Tag Archives: rhetoric

From the NSFW Annals of Aesop

Posted on October 3, 2024 by JMN

For preservation of decorum in public speech, generations of writers have stood on the shoulders of people like Sir Richard Burton, 19th-century translator of the Arabian Nights. He fathered workarounds with which to buffer readers from Anglo Saxon four-letter words, … Continue reading →

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Zen Fire Alarm: The Sound of One Hand Slapping

Posted on October 1, 2024 by JMN

“I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!”  (Trump) (c) 2024 JMN — EthicalDative. All rights reserved

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I Want to Be a Man Who Disdains Platitudes…

Posted on September 26, 2024 by JMN

a man who… … tells it like it is.… heard it from the horse’s mouth.… saw it coming. … sees the forest for the trees.— measures twice, cuts once.… wasn’t born yesterday. … trusts his gut.… takes the bull by … Continue reading →

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Quran 3:78 —> Vance

Posted on September 17, 2024 by JMN

Like the King James Bible for Judaism and Christianity, the Holy Quran is for Islam a monument to luminous language in a spiritual setting. As a student of Arabic I study Quranic texts to strengthen my grasp of the language … Continue reading →

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A Good Speech Is a Feat of Crowd Control

Posted on August 23, 2024 by JMN

Booing is the most boring crowd noise there is, even when the crowd thinks its noise supports the speaker. The second-most boring crowd noise is chanting, even when the crowd thinks its noise supports the speaker.  An effervescing horde of … Continue reading →

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Crying for No Obvious Reason

Posted on August 22, 2024 by JMN

“This is a brutal, tough business.” (Bill Clinton, speaking to the convention) Former President Clinton is right, of course. The sword of Damocles haunts this assembly. I wonder if weeping is a kind of emotional breaking of sweat that cleanses … Continue reading →

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Ciceronian Suasion: ‘Memorable in a Matter of Minutes’

Posted on August 21, 2024 by JMN

May we be guided by hope, joy and a fierce moral imagination.(Rabbi Sharon Brous) Anyone who watches Buttigieg on Fox News knows he can boil things down with terrific lines, and it’s being memorable in a matter of minutes that … Continue reading →

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The Mythopoeic Potency of Realization

Posted on July 14, 2024 by JMN

Preface, Disclosure and Update, July 14, 2024I wrote most of the little essay that follows (see below) only two days ago. It’s a bit of nonsense penned tongue-in-cheek with a dollop of irony. Satirical humor is my way of having … Continue reading →

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Incantation With Discreet Avowal

Posted on May 12, 2024 by JMN

To all who need them: Thoughts and prayers from the legislatures.Thoughts and prayers from the donors.Thoughts and prayers from the councils.Thoughts and prayers from the courts.Thoughts and prayers from the boards.Thoughts and prayers from the embassies.Thoughts and prayers from the … Continue reading →

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Gospel of the Undies

Posted on February 2, 2024 by JMN

“Lord, help us to realize that our nation is at a tipping point, that people on the left literally hate you. They hate your word. They, many times, hate our country.” (From opening “prayer” at a primary rally) Phrases registered … Continue reading →

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