Fragilay

In the classic Holiday movie, A Christmas Story, the cantankerous Dad was exuberant that he won a “major” award and couldn’t contain himself when the cherished award was delivered to his house. As he examined the crate, he read the words stamped on the outside and said “Fragilay, it must be Italian,” badly mispronouncing the … Continue reading Fragilay

Into the Abyss

In the science fiction movie The Abyss, a deep-sea drilling platform crew and U.S. Navy personnel are drawn into a mysterious underwater encounter.  The film follows their mission to recover a sunken nuclear submarine, during which they discover strange, unexplained phenomena in the ocean depths. As tensions rise, the crew comes into contact with a … Continue reading Into the Abyss

Olly Olly Oligarchy Free (a short lesson in “ocracies”)

During President Biden’s last speech--you know, the one where he identified all of the problems he didn’t fix because he was busy wandering around the Amazon rain forest—he said (rightly so) that America was turning into an oligarchy. Not surprisingly, according to ABC News, searches for the word oligarchy rose sharply after the speech and … Continue reading Olly Olly Oligarchy Free (a short lesson in “ocracies”)

What we all need is a little (different) perspective

In the classic animation film Ratatouille the nasty and sinister food critic Anton Ego, when asked what he would like for dinner snarled, “Know what I'm craving? A little perspective. That's it. I'd like some fresh, clear, well-seasoned perspective. Can you suggest a good wine to go with that?” The bumbling waiter Mustafa was absolutely … Continue reading What we all need is a little (different) perspective