NaNoWordSprints Prompts from November 2019

Here are the prompts I tweeted out on NaNoWordSprints during this year’s main NaNoWriMo event!

* * *

November 4, 2019, 7:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Vintage Postcards

10 min	hands across the sea
20 min	in olden days
30 min	travel lodge
10 min	bridge
20 min	you don’t know beans
30 min	I was out all night
10 min	help
20 min	resting place
30 min	nothing compares
10 min	transportation
20 min	costume
15 min	strange contraptions

 

November 6, 2019, 8:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Lost Words

10 min	boscaresque	adj	picturesque; scenically wooded
20 min	chermadic	adj	of a heavy weight used as a projectile
30 min	aretaloger	n	braggart; one who boasts about his own accomplishments
10 min	essomenic	adj	showing things as they will be in the future
20 min	diffibulate	v	to unbutton; to unbuckle
30 min	nubivagant	adj	moving throughout or among clouds
10 min	pudify	v	to cause to be ashamed
20 min	rimestock	n	old almanac with runic writings
30 min	quaeritate	v	to question; to inquire
5 min	occulcation	n	act of treading on or trampling

 

November 9, 2019, 9:00am-11:00am (UTC-8)
Parallel Dimensions

10 min	fear
20 min	forgetting the directions
30 min	don’t rock the boat
10 min	whack a mole
20 min	into the woods

 

November 9, 2019, 11:45am-1:30pm (UTC-8)
BART Sprints

20 min	tunnel vision
30 min	transferring
10 min	getting lunch
20 min	foreshadowing

 

November 11, 2019, 10:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Birthday Cake Sprints

10 min	the cake is a lie
20 min	icing on the cake
30 min	it should be a cakewalk
10 min	that takes the cake
20 min	to have one’s cake and eat it

 

November 12, 2019, 8:00am-11:00am (UTC-8)
C Idioms

30 min	chain of command
30 min	close call
30 min	cold feet
30 min	can’t see the forest for the trees
30 min	change your mind

 

November 13, 2019, 8:00am-11:00am (UTC-8)
G Idioms

30 min	gather dust
30 min	get the vapors
30 min	give someone a piece of one’s mind
30 min	grasp at straws
30 min	guilty pleasure

 

November 13, 2019, 8:00pm-10:00pm (UTC-8)
Obscure Words

10 min	skiamachy	sham fight; shadow boxing
20 min	moilsome	laborious
30 min	hamartia	flaw in a character leading to his downfall
10 min	vespertinal	of, like or pertaining to the evening
20 min	kalon	beauty that is more than skin deep

 

November 16, 2019, 5:00am-7:00am (UTC-8)
The Great Train Escape Part 1

10 min	waiting in line
20 min	eagerly anticipating
30 min	extraordinary transport
10 min	funny quirk
20 min	interesting diversion

 

November 16, 2019, 9:30pm-11:00pm (UTC-8)
The Great Train Escape Part 2

30 min	Delay
15 min	Darkness
30 min	Delusion

 

November 17, 2019, 2:00pm-6:00pm (UTC-8)
The Bay Area Binge

10 min	ABHilzinger	write about food
20 min	getbluespheres	your main character is challenged to a duel
30 min	hp_anon	a character discovers they have a very mild but inconvenient allergy at an inconvenient time
10 min	jennism	start a scene with a version of: “when I confronted him, he denied that he ever said it.”
20 min	kattopher	your character wants a little passion but without sweetness – inspired by sugarless passionfruit tea
30 min	AngerAndAgony	your main character isn’t paying attention and walks into a phone pole, injuring himself. level/type of injury is up to you
10 min	TobyIceBlueEyes	if your character wears a hat, describe it
20 min	Goldarn	the mist crept over the hill, leaving a chill in the air that made my bones ache
30 min	Goldarn	That’s a manatee, commonly known as a sea cow. Don’t make it mad.
5 min	Ixy-pixy	“I’m gonna kick your butt. You had one job and you managed to mess it up?” – “Oh, like I planned on getting stabbed…”

 

November 18, 2019, 10:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Shakespearean Words

10 min	denotement: careful observation
20 min	fobbed: cheated
30 min	villanies: evil qualities
10 min	slubber: make a mess of
20 min	hearts of controversy: in rivalry

 

November 19, 2019, 8:00am-10:00am (UTC-8)
Unusual Words

10 min	tabefaction	wasting away; emaciation
20 min	troat	to bellow like a roaring buck
30 min	thymogenic	due to emotion
10 min	talionic	retributive; like for like
20 min	turophile	cheese lover

 

November 20, 2019, 8:00pm-10:00pm (UTC-8)
November 2019 Book Titles

10 min	triple trouble
20 min	final option
30 min	rites of passage
10 min	the other side of power
20 min	the cost of honor

 

November 21, 2019, 7:00pm-9:00pm (UTC-8)
October 2019 Book Titles

10 min	restricted access
20 min	playing dirty
30 min	courage under fire
10 min	all things being seen
20 min	bad memory

 

November 22, 2019, 6:30pm-8:00pm (UTC-8)
September 2019 Book Titles

10 min	nothing ventured
20 min	with great power
30 min	running wild
5 min	dark illusion

 

November 23, 2019, 2:00pm-3:00pm (UTC-8)
The Sprint Account Sprints

10 min	sneaky villains
20 min	character motivations
10 min	deception

 

November 23, 2019, 5:00pm-8:00pm (UTC-8)
Sesquipedalian Words

10 min	arachibutyrophobia	fear of peanut butter sticking to roof of mouth
20 min	podobromhydrosis	smelly feet
30 min	triboluminescence	emission of light caused by friction
10 min	chryselephantine	inlaid with gold and ivory
20 min	intertesselation	complex interrelationship
30 min	autothaumaturgist	person pretending to be mystical or mysterious
10 min	rhinotillexomania	compulsive nose picking
5 min	kakorrhaphiophobia	fear of failure

 

November 24, 2019, 9:00am-11:00am (UTC-8)
Drama Tropes

10 min	chaos while they’re not looking
20 min	dangerous terrain
30 min	hanging by the fingers
10 min	masquerade ball
20 min	remembered too late

 

November 24, 2019, 10:00pm-2:00am (UTC-8)
Merriam Webster Word of the Day

10 min	sobriquet	nickname
20 min	dilapidated	decayed, deteriorated, or fallen into partial ruin especially through neglect or misuse
30 min	bruit	report or rumor
10 min	luftmensch	an impractical contemplative person having no definite business or income
20 min	irascible	marked by hot temper and easily provoked anger
30 min	ethereal	lacking material substance : immaterial, intangible; marked by unusual delicacy or refinement
10 min	wangle	to resort to trickery
20 min	malapert	impudently bold, saucy
30 min	stratagem	a cleverly contrived trick or scheme for gaining an end
5 min	respite	an interval of rest or relief

