I love words and I love clever people

The following made its way into my inbox, once again foiling inbox zero, but I forgive the intrusion because it amused me. I just picked my top ten.

Once again, The Washington Post has published the winning submissions to its yearly neologism contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternative meanings for common words.

 The winners are:

1. Coffee (n.), the person upon whom one coughs.

2. Flabbergasted (adj.), appalled over how much weight you have gained.

3. Abdicate (v.), to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.

6. Negligent (adj.), describes a condition in which you absentmindedly answer the door in your nightgown.

8. Gargoyle (n), olive-flavored mouthwash.

9. Flatulence (n.) emergency vehicle that picks you up after you are run over by a steamroller.

11. Testicle (n.), a humorous question on an exam.

12. Rectitude (n.), the formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.

13. Pokemon (n), a Rastafarian proctologist.

14. Oyster (n.), a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.

 The Washington Post’s Style Invitational also asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.

Here are this year’s winners:

1. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

3. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.

5. Sarchasm (n): The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn’t get it.

6. Inoculatte (v): To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

7. Hipatitis (n): Terminal coolness.

11. Glibido (v): All talk and no action.

12. Dopeler effect (n): The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

13. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you’ve accidentally walked through a spider web.

14. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

15. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a grub in the fruit you’re eating.

And the pick of the literature:

16. Ignoranus (n): A person who’s both stupid and an asshole.

you never know

I don’t play golf, but this is pretty cool

09/09/09 !!!

Well, I suppose it’s better than

666

 

I love that LIGHT is my dominant word!

Picked up this little doodad from Pat Gohn and Wordle. These are the words that post appear on my blog. That’s a relief, especially after such a freaky week of nekkid people!

Check it out!

the Old Man got it right!

Where were you 40 years ago when a couple of brave (or crazy) guys got it in their heads that it would be a good idea to leave the safety of a tin can in space and walk on the moon?

that's my hand!

I know where I was — sitting on the floor in front of our black and white TV watching the action.

I was just a little kid, six years old, but my father made a point of getting me from wherever I was (sleeping? probably) and sitting me down in front of the television to watch history in the making. My memories of the moment are pretty intermixed. On the one hand, I have a very strong feeling of portent and import that my father was positively radiating. In fact, I have better memories of his reaction than the actual moonwalk. He was beside himself.

The neatest part of all these pictures is that Pop had the thought to have me put my hand up to the screen. How cool is that? Proof that I was there, but also, a little bit of something else a precursor to E.T., maybe a symbolic gesture that my future, the future of my generation, was on that screen.

In retrospect, I imagine that he followed the whole space program with the nerd appeal of any Star Wars fan, only back then, it was the real deal, not digital playing around. He was a fan of Star Trek and Mission: Impossible, so I bet his fanboy joy at these events was impossible to contain.

I remember how the images were flickering across the screen and how weirdly tinny the voices were. I remember the awe of adults, although in my youthfulness, really didn’t grasp that what I was watching was the impossible made possible by resolve and sheer guts. It’s a powerful lesson and one I couldn’t have articulated then, but certainly understand now.

Thanks, Pop, for dragging my little butt into the future, and showing me that possibility is much greater than the limitations we create for ourselves out of fear or failing to dream.

Happy 4th of July

I am giddy with joy, in the nerdiest kind of way

I went to see Star Trek for Mother’s Day. Here’s the big observation–everyone else in the theater was middle-aged, balding or graying, and paunchy-looking. Well, not all of us. I looked hot. Remember the middle age thing? Yeah, I was hot, as in hot flash.

Anyway, during the ridiculously long trailers and other advertisemnts taking up all my time, Vicky and I were noting the demographics in the theater. There were a lot of folks my age who had grown up with Star Trek, and then there were our kids, who either went as some weird bonding exprience, or were truly interested in Trek. I’m not sure which. Here’s the thing–it was a Trek movie that was true to Trek (sorry for the alliteration) but engaged the younger generation. It was spectacular. I loved it.

JJ Abrams is my new hero. We finally got some Star Trek that delivered. In a big way. LOL. The special effects were spectacular. There was actually a decent plot, although the time travel/alternate reality tends to get a bit old in sci-fi (still, Spock manages to address that in an amusing way at the end). There were liberties with the story line that were a bit out there, but I suppose it was resolved with the excuse that it was an alternate reality, but still–. I can totally see how a purist would be annoyed, and yet, as far as the story goes, I get it.

Things I could have done without–um, besides changing some history? Nothing. I liked it.

Things that were very well done for this Trekkie:

The characters were believable. Kirk behaved like Kirk. Spock behaved like Spock. Sulu was terrific. Chekov stole the show on the bridge. Scotty was fantastic. Uhura, who had been my favorite as a kid (I used to shove my brother’s crib spring in my ear and pretend to be on the bridge) came through very well, too, although Nichelle Nichols had a whole lot more sensuality. And in a final nod, the actor who played Sarek was wonderful.

I appreciate the nods to the canon. The references to the characters’ quirks in the series were awesome. Sulu fencing was particularly amusing. McCoy was brilliant.

The final scene on the bridge was reminiscent of the show, and the actors seemed to get it right. Kirk, especially, was Kirk without being campy. A feat even Shatner rarely pulled off.

Nicely done.

the cardinals are going crazy in my back yard!

These:

Not these:

more global warming

Every time’s there’s a good freeze this pretty little fountain near the library ices up. Over Christmas, someone put little Santa hats on the kids.

There’s much to be said about the fountain, but I’ll focus on the loveliness of the ice sculpture it’s become.  Jule beat me to the punch, posting some fantastic pictures, but here’s my take on it. The first one is for a little perspective, but I like the second one which is a closeup of a little girl.

It’s November 1st

NaNoWriMo started. I posted my first bleary eyed entry at the NaNoWriMo tab. Read it now — it’ll be replaced with something new tomorrow!

And come play with me. I’m Bego at nanowrimo.org.