Definition

refraction | re·​frac·​tion | ri-ˈfrak-shən 
noun

1

:  concept in physics that refers to the change in direction of a wave passing from one medium (i.e. air, glass, water) to another following a change in speed or velocity. (Britannica)
: concept in astronomy that refers to change in the apparent position of a celestial body due to bending of the light rays emanating from it as they pass through the atmosphere (Merriam-Webster). Astronomical refraction causes objects in space to appear higher above the horizon than they might be. See: MIRAGE.

Query: What is a mirage? Is it a false image, an illusion, a hallucination, an optical effect, or vision? How would you define it?

2

: a concept that you learn when you begin studying the theories behind scuba diving.

: When you are swimming underwater with a mask attached to your face, light passes from the water, and it bends through the mask lens and the air space between your eyes and the frame. This is refraction. The process of refraction creates a magnifying effect. (SDI Open Water Scuba Diver course)

Query: Did you know that underwater objects appear 25% closer and one-third larger than they do on land?

Self-Reflection

It’s been my goal for over a year to try scuba diving. When I signed up for it, I wasn’t in the best health. My body itself felt like its own retraction, a vessel disconnected that had diverted away from the mind. A year ago, I looked healthy, but I wasn’t. I wasn’t ready to go diving. I knew I could. I had health problems and I needed time to get better. I tried to read the open water scuba diving course booklet. Even with its 14 pt size font, my eyes kept darting across the room and to my phone to the next project or visual that interested me. I became preoccupied with an endless number of work tasks, and I was too exhausted to study.

Maybe it wasn’t the right time either. And maybe I only had to try it.

I finally booked a scuba diving experience and went on an adventure. It’s vital to take care of yourself and schedule moments of rest. The benefits to taking time to rest include going on an extraordinary trip underwater (well, shallow water) that I will never forget.

I was experimenting and made this little motivational video below. I hope you enjoy it.

Video

The sea urchins looked larger underwater.

_{^{Short clip with a medley of videos and photos taken on a GoPro from a recent scuba diving adventure to the tune of “You Gotta Be” by Des’ree. This video was created on and uploaded to Meta (Sorry, I know it’s only a vertical view).}}

Photo Collage

^{Here are some images from the video above, plus a film still from the 1987 classic film, The Chipmunk Adventure, that I couldn’t help but think of when I fell backwards into the water with the equipment on. Sidenote: that film was foundational to learning more about financial crimes and money laundering. Now here we are.}

Poem

After the dive, when I looked back at the photos from the Go Pro, I couldn’t believe how tiny the sea urchins appeared within the frame. The sea urchins looked much larger and spikier underwater. Was that a refraction?

Next time an obstacle looks too big for you to face head-on, tell yourself it’s a mirage.

Cave | ˈkāv
noun

1
: natural chamber or series of chambers in the earth, usually found on the side of a hill or cliff, or underground, and that is large enough for human exploration. 
2
: a chamber for storage that is usually underground.
3
: a place providing privacy or seclusion from others.

Cave | ˈkāv
verb

1
: to form a cave in or under (transitive)
: to explore caves especially as a sport or hobby (intransitive)
2
: to agree to something that you would not agree to before, after someone has persuaded you or threatened you : “to give in” (intransitive)
3
: to cease to resist : SUBMIT (intransitive)
: to cause to fall or collapse (transitive)

Caving | Cav·ing | ˈkāviNG
noun

1: recreational activity of exploring wild cave systems
: SPELUNKING (United States and Canada)
: POTHOLING (United Kingdom and Ireland)

Definitions were compiled from the following sources: Britannica, Cambridge, Merriam-Webster, Wikipedia

Manhattanhenge / Man·hat·tan·henge / mænˈhæt.ən henj, manˈhatnˌhenj,mənˈhatnˌhenj/

: phenomenon where the sun aligns with New York City’s grid at sunset.

