Irish Place-names

Just my luck -- I forgot to wear green for Saint Patrick's Day; but I did take time to read an appropriate blog post for the occasion.  It was written with Ireland in mind, by Juan José Valdés, The Geographer, Director of Editorial and Research for National Geographic Maps.  I recommend you go read the complete text and see the map at blogs.ngm.com (NGM Blog Central).

"English or Gaelic — What's in a [Place] Name?"

"... our maps generally list official place-names first, followed by their secondary name or names in parentheses. Take Ireland for example…"

"According to the Republic of Ireland's constitution, the Irish and English languages share official status. In the Gaeltacht, or predominantly Irish-speaking regions, only Irish place-names have official status. ... In the non-Gaeltacht areas, you will find that English is the official language. Simply put, just about every single place-name in Ireland has a dual name: Gaelic (English) in the Gaeltacht regions or English (Gaelic) in the non-Gaeltacht regions. That equates to nearly 1,000 place-names displayed ... [for] Ireland."  -- blogs.ngm.com

Again, I thank Wikipedia for providing an easy reminder:

"Saint Patrick's Day ... is a religious holiday celebrated internationally on 17 March. It is named after Saint Patrick (c. AD 387–461), the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of Ireland."  -- en.wikipedia.org/wiki

I hope you're wearing green, and enjoying healthy green food (probably not the fast type today, although I did enjoy a quick, leftover tossed green salad.)

Allegory/Parable/Proverb

This post is a work in progress with basic building blocks waiting for mortar and finishing touches.

This morning's Sunday School lesson on Matthew chapter 13 was educational.  Debra's list of words on the board got my attention:

Fable, Myth, Allegory, Parable, Proverb

(Here I add a word she used as somewhat related:) Mystery

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary [I cannot copy & paste]:

fable (noun) : a fictitious narrative or statement: as

a: a legendary story of supernatural happenings

b: a narration intended to enforce a useful truth; expecially : one in which animals speak and act like human beings

WhiteSmoke Online Dictionary [easiest for me to use]

myth [noun] 1. a traditional story accepted as history; serves to explain the world view of a people

Synonyms: legend, fable, fairytale, allegory, parable, saga, story, fiction, tradition, fancy, fantasy, superstition

allegory [noun] 1. a short moral story (often with animal characters)

2. a visible symbol representing an abstract idea

3. an expressive style that uses fictional characters and events to describe some subject by suggestive resemblances; an extended metaphor 

-- WhiteSmoke

parable [noun] 1. a short moral story (often with animal characters)

2. (New Testament) any of the stories told by Jesus to convey his religious message; "the parable of the prodigal son"

Synonyms: fable, allegory, lesson, moral tale, story   -- WhiteSmoke

proverb [noun]

1. a condensed but memorable saying embodying some important fact of experience that is taken as true by many people   -- WhiteSmoke

lds.org / Scriptures / Study Helps / Bible Dictionary

(Parable and Mystery are the only words on the list that are defined in this Bible Dictionary.)

Parables. (1) Most teachers, especially Oriental teachers, have used some form of parable in their instruction, but none so exclusively as Jesus at one period of his ministry. During part of the Galilean ministry the record states that “without a parable spake he not unto them” (Mark 4:34). From our Lord’s words (Matt. 13:13–15; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10) we learn the reason for this method. It was to veil the meaning. The parable conveys to the hearer religious truth exactly in proportion to his faith and intelligence; to the dull and uninspired it is a mere story, “seeing they see not,” while to the instructed and spiritual it reveals the mysteries or secrets of the kingdom of heaven. Thus it is that the parable exhibits the condition of all true knowledge. Only he who seeks finds.

(2) The word parable is Greek in origin, and means a setting side by side, a comparison. In parables divine truth is presented by comparison with material things. The Hebrew word, mashal, which parable is used to translate, has a wider significance, and is applied to the balanced metrical form in which teaching is conveyed in the poetical books of the Old Testament. See Matt. 13:35.

(3) ... The application of a parable may vary in every age and circumstance. But if the original meaning is to be grasped, it is important to consider its context and setting. The thought to which it is linked, the connection in which it is placed, the persons to whom it is addressed, all give the clue to the right interpretation.

John has no true parables, but presents two allegories: the good shepherd (10:1–16), and the vine and the branches (15:1–7).

Proverbs, Book of. The Heb. word rendered proverb is mashal, a similitude or parable, but the book contains many maxims and sayings not properly so called, and also connected poems of considerable length.

