Very early in writing the novel, I was told by one person that there were so many abbreviations and jargon in the book that she became confused. I saw her point, and started documenting everything. Unfortunately, the Glossary reached more than 20 pages, and another person pointed out that for the electronic version of the novel, it wasn’t really necessary. I have moved the glossary to the website. When I publish a hard-copy version of the book, I’ll put it back in.
Appendix 3: Glossary of Terms, Acronyms, People, Places, Companies, and Products
Note: Items in BOLD are listed elsewhere in this Glossary. Please note that web addresses, while correct at time of publication, are subject to change or revocation. Please also note that many dates falling before AD 1000 are approximate, and are so noted by the use of c. for “circa”. (See AD, BC, and CE for additional notes.)
1040 — IRS form used by US taxpayers to report income, deductions, payments, and taxes to the US federal government
1099 Employee aka Independent Contractor — a person hired to do a specific job. That person receives no benefits beyond his wages, and the hiring company does not withhold any taxes. Such a person is given a 1099-MISC form instead of a W-2 form for tax purposes.
1099-MISC — a US federal income tax form which often includes income only (no withholdings)
24/7 — literally, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A synonym for “always in operation.”
401(k) — a name for a common pension plan, taken from the identification of the section of the Internal Revenue Code which describes and authorizes it.
9/11 aka 9/11/2001 aka September 11, 2001 (Tuesday) — date on which four passenger jets were hijacked in flight over the US, then crashed into locations in New York City, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania, killing about 3000 people, including the 19 hijackers
AAA aka American Automobile Association aka “Triple-A” — a federation of motor clubs throughout North America which provides its members with a number of services. AAA is widely known for travel planning and emergency roadside assistance.
ABBA — a Swedish pop group
AC — Alternating Current (electricity) or alternately Air Conditioning
ACT — American College Testing Program, Inc., a company which produces college admission tests. Also the test itself.
AD aka CE — from a Latin phrase meaning “In the year of [our] Lord.” When used, AD precedes the date, as in this example: AD 1000. In recent years, replaced by many academics with the equivalent term “CE” or “Common Era.” When used, CE follows the date, as in this example: 1000 CE (which is equivalent to AD 1000). Please note that this dating method was the work of a monk named Dionysius Exiguus in AD 525, and in it there is no year zero: 1 BC is immediately followed by AD 1. Please also note that many dates falling before AD 1000 are approximate, and are so noted by the use of c. for “circa”.
AFB — Air Force Base
AH-64 Apache — see Boeing AH-64 Apache
Ahab — 7th king of the northern kingdom of Israel for 22 years. Husband to Jezebel.
Ahaziah — 8th king of the northern kingdom of Israel for 2 years, son of Ahab
AIDS — Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Incurable, fatal disease most commonly spread through sexual contact and blood transfer, first identified as a specific disease in the 1980’s. It is considered the most deadly STD.
Airman — a member of the USAF. It can refer to those having an enlisted rank, or be generic in the sense that a sailor can belong to the US Navy or Coast Guard.
AIX — a form of Unix created by IBM for use on some of their computers
aka, a.k.a. — also known as
Akron Beacon Journal — daily newspaper of the Akron, Ohio metropolitan area
Aleutian Islands — a chain of more than 300 islands in the Pacific Ocean leading from Alaska (they are considered part of that state) past the International Date Line.
Alzheimer’s disease — a progressive brain disease which must eventually kill those who suffer from it. Most often it is diagnosed in people 65 years of age and older, and is characterized by confusion and loss of memory, among other symptoms.
American Automobile Association — see AAA
AMC aka American Motors Corporation — American automobile manufacturer. At first a single corporation, later partnered with Renault, then Chrysler Corporation. Products include the Jeep line, Gremlin, Hornet, Pacer, and Concord.
AOL aka America Online — American media and internet company
American Museum of Atomic Energy aka American Museum of Science and Energy — science museum in Oak Ridge, Tennessee
American Telephone and Telegraph aka “Ma Bell” — see AT&T
Apache — see Boeing AH-64 Apache
Apsotles’ Creed — an early statement of Christian belief, used by both Catholics and Protestants alike
Archimedes (c. 287 BC-c. 212 BC), Greek mathematician, scientist, inventor. In a famous incident, he was able to prove that a crown commissioned by a king, supposedly made of pure gold, had actually been fashioned with other metals, too.
ASAP — As Soon As Possible
Assembly Language aka Assembler aka “machine language” — a computer language which is generally the lowest level language that a computer can directly execute.
AT&T aka American Telephone and Telegraph aka “Ma Bell” — American telecommunications company
ATF aka [Bureau of] Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms aka [Bureau of] Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives — once a division of the US Treasury Department, and later the US Department of Justice (DOJ). The ATF investigates criminal acts in several different areas.
ATM — Automated Teller Machine aka cash machine
Attu Island — small island (approximately 345 sq. mi.) at the western end of the Aleutian Islands chain, part of the state of Alaska. Attu Island (52°54’09″N 172°54’34″E) , along with nearby Kiska Island (51°57’51″N 177°27’36″E ) were the two Aleutian Islands captured by the Japanese during WWII in 1942 and re-captured (liberated) by US and Canadian forces in 1943. In the book, Dew of Death by Joel Vilensky [with Pandy Sinish] it is reported that at one time during WWII there was about 997 tons of US-manufactured Lewisite stored on Attu Island, but with the end of WWII, it is reported that most of it was dumped at sea. About 11 tons were reportedly moved to another island, and apparently “lost.”
AU — astronomical unit, the distance between the Sun and the Earth, averaging approximately 93,000,000 miles or 150,000,000 kilometers
Authorized Version aka King James version — see KJV
Avon Products aka Avon — American company best known for selling cosmetics and perfumes
Bally aka Bally Manufacturing Corporation — manufacturer of pinball machines
Bankers box — a folding cardboard box, typically roughly 10 inches high by 12 inches wide by 18 or 24 inches deep including either a separate or integrated cover.
BAR aka Browning Automatic Rifle — a light (single man) machine gun used by US forces from WWI until the Vietnam War (1918-1960’s). It fired .30-06 caliber Springfield rounds from a 20 or 40 round magazine. The BAR could be used with a bipod or fired from a standing position (from the hip, referred to as “walking fire.”) The weapon was capable of both semi-automatic and full automatic fire at a typical rate of 500-600 rounds per minute, though the magazine size limited its use as a full machine gun.
Barrow, Clyde Chestnut (1909-1934), American criminal and bank robber, killed in an ambush by law enforcement officials in Louisiana
BASIC — a computer language. There are many variants of BASIC used on many different computers.
BBS aka Bulletin Board System — a computer system attached to a modem which allowed email, uploading, and downloading of files and programs between users. The phenomena of the BBS, which could be implemented by anyone owning a computer and a modem, was most popular during the 1980’s through the 1990’s, before the Internet became popular.
BBQ — barbecue
BC aka BCE — “Before Christ” in calendars and dating. In recent years, replaced by many academics with the term “BCE” or “Before Common Era.” When used, it trails the date as in this example: 1000 BC (or 1000 BCE.) Also sometimes used (often humorously) to refer to the time in a Christian’s life before he or she accepted Christ. Also see AD.
Beetles — an English rock band
Beltway aka Interstate 495 aka Capital Beltway — a section of Interstate highway that circles Washington DC
Bowling Green, Ohio aka BG — town in NW Ohio, about 25 miles south of Toledo, Ohio. The population of Bowling Green is approximately 30,000 at the time of this writing. BG is sometimes used as a synonym for BGSU.
