equinox
euro
evanescent
expurgate
facetious
equinox: \ē'kwə-nŏks', ěk'wə-\; either of two times of the year when the sun crosses the plane of the earth's equator and day and night are of equal length; (astronomy) either of the two celestial points at which the celestial equator intersects the ecliptic.
euro: \yŏŏr'ō\; (sometimes initial capital letter) the official common currency of 12 European Union nations (Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain). In 1999 the euro was adopted by 11 of these nations as an alternative currency in noncash transactions. In 2002 it was adopted by Greece, and in that year it replaced the 12 national currencies. Symbol: €
evanescent: \ěv'ə-něs'ənt\; vanishing; fading away; fleeting; tending to become imperceptible; scarcely perceptible.
expurgate: \ěk'spər-gāt'\; to amend by removing words, passages, etc., deemed offensive or objectionable; to purge or cleanse of moral offensiveness.
facetious: \fə-sē'shəs\; not meant to be taken seriously or literally: a facetious remark; amusing; humorous; lacking serious intent; concerned with something nonessential, amusing, or frivolous.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Today's Words to Define
A Life Saver Called “Plumpynut”
(CBS) You’ve probably never heard a good news story about malnutrition, but you’re about to. Every year, malnutrition kills five million children—that’s one child every six seconds. But now, the Nobel Prize-winning relief group “Doctors Without Borders” says it finally has something that can save millions of these children. Read the entire story and watch the “60 Minutes” segment.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Pet Peeves...
Grammar people, grammar! “Your” does NOT mean “you are.” Never did, never will.
Why do some people NOT use their turn signal? I’m NOT a frackin’ mind reader!
Why tailgate? I’m not going to drive over the speed limit just because you’re on my ass! And don’t get up next to me and give me attitude because I’m obeying the law and you wanted to speed.
Browsing a Web page and the author mentions another Web site WITHOUT hyperlinking to that Web site. How hard is it to add a hyperlink?
I’ll come up with some more later...
Laugh of the Day
should never sit side-by-side.
Johnny Dingle (92) and Scooter Berry (93)
West Virginia University Mountaineers
Editing Tip(s) of the Day
Acronyms. Many style books are now recommending SMALL CAPS for all appearances of acronyms, such as NAACP or NCAA. The effect of this practice is to allow the acronym to blend more smoothly with the rest of the text. Today I’ll be commenting on the acronyms we use for time. A.M., P.M., NOON, and MIDNIGHT. When typing 12:00 you would use NOON or MIDNIGHT as 12:00 is neither A.M. or P.M. To save space on certain layouts, I have been known to use just the first letter and in lowercase (e.g. 1p, 2a, 12n, 12m, or 12mid). In my opinion, as long as you know the correct way to use these acronyms you have artistic freedom to use them in an appealing way. But, whichever way you choose be consistent in the same layout. Know your client. If you’re editing or designing anything but a one page artistic layout, use small caps. Here’s one reference: desktoppub.about.com/cs/finetypography/ht/small_caps.htm
T-Shirt of the Day
These t-shirts are:
Black: $21.99 for Sm-XL and $24.99 for 2X-4X Large.
White: $16.99 for Sm-XL and $19.99 for 2X-4X Large.
You can order by clicking on the image.
Other colors and products with the “i am, i Will, i Do” design can be found here: www.cafepress.com/jabetasresale/1237263
All designs can be found here: www.cafepress.com/jabetasresale
Photo of the Day
Passion Vine
This absolutely beautiful flower grows on a vine and can be easily mistaken for a weed. That was the case when I moved into the house I’m living in now. Someone came over and thought it was a weed/vine and pulled it out. The neighbor said the lady that lived in the house before us had been growning it for years. One day I’ll find another to replace it. I never forgot what this flower looked like and 19 years later I found this photo.
