very interesting

A rhetorician disassembles Obama's victory speech and explains why it works so well (even apart from its content).

many thanks!

...to everyone who has left kind messages about Gilbert. Mr Fluffytoes is doubtless basking in all the appreciation, wherever he is. :-)

bikery: Leesburg

Sunday I went out and got in another segment of my riding of the W&OD Trail. This took me from the countryside east of Leesburg into the south edge of the town. I actually had to go out and back, because access to the road that led to my last stopping place (Cochran Mill Road) seemed to be cut off.

It's funny to look at the area in satellite view on Google Maps, because it looks much more built up than it seems when you're on the trail. It looks like the next and final section, beyond Leesburg, is *very* rural. Should be nice.

There is an *awful* lot of development around Leesburg of the let's take a farm, clear all the trees and buildings off it, and plunk down a whole lot cookie-cutter houses in it' type. Clearly better than high-rise housing projects/housing estates, but still pretty ghastly and soulless. Since I'd like one day to have a little cozy home of my own (or, hopefully, share it with someone I love), I can hardly blame people for not living in more concentrated housing but, really, do people *enjoy* that sort of thing?

nice headline, BBC!

Tibetans blamed [by Chinese] for failed talks

Pretty biased headline with those words missing.( Read more... )

just to keep up to date with what I've posted so far

( latest from the police on the Silver Spring shooting )