Apr 19

12 Baby Girl Names Inspired By Poetry

Posted in: Today's Chili

April is National Poetry Month. If you’re seeking a name for your daughter that’s lyrical and poetic, a good source might be those that have inspired the poets of the past. Some are idealized Greek or Latinate appellations used by the early English pastoral poets in verse, some are found in later works by the Romantic poets, some of them are completely creative inventions.

Here are a dozen examples for your baby naming inspiration.

Annabel

One of the most famous and romantic muse names of all is Edgar Allen Poe’s Annabel Lee ― “For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams/Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.” This lovely old extension of Ann and variation of Amabel is now number 320 on Nameberry. Actor James Van Der Beek did a switch on the poem by naming his daughter Annabel Leigh.

Corinna        

Corinna is a delicate, underused name that’s been a favorite of poets going back to Ovid, but most famous via Robert Herrick’s “Corinna’s Gone A-Maying.” The Corinne version of the name has been much more popular here, as high as 249 in the 1920s and now 486 on Nameberry.

Evangeline

Another quintessentially poetic name, it was introduced by Longfellow in his hugely esteemed narrative poem Evangeline, A Tale of Arcadie, and is now riding a wave of popularity ― 261 nationally, 36 on Nameberry ― (props also to Evangeline Lilly). Mia Farrow has a granddaughter named Evangeline.

Amarantha  

One syllable longer than Samantha, this is a rare Greek botanical name recalling the sacred plant of Artemis, Richard Lovelace composed a “Song to Amarantha” ― “Amarantha sweet and fair/ Ah braid no more that shining hair.”

Miranda        

A shimmeringly lovely name invented by Shakespeare for a character in The Tempest, Miranda was used poetically in more modern times by W. H. Auden for an eponymous poem. Widely inhabited by book, movie and TV characters, and now ranking a relatively high 278, Miranda still manages to retain its romantic luster.

Christabel

The crystal-clear Christabel, which has never taken off in the U.S. (but which could in this age of Isabel), was originally popularized by a poem by Samuel Coleridge ― “The lovely lady Christabel whom her father loves so well.” Its most famous bearer was the poet’s own granddaughter, U.K. suffragist Christabel Pankhurst.

Constantia

If you find Constance a little stiff, there is the more poetic and unusual Constantia, used by the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley in his ode “To Constantia” ― “In thy dark eyes a power like light doth lie.”

Ianthe

A romantic, almost ethereal Greek mythological name meaning ‘purple flower’, Ianthe inspired a number of poets, including Byron and Shelley. In fact Shelley liked it so much he used it for his daughter.

Lalla

Move over Lila, Lola and Leila and make room for the rhythmic Arabic name Lalla. It was featured in the romantic poem “Lalla Rookh” by Thomas Moore, about a Mughal princess. Possible problem: hit film “La La Land.”

Lucasta

Lucasta was invented by seventeenth century poet Richard Lovelace for a collection of poems dedicated to a lover named Lucy, and makes a nice addition to the list of light-filled Luc/Lux names.

Phillida

It’s not Philippa, and it’s not Phyllis ― it’s Phillida, the Latin variation of Phyllida, which is the memorably distinctive name of Emma Thompson’s actress mother Phyllida Law. Poet Nicholas Breton wrote a pastoral poem called “Phillida and Coridon” ― “And Phillida with garlands gay/ Was made the Lady of the May.”

Phryne

If you’ve ever seen the British mystery show “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries” and wondered how the heck the stylish protagonist spelled her name, now you know. The great 17th century metaphysical poet John Donne wrote a poem titled “Phryne.”

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Apr 19

Carrie Underwood Surprises Fans With National Anthem At Husband's Game

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On top of being a country superstar and an adoring mother, Carrie Underwood is one seriously supportive wife.

On Monday, Underwood ― who’s married to Nashville Predators captain Mike Fisher ― surprised hockey fans with a beautiful rendition of the national anthem before game three of the NHL playoffs when Fisher’s team played the Chicago Blackhawks at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

For the powerhouse performance (watch a video above), the seven-time Grammy winner sported her husband’s No. 12 jersey and painted her nails to match the team’s blue and gold colors. 

Underwood may have been a good luck charm for Fisher because the Predators won the game 3 to 2. 

The couple tied the knot in July 2010 and welcomed a baby boy named Isaiah in February 2015. 

“Time sure does fly when you’re having fun and you marry up,” Fisher wrote to his wife in an anniversary Instagram post in July 2016. “I’m very grateful to have an amazing wife and mother by my side!”

Underwood shared a similar sentiment, writing, “Six years ago today, I said ‘I do,’ to this handsome fella. I meant it then and I mean it now. God put us together and continues to bless our marriage. I couldn’t imagine this life without you.”

