Factoids and Truthiness

   When will they ever learn?

   Sounds good as far as it goes, but it doesn't go very far.

   FAMOUS LAST WORDS -- "This time is different." Some quickly forget or deliberately ignore their own vague memories (if any) of why and how their policies did not work. To them, history teaches nothing, and never repeats.

   The optimist says, "It doesn't get any better than this."
   The pessimist says, "Yes, I know. That's what worries me."

   MORE LAST WORDS: Calvin Coolidge said, "I do not choose to run." Oddly, no one asked him.

   BEWARE OF ABSOLUTES -- The TV ad claimed that "only one senator in the race voted to cut $716 billion from Medicare." Only one? True. But there was only one senator in the race. Each state has two senators, elected at different times. The challenger was not in office, so could not vote, and the other senator did vote but was not in the race.

   We have two definitions of "factoid." Across the pond, it means something of little value, and probably not true. In America, a factoid is a very small bit of information -- true, but not important. And we have Stephen Colbert's coin, "truthiness," meaning something that sounds true but may not be.

   GLEANINGS -- "The river is full of flotsam and jetsam." Colorful, but if the river were full, no water would flow. And "flotsam" is that which floats and can be seen. "Jetsam" is carried along beneath the surface.

   SMITH-SMITHY -- The smith is a person who works at the smithy, the place where iron work is done.

   GRISLY-GRISTLY -- Pronounced almost the same, but the first, with a "z" sound, involves something gory and bloody. The second, with more of an "s" sound, refers to tendons (gristle) left in your burger or chicken salad.

   KEEP IN MIND -- Stories go on Page One because they're important.
   Stories become important when they go on Page One.