A Word a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

Stigmatize

2010-10-14T04:23:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 14 is "stigmatize."

stigmatize: (verb) To accuse or condemn as disgraceful.

Synonyms: brand, denounce, mark.

Usage: She was stigmatized because she had a child out of wedlock.

Relevance to My Life: At the opulent holiday party thrown by my husband's employer, I came to anticipate his coworkers' and their spouses' questions about my livelihood with a kind of amused dread; upon learning that I was "just a stay at home mom," I could see their eyes glaze over for that brief instant before they fled, leaving me standing there, stigmatized as an uninteresting frump who would have nothing worthwhile to contribute to a lively intellectual conversation.

Please, Housewives are bad-ass.

Teresa at the Last Supper

Someone ought to tell these chicks that they're boring frumps.

Ok, ok, so these chicks don't really count as housewives, but they're definitely something else.

The Real Housewives of Atlanta - Better Tardy Than Never

I don't think a single one of these women spend any time at all doing the endless loads of laundry that seem to be my lot in life. Might wreck their heinously tacky nails.

The Real Housewives of Orange County Visit Bellagio spa and salon

Watch as they try to turn a normal woman into one of them. *sigh* Nearly everything about these women is fake. It is staggering.

I have to admit though, the waxing scene was pretty funny.

Suburban Housewife

"Mother's Cure."

Mother's Little Helper

Or as the Rolling Stones put it nearly 40 years ago...

Untiring

2010-10-13T03:48:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 13 is "untiring."

untiring: (adjective) Characterized by hard work and perseverance.

Synonyms: hardworking, industrious, tireless, indefatigable.

Usage: He was an untiring fighter for justice, democracy, and tolerance.

Relevance to My Life: The kids' untiring pursuit of a sugary snack led them to drag a dining room chair into the kitchen, climb up on the counter and explore the deep recesses of one of the kitchen cupboards where they were rewarded with a crumbling bag of forgotten Hallowe'en candy.

M&Ms Get in the Bowl

This one cracks my kids up, even though they're not the biggest fans of M&Ms.

Snickers Feast Movie

This one cracks me up! I love the Viking. Plus, who doesn't love a Snickers?

Monty Python - Spam

Did someone say Vikings?

Monty Python- Dirty Hungarian Phrasebook

This is one of my all-time favorite sketches.

Monty Python - The Lumberjack Song... auf Deutsch!

Und mit Lederhosen. Brilliant.

Empty-headed

2010-10-12T03:54:00.001-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 12 is "empty-headed."

empty-headed: (adjective) lacking seriousness; given to frivolity.

Synonyms: featherbrained, airheaded, dizzy, giddy, light-headed, silly, vacuous, inane, ditzy, flighty.

Usage: She was a pretty but empty-headed young woman.

Relevance to My Life: Aghast, I stared at the new Assistant Director for Alumni Relations, a tall empty-headed blonde, with a bought pair of tits who demonstrated her general vacuousness the second she opened her mouth. Nevertheless, as time went on, she succeeded in garnering large donations and bequests from alumni. As it turned out, she was the perfect person for the job.

Trailer for Clueless

Alicia Silverstone's Cher gave us a perfect glimpse of the vacuous, empty-headed blonde.

Legally Blonde - Girls, I'm Going to Harvard!

This is one of my guilty-pleasure movies. :)

Legally Blonde - The Bend and Snap

The feminist inside me is still not sure if this is more demeaning toward me or women, but it is a funny scene!

Legally Blonde - Case Scene

Elle Redeems Herself. Maybe it's the underdog-lover in me, but I like to see the stereotypical ditzy blonde succeed once in a while.

Zealotry

2010-10-11T03:55:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 11 is "zealotry."

zealotry: (noun) Excessive intolerance of opposing views.

Synonyms: Fanaticism.

Usage: We will continue to support the global fight against terrorism and zealotry.

Relevance to my Life: Her previously-unspoken zealotry became apparent to me as soon as I saw the wide array of bumper stickers on her Ford station wagon, from Westboro Baptist Church-approved sentiments on homosexuality to a pro-life sticker featuring a baby seal imploring me to save the baby humans.

I was going to showcase clips from movies which dealt with zealotry, but started crying halfway through the trailer for Schindler's List, so instead I'll leave this as a short blog entry. I don't have it in me today.

Blooper

2010-10-08T02:23:00.001-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 8 is "blooper."

Blooper: (noun) A clumsy mistake, especially one made in public; a faux pas.

Synonyms: blunder, boner, boo-boo, botch, bungle, flub, foul-up, pratfall, bloomer

Usage: During the movie's closing credits, bloopers from filming, including clips of the lead actor flubbing the same line six times in a row, were shown.

Relevance to My Life: If someone were to make a movie of my life, the blooper reel during the closing credits would feature many embarrassing stumblebum moments like tripping over air.

A random assortment of blooper reels from youtube:

The Office season 6 bloopers

I don't know how anyone can keep a straight face around Ed Helms.

Scrubs Bloopers

I love this show.

The Hangover Gag Reel

You know, I still haven't seen this movie, though everyone assures me it's the funniest thing ever.

Pirates of the Caribbean

Sometimes action movies provide the funniest bloopers.

Jackie Chan Bloopers

Jackie Chan's bloopers are among the best ever, though I have to say I wonder if one of these days his policy of doing all of his own stunt work, some of it dangerous, no nets, no safety lines, will end badly.

House Outtakes

Another great show!

Entangle

2010-10-07T04:38:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 7 is "entangle."

entangle: (verb) Twist together or entwine into a confusing mass.

Synonyms: mat, snarl

Usage: The door handle had entangled itself with the strap of her bag.

Relevance to My Life: The pull-string on my canvas jacket had entangled itself in the turnstile at the entrance to one of Seoul's busiest subway stations, and at the height of morning rush hour, no less. Still foggy-headed from jet-lag, I fumbled fruitlessly with the string, hoping to untangle it from the gate mechanism as the line of commuters grew behind me. Red-faced and near tears, I apologized as best I could in my rudimentary Korean, when a gentleman stepped up and quickly helped thread the strings around the bar, freeing me.

Lost in Translation trailer

No movie captures the experience of being in a foreign country where you are so severely jet-lagged that you can only stumble around in a haze, not understanding a thing that is going on around you quite like Sophia Coppola's "Lost in Translation."

For Relaxing Times, Make it Santori Time

The look on his face at the director's shouts of what I can only assume is "Cut-cut-cut!" is priceless.

Sean Connery - Suntory Whiskey Ad

I had no idea that this whisky was even real, but I wonder if Sean Connery would do a spoof ad.

Hilarious.

And now for another whisky advertisement...

Scotch Whisky Commercial - Haka Kilts

Remember, it's a kilt; if they wore anything underneath it, then it would be a skirt.

All Blacks - aka "Ka Mate"

To be fair to the All Blacks, here is an ad showcasing one of their pre-game hakas which must be awesome and terrifying face-to-face.

Dissertate

2010-10-06T04:34:00.001-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 6 is "dissertate."

dissertate: (verb) Talk at length and formally about a topic.

Synonyms: hold forth, discourse

Usage: The speaker dissertated about the social politics in 18th century England.

Relevance to My Life: While my Russian professor dissertated about the oppressive conditions in the Soviet Union near the end of Stalin's reign, he grew increasingly animated in his words and gestures, attracting a lot of attention from students waiting in the hall. All dressed in dark hues and with his flashing eyes and long, unkempt black beard, he had an air of Rasputin about him.

Ahhh, college.

First Day of Economics Class

This professor was about as far removed from Vladimir and my other Russian professors as you could get.

Contemporary American History

This is closer, but with less screaming and more Russian.
R.I.P. Sam Kinison.

Kurt Vonnegut

And now for English class...

Revenge of the Nerds - Computer is your Friend

Meeting a girl in computer lab, awww...

And now for some extracurricular activities:

Animal House- Flounder and Neidermeyer

ROTC

Shout

The ever-popular Thursday Night Toga Party

Implore

2010-10-04T04:59:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 4 is "implore."

Implore: (verb) Call upon in supplication; entreat.

Synonyms: Beg, pray

Usage: Once more I implore you not to waste so much money upon me.

Relevance to My Life: I implored him not to leave me, to remember his promise that he would never ask for a divorce, but he remained firm in his wishes, bought himself a new house and moved out.

The War of the Roses trailer

The end of a marriage can be Hell.

She-Devil Ruth Blows Up the House

Extreme, but I bet Ruth felt satisfied.

Meryl Streep in SheDevil

She is absolutely hilarious in this movie, one of my guilty pleasure favorites.

Scene from She-Devil

The bit at the end where she says "I said MOVE!" always gets me laughing.

Energize

2010-10-03T05:51:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 3 is "energize."

energize: (verb) To give energy to; activate or invigorate.

Synonyms: perk up, stimulate, arouse, brace

Usage: Coffee and tea energize me.

Relevance to my life: The positive feedback from the editor energized me to finish my half-written novel.

I often have trouble sustaining my level of motivation when it comes to my writing. I get caught-up in second-guessing myself, certain that every word I write is crap, poorly-placed among other crappy words.

When I find my motivation flagging, I often turn to Joyce Carol Oates. Reading her books and listening to her speak inspire me like nothing else. It is almost as if hearing her voice in her writing and her interviews makes my own voice clearer in my head.

Joyce Carol Oates on the thrill of writing

She talks about writing about people in extremis. Yes. This is what makes her writing, her stories so powerful. She writes about some of the worst experiences that people can ever face in their lives, yet she does so so beautifully and so tenderly.

Joyce Carol Oates discusses the craft of writing characters.

I can identify with her when she describes the first 6 weeks of writing a novel as being Hell. Sometimes I don't last as long as 6 weeks. It is a comfort to know that even such a prolific and talented writer as she still struggles as a part of the process.

Creative Quotations from Joyce Carol Oates

More quick inspiration to sustain and energize you.

And now, another struggling writer:

Sideways Trailer

Miles is a writer drowning in self-doubt and stymies by his past. A great movie, even if you don't like wine. :)

Incarnate

2009-10-30T05:32:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 30 is "incarnate."

incarnate: (adjective) Invested with bodily nature and form.

Synonyms: bodied, corporal, corporate, embodied

Usage: He was the beast incarnate, roaring and raging and being destroyed.

Relevance to My Life: When I told him about my bipolar diagnosis, he gazed upon me with a look of such abject horror that I felt as though I were evil incarnate.

In celebration of my status as Evil Incarnate, here is a selection of other evil, sadistic or possibly psychotic women:

Fatal Attraction

Instilling a healthy fear of bad 80s perms everywhere, while at the same time, a craving for Hasenpfeffer

Dangerous Liasons - Final Scene Between Merteuil and Valmont

Despite her villainy, the Marquise de Merteuil is still my favorite character in this film.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Nurse Ratched

She makes my blood run cold.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Therapy

Stick with it to the very end.

Mommy Dearest - Joan is Particular About the Closet

Really, how could I pass up the wire hangers bit.

Misery - Annie Wilkes Gives a History Lesson

Oh, Annie, Annie. Not the ankles!

ELO- Evil Woman

To my fellow evil ladies out there, happy Friday!

Etch

2009-10-29T05:27:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 29 is "etch."

etch: (verb) Carve or cut a design into.

Synonyms: engrave

Usage: The wedding planner hired an artist to etch the couple's monogram on two champagne flutes.

Relevance to My Life: When my dad sat next to me at my son's funeral, I noticed for the first time, the deep lines that grief and worry had etched into his face; those same lines had been seared indelibly onto my heart.

Who can think of the word etch without automatically jumping to "Etch-A-Sketch?" I still love those things.

Mr. Spock Timelapse Etch-A-Sketch Portrait

This is incredible.

"Whoops 2008!" By The Etch-A-Sketch Man

I could do without the music, or maybe it's just that I'm overstimulated this morning, but this was pretty cool.

Is it a Good Idea to Microwave an Etch-A-Sketch?

These guys are my new favorites.

Is it a Good Idea to Microwave a Lava Lamp?

These guys were too much fun to leave at one video clip today

Is it a Good Idea to Microwave a Glow Stick?

It was either this one or the Axe body spray or the Furbys.

Edifice

2009-10-28T05:06:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 28 is "edifice."

edifice: (noun) A building, especially one of imposing appearance or size.

Synonyms: building

Usage: He had commenced his labors, in the first year of their residence, by erecting a tall, gaunt edifice of wood, with its gable toward the highway.

Relevance to My Life: The day we moved into my childhood home when I was 4 years old, what scared me the most wasn't the spider-infested basement or the creaky stairs, but the dark edifice of old wood in the backyard: the two-seater outhouse, which smelled rank and foul and coated me with cobwebs the minute I pulled open the door.

I can't think of "edifice" without thinking of places like Pemberley, Manderley, or Brideshead.

Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth at Pemberley

Many a gentlewoman's loins were moistened at the Mr. Darcy bathing scene in the shadow of Pemberley.

And wow, I can't believe I typed that with a straight face.

A Walk That Changes Perceptions

At long last, Elizabeth sees a different side of Mr. Darcy. Plus, you get a better look at Pemberley (Lyme Park)

Pride and Prejudice in 20 Minutes- Part 1

This is a pretty good P&P Primer, despite its being the Keira Knightly version, although I have to admit that this adaptation is growing on me.

Pride and Prejudice in 20 Minutes - Part 2

Rebecca

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again... " the beginning to my favorite Alfred Hitchcock movie.

The building itself was like another character.

Brideshead Revisited

Another classic series in which a building plays a significant role.

Lunch With Sebastian

Probably one of my favorite scenes from the original Brideshead Revisited.

Slovenly

2009-10-06T04:32:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 6 is "slovenly."

slovenly: (adjective) Negligent of neatness especially in dress and person; habitually dirty and unkempt.

