i don't think impaling pigeons in the head is a great idea,

even though they're annoying, but somebody does. check out the picture.

"aagh!!! serial commas!" - BeC

BeC was editing an article the other day, and mentioned serial commas can pose some problems and start arguments among editorial staff. Apparently two colleagues had a fight about it for an hour on the way to the airport last week. She was sitting in between them.

I can think of other things I'd rather be arguing about, but as a recovering English teacher, I appreciate people who care about language so much. Especially when they're funny and remind me of John Cusack in Say Anything when Diane breaks his heart and he tells her to stop using quotations, like that sheila girl.

"Coach told me not to swear." - Raj

Raj got hit by a rock yesterday playing soccer, and he cursed. In the world of 5th graders, this isn't usually acceptable unless your mom's not around.

He used the f word and I'll be honest, I'm particularly fond of this one.

I like to blame Sij, because before I lived with her, I never, ever cursed. Pre-Baltimore, I used lots of nice words. Shoot. Darn. Oh, that's too bad. Some innocuous drivel like that.

Then I met Sij, with a heart of gold and a mouth of a sailor. Fuck-a-duck and shitballs were expressions frequently heard at 2637 Calvert Street.

Since then I have not lived with anyone who curses with quite the same...endearing quality as Sij. I'm thinking about throwing in a choice expression during their wedding ceremony this summer, but I'm not sure how this would fly with Dave. Or say, Dave's family.

I guess cursing is probably not appropriate for weddings.

"Whenever I have a meeting with them, I just pretend that they're pirates." - Arthur

For those of you needing meeting coping strategies, I suggest using the pirate strategy. It really works. On a variety of levels.

And if you're looking for a place to express some pirate love, seafair has a fascinating online application. I can't figure out why they would need a prospective applicant's social security number.

"I have noticed that what's right in art is usually right in practice." - Lord Peter Wimsey

(well, Dorothy Sayers, in Busman's Honeymoon.