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Jenga glossary, Nov. 29 / p. 1 PAGE 2 “A middle class South Jersey suburban haven— McMansions, carefully maintained green lawns, red bricks and the occasional faux-French double doors.” South Jersey: The term given to designate, surprise surprise, a southern area of New Jersey, and perhaps even more so to describe the culture of South Jersey versus North Jersey. There is no exact geographical specification (though South jersey invariably includes Atlantic City and Camden); different people invariably offer different answers. In general, the typical South Jersey dweller seems to align more with Philadelphia, while North Jersey claims allegiance to New York City. The North is seen more as the area of cities and fast life, while the South is given over to suburbs and shopping malls, as well as agricultural land. Think of the South as more suburban, even rural against North Jersey’s busier cities. South Jersey has been derided for its monotony of suburbs, as well as for a growing threat of urban sprawl, the haphazard spread of development and such poorly planned pieces as McMansions. There have been movements in New Jersey to contain the suburbs, compress them. McMansion: Typically seen as impersonal knock-offs of actual mansions, cheaply built but still costly, and usually out of place in the neighborhoods wherein they appear. The appearance of McMansions raises great ire, people offended by the space that they take up, the way they clash with the rest of the neighborhood. Seems that prices for a McMansion may run anywhere from $600,000 to over four million dollars, not to mention the annual cost of heating and general maintenance. Between the complaints and a trend toward seeking smaller, more efficient houses, McMansions have fallen out of popularity in recent years. PAGE 3 “Oulipians are rats that build the labyrinth from which they will try to escape.” --Raymond Queneau Oulipeans: Members of OULIPO or Oulipo (Ouvroir de Litterature Potentialle or Workshop of Potential Literature), a group founded in 1960 by writer Raymond Queneau and mathematician Francois de Lionnais. The Oulipo combined mathematics and literature to create structures that would free the imagination by forcing it to think in new ways in order to overcome the structures’ particular (and quite unusual) rules. For an example of an Oulipean formula, consider N + 7, in which every noun in an established poem is replaced with the noun that follows seven nouns away in a chosen dictionary. [With such techniques as/Tackling] N +7, then, the venturesome Oulipean pokes holes in a structure, then fills these in with something else in order to create new meaning, making it different, if not necessarily better or beautiful. On a final note, members of Oulipo remain members forever, even after death, unless they choose to commit suicide in a particularly monitored fashion. PAGE 4 “…the steady rhythmic pulsations of a heart monitor…” heart monitor: Heart or cardiac monitors are used to measure the heart rate [see heart beat, p. 4], or number of heart beats over a given period of time. The device measures the electrical energy created by the heart’s movement. Associated and sometimes conflated with with heart monitors come electrocardiograms, or ECGs, that enable briefer measurement of the heart’s electrical output. Such devices aid in the detection of abnormalities such as arrhythmias [see p. 4]. “I never had the guts to be Cain.” Cain: Biblical figure who murdered his brother Abel, committing the first act of manslaughter. Cain’s name has come to be synonymous with [fratricide]. According to the Biblical tale (found in Genesis 4), Cain and Abel were the two sons of Adam and Eve, and were therefore the original siblings. Cain, the elder, took to farming, while Abel became a shepherd. When the brothers made a sacrifice to God, God was pleased with Abel’s lamb, while expressing displeasure with Cain’s crops and negative attitude. Cain then killed Abel and was promptly cast out of God’s sight, cursed to wander the world without the presence of his Lord. God placed a mark on Cain so that others might keep from killing him. Although outcast in the eyes of God, Cain did marry and produce a son, and life moved onward. PAGE 5 “[B]ut never-mind, we both bear the mark.” the mark: Referring again to Cain, and the mark that he incurred after murdering his brother. The form of the mark is unspecified, but whatever it may be, it reflects the gravity of Cain’s deed and separates him from others in the world. “Several large, professional-quality hula hoops constructed out of poly tubing and wrapped with colorful tape and ribbons rest against a back wall.” hula hoops: Hula hooping has long been a popular source of entertainment and exercise. Hardcore proponents sing the health benefits of hooping, while weighting their hoops and working their bodies to the point of sustaining bruises. Hooping events appear to be popular indeed at Burning Man [see p. 10]; in 2011, it featured a Hula Hooping 5K, for instance, and in 2010 hosted a “Naughty Naked Hula Hooping” event. The internet (ehow.com included) offers articles and general resources on making your own hula hoop. A piece of poly tubing is cut to the desired size, noisemakers or added weight (such as sand) Jenga glossary, Nov. 29 / p. 2 might be added, the tubes are connected, and the newly constructed hoop is decorated to the maker’s content. poly tubing: Polyethylene, often used in irrigation and readily available for purchase, is the most popular tube to use for hoop-making. Reasonably light-weight and easy to handle. For hoop-making purposes, guides recommend using between ¾”-1” tubing. PAGE 6 “A Jenga game (still in the box) sits atop a table centerstage. Word games-Boggle, Scrabble, etc… and other games, perhaps Monopoly, Life and Clue…are stacked around it.” Jenga: The word “Jenga” is from the Swahili for “to build,” and the game included 54 tiles or blocks for all of your tower-building needs. First appearing on the market during the 1980s, the game is touted as one “of physical and mental skill,” and is often ranked near Monopoly in terms of popularity. Apparently, the record height for a Jenga tower is a full 40 levels. An array of Jenga versions and variations has been produced over the years, including a Hello Kitty [see p. 6] edition, as well as a Truth or Dare version with instructions written on a majority of the tiles. And for your consideration, a portion of the jingle (as featured on the game’s website) featured in a 1980s commercial for the game: “You take a block from the bottom and you put it on top, you take a block from the middle and you put it on top, till someone knocks it over, and that's when you stop, but you start all over putting blocks on top." How could you resist? Boggle: A sort of shared and shifting word search game. Letter-bearing cubes are shaken up and come to rest in a tray, and players have three minutes to find as many words as they can by tracing the letters seen on connected cube-tops (vertical, horizontal, and diagonal connections all count). Points are based on word length, and the player with the most points wins. Scrabble: Board game in which players create words by placing lettered tiles on the squares of a grid-patterned board. After the first word, players must build off of words that have already been placed. The game ends when players run out of tiles or, based on the words they’ve already created and the tiles remaining, can create no further words. Players score points for every letter placed, and different letters holding different point values, with more common letters having lower values (“A,” for instance, is worth one point, while “Q” is worth ten). At the game’s end, the player with the highest score wins. Monopoly: The classic (and for many, classically infuriating) board game of collecting loans, building up real estate, and screwing your fellow players out of every last cent. The game was first introduced during the mid1930s and soon picked up by Parker Brothers, which distributed the game to fast-approving players and allowed Americans caught in the Depression to dream of riches. Players circle the board to land on and purchase properties; once a property has been purchased, anyone who lands on it must pay the property’s owner. And no matter what you do, you may keep ending up in jail. Life: Players maneuver around a board, taking paths based on such life decisions as going to college or not. Players must become married, usually end up with children. Jobs and houses are somewhat up to chance and may be switched. All players must reach the end of the board, and whoever amasses the most wealth by the game’s end wins. Clue: Professor Peacock in the conservatory with the candlestick (or Simone in Yelena’s bedroom with a knife?). Players move their game pieces through an eerie mansion in which there has been *gasp* a murder. Posing questions and slowly eliminating potential suspects and seek to discover the murderer, room of the deed, and weapon. The player to voice the correct combination wins. “She wears renaissance fest influenced burner attire and a gorgeous pair of wings.” Renaissance Fest: Particularly popular in the U.S., Renaissance festivals or fairs involve a recreation of an English Renaissance atmosphere and life, with employees dressing and speaking in imitation of [16th?]