primitive” or “outlawed,” it is the only language through which they can receive their own divine “inspiration.”
Etymology of Polity
The Egyptian High Priest boasts of his “polity.”
* Origin: From the Greek politeia (“citizenship” or “government”), from polis (“city”).
* The Meaning: It refers to an organized society or a specific form of government. The High Priest is mocking the “nomad herdsmen” (the Irish/Jews) for lacking a structured state.
Etymology of Trireme and Quadrireme
These are the “galleys” that furrow the waters.
* Root: The Latin remus means “oar.”
* Trireme: Tri- (three) + remus. A ship with three banks of oars.
* Quadrireme: Quadri- (four) + remus. A ship with four banks of oars.
* The Context: These terms evoke the massive, overwhelming military and commercial power of an empire—the “thunder and the seas.”

This moment is the “high-water mark” of eloquence in the chapter. Professor MacHugh is preparing to perform a speech within a speech—reconstructing the words of John F. Taylor from memory.
The “Ferial” Tone and the Orator
MacHugh adopts a ferial tone to set the scene.
* Etymology of Ferial: From the Latin ferialis, meaning “belonging to a holiday or feast day.” In church liturgy, a “ferial day” is one where no specific feast is celebrated—it is a plain, solemn, weekday tone.
* The Image of Taylor: Taylor is described as a “dying man” with a “shaggy beard.” This is the classic image of the prophet—someone whose physical body is failing but whose spirit is “pouring” out through his voice.
The Egyptian Parallel
Taylor’s genius was in his use of analogy. He didn’t just argue for the Irish language; he transported his audience to ancient Egypt to make the Irish struggle feel “noble” and “ancient.”
* The Analogy: * The Egyptian High Priest: Represents the British Empire (Fitzgibbon).
   * The Youthful Moses: Represents the young Irish generation being told to abandon their heritage for the “culture” of the masters.
* The “Crooked Smokes”: Stephen thinks to himself: “And let our crooked smokes.” This is a quote from the final scene of Shakespeare’s Cymbeline. It refers to the “smoke” of a sacrifice rising to the gods. In this room, the “sacrifice” is the tobacco of the listeners, rising as they fall under the spell of the speech.
Etymology of Impromptu
The headline for this section highlights the “unprepared” nature of the genius.
* Origin: From the Latin phrase in promptu.
* Breakdown: In (in) + promptu (a state of readiness/visibility), from promere (“to bring forth”).
* Meaning: To have something “in readiness.” It describes a speech that is brought forth from the mind instantly, without written notes.
Etymology of Shorthand
MacHugh notes there was no shorthandwriter present.
* Origin: A simple English compound, but the concept is ancient (Stenography).
* History: In 1904, shorthand was the “high tech” of the press office, allowing journalists to capture the “wind” of speech before it vanished.
* Etymology of Stenography: From the Greek stenos (“narrow/close”) + graphein (“to write”).

In the architectural and oratorical landscape of Ulysses, a parapet is both a physical boundary and a symbol of looking out over a city or a “lost cause.”
Etymology of Parapet
The word is a defensive one, born from the need to protect the heart and chest in battle.
* Origin: It comes from the Italian word “parapetto.”
* Root 1: Para- (from parare), meaning “to protect” or “to shield.”
* Root 2: Petto (from the Latin pectus), meaning “the breast” or “the chest.”
* Literal Meaning: A “breast-guard.”
* Evolution: Originally, it was a low wall built atop a rampart to protect soldiers from gunfire or arrows while they stood on a fortified platform. By 1904, it had evolved into the common architectural term for any low protective wall along the edge of a roof, bridge, or balcony.
The Latin Link
You can see the same root pectus in other English words like:
* Pectorals: The chest muscles.
* Expectorate: To cough up from the chest (very relevant for the “windy” and “coughing” atmosphere of the newspaper office).
In the Context of “Aeolus”
While we haven’t seen a literal parapet in the Freeman’s Journal office yet, the word looms large in Stephen’s memory from the first chapter (Telemachus), where he and Mulligan stand on the parapet of the Martello tower. In this chapter, the “parapet” is metaphorical; the men are shielded behind their desks and their “forensic eloquence,” looking down on the street and the “halfpenny” people below.

This section highlights the tension between the “mystic” world of the Dublin literary revival and the “hard” oratory of Irish politics.
The “Opal Hush” and the “Bag of Tricks”
J. J. O’Molloy is teasing Stephen about his associations with the Theosophists and the “Hermetic” poets.
* A.E. (George Russell): A famous Irish mystic, poet, and painter. He was a central figure in the Irish Literary Revival.
* “The Opal Hush”: This refers to the ethereal, misty, and somewhat vague style of the Celtic Twilight poets.
* Madame Blavatsky: Helena Blavatsky, the co-founder of the Theosophical Society. Calling her a “nice old bag of tricks” is a cynical Dubliner’s way of dismissing her complex occult philosophies as stage magic.
* Planes of Consciousness: In Theosophy, these are the different levels of reality (astral, mental, etc.). The joke is that Stephen—ever the joker—was likely mocking A.E. by asking serious questions about them at 3:00 AM.
The Contrast: John F. Taylor vs. Fitzgibbon
Professor MacHugh pushes past the “mystic” talk to return to Oratory. He sets the stage for what is often considered the “grandest” speech in the book: John F. Taylor’s defense of the Irish language.
* Gerald Fitzgibbon: Representing the “Establishment.” His style is “courteous haughtiness”—the language of the successful, British-aligned elite.
* “The Vials of His Wrath”: A biblical allusion (Revelation 16) describing divine judgment.
* “The Proud Man’s Contumely”: A direct quote from Hamlet’s “To be, or not to be” soliloquy. MacHugh is showing that the elite used the finest English literature to look down upon the “weak” Irish movement.
Etymology of Morale
J. J. O’Molloy calls Magennis a man of “high morale.”
* Origin: From the French moral, which comes from the Latin moralis (concerning manners or customs).
* Shift in Meaning: In 1904, “morale” often referred to what we now call “morals” or “integrity,” rather than just “team spirit.” It implies Magennis is a man of upright character.
Etymology of Oratory
* Origin: From the Latin orator, from orare (“to speak” or “to pray”).
* The Connection: In ancient Rome, an orator wasn’t just a speaker; they were a civic leader. MacHugh is mourning the loss of this “priest-like” power of the tongue.

