To a New Year, a new start...

By Vichara


What makes you think makes you feel. What makes you feel ignites a change. The choice is yours if the change will escalate the good intentions of the bad intentions you have. While simplistic in structure this catalyst point can be profound. As this year winds down on our calendar many look at the impending New Year with the outlook of a new start, another chance to start afresh. While it’s wonderful to hold this intent be realistic in that there can never be immediate change and there will always be lingering personality traits that will always linger. Let them linger and if you see them as negative let them linger as well. Be cognizant of them but not letting them be dominant will allow those good intentions that you dream for the New Year to form a new foundation of thoughts and actions.

zany • \ZAY-nee\ • noun
1 : a subordinate clown or acrobat in old comedies who mimics ludicrously the tricks of the principal
2 : one who acts the buffoon to amuse others
3 : a foolish, eccentric, or crazy person

Example Sentence:
My brother's friends are an unpredictable bunch of zanies.

Did you know?
Zanies have been theatrical buffoons since the heyday of the Italian commedia dell’arte, which introduced those knavish clowns. The Italian "zanni" was a stock servant character, often an intelligent and proud valet with abundant common sense, a love of practical jokes, and a tendency to be quarrelsome, cowardly, envious, vindictive, and treacherous. Zanni, the Italian name for the character, comes from a dialect nickname for Giovanni, the Italian form of John. The character quickly spread throughout European theater circles, inspiring such familiar characters as Pierrot and Harlequin, and by the late 1500s an anglicized version of the noun “zany” was introduced to English-speaking audiences by no less a playwright than William Shakespeare (in Loveas Labouras Lost).

Time better spent...

By Vichara


We proceed with the actions in a day supported by a conviction that what we do is justified. The justification is hopefully based in self-knowledge and having discerned the difference between right and wrong…but where did those definitions come from? From what someone has told you or what you believe? When you employ and develop your intuitive senses, the truth in that recognizing this companion of life as it is, we can use the time spent in fear more purposely by inspiring and helping each other to be happy.

xeric • \ZEER-ik\ • adjective
: characterized by, relating to, or requiring only a small amount of moisture

Example Sentence:
Many cacti have thick, succulent stems that can store enough water to allow them to survive even in xeric habitats.

Did you know?
By the late 1800s, botanists were using the terms “xerophyte” and “xerophytic” for plants that were well adapted for survival in dry environments. But some felt the need of a more generic word that included both animals and plants. In 1926 that group proposed using “xeric” (derived from "xēros," the Greek word for “dry”) as a more generalized term for either flora or fauna. They further suggested that “xerophytic … be entirely abandoned as useless and misleading.” Not everyone liked the idea. In fact, the Ecological Society of America stated that “xeric” was “not desirable,” preferring terms such as “arid.” Others declared that “xeric” should refer only to habitats, not to organisms. Scientists used it anyway, and by the 1940s “xeric” was well documented in scientific literature.

Merry Ho Ho Ho to you...

By Vichara


Merry Ho Ho Ho to all of you. It is 9:03 pm here on the west coast and it's officially Christmas day for some of you. Things are a lot different since we were kids and since we have lost some of our friends that gave Christmas a bit more meaning we feel a sense of sadness. While we miss those that have departed here we still have each other even though we are many miles from each other. And while we are miles from each other we must recognize that the miles are simply an archaic measurement and have no bearing on the bond that we have as compassionate souls. One of my many hopes is that the enhanced compassion and sense of giving is not restricted to just one day or a few days at the end of December but will make it's way into the fabric of our daily lives and can be indelibly incorporated into all acts that we do. I know it’s a lot to ask but let's just try.

Ever present...

