We’ve got mail

Quick: how much is a postage stamp?

I was going to say a 1st class stamp, but I think that might be redundant.

Anyway, I bought 10 the other day and muttered something like “Oh, that’s what it costs.” The post man gave me an impassive look. Perhaps he hears that a lot?

The price of those stamps is going up another 5 pennies to $.73.**

This is quite the rise from 12 years ago when postage was just 34č̣. It is also the second increase this year.

**The increase is a little more than double, which may just be a normal economic incline. Or not.... feels like a small BIG deal.

Wonder what the going rate on a postcard looks like!

r-e-s-pectfully

Not everyone treats the months with as much reverence as we do.

In Spanish, for instance, there are no caps introducing their names. September is just an ordinary noun (except if it starts the sentence). Nothing exalted about septiembre.

It’s interesting because some languages put lots of regular words on pedestals. German is an example along with our own germanic tongue.

Satisfaction

There is something so satisfying about batting a ball against a paddle.

Passing a playground  where there’s a person making a practice hit against the wall makes me smile. Thwack.

Pickleball with a side order of ping pong is the current rage. Recreational as well as spectator tennis is always in vogue, too.

In my heyday, I enjoyed applying a forceful racquet to a small ball for the sake of running the court. Occasionally, I had a lunchtime opponent, but generally, this was a solo exertion.

Thwack. Slam.

Learning as I go

Being a proponent of American style freedoms as they evolve and move forward, I have often used the term democracy.

Origins? Dêmos (the people, or perhaps the many, or ¿the mob?). Kratos [power], so could it be simpler? Yeah, it could.

It’s already muddled by the question of who the dêmos might be. Add to that that the word for assembly ecclesia is a root with associations to religion, and I am reeling in uncertainty.

Critics of the Athenian model of dêmoskratos abound of late. Socrates, anyone?

As it has been pointed out the gents who framed the document that establishes our form of government called our nation a Republic. They based their pre- cedence on the Roman formula.

I don’t want to take this issue lightly. “And for the Republic for which it stands.”

The principles of rights and freedoms are honored in that Latinate model as well, of course.

May we always embrace the 4th of July and uphold the privileges of a free nation.

Over the moon

Ok. Now I feel foolish.

The weather site just showed me that the moon was set to set around 2 in the afternoon.

Not to belabor this “news,” but I am processing the information. A slow learner looks like.

I didn’t know that. I didn’t know a.m. there was a moonrise followed by a moonset.

According to this, it’s out from just before 1 a.m.

This indicates that we’ve got moon about 14 hours.

Personal choices

Body art is puzzling to one of my generation. Tattoos were generally something a sailor acquired on leave on distant shores. 

Hi Tamara,

Thanks for reaching out!

Everyone’s motivation is different, so I can only speak for myself and from what I’ve heard. Some people I know get tattoos to improve their self-esteem, cover self-harm scars, or just to have art on their bodies. Tattoos have definitely relieved some body image issues for me, and all of the ones I have have meaning behind them, including the one I’m getting removed (it’s the birdhouse from my childhood backyard with a blue jay and local flowers to represent where I came from). I just can’t stand how it came out, for many unfortunate reasons, which is why I’m so grateful that tattoo removal is an option for people in my shoes. 🙂

I hope that answers your question, even if it’s just my own take. I appreciate you reading our newsletter!

All my best,
Morgan

Other folk,  ordinary folk would have generally avoided such decoration.

Today, the untattooed are in the minority. Or so it seems.

Among those with tats, many sport multiple colorings. Many others still have large areas of their bodies covered in drawing.

It’s a matter of aesthetic choice that has intrigued me for some time.

Today, I asked a perfect stranger why? Well, perfect, yes. She writes for Healthline Wellness Wire. That’s her response above.