It’s comforting to think that the ranks of those who worry that the idiom “The world is going to Hell in a handbasket” is true, are swelling by the day. The discomforting, and perforce ignored fact, is that an equally growing number are untroubled by the idiom “Do not accept fools gladly.”… Read the rest
In amateur theater, being rejected as not good enough for a bit part is a hurtful snub. On the world stage, Donald Trump just turned that into a starring role, once again proving that he’s in a class of his own — just not in the way he fantasizes.… Read the rest
As much as it grieves me to say it, while “the good old days” and “blame it on the media” are simplistic cliches, in the space of two weeks, they have combined as a succinct summation of the state of the news business.… Read the rest
Manners may “maketh the man”, but words distinguish leadership.
A few hours before the U.S. raid into Venezuela, I watched “The Darkest Hour”, which ends with Sir Winston Churchill’s speech, that Edward R. Murrow encapsulated as: “He mobilized the English language and sent it into battle.”… Read the rest
Since we’re still intact, it’s safe to presume that despite conspiracy theorists, the object from outer space that just passed Earth really is a comet and not an alien battleship. Assuming those who really can wreck the world have a firm grasp on reality, perhaps less so.… Read the rest
Intoning “absolutely” as a response to a statement or question has become as ubiquitous and irritating as scattering “like” in sentences. However, its inclusive definition of “without exception, doubt or reservation”, is an ideal summation of the intractable “thinking” that plagues our times.… Read the rest
Railing against the idiocy and iniquities of pusillanimous media barons, shameless political opportunists and the perpetrators of the abomination of the war in Gaza having had little to no effect, it’s time to deploy what they fear most — mockery.… Read the rest
When you’re typecast as terminally polite and stuck next to a family determined to revel in being the stereotypical “neighbours from Hell,” the courteous thing to do is offer them a copy of Robert Burns’ poem, “To a Louse”.… Read the rest
A few days ago I spent some time with the loon family I wrote about last week. The parents called out twice, to help the two chicks find them in the choppy waves, which prompted the thought that my exasperation with news coverage, and the world in general, is directly related to the excessive use of pointless words.… Read the rest
In the fairy tale “The Emperor’s New Clothes”, a small child pointed out that a vain leader was riding naked in a procession meant to show off what he had been conned into believing was the most magnificent wardrobe ever created.… Read the rest