http://joanwz.hubpages.com/hub/Defining-Anger
Monday, April 29, 2013
Electrical Frequencies, Conversions with other Measurements
http://joanwz.hubpages.com/hub/Electrical-Frequencies-Conversions-with-Other-Measurements
Friday, April 26, 2013
Week of April 28, 2012 - "Dark Prince" A Book Review
A month or two ago I read a book called "Dark Desire" not realizing at the time that it was the second book in a series. Leave it to my husband to notice the series part. He loves series books. (But that's a story for another day.) Anyway, I loved the book so much I figured I'd better find the first book and read it - just to see if I wanted to continue with the rest of the books in the series. Here is that first book, "Dark Prince" by Christine Feehan.
"Dark Prince" follows Mikhail's story line. Mikhail is brother's with Jacques, the storyline for the second book that I read out of order. Mikhail has been the prince of the Carpathians for centuries, protecting them, helping to preserve the ways of their people, and serving up justice where it needs serving up. Lately he has begun despairing of ever finding his life-mate, and is dangerously on the edge of turning into a vampire. If he should turn rogue, he would become the enemy of his own people, who would be forced to hunt him down and kill him.
One evening, in a fit of deep despair, a woman reaches out to him through telepathy. Mikhail is not expecting this link from someone previously unknown to him. His curiosity drives him to find out about this woman is who can telepathically communicate with him so easily. He is torn between his need to make Raven, his life-mate, and the knowledge that he must let this human woman go. Carpathians had tried turning humans into Carpathians before, with disastrous results. The woman always suffered grave psychological consequences from the conversion.
Mikhail finds he is unable to resist his natural Carpathian urges to perform the ritual that binds Raven to him. The problem is that Raven does not understand what it means to be Carpathian. Unfortunately, the two blood exchanges he has performed with Raven, have already made their indelible mark on every system in her body. One more will turn her into a Carpathian permanently.
Raven doesn't know what's happening to her and Mikhail doesn't realize how far the process has already gone. In an effort to protect her from a fresh band of vampire hunters, he decides not to tell her everything. But as Raven unwittingly uncovers some of his people's secrets, she suspects he's lying to her and trying to shut her out. Then the unthinkable happens. The vampire hunters first injure Mikhail, nearly mortally. Then, as he recovers attack Raven so severely it appears she will most assuredly die – which will cause the death of Mikhail, her life-mate. How will the Carpathians survive this attack? How can they continue without their Dark Prince if he and his life-mate die?
In true urban fantasy/bodice ripper fashion, Christine Feehan has woven another gripping tale. I enjoyed this one as much as the 2nd book in the series. I do believe I am going to have read the rest of the series now. If you’re into series books, or vampires, I would suggest you look into this series. It’s well worth the read.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Saturday, April 20, 2013
How to Evaluate a Website as a Resource
http://scienceray.com/technology/how-to-evaluate-a-website-as-a-resource/
Week of April 21, 2013 - MacGuffin, A Study in Words
MacGuffin’s are a form of fictional prestidigitation. You’re meant to look at the MacGuffin being manipulated in one hand, while the plot is being developed in the other hand. The best MacGuffin stories make use of the plot device in such a way that it doesn’t take you so far astray of the plot that you lose track of the story.
MacGuffin Defined
MacGuffin is a noun defined as an object, event, or character in a film or story that serves to set and keep the plot in motion despite usually lacking intrinsic importance. One example of a MacGuffin is the briefcase that became the object of the film “Pulp Fiction” that kept getting passed around throughout the movie. Your never really find out why everyone wants this briefcase or even what’s in it, only that everyone wants it bad enough to steal it and keep it away from everyone else who wants it.
History of the Word Magoffin
Alfred Hitchcock coined the word MacGuffin as a word for such a plot device. He borrowed the concept from an old story about a mysterious package brought aboard a train by one of the passengers. When fellow passengers began asking questions about the package, the package owner replied that it was a “MacGuffin” used to capture tigers in the Highlands of Scotland.
When the other passengers replied that there were no tigers in Scotland
Synonyms of MacGuffin
There aren’t many synonyms for MacGuffin, but the few I found that really seem to fit the bill are: red herring, clue, diversion, evidence, wild goose chase, merry dance, decoy, trick, ploy, lure, deviation, device, plot device, distraction, trap, and bait.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Monday, April 15, 2013
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Week of March 14, 2013 - Henchmen
Henchmen is a word that has fascinated me for a long time. It has such deliciously evil connotation to it. I always imagined being a fictional henchman, as a way of vicariously living out that “bad guy” fantasy without having to think up all those evil plots and schemes.
