Fun With Books and Words and Wikipedia.

Fantastic FAQ's.

2007-04-07T21:56:00.000-06:00

I can admit I'm a huge nerd when it comes to spelling and grammar. I think this is why I don't like to text message; it's hard to be grammatically correct. Luckily, I found a website that covers everything. The good 'ole dictionary.com came through for me again. Instead of choosing a word and discussing it this time, I will just share this new found resource to use as a resource. In the word faq (frequently asked questions) section linked from the homepage, their are answers to every question normal people would have, such as the difference between there, their, and they're and examples of oxymorons. One of the funnier questions was where the "G" in G string comes from. What!? Who cares.

Another question I liked was: What English words have no vowels?

Dictionary.com answer is: English words containing all consonants include: brr, crwth, cwm, hmm, mm, nth, pfft, pht, psst, QT (meaning 'quiet'), shh, and tsktsk (and some of them have plurals). Words with only vowels are: aa, ai, aiaiai, eau, euouae, oe.

I use hmm all the time but haven't heard of any of the others. Maybe another day I'll look them up and share but for now, this random factoid will have to satisfy the cravings for knowledge. I've learned lately that the things I most enjoy learning are the random things that no one cares about. Trivia questions, movie one-liners. This is the information true intellectuals want, right? Maybe not, but it's fun. Another day I'll share the story about the only infix in the English language. It's fuck. And I'll tell you what that means on another day. I'm exhausted and can't think real straight.

On this day.

2007-04-02T00:46:00.000-06:00

In 1956, As the World Turns premiered on U.S. television as the first half-hour serial drama. (According to Wikipedia) This was fifty-one years ago and the show is still running, but as a whole hour. It's unbelievable to me that a show can last this long and still have a plot, but on another note, the actors and plot lines have probably changed so much over the years to fit into the social changes that watching an original episode would be completely foreign to loyal ATWT fans. Soap operas are by all means a genre of their own, but this is just amazing. I wonder how many different characters, marriages, babies, chick fights, etc. have appeared over the past fifty-one years of this show. I'm sure it would be easy to find out how much has changed on the show, but I don't care that much. I thought it would be interesting to share, and that's as far as my interest goes.

Whiskey or Whisky. Both please.

2007-03-28T21:46:00.000-06:00

I like to think I have a decent attention to detail, but in reality, it kind of sucks. A few days ago at work, while mindlessly staring at the liquor bottles strategically lined up on a shelf above my head, I noticed a difference in spelling on whisk(e)y. I asked the managers and bartender what the deal was. Luckily, Steve, my favorite bartender knew what the difference was.

He said:
Whiskey is American whiskeys, aka burbon.
Whisky is Canadian, Irish and Scottish, aka Scotch.

The next day, a joke was made about a particular whisk(e)y that I hadn't heard of before St. Patrick's Day. The person I was talking to said it was Irish and I said, no it's not, it's spelt with an E, so it's American, based on my prior trivia information. We both looked at the bottle and when, oohhh. Imagine my thrill in explaining to Mr. smart bartender that he was wrong. We then concluded that, for sure:

Whiskey is American/burbon, and Irish.
Whisky is Canadian and Scotch.

Oh, but wait a minute, Maker's Mark uses "whisky" and it's made in Kentucky. What the hell. So, final conclusion is as previously stated and Maker's is the exception to the rule. Their are always exceptions to rules in spelling and grammar so why should this be any different. If anyone notices any other exceptions, let me know. It's all too confusing, but fun bar trivia when the facts are straight.

Mahi Mahi.

2007-03-13T23:20:00.000-06:00

The other day I had a guest ask whether mahi mahi was dolphin or shark. I said, "It's mahi." To my surprise, I later found out we were both correct. Mahi is a dolphin-fish, not Flipper like we usually think when someone mentions dolphins, but a fish. Flipper the dolphin is a mammal and mahi is a fish, but dolphin fish is correct. I had eaten mahi mahi before and had no idea it was a species related to dolphins. Luckily I didn't make fun of this lady for her question because she was partially correct, but when she said dolphin i was thinking, Isn't it illegal in some way to serve dolphins? Apparently not completely, as Flipper isn't making an appearance as Friday night's special, but the mahi, usually with a mediterranean-style salsa, is a regular special. Dolphin, the fish, not mammal, is mahi, get it? Good.

