Bill W

When I think of obstinate or obstinacy, my first thought of course go to our friend the donkey or the mule, since they have a historic trail of being obstinate, but I also think of a child throwing a temper tantrum that isn't about to give in. I've seen too many of them in the stores or at a restaurant over the years. Thank god my kids only did things like that at home. 😝

Yes, knowing how the music you liked is now classified as "classic" or "generational" does sting a little at first, but it comes about from the many years we've been lucky enough to chalk up. You won't find "Yesterdays" on Google for something that's actually at/in Glenwood Springs. That's something I thought would be fun to place there so the generations would be able to interact. I'm not sure if I found the "Doc Holiday's Saloon" when I was doing my research, but then again, I don't exactly remember either. That's a sign of "my" age. Yikes! 😲 I once ate at a place called Yesterdays only to find it was leftover food from....Yesterday(groan) Yes, I'm not sure that would be an appetizing way to draw in customers, but maybe cost efficient. 🤪

The word "obstinacy" has a Latin origin. It comes from the Medieval Latin term "obstinatia," which itself derives from the past parrticiple "obstinatus" meaning "resolute, determined, inflexible. This root, "obstinatus," is a combination of the Latin word "ob-," meaning "before" or "against," and the verb "stinare," which is related to "stāre" meaning "to stand". Therefore, "obstinacy" essentially means the state of being stubbornly persistent or inflexible in one's opinions or actions. The earliest known use of the noun obstinacy is in the Middle English period (1150—1500). OED's earliest evidence for obstinacy is from before 1393, in the writing of John Gower, poet. obstinacy is a borrowing from the Latin. Etymons: Latin obstinacia. The first known use of the word "obstinate" in English was in the 14th century, specifically around 1350-1400, during the Middle English period. It was borrowed from Latin and Middle English, with its roots tracing back to the Latin word "obstinātus," meaning "set one's mind on, be determined". Examples of obstinate and obstinacy used in a sentence: "I think there were only two who remained obstinate." "However, he is obstinate in his view and confident in the wisdom of the bodies which he is setting up." "He is an obstinate man, and obstinate men, as a rule, are very weak men." "I am not at all obstinate about it." "A resolution once arrived at he carried out with iron obstinacy." "Against these difficulties he struggled with characteristic obstinacy." "Bogdanich is vindictive and you'll pay for your obstinacy, said Kirsten." "The patience of the ass, the high spirit of the horse, the obstinacy of the mule, have long been proverbial."

Chapter 2 – Off to a Good Start My alarm went off at 6:30 and then Devin and I took a quick shower, got dressed, and carried our duffel bags downstairs. My parents were waiting for us in the living room. “We’ll be driving directly to Glenwood Springs, which will take about five hours, but you’ll be able to sleep for part of the time if you’re still tired,” Dad advised us. “We’ll stop for breakfast in about an hour, so you can either sleep until then or remain awake until after you’

Here's another video you might find interesting.

Incapacitate came to English in the 1610s, "lack of ability, powerlessness," from French incapacité (16c.), from Medieval Latin incapacitatem (nominative incapacitas), from Late Latin incapax (genitive incapacis) "incapable," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + Latin capax "capable," literally "able to hold much," from capere "to take". The verb "incapacitate" first appeared in English in the 1650s. In its earliest usage, it was primarily a legal term, meaning to deprive someone of the ability to act or participate in legal proceedings. By the 1660s, it gained broader use, referring to the general inability to perform or act. Examples of incapacitate used in a sentence: "He was incapacitated by the pain." "The class teaches you how to incapacitate an attacker." "The stroke left her completely incapacitated." "When I load this small dart into this handgun, it's supposed to incapacitate a demon." "Chances are he used your hammer to incapacitate the burglar." "Sure, a few gunshots may incapacitate zombies, but removing their heads is the best way to go."

I love the Easter jack-o-lantern.

As to @wildone's question about Easter egg hunts: yes, even in the dark ages when I was young we had Easter egg hunts. Not only did we wake up on Easter morning to hunt for eggs, but we had to hunt for our Easter basket as well. It was filled with candy - chocolate bunnies and eggs and marshmallow "peeps". When my children were younger, we had them hunt for eggs as well, but it seemed like every Easter they wouldn't find one of the eggs, and since we couldn't remember where we hid each of them, it wouldn't be discovered until many days later when it began to smell. Not a pleasant discovery. On the lighter side, my children got the chocolate bunnies, but their favorite was the Reese's peanut butter eggs. I wish they'd had those when I was younger, because I'd buy a few of them for myself when we bought them for the kids.

