All you will see is a girl you once knew (although she's dressed up to the nines) at sixes and sevens with you. ~Don't Cry For Me, Argentina (Evita).
There are (thankfully) many, many years between me and my Andrew Lloyd Weber days, but over the weekend I found myself dwelling on these lyrics. I still think it clever that ALW worked these number-based phrases into his lyrics, and after a wildly hilarious game of Apples to Apples this weekend in which these phrases came into play, I decided to finally look into the etymology of these sayings.
Dressed to the Nines
AskOxford says that the first recorded instance of "to the nines" comes from a Robert Burns poem in 1793, and is later recorded in a slang dictionary in 1859. The Phrase Finder (UK) points out that the link between material and clothing (9 yards of material for expensive clothing, for example) is weak, but that the number nine has always been used as a superlative. And WiseGeek says "anything is possible whenever dictionaries throw down the etymological gauntlet known as 'origin unknown.'" The phrase could have originally been "dressed to the eyes" for all we know! Today, the phrase means to be dressed most smartly or flamboyantly.
At Sixes and Sevens
The Phrase Finder points out the earliest known instance of the phrase comes from Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde, and was a phrase used in gambling language at the time meaning to risk all your fortune on the highest numbers of the dice. Of course, the highest numbers then and now would have been five and six, but the Online Etymology Dictionary says that the phrase could have morphed over the years from the French cinque and sice to sixes and sevens. Today the phrase means to be in a state of total confusion and frustration.
Basically, Eva is all stressed up with nowhere to go. And I need a new earworm. I don't want to be singing songs from Evita any longer than I have been!
11.30.2008
11.29.2008
artículo post
That's IT! The DH and I were trying to remember this word the whole week...
Polydundant describes those phrases that are redundant because the words in the phrase mean the same thing, but are in different languages. (I first heard the word from the Dictionary Evangelist, which she gathered at the Pop!Tech conference. Her example was Panera Bread Company, which of course means Bread Bread Company.) My favorite example is Agora Market (located on Lyndale and Franklin in Minneapolis). (Agora is a greek marketplace.)
But if you don't want to be trendy, you can simply refer to these types of phrases in the traditional way -- as etymologically redundant expressions.
Polydundant describes those phrases that are redundant because the words in the phrase mean the same thing, but are in different languages. (I first heard the word from the Dictionary Evangelist, which she gathered at the Pop!Tech conference. Her example was Panera Bread Company, which of course means Bread Bread Company.) My favorite example is Agora Market (located on Lyndale and Franklin in Minneapolis). (Agora is a greek marketplace.)
But if you don't want to be trendy, you can simply refer to these types of phrases in the traditional way -- as etymologically redundant expressions.
11.28.2008
Aaahhh...blaaaaaccck
Oooohhhhhh -- that's why it's called "Black Friday." For companies "in the red" this major shopping day helps them get back in the black! I'm surprised it took me this many years to figure it out -- I use spreadsheets often, so am quite used to seeing the negative numbers displayed in red and the positive numbers displayed in ... well ... you get it.
11.27.2008
Vietnamese
I have the cutest hairdresser. He's Vietnamese, has a thick accent and a loud high pitched voice, and is always at the ready to great customers with a sing-song "Can I help you?". He's awesome.
During my last haircut he gave me an eight-minute version of Vietnamese history, and focused mainly on the written language. I never really realized that the official Vietnamese language is written with the roman alphabet.
Or, as my hairdresser would have it, "it's written a, b, c."
Basically, there were three manifestations of the written Vietnamese language throughout time. In ancient history, the Chinese ruled Vietnam which (among other things) greatly impacted the development of the language and Classical Chinese was the written language for many centuries. The 1600s brought French missionaries to the area, and they kind of rewrote the language using roman letters for their ease, but it was never standardized or used much outside of the missions. When the French colonial government came, they mandated the use of and standardized the final manifestation of the written language -- quoc ngu. (Actually, the French preferred the French language, but recognized the quoc ngu as the offical language in the early 1900s...). When Vietnam won independence from France in 1945, the provisional government declared quoc ngu to be the official language of The Republic of Vietnam.
Or, as my hairdresser would have it, "the French came in, made up the lanugage. Then they got tired and left."
During my last haircut he gave me an eight-minute version of Vietnamese history, and focused mainly on the written language. I never really realized that the official Vietnamese language is written with the roman alphabet.
Or, as my hairdresser would have it, "it's written a, b, c."
Basically, there were three manifestations of the written Vietnamese language throughout time. In ancient history, the Chinese ruled Vietnam which (among other things) greatly impacted the development of the language and Classical Chinese was the written language for many centuries. The 1600s brought French missionaries to the area, and they kind of rewrote the language using roman letters for their ease, but it was never standardized or used much outside of the missions. When the French colonial government came, they mandated the use of and standardized the final manifestation of the written language -- quoc ngu. (Actually, the French preferred the French language, but recognized the quoc ngu as the offical language in the early 1900s...). When Vietnam won independence from France in 1945, the provisional government declared quoc ngu to be the official language of The Republic of Vietnam.
Or, as my hairdresser would have it, "the French came in, made up the lanugage. Then they got tired and left."
11.25.2008
No limits for governors here
There is some speculation that Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak would run for governor of Minnesota in 2010 (something I would love to see, and at this point would definitely support him). And this lead us to a discussion the other morning about whether our current governor could or would run again, and that lead us to an attempt to figure out if governors had term limits.
And the answer in Minnesota is no.
The Council of State Governments' Book of the States outlines which states follow which practices for state official term limits. (Found via National Governors Association). And it varies from state to state -- some have two-year terms, most have four-year terms; many allow no more than two consecutive terms, others have no term limits in place at all.
