re·​pub·​lic | noun, place | ri-ˈpə-blik

1

: a government having a chief of state who is not a monarch and who in modern times is usually a president

: a political unit (such as a nation) having such a form of government

: a government in which supreme power resides in a body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by elected officers and representatives responsible to them and governing according to law

: a political unit (such as a nation) having such a form of government

2

: a body of persons freely engaged in a specified activity

3

: a constituent political and territorial unit of the former nations of Czechoslovakia, the Soviet Union, or Yugoslavia

4

: a city in Ferry Country, Washington with a population of 1,155 according to the 2020 census.

: HOME

de·​fense | noun | di-fen(t)s

as antonym of “offense” often

: the act or action of defending

law : a defending party or group (as in a court of law)

: the denial, answer, or plea of one against whom a criminal or civil action is brought

: the collected facts and method adopted by a defendant to protect and defend against a plaintiff’s action

: an argument in support or justification

sports : a defensive team

: ability to keep an opponent from scoring in a game or contest

: means or method of defending or protecting oneself, one’s team, or another

chess : a sequence of moves available to the second player in the opening

government : the military and industrial aggregate that authorizes and supervises arms production, as in “defense contract”

“Defense companies get the bulk of their revenue from one customer — the U.S. government. Fortunately, that customer has deep pockets and a long history of paying its bills. The federal government’s stability gives defense companies and investors some predictability when it comes to managing cash and projecting growth.” (Whiteman, The Motley Fool)

“The United States led the ranking of countries with highest military spending in 2022, with 877 billion U.S. dollars dedicated to the military.” (Dyvik, Statista)

“Aside from the callousness of casually discussing the financial benefits of far-off armed conflict, the comments raise questions about whether these major institutional shareholders of weapons stocks are abiding by their own human rights policies.” (Clifton, The Guardian)

“The US Government supplies foreign aid, to include military equipment, however it sees fit to help its own interests. All other world powers do the same and have done the same throughout history.” (some guy on the internet)

Is defense really the opposite of offense?

Definitions taken and remixed from Merriam-Webster.

uh-huh | interjection, particle | ˈəⁿ-(ˌ)həⁿ | repeated and separated by the voiceless sound

1

: interjection used to indicate affirmation, agreement, or gratification. (Merriam-Webster)
: particle imitative of non-verbal sounds used to indicate agreement or to allow the speaker to continue talking : YES, YEAH (Wikipedia)

2

: interjection, utterance or processing response that is used while hearing someone else speak.

3

: sound uttered by Logan Roy and other characters from Succession when they hear new information and use it to pivot a large business decision. That’s my theory, but there are others. When you look at the many conflicting submissions to define “uh uh” on Urban Dictionary, you start to see how this soft-sounding interjection can sound volatile in different contexts.

In a world where the people are so emotionally stunted and warped by a grasping need for power, a single “uh-huh” can reveal far more than a thousand words could.

(Source: Vice i-D)

Tell me what you think.

“Call” can be used as a verb or a noun. We’re going to focus on the verb. Towards the end, I’m going to provide you with a single definition and example for the noun form.

call |ˈkȯl 
intransitive verb

1
: to speak in a loud distinct voice so as to be heard at a distance : SHOUT
: to make a request or demand
: of an animal : to utter a characteristic note or cry
: to speak to or attempt to reach someone by means of a call with up
: to make a demand in card games (as for a particular card or for a show of hands)

2
: to make a brief visit

transitive verb

1
: to utter in a loud distinct voice —often used with out, as in “call out”
: to announce or read loudly or authoritatively
: to announce the play-by-play of (a sports event, such as a football game)
: to command or request to come or be present

UNICEF calls for an immediate humanitarian pause and safe access to scale and sustain lifesaving services for children. (Read full press release)

: to cause to come : BRING
: to summon to a particular activity, employment, or office
: to invite or command to meet : CONVOKE

International Rescue Committee: Too often, violators of international humanitarian law face no consequences. The IRC is calling for an end to an era in which laws intended to protect civilians are seen as optional. We have also called for more support for humanitarian workers who need to reach the most vulnerable people in crisis areas but are hindered by parties to a conflict. In his essay for Time, Miliband advocated for the General Assembly of the United Nations to establish an independent panel to monitor humanitarian access in Ukraine. (Read full press release)

: to rouse from sleep or summon to get up
: to give the order for : bring into action

Do you want to call : bring into action? Call congress and urge them to stop the United States military funding to Israel which is fueling the genocide and to open a safe passage for humanitarian aid into Gaza.