BGSU — Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio
Bhopal disaster — variously described as an industrial accident or sabotage which occurred on the night of 2-3 December 1984 in Bhopal, India. Poisonous gas leaked from the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant, killing between 10,000 and 20,000 persons in the area, and exposing perhaps 500,000 people to deadly fumes. Although the accident is still in dispute at the time this novel was written, poor plant maintenance and the failure of safety systems are commonly recognized as contributing factors.
Bible — sacred text of both Jews and Christians. The first section of the Bible (known to Christians as the Old Testament) is the basis for Judaism, and the second section (known to Christians as the New Testament) was written in an approximately sixty year period after Jesus’s ministry and death by men who mostly had been his followers during his ministry. Christians hold that all the Bible is the Word of God, incapable of error.
BMW — Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (or, in English, Bavarian Motor Works), a German automobile manufacturer. A BMW is generally considered to be a well-built, luxury vehicle.
Boeing — an American manufacturer of aircraft, helicopters, rockets, and satellites.
Boeing AH-64 Apache — 2 man attack helicopter which is used by the US Army, as well as other nations. The Apache has the following armament: 30 mm chain gun (1200 rounds), AGM-114 Hellfire missiles for anti-tank (up to 16), and Hydra 70 unguided missiles (up to 76). The two types of missiles may be used on the same mission.
BOLO — Be On The Lookout (law enforcement term)
Bolsheviks — communist revolutionaries of the USSR
Bonnie and Clyde — Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow criminal lovers who robbed banks and committed murders from 1932 to 1934, when they were killed in an ambush by law enforcement
Book of Mormon — sacred text of the LDS church, first published in 1831 by Joseph Smith
Botnet — a collection of internet-connected computers which have been compromised by software attacks to perform such tasks as sending Spam email or perform other actions at the direction of the “owners.” An individual computer in a criminal botnet is known as a “zombie.” Please note that not all botnets are criminal in nature: some perform very legitimate functions on the internet.
Bowie ax — a very large type of throwing knife
Boy Scouts of America aka Boy Scounts aka BSA — founded in 1910, one of the largest youth organizations in the US
Broken arrow — US military terminology for an accident which involves a US nuclear weapon (or parts thereof) which cannot lead to nuclear war. Events which would fit this designation include loss up to detonation of a nuclear weapon on American or allied territory. There have been a number of such incidents since the 1940’s on both US and foreign soil.
Browning Automatic Rifle — see BAR
Buick — American automobile manufacturer, a division within GM. Also the vehicles that Buick builds.
Bulletin Board System — see BBS
Bunyan, Paul — mythological American folklore hero, a lumberjack
Bush, George (Herbert Walker) (1924—), 41st President of the United States, 1989-1993
Bush, George W (1946—), 43rd President of the United States, 2001-2009
Business Basic — a form of BASIC used on small and medium sized computers, used primarily for business programming
B&W — Black and White (term used in photography for a picture in shades of gray)
C-130 — Lockheed C-130 Hercules, a four engine turbo-prop heavy-lift aircraft used by the USAF as well as 50 other nations
CAD — Computer Aided Design
CARE package® — originally a package of aid distributed by the humanitarian organization CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere). “CARE Package” is a registered trademark, but the term is generically used as a package of food or supplies sent for comfort, especially from family.
Carson, John (Johnny) (1925-2005), American comedian and entertainer, host of the NBC Tonight Show, 1962-1992
Carter, James (Jimmy) (1924—), 39th President of the United States, 1977-1981
CB — Citizen Band (radio)
CBC aka Canadian Broadcasting Corporation — the Canadian national public radio and television broadcasting organization. In French, it is referred to as la Société Radio-Canada (Radio-Canada or SRC).
CD — Compact Disc. Used to digitally store audio content or other data, and introduced in 1981. Its size is 12 cm in diameter or slightly under 5 inches, the same size as a DVD.
CE aka Common Era — term which has replaced AD among academics. When used, it follows the date, as in this example: 1000 CE
Cedar Point — amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio
Central Intelligence Agency — see CIA
CEO aka Chief Executive Officer — in a corporation, the person who is in charge of the company
Cessna aka Cessna Aircraft Company — American aircraft manufacturing corporation
Chaney, Lon aka “Man of a Thousand Faces” (1883-1930), American silent film actor
Chemical Weapons Convention aka Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction — an international arms treaty concerning the manufacture, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons. It was drafted in 1992 and became effective in 1997. Part of the treaty involves destroying existing stocks of chemical weapons. A goal (not met) was the complete destruction of all chemical weapons by 2012. As of this writing, only a few countries have not signed the convention, and more than three quarters of all declared chemical weapons stockpiles have been destroyed.
Chernobyl disaster — the worst nuclear accident in history which occurred in Ukraine (in the former USSR) on 26 April 1986. Hundreds of thousands of people had to be resettled because of fallout and several thousand direct and indirect deaths (by cancer) have occurred at the time of this writing.
Chevrolet aka Chevy — American automobile manufacturer, a division within GM
Chevrolet Surburban — a full-size SUV manufactured by Chevrolet
Cheyenne Mountain — a hardened nuclear bunker, built during the Cold War in Colorado
Christianity — initially held to be a sect of Judaism, Christianity is the worship of the Trinity (Father, Son [Jesus], and Holy Spirit), obedience to Scripture, love of other Christians, and evangelism of the entire earth. Christians hold that there is but one way to an eternity with God in Heaven, and that is through Jesus.
CIA aka Central Intelligence Agency — an intelligence-gathering (spying) agency for the US federal government
CIO aka Chief Information Officer — in a corporation, the person in charge of IT
Citizens Band Radio aka CB radio — short-range non-technical radio communications licensed and regulated by the government. Unlike Ham Radio, Citizens Band is restricted to originally 23 and now 40 channels, while Ham Radio allows thousands of frequencies and higher broadcast power levels
Civil War aka “the War Between the States” (1861-1865) — sometimes described as the first modern war, a war of secession between the United States of America (the North) and the Confederate States of America (the South)
Clark, Roy (1933—) American country music musician
Cleveland, Ohio — second largest city in Ohio, located on the south shore of Lake Erie. At the time of this writing, Cleveland has a population of slightly under 400,000, and the Cleveland metropolitan area about 2,000,000.
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport aka CLE — airport which serves the Cleveland, Ohio area
Cleveland Plain Dealer — daily newspaper of the Cleveland, Ohio metropolitan area
Clinton, Hillary Rodham (1947—), First Lady to Bill Clinton. After his Presidency she was elected Senator from New York, and later served as Secretary of State under President Barak Obama.
Clinton, William (Bill) (1946—), 42nd President of the United States, 1993-2001
CNC — Computer Numerical Controlled
CO — Commanding Officer
COBOL aka COmmon Business Oriented Language — a computer language
Cobra — helicopter fighter aircraft in current use by the US military. Standard weaponry include 1300 rounds of 30 mm cannon, as well as Hellfire missiles, and/ or Hydra 70 mm (unguided) missiles.
Cold War (1945-1991) — the time roughly between the end of WWII (1945) and the fall of the USSR (1991), when there was hostility (which never rose to the level of direct conflict) between the USSR and western nations (particularly the USA). The era included proxy wars (Korean War, Vietnam War), communist revolutions (attempted and successful) in many nations, and espionage on a global scale.
Columbus Dispatch — daily newspaper of the Columbus, Ohio metropolitan area
Commodore 64 aka C64 — PC developed by Commodore International, manufactured and sold from 1982 to 1994. It included 64 K bytes of RAM, both monitor and TV video output, excellent graphics and sound (for the time), game cartridges, and use of floppy disks.
