Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Favorite Phrases from Descriptive Readings
“The wind is terrific out of the west” states Dillard in Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. The phrase is a fantastic use of the word terrific. Terrific is usually used in describing the goodness of something such as fantastic, excellent, or great! This use of the word really catches the eye and makes the phrase flow in way that it would not otherwise. If it said the wind is strong out of the west, then the phrase would be lacking in the flower and flow.
Chocolate on Sunday
While sipping my hot chocolate, I decided that I wanted to find out the history of the word “chocolate.” Surprising to me, the Oxford English Dictionary came up with much information about the word. One of the many definitions of “chocolate” is that it is “A beverage made from the seeds of the cacao-tree; now, as distinguished from cocoa, that is made by dissolving chocolate cake in boiling water or milk.” These definitions make “chocolate” a noun, but it can also be used as an adjective. The definition for its use as an adjective is “Chocolate-coloured; dark brown; in U.S. spec. of certain soils.” It has its origins in Spanish (Mexican) language. However, it is believed that the Europeans had a role in the origin too. It seems that they had started to call their drinks made of cocoa “cacaua-atl” derived from the Mexican word for cocoa “chocolatl.” One of the earliest quotations comes from E. Grimston D’Acosta’s Hist. Indies IV. xxii. 271 (1604) in which it says “The chiefe vse of this Cacao is in a drinke which they call Chocolate.” A quote about the word’s use as an adjective can be seen in Jrnl. Trav. Arkansa vi. 99 by T. Nuttall. In the journal Nuttall states “The chocolate or reddish-brown clay of the salt formation.” Who knew that a word could have such a delicious history?
Friday, October 14, 2005
Just Sit Back
Instant messaging, ramen instant lunch, instant gratification; all these things are examples of our collective impatience as a nation. Our focus is shifted towards the end, and far away from the means. Completely uncaring as to how to we get somewhere is fully overshadowed by our obsession with being there. And because we are so attentive to obtaining the goal, we are ill at ease when having to wait to achieve it. The concept of having to have some down time before getting somewhere, now even on the internet, is unthinkable. Some would view waiting as a waste of time or are made anxious or uneasy by their lack of activity, but I believe they’re missing the larger picture.
Thoughts on Mark Twain
I think that this is a very cool article about Mark Twain as he was growing up and first starting on his writing career. I think that it is crazy how he caused such a controversy at such a young age, especially since he was told to edit the newspaper. He caused such a huge controversy in his small little town, just from his little actions that he did, when he thought that it was funny and a good joke. I think that he is a very descriptive writer and is very good at writing in what kinds of emotions were flowing and setting the scene to what kind of attitude we should have. If I could meet Mark twain, I think that it would be a very interesting conversation and that it could go on for hours. I would probably ask him how much and what kind of things he read when he was a kid and what sparked his interest in reading so much. I would like to know how he found what he was truly passionate about and what makes him so passionate about it. Why does he like writing, and how does he keep it so interesting? Where does he get his Ideas from, and what does he spend most of his time on during his writing process? What are his favorite types of literature, and what is his favorite story that he has written? What does he do when he is trying to think of ideas for his next big project, and how does he even start such a tremendous work of literature?
Mark Twain is an amazing writer, and anyone who isn’t amazed by the things he does is crazy. Everything he does is done so amazingly and is done so well.
What’s in a Word
The Oxford English dictionary defines the word ethnic as “pertaining to race.” In other words, something that is ethnic is of a certain racial background, but the word has not always meant this. The word is originally from a Greek word that meant the “nations.” In the Bible this word was used to refer to the non-Jewish nations of the world also known as the gentiles. When the barbarian Goths who helped bring about the fall of Rome were converted to Christianity, they adopted this word to refer to other peoples or nations that did not follow either Judaism or Christianity, a definition that was similar to our modern word heathen. In fact, it was once commonly believed by linguists that heathen was a corrupted form of ethnic, this however has sense been discovered to not be the case as heathen more likely has it’s roots in the Germanic tongues. This confusion, however, led to an unusual spelling for the word ethnic as hethnic. Up until about the late 19th century the words ethnic and heathen had about the same meaning however, in the 1800’s people again started to use the word ethnic to refer to something pertaining to a nation or race. Over time, the definition for ethnic as someone who is heathen faded away, and thus the word ethnic came full circle back to it’s original and current meaning.
