(Under construction)<\/p>\n
Week 1- jolt Week 2- dent Week 3- truce Week4- practice Week 5- heap<\/p>\n
jolt.010217.Monday<\/p>\n
\u201cThis past year\u2019s election was a jolt to the smug, over-confidence of the Democrats.\u201d This example sentence starts our new year as we explore how to use this word \u201cjolt.\u201d Last fall\u2019s election was a decided \u2018jolt\u2019 to many liberals, especially to the younger ones. The election has reminded many in this country that destructive political trends may not be looked upon with favor by the majority of citizens. Our forefathers had great insight and savvy into the processes that a Republican form of government should use. A balance of power is essential when new and unproven ideas suddenly jolt the majority into action!<\/p>\n
jolt.010317.Tuesday<\/p>\n
\u201cThe loud bang jolted me awake.\u201d Jolt is used both as a verb and a noun. It means to cause someone or something to move with a sharp jerky movement. Many times it is used to describe a disturbance to someone\u2019s composure as we see in our example sentence.\u00a0 Jolt is also used to describe a serious check or reverse as in the case of a severe financial jolt. Jolt is also an event or development which causes a shock or surprise. I once had a small portion of horseradish hidden in a sandwich which was a jolt to my taste buds!<\/p>\n
jolt.010417.Wednesday<\/p>\n
\u201cThe explosion jolted the ship.\u201d It is evident in this example that this explosion sent a shudder throughout the vessel. In wartime, this might be the case when the ship is hit by a bomb or torpedo. If not in wartime, it would signal to the passengers and crew that something of a severe nature was impacting the ship\u2019s operation. In either of the above cases, the \u201cjolt\u201d was not a good omen of what the future might hold. We can imagine that the Titanic probably experienced something like this. Such a jolt would be a warning to proceed with care and caution. This tells us to be ready to act when you experience a bad jolt!<\/p>\n
jolt.010517.Thursday<\/p>\n
\u201cHe carelessly brushed the bare wire with the back of his hand and it jolted him.\u201d Anyone who works with electricity knows that bare wires are never a good thing. It is best to use safety precautions when working with electricity. If you do not know what are common safety precautions then do not mess with electrical wiring of any kind. Get an expert to handle the job. One jolt that you do not need is that of an electrical shock!<\/p>\n
jolt.010617.Friday<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was jolted by her boyfriend\u2019s warning.\u201d Bad news is never a good thing in a relationship. In this example, this lady has apparently had conversations with her boyfriend about a certain subject and she had not followed through with the proper action. He has now issued a warning for her to take action and his doing so has been a shock (jolt) to their relationship. She must now act in the proper manner to resolve the issue or it will have a severe impact upon their union. Every relationship has its moments when reality must be faced or it will bring about a negative impact on their association even to the point of being terminated. Such a jolt means take action!<\/p>\n
2017 Index<\/a><\/p>\n dent.010917.Monday<\/p>\n \u201cThe election loss of 2016 has put a huge dent in the confidence of the Democratic Party.\u201d Over-confidence is never a good way to believe that you can be a winner. Follow that with an election strategy that puts down and demeans your opponent which does not always work in a positive way. The Democrats put too much strength in running a negative campaign which in the end backfired on them. This loss has the Democratic Party on the defensive. It has dented their ability to speak for the U.S. voting public!<\/p>\n dent.011017.Tuesday<\/p>\n \u201cMany of the cars were badly dented from the hail.\u201d A storm that produces hail can cause great property damage. Hail is the culprit that causes much damage in such cases. \u2018Dent\u2019 in its verb form means to have a weakening effect on something. This weakening effect is an impact that cause something to sink inward or form a depression. As a noun, it means \u201can appreciable impression or effect often made against resistance.\u201d This means something that acted to cause a depression on some material surface. A dent is a weakening or lessening effect upon something. So be careful that rising costs don\u2019t put a big dent in your budget!<\/p>\n dent.011117.Wednesday<\/p>\n \u201cI plan to put a huge dent<\/strong> in that plate of ribs.\u201d This is a case where \u2018dent\u2019 means to reduce (a lessening) the quantity of something. Often times this is a colloquial expression of taking something away especially in the act of eating. It is a way of showing that an action is occurring that may be somewhat abnormal. The lessening effect is a change in quantity but no an actual physical malformation of an object like a dent in metal. Just be careful of what you put a dent into!<\/p>\n dent.011217.Thursday<\/p>\n \u201cThe High School football team\u2019s confidence was badly dented by their last loss of the season.\u201d The \u2018dent\u2019 expressed in this example sentence is not a physical dent, but a mental dent in the team\u2019s attitude. It is a weakening of the spirit and cohesive spirit of the team. Such a loss can impact relationships within the team\u2019s members and possibly with the coaching staff. It takes a strong group spirit to work through such a loss that dents the team members\u2019 attitude. It takes strong leadership to regain a good mental attitude from such a damaging \u2018dent.