Below, more photos of the sweet couple. 

Very blessed to have these 2 strong, beautiful and Godly Moms in my life! #happymothersday

A post shared by Mike Fisher (@mfisher1212) on May 8, 2016 at 9:08am PDT

This guy… #duckface #lame #vacation

A post shared by Carrie Underwood (@carrieunderwood) on Jul 8, 2016 at 3:59pm PDT

A dinner date with my Valentine @mfisher1212 . ❤️️

A post shared by Carrie Underwood (@carrieunderwood) on Feb 14, 2017 at 3:19pm PST

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Apr 19

'Hidden Figures' Curriculum Brings Film's Lessons To The Classroom

Posted in: Today's Chili

Lessons from the hit film “Hidden Figures” are coming to the classroom.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment announced Monday that it’s partnering with nonprofit Journeys in Film and the USC Rossier School of Education to offer a curriculum guide with lesson plans based on the film.

“Hidden Figures” is based on the true ― yet previously little-known ― story of three of the first black “human computers” (Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson) at NASA, who helped send the first American into orbit. The film, starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe, earned more money in the country than any other movie nominated for Best Picture at the time of the 2017 Academy Awards.

“’Hidden Figures’ is ideally suited for use in the classroom, but teachers want students to do more with a film than passively view it,” the press release reads. “Journeys in Film has prepared eight comprehensive, standards-aligned lesson plans for secondary students. These interdisciplinary lessons can be used independently or through a team approach that gives students multiple lenses through which to consider the relevant historical and contemporary issues raised by the film.”

The first few lessons explore the context surrounding the events in the film, including the Cold War, the pressure women faced at the center in Langley, Virginia, the vital role “human computers” played, segregation and the dawning of the civil rights movement. The curriculum also includes math and science lessons exploring scientific notation, conic sections, orbits and programming. There are additional lessons for students to analyze the film’s theme and style.

Since the film premiered nationwide in January, more girls appear to be inspired to pursue careers in STEM ― an industry in which women, especially women of color, are still underrepresented ― according to Aldis Hodge, who has a role in the film.

Teachers are able to download the curriculum for free from Journeys in Film’s website. Fox is also giving complimentary copies of “Hidden Figures” on DVD to eligible high schools.

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Apr 19

Your Complete Guide For What's New And What's Leaving Netflix In May 2017

Posted in: Today's Chili

You May never leave home again.

Netflix originals are about to take over your life next month. Season 2 of “Master of None,” Season 5 of “House of Cards,” Season 3 of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” and the final season of “Bloodline” are all coming to your streaming devices. 

Plus, there are new originals, such as comedy specials from Sarah Silverman and Tracy Morgan, and classic movies like “Happy Feet” and “Forrest Gump.”

But if life is like a box of chocolates, sometimes you’re going to get the crappy pieces with that weird pink sugar-cream in them. 

That’s what it’s like when Netflix takes away titles, too. Among the casualties next month are Seasons 1-9 of “Scrubs,” Season 2 of “Bob’s Burgers” and the “Jurassic Park” movies.

But life finds a way. Here’s your guide to what’s arriving and what’s leaving in May:

What’s arriving. Yay! 

May 1

  • “American Experience: The Big Burn” (2014)

  • “American Experience: The Boys of ‘36” (2017)

  • “Anvil! The Story of Anvil” (2008)

  • ”Blood on the Mountain” (2016)

  • “Chaahat” (1996)

  • “Chocolat” (2000)

  • “Decanted” (2016)

  • “Don’t Think Twice” (2016)

  • “Drifter” (2017)

  • ”Forrest Gump” (1994)

  • “Happy Feet” (2006)

  • “In the Shadow of Iris” (Netflix Original)

  • ”Love” (2015)

  • ”Losing Sight of Shore” (2017)

  • ”Malibu’s Most Wanted” (2003)

  • “Nerdland” (2016)

  • “Raja Hindustani” (1996)

  • “Richard Pryor: Icon” (2014)

  • “Under Arrest” (Season 5, 2016)

May 2

  • “Bodyguards: Secret Lives from the Watchtower” (2016)

  • “Hija De La Laguna” (2015)

  • ”Maria Bamford: Old Baby” (Netflix Original)

  • ”Two Lovers and a Bear” (2016)

May 5

  • ”Chelsea” (Season 2, Netflix Original)

  • “Handsome: A Netflix Mystery Movie” (Netflix Original)

  • “Kazoops!” (Season 3, Netflix Original)

  • ”Sense8”(Season 2, Netflix Original)

