I have an idea!

I finally figured out how to popularize my Blog! I'll link it to my Facebook and my enormous number of friends there (a paltry 16!) can all read it. And their friends. And their friends. And so on. Right.

Seriously, though, how can one of my daughters have 333 friends, the other 300 (my son and husband don't use facebook), and I have 16? It's a disgrace. My daughters keep me honest on facebook, though. I had the wrong birthdate (on purpose!), and they let me know in no uncertain terms. So I deleted it entirely. Then there was the relationship criteria. I had misread it and thought I was fine (I think I had "in a relationship"), and they again let me know that was not appropriate for a married woman. That one I had just messed up on, and I quickly changed it. However, for 2 daughters who act like they care not what I do, they sure watch my facebook page! And if I make a new friend there, they wonder about it. That's funny because I don't wonder an iota about their 300+ friends. I know they both have refused friendships with people, too! Oh to be that popular...

Not a much of a use, but...

My trusty Google Alerts (which I've found is only to Blogs; I wonder how to get a Google Alert to the Web or the news) found this citation. It's not worth much, I know, except that the word is used from time to time, even with the lower elements of our society.

Love of Language

There was a discussion on Wordcraft that got me thinking. Apparently some people think that those who are anal about the use of words, grammar, etc., don't care much for language. The thought is that the anals (I am purposely not using that divisive "prescriptivist" word) see language as a tool for communication with specific rules, but not as a beautiful, though dynamic and evolving, way of communicating.

I don't agree. Even the wrongheaded Strunk and White are language lovers, in my opinion. I firmly believe their take on the black and white rules is just ridiculous. However, they have studied the language and use of words, just as their more flexible counterparts have. While they have different views, they still love the beauty of language.

Similarly, just because someone is a linguist doesn't mean that he or she "loves" language any more than those of us who are in other fields. Surely the linguists know more about language than we do, but they don't necessarily like language more.

A page from Tsuwm...

Tsuwm's wonderful Worthless Word for the Day site had a interesting word the other day: mountweazel. Have you heard it? It is a bogus entry into a reference, for the purpose of being a copyright trap. Isn't that a great word? I can't say that I've ever found one, though. It is similar to what I've heard some college students do with papers: they insert red font with a profane word, or whatever, to see if the professor actually read the paper. I'd have been worried that the professor would read it...and then give me an F! [I never have been much of a risk-taker.]

BTW, thanks to those of you who commented on my Blog when I was feeling down about getting no comments. It's always good to read a comment or two!

What is success?

I've been watching an interesting program on the History channel about Albert Einstein, and it made me ask the question...what is success? Surely Einstein or Beethoven or Monet or Florence Nightingale or Abraham Lincoln or Winston Churchill or Franz Kafka were successes. But did they all know it? Did people realize it during their time? Who will be successful 50 years from now? Or 100 years from now?

I looked up the definition: "the favorable or prosperous termination of events or endeavors; the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like."

While other positive events or honors are linked to it, clearly wealth is seen as a big part of success. But is it? Many famous artists or authors or composers weren't identified in their time. The importance of a scientific theory or art often isn't realized at first. There surely are levels of success, but I believe the successes that change the world often aren't known when the person responsible is alive. Yes, Bill Gates is successful in his work with computers, but not as successful as those who envisioned how computers would be used.

Spam

I heard that some Blogs are getting lots of spam. That's one advantage to not having a lot of readers...no spam, but, alas, no comments either. I enjoy Blogging, I guess, but it would be a lot more fun with more readers. I envy those who seem to have the knack.