June

(under construction)

Week 1- Habit Week 2- Backspin Week 3- Damage Week 4- Galley

Habit 060313 Monday

Often we call a tendency to repeated action a habit. However, that is only one way that our word this week can be used. Nuns wear habits and also do things by habit. Many times our customs we do by habit, because that is why and the way we learned to do them. There are good habits and bad habits. Bad habits when they become entrenched are hard to break. On the other hand, we should always try to form good habits and keep them strong. Try to unlearn bad habits and make good ones!

Habit 060413 Tuesday

Are you aware that how we make decisions is a habit? Interesting, yes? One of our seven noun definitions is related to this action. That is “to perform a certain action or behave in a certain way, as in our usual way of doing things.” A habitual or characteristic condition of the mind or body is also another way of stating the thought. Habit has seven noun definitions and two verb definitions. One’s costume or dress is another definition but is less used than the others. If one has an addiction, that is also called a habit. To dress well, do well and treat others well is a very good habit to have!

Habit 060513 Wednesday

Do we grasp the significance of how habits are an integral part of our human composition? Let’s look at some specific signs that color our lives. We may have a particular costume which shows our rank, status or occupation. For instance, we see workers in the medical profession that wear scrubs such as doctors and nurses. We also see distinctive religious costumes as in “a monk’s habit.” Or we see those of elite status who wear “a riding habit” for certain occasions. We even see certain plants that have a “twinning habit.” Let’s throw away our bad habits and wear only our good habits!

Habit 060613 Thursday

Habits impact our lives in many ways, some good and some bad. Our goal should be to improve the good habits and reduce the bad. Addictions that cause us harm and damage our health, both mental and physical, should be worked on to remove their bad impact. We should have fixed attitude of improving our good habits until they become second nature. Impulsion and compulsion that creates weakness need to be discouraged so that we can become prone to promoting good habits. We should seek to have a mental inclination of improving daily in our good habits. Let’s make our habits to improve the focus of what we do daily!

Habit 060713 Friday

It is good to remember that in relationships, good habits are a great thing to develop. In contrast, bad habits can destroy good relationships. Pay attention to those productive inclinations and mannerisms that enhance your intimate associations. Doing so will bring good returns in the future. Being lax with addictions, fixations and hang-ups will bring unwanted stress and duress to the best of relationships. Be sure that your propensity for certain customs will add complications to your friendships. Don’t be selfish in dealing with your bad habits or they will drive you over the edge!

Return to 2013 Index

Backspin 061013 Monday

Our word this week is not one that most of us would use frequently. For those of us who are familiar with certain sports, backspin is something we have knowledge about. Tennis players, basketball and baseball duffers have all seen the erratic nature that backspin can put on a ball. It can also apply when we are forced to rethink a particular direction in which we have been going. The consequences of redirecting our lives because of backspin can be unsettling. Watch the ball and its rotation; it can be a clue to where it is going!

Backspin 061113 Tuesday

A very simple word, backspin is a noun and indicates a reverse direction. The definition is a backward spin given to a ball or wheel, which causes it, upon hitting a surface, to change, especially to reverse, its normal direction. When we hit the road, we should be careful how we do it!

Backspin 061213 Wednesday

On those days when you wake up and it seems that your day begins to spin out of control, it probably is because of backspin. One symptom is when you take a step forward and it seems like that you slid back two. Review yesterday’s definition and remember that backspin is to reverse the normal direction. To recover, let the spin lose its momentum and then regain normal direction. For you to spin out of control is not a good thing!

Backspin 061313 Thursday

The impact of unexpected backspin can be horrible. The key is “unexpected.” A tennis player who can control the backspin he puts on the ball is really good. He can be expected to win many tennis matches. Likewise a basketball player who knows how to control the backspin on the ball will be a tremendous asset to his team. In baseball, it is the unexpected backspin that can fool the best of players. Events in our lives that create backspin can cripple us or teach us how to be the exception to such unexpected impact. Learn to go with the flow of backspin!

Backspin 061413 Friday

Relationships and backspin do not mix well! When you think your associations with intimate friends or business partners is going great guns, then wham!, you are hit with an unexpected reversal. That is backspin at its greatest impact. There may be times when you need to back up and reassess the basics, but that is far different that backspin that sends those closest to you spinning off in totally unexpected directions. That is when you need to slow down, try to pull things together and sort out the most important facts. That done, then proceed with utmost caution!

Return to 2013 Index

Damage 061713 Monday

This week we will study a word that is normally negative in its use. How does “damage” have any positive color to it? Only one way that is apparent that might be considered a plus. If in a court of law, you win a damage suit against another party, you would receive financial compensation. Otherwise, damage means to impair the value or usefulness of something or someone. Damage can come from a variety of sources, like a storm or accident, or sometimes by verbal attacks on a person’s character. Be careful of damage, it could injure more than what was intended!

