Redundancies

A newspaper article this morning stated that a robber had been wearing a "fake wig." I wondered how that is different from a regular wig. These silly redundancies are all over the place: people get "free gifts," "added bonuses," and sometimes "cash money."

Have you heard people say the "exact same" thing? Or how something happens "each and every" time? Do you make "future plans?" Can anyone make past plans? Maybe it's like a "past experience." It is so difficult to count on a future experience.

How many times have you heard people say they have a "personal opinion?" I thought opinions were always personal. You have heard others comment that their solutions were the "sum total" or the "true facts." If you pay attention, the redundancies are everywhere.

Some of the silliest are used with the prefix "pre." One can "pre-order" something not yet available (isn't that an order?), or parents with babies can often "pre-board" an airplane (don't they just get on like everyone else?).

I'm finished for a while. Maybe I'll have "temper tantrum" before I fix a "tuna fish" sandwich for lunch. I'll "postpone until later" any "final conclusions."

More fiction and reality mixes

Castle is a fun television show that mixes fiction and reality. If you don't know the premise, Richard Castle is a writer of novels who "consults" with the police department, often helping to solve mysterious crimes. Occasionally, he hosts poker games with other writers. The fun is that the other mystery authors in his games are the real thing. James Patterson and Stephen J. Cannell appeared as themselves. I'm hoping others will stop by too.

Beyond that, the novel that Richard Castle supposedly finished (based on the female detective he works with) was actually published--listing Richard Castle as the author. Apparently it did well enough that another novel from the television series has also been printed and released. I guess the ghost writer, affiliated with the television series, didn't mind not being given credit for writing it. Maybe he gets some of the royalties.

Crazy stuff.

Fiction and Reality together

It makes me smile when a character in a television show, refers to another television show. Or, when someone in a fiction novel is reading another current fiction novel. Fiction kind of intersects reality. Clive Cussler always puts himself in his novels. The protagonist normally runs into an unusual man who gives his name as "Cussler." I think it's good fun figuring out when he'll drop in and out of the story action.

The best reference, however, is one I just heard. I was listening (while driving) to Spider Bones, by Kathy Reichs. Someone in the story made reference to a murder suspect who wasn't very bright--probably didn't understand CSI, or Law and Order, and was definitely not intelligent enough for Bones. Of course Bones is the television series based on Kathy Reichs's novels. It made me chuckle all alone in my car.

Follow up

I saw another secret yesterday. There is something that automobile dealers don't want us to know.

I can't imagine what that would be. Everything from the rebates and special financing deals, vehicle histories, to the actual invoice cost of the vehicles is on the Internet. I don't know, the whole "there are big secrets" idea feels wrong to me. There are no big secrets--I, and people I know, have worked in dealerships. Businesses are there to make a profit selling vehicles. People shopping want to pay as little as possible for the car they want (or, if you believe some of the commercials, the car they "deserve"). Where's the secret?