Have to comment on Democrats. Why do they seem like underdogs or talked about as if they are weaklings? Perhaps it’s the media, press and television who are owned by extremely rich corporations who pour money into Republican pockets. Democrats have very few chances to get their voices heard in a positive light when they are battling Goliath every day in every corner. They only get heard when a mistake is made. Does anyone know that Biden has reduced the deficit by a trillion dollars since he’s been in office? Does anyone know Biden has appointed 41 federal judges. Reduced unemployment to lowest levels since 1969. No, our news outlets don’t say anything positive only negative and accusing of our Democrats. We see stupid things like Biden falling off his bike. He bikes all of the time and we see the ONE time he falls. Ridiculous. Please be positive about what Democrats do for people. Not voting Democrat results in a Supreme Court that dictates our lives now.
You are ageing into another pronoun, which is Geezer. Only you will know for sure when you move into this category, although acquaintances may be able to judge that better. The growth into a Geezer may go way back, even into youth, when you might have had some symptoms of being a Geezerette.
I am proud to say I am one myself and have earned it honorably and by living 2 years longer than you. I was raised in a small mid western (Michigan) town that I believe is a sister city to Lake Wobegon.
We (and we only use this pronoun because I have a stick of dynamite in my pocket) were pleased that you spent a little more time on issues that concerned us and not 'They' (the nincompoops who littered the Capitols tea party (do we date ourselves?) . What happens in DC hasn't really affected us 'N since the last check bounced. Sorry to miss the Ryman. but Youse'n are a LEGEND and the pittance Us'n has in Her pockets wouldn't buy a N Y cappuccino. Peace...Sirs
My wife and I attended the reprisal of Prairie Home Companion at the Ryman Auditorium this past weekend. Kudos and congratulations to al of you. I am a dour German-Scot-American and do not even sing in the shower. But somehow you enabled me to join in when you invited us all to sing the medley of nostalgic songs. Indeed, you got ~2000 mostly deeply conservative people to join you in song. It gave me hope.
Brilliant use of humor to convey your anger. What Lewis Black might sound like without all the F-bombs.
Alternative pronouns grabbed my attention fir about a minute, but then quickly became annoying. Thanks to Mrs Nelson in 8th grade I’m afraid I’m a bit of a bigot about grammar. I’m just not happy when nouns and pronouns disagree.
I'm laughing out load reading the later part of this letter. Basically, what I hear you saying, if we can't learn to laugh about the current goings on as of the corrupt Trump post presidency and what is to come, well then?
Spot on GK! You know, Latin, French and German all have neutral personal pronoun sets. Seems English is a bit behind the times in that department. Having a singular gender neutral, like zie/zim, would also leave the poor, bedraggled plurals (they/them) alone.
You're the second author I've read who has used the word "flibbertigibbet" - the other is Shakespeare, so you're in good company. :) I really like "scheiss and scheissen and scheissenself.", but I don't know if I'd ever dare to use those terms, except maybe in my head. I think one should be able to use any pronoun they wish to describe themselves, as long as they're willing to gently correct people who unintentionally use the wrong term...
This made me laugh so hard that I accidentally blew coffee out of my nose. Blowing a beverage out of my nose has only happened one other time in my entire life, and that was red wine. What a weird feeling! But anything that starts with a laugh is OK in my book.
We attended the show at the Ryman on the 10th and were also touring the auditorium while you were rehearsing. The portrait they took of us at the mic was very bad because I was giddy at the prospect of being that close to my radio hero. (I was the grey haired, large camera toting Hillbilly if you choose to recall) This show was my 56th birthday present and, so far, this was the best birthday present I have ever gotten.
I was in awe of the Ryman and the Prairie Home Companion live at the Ryman was a bucket list event. I was brought to tears while singing hymns with a hall full of kindred fans. Thoughts of the last time my Mother and I did anything together (October of 2005 we laughed and laughed at Dusty and Lefty knitting for stress relief. Mommy died a month later.) All the years with my late husband on Saturday nights. Cocktails at six "with Garrison", dinner at eight. Stan passed in 2016 just before the 40th Anniversary show. PHC was the soundtrack at my home for all those years.
You did not disappoint, Mr. Keillor. I smiled to myself at the contrast of "Rehearsal Garrison" vs "Curtain Garrison." Your warmth and hospitality. Humor and candor. The news from Lake Woebegone reminded me starkly of my own friends and family who can recall in three dimensional detail everything I have ever done yet choose to allow me to chastise myself. The blessings of life long acquaintance, continued fellowship and mutual respect were the lessons I gleaned from the story. That and a warning where the scattering of ashes might be concerned.
I could continue to gush but I won't. I just wanted to make sure you are aware that a conservative, Christian country girl reads TWA every morning, has been a fan of PHC since it's first broadcast and, while we diverge in politics, we always agree on the Trinity. Many more years and Blessings to you, Sir.
We have a special second-person pronoun here in rural Connecticut. "Yuz" is equivalent to the South's "y'all," but once I heard a local lady address everyone in the room as "all of yuzes," essentially a plural of a plural. Maybe it's not standard English, but it makes more sense than calling one person "they," which can only lead to confusion.
I intend to use "I, me, mine" to indicate that I identify as a narcissist
Ooooooh.... Well done!