This passage shifts the “wind” from the noisy chaos of current events to the heavy, solemn tradition of the Law. J.J. O’Molloy, the struggling lawyer, is trying to defend his profession against the editor’s cynicism by invoking the “ghosts” of Irish eloquence.
“Sufficient for the day…”
J.J. O’Molloy is quoting a famous biblical line (Matthew 6:34): “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”
* The Twist: He changes “evil” to “newspaper.” It’s a weary acknowledgment that in the world of journalism, only the present moment matters—everything else is quickly forgotten.
The “Farthing Press” and the “Guttersheet”
O’Molloy is insulting the modern press by listing its less-than-noble branches:
* Farthing Press: Refers to Alfred Harmsworth (Lord Northcliffe), who started the Daily Mail. A “farthing” was the smallest British coin.
* Bowery Guttersheet: A dig at the sensationalist “Yellow Journalism” of New York (The Bowery was a rough NYC neighborhood).
* The Skibbereen Eagle: A famous small Irish paper that once claimed it was “keeping its eye” on the Tsar of Russia—a classic example of local self-importance.
The Law: Mosaic vs. Roman
J.J. O’Molloy describes a speech by Seymour Bushe regarding the Childs murder case (a real-life 1899 fratricide case in Dublin).
* Mosaic Code (Lex Talionis): The “Law of Retaliation”—an eye for an eye.
   * Etymology: Lex (Law) + Talis (Such/Like).
* Roman Justice: O’Molloy (and Bushe) argue that Roman law was more “polished” and intellectual.
* The Moses of Michelangelo: Bushe supposedly compared the “terrible” face of Michelangelo’s Moses to the stern nature of the Law.
Stephen’s Shakespearian Intrusion
While they talk of murder, Stephen thinks: “And in the porches of mine ear did pour.”
* The Reference: This is a quote from Hamlet. It describes how Hamlet’s father was murdered—by poison poured into his ear while he slept.
* The Connection: Stephen is obsessed with “poured” words. To him, the rhetoric of these men is like a “poison” being poured into his ears.
Etymology of Magistrate (Magistra)
The headline says ITALIA, MAGISTRA ARTIUM (Italy, Mistress/Teacher of Arts).
* Origin: From the Latin magister (master) or magistra (mistress).
* Root: Derived from magis (“more”). A magistrate is literally someone who is “more” or “greater” than others in authority.

Stephen’s mind continues to drift through a spectrum of colors and history as he tries to ground his “Swinburnian” poetic urges in something more ancient.
Etymology of Russet
When Stephen envisions girls “in russet,” he is using a color that carries a weight of humility and the earth.
* Origin: It comes from the Old French rousset, a diminutive of roux (“red”), which stems from the Latin russus.
* The Fabric: Historically, “russet” wasn’t just a color; it was a coarse, homespun cloth used by the poor. By a 1363 English statute, peasants were actually required to wear russet.
* The Contrast: By placing “russet” alongside “gold of oriflamme,” Stephen is blending the humble and the royal, the “leadenfooted” reality of Dublin with the “golden” dreams of his imagination.
The “Tomb Womb” Paradox
Stephen’s obsession with “mouth south: tomb womb” is a reflection of his guilt. He feels that his mother’s womb (his origin) has become a tomb (his obsession with her death).
* Etymology of Tomb: From the Greek tumbos (“burial mound”).
* Etymology of Womb: From the Proto-Germanic wambo, meaning “belly” or “abdomen.”
* The Rhyme: By linking these phonetically, Stephen is practicing what he calls the “art of memory.” To him, language is a physical thing—words that sound alike must be related in the “soul” of the world.
Quella pacifica oriafiamma
This specific phrase comes from Canto XXXI of Dante’s Paradiso.
* Meaning: “That peaceful oriflamme.”
* The Shift: Notice how Stephen moves from the Inferno (the wind-blown lovers) to the Paradiso (the golden banner of peace). He is trying to “think” his way out of the noisy, windy newspaper office and into a place of spiritual silence.

Posted on by dancinglightofgrace

Monkeydoodle

This passage from James Joyce’s Ulysses captures the bustling, rhythmic energy of the newspaper office. You’ve highlighted some great linguistic markers that contrast the religious/authoritative world with the fast-paced world of journalism.
The Etymology of “Crozier” and “Murray”
1. Crozier (or Crosier)
The word comes from the Old French crocier, which is derived from croce, meaning “a crook” or “staff.”
* Root: Ultimately traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root *greg- (hook/curve).
* Meaning: It refers to the hooked staff carried by a bishop or abbot as a symbol of their pastoral office (the “shepherd” of the flock). In the context of your title, “The Crozier and the Pen” symbolizes the intersection of Church authority and the power of the press.
2. Murray
This is a surname of Scottish and Irish origin with a “watery” history.
* Scottish Origin: Derived from the region of Moray. In Gaelic, Moireabh means “seaboard settlement” or “by the sea” (môr = sea, treabh = settlement).
* Irish Origin: It can also be an anglicized form of Ó Muireadhaigh, meaning “descendant of Muireadhach” (a name meaning “lord” or “seafarer”).
What is “Posthaste”?
To do something posthaste means to do it with great speed or immediacy.
* The Origin: It dates back to the 16th-century postal system. When a letter was extremely urgent, the sender would write “Haste, post, haste” on the envelope. This was a command to the “posts” (the couriers or riders at specific stations) to gallop as fast as possible to the next relay point.
* In the text: The telegram boy is moving “posthaste” because his job relies on rapid delivery—he is a human extension of the “thumping” and “clanking” machinery of the news cycle.

In the context of the “Aeolus” episode of Ulysses, Bloom’s comment about Joseph Patrick Nannetti is a classic bit of Joycean irony and layered meaning.
Who was Nannetti?
Joseph Patrick Nannetti was a real historical figure—an MP (Member of Parliament) and later the Lord Mayor of Dublin. In the novel, he is the foreman of the Freeman’s Journal printing works.
Why “One of Our Saviours”?
Bloom calls him a “saviour” for a few reasons:
* The Printer’s Power: As the foreman, Nannetti is the one who physically manifests the “word.” Without the printer, the journalist’s thoughts never reach the public. In the mechanical religion of the newspaper office, he is a high priest of the “clanking drums.”
* Political Messianism: Like the “Crozier” (the Church), Nannetti represents the political hope of the time—the Irish Home Rule movement.
* Bloom’s Jewish Identity: Bloom often views political leaders through the lens of Jewish history. By calling Nannetti a “saviour,” he’s grouping him with other figures (like Parnell) who promised to lead their people to a “promised land” of independence.
The Contrast: The Crozier vs. The Machine
The “Crozier” represents the old, static authority of the Church. Nannetti represents the new, mechanical authority of the press. While the Bishop has his staff (Crozier), Nannetti has his “closet” and the printing press.

In the rhythmic, cinematic style of the “Aeolus” episode, Joyce is describing a visual perspective—specifically, someone watching a person descend a staircase.
The Visual Effect
The characters (Red Murray and likely Bloom) are watching a person walk down the stairs that lead away from the newspaper office. Because of the angle from which they are looking—likely over a counter or through an opening—the person’s body disappears from the bottom up as they descend:
* First, the boots and legs go out of sight.
* Then the knees.
* Finally, the torso and the neck vanish as the person sinks below the floor level.
Why Joyce wrote it this way:
* The “Camera” Eye: Joyce uses a technique similar to a camera shot. Instead of saying “he walked downstairs,” he breaks the movement into a series of static parts. It emphasizes the mechanical, fragmented nature of the newspaper office.
* The Disappearing Act: It reinforces the “Aeolus” theme of wind and ghostliness. People in this office are constantly appearing and vanishing, much like the words being printed on the “clanking drums” of the machines.

