Here's an exception to the "don't read the comments" rule. [link]

JZ, I hope there's a surge of positive ramifications--set an example, maybe, that hesitant by tolerant people can follow.

I have a couple Hindi questions, and for one I think I have an answer. I've been trying to work out how to ask them without seeming rude, but they're kind of "No offence but..." questions. I notice that a lot of folk I know whose first language is Hindi say "today morning" instead of "this morning". Now, this could be incorrect extrapolation ("yesterday morning" and "tomorrow morning" are epically unhelpful), but I did wonder if it was more of a literal translation issue. The co-worker I asked eventually exploded with "I don't read or write Hindi! I just speak it!" so my plan of getting a Westernised Hindi point of view was flouted. But when I walked him through saying the Hindi for "this morning" and ascertaining it's two words and the first word means "today" and he still couldn't say if "today morning" was a literal translation of same...untrustworthy source.

But at least there's an answer to that. It is or it ain't a literal translation. My other question is: What's up with "determine?" It seems to be the most consistently mispronounced word amongst native Hindi speakers, even including some people with no discernible accent for the other 99.97% of their vocab. What's so special about it? Why de-tur-MINE? I NEED TO KNOW.

I may be reduced to asking my big boss this, but it's such a random question that who would even know what the answer is?

Shit, that was close. Almost left a "Happy Mother's Day" message. Google first, kiddoes.

I wonder--could I draw something for my mother? I sent my family the results of my 30 day challenge (30 days of drawing Dean and Cas canoodling was way easier than that--pretty appalling, in that way that doesn't appal me at all) and they seemed to like it, but I am way out of practice drawing any of the things I can think of as applicable (e.g. ducklings and likenesses of my family). Don't know what to do...

Hand drawn mother's day card from your daughter has to be the best gift ever, right? That's my understanding.

Some of those poetry comments are hilarious. The East Orange one may be my favorite.

I think so too! those comments gave me a chuckle.

I can't get something in the mail to her in time, and it has to be from the both of us (I'm not sure why, but it has been thus for forever--the kids give presents to either parents as a unit, and the parents give gifts as a unit to either of us--this means more work for my mother and sister generally, but I'm not averse to pitching in if I can get inspiration to crowd out insecurity. And, seriously, what do I draw???)

Speaking of poetry, I watched a high school poetry competition yesterday on HBO, and I was pretty fucking impressed. It was a national competition--Bay Area, New York, and maybe Santa Fe and one more place, and these 16 to 18 year olds were giving this shit their all. Not much in the way of celebratory or happy poetry, but I guess that's not your muse at 17. Interestingly, one of the teams deliberately threw the competition--scores are between 8 and 10--you get 8 points for showing up, apparently so that they feel good about themselves, and Denver (oh, hey, maybe that's the missing team, huh?) had a poem explaining how they didn't need mollycoddling and fake padding for their egos, so give us a seven. It wasn't the best poem of the night, but it was the most successful--they got three sevens and three tens, and since they saved it for the last round they lost.

They looked genuinely happy with that (and the standing O), and I was pretty impressed. The rest of the poems were about pain and anger and generally made me feel bad. They made me feel, so that was good, but still don't want to be bummed out and angered repeatedly by high schoolers.

And ding ding ding! Woo nurse is anti vax. We have a bingo folks. You can all go home.

Oy, you should at least win a stuffed penguin or something for the bingo. Some sort of skee-ball prize equivalent.

Timelies all!

Malice is done. Good convention. Sleepy now.

Several people I went to high school with are posting photos of their children dressed for prom. How are we old enough for that?

We're not. My sister was just visiting for lunch and we went to see a friend of hers from high school and he showed us prom pictures of his daughter. But that cannot be right.

Also, um, she decreed that it was Cinco de Mayo so we were having mexican food and a margarita. Food was okay. Margarita was both strong and kinda awesome. Now I want a nap.

And to know how doves survive evolution. They build the flimsiest nests in the worst locations.

Woo nurse is anti vax.

That is appalling. Not surprising, but appalling.

I can't tell if you just won or lost this round of Woo Bingo.

We're not.

Thank you! Of course I'm completely ignoring the classmate who has posted photos of a grandchild.

I can't tell if you just won or lost this round of Woo Bingo.

I think she won, since Woo!Nurse is still giving her her meds. Anti-vax people seriously annoy me.

Our homecoming princess got knocked up on prom night; her child will be 23 this year. If I'd been less lucky...(cause you know I didn't use contraception every time at 17.)