Log or Blog of Words in the News and from Other Media Sources

(a presentation of word information for your vocabulary enhancement so you can increase your brain gain and decrease your brain drain)

Bibliophile who collected dictionaries for years

You are invited to learn more about a bibliophile or "someone who has a strong fondness for books" who in this case was a serious collector of dictionaries. Learn more about this Canadian and his lexicon discoveries by clicking on the link that is shown above.

A dictionary is a book that would be more readable if it did not change the subject so often and it is a reference in which you can find out how a word is spelled only if you already know how to spell it.

-Evan Esar, Esar's Comic Dictionary
Bibliophilia to bibliomania to bibliocleptomania

There are those who have a great fondness for books to such a degree that it can get them into trouble! Here's a true story about a bibliokleptomaniac, a teacher in France who acquired priceless old books during the years 2000 to 2002, who found a secret access to a monastery library and took some of the books home to clean and to read.

His justification: "I'm afraid my burning passion overrode my conscience. It may appear selfish, but I felt the books had been abandoned. They were covered with dust and pigeon droppings and I felt no one consulted them anymore."

Read more about this interesting case by clicking on the link shown above.

There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates' loot on Treasure Island . . . and best of all, you can enjoy these riches every day of your life.

-Walt Disney (1901-1966)

A good book on your shelf is a friend that turns its back on you and still remains a friend.

-Laurence J. Peter (1919-1990)

Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.

-Sir Richard Steele (1672-1729)
Biometrics should not be confused with biomimetics.

The science of measuring physical characteristics, to verify a person's identity which includes voice recognition, iris and face scans, and fingerprint recognition is the technical field of biometrics and has nothing to do with biomimetics.

Security is the feeling that comes from having a job that pays too little to be displaced by automation.

-Evan Esar

Ideas are peculiar things. They don't work unless you do.

-John Rayoa
Biomimetics or technology taking advantage of nature

A topic that few people know about is the scientific field of biomimetics; that is, mimicking or imitating nature with technology.

Did you know that velcro is a mimicking of thistle burrs? I hope you at least know what velcro is because it is used with many items; such as, to hold clothing and many other things together without the use of zippers. Anyway, click on the biomimetics link above and learn something new; unless you already know what this topic is about.

Technology is only a tool imitating nature's resources. The harm or good technology does depends on how men use it.

-John Rayoa
Biopiracy, stealing natural resources from other countries

Some countries are concerned that their natural resources are being stolen and this is explained more fully in this Biopiracy: In the News article.

Nature's laws affirm instead of prohibit. If you violate her laws you are your own prosecuting attorney, judge, jury, and hangman.

-Luther Burbank

One of the weaknesses of our age is our apparent inability to distinguish our needs from our greeds.

-Don Robinson
Blog, Blogs, and Blogging

Just where did this word blog come from? You can find out more about blogs by going to this two-section explanation.

Brain Myths Index

Five possible misconceptions, or mistaken conclusions, and faulty thinking about the brain functions of those who are getting older is presented at this Brain Myths page. What may, or may not, happen to the mental conditions of elderly people is presented for you to consider.

Burial, death rites and ceremonies are waiting for all of us

The topic of burials, death rites or burial ceremonies also have many English words that have come to us from Latin and Greek sources; so, if you start with this coimetro-, coimetr- unit, you will be able to find the words that are used in our modern age for today's topic; if you take advantage of the links at the bottom of each page in this and the other related word families.

I'm not afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens.

-Woody Allen

Death tugs at my ear and says, "Live, I am coming."

-Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (1809-1894)

Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.

-Norman Cousins (1915-1990)

A man's dying is more the survivors' affair than his own.

-Thomas Mann (1875-1955)
Caduceus symbol and misrepresentations by some people

Are you acquainted with the caduceus and what it represents and its applications to medical organizations?

You are probably exposed to this ancient symbol if you have anything to do with medical groups and now you can have a better understanding of its significance.

The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease.

-Voltaire (Francois Marie Arouet) (1694-1778)

It should be the function of medicine to have people die young as late as possible.

-Ernst L. Wynder, M.D.
Calendar elements, past and present.

Take a look at the extensive information which has been collected about calendars from historical perspectives to modern and international concepts.

Changing things in our lives

The More Things Change, the More They Repeat Themselves

Charles Dickens has summarized our times as succinctly, and as appropriately, as he did in his novel, A Tale of Two Cities a novel about the French Revolution of 1789:

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. We had everything before us, we had nothing before us. . . ."

By extension, today more people have more money than ever before and there is more poverty than ever before.

There are more high school graduates than ever before, there are more dropouts. There is more education, there is more illiteracy.

There is more security, there is more uncertainty. There is more success than ever before, and more failure.

Even today, it is the best of times, it is the worst of times.

For better times in your life, increase your vocabulary input-output with more fascinating words; especially, those which come directly, or indirectly, from Latin and Greek sources.

It's a tragedy among many in the world that they don't know that they don't know; and the less they know, the more they think they know enough.

-Robert Johnson

The Road Not Taken

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood and I;
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

-Robert Frost
Chemical elements with explanations.

For a different perspective about chemical elements, see this page so you can learn more about their historical origins as well as other scientific aspects.

Cold and its multitudes of applications

The topic of dealing with the use of "cold" starts with this unit of Cryogenics plus words with its related links.

There is no higher religion than human service. To work for the common good is the greatest creed.

-Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965)
French philosopher, physician, and organist
who spent most of his life as a medical missionary
in Gabon, Africa.
Confusing words clarified.

Efforts are being made to clarify many confusing words as shown in groups at this index.

Confusing Words Poem

Verbal Confusion

Wood you believe that I didn’t no

About homophones until too daze ago?

That day in hour class in groups of for,

We had to come up with won or more.


Mary new six; enough to pass,

But my ate homophones lead the class.

Then a thought ran threw my head,

"Urn a living from homophones," it said.


I guess I just sat and staired into space.

My hole life seamed to fall into place.

Our school's principle happened to come buy,

And asked about the look in my I.


"Sir,"; said I as bowled as could bee,

"My future roll I clearly see."

"Sun,"; said he, "move write ahead,

Set sail on your coarse, Don't be mislead."


I herd that gnus with grate delight.

I will study homophones both day and knight.

For weaks and months, through thick oar thin,

I'll pursue my goal. Eye no aisle win.

—George E. Coon; from The Reading Teacher, April, 1976.

This link will take you to the Focal Points of Information for links to other topics or subjects of interest.