Scarlett Pages

Dogs vs. Cats

One of the blogs I read religiously is White Trash Mom. OK, I’m not a mom, but these ladies are so funny. Recently, the Queen of White Trash posted the diary of a dog vs. the diary of a cat. It’s hilarious. And so true.

I’ve also been watching "Dirt," with Courtney Cox, which they are showing on one of the channels here. I’ve gotten quite into it, mostly because I like the Don Konkey character played by Ian Hart. In a recent (for me) episode former child star Sammy Winter takes the tabloid hostage. Sammy is played by Vincent Gallo, who is so creepy and greasy to begin with, I don’t think they even had to “style” him for the character. At one point he notices Don taking pictures of his little white kitten, Tristan, and the following exchange ensues.

Don: I like cats. Cats are quiet and loving and they know when to give you your space.

Sammy: I say it’s dogs all the way.

Don: (while taking pictures of Sammy) That’s because you’re a narcissist. You can’t live without excessive admiration, adulation, attention and affirmation; dogs’ll give you that. Their love is like a mirror of how you’d like to perceive yourself as seen by others.

Strangely insightful. Another favorite line from a different episode is when a former editor and lover of Lucy’s says “you said you had feelings for me” and she responds “I didn’t say which feelings.” Freakin’ brilliant.

But back to cats and dogs, it’s like the saying goes: Dogs have masters; cats have staff.

Bit o' Published Writing

So in addition to it occurring to me lately that I am a sucky, sucky blogger who doesn't post enough, it also occurred to me that I never posted the link to a piece Van and I wrote about some new laws in Romania that seem designed to persecute the peasants.

You can read it here. Most of the points are Van's, though I agree with them, he's just been here longer and has a better developed point of view about these things, but the writing is mine. VIVID is a magazine targeted at the expat/foreigner community in Romania. We could probably write for them a lot more, if we had time.

Anyway, just thought I would share this, even if it is after the fact. Would love to hear your thoughts and comments.

Review: The Guy Not Taken by Jennifer Weiner

In this collection of short stories, Jennifer Weiner introduces a variety of new characters alongside a few older ones that readers will recognize from her books. Most notably, Bruce, Cannie, and Nifkin from Good in Bed make an appearance. Old or new, the characters struggle with the issues of family and relationships that are the hallmark of Weiner's fiction.

While I tired of the repetition of themes as I moved from story to story--the smart, functional, organized older sister (always larger of thigh); the beautiful, thin, blond, screw-up younger sister; the absent parent; the remote and/or ineffectual remaining parent; the girl so desperate for love that she ignores the warning signs--I nonetheless kept reading because regardless, Weiner is a good writer and her stories are enjoyable. What can I say? I like Jennifer Weiner; I can't help it.

In addition, reading the notes on the stories at the end of the book shed some light. Some of these stories were written as long ago as 1989, when Weiner was a student at Princeton University. Many served as foundations of characters in her later books. Knowing this places the thematic question in a different context and thus, it is interesting to see the similarities and differences among the characters and plots.

If I had one wish for this book, it would be a preface that gives the reader a clue about the provenance of these stories. While I imagine Ms. Weiner, like any author, wishes these stories to stand on their own, for this reader, knowing more about the background would have made my reading of The Guy Not Taken a richer and less-frustrating-at-times experience.

Scarlett's More or Less Word-A-Day

I like to think I have a pretty good vocabulary, but I'm woman enough to admit that I still come across a words when I'm reading that I don't know or have hazy ideas about the definitions. I've started writing them down in a conscious effort to expand my vocabulary.

30 June 2006

prosody: n. 1: the science or art of versification, including the study of metrical structure, stanza forms, etc.; 2: a particular system or style of versification and metrical structure [Dryden's prosody]

29 June 2006

assonance: n. 1: likeness of sound, as in a series of words or syllables; 2: Prosody repetition of a vowel sound in stressed syllables in which the consonant sounds are unlike (Ex.: late, make); adj. assonant

28 June 2006

epicanthus: n. a small normal fold of skin from the upper eyelid sometimes covering the inner corner of the eye, as in many Asian peoples: also occurs with certain abnormal conditions, as Down Syndrome; adj. epicanthic

27 June 2006

contumely: n. 1: haughty and contemptuous rudeness; insulting and humiliating treatment or language; 2: an instance of this; scornful insult

24 June 2006

friable: adj. easily crumbled or pulverized (~ soil); synonym: FRAGILE

21 June 2006

loam: n. 1 a: a mixture (as for plastering) composed chiefly of moistened clay; b: a coarse molding sand used in founding; 2: SOIL; specifically: a soil consisting of a friable mixture of varying proportions of clay, silt, and sand; adj. loamy

20 June 2006

hypnoid or hypnoidal: of or relating to sleep or hypnosis

19 June 2006

mendicant: adj. 1: asking for alms; begging; 2: of or characteristic of a beggar; 3: designating or of any of various religious orders whose members orginially held no personal or community property, living mostly on alms; n. 1: a beggar; person who begs for alms; 2: a mendicant friar

