cunctation \kunk-TAY-shun\ noun : delay
Example sentence: When a case that had been carried on the court calendar for nearly three years was brought before the judge, he admonished the lawyer for flagrant cunctation.
Did you know? "Cunctation" isn't the only word we have from Latin "cunctari," which means "to hesitate." There are the adjectives "cunctatory," "cunctatious," and "cunctative" ("tending to delay"), and the noun "cunctator" ("one who delays"). Without hesitation, we will tell you that although "cunctation" has been around for over 400 years, all these words are pretty rare -- but that's not to say that no one ever uses them now. For example, our example sentence was inspired by an actual modern use in reference to a cunctatory lawyer. Nor are they just "lawyer words": "The FAA has a cunctative approach to supervising airline security," wrote _Playboy_ magazine in 2002. So, if you delight in hard words, don't forever put off using one of these vocabulary-boosting terms.
30 April 2006
29 April 2006
The Word of the Day
caparison \kuh-PAIR-uh-sun\ noun
1 a : an ornamental covering for a horse b : decorative trappings and harness
*2 : rich clothing : adornment
Example sentence: For her role as the queen, the costume department fitted Rita with the kind of caparisons suitable only for royalty.
Did you know? "Caparison" first embellished English in the 1500s, when we borrowed it from the Middle French "caparacon." Early caparisons were likely used to display the heraldic colors of a horseman, and in some cases may also have functioned as protective covering for the horse. In British India, elephants, not horses, were decked out with caparisons -- and to this day both animals can still be seen in such attire during parades and circuses. It did not take long for "caparison" to come to refer to the ornate clothing worn by a man or woman. "Caparison" also serves English as a verb, a use first recorded in Shakespeare when Richard III commanded, "Come, bustle, bustle; caparison my horse."
1 a : an ornamental covering for a horse b : decorative trappings and harness
*2 : rich clothing : adornment
Example sentence: For her role as the queen, the costume department fitted Rita with the kind of caparisons suitable only for royalty.
Did you know? "Caparison" first embellished English in the 1500s, when we borrowed it from the Middle French "caparacon." Early caparisons were likely used to display the heraldic colors of a horseman, and in some cases may also have functioned as protective covering for the horse. In British India, elephants, not horses, were decked out with caparisons -- and to this day both animals can still be seen in such attire during parades and circuses. It did not take long for "caparison" to come to refer to the ornate clothing worn by a man or woman. "Caparison" also serves English as a verb, a use first recorded in Shakespeare when Richard III commanded, "Come, bustle, bustle; caparison my horse."
28 April 2006
Let’s Impeach the President
by Neil Young Click title to listen to new cd
Let’s impeach the president for lying
And leading our country into war
Abusing all the power that we gave him
And shipping all our money out the door
He’s the man who hired all the criminals
The White House shadows who hide behind closed doors
And bend the facts to fit with their new stories
Of why we have to send our men to war
Let’s impeach the president for spying
On citizens inside their own homes
Breaking every law in the country
By tapping our computers and telephones
What if Al Qaeda blew up the levees
Would New Orleans have been safer that way
Sheltered by our government’s protection
Or was someone just not home that day?
Let’s impeach the president
For hijacking our religion and using it to get elected
Dividing our country into colors
And still leaving black people neglected
Thank God he’s cracking down on steroids
Since he sold his old baseball team
There’s lot of people looking at big trouble
But of course the president is clean
Thank God
Let’s impeach the president for lying
And leading our country into war
Abusing all the power that we gave him
And shipping all our money out the door
He’s the man who hired all the criminals
The White House shadows who hide behind closed doors
And bend the facts to fit with their new stories
Of why we have to send our men to war
Let’s impeach the president for spying
On citizens inside their own homes
Breaking every law in the country
By tapping our computers and telephones
What if Al Qaeda blew up the levees
Would New Orleans have been safer that way
Sheltered by our government’s protection
Or was someone just not home that day?
Let’s impeach the president
For hijacking our religion and using it to get elected
Dividing our country into colors
And still leaving black people neglected
Thank God he’s cracking down on steroids
Since he sold his old baseball team
There’s lot of people looking at big trouble
But of course the president is clean
Thank God
Blogger who criticized Maine tourism office faces lawsuit
Case reflects growing influence of weblogs
By Robert Weisman, Globe Staff | April 28, 2006
A coastal Maine blogger who criticized the state's tourism office has been hit with a lawsuit seeking potentially more than $1 million in damages for allegedly making false statements and posting on his website, Maine Web Report, images from proposed tourism advertisements a New York agency prepared for Maine officials. Click title
By Robert Weisman, Globe Staff | April 28, 2006
A coastal Maine blogger who criticized the state's tourism office has been hit with a lawsuit seeking potentially more than $1 million in damages for allegedly making false statements and posting on his website, Maine Web Report, images from proposed tourism advertisements a New York agency prepared for Maine officials. Click title
27 April 2006
A Child's Imagination
As this fun site knows all too well, there is no imagination quite like a child's imagination. This is one hilarious and quirky collection of "ideas" that adults once thought were true when they were children.
The Word of the Day
bas-relief \bah-ri-LEEF\ noun : sculptural relief in which the projection from the surrounding surface is slight and no part of the modeled form is undercut; also : a sculpture executed in bas-relief
Example sentence: Jamal admired the bas-reliefs carved into the walls of the ancient Assyrian palace.
Did you know? The best way to understand the meaning of "bas-relief" is to see one -- and the easiest way to do that is to pull one out of your pocket. Just take out a penny, nickel, or other coin and examine the raised images on it; they're all bas-reliefs. English speakers adopted "bas-relief" from French (where "bas" means "low" and "relief" means "raised work") during the mid-1600s. A few decades earlier, we also borrowed the synonymous "basso-relievo" from Italian. The French and Italian terms have common ancestors (and, in fact, the French word is likely a translation of the Italian), but English speakers apparently borrowed the two independently. "Bas-relief" is more prevalent in English today, although the Italian-derived term has not disappeared completely from the language.
Example sentence: Jamal admired the bas-reliefs carved into the walls of the ancient Assyrian palace.
Did you know? The best way to understand the meaning of "bas-relief" is to see one -- and the easiest way to do that is to pull one out of your pocket. Just take out a penny, nickel, or other coin and examine the raised images on it; they're all bas-reliefs. English speakers adopted "bas-relief" from French (where "bas" means "low" and "relief" means "raised work") during the mid-1600s. A few decades earlier, we also borrowed the synonymous "basso-relievo" from Italian. The French and Italian terms have common ancestors (and, in fact, the French word is likely a translation of the Italian), but English speakers apparently borrowed the two independently. "Bas-relief" is more prevalent in English today, although the Italian-derived term has not disappeared completely from the language.
House Ignores Public, Sells Out the Internet
The following press release was issued Wednesday by the SavetheInternet.com Coalition:
Growing Right-Left Coalition Gains Momentum, Looks to Senate to Save Internet Freedom from Telecom Cartel
WASHINGTON – Today the House Energy and Commerce Committee struck a blow to Internet freedom by voting down a proposal to protect Network Neutrality from attacks by companies like AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast.
- - -
Net Neutrality means all online activity must be treated equally, and companies like AT&T must allow Internet users to view the smallest blog just as easily as the largest corporate Web site. Click title
Growing Right-Left Coalition Gains Momentum, Looks to Senate to Save Internet Freedom from Telecom Cartel
WASHINGTON – Today the House Energy and Commerce Committee struck a blow to Internet freedom by voting down a proposal to protect Network Neutrality from attacks by companies like AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast.
- - -
Net Neutrality means all online activity must be treated equally, and companies like AT&T must allow Internet users to view the smallest blog just as easily as the largest corporate Web site. Click title
Eighteen families paying millions to kill estate tax
Eighteen of America's wealthiest families, including the Timkens of Canton, are bankrolling efforts to permanently repeal estate taxes that would save their families a total of $71.6 billion, according to a report released Tuesday by public interest groups, the (information-restricted) Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Click title
26 April 2006
Study rebuts conflict fears around FDA
Financial ties of panels failed to sway decisions
By Diedtra Henderson, Globe Staff April 26, 2006
WASHINGTON -- A consumer group's study of Food and Drug Administration advisory panel members with financial ties to the drug industry reached a surprising conclusion: Click title for article
By Diedtra Henderson, Globe Staff April 26, 2006
WASHINGTON -- A consumer group's study of Food and Drug Administration advisory panel members with financial ties to the drug industry reached a surprising conclusion: Click title for article
Still Trust the American Government?
Burnt Offgassings: Tales of Teflon
11:15 am - April 25, 2006
In the 1990s, when I told my husband that fumes from overheated nonstick pans had been known to kill pet birds, he said not to worry, as we had no bird. He did, however, get a bit concerned a decade later, when perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a component of nonstick coatings and "a likely human carcinogen," according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), was found in the blood of 95 percent of Americans, including pregnant women. PFOA has also been found in marine mammals and polar bears. And all nonstick cookware, whether the brand be Teflon, T-fal, Silverstone, Calphalon, Scanpan or All Clad, is made with PFOA. Click title for article
11:15 am - April 25, 2006
In the 1990s, when I told my husband that fumes from overheated nonstick pans had been known to kill pet birds, he said not to worry, as we had no bird. He did, however, get a bit concerned a decade later, when perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a component of nonstick coatings and "a likely human carcinogen," according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), was found in the blood of 95 percent of Americans, including pregnant women. PFOA has also been found in marine mammals and polar bears. And all nonstick cookware, whether the brand be Teflon, T-fal, Silverstone, Calphalon, Scanpan or All Clad, is made with PFOA. Click title for article
The Word of the Day
acquisitive \uh-KWIZ-uh-tiv\ adjective : strongly desirous of acquiring and possessing
Example sentence: My great uncle was an acquisitive workaholic who amassed great material wealth but never found happiness.
