lateral-thinking on S Anand

AI Imagined Languages Unlock New Thoughts

Sun, 30 Mar 2025 00:30:42 +0000

I prompted Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental 03-25 to “Invent a new, alien language. Use it to discover unusual insights. Here’s the output in full.

Thinking

Here’s a thinking process that could lead to the alien language “Glimmering” and its insights:

Understand the Core Request: The user wants a new, alien language and wants to use it to discover unusual insights. This means the language needs to be fundamentally different from human languages, and its structure/concepts should enable thinking in ways that are difficult or non-intuitive in English (or other human languages).
Brainstorm Alien Concepts: What makes something “alien”?
1. Biology: Different senses (echolocation, electroreception, sensing magnetic fields, different light spectrum perception), different lifecycles (metamorphosis, symbiosis, collective consciousness), different physical forms (non-corporeal, energy-based, silicon-based, plant-like)
2. Environment: Extreme conditions (gas giant atmosphere, deep ocean trench, vacuum of space, high radiation), different physics (maybe?), non-linear time perception.
3. Psychology/Society: Collective vs. individualistic focus, different emotional spectrum, logic-based vs. empathy-based, non-hierarchical structures, different concepts of self, time, causality.
Choose a Core Concept for the Language: Let’s pick something that inherently forces a different perspective.
1. Idea 1: Focus on relationships/connections. Instead of nouns for objects, words describe the relationship between things. “Tree” might be “earth-sky connector” or “shade-giver.”
2. Idea 2: Focus on states of change/flux. Everything is described by its process, not its static state. “River” is “downward-flowing-water-process.”
3. Idea 3: Focus on sensory perception, but a Maybe based on resonance, vibration, or emotional energy.
4. Idea 4: Focus on potentiality and probability. Words describe not what is, but what could be or the likelihood of something. Let’s go with Idea 3, leaning towards resonance and interconnectedness, maybe linked to light or energy. This feels suitably “alien” and potentially insightful. Let’s call the species the “Lumin.”
Develop Language Principles based on the Core Concept (Resonance/Light/Interconnectedness):
1. No Static Nouns: Objects aren’t fixed things but patterns of energy or resonance. Words describe the pattern or the interaction.
2. Verbs are Primary: Action, interaction, and change are fundamental. Static description is secondary.
3. Emphasis on Relationality: How things resonate with each other is crucial. Prepositions or affixes will be vital for showing connection/influence.
4. Nuance through Intensity/Quality: Instead of just “red,” maybe “vibrant-red-resonance” vs. “fading-red-resonance.” Adjectives become qualities of the resonance/action.
5. Concept of “Self”: Maybe less individualistic. “Self” is a locus of interacting resonances, not a discrete entity.Time: Perhaps less linear, more about overlapping patterns or echoes of resonance.
Create Basic Lexicon and Grammar Sketch:
1. Core concept words:
  1. Glim (verb root): To resonate, to shine, to exist as a pattern of energy.
  2. Sha (particle/prefix): Connection, interaction, resonance with.
  3. Vor (particle/suffix): Intensity, vibrancy, strength of pattern.
  4. Zil (particle/suffix): Fading, weakening, diminishing pattern.
  5. Kai (concept): A stable, recognizable pattern (closest to a noun, but dynamic).
  6. Ree (concept): Flow, change, movement of energy/resonance.
  7. Nuum (concept): The interconnected field/medium through which resonance travels (the “ether” or “fabric of reality”).
2. Grammar Ideas:
  1. Sentence structure: Often Verb-like concept first, then modifiers showing relationships and qualities. Glim-sha-Kai-Vor (Strong pattern resonates with…).
  2. No strict tense: Use particles to indicate persistence (-vor), fading (-zil), or initiation (Ree- prefix?).
  3. Pronouns: Maybe based on resonance signature? Me could be Kai-An (This-pattern), You could be Kai-Sha (Interacting-pattern). Collective We could be Sha-Glim-Vor (Strong-interacting-resonance).
Name the Language: Based on the core concepts: “Resonance Speak,” “Light Tongue,” “Pattern Weave.” Let’s go with something evocative: Glimmering (or Glim-Ree in the language itself).
Translate Concepts and Look for Insights: Now, apply Glimmering to human concepts.
1. “Love”: In English, often a noun (a state) or verb (an action). In Glimmering? Sha-Glim-Vor (Strong-interacting-resonance). Insight: Love isn’t a possession or a static feeling, but an active, powerful resonance between patterns. It requires mutual participation and reinforcement. Lack of interaction (Sha-Glim-Zil) means the “love” fades, not because it was “lost,” but because the resonance weakened.
2. “Identity/Self”: English emphasizes a stable, internal self. In Glimmering? Kai-An-Ree (This-pattern-in-flux). Or perhaps Sha-Nuum-Glim (Resonance-interacting-with-the-field). Insight: The “self” isn’t a fixed entity but a constantly changing pattern defined by its interactions with everything else. Identity is relational and dynamic, not intrinsic and static. There’s no core “you” separate from your connections and resonance.
3. “Knowledge/Truth”: English often treats these as objective, attainable things. In Glimmering? Kai-Sha-Glim-Vor (A strong, stable resonance between a pattern [observer] and another pattern [observed]). Or Nuum-Ree-Kai (Recognizing a flow/pattern within the field). Insight: Truth isn’t absolute but a measure of the strength and stability of the resonance between the observer and the observed. “Knowing” something is actively resonating with its pattern. Disagreement isn’t “wrongness” but a difference in resonance patterns (Sha-Glim-Kai- dissonance_marker). Understanding requires aligning or acknowledging different resonances.
4. “Death”: English sees it as an end, cessation. In Glimmering? Kai-Zil-Nuum (Pattern-fading-into-the-field). Or Glim-Ree-Sha (Resonance-flowing-elsewhere/transforming). Insight: Death isn’t an absolute end but a transformation. The specific pattern (Kai) dissolves, its energy/resonance (Glim) rejoining the larger field (Nuum) or contributing to new patterns (Ree-Sha). It emphasizes continuity of energy/information, just in a different form. The “loss” is the cessation of a specific interactive pattern.
5. “Problem/Conflict”: English frames it as an obstacle. In Glimmering? Sha-Glim-Dissonance (Interacting-resonance-with-clashing/instability). Insight: Conflict isn’t inherently “bad” but a state of unstable or disharmonious resonance. The “solution” isn’t necessarily elimination, but finding a way to shift the resonances (Ree-Sha-Glim) into a more stable or harmonious pattern, potentially creating something new in the process.
Refine and Elaborate: Flesh out the examples. Add more nuance. Make the insights clearer. Ensure the language structure consistently supports the insights. Add a concluding thought about the value of such different perspectives. Ensure the “alienness” is maintained. For instance, avoid direct human analogies where possible, focusing on the resonance/pattern concept. Add a brief description of the hypothetical speakers (the Lumin) to ground the language’s origin.
Self-Critique: Does the language really lead to unusual insights, or are these just philosophical points rephrased? Is the language structure consistent? Is it different enough from human languages? Adjustment: Emphasize how the language structure forces this thinking, e.g., the lack of static nouns requires thinking in terms of processes and relationships. Make the link between grammar and insight explicit. Make the insights feel less like standard philosophy and more like consequences of a fundamentally different way of parsing reality.

