From the category archives:

IN THE NEWS

WATCH/WARNING: hurricane on the way

September 1, 2010

The photo at the right shows Hurricane Earl as seen from outer space by astronauts aboard the Space Station.  It is massive, already churning up to over 135 mile per hour winds and moving at a rapid 12 miles per hour toward the East Coast.  There is a possibility that we may see Earl on [...]

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CHICK FLICK: a movie intended for women and female interests

August 14, 2010

The definition of chick flick is meant to be derogatory.  It was probably created by a man.  It denotes a film that appeals primarily to women. Over the years the term has become somewhat less negative, having attained the status of genre, a category of film.  Like any other categorization, it may be helpful, but [...]

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NUPTIAL: marriage, or the marriage ceremony

August 2, 2010

The media coverage of  the wedding of Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky has been refreshing.  In the midst of depressing economic, environmental, and  war stories which have smothered the news for the past months, it was fun to follow this amazing young woman and her new husband through a fairy tale romance and wedding .  Some [...]

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THE ECONOMY: a comprehensive term, the meaning of which escapes many people

July 30, 2010

We all talk about it and express our concern about it.  We all know something about it, some of us more than others.  But my suspicion is that…for the most part…most of us have a limited knowledge of what it means when we say the words the economy.  Unless we have studied economics or spent [...]

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VITUPERATIVE: Using, containing, or marked by harshly abusive censure.

July 17, 2010

Over the past couple of days the media has been filled with commentary on the recorded “conversation”  allegedly between actor Mel Gibson and his ex-lover.  In highly-emotional situations like this, particularly in the entertainment industry, it is best to be cautious about jumping to conclusions about the veracity of the charges and counter-charges.
Consequently, I will [...]

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CREDITABLE or CREDIBLE: which one is the right one?

July 10, 2010

Talk about words that can be confused easily … creditable and credible are a prime example.  While they sound alike, and their meanings come close, they are two completely separate terms with definitions that deserve clarity.
Creditable: Deserving of often limited praise or commendation
Credible: Capable of being [...]

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Dither: to act irresolutely; vacillate.

July 9, 2010

The word dither is used in its verb form, dithering … as in “dithering around.“  It usually means that the person is not accomplishing anything, but is just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. In the form I have chosen to pursue it,  to dither, the word signifies the act of vacillating, unable to [...]

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NEOPHILIAC:personality type characterized by a strong affinity for novelty.

July 6, 2010

I had a tough time determining how to choose a graphic for this post.  There is not an abundance of photography or graphic design available to show a neophiliac specifically.  Is it any wonder?  Who wants their picture taken to define an obsession with new things to the point of being labeled?  A neophiliac is [...]

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PROGRESSIVE: opposed to wishing to maintain things as they are

July 5, 2010

Robert Kuttner, as I have said several times before, is a journalist for whom I have great respect.  He speaks clearly and without apparent concern for negative criticism.  I take this last characteristic to mean that he knows who he is, is comfortable with that, and has self-confidence enough to risk openly.  In addition to [...]

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POET LAUREATE: our national poet

July 2, 2010

To be named Poet Laureate of the United States, a poet must be one whose work is representative of the people of the country.  There is no specific obligation of the Poet Laureate; rather, Laureates receive a US$35,000 stipend and are given the responsibility of overseeing an ongoing series of poetry readings and lectures [...]

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