Living In the World, Not on It

I found it! April 2004, if you can believe it! I have years - YEARS! - of blogging ahead of myself to try to catch up to the currect time I began answering the Saturday Six and Sunday Seven. My friends will tell you that I’m usually running about ten minutes behind schedule. I’ll take advantage of that lovable tardiness and turn the Friday Five into the Saturday Six. Give ‘em a try. 1. Name the last movie you watched on DVD. The last movie I watched on DVD was The Fifth Element , just yesterday (30 August 2008). I love that movie. 2. If you could spend one day as: A) a member of the opposite sex B) a member of a different race C) a member of the opposite sex AND different race D) an animal… which would you pick and why? I would have to go with being a member of the opposite sex; I'm the most curious about what it is like to be a man and have to conform to their way of doing things. It would make understanding my husband a lot easier! 3. If you won the lottery and received $200 mill...

This week’s question was inspired by one of those “fun facts” columns in a local news weekly. There’s no list for you to look at; instead, this week’s question requires that you have a look around your own home! THIS WEEK’S QUESTION: Name seven things in your home that you have at least seven of. 1. Yankee (and other companies') candles 2. Sensa pens (I have a massive collection) 3. Boxes of Twinings Lady Grey Tea Bags 4. Remote contols to all entertainment-related electronics 5. handwritten letters that need answering 6. pairs of clogs (what? Too much?) 7. Old Farmers Alamanac issues (more like 100+ - the collection begins in 1814 and ranges to 2008) 8. (BONUS ITEM) Parsippany's Rockaway Neck First Aid squad shirts That was too easy!

For some reason, there is no way to get the image as a whole. But it is cute none-the-less! Happy Labour Day to you, too!

How often do you talk to your siblings? Never. I haven't any. 2. How well do you deal when given an ultimatum? About as well as anyone should, given those circumstances. Employees love that. They like to threaten to leave. Well, I tell them, "You need to do what is best for you." Please feel free to leave if you don't wish to be here. Good luck and best wishes and don't let the door... well, you get the idea... 3. Have you ever dated someone or had a lover who had an emotional or mental disorder? I wonder sometimes. I really do. If I did, I was unaware of it at the time. 4. How do you feel about crossdressing? Whatever floats your boat. As long as I'm not required to do it, too. Although you can't blame men for wanting to be on our side... we have far more choices than they do. 5. Have you ever lied about the number of sexual partners you have had to someone? Why? No, but the number is not so high as to be scary and not so low that I am embarressed. 6. Doe...

We had a call last night for a patient at the Saturday night mass at St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church in Parsippany. The poor patient, very sweet, was having some pain. We showed up, got in to the patient and began a rapid assessment. I had noticed when I came in with a woman who'd been waiting outside with us that the priest had not so much as hesitated or slowed in his sermonizing to the waiting masses. While we were trying for a blood pressure, I heard a funny pop sound and realised that the stops on the organ had been pulled but before I could verbalise it, the organist began banging away at the stupid pipe organ and Mike could not hear the patient's bp too well. As we worked on the patient and loaded him up to go, I noticed with increasing dismay that the clergy and the participants and viewers alike showed no interest in us or the patient. It was really quite shocking and not just a little sleazy. So this is the spirit of love that Catholics espouse but clearly don...

August 29, 2008 - Four For Friday Q1 - School Bus: In order to meet the demands associated with its $17 million budget deficit, the Humble, Texas, Independent School District is now selling advertising space on their school buses. According to local news reports, auto dealers, hospitals, homebuilders, parking lots, and other businesses are among the first to advertise on the buses. Do you think it's okay for school districts to use their busses as rolling billboards? What if the advertisements appeared inside the bus as well? Wow. These are certainly well-thought out questions. I'm definitely going to enjoy this one on Fridays! No, I don't think it is okay to use the outside of the school busses for advertising. I get too much advertising thrown at me everywhere I go now. No, it is never effective with me. I'm too pissed off at the company doing this to buy their products. But this is odious. Pandering to advertisers because the school system is unable to sustain itself...