-century men and women, acting as though the world beyond does not exist. Visitors to the fair dress as they please, though many do opt for traditional or Renaissance-inspired garb, or costumes of a more fantastical sort (fairies, for instance, are a common sight). Many visitors also created and embody characters better suited for the environment. Guests are encouraged to follow the workers in speaking with BFA (basic faire accents), making use of the English language as Renaissance English folk would have known it. Like Burning Man [see p. 10], Renaissance Festivals offer a sort of alternative channel for expression and exploring aspects of one’s self that are typically crushed by the outside world. And rather akin to board games, Ren Fests people to divert themselves and learn to maneuver around a new set of guidelines. Jenga glossary, Nov. 29 / p. 3 burner: One who has participated in Burning Man [see p. 10]… or who at least, holds to its spirit. While attending Burning Man, participants come to understand its most vital tenants, including self-expression [see p. 11] and participation as a member of the community; burners take these lessons to heart and carry them back into the world beyond. Indeed, the Burning Man community extends beyond the event itself, and burners may participate in events organized by fellow burners and by regional groups united by Burning Man. Although the Burning Man organization insists that its participants aren’t members of a subculture—Burning Man does not endorse any one group over another, and its members hail from widely divergent backgrounds—they are often perceived en masse by those who have not attended, and are often classed as hippies or even anarchists (though the organization notes that these assertions, too, are dead wrong). PAGE 7 “The ferocious fairy is on the loose!” fairy: Fairies come in a countless variety of guises, and can range from helpful to mischievous to downright frightening. They have been dubbed anything from fallen angels to manifestations of natural elements (consider water sprites, for instance) to the souls of unbaptized children. Some fairy manifestations have been longpraised for their enchanting beauty, and often helpful spirits appear in fairy tales to aid princesses in need. Just as often, however, spiteful or generally wicked-seeming fairies also appear to, say, wish death on a princess. Others have been feared and blamed for ailments, the destruction of crops, and the disappearance of children; indeed, fairies have been known for snatching mortals, particularly babies, and whisking them away to another realm. In general, fairies seem to be changeable creatures, playing by roles that don’t jive with the human world or with human conventions of right and wrong. To engage with a fairy is usually to play a treacherous game. Along with this, consider a perhaps helpfulsnippet from Diane Purkiss’s book, Bottom of the Garden: “[The fairy] is a gatekeeper, and she guards the entrance to a new realm. Like all gatekeepers, she is Janus-faced, ambiguous: she has a lovely face, a face of promise, and a hideous face, a face of fear.” PAGE 8 “Nail quality doesn’t change, I don’t think. Not yet.” nail quality: Nails do change with age, though the changes—including brittleness and yellowing—are typically slow and so tend to be more apparent with elderly individuals. When not associated so closely with aging, brittle nails may be a trait of bipolar disorder. “Belladonnas, primadonnas, bellamosum, montanas and lantanas… Pizzicato (flowers you can practically hear) rondos! Sonatas! Lemon gems… […]Royal monarchs, fireflys, madame butterflys, snapdragons, mystic merlins— Hear it? You could build an effing nursery rhyme out of them. –maidenhairs, cherry queens, Zebrinas, cannabis sativa (that‘s not really the secret though).” belladonnas: “Belladonna” (from the Latin for “pretty woman”) may suggest two different plants. The oftcultivated Amaryllis belladonna is also called the belladonna lily and sports white and crimson, pink, or purple bulbs. The belladonna known as “deadly nightshade” is also grown, though it is highly poisonous. pizzicato: In musical terms, pizzicato is a technique in which players of string instruments (violins, cellos, etc.) produce notes by plucking their strings rather than using the bow. rondos: As a musical structure, the rondo may stand alone or come as part of a larger work. The rondo itself consists of a theme and episodes that follow an ABACADA (etc.) pattern (“A” being the theme), ending with a return to the theme. Apparently, there is also a German card game called “Rondo” that involves the construction of words. sonatas: In musical terms, “sonata” may be given a range of definitions, but typically denotes a piece including multiple movements, written for a single or small group of instruments. Royal monarchs: This flower’s name may be connected to the ever-popular Monarch butterflies. cannabis sativa: The infamous plant that may be used to create hemp, among other goods, but is perhaps most typically shredded and smoked as marijuana. Marijuana remains one of the most oft-abused illegal drugs in the U.S., the joint its most common form. The THC (delta-9tetrahydrocannabinol) found in marijuana creates a floating sensation of being high shortly after inhalation, leaving the user to relation and poor coordinate, as well as an increased heart rate (indeed, it has been associated with the occurrence of arrhythmias [see p. 4] from time to time). It does offer benefits as a pain reliever, with further attributes that recommend it for medical use. Debates over legalizing the drug rage back and forth, but meanwhile, intrepid marijuana fans might and often do illegally grow cannabis sativa in houses their own houses (whether on a smaller scale or in major grow houses [see p. 9]). Jenga glossary, Nov. 29 / p. 4 PAGE 10 “Shasta daisies, foxies, cosmos, bolero flamenco, ultima morpho! Oh, and sunflowers.” bolero flamenco: Bolero and flamenco are both types of Spanish dances (“bolero” may also refer to music that follows a rhythm suited to the dance). ultima morpho: This type of pansy is named after the Morpho butterfly (Morpho is actually a genus including numerous and often delightfully colorful species). PAGE 11 “Never getting out of the tower now. […] Rapunzel? At last, she’s vanquished her inner Rapunzel.” Rapunzel: In the Brothers Grimm tale, Rapunzel (named after a flower, by the by) is locked up in a tower by her sorceress step-mother, who uses the hair to climb up for daily visits. For a recap of a version of the complete tale: A woman who develops a craving for the rampion (also called rapunzel) growing in the beautiful garden of her next-door neighbor, a sorceress. When the sorceress catches the woman’s husband stealing some of the rampion, he is compelled to promise the sorceress their soon-to-be-born daughter. The sorceress dubs the girl Rapunzel and, when the girl becomes a beautiful young lady, locks her in a tower. The sorceress reaches Rapunzel by climbing her long hair. A passing prince picks up on the trick, and he and Rapunzel plan to elope. Before they can enact their plan, the sorceress catches on, chops off Rapunzel’s beautiful hair, and casts Rapunzel into the wilderness. Rapunzel is eventually united with her prince, but not until she has suffered long and hard. PAGE 12 “Grounded up with the meds.” meds: Though it’s difficult to say what Simone may actually be giving her father, medication (including beta blockers and blood thinners such as aspirin) is often given in the wake of a heart attack to improve blood flow, and perhaps to control cholesterol levels; generally, the aim is to relieve the pressure on the heart. “His vitals are stable—I think. Heart beating between 60 and 75- check. Force exerted on his arteries—135- check. Pulse between 60 and 80- check. Temperature about 98.7, very good. Respiration at about 12, which is normal for somebody partially sedated half the day.” heart beat: Simone seems to be speaking of heart rate, which is the measure of heart beats in a given period of time (typically measured in minutes); the average resting heart rate is 60-100 beats per minute. pulse: The pulse-measure is the heart rate… That Simone gives these as separate categories further emphasizes her, shall we say, cluelessness. Note that Sy appears to have gotten her hands on a patient monitor, which offers data on a number of a patient’s vital signs. force exerted on the arteries: The pressure exerted by blood on the artery wall when the heart contracts. Called the systolic measure, this is the top number given with blood pressure (the bottom number, the diastolic measure, records the pressure when the heart relaxes between contractions). If blood pressure is given as 120/80 mm/Hg (the average or normal rate), the systolic would be 120. Numbers above 120 begin to suggest hypertension and the danger zone for patients with heart trouble. 135, then, isn’t a stunningly swell level, but does come fairly near to normal. not great, but near to normal. partially sedated: Drugs such as morphine [see p. 8] may be offered in the wake of a heart attack in order to ease pain and open up blood veins… And whatever the case, their father isn’t quite a typical heart patient. “Or maybe an arrhythmia, which Wikipedia says is bad.” arrhythmia: Irregularity of the heartbeat, which is indeed a bit problematic. PAGE 13 “He’s got IVs roped around him like a snake and these two things in his nostrils. Sometimes they smoke, but I think that‘s normal.” IVs: IV or intravenous tubes may be used to feed a range of medications, nutrients, and other substances directly into the blood. Because they are inserted directly into the veins, IVs offer the fastest and most certain method of administering substances. A vast majority of patients undergo intravenous therapy of some sort, and patients requiring long-term care may opt for home care; these patients typically receive visits from individuals—typically nurses—trained in the procedure. Improper techniques can lead to a variety of complications, including air embolisms, the formation of blood clots, inflammation, and swelling. Oh, and smoking tubes are, you know, not so normal. things in his nostrils: Likely tubes for oxygen, perhaps connected to a respiratory machine [see p. 18]. “Home-brewed kambucha.” kombucha: A sort of fermented tea—sour-sweet and somewhat fizzy—often homebrewed and typically touted for supposed health benefits that include anything from improving hair growth to increasing sex drive to acting as a cure for various ailments. The key to brewing kombucha is the Jenga glossary, Nov. 29 / p. 5 kombucha culture or zoogleal mat, a colony of yeast and bacteria that is