Forever A Fangirl

Which Silver Screen Siren Are You?

Which Silver Screen Siren are you?
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Gleefully swiped from Anne.

Yep. That's me, sassy as all get out.

Word: Stalwart

stalwart \STAWL-wert\ adjective
HEAR IT

: marked by outstanding strength and vigor of body, mind, or spirit

Example sentence:
Although they were poorly equipped, the people of Greenville proved to be stalwart souls, and they worked through the night to save the dam and prevent a terrible flood.

Did you know?

Sometime in the 15th century, English speakers began to use "stalwart" in place of the older form "stalworth." Although "stalworth" is now archaic, it laid the groundwork for today's meaning of "stalwart." In the 12th century, "stalworth" began to be used to describe strongly built people or animals (a meaning "stalwart" took on about two centuries later). It also came to be used as an adjective for persons who showed bravery or courage (likewise, a meaning passed on to "stalwart"). So, in a way, "stalwart" has been serviceable in keeping the spirit of "stalworth" alive. This character of "stalwart" is true to its roots. "Stalworth" came from the Old English word "stælwierthe" (meaning "serviceable"), which, in turn, is thought to come from terms meaning "foundation" and "worth."

My sentence:
President Bush and his advisors are stalwart in their assertion that the invasion of Iraq was justified.

Reefs (Photo)

03.26.04 ~ Blue Spotted Stingrays
Shedd Aquarium's "Reef" Exhibit--a mini replica of The Philippines reefs. One finds out going through the $49 new installation--that the Phillipine reef(s?) has more varieties of reef life than anywhere, even the Great Barrier Reef.
I guess the Filipinos on this island (one of many) have been convinced that they need to stop throwing explosives into reef areas, literally blasting the sea life out or injecting the sea life areas with cyanide. Nice, huh?

World Turning

03.26.04
Old, kinda goofy exhibit at the Adler planetarium near their
Omni-max-like theatre.
I used this pic to practice photographic correction/manipulation on. Straightening, cloning, & pushing using multiple brushes/implements.
I was basically just goofing around. Just because I like photography doesn't mean I suck any less in art.

WORLD TURNING
Written by Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie.

Everybody’s trying to say I’m wrong
I just wanna be back where I belong

World turning
I gotta get my feet back on the ground
World turning
Everybody’s got me down

Maybe I’m wrong but who’s to say what’s right
I need somebody to help me thru the night

Sopranos, Season 5, Episode 4, "All Happy Families"

Another solid episode.

Best line (of those I can remember):

"What's different about you?"
Tony upon seeing AJ with his eyebrows missing, permanent marker still on his forehead despite obvious scrubbing, and a big pink spot on his cheek. 

(Loved seeing AJ with his face superglued to the floor.)

AJ's reaction to Tony's ultimatum about the car was fantastic.
A superb job is being done by Edie Falco and James Gandolfini as Tony and Carmela try to negotiate being parents while separated while going through their own emotional struggles.

Dr. Melfi's reading Tony's letter was very amusing with her correcting his spelling and grammar every third word or so. 

Carmella's little snipe at Tony that his friends just laugh at his jokes because they're afraid of him seemed to hit a nerve.

David Lee Roth looked like death warmed over (but he has for some time).
My spouse enjoyed seeing Lawrence Taylor, former NFL linebacker in the first poker scene, more though.

Also, the Johnny Sack-Little Carmine feud took another step forward this week, I can't wait for that to play itself out.

The Feech story seemed to end a little abruptly and I wonder if it's really ended. It was brilliant the way they set him up, though. They dropped the bait and Feech's own greed led him right into the trap.

And what about next week? Christopher is whacking somebody and the teaser was edited to make it look like it might be Ade, but  I really doubt he would whack her in that fashion..
Speaking of Ade, I wonder what the deal was with that conversation she had with Silvio?

Still not enough screen time for Steve Buscemi...
They need to do something with the Tony B. character instead of just paying Buscemi to sit around doing nothing. The guy can light up dialog, if they'll give him something interesting to say. Right now, he just looks bored with the gig.

 

Word: Vulpine

The Merriam-Webster Word of the Day for Mar 30 is:
vulpine \VUL-pyne\ adjective
HEAR IT

1 : of, relating to, or resembling a fox
*2 : foxy, crafty

Example sentence:
The stranger's vulpine smile revealed his cunning mind and greedy heart, and Hazel knew instantly that she shouldn't trust him.

Did you know?

In Walden (1854), Henry David Thoreau described foxes crying out "raggedly and demoniacally" as they hunted through the winter forest, and he wrote, "Sometimes one came near to my window, attracted by my light, barked a vulpine curse at me, and then retreated." Thoreau's was far from the first use of "vulpine"; English writers have been applying that adjective to the foxlike or crafty since the 15th century. Its Latin parent is the adjective "vulpinus," which itself comes from the noun "vulpes," meaning "fox."

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence

My sentence:
Women are sometimes stereotyped as having vulpine and manipulative personalities.

Empty Docks

03.26.04
By my youngest son
He liked the composition of the empty boat docks between the Shedd Aquarium and Adler Plantarium on Lake Michigan.

I :Heart: The Sun (Personal)

I'm really busy with off-line life, atm. We had a kickass great sunny/windy day today. I rode my (zinc yellow, not red) pony car  with her top down , to McHenry County (near Wisconsin's border with Illinois--sort-of) to visit my friend and get to my hair cut. Actually, driving from here to there and back (again)--then around some more--I can  honestly say I worked on a little patch of "tan"' on my arm. I :heart: the sun--as we all should (in a sun-block and hat wearin' kind of way). I've not had much on-line time of late, because of the Comcast cable connection plus the "D-Link" router and our two XP'd Dell computers not playing nicely together. This meant dealing with much funkiness from both desktops, plus off-line commitments--fun, work, & generic stuff-'ya-hafta-do, and it's given me time to ponder. (Don't worry, I didn't "think too much," as I'm a woman and that might lead to depression .) Anyway, I'm thinking that the Internet can be quite a candy store and having our fix unavailable...was an interesting period--definate up & downsides. I haven't been in writing mode--so I'm going to post some pics instead--a Pic of the Day will go up...I have a couple of nice ones to share.

Lake Michigan View of Chicago Skyline from Adler Planetarium

03.26.04
Lake Michigan (Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum, and Adler Planetarium's) Campus View of Chicago Skyline

A cold front moves into a half-way decent day--bringing fog on the day we had prepaid admission to to the the Hancock Tower.
(Pic has been manipulated using Jasc "sunburst" & "clarify" to compensate for a not great Canon Powershot A20 2.1 pixel camera/not great weather--steel grey day--grey bldgs. Meh, weather.)

Chicago holds it's own with any great American city. I can't believe though that I've lived here almost twenty years--longest by far that I've resided in any one part of North America. That's what having kids will do--and being a single parent--keeps you rooted to the Midwest (though if ones drives swiftly, one can get from my home to Lake Michigan in 35 minutes). It's cool though, as we have the city. The Great Windy (as in a long-winded politician) City of Chicago, known simply to most everyone as the city.

Pic features a bunch of famous bldgs. including the John Hancock and the Standard Oil, but my fave is the one in the lower left corner--the diamond-shaped roof one. Don't know what it's called. I think it may have been the Aon Bldg. before 9/11/01--but they may have changed things since. It's very cool in person--all of it shimmering in the sunlight (on those few days a year we have sunlight.) :/

Disconnection (Personal)

Busy weekend.
Between our big day in the city and hawking candy bars in front of the Jewel/Osco, I can't really begin to describe it all. Fun--lots of quality time with my kid and interactivity with people in real time. Before a big wind with rain driving it blew in, we even managed a little top-down driving.
My server is down right now, has been for a while--gives me a chance to either read the Sunday paper or one of many books that have been collecting dust while I've whiled away the hours by the glow of the monitor.
Edit: Wasn't the server--was the router for the network. A nice Canadian man working out of Alberta, Canada helped me with it. Internet-free for 18 hours, yea ha!

I had a thought today.
My parents are just now hooked into a primitive form of Internet connectivity (56K modem dial-up).
Before this week past, they couldn't really relate to tales of the Internet with their ancient second-hand donation from my brother. Other than my Dad using email, the World Wide Web was essentially a foreign experience for them
I imagine they must have felt somewhat like I do of late.

