Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 28, 2008

The word of the day for February 28, 2008 is "congregation noun 1 a: an assembly of persons : GATHERING; especially : an assembly of persons met for worship and religious instruction b: a religious community: as (1): an organized body of believers in a particular locality. (2): a Roman Catholic religious institute with only simple vows. (3): a group of monasteries forming an independent subdivision of an order. 2: the act or an instance of congregating or bringing together : the state of being congregated. 3: a body of cardinals and officials forming an administrative division of the papal curia.

Sybil tells us about meeting the new minister. I don't know what the rules are in Great Britain, but Methodist ministers in the United States rarely stay in one congregation for more than ten years. There are good reasons for this, but it is sometimes difficult to find a new minister to fit in with the congregation.

A good number of years ago, my sister's pastor and her husband, who was pastor of another church nearby, made the difficult decision to take a sabbatical. I believe they intended to visit Jerusalem. Sister's church decided to allow everyone, even the children to have a say in who would become their new pastor. One of the five-year-olds, when asked what he thought they should ask candidates for the job, said, "We should ask what her husband does for a living."

Our quote for the day is from Thomas Hardy (1840–1928), British novelist, poet. Satires of Circumstance (l. 21–24):

     re-enact at the vestry-glass 
     Each pulpit gesture in deft dumb-show 
     That had moved the congregation so.

;^) Jan

Tags: congregation

Prayer Request

Please add Ona Whaley, step-mother to one of my friends, to your prayers. She is to have brain surgery by cyberknife for cancer. She is already on chemotherapy for another cancer, but the brain filter keeps normal chemo out.

 

Thanks, Jan

Tags: prayer request

Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 26, 2008

The word of the day for February 26, 2008 is "drainage" — noun — 1: the act, process, or mode of draining; also : something drained off. 2: a device for draining : DRAIN; also : a system of drains. 3: an area or district drained.

There was a question yesterday about where the water here runs to when it rains. The answer is that the streets have an ever so slight down grade to the south and east. The water runs along the gutter channels until eventually they get to a ditch or a storm drain. North of Wildwood Park there is a catch pond put in about 25 years ago. The dirt dredged from this pond was thrown onto the field that became the park. It now serves the neighbor children as a sledding hill.

The area where our house is built is actually on the flood plain of the Arkansas River. During the 1950s Wichita built a floodway canal around the west side of the city to minimize flooding. As the city has grown westward beyond the "Big Ditch," we get more flooding along the Cowskin Creek. People west of the "Big Ditch" are now agitating to have another canal built to protect them from the creek.

Our quote for today is from Anne Sexton (1928–1974), U.S. poet. “Three Green Windows”:

     I have misplaced the Van Allen belt
     the sewers and the drainage,
     the urban renewal and the suburban centers
     I have forgotten the names of the literary critics.

;^) Jan

Tags: drainage

Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 24, 2008

These are some photos of our neighborhood, taken during Bubble's daily constitutional.

The word of the day for February 24, 2008 is "necessity" — noun — 1: the quality or state of being necessary. 2 a: pressure of circumstance. b: physical or moral compulsion. c: impossibility of a contrary order or condition. 3: the quality or state of being in need; especially : poverty. 4 a: something that is necessary : requirement. b: an urgent need or desire. — of necessity : in such a way that it cannot be otherwise; also : as a necessary consequence [further changes will occur of necessity].

It snowed again yesterday evening after a day of just-above-freezing, on-and-off rain showers. The kind of weather for which one is just as happy to be inside. I did the laundry, including the bathmats and bedsheets. Today there is just enough snow on the ground to be a nuisance. I don't intend to do anything about it as we are staying in today.

Today's project is cleaning out some of the paper in the computer room. I am always amazed at how quickly we acummulate such huge quantities of paper. I could just bundle it into sacks, but it isn't all catalogues and advertising flyers. There are books in there—and computer disks and tickets stubs from movies and Renaissance Faires. One has to be selective in what one keeps as well as what one throws.

Our quote for the day is from William Shakespeare (1564–1616), British dramatist, poet. John of Gaunt, in Richard II, act 1, sc. 3, l. 277-8.:

     Teach thy necessity to reason thus:
     There is no virtue like necessity.

;^) Jan

Tags: necessity

Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 21, 2008

The word of the day for February 21, 2008 is "justification" — noun — 1: the act, process, or state of being justified by God. 2 a: the act or an instance of proving or showing to be just, right, or reasonable : vindication. b: something that justifies. 3: the process or result of justifying lines of text.

