Preston Noell
While Bernard Shaw was dozing he half-heard the evening’s moderator say quite off-handedly that the word “sugar” was the only one in the English language spelled s-u but pronounced as “shhh”. He then asked Shaw: Am I wrong? Shaw’s answer was: Sure.
Thanks to all who played. The winner is Preston Noell whose grasp of English literary lights as well as public policy issues is quite phenomenal. But coming in close behind, only a matter of minutes was our hardy perennial player Frank Nofsinger of Connecticut who has won a series of these engagements. Charles Johannus also came in with the answer. And when we had lunch yesterday, John Powers volunteered the answer. Tell me, did you guys actually figure it out or had you heard the story? Amazing.
Dan Curry
My mention of Barack Obama writing first a book with the title about his father and the coverage by his free-lance biographer Boswell, Lynn Sweet that he is going to his late father’s village prompted me to ask the question: Why, when his father left the family to go to Harvard never to return has Obama chosen to concentrate on him and not write about his mother. Then of course I mentioned that Obama’s father was black and his mother white which cannot be mentioned in polite society I guess since African Americans would be offended: why I don’t know. Moreover, I was promptly accused of trying to read Obama’s mind by the conductor of a very popular blog—since I had the temerity to suggest that the trip had political overtones. Then I was hailed into disrepute in the court of public opinion by a few respondees to this very popular blog (and a very-very-very-very good one, honest) some of whom used the tired “racist” epithet. Also the usual “he’s a windbag” stuff which is fine by me. But the payoff was when the conductor of the blog and one respondee criticized Dan Curry for daring to suggest my Blog is entertaining. I don’t know if my Blog is or not but I do know Dan’s is superb at www.reversespin.com
Mr. Roeser,
ReplyDeleteI have read your columns and musings since the 1970's. You are always entertaining and rarely ungentlemanly ( I took personal affront to your curb-kicking of George Ryan e.g.)
The bigot/racist/crypto-klansman canards are too easily applied by the more progressive patina players in journalism.
As Dr. King once said, 'it is not what I am called that matters, but what I answer to.' That, I hope is close to the exact quote.
Race is a bludgeon in the rhetorical tool box. We could use better and more skilled craftsmen.
The same progressive journalist did not think that Obama would 'play well in the hood,' when he ran for Senator and they were hardly lock-step behind him when Bobby Rush handed him his butt in 2000 and only Rep. Mary Flowers and Monique Bond had the tipes to back Obama. But, that is all history, I guess.
The same progressive journalist(s)d not think that Obama would 'play well in the hood,' when he ran for Senator and they were hardly lock-step behind him when Bobby Rush handed him his butt in 2000 and only Rep. Mary Flowers and Monique Bond had the t(r)ipes to back Obama. But that is all history, I guess.
ReplyDeleteAn exacting ink-slinger,like yourself,suffers fools gladly - I hope.
Tom-
ReplyDeleteShaw's response had to be one word that answered the question, and began with the "shh--" sound.
I knew then that it was either "Sure," or "Surely"--