Contrary to Popular Opinion...

...ESL does not simply mean English as a Second Language.

It also stands for Lynn Truss's classic book about the power of punctuation. I've heard this one before, but let's review for nostalgia's sake:

A panda walks into a café. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots in the air.
"Why?" asks the confused waiter, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.
"I'm a panda," he says at the door. "Look it up."
The waiter turns to the relevant entry and, sure enough, finds an explanation.
"Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves."
So punctuation really does matter, even if it is only occasionally a matter of life and death.

I have, of course, my opinion about how far to the "grammar police" spectrum we should go, but she makes a valid point.

http://eatsshootsandleaves.com/esl.html

Ta,
Beckie

Don't Stop Believin' by Journey...should've been on there, too

Dear Internet,

I just spent the last 79:59 minutes listening to a mix CD I made for my sister years ago. I called it "inspiration" because music is so.... imploring. It's pretty incredible. Thought I'd share it with you.

Love,
Beckie

1- Believe by Yellowcard
"Everything is gonna be alright, be strong, believe!"
2- Hold On by Good Charlotte
"If you feel like letting go, hold on. It gets better than you know."
3- The Middle by Jimmy Eat World
"It just takes some time, little girl...everything will be alright."
4- My Reply by Ataris
"If you just hold on for one more second, just hold one to what you are..."
5- Don't Give Up by Eagle-Eye Cherry
"Never give up, we won't stop giving all we got..."
6- Don't Let Go by Weezer
"Whooaa...Don't let go."
7- For Nancy by Pete Yorn
"Convince yourself that everything is alright...'cuz it already is!"
8- Dare You To Move by Switchfoot
"Lift yourself, lift yourself up off the floor!"
9- Walk On (nigel godrich remix) by U2
"If your glass heart should crack, and for a second you look back, no... be strong!"
10- Move On Up by Curtis Mayfield
"Your folks might understand you, by and by...just move on up, follow your dreaming..."
11- With A Little Help From My Friends by The Beatles
"Are you sad cause you're on your own? No, I get by..."
12- Feelin' Fine by Three Brave Woodsman
"When I step outside the world becomes my home..."
13- Shine by Collective Soul
"Will love be there? Heaven let your light shine down."
14- Still Fighting It by Ben Folds
"Everybody knows it sucks to grow up. But everybody does."
15- Everyday by Dave Matthews
"Pick me up, love, from the bottom, up on to the top, love, everyday."
16- Getting Better by The Beatles
"I used to get mad at my school. Now I can't complain..."
17- Only If... by Enya
"When there's a shadow, you reach for the sun."
18- Shine by Tracy Bonham
"You must not forget how much light you bring..."
19- Everything's Not Lost by Coldplay

"Blogging is like Facebook, except real."

Someone told that to me today, so I thought I'd attempt a jaunt from the warm confines of Facebookland into "reality."

Brrr. It's cold out here.

Seems the world of blogs is much more introspective and a lot less gossipy. And you end up with fewer poke-bruises.

You know, sometimes I'd love to quit Facebook all together, but besides the fact that it's still apparently impossible to do, I just don't have the heart. Pity stays my hand. (Or is it addiction? I hear they want to eat our babies!)

My newest resolution? Give up Facebook for Lent. Incidentally, I'm giving up Lent as well. So let's just call it a Facebook Fast for the next two weeks. With my blog as witness, I shall not log in again until, at least, March 2. Savvy? Savvy.

You better keep me to it.