lthough millenarians* have gone away, presumably only to reemerge in 2099, we are well-along in the new millennium, one which apparently has not swayed from the anxiety of the last age. You can tell by the hyperbolic titles of books and other media marked by the irrevocable phrase end of in the title.
Hyperbole is a [...]

ill O’Reilly of Fox News is provoked. OK, so that’s an oxymoron because provocateur O’Reilly is always provoked. The irascible commentator has overreacted purposely once more. We can say that O’Reilly is excessively oxymoronic in his statements. The following provides background: In a 2008 commentary O’Reilly responded to words in a [...]

Let’s vote for Obama, …but let’s not go all Kumbaya either,” former California senator Tom Hayden said recently when asked about the upcoming national election. Kumbaya (also Kum Ba Yah), probably comes from Gullah, “a Creole dialect spoken by the former slaves living on the Sea Islands of South Carolina and Georgia.” (Wikipedia). If you [...]

“World’s Greatest…” Such words contribute to the usual bombast spewing from American media whenever someone excels in his or her sport. Give credit to Michael Phelps, a seemingly unpretentious young man, prodigious swimmer, and winner of eight gold medals in one Olympics. We’re not saying the boy can’t swim. We’re not saying “greatness” should [...]