November 2024

Emojis By Linda Stowe In 1963 the State Mutual Life Assurance Company of Worcester, Massachusetts, was having a problem with employee morale as the result of a series of mergers and acquisitions. To boost employee morale as well as the firm’s image, the company paid graphic designer Harvey Ball $45 to come up with a […]

I haven’t flown in a little while.  But every day, there is some story on the news about a mishap happening in the clouds up there.  Whatever happened to “Flying the Friendly Skies?” Why.  Just a few weeks ago, I heard another tale that would get anyone’s nose out of joint.  The story took place

Beer is beer, right?  Wrong. I used to be a beer drinker.  In quite large quantities, truth be told.  But I only drank one kind, and it was about as lowly on the beer scale as one can get. Miller Lite. In the can or bottle. I didn’t much care which one as long as there

There’s always more to discover in this world of ours.  Science is a good way to explore.  Anything. Everything. With that in mind, here are some good things to ponder.Have your hand at them.  The answers are at the end. Trivia question: What is the name of the tallest grass on Earth?Trivia question: Which is

I recently noticed one of those “This Day In History” blurbs in a newspaper.  It mentioned an October date in 1993.  The reference was this:  Michael Jordan retired from professional basketball, saying, “I don’t have anything else to prove,” only to return in March 1995. I didn’t care so much that he came back from

Everyday Words By Linda Stowe Language changes as everyday words get assigned new meanings. Somewhere along the line cool came to describe more than the temperature and gay came to describe more than a frame of mind. Sometimes the words are flexible and can accommodate the extra load; other times they become more associated with

Old danger sayings.“Look.  It’s Danger Mouse.”“Danger, Danger, Will Robinson. Danger.”“Danger Zone.” Ah. Danger is everywhere.  We cannot avoid it.  That possibility of suffering harm or injury. One place danger lurks is in the workplace.  For the most part, I had the kind of jobs that were low risk.  Probably the most dangerous job I ever

I’m pretty sure everyone here in the United States uses a slang word from time to time.  Maybe Professor Higgins doesn’t, but he’s in London.  Anyway, it moves from decade to decade. We had the groovy 1960s vibes.  It wasn’t long before things were rad in the 1980s. And who could forget the lit 2000s?