Ergo, the Ogre

Author: Ergo, the Ogre

  • 3TC MM20 | Margins of Mayhem

    3TC MM20 | Margins of Mayhem

    Welcome to the daily Three Things Challenge.
    Use your imagination and creativity using one, two or all three words that may or may not be related. There are no restrictions regarding length, style, or genre, though please keep it family friendly.

    Tag your responses with 3TC, #threethingschallenge or TTC, and you can add Di’s logo if you wish.

    Pingbacks don’t always work so leave your link in the comments so that I can respond to you directly and other bloggers can read your writings. Why not check out some of theirs while you’re there!
    The challenge goes out around 6.00 am UK time but pingbacks may not show immediately as they have to be approved manually and sometimes Di is late accessing her blog. She will get there, I promise!

    Looking forward to reading your responses.

    Your three words today are:
    MARGIN
    RULER
    FAINT

    Jimmy never was much good at coloring within the lines. It was no surprise then, when he had the same issues in penmanship class. He just couldn’t make himself stop before the margin lines on his notebook paper. The nuns worked with him but to no avail.

    One day after working with Jimmy, Sister Ignatius (aka, Iggy) had decided he was faking it. Perhaps he simply wanted some attention. If that were the case, Sister Ignatius would give him all the attention he needed.

    “Jimmy,” Sister Ignatius’ voice was stern. “Hold out your hands, please.” Jimmy knew what was coming and his clenched hands shook with fear.

    “Now, please!”

    Jimmy closed his eyes tight and held out his hands, palms up.

    FWAP, FWAP, FWAP! And it was over.

    “Jesus Christ, Iggy!” Jimmy inspected at his bright red palms. “Now I can’t write at all!”

    “What did you say?” she spat.

    With a faint grin, Jimmy repeated himself, only louder: “I said, Jesus Christ, Iggy!”

    She picked up the ruler and raised it in the air. “You little brat!” Her face took on an evil grimace as she was about to do … God only knows what.

    It must’ve been divine intervention that sent Sister Carmella, the principal, into the classroom that day. She snatched the ruler from Sister Ignatius’ hand.

    “What is wrong with you?” Sister Carmella demanded.

    “I … I… I don’t kn–“

    “Follow me.”

    That was the last anyone saw of Iggy. The next day they had a brand-new teacher and Jimmy suddenly understood margins and what they were for.

  • Three Things Challenge | #MM19

    Three Things Challenge | #MM19

    Welcome to the daily Three Things Challenge.
    Use your imagination and creativity using one, two or all three words that may or may not be related. There are no restrictions regarding length, style, or genre, though please keep it family friendly.

    Tag your responses with 3TC, #threethingschallenge or TTC, and you can add Di’s logo if you wish.

    Pingbacks don’t always work so leave your link in the comments so that I can respond to you directly and other bloggers can read your writings. Why not check out some of theirs while you’re there!
    The challenge goes out around 6.00 am UK time but pingbacks may not show immediately as they have to be approved manually and sometimes, Di is late accessing her blog. She will get there, She promises!

    Today’s three words are:

    PERSON
    PEOPLE
    POPULATE

    There’s one in every crowd.

    When tasked with populating the Earth most people were thrilled at the prospect. Most, not all.

    Some were confused while others were shy. In time and with practice, these issues worked themselves out.

    As alluded to above, there’s always a monkey wrench in the toolbox. One person complained that all the good ones were taken. The rest were too fat, too skinny, too smart, too dumb, smelled funny, had bad breath, you get the idea. S/he went on to explain that “One shouldn’t procreate haphazardly. One must research and really get to know the other person, otherwise, who knows what could happen? Let us not forget the kid from Deliverance.“

    It is for this is reason that sperm banks and in vitro fertilization came to be.

    And they all lived happily ever after. Sometimes.

  • Fibbing Friday | 04/04/2025

    Fibbing Friday | 04/04/2025

    It’s time for Fibbing Friday again!

    You can join in by writing a post with your answers and tag it #FibbingFriday.
    If you use WordPress, pingbacks are enabled but aren’t always working so double up and leave a link to your post in the comments as well for others to read. Also have a read of other bloggers posts if you can spare the time as some of them are terrific.
    Bear in mind though that they are usually approved manually, so don’t be surprised if the link doesn’t show immediately as Di may be late accessing her blog.

    This week the questions are from Di’s monthly newsletter so a couple of either or questions this week. Have fun!

    • 1. Who made the first manned hot air balloon flight in 1783?
    • A crash test dummy.
    • 2.  Which is the more widely used around the world, cow’s milk or goat’s milk?
    • I think there are more cows than goats in the world. It follows then that there would be more calves than baby goats. So I think cow’s milk is more widely used.
    • 3.  What does the word “Canada” mean?
    • It’s short for Canadian
    • 4.  True or False, an adult male baboon can kill an adult leopard?
    • It would depend on who has the more powerful weapon and the best aim.
    • 5.  Which U.S. State has the nickname “Hawkeye”?
    • Guam
    • 6.  In which decade of the 19th Century did Christmas Day become a national U.S. holiday?
    • 25th, since Christmas is on 12/25
    • 7.  Which strong cheese, made from ewe’s milk and stored in caves, is named after a village in France?
    • It’s either Kraft American Singles or Époisses de Bourgogne
    • 8.  Who painted “Whistler’s Mother”?
    • Jimbo
    • 9.  In Denmark they are known as “laks” what are they known as in English?
    • Latkes
    • 10.  Approximately what percentage of humans are left-handed?
    • 12%

  • The Daredevil

    The Daredevil

    It’s Fandango’s Flashback Friday again! I crafted the piece below for the terrible poetry contest, and now it’s being recycled for #FFF.

    It’s that time again: The Weekly Terrible Poetry Contest hosted my Chelsea Ann Owens! Our mission is to create a senryu about a small, innocuous animal of our choice.

    Armadillo lies

    in the middle of highway

    played chicken with cars.

     

    Dead Armadillo on Country Gravel Road in Rural Arkansas (RIP)
  • The Worm

    The Worm

    It’s Thursday, so it’s story time.

    Check out Esther Chilton’s blog to join in!

    Can you tell a story in 41 words using the following words in it somewhere:

    • MIRAGE
    • DUNK
    • QUIBBLE
    • VAULT
    • WORM

    Myra dunked her stale donut in lukewarm coffee. Studying in the mirage in her backyard she quibbled with her mind’s vault as to whether it existed. Surely a worm can’t grow that darn big, she hoped, as it crept toward her.