AJW
@andreawest.bsky.social
Cat mom. Music, film, television fan. Jeopardy! champ. Research interests: information literacy, linguistics, Canadiana, menus.
I had braces for years, which was not fun. The worst part of that experience was? The palate stretcher.
A generation ago, getting braces was a rite of passage into seventh grade. Now orthodontists are giving palate expanders—meant to keep teeth from crowding—to seven year olds. @engber.bsky.social reports:
An Expander in Every Child’s Palate
A fervor for reshaping young mouths has taken hold in orthodontics. What purpose does it really serve?
bit.ly
January 11, 2026 at 12:28 PM
I had braces for years, which was not fun. The worst part of that experience was? The palate stretcher.
January 10, 2026 at 9:52 PM
Reposted by AJW
On Saturday, January 10th, the Walk for Peace, led by the monks of Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center, will host two public Peace Gatherings in Columbia, SC.
Walk for Peace – Peace Gathering Schedule
Date: Saturday, January 10, 2026
Time: 2pm
Location: Gervais Street Bridge (West Columbia).
Walk for Peace – Peace Gathering Schedule
Date: Saturday, January 10, 2026
Time: 2pm
Location: Gervais Street Bridge (West Columbia).
January 9, 2026 at 6:50 PM
On Saturday, January 10th, the Walk for Peace, led by the monks of Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center, will host two public Peace Gatherings in Columbia, SC.
Walk for Peace – Peace Gathering Schedule
Date: Saturday, January 10, 2026
Time: 2pm
Location: Gervais Street Bridge (West Columbia).
Walk for Peace – Peace Gathering Schedule
Date: Saturday, January 10, 2026
Time: 2pm
Location: Gervais Street Bridge (West Columbia).
Reposted by AJW
Today, the monks on the Walk for Peace reached Lexington County, South Carolina. They were met not with suspicion or politics, but with simple humanity: the Sheriff’s Department offered help and kindness.
January 9, 2026 at 10:00 PM
Today, the monks on the Walk for Peace reached Lexington County, South Carolina. They were met not with suspicion or politics, but with simple humanity: the Sheriff’s Department offered help and kindness.
Reposted by AJW
The American Dialect Society has chosen its word of the year: slop…used as both a freestanding noun, and a productive suffix! Check out all the words we nominated at the link! And while I nominated “that’s AI” (and it won for most useful), there’s no fake news here!
The American Dialect Society (@americandialect.org) has announced the nominations for its Word of the Year—this is the one that matters, people! Vote will be tonight.
americandialect.org/nominations-...
americandialect.org/nominations-...
Nominations for Words of the Year 2025
Nominations for Words of the Year 2025 follow below. The final selection will be held at 6:45 pm CST on Friday, Jan. 9 (Carondelet, 3rd floor, New Orleans Marriott). American Dialect Society 2025…
americandialect.org
January 10, 2026 at 3:18 AM
The American Dialect Society has chosen its word of the year: slop…used as both a freestanding noun, and a productive suffix! Check out all the words we nominated at the link! And while I nominated “that’s AI” (and it won for most useful), there’s no fake news here!
Reposted by AJW
‘Walk for Peace’ monks are entering SC today, likely heading to Columbia this week www.postandcourier.com/columbia/new...
‘Walk for Peace’ monks are entering SC today, likely heading to Columbia this week
A group of Buddhist monks’ Walk for Peace has reached South Carolina with plans to cross into SC on Jan. 6 while the monks route will pass Columbia this week.
www.postandcourier.com
January 7, 2026 at 5:09 PM
‘Walk for Peace’ monks are entering SC today, likely heading to Columbia this week www.postandcourier.com/columbia/new...
That’s fair. :)
I was going to do a snarky post about how the SEC got zero teams into the national championship game
and then I remembered that also happened last year
and then I remembered that also happened the year before that
and then I remembered that also happened last year
and then I remembered that also happened the year before that
January 9, 2026 at 12:32 PM
That’s fair. :)
Why is this news?
Sorry I woke up on the wrong side of the bed.
Sorry I woke up on the wrong side of the bed.
January 8, 2026 at 12:59 PM
Why is this news?
Sorry I woke up on the wrong side of the bed.
Sorry I woke up on the wrong side of the bed.
Reposted by AJW
‘Heated Rivalry’ star Hudson Williams says he’s getting a lot of sweet messages from pro athletes still in the closet. “Those ones are the ones that really just hit you.’
Closeted Athletes Are Reaching Out to Hudson Williams in the DMs
‘Heated Rivalry’ star Hudson Williams says he’s getting a lot of sweet messages from pro athletes still in the closet. “Those ones are the ones that really just hit you.’
www.vulture.com
January 8, 2026 at 2:31 AM
‘Heated Rivalry’ star Hudson Williams says he’s getting a lot of sweet messages from pro athletes still in the closet. “Those ones are the ones that really just hit you.’
A former friend once made fun of my husband’s movie taste, saying he liked “8-hour Bulgarian goat movies” The only film that comes close to that description is Tarr’s Sátántangó, but it’s 7 hours and Hungarian.
She also called his Lexus “an overpriced Toyota.” 🙄
She also called his Lexus “an overpriced Toyota.” 🙄
January 7, 2026 at 7:42 AM
A former friend once made fun of my husband’s movie taste, saying he liked “8-hour Bulgarian goat movies” The only film that comes close to that description is Tarr’s Sátántangó, but it’s 7 hours and Hungarian.
She also called his Lexus “an overpriced Toyota.” 🙄
She also called his Lexus “an overpriced Toyota.” 🙄
Reposted by AJW
January 4, 2026 at 5:55 PM
Reposted by AJW
I also wish more people were discussing this. For a few years, experts familiar with the Guyana-Venezuela situation have been warning that it would be where WWIII begins. British, American, and Chinese interests in the Guyana oil patch that Venezuela claims have been simmering for awhile.