Did you know? "Acquisitive" and its synonyms "greedy," "covetous," and "avaricious" are ideal for the "give me, get me, buy me" set. All suggest a strong desire for possessions, especially material possessions. "Greedy" stresses unrestrained craving to have anything and everything, while "covetous" implies inordinate desire for something that belongs to someone else. "Avaricious" connotes an obsessive appetite for money, and it is often used to describe people who are stingy or miserly. "Acquisitive" generally expresses eagerness to both possess and keep things, whether they are material or cognitive (for example, someone hungry to learn and remember new things might be said to have an acquisitive mind).
Example sentence: My great uncle was an acquisitive workaholic who amassed great material wealth but never found happiness.
Did you know? "Acquisitive" and its synonyms "greedy," "covetous," and "avaricious" are ideal for the "give me, get me, buy me" set. All suggest a strong desire for possessions, especially material possessions. "Greedy" stresses unrestrained craving to have anything and everything, while "covetous" implies inordinate desire for something that belongs to someone else. "Avaricious" connotes an obsessive appetite for money, and it is often used to describe people who are stingy or miserly. "Acquisitive" generally expresses eagerness to both possess and keep things, whether they are material or cognitive (for example, someone hungry to learn and remember new things might be said to have an acquisitive mind).
Market Report: 1Q Foreclosures Up 38%
Irvine, Calif., April 24, 2006/PRNewswire
RealtyTrac, the leading online marketplace for foreclosure properties, today released its 2006 Q1 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, which showed that 323,102 properties nationwide entered some stage of foreclosure in the first quarter of 2006, a 38 percent increase from the previous quarter and a 72 percent year-over-year increase from the first quarter of 2005. The nation's quarterly foreclosure rate of one new foreclosure for every 358 U.S. households was higher than in any quarter of last year. Click title
RealtyTrac, the leading online marketplace for foreclosure properties, today released its 2006 Q1 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, which showed that 323,102 properties nationwide entered some stage of foreclosure in the first quarter of 2006, a 38 percent increase from the previous quarter and a 72 percent year-over-year increase from the first quarter of 2005. The nation's quarterly foreclosure rate of one new foreclosure for every 358 U.S. households was higher than in any quarter of last year. Click title
Nation's Building News
If you're interested at all in the homebuilding market, this is the official online weekly newspaper.
A PowerHouse in the Mid-Atlantic Region
Bob Ward Companies of Edgewood, Maryland is working with the NAHB Research Center to build one of the first ultra energy-efficient production homes in the Mid-Atlantic region. Although the home will not boast 100% net-zero annual energy consumption, it will be a significant step beyond the builder's current ENERGY STAR® qualified home designs. It will also be the first time Bob Ward Companies includes renewable energy systems in a home. Combining state-of-the-art energy-efficient features with solar thermal and photovoltaic technologies, the home is expected to perform about 50 percent better than a standard code-compliant home of similar size.
The 2,900 square foot home is typical of many new homes built in . . . Click title for article
The 2,900 square foot home is typical of many new homes built in . . . Click title for article
25 April 2006
Virtual Vaudeville
Take a trip back to the 19th Century to VirtualVaudeville.Com. Past meets future at this cool website, which combines the nostalgia and creativity of Vaudeville with the innovation of virtual technology.
The Word of the Day
syncretism \SING-kruh-tiz-um\ noun
*1 : the combination of different forms of belief or practice
2 : the fusion of two or more originally different inflectional forms
Example sentence: Taoism is a syncretism of Buddhism, with its emphasis on meditation, and Confucianism, which emphasizes knowledge and reason.
Did you know? The ancient Greeks mainly used the term "synkretismos" to describe the joining together of Greeks in opposition to a common enemy. In the early 17th century, English speakers adopted the term in the anglicized form "syncretism" to refer to the union of different religious beliefs. Three centuries later, lexicographers of the 1909 edition of _Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language_ added a new definition of "syncretism" ("the union or fusion into one or two or more originally different inflectional forms, as of two cases"), but this specialized sense is rarely encountered outside of the field of linguistics. Some related terms that you might encounter are "syncretize" ("to attempt to unite and harmonize"), "syncretist" ("one who advocates syncretism"), and "syncretic" and "syncretistic" ("characterized or brought about by syncretism").
*1 : the combination of different forms of belief or practice
2 : the fusion of two or more originally different inflectional forms
Example sentence: Taoism is a syncretism of Buddhism, with its emphasis on meditation, and Confucianism, which emphasizes knowledge and reason.
Did you know? The ancient Greeks mainly used the term "synkretismos" to describe the joining together of Greeks in opposition to a common enemy. In the early 17th century, English speakers adopted the term in the anglicized form "syncretism" to refer to the union of different religious beliefs. Three centuries later, lexicographers of the 1909 edition of _Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language_ added a new definition of "syncretism" ("the union or fusion into one or two or more originally different inflectional forms, as of two cases"), but this specialized sense is rarely encountered outside of the field of linguistics. Some related terms that you might encounter are "syncretize" ("to attempt to unite and harmonize"), "syncretist" ("one who advocates syncretism"), and "syncretic" and "syncretistic" ("characterized or brought about by syncretism").
24 April 2006
Sacred sites
This unique travel website is a guide to holy lands, religious sites, pilgrimage destinations and other sacred places around the world. With a catalogue of over 1,500 'sacred sites', seekers of all faiths are sure to find what they are looking for.
The Word of the Day
nidus \NYE-dus\ noun
1 : a nest or breeding place; especially : a place or substance in an animal or plant where bacteria or other organisms lodge and multiply
*2 : a place where something originates, develops, or is located
Example sentence: The college, with its focus on human ecology, is widely known as a nidus of environmental activism. (The daycare, with its focus on grubby disgusting little children, is wisely known as a nidus of nasty germs.)
Did you know? The sciences use "nidus" to refer to a breeding ground, often a place where bacteria lodge and multiply. Thus, although it literally means "nest" in Latin, the word carries none of the positive connotations that "nest" has in English (such as "home"). Rather, a nidus is usually a source of infection or undesirable opinions or habits. But that hasn't kept other "nidus"-related words in English from referring to homier places, such as the nests where animals rear their young. We have "nidification," for the process of building a nest, and "nidicolous," meaning "reared in a nest."
1 : a nest or breeding place; especially : a place or substance in an animal or plant where bacteria or other organisms lodge and multiply
*2 : a place where something originates, develops, or is located
Example sentence: The college, with its focus on human ecology, is widely known as a nidus of environmental activism. (The daycare, with its focus on grubby disgusting little children, is wisely known as a nidus of nasty germs.)
Did you know? The sciences use "nidus" to refer to a breeding ground, often a place where bacteria lodge and multiply. Thus, although it literally means "nest" in Latin, the word carries none of the positive connotations that "nest" has in English (such as "home"). Rather, a nidus is usually a source of infection or undesirable opinions or habits. But that hasn't kept other "nidus"-related words in English from referring to homier places, such as the nests where animals rear their young. We have "nidification," for the process of building a nest, and "nidicolous," meaning "reared in a nest."
23 April 2006
MORE THAN TAPE
METERBROKEN is a proactive awareness campaign whose goal is to ward off bogus parking tickets by debunking the myth that it is illegal to park at “broken” meters. Click title
The Word of the Day
risorgimento \ree-zor-juh-MEN-toh\ noun
1 often capitalized : the 19th century movement for Italian political unity
*2 : a time of renewal or renaissance : revival
Example sentence: Retailers hope the new biography and CD box set will spark a risorgimento of interest in the long-forgotten songwriter.
Did you know? During the period of the French Revolution and Napoleonic wars (1796-1815), the French dominated Italy and introduced many new reforms to the Italian states. After the wars, the states were restored to their former rulers, the Austrians, and took on a conservative character. In response, a number of secret societies arose as part of an ideological and literary movement in support of a united Italy free of foreign domination. This movement was given the name "Risorgimento," which literally translates from Italian as "rising again." Although most modern use of the term still refers to this movement, the word also has another broader meaning in English; it acquired its second sense ("revival") in the mid-20th century.
1 often capitalized : the 19th century movement for Italian political unity
*2 : a time of renewal or renaissance : revival
Example sentence: Retailers hope the new biography and CD box set will spark a risorgimento of interest in the long-forgotten songwriter.
Did you know? During the period of the French Revolution and Napoleonic wars (1796-1815), the French dominated Italy and introduced many new reforms to the Italian states. After the wars, the states were restored to their former rulers, the Austrians, and took on a conservative character. In response, a number of secret societies arose as part of an ideological and literary movement in support of a united Italy free of foreign domination. This movement was given the name "Risorgimento," which literally translates from Italian as "rising again." Although most modern use of the term still refers to this movement, the word also has another broader meaning in English; it acquired its second sense ("revival") in the mid-20th century.
22 April 2006
The Word of the Day
carpe diem \KAR-peh-DEE-em\ noun
: the enjoyment of the pleasures of the moment without concern for the future
Example sentence: In the spirit of carpe diem we jumped at the chance to travel to Paris, even though it was a stretch for our budget.
Did you know? This Latin phrase literally means "Pluck the day!" but it is most often translated as "Seize the day!" Horace, the Roman poet, coined the phrase to convey the philosophy that one should enjoy life while one can. The so-called "carpe diem poetry" of 16th-century and 17th-century England expresses this idea in verse; in a well-known example, Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress," the poet urges his lover to submit to his embraces before her beauty fades and they both die.
: the enjoyment of the pleasures of the moment without concern for the future
Example sentence: In the spirit of carpe diem we jumped at the chance to travel to Paris, even though it was a stretch for our budget.
Did you know? This Latin phrase literally means "Pluck the day!" but it is most often translated as "Seize the day!" Horace, the Roman poet, coined the phrase to convey the philosophy that one should enjoy life while one can. The so-called "carpe diem poetry" of 16th-century and 17th-century England expresses this idea in verse; in a well-known example, Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress," the poet urges his lover to submit to his embraces before her beauty fades and they both die.
