whoa

whoa
oh, mercy mercy me
oh, things ain’t what they used to be

This blog ain't what it used to be. Hey, that’s ok with me. Change should always be expected. There is still 24 hours in a day so less time in blogland allows for more time for other pursuits.

The lights are still on in this head of mine. Plenty of odd thoughts and questions still appear with nowhere to go. I try to write them down.

For example, while listening to a traffic report I wondered why gaper blocks are not called gawker blocks. A little word research lead me to discover that “gaper” is a new term using in snow skiing. Also long ago, a gaper referred to a large wooden head that was signage for Dutch pharmacies.

Thinking of change, you sure do notice constant change in slang and word usage. I believe the word slang is being replaced with urban.

Our mailbox recently offered up a coupon for a new restaurant that classified itself as “American Mexican Fusion”. We might give the place a try. The reason I mention it here is to complain about the use of “fusion” in all sorts of marketing names and taglines.

My science interests firmly fixed the definition of fusion to be the nuclear process that takes place in the core of stars. As the word gets repurposed as a car model name, a type of menu, a type of music, etc., people forget its scientific roots. Even if food could be produced by the nuclear fusion process it would be too hot to eat.

doubt my fusion food will be cooked in this reactor
pic from nature.com