Commons Complex — building on BGSU campus which housed Commons Cafeteria and Campus Security HQ. It was demolished in 2011.
Computational Services aka Comp Services — BGSU computing and programming department
Computone — manufacturer of computer equipment. Computone changed its name to Symbiat, Inc.
Corsair — World War II fighter aircraft used by USA
Corvette — sports car built by Chevrolet, a division within GM
CPAP — Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, a machine to help someone with severe sleep apnea breathe while asleep. The user wears a mask over his nose and mouth and air under pressure from the machine forces him or her to breathe steadily through the night.
CPU — Central Processing Unit
CQ DX — SW radio call, “Calling anybody at [any] distance.” Commonly transmitted as “CQ CQ CQ DX.”
Cryptography — the study of hidden communications, by means of codes, ciphers, steganography, and other methods. Cryptography includes creation, use, and breaking secret communications
CS — Computer Science. Alternately, a department within College of Sciences, BGSU
Cub Scouting aka Cub Scouts — founded in 1930 and part of the Boy Scouts of America, Cub Scouts is aimed at boys from 7 to 11.5 years old
Cumberland Gap — a pass through the Appalachian Mountains at the junction of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. The city of Cumberland Gap, Tennessee lies nearby. Middlesboro, Kentucky is the nearest city on the Kentucky side.
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park — a United States National Historical Park located southeast of Middlesboro, Kentucky, at the border between Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. The park includes the Pinnacle Overlook, and the intersection of the three states.
CYC — Catholic Youth Council
Darwin, Charles (1809-1882), English naturalist who wrote On the Origin of Species, which expounded the theory [read: conjecture] of Evolution
Dashcam aka dashboard camera — a camera, normally forward facing and mounted to the dashboard, used to record traffic, especially by police
David (c. 1035 BC-c. 970 BC) second king of Israel, c. 1010 BC-c. 970 BC. He took the throne at age 30 and was king for 40 years, until he had his son Solomon crowned king.
DC — Direct Current or alternatively District of Columbia (as in Washington, DC, the US capital)
DC Comics — publisher of American comic books, including Superman, Batman, Mad Magazine, and others
DEC aka Digital Equipment Corporation — a computer and peripheral manufacturing company
decibel — a unit of loudness of sound
Decker Field — see Wendover Air Field
Department of Justice — see DOJ
Deseret Chemical Depot — chemical weapon storage facility in Utah, near Salt Lake City
DG aka Data General — a computer and peripheral manufacturing company
DHS aka Homeland Security — see US Department of Homeland Security
DI — Drill Instructor
Diamond, Neil (1941—) American singer-songwriter
Disney aka Walt Disney Company — American entertainment company founded by Walt Disney and his brother Roy. The company produces animated and live-action films, TV, radio, theme parks, and other forms of entertainment.
Disney, Walter (Walt) (1901-1966), American animator, film producer, entrepreneur, and founder of the Walt Disney Company
DOJ — Department of Justice. In the US, the DOJ is part of the executive branch of government, and is tasked with enforcing federal law.
DOOM — a violent video game first released in 1993 by id Software, in which the player must kill many enemies. DOOM is known as a “first-person shooter” game.
DP aka Data Processing — A general term for using computers. Sometimes used interchangeably with IT.
DPRK aka PRK — see North Korea
DSL — Digital Subscriber Line, a means of allowing simultaneous use of the telephone line for voice and data communications. DSL lines are much faster than standard POTS lines for data communications. Various version of DSL allow for 256 k bits/s to 100 M bits per second.
Duck tape aka Duct tape — a type of cloth (or other material) tape, usually gray or black in color, with a sticky adhesive on one side, often sold in rolls about two inches wide. It has many applications, including emergency repairs.
DVD — Digital Video Disc. Used to digitally store video content or other data, and introduced in 1997. Its size is 12 cm in diameter or slightly under 5 inches, the same size as a CD.
Eisenhower, Dwight David (Ike) (1890-1969) 34th President of the United States, 1953-1961
Elijah — prophet to northern kingdom of Israel
Eminent domain — the taking of private property, most frequently by government (though sometimes by corporations or even private individuals when authorized), most commonly for public use, such as government buildings, highways, and railroads
EMP aka ElectroMagnetic Pulse — a short burst of electromagnetic energy, which may occur naturally (lightning), be induced by a nuclear weapon, or by non-nuclear means. An EMP can disable or damage electronic devices among other effects. Also see Faraday cage.
ER — Emergency Room of a hospital
F0, F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6 — Fujita Scale for tornados, which measures a tornado by the amount of damage it causes, with F0 the smallest and F5 the largest observed in nature. An additional, theoretical F6 tornado was described but has never been observed. Replaced in 2007 by the Enhanced Fujita Scale or EF Scale. The EF Scale stops at EF5, which includes all tornados greater than EF4.
FAA aka Federal Aviation Administration — US federal agency in charge of air travel in the USA
Faraday cage — an enclosure completely surrounded on all sides with a conducting material, blocking electromagnetic radiation. Also see EMP.
FBI aka Federal Bureau of Investigation — the national police force of the USA
FDR — see Franklin D. Roosevelt
FedEX aka Federal Express — a package delivery company
Floppy disk — computer storage medium using magnetic material on rotating flexible plastic substrate (thus “floppy”). For many years this was a medium commonly used for transferring programs and data. From around 1990 until they were considered obsolete in the early 2000’s, the two most common sizes of floppy disk were 1.2 M bytes for a 5¼ inch floppy, and 1.44 M bytes for a 3½ inch floppy.
Ford, Gerald (1913-2006), Congressman from Michigan, then 38th President of the United States, 1974-1977
Ford, Henry (1863-1947), American industrialist and founder of the Ford Motor Company
Ford, Harrison (1942—), American actor, producer
FORTRAN aka FORmula TRANslator — a computer language
Francisco, Don (1946—), American Christian musician
Frisbee® — flying disc, usually plastic, usually 8 to 10 inches in diameter. Frisbee® is a trademark of Wham-o. Many types of flying discs are made by numerous companies, but Frisbee is sometimes used as a generic term.
al-Gaddafi, Muammar Abu Minyar (1941-2011), military dictator of Libya 1969-2011. He took power in 1969 following a coup, ruled as dictator of Libya for nearly 42 years, and died in a revolution heavily supported by NATO and the US.
Game theory — branch of mathematics that deals with strategy
Geneva Conventions — a series of four treaties, the first dating from 1864, which describe standards for the treatment of civilians, non-combatants, and prisoners of war during armed conflicts
GM aka General Motors Company — an American automobile manufacturer
Google — an American technology corporation specializing in Internet-related services and products (http://www.google.com)
GPA — Grade Point Average. At BGSU, based on 4 as A, 3 as B, 2 as C, 1 as D, 0 as F. A GPA of 4.0 means all A’s.
GPG aka GnuPG — a system for secret communications based on (and compatible with) PGP.
Grand Hotel — hotel and resort area on Mackinac Island
Graphics User Interface — see GUI
Great Depression — severe worldwide economic downturn suffered in the US from 1929 until the start of WWII (1941)
Green Berets aka US Army Special Forces — elite troops within the US Army, trained for combat and reconnaissance behind enemy lines, as well as other missions.
Grumman aka Grumman Aerospace Corporation — an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturer
Guantanamo Bay [detention camp] aka GTMO — part of the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. It is used as a detainment and interrogation facility for terror suspects and other foreign nationals, created after 9/11.
