[TAdams8591]

I'm JOKING!!!!!!!

[supercat]

I'm JOKING!!!!!!!

Obviously, though I decided to joke a little further.

BTW, I was pondering auxilliary verbs and finding certain aspects of them interesting. With many verbs dealing with perception, there is a difference in meaning between "I can [perceive] something" versus "I [perceive] something" or "I am able to [perceive] something". For example:

1. As I walk into the room, I can smell the new carpet.
2. As I walk into the room, I smell the new carpet.
3. As I walk into the room, I am able to smell the new carpet.

The first suggests that I notice the odor without particularly trying; the second suggests that I take deliberate action to sniff the carpet; the third suggests that I make an effort to smell the carpet, not knowing whether I'll succeed or not, but in fact I am successful.

On another such note, I was pondering a verb which only deals with perception when used as a "possibility". To say that one can [this verb] something is to say that one in fact perceives it; to say that one is able to [this verb] something is to say that one tries, successfully, to perceive it. When used unconditionally, however, the verb does not imply perception. Any idea what verb I'm thinking of?