You may have seen the expression “bleeding heart” used occasionally in political columns. Actually, it has a surprisingly long history in Western literature. According to Merriam-Webster, the phrase first appeared as “he felte his herte blede” in Geoffrey Chaucer’s 14th-century poem Troilus and Criseyde. It also took on a religious meaning as an image of the
At the high school where I substitute teach, an English teacher has a poster for the National Sarcasm Society. Their symbol is a jackass and their slogan is “Like We Need Your Support.” Actually, there is a Sarcasm Society (https://www.sarcasmsociety.com/) and there’s plenty of “National Sarcasm Society” merchandise available on Amazon.com. I suppose this can
I’m certainly not an expert on relationships, so I’m always open to new ideas. But I was surprised to read “When living apart keeps you together” by Julia Sklar (https://www.curbed.com/2020/2/12/21133847/couples-living-apart-together-lat-benefits). Is this the secret to a healthy union? I have heard of couples separated because of work; a promising career sometimes comes before being together
Sometimes you have to read a headline twice to fully comprehend it. “‘Living Funerals’ Offer Wake-up Call Without Trauma” by Danae King (https://www.pressreader.com/usa/dayton-daily-news/20200206/281943134876311) is the most recent to catch my attention. Occasionally a funeral for someone believed deceased is a plot device in fiction; I recall the service the town gave Tom Sawyer and his
In August 2019, I announced the publication of a story about a girl and a very special doll. One story has led to three, and now all three are available at Amazon.com in multiple formats — Kindle downloads ($1.99 each), Kindle Unlimited (free to members), and in paperback ($4.99 each). They can be accessed at
We all know that English is a flexible language, as in google becoming a verb. Yet some say it needs to be even more flexible — there is a word for being behind in your work (backlog), but what’s the word for forging ahead? A more pertinent example is the quest for a gender-neutral, third-person
If you like to solve puzzles, go to the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency in Langley, VA. In the courtyard sits Kryptos, a sculpture with a copper scroll containing an encoded message of punched letters in four parts. In its almost 30-year history, three parts have been decoded. But the fourth part is still
Here is something to think about as you follow the news about the coronavirus outbreak. In 1665, a tailor from the English village of Eyam received a box of materials from London. He needed the contents to make clothes for the villagers. But the box contained more than cloth; it also delivered fleas carrying the
No, this is not a joke. An Egyptian has spoken for the first time in 3000 years. It was only one syllable, but still… As you must have guessed, the person was actually the mummy of a priest named Nesyamun who lived three millennia ago. And yet scientists were able to reproduce his speech. How
If you’re wanting to eat healthier, but are having trouble resisting the allure of junk food, there is good news. A new study in the Journal of Marketing Research says that being exposed to the scent of junk food for at least two minutes can help you make healthier choices. It seems counter-intuitive, but this research suggests