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Blogity, blog, blog, blog… Ten years ago, only creepy technology dorks knew what a blog was. Today, even my sixty five year old mother uses the word. I find it funny how new words are born into our language. There is an odd beauty in watching a language evolve. What is really interesting, as I have pointed out in previous columns, is when a word, for no discernible reason, comes back from obscurity . That is why I’m starting a “Word of the Week” feature in my blog. Each week, I will highlight a recently learned, new, or comeback word that I find interesting. I have enlisted the help of dear old Meriam-Webster to help me out with the definition.

This week’s word:
av·a·tar
Pronunciation:
\ˈa-və-ˌtär\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Sanskrit avatāraḥ descent, from avatarati he descends, from ava- away + tarati he crosses over — more at ukase, through
Date:
1784
1: the incarnation of a Hindu deity (as Vishnu)2 a: an incarnation in human form b: an embodiment (as of a concept or philosophy) often in a person3: a variant phase or version of a continuing basic entity4: an electronic image that represents and is manipulated by a computer user (as in a computer game)

Sarah Palin is the avatar of modern right wing values.

One other comment before I go…I sincerely hope that Obama gets this whole health care thing worked out for the U.S. Of course I want the uninsured to have access to medical care. But, I also want people not to have to work dead end jobs just for the benefits. Imagine how much more enjoyable life would be. Imagine how much happier the people in this country would be. I bet the use of anti-depressants and stress related medical conditions would plummet…thereby coming full circle to help out the health care system. And that’s one to grown on.