Stories by Brenda Looper

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Still the same This time next week, I'll be on my third day in the office after more than a year of working remotely. There will still be days I'll need to do some work at home, but for the most part I imagine life ... April 28, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Fulfill your duty I get a distinct “Braveheart” vibe any time I read the comments under posts about covid-19 vaccination. Many of these people probably fancy themselves as William Wallace with all their shouting about ... April 21, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: On the watch Like a lot of introverts, I tend toward observation more than participation. Those days on the school playground early on when I hadn't made many connections with classmates, I watched, noting how kid... April 7, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Break some rules Having been a writer and editor for some years now, I'm often asked for guidance on grammar, sometimes because of something that appeared in the news sections. I only deal with the opinion pages, and... March 31, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: A bit peevish If you're ever in need of writing material, ask a group of writers and editors their pet peeves. You'll end up with enough material to fill a book. (I did it this time because I scheduled Tuesday off... March 24, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Such blarney! Legend has it that those who kiss the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle in County Cork, Ireland, are blessed with the gift of eloquence. You won't see this Arkansas girl kissing it, though, because, fo... March 17, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Augurs of doom March 4 came and went and, luckily, nothing happened. There was no inauguration of Donald Trump as the 19th (??) president, but because of the threat of QAnon and militia adherents descending again on... March 10, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Back to reality When I was in junior high, a group of my friends told me I never smiled. Considering some of them were among those who said I spoiled a class picture with my too-wide grin, I was wary, but it still bu... February 24, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: To coin a phrase As I sit here Monday waiting for the next rejiggering of my grocery delivery (at this moment it's supposed to be by 3:15 p.m.; it was originally between 9 and 11 a.m.) and tucked under an electric bla... February 17, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Turn of phrase There are many times I curse Facebook and the former friend who got me to finally sign up for it, but there are just as many times that it's brought me laughs, comfort and column ideas. Facebook frie... February 10, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Just the facts It's been too long since I last talked about fact-checking. Dealing with the aftermath of a disputed election and a failed insurrection can be a bit distracting. But yeah, it didn't take long for the ... January 27, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Consequence time Technology helps us with so much, especially during a pandemic. It enables some of us to work from home when needed. It lets us see and talk to friends and family we've not been able to see in person ... January 20, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Birthday wishes Every five years or so, I get to write on my birthday, and today, I'm making some birthday wishes. I mean, other than my usual requests of cat photos, jokes, chocolate and world peace (I never get tha... January 13, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Word of dishonor I hear there's some big to-do going on in D.C. today with potential for both horror and hilarity. So yeah, I'm just gonna ignore that for now, and instead talk about what makes word-nerd hearts flutte... January 6, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Send 'em packing Soon, Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., is scheduled to release its annual "List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness." I ... December 30, 2020

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: A holiday without Last year at this time, I was facing my first Christmas without my mom. This year, as many mourn the loss of parents, spouses and others due to covid-19, the column I wrote then seems just as appropri... December 19, 2020

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: On my list With nine days left before Christmas, I find myself wishing for a few things. Not that any of those wishes will be granted, but wouldn't it be nice? I know I'd love to see these things under the tree ... December 16, 2020

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: You too, words? This is the time of year I always look forward to; sure, there's the whole holiday thing, but for me and my fellow word nerds, there are Word of the Year announcements. Doesn't take much to make me h... December 9, 2020

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: A duty to society At Thanksgiving, I have the tendency to think about things like the greater good. Though I'm a realist, I still have a streak of optimism, and I choose to look for the best in people. I haven't seen e... November 25, 2020

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Reality check I'm no fan of Mark Zuckerberg. He so often comes off as entitled and hypocritical that it's hard for me to take him seriously. Yet this summer, I joined Facebook after years of resistance so I could s... November 18, 2020

Thank you, vets My grandpa was a funny man. He could tell a story that would have you giggling by the second sentence because you knew there was going to be a great payoff (my brother Corey takes after him in that ma... November 11, 2020

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: The unwanted As you read this, I'm most likely still asleep after a long night of watching election returns and editing while also working on my blog, watching a movie, and trying to fit in a little time with my R... November 4, 2020

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Love of country Just before the Fourth of July this year, I ran a column on patriotism. I had so hoped that perhaps we might have improved at least a little bit since then, but alas, no. My Facebook feed and comment ... October 28, 2020

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: The wrong word Heterophemy (HET-uh-ruh-fee-mee), noun: The use of a word different from the one intended. Occasionally I'm asked to give some sort of public presentation. In most cases, I decline, and heterophemy i... October 21, 2020

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Give it a rest I'm tired. No, not just because my brain won't shut up at night and let me sleep, though that has at least a little to do with it. It's the laughing at my attempts to sleep that annoy me the most; it... October 14, 2020

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Fear itself In a month when the weather has finally turned cold, bracketed by full moons at its beginning and end, and during which we celebrate Halloween, how better to chip in than to explore words related to f... October 7, 2020

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: The lost year When we look back on 2020, how will we see it? As a year when lawlessness took hold? Regardless of party, you probably will, but it won't be your own party you see as having any guilt. If you see not... September 16, 2020

