Every year, Merriam Webster Dictionary ads new words to their book. I usually look through their "Top 20." I notice some words I already knew, and wonder why they weren't in there already! The other words, I tend to forget.

But not this year! The best way to learn new words is to use them. So I'm inviting my friends to a creative exercise. Or perhaps a competition, or contest! :) I know many of my friends might not care to indulge, while others will embrace the challenge! I appreciate both sentiments. Below are the new words. I skipped the pronunciation and other details. just the definitions. Try to use the words in a creative way, in two or three sentences. Or one? After the words and definitions, you can see an example of what I'm talking about. And keep in mind, if this is a contest, there could be prizes! :)

EDIT!!!! Just try to use one of the words in your post! It's not that difficult! And, which is your favorite new word?

agnolotti
: pasta in the form of semicircular cases containing a filling (as of meat, cheese, or vegetables)

Bollywood
: the motion-picture industry in India

chaebol
: a family-controlled industrial conglomerate in South Korea

crunk
: a kind of Southern rap music featuring repetitive chants and rapid dance rhythms

DVR
digital video recorder

flex-cuff
: a plastic strip that can be fastened as a restraint around a person's wrists or ankles

ginormous
: extremely large : humongous

gray literature
: written material (as a report) that is not published commercially or is not generally accessible

hardscape
: structures (as fountains, benches, or gazebos) that are incorporated into a landscape

IED
improvised explosive device

microgreen
: a shoot of a standard salad plant (as celery or arugula)

nocebo
: a harmless substance that when taken by a patient is associated with harmful effects due to negative expectations or the psychological condition of the patient

perfect storm
: a critical or disastrous situation created by a powerful concurrence of factors

RPG
: a computer language that generates programs from the user's specifications especially to produce business reports

smackdown
1 : the act of knocking down or bringing down an opponent 2 : a contest in entertainment wrestling 3 : a decisive defeat 4 : a confrontation between rivals or competitors

snowboardcross
: a snowboard race that includes jumps and turns

speed dating
: an event at which each participant converses individually with all the prospective partners for a few minutes in order to select those with whom dates are desired

sudoku
: a puzzle in which several numbers are to be filled into a 9x9 grid of squares so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9

telenovela
: a soap opera produced in and televised in or from many Latin-American countries

viewshed
: the natural environment that is visible from one or more viewing points

Okay, so here's an example of what I'm talking about:

"The viewshed from the speed dating was held in the shadows of hardscapes, with a lunch of microgreen. We later took in some snowboardcross and bonded, but it never worked out. Sudoku and telenovela don't mix..."

So anyway, hope somebody gives it a shot! And if you're not inspired at the moment, take your time. There's some great words there! I'll keep the blog open for a few days (until people stop posting), then, if there's any entries, we'll try to have a winner! Not sure if this is a contest yet, but if it is, there must be prizes! :)

I was on my way home from work yesterday, a long stretch of road, not much traffic. It was raining. Someone comes up beside me and lingers... then passes me. Then they pull in front of me, and slow down! Why? Because this is America!

I couldn't decide whether to grill burgers or smoke chicken breasts. So I do both. Because this is America!

I watch these people on tv, these people at the highest places in our government, spend what seems to be the vast majority of their time covering their asses. Because this is America!

Then I watch a show featuring the "20 Greatest Southern Rock Songs," and it brings back a ton of memories. Because this is America! Green Grass and High Tides Forever!

I've got at least three different fireworks shows I could go to tonight. But I'll probably stay in. Because this is America!

I stayed up till daylight last night. Because this is America!

Patriotism is a funny thing... :)

TG

Interrogation time is over! So Here's the answers:

Dawn: So! What's your real name? Sorry, that's the only question I can think of. I can ask it three times, if that helps

No need to ask three times, the question has three answers! I'll go with the first one, Jesse!

Hila: 1) If you were an animal, which one would you be? A grizzly bear! I love to fish!

2) If you were a chocolate what kind would you be? A Hershey's Kiss would seem appropriate.

