#142 Itty-bitty footprints

An article in e-Week today (Dec. 15, 2003) comments on the problem Campbell’s Soup is having with RFID tags on its Chunky Soup supplied to Wal-Mart. An RFID is a radio-frequency identification tag that is smaller than a grain of sand and destined to eventually take the place of the barcode, but with some significant differences--it just might continue tracking you after you’ve left the store with the item. Wal-Mart and the Department of Defense have set deadlines for companies to comply with supplying RFIDs. Wal-Mart accounts for 12% of Campbell’s sales, so they need to quickly find a way for that frequency to pass through liquid and not bounce off cans--although that isn‘t required--yet.

Current applications include tracking moving things--like boxcars, packages and children in theme parks who can wear little sensors so parents can be less personally vigilant.

The first big test for RFID will be for the 100 major suppliers of Wal-Mart to have boxes and pallets tagged by January 2005. And when Wal-Mart talks, all retailers listen. Wired covered this in November. The Department of Defense is requiring that its top 100 vendors must supply RFID tags on their pallets and cases by January 2005; the top 500 vendors must comply by July 2005, and all vendors (more than 10,000) must be on board by January 2006.

With deadlines like this from these heavy hitters in the economy, someone needs to quickly figure out how to deactivate these little guys once we leave the store. I won’t even use a loyalty card--I sure don’t want this kind of digital trail with its itty bitty footprints.

#141 What to call the guy in charge

Yesterday we had a congregational meeting to vote on a new pastor. The chair of the Call Committee was Paul Nordman, a man of subtle wit and great faith. He commented that throughout the call process, he had been called the Chairman, the Chair, and the Chairperson. He paused, and then noted that considering his surname perhaps he could be called Nordman, Nord or Nordperson.

#140 Abercrombie & Fitch of Columbus

Full page ad in USAToday--“100% filth, made in the U.S.A.” Isn't that sweet about a hometown company? It’s about their pandering “sex for teens” catalogs.

The ad points out that the 1998 catalog promoted drinking excessively. The 2002 catalog was selling thong underwear for 10 year olds. The 2003 Christmas catalog had 100 pages of nude models, including staged (I assume) group sex and an article promoting it. Even the title is suggestive, “The Christmas Field Guide.” Their stock has dipped 13%. Consumers have protested. Even an Urban Legend site on the internet confirms this, in case you think the group sex thing is a myth or rumor.

The catalog has been pulled, and the writer of this article adds, “A&F's CEO Mike Jeffries has for years sneered at those who complained about his quarterly's filth. Asking him softly to clean up his act didn't work, but big stick evidently did.”

#139 The Family Film Menu of Choices

This morning I was browsing the TV listings for “Family Best Bet” featuring the movies with a Christmas theme. Family films aren’t very friendly to the traditional--a mom, a dad and a couple of kids--family. In fact, the term “family film” at any time of the year almost assures a plot with a single mom or dad, or a dead parent, or a deserting parent, a stand-in parent, or no parent showing up for any significant role in a child‘s life.

Here’s what’s available on TV this week in the Columbus viewing area :

Mr. St. Nick: Kelsey Grammer is junior Claus who doesn’t want to follow in Dad’s snowshoes. There is a Mama Claus, but I think the Latino cook provides more guidance.

Miracle on 34th Street: the 1994 version, but Mom is still a widow with the cynical daughter.

Mrs. Winterbourne: Ricki Lake in 1996 plays a pregnant single mother-to-be taking someone else’s identity.

Secret of Roan Irish: girl with dead mother and alcoholic father lives with grandfather, wants truth about a baby washed out to sea.

Babes in Toyland: Drew Barrymore in 1986 fights evil plot to take over Toyland--parents aren’t apparent.

Borrowed Hearts: Roma Downey, single mom, pretends to be executive’s wife.

The Santa Clause: Tim Allen, cynical divorced father playing St. Nick.

The week is offering two versions of a classic, the Christmas Carol, 1938 with June Lockhart as one of the children and her parents as Bob and Emily Cratchet and a TV adaptation (1999) with Patrick Stewart. So, we have to go back to an early 19th century story for a traditional family for the holidays.

#138 Thinking about bodies--yours, mine and His

I’ve been thinking about bodies this Christmas season, a time we remember that God took on flesh and dwelled among us. These bodies fail us. I have a good friend wasting away from an eating disorder and a cousin who shot herself to death this week; I have another friend losing her sight from a piece of plaque that broke loose and went to her eye; another friend is in rehabilitation for a fractured pelvis; everyday my sister and I compare our aches and pains as we increasingly don‘t recognize our own aging bodies.