  • ”Simplemente Manu NNa” (Netflix Original)

  • ”Spirit: Riding Free” (Season 1, Netflix Original)

  • ”The Last Kingdom” (Season 2, Netflix Original)

  • ”The Mars Generation” (Netflix Original)

May 6

  • “Cold War 2” (2016)

  • ”When the Bough Breaks” (2017)

May 7

  • “LoveTrue” (2016)

  • “Stake Land II” (2016)

  • “The Host” (2013)

May 8

  • “Beyond the Gates” (2016)

  • “Hunter Gatherer” (2016)

May 9

  • “Norm Macdonald: Hitler’s Dog, Gossip & Trickery” (Netflix Original)

  • “Queen of the South” (Season 1, 2016)

  • “All We Had” (2016)

May 10

  • “El apóstata” (2015)

  • “The Adventure Club” (2016)

May 11

  • “Switched at Birth” (Season 5, 2017)

  • “The Fosters” (Season 4, 2016)

May 12

  • “All Hail King Julien: Exiled” (Season 1, Netflix Original)

  • “Anne with an E” (Season 1, Netflix Original)

  • ”Get Me Roger Stone” (Netflix Original)

  • “Master of None: Season 2” (Netflix Original)

  • “Mindhorn” (Netflix Original) 

  • “Sahara” (Netflix Original)

May 15

  • “Command and Control” (2016)

  • “Cave” (2016)

  • “Lovesong” (2016)

  • “Sherlock” (Series 4, 2016)

  • “The Intent” (2016)

May 16

  • “Tracy Morgan: Staying Alive” (Netflix Original)

  • “The Break-Up” (2006)

  • “The Place Beyond the Pines” (2012)

May 18

  • “Royal Pains” (Season 8, 2016)

  • “Riverdale” (Season 1, 2016)

May 19

  • “BLAME!” (Netflix Original)

  • “Laerte-se” (Netflix Original)

  • ”The Keepers” (Season 1, Netflix Original)

  • “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (Season 3, Netflix Original)

May 21

  • “What’s With Wheat” (2017)

May 22

  • “Inglourious Basterds” (2009)

  • “They Call Us Monsters” (2017)

May 23

  • “Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King” (Netflix Original)

  • “Dig Two Graves “(2014)

May 24

  • “Southpaw” (2015)

May 26

  • “Believe” (2016)

  • ”Bloodline” (Season 3, Netflix Original)

  • “I am Jane Doe” (2017)

  • ”Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower” (Netflix Original)

  • “War Machine” (Netflix Original)

May 28

  • “Bunk’d” (Season 2, 2016)

May 29

  • “Forever Pure” (2016)

  • “A New High” (2015)

May 30

  • “F is for Family” (Season 2, Netflix Original)

  • “House of Cards” (Season 5, Netflix Original)

  • “Marvel’s Doctor Strange” (2016)

  • “Masterminds”

  • ”Sarah Silverman A Speck of Dust” (Netflix Original)

Also coming soon …

  • “Supergirl” (Season 2, 2016)

  • “Supernatural” (Season 12, 2016)

  • “The Flash” (Season 3, 2016)

 

What’s leaving … (sad face)

May 1

  • “11 Blocks”

  • ”Alfie”

  • ”Bang Bang!”

  • ”Black Mamba: Kiss of Death”

  • “Cujo”

  • “Doomsdays”

  • ”Fantastic Four”

  • ”FernGully 2: The Magical Rescue”

  • “Flicka: Country Pride”

  • ”Garfield’s Fun Fest”

  • ”Invincible”

  • ”Jetsons: The Movie”

  • “Jurassic Park III”

  • “Jurassic Park”

  • “The Lost World: Jurassic Park”

  • “Paulie”

  • “Samurai Headhunters”

  • “Stephen King’s Thinner”

  • “Tales from the Darkside: The Movie”

  • “The Doors”

  • “The Real Beauty and the Beast”

  • “The Seven Dwarfs of Auschwitz”

  • “The Sons of Katie Elder”

  • “The Wedding Planner”

  • “Things We Lost in the Fire”

  • “To Catch a Thief”

  • “Treblinka: Hitler’s Killing Machine”

  • “Truly Strange”

  • “Turf War: Lions and Hippos”

  • “Van Wilder: Freshman Year”

  • “Venom Islands”

  • “World War II Spy School”

May 2

  • “Good Luck Charlie” (Season 1 – 4)

  • “Kickin’ It” (Season 1 – 3)

  • “Scrubs” (Season 1 – 9)

May 5

  • “Amapola”

  • “Flubber”

  • “Grosse Pointe Blank”

  • “The Recruit”

  • “What About Bob?”

