Nathan I. Daniel, Danelectro Founder, 9/23/1912 – 12/24/1994 A lot of people know about Danelectro – especially the now-retro-looking electric guitars, which have become collector’s items and have even given rise to that sincerest form of flattery, a company of the same name as the 1940s, 50s and 60s Danelectro, which manufactures reproductions of the […]
https://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/NID-Long-Branch-higher-res.jpg424614Howard Danielhttps://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/logo.pngHoward Daniel2016-09-18 15:07:172023-03-16 17:11:03A Tribute to My Dad, Danelectro Founder Nathan I. Daniel, on His 104th Birthday
Fifteen years ago today, with the al-Qaida attacks that murdered nearly 3,000* innocents in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, the world changed. Since that horrible day, perhaps even more ink has been spilled on those events than blood on September 11, 2001. I will waste little additional ink here. Readers can find plenty more on […]
Soviet propaganda poster: “Forward. To the victory of communism!” Banner shows profiles of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin. Foreground figures are idealized representations of a laborer and a collective farmer in the “workers’ paradise.” On the eve of Labor Day, I’m reminded of an incident that took place back in early 1978, when I was posted to […]
This video clip about typing is a funny way to call attention to a concern I have about a particular use of the word type. (For clip, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypDwh2ShJ6A. Alert: I suggest watching the clip only after reading the rest of this short post. Clicking on the link may take you away from the post.) Something I read […]
An article recently posted by a Facebook friend about the “ancient kinship” of Sanskrit and Russian brought to mind a linguistic “insight” that popped into my head several decades ago. Ever since I learned, as a graduate student, about the great prehistoric migrations of people out of the Eurasian steppes, westward into Europe and southward […]
https://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/tree_1.png874620Howard Danielhttps://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/logo.pngHoward Daniel2016-08-21 17:00:342016-11-27 18:05:14A Linguistic ‘Insight’ That Was Not Terribly Insightful
We were recently reminded of a wordy phrase that we see and hear way too often: “the majority of ….” Example: “in the majority of cases …” Here are a few others, found on the internet: “the majority of the cookies,” “the majority of the population,” “the majority of the rain,” “the majority […]
To avoid embarrassing anyone, I’m not going to mention any real names here, but years ago, when I was in college, I knew a guy who ate apples in a distinctly distinctive way. Or, as some might say, “very uniquely”! This fellow – I’ll just call him “Fred” – would pick up an apple in […]
https://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/apple-core-control-1.jpg476806Howard Danielhttps://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/logo.pngHoward Daniel2016-08-07 17:00:012016-08-08 14:36:57An Apple a Day
Peaks of the Grand Tetons, Wyoming, USA Peek – peak – pique: three words that sound alike (homophones) but have entirely different meanings. Peek means to take a quick look. Peak means the summit of a mountain. Pique means to stimulate interest, e.g., “to pique someone’s curiosity.” (Pique, when used in the passive voice, can […]
https://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/grand-teton-0.jpg12001600Howard Danielhttps://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/logo.pngHoward Daniel2016-07-31 17:00:562016-08-02 05:39:35‘Peek’ vs. ‘Peak’ vs. ‘Pique’
I wrote and published this item on Facebook on July 21, 2009, when the 40th anniversary of the first landing on the moon was triggering numerous reminiscences. The incident described here is a unique, if little-heralded, footnote to this landmark event in the history of the human species. All the attention to the 40th anniversary of the […]
https://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/th.jpeg181230Howard Danielhttps://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/logo.pngHoward Daniel2016-07-24 17:00:062020-04-05 22:18:03My Peculiar Little Footnote to Apollo 11
How often have you heard people say “the point being is that …”? Or “the reason being is that …”? Do these phrases make sense? At Pen-for-Rent, we hear them a lot, but what they tell us is that the speaker is a little careless with his or her use of language. Why? Because “being” […]
https://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/sharp-pencil-point.jpg800536Howard Danielhttps://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/logo.pngHoward Daniel2016-07-17 17:00:452016-07-05 07:29:46'The Point Being Is That ...'
