word: ken

ken 

Definition:	(noun) Range of what one can know or understand.
Synonyms:	cognizance
Usage:	This level of mathematics is beyond my ken. Discuss.

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word: cache

cache 

Definition:	(noun) A secret store of valuables or money.
Synonyms:	hoard, stash
Usage:	In case of an emergency, I have a small cache of money and weapons hidden in the shed. Discuss.

word: foible

foible

Definition:	(noun) A minor weakness or failing of character.
Synonyms:	fault, defect, imperfection
Usage:	His father’s foibles did not prevent his son from loving and honoring him. Discuss.

word: antipathy

antipathy 

Definition:	(noun) A strong feeling of aversion or repugnance.
Synonyms:	aversion, distaste
Usage:	He divined the fanatical love of freedom in her, the deep-seated antipathy for restraint of any sort. Discuss.

word: asperity

asperity 

Definition:	(noun) Harshness of manner; ill temper or irritability.
Synonyms:	sharpness
Usage:	Mr. Nickleby looked very indignant at the handmaid on being thus corrected, and demanded with much asperity what she meant. Discuss.

cacophonous

cacophonous 

Definition:	(adjective) Having a harsh, unpleasant sound; discordant.
Synonyms:	jarring, grating, raucous, strident, dissonant, inharmonious
Usage:	The school’s cafeteria was as cacophonous as a hen yard. Discuss.

word: abeyance — (noun) The condition of being temporarily set aside. (“I can thing of many, estecially in our political gladiator type political and economical arena”))

abeyance 

Definition:
Synonyms:	suspension
Usage:	Every other feeling as it rushed upon him was thrown into abeyance by pity, deep respectful pity, for the man who sat before him. Discuss.

Word: candor

candor 

Definition:	(noun) The quality of being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech.
Synonyms:	forthrightness, frankness, directness
Usage:	While I appreciate candor, sometimes a little white lie is necessary to protect a person’s feelings. Discuss.

WORD: ENDEAVOR

endeavor 

Definition:	(verb) Attempt by employing effort.
Synonyms:	strive
Usage:	The candidate promised to endeavor to improve the quality of life in the inner city, but once in office, she did nothing of the sort. Discuss.

word: LILLIPUTIAN

lilliputian 

Definition:	(adjective) Very small.
Synonyms:	bantam, diminutive, flyspeck, midget, petite, tiny
Usage:	How am I supposed to fit everything I will need for summer camp in this lilliputian trunk?! Discuss.

 

WORD: COGNOSCENTE

cognoscente 

Definition:	(noun) A person with superior, usually specialized knowledge or highly refined taste.
Synonyms:	connoisseur
Usage:	I may not be a cognoscente of art, but I know talent when I see it, and this painter has it in spades. Discuss.

 

Word: INDIGNATION

indignation 

Definition:	(noun) Strong displeasure at something considered unjust, offensive, insulting, or base; righteous anger.
Synonyms:	outrage
Usage:	I could hardly contain my indignation at his disparaging comments. Discuss.

 

A Word Each Day: ADVISEMENT

advisement 

Definition:	(noun) Careful consideration.
Synonyms:	weighing, deliberation
Usage:	The petition was taken under advisement. Discuss.

 

NORTHWEST ANGLE

If you are visiting Minnesota’s Northwest Angle, you have reached a part of the US that is beyond the Canadian border. Separated from the US by the Lake of the Woods, “the Angle” is north of the 49th parallel, the northern boundary of the contiguous 48 states. The anomaly resulted from early mapmakers‘ imprecision about the source of the Mississippi River. When their error was corrected, the Angle was left beyond the international border. What are you required to do upon arrival at the Angle? More… Discuss

GALEN

Doctor to Roman gladiators and emperors, Galen was a Greek physician in the 2nd century CE whose authority on medicine was virtually undisputed until the 16th century. Credited with some 500 treatises, Galen added greatly to the knowledge of anatomy and physiology. Based on animal experiments, he described cranial nerves and heart valves and showed that arteries carry blood, not air. However, in extending his findings to human anatomy, he was often in error. What misconceptions did he have? More…

 

SAND CASTLES (as long as you keep that sand from drying)

Sand Castles

Sand is used extensively in the manufacture of bricks, mortar, cement, concrete, and plaster. However, perhaps its most well-known use as a building material is in sand castles. A common sight on beaches and sandboxes, simple sand castles require just a few tools and ingredients: a shovel, a bucket, water, and, of course, sand. Some more advanced sand sculptors use the “dripping” technique—dribbling wet sand down onto the castle foundation to form towers. Why does water make sand stick together? More… Discuss

 

Word of the Day: “DINGLE”

dingle 

Definition:	(noun) A small wooded hollow.
Synonyms:	dell
Usage:	For no reason but that his fancy led him, he … walked down the grassy sunny slope of the open meadow, and so came to the little dingle. Discuss.

THE DREAM ARGUMENT (And the reality of other dreams: It is reffered to as a dream, because you have to be asleep in order to beleive it)

The Dream Argument

When people dream, they often are not aware of the fact that the experiences they are having exist only in their minds. It is precisely this phenomenon that has given rise to the dream argument, a philosophical postulation that contends that our senses, on which we rely to distinguish reality from illusion, cannot be fully trusted. Both Plato and Descartes, among other prominent philosophers, expounded on this topic. What successful film trilogy is based on this premise? More… Discuss

Published on Mar 1, 2013

Adam Brand gives his argument in opposition of dreaming the American dream.
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Adam Brand states that America is the richest country of all time and yet its wrapped with inequality, indiscipline and indecency.
He highlights the lack of Social Mobility within America saying the system favour white male Americans. He says that Education costs in America are incredibly high offering the best education to only the wealthiest of applicants, widening the gap between the rich and the poor. 
He says that’s the freedom to bare arms and to be able to buy a gun anywhere has lead to multiple murders and massacres such as Columbine and Sandy Hook.
Filmed on Wednesday 24th January 2013
MOTION: THIS HOUSE STILL DREAMS THE AMERICAN DREAM

ABOUT ADAM BRAND:
Law student at University College Oxford.

ABOUT THE OXFORD UNION SOCIETY: 
The Union is the world’s most prestigious debating society, with an unparalleled reputation for bringing international guests and speakers to Oxford. It has been established for 189 years, aiming to promote debate and discussion not just in Oxford University, but across the globe.

 

DRUDGERY

Definition:	(noun) Hard, menial, and monotonous work.
Synonyms:	donkeywork, plodding, grind
Usage:	The novelty soon wore off, and though she thought she was prepared for drudgery, she found it very tedious to go on doing the same thing day after day. Discuss.