May 7

  • “American Dad!” (Season 7)

  • “Bob’s Burgers” (Season 2)

May 11

  • “American Dad!” (Season 8)

May 15

  • “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” (Season 1 – 5)

May 17

  • “American Dad!” (Season 9 & 10)

May 19

  • “Step Up”

May 26

  • “Graceland” (Season 1 – 3)

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Apr 19

This K-Pop Band With No Korean Members Is Making People Angry

Posted in: Today's Chili

An unconventional K-pop group is attempting to dominate the Korean music industry, but the genre’s fans aren’t exactly singing its praises. 

EXP Edition, a K-pop boy band that doesn’t have a single Korean member, just released a new music video for their song “Feel Like This.” While the mostly-white, American group’s video made headlines, the release also opened up a discussion about the band’s place in the Korean music industry. 

After seeing the band sing in Korean and adopt K-pop style, Asians across the internet definitely weren’t afraid to sound off on the subject. And let’s just say, many of them won’t be listening to EXP Edition on repeat. 

The band, which calls itself “a fresh hybrid of K-pop,” actually started out back in 2014 as South Korean artist Bora Kim’s master’s degree thesis project at Columbia University. Kim explained that her goal was to explore identity politics, masculinity and other topics. 

“I was thinking about cultural flow, or the relationship of dominant culture and peripheral culture, and how that is interwoven with one’s identity or one’s national identity,” Kim, who initially pulled in friends Karin Kuroda and Samantha Shao to help with the band, explained. “I wanted to see what would happen if I made American boys into K-pop performers, by teaching them how to sing in Korean and act like Korean boys, and complicate this flow/appropriation even more…”

But since then, the band has grown to be much more than a college project and its members have even relocated to Seoul to infiltrate the Korean market. With this new single, however, dedicated K-pop fans don’t seem happy with the American group. Many called EXP out for appropriating Korean culture, since none of the members have Korean roots. In fact, shortly before moving to Korea, they admitted that they knew very little about the culture. 

“We haven’t been introduced to much of the culture,” Koki Tomlinson, the sole Asian, half-Japanese member of the group, told Fusion last year. “We have a very basic understanding of it, just because we’ve really only listened to K-pop.”

Several also criticized the group’s performance quality, asking why the band didn’t incorporate any choreography, an iconic element to K-pop, in their video. But one of the most vocalized criticisms was the way in which the all-American group decided to enter an Asian music industry when Asian artists and those of Asian descent barely ever make it in America’s. 

Indeed, Asian artists have had a tough time succeeding as they’ve often been rejected for “looking” Asian. Harlemm Lee, an artist of Chinese and Filipino descent, won the NBC reality show “Fame” in 2003 and even scored a record contract. However, he still struggled to have a successful career.  

“In terms of finding an advocate in the industry, the Asian thing has been the critical factor,” Lee told The New York Times years ago. “You don’t fit.”

The Korean music industry is one place where Asians dominate and some K-pop fans feel there’s a double standard at play when a completely non-Korean band just slides in. 

UPDATE to the :All White* K-Pop group EXP EDITION is coming soon with ”Feel Like This”!, it’s finally out!…wooo… from aznidentity

The criticisms haven’t deterred Kim and her crew from continuing their work, though. She told The Huffington Post in an email that she admits cultural appropriation is an issue, but insists that’s not what her group is doing. She feels the band isn’t appropriating because they are immersed in the K-pop scene. 

“K-pop has become an important part of our identity (professionally and personally) and that no one can deny. We are living, breathing, creating K-pop, collaborating with people in the K-pop industry every day,” she said. “So to conclude, if you ask me if we’re appropriating K-pop, I’m going to say No … We are already genuinely a part of K-pop.”

Well, if the new music video serves as any indication of their style and vibe, the band is undeniably off to a rocky start.

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Apr 19

Snake With Serious Case Of Road Rage Tries To Attack Motorcyclist

Posted in: Today's Chili

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Snakes. They’re not just fast, some are furious.

A motorcyclist was riding along a road when the driver was suddenly attacked by a snake lying in the median, incredible video shows.

The video, reportedly taken in Lampang, Thailand, shows the reptile at first lying motionless in the road ahead. Just as the cyclist pulls up to the animal, it lunges into the air, appearing to come within inches of the driver’s raised legs.

It’s not clear what happened next to the snake. A trailing vehicle, filming the incident, appears to be following just a couple yards behind, suggesting that the snake could have been crushed.

Think that was a close call? Another video taken in Brazil years earlier shows a motorcyclist speeding down a roadway when a yellow snake slithered onto the dashboard.

A word to motorcyclists: Apparently hitchhiking snakes are a thing.