 

November 25, 2019, 8:00am-11:00am (UTC-8)
August 2019 Book Titles

10 min	here there are monsters
20 min	turning darkness into light
15 min	forbidden alliance
15 min	overthrow
10 min	mayhem and madness
20 min	careful what you wish for
15min	dangerous desires
15 min	marked for revenge
10 min	stolen things
5 min	security measures

 

November 25, 2019, 10:00pm-2:00am (UTC-8)
July 2019 Book Titles

10 min	the shameless
20 min	someone to honor
30 min	surfeit of suspects
10 min	bad hair day
20 min	a distant hope
30 min	symptoms of a heartbreak
10 min	isolation
20 min	stay and fight
30 min	stone cold heart
5 min	never look back

 

November 26, 2019, 7:00pm-10:00pm (UTC-8)
Idioms

10 min	best friends forever
20 min	the pot calling the kettle black
30 min	silver lining
10 min	throw to the wolves
20 min	forbidden fruit
30 min	learning the hard way
10 min	what’s done is done
5 min	tempest in a teapot

 

November 27, 2019, 6:30pm-10:00pm (UTC-8)
L Idioms

10 min	leave no stone unturned
20 min	lend a hand
30 min	like a phoenix from the ashes
10 min	liquid courage
20 min	let one’s hair down
30 min	lay on the line
10 min	loose cannon
20 min	lost in translation
10 min	live on the edge

 

November 28, 2019, 8:00am-10:00am (UTC-8)
T Idioms

10 min	take a stand
20 min	talk of the devil
30 min	thorn in the flesh
10 min	throw a tantrum
20 min	there must be something in the water

 

November 28, 2019, 10:00am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
P Idioms

30 min	paint the town red
10 min	pearl-clutching
20 min	peaches and cream
30 min	play fast and loose

 

November 28, 2019, 12:00pm-2:00pm (UTC-8)
F Idioms

10 min	finders, keepers
20 min	fashionably late
30 min	fight fire with fire
10 min	fall through the cracks
20 min	friends in high places

 

November 28, 2019, 2:00pm-4:00pm (UTC-8)
B Idioms

30 min	beat around the bush
10 min	batten down the hatches
20 min	back to the wall
30 min	blood, sweat, and tears
5 min	boiling point

 

November 28, 2019, 4:00pm-6:00pm (UTC-8)
R Idioms

20 min	reduce someone to tears
30 min	rock bottom
10 min	ride the wave
20 min	rough and ready
10 min	reach for the stars

 

November 29, 2019, 7:15am-9:00am (UTC-8)
W Idioms

5 min	which way the wind is blowing
15 min	wear out one’s welcome
30 min	what was someone thinking
10 min	watch one’s step
20 min	work wonders

NaNoWordSprints Prompts from July 2019

Here are the prompts I tweeted out on NaNoWordSprints during this year’s second session of Camp NaNoWriMo!

* * *

July 1, 2019, 8:00pm-10:00pm (UTC-8)
Bear Idioms

10 min	bear hug
20 min	bear the burden
30 min	bear trap
10 min	bear a resemblance to
20 min	bear a grudge

 

July 3, 2019, 8:00pm-2:00am (UTC-8)
Book Titles from July 2011

10 min	undercurrents
20 min	mayhem
30 min	bloodline
10 min	curses
20 min	notorious
30 min	escape
10 min	creep
20 min	ripple
30 min	redemption
10 min	homecoming
20 min	switchback
30 min	dominance
15 min	survivors
20 min	incognito

 

July 4, 2019, 8:00am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
Fairy Tale Tropes

10 min	bad boss
20 min	be careful what you wish for
30 min	impossible task
10 min	deal with the devil
20 min	forbidden fruit
30 min	last request
10 min	malicious slander
20 min	secret test of character
30 min	self-fulfilling prophecy
5 min	threshold guardians

 

July 4, 2019, 8:00pm-2:00am (UTC-8)
Book Titles from December 2016

10 min	hugs and kisses
20 min	chain of memories
30 min	make it hurt
10 min	rules of contact
20 min	hit the spot
30 min	on the line
10 min	absolute trust
20 min	bad blood
30 min	from here to there
10 min	pros and cons
20 min	don’t tell anyone
30 min	wrath
10 min	radiant
20 min	beyond the truth
10 min	treasure hunt

 

July 5, 2019, 8:00am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
Book Titles from March 2013

10 min	what the family needed
20 min	back where she belongs
30 min	love calling
10 min	crave the darkness
20 min	breaking point
30 min	reckless
10 min	strand of deception
20 min	the heart of a hero
30 min	swept away
10 min	an act of persuasion

 

July 5, 2019, 8:00pm-2:00am (UTC-8)
Book Titles from March 2008

10 min	after hours
20 min	deadly departures
30 min	trickster
10 min	reasonable doubt
20 min	family matters
30 min	tangled webs
10 min	sacrifice
20 min	just desserts
30 min	the invisible
10 min	moving day
20 min	turn up the heat
30 min	terra incognita
10 min	better than gold
20 min	sunshine and shadows
10 min	imaginary enemy

 

July 6, 2019, 8:00am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
Unusual Words Part 1

10 min	solivagant (adj.) wandering alone
20 min	cingulomania (n.) a strong desire to hold a person in your arms
30 min	eldritch (adj.) eerie, weird, spooky
10 min	intransigent (adj.) refusing to agree or compromise, inflexible
20 min	boketto (n.) the act of gazing vacantly into the distance without thinking
30 min	werifesteria (v.) to wander longingly in the forest in search of mystery
10 min	tacenda (n.) things better left unsaid
20 min	dormiveglia (n.) the space that stretches between sleeping and waking
30 min	absquatulate (v.) to leave without saying goodbye
5 min	lucustrine (adj.) of or relating to a lake

 