Synonyms: frowzy, sloppy, slipshod

Usage: He was clad in a professional but rather slovenly fashion, for his frock-coat was dingy and his trousers frayed.

Relevance to my life: When I'm deep in a depression, I tend to wear the same comfortable clothes every day and stay wrapped up in blankets on the couch; immune to my outward slovenly appearance, I remain focused inward.

When I'm depressed, I may watch something funny to try to get me to crack a smile, or I may immerse myself in something depressing and soul-crushing.

Here are some of my favorites:

One of my favorite Scrubs episodes, done in musical format

My Musical (1 of 3) - Scrubs

The third song @ 4:17, "Everything Comes Does to Poo" makes me cry, but for all the right reasons.

My Musical (2 of 3) - Scrubs

A rant sung by Dr. Cox @ 2:20.

My Musical (3 of 3) - Scrubs

Guy Love. What more can I say?

Sometimes I want something macabre. That's when I reach for Dexter:

Dexter & Doakes

This is just a great show.

What I usually watch when I'm lost in a soul-searing depression is all 5 seasons of Six Feet Under, from the beginning...

Six feet Under - pilot

"Your father is dead and my pot roast is ruined." Just like that, this series hooked me.

...to the end.

Claire leaves home.

In my opinion, the best series finale.

Overbalance

2009-10-05T05:09:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 5 is "overbalance."

overbalance: (verb) To have greater weight or importance than.

Synonyms: outbalance, outweigh, preponderate

Usage: The ancients were not always right in hiding the goddess in a well; witness the light which Bacon has thrown upon philosophy; witness the principles of our divine faith - that moral mechanism by which the simplicity of a child may overbalance the wisdom of a man.

Relevance to my life: Much like a parent tells a child that her vote counts for two votes to the child's one, my boss told me that his voice overbalanced my own in the matter; consequently, I found myself hearing those awful words, "We've decided not to ask you back."

Yes. Sometimes jobs suck either because you've been fired, made redundant, or brought to death's doorstep from the boredom of it all.

Johnny Paycheck - Take This Job and Shove It

I'm not the hugest fan of country-western music, but how can you not like this song?

Joanna Expresses Herself - Office Space

How many times have we wanted to express ourselves in just that way?

*sigh* That brought a tear to my eye.

Peter Meets with the Bobs - Office Space

The funniest scene from this movie

Inspiration from Michael Scott

As advice from idiot bosses goes, this really isn't that bad.

Tim's Review - The Office (UK)

Ricky Gervais is disturbingly awesome as Bad Boss David Brent.

The Devil Wears Prada Trailer

Some evil bosses are women.

I really love this movie despite its appearing frothy and chick-flicky.

Gordon Gekko - Wall Street

Some bosses are evil and greedy...

The Devil's Advocate

...while other bosses are the incarnation of evil.

A Good Question to Consider

Happy Monday, everyone!

Plop

2009-10-04T06:58:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 4 is "plop."

plop (verb) Set (something or oneself) down with or as if with a noise.

Synonyms: flump, plank, plonk, plump down, plunk, plunk down

Usage: Exhausted, I plopped into the armchair.

Relevance to my life: After whining incessantly about how long she had to wait for supper to finish cooking, kid #2 plopped down next to me on the couch, slumped over on the verge of a mock-diabetic coma, stared at me with imploring eyes and whispered, "Please, Mommy. I'm starving."

After seeing the word of the day, the first thought that popped into my mind was the old Alka-Seltzer commerical.

Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz

Yes, that is Sammy Davis, Jr.

I'm a pepper (so's Popeye)

This diabolically catchy tune would get stuck in my head after this commercial.

I hate Dr. Pepper, too.

I'd like to buy the world a Coke....

... and contribute to a global epidemic of type 2 diabetes

Keep America Beautiful

With Iron Eyes Cody who's really of Sicilian ancestry. Bonus!

Mr. Yuk is mean, Mr. Yuk is green.

I think that they handed out some of these stickers when I was in elementary school.

Lotsa Hair from Prell

I can actually smell that vile green shit after seeing this commercial.

le Jardin du ax Factor

Dear God, I had this stuff when I was in middle school.

Charley

with Mel Torme!

Speaking of nasty perfumes from the 70s...

Jean Nate

I called this stuff Jean Nastay. I got a Jean Nate gift box one year.

Enjoli

'Cause I'm a Woman

But they didn't stop with Jean Nate, although they definitely should have.

The 70s were also about newfangled foods. Like Margarine, for example.

Chiffon Margarine

It's not nice to fool Mother Nature

Ha!

Pringles, the Newfangled Potato Chip

...or improbably perfect potato chips neatly stack in a canister.

Palmolive, You're Soaking in it

Oh, that Madge! I love the paternalistic commentator near the end. Because you know, we poor, flighty housewives need the endorsement of a big strong man, even when it comes to dish washing liquids.

True fun fact: the original green Palmolive is my favorite because I like the way it smells. It reminds me of when I was a kid. Freaky, huh?

Calgon, Take me Away

Are you kidding? I still say this almost daily!

Calgon = Ancient Chinese Secret

There was nothing politically correct about the 70s, man.

The only commercials marketed to men in the 70s seemed to be for men's cologne:

Brut

Starring everyone's favorite QB, Joe Namath

Aqua Velva Man

I can't help but laugh at this: Pete Rose as a sex symbol? God help us.

Slimy

2009-10-02T05:12:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for Friday, October 2 is "slimy."

slimy: (adjective) Morally reprehensible.

Synonyms: despicable, vile, worthless, ugly, unworthy, wretched

Usage: "You are a slimy little liar," she yelled as she ran from the room in tears.

Relevance to my life: I was not surprised to hear from the slimy bastard again; I'd heard that his chasing 20 year-old tail had amounted to nothing. Lo and behold, he has come knocking on my door again. Apparently he kept me on the books as a back-up plan.

And now, for some slimy bastards in action:

Razzle-Dazzle from Chicago

In Chicago, Richard Gere plays the ultimate in sleazy, slimy bastard lawyers.

True fun fact: I saw him in person years ago in Washington DC when he was introducing a special envoy of the Dalai Lama at a Free Tibet rally. In person, Richard Gere is unbelievably good-looking. I was not expecting that.

Cellblock Tango

I can't post video clips from Chicago and not include this one. This is quite simply the best scene from the entire show.

Whenever I watch this show it makes me wish I'd kept up with my dance lessons. *sigh*

Thank You for Smoking

Aaron Eckhart plays a lobbyist for Big Tobacco, which is kind of the epitome of slimy bastardness, isn't it?

Great movie. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend that you do.

Roman Polanski in "Chinatown"

Now for a real-life slimy bastard who's been in the news recently. I don't care if he does have buckets of talent and a long history of tragedy in his past.

The fact remains that he raped a child and fled before sentencing. He needs to pay for his crime like any other rapist and fugitive from justice would.

Exhilaration

2009-04-20T05:51:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for April 20 is "exhilarating."

exhilarating: (adjective) Making lively and cheeful.

Synonyms: stimulating

Usage: Countless climbers flocked to the region to experience the exhilarating effects of the mystical mountain air.

Relevance to my life: There is nothing so exhilarating as that mad dash to bathroom holding a pre-puking child in my arms, praying fervently that I can make it before the spewing starts.

Parenthood
Parenthood is fraught with perils like sudden projectile vomiting, sexually precocious teens, and mass birthday parties.

My Parents are Aliens
Ha! Game shows can be addictive.

Rusty Shares a Beer with Dad
Clark means well.

Cousin Eddie and Hamburger Helper
Thanks to this movie, I laugh every time I walk past Hamburger Helper in the grocery store.

That 70s Show
Red & Kitty finally bust them in the basement.

Holy Crap!
@ 1:00 mark is my favorite Red Foreman line.

Clangor

2009-04-17T08:06:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for April 17 is "clangor."

clangor: (noun)
A loud resonant repeating noise.

A loud racket; a din.
Synonyms: clanks, clash, crash

Usage: Then, upon this stillness, there suddenly broke a tremendous clangor of sounds.

Relevance to my life: One memorable parenting moment came when I was recovering from a triple shot of The Flu, Bronchitis and Pneumonia, only to be awoken by a terrible clangor from the laundry room. The ensuing shitstorm was legendary.

The Trumpet's Loud Clangor
A little Handel to soothe your Friday

The Trumpet Shall Sound
More trumpet, more Handel.

Hayden Trumpet Concerto, Mvt 1
The trumpet is almost bigger than the kid is, but he blows the hell out of it.

Brandenburg Concerto No. 2
More classic trumpet playing

Persona

2009-04-16T04:32:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for April 16 is "persona."

persona: (noun) The role that one assumes or displays in public or society; one's public image or personality, as distinguished from the inner self.

Synonyms: image

Usage: The singer's larger-than-life persona belied the fear and insecurity she truly felt.

Relevance to my life: At the end of the semester, my class went out for drinks and I do believe I shocked some people. I had let my Serious Student persona slip off, let my hair down and was Just Me. Although there were no beer funnels or table-dancing, I could see that my classmates weren't expecting the Real Barbara.

You Don't Know Me
I really am surprised how many times I've felt this. Maybe I'm bad about letting people see who I really am. Or, maybe people are idiots.

The Breakfast Club
Sometimes we make our personas ourselves, other times we're type-cast. Those seem to be the hardest to break.

The Doors
Larger than life, he was. For God's sake they have a memorial plaque at Barney's Beanery where he once got banned for pissing on the bar!

The Marquise de Merteuil and Valmont
This scene sets up the next one. The Marquise had a reputation, a public persona of the model lady of French nobility when in reality she was as corrupt and devious as the worst scoundrel. She was still my favorite character in both the book and the movie.

The Fall of the Marquise
Here, her persona is shot to Hell. *sniff* Nobody likes her anymore!

Peck

2009-04-15T05:44:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for April 15 is "peck."

peck: (noun)
A large quantity; a lot.

A unit of dry volume or capacity in the U.S. Customary System equal to 8 quarts or approximately 537.6 cubic inches.

A container holding or measuring a peck.

Synonyms: good deal, hatful, lot, passel, mint, slew, spate, was, stack, raft, mountain, pile, plenty, mass, batch, heap, deal, flock, pot, mess

Usage: The class clown was sent to the principal's office, where he found himself in a peck of trouble.

Relevance to my life: One of my favorite expressions, which I heard from the s2bx one time when we were washing potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner, is "You gotta eat a peck of dirt before you die."

The Bucket List
"Eat a peck of dirt" is not on my official Bucket List, but skydiving is.

Kopi Luwak
I have laughed like this. *crosses off my list*

"You fooled 'em all."
A good scene from my favorite Jack Nicholson movie

Andy plays Mozart
One of the best scenes from my favorite Morgan Freeman movie.

Wild Bill
Another excellent movie adaptation of a Stephen King novel. That Wild Bill's a pissah.

The Shining ending
This brings us back to Jack Nicholson. Full-circle, how lovely.

Chafe

2009-04-14T05:07:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for April 14 is "chafe."

chafe: (verb)
To rub and cause irritation or friction.
To feel irritated or impatient
Synonyms: scratch, rub, fray, fret

Usage: The wool sweater chafed against my neck, and I longed to change into something more comfortable.

Relevance to my life: All through High School, I chafed at the restrictions placed on me by my parents but still managed to appear obedient because I had no choice; when I got to college, however, with no supervision but my own, I exploded.

Bluto's Advice
I know El Borracho will like this.

Shout
I actually did go to a toga party one year. I think I had purplish paisley sheets.

Paradise by the dashboard light
Speaking of songs that we used to dance to when drunk...

Twist and Shout
...and here's another one!

Shake your tailfeather
Speaking of fun dance scenes from movies...

I love to boogie
A great compilation of dance clips to an awesome T Rex song.

Derisory

2009-04-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for April 13 is "derisory."

derisory: (adjective) Incongruous; inviting ridicule.

Synonyms: absurd, cockeyed, idiotic, laughable, ludicrous, nonsensical, preposterous, ridiculous

Usage: The shareholders dismissed the lowball offer as derisory.

Relevance to my life: The girls first viewed my changes to their favorite recipe (boxed Mac and Cheese) as derisory, but I won them over with the homemade baked mac and cheese in the end. Lucy gave me an enthusiastic two thumbs up and said, "Gee Mommy, this is the best 'smack and cheese' ever!" Damn straight, kid.

The Battle of Wits
The Sicilian certainly thought The Dread Pirate Roberts's challenge to a battle of wits to be derisory. "Inconceivable!" Too bad for him.

The Battle of Wits in Legos
I am easily amused.

Hello, My name is Inigo Montoya...
Yet another great scene from a timeless classic.

The Wedding
"Mawwige." I can't help but snicker at weddings now.

The Most Reverend Mr. Bean
One funny wedding scene deserves another.

Stilted

2009-04-10T05:30:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for April 10 is "stilted."

stilted (adjective) Stiffly or artificially formal; stiff

Synonyms: artificial, contrived, hokey

Usage: She knew no other way to express her genuine feelings than the stilted language of The Family Herald.

Relevance to my life: When I attended the welcoming reception for the Soros Foundation's Teaching Fellows in Tallinn, I remember how stilted the Estonian teachers' speech was. At first I attributed it to degrees of language fluency, but after mingling and talking to them I realized that this program was one of the first to recognize Estonia's statehood on the international scene. Intense emotion and national pride, not language inadequacy or cultural differences, choked their throats and affected their speech.

The Estonian National Anthem
I learned this song fairly early on, since people played it often. I was there from 1993-1994, shortly after their independence from Moscow. While Estonians have always maintained a strong ethnic identity quite separate from Russians, you could say that just after full independence, it was fiery and fervent.

The Finnish National Anthem
Interestingly, it is exactly the same melody. Finns and Estonians and culturally, linguistically and ethnically very closely related to one another.

Onnenpyörä
I got to watch a good deal of Finnish television when I was in Estonia. My favorite show was Wheel of Fortune in Finnish.