I used to feel a bit disconnected and even a bit envious of people who owned laptop computers, but with the advent of many kinds of hand-held devices, wi-fi, and so on, I feel completely out of the loop. Instead of thinking how handy it would be to blog in bed like I might with a lap-top, I think dang, isn't there enough crap out there already keeping us connected all the time? .
A major trait these little gadgets share with the old fashioned behemoth PC's--and this concept isn't new--think cell phones, text messaging et al, is to disconnect the wireless person from the existence he is in at that moment.

People who are infatuated with their devices seem oblivious that the majority of us have no idea WTF they are talking about. As we desk or lap top Internet users get lulled into thinking "everyone" has (or even wants) web access, the gadgeteers talk as if everyone is geared up with an I-pod, Palm Pilot, and cellphone tricked out with a camera.

What did one do before these devices sucked up precious minutes of our days? Did we read, think, daydream? Heaven forbid, did we interact in real time with other flesh and blood human beings?

Gadgetry.
Who's got the newest-most-powerful-best-trendiest thingamabob and what cool things can it do?

Talk of new toys--it's all jargon--signifying nothing to me.
Your lovely hand-held device is no more than metal and circuitry and plastic. It's an object, a thing.
I "love" what my computer can do for me but I really don't get my cookies off by discussing it's relative merits all the time, because doing that moves me further away from "real life."

Artes Mundi (Arts of the World) Prize

Dust artist wins first Artes Mundi

Xu Bing used Ground Zero dust to make his installation

A man whose artwork is made from dust collected near Ground Zero in New York has become the first winner of a £40,000 award for visual artists.
Xu Bing clinched the Artes Mundi (Arts of the World) Prize for the specially-commissioned piece.
He was one of 10 finalists for the award, which aims to establish Wales as a pioneer in the support of the arts.

Bing, who is from China but now lives and works in America, was presented with the award on Sunday evening.

Collage of Xu Bing's 'Where does the dust collect itself'

SHORTLISTED ARTISTS
Janine Antoni, New York
Lee Bul, Seoul
Tim Davies, Swansea
Jacqueline Fraser, New Zealand
Jun Nguyen-Hatsushiba, Vietnam
Michal Rovner, New York & Israel
Berni Searle, Cape Town
Fiona Tan, Netherlands
Kara Walker, New York
Xu Bing, New York

His installation, "Where does the dust collect itself?" was especially made for the Artes Mundi Prize contest.
He covered the museum's floor with the dust he had collected from the 11 September 2001 terror attacks in New York.
The surface of the settled dust was then punctuated by the Chinese verse, "As there is nothing from the first, where does the dust collect itself?"

Bing, who was born in 1955, is described as a print-maker and installation artist with a particular interest in how linguistic nuances can affect cultural differences.

He has exhibited at the Venice Biennale of 1993, the Yokohama Triennale of 2002, and has also shown at the V&A, at the Smithsonian Institute, and in Spain, Japan, Australia and South Africa.

Wales' First Minister, Rhodri Morgan, presented Bing with the award at the National Museum & Gallery in Cardiff, where all 10 contestants' pieces are on display.
More than 350 artists from more than 60 countries entered the competition.

The selectors for the winner were: Lisa Corrin, Deputy Director of Art, Seattle Art Museum; Marlene Dumas, an artist based in the Netherlands; Okwui Enwezor (Chair of the Jury), publisher and editor of Nka Journal of Contemporary African Art; and Michael Tooby, Director of the National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff.
------------------------------------------------------
This gave me food for thought--thoughts about Wales and New York as well as China.
My predominant feeling is we are all in this thing called life together.
Sharing Art is one way to celebrate that.

Adler Planetarium Older Exhibit (Pers. Photo)

We had a fantastical time in the city on Friday. It went off almost without a hitch from beginning to end.
I'll probably tell most of the tale in photos.

Word: Torrid

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day
torrid \TOR-id\ adjective

1: parched with heat especially of the sun : hot
*2 : ardent, passionate

Example sentence:
As she cleaned out the attic, Monica was shocked to find a box filled with torrid love letters that her grandfather had written to her grandmother.

Did you know?

"Torrid" derives from the Latin verb "torrēre," which means "to burn" or "to parch" and is an ancestor of our word "toast." Despite the dry implications of this root, it is also an ancestor of "torrent," which can refer to a violent stream of liquid (as in "a torrent of rain"). "Torrid" first appeared in English in the 16th century, and was originally used to describe something burned or scorched by exposure to the sun. The term "torrid zone" later came about to refer to tropical regions of the Earth. By the end of that century the word had taken on the extended meaning that we know today — suggesting fiery passion.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

My sentence:
The film Hidalgo includes a torrid trek across Arabian desert, challenging the survival of a horse and its rider.

Saturday 4:27 a.m. (From A Mustang GT series)

I've been having a devil of a time trying to get my Canon camera software (software driver?) to work cooperatively with the Jasc software that I finally knuckled down and bought (Amazon.com $30 rebate) after using the very good trial Jasc photography software for 60 days (for free! :)))
I should have uninstalled the expired trial ware first--but I was having trouble with my camera software--had many pics from today's Chicago outing to download to my computer and none would.
Tonight/this morning has been a period of extended and unwelcome non-productivity, though I did have a sort of breakthrough awhile ago.
I can use the Jasc Photo organizer to DL my 100 (there had been many more, but I went on pre-download deleting spree) or so new photos from the camera (all three of us took many pictures in the city today).

So here's the first decent result taken from the Mustang at about 65 mph (traffic was moving a bit slowly ;) on the Kennedy Expressway on the way into the city today.

From A Mustang GT
03.26.04
This is a very strategic and high visibility "billboard" situated near the city limits but it's not a true billboard--it's a building (buildings?) It usually features a famous local athlete (Michael Jordan was on there for years on and off, I think selling Nike). It's repainted fairly often (every two months?), so it's cool to see what's/who's up there currently.
Since I have no editing software that is operational atm, I can honestly say that no editing has been done to the photo.

Happy Friday (Personal)

I'm very excited.
My little family is heading to the big city today to experience the Shedd Aquarium (fish) and the Adler Planetarium (stars).
Weather is iffy with it starting out reasonable (60's) then plunging in the the 40's by the time we'll be getting ready to come home.
Gotta love Chicago and since we'll be right on Lake Michigan, the lake effect too.
Happy Friday to all!

--Cyn

WHO'S GOING TO GET FAT ON THE OBESITY BUDGET?

C Susie Orbach 2004

This discovery of a new pill to treat obesity and smoking looks like a
godsend to a government groaning under the weight of the obesity
epidemic. By mucking about with the brain receptors that give cannabis
smokers the munchies, the appetite and desire of those who eat and smoke
too much is meant to be curbed.

Perfect, right? Far from it. Rimonabant, the newest in a long list of
drugs trailed by the pharmaceutical companies that are supposed to deal
with the obesity have been found to be ineffective in all respects
except for transferring NHS monies to the ledgers of the pharmaceutical
companies.

It's not only the NHS that's been out of pocket. Millions are spent by
individuals seeking 'cures' for adiposity. In the States, the figures
from 1990 were a $60 billion spend on diet and diet related products.
That rivals the combined health, welfare and social security budget for
the same period. And the extraordinary thing about this vast amount of
money going to the diet industry is that many individuals who are far
from obese, have come to believe that they must constantly diet.

It isn't that we don't have a serious obesity epidemic. We do. And the government is absolutely right to be concerned.

The launch of a consultation exercise is welcome. Obesity can be a killer as well as a source of anguish and pain to the individuals who are caught inside of it. Working out the ways to deal with those who are currently obese and how to prevent future obesity is crucial.

But we also need some caution. Obesity is a political category with some
intriguing players. We demonise overweight so automatically that we, the
public, the researchers, the government, the eating disorders industry,
the food standards agency, the food activists don't question our
responses to it. Obesity researchers have become adept at writing
abstracts for their papers which draw highly questionable conclusions
about the negative health consequences of overweight which are not
supported by the data in the paper itself. Studies that show no
difference between the health risks of overweight and normal weight
populations are consistently ignored or under reported.

