TERM	Usage	Definition(s), Backstories and/or Anecdotal Explanations
24 Syndrome	(noun)	Specific dramatic license: similar though not identical to Physics Be Damned, the 24 Syndrome is where time and space are deliberately compressed, generally in action movies or television, to wit: on the [unintentional?] comedy action series 24, characters are able to transport themselves from Point A to Point B within ten, fifteen to twenty minutes, despite anyone living in Los Angeles would know even with zero traffic and ignoring all traffic lights would take no less than forty minutes (e.g., they might barely make it within fifteen to twenty minutes via helicopter). Back to top of page
AD	(noun)	AD = Assistant Director Back to top of page
AD Glaze	(noun)	State of Being: the instantaneous expression-blanked face that takes over an AD on set whilest they're speaking with someone in front of them. ADs are all interconnected with walkie-talkies and without notice can be called with a question or a direction. When this call comes in, the AD stop everything and the AD Glaze is the inadvertantly comical blank expression during which they're listening to the call. This can happen in the middle of a word, giving the impression the AD has been suddenly assimilated by the Borg or such. Back to top of page
Adventurer	(noun)	In the FRP game D&D, the Adventurers are the players involved. Back to top of page
Astral Projection	(noun)	State of Being: Astral Projection is the consciousness and/or soul of a human temporarily leaving the physical plane of existance. Generally this astral form retains "physical" connection with the physical body (which would be in a state of deep meditation), by means of an astral cord, usually connected from the physical body's forehead to the back of the head of the astral form. While many astral projecting journeyers travel and invisibly visit loved ones or see the world, the astral plane can also often be accessed in this state. Not to be taken lightly, astral projection is not exactly for beginnings. It is said if the astral cord is severed, the astral form cannot return to the physical body, in which case the body either dies or can become a vessel for a Walk In. Back to top of page
Attractive	(noun)	Misunderstood word: Attractive is NOT synonomous with Pretty and/or Beautiful Personally, I hold that What is Attractive as being 100% subjective. (Though it can be a factor), being Attractive has nothing really to do with "looks." I've lost count how often I've walked down a street and seen a woman my eyes deem Attractive while simultaneously recognizing what physical attributes most males would NOT find attractive (eg, a less than perfect nose ["too large" or small], etc., but on her it makes her look awesome). I cannot account for such attraction; I experience it, and I move on. Back to top of page
Avatar Seats	(noun)	When one of my best friends and I attended the free 3D preview of Avatar, we found what we consider/ed to be perfect seats in the AMC auditorium for movie viewing. We managed to acquire the same seats for the actual first showing of Avatar. Our continuing goal in attending films at that or similar AMC theatres is to acquire the "Avatar seats," which refer to the optimum seats as well as perfect location descriptive for when one gets into the auditorium first to acquire and save them. Back to top of page
B5	(acronym)	Science fiction TV series: Babylon 5 Back to top of page
B7	(acronym)	Dalek creator Terry Nation's British science fiction TV series: Blake's 7 Back to top of page
Background performer	(noun)	aka Background Artist and/or Atmosphere and/or Background Characters Commonly and frequently misclassified as Extras, Background Performers are those who work in movie/TV scenes that require a feel of reality beyond the main characters interacting. Still having to act, possibly they will be directed to react to what's going on in the scene (though more often than not, Background Characters ignor the scene/main characters). When you see a restaurant (or dancing in a high school reunion) scene, everyone sitting at other tables (and those walking by on the sidewalk, and drivers of the cars going by) are all Background Performers. See also: Strictly Background Back to top of page
Back to one!	(phrase)	Direction: in movies, a term that announces that a filmed sequence is about to have another take, and that all on-screen talent is to return to their starting positions for the shot. Back to top of page
Bad Christian	(noun)	Social Disorder: one who announces/claims (often brusquely and without having been asked), to be a "Christian," despite every aspect of the person's behaviour being evidence to the contrary. Such aberrant social behaviour includes (but is not limited to), demanding that everyone concurs that (as "Christians"), They Are Right And Everyone Else (who doesn't agree) Is Wrong (eg, aggressive and/or overly aggressive proseltizing); as well as the baffling, ludicrous belief that non-Christians would be subject to going to a Christian Hell as an Afterlife, which would be akin to a Christian expecting to find him/herself in the Summerlands, Elysium or Valhalla (the particular belief-system jurisdiction wouldn't prevail). The more overt Bad Christians can be found generally standing on street corners (often with a megaphone/loudspeaker), insisting people Find Jesus (as though Jesus is missing in some manner and should be on a milk carton); picketing (or willfully intruding upon) non-Christian based events such as synagogues or open pagan fairs, and/or protesting/picketing TV shows and/or movies that they haven't even seen, in the hilariously mistaken belief the film is "blasphemous," etc. Astonishingly Clear Example of Bad Christianity at work: ooze.com/toolofsatan Back to top of page
Badger	(noun)	Moniker / nickname: also expressed [online] as: realbadger Years ago when I lived back east, I frequented a metaphysics store in Belleville called Spellbound. Since sold after I moved to California (and its new owners augered it right into the ground so it's just a memory), I would attend workshops and book author lectures, particularly those of prolific author Ted Andrews, who writes about two or three books a year. One of his lectures was on one of his better (then all new) books, AnimalSpeak As with most other authors' who came to speak at the shop, Ted's workshops followed a similar format for their evening at the store: first would be a lecture on the topic, with some Q&A, a break, followed by a pathworking. (At the time I had only just recently begun learning how properly to visualize for these exercises.) This pathworking was to meet one's Spirit Animal Totem. At the time I had been working as Animal Control Officer, servicing three communities, so apart from being a lifelong animal lover, I'd had considerable firsthand experience with local wildlife. During the pathworking, I came across an animal I recognized but couldn't quite place. I knew it wasn't a raccoon, but it seemed similar in shape... but the stripes (and the tail) were clearly wrong for a raccoon. After the event concluded, the always pleasant and affable Ted chatted and mingled. It was noticed that just as Ted can See peoples' spirit guides, auras, etc., Ted could also perceive peoples' animal totems. Without indicating what I had seen apart from being able to make it out (yet not providing a description), Ted looked me over until he said, "It's not quite a weasel... I'm pretty certain it's a badger." It was then that I told him that was what I'd seen: due to the vertical stripes, it was the animal's species name that had eluded me. And "somehow" the nickname began to stick, and does to this day. Back to top of page
Badger Luck	(noun)	A lot of times in my life I have been "lucky," in that generally I am able to arrive at solutions to problems (or cirumstances present to me opportunities) that I jokingly calling "pulling out of my hat." Badger Luck mostly is the positive luck other people suddenly seem to acquire when in my proximity and/or being a good friend (eg "This is why we have a Badger"). It almost could be called Badger Karma, as the reverse has happened as well. I've had and seen friends suddenly get/find work or major leads thereto, another struggling a bit to find a new place found one perfect for her needs the day I went along. Another friend attended a film festival screening with me that originally to which she sort of didn't wish to attend. Once there, she met an award-winning film director who took a great liking to her, and at his behest she attended the following Cannes Film Festival, there making valueable contacts and forming new strong business relationships. So now (all thanks to accepting my invitation to see a film she otherwise would not have seen), she is now an accredited producer, and regularly attends the Cannes Film Festival, where she's surpassed others' progress by years. On the reverse, people who have Done Me Wrong have suffered some impressive karmic backlash. Many people snarl over wrongdoings done against them: when such are done against me I Know they'll Get Theirs without my having to do anything against them myself. While trying to acquire funds for movie/s, a producer friend consistantly assured me one major goal was to help/have me become a Working Actor; in the slate's scripts we would find the roles for which I easily could do "minor" Day Player roles, the pay (and eventual residuals) of which would help me tremendously. When funding was acquired, suddenly the producer began to hem and haw and it became obvious previous promises were slowly being ignored, even with my offers of being a Local Hire, but my producer friend waffled, falsely claiming "It was up to the casting director," implying the casting director hired the producer, not the other way around. Considering all of my previous support, both as a best friend and with financial support of mine when I could (when my friend was in great need, even to avoid being evicted), it took place that my friend did rather casually tosses me under a bus on this project, as well as the same person's increasing OCD, self-sabotage, and based on results, mind-losing, what strong negative impact/s on my now-former friend will Badger Luck do? I have check that person's imdb entry, and based on the non-progress, I can only presume this person's "producer career" has not only reached a dead end, it full-on struck the barriers. Years earlier, working at a "telemarketing" job I was so good they had me training the newbees. One fellow's first read-through was so utterly dreadful I could find no way to sugar coat it, despite trying to make light of it. I did what I could, but the man had zero talent for cold reading, so obviously no matter what encouragement I endevoured, no one picking up the phone would give him a chance beyond the first few words before they would hang up on him. Not surprisingly, due to his lack of phone and reading skills, he did not retain the job. Months later while a coworker and I were walking to work, the Same Guy showed up, being a friend of my coworker. I pleasantly said hello but instead of owning his level of talent, he about bit my head off... instead of forwarding his life, he willingly chose to let it corode his soul, as did my brutal paternal grandfather who'd dwelt on a single verbal slight from a man he'd never seen before or nearly ever saw again. I felt bad that this man had chosen such a dark path instead of moving on and/or learning from the experience. I worked on a film where clearly I should have been upgraded to Day Player on the spot. I finally was, production kicking and screaming and lying the whole way. Not surprisingly, the film never saw release. I worked on another cinematic project in which its producer and director each made numerous substantial oral promises, on which almost all were renegged. To date that project has not been sold to any distribution company, let alone sold to be released on theaters. Back to top of page
BOCTAOE	(acronym)	Disclaimer: "But Of Course There Are Obvious Exceptions" Term coined by author and Dilbert creator Scott Adams. Back to top of page
Bogus Theory	(noun)	Generally, the (oft-times comical) "explaining away" of incongruities and/or contradictions within a fictional story setting, usually within a series, whether it be in a television program, book series, movie series, etc. Some incongruities are unable to be resolved due to specific details [e.g., in the four Oz book Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz, before the two reach Oz, the Wizard explains to Dorothy not only his backstory but the presence of numerous intelligent piglets he found outside of Oz, on an island on which everything is small; yet towards the end of the L. Frank Baum book series in The Tin Woodman of Oz, the fellowship come across in Oz a cabin in which two large pigs reside, and they convey how the Wizard came to their home and offered to raise their piglets at the Emerald City, a clear contradiction to absolutely established facts: were I to make a movie series actually following the book storyline/s, I would simply omit this aspect of the pigs' house scene, so the original facts would remain as the original factual evidence they are]. Other storylines' incongruities are vague enough one can posit various explanations to rationalize what otherwise could render muddled up the storyline. At the 2010 Doctor Who convention GallifreyOne, during a live-commentary of the episode The Doctor's Daughter, its director Alice Troughton somewhat sheepishly pointed out getting some minor flack regarding the alien species the Hath clearly being understood by Martha, despite their language "not being translated" for the viewing audience (as the TARDIS normally translates every language); an audience member piped up with the Bogus Theory that Martha understands the Hath the same way Han Solo can understand Chewbacca. After much applause at the amusing and seemingly viable Bogus Theory, Alice Troughton said, "Hmm; I like that: that'll be th'reason why then...!" Back to top of page
Buddy	(noun)	[aka "Friends With Benefits"]: "Friends are Friends, Lovers are Lovers... and 'Buddies' are Friends who [also] have sex [with each other]." [Sans bracketed clarification], term "Buddy" coined (or at least imparted) by my first metaphysics teacher, Vinnie Gaglione. Back to top of page
Burbling	(noun)	A gastro-intestinal issue in which small to large gas pockets (from just noticeably to taking place with extreme pain), move around in the intestinal tract. Generally this causes sudden bowel movements to take place, from in a few minutes to immediately. The gas seems to move as though will be a common pass-gas, but solid waste matter is blocking it, causing pressure to create the nasty effect of knowing one had better get onto a toilet as quickly as possible. Extreme warm summer temperatures can cause burbling, as usually the solid waste matter in question has been "cooked" into an extremely soft and (if one does not make it to a toilet), extremely unpleasant, uncontrollable Movement, forced out involuntarily (whether or not you have made it to a bathroom... or are still trying to make it to one). The condition is rarely a single instance. Once begun, it is a safe bet to stay within immediate range of a toilet, as More Is To Follow... Back to top of page
