Author: Beth

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Today’s Word of the Day is bogart which means, “to use or consume without sharing.” I’ve only ever heard this word used to admonish someone for not sharing a joint. I’m not into that scene, so I’ve never used it in that context, and it’s never been said to me in that context, but there you go. Has nothing to do with Mr. Lauren Bacall, though I imagine he might be flattered. Maybe. I thought for today’s Musical Interlude Friday, I’d pick a song that actually references Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. Here is “Key Largo” by Bertie Higgins. Enjoy!

It’s a free-for-all.

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Today’s Word of the Day is melee which means, “a confused struggle or fight involving many people.” This is a great word to describe the bullshit that happens on Black Friday. I know, it’s a little early to be talking about it, much less thinking about it, but when I saw the Word of the Day, it was the first thing that popped into my mind. I don’t go shopping on Black Friday, not only because what I need to buy for people can be done either well in advance or closer to Christmas, but because I can’t stand crowds. I don’t know if I’ve become more claustrophobic the older I get, but being in a large space filled to the brim with people doesn’t fill me with glee, especially in a post-pandemic world. COVID showed me just how selfish and gross most people are. No thanks. For today’s Musical Interlude Friday selection, I chose a song whose title describes exactly how I like doing my shopping any time of year. Here is “All By Myself” by Eric Carmen. Enjoy!

When in doubt, go with Teddy Roosevelt. Or his daughter Alice.

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Daily writing prompt
Do you have a quote you live your life by or think of often?
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As a matter of fact, I do. “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are” and “Fill what’s empty, empty what’s full, and scratch where it itches.” I think both are solid foundations to base an ethos on, honestly. The first quote by Teddy Roosevelt is a wonderful way to sum up what every person should do in their community. Everything starts small, and it always starts local. As fior the second quote, this time by his daughter Alice Roosevelt Longworth, it’s a great example of how simple the basics can be. Also, do what makes sense. Don’t try and reinvent the wheel.

Go down on one knee.

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Today’s Word of the Day is homage which means, “respect or tribute.” Now, do you pronounce it “OH-mahj” or “HAH-mij”? I think either is acceptable, but I’ll await an official ruling on that. I’ve never paid homage to anyone, at least not that I can think of. I’ve never met a member of any royal family, though if I did, I’d curtsy just to avoid looking like the ugly American who doesn’t know how to act. For today’s Musical Interlude Friday selection, I decided to spin the ol’ Randomizer and have it spit out something fun for everyone. Here is “Take Five” by the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Enjoy!

Okay, this is a new one to me.

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Today’s Word of the Day is tendentious which means, “biased in a way that may cause argument.” I love it when I learn new words. This is the first I’ve ever heard of it, and I think it’s brilliant. I’m going to find ways to work it into everyday conversation come hell or high water. I think a lot of online conversation, particularly about politics, is definitely tendentious, almost intentionally so. I don’t remember it being like that when I was younger, and by that I mean my teenage years. The 90s were a different time. Pondering the future of our political system is like trying to predict the weather in Seattle – you never really know what you’re going to get. Will things change? It’s anyone’s guess. But one thing’s for sure, maintaining a constitutional republic (yes, we’ve all had that civics lesson) with the current status quo is like trying to keep a soufflé from collapsing during a dance party upstairs. It’s a delicate balance, and we’re all holding our breath to see if it holds up. Something has to give or else. I think a good first step would be getting rid of social media, if I’m being frank. Twitter and Facebook have done significant and untold damage to the political landscape in this country, and it’s only getting worse. Don’t get me started on Truth Social.

HELL F*CKING YES I DO.

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Daily writing prompt
Do you vote in political elections?
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Anyone who answers no to this question when they’re of legal age to vote in whatever jurisdiction they live in is a complete fool. They’re worse than fools, but that’s the polite way of putting it. I turned 18 in 2000, and as soon as I did, I registered to vote. I’ve voted in every local, state, and federal election ever since, and I’ve lived in three different states since. Voting to me is one of the most essential things you can do as a citizen of wherever you live. I couldn’t imagine staying home and doing nothing on Election Day. Especially the last few elections, where it seems like the very fate of democracy in this country is continually hanging by a thread. Which reminds me…VOTE. VOTE LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT.

Eh, I’ve heard better.

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Today’s Word of the Day is underwhelm which means, “to fail to impress or excite.” I might incur the wrath of some very powerful people by saying this, but Taylor Swift’s new album dropped this morning…and I’m not as immediately impressed with it as I was with Midnights. Maybe after a few more listens, it’ll hit me, but right now it’s very meh. Please, no Swifties attack me in my comments. I’m leaving the door open for me to like it later. On that note, for today’s Musical Interlude Friday selection, I went with another song that really, really underwhelmed me the first time I heard it. Over time though, I grew to really like it. So, opinions can change. Here is “SexyBack” by Justin Timberlake. Enjoy!

Could we wrap it up, please?

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Today’s Word of the Day is circumlocution which means, “use of too many words when fewer would be clearer.” Oh, we all know someone guilty of doing this. It’s a great way to try and get yourself out of trouble. If you can talk big enough circles around someone when they’ve accused you of something, you might get them to forget what they asked you and move on to something else. It’s a skill. Maybe not the most moral skill, but a skill all the same. The more you say without saying anything at all, the more confused you make the situation. You see this all the time in political debates. Candidate A is asked a question about, I don’t know, defense spending, and they spend the next 10 minutes talking about trade deficits, infrastructure, and Social Security. We all know who Candidate A is, don’t we? 😉

A veritable plethora.

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Today’s Word of the Day is surfeit which means, “an overabundant supply or an excess.” For example, I have a surfeit of books, to the point where I don’t have enough room on my bookshelves for all of them. Some are stacked on bookshelves in other rooms, and some are in boxes in my closet. I’d love to have a couple of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, complete with a little stepladder, but alas…that’ll have to wait for another time. Something else I have a surfeit of is music, whether CDs, vinyl albums, cassettes, or mp3s. One artist I have a shit-ton of material from is Beck. I spent my 21st birthday at Chastain Park in Atlanta watching him on his Sea Change tour, and it was phenomenal. Speaking of Sea Change, here is my favorite song off that album, live at Austin City Limits. Enjoy!

Very sparingly, thank you.

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Daily writing prompt
How do you use social media?
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I don’t use it like I did 10 years ago, that’s for sure. I think in the last decade, maybe a decade and a half, social media has changed, and not for the better. I don’t know if society at large has gotten more permissive or if politics has had anything to do it, but it seems like there are a lot more assholes on the Internet than I remember there being in the late 2000s. I also think it’s dumbing down the language and destroying people’s attention spans. They’re so used to 2-minute video clips or 30-second TikTok videos that reading a 3,000-word article (or short book) is too arduous for them. My sister, who teaches 7th grade Language Arts, has especially noticed a marked decline in penmanship, spelling, and grammar. Kids can’t write anymore because they use smartphones/computers for everything, and most apps have a spellcheck function included in them. When they have to write something by hand, they can’t.

Sorry. This turned into a rant about why I hate social media or rather, most of it. I don’t use Twitter anymore, not since Felon Husk took over. I have a Mastodon and Bluesky account, and that’s where I’m active now. Just for a little bit in the morning and again in the evening. I don’t own a smartphone, so no doomscrolling Instagram for me.