Today's Words to Define
deleterious
diffident
enervate
enfranchise
epiphany
deleterious: \děl'ĭ-tîr'ē-əs\; Having a harmful effect; injurious; harmful often in a subtle or an unexpected way.
diffident: \dĭf'ĭ-dənt, -děnt'\; Lacking or marked by a lack of self-confidence; shy and timid; restrained or reserved in manner, conduct, etc.; lacking confidence in one's own ability, worth, or fitness; timid; shy.
enervate: \ěn'ər-vāt'\; To weaken or destroy the strength or vitality of; to deprive of force or strength; destroy the vigor of; weaken.
enfranchise: \ěn-frān'chīz'\; to bestow a franchise on; to endow with the rights of citizenship, especially the right to vote; to free, as from bondage.
epiphany: \ĭ-pĭf'ə-nē\; (initial capital letter) a Christian festival, observed on January 6, commemorating the manifestation of Christ to the gentiles in the persons of the Magi; twelve days after Christmas; celebrates the visit of the three wise men to the infant Jesus; an appearance or manifestation, esp. of a deity; a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.
Make a Difference
Help donate to six different charities. It’s FREE and it’ll make you feel good. No credit cards required. They don’t even ask for ANY personal information. All that IS required is a willingness to click on a link (well, actually 12 links). The total investment of your precious time is under 30 seconds ONCE a day! If you’d like you can check out each of the six charities and see other items for purchase and to help more. I have no affiliation with this site. I just feel the more we can do to help each other the better we’ll all be in the long run.
How it works: When you click, they display ads (all on one page—no pop-ups) from their site sponsors. 100% of the money from these advertisers goes to the site’s charity partners, who fund programs for each of the six charities below.Also, their store gives a portion of every purchase to their charity partners if you choose to peruse and purchase items.
The six sites and amount of donation per daily click:
The Animal Rescue Site: each daily click gives .6 bowls of food to rescued animals.
The Rainforest Site: you are helping to protect 11.4 square feet of rainforest.
The Literacy Site: 1% of the cost of a book is donated to fight illiteracy.
The Child Health Site: helps a child in need get healthcare; on avg. over 1000 children are helped each day.
The Breast Cancer Site: your daily click gives sponsor funds that are helping a woman in need get a free mammogram.
The Hunger Site: you give the value of 1.1 cups of food to the hungry for each daily click.
Just think if you told just one person and they told one person. Now, what if you told two people and they told two people? WOW! What a difference we can make!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Fans of Star Wars—Yoda Postage Stamp
Today, the U.S. Postal Service announced the issue of a Yoda commemorative 41¢ stamp. YaY! Seems that America voted and this was the top vote getter.
Postal Service Issues Yoda Commemorative Stamp Oct. 25
May the Force Be With You
INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Earlier this year America voted which of their favorite Star Wars characters should appear on a postage stamp. Beginning later this month, Hoosiers will be able to purchase stamps bearing the likeness of 900-year-old Jedi Master Yoda.
The Postal Service will issue a 41-cent Yoda commemorative stamp in New York City Oct. 25.
“With this special issuance, the U.S. Postal Service fulfills the wishes of the hundreds of thousands of people who voted online for their favorite Star Wars stamp,” said Al Eakle, a spokesman for the Greater Indiana District of the U.S. Postal Service. “This new stamp depicts Yoda as people have always known him: stately and wise, a mentor and a Jedi—and a major force in the most beloved space adventure of all time.”
The full Star Wars stamp collection — 15 images from the movie — will remain on sale until May 25, 2008, while the single Yoda stamp will remain available through Oct. 25, 2008, continuing one of the most unique collaborations in Star Wars and U.S. Postal Service history.
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first day of issue postmark by mail. They may purchase the new stamp at the NAME OF TOWN Post Office, at The Postal Store Web site at www.usps.com/shop or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:
YODA STAMP
POSTMASTER
421 EIGHTH AVE RM 2029B
NEW YORK NY 10199-9998.
After applying the first day of issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by December 24, 2007.
