Did you hear?...

By Vichara


The world is expecting an answer from you today. Wait, you didn’t hear the question? Of course you should have, it was early this morning and has been repeated over and over again. You were asked when your eyes first cracked open. You were asked when that first sip of coffee / tea slid down your throat. You were asked when that cool breeze touched your face. You were asked when you laughed out loud so hard with a friend. You were asked when that sad moment reflected back at you again. You were asked when your furry friend was happy when you walked in the door and you will be asked once again when sleep takes you in it’s arms. The question is direct and to the point – Are you happy to be alive? Before you react, whine, piss and moan, think about this for a moment. If you have the ability to react this way, you have the ability to change. It is up to you. Now answer the question.

Wellerism • \WELL-uh-riz-um\ • noun
: an expression of comparison comprising a usually well-known quotation followed by a facetious sequel
Example Sentence:
My father's favorite Wellerism is "'We'll have to rehearse that,' said the undertaker as the coffin fell out of the car."
Did you know?
Sam Weller, Mr. Pickwick's good-natured servant in Charles Dickens' The Pickwick PapersK, and his father were fond of following well-known sayings or phrases with humorous or punning conclusions. For example, in one incident in the book, Sam quips, "What the devil do you want with me, as the man said, w[h]en he see the ghost?" Neither Charles Dickens nor Sam Weller invented that type of word play, but Weller's tendency to use such witticisms had provoked people to start calling them "Wellerisms" by 1839, soon after the publication of the novel.

On the high seas...

By Vichara


The day should not be determined by the collection of anxieties brewing internally and churring the waters of your voyage. Use the rudder of clarity to guide you through these rough seas and back to calmer waters. And while our sails may be listless for a time we will find the resolve to fill them with the energies of compassion and love to ply the waters once again. Here ends the (life) nautical lesson of the day. Sail away my fellow pirates of possibilities…arrrrrrgh!


chary • \CHAIR-ee\ • adjective
1 a : discreetly cautious: as * b : hesitant and vigilant about dangers and risks c : slow to grant, accept, or expend
Example Sentence:
"And in causes both small and large, controversial and less so, he was never chary about voicing his convictions." (Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, April 7, 2010)
Did you know?
It was sorrow that bred the caution of "chary." In Middle English "chary" meant "sorrowful," a sense that harks back to the word's Old English ancestor "caru" (an early form of "care," and another term that originally meant "sorrow" or "grief"). In a sense switch that demonstrates that love can be both bitter and sweet, "chary" later came to mean "dear" or "cherished." That's how 16th century English dramatist George Peele used it: "the chariest and the choicest queen, That ever did delight my royal eyes." Both sorrow and affection have largely faded from "chary," however, and in Modern English the word is most often used as a synonym of either "careful" or "sparing."

A meeting with Time...

By Vichara


I was talking to Time earlier today and he said he needed a break. He shook his head and said no offence and I’m not trying to be difficult but he was stressed out. He complained that everybody was rushing him too much and he felt he was always late for something. Time turned to me with this exhausted look on his face, threw hi arms up and said “that’s it, I’m tired, people need to make some changes in their lives and stop blaming me for things”. Time said people are always whining and saying, “I just don’t have the time” or “time just got away from me”. He snapped – “there is always time and I didn’t run away from anybody”. He stood up, put on his Panama hat and said that they worked it out a long time ago. They set up 24 hours in one day with of course 60 minutes in an hour. There is plenty of time to get things done but people are thinking way too much about stuff that has already happened or are dreaming about having more time in the future. By doing that they miss out what is going on right then. He pulled the hat down and as he turned he said “figure it out people, I got all the time in the world”.


sepulchre • \SEP-ul-ker\ • noun
1 : a place of burial : tomb
2 : a receptacle for religious relics especially in an altar
Example Sentence:
"The distant noises in the streets were gradually hushed; the house was quiet as a sepulchre; the dead of night was coffined in the silent city." (Charles Dickens, Martin Chuzzlewit)
Did you know?
"Sepulchre" (also spelled "sepulcher") first appeared in Middle English around the beginning of the 13th century. It was originally spelled "sepulcre," a spelling taken from Anglo-French. Like many words borrowed into English from French, "sepulchre" has roots in Latin. In Latin, "sepulchre" is "sepulcrum," a noun that is derived from the verb "sepelire," which means "to bury." "Sepultus," the past participle of "sepelire," gives us -- also by way of Anglo-French -- the related noun "sepulture," which is a synonym for "burial" and "sepulchre."