July 6, 2019, 8:00pm-2:00am (UTC-8)
Unusual Words Part 2

10 min	moonbroch (n.) a halo around the moon which presages an approaching storm
20 min	nescience (n.) lack of knowledge, ignorance
30 min	opprobrious (adj.) outrageously disgraceful or shameful
10 min	ferhoodle (v.) to confuse or mix up
20 min	drapetomania (n.) an overwhelming urge to run away
30 min	wifty (adj.) eccentric or eccentrically silly, dizzy
10 min	brickbat (n.) an unkind or unfavorable remark, caustic criticism
20 min	yugen (n.) an awareness of the universe that triggers emotional responses too deep and mysterious for words
30 min	calumny (n.) an untrue statement that is made to damage someone’s reputation
10 min	akrasia (n.) lack of self-control
20 min	moonglade (n.) the track of moonlight on water
30 min	crapehanger (n.) a person who sees the gloomy side of things
10 min	metanoia (n.) the journey of changing one’s mind, heart, self, or way of life
20 min	jeremiad (n.) a long mournful complaint
10 min	sisu (n.) extraordinary determination in the face of adversity

 

July 7, 2019, 8:00am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
Howl’s Moving Castle

10 min	intimidating architecture
20 min	transformation
30 min	a fiery friend
10 min	afraid of heights
20 min	an unlikely trio
30 min	a harrowing ride
10 min	drama queen among the clutter
20 min	preparing for a feast
30 min	contemplation
5 min	catastrophe

 

July 7, 2019, 8:00pm-2:00am (UTC-8)
Spirited Away

10 min	surprise
20 min	untenable request
30 min	a powerful partner
10 min	an annoyed boss
20 min	a bit of magic
30 min	traveling with mysterious passengers
10 min	gluttony
20 min	fun tricks
30 min	with a goal in mind
10 min	multi-tasking
20 min	in the distance
30 min	not like anyone else
10 min	deserted
20 min	unmindful parents
10 min	in a tight space

 

July 8, 2019, 8:00am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
Unusual Words Part 3

10 min	nugatory (adj.) having no consequence or force
20 min	lambent (adj.) softly light or radiant
30 min	sweven (n.) a vision seen in in sleep, a dream
10 min	daedal (adj.) skillful, artistic, or intricate
20 min	oenomel (n.) something combining strength with sweetness
30 min	ceraunophile (n.) someone who loves thunder and lightning
10 min	peiskos (n.) the feeling you get when you sit in front of a fireplace and enjoy its warmth
20 min	imprecate (v.) to invoke evil on
30 min	charmolyphi (n.) joy-making sorrow, a mixed feeling of happiness while feeling sad
5 min	eccedentesiast (n.) someone who only pretends to smile

 

July 8, 2019, 8:00pm-2:00am (UTC-8)
Unusual Words Part 4

10 min	anagnorisis (n.) the critical moment of recognition or discovery
20 min	oneirataxia (n.) the inability to distinguish between fantasy and reality
30 min	cantankerous (adj.) difficult or irritating to deal with
10 min	noctiflorous (adj.) flowering at night
20 min	flavescent (adj.) turning yellow, yellowish
30 min	pluvial (adj.) of or pertaining to rain, rainy
10 min	monochopsis (n.) the subtle but persistent feeling of being out of place
20 min	tohubohu (n.) chaos, disorder, confusion
30 min	penetralia (n.) the most private or secret things
10 min	espial (n.) the act of spying
20 min	hirple (v.) to limp
30 min	shivaree (n.) a mock serenade with kettles, pans, horns, and other noisemakers given to a newly married couple
10 min	coddiwomple (v.) to travel in a purposeful manner towards a vague destination
20 min	nepenthe (n.) something that can make you forget grief or suffering
10 min	inosculate (v.) join by intertwinning or fitting closely together

 

July 9, 2019, 8:00am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
A Idioms

10 min	accident waiting to happen
20 min	acquired taste
30 min	any nook or cranny
10 min	all things considered
20 min	all bets are off
30 min	as luck will have it
10 min	ask for the moon
20 min	at one’s fingertips
30 min	around the corner
5 min	as far as anyone knows

 

July 9, 2019, 8:00pm-2:00am (UTC-8)
B Idioms

10 min	bad egg
20 min	balancing act
30 min	barrel of laughs
10 min	be my guest
20 min	beauty queen
30 min	been there, done that
10 min	behind closed doors
20 min	bells and whistles
30 min	beyond the pale
10 min	big fish in a small pond
20 min	blood and guts
30 min	blow one’s chance
10 min	borrowed time
20 min	black mark
10 min	burn one’s bridges

 

July 10, 2019, 8:00am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
Unusual Words Part 5

10 min	schwellenangst (n.) fear of crossing a threshold to embark on something new
20 min	kawaakari (n.) the glow of the river at dusk
30 min	appetence (n.) an eager desire, an instinctive inclination, an attraction or natural bond
10 min	morii (n.) the desire to capture a fleeting experience
20 min	sonder (n.) the realization that each random passerby has a life as vivid and complex as your own
30 min	cockaigne (n.) an imaginary place of extreme luxury and ease
10 min	numinous (adj.) feeling fearful and awed by what is before you
20 min	selcouth (adj.) something unfamiliar, unusual, or wondrous
30 min	trouvaille (n.) a lucky find
5 min	meraki (n.) putting a part of yourself into what you’re doing

 

July 10, 2019, 8:00pm-2:00am (UTC-8)
Unusual Words Part 6

10 min	fernweh (n.) wanderlust, an ache for distant places or a strong desire to travel
20 min	kopfkino (n.) the act of playing out an entire scenario in your mind
30 min	sturmfrei (n.) the freedom of being alone
10 min	livsnjutare (n.) a person who loves life deeply and lives it to the extreme
20 min	resfeber (n.) the tangled feelings of fear and excitement before a journey begins
30 min	komorebi (n.) the sunlight that filters through the trees
10 min	natsukashii (adj.) a happy recollection of an event or memory in the past
20 min	commuovere (v.) to stir, to touch, to move to tears
30 min	hiraeth (n.) homesickness for a place which you can’t return to or never was
10 min	coruscate (v.) to flash or sparkle
20 min	adronitis (n.) frustration with how long it takes to get to know someone
30 min	smicker (v.) to look amorously after somebody
10 min	chrysalism (n.) the amniotic tranquility of being indoors during a thunderstorm
20 min	fanaa (n.) destruction of the self, destroyed in love
10 min	camhanaich (n.) early morning twilight

 

July 12, 2019, 8:00am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
Book Titles from August 2011

10 min	feels like home
20 min	heart of the hunter
30 min	dream something big
10 min	ghost of a chance
20 min	a trick of light
30 min	changing the game
10 min	claim of innocence
20min	ripe for scandal
30 min	out of control
5 min	finding patterns

 

July 12, 2019, 10:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Book Titles from October 2011

10 min	hide from evil
20 min	cold glory
30 min	bound by blood
10 min	legacy
20 min	flipped out

 

July 13, 2019, 8:00am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
Book Titles from May 2010

