Wordddd 
First up: I miss Trinity, miss The Mill, miss Vernon Street, miss the Long Walk, miss the Quad, ahhhh!!!
Second: I found this really interesting chart compiled by the New York Times’ ‘After Deadline’ blog that lists the 50 most ‘looked up’ words in Times’ articles - basically the ones that readers need clarified or just don’t know. There are some zany contenders, and its a good way to learn some new words. A few examples: opprobrium, jejune, apoplectic.
And remember Trinity’s boy Sammy Adams’ words of wisdom: “Schools good for one thing, I must add. And that’s having a plethora of my vocab.”
RIP Pay Phone? Not just yet.
So here’s my favorite human interest story of the week.
Everyone knows the pay phone is clinging to life and just about ready to be buried in the technological cemetery. But today’s NY Times profiles one pay phone booth in Queens that is still alive and well.
According to the article, “Those who stepped into the booth provided a snapshot of New York’s pay phone user, an elusive, rather anonymous demographic sometimes viewed with suspicion.” And if you think about it, that description is so true. Its more and more likely that whenever we see someone using a pay phone we think “well that’s odd. why aren’t they just using their cell phone?”
Anyway, I really enjoyed reading this piece. The stories behind the story are really fascinating and humanistic.
Flying has been getting a pretty bad rap these days. Because of the nearly successful terrorist attack from the ‘underwear bomber’ and incidents like the overzealous lovers that brought Newark International to a standstill , people are trying harder to stay grounded to get from point A to point B.
I personally like flying. With all of its imperfection, I still feel it possesses an alluring mystique. I can remember, as a little boy, laying on the grass in my backyard, looking up and seeing the tiny spec of a plane and wondering “Where is that going? Who is on it?”
Each Tuesday The New York Times Business Section feeds into my air travel fascination by interviewing a person whose job entails a lot of flying each year - the real life versions of George Clooney’s character in Up In The Air. I like to call the column “Interview with someone who has a much more interesting life than me.”
This week, the column looks at Zane Lamprey - the guy who has that TV show where he goes around to every corner of the world, samples the drinks of the place, parties with the locals, and jets out. Like I said, more interesting life than me. The columns are always enjoyable, as they reveal the puzzling and enchanting aspects of air travel and its participants. Here is this week’s.
And in going with the theme of great commercials that occasionally pops up here, I’ve attached one that United Airlines put out a few years ago. Its called ‘A Life’ and it is one of my favorite television advertisements ever. (Every time I watch it I want to fly only United just to financially support them so they keep making outstanding commercials.) Its beautiful and both hopeful and poignant. The play on Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue just adds to it.