Cat-taminated	(noun; condition)	A friend of mine is deathly allergic to cats. At the end of June 2009 when my roommate of eight years lost us our apartment to the tune of our having to vacate instantly, my friend took me in. At the time, however, I'd had a cat [Murray] since February, and while the plan was to get into storage as much as my stuff as necessary, a lot was contaminated with Cat, be it fur, dander, what have you. While Murray went back to his original owner (my friend Kara), I still had to clean everything to eliminate what we began to call cat-tamination: any stuff that Murray could have contaminated and cause my friend to have a nasty allergic reaction (including [but not limited to] having to run clothes twice through the laundry). Back to top of page
Cancer	(noun)	Sstrological sign, females of which I will never again date in This Particularly Lifetime (at least never towards the goal of same becoming a Significant Other), based on substantial past experience. This does not exclude regular friendship, hanging out, et al, and/or a Cancer female having "Buddy" status with me. Disclaimer: this subjective interpretation is only based on personal experience and years of direct observation. Your mileage may vary. Back to top of page
Cinelegephobia	(noun)	(Pronounced sinna-legga-phobia) Social Disorder: Annoyingly frustrating habit of moviegoers who take thrice as much time (or more), to get to their seats past you as, no matter how far back you politely pull and/or move your feet and legs so they can get by you (and stop blocking the screen), they move ever-so-slowly, directly in front of you, as though terrified of touching a single atom on your legs or pants or shoes. Get a move on already! Term I coined while noticing the same effect working on location of the movie Zodiac, aka Chronicle. Back to top of page
Clown/s	(noun)	Pure Evil: Why are Clowns? Why do they exist? Why do people feel the urge even to become a Clown? Why are they allowed to terrorize children and adults alike, in circuses, on public streetcorners, et al? Do these people think they are amusing? As domestic terrorists (eg, instilling unnecessary fear in the public), second only to the IRS and the Bush administration (which tie for first), these colourful horrors are the stuff of nightmares. I am not alone in these thoughts. Back to top of page
Cool	(noun)	Exclamation: admittedly overused, all-encompassing term generally employed to reflect a positive impression. Back to top of page
CoS	(acronym)	Book: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (year two [1992-1993] in the storyline) (Alternatively abbreviated merely as CS.) Back to top of page
Craft Services	(noun)	[aka "Crafty"]: In movie work, craft services is where crew and talent gnosh on snack foods and ingest gallons of coffee, water and/or soda throughout the day while waiting for lunch or the remainder of the day's shoot, respectively. Back to top of page
Cream Trippin'	(noun)	"Major Effed up dreams" created/caused by substantial consumption of ice cream just before sleep. Term coined by my friend Brian Jude. Back to top of page
Cyberspeak	(acronyms)	Cyberspeak Shorthand: frequently used acronyms that signify various levels of emotion and humour. These are generally used in chat sessions, text messaging and/or in email communications. btw = by the way IMHO = In My Humble Opinion IRL = In Real Life ISP = Internet Service Provider TTYS = Talk To You Soon lol = Laugh(ing) Out Loud LOL = Laugh(ing) Out Loud (much harder laughing) ROTFL = Rolling On The Floor Laughing ROTFLMAO = Rolling On The Floor Laughing My @ss Off Emoticons: though by no means is this a comprehensive listing: these come in handy as sometimes in print a comment can be too satirical and/or come across as brutally straightforward or "insulting" when there is no such intent. If like myself you're a MSTie and/or quick quipster, take my advice, IMHO, is to use these grins generously. [g] = grin [bg] = big grin [vbg] = very big grin [s] = smile :-) = smile [bs] = big smile :> = big smile [vbs] = very big smile :-D = very big smile =:-o = surprised =:-O = "startled" Back to top of page
D&D	(noun)	D&D = Dungeons and Dragons (one of many FRP games). Can also be called AD&D for Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. Back to top of page
Dalek	(noun)	Pronounced doll-eck (with accent on the first syllable); the plural is pronounced doll-ex. The Daleks are an extremely xenophobic alien race from the planet Skaro, bent on complete galactic domination, from the BBC TV series Doctor Who, the Daleks were created in 1963 by screenwriter (and eventual creator of the series Blakes 7), Terry Nation, who thankfully thought ahead and retained the creation and usage rights to the Daleks. Originally Doctor Who was designed not to have any "bug eyed monsters," but as the show needed more scripts, they had Terry do one up. He did not really write the Daleks to be monsters: the story itself was to be a cautionary tale of atomic energy causing ecological problems as well as devestation on a planetary scale. The Daleks took Britain by storm as it were, and they became the favourite monster from which viewing children could watch while hiding from and peeking from behind the couch. The Daleks returned mostly during the Jon Pertwee era of the series back in the 1970s. While since Terry Nations's passing, the BBC has completely forgotten (and/or certainly ignors) the true backstory origins of the Daleks, I've been a fan of the Daleks for most of my life.	Dalek
		Daleks are mutations that survive within armoured mobile containment units that double as single-unit war machines. Generally described as "pepper pots," they have two "arms," one being a plasma firing gun (while in battle the Daleks rarely take prisoners, the gun can also be set to stun), the other arm is an extendable suction cup arm with which they (somehow!) are able to manipulate things (sometimes the sucker arm can be a two-prong claw). Atop their mobile units is a dome with a single eye stalk, and a light on either side. These lights flicker as the Dalek speaks in an unforgettable, grating monotone. The most familiar battlecry of approaching Daleks is that of, "Exterminate! Exterminate!"
		For most of the Dalek stories, actor Michael Wisher was the main voice of all Daleks. When Terry wrote the best of the lot, Genesis of the Daleks, Michael Wisher played the brilliant (though meglomaniac) genetic scientist creator of the Daleks: Davros. Another well-written cautionary tale (and considered by most to be the best Dalek story), Genesis of the Daleks was about the folly and futility of war, as well as the misuse of science, Davros discovers all too late that his creation will not follow orders from others and they now have their own agenda, and before he can destroy the bunker and the Daleks, Davros himself is exterminated. Although at the end of the story they are entombed in a bunker under tons of rubble, the Daleks exhibit their unending patience towards their rightful place as the Supreme Power in the Universe....	Davros (on the right)
		Unfortunately, in its evidently limited cognitive abilities and therefore to the detriment of the series, the BBC decided that Davros was too good a character to lose, so (against anyone's better judgement), Davros was resurrected, and every subsequent Dalek story has been lesser than the one before. The very worst (I've seen) is Remembrance of the Daleks, and despite my friend Pamela Salem being the lead character in that story, the script is agony for true Doctor Who and/or Dalek fans. Back to top of page	Pamela Salem examines a destroyed Dalek in the otherwise awful "Remembrance of the Daleks"
A Damn Shame	(noun)	An otherwise attractive person who turns out to be a smoker. Back to top of page
Dark Elf	(noun)	Entity: Not to be confused with something or anything malignant, a Dark Elf is an intelligent, small, elven-like creature that simply prefers dark places. If you're in your cellar or such and you get the distinct feeling that you are being watched, most likely it is just a Dark Elf. Back east after moving from one haunted house into another (not due to the noncorporeal guests, but due to being Property Taxed out of Montclair), my brother set up his video work down in the cellar of the 100+ year old house. He did not allow his dog downstairs, nor were the two cats allowed down there either. However, he began to notice, out of the corner of his eye, something running across the floor, soundlessly, and always quick enough so as never get a good look at it. (After asking my friend and metaphysics teacher Vinnie Gaglione about it), I explained to my brother most likely the cellar was home to a Dark Elf. (As it was, my psychically-attunded then-girlfriend knew that [safely away from the cats], living amongst my many packed boxed of Stuff there was a fairie of some kind.) One day my brother and I were home alone (relatively speaking, considering what else lived in the house), and he had been working downstairs editing. It was summer and he had open the back door to the yard. At the base of the stairs, to ward off flying insects, was a mini bucket citranella candle. Taking a lunch break, he blew out the candle, went back and shut down all his equipment (which took about two minutes), made sure the candle was extinguished, then came upstairs. I made for him a grilled cheese sandwich and we talked for about twenty or thirty minutes. He went downstairs to go back to work. Suddenly I could hear him shout, "G_dammit: I told you not to—" I thought he was shouting up at me. Thinking I'd gone down and left on something, I rushed down to see what I had done (or of what I was being accused). "What did I do...?" I asked. "No, it's not you," he said with annoyance. "Your g_damned Dark Elf relit the candle again...!" It was the first time I'd learned the cellar dweller had done that before as well, hence my brother always double and triple checking it.... Back to top of page
Directed	(verb)	An actor gets a strong feel for the character being played; now and then the director will throw in a monkey wrench that throws off the actor's entire concept of the character. Rarely this is a good thing, such as the major Left Turns during a season of 24 which in itself is a comedy-fantasy series anyway where reality rarely touches the storyline/s. When I work on say, a student film, and the director suddenly has my character doing some diametrically opposed to the character as written, I worry about being blamed for the character's suddenly lameness or the befuddlment the performace my character creates. If I am questioned about "my" "choice/s" with the character, I simply point out, "I was Directed [to do it that way]..." Back to top of page
Doctor Who	(noun)	British science fiction TV series: Doctor Who is the longest running science fiction television program in the world; running from November 23rd, 1963, until the BBC itself began to sabotage it in 1986/1987. In reality they cancelled this it, but when countless millions of world-wide fans raised their voice at once as one, the BBC hastily back-pedalled, lyingly declaring it wasn't "cancelled," it was "on hiatus." For eighteeen months. Then, proceeding to make the show unwatchable when it did come back (so they could cancel it again), without cause or logical explanation (apart from wanting to turn the fans away from the series), the BBC summarily fired the then-current Doctor, being played by Colin Baker. Colin was succeeded (not to be confused with "replaced") by an actor whose sole claim to fame for being chosen was that of a vaudeville act in which he stuffed ferrents down his trousers. (Not exactly RADA...) Despite now wounded to its heart/s, the series limped on, sadly, slowly but (noticeably) dying for the following two years before it expired "officially." After a disastrously and unforgiveably bad American-made TV movie (with generally talented Eric Roberts inexplicably playing of all things, The Master!), it would seem the BBC had succeeded in finally stamping out the remaining embers of televised Doctor Who (it should be noted that the best part of the movie is watching Colin's immediate unworthy successor's brief appearance at the beginning... stepping out of the TARDIS... and being riddled with machine gun bullets... ) Now, recently in England, after nearly twenty years "in hiatus," Doctor Who has been "revived," but while nothing like its original flavour, and with some Getting Used To, the 10th incarnation being played by David Tennant who understands the role, and is perfect for it/as the Doctor. Thankfully it's a role he'd wanted to play the role his entire life. Back to top of page
D'oh	(noun)	(Exclamation); pronunciation: dough and/or doe I was saying "D'oh!" decades before the creation of The Simpsons. After so many years, many people understandably, albeit mistakenly, presume I am only referring to The Simpsons. Nowadays to a great extent I am, but the exclamation (and my usage of it) is far older than the now famous cartoon series. When I worked in East Orange many years ago, a friend used to use it. He reminded me of the old Abbott and Costello television series, wherein, a recurring, cantancerous one-eyed character would get mixed up with Lou at some point. Somehow or other, the guy would always get himself poked in the face, to which in stunned agony he would bleat: "D'oh! My good eye...!" Term first imparted by my friend and coworker (and the VP of that company at which I worked), Steve Nitka. Back to top of page
DP	(noun)	DP = Director of Photography Back to top of page
Doing the Magick	(phrase)	Axium: referring to engimatic, inexplicable yet universal forces by which cause and effect are triggered. Examples: You desperately are waiting for That Important Phone Call. To have the phone ring, take out the garbage or take a shower. The bus clearly won't arrive and you cannot see it as far as the horizon: you obviously have more than enough time to walk the one or two blocks to the next stop. Halfway between stops, the bus roars by you, whether the bus itself is early or late is irrelevant, the point being, it won't stop for you: you've missed it Amusingly, this force can sometimes be manipulated into one's favour: press the Walk Light, and cross as though heading to the next stop. Then backtrack back to the stop and the bus often approaches faster. Go to take out the trash, but once outside the door, put down the bag, and go back inside. With the shower scenario, turn on the water, having the spigot away from you. Step in, then out, and the phone ("expecting" [or "believing"] you to be in the shower), can now freely ring. Never think too strongly on these actions as you go to do them; the Universe must sense that you're doing something with which it can screw around with you.... Back to top of page
Doppleganger Denier	(noun)	The strange to comical insistance that an actor was spotted appearing in a specific film, TV program and/or commercial project on which the actor never actually worked. The actor may politely point out that the person making the claim is mistaken, but the person's insistance only becomes more passionate: "No no, it was definitely you I saw..." Back to top of page