Bubbles does have a Kong—along with a Kong ball that has an asterisk shaped hole for the doggy equivalent of Slim Jim's jerky strips. He also has several sizes of rawhide chews (which someone told me the other day aren't good for puppies, but I'd rather he chew them than Lloyd's shoes.) I only give the dog paper towel rolls for variety. If I truly minded picking up the little pieces of cardboard this creates, I wouldn't give him the cardboard in the first place.

For those of you who do not know what a Kong is, it is a piece of hollow rubber, shaped like three graduated balls squashed together. You can put dog biscuits, peanut butter, cheese, etc. inside for the dog to work at while he also works on his chewing needs. Apparently the Kong Company sells other toys for dogs—along with consumables like meat paste in squeeze cans and chewy biscuits. They also have toys for cats, horses, ferrets and birds; however, I can personally state that the rubber chews are really great for dogs.

Our quotes for the day are from Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–95), British biologist and educator. "Reflection #4", Aphorisms and Reflections, selected by Henrietta A. Huxley, Macmillan (London, 1907):

     The man of science has learned to believe in justification, not by faith, but
     by verification.

and from C. S. Lewis, recalled on his death 22 Nov 63:

     An explanation of cause is not a justification by reason.

;^) Jan

Tags: justification

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Gryphn's Word of the Day, February 18, 2008

The word of the day for February 18, 2008 is "somnolence" noun : the quality or state of being drowsy : sleepiness.

I wish I had today off as it was President's Day. This holiday is the Monday chosen to celebrate the birthdays of presidents Washington and Lincoln, both of whom were born in the month of Febrary. Since our unions have negotiated a full week hiatus for the Christmas/New Year week, we do not get a day off to celebrate this holiday. It would have been nice to have the day off. I picked up a work package this morning and almost finished it before quitting time. At least I know what I'll be doing tomorrow morning.

Lloyd has apparently been dozing on and off all day. I had to wake him for his meals and again for his last blood sugar reading. The dog. on the other hand, has been pulling everything he can get ahold of from under the bed. He has also been chewing up cardboard. This is my fault; I've been giving the empty paper towel rolls to Bubbles for his use. He pushes them all around and chews them into little bits. It is then my job to pick up the bits and pieces. Sometimes I put one of his puppy biscuits into the tube and let him get it. He is so cute when he tries to look into the tube and get his muzzle into it at the same time.

Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862), U.S. philosopher, author, naturalist. Walden (1854), in The Writings of Henry David Thoreau, vol. 2, p. 99, Houghton Mifflin (1906):

     The morning, which is the most memorable season of the day, is the
      awakening hour. Then there is least somnolence in us; and for an hour,
      at least, some part of us awakes which slumbers all the rest of the day
      and night.

;^) Jan

Tags: somnolence

Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 15, 2008

The word of the day for February 15, 2008 is "funereal" — adjective — 1 : of or relating to a funeral. 2 : befitting or suggesting a funeral (as in solemnity).

We got word last night that Lloyd's uncle by marriage died Monday. Uncle Elliott was in his ninties. He had lived alone for some years after his granddaughter, whom he had raised after the death of his wife, moved halfway across the country to Washington D.C. post-university degree. His daughter lives in California. Unc is to be buried beside his wife in Omaha, so we are gathering from all around the country.

Lloyd feels as though he has just gotten a generation older. Unc was the last close relative of his generation. Now Lloyd and his generation are at the head of the line. He has two cousins in Omaha—one older, one younger than he—and an older cousin in Denver and the much younger cousin in California. There was another cousin living in Florida, but we have lost touch with her. Still it seems so few and so far between. Plus our children are also dispersed far and wide. If we lose touch, so do our children.

Cecil Beaton, on automatic insurance machines in US airline terminals, It Gives Me Great Pleasure John Day 55:

     On close inspection, this device turned out to be a funereal juke box—the
     result of mixing Lloyd’s of London with the principle of the chewing gum dispenser.

;^) Jan

Prayer Request

No word just yet, but I would like to put in this prayer request from my niece for her friend's daughter.

My best friend Katie just emailed me.  Her daughter Ashly (16 years old now) has a really bad illness.  She started with something like whooping cough last Friday, but it progressed. 

She has had a fever since Friday night and they couldn’t get it down. Ash hasn’t been about to stop shivering since Sunday night.  They ended up taking her to the ER Tuesday night and got home at 12 AM.  The doctors told Katie that it is viral and has to run course.  Tuesday, Ashly was still shivering and keeping herself awake.  Even with 4 layers of clothes and 3-4 blankets in a warm room.  Thankfully the doctors ruled out meningitis and mono. 

