In the current issue of The Vocabula Review has a great article Singular They: The Pronoun That Came in from the Cold by Jjoan Ttaber Altieri. Grammar, gender, power, class, language mavens, and the third person singular genderless pronouns. It’s actually worth reading, whatever you think. I found this among many other great articles on the current Arts & Letters Daily.
Month: September 2003
Another link courtesy of Adam’s
Another link courtesy of Adam’s A violently executed plan. How can the Republicans actually argue that demanding freedom from a theocracy is religious bigotry? It’s beyond me. But apparently it’s beyond those of faith to imagine that not having another’s religious beliefs and practices imposed on one is crucial to living in a free society… and crucial to their own right to practice the religion of their choice. I wonder how they’d deal with living in an America run by Scientologist or New Age fundamentalists. I almost wish I could see that happen for the amusement pattern.
Cuddly Dalai Lama?
Here’s an article that was sent to me by two people, both John Wendel and, about an hour later, by Mer. It’s about how the cuddly feelgood New Age version of the Dalai Lama is our fantasy creation. The “us” to whom I ascribe this “our” being, of course, the New Age feelgood-addicted West. I know John and Mer both very likely know that my own thinking on the issue of Tibet and the Tibetan government-in-exile (ie. the theocracy that was desposed by Chinese soldiers) is far from blind sympathy, but I did realize that perhaps many of the people …
Attention Poets Laureate
Don’t write “rap poems”. If that’s what the job requires, for goodness sakes turn it down. (Or, at least do a better bloody job of it.) By the way, I side with many of the commenters: it’s embarrassing, and I think it says something about the monarchy that this is what is offered and accepted.
Hydrogen Beer?
Hydrogen beer in Mysterious Asia.