The Christian faith puts great stock in the physical body. We are told in the Bible our bodies are God’s temple, that God knew our tiny physical bodies while we were still in the womb, and we are told to take care of others’ physical bodily needs, too. The biggest reminder of the importance of the body is Jesus’ bodily resurrection--the tomb was empty and he‘d defeated death. And that's his plan for you and me, too.

I found this very nice prayer about bodies, which I’d like to share:

“A Prayer Lord Jesus, we praise you and thank you for all the blessings of this life, including the blessing of our bodies. We rejoice in our bodies, the wondrous way that we are put together, the complexity and grace of our physical selves. Forgive us when we abuse the good gift of our bodies, especially forgive us when we abuse the bodies of others.

We praise you . . . for the wonder of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and for the promise that, by your grace, we also shall be raised. Help us to live today as those who know that great promise and live today in the light of it, following our risen Lord toward eternal life. Amen

#137 Correction on the pie crust blog

One of my earliest blogs (#3, out of order) was on how to make a good pie crust. I was thinking about it for several reasons. First of all, my niece Joan wants me to bring two apple pies to the Indiana Christmas, and second, my daughter requests one of those be the sugarless apple pie made with apple juice concentrate. Third, I’ve recently replaced my Pyrex glass 8 oz. measuring cup I purchased when I got married. However, there needs to be a disclaimer to that recipe I posted:

"2/3 cup peanut oil, 2 cups flour, 1 tsp. salt, 1/3 cup water. Gently mix."

I forgot to add in that blog that because all the markings had disappeared from my 43 year old glass measuring cup, I use the measuring cups for solids. 2/3 cup of peanut oil would be about 1/2 in a measuring cup for liquids. And the water would be 6 Tbsp of liquid.

I think we learned that in third grade and certainly in 4-H--how to measure liquid and solids--but I’d forgotten.

#136 Wishing you a P.C. Holiday

On my mail run this morning I heard Glenn Beck (Clear Channel Talk Show Host, 610 here in Columbus) talking about RamaHanuKwanzMas. His way to suggest a P.C. holiday season.

A few years ago I got a "holiday card" from a library organization to which I belonged which sent greetings in every language except the English phrase, "Merry Christmas." I sent my complaint to the organization that it was ignoring English speaking Christians on their own holiday.

#135 Two really absurd items

Although they aren't related at all, a Republican proposal to take FDR off the dime and substitute Reagan and the complaint by France and Germany that they aren't going to get contracts to rebuild Iraq both seem to be beyond belief. FDR should stay put; coalition countries that took the risks should get the contracts. And they'd want our forces to protect them while they "help" with the rebuilding?

Tammy Bruce's column on following the money.

#134 Acknowledgements--a public thank you

“Librarians at The University of Texas, the Library of Congress, and the Newberry Library helped me to find out-of-the-way material, and a grant from the Sarah Scaife Foundation provided additional writing time…” Central Ideas in the Development of American Journalism

It warms my heart to read a dedication or an acknowledgement to librarians. Occasionally, a graduate student would mention my help (along with Mom, Dad, and Wife) in a PhD thesis. A romance novelist wrote a thank-you on the title page once for help in researching a feline disease, but that’s not the same as making it into the acknowledgements. A dog show researcher mentioned my help in one of his articles and by donating a large sum to my library (he was an alumnus). One woman brought in a huge box of bakery goodies because I helped her father, a retired veterinarian, learn to use the internet. And personal thank you notes were always welcome.

But my favorite acknowledgement was from Richard Horowitz in his book Hog Ties: Pigs, Manure, and Mortality in American Culture (New York: St. Martins Press, 1998), a book based on the "other job" he held part time for fifteen years as a hired hand on a hog/grain/cattle farm in southeast Iowa.

Professor Horowitz and I had an e-mail correspondence across the corn fields and prairies about his research. I never actually met him in person, despite the fact we had some really important swine researchers at Ohio State.

Still, not every librarian gets her name in a book about pig poop!