10 min	compromised
20 min	meltdown
30 min	stroke of genius
10 min	running scared
20 min	the lies we told
30 min	bargain with the devil
10 min	stolen
20 min	dead in the water
30 min	life in defiance
5 min	wonders never cease

 

July 13, 2019, 8:00pm-2:00am (UTC-8)
Book Titles from June 2019

10 min	more than anything
20 min	storm and fury
30 min	wherever she goes
10 min	hidden twin
20 min	something fishy
30 min	out of place
10 min	a patchwork of clues
20 min	my enemy’s enemy
30 min	a good team
10 min	bad things
20 min	should have known better
30 min	how to say goodbye
10 min	in at the deep end
20 min	beyond the limit
10 min	digging deep

 

July 14, 2019, 8:00am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
Linguistic Alliterative Siamese Twins

10 min	meek and mild
20 min	sticks and stones
30 min	hearth and home
10 min	spick and span
20 min	command and control
30 min	forgive and forget
10 min	rules and regulations
20 min	cliques and clans
30 min	trials and tribulations
5 min	watching and waiting

 

July 14, 2019, 6:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Linguistic Opposites Siamese Twins

10 min	give and take
20 min	land and sea
30 min	coming and going
10 min	deep and wide
20 min	fire and ice
30 min	love and war
10 min	now and then
20 min	high and low
30 min	lost and found
10 min	sweet and sour
20 min	friend or foe
30 min	life or death
10 min	floor to ceiling
20 min	naughty or nice
10 min	pros and cons

 

July 15, 2019, 8:00pm-2:00am (UTC-8)
Metaphors

15 min	butterfly effect
15 min	chicken or the egg
15 min	the elephant in the room
15 min	broken heart
15 min	cold feet
15 min	melting pot
15 min	silver bullet
15 min	point of no return
15 min	slippery slope
15 min	bad apples
15 min	cabin fever
15 min	late bloomer
15 min	survival of the fittest
15 min	tunnel vision
15 min	no-win situation
15 min	moral compass
15 min	left high and dry
15 min	chain reaction

 

July 16, 2019, 8:00am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
Book Titles from January 2016

15 min	compromised identity
15 min	twisted
15 min	trapped
15 min	destroyer
15 min	renegade
15 min	convergence point
15 min	hunted
15 min	exposed
15 min	the secret admirer
15 min	outside the lines
15 min	dark victory
15 min	resorting to the truth

 

July 17, 2019, 8:00am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
Book Titles from January 2014

10 min	the unwelcomed child
20 min	dangerous diseases
30 min	the lone warrior
10 min	siren song
20 min	after the storm
30 min	undercover
10 min	through the window
20 min	no place like home
30 min	true lies
5 min	more than good enough

 

July 17, 2019, 8:00pm-10:00pm (UTC-8)
Book Titles from April 2008

10 min	delusion
20 min	hidden motive
30 min	secrets in the shadows
10 min	no stopping now
20 min	summer snow

 

July 19, 2019, 8:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Legal Doublets

10 min	keep and perform
20 min	power and authority
30 min	sale or transfer
10 min	sole and exclusive
20 min	terms and conditions
30 min	fit and proper
10 min	let or hindrance
20 min	furnish and supply
30 min	armed and dangerous
10 min	care and attention

 

July 21, 2019, 8:00pm-2:00am (UTC-8)
Trinomials

10 min	gold, silver, and bronze
20 min	left, right, and center
30 min	the good, the bad, and the ugly
10 min	hook, line, and sinker
20 min	I came, I saw, I conquered
30 min	here, there, and everywhere
10 min	eat, drink, and be merry
20 min	tall, dark, and handsome
30 min	win, lose, or draw
10 min	short, sweet, and to the point
20 min	healthy, wealthy, and wise
30 min	lie, cheat, or steal
10 min	judge, jury, or executioner
20 min	shake, rattle, and roll
10 min	animal, vegetable, or mineral

 

July 22, 2019, 8:00am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
Book Titles from March 2012

10 min	illuminate
20 min	some things are never forgiven
30 min	now or never
10 min	finding our way home
20 min	caught in the spotlight
30 min	a knife in the heart
10 min	one way or another
20 min	fair game
30 min	intruder
5 min	mercy

 

July 22, 2019, 8:00pm-2:00am (UTC-8)
Lost Words

10 min	acrasial (adj.) ill-regulated, ill-tempered
20 min	diffibulate (v.) to unbutton, to unbuckle
30 min	gelicide (n.) a frost
10 min	jussulent (adj.) full of broth or soup
20 min	morsicant (adj.) producing the sensation of repeated biting or prickling
30 min	bajulate (v.) to bear a heavy burden
10 min	essomenic (adj.) showing as they will be in the future
20 min	hirquitalliency (n.) strength of voice
30 min	keleusmatically (adv.) imperatively, in an imperative mood
10 min	nubivagant (adj.) moving throughout or among clouds
20 min	crocitation (n.) croaking, cawing
30 min	famigerate (v.) to carry news from abroad
10 min	icasm (n.) a figurative expression
20 min	latibule (n.) hiding place
10 min	obrumpent (adj.) breaking, bursting

 

July 23, 2019, 8:00am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
Doublets

10 min	goodness and light
20 min	eyes and ears
30 min	smoke and mirrors
10 min	loud and clear
20 min	fast and furious
30 min	bound and determined
10 min	nook and cranny
20 min	thunder and lightning
30 min	flesh and bone
5 min	rough and tumble

 

July 23, 2019, 8:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Book Titles from October 2016

10 min	kept secrets
20 min	all your wishes
30 min	a terrible beauty
10 min	since you’ve been gone
20 min	the truest heart
30 min	nemesis
10 min	without mercy
20 min	cracking up
30 min	mortal sins
10 min	refuge

 

July 24, 2019, 8:00pm-2:00am (UTC-8)
Unusual Colors

10 min	cinerious	ashen; ash-gray
20 min	sarcoline	flesh-colored
30 min	virescent	becoming green or greenish; of a greenish color
10 min	flammeous	flame-colored
20 min	icterine	yellowish or marked with yellow
30 min	amaranthine	immortal; undying; deep purple-red color
10 min	modena	crimson
20 min	pavonated	peacock-blue
30 min	sable	black; dark; of a black color in heraldry
10 min	eburnean	of or like ivory; ivory-colored
20 min	aurulent	gold-colored
30 min	isabelline	greyish yellow
10 min	leucochroic	white or pale-colored
20 min	spadiceous	chestnut-colored
10 min	watchet	pale blue

 

July 25, 2019, 8:00am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
Bizarre English Idioms

10 min	Bob’s your uncle
20 min	a different kettle of fish
30 min	donkey’s years
10 min	all mouth and no trousers
20 min	pardon my French
30 min	cat got your tongue
10 min	chew the fat
20 min	under the weather
30 min	to go pear-shaped
5 min	a piece of cake

 

July 26, 2019, 8:00am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
Book Titles from September 2015

10 min	nomad
20 min	disposable asset
30 min	dreamland
10 min	primal force
20 min	only a kiss
30 min	dishing the dirt
10 min	played for a fool
20 min	a beam of light
30 min	beginners
5 min	one of these nights

 

July 26, 2019, 8:00pm-10:00pm (UTC-8)
Proverbial Phrases Part 1

10 min	A bad excuse is better than none.
20 min	A rising tide lifts all boats.
30 min	Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
10 min	Finders keepers.
20 min	False friends are worse than open enemies.

