Powerful Pen

“If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.”
 

―Martin Luther (1483-1546), German theologian whose criticism of the Catholic Church’s sale of indulgences sparked the Protestant Reformation in 1517.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Editorial Comment: Worked for Fr. Martin.

 

 

PeezPIX

The December issue is out early.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FREE! Get TODAY'S WORD ON JOURNALISM in your email This free “service” is sent to 2,000,000 or so subscribers around the planet more or less every weekday morning during WORD season. If you have recovered from whatever illness led you to subscribe and don’t want it anymore, send “unsubscribe” to ted.pease@gmail.com. Or if you want to afflict someone else, send me the email address and watch the fun begin. (Disclaimer: I just quote ’em, I don’t necessarily endorse ’em. Don’t shoot the messenger.)  

 

Ted Pease, Professor of Interesting Stuff, Trinidad, California. (Be)Friend The WORD 

 

“I don’t think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones, in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.” —Tom Stoppard

Errata

 

Richard Lederer has spent a career having fun with the English language. Over the years, he has compiled and reveled in newspaper corrections. Here are some to brighten your Black Friday:

• In criticizing the political views of Patrick Buchanan, William Bennett said, “It’s a real us-and-them kind of thing,” not, as we reported, “It’s a real S&M kind of thing.”

• It was incorrectly reported last Friday that today is T-shirt Appreciation Day. In fact, it is actually Teacher Appreciation Day.

• The sermon at the Presbyterian Church this coming Sunday will be “There Are No Sects in Heaven.” The subject was incorrectly printed in yesterday’s edition as “There Is No Sex in heaven.”

• From a California bar association’s newsletter: “Correction—the following typo appeared in our last bulletin: ‘Lunch will be gin at 12:15 p.m.’ Please correct to read ‘12 noon.’”

• Just to keep the record straight, it was the famous Whistler’s Mother, not Hitler’s, that was exhibited. There is nothing to be gained in trying to explain how this error occurred.

• An April 5 story stated that Andrea Fratello did not return a reporter’s calls seeking comment. Fratello died last December.

• In a recent edition, we referred to the chairman of the Chrysler Corporation as Lee Iacoocoo. His real name is Lee Iacacca. The Gazette regrets the error.

• The marriage of Miss Freda von Amburg and Willie Branton, which was announced in this paper two weeks ago, was a mistake which we wish to correct.”

—Richard Lederer, variously known as “Attila the Pun” and “Conan the Grammarian,” etc., is author of more than 50 books, including The Bride of Anguished English, 2000.

Editorial Comment: Setting the record straight — how quaint!

 

 

PeezPIX

The December issue is out early.

 

 

 

 

 

 

FREE! Get TODAY'S WORD ON JOURNALISM in your email This free “service” is sent to 2,000,000 or so subscribers around the planet more or less every weekday morning during WORD season. If you have recovered from whatever illness led you to subscribe and don’t want it anymore, send “unsubscribe” to ted.pease@gmail.com. Or if you want to afflict someone else, send me the email address and watch the fun begin. (Disclaimer: I just quote ’em, I don’t necessarily endorse ’em. Don’t shoot the messenger.)  

 

Ted Pease, Professor of Interesting Stuff, Trinidad, California. (Be)Friend The WORD 

 

“I don’t think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones, in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.” —Tom Stoppard

‘Things Can Get Better’

 

“What I’ve always believed is that humanity has the capacity to be kinder, more just, more fair, more rational, more reasonable, more tolerant. It is not inevitable. History does not move in a straight line. But if you have enough people of goodwill who are willing to work on behalf of those values, then things can get better.”

—Barack Obama, 44th U.S. president, “Why Obama Fears for Our Democracy,” The Atlantic, Nov. 16, 2020.

Editorial Comment: A thought for Thanksgiving Day.

 

 

PeezPIX

The December issue is out early.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FREE! Get TODAY'S WORD ON JOURNALISM in your email This free “service” is sent to 2,000,000 or so subscribers around the planet more or less every weekday morning during WORD season. If you have recovered from whatever illness led you to subscribe and don’t want it anymore, send “unsubscribe” to ted.pease@gmail.com. Or if you want to afflict someone else, send me the email address and watch the fun begin. (Disclaimer: I just quote ’em, I don’t necessarily endorse ’em. Don’t shoot the messenger.)  

