TELL MY WHY

You know that the prefix we use in English, de-, means to do the opposite or reverse or remove.  Some examples would be devalue, dethrone, or deemphasize or deactivate.  Now the prefix, be-, means to make, or call.  Some examples would be belittle, befuddle or befriend.  My problem is: what about seperating someone from their head?  Why to we say, behead.  We should be saying dehead.  If I lose mine, please insist they say deheaded.

Now for the answers to Monday's quiz.  

Here are the ten capital cities of Europe which are spelled with four or five letters.

Sofia

Paris

Minsk

Vaduz

Baku

Rome

Riga

Oslo

Kyiv

Bern

 

It's not that hard to pick out the creature from the last letters S N A K E  If you find another one, let me know.

Again Andy Lysaght hit me with the right answer a few hours after it was released. Why didn't he do better in school?

WORDS

 Here's a retro edition.  I wrote this on this blog 14 years ago.  'Tis the season.  My apologies to ZT.

12/05/2011

WORDS

I talk a lot about words.  There is one group of people who have their own special set of words . . . they're not special words, they're just special because of the way they are said and by whom they are said.  This special language is coach-speak...especially football coaches and particularly those with a southern twang.  I just love to hear it no matter how trite it seems.  I'm talking about words like 'character' and 'adversity' and 'courage' and 'battle' and 'leverage' and 'competitor' and 'scheme' and 'pride' and 'maturity' and 'focus'.  If you master these ten words, you can be a football coach for a long time.  I'm convinced of it.
:-)

You want to add any more?

MIDWEEK PRAYER

Tomorrow is a significant anniversary date for our country.  Here is my entry from 15 years ago - a poetic prayer by Stacey Randall. 

9/11/2010

9-11

MEET ME IN THE STAIRWELL

You say you will never forget where you were when you heard the news on September 11, 2001.
Neither will I.

I was on the 110th floor in a smoke filled room with a man who called his wife to say "Good-Bye". I held his fingers as he dialed. I gave him the peace to say, "Honey, I am not going to make it but it is OK. I am ready to go."
I was with his wife when he called as she fed breakfast to their children. I held her up as she tried to understand his words and as she realized he wasn't coming home that night.

I was in the stairwell of the 23rd floor when a woman cried out to Me for help. "I have been knocking on the door of your heart for 50 years!", I said. "Of course I will show you the way home - only believe in me now."

I was at the base of the building with the Priest ministering to the injured and devastated souls. I took him home to tend to his flock in Heaven. He heard my voice and answered.

I was on all four of those planes, in every seat, with every prayer. I was with the crew as they were overtaken. I was in the very hearts of the believers there, comforting and assuring them that their faith has saved them. I was in Texas, Virginia, California, Michigan and Afghanistan.

I was standing next to you when you heard the terrible news. Did you sense Me?

I want you to know that I saw every face. I knew every name - though not all knew me. Some met me for the first time on the 86th floor. Some sought me with their last breath. Some couldn't hear me calling to them through the smoke and flames; "Come to Me . . . this way. . . take my hand." Some chose for the final time to ignore me. But, I was there.

I did not place you in the tower that day. You may not know why but I do. However, if you were there in that explosive moment in time, would you have reached for me? That date was not the end of the journey for you but , someday, your journey will end and I will be there for you as well. Seek Me now while I may be found. Then, at that moment in time, you will know you are ready to go. I will be in the stairwell of your final moments.

:o)

AGING

Hope my special daughter-in-law had a great birthday, yesterday.  You know, birthdays are good for you.  Statistics show that those that have the most of them usually live the longest.

It's strange how everyone really wants to live a long time but no one really wants to get old. I never thought I really wanted to live a long time, but now I guess I've screwed up and have done it. 

I'm often told that I don't look 80.  The other day, I asked someone why they said that.  They said, most people they knew who were 80 were dead.

Right now I have a sore foot.  A year ago, I had a sore wrist.  The year before that, I had a sore back. I can't wait 'til New Years comes to see what I have coming next.

QUIZ

Here's a little twist for this week.  It's all part of the learning process.  You want to find the name of the creature I'm searching for.  Here's how.

There are 48 countries in Europe and two others that are partially in Europe.  Each of those 50 countries has a capitol city.  Six of the country's capitols are spelled with four letters and four have five letter capitols - all the rest have more than five letters.  Find those 10 capitol cities with just four or five letters in their name and from the last letters of their names, find the animal I'm looking for.  Simple.  

Be careful, you might learn something!  Answer on Friday.  