Being present...

By Vichara


We tend to not notice “it” unless “it” doesn’t work. A simple and naïve statement but it still holds weight. In this case the “it” is time we have been given, life. I was listening to a doctor discussing the many patients he deals with that have Alzheimer’s disease. With each hour, day and week for these people they lose parts of memory and recognition. For those of us who remember analog tape it is like having complete or parts of songs erased for good…never to be returned or remembered. That engagement of love given to you by your husband / wife / friend be present with it now. That sense of joy of a new discovery, be present with it now. That song that connected with your heart, be present with it now. Be present now because this moment will not be there later.

scuttlebutt • \SKUTT-ul-butt\ • noun
: rumor, gossip
Example Sentence:
After he retired, Bob regularly stopped by his old office to visit his buddies and catch up on the latest scuttlebutt.
Did you know?
Nowadays, office workers catch up on the latest scuttlebutt around the water cooler, and when they do, they are continuing a long-standing (although not necessarily honorable) tradition. That kind of gossip sharing probably also occurred on the sailing ships of yore. Back in the early 1800s, the cask containing a ship's daily supply of freshwater was called a "scuttlebutt"; that name was later applied to a drinking fountain on a ship or at a naval installation. By the early 20th century, the term for the water source was also applied to the gossip and rumors generated around it, and the latest chatter has been called "scuttlebutt" ever since.

Our personal legacy...

By Vichara


All our daily actions are tempered by knowledge and guidance given to us by others who have helped or hindered us and of course what we have read and see. All of our senses ingesting and digesting the best and the worst of humanity on a daily basis. If one were given only violence, one would only know violence. If one were only given compassion, one would only know compassion. Unfortunately and fortunately the world does not work that way. It is a collection of competing contrasts that present themselves to us and ask us to judge and act accordingly. How we act will be how the world sees us. How do we want to be seen and remembered? Our personal legacies may not be as large as people like Rosa Parks, Gandhi, Einstein and others but it is no less important. Each step, word and deed counts and will be counted.

winkle • \WINK-ul\ • verb
1 chiefly British : to displace, remove, or evict from a position -- usually used with out
2 chiefly British : to obtain or draw out by effort -- usually used with out
Example Sentence:
"In 1483 a new English king, Richard III, tried again to winkle Henry out of Brittany, but he found that the young man was now a significant pawn on the European chessboard." (Nigel Calder, The English Channel)
Did you know?
If you have ever extracted a winkle from its shell, then you understand how the verb "winkle" came to be. The word "winkle" is short for "periwinkle," the name of a marine or freshwater snail. "Periwinkle" is ultimately derived from Latin "pina," the name of a mussel, and Old English "wincle," a snail shell. Evidently the personnel of World War I's Allied Powers found their duty of finding and removing the enemy from the trenches analogous to extracting a well-entrenched snail and began using "winkle" to describe their efforts. The action of "winkling the enemy out" was later extended to other situations, such as "winkling information out of someone."

The root...

