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U.S. Congress

PERNICIOUS [per-NISH-uhs] : deadly, harmful,

April 6, 2013

The word pernicious came into my vocabulary associated with the disease pernicious anemia, a gastric malady having to do with the loss of vitamin B12 and its effect on the gastric system.  For some reason, I picked up this word in my childhood, probably having heard it applied to someone I knew.  I think it [...]

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TRUSTWORTHINESS: being deserving of one’s trust

December 28, 2011

An interview with Fordham professor Robert Hurley caught my attention.  His new book, How to Create a High-Trust Organization, puts the emphasis about the issue of trust in the right place.  It is only partially the responsibility of the receiver to develop trust in someone.   The primary responsibility, however, is for the person being considered [...]

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SOUSVEILLANCE: ordinary citizens keeping recorded track of officials, instead of the other way around.

December 9, 2011

If you pay attention carefully, you’ll realize that the word sousveillance is a reversal of a more familiar word, surveillance.   Surveillance is a term originating in the French language which uses the prefix, sur, meaning above.   Veillance, the main body of the word means to watch.   Therefore, the meaning of surveillance is to “watch over.”   [...]

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FAIR: free from bias, dishonestry, injustice

September 19, 2011

I heard  a Priest say it in her homily: “Fair is not always equal.” She was, of course, referring to the parable from the Gospel of Matthew (20:1-16) in which the landowner compensates his workers.   He has contracted with them for a specific amount, and it doesn’t matter at what hour they begin.   The contracted [...]

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PRAXIS: action, not just theory

September 17, 2011

A friend of mine was studying for her doctorate in theology at Boston College and kept talking about praxis.  I went for the longest time pretending that I knew what she was talking about before I took the time to look it up and discovered that it is a very important word which describes the [...]

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SYNERGY: The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects. (Amer. Heritage Dictionary)

September 4, 2011

On the back of our Prius is the word synergy.  It refers to the ability of the engine of the car to operate on both battery and gas, changing back and forth as needed.  This synergy results in a vehicle which travels great distances, averaging 48 miles per gallon.  We have yet to achieve the [...]

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CATCH-22: a frustrating situation in which one is trapped by contradictory regulations or conditions.

August 9, 2011

I don’t think I’ve ever seen the entire film, Catch-22, which was based upon the book by Joseph Heller. The theme is that of a pilot who becomes concerned about the task of bombing cities and communities.   He discovers that the only way to be relieved of his duty is to declare insanity.  However, to [...]

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PRECIPICE: (press’-i-piss) a cliff overhanging a sharp decline

July 30, 2011

The reality that the government of the United States has driven itself to the edge of a very dangerous cliff has given rise to the use of the word precipice. It means the sharp edge of a cliff overhanging a dangerously steep decline.   The most dramatic image I can conjure up (apart from the photo [...]

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TAX BREAK: a generous occurrence by the government in giving people relief from higher taxation

December 6, 2010

The lines being drawn in the sand in Congress as we speak are not difficult to understand. Several years ago President Bush led Congress in giving sizable income tax breaks to alleviate economic stress. Among those breaks were tax relief for lower income, middle income and upper income people. 85% of those receiving those tax [...]

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DADT: a strategic question; a moral issue

December 1, 2010

The “Don’t  Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy which has been in effect for a number of years may be in the last days of its existence.  Or, the policy may continue to be in effect.  At this point it’s up to the U.S. Congress to decide whether to eliminate the practice or continue it.   There [...]

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