To Infinity and Beyond

theherstorian @ 2009-04-21T10:04:00

2009-04-21T14:04:41Z

moirologist

PRONUNCIATION:

(moy-ROL-uh-jist)

MEANING:

noun: A hired mourner.

theherstorian @ 2009-01-20T17:45:00

2009-01-20T22:45:29Z

Word of the Day for Tuesday, January 20, 2009

pandiculation \pan-dik-yuh-LEY-shuhn\, noun:

an instinctive stretching, as on awakening or while yawning

"Pandiculate for Health! Grow Tall! Get Well! Be Young!" Exuberant ads like this, running in health-fad magazines since 1914, have proclaimed the virtues of a spine-stretching device called the "Pandiculator."
-- Time, 1942-04-12

by 1611 from French pandiculation from Latin pandiculari "to stretch oneself" and French suffix -ion.

theherstorian @ 2009-01-15T11:24:00

2009-01-15T16:44:22Z

At loggerheads

Meaning

In dispute with.

Origin

'At loggerheads' is of UK origin. The singular 'loggerhead' occurs as a name in several contexts - as a species of turtle, a bird and as a place name. Originally, a loggerhead was none of these but was first used with the meaning of 'a stupid person - a blockhead'. Shakespeare used it that way in Love's Labours Lost, 1588:

"Ah you whoreson logger-head, you were borne to doe me shame."

WORLD HUNGER CLOSE TO ONE BILLION PEOPLE

2008-12-11T04:42:16Z

OMG.

http://current.com/items/89607661/world_hunger_now_close_to_1_billion_people.htm

theherstorian @ 2008-12-08T15:12:00

2008-12-08T20:16:23Z

Dear Lisa,

President-elect Barack Obama's transition team is putting in long hours, announcing critical appointments, and helping to build the next administration. That's why ONE is providing these movers and shakers with a new, detailed transition brief describing how Obama’s vision for helping the poorest can be transitioned into reality…and how we can help. Then during the week of December 15th, we will meet with the foreign policy team for the transition to deliver our petition asking Obama to honor his commitments to global health and development.

Sign the petition now: http://www.one.org/inauguration/o.pl?id=774-2826118-oId.FUx&t=2

The petition reads:

"Dear President-elect Obama,

In your inaugural address, please make a clear affirmation of your pledge to fight poverty and preventable diseases worldwide, and support that statement with an FY2010 budget request that puts the U.S. on track to meet your historic commitments."

More than 60,000 ONE members have signed our petition, but we need even more to make sure Obama's inaugural address and first presidential budget give hope and desperately-needed help to millions of people in the world's poorest places.

We know the power of the inaugural address. In 1961, John F. Kennedy said:
"If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich."

Then in 1985, Ronald Reagan said:
"And it is the world's only hope, to conquer poverty and perserve peace. Every blow we inflict against poverty will be a blow against its dark allies of oppression and war. Every victory for human freedom will be a victory for world peace."

------------------

But how can the US help the poor when it has trouble helping itself?

theherstorian @ 2008-10-28T16:27:00

2008-10-28T23:27:13Z

http://www.wecansolveit.org/page/s/powervotepledge

theherstorian @ 2008-10-08T15:22:00

2008-10-08T22:23:00Z

Dear Lisa,

Did you notice the ads after last night's presidential debate?

ABC had Chevron. CBS had Exxon. CNN had the coal lobby. But you know what happened last week? ABC refused to run our Repower America ad -- the ad that takes on this same oil and coal lobby.

I sent a letter asking ABC to reconsider their decision and put our ad on the air, but still we haven't heard back more than a week later. I think they need to hear from all of us. Can you help? Please send a message to ABC and tell them to air the Repower America ad this Friday on 20/20. Just click here:

http://www.wecansolveit.org/page/m/679d103495913667/Snawp0/VEsC/
http://www.wecansolveit.org/ABC

We're working to get 100,000 public comments to ABC before 20/20's next airing.

Our Repower America ad has a clear and simple message -- that massive spending by oil and coal companies on advertising is a key reason our nation hasn't switched to clean and renewable sources for our energy.

Here's the script of the ad:

The solution to our climate crisis seems simple.
Repower America with wind and solar.
End our dependence on foreign oil. A stronger economy.
So why are we still stuck with dirty and expensive energy?
Because big oil spends hundreds of millions of dollars to block clean energy.
Lobbyists, ads, even scandals.
All to increase their profits, while America suffers.
Breaking big oil's lock on our government ...
Now that's change.
We're the American people and we approve this message.

You can view the ad on the ABC petition page, here.

As our country faces deep economic problems, we need to be able to have an honest debate about the root causes of our problems. As Al Gore has said, "We're borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to burn it in ways that destroy the future of human civilization. And every bit of that has to change."

As oil and coal backed groups outspend even major party committees in this political year, it's outrageous that ABC would deny our ad. Let ABC know what you think. Just click here.

Thank you,

Cathy Zoi
CEO
www.wecansolveit.org

theherstorian @ 2008-10-05T19:51:00

2008-10-06T02:51:28Z

This week's theme: insults.

flibbertigibbet (FLIB-uhr-tee-jib-it) noun

Someone who is regarded as flighty, scatterbrained, and talkative.

[Apparently from the imitation of the sound of idle chatter.]

theherstorian @ 2008-10-02T13:33:00

2008-10-02T20:33:11Z

Twice Shy

Her scarf a la Bardot,
In suede flats for the walk,
She came with me one evening
For air and friendly talk.
We crossed the quiet river,
Took the embankment walk.