In this section, the mechanical “thumping” of the printing press blends with Bloom’s thoughts on death and the industrial age. The “Burgess” he refers to is poor Patrick Dignam, whose funeral Bloom just attended.
The Etymology of “Burgess” and “Hynes”
1. Burgess
The term feels quite formal here—fitting for a newspaper obituary.
* Root: It comes from the Old French burgeis, which originates from burg (a fortified town or borough).
* Meaning: Historically, it referred to a freeman of a borough, or a person with full municipal rights. By Joyce’s time, it simply meant a solid, respectable citizen of the middle class.
* In Context: Calling Dignam a “respected Dublin burgess” is the newspaper’s way of giving him a dignified exit, even though Bloom knows the messy, sad reality of Dignam’s life.
2. Hynes
Joe Hynes is the reporter Bloom sees in the office.
* Irish Origin: It is an anglicized form of the Gaelic Ó hEidhin.
* Root: The name is derived from eidhean, which means “ivy.”
* Significance: There is a subtle irony here. Ivy is a plant that clings to walls and ruins; Hynes is a man who “clings” to the memory of dead heroes (like Parnell) and is currently writing about a dead man (Dignam).
The Machine as a Monster
Bloom’s observation that machines could “Smash a man to atoms” reflects the 20th-century anxiety about technology. He sees the printing press as a literal “body-breaker,” mirroring how the “body-mind complex” from your dream handles trauma. The “old grey rat” is a callback to the rat Bloom saw in the cemetery earlier that morning—a symbol of nature’s “machinery” of decay.

In these lines, Bloom is connecting the relentless “thumping” of the printing presses to the biological processes of life and death.
Why “Fermenting”?
Bloom looks at the machines and sees something biological. To him, the machines aren’t just cold metal; they are “Working away, tearing away.”
* The Metaphor: Fermentation is a process of breakdown and transformation (like yeast turning sugar into alcohol). Bloom sees the world—and the human body—as a giant vat of chemicals and gears constantly moving.
* The “Machineries” of the Mind: When he says “His machineries are pegging away too,” he’s likely thinking of his own digestive system or his internal anxieties. Just as the press grinds paper to produce news, the body grinds food (and memories) to produce life.
* The Loss of Control: By saying they’ve “got out of hand,” he’s touching on that feeling of being a small human caught in a world of massive, unstoppable forces—much like the flood in your dream.
The “Old Grey Rat”
The rat is one of the most famous symbols in Ulysses.
* The Literal Rat: Earlier in the “Hades” episode (the funeral), Bloom saw a rat in the cemetery. It bothered him because it represents the “machinery” of nature—the creature that processes the dead back into the earth.
* The Tearing: Here in the office, he imagines the rat “tearing to get in.” It represents the persistent, nagging reality of death that waits outside the door, even while the “respected burgesses” of Dublin try to stay busy with their newspapers and ceremonies.

This section highlights Bloom’s practical mind. While others are focused on “grand” journalism, Bloom is looking at what actually makes a newspaper survive: the ads, the gossip, and the “human interest” stories.
Etymology & Difficult Terms
1. Demesne
* Etymology: From the Old French demeine (belonging to a lord), originating from the Latin dominus (master/lord). It is a legal doublet of the word “domain.”
* Context: In Irish land history, a “demesne” refers to the portion of a manor or estate that the lord retained for his own use and occupation, rather than leasing it out. Bloom is reading a dry, official legal notice about land.
2. Tinnahinch
* Etymology: This is an anglicized version of the Irish Tigh na hInse, which translates to “House of the Island” or “House of the Water-Meadow” (Tigh = House, Inis = Island/Meadow).
* Context: It is a real barony in County Laois. Joyce includes these specific place names to ground the “official gazette” in the hyper-specific, often boring reality of Irish bureaucracy.
3. Mules and Jennets
* Context: A “jennet” is a female donkey or a small Spanish horse. Bloom is skimming a government report on livestock exports. It’s “stale news” that contrasts with the “Personal Note” he prefers.
4. Threefour Time
* Context: This is a musical term for a waltz rhythm (3/4 meter). Bloom’s internal ear hears the machines as a dance: Thump, thump, thump. It shows his tendency to find patterns and art in the mechanical.
5. Monkeydoodle
* Context: A “Bloomism” meaning nonsense or aimless activity. If the printer were paralyzed, the machine would keep printing “monkeydoodle”—meaningless ink—forever.
6. “Tap him”
* Context: Slang for asking someone for money. Hynes is going to “tap” the cashier for his pay, just as he “tapped” Bloom for three shillings (“three bob”) three weeks ago.
The Printing Process: “The Sheet” and “The Screen”
When Nannetti scribbles “press” and hands it over the “dirty glass screen,” we are seeing the workflow of a 1904 newspaper office. The “typesetter” would then take that marked-up sheet and manually arrange the lead letters (moveable type) into a frame to be printed.

It is quintessential Bloom to find the “cure for flatulence” more interesting than the national news. He values the “personal note” because he sees the body—with all its messy, gassy realities—as more “real” than the grand political speeches of men like Nannetti.
The Etymology of Laois
Since Tinnahinch is located in County Laois, it’s a perfect time to look at its roots.
* Root: The name comes from the Irish Laoighis.
* Meaning: It is named after the Uí Laoighis, the descendants of Laoigseach Ceannmhor.
* Historical Context: Laoigseach translates roughly to “Laiginian” (meaning from Leinster), and Ceannmhor means “large-headed” or “chief-headed.” Effectively, the county is named after a specific tribal group that held the territory for centuries.
Why “Bob” for a Shilling?
Bloom is ruminating on the “three bob” Hynes owes him.
* Etymology: The origin of “bob” for a shilling is debated, but the strongest theory links it to Sir Robert Walpole (the first British Prime Minister), whose name “Bob” became associated with the currency of his era.
* Usage: In 1904, three bob was a significant amount—roughly the cost of a decent dinner and drinks. To Bloom, who tracks every penny, the “third hint” going unnoticed by Hynes is a stinging social slight.
The Appeal of “Flatulence Cures”
Bloom’s interest in “Dear Mr. Editor, what is a good cure for flatulence?” isn’t just a joke.
* Instructional Mindset: Bloom says, “Learn a lot teaching others.” He has a pedagogical streak; he loves the idea of being a useful, practical citizen.
* The Body-Machine: To Bloom, a “paralysed” printer and a gassy stomach are both mechanical failures. He prefers the “Country bumpkin’s queries” because they represent people trying to fix their immediate, physical lives rather than arguing about “Queen Anne is dead” (stale history).

