VOCAB wars

[Aurielius]

I also am a winter person who skis until Hypothermia ( a condition in which core temperature drops below the required temperature for normal metabolism) sets in my extremities. Some folks are Catholic, some are Protestant, others Jewish...in my family our religion was skiing. IMO it's the next best thing to flying /soaring.

[Tidus44]

Totally off the current line of thought, but at the University today working on curriculum and dropped in to watch the new recruits go through the physical fitness testing as part of the hiring process. One of the kinesiology students who was helping score was having a bit of an argument with a recruit about how well he performed a certain task. She told him he could go practice skoptsy before she would change his score. Had to ask what skoptsy is ---- the act of self castration. Seems she is from Russia.

 

Also realized my skiing and boarding days are pretty much done - maybe cross country if I take it easy. However, I am having second thoughts about a trip south. At 5am and as I'm walking the dogs it's -5C and raining lightly - at 5pm as I left work it's -25C with a 70kph wind making it feel like -35C and its snowing. I really do have to ask myself why I still live here.

[Aurielius]

Ouch...well if I had Russian travel plans they are now cancelled. We have a ex Russian cleaning lady...I guess I'll watch my step now..fortunately she is deathly afraid of my 'killer' Irish Setters...so I'll rely on Heather and Meadow for protection. BTW I also have never heard that term either.

It only took me four years to decide that the Great White North had only two seasons Winter and a couple of months of the rest... so I am empathic to your dilemma. Just to stay mildly on track..Emasculation...which oddly enough was part of being Hung, Drawn and Quartered..as if that mattered once you were dismembered. :sweat:

[Tidus44]

winter solstice: when the sun reaches its southernmost point.

 

Makes it the shortest day, but worse, the longest night, of the year for us in the northern hemisphere and it kicks off today. The only reason this is on my mind is it is one of the more talked about days at work and a popular one to work if assigned to respond to emergency medical calls. You see, there is a wiccan group (coven?) here and today at about 8 pm they have some ritual associated with the winter solstice that involves being naked. Since it is -31C here and not going to get much warmer, an EMS crew will likely get called to "stand by" near where the ceremony will take place in case someone involved gets a bit cold. One assumes it is the benefit of watching some 20-25 and mostly young ladies dance naked in the snow rather than curiosity in the ritual that makes this a popular outing for a crew. Go figure, eh?

[Aurielius]

winter solstice: when the sun reaches its southernmost point.

 

Makes it the shortest day, but worse, the longest night, of the year for us in the northern hemisphere and it kicks off today. The only reason this is on my mind is it is one of the more talked about days at work and a popular one to work if assigned to respond to emergency medical calls. You see, there is a wiccan group (coven?) here and today at about 8 pm they have some ritual associated with the winter solstice that involves being naked. Since it is -31C here and not going to get much warmer, an EMS crew will likely get called to "stand by" near where the ceremony will take place in case someone involved gets a bit cold. One assumes it is the benefit of watching some 20-25 and mostly young ladies dance naked in the snow rather than curiosity in the ritual that makes this a popular outing for a crew. Go figure, eh?

That gives new meaning to "As cold as a witch's tit".... :tongue: It's 17C here..totally incongruous- inconsistent with something.... IE: normal winter weather. tomorrow it's supposed to be 22C... :sweat:

[Tidus44]

aestival: of or belonging to the summer.

 

Considering it was -55C here this morning with the temperature and windchill (a balmy -38C right now), I am thinking of how soon will it be summer again or at least slightly more seasonable as far as the weather goes. Bonus, its 2:30 pm and no fire calls as yet. 3-1/2 hours to go and do I have my fingers crossed.

[Aurielius]

aestival: of or belonging to the summer.

 

Considering it was -55C here this morning with the temperature and windchill (a balmy -38C right now), I am thinking of how soon will it be summer again or at least slightly more seasonable as far as the weather goes. Bonus, its 2:30 pm and no fire calls as yet. 3-1/2 hours to go and do I have my fingers crossed.

Oh well..I'll throw in Saturnalia...mid winter solstice celebration. Merry Christmas my friend. :D

[Tidus44]

The only other celebration I can think of at this time of year is kwanzaa - so all I'll say is Merry Christmas to you and your family and wish you the best in the New Year.

[Aurielius]

Truthspeak- an Orwellian term for repetition of a lie so that it perceived eventually as the truth. A perfect example now being practiced by Shinzo Abe the PM of Japan who contests the allied view of Imperial Japan's war crimes. I always thought that it was a mistake not to have forced the post war civilian population to have been physically confronted with their atrocities as we did with the Germans.

[Tidus44]

Synecdoche; a figure of speech by which a less inclusive term is used for a more inclusive term or vice versa. Ie: using "punch out" for quit work or "the good book" for the Bible.