Margaret Atwood and Eskimos - The Monday Morning Memo

Margaret Atwood is writing a sequel to *The Handmaid’s Tale.* Read about it in the *New York Times.*

I have long heard the sound of the French language in the paintings, architecture, music and food of France. Likewise, the sound of the German language is in the paintings, architecture, music and food of Germany. And the sound of Italian is in the paintings, the architecture, music and food of Italy.

Do these connections exist only in my mind, or is there something there?

The chicken-and-egg question in my mind is this: Do the nuances of language shape the worldview and culture of those who speak it? Or do the worldview and culture shape the language?

Another chicken-and-egg conundrum:Is culture altered by high-impact artistic expressions? (Books, music, paintings, photographs, cultural icons, etc.) Or are those artistic expressions altered and shaped by the culture?

Does art reflect culture, or does culture reflect art?

Aroo,
Roy

“Yesterday, I was at my local TSC store picking up a large bag of dog food for Maverick. (We sometimes supplement his raw stuff with a little kibble, especially when it’s cold out.) While waiting in the checkout line, a woman behind me glanced at the bag and asked, “Do you have a dog?”

What did she think I had—an elephant? But since I’m old and have plenty of time on my hands, I decided to have a little fun. “No,” I said with a straight face, “I don’t have a dog. I’m starting the Dog Diet again.”

Her eyebrows shot up, so I continued. “I probably shouldn’t, though. Last time, it worked wonders—I lost 10 pounds—but I ended up in the hospital. I woke up in intensive care with tubes everywhere and IVs in both arms.”

By now, the people in line were starting to pay attention. “The diet is simple,” I explained. “You just keep some dog kibble in your pockets and eat a piece every time you feel hungry. It’s nutritionally balanced, so it’s perfect for weight loss. I figured I’d give it another shot.”

The woman looked horrified. “Did the dog food poison you?” she asked.

“Oh no,” I replied, shaking my head. “I stepped off the curb to sniff an Irish Setter’s rear end, and a car hit me.”

The guy behind her nearly fell over laughing, and I’m pretty sure the cashier couldn’t breathe. Suffice it to say, I think I might be banned from Tractor Supply now.

Moral of the story? Be careful what you ask us old folks—we’ve got all the time in the world to come up with stupid answers just to jack with you.”

- BuffaloGuyRon

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