Dicta License

Dicta License is a Filipino rock/rap/grunge band in the vein of Rage Against the Machine. You can now listen to a Dicta License song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuzI_yOb6vQ

The guitarist for Dicta License is named Boogie Romero. This is an awesome name for a guitarist. It makes me think of former Red Sox shortstop Ed Romero. But Ed Romero wasn't Filipino. He was from Puerto Rico.

Ed Romero played for the Red Sox from 1986 to 1989. I wish we'd all called him Boogie Romero.


Boogie Board Romero.
Photo: sombraala via Flickr (CC)

Prethalamus

Prethalamus is a part of the brain, especially when described by developmental biologists. Some human anatomists use the expression subthalamus instead, but they're a bunch of drunks.

There's a lot of technical jargon in this Wikipedia article, including a reference to "Sonic hedgehog," which it turns out has nothing to do with the video game. I had no idea the game's title was a reference to proteins in a mammalian signaling pathway family.

All I know is the brain is great. I know there are a lot of great things in the world, but I think the brain is probably the greatest of all. It gives me everything from my ability to see to my love of Chinese food. On the other hand, it also gives me everything from toe pain to the sadness I feel when I'm full and there is still a lot of Chinese food on the table but I'm too full to want it anymore. But then I think of all the starving people in China, and I feel extremely lucky to be full. Again, thanks to my brain. Thanks, brain.


He can't love Chinese food.
Photo: drurydrama (Len Radin) via Flickr (CC)

Backbone State Park

Backbone State Park is Iowa's oldest state park and is arguably the world's only state park named after a backbone.

According to Wikipedia, the Backbone State Park area "was left unglaciated during the last Ice Age." I didn't know that "unglaciated" was a word. But I like it. It's also nice to know that I have something in common with the Backbone State Park area.


Backbone state backbone.
Photo: JR_Paris via Flickr (CC)

Violet wand

Violet wand is a device used in electrotherapy, S&M sex, and by hairdressers to stimulate the scalp.

A violet wand uses a Tesla coil to administer a low current, high voltage, high-frequency electrical current to whatever it touches. A violet wand is also known as a violet ray.

Be careful: violet wands can ignite flammable materials and melt pantyhose.


You may violet wand him.
Photo: Chuckumentary via Flickr (CC)

Jebel Irhoud

Jebel Irhoud is a cave in Morocco where they've found seven hominid fossils since 1991. The fossils are dated to about 160,000 years ago.

Sometimes I feel like we put too much emphasis on these findings, and I worry that we make grand assumptions on entire species of Early Man based on the fossilized bones of certain random individuals who lived. Maybe they were special?


The Flinstones were based on fossilized remains.
Photo: Thomas Hawk via Flickr (CC)

Waldemar III, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst

Waldemar III, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst was a German prince who died in 1391. Waldemar III, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst's dad's name was John.

There really were a lot of princes all over the world back in the olden days. There aren't as many princes these days. In fact, even the word prince has taken on new meaning in our modern times. When I hear the word prince, the first thing that comes to mind is Prince. Then I think of Prince spaghetti. Then I think of Milwaukee Brewers' firstbaseman Prince Fielder. Then I think of the Spin Doctors. Then I think of Bel Air. Then, and only then, I think of Waldemar III, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst.

One can only wonder what we'll think of when we hear the word prince in another 600 years.


Sometimes princes get angry.
Photo: itslefty via Flickr (CC)

Ada Yonath

Ada Yonath is an Israeli crystallographer. At first I thought that meant she made crystals. I was wrong. Crystallography, it turns out, is "the experimental science of determining the arrangement of atoms in solids."

Ada has won many awards for her pioneering research. I'm glad for it.

Crystals are great. They made Superman who he is. It was the green crystal that called to him when he was a teenager living on the farm in Iowa or wherever. And in the north he threw that green crystal out into the icy landscape, and it made the Fortress of Solitude, which was full of more crystals that taught Superman everything he knows. Then later, after he gave up his super powers so he could have sex with Lois Lane, and eventually came to regret his decision, it was the green crystal again that gave him his powers back.

