We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.
I've decided not to riot today. I'm fairly certain I'm not going to loot anything. I don't feel like overcoming, or singing about overcoming. I'm overcome with not overcoming, actually. I believe I can resist the urge to lock arms for days at a time. I do not wish to be quoted in the press. You can quote me on that. On to the news.
There is a story about the great Catalan surrealist painter Salvador Dali. It is said that in the last years of his life, when he was already famous, he signed checks knowing that they would not be submitted to the bank for payment. Rather, after partying with his friends and consuming the most expensive items the restaurants had to offer, he would ask for the bill, pull out one of his checks, write the amount, and sign it. Before handing over the check, he quickly turned it around, made a drawing on the back and autographed it. Dali knew the owner of the restaurant would not cash the check but keep it,put it in a frame, and display it in the most prominent place in the restaurant: “An original Dali.”
History may be evolving away from the Westphalian State, with its unitary national culture, flags and traditions and moving towards affinity groups whose allegiance is primarily to themselves; which only form temporary alliances based on expedience in competition with other affinity groups.
It’s hip, it’s entertaining—but where are the families?What is a city for? Ever since cities first emerged thousands of years ago, they have been places where families could congregate and flourish.
A city is a place where everyone is lonely together.
I wonder how many typewriter apps are in the iTunes store? I’ve had one for years. So many apps recycle other programmers’ ideas. And don’t improve on them. What special genius has Hanks brought to his app?
Adjective order : a simpler version is in Quirk, Greenbaum, Leech and Svartvik A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language, whose 2000 pages list all the rules you somehow know without knowing what the rules are.
In the case of adjective order, there are only four categories (precentral, central, postcentral and prehead) with criteria for each. p.437 section 7.45.
If Dali's your new hero, check out my name sake; last I heard he goes by just Boggs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._S._G._Boggs
He would not only negotiate payment with the restaurant mgr/owner, giving him the choice between the "fresh' $100 or $500 bill he had drawn at the table or real money, but would require the correct change in either case. He would then sell the dinner receipt and the change to a collector, who would often negotiate with the exact owner of the 'Boggs' bill from that transaction, to put with the receipt and change into a framed setting for display.
Met him one time and was saddened to find he only became a Boggs by adoption, because I wanted to be blood-related to such brilliance.
