When Debra selected Adjectives as her subject, I suspect many of you surmised that I would select “Adverbs,” which seems a complementary part of speech.The challenge then becomes how to make the two types of linguistic modifiers work in a way that makes sense. Both are terms describing the way a specific word or phrase […]
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Posted August 31, 2020 in Monthly News A long time ago a musician named Pete Seeger wrote a song entitled, “Which Side Are You On:” The song depicted the conflict (often bloody) between the mine owners and the miners in Harlen County, Kentucky. Most of the conflicts in human history are based on perceived differences, pitting what is basically one […] Posted January 9, 2020 in Monthly News At one time, handbaskets were common. Briefcases (cases originally designed to hold legal briefs) have basically replaced them other than for the use of the term, “going to hell in a handbasket.” Both handbaskets and briefcases are small and relatively easy to carry. The saying about going to hell in a “handbasket,” implied a quick […] Posted November 3, 2019 in Monthly News I am among those who prefers life to be understandable, explainable, and—for the most part—predictable. I don’t understand all the Laws of Physics, but I believe they are “essentially” true: What goes up, must come down; Earth rotates on its axis and around the sun; the seasons change on a relatively fixed schedule, even it […] Posted September 30, 2019 in Monthly News From a poem by American poet, Walt Whitman: I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid and self-contain’d, I stand and look at them long and long. They do not sweat and whine about their condition, They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins, They […] Posted February 28, 2019 in Monthly News The expression, “May you live in interesting times,” has been considered an ancient Chinese curse since Robert Kennedy popularized the saying. What makes times interesting? In general, conflict and anxiety. Most of us are familiar with the Biblical warning about wars and rumors of wars, and very few of us have had the luxury of […] Posted December 31, 2016 in Uncategorized When I first read Debra’s article for January, “Let’s Laugh,” Aerosmith’s 1973 release, “Dream On,” started playing in my head—especially the line, “Sing for the laughter and sing for the tears.” What occurred to me is what would laughter be if there were no tears? Here are the lyrics for those who like […] Posted October 31, 2016 in Monthly News May you live in interesting times is often said to be an “ancient Chinese curse.” It is, however, neither Chinese nor ancient. Regardless of its origins, it is easy to see why living in interesting times would be considered a curse. What makes “times” interesting? The answer, of course, is change. If you can […] |
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