responsible for the kombucha’s fermentation (hence, the culture is also known as a SCOBY, or Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast). To make your own kombucha, simply mix together tea and sugar, add the culture, and let it sit in a warm place for about one to two weeks. And conveniently enough, an individual may order everything you need to begin brewing kombucha from the internet. Careful handling is necessary in order to maintain a healthy colony. While Sy may not have been able to grow any flowers, then, we’ve got to give her some credit for maintaining a lively colony of bacteria. “New York.” “Thought you were in Seattle, or was it Portland.” New York: New York City is quite close to New Jersey; indeed, those dwelling in North Jersey are said to connect to and claim some allegiance with the city. South Jersey [see p. 1] is another matter, its representatives apparently tending to align with Philadelphia… But New York City is still only a hop, skip, and a jump away from South Jersey; the southern-most point of Jersey lies about 160 miles from New York City. PAGE 14 “I’m like seven layers deep in my zoogleal mat.” zoogleal mat: “Zooglea” refers to a mass of bacteria. In kombucha, the zoogleal mat is the culture composed of bacteria and yeast that is used to brew the tea. Each fermentation cycle creates a new layer, which may be split off and used to begin a new batch of kombucha. PAGE 16 “I’m a four times Pulitzer Prize finalist.” Pulitzer Prize: Most of the twenty-one Pulitzer Prizes awarded annually are dedicated to journalism, but prestigious awards are also offered for Poetry and Fiction, among other categories. Each April, the prize winners and two finalists for each category are announced, and the finalists end up scoring $10,000. The works that win prizes aren’t always the most expected or most popular; the board seems to have an eye out for those not otherwise in the direct limelight. Previous winners of the Prize include Carl Sandburg (Complete Poems), Robert Frost (A Witness Tree and A Further Range), Cormac McCarthy (The Road) and Toni Morrison (Beloved); finalists include Allen Ginsberg (the poems collected in Cosmopolitan Greetings) and Joyce Carol Oates (What I Lived For and Black Water). “Pushcart and Nobel laureate.” Pushcart: The New York-based Pushcart Press claims that its Pushcart Prize is “the most honored literary project in America” and publishes an annual collection of fresh poems, short stories, essays, and what the prize’s website terms “literary what-nots.” The pieces chosen have already been published by less prominent book presses or literary magazines. The Pushcart Prize is focused on showcasing new authors, and its publications invariably present an eclectic and surprisingly substantial collection. With so many works represented in each publication, individual authors may not gain overmuch fame from the achievement, but inclusion is held to be quite an honor. Nobel laureate: The winner of a Nobel Prize, in this case presumably the Nobel Prize in Literature. This international award is granted on a yearly basis in six categories (aside from Literature, these include Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Economic Science, and Peace). Winners receive a medal, as well as a monetary prize of around 15 million U.S. dollars, and are honored during a December 10th ceremony in Sweden. The award is typically given for the whole body of a life’s work, and previous winners of the Prize for Literature have included Harold Pinter, Toni Morrison, Dario Fo and Derek Walcott (might also note that of the 108 winners, 12 have been female, and that Rudyard Kipling was the youngest, at age 42). Website suggests that of the 108 winners, 12 have been female. Also, youngest recipient was Rudyard Kipling, age 42. PAGE 17 “I’m an Executive Assistant.” Executive Assistant: Although the role exact duties change from one company to another, the primary role of an Executive Assistant is typically to provide support for those in high positions, taking care of details and loose ends that include setting meetings and organizing schedules, preparing and handling reports, handling phone calls, and dealing with any visitors or staff members who might stop by. In many cases, seems to act primarily as an upper-level secretary. The position typically demands a reasonable amount of experience and can demand quite a bit of the individual. “My book of inventive salads is currently drastically underselling my other book by like 50%.” book of inventive salads: There is actually a pretty prevalent market of these, including one entitled Raising the Salad Bar. Yep. PAGE 19 “Your barbies? Your Mother Goose & Grimm?” Barbies: First appearing in 1959, the doll has since become almost omnipresent, taking on a range of guises (all of them reflecting widely questioned standards of beauty) Jenga glossary, Nov. 29 / p. 6 and offering children opportunities to play dress-up and create stories with an adult doll. Indeed, creator Ruth Handler developed the first Barbie (“Barbara Millicent Roberts,” who hailed from Wisconsin) in order to give girls a chance to envision and create versions of their older selves; it was a chance to play grown-up in a fantasy world. Mother Goose & Grimm: Seems to refer to a compilation of Mother Goose nursery rhymes and Grimms’ fairy tales. Mother Goose, typically depicted as a kind old lady, is connected to a massive quantity of rhymes, including “Little Miss Moffet,” “Simple Simon,” and “Humpty Dumpty.” These rhymes were collected from a number of authors; “Mother Goose” is a long-used sort of pseudonym. The Brothers Grimm are famed for collecting around 200 fairy tales, including “Rapunzel” [see p. 4], “Snow White” [see p. 12], and “Rumplestiltskin.” Although there is a marked darkness to the original tales, as the stories have been re-told and translated, they are often found in sanitized forms, lightened up for the sake of youngsters (or perhaps for their parents). “That doesn’t even—100 pounds at least.” 100 pounds: Just for a thought… The standard journal appears to weigh in around ten ounces, give or take a bit. Yelena’s estimate assumes about 160 journals, then. Just sayin’. If the trunk was full of journals… it’s a helluva collection. “Your troll doll collection?” troll dolls: Created by Thomas Dam in Denmark in 1959, trolls dolls were first sold as “Dam Things,” and their popularity quickly spread to the U.S. The U.S. market became flooded with Dam Things and their imitations as an international range of sellers took advantage of the dolls’ popularity, and the trolls have hit in waves of intense popularity from the sixties to the present. Troll dolls sport colorful, crazy hair and often stand quite nude. Oh, and if we’re simply talking trolls, we’re looking at another fantastical creature (compare to fairies [see p. 3], say) that have been alternately regarded as delightfully whimsical and wickedly tricky. PAGE 20 “The journals alone—a leather one with the tree of life branded into it. Hello Kitty notebooks covered in the sticky foil from Wrigley’s wrappers or cloaked in orange like a Christo and Jeanne-Claude mountain during my ninth grade post-modern phase.” tree of life: A cross-cultural and typically quite central symbol containing a vast array of possible meanings. Trees in general have long been connected to ideas of life and growth, even of immortality. Additionally, it has been noted that the gifts associated with trees are often tricky to find, are often guarded (by such creatures as, say, dragons [see p. 13], and can only be reached after toilsome trials. At times, the tree of life is connected with a sense of knowledge and enlightenment. The tree of life is often said to connect worlds, it roots holding to the ground even as it branches into the sky. Then, too, the Garden of Eden revealed a Tree of Life (usually linked to immortality), typically held to be separate from the infamous Tree of Knowledge; there have been fervent debates over whether or not the two designations are actually names for the same tree, but if they are different trees, it may be that in taking knowledge, Adam and Eve passed up the opportunity for immortality. Oh, also? The tree of life in its myriad manifestations remains a pretty popular design for journal covers. Hello Kitty: Diminutive and quite mouthless white cat sporting a red bow and boasting international fame. Created by the Tokyo-based company Sangrio during the mid-seventies, Hello Kitty supposedly lived in the suburbs of London under the name “Kitty White.” She was created with preteen girls in mind, and reportedly “weighs the same as three apples.” Wrigley’s wrappers: The wrappers from pieces of Wrigley’s gum, which come in an exciting variety of colors, have been rather a popular item for use in creative projects from creating wrapper-chains to covering books and binders to creating purses and even prom dresses. Christo and Jeanne-Claude mountain: (Christo Vladimirov Javacheff b. 1935, Jeanne-Claude Marie Denat 1935-2009) Known collectively as Christo and Jeanne-Claude and individual by their first names only, the husband and wife duo created stunning and oft-controversial works of art on a grand scale, creating pieces that never remained for long. In all of their work, the artists emphasized the Jenga glossary, Nov. 29 / p. 7 process of bringing concepts into actuality. They constantly sought ways of altering the environment, as through their famed “wrapped” projects. In these projects, buildings and other existent landmarks and features (trees included) would be covered in fabric. It has been suggested that by hiding the details, this technique helped to show an object or area’s perhaps-deeper essence, allowing viewers to experience the object or area anew. As with all of their work, these projects were created to be experienced at the ground level. PAGE 21 “I need my journals because I have this thing.” this thing: Yelena may exhibit signs of a somatoform disorder, in which the body experiences pain or other symptoms that have no discernible