Consider the curious fact that in part, the growth of obesity is has to do with a recent reclassification of the size at which we are deemed fat. The body mass index (BMI) has been revised downwards. Overnight, 39 million Americans - plumpish but not at risk - woke up to find themselves defined as overweight.

Paul Campos, author of the forthcoming The Obesity Myth points out that the new BMI puts Brad Pitt and Mel Gibson as "overweight," while Russell Crowe and George Clooney are now obese.

Who profits by this panic about obesity? Let's be sure that those
invited to solve the problem are not part of creating the problem in the
first place. A population defined as overweight when they are not,
becomes distrustful of its own eating and vulnerable to industries which
profit from their distress.

Take the diet industry for one. It thrives on two notions: first that we could all lose a little weight and second, that all diets fail.

Word: Indissoluble

The Word of the Day for Mar 25 is:
indissoluble \in-dih-SAHL-yuh-bul\ adjective

: not dissoluble; especially : incapable of being annulled, undone, or broken : permanent

Example sentence:
The contract should have been indissoluble, but the lawyers discovered an obscure clause that made it not so.

Did you know?

"Indissoluble" is a legacy of Latin. The Latin adjective "dissolubilis" gave us "dissoluble" (both meaning "capable of being dissolved"), which first appeared in print in 1534, followed rapidly by the addition of "in-" to make its antonym in 1542. "Dissolubilis" derives from "dissolvere" ("to loosen" or "to dissolve"), which in turn comes from "dis-" ("apart") and "solvere" ("to loosen"). Not surprisingly, "dissolvere" is also the source of "dissolve" and "dissolvable," among other words. Is there an "indissolvable"? Yes and no. It exists, but it is archaic and exceedingly rare. The word most likely to be used for things that cannot be dissolved in a liquid is "insoluble." "Indissoluble" generally refers to abstract entities, such as promises or treaties, that cannot be dissolved.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

My sentence:
Because of their shared war experiences, the bonds between the veterans were indissoluble.

"I Failed You"

QUOTATION OF THE DAY (from NYTimes online)

"Your government failed you. Those entrusted with protecting you failed you. And I failed you."
RICHARD A. CLARKE, former counterterrorism chief.

A rarity. A politician who admits he failed.

Burned Out

I am burning myself out from lack of sleep.
Basically the only time that it's quiet enough around here for me to think is after everyone has gone to sleep for the night ('cept my oldest, who burns the way-past-midnite oil, too--though in his enclave in the finished basement).
Like right this moment, I'm trying to compose this and the dog--a 12 pound yapping machine--is barking her head off at the mail dude.
I also have three almost-12 y.o.'s who are allegedly working on a 3-dimensional diorama on a Arctic zoo habitat.
What a silly bunch. Now they are driving the dog crazy--she's still yapping.
So... I mostly do all my computer stuff at night--work stuff, my web site (the photographic stuff--I get lost in that for hours--I think it's my equivalent of what gamers do), reading and commenting on other people's blogs, as well as at a fledgling web site.
I should quit bitching and just go to bed, but the sense of responsibility drives me. I guess I could analyze the whys of that too, but essentially once I start something, I like to see it through and most of the stuff I mentioned is open-ended, i.e. never ending.
:sigh:

What is Your Heart REALLY Made Of?

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What is Your Heart REALLY Made of?

Five Planets Align

http://www.nature.com/nsu/040322/040322-3.html#
Hover and click to see the full view.

This is just the coolest thing. I can't wait to get out to the country away from the lights, and kick back and stare at the heavens. We've got 70 degree weather on the way, too. Yee-ha!

Planetary parade for sky watchers By MARCIA DUNN, AP Aerospace Writer CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Five planets are arrayed across the evening sky in a spectacular night show that won't be back for another three decades.

For the next two weeks, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn — the five closest planets — should be easily visible at dusk, along with the moon.

"It's semi-unique," said Myles Standish, an astronomer at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "They're all on the same side of the sun and stretched across the sky and that's what is kind of pretty."

Standish missed Monday evening's opportunity, but said Tuesday that he will gaze up when he walks his dog this week and next. He expects mountains and bright city lights to hamper his view, however.

The planetary lineup will be visible to the naked eye every night for an hour after sunset through early April. At the end of the year, the same five planets will reunite for a few weeks, but in the pre-dawn hours.

Standish said this particular planetary grouping may offer the best nighttime views until 2036.

The orbits of the five planets take them to the same side of the sun every few years or so. The conditions have to be just right for all five planets to be clearly visible at dusk or dawn; Mercury is often tough to catch. Even rarer are so-called alignments, where the planets are clustered together in the sky; this is not one of those.

Stargazers should look to the western horizon just after sunset. Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn will be lined up in the sky with Jupiter close to the eastern horizon. They will span about 135 degrees. Saturn will be almost directly overhead.

Three Wishes (Joke)

From the BBC Newsmail:

A woman was walking along the beach when she stumbled upon a bottle. She picked it up and rubbed it, and, lo and behold, a genie appeared!

The amazed woman asked if she got three wishes.

The genie said, "I'm sorry, three-wish genies are a storybook myth. I'm a one-wish genie. So... what'll it be?"

The woman did not hesitate. She said, "I want peace in the Middle East. See this map? I want these countries to stop fighting with each other and I want all the Arabs to love the Jews and Americans and vice-versa.?

The genie looked at the map and exclaimed, "Lady, be reasonable. These countries have been at war for thousands of years. I'm good, but not that good. I don't think it can be done. Make another wish and please be reasonable".

The woman thought for a minute and said, "Well, I've never been able to find the right man. You know, one who's considerate and fun, likes to cook and help around the house, is a great lover, is faithful, gets along with my family and doesn't watch sport all the time. Surely that's simple enough?"

The genie let out a sigh and finally said "Let me see that map again".

Word: Besot

besot \bih-SAHT\ verb

*1 : infatuate
2 : to make dull or stupid; especially : to muddle with drunkenness

Example sentence:
"The views besot me.... Fields of hay, wheat, and sunflowers, olive groves, and patches of forest spread out in every direction." (David Leavitt, Travel & Leisure, May 2000)

Did you know?
"Besot" developed from a combination of the prefix "be-" ("to cause to be") and "sot," a now archaic verb meaning "to cause to appear foolish or stupid." "Sot" in turn comes from the Middle English "sott," a noun meaning "fool." The first known use of "besot" is found in a poem by George Turberville, published in 1567. In the poem the narrator describes how he gazed at a beautiful stranger "till use of sense was fled." He then proceeds to compare himself to Aegisthus of Greek legend, the lover of Clytemnestra while Agamemnon was away at war, writing: "What forced the Fool to love / his beastly idle life / was cause that he besotted was / of Agamemnon's Wife."

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

My sentence:
James' infatuation with libation was rather besotting.

No Poetry, Passion, or Poignant Sentiment

The writer of this opinion piece draws parallels between memorializing a catastrophic event in London almost 350 years ago and what's being/been done thus far in regard to the events of September 11, 2001.
He presents an interesting, albeit possibly controversial viewpoint. (It's been my experience that Americans see themselves as unique in every way and wouldn't take kindly to NYC being compared to London. I hope readers pay attention to the last three lines of this piece--I believe it nicely highlights the writer's point.)

After Disaster, a Design for Living

By ADRIAN TINNISWOOD
NYTimes Editorials/Op-Ed
Published: March 23, 2004

BATH, England

No poetry, no passion, no poignant sentiment about reflecting absence. Just "the Monument," like The Times of London is just "The Times." As a tourist, you might have passed it by, hardly noticing, the last time you were there: a tall Doric column crowned with a gilt-bronze urn at the head of London Bridge, a few hundred yards from the Tower. It has stood for more than 300 years, reminding the curious that in 1666 one of the greatest cities in the Western world was utterly destroyed.

Our need to commemorate catastrophe runs deep. The Great Fire of London broke out early on the morning of Sunday, Sept. 2, 1666, in a bakery on Pudding Lane. Fanned by high winds and a sluggish response, the flames spread quickly through the city until night turned into day and the streets ran bright with molten lead. When the gales finally died down three days later, most of London was homeless and huddled in fields outside the city walls. Around 436 acres had burned; 13,000 houses had been destroyed; nearly $18 million had been lost at a time when that amount represented around 800 times the City of London's total annual income.