By Vichara


There is an old Chinese proverb that states when you are friendly, humble and polite, the divine spirit will come to you as naturally as the water flowing down in the valley. I believe that this stream is ever present, in whatever you label you call it and it is merely diverted by distractions from our attention. Sometimes we just need to be reminded by example that this divine spirit that connects us all does exist. All you need to do is one simple act of love, compassion and patience during the day and that stream will be flowing right in front of you.

videlicet • \vuh-DEH-luh-set\ • adverb
: that is to say : namely
Example Sentence:
The restaurant is famous for several dishes: videlicet, arroz con pollo, olla podrida, and carne asada.
Did you know?
The abbreviation of "videlicet" is "viz," and people often wonder how the "z" got there. There is no "z" in the word's Latin roots, "viderē" ("to see") and "licet" ("it is permitted"). As it turns out, the "z" in "viz" originally wasn't a "z" at all. It was a symbol that looked like a "z" and that was used in medieval manuscripts to indicate the contraction of Latin words ending in "-et." When the symbol was carried into English, it was converted into the more familiar "z."

A new way of thinking...

By Vichara


We become a little more reflective at this point in the year and channel our efforts in more of a humanistic giving way. We are called upon this condition by the Christian calendar that marks the anniversary of a young mans’ birth, a man that tried to shift the conscious of people away from idol worship to an approach of love and respect, regardless of your station in life. While it would be respectful to celebrate the births of other great icons of faith like the Buddha, Muhammad, Krishna, Moses, Abraham, etc, it could create commercial marketplace chaos. But what if we were to take the core goodwill message of love, honor & respect that is focused on for a few days at this time and disperse them evenly over 365 days of our calendar year? Perhaps it could turn this last minute, chaotic rush of goodwill into a full year of harmonious bliss.

simulacrum • \sim-yuh-LAK-rum\ • noun
1 : image, representation
2 : an insubstantial form or semblance of something : trace

Example Sentence:
The magazine is still in publication, but, since the change in ownership, it is but a simulacrum of its former self.

Did you know?
It's not a figment of your imagination; there is a similarity between "simulacrum" and "simulate." Both of those English words derive from "simulare," a Latin verb meaning "to copy, represent, or feign." In its earliest English uses, "simulacrum" named something that provided an image or representation (as, for instance, a portrait, marble statue, or wax figure representing a person). Perhaps because a simulacrum, no matter how skillfully done, is not the real thing, the word gained an extended sense emphasizing the superficiality or insubstantiality of a thing.

Each step...

By Vichara


We’ve grown up and become adults and the playground just got bigger. We argue and laugh, just like we did when we did as kids in the park but now it is bigger, more sophisticated and deadlier. This is not a video game. When you pull the trigger, the bullet can’t be pulled back. You can’t re-set the game. The words unleashed, will make it’s mark. The cause will have its effect, the action a reaction. Choose from a more meaningful armament. Walk softly but carry a big heart, conscious of how it leaves it’s mark.

bifurcate • \BYE-fer-kayt\ • verb
: to divide or cause to divide into two branches or parts
Example Sentence:
The proposed restructuring would bifurcate the company.
Did you know?
Yogi Berra, the baseball great who was noted for his head-scratching quotes, is purported to have said, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” Yogi’s advice might not offer much help when making tough decisions in life, but perhaps it will help you remember today’s word, “bifurcate.” A road that bifurcates splits in two like the one in Yogi’s adage. Other things can bifurcate as well, such as an organization that splits into two factions. “Bifurcate” derives from the Latin “bifurcus,” meaning “two-pronged,” a combination of the prefix “bi-” (“two”) and the noun “furca” (“fork”). “Furca,” as you can probably tell, gave us our word “fork.”

Call now!...

