Category Archives: humanities

the L-word

Posted on Wednesday, 2004 November 10 by Anton

About a decade ago, someone or other wrote in The Nation advocating that the Left reclaim the word populist. I was tempted to send a letter asking whether, in that case, we individualists could have liberal back. The Economist, in … Continue reading →

Posted in language, politics | Leave a comment

mis-checked spelling of the month

Posted on Wednesday, 2004 November 10 by Anton

carob nanotubes

Posted in language | Leave a comment

it’s easy for puppets to keep a straight face

Posted on Monday, 2004 November 08 by Anton

Astonishing language for children’s television. I knew British television was more liberal, but really! (cited by Nev Dull) Later same day: Er well sorta. Here’s the straight dope.

Posted in humanities | Leave a comment

secession, anyone?

Posted on Friday, 2004 November 05 by Anton

Joe Sobran’s view of Lincoln is more charitable than that of (say) Neil Smith or Thomas DiLorenzo, not that that’s saying much, but he still calls the war a tragic blunder. Given the timing of that column (October 7), I … Continue reading →

Posted in constitution, history | Leave a comment

QotD

Posted on Thursday, 2004 November 04 by Anton

Thomas Babington Macaulay, quoted in The Economist Oct.30 p.48 If men are to wait for liberty till they become good and wise in slavery, they may indeed wait forever.

Posted in history, politics | Leave a comment

context counts

Posted on Wednesday, 2004 November 03 by Anton

headline of the week: Warriors lock up young veterans

Posted in language | Leave a comment

a good notation is a good start

Posted on Tuesday, 2004 November 02 by Anton

In keying data from handwritten forms, I’m struck by how badly our digits are designed: there are few pairs for which I haven’t seen an ambiguous case. I do write somewhat defensively. I write ‘9’ with a single stroke, like … Continue reading →

Posted in language | Leave a comment