Both are correct?

Well, the story is not very interesting, and I prefer to be mysterious, but if you insist...

I was nicknamed by my work colleagues Taggart, after the irascible, argumentative Glaswegian TV detective of that name. Or "Tag" for short. Why they chose that name for me, I can't imagine.
So, when I chose an A2K handle, I chose McTag to emphasise the Scottish connection. That's all.

Why "Clary"?

Sorry to pry, but it gives me a good insight into your character if you are Taggart!
Clary is a small white flower with healing powers but I am really Clare; when I came to get a hotmail account Clare was taken but Clary (which my family and old friends call me) wasn't. I like being called by my name, makes me feel you are friends out there!

Clary, weren't you Clary Sage for a while? Where'd the "sage" go?

Yes, I thought it sounded a bit pretentious even though it is only a flower! As though I had wisdom coming out of my fingertips!

So where did Piffka come from?

Two explanations, one short & one long.
Someone once gave me a sage plant with kind words about being one, etc. However, I used it to flavor a turkey stuffing and guess I cut it back too far. I like your name both ways, Clary. One of my grandmas was named Clara. It has a beautiful sound.


Piffka is the sound of hot air coming out of a light addled bear of little brain when tapped in her plexus.















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It is also a whimsical way of pronoucing pfk. When I first was online, on the New York Times Abuzz, that ill-fated though still-going forum, I used Mr. Piffka's nom, pfkflyer, because I was unwilling to learn how to make my own.

His explanation, apart from those being his intials, was that PF Flyers were an old brand of "canvas" shoe or sneaker. Here's a photo... you can see how some one might love these.
However, they may be the shoes that exacerbated problems with Mr.Piffka's very flat feet since it is my understanding that he wore them a lot. Anyway, when we were first online, on AOL, he wanted pfflyer but it wasn't available so he settled for the other.

It worked well because we were a "pair" -- just like a pair of shoes. Also sneakers is a fun words to say and PF Flyers had a cute slogan... Run Faster... Jump Higher.





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<In the long run (Get it, long run?) I prefer the first. It is just as accurate and frankly I'm a little bit offended by that "historic" dig. >

I was happily surprised to see while doing my little bit of research that PF Flyers are again available and with New Balance technology. All of my sneakers have been New Balance since I ruptured my A. tendon (my soccer//your football) and had to learn to be careful. They are very good.

How about I learned the area where I live got its power cut?

That seems clearer to me.....

Pfk, what an interesting history you have! All down to a couple of old canvas shoes. I feel very uninventive!

Bi=polar, that sentence of yours doesn't make sense to me. Are we talking about a single power cut or several, a tendency?

Re: Both are correct?
Clary -- <grin> Well don't feel that way, most of the history is not mine at all. I have never had a pair of PF Flyers!



Hmmm. "Got" is such an unattractive word in this usage. It is also colloquial. The point is made, but my preference would be "had" if the event were in the past, "has" if it is current, or "will have" if it is expected to happen in the future.

Adding BPB's "its" makes sense to me, Clary, but that's probably because both he and I are from the states where whole areas may lose power which we sometimes take personally. Found and learned seem fairly interchangeable and could also be replaced by read, heard, saw, was told, etc.

Do the outlying areas of the UK lose power often? Do parts of China?