By Vichara


Now available for an unlimited time, not sold in stores with no suggested retail value. No discounts, no shipping costs and immediate delivery. A perennial favorite of all generations – Compassion. Do not hesitate to get some today. Plenty in stock and a never-ending supply in our warehouses – Compassion. Something so strong, durable and refreshing you will want to give some to all that you meet. Call today operators are standing by, 24 / 7…1-800-146-7348, 1-800-1HO-PE4U.


kickshaw • \KICK-shaw\ • noun
1 : a fancy dish
*2 : a showy trifle
Example Sentence:
The shop was filled with refrigerator magnets, back-scratchers, snow globes, and other kickshaws, all adorned with images of smiling pigs.
Did you know?
“Kickshaw” began its career in the late 16th century as a borrowing from the French "quelque chose" -- literally, “something.” In line with the French pronunciation of the day, the “l” was dropped and the word was anglicized as "kickshaws" or "kickshoes." English speakers soon lost all consciousness of the word’s French origin and, by taking "kickshaws" as plural, created the new singular noun “kickshaw.”

Water will flow...

By Vichara


Water will flow and make it’s way to wherever it is accepted and needed, much like compassion and knowledge. You can open up the channels and release but unless they can find a home in hearts and minds they will lay dormant and dry up. It is up to each one of us to open up our personal reservoirs and direct these streams to the arid regions of the hearts and minds that we meet.

remora • \rih-MOR-uh\ • noun
*1 : any of various marine fishes that have a suction disk on the head by means of which they cling especially to other fishes
2 : hindrance, drag
Example Sentence:
Remoras feed on parasites culled from their host's skin and scraps from their host's meals.
Did you know?
Also known as "shark suckers" or "suckerfish," remoras are long, thin, dark fishes that are distributed throughout the world in warm seas. Ancient sailors believed remoras had the power to slow or even stop a ship by attaching themselves to it; the name "remora," which means "delay" in Latin, arose from this ancient superstition. The poor remora’s reputation isn’t much better today. Even though remoras don’t harm their hosts, they are popularly thought of as unwanted guests who get a free ride and a free meal by way of the efforts of others. It is therefore common to see "remora" used metaphorically in such contexts as "hungry paparazzi who attach themselves like remoras to celebrities."

Right around the corner...

By Vichara


The world will always keep spinning around the sun and the sun will rise and set. There is nothing we can do personally to stop or slow this down. It is the cruising speed of life. Many try to exceed this pace through ways both physically using machines and chemically using drugs. Trouble is that by moving at this induced speed you will rush by the very answers you may be looking for. Take some time to slow down, the answers are right around the corner.

prelapsarian • \pree-lap-SAIR-ee-un\ • adjective
: characteristic of or belonging to the time or state before the fall of humankind
Example Sentence:
In the afternoon we walked through the idyllic gardens, noting their prelapsarian charm.
Did you know?
"Prelapsarian" is the latest creation in the "lapsarian" family, which is etymologically related to Latin "lapsus," meaning "slip" or "fall." "Supralapsarian" is the firstborn, appearing in 1633 as a word for someone who held the belief that people were predestined to either eternal life or eternal death before the Creation and the Fall (the event in the Bible when Adam and Eve were forced to leave the Garden of Eden because they had sinned against God). Next in line is "sublapsarian," which refers to a person who adhered to the view that God foresaw and permitted the Fall and after the Fall decreed predestination to eternal life as a means of saving some of the human race. That word first appears in 1656 and was followed by its synonym, "infralapsarian," in distant 1731. "Postlapsarian," meaning "of, relating to, or characteristic of the time or state after the Fall," appeared two years later, and "prelapsarian" was delayed until 1879.

The ability to have everything...

By Vichara


There can be no fighting, if there is no attachment. There can be no greed, when there is no attachment. There can be no resentment, when there is no attachment. I am not insisting a non-attachment where you acquiesce all that you have in a subservient way. No, this type of non-attachment weighs out the merits of both sides, sees the needs of both, understands the possible outcome and shares in the positive and negative aspects of all actions. When you have the ability to lose everything, you have the ability to have everything.

hebetude • \HEB-uh-tood\ • noun
: lethargy, dullness
Example Sentence:
The hebetude and ennui displayed by such bright students was just one sign that they were not being sufficiently challenged in their classes.
Did you know?
"Hebetude" usually suggests mental dullness, often marked by laziness or torpor. As such, it was a good word for one Queenslander correspondent, who wrote in a letter to the editor of the Weekend Australian of "an epidemic of hebetude among young people who … are placing too great a reliance on electronic devices to do their thinking and remembering." "Hebetude" comes from Late Latin "hebetudo," which means pretty much the same thing as our word. It is also closely related to the Latin word for "dull" -- "hebes," which has extended meanings such as "obtuse," "doltish," and "stupid." Other "hebe-" words in English include "hebetudinous" ("marked by hebetude") and "hebetate" ("to make dull").