Only five days left to get the stories/poems submitted for the Comicality Tribute, so get writing if you haven't already submitted your story/poem. Comicality deserves a good showing for what he's done for gay stories and his contributions to Gay Authors.

Avowed comes to English rom Old French avouer ‘acknowledge’, from Latin advocare ‘summon in defense’. It first came to Middle English as the word "avouch" (affirm or vouch), later to become the word avowed. The only known use of the adjective avowed is in the early 1700s. OED's only evidence for avowed is from 1720, in a translation by Richard Welton, clergyman of the nonjuring Church of England. Examples of avowed used in a sentence: "The recently converted man avowed his change of faith" "My grandfather avowed that he was no longer in perfect health" "They're avowed enemies of the current Cuban state." "We are endangered from the outside by our avowed enemies." "The indulgence was a consequence of the context, of the avowed project." "Likewise Montesquieu in his Essay on Taste owes him more than is avowed." "The shopper confirmed that he is an avowed believer in organic farming" "The preacher is an avowed follower of the ideology" "The leaders came to power with the avowed aim of promoting religious toleration"

The core concept of "nomad" and "nomadic" stems from the Ancient Greek word "nomás," which described people who roamed around, often in search of grazing land for their herds. The word "nomad" was adopted into Latin as "Nomades," which further influenced the development of French and English. The English word "nomadic" was created by adding the adjective-forming suffix "-ic" to the noun "nomad". This suffix, borrowed from French and Latin, indicates a connection to or relationship with the word it modifies. The earliest confirmed use of the adjective "nomadic" in English is from 1807, found in the writings of ancient historian John Gillies. Examples of nomadic used in a sentence: "They were the property of a nomadic tribe in the first century AD." "Half a century ago, most Arabs lived in rural areas or as nomadic tribes." "The modern era was about to arrive with its cars, oil and revolutions, the end of the nomadic way of life." "I had a nomadic childhood because my dad was in the military and we moved from assignment to assignment.

The word "chutzpah" is primarily a Yiddish word "khutspe", though it originates from Hebrew, which may have borrowed it from the Aramaic word ḥu ṣpā. It has since been adopted into English, but retains its Yiddish roots. In Yiddish, "chutzpah" describes a quality of audacity, gall, impudence, or brazen confidence, often in a negative way. In English, it's often seen as a positive trait, emphasizing boldness and courage. The word "chutzpah" entered the English language sometime between 1890 and 1895. Examples of chutzpah used in a sentence: "I give him five stars for sheer chutzpah." "That takes a certain chutzpah." "I admire their audacity, but their chutzpah and sense of priorities scare me." "You can't help but admire the sheer chutzpah of the man. "The man had a great deal of chutzpah when he asked his boss for a raise just weeks into a new job."

I think Mac should be more worried about his mom moving next door of them and trying to raise their kids when they have them. She screwed up two of her own, so I'm not sure Mac and Devin will want her spending too much time with their boys. She may incite them to an early transformation so they can attack her. However, the boys are doing a good job with the dinner as well, but I have a feeling she will think she can always do a better job than the boys, even as she compliments them now. 😜 Thank you for your support, Danilo, and it sounds like that pastry shop might be worth a try. If you approve of their pastries, then you might make it a frequent stop. If you don't approve of their pastries, then you can forget about it and not much lost in the effort.

Val, poem 1 is an interesting list of accomplishments as throughout different stages of your life. Some are obviously from childhood, such as riding "a bike until the streetlights came on" and "walking to school, no matter what Mother Nature threw at me." I would imagine "drinking from the hose and coming home when hungry" was also from a younger viewpoint, but I don't believe that's a wise choice, due to the chemicals used in making some hoses or the possible use of lead. I could relate to other comments, such as "I just want to lay in bed and not deal with it all" and "curling up in the closet surrounded by my favorite books." Poem 2 was an interesting look at the life of a person with disabilities. Sometimes we don't stop to think about what they go through, but you stated the difficulty with tasks so clearly that I was able to feel the frustration of their situation very clearly. Thank you for doing that.

Leave it to you, Lee, to come up with a whimsical poem with important and valid points. First of all, we don't need to destroy everything that is different, and I immediately think about the killing of wildlife when it's not for sustenance and merely for a trophy or to destroy something we fear. The other is that different doesn't mean it's a bad thing or those that are different must be separated, removed from, or destroyed by those that are 'normal', whatever that is. Well done.

