Neologisms

I'm borrowing this from a friend who posted it, who also borrowed it from a friend. Thanks Nicola.

From Wikipedia: A neologism (pronounced /niːˈɒlədʒɪzəm/, from Greek νέος (neos 'new') + λόγος (logos 'speech') is a newly coined word or phrase that may be in the process of entering common use, but has not yet been accepted into mainstream language^{[citation needed]}. Neologisms are often directly attributable to a specific person, publication, period, or event.

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.
4. Esplanade (v.), to attempt an explanation while drunk.
5. Willy-nilly (adj.), impotent.
6. Negligent (adj.), a condition in which you absentmindedly answer the door in your nightgown.
7. Lymph (v.), to walk with a lisp.
8. Gargoyle (n), olive-flavoured mouthwash.
9. Flatulence (n.) emergency vehicle that picks you up after you are run over by a steamroller.
10. Balderdash (n.), a rapidly receding hairline.
11. Testicle (n.), a humorous question on an exam.
12. Rectitude (n.), the formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.
13. Pokemon (n), Rastafarian proctologist.
14. Oyster (n.), person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.
15. Frisbeetarianism (n.), (back by popular demand): The belief that,when you die, your soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.
16. Circumvent (n.), opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men.

The Washington Post's Style Invitational also asked readers to takeany word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, orchanging 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 signof breaking down in the near future.
2. Foreploy (v): Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.
3. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.
4. Giraffiti (n): Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.
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.
8. Osteopornosis (n): A degenerate disease. ( that one got extra credit)
9. Karmageddon (n): Its like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.
10. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.
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 colour 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.

Sydney - happy thanksgiving

As incongrous as it may seem - for someone who does not celebrate Thanksgiving with any sort of regularly, I'm being bombarded with "Happy Thanksgiving" wishes, reminders of thankfulness and holiday recipes.

Thanksgiving is a holiday which I don't celebrate when I'm living in Australia. Did it while in the US.

Still, it's a good time to just take a few minutes to count our blessings, as the first pilgrims did.

Isn't that a wonderful scene? It's a picture from the Smithsonian website talking about Thanksgiving.

I posted a note a few days ago on my Facebook page, listing all the things that I'm thankful for. Since today is actually Thanksgiving, I thought I'd re-post it here. Mostly, it was an excuse for a post so that I could use that lovely painting above.

Here's what I said:

It’s coming onto November 25th 2010 which is the American holiday for Thanksgiving.

Not a holiday we celebrate as much here is Australia but one of Steve’s favourite holidays because it always falls just the day before, on or after his birthday. This year it’s the day before his birthday.

I’m going to take this opportunity to list some things that I am thankful for.

1.       I am thankful for my wonderful husband, who continues to love me unconditionally and is willing to support me in whatever I choose to do and whomever I choose to be. You’re one in a million, darling, and I love you.

2.       I am thankful that yet another year has passed and we remain in Australia and more importantly in Sydney. Steve has moved onto his next role and Praise God! it is in Sydney. We had thought there was a possibility of yet another move – Melbourne or the UK, based on his opportunities, but fortunately we are in Sydney for at least the next 18 months.

3.       I am thankful for all the friends who have remained friends upon our return from Qatar and for the new friends we have made. Thank you for being in our lives, for making it richer and for all the wonderful moments we share together. You are all greatly appreciated, each and every one of you. You know who you are!

4.       I am thankful for my family who all continue to be healthy and thriving. This year added a wonderful bonus, my gorgeous nephew, Jenson, who is just a delight. I thank God for the fact that we continue to be a close family and we continue to share in each other’s lives.

5.       I am thankful for my health. There was a long period this year when I was very unwell and not only am I thankful for getting better but also thankful that I could take the time and the opportunity to improve. A big thank you to my darling husband for supporting this endeavour and also for all my health care providers (including the Nazi) who helped along the way. The health is much improved though there is a ways to go yet.

6.       I am thankful of not working right now. You cannot imagine how thankful I am for that, especially when I was really ill earlier this year. I am thankful that we can afford for me to not work for a little while though I don’t expect it to last indefinitely. If not for being able to take the time off, I don’t think I could be thankful for #5 above.

7.       Last but certainly not least, I am thankful to my ever-loving, ever-present, ever-gracious God. His grace and his mercy sustain me. His love encompasses me. His providence supports me. My life would be so much poorer if not for You.

