Strange Phenomenon: Use of the Word "Epic"

The new hot word is apparently "epic."  Let's visit the definition according to dictionary.com.

–adjective Also, ep·i·cal.

1. noting or pertaining to a long poetic composition, usually centered upon a hero, in which a series of great achievements or events is narrated in elevated style: Homer's Iliad is an epic poem.

2. resembling or suggesting such poetry: an epic novel on the founding of the country.

3. heroic; majestic; impressively great: the epic events of the war.

4. of unusually great size or extent: a crime wave of epic proportions.

–noun

5. an epic poem.

6. epic poetry.

7. any composition resembling an epic.

8. something worthy to form the subject of an epic: The defense of the Alamo is an American epic.

9. ( initial capital letter ) Also called Old Ionic. the Greek dialect represented in the Iliad  and the Odyssey,  apparently Aeolic modified by Ionic.

Spectacular word, I agree.  But recently, so misused!  Examples from the MTV music awards (I know, the bastion of intelligent life form...):

1.  Preface to a two minute interview with Lady Gaga:  Coming up, an epic exclusive interview with Lady Gaga.  

2.  Describing the 2010 MTV music award stage as "epic."

I'm sure they didn't mean a long poetic composition.  That leaves us with majestic, impressively great, or of unusually great size or extent. I'm all about words, I love word.  Just don't associate great words with the less than great, please?

Strange phenonmenon: Cracker Barrel

I recently ate at Cracker Barrel for the first time.  When I arrived, I was confused about why so many people were sitting out on the "porch" in rocking chairs, and then realized they weren't just hanging out, they were waiting to get in to eat!  And it was packed inside.  It's my understanding that this is not unusual.  I'm not sure what is is about the store packed with overwhelming amounts of knick-knacks and country store paraphernalia and the underwhelming quality of "country" food that draws such a crowd.  I do know that my stomach hurt terribly after the meal. Road trip pit stop?  Maybe, but not likely for me!  Dinner date destination?  Never again!

Probation for Wheat Ridge man who shot alleged thieves

Probation for Wheat Ridge man who shot alleged thieves - The Denver Post

 I have mixed feelings about this article.  On one hand, as a person and as a former defense attorney, I am happy that this 81-year-old man got unsupervised probation.  On the other, I have to wonder how much of race and status plays into the results of this situation.  Older white male vs. young hispanic (guessing from the names) hoodlums.  I get that they were stealing his stuff.  But this was not a violent crime on their part, and he coldly shot at them as they were driving away.  The media handling of this case says it all: Months after burglary victim charged with attempted murder, two theft suspects arrested - The Denver Post.

"Two theft suspects, who for months remained free of charges even as an elderly man who said he tried to stop them from stealing his trailer faced an attempted-murder charge for shooting at them, were arrested Friday."  First of all, rest assured, they were never not going to charge the two men, it's Jeffco.  Secondly, it wasn't a burglary, it was a theft.  It's actually different.  I'm not condoning theft, obviously, but wow, Denver Post, could you be any more transparent about where your bias stands? 

Afghan Boys Are Prized, So Girls Live the Part

Being a woman is a terribly difficult task since it consists principally in dealing with men. 

  - Joseph Conrad

Afghan Boys Are Prized, So Girls Live the Part

There was a bit of a Facebook buzz about this article.  It was fascinating, sad, and disturbing at the same time.  I understood the part of me that felt unsettled and uncomfortable that young girls must masquerade as boys in order to have the same rights and benefits.  Another part of me almost loved the daring and somewhat rebellious nature of this system: boys get all the privileges?  Fine, I'll be a boy then.  Perhaps this is the romantic in me, but it seems like there is something strangely empowering about this fiction.  It gives these girls a chance to see what life can be like, and a chance to taste opportunity.  It's also fascinating how the culture just accepts this practice and if someone dresses like a boy and has a boy's name, it's just accepted, even by those who know it's not real.  The saddest part of the article is when the return to "womanhood" comes about.  I suppose that's when the reality of all the inequity really sinks in. 

Letter to the Internet: Adobe Flash Player

Dear Adobe Flash Player,

Why do you insist on being updated nearly every day?  Why do you threaten to cause instability to my Firefox browser if I do not update my flash player?  Do you have so many problems that you have to constantly be fixing yourself?  I'm tired of updating and just don't understand.  Half the time you still don't work right anyway.

-Angela

Random Tidbit: Naming of Tropical Storms and Hurricanes

Iiiiiigooooooor.  When I heard the name of this recent tropical storm, I was amused and envisioning some sort of Franken-cloud grumbling about.  Then I started wondering how these names are chosen; really, Igor????  My good friend Google provided this information from the National Weather Service:

For several hundred years, hurricanes in the West Indies were often named after the particular saint’s day on which the hurricane occurred. For example "Hurricane San Felipe" struck Puerto Rico on 13 September 1876. Another storm struck Puerto Rico on the same day in 1928, and this storm was named "Hurricane San Felipe the second." Later, latitude-longitude positions were used. However, experience has shown that using distinctive names in communications is quicker and less subject to error than the cumbersome latitude longitude identification methods.