Here is the excerpt from Wikipedia.

Mahi-mahi

The Mahi-mahi, Coryphaena hippurus, also known as dolphin-fish, dolphin, dorado, or lampuki (in Maltese), are surface-dwelling ray-finned fish found in off-shore tropical and subtropical waters worldwide. They are one of only two members of the Coryphaenidae family, the other being the Pompano dolphinfish. The name "mahi-mahi" ("strong-strong" in Hawaiian), particularly on restaurant menus, has been adopted in recent years to avoid confusing these fish with dolphins, which are mammals. They are also commonly known as maverikos.
Mahi-mahi have a lifespan of no more than three to four years. Sport catches average 7 to 13 kg (15 to 28 pounds). They seldom exceed 15 kg (33 pounds), and any Mahi-mahi over 18 kg (39 pounds) is exceptional. Mahi-mahi have compressed bodies and long dorsal fins extending almost the entire length of their bodies. Their anal fins are sharply concave. They are distinguished by dazzling colors: golden on the sides, bright blues and greens on the sides and back. Mature males also have prominent foreheads protruding well above the body proper. When they are removed from the water, the fish often change between several colors, finally fading to a muted yellow-grey upon death.

Mahi-mahi are carnivorous, feeding on flying fish, crabs, squid, mackerel, and other small fish. They have also been known to eat zooplankton and crustaceans.

Mahi-mahi are highly sought game fish throughout their range because of their beauty and fighting ability. Their flesh has excellent flavor and firm texture. Mahi-mahi have become popular restaurant fare in many areas, sometimes eaten as a substitute for swordfish because, having scales, they are considered kosher, as well as halal by Shia and Sunni Muslims.

Costa Rica, Ecuador, Japan, and the United States are the primary countries capturing and exporting Mahi-mahi (30,000 to 40,000 tons are harvested annually worldwide), and Europe, Japan, the United States, and the Caribbean region are the primary consumers.

One of the fastest-growing fish, Mahi-mahi are fast swimmers as well, with an estimated top swimming speed of 50 knots. Mahi-mahi spawn in warm ocean currents throughout much of the year; and its young are commonly found in sargassum weed.

It's true, I read it on Wikipedia.

2007-03-06T23:50:00.000-06:00

For those of you/us unaware, wikipedia is an online encyclopedia in which readers have the ability to change information or add something. While incorrect information may exist, people are pretty good about editing each other in what I've read. The best part is that it's written in everyday style of speech and easy to understand. I vaguely remember reading something about teachers having issues with students using wikipedia as a reputable source when writing papers. As an ex-journalism student, I see the teachers' point, but yet see the validity in allowing anyone to report. Bias exists in everything we read or write, so this isn't an exception. All students should do their own fact-checking with other, possibly more reputable sources, anyway, so I say let them use it. This is besides the main reason for this post. I was browsing around and clicking "random article" on the right side-bar to find something fun to write about. I kept seeing town information and thought to type my hometown in the search box. I didn't really expect to find anything good. Here is what it said.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osakis%2C_Minnesota

Osakis, Minnesota
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Osakis is a city in Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,567 at the 2000 census.

Location

The main part of Osakis is in Douglas County, but a small part of the city extends into Todd County. Osakis is situated on the southwest shore of Lake Osakis, on Minnesota State Highway 27. Osakis is about one mile from exit 114 of Interstate 94.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.5 km² (2.1 mi²). 5.2 km² (2.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (5.63%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census2 of 2000, there were 1,567 people, 661 households, and 405 families residing in the city. The population density was 301.0/km² (779.4/mi²). There were 760 housing units at an average density of 146.0/km² (378.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.15% White, 0.13% African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.70% Asian, and 0.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.64% of the population.
There were 661 households out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.7% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 22.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.0% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 21.4% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 29.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,833, and the median income for a family was $38,864. Males had a median income of $28,819 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,212. About 5.6% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.1% of those under age 18 and 13.7% of those age 65 or over.

