Benjamin Goods

Pulse of Cognition

Goods — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:44:18 +0000

I AM THE MIDDLE FINGER
on the pulse of cognition
except I don’t think
and I rarely feel.
For now I just release
what it is I once felt
as if it is a glimpse
into important thoughts.
Most men quickly realize
that introspection most often
halts success these days
for the next man is always
willing to disregard emotion.

Word of the Week – 1.25.10

Goods — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:00:08 +0000

parvenu

\PAR-vuh-noo; -nyoo\ , noun;

One that has recently or suddenly risen to a higher social or economic class but has not gained social acceptance of others in that class; an upstart.

adjective:

Being a parvenu; also, like or having the characteristics of a parvenu.

Quotes:

However, the Creoles, French, Spanish, and Acadians who preceded the American parvenus were deeply entrenched and incredibly snobbish and clannish in relation to outsiders.

– Laurence Bergreen, Louis Armstrong: An Extravagant Life

Origin:

Parvenu is from the French, from the past participle of parvenir, from Latin pervenire, “to come through to, to arrive at, to reach, hence to succeed,” from per, “through” + venire, “to come.”

The Lonely Island – Like A Boss

Benjamin Goods — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:00:05 +0000

Word of the Week – 1.18.10

Benjamin Goods — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:00:52 +0000

chimera

\ky-MIR-uh\ , noun;

(Capitalized) A fire-breathing she-monster represented as having a lion’s head, a goat’s body, and a serpent’s tail.

Any imaginary monster made up of grotesquely incongruous parts.

An illusion or mental fabrication; a grotesque product of the imagination.

An individual, organ, or part consisting of tissues of diverse genetic constitution, produced as a result of organ transplant, grafting, or genetic engineering.

Quotes:

Asa Whitney, with no previous experience and having nothing but his faith and self-assurance to tell him he was not pursuing a chimera, began to outline how he would get a railroad across the vast, uninhabited middle of the American continent to the Pacific shores, where the lure of Asia beckoned, within reach.

– David Haward Bain, Empire Express

Origin:

Chimera comes from Latin chimaera, from Greek chimaira “she-goat, chimera.”

Contesting Speeding Tickets

Benjamin Goods — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:00:40 +0000

Dear Uncle Sam,

I am writing to contest the speeding violation that I received on July 23rd, 2007. I assure you that I was not speeding at this time. Furthermore, I was driving within the flow of traffic. I have not received a speeding violation for years as I learned my lesson long ago. I take driver safety very seriously. I ALWAYS make every effort to be a model driver and I ALWAYS drive very defensively.

When I asked the officer if the radar had detected this speed that I was being ticketed for he replied, “I did not actually see you, I just received the information.”

This was very reassuring to me, as I knew that there must of been a mistake made. He went on to tell me that there could have been a mistake made, but that I would need to take it up with the court at this point. So, now I find myself writing to you. I hope that this infraction can be removed from my record as I ASSURE you that my ticketing was an honest mistake somewhere along the line. I take my driving record very seriously and I do not drive carelessly enough to be actually going 80mph or anywhere near that speed. I would NOT jeopardize this.

Thank you kindly for your time, understanding and consideration. Please take my explanation with sincerity for that is precisely what it is, sincere.

Yours in debt,

Benjamin Goods

Mariah Carey Speaks With Eloquence

Benjamin Goods — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:00:13 +0000

Word of the Week – 1.11.10

Benjamin Goods — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 15:00:23 +0000

caterwaul

\KAT-uhr-wawl\ , intransitive verb;
1.
To make a harsh cry.
2.
To have a noisy argument.
2.
To have a noisy argument.
noun: 1.
A shrill, discordant sound.

Quotes:

John met Angela head-to-head and there was a lot of bellowing and caterwauling.
– Matthew Parris, “Prescott grapples with his feminine side”, Times (London), December 14, 2000
In the early days, when people were still shocked by the novelty of cursing, screaming, caterwauling emotional incontinents attacking each other on stage, he [Jerry Springer] used to produce high-falutin’ justifications for the show.
– Paul Hoggart, “Paul Hoggart’s television choice”, Times (London), December 9, 2000

Origin:
Caterwaul is from Middle English caterwawen, “to cry as a cat,” either from Medieval Dutch kater, “tomcat” + Dutch wauwelen, “to tattle,” or for catawail, from cat-wail, “to wail like a cat.”

Cold Blood

Benjamin Goods — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 15:00:50 +0000

The aroma is distinctly in the air
Of men who live without much care
And hold their beliefs undeclared
For no reason other than despair
Which remains unmentioned
Fueling the henchman
To pull the lynchpin
Without even flinchin’

Schiphol Scribe

Benjamin Goods — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 12:00:04 +0000

I just stumbled upon this little scribe from July, 2007. I was enduring a layover at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam on my way to Copenhagen…

Lifted with a style
Eyes fixated wild
On the boy and his passport
Blue and gold
With a soul unsold
Until we unfold
His whole life story
Minus the glory
A bag of wet laundry
Looked upon fondly
Drinking a double espresso
To help him let go
Then pour it on the page
To escape the cage…

See it through my eyes
Those glazed over
On a Dutch lay over
Far from sober
My veins want relief
Or a Copenhagen retreat
Soon enough I’ll be home
Far from the high heels
Where organic banana peels
Redwoods and agricultural fields
Are the dreams for those born
Into the life and then torn
By the dreamy temptations…

Word of the Week – 1.04.10

Benjamin Goods — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:00:14 +0000

cudgel \KUH-juhl\ , noun;

1.
A short heavy stick used as a weapon; a club.

transitive verb: 1.
To beat with or as if with a cudgel.

Quotes:

The Grand Vizier Kuprili of Constantinople, for example, . . . closed the city’s coffeehouses. Anyone caught drinking coffee was soundly cudgeled.
– Mark Pendergrast, Uncommon Grounds

Origin:
Cudgel derives from Old English cycgel.