Tuesday's Word: pre-nuptial agreement

pre-nuptial agreement*: one entered into by prospective spouses prior to marriage but in contemplation but in comtemplation and in consideration thereof; by it, the property or other financial rights of one or both of the prospective spouses are determined or are secured to one or both of them or their children. Friedlander v. Friedlander, 80 Wash.2d 293, 494 P.2d 208, 212. A number of states have adopted the Uniform Premarital Agreement Act which prescribes the content, execution, amendment, etc. of such agreements.

This blog has no desire to entertain he said-she said arguments. Those with any capacity to think must understand that nothing edures but change. Those who live as mercenaries may expect to be treated as such.

*Black's Law Dictionary, Sixth Edition

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday!

It's good to know you're safe.

Cleveland: Poorest big city in the U. S., census shows

Diane Suchetka and Barb Galbincea, Plain Dealer Reporters

For the second time in three years, Cleveland has been named the poorest city in America.

Other Ohioans are hurting financially too, according to data released Tuesday by the U. S. Census Burueau.

For those living in the eight counties surrounding Cleveland, median household income dropped by $1, 178 over the last five years.

Clevelanders were much worse off.

Nearly a third of the city's residents -32.4%- were living below the federal poverty level.

Almost half the city's children were living in poverty.

How things have worsened in Cleveland since 2000...
50, 435 residents moved away, 53% more people are unemployed, 34% of manufacturing jobs were lost, $6,294 drop in median-household income, 3,000 more families headed by single moms, 18% fewer people had attended college.

Gov. Bob Taft is a Republican and our Statehouse is controlled by the GOP.

Tuesday's Word: virtue

The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

Virtue
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Personification of virtue (Greek ἀρετή) in Celsus Library in Ephesos, Turkey
Virtue (Latin virtus; Greek ἀρετή) is moral excellence of a person. A virtue is a character trait valued as being good. The conceptual opposite of virtue is vice.

The Greek word ἀρετή (aretē) has not come into ordinary English. The English word virtue is derived from the Latin word virtus which is in turn from vir meaning "man" in the masculine sense. The word virtus means "the male function" conceived in terms of strength or force; hence "the power to accomplish". [The unrelated Latin word vis means simply "power" or "violence"; ancient grammarians were unable to distinguish the two words.] Cf. Ernout-Meillet, Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue latine: Histoire des mots.

Due to ancient social norms and these linguistic subtleties, virtus was sometimes identified with the masculine warlike virtues such as courage. This has sometimes led to a sense of irony concerning the supposed etymology. In English the word virtue is often used to refer to a woman's chastity. As the philosopher Leo Strauss expresses it, "The mystery of Western thought is how a term that originally meant the manliness of a man came to mean the chastity of a woman."

Virtue can also be meant in another way. Virtue can either have normative or moral value; i.e. the virtue of a knife is to cut, the virtue of an excellent knife is to cut well (this is its normative value) vs. the virtues of reason, prudence, chastity, etc. (which have moral value).

In the Greek it is more properly called ἠθικὴ ἀρετή (ēthikē aretē). It is "habitual excellence". It is something practiced at all times. The virtue of perseverance is needed for all and any virtue since it is a habit of character and must be used continuously in order for any person to maintain oneself in virtue.

One hopes Blog Babe will overlook his exuberance to understand that her opinions are valued and her privacy respected.

Social Progress

(knock, knock)

Cave Babe: And what do you want?

Cave Boy: Cave Babe, look at this!

Cave Babe: What is it?

Cave Boy: A book on evolution by that smart fellow from Harvard!

Cave Babe: What does it say?

Cave Boy: It says the most intelligent and beautiful women are of Irish and German descent!

Cave Babe: Don't even think about it. You're staying outside with Cave Dog.

