Veteran’s Day in America
Today, in America, it’s Veteran’s Day.
To veterans all across the globe, we thank you for your service.
Veteran’s Day in America
November 11, 2016
Word of the Day: triptych
November 11, 2016
Word of the Day: triptych
Triptych (noun) TRIP-tik
Definition
1 : an ancient Roman writing tablet with three waxed leaves hinged together
2 a : a picture (such as an altarpiece) or carving in three panels side by side
b : something composed or presented in three parts or sections; especially : trilogy
Examples
The panels of the triptych illustrated the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity.
“‘Certain Women,’ her latest film and arguably the most precise expression of [Kelly] Reichardt’s vision to date, is a triptych based on three short stories by the Montana-raised author Maile Meloy.” — Alice Gregory, The New York Times, 16 Oct. 2016
Did You Know?
A painted or carved triptych typically has three hinged panels, and the two outer panels can be folded in towards the central one. A literary or musical triptych generally consists of three closely related or contrasting themes or parts. Triptych derives from the Greek triptychos (“having three folds”), formed by combining tri– (“three”) and ptychē (“fold” or “layer”). Although triptych originally described a specific type of Roman writing tablet that had three hinged sections, it is not surprising that the idea was generalized first to a type of painting, and then to anything composed of three parts.
My Take
I grew up with a fine art print of the feature photo in this post hanging in my living room. Until now, I never knew that there was an actual name for this kind of artwork. My father worked for an art gallery in New York City, as a master framer and master repair technician.
Working for the gallery, over the years, he acquired numerous pieces which were distributed around my family after my parents passing. The gallery focused their business on selling and repairing 18th and 19th-century prints. My father’s role in the gallery was to frame their acquisitions, most times using gold leafed frames that today would cost thousands of dollars. He was also the lead person who would repair prints and original works when a customer would bring in a damaged item, perhaps with a slice in the canvas or water damage and the like. He was never a creative person, but as a technician, he was without compare. I miss him.
As an artist, I have thought to create a triptych to add to my gallery of works. Years ago, I made an attempt in an abstract style. I never liked it and painted over it with a new composition. However, I still have a new idea and one day; I will get to it.
I love learning the different contexts of these words of the day. Don’t you? Please share your comments. I’m sure we would all like to read them.
If you share this post by clicking one of the twitter buttons, I will treat you with a sexier image related to the word. My gift to you.
Brought to you by Merriam-Webster, Word of the Day.
Word of the Day – bully pulpit-2
November 10, 2016
Word of the Day – bully pulpit-2
Bully pulpit (noun) BULL-ee-PULL-pit
Definition
: a prominent public position (as a political office) that provides an opportunity for expounding one’s views; also : such an opportunity
Examples
“Candidates for governor like to make people think they set the vision. But the governor has a bully pulpit and little else. He or she may be in a position to push or prod or convene a task force or two, but nothing happens if the other players don’t agree.” — Jay Evensen, The Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah), 28 Sept. 2016
“Land use is a local responsibility, and the federal government has limited power to make cities build more housing. Still, the Obama administration is increasingly using the bully pulpit to tell urban progressives that if they care about income inequality, they ought to care about building more housing.'” — Kerry Cavanaugh, The Los Angeles Times, 26 Sept. 2016
Did You Know?
Bully pulpit comes from the 26th U.S. President, Theodore Roosevelt, who observed that the White House was a bully pulpit. For Roosevelt, bully was an adjective meaning “excellent” or “first-rate”—not the noun bully (“a blustering, browbeating person”) that’s so common today. Roosevelt understood the modern presidency’s power of persuasion and recognized that it gave the incumbent the opportunity to exhort, instruct, or inspire. He took full advantage of his bully pulpit, speaking out about the danger of monopolies, the nation’s growing role as a world power, and other issues important to him. Since the 1970s, bully pulpit has been used as a term for an office—especially a political office—that provides one with the opportunity to share one’s views.
My Take
To me, ‘bully pulpit’ looks like two words, but apparently, it’s considered a single one. I find that peculiar. Oh, well. So what. The English language is chock full of discrepancies and rules that don’t seem to make sense.
Back to the word, I discovered that it was first used by President Teddy Roosevelt. He was a big one for preaching, instilling a feeling of the U.S. being an exceptional country speaking out about the dangers of monopolies, power, and all sorts of things important to him. It didn’t take the presidency for him to rise to this standard. Oh, no. He lived and breathed his viewpoints and never missed an opportunity to expound upon them.
