meme-orandum

“Read what they read”

Jim Brown — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:44:17 +0000

When I logged into Google Reader today, I got a message that I could read what journalists and what people from the Obama and McCain campaigns are reading. So, I subscribed and started reading "what they read":

Rumors, Rumors

Jim Aune — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:27 +0000

Romney's out? And "Bridges" Pawlenty has cancelled events tomorrow. Fox News is rumored to have the name in hand. Great way to upstage Obama tonight.

Comcast to Cap Monthly Broadband Usage to 250GB

pz — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 22:21:37 +0000

According to CNET, starting October 1, Comcast is capping your monthly usage to 250Gb a month. If anyone hears about a class action lawsuit against this, please let me know. I will gladly sign up.Not only do I have to pay $50 a month for mediocre service, but now they are going to tell me what "acceptable" uses of the web exist.

How to Read the Gallup Dailies

Jim Aune — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:38:31 +0000

Brad DeLong, my all-around favorite blogger, explains the statistical problems with the Gallup Daily Poll.

Rhetorical Punditry

Jim Aune — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:18:21 +0000

Our own Jen Mercieca, Chuck Morris, and John Murphy comment on the Democratic National Convention in the Rocky Mountain News (hat tip to Cara Finnegan).

McCain’s Pick?

Jim Aune — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:13:40 +0000

Any Blogorists want to bet on McCain's pick? It's a bit of heresthetic tackiness to wheel him (?) out tomorrow,in order to cut down on Obama press coverage, I think, but that's what all this has become: constant short-term tactical maneuvering, in hopes that something works. If he picks Lieberman or Ridge, it really is all over for the social conservatives. I'm betting on Romney or Huckabee, probably Romney. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but hasn't Kay Bailey Hutchison been unwelcome at the Texas GOP convention because she's pro-choice?

Perot & Nader Back At It

platypus matt — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:57:34 +0000

I don't know how everybody else is faring now that Obama has chosen Joe Biden for his running mate...You've no doubt heard about Biden's Pro-RIAA, pro-FBI voting record. Still, we can hope that all this talk about the "little guy" will somehow pertain to people besides Jack Valenti, who is surely not all that downtrodden (really). Being disgruntled (and wondering if anyone has ever been just gruntled?), I checked out some of the fringe action and found some interesting stuff.

The Gap, The Gap, Oh, The Gap….

Bruce I. Kodish — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:00:00 +0000

the religious test

rhosa — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:29:50 +0000

neither sen clinton nor former president clinton ended their speeches with "God Bless America". i'm just sayin.

have your constitution handy?

i'm sure you all know that yesterday was the 88th anniversary of WHICH amendment?

mis-wave

Urban Word of the Day — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

To return a wave to someone you think is waving at you, but is actually waving to the person behind you. Usually results in embarrassment and introversion.

Damn...I thought that girl was waving at me :(

HHAHAHAHA MIS-WAVE!!!!!!

Poetic injustice for a precious child

Cynthia — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:16:32 +0000

Folks....please read Jenny Edbauer Rice's post about Marc Santos' daughter Rowen, who is battling for her life....but doing so thanks to the power of the net. It's amazing, and heart-wrenching.

Currents in Electronic Literacy: The Commons

Jim Brown — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 02:18:35 +0000

The most recent issue of the CWRL's e-journal Currents in Electronic Literacy is now live. The issue's theme is "The Commons" and it features some heavyweights: Lawrence Lessig, Johndan Johnson-Eilola, Stuart A. Selber, Alan Liu, Cedrick May, and Robert Scholes.

It also includes the musings of a lightweight.

Congratulations to the editorial board - Mark Longaker, Justin Tremel,
Noël Radley, Lydia Wilmeth, and Kevin Psonak - on a fantastic issue.

Talking About English on the BBC

About.com Grammar & Composition — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:02:58 +0000

If you're in a mood to eavesdrop on some smart conversations about language, tune in to any of these fine programs on the BBC Radio 4 website. A word of...

deface

Urban Word of the Day — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

To remove a 'friendship' from facebook due to having either accidentily adding him/her as a friend or actually adding them and reconsidering later.

"Yeah, there was this guy in my network who added me. I thought he looked ok, but his updates were really cramping my news feed, so I had to deface him."

