GWOTD, February 30, 2008

The word of the day for February 30, 2008 is "omnipotent" — adjective 1 often capitalized : almighty 1. 2: having virtually unlimited authority or influence [an omnipotent ruler]. 3 obsolete : arrant.

The date in the header would be correct if Big Julie had kept his hands off the calendar. Of course the calendar was in such bad shape by the time Julius Caesar put his thumbs on it that stealing a day from February to make the month named after him was a very small offense.

The French tried to reorganise the calendar when they had their revolution. They renamed all the months—did away with the names of gods and goddesses—and straightened out the numbering system so the days were more evenly divided between months. For some reason this new system did not stick, whereas, the new Gregorian system which helped remove the precession of the equinox, eventually caught on everywhere European colonialism did. Ah, people—we rejected the new calendar, and the metric system (which my dad always insisted was a Communist plot) has yet to be fully adopted. We don't have a tyrant like Big Julie to enforce a single universal system. C'mon StarDate.

Our quote for the day is from George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950), Anglo-Irish playwright, critic. speech, Jan. 20, 1935, on BBC radio. “Mr. G.B. Shaw on Film Censorship,” The Drama Observed, ed. Bernard F. Dukore, Penn State Press (1993):

     The censorship method ... is that of handing the job over to some frail and erring mortal man, and making him omnipotent on the assumption that his official status will make him infallible and omniscient.

;^) Jan

Tags: omnipotent

The word of the day for July 26, 2008 is "protection" — noun — 1: the act of protecting : the state of being protected. 2 a: one that protects. b: supervision or support of one that is smaller and weaker. c: a contraceptive device (as a condom). 3: the freeing of the producers of a country from foreign competition in their home market by restrictions (as high duties) on foreign competitive goods. 4 a: immunity from prosecution purchased by criminals through bribery. b: money extorted by racketeers posing as a protective association. 5: coverage 1a. 6: anchoring equipment placed in cracks for safety while rock climbing.

Bubbles took on one of the desperate kitties that roam the neighborhood as you can see in the video. I think the people that live behind us feed it. I see it on their patio more than anyplace. It's a male long-hair that occasionally comes over and marks territory on our patio near Bubbles's pen more for a show of force than actual threat. After I went out with the camera, the cat went over the fence between the utility pole and the rose-of-Sharon bush in the neighbor's yard and off toward the street. His attitude made it clear he saw no reason for hurry. The dog is just a minor annoyance. The cat will be back on his own time table.

I'm glad I didn't put the no-bark collar on the dog before letting him out for the confrontation. It depresses Bubbles to have to wear it. If I put him in the pen with it on, he goes and sulks in the dog house. If he has to wear it in the house, he huddles up to Lloyd as if that will keep him from harm. The connection has been made between collar, bark and ouch, but the connection hasn't yet been made between no-bark and no-collar.

Our quote for the day is from Crystal Eastman (1881–1928), U.S. social/political activist and author. “Equality or Protection,” Equal Rights (March 15, 1924). On Women and Revolution, part 1 (1978):

     A good deal of tyranny goes by the name of protection.

;^) Jan

Tags: protection

The word of the day for July 20, 2008 is "insect" — noun — 1 a: any of numerous small invertebrate animals (as spiders or centipedes) that are more or less obviously segmented —not used technically. b: any of a class (Insecta) of arthropods (as bugs or bees) with well-defined head, thorax, and abdomen, only three pairs of legs, and typically one or two pairs of wings. 2: a trivial or contemptible person.

Bubbles is laying on the sofa, looking back at me with sad eyes. He has been chasing a fly that got into the house, but having no luck, for the past ten minutes. He jumped up on the loveseat to bat at the fly in the window; then chased the critter across to the sofa and nearly got it when it lighted just below the mirror. He lost it when it flew out into the kitchen area. So he came back in and plopped down on the sofa with his backside to me. I snickered at him, which is why he has turned his reproachful eyes on me. He has chased flies often enough by now that he should know that he cannot catch them. He isn't even good at trapping them behind the patio door vertical blinds. I'm usually able to shoo them out the door before they come to serious harm.

He also likes to chase garter snakes, of which we have an abundance. Fortunately, they don't often get into the house. Bubbles especially likes snakes when they are dead. He rubs his cheeks against them [euwww!!] for some unknown reason. I have been able to get him away from the dead snakes and dispose of the carcases so far. I hope he isn't planning to eat them or bring them into the house. There's only so much I can handle when it comes to snakes.