By Vichara


So much time and energy is focused on the symptoms and the side effects but there is sometimes a failure to look at the “root” of the situations. Is there an inability to understand the importance, an emotional disconnect, a physical challenge, a reluctance that would expose the inefficiencies of particular systems? We all dance around the causes in an effort not to be drawn into turmoil but it is in the middle of the turmoil where the strong impetus will lay to initiate the change, the cure, the answers. If we do not address the “root(s)” of situations it will ultimately create more challenges that will compound on existing ones and like a flock of sheep run away on you. Round up these sheep and shear them of these situational causes and effects to get to the root.


chatelaine • \SHAT-uh-layn\ • noun
1 a : the wife of a castellan : the mistress of a château * b : the mistress of a household or of a large establishment
2 : a clasp or hook for a watch, purse, or bunch of keys
Example Sentence:
"Leah sets aside her artistic career to become the perfect Swiss wife, mother and chatelaine of a massive estate." (Publisher’s Weekly, September 22, 2008)
Did you know?
The original chatelaine's domain was a castle or fort, and the chatelaine's duties were many. To complete them, she certainly needed keys. In the 18th century, the word "chatelaine" (borrowed from the French "châtelaine") took on an additional meaning in English that alluded to this: the word came to be used for a decorative clasp or hook from which chains holding a watch, purse, keys, etc. were suspended. These popular accessories evoked the bunch of keys the original chatelaine had worn of necessity.

Union not division...

By Vichara

One of the reasons we are ‘here” is not necessarily to solve things but to discover things that illicit more discussion, more discovery and more interaction. From this interaction we discover the seed of communion that unites us all and keeps us from creating divisions. The more union of thought, the more there is an opportunity to see beyond the Maya that is set up as a stumbling block. From here it will lead we can lead one another to a clearer path. This is sometimes not so easily obtained with the diversions that are set up but we can take a collective step back, blow away the smoke and turn the mirrors away. Here the vista is much more defined and from here the path is clear.

The whole sea...

By Vichara


If you feel anxiety envision your self as a wave with the power of the whole sea. Fighting the current is a waste of energy. Pushing the current will not hurry things along. Ride the waves with equanimity and know that you are the whole sea.

macerate • \MASS-uh-rayt\ • verb
1 : to cause to waste away by or as if by excessive fasting
2 : to cause to become soft or separated into constituent elements by or as if by steeping in fluid; broadly : steep, soak
3 : to soften and wear away especially as a result of being wetted or steeped
Example Sentence:
"Absinthe is made by macerating herbs and spices, including anise and fennel, with the grand wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) that gives the drink its name." (Julia Reed, Newsweek, April 12, 2010)

The blender of life...

By Vichara


Let’s crank up the blender of life and make us a cocktail. There are some people that believe that they only need one item in the ol’ blender, some ice and churn things up to have a good, happy and successful life. Well if that is what you think we need to send you back to the Life Bartender School. This hopefully long cool drink that is given to us needs several ingredients in order to make a tasty blend. In the beginning we may only have a couple of ingredients to start with but with an open heart, mind and spirit we’ll receive other ingredients to toss into the blender. Of course the essentials are needed like love, compassion, laughter, empathy and equanimity. But as years go by you will get things like disappointment, silliness, death, revelations, sadness, absurdity, music, arts, literature, resourcefulness, jealousy, happiness and many more. One by one toss them in and mix them up. By taste you will learn the right amount to balance and make your life full. One ingredient makes for a boring cocktail while many create a fiesta in which life should be. Drink up!


waterloo • \waw-ter-LOO\ • noun
: a decisive or final defeat or setback
Example Sentence:
The senatorial candidate's misrepresentation of his military service could prove to be his waterloo.
Did you know?
The Battle of Waterloo, which occurred on June 18, 1815, has given its name to the very notion of final defeat. Why? Maybe because it ended one of the most spectacular military careers in history (Napoleon's), as well as 23 years of recurrent conflict between France and the rest of Europe. In addition, it was Napoleon's second "final defeat." He was defeated and exiled in 1814, but he escaped his confinement, returned to France, and was restored to power for three months before meeting defeat at the hands of the forces allied under the Duke of Wellington near the Belgian village of Waterloo. The word "waterloo" first appeared in casual use the following year, 1816.

The mark you leave...

