What’s in a name? Linguist Amy Perfors can give you an idea:
Men with “front vowels” in their names — sounds formed at the front of the mouth like the “a” in Matt — were considered sexier than men with “back vowel” sounds like the “au” in Paul, she concluded.
Not sure I agree with her analysis, which is presumably based on prior work that isn’t cited:
Perfors said front vowels are often perceived as “smaller” than back vowels, so the difference could be a sign that women are seeking men that are sensitive or gentle, traits usually perceived as feminine.
I don’t know, I don’t think of Matt as being a more feminine name than Paul. Do you?
The cure for what ails me. Yes, that’s right; scientists have discovered a possible cure for procrastination. (Now I just have to wonder: do I really want to be a workaholic? Meh…I’ll think about it later.)
Colin Powell, the cat, will meet on Friday with Colin Powell, the secretary of state. This is very important.
Colin Powell, the secretary of state, has agreed to a meeting in the State Department’s Treaty Room on the seventh floor — for pictures, not dialogue.
The room has served lofty purposes through history, including the signing of important treaties.
…hence the name “Treaty Room”. Duh. :P
Where our nation is headed. Someday, we will all be grafted to our couches, defecating on ourselves until we die horrible deaths. Thanks to Matt for alerting me to this lovely story, and to BoingBoing for the link to the expanded article.
And finally, people going to PAX are so lucky. Look at this awesome Spider-Man toy they get. Assholes!