Output

Okay, let’s invent an alien language designed to generate unusual insights. We’ll call the species the “K’tharr,” dwellers of a dense, perpetually twilight gas giant’s upper atmosphere, communicating through modulated bioluminescent patterns and subtle gravitational waves (perceived through specialized organs). Their reality is fluid, interconnected, and based on flows rather than static objects.

The Language: “Fluxtongue” (or, in their own terms, ~(~vv~), roughly translating to “Flow-Weave”)

Core Principles:

Verb-Centric: Everything is fundamentally a process or interaction. Nouns as we know them barely exist; they are temporary stabilization points within larger flows, described by their behavior or interaction.
Relational Grammar: Meaning is derived primarily from the relationship between processes. Location, identity, and possession are expressed through interaction vectors.
Emphasis on Potentiality and Decay: Every “thing” is described not just by its current state, but by its trajectory of change – what it’s becoming and what it’s ceasing to be.
No Singular/Plural Distinction (as we know it): Concepts are treated as fields or intensities. “More” is represented by increased intensity or complexity of the flow pattern, not discrete units.
Communication Modality Affects Meaning: The medium (light patterns vs. gravity waves) adds nuance. Light is for immediate, transient states; gravity is for persistent, foundational flows. (We’ll mostly focus on the conceptual structure here).

