February 22, 2010

Mobile Blogging

Filed under: Random Thoughts, technology — admin @ 4:47 pm

I love my iPhone. And now I can write my random thoughts while I’m mobile. Which is kinda cool and fun. We will see if this encourages me to blog more.

Fair Winds and Following Seas

Filed under: Random Thoughts, TV general — admin @ 2:51 pm

How can I grieve for a man I’ve never met? Was he the Dali Lama or the Pope? Was he a September 11 hero? No, all he did was run a crab fishing boat on the Bering Sea.

http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/deadliest-catch-captain-phil-harris-fought-til-end-02-17-2010

DeadliestCatch has become more than a TV show for me. They have become this weird extended family that visits once a week (more if you count re-runs).  Don’t get me wrong - I haven’t lost touch with reality.  I know it is a TV show and the folks on there have NO idea who I am.  Although, I did get to meet the the Hillstrand’s & Captain Sig at a book signing, though. They look bigger on TV.  But for a brief moment the Captains and crews of the F/V’s Cornelia Marie, Northwestern, Time Bandit, and Wizard allow us into their lives to share the good, the bad and the ugly.

We cried with Jake Anderson when his beloved sister passed. And we have a new found respect for Captain Sig and his heart of gold.  We waited nervously with Captain Keith as he waited for his biopsy results. We gasped in horror as the 40′ wall of water nearly washed the Wizards crew away.  And then cried with Keith and jumped with as he was regaining his nerve.  We rejoiced with Johnathan when Scotty came, got mad when he left, and were happy again when he returned.  We dance with Johnathan & Andy when they are on the crab.  We miss the crew members who have retired.

On Feb 9, the Deadlist Catch was dealt a blow: Captain Phil Harris went crab fishing in the next life.

The Cornelia Marie is one of my favorites.  Maybe because she’s painted the same blue as you see in the Carribean. Or maybe she was painted to match her Captain’s eyes?

I roared with laughter when, after getting fed up with Josh & Jake fighting, Phil looked at the camera and said, “and now you know why Lions eat their young.”  I worried with the rest of the crew when Phil had his broken ribs (which turn out to be a more serious pulmonary embolism) - albeit long after the fact.  I was sad when Murray decided to retire - how would the Cornelia Marie go on?  I loved Phil’s unique fishing technique - look for the fart bubbles. If it smell like sh*t, then the crab must be there.  And the crazy part was it worked.

Life is weirdly unfair.  After Josh found out his about his Dad’s blood clots, he said that Phil had a guardian angel.  And I think he did.  He was given a 2nd chance after his embolism. He got to fish 1 more season with his boys.  And when Phil had his stroke - he was docked, close to a medical facility and not 90 miles out to sea. Phil’s Guardian Angel put him in the right places at the right times.

Fair Winds and Following Sea.  And may the Fart Bubbles always be easy to find.

January 29, 2010

Marriage

Filed under: quotes — admin @ 6:59 pm

Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads which sew people together through the years. That is what makes a marriage last - more than passion or even sex!” Simone Signoret

Marriage Quote

Filed under: literature, quotes — admin @ 6:58 pm
“A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.” Mignon McLaughlin

Love Quote

Filed under: quotes — admin @ 6:57 pm

~ Love at first sight is easy to understand; it’s when two people have been looking at each other for a lifetime that it becomes a miracle. ~ Amy Bloom

Yo, Dude! The Origins of Common Slang Words

Filed under: literature — admin @ 6:56 pm

Yo, Dude! The Origins of Common Slang Words

By: Danielle Samaniego

Slang is defined as an informal nonstandard vocabulary composed typically of coinages, arbitrarily changed words, and extravagant, forced, or facetious figures of speech, according to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary.

In other words, slang can be “a dope spin on a sick word that deserves props for being mad fly, yo.”

And yet, in the age of And yet, in the age of

Coining original jargon that’s able to catch on with the masses is a feat not just accomplished through popular and hip-hop culture. There are a slew of phrases that have become so commonplace, it’s easy to forget that they’re inherently slang. Here’s a look at some of these words, new and old, that have had an impact on our vernacular.

