Perhaps it is my British upbringing that stimulated my fascination with collective nouns. When I was in grammar school, collective nouns were frequently subject matter for impromptu testing and, of course, many that were first introduced in the 15th century Book of St Albans on heraldry and hunting are now obsolete. However, many remain popular today. Some are quite poetic, others more appropriately founded on specific behavioural traits of a particular group of animals or birds. A murmuration of starlings aptly describes them coming home to roost, while a parliament of rooks clearly represents the clamour one would encounter as they congregate in their nests, not unlike the bickering in the House of Parliament.
Doug and I had exchanged a couple of emails in late March. However, a barrage of posts on the ILW site by BS and directed to me, that were partciularly scathing, uncomplimentary and relentless, would prompt me to write yet another quick email to Doug alerting him to the discussion.
At the same time that I was fending off unpleasant commentary on the ILW site, I was also once again under siege by KMC and DF, who phoned me to say that they were intending to post nude photographs of me on the Internet if I did not settle the divorce case to their satisfaction.
Of course no such naked photographs of me existed, but egged on and coached by KMC's voice in the background, DF was very deliberate in pointing out that he had a number of lingerie shots I'd done for my modelling portfolio, some years back, that'd suit the task. In unison they declared "Yes, but a lot can be done with an airbrush to doctor them up, so you'll appear naked to the Cyber world".
I swallowed hard, in an effort to conceal how disturbing their constant attacks of me were becoming, and calmly cautioned them that I wouldn't be blackmailed and misrepresented and would take the necessary steps to make sure they would not get away with it. "It's tantamount to extortion" I said, but they laughed gleefully and uttered "See you in Court" and then promptly hung up.
I was under siege from every direction; feeling extremely vulnerable and missing Doug's support terribly.
Doug and I had exchanged a couple of emails in late March. However, a barrage of posts on the ILW site by BS and directed to me, that were partciularly scathing, uncomplimentary and relentless, would prompt me to write yet another quick email to Doug alerting him to the discussion.
At the same time that I was fending off unpleasant commentary on the ILW site, I was also once again under siege by KMC and DF, who phoned me to say that they were intending to post nude photographs of me on the Internet if I did not settle the divorce case to their satisfaction.
Of course no such naked photographs of me existed, but egged on and coached by KMC's voice in the background, DF was very deliberate in pointing out that he had a number of lingerie shots I'd done for my modelling portfolio, some years back, that'd suit the task. In unison they declared "Yes, but a lot can be done with an airbrush to doctor them up, so you'll appear naked to the Cyber world".
I swallowed hard, in an effort to conceal how disturbing their constant attacks of me were becoming, and calmly cautioned them that I wouldn't be blackmailed and misrepresented and would take the necessary steps to make sure they would not get away with it. "It's tantamount to extortion" I said, but they laughed gleefully and uttered "See you in Court" and then promptly hung up.
I was under siege from every direction; feeling extremely vulnerable and missing Doug's support terribly.
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