And the Question of the Week is… Are you an extrovert or an introvert? Do you think people can be both? My answer: I am very much, as a matter of course, an extrovert, happy to share everything, discuss anything, and outgoing and friendly and fun. I am seemingly ubiquitous. People find me to be very approachable, open and always ready for conversation. Normally. Put me in what I consider an unusual social situation, and suddenly, as though a switch has been flipped, I'm a complete introvert. I can't explain it and while I'd like to know what it is about those settings that does that, I really have no idea. It is highly annoying. I hate being that way. But there it is! So my answer is yes. I am both an extrovert and an introvert... I suspect that we all have that something that flips the switch.

'Sometime around the middle of this month, the hummingbirds will have departed, and, once again, I won't know it. At this place last year we had a pair. They turned up in mid-May, poised on blurred, invisible wings before the first garden flowers, dipping and sipping fastidiously at the red plastic hummingbird feeder at the window, zooming away. They loved the bee palm best, and the phlox, but they also loved the brightly colored feeder, Which I kept filled with a sugar-water solution. It holds about a cup. Early in the summer the little birds were at the feeder constantly, emptying the reservoir in a single day. By early August, their visits had dropped off, and I filled the feeder only every three to four days. Perhaps the pair was in training as the time of their southern migration approached. The frail and tiny hummingbird is among the hardiest of birds. It's a marathoner, an epic migrator, making its way from New England to Central America. 'That's a long haul,...

EFFECTIVE AUGUST 1, 2008 NEW OFFICE POLICY Dress Code: 1) You are advised to come to work dressed according to your salary. 2) If we see you wearing Prada shoes and carrying a Gucci bag, we will assume you are doing well financially and therefore do not need a raise. 3) If you dress poorly, you need to learn to manage your money better, so that you may buy nicer clothes, and therefore you do not need a raise. 4) If you dress just right, you are right where you need to be and therefore you do not need a raise. Sick Days: We will no longer accept a doctor's statement as proof of sickness. If you are able to go to the doctor, you are able to come to work. Personal Days: Each employee will receive 104 personal days a year. They are called Saturdays & Sundays. Bereavement Leave: This is no excuse for missing work. There is nothing you can do for dead friends, relatives or co-workers. Every effort should be made to have non-employees attend the funeral arrangements in your place. In ...

Aspire to be Barbie - the bitch has everything. Take life with a pinch of salt... A wedge of lime, and a shot of tequila. In need of a support group? Cocktail hour with the girls! Go on the 30 day diet. (I'm on it and so far I've lost 15 days). When life gets you down just put on your big girl panties and deal with it. Let your greatest fear be that there is no PMS and this is just your personality. I know I'm in my own little world, but it's OK, they know me here. When life gives you lemons - turn it into lemonade then mix it with vodka. Remember every good-looking, sweet, single male is someone else's ex-boyfriend! Now smile and send to any girl wasting time at work, suffering from a hangover, or just suffering from work, that might need a reason to smile!

Once in a while delivery of this newsletter is delayed and messages start pouring into my mailbox complaining of withdrawal symptoms. "Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind," British writer Joseph Rudyard Kipling said, and that might help explain why some of us get so hooked on them. As time passes, we experience symptoms of mithridatism, the condition of immunity acquired by taking gradually increased doses of something (coined after Mithridates VI, king of Pontus, who tried to build immunity against poisoning). Slowly they take over and we realize we need words with even greater potency, words that are unusual, esoteric, or even preposterous, to get a still greater high. Are you one of those for whom the dictionary might be better characterized as addictionary? Help is at hand. Consider this week's words as extra high doses of your daily fix. These are words that ask, "Why use a simple word when a fancy one is available?" dactylogram PRO...