Dream aspects	(abstract concepts)	Dream Absorption: Similar to a false-memory effect caused by one's Dream Memory, what would normally be outside stimulus (that would/should wake the dreamer), becomes cleverly absorbed into the dreamscape as background noise or even a Dream Shift. The causes for this effect could include (though not limited to) a ringing phone or alarm clock, a knock at the door, or a loud car or passerby going by outside. Example: Dream Amnesia: A false-memory effect caused by one's Dream Memory, in which you have forgotten something that you'd easily know in your normal waking life, that were you to recall it in the dream, could fragment the storyline. Dream Character: A character in a dream that does not exist in one's waking life, but you have a memory of the character. Also see: Dream Memory and NPC Dream Detachment: When a dreamer views him/herself in the Third Person, as though watching him/herself performing as his/her own character (or views a scene in which the Dreamer is not even present). Generally, the detached, viewed version sometimes can still functions as the Dreamer, though often the Dreamer is now merely a non-participating observer. Dream Fade: A dream that is recalled as being vivid, but the full recollection of the dream itself fades quickly after waking. Dream Memory: Within a dream, this is a False Memory implanted to allow the current storyline to progress without awkward questions or suspicions that might alert the dreamer that s/he is asleep and dreaming. Example: you run across a Dream Character who does not exist in your waking life, but in your dream you have vivid recollections of an entire backstory, sometimes even vivid memories of dream experience you didn't even dream... The reverse effect is Dream Amnesia. Lucid Dream: A dream (vivid or not), in which the Dreamer is and/or becomes fully conscious and aware of the face s/he is asleep and dreaming. The dreamer can either continue with the dreamscape as is, or may be able to actually mentally stimulate the dreamscape to the Dreamer's own choosing. Dream Shift: When a dream takes a sudden, unexpected turn, usually so sudden that the storyline is utterly alien to the previous occurances. Generally, thanks to the Dream Memory effect, the dreamer does not realize s/he is at a different level of the dream. A Dream Shift is only noticed upon waking and recollecting the dream, and noting how the two storyline aspects don't connect as easily as it seemed during the dream. Dream Trigger: Something with a dream that makes the dreamer recognize and suddenly become aware s/he is dreaming [e.g., for me it is having my late father visually show up, though not necessarily interacting with me]. While a Dream Trigger may not necessarily making this into an actual Lucid Dream, it can sometimes be unsettling. Geography Shift: When the dreamscape takes on a new location, usually one that were one awake one would notice it. This can include (but not be limited to) driving down a familiar road, but when one makes a turn (if that), the road is now either another familiar road but nowhere near the location on which you were just driving, or a completely different dreamscape road. Another aspect can be converged architecture. Example: Back east I lived in three different New Jersey homes. Now and then in dreams two of the houses are converged; from a room within one house I can walk into a room in the previous house in which I'd not lived for years (but I did live my formative years in it). Dream Punch: the tight spasm in one's midsection from a sudden, abrupt awakening (via loud alarm clock, etc.), as though punched in the gut; could this be one's consciousness returning from an willing and/or unwitting Astral Projection...? Back to top of page
DS9	(acronym)	TV series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Follow-up series to: TNG Back to top of page
Dubya	(abbreviation)	War-monger and [now former] Tyrant: Dubya is a uncomplimentary abbreviation of the deliberately mispronounced letter W., signifying the world-wide war criminal falsely claiming [now formerly so], to be the Leader of the United States (sic). Most puzzling that this alleged "Republican" acts far more anti-American as though he were with the evil-hearted, liberty-hating political creatures known as Democrats. Back to top of page
Dude	(noun)	I rarely say this in coversation: sometimes I use it in an email. My brother thought I began saying this as I'd moved to California. In reality, long before I'd moved, I'd starting saying it via South Park. Back to top of page
EBE	(acronym)	EBE = Extraterrestrial Biological Entity. Classificaton of and/or references to an otherworldly alien. Back to top of page	EBE
Eff	(noun)	Exclamation: a truncated variant on what (in Polite Society) is referred to as The "F" Word. (Also see: WTF? entry.) Other variations (adjective, adverb, verb): Effing Back to top of page
Elysium	(noun)	Afterlife: specifically aligned with the pagan, pre-Christian belief system of ancient Romans. Back to top of page
Encyclopedia Brown	(noun)	Book series: Encyclopedia Brown is a series of easy to read juvenile/young-adult books featuring short story mysteries with one or two substantial suspect descrepancies provided that are clues that the title hero solves due as much to his deductive abilities as much as his powers of observation. When Encyclopedia reveals he Knows The Answer, the reader is invited to guess him/herself before reading Encyclopedia's answer and his reasoning for his conclusions. Much of the time the culprit was the intellectually-challenged bully of his class year (after so many times Being Caught, how this character at some point not just packed off to Juvie is beyond me...), and while some of Encyclopedia Brown's resolutions are a bit thin, many of the stories stressed Word Distinctions, several of which remains with me to this day, including (but not limited to) the distinction between Scanning (through a book or page) vs. Skimming (skimming is what many do, a cursory glance over it, while scanning involves reading each word intensely), etc. (hence the weakness of some of his solutions: the bully would make an otherwise simple grammatical gaffe on which Encyclodia would hang him, the easiest defense could have been "Well, duh: that's what I meant...!") It occurs to me that maybe the bully (whose character name offhand I can't recall), not only got caught so often due to being so intellectually and linguistically-challenged, but got off as he may have been a young George W. Bush... Back to top of page
E-Ticket	(noun)	Before one had to get a second mortgage to enter Disneyland with a one-price admission to enter its park/s, one could enter and selectively ride specific attractions individually. The most higher-end rides were classified as E-Tickets, so to analogize something as being an E-Ticket or an E-Ticket Ride, means that the experience was/is extraordinary. Back to top of page
Ex Sex	(status)	Full on physical sexual congress with a former significant other, either a one-time or one-date occurance, or the former significant other becomes a Buddy. This is not to be confused with Make-Up Sex and/or Back Together Sex. Back to top of page
Extra	(noun)	Misnomer: frequently misapplied term for a Background Performer. In the strictest terms, "Extra" means surplus, superfluous and/or unnecessary. For a more comprehensive examination in this cinematic context, refer to the 2006 feature documentary Strictly Background when it's released (the trailer for the feature is available for viewing at its official site). Back to top of page
Facebook	(noun)	A social networking site, Facebook is a pale shadow of MySpace, on which one's profile can be confired to the layout the user wishes to display. With Facebook, there are also pros and cons, mostly its user-unfriendly navigation and apparently operating under the presumption new users already know exactly how to use what they've never used previously. One positive aspect of Facebook is the User Status Comment threads (thread = ongoing dialog), in which friends can comment on a user's Current[ly listed] Status, to which the user can respond ad infinitum. With MySpace one can make general Comments at a profile, but a user can only comment back or send a message reply; no one else can read that ongoing dialog. A producer friend strongly urged I create a Facebook profile, which I did (much to my reluctance), and at first generally used it to mirror my MySpace information, and import from my MySpace blogs entries into Facebook. Over time, Facebook became easier to use and navigate and with which to share online videos and articles. While MySpace retains my blogs and photos, on Facebook I keep in touch with friends both past and present. Back to top of page	Facebook profile
Fantasy Fuel	(noun)	During long bouts of involuntary celibacy, one can subsist on fantasies with which to Self Pleasure oneself. Fantasy Fuel is "created" either by being around with someone with whom one would love to find oneself in bed, or conversely, an encounter that while the period of celibacy technically is broken, the encounter is a one-time event (either one-time period of time [a single evening, afternoon or day/date], or one single session of sex), and the celibacy continues after this encounter. The memory of this event generally is extremely powerful and vivid, certainly taking place during a long bout of celibacy (a true bout of celibacy ends with the acquisition of an ongoing sexual partner). Back to top of page
FRP	(noun)	FRP = Fantasy Role Playing game. Back to top of page
Filksong	(noun)	Satire: A filksong is the taking of a known song and putting to it New Lyrics, usually specifically thematic in nature, such as related to science fiction, Ren Faires, etc. Back to top of page
Forage	(verb)	I am the first to admit I have an overly picky palate, and refuse to eat foods I dislike. I do like many healthy foods: spinach, liver, broccoli, brussel sprouts, et al, but I do not like pizza, hoagies, Mexican (actually most ethnic) food, etc. When I work on a student film, the payment is copy, credit, and generally a meal. Often, the "meal" consists of pizza or Subway, causing me to go off to find food I will eat, whether it be snacks from craft service table, if they have one, or hit a nearby McDonalds, Wendys, et al. Back to top of page
Fuss Thread	(noun)	Generally on a social networking site, where some topic comes up, posted innocuously or not, which incites a lengthy comment-thread of polarized opinions between various friends, sometimes (though not always), devolving into name-calling. This sort of thread does not always have to include the person who submitted the original post; that person may discover after a few short hours that the post has generated dozens of back-and-forth tirades between commenters. Ironically a Fuss Thread often seems to start over something posted that not intended to cause controversy (sometimes only meant to elicit humour), while posted thought-provoking topics frequently go uncommented... Back to top of page
Gallifrey	(event)	Gallifrey is the home planet of Doctor Who. Back to top of page
GallifreyOne	(event)	GallifreyOne = Annual [February] Los Angeles-based Doctor Who convention. Back to top of page
Gloosh	(noun, verb)	(noun) Sound produced by an amply-endowed female removing her bra. Term coined by David Lee Gold. (noun) Generally speaking, female nipples clearly visible in the context of a cinematic motion picture or made-for-cable TV series or TV movie. Note: this can also apply to exposed female nipples in private between two (or more) consenting adults. Secondary noun usage defined by Dan Clement and myself (much to friend Dave's annoyance). (verb) Generally speaking, in a cinematic motion picture or made-for-cable TV series or movie, the act of an actress clearly and generously exposing her nipples. Note: while breast size is irrelevant in this context, amount of time (and clear nipple-visibility) is also important. Examples: Anne Hathaway glooshes far better in Love & Other Drugs and Havoc than she does in Brokeback Mountain; meanwhile, Naomi Watts in 21 Grams, Lea Thompson in All The Right Moves, Maggie Gyllenhaal in Secretary, Angelina Jolie in Gia and Kate Winlet in Titanic and Holy Smoke each gloosh far superior to Lisa Kudrow in Happy Endings; and also, by keeping her merely bare back to the camera, Natalie Portman does not gloosh in any way, shape or form in the lethargic film Closer. Verb usage defined by Dan Clement and myself (much to friend Dave's continued annoyance). Back to top of page
G'mork Syndrome	(noun)	I have no embarressment over my emotions, even when they "get the better" of me. I love fantasy films; when they are done well, I really allow myself the suspension of belief, and I often can tear up and have large tears drop down my face, to actual crying (not just sadness, but overwhelming beauty). But I have never cried as strongly as when I heard the G'mork's speech in The NeverEnding Story, in which the G'mork explains exactly what The Nothing is: the destruction of fantasy through human-kind's growing disbelief in it. While relatively brief, in context of the film, the wording I found so threatening (eg, the loss of fantasy), that I literally began weeping copiously. It even hit me again as the ending credits began. Now when I see a fantasy film that creates such feelings of overwhelming emotion at a primal, visceral level, that I cry stronger than just allowing massive tears plunking down my face, I half-jokingly refer to it as G'mork Syndrome. G’mork: Fantasia has no boundaries. Atreyu: That's not true. You're lying. G’mork: Foolish boy. Don't you know anything about Fantasia? It's the world of human fantasy. Every part, every creature of it, is a piece of the dreams and hopes of mankind. Therefore, it has no boundaries. Atreyu: But why is Fantasia dying then? G’mork: Because people have begun to loose their hopes and forget their dreams. So the Nothing grows stronger. Atreyu: What is the Nothing...? G’mork: It's the Emptiness that's left. It's like a despair, destroying this world. And I have been trying to help it. Atreyu: But why? G’mork: Because people who have no hopes are easy to control. And whoever has control has the power. Back to top of page
GoF	(acronym)	Book: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (year four [1994-1995] in the storyline) (Alternatively abbreviated merely as GF) Back to top of page
Good Christian	(noun)	One who follows the teachings of Jesus (love, tolerance, et al): one who follows/worships the Message even more than the Messenger; one who has no problem with other people, whose personal, spiritual beliefs may not being in specific identical alignment with the Good Christian's personal, spiritual beliefs, and most importantly, not trying to impose his/her personal, spiritual beliefs onto others (eg, a Good Christian doesn't proseltize to every human across which s/he comes). Back to top of page
The Goodies	(noun)	Britcom TV series: very funny British comedy starring Graeme Garden, Tim Brooke-Taylor and Bill Oddie. (Most of) the 77 episodes of the underrated series (and sadly not overly remembered in America), were very surreal and dreamlike even in their frenetic pacing, the episodes' stories were rather Pythonesque. The three friends and would take on odd jobs (very odd jobs...). The Goodies shared a flat, each with a section reflecting their character. With his Isaac Asimov hairstyle and mutton-chops, Graeme Garden's role was more of the harmless, eccentric scientist, inventing weird (frequently Rube Goldberg style) devices. Tim Brooke-Taylor played something of a pleasantly smiling (though occasionally stoic) stuffed shirt, his area of the flat being Everything Old British; generally he wore a vest made from the Union Jack. Bill Oddie was the earthy, everyday working-class hapless Everyman type, frequently befuddled by outlandish circumstances, but not above often being their cause. To this day, The Goodies comedy series is still very much fondly remembered and missed in England. Back to top of page	Bill Oddie, Graeme Garden and Tim Brooke-Taylor
