From the monthly archives:

November 2011

TANAKH: the entire canon of the Old Testament

November 30, 2011

I read a fascinating article in the New York Times this past week about a woman who teaches at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Amy-Jill Levine is the University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies.    At first blush that might not strike you as unusual, but the story is that Dr. Levine is a Jewish scholar [...]

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DISINGENUOUS: lacking in candor, giving a false impression of integrity

November 29, 2011

To characterize someone as disingenuous is more than to call them a liar.  A disingenuous person is capable of leading you to believe that they are in synch with you, or support you.  However, the truth is that they secretly disregard you and oppose you.   The pain of discovering someone to be disingenuous is to [...]

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COPASETIC: okay, just right, all in order

November 27, 2011

My first “real job” was with Nabisco as a salesperson.   I was a disaster.  Instead of “selling” a store owner on purchased vast amounts of product, I would agree with them that business was slow and they probably didn’t need more boxes of cookies and crackers.  The company sent a man to “mentor” me on [...]

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BUYER’S REMORSE: a feeling of dissatisfaction with a product after purchasing it

November 26, 2011

A number of commentators have expressed the idea that the American public has buyer’s remorse after electing Barack Obama to the Presidency.   Their point is that he promised great things and has not delivered on them.  They remember his campaign as being one filled with hope, promise, and vision, but that since becoming President he [...]

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COPROPHILIA: a sensitive concept; caution advised before reading

November 25, 2011

I’m serious about the comment in the title.  This is a “dirty” definition. I stumbled across the term coprophilia in an article in Sunday’s New York Times in the Book Review section, of all places.  It was imbedded in an article by Dorothy Gallagher, an author, who was reviewing a new book, Eva Braun by [...]

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THANKSGIVING DAY IN PITTSBURGH

November 24, 2011

    There was a time when Pittsburgh was known as a foul, dirty city covered with coal dust.  Buildings were crusted with decay, industry was flat (nearing extinction) and the mindset of the people who lived there was just as dark.   Industry had left the city and there was an absence of hope. I [...]

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PLETHORA: an overabundance

November 23, 2011

I have to admit to having been one of the people who has used plethora (accent on the first syllable, please) incorrectly to mean many.  For instance, it would not have been unusual for me to say something like, “I have a plethora of shirts from which to choose. What I am saying in that [...]

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JFK: 48 years ago today

November 22, 2011

Forty-eight years ago today President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.  The world changed that day. In the past month two publications have become available, a novel called 11/22/63  by Stephen King and a biography by Chris Matthews called Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero.  I have reserved the King novel for reading over the holiday, but I’m [...]

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ALLEGATION: an assertion made with little or no proof

November 21, 2011

It seems as if there has been an epidemic of allegations over the past several weeks which were aimed at high-profile personalities.   It seemed like a good time to look at the word allegation so we can be clear about the legal ramifications of the word.   Many people confuse it with other legal jargon, such [...]

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CANTANKEROUS: contentious and crotchety

November 20, 2011

    It was a toss-up today as to whether I would use cantankerous or crotchety.   I love both words, but had to make a choice, so cantankerous won.   It’s a great word that, when used, doesn’t need a great deal of explanation.   It’s almost onomatopoeia,  in that the sound of the word tells you [...]

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