Dude
So popular it hardly seems like slang, Merriam-Webster defines “dude” as a city dweller unfamiliar with life on the range, an Easterner in the West, and a fellow or guy—sometimes used informally as a term of address. This jargon dates back to the 1880s, according to an article in the New York Times. The article, itself dating back to 1900, states, “Considering the number of German immigrants into the United States, we naturally suspect it to have been suggested by some German dialect. It can hardly be other than an abbreviated form of duden-pop, a blockhead, a common term of depreciation in many parts.”

Bling-Bling
Initially it was little more than a written sound effect that reflected a shine. But the term was later born out of the hip-hop culture to represent garish jewelry worn in the late 1990s. Members of the Louisiana-based Cash Money Millionaires, a group of rappers from the same label known as Cash Money Records, were among the first to use the phrase in their music. Rapper B.G. used “bling-bling” in a song title as did Lil’ Wayne in the song “Millionaire Dream.” Lil’ Wayne also recorded with Cash Money Records. Since its acceptance, the term has arguably peaked in popularity. I mean, when
Mitt Romney starts using “bling-bling,” it reeks of overexposure.

Yo
The phrase was made popular as a sailor or huntsman’s call circa 1420, according to dictionary.com. It gained popularity during World War II as a common response at roll calls. Today, however, it’s more likely you’ll hear it in the following examples: “Yo, what’s up for tonight?” or “Yo, just do your homework, yo!” Ah, the beauty of versatile slang.

Hipster
Currently referring to a lifestyle usually defined by skinny jeans, ironic T-shirts, and some sort of artsy or nomadic background, the term itself actually sprang out of the 1940s in reference to those into the jazz scene. Nowadays you’d likely find hipsters hanging out in coffee shops feigning aloofness (especially in places like the Mission District in San Francisco, Silver Lake, California, and/or Brooklyn), though it wouldn’t be so surprising to find them in a jazz club either, for the cool factor and all.

Gnarly
Sean Penn’s “Jeff Spicoli” said it best in the 1980s classic Fast Times at Ridgemont High, bringing the term originally stemming from the word “gnarl”—meaning contorted or twisted—from the confines of surfer culture into the mainstream of pop culture. Its slang version now refers to something that’s cool or lame, depending on the user’s preference. The online etymology dictionary dates “gnarl” back to 1814, stating that the 19th century romantic poets picked it up and brought it into currency.

Geek
Another popular term derived from German, the slang version refers to an enthusiast or expert, particularly in a technological field or activity, according to Merriam-Webster’s, but it has since expanded to everyone from your comic book aficionado to that over-informed music lover. It originated in 1914, deriving its etymology from the English dialect geek, geck (fool) and “geck,” from Middle Low German. Of course, seeking the origin of such a word is, in fact, pretty geeky in itself, which is why it had to make the list!

Phat
Back in the 1990s, this slang phrase was all the rage as a way to point out something or someone who was “Pretty Hot and Tempting.” Its origin is not entirely clear, though the online etymology dictionary says the hip-hop acronym used to express “great” or “excellent” goes back to the late 1980s, initially meaning “sexiness in a woman.” The spelling is attested as far back as 1678, as an erroneous form of fat (a classical over-correction). While it’s fallen out of favor in the new millennium, you might find yourself hearing it thrown around these days for kitsch sake, like “rad” or “fly.”

Groovy
In its heyday, groovy was the word. If it was cool, it was groovy. If it was fun, it was groovy. If it was excellent, it was groovy. Its popularity soared during the 1960s, only to lose its groove by the 1980s. Merriam-Webster’s dates it back to the 1930s. Supposedly, it came out of the Jazz culture where the word was used to describe the groove of the music.

Cheesy
Yes, the base of the word itself is derived from everyone’s favorite dairy product (sans you lactose intolerant kids), but it refers to something that’s trite, cliché, or of poor quality. Example: “That romantic comedy was so cheesy; I saw the ending coming a mile away.” Its etymology stems from the Urdu word chiz, meaning “a thing.” By 1818, the British in India picked it up and used it in the sense of “a big thing,” according to the Online Etymology Dictionary. By 1858, cheesy had evolved a slang meaning of “showy,” which led to the modern, ironic sense.

