Tuesday, January 14

an utterance, an oath, an epithet

While watching an episode of Dexter with Spanish subtitles, i noticed that when he uttered "god damnit!" it was translated as 'maladicion' (and not in parentheses, meaning it was supposed to be conveyed as spoken words); this was obviously the spanish version of 'malediction', which, although being a word i am somewhat unfamiliar with, obviously means 'bad word'. So i suppose i am curious: do spanish-speakers run around crying out "maladicion!" when they step on a rusty nail? Likely not. So is this a case of poor translation? Or willfully vague translation? i have no one to turn to on this topic. And, funnily, this led me to wonder if there was an open facebook group for etymological inquiries (say what you will about it– one usually gets a pretty rapid response, at least in the right group). So i checked, and there was; however it appears to have morphed into a bevy of people who are simply posting spam links.

?!?!

sometimes this world confuses me heavily.

Needless to say, i could not post my query there. So i turn to you, humble anonymous internet ghost ship, for help. Clearly no one reads these words (beyond one or possibly two people who i actually know (hi, you!)), but i'm taking a shot in the dark. Also, i probably won't even care about this tomorrow. But am trying to be more consistent in cataloging things that catch my interest. Was keeping a small paper journal of them for a bit, but it got lost some time ago.

For now, the world spins quietly round. Sometimes i picture us as part of a slow, smooth, barely-whooshing orrery; strong, and solid, formidable and coldly massive in a breezy black airspace... other times i imagine a semi-dilapidated, wobbling underdog– overheated and chugging along on an oblong rotation, looking around nervously as other masses churn and whir nearby (but also not near) intimidatingly. How are we this concentrated collection of rock and water? Why are we neighbors with gas giants and dead stars? What the fuck does it all mean?

 and who are you?

Saturday, January 4

i got nothin'.

Mostly because i needed a chuckle today, and perhaps you do too:

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(pugs not drugs!)

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(actual save by Nastia Liukin)

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(heck yes double dutchin' it)

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(would that i possessed such foosball skills)