Guinness has it's world's records for everything; thus I've been thinking about establishing my own "bests" in the world...not records to be broken, but the "bests"...like the best car, the best plane, the best ball point pen, the best invention, the best condom, the best actor or actress (ever), the best writer, and so forth and so on. Right now, since I'm writing, 
I will decide what the best language is for writing--literature--like plays and novels, etc. Arabic and Hebrew are too esoteric and limited; Russian, also--though better than the latter two. Spanish and Italian are beautiful, but too many words end in vowels; nice for rhyming, but not for prose. German is too guttural and French too effeminate. Chinese and Japanese are OK for their citizens, but for us only OK on translated restaurant menus. And Greek is Greek to me. That leaves one great language for literature--English. Oh, I know that some good...even great...books and poetry have been written in other languages, but not to the extent and power of works created by writers in English. And while I'm at it, I am nominating the greatest writer in the history of the world--William Shakespeare. Have you a better? No way.
I will decide what the best language is for writing--literature--like plays and novels, etc. Arabic and Hebrew are too esoteric and limited; Russian, also--though better than the latter two. Spanish and Italian are beautiful, but too many words end in vowels; nice for rhyming, but not for prose. German is too guttural and French too effeminate. Chinese and Japanese are OK for their citizens, but for us only OK on translated restaurant menus. And Greek is Greek to me. That leaves one great language for literature--English. Oh, I know that some good...even great...books and poetry have been written in other languages, but not to the extent and power of works created by writers in English. And while I'm at it, I am nominating the greatest writer in the history of the world--William Shakespeare. Have you a better? No way.Speaking of restaurants (which I did) what is the greatest and best food in the world. I'm setting up the criteria as the most tasty and delicious--comfort food; not necessarily the "healthiest". So let's go back a thousand years. How about "manna"? Raw fish or meat? Drumsticks? Matzoh? No. None of these. The "best" will be in one of the 21st Century foods. I don't think it would be hummus or filafel. Spaghetti and meatballs? Possibly. Outback steak? Hardly. Nathan's hot dogs and fries? Now there's a tempting one. Chocolate ice cream? That's a dessert. No. The very best food on the face of the earth, comes from the sea--lobster; the bigger the better. Have you a better? No way.
Meanwhile think about the Best Invention in the History of theWorld. I'll tackle that one tomorrow. But you can comment first if you choose to.
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Best Invention in the History of the World? In my former place of employment, there was a Government electronic bulletin board for scientists and "computer nerds," and they posed the same topic. Nominations came in for such things as wheel, airplane, computer, phone, antibiotics, etc. My entry was:
"The best invention ever was the creation of the Tree of Knowledge, without which no other invention would have occurred. Oh, wait, I think I'm on the wrong discussion board."
MMMMMM Lobster......what a great indulgence food. to bad it is so expensive anywhere but the northeast. I still remember going to Maine for the Launching of the USS Higgins and seeing signs on the side of the road that said "Lobster $3.99 a pound".
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