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Times Change
Fireworks Display
Back in Florida
"Timely Words" Messages
"Dog in the Manger"
Islam
Bias
Nuts
August(ine)

　　Before my wife and I left for Japan last month, we were concerned that our trip would be less enjoyable due to the rainy days which are expected during the "rainy season" there. However, we were surprised at the little rain we experienced, which has caused concern to farmers and water system operators; rain did not interfere with our schedule at all. Among the many impressions we have carried back to the U.S.A. from our recent visit are the changes that have taken place in certain areas. We visited the three different neighborhoods in Nagoya in which we had lived for ten years or more. One house we could not find for it was no longer there. Another house was to be torn down soon and a new, bigger house had replaced the old house in which we had lived in a third area. It was very obvious to us that "times change." A few days before we left, our son brought a new puppy dog home. The black Labrador retriever they had had for many years died last summer and now they have a small, light brown boxer with a white stomach, white paws and a black nose. The family is in the midst of "training" this new "family member" and we are again reminded how "times change." We are now back in the U.S.A., which is also experiencing a water shortage in certain areas. We expect our son from New Mexico to join us here in my hometown in northern Illinois over the Independence Day celebrations at the home of my sister, whose husband is a former mayor of the city, before we leave for Florida on July 7th. (870)

Fireworks Display
05/07/04

　　Even as religious groups celebrate certain days as "holy days" (days set aside for special religious observances), nations celebrate certain days as "holidays" (days marked by a general suspension of work in commemoration of an event). In the United States of America, the 4th day of the 7th month of the year is celebrated as Independence Day to commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence by representatives of the Thirteen Colonies on that day in 1776. In my hometown of Zion, Illinois, it is customary to have an impressive fireworks display in the central park in the evening of that day. Our elder son, who had just arrived from a short trip to Michigan, joined my wife and me, my sister and her husband to watch the fireworks along with countless other observers who had gathered around the park. While others sat on blankets they had spread on the ground, we sat on folding chairs we had brought from my sister’s home. For half-an-hour, from 9:30 to 10:00 p.m., our attention was riveted by the amazing display of colorful cascades high in the sky accompanied by loud explosions. There was a great variety of both color and sound. Some fireworks showered their green, red, blue, gold or white tentacles following only one explosion, while others continued to explode and shower the sky with additional streams of colorful lights as the observers responded with "ohs" and "ahs." Following the impressive spectacle, it took us much time to get to our car and drive back home because of all the cars and people in the area, but on this day, we enjoyed the "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" that are considered "unalienable rights" in the Declaration of Independence. (871)

Back in Florida
05/07/10

　　On the 29th of May, my wife and I began our trip from the town of Penney Farms in Florida to the city of Nagoya in Japan. We rented a car from an agent in a nearby town and drove to the city of Orlando, where we spent the night in an inn near the airport from which we departed early the next day. After a very enjoyable time in Japan, where we met with family and friends related to school, churches and other activities, we left Japan on the 30th of June. On our return trip, we did not simply change planes in the city of Chicago; we stayed for a week in the home of my sister and visited with church members and friends in my hometown. On July 7, our son accompanied us to the airport in Chicago, where he boarded a plane going southwest a few minutes after we boarded a plane going southeast. At the Orlando Airport, we went to pick up the rental car we had ordered by telephone, but my credit card was not accepted there so we went to another agency and obtained a car at a lower fee. Following the 3-hour drive, we arrived home and were happy that our own car started without a problem after not being used for over a month. At the post office, I received a huge container of mail for us that had accumulated over the past five weeks. Now we continue to read the mail and talk with neighbors and friends who ask many questions about our trip. It is the "hurricane season" here and the citizens of this state have been advised to be prepared for strong winds and rain. Both Japan and the Chicago area had less rain than usual this year, but Florida has had plenty of rain. We are reminded that whether we consider the weather favorable or unfavorable depends on both the region and our perception or evaluation and the same reasoning is true in other areas as well. (872)

