a tangent

So, covering my tracks, I looked up the word pituitary, and inadvertently came across its etymology:

Latin pituita phlegm; from the former belief that the pituitary gland secreted phlegm -- more at PIP

[At this point, I'd just like to say that "pituita" itself sounds like what it sounds like when you spit out phlegm.]

Pip. Middle English pippe, from Middle Dutch (akin to Old High German pfiffIz), from (assumed) Vulgar Latin pipita, alteration of Latin pituita phlegm, pip; perhaps akin to Greek pitys pine.

Okay, then.

'Funky Monkey' Underwear Flies From Shops

Women in Singapore are buying their husbands special Chinese New Year briefs, hoping to bring them good fortune and increase their sexual potency.

Women are also buying themselves "Funky Monkey" panties specially designed for the year of the monkey, featuring smiling cartoon primates. The Lunar New Year begins on Jan. 22 and is celebrated by the Chinese diaspora around the globe.

But the most popular style is bright red briefs for men featuring Chinese characters for wealth and prosperity, said Jeannette Cheong, owner of the underwear store ButtOn Trendy Undies.

dropped jaw.

from boots

I'm speechless.

ABSOLUTELY NOT WORKSAFE. And not for the faint of heart.

I visit m-w.com often

rescission, recission, n. Late Latin rescission-, rescissio, from Latin rescindere. An act of rescinding. Dates from 1611.

stolen from renwick

I'm swiping things left and right these days.

Gene 'helped create human brain'

Scientists have identified a gene that appears to have played a key role in the development of the human brain.

They believe it is responsible for the expansion of an area of the brain called the cerebral cortex which controls abstract reasoning.

[...] Lead researcher Dr Bruce Lahn said: "People have studied the evolution of the brain for a long time, but they have traditionally focused on the comparative anatomy and physiology of brain evolution.

"I would venture, however, that there really hasn't been any convincing evidence until now of any gene whose changes might have contributed to the evolution of the brain."

( Read more... )

a question I came up with on my commute home

If everything is God, why is the self so denigrated? The self is God, too.

I was thinking this in the context of Bayazid Al-Bistami's statement: "Forgetfulness of self is remembrance of God."

This got me to consider that perhaps there are nuances to the terms ground of being, God, the godhead.

A nuanced God?

Hmm. Still considering.

This is what global warming does, folks.

Meat-Locker Chill Settles Over Northeast

Yes, this includes Michigan.

I need to buy more longjohns, because frigid temperatures are not good for those who depend on public transportation. . . .