17 June 2006

mendacious: not truthful; lying or false

16 June 2006

somatic: 1: of the body, as distinguishedfrom the soul, mind, or psyche; corporeal; physical; 2: Biology: of the soma; 3: Anatomy, Zoology: of the outer walls of the body, as distinguished from the viscera; synonym: BODILY

15 June 2006

priapic: 1: PHALLIC; 2: overly concerned with virility or masculinity

14 June 2006

apotheosis: 1: the act of raising a person to the status of a god; deification; 2: the glorification of a person or thing; 3: a glorified ideal

13 June 2006

blandishment: 1: the act of blandishing; cajolery; 2: a flattering or ingratiating act or remark, etc. meant to persuade: usually used in plural

12 June 2006

coloratura: 1: elaborate embellishment in vocal music; broadly : music with ornate figuration; 2: a soprano with a light agile voice specializing in coloratura

11 June 2006

calcareous: 1 a: resembling calcite or calcium carbonate especially in hardness; b: consisting of or containing calcium carbonate; also: containing calcium; 2: growing on limestone or in soil impregnated with lime

10 June 2006

pugnacious: having a quarrelsome or combative nature : TRUCULENT

2 June 2006

lucubration: 1: the act of lucubrating; laborious work, study, or writing, especially that done late at night; 2: something produced by such study, etc.; especially a learned or carefully elaborated work; 3: [often plural] any literary composition: humourous usage suggesting pedantry

31 May 2006

thaumaturgy: the performance of miracles; specifically : MAGIC

30 May 2006

1. bruit: 1 a: NOISE, DIN; b: REPORT, RUMOR; 2: any of several generally abnormal sounds heard on auscultation
2. bruit: to noise abroad : REPORT

29 May 2006

auscultation: the act of listening to sounds arising within organs (as the lungs) as an aid to diagnosis and treatment

26 May 2006

perfidy: 1: the quality or state of being faithless or disloyal : TREACHERY; 2: an act or an instance of disloyalty

24 May 2006

insouciance: light-hearted unconcern : NONCHALANCE

23 May 2006

abnegate: 1: DENY, RENOUNCE [abnegated their God]; 2: SURRENDER, RELINQUISH [abnegated her powers]

18 May 2006

chitin: a horny polysaccharide that forms part of the hard outer integument especially of insects, arachnids, and crustaceans

9 May 2006

abstemious: marked by restraint esp. in the consumption of food or alcohol; also: reflecting such restraint (an ~ diet)

7 May 2006

prelapsarian: characteristic of or belonging to the time or state before the fall of mankind

6 May 2006

persiflage: frivolous bantering talk: light raillery

18 April 2006

vexillology:  the study of flags

16 April 2006

supererogatory: 1: observed or performed to an extent not enjoined or required; 2: exceeding what is needed: SUPERFLUOUS

14 April 2006

effulgence: radiant splendor: BRILLIANCE

12 April 2006

anomie: also anomy: social instability resulting from a breakdown of standards and values; also: personal unrest, alienation, and uncertainty that comes from a lack of purpose or ideals

11 April 2006

excelsior: fine curled wood shavings used especially for packing fragile items

10 April 2006

dilate: 1 archaic: to describe or set forth at length or in detail; 2: to enlarge or expand in bulk or extent: DISTEND, WIDEN

7 April 2006

albumen: 1: the white of an egg; 2: ALBUMIN

6 April 2006

diffident: 1: hesitant in acting or speaking through lack of self-confidence; 2: archaic: DISTRUSTFUL; 3: RESERVED, UNASSERTIVE

5 April 2006

perorate: 1: to deliver a long or grandiloquent oration; 2: to make a peroration

4 April 2006

crepitate: to make a crackling sound: CRACKLE

3 April 2006

lugubrious: 1: MOURNFUL; especially exaggeratedly or affectedly mournful (dark, dramatic and ~ brooding—V. S. Pritchett); 2: DISMAL (a ~ landscape)

30 March 2006

lethe: 1: capitalized: a river in Hades whose waters cause drinkers to forget their past; 2: OBLIVION, FORGETFULNESS

29 March 2006

hypnopompic: associated with the semiconsciousness preceding waking (~ illusions)

27 March 2006

lassitude: 1: a condition of weariness or debility : FATIGUE; 2: a condition of listlessness : LANGUOR

26 March 2006

etiolate: 1: to bleach and alter the natural development of (a green plant) by excluding sunlight; 2 a: to make pale; b: to deprive of natural vigor: make feeble

24 March 2006

peripatetic: noun 1. capitalized: a follower of Aristotle or adherent of Aristotelianism; 2: PEDESTRIAN, ITINERANT; 3: plural: movement or journeys hither and thither

