Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id IAA28392 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Thu, 25 Jan 2001 08:19:57 GMT X-Originating-IP: [209.240.220.231] From: "Scott Chase" <ecphoric@hotmail.com> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: character assassination Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2001 03:17:05 -0500 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Message-ID: <F276Ci6nx8dyDd3OJXs0000414e@hotmail.com> X-OriginalArrivalTime: 25 Jan 2001 08:17:05.0978 (UTC) FILETIME=[3432D1A0:01C086A7] Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>From: <LANDERS123@aol.com>
>Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>Subject: character assassination
>Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 18:29:36 EST
>
>
>Letter ``W'' missing from
>White House keyboards
>By Reuters, 01/23/01
>
>WASHINGTON -- Call it the strange case of the missing Ws. President George
>W. Bush has lost his middle initial from many computer keyboards at the Old
>Executive Office Building in the White House complex.
>
>In an apparent prank carried out by departing Clinton administration
>staffers, Bush aides discovered that dozens of computer keyboards were
>missing the "W" key.
>
>Bush aides said Tuesday that the W was marked out in some cases but often
>the key had been removed -- and sometimes taped on top of doorways -- or
>damaged with the spring broken.
>
>The new team was studying whether any of the keyboards could be salvaged,
>but it appeared in many cases they would simply have to be replaced.
>
>In the West Wing, the computers seemed not to have been vandalized. "I have
>my W," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said.
>
>Bush made a big deal out of his middle initial during campaign rallies,
>often holding up the middle three fingers of his hand to form a W. He is
>often popularly referred to as "Dubya." Bush's middle name is Walker.
>
>He would joke to crowds that if his Democratic presidential rival, Al Gore,
>was so smart, why did every Internet address start with a W. "And not just
>one W -- three Ws!" he would exult.
>
>Bush aides were working to repair or replace the keys.
>
>
>
I could be slow, but it took me a while (a good way through the recent
campaign) to realize what "dubya" meant. When I read the epithet "dubya"
where people were referring to Bush, I didn't immediately grasp that "dubya"
meant "W.". I'm not always the sharpest knife in the drawer.
BTW, everytime I fracture the English language from now on, I will refer to
my blunder as a "Bushism". Aren't there websites devoted to the cataloguing
of Bush's verbal gaffes?
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
===============================================================
This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Jan 25 2001 - 08:21:44 GMT