Being on the Same Page
The expression 'being on the same page' connects at least three notions. First there is the idea that people can be together sharing what they observe, with the idea that people can comprehend what is 'on the page' in the same way, with the further idea that they can communicate meaningfully to each other that they comprehend what is on the page in a like manner. What is troubling is that with each step in the above ideas from location, to comprehension, to communication, there is an immense probability of failure.
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The Impact on my Reading and Writing of JK Rowling's Harry Potter Series
As a book writer, I can quite proudly say that my desire to writing and subsequent writing was tremendously influenced by JK Rowling's success with the Harry Potter series of books. I came across Harry quite by accident. Many times, I would visit Borders Books or Barnes and Noble at lunch time in Washington, DC. Books are my passion, and I like all kinds of books, fiction or non-fiction. I am aware that I was aware that he was being promoted. However, my interest was in series of books because I loved to read on the metro, and when I did read I would read a whole series. This was over a period of a decade, at least. There may have been three or more Harry Potter books out there before I really became aware of them.
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Dumbing down - A Verbal Art
I was at last year's London Book Fair and had sat down for a coffee and was talking to a printer from California who claimed that his paper was being used around the world and could be found in almost every book store. "You see," I said, "I am an artist, and I like to think on paper pencil in hand, and I don't like any of the papers of notepads that I am currently seeing in England. The paper is too heavy for me and not smooth enough. I once bought three notebooks in the States and they were perfect for me. I have tried high and low to find those notebooks again, but have had to give up." The man just looked at me and did not say much. "He thinks I'm a looney toon," I thought to myself.
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Taking a Bite From the Apple - Literally
My local grocery has started selling apples by the bag, but three types of apples within each bag, a bit of an apple deli. "My! They look nice," the check out lady exclaimed as I put them through, and added "I think I'll get some of those too!" Yes! They did look very pretty. Several were green, some were bright red, and some were a soft yellow. "I will start on the yellow ones first," I thought to myself."
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What We Have Here is a Failure to Communicate
So often, we say things that others hear and interpret in entirely different ways from what we intended. So it is with artists that seek to be creative. When artists speak, they often do it through their paintings or pictures. Each viewer interprets the image seen in a different way. Speakers say something, but by the time it reaches the region of understanding, the content has been adjusted by uncious parts of our mind that do things at speeds that would make us shudder. And, they do things behind our back, literally, quickly, and quietly. Such is the processing that goes on in our brains that we are really lucky if we understand anything properly. Ever take classes at university and try to reconstruct a lecture?
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Ruminating - A Verbal Art
Every get that feeling that you are being watched. Well cows like to watch you. They do very little but watch you. There is just a sense of acceptance that you are there and that you are something interesting to watch. After a while, if you do not move, they turn their head away and stop watching you. This, it is important that you keep moving, but not in a way that would alarm. There is something Britney Spears about this. If she keeps moving and doing crazy things, everyone like cows, stop what they are doing and watch her, read about her, just soak up everything they can about her. Its OK if we just watch. The problem arises if we do something.
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Cudding - A Verbal Art
Cudding is what cows do, namely chewing on something verbally. Chewing one's cud is a good way to relax. Just take your time and mull something over as you chew gently. Have you ever seen cows chewing. They take their time, just like you do on the beach. In fact, a very good place to chew one's cut is lying out in the sun on a soft sandy beach with nothing to do other than chew away quietly to yourself.
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Lugubriating - A verbal Art
Don't tell me that you have never heard of lugubriating. Perhaps, you have heard of lugubrious. It's a word that you would save for a politician, n'est-ce pas! I think I have used the term for the first time in history as a verb.
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Will Ye No Come Back Again - Books as Old Friends
Books for free - The Gutenberg project offers heaps of reading for young people at the relatively low cost of downloads and re-printing. Remember that it is definitely cheaper, more environmental friendly, and perhaps easier to buy the book off the shelf if you can find a publisher and bookstore with it.
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Daily Photos of BLOGGERS from Around the Globe
The earth is a wonderful and beautiful place. Some bloggers have decided that they would share this beauty with the world each day. You will find the images on these blogs interesting and very frequently amusing, as bloggers do have a sense of humour. This list is by no means complete. I found Ann's site for Montego Bay, Jamaica particularly interesting.Can you find the guineps photo? Do you know what guineps are?
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Meandering - A Verbal Art
My image of meandering is that of a stream or really large river like the Grand River than meanders through South Eastern Ontario, or the Mississippi River that meanders down the middle of most of United States. Meanderings are winding statements that cover a lot of ground without moving in a straight line in the 'downhill' direction.
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Eruditing Philosophical - A Verbal Art
Research and study result in erudition, a state of being well versed in one's chosen fields. Once one has mastered an area of work, it becomes possible to philosophize based on what one knows.
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Weevilling - A Verbal Art
Patrick O'brien in his book, Master and Commander, now a film, once asked, "What is the worst of three evils?" I take the liberty of referring to the verbal art of finding evil in everything as weevilling. I do it sometimes myself. The weevil is a tiny creature that loves sea biscuits and enjoyed the life at sea during much of the period when huge-tall masted sailing boats were the norm.
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Mythologizing - A Verbal Art
The challenge of our reality is that it is 99 percent mythology. Some people may be shocked by this, but I can assure you that it is true. What is real has no physical basis. Deepak Chopra the author and philosophy refers frequently to the quantum world that makes up our bodies, which changes almost every atom in a contiuous inflow outflow process. More...
Wiseacreing - A Verbal Art
The world of the internet is mindboggling. Wiseacreing is what we do when we make use of stuff that we really don't understand, nor have any strong basis of understanding. The past is one of these regions of uncertainty, as is the future. When we discuss these regions we enter the world of wiseacreing because we have to speculate.
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Mugwumping - A Verbal Art
When I first heard this expression, I laughed. I was sitting in my office in Wimbledon as an employee of Ronald Brech Inc a company of economic advisers. My boss was Ronald Brech, a former editor of the Economist during the time of the Great Second War when they rationed paper, used it on me during a serious corporate discussion. He said, "Arthur! Don't be such a mugwump. I want to know what you really think. Explain yourself." I was highly amused. "What on earth does mugwumping mean," I wondered. I knew what a mug was, or thought I did. My thoughts were about the look on one's face, a look of someone silly, mistaken, or full of himself. I thought, "Well! I can't really argue with that. He has a point." But, I was wrong.
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Yarning - A Verbal Art
Telling a sea yarn is an ancient skill and pasttime. We have many of the stories that were told by the many boys and men sailing seas during the four hundred years leading up to the twentieth century. Mariners continue to spin yarns as the while away hours and days.
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We Remember Some English Authors and Illustrators
Tom Adams
John Agard
Allan Ahlberg
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