My Idea of #WordWednesday

Each Wednesday, on my Facebook profile, I use a word I recently learned that I find interesting. For example, today I used

Can one have lethologica over lethologica?

I call it #wordwednesday, the way #throwbackthursday  is used as a weekly meme. It shares something anyone could be interested in, or use. It helps me retain a word I want in my vocabulary, even if not used often due to its lack of potential practical uses (as opposed to showing off at parties). It makes for a less mundane status update than the usual daily life thing or news shared by people on newsfeeds.

Seems Dictionary.com already has a #wordwednesday hashtag used for nominating an interesting word once each week. Well, lots of people won’t agree with that. With this, though, you pick your own interesting word and it benefits you for certain.

That’s why I do my version of #wordwednesday.

If you want a resource, there are many, including Pinterest boards on words. Here’s my board on English words, as well as one on non-English words that I wished were available in English. Well, that doesn’t stop me from using them or telling others about them! Just like how English incorporate so many words from so many other languages into English, I just do it informally ahead of the day when I know it will just have to be. 🙂

Give it a try! You can do it on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram or any number of other social and less than social media. 🙂

Use Words Quote

Everyone should use some words
not found in any dictionary 

use words quote minh tan halifaxMinh Tan

Other quotes by me

Continue reading

Why Facebook Needs a DISLIKE Button

If you use Facebook, you know there is a Like button you can click on to show you like, support, approve or think positively of it in some way. There is no Dislike button, probably to keep the social experience positive, among other reasons. However, this lack of a Dislike button isn’t serving the need on identifying true social public opinion on any matter that might be controversial. If all you ever saw were all the people who Liked something controversial, how would you ever know how many people might Dislike it like in a real poll?

Continue reading

Why Canada’s Banning of Dire Straits’ Money for Nothing is Bad Policy

The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) issued a ruling today which censored Dire Straits’ mega-hit song from over 25 years ago, Money for Nothing. The CBSC said the song should either be banned, or suitably edited, for its use of the homophobic word “faggot”, three times. (CBC, Jan 13 2011; CSBC Decision)

(I’d have embedded the actual music video but those *^&*@$ at YouTube have all these copyrights rules now that don’t let them be seen in Canada and other countries).

I understand the principle to censor the song, but completely disagree with the psychology of the action. For the sake of an ideal, the fight against homophobia just took a step backward rather than a step forward.

Continue reading

Halifax Skating Oval Could Be Kept for 50 Cents to $2 per Use (A Cost-Benefit Analysis)

Halifax Skating Oval

For about $1 of tax per person per year, or a $2 (toonie) charge per use, the Halifax Skating Oval can be sustained, at the highest cost estimates. It could be as low as 50 cents per use. I’m not encouraging this, but if paying for use of the Oval were a last resort, it could be very affordable and definitely worth its value!

There’s a big debate on whether or not to keep the Canada Winter Games Skating Oval on the Halifax Commons (CBC, Jan 4 2011). A lot of the public is enjoying the facility, but the worry is the cost of maintaining the Oval after the Canada Games are over. The hope is that business support can be found to pay the costs, rather than increasing taxes or having to charge skaters. However, that’s a political solution. This analysis looks at the business case of keeping the oval if the public had to pay for it.

Continue reading