The Anti-Zen Dictionary: v

Showing posts with label v. Show all posts

Showing posts with label v. Show all posts

Friday, April 9, 2010

Eisenia fetida or Amicabiliter vermis

Image licensed under Creative Commons by Sparrows' friend

Eisenia fetida or Amicabiliter vermis: Literally smelly (fetid) composter (worm) or social worm (from the Latin - the second name is suggested only). Species of worm capable of social behavior and group decisions. Atypical of assumed worm behavior demonstrated by this little animal.

FOM: Earthworms form herds and make group decisions - BBC NEWS

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Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Bobbycam

Image licensed under Creative Commons by Metropolitan Police

Bobbycam: The portmanteau of Bobby and camera. Suggested nickname for the new cameras mounted on police helmets &/or heads.

Bit.ly: http://bit.ly/6zYNVo

FOM: Police mount cameras on officers' heads and Taser AXON Head Camera

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Sunday, December 20, 2009

Virtual Fidelity or Cyberfidelity

Image licensed under Creative Commons by myvirtuallady

Cyberfidelity or Virtual Fidelity: A rather strange - and possibly disturbing - case from Japan. Man marries his cybergirlfriend... To be faithful to one's cyberfriend to the extent of entering into the marriage contract with that one.

We wonder...since one is basically marrying a code or 'thread' - could it also be called "Codelity" or "Threadelity". The penultimate in mixed marriages? Pendelity?

Bit.ly: http://bit.ly/5EX5ur

FOM: Wedding in Cyberspace (MSNBC), Hologrope and Hologroper

Revised/Updated: Sunday, December 20, 2009

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Monday, December 14, 2009

Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome

Image licensed under Creative Commons by Iofaesofa

Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome: From potentially-sublime (racist?) humor to the nauseating. Turns out that the great Charles Darwin suffered from this malady. The acronym of which is the same as a large-chain-retail pharmacy, hmmmm....

Bit.ly: http://bit.ly/8WJ8I6

FOM: Darwin had inherited illness: professor and Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome

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Friday, December 11, 2009

ViReKon project

Image licensed under Creative Commons by groovelock

ViReKon project: Virtual reality project to train milling and drilling in reality. From Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation IFF. Should be a part of all future shop and machine building and training?

Bit.ly: http://bit.ly/53gHS9

FOM: Milling and Drilling in Cyberspace

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Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Vein of Galen (Malformation)

Image of n-butyl cyanoacrylate is public domain, Edgar181

Vein of Galen: A horrifyingly lethal syndrome in babies that we had not heard of until this doctor's wonderful work of life-saving treatment with an adhesive compound.

Bit.ly: http://bit.ly/76cGBt

FOM: Glue injections help sick babies

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Monday, November 30, 2009

Vief

Image licensed under Creative Commons by cindy47452

Vief: The unfortunate portmanteau of virtual and thief. One who steals virtual or digital objects and/or assets.

Bit.ly: http://bit.ly/74ny3p

FOM: Game firm pursues virtual thieves

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Saturday, November 28, 2009

Sphrynivision

Image licensed under Creative Commons by Rob Stemple

Sphrynivision: To be able to see in stereo and a 360° angle, like a hammerhead shark.

Bit.ly: http://bit.ly/92dJzd

FOM: Wide Heads Give Hammerhead Sharks Exceptional Stereo View

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VY Canis Majoris

Image is public domain created by NASA and ESA and R. Humphries (University of Minnesota).

VY Canis Majoris: Is the largest star currently known to science. We're not experts, but we expect it will soon go supernova.

Bit.ly: http://bit.ly/83EYYN

FOM: Colossal star seen by Herschel telescope and HubbleSite - NewsCenter - Astronomers Map a Hypergiant Star's Massive Outbursts

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Friday, November 27, 2009

Flibanserin

Image licensed under Creative Commons by ThisParticularGreg

Flibanserin: Not a new term, but one that belongs in the dictionary, perhaps. New anti-depressant reputed to have positive effects on the female libido. Joy to the ladies! Sorry, we have no direct experiences to report! SAFETY and efficacy are still being evaluated (Wikipedia). No guarantees

.

Bit.ly: http://bit.ly/5KZxke

FOM: Viagra for Women? Drug Developed as Antidepressant Effective in Treating Low Libido and Cuil search results

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Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Vomit Doll

Vomit Doll: A doll that regurgitates - or vomits. Idea credit to Lizz Winstead - co-creator of The Daily Show. Nothing turned up in our USPTO SEARCH = http://bit.ly/8ocu35.

Bit.ly link this post: http://bit.ly/7HO95y

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Sunday, November 22, 2009

Crux Vaticana

Crux Vaticana: Meaning the "Vatican Cross". Came to our attention today as this ancient reliquary was recently restored. Reputed to contain pieces of the true cross.

Bit.ly: http://bit.ly/6VCn0y

FOM: Crux Vaticana (Yahoo! Photo Link…), Link to Image on flickr , Vatican's 'most important' cross gets new look and Crux Vaticana (Wikipedia Page link).

Revised/Updated: Monday, November 23, 2009. Tuesday, November 24, 2009.

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Monday, November 9, 2009

SODDI Virus or Heinous Virus or Framer

SODDI Virus / Heinous Virus / Framer: Suggested names (1st is acronym for "Some Other Dude Did It") for a particularly despicable virus that downloads or assists in the incorporation of pedophile websites or other illegal websites without knowledge of the owner.

Bit.ly: http://bit.ly/GljEx

FOM: Framed for child porn — by a PC virus

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Vitaly Ginzburg

Vitaly Ginzburg: Name of the now-deceased Russian H-Bomb scientist and famous atheist.