Our quote for the day is from Samuel Johnson (1709–1784), British author, lexicographer. Quoted in James Boswell, Life of Samuel Johnson, vol. 1 (1934):

     A fly, Sir, may sting a stately horse and make him wince; but one is but an insect, and the other is a horse still.

;^) Jan

Tags: insect

GWOTD, JULY 19, 2008

The word of the day for July 19, 2008 is "shelter" — noun — 1 a: something that covers or affords protection [a bomb shelter]. b: an establishment providing food and shelter (as to the homeless). c: an establishment that houses and feeds stray animals. 2: a position or the state of being covered and protected [took shelter].

Dogs are expensive critters. Not more expensive than children, of course—no college or trade school tuition, just obedience school; no i-pods or Gameboys, just squeeky toys and balls. Still, they do have to be fed, watered, and taken to the vet. They have to have shelter from sun, rain and snow. Even without buying the designer doggy wear available, or even the entirely sensible snow boots, one has to provide collars and leads.

Last weekend, I put together a chainlink pen for Bubbles. The temporary pen, half-covered with a tarp, that I had provided for him was too flimsy to bear the weight of rain or the force of the Kansas wind. Now the pupster has a 5X5X4 pen with a gable roof. This Lucky Dog brand kit, or I should say kits as the roof comes separate, came to us from Jewett-Cameron Lumber Corp through Northland Pet Supply, Inc. The Fed-Ex person put the boxes at the side of the garage, and I easily loaded them onto our little hand truck for the short stretch into the backyard. It took me 2 day to put the thing together as it rained Saturday so that I would no sooner get started than I would have to temporarily abandon the project for the elements. Sunday evening I put the tie-downs around the top of the chainlink, put the wind bracing in place and got the top on properly. It really does keep the dog dry and shaded most of the day. He rather enjoys having a more comfortable place from which to bark at the kitty desperados across the back fence.

Our quote for the day is from Adele Faber (20th century), U.S. parent educator, and Elaine Mazlish, parent educator. How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk, ch. 4 (1980):

     Let us be different in our homes. Let us realize that along with food, shelter, and clothing, we have another obligation to our children, and that is to affirm their “rightness.” The whole world will tell them what’s wrong with them—out loud and often. Our job is to let our children know what’s right about them.

;^) Jan

Tags: shelter

GWOTD, July 12, 2008

The word of the day for July 12, 2008 is "thunder" — noun — 1 : the sound that follows a flash of lightning and is caused by sudden expansion of the air in the path of the electrical discharge. 2 : a loud utterance or threat. 3 : bang, rumble [the thunder of big guns].

So much for getting up early to assemble the new do-it-yourself kennel for the dog. Thunder woke us around 6:00. I put Bubbles out to do the necessary under a pyrotechnic display worthy of the Independence Day celebration just past. He quickly completed his business, came back in and huddled up to Lloyd.

As far as I can tell, the lightning was all cloud-to-cloud, but I still worried a bit because lightning is not predictable. A couple of weeks ago, a Bradford pear down at the corner was struck during a storm. It was somewhat of a wonder that the tree did not fall on the house. The neighbor says he will have to take it down. It's a shame, because that's the third B. pear on that end of the block to be taken down. The first two were in the second yard from the corner. They were damaged severely by ice a few years ago.

Our quote for the day is from Wallace Stevens (1879–1955), U.S. poet. “Landscape with Boat”:

     He brushed away the thunder, then the clouds,
     Then the colossal illusion of heaven. Yet still
     The sky was blue...

;^) Jan

Tags: thunder

GWOTD, 7/8/08 RE: Semi-Pro and The Eye, oh My!

The word of the day for July 8, 2008 is "distinction" noun 1 a archaic : division. b: class 4. 2: the distinguishing of a difference <without distinction as to race, sex, or religion>; also : the difference distinguished <the distinction between imply and infer>. 3: something that distinguishes <regional distinctions>. 4: the quality or state of being distinguishable <no distinction of facial features in the twins>. 5 a: the quality or state of being distinguished or worthy <a politician of some distinction>. b: special honor or recognition <took a law degree with distinction> <won many distinctions>. c: an accomplishment that sets one apart <the distinction of being the oldest to win the title>.

Dan's take on the portrayal of blind persons Semi-Pro and The Eye, oh My!  is interesting. Nowadays in the media nobody can be "normal" anymore. As you say, if they have some perceived handicap--blindness, deafness, skin-color, victimitis--they must have overwhelmingly outstanding jobs/hobbies/looks/talents to compensate. It's like all game show contestants who are stock clerks or soccer moms must by definition also be attending MIT for a degree in nuclear physics or have organized the local SBKomen "Race for the Cure" in their spare time.