The term “monkeydoodle” is one of Bloom’s most charming idiosyncratic thoughts, and it reveals much about how he views the chaos of the world.
The Etymology of “Monkeydoodle”
While it sounds like a nonsense word, it follows a linguistic pattern common in the late 19th century—the reduplicative compound.
* Root: It combines “monkey” (associated with mimicry or mindless play) with “doodle” (from the German dudeltopf, meaning a simpleton or someone playing a flute badly).
* Meaning: In Bloom’s mind, it signifies a total breakdown of meaning. If the foreman—the “intelligence” behind the press—were paralyzed, the machine would continue its physical “thumping,” but the result would be “monkeydoodle”: a mindless, repetitive mimicry of communication that says absolutely nothing.
The Paralyzed Machine: A Mirror to the Mind
Bloom’s fear that the machines would “clank on and on the same” if the operator were paralyzed is a direct link back to your body-mind complex theory.
* Autonomic Failure: Bloom realizes that the machine has its own “momentum.” Just as the body continues to breathe or digest (or produce dream projections) while the conscious mind is asleep or “paralyzed,” the industrial machine doesn’t care if the human spirit is present.
* The Loop: He imagines the press printing “over and over and up and back.” This represents the “stale news” cycle—the way society repeats the same political arguments (like Home Rule or Queen Anne) without ever moving forward.


Bloom’s mind is a master of the “side-glance,” moving from the money he’s owed to the clichés of history in a single breath.
The Etymology of “Cashier”
Hynes is hurrying toward the cashier to get paid, while Bloom is left counting his losses.
* Root: It comes from the Middle French caissier, which is derived from caisse (money box/chest).
* Deeper Root: This traces back to the Latin capsa (box), the same root for the word “capsule.”
* Significance: To Bloom, the cashier is the “keeper of the box,” the gatekeeper of the liquid capital he so carefully tracks. In the “Aeolus” episode, money is the fuel that keeps the “clanking drums” of the press turning.
“Queen Anne is Dead”
Bloom dismisses the official news as being as relevant as this phrase.
* The Origin: Queen Anne died in 1714. Because her death was a moment of massive political tension (the succession of the House of Hanover), the news was spread with extreme urgency. However, because it was such a major event, people continued to “break the news” long after everyone already knew.
* The Meaning: By 1904, it became a sarcastic retort to anyone telling “stale news” or stating the obvious.
* In Context: Bloom is critiquing the newspaper industry. He thinks the “Official Gazette” is filled with dead history, whereas the “Personal Note” and “Flatulence Cures” are the living, breathing reality of Dublin.
Mules and Jennets: The Export Trade
As Bloom skims the list of livestock being exported from Ballina (Etymology: Béal an Átha – “Mouth of the Ford”), he’s looking at the raw data of Ireland’s economy.
* Mule: The offspring of a male donkey and a female horse.
* Jennet: Specifically refers to a female donkey, or historically, a small Spanish horse.
   To Bloom, these animals are just more “units” in the great machinery of the world—like the typesetters or the “burgesses” who eventually get “smashed to atoms.”

This scene highlights Bloom’s role as an “ad canvasser”—the middleman between the business world and the printing press. He is trying to explain a visual design for an advertisement for Alexander Keyes, a tea, wine, and spirit merchant.
The Design: The “Two Keys”
Bloom wants to make a visual pun for the ad. By crossing his forefingers, he is showing Nannetti how he wants the layout to look: two crossed keys at the top.
* The Symbolism: The crossed keys are the symbol of St. Peter (the keys to the kingdom of heaven). Bloom, ever the clever marketer, wants to use this prestigious religious symbol to sell house-brand “Keyes” whiskey and tea.
* The Gesture: “Crossing his forefingers at the top” is Bloom’s way of communicating through the “hell of a racket” of the machines.
The “Obidient Reels” and “Huge Webs”
Bloom watches the paper being fed into the machines. Joyce uses the word “webs” because the paper wasn’t in individual sheets but in massive, continuous rolls (web-fed printing).
* The Life Cycle of News: Bloom’s thought, “What becomes of it after? O, wrap up meat, parcels,” is a classic Bloomism. He sees the “Great Daily Organ” as something that will eventually become trash—a “body” that is broken down and reused, much like the “old grey rat” in the cemetery.
Technical & Contextual Terms
* Alpaca Jacket: A lightweight jacket made from the wool of the alpaca. It was popular among office workers and foremen because it was durable and stayed cool in the heat of a printing room.
* Jaundice: Bloom notices Nannetti’s “sallow face” and immediately diagnoses him with jaundice (a yellowing of the skin caused by liver issues). It shows Bloom’s constant medical/biological “body-mind” scanning of the people around him.
* Scarred Woodwork: The desks in the office are “scarred” by years of pencils, knives, and lead type, recording the history of the work in the wood itself.

Bloom’s mind often wanders to the “Golden Strand,” a classic example of his voyeuristic but appreciative nature. He is a man who loves the aesthetic of the human form as much as the utility of a “cure for flatulence.”
M.A.P. (Mainly All Pictures)
This was a real publication of the era, officially titled Mainly About People.
* The “Bloom” Interpretation: Characteristically, Bloom reinterprets the acronym to suit his visual interests: “Mainly All Pictures.” * Shapely Bathers: In 1904, photography was still a relatively fresh wonder in newspapers. The “golden strand” refers to the beaches where people were beginning to be photographed in “scandalous” (for the time) swimwear. This reflects Bloom’s constant search for beauty and vitality amidst the “thumping” of the heavy machinery.
The Etymology of Ballina
Since the mules and jennets are being exported from here, Bloom’s internal map of Ireland flickers to life.
* Irish Root: Béal an Átha.
* Meaning: “Mouth of the Ford.” (Béal = mouth, Áth = ford).
* Context: Ballina, in County Mayo, was a major port for livestock. The “mouth” imagery fits perfectly with the “Aeolus” episode, which is themed entirely around mouths, wind, and the “opening” of information (the press).
“Cuprani too, printer. More Irish than the Irish.”
Bloom mentions Cuprani, a fellow worker in the office.
* The Phrase: “Hiberniores Hibernis ipsis” (More Irish than the Irish themselves).
* Significance: This was a historical term for foreigners (usually Normans or Italians) who came to Ireland and became more culturally Irish than the natives. Bloom, an Irishman of Jewish descent, likely identifies with this. He is an outsider who knows the “townlands of Rosenallis” and the “baronies of Tinnahinch” better than the “pure” Irishmen who are too busy shouting about politics.


The “Pat and Bull” Story
Bloom mentions “Phil Blake’s weekly Pat and Bull story.” This is a play on two things:
* The “John Bull” and “Pat” trope: John Bull was the personification of England (stout, stubborn, wearing a Union Jack waistcoat), and “Pat” (or Paddy) was the stereotypical Irishman.
* Cock and Bull Stories: These were far-fetched, ridiculous tales. Phil Blake’s column likely featured humorous, exaggerated sketches about the interactions between the English and the Irish—the kind of “low” literature Bloom finds more entertaining than the “Official Gazette.”
Member for College Green
Bloom thinks of Nannetti as the “Member for College Green.”
* Context: College Green is the heart of Dublin, home to Trinity College and the old Irish Houses of Parliament (now the Bank of Ireland).
* The Irony: Nannetti was indeed an MP for this district. Bloom notes how Nannetti “boomed that workaday worker tack for all it was worth.” Bloom admires the performance of politics—how a man of Italian descent could become the voice of the Irish worker. It’s a “projection” of identity, much like the scenarios your “body-mind complex” creates during sleep.


