{"id":5288,"date":"2006-04-28T14:17:31","date_gmt":"2006-04-28T18:17:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/formerlyknownas\/2006\/04\/28\/weve-got-questions\/"},"modified":"2011-08-05T14:53:58","modified_gmt":"2011-08-05T18:53:58","slug":"weve-got-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2006\/04\/28\/weve-got-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"we’ve got questions"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\u00a0In a couple months, millions of Americans will ask the question: <\/font><\/p>\n

“When is the 4th of July?<\/font><\/a><\/em>“. The week, in Mexico and across the <\/font><\/p>\n

United <\/font>States, I wonder who’s asking “When is Cinco de Mayo?<\/em><\/a>‘<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[Last year, f\/k\/a<\/em> <\/font>celebrated<\/font><\/a> on May fourth.]<\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"tiny Why do so many news broadcasters — from <\/font>PBS<\/font><\/a>‘s Jim Lehrer <\/font><\/p>\n

to <\/font>ABC<\/font><\/a>‘s Elizabeth Vargas — end their show by saying “we’ll see <\/em><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

you<\/em> here tomorrow”? Yes, the <\/font><\/font>transitive verb “see”<\/font><\/a> does have <\/font>many<\/font><\/a> <\/font><\/p>\n

meanings, but not one of them is “be watched by you.” Giving <\/font><\/p>\n

the broadcasters the benefit of the doubt, I suppose they might <\/font><\/p>\n

mean “we’ll perceive or visualize you being in our audience.” But, <\/font><\/p>\n

that’s stretching it.<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

\n

<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"microphoneG\"<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

– Prof. Yabut Language Rule of Thumb<\/em>: If you are in the <\/font><\/p>\n

business of communicating with words, try really hard <\/font><\/p>\n

not to take a common word and use it in a way that is <\/font><\/p>\n

the exact opposite of its most common meaning. <\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

– The f\/k\/a<\/em> Gang swears never to use the phrase “we’ll <\/font><\/p>\n

see you here tomorrow.” We might say: “Come back <\/em><\/font><\/p>\n

and let our StatCounter perceive your presence<\/em>.”<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

– Maybe Mark Liberman at Language Log<\/em><\/a> can explain (or,<\/font><\/p>\n

more likely, explain away) this language problem for us. <\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

updates<\/strong> <\/font>(May 1, 2006)<\/font><\/em>: Scroll down to the little microphone at our <\/font><\/p>\n

sunday buffet<\/font><\/a> <\/font>post (April 30, 2006) <\/font>for our response<\/font> to Prof. Mark <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

Liberman’s heroic <\/font><\/font>attempt <\/font>at <\/em><\/font>Language Log<\/em><\/font><\/a> to <\/em><\/font>answer<\/em> our plaintive <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

question about “see <\/font><\/font>you <\/font>here tomorrow.”<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

\n
\n

<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

And, see Mark Kay’s supplemental post<\/a> <\/font>at Language <\/em><\/font>Log<\/em> (May 1, 2006), <\/font><\/p>\n

which focuses on the “here” rather than the “now.” and <\/font>explains that the <\/font><\/p>\n

broadcasters are trying to maintain “the pretense of a face-<\/font>to-face encounter.“<\/em> <\/font><\/p>\n

Prof. Kay<\/font><\/a> (who is an expert in the fascinating field of color naming) concludes: <\/font><\/p>\n

\n

“It seems like a pretty harmless fiction: <\/font>“I’m right there in your living <\/font><\/p>\n

room, so I’m entitled to refer to your living room as ‘here’.”<\/font><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Your Humble Editor must be overplaying the humilty <\/em><\/font>pretense<\/em> around here. <\/font><\/p>\n

