Name Calling

It was pointed out to me a while ago by either my mom or my sister (I don't remember which) that all the names that we tend to call men ("bastard" and "son of a bitch" being two examples) are all insults to their mothers and have nothing to say that reflects on the character of the man when one is trying to insult.

This seemed like a serious problem to me. I could think of all sorts of names to call females, but my vocabulary for insulting men came up short. I theorize that this is because of a shift in society - we view men less by their manly values and more as results of us females - but I would like to instill honor to the men of humankind by restoring unto them insulting terms that apply to their character and do not reflect on the female that brought them into the world. These words can also be used towards females. My point being that when we insult a person we ought to insult him, and not someone else. My list is as follows:

1. Dastard - a brilliant word, meaning "one who commits malicious acts" or "coward" that has been around since the 15th century. It is definitely underutilized in America today. Also, it rhymes with "bastard" and thus makes an easy replacement.
2. Deficient - a word that says it all! It doesn't matter what part of the man's character you are trying to insult, this word covers it!
3. Parasite - as too many of the men in our culture are, this word describes them accurrately without wasting too much breath on them, since they have had too much wasted on them already this reserves any left-over resources.
4. Fetid - meaning "having a heavy offensive smell" this can certainly work in a pinch when a good insult is needed.
5. Imbecile - always a good thing to call a man who has a weak brain!
6. Indecorous - has such synanyms like improper, unseemly, indecent, unbecoming. All of which point out the qualities the the insultable male is lacking that you wish he weren't lacking.
7. Latitudinarian - meaning "a person who is broad and liberal in his standards of religious belief and conduct" and it is also a fun mouthful to pronounce! Sound smart and insult well at the same time!
8. Recalcitrant - this would be an obstinante person who is stubbornly defiant
9. Obtuse - just another way to tell someone that he is stupid
10. Wastrel - basically a man who spends all his resources, foolishly, on himself

Other fun insults are as follows
toxogenic
miscreant
infidel
dungy
dyspeptic
gauche
ogival
truncated
petulant
daft
detestable
fissiparous
pestilent
twit

Et cetera. You can see that since my mind is no longer occupied by school that I put my considerable mental powers to such better uses! Enjoy, and may your insults always be scathing!

It's been a while

So it's been a while since I posted. I've been busy. Finals happened. Work happened. Friends happened. Events happened. Play, rest, sickness, laziness, happiness, sadness, guilt, depression, tiredness, basically your general feeling of run-down-ness happened. But it is almost done.

Christmas is almost here. Vacation is almost here. Rest is almost here. Does that mean that I'm almost ok?

I am discovering more and more that I really do get to chose what goes on in my life. If I don't do something, it doesn't happen. If I decide to do something, I do it. It's the most amazing chain of cause and effect.

So I am the master of me. I submit to those who I chose to. I do what I want, and what I can, when and how I do it. I affect me and my say in things matters. I am powerful.

This probably sounds childish to a lot of you, especially you first borns who have been disturbing the universe since you first popped out, but it's a fairly new thing for me.

Josh is going to Australia for 10 days. I feel like my keeper is gone. I get to do what I want to do. When it's Josh and I, then I get to do half of what I want to do. But with just Laurel, then it's just Laurel time. What does Laurel want to do? Well, I know what Laurel doesn't want to do. She doesn't want to be places where there are lots of people that she doesn't like that she has to be nice to. So she won't. Laurel wants to visit her friends. So she will. Laurel wants to see pretty things, so she will look for them. Laurel wants to spend time with her family. Laurel really really misses her family and is looking forward to seeing them again.

I know that I saw lots of them over the semester, but it was their tired selves. I want to see their real selves and share joy with them. I want to get healthy inside again. I want to get centered.

I really want to connect with God. I miss him. When I actually stop and think about it, all I really want to do is just sit all day and wait for God and read his word. I could be very happy in a desert somewhere, just me and God. All you people out there are fine and glorious, I like your little imago dei's . . . but I want the real thing. I want real love, real friendship, real rest, and what is really good for me - which can only be had with God.

I want to go and sit on the coast all day, not say a word or think a thought, but just watch the waves pound.

I want to stare in a puddle all day long and get to know the shapes of the rocks at the bottom of it so that I see them when my eyes are closed.

I want to smell clean air.

I want to fast and rid myself of all extra flesh that weighs me down so that I can dance with freedom and joy.

I feel like Eustace when he is scraping off his dragon self. I feel like if I could just dig deep enough and get enough of this false crap off of me, then I could be a real human again. Real, fresh, and clean - loved by God. That's what I want. That's what I'm going to do over Christmas break. I'm going to un-mass with Christ.

12-5-05 Today!!!

Yay! I have finally caught up on all the basic events that happened between November and now. I doubt that I will ever have time to post any deep thougts that I had during that time, but here are the basic happenings of my life.

Well, today I went to work and we had our ISF Pizza night, which is always so fun! I got to talk to Sarah for a while, and then Krista and I hung out while we ate. Here are Kumiko (my wonderful office assistant!), Ellen, and Lina chowing down together. Pizza night is always so fun because I get to hang out with fun people, eat good pizza, and get paid for it in the bargain! God bless ISF!

And, as always when finals week is fast approaching, I have plenty of notes to study. So stay healthy and blessed out there, and I will go attempt to pass my finals!

lots of love,

Rho

12-4-05

This was Bachan's Birthday Party! Yay! It is actually my brother Josh's birthday (Happy Birthday Josh!) but as we are celebrating his birthday this Friday, we celebrated Bachan's birthday instead. Here are Bachan and Auntie at the restaurant.






And no birthday celebration would be complete without Jichan and his camera!

12-3-05

AM: On 12-2-05 Josh and I drove down to Riverside to be delegates at the annual Diocese of Los Angele Episcopalian Convention. We voted and talked and schmoozed and stayed up far too late. We had breakfast the next morning at Farmer Boys (see picture) with our rector, Father David. It was really cool. I always look forward to going to the Convention because it means that I get to know Father David a little bit better. He is such a busy man, so it's good to catch him while we can. The Convention ended on 12-3-05 around 3:00pm. I stayed to have mass, and Josh slept in the car.


PM: 12-3-05 at 5:00 pm the ISF Christmas party "started" although we really didn't get rolling until 6:30. It was fun and I especially loved the white elephant gift exchange. (Always a favorite!) Here are Monica, Matt, Krista, Greta, and Karen playing with one of the gifts.

It was a good weekend but we were certainly tired at the end of it!

12-1-05

Ha! I am getting closer to the current day! Yes!

Last Thursday, after a final group presentation and a busy week, Josh and I went to the bi-annual Biola Employee Christmas Dinner. We were horrible late, but we still got food so that worked out well. It was held at the Hilton in Anahiem. Rob, Dee, Josh, and I all sat together and had a grand old time.

11-26-05

The Saturday after Thanksgiving we all drove up to Visalia, and then to Fresno, for the annual clan Christmas party.

This is my favorite swoopy part of the Grapevine.








Here are all of us married "kids" up in Fresno at the party.

It was fun and good to see everyone!

11-25-05

The day after Thanksgiving my family and Josh's family got together and went to the Huntington Library. Adam and Jessica (the pregnant) danced together. And we all walked around for a good long time.



While at the Huntington I noticed especially the faces that the subjects of carving and paintings carry. It's fascinating to see what characters carry with them and I wondered who I would be painted as carrying if I were painted.





















We spent a lovely day together and afterwards went to Twoees, where the food was good and the waitress forgot what we ordered. Here is Josh and at just before our food came. We look happy, but we are actually STARVING!