December 31, 2007
Here's a simple wish for each of you reading this, a wish that each of you has a happy, prosperous and healthy New Year in 2008!
Good morning, and Happy New Year!
Resolutions for 2008:
No matter how successful one has been in following the resolutions in previous year, one makes fresh resolutions for the coming year with full determination and will. The starting days of New Year are the most crucial in order to plan for the entire year. These are the days when many sketch a mental graph for the whole year. To materialize the things thought of is somewhat difficult but still some people manage to do so. New Year resolutions provide a sort of direction to people to lead the coming year.
Make feasible New Year resolutions. Some people make such resolutions that are impractical and impossible. And afterwards, these people find it difficult to follow such resolutions. This is one reason that leads to sadness in many people.
New Year resolutions should be such that they are easy to follow. Try to find out what you can do easily and stick to them. Going out of the way to prove yourself to others is of no use. Get only achievable tips for New Year resolution. Things that will make you a better human being and help you lead a more comforting life should be made the New Year resolutions.
The bottom line is this: change for the better in the coming year!
- Don't settle. Don't lose sight of your goals and dreams. Empower yourself.
- If you're going to lose some of those holiday pounds that you put on, come up with a good plan, then stick to it. Exercise is a good thing, and it can be enjoyable if you find a plan that fits you and your lifestyle.
- Give a little of yourself, to your children if your have them, to your significant other, to family, to friends, and maybe even to total strangers. Try to make the world a better place... pay it forward. Above all, try to give a little of yourself every week.
- Work through issues, be they at home or at work. Don't let them ferment and become worse. Resolve conflicts.
- The old saying 'Practice Makes Perfect' is valid, and don't stop trying.
- Simplify your life, and don’t expect too much from yourself.
- And above all, don't sweat the small stuff...
Again, Happy New Year, and may yours be the best ever!
Technorati Tags: New Year, pay it forward, resolutions, Lexidiem, Jargontalk
Posted on 12/31/2007 11:22 PM Comments (28)
December 24, 2007
The envelope please...
The Yale Book of Quotations is an annual list of memorable quotes that is compiled by editor Fred Shapiro, who relies on suggestions from quote-watchers, along with his own choices, and then searches databases and the 'Net to determine the popularity of the quotes.
The ten most memorable quotes of 2007 according to Shapiro are, in order, and the #1 Memorable Quote of the Year is:
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 Don't tase me, bro!
~ Andrew Meyer, a senior at the University of Florida, while being hauled away by campus police during a speech by Massachusetts Senator John Kerry. It was the plea heard round the world as officers removed him from a speech by Senator Kerry.
Yale Book of Quotations editor Fred Shapiro said that the quote by Meyer just before he got zapped by campus police while protesting at Senator Kerry's speech was "a symbol of pop culture success," thanks to how many times it was searched for on Google and how many T-shirts it showed up on.
- I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because some people out there in our nation don't have maps and I believe that our education like such as in South Africa and Iraq and everywhere like such as and I believe that they should our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S. or should help South Africa and should help Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future for us.
~ Lauren Upton, South Carolina contestant in the Miss Teen USA contest, when asked why one-fifth of Americans cannot find the United States on a map.
- In Iran we don't have homosexuals like in your country.
~ Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, speaking at Columbia University in New York.
- That's some nappy-headed hos there.
~ CBS radio personality Don Imus, referring to the Rutgers University women's basketball team.
- I don't recall.
~ Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' repeated response to congressional questions about the firing of U.S. attorneys.
- There's only three things he mentions in a sentence: a noun and a verb and 9/11.
~ Senator Joseph Biden, referring to Republican presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani, speaking during a Democratic presidential debate.
- I'm not going to get into a name-calling match with somebody who has a nine percent approval rating.
~ Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, referring to Vice President Dick Cheney.
- (I have) a wide stance when going to the bathroom.
~ Senator Larry Craig, explaining why his foot touched the foot of an undercover police officer in the men's restroom of an airport.
- I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man.
~ Senator Joseph Biden, referring to Senator Barack Obama, a rival Democratic presidential candidate.
- I think as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history.
~ Former President Jimmy Carter, referring to the Bush administration.
Bonus 'Perfected' Quote:
There was one truly memorable quote that was made in 2007 that I was disappointed to find had not been included in this year's edition of the book. This one came from the October 8th television broadcast of The Big Idea With Donny Deutsch on CNBC, and included a lively dialogue between the host and his guest, a well-known conservative commentator, columnist and best-selling author:
- We just want Jews to be 'perfected,' as they say.
~ Ann Coulter, who went on to explain her viewpoint that Jews ought to become Christians.
Deutsch, a practicing Jew, said he was personally offended by Coulter's remark, and she tried to defend herself.