I live in New York State, one of the fifty in the country. Several years ago, a movement started right in my home town. Called ‘The Top Free Seven’ they pushed to give women the right to go topless. Just as the suffragettes fought to give women the right to vote, own property and run for political office, they pushed hard, got arrested a few times but eventually, they got a law passed in New York decriminalizing removing one’s top and freeing the breast from covering up. If you’ve not heard about this, I encourage you to read up on it. Here is a good summary. (http://topfreedomnewyork.blogspot.com/2011/05/top-free-7.html) Let’s make it a movement across the country and the world. After all, God made man and woman in his image, and they were nude. Who are we to screw with his plan.
I love learning the different contexts of these words of the day. Don’t you? Please share your comments. I’m sure we would all like to read them.
If you share this post by clicking one of the twitter buttons, I will treat you with a sexier image related to the word. My gift to you.
Numb in America
November 9, 2016
Numb in America
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m numb. I knew we were a country divided but the results of the election have driven home to me just how much.
I could expound upon a lot of my feelings etc., but I choose to take the higher ground.
I pray that we can all come together and that our new leadership will work to make a better world to live in. I have my doubts but I still have hope. Please, everyone, let’s treat everyone the same, as residents of this planet where each of us as something to contribute and deserves to be treated with respect and dignity.
Word of the Day: auriferous
November 9, 2016
Word of the Day: auriferous
Auriferous (adjective) aw-RIF-uh-russ
Definition
1 containing gold
2 dark yellow
Synonyms
aureate; aurelian; auric; aurous; aurulent; blond; blonde; caramel; dusty; flaxen; gilded; gilt; halcyon; honeyed; mellow yellow; ochroid; straw; tan; tawny; wheat
Examples
The mining company has discovered many auriferous deposits throughout the region.
“Development … on the east flank of the Huachuca Mountains occurred after the 1911 discovery of a gold nugget weighing 22 ounces, probably originating from auriferous quartz veins found in the granite beds upstream.” — William Ascarza, The Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, AZ), 26 Sept. 2016
Did You Know?
Students in chemistry class learn that the chemical symbol for gold is Au. That symbol is based on aurum, the Latin word for the element. In the 17th century, English speakers coined auriferous by appending the -ous ending to the Latin adjective aurifer, an offspring of aurum that means “containing gold” or “producing gold.” (The -fer is from ferre, a Latin verb meaning “to produce” or “to bear.”) Not surprisingly, auriferous is a term that shows up in geological contexts. Some other descendants of aurum include aureate (“of a golden color” or “marked by grandiloquent style”), auric(“of, relating to, or derived from gold”), and the noun or (“the heraldic color gold or yellow”).
My Take
Auriferous means ‘containing gold.’ It could also mean something that is gold colored or emulating gold. As I looked into the term, I discovered that it is used mostly in the mining industry. As in ‘a vein of auriferous rock found contains gold.’
Wow, I have never seen gold in its raw form embedded in rock. I may never. I don’t care if I do. What I do care about is how society seems to be driven by this element. It is relatively abundant mineral, so why the fuss. I know it looks pretty when refined and polished. It never tarnishes, it’s a good conductor of electricity, and highly malleable. But does that mean people need to covet it?
I’ll let you ponder that question. Moving on, I found a couple of artists who focus their fine-art on the color. Reverie Summoner and Auriferous Art have many pieces up on display at Deviant Art. I include a piece of each from their collection for you to check out. I’m a sucker for promoting people’s artwork. Hopefully, someone will promote mine.
I love learning the different contexts of these words of the day. Don’t you? Please share your comments. I’m sure we would all like to read them.
If you share this post by clicking one of the twitter buttons, I will treat you with a sexier image related to the word. My gift to you.
Election Day 2016 in America
November 8, 2016
Election Day 2016 in America
Today is election day in the U.S. I am proud to say, that I voted and I hope you did too.
It’s been a very long election season but tonight, it’s over. Tomorrow, I hope that we rebuild the divisions built over the past several years and we reach across the aisle.
For the rest of the world, please be patient. We’re working on our issues.