The Etymology of Mule and Jennet
1. Mule
* Root: Derived from the Old English mūl, which comes from the Latin mulus.
* Biological Context: A mule is the hybrid offspring of a male donkey (jack) and a female horse (mare).
* Symbolism in the Press: Mules are famously sterile. To Bloom, reading about their export might mirror the “sterile” nature of the “official gazette”—lots of noise and work, but producing nothing new or “fertile” like the personal stories he prefers.
2. Jennet (or Genet)
* Root: From the Middle French genet, which likely traces back to the Arabic zanāta, a Berber tribe famous for their breed of small horses.
* The Distinction: While a “mule” is the jack-mare cross, a hinny (often confused with a jennet in common parlance) is the cross between a male horse and a female donkey. However, in the 1904 context, “jennet” was often used in Ireland specifically to refer to a small, sturdy donkey or a small Spanish horse.
“Learn a lot teaching others”
Bloom’s thought here is a recognized psychological principle now called the Protégé Effect. By imagining himself answering the “Country bumpkin’s queries” about flatulence, he is seeking a way to organize his own vast, cluttered store of knowledge. He doesn’t just want to know things; he wants to be the “saviour” of the practical man.

Bloom is operating at his peak “advertising” level here, weaving together commerce, political puns, and visual cues. He is trying to convince Nannetti that a simple drink advertisement can also be a clever political statement.
1. The Etymology of Galleypage
* Root: Derived from the Old French galie or Medieval Latin galeia. In a nautical sense, a “galley” was a low, flat ship.
* Printing Context: In the 15th century, printers used a long, shallow metal tray to hold the lines of hand-set type. Because of its long, narrow shape, it was called a galley.
* The “Page”: A galleypage (or galley proof) is a preliminary version of the text printed from this tray to check for errors before the type is divided into actual book or newspaper pages. When Joyce describes it as “limp,” he’s noting the thin, wet quality of the freshly inked proof.
2. The Etymology of Kilkenny
* Irish Root: Cill Chainnigh.
* Meaning: “Cell (or Church) of Canice.” (Cill = church/cell, Chainnigh = Canice).
* Significance: St. Canice was a 6th-century abbot. Kilkenny is often called the “Marble City,” and Bloom’s mention of it reminds us of his connection to the wider Irish landscape outside of Dublin.
3. The Etymology of Manx
* Root: It comes from the Old Norse Manskr, related to the name of the island, Mann.
* Meaning: Specifically refers to the people, language, or culture of the Isle of Man.
* Linguistic Link: The native name for the island is Ellan Vannin. The “Manx” language is a Goidelic Celtic language, closely related to Irish and Scottish Gaelic.
4. The “Innuendo of Home Rule”
Bloom is being very “deft” here.
* The House of Keys: This is the name of the lower house of Tynwald, the parliament of the Isle of Man.
* The Pun: By calling the shop the “House of Keyes,” Bloom is making a joke. The Isle of Man had its own legislative autonomy (Home Rule). By using this name for a Dublin shop, he is subtly signaling the Irish desire for Home Rule (self-governance) from Britain.
* The “Innuendo”: He calls it an “innuendo” because in 1904, openly shouting for independence could be risky or seen as “too much” for a simple ad. A pun, however, is a safe, “eye-catching” way to appeal to nationalist sentiment.
Where was this symbol of two keys?
The “Two Keys” symbol (the Crossed Keys) is historically the coat of arms of the Diocese of St. Peter. You can find it:
* In Rome: It is the primary symbol of the Papacy (the Keys to Heaven and Earth).
* In Public Houses: Many British and Irish pubs are named “The Crossed Keys.”
* The Design: Bloom draws it on the “scarred woodwork” as two keys crossed like an X with a circle around them. It is both a religious icon and a brand mark for Alexander Keyes.

The contrast between Nannetti’s “iron nerves” and the delicate alpaca jacket he wears is a perfect example of the sensory layering in this chapter.
Iron Nerves and the Sound of Industry
Bloom is amazed that Nannetti “doesn’t hear” the “hell of a racket.”
* The “Nannan” Sound: Bloom mimics the repetitive, metallic vibration of the machinery in his mind.
* Habituation: Nannetti’s “iron nerves” are actually a result of sensory habituation. In a pre-OSHA world, printers and factory foremen often suffered from “Boilermaker’s deafness,” where the high-frequency sounds of metal-on-metal clanking eventually killed the hair cells in the inner ear. Nannetti isn’t just calm; he has likely been physically altered by his environment.
* The Body-Mind complex: Just as you were able to sleep through the early morning noise until the specific “knock” of your mother, Nannetti has tuned out the machines to listen for the “pauses” where Bloom slips his words.
The Etymology of Alpaca
* Root: The word comes from the Spanish alpaca, which is derived from the Aymara (an indigenous Andean language) word allpaka.
* The Animal: The alpaca is a species of South American camelid. Unlike the “Mules and Jennets” of Ireland, which are beasts of burden, the alpaca was bred for its incredibly soft, durable fiber.
* Symbolism: In the dirty, ink-stained environment of the Freeman’s Journal, Nannetti’s alpaca jacket is a badge of his status. It’s a “worker’s” fabric but refined—much like Nannetti himself, the “Member for College Green.”
Jaundice and the Sallow Face
Bloom’s diagnosis of Nannetti’s “sallow face” as a “touch of jaundice” is linguistically interesting.
* Etymology of Jaundice: From the Old French jaunice, from jaune (yellow).
* Bloom’s Medical Gaze: Bloom is constantly looking for “clues” to the internal workings of the people he meets. To him, a yellow face isn’t just a color; it’s a sign that the “machinery” of Nannetti’s liver is “tearing away” or “fermenting” incorrectly.