Conan O'Brien in Finland
Conan had some segments a few years ago where talked about his similarity to the Finnish President Tarja Halonen. He later visited Finland and visited a few television shows. Hilarity ensued.

Finland
My sentiments exactly, and I'm not being facetious. I loved visiting Finland and would like to go back again some day. It's a beautiful country and I love the sound of the language.

Fortnight

2009-04-09T05:34:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for April 9 is "fortnight."

fortnight: (noun) A period of fourteen consecutive days.

Synonyms: two weeks

Usage: Most major tennis tournaments last a fortnight.

Relevance to my life: Although I was taking enough medication to knock out an elephant, I can still remember the fortnight immediately after my son's death with crystal clarity. My recall of the intervening years is spotty, but nearly every hour of those 14 days is burned onto my memory.

This one was hard, not because it's a difficult word, but because it is such a completely British word. Perhaps it's common in Australia, New Zealand and Canada as well, but it is not at all the norm in the US. It's hard not to feel pretentiously Anglophilic using it, and I'm something of an Anglophile.

In honour of our sister tongue, here are a bunch of thoroughly British clips.

Do you speak English?
Damned foreigners!

Four Yorkshiremen
This could easily be Four (Crotchety Old) Yankees.

Eddy Izzard on the differences between British and American English
One question: is he wearing pajamas?

Britain's Got Baton Twirling
The Billy Elliotness of this clip always makes me tear up.

Unswerving

2009-04-08T05:17:00.001-07:00

The Word of the Day for March 8 is "unswerving."

unswerving: (adjective) Firm and dependable especially in loyalty.

Synonyms: staunch, steadfast, constant, steady

Usage: Such characters do not elicit the joyous and unswerving devotion which Lavalle commanded throughout life.

Relevance to my life: I never expected unswerving allegiance from all of our joint friends, but I did not anticipate his gaining sole custody of most of them.

"My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius"
Even as a slave, he garnered unswerving devotion. That's charisma, baby.

King Arthur on the Ice
Arthur, whether he was real or just a legend, also laid claim to charisma and loyalty. In "King Arthur," the battle on the ice against the Saxons is eerily similar to the scene in Eisenstein's "Aleksandr Nevsky" where the Teutoninc Knights fell through the ice.
Nevsky is a masterful bit of anti-German propaganda, and Kind Arthur is worth watching for Stellan Skarsgard as Cerdic the Saxon king..

"Arise, riders of Theoden!
This scene always gets me.
Of course, by the time I've reached this spot, I've been in a dark room, watching 8 hours of Lord of the Rings, so I'm already kind of shell-shocked and weepy. lol

And Justice for All
Not all epic battles require swords. This is one of the top endings of any film.

Whine

2009-04-07T05:16:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for April 7 is "whine."

whine: (verb)
To produce a sustained noise of relatively high pitch.
To utter a plaintive, high-pitched, protracted sound, as in pain, fear, supplication, or complaint.
To complain or protest in a childish fashion.

Synonyms: creak, screech, squeak

Usage: As I merged onto the highway, the car engine began to whine, and I quickly pulled onto the shoulder.

Relevance to my life: My scariest airline experience came on an Aeroflot flight from Moscow to Odessa. Many of the seat backs flopped down, only half of the seats had seat belts, and the inner window next to me had a massive crack spidering in the glass. By far the scariest moment came when we were circling endlessly over the Black Sea, in concentric circles drifting lower and lower, listening to the whine of the ancient, shaking engines. My friends and I dubbed the airline "Scare-o-flot."

Beagle Puppies Whining
Whining is cute only when it's puppies, and even then I have a limit.

Cute Kid Whining
Classic, though subdued, whining technique with gratuitous tossing of the menu at the end. The judges award him a 7.5. He'll come in to his own in about a year or so.

Brat in full meltdown
Technically this is screaming and screeching, not whining, but it's pretty funny!

Why waste a temper tantrum?
This just proves that kids throw tantrums for the attention.

Formulary

2009-04-06T05:32:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for April 6 is "formulary."

formulary: (noun) A book containing a list of pharmaceutical substances along with their formulas, uses, and methods of preparation.

Synonym: pharmacopeia

Usage: The doctor consulted his formulary before writing out a prescription for his patient.

Relevance to my life: At one point I was so overmedicated I felt as though I needed to check a formulary before taking an Ibuprofen, cold medicine or even grapefruit juice for fear of drug interactions.

Brian Regan Going to the Doctor
Don't you love going to the doctor?

Brian Regan Going to the ER Pt 1
He asks a good question: why don't they have valet parking at the ER?!

Brian Regan Going to the ER Pt 2
The cracked femur bit slays me!

House Bloopers
Would you want these people treating you?!

Hugh Laurie and British vs. American slang
Who knew?

Admittance

2009-03-27T05:21:00.001-07:00

The Word of the Day for March 27 is "admittance."

admittance: (noun) The right to enter.

Synonyms: access, entree, admission, accession

Usage: Anyone who picked an apple gained admittance into the golden castle, and there in a silver room sat an enchanted Princess of surpassing fairness and beauty.

Relevance to my Life: My kids labor under the misconception that since they are my flesh and blood, they needn't ask for admittance when I seek "special quiet time." Cloaked with a child's self-entitlement, they burst in on me fearlessly, asking, "Mommy, where are you? What are you doing? Are you peeing or pooping?"

Parenthood trailer
Before kids, I used to think that this movie was funny; after kids, I have come to realize that it is screamingly funny, and right on the mark.

Frank Buchman Needs Advice
He's probably right; it never ends.

Steve Martin & the Muppets do Dueling Banjos
That's no joke. Steve's hell on a banjo.

Dueling Banjos
I had to do this one too.

World's Fastest Banjo Player
I think I've posted this before, but it's too amazing to pass up.

Lade

2009-03-26T05:45:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for March 26 is "lade."

lade: (verb)
Fill or place a load on.

To burden or oppress; weigh down.

Synonyms: load

Usage: The captain ordered his crew to lade the ship with provisions and weapons before they embarked on their expedition.

Relevance to my life: If my kids had their way, on our trips to Price Chopper, they would lade the cart with nothing but doughnuts, cookies and chips instead of the bags of vegetables I pick.

Evolution of Shopping Carts
This was... odd. I enjoyed his use of back formation to get the verb "evolute." Clever. lol

The Cart Whisperer
Ok, same guy. *snort*

Shopping Cart Fail
Whoops.

Numa Numa Fail
Most Numa Numas are a fail anyway.

Numa Numa
Don't say you didn't see this one coming!

Evolution of Dance
Apparently this is the most-viewed video on Youtube with over 116,000,000 views.

Robert Muraine
As amusing as the previous guy was, this next one kills me. He's just not natural.

Accession

2009-03-25T06:33:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for March 25 is "accession."

accession: (noun) The attainment of a dignity or rank.

Synonym: attainment, addition, inheritance,

Usage: The circumstance which chiefly availed was the marriage of his daughter with a man of fortune and consequence, which took place in the course of the summer -- an accession of dignity that threw him into a fit of good humour, from which he did not recover till after Eleanor had obtained his forgiveness of Henry, and his permission for him "to be a fool if he liked it."

Relevance to my life: Few events have affected me as profoundly as my accession to the rank of Bitter Divorcée To Be: in this change I have lost money, stability, friends and the more elusive creature, my self-esteem.

You Don't Own Me
Aww, aren't these gals spunky? They make it look so easy.

The War of the Roses
Isn't this closer to the truth? Ok, maybe not the details, but the hate.

The Break Up
After only two years together? How much hate and resentment could possibly have built up after only two yeras?

Death Becomes Her
Oh my. This is so funny and yet... so not funny.

Woebegone

2009-03-18T06:40:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for March 18 is "woebegone."

woebegone: (adjective) affected by or full of grief or woe

Synonyms: sorrowful, woeful

Usage: Some cling to you in woebegone misery; others come back fiercely and weirdly, like ghouls bent upon sucking your strength away; others, again, have a catastrophic splendour; some are unvenerated recollections, as of spiteful wild-cats clawing at your agonized vitals; others are severe, like a visitation; and one or two rise up draped and mysterious, with an aspect of ominous menace.

Relevance to my life: Upon hearing the verdict, the child looked up at me with such a woebegone expression on her face: huge eyes brimming over with tears and bottom lip trembling. I weakened for a second and nearly relented, but recovering my determination, I repeated, "No cookies before dinner."

I can't hear the word woebegone without thinking of all those Saturday nights listening to Prairie Home Companion on the radio with the family. Garrison Keillor's updates from Lake Woebegon (his hometown) were always my favorite.

Dusty and Lefty
This is a clip from the movie based on the radio show

Coffee
Also from the movie

Darryl Tollerud's Long Day
Here is a bit from one of his updates from Lake Woebegon.

"It's been a quiet week in Lake Woebegon... my home town."

On Being a Dad
Priceless

Studious

2009-03-17T05:37:00.000-07:00

The Word of the day for March 17 is "studious"

studious (adjective) Characterized by diligent study and fondness for reading.

Synonym: bookish

Usage: She was a quiet, studious child and always had her nose in a book.

Relevance to my life: In high school, many of my peers who did not know me well mistook my smart and studious exterior for stuck up and snotty. My friends knew better, but this did not change the relative inactivity of my social life.

In over twenty years, I still have not made it back to any of hte high school reunions. I had been planning to go to my 20th, but I changed my mind because that was the weekend my husband was moving out of my house. I didn't relish explaining why I was attending solo only to see triumphant looks on some people's faces, "Ah, husband's leaving her, so she still is a loser! I knew it! Some things never change."

"They" say that the best revenge is living well.

Sure.

I am not there yet.

Perhaps by the time the 25th reunion rolls around, I'll be in a better place. Until then, I suppose that I can always fake it, like Romy and Michele.

"Businesswomen"

Sometimes clothes do make the part, but only if you know what your business is.

Formula for Glue
Ok, you know that this is a movie, because who really looks like that at a 10-year reunion?
Oh, it's a dream sequence!

Part of the reunion clip from the movie
Romy to Heather Mooney "I bet in high school, everyone made somebody's life hell."

Astray

2009-03-16T06:17:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for March 16 is "astray."

astray: (adverb) Far from the intended target.

Synonym: wide

Usage: A bullet went astray and struck an innocent bystander.

Relevance to my life: When I left high school I had definite plans for my life, and although they did include extensive travel, none of them involved divorce; on the other hand, none of these future fantasies included children, so my life going astray wasn't a total loss.

All We Like Sheep Have Gone Astray (Handel)

My kids think that they're singing "Oh we like sheep."

Oh Thou, That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion (Handel)

Another ditty from Handel's Messiah. This is my favorite aria, usually sung by an alto, but here performed by a countertenor. I love countertenors.

The Stoned Guest (PDQ Bach)

Speaking of countertenors...Peter Schickele's "PDQ Bach" wrote pieces for a bargain countertenor. Here is a bit from one of his classic recordings.

If he ever comes to a theater near you, run, don't walk to go see him!

Permeate

2009-03-13T05:27:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for March 13 is "permeate."

permeate: (verb) To spread or flow throughout.

Synonyms: imbue, pervade, interpenetrate, diffuse, riddle, penetrate

Usage: An atmosphere of distrust has permeated this administration.

Relevance to my life: By the time I had returned from dropping my younger daughter off at school and walked into the kitchen, the smell of freshly-brewed coffee had permeated the kitchen and enveloped me in a snug haze rife with the promise of caffeine.

Java Jive

Sing it with me!

Coffee Cantata
Even J.S. Bach got in on it. This is too great not to plug. It's a secular cantata which satirizes coffee-addiction. In the following aria, the soprano declares her love for coffee:

"Mm! how sweet the coffee tastes, more delicious than a thousand kisses, mellower than muscatel wine. Coffee, coffee I must have, and if someone wishes to give me a treat, ah, then pour me out some coffee!"

For a short synopsis of the cantata read this

Latte Art... in Dutch
I may have to try this today.

Prop

2009-03-12T05:11:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for March 12 is "prop."

prop: (verb) To support by placing something beneath or against.

Synonyms: shore up

Usage: I had to prop my head up with my fist to keep from nodding off during the boring speech.

Relevance to my life: During the labor and delivery with my second daughter, several times I tried to prop myself up on my elbows or even sit entirely upright to alleviate the excruciating pain of back labor, but with little success. Thankfully, the baby punched her way down and out quickly*.

Not to be confused with:

"Working the props department" - If you've ever had the good fortune to work on a play, musical, opera or any sort of staged performance, even a ballet recital, you may have heard of or even been a part of the props department. This department is in charge of the items of the set which are integral to the plot; they're not just set decoration. Often they will be something held or touched by one of the actors. Here, the "prop" is shortened from "property."

"To give props to" - this slang expression is a shortened from of "to give proper respect to." Sometimes I've seen people use it together with a "raise the roof" gesture which would seem to add the meaning of "prop up." It's funny how popular language works.

*She really did "punch her way down." I'll never forget what my OB said just before those final two pushes, "Ok, I see her head, and... is that a hand?!"

That child was born, fist curled up against her head, and face-up to boot. It was painful.

Baby propped up

In the second and third "scenes" we see a boppy pillow. I loved my Boppy. It made nursing comfortable and was a convenient way to prop up very small infants

Asleep on the job

We see a guy, propped up against the wall, avoiding his desk job. Tsk. In this economy?!

Don't fall asleep at a baseball game!

Those seats are so low that a sleepy guy can't even prop up his head!

Hey, did someone say "baseball?"

Bonanza

2009-03-11T06:15:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for March 11 is "bonanza"

bonanza:(noun) Sudden and unexpected luck or wealth.

Synonyms: boom, bunce, godsend, gold rush, gravy, manna from heaven, windfall

Usage: Shop keepers in seaside towns enjoy a bonanza in hot summers.

