Movie review The Hobbit:An Unexpected Journey

I went today and saw The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey today. My reaction is mixed. Peter Jackson produced a great adventure movie, following Bilbo Baggins and the 12 Dwarves on their mission to reclaim the Lonely Mountain for the dwarves.  But once again the writers added to the story, I guess because they thought it wouldn’t be interesting to a 21st Century audience. One addition actually detracted from the story, and didn’t really seem to belong there. That was the rock monsters. That scene began a series of events that, though fast paced, were too unbelievable, even for an imaginary place like Middle Earth.

Overall, it was worth the time to see. I am glad that Tolkien doesn’t have to see it.

How verbal are you?

Here is a vocabulary test I tried out, and was surprised at how well I did: Test Your Vocabulary.  You get two lists of words- the first tests your broad vocabulary level, with words like; the second your narrow vocabulary.  I am in the 45th percentile for adults over 18 years, with a vocab of around 26,000 words.  I did not think I was that verbal.

How well can you do?  Try it, then come back and brag about (or humbly admit) your score.

HT: First Thoughts blog

Thoughts on the Olympics

Just a few ramblings related to the Winter Olympics:

• It’s great to see so many Americans doing well.
• It was saddening when the Georgian luger died in that accident.  I cannot imaging going 90mph on a small sled!
• Can “dancing” on ice be considered a sporting event?
• Can we ever watch the figure skaters (or other events) without the constant chatter of the announcers?  I want to choke Scott Hamill whenever he groans after a skater messes up.  Comment on the replay!
• How many times does the announcer need to remind us that “only the first two go on”? It seems like the guy calling the snowboard and ski cross (race between four people at one time) felt like we needed to hear that at least twice every heat.
• Why aren’t all the American competitors (except the figure skaters) wearing red, white and blue?  
• What happened to patriotism?  Too many of the Americans either forgot or never learned how to salute the flag during the national anthem.
• Seeing all that snow makes me cold.  But then, we are getting our heaviest snowfall of the year right now, so I don’t need to watch the Olympics to see a lot of snow!

New blog you might want to read

My daughter and a friend have started a blog based on one of my favorite subjects: chocolate! Go on over and see Morsels of Chocolate. Now, if they would add coffee to the mix, that would be wonderful!

Something fun!

Over at World Magazine Blog, several of us have been keeping a fun thread alive for over six months. But alas and alack, it died last night because no one added another word for two days. It is a game of Cyber Scrabble with these rules:

* We’ll start off with the word “Pray.”
* The first player should change one letter of “Pray” and post it in the comment section.
* Subsequent players should work off the last word published in the comment section.
* You can’t add letters.
* You can’t use foreign (or foul!) languages.
* You can only change one letter.
* You can’t repeat a word already used.

I know the list of 2129 words below contains some not allowed in the board game, but they are all according to the rules. If you wish to play along, go for it! I am going to add one word each day until I run out of usable words. In order not to repeat, use the "find" function of your browser (usually under the "Edit" on the menu bar). Or, copy and paste the list into Word or another word processor with a "find" function. If you are stumped for words, do what I do. I go to Dictionary.com.

Let's have fun!

