Fall, Faux, and maybe a few Funnies

We'll start with belated fall images. Although we have had a few fall decorations up for a while, our local trees are just starting to show nice color. I've seen so many gorgeous tree pictures from around the country that I won't bore you with ours. We finally got our freezing temps, so the zinnias have bit the dust and only a few hearty roses remain in color. We did pick up a few pumpkins and gourds to sit around. With Halloween looming in the near future, I think we must declare summer over.

Looking out the kitchen window

Looking in the kitchen window

Under the maple tree

Beautyberry in it's glory (with a few nasturtiums)

Cleomes replacing the irises

Marigolds and catmint

 Chokecherry berries

Coneflowers ready to feed the birds

Faux; how do YOU pronounce that? If you've been watching any decorating shows, you have heard the word quite a bit lately, though it's been around for a while. If you've read any of my stuff, you know that I get pretty worked up about using words correctly (though I make my share of errors). One of my pet peeves is advertisers who are reading script and have no idea what they are saying. Since our local Famous Dave's has closed down, I no longer have to endure "Dave" messing up the emphasis in the line; "what makes me Famous"..., emphasizing "famous" rather than "me" which buries the intent of the message. (You have to hear it). ......  however we now have a local auto dealership who's ad sends me up the wall each time I hear it. They used to say "From forty nine ninety five (4995) to 40,995" emphasizing the first 9, not the 40 the second time so you really had to pay attention to get the point. I know the "editors" or "owners" never listened to it because recently it is "From 3995 to 30,995" with the same incorrect emphasis. It is tough to make the point in print because it is emphasis and inflection on both the auto and Famous Dave's ads. I am just amazed that someone is paying someone to mess this up, then paying to have it played over and over on the radio and don't get the point that their message really is not getting out...... and nerds like me actually get ticked every time we hear it. If I haven't lost you here, let's get back to Faux...... It's a French word meaning false or fake.... It's make believe. So a "faux finish" is a finish that makes the material look like something that it isn't. Back in the 60's we called it "antiquing".  So here is the pronunciation: faux pronounced.  I'll bet you knew that, right? Well over the past year a couple of local establishments have attempted to use the word in their radio ads. Did I ever mention that I listen to a lot of talk radio (not political if I can help it)? Hamptons is a nice central Illinois kitchen and design place hamptons kitchens-cabinets. Now again supposedly the lady in the ad is one of the designers at Hamptons and she is talking about cabinets and she mentions "FOX" finishes... Now do you think she is talking about foxes???  I don't think so. Making the translation between radio and print, please understand that she is pronouncing faux as "fox" not "fo". How in the world does this person not know what this old farm boy veterinarian knows about her finishes.... aaarrrggghhh!!!!! I'm not done yet. The next story is about the Luther Falls radio ad where Dave Loane who announces the Illini baseball, and women's basketball and volleyball games as well as doing sports on the WDWS morning show is conducting a folksy interview with Deanna from that company about their stone countertops and cabinets. During the interview, maybe my old ears aren't hearing right and she is saying "Box" cabinets, but I think it sounds like "fox"... I must admit that I'm influenced by the Hamptons lady.  What makes this one important is that for years when  Luther Falls was selling stone out by I 74, I bought a lot of stone from Deanna, so I know she is for real and not a paid "actor". Here's their site; luther falls site. So there I am listening to Dave Loane do his cute little interview with Deanna and I'm getting all warm and fuzzy cause I'm so used to listening to Dave and I have written many checks to Deanna in that little trailer out by the stone yard before they became Kitchens; when BAM she drops the "FOX" word on me. I haven't completely ruled out dropping bye and asking her if she is saying box cabinets cause I really don't want to have to have her look up FAUX to have her computer pronounce the word for her.  If she is pronouncing faux as "fox", I'm also upset that Dave, a man of the world is letting her get away with it right there in the radio station studio where they make a living on WORDS... Oh, I feel so much better now.

Now hang on. If you know me, although I am a believer in Jesus Christ, the incarnate Living God who endured the cross, died and rose again by the power of the Holy Spirit to allow us intimate access to God the Father, ........reverence is not one of my strong suits. If you don't know me and haven't figured that out, you haven't read enough of my blog posts. It's not something to brag about, and I would say "I'm workin on it", but probably not very hard. I have surely stepped "over the line" more than once and offended someone. Honestly, I don't want to offend, but I do find some things (like the word "fart") to be a bit humorous. So put the kids to bed and go on if you dare. I'll start with a couple of songs from utube that you may have heard. I'll simply title their links as "song 1" and "song 2". Song 1    Song 2

If you're still with me, let's move on to something a bit more intellectual. This summer I was working at Purdue and we were dealing with a nearly drowned patient which Dr. Larry Hoscheit researched. I can't take any credit for this one. Larry even made the connection to our "reality". At this point, I must ask anyone who may attend a seminar by Dr. Hoscheit to stop here because I'm sure he will somehow weave this into his seminar and I don't want to spoil it for him.  However I have used the resultant phrase many times, but didn't know there was a medical basis. Check this out.

Larry found a reference in the 1996 Journal of Emergency Medicine quoting that in 1767, the Dutch Humane Society published the following recommendations for treating a drowning victim; "keep the victim warm, remove swallowed or aspirated water, give mouth-to-mouth respiration, and perform insufflation of smoke of burning tobacco into the rectum"... Yes, you read it correctly; Blow Smoke up their Butt!!! Who knew that 9 years before this country was founded, there was medical precidence for what elected officials are doing to the American citizenry as we are drowning in national debt today?

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May His face smile upon you and give you peace.