1. What was your first favorite song? I think it was The Beatles Abbey Road - the whole album. 2. Who was your first favorite female singer? Hmmm. Um... Kate Bush. 3. Who was your first favorite male singer? Bono from U2. 4. Who was your first favorite band? The Beatles 5. Who is your all time favorite band? There is no such thing, because there are excellent bands all the time. I can't give any one band that title. 6. Who is your all time favorite male singer? Same as above. 7. Who is your all time favorite female singer? Same as above. 8. What is your all time favorite LP/CD album? Hmmm. Pink Floyd's The Wall. It was a breaker for all kinds of things. 9. What was your first favorite radio station? WLIR, 92.7. I had to do all kinds of crazy things to get it to come in well. It was hard to get (it was out of Long Island) but I could get it in and I recorded all sorts of things on tapes to have. I miss LIR. I know it is under different letters now and I don't know if it pla...

Yes, well, I'm behind on a few different Memes... 3x Thursday: 08/14/y2k+8: How Do You Handle... 1. Do you freak out about the little things or the big things? Why? Oh, the little things the most, because the little things are what crop up the most and cause the most stress in some funny way. The little things are often the final straw in some weird way, so that is what makes the load too heavy. 2. How do you handle death and dying? Death and dying is not a big thing in my world. EMTs see people in all different stages of dying or dead. Some are dying right there in your rig without any fanfare, others are dying slowly by inches but we won't be walking them to the grave on this trip. It is a part of life. I am upset when someone I know dies. But it is different. I handle it by celebrating life. Sometimes that is in a good meal, or making love, or just being. Being sad, being happy, just being. 3. How do you handle being yelled at by someone? What do you do about it? I listen. I...

TMI Tuesday #147 - "Out" Magazine Edition 1. What is your favorite song to have sex to? Our sex life is not so planned that I usually have music playing. But if I did, it would be Crystal by New Order. There is something intensely sexual about that music. 2. What is your vision of hell? I don't really have one. Maybe Utah. 3. In the film made of your life, who will play you? Molly Ringwald or maybe Ally Sheedy. I've been told that I look like them (I can't imagine how, but I have heard it more than once). 4. What is the one thing you most urgently need to tell your mom? It would not matter. She would not recall or make sense of it at this point. 5. What will be carved onto your tombstone? Ooooh, an epitaph... Gods. I don't know. That needs thought. I really don't know. Maybe "he who dies with the most money is still dead". How does that sound? And the bonus: What is your drag name (which would be, first name: the name of your first pet; last nam...

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION: Name seven cool movie gadgets you’d like to own. Oh, my. I know Luis could come up with this in seconds... I will need to give this a lot of thought. 1. Star Trek : transporter technology The things I could do if I could just transport myself by scrambling my atoms and then reassembling them in a new location in just moments! Never again to fly hours and hours to get somewhere. Oh, that is magic! 2. Eureka : Smart house Technically, this is likely to be DQd from the list as Eureka is not a movie but a telly show. Still... this is a great house! It's a little flaky to have a house that does things for you automatically and talks to you, but you can get accustomed to it. It's pretty amazing, however, especially the outside... it looks like a really beaten up old nuclear shelter. Go inside, and it is a palatial estate designed to accomodate you specifically! 3. Iron Man : The suit I get the super strength thing and wanting instantly arming missiles and such;...

1. On an average night, do you tend to get more sleep than you need, less sleep than you need, or just about exactly how much you need? Thanks to modern chemistry and pharmaceuticals resulting from said chemistry, I get right around 8 hours of sleep. 2. Do you have trouble sleeping well in a bed other than your own, i.e., a hotel room? Gods, yes. It's like sleeping on Beds by Torquemada. Horrifying. In Texas we got very lucky - I slept like a baby on the teeny beds that we had there. Luis had his little single bed and I'd mine, so after a conjugal visit in one of the single beds, one of us returned to the correct bed and it was delightfully soft and comfortable. Not like hotel beds. Even with the adventures in pharmaceutical-induced sleep, I wake up in pain and earlier than 8 hours - the beds are torturous. 3. Do you have trouble sleeping in a sleeping bag or tent? Oh, cringe, cringe. My idea of roughing it is a three-star hotel! A sleeping bag or tent would be crippling on a l...

