This list of acronyms is quite handy. Interesting that SNAFU and FUBAR are both in there, having been coined at least since World War II.
B-)
May 2004 Archives
The Guardian just published its latest league tables for universities. In the overall table, Middlesex leapt up to 19th place (70th last time) and is the highest placed of the ex-polys. In French, German and Spanish it's top of the league! I don't know exactly how they count it, but surely all league tables should be calculated this way ;-)
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Just listening to Book of the week on Radio 4 which is When You Lunch With The Emperor by Ludwig Bemelmans, aka the guy who wrote the Madeleine books
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Now that I'm working for an underfunded but much appreciated resource, aka The Lecture List, I take even more than my usual interest in the LINGUIST list's various techniques for raising money. When you type in http://www.linguistlist.org at the moment, you end up at this page
The LINGUIST list definitely is an excellent resource, by the way, and used every day by the majority of linguists around the world.
B-)
Just received this from the Haringey Cycling Campaign:
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Some of you may be aware of a critical mass ride taking place in Haringey on 29th May. I have uploaded the flyer to [a private location - let me (Billy) know if you want a copy]
However, I am sure some of us will be attending - can I suggest we use the opportunity to publicise our own activities and events - and to argue the case that there is more to campaigning for cyclists than riding your bike once a year and that if the participants really want to make a difference they should be involved with us.
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B-}
Following on from my heron experience, I stood under a tree on Sunday evening watching a woodpecker* hammering at a tree trunk.
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*greater spotted variety
FORWARDED FROM VOICES IN THE WILDERNESS:
Dear Friends,
Brian has been removed in a very sudden police operation - see below. As of now, he is still in Charing Cross Police Station. He suffered hand-cuff injuries and is very agitated. A Bindmans solicitor is handling his case.
It is likely he will be charged in the next few hours with resisting a security cordon removal and with assault. The solicitor has no doubt these charges will not stick and it appears all Brian's concerns have come to pass and a trumped up situation has been manufactured. Apparently the officer who Brian was meant to have assaulted had no injuries. There is a possibility that he will be taken, if charged, direct to Bow St Magistrates Court for the hearing in the morning. As of writing the desk sergeant has refused his bail.
Maria, Kerry and Alexander were with him when it happened and remain on the site, continuing his protest. If anyone can go down there tomorrow as soon as possible with any placards, that would be great.
I will pass on any info as soon as I have it.
Please circulate as widely as possible.
thanks
Emma and Maria
EMERGENCY PRESS RELEASE
2.30am, 10 May 2004
PARLIAMENT SQUARE PEACE CAMPAIGNER ARRESTED AND 3 YEAR PROTEST SITE BROKEN UP IN MIDNIGHT POLICE OPERATION
Brian Haw, the Parliament Square peace protestor, who has spent almost 3 years in a continuous anti-war protest vigil opposite the Houses of Parliament (1), has been arrested and his possessions / extensive protest display removed, in a sudden midnight police operation.
At around 12.20am, he was approached by a number of officers under the command of Inspector Forsyth of Charing Cross Police Station. Apparently, police were concerned about a suspect vehicle, some distance away. They imposed a security cordon under the terrorism act and the area was cleared of other members of the public before an incident took place in which Mr Haw was arrested, and 3 supporters (including 2 women) who were present at the time, were also threatened with arrest.
Despite the supposed security threat the police van did not leave the scene for some time and Mr Haw was last seen being held down on the floor of the police van, having been detained by 4 officers. After Mr Haw's arrest, the suspect car was almost immediately identified to be posing no threat and the security cordon lifted.
Subsequent to his arrest, and despite there being no longer any current security concerns, the remaining officers removed all of Mr Haw's possessions and protest placards from the site. They even commandeered a passing WH Smith news lorry to effect the removal.
In March this year the police told Mr Haw and his solicitor that they were seeking to remove him from Parliament Square but were not able to say which legislation they would employ. This followed a landmark High Court ruling which found in favour of Mr Haw and his right to protest on the site (2).
Mr Haw has long voiced the concern that the various attempts to remove him have been, and continue to be, politically motivated.
Mr Haw is represented by leading human right practice, Bindmans. His solicitor, Michael Schwarz, said: "Brian Haw is peacefully campaigning on perhaps the most significant issue of the day at a place which is supposed to be the very heart of our democracy. It is difficult to think of a more compelling example of the deployment of the rights to protest"
Mr Haw is now being held at Charing Cross Police Station. He has suffered hand-cuff injuries.