Damage 061813 Tuesday

Our word—damage—can act as a noun, verb or adjective. Most common use of damage is that of a loss occasioned by injury or harm. It can also be used as a means to identify a legal action to regain financial reimbursement for monetary or physical loss. One can also be damaged by verbal or physical actions that debase one’s character or livelihood. In this way its primary meaning of impairing the value or usefulness of someone’s character, career or property becomes apparent. To deliberately damage another person’s property or life can be a very costly action!

Damage 061913 Wednesday

Sometimes the signs of damage are hard to detect on the surface. Occasionally a test may need to be done to find out if damage has occurred, but a lot of times the evidence is physically observable. When we experience harm, hurt or impairment we can see and feel the affliction it has caused. If we find ourselves unable to do an activity or action in the manner we have been used to, this is a symptom of damage that has occurred from some accident or illness. Some damage brings with it trauma as in a hurricane, storm or vehicle accident. Those incidents where damage occurs without warning are the most difficult for us to recover!

Damage 062013 Thursday

In many cases, damage cannot be detected until after the fact. However, with a little forethought and preventive care, we can be prepared for damage and minimize its impact. For instance, when a storm is approaching, take cover. Do preventive maintenance on your vehicle to make sure it meets safety standards. When you are on the road be a good defensive driver. When you feel ill, seek medical advice and take precautions. So, like a good boy scout, be prepared and minimize the impact!

Damage 062113 Friday

An old saying goes “nothing is more dangerous than a woman scorned.” In any good relationship, there is a threshold where a hurt may be tolerated, but go beyond that point, and you do serious damage. Sometimes the damage can be repaired, if both parties do their part and are in agreement. Without this endeavor to repair and return to good relations, the damage can continue to create wounds, impairment and even eventual destruction. In a relationship, the quicker you attempt to repair the wreckage, the better are your chances of “righting the ship” and returning to your partner’s good graces. Fast action can avert disasters!

Return to 2013 Index

Galley 062413 Monday

Our word this week brings to our mind winds, sails, cannons, treasure and pirates! However, galley has meanings that range from narrow to spacious. It is used to describe kitchens of various types as well as in the printing industry and boats. In past ages, it also denoted the workplace of slaves who rowed the galley ships of old. It was a reminder of times of swashbuckling heroes and villains who looted and pillaged the ocean trade lanes. How mundane to think that galley also applies to an old time printer’s tray that was used to hold type for printing newspapers, magazines and books. Have you ever had the pleasure of working in the cookroom as a scullery maid or dish man?

Galley 062513 Tuesday

Our word “Galley” is a noun and has two uses in our present day vocabulary. The first is a ship that is manned by oars and sails. In medieval and colonial times it was primarily a sailing ship with its oars manned by slaves or forced labor. Its more modern usage has been to note the food preparation and kitchen area of a ship. To the British, it is also a large rowboat. Before modern electronics, it was used in the printing industry to denote the shallow, elongated tray that held type for printing presses. We also get the term galley proof from the printing industry. Did you know that galley had such a long and useful history?

Galley 062613 Wednesday

For our word this week, Galley, how do we look for signs or symptoms? First we need to remember that the modern use of the word relates as much to the printing industry as to sailing. The signs we need to look for are those that relate to the kitchen and/or how galley is used in our modern printing industry. Some signs may be subtle and some more obvious. In our modern cruise ship industry, the galley is a very important division within the cruise ship. What the ship prepares for its passengers will bring fond memories for those who are on its voyage. On the other hand, the printed advertising (and its galley proofs) is strategic for the cruise ship industry and its media draw for new passengers. No galley on the ship or in its advertising means loss of big bucks!

Galley 062713 Thursday

In olden days, the sailing ship’s galley was normally the energy center of the vessel. A poorly run and equipped galley had a very negative impact [even mutiny] upon the mood of the crew. Likewise, a galley that was properly equipped and appropriately run created a most positive air and environment for the crew to operate in. It definitely created a positive atmosphere for crew attitude. Even in our modern times, the galley or kitchen holds its place of prominence. Many of our male species find it to be a most enticing and attractive place. The galley can be considered the energy center of any vessel, large or small, and any home or restaurant!

Galley 062813 Friday

Today, our word will be loaded in favor of the girls. There is an old saying that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. That probably is not true one hundred percent of the time, be it does surely shift things in a girl’s favor. Any guy with a full tummy is much more likely to be in an amiable mood. For any relationship, an amiable mood is definitely a positive influence for it. Keep in mind that galley is just another way to say food preparation. Guys be especially attentive when the woman in your life makes a special effort to please you with her preparation of your food. That carries a lot of subtle messages, gentlemen, so be alert!

Return to 2013 Index

Go to Alpha Index