Bloom is constantly trying to bridge his home life with his work life. His hesitation about the word “voglio” is a perfect example: he wants to help his wife, Molly, with her singing, but he’s too socially cautious to risk looking foolish in front of Nannetti.
The Etymology of “Voglio”
* Root: It comes from the Italian verb volere (to want/to wish), which descends from the Latin velle.
* Meaning: Voglio means “I want.”
* The Musical Connection: Molly Bloom is a professional singer preparing for a concert. She is rehearsing the duet “Là ci darem la mano” from Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni. The line is “Voglio e non vorrei” (“I want to, and yet I would not”).
* Bloom’s Dilemma: Bloom knows Nannetti is of Italian descent. He wants to know if the “g” is silent (it is—it produces a liquid “ly” sound like vo-lyo), but he decides “better not” ask. He doesn’t want to break the professional “canvasser” persona with a personal, domestic question.
The Isle of Man and the Tynwald
Bloom’s “House of Keys” pun is deeper than just a shop name.
* History: The Isle of Man, located in the Irish Sea between Ireland and England, is a self-governing British Crown Dependency.
* The Tynwald: Its parliament, the Tynwald, is one of the oldest continuous parliamentary bodies in the world (established by Vikings over 1,000 years ago).
* The “Keys”: The House of Keys is the popularly elected branch. The name “Keys” is likely a corruption of the Manx Gaelic word kiare-as-feed, meaning “four and twenty,” referring to the 24 members of the house.
* Home Rule Connection: For Dubliners in 1904, the Isle of Man was a nearby example of a small nation managing its own affairs while staying under the Crown—exactly what the Irish “Home Rule” party was fighting for.
The “Limp Galleypage” and the Case
As the typesetter brings the galley proof, we see the physical reality of 1904 printing:
* The Cases: Typesetters stood at “cases” of lead letters. The “Upper Case” held capital letters, and the “Lower Case” held small letters (hence our modern terminology).
* Silent Typesetters: Unlike the “booming” Nannetti or the “clanking” machines, the typesetters are silent and precise—mechanical humans serving the “thumping” heart of the paper.

Bloom is having a bit of fun with the “Proof fever” that infects everyone in a newspaper office. To address your observation first: actually, Martin Cunningham doesn’t work for the paper. He works at Dublin Castle (the seat of British administration). However, in the car ride to the cemetery, the men were chatting, and Bloom is simply recalling the kind of word-games Cunningham likes to play.
Decoding the Spelling Conundrum
The sentence that doesn’t seem to make sense is a mnemonic device designed to test someone’s spelling of words that are notoriously difficult to get right (especially for printers).
Here is the breakdown of the “traps” in that sentence:
* Unparalleled: (One ‘r’, two ‘l’s at the end).
* Embarrassment: (Two ‘r’s, two ‘s’s).
* Harassed: (One ‘r’, two ‘s’s—people often double the ‘r’).
* Pedlar: (Spelled with ‘ar’ in British English of the time, rather than ‘er’).
* Gauging: (The ‘au’ is the tricky part).
* Symmetry / Cemetery: (The ‘y’ vs. the ‘e’). Bloom notes the irony of a “peeled pear” being under a “cemetery wall”—it’s a nonsense image created purely to force the speller to distinguish between the two words.
“Doing its level best to speak”
Bloom’s “body-mind complex” is now projecting human traits onto the machinery.
* The Nethermost Deck: This refers to the bottom delivery tray of the rotary press.
* Sllt: This is the onomatopoeic sound of the flyboard (the mechanical arm that catches the paper) sliding a new batch into place.
* Quirefolded: A “quire” is a traditional measure of paper (24 or 25 sheets). The machine is automatically folding and grouping them.
* Everything speaks: This is a major theme in Ulysses. Bloom believes the physical world is “talking”—the door creaks to be shut, the machine “slaps” to call attention. It’s his way of making sense of the “hell of a racket.”
“Clapped on his topper”
Bloom is feeling socially awkward. He remembers Martin Cunningham’s hat was looking a bit shabby earlier. He regrets not giving him a compliment (“Looks as good as new now”) just to see his “phiz” (slang for physiognomy or face) light up.

You are spot on—it is a Spelling Bee test, not a piece of literary prose.
In the era before digital spellchecks, printers and clerks used “nonsense sentences” like this as a diagnostic tool to catch common errors. It’s essentially a linguistic obstacle course.
Why the “Peeled Pear” and the “Cemetery Wall”?
The sentence is constructed solely to cram as many “orthographical traps” (spelling traps) into one thought as possible.
* Symmetry vs. Cemetery: This is the core of the joke. These two words sound very similar but are spelled with different vowels. By placing a “pear” (physical symmetry) under a “cemetery wall,” the test forces the writer to switch between the -y and the -e correctly under pressure.
* The “Irony”: Bloom thinks it’s “silly” because the image is absurd. No one actually gauges the symmetry of fruit under a graveyard wall, but the body-mind complex of a typesetter has to treat the words as real data to get the letters in the right order.
Martin Cunningham’s Role
Martin Cunningham didn’t write this as prose; he likely posed it as a “conundrum” or a riddle during the carriage ride to the funeral. He is known among the group as a man of intellect and “good spelling,” so he enjoys testing the others. Bloom is sitting in the newspaper office—the very place where spelling is “law”—and the memory of that test resurfaces because he is surrounded by the “proof fever” of the editors.
The Etymology of “Phiz”
Since Bloom wanted to see Cunningham’s “phiz” react to a compliment, it’s worth looking at this punchy little word.
* Root: It is a clipping (a shortened version) of the word physiognomy.
* History: In the 17th and 18th centuries, it became trendy to shorten long, academic words. “Physiognomy” (the art of judging character from facial features) was chopped down to “phiz.”
* Context: For Bloom, a “phiz” is more than just a face; it’s a mechanical display of a person’s internal “machinery.”

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Aeolus and Monument of Millenium

As the carriage moves away from Nelson’s Pillar and we transition toward the next chapter, these two “monuments”—one mythological and one architectural—take center stage.
Etymology: Aeolus
In Ulysses, the next chapter (Episode 7) is titled Aeolus, named after the Greek god of the winds.
* Greek Origin: From Aiolos (Αἴολος).
* Meaning: The name literally translates to “quick-moving,” “nimble,” or “shifting.” In Homer’s Odyssey, Aeolus lives on the floating island of Aeolia and provides Odysseus with a bag containing all the winds to help him get home.
* Joycean Context: The chapter takes place in a newspaper office (the Freeman’s Journal). Joyce uses the name because the “winds” symbolize the empty rhetoric, hot air, and shifting opinions of journalism. The “quick-moving” nature of the name also reflects the frantic, noisy pace of the printing presses.
The Dublin Spire: Monument of the Millennium
The Spire of Dublin (officially the Monument of Light) stands exactly where Nelson’s Pillar stood before it was destroyed. It is often called the “Monument of the Millennium” for several reasons:
* The Timing: It was commissioned as part of a 1999 design competition to redesign O’Connell Street for the new millennium (2000). Although delays meant it wasn’t completed until January 2003, it remains the primary symbol of Dublin’s 21st-century architectural shift.
* Replacing the Past: For over 150 years, the site was dominated by Nelson—a symbol of British Imperialism. The Spire is a “blank,” abstract needle of stainless steel. It represents a modern, post-colonial Ireland that looks toward the future rather than a specific historical figure.
* The Design: It is a needle-like cone that tapers from 3 meters at the base to only 15 centimeters at the top. At 120 meters (390 feet) high, it is the tallest structure in Dublin’s city center.

