Words
Trump has achieved a new low.
I realize that pointing out the stupidity or amorality or narcissism of Donald Trump is like reminding people that the sun rises and sets every day, but occasionally he says or does something that rises to the level of incomprehensibility. Yesterday, Trump tweeted this: Did you see what he did? Trump quoted himself complimenting himself,…
Read MoreOffense kleptomaniacs
Someone recently introduced me to a term that I like a lot: Offense kleptomaniacs These are people who – no matter what was intended – will take offense, often unjustifiably. You say one thing. They hear another. You do one thing. They see another. In my life, offense kleptomaniac often lift their ugly heads when…
Read MoreLove me a good sign
We were visiting Deception Pass State Park in Washington when I saw this sign along a trail leading down to the turbulent waters of Puget Sound. I’m not sure if it’s the guilelessness of the text or the clarity of the image (or perhaps a combination of the two), but I love this sign so…
Read MoreAm I a jerk because I think this way?
This sign is affixed to the side of a local school. It’s got a lot of problems. There is the obvious and tragic punctuation problem, of course. “OWNERS” is missing a possessive apostrophe. Presumably someone (or hopefully many people) working at the school have noticed the mistake and decided to accept the error rather than…
Read MoreMeteorological adjectives are hard
Are you as confused over the adjectives for Thursday and Friday as I am?
Read More“On line” is not pride-worthy
There are few things in this world more annoying than a New Yorker (or former New Yorker) who talks about the way they say “waiting on line” instead of “in line” like it’s some kind of badge of honor.
Read MoreSomeday sucks.
“Someday” might be my least favorite word in the English language. It’s the word that prevents so many from trying so much. It’s the word that results in lament and regret. “Someday” causes people to live small lives filled with wishes and dreams and delay and inaction. “Someday” is the word that allows people to…
Read MoreHow to write for 14 years without missing a day and never run out of ideas.
I’ve been blogging since 2005. I have not missed a day, even when scumbag cowards attempted to derail my career by blatantly mischaracterizing what I write and portraying me as some crazed lunatic. I hope they are still reading today. I’ve shifted my blog to three different platforms and changed the name each time, but…
Read MoreMemorize some poems
I took a class in college on poetry. I wasn’t a poet, nor did I want to be a poet, but my creative writing advisor thought that writing poetry might teach me to distill my fiction down to its essence and find the truth about what I was trying to say in my stories. I…
Read MoreBillions with a B
I’d like to officially dispense with the phrase: “That’s billion with a B.” I’d like to eliminate it from the world forever. Make it extinct. Destroy every bit of it. Have you ever heard “million” when the person said “billion” even once in your life? Are the letters M and B so close that you…
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