Henchmen Definition
Henchmen is defined as a loyal and trusted follower, a subordinate, someone who supports a political figure for selfish interests, a member of a criminal gang, a right-hand man, someone who follows the evil side without asking why, any group of followers of a gangster.
There was an motorcycle gang called the Henchmen Motorcycle club that emerged in the 70s. They became quite large by absorbing or merging with several other smaller groups, including the Hells Angels. By the 90s, the group had drawn the ire of a rival gang (the Outlaws) who ended up burning down their club house. These days, The Henchmen Motorcycle Club is a Non-Profit Corporation in California
Fictional Henchmen
This is only a very small, partial list of fictional henchmen. I quickly figured out that, to try and name all known henchmen would make this blog go on for weeks.
· Grima Wormtongue, Saruman, and Nazgul (Lord of the Rings trilogy)
· Blackout, Bombshell, Bonecrusher, Brawl and many more (Transformers)
· Buzzer, Ripper (GI Joe)
· Cal Durham (former henchman of Black Manta, DC Comics)
· Boba Fett, Grand Moff Tarkin (Star Wars)
· Igor (traditional stock character with the cliché hunchback, used as a butler or assistant for Count Dracula, any mad scientist, Frankenstein, and countless horror movies and horror movie parodies)
· Jaws, Oddjob (James Bond)
· Leonardo Fortunato (Left Behind series of novels)
· Lucifer (Battlestar Galactica)
· Mandarin’s Minions (The Mandarin)
· Mini Me (Austin Powers)
· Sebastian Moran (Professor Moriarti’s henchman in the Sherlock Holmes stories)
· Muttley (Henchman of Dick Dastardly, Wacky Races)
· Otis (Superman)
· Over-Kill (Spawn)
· Pintel and Ragetti (Pirates of the Caribbean )
· Charlie Prince (Three-Ten to Yuma
· Renfield (Dracula)
· Reptile (Mortal Combat)
· Silver Samerai (Marvel Comics)
· Tokka and Rahzar, Dr. Baxter Stockman (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
· Turok-Han (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Synonyms for Henchmen
The word henchmen has several synonyms, words with negative, positive, and neutral nuances that help define what a henchman is. The synonyms include: follower, adherent, cohort, disciple, minion, supporter, pursuer, attendant, hangers-on, dangler, parasite, stooge, flunky, partisan, sectary, camp follower, groupie, fan and buff, courtier, train-bearer, and entourage. I’m sure you’ve seen many of these in your reading.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
If Money Were No Object, What Classes Would You Take?
http://joanwz.hubpages.com/hub/IfMoneyWereNoObjectWhatClassesWouldYouTake
Different Ways to Thicken Liquids for Cooking
http://joanwz.hubpages.com/hub/Different-Ways-to-Thicken-Liquids-for-Cooking
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Friday, April 5, 2013
Week of April 7, 2013 - Honky-Tonk, A Study in Words
By Joan Whetzel
Honky-Tonk is another one of those words that I’ve run into that has continued to intrigue me because I love the sound of it. The word brings up images of a smoky saloon; beer drinking; rednecks wearing jeans, alligator cowboy boots and a goat-roper shirt; women with big hair, denim skirts, and lots of makeup; and walls covered with neon signs. A juke box in the corner plays country western music and the weekend band on stage croons all the top hits made popular by the current country stars. Couples dance the two-step or step out on the dance floor with a little line dancing. These are the modern images of the honky-tonk that have evolved from its origins.
Definition
Honkey-tonk is defined as a cheap noisy bar or a dance hall. No surprise there. It’s also defined as anything relating to such a bar or dance hall; anything related to the ragtime usually played on an old piano with the tin sound that that has been played in a honky-tonk; or, as a verb, the act of visiting these dance halls.
What Is a Honky-Tonk?
Honky-tonks have always been the type of bar that offer their patrons musical entertainment. The Fort Worth Daily Gazette published a story in 1989 about a petition to the council to have the Main Street Honky Tonk reopened, suggesting that Honky Tonk was the actual name of the theater. Other print references for honky tonks describe similar theaters and bars found along the cattle drive trials between Dallas Fort Worth , Texas Oklahoma
Synonyms for Honky-tonk
bar, barroom, cocktail lounge, taproom, tavern pub, pothouse, alehouse, rum shop, grogshop, dram shop, groggery, gin mill, saloon, drinking saloon, lounge bar, piano bar, waterhole, watering hole, public house, beer parlor, beer garden, nightclub, cabaret, café, wine shop, barrel house, speakeasy, afterhours joint
References
Wikipedia. Honky-Tonk.
American Heritage Dictionary. Honky-Tonk.
Roget's Thesaurus. Honky-Tonk. Fifth Edition. New York
Thursday, April 4, 2013
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