Idiom Of The Day

 

                                                                          The View From Ivory Tower

Let's start using idioms or idiomatic expressions when we write. When idioms are used, it add color and texture to language by creating images that convey meanings beyond those of the individual words that make them up. An idiom can be very colorful and make a 'picture' in our minds. It also shows the writer's familiarity with English. When you want to make your writing sound more conversational, including idioms can give your writing a more relaxed tone.

Idioms allow us to say a lot with few words. Idioms amplify your messages in a way that draws your readers in and helps awaken their senses. It adds dynamism and character to otherwise stale writing. They make your writing less monotonous and your readers will think that you are smart and knowledgeable. All the while ... you only clothe your writing with elaborate idioms to create an impact... saying too much with less. 

To perfect your English, you really need to become confident in using idioms and knowing the difference between breaking a leg and pulling someone's leg. So the idiom of the day is:

IDIOM: Living in the ivory tower

MEANING: Living in an ivory tower is used to refer to a state of privileged seclusion or separation from the practical realities of the real world. It's often used to describe people, especially academics or scholars, who are deeply engrossed in their own pursuits and seem oblivious to outside concerns. 

If I live on the third floor of the building I rent, unmindful and not concerned of how people live their lives below ... and content to live my own life all to myself... as they lived theirs ... and played dead and blind to see what is going on down there ... I am living in an ivory tower. When I voluntarily removed myself from the pressures & troubles of our daily existence... I was detached from the harsh realities of life ... and by placing myself in seclusion/isolation and minding only my own business ... made that happen.

ORIGIN: This idiom originated in 1837 and was coined by a French literary critic Charles Augustin Sainte-Beauve to describe how the French poet and novelist Alfred Victor de Vigny chooses a life in isolation to pursue his dream of becoming an effective poet and a dramatist.

USING IT IN A SENTENCE: Living in an ivory tower is a situation in which the company's top honcho becomes disconnected and out of touch with the experiences and problems of those at the bottom of the organizational hierarchy. They were oblivious and unaware of the little problems besetting the little workers - the backbone of the company.

Comparison

 

Pageant Result: Mister Cosmopolitan 2023

The winners of Mister Cosmopolitan 2023 from left to right_ Yothin Romthaisong - Thailand - Third Runner Up, Abdul Rahim Bin Mahmood - Singapore - First Runner Up, Blake Johnston - USA - Mister Cosmopolitan 2023 - Winner, Ivan Aikon Ignacio - Philippines - Second Runner Up, and Joshua Saunders - Australia - Fourth Runner Up.  The pageant was held in Malaysia last October 8, 2023.

Abraham's Humor

 

I just wondered kung kumusta na ang mga taong NAGTANIM ng galit at sama ng loob sa akin.

NAMUMULAKLAK na ba ang IPINUNLA nyo ... at NAGKABUNGA at may INAANI na? Just wondering where things stands with you.

Multiple Choice

From out of the blue .... a friend asked me this question: If given this chance ... what would you like to have from a friend, your parents, or your partner?

a. the key of his room

b. the land titles, bank accounts, and pieces of jewelry in his locker

c. the password of his email ad, google or Facebook accounts

d. the one-time PIN number of his credit card or ATM

e.  his thumb access for his Android or iPad

f. his numerical code in his electronic financial transactions

Personal Identification Numbers (PINs), passwords, and usernames are undisclosed and confidential ... and anybody who has these sensitive pieces of information can access somebody's financial account, cellphone messages, and private emails. 

Once illegally obtained, the information the hacker has fished will serve as a snapshot ... providing a comprehensive picture of one's financial situation.  Or the cyberpunk will know the juiciest gossip there is in somebody's personal life.

What is worse is when he upgrades his activities when he engages in identity theft ... a crime when impostors obtain key pieces of personal information (driver's license, passports, Social Security) to impersonate somebody else. And then later, he uses this opportunity to steal money and drain the victim's savings account with lots of money.

Aside from theft and fraud, the philser's invasion of privacy can also have a tremendous impact on the victim's privacy and safety. For instance, if an individual's log-in access is compromised, someone will have an open-door policy to their personal messages, Twitter accounts, and other intimate and classified information.

