R E F L E C T I O N S

From Wikimedia  A map of the United States indicating regional variation in the word(s) one uses to address a group of two or more people Here's something I found interesting that I'd like to share.  1. Y'ALL Used primarily in the Southern US, this is a shortening of the phrase "you all," which is also used in its full form as a plural address. It may have been introduced to America by Ulster Scots immigrants who used the phrase "ye aw." Y'all also has a possessive form, as in, "How was y'all's day?" 2. YINZ This one is a hallmark of the dialect known as "Pittsburghese." People who speak this dialect are referred to as "yinzers." 3. YOU-UNS Yinz originates from this form, also used in the Ohio River Valley around Pittsburgh. It's a shortening of "you ones," a usage that goes as far back as Chaucer. 4. YOU GUYS In the parts of the U.S. where they don't use "y'all,...

First, here are a few flowers from my backyard. I did not see the toad for several weeks (July 27, 2015) so I thought it was gone.  But today I saw it again! Maybe the toad was always there but so well camouflaged that I could not see it. Here are a few photos: Here you can see the hole it dug in the flower pot. See him in his hole? This is a closer shot. Here is an up-close photo.

Many years ago I had a pet hamster.  I named him Meatball.  I bought him for an experiment in my introduction to psychology class.  I kept a record of how I taught him to do something. I forgot what it was. He was very smart and figured out how to unlock his cage and explore the house.  He never bit me. Here's a video from Disneyland I found it on the Mashable website (  Mashable  )

I never knew about this: "Man-Spreading, or man-sitting, is the practice of sitting in public transport with legs wide apart, thereby covering more than one seat."  ~Wikipedia  I found out about it from an article on the web. I'm not sure what the site was. Then I searched for more images. It's not new: They even have signs  about it: But women can do it with her bags: Is she pregnant?