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Tag Archives: meaning
Everything Not Forbidden Is Compulsory
When I first passed this sign yesterday morning on the way to class, I thought it was an instruction in etiquette: “Don’t sit here because this is a table, and sitting on tables is rude.” Silly me.
Posted in Bill of Rights, books, COVID-19, critical thinking, current events, divisiveness, education, First Amendment, free speech, freedom, history, language, literature, news, novel coronavirus, politics, society, totalitarianism
Tagged books, COVID-19, education, etymology, First Amendment, free speech, history, language, literature, meaning, novel coronavirus, Orwell, politics, social distancing, word, writing
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«Une vendetta» de Guy de Maupassant: Une analyse avec une touche existentialiste
Comme autres écrivains du 19e siècle (par ex. Charles Dickens en Angleterre et Alexandre Dumas en France), Guy de Maupassant a d’abord publié son histoire «Une vendetta» dans un journal, Le Gaulois le 14 octobre 1883. L’histoire se déroule en … Continue reading
Posted in French, language, literature
Tagged «Une vendetta», French, Guy de Maupassant, language, literature, meaning, religion, writing
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Measuring Life in Semesters: I Am a Teacher
During what was probably the most important ten-plus years of my life, I was a member of a tiny parish in the Episcopal Church. Actually, it was so small that it was officially a mission, dependent upon the diocese for … Continue reading
Posted in critical thinking, education, writing
Tagged critical thinking, education, identity, meaning, student, teacher, writing
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Among: Advent Word 14
Among all the Advent words for this year, only today’s is a preposition. The remainder of the list comprises seven nouns and fourteen verbs (including, of course, some crossovers). These are the draft horses of the language–the persons, places and … Continue reading
Posted in Advent, grammar, language, religion
Tagged Advent, grammar, language, meaning, preposition, relationship, religion, syntax
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Let Me Count the Ways
I am not certain I ever heard the name Harvey Weinstein before October 5, when The New York Times published its initial exposé of sexual-misconduct allegations and hush-money payoffs. Nor have I followed the increasing media firestorm with any interest though the … Continue reading
Posted in language, movies, politics, sexuality
Tagged definition, First Amendment, Harvey Weinstein, language, meaning, media, Orwell, politics, rape, semantics, sexual violence, word
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Naming Evil
I write today in the bloody wake of the most recent in an increasingly frequent series of mass killings–this time, the deaths of 58 country music fans at the hands of a gunman poised 32 floors above the concert venue … Continue reading
Posted in current events
Tagged definition, etymology, good and evil, history, language, meaning, politics, religion, semantics, word
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Biology, Destiny, and the Politics of Dys-
I am aware that when Freud pronounced his now-vilified dictum of biological determinism, “anatomy is destiny,” he was referring specifically to sexuality, which is not my subject here–at least not my only subject. However, because I like to be well … Continue reading
Posted in language, politics, sexuality
Tagged definition, disability, discrimination, identity, issue, language, meaning, politics, race, sex
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The Issue Issue
I can’t pinpoint when issue reared its euphemistic head and took the place of problem or difficulty in the general parlance, but the usage is now of epidemic proportion. The media are replete with sidebars about anger issues and relationship issues and weight issues. Students’ excuses for late homework … Continue reading