Then early last night (Thursday) Katie took her back to the ER.  Ashly was still experience weakness, but has a weird muscle twitch and some other oddball things.  The CT came out clean, but they are scheduled to do a MRI sometime today.  By 8PM last night they had admitted her to a room in Blank [Memorial Hospital]. 

Carma adds that Katie says:  “The more prayers the better.  My knees are getting flat.  ;-)” 

;^) Jan

Tags: prayer request, 2-15-08

Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 14, 2008

The word of the day for February 14, 2008 is "amorous" — adjective — 1: strongly moved by love and especially sexual love [amorous couples]. 2: being in love : enamored—usually used with of [amorous of the girl]. 3 a: indicative of love [received amorous glances from her partner]. b: of or relating to love [an amorous novel].

Happy Valentine's Day. I hope you have a sweetheart to canoodle with today. If not, I hope you have a friend for a bit of conversation. If not that, I hope you are not allergic to chocolate, because that seems to be the next best thing.

The scientists have found out that the chemistry of chocolate mimics the chemistry produced by a human in love—which is why the observations about lonely women reading romance novels while eating chocolates ring true. Men are also affected by this side effect of chocolate, but apparently not as strongly. The Aztecs called chocolate the "Food of the Gods" and limited consumption to their leaders (like any really good stuff). They, the Aztec leaders, made the mistake of thinking the Spanish were gods and introduced them to chocolate. The rest, as they say, is history.

Our quote for the day is from Alexander Pope (1688–1744), The Rape of the Lock. Canto i. Line 1:

     What dire offence from amorous causes springs!
     What mighty contests rise from trivial things!

;^) Jan

Tags: amorous

Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 12, 2008

The word of the day for February 12, 2008 is "periodontics" — noun plural but singular in construction — : a branch of dentistry that deals with diseases of the supporting and investing structures of the teeth including the gums, cementum, periodontal membranes, and alveolar bone.

I'm taking off to see Dr. Squire again this afternoon. They will be working on my upper right bicuspid—or rather on the gap where my upper right bicuspid should be. The whole point of this excercise is to get a tooth implant so I won't start losing the teeth around the gap. I won't tell you that vanity has nothing to do with it. I would like to have a smile without an gaps.

Dentistry—like so many other things—has developed tremendously in the past hundred years. In the late 1800s, dentistry was practiced by barbers and blacksmiths. There was not even a school of dentistry, and very little research. Now we have dentists who specialize in diseases of the mouth and gums, and those who work with children exclusively. We have dental hygienists to do the professional cleaning and education in home care. So many people working to keep our pearly whites... pearly white.

Our quote for the day is from Mason Cooley (b. 1927), U.S. aphorist. City Aphorisms, Second Selection, New York (1985):

     The morose one refuses to smile even when he has just had his teeth cleaned.

;^) Jan

Tags: periodontics

Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 9, 2008

The word of the day for February 9, 2008 is "acronym" — noun — : a word (as NATO, radar, or laser) formed from the initial letter or letters of each of the successive parts or major parts of a compound term; also : an abbreviation (as FBI). : initialism.

Val has a "new" game for us to play. She gives us several letters. We use them as the initial letters of the words to make a sentence. This week's letters are TCRABC. My entry: "To create reality as beauty counts."

My favorite acronym originated in the comic strip Li'l Abner, by Al Capp. He had a group of wild-eyed, hairy, radical—probably anarchist—students surface every so often who called themselves Students Wildly Indignant about Nearly Everything.

Since we have a veritable alphabet soup of acronyms at work, we often play around with them to come up with the real meanings. This can be fun, even though it is not usually career enhancing. Lately, the powers that be have told us we are not to make words out of acronyms. There are some exceptions: CATIA is one that we never did spell out.

Our quote for the day is Arthur Fine (b. 1931), U.S. philosopher of science. repr. In The Philosophy of Science, pp. 261-278, R. Boyd, Gasper, and Trout (1984). Originally appeared in Scientific Realism, “The Natural Ontological Attitude,” ed. J. Leplin (1984)

Let us say, then, that both the realist and the antirealist accept the results of scientific investigations as “true,” on a par with more homely truths.... And call this acceptance of scientific truths the “core position.” What distinguishes realists from antirealists, then, is what they add onto this core position ... a third alternative emerges—and an attractive one at that. It is the core position itself, and all by itself.... Let me introduce the acronym NOA (pronounced as in “Noah”), for natural ontological attitude, and, henceforth, refer to the core position under that designation.