 

July 27, 2019, 8:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Proverbial Phrases Part 2

10 min	Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
20 min	Too many cooks spoil the broth.
30 min	Third time is a charm.
10 min	Two heads are better than one.
20 min	If you play with fire, you will get burned.
30 min	If you’ve got it, flaunt it.
10 min	Let sleeping dogs lie.
20 min	Let the cat out of the bag.
30 min	Good things come to those who wait.
10 min	Nothing ventured, nothing gained

 

July 28, 2019, 12:00am-2:00am (UTC-8)
Book Titles from October 2011

20 min	the struggle within
30 min	so over it
10 min	deadly desires
20 min	chosen by fate
10 min	rising storm

 

July 28, 2019, 8:00am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
Random Phrases Part 1

10 min	the most embarassing protest
20 min	they will fall
30 min	come back to haunt you
10 min	strength, speed, and agility
20 min	inspirational examples
30 min	not a thing of the past
10 min	repeated attempts
20 min	jumping on the opportunity
30 min	there and back again
5 min	excitement and wonder

 

July 28, 2019, 8:00pm-2:00am (UTC-8)
Random Phrases Part 2

10 min	fly in any direction
20 min	knows the score
30 min	born in the shadow
10 min	hard-earned wisdom
20 min	confusing and relentless
30 min	fashion and flair
10 min	driven by the frustration
20 min	entering a new phase
30 min	the sideways gaze
10 min	a reassuring message
20 min	fantastically detailed
30 min	signs of cooperation
10 min	one of the biggest disasters
20 min	further exploration
10 min	doing more with less

 

July 29, 2019, 8:00am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
K Idioms

10 min	keep a cool head
20 min	kindred soul
30 min	killer instinct
10 min	keep on one’s toes
20 min	kiss of death
30 min	knock someone’s socks off
10 min	know every trick in the book
20 min	kick the habit
30 min	keep a low profile
5 min	king’s ransom

 

July 29, 2019, 8:00pm-2:00am (UTC-8)
S Idioms

10 min	salt in the wound
20 min	sell down the river
30 min	saved by the bell
10 min	send someone packing
20 min	scared to death
30 min	set the bar
10 min	scratch the surface
20 min	see eye to eye
30 min	sing the praises of
10 min	shoot first and ask questions later
20 min	sitting duck
30 min	shot in the dark
10 min	skeleton in the closet
20 min	show one’s cards
10 min	slip of the tongue

 

July 30, 2019, 8:00am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
D Idioms

10 min	darken someone’s door
20 min	do exactly what it says on the tin
30 min	diamond in the rough
10 min	die a thousand deaths
20 min	done deal
30 min	dig up dirt
10 min	double-edged sword
20 min	drive someone up the wall
30 min	drop a hint
5 min	draw the line

 

July 30, 2019, 8:00pm-2:00am (UTC-8)
N Idioms

10 min	name and shame
20 min	necessary evil
30 min	no fun at parties
10 min	not in the slightest
20 min	not long for this world
30 min	nature of the beast
10 min	no harm, no foul
20 min	needle in a haystack
30 min	new kid on the block
10 min	nine times out of ten
20 min	nose to the grindstone
30 min	not by any means
10 min	nuts and bolts
20 min	nowhere to be found
10 min	no hard feelings

 

NaNoWordSprints Prompts from April 2019

Yes, I’m late as usual. But here are the prompts I tweeted out on NaNoWordSprints during this year’s first session of Camp NaNoWriMo!

* * *

March 31, 2019, 9:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
TV Tropes

10 min	a new start
15 min	dramatic shattering
20 min	broken pedestal
30 min	chain of harm
10 min	grow a spine
50 min	feuding families
20 min	isn’t too proud to beg
30 min	ambiguous situation

 

April 3, 2019, 8:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Fairy Tale Tropes

10 min	costing an arm and a leg
20 min	the bad boss
30 min	bears are bad news
10 min	bride and switch
20 min	don’t go into the woods
30 min	impossible task
10 min	rags to royalty
20 min	dances and balls
30 min	deal with the devil
5 min	youngest child wins

 

April 4, 2019, 10:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Postcard Prompts

10 min	going on an adventure
20 min	aiming for a destination
30 min	contemplation
10 min	startled
20 min	feeling blue

 

April 5, 2019, 9:00pm-2:00am (UTC-8)
Dramatic Tropes

10 min	we used to be friends
20 min	where did we go wrong
30 min	your secret’s safe with me
10 min	these hands have killed
20 min	sugary malice
30 min	moral dilemma
10 min	destroy the evidence
20 min	chaos while they’re not looking
30 min	remembered too late
10 min	tarnishing their own beauty
20 min	it never gets any easier
30 min	emerging from the shadows

 

April 6, 2019, 3:30pm-10:00pm (UTC-8)
LOC Serendipity

10 min	secrets exposed
20 min	who shall wear the crown?
30 min	the whole truth
10 min	towards the goal
20 min	reputations
30 min	morbid principles
10 min	reveries
20 min	faith and patience
30 min	between two lives
10 min	the great companions
20 min	essentials in education
30 min	souvenir
10 min	the hope of imortality
20 min	turnover
30 min	curiosities of the sky
5 min	reconstruction

 

April 7, 2019, 7:30pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Book Titles from April 2009

10 min	dining with devils
20 min	the treasure keeper
30 min	flipping out
10 min	monster trouble
20 min	night navigation
30 min	notoriously neat
10 min	straight lies
20 min	this is not a game
10 min	unforgettable
30 min	bittersweet memories
20 min	exposure

 

April 10, 2019, 6:15pm-10:00pm (UTC-8)
Idioms Part 1

10 min	Do me a favor
20 min	Draw a line in the sand
30 min	Rub salt in the wound
10 min	Save something for a rainy day
20 min	Sell one’s soul
30 min	Lose one’s temper
10 min	Make a break for it
15 min	Two birds with one stone
30 min	Uphill battle

