Tuesday, November 21, 2006
excellent reading
Four articles to recommend today.
Bookworm's piece on grammar, spelling and vocabulary. I have to say I've almost always enjoyed knowing good grammar because it comes easily and makes sense to me. I spelled well for the same reasons (plus, I won spelling bees) and I enjoy twisting my way through inconsistencies of the English language. Similarly, I have a fairly large working vocabulary because I enjoy learning and understanding words' roots and add-ons as well as how meanings change depending on spelling and context. I might not feel as strongly about good spelling if I found it as baffling as some do, and I might not care about vocabulary if my memory and understanding of words were poor. On the other hand, I agree with Bookworm that all three are absolutely vital for clear communication and understanding.

David Warren's essay on Milton and Rose Friedman (much thanks to Seablogger). A gentle, engrossing, lovely piece about the renowned economist who died last week at 94, and his wife of many decades. Warren describes a tea meeting with them ten years ago and says, "Even in their mid-eighties, they left an impression of guileless youth." His joint enthusiasm for the economics and the personal is a treat.

Thomas Sowell's article, The Washington Meat Grinder, discussing the gutter-level trash talk in which so many are currently engaging about political and other figures in the public sphere. He writes so alluringly that it's hard to know if you agree with him or just go with his flow, but he makes a darned good case that dragging people's reputations and careers through the mud is horrible and not even useful.

Last is a semi-humorous piece by Clyde Haberman in the New York Times on cellphones as weapons. Physical weapons. Unfortunately I cannot link to it because it is among the pieces that are, appallingly, only available with a paid $8.00 a month subscription, an outlandish sum, but if you can put your hands on a copy of today's NYT, it's the far lefthand column on the first page of the Metro Section.
Anyway, these are all interesting reading and fodder for nuanced and stimulating discussions.

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Permalink | | posted by jau at 9:17 AM


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Blogger Laura — at 2:03 PM, November 21, 2006:
Thanks for the link to Bookworm Room. I hadn't visited before and enjoyed it very much. As a proofreader (in the legal field, no less), I could particularly relate to the grammar article. I have bookmarked the site for future reading.

Happy Thanksgiving (almost!), Laura
 

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