The Word Elf

An elf, pondering the irony of words -- Illustration courtesy Wikipedia

by blogSpotter
I've always enjoyed words. They can be employed by writers and poets much as an artist uses crayons or pastels. A crayon has primarily one attribute to offer, color. A word has so many facets -- denotation, connotation, weight, cadence, source, and alternate shades of meaning. There are some words in English (surely other languages too) that have ironic, almost amazing second meanings. I've wondered if it's purely coincidence, or if some little sprite is at work in the mind of wordsmiths. I'll start with two trivial examples, where a word can be an antonym to itself:

oversight - (1) Act of error or omission (2) Act of careful observation and direction
cleave - (1) To hold tightly or adhere (2) To split or rend in two

How funny, that we can originate a word, this basic molecule of communication, and give it opposite meanings. Other words follow, that while not self-antonyms have amusing, maybe even eerie second meanings:

matter - (1) physical substance of the universe (2) A problem, an issue (3) Discharge from the eye (4) (verb) to figure as a significant factor
This word covers a gamut -- from deep philosophy to eye boogers. And a little more weird whimsy is added with the second meaning, "problem". Is the Word Elf up to no good again? Maybe this is coincidence, or maybe there's some deep-seated phenomenon that tethers these separate meanings to one word.

make-up - (1) Basic constitution (2) Facial cosmetics (3) Act of catching up, reparation or amends
On first appearance, the first two meanings are nearly antonyms -- or are they? The Word Elf is confounding us again with issues of meaning. Depending on context with the previous two words, you can be discussing deep physics or mascara that runs. "What is the make-up of matter" versus "What is the matter with your make-up?"

race - (1) A human subspecies or animal breed (2) A competition whose objective is to complete a goal or cross a finish line first
This one has some thought-provoking ironies (albeit racist in nature) although the two meanings have wholly separate origins, and finally met in an English noun of the same spelling. Perhaps the Word Elf is in actuality a Word Demon, and he is goading us with his trident.

I always thought that wordplay was purely the province of authors and poets -- not true, the more I observe. If you speak or write at all, your choice of words will carry your own thoughtful message -- and may be also laden with another cargo of what some nefarious wordsmith intended. The Word Elf, if he exists, is apparently fond of puns. They needn't be obvious or blunt -- sometimes subtle ironies are the most interesting.

© 2006 blogSpotter.

Rice and Beans

Is Condi Full of Beans? -- Photo courtesy Wikipedia

by blogSpotter
James Mann is an author in residence at John Hopkins University. He recently wrote an editorial about Condoleezza Rice that appeared in the Dallas Morning News on 8/15. In it, he describes the press' initial fascination with Condi -- her boots, her dresses, her colorful background as aspiring concert pianist and as a respected Sovietologist. She is a relatively young black woman who has demonstrated impressive political survival instincts, having stayed above many frays involving Rumsfeld, Powell and others. But, according to Mann, all is not so well in the land of Rice.

Her diplomatic record is lack luster, and her first major policy forays have even evinced possible foot-in-mouth disease. Case in point: Condi told world leaders that the war in Lebanon was part of the "birth pangs of a new Middle East". Mann figures that this quote alone did serious damage with countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia whose help we still need. Mann gives Condi a plus for her close working relationship with Bush, but then gives her a minus for her apparent lock-stock-and-barrel acceptance of Bush's cockamamie ideas -- such as creating a "New Epoch" of change in the Middle East using preventive wars. Rice recently said something to the effect that you can't buy stability at the expense of Democracy -- a noble thought, but one which could also alienate our undemocratic Middle Eastern allies.

My own take of Condi is that she's a dutiful, inquisitive student but not a force in her own right. She seems much more a messenger than a person who authors the message -- that's why I'm perplexed by people who've suggested that she run for President in 2008. As Secretary of State, she needs to be a cogent counselor that helps steer the ship of state. Too often to me, she seems more like a cab driver using GPS instructions, not the person stating a destination. Quite honestly, I can't even imagine her as Secretary of State, and she is, so who knows about the presidential bid. Secretary of State can be a thankless job where setbacks are magnified and victories ignored. Condi will be metal-tested over the next few months; let's hope the GPS satellite instructions are enough to get her through.

© 2006 blogSpotter.

All People

Rosa Parks being arrested in Montgomery

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

by Craig
Today’s blog entry is a guest editorialist, Craig, who is an avid student of religion, history and Americana in general. As we approach the one year anniversary of Rosa Parks’ death, Craig discusses courage and human dignity.

Of all people, Rosa Parks. She refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white person, and her insistence on being treated with dignity and respect led a people to rise up and peacefully demand equal treatment.

Rosa Parks signifies everyday people going about their daily lives engaging in the little battles that make a difference. All people struggle against hate and fear, as well as their own personal demons. Rosa Parks’ strength was her demand to be – to be who she was; to be treated like all people. We see in her actions that which makes all people great. We attribute it to her because she did it, yet I imagine she would say, “It’s something anyone in my place would have done.” This is simply another way of saying “all people.”

