WORDS WORDS WORDS

I remember as a child, if I was reading a book and came across a word that I didn’t understand, I’d ask my Mom what the word meant.  She would respond with “Look it up”, while pointing towards our 17 pound, hard covered, Merriam-Webster dictionary.  Yes, my Mom knew the meaning of the word and could very easily have just told me the meaning.  But having me and my sister look up these words would not only make us remember the words, but this could lead to our knowing even more words.  Because there were quite a number of times (when I was a child) that looking up one word would make me have to look up another word.  Somewhat like setting off a grenade in a dynamite factory.  (by the way, for all those who may be Paralegals like me, this was also how I described shepardizing when I was studying litigation)

Since childhood, and probably as a result of my Mom making me look up words, I have had a fascination with words in general, and some in particular.  When I was a school-aged kid, I would even pick out one word randomly of my smaller paper-back dictionary every night to learn the meaning.  I’d close my eyes, open the dictionary to a random page, put my finger down and then open my eyes.  I don’t do that now, but do I often go to the thesaurus to find a better, more interesting word to use. 

My dictionary game that I played as a kid is how I learned one of my favorite words, which unfortunately I don’t get to use that often.  That word is verisimilitude.  The meaning of this word, you ask?  From Encarta Dictionary, the definitions for this word are:  1. “the appearance of being true or real” and 2. “something that only appears to be true or real, e.g. a statement that is not supported by evidence”.  With the current administration, it may be that I get to use my favorite word more often now!  Although, with the current administration, there isn’t even an “appearance” of truth most of the time.

But this blog post is not about how horrible the current administration is, nor about how embarrassed I am that the current President of my country is a complete buffoon, who doesn’t even have the wherewithal to know that you shouldn’t act like a petulant child when a leader of another allied country visits, and refuse to look at her or shake her hand. 

But I digress …

Recently, I started reading a new book.  One that I actually found on the subway platform on the way to work.  Some nice person had actually left 4 books, up on a ledge, leaning up against the wall, as if it were a lending library!  What a nice idea! 

Within the first chapter, I came across one particular word … pernicious … and I had to stop and just savor that word!  I know it seems strange to savor a word with such a negative meaning.  But that’s the thing.  Sometimes it’s not the meaning that makes me love a word.  It’s the way it sounds when I say it.  Some words just make me happy, regardless of their meaning.  I mean, even the word "nefarious" makes me smile.  Again, not the meaning, just the way it "sounds" and rolls off my tongue!

Other words can cause me to feel uncomfortable, disjointed, or just not quite right.  One of those being the word “quite”, which I just used.  Again, not the meaning of the word that’s causing the issue.  It’s more of the “feeling” of this word.  It’s too close to “quiet”, yet with a completely disconnected meaning to that word.  And it just makes me feel a bit “off”.  Putting those two words together, as in maybe … “It was quite quiet in the library” can really wreak havoc on me!  Ok, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. But you get my drift.

I had once read a book (fiction) about someone who had synesthesia.  This is a neurological phenomenon where words, colors, number, etc. can cause a person to experience a separate sensory reaction.  For example, a number … let’s say 3 … may make the person also think of the color red.  To better explain it, I’ll quote from a website dedicated to this phenomenon (www.synesthete.org) “Synesthesia is a perceptual condition of mixed sensations: a stimulus in one sensory modality (e.g., hearing) involuntarily elicits a sensation/experience in another modality (e.g. vision). Likewise, perception of a form (e.g., a letter) may induce an unusual perception in the same modality (e.g. a color).”  Ok, that may not have helped to explain it.  Maybe this will …

I don’t have synesthesia.  To be honest, I find that a bit disappointing. I think it would be a much more interesting and colorful life to have this!  I mean, how cool would it be if Tuesday was purple, and if hearing a dog bark would make you taste raspberries?  If listening to your favorite song (let’s imagine you have your eyes closed) would also provide you with a rainbow of colors floating past your eyelids … wouldn’t that be just wonderful?

In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy the fact that certain words (and numbers) will elicit an emotional reaction in me.  I will keep looking for words like jubilant (rather than just “happy”) or fatigued (rather than just “tired”).  And I will keep the Dictionary and the Thesaurus handy!  And maybe, I’ll start to play my dictionary game again!

