Peter Gordon probably isn't travelling to West Virginia any time soon. While being interviewed about his research on the Piraha, a tribe in the Amazon, for The New Yorker, the Teachers College Speech and Pathology prof made an unfortunate reference to one of America's most persistent regional stereotypes. "If there is some kind of Appalachian inbreeding or retardation going on," he said, defending the tribe from such charges, "you'd see it in hairlines, facial features, motor ability. It bleeds all over. They [the Piraha] don't show any of that."

Now, Gordon is under fire, and Columbia has been targeted as well. "The quote splattered against academic computer screens in Appalachia this week like a large cud of chewing tobacco," wrote the Lexington Herald-Leader (we're not quite sure if they were trying to be ironic or not). A professor at Daemen College had this to say to Gordon: "Shame on you and on the institution you represent for perpetuating such ugly and untrue stereotypes". Ohio University prof Jack Wright compared the gaffe to "cultural strip-mining".

For his part, Gordon has apologized, and called the experience "humbling". After receiving complaints, Provost Brinkley said that he disagreed with Gordon's sentiments, but that the prof would not be censored.

-CJS

It's not looking good, Dianne.

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, a national free speech watchdog, has just issued a statement condemning the suspension of men's club hockey. Not that Bollinger typically listens to rights groups; but it's probably a good idea to avoid bad press on the eve of a four billion dollar fundraising push.

And then there's the online petition that's reached 454 signatures, and the Facebook group ("Bring Back Columbia Hockey") that has 460 members. The situation is bad for the Columbia hockey team--according to communications manager Zach Phillips, the suspension will put them out of commission for three years while they rebuild their league standing--but disregarding reason, warning, and due process in making consequential decisions isn't the best way to make friends, either. Student council members are baffled, and Bwog is struggling to fathom just how an administrator could screw up quite so badly.

Nope, it's not looking good at all. Start backpedaling, honey.

For some time now, Bwog has been wondering where Bored at Butler went. Almost a week ago, the site's normal interface disappeared, replaced by a message that reads "r.i.p. b@b...46,848 posts...down for reconstruction, come back soon..." Bwog knows via comments that some of its readers share its curiosity about the site's fate. Well, wonder no longer, dear readers, for Bwog has the inside scoop! Correspondent Mark Holden reports:

Issues of privacy and ad hominem have been swirling about Bored at Butler since its inception. Most notably (in my memory, anyway), a lot of people, or maybe just a few prolific posters, talked a lot of smack about some girl named Bethany. But there were other incidents, many others, and the incessant personal attacks, according to my source, made the entire B@B team continually anxious.