Crystals are enchanting. Superman is also enchanting, when he wants to be.


Billy Crystal is also enchanting.
Photo: el frijole via Flickr (CC)

The Crime Club

The Crime Club was an imprint of the Doubleday publishing company. I guess an imprint is sort of a specialized brand name under which a certain number books are published. Many detective and mystery books were published under the Crime Club label. It started in 1928.

I don't like crime. The Crime Club is not a club I want my children to join at school when they choose extracurricular activities in order to better themselves and their community. There are other more worthwhile clubs they can participate in. They could join the Community Service Club or the Yearbook Club or the Ceramics Club. Or they could write for the school newspaper or run for class president or try out for the wrestling team.

I don't have children.


The Clasped Hands Club.
Photo: capturinglight via Flickr (CC)

Teetotalism

Teetotalism is the practice of never drinking alcohol. As Wikipedia says, there are many reasons one might be a teetotaler, including religion, health, family, or taste preferences.

Teetotalism is a strange word, and no one is sure where it comes from. One story goes that it came from a stutterer named Dicky Turner who said, at a meeting of the Preston Temperance Society in 1832, that the only acceptable behavior is "tee-tee-total abstinence." Ol' crazy stuttering Dicky.

I myself can't claim to be a teetotaler. I like a good drink every now and then as much as the next guy. But I respect teetotaling. If you don't like to drink, don't do it. Fine by me. Prohibition on the other hand, not so good. All it leads to is old-timey gangsters and old-timey machine guns.

In general, I'm against prohibiting things but in support of letting people not do things if they don't want to.


Not a teetotaler.
Photo: Christopher Henning via Flickr (CC)

USS General Putnam (1857)

USS General Putnam (1857) was a gunship used by the Union Army during the Civil War. The ship was also known as the USS William G. Putnam. But Wikipedia won't tell me who William G. Putnam was.

Strange for William G. Putnam. He obviously did something worthwhile; they named a boat after him. But whatever he did wasn't worthy of a Wikipedia article. I wonder who he was. I don't think he was a general. It says the US Navy purchased the William G. Putnam, a tugboat built in Brooklyn, in 1861. Then they changed the name to the USS General Putnam. Maybe he made boats.

Or maybe William G. Putnam is an anagram. That's probably it. It's a code. I'm going to enter it into an anagram generator and get to the bottom of this.


Waiting Mall Ump.
Photo: mathwizxp via Flickr (CC)

Leopoldo Sabbatini

Leopoldo Sabbatini was an Italian lawyer and the first dean and president of Bocconi University, the first business school in Italy. He was born in 1861, married in 1880, and died in 1914. He also had an awesome handlebar mustache.

I have never had a handlebar mustache. I've never had any mustache for that matter. I have hairs above my lip though. If I let them grow long, and shaved all the other hairs on my face, I'd have a mustache. But it's quite possibly something I'll never do as long as I live. That suddenly seems sad to me.


Mustache handlebars.
Photo: bec.w via Flickr (CC)

Chain whip

Chain whip is a weapon used in certain Asian martial arts. It is made of little metal rods connected by little chains, with a handle at one end and a metal dart at the other. It appears that the chain whip was first used in battle during the Jin Dynasty (265-420).

In a perfect world, we wouldn't need chain whips. Or any weapons at all, for that matter. But this world is far from perfect, and so we do. We need chain whips, and guns, and bombs, and swords in order to defend ourselves against other people's chain whips, and guns, and bombs, and swords. But those people only have chain whips, and guns, and bombs, and swords to defend themselves against our chain whips, and guns, and bombs, and swords.

All this leads me to one conclusion.


Do not be at the business end of a chain whip.
Photo: Michael McDonough via Flickr (CC)

Bodoland People's Front

Bodoland People's Front is a political party in India. In the 2009 general election, Bodoland candidate Sansuma Khunggur Bwiswmuthiary was elected to the lower parliament of India. Probably because his last name was so fun.

