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small purple square Two quotes for today: The first, a girl's voice in the midst of some techno-ambient music playing in the "Heroes" comic shop of Palo Alto (I ducked in briefly en route to the doctor's office)

When I came to America
I saw "Xanadu" <1>
And I had to skate
Driving back to work after the appointment, that BBC/PRI joint venture of The World broadcast his answer to the question someone asked him in Japan - President Bill said
"I'd have to say my favorite food is chicken enchiladas - but I like sushi too"
This was actually just an introduction to an interview with the chef of what they claimed was his favorite restaurant in DC: "Red Sage", a place I've walked around inside of, but never eaten at.

small violet square My last sentence reminds me of that incorrect and prissy rule some people embrace: "Never end a sentence with a preposition." (The same people who've told me this is true have also insist that two spaces are required after a period, something I think they pick up in typing class.) The trouble with the preposition rule is it's unrealistically restrictive - and the great example refuting it is the following anecdote:

The little boy saw his father coming upstairs with the Australia book and said
"What're you bringing that book about Down Under up for?"
Count 'em - it ends with five prepositions. And how else to say it?

small cyan square Told the pulmonologist of my cancerous fears, and he zipped me off to the X-ray with a doubting scoff. He's doubling the dosage of my cortisone asthma medication. During the ritual pre-visit weighing and blood-pressure taking I noticed that the scale was metric (and I weigh 85 kilos). A spirited discussion then occurred between me and the almost-elderly registered nurse taking my numbers, about 'merican vs. Metric. She's still not used to it and always consulting the conversion chart to make sure.

 
Glossary:
BBC - British Broadcasting Service
DC - Washington
PRI - Public Radio International
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<1> Confession: I can't skate, but I rather like Xanadu - in fact it's one of those many catalysts which I attribute to my initial California migration.
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