Say what?

The time has come again, as it tends to do without much prompting, to change the name around here.  I'd say, based on the length of these posts, that I've not exactly adhered to my previous intent with the title ad rem but at least I can say I've tried to "keep to the point."  I can also say, however, that I've probably poached a decent number of hits from the recently defunct rock band of legend -- not that they missed 'em any!

So, onward with the next phrase to go by: quis leget haec? 

I'll use this title for a spell because I'm still curious about you.  I explore topics that interest me, and it seems others have an interest, too, but you're a woefully silent crew. 

Who are you?  What do you think?  Speak up...please, with a cherry on top?



Hit the "like" button.  Oh, whoops! Wrong place.
Use your words like a big boy or girl. 
All jokes aside, I value your perspective, for real!

Name Time ~ Name Place

It's that time again. The name here has grown old, and its meaning was somewhat convoluted to start. Res ipsa loquitur was supposed to drum up some discourse, and as a "lucky charm" of sorts, it failed, but I'm not giving up -- on to the next name!

In the running were these little Latin gems:

* absit invidia or "let ill will be absent" - just so warm and affable a sentiment

* audi, vide, tace or "hear, see, be silent" - the Czech secret service's motto, sort of ominous

* aut viam inveniam aut faciam or "I shall either find a way or make a way" - so positive!

* carpe vinum or "cease the wine" - why? why not (I resisted an easy pun with that one!)

* esto quod es or "be what you are" - sort all inclusive and touchy feely

* quantum libet or "as much as you wish" - read now, read on, read later, whatever

* quis leget haec? or "Who will read this?" - yep, I know at least one guy

In the end, after a pleasant perusal of useful, artful, and otherwise entertaining phrases, I'll land on ad rem for its rather succinct meaning, something I aspire to be: "to the point"!

"Talkin' nomenclature, man!"

Again comes the time to rename / rebrand the blog. No, it's not for marketing purposes; it's simply to infuse some vigor into the little spot I've carved out of the crowded cloud. So, I'm moving on from 'mutatis mutandis' and I'm adopting this new name: 'res ipsa loquitur'. The phrase typically refers to legal negligence of some sort, some glaring oversight on the part of a defendant which is evident to all actors in the court.

The translation from the Latin is "the thing speaks for itself" and could be followed by (and I like this bit!) another phrase: 'sed quid in infernos dicit' which roughly means "but what the hell does it say?" So, maybe the negligence isn't quite so obvious after all!

My wise friend would be so pleased that I'm nabbing such a legal term. Of course, I always twist the meaning somewhat for my own purposes, and I'm going to deem that "just fine!" What you find here is self-evident. Whether you read just one post or search back through the years, maybe you'll be able to discern the 'quid in infernos dicit'.

Yet Another...Nomen

While the reasoning behind choosing the blog name 'vade mecum' was decent, it turns out that I only fixated on one part of the phrase's meaning. In truth, 'vade mecum' refers to an indispensable "handbook" (something of value and wisdom) that one takes along on every jaunt. Although I'd love to say that this is indeed that, I can't lie; while entertaining, nothing here is truly indispensable, so I'm moving on to the next title.

This time around I've honed in on 'mutatis mutandis'. No, it's not about any kind of District 9 style alien colonization. Mainly, the new title reminds me that thus far I've taken various tacks in this cloudspace and that I should continue to branch out. I'll be including more music clips, interviews, and remembrances, but I'm also not throwing out the bathwater yet, so to speak.


Thanks for checking in and looking about!

By Another Name...

Again, it's high time to change this space's name, if not for you then for me. The last cycle was an attempt to 'audi alteram partem' which was meant to give rise to commentary around here. Well, I'm not sure it did that, but in any case, I think traffic was up due to a great respect for German automotive engineering (a nice trick to emply now that I know it!).

So, this time I'll go with the title 'vade mecum' which roughly translates into "go with me" but that take on the Latin phrase could be a little misleading. It's not a plea; instead it's a definition for what this gathering of tidbits has become to me. It's something that's following me around; conversely, sometimes I'm the one following the interests that arise. In the sense that a journal or a handbook goes with you, so too does this blog 'vade mecum'.

However I dissect it, this place is slowly evolving into something, and I suppose I'll try to take a little pride in that. My continued thanks to those of you who come around to visit, read, listen or otherwise open your minds here.

The Blog's Odd Name...

As has become the tradition in this space, it's time for a new name. Again, I've selected one of many classic Latin phrases with an aim to find a message that is emblematic of my goals here.

This go 'round with the name 'nosce te ipsum' (roughly meaning "know thyself") has been a good cycle for the blog and I've seen readership increase little by little which, I'll egotistically admit, has been gratifying. So, my thanks go out to those who've frequented the spot and I hope that you've enjoyed the content. I'll keep it coming ... just for y'all!

For this next cycle, I've chosen the phrase 'audi alteram partem' as a thank you and a challenge to those of you who are visiting. It means "to hear the other side" and that is exactly what I am hoping will happen. Please, if you find something of interest and you have something to say, write a comment and I know it will add to the depth and diversity of the perspectives presented here.

Thanks again for your interest and for your future thoughts & sentiments.

New Name, New Cycle

Since the last go 'round, the title 'per volar su nata' has stood here as a mantra to really make this thing fly and for the most part, it has some air under it now, mostly hot air, but bouyant and flavorful nonetheless.