Mystery. Denotes in the New Testament a spiritual truth that was once hidden but now is revealed, and that, without special revelation, would have remained unknown. It is generally used along with words denoting revelation or publication ...   -- Bible Dictionary

All-around Alliteration

As a brief break from this mundane Monday morning, aforesaid alliteration is my free fast food for the day -- hopefully done without being awfully obnoxious.  It's like "Peter Piper picked a peck of ..." -- you know the rest of the always-alliterative story.  My mighty Merriam-Webster desktop dictionary defines it as "the repetition of initial sounds in adjacent words or syllables" -- (Twitter?)  WhiteSmoke's digital dictionary disappointingly defines the verb alliterate: "use alliteration as a form of poetry".

 A writer or group behind the scenes at CNBC is exceptionally eccentric, atrocious or adept at alliteration, depending on how you feel about it.  Cynical "Squawk on the Street" co-anchor Mark Haines tends to expand on it in jest, just barely tolerating it, including "Commodities Corner".  Then there's this morning's "Facebook Frenzy" Faber Report: some value the company at $65 billion!

Advertising apparently loses little love for alliteration -- as Angie's List, for example.  "Founder" Angie Hicks appears on a full-page ad in Fast Company 3/2011, headlining "Ridiculously reliable reviews on roofers, ..."  Productive products are named alliteratively, such as Fujitsu's ScanSnap S1500 scanner for documents (what I need for my proposed paperless office.)  In the Fast Company 3/2011 issue on "The World's 50 Most Innovative Companies", SynCardia places 20th "for giving artificial heart recipients room to roam".  Brett Beach and McCollum's Madecasse is 50th "for building a bean-to-bar chocolate company ..." (making my favorite fast food!)

For family fun sometime, have the children exercise their thinking with alliteration.  By not resisting research, they could learn engaging English or some splendid Spanish -- a paradisiacal, parental paradox.

Zig's "Lost Child"

Since 1978, Zig Ziglar has been one of my favorite writers/speakers.  That happens to be the year he wrote the book, Confessions of a Happy Christian. In my paper recycling process I found an old photocopy of a page with this subtitle, "A CHILD IS LOST".  It reminded me of a documentary I recently saw about the history of the national AMBER Alert; (nine-year-old Amber Hagerman was abducted in 1996.)

"My friend A. C. Carlson, from Minneapolis, sends this thought: When we hear the words 'a child is lost,' a chill falls over many loving, caring people. Hundreds of people who do not know the child will throw themselves into the search for that lost one. Many of them forget all other responsibilities and search for hours, sometimes throughout the night. They look in the wilderness, on mountaintops, in waterways, and any other place where they feel the child might be. Yes, the words[phrase] 'a child is lost' sends chills through many compassionate people. Yet, as A. C. points out, we're living in a world where there are millions of lost people, some of them next door. These lost people surely rate as much love and concern as the lost child. Yet, somehow, because the urgency is not there, we have a great tendency to ignore the lost, especially if they are 'lost' next door."   -- Confessions of a Happy Christian ©1978 by Zig Ziglar.

Dickens re. Christ

In May, 1956, Mother gave me a classic little book, The Life of Our Lord,
"written for his [eight young] children during the years 1846 to 1849 by Charles Dickens", never to be published. "He set it down in his own hand, for their eyes -- and their eyes alone -- ... at about the time he was completing 'David Copperfield.' " Hours before his death, Dickens wrote a letter ending with this statement: "I have always striven in my writings to express 'veneration for the life and lessons of Our Saviour, because I feel it; and because I rewrote that history for my children -- every one of whom knew it ..."

"For eighty-five years the resulting manuscript was sacredly guarded as a precious family secret."  Just before Christmas of 1933, Dickens' youngest and last living child died.  Sir Henry wrote in his will: "I ... bequeath to my wife the original manuscript ... on the following trusts: 'Being his son, I have felt constrained to act upon my father's expressed desire that it should not be published, ... but if they [my wife and children] decide by a majority that it should be published, ...'  [They] 'assumed the right to permit its publication, and 'The Life of Our Lord' by Charles Dickens is thus given to the world.

THE PUBLISHERS."

-- foreword (pages 3 - 8); "copyright, 1934, by Simon and Schuster"

As a personal letter, Dickens started the book with "MY DEAR CHILDREN,

I am very anxious that you should know something about the History of Jesus Christ. For everybody ought to know about Him. No one ever lived who was so good, so kind, so gentle, and so sorry for all people who did wrong, or were in any way ill or miserable, as He was. And as He is now in Heaven, where we hope to go, and all to meet each other ..."