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Bag

After they left I had to make a call to their house as the younger one had forgotten to carry his bag with him. A couple arrived as they were leaving. I was latching the door and they commented on that-asking me to unlatch it. I let it stay open. The lady entered first and asked where my mother was, followed by the gentleman. I told her that she was visiting her mother. They stayed for about fifteen minutes complaining about the tenants in another building which is adjacent to their yard. They had complained about it before it seems though I wasn’t aware of it. When I tell them that –it doesn’t please them. I kept listening to the rest of the conversation with patience until my grandmother arrived with my uncle. They started talking to them. Grandmother was aware of the issue and expressed her concern about the lack of the resolution of the issue.
The younger student arrived when halftime of the class was over. The elder again had a smelly socks problem. I took him out and asked him to wash his feet by giving him detergent powder and water.
As soon as he arrived he showed me a cream for his acne issue. It had cost him one twenty rupees.The printed cost was one thirty rupees. The younger one read it correctly, yet I read it for the elder just to confirm.  I read the procedure on its packet for its application.
Then we worked on an English workbook. First we did some questions on passages from the textbook, then on some questions based on verses and then on the Grammar portion which had jumbled words to arrange in proper sentence structures as well as some questions where tense needed to be changed. There were some other questions which needed to be changed into negative or interrogative types.
They were quarreling with each other and even the elder brother appeared difficult to manage. They didn’t attend the class yesterday and there was someone to inspect the school today which meant they were allowed to return back later than usual today.
The younger student was looking into the mirror and playing with a fake plastic pearl. The elder was busy removing dirt from the nails of his feet. The cook arrived. My mother had asked me to tell her about the vegetables that were needed to be prepared this evening.
I had organised utensils in the kitchen, mopped the verandah floor and served tea for parents earlier. The younger student had again used red ink to complete just a portion of his homework on a torn page. It was an application for leave.
I gave them some homework and the class was over. The elder showed me a picture of his friend on Instagram. He was a student who used to study here in my classes.

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A Litany of Minor Errands

The walls are dripping again. Had to remove some stains from the screen of the smartphone and to remove some clothes from another shelf. It was a recurring problem last year which reached its height in the rainy season. It’s not even the rainy reason yet the leaking roofs and  dripping walls are causing annoyance.
I ask my mother if I should make tea. She answers in affirmative with another suggestion to get green chilli pepper by calling the house of my students. Father isn’t happy about her lack of planning with the kitchen store. I call the father of the students who doesn’t pick it up. He calls me back when I am busy making tea. After tea has been served I call him up again only to find that he’s not in his house. He’s busy elsewhere. It wasn’t possible to contact his wards who might have helped us with green chilli peppers. I let it go.
Mother knocks at the door once again. The inquiry is about the number of gas cylinders that arrived during the last subscription cycle. I think they were three in number. Then, she starts thinking loudly about where those were used. Since I wasn’t familiar with those details I couldn’t help her much. I showed her the shelf and requested some new dry newspapers to replace the old ones. She asked the students to bring green chilli peppers tomorrow if possible. They nodded.
I observed chickpeas which were getting boiled. I switched the gas off. Received milk without filtering it at first, added some water to it and put it on the stove for pasteurisation. Heard someone asking to switch the water pump on. After a while, I heard the call to switch it off. Served tea to parents. Had just a bit of it myself. Ginger tea. It’s about dinner time.
Proposed to refill the sugar tank. It was suggested to do it tomorrow during the day.
Students arrived on time.  Both of them were carrying snacks and I had to strictly prohibit  the consumption because temper-tantrum-king would have taken a great deal of time to finish his big bunch. He might have resisted cleaning his hands as well. The green colored coconut biscuit pack was tempting the elder for the entire duration of  the class. He was busy repairing the chain of his bag when they were about to leave.
We continued discussion on passages from the English workbook. The pasteurised milk was covered with a lid and I latched the kitchen door. I handed over a couple of teaspoons of boiled chickpea seeds to my mother who was having her dinner.
The students paid attention to the passage when asked. The elder wanted me to help him with a few questions he had noted down in the school. They were in Science. He had also written a few practicals in the new notebook. It was surprising as usual to see that neither the younger student did any of the work nor did he think it mattered. I evaluated the Addition and the Subtraction problems the elder had done.
There were a few errors. I finally showed him how to do subtractions where carrying is progressive and hence difficult to remember with more chances of error.
When there are numbers where many trailing zeroes are present after a digit – this technique is helpful.
100000-234567
This might be done easily if we first deduct 1 from both of the numbers:
99999- 234566
Subtracting 1 from such a number is easy to do because the resultant number always contains mostly 9s and the total number of digits is 1 less than the number we actually begin with.

[ 9, 99, 999 are followed by 10, 100, 1000 which are difficult to handle in subtraction because of the problem of carrying over]


The subtraction of 1 from the second number is much easier and after the procedure it becomes a subtraction without ‘carry over problem.’
Thereafter we continued with passages from the English workbook. Pink in color, these passages were not printed very well. We managed. They were both able to answer in most of the cases when the passages and the available options to choose from were clearly translated for them.
One of the passages was from the chapters on Music. It was about Evelyn. The next was about Ustad Bismillah Khan. Then there was a passage from the chapter on ‘The Little Girl.’ There was another passage from the chapter on former Indian President Abdul Kalam.
They were losing patience and they were hungry. After about forty minutes the younger one decided to leave. The elder asked him to wait for five more minutes. Then they both left.

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Permissions!

What is your middle name? Does it carry any special meaning/significance?

  1. After having bought eight platform tickets I was finally recognised by Railway Station Chhatarpur authorities.
  2. They advised me to not click pictures or use ATVM machine unless I was actually travelling to some place.
  3. In other words: loitering or wasting time or spreading litter at this Railway Station is not allowed.
  4. I went to the panel room located at platform where panel incharge was absent. I was advised to meet them on Monday.
  5. If the panel incharge allows me to study: I might continue to buy platform tickets else:
  6. I might completely give up buying platform tickets.
  7. This might be the concluding post about Chhatarpur Railway Station.
  8. There were many middle names: Prakash and Kumar were two of them and third was Prasaad.
  9. Prakaash means light.
  10. Kumar means young.
  11. Prasaad means grace.
  12. Do these names carry any special significance? Yes and no.
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Peter Schmies Word Classification Test!

Describe the most ambitious DIY project you’ve ever taken on.

