“If you can make a woman laugh, you’re seeing the most beautiful thing on God’s earth.” Who said it? Continue reading
Tag Archives: spanish
Nota Bene #118: VOTE!
“I am not fit for this office and should never have been here.” Who said it? Continue reading
Nota Bene #117: Wake Up!
“Hollywood is so crooked that Mafia gangsters are entirely outclassed and don’t stand a chance. People in Hollywood are smarter. They have more sophisticated knowledge of money and deals and how to steal legally rather than illegally.” Who said it? Continue reading
Nota Bene #115: RIP No. 32
“If you’re really pro-life, do me a favor—don’t lock arms and block medical clinics. If you’re so pro-life, lock arms and block cemeteries.” Who said it? Continue reading
Where great PR and bad journalism collide: the Denver Post strikes again
Once upon a time the Denver Post was a pretty good newspaper. These days? Well, it’s pretty much like every other newspaper. And that isn’t a compliment. On Sunday last (the 21st) we were presented with a front-page, above-the-fold case study in what happens when budget cuts drive too many professionals out of the newsroom and talent that might once have served the public interest in a journalistic role turns to public relations.
Short version: Continue reading
Why I've pressed my daughter to learn Spanish
by JS O’Brien
Barack Obama is currently ducking the incoming from the something-for-nothing right on his assertion that Americans should learn Spanish. To be sure, he also says that immigrants to the US should learn English, as if all those immigrants are sitting at home thinking, “Gee, why should I learn English just so I can stop cleaning hotel rooms for $2 an hour and start earning a six-figure sales income?”
Obama’s assertion that learning a foreign language is a “powerful tool” in the job market is only partly right. It’s a useful skill, certainly, for some jobs, but not necessary for most. Anyone who travels much outside this country is already aware that English is spoken almost everywhere there is a decent educational system. Heck, my clumsy attempts to learn a bit of the local languages when traveling have often been met by hurt feelings. It would seem that many Europeans, at least, feel that Americans trying to speak their language is an indication that we think they’re poorly educated.
The Brits are the worst about this. Continue reading
