Day 289: National Dictionary Day!

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dictionary, lexicography, national dictionary day, webster, words

Today is national dictionary day, the most recent in America’s long line of unnecessary national days. October 16th is the anniversary of the birth of Noah Webster, the man who compiled the famous Webster’s Dictionary. Noah Webster was a lexicographer in the late 1700s who decided he wanted to put together a comprehensive dictionary of the English language. It took Webster 26 years to complete his text, and in order to properly map the etymology of each word, he had to learn 28 languages. Creating this massive dictionary was quite a feat to undertake, when you consider the fact that Webster had to learn and decipher all of these words, it is no surprise that it took him so many years to complete. For years, dictionaries were considered purely academic texts, but in recent years with the rapid changes in vernacular and use, the dictionary has become more of a map of common lingo. The English language and all of its various dialects have seen a large amount of evolution in recent years, and with commonly used internet terms gaining steam, it is hard for many to keep up with “real” and “fake” words. The dictionary has become less of a comprehensive compilation of the English language and more of a museum of archaic words and phrases. The growth of information technology seems to have made the paper dictionary almost useless, while leading to a faster growth of online dictionary directories. For now, dictionaries are still being published, and libraries and academic institutions are still more than willing to stock their bookshelves with these massive publications, but it seems like there will be little use for offline dictionaries within the next ten years. In honor of National Dictionary Day, I will end this post with the definition of one of my favorite, scarcely used words, which can be found in your nearest dictionary.

Obsequious 

ob·se·qui·ous

əbˈsēkwēəs/

adjective

obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.

“they were served by obsequious waiters”

Day 285: My Favorite People in History 4

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genius, history, inventor, junk, quote

To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.

-Thomas A. Edison

Thomas Edison was a brilliant inventor back in the late 1800s and the early 1900s. Some of Edison’s greatest inventions include the incandescent light bulb, the movie camera, and the telegraph. In this quote Thomas Edison discuses the simplicity of his invention, he has an idea in mind and he puts the products at his disposal to use. I’m sure he is not using actual junk, but every component to any invention by itself can generally be considered junk. Thomas Edison is an example of true ingenuity, he thought of things that never existed and in spite of his failures, continued to work until his ideas were a reality. Edison is an inspiration, he had many failed inventions in his life, but he never let them define his legacy. When we look back on the life and works of Thomas Edison we never think about the times he failed, we only talk about his many accomplishments. I hope to be able to look back at my own life one day and gladly reminisce on my successes, while completely disregarding my failures. We all have failures, but I like to say, “don’t let your failures derail you, they are meant to be building blocks to success not stumbling blocks.”

Day 280: The Know it All

Tags

ignorance, knowledge, learning, people, speaking

People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.

-Isaac Asimov
I have to start by saying nobody knows everything, but this quote still holds true in certain situations. I know that when I was a youngster, I was a bit of a “know it all,” I would confidently express my opinions on an issue without even considering the errors of my statements. As I have grown and learned to taper my expression, I am learning that it is extremely annoying when a person tries to chime in and even lead in a conversation that they clearly don’t understand. The expression “ignorance is bliss” comes to mind when I think about this quote, because when I was young and made an incorrect statement without correction, I would just continue to imagine I was an expert on topics I knew very little about. Now that I am much more knowledgeable on many topics, I generally prefer to correct those who are ignorantly expressing their “knowledge” before they go too far, but must people are not too keen on correction. In my opinion, the best stance to take in a discussion is a position of humility, it is easier to wisely chime in at points of knowledge than to foolishly trumpet ignorance. Everybody has witnessed a person unwittingly broadcasting their foolishness, and while it is never fun to be the person to correct them, the correction is always beneficial to the speaker and to everyone who has to partake in a conversation with them. 