Relevance to my life: When I was a kid, on Christmas morning my sister and I would race down to the living room at an obscenely early hour, and even though we knew that there would be presents waiting for us, we always looked at each other, eyes agog, dumbstruck at the bonanza.

I'll be singing this song all day now

Don't they all look so young?

"That's like 91 to you and me!"

It's terrible, but when I think of Lorne Greene, Alpo commercials come first; Bonanza comes second.

Little House on the Prairie Theme

For little girls in the 1970s everywhere, Little House was one of the highlights of a bleak tv week. Who among us didn't wish we had those cool pinafores? Also, didn't we each have a Nellie Oleson-nemesis in elementary school? Oh yeah.

And now for the good stream of consciousness trick. Pernell Roberts played the oldest Cartright son, Adam on Bonanza. He also starred in the M*A*S*H spin-off Trapper John, M.D., but it wasn't as good as the original M*A*S*H series, which was great from start to finish.

Goodbye, Farewell and Amen

My second favorite scene from the finale - I couldn't find a clip with the kiss

Have a great day, everyone, and please check out today's parenting moment:

Stridulate

2009-03-10T06:01:00.001-07:00

The Word of the Day for March 10 is "stridulate"

stridulate: (verb) To produce a
shrill grating, chirping, or hissing sound by rubbing body parts together, as certain insects do.

Synonyms: clitter

Usage: The meadow was filled with the sound of countless unseen grasshoppers
stridulating in unison.

Relevance to my life: As a child, in the summer when we'd go off to play
outside, sometimes the combination of the muggy heat and cicadas' stridulation
seemed to make the air shimmer, and I'd get dizzy.

For those of you who have never heard cicadas, check this out:

I am not a bug person by any means, but I spent some of the morning reading up on the Periodical Cicada,which I've also heard called the 17-Year Cicada and the 17-Year Locust. They're different from the yearly arrivals, or Annual Cicadas. These guys spend 17 years dormant as nymphs underground and then emerge to make all that racket to find a mate before they die.

Sort of a desperate swan song, except they're in little danger of dying out as a species from predators because they can reach a population density of hundreds of thousands to over 1 million per square acre.

No wonder they're so damn loud!

"Many people know periodical cicadas by the name "17-year locusts" or "13-year locusts", but they are not true locusts, which are a type of grasshopper. Their uniqueness has given them a special appeal and cultural status: members of the Onondaga Nation maintain the oral tradition of being rescued from famine by periodical cicadas; early European colonists viewed periodical cicadas with a mixture of religious apprehension
and loathing and modern Americans maintain numerous websites to assist in planning weddings, graduations, and other outdoor activities around Magicicada emergences." -From Magicicada

Dunk

2009-03-09T15:42:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for March 9 is "dunk."

dunk: (verb) To plunge into liquid; immerse.

Synonyms: dip, douse, plunge, souse

Usage: She instructed me to dunk the garment in the dye for fifteen minutes, but I accidentally for got it in the bucket for an hour!

Relevance to my life: As I made the perfect G and T with Boodles gin, Polar tonic and Rose's Sweetened Lime Juice Cordial, I was nearly salivating as I added the final touch: dunking a hefty wedge of lime in with the ice cubes.

G and Ts are a summer drink for me. There is something about the bright, citrusy lime and crisp, juniperiness gin which scream out "HEAT WAVE!"

I always used to like Bombay Sapphire in the blue glass bottle, both because I'm oddly attracted to square-ish bottles and blue glass. Plus, it features a stern-looming Queen Victoria on it. How can that be bad, I ask you?

Then a friend turned me on to Boodles.

Oh, how my taste buds sang!

Ever since then, all other brands of gin seem harsh, with a definite tang of Pine-Sol.

Tanqueray is no Boodles, but these Tony Sinclair commercials got a snicker out of me.

Back from my hiatus

2009-03-08T18:29:00.000-07:00

The holidays sent me spiraling into a worse depression than usual this year.

I am happy to say that I have recovered and that I am inspired, once again, to write.

Sibylline

2008-12-15T18:13:00.000-08:00

The Word of the Day for December 15 is "sibylline."

sibylline
. (adjective) Prophetic; oracular.
resembling or characteristic of a prohet or prophecy.
Synonyms: divinatory, mantic, sibyllic, vatic

Usage: It was a sibylline book with ready and infallible answers to all sorts of questions about the future.

Relevance to my Life: In a moment of sibylline clarity I could see how this was going to unfold and I was struck with that awful sense of déjà vu all over again.

"This is like déjà vu all over again."

As lovable as Yogi Berra is, I have to balance out the NYY-ness of that clip, and what better way to do that than with a tribute to the 2004 Red Sox?

Priceless

And now for how I really feel...

Jeer

2008-12-10T18:14:00.000-08:00

The Word of the Day for December 10 is "jeer."

jeer:(verb) To speak or shout derisively; mock.

Synonyms: scoff, flout, gibe, barrack

Usage: The crowd jeered at the speaker, and she ran offstage in tears.

Relevance to my Life: The cacophonous din from the crowd inside my head as they jeer, taunt and belittle me can be unnerving. Talk about performance anxiety!

One of my favorite purveyor of jeers is Dr. Cox. This guy can turn a phrase and work that sarcasm. *swoon*

Top 5 Dr. Cox rants
The musical sequence is one of my favorite Scrubs moments of all time

Dr. Cox Explains Humor
Now this guy knows funny.

The Best of the Todd
Everyone's favorite sexual deviant

Best of JD's daydreams
What's Scrubs with out a JD-daydream?

Yammer

2008-12-08T18:15:00.000-08:00

The Word of the Day for December 8 is "yammer."

yammer: (verb) To complain peevishly or whimperingly.

Synonyms: grizzle, yawp, whine

Usage: I refused to do my chores, electing instead to yammer and whine about the injustices of life.

Relevance to my Life: The other evening when faced with dinner's offering of Spaghetti Bolognese which I'd spent the better portion of the day preparing, my two kids whom I've affectionately nicknamed "My Rotten Babies" spent a good ten minutes yammering about what a Mean Mommy I was to serve them that instead of the much more fun canned Chef Boyardee Dinosaurs with Mini Meatballs.

*More yammering below...

Corner Gas: "Whiner Takes All" Part I
The only thing worse than a whiny child is a whiny adult

Part II

Part III

*Whine-time. OK, Corner Gas is from Canada, and yes, it gets cold in Canada on occasion, but shit. It's cold here, too.

It's 3F / -16C right now. Thankfully, the blustery wind from yesterday and last night has died down, or it'd be like -20F / -29C.

Brrrr.

I'm glad that I'm going out for coffee in a while. I may get a fancy-schmancy latte. OOOOOOO, a gingerbread latte would be wicked awesome. :O

Sepulchral

2008-12-05T18:03:00.000-08:00

The Word of the Day for December 5 is "sepulchral."

sepulchral: (adjective)
Gruesomely indicative of death or the dead.
Gloomy and solemn, like a tomb or grave
Synonyms: charnel, ghastly

Usage: The sepulchral darkness of the catacombs sent a chill down my spine.

Relevance to my Life: Historically speaking, filled as it has been with severe illness, heart-crushing breakups and the occasional bout of deep depression tinged with suicidal ideation, the color and mood of November is, for me, sepulchral.

Sepulchre
I may need to get this book...

Lithium
Speaking of depressive episodes...

Voluminous

2008-12-04T18:05:00.000-08:00

The Word of the Day for December 4 is "voluminous."

voluminous: (adjective)
Large in number or quantity (especially of discourse)
Having great volume, fullness, size, or number.
Synonym: copious

Usage; She took voluminous notes during the lecture, and her classmates begged for copies.

Relevance to my Life: So voluminous are the noisy crowds inside my head - my Inner Critic, the Voice of My Insecurities, Little Nag, Big Nag, and the Eternal Idealist, plus the right shoulder angel and her twisted twin, the left-shoulder devil, and last and sometimes least-heard, my own authentic voice, that sometimes I feel as though I should get them a room of their own somewhere.

Sometimes the noise is overwhelming and I want to shut it out. Other than pharmaceutical aids, the most effective means I've found of doing that is listening to the right kind of music. When I say "right kind," I'm not making a value judgment, I mean that some music will have the complete opposite effect than the one I intend. For example, if I am trying to forget someone (imagine that), then listening to music he likes a lot is not going to be a great help. Sad love songs? Um, no thanks. Even angry "I hate you" songs, which may provide a bit of grim satisfaction, are not helpful.

Once again, Music Geek strikes. If music's charms are to soothe the savage breast, for me, it'll probably be classical or baroque. Again.

9th Symphony Therapy
It really is hard to feel sad/pissed/whatever for long with this on my headphones.

Cont'

Miserere (Henryk Gorecki)
This is just an excerpt of the piece which runs about 30 minutes long. The first time I heard this I was sitting in my car in the parking lot eating my lunch in between classes. It starts out with the 1st basses singing a simple melodic line, repeating Domine Deus over and over; gradually the other voice parts enter, until it builds to the point where it's too large to fit in a concert hall.
Anyway, I was in the car listening to this and it started to rain, just a drop at a time, then more heavily. I watched the raindrops slide down the windshield, finally merging into a clear sheet of water, while the windows were buzzing from the music. It's hard to describe - it was wonderful and trippy at the same time.

Bach Concerto BWV 1056, 2nd mvmt
There are a lot of versions of this. There's a beautiful arrangement for cello and piano which I'm trying to track down, but in the meantime, enjoy.

Bach Arioso for Cello
I found it. Yay.

Lament

2008-12-03T18:10:00.000-08:00

The Word of the Day for December 3 is "lament."

lament: (noun)
A song or a hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person.
A feeling or an expression of grief; a lamentation.
Synonyms: coronach, dirge, requiem, threnody

Usage: And when the Duke's wife died, Chaucer wrote a lament which is called the Dethe of Blaunche the Duchess, or sometimes the Book of the Duchess.

Relevance to my life: About three weeks after my son had died, and my parents had returned home, I found myself alone in the house for the first time, no watchful friend or family member hovering worriedly over me; my husband and his sister had taken Natalie out for a walk along the boardwalk on the Bay, while I sat on the floor in a stream of improbably cheery golden sunlight and sang the only lament for my son which I could compose: a keening wail, "Why, oh God, why?"

Three pieces of music which I have been privileged enough to perform in a choir:

Lacrimosa - Mozart requiem
Familiar to many, thanks to the movie Amadeus.

Libera Me (Verdi requiem)
If anyone can write an operatic requiem, it'd have to have been Verdi. You should check out the Sanctus.

A German Requiem (Brahms)
My favorite moment from this is in the middle of the 6th movement, at the end of the first clip. It's a slow-building movement, and really kicks into high gear at the 4-minute mark.
When you get to the section where they're singing "Tod, wo is dein Stachel, Hölle, wo is dein Sieg?" (Death, where is thy sting; Hell, where is thy victory?), it's electrifying. The section at the end of the clip, where the choir is, well, screaming out "Wo? Wo? Wo?" always raises goosebumps for me.

Brahms Requiem, Mvmt 6 pt 2
The glorious resolution of the 6th movement

Blamable

2008-12-02T18:12:00.000-08:00

The Word of the Day for December 2 is "blamable."

blamable: (adjective) Deserving blame or censure as being wrong, evil or injurious.

Synonyms: blameworthy, censurable, culpable

Usage: You are aware that I am no way blamable in this matter.

Relevance to my life: I still have yet to hear his side of the story in this matter, but let me go on record and say that there is no way in Hell that I am blamable here. I am willing to accept culpability when I am in the wrong, but this time? No way. No lame finger of blame pointed my way will convince me otherwise, so just accept it: You're wrong here, pal.

Mea Culpa
Mea Culpa? Screw that - Tua Culpa, honey.

Malice Aforethought
The book which this is based on is by Francis Iles and it's my favorite mystery. It has one Hell of a twist to it. Let's just say that Dr. Bickleigh is indeed blamable, and sometimes, karma is instantaneous.

Judgment at Nuremberg - the Verdict
I am by no means a blind nationalist - I'm more of an internationalist. This is a damn good movie, and the best scene from it.

Judgment at Nuremberg - Janning's Speech
I was mistaken; this is the best scene from the movie, and its timeliness is eternal. I got shivers watching it. I think I may need to watch this again.

Seinfeld, the Verdict
"Callous Indifference?" Oh yeah, they're blamable, but it was hilarious while it lasted.

Sacrilege

2008-12-01T17:54:00.000-08:00

The Word of the day for December 1 is "sacrilege."

sacrilege: (noun)
Desecration, profanation, misuse, or theft of something sacred.
Disrespect for a person who is widely admired or a belief that is widely accepted
Synonyms: blasphemy, desecration, profanation

Usage: I entreat you, if you be a Christian gentleman, not to kill me, which will be committing grave sacrilege, for I am a licentate and I hold first orders.

Relevance to my Life: I had committed the greatest sacrilege in his eyes: While shifting my drafting table to another position, I had accidently moved one of his guitars - in its case- and set it upside down. He asked me, clearly upset, "Did you do it on purpose?"

I'm not going the horror-movie route with this word today. Instead, a different kind of sacrilege:

Brooke's Alibi
A sacrilege in the fitness community at least

Stephen Colbert
Upstaging Letterman? Sacrilege!

David Sedaris
The mention of Amy Sedaris in the previous clip automatically led me to this

More David Sedaris
Reading from Me Talk Pretty One Day

Hobgoblin

2008-11-30T17:55:00.000-08:00

The Word of the Day for November 30 is "hobgoblin."

hobgoblin: (noun)
An ugly, mischievous elf or goblin.
An object or source of fear, dread, or harassment.
Synonym: bugbear

Usage: But this encompassment of her own characterization... was a sorry and mistaken creation of Tess's fancy-- a cloud of moral hobgoblins by which she was terrified without reason.