While this is hardly fun or interesting information, I was kind of surprised at some of the statistic, like that 38.7 % of households were nonfamilies. I know a lot of the Osakis populations and I don't think I know anyone in a nonfamiy household. Also, the income information was shocking but yet not at the same time. Not, because cost of living is relatively low, so it's all relative. One statistic that I think is wrong is the racial makeup. According to these statistics, 1.85 % of the population of Osakis are not white. To most, this would be a really small portion of the population but I think it's inflated. I do not know one non-while resident of Osakis. Maybe a summer traveler or two, but resident. I'm not sure about that. The nonwhite residents must be in hiding because they aren't accepted by the small-town mentality. Sad but possibly true. On a lighter note, in addition to books and words, wikipedia randoms is a new topic of discussion.

Denotation vs. Connotation

2007-03-04T23:58:00.000-06:00

From high school, or college, or somewhere in my educational career, I learned the difference between the denotation and connotation of a word. For some reason, this excites me.

Denotation-–noun
the explicit or direct meaning or set of meanings of a word or expression, as distinguished from the ideas or meanings associated with it or suggested by it; the association or set of associations that a word usually elicits for most speakers of a language, as distinguished from those elicited for any individual speaker because of personal experience. Compare connotation.

Connotation-–noun
the associated or secondary meaning of a word or expression in addition to its explicit or primary meaning: A possible connotation of “home” is “a place of warmth, comfort, and affection.” Compare denotation
(dictionary.com)

More understandibly, denotation is the dictionary definition of a word- what it really means- and connotation is an implied meaning or secondary thought associated with the word. The connotation can be a feeling associated with that word and this is where things get dangerous. For example, I say the word war and it can be read different ways. Some think of what war is, or past, present, future wars, etc. Others think of their families overseas and get emotional or defensive, which is ok. This is a problem for me as someone who learned to check every word written for spelling, accuracy, AP formatting, etc. Something writers need to be cognizant of are the underlying emotions are feelings associated with certain words. This is going to subconsciously lead people to make different assumptions about what is written. I realized in college that many people read/hear/see/learn new information and skew it to fit with their existing beliefs, values, etc. For example, in Anthropology 101, you learn many things that could be used to "show" that Catholicism (in my case) was false, or whatever. Most people turn the factoids into proofs that their current Catholic, etc. beliefs are true, where the other side is that people's beliefs change based on what's learned. I fit into the latter.

Back to the point, connotation is not only dangerous because of emotion involved, but because of the danger to society. Connotation are often the stereotypes. I say black, white, Hispanic, etc. and denotatively we have skin color differences, not race because again Anthropology will hopefully show a video where DNA testing showed their is more biological difference within a "race" than between "races." Hmm. Connotatively, we have racism, sexism, -ism, -ism, -ism. This is not only a hurtful to the people being stereotyped, it's a danger to society. How are women going to gain more status power when the word "woman" to many men connotatively means weak? How can Hispanics prove that they aren't necessarily lazy when we assume they are just because of their ethnicity? Hate crimes, war, and general misunderstanding often comes from stereotypes and connotations, and sadly, I don't see a solution besides education, which isn't practical or always effective.

In closing, connotations aren't all negative, as I've previously talked about. Having good memories of home, or feelings of safety associated with friends are positive. I left these out of the discussion because problems don't lie here. Problems lie within the negative. I am a very open-minded, articulate person and the first step in looking past negative connotations is to be aware of them. If you are stereotyping someone, recognize it and ask yourself why you are. Did their behavior lead you to it or was it a straight feeling you had based on their looks, etc. Being aware and open will allow you to meet people who prove that stereoypes are called stereotypes and not facts because they aren't consistent. Meeting one person who goes against the stereotype will allow you to give everyone a chance to show their true colors before you judge them and categorize them. Tolerance, acceptance, understanding, sharing, learning, growing. That is what life is all about.

Authors Note: Please feel free to challenge what I say or add your own thoughts. I'm one person, who has thoughts and experiences which lead to my beliefs. Yours are different. Share them with me and let me learn the other side, or a different side. This sharing is what makes me a more well-rounded person.

