Oct
2
2006

URLs du Jour

2006-10-02

  • Russell Roberts on the Sadim Touch. It's like the Midas Touch, only …

  • Patrick Porter of Oxblog is irritated by the word "demonise". (American translation: "demonize". You're welcome.)

    A quick case-insensitive egrep shows only one use of 'demoni[sz]e' throughout the entire history of Pun Salad, and it was a quote of someone else. Whew! I'm a euphemizer, not a demonizer!

  • Professor Ann Althouse has been a voice of reason at the University of Wisconsin, where they also have an instructor (albeit only a tenureless part-timer) who's a 9/11 conspiracy fantasist. Today she quotes a student newspaper editorial, where they seem to be having sober second thoughts about their initial support for the idea.
    One is left to wonder what standards UW applies when determining which lecturers are to be allowed the use of taxpayer-funded facilities to voice their beliefs. Would the geography department allow a speaker to present his opinion that the world is flat? Would the history department sponsor a speech by someone that denies the Holocaust occurred?
    Yes! These are precisely the sort of questions that should be asked and answered here as well.
    Ultimately, it is UW's duty — as an institution of higher learning funded in part by taxpayers — to promote scholarly research and vigorous academic debate. Mr. Barrett's conspiracy theories thus far have failed to flirt with either principle.
    Prof Althouse has her own questions too.

  • In a related matter, there's no word on whether the Heavy Boots theory of gravitation will be taught at UNH anytime soon. (Via Chicago Boyz.)


Last Modified 2012-10-22 10:15 AM EDT