Wolfram, but my question:

was it really HIM who pulled the trigger? That video could have been doctored any number of ways (e.g. he could have been inserted in the videotape, that man may not really be him, or...he could be the Manchurian Candidate, etc.

These people are confusing the forced use of terms of respect with respect itself. You can't create the stuff out of thin air, folks. Sorry.

It's the same deal as all the proposed laws to outlaw burning the flag in protest - the people behind them just don't get it that restricting freedom of speech is a much deeper attack on this country's values than destroying a few pieces of cloth, and that you can't MAKE people respect and like symbols or institutions.

(Mind you, I think such protests are usually misguided in that they burn the symbol of the ideals of this country rather than effigies of the corrupt politicians and institutions that actually do the things they're angry about.)

You can't create the stuff out of thin air, folks. Sorry.

It wouldn't be out of thin air though. Ma'am, Sir, and Miss are pretty deeply ingrained in the culture. They're just (rediculously, I agree) legally mandating manners.

I remember teachers thinking me horribly rude before I caught on.

Teacher asked me some question.

"yes"

"yes WHAT?"

"um... yes... Mrs. Williams?"

"Yes MA'AM!"

That was a rough year. She and the principal thought I was horribly brought up because my Mother didn't paddle me and wouldn't let them either.

You can legally mandate certain manners. For example, almost everyone pulls right over for ambulances here in LA, because they will get a ticket if they don't. I was shocked when I moved here from NYC to see how quick motorists were to respond to emergency vehicles.

Deciding WHICH manners to legislate and enforce--there's the rub.

That was a rough year. She and the principal thought I was horribly brought up because my Mother didn't paddle me and wouldn't let them either.

You should write to them and assure them you've since made up the shortfall voluntarily.

And there is nothing like an impromptu boring journalism lesson

I kinda liked the j-talk. Which not surprising since it was my major, but still. Ledes and nut grafs and -30-...

I loved the article on Mr. H's bar and am still wishing that we'd been able to make it there in May.

Laura, I hope your MiL takes good care of herself now.

Kristin, I finally upgraded my phone (Soooo easy, I took it in for them to troubleshoot and try to fix and then make me send it back to Verizon and wait for a new one. And the guy said, "Handset bad?" "Well, that is what the woman on the customer service line thought but she ... Are you just replacing it? Thanks.") so next time I make it in to work, the dragon wearing my glasses shall be photographed. Along with random shots of my day cause I pick up my phone and hit the side button and insta-pic.

Um, to sum up, dragon in glasses picture to come and I forgot everything I learned in j-school on how to write effectively.

I just remember how little respect my teachers got from the state. Like, it was more important for them to have "flair" in their classrooms than what they actually taught.

Also, "yes" was a perfectly valid answer, "yeah" was not.

Also, "yes" was a perfectly valid answer, "yeah" was not.

How about "I like the cut of your gibberish, Ma'am"?

You can legally mandate certain manners. For example, almost everyone pulls right over for ambulances here in LA, because they will get a ticket if they don't. I was shocked when I moved here from NYC to see how quick motorists were to respond to emergency vehicles.

See, for me, that's more along the lines of not interfering with emergency services than manners.

ETA: Pulling over for a funeral procession may be a more apt example of motoring manners.