Entering the new year, something tragic happened in the world of grammar and language usage. Over 200 linguists of the American Dialect Society met in Washington, D.C. to choose their “Word of the Year.” They overwhelmingly chose the singular use of the pronoun “they.” Singular they, as it is called, is not … Read more
There have been many attempts to apply socialism to the modern workplace. One of these was the program of former president of France François Mitterrand who sought to implement what he called self-managing socialism in 1981. Like all such schemes, it was a dismal failure. He could not make the moldy principles … Read more
We live in complete chaos. “What a banal way to start an article!” some might think upon reading this opening sentence. In fact, it is banal, most banal. And I present this idea, in itself so banal, even trite, in its most elementary form to emphasize, even to the extreme, just how … Read more
It was a particularly hot afternoon, so I gazed at the icy mug of beer before me with a sense of anticipation. I still had the idea — right or wrong — that draft beer should be crowned with a head of foam, albeit not too thickly. Lacking a head, this beer … Read more
As I sat down at a table with a group of friends in a spacious and noisy pizzeria, I just had time to notice that our presence displeased some people sitting nearby. Three men and two women stared at us continuously. One of them, a tall, thin, dark fellow with angular nose … Read more
The nation’s attention is rightly focused on the war in Iraq, where American and allied armed forces are bravely engaged in battle. At the same time, however, America is locked in a second war, one that is equally important for victory: the psychological battle for public opinion. Both are difficult. Both are … Read more