pray, play, plan, clan, clap, flap, flip, flit, flat, blat, beat, seat, seal, peal, pear, peat, meat, heat, hear, dear, deer, doer, dyer, dyes, dyed, died, dies, pies, hies, hits, fits, bits, zits, pits, pots, pats, path, bath, math, moth, mote, mite, site, sire, hire, mire, mere, more, fore, fort, tort, sort, sore, bore, bork, born, torn, morn, corn, horn, worn, wort, wore, lore, lyre, pyre, tyre, tyro, pyro, piro, lure, cure, core, cord, curd, card, bard, bird, bind, wind, wins, wink, wine, line, lone, pone, pong, pond, pony, puny, punt, runt, hunt, hint, hind, rind, kind, mind, mild, mile, mill, till, tilt, silt, silk, sill, will, wilt, welt, weld, meld, melt, molt, dolt, jolt, jilt, hilt, halt, malt, salt, sale, sole, sold, bold, told, gold, good, food, wood, mood, mold, hold, cold, cola, coda, code, cope, cape, care, pare, pane, wane, cane, café, cake, cade, made, wade, wale, male, pale, pace, race, rate, fate, face, fact, tact, pact, part, past, fast, last, list, mist, most, must, bust, bunt, bent, cent, lent, vent, went, wend, send, sent, tent, gent, pent, dent, dint, dirt, dart, cart, curt, hurt, hurl, burl, burn, burd, barm, bark, back, lack, lark, lurk, turk, tusk, rusk, risk, rise, rice, nice, mice, nite, note, rite, rote, robe, rube, cube, cute, lute, late, date, mate, maze, haze, hate, hare, harm, hard, herd, head, heap, reap, real, read, lead, bead, dead, fear, feat, neat, next, nest, best, west, test, jest, just, mush, hush, hash, gash, gush, push, bush, bash, cash, lash, lush, rush, ruse, rude, ride, hide, bide, side, tide, time, dime, mime, lime, like, link, sink, pink, pine, fine, find, fink, fins, pins, sins, sing, ring, rink, tink, tine, mine, mile, mule, mull, bull, full, fill, fall, tall, gall, ball, hall, haul, hail, jail, bail, wail, tail, fail, foil, fool, foot, hoot, toot, moot, boot, soot, root, coot, coon, loon, moon, moor, door, dour, four, foul, fowl, foal, coal, coat, goat, boat, boar, bear, gear, tear, tsar, csar, char, chap, chip, chit, chic, chin, shin, thin, than, that, what, chat, chad, chap, phat, prat, plat, plot, slot, slog, slug, smug, smog, shog, shot, spot, spat, spit, spin, span, spun, shun, shan, scar, scam, scat, scut, scug, snug, snag, snap, swap, swab, stab, star, soar, sour, soup, soul, soil, toil, roil, roll, toll, moll, tool, cool, pool, poll, boll, bowl, rows, cows, sows, sews, news, pews, hews, haws, hags, hams, hats, cats, bats, rats, mats, vats, vets, nets, bets, gets, lets, sets, pets, wets, wits, with, kith, kite, bite, bike, pike, pile, file, rile, bile, bole, mole, role, pole, poke, joke, loke, roke, rose, tote, cote, note, nose, lose, dose, pose, pope, rope, nope, hope, hole, hale, gale, bale, bake, hake, take, tace, mace, dace, lace, lice, tice, tike, hike, mike, nike, dike, dine, done, dome, dote, dope, dupe, dude, duke, dune, tune, tule, tale, talk, walk, wall, mall, mail, maid, said, paid, raid, rail, nail, sail, pail, pain, rain, main, gain, gawn, lawn, pawn, dawn, darn, dark, hark, mark, mare, make, sake, rake, fake, fare, dare, dame, fame, fume, fuse, muse, mute, mure, murk, musk, dusk, desk, deck, neck, nick, pick, pack, tack, sack, suck, sick, lick, luck, huck, tuck, buck, duck, dock, mock, monk, mink, minx, mint, lint, lino, dino, dink, ding, dong, long, gong, gone, hone, none, nine, kine, king, ping, wing, ling, lung, rung, sung, song, tong, tone, cone, come, home, hose, host, lost, cost, colt, bolt, belt, felt, pelt, pert, cert, cere, were, here, sere, Serb, herb, hero, herm, berm, beam, bean, wean, lean, leap, leak, peak, peas, pens, hens, lens, dens, deny, defy, deft, daft, raft, rapt, rant, pant, can’t, cast, cask, mask, task, bask, bank, tank, rank, sank, sunk, dunk, punk, puns, pang, yang, ying, zing, bing, bine, zine, zone, bone, bote, vote, vite, vise, vine, vane, vale, dale, kale, rale, rule, rune, runs, guns, suns, sums, bums, rums, rams, cams, dams, damp, ramp, camp, lamp, lamb, lame, same, tame, tams, tabs, cabs, cubs, hubs, rubs, rugs, bugs, hugs, hogs, dogs, pogs, pigs, figs, rigs, digs, gigs, wigs, jigs, jugs, mugs, tugs, pugs, pubs, pups, sups, sops, sots, tops, tots, mops, maps, caps, saps, naps, daps, taps, raps, laps, yaps, gaps, gape, gaze, raze, rage, rags, zags, bags, tags, tans, tang, dang, sang, fang, fans, fads, bads, bids, bins, buns, bunk, lunk, tunk, tonk, bonk, honk, hunk, hulk, sulk, bulk, balk, balm, calm, palm, pals, gals, gads, cads, dads, duds, buds, suds, subs, tubs, tuba, tube, tobe, tope, tore, gore, pore, port, mort, moat, doat, dost, post, wost, wast, wasp, gasp, rasp, rash, dash, mash, mast, hast, bast, vast, vest, rest, pest, lest, fest, fent, rent, reit, rein, reim, ream, team, teal, teat, teak, teas, seas, seam, slam, sham, shag, stag, swag, sway, swat, swan, swam, spam, spay, spar, slar, sear, rear, roar, road, load, toad, goad, goal, soal, soap, slap, slip, slop, stop, stob, stub, stun, stud, spud, scud, scum, slum, glum, glue, blue, clue, slue, flue, flub, flab, blab, blub, blob, slob, slub, club, chub, chug, chum, crum, cham, cram, gram, grim, grip, trip, trim, tram, trap, tray, fray, gray, grey, trey, prey, drey, dreg, drag, draw, craw, crew, crow, grow, brow, brew, blew, blow, slow, slew, stew, step, stem, seem, seed, seep, keep, peep, peel, reel, feel, feed, heed, heel, keel, keen, been, beet, beep, deep, jeep, veep, veer, seer, beer, bier, tier, pier, pien, lien, linn, lion, pion, poon, noon, nook, look, kook, cook, book, boon, soon, goon, gown, down, town, mown, mows, tows, toys, boys, buys, guys, goys, joys, jays, pays, cays, days, bays, rays, lays, says, saws, paws, jaws, jabs, jobs, joes, foes, roes, toes, ties, lies, lips, hips, sips, tips, tins, tint, tift, sift, soft, loft, loot, loop, coop, poop, hoop, hood, hoed, coed, toed, teed, deed, weed, reed, peed, pend, lend, tend, bend, fend, rend, mend, mead, mean, meal, veal, deal, dean, dern, tern, pern, porn, pork, fork, dork, cork, work, word, worm, warm, ward, wars, warn, barn, tarn, yarn, yard, lard, lord, lorn, loan, loam, roam, foam, form, norm, dorm, doom, room, boom, loom, zoom, coom, coos, boos, boas, bogs, bods, bode, rode, node, nude, nuke, puke, pure, sure, dure, dire, fire, wire, tire, tare, tape, type, tope, lope, lobe, lobs, logs, loge, doge, dove, love, live, hive, hove, move, wove, wave, have, pave, save, sane, safe, sage, sate, gate, gave, game, came, cave, case, cage, page, mage, mane, mase, mise, miss, moss, boss, toss, loss, less, fess, fest, fist, gist, hist, hiss, kiss, kips, dips, dins, dons, sons, sobs, gobs, mobs, toms, tomb, comb, bomb, boob, boor, poor, pour, pout, tout, tour, hour, hoar, hoer, hoes, goes, does, dots, cots, rots, robs, bobs, bibs, dibs, ribs, fibs, libs, jibs, nibs, nips, rips, rims, rime, rife, life, wife, wipe, ripe, pipe, kipe, lipe, sipe, sine, cine, cite, cate, pate, bate, base, babe, bade, fade, jade, hade, lade, lode, mode, mope, moue, roué, rout, bout, lout, loud, laud, baud, bald, band, bond, fond, fund, funk, sunk, gunk, junk, June, jube, lube, luge, lugs, lags, legs, kegs, begs, beds, bees, sees, seek, seen, teen, tees, tens, Bens, Kens, Kent, Keno, kino, kink, Kirk, kick, tick, tics, Tims, aims, dims, doms, moms, mome, some, soma, sofa, soda, coda, coma, loma, lima, limb, limp, gimp, wimp, wamp, warp, carp, harp, tarp, taro, tars, tart, mart, hart, wart, want, wand, land, lane, lake, wake, ware, rare, rave, lave, lava, lama, rama, raga, riga, ruga, yuga, yoga, toga, togs, tobs, toby, Tory, dory, gory, Cory, lory, Lori, loci, lock, cock, rock, hock, pock, puck, muck, yuck, ruck, rusk, busk, husk, cusk, cusp, cush, cuss, fuss, buss, bass, bars, cars, carb, garb, barb, barf, bare, Bari, Bali, Mali, Magi, mags, sags, wags, nags, nabs, Labs, lats, eats, ears, Mars, oars, oats, gats, gabs, dabs, dais, daws, laws, lows, bows, vows, pows, wows, woes, woks, woke, coke, cove, rove, jove, Rome, Nome, name, nape, rape, Raye, rabe, rase, lase, ease, east, oast, oust, rust, lust, gust, dust, duct, duet, duel, fuel, furl, curl, curb, curs, furs, firs, firm, farm, marm, marl, maul, waul, gaul, guar, gaud, gaum, geum, germ, perm, peri, perk, park, pard, para, parr, pars, jars, jams, gams, gums, guts, juts, puts, ruts, nuts, buts, butt, putt, putz, lutz, futz, fuzz, fuze, faze, daze, doze, dole, doll, dell, fell, well, tell, sell, self, delf, dels, gels, delf, geld, gild, gilt, lilt, lift, gift, girt, airt, airs, sirs, sits, nits, kits, kids, lids, Lido, Fido, fids, feds, fees, pees, peer, weer, week, meek, leek, peek, reek, geek, beek, beck, bock, sock, nock, yock, jock, jook, took, rook, hook, hoof