See if they have any of Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream, Dana! I've been checking out the supply at the corner store (because that's the one thing I'll break my diet for), but nada so far.

Whether you are for or against the serial comma, this is just crazy talk:

One use of a comma is as a replacement for "and" or "or," so to use a comma before the last word in a series is to say, for example, "the flag is red and white and and blue."

When explaining usage rules, logic is not your friend.

I have written under the dictates of the AP Stylebook for about 30 years, which means I have used very few serial commas.

Hubby gets memory erasers all the time when he has surgery. He never remembers being wheeled into the ORs or about half an hour after they pull him out. The post-op memory loss can be tricky, because with out-patient procedures the doctor comes by in the recovery room to tell him how it went. Of course, I'm always there so I get the report, but still.

When I had my TMJ (jaw) surgery, my mom and sis waited until it was over and I came out of it to talk to me. Then they left. Later, I woke up and had no memory of talking to them after the surgery, and was disappointed they didn't wait to talk to me.

I woke up and had no memory of talking to them after the surgery, and was disappointed they didn't wait to talk to me.

I can always tell when Hubby's brain begins recording to permanent memory again, because he'll look around for me and say "There you are," even if I've been talking to him for ten minutes.

Hah! sarameg, it was you and ita I was thinking of specifically when I told mom that heads would go splodey. She also had a whole rant about people wanting things with radio buttons and checkboxes instead of tab and type.

Yesterday a co-kravver came up to me and said he was looking for a specific image for something to do with the video games he's part of producing, and did I know anyone who could help.

He totally claims he was going to ask me if I'd help, but didn't want to lead out that way.

The specific image? A woman's cleavage. Just cleavage. No face. Dude, you better put my rack appreciation a little sooner in your pitch for help.

I am miffed, not to mention wounded.

Great. Suddenly I am become all punctuation paranoid. Should that comma really go there? Am I punctuating for grammar or am I punctuating for breathing space?

This is how the rules get degraded.

Vortex is totally my hero.

Indeed.

I would be very uncomfortable with the memory wipe thing. I already have big fear issues with being put under. Ick, don't want me brain messed with.

Also, I am going to pay more attention to people possibly putting stuff in people's drinks in the future. Damn.

I'm lovin' it. McDonalds has asked the Oxford English Dictionary to change its definition of "McJob." Since 2003, the OED has defined it as "an unstimulating, low-paid job with few prospects, esp. one created by the expansion of the service sector.” Mickey D's house lexicographer claims that such a definition "is out of date, out of touch with reality and most importantly it is insulting to those talented, committed, hard-working people who serve the public every day." Actually, the two definitions don't conflict at all; the OED just bothers to mention that service sector jobs are poorly paid. Maybe it should redefine "minimum wage" while it's at it; something like, "An artificially high, mandated wage that prevents the creation of exciting opportunities for talented, committed, hard-working people who want to make people smile." Hopefully, OED will stick to its guns. Otherwise, they may have to redefine "chutzpah," too.

[link]

Mickey D's house lexicographer

You are shitting me.