A Few Words About Sudoku, Which Has None
IT is said that nature abhors a vacuum. As humans we seem to have an innate desire to fill up empty spaces. This might explain part of the appeal of sudoku, the new international craze, with its empty squares to be filled with digits. Click title for article
Why is the sky blue?
Facts you should know
Scientists offer 10 basic questions to test your knowledge.
Andrea L. Gawrylewski, Columbia News Service
Think you know you know your science? Recently, several science gurus -- Nobel Prize winners, institute heads, teachers and others who spend most of their time thinking about science -- were asked, "What is one science question every high school graduate should be able to answer?"
Take their quiz and see how you do. Click title for article and answers.
Scientists offer 10 basic questions to test your knowledge.
Andrea L. Gawrylewski, Columbia News Service
Think you know you know your science? Recently, several science gurus -- Nobel Prize winners, institute heads, teachers and others who spend most of their time thinking about science -- were asked, "What is one science question every high school graduate should be able to answer?"
Take their quiz and see how you do. Click title for article and answers.
21 April 2006
The Word of the Day
stentorian \sten-TOR-ee-un\ adjective
: extremely loud
Example sentence: "Stop that man," Tom yelled in a stentorian voice as he jostled his way through the crowd after the pickpocket.
Did you know? The Greek herald Stentor was known for having a voice that came through loud and clear. In fact, in the _Iliad_, Homer described Stentor as a man whose voice was as loud as that of fifty men together. Stentor's powerful voice made him a natural choice for delivering announcements and proclamations to the assembled Greek army during the Trojan War, and it also made his name a byword for any person with a loud, strong voice. Both the noun "stentor" and the related adjective "stentorian" pay homage to the big-voiced warrior, and both have been making noise in English since the early 17th century.
: extremely loud
Example sentence: "Stop that man," Tom yelled in a stentorian voice as he jostled his way through the crowd after the pickpocket.
Did you know? The Greek herald Stentor was known for having a voice that came through loud and clear. In fact, in the _Iliad_, Homer described Stentor as a man whose voice was as loud as that of fifty men together. Stentor's powerful voice made him a natural choice for delivering announcements and proclamations to the assembled Greek army during the Trojan War, and it also made his name a byword for any person with a loud, strong voice. Both the noun "stentor" and the related adjective "stentorian" pay homage to the big-voiced warrior, and both have been making noise in English since the early 17th century.
20 April 2006
The Word of the Day
ab initio \ab-uh-NISH-ee-oh\ adverb : from the beginning
Example sentence: "Under Pennsylvania law, a life-insurance policy that would have been issued at a higher premium if the insured had supplied the correct smoking information was void ab initio...." (_The National Law Journal_, March 4, 1991)
Did you know? We'll tell you right from the beginning where "ab initio" comes from! This adverb was adopted at the end of the 16th century directly from Latin, and it translates, unsurprisingly, as "from the beginning." ("Initio" is a form of the noun "initium," meaning "beginning," which gave rise to such English words as "initial," "initiate," and "initiative.") "Ab initio" frequently appears in legal contexts, as in our example sentence. Recently, people have also begun using "ab initio" as an adjective meaning "starting from or based on first principles" (as in "predicted from ab initio calculations").
Example sentence: "Under Pennsylvania law, a life-insurance policy that would have been issued at a higher premium if the insured had supplied the correct smoking information was void ab initio...." (_The National Law Journal_, March 4, 1991)
Did you know? We'll tell you right from the beginning where "ab initio" comes from! This adverb was adopted at the end of the 16th century directly from Latin, and it translates, unsurprisingly, as "from the beginning." ("Initio" is a form of the noun "initium," meaning "beginning," which gave rise to such English words as "initial," "initiate," and "initiative.") "Ab initio" frequently appears in legal contexts, as in our example sentence. Recently, people have also begun using "ab initio" as an adjective meaning "starting from or based on first principles" (as in "predicted from ab initio calculations").
19 April 2006
The Word of the Day
acceptation \ak-sep-TAY-shun\ noun
1 : acceptance; especially : favorable reception or approval
*2 : a generally accepted meaning of a word or understanding of a concept
Example sentence: I may not be an "athlete," in the common acceptation of that word, but I do enjoy my daily workouts at the gym.
Did you know? "Acceptation" is older than its synonym "acceptance"; it first appeared in print in the 15th century, whereas "acceptance" took until 1574. Grammarian H. W. Fowler insisted in 1926 that "acceptation" and "acceptance" were not actually synonymous (he preferred to reserve "acceptation" for the "accepted meaning" use), but the earliest meaning of "acceptation" was indeed "acceptance." Both words descend from the Anglo-French word "accepter" ("to accept"), but "acceptation" took an extra step. Anglo-French added the "-ation" ending, which was changed to form "acceptacioun" in Middle English. (English embraced the present-day "-ation" ending later.) "Acceptance" simply comes from "accepter" plus the Anglo-French "-ance."
1 : acceptance; especially : favorable reception or approval
*2 : a generally accepted meaning of a word or understanding of a concept
Example sentence: I may not be an "athlete," in the common acceptation of that word, but I do enjoy my daily workouts at the gym.
Did you know? "Acceptation" is older than its synonym "acceptance"; it first appeared in print in the 15th century, whereas "acceptance" took until 1574. Grammarian H. W. Fowler insisted in 1926 that "acceptation" and "acceptance" were not actually synonymous (he preferred to reserve "acceptation" for the "accepted meaning" use), but the earliest meaning of "acceptation" was indeed "acceptance." Both words descend from the Anglo-French word "accepter" ("to accept"), but "acceptation" took an extra step. Anglo-French added the "-ation" ending, which was changed to form "acceptacioun" in Middle English. (English embraced the present-day "-ation" ending later.) "Acceptance" simply comes from "accepter" plus the Anglo-French "-ance."
18 April 2006
Momma's beach house
This is the next to the last house my mother designed and lived in before she died.
The Word of the Day
theriac \THEER-ee-ak\ noun
1 : a mixture of many drugs and honey formerly held to be an antidote to poison
*2 : cure-all
Example sentence: Garlic has been called the poor man's theriac.
Did you know? There really is no such thing as a single remedy for all that ails us. But that hasn't kept English speakers from creating, not just a single word, but several words, that mean "cure-all" -- "catholicon," "elixir," "nostrum," "panacea," and today's word, "theriac." When we first used "theriac," it meant "an antidote for poison" -- for any and all poisons, that is. That's how our Roman and Greek forebears used their "theriaca" and "theriake," which derive ultimately from the Greek word for "wild animal." The first theriac was supposedly created by the first-century Greek physician Andromachus, whose concoction consisted of some 70 drugs pulverized with honey. Medieval physicians created even more elaborate theriacs to dose a plague-dreading populace, for whom the possibility of a cure-all didn't seem too wild a notion at all.
1 : a mixture of many drugs and honey formerly held to be an antidote to poison
*2 : cure-all
Example sentence: Garlic has been called the poor man's theriac.
Did you know? There really is no such thing as a single remedy for all that ails us. But that hasn't kept English speakers from creating, not just a single word, but several words, that mean "cure-all" -- "catholicon," "elixir," "nostrum," "panacea," and today's word, "theriac." When we first used "theriac," it meant "an antidote for poison" -- for any and all poisons, that is. That's how our Roman and Greek forebears used their "theriaca" and "theriake," which derive ultimately from the Greek word for "wild animal." The first theriac was supposedly created by the first-century Greek physician Andromachus, whose concoction consisted of some 70 drugs pulverized with honey. Medieval physicians created even more elaborate theriacs to dose a plague-dreading populace, for whom the possibility of a cure-all didn't seem too wild a notion at all.
Robbery, not reconstruction, in Iraq
By Derrick Z. Jackson, Globe Columnist | April 18, 2006
The great liberator of Iraq was actually the hyena that cleaned out the nation.
Piece by piece, Halliburton over here, a corrupt company over there, we have heard various individual cases of overcharging and fraud by American firms in the reconstruction of Iraq. Last weekend, a Globe story connected some of the dots of corruption. Of $20.7 billion in Iraqi bank accounts and oil revenues seized by the Coalition Provisional Authority in the US-led invasion of Iraq, $14 billion was given out for reconstruction but tens of millions of dollars were unaccounted for. A year ago, an audit by the inspector general found no evidence of work done or goods delivered on 154 of 198 contracts. Sixty cases of potential swindles are under investigation.
Halliburton and its hundreds of millions of dollars of overcharges or baseless costs are well known. But millions more were taken by companies that promised to build or restore libraries or police facilities, or deliver trucks and construction equipment. Money was given to the puppet government with no follow-up. US government investigators can account for only a third of the $1.5 billion given by the CPA to the interim government and it appears that a substantial portion of the $8 billion given to Iraqi ministries went to ''ghost employees.''
Because of the way the United States set things up after the invasion, contractors are immune from prosecution by Iraqis. And even when firms are prosecuted, the millions of dollars in fines go to the US Treasury, not the Iraqi people. It amounts to two invasions. First the bombs. Then the banks.
This is robbery, not reconstruction.
Click title for remainder.
17 April 2006
The Word of the Day
coax \KOAKS\ verb
1 : to influence or gently urge by caressing or flattering : wheedle
2 : to draw, gain, or persuade by means of gentle urging or flattery
*3 : to manipulate with great perseverance and usually with considerable effort toward a desired state or activity
Example sentence: Stem cells can be cultured to divide and then coaxed to turn into many different cell types.
Did you know? In the days of yore, if you made a "cokes" of someone, you made a fool of them. "Cokes" -- a now-obsolete word for "fool" -- is believed to be the source of our verb "coax," which was first used in the 16th century (with the spelling "cokes") to mean "to make a fool of." Soon, the verb also took on the kinder meaning of "to make a pet of." As might be expected, the act of cokesing was sometimes done for personal gain. By the 17th century, the word was being used in today's senses that refer to influencing or persuading people by kind acts or words. By the early 19th century, the spelling "cokes" had fallen out of use, along with the meanings "to make a fool of" and "to make a pet of."