Meanwhile, Mr Haw's supporters are currently continuing the protest in Parliament Square.
For more information contact: Bindmans Solicitors: 0207 833 4433 (Brian's on-going solicitor is Mike Schwarz) Maria (supporter on site and witness): 07812 355867 Emma Sangster or Gareth Evans on 020 8806 6272 or emma@drifting.demon.co.uk
Notes:
1. Brian Haw has been in Parliament Square continuously since 1st June 2001 in protest against the US/UK support of economic sanctions in Iraq, the invasion of Iraq and the 'war on terror'.
2. On 4th October 2002 Westminster City Council's High Court proceedings against him for obstruction of the highway were dismissed on the grounds that Brian was exercising his freedom of expression and assembly under the Human Rights Act.
Emma Sangster
----- End forwarded message -----
Very happy about this link to the Lecture List
Also just generally enjoying watching activity build up and checking who's joining in.
B-)
This was in the Times today:
One's train is about to leave from Platform 5
By Alan Hamilton
THE worst form of communication invented by man has been made even less intelligble by the intervention of brandsmiths.
Brandsmiths are highly paid people who dream up swanky corporate names for humble enterprises. When four train operating companies serving East Anglia merged, the brandsmiths had a flash of inspiration; the enterprise should trade under the brand name One.
It has not worked. Smoke signals and jungle drums are models of clarity compared with the railway station announcement. The age that has produced the 3G mobile telephone still cannot talk with clarity to long-suffering commuters scurrying through echoing Victorian train sheds.
Announcements used to refer, for example, to the 7.20 Great Eastern service to Norwich. Recently they have been referring to the 7.20 One service to Norwich. Passengers have been bamboozled; were they referring to the 7.20 One service, or the 7.21 service, which is a minute adrift? After passengers complained, announcers will drop the name and say simply: The 7.20 to Norwich is leaving.
In the railway age of privatised unpunctuality, a minute either way would seem not to matter. A One spokeswoman said, however, that, although she knew of no one missing a train as a result of the confusion, there had been negative feedback. We did employ brandsmiths and consulted with customers and staff before deciding on the name One for the new company, she said.
The operator, formed from a merger of Anglian Railways, Great Eastern, West Anglia and Stansted Express, is registered as London Eastern Railways. The name was clearly not catchy enough, given that there is already a train and bus operator known as First, and mobile phone company called 02. The problem never arose in the straightforward days of British Rail.
If any railway enterprise is to be known as One, it should be the Royal Train. But as one always knows where one is going, one does not really need an announcement, does one?
Just a few hours left to bid for this magnificent item
B-)
This is a message from E-Julie about a blog for A Level English language students:
Just thought I'd let you know there's quite an online debate going on about language and political correctness on the language legend blog. It all started with Ron Atkinson's racist outburst, but it has developed. Issues raised so far = 'spastics', gay Vs queer, 'chav' and language used to insult working class men, and traveller insults for non-travellers. Am going to change the post when I think of something new to put up, so check it out if you're interested before I wipe the tagboard.
http:// languagelegend.blogspot.com
No advertising, no catch - just A Level English Language students talking about language... Anyone can post.
I'm never sure what exactly I think of people who have the time and energy to carry out things like this:
For a good laugh - or cry - go to google, enter 'weapons of mass destruction' and click 'i'm feeling lucky'
B-}
That's great news, Peggy. Of course, linguistics is not boring at all. I think it is something that appeals to a significant minority of people. Let me know if you think I can help with anything. To see how important a subject it is, have a look at this article about linguistics by Neil Smith. It's part of the 'Good Practice Guide' created by the Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies, for whom The Lecture List is currently 'website of the month'.
Do let me know how you get on,
Billy
On Tuesday, May 4, 2004, at 14:06 Europe/London, Peggy wrote:
Hello Billy, I have interesting news for you: I am a student of linguistics now! Interesting because before I came to London I didn't know that something like linguistics exists... You told me some things about it, I became interested in it and always wanted to know more about it. Now I had the chance to start studying and of course I chose linguistics. But now I found out people say it is boring (most of the students in my course study English and HAVE to take "Introduction to linguistics"). So far. I don't think so. I really like it. Except syntax. I have the feeling I have to brush up my knowledge about English sentence structure. Please say hello to Apoa, Kiloh and Ohna!
Peggy