Most everyone said it was a terrorist attack: London had been firebombed by the Dutch, French Catholics, Quaker insurgents. Quakers? Everyone was wrong, although that didn't stop foreigners from being kicked in the street. It didn't stop the authorities from putting up another memorial on the site of the Pudding Lane bakery, a simple stone plaque that declared, "Here by the permission of heaven hell broke loose upon this Protestant city from the malicious hearts of barbarous Papists." It didn't prevent the prigs from moralizing or England's enemies from dancing in the streets.

On Sept. 11, 1666, Christopher Wren presented King Charles II with his vision of London. Others followed hot on his heels, until it seemed that every educated gentleman in England had his own plan for the capital. Some were pathetically simple: checkerboard grids stamped out on the old site with no feeling for tradition or topography. Others were inspired. Wren's design was magnificent, offering Londoners an array of wide avenues and axial vistas, with a new financial district, residential plazas and a Thames-side development that rivaled anything in Europe.

But none of these grand plans took any account of what ordinary Londoners wanted. So ordinary Londoners took matters into their own hands. Let the authorities argue over the big public buildings. Let the Church of England argue over which churches should be replaced, and which should be left in ruins. With no insurance, no compensation, no government help, people buckled down and rebuilt their homes and shops. They made London rise like a phoenix from the ashes. The big memorials like St. Paul's Cathedral and the City of London churches took 50 more years.

And the monument by the bridge? It came about because Parliament's post-fire legislation mandated that a column or pillar of brass or stone be put up on or near the site of the Pudding Lane bakery — "the better to preserve the memory of this dreadful visitation." In the 17th century, that was all you needed in the way of a mission statement. The memorial column, 202 feet high and 202 feet west of the site of the bakery, was just that — a memorial, not a substitute for living.

In 2004 we have this weird conviction that because the World Trade Center was such a magnificent landmark, whatever replaces it must be bigger, better, more spectacular — otherwise the terrorists will have won. And maybe we should see a dreadful visitation like 9/11 as an architectural opportunity. The architects and surveyors charged with the task of rebuilding London after the fire felt much the same.

But in 1666 ordinary traders and merchants and craftsmen just wanted to get on with the everyday business of living. They ignored the planners and visionaries. Of course there's a place for grandiose memorials; but let's not forget that in the aftermath of catastrophe there is also room for the commonplace. The real monument to the Great Fire of London is not a column with a flaming urn on top. It is London itself. In 300 years, I hope that New York, in talking of 9/11, will be able to say the same.

Adrian Tinniswood is the author of "By Permission of Heaven: The True Story of the Great Fire of London" and "His Invention So Fertile: A Life of Christopher Wren."

Sopranos ~ Season 5, Episode 3, "Where's Johnny?"

TV Guide synopsis:
The Sopranos
Where's Johnny?
60 mins.   

Uncle Junior takes an unsupervised tour of his old neighborhood; a turf war erupts when Feech La Manna (Robert Loggia) looks for a cut of a local lawnmowing enterprise; Johnny Sack expresses his disdain for Tony's latest solution to a power problem; Artie gets a new place to live. Bobby: Steven R. Schirripa. Artie: John Ventimiglia.

Cast: Dominic Chianese, Edie Falco, James Gandolfini, Jamie-Lynn DiScala, Lorraine Bracco, Michael Imperioli, Robert Iler, Steven Van Zandt, Tony Sirico, Steve Buscemi, Robert Loggia, Patti D'Arbanville, Frank Vincent, Steven R. Schirripa, Aida Turturro, Drea de Matteo

Director: John Patterson

---------------------------------------------
Highlights:

--Paulie with the shovel was hilarious, as was him taking the mower.

--Uncle Junior mistaking Larry David for himself on the television.

--The fight betweem Tony and Janice with poor Artie getting smacked in the eye.

--Tony B. pulling Feece off the hapless landscaping guy while muttering, "Hey! That's enough now. We're still on parole, for chrissakes." Classic Steve Buscemi. Loved it, though I would have liked to have seen more Buscemi.

--The scene at the end  with Tony S. when Uncle Junior's lip started trembling was perfect. Dominic Chianese did an all-round excellent job with his character in this ep.

Random Thoughts:

Feech is a loose cannon, if not a total nut-job. He needs to be reigned in--now.

Tony's plaintive question to Uncle Junior at the end was very sad and him reaching out to Artie was touching as well.
He may be thinking that he is feared more than loved; no doubt he is very lonely, atm.

This may have been the first episode that did not have Carmela in it. Odd. AJ and Meadow also have barely been on the show at all this year.

Word: Chirography

The Word of the Day for Mar 23 is:
chirography \kye-RAH-gruh-fee\ noun
HEAR IT

*1: handwriting, penmanship
2: calligraphy


Example sentence:
As she leafed through her father's old book, Sheila noted that its margins were filled with annotations made in his distinct chirography.

Did you know?

Some might argue that handwriting is a dying art in this age of electronic communication. Nevertheless, we have a fancy word for it. The root "graph" means "writing" and appears in many common English words such as "autograph" and "graphite." The lesser-known root "chir," or "chiro-," comes from a Greek word meaning "hand" and occurs in words such as "chiromancy" (the art of palm reading) and "enchiridion" (a handbook or manual), as well as "chiropractic." "Chirography" first appeared in English in the 17th century and probably derived from "chirograph," a now rare word referring to a legal document or indenture. "Chirography" should not be confused with "choreography," which refers to the composition and arrangement of dances.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

My sentence: In grammar school, my chirography was so bad that often my assignments were returned to me with the word "sloppy" scrawled in red ink across the top.

Durty Nellie's

Not every day is good for most of us--mine--well I was cranky, then tonight I went to singing and afterward stopped in at the open stage and it was really good--the two bands that I saw were decent and most people seemed friendly (still too much cigarette smoke--). I don't finish singing until past 10 p.m. so Durty Nellie's open mike night is in full swing by the time I get there (it's quite literally 2 minutes from singing lessons--on the route home--which is 10 minutes at most, beyond that). I spent 5 part-time years while in college (I got a late start, so I did my Bachelor's and Master's degrees back to back) as a cocktail waitress at this very Cheers-like pub/music joint, so I feel comfortable around musicians and their "followers."

I was in my twenties and single (divorced) when I was a Nellie's fixture, so I met lots of people. Never dated customers though--just ahem, performers. We had live comedy, music, even magicians. It was as I've said, the "funnest" place I've ever worked. And I don't really drink--I'd rather if I'm doing anything, partake of some of this: --so it was good for me with no temptation to really drink more than my one free shift drink at the end of the night.

It's funny 'cos music class tonite was quite intense--our instructor was pushing us as we have only have about 7 weeks left to be stage-worthy. Anyway--my voice was a bit tired and shouting in a bar--trying to explain that I just came from singing-- I'm only there to listen/watch open mike, not get on the list to do open mike--it was different.

Just FYI, I called my spouse 2 times--once to tell him I was making a quick stop at Durty Nellie's, and another to say I'd be an additional 30 minutes. Open stage/mike is free--last week I stayed for two songs--this week a few more--but I'm mostly there to check out the music and socialize a little because since the heart thing I haven't really lived a "normal" life--socially anyway. Another motivation is to get more writing or photography material. My life is boring--but you knew that--and this gives me more to write about. My spouse was waiting up (though in bed) when I got home at 11:30. Everything is cool so far.

Word: Sesquipedalian

The Merriam-Webster Word of the Day for Mar 22 is:
sesquipedalian \ses-kwuh-puh-DAIL-yun\ adjective

1 : having many syllables : long
*2 : using long words

Example sentence:
While the writer's sesquipedalian style can be irksome at times, his novels usually have interesting plots and good character development.

Did you know?

Horace, the Roman poet known for his satire, was merely being gently ironic when he cautioned young poets against using "sesquipedalia verba" — "words a foot and a half long" — in his book Ars poetica, a collection of maxims about writing. But in the 17th century, English literary critics decided the word "sesquipedalian" could be very useful for lambasting writers using unnecessarily long words. Robert Southey used it to make two jibes at once when he wrote "the verses of [16th-century English poet] Stephen Hawes are as full of barbarous sesquipedalian Latinisms, as the prose of [the 18th-century periodical] the Rambler." The Latin prefix "sesqui-" is used in modern English to mean "one and a half times," as in "sesquicentennial" (a 150th anniversary).