Oh so many words.

2007-02-27T21:01:00.000-06:00

My favorite word friend from work mentioned one of her favorite words is:

Extemporaneous- without advance preparation, impromptu, etc.
(dictionary.com)

I began to think about how I speak best. I don't like doing speeches based off of an essay I've written because in trying not to read off the page, I skip important information. However, I am awful at impromptu because I leave out too much information, both necessary and not. Even in trying to rehearse what points I wanted to make, I'd miss something big. This goes the same way in having conversations with friends, or telling stories or having serious conversations about the state of the relationship with significant others. I replay the information over and over and when it comes time to actually speak, I say something completely different and lose the point I wanted to make. My husband commented the other day that he reads my blogs and everything I say makes sense and is organized. He asked why I can't speak the same way. Maybe it's nerves, maybe it's thinking too far ahead when speaking, or maybe it's something else. It's so easy to think about the way a conversation will work, but when you add another person into the mix, it becomes completely extemporaneous and you're trying to keep with the conversation and what they are saying without losing sight of what you need to say. That's why I write things down and then I read it to them and say this is what I need to say, which isn't extemporaneous at all. I'm not a good extemporaneous speaker and I envy those who are. I would have a whole lot less stress right now if I were.

Oh which word to choose?

2007-02-25T18:53:00.000-06:00

My coworker Ann keeps telling me great words to use and of course I forget them when it comes time to write. One that I didn't forget is askew. Just because it's fun to say. Askeeewww. Sound it out, there we go. Fun, huh?

Askew: a·skew [uh-skyoo]
–adverb
1. to one side; out of line; in a crooked position; awry: to wear one's hat askew; to hang a picture askew.
2. with disapproval, scorn, contempt, etc.; disdainfully: They looked askew at the painting.
–adjective
3. crooked; awry: Your clothes are all askew.

I knew the crooked, out of line meaning, but regretfully, I don't use this word enough. Things are always askew in my life, but I don't think to use it. That will now change with it thrust into my memory because of this blog. I didn't think of askew as being an adjective or adverb because the meanings in the two forms are pretty much the same, yet usage is different.

I did not know that askew also meant with disapproval/contempt. This is fabulous. I often look askewly, that doens't sound right, anywas, I often look askew at people or things. It's when your face crinkles a little and look disgusted. That reminds me. The other day I was working and their was a reservation for ten people. Lunches are so unprofitable I didn't even want the party and graciously let Gwen take them. When they walked in the door, they were all elderly, which is fine, irrelevant. Their was a lady with a strange scarf thing draped over one shoulder. It was furry. One she passed by me and started walking away, I realized the furry thing still had feet that they were hanging down her back. I was horrified and I looked askew at this piece of winter wear? faux pas? animal cruelty? whatever you want to call it. Trying to help, Gwen said, maybe it's fake. A couple minutes later, the drink order was taken and she approached me with a sad look on her face and said sorry, they aren't fake. She said a couple ladies had hats with eyes. EYES!! Disgusting and wrong and horrible. I almost vomited. Needless to say, I looked with disapproval, scorn, and contempt at these ladies. I looked askew at them, and oh, double usage. I looked askew at the animal hung askew on their shoulders. I deserve a gold star or something for that.

Frustrations.

2007-02-18T13:02:00.000-06:00

I don't even care what the real definition is because I know I am frustrated with the absense of working internet in my home. I need to surf and blog and I'm going crazy without that opportunity whenever the mood strikes me. So, I am frustrated, noun? I'm in no mood to think, but hopefully my woes will end soon and I'll be back with some new fun words to learn. Wifi is an inscrutable (remember last week?) concept for me and I am sick of it. Good-bye until I get some money and get internet of my own.

Today's word is...