The Book of the States (an annual publication) publishes just about everything one may need to know about a state's government, and includes that hard-to-find information along with an expert essay about state trends. (I have never seen this publication -- I work with a small print reference collection, and it doesn't seem to be published in its entirety anywhere on the web).
Another aspect of the governorship that varies in eight states is succession. In most states the lieutenant governor takes over, but in eight states it could be the secretary of state or the speaker of the senate. And, Oregon is the only state that does not have any tools in place to impeach a governor.
And the answer in Minnesota is no.
The Council of State Governments' Book of the States outlines which states follow which practices for state official term limits. (Found via National Governors Association). And it varies from state to state -- some have two-year terms, most have four-year terms; many allow no more than two consecutive terms, others have no term limits in place at all.
The Book of the States (an annual publication) publishes just about everything one may need to know about a state's government, and includes that hard-to-find information along with an expert essay about state trends. (I have never seen this publication -- I work with a small print reference collection, and it doesn't seem to be published in its entirety anywhere on the web).
Another aspect of the governorship that varies in eight states is succession. In most states the lieutenant governor takes over, but in eight states it could be the secretary of state or the speaker of the senate. And, Oregon is the only state that does not have any tools in place to impeach a governor.
11.24.2008
Finding dead people
I learned of some resources to discover family connections recently, and although I am not into genealogy, I want to remember these. So, after exploring Ancestry and Heritage Quest online at your local library, these sites might give some additional links...
Cyndi's List
A list of genealogy sites that you can browse by categories such as adoption, oral histories, orphans and various countries.
Dead Fred
A photo archive for the enthusiast. This site seems to depend on contributions from its users, but I like the list of surnames and possibilities. There's also a great mystery section!
WorldGenWeb and WorldGenWeb for Kids
I knew about the USGenWeb before, but missed the WorldGenWeb. A volunteer organization that maintains great starting points for genealogists around the world. Most sites include information about local resources, and I came across several that were in their original languages.
And one tip...
Graveyards and Cemetaries
Lots of cemeteries post their lists of burials (lots don't of course) but finding those cemetaries can be a great starting point, and Cemetery Junction is there to help you do just that. Finding the actual graves can be a good way to get some birth and death dates, and names of relatives. You can also submit (in fact, you are encouraged to submit) graves you know of at Find a Grave in addition to searching for graves. Interment.com publishes cemetery records as well. All of these depend on the kindness (and initiative) of strangers to get the information up there, but there's a lot there already.
Cyndi's List
A list of genealogy sites that you can browse by categories such as adoption, oral histories, orphans and various countries.
Dead Fred
A photo archive for the enthusiast. This site seems to depend on contributions from its users, but I like the list of surnames and possibilities. There's also a great mystery section!
WorldGenWeb and WorldGenWeb for Kids
I knew about the USGenWeb before, but missed the WorldGenWeb. A volunteer organization that maintains great starting points for genealogists around the world. Most sites include information about local resources, and I came across several that were in their original languages.
And one tip...
Graveyards and Cemetaries
Lots of cemeteries post their lists of burials (lots don't of course) but finding those cemetaries can be a great starting point, and Cemetery Junction is there to help you do just that. Finding the actual graves can be a good way to get some birth and death dates, and names of relatives. You can also submit (in fact, you are encouraged to submit) graves you know of at Find a Grave in addition to searching for graves. Interment.com publishes cemetery records as well. All of these depend on the kindness (and initiative) of strangers to get the information up there, but there's a lot there already.
11.23.2008
Go...transportation
I must have been having a day where I signed up for anything and everything I stumbled across online a few months ago.
In my email inbox at work I had a notification that the next issue of Go! was available, and I thought "what the heck is this? I wouldn't register with a women's magazine online..." And, indeed I didn't, for it turns out that Go! is all about transportation...for teens. I'm still trying to figure out why I even signed up for it in the first place, and while I was trying to figure that out I came across a few interesting tidbits.
MyKey is a new technology (currently available in the 2009 Ford Focus) that supposedly works as a self-regulator for bad drivers. "The transponder unit inside your key fob transmits and receives messages to and from your vehicle" and the car's computer adjusts what the car is doing when it hits certain benchmarks. Good driving behavior, according to this technology, involves not exceeding 80 mph (this would never fly in Germany) and maintaining a stereo decibel level no higher than 44.
When a railroad bridge collapses, the rail company that owns it is responsible for funding the repairs (unlike highways and freeways, which are government funded). The Northern Railway Company is responsible, for example, for fixing the downed bridges in Iowa (resulting from the recent floods) and, in the meantime, are seriously losing revenue from having to take the long way around.
A bicyclist in Ames, Iowa was issued a $50 fine for failing to yield at a train crossing (she yielded for the first train, but not the second that was traveling in the opposite direction). This, after she was hit by the train, thrown from her bike and suffered many broken bones. The folks at Operation Lifesaver continue to work to educate and reduce the number of accidents at railroad crossings.
In my email inbox at work I had a notification that the next issue of Go! was available, and I thought "what the heck is this? I wouldn't register with a women's magazine online..." And, indeed I didn't, for it turns out that Go! is all about transportation...for teens. I'm still trying to figure out why I even signed up for it in the first place, and while I was trying to figure that out I came across a few interesting tidbits.
MyKey is a new technology (currently available in the 2009 Ford Focus) that supposedly works as a self-regulator for bad drivers. "The transponder unit inside your key fob transmits and receives messages to and from your vehicle" and the car's computer adjusts what the car is doing when it hits certain benchmarks. Good driving behavior, according to this technology, involves not exceeding 80 mph (this would never fly in Germany) and maintaining a stereo decibel level no higher than 44.