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Apr 19

Betsy DeVos Is Visiting A Public School This Week With One Of Her Famous Foes

Posted in: Today's Chili

When President Donald Trump first nominated Betsy DeVos for U.S. secretary of education in November, labor leader Randi Weingarten did not mince words.

“The president-elect, in his selection of Betsy DeVos, has chosen the most ideological, anti-public education nominee put forward since President Carter created a Cabinet-level Department of Education,” stated Weingarten, who is president of the American Federation of Teachers, the nation’s second-largest teachers union. “DeVos is everything Donald Trump said is wrong in America.”

But on Thursday, DeVos and Weingarten are attempting to find common ground by visiting a public school together. In February, shortly after DeVos was confirmed, the pair decided they would travel to a school of the other’s choice.

The goal, according to the American Federation of Teachers, is to show DeVos the possibilities of great public schools, as opposed to charter schools and private schools. DeVos also invited Weingarten to visit a school with her ― such as a charter school ― although such a visit has not yet been announced. 

The pair will be touring Van Wert City Schools, a public school district in Ohio. While the school district has a mixed academic record, it has deeply invested in strategies that engage community members and serve the social and emotional needs of children. It is an example of a school district that would be hurt by the passage of Trump’s proposed education budget, which slashes federal funding for education by $9 billion, according to an op-ed Weingarten wrote in a local Ohio outlet, the Times Bulletin Media. 

“When the federal budget gets cut and the state can’t make up the difference, the burden lands on the local district. But here in Van Wert, teachers and school officials have already stretched the budget as far as possible. Anything cut now would destroy the programs and strategies that make Van Wert’s schools great,” wrote Weingarten. 

Van Wert City Schools have high graduation rates and received stellar marks for students’ academic growth on a report cared issued by the state. However, on that same report card, the school system received poor grades for elementary school literacy rates and standardized test scores.  

But the school district, in which most high school students qualify for free or reduced price lunch, has implemented a number of effective strategies, like pre-kindergarten and project-based learning, according to Weingarten’s op-ed. 

Located in rural Ohio ― in a county that voted heavily for Trump ― it also represents the type of district that might not benefit from the increased school choice programs DeVos favors. DeVos is a major proponent of charter schools and private school choice programs. However, rural districts like Van Wert lack the infrastructure to easily implement such programs. Notably, DeVos received opposition from two Republican senators during her confirmation process because of the issues school choice programs pose in rural districts.

Jeff Hood, the president of the local Van Wert Federation of Teachers, suggested to Weingarten in February that DeVos come visit the district, according to the Toledo Blade. He said he hopes the visit is about education, as opposed to politics, but suggested DeVos’ agenda might not be in line with Van Wert residents’ priorities. 

“The people who put Donald Trump in office live in Van Wert County, and they live in all the other ‘Van Werts,’” Hood told the outlet. “Charter schools and private schools and vouchers are not going to mean much to people in Van Wert.”

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Apr 19

The Time I Hired Bill O'Reilly's Gardener

Posted in: Today's Chili

“No man is a hero to his valet,” goes the old proverb.  In the case of Bill O’Reilly, no man’s a hero to his gardener.

O’Reilly’s high profile job loss reminded me of an incident that occurred during the first year of his Fox tenure.  I was seeking a gardener to take care of my small property on the north shore of Long Island, and one candidate, “Jeff,” gave me a list of customers who could vouch for his expertise.

The names, each followed by a phone number, were something like this:

John Smith
Mary Jones
Bill O’Reilly
Bob White
Jane Doe

I did a double-take when I saw O’Reilly, as I knew he lived in Manhasset, not far from me. “Is this Bill O’Reilly from TV?” I asked. “Yeah,” Jeff replied. “He’s the guy at Fox.”

At the time, I was Geraldo Rivera’s senior producer for his nighttime news discussion program on CNBC, and the two hosts (and future Fox colleagues) were engaged in some kind of public feud so petty that I can’t recall the substance of it.  But, I thought, this could be interesting.

“Let me ask you something, Jeff. Is Bill as tough on his gardener as he is on his guests?” Jeff had a quizzical look on his face. “His guests?” he repeated.  “What do you mean?”

“Well,” I explained, “I was just wondering if he treats you with the same kind of pompous condescension and disrespect that I often see him show to the guests on his program.”

Jeff was even more confused.  “What do you mean, his program?  He has a show? He told me he worked at Fox, and I figured he was some kind of behind-the-scenes guy. I had no idea!”

This was too good to be true. I thanked Jeff and said I’d be in touch. It was a weekend afternoon, so the second he left, I picked up the phone and dialed O’Reilly’s home number. He answered himself and, after I identified myself as Rivera’s producer, immediately began defending some comment he’d recently made about my boss.