#133 Down the road in (nationalized) health care

Women with breast implants are hospitalized and visit physicians more frequently than women who have not undergone implantation surgery, according to a retrospective cohort study funded by the British Columbia Centre of Excellence for Women's Health in Vancouver, Canada. . . Breast implant surgery is not deemed medically necessary and is performed — and paid for — privately in the vast majority of cases. However, it appears to directly contribute to an increased need for public health care services among the women receiving these devices. Canadian Women’s Health Network Report

#132 Spending like it’s 1999

The Dow was at 10,000--the report. Maybe that’s good economic news and the tax cut will prove to be good. I’m certainly seeing more hiring signs.

But I do wish George Bush would stop spending money like a drunken Democrat (no name, but you know who I mean). In fact, his spending increases are far greater than Clinton’s on domestic programs for the same time period in office. This makes it difficult for Democrats to criticize him on domestic policy, since those are their pet programs, resulting in a fractured and lack luster campaign. Also, it is hard for Republicans to rein him in, since he is their guy. A responder to a Cato Institute paper says he “has become the "Mother of All Big Spenders."

I do think something needed to be done about prescription costs for the poor, but the Medicare plan just signed smells a lot like vote buying. No one seems to be happy with it, but Bush will get the credit rather than the Democrats who couldn’t have done any better. The government can’t do anything cheaper or more effectively than private business. My husband is on Social Security, and his Medicare + Medigap (private insurance) costs us about $176 a month, and it doesn’t include prescriptions. My policy, through my pension, costs me about $160 a month and does include prescriptions. Mine will go up considerably in 2004, but so will my husband’s. My husband’s plan is tax supported and still costs more than a private plan. Will private companies stay in the business if the government takes it over or makes it so difficult to make a profit?

#131 A celebration

It was our final class in the study of the Gospel of John. It was an evening of celebration, review and games. And a lot of laughter. My husband said, “Isn’t this more fun than Lutherans are allowed to have?” One of the optional final activities was to prepare an outline for another group to study John--senior choir, Sunday school, an adult small group, etc. I was very impressed by the creativity and talent of my fellow class members.

Patty said she did a study of “sheep and shepherd” and came up with six handwritten pages. For a young class she would incorporate the movie "Babe“. She brought in the video, explained the story to us, how Babe the pig, with a sheepdog foster mother, came to be good at herding sheep. Then showed a few minutes of the story where the male dog’s terrible experience trying to save the sheep destroys his own dreams of being the sheepdog champion. “He is not THE good shepherd, but he was a good shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep,” she explained. Her enthusiasm for her project, and a wonderful husky voice had the class mesmerized.

Another couple prepared a “cheer” for a young class based on John’s name, and we were their audience, raising our voices enthusiastically as Donna (a former teacher) led the cheer and husband Bob worked the flip chart. Another former teacher proposed an event for a children’s choir where they would reenact Jesus walking on water and the storm. Some children would be waves, some wind, some apostles, one Jesus and one narrator. Then she went around the room and handed out candy lifesavers to everyone.

But the evening had started on a very somber note with the announcement that Rick Allen our 2002 church council chair had died of a heart attack at age 47. The class was stunned that this vibrant young father had been taken so quickly with no warning. Rick knew and believed all the wonderful “I AM” statements in John’s gospel. And we know that today he is having more fun than we’re ever going to have on this side.

#130 How to give your child a longer life.

That was the headline in today’s Wall Street Journal in the health section. Immediately I thought, “you start with allowing *her to be born.”

Hippolyte has an interesting blog on “choice” and Planned Parenthood. He thought it was a joke when he saw the organization’s “Choice on Earth” Christmas card. They also had a similar "Choice" card in 2002. Choice, as he points out, is a code word for “kill” in this context (when used within a discussion of schooling, it means right wing conspiracy to give tax money to the Catholic Church). But what I found so interesting and very moving in the blog is his account of “once upon a time” he thought choice was OK too--that a baby was just some other impersonal collection of cells.

He concludes: "A holiday card that uses pretty designs to spread a message that is universally understood to refer to the killing of a yet-to-be-born child is completely disgusting. I predict society is waking up to this, and in time will look back on such brazen disregard with mystery and contempt."

Agape Press notes that Herod is alive and well at Planned Parenthood: "Herod the Great is most remembered for his decision to murder innocent children in his failed attempt to kill Jesus while he was still a baby. As the authors of the Life Application Bible say in their profile of Herod, "The murder of innocent children ... is a tragic lesson in what can happen when actions are motivated by selfishness" (p. 1645). Sadly, that lesson hasn't been learned by our modern culture. Millions of innocent children are the victims of a modern day Herod -- Planned Parenthood."

*More females than males, in all cultures, are aborted.

