The Personal is Political. The Political is Personal.

 
Year in Review: January 2005

In January 2005, my record of gathered, pointless links to unwritten posts destined "for the desk drawer" reveals that I "thought" about among other things some of the following various topics of a communications-related and linquistic bent:

The importance to successful marketing to the American public of contemporary (and historical?) political figures/candidates that they be seen as "self-made men" who "overcame hardships" -- regardless of how straightforwardly their biographies support the claim. Examples: Arnold, Bernard Kerik, GWB.

rhetoric and class in American Christian fundamentalism (papers: "Christian Rhetoric in American Society: A Bibliographic Essay" by Jennifer Komis, and "Small Business, Status Politics and the Social Base of New Christian Right Activism" (.pdf) by Val Burris)


etymology of the word "robot"

explanation of the Philly accent (undoubtedly culled from the wonderful blog, Freezing to Death in the Nuclear Bunker*)

[*I believe that I stumbled onto that blog a year or two ago when wondering who, if anyone, ever had anything to say about a boppy little 50's-style pop show tune by Yoko Ono with the cheery refrain, "All day long I felt like smashing my face through a clear glass window." The latter I found on a cast recording cassette for a dollar at a used record sale.]

posted by TiR at 7:07 AM