One small victory...

By Vichara


You can’t move forward without reflecting on the past. Use these lessons learned from these experiences and illuminate them with the light of compassion and forgiveness in order to transcend their pettiness. Formulate a foundation, not of retribution but a foundation of unification. Using this tack many new paths will become a reality in this light. Step forward with confidence that together you and the person next to you, that you don’t even know, can and will achieve both small and big victories…one small compassionate step at a time.

exculpate • \EK-skull-payt\ • verb
: to clear from alleged fault or guilt
Example Sentence:
The lawyer claimed to have recently discovered evidence that would exculpate her client.
Did you know?
You need not take the blame if you're unfamiliar with the origins of "exculpate," but there's a hint in this sentence. The word, which was adopted in the late 17th century from Medieval Latin "exculpatus," traces back to the Latin noun "culpa," meaning "blame." Some other descendants of "culpa" in English include "culpable" ("meriting condemnation or blame") and "inculpate" ("incriminate"), as well as the considerably rarer "culpatory" ("accusing") and "disculpate" (a synonym of "exculpate"). You may also be familiar with the borrowed Latin phrase "mea culpa," which translates directly as "through my fault" and is used in English to mean "a formal acknowledgment of personal fault or error."

Building a foundation of compassion...

By Vichara


While we all in one way or another end this part of the year where the act of giving to others caps off and resolves one year, let’s not forget the other 364 days of the year. Yes, it is wonderful to celebrate but why not shake things up and pick a random date sometime next year that you give something to that food bank, help with a kid’s group, assist in a senior’s center or any number of things to help someone else. Then when that date approaches, pick another one randomly and do something else. You see where this is going right? Building a foundation of compassion that is just not celebrated in December but gradually in each month for not only others but yourself as well.

lothario • \loh-THAIR-ee-oh\ • noun
: a man whose chief interest is seducing women

Example Sentence:
Marie denounced her ex-boyfriend as a conniving lothario who liked to play the field but who had no interest in making a real commitment.

Did you know?
"Lothario" comes from The Fair Penitent (1703), a tragedy by Nicholas Rowe. In the play, Lothario is a notorious seducer, extremely attractive but beneath his charming exterior a haughty and unfeeling scoundrel. He seduces Calista, an unfaithful wife and later the fair penitent of the title. After the play was published, the character of Lothario became a stock figure in English literature. For example, Samuel Richardson modeled the character of Lovelace on Lothario in his 1748 novel Clarissa. As the character became well known, his name became progressively more generic, and since the 18th century the word "lothario" has been used for a foppish, unscrupulous rake.

Good morning...

By Vichara


The sun is up, you’re breathing, you are probably one of the lucky ones that will have some food this morning, what’s left to do? I’m not talking in the figurative sense but in the literal sense as well. Is there an unreachable thing you can start to take a few steps forward with? Is there an extra ounce of forgiveness you can give to yourself or someone else?

derelict • \DAIR-uh-likt\ • adjective
1 : abandoned especially by the owner or occupant : run-down
2 : lacking a sense of duty : negligent

Example Sentence:
In letting the children stay up late into the night, watching television, the babysitter was derelict in her duty.

Did you know?
The Latin verb "relinquere" left behind a few English derivatives. This word, itself meaning "to leave behind," is the root of our "derelict." Something derelict has been left behind, or at least appears that way. In another sense, someone derelict leaves behind or neglects his or her duties or obligations. Another descendent of "relinquere" is "relinquish," meaning "to leave behind," "to give up," or "to release." "Relic" is another example of a word that ultimately comes from "relinquere." "Relics," in the original sense of the term, referred to things treasured for their association with a saint or martyr -- that is, objects saints and martyrs had left behind.

