Author: murraymcclellan

As a retired teacher who has fled the US and is now living in Spain, and as someone who has until now eschewed most forms of social media, I am belatedly beginning to create an online presence. To that end, I am using this WordPress website to archive some of my miscellaneous non-academic writing.  I hope that some of my friends and former colleagues may enjoy this collection, which consists mainly of political editorials, light-weight essays, and silly poems.  I also post here the latest version of my US History textbook, Key Moments in American History.

Talent

I am certainly not a talented poet, but I like giving it a try!

Talent

Everyone has some talents,
Even talentlessness is a talent,
A sort of Zen Master mastery
Of a centering zero at the bone.

Some want to make sure that they 
Are more talented than you,
Or at least try to take away
Whatever it is that you are talented at.

Others—the good ones—want to
Join all the talents of the world together.
Together with all our talents
We will triumph.


Not everyone has someone
Who nurtures talents,
But as humans we each rely on our wits
To make it through this messy life.

And, at this, some are indeed more talented than others!

Match the homophones IV

Okay, my brain seems to just keep whirling around! Here is another homophone game, where you are to match the clues on the left with the pairs of homophones on the right. (Interestingly, the 3.0 version of ChatGPT couldn’t do these homophone games, but the new Bing and the 4.0 version of ChatGPT both get them all right.)

1.  The cry of a humpback.A.   Sight site. 
2.  The chimney duct took wing.  B.  Wrote rote.
3.  What the eye is.C.  Sole soul.
4.  Put the curdled milk liquid on a scale.D.  Heirs airs
5.  The smell of a penny.E.  Sail sale.
6.  Spell correctly.F.  Whale wail.
7.  The spirit of a flat fish.G.  Write right.
8.  The pretensions of one’s descendants.H.  Weigh whey.
9.  Reduced price on a spinnaker.I.  Cent scent.
10.  Spelled by memory.J.  Flue flew.
homophones-iv-answers-1Download

Match the Homophone Pairs III

Okay boys and girls (and non-binary others), here is a variation of the “Match the Homophone Pairs” game I posted a year ago (in the “Silly Riddles and Lists” folder on this website).  The rules here are to match the clues on the left with the homophones on the right.

1.  Mean embroidery?A.  Hare hair.
2.  Phaeton?B.  Ate eight.
3.  Put on Ares?C.  Duck duct.
4.  Naked Yogi?D.  Sun son.
5.  What Mickey might hum?E.  Wore war.
6.  Rabbit fur?F.  Don dawn.
7.  Consumed all the octopus legs?G.  Bare bear.
8.  A good price?H.  Cruel crewel.
9.  Wear Aurora?I.  Toon tune.
10. Where Daffy’s tears come out?J.  Fair fare.

And here is a bonus question:  The stupefied look of the impotent on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday?

[If you are stuck, message me for the answer sheet.]