By Vichara


We can either cast a giant shadow on a day or we can provide a window to receive and create a clearer vision not only for ourselves but for others as well. The shadow will only create darkness and confusion. It might be felt that the shadow is needed to make a point to create a statement of authority but it only creates more darkness & doubt. Bt creating a window of communication and a sense of transparency the corner once filled with doubt is now illuminated with knowledge and cohesiveness. Your choice - darkness and misunderstanding or light and a clearer vision.

asperity • \uh-SPAIR-uh-tee\ • noun
1 : roughness
*2 : harshness of manner or of temper
Example Sentence:
When asked to make a contribution, Roger glared and said with asperity, "I gave at the office."
Did you know?
"Asperity" has had a rough history. It came to Modern English through Middle English (where it was spelled "asprete") by way of the Anglo-French ("asprete"), and ultimately derives from the Latin word "asper," which means "rough." Not only is "asper" the source of "asperity," but it also underlies the English word "exasperate" (in fact, you can see "asper" nestled in the midst of that word). Although it is far less common than "asperity" and "exasperate," the word "asper" itself is still occasionally used in English, too -- it functions as a

New heroes...

By Vichara


I may run against the acceptance of most but we need new heroes for this generation. The athletes, singers and actors are flawed for the most part. Yes I know they are human and the elevation of their status through manipulation of the media makes their fall even more dramatic. I think t-shirts, web sites and hoopla should be created for those that actually contribute to the human condition, not chip it away with unhealthy indulgences and indiscretions. I don’t believe just because you can put an object in a net or hole or spray expletives in a gratuitous manner should give you solely the spotlight to influence others. We need to give the spotlight and attentions to those that create hope that will inspire others. There are of course the classics of Gandhi, King, Dalai Lama, Marie Curie and Desmond Tutu but there are others like Aung San Suu Kyi, John Pilger, Mary Robinson, Noam Chomsky and Bill Oddie. There is even someone that might live in your neighborhood that helps out in a small way. These are the true heroes. Let’s give them the spotlight to inspire the new generations.


guttersnipe • \GUTT-er-snype\ • noun
1 : a homeless vagabond and especially an outcast boy or girl in the streets of a city
*2 : a person of the lowest moral or economic station
Example Sentence:
"Class is the great British reality, and the more books I wrote the more [Evelyn Waugh] termed me an unregenerable guttersnipe." (Anthony Burgess, The Wilson Quarterly, Spring 1991)
Did you know?
“Unfurl yourselves under my banner, noble savages, illustrious guttersnipes,” wrote Mark Twain sometime around 1869. Twain was among the first writers to use "guttersnipe" for a young hoodlum or street urchin. In doing so, he was following a trend among writers of the time to associate "gutter" (a low area at the side of a road) with a low station in life. Other writers in the late 19th century used "guttersnipe" more literally as a name for certain kinds of snipes, or birds with long thin beaks that live in wet areas. "Gutter-bird" was another term that was used at that time for both birds and disreputable persons. And even "snipe" itself has a history as a term of opprobrium; it was used as such during Shakespeare’s day.

A mantra for today...

By Vichara


Ok before the Thought of the day let us quietly recite our mantra. Wait, you don’t have a mantra? I thought you had a mantra? Let me suggest a couple for this morning. How about “meka meka hein-e ho…ooops, that’s Pee Wee Herman’s. Oooga booga booga busca…sorry that’s a song. Reciting a mantra prior to any meditation or if you are sitting to ponder questions is a helpful tool to focus the attention to a single point and reduce the chatter. By either repeating out loud or in your mind will aid in slowing down the breathing creating a more relaxed feeling. I am partial to the one tattooed in Sanskrit on my arm, Om Mani Padme Hung. But “Om” is a good one if you want something simple and easy to remember. One thing you will notice over time is that by using one you will create an island of calm that you can travel to anytime you need or want. But for today how about this one…”it will be a good day”.


edify • \ED-uh-fye\ • verb
: to instruct and improve especially in moral and religious knowledge : uplift; also : enlighten, inform
Example Sentence:
"There's nothing like a film festival for renewing your faith in the medium, in the possibilities of movies to surprise, delight and edify us." (Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, June 1, 2010)
Did you know?
The Latin noun "aedes," meaning "house" or "temple," is the root of "aedificare," a verb meaning "to erect a house." Generations of speakers built on that meaning, and by the Late Latin period, the verb had gained the figurative sense of "to instruct or improve spiritually." The word eventually passed through Anglo-French before Middle English speakers adopted it as "edify" during the 14th century. Two of its early meanings, "to build" and "to establish," are now considered archaic; the only current sense of "edify" is essentially the same as that figurative meaning in Late Latin, "to instruct and improve in moral and religious matters."