"I went on a date with a girl I met a week before and like the day after our date she changed her status to 'in a relationship.' I defaced her."

Looking for Feedback about Student Evaluation of Teaching and Learning

jomeara — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:34:52 +0000

Hi,

I am just about lead a major change to the way we assess learning and teaching at our University.

I am hoping some members of this community will vist this site and post a comment

http://medusa.ballarat.edu.au/wordpress/jameso/student-evaluation-of-tea...

Lookng forward to hearing from you

Talking Out of Both Sides of His [Body Part]

Jim Aune — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:09:55 +0000

"Bitter" Hillary supporter claims McCain supports Roe v. Wade. Does he or not? The trial balloon of a pro-choice VP by McCain (Ridge or Lieberman) seems to be sinking. Is the strategy here to assume that angry Hillary supporters don't attend to the same news outlets as the anti-abortion rights base?

Academic Gossip Blogs?

Jim Aune — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:37:54 +0000

An historian of some sort has started a gossip blog for the field of History. Are there such things for other academic fields? Should "we" have one? (I don't think so; Communication, at least, is toxic enough, thank you.)

Manscape

Urban Word of the Day — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The removal of excess body hair via waxing, shaving, plucking. Also manscap - ing, ed

See Metrosexual

When your chick calls you a Yeti, it might be time for a little manscaping.

Prejudice

JoeDeVito — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:38:00 +0000

Six Ways to Create New Words

About.com Grammar & Composition — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:04:01 +0000

Have you ever experienced textpectation? According to the Urban Dictionary, that's "the anticipation one feels when waiting for a response to a text message." To a linguist, textpectation is an...

veepstakes

Urban Word of the Day — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The process a candidate for president goes through to choose a running mate. It's a portmanteau word combining the colloquial pronunciation of VP as "veep" and sweepstakes.

The winner of the veepstakes is awarded the honor of being trashed in the media for the next 5 months.

A: Who should Obama pick for VP?
B: I sure hope Brian Schweitzer wins the veepstakes!

Death Communication

Jim Aune — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 22:11:11 +0000

A fascinating essay on spiritualism and 19th century law. A collection of Victorian death photos (which I never knew of until I saw The Others). Marconi and Edison both thought radio could let us hear the voices of the dead.

The Best Novel I’ve Ever Read

Jim Aune — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 16:43:28 +0000

Having finally reached page 1085 this morning, after a month of reading, I wish it would go on for another 1000 pages. Anyone else read it?

CFP: Journal of Writing Research (http://www.jowr.org/) Special Issue

sschlitz — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 14:45:30 +0000

Exploring a Corpus-Informed Approach to Writing Research

CFP:

Since the development of the Brown Corpus in the 1960s, leveraging language corpora and corpus-based methods to analyze and to describe spoken and written language has become an established tradition within the broad field of linguistics.

The Most Important Issue in This Election

Jim Aune — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 14:12:23 +0000

With all the whining about Biden coming from the left-wing blogs, I'm sure we're about to have another round of support for Ralph (support for gay rights is "gonadal politics") Nader. But here's what's really at stake.

Another Deep Thought, on Reading The Rosewater Chronicles on Debate

Jim Aune — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 14:04:21 +0000

I have become to the generation of Communication and Critical Cultural Studies as Lloyd Bitzer was to mine.

Guitarthritis

Urban Word of the Day — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

the medical condition causing pain in the wrists after playing guitar hero for an extended amount of time

"Man my wrists hurt from my guitarthritis"
"You sure its not from jackin' it?"

Questions & Answers: Skinny

World Wide Words updates — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 09:00:00 +0000

Where does Skinny, meaning inside information, come from?

Weird Words: Fescennine

World Wide Words updates — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 09:00:00 +0000

A rare word meaning something scurrilous, Fescennine comes from the name of an Estruscan town.

Weird Words: Grawlix

World Wide Words updates — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 09:00:00 +0000

American cartoonists sometimes call symbols in a text balloon to indicate profanity grawlixes.

Debate Debacle

Cynthia — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 02:43:58 +0000

Check out the NYT story on the unbelievable debate in this youtube video.