I sure hope that readers, including the Language Log<\/em> professors, didn’t <\/font><\/p>\n

come away from my original question above thinking that I wasn’t aware of <\/font><\/p>\n

the pretense and manipulation that were the purpose behind the “harmless <\/font><\/p>\n

fiction” of saying “see you here tomorrow.” My concern is with the resultant <\/font><\/p>\n

deterioration in what I believe should be the primary purpose of non-fictional <\/font><\/p>\n

and non-literary language<\/font>: the <\/font>accurate representation of reality. (Perhaps, <\/font><\/p>\n

my legal <\/font>and consumer-advocacy background <\/font>makes me particularly sensitive <\/font><\/p>\n

to man<\/font>ipulation of words aimed at the public. Haiku’s dedication to what is <\/font><\/p>\n

actually <\/font>being perceived by our senses surely increases that sensitivity.) Enter-<\/font><\/p>\n

tainers, <\/font>such as Mark’s example <\/font>of Hank <\/font>Williams, are expected <\/em>to use pretense <\/font><\/p>\n

in <\/font>creating their product and enticing return customers. Are journalists?<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

\"microphoneN\"<\/font>\u00a0 Why would we want <\/em>to make excuses <\/font>for people who pride themselves on <\/font>being <\/font><\/p>\n

real journalists and presenting <\/font>facts, when they are twisting<\/font> the customary meaning <\/font><\/p>\n

of words, merely to get the viewer to have <\/font>warm fuzzies and return the next night? <\/font><\/p>\n

It is not as if there are no easy, accurate<\/em> alternative phrases that would also create<\/font><\/p>\n

a feeling <\/font>of intimacy or immediacy. Even if there weren’t, this<\/em> member of the news- <\/font><\/p>\n

broadcast <\/font>audience just wants the facts — and<\/em> wants words (especially those that <\/font><\/p>\n

are used frequently) to have reliable meanings. <\/font>As we stated at the top of this blurb: <\/font><\/p>\n

None of the dictionary meanings of the phrase <\/font>“see you” is <\/font>“to <\/font>be seen by you.” <\/font>At <\/font><\/p>\n

least, not yet. <\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

their weblog <\/font>The Blogs Blog<\/font><\/em><\/a>, and compound the error with the tagline – <\/font><\/p>\n

“Blogging the <\/font>Blogs of the web” ? Talk about needing to go hug a toilet <\/font><\/p>\n

bowl.<\/font><\/p>\n

<\/blockquote>\n

\"tiny Despite that quibble, we want to thank the editor at TheBB<\/font><\/em><\/a> <\/font><\/p>\n

for pointing<\/a> to this humble weblog yesterday. However, and <\/font><\/p>\n

despite not wanting to look a <\/font>gift link in the mouth, it was <\/font><\/p>\n

sort of strange for this weblogiverse old-timer to read this <\/font><\/p>\n

post:<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\n

Ethics Blog Surfaces<\/font><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

ethicalESQ<\/font><\/a> is a new blog by David Giacalone, <\/span><\/p>\n

who promises <\/span>a blog with practical treatment of <\/span><\/p>\n

ethics issues.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

We’ve had so many birthdays by weblog standards, that <\/font><\/p>\n

the Gang plans to let our 3rd pass by unmentioned in about <\/font><\/p>\n

four weeks. <\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"fedupski\" Are the participants in today Bloggership Conference<\/font><\/a><\/em> (via <\/font>TaxProf<\/font><\/a>) <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

at <\/font>Harvard <\/font>Law School following the ABA’s very useful guidelines for <\/font><\/p>\n

Participating in a Dialogue<\/font><\/a>? [Aside: 3L Epiphany<\/em><\/a> has an interesting <\/font><\/p>\n

interview <\/font>with Judge <\/span>Richard G. Kopf (U.S. District Judge, Nebraska) on <\/font><\/p>\n

legal weblogs <\/font>as secondary sources of legal authority. via Inside Opinion<\/font><\/em><\/a>)<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"tiny Why did <\/font>someone Google<\/font><\/a> <\/font>Elle Woods and cinematic role of women <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

lawyers<\/em>>? And, was the first result — our post<\/a> discussing the article <\/font><\/p>\n

“<\/font>Court TV’s 15 Most Memorable Movie Lawyers<\/font><\/span><\/a>” (Hollywood Heat<\/em>, by <\/font><\/p>\n