Gravity Doorway	(noun)	An unblocked, open door or archway which still manages to prevent a person from following another who has made a dramatic exit; generally seen in movies and/or soap operas (particularly The Young and the Restless). Back to top of page
Gryffindor	(noun)	In the JKR Harry Potter book series, Gryffindor is one of four Houses (aka dormitories), for specific students attending Hogwarts. Generally, Gryffindor students are those who are Brave of Heart. Along with his closest friends, Harry Potter is a Gryffindor student. Back to top of page
GWB	(acronym)	GWB = George Washington Bridge, entry to north part of "main" Manhattan from New Jersey. Back to top of page
Hayzzling	(verb; voluntary mental condition)	The act of someone taking a partial set of observed or notified facts, filling in the gaps with their own narrow perception of How Things Should Be (according to them), then formulating a story that does not reflect what actually took place, even if it their version sounds plausible, or partially plausible (and then refusing to budge on this self-implanted false-memory even with [or particularly when] solid evidence to the contrary is presented). Any attempts to correct the false-story the hayzzler has created is met with ridicule and derision. Back to top of page
HBP	(acronym)	Book: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (year six [1996-1997] in the storyline) Back to top of page
Heavens Gating	(verb)	Similar to Lucasizing, in the editing process, Heavens Gating is the removal of positive aspects from an in-production script and/or adaptation that has been completed as a motion picture, (sometimes after the film's initial theatrical release), making the result far less entertaining or comprehensible. The term is coined from the classic movie bomb Heaven's Gate, the original, full-length three and three quarter hour version I saw prior to its release. Nearly a year later, the film was re-released with massive edits down to two and a half hours, instead of its 3.66 hour length that seemed like 17, but instead of removing the slow, irrelevant parts, what was removed were the main aspects that held one's attention: they retained the slow, irrelevant parts, During a college graduation scene towards the very beginning in the long version, John Hurt's gregarious character is announced as valedictorian, and he swaggers to the podium and delivers quite a comical speech. In the 2.5 hour "truncated" version, he is announced and he starts walking up, and the scene cuts away to the next scene. And it goes downhill from there... Back to top of page
Henryism	(noun)	Since the start of January 2011, I have cohosted the weekly, live, online radio show The Paranormal View, along with cohosts Kat Klockow and Ceiling Cat Barbara Duncan. The show's primary host is the wonderful Henry Foister, whose lilting accent allows him to mangle the English language with impunity, considering Kat, CC, and I pretty much are grammarians. I often say Henry is the only person who can get away with a triple negative in a sentence. Not every show, but most shows, at least once, Henry says something that is inadvertantly hilarious, generally a name or word mispronunciation, which Kat and I refer to as a "Henryism." It's not just a slip of the tongue, it's a complete mangling of a word that stops Kat and I in our tracks, causing in us much mirth. Back to top of page
Hogwarts	(noun)	In the JKR Harry Potter book series, Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is the magickal school at which lead character Harry Potter and his friends attended, from 1991 through (at least the end of term), 1997. Magickally hidden from Muggle eyes, Hogwarts is a massive magick-filled castle in the distant Scottish Highlands, and its student dormitory facilities are comprised of four Houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Back to top of page
Holding	(noun)	Place: in movie work, an area in which background artists are corralled (eg, "held") until needed on set. In theory it can be an open or closed tent, with chairs, nearby to toilet facilities and craft services. In many cases though there are not enough seats for everyone, craft services is closer to set, and it's either swelteringly hot (and background is dressed for winter), or bitingly cold (and background is dressed for summer). Back to top of page
Hufflepuff	(noun)	In the JKR Harry Potter book series, Hufflepuff is one of four Houses (aka dormitories), for specific students attending Hogwarts. Generally, resourceful Hufflepuffs as those who are Loyal and True, and Unafraid of Toil. After a fashion, Yours Truly is a Hufflepuff. Back to top of page
I Have No Lines	(riff)	To save money, TV and movie productions use a featured background performer for roles that do not "require" them to be paid equitably, or upgraded to even mere Day Player level/s. Usually they are simply chosen at random from those in Holding, though sometimes (depending on the role), interviews are held at which the director and/or producer can select someone out of three or so options as to whose "look" they like best. These are the roles one sees where a principal asks for directions and receives only a silent point, or at the end of a hour-long drama-series episode in which a child is reunited with its parents, but only one parent has been interacting with the [doctor/police, et al] character/s earlier/throughout the episode... but the newly arrived spouse is Just There and says nothing. When I see such characters, I riff for them their interior-monologue/thought-bubble: "I have no lines," as s/he doesn't; s/he's not allowed to speak, otherwise s/he'd be (or ethically upgraded to) a Day Player, and the production certainly can't have that... Back to top of page
IMDB	(noun)	The IMDB is the Internet Movie Database. While not entirely accurate in some entries, it is still a valueable research tool. Back to top of page
Implied Navigation (also, Inferred Navigation)	(pathology)	"Implied" and/or "inferred" Navigation is in which a live human navigator verbally provides substantially flawed directions to a driver (e.g., inaccurate street names, or declaring a street but omitting what streets on which one must turn to find same, etc.), then having the nerve to become annoyed and/or angry when the driver actually follows the directions as provided. Back to top of page
It	(noun)	The first "girl" I ever dated. Years after stamping on my heart, It sought to re-befriend me, in hopes of using me to insert itself into my then close circle of friends. Luring me again with its siren song of promises that it broke faster than a Cancer (or a Democrat...), I mistakenly allowed It entry back into my life, at which time it created havoc, pain and suffering amongst my friends with evil unrivaled even when It had dated me. This is a sociopathic female of such loathesome, underhanded treachery that it has become tradition for me not even to speak its alliterative name. While having managed to marry (so no longer alliterative), and more frighteningly, spawn, I feel I need not dignify this low creature by naming it aloud. This habit is based on disgust on having learned this creature's vile true nature. This is not to be confused with Lord Voldemort, whose name out of fear is not spoken. (Surprisingly and not a bit ironically, It is not even a Cancer. [Further] Irony: If this creature recognizes itself and "complains," then it admits as true and correct the above definition. Otherwise it would have no complaint, as were it false, it could not recognize this as applying to itself. Back to top of page
Liberal	(noun)	Mental Disorder: As with Democrats, true Liberals are anti-American liberty-haters who spit on the precepts of the nation's Founding Fathers. These irrational humans, long since bereft of sense or reason, believe that big government should control all aspects of private citizens' lives, from cradle to grave. Well aware that such treasonous thoughts could backlash from those who still cherish liberty, Democrats endevour to villify anyone or any concept that tries to shatter their close-minded, insane viewpoints. Such villification of patriotic Americans is the Liberal's only "defense" with which to avoid logic or facts in any open debate, as they cannot argue any of their own "points" with any sort of rationality. There are those who claim to be liberals but in fact simply think they are liberals: when they reveal they actually enjoy freedom and the American way, they demonstrate that in reality they have Libertarian and/or [original] Republican leanings. Back to top of page
Line Stepper	(noun)	see Stepping on a line Back to top of page
Live Anime	(noun)	Extreme Suspension of Disbelief: generally in current live-action martial arts films, Live Anime are films with stunts that rely similar to the concept of physics be damned, but much, much farther, in which the normally utterly impossible is performed. However, the visuals "get away with it," based on the style of the film, as though it were an anime film (Japanese cartoon animation), simply using live performers. Examples: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Musa the Warrior, House of Flying Daggers, The Iron Monkey and Hero. Back to top of page
Live D&D	(noun)	Playing the FRP game Dungeons and Dragons outside, in a real setting, played in real time. One aspect is that one's character must conform as closely to one's real self as possible. Due to my slender frame, and rather spry as well as cunning attributes, I took on the character of a Thief. My friend [Bill] Cooper was a genius at creating Live D&D campaigns. He designed a campaign at various out of the way New Jersey sites as well as the awesome Crag up at New Paltz. One Saturday we went out to the abandoned nickel mines near the Delaware Water Gap. The adventurers had to traverse both mines, both of which easily accessable, perfectly safe (straight corridors that come to dead ends), and not unknown nor forbidden to enter. I was an NPC for this game, as Cooper and I knew the nickel mines, and he suggested I play an attacking goblin for this campaign segment (instead of being part of the party of adventurers). We set up the two mines with "traps" (black thread tied to an empty soda can; if the adventurers didn't notice the thread and tripped it, they would "set off a trap," etc.). At the deepest cavern in the second mine (all of maybe about 1000 feet or so), we'd set up candles, a plastic skull or two, and parchments (with spells they could use) in easy to gind rock crevices, After completing the first mine, they followed the drawn map down to get to the second one. Meanwhile, John and I (as goblins, killed in the first combat), headed down to be goblins at the second mine. As hikers could have come by, and it turned out they had, John and I quickly made sure all the candles were lit, the parchments were in place, and the traps reset. Across the stream we waited a while for them to arrive, which we found pecular, as we'd had to go through the brush while they had an easy trail. It turned out they got mixed up and couldn't figure out the trail to the second mine's entrance. A couple of hikers came by and asked, "Have you been to the other mine?" Amused but straightfaced, one of the D&D players said, "Why no..." The hikers related almost warily that they'd just come from over there: that there was some kind of weird, Satanic thing goin' on in there, with all sorts of candles and skulls and stuff! Cooper stifled outright laughing at this, as his players (also extremely amused, and well aware this was their destination), politely asked directions to that lower mine, which they received. "That was cool," Cooper later reported. "I didn't expect ever to run into real NPCs!" Back to top of page
Local Hire	(noun)	In films and occasional television programs (certainly any SAG Signatory project), when a principal or Day Player is booked on a project, the production must provide the actor's transport (first class, if by plane), and lodging during the actor's required time working on the shoot. A Local Hire is a principal or Day Player for whom the production does not have to pay transport or lodging, and not always because the actor is local, but because the actor provides the transport/lodging him/herself. I know someone who worked as a stand-in, whose domicile happened to be very close to the project's filming location. As a stand-in, he was provided transport and hotel lodging despite living close enough to commute. A principal on the exact same project lived in the next state, but was booked as a Local Hire and had to make his way to the same shoot for which the stand-in was not local, but was not a Local Hire. Back to top of page
LotR	(acronym)	LotR = Lord of the Rings (books or the movies). Back to top of page
Lucasize	(verb)	Similar to Heavens Gating, The act of taking something perfectly fine and retooling it so it becomes anywhere between unsightly to utterly horrific, such as Facebook "upgrades" or George Lucas revamping his Star Wars saga until what storyline cohesion it had left collapsed into incomprehensibility. Back to top of page
Luskinitis	(affliction)	Luskinitis (LUSS kin EYE tiss): named after an on-air PBS announcer who used to host pledge drives specifically during Doctor Who marathons, who literally claimed that anyone who watches Doctor Who cannot retain series information from one episode to the next. While claiming he watched the series himself, he constistantly demonstrated his talent for being exemplary when speaking of the station, then his profound ignorance regarding the series he claimed he supported. Luskinitis has two distinct aspects: Primary aspect is the inability to pronounce surnames and/or proper nouns correctly, and even when corrected, continue to mispronounce them (e.g., accenting the second syllable of the surname Hartnell, and/or adding an R to the word "Dalek,", et al). Second aspect of Luskinitis: the inability to retain information from within any series, be it television series, book series, or movie series (aka movie franchise). Example: while reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince being unable to understand references to earlier books in the series; seeing Back to the Future III without remembering what took place in the first film, et al. Back to top of page
Mind-Altering Grilled Cheese Sandwich(es)	(phrase)	Years ago back east, one of my circles of friends were like-minded Doctor Who fans (late 1970s into the 1980s, until 1987 when the BBC successfully sabotaged the TV series). For the few years (late '70s to the mid '80s), this group of friends was comprised by those who went to Doctor Who conventions in costume. We had our Tom Baker (YDC), Peter Davison (Dave Gold), Peri (Jeanne, who would marry Dave about ten years later) The Master (myself, as the proper, Roger Delgado incarnation), and several others, etc. Dave and Jeanne were amongst the last of the true, Official Members of this circle of friends. We'd attract the equivalent of "fans" amongst the fans, and occassionally someone new would latch on for a time, then drift away and out of touch. Then there was..."Kitty." She latched onto us like a lamprey and decided she wanted to Run The Group. Many of us were still relatively new friends: Dan and Michael and all and I knew each other first.
