Monthly Archives: June 2015

German Paternosters

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Roger Walck

“In Escalating Battle, Germans Step Up for Doorless Elevators,” by Bertrand Benott. The Wall Street Journal, 6/26/2015. Paternosters are small continuously moving, open elevators that you just step onto. They move slowly enough for this to be possible, and are … Continue reading →

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Just Throw It Away!

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Roger Walck

“For These Collectors, the Rarest Find Is Someone Who Wants Their Stuff,” by James R. Hagerty. The Wall Street Journal, 6/25/2015. Collectors of things like matchbooks, shoehorns, and pens, are now aging and cannot find anyone willing to take their … Continue reading →

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Is My Husband . . . ?

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Roger Walck

What is the most frequent ending, by far, of Google searches for the question beginning: “Is my husband . . . ?” Depressed?  No. Having an affair?  Not even close. Satisfying my needs?  Too insignificant to mention. Gay?  Bingo! The … Continue reading →

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Early Boardwalk Exercisers

Posted on June 22, 2015 by Roger Walck

I wake up with the sun, about 5 am this time of year (I make up for it in December). My newspapers are not delivered until 6:30, so I make the coffee, wake up my computer, and scan the boardwalk … Continue reading →

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Shannon Welles and the “Oh, My” Grandma Buick Commercial

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Roger Walck

“Buick Commercial,” 5/2/2014, and “The Blogging Grandma Buick Commercial,” 4/8/2015. (This blog.)                 “My wife’s grandmother is 92 years young! She became a full-time actress at age 66 when she retired from teaching … Continue reading →

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Schadenfreude Antonym

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Roger Walck

“Schadenfreude is in the Zeitgeist, but Is There an Opposite Term?” by Ben Cohen. The Wall Street Journal, 6/13/2015. Schadenfreude is one of my favorite words because of it’s meaning, certainly not from its spelling which trips me up every … Continue reading →

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Old Schoolhouses and Segregation by Sex

Posted on June 15, 2015 by Roger Walck

This old schoolhouse outside of Somers Point, NJ, on Rt. 559 to May’s Landing, is typical of its era. The stone high above the doorway says, “Public School, 1907.” Their assumption of eternal permanence is striking. They made the schools … Continue reading →

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Hit Up at the Mall

Posted on June 12, 2015 by Roger Walck

The Concord Mall is only a couple of miles from my house, and I browse through it and the adjoining big box stores about once every other week, usually alone on a Friday or Saturday evening when TV is slow. … Continue reading →

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Clickbait

Posted on June 10, 2015 by Roger Walck

“Word on the Street” by Ben Zimmer. The Wall Street Journal, 6/6/2015. “Clickbait” is a new addition to Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary. It means a disingenuous Internet item, such as a photo or racy headline, designed to entice someone gullible like … Continue reading →

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Spit-tooie!

Posted on June 8, 2015 by Roger Walck

Anyone who tunes into a televised baseball game immediately notices the players constant spitting.  Why?  Basketball players don’t spit.  Soccer players don’t spit.  Football players don’t spit.  Spitting is not a normal part of physical activity. I have a theory, … Continue reading →

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