: to manage by giving the signals or orders
: to make a demand in bridge for (a card or suit)
: to require (a player) to show the hand in poker by making an equal bet
: to challenge to make good on a statement
: to charge with or censure for an offense
: to attract (game) by imitating the characteristic cry
: to halt (something, such as a baseball game) because of unsuitable conditions
: to rule on the status of (a pitched ball, a player’s action, etc.)
: to give the calls for (a square dance) —often used with off
: to demand payment of especially by formal notice
: to demand presentation of (something, such as a bond or option) for redemption
: to speak to or attempt to reach (someone) by means of a call (see CALL entry 2 sense
: to generate signals for (a telephone number) in order to reach the party to whom the number is assigned

As in, I opened up my laptop on a Saturday to submit my timecard. Upon connnecting ot the VPN, I noticed that my boss had tried to reach me at 4:50 PM. I told a friend about this. And her response was, facetiously, "Your boss messaged you at 4:50PM on a Friday. Call 911."

2
: to speak of or address by a specified name : give a name to
: to regard or characterize as of a certain kind : CONSIDER
: to estimate or consider for purposes of an estimate or for convenience
: to describe correctly in advance of or without knowledge of the event : PREDICT
: to name or specify in advance

noun

: an act of calling with the voice.

As a writer, I want to write through all my communications, but I try to recognize that written communications aren’t always the best way to connect, and I can’t get too comfortable with emails and other text-based communications. It can be difficult to convey tone in text. It can be difficult to convey and listen to emotions in text. Sometimes when words start to feel too complex, I think of a time when I was training in a business development role. I shadowed a coworker who, upon receiving an email, he said, “We’re going to give them a call.”

I probably would have replied to the email, but I learned through calling you can learn even more from the other side, and it’s more effective at taking action.

Let’s give congress a call.

Representative Nydia M. Velasquez needs to clear their office voicemail box.

bar·​gain | ˈbär-gain

(verb)

There is also a noun version, but we’re specifically going to look at the definitions in verb form.

intransitive verb

: to negotiate over the terms of a purchase, agreement, or contract : HAGGLE

: to come to terms : AGREE

transitive verb

: to bring to a desired level by bargaining

: to sell or dispose of by bargaining — often used with away

in transit verb

: a development or stage in the grieving process and is typically referred to as the third stage in the 5 Stages of Grief (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance). During the Bargaining stage, the negotation process happens internally and introvertly. This is where you may begin to question who you are, what you want, and your environment or reality. Nothing good can come out of Bargaining except the motion of going through it; at least Anger and Depression can be used as sources of fuel. When in Bargaining, you come to terms.

: negotiation process for labor rights, commonly found in unions. See: Collective Bargaining. There is a fear to bargaining in this context, as workers will risk their jobs and livelihoods to band together to bring salaries, working conditions, benefits, and other aspects of workers’ compensation to a desired level.

in summary

bar·​gain

“. . . often used with away.”

ap·​prov·​al ə-ˈprü-vəl | ap·​pro·​ba·​tion ˌa-prə-ˈbā-shən

(noun)

1 : an act or instance of approving something : APPROBATION

2 : COMMENDATION, PRAISE

3 : an act of approving formally or officially

4: obsolete : PROOF

When an agreement or a communication is certainly in its final stages, we send it to the stakeholder for approval. From here, there is a degree of loosening control when we send it to others. Regardless of what the product is, you are sending it out in the hopes that the receiving party will agree with you. That is when we must start to allow space beyond ourselves, and then we must trust that the receiving party will review on their own time.

As a writer with previous experience in archives and documentation, the definition led me to a question: why is “proof” now considered an obsolete definition of approval?

Do we no longer need proof [proof as in, something that induces certainty or establishes validity] to approve something?

No, all you need is a sign off. And that sign off does not need any proof to move forward; that sign off will become the proof. Somehow that feels both concerning and liberating to know.

