There’s a term — adjacent possible — that refers to what could happen next given the current state of things. If “you can get there from here,” your destination is the adjacent possible, even if you never go. The first metal coil spring, for example, was patented in 1763 by a man named Tradwell, yet […]
Yesterday, I came perilously close to buying a cat. I’d decided that, if I were to buy a cat, a Maine Coon would be my breed of choice. They’re big and friendly and pretty. She’d be a she because females don’t spray, and she’d be leukemia-free and FIV-free. And she’d have no front claws. I […]
Strictly speaking, a schwa is an unstressed vowel pronounced like the letter “a” in “about.” It can be any vowel, but it always makes the same noncommital sound. The “e” in “system,” the “i” in “easily.” My S.O. and I used to apply it adjectivally to anything that sat like a bump on a log, […]