GUI aka Graphics User Interface — means of giving commands to the operating system using a graphical interface, as opposed to the older text-based interface method. Microsoft Windows generally uses a GUI, while MS-DOS uses a text interface
Gulf War aka Persian Gulf War, 1990-1991. war waged by a coalition force from thirty-four nations led by the United States, against Iraq, after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990
Ham Radio aka Amateur Radio — government regulated and licensed non-commercial broadcasting on frequencies and broadcast power levels set aside for such use. Ham radio enthusiasts engage in long distance communications and other areas of radio communication. Also see Citizens Band Radio.
Harman Kardon — manufacturer of home and automobile audio equipment
Hayes Microcomputer Products — a manufacturer of modems, a device for computers to communicate via phone lines. Hayes developed technology which made the modem both less expensive and easier to use than was previously possible, and today almost all modems use the Hayes command set.
HD aka HDD aka Hard Disk Drive — computer storage medium using rotating metal platters (thus “hard”) with magnetic surfaces. Hard drives have evolved over the years, starting at sizes larger than a washing machine to smaller than a paperback book, while storage capacity increased and price decreased. Typically hard drives are used for local storage, although at the time this novel was written, they are beginning to be used for off line storage as well.
Henley, William Ernest (1849-1903), English poet and author of “Invictus” (Latin for “unconquered,”) a short poem of the Victorian era
Henry Ford Museum [and Greenfield Village] aka The Henry Ford aka Edison Institute — a large museum complex in Dearborn, Michigan, founded by Henry Ford in 1929
Henson, Jim (1936-1990) American puppeteer, director. Best know for developing the Muppets
Heinlein, Robert Anson (1907-1988), American author of science fiction and fantasy short stories and novels, including Stranger in a Strange Land, Starship Troopers, and many others.
Herbert, Frank (1920-1986), American author of science fiction short stories and novels, including Dune and five sequels
Hewlett-Packard Company aka HP — American IT corporation which manufactures (among other things) computers and calculators
Hill AFB — USAF AFB in Utah, near Salt Lake City
Hirohito (1901-1989) Emperor of Japan (1926-1989) during WWII
Hmong aka Mong — Vietnamese tribes which supported the US and South Vietnamese forces during the Vietnam War
Hollerith cards aka IBM cards aka punched cards — a means of storing digital information on paper. The IBM format was developed in 1928, and used for more than 50 years. Each punch card was 7.375 by 3.25 inches, and a single card could hold 80 characters (bytes) of data. Other types of cards were used in the 19th and 20th centuries, but the IBM format was the most widely used.
Holography — the production and display of holograms, or three-dimensional pictures
Homeland Security aka DHS — see US Department of Homeland Security
Hope, “Bob” (Leslie Townes) (1903-2003), British born American actor and entertainer
HP — Hewlett Packard Company, an American technology corporation
HQ — headquarters
Humvee aka HMMWV aka High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle — four-wheel drive military automobile/ light truck, first used in 1984, the successor to the Jeep
IBM — International Business Machines, an American technology and computer corporation
IBM cards — see Hollerith cards
IBM PC aka IBM Personal Computer — first small IBM computer based in the Intel 8088 processor, released in 1981
IBM PC XT aka IBM Personal Computer, eXtended Technology — first IBM PC with a hard drive, released in 1983
ICBM — Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile
ICU — Intensive Care Unit, the portion of a hospital where the sickest of the patients are kept
ID — identification
IED aka Improvised Explosive Device — a non-conventional (usually home made) explosive device typically used in guerilla warfare
IM — Instant Messaging
Independence, Ohio — suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. At the time of this writing, the population of Independence is about 7,000.
Independent Contractor — see 1099 Employee
Intel — a technology corporation specializing in microprocessors and microcircuits
Interceptor body armor — bullet-resistant vest in use by US forces from approximately 2000 to 2010. It was originally designed to protect the torso, though additional components were designed to protect the neck, throat, and groin areas, as well as other areas of the body
[Operation] Iraqi Freedom aka Iraq War, invasion of Iraq by US, UK, Australia, and Poland (with the support of other countries), in 2003, which resulted in the taking of Iraq and the capture of its dictator
IRS — Internal Revenue Service, a bureau of the US Treasury Department. It concerns itself with collecting taxes for the USA.
Islam — Religion founded by Muhammad and described in the Koran
ISP — Internet Service Provider, a company or organization that allows individual users to connect to the internet
ISO number — International Standards Organization number. In photography, the ISO number indicates how sensitive film is to light. The higher the number, the more sensitive it is to light.
IT — Information Technology. A term used for the entire computer field.
I-X Center aka International Exposition Center — a large convention and exposition hall located in Cleveland, Ohio, near the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
Jeep — American automobile and automobile manufacturer, a division within the American Motors Corporation, later purchased by Chrysler. Jeeps were first used during WWII as military off-road vehicles, and have remained popular since then, being used for decades by both the military and civilians alike.
Jesus aka Jesus Christ (c. 4 BC-c. AD 30) founder of Christianity. “Christ” is a title, literally meaning “anointed one.” The dates given for His birth and death are estimates based on known events. In His roughly three years of teaching He wrote no books, and primarily spent His time with twelve men, one of whom betrayed Him. He was executed by the Romans for insurrection at the insistence of the Jewish authorities who considered Him a threat to their authority. At the time of this writing, His place is in Heaven, where He sits at the right hand of God, awaiting the time He will conquer the earth and establish a rule which will never end.
Jezebel — wife to Ahab and daughter to the king of Sidon
JFK — see John F. Kennedy
Joel, Billy (1949—) American singer-songwriter
John, Sir Elton aka Dwight, Reginald Kenneth (1947—) English singer/ songwriter, pianist, composer
Johnson, Andrew (1808-1875) 17th President of the United States, 1865-1869. He was a Southern Democrat, elected to be Vice President to Abraham Lincoln in 1864, succeeded to the Presidency after Lincoln’s assassination, and was the first President to be impeached.
Johnson, Lyndon (1908-1973) 36th President of the United States, 1963-1969
Jones, “Indiana” aka Jones Jr., Dr. Henry — fictional character from multiple US TV series, movies, and books (among other products) based upon movies created by George Lucas and Stephen Speilberg
Jones, Paula (1956—) sued President Bill Clinton for sexual harassment alleged to have occurred before he was elected President. She was paid $850,000.00 by Bill Clinton in an out-of-court settlement.
JPEG — a method of storing and compressing digital photographs, or a digital photograph stored in this format
Juneau, Alaska — capital city of Alaska and second largest city in Alaska with a population at the time of this writing of about 31,000. It is located on the Gastineau Channel in the panhandle of Alaska, close to the Canadian border.
Kennedy, John Fitzgerald (Jack) aka JFK (1917-1963), 35th President of the United States, 1961-1963
Kipling, Rudyard (1865-1936) English author and poet
KJV aka King James Version aka Authorized Version — Bible, first published in 1611 during the reign of King James I, monarch of England and commissioned by him
Koran aka Quran aka Qur’an — sacred text of Islam, recited by Muhammad between c. AD 609 and AD 632. The variant names are due to transliteration from Arabic into English.
Korea, North aka Democratic People’s Republic of Korea aka DPRK aka PRK — after the end of WWII, Korea, which had been conquered by Japan, was divided into North Korea and South Korea, occupied by the USSR and USA respectively. North Korea attempted to invade and conquer South Korea in 1950, starting a conflict known as the Korean War. North Korea was and is a totalitarian dictatorship, first ruled by Kim Il-sung, and later by his son Kim Jong-il and grandson Kim Jong-un. North Korea is one of the poorest countries on earth, yet is still considered a military threat to the entire region, due to its large standing army, nuclear weapons, and ballistic missiles. North Korea has also sponsored terrorist acts, and violated and abrogated treaties with other countries.
