Currently reading
Frackistan: The Promise and Peril of America’s Energy Revolution
Savaging the Dark
The End-of-Life Handbook: A Compassionate Guide to Connecting with and Caring for a Dying Loved One
Final Journeys: A Practical Guide for Bringing Care and Comfort at the End of Life
A Better Way of Dying: How to Make the Best Choices at the End of Life
Handbook for Mortals: Guidance for People Facing Serious Illness
Change Anything: The New Science of Personal Success
S.
Dances in Two Worlds: A Writer-Artist's Backstory
Tigers in Red Weather
Cdb!
When I was a kid, my aunt would draw us a pictogram riddle that looked something like this, only hand drawn:C M >-O========== >-O=========== ?
M R (picture of a knot) >-O========= >-O========.
O, S M R!
M R (picture of a knot) >-O========== >-O==========!
O, S M R! C M E-D B-D iiiiii?
O! S! M R >-O========== >-O==========
C M (badly drawn dogs)(I am NOT going to ascii a dog, people)
M R (picture of a knot)(badly drawn dogs)
O, S M R!
M R(picture of a knot)(badly drawn dogs)
O, S M R! C M P-N?
O! S! M R(badly drawn dogs)
We had to guess what these said. And even after we knew because we made her do this riddle for us hundreds of times, we still found it amusing and delightful. We made her read them aloud because she was so funny and dramatic in her translation of these dubious codes.
Many years later, I was sitting at my desk, cataloging childrens books (since that used to be my job) and CDB came into my hands.
That childhood delight? Blown up to gigantic proportion! There was an entire BOOK of these delightful riddles and none of them involved terribly-drawn animals!
Also, I was bitter that this was not one of the books I'd had in childhood. I was so neglected and unloved!
My favorite is I M C-N A G-P-C and I quote that as often as humanly possible (not very often, seeing as how there is a dearth of G-P-C people in my environment)
(In case you are wondering, >-O========= is a snake)
(Also, in case it still doesn't make any sense, it says:
See them snakes?
Them are not snakes.
Oh, yes them are!
Them are not snakes!
Oh, yes them are! See them itty bitty eyes?
Oh! Yes! Them ARE snakes!)