1. What was the last meal you ordered in a restaurant? Hummus and bread for an appetizer and thai chicken pizza for the main dish at California Pizza Kitchen for lunch today. 2. What was the last meal you cooked for yourself? Good gods, I've no idea. I never cook. 3. Who was the last person you shared a meal with? My husband. We had Chinese take-out for dinner. Lunch was with my father. 4. Take the quiz: What Pasta Dish Are You? I did. See the posting under the same title. I posted that earlier this evening. 5. If you could only have one pasta dish for the rest of your life, which one would you choose? Uh, well... I don't know. Penne pasta with red sauce. 6. Check your pantry: counting products like soups that contain noodles, dry pasta and boxed meals like Hamburger Helper, how many items do you have that contain some pasta? I haven't the faintest idea what is in the pantry and it is a big pantry, and since I cook nothing, I'm not worried overly about the state of nood...

1. What are you doing special this weekend for Labor Day? I'm really not. I'm working this Monday, trading in for the next. I need to take off the 8th and 9th to take my dad in to have his hip - the left one - done. The right is done. I will be on the duty rig from 1500 to 1800 tomorrow and then the back-up rig from 1800 - whenever the fireworks are over. I missed the fourth of July fireworks, so I guess I make up for this tomorrow. 2. What was your best vacation this past summer? I didn't take vacation during the summer. I never do. I always take it in May and October. I usually take a couple of days in May and always a full week in October. That's my time of the year. 3. Did you do anything special for the 4th of July? I made the ENORMOUS mistake of going to Philly with my mother. Ray and I were ready to strangle her. We were supposed to stay until midday 5 July but came home the morning of the 4th. 4. What did you do special for Memorial Day? We were in Houston, Texa...

When you go out to eat, you: Eat whatever you want Try to eat healthfully Where do you go to get the best pasta? An authentic Italian restaurant To your own kitchen A chain restaurant Pick a spice level Mild Medium Hot What food group do you like best? Meat Dairy Grains Vegetables You Are Cheese Ravioli Compared to most people, you are incredibly laid back and fun. You love loud, crowded dinner tables and cooking with a crowd. For you, a meal is more about the overall experience than the actual food. You enjoy fun foods. You love theme dinners and funky appetizers.

Have you ever wondered what your birthday means? Take this fun quiz and find out some interesting facts about your personality traits, likes and dislikes. Have your friends take it as well and see how you match up! Question #1 - What month were you born in? January, February, March April, May, June July, August, September October, November, December Question #2 - On which day of the month were you born? 1-7 8-15 16-23 24-31 Question #3 - On what weekday were you born? Monday, Tuesday Wednesday, Thursday Friday, Saturday, Sunday Don't know Question #4 - What is your current age? Older than 30 - Yeah, slightly. Try 40. 24 - 29 19-23 18 or under Question #5 - What time of day were you born? Between 12:01 and 8:00 am Between 8:01 am and 4:00 pm - not too vague, right? I was born at 10:39. Between 4.01 pm and 12:00 am Not sure I never did get the results. Stupid page!

Here is a Web site to avoid at all costs: http://fastfreeiqtest.com/ One of many, I'll grant you that. It looked like this: Take a Free IQ Test The Average IQ is 100. What is yours? Find out now. www.FastFreeIQTest.com I took the quiz, but judging by the questions I had a bad feeling - after ten actual intelligence-type questions, there would be little traps at the bottom for this or that information. When I completed the test, I had to register to get my results. Had I known the cheating, lying Web site would not give them to me without successfully sucking me into getting some rip-off "free" thing, I would have closed the page prior to filling it out. As it was, I did not give it the correct mailing address or phone number. It is unacceptable and unreasonable to think I would willingly do that. After about fifteen pages of sales items and then lists and lists of items per page (busily skipping to the bottom and clicking SKIP instead of SUBMIT), I got finished clicking ...