When a railroad bridge collapses, the rail company that owns it is responsible for funding the repairs (unlike highways and freeways, which are government funded). The Northern Railway Company is responsible, for example, for fixing the downed bridges in Iowa (resulting from the recent floods) and, in the meantime, are seriously losing revenue from having to take the long way around.
A bicyclist in Ames, Iowa was issued a $50 fine for failing to yield at a train crossing (she yielded for the first train, but not the second that was traveling in the opposite direction). This, after she was hit by the train, thrown from her bike and suffered many broken bones. The folks at Operation Lifesaver continue to work to educate and reduce the number of accidents at railroad crossings.
11.21.2008
Oh, Grumpy
Aaahhhh, the 80s. I was a child in the 80s, and I like to think that I know my fashions, sitcoms and toys of the decade quite well. (Popular music? Not so much. I basically only listened to Michael Jackson, Madonna and Debbie Gibson. Explains a lot). I had Pound Puppies, Cabbage Patch Kids, Garbage Pail Kids, Rainbow Brite and Strawberry Shortcake, My Little Ponies, a Glo Worm, Transformers...(this started to look like a long list, but no...) and Care Bears.
And, like children today, I watched the shows, read the books and really got to know the stories of my favorite dolls and stuffed animals. I had Funshine Bear, but I thought I took great care in familiarizing myself with all the Care Bears and their cousins.
Why am I writing about this? - Part I
This Halloween someone came dressed up as Good Luck Bear (with a very impressive costume, but I don't remember my Care Bears drinking beer and smoking cigarettes) and of course, some of us started discussing the other Care Bears. My friends were convinced there was a purple bear with a rain cloud, but I, in all my life, had never seen such a bear nor could I imagine that there would be a gloomy Care Bear.
Why am I writing about this? - Part II
I have a bookshelf at the library for some favorite, highly merchanized characters -- Arthur, Caillou, Dora & Diego, Thomas the Train, etc. One of my teen volunteers could not find the Care Bear section when she was shelving books the other day. I started to tell her that the Care Bears don't have their own section, but stopped mid-sentence before I could tell her where to shelve it.
For there in her hands, Dear Readers, was a book was called Snow Fun. And it features Grumpy Bear.
The ten original Care Bears are BedTime Bear, Birthday Bear, Cheer Bear, Friend Bear, Funshine Bear, Good Luck Bear, Grumpy Bear, Love-a-lot Bear, Tenderheart Bear, and Wish Bear. Grumpy Bear shows us "how silly we look when we frown to much" but he also validates the grumpy feeling that children can have, and the rest of the Bear's stories can be found here as well.
And, like children today, I watched the shows, read the books and really got to know the stories of my favorite dolls and stuffed animals. I had Funshine Bear, but I thought I took great care in familiarizing myself with all the Care Bears and their cousins.
Why am I writing about this? - Part I
This Halloween someone came dressed up as Good Luck Bear (with a very impressive costume, but I don't remember my Care Bears drinking beer and smoking cigarettes) and of course, some of us started discussing the other Care Bears. My friends were convinced there was a purple bear with a rain cloud, but I, in all my life, had never seen such a bear nor could I imagine that there would be a gloomy Care Bear.
Why am I writing about this? - Part II
I have a bookshelf at the library for some favorite, highly merchanized characters -- Arthur, Caillou, Dora & Diego, Thomas the Train, etc. One of my teen volunteers could not find the Care Bear section when she was shelving books the other day. I started to tell her that the Care Bears don't have their own section, but stopped mid-sentence before I could tell her where to shelve it.
For there in her hands, Dear Readers, was a book was called Snow Fun. And it features Grumpy Bear.
The ten original Care Bears are BedTime Bear, Birthday Bear, Cheer Bear, Friend Bear, Funshine Bear, Good Luck Bear, Grumpy Bear, Love-a-lot Bear, Tenderheart Bear, and Wish Bear. Grumpy Bear shows us "how silly we look when we frown to much" but he also validates the grumpy feeling that children can have, and the rest of the Bear's stories can be found here as well.
11.12.2008
The Letter B
Wednesdays are my storytime day.
After we sing our welcome song we check the mailbox for the letter of the day. Usually we get the letters first (which are giant magnetic foam capital and lower case letters) and name them, pronounce them and trace them in the air with our fingers. Then we see what else the mailman has left for us -- which is a bunch of various objects that start with the sound of the day, or have some connection to the sound of the day. I'm not a "theme" person when it comes to storytime, but my first books, songs, fingerplays, etc., tend to emphasize the letter of the day. So in my planning I tend to think about the letter.
Today, we got the letter B.
As it happens words that start with the letter of the day/week stick out for me. (This happens more often than I care to admit.) A few things from this week....
Barouche
One of the things we learn about Robert Ferrars in Emma Thompson's Sense and Sensibility is that he is "quite the most popular bachelor in London. He has his own barouche." As I was watching the best version (read: only version worth watching) of Pride and Prejudice over the weekend, I was reminded
that I had never seen one.
The fancy convertible of the early 1800s, its features include seats that face each other and a collapseable top.
Bataan
Not spelled b-a-t-o-n (as I previously assumed), Bataan is a province in the Philippines. Imperial Japan captured Bataan and were able to force a surrender from American and Filipino troops in 1942. They forced their prisoners to walk 60 miles to death camps, and this event is what is known as the Bataan Death March. There is a new
Barack Obama's transition website is Change.gov.
After we sing our welcome song we check the mailbox for the letter of the day. Usually we get the letters first (which are giant magnetic foam capital and lower case letters) and name them, pronounce them and trace them in the air with our fingers. Then we see what else the mailman has left for us -- which is a bunch of various objects that start with the sound of the day, or have some connection to the sound of the day. I'm not a "theme" person when it comes to storytime, but my first books, songs, fingerplays, etc., tend to emphasize the letter of the day. So in my planning I tend to think about the letter.