23 March 2006

eleemosynary: of, relating to, or supported by charity

21 March 2006

houri: 1: one of the beautiful maidens that in Muslim belief live with the blessed in paradise; 2: a voluptuously beautiful young woman

19 March 2006

infelicitous: not appropriate in application or expression

17 March 2006

carapace: 1: a bony or chitinous case or shield covering the back or part of the back of an animal (as a turtle or crab); 2: a protective, decorative, or disguising shell (the ~ of reserve he built around himself --M. M. Mintz)

16 March 2006

torsion: 1: the twisting or wrenching of a body by the exertion of forces tending to turn one end or part about a longitudinal axis while the other is held fast or turned in the opposite direction; also: the state of being twisted; 2: the twisting of a bodily organ or part on its own axis; 3: the reactive torque that an elastic solid exerts by reason of being under torsion

14 March 2006

inexorable: not to be persuaded or moved by entreaty : RELENTLESS

13 March 2006

seraglio: 1 : HAREM; 2 : a palace of a sultan

12 March 2006

impecunious: having very little or no money usually habitually : PENNILESS

11 March 2006

prolix: 1 : unduly prolonged or drawn out : too long; 2 : marked by or using an excess of words

10 March 2006

indolent: 1 a : causing little or no pain; b : slow to develop or heal; 2 a : averse to activity, effort, or movement : habituallly lazy; b : conducing to or encouraging laziness; c : exhibiting indolence

9 March 2006

apostasy: 1 : renunciation of a religious faith; 2 : abandonment of a previous loyalty : DEFECTION

8 March 2006

palimpsest: 1 : writing material (as a parchment or tablet) used one or more times after earlier writing has been erased; 2 : something having diverse layers or aspects apparent beneath the surface

7 March 2006

tendentious: marked by a tendency in favor of a particular point of view : BIASED

6 March 2006

bête noire: a person or thing strongly detested or avoided : BUGBEAR

Spellin Reel Goode

Today I read about the 13-year-old girl from New Jersey who just won the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Her winning word? "Ursprache," meaning "parent language."

The second and third place winners, both 14 years old, missed the words "weltschmerz" and "icteritious," respectively.

I've never even come across these three words, let alone spelled them. It's not often you find yourself feeling less intelligent than a 13-year-old. There goes another little bit of the ol' self-esteem.

But what a useful word, weltschmerz:

1: mental depression or apathy caused by comparison of the actual state of the world with an ideal state; 2: a mood of sentimental sadness

In today's world, you'd think it would get used more often.

Icteritious isn't even in my dictionary. Icterus (jaundice) and icteric (of, relating to, or affected with said jaundice) are. Clearly some evil word genius has expanded on these for the sole purpose of stumping some poor 14-year-old kid.

Julie Powell Is My Hero!

I was watching the BBC on Sunday--one of the great things about living abroad is the BBC--and there was a program about blogs. And I found out that Julie Powell, who started a blog about her project to cook every recipe in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in one year, won the first Blooker Prize for books based on blogs or websites.

I had been thinking about starting my own blog for at least two years--since my friend Amy gave me a novel, Why Girls Are Weird, that had blogging at the heart of the story. Then I read Julie & Julia and I was encouraged to just take the plunge.

While I'm not much of a cook or a foodie, I could completely identify with Julie and her feelings about working in a dead end job, having to live in a crappy apartment because New York is so expensive, and having to deal with the subway and being trapped underground every day. And just the sense of grind, of senselessness, of not living a real life. I really respect her for taking a risk and doing something different. The fact that it turned out so well for her gives me hope that perhaps I can escape my own life of grind in the corporate world.

Julie, you have inspired me. Congratulations on your award!

[Technorati Tags: Weblogs, Cooking]

I Am Really Disappointed

The American Book Center called for book reviews for their newsletter. If they select yours to publish, you get a 15 euro gift certificate. Never one to pass up a gift certificate for books, I wrote the below about Tom Wolfe's I Am Charlotte Simmons, which I finally finished.

I Am Charlotte Simmons is the first Tom Wolfe novel I have read and while certainly well-written, I found it disappointing. After 500 overly-detailed pages (the novel is nearly 700) about the brilliant, naïve, and often self-righteous Charlotte’s experiences as a freshman at Dupont University, I was simply fatigued and considered not finishing the book.

A great deal of time is spent describing every detail of the lives and backgrounds of the three male characters in the story and much of this seemed simply unnecessary. Yet despite the pages devoted to understanding their psyches, I was unable to suspend my disbelief sufficiently to accept that an unsophisticated young girl from a mountain town would have the profound impact on a college basketball star, a fraternity hero, and a future Rhodes Scholar that Charlotte does.

However, the worst part is the monotonous repetition. It is as if Mr. Wolfe is unsure about his ability to get his message across and therefore, feels the need to reiterate the same ideas, details, and sentiments again and again. This does little in service of his story and ultimately renders Charlotte unlikable.

Unless you are looking for something to pass the time on a long transcontinental flight, I would not recommend this book.