Tag Archives: society

Shades of Ribald Theobald’s Piebald Cow Pies

Posted on November 2, 2022 by JMN

“I don’t know, I find it vaguely therapeutic to express myself on Twitter. It’s a way to get messages out to the public.” (Elon Musk) (John Cassidy, “Elon Musk Just Highlighted His Biggest Dilemma at Twitter,” The New Yorker, 10-31-22) … Continue reading →

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The Birth of Venal

Posted on October 17, 2022 by JMN

… According to Italian law, any use of the country’s publicly owned art to sell merchandise requires permission and payment of a fee. (Angela Giuffrida) Who “owns” reproduced images pulled from Botticelli’s cloying, excessively familiar painting? The presumption to be … Continue reading →

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Wipe It Off, Gray Lady

Posted on September 13, 2022 by JMN

Free expression isn’t just a feature of democracy; it is a necessary prerequisite. (Editorial Board, “Censorship Is the Refuge of the Weak,” New York Times, 9-10-22) No big deal. Just a nicety of style, a peccadillo none but the persnickety … Continue reading →

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Tohu Bohu in the Land of Steak Frites

Posted on September 12, 2022 by JMN

“We have to change our mentality so that eating a barbecued entrecôte is no longer a symbol of virility… If you want to resolve the climate crisis, you have to reduce meat consumption, and that’s not going to happen so … Continue reading →

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Asked and Answered

Posted on September 10, 2022 by JMN

“The American press is infatuated to the point of intoxication with ‘democracy,’ ” [Buchanan] wrote in 1991. To make his point, he compared the Marine Corps and corporations like IBM to the federal government. “Only the last is run on … Continue reading →

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Fun With Man-Words

Posted on August 11, 2022 by JMN

In 2013, 52 Atlantic spotted dolphins migrated from the northern Bahamas to Bimini, 100 miles south, where a community of 120 of their species already lived. The encounter could have gone badly. When groups of social mammals meet, things can … Continue reading →

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‘What rough beast, its hour come round at last…’

Posted on August 6, 2022 by JMN

“We’re going to draw a hard line in the sand for morality,” Precinct 4 Commissioner Clint Ives said… “I applaud their efforts to defeat liberalism…” (George Coryell, “Victoria County [Texas] sides with group that wants city library books removed,” victoriaadvocate.com, … Continue reading →

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A Lash of Good Tongue

Posted on June 20, 2022 by JMN

“To sit fast badly is better than to be thrown easily.” (Wright, A Grammar of the Arabic Language, p. 124) [sū’(u)-l-istimāk(i) ẖair(un) min ḥusn(i)-ṣ-ṣirƸaẗ(i)] Wright cites the phrase to illustrate the formation of the [ism(u)-n-nūƸ(i)], noun of kind, aka nomina … Continue reading →

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Crisis Antidote: Neighborhood Bookshops

Posted on May 27, 2022 by JMN

The small shops are sprouting where their readers are, in residential areas, keeping alive the rich literary scene that made Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital, one of the cities with the most bookstores per capita in the world. “Argentina may always … Continue reading →

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A Modest Proposal Regarding Neutral Reference

Posted on March 10, 2022 by JMN

They is owning he and she. Example: An athlete knows that they must train rigorously to qualify for the Olympics. It even happens when the antecedent is named and sexed. Example: Jacob has a Master of Fine Arts from Iowa. … Continue reading →

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