\u2019 Bad dents can be fixed!<\/p>\n dent.011317.Friday<\/p>\n \u201cHer coy flirtations with other men put a dent in her relationship with her boy friend.\u201d We find this woman in trouble. She has chosen to act in a manner that has put her relationship with her boyfriend in jeopardy. A dent can be defined as a malformation of a design, which in this case is a normal relationship. To have a serious involvement with one of the opposite sex and do actions that are inconsistent with a normal relationship design does not make good sense. In fact, it is like stepping in front of a speeding vehicle and hoping you don\/t get hit. It is an act of instability and invites disaster. Be careful, because some \u2018dents\u2019 can have unexpected results!<\/p>\n 2017 Index<\/a><\/p>\n truce.011617.Monday<\/p>\n \u201cThere is never an instant’s truce<\/strong> between virtue and vice.\u201d This truth has never been more apparent than in the 2016 election. The Democrats want this nation\u2019s citizen\u2019s to have more and more freedom from any restrictions or rules, even to the point of removing any justice or rule of law. The end result of this line of thinking is total chaos and ultimate destruction. Socialists wear blinders when it comes to seeing the end result of what they do. Society must have rules in order for people to live with sanity. The lack of rules is to invite insanity as we have seen in the 2016 election!<\/p>\n truce.011717.Tuesday<\/p>\n \u201cYou can’t use a truce<\/strong> to ask for favors.\u201d A truce is \u201ca suspension of fighting especially of considerable duration by agreement of opposing forces.\u201d Simply put it is a temporary cessation of hostilities. Such a truce is normally used to talk about the end of combat. Another sense of the word \u2018truce\u2019 is \u201ca respite especially from a disagreeable or painful state or action.\u201d This meaning can apply to individuals who are having a heated difference of opinion on a subject. A truce can give time opposing sides to cool off and find a way to settle issues without conflict. A truce can be helpful for opponents to regain their sanity!<\/p>\n truce.011817.Wednesday<\/p>\n \u201cDuring World War 1 both sides agreed to a 24-hour truce<\/strong><\/em> beginning at midnight on Christmas Eve.\u201d This historical fact has been missed by many historians. As bad as war is, this short and temporary cessation of hostilities was a welcome relief to the front line soldiers on both sides. This truce came because the men in the trenches wanted to celebrate peace to honor this holiday and what it meant to them. They even exchanged food and gifts as a token of peace during this horrible conflict. A truce can be used to make a significant statement!<\/p>\n truce.011917.Thursday<\/p>\n \u201cThey were now financially strapped and so called a truce on wasteful spending.\u201d In this example sentence we see truce used to mean \u201ca respite especially from a disagreeable or painful state or action.\u201d Being \u2018financially strapped\u2019 would qualify as a painful or disagreeable state and a truce would be welcomed. Wasteful spending is never a good activity to be involved in!<\/p>\n truce.012017.Friday<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s been an uneasy truce<\/em> between her and her ex-husband for the past several months.\u201d For this to be said about a relationship is not a good omen. The fact that \u201cex-\u201c is in the equation is a sure sign that the \u2018truce\u2019 is indeed a tenuous one. However, a tenuous truce is better that all out warfare. In their truce, there should be a search for common ground of agreement and try to work from that point. A truce in this case is a useful tool to try to resolve issues of disagreement. It is better to use a truce to resolve issues rather than to draw battle lines and deal with the resulting casualties!<\/p>\n 2017 Index<\/a><\/p>\n practice.012317.Monday<\/p>\n \u201cThe country’s poor political practices<\/em> have led to widespread voter disillusionment.\u201d If nothing more, the 2016 election has taught us this truth. Present day politics in the U. S. seems to be devoid of courtesy, morals, and ethics. This is a significant breakdown in the fabric of our social order. History has told us time and again that when we see such a breakdown in what society accepts and or practices, that disintegration is usually not far behind. Be careful of what you practice for it could come back to bite you!<\/p>\n practice.012417.Tuesday<\/p>\n \u201cMother taught us to practice good manners.\u201d Practice suggests an act or method followed with regularity and usually through choice. In its verb use, practice means to be professionally engaged in a vocation such as medicine, art, or business. It is to be actively doing something in a repetitive manner. In its noun form, it is what someone does as in: he is a practiced musician or locksmith. Practice is a profession in which one becomes very proficient. Politeness is not being practiced much in our world today!<\/p>\n practice.012517.Wednesday<\/p>\n \u201cBeing a good musician takes a lot of practice<\/em>.