Schlock
It’s not just the hip-hop culture we tend to borrow from when it comes to our slang. There are lots of slang words that are little more than twists on Yiddish terms, and that includes schlock. Spelled “shlak” (meaning evil or nuisance) in American Yiddish, we have come to know it as meaning “of low quality.” Merriam-Webster dates it to 1916, but you’ll likely hear it these days when someone is referencing a B-movie or the latest by Quentin Tarantino, who actually strives to put schlock into his work for that cult classic effect.

Cracking into the cultural zeitgeist with the right slang word isn’t always easy, but when it hits, it can explode, as evidenced above. And if and when the sun finally sets on a favorite phrase, you can be sure there’s bound to be another “dawg” or “jiggy” right around the corner.

First published July 2009

Groovy
In its heyday, groovy was the word. If it was cool, it was groovy. If it was fun, it was groovy. If it was excellent, it was groovy. Its popularity soared during the 1960s, only to lose its groove by the 1980s. Merriam-Webster’s dates it back to the 1930s. Supposedly, it came out of the Jazz culture where the word was used to describe the groove of the music.

Cheesy
Yes, the base of the word itself is derived from everyone’s favorite dairy product (sans you lactose intolerant kids), but it refers to something that’s trite, cliché, or of poor quality. Example: “That romantic comedy was so cheesy; I saw the ending coming a mile away.” Its etymology stems from the Urdu word chiz, meaning “a thing.” By 1818, the British in India picked it up and used it in the sense of “a big thing,” according to the Online Etymology Dictionary. By 1858, cheesy had evolved a slang meaning of “showy,” which led to the modern, ironic sense.

Schlock
It’s not just the hip-hop culture we tend to borrow from when it comes to our slang. There are lots of slang words that are little more than twists on Yiddish terms, and that includes schlock. Spelled “shlak” (meaning evil or nuisance) in American Yiddish, we have come to know it as meaning “of low quality.” Merriam-Webster dates it to 1916, but you’ll likely hear it these days when someone is referencing a B-movie or the latest by Quentin Tarantino, who actually strives to put schlock into his work for that cult classic effect.

Cracking into the cultural zeitgeist with the right slang word isn’t always easy, but when it hits, it can explode, as evidenced above. And if and when the sun finally sets on a favorite phrase, you can be sure there’s bound to be another “dawg” or “jiggy” right around the corner.

First published July 2009

January 2, 2009

Brooks’ Law

Filed under: quotes, technology — admin @ 12:23 pm
Brooks’ Law:
“Adding manpower to a late software project makes it later.”
 
Who said it: Frederick P Brooks, Jr. in The Mythical Man-Month 1975
 
What it means: Getting new team members up to speed delays development even more than just finishing the job with the existing team.
What too many people think it means: A crazy idea. If throwing more people at the problem doesn’t help how could it hurt?
Why the difference matters: Developing systems isn’t like picking sweet corn. Until we all understand that, we’ll keep wasting the time and people we throw at projects that slip their schedules.
 
From Computer World’s column Frankly Speaking by Frank Hayes (currently it’s hanging on my wall). Don’t ask me when. It’s old.

The octopus who loves his Mr Potato Head

Filed under: News, animals & other critters, humor — admin @ 11:40 am
Here’s another one.

The octopus who loves his Mr Potato Head

Louis cuddles his Mr Potato Head

Louis cuddles his Mr Potato Head

Louis the octopus clearly thinks two heads are better than one when it comes to toys.

The 1.8m-wide (6ft) creature is so attached to Mr Potato Head that he turns aggressive when aquarium staff try to remove it from his tank.

The giant Pacific octopus was given the toy for Christmas and has even learned to dig out food hidden in a secret box at the back of it.

‘He’s fascinated by it,’ said Matt Slater, of the Blue Reef Aquarium in Newquay, Cornwall. ‘He attacks the net we use to fish the toy out every time we try to take it away.’

