EUPHONIOUS

On the occasion of one’s birthday, people insist on singing “Happy Birthday” to one. I do it myself. I’m not going so far as to say that my co-workers are musically untalented. However, I will say that it is a Good Thing that they have regular employment here at the Company.

The “Happy Birthday” song is rarely played on the air. It’s copyrighted for another dunamany years. Royalties—as far as I know—are paid to Michael Jackson. That’s right, Jackson (or his agents) bought the rights along with a whole slough of other tunes from Apple Corps (Yep! The Beatles) years ago. If the rights haven’t been sold to pay for legal bills, Jackson still gets paid everytime the jingle airs on the radio or gets included in a movie. Boggles my mind.

The word of the day for January 12, 2007 is “euphonious” — adjective : pleasing to the ear.

Our quote for today is from John Cage (1912 - 1992):

If you develop an ear for sounds that are musical it is like developing an ego. You begin to refuse sounds that are not musical and that way cut yourself off from a good deal of experience.

;^)

CELEBRATE

Went over to Winchell’s Doughnuts first thing this morning to buy treats for the land sharks with whom I work. I told the sales clerk that it was my birthday. “And you have to buy your own doughnuts?” she asked. Yes, I said, I see it as an extension of Mother bringing treats to school for the child’s birthday. In general it’s easier not to depend on others to provide the festivities when you want to celebrate.

Since I was ten—and presumably safe to leave in the kitchen by myself—I’ve had to provide my own cake for the majority of my birthdays. There are memorable exceptions. Mother threw a surprize party for me on my sixteenth. I had been threatening to invite the church choir over after practice, so she arranged for some school friends to come over so I never made it to choir practice.

The word of the day for January 11, 2007 is “celebrate” — transitive verb 1 : to perform (a sacrament or solemn ceremony) publicly and with appropriate rites [celebrate the mass]. 2 a : to honor (as a holiday) especially by solemn ceremonies or by refraining from ordinary business. b : to mark (as an anniversary) by festivities or other deviation from routine. 3 : to hold up or play up for public notice [her poetry celebrates the glory of nature]intransitive verb 1 : to observe a holiday, perform a religious ceremony, or take part in a festival. 2 : to observe a notable occasion with festivities.

Our quote for today is from Lois McMaster Bujold, Mirror Dance, 1994 :

It's important that someone celebrate our existence... People are the only mirror we have to see ourselves in. The domain of all meaning. All virtue, all evil, are contained only in people. There is none in the universe at large. Solitary confinement is a punishment in every human culture.

;^)

MOBILITY

Cirque du Soleil announces a third date in Peerless Princess. Seems us back’rds folk here really do appreciate the finer things in life and managed to buy out the first two dates in record time. Lloyd and I are not going because he won’t go to see anything at the Coliseum, our largest local auditorium, on general principles.

I’m not fond of circuses myself, although we have taken the children to one or three of them. One of the things I like the least is the ringmaster’s role in hyping up the acts. All that “most dangerous feat” etc. designed to pump up one’s adrenaline. I know the feats are dangerous; I can’t carry my briefcase through the garage without getting hung up on the lawn mower or Lloyd’s car bumper. Circus people practice constantly and don’t attempt feats they haven’t perfected. Leave my adrenaline where it is and just let me enjoy the sight of people doing things I wouldn’t attempt.

The word of the day for January 10, 2007 is “mobility” — 1. The quality or state of being mobile. 2. The movement of people, as from one social group, class, or level to another: “There's been . . . restructuring of industry and downward mobility for Americans as a whole” (Lawrence W. Sherman).

Our quote for today is from George Eliot (1819 - 1880):

The important work of moving the world forward does not wait to be done by perfect men.

;^)

PAUCITY

“Be alert. The world needs more lerts.” As a bumper sticker motto, that makes excellent sense. Most bumper sticker mottoes do. Some however make you want to get out of the car at the stoplight and ask the driver what the heck his/her message means. Some of them make me want to get out and take a tire iron to the driver, but I always tell myself that the car is new to the driver, who hasn’t had a chance to remove the old stickers—s/he doesn’t really mean that.

The messages on most cars are political: the two-year-old campaign sticker and “Don’t blame me; I didn’t vote for Name”. Some are obscene—among which I include the little line drawings of children making water onto advertising logos, etc. and the silhouettes of (presumably) naked women. Some are personal: “My child is an honor student at Name of School or memento mori, “In loving memory of Name, 1956-2001.” Some are philosophical: anti-abortion, pro-ecology and religious.