		Michael and I had met a year earlier in Ohio, where he suggested if I shave my then-beard into a Van Dyke, I'd probably resemble Roger Delgado who played the Moriarty'esque villain The Master. I got some photos of the late actor, tried trimming my beard and, sure enough! Based on the photos, the most accurate Delgado / Master outfit possible was created by my talented costumer mother, and Michael and I went to Buffalo. Mike had mentioned Dan, who I met at this convention. He and I were both amazed at our reseblance to our respective-honoured actors. As our group of friends grew, we'd come to congretate at my New Jersey home as meeting point, before we'd head to a local convention. One of the things for which I became known to my guests is that for everyone, I would cook grilled cheese sandwiches. Dave fell in with us easily, having a similar warped sense of quick-witted MSTie style humour (years before MST3K was created, as well as my being who would eventually introduce MST3K to Dave).	Roger Delgado as The Master
		At this same Valley Forge convention, we found ourselves latched onto by a central Jersey woman who insisted we call her Kitty. She insisted that the lot of us stay for a weekend at her home for a Doctor Who themed weekend. That had its share of disasters, but that's a whole other [albeit amusing] story. Over the next few months and at conventions we attended, Kitty maintained her attempts to steer the group in Her Own Course. Individuals (and the group as a whole) nearly had no say in anything we could do, particularly at conventions. At one point when I'd finally had it putting up with her controlling way and declined [refused] a "request" she made [demanded], she began telling my friends (behind my back) that she felt "... the Master has gotten to him...", as though I was being evil by not cow towing to her every whim. Of course, Dan and Dave and all immediately brought this to my attention, to our mutual hilarity. We managed finally to stop Being In Touch with her, and what has happened to her, none of us really care. But while with us and as she continued to sow dissent against me, my true and loyal friends' joked that they remained my friends as clearly they were under the influence of my evil "Mind Altering Grilled Cheese sandwiches"... Okay, a long way for a silly in-joke, but trust me, it could have been longer... Term coined by David Lee Gold and Young Dan Clement. Back to top of page
JKR	(acronym)	JKR = creative author of the Harry Potter book series, J. K. Rowling. Back to top of page
MSTie	(noun)	Pronunciation: misty A loyal viewer to the comedy TV series Mystery Science Theater 3000 Background: Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988 to 1999), aka MST3K, one of the all-time best satire-written television series ever, next to The Simpsons. While The Simpsons satirizes society in general, as well as varied pop culture spoofs, MST3K "took" my lifelong thought processes and made them reality. Just as I can riff on most any sign, person, object or action, MST3K riffed bad movies in real time (albeit of course, the show was carefully scripted and pre-recorded, whilst I can do it live my first time, hence my belief that the TV series 24 is the best "inadvertant" comedy on television...). Back to top of page	MST3K
MSTie'ing	(verb)	Ability: Riffing (either live on the fly or scripted), during a television program or movie. Back to top of page
Mudblood	(noun)	Epithet: in the JKR Harry Potter book series, the term Mudblood is a racial slur of deep proportions, referring to the Wizard or Witch being insulted having been born to Muggle parents, or that one of one's parents is a Muggle. The insulted Wizard or Witch is (or may be) just as magickal as any other magickally powered Wizard or Witch, but the term Mudblood refers to the "impure" heritage involved. Calling a Wizarding World Wizard or Witch a Mudblood is tantamout to referring to an African-American as "the 'N' word." Harry Potter "fans" who only see the films but will not read the books are considered by true Harry Potter fans as Half-Bloods... Back to top of page
Muggle	(noun)	In the JKR Harry Potter book series, a Muggle is a non-magickal person, generally one also unaware of the existance of the Wizarding World. Harry Potter (book) readers sometimes will refer to non-Harry Potter fans as Muggles. Back to top of page
MySpace	(noun)	MySpace is the best of the social sites' trend, leaving most previous friendship and/or networking sites in the dust. I have two profiles: realbadger is general, with friends and some background information and such, as well as a blog page. My alternate Dreamtime profile is dream-journal specific. Back to top of page	Primary MySpace profile
MySpace Whore	(noun)	A MySpace Whore (and/or MySpace Whores), is/are MySpace user/s that Collect Friends, just to have a high Friend List Count. These Adds can be obtained by Sending Messages/Add Requests; there are even little programs with which Adds can be mined, harvested, etc., until a user's profile can have "thousands of 'friends'," when in reality may less than one percent of that lot are actually personally known to the user. Creative comedian Craig Carmean wrote a satirical song on the subject, which can be heard at the second of his two profiles. Back to top of page
Music Man Syndrome	(noun)	The subjective behaviour tendancy of people either directly or indirectly involved in a project reactiving positively to overly positive to the completed project as though it's fantastic, when from an objective level it's okay, tolerable all the way down to dreadful/painful. This also befalls uninvolved observers who are there to support those directly or indirectly involved; either these uninvolved observers allow themselves to believe it is wonderful, or they are not affected by the syndrome and they do see the project objectively; often to spare hurting anyone's feelings, they merely give verbal compliments without expressing their accurate feelings about the project. Back to top of page
Neat	(noun)	Exclamation: all-encompassing term generally used to reflect a positive impression, but most often used to make the implied distinction of not using "cool" so often.... Back to top of page
Nectar of the Gods	(noun)	Drink: IBC, Dad's and/or A&W Root Beer (followed closely by Birch Beer and Sarsaparilla). Back to top of page
NDE	(acronym)	NDE = Near Death Experience The phenominon in which someone so close to death (or who has clinically died) yet is revived, experiences going through a tunnel at immeasurable velocity, often hearing etheric music (within the tunnel or upon its exit), frequently meeting a similarly disembodied spirit (which seems to radiate Pure Love), which may or may not identify itself, but usually the NDE participant usually interprets and/or perceives the Entity to be Diety. Often this other Entity may relay that it Is Not Yet Time for the particiant to remain (in what clearly is perceived and/or acknowledged as the/an Afterlife), and the participant feels being yanked back to his/her corporeal body back on the material plane. Sometimes the revived-return is without warning. The experience itself can be momentary or lengthy, while the time the participant's body may be clinically dead could be momentary or several minutes (rarely several hours [though such has also been documented], when the body can be in a cataleptic state). Back to top of page
NPC	(noun)	NPC = Non Player Character. In FRP games, such as Dungeons and Dragons, an NPC is a character designed and played by the DM [Dungeon Master/game facilitator], in order to propel forward the game's/campaign's story arc. Example: the group of players' characters are seeking something. An NPC happens along (or the group happens along the NPC), and the NPC "happens" to have information valueable for their quest. As they are also expendable, occasionally an NPC will join the group as a guide or such, and oft-times NPC is like a Star Trek (TOS) Red Shirt (the first one/s to die). Back to top of page
OBE	(acronym)	OBE = Out of Body Experience. Similar to Astral Projection, an OBE is an unexpected and/or unintentional out-of-body experience, far more similar to an NDE. sometimes Lucid Dreaming can be a form of out-of-body exoerience as well. Back to top of page
Obnoxious	(noun / verb)	Not to be confused with rude, "obnoxious" refers to someone declaring something generally false, slanderous, or the action of being obtuse. An obnoxious statement or action can be misinterpreted and misnomered as "rude," but there is no truth related to obnoxious statements or behaviour. Back to top of page
On Avail	(phrase)	On Avail actually means Unavailable, or more accurately, On Hold for specific dates on which one may be needed for a shoot. There are steps to the audition process, and some more than others depending on what sort of project. If everything lines up perfectly, with commercials, one has the audition, then a callback, being On Avail, then booked. Sometimes that can be a second or even a third callback, but when the producers and director and such are down to two or more people who would work out for a specific role, through their agents these finalists are notified they are On Avail. Usually this would be a Big Deal, as while it means a probability over a possibility of landing the gig, it still means it's a 50-50 chance of getting it. Sadly, the term is becoming less and less significant: many times just by having the callback one is placed "On Avail" automatically, to make sure those actors auditioning don't find work the days for which the producers want to shoot it. Back to top of page
OoP	(acronym)	Book: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (year five [1995-1996] in the storyline) (Alternatively abbreviated merely as OP) Back to top of page
Out Loud Voice	(noun)	When someone openly says (or comment-posts online) something astonishingly ignorant, hateful, foolish, or stupid, essentially confirming Mark Twain's adage, "It's better to stay silent and look a fool, rather than speak and remove all doubt." Back to top of page
Pagan	(noun)	Pre and/or Non-Christian People as well as their harmless Religious Belief System: Initally meaning "people who live in the country" (just as heathen means "people who live on the heath"), pagans mostly were merely farmers: agricultural, hunter-gatherer folk that worshipped nature and the nature-related Deities that would assist in the fertility of crops, livestock (and the village's families), et al. Peaceful, minding their own business and not bothering anyone, these pre and non Christian folk came under the brutal, forceful [anti-Jesus's teachings] yoke of The Church. In order to coerce these peaceful people into "Christians," The Church not only employed terrorist tactics (executions and torture), but used dark cunning. They had church buildings constructed atop the local worship sites. They decried any and all non and pre-Christian Deities as being evil, although the only evil these Deities represented was Freedom Of Choice, and Freedom Of Thought, concepts with which The Church could not abide, just as with current Bad Christians. The Church also absorbed the pagans' major and minor Worship Holidays and insisted these Christian-fictions were (and always were) Christian Holidays (eg, Samhain became "All Saints Day" (and "All Hallows Eve" aka Hallowe'en), the winter solstice Yule became "Christmas," Imbolc became "Candlemas," the spring equinox Ostara became "Easter" [a word found nowhere in the Christian Bible]...), Lughnasahd became "Lammas," etc.). The Church also had the cunning to incorporate pagan rituals and worship rites into their own "services:" the ritual tools were/are the same, the concluding ritual aspects of cakes and ale became "Communion," etc. Back to top of page
Pancakes, World Famous	(noun)	Badger's World Famous Pancakes Back to top of page
Parental Abuse	(noun)	Lifelong Cruelty from Birth: Generally this refers to the criminal-minded naming of children that already have surnames with which specific given names will cause understandably predictable havoc, or as I put it: "Oh, I'm sure s/he had no trouble at all on th'playground..." Examples: Krystal Champagne Harry Butt Harry Beaver Richard Head Richard Long (at least he chose the correct field [scroll down the page a bit]...) Richard Broadhead Richard Shaver (not sure if his name drove him to his theories...) Dick Hunt Mike Hunt A few other examples (without the above confirmation-page links): namenerds.com/uucn/advice/dick.html Back to top of page
Pathworking	(noun)	Guided Meditation: A meditation, verbally facilitated by a verbal "script" or storyline. This can be done live or via a recording. Generally Self-Help and/or self-hypnosis tapes (CDs, et al) are such guided meditations. Back to top of page
PCH	(noun)	PCH = Pacific Coast Highway, in California.