Cooking Healthy

Bonus vlog today!  Cooking healthy!  Check it out here ....

https://youtu.be/7V_HjHR45yM

How to style your hair (requested video)

I have had a number of requests now to put up a video on how I style my hair.  It has taken a long time to get around to doing this, but it's finally done and posted.  So now, you don't have to go to the salon to get your hair to look like mine.  You just need to go to YouTube!  ;-)

Here's the link to the video.

https://youtu.be/6OaBe_9KwA4

There's an app for that!!

Don’t tell me you don’t know how to cook!  It’s not rocket science!!  Yes, I know how to cook.  I don’t find it that difficult.  And most of the time I make meals without following a recipe.  I just have a feel for what something will taste like if I add this or that ingredient.

But I know that for some cooking is a real issue.  They can’t even figure out the proper way to hard boil an egg (btw, there is definitely a proper way!)

People will go to cooking classes, watch YouTube videos (hmm, maybe a vlog post idea?!?!) and buy really expensive books.  And they still won’t be able to master the skill.

In the last several years, companies like Blue Apron and HelloFresh have popped up and are becoming very popular!  They send you all the ingredients you will need to cook a week’s worth of dinners, along with the instructions on how to prepare these meals.  You still have to do the actual cooking though.

A co-worker of mine had used one of these services.  She said it was good, but that she didn’t always like the choices that they sent.  And today, another co-worker was thinking of signing up, and he and I spoke about whether it is worth it or not.

For me, personally, they don’t seem like they’d be worth it.  Yes, the food is delivered right to your door.  Yes, the process of trying to figure out what to make has been taken care of by someone else.  But is that worth the cost, because these are very pricey services.

Also, for me it wouldn’t work, because I’m very particular about the produce I buy.  So for someone else to pick out my tomatoes or lettuce or apples … well, that wouldn’t work so well for me! Especially the apples!  I’m rather picky when it comes to that fruit in particular!  Don’t ask me why, because I haven’t a clue!  But if it doesn’t have the taste and texture I am looking for, I just can’t eat it!

I will say that trying to figure out what to cook can get a bit stressful.  Even for me!  And I usually end up going back to my old standards.  But that can get boring.

So I thought about whether I would recommend using this service to my co-worker.  And then it hit me … there has to be an app for that!!  So off to the Google Play Store I went and low and behold … tons of them!

The one I downloaded was for “healthy” meals.  I like to eat healthy, and since I have 7 weeks to get into bikini shape for my upcoming vacation, I wanted to make sure that I would be sticking to my diet/exercise goals.

After it downloaded, and I clicked in, I was given the choice of various types of menus, from low carb, to paleo to vegetarian, to what they call “classic – no holds barred”.  I chose low carb. 

I then could insert if I had any food allergies.  This is VERY important, because food allergies are usually deadly!  Thankfully I don’t have any food allergies (anymore), so that was easy for skip past. 

Then they provided me with a very extensive list of ingredients, and I could choose the ones I dislike.  They would then not include these ingredients in the menus that they pick for you.  I only put down tofu as a dislike.  I just don’t eat that stuff.

Once I had entered all my settings and hit “go”, I was presented with 4 different recipes to begin with. 

                Strip Steak & Bell Pepper Fajitas with Guacamole & Butter Lettuce

                Orange-Glazed Chicken Thighs with Roasted Parmesan Cauliflower

                Shrimp, Avocado & Grapefruit Salad

                Chicken Satay with Creamy Peanut Sauce & Thai Cucumber Salad

The app comes with a grocery list of all the ingredients you will need to complete the recipes.  And as you put these into your cart at the market, you can check them off the list!  If you have any items at home already, just check those off as well.

So, after work, I stopped at the market and did my shopping according to my list supplied by my new app. 

I decided to try the steak fajitas tonight!  The meal plan recipe provides a tab that lists the ingredients you will need, and a tab that lists the cookware you will need as well.  So I laid out all my ingredients and cookware and got to work. 