physical cause. While the causes of somatoform disorders typically remain unknown, it is often suggested that they are linked with mental conditions. Note also that such itching is indeed linked to numerous physical conditions, including forms of vaginitis. Whatever the cause of an itch, it is typically recommended that those afflicted wear looser clothing, try switching underwear or using different tampons, and avoid vaginal sprays and douching, among other tactics. “Crabs?” “Not possible.” “Oh. Oh. Holy shit, Yel, you’re still a virgin?” crabs: Also known as pubic lice and often transmitted through sexual intercourse, though one needn’t actually engage in sex to pick up crabs. Itching is indeed the main sign of crabs, which can typically be treated without seeing a doctor. “Like biblically bad eleventh plague, no cure- cursed.” biblically bad eleventh plague: Referring to the Ten Plagues of Egypt, as related in the Bible. When the Pharaoh refused Moses’ plea to free the enslaved people of Israel, denying the existence of Moses’ God, God cursed Egypt with a series of escalating plagues, including frogs, lice, and locusts. It wasn’t until after the tenth plague, in which every firstborn son was slaughtered, that the Pharaoh relented. PAGE 22 “So you go to this doctor…” This doctor: See PCP [below], primary care physician. “And you’re buck naked beneath this white sheet—legs sprawled out, feet in metal stirrups and she’s staring into you like she can see everything inside of you.” buck naked beneath…: Yelena appears to be describing a pelvic exam as it might be administered by a PCP or a gynecologist. A fairly quick—if invasive—examination, the pelvic exam allows a doctor to evaluate the patient’s vulva and reproduction organs, and to zero in on infections, warts, and other oddities. PAGE 23 “And you practically hurl your body out of the doctor’s office and into Midtown East.” Midtown East: New York City neighborhood located in Manhattan and including such landmarks as the United Nations, the Chrysler Building, and Grand Central Station. Vibrant during the day, the neighborhood empties out in the evening, when the plethora of office workers depart. “Another PCP, two gynecologists and two dermatologists. I have great benefits through my job. Even saw an allergist—50 tiny pricks and pokes up my spine.” PCP: A PCP, or Primary Care Physician, handles a patient’s general health care, alleviating minor complaints, offering medical advice, diagnosing any number of illnesses, and directing patients in need of more specialized care (indeed, the PCP is often a first step toward further care). The PCP might be trained in a particular area—many train as gynecologists or OB/GYNs (gynecologists who also specialize in handling pregnancy)—but is largely a generalist, with an eye to all of a patient’s potential needs and complications. Many insurance companies require selection of a PCP, who tends to be seen on a regular basis. gynecologists: Specialist focusing on the female reproductive system. It is recommended that a woman ought to make regular appointments with a gynecologist by the time she has reached the age of 21. A gynecologist appointment typically includes a breast exam, pelvic exam [see above, “buck naked beneath…”], Pap smear (test run to check for cervical cancer), along with general discussion and questions. dermatologists: Medical specialist focusing on skin disorders; often, then deal with hair and nails, as well. These specialists are trained to read the skin and its signs in order to detect disease and to zero in on causes of any abnormalities. A dermatologist visit is typically quite quick and includes a full-body examination of the skin, and may also include a biopsy. allergist: Allergists pinpoint the particular allergens that cause an individual to react by performing skin or blood test. Yelena appears to have undergone a skin prick test (this often occurs during the initial visit), in which the allergist places a row of allergens (including dust mites, pet hair, and various medications) on the skin of a patient’s back or arm, then pricks each area. If the patient is allergic to any of the allergens, a red, blotchy wheal develops where the allergen was placed. Jenga glossary, Nov. 29 / p. 8 “Simone pulls a small bag of weed out of a drawer. She begins to roll a joint.” weed: See cannabis sativa [p. 3]. PAGE 24 “Like working jobs and self-publishing books you don’t really give a flying fuck about?” self-publishing: Given the present competitive market, as well as the struggles faced by publishing houses, many hopeful authors have turned to self-publishing as a means of going public. While this requires a certain amount of personal exertion, it does cut out the necessity of dealing with the messy details of publishing houses, and saves the author the otherwise invariable rejection letters. And online, organizations such as BookSurge (connected with Amazon) have cropped up to aid authors in their publishing ventures, providing POD services (print on demand, allowing authors to produce copies only when the book is ordered, rather than stocking up a pile of books that may not sell), directing authors toward editors, offering and general resources for working through publishing, among other tools. With the aid of these websites, self-publishing can be almost a breeze. The expense of publishing a reasonably decent-looking book might run over several thousand dollars. Because so many authors do take advantage of self-publishing services, it is terribly easily for books to become lost under the general pile-up of print, and self-published authors may find themselves selling precious few copies of their work. “I came because you called me that our father had a heart attack.” heart attack: Also known as a myocardial infarction or acute coronary symptom. In a heart attack, blood is blocked and prevented from reaching the heart, cutting off the flow of oxygen and leading to the damage and even death of part of the heart muscle. Often, the blood becomes blocked by the buildup of cholesterol (called plaque) in the veins. In order to ease a heart attack, blood flow must resume, whether through medications that open the veins or through other methods; immediate care is high recommended, to say the least. PAGE 25 “We play crossword puzzles.” crossword puzzles: These highly prevalent puzzles consist of a grid of black and white squares. Those tackling the puzzle follow clues to fill in words running vertically and horizontally. Perhaps not a particularly complex word game, and perhaps has more to do with trivia than playing with letters, but can be tricky in its own right. “That’s maybe what brought it on—too much beef at Snuffy’s Steakhouse.” Snuffy’s Steakhouse: Until quite recently, there actually was a Snuff’s Steak House in New Jersey (apparently, it served as a banquet hall as well as a steakhouse), though it was located in the northern region of the state. For some time, beef has been labeled a danger food for a high saturated fat content that adds to artery blockage, restricting oxygen flow and perhaps triggering a heart attack. Recent investigations have sought to soften this censure, but the association remains. “His breathing tubes already smoking. And I bet it goes awesome with the morphine.” morphine: A strong opiate, morphine is often administered in the wake of a heart attack in order to alleviate pain as well as to open blood vessels and decrease blood pressure, easing the heart’s task and enabling improved circulatory flow. PAGE 26 “Arrhythmia! A writ me up.” arrhythmia: [see p. 4] “You found it in ‘The Joy of Lex.’ Eighth grade. You’re not going to play? Myocardial infarction!” The Joy of Lex: A book by self-proclaimed “word freak” Gyles Brandreth, chock-full of word games and phrasing fun. (“Lex” being, by the by, short for “lexicon.”) May also be a hint-hint here (on the part of the play, if not Brandreth) toward The Joy of Sex, a 1972 illustrated sex manual by Alex Comfort. myocardial infarction: Another designation for a heart attack. PAGE 27 “I was only obsessed with words because I needed a perfect verbal score. Pass my go and collect my $200.” perfect verbal score: Probably referring to the SAT, one of the typical standard examinations administered to high school students, supposedly measuring their readiness for college (the ACT would be the other biggie, but it offers no score labeled “verbal”). Colleges do tend to eyes SAT scores hungrily, offering particular scholarships and often even admission only to those achieving high scores. Prior to 2005, the SAT offered both a Verbal score and a Math score, both ranging from 200-800 points (the scoring system has since changed). Given recent pushes to secure higher school-wide scores, many schools have begun to gear their instruction particularly toward the test. pass my go and collect my $200: Reference to the game Monopoly [see p.2]. Every time you pass go, you get $200! Which is even better than $5! Yay! Jenga glossary, Nov. 29 / p. 9 “You were thirteen and you‘d be like, ‘Antonyms’ and I‘d be all ‘cool I know what that is.’ But then you‘d be ‘contronyms’ and I‘d be like ‘uh, contraceptives?’ ‘Antonymic homophones?’ ‘What? Words that hate gay people?’” antonyms: Terms with opposite meanings. Examples include angel and devil, imprison and free, best and worst. contronyms: A contronym is a word that is also its own antonym; that is, a word that simultaneously holds one meaning and its opposite. Also referred to as a Janus word [see p. 13]. Examples include cleave, root, and inoculate. antonymic homophones: Homophones are words that sound alike but differ in meaning, and perhaps also in spelling or origin. Antonymic homophones (or, depending on who you ask, homophonic antonyms) are words that sound alike but hold opposite meanings; often, it is added that they ought to be spelled differently (perhaps to differentiate them from contronyms). Examples given include raised and razed, erupt and irrupt. Antonymic homophones appear to be known and mentioned in fairly rare circumstances. PAGE 29 “We had a tower of a million billion possible poems.” a million billion: We might also note that this seems an echo of OULIPO founder Raymond Queneau’s Cent Mille Milliards de poems [see Oulipean, p. 1]. Cent Mille Milliards de poems offers ten sonnets with 14 lines each, and within the work, each line was said to be interchangeable with any other. This interchangeability allows the reader to create 100,000 billion poems (the exact number actually depends on the notation system used, and may also be written as 100 million million or 100 billion). PAGE 30 “The Pulitzer to my spleen.” Pulitzer: See Pulitzer Prize [p.5]. spleen: One of those oft-overlooked and less romantic organs, the spleen hangs out near the stomach and functions as a part of the body’s immune system. PAGE 31 “I’ll sign over the deed for them Parker Brothers style for my journals. They’re Boardwalk, right Sy? Don’t pass on Boardwalk.” Parker Brothers style: Back to the Monopoloy [see p. 2] references. In the game—published by the Parker Brothers company—property deeds can indeed be used to pay or barter with other players. Boardwalk is the most costly piece of property, but also the one that can earn its holder the most cash. “Times have changed. I work for a Hedge fund.” hedge fund: A firm that guides clients by placing each client’s money in a variety of investments. Typically, hedge funds are choosy about their clients, selecting the big investors and charging exorbitant rates of their own. Bound by fewer restrictions than most funds, hedge funds are able to employ a range of strategies in order to ensure their clients’ continued wealth, and indeed claim to offer comparative stability through selection of the most apt strategies. Thus, hedge funds remain fixed on the goal of money-making and allow investors to secure their wealth with a little less uncertainty. Hedge funds have been called into question as potential economic threats, but remain reasonably popular among high-powered investors. PAGE 33 “Neighbor up the street turned it into a seriously awesome grow-house. That kid Sarah that you used to babysit for— you know how her room used to be Jungle-Book themed…” grow-house: In order to produce marijuana undetected (the production itself being quite illegal), prospective marijuana dealers may and in many cases do devote the majority of a house to indoor growing (some stick to a single grow room, but why stop there?). Can either use soil or take to hydroponic [see p. 10] methods. Jungle Book: Probably referring to the 1967 Disney film, based on stories penned by Rudyard Kipling. “You know how in Hiroshima, people caught in the nuclear blast had their shadows frozen against the wall?” Hiroshima: On the morning of August 6, 1945, an American plane dubbed The Enola Gay released an atomic bomb known as “Little Boy” over the thriving Japanese city of Hiroshima. This was the first time an atomic bomb had been utilized as a weapon, and the blast infamously devastated the city, creating damage that would last for decades to come. The intense heat from the bomb vaporized those nearest to the hypocenter, in many cases leaving shadows where bodies had been; shadows were also created by the presence of inanimate objects. The shadows, the impressions of those destroyed in an instant, remained to haunt the city until the buildings themselves could be reconstructed. Jenga glossary, Nov. 29 / p. 10 “It’s just psychobabble. Words were a nervous—“ “Tick tock?” “No. A nervous tic/” tic: Often linked particularly to spastic muscle movements (especially those occurring on the face), tics may also manifest themselves vocally; whether motor or vocal, they occur repeatedly, and often appear to have no cause. Tics cry to be expressed, and those restraining their impulses may find that the compulsion only grows, creating discomfort, until the tic is enacted. A particularly severe tic disorder is seen in Tourette’s syndrome [see p. 17]. PAGE 34 “Hey, that was Hydroponic!” hydroponic: Grown without soil, using instead a solution of nutrients and enabling plant production without excessive fuss and mess. And because the nutrients are fed directly to the roots, rather than filtering through soil, growers may more closely regulate their plants. Hydroponic growth is fairly common in the (home) production of cannabis, and it would-be growers who are only looking to produce a little weed for themselves (a maybe a bit on the side for cash) only require a few particular implements. “I dreamt I built a Jenga tower. A babel. A tower of Babel.” Tower of Babel: The tale of the Tower is related in the Bible, in Genesis. In the wake of the catastrophic flood, the people of earth came together, combining their strength and presumably becoming prideful. The men built the tower as a way of showing and increasing their strength, of ensuring their future unity and shared endeavors. When God saw the force of their combined strength, he confused their language, leaving the men to babble ineffectually as one another, unable to unite and regain their force. Thus, the tower that was built to prevent future separation became the site of an insuperable splitting. There seems a sense here that it is language disjunction above all else that keeps men from building together, from remaining strong and accomplishing all that the mind dreams; separated, can only flail in individual contrivances. The word “Babel” comes from the Hebrew word for “confusion.” Note also that the Tower of Babel is often connected to Etemenanki, a ziggurat that once stood in ancient Babylon. PAGE 36 “Ever been to Burning Man? Guessing not. It’s like this awesome giant party all about community and love. Magic.” Burning Man: Event in which an eclectic mixture of people unites in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert to create a temporary city and give way to self-expression and the creation of art. The event is held during the week preceding and weekend of Labor Day, and the city itself— called Black Rock City—exists only during the week of the event. Burning Man might be seen as life in full force (with a scant few rules set in place for the sake of preserving the community), and the event’s website suggests that it is indeed a party of sorts, in which the action never stops and participants are always creating, always celebrating. Burning Man focuses on ideas of discovering and freeing one’s own creative powers and talents, on discovering and sharing the self in radical self-expression. Thus, participants are encouraged to create anything from art installations [see p. 13] to music to mutant vehicles to… well, whatever might cross the mind. It is thought that individuals will best discover their own talents by actively participating and through exercising radical selfsufficiency. Burning Man also heavily emphasizes participation in the community born with Black Rock City. Toward the end of the event, on Saturday night, participants witness The Burn—that is the torching of the effigy known as “The Man.” In 2012, Burning Man will take play August 27th through September 3rd. It might also be noted that one of Burning Man’s ten key principles (according to the event’s website) is Immediacy, regarding which the events website notes, “We seek to overcome barriers that stand between us and a recognition of our inner selves.” The Burning Man game, then, might be a bit risky for those seeking to avoid inner recognition. “There’s a surprise at every corner. Mutant vehicles like Miro paintings, naked hooping! And love, everywhere love.” mutant vehicles: Vehicles that have been arrestingly modified, created particularly for the Burning Man event, these are the only cars allowed to travel in the temporary city (and they may travel no aster than five miles per hour). These vehicles must bear no resemblance to ordinary automobiles, and must be deemed to somehow add to the experience of other participants. Past vehicles have included UFOs, dragons, pirate ships, and even a fiery octopus. Miro paintings: Joan Miró (1893-1983), Spanish painter and sculptor is typically associated with Surrealism (and indeed, he was heavily influenced by the movement, as by a host of other styles and artists) and was noted for his often playful-seeming works Jenga glossary, Nov. 29 / p. 11 and constant exploration of new approaches to creation. It is tricky to define his work by any single set of terms, but in general his paintings are filled with striking colors and geometrical forms, their impression indeed surreal. According to biography.com, Miró “wanted to portray nature as it would be depicted by a primitive person or a child equipped with the intelligence of a 20th-century adult.” naked hooping: Hula hooping seems to be a popular pastime at Burning Man, and the 2010 schedule called for a “Naughty Naked Hula Hooping” event. “Only rule is no Reality Bends. We’re in it. We’re with it. It’s a party about survivalism—building your own world. Radical self-expression. Embracing. Loving. Gifting.” Reality Bends: In the language of Burning Man, Reality Bends are an unpleasant effect of returning to the typical world in the wake of Burning Man; these may be eased by gathering with fellow burners and celebrating. While not an actual rule of Burning Man, this certainly jives with Simone’s attempt to keep the outside world at bay (after all, if you never leave Burning Man, you never need experience Reality Bends). survivalism: Perhaps not only survivalism, but radical survivalism, one of the ten core principles of Burning Man. Radical survivalism emphasizes reliance on one’s own abilities, on searching for that power and talent within that may be used to combat the challenges of the harsh climate (the desert in which Burning Man occurs can be dreadfully hot during the day, freezing by night, and is often buffeted by powerful winds). As a part of this, participants in Burning Man must bring everything necessary for survival to the event (the only goods sold on-site are ice and coffee). Indeed, it is held that in order to survive, individuals must actively