
It was a dark and stormy night. Those words have taken on new meaning for me after these past few weeks and Hurricane Helene.
A thunderstorm produces heavy rain and it accompanied by thunder and lightning. At times, it also produces hail and heavy, damaging winds. They are a force of nature, and when conditions are right, they unleash their fury. Unstable air or air that is heavy with water—wind will pick up water from the ground or a…
Homonyms are confusing enough, but there is another category of confusing words: contronyms. Contronyms—also spelled contranyms—are also known as auto-antonyms, antagonyms, enantiodromes, self-antonyms, antilogies, and Janus words. Janus was the Roman god of beginnings and endings. He is often depicted with two faces looking in opposite directions. dabster A dabster is one who is…
Waterkill is a high-tech thriller that weaves a story around nanoscience and fanatical religious terrorism. This gripping story takes place on three continents. It’s a thrill of a ride that you won’t want to step off of once you open its cover and turn the first page. It took me only about four months of…
The origin of April Fool’s Day, the holiday that delights those who love to play practical jokes, is a mystery, although it is believed to have had its beginnings in France sometime during the 1500s. No one is safe from pranks, practical jokes, and hoaxes on this day when humor reigns. There have been some…