Etymology

“Manhattanhenge” is quite obviously a blend of the words “Manhattan,” meaning the city, and “henge.” The word “henge” comes from Stonehenge, a historical assemblage of upright Bronze Age monuments on Salisbury Plain, near Salisbury, England. Dating back to a Neolithic civilization 4,000 years ago, there are many mysteries and theories as to the origins and purposes of Stonehenge (Source: English Heritage). One of the more popular theories is that farming communities used it to observe the sun, based on the shadows and alignment of the stones. Stonehenge was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. Read more about the timeline of Stonehenge at the British Museum.

Then, in the early 21st Century, we get the term, “Manhattanhenge.” In a recent article in the Washington Post, the link is confirmed:

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson coined the term in a 1997 article in the magazine Natural History. Tyson, the director of the Hayden Planetarium at New York’s American Museum of Natural History, said he was inspired by a visit to Stonehenge as a teenager. (Washington Post, their emphasis)

Similar to how Stonehenge has been used to celebrate the Summer Solstice, “Manhattanhenge” to local New Yorkers can represent either the opening or the peak of summer. Rays of sunlight create vibrant colors when the sun goes down, and the skyscrapers of New York City add more allure. Typically, the best views can be seen in Manhattan when looking down from 14th Street, 23rd Street, 34th Street, 42nd Street, or 79th Street. However, there is no need to run to those streets if it’s an inconvenience to your current path. Manhattanhenge often creates a fantastic glow that can be seen across the city.

If you are in New York, add the following days to your calendar to see the next Manhattanhenge!

• Saturday, July 12 at 8:22 pm ET
• Friday, July 11 at 8:20 pm ET

Source: ABC News

hos·pi·tal·i·ty

/ˌhäspəˈtalədē/

Noun

1.

: friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.

: act of making people feel comfortable and welcome while they are in your sphere.

: being solicitous about people’s well-being and interested in what they have to say, as well as charismatic and accommodating. Generate: FEEDBACK, QUALITATIVE.

2.

: relationship between a host and guest, mediated through various forms of exchange.

: activity, business, or industry that focuses on providing accommodations, entertainment, food and beverage, and sports and recreational activities to meet the demands of different target audiences and provide them with the utmost convenience possible. Generate: DATA, QUANTITATIVE.

Etymology

The first known use of “hospitality” dates back to the 14th Century, according to Merriam-Webster.

• hospitalite / Middle English / “reception of guests, provision of lodging”
• ospitalité, hospitalité / Anglo-French / “hospitality, hospital”
• hospitālis / Latin / “of a guest, hospitality, hospitable”

Future Uses

We can tell the AI to generate a structure for collecting feedback from guests and to analyze the data. I will take joy in doing the rest.

New word! Typically for my word poems, I will use Merriam-Webster and other dictionaries before expanding upon them to create new definitions. Today, I am announcing a new word to add to our popular culture lexicon.

Natasha Bedingfielding is a new term submitted by Christa Chance. The creative denotations of this term are made available below.

Nəˈtɑʃə ˈbɛdɪŋ fēldɪŋ| verb

1:

The sublime (and feel-good cringe) emotion conveyed by the popular song “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield from 2004 when you hear the chorus that begins with the line, “feel the rain on your skin.”

2:

The act of users filming themselves singing “Unwritten” on social media platforms, notably TikTok.

3:

The act of standing in the rain in order to feel the rain on your skin.

Christa Chance, content writer, previously created the clever underground term Malkoviching. Malkoviching is the action of attempting to pass another person on the sidewalk from both the left and right, similar to John Malkovich’s character in a scene with Michelle Pfeiffer in the 1988 film, Dangerous Liaisons. In the event it rains on Memorial Day, you can make the most of the holiday and stand outside to feel the rain on your skin. We recommend it. Thank you, Christa, for a very useful new word for the start of summer!

e·nu·mer·a·tion | əˌno͞oməˈrāSH(ə)n | noun

1

: the action of mentioning a number of things one by one : also, the action of establishing the number of something (Oxford)

: the act or process of making or stating a list of things one after another : also, the list itself (Merriam-Webster)

: a neat way to assign names to numbers (r/csharp, Reddit)

2

: ethical hacking : a method of extracting a system’s valid usernames, machine names, share names, directory names, and other information (EC Council Cybersecurity Exchange)

: list of all entities of a certain kind, in a flat view (Microsoft)

: process of actively gathering detailed information about a target system or network, including usernames, passwords, open ports, services, and network infrastructure (Google AI)

: process used by both security professionals and attackers alike to establish a collective knowledge of the target and its assets to find the weak points that exist based on the information gathered. (CovertSwarm)

Historical Context

Did you know that the first known use of the word, “enumeration,” dates back to 1551? Thank you, Merriam-Webster, for the fun fact!