A half an hour later, I was eating the most yummy and healthy fajitas (instead of the carb heavy tortilla wraps, I was instructed to use a leaf of the butter lettuce (a.k.a. Boston lettuce) with homemade healthy guacamole!  It was delish!!!  Seriously, it was so tasty! And the recipe was for 2 servings, so I have lunch already ready for tomorrow! 

Tomorrow night I’m going to try the Chicken Satay!!

And guess what the best part of this is … the app was FREE!  Yes, there is a “pro” version that you can pay for, which will allow you to get nutritional information, exclusive recipes, view previous meal plans, etc.  But that costs $5.99 a month!!  Um, that’s ok.  I can figure out the nutritional value online!  And if I don’t see these “exclusive” recipes, I won’t know what I’m missing anyway!

So I did have to spend money at the supermarket, and I did have to carry it home (although my supermarket actually offers free delivery). But overall, I am thrilled to find this app!  I won’t need to search for meal ideas anymore.  And my cooking repertoire will grow by leaps and bounds!!

So, instead of jumping on the latest expensive trend, why not see if there’s an app for that?!

Happy eating!  

Stop telling me to “Give Him A Chance”!!

Stop telling me to give SCROTUS a chance.  Stop telling me “We won, get over it!”  Let’s break it down why I won’t just “give him a chance” and why I can’t just “get over it”.

First off, let’s not keep saying that he “won”, since that is currently under investigation, if the investigation ever gets underway, that is (man, are they dragging their feet on this!)  But when the truth comes out that Russia did, in fact rig the U.S. election, then the FACT will be that SCROTUS did not “win” and we don’t need to just “get over it”.

Besides, let’s remember back to when President Obama won on 2008 and 2012.

Across this country, Anti-Obama protests happened, mainly because of the color of the man’s skin.  On the other hand, people are protesting SCROTUS for his discriminatory ideas against Muslims, minorities, women, LGBT, our environment, and the list goes on.

Secondly, if one more person tells me to “give him a chance”, I’m going to lose it!  He’s been in office for 55 days now.  And I cannot name ONE thing that he has done so far while in office that is in line with my way of thinking!  NOT ONE!  Can you?

I asked someone this question.  His answer was the pipeline.  WHAT?!?! I was floored by this response.  Really?  I guess because it’s not running through HIS backyard, it’s ok.  I guess because it’s not risking contaminating HIS drinking water, it’s no big deal. 

He rallied with how we need to stop being dependent on OPEC and the Middle East for oil.  That I agree with!  But in how we get there, this person and I see very differently.  He would risk ruining our environment, risk poisoning the drinking water supply, all for a limited natural resource that wouldn’t reduce our dependency on other countries anyway.  I, on the other hand, would like this country to finally embrace alternative forms of energy, like wind, solar, water.  Wouldn’t it be great if Americans who support SCROTUS and his “Alternative Fact” could support Alternative Energy?  I mean, one of these is a REAL solution!  The other is just a way to get away with LYING!!

I cannot give SCROTUS a chance, because so far he has:

1. Rolled  back gun control. (Yes, now it’s easier for someone who is mentally unstable to get a gun.  Guess SCROTUS wants to help his fellow mentally unstable friends.)

2.  He has endangered our environment by rolling back the protection of waterways from coal mining waste. (So, all those waterways that took years and years to clean up … guess it won’t take as long to get back to the “good old days”, huh?)

(that's coal runoff, btw)

3.  The SCROTUS eased U.S. fiscal regulations in the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010. (By the way, these were put in place to PROTECT the American people from the issues that caused the financial crash in 2008 … a parting gift from the Bush administration that President Obama had to clean up!)

4.  He ordered that the Labor Department review a rule from President Barack Obama that requires financial managers to act in their clients' best interests when handling retirement accounts. (What the hell??  What needs to be reviewed here?? Why would anyone think that this is not a good thing, or that it’s overreaching to require a financial manager to act in his/her client’s best interest?!?!)

5.  The SCROTUS signed an executive order that makes it a requirement that for every new federal regulation on small and large businesses, two existing regulations must be removed. (I get the concept of wanting to limit big government, but really?  Shouldn’t we be removing regulations that aren’t working?  Not just because we put something new in so we need to take 2 things out.  I mean, this may work with your closets, but this isn’t the way to randomly run a government!)