I just want to catch up on a couple of questionnaires before hopping in the shower! The Back To School Test When you went back to school, how long did it take for the initial excitement to wear off? A few days A few hours A few weeks What did you like best about going back to school? Getting away from your parents Seeing your friends again Learning... seriously! There's nothing you liked about going back to school What new school supply did you enjoy getting most? A new backpack New school uniforms New crayons New pencils New notebooks When you were starting a new school, what were you most afraid of? Finding your class Making friends Getting along with your teacher Remembering your locker combination How did you like to decorate your locker? With a mirror With pictures of your friends You didn't decorate it With a collage What Your Back to School Personality Says About You You are laid back and fairly dispassionate. Traditional concepts of success are not important to you. You...

Yes, Joe Autera, I know you do this. How do I know this, you may ask? Well, two reasons. I know I do it (my name is unique enough that it pops right up) and also I have coworkers who are easily as paranoid as you (I do realise it goes with the territory but is fun to tease you about), and do the same thing. I find it amusing that I create all that work. I'm content to stay with FaceBook, although I'm amused that some of my employees took me off of their friends list. I won't hassle anyone for what they put there. But I can understand that, too. Anyway, yes, you made the list! You were terribly influential to my inauspicious start and one of the key people who helped me to become an executive where I am now. And my current coworker may grumble from time to time, but he doesn't worry about having my support on a lot of key issues. We have an excellent working relationship and had I not had that with you, it would not have been so easy. Many, many thanks. You cannot know ...

What is God like? You don't really concern yourself with the question of God There is no God God is the Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost There is only one true God There is one supreme being manifested in many gods and goddesses God is everywhere Figuring out more about God (and if there even is a God) is part of your spiritual journey What is the purpose of life? Your life's purpose is whatever you make it out to be To have faith in God and to be forgiven for your sins To obey God and live your life as ethically as possible Your purpose in life is to avoid suffering and reach enlightenment To gain escape ignorance and illusion Bringing peace and justice to the world Finding inner peace and harmony To submit your will to God to go to heaven after you die What happens after you die? No one knows for sure. Nothing, you're dead You cease to exist. Reincarnation until you reach enlightenment You go to heaven or hell You don't focus on that much. You just focus on ...

What's sexy about you? Your individuality Your body Your attitude Your personal style Your mind Your smile What's the best thing about having a piercing? Showing it off Feeling a little sexier Enhancing your best features Enjoying how it looks Looking a little different Looking stylish no matter what you're wearing You could never be friends with someone who... Is rude Is shy Doesn't love fashion or art Is scared of breaking rules Doesn't like to flirt Is overly normal Your perfect Sunday morning involves: Sleeping in until it's dark again Going out to brunch at a place you'd like to be seen at Waking up next to an attractive stranger Getting up early and hitting some sales Catching up on some beauty sleep Laying in bed with hot tea and a book If you wanted to get yourself a treat, what would you indulge in? A new pair of shoes A new book A trip to the spa A fancy restaurant meal Some art supplies A new swimsuit You Are a Lip Piercing You are rebellious and ...

How often do you make your bed? Whenever you think of it Every day Never! How often do you wash your sheets? Once a month Once a week Not very often How many pillows do you like to have? 1 2 3 or more When you are lying down in bed, what side are you on? The left side The right side What type of bed do you like? A firm bed A soft bed How thick is your quilt or comforter? Medium Thick Thin What Your Bed Says About You Outward appearances are very important to you. You do your best to look good and have an attractive home. You try to be an organized person, but you often fall behind. Certain parts of your life tend to fall into chaos. You are very high maintenance. You like everything a certain way, and you're grumpy if things aren't the way you like them. In relationships, you tend to kick back and let the other person be in charge. You tend to be a dreamy, head in the clouds type of person. You think in terms of possibilities. You are a total homebody. You are happiest when yo...

You get invited to a lot of parties. Strongly agree Agree Not sure Disagree Strongly disagree If someone deserves a complement or praise, you give it to them. Strongly agree Agree Not sure Disagree Strongly disagree You find it easy to be yourself around both friends and strangers. Strongly agree Agree Not sure Disagree Strongly disagree Your friends talk to you about their personal problems. Strongly agree Agree Not sure Disagree Strongly disagree If you see a new person in a social situation, you will introduce yourself and your friends. Strongly agree Agree Not sure Disagree Strongly disagree You try to listen to and understand other people's points of view. Strongly agree Agree Not sure Disagree Strongly disagree You try to keep in touch with all of your friends, even if they aren't good at keeping in touch with you. Strongly agree Agree Not sure Disagree Strongly disagree If someone calls you or visits you, you give them your full attention - without being distracted. Stro...

