Ever wonder what   ETC.   means?  This is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase et cetera.  Note that there is a period at the end.  In Latin,   et   means   and , and   cetera   means   the rest .  This term is abbreviated to etc. and means   and so forth . But you need to be careful about how to use etc.  For example:  Please bring caffeinated beverages like coffee, tea, water, etc. is incorrect.  Why?  Water is not a caffeinated beverage. Also,  etc.  is mostly used for informal writing, like to friends.  You are told not to use  etc.  for formal writing like research papers and resumes.  So what should you use?   and so on and the like along with others including  such as and so forth A further clarification.  You should not say:  The dinner was attended by my friends John, Mary, Taylor, etc.  Why?   Etc.  cannot be used when listing the names of people.  Instead, use  et al.  with the period only on the second word, standing for  and others . On this Friday I should end here and se

Seventeen days into the Hamas attack into Israel, one of the core goals was an insurance policy to protect them from wholesale retribution.  Found was a  Hamas abduction manual  detailing instructions on how to take civilian hostages.  That is page one to the left.   No releases today, but more should be coming if Israel continues to delay their military plan to enter the Gaza Strip to eliminate the Hamas.  As long as this prospect remains, and there is no serious participation of the Hezbollah to the north, the next few weeks could well be driven by these hostage negotiations.   Donald Trump's reputation and effectiveness are as good as already lying in a coffin with daily events hammering more and more nails for his permanent doom.  In a New Hampshire speech, he compared himself to Nelson Mandela.  He just might be right and could well spend a good portion of his life in jail.  The following developments certainly are condemning: A third former lawyer to Trump, Jenna Ellis, plead