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

My sentence:
Ironically, "sesquipedalian" is itself an example of a sesquipedalian word.

Navy Pier Flower & Garden Show 2004

Annual Chicago Garden & Flower Show at Navy Pier ~ 03.21.04
Original Fruit Table and Flower photos by Chris (age 11)
Photographic manipulation by Cyn

Original flower">

"Woodcut" flower

Original Fruit Table

Posterize Effect

A Hysterical Outbreak Of Puritanism

Après Janet, a Deluge
FRANK RICH
Published: March 21, 2004

If we lived in Afghanistan under the Taliban, perhaps it might make sense that Janet Jackson's breast (not even the matched set!) would lead to one of the most hysterical outbreaks of Puritanism in recent, even not-so-recent, American history. So what gives?

In the seven weeks since Super Bowl Sunday, the radio jock Howard Stern, under fire for the same old salacious shtick he's mined for more than two decades, has taken on the free-speech martyrdom mantle of Lenny Bruce. Sandra Tsing Loh, a longtime commentator on the public radio station KCRW-FM in Los Angeles, has been fired because her engineer failed to bleep an expletive in a prerecorded commentary. Congress has concocted a Clean Airways Act that is itself a self-parodying bureaucratic concordance of foul language, complete with references to "hyphenated compounds" and "infinitive forms." (Google "H.R. 3687," and you'll find the scatological mother lode, rounded up at taxpayers' expense.)

Can a crackdown at Nickelodeon be far behind? Actually, it's already here.
That kiddies' network is imposing a video delay on "U-Pick Live," its interactive answer to "Romper Room," lest any of the boys and girls let loose with one of George Carlin's seven words you're not allowed to say on television.
Not all of this can be pinned on Ms. Jackson's nipple ring. This story dates back to 9/11, or, more specifically, to two weeks after, when the White House spokesman, Ari Fleischer, condemned a historically astute Bill Maher wisecrack about America's "cowardly" pre-9/11 pursuit of Al Qaeda. Mr. Fleischer warned Americans that they should "watch what they say," and some Americans took heed. Mr. Maher's "Politically Incorrect" was dropped by a few network affiliates and advertisers and then canceled by ABC.

(snip) The media giants, fearful of losing the deregulatory financial favors the federal government can bestow, will knuckle under accordingly until the coast is clear.

Mr. Carlin, whose own famous indecency case began on WBAI in 1973 (and reached the Supreme Court five years later), has seen it all before. "It's driven by the political calendar," he says. "They can say we're doing the Christian thing, we're using our power to go after the bad guys. But they don't do that for long periods of time and only do it when it's in their political interests."

The strange history of Bono and the Golden Globes is a case in point. It was 14 months ago that the front man for U2 inadvertently used a contraband seven-letter word as a modifier preceding the word brilliant in expressing his joy upon winning a best song award for the film "The Gangs of New York." The F.C.C. received only 234 complaints nationwide and ultimately ruled that Bono's word, free of carnal innuendo, was not actionable. But that was in 2003. In 2004 the Bush-chosen F.C.C. chief, Michael Powell, having failed to achieve much else in his job, has reopened the case to reverse the original verdict.
When I reached Bono by phone in Dublin last week to talk about this, he was good-natured as always, yet understandably baffled.

"I guess I don't speak American, but I thought I did," he said. "There are some obscenities in our culture, and this is nowhere near the top of the list. I never meant to be offensive. That language was genuine exuberance. It was a great moment for our band. If you're Irish, you love language, and if you do, you're going to fall on the occasional expletive; it's the percussive side of language. For me, it is preposterous to have good, conservative people whom I like and respect taking on an expletive while the right to pack heavy ammo goes by. It says something eloquent, if not pretty, about where we are."

QUOTATION OF THE DAY

(from the New York Times)

"I think it is ingrained in the American psyche that the worth of medical care is directly related to how aggressive it is."
~DR. DAVID HILLIS, a cardiologist, on the increasing use of artery-opening devices.

Context from prior personal posts:

Chasing Sheep
Cardiomyopathy

Memories (Exposure)

I love shooting photographs. It could be genetic. My mom was the family photographer of our little brood. She seemed to get the camera out at the most inopportune times. As I got older I resented it more--having to stop and "pose" and hear her say "let me see your teeth" (what am I, a dog?) In most of the pics taken while I was an older teenager, I do in fact look like a dog baring it's teeth. Even so, I enjoyed photography enough that I took a class in high school--one of those senior year have-fun-while-you-bide-your-time getting into the mediocre university that wasn't your choice, but was the only place other than community college that would take you based on your "stellar" grades. At university I minored in Speech Communication and that happened to include learning video techniques--so I have a bit of formal training, but most of I what I've learned is from observing other's techniques and end results. Like lots of people, the digital camera "revolution" has stoked my interest in picture-taking to a level of unplanned intensity. Pairing the digital camera with the computer is a heady mix. After the initial investment in the camera, rechargeable batteries, and a memory card for the camera (to be used instead of film), photography becomes a virtually free endeavor. And it instantly gratifies as one can simply "plug it in" to the computer and download and see ones photographs. So. I find myself thinking of my mom and all the times she insisted on us posing for the camera and I realize now that I'm glad she did. All the memories preserved with chemicals and paper. And here I am snapping away, annoying my children, enjoying and sharing my passion. With any luck, someday someone will look at my work and have a memory evoked, feelings stirred.

Nude Portrait of Terry Jones

A nude painting of Monty Python star Terry Jones is one of several works to be unveiled in the Royal Society of Portrait Painters annual exhibition.
Heidi Harrington's portrayal of the comedian will be shown with paintings of Olympic rower Matthew Pinsent and astronomer Sir Patrick Moore.
(snip)
The exhibition will run from 29 April to 16 May at London's Mall Galleries. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/3550953.stm

I love nude portraiture, whether in painting or photography. There's something about nakedness that brings to light the essence of an individual which is often cloaked behind garments.
I commend Terry Jones for posing for this portrait, as well as the artist, Heidi Harrington for her lovely work.

Word: Rapscallion

The Word of the Day for Mar 19 is:  rapscallion \rap-SKAL-yun\ noun : rascal, ne'er-do-well  

Example sentence: "The film ["Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl"] stars Johnny Depp as the sauntering, dark-eyed rapscallion Capt. Jack Sparrow...." (Anthony Breznican, The Associated Press, July 9, 2003) Did you know? The word "rascal" has been part of English since the 15th century, but on its own it apparently didn't quite capture the roguish nature of the wily knaves of yore. By the 17th century, English speakers had modified "rascal" to create "rascallion." But it seems that even that term didn't sound quite mischievous enough. By the century's end, "rascallion" had been further altered to create "rapscallion." Today, "rapscallion" is still commonly used as a synonym for "blackguard," "scoundrel," and "miscreant." "Rascallion" is still around as well, but it's very rare. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. My sentence: Marge's strong affinity for rapscallions often resulted in wild adventures.

Stupid Angry Canajun's Big Six

The Big Six

I'm dedicating this to a friend of mine acquaintance irksome mosquito-like blog-stalker.

Some days, Life confuses me for a martini. I end up shaken, not stirred. Today is one of those days. So much material, so little motivation (yawn), so few brain cells with active synapses. But enough about me. What are the absolute essentials to reaching the heights of blog fame? Naturally you look to a stupid angry canajun to solve this burning question:

1. Emphasize that you're a moron. There are so many ways to do this. Don't limit yourself to multiple fonts of hideous colours on garish backgrounds.

I take great pride in being considered a moron. It's a talent that I come by naturally. That, and cutting and pasting.

2. Apologize profusely if you miss posting for an entire hour. Oh my gord. The blogworld barely existed while you were gone. What were you thinking? Apologies don't feed the bulldog, mister.

Eh, feck it. There's a really great blog over at Live Dead Journals elsewhere. Go read it.

3. Post every scary email you receive because gord knows no one would send an urban legend to the one who runs the blogworld.

I haven't really received any scary email, but I'm sure I will now. And I'll be sure to post it.

