Before coffee

Long lines at Starbucks. Every morning. And this young cashier smiles all the time, everyday. Seems to me unbelievable. Even before taking the caffeine everybody is agitated. What a nice personality. Or is this smile a self defense. Trying to please the hurried newyorkers.

What now?

So the circus is finished!?  The tent is going down and the national tour cancelled?  A three ring circus, cannot perform with two? Oh great Gingrich show your mettle.  Make history by teaching it.....

Encyclopedias

Had just bought and started this funny book about this guy reading the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica, next day this article drew my attention.
When I was a kid I read the entire Larousse and with my friend, now a french poet, was playing a game of recognizing the captions of pictures when opening the Larousse at  random.
Good choice. It is smaller and easier to read and the  Petit Larousse est encore vivant.
Not sure if french culture is still vivant.