More Interesting Words

Here are some more words from the book, The Bibliophile's Dictionary: 2,054 Masterful Words and Phrases:

--Irenic (eye RIH nik) adj. Conciliatory; preferring peace or moderation.

--Lapidary (LA puh DER ee) n. A person who cuts and polishes stones or gems. 3. adj. worthy of engraving in stone (e.g., lapidary prose).

--Farrago (fuh RAH go) n. A medley; a jumple; a hodgepodge.

--Risible (RI zuh buhl) adj. capable of or inclined to laughing, 2. causing laughter, 3. associated with laughter.

--Megillah (muh GI luh) n. 2. a long, tediously detailed or embroidered account; a complicated story, frequently in the phrase "the whole megillah."

--Ethereal (i THIR ee uhl) adj. of or like the ether, or upper regions of space, 2. highly refined; delicate; light; airy, 3. heavenly.

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The Expanding of Vocabulary

As I've stated earlier, I like learning new words, especially words that have a nice sound to them or just sound weird. Here are some I've come across:

1. Chignon n. (SHEEN-yon) A bundle of hair twisted together on the nape of the neck or back of the head on women.

2. Kleptocracy n. (klep-TOK-ruh-see) A government of the corrupt who use their positions for personal gain.

3. Palladium n. ((puh-LAY-dee-uhm) Anything believed to provide protection or safety; a safeguard.

4. Dionysian adj. (dy-uh-NIS-ee-uhn) Uninhibited; spontaneous; wild.

5. Trumped-up adj. (trumpt-up) Faked or fradulent.

6. Stormy petrel n. (STOR-mee PE-truhl) One who brings trouble or whose appearance is a sign of trouble.

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Inequality Run Amuck

I have been reading quite a bit on the topic of inequality. I see it daily, so it's a subject I want to know more about. And by "seeing it daily," I mean I see it in the people I help who receive Medicaid; yet, like so many others I see it in the news and in society and in how our American culture is structured. It seems the forces are too formidable in favor of the status quo for much to be done.

Here are some quotes that can offer hope and that affirm that "something is rotten in D.C.":

--We must work together to ensure the equitable distribution of wealth, opportunity, and power in our society.           Nelson Mandela

--The causes which destroyed the ancient republics were numerous; but in Rome, one principal cause was the vast inequality of fortunes.                       Noah Webster

--The disposition to admire, and almost to worship, the rich and the powerful, and to despise, or, at least, to neglect persons of poor and mean condition is the great and most universal cause of the corruption of our moral sentiments.                        Adam Smith

--An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics.      Plutarch

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No Room in the Inn, At Least Not at a Reasonable Price

I have been reading a lot lately on the difficulty of low-income people finding affordable housing in the New Orleans area (and nationwide). And in my work I deal with many clients that fit into this group. I had thought the going price to rent a one-bedroom in N.O. was about $600 to $1,000. I was wrong.

According to an article published on July 24th, 2017, "The count: average rental price per month of a one-bedroom apartment in New Orleans," on The Advocate's website, this is way off. "New Orleans is No. 1--in U.S. cities with the highest rent hike over the last six months, according to ABODO, a rent-analysis company. While ABODO estimates the nationwide average rent for a one-bedroom apartment to be $1,016 per month and the average apartment in the state of Louisiana to rent for $834 per month, a one-bedroom in N.O. averages out to nearly $1,400 per month."

Wow!

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