Doom Buggy

Urban Word of the Day — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

1.A car that is wrecked, totaled or not drivable.
2.A very old car that needs a lot of servicing.
3.A car that is a lemon.
4.Any car that either looks like it will, or has fallen completely apart while someone was driving it

Clint took his doom buggy in the shop. But they told him there was nothing more they could do and suggested that he buy a new car.

McCain on Abortion

Jim Aune — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:12:52 +0000

Despite pandering to anti-abortion forces, neither Reagan nor Bush 1.0 ever did much to try to overturn Roe v. Wade. W. did, leaving the Court one vote away from declaring the existence of full fetal rights (perhaps on 14th Amendment grounds). As Dahlia Lithwick points out, no one seems to be paying attention to just how radical the Republican Party's platform plank on abortion is: no exceptions for rape or incest, and NO abortions to save the life of the mother (a clear Establishment of the Roman Catholic position on this question).

Maps and Territories of the Beijing Olympics

Bruce I. Kodish — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:46:00 +0000

What’s the Secret of Style?

About.com Grammar & Composition — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 01:04:34 +0000

Writing near the end of the 19th century, Matthew Arnold made it all sound pretty simple. "Have something to say, and say it as clearly as you can. That is...

gitgo

Urban Word of the Day — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

from the very start, or from the beginning

I never believed that boy's BS story from the gitgo.

Austin Musician Sentenced as “Narco-Terrorist” under Patriot Act

Jim Brown — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 22:26:38 +0000

According to Austin Sound, Jake Mitchell of the Austin Band Boxing Lesson was sentenced to 5 years in prison for growing Marijuana. But Mitchell was sentenced under the Patriot Act as a "narco-terrorist" which changes EVERYTHING. Here is part of a statement from Boxing Lesson’s publicist, Ryan Cano:

jack in

Urban Word of the Day — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

v.
1. To gain entry; to connect, as to a network.
2. To enter or connect by deceptive or unscrupulous means, esp. with malicious intent.

"He tried to jack in and take down their group from the inside after he heard what they were saying about him behind his back."

Deep Thought

Jim Aune — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:15:59 +0000

Would Hillary really be so bad for VP?

Composing an Essay for the SAT or ACT

About.com Grammar & Composition — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:05:34 +0000

Here's a question you won't find on either of the two most widely used college admissions tests: What do the letters "SAT" and "ACT" stand for? The answer, in each case, is...

bullshit bingo

Urban Word of the Day — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

A game that can be played in large meetings. The players write down management-nonsense word like "Out-of-the-box-thinking", "Synergy", "Content streamlining" etc. in a 5 by 5 square bingo card.
If a word or phrase is used during the meeting you check the box. When you get a five box line (horizontally, vertically or diagonally ) you shout "BULLSHIT!" and win.

Company bigshot fancypants: "And that is why this merger is going to benefit shareholder value by creating value driven content.

You: "BULLSHIT BINGO!"

Company bigshot fancypants: "You're fired!"

Presidents Say: Lower Drinking Age!

platypus matt — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:12:12 +0000

Just read that some 100 odd college and university presidents are calling for a reduction of the drinking age to 18. They seem to think that'll cut back on drinking, since there will no longer be a need to binge when the coast is clear. However, MADD is, uh, not happy about it, and has accused these presidents of not doing their homework.

12 Online Tools for Students w/Reviews

platypus matt — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:53:07 +0000

PC Magazine has published a list of 12 Tools for students who want to stay organized this semester. The list includes the usual suspects (RateMyProfessors, Facebook), but there are some here that I hadn't heard of before, such as MyPunchBowl, Mint, and TheDailyPlate. There are also some citation and bib tools here, though I think Word's new built-in bib tools pretty much render them superfluous.

“Rhetorical Questions”

Jim Brown — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:39:45 +0000

In this month's Atlantic, James Fallows performs an interesting rhetorical analysis of primary debates in order to predict what kind of president Obama or McCain might be. He focuses much more on Obama, arguing that the Republican debates played a smaller role in McCain's nomination. In many ways this seems to be a cop out, and it could be argued that this turns into an Obama puff piece, but the mere fact that it's entitled "Rhetorical Questions" means that Fallows' discussion deserves The Blogora's attention.

What Horowitz et al. Never Talk About

Jim Aune — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:25:30 +0000

The level of thought control in Economics is overwhelming. Someone should write a similar article about Political Science.

