NUMEN [something].

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source

nu·men (nōō'mən, nyōō'-)
n. pl. nu·mi·na (-mə-nə)

1. A presiding divinity or spirit of a place.
2. A spirit believed by animists to inhabit certain natural phenomena or objects.
3. Creative energy; genius.

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UNAVOIDABLE CASUALTY.

unavoidable casualty

noun

a natural and unavoidable catastrophe that interrupts the expected course of events; "he discovered that his house was not insured against acts of God" [syn: act of God]

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source

Main Entry: unavoidable casualty
Function: noun
: UNAVOIDABLE ACCIDENT; also : an unavoidable circumstance that prevents the timely performance of a procedural act (as the filing of an answer) by a party or the party's lawyer —compare EXCUSABLE NEGLECT
NOTE: As with excusable neglect, showing evidence of unavoidable casualty will relieve a party from a default judgment or a time limit.

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VIS MAJOR.
vis ma·jor (vĭs mā'jər)
n. pl. vi·res ma·jo·res (vī'rēz mə-jôr'ēz, -jŏr'-) Law
An overwhelming force of nature having unavoidable consequences that under certain circumstances can exempt one from the obligations of a contract. WordNet - Cite This Source

vis major

noun

a natural and unavoidable catastrophe that interrupts the expected course of events; "he discovered that his house was not insured against acts of God" [syn: act of God]

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source

Main Entry: vis major
Pronunciation: 'vis-'mA-j&r
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin, literally, greater force
: an overwhelming force; also : ACT OF GOD

And sometimes we even play music... http://www.myspace.com/thenancysband

Labels: fresno bands, music, the nancies

It's funny the things people cling to when having lost something dear to them. Ok, not really funny--interesting, I suppose is a better word for it.

I turned on NBC's special tonight which, of course, featured the tragedy that occurred yesterday in Virginia. Stone Phillips was interviewing a group of students, asking your basic set of questions for a school shooting tragedy. While chowing down some naan and some Indian dish from TJ's that I can't remember the name of, I heard some things that at first listen sorta made me think they were silly. I initially took a sec to consider if I was a jerk by thinking these people were overreacting, but this started triggering some other half-thoughts (a half thought is something that pops in your brain, but you can't quite complete the full thing)--thoughts that wouldn't complete for a few minutes. One of the things I heard went something like (all paraphrased):

Stone Phillips: Is there anything that you'd like to tell your fellow students, friends and family that are struggling right now?
Student: That we're here for you... we'll be there for you...

Me: What would it be that they would be there to offer me in such a scenario? If I was one that was at a loss in the current tragedy, I don't think that if I needed something that I'd ring up some students that I don't know for any sort of comforting. I'd just want my friends and family--heck, I might even just want to be left alone for a bit. Yet, this seems to be a common occurrence though... and if I were in the midst of this whole thing, hearing that statement from another student might just make me feel better. I mean, that's what we all want in a similar scenario, right? To rid the hurting?


Another question:
Stone Phillips: Is Virginia Tech going to pull through this?
Student: Totally. At the end of the rally today, we all started chanting, "Go, Hokies, Go!"

Me: Why would chanting some sports cheer, some mascot-y footballer talk, some phrase with people which you mostly don't know actually be a sign of pulling through tough times? Then, the second I had taken earlier, which had turned in to a couple minutes, started completing: this type of action is a sign to yourself... something familiar... something that shows you're part of a group... a group that's struggling with the same issue... aaaah...

We're comforted, at times, through people being by our side--sometimes by people that we don't even know. People that openly struggle with us. Perhaps that's something that Cho Seung-Hui didn't have the luxury of experiencing when he needed it. Perhaps he did have opportunities for that, but shunned them for other reasons, thus "driving" him away from anything that had a label of comforting.

Times of hurting are necessary. They show us that we need each other, whether we know each other or not. Whether we want to be alone, or whether we want to be the center of attention. People are people people. It's how we were made.

On second thought, maybe it's not so funny, the things people cling to. In fact, does it really matter what it is we cling to (as long as it's not detrimental to their being)?

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"Can you not see death as the friend and deliverer? It means stripping off that body which is tormenting you. What are you afraid of? Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave it with regret?"
-C.S. Lewis

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grief
n 1: intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by
  death) [syn: heartache, heartbreak, brokenheartedness]
2: something that causes great unhappiness; "her death was a
great grief to John" [syn: sorrow]

Labels: grief, people, virginia tech

I've always thought blogging was a bit ridiculous--kinda like MySpace--in the sense that you're publishing your life for the world to see. ...but, as I caved with MS, I've now caved with the blogging. I don't know what the heck I'm going to fill these pages with, but I thought I'd give it a shot; it could be cathartic.