"He's An Idiot" Trial Ballon

Kathleen Reardon
Bio

08.21.2006
The "He's An Idiot" Trial Balloon and What Will Happen If It Floats (84 comments )
READ MORE: 2006, Washington Post, 2008, Israel, George W. Bush
This is trial balloon season for the Republican strategists. They launched a crafty one recently with several big benefits if it stays in the air.
This new balloon involves a cadre of avid Bush backers suddenly saying "He's an idiot."
One of the beauties of this strategy is that it looks as though these overnight Bush detractors have had a change of heart.
They've finally, and suddenly, seen the light - agreeing with liberals.
In It's All Politics, I describe political intuition -- how to notice "disconnects"(when something isn't quite right) as signals that something is amiss, so you'd better open your eyes. Political intuition calls for sensing when actions are counterintuitive or violate some typical pattern.
Think about it. If selected, visible, staunch Bush supporters begin talking about how intellectually wanting the President is, with his full knowledge and collaboration (such as chewing with his mouth open, striding motorcycles, goofing around with unappreciative world leaders), there won't be an anti-Bush platform for the Democrats. In fact, if these balloonists play their cards right, it will seem as if there isn't a nickel's worth of difference between Republicans and Democrats. Everyone will be anti-Bush. The playing field will be leveled.
It's an excellent "inoculation" tactic, too, against a possible impeachment move should the Democrats win enough seats in November. Inoculation, a persuasion strategy, works by telling people in advance of an anticipated negative event how to think about it. A phone company intending to introduce rate hikes might run ads about how people just don't use their phone books enough. Then when the rates are raised, we know who to blame -- ourselves.
Should the Democrats win enough seats in November to threaten impeachment, the "He's an idiot" strategy will work wonders. Republican leaders will ask: "Does this country really want to impeach a guy who just didn't know what he was doing?" If the Democrats push for penalties, the Republicans will argue, "We're not the party that wants to vilify a president who, like so many of us and even some of his esteemed predecessors, just isn't terribly bright." And, "We agree he isn't intellectually gifted, now let's move on. What else do you have?"
The Democratic anti-Bush advantage will fizzle and die before our eyes if this excuse balloon floats. Disillusioned Republicans will drift back because there will be a number of their own agreeing with them about Bush's limitations. That's how clever these guys are.
Apparently Blair got the "We're-going-to-say-he's-an-idiot" e-mail. The Daily Mail reported:
"A senior Downing Street source said that, privately, Mr. Blair broadly agrees with John Prescott, who said Mr. Bush's record on the issue was 'crap'.
The source said: "We all feel badly let down by Bush. We thought we had persuaded him to take the Israel-Palestine situation seriously, but we were wrong. How can anyone have faith in a man of such low intellect?"
As we all know, they're very clever indeed in the Republican win-by-any-means camp. Even the Washington Post reported this "He's an idiot" strategy as some kind of "turning on Bush" among high profile previous supporters. They must be laughing their socks off. And, since Barnes and others are not joining the choir yet on this one, they can pull this balloon back in if we notice it in the air. Let it float and we may pay with 8 more years starting in 2008.
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Tuesday's Word: optimism

op·ti·mism ( P ) Pronunciation Key (pt-mzm) n.
A tendency to expect the best possible outcome or dwell on the most hopeful aspects of a situation: “There is a touch of optimism in every worry about one's own moral cleanliness” (Victoria Ocampo).
Philosophy.
The doctrine, asserted by Leibnitz, that this world is the best of all possible worlds.
The belief that the universe is improving and that good will ultimately triumph over evil.
[French optimisme, from New Latin optimum, the greatest good. See optimum.][Download Now]
Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Main Entry: op·ti·mism Pronunciation: 'äp-t&-"miz-&mFunction: noun: an inclination to put the most favorable construction upon actions and events or to anticipate the best possible outcome —op·ti·mist /-m&st/ noun —op·ti·mis·tic /"äp-t&-'mis-tik/ adjective
Source: Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
optimism
n 1: the optimistic feeling that all is going to turn out well [ant: pessimism] 2: a general disposition to expect the best in all things [ant: pessimism]
Source: WordNet ® 2.0, © 2003 Princeton University
optimism
What a programmer is full of after fixing the last bug and just before actually discovering the *next* last bug. Fred Brooks's book "The Mythical Man-Month" contains the following paragraph that describes this extremely well. All programmers are optimists. Perhaps this modern sorcery especially attracts those who believe in happy endings and fairy god-mothers. Perhaps the hundreds of nitty frustrations drive away all but those who habitually focus on the end goal. Perhaps it is merely that computers are young, programmers are younger, and the young are always optimists. But however the selection process works, the result is indisputable: "This time it will surely run," or "I just found the last bug.". See also Lubarsky's Law of Cybernetic Entomology. [Jargon File]
Source: The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2005 Denis Howe
optimism

This week's Word is by suggestion of Catherine Belle. It is with optimism that people who report relatively high levels of happiness feel toward life. Note, bloggers, Catherine's word comes from her own language, French, the language of a leader nation.

Appeal for help!

Barbie, Helen, Catherine, please send help! I stopped to speak with a friend at his business and he introduced one of his customers. The woman said, "Are you married?" (No, I'm not.) Next she said, "I'll need to know if you want to go, so I can get tickets." (To what event she didn't say.) Then she wanted to know if I were busy this weekend. (Damn right I'm busy!)