4. RaNdom caPitaliZation is the key to issuing coded messages to the Mothership. Communication is vital in these end times.

Guilty, but only because I can't tty[pe to save my skin.

5. Tell us you're giving up blogging. Tell us regularly. Oh my gord. The blogworld won't function if you quit.

Okay, so I was feeling really frustrated with a stalker-type and I may have once or twice expressed my ahem, discouragement. But I'm all over that now. Really.

6. Wax vitriolic about any blogger who is older/younger/more educated/less educated/richer/poorer/taller/shorter/uglier than you. Don't waSte keYstroKes commenting on the concepts. Cut straight to the heart of the matter – the very things that define blogging.

Vitriolic is a kind of strong word...okay so I've complained about this psycho-stalker person, who still thinks that everything I write is about "it" when in fact, I am only right now referring to it. No, I'm not. That would be vitriolic.

The Most Boring Post Ever (So Far)

My day has been busy.
I just feel as if I'll never catch up.

The weather is gray and rainy and seriously, I cannot take it anymore.
I'm all out of artificial cheeriness (in re: the weather).

I don't really feel positive so I'll rhyme off some nice things that have happened in the past couple of days.

Singing is going well. I obtained a practice CD of all the music that we'll be performing in May. These are just sectionals for the second altos--my parts. Boy, was that soprano across from me screwing me up! He-he. Excuses. She's got a pretty voice, but what a belter and I'm at the end of the row/beginning of hers--so we are but feet apart
Now a bass has been placed next to me--with her beyond him--well within my hearing. I really need to study the CD.

After class I stopped by the weekly open stage near where I take lessons. I stayed just for a couple songs--after that, the smoke gets to me. (Please Illinois, pass an ordinance with no cigarette smoking in public buildings. I hold off on my splift smoking until no one is around--smokers can do the same--at least they can go outside and not get arrested for smoking). Live music makes me feel joyful so it's worth smelling like an ashtray.

My husband finally made an appointment with a counselor. It's long and convoluted and more suited to a personal journal, but he's had "issues" for many years, was on medication, went off it due to side effects with the assurance that he would see a counselor.
This wouldn't have been as crucial of an issue but he fecked up at work and as a result had his raise for this year nullified--so it was a big boo-boo--and totally due to the personal issues.

I found a ton of books that have potential to bring in a good dollar. This is good as I pay for any "extras" myself and my free software is about to expire and well as the scanner being down (as well as "wanting" a new camera).

Oh, another good thing--my bro just drove back east to see my folks and he schlepped our "old" computer along with him (It was replaced by "Gigantor," which can run computer games to my son's satisfaction). He just installed it and they have a paid Internet account for the first time as well as a computer with enough cajones for their needs--I am so excited for them--and me sharing all the good stuff I haven't been able to share with them because they had email only (no graphics) before. :D

Next week is spring break. We have a couple of day trips into the city ( Chicago) planned, one to the annual garden show at Navy Pier, so we can ooh and ah over stuff we won't be able to plant for two months (or more)

and second, to the Shedd Aquarium's new fangled "you are there- type" habitat. I figure we can pretend we are in the Caribbean if we squint our eyes real hard.

I think I'm feeling better about myself. The series of self-portraits that I did the other day were done in an explicit attempt to fight off "bad body fever"--feeling fat & ugly.
The photos give me realistic feedback and help me get my line of thinking back on track.

My husband's family--at least some on them--are in an uproar because my sis-in-law had a fallopian tube burst due to a tubal pregnancy. She survived but she was passing out from the pain just prior to her (dumb ass) husband realizing that yes, he'd better take care of his wife. I hope this humbles him; he is such a shit to her.
I'm glad she's okay--she's quite young--maybe 33 and due to this has lost half of whatever fertility she had. Sad & scary.

Candy bars!!!

We have hundreds and they are all for sale for $1.00.
Half the proceeds (50 cents on the dollar bar) will go into the personal account for my son's trip to Hawaii next July to perform in the Henry Leck Pacific Rim Children's Choral Festival. We have to sell lots.
I will do something that I abhor towards this end--stand outside a grocery store and beg--oh the indignity. Guess when it comes down to it, I "ain't too proud to beg." Heh.

We have a sleepover tomorrow--my youngest son's oldest friend--and I said I'd take them to a matinée movie. Any suggestions for a good film currently playing for a couple of almost 12 y.o. boys?

Dinner bell is ringing. Time to sign off.

Cheers to all!

--Cyn

Word: Desideratum

The Word of the Day for Mar 18 is:
desideratum \dih-sih-duh-RAH-tum\ noun

: something desired as essential

Example sentence:
"The other desideratum is a pitcher with good control — far rarer, even at the major-league level, than one might suppose." (Roger Angell, The New Yorker, March 12, 1984)

Did you know?

We'd like to introduce you to some close cousins of "desire." Although long eclipsed by "desire" and its offspring, the lesser-known cousins are of purer lineage. All trace their roots to the ancient Latin house of "sider-," a house whose origins are nothing if not stellar: "sider-" in Latin means "heavenly body." "Desiderare," meaning "to long for," was born when Latin "de-" was prefixed to "sider-." "Desiderare" was Frenchified as "desirer" in an Anglo-French branch of the family, which brought forth English "desire," "desirous," and "desirable" in the 13th and 14th centuries. But many years later, in the 17th century, English acquired "desideration" (longing), "desiderate" (to wish for), and finally "desideratum," all of which can lay claim to a pure Latin ancestry from "desiderare."

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

My sentence:
The desideratum of the blog writer was to be free of the shackles of the ever-increasing censorship.

Stormy Weather

Forward Into Spring
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/17/opinion/17WED4.html?th
Published: March 17, 2004

It doesn't take much of a snowstorm in the middle weeks of March to remind inveterate weather watchers of the great March snowstorms of the past. Particularly — for those of us in the Northeast — the blizzard of 1888 and the superstorm of 1993. The 1888 blizzard, which killed some 400 people across the region, is now part of our meteorological ancestry, the kind of event that has continued to grow in stature even though the last witnesses are long gone. A blizzard will probably never be able to sneak up on us again the way that one did. We now have the luxury of seeing what's coming, watching open-mouthed as an event like the March 1993 storm develops. That one, as many of us remember, cut through 26 states and killed some 270 people.

But the cruelty of a mid-March storm, even the modest kind that hit yesterday, is usually psychological. There have already been a few days of springlike warmth. Dawn shows behind the hills or beyond the skyline by 5:30, and twilight lingers till well past 6. Most of us have shifted out of our dire winter coats. The first flocks of robins are back on the ground, and in the country red-winged blackbirds can be heard in the marshes. Everything is tipping in one direction. And then it snows again. No one is responsible. But it feels like a kind of distributive injustice. There are parts of the world that really need this precipitation. Let them have it.

Women Who Think Too Much

Link

New Clues to Women Veiled in Black
By SUSAN GILBERT

Published: March 16, 2004

For centuries, doctors have recognized women's vulnerability to depression and proposed a variety of explanations. The female of the species, with her "excitable nervous system," was thought to wilt under the strain of menstruation and childbirth, or later, the pressures of work and family.

But researchers are now constructing more scientific theories to explain why women are nearly twice as likely as men to become depressed. Social bias and women's higher rates of physical and sexual abuse and poverty, experts say, clearly play a role. But scientists are also studying genes that may predispose girls and women to the disorder.

They are examining the likely role of estrogen and even linking the development of clinical depression to negative thinking, which is more common in women than in men.

There is no question that women bear the brunt of the illness that Winston Churchill referred to as his "black dog."

The National Comorbidity Study, a large survey of adults in the United States released last year, found that 1.7 women for every man had experienced at least one episode of depression. Roughly the same ratio has been found in recent studies in nine other countries, including Canada, Brazil, Germany and Japan, said Dr. Marta Meana, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.

"This is a global phenomenon," said Dr. Meana, who will address the issue at a meeting of the International Association for Women's Mental Health in Washington this week.

It is unlikely that any single gene, hormone level or type of experience explains the higher incidence of depression in women, experts say.

Instead, several genes probably work in concert with the ebb and flow of reproductive hormones to change brain chemistry in ways that might set the stage for depression, especially after an emotional ordeal.

