Last modified: Saturday, June 21, 2008 1:22 AM EDT D'ARCONTE: People of few words My daughter, Elisa, is learning signing as a way to communicate with the deaf and hard of hearing, and she has a few customers like that at The Breakfast Place in Attleboro where she works. Other members of her family are learning it as well, because it's also a good way for people who can hear to communicate across a crowded room. All families should have a "secret" way of communicating. It's a good tradition. I'm a student of hand and body gestures and love to learn about them and their history, and how they are interpreted in different parts of the world. My idea is that everyone in the family should learn Taki-Taki. Unlike English, which has about 250,000 words, the most of any language, Taki-Taki is spoken in Suriname and only has a few hundred words. We should be fluent in Taki-Taki by the end of the month, although I'm having a hard time finding a vocabulary list. So, enrollment for my TTSL course - Taki-Taki As a Second Language - is now officially open. Political strategies The dice are cast in the presidential race, but I wouldn't rule out any surprises. If Obama can just push the right buttons and get McCain to explode with his legendary temper, like Jack Nicholson at the end of the movie "A Few Good Men," we'll find out what he's really like. And if the GOP have done their jobs, and I'd count on it, they'll soon be all over Obama and they'll be telling us in scathing terms what he's really like. Meanwhile, Hillary sits on the sidelines waiting to pick up the pieces, or to become the next Condoleeza Rice. Thanks for the papers "Picked up these three complimentary papers over the Memorial Day weekend while we were attending the Laconia National Car Show at the Gunstock Ski Area in Guilford, N.H.," says a note with papers from John and Judy Buchanan. Ain't that the truth I was talking to a guy from the Midwest the other day and he said, enviously, that we own the pro sports world in New England. With the Celtics, Sox, Pats, and top colleges, he got that right. I was talking with another guy and he asked when I was going to write about my pepper garden. Well, it's in, a modest little plot of 30 jalapeno, anjo, cayenne, Asian ornamentals and habaneros. Last week's searing temperatures were enough to make them angry, and hotter, and if I sadistically deprive them of a little water now and then they'll retain that capiscin fury. Thanks for the cuddlers Thanks to the person who anonymously dropped off four bears for Bears on Board that brings our grand total of bears to 5,279. Bears on Board is a program of the Greater Attleboro Councl for Children. The bears - new, please - are given to local police officers, firefighters and ambulance crews to give to children in crises. Quote of the week "Government secrecy breeds stupidity." - Syndicated columnist George Will. See you next week. ORESTE P. D'ARCONTE is publisher of The Sun Chronicle. Reach him at 508.236.0394 or at darconte@thesunchronicle.com.