Piece of Mind The human brain is a wondrous contraption, at least in some people it is. It consists of a rather large number of individual pieces that go by names, some of which are almost pronounceable such as: glia, axons. neurons, photons and cosines maybe even others, which either I don’t know or are … [Continue reading ]

Notebooks An Essay by Gil French   If I had any conscience, I would not go out in public carrying my loose-leaf notebook. In fact, if I had any decency, I would bury my notebook and destroy all traces of it. Or burn it. Maybe even shred it if I had access to a shredder … [Continue reading ]

Higher Education An Essay by Gil French   College is the place where you go to classes, meet some friends who will remain so for the rest of your life and begin to become the mature citizen who contributes to his school, community and country. It helps complete your education and prepares you for a … [Continue reading ]

Calories and Other Temptations An Essay by Gil French   For some people sins are very easy to commit. It seems that nearly every day gives them one or more fresh opportunities to exercise this talent. Such individuals are objects of deep envy for some of us who do not possess such a ready skill. … [Continue reading ]

As long as humans have inhabited the surface of this planet they have enjoyed the services of the seven deadly sins, services that I (one of the aforementioned humans) employed in my youth with far greater frequency than I have more recently. This is not because I have amended my behavior to any great extent. … [Continue reading ]

My Aunt Aggie was a highly opinionated, adorable old cootress. She spent her life showing off and coming up with wise sayings. I have no idea how she came up with them. I remember a few of them and wish that I could remember them all. I think you will like them; I do. Here … [Continue reading ]

I love words. All kinds of words. I love words of fluid cadence like sonata, anatomy and phylactery; or words of savage abruptness like dolt, clod and oaf. Even words that are innocently suggestive like corpulent, annulus, pith, and epistle. I love words of tortured cadence like tintinnabulation and persiflage; or words of gentle lucidity … [Continue reading ]

The English language has, by far, more words than any other language. In fact, it has upwards of four hundred thousand words, a few of which I happen to know and can use with fair accuracy. Actually, I know lot more than a few but I don’t think I know how to spell some of … [Continue reading ]

For some people sins are very easy to commit. It seems that nearly every day gives them one or more fresh opportunities to exercise this talent. Such individuals are objects of deep envy for some of us who do not possess such a ready skill. Now the fact that we are less favored with their … [Continue reading ]

If this were a scholarly essay, I would give you, without cost or obligation, an exhaustive definition of what a pin (or needle) actually is. But, relax and rejoice, this is not a scholarly essay. It is, in truth, an essay essentially free of fact. Pins are useful, so my wife tells me, because they … [Continue reading ]