Another risk factor appears to be something that researchers call overthinking, a tendency to dwell on petty slights, to mentally replay testy encounters and to wallow in sad feelings. Studies show that this type of negative thinking is far more common in women than in men, and that it can be a harbinger of clinical depression.

"The gender difference in overthinking is strongly tied to the gender difference in depression," said Dr. Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, a professor at the University of Michigan and a leading researcher on women and depression.

About half the risk of depression is thought to be genetic. [snip]

... findings suggest that more genes may help to set off depression in women than in men, Dr. Zubenko said, explaining in part why more women become depressed. ...[snip] For one thing, the sex difference in depression is most pronounced in women during their reproductive years, when sex hormone levels are highest. Before puberty, boys and girls have roughly equal rates of depression. The incidence of depression climbs in both sexes during puberty, but the climb is steepest for girls.

In a national telephone survey of 4,028 adolescents ages 12 to 17, about 14 percent of girls and 7 percent of boys met the criteria for major depression.[snip]

In their reproductive years, women are also especially prone to bouts of depression when their sex hormones are in flux — just before menstruation and just after childbirth. Two subtypes of depression that affect only women — premenstrual dysphoric disorder and postpartum depression — occur then.

A leading theory is that sex hormones help induce depression in some women by affecting messenger chemicals in the brain that influence mood. [snip]

[snip]Specifically, women who usually suffered from premenstrual syndrome, a condition characterized by moodiness in the week or so before menstruation that is less severe than premenstrual dysphoric disorder, found that their moods lifted when they were given a drug that kept their hormone levels low.

When their hormone levels went back to normal, these women felt blue. But women who did not suffer from premenstrual syndrome did not experience ups and downs in mood during the study.

Such findings indicate that it is not hormone levels per se that make some women feel moody or depressed at times of hormonal flux, but an underlying vulnerability, said Dr. Mary Blehar, formerly of the National Institute of Mental Health and now director of cancer prevention, control, behavior and science at the National Cancer Institute.

"What that vulnerability is is the big question," she said.

Genes may tell much of this story [snip] ...but biology cannot entirely explain the sex difference.
"It's not just genetics," Dr. Steiner said.

Women, Dr. Nolen-Hoeksema says, are at least twice as likely as men to be abused, and abuse often leads to depression. Another important factor, she said, is the greater tendency of girls and women to ruminate over the common curveballs of life, like criticism at work or school or rejection by a friend.

In studies over the last decade, Dr. Nolen-Hoeksema has consistently found that women react more strongly than men to such experiences, mulling them over and over without being able to come to a resolution or to simply move on. Dwelling on problems causes the initial sadness to snowball, she said.

By contrast, men are more likely than women to distract themselves from a problem, often by going off and doing something active, a healthy reaction, Dr. Nolen-Hoeksema said, because it blunts the emotional sting of everyday disappointments and setbacks.

Dr. Nolen-Hoeksema's studies have found that people who habitually ruminate but are not depressed are more likely than non-ruminators to develop depression later.

There may be biological reasons behind women's tendency to brood, but no genetic predisposition or difference in the brain has been found.

Still, Dr. Nolen-Hoeksema said, "There are cultural and personality contributors to rumination."

Women tend to forge intense emotional connections and to care deeply about relationships, she said. [snip]

In her research, Dr. Nolen-Hoeksema has found that the sex difference in negative thinking is apparent in children as young as 9, several years earlier than the sex difference in depression emerges.

In a book published last year, "Women Who Think Too Much" Dr. Nolen-Hoeksema recommends a variety of strategies to help teenage and adult women cut down on overthinking.

Staying active can help. For teenage girls, playing a sport or engaging in other extracurricular activities can keep them from brooding about bad grades or broken romances.

"If you have your self-esteem hinged on one thing, like a single relationship, you don't have a fallback if something goes wrong," Dr. Nolen-Hoesksema said.

Another strategy is to cultivate a circle of friends. "When women ruminate, we blow things up," she says. "It helps to have friends who can help you reflect on a problem and find a solution."

Just make sure, she adds, that the friends are not too prone to rumination themselves.

I've been told many times that I   "overthink," so in some ways this research is comforting in that it seems to shed more light on some typical female behaviour.

OTOH--I can't not think!

Instead, I have an opposing theory.
Women don't overthink.
Men think too little.

Word: Ideate

The Word of the Day for Mar 16 is:
ideate \EYE-dee-ayt\ verb

transitive sense : to form an idea or conception of
*intransitive sense : to form an idea

Example sentence:
"Drawing on typically far-ranging and hands-on experience, designers are prolific in ideating." (Mike Tennity, Design Management Journal, Summer 2003)

Did you know?

Like "idea" and "ideal," "ideate" comes from the Greek verb "idein," which means "to see." The sight-thought connection came courtesy of Plato, the Greek philosopher who based his theory of the ideal on the concept of seeing, claiming that a true philosopher can see the essential nature of things and can recognize their ideal form or state. Early uses of "idea," "ideal," and "ideate" in English were associated with Platonic philosophy; "idea" meant "an archetype" or "a standard of perfection," "ideal" meant "existing as an archetype," and "ideate" referred to forming Platonic ideas. But though "ideate" is tied to ancient philosophy, the word itself is a modern concoction, relatively speaking. It first appeared in English only about 400 years ago.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

My sentence:
I haven't yet been able to ideate a solution to my current dilemma.

Frustrated

Warning: whine/whinge ahead.

I hate my life situation as it pertains to a primary relationship.
I also intensely dislike the self-censorship that I must engage in to "protect the innocent."

This sounds pretty far afield, but a piece of advice: don't sell out when it comes to picking a partner.
Neediness has been a crippling personality trait of mine.
I'm not anywhere as needy as I was 13 years ago, but I am living with the choices I made then.
Sometimes I feel as if I'm going to burst.
If I do, I'll make sure to take a photo and put it up here.

How Not To Take A Mirror Self-Portrait

Word: Adulation

The Word of the Day for Mar 15 is:
adulation \aj-uh-LAY-shun\ noun

: excessive or slavish admiration or flattery

Example sentence:
The star was somewhat embarrassed by the adulation of his teenage fans.

Did you know?

If "adulation" makes you think of a dog panting after its master, you're on the right etymological track; the word ultimately derives from the Latin verb "adulari," meaning "to fawn on" (a sense used specifically of the affectionate behavior of dogs) or "to flatter." "Adulation," which came to us from Latin by way of Old French, can be traced back as far as the 14th century in English. The verb "adulate," the noun "adulator," and the adjective "adulatory" later joined the language.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

My sentence:
She was a star in her own mind, expecting adulation from all those she had contact with.

My Day In Church

I spent most of the day in church.

I'm still agnostic-- but my son's choir was performing there (a paid gig!) and I was a chaperone.
This is a wonderful bunch of kids--they tend to be the non-sporty--more bookish-types. I clambered up into the balcony while they were rehearsing and oh my, they sing quite literally like angels. :sigh:

I spent a good deal of the pre-show and intermission time in the ladies bathroom though, as these kids go nowhere without a parent going along. It's a safety thing--plus they are kids after all, and can get a bit wound up.

I was politely warned about distracting the young 'uns by taking photos (even without flash)--so I just snuck a few--none came out to my satisfaction, hence with the exception of one or two--they've all been Jasc-shopped.

If I may boast a bit more about these kids: They tour internationally, have played Carnegie Hall, open both Cubs and White Sox games (hey, we don't play favorites) and are heading to Hawaii next summer for an 8-day workshop/competition. I am just so proud of them for all the hard work they put into this. The "arts" are a dying breed here in the US. Funding has been slashed or completely eliminated in many places for in-school music and art.
The performing arts are such a crucial part of our human-ness. (Without getting political, I'll leave it at that.)

Just arriving

Girls Preparing (posterized)
This was a very poor quality pic--I just did what I could with it--but I'm not happy with it. I just loved the moment that it captured.

