Category Archives: Uncategorized

As my barber was finishing up, he asked: “Would you like any product?” “No.” I firmly replied. Not simply because I didn’t want anything added to what little hair I have left, but because of my strong revulsion to the grammar of the question. Doesn’t it feel as if the inquiry is missing an adjective?Continue reading “Seeking Grammatical Solace”

It was a chilly day in Chicago when the “845th Annual Bodies of Water Conference” took place. As a gathering of the who’s-who of liquid players, these conferences had typically been more routine and less dynamic. At this conference, Lake Michigan played the affable host; the larger-than-life Pacific Ocean seemed to clamor for attention atContinue reading ““Daddy, why do we stream videos?””

Not sure what these are called. Anagrams? Word-Mixups? Dunno…. But here they are: Repetition at the rent-a-pet store: I’m in a mental rut with my rental mutt. Inquiry to a patient with a back injury: Do you speak and whine with your weakened spine? Two Scottish women: She packs heat while she hacks peat. TheContinue reading “Wixed up Mords”

I’d experienced the event, but never knew what they were called. The event I am about to describe I had been erroneously been calling “long good-byes” (or “interminable departures” if more tired and grumpy). My dear friend who relocated from California to Indiana enlightened me: I have repeatedly experienced a Midwest Goodbye. Interestingly, long beforeContinue reading “Handy Planning Reference Formula for Midwest Goodbyes”

I watched these two videos a few hours apart. They speak to some of the deeper cultural differences between some countries.

In reflecting about songs people broadly tend to treasure, I find they are ones where we get a lump in our throat or our eyes might get misty. They are songs that make us appreciate the world around us, the people in our lives, the things that truly matter, and break down divisions? There’s aContinue reading “Treasured Songs”

The title is an apt summary. Imagine you’re settling in for your 16 hour bus ride. The bus is full, and you’re seated directly next to someone who initiates a dialogue. The following are 10 conversation-starters you don’t want to hear. Let me know if you get hungry. I packed plenty of tuna fish sandwichesContinue reading “10 Things You Don’t Want Your Next-Seat Passenger to Say to You at the Start of a Long-Distance Bus Trip”

There are some items in daily life where use for an alternate purpose is acceptable and so commonplace that it garners no attention. For example: Driving alone, without any passengers, in your crew cab pickup truck Using a hardback book as a solid surface when writing on a sheet of paper Using a soft t-shirtContinue reading “The Beauty of the Brush”

I have a simple request to the creative folks who work in urban planning–those folks who select the names of roadways. Please, stop playing games with us inhabitants. Even in the days of GPS and maps apps, I often remain confused. For example, in my hometown, we have 1st through 8th streets. We also have–onContinue reading “A Simple Naming Request for Urban Planners”

If you step into your neighborhood Barnes & Noble you might spot this book: Learn Mandarin Chinese: Speak, Write, and Understand Chinese in No Time. When I spotted this not-too-thick book with CD conveniently included–I was aghast. You see, I had been naïve to think that Mandarin Chinese was complicated or difficult to learn. SillyContinue reading “C’mon Monoglots! Learn Mandarin Chinese in No Time!”