I’m going to get a lot of disappointed visitors for this one.

Three citizens of the Greek island of Lesbos (also spelt Lesvos) are suing a Greek organization named “Homosexual and Lesbian Community of Greece” over the use of the word “Lesbian” in the organization’s name. The islanders claim that their geographical demonym (“Lesbian”) has been unjustly co-opted by the organization to their detriment. They want the Greek government to prohibit the organization from using the term “Lesbian” in its name.

There is international precedent for the islanders’ claim. Terms like champagne, chianti, and Roquefort are restricted by laws in various countries to products originating from specific geographic areas. Apparently the islanders are arguing that the same principles should apply to people from specific geographic areas as well.

Lambrou[, one of the plaintiff islanders,] said the word lesbian has only been linked with gay women in the past few decades. “But we have been Lesbians for thousands of years[.]“

Of course, Lambrou is wrong on both counts – “Lesbian” referring to female homosexuality is attested from 1890, and referring specifically to homosexual females from 1925 – much longer than a “few decades.” And “Lesbian” referring to the islanders of Lesbos is attested (in English) from 1601 – nowhere near “thousands of years.”

The suit asserts that the confusion arises in English, not in Greek. There are different Greek words for “person from Lesbos” and “homosexual female” in Greek. Incidentally, neither are “lesbian,” or even pronounced like it. In Greek, a man from Lesbos is Λέσβιος (pronounced lesvios) and a woman from Lesbos is Λέσβια (pronounced lesvia). The Greek word for a homosexual female is ομοφυλόφιλη (omophilophili) or λεσβιάδα (lesviada).

(In modern Greek, β (beta) is a voiced labiodental fricative, like the English letter v.)

Linguistics aside, the suit is silly and whiny. I don’t know Greek law, but under any sane legal system, Plaintiffs would lose.

I’m sure there are other demonyms out there that have developed meanings other than a reference to the people of a specific place, but the only other example I can think of right now is spartan, meaning something or someone characterized by simplicity, frugality, courage, or brevity of speech, through a similar etymological pathway as lesbian. What other demonyms have developed non-demonymous meanings? Post any you can think of in the comments.

Remember when you worked at that company? And they made you watch those cheesy industrial videos about sexual harassment in the workplace? You know, the one you slept through because it was so awful? Did you ever wonder why they’re so awful? Because the producers realize their target audience is an uninterested but captive one, so they try to overcompensate for the general lack of enthusiasm for these things. They are uniformly heinous, but some are more heinous than others.

Here’s one touting Microsoft’s SP1 for Vista:

If you have any awful industrial videos, send them to the Chamberlain [Email address: chamberlain asperandwopsr.net ] or post them in the comments.

Some movies just aren’t available in any other format. I once had a roommate who had a large collection of movies on laserdisc that were either unavailable on DVD or were otherwise greatly superior to the DVD versions. Among them was The Cheap Detective, written by Neil Simon and starring Peter Falk, Madeline Kahn, Eileen Brennan, Stockard Channing, Sid Ceasar, Dom DeLuise, Abe Vigoda, and a half-score of others in a WWII detective spoof. It is one of those comedies, for which Simon had a penchant, that was able to pull off absurdity without devolving into farce. I actually like it better than its more-popular predecessor, Murder by Death.

Anyways, The Cheap Detective was filmed with an aspect ratio of 2.39:1. But it was only ever released on VHS in pan-and-scan, which chops off over 44% of the picture area. The currently-in-production DVD available in the US is also a pan-and-scan copy. The film was only ever released on video in its full width on Laserdisc, in 1995.

Unfortunately for me, I no longer have that roommate. So I no longer have that Laserdisc copy of The Cheap Detective.

Allegedly, Amazon.ca sells a hybrid disc with both a pan-and-scan and a widescreen transfer. I don’t know why this is only sold in Canada. As it stands, the 1995 Laserdisc release is the only complete copy of the film ever published in the US home video market.

I was going to buy the Canadian disc until I found out that the shipping from Canada costs more than the disc itself. I have a birthday coming up here pretty soon, so if anyone is looking for an inexpensive (under $20USD) gift that I would really, really appreciate… well, nudge nudge wink wink.

Illinois State Representative Monique Davis said some nasty things to atheist activist and Green Party candidate for State Representative for the 53rd District of Illinois Rob Sherman during an Illinois State Government Administration Committee hearing, to which the latter had been called to testify on the propriety of the Governor’s proposed plan to give $1M of the taxpayers’ money to the Pilgrim Baptist Church for restoration and preservation.

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Partial transcript, borrowed from Eugene Volokh:

…

Davis: … What you have to spew and spread is extremely dangerous, it’s dangerous–

Sherman: What’s dangerous, ma’am?

Davis: It’s dangerous to the progression of this state. And it’s dangerous for our children to even know that your philosophy exists! Now you will go to court to fight kids to have the opportunity to be quiet for a minute. But damn if you’ll go to [court] to fight for them to keep guns out of their hands. I am fed up! Get out of that seat!

Sherman: Thank you for sharing your perspective with me, and I’m sure that if this matter does go to court—

Davis: You have no right to be here! We believe in something. You believe in destroying! You believe in destroying what this state was built upon.

…

I for one have no problem with one person telling another that such and so a philosophy is dangerous. I do it all the time. But Davis is a government official, presiding over a government hearing, telling a witness that he may no longer testify because she has deemed, without due process, that nothing he might have to say should be permitted.

Sherman is a Green Party candidate, so I’m sure there are parts of his philosophy (including fundamental metaphysical and epistemological premises) which can rightly be considered “dangerous.” His campaign platform is a blend of libertarianism and environmental fascism typical of his party. Atheism is very surely a “dangerous” philosophy if one is a Christian, and I’m sure Davis feels very threatened by it. But neither her subjective opinion, nor the incorrectness of that opinion, is the real cause for distress here.

The problem here is that a government official, in her official capacity, tried to eject a witness from an official legislative hearing without due process or probable cause. As you can hear from the clip, Sherman did not leave the stand and continued his testimony. Nonetheless, Davis is a prime example of what happens when religious politicians fail to respect the rule of law.

Update: Not so much an update as an addendum. At common law, atheists were disqualified from testifying in court because the oath (to God, on the Bible) to tell the truth would have no meaning for them and would therefore fail to put them in meaningful fear of the consequences of untruthfulness on the stand. Such disqualification is no longer constitutional, and the Federal Rules of Evidence, enacted by Congress and used in all Federal courts and many State courts by adoption, expressly disallow disqualification of witnesses on religious grounds. Nonetheless, many State constitutions still contain inoperative clauses disqualifying atheists from giving evidence in court. Of course, none of this is relevant, as this incident occurred in a legislative hearing, which is not the same as a trial in court, but I thought someone might find it interesting.

…Fifth Circle to expect light flurries.