"Timely Words" Messages
05/07/13

　　For the English language telephone service I began in Japan, I composed a different message every day. That service was called "Daily Word." After my retirement, I did not want to feel pressure to compose a daily message, so I called the webpage "Timely Words" and added new messages at my convenience, but I tried to make all of them "timely." Recently, the messages have included personal experiences related to my visit to Japan, but now that I am back in the States, I will try to return to more general or educational subjects. However, I would like to receive communications from readers related to the kind of messages they desire. What kind of content do you prefer―historical, geographical, etymological, logical, cultural, religious, moral? During my visit to Japan, I met with the man who set up the "Timely Words"homepage and inquired about having it revised. Hopefully, the "Guestbook" will again be useable and "voiced messages" will also be available with my American English pronunciation. You may communicate with me by clicking on the "Mail to Clark Offner" box on the title page. Since 1953, Atlantic tropical storms have been named from lists created by the National Hurricane Center. The lists included only women's names until 1979 when men's and women's names were alternated. The recent hurricane, named "Dennis" did not cause much of a problem in our area, but we were encouraged to "Be Prepared," which is good advice in all areas of life. Recently, I read the statement that it is better to believe in the existence of God and to find out that there is no God than to not believe in God and find out that actually God exists. (873)

"Dog in the Manger"
05/07/17

　　The word "mange" denotes a skin disease caused by parasitic insects. The English word is derived from an Old French word meaning "to eat." Another English word derived from the same root is the word "manger." In this modern industrialized world, few people have actually seen a "manger" and many people do not understand its meaning. According to one dictionary, a "manger" is "a trough in which feed for livestock is placed." Another dictionary is more specific in its definition: "a box or trough to hold hay, etc. for horses or cattle to eat." In case you do not know what a "trough" is, it is a long, narrow receptacle. During most of the year, we seldom hear or read about a "manger," but during the Christmas season, as the year approaches its end, the word "manger" is frequently seen or heard for it is related to the story of Jesus' birth. According to the second chapter of the New Testament Gospel of Luke, an angel appeared to shepherds who were keeping watch over their flocks at night and informed them of the birth of "a Savior . . . Christ the Lord," who was "lying in a manger." When the shepherds followed the angel's directions, they found that it was so and spread the word about the baby lying in a manger. Turning to another page in my dictionary, I find the the interesting term "dog in the manger, which is defined as "One who prevents others from enjoying what he himself has no use for." This expression comes from "a fable about a dog who settled himself in a manger and would not let the ox eat the hay, even though the dog wouldn't and couldn't eat it himself." Unfortunately, we find dogs in mangers today in many countries where wealthy people have much more than they need but are not willing to share any of it with others. (874)

Islam
05/07/20

　　One of the major religions in the world today is Islam. It has become the focus of much attention in recent years because of the activities of certain groups which profess to be inspired by it and because of the influence of certain Islamic countries with immense oil resources. In Arabic, Islam means "submission." Total submission to the will of God (Allah) is the basic belief of Islam and adherents to this religion are called "Muslims," literally meaning "ones who submit." In the year 610, an Arabian merchant, named Muhammad, claimed to have received a revelation from Allah through an angel. This and subsequent revelations were eventually written in a book, which has become the holy text of Islam, called the Quran. This Islamic scripture is written in Arabic and it is only the original Arabic version which is considered the word of God. No translation is recognized as such. The Quran consists of 114 chapters, arranged in order of length, with very few historical points of reference. It emphasizes the unitary, omnipotent and omniscient nature of God, the implications of the revealed Law, the nature and scope of prophecy and the punishments and rewards that await humanity on the future Day of Judgment. The basic statement of faith for the Muslim is: "There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet." Muslims are required to repeat prayers at designated times five times a day, to fast during the holy month of Ramadan, to visit the sacred temple at Mecca in Saudi Arabia at least once in a lifetime and to make contributions to those in need. Muslims recognize both Moses and Jesus as prophets of Islam. (875)