1 : to influence or gently urge by caressing or flattering : wheedle
2 : to draw, gain, or persuade by means of gentle urging or flattery
*3 : to manipulate with great perseverance and usually with considerable effort toward a desired state or activity
Example sentence: Stem cells can be cultured to divide and then coaxed to turn into many different cell types.
Did you know? In the days of yore, if you made a "cokes" of someone, you made a fool of them. "Cokes" -- a now-obsolete word for "fool" -- is believed to be the source of our verb "coax," which was first used in the 16th century (with the spelling "cokes") to mean "to make a fool of." Soon, the verb also took on the kinder meaning of "to make a pet of." As might be expected, the act of cokesing was sometimes done for personal gain. By the 17th century, the word was being used in today's senses that refer to influencing or persuading people by kind acts or words. By the early 19th century, the spelling "cokes" had fallen out of use, along with the meanings "to make a fool of" and "to make a pet of."
16 April 2006
Just Check No?
A lie college students might want to tell.
By Ryan Grim (writes for the Washington City Paper.)
In 1998, Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind., an advocate of stringent drug laws, slipped into a House bill an amendment denying federal financial aid for college to anyone who had been convicted of either selling or possessing drugs. No congressional committee voted on the amendment. But it passed as part of the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, first enacted in 1965 to create federal financial aid for college students. Click title
By Ryan Grim (writes for the Washington City Paper.)
In 1998, Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind., an advocate of stringent drug laws, slipped into a House bill an amendment denying federal financial aid for college to anyone who had been convicted of either selling or possessing drugs. No congressional committee voted on the amendment. But it passed as part of the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, first enacted in 1965 to create federal financial aid for college students. Click title
Today
I am listening to:
Un-Break My Heart - Toni Braxton
My Lovin (You're Never Gonna Get It) - En Vogue
Because of You - Kelly Clarkson
If No One Will Listen - Keri Noble
Smooth - Santana & Rob Thomas
Anastacia
I'm Outta Love
Cowboys & Kisses
Paid My Dues
One Day In Your Life
Why'd You Lie to Me
You'll Never Be Alone
Left Outside Alone
Sick and Tired
Welcome to My Truth
Heavy On My Heart
I Belong to You (Il Ritmo Della Passione)
Pieces of a Dream
In Your Eyes
Club Megamix
Everything Burns (Ben Moody Featuring Anastacia)
Not That Kind
Made for Lovin' You
Un-Break My Heart - Toni Braxton
My Lovin (You're Never Gonna Get It) - En Vogue
Because of You - Kelly Clarkson
If No One Will Listen - Keri Noble
Smooth - Santana & Rob Thomas
Anastacia
I'm Outta Love
Cowboys & Kisses
Paid My Dues
One Day In Your Life
Why'd You Lie to Me
You'll Never Be Alone
Left Outside Alone
Sick and Tired
Welcome to My Truth
Heavy On My Heart
I Belong to You (Il Ritmo Della Passione)
Pieces of a Dream
In Your Eyes
Club Megamix
Everything Burns (Ben Moody Featuring Anastacia)
Not That Kind
Made for Lovin' You
The Scots-Irish: The Thirteenth Tribe
Raymond Campbell Paterson
“A man with God is always in the majority.” John Knox
“I love Highlanders, and I love Lowlanders, but when I come to that branch of our race that has been grafted on to the Ulster stem I take off my hat in veneration and awe.” Lord Rosebery
Let us begin by asking a simple question-who are the Scots-Irish? Simple questions very rarely have simple answers, and the answer to this one is more complex than most. Much depends, moreover, on where in the world it is posed. Click title to continue
“A man with God is always in the majority.” John Knox
“I love Highlanders, and I love Lowlanders, but when I come to that branch of our race that has been grafted on to the Ulster stem I take off my hat in veneration and awe.” Lord Rosebery
Let us begin by asking a simple question-who are the Scots-Irish? Simple questions very rarely have simple answers, and the answer to this one is more complex than most. Much depends, moreover, on where in the world it is posed. Click title to continue
15 April 2006
The Word of the Day
lugubrious \loo-GOO-bree-us\ adjective
*1 : mournful; especially : exaggeratedly or affectedly mournful
2 : dismal
Example sentence: "The dogs ... simultaneously lifting their noses, began to howl in most lugubrious fashion." (Bram Stoker, _Dracula_)
Did you know? "It is a consolation to the wretched to have companions in misery," wrote Publilius Syrus in the first century BC. Perhaps this explains why "lugubrious" is so woeful -- it's all alone. Sure, we can dress up "lugubrious" with suffixes to form "lugubriously" or "lugubriousness," but the word remains essentially an only child -- the sole surviving English offspring of its Latin ancestors. This wasn't always the case, though. "Lugubrious" once had a linguistic living relative in "luctual," an adjective meaning "sad" or "sorrowful." Like "lugubrious," "luctual" traced ultimately to the Latin verb "lugere," meaning "to mourn." "Luctual," however, faded into obsolescence long ago, leaving "lugubrious" to carry on the family's mournful mission all alone.
belfry \BEL-free\ noun
*1 : a bell tower; especially : one surmounting or attached to another structure
2 : a room or framework for enclosing a bell
3 : head
Example sentence: "It was three o'clock; the church bell tolled as I passed under the belfry: the charm of the hour lay in its approaching dimness, in the low-gliding and pale-beaming sun." (Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre)
Did you know? Surprisingly, "belfry" does not come from "bell," and early belfries did not contain bells at all. "Belfry" comes from "berfrey," a medieval term for a wooden tower used in sieges. The structure could be rolled up to a fortification wall so that warriors hidden inside could storm the battlements. Over time, the term was applied to other types of shelters and towers, many of which had bells in them. Through association, people began spelling "berfrey" as "bellfrey," then as "belfrey" and later "belfry." On a more metaphorical note, someone who has "bats in the belfry" is crazy or eccentric. This phrase is responsible for the use of "bats" for "crazy" ("Are you completely bats?") and the occasional use of "belfry" for "head" ("He's not quite right in the belfry").
*1 : mournful; especially : exaggeratedly or affectedly mournful
2 : dismal
Example sentence: "The dogs ... simultaneously lifting their noses, began to howl in most lugubrious fashion." (Bram Stoker, _Dracula_)
Did you know? "It is a consolation to the wretched to have companions in misery," wrote Publilius Syrus in the first century BC. Perhaps this explains why "lugubrious" is so woeful -- it's all alone. Sure, we can dress up "lugubrious" with suffixes to form "lugubriously" or "lugubriousness," but the word remains essentially an only child -- the sole surviving English offspring of its Latin ancestors. This wasn't always the case, though. "Lugubrious" once had a linguistic living relative in "luctual," an adjective meaning "sad" or "sorrowful." Like "lugubrious," "luctual" traced ultimately to the Latin verb "lugere," meaning "to mourn." "Luctual," however, faded into obsolescence long ago, leaving "lugubrious" to carry on the family's mournful mission all alone.
belfry \BEL-free\ noun
*1 : a bell tower; especially : one surmounting or attached to another structure
2 : a room or framework for enclosing a bell
3 : head
Example sentence: "It was three o'clock; the church bell tolled as I passed under the belfry: the charm of the hour lay in its approaching dimness, in the low-gliding and pale-beaming sun." (Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre)
Did you know? Surprisingly, "belfry" does not come from "bell," and early belfries did not contain bells at all. "Belfry" comes from "berfrey," a medieval term for a wooden tower used in sieges. The structure could be rolled up to a fortification wall so that warriors hidden inside could storm the battlements. Over time, the term was applied to other types of shelters and towers, many of which had bells in them. Through association, people began spelling "berfrey" as "bellfrey," then as "belfrey" and later "belfry." On a more metaphorical note, someone who has "bats in the belfry" is crazy or eccentric. This phrase is responsible for the use of "bats" for "crazy" ("Are you completely bats?") and the occasional use of "belfry" for "head" ("He's not quite right in the belfry").
13 April 2006
Activists protest hugging, kissing law
Tan Chen Choon attempts to kiss an opposition Democratic Action Party member of parliament, Fong Po Kuan, during a protest in front of City Hall in downtown Kuala Lumpur. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Opposition activists staged a protest Thursday denouncing morality laws that prevent couples from publicly hugging and kissing in Malaysia's largest city.
Ten male and female representatives of the Democratic Action Party's youth wing held hands and carried banners that read Mind Your Own Business outside the headquarters of Kuala Lumpur City Hall. One man also kissed a woman on the cheek. "There should not be any moral policing, Malaysians are mature enough to know how to behave in public," said Chong Chieng Jen, the youth wing's deputy chief.
The protest was in support of an ethnic Chinese couple, Ooi Kean Thong and Siow Ai Wei, expected to face indecency charges in court in June for allegedly hugging and kissing in public.
City officials claim they caught Ooi, 24, and Siow, 22, in the act at a park near the landmark Petronas Twin Towers in 2003. Such acts are deemed indecent under a Kuala Lumpur bylaw, and their lawyer has said the couple could be jailed for up to a year if convicted.
About 20 police and city hall officers watched Wednesday's 10-minute protest.
Chong expressed concerns that the enforcement of morality laws was tantamount to forcing ethnic minority communities to accept Muslim decency standards.
"If we don't voice our protest, the process of Islamization of Malaysia will take a big leap," Chong told reporters.
About a quarter of Malaysia's 26 million people are ethnic Chinese, while Malay Muslims form about 60 per cent of the population. Under Islamic law, unmarried people of the opposite sex are forbidden to show affection in public and may not remain together in a room without a chaperone.
WWJD?
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Opposition activists staged a protest Thursday denouncing morality laws that prevent couples from publicly hugging and kissing in Malaysia's largest city.