Have to comment on Democrats. Why do they seem like underdogs or talked about as if they are weaklings? Perhaps it’s the media, press and television who are owned by extremely rich corporations who pour money into Republican pockets. Democrats have very few chances to get their voices heard in a positive light when they are battling Goliath every day in every corner. They only get heard when a mistake is made. Does anyone know that Biden has reduced the deficit by a trillion dollars since he’s been in office? Does anyone know Biden has appointed 41 federal judges. Reduced unemployment to lowest levels since 1969. No, our news outlets don’t say anything positive only negative and accusing of our Democrats. We see stupid things like Biden falling off his bike. He bikes all of the time and we see the ONE time he falls. Ridiculous. Please be positive about what Democrats do for people. Not voting Democrat results in a Supreme Court that dictates our lives now.
You are ageing into another pronoun, which is Geezer. Only you will know for sure when you move into this category, although acquaintances may be able to judge that better. The growth into a Geezer may go way back, even into youth, when you might have had some symptoms of being a Geezerette.
I am proud to say I am one myself and have earned it honorably and by living 2 years longer than you. I was raised in a small mid western (Michigan) town that I believe is a sister city to Lake Wobegon.
John Schoepke
We (and we only use this pronoun because I have a stick of dynamite in my pocket) were pleased that you spent a little more time on issues that concerned us and not 'They' (the nincompoops who littered the Capitols tea party (do we date ourselves?) . What happens in DC hasn't really affected us 'N since the last check bounced. Sorry to miss the Ryman. but Youse'n are a LEGEND and the pittance Us'n has in Her pockets wouldn't buy a N Y cappuccino. Peace...Sirs
My wife and I attended the reprisal of Prairie Home Companion at the Ryman Auditorium this past weekend. Kudos and congratulations to al of you. I am a dour German-Scot-American and do not even sing in the shower. But somehow you enabled me to join in when you invited us all to sing the medley of nostalgic songs. Indeed, you got ~2000 mostly deeply conservative people to join you in song. It gave me hope.
The paragraph about Mr. Clark would have caused my ginger ale to be ejected through my nose had I been drinking it as I read about Janice’s evolution.
Oh my, keep doing this as long as you can, Mr. Keillor. Your columns sustain my hope for decency and sense.
Brilliant use of humor to convey your anger. What Lewis Black might sound like without all the F-bombs.
Alternative pronouns grabbed my attention fir about a minute, but then quickly became annoying. Thanks to Mrs Nelson in 8th grade I’m afraid I’m a bit of a bigot about grammar. I’m just not happy when nouns and pronouns disagree.
I'm laughing out load reading the later part of this letter. Basically, what I hear you saying, if we can't learn to laugh about the current goings on as of the corrupt Trump post presidency and what is to come, well then?
Spot on GK! You know, Latin, French and German all have neutral personal pronoun sets. Seems English is a bit behind the times in that department. Having a singular gender neutral, like zie/zim, would also leave the poor, bedraggled plurals (they/them) alone.
You're the second author I've read who has used the word "flibbertigibbet" - the other is Shakespeare, so you're in good company. :) I really like "scheiss and scheissen and scheissenself.", but I don't know if I'd ever dare to use those terms, except maybe in my head. I think one should be able to use any pronoun they wish to describe themselves, as long as they're willing to gently correct people who unintentionally use the wrong term...
This made me laugh so hard that I accidentally blew coffee out of my nose. Blowing a beverage out of my nose has only happened one other time in my entire life, and that was red wine. What a weird feeling! But anything that starts with a laugh is OK in my book.
We attended the show at the Ryman on the 10th and were also touring the auditorium while you were rehearsing. The portrait they took of us at the mic was very bad because I was giddy at the prospect of being that close to my radio hero. (I was the grey haired, large camera toting Hillbilly if you choose to recall) This show was my 56th birthday present and, so far, this was the best birthday present I have ever gotten.
I was in awe of the Ryman and the Prairie Home Companion live at the Ryman was a bucket list event. I was brought to tears while singing hymns with a hall full of kindred fans. Thoughts of the last time my Mother and I did anything together (October of 2005 we laughed and laughed at Dusty and Lefty knitting for stress relief. Mommy died a month later.) All the years with my late husband on Saturday nights. Cocktails at six "with Garrison", dinner at eight. Stan passed in 2016 just before the 40th Anniversary show. PHC was the soundtrack at my home for all those years.
You did not disappoint, Mr. Keillor. I smiled to myself at the contrast of "Rehearsal Garrison" vs "Curtain Garrison." Your warmth and hospitality. Humor and candor. The news from Lake Woebegone reminded me starkly of my own friends and family who can recall in three dimensional detail everything I have ever done yet choose to allow me to chastise myself. The blessings of life long acquaintance, continued fellowship and mutual respect were the lessons I gleaned from the story. That and a warning where the scattering of ashes might be concerned.
I could continue to gush but I won't. I just wanted to make sure you are aware that a conservative, Christian country girl reads TWA every morning, has been a fan of PHC since it's first broadcast and, while we diverge in politics, we always agree on the Trinity. Many more years and Blessings to you, Sir.
We have a special second-person pronoun here in rural Connecticut. "Yuz" is equivalent to the South's "y'all," but once I heard a local lady address everyone in the room as "all of yuzes," essentially a plural of a plural. Maybe it's not standard English, but it makes more sense than calling one person "they," which can only lead to confusion.