Daniel Green, May 12, 2005), at all helpful?<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\"tiny When will we get a movie with a female law professor <\/font><\/p>\n

protagonist? How about a female law professor-weblogger?<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

“questionDudeS” How much clout does Blawg Review<\/a><\/em> have in the world of legal <\/font><\/p>\n

weblogs? So many people link to each new edition of Blawg Review, that it <\/font><\/p>\n

appears The Blawg Republic<\/a><\/em> had to reverse its policy of ignoring f\/k\/a<\/em> links, <\/font><\/p>\n

as of the day we hosted <\/font>Blawg Review #52<\/font><\/a>. <\/font><\/font>Here are the facts:<\/font><\/p>\n

\nAs explained on May, 24, 2005, in “<\/font>free speech in the Blawg Republic<\/em><\/font><\/a>,” <\/font>
\nBR had stopped listing new f\/k\/a<\/em> posts on Feb. 11, 2005, the day after <\/font><\/font>
\nI left a Comment at Bob <\/font>Ambrogi’s<\/font><\/a> website questioning the usefulness <\/font><\/font>
\nof their service. Then, shortly after I wrote the “free speech” piece, all<\/em> <\/font>
\nof the links to f\/k\/a<\/em> postings were removed from the <\/font>Blawg Republic<\/em> <\/font><\/font>
\nLegal <\/font><\/font>Ethics page, and only the actual name of the weblog <\/font><\/font>and <\/font>its tagline <\/font><\/font>
\nremained. <\/font><\/font>However, I hosted Blawg Review<\/em> #52 on April 10, 2006, and <\/font><\/font>
\ndozens of weblogs <\/font><\/font>pointed to #52 and f\/k\/a<\/em>. The next day, the Blawg <\/em><\/font><\/font>
\nReview<\/em> editor wrote me to <\/font><\/font>say he noticed that the Blawg Republic<\/em> <\/font><\/font>started <\/font><\/font>
\npicking up my posts<\/font><\/a> again on <\/font>April 11, 2006. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n[Yes, it is very hard to write <\/font>about BR<\/font><\/a><\/em> and BR<\/font><\/a><\/em><\/font> and<\/font> not get the <\/font>
\nnames mixed up. In this post, I have <\/font>only used the initials “BR” <\/font>
\nto refer to Blawg Republic<\/em> — I think.]<\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I hope mature heads at BR<\/em> <\/font>decided a little constructive criticism is a <\/font>
\nfairly <\/font>stupid reason to ostracize a <\/font>weblog. We’ll see. Mean<\/font>while f\/k\/a<\/em> <\/font>
\nis the only weblog listed on Blawg Republic<\/font><\/em>‘s <\/font>Legal Ethics<\/font><\/a> page<\/font> that <\/font>
\nhas posted <\/font>in many weeks. And, it’s nice to see that we can still pretty <\/font>
\nmuch fill up its Top Blawg Posts<\/a> page just by pointing other weblogs. <\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"honest\" <\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Last question<\/strong>:<\/em> Why have we waited so long to thank everyone <\/font><\/p>\n

who said such nice things about BR#52<\/em> and f\/k\/a in general? We have <\/font><\/p>\n

no good excuse — not even a note from our doctor (and believe me, Mama <\/font><\/p>\n

Giacalone raised us all to be <\/font>more polite). Here’s an official Very Big Hug <\/font><\/p>\n

and Thankyou to all those who pointed to Blawg Review<\/em> #52! Special thanks <\/font><\/p>\n

go out to JD Hull at What About Clients?<\/em><\/a> On days when making a weblog <\/font><\/p>\n

seems too much of an effort, I shall click on <\/font>this post from WAC?<\/em><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/a> and keep<\/font><\/p>\n

on typing, with a smile. <\/font><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

<\/blockquote>\n

update<\/font> question<\/strong><\/em> (April 29, 2006): Why are so many people so upset about <\/font><\/p>\n

a Spanish version of our National Anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner? <\/font>Eric <\/font><\/p>\n