Ten male and female representatives of the Democratic Action Party's youth wing held hands and carried banners that read Mind Your Own Business outside the headquarters of Kuala Lumpur City Hall. One man also kissed a woman on the cheek. "There should not be any moral policing, Malaysians are mature enough to know how to behave in public," said Chong Chieng Jen, the youth wing's deputy chief.
The protest was in support of an ethnic Chinese couple, Ooi Kean Thong and Siow Ai Wei, expected to face indecency charges in court in June for allegedly hugging and kissing in public.
City officials claim they caught Ooi, 24, and Siow, 22, in the act at a park near the landmark Petronas Twin Towers in 2003. Such acts are deemed indecent under a Kuala Lumpur bylaw, and their lawyer has said the couple could be jailed for up to a year if convicted.
About 20 police and city hall officers watched Wednesday's 10-minute protest.
Chong expressed concerns that the enforcement of morality laws was tantamount to forcing ethnic minority communities to accept Muslim decency standards.
"If we don't voice our protest, the process of Islamization of Malaysia will take a big leap," Chong told reporters.
About a quarter of Malaysia's 26 million people are ethnic Chinese, while Malay Muslims form about 60 per cent of the population. Under Islamic law, unmarried people of the opposite sex are forbidden to show affection in public and may not remain together in a room without a chaperone.
WWJD?
Church program won't care for woman who once was a man
A church's refusal to care for a woman who was once a man highlights a national battle over faith-based social programs. As far as the Rev. John Maxfield could tell, everything was fine between his church and Anoka County until that Friday the 13th.
The county social services department was sending disabled seniors and other vulnerable adults needing care during the day to Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Francis. Trinity's members were bringing in hot dishes for lunch.
Then the county brought another client to the conservative Missouri Synod church: a woman who had begun life as a man.
The church refused to let her in. The county refused to send any more clients.
Maxfield, who says the church now loses significant money on the program, is left to wonder what the future holds for faith-based government-supported social services.
"It places the church in a difficult situation," he said. "We want to minister to everyone. But this person's outward behavior contradicts the church's teaching."
A national trendTrinity Lutheran, said one expert who follows the issues closely, finds itself squarely in the middle of a gathering national battle.
"Two trends are occurring at same time," said Robert Vischer, a law professor at the University of St. Thomas. "The government, recognizing the value of religious organizations providing services that contribute to the good of society, is funding them more. At the same time, we're expanding the range of antidiscrimination laws."
----------------"Jerry Soma, Anoka County's division manager for human services, said the county has been lenient.
"I presume the most prudent thing for us to do was to say, 'You are not taking a person because of sexual orientation, therefore you are discriminating and we will take everyone out till you change your position,' " he said. "But we had a conference, including a county commissioner, and we asked 'Why should we upset the lives of 10 people that are vulnerable adults, getting services, just because of discrimination against one person?"WWJD?
Click title for article
The Word of the Day
seder \SAY-der\ noun
: a Jewish home or community service including a ceremonial dinner held on the first or first and second evenings of the Passover in commemoration of the exodus from Egypt
Example sentence: Ari enjoys the stories, songs, and ceremonies that accompany dinner on the night of the seder.
Did you know? Order and ritual are very important in the seder, so important that they are even reflected in its name; the English word "seder" comes from a Hebrew word that means "order." The order of courses in the meal, as well as prayers, stories, and songs, are recorded in the Haggadah, a book that retells the story of the Exodus and relates the events of the seder to it. Each food consumed as part of the seder recalls an aspect of the Exodus. For instance, matzo (unleavened bread) represents the haste with which the Jews fled Egypt; maror (a mix of bitter herbs) recalls the bitterness of life as a slave; and a mixture of fruits and nuts called charoset (or haroset) symbolizes the clay or mortar the Israelites worked with as slaves.
: a Jewish home or community service including a ceremonial dinner held on the first or first and second evenings of the Passover in commemoration of the exodus from Egypt
Example sentence: Ari enjoys the stories, songs, and ceremonies that accompany dinner on the night of the seder.
Did you know? Order and ritual are very important in the seder, so important that they are even reflected in its name; the English word "seder" comes from a Hebrew word that means "order." The order of courses in the meal, as well as prayers, stories, and songs, are recorded in the Haggadah, a book that retells the story of the Exodus and relates the events of the seder to it. Each food consumed as part of the seder recalls an aspect of the Exodus. For instance, matzo (unleavened bread) represents the haste with which the Jews fled Egypt; maror (a mix of bitter herbs) recalls the bitterness of life as a slave; and a mixture of fruits and nuts called charoset (or haroset) symbolizes the clay or mortar the Israelites worked with as slaves.
Rumsfeld Rebuked By Retired Generals
By Thomas E. Ricks
Washington Post Staff Writer
Washington Post Staff Writer
Another retired officer, Army Maj. Gen. John Riggs, said he believes that his peer group is "a pretty closemouthed bunch" but that, even so, his sense is "everyone pretty much thinks Rumsfeld and the bunch around him should be cleared out."
He emphatically agrees, Riggs said, explaining that he believes Rumsfeld and his advisers have "made fools of themselves, and totally underestimated what would be needed for a sustained conflict." © 2006 The Washington Post Company
Click title for articleWhat Would Darwin Say?
The fish that hunts on land; Catfish show how the first tetrapods might have caught dinner.
Michael Hopkin
The eel catfish, Channallabes apus, catches unsuspecting victims by arching upwards and descending upon prey, trapping an insect against the ground before sucking it up. It performs this trick thanks to a bendy neck supported by specialized vertebrae, which allows it to hover over prey without needing fins or arms to hold up its head.
The same trick may have been used by the very first vertebrates to venture onto land, the researchers speculate.
Tropical snapper
Sam Van Wassenbergh of the University of Antwerp in Belgium and his team present the observation, complete with video evidence, in this week's Nature1. The trick has never been recorded before, says Van Wassenbergh. "This catfish lives in a very inhospitable environment in the tropical swamps of Africa, where not many biologists pass by." ©2006 Nature Publishing Group
Click title for video and article
Michael Hopkin
The eel catfish, Channallabes apus, catches unsuspecting victims by arching upwards and descending upon prey, trapping an insect against the ground before sucking it up. It performs this trick thanks to a bendy neck supported by specialized vertebrae, which allows it to hover over prey without needing fins or arms to hold up its head.
The same trick may have been used by the very first vertebrates to venture onto land, the researchers speculate.
Tropical snapper
Sam Van Wassenbergh of the University of Antwerp in Belgium and his team present the observation, complete with video evidence, in this week's Nature1. The trick has never been recorded before, says Van Wassenbergh. "This catfish lives in a very inhospitable environment in the tropical swamps of Africa, where not many biologists pass by." ©2006 Nature Publishing Group
Click title for video and article
Closing the book
'Da Vinci Code' author fences off his N.H. house in a quest for security and privacy
RYE, N.H. -- It is not the largest house in the neighborhood or the most imposing. It does not even have a water view, unlike the lofty mansions to the east that rise above the rocky coastline.
But enough people have sought out the stone and stucco house and the man inside, ''The Da Vinci Code" author Dan Brown, that a small army of workers this week began building a security fence to keep out intruders.
In a town where miles of knee-high, lichen-covered stone walls mark property lines, Brown and his wife are erecting a 6-foot stone and iron fence.
''How would you like to have someone looking in your window," asked Bill Schleyer, a neighbor who plays golf with Brown.
''It's a pretty powerful piece of work he did," Schleyer said, referring to the book. ''It sparked the imagination of millions and millions of people."
Forbes magazine has ranked Brown the sixth-best paid celebrity in the world, earning $76.5 million in the year ending in June 2005. ''The Da Vinci Code" has sold some 50 million copies in more than 30 languages, and the movie version starring Tom Hanks opens next month.
Click title for articleLet there be light
Organic LEDs use fluorescence to pump up efficiency.
Mark Peplow
Bright, flat, and long-lasting. Is this the new lightbulb? Credit: PhilipsThe traditional light bulb's days could be numbered, according to scientists who have taken an important step towards making white organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) commercially viable.
They expect that, for the wealthy at least, it could be just a few years before rooms are lit by gently glowing thin panels. The lights should be ultra efficient, saving on energy bills and helping to lower energy consumption.
Lighting accounts for about 22% of the electricity consumed in buildings in the United States, and 40% of that amount is eaten up by inefficient incandescent bulbs. "It's in society's best interest that we use less energy," says Stephen Forrest, an electrical engineer at Princeton University, New Jersey, and part of the team that developed the new LED reported in Nature1.
Traditional incandescent light bulbs are very effective at throwing out light, but a lot of the energy used to run them is converted into heat. Fluorescent lights, such as those seen in most offices, are much better, although the materials used to produce them are relatively expensive. Inorganic LEDs - those used in some Christmas tree lights and bicycle lamps, for example - are very bright point sources. They are good for producing visual effects or attracting the notice of oncoming cars, but they can't throw out enough light to illuminate an entire room. © 2006 Nature Publishing Group
Click title for article.
Mark Peplow
Bright, flat, and long-lasting. Is this the new lightbulb? Credit: PhilipsThe traditional light bulb's days could be numbered, according to scientists who have taken an important step towards making white organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) commercially viable.
They expect that, for the wealthy at least, it could be just a few years before rooms are lit by gently glowing thin panels. The lights should be ultra efficient, saving on energy bills and helping to lower energy consumption.
Lighting accounts for about 22% of the electricity consumed in buildings in the United States, and 40% of that amount is eaten up by inefficient incandescent bulbs. "It's in society's best interest that we use less energy," says Stephen Forrest, an electrical engineer at Princeton University, New Jersey, and part of the team that developed the new LED reported in Nature1.
Traditional incandescent light bulbs are very effective at throwing out light, but a lot of the energy used to run them is converted into heat. Fluorescent lights, such as those seen in most offices, are much better, although the materials used to produce them are relatively expensive. Inorganic LEDs - those used in some Christmas tree lights and bicycle lamps, for example - are very bright point sources. They are good for producing visual effects or attracting the notice of oncoming cars, but they can't throw out enough light to illuminate an entire room. © 2006 Nature Publishing Group
Click title for article.
