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From “numb” to “nimble”
In his remarks in the immediate aftermath of the massacre at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore. last week, President Obama commented on the epidemic of mass shootings in the US: “Somehow, this has become routine. The reporting is routine. My response here at this podium ends up being routine. The conversation in the aftermath of… Read more.
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Stampede
Last week, well over 700 people tragically died in a stampede in Mina, a neighborhood outside Mecca where Muslims carry out a symbolic stoning as part of the Hajj. This stampede occurred in the deserts of Western Asia, but the word stampede originates near the deserts of the American West. Stampede According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), English took to stampede in… Read more.
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On popes, baseball, & engines
First, my last on pontiff was recently Freshly Pressed by WordPress. Be sure to check it out if you missed it. Now, speaking of the Pope, if you’re in D.C., New York, or Philadelphia this week, you may want to snag some papal swag. Perhaps an “I (mitre) the pope” t-shirt? Seeking a humbler pontificate,… Read more.
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Pontiff
Pope Francis is visiting the US this week. His stances on climate change, homosexuality, divorce, and capitalism, among other issues, have been inspiring Catholics and non-Catholics alike. We might say he’s building bridges, a fitting description for a pontiff. Pontiff Pontiff crosses into English from the French pontif in the late 1500s. The word originally named a “bishop” or any “high… Read more.
Mashed Radish 