Today, we got the letter B.
As it happens words that start with the letter of the day/week stick out for me. (This happens more often than I care to admit.) A few things from this week....
Barouche
One of the things we learn about Robert Ferrars in Emma Thompson's Sense and Sensibility is that he is "quite the most popular bachelor in London. He has his own barouche." As I was watching the best version (read: only version worth watching) of Pride and Prejudice over the weekend, I was reminded
that I had never seen one.The fancy convertible of the early 1800s, its features include seats that face each other and a collapseable top.
Bataan
Not spelled b-a-t-o-n (as I previously assumed), Bataan is a province in the Philippines. Imperial Japan captured Bataan and were able to force a surrender from American and Filipino troops in 1942. They forced their prisoners to walk 60 miles to death camps, and this event is what is known as the Bataan Death March. There is a new
Barack Obama's transition website is Change.gov.
11.07.2008
Random tidbits
Just passing along some random tidbits from the week...
- The quad cities are Davenport, Bettendorf, Moline, and Rock Island;
- Time Magazine Archives online date back to 1923;
- The word for throwing someone or something out the window is defenestration;
- There's a difference between criminal and civil fingerprint databases;
- Cesar Millan is the Dog Whisperer; and
- As the world knows, the Dewey Decimal number 973.932 will go to the Barack Obama administration.
11.06.2008
One year and prompts
I started this blog one year ago today, and must confess that it lasted about 50 weeks longer than I expected. This is a good thing for me, and I really enjoy the writing and I really enjoy my readers. That's you.
Every blogger I know eventually does a why I blog thing...
..and every blogger I know eventually needs a few tools or techniques to overcome writer's block.
I came across such a tool at the Tragic Optimist just in time (a week ago -- it took me a week to get going on writing something!). "The idea is to give one word answers to the questions, which is cool when you're stuck on writing, because all of a sudden you want to write more. Perfect!"
1. Where is your cell phone? purse
2. Where is your significant other? couch
3. Your hair color? brown
4. Your mother? awesome
5. Your father? awesome
6. Your favorite thing? purple swarovski necklace
7. Your dream last night? none
8. Your dream goal? expatriation
9. The room you're in? narrow
10. Your hobby? quilting
11. Your fear? amputation
12. Where do you want to be in six years? here
13. Where were you last night? home
14. What you're not? snuffleupagus
15. A wish list item? wii
16. Where you grew up? Duluth
17. The last thing you did? sneeze
18. What are you wearing? sweats
19. Your TV? off
10. Your pets? perfection
21. Your computer? macbook
22. Your mood? irritable
23. Missing someone? yup
24. Your car? pos
25. Something you're not wearing? topsiders
26. Favorite store? borders
27. Your summer? hectic
28. Love someone? yup
29. Your favorite color? purple
30. Last time you laughed? Tuesday
31. Last time you cried? forgot
There. I killed two proverbial casual-blogger birds with one post.
I'm all about efficiency here at Oranges and Peaches.
Every blogger I know eventually does a why I blog thing...
..and every blogger I know eventually needs a few tools or techniques to overcome writer's block.
I came across such a tool at the Tragic Optimist just in time (a week ago -- it took me a week to get going on writing something!). "The idea is to give one word answers to the questions, which is cool when you're stuck on writing, because all of a sudden you want to write more. Perfect!"
1. Where is your cell phone? purse
2. Where is your significant other? couch
3. Your hair color? brown
4. Your mother? awesome
5. Your father? awesome
6. Your favorite thing? purple swarovski necklace
7. Your dream last night? none
8. Your dream goal? expatriation
9. The room you're in? narrow
10. Your hobby? quilting
11. Your fear? amputation
12. Where do you want to be in six years? here
13. Where were you last night? home
14. What you're not? snuffleupagus
15. A wish list item? wii
16. Where you grew up? Duluth
17. The last thing you did? sneeze
18. What are you wearing? sweats
19. Your TV? off
10. Your pets? perfection
21. Your computer? macbook
22. Your mood? irritable
23. Missing someone? yup
24. Your car? pos
25. Something you're not wearing? topsiders
26. Favorite store? borders
27. Your summer? hectic
28. Love someone? yup
29. Your favorite color? purple
30. Last time you laughed? Tuesday
31. Last time you cried? forgot
There. I killed two proverbial casual-blogger birds with one post.
I'm all about efficiency here at Oranges and Peaches.
10.26.2008
Inside my wandering mind
It looks something like this...
The DH and I were trying to remember if the donkey was Republican or Democrat.
We finally figured out that the donkey was Democrat.
The DH said something to the effect of "too bad they're sterile."
I said something to the effect of "wha????"
Then we had to figure out whether it was donkeys or mules that were sterile.
And usually when I have to figure something out I decide to blog about it.
Mules are the result of breeding a jack (male donkey) with a mare (female horse).
Although it is possible and legal to breed different species from the equidae family, the offspring are almost always sterile.
Other hybrid equids include the hinny (male horse with female donkey), the zonkey (donkey with zebra) and zebroid (zebra with horse).
Donkeys are not sterile.
Why the donkey anyway? A poor branding choice, if you ask me.
It first started with Andrew Jackson using his critic's term "jackass" in his favor on campaign posters, and he continued to be considered "stubborn" on issues throughout his presidency. But, it wasn't until the late 1800s when a political cartoonist used the donkey to symbolize the reaction of what he perceived to be an anti-war publication to the death of Edwin Stanton, Lincoln's Secretary of War. The donkey stuck, and has been used to symbolize a bunch of different aspects of the Democratic party.
