Monthly Archives: July 2009

The rehabilitation of a useful phrase

The “Rule of Thumb for Wife-Beating” Hoax
The Straight Dope

The Phrase Finder
Chowder, Gig, Pipsqueak, Mayhem, Nonplussed and The Real Rule of Thumb
No Uncertain Terms

Origin(s) of “Rule of Thumb”
European Men Profeminist Network

Apparently back in the 1700’s some judge said there was such a law, and the story has been freely passed on from then without being checked. In fact the ordinary innocuous usage is considerably older.

I am pleased that the phrase can be used again. “Heuristic” is just too geeky in most circumstances, even for me.

(Following up on a Facebook note by my old friend Sister Edith Bogue)

Less than meets the eye

Everywhere you can read that Al Franken’s victory in the long drawn-out Minnesota Senate race gives the Democrats a filibuster-proof 60 vote majority in the Senate. Actually, both liberal hopes and conservative fears are misplaced. I remember the Carter administration. The idea that all 60 Democratic Senators would vote lock-step on any really controversial issue is not science fiction. It is fantasy.

Convention Game

Pin the Disease to Jenny McCarthy

A humorous look at a very serious issue.

From Bug Girl‘s entertaining Con Report.

For the record: mia_mcdavid and I have two children. Both are on the autistic spectrum. T is fully autistic (non-verbal) and J has Asperger’s Syndrome. Both received all the usual childhood vaccinations. We have no regrets about this.