I am a passionate entrepreneur, digital strategist, social scientist and farmhand / vineyard cultivator.
6 Jan
Today’s 5 words/short phrases:
As most of you know, I love words, nuanced meanings of things, and Latin. As 2008 continues to unfold (Day 5, feeling on top of things *does a few Rocky punches in the air*), I would like to make this a special feature of my blog in an effort to edify, codify, learn and share. Additionally, Jesse’s parents gifted me a wonderful book on words/language for Christmas, which is also fueling this effort… the book is called Biting the Wax Tadpole* … there is a title explanation below.
The words/short phrases will come from anything and everything: articles I read, all-time favorites, result of random clicking through Wikipedia, m-w.com, BTWT book, tips from my readers/friends, etc. And, when/wherever possible, I will provide the etiology and etymology of the word(s) I share. For example:
ETIOLOGY (mostly from Merriam Webster’s, with a little Leslie flave at the end…)
1: cause origin; specifically : the cause of a disease or abnormal condition
2: a branch of knowledge concerned with causes; specifically : a branch of medical science concerned with the causes and origins of diseases
3: (LESLIE FLAVE) “The root, the meaning, the origin, the beginning. Why something is the way it is.”
ETYMOLOGY (an even better fit for the “study of words”)
1 : the history of a linguistic form (as a word) shown by tracing its development since its earliest recorded occurrence in the language where it is found, by tracing its transmission from one language to another, by analyzing it into its component parts, by identifying its cognates in other languages, or by tracing it and its cognates to a common ancestral form in an ancestral language
2 : a branch of linguistics concerned with etymologies
I will also add in little grammar tid-bits whenever I can (as they relate to words/short phrases) — not that I am anything close to perfect in this category, but there are a few common mistakes and tips that I would love to share with my readers.
The next two words come from/are inspired by a great post over at Alaskan Librarian via what appears to be inspiration from Uncontrolled Vocabulary (two of the many sites that I hope to check back in on/learn from as this process evolves)
BEACON LEVEL ERROR:
“LIKE THE MCLAUGHLIN GROUP*”
*I have seen this simile used time and time again… and as someone who used to work on the show, I think it is spot-on. It is a great show and I am glad that people reference it, one way or another.
BITE THE WAX TADPOLE
What are your favorite words? Hit me with them here: leslieann44 [at] gmail [dot] com
7 Oct

(some of my fav shots… pun intended)
This weekend on the McLaughlin Group, I helped develop a piece on Vladimir Putin and his Machiavellian ”chess moves” to guarantee [continued] political power in Russia.Â
So what exactly is going on? Let’s re-cap:

I will post the full portion from the transcript as soon as it is available, but for now, I wanted to post a link and excerpt from a fellow blogger that captured the discussion quite aptly. A shout out to “Write No Evil” for his entry entitled: Machiavelli on the Volga.
McLaughlin framed the debate on Putin thus: “Is Putin good for Russia?” Caroline Daniels[LB: actually, WNE, it was the other FT honey, Chrystia Freedland]put up a bit of defense for the negative position, but everyone else, even the supposedly liberal Eleanor Clift, sang the praises of proto-czar. Pat Buchanan and Tom Blankley spoke like good Kremlin officials, lauding Putin for preserving stability and fostering prosperity. An especially effective piece of rhetoric was the constant repetition of Putin’s high approval ratings-”In the 70s!” McLaughlin intoned like Homer giving an encomium for Achilles. If the people support him, he must have democratic credibility. Putin’s authoritarianism was brushed aside with sophistic moral equivalences: how can we censure him for setting up a one-man dynasty when Hillary might be our next president? This dubious statement was made by Eleanor Clift, who was so adamant a supporter of the Clintons in the 90s she was referred to as “Eleanor Rodham Clifton” by the other panelists. Buchanan followed his typical paleo-conservative line, questioning why we should have a hand in others’ affairs, particularly as Russia could be a valuable ally in the war on Islamic fundamentalism.
28 Aug
Issue three: Pandas-schmandas