As always, Parker, a wonderful collection, and very thought provoking, which leads me to a question. That first kiss, electric and yet shy, tasted so unlike to his or hers; theirs lingered sweeter yet more supple on the tongue, unexpected to this connoisseur, yet promising more than all the rest. How much of a connoisseur of fine kisses are you?

Potpourri is from the French word potpourri, literally ‘rotten pot’, denoting a stew made of different kinds of meat. The earliest recorded use of "potpourri" in English was in 1611, defined in Randle Cotgrave's "A Dictionarie of the French and English Tongues" as a Spanish dish ("olla podrida") of mixed meats stewed together. Later, in the mid-18th century, it began to be used to describe a fragrant mixture of dried flowers and spices. The first known example of this usage is in a letter from Henrietta Knight in the 1740s. In the early 18th century, "potpourri" also started to be used in music to describe a collection of different musical fragments. Today, "potpourri" is commonly used to describe a fragrant mixture of dried flowers, herbs, and spices, as well as a general collection or medley of diverse items. Examples of potpourri used in a sentence: "The leaves are used in potpourri, teas, and cooking." "The musician played a potpourri of tunes from Gilbert and Sullivan" "They were at his apartment now, replaced by scented candles and bowls of potpourri." "Keep candles, potpourri, matches, cigarettes, etc., out of reach." "The room took its musky rose and aniseed scent, Banks noticed, from a bowl of potpourri on the laundry hamper under the window."

When Devin transitions, he has to find a area to move the bones with those parts attached around so they done affect whatever he is transitioning into. He can't just transition and let the parts fall out, because they are attached to the bones. He can only move the bones so they don't affect whatever creature he's transitioning into. In some cases he can make the bones smaller, but only as small as the hardware will allow, and in the smaller animals, that just isn't possible. .

Expedient comes from Latin expedient- ‘extricating, putting in order’, from the verb expedire . The word "expedient" was first used in English as an adjective in the 14th century. As a noun, it first appeared in 1630. The word originates from Latin, meaning "extricating, putting in order". OED's earliest evidence for expedient is from around 1430, in a translation by John Lydgate, poet and prior of Hatfield Regis. Examples of expedient used in a sentence: "Either side could break the agreement if it were expedient to do so" "The manager came up with a simple and expedient solution" "The latter expedient, common in North America, was much less so in England." "It was decided that holding a public inquiry into the scheme was not expedient" "The government chose short-term expedients instead of a real economic policy." "We can solve this problem by the simple expedient of taking out another loan."

Thanks, @VBlew. and I'm sure Devin is going to contact the doctor once they're back at college. How it works out is another story, though, because he'll have to convince the doctor to cut into a healthy body to remove those items. We'll see what happens, but thank you for bringing it up.

Thanks, @Ticklishboy30. Yes, Mac's mom does seem to be chilling out. I mean, she accepted her son being a skinwalker without too much pushback, and I always felt it would be a coin toss about how she'd react if she ever found out. Give her props, she's come a long way since when we first met. At that time, it seemed as if she didn't want to let Mickey out of her sight. We'll see if it continues or if she backslides.

If they get a good lead, they just might. You never know what might happen and what adventures they end up with.

Despite their name, crab spiders are arachnids. First off, don't panic; crab spiders' venom is not poisonous to you (unless you are a bee or unless you happen to be allergic).

Acerbic and acerb ultimately come from the Latin adjective acerbus, which can mean "harsh" or "unpleasant." It was formed by adding the suffix "-ic" to the earlier adjective "acerb" (meaning sour) and "acerb" ultimately came from the Latin word "acerbus" meaning harsh or bitter. Another English word that comes from acerbus is exacerbate, which means "to make more violent or severe. The earliest documented use of the word "acerbic" in English dates back to the 1850s. OED's earliest evidence for acerbic is from 1853, in the writing of G. W. M. Reynolds. acerbic is a borrowing from Latin, combined with an English element. Examples of Acerbic in a sentence: "He instantly wished he could take back the acerbic comment." "His question wasn't acerbic, but quite inquisitive." "The professor could also be acerbic when challenged." "Why the need for such acerbic comments?" "He can be an acerbic critic." "I love his acerbic humor and his cynicism." "As a sufferer of chronic pain, she is acerbic, bitter and savagely funny."

Thanks, Chris, and we're off to a great start.