On Many Subjects

Miss M (2 years old): Norman! Norman: Don't call me Norman. I have a title. It's Daddy Miss M: Daddy! Norman: That's right. Daddy. Miss M: Okay, fine, Daddy.

We all get older. I recently had a birthday and I took some time tio reflect on my life. I created a list that every woman should have by the time she is 35. This list applies if you are 22 or 75 or 54 (just like Oprah, John Travolta and me. Some of the things on this list were borrowed from Glamour magazine. 1 One old boyfriend who reminds you of how far you’ve come. 2 A decent piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in your family. 3 The knowledge of how to entertain unexpected guests and a house clean enough that you won't be embarassed when someone does drop by unexpectedly, but no so clean you make your guests uncomfortable. 4 A purse, a suitcase and an umbrella you’re not ashamed to be seen carrying. 5 A youth you’re content to move beyond. 6 A past juicy enough that you’re looking forward to retelling it in your old age. 7 The realization that you are actually going to have an old age—and some money set aside to help fund it. 8 An e-mail address, a voice mailb...

I stole this photo from Don Lewis, a REAL Scientist . Here is proof that Global Warming exists and is not just a story we tell to scare the children into good behavior.

I am a writer and a wordsmith. I thoroughly enjoy the fun of language, with its play on words, double meanings and things like that. One of the best examples of linguistic humor is from Calvin and Hobbes. In fact, we don't even need the added fun of the characters with Calvin the six year old with the shoes that look like dinner-rolls and Hobbes, the not-very-ferocious (stuffed) tiger for this to be funny- Calvin: I like to verb words. Hobbes: What? Calvin: I take nouns and adjectives and use them as verbs. Remember when "access" was a thing? Now, it's something you do. It got verbed. Verbing weirds language. Hobbes: Maybe we can eventually make language a complete impediment to understanding. Same thing happened to Google. Google was a thing, now we all Google. Calvin is right. Our language is getting weird. And I am responsible for verbing lots of words, myself. Like crayon, TV, and Calvin. To wit: I will crayon that picture. I am going home to TV for the rest ...