A short story padded. A species of composition bearing the same relation to literature that the panorama bears to art. As it is too long to be read at a sitting the impressions made by its successive parts are successively effaced, as in the panorama. Unity, totality of effect, is impossible; for besides the few pages last read all that is carried in mind is the mere plot of what has gone before. To the romance the novel is what photography is to painting. Its distinguishing principle, probability, corresponds to the literal actuality of the photograph and puts it distinctly into the category of reporting; whereas the free wing of the romancer enables him to mount to such altitudes of imagination as he may be fitted to attain; and the first three essentials of the literary art are imagination, imagination and imagination. The art of writing novels, such as it was, is long dead everywhere except in Russia, where it is new. Peace to its ashes — some of which have a large sale.

(also: transylvania twist)

(noun):
The mind's ability to take a step back and observe itself, resulting in a profound realization that you are, in fact, stuck inside your own head. It's like discovering an inner narrator who constantly comments on your thoughts, actions, and embarrassing moments.

(also: Realizing you're stuck)

(n.) a party that celebrates surviving one year past a certain event. if the event is a birth it's called a birthday

(6th Century BC – ) Author of Tao Te Ching and founder of Taoism
(also: 100 most influential people in the world)
(also: lao tzu quotes)

n. The laurus, a vegetable dedicated to Apollo, and formerly defoliated to wreathe the brows of victors and such poets as had influence at court. (Vide supra.)


(also: The Devil's Dictionary)

a chronic condition characterized by sudden and uncontrollable onset of sleep. the main thing to remember about narcolepsy iszzzzzzzzzz...

Mediocre actress and controversial public figure

The feeling that one has for the plate after he has eaten its contents, madam.

(also: The Devil's Dictionary)

(n.) people within an organization commonly giving disproportionate weight to trivial issues.

(also: peter's principle)

(n.) a perturbing sea creature resembling a big slug with eight suction-cupped tendril arms. as with most perturbing creatures, someone has eaten it and decided it is a delicacy

series of letters of decreasing size that you could certainly memorize. Every eye chart is the same sequence, and it's only 66 letters.

Pronunciation: Sha-doh Thuh Hej-Hog

(n) The only good Sonic game.

(n.) A slimy friend who can give 4 hugs at the same time

(1831-1879) Scottish physicist. Maxwell made a significant contribution to understanding electromagnetism
(also: 100 most influential people in the world)
(also: james clerk maxwell quotes)

A beautiful and attractive young woman, in wickedness a league beyond the devil.
(also: The Devil's Dictionary)

a vague hinting at some sort of unspecified imminent and preventable danger

A mechanical device for inflicting personal distinction — prototype of the modern newspaper conducted by persons of austere virtues and blameless lives.
(also: The Devil's Dictionary)

(1889 – 1945) – Leader of Nazi Germany.
(also: 100 most influential people in the world)
(also: adolf hitler quotes)

Churches for the powerless. Pawnshops for the stingy and weak. Many join to live parasitically off the backs of their card-carrying simpleton colleagues. Some join to become spies. Others, the most sincere, join to end up in jail from where they can observe the mean-spiritedness of all the rest.