Part of our journey?...

By Vichara


I paid a visit to this wonderful library while I was out of town yesterday. As I quietly ventured into this large room I was overwhelmed with the shear number of philosophical and spiritual books that filled each shelf. A library filled with nothing but volumes of metaphysical thoughts. Well I felt like a kid at Baskin-Robbins – so many flavors to choose from, where to start. But then I thought, as you know I would, is there areas of knowledge that we gravitate to for a reason? Is there subject matter were we are destined to explore given the right circumstances? Is this vessel we call our mind and body given a genetic code that will aid in finding answers? And once we get those answers is it part of our purpose here to share this with others so that it will help them find their answers? Sort of knowledge leapfrog? Not sure but I’m going back to this library for a second helping.


vexillology • \vek-suh-LAH-luh-jee\ • noun
: the study of flags
Example Sentence:
Chris first got interested in vexillology as a child after visiting a museum with a large collection of rare flags.
Did you know?
"The flag is the embodiment, not of sentiment, but of history." Woodrow Wilson was speaking of the U.S. flag when he made that statement in an address in June of 1915, but those who engage in vexillology -- that is, vexillologists -- would likely find the comment applicable to any national banner. Vexillologists undertake scholarly investigations of flags, producing papers with titles such as "A Review of the Changing Proportions of Rectangular Flags since Medieval Times, and Some Suggestions for the Future." In the late 1950s, they coined "vexillology" as a name for their field of research from "vexillum," the Latin term for a square flag or banner of the ancient Roman cavalry. The adjectives "vexillologic" and "vexillological" and the noun "vexillologist" followed soon thereafter.

All aboard...

By Vichara


The wheels have already started rolling even before you opened your eyes. Which “cart” will you attach and which direction will you travel? If you listen very carefully you will hear what those around you are pulling. It will be subtle with some but within the subtext and mannerisms it will be revealed. For others it will blatant and obvious and you know which ones let pas by and which ones to invite in. Which brings us back to you. While seemingly untethered when you awake you may still retain the fragments of yesterday’s “carts”. Perhaps before you pull out of the station today you do an inventory of the “carts” still left latched on to your coupling. Which ones are you willing to drag around again and which ones serve no purpose. I think you know what I mean. Tooooot, tooooot (yes, train whistle). “All aboard, today is leaving the station…track 29….be on time.

argy-bargy • \ahr-jee-BAHR-jee\ • noun
: a lively discussion : argument, dispute
Example Sentence:
After much argy-bargy, Paul and Hugh finally came up with a plan that satisfied them both.
Did you know?
"Argy-bargy" and its slightly older variant "argle-bargle" have been a part of British English since the second half of the 19th century. "Argy" and "argle" evolved in certain English and Scottish dialects as variant forms of "argue." As far as we can tell, "bargy" and "bargle" never existed as independent words; they only came to life with the compounds as singsong reduplications of "argy" and "argle." Some other words that can be used for a dispute in English are "squabble," "contretemps," and "donnybrook."

Lesson #14...

