Rowan Tree and Red Thread

Prompted by agrumer, here's a meme.

"How it works: Comment on this entry and I’ll assign you a letter at random. Write ten words beginning with that letter, and an explanation of what the word means to you and why."

agrumer gave me a 'V'. Anyone who wants a letter from me, ask in a comment.



Venn diagram
I loved Venn diagrams at school. Something about the simple way they demonstrated sets, intersections and unions really appealed to me. I think we should teach kids this stuff as early as possible, and let them colour their sets in too.

Vertebrata

My favourite sub-phylum. (Are there still sub-phyla? I don't know.) The group that includes most of the animals that we think of when we think of animals except for insects, the Vertebrata include us, all our relatives with any sort of backbone and the hagfish. The poor hagfish get a bad rap. I'm happy to be a vertebrate even if I abuse the hard-won spine my ancestors earned for me over millions of years of evolution by being propped up on the couch far too often.

Vetch

The quiet, loyal friend from Le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea, Vetch is a beautifully drawn character, revealed in his interactions with his sister and Ged, both in good times and the greatest of trials. I love the character of Vetch and his smile, his spreading tummy, and his chocolate skin.

Vladivostok

The Vladivostok Primary was an absurdist play written and directed by friends Ian Moore and William Whyte at Players in Trinity at the end of 1988 or beginning of 1989. Many of my long-time college friends were involved and I got to know Kate Wood through my friendship with other members of the cast. I met sammywol through Kate and that was worth all the heart ache and rubber plants.

I think Queenie managed to salvage and keep alive one of the rubber plants from the play for a long time.

vaccination

Bless Jenner and Pasteur. Vaccination saves lives. I love the cleverness of the technique and that it uses our bodies' responses to defend us.

vacillate

I'm not sure if this a favourite or not, but it's certainly close to my heart. Sometimes I think I'm the donkey starving between two well spaced buckets of mash.

valedictorian

Years ago I was chosen to be the valedictorian for our high school graduation. I went to an American-style high school, you know, part of the legacy of spending the last four years of my secondary schooling in the American School of Paris, or ASP. I was neither a popular kid nor an outcast. I played role-playing games with a few odd Canadian friends and sort of kept to myself, so I was surprised when the others in my year asked me to be the valedictorian. I don't really remember what I said, except that I got a thrill from claiming that education wasn't worth anything.

vitriol

I have to admit that I sometimes stoop to vitriol. It's usually reserved for politicians and other distant people in positions of power. Or asshats a little closer to home.

vulva

Some people (mostly men, I wager) are breast lovers. Many love bums and I would sometimes count myself in that group. I am, however, particularly partial to vulvas myself. I'm also quite fond of vaginas. I'll quote Nick Curry (Momus) who paraphrased Paul Klee: "Here I lie. Somewhat closer to the heart of creation than usual. But far from close enough.”

That's only nine. My tenth is obviously 'vacant'. Without space and absence we cannot have matter and presence.