"Peripherocentrism"

The New York Times has an interesting review of Philip Gold’s book, The Coming Draft. While the subject overall is fascinating, the real money quote for me comes at the end of the piece:

"(A)s Mr. Gold puts it: “There is, in American public life, a condition that might best be described as peripherocentrism. You don’t want to face the big issues, so you worry the little ones to death. It’s a vital process by which the unthinkable becomes the inevitable.”

Mea culpa

As longtime readers know, I've run an annual post on September 11. In that post, I've characterized Liam (banesidhe) as being Rose's (rosefox) husband. He was not. I've updated all three entries to reflect that he was Rose's partner.

This was a factual error. The mistake was wholly mine, and no one else's. I'm sorry for the pain I've caused, and will try to be more careful in the future.

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It's been some time ago, but my mistake probably was making a mental note to myself on reading this entry of Rose's, where she refers to the possibility of being "...twice widowed at age 25." But the mistake was still mine, for having over-read that reference which, to my knowledge, is the only time she's ever phrased it that way.

I agree with Rose that we need a better word for this circumstance (that of losing a partner, not a spouse). :)

Having made the mistake on my own, though, I'm trying to do what I can to set things right. If something else needs to be done, please tell me.

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Add-on: Either they're my words, or they're not. If they're my words, then it's my mistake. "All errors are those of the author, and not his sources..."