12 April 2006
Be Glad It Wasn't BBQ Ribs
A First Communion dream in doubt
The white dress from Sears is hanging in her closet, near the long veil and the matching purse. She has practiced cupping her hands together to receive the wafer from the priest. And she chatters with excitement about the party to be held in her honor afterward.
But as Victoria Coyne, 7, prepares for her first Holy Communion, there has been a major snag: As a child suffering from both celiac disease and diabetes, she can neither eat the wheat wafer that represents the body of Christ nor drink the wine that signifies his blood.
''I already got the stuff ready," said Victoria, who hopes to make her First Communion in June at St. Marguerite D'Youville Church in Dracut. ''My mom is trying to talk to the priest, and so is my dad."
Her parents thought they found a solution in a rice Communion wafer -- free of gluten, a protein found in wheat and other grains that makes her ill -- but official church policy forbids its use. The ritual of Communion is tied to the Last Supper, when Jesus is believed to have eaten wheat bread and drunk grape wine with his disciples. Canon law requires that both wheat and grapes be part of the Communion service. Worshippers who receive Communion consume at least one: Children usually eat only the wafer, and adult Catholics sometimes receive both wafer and wine.
Click title for article.The Word of the Day
yen \YEN\ noun : a strong desire or propensity : longing; also: urge, craving
Example sentence: "I feel a sudden yen for chocolate ice cream," said Norton as he turned the car into the parking lot of the roadside ice cream stand.
Did you know? Although "yen" suggests no more than a strong longing these days, at one time someone with a yen was in deep trouble indeed. The first meaning of "yen" was an intense craving for opium. The late 19th-century English term evolved from the Cantonese "yin-yahn," which itself combines "yin," meaning "opium," and "yahn," meaning "craving." In English, the Chinese syllables were transformed to "yen-yen" and ultimately abbreviated to simply "yen." Eventually, "yen" was generalized to the more innocuous meaning of "a strong desire," and the link to drug cravings was lost.
Example sentence: "I feel a sudden yen for chocolate ice cream," said Norton as he turned the car into the parking lot of the roadside ice cream stand.
Did you know? Although "yen" suggests no more than a strong longing these days, at one time someone with a yen was in deep trouble indeed. The first meaning of "yen" was an intense craving for opium. The late 19th-century English term evolved from the Cantonese "yin-yahn," which itself combines "yin," meaning "opium," and "yahn," meaning "craving." In English, the Chinese syllables were transformed to "yen-yen" and ultimately abbreviated to simply "yen." Eventually, "yen" was generalized to the more innocuous meaning of "a strong desire," and the link to drug cravings was lost.
Harvard's new telescope to boost search for alien life
Will scan heavens for flashes of light
HARVARD -- The search for intelligent life on other planets was ramped up by a factor of 100,000 yesterday.
A new telescope, unveiled by a group of Harvard University scientists, will soon begin scanning the heavens for bright flashes of light sent by aliens, the first time any telescope has been entirely dedicated to that task.
Housed in an unassuming wooden shed 30 miles west of Boston, the telescope is designed to detect a flash that would last just a billionth of a second, a sort of high-speed interstellar hello.
''It is overwhelmingly likely that life exists on other planets," said Harvard physicist Paul Horowitz, who led the project. ''And while this search is undoubtedly a long shot, the payoff would be profound."
The modern search for extraterrestrial intelligence has been underway for five decades. Scientists built huge antennae to listen for interstellar radio waves and shot powerful radio frequencies into space hoping that someone would hear them. Harvard researchers sent radio waves from this 700-foot ridge in Harvard for two decades, until a windstorm broke the 84-foot-wide dish.
Douglas Belkin can be reached at dbelkin@globe.com. © Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
Click title for article
Autism, mercury, and politics
By Robert Kennedy Jr. July 1, 2005
MOUNTING EVIDENCE suggests that Thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative in children's vaccines, may be responsible for the exponential growth of autism, attention deficit disorder, speech delays, and other childhood neurological disorders now epidemic in the United States.
Prior to 1989, American infants generally received three vaccinations (polio, measles-mumps-rubella, and diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis). In the early 1990s, public health officials dramatically increased the number of Thimerosal-containing vaccinations without considering the cumulative impact of the mercury load on developing brains.
In a 1991 memo, Dr. Maurice Hilleman, one of the fathers of
Mercury is a known brain poison, and autism rates began rising dramatically in children who were administered the new vaccine regimens. A decade ago the American Academy of Pediatrics estimated the autism rate among American children to be 1 in 2,500. Today, the CDC places the rate at 1 in 166, or 1 in 80 boys. Additionally, one in six children is now diagnosed with a related neurological disorder.
Robert Kennedy Jr. is senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council. © Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
Click title for article
Dagoba Chocolate Recalled Due to High Lead Levels
by P.W. McRandle
With Easter coming up next week, make sure that you and your child avoid contaminated Dagoba candies. High levels of lead have been found in Dagoba Chocolate's "Eclipse 87%," "Los Rios 68%" and "Prima Matera 100%" dark chocolate products prompting their immediate recall from store shelves.
Dagoba has learned that the chocolates have had high lead levels since November; however, it hasn't yet released the exact lead levels found. The Green Guide will look into the extent of the problem of lead contamination in chocolate and report back on what the company plans to do to find new safe sources of cacao. The specific lead-contaminated chocolate products are:
1) Dagoba Organic Eclipse 87% Extra Dark, Size: 2 oz. bar
2) Dagoba Organic Los Rios 68% - Ecuador Arriba, Size: 2 oz. bar
3) Dagoba Organic Prima Materia 100% - Ecuador Arriba, Size: 2 lb. brick
4) Dagoba Organic Los Rios Choco Drops 68% - Ecuador Arriba Nacional, Size: 5 lb. foil bag
5) Dagoba Organic Los Rios 68% - Ecuador Arriba Nacional, Size: 25 lb. bag
6) Dagoba Organic "Eclipse Broken Bars" Forest Grown Organic Extra Dark Chocolate, Size: 1.5 lb. bulk bags
If you or your children have eaten these Dagoba chocolates since November, you can have your blood lead levels checked by your physician who will recommend any appropriate steps to be taken.
For now, you can find below other organic chocolates to fill your Easter basket and print out our Chocolate Smart Shopper's Card in the sidebar—but skip the Dagoba recommendation until we have more information about the extent of the company's lead contamination.
• Rapunzel's Dark Organic Chocolate Bar, ($4.65; www.diamondorganics.com/ShowView/prod_detail_list/34, 888-ORGANIC)
• Endangered Species Chocolate Company's Lady Bug Gift Box with trading cards ($11.95; www.chocolatebar.com, 541-535-2170).
• Allison’s Gourmet Organic Vegan Chocolate Assortment. Includes truffles, caramels and toffee ($14.95/6-piece box; www.allisonsgourmet.com/vegan-chocolates.html, 800-361-8292).
• Equal Exchange's organic, fair-trade chocolate bars in milk chocolate, dark chocolate with almonds and very dark chocolate ($2.85; www.worldcentric.org, 650-283-3797).
• La Siembra Group's Cocoa Camino chocolate bars ($12 for 4; www.lasiembra.com, 613-235-6122).
• Green & Black's and Maya Gold Chocolate dark chocolate bar ($4.75/bar; www.chocosphere.com).
• Plantations Arriba Rainforest Alliance-certified 75-percent dark ($3.42/bar; www.echocolates.com, 800-207-7058) helps restore Ecuador's native shade-grown cacao heritage.
11 April 2006
The Word of the Day
marshal \MAR-shul\ noun
1 a : a high official in a medieval household b : a person in charge of the ceremonial aspects of a gathering
2 : a general officer of the highest military rank
3 : an administrative officer (as of a U.S. judicial district) having duties similar to a sheriff's
*4 : the administrative head of a city police or fire department
Example sentence: The marshal confirmed that the house fires were indeed arson.
Did you know? Although most French words are derived from Latin, a few result from the 3rd-century Germanic occupation of France, and the early French "mareschal" is one such word. "Mareschal" is related to Old High German "marahscalc," formed by combining "marah" (horse) and "scalc" (servant). Our "marshal," which comes from "mareschal," originally meant "a person in charge of the upkeep of horses" when it was borrowed into Middle English, but by the 13th century it described a high royal official as well. Eventually came to have other meanings.
1 a : a high official in a medieval household b : a person in charge of the ceremonial aspects of a gathering
2 : a general officer of the highest military rank
3 : an administrative officer (as of a U.S. judicial district) having duties similar to a sheriff's
*4 : the administrative head of a city police or fire department
Example sentence: The marshal confirmed that the house fires were indeed arson.
Did you know? Although most French words are derived from Latin, a few result from the 3rd-century Germanic occupation of France, and the early French "mareschal" is one such word. "Mareschal" is related to Old High German "marahscalc," formed by combining "marah" (horse) and "scalc" (servant). Our "marshal," which comes from "mareschal," originally meant "a person in charge of the upkeep of horses" when it was borrowed into Middle English, but by the 13th century it described a high royal official as well. Eventually came to have other meanings.
10 April 2006
The Word of the Day
catchpole \KATCH-poal\ noun : a sheriff's deputy; especially : one who makes arrests for failure to pay a debt
Example sentence: David knew that it must be the catchpole knocking at his door, so he quickly threw on his shoes and coat and snuck out the back.
Did you know? Imagine chasing a chicken around the barnyard. Catching it would be no mean feat. And chasing down someone who owes you money is pretty challenging too. It's no surprise then that these two taxing tasks come together in "catchpole," which derives from a word that literally means "chicken chaser" -- Anglo-French "cachepole." Before it referred to the debt police, "catchpole" was used more generally for any tax collector. That's the sense demonstrated in a 12th-century homily about the apostle Matthew: "Matheus thet wes cachepol thene he iwende to god-spellere" ("Matthew who was a catchpole until he turned into a writer of the Gospel").