#129 TotallyAcappella Radio responds

I had a nice response from Loran Partigianoni of TotallyAcappella Radio (blog 123 ), who wrote:

Just in case you're not aware, we now have all (about 65 albums) of The Acappella Company's albums in our collection of albums. Hopefully, we'll have the last 26 albums added to our playlist before the end of this year. We've been busy adding Christmas albums for most of the last several weeks. The Acappella Company groups include Acappella, AVB (All Vocal Band), The Vocal Union and The Firemen. Other groups composed of former Acappella members that are on their website include X-Changed, Sweet Deliverance, and Watershed Worship. We have all of their music, too. You can request songs from our playlist, and search by artist, album or song title from the more than 3,000 songs.

Peace and Grace,
Loran Partigianoni
http://www.totallyacappella.com

#128 Cancer with the experts

At Thanksgiving our daughter wore an open neck sweater with a small necklace, and our son mentioned that he could hardly see her scar.

In late October 1997 she had blood tests, an ultrasound, and a radioactive iodine scan of her neck to determine whether she was having thyroid problems. In addition to weight gain, she was having muscle cramps, kidney pain, extreme fatigue, etc. The doctor found a large goiter on the left side (hot) and a small nodule (cold) on the right of her neck. The cold ones are possible cancer sites.

She was diagnosed at that time with Hashimoto's Disease, an autoimmune condition that runs in families and causes hypothyroidism. Relatively rare in women her age (30), it is quite common in women over 50. The goiter was not visible nor were any of her thyroid tests abnormal. So these things are hard to detect.

She was to return to the endocrinologist for another check in 3 months. She did that, he performed several biopsies on the tumor tissue which were benign, but he was very concerned by how fast the goiter was growing and said it would need to come out because it was compressing her trachea (windpipe). She was developing hoarseness, breathing problems and some chest pain. Within the week she had met with the surgeon and had another scan, at which time it was discovered the large tumor had grown down into the sternum and the small one had also grown. She was scheduled for surgery in 3 days, which didn't give us much time to think about it.

By this time there were many players in the game: Dr. Olsen (her physician and employer who first suggested she needed the tests because her personality was changing); Dr. Blackman (endocrinologist specializing in thyroid); Dr. Shirck (surgeon); Dr. Blackwell (surgeon); and Dr. Anderson (oncologist).

On Monday, February 16, 1998, at 6 a.m. our pastor, our son-in-law’s brother and wife, and my husband and I met with our daughter and husband at the Hospital for prayer before she went into surgery. Her husband’s parents arrived later from Cleveland. Shirck did the surgery with Blackwell on call in case her chest needed to be opened. The surgery lasted 4.5 hours. She was in her hospital room by 2 p.m. A total thyroidectomy was done with no damage to her vocal chords and the parathyroid glands, which are very tiny and easily damaged, were in tact. Usually, they try to do a partial thyroidectomy because of the risks to those other two areas.

Papillary thyroid cancer was found, but not in either of the two nodules they knew about. It develops in cells that produce thyroid hormones containing iodine, and grows very slowly. This was encapsulated and completely removed along with 17 lymph glands. Pathology by Dr. Anderson revealed no spread of the cancer and nothing in the lymph glands.

She was declared cured, released from the hospital on Friday, and returned to work on March 2. Her husband took a week off and we helped out the second week. But then the "fun" began about what to do for follow-up. The clutch of doctors expanded. Her sister-in-law is a nurse, so her records were faxed to her and she knew an oncologist and an endocrinologist to consult. Her brother-in-law had a friend, an oncologist. Our daughter had more appointments with Dr. Blackman and Dr. Anderson, and of course, she saw Dr. Olsen daily at work.

The problem was whether to do an Iodine 131 scan with a follow up of radiation to kill any thyroid tissue found by the scan. Even with complete removal of the thyroid gland, there is still thyroid tissue in the body. The surgeon and oncologist (Shirck and Anderson) wanted her to do that to eliminate any return of the cancer. Her own doctor (Olsen) and the endocrinologist (Blackman) said the risk was so small, it was not worth the possible danger to the exposure of more radiation. She had already had 2 scans within 4 months. These scans apparently can cause cancer of the salivary glands and kidney (the kidneys have to clear all this radioactive material from the body and Hashimoto's Disease is hard on the kidneys) if there is over exposure. They can also interfere with future pregnancies because of the time needed to eliminate it from your body.