2007-02-15T19:35:00.000-06:00

Inscrutable: difficult to fathom or understand.
(dictionary.com)

A magnitude of things are inscrutable in everyday life. Sometimes its a concept of idea that just doesn't make sense. It could be a student studying algebra or philosphy and just don't understand. Sometimes its something moroe complex, like religion or again philosophy. Some concepts just don't make sense in our heads, and that's ok, they are inscrutable, and that isn't such a bad thing. No one really knows the truth about the creation of us and the worlds around us, and no one ever will in my opinion, so this concept is nothing but inscrutable, it's difficult for everyone to fathom because we just don't know. Their are so many ideas thrown around that we grasp one and hold to it as truth when deep down we know our "truth" could be incorrect.

On a completely difficult note, this word for today aligns closely with knowledge. Just as knowledge is immeasurable (is this a real word, we'll check tomorrow.), it's not possible to know some things are even those in which we claim to know, we may have difficulty understanding. I claim to know love and loss and leisure, but do I truely understand them? It's up for debate. I can't really claim to know loss, because I've never lost anything that I haven't gotten over, but I know was loss is and I could feel empathy for another's loss. You see, I beginning to doubt we really know anything at all to the level of absolute knowledge. Sometimes I don't even think I know myself. Today I dug out my old yearbooks, SCARY!, mostly to look at my class and see who I've forgotten even existed, and found myself reading what friends had written on the pages. I don't like some of what I read and other things made me wonder if these people were ever truly friends of mine. I had no idea what most of the memorable things people wrote about were. I repeatedly though, I did that? or I said that? I felt like a horrible person and I wonder if I was mean to people. This is hard for me to think about because I spent so much of my life with people who don't know me anymore, or maybe never did. This is an inscrutable concept for me because it almost seems like the first 18 years of my life were pointless. I didn't do anything great or memorable, and I don't think it made me the person I am now. My personal growth has come from after high school. To most, I'm a completely different person and that is a compliment to me. However, I know these years molded my values and beliefs, even if many of them have changed since. What I'm trying to say is, looking back to the past is just as hard for me to understand as thinking to the future. I am a person of the moment and thinking back to how I looked or what kind of person I was is kind of like trying to decipher Socrates or Descarte. No matter how hard I think about it, it was what it was and I don't understand it completely. In parts, yes, but as a whole, the past is the past, and I'll leave it as that. I may not have been a good person then, but I am now, and that is what matters most. I have my family and a couple friends who have traveled across time with me, and I am thankful for them.

metrosexual- acceptable word or increasing separation between gay and straight.

2007-02-13T22:48:00.000-06:00

Metrosexual-
Part of Speech: n, adj
Definition: a heterosexual male who has a strong aesthetic sense and inordinate interest in appearance and style, similar to that of homosexual males
Etymology: 1994; blend of metropolitan + heterosexual
Usage: informal
(dictionary.com)

Tonight’s word of choice is metrosexual, because although it’s a new word referring to heterosexual men, it brings out opinions and frustrations regarding homophobic comments. I am a very open-minded person and it’s very troubling to me when people say something like, I thought he was gay- he dresses nice. This is usually because of the way the person of interest dressed or the fact that they cared about fashion. To most, this means they are gay. I enjoy the word metrosexual because it identifies the fact that not all men who dress nice are gay and they aren’t necessarily dressed by the significant other. However, the word was invented to label men who aren’t gay but dress nice as if the straight men were sick of being seen as gay so a new term was created to set them apart. Some men care, and some men do a damn good job of putting an outfit together. I don’t get how this equals homosexuality.

The most frustrating part is that people claim to be open-minded and not care of someone is gay, but the assume others are based on stereotypical data. Assuming someone is gay based on how they are dressed is not necessarily homophobic, but there is something about it that bothers me. Not all gay men dress nice and using this as a criteria for assuming gayness is ignorant and judgmental.

I know many men who dress nice- some gay, some not, and I would never assume someone is gay based on what they look like. If genes related to gayness are also related to fashion sense, than maybe, but I’m skeptical. On the flip side, not all women with short hair are lesbians.

