(A brief list of metaphors can be found below) 2006 has offered us a juicy smorgasbord of metaphor that connects us to both past and future, far away lands and seas, and the largest and smallest of things. Coming out of a year of great disaster and controversy, we entered 2006, a relatively sleepy news [...]

“Stay the course” slogan written off after being run into the ground. The White House announced today a major rhetorical bailing, jumping ship from its sharply criticized “stay the course” policy in Iraq, which was seen to have more holes in it than Windows. For those familiar with George Bush and his past political misundernavigations, [...]

From mental walls through computer firewalls… The notes on my desktop are piled high. The backlog of metaphors for discussion at the Observatory is a single freeform mass of sticky, yellow intimidation. With each so-called “new” day, my hesitant index fingers sacrifice themselves to a voracious, thankless keyboard. I know I am damned with writer’s [...]

Metaphors for the atomic age… Wednesdays are often a good time to reflect on the events of Tuesdays and to plan out one’s life for Thursdays. Reflecting on Tuesday, which was yesterday, I see that I procrastinated the work of the Monday before. A sticky note stares beckoningly up from my desk. It reads: FusionBlendMix [...]

Baseball metaphor out-reigned Rita! As hurricane Rita approached the Gulf Coast, the region was described by newscasters as a large “catcher’s mitt”. This puts God or Nature as the pitcher and Rita as the ball. Who then, would we say is at bat in this unquestionable baseball-metaphor system? Baseball is a signature American sport, though [...]