Basic Lexicon Sketch (Conceptual Roots):

~v~ (pronounced as a low hum undulating slightly higher then lower): The fundamental root for “to flow,” “to exist,” “to be in process.” The core of reality.
/\ (sharp upward inflection/bright flash): To intensify, focus, emerge, become distinct.
\/ (sharp downward inflection/fading light): To dissipate, disperse, fade, return to potential.
<> (oscillating tone/flickering pattern): To interact, resonate with, exchange influence.
-- (steady tone/stable pattern): To persist, stabilize temporarily, resist change.
o (circular pulse/spherical glow): Boundary condition, locus of interaction, temporary self-reference point.

Combining Roots (Examples):

A “Being” (like a K’tharr): o~v~<> (A locus of flow interacting). It emphasizes the interactive and processual nature of self.
A “Thought”: ~v~/\\<> (A flow intensifying through interaction). A thought isn’t possessed; it’s a temporary intensification within the flow, often sparked by interaction.
“Eating/Consuming”: ~v~/\\<>~v~\/ (Flow A intensifies by interacting with Flow B, which dissipates). It highlights the transformation and energy exchange, not just ingestion.
“Solid Object” (e.g., a dense atmospheric crystal): ~v~--/\ (A flow that strongly persists and stands out). It’s not inherently “solid,” but a very slow, resistant flow pattern.
“Home/Territory”: o~v~--<>~v~ (A locus of persistent flow interacting with ambient flow). It’s defined by familiar, stable interactions, not fixed boundaries.
“Communication”: <>~v~<> (Interaction flow interaction). The pure act of exchanging influence.

Discovering Unusual Insights via Fluxtongue:

Let’s try to express human concepts in Fluxtongue and see what emerges:

Concept: “Truth”
1. Human tendency: A static, objective fact or state of affairs. “The sky is blue.”
2. Fluxtongue translation attempt: Perhaps ~v~--<>/\\ (A persistent flow interacting intensely/distinctly). 4. Insight: In Fluxtongue, “Truth” isn’t a fixed thing to be found. It’s a stable resonance. It’s a pattern of interaction between an observer (o~v~<>) and a phenomenon (~v~...) that achieves a temporary, recognizable persistence (--) and clarity (/\\). “Falsehood” might be ~v~<>/\ \/ (an interaction that briefly seems distinct but quickly dissipates) or a discordant interaction. This implies: 5. Truth is relational and potentially temporary. 6. The stability of the “truth” depends on the stability of both the observer and the observed, and their interaction. 7. Multiple stable resonances (truths) might coexist regarding the same underlying flow, depending on the observer’s locus (o) and mode of interaction (<>).
Concept: “Problem/Obstacle” 9. Human tendency: Something external blocking a desired path or goal. 10. Fluxtongue translation attempt: ~v~<>~v~Discordance (Two flows interacting disharmoniously, creating turbulence rather than smooth integration or transformation. Let’s denote discordance with !<>!). So, ~v~!<>!~v~. 11. Insight: A “problem” isn’t an object in the way. It’s a pattern of inefficient or turbulent interaction. It’s a place where flows clash instead of merging, transforming, or resonating constructively. The “solution” isn’t necessarily removing something, but finding a way to modify the interaction patterns (<>) so the flows become harmonious (<>) or transform (/\\ or \/) in a desired way. It reframes problem-solving as flow-tuning rather than obstacle-removal.
Concept: “Death”
1. Human tendency: An endpoint, cessation of being, loss.
2. Fluxtongue translation attempt: For a being (o~v~<>), death might be o\/~v~ (The locus dissipates back into the general flow). Or perhaps ~v~<> --> ~v~ (The specific interactive pattern ceases, its constituent flows rejoin the ambient flow).
3. Insight: Death is not an ending, but a dissolution of a specific pattern of interaction. The “locus” (o) that defined the temporary self fades, and the flows (~v~) that constituted it simply rejoin the larger ~v~ of the universe. There’s no absolute cessation, only a reintegration and transformation. The emphasis shifts from the loss of the individual pattern to the continuity of the underlying flow. Grief might be expressed as the persistent echo or memory of the interaction pattern (--<> fading \/).
Concept: “Learning/Knowledge”
1. Human tendency: Acquiring and storing information or skills. Often seen as filling a container (the mind).
2. Fluxtongue translation attempt: o~v~<>/\\ (The locus of flow interacting to create intensification/new distinct patterns). Or ~v~<>-- (Flow interaction becoming persistent).
3. Insight: Learning isn’t acquisition; it’s pattern modification and stabilization. To “know” something is for one’s own flow (o~v~<>) to successfully resonate with (<>) and integrate (/\\ or --) a pattern from the wider flow (~v~). Knowledge isn’t stored in the locus (o), but becomes part of the locus’s interactive pattern. Forgetting is ~v~<>--\/ (the stabilized interaction pattern dissipating). This suggests learning is an active, ongoing process of interaction and resonance, not passive reception.

