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.
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.
Brought to you by Merriam-Webster, Word of the Day.
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.
“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.
Brought to you by Merriam-Webster, Word of the Day.
“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.
Brought to you by Merriam-Webster, Word of the Day.
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.
“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.
Brought to you by Merriam-Webster, Word of the Day.
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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.
1 : a steplike arrangement (as of troops or airplanes)
2 a : one of a series of levels or grades in an organization or field of activity
b : a group of individuals at a particular level or grade in an organization
Examples
“And I think that … there are more conservatives in Hollywood than one would think in all echelons, even among the actors.” — Jon Voight, speaking on the Fox News Network, 9 Sept. 2016
“There were those in the upper echelons of network news who caught a bit of that altitude sickness and thought it was their job to massage the news on behalf of a greater good only they could see.” — Dalton Delan, The Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, Massachusetts), 23 Sept. 2016
Did You Know?
Echelon is a useful word for anyone who is climbing the ladder of success. It traces back to scala, a Late Latin word meaning “ladder” that was the ancestor of the Old French eschelon, meaning “rung of a ladder.” Over time, the French word (which is échelon in Modern French) came to mean “step,” “grade,” or “level.” When it was first borrowed into English in the 18th century, echelon referred specifically to a steplike arrangement of troops, but it now usually refers to a level or category within an organization or group of people.
My Take
We’ve heard the term, the top echelon. From its use, we can figure out approximately what it means. Like the top .5% having the top 99% of all wealth in America, most people in this class consider themselves the top echelon in the country. Me, with several exceptions, I despise.
Looking beyond the normal meaning, I was astonished to note in
its definition that there are other meanings of the term. One is the step-like arrangement as in airplanes. Think of airshows where military jets fly in tight formation over the airfield. It’s thrilling to watch, as they fly wingtip to wingtip, temerariously (yesterday’s word of the day) tempting disaster.
Another meaning is the series of levels or grades within an organization or activity. Bike races are a perfect analogy to the term. You see them race in tight formation, drafting off each other, and allowing the team member to the rear take point so that the leader may fall back and rest a bit. Derailleur gears are another form of stacked levels.
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.
“Nissan execs are proud of their new ‘flagship crossover,’ as they call the 2015 Murano, throwing around further clichés like ‘concept car for the street’ and talking about how much the interior resembles a ‘lounge on wheels.’ Which is by an appropriate measure less temerarious than the concept’s press release, which proclaimed that designers had drawn inspiration from ‘the futuristic allure of hypersonic travel.'” — Jeff Sabatini, CarandDriver.com, December 2014
“More important still—and here he is perceived as either temerarious or feckless—[Pope] Francis has departed radically from his predecessors in that he actively encourages his bishops … to speak boldly when addressing him and in assembly….” — Michael W. Higgins, The Globe and Mail, 13 Mar. 2015
Did You Know?
If you have guessed that temerarious may be related to the somewhat more common word temerity, you are correct. Temerarious was borrowed into English in the early 16th century from Latin temerarius, which in turn derives from Latin temere, meaning “blindly” or “recklessly.” Temerity, which arrived in English over a century earlier, also derives from temere; another descendant is the rare word intemerate,meaning “pure” or “undefiled.” Temere itself is akin to Old High German demar, Latin tenebrae, and Sanskrit tamas, all of which have associations with darkness.
My Take
Temerarious is an interesting word, and in my estimation, will fall by the wayside in the decades to come. A shame but if no one uses it, bye-bye!
How can it be used? Of course, the examples given by Merriam-Webster work okay but really, does anyone really talk like that? I rather doubt it.
The related images I found pretty well describe the word. From the bold colors and taste of a Japanese Hot Pot to the tiny little dog, recklessly holding off the much bigger dog with its bark. We’ve all seen this, at least I have. A large dog, who could eat the small one in one bite, is kept at bay by the brazen attitude of the smaller one. Interesting, I’d say.
JLo wearing Donatella Versace’s presumptuously daring green dress with the oh so deep plunging neckline that reached right to her groin at the 2000 Grammys is a perfect example of a temerarious dress. It implied more than it showed but who cares. JLo was the talk of the globe for months.
I didn’t know this, but apparently she wasn’t the first to wear that dress. Geri Halliwell, a former Spice Girl, wore it at the NJR Music Awards in France one month earlier. However, JLo made it look GOOD!
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.
After a 108 year drought, the Chicago Cubs won Game 7 in the World Series last night. Both teams fought a hard battle, not just last night, but in every game. The final result came right down to the wire, and included comebacks, rain delays, lead changes, brilliant managing as well as questionable decisions. It was anybody’s guess which team would walk away with the title. I, for one, was riveted to my television set, not wanting to miss a second of the series. And, I for one, am glad it’s over so that I can get some sleep.
Congratulations to the Cleveland Indians, who never gave up and never surrendered. You made the series interesting and it could have just as easily been you celebrating the win in Game 7. You earned every right to be there in the series. Congratulations to both cities. Your teams came through and raised the awareness that each team is a powerhouse in their own right for the future.