Reaching out and in...

By Vichara


We reach out in prayer, meditation and in reflection for help from however we describe it, the universe, god, divine presence, etc. While it is definitely good to reach out we must also reach within and release ourselves from the trouble that has been inside us all. As a good friend has told me, “we must heal ourselves”. By reaching out and in we expose both sides of this troubled coin to all of the healing powers that exist.

carpaccio • \kar-PAH-chee-oh\ • noun
: thinly sliced raw meat or fish served with a sauce -- often used postpositively

Example Sentence:
"Though the menu is large, stick with the steaks and the beef carpaccio at this sleek, airy restaurant." (The San Francisco Chronicle, July 31, 2008)

Did you know?
Carpaccio is not the only dish named after a person, though its name might have the most artful origin. Created in 1950 by Venetian restaurateur Giuseppe Cipriani, carpaccio is named after Vittore Carpaccio, the Renaissance painter. Cipriani created the dish for the Countess Amalia Nani Mocenigo, who had been under doctor’s orders to avoid cooked meats. According to Cipriani’s memoir, he chose to name the dish after Carpaccio because the red in the beef matched the colors found in Carpaccio’s paintings. Recently, some restaurants have begun using the term for similarly prepared non-meat dishes (such as pear carpaccio).

The karma wheel..

By Vichara


In the “Big Karmic Wheel of Life”, we will think “what the hell is going on and why are these people bothering me? When our inner voice call out in distain it may be time to pause and contemplate what karma have we created personally to bring about these situations. Personally? Wow, that is a tough to think about that we ourselves personally have helped create these situations that trouble us…but we have. Maybe in a little way or in a big way, all things are inter-connected and we have an obligation to be personally responsible for our thoughts and actions. After all, we create them. Now turn the light off before you leave!

golem • \GOH-lum\ • noun
1 : an artificial being in Hebrew folklore endowed with life
2 : someone or something resembling a golem

Example Sentence:
With the flick of a switch, the scientist brought life to his creation, then watched with awe as the golem rose from the table.

Did you know?
The Hebrew ancestor of the word "golem" meant "shapeless mass," and the original golems started as lumps of clay that were formed into figures and brought to life by means of a charm or a combination of letters forming a sacred word. In the Middle Ages, golems were thought to be the perfect servants; their only fault was that they were sometimes too literal or mechanical in fulfilling their masters' orders. In the 16th century, the golem was thought of as a protector of the Jews in times of persecution. But by the late 1800s, "golem" had acquired a less friendly second sense, referring to a man-made monster that inspired many of the back-from-the-dead creations of classic horror fiction.

Shhhh...

By Vichara


There is an old Arabic proverb that goes, “Only speak when your words are better that your silence”. However there is great fear for many people to be just silent in general. For some silence just needs to be filled with noise to mask the fear of being alone with oneself. Don’t fear silence, from it can be born beautiful and wise thoughts. It’s ok to be quiet.

ineffable • \in-EFF-uh-bul\ • adjective
1 *a : incapable of being expressed in words : indescribable b : unspeakable
2 : not to be uttered : taboo

Example Sentence:
Ed felt an ineffable joy at the sight of his son walking toward him from the plane.

Did you know?
"Every tone was a testimony against slavery, and a prayer to God for deliverance from chains. The hearing of those wild notes always depressed my spirit, and filled me with ineffable sadness," wrote Frederick Douglass in his autobiography. Reading Douglass's words, it's easy to see that "ineffable" means "indescribable" or "unspeakable." And when we break down the word to its Latin roots, it's easy to see how those meanings came about. "Ineffable" comes from "ineffabilis," which joins the prefix "in-," meaning "not," with the adjective "effabilis," meaning "capable of being expressed." "Effabilis" comes from "effari" ("to speak out"), which in turn comes from "ex-" and "fari" ("to speak").

