Wrambling on about words, food, the Bills, the night sky…..plus a poem!
By Chuck Wiser, I write the words to share what my eyes see and my heart feels
Anyone having read more than one of my Wramblings, most likely realizes my love for our language and especially the oddities included therein. A recent article in a competitor’s media used the same, but different word on the same page, in adjacent stories. One was referencing a family Recreating at a local campground. The other was recreating something that had previously been created. So, I guess if you were re-establishing a former practice of camping on a weekend you were recreating recreating. I can’t blame you if you now smack your head and groan with me over the grammar groan. Gotta love our language though.
A few local business establishments either caved due to the Wiser Jinx, or came close to it. The chapter of the Jinx I refer to involved recent closings, or at least changed ownership of both the Reids Food Barn in Olean, and the Beef Haus here in Wellsville. Fortunately for both they are only temporary closures or service interruptions to facilitate a changing of the guard so to speak, as they will resume business under new ownership. Our visitation to Reids Food Barn in Olean came about accidently when we stopped by there to check out an advertised meat sale and purchased a loaf of their Salt Rising bread. Following the change of brands and, in our opinion, a change in the quality of that same product “locally” we didn’t care for the slight change in the flavor of the bread. Nothing better than “toasted” salt rising bread, unless the flavor isn’t there to start with.
Reading a recent article in a competitive “rag” (more on that word to follow), summarizing the recent Buffalo Bills vs New York Jets, spelled two words in such a way as to tweak my grammar sense. The two words used were: Offence vs Offense and Defence vs Defense. Even “Grammar auto-defect didn’t like the defence spelled word as it suggested alternatives but not “defense.” Going on after that side-step, the article was using the obvious British or European spelling of those words changing the “s” to a “c” as that other language often does. Checking out the origin of nationality for the article revealed the writer, Phoebe Schecter of BBC, was indeed of British origin. Phoebe Schecter was a football coach in the National Football League (NFL) during the 2017 season as the assistant tight ends coach/coaching intern of the Buffalo Bills. During her lone season in the NFL the Bills went 9-7-0.
Going back to the term “rag,” that is a colloquialism relating to the written news source that “old timers” such as myself would often use. In its use, we are not necessarily using, or implying the “strictest” definition, but just as a general term for a newspaper. By its “strictest” etymology or definition it would be “Before the 1870s, newspapers were printed on rag paper made of cotton and linen fibers.” Another source notes that: “Rag” refers to a paper, specifically newspapers, that is considered worthless. Tabloids are considered “rags” because they’re full of lies or made-up stories.
Returning to my reference to the article about the Bills and Jets brings up another thought or topic of a mild distaste. Both the Jets and Giants of the National Football League (NFL) have the state of New York recognized from their usage of that in their official names.
Neither of those other teams are New York teams. The Buffalo Bills team is the only team that is truly a New York State entity. That fact is occasionally mentioned by the sports broadcasters who are either local, or at least knowledgeable of that misrepresentation. In my humble opinion those teams identification comes under the umbrella of false or inappropriate advertising.
A few nights ago, we had a “re-creation” of the Northern Lights or more technically Aurora Borealis. The following morning, I was kicking myself for having forgotten all about it as many people commented and posted some terrific pictures they had taken. Many of them commented on a phenomenon I had also noticed, that being what a camera shows vs what you see with the naked eye. The photos taken with a cell phone often show colors, or at least parts of the color spectrum, not always discerned by your eyes. Upon reading “after the fact,” the lights were also supposed to be visible the following night. I bundled up, grabbed my camera, and headed to a favored spot at the top of East Hill on Rte. 31 coming east out of Friendship. I guess I wasted my time, and a follow up opportunity as the “lights” coloration was minimal. Upon doing a “spell check” on the Aurora Borealis, I happened to come across the following article, which gives me renewed hope that I may get another shot at it. It is doubtful that it will duplicate, in my mind, the light show I have written about before, witnessed by me on my trek up Pennsylvania Avenue in Friendship as I headed home to Nile, NY. Following a visit with my girlfriend, at that time. Hopeful news as follows…
NEW YORK (AP) – Expect to see more northern lights in unusual places as the sun continues to sizzle, space weather forecasters said Tuesday.
Strong solar storms this year have triggered shimmering auroras much farther south than usual, filling skies with hues of pink, purple, green and blue.
The sun is currently at the maximum phase of its 11-year cycle, making solar surges and northern lights more frequent. This active period was expected to last for at least another year though. When solar activity will peak won’t be known until months after the fact, according to NASA and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
It’s not often that I can say that we in Allegany County are blessed with better prices than those experienced in the larger Olean, NY market. Our local gas prices have gone down slowly but steadily into the lower $3.30’s. Olean, for some reason, has maintained their upper $3.60’s pricing as recently as Tuesday of this week. Our local gas prices rival those even on the Reservation in Cuba as reservation prices aren’t now any cheaper than our filling stations. The Reservation should be significantly cheaper given their non-taxable status. Oddly, I have seen the same gas distributor there in Cuba as who supplies many of our local gas facilities.
The following picture/poem was “recreated” this morning in honor of both my wife and daughter, both of whom are “October Births.” The photo addition is from a photograph previously posted by The Bicycle Man, and who formerly gave me permission to use it with a different poem. Published. I leave you now with my Blessings of an October Birth and an extended “Happy Birthday” to not only my wife and daughter but to all those who have been blessed with this month’s birth date.