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Your point is ... No one who knows me could mistake me for caring what this or that political party says about itself or the other party. That is, unless it's a talking point that's an outright lie or at the very least... September 9, 2020

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Worth voting for As I prepared to repost yet another definition from Grandiloquent Word of the Day on my Facebook account over the weekend, I was struck by the realization that so many interesting words have to do wit... September 2, 2020

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Hijacking hype No one of conscience could say that they support child exploitation. Yet QAnon’s hijacking of the human trafficking issue gives that impression: If you don’t believe what they say, you think sex traff... August 26, 2020

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Military needs mail | Wonky shower head | Takeout containers Military needs mail Wait until our deserving military members overseas and families in the states get reduced mail service at an unacceptable level. The U.S. Capitol will explode with complaints. Vet... August 25, 2020

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Show of hands A lot of journalists, by the very nature of their jobs, are word nerds. We're constantly trying to think of just the right words to convey the facts of the matter at hand in news stories, or our opini... August 19, 2020

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: No foolin' I've long been an advocate of fact-checking, which is why I often am accused of being a "damn librul." Sure, I'm liberal on some matters, but I'm conservative on others; very few people are all libera... August 12, 2020

BRENDA LOOPER: It's a gas, gas, gas As I listened to my stomach gurgle over this weekend's IBS flare-up, I was reminded that there are a lot of interesting words that have to do with bodily functions and phenomena, many of which are act... August 5, 2020

BRENDA LOOPER: Rotten to the core "One bad apple don't spoil the whole bunch, girl."--"One Bad Apple," The Osmonds "The closer an apple is to rot, the more rot it spreads--one spoiling apple, in a crisper drawer or a fruit bowl, or a... July 29, 2020

BRENDA LOOPER: In my Facebook Yet again, I find myself at a loss. It's been a little more than four months since I started working remotely, and I've gone into the office only twice since then, both times for 30 minutes or less. ... July 22, 2020

BRENDA LOOPER: Grudge match Having spent five hours watching “Hamilton” twice (and I will again because it’s simply amazing, earworms be damned), I’ve again been considering grudges and why people carry them. Apparently the ugl... July 15, 2020

BRENDA LOOPER: A world of words Just when I start to doubt that anyone pays attention to my rambling (other than a few loyal readers and the usual detractors), I get a flurry of emails. It never fails, when I use obscure words or S... July 8, 2020

BRENDA LOOPER: Love for country It seems appropriate on this first day of July to reflect on patriotism. After all, Saturday is July 4, celebrated as the founding of our country. Patriotism unfortunately has become a political foot... July 1, 2020

BRENDA LOOPER: The gift of words I didn't realize it till Saturday, but I have spent a little over three months in self-isolation. I'm lucky that I can work remotely, unlike many such as my hair stylist who, had she consented to cut... June 24, 2020

BRENDA LOOPER: Lights in the dark It's been hard over the past few months to find rays of sunshine. Between quarantine strictures (with lots of people not even attempting to follow them because protecting everyone's health is apparent... June 17, 2020

BRENDA LOOPER: Make 'em laugh It's hard sometimes to keep a positive outlook, what with all the people convicting people without a trial based on political considerations and conspiracy theories, plus the people who insist on disr... May 13, 2020

BRENDA LOOPER: No worries A lot of things reveal themselves as not worth the effort when you're stuck inside for an extended period of time. Daily showers. Fear of being seen outside in your pajamas. Pants. Chocolate, though .... April 29, 2020

BRENDA LOOPER: Law of the letter Back in high school, I took four years of advanced math courses, with all A's. It took my first semester in college under a master's candidate teacher with a chip on her shoulder to wipe the quadratic... April 22, 2020

BRENDA LOOPER: Totally random Quarantine is really getting to me. I'm not sure what day it is anymore. I'm about 80 percent beans and rice at this point. And I can only concentrate in short spurts. So buckle up, because it's going... April 15, 2020

BRENDA LOOPER: Taking offense A lot of things go through your mind when you're stuck inside for a long time. "Has anyone ever gone insane from hearing the same bird call over and over ... and over?" "Why do I have so many cans of ... April 8, 2020

BRENDA LOOPER: No foolin' around Ah, April Fools' Day. In the newsroom, it was once great fun. When I was on the clerks' desk, I was lucky enough to be a friend and researcher for Mary Hargrove, since retired and spoiling her grandki... April 1, 2020

BRENDA LOOPER: All by myself A lot of you out there are much like me, especially when it comes to being told you can't do something. It makes you want to do it all the more (reverse psychology, anyone?), and in this instance, you... March 25, 2020

BRENDA LOOPER: Viral nerdiness I tend to stay away from medical topics other than those I have direct experience with because I'm not in the medical field and I don't want to spread misinformation, which is why I haven't really wri... March 18, 2020

BRENDA LOOPER: Name dropping As we spend yet another week under the cloud of coronavirus, I thought it might be fun to revisit funny names. We all need a break from the serious if we want to maintain some semblance of sanity. Not... March 11, 2020