Connect with us

Published

on

When my son was in grade school, I used to take him on three-day skiing trips during Christmas break.  Two other fathers brought their kids as well, and we always had a terrific time.

Years later, one of the other fathers died, and his widow hosted a memorial service at their house that my son and I attended.  As it happened, the “service” was a standard party with alcohol and music, and no one even mentioned the name of the deceased, let alone eulogized him.

On the drive home, I told my son, “When I die, I would appreciate a memorial service.  But if you fail to mention my name, I’m going to rise from the grave, reassemble my body, and give you a good swift kick in the ass.”

We laughed, and my son admitted that he could scarcely believe that had happened.

There is a parallel news story here, where, several days after Navalny died at Putin’s hands, Trump finally spoke of Navalny, but without even mentioning Putin, and comparing the death to his own legal woes.

Trump Speaks Following Navalny’s Death

Continue Reading

Renewable Energy

Is It Odd that Many Words in English are Supernumerary? Or Is that Superfluous? Extraneous? Unnecessary?

Published

on

Not at all.

English has an uncountable thousands of words it doesn’t need.  If you don’t believe me, check out “A Word a Day,” and learn the meanings of words that are completely useless.  The last two days brought us:

  • April 14: Flocculent (adjective: having a fluffy, woolly texture).
  • April 13: Impetrate (verb: to obtain by request or entreaty).

Maybe this impressed people a century ago, but if I wrote that a sheep was flocculent, I think you’d be rolling your eyes.

While some English speakers 400 years ago were discovering gravity, developing calculus, using newly minted telescopes to explore our solar system, and refining our understanding of logic as originally put forth by Aristotle, others were inventing words for groups of animals.

Sure, it’s useful to have words like “pack” (for dogs), “herd” (for cows and horses), “flock” (for birds), and perhaps a few others.  But what about a group of owls (a parliament), flamingos (a flamboyance), or ferrets (a business)?  And that’s just the beginning.

By contrast, Spanish has too few words, IMO.  For those interested, here are the 15+ possible meanings in English of the verb “llevar.” As someone who made an honest attempt to learn the language, I’d go into panic mode when someone would say something with any conjugation of that verb.  S***! Is he talking about wearing something, Giving someone a ride? Bringing something? Getting along well with someone?  Stealing something?

Is It Odd that Many Words in English are Supernumerary? Or Is that Superfluous? Extraneous? Unnecessary?

Continue Reading

Renewable Energy

The Universe Doesn’t Care About Us

Published

on

If you believe that a loving God has a plan for you, and is steadily guiding you towards happiness, then you disagree with the assertion here.

The rest of us are forced to admit that the universe is cooly indifferent to us and the outcome of our lives here on Earth.

This doesn’t mean, btw, that our lives are meaningless, but it does compel us to create our own meaning as we make our choices as we go along.

Another point to be made here is that there is no “galactic cavalry” that is going to come charging in, guns ablazing, to save us from the criminal insanity of the Trump administration.

The Universe Doesn’t Care About Us

Continue Reading

Renewable Energy

Sedition?

Published

on

Mark Kelly, like the vast majority of his fellow Americans, wishes to see Trump removed from office, as the president is clearly criminally insane.

That doesn’t make him, or any of the rest of us, guilty of sedition.

Sedition?

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2022 BreakingClimateChange.com