overheard in the mall

teen 1: "what time is it?"
teen 2: raises arm and displays analogue watch.
teen 1: (none the wiser) "what's that in digital?"

's wonderful

it's incongruous. though knowledge is more extensive, and more easily available than it has ever been, people have seldom been dumber. if only alexander pope was around today. it's a golden age of idiocy. just the other day a caller on a bbc radio show suggested gandhi's first name was "goosey goosey". a pity it wasn't. it's a great improvement on mahatma.

still, the thickening of the west has its sunny side. like this found notice for a missing cat. (i love the "not house broken" detail.) of course it's a brushtail possum (the chap deserves a citation for valour for picking it up—very sharp claws). just a wonderful moment.

there's always the chance the whole thing is a wheeze. but i'd like to think it's on the level. it's fun to live in a world where people can no longer distinguish cats from possums.

public-sector teachers everywhere should call a snap strike to celebrate the occasion. none of this would be possible but for them.