Bit.ly: http://bit.ly/1KdqXv

FOM: Soviet H-bomb scientist Ginzburg dies (Reuters) and Vitaly Ginzburg (Wikipedia page link).

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Monday, October 19, 2009

Vafricuum or Africuum

Map of Africa image licensed under Creative Commons by The Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the BPL's photostream

Vafricuum / Africuum: The conceptual collision of leadership vacuum and Africa. These folks could not find one leader worthy of this special prize...on an entire continent... Sigh, this must be a case where the glass is half empty. Hugo, pack your bags! Hugo: I'm going, I'm going!

Bit.ly: http://bit.ly/46WGg6

FOM: African leadership prize withheld and Mo Ibrahim Foundation website.

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Fraudistan

Image licensed under Creative Commons by Cameron Nordholm

Fraudistan: The most unfortunate (and somewhat obvious) portmanteau of vote fraud and Afghanistan. Regarding the much reported vote rigged presidential election results in Afghanistan. Hugo: Oh, and by the way, US OUT OF AFGHANISTAN.

Bit.ly: http://bit.ly/1zKQFB

FOM: Fraud probe paves way to Afghan runoff, Karzai 'stripped of outright win', Afghan poll picture darkens with run-off looming, Afghan election goes to run-off ,
Afghan panel orders presidential runoff and Hamid Karzai.

Updated / Revised: Tuesday, October 20, 2009

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Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Vaccaine or Cocaine Vaccine

Image licensed under Creative Commons by BlatantNews.com

Vaccaine / Cocaine Vaccine: The unfortunate portmanteau of vaccine and cocaine. Not yet a common term, but too important to be ignored. Vaccine under development to assist in the rehabilitation of the addicted. The end of drug addiction?

Bit.ly: http://bit.ly/14qdCY

FOM: Vaccine for cocaine habit? May be coming soon and Cocaine Vaccine Is the Real Thing.

Revised/Updated: Wednesday, October 7, 2009

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Friday, October 2, 2009

Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport

Bugatti Veyron image licensed under Creative Commons by The Pug Father

Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport: Probably the most rarefied, rarest and most desirable of production cars in the world - even if you could afford the price tag. The "Mona Lisa " of automobiles.

Bit.ly: http://bit.ly/1Zzb0R

FOM: $2 million Bugatti Veyron is tech-heavy, Bugatti Veyron Wiki page and Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport.

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Sunday, September 27, 2009

Vitreography

Image licensed under Creative Commons by Umair Moshin

Vitreography: The portmanteau of glass (from the Latin...) and 3D Lithography. The rather exciting development of "printing glass objects in 3D".

Bit.ly: http://bit.ly/EOsBS

FOM: Lab Demonstrates 3-D Printing In Glass and Glass.

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Sunday, September 20, 2009

Citrulline

Citrulline: Not a new word by any means. But, of interest if you're consuming Viagra, or some 'potency drug'...

Bit.ly: http://bit.ly/HhFLy

References: Watermelon 'has same effect as Viagra', Citrulline and Citrullus lanatus.

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Lives of the Lexicographers

Samuel Johnson: (Updated: Monday, May 18, 2009). Recently checked out of our local library: Samuel Johnson - The Struggle by Jeffrey Meyers. The prolific Mr. Meyers outdoes himself right in the introduction and zaps us with a very intimate glimpse into the sex life of the great Samuel Johnson. Some very florid comments and great pathos by Samuel Johnson are reported almost right at the start. Well, he's still our hero. We're still wading through this 500+ page tome - but it is keeping our interest. Not for the 18 and under crowd - the language is a little too graphic and a little too suggestive, at times. But, we think it is worth the cover price ($ 35.00) of purchase if you are into Johnson or great biographies. However, we do suggest checking it out at your library or purchasing a second-hand copy. Caveat emptor - we offer no guarantees - it may not be worth your purposes! Of course, if you're into Johnson, biographies, literature, intellectualism or even pseudo-intellectualism (like us! - actually our senior editor has an IQ of 131, but we digress...) you don't need the hyperlinks. Our apologies. Also, we have not read Boswell's Life of Johnson! If you care to donate us a copy, please do and we'll review it here and credit your donation if you wish.

More: Sam began his academic career at Oxford. Unfortunately - in that time period - Oxford had an abysmal reputation for teaching. Even the great Edward Gibbon (possibly the greatest author of his day) left this institution after one year. Most students used tutors, but even these were inadequate at times.

Located: Boswell's Life of Johnson (Osgood edition) at Project Gutenberg (link here).

Religious/Mystical Inclinations: Was heavily influenced by the work A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, ( http://www.logos.com/ebooks/details/serious)
by William Law. (Sorry, no Guttenberg Project edition could be found here...).

Physical/Medical Indications: Due to his wild gesticulations and mannerisms, Sam may have suffered from Tourette Syndrome. Even so, though this repulsed most other folk, it seemed to make the author/playwright Frances Burney adore him all the more.
For an image of a bust of Sam Johnson, link here. For image of a statue of Sam, link here.
Johnson was well known for his physical prowess (for example, his horsemanship) and his physical power. Not one to take insults or sarcasms lightly, Johnson was reputed to have knocked over his adversaries or even to have delivered severe beatings upon them (if he felt they were deserving of it...)

Other women: Hester Thrale. He did have an extraordinary 18 year relationship with a married woman.

Quotable Johnson: "Dictionaries are like watches, the worst is better than none, and the best cannot be expected to go quite true". #35. From the Little Oxford Dictionary of Quotations.

Rating of this biography: Excellent. We believe the book deserves this rating (or any biography that causes this sensation) because we felt as though we had lived with the man himself.

Next biography: Ambrose Bierce, author of "The Devil's Dictionary".