Nobody Knows Anything

Welcome to Diane Patterson's eclectic blog about what strikes her fancy

Xmas ’03 suggestion #1

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Are you looking for just the right gift for a hard-to-please Mom or a finicky Uncle? Do you visit the malls and think, Nope, nope, nope—I need something special, tailored just for my loved one.

What if Greg Evigan called Uncle Sam and Aunt Sue? How would that be? Would that be cool enough? Or if John De Lancie (“Q” from “Star Trek”) called your cousin Bob, huh? Would that make his damn year?

Well, no prob, folks: you and I and anyone else can set up such a phone call! Only $19.95 to have the Barbi Twins wish you—I mean, your friend Rick—a Merry Christmas! Such a deal!

(Now, if they could get Angela Lansbury, I would totally be all over this, because my Mom would plotz to hear Angela Lansbury’s voice.)

Update: Oh hell, I just noticed that this is in Newsweek this week. That’s not where I got it, honest! (I got it from the Well, where else?)

A declining we will go

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One of the things I’ve always wanted to do is learn Latin. Yes, I know: Linguistics degree from Stanford and I’ve never studied Latin. What are universities coming to these days?

If, like me, you don’t have the time to take a Latin class at a nearby university (UCLA Extension, I miss you), you can join me in the online Group Latin Study, which is starting a newbie Latin group in January. You’ll need Wheelock’s Latin and 38 Latin Stories. Join the mailing list and then ignore all the groups that aren’t 2004-Lilac. (All the Latin groups use one channel, but thankfully it seems most people are good about having the appropriate headers on their messages!)

Ave, Caesar. Et cetera.