ANSWERS

Answers are sometimes hard to get hold of - nebulous, ethereal, intangable, diaphanous, vaporous, or metaphysical.  Well, except for basic math which only allows one answer.  Enough of this crap.

The answer to Monday's quiz is so easy that my son, Andrew, had it to me just hours after it was published.  It is very logical.  If that didn't convince you that it was easy, Amy sent me the answer the next day.  Who would have guessed?

Here's the method behind the madness.  1.  Write all the numbers on a piece of paper.  2. Look up the zip code for Indian Hill which is 45243.  This tells you that none of these numbers are correct - cross them all off.  3.  Look at the 4th clue - since two are correct, 0 and 6 are in the answer.  4.  Look at the 3rd clue - two of 1, 8, or 9 are in the answer.  This rules out 7 as a possiblility since we already have the four digits.  Cross all 7s out.  5. Look at the 5th clue - 1 has to be in the answer and in the third place.  6.  Look at the 1st clue, 6 and 8 are in the answer and one is in the correct place.  7.  Look at the 6th clue - 8 must be in the answer and in the 1st spot.   That puts 6 in the fourth spot.  Voila!  8*0*1*6

Congratulations, Winners!

WORDS

This is one from just a few months ago that I like so much, I'm repeating it already.  It hits me where it hurts.  Since I wrote this, I've had a person who would know verify that I have a good definition.  Enjoy!  

3/24/2025

LANGUAGE

Of course, languages interest me very much.  I have too much trouble with English to learn any others.  English words keep me plenty busy. 

I came across a Japanese word that I just love.  Most words in English embody a single thought.  I'm told that Chinese symbols convey meanings beyond just a single meaning but a complete thought. 

Okay, this is what I'm talking about.  I really have no idea if this is correct but it is so beautiful that I hope it is.  I use it all the time now.  The word is "KUCHISABISHII".   Kuchisabishii is not hard to say.  Break it down:  "Coo chee sa beesh ee'."  At least that's the way I say it.  I have no reference to go by.  Here's the definition I have:  "I'm not hungry but I'm eating something because my mouth is lonely."  Is that great or what?  The "lonely mouth" thing is a little far out but it conveys the idea.  One eats, sometimes, for no good reason except to pass the time . . . or just because it's been a long time since you've eaten last.  

It's sad but it does happen.  Does it happen to you?  

Now it sounds like the words a mother says to her young child when tickling and trying to induce laughter - "koochie koochie koo"  or "coochie coochie coo."  Babies eat all the time - sometimes it's only food that keeps them quiet.  I'm the same way.

Please never tickle me!

MIDWEEK PRAYER

One week ago, at 3 am, I released my "Midweek Prayer" to the internet.  I asked everyone to pray for our children starting back to school.  Six hours later, a crazy shot a gun into a church full of school kids before killing him/herself.  Two children were killed, several wounded as well as three senior citizens.  Pray harder this week.

First a note.  The following is taken from the Book of Psalms in the Bible.  Every kind of lesson you could need is in this book.  It is poetic, positive and assuring.  Find a Bible and try some of it.  Not sure why I picked this one.  

Psalm 14  'The Wickedness of Men'

Fools say to themselves, "There is no God!"  They are all corrupt, and they have done terrible things: there is no one who does what is right.  The Lord looks down from heaven at mankind to see if there are any who are wise, any who worship him.  But they have all gone wrong; they are all equally bad.  Not one of them does what is right, not a single one.  "Don't they know?" asks the Lord.  "Are all these evildoers ignorant?  They live by robbing my people, and they never pray to me."  But then they will be terrified, for God is with those who obey him.  Evildoers frustrate the plans of the humble man, but the Lord is his protection.  How I pray that victory will come to Israel from Zion.  How happy the people of Israel will be when the Lord makes them prosperous again!

NAMES

I've never known anyone named Chloe; have you?  If I do meet one, I'm going to ask if her name is short for chlorine or chloride.  

I love to watch a butterfly flutter by.  

All people can catch a "cold" but only women can catch a "hot".

QUIZ

It's Labor Day.  Time to go to work.   We'll give your maps a week off.  Here is a new one which I made up and I hope it works.  

This project is an attempt to determine a pin number.  Instead of me telling you the number, I've put together hints.  The pin is four numbers long.  The digits can be numbers 0 - 9 with no duplicate numbers.  Tell me what it is.  ? * ? * ? * ?

7 * 8 * 4 * 6   Two of the correct digits are here and one is in the right position.

5 * 0 * 9 * 3   Only one of the digits is here and it is in the right position.

2 * 1 * 8 * 9   Two of the correct digits are here but none are in the right position.

4 * 0 * 6 * 5   Two of the correct digits are here and one is in the right position.

3 * 7 * 1 * 2   Only one of the digits is here and it is in the right position

8 * 9 * 6 * 4   Two of the digits are here and one is in the right position.

The answer will come Friday.  I'm interested to find out if this is very easy or impossible with the hints given.  I'm really not sure.  At the last minute I changed one of the clues to make it easier.  Well, you be the judge.  

Happy holiday!

Wait!  Still having trouble?  No number in the Indian Hill, Ohio postal zip code is included.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"I'm a very interesting person.  I can't wait to get up every morning and hear what I have to say."

- - - Lee Trevino

WISDOM

Wisdom oozing from my brain!  

It is way better to allow others to discover you were right than it is to remind them. 

Resist this temptation. 

Answer to Monday's QUIZ.   

Okay, I traveled up I-75 past the City of  Monroe and then I got on I-275.  You see, that can't be the I-275 around Cincinnati since I went past Monroe.  In fact, there is another Monroe on I-75 in Michigan.  After this Monroe, MI you come to I-275 where I took a left turn.  I went right past Romulus, MI  - named after Romulus who founded Rome, Italy.  The right turn at Romulus, MI put me on I-94 which I took all the way to the Canada border.  There I had a drink and got onto Canada Rt 402 which I took until I hit a route one number less, Canada Rt 401 at a city sounding like England - London.  Rt 401 leads you to Toronto.  At Toronto Pearson International Airport I turned onto rt 427 to get a look at The Toronto Blue Jays stadium called the Rogers Center.  Then I swept around and got back on Rt 401.  and went as far as the Pickerington/Ajax area before I stopped for the night  They have both a casino and a nuclear generating station.    Now I traveled along Lake Onterio on Rt 401 and eventually crossed the St. Lawrence river into Montreal.  Some places there refuse to speak English.  I was now on the Trans Canada Highway.  I took it all the way to Quebec City; my destination.  Arriving there, I again crossed the river turned to go the Fairmont le Chateau Frontenac.  It really looks like a beautiful castle turned into a hotel.  Five Star - all in red brick and copper-clad metal roof.  You cross into a walled courtyard to enter.  It sits high on the hill overlooking the St. Lawrence River.  It was built by a railroad magnate in the 1890's.  I stayed there in the 90's prior to the Fairmont group buying it. It is purpotedly the most photographed hotel in the world. 

Too difficult - not for my son, Andrew or Jeff Sizer (who got no help from his wife).  Congrats, guys.

LISTS

Just a list I worked up - one that interested me.  Mayors of 25 of our largest cities  I will make no comment.  Draw your own conclusions.

Atlanta  Andrew Dickens  Democrat  Black  Male

Baltimore  Brandon Scott  Democrat  Black  Male

Boston  Michelle Wu  Democerat  Asian  Female

Charlotte, NC  Vi Lyles  Democrat  Black  Female

Chicago  Brandon Johnson  Democrat  Black  Male

Cincinnati  Aftab Pureval  Democrat  Asian  Male

Cleveland  Justin Bibb  Democrat  Black  Male

Dallas  Eric Johnson  Democrat>Republican  Black  Male*

Denver  Mike Johnston  Democrat  White  Male

Detroit  Mike Duggan  Democrat>Independent  White  Male*

Houston  John Whitmire  Democrat  White  Male

Indianapolis  Joe Hogsett  Democrat  White  Male

Kansas City  Quinton Lucas  Democrat  Black  Male

Los Angeles  Karen Bass  Democrat  Black  Female

Miami  Francis Suarez  Democrat  Latino  Male

Minneapolis  Jacob Frey  Democrat-Farm-Labor  White Male

New Orleans  Latoya Cantrell  Democrat  Black  Female

Philadelphia  Cherelle Parker  Democrat  Black  Female

Phoenix  Kate Gallego  Democrat  White  Female

Pittsburgh  Ed Gainey  Democrat  Black  Male

San Diego  Todd Gloria  Democrat  Black  Gay  Male

San Francisco  Daniel Lurie  Democrat  White  Male

Seattle  Bruce Harrell  Democrat  Black/Asian  Male

St. Louis  Cara Spencer  Democrat  White  Female

Washington DC  Muriel Bowser  Democrat  Black  Female

elected as > new party

MIDWEEK PRAYER

Let's pray for the school kids today.  

Holy Father, we lift up our school children to you.

May they feel your loving presence as they learn and grow.

Surround them with wisdom, protection and kindness.

Guide their teachers to inspire and nurture their minds.

Bless them with strength to face challenges 

and let them find joy in discovery.

Amen