I thought this would be an appropriate word as another year flies by and we enter the Christmas season … again … and again. Is this the ‘recurrence’ that Nietzsche meant when he said ‘this life as you now live it and have lived it, you will have to live once more and innumerable times more … ‘

30 November 2012

chronophobia

[kron-oh-foh-bee-uh]

noun

– irrational fear of time and time moving forward

– fear of the duration or immensity of time.

Example sentences:

‘Prisoners often develop chronophobia as the realisation of the duration of their sentence sets in’.

‘For Nietzsche, any recoil at the prospect of recurrence (reliving life) suggests a kind of chronophobia, an aversion to time and becoming. And he claims that existential, psychological aversion is the basis for an intellectual chronophobia at the heart of the Western philosophical tradition – which, however, generally expressed its aversion to time on the more impersonal level of the search for the truth and foundations of knowledge’.

(Extracted from ‘Nietzsche’s Life Sentence: Coming to Terms with Eternal Recurrence’, by Lawrence J. Hatab)

Today’s aphorism

‘Did you see the frightened ones?
Did you hear the falling bombs?
Did you ever wonder why we had to run for shelter when the
promise of a brave new world unfurled beneath a clear blue
sky?‘

– from the song ‘Goodbye Blue Sky‘, from Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall‘, written by Roger Waters.

On this day

30 November 1835 – birth of Mark Twain, U.S. novellist, author of ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’ and ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’. Died 21 April 1910.

30 November 1874 – birth of U.K. Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill. Died 24 January 1965.

30 November 1936 – Crystal Palace in Britain is destroyed by fire. The Crystal Palace had been constructed for the Great Exhibition in 1851 and featured the first public toilets in England. During the Exhibition, visitors were able to pay 1 penny to use the conveniences. It was from this that the term ‘spend a penny’ came into use as a euphemism for visiting the loo.

30 November 1950 – U.S. President Harry S. Truman announces that he is willing to use atomic bombs to bring peace to Korea.

30 November 1979 – Pink Floyd releases their cult album ‘The Wall’, which was later made into a movie and one of the greatest stage-shows of all time. Roger Waters, singer/song-writer for Pink Floyd, performed ‘The Wall’ stage-show with other celebrities on 21 July 1990 in Berlin, to celebrate the tearing down of the Berlin Wall.

30 November 2007 – death of U.S. daredevil, Evel Knievel from breathing difficulties. Knievel was best known for his failed attempt to jump over the Grand Canyon on a rocket-propelled motor-bike. He also successfully, and often unsuccessfully, attempted long distance motor-bike jumps, such as jumping 14 buses. Through his career, Knievel broke 35 bones. Born on 17 October 1938 as Robert Craig Knievel.

29 November 2012

motza / motser

[mot-zuh, mot-ser]

noun, Australian Slang.

– a large amount of money, especially a sum won in gambling.

Example:

‘It wasn’t until he started selling the mangoes to tourists, instead of giving them away to friends and neighbours, that he realised he could make a motza from the tree in his backyard’.

Today’s aphorism

‘Ah, beware of snobbery; it is the unwelcome recognition of one’s own past failings’.

– Cary Grant

On this day

29 November 1898 – birth of C.S. Lewis, Irish novellist, author of ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ and ‘The Screwtape Letters’. Died 22 November 1963.

29 November 1922 – Federal authorities are engaged to assist in the enforcement of prohibition laws in the United States.

29 November 1947 – the United Nations votes in favour of Resolution 181 for the partitioning of the land of Palestine in order to create both a Jewish state, named Israel, and an Arab state named Palestine. Arab nations refused to accept the resolution and the state of Palestine was not created, while the state of Israel was.

29 November 1948 – the first Holden car is manufactured in Australia by General Motors Holden Automotive (GMH). The first model is a Holden FX.

29 November 1963 – The Warren Commission is established to investigate the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. After 10 months, the Chief Justice Earl Warren hands down his findings that Lee Harvey Oswald had acted alone in the assassination.

29 November 1986 – death of Cary Grant, born Archibald Alexander Leach, actor (‘North by Northwest‘, ‘To Catch a Thief‘, ‘An Affair to Remember‘, ‘Gunga Din‘).

Panda’s non-word of the day

28 November 2012

learnings

[noun]

‘Learnings’ is not a word. However, it has found its way into corporate usage even though it is completely incorrect. If you feel the need to use the word, then desist immediately and use something that is a word, such as ‘findings’, or get creative and reword the sentence so that you can avoid such a grammatical faux pas.

