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Category Archives: Words
Fun With Bad Writing
If you enjoy pretentious writing, Denis Dutton has some treats for you. His Bad Writing Contest has led me to one of the worst writers ever: Judith Butler, a professor at UC Berkeley, who has been described as one of … Continue reading
Posted in Words
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Death Row And Salted Peanuts
A killer named James Comer was executed in Arizona yesterday, and his last words were: “Go Raiders!” My feeling after the initial amusement was, What an asshole. The sports reference was done better by James Filiaggi, who was executed last … Continue reading
Posted in News, Words
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Horrible Celebrity Baby Names
Have you heard of an actress named Moon Bloodgood? I’ve just seen her name two days in a row, and I’m not happy about it. I’m not happy about Soliel Moon Fry either, but I’d forgotten all about her until … Continue reading
Posted in Horrible Stuff, Words
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Unwords
sprachgefühl is a German word that means: an intuitive sense of what is linguistically appropriate. Thanks to my sprachgefühl, the use of the word disconnect as a noun has become an agonizing insult to my ears. I have even coined … Continue reading
Posted in Rants, Words
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Ann Coulter is a Whore!
Oh god, ‘whore’ is just a schoolyard taunt. I’m only kidding! What I meant is that she’s a cunt.
Posted in Horrible Stuff, News, Words
6 Comments
God is a Spandrel
Scholars studying the evolution of religion tend to agree on one point: that religious belief is an outgrowth of brain architecture that evolved during early human history. What they disagree about is why a tendency to believe evolved, whether it … Continue reading
Netflix Imbroglio
The following email exchange between Netflix and my nephew Duncan makes me glad to be alive! Problem With Your Recent Return Dear Duncan, We received an empty white sleeve in your recent return. If you haven’t already sent back the DVD you … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Guest Author, Words
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A Politically Correct Lexicon
Here are the new rules of politically correct terms. (You can call Michael Stipe queer but not gay. And you should still try to avoid cunt, although “it’s gaining currency among young lesbians.”)
Posted in Words
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The Secret and Me
Forgive me for being behind the curve, but now that I’ve heard about “The Secret,” I am bursting with excitement, not to mention negative energy. The Secret has been revealed even to those of us who didn’t buy the book … Continue reading
Posted in Religion, Words
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Word of the Day
ludic [loo-dik] adjective playful in an aimless way. “the ludic behavior of kittens.” It’s an icky word and I don’t like it, but I came across it in a description of an artist, Andreas Slominski, who is known for building … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Words
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