Oh, I wish I could laugh. I'm afraid though when Rumsfeld
is on television that he always sounds like this to me. Is
the foot ever out of his mouth? it's always mumbling
mastication, language as the befuddlement of thought.
Best,
Rebecca
Rebecca Seiferle
www.thedrunkenboat.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Douglas Barbour <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Dec 2, 2003 8:35 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: "Sonnet: Success"
More laughter from poetry Hal, thank you. Which allows me to bring you this
piece of important news, remembering that Rumsfeld's 'verses' have been
collected & published, so I think it fits here.
Doug
>Rumsfeld Ramble Wins 'Foot in Mouth' Award
>Mon December 1, 2003
>
>LONDON (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's curious statement at
>a press briefing was named on Monday as the year's most baffling comment by
>a public figure.
>
>Rumsfeld, usually renowned for his uncompromising tough talking, was awarded
>the "Foot in Mouth" award for a confusing message which probably left his
>audience in the dark as to its meaning, Britain's Plain English Campaign
>said.
>
>"Reports that say something hasn't happened are interesting to me, because
>as we know, there are known unknowns; there things we know we know,"
>Rumsfeld told the briefing.
>
>"We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are
>some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones
>we don't know we don't know."
>
>John Lister, spokesman for the campaign which strives to have public
>information delivered in clear, straightforward English, said: "We think we
>know what he means. But we don't know if we really know."
>
>Rumsfeld, whose boss President Bush is often singled out by language critics
>for his sometimes unusual use of English, took the booby prize ahead of a
>bizarre effort from actor-turned politician Arnold Schwarzenegger.
>
>"I think that gay marriage is something that should be between a man and a
>woman," was the odd statement from the new California Governor.
>
>Previous holders of the award include U.S. actress Alicia Silverstone and
>British chancellor Gordon Brown. Last year's winner was actor Richard Gere.
>
Douglas Barbour
Department of English
University of Alberta
Edmonton Alberta Canada T6G 2E5
(h) [780] 436 3320 (b) [780] 492 0521
http://www.ualberta.ca/~dbarbour/dbhome.htm
I do not limit myself: I imitate
many fancy things such as the dull red
cloth of literature, its mumbled griefs
Lisa Robertson
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