I have a grammar/punctuation question:
Although he did engage his organization, giving a speech, providing copies “Who Moved My Cheese?” and clearly outlining the major goals, he failed to energize his organization
Who Moved My Cheese is a book, right? So unless you have a specific style that says otherwise, it should be italicized rather than in quotes. Then you can just throw the comma after the question mark.
ETA: If it
did
have to be in quotes, like articles generally are, hmm. UK style would put the comma after the closing quote, which at least has the advantage of making sense. US style I'm not certain which way to go on this. Wonder what Chicago says. Either way, it's gonna be ugly.
I'm a gonna bitch for a sec, 'cause, well, it's what I do.
So, the party was pretty darn well perfect. People from all different parts of my life got along (I had coworkers here, people I met in group therapy, my mom and Buffistas). Two people connected that hadn't seen each other for about two years. Mom got to chat extensively with coworker and really likes her. All were Buffy fans ('cept mom). All was good. Food was wonderful. Company was excellent. (As a side note, we were watching Firefly at the beginning. My friend J came in with her two daughters while we were watching. I told them what we were watching, and J's oldest daughter, who's twelve said, "Oh. Firefly. I've heard good things about that show." I just thought it was so damn cute.)
But then there were some unexpected guests. Fruit flies. Yesterday morning when I walked Toto, our shared hallway to the entrance of the building was swarming with fruit flies. It was disgusting. I called the landlord, who did some checking and found out that someone on the second floor had been staying at her mother's for a couple weeks, 'cause she was sick, and left some food out. Hence fruit flies that had moved into the hallway. They came and sprayed, and when I got home from work it was better. Only, they came back during the party and swarmed the food table...mostly my beautiful fruit platter.
I don't think most people noticed, and I cleaned the table off quickly after that...disposed of the fruit, etc. But, it just made me feel disgusting. It was totally not my fault, but it made me angry. I had worked so hard to get the house clean, keep it clean and have it nice for the party (and showing the apartment for potential roommates). Then because of someone else's neglect, my party paid the price.
I want to go downstairs and say, "Thanks. Thanks a lot. Could you please take care of your food and dishes in a timely manner from now on so I don't get your fruit flies?" But, apparently they've been complaining about Toto's barking, so I don't want to make any waves that may get him booted out of the apartment.
As I recall from a terribly long time ago (and therefore not entirely reliably), a question mark can function as a comma, and therefore need not be followed by one. This should be covered somewhere, but I don't know where.
Also -- freaking out! Help! How am I going to memorize the law of cosines, how to change logarithm bases, varying inversely, rules about circles inscribed in shaped and shapes inscribed in circle, the fact that diagonals of a parallelogram bisect each other, and the double-angle and half-angle and angle-sum identities in the next hour and a half?
Perhaps more importantly, how am I going to get rid of them once the test is over?
{{Heather}} I'm so sorry things worked out the way they did.
vw!! Yay for the party and Happy birthday to Toto! I am so not surprised that the ugly cake tasted wonderful. And, sorry about the fruit flies! They're annoying.
Raq, I just wouldn't use a serial comma there. It looks good the way it is.
Perhaps more importantly, how am I going to get rid of them once the test is over?
Drill a hole in the side of your head. Tilt your head π/4 from vertical, and shake.
I changed the title into italics (thanks for the reminder!) and skipped the comma.
Thanks guys. Now I can go back to being unproductive.
Party was a huge success
Yay! Sorry about the fruit flies but I don't think anyone questioned your home hygiene because of them.
Of course, I just knocked my elbow on the table while "feeding" my cats and knocked some kibble on the floor. One walked over and started to eat it so I am giving them a couple of hours to clean up the mess for me. They are free-fed dry food but puppycat wants More! and Fresh! and New! and Attention! so I add a few pieces or pet her by the bowl.
I'm only part way though the pictures, but Toto is such a cutie. I love the pictures of him eating his pizza.
Aww! Cutiehead birthday doggie!
