Also, sometimes you ask him what time it is, and when he replies predictably say "Okay! What is the time?" and if he checks a clock or anything say "I thought you said you knew what the time was."

I love this. Though my gut instinct is to go with "I'm sorry. I didn't realize no one had ever bothered to educate you about social niceties. Expressing a need for easily obtained information by implication rather than direct request allows the respondent to demonstate common courtesy by volunteering the information. Since you seem to have no awareness or understanding of common courtesy, I'll be sure to use only imperative commands in the future."

I think I'd go with "Okay, just wanted to make sure you knew." He's not going to efficiently give you the time, anyway, so you might as well conclude the exchange and ask someone else. Who might answer civilly, and then you could thank them civilly, and there you go.

shrift!

Jonathan Creek in a sidecar! Adorable.

They've been trying to clean up that part of the game, making it safer. But there's still a lot of head into the boards trash. The SO fears it won't stop until someone dies.

If Travis Roy's circumstances couldn't convince players to be careful about their and other players' heads, I don't think anything can.

Have you watched it? I love the quirky premise, and have been impressed by the cast, so I'm willing to give it time. It's nice to have a few half hour shows on my own menu, now. They feel so light after years of drama, you know?

I saw the pilot and last night, don't know how I missed the second episode. I think the casting is pretty inspired-- even the self-defense guy seemed better than the material. And the material is mostly good. Last night though had a lot of unfortunate BOINGGG! moments like [whispering] "Don't act excited." [yelling] "I'M EXCITED!!!" But I kind of expect that sort of sloppiness for the 2d through 4th episodes of a show (how did four guards get downstairs from the time the KoP left the cab to the time they walked three feet, you know?) -- they have no time to write them and are still feeling things out. But it also had stuff we rewound-- like the sucker punch the Italian guy laid on the self-defense guy.

They even made me grudgingly enjoy Tom Sawyer!

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize no one had ever bothered to educate you about social niceties. Expressing a need for easily obtained information by implication rather than direct request allows the respondent to demonstate common courtesy by volunteering the information. Since you seem to have no awareness or understanding of common courtesy, I'll be sure to use only imperative commands in the future."

I have duly marked your post, Matt, and I have a strong feeling that I'll be using it, probably within the next 24 hours.

Yeah, I know, Matt. It's crazy.

Wait, wait, Dana! Where are you getting this Jonathan Creek? Is it new? Broadcast?

I think I'd go with "Okay, just wanted to make sure you knew." He's not going to efficiently give you the time, anyway, so you might as well conclude the exchange and ask someone else. Who might answer civilly, and then you could thank them civilly, and there you go.

I think I'd be tempted to ask him every five or ten minutes, and every time he said, "Yes," I'd respond, "I'm so proud of you!" in that overly cheery voice some people use on toddlers.

Liese, I have recently discovered the show and am working my way through it using ahem, certain means. Getting toward the end now, though.

I was your chatty co-worker, Steph, but university, where I got a big rotation of exposure to people, few of whom had time or inclination to get used to my literalist and sophist quirks made me drop it.

The knowledge that you guys can never be as streamlined and logical as I always am is just something I'll have to savour smugly but internally. Externally I play your little games because I'm that good.