, goof, roof, loof, loaf, leaf, deaf, neaf, near, wear, weak, weal, heal, hell, hill, yill, yell, bell, bill, pill, dill, gill, rill, kill, kiln, Kirn, kern, karn, earn, Earl, carl, cark, nark, nary, Navy, nave, neve, nene, gene, gens, fens, yens, mens, mess, mass, pass, pads, lads, lass, sass, tass, tase, vase, vasa, visa, vita, pita, pika, puka, puma, duma, dumb, dump, pump, hump, bump, lump, rump, rums, hums, huts, cuts, cues, sues, dues, hues, rues, ryes, ayes, eyes, eyed, eked, ekes, ukes, Utes, uses, used, user, Umer, omer, oner, over, aver, Acer, aces, Ares, ages, ales, Alps, alms, elms, elds, ends, ands, ants, arts, aits, acts, alts, alto, alas, Alan, Klan, flan, flag, flog, blog, clog, Clow, glow, glop, plop, plow, flow, flaw, slaw, slab, slay, flay, flam, flak, flax, flex, flea, flee, glee, gled, sled, fled, flew, fley, Frey, fret, free, tree, Cree, bree, Brie, brim, brig, grig, grit, brit, bris, bras, brat, bran, brag, bray, brad, bred, bled, blet, blot, clot, clod, clad, clay, cloy, clop, clou, chou, chop, chow, show, snow, stow, scow, scop, Scot, swot, swob, swab, scab, scad, shad, shod, shop, shoe, shoo, shmo, sumo, sump, gump, gamp, samp, simp, sims, jims, mims, mums, tums, tuts, tits, tats, tads, Taos, Laos, naos, nays, ways, wads, weds, Reds, Keds, zeds, meds, megs, pegs, regs, refs, rifs, rins, vins, hins, huns, duns, nuns, nubs, bubs, burs, ours, outs, orts, orbs, arbs, albs, alls, ally, illy, ills, ells, Elks, Elko, Esks, asks, arks, arms, arcs, arfs, ares, awes, axes, Abes, Abel, abet, abed, aged, aced, acid, arid, grid, grin, gein, vein, vain, lain, loin, join, coin, coil, boil, moil, noil, noir, coir, coit, Voit, Toit, twit, twig, twin, tain, fain, fair, pair, lair, laid, laic, lais, lams, yams, yaws, caws, cans, cons, cobs, cogs, cods, cops, bops, bors, bots, mots, lots, jots, jogs, jags, gags, dags, fags, fogs, fogy, dogy, dozy, doxy, dopy, copy, copt, COFT, toft, tuft, tuff, buff, huff, puff, duff, guff, puff, muff, miff, tiff, biff, jiff, riff, rifs, rids, aids, ails, awls, owls, owns, owes, ores, ones, odes, odea, idea, Ikea, ilea, plea, plew, pled, plod, prod, prom, prop, crop, drop, trop, trow, prow, frow, frog, grog, grot, GRAT, grit, gait, wait, whit, whet, when, whew, chew, chaw, Chas, chis, this, thus, thud, thug, trug, true, grue, grub, grum, gaum, GAUS, gars, gays, geys, keys, leys, leds, peds, teds, tews, Jews, mews, dews, dewy, demy, demo, memo, meme, deme, heme, hemp, hems, gems, rems, reps, ceps, cups, tups, tupi, tipi, Topi, tori, tors, mors, mods, muds, cuds, cuda, Cuba, Suda, Sura, surf, turf, turn, curn, carn, Cain, Caen, Haen, taen, Jaen, Jael, jarl, farl, fard, nard, nerd, need, meed, meet, feet, deet, deem, derm, dere, fere, fern, hern, hers, herp, Hera, Bera, Bert, Bern, berg, burg, burp, burr, bury, fury, jury, Jura, Bura, bora, bort, bott, both, doth, loth, lota, rota, rotl, roti, Roth, ruth, rath, Gath, Goth, SOTH, Seth, meth, Mets, muts, muss, muns, mans, Mays, maya, mayo, kayo, Karo, Faro, Fars, fats, nats, SATS, SANS, bans, bams, Sams, Pams, paps, pans, pons, mons, eons, tons, ions, inns, inks, irks, ires, ides, ices, iced, Icee, inee, knee, knew, know, knob, knot, knit, snit, slit, skit, skim, swim, slim, shim, ship, whip, whim, whom, whop, whap, wrap, crap, crab, drab, dram, drat, frat, fiat, fiar, liar, Lear, year, yeas, yean, yead, yeld, held, helm, help, yelp, yelk, Belk, bels, eels, eens, wens, wans, vans, vang, hang, gang, dang, rang, bang, lang, lans, Hans, haps, hops, hobs, nobs, fobs, foss, doss, docs, dors, Dora, Mora, Cora, fora, forb, ford, fold, folk, polk, yolk, yold, wold, wolf, golf, rolf, roff, doff, daff, gaff, guff, goff, coff, coif, coof, poof, woof, wool, mool, Kool, Lohl, koel, Joel, noel, noll, Nell, cell, call, cull, cult, celt, delt, gelt, geat, gean, pean, Kean, keas, leas, yeas, leal, geal, feal, zeal, Beal, baal, baul, Raul, Paul, pall, paly, poly, holy, holt, holm, holp, halp, hasp, hase, hame, mame, mama, mara, Mary, miry, wiry, wary, Gary, Cary, carf, zarf, Zara, Zada, nada, dada, dado, dato, NATO, Nate, Tate, Kate, yate, Yale, nale, Nile, wile, tile, vile, vice, dice, dece, duce, puce, pule, pull, pulp, gulp, gull, dull, lull, loll, lall, lill, sall, sull, wull, woll, woul, joul, jowl, cowl, coll, cole, tole, toke, hoke