"I don't want you being offended by this. This is what Christians consider themselves, because our testament is the continuation of your testament. You know that. So we think Jews go to heaven. I mean, [Rev. Jerry] Falwell himself said that, but you have to follow laws. Ours is 'Christ died for our sins,'" Coulter said. "We consider ourselves perfected Christians. For me to say that for you to become a Christian is to become a perfected Christian is not offensive at all."
And of course she had to mention the late Jerry Falwell... and you can see an interesting animated of him 'perfected' in this parallel posting.
See the YouTube video here. After seeing that, you might enjoy this video where Philadelphia's own Leah Kauffman, the voice behind "I Got a Crush on Obama", performs in the music video "Perfected" which is probably the best jab in Ann Coulter's ribs that I've yet seen.
Technorati Tags: Don't tase me bro, Andrew Meyer, Quote of the Year, Yale Book of Quotations, Ann Coulter, Perfected, YouTube, Buzznet, Lexidiem, Jargontalk, words
Posted on 12/24/2007 12:03 AM Comments (5)
December 20, 2007
Christmas is coming, but that's not all.
We know that in most places around the world, Christmas Day is celebrated on December 25th. Less known is that the Winter Solstice is coming to all who reside in the Northern hemisphere on December 22, at 06:08 Universal Time (GMT), and is celebrated by various cultures, both ancient and modern.
But that's not all that's coming...
 On Wednesday, Fox News reported that at the exact moment of the Winter Solstice, the world is advised to "get busy at the second annual Global Orgasm for World Peace," and further stating:
"Oui! Si! Da! Ja! Yes! Any way you scream it, one group hopes you'll be having an orgasm in the name of world peace this Friday at 6:08 GMT."
Their link showed the 2nd Annual Global Orgasm for Peace will occur on December 22nd... just click on the link for all of the details, and you can follow their online countdown clock for the exact time as to when this will take place. They list their 3 reasons for the big Global-O as:
- Peace - works for me.
- Gender & Social Justice - would be glad share for that reason.
- Global Warming - wouldn't this contribute to global warming? They explain it all better than I'm willing to here, so check it out for yourselves.
 Global Orgasm was started by Donna Sheehan and Paul Reffell, co-founders of the anti-war organization Baring Witness, a group of activists who get naked to make public peace displays with their naked bodies.
Those in the Southern hemisphere have no reason to feel any jealousy, for according to Australia's Sidney Morning Herald, the Summer Solstice occurs Down Under on Friday at 5:08pm. Their motto of the day? "More-gasm, not Wargasm!"
Wonder if a unified effort among Buzznet members would help the cause...
w00t!
Technorati Tags: Solstice, Global Orgasm, December 22, big-O, Baring Witness, JargonTalk, Lexidiem, word of the day, Buzznet, wtf, w00t
Alternate Link
Posted on 12/20/2007 10:28 AM Comments (20)
December 19, 2007
Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays!
Yes, it’s one of those personal question and answer things, and Hearts hit me first on this…
Answer the questions, post it in your journal and then pass it on.
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Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper... or sometimes the Sunday comics.
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Tree; Real or Artificial? Get real! Real.
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When do you put Christmas tree up? When we get around to it.
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When do you take the tree down? When the needles start turning color...
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Like eggnog? Eggnog is awesome!
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Do you have a nativity scene? No, because we have mostly humorous decorations.
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 Favorite gift received as a child? A genuine Buck Rogers Sonic Ray Gun... it was really nothing more that an elaborate flashlight, but it made weird noises and allowed a kid to zap alien invaders (like my younger brother) before they had a chance to even think twice.
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Hardest person to buy for? My son, when he juggles his wish lists on Amazon.com or gets caught up in the Lego catalog, trying to decide what he wants.
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Easiest person to buy for? My son, when I juggle his wish lists on Amazon.com or get caught up in the Lego catalog, decide what he's going to get... and he loves it.
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Worst Christmas gift? Worst Christmas gift ever received was a Zippo lighter and a carton of Chesterfield unfiltered cigarettes, and that was only a few weeks after I had quit smoking.
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Mail or e-mail a Christmas Card? E-mail more and more each year, 'cause most geeks do that. Then there are the relatives who proclaim (loudly) that it's being 'cheap' when someone doesn't send a paper card in the mail, so they get paper cards... sometimes.
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 Favorite Christmas movie? Easy... A Christmas Story , the 1983 version which was co-written and narrated by the late Jean Shepherd, and it's loaded with his characteristic comical one-liners and hilarious dialogue. The backups to this are A Charlie Brown Christmas, the touching Miracle on 34th Street, and Frank Capra's classic It's a Wonderful Life.
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When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually in the beginning of November, and ending with truly frenzied searching for last minute gifts as late as Christmas Eve.
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Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes, a Zippo lighter and a carton of Chesterfield unfiltered cigarettes. See #10 above.
