Mortgage broker

Mortgage broker is someone who sells mortgages.

When I was a young boy, I played some Monopoly. In Monopoly you can "mortgage" your property. That means you turn the card over and get cash money for it. This was usually a sign that you were in trouble, maybe even close to losing the game.

Nowadays I know that a mortgage is a loan that helps you buy a house.

In many ways, Monopoly gave me a skewed impression of how the real world works.


Tough times for the man with the wide left hand.
Photo: ChicagoGeek via Flickr (CC)

Ftn

Ftn was a short-lived television channel in the British Isles.

Ftn broadcast between January 15, 2003 and October 1, 2007. It showed mostly entertainment and reality programming. It seems that Ftn was just an overnight broadcast; it was on between 6 pm and 6 am. It was geared toward nightshift workers and insomniacs and nocturnal animals like hamsters.

I had a hamster once. In fact, I think he's been mentioned in Wikibloogia before. His name was Mario. He would run on his wheel all night in my room and try to escape his cage.

He's dead now.

Just like Ftn.

Because that's the way it is.


Mario would have liked Ftn.
Photo: ShinobiHammies via Flickr (CC)

Venetia Stanley

Venetia Stanley was a 17th-century third daughter of a minor English nobleman. Venetia had beauty. She had a licentious reputation. During her marriage to scientist and adventurer Kenelm Digby, she was a devout catholic.

There's other stuff too in Venetia's life story. There's a lot of intrigue. You can read all about it in the Wikipedia article. Near the end, she dies.


Venetia's blinds.
Photo: Ian BC North via Flickr (CC)

Lori Easley

Lori Easley, a.k.a. Lori Easley Otter, is the First Lady of Idaho, and has been since 2007.

Lori is a former Miss Idaho USA, and she has a masters degree in Education, Curriculum and Instruction, & Education Administration. She is also a good athlete.

Her husband, the governor of Idaho, is named C.L. "Butch" Otter. That's a strong name. My name is Adam Shonkoff. That's not as strong. A lot of people have a hard time pronouncing it. Even though it sounds like it looks.

People are afraid. People are afraid of certain combinations of letters.


No relation.
Photo: spike from nj via Flickr (CC)

American Indian alcoholism

American Indian alcoholism is another awkward Wikibloogia entry. The other recent one was Massacre of Lviv professors.

I'd rather not write about sad and unfortunate things, but I must deal with what Wikibloogia gives me. Wikibloogia is like life, in that way. In a lot of other ways, Wikibloogia is not like life at all. For instance, Wikibloogia is a blog. Life is not a blog.

Or wait, maybe it is. Maybe life is a blog. Maybe life is just someone's blog.

I'd read that blog.

Alcoholism is bad. It's a problem in the American Indian community. But there are also a lot of American Indians who aren't alcoholics.


Non-alcoholic American Indian band.
Photo: kevygee via Flickr (CC)

Sora no Iro, Mizu no Iro

Sora no Iro, Mizu no Iro is anime porn. It started as an erotic video game and then became a DVD. The title means Color of the Sky, Color of the Water.

Often, the color of the sky and the color of the water are the same. Because the water reflects the sky. Water, of course, is actually clear. But not when there's a lot of it in one place.

Sometimes, when you look directly at certain water, it looks exactly like you.

I'm not into anime porn.


Sexy cartoon boob sweat.
Photo: bounce via Flickr (CC)

Oghma (Forgotten Realms)

Oghma (Forgotten Realms) refers to Oghma, some powerful figure in some fantasy world. He was created by a man named Ed for his home Dungeons & Dragons game. But Oghma is also in the Celtic pantheon, or something. I don't really get it.

I don't care about Oghma.


Life is like a box of chocolates.
Photo: lydiashiningbrightly via Flickr (CC)

Tilt (band)

Tilt (band) was a punk band from northern California. They formed in 1992, the same year that Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers were born. They disbanded once and for all in 2001, the same year that Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers turned nine.

Tilt is more than just a band. It is also a sloping position. My apartment is tilted. My street is tilted. My brain is tilted. You're tilted. I'm tilted. Miley Cyrus is tilted. Everyone is tilted. Everything is tilted. The Jonas Brothers are tilted. Tilt is tilted.

Everybody remain tilted.


Ground's tilted.
Photo: oobrien via Flickr (CC)

Debt validation

Debt validation refers to the consumer's right to get verification of his/her debt from the debt collector. Americans have this right thanks to the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

Thanks, government.

I am currently in debt to one of my friends, because he picked me up from the airport the other day. Now I never know when he will call upon me to do him a favor in return. Being in debt to someone is a strange thing. But I don't mind, as long as I can validate and verify my debt at any point.

Each one of us is in debt to the Universe. The Universe lends us a whole bunch of material to walk around in for about 80 years, at which point we have to give it back.

Thanks, Universe.


Debt leads to sign-holding.
Photo: eric731 via Flickr (CC)

Massacre of Lviv professors

Massacre of Lviv professors was the systematic execution of about 45 Polish professors and their families in Lviv in July 1941. Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. Usually Wikibloogia is supposed to be kind of funny, so this is a little awkward.

I think I'll just leave it at that.


Good times have returned to Lviv.
Photo: Johan Koolwaaij via Flickr (CC)

Lagro Township, Wabash County, Indiana

Lagro Township, Wabash County, Indiana is a township in Indiana.

In the year 2000, its population was 3,158.

There are seven cemeteries in Lagro Township. One of them is called Independent Order of Odd Fellows. I want to be buried there when I die.

Have you heard of the Odd Fellows? I hadn't. But now I have. I think it might be famous, but not to me. Can things be famous to one person but not famous to another? I think so. To me, I'm the most famous person in the world.

Odd Fellows is a fraternal organization.


Stop before Odd Fellows' cemetery.
Photo: Usonian via Flickr (CC)

Dawn Airey

Dawn Airey is a British television executive. If you want to see her resume, read the Wikipedia article.

Three things of note:

• Colleagues have described her as "the most vulgar person" they have ever met.
• As a teen, she lived with her architect father.
• In 2006, the Independent named Dawn as one of the 100 most influential gay and lesbian people in the UK.

Dawn is one of my favorite times of day.


In England they watch TV on the left side.
Photo: Sir Garlichad via Flickr (CC)

Fast Crew

Fast Crew is a hip hop group from New Zealand. Please watch their video now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkwRRH_LV54.

I love New Zealand. New Zealand is one of those countries that pretty much everyone loves. There are some countries that people don't love as much. People don't like North Korea as much. Or Canada.

But New Zealand. People love it. Russell Crowe is from there, I think. He was good in L.A. Confidential. That was a good movie. New Zealand is famous for its sheep and kiwifruit.

I have a question though. Was there once a Zealand?


This sheep is sad because his wife was turned into a bush.
Photo: Travelling Pooh via Flickr (CC)

James Webb (rugby player)

James Webb (rugby player) was a rugby player named James Webb. He played in Wales at the turn of the 20th century.

James lived for 50 years, but his life can pretty much be summed up by one rugby game against a team from New Zealand.


The ball doesn't know, but there's a mob quietly approaching.
Photo: Frederic Humbert via Flickr (CC)

Filename

Filename is a computer programming term. A filename is a string used to identify a file on a computer.

My filename is Adam.


Old-timey files.
Photo: Tim Morgan via Flickr (CC)