There are of course, lots of other things that I am thankful for that are more of life’s everyday (and simple) pleasures like:

• That wonderful glass of wine – a bottle which Steve has just opened
• The authors and their wonderful books that enrich my life whom I have gotten to know through blogs, Facebooks, etc.
• That wonderful device called a Kindle that keeps me in reading
• Amazon.com for actually selling books that I want to read (believe it or not, there are times when it is actually frustrating to find a book I want to read and then not be able to buy it for whatever reason) and books are an important part of my life
• The PC that continues to work (and will continue to do with the recent upgrade)
• That amazing Decaffeinato Lungo from Nespresso which was the reason for a previous note rambling about my love affair for it
• An incredible hairdresser who knows exactly how to do my hair just the way I like it (see I told you some of it was everyday)
• For now – this wonderful apartment that we are living in, which will give us the opportunity to host a New Year’s Eve party and be able to watch the fireworks off the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House
• The beautiful music that very talented artists make so that people like me can enjoy them

A little funny

1. A day without sunshine is like night.

2. On the other hand, you have different fingers.

3. Forty-seven percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.

4. Ninety-nine percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.

5. Remember, half the people you know are below average.

6. He who laughs last, thinks slowest.

7. Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

8. The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap.

9. Support bacteria. They're the only culture most people have.

10. A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

11. Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.

12. If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.

13. How many of you believe in psycho-kinesis? Raise my hand.

14. Okay, so what's the speed of dark?

15. When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

16. Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.

17. How much deeper would the ocean be without sponges?

18. Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

19. What happens if you get scared half to death - twice?

20. Why do psychics have to ask you your name?

21. Inside every older person is a younger person wondering, What the heck happened?

22. Just remember -- if the world didn't suck, we would all fall off.

23. Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

24. Life isn't like a box of chocolates. It's more like a jar of jalapenos. What you do today might burn your butt tomorrow.

ps. In case you didn't know, I like smiley faces.

pps. I got this from another blogpost but with my memory, I now can't remember who I borrowed this from and can't source it appropriately. So - dear author of this list of funnies, if you ever come across this list, thank you!

World - national cashew day

Did you know there is such a thing as “National Cashew Day”?

I missed it!

It was on November 23^rd and I only found out about it today – 2 days  later!

There ACTUALLY is such a thing. Who knew? Did you?

It would appear that National Cashew Day has been celebrated all around the world for over 100 years. Power to the cashew!

It started when women would dedicate an entire day to cooking all their meals using cashews – sweet dishes, savoury dishes and even drinks. Ever had a cashew flavoured drink?

After a few years, the restaurants and hotels caught on and they also started one day to this nut and preparing specialty dishes to it.

From then on, National Cashew Day was born.

In general, I’m not a fan of nuts but I have to say that I do enjoy a good cashew. It’s one of Steve’s favourites – salted, roasted cashews. He tends to eat them by the bowlful so now we don’t have any cashews in the house anymore because he gobbles them down and too much of anything is not good for you.

Honey roasted cashews are nice too but after a few of those they tend to get a bit too sweet. You can’t eat them in vast quantities.

Well, so you have it. Happy belated National Cashew Day.

I’m off in search of a National Peanut Day and see if I can’t dedicate a post to my dad since he’s such a nut (ha ha) lover – peanuts, that is.

Source: What is the origin of National Cashew Day

Devotional - your sons, your daughters

I have been thinking about being more pro-active with my devotionals and thought that blogging about it would be a nice useful habit to cultivate.

This is my first one and it’s from an old verse I loved and emailed to myself a long time ago.

We’ll see how this habit continues.

Nehemiah 4:14 (New Living Translation)

Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!”

Our church was doing a study of Nehemiah as part of our whole church bible study events. Living in the city, we didn’t participate in the small groups but when we were at church, we kept up with the teaching from Nehemiah.

I love this verse because it is a rally cry. To me, it speaks to the courage in all of us. The enemy could be anything or anyone – whatever puts fear into our hearts. When Nehemiah surveyed the situation, when he looked upon the people, who were uncertain and fearful, he reminded them “Do not be afraid … Remember the Lord”.

How often is it that we let fear conquer us?

How often do we let our own uncertainty and insecurity hold us back?

Last night I was speaking to Steve as we lay in bed chatting (it was a sweet moment, lying in the dark - talking, but that’s a different topic) and I expressed some concerns I had to him.

He wisely told me that I was being too hard on myself (which I often am) and then went on to say that there were many reasons for the situation that we’re in now. Then in his own logical way, went on to list them all out.

