Semicolons: How do you feel about them?

Anyone who's suffered through one of my fics (long sentences, mostly punctuated with hyphens and commas, because I do tend to run on) or a beta from me (lots of strike-outs), might be aware of the fact that I hate the semicolon.

To be more precise, I prefer to confine its use to more formal writing. In short stories and fic, I avoid it with a passion that is otherwise reserved for adverbs.

This article from the New York Times is slowly steeping its way through the sleep-deprived, decaffeinated haze that is my brain right now, and I'm reconsidering the semicolon. There may be a time and place for it ... somewhere between caffeine and ethanol, I suppose.

As quoted in the article: “When Hemingway killed himself he put a period at the end of his life,” Kurt Vonnegut once said. “Old age is more like a semicolon.”

What do you think?

Several things! Very important announcements! Caffeine!

First, angela_snape asked celandineb for a teenyfic for me ... and it's amazing! Overtime (Bill/Harry/Severus, adult and really freaking hot) ... shoo! Go and read it! It's fabulous!

Second, a very happy birthday to who_la_hoop for tomorrow - I want to say that now, because otherwise I might miss it! And happy birthday to anyone else that I've missed ... I'm so sorry! I'm such a flitterbrain, I somehow spaced out through the first half of February. Possibly some of January as well... I'm about caught up with my fest writing, though, so if you want to leave a one word prompt and a pairing, I'd love to write something for you. I'm still super-far-behind, so it might be a while, but ... it will happen eventually!

Third ... caffeine! It's wonderful! I love Earl Grey tea, and I want you all to know it. :)

Fourth - it's recruitment weekend, which means I probably won't be around very much, if at all! Happy weekend, darling flist!