Wednesday, February 23, 2011

I AM JUST AN ORDINARY CITIZEN WHO RELIES ON THE TIMES CROSSWORD FOR STIMULATION: This is not the site for cogent, well-thought out discussion about recent events in the Middle East. It is, however, the site for hot debate about spelling related to recent events in the Middle East, which leads me to the question--how do you spell the last name of the beleaguered "Leader and Guide of the Revolution" of Libya (seriously, per Wiki, that's his title)? The Daily Caller summarizes various spellings, including "Gaddafi" (BBC and Reuters), "Gadhafi" (CNN, AP, and MSNBC), and "Qaddafi" (NYT). The New York Post uses "Khadafy," so apparently, that's an option too. My head hurts.

Relatedly, best time I ever had in Model UN in college? Being the delegate from Libya in a committee where the topics were "proliferation of weapons of mass destruction" and "the destabilizing effects of religious fundamentalism."

15 comments:

  1. Marsha2:06 PM

    Love the post title. "It's got an H and 2 Ds  and isn't a seven letter word for anything."

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  2. My senior year of Model UN (1990), we were Israel and I was on the committee dealing with the West Bank.  Also was once Morocco on the Human Rights Committee.

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  3. sconstant2:19 PM

    Daily Caller link is wrongity.

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  4. Genevieve2:22 PM

    Was Sorkin right that it's <span>Khaddafi?</span>

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  5. Anonymous2:33 PM

    http://snltranscripts.jt.org/81/81hnews.phtml

    A 29 year old Brian Doyle Murray Weekend Update bit.

    The worst part? I remembered it as Dennis Miller, not Murray.

    --bd

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  6. Joseph J. Finn2:37 PM

    I'm not sure which one that's more insulting to.

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  7. Joseph J. Finn2:39 PM

    The LA Times appears to have been using "Kadafi" since 1969.

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  8. I've been quoting TWW all week. "I'm telling you I have met the man twice...so I think I know how to spell his name."

    People keep looking at me oddly.

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  9. Watts3:12 PM

    I spell it B-E-R-T-C-O-N-V-E-Y

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  10. Benner3:43 PM

    I like the look of Moammar Qaddhafi, which is how the NYRB renders it, and how the WSJ used to.  Apparently, the lunatic himself opts for Moammar El-Gadhafi.  But if we're being really technical, it's Mu'ammar Bala Cynwyd.

    "The exports of Libya are numerous in amount.  One thing they export is corn, or as the Indians call it, maize.  Another famous Indian was Crazy Horse.  In conclusion, Libya is a land of contrasts."

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  11. To whom that's more insulting.  (Oh, wait: can't spoil this week's Rodeo.)<span> </span>

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  12. I'd just clicked through to suggest that SNL had addressed this already.  Nice.

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  13. Joseph J. Finn11:48 PM

    Thought you were referencing A Swiftly Titling Planet, but that's Mad Dog Branzillo.

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  14. Anonymous10:50 AM

    What I meant about "the worst part" was:

    1. I'm OLD enough to remember a 29 year old bit.
    2. I'm PATHETICALLY NERDY enough to have 29 year old SNL bits from one of their crappier seasons loaded into the memory banks.
    3. I'm C.R.S. enough that I could actually think that it was a Dennis Miller bit.

    #3 was the most disconcerting.

    --bd

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  15. Benner12:06 PM

    It's the Simpsons' model UN, where Bart plays K3hdioughiiiiy.

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