Word of the Day: mollify
November 8, 2016
Word of the Day: mollify
Mollify (verb) MAH-luh-fye
Definition
1 : to soothe in temper or disposition : appease
2 : to reduce the rigidity of : soften
3 : to reduce in intensity : assuage, temper
Synonyms
allay; alleviate; ameliorate; appease; assuage; blunt; lessen; lull; mitigate; pacify; placate; quell; relieve; soften; temper
Antonyms
aggravate; agitate; excite; incite; increase; intensify; irritate; provoke; upset; worry; worsen
Examples
“To some extent, the delay also was intended to mollify the concerns of county leaders that police and fire service responsibilities were being shoved at them on an abrupt timetable, potentially to the detriment of affected residents.” — Lawrence Specker, AL.com, 30 Aug. 2016
“If there were any doubt that Roark, with his 15 wins and top-five ERA, could be a reliable No. 2 starter if Stephen Strasburg cannot pitch in October, he has done all he could to mollify it. He has now thrown 200 innings for the first time. He still leads the league with nine starts of seven or more scoreless innings.” — Chelsea Janes, The Washington Post, 21 Sept. 2016
Did You Know?
Mollify, pacify, appease, and placate all mean “to ease the anger or disturbance of,” although each implies a slightly different way of pouring oil on troubled waters. Pacify suggests the restoration of a calm or peaceful state, while appease implies the quieting of insistent demands by making concessions; you can appease appetites and desires as well as persons. Placate is similar to appease, but it often indicates a more complete transformation of bitterness to goodwill. Mollify, with its root in Latin mollis, meaning “soft,” implies soothing hurt feelings or anger.
My Take
To me, mollifying is an art form. Soothing tempers, appeasing desire, softening a hard stance, and assuaging an intense situation takes rare skill. One I don’t believe I have.
People tell me I have patience, but I wonder. I so to some extent but I still wonder. To me, patience is necessary to mollify a person in distress, pain, or just angry. I don’t have the skills to do that. I’m more likely going to aggravate rather than pacify the situation. It takes a rare breed, as far as I’m concerned, to help rather than hurt.
So how to mollify a situation. It can be done by force, either willingly by all parties involved, at the point of a gun or simple restraint, to just opening one’s arms and giving a hug.
I suppose I could use some help in this area and I welcome your comments. Perhaps I can become a better person as a result.
If you share this post by clicking one of the twitter buttons, I will treat you with a sexier image related to the word. My gift to you.
Word of the Day: cavalcade
November 7, 2016
Word of the Day: cavalcade
Cavalcade (noun) kav-ul-KAYD
Definition
1 a : a procession of riders or carriages
b : a procession of vehicles or ships
2 : a dramatic sequence or procession : series
Examples
“Giant helium balloons, beautifully decorated, horse-drawn carriages and antique cars, along with uniformed cavalcades performing their routines, will thrill parade goers.” — San Antonio Magazine, 22 Apr. 2016
“In the first video released by the PAC, a cavalcade of Hollywood’s finest appear to underline the importance of voting in November’s election. From ‘Avengers’ alumni Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson … to Julianne Moore, Keegan-Michael Key, … and many more …” — Libby Hill, The Los Angeles Times, 21 Sept. 2016
Did You Know?
When cavalcade was first used in English, it meant “a horseback ride” or “a march or raid made on horseback.” Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, used it this way in his 1647 History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England: “He had with some Troops, made a Cavalcade or two into the West.” From there came the “procession of riders” meaning and eventual applications to processions in a broader sense.
Cavalcade came to English via French from the Old Italian noun cavalcata, which in turn came from an Old Italian verb, cavalcare, meaning “to go on horseback.” Ultimately, these words came from the Latin word caballus, meaning “horse.” The combining form –cade also appears in other words describing particular kinds of processions, such as motorcade or the less common aquacade.
My Take
Cavalcade, simply stated, is a parade or procession. It can be of anything. A town parade celebrating a civic event, a car show with owners displaying their prized possessions, a wedding parade (royal or not), a New Orleans parade for a loved one, and a procession of performing horses are all examples of a cavalcade.
I also found out that several products are using the term, from a motorcycle to a softcore men’s magazine of the sixties, a movie name and even light shows.
Festivals all over the world use the term, including the Cavalcade of the Three Kings held in Florence Italy. If you share this post using one of my Twitter share buttons, I will treat you with a sexy cavalcade of two of my favorite subjects in life.
Go ahead, share this page. I dare you. Actually, I have two photos I would like to make available this way, but unfortunately, I can only do one using Twitter. Hint: click here for the second.