 

April 11, 2019, 6:45pm-10:00pm (UTC-8)
Idioms Part 2

10 min	all in a day’s work
20 min	absence makes the heart grow fonder
30 min	alive and kicking
10 min	brazen out
20 min	burn the midnight oil
30 min	blow out of proportions
10 min	carved in stone
20 min	comedy of errors

 

April 12, 2019, 12:00am-3:00am (UTC-8)
Aphorisms

10 min	leave well enough alone
20 min	a chain is only as strong as its weakest link
30 min	any press is good press
10 min	twenty-twenty hindsight
20 min	better late than never
30 min	there are bad apples in every orchard
10 min	clothes make the man
5 min	appearances are deceptive

 

April 12, 2019, 10:00pm-3:00am (UTC-8)
Word Pairs Part 1

10 min	flesh and bone
20 min	quick and dirty
30 min	armed and dangerous
10 min	search and rescue
20 min	front and center
30 min	rough and tumble
10 min	bait and switch
20 min	hearts and minds
30 min	cloak and dagger
10 min	stand and deliver
15 min	nook and cranny
30 min	day and night

 

April 13, 2019, 9:30am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
Word Pairs Part 2

10 min	goodness and light
20 min	hot and cold
30 min	sweet and sour
10 min	wax and wane
15 min	love and war
30 min	lost and found

 

April 13, 2019, 7:00pm-3:00am (UTC-8)
Idioms Part 3

10 min	at the drop of a hat
20 min	cold treatment
30 min	even the score
10 min	go overboard
20 min	half-baked
30 min	jump at the chance
10 min	long shot
5 min	needle in a haystack
30 min	play along
10 min	rip to shreds
20 min	tough love
30 min	watch one’s step
5 min	your guess is as good as mine
20 min	best of both worlds
30 min	drift apart
10 min	fighting chance
20 min	hold a grudge
30 min	in the crosshairs
10 min	keep a close watch
5 min	memory lane
15 min	on pins and needles

 

April 14, 2019, 5:00pm-2:00am (UTC-8)
Idioms Part 4

10 min	zig when one should zag
20 min	you’ll never guess
30 min	what are the odds
10 min	vouch for
20 min	unknown quantity
30 min	take the plunge
10 min	seeing is believing
5 min	raise the stakes
30 min	quake in one’s boots
10 min	pale in comparison
20 min	one of a kind
30 min	no pain, no gain
10 min	make an appearance
15 min	light at the end of the tunnel
30 min	kiss of death
10 min	jack of all trades
20 min	in someone’s pocket
30 min	have blood on one’s hands
10 min	get down to business
20 min	fever pitch
30 min	element of surprise
10 min	dig oneself in a hole
10 min	calm before the storm

 

April 15, 2019, 7:00pm-10:00pm (UTC-8)
Word Pairs: Animal Idioms

10 min	duck and cover
20 min	cat and mouse
30 min	dog and pony show
10 min	fish and chips
20 min	snakes and ladders
30 min	the chicken or the egg
15 min	weasel out of something

 

April 17, 2019, 7:00pm-10:00pm (UTC-8)
M Idioms

10 min	made of sterner stuff
20 min	matter of life and death
30 min	meet and greet
10 min	middle of nowhere
20 min	minor miracle
30 min	mix it up
5 min	moment of truth
10 min	more than meets the eye

 

April 18, 2019, 7:30pm-10:00pm (UTC-8)
A Idioms

10 min	all it’s cracked up to be
20 min	all one’s eggs in one basket
30 min	all over the board
10 min	all things considered
15 min	all eyes and ears
30 min	all bets are off

 

April 19, 2019, 7:00pm-10:00pm (UTC-8)
D Idioms

10 min	dig in one’s heels
20 min	darken someone’s door
30 min	dawn of a new day
10 min	do someone proud
20 min	devil is in the details
30 min	don’t let the door hit you on the way out
5 min	draw the line
10 min	drop a bombshell

April 19, 2019, 10:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
P Idioms

30 min	party animal
10 min	pack of lies
20min	play dumb
15 min	protest too much
20 min	power behind the throne

 

April 20, 2019, 12:00am-3:00am (UTC-8)
L Idioms Part 1

30 min	land on one’s feet
10 min	let loose
20 min	law of the jungle
30 min	lay the groundwork
10 min	leave someone out in the cold
15 min	like the cat that got the cream
30 min	lost in translation

 

April 20, 2019, 9:30am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
C Idioms

10 min	call someone’s bluff
20 min	caught between the devil and the deep blue see
30 min	carried away
10 min	character assassination
15 min	charm offensive
30 min	come full circle
15 min	chip on one’s shoulder
20 min	close ranks
30 min	command performance
10 min	crack down
20 min	cut the cheese

 

April 20, 2019, 8:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
G and H Idioms

10 min	game, set, match
20 min	get carried away
30 min	give chase
10 min	glass half empty
20 min	gloss over
30 min	glutton for punishment
10 min	go to great lengths
20 min	go over someone’s head
30 min	gone with the wind
5 min	grand scheme
10 min	halcyon days
20 min	hand it to someone
30 min	hang together
10 min	have the time of one’s life
20 min	hard feelings
30 min	heart of stone
5 min	hot under the collar
15 min	helping hand

 

April 21, 2019, 7:00pm-11:00pm (UTC-8)
B Idioms

10 min	back in the day
20 min	barrel of laughs
30 min	batten down the hatches
10 min	bad egg
20 min	bear the brunt
30 min	bane of one’s existence
10 min	beauty queen
20 min	behind closed doors
5 min	bark up the wrong tree
30 min	bite the hand that feeds you

 

April 21, 2019, 11:00pm-3:00am (UTC-8)
N Idioms

10 min	name of the game
20 min	none of your business
30 min	narrow down
10 min	not all it’s cracked up to be
20 min	nerves of steel
30 min	nip in the bud
10 min	nugget of truth
20 min	no strings attached
10 min	null and void
30 min	next level

 

April 22, 2019, 7:30pm-10:00pm (UTC-8)
L Idioms Part 2

5 min	last resort
15 min	let sleeping dogs lie
30 min	last nail in the coffin
5 min	leave no stone unturned
15 min	live on the edge
30 min	lucky break
10 min	loom large

 

April 23, 2019, 7:30pm-10:00pm (UTC-8)
E and F Idioms

10 min	ear to the ground
20 min	feeding frenzy
30 min	easier said than done
10 min	fight fire with fire
15 min	eat one’s heart out
30 min	finders keepers