Being Percy Jackson'ed	(verb)	During the end credits of a movie, there is a movie disclaimer, to wit: "All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental." To be Percy Jackson'ed is to have a movie screenplay "adaptation" so far removed from its source material as to be considered a deliberate offence to the source material fan base. Using Percy Jackson as the prime example is due to its quintilogy book series clearly being an easy story to follow... yet its cinematic "counterpart" willfully fails to follow even the simplest well described aspect/s of the first book. The near-criminal screenplay abandons the straight storyline, omits main key characters as well as dropping numerous desperately needed important story content: based on results Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief movie was made just to piss off the book series' multi million reader fan base, even more deliberately than the agonizing "adaptations" of the Harry Potter saga. One would think that along with its end-credits disclaimer such a film should clarify: "All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental; any and all resemblance to its source material pretty much is accidental." Other cinematic Off-Target examples: The Harry Potter film series following Chamber of Secrets, the Star Wars prequel trilogy, the devestatingly and unforgivably dreadful Disney disaster Return to Oz (the "adaptation" of which seemed to be having all the pages torn out from the second and third books of the Oz series [Land of Oz and Ozma of Oz], the loose pages from which thrown in the air and the "storyline" created from random pages picked up from the floor), the bland and lackluster Eragon, etc. Back to top of page
Physics be damned	(concept)	In movies (and TV) in which some physical activity takes place that couldn't (or certainly most likely wouldn't) be able to take place in real life. These often can be action films (most of the two Charlie's Angels films are loaded with examples). (If the film is a recent or current Asian-made martial arts film, similarities can be drawn to the concept of Live Anime.) Back to top of page
Pluralizing	(verb)	The act of adding a grammatical pointless additional plural to an already plural word, a la Gollum in the The Lord of the Rings: referring to a pair of Hobbits as Hobbitses, etc. Back to top of page
PoA	(acronym)	Book: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (year three [1993-1994] in the storyline) (Alternatively abbreviated merely as PA) Back to top of page
Prostitot	(noun)	Any clearly under-age female/s, generally who are obviously aged around 16, 15 and younger, mistakenly (and self deludingly), believing she is making herself look attractive, in reality is wearing enough heavy cosmetics on her face as to "inadvertantly" resemble a cheap, crack-whore street-walker. Term coined by Alan Scott. Back to top of page
Psychic Punch	(noun)	Metaphysical experience (experienced by others): It takes a lot to make me irritated, even more to make me actually angry. As such a negative emotion that forwards little to nothing, I find anger to be a pointless exercise, and I keep calm and composed as much as I can. Curiously, previous girlfriends frequently sought to make me angry, as they could not fathom the concept of someone enjoying life as much as I seem to do. With deliberate intent, they would goad and prod and see what buttons (which in reality, generally only my father could push, ironically enough ). Occasionally they would rise enough irritance that I would Simply Request Strongly that they Stop. A simple statement; a simple request. And the looks on their face would be as though I had just round-house kicked them to the side of the head. When I get irritated, some sort of Powerful Metaphysical Force gets generated, which, despite my slender frame, exudes a force that (based on results), blams into people. It doesn't touch them physically, but their auras or what have you must get slammed a bit. Once my friendly cat Bast happened in front of a child who gleefully bonked Bast on the head. Bast quickly retreated, as I gently took the child's hand, directly into his face I stated calmly, quietly and simply, "Don't... hit my cat." As the child's face dissolved into tears, his grandmother accused me of being "ferocious" (e.g., my quiet statement's delivery). During one slight irritation that had nothing to do with my best friend's sitting next to me, I casually tossed to her lap a Netflix disc that overshot and landed next to the car seat. Despite ongoing apologies from me, my friend chose to remain flipped out, and as the drive continued, my friend's exaggeration of the event had escalated to where I expected to be accused of striking the side of her head with a bowling pin or something. And people wonder why I do what I can to keep light hearted even in the most dour circumstances... It should be noted that this "ability" has come in handy. Once in north Manhatten, on the borders of Harlem, a then-girlfriend and I were headed to the subway. A massive, muscle bulked man came towards us with great deliberation, with apparently clear intent to relieve my girlfriend of her purse. The mountain of a man stood well over six foot (I'm 5'7"), and as his arm began to extend, I simply barked "Excuse me...!" Just my voice; no movement of my hands or anything. He stopped like he's been hit in the face with a baseball bat. His hands rose as though I'd pulled a gun, and he hastily stammered, "Hey uh, no problem, man...!" And he hurried away, as my girlfriend and I went into the subway. Personally, I would love to see a video recording of this phenomenon. I suspect it is like Adam Sandler on the airplane in Anger Management, where his voice is quiet and calm, and everyone else is freaking out as though he were tearing up seats. Back to top of page
Pythonesque	(noun)	Comedy style: hilarious, often satirical, almost always absurd, and/or extremely surreal comedy, generally reminding the viewer of Monty Python's Flying Circus. Back to top of page
Racehorsing	(verb)	I walk and care for my best friend's dog Dumbledore, and when he was alive, Champ. Champ's walk invariably began at the end of the walkway, at the grass at the curb, at which Champ would stand and relieve himself for almost a good solid minute, similar to how a racehorse would urinate in a single lengthy go. Hence any time he or Dumble would simply take a long time at a single urination we referred to it as racehorsing. Back to top of page
RADA	(noun)	RADA = Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (British) Back to top of page
Ravenclaw	(noun)	In the JKR Harry Potter book series, Ravenclaw is one of four Houses (aka dormitories), for specific students attending Hogwarts. Generally, Ravenclaw students are the clever and scholarly. Back to top of page
Ren Faire	(noun)	Ren Faire = Renaissance Faire (aka Renaissance Festival). A festival, generally running the coarse of several weekends, done up generally to represent an era akin to Elizabethan despite the use of the term Renaissance. The participants at the Faire at in garb (attire), often representing Elizabethan (sometimes earlier) era. While many of the paying customers are in mundane (current day) garb, many such visitors can also be in garb set around the same era. These garbed paying customers are generally referred to as Rennie. Back to top of page
Rennie	(noun)	One who is a regular attendee of local (and/or distant) Ren Faires, usually attending in similar Elizabethan era garb as though working the Faire. Those who Work Faire are also considered Rennies. Back to top of page
Riff	(noun)	An instantly-made MST3K type of quip, either a response to a straight line, or a pun and/or word-play comment regarding a street sign or billboard, or making character inner-monologue comments during commercials and/or television programs. While similar to the litany that would go with a midnight screening of Rocky Horror Picture Show, true riffing is done in Real Time, on the spot and without rehearsal. Back to top of page
Rolling a 20 Rolling a 1	(noun)	Rolling a 20 = good Rolling a 1 = bad D&D reference: in the FRP game D&D, the play uses various types of dice, not just the common six-sided. Some die are twenty-sided. These twenty-sided dice are used during game turns in which combat is taking place. The higher the role, the greater the damage to an opponent: Rolling a 20 means critical, if not fatal, damage to an opponent, while Rolling a 1 is so bad it often involves self-injury. Years ago during one segment of a Live D&D campaign, that [Bill] Cooper (our DM [Dungeon Master] game facilitator) had created, friends would play NPC characters (in this campaign, the opponents generally were goblins). We were up at the astonishingly impressive Crag up in New Patlz (New York state), and we came across a goblin campsight. (Attempting to keep short this story), we lost surprise and were attacked. The fighters in the group fought back (weapons were "bow and arrow:" when a player would fire, Cooper would roll the twenty-sided die to see what was the damage, and vice versa). Being a (resourceful) Thief, I chose to see if there was a way behind them, considering the substantial rock cover available. I snuck around to behind their camp and located a three foot deep trench. I removed my backpack and stealthily observed the situation. They were down to a single goblin, but my group all saw me behind the standing goblin (character), who had his "bow" nocked and ready to fire if anyone came too close. Silently I rose out of the trench and walked up behind the goblin; placed my left arm across his collarbone and place my fist into the middle of the small of his back, announcing, "Back stab." The guy playing the goblin was startled beyond words: he had absolutely not heard my approach. Cooper was most impressed as he watched, very curious as to whether I could accomplish my goal. With his trademark sly grin (and without even bothering to roll his die), he simply declared the goblin slain, saying, "That looks like a 20...!" Back to top of page
Running Hot/Cold	(verb)	A delayed bus is called "Running cold." A bus that is ahead of schedule is called "Running hot." The local Los Angeles Metro bus and subway system (MTA) provides online and hardcopy "schedules," with arrival and departures times generally to which only the subway system stays closest. The local Los Angeles Metro buses however, have numerous route lines that are reliably unreliable. The MTA has what it claims to be "the 12 minute schedule," falsely declaring various routes that arrive within 12 minutes... 97% of the time this never happens. Pausing at each bus stop and looking behind to see if the Running Cold bus is finally approaching, often I can walk from point A to point B for 30-40 minutes and still make it to my destination before the bus arrives or even passes me. One reason I start walking, particularly midday, is that often bus drivers whose buses clearly are only at 50%-65% capacity will pretend they are overly full, in order to blow pass the stop at which suckers who, instead of walking, have been waiting patiently at the stop for 45 minutes. The most puzzling aspect is the bus that arrives dead-on between two scheduled times (one at 1pm and the next at 1:20pm, and a bus arrives at 1:10pm): it's either running very hot or very cold, and the driver will refuse to admit at which time he was scheduled to arrive at what time. Another characteristic of 99% of MTA bus drivers is, when three schedules buses have not gone by, the bus that finally arrives refuses to acknowledge his/her bus was any of the three or four that did not come by: "I'm on time" is the general (most likely falsehooded) response to any attempt at pointing out how long one has been waiting.
