sabotage (n.)

1910, from Fr. sabotage, from saboter “to sabotage, bungle,” lit. “walk noisily,” from sabot “wooden shoe” (13c.), altered (by association with O. Fr. bot “boot”) from M. Fr. savate “old shoe,” from an unidentified source that also produced similar words in O. Prov., Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Arabic and Basque. In French, the sense of “deliberately … More sabotage (n.)

Notes and Fragments (On Capitalism and Gender, Perhaps)

1. On the idea that what is professional and also healthy is to act in individualistic, self protective ways: to what economic and other models does this supposition correspond? 2. It appears to me to be neither healthy nor supportive of the profession. 3. I say that, of course, because I’m a union man and … More Notes and Fragments (On Capitalism and Gender, Perhaps)

Rosemary Geisdorfer Feal

The President of the Modern Language Association wrote a good letter on the situation of foreign languages in general and at SUNY-Albany in particular. It is on pp. 4-5 of the Winter 2010 MLA Newsletter, and it has a bibliography including Catherine Porter’s “Presidential Address: English Is Not Enough” (PMLA 125.3 [2010]: 546-55), which I … More Rosemary Geisdorfer Feal

Gregory Petsko

He is excellent. Read his open letter to George M Philip, President of the State University of New York At Albany. • The best way for people to be prepared for the inevitable shock of change is to be as broadly educated as possible, because today’s backwater is often tomorrow’s hot field. And interdisciplinary research, … More Gregory Petsko

Autumn

I am hardly writing here, because I am writing a novel. I have sent pieces of it to Boulevard, Evergreen Review, Narrative, and Southwestern Review. You can see I am serious. One of our major programs is being cut. That means dismissal of all faculty including tenured faculty. Notice was given Monday. I am looking … More Autumn