W O RDS
Purposefully singular “Romney and Clinton came of age during a time of an active military draft; both used a completely legal military deferment to purposefully avoid military service. … Obama came of age in a time of no active draft, thus he was free to choose – he chose public service versus a military career, but did not employ any tactic to purposefully avoid military service.” Though similar, purposely and purposefully are not entirely synonymous. The distinction is worth preserving, I think. (Full disclosure compels the admission that my opinion in these matters is not always highly regarded. Some people seem purposefully indifferent.) Purposely means “on purpose; deliberately,” and in the newspaper item above, I think that’s what was intended. Clinton and Romney deliberately avoided military service. Obama didn’t have to. Purposefully means “with conscious purpose; in a highly deliberate manner”: “Pryor purposefully strode across the chamber to confront McConnell.” Purposely used to be more common, but for some reason, purposefully has gained in popularity. I see it frequently where purposely would be a better fit. A similar thing is happening with single and singular. Singular once was used
almost exclusively to mean “exceptional; odd,” while single meant “sole; individual.” Now singular seems DOUG to be crowding SMITH dougsmith@arktimes.com single out: “Ask Attorney General Dustin McDaniel about extra money. The other day he announced the state’s part of another big national legal settlement. Then he presumed, as ever, to decide singularly where those millions will go.” McDaniel’s decision may have been an odd one, but I think the writer meant that he acted alone. “Both the secretary of state and the attorney for the amendment’s sponsors told the court that it all came down to how detailed of a look the office should take when it performs a prima facie review of submitted signatures.” The unnecessary of is a kind of down-home way of expressing oneself. How detailed a look would be sufficient. Still, the way the Razorbacks’ season is going, I expect we’ll be hearing How bad of a loss was it quite a lot. These are the times that try men’s usage.
WEEK THAT WAS
It was a good week for…
29 ANNUAL FISH FR Y TH
fun, friends & fish
THE 29TH ANNUAL FISH FRY TO BENEFIT CAMP ALDERSGATE Join us for a SUNDAY afternoon of fun, family fellowship and tasty fish with all the fixings! Be at 2000 Aldersgate Road in Little Rock from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 7. Free shuttle will be available from the parking lot of Baptist Medical Eye Center. Drive-Thru meals can be picked up at the corner of Kanis and Aldersgate roads.
FLAT RATE
$15
KIDS 6 & UNDER
FREE
DRIVE THRU
$15
PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE AT WWW.CAMPALDERSGATE.NET FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 501.225.1444 OR VISIT WWW. FACEBOOK.COM/CAMPALDERSGATEAR 10
OCTOBER 3, 2012
ARKANSAS TIMES
GOV. MIKE BEEBE He responded forcefully to a Kochfinanced Americans for Prosperity television advertisement that depicts Arkansas — with its constitutionally mandated balanced budget — as wallowing in debt and performing poorly economically, saying, “When they trash Arkansas, they’re trashing you,” and later devoting his weekly radio address to a point by point refutation of the ad. THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA MEASURE The Arkansas Supreme Court denied a petition to block a vote on the initiative to allow medical use of marijuana in Arkansas. The complaint was brought by the Coalition to Preserve Arkansas Values and included Jerry Cox, leader of the Arkansas branch of the rightwing fundamentalist Family Council, and Larry Page, longtime leader of the church-backed Arkansas Faith and Ethics Council. The court’s decision clears the way for a vote on medical marijuana in Arkansas on Nov. 6.
It was a bad week for… WOULD-BE COMMUTING FRESHMAN AT UALR The university announced that next fall first-time enter-
ing freshman will be required to live in campus housing and take a meal plan. ARKANSAS, ABROAD Gregory Nelson of Fayetteville, with an Arkansas flag decal sewn on his vest, drew headlines in New York for saying he punched an Iranian official in the stomach during an anti-Iran demonstration in the city after a speech by Iran’s president to the UN. THE ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS Should we reserve a semi-permanent place for the hapless Hogs? The nightmare continued this week with the football Razorbacks falling to 1-4 with a loss to Texas A&M 58 to 10. FAULKNER COUNTY AUTHORITIES Former Faulkner County Prosecutor Marcus Vaden authorized the $11,800 purchase of a Barrett M107 .50-caliber BMG sniper rifle in 2008. It was given to Faulkner County Administrator Jeff Johnston, according to ATF agents. The rifle was never used for law enforcement purposes, but according to a case file, Johnston said he and a friend once fired the weapon while intoxicated. No criminal violations are alleged. Really bad judgment is another matter.