Relevance to my Life: The myriad nagging insecurities and personal demons who are my constant companions cluster in the forefront of my mind like a clutch of hobgoblins, ready to tear me down at will without warning.

I Want to Break Free (Queen)
My anthem

I Won't Back Down (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers)
I ought to take this to heart

So now we find me sticking to my resolve, great. The problem is that that inevitably comes back to bite me on the ass. There are the times I stick with it, then there are the times when I ought to throw in towel. The problem I have is distinguishing between them.

I wonder, should I pull a George Costanza and simply start doing the opposite of what my instincts tell me? Thinking further, this just brings me to a new problem: maybe my true instincts have actually been right on the money and I just haven't been listening to them, instead opting for endless second-guessing until I don't know which is instinct, and which is insecurity.

The New George

Stammer

2008-11-29T17:56:00.000-08:00

The Word of the Day for November 29 is "stammer."

stammer: (verb) To speak with involuntary pauses or repetitions.

Synonyms: bumble, falter, stutter

Usage: "You - you must think me crazy," stammered Anne, trying to recover her self-possession.

Relevance to my Life: My face red and cheeks hot, I managed to stammer out an apology before rushing away to hide on the third floor of the library among the bound journals where I sat and chewed on my feet for a while, ruing my ability to talk before thinking.

I was trying to think of an example from a movie which showed someone stammering from rage or shock, but drew a blank. I could think of several examples of stuttering. The clip I found show scenes from four different movies with a character who has a major stutter.

What's interesting is how different each character is, and the different responses to the stutter: amused mockery from Otto; Nurse Ratched's no mention of the stutter itself while she still manages to tear down the Billy calmly and coldly; Georgie's complete disregard of an idolized older brother's stutter; a defense attorney's somewhat amused condescension of a client he believes to be a bit feeble.

Stuttering in the Movies
A Fish Called Wanda, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, It, Primal Fear

Introducing Nurse Ratched
For someone who is so calm, collected and reasonable, Nurse Ratched might be the most quietly sadistic character ever written.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Therapy
Dog-piling as therapy. Interesting...

A Fish Called Wanda
And now for some humor...

Cipher

2008-11-28T17:58:00.000-08:00

The Word of the Day for November 28 is "cipher."

cipher: (noun)
A person having no influence or value.
The mathematical symbol (0) denoting absence of quantity; zero.
An Arabic numeral or figure; a number.
A cryptographic system in which units of plain text of regular length, usually letters, are arbitrarily transposed or substituted according to a predetermined code.
Synonyms: a nobody, a nonentity

Usage: He was a cipher in the estimation of the public, and nobody attached any importance to what he thought or did.

Relevance to my life: When I am in the deep chasm of a depressive episode, it is hard to escape the feeling that I am but a cipher, less even than the numeral zero, which has a significant place in the mathematical world: simply by adding zeros to a digit, you can increase its worth manyfold, whereas I feel that I add nothing.

Other favorite nonentities include:

American Beauty
Lester Burnham, a Nobody no more

Glengarry Glen Ross
I don't know about you, but after being the subject of that obscenity-laden rant, I'd feel pretty worthless too. Again, Kevin Spacey, btw

Glengarry Glen Ross
This is the best scene in the movie. Alec Baldwin delivers one hell of a motivational speech. I'll bet these salesguys feel pretty low now. Sales is brutal. Damn. David Mamet is a genius.

Death of a Salesman
Willie Loman, the quintessential cipher

Full Metal Jacket
Speaking of anti-motivational speeches designed to tear people down to nonentities, here is Gunnery Sgt Hartmann at his best.

Nuzzle

2008-11-27T17:59:00.000-08:00

The Word of the Day for November 27 is "nuzzle."

nuzzle: (verb)
Move or arrange oneself into a comfortable and cozy position.
Rub noses together.
Synonyms: cuddle, draw close, nest, nestle, snuggle

Usage: We nuzzled against each other to keep warm and quickly fell asleep.

Relevance to my life: He crawled under the comforter with me, nuzzled his face against my neck and held me tightly in his arms and we lounged in drowsy warmth as the blizzard raged quietly outside our window.

I love snow. A good blizzard or Nor'easter is quite something. I love the idea of something vast, cold and silent covering up passion, rage, murder, whatever.

The Ice Storm
I read a review of this movie once which claimed that this movie expressed perfectly the "frigidity of the WASP soul," which is something that really offended me. No one culture or race has primacy on emotion, or even how it's expressed.
It's stereotypes like these which only split people further apart.

Snow Falling on Cedars
As beautifully-realized as this film is, the book is many times better.

Kill Bill, Vol. 1
Showdown at the House of Blue Leaves
Another absolutely fantastic scene in the snow

The Shining
Ok, so sometimes being out in a blizzard in a maze with your insane father chasing you with a ax isn't a beautiful thing.
Oh, and could someone please give Shelley Duvall a sandwich? She needs fattening up.

And because I am feeling nostalgic today, a link to an old post of mine involving both nuzzling and snowfall.

Happy Thanksgiving.

It's Indescribably Beautiful

Sulfurous

2008-11-26T18:02:00.000-08:00

The Word of the Day for November 26 is "sulfurous."

sulfurous: (adjective)
Of, related to, or containing sulfur or derived from sulfur
Harsh or corrosive in tone
Of, related to, or dealing with the fire of hell
Synonyms: acid, blistering, caustic, vitriolic, sulphurous, acrid, acerbic, bitter, virulent

Usage: Her sulfurous denunciation of the governor was aired on the news that evening.

Relevance to my life: If I had had my eyes open, I would have known that he was no good, uttering poisoned words on sulfurous breath; I should have, at the very least, taken notice of the horns sprouting from his head, but, blinded by an excess of emotion, I fell for him, his subtle flattery and intoxicating presence. The years have slipped past, but still I get a not-so-unpleasant shiver when I think of my time with him.

In honor of other fiendish men out there:

"I'm a Humanist."
I love this movie. I love the twist.

"You will live."
I'll take any opportunity to watch my second-favorite Swedish actor and my all-time favorite villain Peter Stormare even if it is yet another film with Keanu Reeves

"I am always open, even on Christmas."
Viggo, my favorite actor.

Now for some dirty rotten scoundrels:

"Ve must try something a little more stringent."
I'd forgotten how funny this movie was

Portentous

2008-11-25T17:43:00.000-08:00

The Word of the Day for November 25 is "portentous."

portentous:(adjective)
Of great or ominous significance
Marked by pompousness; pretentiously weighty.
Synonyms:
Ominous, foreboding, fateful
Overblown, pompous, grandiloquent, pontifical
Usage: His hands, large and coarse, were plentifully bedecked with rings; and he wore a heavy gold watch-chain, with a bundle of seals of portentous size, and a great variety of colors, attached to it.

Relevance to my life: It appears that I am blind to the portentous signs which precede disater; time and again I am struck dumb with shock at what unfolds in my life. Others ask, "How could you not have known it was coming?" and I have no answer. Unlike in the movies, there is no ominous leitmotiv to clue me in when the shark is on my trail.

Speaking of portentous leitmotivs, here are some of my favorite musical themes which presage disaster:

Darth vader's Theme (Imperial March )
I love how in the newer trilogy, as Anakin gets older and suffers, you hear the strains of this theme developing.

Jaws, baby
My kids love it when I sing this theme as I wave a forkful of food in front of them. It's a good way to get them to eat food which they find repellent. Even the 9 year-old gets a kick out of it. Yes, we are silly.

The Isengard/Uruk-hai theme from LOTR
The Lord of the Rings has such a developed use of leitmotivs, it's almost Wagnerian, but I love it. It offers that extra textural element to the feel of the story.

Psycho
Ok, this is portentous only for a second or so before the knife plunges, but still. Good music.

The Exorcist
This theme creeped me out before I even saw the movie. Whenever I hear it I still get the shivers.

There are so many more, but I can't think of any others at the moment.

Cockeyed

2008-11-24T17:45:00.000-08:00

The Word of the Day for November 24 is "cockeyed."

cockeyed: (adjective)
Turned or twisted toward one side.
Foolish; ridiculous; absurd.
Askew; crooked.
Intoxicated; drunk.
Synonyms: askew, awry, lopsided, wonky

Usage: He noticed that his tie was cockeyed and made sure to straighten it before meeting with the company executives.

Relevance to my life: His cockeyed view of events, which were at odds with my own understanding of them led me to marvel that two people could see the same situation from such diametrically opposing viewpoints. It's one thing to have slight differences in narrative, but when the facts are so utterly contradictory, one has to wonder if sanity (or lack thereof), or simple spiteful grudges color perspectives..

Cockeyed Optimist from South Pacific
I could never be mistaken for a cockeyed optimist; a clear-eyed cynic, perhaps.

I'm Gonna Wash that Man Right Out of my Hair (also from South Pacific)
Indeed this is what I should be doing. Maybe when I dye my hair today...

Edelweiss
It's a Rogers and Hammerstein morning here Chez Babs. I tried to find the clip of this song where the von Trapps sang it at the national festival and the audience was singing along, but couldn't find it.

I Can't Say No
Oh my. How timely...and eerily familiar

Shall We Dance?
This is a great scene.Yul Brynner was magnificent, a great example of bald being sexy.

Getting to Know You
I was in this musical once and I was the principal fan dancer with Anna in this scene. That was fun. I think I still have my fan somewhere. The choreography sessions were fun as we were learning Thai dance steps. The dance begins at 2:46.

Antsy

2008-11-23T17:46:00.000-08:00

The Word of the Day for November 23 is "antsy."

antsy: (adjective) Nervous and unable to relax.

Synonyms: fidgety, fretful, itchy

Usage: The long wait made the children antsy.

Relevance to my life: So antsy was I from the waiting and "not knowing" this past week, that I acted precipitously and sent a message which I thought was innocuous. Not so, it seems, judging by the reaction it provoked; though looking at it dispassionately, I can say that if something so small as a message could induce an overreaction on such a scale, perhaps I am not the one with an issue here. Nevertheless, I still feel like a douchebag.

Whenever I get antsy, I have a number of different means of coping, some are better than others. One of the less harmless coping mechanisms is cinematherapy, when I reach for one of several favorite movies, depending on my need for stupid humor (Super Troopers), some epic tale of hope with a lot of death and destruction (all 10 hours of the Lord of the Rings) or my need for a cleansing cry (Waking Ned Devine).

The broken string
A great scene from Waking Ned Devine

To the King!
This ride of the Rohirrim from the Two Towers is one of the more visually stunning scenes in a movie with amazing shots, but there's just something about the image of all those riders flooding down the mountain with the sunlight spilling after them which stuns me every time I see it.

Canada, eh? Almost made it.
For pure juvenile, smutty humor nothing beats Super Troopers. I can't even begin to count the number of times I've watched this movie.

...backed up a bit and continued...

So, which movie should I go for today? I could go see the new James Bond, but then I'd have to actually get dressed. Hmm.

Extempore

2008-11-22T17:47:00.000-08:00

The Word of the Day for November 22 is "extempore."

extempore: (adjective) Spoken, carried out, or composed with little or no preparation or forethought.

Synonyms: ad-lib, extemporaneous, extemporary, impromptu, off-the-cuff, offhand, offhanded, unrehearsed.

Usage: The class performed an extempore skit that condense the complex plot of Shakespeare's Hamlet into a single, 15-minute act.

Relevance to my life: The biggest fight we had started out as a complaint about the division of household labor and ended up with an extempore rant about what I was really like as a person. From cleaning the kitty litter to the defects of my soul? That's quite a tangent.

Sorry, no video clips today. Maybe later if I feel like it.

Remiss

2008-11-21T17:35:00.000-08:00

The Word of the Day for November 21 is "remiss."

remiss: (adjective)
Lax in attending to duty.
Exhibiting carelessness or slackness.
Synonyms: delinquent, derelict, neglectful

Usage: I had been remiss in the fulfillment of my obligations and failed to pay my bills on time, so my landlord evicted me.

Relevance to my Life: I was remiss in attending to anything but the most basic daily tasks of taking care of myself when I lapsed into that depression after my son died. For the first few days, my focus was on taking one solid breath after another in order to keep from screaming. Some people urged me and my husband to throw ourselves into work or other mindless activities in order to soldier through the roughest times, but that was inconceivable.

Ha! I can't think of the word "inconceivable" without leaping straight to The Princess Bride.

Inconceivable!

Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You Killed my father. Prepare to die.
As big a crush as I had on Cary Elwes, I think I like Mandy Patinkin more.

Wuv, Twoo Wuv
And I know I posted this clip in a bulletin earlier this week, but this is perhaps the funniest wedding scene ever.

My Awful Wedded Wife
Oh, except perhaps for this one:

You may wonder why sometimes I post something painful in the "relevance to my life" section and then go on to add funny, random or stupid things in the same post. Well I would be remiss in my duties as a person if I gave the impression that my life is nothing but pain 24/7.

Although the dark shit has provided me with ample fodder for writing, it is my ability to laugh and see something funny in almost any situation, even when it's dark humor, that has been my saving grace.

Besides, I try to stay true to my random train of thought. :)

Veer

2008-11-20T17:37:00.000-08:00

The Word of the Day for November 20 is "veer."

veer (verb)
To turn aside from a course, direction of purpose.
To shift clockwise in direction, as from north to northeast. Used of the wind.
Nautical To change the course of a ship by turning the stern to the wind while advancing to windward; wear ship.

Synonyms: curve, cut, sheer, slew, swerve, trend

Usage: The car veered sharply to the left at the intersection and narrowly missed hitting a pedestrian.