\u201d This is the classic use of practice, which is to do repeated exercises for proficiency. Music, art, and dancing are just a few of the professions where practice enables the \u2018doer\u2019 to exercise special talent. Calligraphy and sports are other areas where constant practice enables the doer to become standouts. Calligraphy is the art of producing decorative handwriting or lettering with a pen or brush. Sports are a highly varied field where special skills can be exhibited and the best often qualify to go to the Olympics. It takes a lot of practice to become the world\u2019s best!<\/p>\n practice.012617.Thursday<\/p>\n \u201cBurial practices vary around the world.\u201d In the U.S., our burial practices are impacted by government regulations. However, in many areas of less developed societies, the customs of the tribal peoples are what dictate what they do to bury someone. Many times the body of the dead is prepared and buried within one or two days. The family and friends of the deceased will perform their customary ritual during that time, which usually includes certain mourning practices. Some even have professional mourners that will wail and eulogize the loss of the deceased in very colorful fashion. Rarely is the person\u2019s death ignored or forgotten. It is a good thing to practice mourning for loved ones!<\/p>\n practice.012717.Friday<\/p>\n \u201cRelationships get better with practice.\u201d Any good relationship takes work. It takes a conscious effort to be aware of what another person needs. Most failed relationships do so because of a lack of proper attention to a basic need that goes unfulfilled or neglected. Good relationships thrive when basic needs are met with proper empathy toward another in areas such as: compassion, kindness, and honesty. Doing these things especially in a new relationship may take some conscious effort and practice but they do produce beneficial results. Practice these and good things happen!<\/p>\n 2017 Index<\/a><\/p>\n Heap.013017.Monday<\/p>\n \u201cThe Democratic Party is in a heap of trouble since the election.\u201d There is presently a power struggle within the Democratic Party because of their loss in the 2016 election. They have lost many seats in the House, Senate and State governments. Those who are leaning toward leading the Democratic Party are shifting more to the extreme liberal thinking than before the election losses. Will the Democrats become even more a liberal leaning, socialist agenda party of the future? If that is where the majority of voters want the U.S. to go, we are in serious trouble and the future will be very dark. If that is what the voters want, we are in a heap of trouble!<\/p>\n Heap.013117.Tuesday<\/p>\n \u201cShe wilted to a heap and fell to the floor.\u201d A sudden and unexpected shock to one\u2019s senses will often produce this kind of results. Heap, in this example, is a direct object and expresses a heavy load which is one definition of heap. Another is to \u201cthrow or lay in a heap.\u201d A second and oft used definition is \u201ca collection of things thrown one on another.\u201d Heap is used also \u201cto accord or bestow lavishly or in large quantities as in honors were heaped upon them.\u201d The use of \u2018heap\u2019 rarely shows any kind of organization or continuity, but often the opposite. A \u2018heap\u2019 on the floor is not a good place for one to be!<\/p>\n Heap.020117.Wednesday<\/p>\n \u201cI can’t believe he’s still driving that old heap.\u201d This is classic expression to describe an old run down vehicle. \u2018A heap\u2019 is viewed as a collection of bolts and old parts that function as an operating rig that carries the driver where he wants to go. Auto lovers and mechanics would sometimes be described in this way. Antique car collectors might also fall into this classic description. Owners of new cars would seldom if ever be described in this way. Driving an \u201cold heap\u201d can sometimes be a driver\u2019s description of his favorite car!<\/p>\n Heap.020217.Thursday<\/p>\n \u201cThe shelter manager would heap each homeless person\u2019s plate with food.\u201d These unfortunate homeless people need the generosity and help from those of us who have all of our own needs provided for. But helping the homeless is more than just heaped up plates of food; they also have needs of a spiritual nature that need attention. It is this kind of physical and mental generosity that will help these unfortunate people to have a better life. Just heaping plates with food does take care of an immediate physical need but human beings are more than just physical bodies. Each one has some kind of mental issue that has put them in this desperate lifestyle. Attention to these needs will heap more help on them than any amount of physical food!<\/p>\n Heap.020317.Friday<\/p>\n \u201cHe left his dirty clothes in a heap on the floor.\u201d This is one way a guy adds stress to a relationship. It is not really an adult way to handle one\u2019s responsibility. Parents often try to teach their children to be responsible by keeping their room clean and picking up after themselves. Otherwise this kind of thoughtless habit makes a slave out of someone else. Be thoughtful of others and take care of your own responsibilities. It also helps to heap praise on a child for doing the right thing like picking up that heap of dirty clothes!<\/p>\n 2017 Index<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" (Under construction) Week 1- jolt Week 2- dent Week 3- truce Week4- practice Week 5- heap jolt.010217.Monday \u201cThis past year\u2019s election was a jolt to the smug, over-confidence of the Democrats.\u201d This example sentence starts our new year as we … Continue reading