Tuesday, February 05, 2008

I don't know...can you?

I am seeing a lot of people with their facebook status saying "Yes, we can." But they don't elaborate on what it is they can do.

Is it the ability to go to the restroom like other folks? Well, I don't think they need to ask if they can. My dog comes up to me with his eyes looking at me with that snout and wet schnoz and in that Jewish accent of mine, I tell him, "Nu, you want out? You can go out...just don't get so muddy next time."

Okay, so it may not go exactly like that but you get the picture.

The word "can" has been used as a way of asking or granting permission although it sometimes can mean that one has the ability to do something. It is sometimes interchangeable with "may," the word often confused for one of the months out of the year. But using the word implies that one cannot be certain of what may come in the near future...although a time traveler visited from the future yesterday saying that Stephen Colbert actually gets named as Mike Huckabee's running mate and Jon Stewart leaves his show to be the Secretary of State.

If you took this very seriously, then you have no sense of humor

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