Punctuation Quota Update

"Powell's Books, an independent bookseller in Portland, Oregon, in voluntary accordance with the guidelines adopted at 1998's International Grammar Summit, hereby reaffirms its effort to find a significant role for exclamation points in future editions of our newsletter-- understanding, of course, that only so much punctuation can be employed in a sentence and admitting that unresolved questions abound. Will the excitement seem forced? Will semicolons (which during the last six months have been used at a rate far exceeding suggested quotas) see less action in future editions? Will we increase our output by introducing those upside-down exclamation marks so popular with our neighbors to the south? (And if so, is that cheating?) Stay tuned as the drama unfolds."
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17th of Tammuz

Today is a minor fast day (minor = dawn to dusk), and it's the longest one, the hardest since it's so bloody hot. And despite drinking copious quantities of water yesterday, I started the day somewhat parched, 'cause I'd sweated out far too much of what I drank. I feel kinda flat: not creative, not interesting, not entertaining. All of which is the effect of the fast. Usually I don't have much problem with them; hopefully I'll be able to concentrate on stuff to do today, just keep my head down and go on t o the next thing until it's over. I'm glad I work in an air-conditioned office...

( Jewish, historical stuff back here )

toy

The admin assistant just came around giving out geek toys: an inch/metric protractor ruler, all in one clear bit of plastic. And the angles of the protractor are marked farther out as well, to make measuring larger angles easier.

Though I have to admit, it doesn't have the same fidget potential as the orange-and-white plastic protractor (also with inch and centimeter markings) I have, which has little circles, some of which are big enough to fit a finger through, on the white inner circle piece, so I can put a finger through and spin the rest of it around, and around, and around...

I am such a geek.

Hooray!

for thunder and lightning bolts and torrents of rain that cool everything off and take the humidity away.
for water and food after a long day.
for the Coolidge Theater's new Art Deco-style marquee, which is pretty snazzy.
for my friend E, who's officially passed the last of his actuarial exams.
for getting to hear Jim's Big Ego last night, even if it was horribly hot.
for a clean house, even though my visitor pass seems to have gone AWOL.
for an oven that self-cleans.
and hooray for friends near and far