Just Published: 5th Edition of The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language

Yes, the "celebrated" Usage Panel has been retained.

A Dictionary Updated, and a Campaign to Spread the Word. (The New York Times, 11/1/2011)

The Merriam-Webster and American Heritage dictionaries are the last two "prestige" brands still duking it out after all these years.  Here's a slide from a PowerPoint presentation I developed a few years ago.

The New York Public Library's Bertha Franklin Feder Award Program

Speaking Up to Honor the Quiet Work of Librarians. (The New York Times, 11/2/2011)

Excerpt:     The idea for the gift came from Vartan Gregorian in 1988, when he was president of the library. At that time Ruth and Arthur Feder wanted to honor Mr. Feder’s mother. He was a retired lawyer and his wife had been volunteering at the library.

Mr. Feder said his mother “loved libraries and started one for the retirement complex where she lived in Florida.” He recalled: “We asked Vartan what we could do and he said, ‘Would you consider doing something for the librarians? They manage libraries and shape the collections. They are very dedicated, but they are underpaid.’ ”

The Feders liked the idea. Mr. Feder, a former tax lawyer, brought a bit of his expertise to the gift, by seeking to have it structured so it would include enough money to cover the taxes, which would enable the recipient to keep the full amount.

From that concept came a program to honor librarianship, according to Anne Coriston, vice president for public service at the New York Public Library. Since then, the awards have been celebrated annually at a tea with the president of the library, the Feders and other guests.

Sports Commentary with All the Insight of a Yo Mama Joke

Talking Trash, Just to Be Heard.  (The New York Times, 11/2/2011)

Excerpt: The increasingly strident criticism parallels a trend toward louder, less congenial public debate on just about every topic, from politics to fashion.

“The volume factor on all opinion has increased,” said Gregg Easterbrook, an author and ESPN columnist. With dozens of talk shows and hundreds of hours of sports programming on television and radio each week, broadcasters are clamoring for attention. Gentle, soft-spoken remarks will probably be shouted down. “To make opinion more noticeable, you have to make it outrageous,” Easterbrook said.