Bias
05/07/23

　　As I have noted in previous messages, I think it is impossible to make a perfect translation from one language to another. My personal experience is related to the languages of Spanish, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese and English and I have come to the realization that languages reflect the cultures in which they developed; certain words or expressions in one culture do not have their exact equivalent in another culture, making a perfect, literal translation impossible. Until we try to translate words into another language, we are often unaware of their distinctive implications and consider our native language as suitable for communication to all people. I was reminded of this as I read newspaper articles related to President Bush's selection of a candidate for the Supreme Court. Some articles emphasized the need for one who is unbiased. Others seemed to prefer a judge who has the right kind of bias. In this case, "bias" denotes "a preference or inclination . . . that inhibits impartial judgment; prejudice." From my perspective, there is no one who is without a bias. Many people are unaware of their biased views, which have developed as a result of their personality, education and experience. We unconsciously inherit biases from our parents or assimilate them from our social environment. Such biases may be related to ethnic, educational or social status factors. Not only judges, but teachers, pastors, students and all people should attempt to recognize their biases and seek to eliminate them. Let us recognize all people as a part of the same human family, despite our different languages, cultures, skin colors, genders and experiences. (876)

Nuts
05/07/28

　　Certain English words have a number of very different definitions. In some cases, it is difficult to imagine how such a wide variety of meanings got connected to that word. For example, according to one dictionary, the basic meaning of "nut" is "a hard-shelled, solid-textured, one-celled fruit, such as an acorn or a hazelnut that does not split open." Such nuts may be put in a dish for people to eat. The nut used by a carpenter, however, is quite different. It is "a small block, usually of metal, with a threaded hole through the center for screwing onto a bolt." Such nuts are usually kept with tools such as screwdrivers and wrenches. Another kind of "nut" is the "ridge of wood at the top of the fingerboard of a stringed instrument, over which the strings pass." Such nuts are found on violins and guitars. Then, there is the slang usage denoting "a crazy or eccentric person." People suffering from mental illnesses may be considered "nuts," but some narrow-minded folk use the term to refer to those who disagree with them on certain issues. And a person who is very enthusiastic about something may be called a "nut," such as "a movie nut," or "a baseball nut." We may say that such people are "nuts about movies" or "nuts about baseball." As an interjection, "nuts" is used "to express contempt, disappointment or refusal." Although there may be times when I make use of the word, either in its singular or plural form, I would not to use it in response to a statement or proposal of my wife. If I do use it, the context must be carefully considered to determine the correct meaning. It is not only nuts who serve nuts along with drinks or who use nuts to fasten bolts. And we should consider any viewpoint or proposal carefully, even those we disagree with before replying "Nuts." (877)

August(ine)
05/07/31

　　When the word spelled a-u-g-u-s-t is pronounced with the accent on the second syllable, it is an adjective, denoting something inspiring awe and reverence. When the accent is placed on the first syllable and the first letter is capitalized, the word becomes a noun denoting the eighth month of the year. "Augustus" was the title given by the Roman senate to the first Roman emperor, Octavian, in 27 B.C.E. It was this grandnephew of Julius Caesar who decided that the name of this month should be changed to "August" in his honor just as the previous month had been changed to "July" in honor of his great uncle. It is said that Augustus took a day from another month to add to his month so that it would not have fewer days than that of July. In this southeastern state of Florida, August is very hot and humid and the month when hurricanes develop. There are two famous religious leaders in church history whose names include this name and whose influence continues in the church today. Their name is "Augustine" and both of them have been designated "saints" in the Roman Catholic Church. The writings of St. Augustine, the bishop of Hippo in northern Africa in the 5th century, emphasized certain doctrinal, philosophical truths that are considered basic in Christian theology. It was another St. Augustine, who went to England, stimulated the spread of Christianity among the Anglo-Saxons in the 7th century and became the first archbishop of Canterbury. And the oldest city in the United States of America, located on the east coast of the state of Florida, about 45 minutes from our present residence, is named St. Augustine and we often take visitors there to see various historic sites and other places of interest. (878)