While we all like to claim we are open people and aren’t bigots, I’m not so sure. Just because a man dresses nice doesn’t mean he’s gay, hell not all gay men dress nice, so the term metrosexual is a great new word. It can be used to describe the city man who is fashion-savy with a woman at home. My husband wears nicer brands than I do and tells me when my jeans don’t make my butt look good, but nobody thinks he’s gay. I wouldn’t even consider him metrosexual, but yet I use his hair product, so according to the definition, maybe he is a metrosexual. This is very amusing to me as his fashion sense has dramatically changed over the years. Who knew a hoodie fanatic would begin wearing blazers over button-downs on big nights out. Not me, but I enjoy it.

Back to the topic at hand, you cannot judge a book by its cover, as you cannot judge someone’s sexual preference based on their style of dress. While I like the first part of the dictionary.com definition of metrosexual, it ends precisely in the way I’m objecting. It claims that metrosexual is a heterosexual man attuned to fashion, “much like homosexual males.” Even the definition claims that only homosexual men care of looks and all homosexual men care, when that is clearly not the truth. This is the exact issue I’m arguing against. It is seen as nonjudgemental to say all homosexual men are fashion-savy because it isn’t necessarily a bad attribute, where in reality it’s still a stereotype, it’s still a social stigma, and it’s still being somewhat homophobic in my mind. Only when we stop stigmatizing gay men will it not matter what the aestetics are and when this happens, the term metrosexual will disappear, because their will be no need to distinguish between fashionable gay men and fashionable straight men. The way society and our language works right now, fashionable men are gay and metrosexuals are fashionable men who aren’t gay. My question is, does it matter? If I see a good looking man, meticulously cared for in dress and appearance, I don’t wonder his sexual preference. I don’t care his sexual preference. That’s his business. I say, keep dressing great, keep looking great, no matter gay or straight and hopefully someday society will stop stigmatizing everyone based on such materialistic aspects. I really doubt I’ll see this day in my lifetime, although it’s gotten better, the mentality is still all wrong and my generation aren’t going to change their minds. We need to rely on the next generation to be open and accept all people as equal, regardless of color or sexual preference. The fun in being human in this era is meeting all types of people and being able to mingle with them, learn about them and become more tolerant and accepting of everyone. Unfortunately, equality is still far away. It’s one person at a time.

Disclaimer- I've already had some wine and my thinking is a bit passionate, although I'm afraid I didn't make the point I attempted to make. Email me with any questions or comments. My sober self might be more clear.

The Great Gatsby.

2007-02-12T20:44:00.000-06:00

Tonight I'm feeling tired, as I spent all weekend with my family. It was fun as usual, but I'm tired today. Because of this, I feel no desire to think of a word. I'll use this opportunity to make my first post about books. I'm not finished with any new books, so I can't completely do a review, but I'll do a partial.

Right now I'm reading "The Great Gatsby," by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I'm a little over half-way through and I'm enjoying the read. The language is easy to understand and doesn't require full attention to know exactly what's going on. One concept I don't quite understand is the relationship between Gatsby and his neighbor, whose name I am forgetting in this sleep-deprived moment. They seemed to get close quickly and for no real reason. I'm not implying anything sexual or anything, but it just seems strange the way they meet and speak to each other. I enjoy reading about the parties and the lifestyle in New York during the Jazz Age, but the lack of anything really happening is bothering me a little. I've just gotten to where Gatsby and his old love are reunited so maybe this developing other storyline might make things a little more clear.

Overall, enjoyable, easy read, but not much in terms of excitement or plot. I'll let you know my feelings once I finish.

Check back tomorrow for a new word of the day.

What makes someone knowledgable?

2007-02-08T23:46:00.000-06:00

Today's word of the day is:

Knowledge-
–noun
1. acquaintance with facts, truths, or principles, as from study or investigation; general erudition: knowledge of many things.
2. familiarity or conversance, as with a particular subject or branch of learning: A knowledge of accounting was necessary for the job.
3. acquaintance or familiarity gained by sight, experience, or report: a knowledge of human nature.
4. the fact or state of knowing; the perception of fact or truth; clear and certain mental apprehension.
5. awareness, as of a fact or circumstance: He had knowledge of her good fortune.
6. something that is or may be known; information: He sought knowledge of her activities.
7. the body of truths or facts accumulated in the course of time.
8. the sum of what is known: Knowledge of the true situation is limited.
9. Archaic. sexual intercourse. Compare carnal knowledge.
–adjective
10. creating, involving, using, or disseminating special knowledge or information: A computer expert can always find a good job in the knowledge industry.
—Idiom
11. to one's knowledge, according to the information available to one: To my knowledge he hasn't been here before.
(dictionary.com)