Rude	(noun)	Not to be confused with obnoxious: 99% of the time the word "rude" (when referred to a statement or inquiry by another), is in reality used as a Covert Declaration of Agreement; Overt Answer Evasiveness; and/or Acknowledge of Revealed Truth. 99% of the time the word is misused (as a misnomer), regarding something said or done that generally would otherwise be inconsequential (generally the wored "rude" is used by overly thin-skinned people, who "pretend" to be offended, having recognized someone else has made a truthful statement that the "offended" listener cannot refute). More accurate word usage would be "inappropriate," "obnoxious," et al. One aspect of Life most people loathe (and from which they unsuccessfully try to hide), is Truth and/or someone else recognizes something that was thought to be hidden. When I point out to someone a fact, and their response is that my comment is (or that I am) "rude," then they have notified me that s/he to whom I just spoken has recognized as truthful the statement I have just made and, unable to refute it, lashes out in pain and anger. Had the statement I had just said been inaccurate, an exaggeration or outright false, the person would not recognize any nexus to his/her reality, and would emotionlessly shrug off the comment as inapplicable. The comment would have no bearing on the hearer's reality and would not be considered anything other than imprecision and inaccuracy on my part. They could simply correct my assessment and/or calmly refute it. A furious, angry retort is not refuting a point; a furious and/or angry retort is agreeing with the point, as were the point to have no connection to reality, how can it have power to offend? As only Truth can offend, the person to whom a statement is made can either disagree calmly, agree calmly or agree with raised voices and retorts not related to the point raised. Generally, my being called "rude" is a compliment, declaring and confirming my statement as accurate and true. I have noticed sometimes the word "rude" can be made by thin-skinned people who make mountains out of mole-hills, and completely blow out of proportion a statement or action. Back to top of page
Shredited For Television	(phrase)	The act of a TV network (cable or broadcast) removing content from a movie (or series) in order to fit within an alotted time slot, to the extent of excluding/omitting pivitol scenes and plot points on which the story hinges, and/or to eliminate enough of the smaller "less important" scenes and/or subplots as to make it distractingly unwatchable (as those scenes are what made it enjoyable as a whole), and you end up wanting to throw something at the screen at every noticable cut. Term coined by David Lee Gold. Back to top of page
Slytherin	(noun)	In the JKR Harry Potter book series, Slytherin is one of four Houses (aka dormitories), for specific students attending Hogwarts. Generally, Slytherin students are those are cunning, sly (and most [but not all] are usually attracted to the Dark Arts and/or become evil). It is said that no Wizard that ever went bad had not been in Slytherin. Back to top of page
Snerl	(noun)	A dog showing generally its front teeth in a non-agressive and/or not as a defensive posture; literally the non-snarl becomes close to showing positive feelings as though doings its best actually to smile. Not all dogs do or can do this; often their smile become obvious as opposed to panting, it is clear the back of the mouth is pulled up more than just panting. A snerl most often takes place with the teeth met and jaws closed. Back to top of page	Example of a snerl
Spectrumizing	(verb)	When someone petulantly pretends to take direction to do something correctly by taking action to the farthest Other Direction one can. Example: a person taking a day of mourning requests a little bit of space from a friend, who takes it to the extreme of Complete Silent Treatment (well beyond when the first person is back on their feet), as opposed to simply noting the person is okay again and resestablishing regular, normal communication (or respectfully asking if everything is [now] okay). Note: Spectrumizing does not apply when directed at corrupt public servants, whose directions generally are hypocritical at the outset. Back to top of page
Sniglet	(noun)	A hitherto undefined word that should be in the dictionary, but isn't. Term coined / created by talented stand-up comic Rich Hall (no infringement intended). Back to top of page
Squib	(noun)	Special Effect: in movies, a squib is a small explosive device used to simulated bullet strikes, whether hidden in the dirt, in walls, or wired onto actors (just beneath the clothing) with which to simulate the character/s being shot. Pop Culture Reference: in the JKR Harry Potter book series, a Squib is a person without magickal powers, even though having been born to a Wizard father and/or Witch mother. Squibs are as non-magickal as Muggles, but Squibs retain access to the Wizarding World. Back to top of page
SS	(acronym)	Book: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (year one [1991-1992] in the storyline) Back to top of page
Stepping on a line	(verb)	In theatre, the act of stepping on a line is where one performer's timing faults, and instead of listening to the line/s of another performer, says his/her own line prematurely, either prior to or during the other performer's line. Off stage, a Line Stepper is one who has the unsociable habit of consistently speaking before the person with whom they are conversing has completed their sentence and/or spoken thought. This happens often to many people but a true Line Stepper makes a habit of it, and should the person (whose line/thought was not finished) protest (or correct the Line Stepper's flawed declaration/s), the Line Stepper ironically become haughty at their being interrupted whilst they are speaking over someone else. Usually the Line Stepper may simply like/prefer the sound of his/her own voice, and/or attempt to demonstrate a superior intellect, the latter of which rarely works. Another aspect is the Line Stepper invariably is endevouring to demonstrate "cleverness," at "having deduced" what the other person "was going to say" (though usually inaccurately so). Example: a Line Stepper on the phone calls regarding a desperately needed item at their current location. When the Line Stepper actually concludes a sentence, the person on the other end of the phone makes the polite and helpful attempt to convey the location of the needed item, only to have the Line Stepper interrupt to waste time complaining about the needed item, never allowing the called person to reveal their knowledge that otherwise would have helped the Line Stepper. Back to top of page
Strictly Background	(noun)	Heart-felt, moving, multiple award-winning feature film documentary: written and directed by filmmaker Jason Connell, Strictly Background focuses on the anonomous and mostly thankless work of Background Performers, and features background and backstories of such professional movie/TV background artists as: Terry Bolo Geoffrey Gould Cecilia Hartfeld Louis McCarten Cary Mizobe Jay Michaels Tafan Nieves Mark Nobel John Richards Marvin Rouillard Strictly Background available on DVD Strictly Background viewable on HULU (with "commercials" breaks) Back to top of page	Strictly Background
Stove Cat	(noun)	Refers to one who has had a single negative experience and will never do so again, even when such a choice is clearly stupid to everyone else, such as never returning to a specific chain of restaurant as there was a single evening of bad service and/or food at a single franchise one time. The concept comes from the feline behaviour of jumping onto a lit stove; once burned, the cat will leap down and will never jump onto the stove again, even when it is off and cold. A Stove Cat is not inclusive to eluding proven negative experience/s, for example, after dating four separate Cancer females, the pattern of their incompatibility with me [in this Particular Lifetime], precludes my having another Cancer female as anything other than a Friend or a Buddy.
Stupid Question/s	(noun)	It is said, mistakenly, that there are No Stupid Questions. The adage clearly was coined by someone never having been questioned by a cop or anyone pretending to be in "public service." One obviously stupid question sometimes comes in response to the refuting of a false accusation: "Why would s/he lie about that?" (While parents are known to employ this illogical nonsense, as though expecting the falsely accused to be able to read the accuser or false witness's mind enough to know the answer, in the case of public sector servants), this question overtly implies the questioner having been dropped on his/her head as an infant (several times). The general public is not immune from using their Out Loud Voice and asking Stupid Questions: "Are you asleep?" (as though expecting a positive reply), and "Is that your money on the ground?" are two examples. Back to top of page
Summerlands	(noun)	Afterlife: specifically aligned with the belief system of pagans, neo-pagans, witches and/or Wiccans. Back to top of page
Swiss Boarding School Aging Syndrome	(eugenics malady)	A seriously crippling genetic condition, particularly on the soap opera The Young and the Restless, through which a child, usually around aged 5 to 7 years old, is sent to a boarding school in Switzerland; within nine weeks or so the same child returns to Genoa City, but has physically aged to around 15 to 17 years old. It is suspected that were the child left for an entire semester, the child could return older than its own bioloogical parent/s. Back to top of page
Sweet	(noun)	Exclamation: not as used that often (generally used as a back-up if cool and/or neat have been used too much during a given email or conversation), but as with dude, this term is taken from South Park. Back to top of page
SyFy	(non-word noun)	(Pronunciation: Sih-fee.) Nonsense designation for what propely used to be called the Sci-Fi Channel. Now they call themselves the Sihfee Channel. Despite their continuing mispronouncing it as though it's still Sci-Fi, the cable channel's utter misspelling of the term Sci-Fi as "SyFy," renders it now as Sihfee, not Sci-Fi. Back to top of page
TAR	(acronym)	TV series: The Amazing Race Back to top of page
TARDIS	(acronym)	TARDIS = Time And Relative Dimensions In Space The TARDIS is the time/space machine in which the character Doctor Who travels. Externally it resembles a 1960s London Police Call Box. Internally it is a vast array of rooms, levels and corridors, though generally we mostly only see its main control room near the exit door. Back to top of page	The Doctor's TARDIS (surrounded by Daleks),
Thanks Majel	(phrase)	On all incarnations of the science fiction TV series Star Trek, et al, the voice of Starfleet Federation computer(s) were always voiced by Majel Barret. the wife/widow of series' creator Gene Roddenbury. When alone, and I find myself being addressed by a vocal elevator or other electronic device with a "female" voice, I always say "Thanks, Majel." This in-joke really began back east when a local bank has its ATM machine speaking. It didn't really have a recorded voice; it was a wholly electronic voice done up as though female. But amusingly, it could not enunciate properly. As it always said the same things for specific ATM functions, I knew her lines and would recite them along with "her," most notably her goodbye line: "Deng cue for beng-king wi' tuss..." (eg: "Thank you for banking with us.") Back to top of page
TMI	(acronym)	TMI = Too Much Information. Back to top of page
TNG	(acronym)	TV series: Star Trek: The Next Generation Sequel series to: TOS Back to top of page
TOS	(acronym)	Original TV series: Star Trek (eg: TOS = The Original Series) Back to top of page
Traileritis	(noun)	Clips or lines in movie Coming Attactions that end up not being in the actual film's released version, usually a bit of action of a specific line which is memorable, generally remembered when it's clear it would come up in a film, and it doesn't come. Examples: In the excellent trailer for the wonderful live-action Peter Pan film (the trailer of which suspiciously is not on its DVD...), Hook asks Wendy's if she remembers her mother (fully aware how Neverland affects one's memory). "Of course I remember my mo—", Wendy begins to reply, and realizes with shock she has begun to forget. In the anticipation-inducing trailer for Percy Jackson's awesome King Kong, Jack Black as Carl Denham directs Anne (Naomi Watts) out on the rocks to "Scream, Ann! Scream for your life!" She screams, and her scream is answered by the massive roar of Kong in the distance. After a very stunned and pregnant silence, Denham tells his crew to bring the camera as they head in to where they're to find the stone village... Nothing even close to that segment is in the feature film. Traileritis also includes (but is not limited to) a film trailer showing what clearly and obviously is the closing shot (or story arc moments/story resolution) of its movie. Traileritis also includes (but is not limited to) a film trailer taking parts from different parts of the film to create a "new scene" that is nowhere in the film. In Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, one of the best trailers (all of the prequels' trailers used the best and most memorable John Williams music from the Real Trilogy), in the darkness we hear the Emporer ask: "Lord Vader...?" (in the film he adds if [Vader] can hear him). Vader's [James Earl Jones] voice replies: "Yes, my Master..." The Emporer casually says: "Rise...!" The Traileritis visual kicks in: Vader's medical table rising him to a standing position. However, apart from the visual Traileritis showing Vader's wrists strapped up at his head level (whereas in the actual film the bindings have his wrists strapped at his sides...), in the film the only time the Emporer tells Vader to rise is in the Emporer's office when he has just dubbed him Darth Vader. Back to top of page
Trekker	(noun)	Regular-person who is a Star Trek fan: although commonly misclassified with Trekkies, Trekkers in fact, are big fans of the series, whether it be series specific (TOS [and or its features], TNG [and or its features], DS9, Voyager, or the pitiful, apocryphal Enterprise), or the entire spectrum of all the series, Trekkers do have a substantial knowledge of the series, its history. Trekkers do attend Star Trek conventions, and they can often attend in costume. BUT: the critical distinction is, is that Trekkers have a life beyond the varied series. Trekkers do not live and breathe Star Trek, nor embrace it as an all encompasing lifestyle. Personally, I am a Trekker. I don't attend conventions as much as I used to, but I enjoy science fiction conventions. Having read Marc Okrand's entertainingly tongue-in-cheek Klingon Dictionary, when I'd watch TNG, often I know/understand what is being said when a Klingon speaks in Klingon. (I avoid the Trekkies.) Back to top of page
