Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Word of the Day: susurrus

Word of the Day

susurrus (n)

A sound like rustling or whispering

"Gentle winds had lulled the swell and the continual susurrus of the south wind enticed them towards the deep."
--Virgil, The Aeneid

I like "white noise", and the susurrus of a white noise CD I have often entices me towards the deep -- deep sleep, that is.

Friday, July 25, 2008

Quote of the Day: Marianne Faithfull

Quote of the Day

"We lived these lives a thousand years ago as courtesans, as opium-eaters at the court of the Kubla Khan. We had drunk of the milk of Paradise and its transforming liquidity made us all quite porous. There were no boundaries where Alph the sacred river ran. No genders, no time and space. We simply sparkled and vibrated. We were all pulsating little Bodhisattvas. I was in love with everybody. Actually, I was everybody."
--Marianne Faithfull

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Word of the Day: scuppernong

Word of the Day

scuppernong (n)

A type of grape, usually green or bronze in color, or a wine made from this grape.

"Maudie Atkinson told me you broke down her scuppernong arbor this morning. She's going to tell your father and then you'll wish you'd never seen the light of day!"
--Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

I read To Kill a Mockingbird a long time ago, but whenever I hear the title, I think of the film and Gregory Peck, a great actor and orator. I never get tired of hearing his voice.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Way I Feel

The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Way I Feel

Would you talk on your cell phone while standing at a restroom urinal? Saw that today, felt weird.... Found out today that horse racing is very popular in Japan. Who knew?.... I was asked how to pronounce methylenetetrahydrofolate today -- felt unsure.... A drunk came up to me on the street yesterday and asked me where the nearest liquor store was. I told him where to find one, but then he got mad and started cursing because I named one too far away. Felt bewildered.... Why don't I... ship swing apps?

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Fishing off the pier, Ocean Grove, New Jersey

Gone Fishing

fishing

I saw these guys fishing off the pier at Ocean Grove, New Jersey, yesterday. Didn't notice them catching anything. The surf was rough.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Word of the Day: coryza

Word of the Day

coryza (n)

The common cold or its symptoms, sniffles

"The planet Pluto is so far away, and isolated from the sun, it is said, that it produces coryza tempratures."
--Angel Steinborn, Urban Dictionary

Of course, Pluto isn't a planet anymore; it's been downgraded by astronomers to a dwarf planet, or minor planet. (I would prefer to call it a planetoid, just because I like the sound of that.) It's essentially a celestial snowball, probably with a rock in the center -- the kind of thing the bully down the street threw at you in when you were a kid, just because he hated your snowsuit.

Monday, July 07, 2008

Names: Gone But Not Forgotten

Gone But Not Forgotten

People I used to know, well or slightly:

Phyllis Jaselle
Randy Egnaczyk
Steven M. Katz
Mark Suran
Charlie Pekunka
Margaret Leonard
Zeta Chulik
Mr. Shipey
Chuck Wunderman
Don Longabucco
Jean Vestal
"Beezer" Bevins

I don't know why certain names stick in my head for decades. Some of them just have a "ring" to them. I especially like the more unusual ones -- maybe because my name is common -- and the ones that sound like characters in a novel.