Suicide

JoeDeVito — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:14:00 +0000

Tweak My Twitter on Twinkle???

Rebaenrose — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 03:56:21 +0000

Someone just suggested that they wanted to Tweak my Twitter on Twinkle — you wanna what?!

In an age where many of us are offended, indeed upset that that our privacy is being diminished by the growing executive powers and their deemed right to listen in, watch, and read our personal communications, it is surprising how much of our private life we are freely giving up. With programs such as twitter and now twinkle, people, including myself, are freely telling those plugged in and signed up what we are doing and where we are at.

grab a wheel

Urban Word of the Day — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

To draft off of, when cycling. often said to friends

Dude,if you're hurting, grab a wheel before we hit this hill

Exam Question

Jim Aune — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:20:39 +0000

"In Lacanian terms, Conservative presidential candidates speak within the Discourse of the Master, while liberal presidential candidates speak within the Discourse of the University." Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

“Aim Low,” sez Bush Speechwriter

Jim Aune — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:22:35 +0000

Robin Masters has some advice for Obama's and McCain's convention speeches.

Welcome to “Amateur Humanist”

Jim Aune — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:56:26 +0000

David Cheshier at Georgia State has a splendid new blog.

Speaking of “Civil Forums”

Jim Aune — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:01:18 +0000

By now, you've probably read about or seen the video documenting an unpleasant exchange between the Pitt and Fort Hays State debate coaches at a tournament last spring. Looks like there's plenty of blame to go around, from the initial bit of race-baiting by the Pittsburgh coach to the mooning incident.

DeJohn v. Temple University

Jim Aune — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:41:28 +0000

The 3rd Circuit strikes down a Temple University speech code that would have prohibited "generalized sexist remarks."

The Difference Between Grammar and Usage

About.com Grammar & Composition — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:05:16 +0000

Thirty years ago, two Canadian educators wrote a spirited, well-informed defense of the teaching of grammar. In "Twenty-one Kicks at the Grammar Horse," Ian S. Fraser and Lynda M. Hodson...

thumb lashing

Urban Word of the Day — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

To be reprimanded via sms messages on a mobile (aka cell) phone.

"I was suppoesed to take her out for dinner but I stayed with me mates at the pub and boy did she give a right thumb lashing."

Civil Forum Transcripts, etc.

Jim Aune — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 15:37:00 +0000

Here are the transcripts from the Faith Event at Saddleback Church. Videos here. I think Obama blew the "when does life begin?" question (and I note it's the section featured by Drudge this morning.)

Thinking History

Jim Aune — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 15:29:25 +0000

"Perhaps history this century, thought Eigenvalue, is rippled with gathers in its fabric such that if we are situated, as Stencil seemed to be, at the bottom of a fold, it’s impossible to determine warp, woof or pattern anywhere else. By virtue, however, of existing in one gather it is assumed there are others, compartmented off into sinuous cycles each of which had come to assume greater importance than the weave itself and destroy any continuity.

gr7

Urban Word of the Day — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

A little less than gr8 (great) but still better than just good
said grr-sev-en

A:how are you?

B: gr7 you?

A: Just good

Kairos 13.1 Released (And Redesign Launched)

ErinK — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 14:05:19 +0000

Kairos: A Journal of Rhetoric, Technology, and Pedagogy is pleased to announce the release of Issue 13.1 for Fall 2008 and our new redesign by Kathie Gossett, Karl Stolley, and Doug Eyman. In addition to the redesign, we are also launching two new sections: Inventio, which covers the process of creating webtexts for Kairos, and Disputatio, a forum for readers to respond to the pieces and ideas in Kairos. We invite your feedback on the changes we've made.

Questions & Answers: Cleft stick

World Wide Words updates — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 09:00:00 +0000

We investigate the origins of the expression Cleft stick

Questions & Answers: Know the ropes

World Wide Words updates — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 09:00:00 +0000

What’s the origin of the expression Know the ropes?

Weird Words: Gonfalon

World Wide Words updates — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 09:00:00 +0000

Big banners in processions are fairly common, but the word for them isn’t: Gonfalon.