3) If you were a kitchen item, what kind would you be? A spatula! I love flipping things! :)

Em: 1) what do you look like? A grizzly bear! No seriously, a middle aged guy. About 5'8", 180 lbs., brown hair, hazel eyes, fit, cleanshaven, recurring smile. Someone told me I look a little like Wilson, but I don't know about that! :) I'll try to post a pic in a future blog.

2) what's your most comfortable thing to wear? Basically boxer shorts. Usually the less the better. Gets warm in these parts!

3) what's the last book you *wanted* to read but never managed to finish? "St. Lucy's Home For Girls Raised By Wolves" It's a collection of short stories by a promising new writer, Karen Russell. I like short stories. Probably has something to do with the ADD thing!

Olgkap: No questions, no answers, no lies! :)

Emily: 1.Can you say this 5 times fast? : How much fud could a fudpucker puck if a fudpucker could puck fud. I can't think it once without messing it up! Don't know what that says about my mind. :)

2. Do you like oven pizza? Depends on the pizza! I like Digornio and Red Baron, but not that Totino's crap. I'm an oven pizza snob! :)

3. What is your FAVE four letter word? Close call between LOVE and WORD! Can't have one without the other! They're coming down the stretch... looks LIKE a photo finish! :)

t_f: 1) How did you find TV.com? I became obsessed with the House TV show, had to google it. Came across this little community, been here ever since!

2) Favorite pizza topping? That's the toughest question yet! :) I like getting these four cheese pizzas, then adding my own toppings, usually pepperoni and black olives. Then, last night, I got lazy and baked the pizza without any toppings. It was GREAT! So cheese would be number one. After that, I'll let pepperoni and mushroom battle it out.

3) Favorite drink? XD That's the easiest! Diet Pepsi!

That's it! God I hoped I passed the test. I've only had a lifetime to study! :)

TG

This character, Snyder (Ouroboros) offered up the premise of three questions, anyone could ask of you. I thought it silly but engaging. Then I got to thinking, if I'm going to participate, and I did, I should open myself up to the same scrutiny. Seems only fair, in a Spanish Inquisition kind of way. So, ask away. Not one, not four, but three questions. This should be fun. :)

There's this music festival happening in New Orleans this October. It's in City Park, three days worth. And they've got a lot of bands I've heard of, but don't know enough about their music. I'm old school! :) The headliners at the moment are: Rage Against the Machine, Smashing Pumpkins, Wilco, Ben Harper and The Innocents, and my man, Dr. John. And there's lots of others. Here's a link:

http://www.voodoomusicfest.com/2007/index.html

I'm sure they're all good. It's early on, but usually with these multi-day fests, they spread out the headliners by the day.

Of those headliners, which would you prefer to see? And I truly respect your opinions. That and youtube. :)

Seasons. They enhance your food, environment and life. This blog's about... all three I guess! The rotation of our rock around one of our life forces, the sun. Which season is best for you? This is really subjective, because our House Friends are from around the planet. Here's my take on them.

Spring

Life is in bloom! Around here, things get a little warmer, and breezier! The flowers bloom, and the grass starts growing! Ugh, break out the lawnmower! I've also found that I have many life changes around this time. Sometimes big changes, sometimes little changes that I have to deal with throughout the year. All in all, I like it. Kind of sets the stage for the rest of the seasons.

Summer

Things heat up! And can kind of let loose. Cruising the beach, going to parties, crazy from the heat! This can easily be the best season, as long as you can take the heat! Here in the southern U.S., it's also hurricane season. So you've got to keep an eye on that. It's always been exciting, but after Katrina, there's a lot of dread.

Fall

My favorite, hands down. And it's not because my b-day is in October! Though it doesn't hurt. Things cool down, the leaves change, and the NFL (National Football League) cranks up! The breezes are softer, and for me, it becomes a time of reflection. More than any other season, in the Fall, life is good.

Winter

I can see why it might be someone's favorite season. Depends on where you live. I don't ski or own a snowblower, but I can make a mean snow angel! :) I love the beauty of the snow on the ground. I respect it. But it's my least favorite. It's mostly a pain in the ass!

