On the wonderful World Wide Words e-magazine from Michael Quinion a question from two separate sources,Fred A. Roth and Shailesh Ramanuj, was the springboard to a fascinating journey through a bit of the English language in which we meet a lost word and its uncouth cousin. It started with a strange question. "Why don't we say 'amn't'?" Then a conundrum is brought forth that I never knew existed. "We," for example has the negative contractions "we're not" and "we aren't." Similar double-contraction forms exist for "they," "he/she," and "you." "I," though only has "I'm not."
The answer to the question points out that "amn't" was once very much in play on our tongues and led to "ain't." The whole fascinating tale may be found here.
I amn't happy about the loss the word and think that it would be clever to bring it back into usage.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
The Massena Center Bridge Centennial
The cable suspension bridge over the Grasse River in Massena Center, NY will be one hundred years old in 2010. It was a project that Holton Duncan Robinson took on in the town he was born in before taking on larger projects. Mr. Robinson took out patents that greatly improved the time it takes to build a suspension bridge and was able to lower costs without compromising integrity at a time when such savings were desperately needed.
I remember crossing the single lane bridge in a car but it's now closed to all foot and vehicle traffic.
I remember crossing the single lane bridge in a car but it's now closed to all foot and vehicle traffic.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
I Hope Someone is Making a Documentary
If I had the money and equipment, I'd be in Lafayette County, Missouri filming a documentary on the Mohler Case. You can read about the case here. Aside from incest porn and sex toys found in Burrell Mohler, Sr.'s home, no hard evidence has been reported. Burrell and his four sons have been arrested for child sexual abuse. The abuse was reported to be from 1988 to 1995. There are also allegations of children being forced to murder and that they were made to write their grievances down and bury them in jars on the farm property.
Child abuse, rape, and murder. These are horrible accusations and, if true, the guilty should be punished severely. It's important to keep a cool head and not severely punish the innocent.
This would make a fascinating documentary and I hope someone is on it. Questions that should be addressed are:
1) How hard is the evidence?
2) What are the social dynamics within the family, the police force, and the accusers and how do they all interact?
3) Why did the abuse stop in 1995?
4) Why does the time frame of the abuse coincide with the day care sex care abuse hysteria so closely?
5) Was anything illegal found in the pornography owned by Burrell? Apparently, incest porn using consenting adults is not illegal.
6) Why are allegations so late in being made? Were memories recovered in therapy? How reliable are such memories?
It seems like a big leap from a wife, I think justifiably, upset with her husband for having incest porn to that husband having illegal porn and masterminding abuse and murder. Whether it turns out the Burrell's are guilty or not, that leap would make for a fascinating documentary. Drat, some day I'll have that money and equipment.
Child abuse, rape, and murder. These are horrible accusations and, if true, the guilty should be punished severely. It's important to keep a cool head and not severely punish the innocent.
This would make a fascinating documentary and I hope someone is on it. Questions that should be addressed are:
1) How hard is the evidence?
2) What are the social dynamics within the family, the police force, and the accusers and how do they all interact?
3) Why did the abuse stop in 1995?
4) Why does the time frame of the abuse coincide with the day care sex care abuse hysteria so closely?
5) Was anything illegal found in the pornography owned by Burrell? Apparently, incest porn using consenting adults is not illegal.
6) Why are allegations so late in being made? Were memories recovered in therapy? How reliable are such memories?
It seems like a big leap from a wife, I think justifiably, upset with her husband for having incest porn to that husband having illegal porn and masterminding abuse and murder. Whether it turns out the Burrell's are guilty or not, that leap would make for a fascinating documentary. Drat, some day I'll have that money and equipment.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Corporate Wellfare
Joe Biden brought up socialism for the rich and capitalism for the poor on last night's Daily Show. The statement is in the second clip.
That interview reminded me of a Will Rogers statement about the government bailing out the Wall Streeter Tribe. Here's the statement:
Not sure which year it's from. In trying to find a year, I came across this post at BoingBoing from last year that has a link to a nice archive. They highlight a roast that Will did for Wall Street in 1924. Interesting stuff considering what we're experiencing now.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Joe Biden Pt. 1 | ||||
| ||||
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Joe Biden Pt. 2 | ||||
| ||||
That interview reminded me of a Will Rogers statement about the government bailing out the Wall Streeter Tribe. Here's the statement:
Not sure which year it's from. In trying to find a year, I came across this post at BoingBoing from last year that has a link to a nice archive. They highlight a roast that Will did for Wall Street in 1924. Interesting stuff considering what we're experiencing now.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)