 

April 24, 2019, 8:00pm-10:00pm (UTC-8)
Western Astrological Signs – Weaknesses of Personality

10 min	aquarius	temperamental, uncompromising, aloof
20 min	pisces	fearful, overly trusting, escape from reality
30 min	aries	impatient, impulsive, aggressive
10 min	gemini	nervous, inconsistent, indecisive
20 min	cancer	pessimistic, suspicious, manipulative

 

April 25, 2019, 7:00pm-10:00pm (UTC-8)
G Idioms

10 min	get one’s feet wet
20 min	gather dust
30 min	game plan
10 min	ghost at the feast
20 min	gift that keeps on giving
30 min	go out on a limb
20 min	go up in flames

 

April 26, 2019, 7:00pm-3:00am (UTC-8)
Book Titles from April 2012

10 min	the battle begins
20 min	when monsters escape
30 min	unfinished business
10 min	surprise packages
20 min	danger at every turn
30 min	master of deceit
20 min	sweet addiction
10 min	race against time
20 min	out of the shadows
30 min	lies and omens
15 min	forgotten history
20 min	ties that bind
15 min	shattered heroes
20 min	renegade magic
30 min	true sisters
10 min	betrayal
20 min	a rare find
30 min	thunder and rain
20 min	precious cargo

 

April 27, 2019, 3:30pm-5:45pm (UTC-8)
Madam Sprints Sprints (Repeated from April 2017)

10 min	strength
15 min	burden
30 min	secret plans, hidden dishonor, frustration and the possibility of failure
10 min	a hard struggle

 

April 27, 2019, 8:00pm-3:00am (UTC-8)
Book Titles from April 2013

10 min	talk of the town
20 min	while the others sleep
30 min	dead and burried
10 min	all or nothing
15 min	stolen magic
30 min	about face
10 min	protector
20 min	the smart one
30 min	house of secrets
5 min	death defying
20 min	wanderer
30 min	armed and dangerous
10 min	where the heart lies
20 min	light this candle
30 min	little bit sinful
10 min	the wrong number
15 min	dead silence
5 min	decadence

 

April 28, 2019, 3:00pm-6:00pm (UTC-8)
Madam Sprints Part 2 (Repeated from April 2017)

10 min	initiative
20 min	surprise
30 min	advantage
10 min	mysterious appearance
20 min	attraction
30 min	not normal

 

April 28, 2019, 7:00pm-3:00am (UTC-8)
Book Titles from April 2014

10 min	forbidden
20 min	out of options
30 min	a beauty so rare
10 min	lives we leave behind
20 min	treading water
30 min	there will come a time
10 min	don’t look back
5 min	the first kiss
30 min	unfixable
10 min	the target
20 min	make you blush
30 min	warriors
5 min	cold calls
10 min	a shocking delight
20 min	curiosity
30 min	the here and now
5 min	woman of courage
10 min	balance point
15 min	fully charged
20 min	child’s play
30 min	things no one knows

 

April 29, 2019, 7:00pm-10:00pm (UTC-8)
Book Titles from April 2015

10 min	unforgiven
20 min	true north
30 min	the trap
10 min	a good catch
20 min	detained
30 min	full contact
5 min	sticky situation
10 min	on the run

 

April 30, 2019, 7:00pm-10:00pm (UTC-8)
Book Titles from April 2016

10 min	flawed
20 min	dig too deep
10 min	the last mile
30 min	double take
20 min	dissension
10 min	poisonous
5 min	where the evidence lies
30 min	over the line

Postcard #320 – A Lousy Postcard

Sometimes a weird postcard can be an interesting postcard. It’s simple, but also amusing. For me it’s not really about the beautiful views or aesthetics. The choice of card can reveal something deeper about the sender. Obviously the sender of this particular card thought that I would appreciate the sense of humor and wouldn’t be like those other draconian postcard collectors who would have no compunction in throwing away something that didn’t fit their ideal.

Anyways, the sender also included some fantastic stamps on the envelope.

Postcard #298 – Tea from Poland

Drinking tea, of course, is not universal in all cultures, but how people drink tea is  fascinating in itself. It may differ in the details depending on which country you are in, but in many cases it’s a ritual or a quiet and contemplative time in the day. And even if it’s done with other people, it’s not part of raucous gatherings. Seriously, can you imagine anyone drinking tea at a rock concert let alone a rave?

Anyways, I find this European black tea service unusual. Weren’t western tea sets usually white ones? Or at least ones in bright colors?

Postcard #285 – From Yosemite

Yes, I’m finally getting to a postcard I sent to myself! There’s a post office in Yosemite, so I couldn’t resist sending something from there.

KonMari-ing the Library and Other Blasphemous Things

When I first read about the controversy on Marie Kondo’s advice to throw out all your books that don’t bring you joy, my first thought was a cynical one–that this was promoted to generate buzz on her new show on Netflix. One must admit, the timing of the controversy and its availability on the streaming service was a little suspect.

I had heard of Kondo’s book when it first came out a couple years ago, but I paid it little mind, assuming that it was just one of many offshoots of the current minimalist trend. I didn’t need to read about something that I already quasi-practiced. I’m more on the pro-minimalist side of things, but this is about half due to necessity–I’ve moved around a lot and discovered that having too much stuff to move around is just a pain in the ass. Philosophically, I don’t attach too much of myself to things. I’m more of an idea person. So basically moving everything online–communications, writing, reading, research, entertainment–wasn’t a difficult transition for me.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand why people have an emotional attachment to things. There’s history behind those objects–and I think for some people it’s easier to keep those things around than to try to capture those feelings into words, photos, and three dimensional schematics and upload those documents into the cloud. If people don’t want to throw X, Y, and Z out even though they take up quite a bit of room, I wouldn’t really care as long as they don’t try to store X, Y, and Z at my place.

Anyways, after thinking about this some more, I find it hard to get worked up about this. I don’t really agree with Kondo’s methods (Why throw something out because it doesn’t bring joy? Why not use utility or some other quantifiable method as a criteria for throwing things out?), but I don’t see why I should use up so much emotional energy getting worked up about her notions on throwing books away when she’s not physically coming into my home to toss stuff out. (Although judging from some parody tweets on Twitter, maybe she is.) I think what’s really happening is that marketing a certain aspirational lifestyle that has its origins in one culture is clashing directly with the lifestyle philosophy of a different culture.