Since then, it’s been used to describe a fictional event that takes place much, much earlier with remarkable accuracy. In a translation of Homer’s Iliad by William Cullen Bryan and published by the hard work and dedication of volunteers for Standard Ebooks, the word “enumeration” appears in an editorial summary to accurately describe a defense strategy that appears in the epic poem:

“Catalogue of the troops and ships — Enumeration of the Trojan forces.”

Both lists are essentially catalogues but they describe opposite ends of the offense-defense spectrum. (One could argue “Who is the enemy?” in the Iliad, but that’s a discussion for another post). In this context, “Catalogue” is used to describe a list of allied ships and “enumeration” is used to describe a list of enemies. The enemies are the Trojans – or are they?

Modern Context

In our modern day world, malicious attackers use enumeration to extract data in their exploits. When used ethically, enumeration can be used in reverse as a cyber defense strategy to protect yourself from data leaks and scammers.

Do you want to know how to protect yourself? Let’s connect on LinkedIn! In my latest post, I share tips on how you can better protect yourself from fraudulent job listings.

Don’t forget to update your software to protect against any “Trojan horse” viruses! See what I did there? ☺️

sam · ple | noun, verb, adjective

sam · ple | noun

1
: a representative part or a single item from a larger whole or group especially when presented for inspection or shown as evidence of quality (Merriam-Webster)
:a small amount of something that shows you what the rest is or should be like (Cambridge)
: a small amount of something that is given to people to try (Britannica)

Example:
This website serves as a sample of my writing.

2
: a finite part of a statistical population whose properties are studied to gain information about the whole (Merriam-Webster)
: The term sample refers to a smaller, manageable version of a larger group. It is a subset containing the characteristics of a larger population. Samples are used in statistical testing when population sizes are too large to include all possible members or observations. A sample should represent the population as a whole and not reflect any bias toward a specific attribute. (Investopedia)
: a group of people or things that are taken from a larger group and studied, tested, or questioned to get information (Britannica)

3
: an excerpt from a recording (such as a popular song by another performer) that is used in a musical composition, recording, or performance (Merriam-Webster)
: a small part of a song that has been recorded and used to make a new piece of music (Cambridge)
: a small part of a recording (such as a song) that is used in another performer’s recording (Britannica)

Examples:
i. Doechii’s “Anxiety” includes a sample from Gotye’s “Somebody I Used to Know.
ii. Gotye’s “Somebody I Used to Know” includes samples from Luiz Bonfá instrumental number, “Seville,” from 1967; “Milla piccolo cagnetto,” an Italian song by Luciano Silighini Garagnani; and the popular English nursery rhyme “Baa Baa Black Sheep.”

sam · ple | verb

1
: to take a sample of or from, especially: to judge the quality of by a sample : synonym: TEST (Merriam-Webster)

2
: to use a segment of (recorded music, sounds, or dialogue from another source) as part of one’s own musical composition or recording (Merriam-Webster)
: to use a small part of (a recording, such as a song) in another recording (Britannica)

Examples:
i. Snap! sampled (stole?) a rap by New Jersey MC Chill Rob G in “Power.”
ii. Snap! also sampled the beat of “Rhythm of a Dancer” from “Automan,” by Newcleus.
iii. Bastille sampled “Rhythm is a Dancer” and Corona’s “Rhythm of the Night” as a mashup in their single “Of the Night.”

3
: to experience a place or an activity, often for the first time. (Cambridge)

sam · ple | adjective

1
: serving as an illustration or example, as in “sample questions.” (Merriam-Webster)
: to use as an example of something (Britannica)

Samples Within A Sample: Listening to Doechii’s New Music Video for “Anxiety” | essay

Doechii recently released her new music video for “Anxiety.” Even if you are sick of hearing the chorus sampled again and again on TikTok and Instagram reels, I encourage you to watch the music video.

