Language, Spies, Gelato, etc.

Language changes over time. It evolves, as they say. Words and phrases that were once easily understood by all citizens of a nation eventually lose their meanings as new generations of book readers and playgoers arise with their own newly-coined words and terms. We all know this, of course -- for surely The Works of William Shakespeare would be more widely read (not pretended to be read) than they actually are if all readers were able to understand that hopelessly archaic language.

Over at The Writer's Almanac yesterday I read that H.L. Mencken once wrote a translation of The Declaration of Independence using the vernacular of plain, ordinary folks.

Here is the actual Declaration's first paragraph:

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

And here is Mencken's translation:

"When things get so balled up that the people of a country got to cut loose from some other country, and go it on their own hook, without asking no permission from nobody, excepting maybe God Almighty, then they ought to let everybody know why they done it, so that everybody can see they are not trying to put nothing over on nobody."

See what I mean?

. . .

According to all the local pundits, Arizona Roadrunners are never found up in trees. But Mike saw one on a tree branch alongside the road a few evenings ago. Here is a picture that I took of it.

Roadrunner Hiding In A Tree

. . .

According to The Atlantic --
When Stalin's men sought agents for the most depraved and most criminal tasks, they found them not among brutes of the underworld, but among sensitive and cultivated people in the highest levels of intellectual society -- poets and psychiatrists who became conspirators and spies.

And that makes perfect sense to me. It is the 'sensitive' and 'cultivated' individuals who are intelligent enough (and egotistical enough) to become effective conspirators and spies. The 'brutes of the underworld' are too busy 'taking from the rich' and satisfying their personal desires.

The best conspirators will be found manipulating global policy by pulling the strings attached to top elected government officials.

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Tim recommended a new Gelato place, Cafe Italiano, and Sunday we motored on over there to try it out. I had the Mamma Mia flavor, and it was awesome. Click here for info regarding Cafe Italiano and super-delicious Mamma Mia gelato.


You do not need a parachute to skydive . . .
you only need a parachute to skydive twice.
--Unknown