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Jonah Weiner’s rave review of Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest — Slate
Hugh Grant: “You should try real journalism. Because you’re not an idiot, Paul. You could probably do it!” — BBC
Rebekah Brooks’s 2009 letter to John Whittingdale: ‘The Guardian has misled the British public’ — Guardian, see also
American Homeowner Preservation Acquires 6.6MM of Non-Performing Mortgages in June — AHP
Savage attack on Strunk & White! — Chronicle
Sorkin corrects his patents column — Tumblr
How Gore Vidal persuaded Michele Bachmann to become a Republican — Tumblr
Michele Bachmann is (married to) a homophobic fundamentalist — WaPo
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Yeah, Yeah. Another Geoff Pullum attack on the intellectual incompetence and all round evil of prescriptive grammar. He publishes one of these every six months in some obscure corner. It’s no big deal.
Yes, and I voted for President Obama but he has persuaded me to become a conservative. Watching, reading, listening and
“Show me a young Conservative and I’ll show you someone with no heart. Show me an old Liberal and I’ll show you someone with no brains.”
– Winston Churchill
the Hugh Grant link – ooooh, so good
Oh hell… Bachmann is going to be doing well being she is driven by religion. She cannot be questioned, given she is politicing and living and marrying by God’s design. How righteous can you get? No wonder she never apologizes for being wrong…
What tea party bigot would not vote for such a team? And what man is not going to vote for a woman who says wives are to always be, as the bible says, totally submissive to their husbands.
Maybe the rod will also make a comeback in homes and schools. Being they believe homosexuality is a correctable sin and that parents and authority figures have a responsibility not to allow homosexual feelings, they will have the teachers whack the boys and girls who who think like that or believe in evolution.
And now I have some questions: “Minnesota law allows unlicensed mental health professionals to practice.” What? And Minnesota also allows someone who is not a professional to take $100,000 in Medicaid payments? WTH? How is it possible that an unlicensed councellor is allowed a practise involving mental health problems? How can he be listed as a psychologist when unlicenced?
Reading that boggles the mind.
Bachmann is considered a contender. She promises not to speak in tongues while in office, not to push any buttons unless God tells her to and there will be a bible in every pot. Heaven help you all.
It would have been nice if Mr. Pullum could have followed the advice “Omit needless words.” It would have shortened his diatribe considerably.
Over the years, I have been bombarded by numerous examples of passive voice causing confusion (who is doing the action etc.). It is particularly important when specifications and contracts are written as the passive voice can become the source of a large change order because it was unclear which party was supposed to take the action.
It would be nearly impossible to write a standard government or corporate memo if “The Elements of Style” were followed. The world would be a better place.
It is important for Mr. Pullum to remember that generalized rules should not form the foundation of a religion. The exceptions to the rules can become important to emphasize a point after generally following the general rule has generally improved clarity and readibility.