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Favorite food to eat on Christmas? Turkey with stuffing. Home-made candied orange peel, some old-fashioned Southern fruit cake from Georgia, or nice home-baked Christmas cookies. See #23 below... hint, hint!
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Clear or colored tree lights? Usually colored, though my son prefers clear because they remind him of stars.
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Favorite Christmas Song? “Silent Night” or "Joy to the World." If it comes to playing Christmas music CDs, some of the old classics, always some Handel's Messiah, a lot of Mannheim Steamroller, but for comic relief we always include the Dr. Demento Christmas CD, which has some hilarious tracks.
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Travel during Christmas or stay home? Stay at home.
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Store bought or homemade gifts? Like doing homemade, but this year it's mostly things purchased on the Web, and mostly from Amazon.com or ThinkGeek. I love the 'Net!
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 Angel or Star on tree top? Star or angel, depends on the year. One year it was an angelic chicken, but that's a story into itself.
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Open presents on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve? Both, one on Christmas Eve and the rest on Christmas Day.
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Most annoying thing about this time of year? Discourteous, ill-mannered, boorish, offensive, rude, and nasty shoppers pushing and shoving in the stores... and a Merry Christmas to you, too!
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Bake at home or Buy? We buy, but being two very appreciative and hungry guys, we really do enjoy nice home-baked Christmas cookies and goodies like that... hint, hint!
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Lights outside? When we can... and those are always clear ones.
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Mistletoe? Depends on who’s in the room, but have to agree with Jenn in the idea that mistletoe would make a fantastic belt buckle. Might have to try that…
In any case, some of you will get tagged, and I truly hope that you'll do your own in celebration of the Holiday Season!
Posted on 12/19/2007 6:50 AM Comments (29)
December 17, 2007
It's now official... "w00t" has been crowned Word of Year!
It was officially announced last week that "w00t," was crowned Word of the Year by none other than Merriam-Webster, one of the leading U.S. dictionary publishers.
The word "w00t" ia an expression of joy coined computer geeks, and is frequently used by online gamers. The Massachusetts-based publisher noted that "w00t" -- typically spelled with two zeros -- reflects a new direction in the American language led by a generation raised on video games and cell phone text-messaging.
For those unfamiliar with the term, it's like saying "yay" as an expression of joy or extreme happiness.
"It could be after a triumph or for no reason at all," according to Merriam-Webster. It's also known to be an acronym for “we owned the other team”.
The other words in the new Top Ten list are:
2. facebook
3. conundrum
4. quixotic
5. blamestorm
6. sardoodledom
7. apathetic
8. Pecksniffian
9. hypocrite
10. charlatan
Visitors to Merriam-Webster's Web site were invited to vote for one of 20 words and phrases culled from the most frequently looked-up words on the site and submitted by readers. The runner-up was "facebook" as a new verb meaning to add someone to a list of friends on the Web site Facebook.com or to search for people on the social networking site.
But where is Buzznet? Looks like the Facebook users were more organized this year.
The term isn't really new, as one Web site, www.thinkgeek.com, has been selling T-shirts with the word "w00t" printed on the front for awhile now.
 According to ThinkGeek, "w00t belongs to gamers the world over. It seems to have been derived from the obsolete 'whoot' which essentially is another way to say 'hoot' which itself is a shout or derisive laugh. But others maintain that w00t is the sound several players make while jumping like bunnies in Quake III. Still others want you to believe that it comes from the phrase 'wow loot' used in multiplayer RPGs many moons ago. And if you can believe it some folks even think it was derived from the gaming phrase, 'We Own the Other Team!' Fiction or fact? I suppose you'll just have to decide what 'w00t!' means to you..."
Online gamers are often known to replace numbers and symbols with letters to form what Merriam-Webster calls an "esoteric computer hacker language" known as "l33t speak" which translates into "leet", short for "elite".
According to Merriam-Webster’s president John Morse, “w00t” was an ideal choice because it blends whimsy and new technology. He noted that “w00t” was a clear cut instance of the fact that there is an increasing use of numeric keyboards to type words.
“People look for self-evident numeral-letter substitutions: 0 for O; 3 for E; 7 for T; and 4 for A,” he said. “This is simply a different and more efficient way of representing the alphabetical character.”
But what about Buzznet? Well, there's always 2008, isn't there?
Sources: Reuters, ThinkGeek, TechShout
Technorati Tags: w00t, Merriam-Webster, Buzznet, Facebook, JargonTalk, Lexidiem, word of the year, wtf, l33t, geek, yay, gamer
Posted on 12/17/2007 12:59 PM Comments (11)
December 8, 2007
It's that time of the year again!
In Scotland the temperature is plummeting, and the the frosts of winter nestle on the moors. And the steam is rising from massed ranks of the haggis hunters.
