Join Delores, MotherOwl, and me as we take on this word that can mean such different things, including:
- a continuous low humming sound
- a part of a musical instrument that emits a constant sound (such as a pipe in a set of bagpipes or a string on a sitar)
- a male bee
- a remote-controlled pilotless aircraft
Surely to goodness it can't be too hard to dash off a few choice lines on this versatile word, right? RIGHT??
We'll see :)
You can leave a poem in the comments or post it on your own blog. If you do the latter, please leave a comment so we know where to find you and your offering. Use the topic, or another of your choosing -- just have fun and make those little brain cells work to earn their keep!
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My first thought when I see the word "drone" is a variation on the first of the meanings above.
I think we've all had the experience of being in a classroom or at an event where somebody at the front of the room has the rest of the people in the room trapped like bugs in a bottle while he or she does the talking.
That's real power, my friends.
A great speaker is a rare and pleasant thing. A poor speaker with uninspiring material and apathetic delivery, on the other hand, can make even the kindest and most understanding of souls think dark thoughts and wish for toothpicks to prop their eyelids open.
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Please Pass The Sledgehammer
Even speakers well-known
Have been oft heard to drone
Leaving listeners to moan
And organizers to groan
This is not to condone
Walking out on a drone
But I wouldn't bemoan
Being swapped with a clone
Here we all are, under those circumstances:
And for those who prefer pictures rather than video:
Video clip and meme found on icanhas.cheezburger.com.
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Wishing you all a good week, free from the need for toothpicks :)
Over to you, Delores; what's the topic for next week??
Loved that purring kitteh. And hope that no-one responds to me as the second kitten is.
ReplyDeleteI agreed with your poem (conservatively speaking several hundred percent) and thoroughly enjoyed it too.
I have that same fervent hope for myself, EC! But I think I've caused my husband to FEEL that way a few times, even if he doesn't say it :)
DeleteOooh! Teachers who drone on and on! And don't even notice the kids falling asleep until one falls off his chair. (Tony, grade six)
ReplyDeleteLove the sleepy kitten :)
Oh no! Poor Tony! Yeah, I had some teachers who droned, too :)
DeleteI do like to use open strings on the guitar as drone strings, I find it a semi-mesmerizing effect when done correctly.
ReplyDeleteI have a computer genius sort of friend named Nathan who likes to build and fly drones, a few of which are alarmingly large. I asked him if he can ride any of them yet, and he said he's working on it.
Except that if he rides one, it's not a drone any more, is it?
With the amount of political reading I do, I can certainly appreciate your poem. I've taken to short afternoon naps to try and compensate, but the same issues at great length, over and over can make it feel like it's not even worth it sometimes, until it is...
-Doug in Oakland
Yes! You're right! I've been finding the same thing reading political news. Every article seems to be one part new tidbit, a thousand parts repeat of what we already know ...
DeleteThe poem is great and I love the video.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed, Andrew :)
DeleteFun poem about a phenomenon we all know. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteIt's universal, I think :) Thanks, MotherOwl.
DeleteFantastic poem dear Jenny :)
ReplyDeleteyou did great job once again
when i hear word drone sad things come in my mind
our remote northern parts suffer with horrible attacks time to time in which most of the time innocent people such as women and children loose their life
such news spread sorrow all over
good thing is that since few months such accidents have decreased for some reason
i should have not talk serious stuff here as your poem is amusing and video and image is also so cute and funny :)
hugs!
It's quite all right to talk about serious things here, baili. When I set the topic for this week, the word drone was in the news and I thought about all the different ways it could be interpreted and thought it would give folks lots of choice. But of course drone would have serious and sad experiences connected to it in some parts of the world, and I am sorry to have brought those feelings up for you without thinking. You're so right that women and children bear the worst of the fighting in many cases. Big hugs, my friend.
DeleteWe have all been there too often. Time can go by so slowly when being forced to sit and listen to a long-winded, dull speaker. A kitten falling asleep is so much more interesting.
ReplyDeleteYes, kittens fix everything, at least for a few minutes ...
DeleteLol. I would have appreciated a clone replacement for a few of the classes I suffered through. The philosophy of education comes to mind.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like just the thing to help insomnia, Marie :)
DeleteOh Golly...that sweet little kitty That was me in every work meeting I attended. Good job Jenny. It's my turn again???? When is Diane coming back????? (Of course, she came up with really hard themes). GARDENING that's the theme for next week.
ReplyDeleteGardening is an excellent choice - thanks, Delores :)
DeleteIt's so hard to stay awake in some meetings! Sometimes the best we can hope for is that we don't snore :)
Funny! I didn't even think of the verb "drone." I thought of the noun -- like, an unmanned aircraft.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting what different people think of first when hearing a word with widely different meanings!
DeleteI have often asked myself if I'm drone. Yes I've heard some bad speakers. The worst was a very elderly minister at a funeral.
ReplyDeleteI can imagine that, Red :) The worst for me is when a speaker talks too slowly, with too many pauses. It's like a sleeping pill.
DeleteI doubt there is one amongst us who hasn't suffered from a droning situation. My last one was a couple of week ago. Fortunately, as it turned out, the hall was extremely hot and provided an excuse to leave as we became "overcome".
ReplyDeleteConvenient, that :D You're right, it's a universal experience, I think.
DeleteClever! No toothpicks needed to read this post, i promise.
ReplyDeleteWe actually saw some drones recently, so i wrote about them.
Glad to hear that! And seeing people have fun with drones must be something like seeing people have fun flying kites!
DeleteI droned through that little kitty--twice!
ReplyDeleteYa done good, Joanne :)
DeleteI keep watching it and smiling until my face hurts :)
I hope you don't have this situation often, Jenny. Love the title and poem.
ReplyDeleteLuckily, I don't now! Glad you liked it.
DeleteGreat poem! Yes, I've gritted my teeth through a droning situation a few times as well. I love the cat video and picture - so cute!
ReplyDeleteI think most of us can relate! I love those kittens . . . all kittens, actually :)
DeleteOh, I enjoyed this. The word "sledgehammer" caught me right off the bat.
ReplyDeleteA good rap with that thing and no one could stay sleepy!
DeleteAdorable poem. I'm as sleepy as the kitty but not as cute.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Thanks, Janie - and NOTHING is as cute as a kitten. Maybe a puppy. I'm not sure :)
DeleteAw, the sleepy kittens are so cute! And your poem made me chuckle (while hoping fervently that I'm not THAT speaker when I do my presentation in a couple of weeks). When I'm listening to a speaker like that, it's always a toss-up as to whether I'll want to use the toothpicks to prop my eyelids open or to vengefully poke the speaker at my first opportunity. ;-)
ReplyDeleteYet another reason to sit up front, close to the speaker, eh? ha ha
DeleteI highly doubt you'll be THAT speaker -- and how I'd love to be able to attend!
That's so kind of you - thank you! :-)
DeleteWhen I saw the word "drone" I thought only of the mechanical variety.... Though maybe a bad speaker is also a mechanical variety?
ReplyDeleteI've met some drones in my time. A clone would, indeed, be handy.
Nice take on the topic!
A bad speaker being mechanical - good play on words!
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