Monday, December 31, 2012

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Heard on NPR

On NPR's Morning Edition this morning, a reporter called attention to the idea that the new "right-to-work" laws just put in place in Michigan would cause the unions to lose, among other things, "clout." Doesn't the use of this negative-affect word prejudice the reporting? What sort of "clout" are we talking about? Does collective bargaining for the benefit of workers, who are otherwise at the mercy of amoral corporations, really constitute "clout?" Especially when the collective bargaining leads to better wages, enhanced benefits, safer working conditions (which also benefits employers), and so on? Implying that these are the result of having "clout" is the wrong way to frame this discourse, in my (linguist's) opinion.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

A brief thought on US education


Wednesday, December 5, 2012

End of semester blues

It's that time of year.  A student writing on circumcision included this bit of information:
When circumcisions are performed here in the United States the male is given Anastasia to numb the pain…
 Thank goodness!

Word of the day

I know I'll get pummeled for this, but: I keep seeing children in Gaza being pulled, some dead, some alive, out of rubble created by bom...