Oh, and if you want to see the original thread, complete with comments about what some of the obscure words mean, click here.

ADDENDUM: June 9- I've been busy, so have not gotten to this. New word: JOWL.
Since tomorrow I leave for a short vacation, here are a few more words: COWL, COLL (to embrace), COLE (besides a name, it is a kind of mustard), TOLE, TOKE, HOKE

Current count: 2143.

Celebrate May!

April is almost gone. May arrives next week with all its importance. Several big days here at 3rd and College. My birthday and anniversary. The end of school for another year. Several religious holidays. In Missouri, state workers and some schools take a day off to celebrate Harry Truman's birthday on the 8th. Then there is Memorial Day, which has been proclaimed the unofficial beginning of summer.

And what month is not complete without its odd festivals. Pella, Iowa, celebrates its Dutch heritage with the Tulip Time May 7-9. It's a great way to see thousands of flowers in one place. My family and I went one year. It was cold and rainy, so there was not much enjoyment. the flowers were droopy because of the wind, and some of the events got canceled, so we did not stay long.

Many other communities around the globe have their special days, too. In a quick search, I discovered that England has two interesting ones. One is the Rochester Sweeps Festival, in which chimney sweeps have a big party with music and dancing. The other I found was the Cheese Rolling at Cooper's Hill in Gloucestershire, England. From what I can tell, people actually win prizes for rolling a round block of cheese down a very steep hill. And this thing has been going on for generations! Sounds like fun. My problem would be eating the cheese instead of rolling it.

So, enjoy May to its fullest. Enjoy the warming temperatures before the heat of summer melts us away. Unless of course, you live South of the Equator, where you are entering the cold season.

Are there any interesting festivals where you live or that you have heard of? Tell me about them.