I wonder if the Democrats agree with me, that the donkey isn't necessarily the best choice, as they have never officially adopted the donkey as the mascot. I can't imagine anyone changing it though.
And (although frightening at times) that, Dear Readers, is an example of how my mind tends to wander.
The DH and I were trying to remember if the donkey was Republican or Democrat.
We finally figured out that the donkey was Democrat.
The DH said something to the effect of "too bad they're sterile."
I said something to the effect of "wha????"
Then we had to figure out whether it was donkeys or mules that were sterile.
And usually when I have to figure something out I decide to blog about it.
Mules are the result of breeding a jack (male donkey) with a mare (female horse).
Although it is possible and legal to breed different species from the equidae family, the offspring are almost always sterile.
Other hybrid equids include the hinny (male horse with female donkey), the zonkey (donkey with zebra) and zebroid (zebra with horse).
Donkeys are not sterile.
Why the donkey anyway? A poor branding choice, if you ask me.
It first started with Andrew Jackson using his critic's term "jackass" in his favor on campaign posters, and he continued to be considered "stubborn" on issues throughout his presidency. But, it wasn't until the late 1800s when a political cartoonist used the donkey to symbolize the reaction of what he perceived to be an anti-war publication to the death of Edwin Stanton, Lincoln's Secretary of War. The donkey stuck, and has been used to symbolize a bunch of different aspects of the Democratic party.
I wonder if the Democrats agree with me, that the donkey isn't necessarily the best choice, as they have never officially adopted the donkey as the mascot. I can't imagine anyone changing it though.
And (although frightening at times) that, Dear Readers, is an example of how my mind tends to wander.
10.25.2008
Swords: an artist's devotion
The following is a "book trailer" I wrote to deliver at my library's upcoming semi-annual reader advisory meeting. Booktalks, as we call them in the book biz, are not summaries or reviews. They are teasers intended to give just enough information about the book, to grab the attention of the reader, and honestly, to sell the book. What you can do with this blog post is this: Pretend you are a 10-14 yr old boy, and pretend you're listening to a librarian give her spiel about a book. Then decide if you want to read it. My husband has to gets to do this quite often.
Swords: an artist's devotion, by Ben Boos. 2008.
Maybe you need a nonfiction book for a report. Maybe you're looking for a book like the DK Eyewitness books that you can read for just 15 minutes a day, or that you can read for hours. Maybe you are in the mood for books like David Macaulay's Castle or City that has lots of detailed illustrations that you can learn a lot from.
Whatever your reason, whatever your mood, I have a book for you, and it is all about swords.
You know that a sword must be very hard, but did you know that the earliest warriors actually cut notches into their blades to make them flexible? You know that swords must be strong enough so that the handle doesn't break off, but did you know that the blade of a samurai sword can actually be removed from the handle?
You'll find swords from around the world that have been used by Viking raiders, Medieval knights and kings, Turkish sultans, African war chiefs, and even swords that Maidens of War used. You'll learn about the many different styles of swords, the small details of swords that aided warriors in battles, and you'll discover something new every time you open the book. You'll see close-up details of blades, decorative hilts (the top of the blade), tangs (the part of the sword that connects the blade to the handle) and pommels (which balance a sword to make it easier to handle). It is said that the pen is mightier than the sword, but after seeing these illustrations, I find that the sword is significantly more beautiful. The life-like illustrations of the swords are absolutely striking. They are done so well, and it's no surprise because the author and illustrator of this book is Ben Boos, who is known for his work in creating the video games Diablo and Diablo II.
Maybe you are as devoted to swords as the author, and maybe you're not, but I highly recommend you check this book out.
Swords: an artist's devotion, by Ben Boos. 2008.Maybe you need a nonfiction book for a report. Maybe you're looking for a book like the DK Eyewitness books that you can read for just 15 minutes a day, or that you can read for hours. Maybe you are in the mood for books like David Macaulay's Castle or City that has lots of detailed illustrations that you can learn a lot from.
Whatever your reason, whatever your mood, I have a book for you, and it is all about swords.
You know that a sword must be very hard, but did you know that the earliest warriors actually cut notches into their blades to make them flexible? You know that swords must be strong enough so that the handle doesn't break off, but did you know that the blade of a samurai sword can actually be removed from the handle?
You'll find swords from around the world that have been used by Viking raiders, Medieval knights and kings, Turkish sultans, African war chiefs, and even swords that Maidens of War used. You'll learn about the many different styles of swords, the small details of swords that aided warriors in battles, and you'll discover something new every time you open the book. You'll see close-up details of blades, decorative hilts (the top of the blade), tangs (the part of the sword that connects the blade to the handle) and pommels (which balance a sword to make it easier to handle). It is said that the pen is mightier than the sword, but after seeing these illustrations, I find that the sword is significantly more beautiful. The life-like illustrations of the swords are absolutely striking. They are done so well, and it's no surprise because the author and illustrator of this book is Ben Boos, who is known for his work in creating the video games Diablo and Diablo II.
Maybe you are as devoted to swords as the author, and maybe you're not, but I highly recommend you check this book out.
Weekly radio and other
Has anyone ever actually heard the President's weekly radio addresses before?
(I mean, the current occupant. I admit, I still think it romantic to sit around the radio and listen to presidential addresses (well, NOT the current president), or old time horror shows. The DH and I listened to the debates on the radio this year, rather than watch them, and it was kind of cool.)
I found the official transcripts online at the Government Printing Office, but have never heard the radio address live. I've heard clips from them on the news from time to time, but never live.
The nice thing about the GPO is that, because it provides a central electronic access point to documents from the three main branches of federal government and some federal agencies, it provides a good (and pretty easy) starting point for someone who doesn't know who publishes what information. (And for someone who doesn't know all the committees and offices that exist).