“No, no,” I interrupted, “this isn’t a business call, or about your dispute with Geraldo. I just met your gardener, Jeff, and he gave me your name as a reference.” O’Reilly was audibly relieved, and gave me a glowing review of Jeff’s handiwork.

I thanked him for the recommendation, and then, I couldn’t resist. “By the way, Bill,” I said, “you should know that Jeff doesn’t do a good job for you just because you’re on TV.  In fact, he had no clue you’re an on air personality.”

“How is that possible?,” O’Reilly sputtered. “When I hired him I told him I worked at Fox!” “True,” I laughed, “but Jeff’s never seen your show.  As far as he knew, you could be in charge of the Fox cafeteria.” 

O’Reilly was stunned, and I was delighted at being able to take the bombastic Bill down a notch. I ended up hiring Jeff, who did such a fine job with my grass and shrubs that I often suspected he must have been using some of the overflow of fertilizer that one could surely find at the O’Reilly compound.

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Apr 19

There's A Japanese Word For People Who Buy More Books Than They Can Actually Read

Posted in: Today's Chili

Book hoarding is a well-documented habit.

In fact, most literary types are pretty proud of the practice, steadfast in their desire to stuff shelves to maximum capacity. They’re not looking to stop hoarding, because parting with pieces of carefully curated piles is hard and stopping yourself from buying the next Strand staff pick is even harder. So, sorry Marie Kondo, but the books are staying.

The desire to buy more books than you can physically read in one human lifetime is actually so universal, there’s a specific word for it: tsundoku. Defined as the stockpiling of books that will never be consumed, the term is a Japanese portmanteau of sorts, combining the words “tsunde” (meaning “to stack things”) and “oku” (meaning “to leave for a while”). 

We were reminded of the term this week, when Apartment Therapy published a primer for those looking to complete book-hoarder rehab. Several blogs have written on the topic before, though, surfacing new and interesting details about the word so perfect for book nerds everywhere.

While most who’ve written on the topic of tsundoku use the word to describe the condition of book hoarding itself, The LA Times used the term as a noun that describes the person suffering from book stockpiling syndrome, or “a person who buys books and doesn’t read them, and then lets them pile up on the floor, on shelves, and assorted pieces of furniture.”

Tsundoku has no direct synonym in English, Oxford Dictionaries clarified in a blog post, defining the word as “the act of leaving a book unread after buying it, typically piling it up together with other such unread books.” An informative subreddit provides even more context, explaining that “the tsundoku scale” ranges from just one unread book to a serious hoard. “Everyone is most likely to be ‘tsundokursed’ one way or the other,” it warns.

According to Quartz, tsundoku has quite a history. It originated as a play on words in the late 19th century, during what is considered the Meiji Era in Japan. At first, the “oku” in “tsunde oku” morphed into “doku,” meaning “to read,” but since “tsunde doku” is a bit of a mouthful, the phrase eventually condensed into “tsundoku.” And a word for reading addicts was born.

Speaking of addictions ― the term “bibliomania” emerged in England around the same time as “tsundoku.” Thomas Frognall Dibdin, an English cleric and bibliographer, wrote Bibliomania, or Book Madness: A Bibliographical Romance in the 1800s, outlining a fictional “neurosis” that prompted those suffering from it to obsessively collect books of all sorts. 

Bibliomania has a dark past, documented more as a pseudo-illness that inspired real fear than a harmless knack for acquiring books we won’t have time to read. “Some collectors spent their entire fortunes to build their personal libraries,” Lauren Young wrote for Atlas Obscura. “While it was never medically classified, people in the 1800s truly feared bibliomania.”  

Tsundoku seems to better capture the lighter side of compulsive book shopping, a word that evokes images of precariously stacked tomes one good breeze away from toppling over. While there’s no English equivalent quite as beautiful, no one’s stopping you from incorporating the Japanese word into your regular vocabulary.

“As with other Japanese words like karaoke, tsunami, and otaku, I think it’s high time that tsundoku enter the English language,” Open Culture wrote in 2014. “Now if only we can figure out a word to describe unread ebooks that languish on your Kindle. E-tsundoku? Tsunkindle?”

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Apr 19

Oh No, Mr. Bill!

