Common Words Borrowed From Arabic

by Kevin Burton     Have there been more impassioned articles written about the evil of alcohol or the evil of algebra?    Who can tell really? But these twin menaces are linked in today’s word list from Merriam-Webster, words borrowed by English from Arabic: Algebra    Anyone who has unpleasant memories of slogging through this …

These Jokes May Drive You To Drink

by Kevin Burton    Here’s a tip for you discerning eligible bachelors out there, one you may not have picked up on:    Women dig grammar.    In the 70s I would have said “chicks dig grammar,” but you never know when somebody, some female somebody, will stumble upon Page 7 for the first time.  …

The Unfriendly Skies Of Fantasy Football

by Kevin Burton    This is exploratory, just in case. I am doing this just in case.    One needs to keep one’s options open. Old dogs need to at least consider new tricks, right?    So, the fantasy football flight has encountered some turbulence, shall we say? Four teams, two wins six losses among …

Personal Data Scattered To The Four Winds

by Kevin Burton    Yes, of course you’re going to do your due diligence, you’ll do what you can. But is this a lost cause already?    I’m talking about the safe keeping of your personal data, personal identifying information. The intimate details of your life.    How much of that information do you truly …

A Moment To Savor With Gerry Rafferty

by Kevin Burton    The hit sniffers at United Artists wanted the title track from Gerry Rafferty’s 1978 smash album “City To City” to be the first song released as a single.    Rafferty knew better, successfully spoke up for the sonic masterpiece “Baker Street” as the first single and the rest is history.    …

Last Echoes From The Brilliant Rafferty

by Kevin Burton    Thanks to his daughter Martha, we have a new studio album from Gerry Rafferty, ten years after his death.    Parlophone Records released “Rest In Blue” on Friday.  It’s a revamping of the songs he was working on at the time of his death.    For dedicated Rafferty fans it’s a …