Dr. Olsen thought removing 17 lymph glands from her neck was overkill and because she had so many strep infections, he thought she needed them (although she hasn’t had a strep infection since removing the thyroid). The doctors also didn’t agree on when to do the follow up if she decided to have the scan. The endocrinologist said she must wait if she had it done; the oncologist wanted it within 30 days of the surgery.

It appeared to me we had the "slash and burn" guys up against "whole body" guys. Blackman (endocrinologist) had never had a patient who refused the scan/radiation who had further trouble. Anderson (oncologist) had never had a patient who refused it. Blackman said only 5% of papillary cancer patients have a reoccurrence, and only 1 out of 150 of those die because there are ways to spot it and treat it if it returns.

Her own doctor, who is not a specialist, but who hadn't been wrong about anything to that point, didn’t want her to have the further treatment. The other doctor in the practice who was out of the country, thought she should have it. The contacts of her sister-in-law said no; the contact of her brother-in-law said no. They were all so young and confident, those specialists, and I went to all those appointments with my daughter, and listened to them earnestly explain all this to her. She had an incredible knowledge about medical things and seemed to understand it all. (I didn’t.)

Even so, they all told her it was her choice! And she decided. No further treatment.

It’s been five years, moving close to six. She is cancer free, but still struggling daily with the right mix of medication to compensate for no thyroid. And we can hardly see that awful huge scar. But we remember--most assuredly we do.

#127 Preachers Corrupted by their Wealth

"Health-wealth" gospel, if you aren't familiar with the pitch, promises financial gain to the donor (or good health). Sometimes donors receive prayed-over trinkets for their money. Completely bogus, in my opinion, especially if you’ve read your Bible or history of the church. These ministries make the pre-reformation medieval churchmen with their schemes for accumulating wealth by bilking believers look like pikers and amateurs.

The St. Louis Post Dispatch ran some hard hitting columns in mid-November on the "health-wealth," "word-faith," "name it-claim it" preachers--Joyce Meyer, Benny Hinn, Marilyn Hickey, Creflow Dollar, the Crouches, etc. All have TV ministries, live in mansions, drive Mercedes and Rolls, own private jets, and keep their adult children within their ranch compounds and on their payrolls, all provided by the donations for “God’s work” from whoever believes that this is why Jesus died.

Most of the articles concerned Joyce Meyer, who lives in the St. Louis area and takes in about $95 million a year. At the bottom of the column discussing hers and others’ ministries are two click-to paid ads for her books and tapes! Now is that marketing savvy or what? Will her devoted fans be irate about the expose, see the ads, and send in even more money?

Then below her ads is an ad for a Christian news service with an article about where believers can send money at Christmas (obviously, not to any of the organizations in the Dispatch article). Before sending money, check out MinistryWatch.

#126 The Photographer's Eye

Why do we, The Visual Arts Ministry, work so hard to hang art shows at our church (three campuses)? Our vision statement. Everything at UALC has a link to evangelism, and that includes bringing the unchurched into the buildings. However, our members also enjoy the shows and one young mother stopped me yesterday and told me how important they think the shows are for their children (the largest hanging area is the main traffic corridor for Sunday School classes.)

Saturday Bob, Ken, Steve, Bev and myself became a lean, mean hanging machine, and hung a show with about 120 pieces on our Arakawa Hanging System. Then on Sunday we provided a reception, with the assistance of the Hospitality Ministry, for the artist to meet the congregation and visitors. You can see what we hung here at the artist's web page.

Also during Advent, we are sponsoring an exhibit of reproductions of the Italian presepio, which used small carved nativity scene figures in the eighteenth century, made by the Fontanini company in Italy and collected by two of our members, Margie and Dick. Each week the scene changes as the time of Christ's birth approaches. Yesterday more than 200 people stopped by the exhibit to talk to Dick about the display. Next Sunday members are invited to bring their own nativity scenes for display, and Dick will lecture on the meaning and significance of the collection.

In January we will be hanging a quilt show, and then in February another one-artist photography show. From memory I'm thinking we'll then display the art of children of Highland Elementary School on Columbus' west side, and in May, the Upper Arlington Art League will again hang its Spring Show.

#125 Word of the Year vote coming soon

The American Dialect Society votes each year on “Word of the Year” and for 2002 it was “weapons of mass destruction” receiving 38 out of 60 votes, coming in ahead of “google” as a verb and “blog” which received 6 votes (both of which I use much more frequently than WMD) .