Today’s aphorism

‘If you’re not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.’

– Malcolm X

On this day

28 November 1968 – death of Enid Blyton, British author of numerous series of children’s stories, including ‘Noddy‘, ‘Famous Five‘, and ‘Secret Seven‘. (Born 1897).

28 November 1990 – UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher formally tenders her resignation following disendorsement by her Cabinet on 22 November 1990.

28 November 1994 – U.S. serial killer and cannibal, Jeffrey Dahmer, bashed to death while cleaning a prison toilet. Dahmer was serving 15 life sentences for the murder of 15 men and boys. He had initially faced 17 murder charges, but this had been reduced.

27 November 2012

furphy

[fur-fee]
noun
plural furphies. Australian slang.

– a false report; rumor.
– also a portable water container.

Origin

1910–15; after Furphy carts which were water and rubbish carts manufactured by the Furphy family of Shepparton, Victoria, and used during World War I.

Example:

‘There was panic in the streets of Melbourne when the Sydney Morning Herald published the headline, “AFL Grand Final to be played at the SCG”, however, it was just a furphy, capitalising on the Swans making it to the grand final’.

Today’s aphorism

‘When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace’.

– Jimi Hendrix

On this day

27 November 1942 – birthday of Jimi Hendrix. American guitarist and singer-songwriter.

27 November 1975 – Ross McWhirter, co-founder of the Guinness Book of World Records, is shot dead outside his house in North London. Police suspect the Irish Republican Army (IRA) of the murder, as McWhirter had posted a £50,000 reward for information that lead to the arrest of IRA bombers.

27 November 1999 – Helen Clark is elected as New Zealand’s first female Prime Minister. She represented the centre-left of the Labour Party.

26 November 2012

potvaliancy

[POT-val-yuhn-see]

noun

– Brave only as a result of being drunk.

Example sentences:

Obed looked over his shoulder, peering at me with his little short—sighted pig’s eyes, into which, in my potvaliancy, I immediately chucked half a tumbler of very strong grog, and under cover of it attempted to bolt through the scuttle.
— Michael Scott, Tom Cringle’s Log

His bursts of potvaliancy (the male side of the maiden Panic within his bosom) are awful to his friends.
— George Meredith, Beauchamp’s Career, Volume 1

Potvaliancy combines the original sense of pot as ‘drinking cup’ with valiancy, which derives from the verb valere, ‘to be strong’.

Today’s aphorism

‘I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I will be sober and you will still be ugly’.

– Winston Churchill (to Lady Astor who accused him of being drunk at a public function).

On this day

26 November 1922 – British archaeologist Howard Carter and Lord Carnavon enter the tomb of Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamen which Carter had discovered a few days earlier. Legend held that the tomb was protected by the ‘Mummy’s Curse’. Within 7 months of entering the tomb, both Carter and Carnavon were dead.

26 November 1942 – world premiere of iconic film ‘Casablanca’, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. The movie was nominated for 8 Oscars, winning 3 of them.

26 November 1992 – The Queen begins paying income tax and the number of royals receiving tax-payers funds is reduced to the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen Mother.

25 November 2012

popliteal   

[pop-lit-ee-uhl, pop-li-tee-]

adjective Anatomy .

– of or pertaining to the ham, or part of the leg back of the knee.

Example sentence

‘The footballer ruptured the popliteal tendon behind his right knee’.

 Today’s aphorism

The superior man is distressed by the limitations of his ability; he is not distressed by the fact that men do not recognize the ability that he has.

Confucius

On this day

25 November 1963 – funeral of assassinated President John F. Kennedy in Washington DC. Over 800,000 people lined the streets. He was interred at Arlington Cemetery.

25 November 1947 – The ‘Hollywood Ten’ are blacklisted for their allegiance with, or sympathy for the American Communist Party. They were cited for Contempt of Congress when they refused to testify to the House Committee on Unamerican Activities. The Hollywood Ten were unable to work in the movie industry again. The ten were Alvah Bessie, Herbert Biberman, Lester Cole, Edward Dmytryk, Ring Lardner Jr., John Howard Lawson, Albert Maltz, Samuel Ornitz, Adrian Scott and Dalton Trumbo.

24 November 2012

altruism

[al-troo-iz-uhm]
noun
1. the principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others ( opposed to egoism).
2. Animal Behavior . behavior by an animal that may be to its disadvantage but that benefits others of its kind, as a warning cry that reveals the location of the caller to a predator.