Posted in: Today's Chili

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Financial entanglements forced Todd Ricketts to withdraw his nomination to be deputy commerce secretary — proving your bookkeeping can be too murky even for the Trump administration. Evan McMullin is vying to raise his national profile — oh, he’s also mulling a run for Congress. And Bill O’Reilly was fired from Fox News. Somewhere, Jeff Zucker just asked someone to hold his beer. This is HUFFPOST HILL for Wednesday, April 19th, 2017:

NIL O’REILLY – Thank goodness for Ivanka and Jared’s moderating influence over Rupert Murdoch. Lydia O’Connor and Michael Calderone: “Bill O’Reilly will no longer be employed at Fox News, the network’s parent company 21st Century Fox said in a statement Wednesday. The decision comes after allegations of him sexually harassing female colleagues prompted protests outside network headquarters and a mass exodus from advertisers…. Fox News host Tucker Carlson will take over O’Reilly’s 8 p.m. time slot next Monday, Fox confirmed…. Following a bombshell New York Times report earlier this month indicating O’Reilly and Fox News have paid around $13 million in settlements to address complaints brought by five of his former female colleagues, advertisers began fleeing the show. Within days, more than 50 companies announced they would no longer air spots during the show.” [HuffPost]

How did O’Reilly stay on board for so long? “Even beyond these incidents, O’Reilly often made clear his contempt for women. On his radio show in August 2006, he commented on the rape and murder of a young woman, suggesting that she shared some of the blame because of her intoxicated state and what she was wearing…. I wrote about O’Reilly’s comments in 2009 when I worked for the site ThinkProgress, tied to the news that he was slated to speak at a fundraiser to benefit rape survivors. In return, O’Reilly sent his producer, Jesse Watters, to track me down and ambush me while I was on vacation in another state a few weeks later.” [HuffPost’s Amanda Terkel]

In the middle of all this, O’Reilly met the pope on Thursday.

CHAFFETZ RETIRING FROM CONGRESS – The Utah congressman is looking forward to spending more time with his wife a corkboard in his basement covered with magazine cutouts of Hillary Clinton connected by thumbtacks and red string. Paige Lavender and Matt Fuller: “Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), the controversial chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said on Wednesday he will not run for re-election, after BuzzFeed reported that he would retire at the end of this term…. Chaffetz noted he would ‘not be a candidate for any office in 2018,’ leaving open the possibility he may run for governor in 2020…. His decision sets off an immediate gavel fight to take over the top spot on the oversight committee…. Among some of the leading contenders for the spot are former Freedom Caucus Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Rep. Jimmy Duncan (R-Tenn.), and the man Chaffetz beat out for the gavel in late 2014: Rep. Michael Turner (R-Ohio).” [HuffPost]

But will David French get into the race? “[F]ormer independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin spoke with advisers to evaluate his options in the state with a victory suddenly seeming more likely than before…. [A] source close to McMullin told Independent Journal Review that McMullin is ‘considering running in 2018’ but still hasn’t made a decision on how he will proceed.” [IJR]

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RICKETTS WITHDRAWS NOMINATION – Lynn Sweet: “Unable to untangle his complex financial holdings to the satisfaction of the Office of Government Ethics, Cubs board member Todd Ricketts, tapped by President Donald Trump to be the Deputy Commerce Secretary, on Wednesday withdrew his nomination, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned. Ricketts, a Wilmette resident who is a member of the billionaire Ricketts clan, was willing to divest his considerable personal portfolio of holdings, but that was apparently not enough. Some of the Ricketts investments are in family enterprises, including the Cubs…. Ricketts has varied business interests, from his ‘Higher Gear’ bike store in Wilmette to his position on the TD Ameritrade board. The Ricketts family are large shareholders of the company Joe Ricketts founded in 1975. Ricketts and his three siblings are on the Cubs board, legally known as Chicago Baseball Holdings LLC.” [Chicago Sun-Times]

TRUMP-CURIEL SHOWDOWN, PT. 2 – Alan Gomez: “President Trump will confront a familiar figure in the lawsuit over a DREAMer who was deported by federal immigration agents: U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel. He’s the judge who oversaw a lawsuit involving Trump University who Trump accused of being biased because of his ‘Mexican heritage.’ Curiel, who was born in Indiana, approved a $25 million settlement between Trump and students who claimed they overpaid for real estate seminars…. Now, Curiel has been assigned to handle a lawsuit brought on behalf of Juan Manuel Montes, 23, a California resident who was deported in February despite being approved for the Deferred Actions for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which provides protective status for undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children.” [USA Today]

