English Rules

August 2004

Why the Button Fly?

August 30, 2004

As I was putting on a fairly new pair of pants today, I wondered why the clothing company had decided to use a button fly instead of a zipper fly. Three of my four newest pairs of pants have button flies on them, and while I like the pants for other reasons, I can't stand having to button them up. … Read more.

The Loveliest Sentence of All

August 29, 2004

Ben and I are reading E.B. White's Stuart Little for a second time, and enjoying it very much. I'm never quite sure how much Ben understands, or how long his attention lasts, but he usually wants to keep reading when I've closed the book and tucked him into bed, and he occasionally stops me to ask what "mercy" or "offhanded" … Read more.

New englishrules.com feature

August 25, 2004

Because I care very deeply about the online experience of anyone who visits my web site—all three of you—I've added a little feature to my "Resources" pages. In the right-hand column of each resource page, you'll see a list of related links from a featured site. The links, popularly known as webfeeds or newsfeeds, are automatically updated through a syndication … Read more.

Favorite New Words from The Word Spy

August 12, 2004

The Word Spy tries to keep track of neologisms as they start making their way into the vernacular. Here are a couple of my favorites: butt call n. An unintended phone call placed by sitting on one's cell phone. wife acceptance factor n. In an object, especially an electronic device, that normally appeals only to men, the qualities or features … Read more.

Mark These Words

August 7, 2004

In the Summer 2004 issue of City Journal, Michael Knox Beran wistfully describes the bygone days of classical education, when students were required to commit lines of both poetry and prose to memory. He makes an eloquent case, and I am sympathetic to his views (at least, some of them): Without knowing it, a child who has learned a scrap … Read more.

Political Humor

August 6, 2004

Here are a few links to political humor/activism, in case you haven't seen them already: Will Ferrel's White House West: A George W. Bush spoof ad This Land Is Your Land: A bipartisan parody by Jibjab.com Bush in 30 Seconds: The top entries in a contest to capture the essence of George W. Bush's administration in 30 seconds You may … Read more.

Where There's an Issue, There's a Journal

August 5, 2004

File this one under the there's-a-journal-about-everything-under-the-sun category: International Journal of Impotence. Makes me wonder if there's a national one as well. … Read more.

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  • Wow! What a bizarre letter McCain sent in response to Obama last February: Link This is a must-read, folks. Exposes pathology. — Thu, Oct 2 at 12:20 am

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Me on Why the Button Fly?: My button flys wear out a lot…

Ken on The Candidate Who Shall Not ...: Nader is a no way... Obama is…

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  • Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World
  • unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity... and Why It Matters
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  • Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software (Addison-Wesley Professional Computing Series)
  • Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid
  • Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life
  • The Elephant Vanishes: Stories
  • The Catcher in the Rye
  • The Tenacity of the Cockroach: Conversations with Entertainment's Most Enduring Outsiders

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Noteworthy Articles

Once Elected, Palin Hired Friends and Lashed Foes (New York Times)

Ms. Havemeister was one of at least five schoolmates Ms. Palin hired, often at salaries far exceeding their private sector wages.

Obama to Palin: 'Don't Mock the Constitution' | The Trail | washingtonpost.com

Sen. Barack Obama delivered an impassioned defense of the Constitution and the rights of terrorism suspects tonight, striking back at one of the biggest applause lines in Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's speech to the GOP convention...

Attacks, praise stretch truth at GOP convention - (Associated Press

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and her Republican supporters held back little Wednesday as they issued dismissive attacks on Barack Obama and flattering praise on her credentials to be vice president. In some cases, the reproach and the praise stretched the truth.

State of the Art - New Nikon Holds a Secret - NYTimes.com

If you saw it just sitting there, you?d never guess that the new Nikon D90 is a mind-blowing, game-changing camera...

Captcha is broken - now what? (The Guardian)

Websites use Captchas in an attempt to disrupt the spam and malware economy - but they are not working...

Hoping It's Biden (New York Times)

Barack Obama has decided upon a vice-presidential running mate. And while I don't know who it is as I write, for the good of the country, I hope he picked Joe Biden...

The Candidate We Still Don?t Know (New York Times)

Most Americans still don't know, as Marshall writes, that on the campaign trail "McCain frequently forgets key elements of policies, gets countries' names wrong, forgets things he?s said only hours or days before and is frequently just confused." ...

Is Jon Stewart the Most Trusted Man in America? (New York Times)

Mr. Stewart describes his job as "throwing spitballs" from the back of the room and points out that "The Daily Show" mandate is to entertain, not inform. Still, he and his writers have energetically tackled the big issues of the day...

10 Things to Scratch From Your Worry List (NYTimes.com)

I?ve rounded up a list of 10 things not to worry about on your vacation.

The Disadvantages of an Elite Education (The American Scholar)

Our best universities have forgotten that the reason they exist is to make minds, not careers...z

We're Not Laughing at You, or With You (NYTimes.com)

Let's talk about the bloody crossroads where satire goes searching for its target...

Turf War (The New Yorker)

Americans can?t live without their lawns--but how long can they live with them?

Graffiti artist Banksy unmasked (Daily Mail)

He is perhaps the most famous, or infamous, artist alive. To some a genius, to others a vandal. Always controversial, he inspires admiration and provokes outrage in equal measure...

Behind the Bush Bust - Op-Ed (New York Times)

Other politicians besides Mr. Bush share the blame for the mess we?re in ? but most of them are Republicans...

On Day Care, Google Makes a Rare Fumble (NYTimes.com)

Parents who had been paying $1,425 a month for infant care would see their costs rise to nearly $2,500 ? well above the market rate. For parents with toddlers and preschoolers, who were charged less, the price increases were equally eye-popping