So do you have a favorite season? I'm just glad I got through this blog without mentioning global warming! :)

TG

You ever have one of those times when a situation keeps building up, and you feel helpless to control it? And it seems like a big deal, but really it isn't? You wonder why it's so important to you. And as the tension builds, while it's important to you, you really just wish it could go away. I'm at that point with the House site right now. I know it's obvious what I'm talking about, just hard to put it into words. I'll just say it. I've been at 95% on level four for WAY too long! And it's not fair. But I'll do what I can. :)

Edit: Here's a song I like to listen to lately, it's New Shoes, and they fit me!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Isgm9wLzkww

TG

So it's Pappa's Day! Yahooooo! I lost my dad a couple of years ago, he drank himself to death after we lost mom. For most people, Father's Day is either a time to figure out how you might honor pops, or a time to reflect on that half that made you, you. I didn't feel like making any observation. Then I started watching movies...

The first one was "Frequency." It may be the ultimate Father's Day Movie! I won't give away the plot. But the basic question it asks... if you could change big moments in your life, would you? Not knowing how it might change other things, unintended consequences? It's been done before, but this is a good one. Dennis Quaid is the dad. It got me all squishy inside. Bet House would have something to say about that! :)

The next one was "Stir of Echoes." This one was creepy. But it had Jennifer Morrison in it! She was great as Kevin Bacon's wife. I had no idea! Nice treat. :) On the Father's Day scale, Bacon's character had to bring justice to a girl's death. I crossed the spoilers line there! And in the beginning, JM's character announces that she's pregnant. That always has to do with Father's Day...

Finally, I came across a gem called "Outside Providence." I wasn't going to watch it, till I found out the Farrely Brothers were involved. It's pretty good. And if they have a movie soundtrack CD, I want it! The Father's Day connection? Alec Baldwin. He plays the lead character's dad, who's flawed but only wants the right thing for his kid. All in all, a good movie day. I recommend all three.

Happy Father's Day!

TG

I just want to say I love my Spurs. They won the NBA Championship a few moments ago. The Spurs... they win in the face of fame, and they try not to show their faces! There's Timmy Duncan, who's the true face of the team. But the MVP of the playoffs, was Tony Parker. Then there's Robert Horry, Genoblie... truly a team. And Michael Finlay! He got the game ball. I've been following the Spurs since about 12 years back, when the Admiral was going against Shaq and the Lakers. I don't bring sports into the blog mix until these special moments. Next time I mention such trivial things, hopefully it will be about the New Orleans Saints! :)

That Paris blog, looking back, feels like the most trivial blog I've made. And I really don't want to look back on all my blogs to make a comparison analysis! I thought it was important at the time. Goes to show you how boring life can get! I live in South Mississippi, one of the coastal states in the U.S. I live on the coastline. It's also known as Katrina Country! But we're trying to live that down.

Biggest problem, the suffocating heat. You spend all your time going from one air conditioned area to another. I mean, I go out to get in the garbage receptacle (Monday is garbage day, how appropriate! :)), and I break a sweat! I guess I need to spend more time out in it, to get acclimated. Seriously, it really is hot. You've got to look at any good things that come from it. Like blueberries...

Blueberries grow in thickets of thorns. Growing up, I knew where they were in fields, just follow the thickets! Would also come across the Praying Mantis, the Venus Flytrap, and other oddities. Also loved to chase snakes in the big ditch! It was like a manmade creek. But I digress...

My bro and sis-in-law, along with a guest, went out to a blueberry farm today, for picking. They got three buckets of blueberries for 20 bucks! :) Nice catch. Even though I stayed home, bro assured me I would reap the benefits of their harvest. What do you think of, when you think of blueberries? I mean, besides muffins or pancakes. How about seeing how many you can stuff in your mouth? lol. Not that I have any Sway over how they use the berries, but would love to hear your thoughts on how to use blueberries. Or anything at all! God I'm bored! :)

TG