6.  He also signed executive orders that would make it possible to complete the Dakota Access and restart the process for the construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada.  (see my objections previously stated above!)

And, if all that wasn’t enough … on his VERY FIRST DAY in office:

7.  Within hours of his inauguration, the SCROTUS signed an executive order which was his first step toward repealing the Affordable Care Act.  (So to all those Americans who didn’t have health care before President Obama put this Act in place … get ready to worry about your health again!  Because you may end up sick, with no coverage, again!)

8.  He also suspended a scheduled insurance rate cut for new homeowners, which had been set by President Obama's government. The cut would have reduced annual insurance premiums for new Federal Housing Administration loans by 25 basis points -- from 0.85 to 0.60.  (So much for helping out the little guy!)

I read a quote from a 2013 Forbes article, which states … “when people become angry enough or desperate enough, sometimes they’ll support crazies who would never attract a crowd in normal circumstances.”  Yes, this is definitely what happened this past election cycle.  What these supporters didn’t realize, though, was that this particular crazy is not someone who is going to help them out of their situation.  He’s a crazy who will RUIN this country if he is allowed to continue on the path he has started down.  By the way, the article was entitled “How Dictators Come to Power in a Democracy”.  And I’ll repeat, this was an article from 2013.  Long before SCROTUS even announced running for the Presidency.  I wonder, is Forbes now going to be considered fake news as well?

For those who aren’t scared enough yet, with all that he has done so far, here is just a little taste of what is already in the pipeline (no pun intended) of new rules being voted on in the House:

1.  Terminate the Environmental Protection Agency (sorry Environment … even though you support human life on this planet, we’re no longer gonna protect you!)

2.   Vouchers for Public Education (Wait, didn’t recently released studies prove that this actually hinders the education of our youth?)

3.  Terminate the Department of Education (The full text of that bill was …. "The Department of Education shall terminate on December 31, 2018."  Yep, that was the entire bill!  Nothing mentioned on who or what would take over, how there would be functions of oversight, who would be responsible for enforcing civil rights and student aid.  Just … terminate. Oh, and a date.)

4.  Repeal Rule Protecting Wildlife (According to what I found, at least 8 species of animals went extinct in 2016.  And that was WITH wildlife protection.  Guess that number will go up if this bill passes.  Guess Republicans don’t see how all things connect.)

5.  Repeal Affordable Care Act (So, what do those who were uninsured before this act do?  Guess you just risk death, like you did before … 20,000+ people died each year in the U.S. due to not having health care coverage before this act.)

6.  Defund Planned Parenthood (All those people who go to Planned Parenthood for something other than an abortion (which accounts for 3% of all services) will have to find some other affordable place to go. Oh wait, there won’t be Affordable Care anymore!!)

7.  National Right to Work (Of course the SCROTUS would like this anti-labor union bill, since Unions hurt his business interests)

8.  Criminalizing Abortion (“Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act”) (This bill supposedly prohibits abortions that are based on the race or gender of a fetus.  Um, I really don’t think that in this country people have been ending pregnancies because of these specific issues.  So no big deal, you say?  Well, not quite.  You see, the bill fosters racist steriotypes and could create a culture of racial profiling in abortion clinics, with people being denied the right to an abortion based on their race. Really sneaky of the ALL MALE panel that is trying to get this passed.)

9.  Concealed Carry Reciprocity Law (This law would force states that have stricter limits on carrying a concealed weapon to allow those who have a permit in another state to carry their concealed weapon in ANY state. Wait, what?!?!  Are you kidding me?!?!)

So, this was the first 55 days.  We still may have 1,416 days to go. Hopefully not. Hopefully the American people will wake up to the slow (or not so slow) transition into a dictatorship that is currently being attempted by the SCROTUS.  Hopefully people will realize that when SCROTUS says he will “Make America Great Again”, he means for him and his billionaire cronies, not for the average American. 

Hopefully you will get involved, get out there, rally, protest, contact your representatives, act, vote!!!  Because if you don’t, you will wake up one day and not recognize this country that you are living in.  It will seem like some sort of dystopian nightmare.  But it won’t be a nightmare that you can wake up from, it will be reality!