This is the aftermath of America's busiest holiday. Retailers are taking account of how they did. Their after-Christmas sales are clearing out merchandise that had not been sufficiently appealing or low-priced enough. They'll soon be making space for spring merchandise. Businesses are looking at bottom lines, estimating tax costs and making plans for the new year.
We are closing out the old year and getting ready for the new year, a new president, new governor, new U.S. senator. 2009 promises to be difficult, at least in its opening months. The financial crisis that rocked the nation in the fall will not go away easily. More pain seems likely.
As for me, I am weary of the aimlessness, loneliness and frustration of joblessness. I am hoping for a new job, one that will make it safe to consider spending money again, enjoying life again, feeling a purpose again and avoiding the lurking bitterness in which I had sworn I would not wallow, justifiably or not.
....could you please explain accoutrement vs accouterment?
ReplyDeleteand hy the spelling diff? Any other words do this? And when to use which?
ac·cou·ter·ment or ac·cou·tre·ment (-ktr-mnt, -tr-)
n.
1. An accessory item of equipment or dress. Often used in the plural.
2. Military equipment other than uniforms and weapons. Often used in the plural.
3. accouterments or accoutrements Outward forms of recognition; trappings: cathedral ceilings, heated swimming pools, and other accoutrements signaling great wealth.
4. Archaic The act of accoutering.
...funny you should use this adj as a buddy and I debated this term to no conclusion.
Good post.
Both the spellcheck in Blogger and the Webster's New World Dictionary prefer accouterment to accoutrement. The words have the same meaning and are alternative spellings, like savior and saviour. I suspect accoutrement is the older, more British spelling. The word's origin is French and Latin, according to my Webster's. The archaic verb accouter refers to equipping, especially for military service.
ReplyDeleteFunny. In my observations, the consensus among those in the local blogesphere seems to be some sort of quasi-attack/blame game towards the unemployed themselves for not pulling themselves up by their bootstraps and going out and getting a job. As if it's that easy. I would imagine this comes from those who have never really walked in others proverbial shoes.
ReplyDeleteI often see references to all the over stuffed shopping carts of food the poor are buying, and a particular brand of SUV they drive. These stereotypes are just that. Stereotypes. Perpetuated by the God, guns and guts crew of clueless followers of the Rush Limpaughs of the world. Or whomever their latest reactionary, false profit du jour is.... via Fox news.
Most people miss the real point of course. Jingoistic cliches do nothing whatsoever to address the real problems and dynamics of economic disparity in our caste system. We blame unionized employees, when they rarely even exist; welfare moms, (Corporate Welfare being some obscure concept beyond our mental grasp), and various other scapegoats in our "let them eat cake" society. Of course, in the capitalist food chain, the only ones who really benefit are the CEOs who reap the $500.00 per hour gigs and golden parachutes ad infinitum.
And on the local front.... and to further drive home the point, ever notice how easy it is for some people to get high paying jobs? Often custom made just for them. Even during the worst of fiscal times? It has nothing to do with how much you know. It's all who your connections are. It's often cronyism and politics.
Ironically, subsidized by those same people we like to ignore, or point fingers at, when they need help.
Good luck.
.....thanks!
ReplyDeleteI learn something new every day.