Nifty stuff from the GPO
200 Notable Days from the Senate
Did you know that the Senate elected the vice president in 1837? Or that the Senate majority leader broke with the president (FDR) of his own party in 1944, and ultimately resigned? Or that in 1946 the Senate delayed swearing in a controversial figure until his conduct could be investigated? Or that in 1951 a Senator was elected as a write-in?
Budget of the United States
From the Office of Management and Budget. I can just manage to keep track of my own budget, but for the curious, the fiscal year 2009 budget is online at this time (which, isn't the next president supposed to propose this?), along with analytical stuff about previous budgets to the year 1997. Ugh.
Cybercemetary of Former Federal Websites
Exactly as it sounds, where dead federal websites can live on. It contains mostly former independent commissions sites and whatnot.
House Ways and Means Committee
Apparently the oldest committee of the Congress, the Ways and Means committee legislates on how the government can raise money, and has authority on issues like economic policy, international trade and stuff. They publish The Green Book and The Blue Book.
The Unclassified Version of the Report of the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilites of the Unites States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction
Unlike most other texts one would find at the GPO, this is actually a good read. The commission was charged with understanding why the findings by the Iraq Survey Group did not match what the intelligence community had stated pre-war. It was NOT charged with reporting on how and why policymakers used the bad intelligence.
And links to...
The Federal Citizen Information Center, which provides all kinds of consumer information for the big stuff (cars, education, health) but the "and more" contains a consumer guide to funerals, and how to attract different species of birds in the collection.
Historic Documents from WWII (including a great publication called 99 ways to share the meat).
The fact that I spent any amount of time on a Friday night reading through "old stuff" from the Government Printing Office confirms in my mind that if I ever take another degree, it will be in History.
I am such a nerd.
(I mean, the current occupant. I admit, I still think it romantic to sit around the radio and listen to presidential addresses (well, NOT the current president), or old time horror shows. The DH and I listened to the debates on the radio this year, rather than watch them, and it was kind of cool.)
I found the official transcripts online at the Government Printing Office, but have never heard the radio address live. I've heard clips from them on the news from time to time, but never live.
The nice thing about the GPO is that, because it provides a central electronic access point to documents from the three main branches of federal government and some federal agencies, it provides a good (and pretty easy) starting point for someone who doesn't know who publishes what information. (And for someone who doesn't know all the committees and offices that exist).
Nifty stuff from the GPO
200 Notable Days from the Senate
Did you know that the Senate elected the vice president in 1837? Or that the Senate majority leader broke with the president (FDR) of his own party in 1944, and ultimately resigned? Or that in 1946 the Senate delayed swearing in a controversial figure until his conduct could be investigated? Or that in 1951 a Senator was elected as a write-in?
Budget of the United States
From the Office of Management and Budget. I can just manage to keep track of my own budget, but for the curious, the fiscal year 2009 budget is online at this time (which, isn't the next president supposed to propose this?), along with analytical stuff about previous budgets to the year 1997. Ugh.
Cybercemetary of Former Federal Websites
Exactly as it sounds, where dead federal websites can live on. It contains mostly former independent commissions sites and whatnot.
House Ways and Means Committee
Apparently the oldest committee of the Congress, the Ways and Means committee legislates on how the government can raise money, and has authority on issues like economic policy, international trade and stuff. They publish The Green Book and The Blue Book.
The Unclassified Version of the Report of the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilites of the Unites States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction
Unlike most other texts one would find at the GPO, this is actually a good read. The commission was charged with understanding why the findings by the Iraq Survey Group did not match what the intelligence community had stated pre-war. It was NOT charged with reporting on how and why policymakers used the bad intelligence.
And links to...
The Federal Citizen Information Center, which provides all kinds of consumer information for the big stuff (cars, education, health) but the "and more" contains a consumer guide to funerals, and how to attract different species of birds in the collection.
Historic Documents from WWII (including a great publication called 99 ways to share the meat).
The fact that I spent any amount of time on a Friday night reading through "old stuff" from the Government Printing Office confirms in my mind that if I ever take another degree, it will be in History.
I am such a nerd.
10.24.2008
Big Gorillas Eat Hamburgers Not Cold Pizza
Belize. Guatemala. El Salvador. Honduras. Nicaragua. Costa Rica. Panama.
I stole (then modified slightly) this mnemonic device that a facebook friend created to remember the names of the countries in Central America. I wondered...shouldn't it be *MY* Big Gorillas Eat Hamburgers Not Cold Pizza because...isn't Mexico part of Central America?
With a simple question comes a simple blog post....
Wikipedia says no. WorldAtlas says no. SICA says no. NAFTA (duh! that should have been my clue!) says no.
No. Mexico is not part of Central America. Mexico is part of North America.
Thus, big gorillas (all of them, not just mine) eat hamburgers not cold pizza.
I stole (then modified slightly) this mnemonic device that a facebook friend created to remember the names of the countries in Central America. I wondered...shouldn't it be *MY* Big Gorillas Eat Hamburgers Not Cold Pizza because...isn't Mexico part of Central America?
With a simple question comes a simple blog post....
Wikipedia says no. WorldAtlas says no. SICA says no. NAFTA (duh! that should have been my clue!) says no.
No. Mexico is not part of Central America. Mexico is part of North America.
Thus, big gorillas (all of them, not just mine) eat hamburgers not cold pizza.
10.23.2008
Charles de Gaulle. Good? Bad? Otherwise?
Charles de Gaulle once said "the sword is the axis of the world and its power is absolute."
If I were a sword I'd be inclined to take that as a compliment, but one can't just take endorsements from anybody these days.