Getting Stage Directions

Warming Up

Sopranos, Season 5, Episode 2, "Rat Pack"

The Sopranos
Rat Pack
60 mins.   
TV Guide On-Line Synopsis

With the mob drama still going strong, a great cast gets even better with the addition of Steve Buscemi.
A frequent series director, including the Emmy-nominated “Pine Barrens” episode, Buscemi plays Tony Blundetto, a wisecracking ex-con and cousin of Tony Soprano. While the two were inseparable as kids, Mr. S. is irked by Blundetto's desire to go straight and his seeming disrespect for Soprano's authority. Tension also builds when the crime boss suspects that a crony (Robert Desiderio) in construction is being targeted by the Feds.
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I love Steve Buscemi, though I think I discovered him later in his career (sorry, Steve). The first time I noticed him was in the Coen Brothers film Fargo--outstanding--what a character he put together in that-- though all of the lead characters were well-drawn and acted. Very funny film.
Anyway since Fargo, when I see that Steve Buscemi is somehow involved in a film or TV project, my attention perks up.
So I'm pretty excited about his joining the cast of Sopranos. I just hope he doesn't get knocked off too quickly (if at all).
I'm going to choose tonight between watching a film that I can keep for a week and watch anytime --Lost in Translation or take my last opportunity to watch a rebroadcast of the first ep of Sopranos from the current season and the first episode of Six Feet Under from last season--whole season is being played again <yea!> as Six Feet Under begins it's new season in June (I think).

EDIT/

Some of the memorable lines from this episode...

Rosalie's "...Apostle Protection Program..." when talking about the famous snitch Judas.

Bobby when Carmine died: "Carmine was a great man...he invented point shaving"

Tony on seeing the rat pack painting: "that's great...and I usually don't like modern art."

Tony B's "You're crowding me" carried some great unspoken menace.
Anyone have doubts about Tony B's plans? Massage therapist? Not likely.

Funny moment:
At the movie discussion group, Carmella starts the tape and then the camera cuts to a long shot as everybody in the room stares transfixed at the words that come on the screen: FBI WARNING! And it seems to hang there just a little longer than necessary.

Good, solid episode.

 

Ars Magna Minces No Words

The Pundit on the Desktop

OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR
By MIKE MORTON and SABRA MORTON
Published: March 13, 2004

Ars Magna, the software program that always answers in anagrams, has been giving some thought to the presidential election. When we say senator, for instance, it replies treason; and if we ask it about tax policies, it comes back with axe politics. Recently, we settled in for an interview about the 2004 presidential race:

So, Ars, the next big political event will be the Democratic convention. What do you think the party really wants?
To intervene; chad not comic.

How will the convention respond to the Massachusetts senator?
Chorus: Statesman! Asset!

Do you personally have an opinion about Senator John Kerry?
John? Ornery streak.

The Republicans are attacking Senator Kerry now for changing his mind about important issues. He criticizes the administration's Iraq policy, yet just a year ago he voted to go to war in the Gulf again.
Gather in awful gain.
As you may know, Senator Kerry has been called a Boston brahmin.
O, man! Birth snob!

What can his so-called Band of Brothers — Vietnam veterans — offer him?
Net verve, stamina.

Let's turn to the Republican National Convention. What might be its message to the country?
Continual privation can ennoble.

And what will President George W. Bush say to his party?
Whee! Progress in budget!

Do you agree?
Progress? Huge new debit!

The president once billed himself as a compassionate conservative. How do you interpret that now?
Conspire to save a vast income.

Mr. Bush assures us the economy will turn around soon, and Fed Chairman Greenspan —
Spending framer an ache!

It seems you don't like the chairman's proposal for Social Security and Medicare cuts.
Edit care? Scum!

Later in the year, we'll have the Bush-Kerry debates. What should we expect?
Test, hey? Bash, drub. Reek.

Do you think Ralph Nader should be allowed to take part in the presidential debates?
Despise alternate bid!

It appears the Republicans' big issue will be national security. What do you think of the Patriot Act?
A pathetic tort.

As for the Democrats, they'll keep raising the Florida debacle of 2000. We've read that some states will use the touchscreen voting machine. Do you worry that it might skew the outcome?
Oh, much concern! Investigate!

Mike Morton is a software engineer. Sabra Morton is a writer.

Word: Winsome

The Word of the Day for Mar 13 is:
winsome \WIN-sum\ adjective

*1 : generally pleasing and engaging often because of a childlike charm and innocence
2 : cheerful, lighthearted


Example sentence:
Andrew's winsome smile and sweet personality endeared the toddler to everyone who tended him in the hospital.

Did you know?
"Winsome" began as "wynsum" a thousand years ago. It was formed from "wynn," the Old English word for "joy" or "pleasure," and the suffix "-sum," an older form of the "-some" we see today in many adjectives, such as "awesome," "irksome," and "lonesome." "Wynn" later became "win," meaning "pleasure," but we haven't used that noun since the 17th century. We do, however, use another word that has a "pleasing" connection and is related, albeit distantly, to "winsome." "Winning" ("tending to please or delight," as in "a winning smile" or "winning ways"), the present participle of the familiar verb "win," is from Old English "winnan," meaning "to struggle." Both "winnan" and "wynn" are thought to be related to Latin "venus," which means, among other things, "charm."

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

My sentence:
For many years the actress Meg Ryan was described as having winsome qualities, but the passing of her 40th birthday seems to have cast her in a new light (though not a good film).

Peace and Courage

"It doesn't matter who's to blame. They are all a bunch of terrorists. One does it for God, the other because they think they have a purer blood line."JESÚS MIGUEL GÓMEZ, at a demonstration in Madrid.

(QUOTATION OF THE DAY--New York Times)

We are all Madrileños now

New York Times Editorial
Ground Zero, Madrid
Published: March 12, 2004

The terrorist attacks in Madrid yesterday were a monstrous crime against innocent humanity. They were also a reminder that terrorism is a worldwide threat and that fighting it is not America's problem alone. Combating terrorism effectively requires the fullest possible international cooperation, especially in intelligence, law enforcement and the tracking of terrorist finances. Most of the hard work will be far less dramatic than the successful military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq. Indeed, each new terrorist act demonstrates that military action alone is not the solution. Terrorism cannot be eradicated simply by driving the Taliban out of Kabul or capturing Saddam Hussein.

The series of bombs in Madrid that killed nearly 200 people and injured more than 1,400 came three days before national elections. Whether the bombers came from the Basque terrorist group ETA, as the Spanish government initially presumed, Al Qaeda or elsewhere, comparisons to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, are inevitable and appropriate. Neither Spain nor America stand alone.

The list of terrorist outrages around the world has been grimly lengthening since that Sept. 11. Fanatics have sown carnage in places like Bali, Mombasa, Baghdad, Jerusalem, Moscow, Jakarta, Casablanca, Riyadh and Istanbul. Europe has been a particular target for decades. Britain and Northern Ireland have endured the bombings of the Irish Republican Army, French civilians have been killed by radical Algerian groups, and hundreds of Spaniards have been murdered by ETA.

At a time like this, trans-Atlantic squabbling about the nature of the terrorist threat and how to fight it seems tragically misplaced. Terrorism threatens all of us, everywhere, every morning. Terrorists respect no national boundaries, political systems, ideologies or religions. The fight against them must be just as multinational. We are all Madrileños now.

Fourteen hundred injured. 1400. Almost 200 murdered. And for what? What point was made? What positive changes will come of this?
It didn't remind me of Sept 11, 2001, it reminded me of Ireland and England and all the bombings that occurred as I grew up. It reminded me that 30 years have passed and nothing has changed.
Will we ever learn that violence begets nothing more than more violence?

Word: Jabberwocky

The Word of the Day for Mar 12 is:
jabberwocky \JAB-er-wah-kee\ noun

: meaningless speech or writing

Example sentence:
"The salesman started spewing computer jabberwocky at me like an auctioneer. I understood about every sixth word he uttered." (Larry D. Clifton, The Tampa Tribune, September 6, 1998)

Did you know?
In a poem titled "Jabberwocky" in the book Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There (1872), Lewis Carroll warned his readers about a frightful beast:

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

This nonsensical poem caught the public's fancy, and by 1902 "jabberwocky" was being used as a generic term for meaningless speech or writing. The word "bandersnatch" has also seen some use as a general noun, with the meaning "a wildly grotesque or bizarre individual." It's a much rarer word than "jabberwocky," though.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

My sentence:
Every time I engage in a telephone "conversation" with my cable company, the individual at the other end of the line seems to speak nothing but jabberwocky.