A new bailout...

By Vichara


With all of the rescue packages being proposed in the financial sectors of the world, there is another plan that needs to be formulated that is equally as important. We need a compassion bailout. And who is going to fund this bailout; you and I. We all have the ways and means to make an impact. As always this time of the year calls for us to give presents and to be more forgiving to those around us all because of certain date on the calendar. I think there is a need to look beyond these singular calendar dates and forge a movement in our individual hearts to react and to act in giving to others not just by gifts paid for by plastic, but given through compassion. Incorporate this in our daily live and everyday thoughts. A bailout of hope, a bailout of mutual support. A bailout of believing that we can make a difference, even in a small way.

dragoon • \druh-GOON\ • verb
1 : to subjugate or persecute by harsh use of troops
2 : to force into submission or compliance especially by violent measures

Example Sentence:
Boys of all ages were taken from their families and dragooned into fighting for the rebel armies.

Did you know?
A dragoon was a mounted European infantryman of the 17th and 18th centuries armed with a firearm called by the same name. No arm-twisting should be needed to get you to believe that the firearm's name, which came to English from French, is derived from its semblance to a fire-breathing dragon when fired. History has recorded the dragonish nature of the dragoons who persecuted the French Protestants in the 17th century, during the reign of Louis XIV. The persecution by means of the dragoons led to the use of the word "dragoon" as a verb.

Change...

By Vichara


Before external change can happen, internal change must be initiated. Like the stone thrown into a pond of water, the ripples of simple acts of compassion, patience and love you give to yourself will radiate out to those around you pliable to change. Others will receive not all of what you radiate but a fragment will and as it did with you, result in that small impact and ripple out back to you and others.

prolix • \proh-LIKS\ • adjective
1 : unduly prolonged or drawn out : too long
2 : marked by or using an excess of words

Example Sentence:
Legal writing is not always prolix; after all, the word “brief” refers to a legal document, and most judges demand that briefs be brief.

Did you know?
There's no way to talk about "prolix" without being redundant, verbose, and wordy. That's because the word is a synonym of all of those long-winded terms. Of those words, "prolix” is the one most likely to suggest unreasonable and tedious dwelling on details. It derives from “prolixus,” a Latin term meaning "extended" or "copious." “Prolixus" originated from a combination of the prefix “pro-” (which means "forward") and the past participle of “liquēre,” a verb meaning "to be fluid." True to that history, something that is prolix flows

Breathe...

By Vichara


With all of the onomatopoeia of life that is constantly clanging around us the most essential sound that we could hear is our own breathing. When was the last time amongst the din of existence you deeply heard your own breathing? Being reminded that this simple bodily action ignites the pistons of our existence. Find at least a few moments in a day to feel the inhalation and exhalation. Be mindful and cognizant of this precious gift of life we have been given. The value of which I do not believe many of us will ever appreciate. Regardless of what level of appreciation we may achieve, at least find one quiet moment each day to acknowledge that this waltz on earth may only last for one song.

alienist • \AY-lee-uh-nist\ • noun
: psychiatrist

Example Sentence:
Julius Wagner von Jauregg was a gifted alienist and neurologist who was awarded the 1927 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine.

Did you know?
"Alienist" looks and sounds like it should mean "someone who studies aliens," and in fact "alienist" and "alien" are related -- both are ultimately derived from the Latin word “alius,” meaning "other." In the case of "alienist," the etymological trail leads from Latin to French, where the adjective “aliene” ("insane") gave rise to the noun “alieniste,” referring to a doctor who treats the insane. "Alienist" first appeared in print in English in 1864. It was preceded by the other “alius” descendants, "alien" (14th century) and "alienate" (used as a verb since the early 16th century). "Alienist" is much rarer than "psychiatrist" these days, but at one time it was the preferred term.