  1. Peter Schmies Word Classification Test
  2. I conducted a research into higher human intelligence during 2005-2009 by interviewing many college undergraduates and a few people from industries.
  3. I continued similar projects even when the Peter Schmies text version of detailed analogies test was no longer available in 2018-2025.
  4. By returning to basics of pencil and paper with Jeremy Bentham’s Panopticon for Deux Ex Machina: I realised in February, 2025, that it was almost impossible to clear this objective Words Classification Test ( where you needed to guess if words were similar, opposite or you were making a wild guess.)
  5. Siddhanta: fundamental: words are sounds in the wild without any inherent meaning in them. In other words: it’s difficult to read a dictionary than reading fiction.
  6. From the viewpoint of a Grammarian , Author or Lexicographer: fiction is merely a context for interpretation of new word roots, new meanings, new associations.
  7. The first law of remembering and retaining words is to merely repeat it often enough.
  8. The second law is associating is with many profound ideas.
  9. Being able to clear Peter Schmies Word Classification Test removes many curses for example.
  10. Working in some libraries , for example, is almost impossible because of the banned versions or prohibitions.
  11. During 2018-2025, another strange thing was taking help from James Harbeck, Sesquiotica fame, who had let me publish a guest article on his weblog earlier. I had introduced his work on Blogging101Alumni website sponsored by Automattic.
  12. Every time I tried to clear the ceiling of 16 errors until 2060, I used to commit a few errors before reaching the score of 1000 on UNWFP Free Rice Vocabulary Test site which was developed by Josh Breen.
  13. I decided to make these tests open sources in order to crack them as Rick Rosner of Mega Society had indicated in the Mega Society journal.
  14. During 2025 January and February this bugged website was unable to maintain itself.
  15. Collins dictionary was only resource which helped.
  16. Who was Fredrick Berchtold if not Pope?
  17. Proselytism in the name of education might work in the short run.
  18. Names are words, like titles, ranks, offices, honours..
  19. A breakfast, a bed, a milk tea, a mobile charge, a distraction free environment to publish.
  20. Project Gutenberg, project renaissance, project Sesquiotica for example.
  21. If Gregg Scott,  Jhonson O Connors, Norman Lewis, Ben Zimmer, Language Log guys and Jonathan Swift decide to keep meaning of words like Russel, Harbeck or Whigham: it’s a guild awards Peter Schmies Word Classification Test which is equivalent to Issac Asimov or Mensa Membership in Sweden.
  22. But you are almost 40. You don’t want to be 14 years old.
  23. Time Machines. Name Machines. Walking. Friends.
  24. Was Reservoir dogs an inspiration for the opening sequence for The Dark  Knight?. If yes, Nolan shouldn’t be credited as much for originality as for grand execution which works in corporate settings, in family gatherings.
  25. As soon as Peter Schmies is out you start condemning him.
  26. As soon as you exhaust Sesquiotica you look for next Laaloo.
  27. Brown, Black people were frequent flyers. White people were not so.
  28. Why did my corporate colleague prefer railways? To save himself from heart attacks.
  29. What’s next?

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Why do you carry a bag?

Cold Water Bottle Worth Rupees Ten!
Stone Tablet 1
Stone Tablet 2

Compare two tablets made of stone. Both of them are present in the pavilion of this stadium.

1. 14.10.09: establishment created.

2. 19/02/14: establishment released for public use.

3. There’s a record of six people in the first stone whereas a record of eight people in the second.

4. Devnagari script in both.

5. The slant is tilted towards right in the latter: it indicates a proactive approach.

6. The nickname ‘Radhe’ seems to be forcibly inserted after the name of the president of the stadium committee. This, further highlights the cramming in the second stone tablet.

7. Hence, the latter, which was created five years after the former, has more people, more proactive approach, less formality for some reason.

8. The former script has a perfectly vertical angle which indicates discipline and formality. The height of stone from the ground level is also higher than the latter.

9. There’s only one name which is common in both stones.

10. How did I get fortunate enough to reproduce images of these stones and to produce an analysis of data/script ?

11. I found a student who happens to be son of an employee in this university. As he was busy working out his assignments- I was busy comparing notes on two southern walls of this ground.

11. How do you think this data might help you? It’s not clear. If you are a subscriber to this weblog-you know why. If you want to leave the subscription: you would be helping gaia by reducing carbon emission.

1. Piglets are quarreling over who’s gonna have greater share in their mother’s milky udders. Whole psychology of mamallians and their hearts is around milky way.

2. Then there are vegans. Omnivores. Cannibals and so on. Andromeda.

3. As I was enjoying my breakfast this morning: much deserved leftovers from last night’s fiesty supper: I received a phone call from a friend. The call didn’t seem to be frantic in particular but the slipper snapped at the exact moment I was going to attend the call.

4. When we met: the soles of his feet were also hurt. Strange. After a brief while: I was in a queue for getting my slipper repaired.

5. It took me about half an hour and ten rupees to get it done. Argument for being prior to a lady in the queue who shamelessly took advantage of poor cobbler. As well!!

6. Cobbler was unabashed to ask me if I was in the business of prostitution. He insinuated that he knew many people who were in that business. Strange–how my insistence on getting proper and timely service took his mind towards prostitution as if the grim heat and humidity faded by getting lost into fairy world of his own creation. I paid him ten rupees and gradually vanished from the scene.

7. Spider: the banyan tree is a host to ants and spiders. This spider was jumping up and down all over the place like early morning’s Minimum Mota

Can you spot the spider mottled motel telamon mondane yellow
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Gymnashium Hall, Badminton Hall and Pavilion!

What’s with this stone that brings me back to it: again and again?

Let’s see, see plus plus and luscious lassi. Let’s see. See++ & lush see us lasso!

1. I was an adventurous romantic ambitious young man of nine or ten when Aditya Dwivedi aka Lallu; the third son of Munnilal Chhikahra waale introduced me to terms like Gymnashium/Pavilion/Stadium.

2. Growing up; I was confused for a while: what’s the difference between three terms? The confusion seems to be obvious even in the mind of bureaucrats associated with this college’s administration.

3. This hall: whatever its name was intended to be:

A. Gymnashium Hall: it needs to be pointed out that the heading was scratched on the stone as if a grown up student was actually confused about how to name it.

B. This stone might be renovated soon. The date is illegible for most obvious purpose: to put the past behind us…where it actually belongs.

C. The actual date for inauguration was: 12.06.1994: why does it matter?

D. Coming back to Lallu aka Aditya Dwivedi: he’s gainfully employed in the education department of Uttar Pradesh. His father was declared dead by some gossip-mongers-creators and brought back from dead by some miracle workers. I have narrated this event to at least three to four people by now. Let more of you know it!

E. I used to blame myself for remembering it as Gymnashium Hall: whereas it was used for badminton. Later on, they put a blue coat on wall with proper declaration.

F. It’s at the pavilion end.

Leonardo Da Vinci’s ghost creates a self portrait of Basil Rathbone who happens to be distant cousin of Robert Downey Jr. in 2022 AD via cranes. I crane. U crane. We crane. C crane. C plus plus. Who cares. Grave of fireflies. Fire flies. Secrane. Sacchrine. Secret. Secretariat. Lariat. Larry at lorry stop. Dirty Harry in the dead pool. Spool. Loops that’s why nobody fakes you seriously! Tops hot pots spotted stops.

Now some video interviews of a national level player who also happens to be a senior software developer.

This segment is a copyright material like other segments. Courtesy: Rishabh Jadia and Nagendra Singh Yadav. District association for badminton Chhatarpur. Badminton hall Baburam Chaturvedi Stadium Chhatarpur Madhya Pradesh.

Part One: Rishabh on Court mat
Part Two
Part Three: Have you tried to improve?
Part Four: Why?
Part Five: Conclusion!