Relevance to my Life: I used to have a pretty clear idea of what I envisioned for my future; extensive travel, living and working overseas; a PhD in Linguistics; publication of my fiction. Looking back from my current vantage point up on my ledge, I can see that my life did not veer off-course as much as it seemed to jump the rails, blaze through land for which I had no map, and, at last, careen out of control down a steep hill headed straight for a carnival filled with frolicking children, petting zoo animals, and for some reason, a conference of Bishops. Don't ask, even I don't know where that came from.

In homage to the nautical meaning of the verb, I thought I'd hunt down some ship-related clips this morning.

The sinking of the Andrea Gail
Try as he might, there was no veering from that rogue wave.

Huge waves
Sure, a cruise ship is big, but the ocean is bigger! Hope they're stocked with Dramamine!
Note: turn down your sound- the noise from the helicopter is loud

White Squall, or as I like to call it: "Boot Camp on a Boat for Over-priviledged White Boys"
Oh sure, Mr. Master and Commander, it's all fun and games until your windjammer's broadsided by a rogue wave and your wife dies...

Ok, I have a thing for submarines and submarine movies. I don't know why.

Anyway, I love The Hunt for Red October (the second greatest submarine movie ever*), and this is my second favorite scene from the movie. My favorite scene is the first Crazy Ivan scene, which goes on to shift scenes between the two subs as Ramius talks in his cabin with his XO. Edit: It's not the second Crazy Ivan scene when Ryan is on the Dallas, like I first wrote. I just watched it again. Sorry!

Edit 2: Ok, the second Crazy Ivan scene is awesome too.

I have to say though, that as much as I love Sean Connery, he has one of the worst accents in Russian I have ever heard. The award for the Worst Accent in Russian Ever goes to a classmate of mine from Texas. Holy Christ, it was enough to make your ears bleed!

Anyway, enough of my rambling.

You arrogant ass! You've killed US!

*The greatest submarine movie ever is, of course, Das Boot, subtitled, NOT dubbed!

Inanimate

2008-11-19T17:39:00.000-08:00

The Word of the Day for November 19 is "inanimate."

inanimate: (adjective)
Not having the qualities associated with active, living organisms.
Not animated or energetic; dull.
Grammar Belonging to the class of nouns that stand for nonliving things.
Synonyms: pulseless, breathless

Usage: I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body.

Relevance to my life: The first weekend after he moved out, I mostly sat in the dark and drank, slowly morphing into some oddly-shaped projection out of the couch, deadening all sensations, rendering myself mute and inanimate; even my breathing seemed to stop as I slipped into a listless, leaden state of deferred shock.

And now, the award for the Best Inanimate Object Skit goes to...

I love the Muppet Show!

In trying to pick my favorite Muppet Show moment, I found that I couldn't choose between the Swedish Chef's doughnut and lobster skits, so here they both are:

Making doughnuts

Cooking lobsters

Saltation

2008-11-18T17:41:00.000-08:00

The Word of the Day for November 18 is "saltation."

saltation (noun)
A light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards.
Discontinuous movement, transition, or development; advancement by leaps.
Genetics A single mutation that drastically alters the phenotype.
Synonyms: leaping, bounce, bound, springUsage: The kangaroo's effortless saltation was balletic and graceful.Relevance to my life: I imagine that there are some of you out there who are saying to yourselves, "My Christ, she's doing it again," as you watch each enormous saltation take me ever closer to the edge of disaster. Forget talking me down off my ledge, I'm going to need a crew fitted out with rappelling gear and a straight-jacket and 500 mg of Thorazine for me.What it is NOT: "salutation" as in that time honored cliché, "Greetings and saltations to you my friends!" wrong It's "greetings and salutations."

Speaking of rappelling gear, rock climbing and um, mountains, this scene always gives me nightmares.

Ok, never mind. I was going to put up the opening scene from Cliffhanger, but I just watched it again and, it's upsetting. I guess you could say that I have no problem suspending disbelief with some movies.

Damn. It's going to be Nightmare-City for me tonight, I can just tell, and I'm already starting the day exhausted because Littler Kid was sick last night and had me up, um, pretty much the whole time, and she's probably going to stay home again unless her fever goes down, her cough goes away and she stops puking.

Also, a totally weird aside: I had the word gallimaufry in my head when I woke up from my final doze this morning.

Am I not just the oddest person you've ever met?

Tangential

2008-11-17T17:34:00.000-08:00

The Word of the Day for November 17 is "tangential."

tangential: (adjective)
Of, relating to, or moving along or in the direction of a tangent.
Merely touching or slightly connected.
Only superficially relevant; divergent.
Synonym: digressive

Usage: His tangential anecdote added much-needed humor to the talk, though some found the digressions tiresome.

Relevance to my life: The tangential asides and video clips in my blogs only scratch the surface of my whacked-out train of thought, and may appear to be completely irrelevant to you, the Reader, but they make perfect sense if you can follow my bizarre stream of consciousness thought processes.

Alrighty, I can't think "tangential" without thinking "tangent" (you know, like in math), and I can't think about math without thinking about transcendental numbers, which brings me to everyone's favorite transcendental number, pi π.

It's also a movie by Darren Aronovsky. Whenever I watch it, it blows my mind a little more.

Also good is Life of Pi, which mentions pi the number only tangentially.

If you want a book about the history of π, I would suggest The History of Pi.

If you have geeky tendencies like I do, then this next March 14, let's get together and celebrate Pi Day

Pi Song

Finally, my favorite math-related images:

Oh my God, I laugh to the point of crying every single time I read those!

Have a great day, everyone!

Progeny

2008-11-07T16:37:00.000-08:00

The Word of the Day for November 7 is "progeny."

progeny: (noun) One born of, begotten by, or derived from another.

Synonyms: issue, offspring

Usage: He was naturally a very nervous, shuddering sort of little fellow, this bread-faced steward; the progeny of a bankrupt baker and a hospital nurse.

Relevance to my life: People remark about the likeness between the eldest of my progeny and me; indeed, one of the kid's nicknames is Mini-Me.

Did someone say Mini-Me?

You and I

Zip it!
Here we see Dr. Evil interact with his other, less-appreciated member of his progeny.
I do the "Zip it!" schtick with my kids and it sends them off into giggling-hysterics.

Putrefaction

2008-11-06T16:39:00.000-08:00

The word of the day for November 6 is "putrefaction."

putrefaction:: (noun)
Decomposition of organic matter, especially protein, by microorganisms, resulting in production of foul-smelling matter.
Moral perversion; impairment of virtue and moral principles.
Synonyms: depravation, depravity, degeneracy, corruption

Usage: The country had fallen into a state of moral putrefaction, with corruption running rampant throughout the government ranks.

Relevance to my life: The stench of putrefaction wafting up from beneath the driver's seat of my car alerted me to the location of the missing sippy cup. The apple juice inside now swam with colonies of mold, floating in the cloudy juice like hideous black and green jellyfish.

Mmm, putrefaction. What a pleasant word. It even sounds repugnant. Thus far, my searches on Youtube under "putrefaction" have yielded a slew of death metal videos. Ha! How original.

I could do something concerned with moral putrefaction.

The first thing that leaps to mind when I think of moral putrefaction, other than televangelists, is the Marquis de Sade. That brings me to Peter Weiss's play-within-a-play, The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade, more commonly known as Marat/Sade.

Then there is the movie Quills, also about the Marquis's stay in the asylum. If I'm not mistaken, there was some scene in that movie which prompted me to scream, "I wish I could un-see that! Gah!" Fortunately, I've blanked it out, so I couldn't tell you what it was, though I suspect it involved a big pot of lye.

Quills trailer

Marat/Sade

Jesus, these people are crazy!

Imprimatur

2008-11-05T16:42:00.000-08:00

The Word of the Day for November 5 is "imprimatur."

imprimatur: (noun) Formal and explicit approval.

Synonyms: endorsement, sanction

Usage: The candidate's campaign was bolstered by the imprimatur of New York's governor.

Relevance to my life: My imprimatur was unnecessary; he was hell-bent on leaving, so he left.

I am cranky and my head hurts this morning. I can't think of any video clips to add, so here it is - a very short WOTD blog entry.

Opine

2008-11-04T16:43:00.000-08:00

The Word of the Day for November 4 is "opine."

opine: (verb) Express one's opinion openly and without fear or hesitation.

Synonyms: sound off, speak out, speak up

Usage: "I dare say it is all for the best," opined Mrs. Munt.

Relevance to my life: It may appear to some that I opine at length about what gets under my skin when in fact, I feel as though I have been biting my tongue in half, holding back what I really think.

Happy Election Day.

How ironic, considering the fact that if politicians really expressed their true opinions instead of pandering to the widest possible voter base, few of them would make it higher than city dog-catcher.

What? Cynical... me?

WD-40 or Duct Tape Can Fix Anything

In all my years as an active voter, I have never experienced what I did today.I got to my polling station, located conveniently two doors down from my house, just after it opened at 6 am to see a long line and the news crew from News Channel Nine. I'd expected the line, even the news crew, but not the snafus.

My polling place is home to two districts in a single ward. There were two old-fashioned lever-type voting machines, one for each district; one electronic, touch-screen machine which could be used for registered voters in either district; finally a stack of emergency paper ballots.

The electronic voting machine was not yet online, the were waiting some code, and the voting machine for my district was not working: the levers would not go down. So we stood there and watched our line grow.

Tempers flared a bit when one annoyed voter opined that the reporter should stop being part of the problem by merely reporting the news instead of being an agent of change. Repeated calls to the board of elections yielded busy signals or interminable phone trees.

We had a man there from the Democratic party charged to observe the process and watch for irregularities. It's thanks to him, I believe, that the official voting machine repairman finally showed up at 7:15 with his magic can of WD-40 to remedy the situation.

So it was that at 7:26, almost an hour anad a half after I got there, I cast my vote.

Doyen/Doyenne

2008-11-03T16:33:00.000-08:00

The Word of the Day for November 3 is "doyen/doyenne."

doyen: (noun) A man who is the eldest or senior member of a group.

doyenne: (noun) A woman who is the eldest or senior member of a group.

Synonyms: elder, senior

Relevance to my life: One girl in my class, I believe, had been held back once or had started Kindergarten later than the rest of us, so in comparision to the rest of us she was huge, and she knew it. She also tended toward the bully end of the spectrum, so in no time at all she had taken over the class as de facto leader: The doyenne of our class at Borough Elementary School.

Since November is NanNoWriMo, and this means I will be aiming for an average of 2,000 words a day, I will also go out of my way to include the word of the day in each day's work as a little challenge to myself.

Ok, about "doyen/doyenne," I have heard the feminine form of the word before: on NPR, one of the commentators used to introduce a gardening correspondent, Ketzel Levine, as "The Doyenne of Dirt." I have never head the male form used before today.

Today's video clips feature two period dramas, Brideshead Revisited and, what else, Pride and Prejudice.

In the following clip from Brideshead Revisited, the alluded-to-Mr. Samgrass could be considered a doyen. This is a pivotal, yet subtle scene. It provides a lot of background info to allow things to fall into place and also foreshadows what's to come.

Charles and Lady Marchmain

I can't think of a better example of a doyenne than the wretched Lady Catherine de Bourgh from Pride and Prejudice.

This sums her up perfectly.

The Piano Scene

Sacrilegious

2008-10-31T16:35:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 31 is "sacrilegious."

sacrilegious: (adjective)
Grossly irreverent toward what is or is held to be sacred.
Having committed sacrilege.
Synonyms: blasphemous, profane.

Usage: They took an oath to defend and protect the united cities, to punish the violators of this oath and to inflict vengeance on sacrilegious despoilers of the temple.

Relevance to my life: When he and I were acolytes and had just extinguished the candles on the altar, Joel Baker tried to kiss me in the corridor right behind the giant crucifix hanging on the wall in the front of the church. I was so stunned by his sacrilegious move that I was afraid that the church roof would cave in.

Example from literature: In Anne of Green Gables, Marilla had a brooch.
Marilla wore her amethyst brooch to church that day as usual. Marilla always wore her amethyst brooch to church. She would have thought it rather sacrilegious to leave it off--as bad as forgetting her Bible or her collection dime. That amethyst brooch was Marilla's most treasured possession. A seafaring uncle had given it to her mother who in turn had bequeathed it to Marilla. It was an old-fashioned oval, containing a braid of her mother's hair, surrounded by a border of very fine amethysts. Marilla knew too little about precious stones to realize how fine the amethysts actually were; but she thought them very beautiful and was always pleasantly conscious of their violet shimmer at her throat, above her good brown satin dress, even although she could not see it.
Oh, I love that book! I can't wait to buy the set for Natalie when she's a bit older.

Today's video compilation includes something from The Exorcist & Fallen, because nothing says "sacrilegious" like a good demonic possession. I'm also tossing in some Anne of Green Gables.

Warning, there are graphic scenes in this.
If blasphemy and sacrilege offend you, DON'T WATCH THIS.
Don't say I didn't warn you.

Another great tale of possession is Fallen, with Denzel Washington. It has a nice twist to it as well, which I love. This scene is so creepy.

Finally, going back to the previously-visited theme of Anne of Green Gables, here is a clip with assorted funny moments.
And yes, that is the chicken dance you hear.

Frump

2008-10-30T16:36:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 30 is "frump."

frump: (noun)
A girl or a woman regarded as dull, plain, or unfashionable.
A person regarded as colorless and primly sedate.
Synonym: dog

Usage: Her hairstyle had not changed since the early 1970s, and she did little to shed her reputation as a frump.

Relevance to my life: Like Toula in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," I went through a frump-girl phase which endures even now on some days, and even though photographic proof of it exists, thanks to people whom I later had to kill, I will be taking it to my grave.

Example from the movies: In "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," (@ the 4:10 mark on the first video clip below) Toula and Ian are on their first date when Ian recognizes her:
Ian: "I remember you. You're that waitress."
Toula: "Seating hostess, actually."
Ian: "I remember you."
Toula: "I was kind of going through a phase, up til... now. And, uh... I was frump-girl."

