The annoying: "President Obama upheld a presidential tradition and pardoned the official White House turkey yesterday in Washington."
Now isn't that a harsh word for this innocent, self-sacrificing fowl? Did the turkey offend anyone? Did he help spread disease? Well then why does it need official forgiveness? The verb 'to pardon' means :to release (a person) from liability for an offense, to remit the penalty of (an offense). That turkey is no person is it? Does he have free will? I sure hope not X 2. So instead of pardoning the feathery fellow why not adopt him? Let him off easy? Excuse him from dinner?
No, wait. Why does this 'tradition' exist in the first place?
The agreeable: "London Bridge Tower will soon be the UK's tallest building and as is customary for modern skyscrapers, has a nickname based on its shape - the Shard. It will join the Gherkin, the Razor and the Filing Cabinet, with the Cucumber and Cheese Grater to come."
Don't you just love it when people poke loving fun at their environment? I guess this is pretty much contemporary, since back in the days all buildings were like Chinese schoolchildren - same size, serving the same purpose and a bit yellowish, so I guess people referred to them as numbers. I think everything on the street should have a nickname, because when I point at 'this' or 'that', the exact object I'm talking about never seems to be clear to my conversation partner. So, besides the Filing Cabinet and his friends, there's the KFC bucket on a stick, the Eyesore, the Milk Carton, the Sugar Shaker, the Flask, the Cat Tower, the Torch or the Plunger. So basically anything you have in your kitchen at any time can serve as an inspiration for a future skyscraper. Sweet. (I'm anticipating a Rolling Pin.)
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