First thing in the morning: You're optimistic and happy. You love how morning feels. You're up and ready to get the day going. You have a lot to do. You slowly wake up and start the day. You give yourself time to adjust to being awake. You wake up naturally as sunlight enters the room. You feel happy to be alive. You leap out of bed. You're excited to see how the day will turn out. At work, you: Get really into whatever you're doing, and the time flies by. You get things done at a slow and steady pace. You try to get your ideas and contributions noticed. You happily switch between projects. You love multitasking. See what needs to be done the most, and help other people whenever they ask. When you're very hungry, you tend to: Act on whatever intense craving you happen to be having Eat something light and wholesome Eat whatever is close by Indulge a little, but don't go overboard Create a new dish or try a new restaurant out During the day, what mood do you tend ...

When you're on top of the world, you are: Charming, witty, and everyone's favorite person to be around Envisioning new ideas and taking steps to make them happen Able to help people tap into their potential for greatness Developing a strategy for a big project Getting difficult things done and making progress Able to take time to observe and collect your thoughts Which of the historical figures are the most inspiring to you? Frank Lloyd Wright Gandhi Thomas Jefferson Shakespeare Theodore Roosevelt John F. Kennedy When you're at you're lowest moment, you are: Bored and frustrated. You don't like being stuck in an environment that doesn't stimulate you. Totally scatterbrained. You tend to mentally "check out" and become unreliable. Lonely and alienated. You have trouble finding people that truly relate to you. Needy and demanding. You can monopolize people's time. A busybody and a nuisance. You can't help but tell your friends how they should be ...

I can't say much about it, but after a very fun and satisfying day at the Employee/Caddy Appreciation Day, there was a small get-together to celebrate a colleague's rise to a new position. I don't often feel inclined to hang out with coworkers, but the more practise I get, the easier it becomes. I have no idea why I'm so ill-at-ease at these sort of soirées, but I am. It is downside, as I find myself going to the various events and then being very uptight and nervous and inevitably, when I do open my mouth to say something, it is the wrong thing. So I tend to become very quiet, and that makes others notice and I don't know - it is just bad all over. But this night, I was more relaxed and more intune with the conversations. The ones I knew nothing about I did not involve myself with those. The ones I know very well, I say something to join the conversation, but I keep it short and simple. And it is always good to be able to speak and joke freely wth the other execut...

A popular admonition goes, "Don't judge a book by its cover." Yet we do that all the time. We ascribe qualities of character to people based on their physical characteristics. And our language takes shape to reflect that attitude. Are cross-eyed people shady? I don't think so. At least, not any more than the straight-eyed. In this week's AWAD we'll look at more of these words. louche PRONUNCIATION: (loosh) MEANING: adjective: Of questionable character; dubious; disreputable. ETYMOLOGY: From French louche (cross-eyed), from Latin lusca, feminine of luscus (one-eyed). clochard PRONUNCIATION: (KLOH-shahr) MEANING: noun: A beggar; vagrant. ETYMOLOGY: From French clocher (to limp), from Latin clopus (lame). myopic PRONUNCIATION: (my-OP-ik) MEANING: adjective: 1. Nearsighted; unable to see distant objects clearly. 2. Shortsighted; lacking foresight; narrow-minded. ETYMOLOGY: Via Latin, from Greek myopia, from myop- (nearsighted), from myein (to close) + ops (eye)....

A.Word.A.Day subscribers read this newsletter for many different reasons. For some, it's the joy of learning fascinating stories about the origins of words (their etymologies). For others, it's discovering unusual words, whether it's their meanings or sounds or spelling. Many, especially students, read it to increase their vocabulary for one of the many standardized tests or for personal enrichment. Those readers sometimes write back to say, "OK, so this word resistentialism is interesting, but I'd like to see words that I can use more often in my daily life." Each word featured in AWAD includes examples taken from newspapers, magazines, and books to illustrate it and to show that it has been used in the real world. Still, we take their point. This week we present words you might encounter in your next test. loquacious PRONUNCIATION: (lo-KWAY-shuhs) MEANING: adjective: Talkative; wordy. ETYMOLOGY: From Latin loqui (to speak). The word loquacious has a negativ...

