inkspot

Around the city, the U.S. is trying to expand a zone of control so that an "inkspot" of safety extends south from the Kandahar region down to central Helmand, where U.S. forces have been conducting operations for more than a year.

Gates Sees 2-3 Years of Combat in Afghanistan 2010

He threw the "inkspot" out high in the air, and as it came down, somehow it managed to come within reach of Jane's outstretched palm.

Jane Allen, Junior Edith Bancroft

It is a utilitarian start to the inkspot method of counterinsurgency. linus Says:

Matthew Yglesias » Where The Troops Are Going 2009

When a Politician R, US strays from any of those denominators, it stands out like an inkspot in a bowl of milk.

Harry Reid Among The Race Hypocrites - Dan_McLaughlin’s blog - RedState 2010

So attuned is the human mind to look for and find answers that sometimes it extracts meaning where none exists: the face of an old man, a witch, or the image of a monster, seen in an inkspot; psychic portent attributed to mere coincidence; the cry of "why me?" when natural disaster strikes, as if the agent of disaster chooses its victim; the perception of supernatural anger expressed in the violence of an earthquake.

the urge to know 2005

Just as a note, on the blog linked at inkspot (on the O&B post), our old “friend” Danny boy uses almost identical language to Steve Bloom, deriding amateurs, claiming that this blog indulges in character assassination etc (which is a real hoot, imagine Mr Character Assassination himself moaning about it).

National Academies Panel on Temperature Reconstruction « Climate Audit 2006

So attuned is the human mind to look for and find answers that sometimes it extracts meaning where none exists: the face of an old man, a witch, or the image of a monster, seen in an inkspot; psychic portent attributed to mere coincidence; the cry of "why me?" when natural disaster strikes, as if the agent of disaster chooses its victim; the perception of supernatural anger expressed in the violence of an earthquake.

Archive 2005-07-01 2005

"There was a big inkspot on my rug," muttered Jennie Stone.

Ruth Fielding in Moving Pictures Or, Helping the Dormitory Fund Alice B. Emerson

I cast my own down at the brown linoleum until every stain and inkspot was impressed ineradicably on my mind.

Greener Than You Think Ward Moore 1940

So he keeps it low-key, climbing back into his Jaguar, leaving behind a group of reporters who admit the only story they'll get out of the entire day is the unfortunate inkspot that has appeared on the back of Sarah Brown's dress.

The Guardian World News 2010