A Tribute to My Dad, Danelectro Founder Nathan I. Daniel, on His 104th Birthday
/0 Comments/in Danelectro, Family, Hawaii, Recollections, Thoughts /by Howard DanielNathan I. Daniel, Danelectro Founder, 9/23/1912 – 12/24/1994 A lot of people know about Danelectro – especially the now-retro-looking electric guitars, which have become collector’s items and have even given rise to that sincerest form of flattery, a company of the same name as the 1940s, 50s and 60s Danelectro, which manufactures reproductions of the […]
9/11/2001 – 9/11/2016
/0 Comments/in Current Events, History, Recollections, Thoughts /by Howard DanielFifteen years ago today, with the al-Qaida attacks that murdered nearly 3,000* innocents in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, the world changed. Since that horrible day, perhaps even more ink has been spilled on those events than blood on September 11, 2001. I will waste little additional ink here. Readers can find plenty more on […]
‘You’ve Got Communism’
/1 Comment/in History, Places I've lived, Recollections, Russia-USSR /by Howard DanielSoviet propaganda poster: “Forward. To the victory of communism!” Banner shows profiles of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin. Foreground figures are idealized representations of a laborer and a collective farmer in the “workers’ paradise.” On the eve of Labor Day, I’m reminded of an incident that took place back in early 1978, when I was posted to […]
‘These Types Of’ vs. ‘Like These’
/3 Comments/in Humor, Language, Writing & editing /by Howard DanielThis video clip about typing is a funny way to call attention to a concern I have about a particular use of the word type. (For clip, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypDwh2ShJ6A. Alert: I suggest watching the clip only after reading the rest of this short post. Clicking on the link may take you away from the post.) Something I read […]
A Linguistic ‘Insight’ That Was Not Terribly Insightful
/0 Comments/in History, Humor, Language, Thoughts /by Howard DanielAn article recently posted by a Facebook friend about the “ancient kinship” of Sanskrit and Russian brought to mind a linguistic “insight” that popped into my head several decades ago. Ever since I learned, as a graduate student, about the great prehistoric migrations of people out of the Eurasian steppes, westward into Europe and southward […]
‘The Majority of’ vs. ‘Most’
/0 Comments/in Humor, Language, Writing & editing /by Howard DanielWe were recently reminded of a wordy phrase that we see and hear way too often: “the majority of ….” Example: “in the majority of cases …” Here are a few others, found on the internet: “the majority of the cookies,” “the majority of the population,” “the majority of the rain,” “the majority […]
An Apple a Day
/0 Comments/in Humor, Recollections /by Howard DanielTo avoid embarrassing anyone, I’m not going to mention any real names here, but years ago, when I was in college, I knew a guy who ate apples in a distinctly distinctive way. Or, as some might say, “very uniquely”! This fellow – I’ll just call him “Fred” – would pick up an apple in […]
‘Peek’ vs. ‘Peak’ vs. ‘Pique’
/0 Comments/in Language, Writing & editing /by Howard DanielPeaks of the Grand Tetons, Wyoming, USA Peek – peak – pique: three words that sound alike (homophones) but have entirely different meanings. Peek means to take a quick look. Peak means the summit of a mountain. Pique means to stimulate interest, e.g., “to pique someone’s curiosity.” (Pique, when used in the passive voice, can […]
My Peculiar Little Footnote to Apollo 11
/0 Comments/in History, Humor, India, Places I've lived, Recollections /by Howard DanielI wrote and published this item on Facebook on July 21, 2009, when the 40th anniversary of the first landing on the moon was triggering numerous reminiscences. The incident described here is a unique, if little-heralded, footnote to this landmark event in the history of the human species. All the attention to the 40th anniversary of the […]
‘The Point Being Is That …’
/2 Comments/in Language, Writing & editing /by Howard DanielHow often have you heard people say “the point being is that …”? Or “the reason being is that …”? Do these phrases make sense? At Pen-for-Rent, we hear them a lot, but what they tell us is that the speaker is a little careless with his or her use of language. Why? Because “being” […]