citizen dad and dau

Sarah and I made a pact for some early Monday citizenship. In this case, going to the Lancaster Obama rally.

One hour in line (after two and a half hours on Saturday to get the tickets), and a half hour wait. Well, you get it. But we're glad we did.

How many fellow "East Chestnuters" we saw? Over half a dozen.

In a sentence the message: power to the people. That sounds like democracy.

punctuation solution

The imbroglio over Obama’s pastor’s sermon—I have thought of the simple explanation which all the media has missed. It’s punctuation, stupid! A comma and an explanation mark, which, of course, audio recordings don’t supply, clears up the whole thing.

Here’s what the pastor said: “God damn, America!” It’s as innocuous as “Hot dog, is America a great country or what!”

Now, if I can work that into a humor column. Where are the English teachers when we need them?

Franklin's fear is fact here

Benjamin Franklin feared that Pennsylvania, with its endless stream of German immigrants in the 1750s, would become primarily a German-speaking colony. If we brought him back and plopped him in Monterey, he would think his fear materialized--more families speak Pennsylvania German than English around the breakfast table.

A similar language is Yiddish. My word-a-day feed gave me this today. Here's what Yiddish writer Isaac Bashevis Singer had to say about the language in his 1978 Nobel Prize acceptance speech:

"Yiddish language - a language of exile, without a land, without frontiers, not supported by any government, a language which possesses no words for weapons, ammunition, military exercises, war tactics ... There is a quiet humor in Yiddish and a gratitude for every day of life, every crumb of success, each encounter of love. The Yiddish mentality is not haughty. It does not take victory for granted. It does not demand and command but it muddles through, sneaks by, muggles itself amidst the powers of destruction, knowing somewhere that God's plan for Creation is still at the very beginning ... In a figurative way, Yiddish is the wise and humble language of us all, the idiom of frightened and hopeful Humanity."

English language words such as bagel, klutz, and kibitz are terms from Yiddish.

arm's length from history

At least arm's length from Hillary. That's her in the center, umbrella in her left hand.

Photographer is Joel, who walked by the Lancaster Brewery and grabbed this shot on his cell. She was on her way to Millersville U where she addressed a gym full of 3,000 and maybe half that many more who couldn't get in.

Her stop at the downtown Lancaster eatery was not announced to the public. Joel found out about it through his newspaper contacts. Thirty persons knew about it (not counting the body guards) and greeted her when she left the place.

On her route to Millersville, my brother, Milton, saw the motorcade pass his house on Charlotte street. He did not see her since the vehicle windows were darkly tinted