‘altruist

— n

altru’istic

— adj

altru’istically

— adv

Example sentence:

Perhaps the key debate centers on whether giving is driven by altruism or self-centred motives.

Today’s aphorism

‘I’m a believer. I don’t go to church. I don’t belong to any particular religion, but I do believe in God. I couldn’t write what I write about and be creative without a certain form of belief’.

– Nick Cave

On this day

24 November 1806 – birth of William Webb Ellis, Anglican clergyman who is credited for creating Rugby Union after allegedly picking up the ball during a soccer match and running with it, while a student at Rugby School. Died 24 February 1872.

24 November 1991 – death of Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara). British musician and vocalist. Lead singer of rock group, Queen. Died 5 September 1946.

23 November 2012

presumptive

[pri-zuhmp-tiv]
adjective
1. affording ground for presumption: presumptive evidence.
2. based on presumption: a presumptive title.
3. regarded as such by presumption; based on inference.
4. Embryology . pertaining to the part of an embryo that, in the course of normal development, will predictably become a particular structure or region.

Example sentence:

We are not so presumptive as to prescribe what needs to be done.

Today’s aphorism

If aliens visit us, the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn’t turn out well for the Native Americans.

– Stephen Hawking

On this day

23 November 1859 – birth of William H. Bonney aka Billy ‘The Kid’. American outlaw. Legend has it that he killed 21 men, although historians believe it may have been between 4 and 9 men. He was shot dead by Sheriff Pat Garrett around 14 July 1881. Some conspiracy theorists believe that Bonney did not get shot that day, but that Garrett staged the shooting so that Billy ‘The Kid’ could escape.

23 November 2012 – ‘Black Friday’ sales extravaganza. The Friday immediately following Thanksgiving Day is known as Black Friday in the U.S.A. It marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season and is one of the biggest retail sales days on the calendar, often resulting in stampedes as stores opens their doors. Ironically, after spending Thanksgiving giving thanks for what they have, people spend the next day trampling each other in an effort to buy things they don’t have, and likely don’t need.

22 November 2012

presumptuous

[pri-zuhmp-choo-uhs]
adjective
1. full of, characterized by, or showing presumption or readiness to presume too much in conduct or thought.
2. unwarrantedly or impertinently bold; forward.
3. Obsolete . presumptive.

Synonyms
1, 2. impertinent, audacious; fresh; arrogant, bold.

Antonyms
– modest, unassuming.

Not to be confused with ‘presumptive’ (too presume within reason).

Example sentence:

‘It may be presumptuous to assume that you know more about the process then your manager, but it may also be true’.

Today’s aphorism

‘I think when you move past your fear and you go after your dreams wholeheartedly, you become free. Know what I’m saying? Move past the fear’.

– LL Cool J

On this day

22 November 1906 – the use of the morse code signal ‘SOS’ is implemented as a global distress call. The SOS signal is three dots, three dashes and three dots
(· · · — — — · · ·)

22 November 1962 – assassination of John F. Kennedy. 35th president of the United States.

22 November 1963 – death of C.S. Lewis, Irish novellist, author of ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ and ‘The Screwtape Letters’. Born 29 November 1898.

22 November 1990 – UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher forced to resign by her own Cabinet who refused to endorse her as leader. She had come to power in 1979 and had become known as the ‘Iron Lady’. She is the longest-serving UK Prime Minister and the only female to hold the post. She fought numerous battles with unions over her economic and deregulation reforms. She introduced a ‘Community Charge’ or ‘Poll Tax’, which replaced rates with a flat-tax rate on every adult. It was extremely unpopular even within her own Cabinet and was a crucial catalyst for her disendorsement and subsequent resignation.

22 November 2012 – Thanksgiving Day (U.S.A). Thanksgiving Day occurs in the U.S.A. on the 3rd Thursday of November. It’s purpose is for people to giving thanks for what they have.

21 November 2012

zambianoliangioticaloigisticologphobia

[zam-bee-an-oh-lee-an-gee-oh-tee-cal-oi-jist-ick-oh-log-fob-bee-uh]

(noun)

– fear of short people, specifically adults who are less than 150cm tall.

Today’s aphorism

Never give a sword to a man who can’t dance.

– Confucius

On this day

21 November 1986 – Oliver North, National Security Council staffer, begins shredding documents associated with the Iran-Contra debacle that could have implicated themselves and others within the Reagan administration in the illegal sale of arms to Iran in order to fund the rebel Nicaraguan Contras.