This time around, I'll go with 'nosce te ipsum' - Latin for "know thyself" - so as to treat the blog as a reflection of my own thoughts and interests (just for fun and as a tiny salute to my family heritage, I've included the original Greek in the title). Taken as a whole, the content and commentary in this collection of posts is gradually helping to illuminate my own dreams and fascinations.

And so, onward.

Call it what it is!

It's to change the name around here yet again. This last title -- esse quam videri -- was a somewhat psychological attempt to get myself writing with better direction and some passion.

Now that things are orientated properly, I'd like to change the name this time to -- per volar su nata -- which is the Latin (or maybe Italian) for "to fly upwards" or "born to soar". Again, it's a way for me to keep momentum every time I visit the blog and to keep an eye on the main goal which is to improve the content herein with every post.

I hope you're enjoying this space and if you are, let me know by posting a comment. I'd love to hear what your thinking about what you see and read here, so thanks in advance.

A National Face

I absolutely love it when journalists, talking heads, public commentators and like decide to generalize on the so-called "core values" of a particular nation. These blanket statements almost always come across as sweeping stereotypes yielding only the tiniest indication of the nation or its citizens' identities. A beneficial practice for the youth of any country might be to make an acquaintance, better yet a friend, from a country other than one's own so as to instill, from an early age, a sense that even though a group may gather under a common, national umbrella, those in its shadow rarely possess more than just a few similar traits.


The best of these generalizations are quite detailed and as such have already narrowed their scope; the resulting idea is conveyed successfully. For example, in the Christian Science Monitor today (29.06.2009) the author James Miller states, "One of the core principles of traditional Chinese culture is that of harmony between humans and nature." If delivered by a news anchor or commentator, surely this statement would be reduced for shorter attention spans and might come out as something like, "The Chinese people believe in harmony between humans and nature." The latter comment is far less truthful than the former and this is the tendency of most media voices today; the goal is to get the point across while including the fewest details necessary.


This makes for a portrayal of the world, its people and its dynamics, that is two-dimensional at best and at worst, a gross misrepresentation of reality. As it is, the world is a full of tonalities of truth, varying from the purest of positive events and actions to the most heinous of malicious occurrences. To dissect our lives and our environment with such a cleaver, one that slices only black and white hunks of generalization, is the great disservice that corner-cutters on the boob tube provide us.


It's true; one could rightfully question: "What do you expect? It's free." However, the dangerous cost of this type of distilled dissemination of facts is our narrowed perspective which inevitably leads to misunderstanding and intolerance of others.

Most often, I balk at the notion that, "Americans are..." something or some way across the board. These stereotypes hardly apply to me or anyone I know. And this is not to say that I'm so unique that nobody can pin me to a category. I'm plenty normal, but the deeper fact is that no nation's face, even of the most ethnically homogeneous culture, can be sufficiently described by the use of just a few adjectives or the bandying about of blindly adopted stereotypes.

The New Name ...Same Game

After a recent thawing of this individual forum, I've decided to throw in another new title for the blog. Representing the temporal-emotional landscape has been my trend with these Latin phrases and so I continue that pattern with this next installation:

'esse quam videri' - to be, rather than to seem

Writing these blog posts before seemed a cathartic process for venting and observing and I assume that direction will remain. However, I'm going to commit to writing from a perspective of a writer, not simply a thinker or observer, so as to grow in some way. Too long I've discounted my own unique talents as inconsequential in my self-deprecating attempts to convey my thoughts.

Into the future, I'll endeavor to express myself more freely, to disregard the nagging doubt inside, and to ignore the self-judgement that comes so naturally. The results, at least, will be a true representation of my thinking rather than a watered-down, softened version of what are sometimes my more revealing, impassioned cogitations on this life.

Another Title Rotation...

Still more titles for this blog have come and gone. In case you missed them, they're summarized here for your Latin learning pleasure.

"nolens volens" - this one is the Latin root of the common phrase 'willy nilly', stemming from the Old English phrase 'wil-he, nil-he' meaning 'will he or will he not'. I liked the sound of it and it fit my then state of apathetic indecision.

"talis qualis" - the continuation of the rhyming latin is purely coincindental, however nicely it rings! I like this one for its simplicity; it means only 'as such' or 'just as it is', which for me stands to describe the content I've gathered here. There's no pretense and I'm not speaking as an authority...so this is it.

"respice, adspice, prospice" - no, nothing to do with spices here. It means 'to look back, look to the present, and to the future'. Maybe the reader should read old posts and look forward to new ones. Also, it's a cue for me to be more contemplative and conscious of this life's path. Possibly, I just need to get some Mexican food soon!

More name changes to come...

The rotating name 'round here...

If one were to only occasionally visit this spot, it would become clear that the name of the site keeps changing. The name change is not a daily occurrence, but so far I've gone through a few. The reason is to reflect a particular mood or message and to also expand my limited Latin vocabulary.

To begin, it was - bioelectrics in statu nascendi - a very literal reflection of this blog at its start which I took to mean - brainwaves in the state of being born.

Then came - panem et circenses - a phrase that I thought particularly appropriate for times in which we live. Its translation into English is - bread and circus - an ancient Roman trick used to divert the attention of the populous away from more pertinent political scandals.

Now we have - a posse ad esse - one with a distinctly Portuguese ring to it. This one means - from being able to being - which I take to me that when once I was able to envision a blog of my own, now I have one in actuality.

So, there you have it - the name game explained!