From these eleven definitions, it can be assumed that everyone has knowledge, whether they are thought of as knowledgable or not. This is one of those words that has a mistaken meaning, as people ususally attribute knowledge to those who are formally educated. Formal education has nothing to do with having knowledge. Coincidentally, many people I know are school or education smart, but not "street" smart. I am guilty of this at times as well, but according to number one, knowledge is having an understanding of many things. This would imply that those with street smarts, who know a little about a lot, are more knowledgable than those of us who still drop terms from linguistics 301 and completely confuse those who are trying to follow the conversation.

Knowledge is a powerful thing. Knowing things is important and I think knowledge makes life more fun because you can hold a conversation with people from all walks of life because you have knowledge about many different things. Knowledge isn't measurable, but our society attempts to put numbers to people and says that is how knowledgable they are. This is ludacris. Not all people learn the same way, and not all people can recall what they know the same way. Testing for some is nearly impossible. My husband is much smarter than me in so many ways, but in the eyes of public school systems or standardized tests, I blow him out of the water, because testing for me is easy. Memorization is easy. Reading and writing are nothing to me, where they require much more concentration for him. He isn't unique in this.

Sadly, knowledge has become less of what you know and more of how you can prove it. This isn't what the definitions say, and honestly, I'm glad I chose this word for today because I didn't really know what knowledge was defined as being. I use the word incorrectly as most do. Number eleven uses the word knowledge almost interchangably with opinion by saying "to my knowledge". To my knowledge means nothing more than I do/don't think, and think implies an opinion.

In conclusion, we are all knowledgable in different ways. I know/perceive/understand things differently than those around me but that doesn't make me any better or less, smarter or dumber, etc. Knowledge, in my opinion, isn't necessarily where the power or prestige comes from, it's the ways in which we use our knowledge to invent, inspire, or improve the world around us.

This Should be fun.

2007-02-07T16:13:00.000-06:00

Blog numero uno of book and word fun. Yippee. No seriously, a friend of mine suggested blogging about "real" things, rather than just my boring life to use as writing samples should I attempt to get writing jobs. I spent some time thinking about what I have knowledge about but yet am interested in so the writing is good, am yet easy for me. Their is no point in blogging when extensive research is involved. I like to write about what I know, and learn something at the same time. While I will try to keep this blog more information and knowledge appropriate, and keep Crunchy Granola Suite more experience appropriate, most will agree the line between is sometimes very fine. Experiences to me are where knowledge both comes from and is applied, so caution- stories of my boring life will be intermixed from time to time. This reminds me, the word for today is:

IRRELEVANT
unrelated to the matter being considered (dictionary.com)

I chose the word for the day because I say it quite often. It is both useful and fun. Fun? Let me explain. This word can easily be used when in conversation with someone and you get distracted with a tangent. In order to not confuse the listener, simply say something along the lines of "but that's irrelevant," to let them know it doesn't apply to the original conversation. I have found that tangents are so common in normal conversation that I get lost when the topic changes and I wonder the relevance. I blame tv for our short attention spans, both in speaking and listening. Simply letting the other know of the irrelevance is helpful.

Another great use of this word is in light conversation as an attempt to be witty. I say attempt because it might not work, especially if others don't know what it means. It's amazing how this one word, when used at the appropriate time, can make people think you're funny when really you're not. Example 1: Last night a coworker was complaining about how messy her boyfriend is and she can't stand living with his filth. She then said, "I guess I can't really complain because it's his place- he pays the rent." I said, "Irrelevant." Everyone laughed.

Keep in mind, the second usage of this word could be disastrous if used at the wrong time or too often.

Tune in tomorrow for a new word. If you have suggestions for words of the day, or books to read, please let me know. Now, go learn something!