By Vichara


This morning I woke to persistent ringing of the front doorbell. Scraping off some of the sleep still clinging to me at that early hour I made my way downstairs to see who was insisting on making this A.M. appearance. As I opened the door I sighed with recognition of the two figures standing there. On the right with finger still jabbing at the button was Impatience. On the left, head lazily turning with cursory glances, Indifference. Impatience, always the first to speak up, said that he was in a hurry (of course) and that he wanted to spend the day with me. He added that Indifference was just bored and agreed to come along. Indifference just looked over, shrugged and rolled his eyes. I said to Impatience as he jingled the loose change in his pocket that I was sorry that I had no room in my car today. Compassion, Clarity and Patience stayed over and was riding in with me. Impatience’s eyes bugged out, his face turned red and a bead of sweat formed on his forehead. He stared and blurted out with some spittle “WHAT!! gotta go!!!! He ran off the porch. Indifference put his hands in his pockets deeper, turned and shuffled off with his flip-flops clapping on the sidewalk. Lesson learned today: Be careful whom you carpool with, it might not be good for the world.

ambuscade • \AM-buh-skayd\ • noun
: a trap in which concealed persons lie in wait to attack by surprise; also : the persons so concealed or their position
Example Sentence:
"They were apprized of the ambuscade by one of the flanking party, before the Indians fired upon them…." (George Washington, letter, August 4, 1756)
Did you know?
"Ambuscade" derives from Middle French "embuscade," a modification of an Old Italian word formed by combining the prefix "in-" and the Latin noun "bosco," meaning "forest." This is appropriate, since many such surprise attacks have involved the attacking force hiding out in and emerging from a wooded area. "Ambuscade" has not changed in meaning since General Washington’s day, though nowadays we are more likely to use its synonym "ambush." That word actually took a slightly different path to English -- via Middle English "embushen," from Anglo-French "en-" ("in-") and "busche" ("log" or "firewood") -- though the two words ultimately share a relationship.

A tear in perception...

By Vichara


What happens when you see behind the veil of deception and finally see the truth? The opaque gauze where the projections of this life are reflected suddenly gets a tear. The tear revels a reality unbiased and unclouded. A cold hard blast that is uncompromising and unapologetic in its directness. It cannot be ignored and yet it gives you the option. Do you open your eyes in an attempt to understand and gain perspective or retreat back into ignorance? The tear will only appear for a moment and then its gap will close once again until another accumulation of events and experiences tears it open once again for just you. Will you enter the tear and receive the revelations or retreat? What will be revealed may not be pleasant but it will be honest and will shift your vision. It is up to you.


delegate • \DEL-uh-gayt\ • verb
1 : to entrust to another
2 : to appoint as one's representative
3 : to assign responsibility or authority
Example Sentence:
In order to get everything done on time, the committee leader chose to delegate some of the minor tasks to junior members.
Did you know?
To "delegate" is literally or figuratively to send another in one's place, an idea that is reflected in the word’s origin; it is a descendant of Latin "legare," meaning "to send as an emissary." Other English words that can be traced back to "legare" include "legate" ("a usually official emissary"), "legacy," "colleague," and "relegate." The noun "delegate," meaning "a person acting for another," entered English in the 15th century, followed by the verb in the next century.

500 Thoughts...

By Vichara


500 Thoughts, that is the mark reached as of today. I have pulled, cajoled, released, written and shared with all of you that have been kind enough to take the time to read 500 of my scattered Thoughts. For those of you that read these and sometimes send comments I truly thank you and appreciate your time. So the question (Thought) I present to myself now that I have reached 500 is things any better as a result in writing and sharing these? My hope is that maybe one of these perhaps shifted your perspective for a moment and illuminated a corner that you may not have explored before. My hope is that you might have shared one of these thoughts with someone else and it helped them out in a small way because that is truly the intent here. I started writing these Thoughts to stir things up in the very early hours of the day and help me. Seeing the possible value for others a very talented friend designed this web page so that it could be shared with all of you no matter where you live. Thank you once again, I am grateful. And thank all of you all for reading and sharing. On to the next Thought…


obstreperous • \ub-STREP-uh-rus\ • adjective
1 : marked by unruly or aggressive noisiness : clamorous
*2 : stubbornly resistant to control : unruly
Example Sentence:
On her first day of substitute teaching, Joanna expected to encounter a classroom of obstreperous teenagers, but the students were mostly well behaved.
Did you know?
The handy Latin prefix "ob-," meaning "in the way," "against," or "toward," occurs in many Latin and English words. "Obstreperous" comes from "ob-" plus "strepere," a verb meaning "to make a noise," so someone who is obstreperous is literally making noise to rebel against something, much like a protesting crowd or an unruly child. The word has been used in English since around the beginning of the 17th century. "Strepere" has not played a role in the formation of any other notable English words, but "ob-" words abound; these include "obese," "obnoxious," "occasion," "offend," "omit," "oppress," and "oust."