Example sentence: David knew that it must be the catchpole knocking at his door, so he quickly threw on his shoes and coat and snuck out the back.
Did you know? Imagine chasing a chicken around the barnyard. Catching it would be no mean feat. And chasing down someone who owes you money is pretty challenging too. It's no surprise then that these two taxing tasks come together in "catchpole," which derives from a word that literally means "chicken chaser" -- Anglo-French "cachepole." Before it referred to the debt police, "catchpole" was used more generally for any tax collector. That's the sense demonstrated in a 12th-century homily about the apostle Matthew: "Matheus thet wes cachepol thene he iwende to god-spellere" ("Matthew who was a catchpole until he turned into a writer of the Gospel").
Student who wrote he was gay dismissed from school
WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. A University of Cumberlands student who revealed he was gay on a personal Web page has been expelled.A university spokesman says 20-year-old Jason Johnson was asked to leave the small Baptist school earlier this week.The student from Lexington was dismissed after he posted on his Web page at the popular Internet site MySpace.com that he was gay.The university has a policy that says it reserves the right to expel a student who -- quote -- "promotes sexual behavior not consistent with Christian principles."The university would not comment specifically on Johnson's expulsion, but school president Jim Taylor says in a statement that the school is unapologetic about its Christian beliefs.
Information from: Lexington Herald-Leader, http://www.kentucky.com
I wonder, what would Jesus do?
Information from: Lexington Herald-Leader, http://www.kentucky.com
I wonder, what would Jesus do?
09 April 2006
The Word of the Day
a cappella \ah-kuh-PEL-uh\ adverb or adjective
: without instrumental accompaniment
Example sentence: The group is famous for a cappella performances in which human voices mimic the sounds of instruments.
Did you know? "A cappella" arrived in English from Italian sometime around the mid-19th century. In Italian, "a cappella" means "in chapel or choir style." "Cappella" in Italian means "chapel"; the English word "chapel" is ultimately (if independently) derived from the Medieval Latin word "cappella," which is the source of the Italian "cappella" as well. Scholars once thought all "chapel style" music written before the 1600s was performed a cappella, but modern research has revealed that instruments might have doubled or substituted for some voices back then. Today "a cappella" describes a purely vocal performance.
: without instrumental accompaniment
Example sentence: The group is famous for a cappella performances in which human voices mimic the sounds of instruments.
Did you know? "A cappella" arrived in English from Italian sometime around the mid-19th century. In Italian, "a cappella" means "in chapel or choir style." "Cappella" in Italian means "chapel"; the English word "chapel" is ultimately (if independently) derived from the Medieval Latin word "cappella," which is the source of the Italian "cappella" as well. Scholars once thought all "chapel style" music written before the 1600s was performed a cappella, but modern research has revealed that instruments might have doubled or substituted for some voices back then. Today "a cappella" describes a purely vocal performance.
08 April 2006
Tinkering with the links
I'm trying to find all of my old links which I stupidly did not transfer to this new blog before deleting the old. Surprised that I could be so incompetent?
The Word of the Day
undulate \UN-juh-layt\ verb
1 : to form or move in waves : fluctuate
*2 : to rise and fall in volume, pitch, or cadence
3 : to present a wavy appearance
Example sentence: The opera singer's voice undulated as she expressed the grief and despair of the song.
Did you know? "Undulate" and "inundate" are word cousins, sharing "unda," the Latin word for "wave," as their common ancestor. No surprise there. But would you have guessed that "abound," "surround," and "redound" are also "unda" offspring? The connection between "unda" and these words is easier to see when you learn that at some point in their early histories each of them essentially had the meaning of "to overflow," just as "inundate" (which can mean either "to overflow" or "to overwhelm") does. Today that connection is obscured, since the "overflow" senses of the words are, well, down the drain.
1 : to form or move in waves : fluctuate
*2 : to rise and fall in volume, pitch, or cadence
3 : to present a wavy appearance
Example sentence: The opera singer's voice undulated as she expressed the grief and despair of the song.
Did you know? "Undulate" and "inundate" are word cousins, sharing "unda," the Latin word for "wave," as their common ancestor. No surprise there. But would you have guessed that "abound," "surround," and "redound" are also "unda" offspring? The connection between "unda" and these words is easier to see when you learn that at some point in their early histories each of them essentially had the meaning of "to overflow," just as "inundate" (which can mean either "to overflow" or "to overwhelm") does. Today that connection is obscured, since the "overflow" senses of the words are, well, down the drain.
Does God speak to you?
"From the pulpit to the podcast, finding God in a digital world has never been so easy; in fact, it already has a moniker: Godcasting." click title for article
07 April 2006
The Dirty Word in 43 Down
A New York Times crossword gaffe.
By Jesse Sheidlower
Posted Thursday, April 6, 2006, at 12:25 PM ET
If you finished Monday's crossword puzzle in the New York Times, your answer for 43 Down, clued as "Scoundrel," was SCUMBAG. Most puzzlers, penciling in these letters, felt nothing more than mild satisfaction. But a small number knew enough to be outraged.
Allan Siegal, the assistant managing editor who is the Times' arbiter of usage and style, told me "we got dozens of angry messages from readers, as well as complaints from colleagues on the staff."* Bloggers expressed their surprise and dismay. Why were people so upset?
The original meaning of scumbag is "condom." The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to 1967, with 1971 as the first example of the "despicable person" sense, but current research has pushed the dates back to 1935 (based on the still earlier scum, "semen," and bag, "a condom") and 1950 respectively.
Click title to continue article.
By Jesse Sheidlower
Posted Thursday, April 6, 2006, at 12:25 PM ET
If you finished Monday's crossword puzzle in the New York Times, your answer for 43 Down, clued as "Scoundrel," was SCUMBAG. Most puzzlers, penciling in these letters, felt nothing more than mild satisfaction. But a small number knew enough to be outraged.
Allan Siegal, the assistant managing editor who is the Times' arbiter of usage and style, told me "we got dozens of angry messages from readers, as well as complaints from colleagues on the staff."* Bloggers expressed their surprise and dismay. Why were people so upset?
The original meaning of scumbag is "condom." The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to 1967, with 1971 as the first example of the "despicable person" sense, but current research has pushed the dates back to 1935 (based on the still earlier scum, "semen," and bag, "a condom") and 1950 respectively.
Click title to continue article.
Color Me Organic
by Emily Main and P.W. McRandle
Easter is coming and you've got your free-farmed or organic eggs—so why not dye the shells naturally, too? There are a number of vegetable- and fruit-based dyes that offer a broad range of beautiful colors and are better for you and the environment than artificial colors.
Easter eggs can be dyed using either a hot method or a cold method. If you choose the hot method, hard-boiling the eggs prior to dyeing them isn't necessary; they're "cooked" as they're boiled in the dye. The cold method is safer for younger children who want to be part of the process; in this case, eggs should be hard-boiled first. In either situation, never plan on eating the eggs if they will be un-refrigerated for more than two hours.
Before dyeing your eggs, wash them with soap and water to remove any dirt or oils that might prevent the dye from sticking to the shell (this is also a good sanitary measure, should you decide to make an Egg Tree; see below).
Making Natural Dyes
For 4 cups of dye, you'll need:
Click title for article
The Word of the Day
benedict \BEN-uh-dikt\ noun : a newly married man who has long been a bachelor
Example sentence: Tabloid reporters never tire of asking celebrity benedicts what they think of married life.
Did you know? "Benedick" is the chief male character in Shakespeare's play _Much Ado About Nothing_. Throughout the play, both Benedick and his female counterpart Beatrice exchange barbed comments and profess to detest the very idea of marriage, but the story eventually culminates in their marriage to each other. As a result, Benedick's name came to be applied to men who marry later in life. The spelling was changed to "benedict," possibly by association with a use of "benedict" meaning "bachelor" (although the evidence for this use is scant). Some early 20th-century usage commentators regarded the respelling as incorrect with regards to the etymology, but "benedict" has become the established spelling nevertheless.
Example sentence: Tabloid reporters never tire of asking celebrity benedicts what they think of married life.
Did you know? "Benedick" is the chief male character in Shakespeare's play _Much Ado About Nothing_. Throughout the play, both Benedick and his female counterpart Beatrice exchange barbed comments and profess to detest the very idea of marriage, but the story eventually culminates in their marriage to each other. As a result, Benedick's name came to be applied to men who marry later in life. The spelling was changed to "benedict," possibly by association with a use of "benedict" meaning "bachelor" (although the evidence for this use is scant). Some early 20th-century usage commentators regarded the respelling as incorrect with regards to the etymology, but "benedict" has become the established spelling nevertheless.
06 April 2006
Two B-2s could take out Iran’s nuclear assets
By Khalid Hasan, Daily Times - All Rights Reserved
WASHINGTON: Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions will be history by the time US President George W Bush leaves office, said a report published here.
Veteran foreign correspondent Arnaud de Borchgrave, writing for the United Press International, quotes a “prominent neo-con” with good White House and Department of Defence contacts, as the source of the assertion. Asked what would the US do if sanctions did not make Iran turn away from its nuclear target, the source replied, “B-2s. Two of them could do the job in a single strike against multiple targets.”
De Borchgrave writes in an amused vein, “So we looked up B-2s. The US Air Force only has 21 of them. Perhaps price had something to do with it. They came in at $2.2 billion a copy. But they can carry enough ordnance to make Iranians nostalgic for the Shah and his role as the free world’s gendarme in charge of the West’s oil supplies in the Gulf. These stealthy bombers have one major drawback in the Persian magic carpet mode. They can only attack 16 targets simultaneously; one short of the 17 underground nuclear facilities pinned red on Mossad’s target-rich PowerPoint presentations to the political leadership. Presumably, that’s why two B-2s would be required.”
Click title for full article.
WASHINGTON: Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions will be history by the time US President George W Bush leaves office, said a report published here.