Trekkie	(noun)	Around the twist and over-zealous Star Trek fan: unlike Trekkers, Trekkies are the fans at whom society and even pop culture ridicules and of whom makes fun. Trekkies live and breath Star Trek, whether it be series specific (TOS [and or its features], TNG [and or its features], DS9, Voyager, or the pitiful, apocryphal Enterprise), or the entire spectrum (with Trekkies it's usually the entire gambit). Trekkies are the ones who go to their regular 9 to 5 jobs wearing Star Fleet uniforms. Trekkies are the ones who get their names legally changed to Vulcan or Klingon names. Trekkies are the ones who get their ears surgically altered to be Vulcan. Back to top of page
This is why we have a Badger	(phrase)	Expression: (also expressed as: This is why you have a Badger) One of the positive aspects with my four year relationship with a certain ex girlfriend was her acknowledgement that in most cases, I was generally correct about things. Also, among other positive traits, that I have a knack for being extremely resourceful. When some problem or difficulty arose, I would handle it, to which she would smile and say, "This is why we have a Badger" (as well as "Badger's always right..." plus the occasional sarcastic, "Badger's always right, but when he's wrong he's spectacularly wrong...") While the phrase often comes up regarding my reliability and coming through in a pinch, I also characteristically keep an eye out for News Of Interest for friends. That is, if I come across something which a specific friend or specific friends would find of interest or would Very Much Need To Know, I notify them as soon as I can. Such notices can include (but not be limited to), audition notices, book and/or movie-specific information, etc. Independent of each other (eg, never having met or knowing each other), two separate friends each made for me t-shirts they gifted me, emblazoned with the phrase. Back to top of page
Twitter	(noun)	Social networking site of sorts, in which friends can "follow" each other, conveying mini-thoughts within 140 characters at a time (including spaces): most interesting is its frequent use by real celebrities. I had a Twitter account until my account got hacked and Twitter unceremoniously canceled my account. It was claimed to have been "suspended," but in reality their "customer support" is non-existant (consisting only of auto-reply emails that provide no assistance or support). Eventually I had to create a new account (using a far stronger password), irritatingly aware I had to reconstruct from scratch, having lost many the Following of the numerous celebrities' profiles across which I came. New/current Twitter account: twitter.com/badger_actor Back to top of page	Geoffrey Gould on Twitter
TWoP	(acronym)	TV Website: Televison Without Pity televisionwithoutpity.com: Formerly this site was home to hilariously brutal, satirical synopsies of various popular televison program episodes. It underwent a complete site overhaul, and now merely has discussion forums, and no episode synopsies are done anymore, rendering the site pointless and useless. Back to top of page
Valhalla	(noun)	Afterlife: specifically aligned with the pagan, pre-Christian belief system of Nordics (Vikings, et al). Back to top of page
Virtual Motion Sickness	(noun)	I have no problems with planes, trains, cars; any mode of transportation. At theme parks I can ride roller coasters and motion simulators on a full or an empty stomach. I can sit through hours at the cinema with pan shots, truck and dolly shots, et al But I have problems with overly-used hand-held movie/TV footage. While with everything else I have a focal point, with hand-held, even when not blurred, everything is all over the place. I don't know how far into it it happened, but in a full-house audience, I literally vomited at my seat during The Blair Witch Project. It came upon me so suddenly and without warning, I had no time even to realize what was happening until it did. I had no time to get to rush to the bathroom: I was in the middle of a row and would have doused numerous people in trying to do so. So as it was quick, and surprisingly soundless (and more thankfully, odourless), I just had to bend forward. I was understandably embarressed, as I was with a buddy at the time. Once I was "done," it was clear that that wasn't all that was going to erupt. I made a hasty exit to the aisle, and those near me sure as heck were already aware not to delay me. At the bathroom, there were several men all feeling sick and queasy, but I still had still to eliminate, and quickly did. Once I felt I was emptied, I went back to my seat, where my feet pulled way back from the horrific puddle in front of me. It didn't take long for another batch to surrender itself to the floor, and my friend's hand briefly rested on my back. I was embarressed again, even in the comforting touch. As the credits rolled, those to my right hastily evacuted the row. I always stay to the end of credits, particularly fantasy, comedy, or horror films, in case of a tag at the end of the credits, missed by those who left early. When my friend went to stand, I reminded her we'd best head to our left, so she wouldn't have to straddle the wide puddle. "Where did that come from?" she asked. "What? I thought you saw me doing it from the jarring 'camera work'," I replied. "You even put your hand on my back when I was leaning forward the last time." "Oh. I did that because I thought you were crying." Okay [bg]... while I can and do cry at movies, that wasn't the case this time. As it was, when I returned to the same theatre for another film, there were hastily made signs warning people of possible motion sickness from the Blair Witch film, so I felt my puddle wasn't the only one the staff had had to clean up.... While I have had to avoid Cloverfield for the same reason, I was able to "view" the feature Paranormal Activity by keeping my eyes shut through 99% of the film as the camera was being moved about frenetically; during the static shots on a tripod I had no problem with the impressive thriller. Back to top of page
Vulturing	(verb)	Generally in a large parking lot or parking structure, the act of waiting on a parking space not yet available but the vehicle occupants have returned and preparing for departure. It is extremely bad form to take a parking spot for which a vehicle is already vulturing. Such bad form elicits retaliation, though nothing more than leaving a strongly worded note or a container of soda-pop syrup tossed onto the hood (no keying or tire deflating; and no note is necessary if the soda-pop is used). Back to top of page
Walk In	(noun)	(Considering the fear of death within Western Civilization/s, this concept may be a bit tricky to explain and not sound horrific to the more narrow minded person [most certainly to Bad Christians].) A Walk In is an entity (invariably a discorporate human soul) that is permitted to take up the vessel of a human body/host from which the current/former occupant has voluntarily chosen to move on. This exchange is always a mutual agreement between the two souls. This rare occurance is tough to recognize, as when the new soul takes on the body, the physical body's brain retains the memories of its to-date Life Experiences. So the Walk In really rarely realizes s/he is a New Arrival, as it were. Possibly the best example of this would be a little known indie film titled Spectres (originally [and more accurately] titled Soul Survivor [NOT to be confused with the lame, dreaful, plodding, insipid and utterly predictable "horror" film with the similarly titled Soul Survivors]...). One of the easiest way to "spot" a possible Walk In is the person's behaviour, generally becoming radically different... for the better. When the person was a loner, morose, maybe even at the end of their rope, then over a short period of time, suddenly seems full and brimming with life and goals and over time really takes life by the horns. Usually the actual Walk In is one who feels s/he did not experience Enough Life in order to Move On properly. Unlike the one "Hollywood" aspect of Spectres, Walk Ins are a one-way ticket. The former soul has Moved On, and is not "recoverable." That departed soul either Moves On and/or at a much later time of self reflection and introspection, may choose to return as a Walk In him/herself (not with the former/previous body).... Walk Ins can also be brief "possessions," wherein, as previously indicated, they are permitted and invited to use a living human body through which to better communicate more easily. Back to top of page
"What-If?" "laws"	(colour of law, colour of authority)	No crime exists without an injured party, but "police" constantly enforce "laws" that restricted personal liberties. No law exists that a private-sector sovereign must wear a seat belt. The actual law can only apply to public-sector, government employees and other such [real and/or alledged] public servants. For private-sector sovergeigns, such can only be Rules and/or Regulations, neither of which can be enforced absent the Law of the Gun. But many believe that Gun Control Laws apply to sovereign private-sector citizens, and/or they know that attempting to defend themselves will lead to their murder, murderers of which will not be charged as they wear badges and guns... For example, with the "seat belt law" nonsense: generally when one attempts to explain to a public servant (in itself, never a good idea, as they can and probably will kill you, if not taser you), the public servant often uses the mentally-challenged notion, "What If you were in an accident?" Has an accident happened? No; their argument and/or position is without weight or merit. But they will stick to it, as (to quote a Sarah Silverman Program line), they "only got C's in high school." Colour of authority means acting without weight and/or merit of law, just because you have a badge and a gun, the latter of which to use on and against the public. When the brutal attackers of Rodney King were falsely acquitted, the judges covered their asses by declaring that under colour of law the corrupt cops were not guilty, meaning the cops used batons and no law with which to do so, but the public in general does not know that such colourable actions are simply a term meaning public servants can violate the law at will, and get away with it. Back to top of page
Walnut Story	(noun)	Every family has one. That one traditional family story that simply never dies. The story that won't die. For my family it was the Uncle Bill Walnut story. My father was the middle of seven children, his brother Bill was older. The family was desperately poor, and each Christmas my paternal grandparents barely were able to fill stockings with trinkets and small foodstuffs. Generally told, retold, repeated, and recited by my paternal Grandmother, generally always at the annual Christmas family gathering, it goes something... like this: Oh, there was this one Christmas... All the children came downstairs to the tree... Bill found his stocking and pulled out a toy car, train, putting each aside. Finally he found at the stocking's bottom, just hidden in the toe... a single walnut. He held it up and said, "Ah: that's what I wanted for Christmas!" All the other things he ignored but for that one walnut. (Apart my choosing to relate it above here in Haiku), the real point is/was, for years Grandma would constantly retell this story no matter how often she was told that we all knew it. Example from wondermark.com: wondermark.com Back to top of page
(The) whole trip was wasted...	(whine)	During my Doctor Who convention days, my friend Dave, being the comical genius he is, wrote a brilliant filksong titled Travelin' Through Time, to the tune of the Billy Joel song For The Longest Time. We flew out to Chicago in November (almost as smart as our attending a New Orleans convention in August...). Dave, Jeanne and I sang the song as a trio in the category Best In Show, which was and really should have been called Talent. Considering the extremely clever lyrics, as well as our performance in general, we got a standing ovation. The celebrity panel of judges were in a quandry; we were somewhat tied with another group, of ten or so people with tolerably okay outfits and a lame, unfunny comedy sketch they did as best they could. Suddenly, actor Jon Pertwee enters, dressed as his other TV show character Wurzel Gumidge character. The MC (Eric Hoffman), "interviews" Wurzel as the judges continue to deliberate. Finally they surrender, at which point Eric makes the fatal error. He asks the audience if they should decide the winner, or maybe "Wurzel" could decide. Our friend YDC was in the front row, aghast at this suggestion, well aware it would come to disaster. He tried to start the audience to chant that they should decide, but too many believed Wurzel would choose the more talented group. Unfortunately, Jon/Wurzel was not in the auditorium earlier and did not comprehend that Best In Show meant Best Talent Act. As Jon/Wurzel began to extoll it being "a costume competition," the mutterings of horror began to race around the people in the audience. The audience realized too late that they had given over their near unanimous choice to a single, wrong man. As there were subtantially more people in That Group rather than Our Group.... they "won" the talent portion. Now to Dave, it didn't matter that we were better. It didn't matter that countless people came up to us and apologized to us that Jon had been given the decision, and stressed we were ripped off, etc. It just didn't matter to Dave. For hours and hours he just kept morosely repeating over and over... "The whole trip was wasted..." While at the time, YDC, Jeanne and I just wanted to smack Dave upside his head, we've never really let him live it down. whiney-complain coined by David Lee Gold. Back to top of page
World Famous Pancakes	(noun)	Badger's World Famous Pancakes Back to top of page
WTF?	(acronym)	Relatively vulgar acronym, generally meaning "What the hell...?" (with "hell" being a rather wholly different word....) General venacular usage. Back to top of page
YDC aka Young Dan Clement	(proper noun)	Name: Dan Clement (aka YDC) was one of my Doctor Who core circle of friends, who would consistantly (and rightfully) win the Best Doctor category at various 1980s era Doctor Who conventions' costume competitions. When the feature film Young Sherlock Holmes was released, the local aspect of the circle of friends went to see it as a group (at the time YDC lived in Rochester, we in northern New Jersey). We were utterly astounded that its lead title role actor Nicholas Rowe was our friend Dan's virtual clone. Literally: the two of them could have played twins. Once home we immediately called him to joke with him about it, and learned we were not the first; many of his local friends were already unmercifully teasing him about the staggeringly close resemblence. He got over this and accepted it. So due to Dan looking exactly like Young Sherlock Holmes, he went from "just" Dan Clement to Young Dan Clement. Back to top of page
YSLE	(acronym)	Epithet: "You Stupid Lemon-Eater" Term coined by author and Dilbert creator Scott Adams. Back to top of page

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