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The Battle of Los Angeles (1942)

The “Battle of Los Angeles” is the name given by contemporary sources to the imaginary enemy attack and subsequent anti-aircraft artillery barrage that took place over Los Angeles, California, just months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Reports of an imminent strike on the city led to the sounding of air raid sirens, the imposition of a blackout, and the firing of 1,400 shells at supposed Japanese aircraft, killing several US civilians. What may have actually prompted the bombardment? Discuss
…read more

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E. M. Forster

As long as learning is connected with earning, as long as certain jobs can only be reached through exams, so long must we take this examination system seriously. If another ladder to employment was contrived, much so-called education would disappear, and no one would be a penny the stupider.
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“Sheeple”

I really hesitated to include this word in this directory. ‘Sheeple’ is one of two words I really hate… The other is ‘consumer’.

 

Sheeple (a portmanteau of “sheep” and “people”) is a derogatory term that highlights the herd behavior of people easily controlled by a governing power which likens them to sheep, a herd animal that is easily led about.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheeple

 

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Sheeple

 

 

 

 

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Does that robin in your yard mean spring is in the air?

Not always – but most of us will smile at the sight anyway. A favorite of young and old alike for its vivid color and cheery song, the American robin is the state bird of Connecticut, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

We think of American Robins as harbingers of spring, so when we see them during the winter, what does that mean? Is spring coming early? Are there a few confused birds in your neighborhood? Find out in our Question of the Week: …read more

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Pometty

From the Oxford Living Dictionaries website.

Terminating in a knob or knobs, as the arms of a cross.

Used in Heraldry. Might also refer to the use of an apple, the pommel of a saddle, a finial, or an ornamental fitting.

Read more about Heraldry here… Read More

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“Mary Had a Little Lamb” Published (1830)

“Mary Had a Little Lamb” is a 19th century American nursery rhyme. It was written by Sarah Josepha Hale, who turned to writing in 1822 as a widow trying to support her family and who eventually became an influential editor and arbiter of American taste. Thomas Edison recited part of the poem to test his invention of the phonograph, and a host of musicians have recorded versions of it. The nursery rhyme is said to have been based on an actual incident in which what happened? Discuss
…read more

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Cat’s out of the Bag!

Letting the cat out of the bag is a colloquialism meaning to reveal facts previously hidden. The facts were usually hidden from a specific target audience or theatrical audience. Examples include:

  • revealing a conspiracy (friendly or not) to its target
  • in a movie or play, the revelation of a plot twist
  • letting an outsider into an inner circle of knowledge (e.g., explaining an in-joke)

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“Good night, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are.”

Jimmy Durante photo
Photo by tonynetone

“Good night, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are.” – Jimmy Durante

Jimmy Durante closed his shows and appearances with this Catch Phrase and finally revealed it was a tribute to his first wife.

 

Quote from Wikipedia:

At a National Press Club meeting in 1966 (broadcast on NBC‘s Monitor program), Durante finally revealed that it was indeed a tribute to his wife. While driving across the country, they stopped in a small town called Calabash, whose name she had loved. “Mrs. Calabash” became his pet name for her, and he signed off his radio program with “Good night, Mrs. Calabash.” He added “wherever you are” after the first year.[7]

Durante’s first wife was Jean “Jeanne” Olson, whom he married on June 19, 1921

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Durante

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Empathy

Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, i.e., the capacity to place oneself in another’s position. Read More…

Source: Wikipedia

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“furuncle”

Definition: (noun) A painful sore with a hard pus-filled core.
Synonyms: boil.
Usage: His doctor referred him to a dermatologist who would examine the furuncle on his leg. …read more

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“We can’t all be heroes. Some of us have to stand on the curb and clap as they walk by.” — Will Rogers

“We can’t all be heroes. Some of us have to stand on the curb and clap as they walk by.” — Will Rogers

I found the above quote on the Honor Flight Network’s website.

Honor Flight Network works… To transport America’s Veterans to Washington, DC to visit those memorials dedicated to honor the service and sacrifices of themselves and their friends.

https://www.honorflight.org