Stamp Fulfillment Services also offers first day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first day of issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic catalog. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-STAMP-24 or writing to:
INFORMATION FULFILLMENT
DEPT 6270
US POSTAL SERVICE
PO BOX 219014
KANSAS CITY MO 64121-9014
Philatelic Products
There are seven philatelic products available for this stamp issue:
Uncut Press - 461584 Sheet Left, $24.60
Uncut Press - 461586 Sheet Right, $24.60
First Day Cover- 461561, $0.79
Digital - $1.50 461565, Color Postmark,
Ceremony Program- 461591, $6.95
First - $8.99 461593, Day Cover Keepsake
Digital - $9.70 461599 Keepsake, Color Postmark Cancellation
Laugh of the Day
Thanks to my friends Bill & Rob for this one:
A man walks into a restaurant with a full-grown ostrich behind him. The waitress asks them for their orders.
The man says, “A hamburger, fries and a coke,” and turns to the ostrich, “What’s yours?” “I’ll have the same,” says the ostrich.
A short time later the waitress returns with the order “That will be $9.40 please,” and the man reaches into his pocket and pulls out the exact change for payment.
The next day, the man and the ostrich come again and the man says, “A hamburger, fries and a coke.”
The ostrich says, “I’ll have the same.” Again the man reaches into his pocket and pays with exact change.
This becomes routine until the two enter again. “The usual?” asks the waitress. “No, this is Friday night, so I will have a steak, baked potato and a salad,” says the man. “Same,” says the ostrich.
Shortly the waitress brings the order and says, “That will be $32.62.”
Once again the man pulls the exact change out of his pocket and places it on the table.
The waitress cannot hold back her curiosity any longer. “Excuse me, sir. How do you manage to always come up with the exact change in your pocket every time?”
“Well,” says the man, “several years ago I was cleaning the attic and found an old lamp. When I rubbed it, a Genie appeared and offered me two wishes.
My first wish was that if I ever had to pay for anything, I would just put my hand in my pocket and the right amount of money would always be there.”
“That’s brilliant!” says the waitress. “Most people would ask for a million dollars or something, but you’ll always be as rich as you want for as long as you live!”
“That’s right. Whether it’s a gallon of milk or a Rolls Royce, the exact money is always there,” says the man.
The waitress asks, “What’s with the ostrich?”
The man sighs, pauses and answers, “My second wish was for a tall chick with a big ass and long legs who agrees with everything I say.”
Editing Tip(s) of the Day
Dashes. Besides a regular dash, there is the en dash (–) and the em dash (—) and each is used differently. You use an en dash (the width of the letter ‘n’) to signify ranges (e.g. ‘Roughly 10–12 people showed up for the party.’) or durations (8:00 P.M.–2:00 A.M.) and an em dash (the width of the letter ‘m’) is used to connect two sentences. During my search for references for this tip, I found an excellent one at Wikipedia. It does a much better job at explaining this subject. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dash
If you work in HTML the codes are [without any spaces] & #8211; (en dash) and & #8212; (em dash). It really makes your pages look more professional when you use the correct dashes. More HTML codes here: www.ascii.cl/htmlcodes.htm or www.tntluoma.com/sidebars/codes/
T-Shirt of the Day
These t-shirts are only $16.99 for Sm-XL and $19.99 for 2X-4X Large. You can order by clicking on the image.
Other colors and products with the “I know you have one” design can be found here: www.cafepress.com/jabetasresale/1145299
All designs can be found here: www.cafepress.com/jabetasresale
Photo of the Day
Oregon Storm, Marilyn Affolter, Amity, ORAs some of you know, I love storms. When we have a storm, I’m the one in the back yard or on the porch watching with amazement. The new Storm Chasers on Discovery Channel has me riveted! I would love to be one of the crew members chasing down tornadoes. Just to see a real tornado would be awesome. Don’t get me wrong—I don’t like the aftermath of tornadoes and my heart goes out to all the victims.