Bakovic at Language Log<\/em><\/a> has a very interesting discussion of the “value” of <\/font><\/p>\n

singing the new Spanish version, “Nuestro Himno<\/font><\/a>” (“Our Anthem”). Eric <\/font><\/p>\n

presents translations, and analyses of quotes from dissenters like G.W. Bush <\/font><\/p>\n

and Francis Scott Key’s great-great-grandson George Key. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

<\/blockquote>\n
\n
<\/blockquote>\n

more<\/em><\/strong>: Ben Zimmer at Language Log<\/font><\/em><\/a> adds an interesting twist<\/font><\/p>\n

to this story. Using a better source than Washington Post<\/a><\/em>‘s <\/font><\/p>\n

David Montgomery, Ben says: <\/font><\/p>\n

\n

“I don’t know which ‘musicologists’ Montgomery consulted, <\/font><\/p>\n

but Wikipedians have had better luck finding other foreign-<\/font><\/p>\n

language versions of the anthem. So far contributors to the <\/font><\/p>\n

Wikipedia page for “<\/font><\/font>Nuestro Himno<\/font><\/a>” have turned up examples <\/font><\/p>\n

in German, Yiddish, Samoan, French, and Latin. Not only that, <\/font><\/p>\n

they discovered a number of other Spanish versions reproduced <\/font><\/p>\n

on the website of the <\/font>U.S. State Department<\/font><\/a>.<\/font> (Will this page be <\/font><\/p>\n

removed now that President Bush has declared that the anthem <\/font><\/p>\n

“ought to be sung in English”?)<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n
<\/blockquote>\n
<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"tiny <\/em><\/font>(5 PM): As promised, poetry from our ever-questioning, <\/font><\/p>\n

always-insightful Honored Guest Pamela Miller Ness<\/a>:<\/font><\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Beach picnic<\/font>
\nsharing our bread<\/font>
\nwith the one-eyed gull<\/font><\/p>\n

\n
\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Landing on the lintel<\/font><\/p>\n

a pigeon and its shadow<\/font><\/p>\n

become one<\/font><\/p>\n

<\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

after her death<\/font><\/p>\n

composing roses<\/font><\/p>\n

instead of words<\/font><\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Packing
\nMother’s library
\nI tuck
\nthe ribbon I gave her
\ninto a new book.<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

– from unrolling the awning<\/em>, (Grand<\/font><\/font> Central<\/font><\/font> Station Tanka Cafe, 2003)<\/font><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

\n

Alzheimer’s ward<\/font>
\nagain father counts<\/font>
\nthe afghan squares<\/font><\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

\n

\n

\n

\n

<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

\n

\n

\n

Pamela Miller Ness<\/font><\/a> <\/font><\/p>\n

“beach picnic” & “landing” from her sequence “A Flutter of Wings<\/em>“<\/font><\/p>\n

“after her death from “where the lily was,” a haiku sequence (2003)<\/font><\/p>\n

“alzheimer’s ward” – bottle rockets<\/em> II:1; <\/font>A New Resonance 2<\/em><\/font><\/a>
\n“packing” – tanka from <\/font>Simply Haiku<\/font><\/em><\/a> (Vol. 2: 3)<\/font><\/p>\n

\n
\n

\n

\n

\n

<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"pinataG\"<\/font><\/p>\n

\n
\n

 <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0In a couple months, millions of Americans will ask the question: “When is the 4th of July?“. The week, in Mexico and across the United States, I wonder who’s asking “When is Cinco de Mayo?‘   [Last year, f\/k\/a celebrated on May fourth.] Why do so many news broadcasters — from PBS‘s Jim Lehrer to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2926],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5288","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pre-06-2006"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6kP1R-1ni","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5288","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/94"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5288"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5288\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12668,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5288\/revisions\/12668"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5288"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5288"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5288"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

\"questionDudeSN\" After all <\/font>our preaching<\/font><\/a>, why oh why, would anyone name <\/font><\/p>\n