[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?

[floriduh voter]

What I read in the st pete times was quite odd. The Hospice caption for Terri's bed said they left the original bedspread right the way she left it. What kind of facility leaves bedding on a bed after the patient expires or is (murdered?) Wouldn't that be a health code violation to leave unclean bedding like that?