DR. MCLAUGHLIN: They’re cute, they’re cuddly, but they’re killers and they’re costly. Ten million dollars is what the Washington Zoo has forked over to China for Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, the new Giant Panda couple now in residence. That $10 million will keep the pandas in the zoo on loan for the next 10 years. But the $10 million doesn’t cover the costs of the 20 video cameras that monitor the pandas 24 hours a day, or the zoo keepers or zoo scientists employed for upkeep, or their high-tech housing and substantial feeding costs. Get this — both pandas eat up 110 pounds of bamboo daily.
Wait a minute, say zoo officials, those costs are offset by the number of extra visitors the pandas attract, which visitors will buy additional food, drinks and souvenirs. Also, zoo officials hope the couple will have a baby. But any baby panda will be the property of China, so no offset there.
Question: Do these pandas belong in captivity?
I ask you, Tony.
MR. BLANKLEY: Yes. I think they’re wonderful. (Laughter.) A mere half million dollars per pair —
MR. MCLAUGHLIN: How many cats do you have?
MR. BLANKLEY: We have about 10 cats — (inaudible) — (laughter). I’d love to have a couple of pandas.
MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Wrong panelist!
MR. BLANKLEY: They’re wonderful animals, and millions of people are going to enjoy looking at them. And I –
MR. MCLAUGHLIN: They are wild creatures. They are not domestic pets.
MR. BLANKLEY: Well of course. That’s why they’re in the zoo rather than my backyard.
MS. CLIFT: Right! (Laughter.)
MR. BLANKLEY: But I think people will enjoy them. I plan to go there with the family and take a look at them.
MR. MCLAUGHLIN: If they were not in captivity, they would reproduce better, true or false?
MR. BLANKLEY: They don’t do terribly well outside either, do they?
MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Do you think that this panda craze will breed a panda cosmetic, where people will adopt black around the eye? (Laughter.) Do you know what I mean?
MR. KUDLOW: I think there’s some panda-monium possible out of this, but I don’t know about cosmetics. But the pandas are from China, John, is that correct?
MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Yes, indeed.
MR. KUDLOW: Well, that leads me to suggest also that an important story here is that the economy of China is growing 10 times faster than the economy of Japan and, therefore, China is the wave of the future in the PAC Rim, pandas or not.
MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Where do you think that $10 million is going in China? Don’t you think that’s going to line some Chinese officials’ pockets?
MR. KUDLOW: No, it’s probably going into new technology investment as they liberalize their economy.
MR. MCLAUGHLIN: You know that that zoo is under the control of the Smithsonian. Do you think that James Smithson, the founder of the Smithsonian — (laughter) — would approve of this, or would he think it belongs more in Barnum & Bailey?
MR. PAGE: (Laughing) John, I admire your courage to get to the bottom of this panda story at a time when — in the midst of this atmosphere of good feeling to even be in any way critical on this exchange.
MR. MCLAUGHLIN: I’ve been thinking about something when we started this segment and we didn’t finish it in the other one. Do you think that the racist charge against John Ashcroft is a bum rap or a fair rap?
MR. PAGE: I think the racism charge is a red herring in itself that the media and the Republican spin doctors have been blowing up. The other question is duplicitousness in the way he handled Judge White’s case during the debate on Capitol Hill. That gets more to the point of how capable he’ll be as attorney general.
MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Well is he not more opposed to liberal judges than he is to black judges?
MR. KUDLOW: Right.
MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Is that –
MS. CLIFT: Well, I want to know what his position is on the pandas.
MR. BLANKLEY: Yeah!
MS. CLIFT: I mean, let’s stick with the topic we started out here.
(Laughter.)
MR. MCLAUGHLIN: I would think that since he rides a motorcycle and he sings with those fellow senators, that there’s a soft side to him. He probably feels like you — soft on pandas.
MR. BLANKLEY: Soft on pandas, I would say, yes.
END
13 Aug
At The McLaughlin Group, when we have a lot of issues we want to make sure and cover in a short amount of time, we do what is called a Potpourri. In that spirit, when I have a lot on my plate and mind, I will do what I have decided to call a “Lespourri.”
ITEM: Now You Know Media has launched their blog! This is a great company whose quality products are only outdone by their admirable mission and solid company leadership. Full disclosure: The CEO is a fellow University of Chicago alumnus and I have had the honor and privilege to work with him on this and other projects. Great resources on everything from Personal Finance, to Health, to Religion, to Wine, to New Parenting. In the age of the long commute and the multi-tasking workforce, listening to their audio products is a super solution!

ITEM: The McLaughlin Group transcript for the weekend has been posted. Check it out here. Great insight on the economy, Iran/Iraq, and even the battle over the sea floor below the North Pole. Two of the four issues are viewable now (video here), the rest will be up on the McLaughlin Group main website on Wednesday.

ITEM: I was stung by a bee on Sunday night. By Monday, it has become increasingly swollen and tingly/painful. I can’t remember the last time I was stung by a bee… maybe I was, like, 7 years old?
ITEM: Protesters get excited in Jackson, WY. Cheney is in town and they want to communicate their displeasure with his role in the Iraq war and generally, his elusive governing. Why do I care? Full disclosure: My parents live in Jackson AND my dad is the GM at the golf course where this is all going down. I hope they are okay. Small world.
13 Aug
Another classic. Enjoy.
13 Aug
This is a classic SNL that focuses on Pat Buchanan’s fledgling presidential campaign. To his credit, Pat has been a strong and loyal warrior for TMG over the years… and to this day. This SNL spoof is, of course, “all in good fun.”Â
6 Aug
Many thanks to CSPANJUNKIEdotORG on YouTube for posting some of the show this week. And apologies to TMG fans for having our video posted so late. We are working on it!!
McLaughlin.com 2.0 will be rolling out in the coming months. Stay tuned on the show, on our site (www.mclaughlin.com), and here too, more details to come!
The McLaughlin Group for the weekend of August 3, 2007
ISSUE 1: Infrastructure Crackup
The Group examines the need for $1.6 trillion dollars to rebuild our great nation and where the money is going currently (e.g., Iraq War, arms “deals” in the Middle East, etc.)
ISSUE 2: US Economic Pulse
Guest panelist Maria Bartiromo (CNBC) fields key questions about the state of the US economy and the implications these data points have on a global scale.
ISSUE 3: General Obama’s Strike Plan
Obama continues to make green statements in public, Hillary is steadfast in her diplomatic sagacity. Who gains and who loses? Listen in.
ISSUE 4: Presidential Pulse
NBC/WSJ Polls - Democrats only
Predictions - Who lost the week?
John McLaughlin: Obama
Eleanor Clift: People of St. Paul, MN
Pat Buchanan: Edwards & Obama
Tony Blankley: Obama & Edwards
Maria Bartiromo: Investors