Day 270: Lunar Eclipse

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blood moon, earth, eclipse, moon, night, stars

Tonight we will have the joy of seeing the last “super moon” eclipse until 2033. The celestial event known by many as a blood moon occurs when the moon and earth align, casting the shadow of the earth to cover the moonlight. This event is quite significant because the moon is closer than it usually is to earth, which means it will also seem slightly larger. I am a big fan of astronomy, so I will be finding a nice place outside to sit and watch the event, but some people feel this 4th “blood moon” in two years holds a level of significance that adheres to the end of the world. To be honest, I don’t know when the world will end, nor is it my mission to know exactly when it will, but I do know that a really cool event will be occurring tonight. This lunar eclipse may not be a once in a lifetime level event like other celestial occurrences, but it is something that will be interesting to see. If you live on the east coast of the US, you will have a great view of this entire event, so go outside around 9:30 and catch a free show. 
 

Day 204: Live Today, Prepare for Tomorrow

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apple tree, future, Life, martin luther, preparation, quote, tomorrow

Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.

-Martin Luther
It is regularly said that nobody knows what tomorrow holds, and it is true that tomorrow is not promised, but we still live each day with the blissful ignorance to what may come next. This quote addresses the notion that The author would still go on with life even if he knew the fate of the planet was set in stone. Often times people are given bad news, and instead of trying to solve a problem they fall apart, but this quote is about staying grounded no matter what tomorrow may bring. Things can fall apart from day to day, but if and when things are put back together what is left from yesterday to enjoy? In this quote, Luther was talking about keeping things in perspective, no matter what tomorrow holds. I equate his planting an apple tree statement to any menial task that can be done on a day to day basis. I certainly wouldn’t be thinking of planting a tree or putting money away for savings when I know the world is ending, but in the chance that the world is still standing the next day, I would be glad I finished those tasks. The most basic theme to this quote is to live today, and prepare for tomorrow, it doesn’t hurt to have an extra apple tree. 

Day 200: Knowledge

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education, knowledge, learning, plato, practice, school

A good decision is based on knowledge and not on numbers.

-Plato

I really wish it was possible to mathematically map out my decisions, but unfortunately, that simply isn’t a possibility. It is always fun to chart out the pros and cons before making a choice but in the end it comes down to knowledge and other non-mathematical factors that leads to making a decision. Knowledge is gained by a mix of studying, circumstances, and experiences, and while the most knowledgeable people often look to numbers to figure out an issue, it is more beneficial to look at things on a larger scale. I love this quote, because Plato is one of the fathers of western academia, and he is basically criticizing the monster that learning has become. In today’s school system, learning is more about getting it right than it is about actually understanding what “it” is. In the time of Pluto, learning was about understanding a concept and forming a unique opinion on the subject, but now we are more concerned with memorization and regurgitation. It seems as though we are building a generation that is desperate to understand but forced to just listen. The true test of knowledge is practice, and if students never get a chance to actively control their learning experience they may always feel like they will never understand what they are being taught. I know that, thanks to modern technology, learning may never return to the way it once was, but I am optimistic that we can find new ways to make sure learning stays progressive in the near future. 

Day 198: Brick Walls

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last lecture, motivation, obstacles, persistence, trials, victory

The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.

-Randy Pausch
Never stop chasing your dreams, that is a motto that seems to find its way into my blog regularly, and it is definitely one to live by. I honestly believe reaching a goal successfully takes hard work, preparation, and persistence. There is no better way to portray true persistence than by likening it to breaking down a brick wall. A brick wall is tough, and knocking one down is a daunting task, but the incredible thing is that brick walls are not unbreakable. Though these walls are meant to keep things out, if one wanted to get through it all they need is time and a true desire to break it down. Randy Pausch made this statement to a class of his students during his “last lecture,” he knew he was given a death sentence, but he decided that the brick wall that was his health was not going to keep him from sharing his life lessons and wisdom with his students one last time. Pausch used the brick wall to describe any obstacle that his students may face in life, and let them know that these “brick walls” are only walls to those who don’t want it bad enough. Obstacles in life, like a brick wall, always seem extraordinary, but with persistence, hard work, and desire, any brick wall can be broken down. 