participate. Seems to be a part of the self-discovery and self-unveiling (that is, the radical self-expression) promoted by the event. radical self-expression: One of the ten principles of Burning Man, this involves discovering and making use of one’s particular talents or gifts, often through the creation of some sort of artwork. Indeed, the Burning Man website suggests that this expression “is offered as a gift to others,” suggesting that this is a gifting of the very self. gifting: Another of the ten principles of Burning Man, which promotes gifting over any sort of trade or monetary exchange. To gift is simply to give, whether this involves objects or the self’s own talents, and a gift received cannot be returned. Many of the gifts given are created by participants, and so come as signs of their radical selfexpression. “The object of the game is to find a zozobra.” zozobra: As indicated later in the play, Simone’s idea of “a zozobra” is connected to Santa Fe’s Zozobra—also called Old Man Gloom [see p. 17]—a gigantic marionette stuffed with divorce papers, police reports, and other mementoes of woe. The first Zozobra was created in 1924 by Will Schuster, for a private party; in 1926, the Zozobra became a part of the annual Santa Fe Fiesta [see p. 16]. Since that time, the Fiesta has begun with an elaborate pageant that culminates in the burning of Old Man Gloom and the banishing of the year’s worries. Freed from anxiety, the people of Santa Fe are able to enjoy the rest of the festival. Note that while Burning Man [see p. 10] does feature a, well, burning Man (the effigy is simply called “The Man”), it doesn’t seem to stem particularly from Old Man Gloom. After all, effigies have long been constructed and destroyed. “Got the idea from Martha Stewart.” Martha Stewart: (b. 1941) Long-time businesswoman and guru of all things housekeeping. Sy may have found the idea in any number of Martha Stewart’s media productions, perhaps in her famed magazine, Martha Stewart Living. PAGE 39 “Picasso Mr. Potato Heads. Ears for eyes.” Picasso: (1881-1973) Although he experimented with a number of styles and could never be pinned to one particular approach, Spanish artist Pablo Picasso is perhaps most often associated with Cubism (a movement in which perspective was blown open and forms were broken up, strewn, and reordered), of which he was a codeveloper. He is often linked to works that appear to distort the human form. Mr. Potato Head: The original Mr. Potato Head was sold only as a collection of facial pieces; buyers were encouraged to stick the pieces into whatever vegetable might be readily available. A body was provided by the mid-sixties, but the basic idea remains that of mixing pieces, often creating the strangest combinations possible. Jenga glossary, Nov. 29 / p. 12 “Like your Snow White Barbie doll. Chewed up limbs.” Snow White: Beautiful princess who ate a poisoned apple and thence fell into a seemingly unshakable sleep, only to be happily reawakened by a daring prince. The Barbie itself was likely designed based on the 1937 Disney film (Mattel has manufactured multiple versions of the Snow White Barbie), but the story of Snow White extends much further, and the origins of the fairy tale are unknown. In the Disney film, the Queen—that is, Snow White’s wicked stepmother—is jealous of the girl’s beauty and orders a huntsman to kill Snow White. When the huntsman allows Snow White to run free, the girl takes up residence with seven dwarfs. Her step-mother finds out (through her magical mirror) that the girl is alive and cons her into eating a poisoned apple that sends her into an enchanted sleep from which she may only be awakened by love’s first kiss. The dwarves guard the girl until a prince does arrive, awaken Snow White, and marry her. In older versions of the tale, it might be noted that Snow White’s mother dies while birthing the girl, that the stepmother demands that the hunter return with Snow White’s heart, and that the apple offered is meant to kill rather than send the girl to sleep. “Remember when you got a Polly Pocket stuck up your nose?” Polly Pocket: Polly Pocket toys first appeared during the late 1980s, when Chris Wiggs decided to created pocketsized playsets (including “Polly’s Town House,” “Polly’s Pony Club,” and “Polly’s Animal Hospital”) with mini dolls to match. In Yelena’s (or Sy’s) defense, the toys pretty much are just the right size for ending up in children’s noses. First produced by a British company called Bluebird Toys, the product was eventually snatched by Mattel, which took over distribution. PAGE 40 “That time we saw monks protesting on TV and every-time you got all pissed of at me you’d jokingly hold a lighter to yourself and I’d be like ‘Hey! No self-immolation in the house!” “Pogs.” self-immolation: Self-immolation is itself an act of sacrificing oneself, perhaps but not necessarily involving fire. Self-immolation can be traced throughout history, but since the latter half of the 20th Century has become particularly identified with political protest. Perhaps the most well-known occurrence of such immolation occurred on June 11, 1963 in Saigon, when Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc set himself aflame; in the U.S., the act is often read as a protest against the South Vietnamese government’s persecution of Buddhist monks (other countries have, of course, offered vastly divergent interpretations). Since Duc, numerous individuals have enacted self-immolation for a span of reasons. It seems likely that Yelena and Simone watched footage representing one of the monks in South Vietnam, perhaps a reenactment recalling Duc’s death, since live action film of the South Vietnamese burnings seems rare or nonexistent. Within the past year, several Buddhist monks in Tibet have committed self-immolation, protecting against Chinese rule. pogs: A game and mid-nineties fad involving cheap, collectible discs called, well, pogs. The pogs themselves were made of cardboard, and sported an image or colorful design on one side, and play of the game required only pogs and a slammer, a heavier disc. Players set up a stack of pogs, and the first player throws a slammer on top of the stack; the pogs that fall face-up are claimed by this player. Then the tower it reset, the next player takes a turn, and so on and so forth. The player who ends up with the most pogs wins. PAGE 41 “You’re on that ride—The Beast.” The Beast: There is a wooden rollercoaster known as “The Beast” in Mason, Ohio at Kings Island, a popular amusement park. The esteemed rollercoaster (for reals; it often ranks high on the lists of must-experience coasters) first opened in 1979, hits speeds of nearly 65 miles an hour, and features drops of 135 and 141 feet. Wooden rollercoasters such as “The Beast” are notorious for jostling passengers and appearing shakier, more unsteady than they truly are, upping the fear-quotient. Whether or not this is a direct reference to the Kings Island coaster, the name certainly fits the general run of rollercoaster names. Jenga glossary, Nov. 29 / p. 13 PAGE 43 “And the queen gave birth to two fairies, leaving her mind…imbalanced. The king sealed his eyes with whiskey, so he wouldn’t have to see her sickness; His eyes so shut that when she ate a poisoned apple, he kissed the bottle instead of kissing his queen better. After she never woke up, he developed a condition that caused him over time to turn into a dragon (dragonitis).” poisoned apple: We’re back to the tale of Snow White [see p. 12]. While in the Disney film the poisoned apple was meant to send the princess into an enchanted sleep, in older versions of the tale, the apple was created to kill her. PAGE 48 “She dug deeper and deeper, six feet deep.” six feet deep: An obvious point, perhaps, but this’d be the traditional depth of a grave… dragon: Dragons present another multi-faceted symbol, but at a glance, they often comes associated with danger, greed, power, chaos, evil, sin, and destruction. Dragons are often represented as a restrictive force that must be overcome, and heroes must often conquer a dragon in order to succeed. Dragons are often associated with roles of guarding, and many dragons in medieval tales, dragons could particularly be found guarding lovely ladies. And, yes, dragons are oft-associated with fire and poison. We might also note the constellation Draco [see p. 16]. PAGE 49 “No light or shadows…just vast empty space. A void.” a void: Beyond the sense of a void being… A Void (La Disparition) is the title of a work by Oulipean [see p. 1] Georges Perec; the work, a novel, is noted for the absence of the letter “e.” PAGE 44 “An art installation.” art installation: Art installations are a common sight at Burning Man [see p. 10], and their creation is highly encouraged. After all, discovering and expressing one’s talent is a key part of radical self-expressionism [see p. 11]. PAGE 46 “It’s a Janus word. A double-sided word. An autoantonym. It means both to cut something out and to cling.” Janus word: Also called a contronym [see p. ?] or, as noted, an auto-antonym. Note that the Roman god Janus is often associated with beginnings and endings, as well as with transitions and doorways. Representations tend to show two faces fixed in opposite directions, supposedly look at both the past and future. PAGE 47 “She lived in a South Jersey McMansion— manicured green lawn- red bricks, double doors.” South Jersey: [see p. 1] McMansion: [see p. 1] “And in that patch of dirt, a monstrous vine began to grow and grow.” a monstrous vine began to grow: The accelerated growth of vegetation is a reasonably common element in fairy tales; consider “Jack and the Beanstalk,” for an obvious example, and the forest that magically sprouted up around Sleeping Beauty’s castle when she fell into an enchanted sleep. “Cheese cloth. Chipped teeth.” cheese cloth: A type of cotton fabric with a loose weave, cheese cloth can be used for anything from craft-making and a variety of kitchen tasks to, well, making cheese. “Chasms, chaos, cholera, kelp?” Cholera: Intestinal