I almost sound like a broken record reminding everybody how imperative it is to keep and not share our PINs and passwords with anybody. Passwords need to be unique and strong. This can be done by using an alloy of letters and numbers ... or a hodgepodge of uppercase and lowercase letters and characters. You should be creative in choosing a unique passphrase and don't succumb to one password-fits-all mentality when you have multiple accounts. This way, if one of your accounts is compromised, your other accounts remain secure. It is also a good habit to change your password routinely.

Lastly ... you always have to be on guard with suspicious emails and messages especially those soliciting money. It is just a ploy to steal from you ... personal and financial information.

A Thief ... Is A Thief

A thief is one who steals something from another ...  a robber or a burglar. They are usually cautious and move in stealth trying to avoid detection.   All their moves are calculated and are done in secrecy without using force.

Now let us put everything in perspective.  Let us say you live in a three-story building. Your fortress looked like you had done your assignment right of making your house safe and secure.  You have built a strong metal fence/barrier and your lock is humongous ... only a determined thief will have the heart to break the bolt and the latch.

And you never think that after making your Tower of Babel ... since you are living on the third floor ... you assumed everything is foolproof ... nay ... thiefproof. Follow the dictum "There is no use in having an expensive door and you don't use the most trusted and reputable lock brand. And don't ever think for a moment and be confident that you are living in your ivory tower ... away from the madding crowd ... and think that nobody will attempt to gatecrash your kingdom." 

But to digress a little ... have you ever thought that anybody has the ability to open locks or bolts ... the way Richard Gutierrez does in Iron Heart? And have you thought that anybody can gain access using a hang glider or a rappel line suspended from a helicopter? How about the spiral staircase? Or the fire escape or the emergency exit instead? 

You are a fool to believe that living on higher floors ... you will leave your guard down by making it a habit to open your windows so you can breathe fresh air (and save electricity)... or you can hang your laundry on the balcony at night (while waiting for your Romeo) without thinking of a possibility of an intruder coming in? I thought you wanted security ... but your complacent mindset painted you as somebody in a rut mood.

And what is this we heard that there are overconfident people leaving their keys under the doormat ... or the window sill just so the parcel delivery man can gain entrance. What were you thinking? Have you ever thought any unscrupulous person wouldn't have the temerity to do something if the opportunity comes? No matter if you are on the 10th floor and your lock is Yale or Corbin Russwin ... if the house’s walls are made of curtains and the owner of the house is slack and negligent ... then the mouse (the thief dummy) will play ... once the cat is away.

Thieves do not only ransack your house they can also gain access to your ATM or credit cards.  If you see a friend whose face looks like an angel... you don't expect that a face like that will scheme, do you? And if you have a family member whose neck craned like a giraffe watching you type your password or your PIN ... doesn't it give you some warning signs and red flags that something is off? 

The situation calls for you to be wary and vigilant. No insane mind will try doing that unless he enjoys seeing 1 thousand bills being regurgitated from inside the ATM ... or was it because he already has plans to steal from you, even though it meant breaking your relationship.  The problem is you, honey ... for having the purest of hearts... for being so trusting and unsuspecting ... and never thinking for one second of anything evil or wicked in anybody.

I have heard many sob stories where one's bosom buddy or his trusted daughter did some tricks on the poor victim (they have photographic memories and can remember information or visual images in great detail). They started stealing in small amounts ... until it became a habit.  It is just a matter of time ... before they execute their planned attacks.

Then there are identity thieves. Their specialty is finding PINS and passwords used to authenticate the owner and verify their identity. If the unauthorized person (identity thief) gains access to somebody's account, they can potentially have access to all sensitive information including finances and gossip in one's personal life.

Internet passwords need to be complex and strong. It is a barrier that protects and safeguards the four walls of your accounts. It is a guarantee that even brute-force attacks cannot penetrate your “front door security” even though they try thousands of different keys (passwords).

The same thing can be said about your house. If you are the owner whose priority is not your personal security ... and you always thought everything was fine and dandy ... look at the gruesome photos and videos south of the border in Texas under Biden's watch. The countless immigrants were trooping the line and they looked like a swarm of bees. It looked so surreal... the only word I can think of is Rio Grande Valley was invaded ... and undocumented illegal immigrants are sneaking into the country in grooves.

Now Biden is licking his wounds and wants to restart building the Southern Wall which Trump started. And Trump had the last laugh ... more vindicated than ever.

*PLEASE WATCH* Para Sa Mga May Dinaramdam Na Sama Ng Loob At Bigat Sa Ka...