The next vote, on words for 2003, will take place Friday, January 9, 2004, at the American Dialect Society's annual meeting in Boston at the Sheraton Hotel. Possibly it is too late, but they say on the web site that nominations for words of the year 2003 are welcome anytime. Send them to the chair of the society's New Words Committee, Professor Wayne Glowka of Georgia College and State University, at wglowka@mail.gcsu.edu.

American Dialect Society sponsors the Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE). There is a link on the DARE site to the reading of material by people from various regions. In “Arthur the Rat,” I thought the woman from Wisconsin sounded best, but then I grew up in northern Illinois, probably within 100 miles of her.

124 Mother was right--four letter words may mean you lack language skills

To write well in English, a knowledge of Latin is most useful--maybe essential. I had two years of high school Latin and have never regretted it (at least not after I was an adult). Apparently our shorter, earthy, and scatological words developed from the language of the Anglo-Saxon invaders, and Latin and French was the language of the upper class after the Norman invasion. Mixed together in all their diversity, they created the marvelously flexible and creative English language which no longer belongs just to the people of England, but to the whole world.

However, once in awhile I come across an English sentence that is so Latinized, I can hardly read it. Such is the sentence on p. 36 in "Wide as the Waters, the story of the English Bible and the Revolution it inspired" for which I needed my Second Ed. New International Merriam-Webster to read:

"At the time, the deaneries of Lichfield, Salisbury, and York, and archdeaconry of Canterbury (the wealthiest benefice in England), together with a host of other prebends and preferments, were held in absentia by foreign born cardinals and priests, who collected through their London agent twenty thousand marks a year for the papal treasury."

English words that pre-date the Norman invasion of 1066 have an asterisk. All others on this list are based in Latin or Greek or both.

*time--Middle English from Old English, tima, akin to Old Norse, timi, means a measurable period.

dean--comes from Middle English from the French from the Latin meaning chief of 10

archdeaconry--Middle English archedeken from Old English from Latin archidiaconus from Late Latin from Late Greek meaning a district or residence of an archdeacon, a clergyman who assists a bishop

benefice--comes from Middle English from Middle French from Middle Latin, beneficial from the Latin word beneficus, meaning favor.

host--Middle English from Old French from Late Latin from Latin hostis, stranger, an army, large number or multitude.

*wealthy--may come from the obsolete, weal, Middle English from the Old English, wela, or wel, meaning well, or prosperous (before the 12th century)

prebend--Old French from the Latin praebenda, from praebere, meaning to hold forth. The word means a daily allowance or meals. Stipend.

preferment--Old French from Latin, preferred, an act of bringing forward, a state of being preferred. Prefer can mean to point to a benefice.

in absentia--from the Latin meaning absent

foreign--Middle English, forein, from Old French from Late Latin from Latin, forus, meaning outside. Situated outside one's own country.

cardinal--Middle English from Middle Latin, cardinalis, from Late Latin meaning a hinge. In the 14th century meaning of basic importance or main.

priest--Middle English, preist from Old English, possibly modified from Late Latin presbyter (from the Greek), one authorized to perform sacred rites of religion

collect--from Latin, meaning to bring together into one body or place

agent--Middle English from Middle Latin from Latin word, agere meaning to drive, act or do.

*twenty--Middle English from old English Twen + tig meaning a group of 20.

*thousand--Middle English from Old English word, thusend, from a prehistoric Germanic language

*mark--Middle English from Old English, marc, probably of Scandinavian origin, similar to Old Norse--a unit of weight in silver or gold

*year--Middle English from Old English gear, akin to Old High German, jar, a period of 365 days.

papal--Middle English from Middle French from Middle Latin from Late Latin, papa. Means of,or relating to a pope.

treasury--Middle English from Old French word tresor, a place where wealth is kept.

So the Anglo-Saxon, the language of the Germanic barbarians (with the asterisk) who invaded the British Isles, was useful for swearing, cursing, naming common things like animals, counting money and time, but for just about everything else, Latin and French words needed to be imported by the Normans (originally were Vikings) when they invaded Britain in the 11th century (which is also the origin of both my maiden and married names).

#123 All a cappella

I’ve been enjoying a web radio station that is all a cappella, and this morning heard a delightful “Growing up with King James.” Having just read “In the beginning” and now reading “Wide as the waters,” both about the creation and influence of that Bible, I just had to laugh. So I googled the title, and found a web site for The Acappela Company with a link to the album with that song by the All Vocal Band. The album is titled, “What’s your tag say?”