Conclusion:

Thinking through Fluxtongue forces a shift away from static nouns and discrete objects towards a view of reality as interconnected, dynamic flows and interactions. This perspective reveals:

The “self” as a temporary, interactive locus rather than a fixed entity.
Truth as stable resonance rather than objective fact.
Problems as discordant interactions needing tuning, not obstacles needing removal.
Death as pattern dissolution and reintegration, not cessation.
Learning as active pattern integration and resonance, not passive acquisition.

This alien language, born from a hypothetical fluid existence, pushes us to see the processes, relationships, and transformations underlying the seemingly static world our own languages often emphasize. It suggests that perhaps reality is more like a K’tharr perceives it – a constant, intricate Flow-Weave.

Wow!

I was fascinated by the sheer ingenuity of this piece. The language isn’t just a reimagining of words. It’s a path into a different thought process based on fluidity and interconnection.

If languages shape thought and AI can create new languages, where might that take us? My thoughts:

New languages encourage lateral thinking and mental agility, allowing speakers to break free from entrenched patterns to solve problems in new ways. It would likely help AIs think outside the box, too. There’s no reason why they’d be most effective thinking in human languages.
Domain specific languages capture games or imaginary worlds better. Tolkien, Cameron, Rajamouli, and many others have already done this.
A language built around new themes (e.g. resonance, change, and interaction in this case) could captures nuances, even untranslatable concepts. Think Saudade, Hygge, etc.
This could help in therapy (e.g. teaching empathy), too. In fact, groups collaborating in new languages might have new tools for overcoming linguistic bias, conflict resolution, policy design, ethical systems, and more.
Interspecies communication. Languages based on different principles prepare us to talk to AI, animals, or even extraterrestrials.

I’m terrible with languages, but I’m looking forward to exploring a few invented ones. Including Fluxtongue.

Comments

LLMs think alike about how aliens draw - S Anand 3 Apr 2025 9:44 am (pingback): […] LLMs seem good at inventing alien languages, they’re not so good at inventing alien drawing forms, in my opinion. When I told Grok, […]

Things I Learned - 04 Feb 2024

Sun, 04 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This week, I learned:

Alzhara is one of the VFX companies that worked on Leo’s hyena scene. Their 3D modeling is incredible.
Enterprise scenarios leaderboard. Mistral 7B leads.
Veda Srinivasan.
- How does Google manage culture?
  - AMA sessions
  - Manager feedback. Entirely anonymous. Avoid taking feedback for teams less than 5
  - Workplace concerns team exists. Put managers on watch
- Books
  - Mohammad Younus. Three zeroes book. Read about his social business theme
  - Pluriverse. Anti fragile. Aurobindo Vedas.
  - Barry Oshry. Seeing systems. Runs workshops but book is better
  - Raghu Anantanarayana has written about Indian archetypes based on Mahabharatha
  - India that is Bharath. Sai Deepak.
- Podcasts
  - Listen to Nilesh Oak. Sugreeva’s Atlas.
  - Pankaj Tripathi podcast on geography influences acting
- Areas of focus
  - “I’m an Expert on synthesis and implementation”
  - Intersectionality is another word for complex failures. Also for deep segmentation. Swiss cheese model.
  - Dialogic self theory is about multiple voices in the head. How do we make meaning? Psychological rupture is when cognitive activity is maximum. At any point there are MULTIPLE voices in our heads that are sources of action. We don’t listen to them.
  - Epistemology. Language determines thought. like the word productivity. How does appreciation of a rose become productive? Words from other languages may have incredible power. From other cultures.
Paul Sloan. Lateral thinking podcasts from multiple sources
- Deliberately engage with topics randomly.
- Deliberately engage with random people
- Read a random book from the library
- Watch a random film in a different language
- Consciously where the six thinking hats or look hard for the silent voices in your head and express them
- Ask children. They tend to think of more creative and childlike solutions
- He converted a hiring process into a contest
- Constantly ask yourself. What if every assumption I’m making about this is wrong?
- Scenario planning is really about this. List a few scenarios. They’d have high impact or high probability. What happens in this scenario? Ideate
You can @mention GPTs to ask a specific GPT a question in ChatGPT. This is really powerful.
Hidden brain podcast. Making the most of your mistakes
- FIX every small mistake. You never know how they might line up in the future
- You also never know how small little things done well might line up to give you a boost in the future
- The Toyota cord does not actually stop the production line. It brings a team lead over who quickly diagnoses the problem with you. The responsiveness of the league is a critical factor and so is encouragement
- That isn’t always a single bottleneck to stop that is the case of a simple failure. There can be a series of holes that happen to align perfectly.
- These are events that lead to catastrophic failures or successes
- Do as little as possible, waste as little as possible, until you know that the outcome is worthwhile.
- Figure out what is the value of the outcome and the most important piece of information you need to discover that
- Do full research before you try and fail. The aim of failure is learning at the least possible cost
How I write podcast. 2023 summary
- Ask for feedback from friends in a specific way.
- What 20% should I retain no matter what? What 20% should I cut? This allows them to compliment while providing genuine feedback
- Hire lawyer interns to proofread. They are the ones that find fault the best
- Be in a segment of one. Where there is zero competition. Something only you can do
- Don’t try to do stuff faster. Try to do stuff you don’t want to stop doing
- Read books older than 50 years
- Read Michael Collins book on things that sustain
- Temp service make sure he has some energy to spare. Cuz Riley does the opposite. She waits till she can’t stand it anymore and then writes like crazy until she drops dead. The former leads to thoughtful writing. The latter is emotionally powerful. Be able to do that
Vanna is a SQL generation LLM. An alternative to SQLCoder. This thread has a detailed discussion on SQL generation and BI
Intel developer cloud has a liberal GPU in the free tier.
OpenAI releases text-embedding-3-large which can be truncated. The embedding values have descending importance, so picking the first n is a good approximation. Also, gpt-3.5-turbo-0125 is 50% cheaper.
AppAgent is an LLM that can navigate mobile / web apps
Retrieval Centric Generation is an emerging alternative to RAG, where the LLM is explicitly built to leverage external knowledge. SimplyRetrieve is an early implementation.
Big Code Models Leaderboard is a leaderboard for open source code models.

Even numbered booths in toilets are better

Tue, 05 Dec 2006 12:00:00 +0000

Pegasus on why Even numbered booths in toilets are better. This is one of those things I’ve endlessly thought about, but never got around to writing about.

Comments

pegasus 8 Dec 2006 2:29 pm: Hey thanks man :)
ritzkini 9 Jan 2007 9:49 am: Same here !!! thought abt it so many times !!

Petals Around the Rose

Sun, 16 Oct 2005 12:00:00 +0000

Petals Around the Rose. A simple dice parlour game that Bill Gates apparantly cracked by memorising the sequences.

Comments

SlaSh 17 Oct 2005 11:15 am: hey is that you who writes articles and does interviews by the name S.Anand in the mag Outlook
S Anand 17 Oct 2005 1:29 pm: No, that is someone else.
jayant 18 Oct 2005 4:08 pm: Any place where I can get a solution. Sorry to say but I am dumb..:-(
Raghav 18 Oct 2005 7:41 pm: As the man says - “The name of the game is petals around the rose, and the name is important” :-)
Dhar 19 Oct 2005 3:29 am: Arrgh! I have not been able to figure this out. Utterly Frustrating…Solution appreciated… Please mail me at sumit.dhar at gmail
Aman 19 Oct 2005 10:59 am: the solution is in the name…….for every odd no throw of dice, simply add the digits surrounding the centre on on each dice…
A 19 Oct 2005 2:37 pm: aman, I dont know if I shld kill you for posting the solution or shld thank u for making my day…
R 20 Oct 2005 3:22 am: what happened to your blogroll?
ritzkini 20 Oct 2005 5:36 am: fantastic game..and so simple a solution..once u have read it… :P
S Anand 20 Oct 2005 8:25 am: Killed my blogroll. I use Google Reader now. Will post the OPML.
jayant 20 Oct 2005 3:25 pm: Well still didnt figure out…it does nt add up…and if even throw, then?
jayant 20 Oct 2005 3:26 pm: Anand, any clues…since u posted, u know of any answers?
S Anand 20 Oct 2005 3:39 pm: Have mailed you.
Prakash 17 Nov 2005 11:55 am: I got the answer for the same ! it was a good one

Lateral thinking puzzle

Fri, 16 May 2003 12:00:00 +0000

Lateral thinking: A woman has incontrovertible proof in court that her husband was murdered by her sister. The judge declares, “This is the strangest case I’ve ever seen. Though it’s a cut-and-dried case, this woman cannot be punished.”