Day 197: “The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse”

Tags

aesop, city, country, different, enjoy, fable, Life, simplicity, travel, writing

The fresh mountain air, and the seemingly endless stream of free activities to enjoy in nature, reminds me of one of Aesop’s fables about enjoying the simple things in life and treasuring the things you have been given. “The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse” is a story about a big city mouse, who goes to visit his cousin in the country. The city mouse is dissatisfied with the simplicity of country life, so he brings his cousin to the city in order to give him a taste of the high life. After a run in with the dangers of the city, the country mouse decides he would rather keep his simple rural life over the pomp of the city. One of this stories main themes is to be content with your surroundings, and this theme is shown by both mice in the tale. The city mouse was unhappy with the country even though he was only visiting, if he had a more open mind about his environment he would have definitely seen past the simplicity and enjoyed his stay with family. The country mouse wasn’t exactly upset about the country life, but he did expect the “grass to be greener” in the city, so he jumped at the chance to experience the high life, and was quickly reminded of the safe simplicity of his home. Whenever I leave my home for a while or even move to a new place, I try to make sure I enjoy my surroundings to the fullest while keeping in mind the benefits of my origins. As I stand in the this rural camp, I am enjoying the wildlife and the scenery, but I know at heart I will always be a “city boy,” and as long as I have the ability to travel, I will always take time to enjoy where I am without losing sight of the joys of home. 

Day 195: Attention

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attention, attention span, focus, future, goals, Life, present

This week’s postings will probably be shorter than usual, since I am currently working a summer camp, and aside from have strict time constraints, Internet coverage is a bit spotty. Earlier today as I was going about my duties in the camp I started thinking about the concept of paying attention. I realize how ironic it is that attention became the focus of my thoughts, rather than the task at hand. I see it as pretty interesting that we have a method of blocking out stimuli and focusing on a single thing while still being bombarded with various external commotion. Often times it is said that children have short attention spans, but I don’t think that is exactly the case, I just think children try to focus on too many things at once because almost everything is new to them, even adults can seem a bit challenged in the attention department when they have too many options. One of the most interesting things about attention is how you can be focused on one thing for one moment and then instantly change focus without any active mental process. The human brain is like a super advanced computer with less safeguards, we can calculate or plan almost anything, but still be quickly derailed by a loss of concentration. Paying attention is crucial to most of life’s great successes, but life’s most basic needs such as sleeping, breathing, and digesting, are all done without a single conscious thought, a fact I find both hilarious and amazing. Attention is something that can be controlled and should be worked on. I understand that there may be times when the mind wants to wander, but as I have learned throughout life, you can not get anywhere without putting the right amount of focus into the execution of plans. Paying attention is a conscious effort to control the processes of the mind, and once it is correctly mastered success is inevitable. 

Day 191: My Favorite People in History

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favorite, history, isaac newton, motion, people, physics, science, time

I am starting a series in which I will discuss some of my favorite people in history and why they made the list. I will not be ranking these people since they could all go into different categories, and it would be too difficult to accurately place them on a “favorite” scale. I currently have about four people in mind, but the list may be as large as ten individuals and even possibly a couple of groups. The first person on my list is Sir Isaac Newton, also known as the guy with the apple falling in his head. Isaac Newton revolutionized the way we look at motion and the way we look at the universe at large. Newton’s laws of motion are one of the first things we learn in physics, and a solid explanation for why our toy cars rolled down hills when we were children. It is amazing how Newton had the boldness and intelligence to make such an assertion about gravity in the era in which he lived, and the fact that his laws are still being held up and studied today it is a testament to his persistence in proving his hypothesis. Newton is one of my favorite people mainly due to his work in mathematics and science. I would consider myself as something of a “nerd,” and I was always interested in the works of Newton. While Sir Isaac is best known for the laws of motion, he actually had quite a few other interesting ideas in science, some of which didn’t pan out as well as gravity did though. Isaac Newton was truly a trailblazer in his time, and his interesting life and his informative studies have landed him on my list of favorite people in history.