infection accompanied by symptoms that include diarrhea, lethargy, and vomiting. PAGE 50 “Pictures of us with dad at Sesame Street Land. And at the amusement park. The shore. […] A picture of us doing the elephant song.” Sesame Street Land: Although the reference need not be to a specific park, there is a Sesame Place in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. It first opened in 1980, and is currently owned by SeaWorld. the elephant song: Song, entitled “Skidamarink,” that played during the closing credits of The Elephant Show, a children’s television program that aired during the mid1980s. The main characters lived in a house with an elephant “Like the opposite of a malapropism, which is misspeaking…” malapropism: Example: Saying “The ghost was only a pigment of your imagination” instead of “figment” of your imagination.” “Singing the tune of the line “I Can’t Hide,” in the Beatle’s ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand.’” “I Want to Hold Your Hand”: First recorded in 1963 by the famed British phenomenon. Jenga glossary, Nov. 29 / p. 14 PAGE 51 “Singing from ‘What a Wonderful World.’” “What a Wonderful World”: First recorded by Louis Armstrong in 1968 and later picked up by scads of artists. SCADS. PAGE 52 “We went to Hawaii. We climbed together to the top of Diamondhead. Sat on Waikiki beach surrounded by tropical flowers curled up like tired children, and watched the fireworks. And then we found $5! We went to Greece, took pictures next to toppled columns in Athens and our faces were like— We visited the Minotaur on Crete. And then we found $5!” “How much are we up?” “$4,785.” Hawaii: As of 1959, the 50th American state. A popular tourist destination—indeed, Hawaii thrives off of its tourist industry—Hawaii is composed of eight primary islands and a number of smaller islands. The state boasts two official languages: English and Hawaiian (which, by the bye, contains only twelve letters). Next to tourism, Hawaii maintains a strong agricultural industry, and cultivated or otherwise, plant growth flourishes throughout the islands. Diamondhead: Diamond Head, originally called Le‘ahi and renamed for its glittering rocks, is an inactive volcanic crater located just off of Waikiki beach. Approximately 300,000 years old, its crater covering some 350 acres, Diamond Head stands as one of Hawaii’s most famous landmarks. Visitors can (for a small fee) hike the 0.8 miles to the crater’s summit by following paved and unpaved sections of trail, stairs, and even a tunnel. Waikiki beach: Located on the southeastern shore of the Hawaiian island Oahu, quite near the state capital of Honolulu, Waikiki beach remains one of Hawaii’s most famed attractions. Its stretch of white sand is piled with resorts, and the beach tends to be a wee bit crowded with enthusiastic surfers and hordes of tourists seeking to enjoy the ocean and sun. Waikiki, by the by, appears to be Hawaiian for “spouting water.” fireworks: Apparently, there are actually fireworks scheduled for every Friday of the year (not to mention other times). Minotaur: A mythical creature sporting the body of a man and head of a bull, and the bane of sacrificial youths. The Minotaur was said to live in a labyrinth beneath the ancient Minoan palace of Knossos, located on the island of Crete. According to the myth, King Minos demanded a fresh supply of sacrifices as tribute each year, and would send seven young women and seven young men into the labyrinth and to their inevitable demise. The Minotaur was finally slain by Theseus, who escaped the labyrinth only through the ingenious aid of Ariadne, Minos’ daughter. While the palace itself did historically exist and its ruins (excavated by Sir Arthur Evans during the early 20th Century) can be explored to this day, the Minotaur is taken as legend. The labyrinth itself seems not to have existed, though as Knossos contained an overwhelming complex of rooms, the ruins certainly bear a labyrinthine appearance. Crete: Another popular tourist destination, Greece’s largest island is located to the south of the mainland and boasts a long-storied history and deep connections to mythology (in particular, to the Minotaur and labyrinth). Travelers to Crete may visit archeological ruins and sites from a span of eras, reflecting a wide range of styles and creating almost a cluttering of cultures. Along with its ruins and natural attractions, Crete offers enough resorts, aquariums, and other such enticements to satisfy its vital tourist industry and allow visitors to enjoy historical landmarks in reach of comfort. Sense that everything that was built up was destroyed… yet remains in pieces to be seen by those to come after. Of course, Crete also caters to tourists with such attractions as water parks and aquariums. $4,785: 957 happy memories, or one helluva lot of trips. PAGE 53 “It’s nothing. 7-Up used to be made with lithium, you know?” 7-Up: Introduced in 1929 as Bib-Label Lithiated LemonLime Soda, the beverage was first advertised and sold as a cure for hangovers. The name was quickly changed to 7Up Lithiated LemonLime and finally to simply 7Up. The lithium stuck around longer than the original name, though by about 1950, it too had gone. The presence of curious chemicals in soda isn’t particularly uncommon, of course; consider early CocaCola and cocaine, not to mentioned the host of confounding chemicals in soda today. Jenga glossary, Nov. 29 / p. 15 lithium: One of the drugs most commonly used to treat bipolar disorder, a condition typically characterized by shifting, extended phases of mania and depression. Possible side effects of lithium include thirst, nausea, slight hand tremors, restlessness, acne, and impaired memory, among others. unsmoked joint: For the record, sounds like joints actually keep pretty well. Better if stored in plastic bags, but… People leave ’em for weeks before smoking/finishing. PAGE 54 “I assist executives!” “For how many temp firms?” “What?” “Your LinkedIn account only lists temp firms.” temp firms: Temp firms aid job-seekers in finding and securing temporary positions with a sweeping range of companies. The temp firm takes care of the leg work in matching candidates to positions, expediting the process of finding jobs and alleviating the pressure of the constant job search and resume submission (most of the effort required of the candidates in securing positions can be managed quite quickly online). Temp firms have flourished recently; following economic downtimes, companies shy from committing to new permanent hires, and temporary employees ease their worries. Temping allows job seekers to maintain flexible schedules (perhaps working around school) and to dabble in different fields; it may also offer a path to permanent positions. Temp workers may face the censure of the widely held view that anyone not securing a full-time job is essentially a failure, but the flexibility may compensate for any snubbing, and many people do make careers out of temp work. The duration of temporary positions apparently vary greatly, lasting anywhere from a few hours to years, but most stand for a few months. LinkedIn: An internet-based professional network that reaches worldwide and boats over 120 million members. Members sign up free of charge, then and create profiles and are given access to a wealth of tools for connecting with others, seeking jobs, and generally boosting their careers. Because the site helps to direct results that surface when Googling a member’s name, it seems likely that the LinkedIn profile would be one of the first results to arise when Simone Googled Yelena. “So the view from my desk changes from the back of the Essex Sign and Columbus Circle to a cubicle wall.” “Nobody’s hiring perm?” Essex Sign: Perhaps referring to New York City’s Essex House, an upscale hotel located off of central Park. Columbus Circle: Located at the southwest corner of Central Park, in Manhattan, New York City, and marked by a Christopher Columbus monument. “Arugula and goat cheese with sliced strawberries and toasted walnuts. Best served on a hot date.” arugula: A salad green with a taste described as bitter or peppery. Arugula has long been said to up an individual’s sexual potency, so why not stock up during a date? Arugula and goat cheese seems a pretty popular combinations, and overall, this recipe isn’t particularly original. strawberries: Allegedly associated with Venus and longlinked to romance in general. Oh, and if you squint just right, they even look a little bit like hearts. Clearly, strawberries + aphrodisiac arugula = the hottest date ever. “Mandarin, apple, mixed greens and pecans. Best served to a loved one.” mandarin: Likely speaking of the mandarin orange (unless we’re talking about some sort of duck salad, here), which actually refers more to a variety of oranges. Like “salad greens,” then, the term “mandarin” is pretty vague. PAGE 57 “Do you know what happens during a heart attack? Your heart cells die. An occlusion blocks the blood flow and the cells die.” occlusion: The term “occlusion” is used to indicate a blocking (full or part) of the veins (hence, the occlusion doesn’t block so much as it is the blockage); when referring to the arteries running to the heart, the occlusion is known specifically as a coronary occlusion. Occlusions typically occur from piling up of plaque—that is, cholesterol—on the artery walls, and the blockage obstructs the flow of oxygen to the heart, causing the referenced cell death and heart attack [see p. 8]. PAGE 58 “Scorpius. Got it when I was 19. 