I'd sooner become a priest than have anything to do with her. She made repeated reference to college which consisted of the following: did/did not finish a degree in business tech and did/did not finish a BA in business. One doesn't wish to be rude, but can a restraining order be issued?

And don't any of you Republican bloggers even think of giving her this site. She tried to give me her email address; it was left it in said "friend's" office!

Quotable: Elizabeth McClung, Poet Laureate

"Real men are not threatened by an intelligent woman; because real men don’t limit who they learn or grow from depending on their gender, race, or religion. As for the rest, if you can’t mature, please, at least restrain yourself enough to pretend otherwise."
Elizabeth McClung

Tuesday's Word: epiphany

e·piph·a·ny ( P ) Pronunciation Key (-pf-n)n. pl. e·piph·a·nies

Epiphany

A Christian feast celebrating the manifestation of the divine nature of Jesus to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi.

January 6, on which this feast is traditionally observed.

A revelatory manifestation of a divine being.

A sudden manifestation of the essence or meaning of something.

A comprehension or perception of reality by means of a sudden intuitive realization: “I experienced an epiphany, a spiritual flash that would change the way I viewed myself” (Frank Maier).

[Middle English epiphanie, from Old French, from Late Latin epiphania, from Greek epiphaneia, manifestation, from epiphainesthai, to appear : epi-, forth; see epi- + phainein, phan-, to show; see bh-1 in Indo-European Roots.]

Today's Word comes by request of Catherine Belle!

Golden Anniversary

Happy Golden Anniversary to Jean and Orson Rice! When they met in January of 1956, my mother was so impressed with my father's intelligence that she invented a Friday the Thirteenth Party to assure seeing him again. They were married in August. Several years later, their sons, David, and Steven, were born.

This morning, my mother was transported to a local hospital, complaining of chest pains. She was treated and released. My father has had similar trouble in the recent past.

Many of their friends stopped to wish them Happy Anniversary!

Throwing a party for them sure is work. Wish I had some help!

Learning Curve

Bloggers, a Friends' list is being developed. I asked Barbie2b for help and she came through! Names will be added when she teaches me how and people leave comments.

In other developments, it has come to the attention of those who would learn that domestic harmony is more likely when one learns to say "Yes, Dear!"

Tuesday's Word: efflorescence

ef·flo·res·cence* ( P ) Pronunciation Key (fl-rsns)n.

Botany. A state or time of flowering; anthesis.

A gradual process of unfolding or developing.
The highest point; the culmination. See Synonyms at bloom1.

Chemistry.
The deposit that results from the process of efflorescing. Also called bloom1.
The process of efflorescing.
A growth of salt crystals on a surface caused by evaporation of salt-laden water.

Pathology. Redness, a rash, or an eruption on the skin.


Efflorescence occurs in masonry construction, particularly brick, when water moving through a wall or other structure brings natural salts to the surface. The resulting white deposits are commonly referred to as "efflorescence" in this instance.**

* Dictionary.com
**Wikipedia

Blogging Meme

1. When did you first start blogging and why?

Yoga Korunta was born 07 March 2005 and was created to learn and experience blogging and to practice writing. It has become a vehicle for political expression, a means of speaking with others who enjoy similar interests, and, most of all, a path to learning from others.

2. What don't you talk about?

This blog is less than honest. There are some items which haven't been published lest another blogger's emotions be harmed.

3. Are you and your blogging persona the same person?

The blog is written in a similar way to which actual speech would be used, albeit with the luxery of editing for clarity and a more formal tone.

4. How do you use blogging to build friendships?

Blogging is an arena in which one meets others and can make decisions based upon their intelligence, wit, charm, and sense of humor. Interests and opinions may be stated in advance.

5. How would you describe your writing style?

Most of this blog's writing would be termed third person singular narrative. This option proved a challenge which is evolving.

This meme was stolen from Not Soccer Mom, who stole it from A Little Cheese with that Whine?

Tuesday's Word: spontaneous combustion

spontaneous combustion: Ignition of a substance, such as oily rags or hay, caused by a localized heat-increasing reaction between the oxidant and the fuel and not involving addition of heat from an outside source.*

This week's Word comes as a request of favored writer Elizabeth McClung. Be certain to get a copy of Zed, (it's great!), and to make space for her next novel, Control Room.

One suspects that straw has nothing to do with the Poet Laureate's word choice, but we'll wait, smoldering, until she elaborates!

*Dictionary.com