Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Mnemonics

When, last February, I was informed that my job as editorial page editor of the Independent Record had gone poof - a victim of all those smart folks running our corporations - I decided to economize. So, among other things, I did not re-subscribe to a cool magazine called "Fantasy and Science Fiction." But recently, I noticed its annual double issue on the news stand. And I bought it.

At the back of the magazine was its monthly "competition:" this time called "Hooked on Mnemonics." It harkened back to the old memory device for recalling the planets: "My Very Earnest Mother Just Showed Us Nine Planets." But now, given that Pluto has been relegated to a "minor planet" status and other bodies have been added as other "minor planets," the editors said a new mnemotic is needed for the new line-up: planets and minor planets called Mercury Venus Earth Mars Ceres Jupiter Saturn Uranis Neptune Pluto Haumea Makemake Eris. (A science fictional twist was good, the magazine's editors said.)

OK; here's mine: My Vicious, Evil, Mad Cyborgs, Just Suppose Unexpected New Possibilities: Humans Might Emerge!

I realize this is not particularly funny, or clever. But ... would such an emergence be good, or bad? It is the ambiguity that is cool!

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