Tightrope walking satirical or acidic contexts. Nicholas Taleb uses the phrase in his book "The Black Swan". "You get respect for doing funambulism or spectator sports". Taleb is criticising scientists who prefer popularism to vigorous research and those who walk a fixed and narrow path rather than explore a large field of empirical study. Tightrope walking Tightrope walking, also called funambulism, is the skill of walking along a thin wire or rope. It has a long tradition in various countries and is commonly associated with the circus. Other skills similar to tightrope walking include slack rope walking and slacklining. Acrobats maintain their
Spread the Word to End the Word "retards" by White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel to describe liberal groups planning attack ads on Democrats was reported in the Wall Street Journal. This led to Emanuel's apologizing to Tim Shriver, chief executive of the Special Olympics. A meeting was held with Emanuel, who was asked to visit www.r-word.org, and he promised to take the R-word pledge. Spread the Word to End the Word Spread the Word to End the Word is a United States national campaign to encourage people to pledge to stop using the word "retard". End the "R" word advocates believe the use of the