"My bad"?

I know that "blogs" are more informal than print journalism, but it is a blight upon your professional stature to lower yourself to out of date ghetto affectations. It also makes you sound quite out of touch with the current vernacular.

Respectfully,
Mr. Bowtie

I am out of touch with the current vernacular. And you better be nicer to me, Owlie. :-) EL

I always wash my water bottles before refilling. Otherwise you might as well drink spit.

It would be nice to have some hard science to chew over on this from our newspaper. Maybe the Science or Health editors could assign one of their qualified beat reporters from their standalone sections to interview experts, maybe even local ones. UMMC, JHMI, Hopkins-Homewood and UMAB have PR staffs itching to hook up reporters with microbiologists, environmental med and chemistry people. I know Hopkins was calling out alarms on octyl pthalate plasticizers decades ago, but industry lobbyists prevailed at the corrupt FDA. Citizen journalism is fine, but Googling will just lead to advocacy and commercial sites with agendas and more urban legends. Can we get some balanced pieces of academic advice? And what about those lobbyists prevailing?

Otherwise you might as well drink spit.

Beware, you are drinking it right now.

Maybe the Science or Health editors could assign one of their qualified beat reporters from their standalone sections to interview experts, maybe even local ones.

What a card! What a maroon! Science editor! Or better yet the biochemistry editor. Or the quantum physics editor.

Please don't make personal attacks on other commenters, or they'll drift away and pretty soon you'll be talking to yourself. EL

Perhaps so, Owl, but at least it's fresh and my own--not Gailor's. Gack!

Strictly a half Windsor man myself.

According to the source below, you were quoting Shakespeare. Who knew? Your good.

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/my-bad.html

Actually, I was quoting Buffy, which is where all my slang comes from. EL

And, maybe it's a story for the standalone business section's crack reporters, what with suppliers like Giant and Deer Park not that far and local sales possibly affected. The issue, not totally attributable to the Sun's shortcomings under present management, is we've turned to non-authoritative sources in the absence of reporting. This is the ideal service story with local hooks and very local effects, our bodies. EL, can you get them to assign an intern?

If only we still had interns. EL

Strictly a half Windsor man myself.

What kind of shirt collars are you wearing that are wide enough for a half-Windsor with modern ties?

what with suppliers like Giant and Deer Park not that far

a.k.a. advertisers

can you get them to assign an intern?

And that would be an authoratative source?

It's not a local story at all. The Sun can't even report the news anymore, let alone go out and make up new news.

Here's the result of expensive lab tests: reused water bottles have germs unless they are washed properly. Has anybody died or even gotten sick? No? Well, money well spent. Do I sound cranky? Maybe a little.

If you've ever been to the Caribbean you drank roof water at your very expensive hotel. Every hotel, condo and apartment buidling collects their water from roof run-off. After it cleans the iguana guana, insects and sundry detritus off the roof it all runs down into a metal or concrete cistern where it sits until it comes out your shower head or faucet. Those cisterns are a genuine ecosystem of microbiology. Nobody dies from that, so I wouldn't worry about your Brita pitcher. That green stuff was probably algae, which some people put into their water as a supplement.

Next topic: cooties

Er...I think the intern was a joke. For one thing, we don't have a business section anymore. Yes, you are cranky tonight. EL

What kind of shirt collars are you wearing that are wide enough for a half-Windsor with modern ties?

Only the best Hal, only the best. I do believe you do not know what a half-Windsor is. A full Windsor is too fat and a four-in-hand is asymmetrical and weak. Fine silk ties a half W quite nicely if you know how to do it.

How's that for snobby?

To refresh your memory on tie knots. Their version of the half-Windsor is weak, mine has a better shape and is more symmetrical, but you get the idea. The four-in-hand is always lopsided.

http://www.indyprops.com/cow/mc-tie-knots.jpg

Er...I think the intern was a joke. For one thing, we don't have a business section anymore. Yes, you are cranky tonight. EL

I'm downright clueless.

Mad props to the Half-Windsor. Neither too big nor too small, just right.

I prefer a full Windsor. Its symmetrical and if it is the right kind of tie (not too thick) it works quite well. And Owl, fine silk ties make a great Windsor.

I've been out of practice though, since down here dressed up means a polo without a logo (or stains) and khakis. I mean, NOBODY here wears a tie no matter how formal or business-like the setting. Tie-wearers here are seen as carpetbaggers, or people you should distrust.

that, and I kinda stink at doing the four-in-hand and half-Windsor.

I feel your pain PCB in Del Boca Vista. Perhaps an ascot?

So, the original post was about poor corporate support of recycling, and turned into fear of bottles. Then you split that out into its own post, which quickly becomes a discussion of the merits of various tie knots. I propose siccing those science editors on a story about whether reading and contributing to blogs results in adult ADD. Or is it the plastic in water bottles?

fizzy - huh?

Ok, ties are not my thing, but I can't see any real difference between the four-in-hand and half-Windsor.

Yes, an ascot. Would be quite stylish. Thanks Owl.

Rosebud, the four-in-hand knot is more oblong than the half-Windsor.

No more interns? What on earth are the Sun employees supposed to eat when the Crapocalypse comes?

The Half Windsor was the official knot in the General Anthony Wayne Junior High eighth grade health class. Boys had to be able to tie it without a mirror, with the thin end between 1/4 and 1/2 inch above the point of the thick end. We were graded on it! Girls were graded too -- on how well they tied it on a boy's neck.

The picture of the ties shows a truly awful half-Windsor. In my reality they are much better and never assymetrical. With some skill you can make them more narrow or more wide as you please. The full Windsor doesn't have that flexibility and the 4-in-hand just doesn't have the structure to accomodate that.

fizzy, the blog doesn't cause ADD, it rewards it. This ain't the debate society. It's logorhea central. Do I really have to say it? Blogorhea.

Re: Bottled water. You could at least have shown a bottle of Dasani since your nephew works for Coke.

I thought that was just tap water. EL

Brother Bim's plug for coke reminds me of the piece I heard on NPR this morning about "Obama Soda" being sold in France. It is popular with young people. When one was asked if he would like a Sarkozy soda, he said "Non."

But, a Sarkozy soda would be wonderful! Listen to that explosive alliteration! Also, his name sounds like a combination of sarcastic and cozy, just the thing for today's hipster youth.

I don't see how it could miss. Unless, of course, you know anything about him.

I like "Polydypsia" for a beverage name. It's not only my favorite medical term (it's just so euphonious) it means excessive thirst - what could be more apt?

Owl Meat Snobby, I do indeed know what a half-Windsor is, and can tie a very nice one. And a four-in-hand can be tied in a much better fashion than you're describing. Which one is appropriate depends on the particular collar and the particular tie.

Joyce W., I think I have polydypsia, although I never knew it before.

Would fans of Polydipsia be dipsomaniacs?

Dipsomaniac fans might have polydipsia. Owl, did you know there are 2 Dipsomaniacs?

Very informative. I really enjoy reading this material and it's explanation about the dangers of plastic water bottle and not off it.