Something I see a lot of folks missing in discussions about what's happening Venezuela, particularly around oil, is the role U.S. oil majors' interest in Guyana—and the threat Venezuela posed to it—has in all of it. Explainer here: drilled.media/news/guyana-...
The U.S.-Venezuela-Guyana Oil Triangle
The U.S. interest in Venezuela isn’t just about the oil there, but also about the oil next door in Guyana, and the U.S. oil companies that have staked their future on it.
drilled.media
January 5, 2026 at 5:14 PM
I also wish more people were discussing this. For a few years, experts familiar with the Guyana-Venezuela situation have been warning that it would be where WWIII begins. British, American, and Chinese interests in the Guyana oil patch that Venezuela claims have been simmering for awhile.
criterioncast.com/podcast/crit...
In which my husband praises Flow. Meow.
In which my husband praises Flow. Meow.
Criterion Cast - Episode 218 - Criterion Collection Favorites of 2025
David Blakeslee, Aaron West, and Brad McDermott got together to keep our annual “favorites of the year” podcast tradition going for Year 16!
criterioncast.com
January 5, 2026 at 8:25 PM
criterioncast.com/podcast/crit...
In which my husband praises Flow. Meow.
In which my husband praises Flow. Meow.
This statistic is insane!
The Jets are the first team since 1933 to go an entire season without an INT.
January 5, 2026 at 12:53 AM
This statistic is insane!
Reposted by AJW
January 4, 2026 at 6:43 PM
Reposted by AJW
#OTD 213 years ago, Louis Lucien Bonaparte (1813–1891) was born 🎂 He was Napoleon Bonaparte’s nephew and was briefly also a French politician. Later he became an expert on Cornish and other Celtic languages, and particularly on the dialect cartography of Basque.
#LinguisticBirthdays #Histlx
#LinguisticBirthdays #Histlx
January 4, 2026 at 5:48 PM
#OTD 213 years ago, Louis Lucien Bonaparte (1813–1891) was born 🎂 He was Napoleon Bonaparte’s nephew and was briefly also a French politician. Later he became an expert on Cornish and other Celtic languages, and particularly on the dialect cartography of Basque.
#LinguisticBirthdays #Histlx
#LinguisticBirthdays #Histlx
Bruce Cockburn - Call It Democracy
YouTube video by BruceCockburnVEVO
youtu.be
January 4, 2026 at 1:22 AM
How does this happen?!?
Sorry for being a Pollyanna, but I always believed in the American system of checks and balances. My father would be mortified if he were still alive.
Sorry for being a Pollyanna, but I always believed in the American system of checks and balances. My father would be mortified if he were still alive.
News: Gang of Eight in Congress were only notified about Trump's Venezuela operation after it began, source familiar tells me. That means the heads of the Intelligence Committees in Senate and House were *not* consulted. Just crazy.
January 3, 2026 at 4:16 PM
How does this happen?!?
Sorry for being a Pollyanna, but I always believed in the American system of checks and balances. My father would be mortified if he were still alive.
Sorry for being a Pollyanna, but I always believed in the American system of checks and balances. My father would be mortified if he were still alive.
Reposted by AJW
This all seems pretty unbecoming of a FIFA Peace Prize winner
January 3, 2026 at 2:42 PM
This all seems pretty unbecoming of a FIFA Peace Prize winner
No joke. I’ve now been sick for a week.
South Carolina flu spread among worst in US to end 2025, data shows #scnews
South Carolina flu spread among worst in US to end 2025, data shows
5 states ranked at highest level of flu spread in late December
www.wistv.com
January 2, 2026 at 1:35 AM
No joke. I’ve now been sick for a week.
Reposted by AJW
If you know a high school student interested in language and/or puzzles, tell 'em about the linguistics olympiads, there are lots of national versions in many countries plus an international competition!
The International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL) is an annual international competition that brings together secondary school students and experts from various fields of linguistics.
January 1, 2026 at 8:39 PM
If you know a high school student interested in language and/or puzzles, tell 'em about the linguistics olympiads, there are lots of national versions in many countries plus an international competition!
Christoph Waltz singing on "Am Dam Des", 1977
YouTube video by NewKidzFromTheBlog
youtu.be
January 1, 2026 at 5:17 AM
Reposted by AJW
I can't think of a more deserving Vancouverite...
Nardwuar The Human Serviette is named to the Order of Canada!
(Second pic and text clipped from the Globe & Mail)
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
Nardwuar The Human Serviette is named to the Order of Canada!
(Second pic and text clipped from the Globe & Mail)
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
December 31, 2025 at 4:54 PM
I can't think of a more deserving Vancouverite...
Nardwuar The Human Serviette is named to the Order of Canada!
(Second pic and text clipped from the Globe & Mail)
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
Nardwuar The Human Serviette is named to the Order of Canada!
(Second pic and text clipped from the Globe & Mail)
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
Reposted by AJW
The game is not over!
The game is not over!
The game is not over!
The game is not over!
...
The game is over.
The game is not over!
The game is not over!
The game is not over!
...
The game is over.
December 31, 2025 at 5:38 AM
The game is not over!
The game is not over!
The game is not over!
The game is not over!
...
The game is over.
The game is not over!
The game is not over!
The game is not over!
...
The game is over.
Reposted by AJW
Just texted a friend "can you remind me when you're around tomorrow/overmorrow" and I just think if a few of us really gave it a try suuuper casually we could bring back this word for day after tomorrow next year
December 31, 2025 at 1:23 AM
Just texted a friend "can you remind me when you're around tomorrow/overmorrow" and I just think if a few of us really gave it a try suuuper casually we could bring back this word for day after tomorrow next year