This is one of my favorite examples of Dickens' style of writing in his "letter" to the children:

On the Sabbath, "... when Our Saviour went into one of their [the Pharisees'] churches -- they were called synagogues -- and looked compassionately on a poor man who had his hand all withered and wasted away, these Pharisees said, 'Is it right to cure people on a Sunday?'  Our Saviour answered them by saying, 'If any of you had a sheep and it fell into a pit, would you not take it out, even though it happened on a Sunday? And how much better is a man than a sheep!'  Then He said to the poor man, 'Stretch out thine hand!'  And it was cured immediately, and was smooth and useful like the other.  So Jesus Christ told them, 'You may always do good, no matter what the day is.' " (page 38)

George W. in '60 WB

When a beloved, priceless ($0 on eBay) family heirloom, our 1960 World Book encyclopedia set, finally went to recycling (ground up, I guess) at the DI about a year ago, I was able to save three of my favorite volumes, including the "W-X-Y-Z".  For George Washington's birthday lunch break today, I loved opening the book and seeing the pictures --like visiting an old friend.  It brought back memories of my school days, when it was my main source of information for essays and research papers I typed on my big black 1930's-vintage Underwood.

"George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, on an estate in Westmoreland County on the banks of Popes Creek, about 30 miles southeast of Fredericksburg, Va. The plantation later became known as Wakefield. Washington's birthday is now determined by the Gregorian or 'New Style' calendar. ... His parents were Augustine Washington and Mary Ball Washington. ... George was the first child of Augustine's second marriage. Three other sons and two daughters soon followed. ... Young George had little schooling in classrooms. ... George was eleven years old when his father died. ... He had two tutors, or private teachers [who] taught young George the arts of war. ..."

"The people of the United States and many other lands call George Washington the 'Father of His Country.' He looked after his country the way a good father would look after his son. ..."

-- The World Book Encyclopedia, copyright 1960, U.S.A., by Field Enterprises Educational Corporation

It's interesting to compare the 1960 version with today's ubiquitous resource.

"George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799) was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. ..."   -- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington

I also recall attending the 1964 National Scout Jamboree in Valley Forge, PA.

" 'Strengthen America's Heritage' was the theme for this Jamboree."

-- stadriemblems.com/scouting/blog/?p=42

The jamboree custom patch for that year (pictured on the Stadri blog) featured the famous Commander in Chief kneeling in prayer.

God bless America!

Green Light

I want to get a light thing off my chest, if you get my drift -- something that gets on my nerves.  ("If you get something off your chest, you confess to something that has been troubling you.  ...  If you get someone's drift, you understand what they are trying to say.  ...  If something gets on your nerves, it annoys or irritates you."   -- usingenglish.com/reference/idioms

"The incandescent light bulb, incandescent lamp ... makes light by heating a metal filament wire to a high temperature until it glows. ..."

[I couldn't find an initialism for incandescent lamp, so I made it up: IL.]

"... 22 inventors of [IL's] prior to Joseph Swan and Thomas Edison. ...

Edison began serious research into developing a practical [IL] in 1878. ... [One historian] has attributed Edison's success to the fact that he developed an entire, integrated system of electric lighting. ... [IL's] are gradually being replaced in many applications by other types of electric lights, such as fluorescent lamps, compact fluorescent lamps [CFL], ... and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). ... In the United States, federal law has scheduled [IL's] to be phased out by 2014, to be replaced with more energy-efficient light bulbs."

-- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incandescent_light_bulb

My ready-to-be-recycled GE CFL box states: "They are perfect for hard-to-reach areas or where lights stay on for long periods." (Right you are, GE!

I've heard different times advised, from 20 minutes to one hour.)  Yet some folks want to force us to use CFL's in easy-to-reach areas where lights stay on for only 5 seconds or 2 minutes (like a walk-in pantry, for example).  Maybe they don't know (as GE obviously does) that it takes a while (I like instant light) and an extra burst of energy to start up those babies.  Some people see the amazing equation 13w=60w and hit the campaign trail, maybe because it supports their bigger agenda.  I have been replacing many two-bit IL's with expensive CFL's so I can feel OK about leaving some lights on for hours, and I make fewer trips up ladders to replace some others.  By the way, my rechargeable LED flashlight works great for 5-second visits to the garage, where the developer failed to add a window for natural light.

It looks like the IL industry will soon be very sick, if not dead, because of decreasing demand and lost economies of scale -- unless government regulation kills it first.  I'm for freedom of choice, and I love to have options (I'm thinkin' cruise buffet!)  On Friday 4/22 I will share positive thoughts about the apparent obsession with "green" technology and lifestyle, and our personal participation (since the 1980's) in that global pursuit of long-term happiness.  May you be blessed with options, and a "green light" to move forward with your own wise choices.