Intelligent Life in Space?

Okay, so now it's time to reveal my true identity. You see, I'm not from this planet at all. Regretfully, I'm not even carbon-based. I just tapped into your internet to study you earthlings.

But don't worry. I've grown to actually like you. Especially your religion. I think I want to be a Christian. Can I be baptized? That's a real problem to me because the Bible only talks of humans being saved. Since I am not descended from Adam and Eve, do I even need to be baptized? No original sin, get it?

Wait a minute. News flash from Home. There's this silicon-based rock form that just appeared on our planet. Says he's the Messiah. Says WE'RE the chosen people now. Cool! My tendrils are twitching. Send an e-mail to the Pope.

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Picture is publicity still from "Stargate Atlantis".

Scarlett Johansson as Susan Polgar

How about a movie on the life of Susan Polgar?

Susan is pictured on the left; Scarlett on the right.
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Susan Polgar's picture from Susan Polgar's Blog. Used with Permission. Scarlett Johansen's picture is from publicity still.

Grammar Answer 1/6/09

The answer is 4!

The rule is:

Verbs are actions and actions take place in time – aka “tense”.

• Answer 1 is wrong because both verbs are in the past tense but one action “prepared” takes place before the other “succeeded”.
• Answer 2 is wrong because the action that occurred before “prepares” is expressed in the present tense.
• Answer 3 is wrong because the action that occurred before is expressed in the future tense “must prepare”.

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Before the man succeeded, he prepared. Before the man succeeded, he prepares. Before the man succeeded, he must prepare. Before the man succeeded, he had prepared.

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News item: Sam Sloan Announces Plan to Take Over Chess World

After a week of pounding by me to stop the nasty, negative attacks and address the issues – any issue, Sam Sloan finally broke down today and offered a proposal that he said was the first step “to take over the world”.

On the USCF forums, thread “A Question for Sam Sloan” he said,
[quote]“By the way, I want to mention that I really do have a plan to take over the world. This is not just something out of "Pinky and the Brain".

“The first small but essential step in my grand plan is to USCF rate both the 2004 and 2006 World Chess Olympiads. This will bring all the world's leading active players into the USCF rating system.” [end quote]

(“Pinky and the Brain” is a popular cartoon show in the U.S.)

Today he elaborated his plans in the thread “USCF Rating the Olympiad”

“My plan is to go into competition with FIDE.”

Once he has achieved US dominance through control of world ratings, he says, “I also propose to sell our rating system to other countries and make some money.”

Who would control this new extra-national USCF Sam Sloan envisions? The answer at present remains murky. Sloan’s supporters opined that he is not proposing membership for these players, only giving them a USCF ID and rating. To become a voting member, they would still have to pay the membership fee and then play in the US in order to activate their ID.

One man wrote, “That these foreign players would actually become members in enough numbers to make a difference in elections seems unlikely.”

Thus, we end up with a chess world controlled by the US through USCF control of the rating system. The economic redistribution of wealth from the rest of the world to the US would certainly rebuild the USCF finances. Sloan did not address issues relating to world sensibility relating to US economic extortion.

Normally one would be concerned that such a proposal accompanied by such comments were not intended to be as extreme as I make them sound. Sam Sloan’s past record on extreme statements. however, must be considered.

Sloan stated, “In spite of the obvious benefits this would bring to the USCF, by internationalizing our rating system, it has been shot down every time by the Executive Board.

On one matter of control he was definite on. He proposes, “a ratings committee headed by Glickman and Sloan” to decide key issues.


So what’s worse, Sam Sloan addressing issues or Sam Sloan making political attacks?

Grammar Answer 1/13/09

The answer is 3!

The rule is:

For the word "it" the possessive pronoun is not punctuated but the contraction is.

• Answer 1 is wrong because the first "its" is a contraction and is not punctuated while the second "its" is a possessive pronoun and is punctuated.
• Answer 2 is wrong because the second "its" is punctuated.
• Answer 4 is wrong because the first "its" is not punctuated.

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Its my duty to admit to the army that it's gun was taken by me. It's my duty to admit to the army that it's gun was taken by me. It's my duty to admit to the army that its gun was taken by me. Its my duty to admit to the army that its gun was taken by me.

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Grammar Answer 1/19/09

The answer is 1!

The rule is:

Do not use commas to set off restrictive (necessary) clauses or phrases.

Answers 2, 3, and 4 all contain commas setting off the restrictive clause "who hopes to succeed".

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A man who hopes to succeed must work hard. A man, who hopes to succeed, must work hard. A man who hopes to succeed, must work hard. A man, who hopes to succeed must work hard.

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Happy New Year! 2007