In the opening, the artist is shown dancing by herself and typing on a keyboard or synthesizer in her bedroom. We hear a xylophone tune that echoes the song, “Somebody I Used to Know” by Gotye, playing on loop, and the tune leads Doechii to begin her lyrics. At several points within the music video, Doechii walks by two actors who resemble Gotye and Kimbra in body paint standing in front of a painted wall, echoing the original music video.

Justin Curto describes the scene for Vulture, “[Doechii] is in a house filled with chaos in the visual, with strangers busting through her windows and a fire in the kitchen. So the two nearly nude body-painted people against the wall are far from the strangest sight here. No, they’re not actually Gotye and Kimbra, a rep for Doechii confirmed — just two actors honoring the ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’ video.”

If you, like me, only heard “Anxiety” through reels, you may be surprised to see that the artist sampled Gotye’s 2011 hit, a beautiful song that also became overplayed and spiraled into a similar popular culture fate of more people hearing before listening to it. In 2012, “Somebody That I Used to Know” became inescapable; when you walked into any commercial establishment, drug store, and grocery store, you heard it playing on the overhead stereo. The song reached Top 10 in more than 30 countries.

“While Gotye sings about the pain of losing a romantic partner in his smash hit, Doechii instead raps about the struggles she faces from constant worrying,” writes Joann Jeffrey for Today. Still I can’t help but ask was the sample made in homage to the 2011 hit or as criticism?

Just as Doechii samples Gotye, Gotye’s song was also derived through samples. Gotye sampled from Luiz Bonfá (Brazilian guitarist, 1922-2001) instrumental number, “Seville,” from 1967 and “Milla piccolo cagnetto,” an Italian song by Luciano Silighini Garagnani. As written on the Wikipedia page, the incendiary opening tune on xylophone included another, more familiar tune: “blended Latin and African rhythms over a xylophone melody based on the popular lullaby tune, ‘Baa Baa Black Sheep.’” That is where things get interesting – and controversial.

If you go way back, you will find that “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep,” an English nursery rhyme, dates back to the 18th Century. Beginning in 1986, culture critics began reporting a controversy over the nursery rhyme’s language, suggesting that “black” was used as a racial term. Does that criticism play into the sampling?

Looking at the history of this song, then turning back to Doechii’s “Anxiety” music video, it brings up more questions. Could the new song by Doechii, the Grammy-winning singer, rapper, and songwriter, and its sampling of “Somebody That I Used to Know” and visual representation in the music video be more criticism than homage? If so, it may serve as a warning to artists to do their research on the history and cultural criticism notions of a work before sampling.

Or it’s simply to honor all of the original works of art that reveal themselves within “Anxiety” like opening Russian nesting dolls.

As in the 4th definition of the verb form of “sample” from Cambridge Dictionary, we learn that to sample can mean “to experience a place or an activity, often for the first time.”

In this definition, artists sampling from other artists allow new audiences to experience the original works that are referenced in their own way.

As a writer, I am constantly looking up the definitions of words that I use. Even when I know what a word means, I will still look up the definitions and usages in the dictionary. It is a best practice. The thought of misusing a word like “sample” that is used in more than three different parts of speech is enough to give me, well, anxiety.

vol·​a·​til·​i·​ty | noun

: the quality or state of being volatile (adj | characterized by or subject to rapid or unexpected change)

Use cases:

1.
: a tendency to change quickly and unpredictably.
Example: For an example of price volatility, look at the peformance of equities in the US stock market today. Actually, maybe don’t look at the stock market today.

2.
: a tendency to erupt in violence or anger.
Example is hidden. (Hint: White Lotus Season 3 – no spoilers!)

3.
: the quality of being readily vaporizable at a fairly low temperature.
Example: the “false spring” weather in New York City.

CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) | investment metric

: a common metric used to measure the expected volatility of the S&P 500. In this case, volatility refers to how quickly the markets move and more volatile stocks imply a greater degree of risk and potential losses. (Source: Investopedia)

Image: a sticker of my face layered over the chart, VIX Futures in Panic Zone: Volatility readings hit levels last seen during August spike, available on Bloomberg. My hand points toward the spike in the reading today that appears to be similar in height to the spikes from August 2024 and March 2020.

Yeah, so, uhh, anyways, if you carry any equities in your investment portfolio, you may want to keep a careful watch on the market and the tariff news cycle this week. Remember “volatility” does not necessarily mean “panic” at its core definition, but it can (and often will) lead to panic.

Here’s NY times with the latest.

Disclaimer: The information contained within this post is made for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not to be taken as financial or investment advice. You should not construe any such information or material herein as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. Consult with a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions. As a starting point, give the customer service line of your brokerage company a call.

gläs | noun

1

: any of various amorphous materials formed from a melt by cooling to rigidity without crystallization.

: an usually transparent or translucent material consisting typically of a mixture of silicates.

: a material (such as obsidian) produced by fast cooling of magma.

2

: something made of glass, such as a tumblr, mirror, mason jar, hourglass, glassware, depression glass, barometer…

: an optical instrument or device that has one or more lenses and is designed to aid in the viewing of objects not readily seen; examples (used in plural sense) include field glasses, binoculars.

3

glasses plural : a device used to correct defects of vision or to protect the eyes that consists typically of a pair of glass or plastic lenses and the frame by which they are held in place; this is also referred to as spectacles, eyeglasses.

Example:
“Nice glasses! Are they new?”
“Thank you – yes! Oh, you reminded me that I still need to claim it as a deduction on my FSA.”

4

: the quantity held by a glass container.

Idiom: Is the glass half-full or half-empty?

Variation:

de·​pres·​sion glasses / Noun

: tinted glassware machine-produced during the 1930s.

Musing:
You know the real economic indicator that a recession is coming is measured by the amount of mason jars that you collect. May subsitute for Chinaware or depression glass.

TODAY YOU GET 2 POEMS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE!

“What’s the Catch?” (A poem)

It was always my dream to run a small business. I wanted to run a storefront centrally located downtown.

When you run a storefront, you never know who’s going to walk through the front doors. You never know who you may meet and what conversations you may have, or how they may move you. When you run a storefront, you never know what kind of day you’re going to have. Every morning, 30 minutes before Google Maps advertises your opening hours, you roll down the gate, unlock the door, and set up the cash till.

There may some days when you don’t open till 1 minute prior to your opening time. The trains gave you trouble. You barely slept. You have a migraine. You decide it will be better to count inventory on the following day and you wait behind the register, clutching your coffee, still wearing your gloves, and pray that customers will wait 20 minutes before walking through the doors. You also pray that you will have customers.

I realize this isn’t everyone’s dreams, but I like surprises. I like my day to change every day.

You have to be ready for the unexpected at any time of the day. You practice reframing techniques in your head. It is OK if you are not awake yet. You can make an innocent joke about needing more caffeine. Sometimes it is in our most vulnerable moments when we can most connect with others. Drink your coffee. You have to be ready for any business at any moment.

If I were to run a storefront, what would I sell?

At your store, you sell an exorbitant array of rhetorical devices. Some devices are new, some are vintage, and some are for sale. All of them are rhetorical. You run the first store that offers rhetorical devices on display and for sale. Your first customer of the day walks in and comments on the sandwich sign that you had set up outside the storefront: “’Today our fish of the day is the red herring.’ What do you mean by that and can I get the red herring?”

—————-

red her·ring

/ˌred ˈheriNG/

1

: a fact, idea, or subject that takes people’s attention away from the central point being considered.

: something that takes attention away from a more important subject.

: a figurative expression referring to a logical fallacy in which a clue or piece of information is or is intended to be misleading.

2

: common response to debunk or deny any new theory in pop cultural discourse channels regarding the HBO Max show The White Lotus. Maybe it’s a red herring.

3

: a type of silvery fish that turns red when dried and smoked; an important source of food in many cultures.

: go fish.