The Indian government has many political parties. Often I wish my own government had more parties. Though we have many small ones, only two have any say. Sometimes it feels like the game is rigged.

That's why I am going to start my own political party. That's the beauty of my country. I can do that. I am going to start my own political party, and it will be called the Awesome Party, and we'll have a slogan, and a logo, and a philosophy, and a vision.

And we'll have legions of supporters who will cheer when we say things and boo when our opponents say different things.

And everything will be fine.


Our chairman.
Photo: Jizzon via Flickr (CC)

Edward L. Keenan

Edward L. Keenan is a history professor at Harvard University. His focus is medieval Russia, especially the cultural and political history of Muscovy (1400 to 1600), as well as Ivan IV and Semen Shakhovskoi.

That guy's name is Semen. Can you believe that? Apparently, Semen was a Russian prince in the early 17th century. Can you imagine the abuse this guy must have taken in the schoolyard?

As for Professor Keenan, his claim to fame is his argument that many of the texts normally associated with the Russian medieval period are actually forgeries. This has totally shaken my impression of Russian history texts. While we're on the subject, one of my favorite songs of all time is about Russian history. And, as I've mentioned in Wikibloogia before, my Grandpa Eddie was born in Russia.

Russia will always have a special place in my heart.


Do not call him Semen.
Photo: Yury Cortés via Flickr (CC)

Ifghar

Ifghar is a character in the Guardians of Ga'hoole books. He is a Whiskered Screech Owl. I've never heard of Guardians of Ga'hoole, but it makes for some weird Wikipedia.

This is the last sentence of the Wikipedia article about Ifghar: "Since then, Ifghar, along with his turnscale Kielian snake partner, Gragg of Slonk, have sought revenge on Ezlyryb and Octavia, eventually trying to sell them and the rest of the Guardians out to Soren's evil brother Kludd and the Pure Ones."

What the shit?


This screech owl thinks Guardians of Ga'hoole is stupid.
Photo: Wally Hartshorn via Flickr (CC)

CKXU-FM

CKXU-FM is a Canadian radio station. It's a college radio station, broadcasting from the University of Lethbridge in Lethbridge. Canadian radio is just like any other radio except it is run by Canadians.

If you would like to listen live to CKXU while you read this Wikibloogia, you might be able to do so here: radio station. Or maybe it won't work. I don't know. I don't really understand the internet.

I like Canada. I like the Canadians I've known. I like the Canadian flag. I like the Canadian national anthem. I like Canadian geese. I like Canadian bacon.

In Canada they eat something called poutine. It is french fries with gravy and cheese curds. It's delicious. I also once went to a delicious Chinese buffet outside Toronto. Canada is among the most delicious countries in North America.


I like Canadian wind.
Photo: jacob earl via Flickr (CC)

6LoWPAN

6LoWPAN is an acronym that stands for IPv6 over Low power Wireless Personal Area Networks. It also looks like blowpan.

Blowpan is not a word, but if it were I think it would mean a pan that has small blowers which circulate air through it to create a well-oxygenated meat. It could also be used as an insult, as in, "That guy's a real blowpan."

Unfortunately the world is full of these kinds of blowpans. These people who can't help but be mean to those who are smaller and poorer and not as formally trained at karate. Of course, the real reason these blowpans act as they do is because they are insecure. They are frustrated that Elisabeth Shue doesn't want to be with them even though their parents are friends and they go to the same events at the country club. But that doesn't condone their behavior. Luckily, these kinds of blowpans usually see the errors of their ways in the final round of the big karate tournament.


Vehicles can be blowpans too.
Photo: djwudi via Flickr (CC)

Ian Westlake

Ian Westlake is another English soccer player, the second in Wikibloogia. In time, Wikibloogia will be able to field its own soccer team. I look forward to that day. Westlake plays in the English League One for a team called the Wycombe Wanderers. Sort of a discouraging name for a soccer team.

