Vocab #4

accolade - an award or an expression of praise.
He received an accolade of his valor in battle.

acerbity- quality of expressing harsh or sharp criticism in a cleaver way
The magazine contained acerbic criticism of modern literature and films.

attrition- the act of defeating an enemy gradually by slowly weakening them through constant attacks over a period of time.
With their enemies taking cover within their fortress, the general decided to win the war through attrition.
 
bromide- a statement that is intended to calm or sooth someone but in neither very effective no original
The doctor made a very bromides statement about how the patient would feel no pain through the procedure. 

chauvinist- an attitude of superiority towards members of the opposite gender.
The male chauvinist had no respect for the women around him.

chronic-continuing or occurring again and again for a long time
Stacie suffers form chronic back pain. 

expound- to explain or state something.
The magazine expounds the development process of the latest game.

factionalism - a group within a larger group that has different ideas and opinions than the rest of the group.
 The faction of the party decided that they needed to take action and left before the others.

immaculate: Perfectly clean
the doctor's office was immaculate and absolutely spotless.

imprecation : an offensive word or phrase that people say when they are angry
 Curse words are examples of imprecation

ineluctable- not able to be avoided or changed
Once a dragon is enraged its wrath is  ineluctable

mercurial : changing moods quickly and often
palliate: to make the effects of an illness less painful, harmful, or harsh
protocol: a system of rules that explain the correct conduct and procedures to be followed in formal situations
In a firs aid situation it is protocol to first assess the situation  before physically contacting the victim in any manner then calling the ambulance if necessary. 

resplendent- very bright and attractive
Advertisements are made to be  resplendent to attract customers.

stigmatize: to mark with a stigmata.

sub rosa: in confidence


vainglory-excessive or ostentatious pride especially in one's achievements 
the Vainglory that he expressed several months after he had won the tournament wan annoying.
 
vestige-the last small part that remains of something that existed before.
The vestige of the city after the bombing was left abandoned many years ago.

volition-the power to make your own choices or decisions
Legally volition is gained when one turns 18.  

HAFTA/WANNA

After high school there will be a clear difference between those who are chasing a dream, and those who have lost their dream. The truth is that nothing really changes in a person's life after the last bell rings. Yea their 'free' to do what ever they want to, but not every one does. Most that i have watched spend a year just to find a dream, if not longer in cases i have seen with some people i know who are my parent's age. People will remain generally the same, if they were lazy they will still be lazy (hopefully something gets them to change  but that's not always what happens). Personally I have watched several squander their potential. One of my close friends, who will remain nameless, has great potential but he sits on his but all day and does nothing to work for it. I don't want to do that. I want to fight for something, through the ruff times and the calm ones. A life without struggle seems boring, and i don't want that. The greatest heroes of all time fought through some of the harshest of trials for something they wanted, be it freedom, equal rights, or just to put food on the table. That's what I want, to fight for something worth fighting for and I hope that I never change my mind about that.

Spring vocab 3

apostate: Someone who's beliefs have changed and no longer belongs to a religious or political group.
effusive: to express a large amount of emotion
impasse: A predicament in which there is no obvious escape
euphoria: a feeling of great happiness
lugubrious: Full of sadness
bravado: Confident actions made to impress others
consensus: A general agreement to something
dichotomy: A devision between two opposing things
constrict: To make smaller
gothic: A style of dark fiction that often depicts gruesome events
punctilio: The careful observance of forms.
metamorphosis: to change shape
raconteur: A person who is very talented at telling stories.
sine qua non: something that is absolutely needed.
quixotic: hopefully optimistic in a manner that is not practical
vendetta: a very long fight between two groups; a blood feud
non sequitur: a statement that has no logical connection to anything said before it
mystique: a special quality that makes it especially interesting
quagmire: a situation that is full of problems.
parlous:To be full of danger or risk.

Life After...

After High school I want to write my stories and raise a family. 

Spring Vocab 2

accoutrements: Pieces of clothing or equipment used in specific instances.
apogee: The highest point of something
apropos: To occur at an opportune time.
bicker: To squabble over something petty
coalesce: To come together to form one group
contretemps: An embarrassing or unfortunate event.
convolution: Something that is very complex and difficult to understand.
cull: To select or choose from a group
disparate: to be marked distinctly in quality or character.
dogmatic: To be characterized by very strong opinions as if they were facts.
licentious: To disregard strict rules of conduct
mete: to give out by measure
noxious: Physically harmful or destructive to living beings
polemic: A strong written attack against someone's beliefs
populous: Having a large population
probity: adherence to the highest principles and ideals
repartee: a conversation in which clever statements and replies are made quickly.
supervene: to result as an additional unexpected development.
truncate: to shorten by cutting off.
unimpeachable:not able to be doubted or questioned

Profile in Courage

Today I watched a documentary called Murderball which tells the story of quadriplegics who play a form of rugby in their wheel chairs despite their disability. I had hear of this before but had long since forgotten about it. These guys work their hardest to be just like any other athlete and I respect them. These guys chose not to sit on their buts as they watched life pass them by  while they were unable to reach it, they got into their chairs and did something about it. That is courageous, to face your fear of never being able to walk again and enjoy life in the same manner.

The Choice

Angry, depressed, morose, lonely I walked through part of his life in a constant cycle that seemed to beg the question of my own sanity. I was down on his luck and none of my friends could be seen or heard. Yet through all of this misery a switch flipped in my head and I decided to do something about it. The one thing most people my age tend to despise that most, the dreaded high school, was my chance to act. I seized the opportunity of meeting new friends and standing against old disputes. I forged new bonds and reforged those with old friends. Every night a phrase rang in my skull, "Every day you choose how the world sees you, and every day you choose the world you live in." I forced myself to change my life for the better when i could have just layed down and given up. Instead I chose to fight.

Spring Vocab 1

adumbrate - To vaguely foreshadow

apotheosis - elevation to divine status

ascetic- to practice self-denial as a measure of personal or even spiritual discipline.

bauble- an inexpensive piece of jewelery.

beguile- to trick or deceive someone.

burgeon- to grow or develop quickly.

complement- One thing that completes something else.

contumacious- Stubbornly disobedient

curmudgeon- someone who is easily annoyed or angered and often complains.

didactic- designed to teach people something.

Hacking My Education

This semester I will "hack" the course by manipulating the lessons to improve my understanding of the mechanics and further improve my vocabulary so that I can write my stories more effectively.