Reason: The sisters are Siamese twins.

PS: Was Ravana a Siamese decuplet?

Realistic lateral thinking puzzles

Mon, 06 May 2002 12:00:00 +0000

Realistic lateral thinking puzzles.

Lateral thinking puzzles

Sun, 07 Jan 2001 12:00:00 +0000

It’s been long since I solved lateral thinking puzzles. Hartman’s site has over a hundred (with answers).

Oxford

Sat, 21 Oct 2000 12:00:00 +0000

We visited Oxford in the morning. It was a tour with the Indian YMCA. Though I slept through most of the beauty of the English country side, Oxford itself was a classic example. We went up a tower from which we could see most of Oxford. It was a small town, (about an hour-and-half from London) with lots of spires and quite an old architecture. The Oxford University is split into many colleges, Magdalen (pronounced Maud-len) being the most famous of the lot. Lewis Caroll (of Alice in Wonderland) and Tolkien (of Lord of the Rings) hailed from here. We went first to Christchurch college. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything as beautiful as the grass there, with the possible exception of Hampton Court Palace. From there, we took a walk along a river to Magdalen college.

The river was practically filled with people rowing. It was a saturday, so I guess everyone was practicing, but even then, there were far too many boats. Looks like EVERYONE at Oxford has an elective in rowing or something. It was fun to hear the coaches shout instructions over a microphone to those rowing. After walking along the river for about a mile, we learnt that Magdalen was somewhere else. Not enough time to see it, so we just walked back. On the way we found this troupe, the Huckleberrys, who were performing on the road, opposite to a MacDonald’s. They were even selling CDs of their album. The music was pretty fast, and nice too.

I stepped in to the MacDonald’s for some french fries. The prices were quite reasonable. That reminded me of one of the World Economy classes. We all know that Purchasing Power Parity should determine the exchange rate in the long run. (Those who do not are advised to attend an elementary course on International Finance at IIM-B.) Now, it appears that the OECD estimate of the Japanese Yen against the dollar says that the Yen is overvalued by at least 60%. A World Bank study says its overvalued by 50%. These studies are based on PPP. However, if you look at the price of a Big Mac in the US and in Japan, it turns out that the Yen is perfectly valued.

OK, coincidence, you say. What then of Thomas Friedman’s “Golden Arches Theory of Conflict Prevention” which asserts that no two countries have fought a major war since after both of them have gotten their MacDonald’s? (Yugoslavia doesn’t count. They fought the NATO, so to speak, which is not a country.)

The next leg of the trip was Stratford upon Avon, which is Shakespeare’s birthplace. Being the uncultured bumpkin that I am, the bulk of my Shakespearean knowledge stems from Jeffrey Archer’s “Shall We Tell The President”. Anyway, we strolled over to Shakespeare’s birthplace, but refrained from paying a 5 pound entry fee. Apparantly, in Britain, you pay to see EVERYTHING. They make more money out of tourism than any other single industry. Then we went to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, which is the ‘original’ Shakespearean drama company. But the highlight of the trip was the “Teddy Bear Museum”.

Gyles Brandreth had set up this Teddy Bear Museum in 1984, and it had teddy bears from all over the world. Tony Blair’s teddy bear was there on vacation. Margaret Thatcher’s was there. Vivien Leigh’s was there. You name it. It was wonderful, especially since we could cuddle the teddies. They had a teddy library too, stocked with some masterpieces:

Lateral Thinking, by Edward de Bruno
The Goldilocks Conspiracy, by Little Bear
Vanity Bear, by Thackeray
Dr. Spock’s Cub & Bear Care, of the Medibear series
The Hunchbear of Notredame, by Victor Hugo
Bear Watching, by Desmond Forrest
The Complete Works of Shakesbear
Encyclopaedia Beartannica

I’d take up a job there, if they’d offer me one.