From the category archives:

ECLECTIC

ARIA: an operatic solo sung with accompaniment

February 3, 2012

My favorite movie of all time is Philadelphia, starring Tom Hanks.  It hit the theaters in 1993, the story of a young attorney who contracts AIDS  and brings suit against his law firm when they fire him because of his illness.   At one point in the movie he is in his apartment with his lawyer, [...]

Read the full article →

HARMONIC: compatible elements

January 30, 2012

Boy, this was a tough one.  If you were to take the time to look up the word harmonic in the dictionary (it doesn’t matter which one) you’d probably be overwhelmed by the scientific explanation of this phenomenon.   It has to do with the falling into place of elements of physics which are compatible.   But [...]

Read the full article →

INDIVIDUATION: the process of learning how to stand apart from the crowd and be one’s true self

January 29, 2012

It’s a strange cycle when you come to think about it.   A baby is born as a solitary being.   In fact, some child psychologists and theologians have said that a newborn baby is the most selfish being in existence.  It is totally dependent upon others for its existence and demands care.  That’s not a judgment [...]

Read the full article →

INSOMNIA: an inability to sleep or stay asleep

January 13, 2012

Is there anything more frustrating than tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep or get back to sleep?  Insomnia is the given name for the condition, whether it be transient/occasional or chronic.  Either way, it’s a bear. Clearly, there are known factors which can produce sleeplessness.  Caffeine is the most prominent among them, and [...]

Read the full article →

KIT AND CABOODLE: the entire thing, all items in a specific place or location

January 9, 2012

I love words and terms that are characterized as “Americanisms.”   The other day I overheard a conversation in which a person talked about having to “get rid of the whole kit and caboodle.” I hadn’t heard the term in years.  I quickly pulled out my I-phone and added it to my notes list. What a [...]

Read the full article →

AULD LANG SYNE: “for old times’ sake”

January 1, 2012

I won’t pretend to be original on this information.  I captured it on the web  this morning, Wikipedia having done the research.  But it’s worth repeating, in case you haven’t looked it up. Written at the end of the 18th century by Scottish poet”Rabbie” Burns, the song-poem Auld Lang Syne is roughly translated as “for [...]

Read the full article →

BOXING DAY: the first weekday after Christmas

December 26, 2011

Traditionally, the first weekday after Christmas is celebrated in England and other Commonwealth countries as Boxing Day.  It is customary for the “hired help” to have the day away from work, and there are gifts for them and for their families.  In more recent years as the incidence of “hired help” has diminished, Boxing Day [...]

Read the full article →

FANTASY INTERVIEW: an imaginary conversation with currently unavailable people

December 25, 2011

How about a little fantasy this Christmas Morning?  Try this conversation between a reporter and the parents of the new-born Jesus of Nazareth.   Reporter:  We’re here in Bethlehem with Joseph and Mary Carpenter, the parents of a new-born child, who they have named Jesus.   This couple, from Nazareth, have traveled here to Bethlehem, the [...]

Read the full article →

YULETIDE: the season of Christmas

December 19, 2011

The burning of the yule log is a northern European custom which actually pre-dates the birth of Jesus.   Its significance was tied to the winter solstice, the day of the year with the shortest daylight hours.   Traditionally, winter solstice is observed on or about December 21.   In the traditional British language, the period beginning with [...]

Read the full article →

BIG APPLE: a nickname for New York City

December 18, 2011

In case there are typographical errors in this posting, let me be clear that it is 5:30 a.m. and we’re about to jump in the car and head for New York City for the day.  It’s about a three hour drive each way.  The magnet is working, however.  What’s a Christmas season without the chance [...]

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries