Crossroads of Civilization
Posted in Culture, Law & Legislation, Politics, Wordadvocate on Jun 26th, 2011
I initially posted this late Friday night, but fellow Author John E’s post made me think it a better idea to wait so that everyone could have some time to celebrate first. *** I read through the text of the NYS Marriage Equality Act tonight. It’s short, and you should read it, too. The final [...]
Posted in Arts, Culture, Education, Language, Wordadvocate, World on Jun 26th, 2011
A few years ago, I went to a discussion at the Asia Society Museum’s New York Center on the writing history of Islamic calligraphy. I wanted to share the information with a friend who studies typography, and found that a video of the entire discussion is available on the Asia Society’s website! And, in fact, the [...]
Posted in Food & Drink, Gods, Humor, Wordadvocate on Jun 7th, 2011
Few people know the pain of a completely silent table read.
Posted in Humor, Law & Legislation, Lifestyle, Man, Nature, Politics, Private, Self, Sex, The Heathen Republican, Woman, Wordadvocate on Jun 6th, 2011
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vidzkYnaf6Y]
Posted in Culture, J M Kearney, Law & Legislation, Politics, Wordadvocate on May 25th, 2011
I recently had an exchange with fellow Author JMK on his post, “There’s ONLY One Question.” In partinent part, JMK argued that there are “tens of thousands of people on programs like SSI and others that are scamming the system,” but I argued that there is too much emphasis on individual fraud, not enough emphasis [...]
Posted in Lifestyle, Media, Wordadvocate on May 24th, 2011
Hello everyone, it’s good to be back! I’ve written before about exercise and weight loss. In sum, I’ve learned that there are no secrets to getting in shape and losing weight. It is only necessary to exercise regularly and to eat real food. The real question that determines success is staying motivated to go through [...]
Posted in Culture, Education, Ethics, Health & Health Care, Language, Law & Legislation, Media, Mind, Politics, War, Wordadvocate on Feb 24th, 2010
You have done X. Thus, if I do X or something similar to X, you have no right to argue against me.
Posted in Language, Wordadvocate on Feb 23rd, 2010
While writing my other post today about pronunciation tips in Spanish, I mentioned that, back in the day, students were told to hold lighters in front of their mouths to practice saying certain consonants without aspiration. But the phrase “hold lighters in front of their mouths” got me thinking about a peculiarity of English pluralization. [...]
Posted in Culture, Language, Wordadvocate on Feb 23rd, 2010
For some reason, pronunciation has been eliminated almost entirely from Spanish curricula across the country at every level of education. Lucky for you I have some training in phonetics and phonology, and I managed to smuggle the following information out of some university somewhere. But my clandestine risks are your gain! Please enjoy my tips [...]
Posted in Politics, Wordadvocate on Feb 6th, 2010
Anti-welfare conservatives will often argue that government coddling perpetuates poverty, and that charity is a better option for people who are in mortal need of the basic necessities of life. However, the strict incentive structure of the conservative viewpoint seems to make this argument moot. If charity were a better option then welfare, then welfare-eligible [...]
Posted in Arts, Wordadvocate, World on Feb 2nd, 2010
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pI62J1kpCK0] Huecco – Pa’ mi guerrera (Spain) More videos after the jump.
Posted in Lifestyle, Wordadvocate on Jan 2nd, 2010
*Of course, consult with your doctor, exercise professionals, nutritional professionals, etc. before beginning a diet or exercise routine; this blog post is about my opinion and is not a supplement to or a replacement for professional advice; other disclaimers you should already be aware of. *** Now that the new year is upon us, many [...]
Posted in Politics, War, Wordadvocate, World on Dec 21st, 2009
If any representatives from Al Jazeera have questions or concerns, please contact me via my Author page. No profits are being made from this translation. View the originals here. Shirt collar reads, “Arab Silence” The writing in bold in the right side of the document reads, “The Bill of Human Rights” “Human Rights Law” The [...]
Posted in War, Wordadvocate on Nov 21st, 2009
Back in September, I translated the first part of a remarkable story in the Spanish newspaper El País about the experiences of Spanish troops fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan. Below is the second part of that report. Click here to read my translation of the first part. Click here to read the entire report as [...]
Posted in Gods, Self, Wordadvocate on Oct 30th, 2009
1. I was so thankful that Andy had chosen to go with me. It was my first time sharing the gospel, and Andy was the director of the ministry. I supposed I trusted some of the more mature Christians there, but I felt that I could trust Andy absolutely to lead me in the Spirit. [...]
Posted in Culture, War, Wordadvocate on Sep 30th, 2009
There was a remarkable story about the Taliban published this past June in the Spanish newspaperEl País. After much delay I’m finally getting around to translating it. I don’t have a lot of time these days, so I’ll be posting the translation across a few posts. If any representatives from El País have questions or [...]
Posted in Culture, Wordadvocate on Sep 27th, 2009
Ready in 25 minutes (5 minutes prep, 20 minutes baking), these are my new way to bring very ripe fruit back from the dead: This recipe is inspired by Nikki’s Healthy Cookies over at 101cookbooks. I changed the original recipe by switching out the almond meal for all purpose flour and I didn’t use vanilla [...]
Posted in Culture, Wordadvocate on Sep 20th, 2009
About two months ago, I started making my own pizza. I quickly found that, even when using canned sauce and toppings, homemade dough is vastly superior to any delivery I’ve ever gotten. Today, however, I made EVERYTHING from scratch. The result is the best pizza I’ve ever had (even after three trips to Italy and [...]
Posted in Education, Language, Wordadvocate on Sep 8th, 2009
I’ll be doing a more comprehensive approach to language learning soon, but I thought I’d share an interesting method I’m using to learn French that, so far, seems effective and – most importantly – fun. First, take one or two semesters of the target language at a local college or university. You’ll need to learn [...]
Posted in Culture, Wordadvocate on Aug 17th, 2009
I am finally working my way through Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself, which has eluded me for the past five years. As is, perhaps, normal for the novice reader of Song of Myself, I find myself continuously thinking of others as I read it. But must I think more of myself? If I ask myself [...]
Posted in Culture, Wordadvocate on Jul 28th, 2009
I previously wrote about my intentions to find the best fresh coffee beans in my area. I am pleased to announce the results of my expedition: Tie. It turns out that there are dozens of places around here that offer freshly roasted coffee beans, and each one offers at least a dozen different beans and [...]
Posted in Culture, Law & Legislation, Politics, Wordadvocate on Jul 27th, 2009
As is often the case, we find ourselves polarized on how to understand the arrest of Harvard’s Henry Louis Gates, Jr., according to whether we support Gates, Crowley, or whether we abstain (courteously). I have been surprised at the sweeping conclusions that have been reached by so many people based on this incident in isolation. [...]
Posted in Gods, Humor, Language, Wordadvocate on Jul 21st, 2009
Via The Faculty Lounge, I was reminded of an institution I’d read about a few years ago, Reincarnation Bank. Ostensibly, you can store your finances here for retrieval upon your next rebirth. A nondescript clause at the bottom of Reincarnation Bank’s home page seemed to me, however, far more compelling: “All enquiries will be answered [...]
Posted in Culture, Lifestyle, Sport, Wordadvocate on Jul 18th, 2009
A few years ago, I made some significant changes in my life. After several years of inactivity, I decided, on one sunny day, to go for a run. I went to Sports Authority, bought the most athletic looking sneakers I could find, and proceeded to have a nice run after I got home. The nausea [...]
Posted in Media, Wordadvocate on Jul 8th, 2009
Really. Front page.