;^) Jan

Tags: acronym

Gryphon's Bonus Word

A word for more than one day is "gratitude" — noun : the state of being grateful : thankfulness.

I want to belatedly thank Jeannie from Day to Day Life in the Lakes for giving me the "Nice Matters" award.

It took a while for me to realize that part of the award is to pass it on. After some thought I'd like to award "Nice Matters" to:

Jeannie of Day to Day Life in the Lakes, who said such kind things when she awarded these to me and also shares her garden and community with us through her photographs.

Sybil of SYbil, who is always doing something interesting to read about with her sidekick Mary and faithful dog, Dee.

Jennette of Jeannette's Jottings, who introduced me to Free Rice—a vocabulary builder that aids the hungry.

Guido of Northern Trip whose weather reports lead to interesting discussions.

Jan of Serendipity, who always has interesting visuals.

Kristy of Sometimes I Think, who hosts the J-Land Photo Shoot (See the sidebar).

     

I understand you get to pick your award logo. Personally, I like the little dog, even though it was created for the gentlemen.

Tags: gratitude

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Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 8, 2008

The word of the day for February 8, 2008 is "parthenogenesis" — noun : reproduction by development of an unfertilized usually female gamete that occurs especially among lower plants and invertebrate animals.

What with Valentine's Day coming up, it's hard to get more than mildly interested in the news from the Sedgwick County Zoo today. One of it's komodo dragons—a virtuous maiden reptile—has produced viable offspring with no male komodo dragon anywhere in the picture. The zoologists are ecstatic to say the least. This in not your run of the mill hatching; although a couple of zoos in England also have talented komodo dragons. The SCZ folks are doing DNA tests to be certain the mother has no grounds to apply for child support.

The ancient Romans and Britons held that the birds chose their mates for the year on Valentine's Day. This has lapped over into hagiography saddling St. Valentine with the patronage of lovers. Perhaps the komodo dragons need to get with the program. I suppose that not having opposable thumbs would make it a bit difficult to get onto e-Harmony but surely the girls could go on strike in the egg laying department until the zoo comes up with a suitable suitor.

Our quote for the day is from Lawrence Balter (20th century), U.S. psychologist and author. Who’s In Control? Ch. 7 (1989):

    Many single parents say that they feel they have to be both a mother and a
    father to the child. This is impossible, so you may as well rule out that idea....
    As a single parent, you cannot be both a man and a woman. Who you are is
    a parent.

;^) Jan

Tags: parthenogenesis

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Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 7, 2008

The word of the day for February 7, 2008 is "lunar" — adjective — 1: crescent, lunate. 2 a: of, relating to, or resembling the moon [lunar craters], [a lunar landscape] b: designed for use on the moon [lunar vehicles]. 3: measured by the moon's revolution [lunar month]

Happy New Year!! Happy Tet Nguyen Dan!!

copyright FTD.com

This is the first day of the Lunar Year of the Rat. This is a big thing for a majority of the world's population. I noticed last weekend the grocery flower stand offering yellow mums for the holiday. The news readers here were saying that nearly a third of the Chinese population tries to get home for this holiday. In past years the news reported on the upsurge in Chinese sales of adult diapers for the holiday.

This year the annual migration has been hampered by heavy snow. Indeed, this year's news article was all about the Chinese Army declaring war on the snow. They showed a group of soldiers hacking and shoveling at a snow bank while another thirty or forty uniformed men waved red banners inscribed with what were probably patriotic, anti-snow axioms. One can't help but think that thirty or forty more workers would have moved the snow faster. Perhaps they had injured themselves and were put on light duty—a sort of purple heart for frostbite or aggravated blisters.

Our quote for the day is from Norman Cousins, Reader’s Digest, Sep 80:

    What was most significant about the lunar voyage was not that men set foot
     on the moon but that they set eye on the earth.

;^) Jan

Tags: lunar

Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 6, 2008

The word of the day for February 6, 2008 is "sternutation" — noun : the act, fact, or noise of sneezing.

Denise said her cubemate Jon had called in this morning to report that he was running a fever. She dissuaded him from coming in, although he whined that—as a contractor, as opposed to a direct employee—he would not be paid for his absence. "You just stay away. I certainly don't want your germs," she told him.

Sometimes it's hard to justify staying at home when we're miserable, especially when the weather is lousy as it is here today. If we're going to be miserable, we might as well be so in company. If we are going to take off work, it ought to be for pleasure—a vacation or a "mental health" day when the weather is warm enough to stick your toes in the dirt or the surf.

