Maybe it’s just me, but this headline, from the BBC website a few days ago, bothers me:
I think there are two problems. First the fact that “radicalised” could be either active or passive – “he radicalised”, or “he was radicalised”. And then the verb itself, “to radicalise”. It may be the correct usage, but it sounds strange. And it immediately makes me think of “free radicals”.
Continue reading “totally rad”
We were talking about repairing a wooden trunk that we could use as a side table if it didn’t keep falling apart when it’s moved. I reckoned a dab of cola blanca around the dowels would do the trick when we put it back together again.
At which point my partner announced, “Creo que hay un sargento entre las herramientas en el invernadero.”
OK. We’ll gloss over the fact that we keep tools in the greenhouse – although this explains the slightly greenish tint to the photo – and focus on the “sargento”.
What was a sergeant doing with the tools, and what was his relevance to the simple repair we were about to undertake?
Continue reading “military vices”
John Hayes’ 2010 horoscope for Gemini tells me it’s
an excellent time for writing, asserting your views and for catching up on your paperwork. However, if you identify too closely with your views, you may take a difference of opinion too personally and so there is the potential for disputes and disagreements
That’s a neat reminder about the difference between the writer/ narrator and what is written. And it’s not always just the reader who forgets this distinction. Paraphrasing Hayes: If you identify too closely with your writing, you may take criticism too personally.
Continue reading “new year, old writing”
Like I said the other day, it’s been very, very wet. But yesterday the rain stopped for long enough for me to go for a walk. The river was back within its banks, and I got a glimpse of the mountains for the first time since I got back from the UK:
This morning, the predominant colour outside is grey once more, and the mountains have disappeared again.
This double-page advert comes from today’s El Mundo newspaper:
don't confuse the narrator 