We collect proof, but do we need proof?

(transitive verb)
1
: to direct or take part in the operation or management of
: to direct the performance of
: to lead from a position of command

2
: to cause (oneself) to act or behave in a particular and especially in a controlled manner

3
: to bring by or as if by leading : GUIDE

(noun)
1
: a mode or standard of personal behavior especially as based on moral principles

2
: the act, manner, or process of carrying on : MANAGEMENT

. . .

[Photos below of very sweet, well-behaved dogs at Linh Ung Pagoda on Son Tra Peninsula in Da Nang, Vietnam, followed by an embed link to the music video for the Dandy Warhols “Smoke It” with dogs from a dog show on stage with them as they belt the circa 2005 political protest anthem]

“. . . So if you’re gonna be a dog then at least be a good dog.”

sub · lime / “sə-ˈblīm” / definitions in verb, adjective, and noun use are provided below.

(verb)
: to elevate or exalt, especially in dignity or honor

(adjective)
: lofty, grand, or exalted in thought, expression, or manner
: of outstanding spiritual, intellectual, or moral worth
: tending to inspire awe usually because of elevated quality (as of beauty, nobility, or grandeur) or transcendent excellence [I absolutely adore the smile of the young woman on the train opening a letter with her friend in the second photo]

(noun)
: American ska band formed in Long Beach California in 1988 that became known for pop hits such as “What I Got” and “Santeria,” which you can still find being played (ironically or not) in dive bars everywhere from here to Japan. [My apologies, as there is only one line from “Santeria” that I can remember. 🤭]

[Photos expressing and describing some form or expression of “Sublime” one way or the other from scenic vantage points in 🇻🇳 Vietnam to hearing an acoustic cover of Sublime’s “Santeria” at a punk bar in Golden Gai in 🇯🇵 Japan ]

am·​bi·​gu·​i·​ty ˌam-bə-ˈgyü-ə-tē 

1

a

: the quality or state of being ambiguous especially in meaning

“The ambiguity of the poem allows several interpretations.”

b

: a word or expression that can be understood in two or more possible ways : an ambiguous word or expression

2

: UNCERTAINTY

(Merriam-Webster)

“If you’ve got to go somewhere, then you better go somewhere far” is text written over a white noise filter of a figure, from El Vy’s “Return from the Moon music video.

Managing ambiguity is a soft skill I knew I needed to learn at work but the challenge is that it involves pushing through and persevering in spite of one of my biggest fears—ambiguity, as in the opposite of clarity.

I always think about the “uncertain” definition of ambiguity but I forgot there was another definition that came first—and that is the space where poetry may surface. I went on this trip to get uncomfortable and challenge my own ways of thinking. I’m going to share more on this website, and on Instagram.

I found the report, “How the media is covering ChatGPT: The Tow Center looked at how news organizations have been covering generative AI over the past six months,” and finished it immediately upon clicking the page. This article appears in Columbia Journalism Review, which is super specific to writers who work in communications and mass media and like to study and discuss the trade (AKA me, and idk maybe should I pledge to become a member??). In the report on media coverage of ChatGPT for Columbia Journalism Review, Jim Bartholomew and Dhrumil Mehta uncovers the term “Hype Cycle” in an interview with Felix M. Simon, a doctoral researcher at Oxford Internet Institute and Tow Center fellow.

Since the 2016 election cycle, I have remembered getting swept into reading and discussing various “hype cycles” in the news. Sometimes I like to pause and reflect in the cycle, maybe even develop a fun, little obsession over a sensational news story, like with the Anna Delvey blog— other times I may become jaded and overwhelmed as I lose interest in it and let it pass till we can start to discuss the next hype cycle. I feel relieved that there is a term for it (“Hype Cycle” is the perfect choice of words), and the article even shares a few suggestions, including laying some ground rules in your publication’s style guides, of what different newsrooms can do to avoid reader fatigue.

In White Lotus, Portia tells her new friend, Albie, over dinner: “I just feel like I just wanna meet someone who’s like you know, totally ignorant of the discourse. You know?”

I’m not saying anything about Bitcoin nor ChatGPT here, which I could in another post if I wanted to (you probably don’t want me to), but the way we write and discuss these topics feel eerily similar, don’t they?