Mr Slater added: ‘Octopuses are very intelligent and they like to be stimulated and busy.’

Otto the octopus wreaks havoc

Filed under: News, animals & other critters, humor — admin @ 11:30 am

Otto the octopus wreaks havoc

A octopus has caused havoc in his aquarium by performing juggling tricks using his fellow occupants, smashing rocks against the glass and turning off the power by short circuiting a lamp.

Last Updated: 12:22PM GMT 03 Nov 2008 

The culprit of the smashed glass and broken lamp is two foot seven inch Otto. Photo: EUROPICS
The culprit of the smashed glass and broken lamp is two foot seven inch Otto. Photo: EUROPICS

Staff believe that the octopus called Otto had been annoyed by the bright light shining into his aquarium and had discovered he could extinguish it by climbing onto the rim of his tank and squirting a jet of water in its direction.

The short-circuit had baffled electricians as well as staff at the Sea Star Aquarium in Coburg, Germany, who decided to take shifts sleeping on the floor to find out what caused the mysterious blackouts.

A spokesman said: “It was a serious matter because it shorted the electricity supply to the whole aquarium that threatened the lives of the other animals when water pumps ceased to work.

“It was on the third night that we found out that the octopus Otto was responsible for the chaos.

“We knew that he was bored as the aquarium is closed for winter, and at two feet, seven inches Otto had discovered he was big enough to swing onto the edge of his tank and shoot out the 2000 Watt spot light above him with a carefully directed jet of water.”

Director Elfriede Kummer who witnessed the act said: “We’ve put the light a bit higher now so he shouldn’t be able to reach it. But Otto is constantly craving for attention and always comes up with new stunts so we have realised we will have to keep more careful eye on him - and also perhaps give him a few more toys to play with.

“Once we saw him juggling the hermit crabs in his tank, another time he threw stones against the glass damaging it. And from time to time he completely re-arranges his tank to make it suit his own taste better - much to the distress of his fellow tank inhabitants.”

December 24, 2008

Exodus Decoded - Science vs God

Filed under: TV summaries/critiques, religion — admin @ 7:51 am

This is my final bit on The Exodus Decoded on the History Channel. One of the frequent comments left on Chris Heard’s website was that because he was pointing out Simcha’s errors/oversights/manipulations he has no faith and he was making the blog and the program all about the science. Actally Chris was just dealing with Simcha’s stated beliefs/observations that the 10 plagues could be proven be science. Simcha took God out of the Biblical 10 plagues, not Chris.

My question is why can’t we come up with a scientific explanations for God’s creations? If God uses the Earth to send us a message… should we take that message less seriously? No, of course not. Think back to a place and time when you could have been in the middle of a great tragedy, but weren’t because you decided to go the other way. Or even missed a huge traffic jam because you went home a way that you is normally off your route. Why did these things happen? A subtle push by a Divine hand of which you aren’t aware? But just because it’s scientific doesn’t mean it’s not divine. But then again on the other hand… just because it’s a big earth quake or tsunami doesn’t mean there’s a reason behind it. It could just be the earth stretching. It a fine line to be sure. Science isn’t always the answer. It may, in time, be able to explain many things in the Bible, but I don’t think it will ever explain everything. Which is ok in my opinion. The Bible is about faith, not science.

Will we ever find the reasons behind the 10 plagues? Maybe, but we probably won’t. Which, in my opinion, is fine. The Bible is about faith, not science. I think the Bible is a collection of stories that teach us to be better people. Are they real? It’s hard to imagine a 900 year old man doing anything but being a mummy. In a time when the average lifespan was 25, even a person 75 would have out lived 2 generations! So maybe… just maybe… some things are exaggerated. Slowly the archeology is catching up with the Bible. That’s science, isn’t it?

Not all things in life should be explained, even if it’s just a simple card trick. It’s about keeping a sense of wonder at the glories we have given to us every day. Look at a sunrise or a sunset or a rainbow. We can explain them with science. Does that make them any less amazing or beautiful? Not to me. It’s God taking his paint brush and painting us a daily reminder of how good life is.

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