Today's Words to Define
chromosome
churlish
circumlocution
circumnavigate
deciduous
chromosome: \krō'mə-sōm'\; A circular strand of DNA in bacteria that contains the hereditary information necessary for cell life; any of several threadlike bodies, consisting of chromatin, that carry the genes in a linear order: the human species has 23 pairs, designated 1 to 22 in order of decreasing size and X and Y for the female and male sex chromosomes respectively.
churlish: \chûr'lĭsh\; Of, like, or befitting a churl; boorish or vulgar; difficult to work or deal with, as soil.
circumlocution: \sûr'kəm-lō-kyōō'shən\; a roundabout or indirect way of speaking; the use of more words than necessary to express an idea; evasion in speech or writing; a style that involves indirect ways of expressing things.
circumnavigate: \sûr'kəm-nāv'ĭ-gāt'\; To proceed completely around; to go around; circumvent; to sail or fly around; make the circuit of by navigation.
deciduous: \dĭ-sĭj'ōō-əs\; shedding the leaves annually, as certain trees and shrubs; not permanent; transitory.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Laugh of the Day
A few days ago I was having some work done at my local garage. A blonde came in and asked for a seven-hundred-ten. We all looked at each other and another customer asked, “What is a seven-hundred-ten?”
She replied, “You know, the little piece in the middle of the engine, I have lost it and need a new one.” She replied that she did not know exactly what it was, but this piece had always been there.
The mechanic gave her a piece of paper and a pen and asked her to draw what the piece looked like. She drew a circle and in the middle of it wrote 710. He then took her over to another car which had its hood up and asked “is there a 710 on this car?”
She pointed and said, “Of course, it’s right there.”
If you’re not sure what a 710 is, Click Here.
Editing Tip(s) of the Day
Today’s tip is on paragraphs. When starting a story, most people don’t know that the first paragraph is NOT indented. A new, indented line tells you that you've come to a break between two paragraphs. The first paragraph doesn’t come after a break. It doesn’t need an indent. Neither does the first after a subheading.
Some people start with a drop cap or bold the first few words. I’ve even seen some start out with the first three words capitalized and bolded (I used this method on VCO articles).
Now on the second paragraph, you can indent (just a few space, not a gaping hole!) to signify the start of a new paragraph, or you can double-space between paragraphs, BUT then you would NOT indent—that would be redundant.
I've used the indent method on this article. I prefer the double-space method in my articles as you can see from prior posts. Here's just one reference:
spider.georgetowncollege.edu/t3/wsr/csc120/ruler97.htm
T-Shirt of the Day
Today’s t-shirt was inspired by the following video (music by sickpuppy, and amazingly viewed over 19.27 million times): www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4
These t-shirts are only $16.99 for Sm-XL and $19.99 for 2X-4X Large. You can order by clicking on the image.
Other colors and products with the “Free Hugs” design can be found here: www.cafepress.com/jabetasresale/1918908
All designs can be found here: www.cafepress.com/jabetasresale
Photo of the Day
The wildfires raging in southern California reminded me of today's photo. This awesome picture was taken in Bitterroot National Forest in Montana on August 6, 2000. The photographer, John McColgan, is a fire behavior analyst from Fairbanks, Alaska. He took the picture with a digital camera. Because he was working at the time he took the picture he cannot profit from it; however, the picture is a once-in-a-lifetime shot and should be shared.
Today's Words to Define
auspicious
belie
bellicose
bowdlerize
chicanery
auspicious: \ô-spĭsh'əs\; promising success; propitious; opportune; favored by fortune; prosperous; fortunate; attended by favorable circumstances; marked by success.
belie: \bĭ-lī'\; to show to be false; contradict; to misrepresent; to act unworthily according to the standards of (a tradition, one's ancestry, one's faith, etc.)
bellicose: \běl'ĭ-kōs'\; inclined or eager to fight; aggressively hostile; belligerent; pugnacious; warlike or hostile in manner or temperament; having or showing a ready disposition to fight.
bowdlerize: \bōd'lə-rīz', boud'-\; to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable.
chicanery: \shĭ-kā'nə-rē, chĭ-\; deception by trickery or sophistry; the use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money from them).
