Vocabulary In the News : 8 November 2009 – Richmond-Times Dispatch (Richmond, Virginia)

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Sniper John Allen Muhammad is slated to be executed by injection Tuesday in the state of Virginia for the slaying of Dean Harold Meyers in October of 2002. If you say something is slated, this means it is arranged or scheduled to happen at a particular time or date. A slaying is the act of killing someone. It comes from the irregular verb ‘to slay’ (slay, slew, slain).

Muhammad unleashed terror in Virginia, Maryland and Washington D.C. in 2002. In other words he did something that had a very powerful and harmful effect on those regions! Here’s another example of this word’s use: “The passing of the health bill in the House of Representatives will unleash a storm of criticism by its opponents.”

He led a 2-man sniper team that claimed the lives of 10 people. To claim the life of someone means that something or someone causes the death of someone. For example, the H1N1 flu virus has claimed the lives of children in France and the United States. AIDS (SIDA) has claimed the lives of millions of people around the world and Hitler’s holocaust claimed the lives of millions of Jews during WWII.

Mr. Muhammad and his teenage partner in crime left a twisted trail of death behind them. To twist means to bend or turn into different shapes.  If a road is twisted, there are a lot of turns and thus is not a straight road. However, another meaning of twisted means behaving in a strange and and/or cruel way. We could say that Muhammad had a twisted mind. You might recognize this word from the American heavy metal band, Twisted Sister.

To read more, go to : http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/crime/article/EXEC08_20091107-222006/304396/

Culture Spot: Chincoteague Island Blueberry Festival and Craft Show

July is a beautiful month on tiny Chincoteague Island, which is cradled in the ocean just off the coast of Virginia. The temperatures are warm, as on the mainland, but cool Atlantic sea breezes soften the air, creating the perfect atmosphere for the annual Blueberry Festival and Craft Show.

The blueberry is the star of the day, with plump local specimens for sale alone or as part of wonderful pies, muffins, ice creams, and more. The festival, which benefits a local hospital fund, is truly a family day. There are plenty of games for the children and live entertainment throughout the afternoon. And when visitors have eaten their fill of tasty Virginia blueberries, there are countless craft booths to explore, featuring the work of local artisans, from the patient sculptors who carve the famous Chincoteague duck decoys to the painters who find inspiration on the island’s pristine beaches for their beautiful watercolors.

Finish the day with a leisurely walk around the island, a true gem for the summer traveler with a love of the ocean.

Visit the official website: http://www.chincoteagueblueberryfestival.com/

Fresh Blueberry Jam

Fresh-picked blueberries make the most wonderful jam, preserving the flavor of July all through the year. This recipe can be adapted for any amount of blueberries; simply use 1 cup of sugar for each cup of fresh blueberries.

Wash and measure blueberries. Place them in a heavy stainless steel pan and crush the bottom layer. Cook over moderate heat, adding a half cup of water. Simmer until the blueberries are almost tender. Add sugar (I cup for each cup of berries). Cook and stir over low heat until the jam consistency is reached. (Test by dropping a small spoonful on a plate. If it holds its shape, the jam is ready.) Pour jam into hot, sterilized jars.

The wild pony is a nationally recognized symbol of Chincoteague Island. The ponies are descendants of domestic stock left on the island by seventeenth-century settlers. These wild ponies, along with the thousands of migrating shorebirds who make a temporary home in Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, share the island with human inhabitants, whose charming island villages are a treasure for travelers seeking to get away from the rush of the mainland.

http://www.chincoteague-island.net/

http://www.chincoteague.com

http://www.assateagueisland.com/chincoteague/chincoteague_homepage.htm