"The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter." —Mark Twain
Shape of Earth: Views Differ
Earlier this week, I listened to a National Public Radio report by correspondent Jerome Socolovsky on the discovery of early hominid fossils in Spain. According to Socolovsky’s report, the first fossil discovered at the site, a cave in the Sierra de Atapuerca hills north of Madrid, was a “1.2 million-year-old jawbone fragment from a species […]
Boy, I remember how upset my parents were when I told them I was marrying an Italian girl. “How can you turn your back on your own species?” they cried. But I was blinded by love and wouldn’t listen. Oh, we suffered for our love. Society turned its back on us. Restaurants wouldn’t serve us. […]
I sure get a kick out of the Tucson Weekly Police Dispatch column. This one is from the July 2, 2009 issue: A WHORIBLE SPELLER A woman freshly out of a messy divorce found alleged proof that her ex-husband is both mean and a lousy speller, a PCSD report stated. The victim said that about […]
. . . to serve the corporate masters. Warning: NPR kvetching ahead. I thought Diane Rehm’s show started off well this morning: she interviewed presidential science advisor Dr. John Holdren about the latest White House report on climate change. And here’s the thing: she had him on by himself, not up against a panel of […]
There has been much said about Twitter, most of it negative, but Twitter is shining today. I realize this is highly perishable information, but at this moment the hot trending topics include #cnnfail, #iranelection, and #tehran. Apparently Iran can’t keep its citizens off Twitter, and they’re providing the news and photographic coverage our own media […]
Keith Olbermann calls for a boycott of Fox News. Boycott how? Here’s how: when you find yourself in a bar or restaurant with the TV set to Fox News, find an owner or manager and tell him you’ll take your business elsewhere if he doesn’t change the channel, and calmly explain why. Keith then lists […]
First it was Arthur Godfrey, now this. RV parks and barbershops everywhere will be draped in black. I grew up with Paul Harvey on the radio, and must admit I enjoyed his staccato delivery and homespun manner. At some point, of course, I realized “homespun” encompassed a lot of hatred. Hatred of blacks, of hippies, […]