Camera is the Latin word for a chamber, in particular the judge’s private chamber as opposed to the public courtroom; in modern times it has taken on a figurative sense relating to the quality of privacy itself, losing its literal link to the room. Originally camera meant any vaulted or arched space, but in the Romance languages derived from Latin (such as the Italian camera or the French chambre) it became a general word for any habitable space (the English chamber comes from the same root via French). Ever since classical times it had been known that it was possible to project an image of an outdoors scene on the wall of a darkened room through a pinhole in a shutter. Such a room was called in Latin a camera obscura, literally a “dark room”. http://www.worldwidewords.org/topicalwords/tw-cam1.htm

See more on Super Bowl 44/XLIV at: http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/44
The word “virtue” is rooted in “manliness.” “Virtue” comes from the Latin virtus, which in turn is derived from vir, Latin for “manliness.” Cicero, a famous Roman statesman and writer, enumerated the cardinal virtues that every man should try to live up to. They included justice, prudence, courage, and temperance. In order to have honor, a Roman man had to live each of the four virtues. When Aristotle encouraged men in the ancient world to live “the virtuous life,” it was really a call to man up. Benjamin Franklin developed and committed himself to a personal improvement program that consisted of living 13 virtues. The 13 virtues were:
1. “TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.”
2. “SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.”
3. “ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.”
4. “RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.”
5. “FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.”
6. “INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.”
7. “SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.”
8. “JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.”
9. “MODERATION. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.”
10. “CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.”
11. “TRANQUILLITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.”
12. “CHASTITY. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.”
13. “HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.”
In order to keep track of his adherence to these virtues, Franklin carried around a small book of 13 charts. The charts consisted of a column for each day of the week and 13 rows marked with the first letter of his 13 virtues. Franklin evaluated himself at the end of each day. http://artofmanliness.com/2008/02/24/lessons-in-manliness-benjamin-franklins-pursuit-of-the-virtuous-life/
Authors on writing
Katherine Anne Porter, in her Paris Review interview, talks about the event of a story being like a stone thrown in water. She says it’s not the event itself that is interesting, but rather the ripples the event creates in the lives of characters.

Substitute “damn” every time you’re inclined to write “very;” your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be. —Mark Twain http://the-writing-bug.blogspot.com/2008/08/writing-wisdom.html

Author on authors
Writer Kim Edwards is winner of the Whiting Award and the Nelson Algren Award. She is the author of a collection of short stories, The Secrets of a Fire King, which was an alternate for the 1998 PEN/Hemingway Award and a Barnes and Noble Discovery book. She is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Three favorite authors of Edwards are: Alice Munroe, William Trevor and Marilynne Robinson. She also enjoys Pablo Neruda, Ursula Hegi, Sue Monk Kidd, Thomas Mann, Feodor Dostoevsky and Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Pseudonyms of authors--thousands of them; click on a letter to get started.
http://www.trussel.com/books/pseudo.htm

Pseudonyms of artists
"Rrose Sélavy", also spelled Rose Sélavy, was one of Marcel Duchamp's pseudonyms. The name, a pun, sounds like the French phrase "Eros, c'est la vie", which may be translated as "Eros, such is life". It has also been read as "arroser la vie" ("to make a toast to life"). Sélavy emerged in 1921 in a series of photographs by Man Ray showing Duchamp dressed as a woman. Through the 1920s Man Ray and Duchamp collaborated on more photos of Sélavy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcel_Duchamp#Rrose_S.C3.A9lavy
Man Ray was the pseudonym of Emmanuel Radnitsky.

Q: In the past, you had the entire month of your birthday to renew your licenses, plates and stickers. But, because the Ohio State Highway Patrol is running a huge deficit, they changed the law so that you must renew prior to your birthday. They intentionally did not inform anyone so they can attach a $20 late fee to every person in Ohio who doesn't know about the change! -- K.N., Columbus Grove.
A: Yes and no. Yes, a law passed last spring included motor vehicle fee increases to support the highway patrol. They began Oct. 1. No, it's not a secret. The Bureau of Motor Vehicles says it began telling people of the new fees on July 1 in the regular mailed renewal notices. Yes, this included a new $20 fee "for all late license and vehicle registration renewals." No, said bureau spokeswoman Lindsey Bohrer, there was never an "entire month" grace period. There just was no penalty for sending a payment late.
Driver's licenses and license plates are invalid or expired if not renewed by the driver or owner's birthday, she said. After that, a person always has been at risk for a citation.
The new late fee is charged only if the renewal is more than seven days overdue, she said.
By the way, the bureau also issued a news release on Sept. 18 to remind people of the fees beginning Oct. 1. But it is questionable how many media outlets used it. The Courier did not. -- Peter Mattiace.
Q: What are the longest interstate highways?
A: According to the Federal Highway Administration:
• Interstate 90, 3,021 miles between Seattle and Boston.
• Interstate 80, 2,900 miles between San Francisco and Ridgefield Park, N.J., near New York City.
• Interstate 40, 2,555 miles between Barstow, Calif., and Wilmington, N.C.
• Interstate 20, 2,460 miles between Los Angeles and Jacksonville, Fla.
• Interstate 70, 2,153 miles between Cove Fort, Utah, and Baltimore.
See more at: http://www.thecourier.com/Opinion/columns/2010/Feb/JU/ar_JU_020810.asp?d=020810,2010,Feb,08&c=c_13

I am currently subscribing to two law e-mails (Wall Street Journal Law Blog, beSpacific) and two language e-mails (A.Word.A.Day, The-Writing-Bug). I get ideas for the muse there, and also from reading and feedback from muse readers.

Reader response to Lancaster County article
Strasburg Railroad and Pennsylvania Railroad Museum in Lancaster County. http://www.strasburgrailroad.com/
Known as "Train Town USA," historic Strasburg is the home of numerous rail-based attractions. Take a 45-minute ride on the nation's oldest short-line railroad or wander through the halls of The National Toy Train Museum or The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. Strasburg. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g53772-Strasburg_Pennsylvania-Vacations.html