Word Study: Laura

I'm a big fan of UrbanDictionary.com, which defines all kinds of inappropriate slang without my having to bring it up at the dinner table. Readers can submit terms and definitions such as "cougar," "senioritis," and "Hasselhoff," among other things. Once, I saw a name (Caitlin) with seven pages of meanings. Some people seem to like Jessicas and others find them to be slutty boyfriend thieves. So tonight, I was curious to see what the dictionary has to say about

me.

Overall, Lauras seem to be appreciated, as evidenced by this delightful definition:

"the person with this name is the most amazing person you will ever meet. After you say hi to her, magic fairy dust will sprinkle on your head and then you'll be able to FLY! OMG! Who WOULDN'T want to fly?
example: That girl is so cool. Her name must be Laura! *begins to fly*"

However, there are some who had less-than-stellar experiences with Lauras:

"a stupid bitch; who tends to think she is better than everyone else, she isn't. she will spend the rest of her life alone and unhappy. she also leads tons of guys on with no intention of persuing anyof it.. skank bitch
example: that girl is a bitch.. her name must be laura."

I appreciate your candor, world.

Titanic Obsession: Books

Let's embark on this exciting Titanic series by focusing first on the written word. Interestingly, much of the literature revolving around the disaster is aimed at children. Indeed, I was in third grade when Titanic mania struck, so perhaps it is a ripe age for such topics.
If you're like me, then you'll already be familiar with a host of juvenile literature written about the Titanic (and will have read each of them twice). These include fact books, biographies, and exquisitely bad historical fiction.

First, a young cabin boy is a proud caretaker of the ship's lucky cat in:
In the end, he actually misses the boat, narrowly avoiding disaster, so the cat IS lucky--for him. (Apparently this is charmingly-illustrated tale is based on the less-than-charming story of a real cabin boy.)

This next gem is a little more mature, intended for twelve-year-olds:
I'm not sure if I can do this synopsis justice, so I'll let Publisher's Weekly do the talking:

"In 1898, four-year-old Jane (the second of five sisters) sees her mother (a medium) contact the spirit world. That same day, on their way to a spiritualist community outside Buffalo, N.Y., the newly-fatherless family is caught in an artificial earthquake caused by real-life scientist Nikola Tesla. As the years pass, Jane falls in love with Tesla's assistant, Thad. After a trip to England, the sisters find themselves on the Titanic, with one of Tesla's machines that could either save everyone or destroy the ship. The novel uses a touch of the fantastic to provide a (mostly) happy conclusion. The interplay of science, spirituality, history and romance will satisfy."

Much of the adolescent genres include contemporary time traveler tales (chapter books, of course, for maximum suspense), in which modern day youngsters:
a. use a time machine in order to save the entire ship (fail)
b. get sent back as punishment for picking on foster siblings


With this increased demand for first-hand experiences aboard the Titanic, we start to question the ideals of today's youth. The literature points to a growing trend in reckless decision-making and blatant disregard for mortality. So one brave author decided to put an end to these desires and set the record straight in:

Titanic Obsession

As of next month, 98 years will have passed since the sinking of the Unsinkable, the greatest ship man's hubris ever inspired: the Titanic.


In honor, memoriam, and fascination with the tragedy, I will feature a series of posts about modern-day treatment of the Titanic. This includes books, movies, and such. It will not be comprehensive, but it will be what I've been thinking about. Fifteen-hundred people drowned in the ice fields of the Atlantic, and our culture has been reinterpreting the tragedy for a century.

Mankind is fascinated with disaster. We know it. And this week, I will embrace it.

x

Privacy Settings

So it's been over a month since I last posted. I like to think that I've been busy living life rather than writing about it, but really I've just been uninspired. So tonight, of all things, a former coworker's Facebook status has sent me back to the keyboard.

This is what showed up on my News Feed:


Okay, so I'm thinking same-sex couples, status updates, and general drama enacted on FB walls. Who cares about other people's private life and let's move on. I got it. I like it. This post immediately followed:


So after informing the Facebook community that "he" (her significant other/husband) will soon be returning to her (and her bed), she tells the world to mind it's collective business and stay out of relationship business. So, every other relationship should be between two people and not the whole world? Maybe I'm cynical tonight. But. You know, pick one. Tell us about it or don't.