The 2007/2008 Haggis Hunt is on!
A fine old Scottish tradition is being revived: the hunting of the haggis.
Haggis Myths
It is in the nature of the haggis that it should be a creature shrouded in mystery. Over the years many misconceptions have developed about these reclusive creatures. Here we are happy to debunk the most common myths and set the record straight.
- A haggis is just a sheep’s stomach stuffed with meat and oatmeal.
 The most common mistaken belief about the haggis is that it is some kind of pudding made from sheep innards. This somewhat macabre idea dates back many centuries. Its origins lie in a Pictish fertility ceremony which featured a parade of creatures known to produce large numbers of offspring. The haggis was one such animal. However, as hunting techniques were not as sophisticated as they were then and, for reasons explained in The Haggis in Scotland’s History, haggis numbers were low, the Pictish priests often had to make do with a model for these ceremonies. Said model haggis was made from an inflated sheep bladder, hence the myth.
- They have one leg shorter than another.
 This misconception originated with a respected English commentator. However, the haggis’s legs are all the same size. Any apparent difference in length could be due to the haggis’s habit of standing in a bog to confuse predators. Quite why this would confuse a predator is unclear as the haggis would be unable to run away, being as it is stuck in a bog.
- Its hurdies are like a distant hill.
 A haggis is rarely larger than a foot long. It has a gentle rounded shape and a soft consistency. How it is like a geological feature quite escapes us. Suilven is a distant hill. It is 2,399 feet (731 meters) high and made from unforgiving glacier-scarred rock. Pretty unhaggislike, you would agree. We suspect that this one is down to poetic license.
The correct plural of haggis is haggii, although under certain grammatical circumstances it can be haggises or even “wee yins”. The name Haggii comes from the Latin for “harried ones”.
- Haggii live with the monster in Loch Ness.
This is nonsense. Haggises are not aquatic. They are also extremely wary of any creature larger than them and would not consort with a large carnivore, even one supposed to be mythical. There is also nothing to suggest that there is any truth behind the rumor that swimming with haggises strapped to your feet will prevent monster attacks. There have been no recorded attacks on anyone by the Loch Ness monster, haggis attachments notwithstanding.
All this being said, if you're ready to join the Haggis Hunt, just click here and follow the directions. And fear not, you do not need to go out onto the hills, nor will you have to harm one of these wonderful, rare creatures... it's totally environmentally friendly. You can hunt the haggis from the comfort of your computer. For kids, there are always the Haggis Games.
Just remember, the hunt began at 12 noon on St Andrew’s Day, November 30th, and ends at 3:00 pm on Burns’ Night, January 25th, 2008.
For returning visitors, here are some other interesting facts about the haggis:
- Lewis Carroll’s nonsense poem “The Hunting Of The Snark” was originally called “The Hunting Of The Haggis” until he found out the Scottish beast actually existed.
- Haggis season ends on Burns' Night, January 25th, with Burns Supper celebrations in memory of the Scottish poet Robert Burns. The traditional supper includes haggis, neeps & tatties, along with a wee bit (or more) of whisky. Before the meal begins, the Selkirk Grace should be said, followed by the host ( or perhaps a still-sober guest with a talent) reciting Burns' poem Address To a Haggis. It's customary for the company to applaud the speaker then stand and toast the haggis with a glass of whisky.
- The sound the haggis is most sensitive to is that of plaid rubbing on underpants, so maybe you now understand why a true Scot wears nothing under his kilt.
- Seeing a live haggis is supposed to be a sign of imminent good fortune. Earl Nyaff of Uirsgeul reputedly encountered one on his way to Ayr races in 1817 and subsequently won £50. True, he was badly trampled by the winner and flogged for race fixing after being falsely accused by his own brother, but at least he made a tidy profit.
- The correct term for stalking a haggis is “havering” (and not to be confused with the London Borough of Havering, although although since it's commercial hub Romford has one of the highest concentrations of bars and nightclubs anywhere in Greater London outside the West End, that might be fairly appropriate for some).
Please Note:
The 2007/2008 Haggis Hunt is sponsored and hosted by The Scotsman, Scotland's national newspaper, and is the source of most of the information here. It's highly suggested that you read this entire journal entry, think for a bit, then go there and read more about the Haggis Hunt before becoming alarmed, contacting PETA or some such organization and making a complete fecking arse out of yourself!
Additional scientific information regarding the haggis may be found here:
http://www.fecking-haggis-wicki.com
Revised & updated: 12/9/2007 @ 7:00 AM PST
Technorati Tags: haggis, haggis hunt, Scots, The Scotsman, JargonTalk, Lexidiem, Burns Night, Robert Burns, Address To a Haggis, kilt, feck, PETA
Posted on 12/08/2007 10:32 PM Comments (24)
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