Korean War aka Korean Civil War — War between North Korea and South Korea, 1950-1953. North Korea was supported by the USSR and China; South Korea was supported by USA and the United Nations. Combat ended after a cease-fire agreement was signed, although technically the war has never ended.
KSU aka Kent — Kent State University, Kent, Ohio
L — see Lewisite
Lamborghini — Italian automobile manufacturing company known for extremely expensive, high-end sports cars
Lamborghini Countach — extremely expensive, high-end sports car produced between 1974 and 1990 by Lamborghini. Slightly more than 2,000 vehicles of this line were produced in its sixteen year production run. Its top speed is about 190 m.p.h. (306 km/h). The line was named “Countach” from a word — an exclamation — used to describe an extremely beautiful woman.
Lamborghini Diablo — extremely expensive, high-end sports car produced between 1990 and 2001 by Lamborghini. Slightly under 2,900 vehicles of this line were produced in its twelve year production run. Its top speed is about 200 m.p.h. (340 km/h). The line was named “Diablo” after a famous fighting bull from the previous century.
Lawrence, Jerome aka Schwartz, Jerome Lawrence (1915-2004), American playwright and screenwriter
LASER aka Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation — a method of producing coherent light
LDS Church aka Latter Day Saints Church aka Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints aka Mormon — religion based on the teachings of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon
Learjet — manufacturer of luxury jet aircraft primarily used by business and government. Learjet was founded in 1960 and is now a subsidiary of Bombardier Aerospace
Leavenworth aka United States Disciplinary Barracks — see USDB
LEO — Law Enforcement Officer, used to described police of any sort on a local, state, or national level. Also Low Earth Orbit
Lenin, Vladimir aka Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (1870-1924), 1st Communist dictator of the Soviet Union, 1917-1924
Lewinski, Monica (1973—) central character to the Lewinski scandal that led to the impeachment of President Bill Clinton
Lewis, Clive (C. S.) (1898-1963), English theologian and author. His works include “The Chronicles of Narnia” (a seven book children’s series starting with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe) and the “Space Trilogy” (Out of the Silent Planet, Prelandria, That Hideous Strength).
Lewisite aka L — a chemical weapon developed in the US near the end of WWI, which was produced and stockpiled by many nations until WWII. (Some nations are believed to have produced it even later.) Toole Chemical Agent Disposal Facility is one location in the US that can neutralize Lewisite. Also see Attu Island.
Li’l Abner — American comic strip printed in newspapers 1934-1977 written and drawn by Al Capp (1909-1979) about a mythical small, impoverished town named Dogpatch and its inhabitants
Lincoln, Abraham (1809-1865), 16th President of the United States, 1861-1865. President of the US during the Civil War, and the first President to be assassinated.
LNG aka Liquefied Natural Gas — a compressed form of Natural Gas. Highly inflammable.
Lockheed Corporation — an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturer
Looney Tunes — Warner Bros. cartoons produced starting in the 1930’s, originally as theatrical shorts, later shown on TV. Characters in these cartoons included Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghorn, Henery Hawk, Pepé Le Pew, and many others.
LSD aka Lysergic acid diethylamide — a psychedelic drug, illegal in most of the world
Lucas, George (1944—), American movie director
M1 Abrams battle tank — standard battle tank of the US, first deployed in 1980. There are several variants, including the M1A1 dozer (bulldozer) blade for clearing mines and other battlefield engineering use.
M16 rifle — one of the standard weapons issued to US forces since 1963. It is magazine-fed, firing 5.56 mm (.223 inch) cartridges. Versions of the M16 are capable of firing semi-automatic, full automatic, and three-round bursts.
M49A1 trip flare — an extremely bright (35,000 candlepower) flare designed to be triggered by trip wire. Once triggered, the flare will burn for about one minute, illuminating an area of about 300 meter (1000 feet) radius. It is roughly the size of a hand grenade, but is designed to be attached to a tree or other object. It is considered to be a booby trap, designed to illuminate infiltrators.
M60 machine gun — a standard machine gun of US forces since 1957. It is belt-fed, firing 7.62 mm (.308 inch) standard NATO cartridges at a rate of 500 to 650 rounds per minute. It is typically operated by a two or three member team and can be hand-carried by the team. Also see Maxim gun.
“Ma Bell” aka American Telephone and Telegraph — see AT&T
Mackinac Island — island in Lake Huron (45°51’40″N 84°37’50″W), between the Upper Peninsula and Lower Peninsula of Michigan, with an area of about 3.8 square miles, a resort area. Also see Grand Hotel.
Mad aka Mad Magazine — American humor magazine published by DC Comics whose primary audience is youths, especially teenagers. Its content includes poetry, comics, and parodies of movies.
Malware — a generic term for software intended to do harmful things. Programs such as computer viruses, Trojan horses, spyware, and password stealers are all examples of malware. Malware describes the intent of a program. If a legitimate program causes its computer to crash by accident (for example), that is a bug. Malware is always made deliberately to cause some form of harm.
Marines aka USMC — United States Marine Corps
Marvel aka Marvel Publishing Inc. — publisher of American comic books, including Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Spider Man, Thor, and many others
Maxim gun — a machine gun developed by British inventor Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim in 1884 and used through the Korean War. It was one of the first recoil operated machine guns. It is belt-fed, firing .303 caliber rounds (in the British version) at 500 to 600 rounds per minute. It was far heavier than later machine guns, and was typically mounted on a wheeled platform. Instead of an exchangeable barrel (such as the M60 machine gun had), it had a water-cooled barrel. It was typically operated by a crew of three or four, and more men were required to move it.
Medicare — a US national insurance program administered by the US federal government since 1965
Microsoft Corporation aka Microsoft aka MS — American corporation which specializes in computer products, including operating systems, software, software development tools, and electronics. It was established in 1974, and became a publicly traded company in 1986. It was founded by William (Bill) Gates III and Paul Allen, both of whom are believed to be among the richest 100 people in the world. (http://www.microsoft.com)
Microsoft Office — a “suite” of interrelated programs, developed and sold by Microsoft, usually including a word processor, spreadsheet, email client, presentation software, and sometimes a database and/ or an organizing tool
Microsoft Visio — a program used for creating maps, floor plans, flow charts and other kinds of illustrations
Microsoft Windows aka Windows — Microsoft operating system [OS], first released in 1985 as a GUI for MS-DOS. Later versions were complete operating systems in themselves. Currently, the many versions of Microsoft Windows run on more computers worldwide than any other operating system.
Militia movement — an unorganized political movement in the US consisting of militias, or paramilitary organizations claiming legitimacy under the Second Amendment to the US Constitution
Montgomery Ward aka Wards aka Monkey Ward — mail order and department store chain which operated between 1872 and 2000. The trademark was purchased by a different company, and has operated since 2004 under that name.
Moslem aka Muslim — an adherent of Islam. The two terms are considered equivalent in the English language, but in recent years Muslim has been the preferred spelling. The variant names are due to transliteration from Arabic into English.
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus (1756-1791), Austrian composer, court musician
MP — Military Police
MP3 — a method of storing and compressing sound files, or a sound file (typically music or human voice) stored in this format.
MPH — miles per hour
MRE aka Meal, Ready-to-Eat — Standard field rations for US armed forces
MS — Multiple sclerosis. Incurable, progressive, eventually lethal disease. Not transmittable from person to person. Also see Microsoft.