A new angle...

By Vichara


There is a tendency to view things from one vantage point for the majority of the time. It can come from force of habit or just plain comfort. For me I notice it a lot being around other photographers. You may notice in your family photos when taking a picture of friends and family you try to corral them together and you stand straight on and snap away. If you go back you may see the same kind of photo in your collection. As with life and with photography there are times you need to break out and look at things from a different angle. For me I’ll crouch down at times for a different vantage point and in a way you can do this with your observations. When faced with a challenging situation, hunker down and force yourself to get a new angle on things. Give yourself an opportunity for a new perspective and to hear things differently. Making a decision is like pushing down on the shutter of the camera. Once it is done the decision has been made, the moment has been captured. Try to have things framed and thought through before releasing the shutter.

balletomane • \ba-LET-uh-mayn\ • noun
: a devotee of ballet
Example Sentence:
Balletomanes across the country eagerly bought tickets to the famous ballerina's final performance.
Did you know?
If you suspected that "balletomane" originated with the idea of a "mania" for ballet, you are correct. What you may not have guessed is that the language that inspired English speakers to borrow the word in the 1930s was Russian. "Balletomane" derives from the Russian noun "baletoman," which in turn combines the word for "ballet" ("balet") and the suffix "-man," from "maniya" (meaning "mania"). The English words "mania" and "ballet" did not, however, come from Russian. ("Mania" comes from Latin and Greek, and "ballet" comes from French and Italian.) "Balletomane" is therefore somewhat unusual, both for its Russian origins and for the fact that it does not follow the more traditional "-phile" model for words meaning "someone who likes a specified thing."

Left-overs...

By Vichara


If we welcome the day without expectation will there be fulfillment or dissatisfaction? Without the needs and desires placed on what is going to happen will it allow the opportunities to be more abundant or less because there is little interest? I know a lot of questions and things to think about but sometimes this is the stuff tat rattles around in the pinball machine in my head. I try to wake up to each day on a fresh page, a clear open field but we all know there is always remnants of the previous chapter, a previous day that lingers around. Sometimes it is like writing on a piece of paper that has been written on and then partially erased. There is always something left hanging there. What do you do with the leftovers? Make a sandwich! Take the morning slice of bread, pile on what was left, and garnish it up with understanding and compassion with a thick slice of equanimity. Warm it up with insight and with each bite try to digest what was left to gain perspective and answers. Oh yes, remember to leave room for desert.

Gretna Green • \gret-nuh-GREEN\ • noun
: a place where many eloping couples are married
Example Sentence:
"During the 1920s through the '40s, Greenwich had a world-reputation as the 'Gretna Green' of the nation, the magnet for couples in a hurry to get married." (Bernie Yudain, Connecticut Post Online, May 26, 2009)
Did you know?
In the England of the 1700s, a person could not marry without parental consent until age 21. The Scottish were more lenient, allowing young people to marry without parental permission at 16. England also had rules that made it difficult to marry quickly, but Scottish law required only that couples declare their desire to be married in front of witnesses before tying the knot. So it isn't surprising that many English couples ran to Gretna Green, a small village on the English-Scottish border, when they decided to elope. In Gretna Green, the wedding ceremony was typically performed by the blacksmith at a roadside tollhouse, but it was all perfectly legal.

Through the tunnel...

