Happy Halloween

AP

Enough said.

Vocabulary #10

1. aficionado--an ardent devotee; fan, enthusiast
--The man is an avid Star Trek aficionado and owned just about all the memorabilia you could buy.   
2. browbeat
--to intimidate by using overbearing looks or words; bully
--Johnny's brother often tries to browbeat him into doing his chores.
3. commensurate
--having the same measure; of equal extent or duration/proportionate, adequate
--The criminal's sentence should be commensurate with the gravity of his or her crime.
4. diaphanous
--very sheer and light; almost completely transparent or translucent
--The angel appeared in a white gown topped with a diaphanous robe.
5. emolument
--profit or fees from office or employment
--Emoluments for politicians had risen by almost 25% that year; this enraged the suffering citizens.
6. foray
--a quick raid, usually for the purpose of taking plunder/a quick, sudden attack/an initial venture
--In order to maintain their status as dominant clan, the Offdensons would carry out near-regular forays.
7. genre
--a class or category of artistic endeavor having a particular form, technique, content or the like
--While my friend prefers to read books belonging to the magical realism genre, I prefer mystery novels.
8. homily
--a sermon, usually of a biblical topic and usually of a nondoctrinal nature/an inspirational saying or cliche
--Whenever Suzy went to her grandmother's house, she was usually met with a biblicalhomily; this started to bother her when she developed her own ideas about life and religion.
9. immure
--to enclose within walls/to shut in, seclude or confine/to imprison
--The child felt as though her overprotective parents were just trying to immure her in her own home.
10. insouciant
--free from concern, worry or anxiety; carefree; nonchalant
--I had assumed that my senior year would be the year that I relaxed and became insouciant; it turns out that I'm just as busy as ever.
11.matrix
--something that constitutes the place or point from which something else originates, takes form, or develops/a formative part
--Cells exist within and gather nutrients from the extracellular matrix around them.
12. obsequies
--funeral rites or ceremony
--They performed the obsequies at the local church several days after his passing.
13. panache
--a grand or flamboyant manner; verve; style; flair
--When Jessica visited Brazil, she happened to be there during Carnaval, all of its panacheand excitement displayed in a colorful parade.
14. persona
--the narrator of a character in a literary work, sometimes identified with the author/a person's perceived or evident personality, as that of a well-known official, actor, or celebrity
--The public seemed to love their governor; that is, they loved his governor persona--away from the public eye, he was a deeply flawed man.
15. philippic
--any speech or discourse of bitter denunciation
--When asked for justification in her proposal to impeach the corrupt leader, the woman presented the board with a scathing philippic about the man.
16. prurient
--having, inclined to have, or characterized by lascivious or lustful thoughts, desire, etc./having a restless desire or longing 
--Avid readers have a prurient interest in books.
17. sacrosanct
--extremely sacred or inviolable/not to be entered or trespassed upon/above or beyond criticism, change, or interference
--Those scriptures are considered sacrosanct to those of that faith.
18. systemic
--of or pertaining to a system/pertaining to or affecting the body as a whole
--The patient has a choice between local, topical treatment and systemic treatment in the form of pills.
19. tendentious
--having or showing a definite tendency, bias, or purpose
--She was obviously highly tendentious when it came to choices like this. 
20. vicissitude
--a change or variation in the course of something/interchange or alternation, as in the course of things
--When starting a business, the founder must know how to endure the vicissitudes of the market.

Vocabulary #9

Abortive: failing to produce the intended result
Bruit: spread a report or rumor widely
Contumelious: scornful and insulting behavior
Dictum: a formal pronouncement from an authoritative source; a short statement that expresses a general truth or principle
Ensconce: establish or settle
Iconoclastic: characterized by attack on established beliefs or institutions 
In medias res: a narrative that begins somewhere in the middle of a story rather than the beginning 
Internecine: destructive to both sides in a conflict
Maladroit: ineffective or bungling; clumsy
Maudlin: self-pitying or tearfully sentimental, often through drunkenness 
Modulate: exert a modifying or controlling influence on
Portentous: of or like a portent; done in a pompously or overly solemn manner
Prescience: the power to foresee the future
Quid pro quo: a favor or advantage granted in return for something
Salubrious: health-giving, healthy; pleasant, not run-down
Saturnalia: the ancient Roman festival of Saturn in December; an occasion of wild revelry
Touchstone: a standard or criterion by which something is judged or recognized 
Traumatic: emotionally disturbing or distressing; relating to or causing psychological trauma
Vitiate: spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of; destroy or impair the legal validity of.
Waggish: humorous in a playful, mischievous, or facetious manner

To Facebook or Not to Facebook?

As a Freshman I thought I was real cool to have a Facebook, saying things such as "Hey Facebook me!" "Friend me!" "I am going to win this poke war!" I would add anyone who added me, people I knew people I didn't. I was young, new to the internet and a tad reckless. The summer before my junior year of High school  those pesky boys messaging me "hey cutie" and... other such messages from strangers really creeped me out. So I did what I should have done ages ago and went through my friends list deleting strangers, jerks, people who posted themselves doing drugs or such. Lets just say i ended up with about 200 friends after being at about 700. I still really enjoy Facebook to this day, its not perfect but at this point in life what really in life??

AP classes getting you down?

Tell Me a Story Dad

To be, or not to be. SPOILER ALERT Great planning

Dear O

Dear O,
To see that you are writing me tells me you have convictions about your possible relationship.
To go against your families wishes is an almost agrentee of anguish in your household.
Listen to your heart and mind. Only you can pick your path.