Traffic holding its breath,
Sky a tense diaphragm:
Dusk hung like a backcloth
That shook where a swan swam,
Tremulous as a hawk
Hanging deadly, calm.

A vacuum of need
Collapsed each hunting heart
But tremulously we held
As hawk and prey apart,
Preserved classic decorum,
Deployed our talk with art.

Our Juvenilia
Had taught us both to wait,
Not to publish feeling
And regret it all too late -
Mushroom loves already
Had puffed and burst in hate.

So, chary and excited,
As a thrush linked on a hawk,
We thrilled to the March twilight
With nervous childish talk:
Still waters running deep
Along the embankment walk.

Seamus Heaney

theherstorian @ 2008-09-21T18:57:00

2008-09-22T01:58:06Z

I will die either of lung cancer or a car accident.

theherstorian @ 2008-09-19T21:16:00

2008-09-20T04:27:59Z

www.poverty.com

It has an amazing, but depressing, hunger-related death counter.

Sacred cow?

2008-08-06T05:53:18Z

Nah, I want some holy goat.

sacred cow

PRONUNCIATION:

(SAY-krid kou)

MEANING:

Something that is beyond criticism.

ETYMOLOGY:

From the special regard for a cow in the Hindu religion.

USAGE:

"There are no sacred cows in the Philippine Army, Army chief Lt. Gen. Victor Ibrado claimed, as he vowed not to tolerate any unlawful acts of soldiers, whatever their rank or position may be."
Gilbert Bayoran; Army General Faces Court Martial; The Visayan Daily Star (Bacolod City, Philippines); Jul 28, 2008.

theherstorian @ 2008-07-27T23:10:00

2008-07-28T06:10:10Z

popinjay

PRONUNCIATION:

(POP-in-jay)

MEANING:

noun: Somone who indulges in vain and empty chatter.

ETYMOLOGY:

Via French and Spanish from Arabic babbaga (parrot). The last syllable changed to jay because some thought the word referred to that bird instead of a parrot.

theherstorian @ 2008-07-22T23:25:00

2008-07-23T06:28:13Z

"Because You Asked about the Line between Prose and Poetry"

Sparrows were feeding in a freezing drizzle
That while you watched turned into pieces of snow
Riding a gradient invisible
From silver aslant to random, white, and slow.

There came a moment that you couldn't tell.
And then they clearly flew instead of fell.

Howard Nemerov

--

In a title, capitalize
Any conjunction or preposition of five letters or more --(This is optional. You can choose to go with an older rule that says not to capitalize prepositions or conjunctions regardless of length. The five letters or more standard has developed over the last two decades or so. Either form would be acceptable, as long as you use it consistently.)

Cool. I'm not going to capitalize the prepositions then.

theherstorian @ 2008-07-13T22:30:00

2008-07-14T05:33:40Z

"Saying 'no offense' doesn't excuse the offensive remark that inevitably follows/had preceded it."

I think I heard this on television. It popped in my head out of nowhere just now, so I'm writing this down before I forget.

theherstorian @ 2008-06-19T23:18:00

2008-06-20T06:18:40Z

fescennine (FES-uh-nyn, -nin) adjective

Obscene or scurrilous.

[After Fescennia, a town of ancient Etruria known for its ribald and
scurrilous songs sung at festivals and weddings.]

You jackanapes, you!

2008-06-03T19:58:18Z

From AWAD:

Mark Twain once said, "When angry, count to four; when very angry, swear."
While swearing is considered uncouth and vulgar, it has its place and
purpose. It helps provide an emotional release and clears the system.
Isn't a verbal venting of emotions better than a physical manifestation?

You don't have to rely on those worn-out four-letter terms to inflict
rude remarks on the offending party. With careful selection of words,
it's possible to elevate insults to an art form. Why not use this week's
exquisite words for one of those times when nothing less will do?

But remember, everything in moderation.

jackanapes (JAK-uh-nayps) noun

An impertinent conceited person.

[Probably from Jack Napes, from "jack (man) of an ape". This word was the
nickname of William de la Pole (1396-1450), Duke of Suffolk, as his badge
was a clog and chain, as might be tied to an ape.]

I'm a Broken Heart

2008-06-02T01:50:41Z

I love Indie rock.

theherstorian @ 2008-05-28T18:20:00

2008-05-29T01:20:17Z

I've never seen the music video for this old song.

Be Still

2008-05-24T18:23:15Z

Better Together

2008-05-24T00:54:48Z

Halfway around the World

2008-05-21T02:39:34Z

I've fallen in love with A*teens again. Haha.

Heartbreak Lullaby

2008-05-19T04:43:15Z

So 90's? I don't remember if I've already posted this before.

If I Had Eyes

2008-05-18T07:17:21Z

theherstorian @ 2008-05-14T16:18:00

2008-05-14T23:18:37Z

Tomorrow, Thursday, May 15, is a Spare the Air Day in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Public transit is NOT free tomorrow. The public is encouraged to work at home, take transit, or carpool.

Concentrations of ground-level ozone pollution are forecast to be unhealthy tomorrow. Clear skies, hot temperatures, and light winds will combine to produce poor air quality for the Bay Area.

To help prevent smog tomorrow, please:

- Ride a bike – tomorrow is Bike to Work Day.

- Take public transportation, carpool or link your errands to minimize driving.

- Raise the thermostat to minimize use of your air conditioner to reduce power usage and pollution.

A fun word:
Vandyke or Van Dyke or vandyke (van dyk) noun

A short, pointed beard.

[After painter Anthony Van Dyck or Vandyke (1599-1641) who painted
portraits of people having these v-shaped beards.]