CSA News Issue 54 Spring 2005 - From the Desk of Don Slinger

Email this page

Home Page

from the desk of Don Slinger

Hi Folks!

Beth and I attended another very successful Snowbird Extravaganza and CSA Annual Meeting in Lakeland back in January. If you were within driving distance of Lakeland and didn't attend, shame on you. You will not find better entertainment than what Christopher Bradbury put together. There were the regular superstars, such as Ronnie and Glory-Anne Prophet, Harmonicat Mo Vint, and our own Crystal Gage, Tom Leadbeater and Suzanne Brown. Impresario pianist John Bressler returned for the second season, as did Peter Appleyard – the celebrated xylophone jazz artist who is equally proficient on piano and drums. The Nylons quartet produced harmony, the likes of which I have never heard before. To round out the entertainment were two newcomers – Sean Emery, a juggler and comedian who kept everyone in stitches, and Lucie Thibodeau, a wonderful singer and guitarist. It doesn't come any better than this. Too bad if you missed it.

To change the subject, did you ever stop to think about how difficult the English language is to learn for non-English-speaking immigrants? You be the judge.

The bandage was wound around the wound.

The farm was used to produce produce.

The dump was so full that the gateman had to refuse refuse.

We must polish the Polish furniture.

He could lead if he would get the lead out.

The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.

A bass was painted on the face of the bass drum.

When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

The buck does strange things when the does are present.

He did not object to the object.

The wind was too strong to wind the sail.

After a number of injections, my jaw was number.

When I saw the tear in the painting, I shed a tear.

I had to subject the subject to a number of tests.

To add further to this strange language of ours, consider the following:

If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth?

We have one goose, but two geese. If we have one moose, why not two meese?

If teachers taught, why don't preachers praught?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance mean the same thing, while a wise man and a wise guy mean the opposite?

You can add your favourite sayings to the list. Thank goodness we didn't have to learn the English language when we became adults.

I'd like to leave you with one further thought: If a man has enough horse sense to treat his wife like a thoroughbred, she will never be an old nag.

God Bless!

Table of Contents Issue 54 / Next Issue Story