Lenovo goes netbook with IdeaPad S10

Barry Smittins — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 02:55:44 +0000

We've seen Lenovo beefing up its consumer offerings of late, but this is really taking it up a notch. The company just announced its very first netbook, the recently spotted 10.2-inch, Atom-powered little wonder. Sadly, there's little of note in the design -- it seems to have more in common with the MSI Wind and the Eee PC than its Lenovo siblings -- but the $399 starting price is certainly pleasing. That model brings 512MB of RAM and a 80GB hard drive, while a $450 version will be available with 1GB of RAM and 160GB of storage, with both being powered by 1.6GHz Atom chipsets.

Looks like Florida is going to get it’s first hurricane of the season…

Barry Smittins — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 02:41:04 +0000

Looks like Florida may be in for the first storm of the season. It may or may not become a hurricane, but certainly we will get some strong weather no matter what. If you have family around S. Florida, you may want to start making plans, especially if they are elderly. My grandmother is very old and lives alone in S.W. Florida so we will probably go down there this weekend to make sure everything is OK. Plus it gives everyone an excuse to get out of the house.

Harry Potter fans are up in arms.

Barry Smittins — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 02:36:41 +0000

You may or may not seen the news about Harry Potter and the release date being pushed back, but the Harry Potter fans have definitely seen it and they are not happy, to say the least.

pedexterity

Urban Word of the Day — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

v.- Describing someone with the ability to use their feet to pick things up. Also, pedextrous

Susie dropped her pencil on the floor during school and, thanking Sweet Jesus for her pedexterity, slipped her foot out of her flip-flop and picked it up with her toes.

I, Like, Know

Figaro — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 21:03:04 +0000

Why Freshman Composition Is Not a Waste of Time

About.com Grammar & Composition — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:10:58 +0000

For heaven's sake, you've been taking courses in reading and writing since you were in first grade. And yet what's the one class that almost every first-year student in every...

the royal we

Urban Word of the Day — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

A social offense that can be called out when one is being falsely spoken for.

"God, we got so plastered last night."
"The royal we. I had a vodka tonic and called it quits. You got so shitfaced you puked on my jacket and then attempted to fornicate with it."
"Good times. We have fun."
"Go fuck a blender."

“People of Faith” Doesn’t Include Jews

Jim Aune — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:36:12 +0000

Why has no one in the MSM pointed out that the Rick Warren/Obama/McCain
faith event, besides continuing our drift toward a State Religion of Evangelicalism, is scheduled at a time when observant Jews cannot attend or watch? Should you wish to point out that being evangelical seems never to mean respecting other religions might consider emailing the church here: info@saddleback.net

“Are You A Skeptic?”

Bruce I. Kodish — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:31:00 +0000

“This is not 1968…”

rhosa — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 05:07:29 +0000

"This is not 1968 and the invasion of Czechoslovakia where
Russia can threaten a neighbor, occupy a capital, overthrow a
government and get away with it," Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice said. "Things have changed."

Well. No velvet, I guess.

driving finger

Urban Word of the Day — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Your middle finger. Usually refers to the one on the left hand so it can be displayed out the driver's side window to comment on another driver's behavior.

Your driving finger is the longest finger.

Student-Teacher: Friends (and on Facebook!)

Adria — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 23:58:21 +0000

This post is slightly personal, but after one of my former students' posted this story about online student-teacher relationships onto my facebook account, I started thinking about several things regarding being a graduate student educator, a female educator, a female educator who looks unfortunately younger than most of her students, and a college educator in general. So a brief trip down memory lane here, and then a bit about the article and facebook in general...

Lessig predicts an Internet catastrophy and an Internet PATRIOT Act response

ScottCrumpler — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:59:09 +0000

I just saw this piece from Fortune reporting that Lawrence Lessig is predicting a catastrophic online event within the next decade that will prompt the US government to unveil an already-written bill similar to the PATRIOT Act which will grant the Fed additional powers in Internet surveilance and investigation. Evidently, Lessig got this information from a counterterrorism expert:

RSA Summer Institute 2009

Jim Brown — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:20:09 +0000

RSA has announced it's Third Biennial Summer Institute. It will be held at Penn State, June 22-28. Once again, RSA has put together an impressive collection of rhetoricians to run their 5-day seminars and 2-day workshops.

Language Log and Quasi-Public Responses

Jim Brown — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:53:06 +0000

If you're not yet reading Language Log, I'd highly recommend that you start. The authors are linguists, and some of the posts are clearly geared toward linguists (just as some of the Blogora content excludes the non-rhetorician). But on the whole, they have some interesting stuff.

*&^^%$#!

Jim Aune — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:33:20 +0000

The fracking hotels are already full for NCA in San Diego???? Anyone know any alternatives?

The Next Reform?

Jim Aune — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:33:14 +0000

With or without a McCain victory in November, it's time to start watching for a much more coordinated effort by the Right to destabilize higher education. Charles Murray, who made social Darwinism respectable again and provided the main rhetorical ammunition for the destruction of welfare in 1996, is back at it with a proposal to replace the BA with apprenticeship programs. Given the Right's famous ability to stay "on message", I have a feeling we're going to see more of this meme.

Feed Your Head: Irony and Metaphor Are Good for You

About.com Grammar & Composition — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:02:32 +0000

Thanks to a tip from the Polymath From Portsmouth, Lancelot Kirby, I just read a fascinating article by Kenneth Krause in the July/August 2008 issue of The Humanist: "Mapping Metaphor:...

Destinesia

Urban Word of the Day — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

When you get to where you were intending to go, you forget why you were going there in the first place. Not to be confused with being stoned, destinesia often occurs during working hours, and is the cause of much frustration.

John ran down the stairs to the dry storage and walk-in, but when he got there he couldn't remember what he needed. Consequently, he had to run back upstairs to the kitchen, and look at his prep list again. Damn you, destinesia!

Stanley Fish, Neocon

Jim Aune — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:12:13 +0000

It's sad to see someone whose work I used to admire (up until his assaults on free speech and church-state separation) drift into the Horowitz camp, and in a publication of the Hoover Institution, no less. I've been trying to write something on Fish and jurisprudence for a while, and this most recent article displays quite clearly his fundamental rhetorical strategy: attract attention through contrarianism, and frame every dispute in terms of two extreme alternatives.

Adorno Quote for the Week

Jim Aune — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:34:00 +0000

"That intellectuals are at once beneficiaries of a bad society, and yet those on whose socially useless work it largely depends whether a society emancipated from utility is achieved--this is not a contradiction acceptable once and for all and therefore irrelevant. It gnaws incessantly at the objective quality of their work. Whatever the intellectual does, is wrong. He experiences drastically and vitally the ignominious choice that late capitalism secretly presents to all its dependents: to become one more grown-up, or to remain a child." --Minima Moralia, 133.

“There’s a Bear in the Woods”

Jim Aune — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 04:05:20 +0000

Those were the days:

The Full Retard

Jim Aune — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 03:30:23 +0000

We see the world, as Burke told us, through terministic screens. This insight, along, perhaps, with Orwell's "Politics and the English Language," as well as widespread belief in the (now-discredited) Sapir-Whorf hypothesis as well as General Semantics, led my generation to fixate on changing language in hopes of changing the world. It is not, of course, that simple; language is neither totally irrelevant to social change (as some "realists" might say) nor is changing language an appropriate substitute for normal or contentious politics in liberal democracies.

Testosticross

Urban Word of the Day — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

(test-OSS-ih-cross) v. The movie moment when every man in the theater crosses his legs and moans, right after someone's groin has been pummelled onscreen.

"Oh! DUDE! That was the worst testosticross moment EVAR!"

The Rhetoric of Picking Protests

Adria — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:56:16 +0000

Inspired by the discussion about to-protest or not-to-protest the NCA hotel, and reflecting on the social movement legacies (or an ambiguous legacy, as Zizek calls it) of 1968, I found this article by David Zirin, one of my favorites, about the politics of protest of the Olympics "shut up and play" athlete censorship policy worth a mention:

More on Georgia

Jim Brown — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:32:07 +0000

Ronald D. Asmus and Richard Holbrooke at WaPo offer a "told you so" on Georgia and also a plan of action (apparently for the next administration):

Olympics Special: More Imported Words

About.com Grammar & Composition — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:03:29 +0000

The English language contains well over half-a-million words. More than a million, in fact, if you start counting proper names, abbreviations, and technical terms. Still, as shown by such recent...

27/4

Urban Word of the Day — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

27 seconds a day, 4 days a week, i.e. quite rare

Kev: Hey Boss, I work 27/4 for you.
Boss: You lazy bastard!