So why am I framing it as a clash of cultures? Well, take Kondo, for instance. Her methods are very much rooted in Japanese style and the way she advocates throwing things out harks back to the animist beliefs that still pervade the country. From her Wikipedia page, she made a statement to the effect that she sort of had a religious experience that set her on the path of becoming an organizational guru. In light of that, I think she’s fashioned herself into an organizational Joan of Arc, saving people from being besieged by their own stuff. Only instead of being burned at the stake for her heretical notions about books, she’s being pilloried on Twitter.

I also want to note that it’s individual books that are considered and then tossed if they don’t bring joy. For people who are outraged at this notion, it’s not so much that the books are individual, but they are part of a greater whole–the personal library. If you subscribe to the personal library as an entire entity, tossing books out is akin to, say, chopping a tail off a pet cat because you reason that the tail is not essential in keeping the cat alive and why not amputate because that would save space. But we all instinctively know that that is inhumane.

Books are also not just about joy. They bring all sorts of emotions because writers try to capture the totality of the human experience in words. So if you are throwing out everything except the joyful books, aren’t you metaphorically cutting off all your emotions except the happy ones? (It does not escape my notice that Japanese society is also a lot more conformist than others. Many emotions are hidden–to the detriment to mental health–in order to avoid conflict and to keep everything in harmony.)

For some strange reason, this whole thing reminded me of one of the books in Jayne Castle’s St. Helens trilogy which were futuristic romances written in the late 1990s before the whole paranormal romance thing blew up and took over bookstores. The conceit of these books is that human colonists landed on some weird planets (that somehow bear an uncanny resemblance to the late 20th century Pacific Northwest) and over time, developed psychic abilities or talents. In one of the books, the villain turned out to be this lady who had the talent to organize everything. Her downfall was that she was too obsessively organized. Anyways, the point of that digression is that it’s probably okay not to be perfectly tidy. Do what works for you. And if people are pushing some method or another, well, just assume they’re trying to take over the world. Or at least make a cash grab.

No Accomplishment Is Your Own

So, I recently came across this tweet on my Twitter timeline. It caused some outrage and controversy. So I went on this person’s profile page to figure out if I could get any context from the rest of the tweets. Unfortunately, I failed on that part. All I could figure out was that this person is a writer and a comedian and they went to Harvard at some point. Considering that this person makes a living in trying to be funny, I wasn’t sure if this tweet was a serious statement or her trying to be funny. Maybe it was both. Since I’m not sure what her intent was, I sort of find it as a failure on her part as a writer to try to convey her true intent.

Anyways, the replies to that tweet fell into two camps: 1) People who assumed that the author of the tweet aimed to skewer rich, privileged young people who boast about their accomplishments when it was in fact their parents’ money that funded everything, and 2) people who felt that they were being kicked while being down because the author did not explicitly state it was rich, privileged young people that she was talking about. Her statement was vague and could be easily interpreted to mean that it included EVERY person who was living at home with their parents, lumping in both the wealthy leeches with the poor, disabled, and others who live with their parents out of necessity.

And what do I think of this? Well, I think figuring out who pays the rent is besides the point of what constitutes a “real” accomplishment. And I’m speaking as someone who has paid my own rent ever since grad school (I lived in dorms as an undergrad and my college education was funded through scholarships). Accomplishments don’t appear from out of a vacuum. They get done from support of a lot of people: parents, yes, but also other relatives, friends, teachers, mentors, other people who believe in you, supporting organizations, networks, and sometimes just pure luck. Just because a smart, hardworking person also happens to be living with someone else who pays their rent doesn’t make them any less smart or hardworking.

I can, perhaps, make an educated guess as to where the tweet’s author was coming from. As the child of immigrant parents who managed to make it into Harvard and then into some high profile gigs–it’s probably easy to assume that she made it to where she is due to her own efforts. In fact, one might assume that I might be one of the most likely people to take her view because I’m also the child of immigrant parents who attended prestigious universities and now making it professionally in one of the most expensive parts of the country. However, I am also acutely aware that where I went to school also helped open doors that might not have been available to me otherwise. Yes, I did all the work, but someone has to open those doors, too. I suspect that all of her accomplishments would have been a lot more difficult to do if she had not had the network available to her simply by attending Harvard (and all the circumstances leading up to her getting accepted there).

So, one could argue that having any accomplishments is a mix of work and circumstance. And in this case, the “circumstance” is the sticking point. As the old saying goes, we all stand on the shoulder of giants. And regardless of who’s supplying the money and the opportunities and the moral support, perhaps we should all apply some humility when describing our own accomplishments rather than stomping on other people while trying to validate ourselves.

Organizing Everything

Don’t you sometimes get the feeling that life is nothing but organization, a fight against entropy?

Today in the mail, I got a mass of postcards from various places in the world. Usually it’s just one or two, but I guess after the holidays, a lot of mail accumulated at the post office and it was just today that everything got delivered. But instead of tossing all of these cards into a photobox where I’ve been keeping all of my postcards after reading them, I decided to do a mass organization by country. (This, to me, seemed like a more intuitive way of categorizing everything compared to, say, topic or style or shape.) It took longer than expected.

I can’t say that I particularly liked doing the organization, but now that all the postcards are in order, it’s interesting to note the patterns that emerge by country. Perhaps I’ll do an actual analysis at a later date when I have more time to kill.

Starting Small

It’s been a while since I’ve posted regularly in this blog. I don’t want to have a resolution saying that I will start posting regularly from now on, because let’s face it, most resolutions end up as failures as the rest of life gets in the way and attempts at establishing new habits get broken. But, perhaps I’ll start small with bits and pieces of observations rather than starting big with essays encompassing large ideas and perhaps that will make it easier to go on.

Anyways, I wanted to share my latest binge watching: Begin Japanology and Japanology Plus (it’s actually the same program, but the name changed). I discovered this on YouTube because the site began recommending this to me after I had been watching other documentary videos. I love these types of videos because it tells about different cultures through seemingly very simple things like home appliances and umbrellas as well as the more obvious cultural markers like food, literature, and religion.

I have to admit, part of the fun of watching this particular show on YouTube is reading the comments. (Yes, yes, I know. Never read the comments. But I can’t help myself.) It’s usually overwhelmingly positive for the main host, Peter Barakan, who has a very calm, British demeanor. But the commenters have such a hate-on for the host of the “Plus” segments, Matt Alt. It’s probably because Alt’s character is so obviously that of an exuberant American that for whatever reason, fans of the show find too jarring in comparison to the subject matter and the other host. I personally don’t get the hate (Alt definitely has a different style of presenting, but I’ve seen worse), but I do find it amusing that in the comments of the later episodes, the haters reluctantly post that he’s “getting better”. Maybe they don’t want to admit that Alt is growing on them.