Prior to emails and the internet changing our lives, English teachers worried that writing was going to become a lost artform. Ma Bell had turned all of us into voice communicators, making lawyers the only letter writers left. In this school of thought, typing classes were dropped from many high school curriculums. But alas, the power of the pen is back, big time, along with keyboarding. It’s time to dust off the old grammar books and learn some new tricks on how to write a good email.
As the election grows nearer, like everyone, I worry.
People often think election years are good for the flag business but, in truth, most retailers (except media ad men) post low sales during the third quarter of these fate-filled years.
In past years, voting day has been akin to a neighborhood block party. Everybody knows everybody. As we all stand in line chit-chatting, we talk about dog-walking, the weather, and who’s renovating the house on the corner.
I can’t say I have always agreed with our local newspaper, The Arkansas Democrat Gazette. During Little Rock’s famous newspaper war of the ‘80s, I was impressed by the Democrat, a conservative afternoon newspaper, and their tenacity in fighting the Gazette, the Gannett-owned corporate giant.
So often I think of the Royals as fodder for the tabloids. But after learning about Queen Elizabeth II, her job description, and watching the ceremonial funeral and pageantry on Monday, September 19, 2022, I realize how much more they are. On that day, the people of Great Britain were united, gracious, and courteous as thousands of peaceful onlookers fell silent in respect and reverence for their Queen and their country. I heard one Brit say, “Today I am proud to be British.”
As the smell of Fall fills the morning air and the end of another year approaches, I begin to let my mind wander. One of my weirder thoughts is, “What’s going to be this year’s Word of the Year (WotY)?”
What a week. School started, traffic increased, my baby had a baby, my kitchen remodel culminated in my house, we had sweeping staff changes at FAB, my husband got mad at me, I interviewed a nun, and I had another spot of skin cancer removed.
You know how, when you go to parties, the ice breaker between strangers is either sports talk or what-show-are-you-binging? It seems we are all looking for tips on something new to watch, and finding something that both you and your spouse enjoy can be challenging. There is no way my husband is going to watch Bridgerton; and I’m not watching Ozark.
I am so tired of the “F” word being overused. I feel like it has been stolen from me. It used to be one of my favorite words; the flair in which I used it was an artform, or so I thought. Like the younger me, this unmentionable word was rebellious, even against the law in public. But, now, it is repeated over and over …
Everyone laments about all the negative news these days, but you can’t really blame the media. They are only serving up what we humans like to hear. I must admit, when CBS’s Nora O‘Donald starts her feel-good segment at the end of all her Evening News, I get up and leave the room to start dinner.
I’m old enough to remember life before birth control, when abortions were illegal, and when women died from breast cancer. We have come a long way in women’s healthcare and lifestyle choices, since then.
Not to be part of the sheeple, but if everybody else is, I guess I, too, must weigh in on the Smith/Rock altercation at the Oscars.
Whether you’re running a small company in America, starting a war in Ukraine, or defending your property, the requirements for success are the same.
To project the power needed to attract talent, motivate people, and promote good-will, you need three things: economic strength, technology sophistication, and a compelling story.
March marks the two-year anniversary of the Covid pandemic. I’m torn between writing about the past two years of Covid’s grief, relief and yes, even joy, or about the rise of cults during our societal turmoil. Maybe they go together.
In preparing for my UIYB interview with Cole Rodgers, I read his book, School of Man. In this self-help book, Cole talks about man’s human frailties, and I am reminded of my own. He speaks of man’s struggles with communication and of their male falsehoods and self-imposed masks. Though it may be easier for women to admit their weaknesses, I am not sure that makes dealing with them any easier. To be human is to suffer on some level. Luckily, with age comes the recognizable warning signs and learned wisdom to deal with the devil speak.
It is hard to believe, in this day and age, that small men with big egos are still willing and able to wage war on innocent women and children. If you could get through his carefully narrated propaganda campaign, you might argue he is doing this for his country, if his countrymen weren’t protesting in the streets.
We often hear people lament about “the good old days.” But I remember those days. There was Polio, a high…
Arkansas doesn’t have a pro team, but it feels like we do. The University of Arkansas Razorbacks are our state’s passion. In sports bars and restaurants, alike, fans show support by unabashedly “calling the Hogs” and then high fiving each other in solidarity.
I’ve been a longtime proponent of a global economy. But after the glaring absence of China from last week’s world Climate Summit, my opinion may be changing.
It is hard to believe I have lived in my house for almost 30 years. When first moving in with a budding family, it didn’t seem big enough. Now, it’s too big.
At this stage of my life, I find many of my friends are downsizing . I too have contemplated a smaller place, but with my still-nagging ambition, and possible fallacy to believe “bigger is better,” I just can’t pull the trigger and move into a condo.