The one of which I am still uncertain had a peace sign—circled crow’s foot—on the left and a cross—uncircled—on the right. The motto was “Choose which to follow.” Weellll, I suppose since the Prince of Peace said that He would come again with a sword, maybe that makes sense.

The word of the day for January 9, 2007 is “paucity” — 1 : smallness of number : FEWNESS. 2 : smallness of quantity : DEARTH.

Our quote for today is from Bertrand Russell (1872–1970), Unpopular Essays, “An Outline of Intellectual Rubbish,” (1950):

For my part I distrust all generalizations about women, favourable and
unfavourable, masculine and feminine, ancient and modern; all alike, I should say, result from paucity of experience.

;^)

LITERATE

A salute to my friend Rae who is now the coordinator for the literacy project run by Goodwill Industries Education & Training Center. She’s looking for volunteer tutors. I’d offer, but I know that I am not a good teacher. I have no patience.

Yet, I understand the need for teachers—not just the formal kind in classrooms on schedules, but the person at the grocery store who offers tips on what to do with the papayas one is eyeing with misgiving. One of the things I do at work is explain to co-workers how one of the computer systems we use works. I don’t mind it too much, except when Dumb-as-rocks asks the same question three days in a row. Never mind that I tell them to write it down, they can’t find the scrap they wrote on, again. I get to thinking, “Where do they come from, and why do they send them to me?’

The word of the day for January 8, 2007 is “literate” — 1 a : EDUCATED, CULTURED b : able to read and write. 2 a : versed in literature or creative writing : LITERARY b : LUCID, POLISHED [a literate essay] c : having knowledge or competence [computer-literate] [politically literate].

The quote for today is from: Katharine Fullerton Gerould (1879–1944), Modes and Morals, ch. 7 (1920):

Conventional manners are a kind of literacy test for the alien who comes among us.

;^)

BELEAGUER

We've been going down to the city park on the river to feed the birds for the past few weeks. There are Canadian geese, mallard ducks, two breeds of gulls, starlings, pigeons, and crows. Usually we either buy the off-code bread from the bread outlet, but once in a while we buy a 50 lb. bag of game corn, which cost about the same per feeding. The game corn is probably better for the birds but the bread is easier to get.

Yesterday, the ungrateful gulls anointed the car while we were tossing out the corn. I suppose that's because the gulls prefer bread. In fact, if we toss out an entire slice of bread, the gulls will converge on whichever bird picks up the bread and a melee ensues. They don't do that when we feed corn. Perhaps they just like an excuse for a scrum.

The word of the day for January 7, 2007 is "beleaguer" - 1 : besiege 2 : trouble , harass[beleaguered parents] [an economically beleaguered city].

Our quote for today is from William Shakespeare (1564-1616):

When forty winters shall besiege thy brow
And dig deep trenches in thy beauty's field,
Thy youth's proud livery, so gaz'd on now,
Will be a tatter'd weed of small worth held.
Then being ask'd where all thy beauty lies,
Where all the treasure of thy lusty days,
To say, within thine own deep-sunken eyes
Were an all-eating shame and thriftless praise.
How much more praise deserv'd thy beauty's use
If thou couldst answer, 'This fair child of mine
Shall sum my count and make my old excuse,
Proving his beauty by succession thine!
This were to be new made when thou art old
And see thy blood warm when thou feel'st it cold.

;^)

EPIPHANY

We plan to take down our Christmas lights today. We would have done it yesterday, but it was raining-that fine mist that gets up under your umbrella no matter what. The day before was too windy. We live in Kansas; what else need I say.

There's a superstition that all the Christmas decorations should be down by Epiphany (Three Kings Day to those who know about such things) Probably started by some harried housewife who wanted to involve her family in the search and pack-up of all the ornaments and candles. How on earth do pine needles manage to hide until August, and then manifest in the middle of the living room carpet just before the in-laws arrive?

The word of the day for January 6, 2007 is "epiphany" - 1 capitalized : January 6 observed as a church festival in commemoration of the coming of the Magi as the first manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles or in the Eastern Church in commemoration of the baptism of Christ. 2 : an appearance or manifestation especially of a divine being. 3 a (1) : a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something. (2) : an intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking. (3) : an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure. b : a revealing scene or moment.

Our quote for today is from Reginald Heber (1783-1826), Epiphany:

Brightest and best of the sons of the morning,
Dawn on our darkness, and lend us thine aid.

;^)