Her everyday act started a movement that would change the life of all people in this country, and she lived out the remainder of her days engaging in acts similar to her act that day on the bus. These acts, seeking dignity and respect for all people, compose a rich, full tapestry of days which has been drawn to a close. For a season, the people in whom she awakened courage to fight for human dignity, equality and respect, and the people in whom she awakened the courage to overcome the bondage of bigotry, oppression, and hatred, stood side by side to honor her life.

Hers wasn’t a courage with a capital “C” – the Courage that we see in the superhero that rises above natural laws to overcome great odds. It is the simple, everyday courage she awakened in all people. If all people did similar small things, imagine how much farther along people would be in becoming what God created them to be and how much closer this world would be toward His vision. While other paths may be paved with good intentions, I believe the City on the Hill is reached using a path paved with cobblestones comprised of the everyday acts of simple courage by all people.

The Conscience of a Conservative

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John Dean in the Watergate Era - Picture courtesy Wikipedia Commons

by blogSpotter
I’m now listening to John Dean's book, "Conservatives without Conscience". For younger readers, Dean was Nixon's White House Counsel back in 1972 when the Watergate scandal broke. There are many details I didn't catch at the time, though it dominated TV for several years. Dean was a decent fellow, who was caught in a moral dilemma of sorts -- defend a scoundrel boss (Nixon), or blow the whistle on what is known. Dean took the latter course, becoming primary witness for the prosecution and receiving a much reduced sentence (9 months in minimum security) for a charge of obstructing justice. It appeared at the time that Liddy and Nixon were going to try to make Dean a scapegoat, so his reaction might be more understandable in that light. Since Watergate, Dean has lowered his political profile and he claims now to be an independent. Some of his views are decidedly left of center, especially his feelings about Bush and Cheney now.

In "CwC", Dean discusses how conservatism has evolved in recent years. It's splintered into as many as 10 subgroups such as neo-, paleo- cato,- social and Christian conservatism. Each brand has a slightly different emphasis and shade of meaning, though several overlap. One observation that he shares is that conservatism has become, acidic, mean-spirited and nasty in recent years. He sites flame-throwers like Anne Coulter and Bill O'Reilly as media people who give it a bad name.

Dean further goes on to talk about a "right wing authoritarian" personality type that frequently correlates to conservatism. You can be a RWA follower or leader, according to Dean. Both types are blindly beholden to authority, although leaders have a dominant character. Dean cites the compliant German citizens during the Holocaust as one example of the follower type. Dean provides W. Bush as the leader type, and holds that Bush has used his RWA ‘dominant prerogative’ to commit acts worse than Watergate or anything from the Monica Lewinsky scandal: invading Iraq on false pretenses, using Patriot Act as a mechanism for tapping citizen’s phones, and torturing Iraqi prisoners.

I’m only halfway thru the book now, but I must say that I’m surprised that Dean, a former Nixon counsel and Goldwater conservative, has such great insights into the conservative mind. As a former unabashed Republican, Dean probably knows the territory.

© 2006 blogSpotter.

Slacker Nation

Tripp Takes a Sip - Picture courtesy Paramount Pictures

by blogSpotter
For two weeks in a row, TIME magazine has featured editorialists discussing a similar topic. In "Guys Just Want to have Fun" Barbara Ehrenreich expounds on slacker males. It seems nowadays that men are less likely than women to enroll in college or complete a degree. They are likelier to major in easy subjects that allow for keg parties and playing hoops. Far from seeing it as dysfunction, the business world is welcoming this new “laziness”; businesses now place a higher premium on likeability, personality and team spirit than they do on technical acumen. Yesterday, it seems the world was divided between blue and white collar workers; today it’s divided between affable "players", and personality impaired techno-nerds.

Now comes along Belinda Luscombe in this week's TIME. In "Where Have All the Cary Grants Gone?" she despairs that in recent movies (e.g., The Breakup, Failure to Launch) adult men are portrayed as slackers and bums -- pathetic slobs that need rescuing by a woman. Luscombe speculates that young men raised by working “super moms” now expect nothing less of all their women -- the nurturing should continue all through adulthood. She does conclude that some men actually are smart and competent -- romantic movies should periodically show them that way.

I wrote a blog back in January ‘06, "The Macho Imperative", where I discussed a related phenomenon -- where high school boys think it's unhip to make good grades. In that blog, I focused on boys from lower class homes, where college and career are less the focus than staying out of jail. My blog was based on much of the same statistics quoted by Ehrenreich, although our articles didn't emphasize all the same things. All three pieces, mine included, are talking about an emergent "Slacker Nation" where men loll about hoping to sell a screenplay or play pro sports; meanwhile women do the “dirt work” accounting jobs. Here are some reasons I see for the development:

• Globalization and Degree Deflation -- A Bachelor's Degree now has about as much zing as a high school diploma once had. Then, with the influx of highly educated Chinese and Indian workers, one must work much harder to appear academically distinguished in a given field.

• High divorce rate -- There are probably more single women raising families than ever before. The fleeting father figure isn't just a problem of black subculture, it also now plagues the culture overall.