I love this movie. I'm not usually the hugest, gushing sort of fan of romantic comedies, but I love this one.

The scenes where Toula first meets Ian's parents and then when his parents meets he family made the s2bx and me laugh because we could relate: My family is small and WASP; his is large and Catholic. At dinner time at my parents' house, just like in the movie, you can hear the clink of cutlery on the plates.

The first time my parents met a good portion of his family came as sort of a surprise to them. Granted, there was no bacchanalia complete with a lamb roasting on a spit in the front yard, but it was large, loud and raucous, very un-WASP-like.

Frump-girl bit

Trailer

Some funny bits

Immutable

2008-10-29T10:17:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 29 is "immutable."

immutable: (adjective) Not subject or susceptible to change.

Synonym: changeless

Usage: Destiny was too potent, and her immutable laws had decreed my utter and terrible destruction.

Relevance to my life: Denial is a strong force, it prompted me to bang myself against the truth, an immutable brick wall, but no matter how many times I screamed "No," my child was still dead.

What it is NOT: unable to be muted -
The Mute button on the damned remote is stuck, now the tv is immutable! wrong but funny lol

Example from the movies: In The Shawshank Redemption, when Andy naïvely mentions that he might simply ask Warden Norton for more funds to expand the library, Brooks explains that that is not likely to happen:
"Son, six wardens have been through here in my tenure and I've learned one immutable, universal truth: Not one of them born whose asshole won't pucker up tighter than a snare drum when you ask for funds."

Now for some scenes from the movie, and other randomness:

Icy-cold, Bohemia-style beer

Mozart

Escape

Clancy Brown, who played Captain Hadley, the foul-mouthed, baton-wielding guard also provided the voice of Mr. Krabs from Spongebob and the arch-enemy The Kurgan in Highlander. This naturally makes me think of Queen.
Who Wants to Live Forever

Riposte

2008-10-28T16:09:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 28 is "riposte."

riposte: (noun) A quick reply to a question or remark (especially a witty or critical one).

Synonyms: comeback, counter, rejoinder, replication, retort, return

Usage: His sassy comment brought a sharp riposte from the teacher, and the shamed student's cheeks turned a deep crimson.

Relevance to my life: I'm usually pretty on target and timely with the snappy ripostes, but on occasion when I really do need to say something witty immediately, I am left speechless, until ten minutes later when the moment has passed. Oh, I hate that!

What it is NOT: "to post again" -
My constant editing screwed up the html formatting of my blog, so I had to riposte it. wrong

Comics' comebacks when dealing with hecklers are some of my favorite examples of ripostes. Some are witty, but most are the standard "STFU, you maggot-d*cked motherf***er," "Yo Mama" and grade-school type comments "I know you are but what am I," but I laugh at them because I am both child-like and childish.

Jimmy Carr and Heckler

George Carlin, His Potty Mouth and Some Random Heckler
"You gotta use psychology."

Richard Herring (I've never heard of him before) and Drunk

Joe Rogan appealing to the ever-popular vein of homophobia

Bill Maher and Assorted Others Deal With Hecklers

Unstinting

2008-10-27T16:13:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 27 is "unstinting."

unstinting: (adjective) Bestowed liberally.

Synonyms: lavish, munificent, overgenerous, too-generous, unsparing.

Usage: Her suitor's unstinting devotion was flattering yet slightly unsettling.

Relevance to my life: Tired of the unstinting criticism from him, I closed myself off and shut him out. Perhaps things might have turned out differently with more frequent kind words from him and more patient understanding from me. We'll never know, though.

The judges' unstinting praise of Robert Muraine at his audition seemed sincere, although one was also unstinting with a donkey-bray laugh.

Feel free to show your unstinting admiration for me in other ways.

Something wet...

Something small...

Something funny...

Something sweet...

Something perfect...

I also accept:

Relax, people... I'm kidding, although if you could get me Viggo's phone number, that would be swell.

Sanguineous

2008-10-25T16:16:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 25 is "sanguineous."

sanguineous: (adjective) Relating to or involving blood or bloodshed.

Synonyms: butcherly, gory, slaughterous

Usage: He was an angry youth with a sanguineous temperament and was always getting into fights.

Relevance to my life: The OB nurse's eyes fixed in shock on the sheets of my hospital bed, made sanguineous by the mixed blood from me and my child which poured out of my body in a rush of amniotic fluid, cold evidence that she had been negligent in dismissing my fears that something had gone horribly wrong with my labor.

This is straight from the Davinci Code:

The Sanguineous Sekhmet Saga

People never seem to get tired of their spooky cults, do they?

If you like a story about secret societies, the sinister occult and conspiracy theories, then another good read is the "thinking person's Davinci Code:" Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco.

Ideate

2008-10-24T16:17:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 24 is "ideate."

ideate: (verb)
transitive To form an idea of; imagine or conceive.
intransitive To conceive mental images; think.
Synonyms: conceive of, envisage, imagine

Usage: Such characters represent a grotesquely blown-up aspect of an ideal man... if not realizable, capable of being ideated.

Relevance to my life: I will admit unashamedly that I went through a time where I wistfully wished for revenge: long nights I'd spend in bed while my feverish brain ideated scenarios in which I came out victorious.

Ok, that was ideate used as a transitive verb, which means that it takes a direct object, in that case, "scenarios." It can also be an intransitive verb, which means that it can stand without a noun phrase following it, like:

Fixed upon revenge, I ideated well into the night, imagining complex scenarios where those who'd done me wrong would come to rue the day that they'd wished me ill.

At first glance I did not like this word at all. It sounded to me to be either a product of "corporate-speak" (as in "The committee meets bi-weekly to ideate new visions for the workplace") or a slangy back-formation of a verb from a noun, like conversate from conversation, interpretate from interpretation, and orientate from orientation. A note: we generally consider orientate to be an error in American English although I believe it is acceptable Standard British English.

Now while formation of new words is the hallmark of a vital living language system, for the purposes of formal language, it seems wasteful to have two verbs so close in form having the same meaning, like converse/conversate, interpret/interpretate, or orient/orientate. It's not only wasteful, but it seems to be clumsy and inelegant. I think I have a thing about elegance in language, and actually, some slang and curses hold a kind of elegance in their inventiveness.

Ok, my own issues aside, I felt compelled to look into this word a bit more. According to Merriam-Webster online, ideate goes back to 1610, so it's not quite the same as a modern-day slang term like conversate, which makes me shudder every time I hear it.

You know what? I still don't really like the word ideate. I think I have to say it to myself one hundred times today and see if that changes anything. If not, no worry. English is rich in synonyms. I'll stick to envisage, conceive, imagine.

See? Corporate-speak.

Countervail

2008-10-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 23 is "countervail."

countervail: (verb) Oppose and mitigate the effects of by contrary actions.

Synonyms: counteract, counterbalance, neutralize

Usage: I hope that my letter of apology will countervail the foolish actions of my colleagues.

Relevance to my life: The most effective way I found to countervail the idiotic words of ignorant assholes and regain a sense of equilibrium was to vent to a friend for a while. Thank God he had on his flame retardant long underwear.

Dance CounterBalance

I thought that the music was lame, but the dance itself was amazing with their balance and counterbalancing moves.
I also like Momix and Pilobolus.

Redoubtable

2008-10-22T16:21:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 22 is "redoubtable."

redoubtable: (adjective)
Arousing fear or awe.
Worthy of respect or honor.
Synonyms: formidable, unnerving

Usage: On his comely head he set his helmet, well-wrought, with a crest of horse-hair that nodded menacingly above it, and he grasped a redoubtable spear that suited his hands.

Relevance to my life: He criticised me for my redoubtable defense of sharp sarcasm and a wounding tongue; yet all the while his mouth dripped blood from the brutal barbs lobbed my way.

What it is NOT: doubtful -
It's redoubtable whether or not I'll be able to make the drive to see you; my car is in the shop. wrong

Ok, today's video clip deals not with the word "redoubtable" itself, but the synonym "formidable."

This is a false cognate of a French word, formidable, which means "terrific" in French and it reminds me of one of my favorite Fawlty Towers moments when Basil says, "Formidable" to a Frenchwoman. The way he says it always makes me laugh.

I have the entire Fawlty Towers collection on dvd. The best episode ever is The Germans; second is Basil the Rat.

Sundry

2008-10-21T17:23:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 21 is "sundry."

sundry: (adjective) Consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds.

Synonyms: assorted, miscellaneous, mixed, motley

Usage: Walking-sticks, canes, baseball bats, and sundry other items stood in the umbrella stand next to the front door, but I could not find a single umbrella!

Relevance to my life: The food processor, crock pot, pie plates, rolling pin, and other sundry kitchen gadgets lying around my kitchen are proof that I am still elbow-deep in my cooking and baking phase.

or:

The sundry attacks directed at me for a fairly innocuous comment of mine shocked me with their presumptive arrogance, faulty logic and an undercurrent of sexist double standards.

What it is NOT: a kind of tomato - that adjectival form is sun-dried, as in sun-dried tomatoes.

You may see this word most often in the phrase "various and sundry," which, a good style manual will tell you, is a cliché, and not appropriate for formal writing.

I'm in a bit of a shitty mood, feeling hateful towards the random assortment of assholes out there, so here's the Asshole anthem:

Ok, I can't help but laugh whenever I hear Denis.

I know, I know, you unflappable types out there are saying, "Non illegitimati carbonundum," right?

If only I could brush them off that easily. I suppose it's time to practice the fine art of detachment. Again.

Dumbstruck

2008-10-20T17:24:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 20 is "dumbstruck."

dumbstruck: (adjective) So shocked or astonished as to be rendered spechlesss.

Synonyms: dumbfounded, dumbstricken, flabbergasted, stupefied, thunderstruck

Usage: He stood dumbstruck in the doorway as the partygoers yelled "Surprise!" in unison.

Relevance to my life: His comment: "You know, you're a damn fine-looking woman now, but do you know how drop-dead you'd be with a little plastic surgery?" left me uncharacteristically dumbstruck, and wondering if all men are born without that filter between the brain and the mouth or if it's just the ones who are interested in me.

What it is NOT: "hit with the stupid stick" or any other derivation of dumb meaning unintelligent, although I like the image of being hit with the stupid stuck.

I was stricken dumb by these video clips this morning only because I was laughing too hard to breathe and was therefore unable to speak:

I can't see office clips without dragging out the next two:

"It's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care."

Exhilaration

2008-10-19T17:25:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 19 is "exhilaration."

exhilaration: (noun) The state of being stimulated, refreshed, or elated.

Synonyms: excitement

Usage: Few Yosemite visitors ever see snow avalanches and fewer still know the exhilaration of riding on them.

Relevance to my life: Although the two happiest days of my life were the births of my daughters, the greatest exhilaration I felt was on the opening night of the gallery exhibit in which I had three of my paintings.

What it is NOT: spelled like exhiliration -
Everyone has some words which are difficult to remember how how to spell; this one is mine. I can never remember that first "a." I have to look it up every single time. *sigh*

Here's a Sunday morning pick-me-up. Natalie watched this and said, "Ohh, pretty lights!" heh

When Natalie saw the chick's dress in this one, she said, "Nice dress, Nancy." *snort* My kids crack me up.

This one is not techno-related at all, but I've listened to it nonstop since last night. Chingon is badass. lol

Here is the link to the song as it is on the soundtrack, which is better quality, naturally, than the live version. I may have to watch both Kill Bills today now. Hmm.

Affectation

2008-10-17T17:27:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 17 is "affectation."

affectation: (noun)
1. A show, pretense, or display.
2. a. Behavior that is assumed rather than natural; artificiality.
b. A particular habit, as of speech or dress, adopted to give a false impression.

Synonyms: affectation, pose, air, mannerism

Usage: "Radical chic" is merely an affectation of radical left-wing views and the fashionable dress and lifestyle that goes with them; it seems to be all talk and no walk.

Relevance to my life: Although I am from Connecticut, I have only met one person who truly exemplifies that affectation of speech sometimes called Connecticut Lockjaw. I was stunned into silence as this gentleman, an authentic Boston Brahmin, languidly gestured toward a crystal decanter and insisted, "Baahbrahh, do... do try the brandy." He extolled the virtues of the Napoleon brandy for about 20 minutes after I'd been poured a snifter of it, and with good reason: it was some good stuff.*

What it is NOT: affection**

I was flattered by his displays of affectation: the hugs, kisses and hand-holding all made me feel like a teenager again. wrong

*What is it with speech affectations among the so-called elite?

I had this guest Russian professor one summer, Svetlana Aleksandrovna Kazbegi. My God, she was ancient then, back in 1988. She was a member of some Russian noble family, and at a young ladies' finishing school in St Petersburg at the time of the revolution. Her family packed off to Germany for a while and then she was married off to a Georgian count.

Anyway, back to 1988... she was teaching us Russian history and culture, and I was constantly distracted by her pronunciation: all of her "l" sounds were pronounced as "w" like my 5 year-old Lucy still does on occasion. I made some remark to my professor Boris about it and he told me that it had been a fashionable affectation of speech among the Russian nobles.

I have heard an affectation of speech among some Oxford-educated Brits of an older generation. There was (is?) some game show on British radio which deals with plays on language. The NPR show "Says You!" is based on it, I believe. I can not for the life of me remember what the original British show is called, and it's bugging me because there's an academic-type who is a frequent panelist on it and he has the best affected accent ever! It's a lot like the character Anthony Blanche's speech in the following clip from Brideshead Revisited.

An excellent example of the Connecticut Lockjaw/Long Island Lockjaw is the late William F. Buckley, Jr. Here is a clip of the infamous encounter between him and Gore Vidal. Priceless.

Dissonance

2008-10-16T17:29:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 16 is "dissonance."

dissonance: (noun)
A harsh, disagreeable combination of sounds; discord.
Lack of agreement, consistency, or harmony; conflict
Synonyms: noise, racket

Usage: Maddening church bells of all degrees of dissonance, sharp and flat, cracked anad clear, fast and slow, made the brick-and-mortar echoes hideous.