But the real story here is Westlake's last name. Westlake. One can't help but think of Theo Huxtable's sexy-yet-demanding teacher Mrs. Westlake. Mrs. Westlake was tough. She pushed Theo to do his best in school, even though he had dyslexia (though we didn't know it at the time).

It was Mrs. Westlake who inspired me to become a teacher. Of course, I'm not a teacher. But Mrs. Westlake inspired me to become one.


A long-awaited arrival.
Photo: Mr Ush via Flickr (CC)

Edinburgh Association for the University Education of Women

Edinburgh Association for the University Education of Women campaigned for higher education for women in Scotland until 1892, when Scottish universities started admitting women. It is also the longest Wikibloogia title to date.

I always admire people, or groups of people, who fight for rights. I'm glad I have them. My rights. I think about it fairly often. Rights are weird. It's a bit unclear where they come from. I guess in the United States they come from that piece of paper those guys wrote on with quill pens. Which is great. Those guys seemed smart and noble. On the other hand, each of those guys was once a baby. We base our entire society on the decisions of a few grown-up babies.

Rights are slow-coming for so many groups of people. It always takes so many decades for the majority to acknowledge that a certain group has a certain right, and then those certain rights are granted to that certain group, and then it's on to the next long battle for the next rights. Why does it have to take so long? Can't we just skip to the end?


The Founding Fathers quickly realized they'd have to write smaller to fit it.
Photo: roberthuffstutter via Flickr (CC)

Caroline of Ansbach

Caroline of Ansbach was the queen consort of King George II of Great Britain back in the 1730s. Apparently she was a pretty big deal. Wikipedia says she was "one of the most important consorts in British history." She even has a county in Virginia named after her. It's called Caroline County.

Like many historical royal figures, Caroline had all kinds of complicated family dramas. Caroline is also the subject of a well-known nursery rhyme, in which she washes her hair in turpentine. The turpentine makes Caroline's hair shine.

But listen to what occurred to me: A queen is a kind of playing card. The queen of diamonds is one of the four queens. Diamond is Neil Diamond's last name. Neil Diamond has a famous song called Sweet Caroline. Caroline was a queen. A queen is a kind of playing card. The queen of diamonds is one of the four queens. And so on.


Neil Diamond's left index finger is tied to a hot air balloon.
Photo: whiper via Flickr (CC)

SV Eintracht Trier 05

SV Eintracht Trier 05 is a German soccer club, originally founded in 1905. They currently play down in the fourth level of professional German leagues.

In Germany they call soccer Fußball (pronouced FOOS-ball). This is funny because that's our English word for a table game with hard plastic men lined up on metal rods with big heads and blocks for feet spinning very fast and knocking a ball into a goal. One can imagine a world in which this was always how German-English language relationships worked. For example, the German word for farming is Landwirtschaft. In English, landwirtschaft would be our word for hard plastic men lined up on metal rods with big heads and blocks for feet spinning very fast and planting crops.

Soccer is one of Germany's most cherished pastimes.


These foosball players wish they weren't suspended from metal rods.
Photo: Rev. Xanatos Satanicos Bombasticos (ClintJCL) via Flickr (CC)

Brian O'Nolan

Brian O'Nolan was an Irish novelist who went by the pen name Flann O'Brien. I once read one of his books, called The Third Policeman. It was great. O'Nolan also sometimes went by another pen name: Myles na gCopaleen. That doesn't roll off the tongue as well as Flann O'Brien.

I've always liked the idea of pen names. I once decided that my pen name could be Shon Adams, as a jumbled play on my real name. I would sometimes jokingly sign emails this way to a friend or two. I think I maybe even opened an email account under the false name. Then one day I googled "Shon Adams" and was disappointed to learn that Shon Adams already exists as a person. He's a rapper/producer from Oakland who goes by the stage name E-A-Ski. So he too has a pen name.

These days, everybody's got pen names. The internet is swarming with pen names.


This pen's name is Ana.
Photo: kenchanayo via Flickr (CC)