Thing 9

This was somewhat frustrating. Having successfully leapt the hurdles of invitation, there is little instruction to help one to actually open the document in editing mode. Google Doc was fine. Zoho,on the other hand, would allow me to post a comment, or copy the document into a personal file and edit it. But the document would open (from the 23 things link) with no editing and few options. Following a link to "sign in now" (again . . .) allows one to search for a document, but "23-things-practice-document" was not to be found.

Still, it was a particularly fine exercise -- on this beautiful day after the 4th of July -- to work at editing the Declaration of Independence. One must note, however, the limitations of team efforts. Having had the privilege (?) of working on several committees responsible for "mission statements," one acknowledges that through two or more heads may be better than none, such efforts do not lend themselves to felicity of expression. One suspects Thomas Jefferson would have been horrified to have had the rest of the "team" offering their emendations and suggestions. Having Adams and Franklin breathing down his neck was probably annoyance enough on the day.

If one may also comment on the level of glee evinced by some of the editors (and the disapproval of others), Time Magazine offers a wonderful article on Mark Twain this week, and includes a telling quotation that is most apropos: "A discriminating irreverence is the creator and protector of human liberty." Lets keep the giggles coming, shall we?