Relevance to my life: With a devil whispering into my left ear, an angel into my right, the Voice of My Insecurities hemming and hawing in the background, and my ever-present Inner Critic passing judgment over everyone and everything, it can be difficult to maintain focus; sometimes the dissonance inside my head can be downright crazy-making.

I have such a headache. I don't know if it's the cacophony from inside my head or the lagers at last night's birthday/retirement party for my sister-in-law, but I think I need an Advil or four.

Mannequin

2008-10-15T17:30:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 15 is "mannequin."

mannequin: (noun)
a woman who wears the clothes displayed at a fashion show; model
a life-size dummy of the human body used to fit or display clothes
an artist's jointed model

Synonyms: fashion model, model, fashion plate, dummy

Usage: She longed to become a mannequin and preened for hours before going out in public.

Relevance to my life: I've never been what you might call a clothes horse or a shopping-addict; a mannequin I am not, although if L.L.Bean or Land's End ever needs another catalogue model I'm ready with my Original Field Coat, Gore-Tex gloves, and wool sweater. God, that's sexy.

Here is my very own mini-mannequin (see the third definition) for art puroposes. It's a little Art on the Gogh kit with a mannequin, pencil, teeny-tiny pad of paper, water bottle, and minuscule watercolor set. I bought it for a fund-raising effort put on by the figure drawing group which I used to attend regularly, and keep meaning to take part in again but haven't in ages. I'm bad.

I would post a picture of one of my sketches from the figure drawing group, but I think that MySpace has some prohibition against nudity, so I guess you're SOL. Drawing from live, nude models (as opposed to cadavers? wth...) isn't nearly as embarrassing as I'd thought, although the first time we had a male model I was a little bit... flustered, for about the first 2-minute gesture pose but then I realized that time was a-wastin' and got down to sketching.

What?! I'm being honest here.

Today's movie clips:

I couldn't embed this one, so just click for the song Mannequin from Fame. Oh yeah. I bet you'd forgotten about that one, hey?

Now for that truly execrable* movie Mannequin, which goes to show that not all of those 80s John Hughes-type movies were classics you'd want to watch over and over. Of all the retellings of the Pygmalion and Galatea myth out there, this is probably the worst I've seen yet. Good God, the dancing! My eyes!

Wait! Did someone say "Pygmalion?"

*What a great word execrable is, don't you think?

Borderland

2008-10-14T17:31:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 14 is "borderland."

borderland: (noun)
District consisting of the area on either side of a border or boundary of a country or an area.
An indeterminate area, situation, or condition:
Synonyms: border district, march, marchland

Usage: The borderland was sparsely populated, and the lawless region saw few visitors.

Relevance to my life: Since the death of my son I have spent too much time drifting aimlessly in that borderland between living and not living: on good days dredging up a reasonable facsimile of an active existence, and on bad days merely existing from breath to breath, and letting those breaths carry me through the day.

I was searching for a clip to add to this entry and found several things relating to the horror film "Borderland," but I'm not really in the mood for that today. I thought for a second about posting the video to "Borderline,"(heh) but even I am not that evil. So I keep looking and found this on Google.

Excellent.

Borderland Sciences Research Foundation

There is nothing quite like the acquisition of knowledge.* The lamp of Borderland Sciences shines in the darkness lighting a path for the intrepid investigatior. This is the essential curriculum!

Alternative Science
Alternative Science has been known under many titles for thousands of years. It has always been an alternative science because it requires the investigator to go outside of their normal perceptions. Shamans and healers of all ages share a common heritage with the Alternative Scientist. A world of patterns, geometry and subtle radiation are operative to both. Alternative science struggles with language to describe the experience of subtle energy. Teaching how to manipulate this subtle energy has always been a challenge. Borderland Sciences preserves this collection so you can aquire your own education.MORE!

20th Century Collection
These research texts provide a look into the early resarch of subtle energy by qualified scienctist before teh materialistic paradigm squeezed vitalism out of the picture.many of these texts hold secrets and models of the physical universe that were classified when they were completely worked out by academic engineers. Drink from the Source.

Radionics
Radionics as a healing art originated from the research of the distinguished American physicians Dr. Albert Abrams. He was born in San Francisco in 1863 and became one of the most highly qualified specialists of his day. A graduate of the University of California, he wrote several medical text books and eventually won for himself a national reputation as a specialist in diseases of the nervous system.

In the course of his research Abrams made the startling discovery that diseases could be measured in terms of energy, and he devised and instrument which calibrated dials which enabled him to identify and measure disease reactions and intensities. From this work, called E.R.A. of the Electronic Reaction of Abrams, came Radionics as we know it today. Learn More About Radionics!

RIFE, LAKHOVSKY, AND TESLA
Earlier this century Georges Lakhovsky described researches indicating that living cells can be regenerated by applying energy fields of multiple wavelengths.Rife developed a radiant gas broadcast unit that could kill dangerous viruses in an animal host.Tesla assisted in pioneering the use of electricity and electro-magnetism in the treatment of infectious diseases and cancer.

GERRY VASSILATOS AND TESLA
RADIANT ELECTRICITY Through successive experimental arrangements, Tesla discovered several facts concerning the production of his effect. First, the cause was undoubtedly found in the abruptness of charging. It was in the switch closure, the very instant of "closure and break", which thrust the effect out into space.

ERIC DOLLARD AND TESLA
CAPACITANCE INADEQUATELY EXPLAINED
The perception of capacitance as used today is wholly inadequate for the proper understanding of this effect. Steinmetz mentions this in his introductory book Electric Discharges, Waves and Impulses. To quote, "Unfortunately, to large extent in dealing with dielectric fields the prehistoric conception of the electrostatic charge (electron) on the conductor still exists, and by its use destroys the analogy between the two components of the electric field, the magnetic and the dielectric, and makes the consideration of dielectric fields unnecessarily complicated

Dr. T. HENRY MORAY
Radiations effect pigments, bacteria, fungi and enzymes. Radiations INDUCE CHROMOSOMAL ABERRATIONS in animals. One will find a real field for therapy advancement in the study of radiation absorptions of tissues and the study of mutations in animal matter. Modern living away from natural radiations, because one is indoors so much of the time away from natural radiations, necessitates ARTIFICIALLY supplying various rays.

WATER RESEARCH
Trevor Constable reviews Your Body's many Cries for Water.

* There is nothing quite like the acquisition of knowledge ....and I bet this is nothing like that at all. Get your foil beanies ready.

Note: all misspellings are as I found them on the website.

People, I could not make this shit up if I tried.

Have a great Tuesday!

Intone

2008-10-13T17:14:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 13 is "intone."

intone: (verb, transitive)
To recite in a singing tone.
To utter in a monotone.
(verb, intransitive)
To speak with a singing tone or with a particular intonation.
Music To sing a plainsong intonation.
Synonyms: cantillate, chant

Usage: I heard the eight singers of the King of Sicily intone the first verse of seven o'clock mass in the Sainte-Chapelle.

Relevance to my life: He intoned the litany of my faults as if he were a priest presiding over a Black Mass; until then, I had no idea I was so very evil. Look out world, She is come.

What is it NOT: "in tune*"
The choir was so poorly intone that I thought my ears might bleed from the discordant sounds. wrong

*If you don't like that one, give me suggestions for others. :)

Ok, here are some examples of songs, prayers, meditations, etc being intoned from various traditions:

Tibetan Buddhist Monks

Benedictine Monks

Tibetan Nuns

Jewish Cantor

Livestock Auctioneer

Square Dance Caller

Have a great day everyone, and Happy Thanksgiving to my friends in Canada.

Kinetic

2008-10-10T17:16:00.000-07:00

The word of the day for October 10 is "kinetic."

kinetic: Supplying motive force; characterized by motion.

Synonyms: energizing

Usage: The bustling market was the kinetic center of the city, and movement seemed to radiate outward from it.

Relevance to my life: A kinetic sleeper, Lucy often assaults me after climbing into bed with me and falling asleep: a belt across the bridge of the nose here, a bony knee or elbow lodged into my ribs there, it reminds me an awful lot of the third trimester of my pregnancy with her.*

What it is NOT:
kinesthetic (adj) - Referring to the sense that detects body's position in space, its weight, or movement of the extremities.
Very much like the word "proprioception," which refers to the ability to sense the position and location and orientation and movement of the body and its parts.

My sense of proprioception is whacked: no joke, I often walk into doorways, hitting them with my shoulder, like a cat without whiskers, missing a crucial sense; other times my balance is eerily good.
frenetic (adj) - Wildly excited or active; frantic; frenzied.

Although "frenetic" implies energy, it has a wilder, emotional connotation to it than kinetic does.

*Seriously, sleeping with this kid next to you requires protective padding. She's lucky she's so damn cute.

And now, an example of kinetic art. I don't know if I'm more child-like or childish, but I thought this was too cool:

Rattlebrained

2008-10-09T17:16:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 9 is "rattlebrained."

rattelbrained: (adjective) Giddy and talkative; foolish.

Synonyms: rattlepated, scatterbrained, scatty

Usage: Grandpa's rattlebrained, crackpot ideas always made us laugh.

Relevance to my life: I had not realized just how rattlebrained I appear when I get nervous and begin babbling inanely until I saw a short video clip of myself, made so that someone could hear my voice and its delightful accent; that first clip was so alarming that I had to go on and make several more, but since each was worse than the last, I fixed myself some Dutch courage and finally, hours later, ended up with clips that were amusing, and a bit embarrassing. I really do look like a dork sometimes.

What it is NOT: "ratatouille" - a French stew of vegetables: zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes and eggplant. Yeah, I know, not an obviously misunderstood one, but I have a funny anecdote to go with it so you're stuck.
So this one Saturday I had the girls, and Lucy had been cranky all day ever since her dad had dropped them off that morning. She is usually a cheery little monkey, and gets over any morning crabbiness quickly, so I was wondering what was up.

I asked her, "Lucy, what is up with you today? Why are you so cranky?"

and she replied, stomping her foot: "Because I stayed up too wate wast night watching Watatouille!"
heh

Example from literature: Nothing is leaping to mind at the moment; it certainly could be used to describe Lydia Bennett, (again, Jane Austen's P&P), as in "Lydia's rattlebrained schemes to get a husband," but it sounds more like a word found in those cheesy Regency romance novels written for bored 20th century middle-America, whitebread, slightly puritanical housewives. You know, the ones that make frequent use of "flibbertigibbet," and "cicisbeo." It's like genteel porn for nice girls, because the seduction ends with a passionate kiss... *fade to black* No juicy details whatsoever.

Yeah, I read them all when I was a young teenager and then moved on to the slightly racier ones, those books which introduced me to all sorts of giggle-worthy euphemisms, like "love button" and "throbbing member." Oh yeah, baby. If our parents only knew that a lot of our practical pre-sex sex education came courtesy of Kathleen Woodiwiss and Johanna Lindsey, well... it would explain a lot. Forget Lady Chatterly's Lover, hand me Fires of Winter! Actually, no, I like D.H. Lawrence.

Well, that was a pleasant tangent. I'd like to thank you all for going on this morning ramble with me. Enjoy your coffee!

Now I'm cracking up. God, I am easily amused. I can't help but think of Shakespeare when I hear "rattlebrained."

The Shakespearean insult of the day is:

You scullion! You rampallian! You fustilarian! I'll tickle your catastrophe!

Taken from: Henry IV, part 2

I can't think of a better time to add a clip from the reduced Shakespeare Company. If they come to a town near you, go see them.

Here is Othello, performed as a rap:

Here are all of Shakespeare's comedies distilled into one:

Odoriferous

2008-10-08T17:18:00.000-07:00

The Word of the Day for October 8 is "odoriferous."

odoriferous: (adjective) Having a natural fragrance.

Synonyms: sweet-scented, sweet-smelling, perfumed, scented, odorous, sweet, aromatic.
Although it often has the connotation of something pleasant-smelling, it can also be a straight synonym for "malodorous" or bad-smelling.

Usage: There were large bottles filled with serpents, ticketed according to their species; dried lizards shone like emeralds set in great squares of black wood, and bunches of wild odoriferous herbs.

or

The odoriferous corpse lay in the bathtub for a full week before anyone thought to do anything about it. By then, the doorway to the bathroom was buzzing with a moving curtain of blowflies.

Relevance to my life: When I've just fixed my gin and tonic, I like to hold it my hand first and breathe in the lovely odoriferous fume of lime, tonic and juniper before diving in for that first crisp sip that dances on my tongue.

Example from literature: In Walter Scott's Ivanhoe,* Cedric the Saxon receives some unexpected visitors one evening, one priest, another one a knight and both of them Normans, so Cedric wants to overdo the hospitality a bit so that his house guests would have no reason to scoff at Saxon hospitality. There was a bit of a "divide" between the Normans and the Saxons in the 12th century. It was that whole Norman invasion of 1066. It sort of changed things. Forever. It actually changed the English language, but that's another topic for another day. :)
"Oswald, broach the oldest wine-cask; place the best mead, the mightiest ale, the richest morat, the most sparkling cider, the most odoriferous pigments, upon the board; fill the largest horns--Templars and abbots love good wines and good measure-- Elgitha, let the lady Rowena know we shall not this night expect her in the hall, unless such shall be her especial pleasure."

*I love this book. I don't even know how many times I've read it. My copy is an old one, too - one of those fabric-bound hardcover books. It reeks of that old-book smell, you know what I mean? I love that smell even though it tends to make me sneeze.

I also liked the movie adaptation they made of it way back in the 80s. I had the hugest crush on Anthony Andrews. Oh yeah.

And now, for your entertainment, some jousting!

HUZZAH!

Ok, after watching that twice I don't know whether to read the book again or watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail. heh