Our quote for the day is from Robert Benchley (1889–1945), U.S. writer, humorist. No Poems or Around the World Backwards and Sideways, “Hiccoughing Makes Us Fat,” Harper & Brothers (1932):

     I am pretty sure that, if you will be quite honest, you will admit that a good
     rousing sneeze, one that tears open your collar and throws your hair into your
     eyes, is really one of life’s sensational pleasures.

;^) Jan

Tags: sternutation

Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 5, 2008

The word of the day for February 5, 2008 is "bacchanal" — noun — 1 a: orgy 2. b: orgy 3. 2 a: a devotee of Bacchus; especially : one who celebrates the Bacchanalia. b: reveler.

Happy Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Carnivale, Fat Tuesday or whatever the name you have for the party today. It is raining here with a promise of freezing rain turning to snow. No wonder the ancient Romans thought February was a bad luck month. This mind set was so engrained that no one protested when Julius Caesar took a day from the end of February to make his month, July, 31 days long. Nor did they protest when Augustus followed suit to make his month another day longer. That didn't stop the dinking around with February; this is Leap Year, so we have an extra day of misery. It's that darn groundhog's fault for seeing his shadow: six more weeks of winter. Of course, if he hadn't it would only have been a month and a half.

Although this photo was actually taken in autumn, I thought a little revelry was in order for today. This is Tuck, Cyb and Ryan taken about six years ago September at Bonner Springs Renaissance Faire. My sister and I (I was going to say organised, but there wasn't any organization to it) sponsored a visit to the Faire. We all had a great time.

Tags: bacchanal

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Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 4, 2008

The word of the day for February 4, 2008 is "caucus" — noun — : a closed meeting of a group of persons belonging to the same political party or faction usually to select candidates or to decide on policy; also : a group of people united to promote an agreed-upon cause.

OK, I missed Groundhog's Day. I do have an excuse; I drove most of the way from Wichita to Omaha and on Sunday I drove all the way back. This is normally a six-hour drive, but the weather seemed determined to agree with the superstition. We had fog until the sun came up Saturday, and on Sunday, snow most of the way from Omaha to Kansas City. Fortunately, both Bubbles and Lloyd behaved themselves and we had a nice visit with Claudia.

She had been to a seminar on how to caucus Saturday morning. The Democratic Party is to have the first presidential caucus there in dunamany years. She is all excited at the task of putting a sign in her yard giving the precinct number, time and place for her neighbors to join her in caucus to elect delegates to the Democratic Convention. We attend the caucus years ago when they held one in Wichita. It was exciting, and they elected Lloyd and me as alternate delegates to the region-wide convention. I do wish, though, that the US would not electioneer for such a long time. So many candidates let the jobs to which they are already elected take second place to the position they hope to achieve that hardly anyone is left to do any serious work.

Our quote for the day is from Lewis Carroll [Charles Lutwidge Dodgson] (1832–1898), British author, mathematician, clergyman. Alice in Wonderland:

     "What is a Caucus-race?" said Alice...
     First [the Dodo] marked out a race-course, in a sort of circle ("the exact
     shape doesn't matter." it said), and then all the party were placed along the
     course, here and there. There was no "One, two, three, and away!", but
     they began running when they liked, and left off when they liked, so that it
     was not easy to know when the race was over. However, when they had
     been running half an hour or so, and were quite dry again, the Dodo suddenly
     called out "The race is over!", and they all crowded round it, panting, and
     asking "But who has won?"

;^) Jan

Tags: caucus

Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 1, 2008

The word of the day for February 1, 2008 is "poulterer" — noun — : one that deals in domesticated birds kept for eggs or meat.

Happy Imbolc. This is also the feast day of St. Bridgid, the Irish patron of poulterers. I suppose there is some connection to the phrase "spring chicken" here, but I will not discuss it. St. Bridgid is one of those saints that most probably started as a goddess, who got a religious sideways promotion, if you will. Her areas of patronage are the same, but she's got dotted lines instead of solid ones to the top.

When we were very young, Dad would project his 35mm slides onto a bedsheet hung on the wall. He had one shot of chickens that he would show and then, invariably, turn the projector to the adjacent wall (which was of plywood with a pronounced grain) to show us "striped chickens." I thought it was hilariously funny at the time. I still think it is better than the usual chicken joke.

Our quote for the day is from anonymous:

     Q: Who is famous in literature for killing the most chickens?
     A: A tie between Shakespeare's Macbeth and Claudius (from Hamlet),
          for they both did murder most foul.

Tags: poulterer