Using women’s names became the practice during World War II, following the use of a woman’s name for a storm in the 1941 novel "Storm" by George R. Stewart. In 1951 the United States adopted a confusing plan to name storms by a phonetic alphabet (Able, Baker, Charlie), and in 1953 the nation’s weather services returned to using female names. The practice of using female names exclusively ended in 1978 when names from both genders were used to designate storms in the eastern Pacific. A year later, male and female names were included in lists for the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. The name lists, which have been agreed upon at international meetings of the World Meteorological Organization, have a French, Spanish, Dutch, and English flavor because hurricanes affect other nations and are tracked by the public and weather services of many countries. 

The Tropical Prediction Center in Miami, FL keeps a constant watch on oceanic storm-breeding grounds. Once a system with counterclockwise circulation and wind speeds of 39 mph or greater is identified, the Center gives the storm a name from the list for the current year. The letters Q, U, X, Y, and Z are not included because of the scarcity of names beginning with those letters. Names associated with storms that have caused significant death and/or damage are usually retired from the list. 

You learn something every day.

Good Deed of the Month: Pats Kids

Check out PATS kids.  PATS currently supports 43 HIV-positive children in central China who were infected by parents who contracted HIV through paid plasma donation. We work with communities to ensure that these children have comprehensive medical care, access to life saving HIV/AIDS medications, nutritional support, and educated caretakers who know how to best meet their needs. 

PATS is currently trying to earn a permanent spot on GlobalGiving.org, which helps connect donors to community projects.  They have to meet a $4,000 donation goal in order to do so.  Feel moved?  Help them out!

Support Pediatric HIV/AIDS Treatment in China

Tila Tequlia attacked by Juggalos

Tila Tequila attacked by Juggalos

Putting Tila Tequila and Juggalos together in a sentence feels strange to the tongue.  If you are not familiar with either, here's the breakdown:

• Tila Tequila: Small Asian bi-sexual woman who strangely became a internet music sensation, then became known for A Shot at Love reality love show (perhaps set the media world down the path of slutty, drama-filled, trashy reality love tv).  
• Juggalos: self-proclaimed followers of the Insane Clown Posse, a terrible band.  Typically moody teenagers and young adults.  Apparently sometimes they do crazy violent things. But really, they are mostly a bunch of moody teenagers and young adults, and they try to be scary.

I'm not really sure that this is "news," but it does raise a few questions.  Why on earth was Tila performing at a Juggalo gathering?  Why is Tila still performing at all?  While she's undeniably attractive in that Japanese race car model sort of way, and somewhat endearing, she's not really Juggalo fodder.  As my friend pointed out, it's probably not the Juggalos fault, she's just a terrible musician.

Strange Phenomenon: Silly Bandz

It recently came to my attention that Silly Bandz were all the rage with kids.  What are they, exactly?  Colored rubber bands that come in shapes.  And what does one do with Silly Bandz?  Trade and collect them, say the customer testimonials.  Part of me is offended by the notion of paying for completely useless colored rubber bands, and the other part of me appreciate that at least the younger children can be a little more creative in playing with them (although what you might do with Justin Bieber Silly Bandz is beyond me).  Pointless trend (think pogs) or household classic?  Hmm.

Woman who lost eye sues Bootsy's

Woman who lost eye sues Bootsy's

You know, I always figured that if I someday opened a bar, I should know when to not serve someone another drink because clearly the likely result is that he is going go throw a glass at his ex-girlfriend and cause her to lose an eye. I really need to make sure I cover all my bases so I don't get sued.

Seriously, people? Again, along with the theme of the week, we are always looking for more people to blame. It seems to me here that the poor sucker that had the catastrophic luck of somehow deflecting a glass into someone's eye has already paid the price. And even there, while I feel for the woman who lost her eye, who could have seen that one coming?! Wow. Lesson learned: try not to throw glass objects, no matter how therapeutic it might seem to be at the time.

UC is back in action

University of Cincinnati students and parents waiting...

Thank goodness they have smiling star balloons.  Otherwise, waiting up and down Calhoun Avenue with anxiety ridden parents and a small pile of brand new dorm room organizers holding all your belongings would simply be unbearable.  What a fantastic method of moving in students.

Who's fault is this?

Man enters Alford plea on charge related to teen's death

Our society is so quick to find someone, anyone, to blame. This is a tragic situation, but should a young man be criminally charged because this girl voluntarily sneaks out of her home, gets drunk at a party, and then ends up sleeping outside? What about the parents that didn't know she left the house? What about the friend who left her outside? What about the person who had the party? It isn't anyone's fault, except her own, I suppose. There is no justice in ruining a person's life with a criminal charge like this. But that is how we are in this country. One child in millions is kidnapped and killed by a rapist, suddenly everyone has to register as a sex offender, from the guy who grabbed someone's butt at the bar to the guy that violently raped someone. Teenage boys who have sex with teenage girls- sex offenders. Has it made our lives any safer or just more controlled?