Charles de Gaulle certainly had quite a career. Ultimately the president of France in the 1960s, he was previously President of the Provisional Government of the French Republic in the 1940s and Prime Minister of France in the 1950s. He organized the Free French Forces (a French army that continued to fight against Nazi Germany after France surrendered to the Germans) from London. He was a member of the cabinet at this point, but prior to his political career he was career military.
Like any political leader, he made his controversial decisions. He withdrew France from NATO, but also granted independence from France to Algeria. He was among the first international leaders to support President Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis,* but he also caused quite an uproar when, at the 1967 World Expo in Montreal, he exclaimed "Vive le Québec libre!" in front of the gathering.** He remains an admired, yet controversial figure in France, but not considered especially evil or bad.
So, again, if I were a sword, I'd take the compliment. Of course, if I were a sword, I would recognize that any power I might have would rest in the skills of my wielder. After all, Confucius once said "never give a sword to a man who can't dance."
True that.
*An interesting article from the International Herald Tribune. de Gaulle was offered photographic evidence of the missiles, but reportedly said the word of the president was proof enough to pledge French military support. Not anymore!
**The current French president does not support the sentiment.
If I were a sword I'd be inclined to take that as a compliment, but one can't just take endorsements from anybody these days.
Charles de Gaulle certainly had quite a career. Ultimately the president of France in the 1960s, he was previously President of the Provisional Government of the French Republic in the 1940s and Prime Minister of France in the 1950s. He organized the Free French Forces (a French army that continued to fight against Nazi Germany after France surrendered to the Germans) from London. He was a member of the cabinet at this point, but prior to his political career he was career military.
Like any political leader, he made his controversial decisions. He withdrew France from NATO, but also granted independence from France to Algeria. He was among the first international leaders to support President Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis,* but he also caused quite an uproar when, at the 1967 World Expo in Montreal, he exclaimed "Vive le Québec libre!" in front of the gathering.** He remains an admired, yet controversial figure in France, but not considered especially evil or bad.
So, again, if I were a sword, I'd take the compliment. Of course, if I were a sword, I would recognize that any power I might have would rest in the skills of my wielder. After all, Confucius once said "never give a sword to a man who can't dance."
True that.
*An interesting article from the International Herald Tribune. de Gaulle was offered photographic evidence of the missiles, but reportedly said the word of the president was proof enough to pledge French military support. Not anymore!
**The current French president does not support the sentiment.
10.20.2008
Guernsey (NOT the cow)
I do not normally enjoy epistolary fiction.
At my mother's suggestion, I gave The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer a go, and when I finished the book this weekend, was sad to have to say goodbye to the people I came to care quite a bit about. This story of a writer and her relationship with the people who lived in German-occupied Guernsey unfolds in the form of letters. And, like the letters written in 84 Charing Cross Road, I believe that these letters could have actually been written.
To me, good historical fiction tells the human side of history -- it gives a glimpse into how events in history might have affected the people - their reactions, heartaches and triumphs, motivation behind their actions, etc. And this book achieves this brilliantly. Just...just...read it. (Or listen to it -- it's a good cast of narrators. I confess that is how I was able to bypass my dislike of letters. I do intend to read it, too.)
Good historical fiction also prompts me to learn more about the place or time period...
Guernsey is real...
It is one of the Channel Islands, something I had not known before. The Bailiwick of Guernsey consists of six other inhabited islands, in addition to the island of Guernsey. Although Guernsey is not part of the United Kingdom, it is a dependency of the British crown. The UK is constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation.
...and it really was occupied during WWII.
And it was horrible for them. The BBC's Guernsey History page includes history of the occupation, including diaries, memories of liberation, and brief information about the involvement of the Red Cross.
Non-Jews from The Islands were sent to concentration camps
I'm not giving much of the book away by mentioning this, but I was surprised when a few of the characters' experiences in camps were revealed during the novel. Upwards of 2200 Channel Islanders were deported to German civilian camps, mainly Biberach and Wurzach, during the occupation.
There exists a Guernsey Society today
Although not started as a spur-of-the-moment aliby like the fictional society, The Guernsey Society holds regular meetings that are meant to keep the spirit of Guernsey alive.
At my mother's suggestion, I gave The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer a go, and when I finished the book this weekend, was sad to have to say goodbye to the people I came to care quite a bit about. This story of a writer and her relationship with the people who lived in German-occupied Guernsey unfolds in the form of letters. And, like the letters written in 84 Charing Cross Road, I believe that these letters could have actually been written.To me, good historical fiction tells the human side of history -- it gives a glimpse into how events in history might have affected the people - their reactions, heartaches and triumphs, motivation behind their actions, etc. And this book achieves this brilliantly. Just...just...read it. (Or listen to it -- it's a good cast of narrators. I confess that is how I was able to bypass my dislike of letters. I do intend to read it, too.)
Good historical fiction also prompts me to learn more about the place or time period...
Guernsey is real...
It is one of the Channel Islands, something I had not known before. The Bailiwick of Guernsey consists of six other inhabited islands, in addition to the island of Guernsey. Although Guernsey is not part of the United Kingdom, it is a dependency of the British crown. The UK is constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation.
...and it really was occupied during WWII.
And it was horrible for them. The BBC's Guernsey History page includes history of the occupation, including diaries, memories of liberation, and brief information about the involvement of the Red Cross.
Non-Jews from The Islands were sent to concentration camps
I'm not giving much of the book away by mentioning this, but I was surprised when a few of the characters' experiences in camps were revealed during the novel. Upwards of 2200 Channel Islanders were deported to German civilian camps, mainly Biberach and Wurzach, during the occupation.