Veteran foreign correspondent Arnaud de Borchgrave, writing for the United Press International, quotes a “prominent neo-con” with good White House and Department of Defence contacts, as the source of the assertion. Asked what would the US do if sanctions did not make Iran turn away from its nuclear target, the source replied, “B-2s. Two of them could do the job in a single strike against multiple targets.”
De Borchgrave writes in an amused vein, “So we looked up B-2s. The US Air Force only has 21 of them. Perhaps price had something to do with it. They came in at $2.2 billion a copy. But they can carry enough ordnance to make Iranians nostalgic for the Shah and his role as the free world’s gendarme in charge of the West’s oil supplies in the Gulf. These stealthy bombers have one major drawback in the Persian magic carpet mode. They can only attack 16 targets simultaneously; one short of the 17 underground nuclear facilities pinned red on Mossad’s target-rich PowerPoint presentations to the political leadership. Presumably, that’s why two B-2s would be required.”
Click title for full article.
The Word of the Day
orchidaceous \or-kuh-DAY-shus\ adjective
1 : of, relating to, or resembling the orchids
*2 : showy, ostentatious
Example sentence: "There's no clutter; no outlandish designer flatware or china; no orchidaceous, wordy wine lists. . . ." (James Villas, _Town and Country Monthly_, March 1998)
Did you know? In its sense first used by botanists in the 1830s, "orchidaceous" means "belonging to the family Orchidaceae" -- that is, to the orchid family, a very large family of flowering plants. While the basic shape of an orchid is simple -- three petals with, on many orchids, an enlarged middle petal -- there is no such thing as a typical orchid. Orchids range in size from very tiny flowers on inch-high plants to flowers a foot across, and they grow in habitats from tropical rain forests to semideserts. But when people use "orchidaceous" as a flashy term in phrases like "orchidaceous writing," "orchidaceous colors," and "orchidaceous ladies," it's the colorful, showy tropical species they have in mind --- species which, as Jacob Breynius, a 17th-century German botanist, put it, "surely excite our greatest admiration."
1 : of, relating to, or resembling the orchids
*2 : showy, ostentatious
Example sentence: "There's no clutter; no outlandish designer flatware or china; no orchidaceous, wordy wine lists. . . ." (James Villas, _Town and Country Monthly_, March 1998)
Did you know? In its sense first used by botanists in the 1830s, "orchidaceous" means "belonging to the family Orchidaceae" -- that is, to the orchid family, a very large family of flowering plants. While the basic shape of an orchid is simple -- three petals with, on many orchids, an enlarged middle petal -- there is no such thing as a typical orchid. Orchids range in size from very tiny flowers on inch-high plants to flowers a foot across, and they grow in habitats from tropical rain forests to semideserts. But when people use "orchidaceous" as a flashy term in phrases like "orchidaceous writing," "orchidaceous colors," and "orchidaceous ladies," it's the colorful, showy tropical species they have in mind --- species which, as Jacob Breynius, a 17th-century German botanist, put it, "surely excite our greatest admiration."
04 April 2006
The Word of the Day
devious \DEE-vee-us\ adjective
*1 : deviating from a straight line : roundabout
2 : behaving wrongly : errant
3 : tricky, cunning; also : deceptive
Example sentence: In _The Discoverers_, Daniel J. Boorstin describes the Strait of Magellan as "the narrowest, most devious, most circuitous of all the straits connecting two great bodies of water."
Did you know? If you think someone devious has lost their way, you're right, etymologically speaking -- the word derives from the Latin adjective "devius," itself formed by a combination of the prefix "de-" ("from, away") and the noun "via," meaning "way." When "devious" was first used in the late 16th century, it referred to a literal wandering off the "way," describing something that meandered or had no fixed course ("a devious route" or "devious breezes"). Relatively quickly, however, the word came to describe someone or something that has metaphorically rather than literally left the "right path," and then to apply to deceitful or otherwise behavior that is not "straight"-forward.
*1 : deviating from a straight line : roundabout
2 : behaving wrongly : errant
3 : tricky, cunning; also : deceptive
Example sentence: In _The Discoverers_, Daniel J. Boorstin describes the Strait of Magellan as "the narrowest, most devious, most circuitous of all the straits connecting two great bodies of water."
Did you know? If you think someone devious has lost their way, you're right, etymologically speaking -- the word derives from the Latin adjective "devius," itself formed by a combination of the prefix "de-" ("from, away") and the noun "via," meaning "way." When "devious" was first used in the late 16th century, it referred to a literal wandering off the "way," describing something that meandered or had no fixed course ("a devious route" or "devious breezes"). Relatively quickly, however, the word came to describe someone or something that has metaphorically rather than literally left the "right path," and then to apply to deceitful or otherwise behavior that is not "straight"-forward.
03 April 2006
The Word of the Day
phlegmatic \fleg-MAT-ik\ adjective
1 : resembling, consisting of, or producing the humor phlegm
*2 : having or showing a slow and stolid temperament
Example sentence: He is a phlegmatic coach at courtside, but in the locker room he fires up (and, when necessary, reams out) his players, inspiring them to win.
Did you know? According to the ancient Greeks, human personalities were controlled by four bodily fluids or semifluids called "humors": blood, black bile, yellow bile, and phlegm. Each humor was associated with one of the four basic elements: air, earth, fire, and water. Phlegm was paired with water -- the cold, moist element -- and it was believed to impart the cool, calm, unemotional personality we now call the "phlegmatic type." That's a bit odd, given that the term derives from the Greek "phlegma," which literally means "flame," perhaps a reflection of the inflammation that colds and flus often bring.
1 : resembling, consisting of, or producing the humor phlegm
*2 : having or showing a slow and stolid temperament
Example sentence: He is a phlegmatic coach at courtside, but in the locker room he fires up (and, when necessary, reams out) his players, inspiring them to win.
Did you know? According to the ancient Greeks, human personalities were controlled by four bodily fluids or semifluids called "humors": blood, black bile, yellow bile, and phlegm. Each humor was associated with one of the four basic elements: air, earth, fire, and water. Phlegm was paired with water -- the cold, moist element -- and it was believed to impart the cool, calm, unemotional personality we now call the "phlegmatic type." That's a bit odd, given that the term derives from the Greek "phlegma," which literally means "flame," perhaps a reflection of the inflammation that colds and flus often bring.
02 April 2006
The Word of the Day
maverick \MAV-rik\ noun
1 : an unbranded range animal; especially : a motherless calf
*2 : an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party
Example sentence: The award-winning columnist was regarded as a political maverick who clashed with his colleagues on many issues.
Did you know? When a client gave Samuel A. Maverick 400 cattle to settle a $1,200 debt, the 19th-century south Texas lawyer had no use for them, so he left the cattle unbranded and allowed them to roam freely (supposedly under the supervision of one of his employees). Neighboring stockmen recognized their opportunity and seized it, branding and herding the stray cattle as their own. Maverick eventually recognized the folly of the situation and sold what was left of his depleted herd, but not before his name became synonymous with such unbranded livestock. By the end of the 19th century, the term "maverick" was being used to refer to individuals who prefer to blaze their own trails.
1 : an unbranded range animal; especially : a motherless calf
*2 : an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party
Example sentence: The award-winning columnist was regarded as a political maverick who clashed with his colleagues on many issues.
Did you know? When a client gave Samuel A. Maverick 400 cattle to settle a $1,200 debt, the 19th-century south Texas lawyer had no use for them, so he left the cattle unbranded and allowed them to roam freely (supposedly under the supervision of one of his employees). Neighboring stockmen recognized their opportunity and seized it, branding and herding the stray cattle as their own. Maverick eventually recognized the folly of the situation and sold what was left of his depleted herd, but not before his name became synonymous with such unbranded livestock. By the end of the 19th century, the term "maverick" was being used to refer to individuals who prefer to blaze their own trails.
01 April 2006
The Word of the Day
lyric \LEER-ik\ adjective
1 a : suitable for singing to the lyre or for being set to music and sung b : of, relating to, or being drama set to music; especially : operatic
2 a : expressing direct usually intense personal emotion especially in a manner suggestive of song b : exuberant, rhapsodic
3 : having a light voice and a melodic style
Example sentence: The critics are praising Jessica's debut novel as a lyric masterpiece that bravely lays out the emotional tensions experienced by its young author.
Did you know? To the ancient Greeks, anything "lyrikos" was appropriate to the lyre. That elegant stringed instrument was highly regarded by the Greeks and was used to accompany intensely personal poetry that revealed the thoughts and feelings of the poet. When the adjective "lyric," a descendant of "lyrikos," was adopted into English in the 1500s, it too referred to things pertaining or adapted to the lyre. Initially, it was applied to poetic forms (such as elegies, odes, or sonnets) that expressed strong emotion, to poets who wrote such works, or to things that were meant to be sung; over time, it was extended to anything musical or rhapsodic. Nowadays, "lyric" is also used as a noun naming either a type of poem or the words of a song.
1 a : suitable for singing to the lyre or for being set to music and sung b : of, relating to, or being drama set to music; especially : operatic
2 a : expressing direct usually intense personal emotion especially in a manner suggestive of song b : exuberant, rhapsodic
3 : having a light voice and a melodic style
Example sentence: The critics are praising Jessica's debut novel as a lyric masterpiece that bravely lays out the emotional tensions experienced by its young author.
Did you know? To the ancient Greeks, anything "lyrikos" was appropriate to the lyre. That elegant stringed instrument was highly regarded by the Greeks and was used to accompany intensely personal poetry that revealed the thoughts and feelings of the poet. When the adjective "lyric," a descendant of "lyrikos," was adopted into English in the 1500s, it too referred to things pertaining or adapted to the lyre. Initially, it was applied to poetic forms (such as elegies, odes, or sonnets) that expressed strong emotion, to poets who wrote such works, or to things that were meant to be sung; over time, it was extended to anything musical or rhapsodic. Nowadays, "lyric" is also used as a noun naming either a type of poem or the words of a song.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