I read somewhere that one of the extras on the set of Gordon Park's The Learning Tree was told to sweep the front porch on which she was standing. She was highly offended by this request: The movie she was acting in was about Black people and these hincty people couldn't make her do menial work for love nor money.

Our quote for the day is from Florence King (b. 1936), U.S. humorist, essayist, social critic. Lump It or Leave It, New York, St. Martin’s Press (1990):

     As the only class distinction available in a democracy, the college degree has created a caste society as rigid as ancient India’s. Condemning elitism and simultaneously quaking in fear that our children won’t become members of the elite, we send them to college, not to learn, but to “be” college graduates, rationalizing our snobbery with the cliché that high technology has eliminated the need for the manual labor that we secretly hold in contempt.

;^) Jan

Tags: distinction

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

 

The word of the day for July 6, 2008 is "perigrinate" — intransitive verb — : to travel especially on foot : walk. — transitive verb — : to walk or travel over : traverse.

We did get to go up to Cybil's on Saturday. It rained on us a bit on the way, but the weather was nice the rest of the trip. Cybil had to work until 1, so we went into Kansas City, MO, to look at the Liberty Memorial and Museum. (We didn't get out of the car, but we parked and looked at the sphynxes and the tower while deciding what else to do) What we did was get a bite at the nearest Burger King. Lloyd insisted that I should give Bubbles some milk because "he hasn't eaten anything." Then we went to Troost Park, where I discovered that the dog is lactose intolerant. He had gotten the inside of his crate pretty well saturated.

I cleaned him up with paper napkins and some old newspaper found under the seat. I would have dunked him in the park fountain, but the signs said no wading or swimming. Anyway, we drove over to the Paseo and north past Truman, caught I-35South and got to Cybil's house just before she got home. Her husband, Ryan, put the dog's bedding (an old beach towel) into the washer. Cybil came home immediately after and, after changing into casual clothing, took the dog and me for a walk along the local bike path. It's very well kept up and debouches into a charming park with a large shelter used for garden markets and performance art.

After our walk, which included a good chat, Cybil fed us meat and cheese, onions, red peppers, etc. between the halves of a cheesy asiago bread. She had an Italian name for it, which I can't remember and won't ask her to spell, but it was scrumtious. After some more talk, admiring their new garden shed and playing with the dog, I stuffed Lloyd and the dog back into the car for the homeward trip, which was accomplished without problems. A good day. And today I got to give the dog a bath, so he is now snuggled up against Lloyd sulking as he finishes drying.

Our quote for the day is from William Shakespeare (1564–1616), British dramatist, poet. [Sir Nathaniel and Holofernes, in Love’s Labor’s Lost, act 5, sc. 1, l. 12-15]:

     Holofernes: He is too picked, too spruce, too affected, too odd as it were, too peregrinate as I may call it.
     Sir Nathaniel: A most singular and choice epithet..

;^) Jan

Tags: peregrinate

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

The word of the day for July 4, 2008 is "independence" — noun — 1: the quality or state of being independent. 2 archaic : competence 1.

Today is my brother's mumble-eighth birthday. Happy birthday, Wes! A happy Independence Day to all the rest of you.

I suggest you all take a look at Slapinion's take on the day. I couldn't have put together a better nostalgic look at the trappings of the celebration.

I had intended to take Lloyd and the dog up to our daughter's house for a holiday dinner, but Lloyd is under the weather today. Maybe we can go tomorrow.

Speed Bump (aka Bubbles) and I went for our walk really early this morning. The air was crisp and fresh. Everyone's yards were looking good. A man was out pumping the bilges of his boat in his driveway. A garbage truck rumbled past us.

When we got home, Speedy didn't want to stay inside, so I put him in his pen with a couple of toys and water. After a short while, he started barking. A couple of feral cats were in the yard catercorner to us. I told him that he didn't need to save us from desperate kitties and dragged him into the house. After a few parting barks from inside the patio doors—which didn't impress the cats any more than barking from the pen—he gave up in disgust. He's keeping Lloyd company at the moment.

Our quote for the day is from Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), U.S. president. Speech at Springfield, Illinois, June 26, 1857. Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, vol. 2, p. 405, Rutgers University Press (1953, 1990):

     [The Declaration of Independence] meant to set up a standard maxim for free society, which should be familiar to all, and revered by all; constantly looked to, constantly labored for, and even though never perfectly attained, constantly approximated, and thereby constantly spreading and deepening its influence, and augmenting the happiness and value of life to all people of all colors everywhere.

;^) Jan

Tags: independence