• Automation and Integration -- Fewer occupations call for unbridled machismo or muscle; most work is easier now than it was even 50 years ago. Also, "macho" jobs such as policeman, firemen and construction worker have been recently filled by more women. Military women are more prominent in Iraq than ever before.

In a pride of lions, the females do all the hunting; the males luxuriate, toss their manes and look beautiful. We may now be headed into Lion World -- a wild kingdom that seems to suit animals OK. I have unease about a Slacker Nation where the men sip coffee at Starbucks while the women do all the work. But maybe unfamiliar does not equate to incorrect -- time will tell. If women become as high-maintenance as their slacker men, we will surely have a problem then.

© 2006 blogSpotter.

August Moon

Blog Reflections, Picture courtesy Wikipedia Commons

by blogSpotter
The August Moon is a favorite Chinese restaurant of mine in Plano. It’s also the beautiful full-moon orb I saw in yesterday evening’s sky. Last but not least, it’s a suitable time to pause and comment on some of my recent postings. We can look at hits, misses and whatever falls into miscellaneous.

Received one comment on “Mommy Files” that when I say it’s OK to be a stay-at-home Mom, it shouldn’t be necessary to stipulate “while the children are toddlers”. The reader went on to say that full-time Moms are more a necessity during the teenage years – can’t argue there either. There should be no stipulation from anywhere that says, “This is how you should use your time”. We live in a free country after all.

The same cannot be said of the people living in Iraq. In “Dead Horse” I discussed new developments in the Mid East and impact on Bush’s policies. Of course, nothing has changed substantially – maybe if we come back in 100 years. Iraq is verging on civil war; Israel and Lebanon are nowhere near a truce and South Lebanon is now a “no-drive” zone. Since my writing, Hillary Clinton took Rumsfeld to task for a failed war effort, and Rummy said he had a “dickens of a time” figuring out why people think he’s wearing rose-colored glasses. Score one for Hillary – although I’m still supporting Edwards in 2008.

Poor Senator Lieberman ran out of “Joementum” and lost the Democratic primary to anti-war critic Ned Lamont. I disagree with the Dallas Morning News – don’t think that Lieberman’s loss is a loss for Democratic centrists. Lieberman’s loss is a loss for Bush-kissing, fence-straddling pseudo-liberals. He’s now running as an independent in Connecticut; let’s hope his campaign doesn’t siphon votes away from Lamont.

To quote Jay Leno, “Mel Gibson is finally meeting with the Jewish people – his lawyers”. Mel is worth millions and can finance his own movies – am thinking that Braveheart will land on his feet. Am a little unsettled about how some Christian leaders are so quick to forgive his drunken remarks – shouldn’t seem too eager unless you’re in agreement. We all have said inappropriate things when drunk; as Bill Mahr said, it’s usually along the lines of, “I thought you were 18”. If you never have been inappropriate, good for you! Or bad for you, as the case may be. And now with the passing of the August Moon, we can blog our way through the rest of this sweltering summer and see what else the news holds in store.


© 2006 blogSpotter.

The Passion of the Mel

Mel, courtesy Wikipedia Commons

by blogSpotter
I was already writing a blog when I had to stop the presses. Mel Gibson’s DWI arrest last Friday trumped any other topic in the pipeline. Many actors have received DWI’s, but Mel’s was made special by the anti-Semitic rant that he performed along with it. He has since apologized profusely, but many in the “blogsphere” remain unconvinced: “In vinum veritas” (In wine there is truth) they say. Gibson’s father, Hutton Gibson, is a well-known anti-Semite belonging to a Catholic fringe group which adheres to "Sedevacantism". The group holds Jews responsible for, among other things, interfering with early Catholic liturgical practices. Gibson has meekly distanced himself from his father’s stance in the past, but “meek” is now the operative word.

Mel’s magnum opus, The Passion of the Christ, was roundly criticized for portraying Jews as blood-thirsty Christ killers. Many people defended Mel from this accusation – and those same people are on the defensive now. I’ve always wondered about anti-Semitism itself. It has a historical basis, obviously in different versions of the Crucifixion story. In more recent centuries, Jews have been portrayed as self-serving greed-mongers. In fact, the Jewish people are bright and accomplished – they’ve done well playing by the established rules of the game. Virtually all social subclasses engage in fraternal behavior, where they help each other with issues of employment, acceptance and what not. My suspicion is that anti-Semitism is a collective form of jealousy. Maybe the rules of the game of capitalism need revisiting; or maybe others need to improve their own game.

But I digress; let’s get back to Mel. Mel said, upon his arrest, “My life is f**ked”. Gibson is a wealthy, healthy handsome actor who could live off royalties the rest of his life. In what sense, other than a highly publicized rant, is his life “f**ked”? It makes you sad for the man – what agitated, aggravated state of mind is he in? He said it himself and it’s probably true – he needs to wean himself from beverage alcohol. Sobriety itself is a journey of introspection; maybe in that journey, Mel will learn the sober truth that angry rants thrown at another group are unlikely to solve any problem, career or otherwise.

© 2006 blogSpotter.