There exists a Guernsey Society today
Although not started as a spur-of-the-moment aliby like the fictional society, The Guernsey Society holds regular meetings that are meant to keep the spirit of Guernsey alive.
10.19.2008
The more you know...
...the easier it is to ask.
A patron wanted the list of terms for each decade of age. You know -- octogenarian for people in their eighties, nonagenarian for people in their nineties. I just entered "octogenarian nonagenarian" into google and presented the patron with a list of terms from Wikipedia and let her get on about her day.
I knew the terminology beforehand, so getting a list for her purposes was not a problem. But, me being me, I tried to find this list again assuming I didn't know anything from the results. And, online at least, stumbled at finding the right search terms and found some way wrong results.
A little link love from my missteps
I eventually found another way to get at the answers with the reverse dictionary at onelook.com.
A patron wanted the list of terms for each decade of age. You know -- octogenarian for people in their eighties, nonagenarian for people in their nineties. I just entered "octogenarian nonagenarian" into google and presented the patron with a list of terms from Wikipedia and let her get on about her day.
I knew the terminology beforehand, so getting a list for her purposes was not a problem. But, me being me, I tried to find this list again assuming I didn't know anything from the results. And, online at least, stumbled at finding the right search terms and found some way wrong results.
A little link love from my missteps
- A couple of scientists are betting on living to 150
- New vocabulary words reflect new thinking on ageing (disorders of longevity, ageing-in communities, etc.,)
- One of president Polk's campaign slogans was "fifty-four forty or fight"
- A parent-education pamphlet could help you determine if your child is a hippie...
- And other fun facts from the 1970s.
I eventually found another way to get at the answers with the reverse dictionary at onelook.com.
10.18.2008
Division, it's not just for today
I don't always get the juiciest bits of historical gossip at work, but the other day a patron asked to see the signatures on the Minnesota Constitution the other day, and thanks to the Minnesota Historical Society, I was able to pull up both the original constitutions and transcripts.
That's right. Plural. Transcripts.
The Republicans and Democrats of 1857 Minnesota could not even work together to form a constitution for the new state. There are two versions of our state constitution because, even after they agreed to text, neither party could agree to sign the same document as the other. (According to MNHS the differences are primarily grammatical, and don't actually present difference in meaning).
Minnesota Reflections (Minnesota's digital library) includes the proceedings of both constitutional conventions in its collection, and both records include a lot of information about the delegates and their responsibilities, but nothing on the personal information level. The Secretary of State offers some bits of history (on their student site named, get this, History/Old Stuff) including the fact that when the constitution was put to vote, the ballots only allowed for a positive vote forcing those in opposition to write it in, and the fact that Congress ended up approving an amended constitution - not the original(s). (Although, some historians report that the Democratic constitution was submitted to Congress, but they approved the Republican version).
It is interesting to keep historical episodes of division along party lines in mind during intense election seasons. In 1974, an amendment to the constitution was voted on and passed that restructured the document for ease in reference, and that's what we have now.
That's right. Plural. Transcripts.
The Republicans and Democrats of 1857 Minnesota could not even work together to form a constitution for the new state. There are two versions of our state constitution because, even after they agreed to text, neither party could agree to sign the same document as the other. (According to MNHS the differences are primarily grammatical, and don't actually present difference in meaning).
Minnesota Reflections (Minnesota's digital library) includes the proceedings of both constitutional conventions in its collection, and both records include a lot of information about the delegates and their responsibilities, but nothing on the personal information level. The Secretary of State offers some bits of history (on their student site named, get this, History/Old Stuff) including the fact that when the constitution was put to vote, the ballots only allowed for a positive vote forcing those in opposition to write it in, and the fact that Congress ended up approving an amended constitution - not the original(s). (Although, some historians report that the Democratic constitution was submitted to Congress, but they approved the Republican version).
It is interesting to keep historical episodes of division along party lines in mind during intense election seasons. In 1974, an amendment to the constitution was voted on and passed that restructured the document for ease in reference, and that's what we have now.
10.15.2008
Tasty
First, I didn't know that there was such a thing as a map of the tongue, but apparently it is commonly known that the taste buds on the tip of the tongue taste sweet, the next quarter of the tongue tastes salt, the next quarter of the tongue tastes sour, and the taste buds for bitter are at the back of the tongue, closest to the throat.
Second, it's good that I didn't know about any kind of tongue map because it's bogus anyway. All taste buds can taste all tastes at all times.
Third, I thought there were only four primary tastes, but forgot that there is actually a fifth taste (umani, the Japanese word for savory) that is generally accepted in the scientific community. There is potentially a sixth taste (fat) as well.
Fourth, taste buds contain gustatory receptor cells. When they are stimulated by the chemicals in our food, they nerve impulses to our brain which allow us to experience taste.
Fifth, if you told me a year ago -- even three months ago -- that I would be craving the savory taste of beef (specifically, beef stroganoff and pot roast with gouda cheese), I would have said you were absolutely crazy. But, here I am. Craving pot roast and beef stroganoff. Who knew?
Second, it's good that I didn't know about any kind of tongue map because it's bogus anyway. All taste buds can taste all tastes at all times.
Third, I thought there were only four primary tastes, but forgot that there is actually a fifth taste (umani, the Japanese word for savory) that is generally accepted in the scientific community. There is potentially a sixth taste (fat) as well.
Fourth, taste buds contain gustatory receptor cells. When they are stimulated by the chemicals in our food, they nerve impulses to our brain which allow us to experience taste.
Fifth, if you told me a year ago -- even three months ago -- that I would be craving the savory taste of beef (specifically, beef stroganoff and pot roast with gouda cheese), I would have said you were absolutely crazy. But, here I am. Craving pot roast and beef stroganoff. Who knew?
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