Naughties List

26Dec09

Maybe end-of-the-year lists (especially the dreaded listicle) were around before this decade, but it is during the Naughties that I began my love-hate relationships with them. On the one hand, I love parsimony and groups of things. On the other hand, I hate oversimplification and anything that smacks of lobbying for cool points. [That makes [...]

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Chestnutt

25Dec09

The internet tells me that singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt is in a coma dead, and some have suggested the cause was an overdose of pain killers. In this recent interview with Terry Gross, Vic talked at some length about his suicide attempts, both before and after the car accident that left him a quadriplegic. You may [...]

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Holiday card

17Dec09

For those of you without mail service, or who haven’t sent me your mail address, here is a virtual holiday card.
I recommend “I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus”, at least for the Christians.

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Bang. Bang.

12Dec09

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Peer review

09Dec09

Less of a sympathetic complaint, coming from Hitler, but a familiar one…

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Semiotics

07Dec09

You should go check out the 50 Best Protest signs of 2009. The best Naughtie list I’ve seen so far.

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(R)eally?

03Dec09

This year I’m spending part of the holiday visiting my mother’s parents in Wisconsin. As I have already mentioned on this blog, my grandfather is suffering from Alzheimer’s. Already involved in a little on-line holiday shopping, I plugged in “Alzheimer holiday gift” and found The Alzheimer’s Store, an unfortunate but necessary invention.
The first amazing thing [...]

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‘Tis the season

03Dec09

I know you told me before that you hate it when I pick on Aretha Franklin, but can you tell me exactly what defense could be made for this (performing last night at the Rock Center Tree Lighting):

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Your discipline loves you.

02Dec09

OOOH! I said…OOOH! A new ASA website. What glorious angel on high has made this happen? And so close to the meeting submission deadline. Perhaps there won’t be 10,000 problems with my submission process.  What wonders. What a gift. Like a Christmas fairy angel spreading happy dust across my professional landscape.

But hark! Is that Scrooge [...]

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Tchotchkes

02Dec09

I know you’ve been vexed about what to buy your favorite Jew for Hanukkah. Toy Vey to the rescue! Plush moyel scissors? Talking Queen Esther doll? Or maybe these Ten Plagues Finger Puppets?

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