More than rules ... language is feeling
The Practical Linguist, Marshall R. Childs, writes about how learning a language requires the incorproation of patterns and "speech-feeling."

Books about words...
The New York Times presents its "annual review of timely tomes about the language."

blackpeopleloveus.com
A very amusing piece of satire. Especially notable were the number of folks in the "letters" section who simply didn't get it. Also, the social question raised in press about this site -- can white people write socially aware satire about race issues without being branded racists?

Another AMC hut to stay open for winter hikers
Great news!

Spanish Subject Pronouns and Cultural Identity
Linguists are studying the way Spanish speakers in New York City use subject pronouns in an effort to probe deeper issues of evolving language and cultural identity. How much can we learn about shifting cultural identity from whether someone is more likely to say nosotros cantamos or simply cantamos? It will be interesting to find out.

Kittery boy, 12, can wear religious T-shirt to school
"A 12-year-old Kittery student is allowed to wear a shirt in school again after a middle school principal had previously sent him home, allegedly calling the shirt 'illegal.'"
Nice. The American Civil Liberties Union in Maine says the principal acted within in his rights, because a religious message could be offensive. What an affront to speech rights. What message couldn't be construed as offensive by someone?

Four hikers caught in second avalanche
Okay ... so they knew the conditions were bad. In fact, they'd been part of a rescue earlier in the weekend. Then they went up again?

Thoughts from a rescued winter hiker
The Telegraph wrote: "Several unnerving thoughts passed through Daniel Cashman’s mind as he sat alone, lost and cold on an unforgiving mountainside. He reflected on his funeral. He wondered whether his wife would discard his coffee cup once he died."
Makes you think.