Rants and Ramblings: random commentary about culture, media, politics, technology and whatnot.

links for 2008-09-05

• 2008 Presidential Electoral Vote Animation
  Animated map of 2008 Electoral College predictions, June 4 - present.
  (tags: election2008 maps politics)
• Vetting 'Vet' | Slate Magazine
  "Where does the expression 'to vet' come from? It's a figurative contraction of 'veterinarian.' The fancy word for animal doctor originated in the mid-17th century. The colloquial abbreviation dates to the 1860s; the verb form of the word, meaning 'to treat an animal,' came a few decades later — according to the Oxford English Dictionary the earliest known usage is 1891 — and was applied primarily in a horse-racing context. ("He vetted the stallion before the race," "you should vet that horse before he races," etc.) By the early 1900s, 'vet' had begun to be used as a synonym for 'evaluate,' especially in the context of searching for flaws."
  (tags: language politics)