Response to quote on waiting
Waiting is a part of life. When you consider waiting in the context of your own life journey it becomes increasingly scary though. When the human mind is not working or trying to do something, it waits and starts to ponder. The brain says what if I never find a job, what if I don’t get good grades, or what if I am poor. People are generally unsure of the future and do not want to wait idle for it to come, I agree with Henri Nouwen.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Reaction to Henri Nouwen’s quote
I would definitely agree with the first half of Henri Nouwen’s quote about waiting. Today, our society is structured in a way that is based around productivity and getting the most out of every day. If there is a person who is waiting on somebody else, then they are not being productive with their time. They could be spending their time working on other projects or assignments. However, there are many times when people are forced to wait. If somebody is stuck in a traffic jam on the way to work or on a lunch break, there is little that they can do to get themselves out of it. Then people generally tend to get worked up about it even though they are helpless. A traffic jam is a perfect example of what Henri is talking about when he says “waiting is an awful desert between where they are and where they want to go. And people do not like such a place. They want to get out of it by doing something.” The phrase “time is money” comes into play and that is what it comes down to. People want to be on their own clock and not depending on somebody else’s schedule.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Stranger in a new place
Being at school and taking on a new series of events in your life may change what you will look forward to, but I still have a couple of things in mind. This fall and winter I have plans to pursue these items in which I take desire.
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Duct tape
A few nights ago, my roommate and I, along with our Barnabas leader, were all sitting in my room watching Family Guy on Adult Swim. It was around two in the morning and probably half of the residence hall had passed out around twelve thirty and so it was a relatively quiet night in the dorm.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Responding to Anne Lamott
Talking about her new students on the first day of class, Anne Lamott says “Historically they show up for the first workshop looking like bright goofy ducklings who will follow me anywhere, but by the time the second class rolls around, they look at me like the engagement is definitely off.” I like this phrase because this reminds me exactly of High school, I remember the first day, the teacher would do all the talking, and they would always try to make funny remarks to get some laughs out of the class, but nobody dared to laugh. By the time a week went by, the teacher wasn’t even able to handle the class because we were so out of control. It was like total opposites after we found how far we could push the teacher without them snapping at on us. By the end of the year, it was practically like there wasn’t any authority coming from the teacher. Another one is “…then you stare at it for an hour or so. You begin rocking, just a little at first, and like a huge autistic child. You look at the ceiling, and over at the clock, yawn, and stare at the paper again.” Although this is a little out of context, it is still a good line. This is how I feel every time I sit down to right a paper. I have no concentration, and can’t stop looking at things. Although it seems like if you and a good idea in you mind, you would be able to write a half way decent paper, but with me, even if I am writing about something I love, I am still not able to concentrate on the paper. My mind is always wondering , thinking about the dumbest thins, and the most irrelevant things ever.
Mirror Mirror…
“So we check the queen’s magic mirror to exhaustion, subtly, maybe unconsciously even. It may be in our genes. It may be survival of the fittest. But on some days, in some situations we’re probably there every half hour: ‘Mirror mirror on the wall, how am I doing today? Am I out ahead? Am I getting behind?’” (Blue 131)
I chose this phrase because it conveys the yearning, the frailness of humankind. It not only shows how we as a race aren’t perfect, but how are lives are controlled by our innate craving for worldly glory. Whether we will admit it or not, what others think about us and how we “measure up” matters immensely. At times it may even be how we define ourselves and our role in this world. This phrase just struck me as the perfect words to describe the behavior so many try to ignore or shove under the rug. Who would have thought that someone as evil as the queen in Snow White, a person that as children we despised, would be so similar to us? We check the mirror to exhaustion. Not just once or twice a day, but until we have nothing left to give. We are searching for the world’s glory, its approval, and how we live our lives. This is by far the best way I have ever heard this type of behavior, this natural human instinct described.
Unbelievable
Unbelievable, by Sam Harris, is a book about religion in the modern world. Harris makes the argument that religion, all religion, is the basis for violence. With the goal of ending violence, he says that all religion should be abolished.
Monday, October 03, 2005
Fun in the Snow
There is always something to look forward to in winter. I may be thinking of something a little more adventurous than most, but it is awesome and fun just the same. You can’t do this activity without a friend. You can’t do this activity without driving. You will need to add coverage to your insurance to protect yourself for this activity. There is no way of getting really hurt from doing this activity. This activity is having fun in the fresh powder snow, and my toy is a Jeep.