Berserk from the past and into the present
Have you heard anything about people going berserk? Here's your opportunity to find out where this word came from and what it means.
When people informally say, "the group went berserk", they probably don't realize how extreme such a remark really is.
-John Rayoa
Anybody who goes to see a psychiatrist ought to have his head examined.
-Samuel Goldwyn
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 here.
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.
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.
Calendars, historical and internatonal
It is amazing how much there is to learn about calendars; however, you can find a great deal of information at this Historical-Modern Calendar Elements in Transition page.
Time goes, you say? Ah no!
Alas, Time stays, we go.
-Austin Dobson (1840–1921), English poet, biographer, and essayist
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.