MS-DOS — Microsoft Disk Operating System, a computer operating system [OS] developed and sold by Microsoft Corporation during the 1980’s and 1990’s for the IBM PC and compatible x86 computers. Users entered instructions to the operating system using a command line interface. IBM also helped develop a version of MS-DOS which was known as PC-DOS. Early versions of Microsoft Windows ran on top of MS-DOS.
Muhammad aka Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim (c. AD 570-AD 632), religious, political, and military leader, founder of Islam, and reciter of the Koran
Multi-tool — a single hand-held device that can perform several different functions. Multi-tools can range from cheap to expensive, and typical multi-tools include screwdrivers, knives, bottle openers/ can openers, scissors and/ or pliers, among other tools.
Mustang aka P-51 Mustang — World War II fighter aircraft manufactured by USA
Mustard Gas — a chemical weapon developed and used by Germany during WWI, which was produced and stockpiled by many nations until WWII. (Some nations are believed to have produced it even later.)
Mylar — trade name for PET aka polyethylene terephthalate, a transparent plastic used for many applications including transparent water- and odor- proof sheeting and bags
Napalm — incendiary bomb material made from gasoline
National Tractor Pulling Championship aka National Tractor Pull — farm machinery and truck competition held in Bowling Green, Ohio. Competition involves pulling a heavy sled.
NATO aka North Atlantic Treaty Organization — political and military organization first formed after WWII to address the threat of the Soviet Union-led Warsaw Pact. NATO’s members included Great Britain, France, (then) West Germany, and other European nations. In the years following the fall of the Soviet Union, its membership expanded and its mission evolved towards one of peacekeeping.
NBC — National Broadcasting Company, a television and radio network
NCO — Non-Commissioned Officer
NCR Corporation aka National Cash Register Company — American computer company started in 1884 and purchased in 1991 by AT&T
NCR paper aka Carbonless copy paper — used to make copies of an original document without using carbon paper, invented by NCR Corporation
NDA — Non-Disclosure Agreement
New Deal — a series of programs created during the Franklin Roosevelt administration to provide jobs to Americans during the Great Depression
Nixon, Richard (1913-1994), 37th President of the United States, 1969-1973
Noriega, Manuel (1934—), military dictator of Panama 1983-1989, imprisoned in the USA for drug trafficking and other offenses since his capture by invading US forces in Panama in 1989, then extradited to France in 2010 to face charges there, where he was sentenced to seven years in jail for money laundering, and his French assets seized. He was returned to Panama in 2011 to be imprisoned there for crimes committed during his rule.
Norris, “Chuck” (Carlos Ray) (1940—), American actor, martial artist
NOVA — a related line of computers, or computer architecture developed by Data General
Novelty song — a song written to be comical, and released through standard record labels. Novelty songs might be entirely original, or use the melody of a known song. Songs of the latter type are referred to as “parodies.”
NSFNET aka National Science Foundation Network — a predecessor to the internet and later a part of it, originally intended to allow researchers access to supercomputers. As time passed, it grew, finally becoming part of what is now the internet.
NSFW — Not Safe For Work. The abbreviation NSFW is typically included emails and articles online to indicate that following a nearby link might violate an employers’ rules against obscenity or other objectionable material in the workplace.
Obama, Barack Hussein (1961—), 44th President of the United States, 2009—
OCS — Officer Candidate School
OCD aka Obsessive Compulsive Disorder — an anxiety disorder sometimes characterized by compulsive behavior such as repeated hand-washing. Those who suffer from it frequently know that their behavior is irrational.
OCPD aka Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder — a personality disorder in which organization in the form of attention to detail, lists, schedules and perfectionism is pursued to the point of interfering with accomplishing one’s goals. Those who suffer from it often do not look upon their condition as irrational, but instead as appropriate and correct.
ODOT — Ohio Department of Transportation
Ohio Turnpike — a limited-access toll highway, more than 240 miles in length, running mostly east-west through northern Ohio, connecting the Indiana Toll Road to the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Exits were originally assigned sequentially from east to west. Therefore, Exit 1 is near the Indiana state line. Exits 3A, 4, 4A, and 5 are in the Toledo area. Exits 11, 12, 13, and 13A are in the Cleveland area. Exit 16A is the last exit before the Pennsylvania state line. In recent years the old exit numbers have been replaced by mile marker designations consistent with the Interstate Highway System. For example, Exit 3A is now known as Exit 52, Exit 4 is now known as Exit 59, and Exit 11 is now known as Exit 173.
OpenOffice — an alternative “suite” to Microsoft Office, distributed without cost (http://www.openoffice.org)
OS — operating system. In a computer, the operating system controls how and when programs are run; controls RAM, HD, and how other computer hardware interacts with the outside world. Examples include AIX, Microsoft Windows, MS-DOS, Unix, and Xenix.
OSU — Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
OTC — Officers Training Corps
Outliner — a computer program which allows text, graphics, tables, or other data to be entered and displayed in hierarchical fashion. An outline is divided into sections, and the sections of an outline may be hidden or displayed at will. For further information on outliners, please see the Wikipedia article on the subject (http://en.wikipedia.org/Outliner).
P-51 — see Mustang
PA aka Public Address System — speakers placed in each room of a building to allow announcements to be made to the whole building at once
Parker, Bonnie Elizabeth (1910-1934), American criminal and bank robber, killed in an ambush by law enforcement officials in Louisiana
PATRIOT Act aka USA PATRIOT Act — an acronym for “Uniting (and) Strengthening America (by) Providing Appropriate Tools Required (to) Intercept (and) Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001,” an Act of the US Congress signed into law by George W Bush on 26 October 2001. This Act gave the US Government powers to allow surveillance of suspected terrorists, both foreign and domestic, expanded the US Treasury Department’s authority to regulate financial transactions, and gave law enforcement greater discretion in detaining foreign nationals and immigrants suspected of terrorism and related acts. Key areas of the PATRIOT Act were renewed in 2005 and 2006 under President George W Bush and in 2010 and 2011 under President Barack Obama.
PC — Personal Computer
PD — Police Department
PDP-8 — a computer architecture developed by DEC, the first successful commercial minicomputer
PDP-11 — a related line of computers, or computer architecture developed by DEC
Pecos Bill — mythological American folklore hero, a cowboy
Perk aka perquisite — a benefit, usually of employment, sometimes known as a “fringe benefit.” Common perks include insurance, retirement plans, the use of company-owned vehicles, sick leave, annual vacation or bonuses.
PGP aka Pretty Good Privacy — encryption software, especially used for email and file transfer. What was new and different about PGP was that it used “public keys” and “secret keys”, which, when used properly, allowed users to send encrypted messages to (and receive such messages from) to those they had never previously contacted. Only the intended recipient could decrypt those messages. Moreover, messages — either encrypted or in the clear — could be “signed” by the sender, showing that only the person claiming to have sent it did actually send it and that it had not been altered. Also see GPG.
Phantom of the Opera aka Le Fantôme de l’Opéra — Novel written by French writer Gaston Leroux (1868-1927), first published in 1909. It was made into a 1925 horror movie starring Lon Chaney and a 1986 musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber among other adaptations.
Pine Mountain State Resort Park — a park in Kentucky, about 18 miles north of Middlesboro Kentucky near Pineville, Kentucky. It includes a lodge, restaurant, cottages, and other amenities.
Pink Panther — series of movies originally directed by Blake Edwards and starring Peter Sellers as Jacques Clouseau, a bumbling French detective
Pinnacle Overlook — a part of the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park near the intersection of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia, which allows a panoramic view of all three states.
Piper aka Piper Aircraft Inc. — American aircraft manufacturing corporation. A well known aircraft it manufactures is the Piper Cub.
Pitt — University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
PLA aka Programmable Logic Array — an electronic device used to perform logic. A common use is to control other circuitry.
Playboy — magazine whose primary audience is adult men. Its content includes celebrity interviews, articles, and pictures of women in various stages of undress.
PO box aka post-office box aka Post Office box — in the USA, a locked numbered box for delivered mail at a Post Office, which is rented by an individual or company. Mail is sent directly to the PO box instead of a street address, and picked up by the addressee at his convenience.
Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 — US federal law first passed in 1878 and updated in 1981, designed to prevent a repeat of the Reconstruction after the Civil War, in which federal troops occupied Southern states. The act (broadly speaking) forbids Army, Navy, Marines, or Air Force personnel from enforcing state laws. The National Guard and the Coast Guard are specifically exempted from the law, and special exceptions are allowed as cases in which nuclear materials or weapons are involved or if the President authorizes actions to quell insurrections (that state authorities are unable to handle.)
POTS aka Plain Old Telephone System — another designation for a standard telephone line. When used with a modem, a POTS line had a maximum throughput of less than 56,000 bits/s with modems of the 1990’s and early 2000’s. See DSL for one of the technologies replacing such modems.
PR — Public Relations
PRK aka DPRK— see North Korea
Prohibition — the period 1919-1933 in which the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol for consumption was banned throughout the USA
Quad — Quadrangle. At BGSU, several dorms were known as Quads, including McDonald and Rodgers.
Quran aka Qur’an — see Koran
RA — Resident Advisor
RAM — Random Access Memory
Ramen — a Japanese noodle dish. It is characterized by its low cost and ease of preparation.
RCMP aka Royal Canadian Mounted Police aka Mounties — the national police force of Canada. In French, it is referred to as Gendarmerie royale du Canada (GRC).
Reagan, Ronald (1911-2004), 40th President of the United States, 1981-1989
Red Cross aka American Red Cross — humanitarian organization which has many functions, most notably disaster relief and supplying donated blood
Reno, Janet (1938—), Attorney General under the Bill Clinton administration (1993-2001)
RICO aka RICO Act aka Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act — US federal law that permits special penalties for criminal organizations
RITA aka Regional Income Tax Agency — taxing agency which covers many municipalities in Ohio.
RNG — Random Number Generator, a hardware device or computer program for creating random or pseudo-random numeric sequences
Rolling Stones — an English rock band
Romanov, Alexandra (1872-1918), wife to Nicholas II (Romanov)
Romanov, Nicholas II (1868-1918), last Tsar of Russia, 1894-1917
Ronstadt, Linda (1946—) American singer
Roosevelt, Franklin D aka FDR (1882-1945), 32nd President of the United States, 1933-1945
Roosevelt, Theodore, Jr. (1858-1919), 26th President of the United States, 1901-1909
ROTC — Reserve Officers’ Training Corps
Russia — see USSR
Salt Lake City, Utah aka SLC — largest city in and capital of Utah, located near the Great Salt Lake. The population of SLC itself is a little less than 200,000 at the time of this writing, and the SLC metropolitan area is greater than 1,000,000.
Samson — Judge of the tribes of Israel before the first king Saul. He personally killed thousands of Philistines, both in battle and when he destroyed a Philistine temple, dying in the process. His story is told in the book of Judges, chapters 13 to 16.
SAT — formerly Scholastic Aptitude Test, a college admission test
Saul (c. 1079 BC-c. 1007 BC) first king of Israel, c. 1049 BC-c. 1007 BC. He reigned for 40 years, until his death in battle.
SCO aka Santa Cruise Operation — a company that developed a version of Unix which runs on IBM PC hardware. The operating systems or Unix part of the company was acquired by Caldera and was renamed to The SCO Group. It went bankrupt in 2007.
SDI aka Strategic Defense Initiative aka “Star Wars” — an antimissile program of the 1980’s
Seuss, Dr. aka Geisel, Theodore Seuss (1904-1991), American author of children’s books and cartoonist
Sellers, “Peter” (Richard Henry) (1925-1980), British actor, comedian
Shakespeare, William (1564-1616), English playwright and poet
Silverball Mania — pinball machine manufactured by Bally starting in 1978
Simon and Garfunkel — an American music duo consisting of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel
SLR aka Single Lense Reflex [Camera] — a film camera first developed in the late 1800’s and perfected in the early 1900’s, characterized by using a single lens for both viewing and taking a picture, so the image the photographer sees through the viewer is the same that is recorded on film
Smith, Edward Elmer, Ph.D. aka E. E. “Doc” Smith (1890-1965), chemist and later science fiction writer. Known for writing the “Skylark” and “Lensman” science fiction series in a style now referred to as “Space Opera”
Smith, Joseph (1805-1844), American author of the Book of Mormon and founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints (and other related denominations) aka Mormon
Solomon (c. 995 BC-c. 931 BC), son of David and Bathsheba, third king of Israel, c. 970 BC-c. 931 BC. He took the throne at age 25, and reigned for 40 years of peace and prosperity.
Southwyck Mall — an enclosed mall in Toledo, Ohio, located on Reynolds Road, about one mile north of Exit 4 or alternately Exit 59 of the Ohio Turnpike. Southwyck Mall opened in 1972 and closed in 2008. Since its closing, it has been torn down.
Spam — aka Unsolicited Commercial Email (UCE). SPAM® is also a trade name of Hormel Foods for a canned meat product first sold in 1937.
Speilberg, Steven (1946—), American movie director
Spirit Rock aka “the Rock” — a large boulder on the BGSU campus often painted with graffiti by student organizations
SSB — Single Sideband (radio)
Stalin, Joseph aka dze Jughashvili, Ioseb Besarionis (1878-1953), 2nd Communist dictator of the Soviet Union, 1924-1953
Star Trek — multiple US TV series, movies, and books (among other products) based upon a TV series created by Gene Roddenberry (1921-1991) and produced by Desilu Productions 1966-1969
Star Wars — multiple US movies, books, and an animated TV series (among other products) based on movies created by George Lucas starting in 1977. Also see SDI.
Starr, Kenneth (Ken) (1946—) American lawyer, federal judge, independent Counsel in the Whitewater investigation
STD aka Sexually Transmitted Disease aka Venereal Disease — a disease which is difficult to transmit except by sexual contact or blood transfer
Steganography — part of cryptography which attempts to hide the existence of a message in something else. Some instances of steganography include use of invisible ink and hiding messages in JPEG or MP3 files.
Stun gun — a “non-lethal” weapon designed to temporarily disable by use of high voltage, low amperage electrical shock. It is not a projectile weapon, but disables a person when electrical contacts are pressed against a person’s skin or clothing. The size of a stun gun varies, but is typically that of a couple of packs of cards.
Styrofoam — a trademarked product of Dow Chemical Company for polystyrene foam. Its uses include insulation and crafts.
Superbowl — annual professional championship football game, played in January or early February since 1967
SUV aka Sport Utility Vehicle — a light truck capable of both carrying passengers and cargo, often with four-wheel drive and/ or towing capacity.
SW — Short Wave (radio). SW includes a number of different frequency ranges with both commercial and amateur (hobbyist) transmissions throughout the world
Tailhook scandal — incident in 1991 in which a number of male military aviators sexually harassed and assaulted women in a hotel
TARTA aka Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority, provides public transit for Toledo, Ohio, much of Lucas County and parts of Wood County.
Taser — a “non-lethal” weapon designed to incapacitate much in the fashion of a stun gun, but electrodes on wires are shot through the air, so the shooter does not have to touch the person he is stopping.