With the Chicago Cubs winning the world series after a 108-year drought, their parade will offer a cavalcade of the players, allowing their fans to feel close to their team. Events like this happen all around the world, from the winners of the World Cup returning home, to Olympic athletes who are honored by their hometowns, regardless of whether they won a medal or not.
Cavalcades are everywhere. I have participated in several throughout my life. How about you?
I love learning the different contexts of these words of the day. Don’t you? Please share your comments. I’m sure we would all like to read them.
My Take, part 2
November 6, 2016
My Take, part 2
Just a quick reminder, please check out the ‘My Take’ section of my Word of the Day posts. ‘My Take’ is where I add my commentary associated with the word and how I find it relates to the world I see around me.
It’s short and sweet, and I try to add imagery to support my suppositions. Plus, I usually add (including this post) an easter egg for you, if you share the post on Twitter. My gift to you for reading the entire post.
Thanks and have a great day!
Word of the Day: dicker
November 6, 2016
Word of the Day: dicker
Dicker (verb) DIK-er
Definition
: to bargain
Examples
“Long before Walt Disney thought to sell toys based on his cartoon characters, [Edgar Rice] Burroughs was dickering with toy manufacturers for Tarzan tie-ins.” — Tim Martin, The Telegraph (United Kingdom), 7 July 2016
“As in any divorce, the lawyers will commence dickering, mostly behind closed doors. As in any celeb divorce, the usual unnamed ‘sources’ will commence leaking like sieves to favored media to benefit one side or the other.” — Maria Puente, USA Today, 21 Sept. 2016
Did You Know?
Etymologists aren’t exactly sure of the origins of the verb dicker; however, there is a probability that it arose from the bartering of animal hides on the American frontier.
The basis of that theory is founded on the noun dicker, which in English can refer to a quantity of ten hides. That word is derived from decuria, the Latin word for a bundle of ten hides, and ultimately from Latin decem, meaning “ten” (to learn why the month December comes from the Latin word decem, click here). In ancient Rome, a decuria became a unit of bartering. The word entered Middle English as dyker and eventually evolved to dicker. It has been posited that the verb emerged from the bargaining between traders over dickers of hides, but not all etymologists are sold on that idea.
My Take
Do you know how hard it is to find the perfect image that goes with the word of the day? Today, I found out just how hard it was when the word is also the name of an international glamor super-model who appears in all the major rags, walks the runway, and is an international celebrity. I’ve included a portion of her bio below. There are pictures everywhere for model Cintia Dicker. I went through hundreds of photos before I changed tactics.
So, I searched for images of the word bargain and bargaining. Guess what? Cintia was there, too. Oh my. I needed to filter some more and eventually I came up with a scene from an Asian market where bartering and dickering is a normal form of commerce. Of course, dickering can manifest itself including at the barrel of a gun, or a finger hovering above the button. Whatever form it takes, it’s not something commonly done in the lower levels of America. Jump to the boardroom, and it is another story. Then, sometimes, as is true in my area, one can dicker with the Cable company for lower rates by threatening to cancel the service altogether. Oh wait, isn’t that the same as dickering at the end of a gun barrel?
I love learning the different contexts of these words of the day. Don’t you? Please share your comments. I’m sure we would all like to read them.
If you share this post by clicking one of the twitter buttons, I will treat you with a topless image of Cintia Dicker. My gift to you.
Cintia Dicker Bio
Source: thesupermodelsgallery.com
Stats
Nationality: Brazilian
Hair Color: Brown / red
Eye Color: Blue
Date of Birth: June 12 1986
Place of Birth: Campo Bom, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Height: 5’10? ; 178cm
Measurements: (US) 34-24-34 ; (EU) 86.5-61-86.5
Dress Size: (US) 4 ; (EU) 34
Shoe Size: (US) 9 ; (EU) 40 ; (UK) 6.5
Magazine Covers:
Brazil: ‘Elle’ – May 2009; ‘Follow’ – August 2010
Canada: ‘Fashion’ – April 2008
France: ‘Elle’ – November 2004; ‘Marie Claire’ – August 2010
Germany: ‘Sleek’ – Spring 2008
Italy: ‘D’ – July & November 27 2004; ‘Glamour’ – January 2004; ‘D’ April 2005
Japan: ‘Spur’ – September 2005
US: ‘City’ – June 2009
Notes:
She’s appeared in various advertising campaigns, Elle, GQ and the 2009, 2010 & 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues.