June

(under construction)

Week 1- quip Week 2- beneficial Week 3- imprudent Week 4- abysmal

quip.060517.Monday

“Trump has his share of quips that seem to come with a title of prestige.” Our President has a way with words, especially for those who he feels are his enemies. He uses Twitter to send out these personal “observations” about those who want to see him fail as President. His ‘quips’ are many times laced with barbed innuendos about their lack of good sense or indiscretion. He will quickly comment upon the media use of ‘fake’ news to cause him problems. Trump has a quiver full of quips that he will use at a moment’s notice!

quip.060617.Tuesday

“The students all laughed at the professor’s inane quip.” This sentence illustrates for us the most used meaning of ‘quip.” That meaning for this noun is “a clever usually taunting (or ironic) remark. Many times it is a witty or funny observation or response usually made on the spur of the moment. Two synonyms that help us to see more of the meaning of quip are quirk and oddity. Good stand-up comedians usually have a gift for using quirky observations about life events in their routines. It makes one wonder if the professor, in his use of quips, missed his calling to be a stand-up comedian!

quip.060717.Wednesday

“They traded quips over coffee.” The first known use of ‘quip’ is in 1532. It is thought that this word comes from a Latin word – quippe.  In our example, we see this word used in the sense of witty or funny observations. It takes a special sense of humor to make such witty comments on the spur of the moment. To make a jest in this way shows one’s gift of spontaneous thinking. Many people are not so quick witted as to be able to make quips in this way. It must be good coffee to inspire such quick quips!

quip.060817.Thursday

“His favorite quip was,…that show is not worth a dime.” Many times we say things in jest that may or may not true. This is the nature of a witty or funny observation that we say on the spur of the moment. Normally we will use a quip to change the focus of or tone of a conversation that is getting a little ‘heavy.’ It is what we do to deflect attention away from a serious subject. A small amount of levity such as a droll quip can change the mood of the conversation. We should all try to have a quip ready for those ‘serious’ subjects that can quickly escalate into a confrontation. Maybe we could use one like this: Were you born in the dark ages!

quip.060917.Friday

“She said ‘Do you have a quick second? He replied, no but I have a slow one.” A relationship that will allow such witty interplay that is one sign of a healthy union. Light hearted moments like this in our example sentence relieve stress and lift the tone of a conversation. There is enough stress in life without adding more. Find ways to inject some comic relief in your closest associations and they will continue to flourish. Just be aware that it may take more than a second to do this!

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beneficial.061217.Monday

“Republicans in DC say that having fewer rules will be beneficial, but Democrats disagree.” Rules are made for people to follow. Strict rules without flexibility are not beneficial and cause problems. Loose rules without good guidelines are also not beneficial. When rules are made that allow flexibility but provide limits can be a very sensible solution. In today’s political climate, rarely does one have agreement on what is sensible and prudent.  In an environment when “anything goes” is acceptable, rules are seen as a hindrance and not a help. Politicians in DC need a good dose of reality to see what will work!

beneficial.061317.Tuesday

“Regular exercise has many beneficial health effects.” Don’t believe it? Just ask any medical person and they can tell you why. This week’s word “beneficial” is an adjective that has several definitions, but the one most often used is “producing good results or helpful effects.” Another meaning used less often is “receiving or entitling one to receive advantage, use or benefit.” This last meaning is also very close to its legal definition as used by attorneys. Remember that exercise like good advice is always beneficial!

beneficial.061417.Wednesday

“Be sure that you know the insects that are beneficial to your garden.” Many home gardeners do not take the time to learn about insects, both good and bad, that have an impact on your plants. Sometimes it can make the difference between a good crop and a poor result. Know what helps the beneficial insects and those that harm your plants. You need to encourage the good ones and get rid of the bad ones. Know what insects are beneficial to what you grow!

beneficial.061517.Thursday

“He hopes the new drug will prove beneficial to the treatment of his cancer.” Today’s medical community is striving to find new ways to treat cancer. It is hoped that one day we will have an effective cure for the ravages of cancer. Regular checkups and screenings are good ways of detecting cancer in its early stages and begin effective treatments. Overcoming such devastating diseases as cancer, leukemia, and heart disease are major goals for medical research. Producing new drugs and treatments is a very beneficial use of research monies!

beneficial.061617.Friday

“They have a relationship that is beneficial to both of them.” There are weaknesses in any relationship. But weaknesses do not have to be detrimental to the relationship. When the members are honest about a weakness and depend upon the other’s strength, the union between the two is strengthened. It is when one or the other does not or will not acknowledge that they have a weakness, that trouble will bring damage and pain into the relationship. Excessive pride will hinder or destroy an otherwise good partnership. Be honest in your self-evaluation and lean on the other in your area of weakness. This is how you create and maintain a good and beneficial relationship!

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imprudent.061917.Monday

“It’s politically imprudent to stir up such a wild controversy during an election year.” In this last election we saw this happen. Extreme liberals were desperate to win because they did not have a rational plan of action. They were trying to use extreme sensationalism to attract attention to a campaign that was beyond the normal bounds for the American electorate. Yes, they got attention but many of them are considered radical and illogical in their political agenda. However, history tells us that such actions are part of the process in a nation that is socially degenerating. Imprudent is as imprudent does!

imprudent.062017.Tuesday

“She is a very sweet girl, but so imprudent that no one trusts her with a secret.” This lady has a flaw in her character. The definition of “imprudent” is lacking discretion, wisdom, or good judgment.” Imprudent is an adjective that means “not wise or sensible.”It is obvious that this type of person lacks self-restraint and cannot resist telling all. Some synonyms are brash, tactless, undiplomatic, and unwise. Self-restraint is virtually unknown to this type of personality. It is a flaw in their character that makes them untrustworthy!

imprudent.062117.Wednesday

“He is an imprudent investor.” This thought gives us some insight to the word’s definition of “lacking discretion, wisdom, or good judgment.” Being a good ‘investor’ requires basically one of two things: in-depth experience or a professional advisor. An imprudent investor will forego both of these things and invest in an ill-advised fashion. He may have good luck once or twice, but he will lose money over the long haul. If you choose to invest, heed the advice above. Do not be an imprudent investor!

imprudent.062217.Thursday

“Some politicians have a strong temptation toward imprudent action” For instance, Clinton called conservative Republicans “a basket of deplorables.” Donald Trump sends out tweets without thinking through the consequences. Two parts of the meaning of imprudent come through in these instances: lacking self-restraint and unwise actions. Imprudent acts normally lack wisdom or good judgment about their results. Politicians should avoid the temptation for imprudent actions!

imprudent.062317.Friday

“His girlfriend was so imprudent that he could not trust her with personal information.” This is a very sad relationship. Trust is one of the most precious ingredients in a good relationship. This man’s girlfriend is a risk to anything he might share with her. This girl takes being imprudent to a whole new level. It is unlikely that this relationship will last very long. When she cannot be trusted with anything, it puts a very negative strain upon the relationship. Being that imprudent is a very high risk for the other party!

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abysmal.062617.Monday

“Politicians today have an obvious, abysmal blindness to Political Science.” This area of science is not totally precise and exact, but there are obvious rules that when violated skew the intended results. The Democrats ignored this in the last election. The Republicans today are reaping the results of not following the principles of Political Science. As we are seeing the DC swamp is getting worse, not better. Science lays down rules because experiments and experience prove they are valid. Ignore these rules and the result is abysmal failure!

abysmal.062717.Tuesday

“During the middle ages many people were living in abysmal ignorance.” This example sentence emphasizes the most often used definition of abysmal as in “immeasurably low or wretched.” Another slightly different meaning is to “have an immense or fathomless extension downward, backward, or inward,” The tone or leaning of abysmal is normally negative and rarely positive. It usually presents a dark and foreboding picture of what is expected to occur or has happened. Ignorance in any age presents an abysmal future!

abysmal.062817.Wednesday

“His project to introduce a new efficient energy source was an abysmal failure.” Unproven theories can sometimes fail because of unforeseen factors that were not evident until the theory is attempted. Reality has a way of humbling even the most intelligent person because of what exists in the unknown. New ideas and information will be proven to be good or bad by experiments. They produce experience that will reveal if the idea or theory is feasible. Continuous experiments that fail to produce the desired results are what contribute to an abysmal failure!

abysmal.062917.Thursday

“Before 911, security at many a public facility was abysmal.” Few, if any, event has had such an impact upon our nation. Other than 911, events like Pearl Harbor, the Lincoln and JFK assignations, and the Civil War have impacted our nation so profoundly. When they happen, such key events have had far-reaching significance to most Americans. The cause of such events is varied and many could have been prevented. However, abysmal security should not be a factor!

abysmal.063017.Friday

“Their relationship became an abysmal swamp of distrust because of lies and deception.” If your intent in a relationship is to use people for personal gain, you could very well end up in this abysmal swamp. Lies and deceptive acts do not have a place in good, solid friendships. These negative practices will eventually bring about failure. Trust is a key factor in good friendships and solid relationships that last for a lifetime. Lies and deceit are acts of an untrustworthy character. Do not practice these bad tendencies or you will surely end up in the abysmal swamp of distrust!

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