ADELSON DUMPED A LOT OF MONEY ON TRUMP’S INAUGURATION – Condolences to the online gambling industry. Rosalind S. Helderman and John Wagner: “Casino magnate and Republican mega-donor Sheldon Adelson donated $5 million to President Trump’s inaugural festivities, as corporate interests and lobbyists lifted the inaugural committee’s fundraising to record levels. In all, more than 45 individuals and companies donated at least $1 million each to the effort as Trump broke with the practice of most recent inaugural committees and placed no limits on corporate or individual donors. Major donors included Robert Mercer, the hedge fund manager who has been one of Trump’s biggest donors, Dow Chemical, and Phillip Ruffin, a longtime Trump friend and business partner. Several owners of National Football League teams gave $1 million, including Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder, Los Angeles Rams owner Stanley Kroenke, Houston Texans owner Robert McNair and a Trump friend who owns the New England Patriots, Robert K. Kraft, whose team is visiting the White House on Wednesday.” [WaPo]

FUTURE FAILED PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE ANDREW CUOMO MADE A LOT OF MONEY OFF OF A BAD BOOK – Tom Precious: “Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo…has made $783,000 from HarperCollins for his book. The book sold 3,200 copies since it was published in the fall of 2014, according to tracking company NPD BookScan. That works out to royalty payments to Cuomo of $245 per book…. In his 2016 tax filings made public Monday, the book royalty income was listed at $218,100…. Cuomo’s government spokesman declined to say how many copies of the book have been sold. ‘This payment was contractual and per the agreement with the publisher,’’ Richard Azzopardi, a Cuomo spokesman, said of the book income in 2015.” [Buffalo News]

WONDER HOW THIS WILL GO – Congratulations to Exxon Mobil on its resumed joint venture.  Jay Solomon and Bradley Olson: “Exxon Mobil Corp has applied to the Treasury Department for a waiver from U.S. sanctions on Russia in a bid to resume its joint venture with state oil giant PAO Rosneft, according to people familiar with the matter. Exxon has been seeking U.S. permission to drill with Rosneft in several areas banned by sanctions and applied in recent months for a waiver to proceed in the Black Sea, according to these people…. Congress has also launched an investigation into whether there were ties between aides to Donald Trump and Russia’s government during the presidential campaign and the political transition.Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is Exxon’s former chief executive officer and in that role forged a close working relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and with Rosneft, a company that is critical to Russia’s oil-reliant economy.” [WSJ]

ANOTHER BUSH VYING TO SCREW UP ANOTHER MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAM – Guess they’ll be able to bond over the fact that they both dated Mariah Carey. Douglas Hanks: “Jeb Bush and Derek Jeter have joined forces in their bid to buy the Miami Marlins, according to sources familiar with the talks. The former Florida governor and retired New York Yankees star once were rivals for the Major League Baseball franchise but now have teamed up to try and buy the team, the sources said. They are competing against a New York financier named Wayne Rothbaum, manager of Quogue Capital, a source close to the situation said. It is not known if other would-be suitors of the Marlins remain in the hunt.” [Miami Herald]

OH MY! Patricia Mazzei: “Miami Republican Sen. Frank Artiles dropped the n-word to a pair of African-American colleagues in private conversation Monday night — after calling one of them a ‘fucking asshole,’ a ‘bitch’ and a ‘girl,’ the two senators said. Over drinks after 10 p.m. at the members-only Governors Club just steps from the state Capitol, Artiles told Sens. Audrey Gibson of Jacksonville and Perry Thurston of Fort Lauderdale that Senate President Joe Negron of Stuart had risen to his powerful GOP leadership role because ‘six niggers’ in the Republican caucus had elected him…. It’s unclear whom Artiles was referring to, since the only black senators in the state Senate are all Democrats.” [Miami Herald]

BECAUSE YOU’VE READ THIS FAR – Here’s a beagle playing the piano.

FLORIDA TO BE SLIGHTLY LESS TERRIBLE FOR A BIT – New Jersey, however… well, you can’t make zero any more devoid of value than it already is. Darren Samuelsohn and Ken Vogel: “[O]nce his exclusive seaside retreat at Mar-a-Lago closes for the season, Trump is expected to shift his weekend plans north, to his Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey — and bring with him all the chaos that comes with being a preferred presidential destination. ‘We’re kind of apprehensive, I guess you could say,’ said Nick Strakhov, a retired telecommunications professional and longtime resident who serves on the Bedminster land use board. ‘It’s nice to be recognized. But on the other hand, if it gets to be tedious, we might start to complain.’ Street closures and traffic jams were a big problem last fall across the region when the then-president-elect traveled to Bedminster by motorcade from Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan for a weekend’s worth of interviews with potential Cabinet nominees.” [Politico]

COMFORT FOOD

– “The Simpsons” turns 30 years old. Here are the first “Simpsons” shorts from the “Tracey Ullman Show.”

– Gibbons aren’t happy about a rat in their enclosure.

– Recounting a date with the former general manager of the Times Square Olive Garden.

TWITTERAMA

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