15 stars. One for every man or woman I slept with that year.” Scorpius: Appearing low on the horizon, Scorpius is particularly marked by the bright star Antares, and is depicted as, well, a scorpion (though long ago, it apparently lost its claws to another constellation). Scorpius is said to be the scorpion that was sent to end Orion’s [p. 16] life when the prideful hunted boasted that he could kill any animal. Also associated with Scorpio, the eighth sign of the Zodiac. Jenga glossary, Nov. 29 / p. 16 “Virgo. An ironic gesture last July.” Virgo: The second largest constellation, its name translates to “virgin” or “young maiden.” Virgo is typically linked to Dike, a goddess of justice who was often seen as a proponent for righteous retribution. Legend has it that when earth and mankind began to go downhill, Dike found herself yearning for simpler and happy days and fled first to the mountains, then to the heavens in order to remove herself from the turmoil. Many depictions of Virgo, by the by, show a maiden with wings. Virgo is also the sixth sign of the Zodiac. “Aquarius.” Aquarius: Constellation also known as the Water Bearer. Aquarius is most often connected to Ganymede, a lovely lad with whom Zeus became infatuated, and the constellation is typically depicted as a man or boy with a bucket or cup, pouring out water. Aquarius is also the eleventh sign of the Zodiac. PAGE 59 “Draco. Last Halloween. Like half the staff of this haunted house.” Draco: Constellation seen only from the northern hemisphere, its stars tracing the rough shape of a dragon [see p. 13]. Draco may be traced in connection with a number of dragons. As an example, it is often associated with the dragon Ladon, who guarded the goddess Hera’s tree of golden apples and was slain by Hercules [see also Tree of Life, p. 6]. There has also been a Christian association with Draco and the serpent that guarded Eden’s Tree of Knowledge. “Fire-play.” fire play: An advanced BDSM (Bondage and Discipline, Dominance and Submission, and Sadomasochism) technique that comes in numerous forms, all of which are dangerous. The majority, at least, also involve use of a torch, and deal with setting the skin on fire in controlled scenarios. In general, BDSM involves the enactment of fantasies (can almost be seen as a sort of game) and a setting of boundaries within which one may enjoy the receipt or infliction of pain; it invites collisions of pain, power, and love. “Needle-play.” needle play: Another BDSM technique, this involves penetrating the body by puncturing the skin, typically weaving needles in and out of the flesh. The needles may remain in the skin throughout play, and may be decorated (with feathers, for instance) to creates images on the body. The needles are rarely driven deep, and are removed afterward, allowing the skin to heal (in most cases). “Did you get your vagina tattooed?” “That’s Orion.” Orion: Also called The Hunter, Orion is one of the brightest and best-known constellations, perhaps most recognizable by the three stars that compose his belt. Orion is typically depicted as a man with an upraised club, pursuing a beast. His tales has been variously related through mythology, but he may have been the son of Poseidon, and by all accounts struck a striking, powerful figure. Orion became boastful, however, and when he declared that he could slay any animal on earth, the gods sent a scorpion (Scorpius [p. ?], in fact) to sting Orion to his death (in fact, the constellation Scorpius is said to chase Orion out of the sky). Orion has also been linked to a couple of ill-fated attempts at, shall we say, forced amorous interaction. PAGE 62 “It’s like the predecessor of Burning Man. During Fiesta de Santa Fe in New Mexico, they create a giant marionette man—“Old Man Gloom,” and everybody in town sticks their troubles inside and then they torch it. Old Man Gloom groans as he burns and all their gloom goes up in flames!” Fiesta de Santa Fe: The Fiestas de Santa Fe, or the Santa Fe Fiesta, annually occurs early in September and is held to be a celebration of historical and religious significance. The festival was originally established, in 1712, in order to commemorate Don Diego de Vargas’ 1692 peaceful reclaiming of Santa Fe from the Pueblo people for Spain; the Fiesta has occurred more or less regularly since. By 1924, Will Shuster felt that the Fiesta had become overcommercialized, and so took orders into his own hands, celebrating by creating and burning a six-foot effigy for a private party. Another followed in 1925, and by 1926, Shuster had taken his effigy public, creating the first Jenga glossary, Nov. 29 / p. 17 Zozobra [see p. 11] to be publicly burned as a part of Fiesta. Zozobra, or Old Man Gloom, has since become an integral part of the Fiesta. Old Man Gloom: First created in 1924 by Will Shuster for a private party and brought to the public in 1926, Old Man Gloom (or “Zozobra” [see p. 11], which can be translated as “the gloomy one”) has since been burned as a kick-off to the Santa Fe Fiesta. The burning of this enormous and quite eerie marionette is surrounded by ceremony and accompanied by a Fire Dancer. By burning Gloom, the people banish the woes of the past year, freeing themselves to enjoy the festivities. While the first public Zozobra stood at a mere fifteen feet, the most recent incarnation of Old Man Gloom stood at an impressive forty-nine feet, eleven inches. The marionette is composed largely of wood and cloth, along with such materials as pizza pans and duct tape, and is stuffed with woeful mementos from anyone who would care to contribute (a gloom box is also available close to the night of the burning). In 2012, Zozobra will be burned on September 6th. Apparently (according to zozobra.com, at least), Shuster was quoted in 1980 as referring to Gloom as a “monster who might have stepped out of a fairy tale,” adding, “Zozobra […] appeals to the childish fancy – in all of us. [The burning of Zozobra] is a scene from a fairy tale of our own making.” PAGE 63 “Since 1924.” 1924: The year in which Will Shuster first created and burned an effigy to celebrate the Santa Fe Fiesta. Although this first burning was for a private party, the first public burning of Old Man Gloom came soon after, in 1926. PAGE 64 “Tourettes of the hand.” tourettes: Tourette syndrome, a neurological disorder in which vocal and motor tics [see p. 10] abound. Tics include physical (blinking, shrugging, flailing arms, jerking legs, etc.?) as well as vocal compulsions (sniffing, clearing the throat, laughing, shouting, etc.). While Tourette’s is often associated with compulsory cursing, this manifests itself in a relatively small percentages of cases; often, the signs are far less obtrusive. “I start look for others—other people signing in space, screaming unnoticed messages across the J line.” J line: Also called the Nassau Street Express, the J line is a part of New York City’s subway system, and runs through parts of Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan. PAGE 69 “Vocally dancing on the edge of a panic attack.” panic attack: May or may not be associated with a panic disorder. Symptoms include difficulty breathing, chest pains, dizziness, drastically increased heart rate, and chills, and the experience is sometimes mistaken for a heart attack. Said to typically last 10 minutes (though the length certainly varies), panic attacks leave the individual feeling exhausted. “Three hours hyperventilating into a towel in my bathroom until it stopped.” hyperventilating: Breathing that comes faster and deeper than typical breathing; also called overbreathing. The body quickly takes in more air than usual, and levels of carbon dioxide become dangerously low. Often connected to panic attacks and anxiety, and may indeed lead to fainting. “To keep her away with Scheherazade stories—Your own 1001 nights…” 1001 nights: Also known as Arabian Nights, 1001 Nights is a work of unspecified, likely Middle Eastern origin. The work was introduced to the West by French translator Antoine Galland in the early 18th Century, and has since been translated and adapted into countless languages and forms. Although the versions differ, 1001 Nights invariably offers an impressive collection of tales, including those of Aladdin and Ali Baba. These tales are presented within a larger frame in which a woman named Scheherazade relates stories to a king to stave off her looming execution. Unable to find an honest woman, the king has decided to marry and kill a new wife every day, and has run through most of the kingdom’s women before coming to Scheherazade. Scheherazade throws a wrench in his scheme by weaving a new story every night and leaving a cliffhanger that prompts the king to allow her to live to complete the tale. After 1001 nights of this, she discloses her strategy, and the now-appreciative king decides to abandon his rampaging and live happily with Scheherazade. PAGE 71 “We’ll dress like fairies, drink too much mead.” mead: Essentially, mix honey, water, and yeast, and allow the mixture to ferment; the alcoholic beverage produced is a basic mead. The drink has been brewed for thousands of years, and although wine had begun to achieve popularity by the 1600s (and the bees required for honey were becoming more costly), mead was still a prevalent Jenga glossary, Nov. 29 / p. 18 provision and so is popular with Renaissance Fests [p. 2]. Like kombucha [p. 4], mead is often home-brewed. “A shoddy, rusted bricolage of assembled mechanical parts, broken makeshift heart monitors, pieces of a respiratory machine, tubes without logic surround him in a bizarre home-made mess of a machine.” bricolage: Creation composed of an array of materials, utilizing whatever happens to be readily available. makeshift heart monitors: If we’re looking to Simone’s favorite source, the internet does offer guidance in piecing together heart monitors [see p. 1].. respiratory machine: Also called a ventilator, the respiratory machine provides life-support, bring air into the body. Use of a respirator requires inserting a tube into the patient’s windpipe; for long-term use, patients may be given a trachaectomy, the tubes inserted directly into the throat. (That is, if the father’s been hooked up to a respirator, this would only add to his speech difficulties.) Often, patients hooked up to a respiratory machine must be fed through a tube. Medical ventilators can be purchased, say, over the internet. PAGE 75 “I’ll bury you in flowers.” “Forget-me-nots.” forget-me-nots: Small clustered blues flowers (yellow centers) typically associated with memory and true love.