By Vichara


Depression can be a conditional friend. It can take you to dark hallways where reflection can and will act as a catalyst to transcend. The problem is that in its corridors you may find safety and comfort but it will not nourish or resolve it is just a temporary salve. The true healing takes place when you take the mementos of the dark journey and reveal them in the light of understanding and compassion. In this depression there are elements of revelations that would never find it’s value in the dark and only will prove useful in the light. They could be ugly or dissident but they will have value in the healing process. We should not run from depression but recognize it for what it is, just another wave in the healing and growing process that we may need to experience.


apotheosis • \uh-pah-thee-OH-sis\ • noun
Example Sentence:
"Long before celebrity reached its apotheosis, the great gossip columnist and radio broadcaster Walter Winchell … understood that celebrity was a basis for an ongoing, daily national conversation…." (Neal Gabler, Newsweek, December 21, 2009)
Did you know?
Among the ancient Greeks, it was sometimes thought fitting -- or simply handy, say if you wanted a god somewhere in your bloodline -- to grant someone or other god status. So they created the word "apotheosis," meaning "making into a god." (The prefix "apo-" can mean simply "quite" or "completely," and "theos" is the Greek word for "god.") There's not a lot of Greek-style apotheosizing in the 21st century, but there is hero-worship. Our extended use of "apotheosis" as "elevation to divine status" is the equivalent of "placement on a very high pedestal." Even more common these days is to use "apotheosis" in reference to a perfect example or ultimate form. For example, one might describe a movie as "the apotheosis of the sci-fi movie genre."

The humanity jigsaw puzzle...

By Vichara


Everyone is a missing piece in a gigantic jigsaw puzzle. Have you put together one of those very large jigsaw puzzles? You know the scenic ones where you sit searching for the piece of he landscape that will pull it all together and advance the completion. And when you do find these pieces and snap them into place everything suddenly starts to appear clearer. Each one of us is a potential missing piece in each other’s jigsaw puzzle of understanding. You may have an idea but there will be times when you reach an impasse. Then you see something for an instant on your way to work, hear something in passing standing in line or a combination of things at the right moment and “ding” something becomes all that more clearer. There are billions of pieces in this humanity jigsaw puzzle. We all must try to fit together and help each other see and understand the much bigger picture.

nidifugous • \nye-DIFF-yuh-gus\ • adjective
: leaving the nest soon after hatching
Example Sentence:
"Little is known about the mortality of nidifugous shorebird chicks." (Hans Schekkerman, et al., Journal of Ornithology, January 2009)
Did you know?
"Nidifugous" hatched from the Latin words "nidus," meaning "nest," and "fugere," meaning "to flee." Its contrasting word "nidicolous," meaning "reared for a time in a nest," combines "nidus" with the English combining form "-colous" ("living or growing in or on"). Another relevant term is "precocial." A precocial bird is capable of a high degree of independent activity as soon as it emerges from the egg. While all nidifugous birds are also necessarily precocial, some nidicolous birds are also precocial -- that is, they are capable of leaving the nest soon after hatching, but instead they stick around. Other nidicolous birds are "altricial," which is to say they are hatched in a very immature and helpless condition and require care for some time.

Time...

By Vichara


There is 525,600 minutes in a year, what are you going to do with them? This is not a question to place pressure on you to ensure you do something worthwhile with these minutes, just curious. What should be considered is if you want to contribute or remain neutral? Do you want to add to the recipe of just consume? Do you want to add you voice to the chorus or remain silent in your corner? There will not be a re-set button and you will not be able to rewind. Some of you out there will already have come to this realization but if you are stuck in neutral now is the time to shift gears. For some I recommend moving slowly. In this instant gratification world it can be hard if you do not see results right away and you can get discouraged. Small steps with conviction are better than grand gestures without substance.

brainiac • \BRAY-nee-ak\ • noun
: a very intelligent person
Example Sentence:
The company employs an army of geeky brainiacs who are devoted to providing the best in computer game graphics and technology.
Did you know?
As Superman fans know, "Brainiac" was the superintelligent villain in the Action Comics series and its spin-offs. You don't need x-ray vision to see the connection here -- etymologists think Superman's brainy adversary was probably the inspiration for our term "brainiac." We didn't coin the term right away though. The comic-book series was launched in 1938, and the general use of "brainiac" was first recorded in print in 1982.