I felt better after our talk, but it also made me think of our Lord.

“Do not be afraid … Remember the Lord …” and what I remembered what that our God is a gracious God. He is a loving and forgiving God. He sees into our hearts and our actions. He knows our intent.

Steve says it’s as much about intent as it is about action and the rest of the verse is about action too – “ … and fight …”

In order words, DO something! Do something for everything you hold dear to you - "your sons, your daughters, your wives, your homes".

Putting my faith in God and remembering his grace and mercy is an action that I can put into practice right away.

Being honest with God in my prayers and confessions to him shows him my heart in a very concrete way. He sees my intent. He knows anyway, but for the action oriented (and it feels better to be doing something) then in prayers and confessions, I can come before my Lord and reveal my heart to him in a way that is solid. I can see it. I can touch it. I can feel it.

Seeking out the things that I need to do and doing them.

So …

1. Do not be afraid

2. Remember the Lord

3. Do something about what matters to  you

Sydney - permanent problems

It would appear that the problem is with Facebook and it's ability to import a blog from an external source is permanent.

I've done a bit more googling (amazing how that's become a word, eh?) and found a bit more information.

I've followed the instructions.

Nada!

I went through the Facebook help section, which is pitiful at best, still nada!

It would look like, for the time being, I'm going to have to manually post to two locations until this issue resolves itself, which might be never since some of the help queries have been posted since Feb 2010 and still unresolved.

Some people have offered up solutions, obviously people more technically minded than I am, but those solutions seem to be temporary.

I've spent enough time on this now - it was mildly amusing last night when I couldn't sleep and needed to pass some time. Now it's just a waste of time.

Unfortunately, with a lot of technology these days, workaround abound.

My workaround is to post in two places, which is not the most efficient, but it gets it done.

Sydney - technology issues

It’s always the case isn’t it?

You’re up late at night – in this case it’s 2:07am.

You’re facing some rather interesting technology challenges when your new blog is posting to Facebook because Facebook isn’t responding the way it is supposed to.

You’ve googled the problem because let’s face it: Google Is Your Friend – GIYF!

You’ve put in a widget that is supposed to help but it only posts to your profile page. It also adds a really, really, REALLY pathetic looking box that shows that you have only ONE follower, and that’s yourself.

It’s a very sad state to be in at a little past 2 in the morning.

Now if only I’d get sleepy and go to sleep. Instead, my brain will be churning over what is not happening because of the technology failing to do what it’s supposed to do.

This rant – for now, is over. There might be more to come!

While I’m at it, I’m going to test out an embedded link: Looking In, Looking Out.

And add a picture: A personal favorite - me and the darling nephew.

Sydney - something new

I’ve decided to start something new.

Up until now all of my notes (blogs) have been on my Facebook page and it’s been private. Seen only by friends who are on Facebook.

I don’t have much vanity when it comes to my writing. Or maybe the fact that I’m writing and posting this does mean that I have some vanity. I’m grateful for those who read it. Okay with those who don’t.

I do it to remember some funny, interesting things that happen in my life.

I do it because it reminds me of the things that have passed – whether great or mundane.

I do it (hopefully) to entertain friends and family, and sometimes, share a little bit about my life with them.

There is no topic that I hold as sacred though I am careful what I say.

I do not want to write in such a way that I offend, nor do I want to be confrontational. I will, however, express my opinion, such that it is.

This is also a way for me to express myself and share my thoughts with friends and family who are not on Facebook. Who am I to insist that they be a part of the Facebook community only to be able to share in the strange and slightly bemusing things that go on in my life?

I will always preface blog topics with a location “Sydney”, “KL”, etc. After all, there has been some traveling involved.

If it doesn’t have a location, it’s something that does not warrant it, usually a funny or odd titbit I’ve found interesting (probably mostly to myself).

I don’t plan on re-creating and posting old notes that are already on Facebook here. It just takes too much effort and it stuffs up the flow of things … maybe … I’m still pondering this, but if I do, I’ll add a “posted originally on” date.

Anyway, here’s the URL for the blog.

http://dazlookinginlookingout.blogspot.com/

I’m hoping to be able to include photos and such. Will need to experiment on those and forgive me for any mistakes in the initial days.

We’ll see what tomorrow brings.

Ps. It’s 1:22AM, Sydney time. I’m wide awake – probably that diet coke I drank at dinner. Should remember that’s a bad idea, me being so sensitive to caffeine. Argh! Could be it’s the caffeine that’s the reason for this blog.