Unca Darrell

JANUARY 31 / Style, Usage, Journalism

Hyphenation

More than 90 percent of African-Americans [read African Americans] and two-thirds of Hispanics . . . . (R.G. Ratcliffe, "Obama faces the ire of Texas voters," Houston Chronicle, September 27, 2010)

When used as a modifier, it's African-American, hyphenated. Barak Obama is the first African-American president. When used as a noun, as above, it's not. African Americans are more susceptible to sickle-cell anemia. 

Via

Via [read Through] direct-loan programs, the national legislation also would provide funds to states in response to diasters that result in losses above certain levels. (Editorial, "Catastrophe plan: Hurricane Ike reminds us of the need for planning. Texas CAT fund would help do so," Houston Chronicle, March 28, 2009.

Traditional style says via should be used only when talking about places. I traveled to Nacogdoches via Lufkin. Use of the term, as above, in a broader sense -- "by means of or through the agency of" -- is so common today, however, that some authorities, Garner among them, have given up the fight. Unca D says fight on. One good reason is that doing so forces you to replace an effete Latinism and with a sturdy English word.

JANUARY 30 / It's true, but pernicious and misleading, to say . . .

. . . that the American government is borrowing 40 cents out of every dollar it spends. A better way to look at this, and to express it, is that the feds are borrowing . . .

JANUARY 27 / It's what the president knows that just ain't so

HERE's why China and India have strong economies, according to President Obama:

Meanwhile, nations like China and India realized that with some changes of their own, they could compete in the new world. And so they started educating their children earlier and longer, with greater emphasis on math and science. They're investing in research and new technologies. (Barack Hussein Obama, State of the Union Address (As Prepared), January 25, 2010) 

In fact, both China and India became prosperous when . . . 

JANUARY 25 / Liveblogging the SOTU

9:59 p.m. / Over and out for Unca D

The analysis at the bottom of this long post still holds. The president announced, in effect, that he's giving not an inch on spending (freeze it; don't cut it), that he'll defend Obamacare from anything beyond a friendly tweak on the cheek, that he still dreams of a big, activist government ("investments").

Republicans have their work cut out for them. The fate of our republic depends on their hard work, their courage, and their not being distracted by the president's clumsy prestidigitation. He cannot be permitted to set the agenda.

UPDATE: This liveblogging was an experiment. It failed. I'm not very good at this form. I'll leave the post up for those who are curious, but my advice is to go elsewhere for good analysis of the president's speech.   

JANUARY 25 / How the WSJ got it wrong today

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, usually the steadiest and most reliable editorial voice out there, got it wrong today. "Who's a Carpetbagger" argues that Rahm Emanuel should be kept on the ballot for mayor of Chicago. The newspaper's mistake, one usually associated with the left, is . . .  

JANUARY 21 / Warrior spirit

 

A USEFUL Houston Chronicle editorial on soldier suicides ended on this startling false note:

As military officials start to implement the thoughtful, detailed recommendations of [a congressionally mandated report on soldier suicides], their first priority should be to move quickly and decisively to eradicate that "warrior" spirit that prevents so many from seeking treatment. Shame on them for tolerating an environment that heaps even more stress and fear on the heroes who have already sacrificed so much for their country.

 

JANUARY 19 / Yet another provocation

SEE, WHAT THE other side is counting on, what they're counting on is you're gonna stay home. They're counting on your silence. They're counting on your amnesia. They're counting on your apathy. They're counting on old people stayin' home, an' business people stayin' home, an' white folks stayin' home.

JANUARY 15 / Thanks giving

ON THURSDAY I stood by with other members of our family as a dear niece, still in her  thirties, had surgery for breast cancer. Almost seven years ago, she lost her mother to the same disease.

The emotions of the morning . . . 

JANUARY 12 / Still no cap, still no trade

WITH the postnuptial glow of Obamism still burning bright, the Houston Chronicle in May 2009 declared that Congress had "made up its mind that there will be a price on carbon dioxide, most likely via a cap-and-trade system." Unca D sniggered. Then on December 31, 2009, sniggered again. And today . . .

JANUARY 7 / The marrying judge

Trainees in George Patton's Desert Training Center in southern California wanted to get married before they were shipped out to North Africa. This created a demand for quick weddings, which was thwarted by a legal barrier -- California's three-day waiting period. Enterprising justices of the peace in Arizona saw a business opportunity.