Thursday, January 22, 2009

I'm Speechless

What I'm reading: Rita entry 3 of 9.

On the drive to the Y this morning, I had a chance to observe one of those rare central Florida occurrences. Frost. On the lawns, on the cars, on the rooftops. We've even turned the switch on the thermostat to "heat", something that doesn't happen every year. I'd rather bundle up or sit by the fire (not that those presto logs give off much heat), so the heat doesn't kick in all that much, but it's set to keep the house above 60 inside during the day, and a tad warmer before bedtime and right before we get up. Although from a purely economic standpoint, I think the electricity we'd use running the heat for a couple of days would be a lot less than the cost of those logs! However, the bigger picture says less electricity use leaves a smaller carbon footprint. And it's nice to drag out some of those warm clothes. Around here, they go out of style long before they're worn out. Good think I don't care much about fashion. Cheaper that way, too.

What does this have to do with the title of today's post? Absolutely nothing. But cold weather is such a rarity that I thought it deserved a paragraph. My 'speechless' doesn't refer to the talk I'm giving Saturday at the Ridge Area Arc Tea, either. When I posed the 'what should I talk about?" question to my Sunday Panera friend, she asked if I'd considered the Frankie and Ryan interviews. I had, and since she said she really loved them, that tipped the scales. I read them out loud (ugh) to time them, and they'll both fit within my suggested timeframe, with time for a bit of an intro and questions.

So what am I speechless about? This blog. I could abso-effing-lutely (that's a demo of one of yesterday's vocabulary words, by the way) not believe that someone is censoring a retirement community library. I've got relatives in assisted living places, and I hope and pray nobody there is doing what that woman did.



Interested in the 'answers' to yesterday's word questions? Click "more" to see them. I'm nice-I already matched the word with the definitions for you.


And yes, "Homicide - Hussey" will be back tomorrow! Please check in.
Keep Reading...

1. pandiculation: An instinctive stretching, as on awakening or while yawning

2. flaneur: One who strolls about aimlessly; a lounger; a loafer.

3. pervicacious: Refusing to change one's ideas, behavior, etc.; stubborn;
obstinate.

4. fungible: (Law) Freely exchangeable for or replaceable by another of like nature or kind in the satisfaction of an obligation. Interchangeable.

5. bricolage: Construction or something constructed by using whatever materials happen to be available.

6. fatidic: Of, relating to, or characterized by prophecy; prophetic.

7. diablerie: 1. Sorcery; black magic; witchcraft. 2. Representation of devils or demons in words or pictures. 3. Mischievous conduct; deviltry

8. imprecation: The act of imprecating, or invoking evil upon someone. 2. A curse.

9. louche: Of questionable taste or morality; disreputable or indecent;
dubious; shady.

10. lubricious: Lustful; lewd

11. fugacious: Lasting but a short time; fleeting.

12. quidnunc: One who is curious to know everything that passes; one who
knows or pretends to know all that is going on; a gossip; a busybody.

13. digerati: Persons knowledgeable about computers and technology.

14. sesquipedalian: . Given to or characterized by the use of long words. 2. Long and ponderous; having many syllables.

15. brummagem: Cheap and showy, tawdry; also, spurious, counterfeit.

16. favonian: Pertaining to the west wind; soft; mild; gentle.

17. gallimaufry: A medley; a hodgepodge.

18. rebarbative: Serving or tending to irritate or repel.

19. adumbrate: To give a sketchy or slight representation of; to outline. 2. To foreshadow in a vague way. 3. To suggest, indicate, or disclose partially. 4. To cast a shadow over; to shade; to obscure.

20. tmesis: the interpolation of one or more words between the parts of a compound word

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't believe in censoring books. That it happens in a retirement home is amazing. Censor a voice, censor an idea and you censor freedom.
bill

Terry Odell said...

It's pretty disheartening, isn't it, Elliott? And what about the fact that they accepted all those donations and then trashed them. I'd be sick--there are so many places who would put them to use.

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

Hi Terry,
Popping in from Soggy California where it has been raining all night and most of the day. And actually, when it rains here it is WARMER, something to do with the inversion layer or some such.

Censorship in any way, shape, or form really raises my blood pressure, so it's probably for the best that I haven't read your referenced article.

Enjoy your cool spell!

AC

Terry Odell said...

Nice to see a Bandita over here, Aunty C. Bring the rest of the lair. Tomorrow's post will be #3 in my "Homicide-Hussey" series.

I know all about that So Cal weather -- I grew up there.

Jenyfer Matthews said...

LOL -I happened to have read that blog just before I came over here and I found your title quite appropriate. It's ridiculous, isn't it? I hope the residents get their picket signs out. It's their library too!

Terry Odell said...

I agree, Jenyfer. And judging from the comment thread over there, a ot of people are willing to jump in on behalf of the residents who are being deprived of their library.

(But you read their blog first? Before mine?

Ray said...

I have a banner somewhere on my computer that says "Burn censors not books." The extreme censorship in that retirement home library makes me think the individual throwing out the books and the administrator are former prison guard and prison administrator. Perhaps the residents could get their books if they named names in a letter to the editor of the local paper or an email or phone call to one of the local TV stations.

I am curious to see how many of the books the censor is reading in secret. I remember an old movie in which the community leaders were watching porn in a basement and saying how disgusted the 8mm skin flicks were as they watched them from beginning to end.

I have a feeling that censors are perverts and they project their slobbering onto the minds of serious readers.

Ray