David Zapatka Shungite-fullerenes: a unique combination of carbon and silicate minerals found in an ancient deposit in Karelia, Russia. Friend and fellow wisdom seeker book club member, Sandria (Joy) Valente, gave me a special gift recently—a shungite-fullerenes rock. I had never heard of these before. Joy explained shungite-fullerenes rocks have special properties and are called…
Tag: Word of the Month
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.Features, October 2019
Word of the Month: Carillon
David Zapatka While traveling this summer on the Goldwing, I was fortunate to receive a private tour of Missouri State University’s Jane A. Meyer Carillon. Carillons are the world’s largest instruments, and this one is the largest of all those located in the U.S. Midwest. This carillon is made up of 48 bronze bells and…
Features, September 2019
Word of the Month: Extirpate
David Zapatka While traveling this summer on the Goldwing, I chose to visit the granddaddy of all outdoor sporting goods stores, Bass Pro Shops in Springfield, Missouri. If you’ve never been there, it’s spectacular and certainly worth a visit. More than 4,000,000 tourists visit this store every year, more than double the tourists to the…
Features, August 2019
Word of the Month: Demotic
David Zapatka I attend a five-day conference every summer where experts are brought in to speak about a wide variety of topics. This year’s annual gathering had 218 speakers lecturing, hosting interactive gatherings and running tournaments on 308 interesting and entertaining topics. Being a lifelong student, I’m in my element when I can learn from…
Features, July 2019
Word of the Month: Sarcophagus
David Zapatka Just having toured the Valley of the Kings and Queens in Luxor, Egypt, my mind is filled with hieroglyphic and sarcophagus images. Touring the tombs of Tutankhamun, Seti 1, Seti 2, Ramses 2 and Nefertari, I was astounded by the beauty, artistry, vibrant colors, carvings and intricate work done by these ancient…
Features, June 2019
Word of the Month: Curry
David Zapatka Having spent the past week in Myanmar and India eating fabulous cuisine off the cruise ship, curry dishes are fresh on my mind. I’ve long loved Indian cuisine and all those many curry flavors. I’m impressed by how many different types of curry and varying spices there are. What I’ve learned is curry…
Features, May 2019
Word of the month: Cenotaph
David Zapatka I’m writing this column as I’m departing from Hiroshima, Japan on the cruise ship Insignia, part of the Oceania fleet. Having just visited the Atomic Bomb Dome and seeing the memorials to all those who lost their lives, I felt somber and my throat was constricted with the flood of emotions coursing through…
Clubs & Classes, April 2019
Word of the month: Bowdlerization
David Zapatka Reading one of my favorite magazines recently, I came across an article titled “The Real Frankenstein and Its Author” by John Lauritsen. 2018 was the bicentennial of Frankenstein, the most famous work of English Romanticism. It was published anonymously on January 1, 1818. To commemorate the anniversary of its first publication, events and…
Features, February 2019
Word of the Month: Skedaddle
David Zapatka Reader Kim Park read about “smithereens” in a previous column and had this comment and suggestion for this month’s issue. “I loved your WOTM column on smithereens! It threw me back to my youth and reminded me of what my mother used to say when she thought I wasn’t getting ready quickly enough.…
November 2018
Word of the Month: Bonhomie
David Zapatka While speaking with friends from out of town at a recent bridge tournament, I heard this description of a mutual friend who was not present, “It’s so refreshing to have a man of his character in our game. He exudes a fresh and easy bonhomie.” Being unfamiliar with the word bonhomie, I…