Word and Object

For some time I have been interested in combinations of letters that can be rearranged to form as many different words as there are letters available. For example, if you have three letters, then there must be three different permutations, etc. Here is a list of some of the ones I’ve thought of. If you […]

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In an Op-Ed piece in today’s New York Times former presidential candidate Mitt Romney weighed in with his views regarding Detroit’s request for loan guarantees. While I think Mr. Romney basically is an idiot, I have to say his views on this point are well-considered. Detroit has no more entitlement to a bailout than any […]

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The way signs work is complex enough as it is.  Not only is there the sign, but also: that which is signified; the person responding to it; and the social conventions that give it meaning.  A “stop sign” at an intersection, for example, has no inherent or intrinsic properties.  It commands us to brake the […]

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I am sick and tired of hearing George Bush (most notably) refer to people as “folk.”  Mr. Bush is not the only one with a predeliction for frequent misuse of this term, although he is the most notable example.  I now cringe whenever it is uttered by anybody, even if the context is benign.  From […]

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There was a widely-reported news announcement today that Nancy Reagan had endorsed John McCain for President of the United States.  I certainly don’t have anything against Ms. Reagan, who strikes me has having conducted herself with dignity and comportment during a long and illustrious career.  Neither do I have anything against Mr. McCain, though I […]

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There are three words that have found their way into our contemporary lexicon, which annoy me considerably, and here they are: “Product.”  This term frequently was used in the consumer entertainment software business, back when there was one.  It refers to “things” such as books, records (CDs, cassettes), videos (DVDs, VHS), etc.  My objection to […]

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Don Imus rightly has been condemned, and then fired, for his use of the phrase “nappy-headed hos” with reference to the Rutgers’ women’s basketball team. I think Mr. Imus is an execrable person – not for his predictably “shock-jock” views, but rather: (a) for not being able to speak properly. He’s a mumbler, and in […]

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