Teddy bear — a soft children’s toy in the shape of a bear cub, usually with fur-like material. The name is derived from President Theodore Roosevelt,
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles — American comic book first published in 1984, published over the years by several different publishers of comic books
Tiger — four seat single engine airplane built by Grumman, 1974-1979
Toledo, Ohio — city in NW Ohio, near where the Maumee River flows into Lake Erie. The population of Toledo at the time of this writing is under 300,000, and the Toledo metropolitan area is about 650,000.
Toledo Blade — daily newspaper of the Toledo, Ohio metropolitan area
Toledo Express Airport aka TOL — airport which serves the Toledo, Ohio area
Tolkien, J. R. R. (John) (1892-1973), English author, poet, and university professor. His works include The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
Toole Chemical Agent Disposal Facility — facility for destroying chemical weapons in Utah near Salt Lake City
Toronto — Canadian city, located in Ontario Providence, on the shores Lake Ontario. Toronto is the largest city in Canada and the capital of Ontario Province.
Treasury Department — see US Department of the Treasury
TreePad(TM) — a combination outliner/ word processor. There are several versions of TreePad, ranging from freeware text-only versions to those which include full word processors. (http://www.treepad.com)
Trog aka Troglodyte — a person who lives in caves or underground, who lives in seclusion, not participating in the outside world. Troglodyte originally referred to prehistoric peoples who are believed to have lived in caves.
TTY aka Teletype aka teletypewriter — a combination printer and keyboard (now obsolete) once used to communicate with computers
TV — television or alternately television set
Twilight Zone — US television anthology series, 1959-1964. Each episode typically dealt in science fiction, fantasy, or horror themes.
UCE — Unsolicited Commercial Email. Also see SPAM.
UK — United Kingdom
Unix — a computer operating system [OS] first developed in the 1970’s by AT&T. Many versions of Unix have been released which run on many kinds of computer hardware.
UPS aka Uninterruptible Power Supply — a device which is designed to protect form power failure as well as power spikes and surges.
US aka USA aka US of A — United States of America
US Customs Service aka Bureau of Customs and Border Protection — arm of the US federal government which controls the US national borders
US Department of Homeland Security aka DHS — created in the aftermath of 9/11, the DHS is charged with protecting the US within, at, and outside its borders. Its task is to prevent terrorism and respond to national disasters.
US Department of the Treasury aka Treasury Department — branch of the executive department which concerns itself with revenue for the US. Among its functions are collecting federal taxes, minting paper currency and coins, and enforcing federal tax laws.
USAF — United States Air Force
USB — Universal Serial Bus. Used by PC’s for attaching peripherals, such as keyboard or mouse.
USDB aka United States Disciplinary Barracks aka Leavenworth — military correctional facility located on Fort Leavenworth, Kansas (a US Army post)
USENET — a predecessor to the internet which featured email and file transfers
USMC aka Marines — United States Marine Corps
USMS aka United States Marshals Service — the enforcement arm of the US federal courts. It concerns itself with the protection of court officers and buildings, serving arrest warrants, seeking fugitives, and transporting prisoners.
USSR aka Soviet Union aka Russia — Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, 1922-1991. Russia was the dominant member state in the USSR.
UT — University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio
UUCP — a method for two Unix computers to transmit files between each other
VCR aka Video Cassette Recorder — a device using magnetic tape as a recording medium to record movies and off-the-air TV programs from the 1980’s to the early 2000’s. Portable cameras using VCR tapes were also used.
VDT aka “Glass Teletype” — Video Display Terminal. A combination keyboard and display monitor used to enter and display text.
VE Day aka Victory in Europe Day — 8 May 1945, the date that the Allies accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany ending WWII in Europe
Vietnam War — War between North Vietnam and South Vietnam, 1959-1975. North Vietnam was supported by USSR; South Vietnam was supported by USA.
Visual Basic aka VB — a version of BASIC first released by Microsoft in 1991, with the final release, version 6 released in 1998, and all support ended in 2008. Visual Basic was designed to be easy to learn and use, and to be run under Microsoft Windows, specifically designed to be event-driven and include an integrated development environment, allowing for rapid development. It was replaced by Visual Basic .NET, first released in 2002.
VJ Day aka Victory in Japan Day — 14 or 15 August 1945 (depending on time zone, the date Japan announced its surrender) or alternately 2 September 1945 (the date that the Allies accepted the unconditional surrender of Japan in Tokyo Harbor) ending WWII in the Far East
W-2 — a US federal Income Tax form which includes both income and withholdings of a person related to employment with a company
Warner Bros. aka Warner Bros. Entertainment — entertainment company which produces movies, TV programs, and cartoons
Washington, DC [District of Columbia] aka DC — the US capital, located between Virginia and Maryland, along the Potomac River. DC is not part of any state, but is under the direct jurisdiction of Congress. At the time of this writing, the population of DC was about 630,000, and the metropolitan area was about 5,700,000.
Watergate — an office complex in Washington, DC. A burglary on Democratic National Committee offices in 1972 was eventually known as “the Watergate scandal,” and led to the resignation of Republican President Richard Nixon under threat of impeachment.
WCTU aka Women’s Christian Temperance Union — an organization opposed to the use of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs
Webber, Andrew Lloyd (1948—), English composer, songwriter, theater director. Writer of many successful musicals including Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Cats, and Phantom of the Opera
Wendover Air Field — decommissioned USAF Air Field in Utah on the Nevada border about 100 miles west of Salt Lake City. A small section of Wendover (164 acres) is still used by Hill AFB as a radar site. The runways are now known as Decker Field.
Wham-o aka Wham-o Inc. — an American toy manufacturing company
Wheeler, Elmer (1903-1968) American salesman, consultant, author.
White House — the President’s house in Washington, DC
Wicca — a pagan religion, whose adherents are referred to as Wiccan or Witches, and is a modern form of witchcraft
Wikipedia — a free Internet collaborative encyclopedia (http://www.wikipedia.com)
WPA aka Works Progress Administration aka Works Projects Administration — a US federal government employment program, 1935-1943. Part of FDR’s New Deal.
WWI aka World War I aka the Great War aka the War to End All Wars — global conflict, 1914-1918
WWII aka World War II — global conflict, 1939-1945. Principal combatants were the Allies (USA, United Kingdom, Canada, India, France, USSR, China and others) against the Axis (Germany, Italy, Japan, and others)
Wyse 60 — a VDT developed by Wyse Technology. Wyse 60 VDTs were in common use with Unix during the 1990’s and early 2000’s.
x86 — a family of CPU chips originally created by Intel and made popular by their use in the IBM PC and compatible computers
Xenix — a version of the Unix operating system [OS] developed by SCO for PC’s, and discontinued during the 1990’s, in part because Xenix had the Y2K bug
Y2K [bug] aka Year 2000 [bug] — a software problem with many programs, as well as computer hardware and operating systems which was feared could cause them to fail starting 1 January 2000
Yahoo — an American Internet company (http://www.yahoo.com)
YeahWrite aka YW — a low-cost word processor sold by wordplace.com (http://www.yeahwrite.com). Please note that Yeahwrite works on Microsoft Windows 7 and earlier only.
YMCA — Young Men’s Christian Association
York, Alvin (1887-1964), American WWI US Army Metal of Honor recipient, who, on 8 October 1918, in France, single-handedly assaulted a German machine gun nest, killing many German soldiers and capturing 132 more German soldiers with the help of seven other surviving members of his squad.
Zimmerman, Philip (1954—), American programmer, creator of PGP and other encryption software
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