Ted Pease, Professor of Interesting Stuff, Trinidad, California. (Be)Friend The WORD 

“I don’t think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones, in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.” —Tom Stoppard

On Democracy!

“You have to remember one thing about the will of the people: it wasn't that long ago that we were swept away by the Macarena.”
 

―Jon Stewart, political and cultural savant, 2016.

 

 

 

Editorial Comment: Is that an argument for or against democracy?

 

PeezPIX

Pickin’ Time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November’s Senior News is delicious. Check out “Especially Now, Food Is Family.” Watch for December’s issue, “Holidays Past & Present,” coming out this week.

 

FREE! Get TODAY'S WORD ON JOURNALISM in your email This free “service” is sent to 2,000,000 or so subscribers around the planet more or less every weekday morning during WORD season. If you have recovered from whatever illness led you to subscribe and don’t want it anymore, send “unsubscribe” to ted.pease@gmail.com. Or if you want to afflict someone else, send me the email address and watch the fun begin. (Disclaimer: I just quote ’em, I don’t necessarily endorse ’em. Don’t shoot the messenger.)  

 

Ted Pease, Professor of Interesting Stuff, Trinidad, California. (Be)Friend The WORD

 

“I don’t think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones, in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.” —Tom Stoppard

 

 

‘This Trivial World of Men’

 

“I am learning nothing in this trivial world of men. I must break away and get out into the mountains to learn the news.”

―John Muir (1838-1914), naturalist, author and “Father of the National Parks,” quoted by Samuel Hall Young in Alaska Days with John Muir, (1915). Image: With Teddy Roosevelt, Yosemite, 1903.

 

 

 

 

 

Editorial Comment: That is the kind of news we all could use about now.

Note: In July, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune told club members, “we must also take this moment to reexamine our past and our substantial role in perpetuating white supremacy,” including the racism of conservation’s patron saint, John Muir. The statement and the responses from Sierra Club members was an extraordinary moment of institutional mea culpa. See “Pulling Down Our Monuments,” July 22, 2020

 

PeezPIX

Good. Night. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November’s Senior News is delicious. Check out “Especially Now, Food Is Family.” Watch for December’s issue, “Holidays Past & Present,” coming out this week.

 

FREE! Get TODAY'S WORD ON JOURNALISM in your email This free “service” is sent to 2,000,000 or so subscribers around the planet more or less every weekday morning during WORD season. If you have recovered from whatever illness led you to subscribe and don’t want it anymore, send “unsubscribe” to ted.pease@gmail.com. Or if you want to afflict someone else, send me the email address and watch the fun begin. (Disclaimer: I just quote ’em, I don’t necessarily endorse ’em. Don’t shoot the messenger.)  

 

Ted Pease, Professor of Interesting Stuff, Trinidad, California. (Be)Friend The WORD

 

“I don’t think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones, in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.” —Tom Stoppard

 

 

Prejudice

“Prejudice is a great time saver. You can form opinions without having to get the facts.” 

 

—E.B. White (1899-1985), writer and lover of dogs. Image: Will Burrard-Lucas willbl.com/land-of-giants/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Editorial Comment: Don't confuse me with facts. I know what I know.

Note: Primo WORDster Dr. Mardy informs WORD Central that, “I am almost certain that E.B. White did not say this.” Mardy is one of the world's most eminent quotemeisters and wordmen (https://www.drmardy.com/); he would know. Whoever did say it, the sentiment is worth noting; E.B. is credited with it, and I’m sure he would endorse it if he could be reach for comment. The WORD regrets the error and thanks Dr. Mardy for his vigilance.

 

 

PeezPIX

 

Crabbing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November’s Senior News is delicious. Check out “Especially Now, Food Is Family.” Watch for December’s issue, “Holidays Past & Present,” coming out this week.

 

FREE! Get TODAY'S WORD ON JOURNALISM in your email This free “service” is sent to 2,000,000 or so subscribers around the planet more or less every weekday morning during WORD season. If you have recovered from whatever illness led you to subscribe and don’t want it anymore, send “unsubscribe” to ted.pease@gmail.com. Or if you want to afflict someone else, send me the email address and watch the fun begin. (Disclaimer: I just quote ’em, I don’t necessarily endorse ’em. Don’t shoot the messenger.)  

 

Ted Pease, Professor of Interesting Stuff, Trinidad, California. (Be)Friend The WORD

 

“I don’t think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones, in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.” —Tom Stoppard