It's a line from this week's Eureka . I love it. Sheriff Carter and his sister were talking about the upcoming wedding of Dr. Nathan Stark and Allie, and his sister said, "I love weddings! They're final but festive - like funerals with champagne!" The episode turned out to be very sad, but the comment was very funny, and we laughed. Good thing. The ending was a total surprise. Usually it is hard to pull off surprising ends to shows... there so many shows out there and only so many directions one can go. This was the last direction we had considered. And they made Dr. Stark suddenly human. And the moment he became human, he was gone! Criminal...

The International Olympic Committee has ordered an investigation into the age of Chinese gymnast He Kexin , The Times of London reports. Faced with almost insurmountable evidence which suggests that He is two years younger than the birth date listed on her Chinese passport, the IOC has launched an inquiry that could result in the stripping of He's gold medals. This news comes on the heels of another Times report that details the findings of a New York computer security expert who found official Chinese documents that list He's age as 14 years and 220 days. Mike Walker used a Chinese search engine's cache feature to find He's actual date of birth on spreadsheets from a Chinese government website. The spreadsheets were taken down off the site recently and He's name had been removed. Assuming the IOC is committed to a real investigation and not some dog and pony show, the revelation that the Chinese government covered up the ages of gymnasts could end up being the de...

That was what I was saying to my car about an hour ago, not even. I left work, drove to Marco's to treat myself to some really excellent pizza and when I got in my belovèd Acura and turned the key in the ignition, it made a sickly " whiiirrr " sound and that was it. The radio and temperature control systems came on but the important thing did not happen, the engine did not turn over. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I've been down this road before: it is either the battery or the alternator. Having had an alternator replaced in every older model car I've ever owned, I know the drill with a crappy alternator. It usually tries to take the battery with it. So you figure the last time I owned an old car was more than ten years - or just ten years - ago. Back then an alternator was a buck twenty-five... Tony tells me that they start at two hundred now. Ouch. And then the labour... ouch again. And we will not even consider if it is neither the battery or alternator beca...

The sun shall not smite thee by day; Nor the moon by night. These magic words. Sometimes people are laid heavy under the full light of the moon or made tiny by the endless vast dark night sky. But when I need to see the hidden power of what others call God or need to regain my perspective, I go outside at night. Skywatching, star gazing, it gives the world the rightness that it needs for me to go on. I've been reading Camilla , a very good book, but in some ways, a very hard read. It has thrown my perspective off and as we've logged no calls, I needed to find another way to once again feel that. So I found a long-sleeved light sweater, and went into the backyard to lay in the hammock and look upon that bright, beautiful full moon. (Technically, it is not a full moon any longer. That moment came and passed at 1716 this evening. But people mostly have no idea that any thing, including the truly full moon, are fleeting fast moments.) As I lay with my eyes closed in that weightless...

Saturday 9: Children and and Ages of Bloggers 1. Do you worry about your next birthday? No, as always, I look forward to it. 2. Have you ever lied about your age in the recent past? If yes why? No. Never. Not to hide my age, nor to advance it (I have never been a drinker of alcohol, so I never lied to make myself 21). 3. Have you ever lied about your age when you were young? If yes why? Oh. I jumped the gun on this one. 4. How much older have you been a person that you were romantically involved? Not much. Maybe three or four years at one time? 5. How much younger have you been a person that you were romantically involved? Same, no big age difference. 6. Have you ever been consider a sibling, rather than parent of your child? Oh, I've no idea. I doubt it. 7. If you have had children, did you factor in age when deciding to have a sibling? I haven't any. But if I did, I would put at least five years between them. 8. If you have not had children, are you happy with your choice and...

When you're driving, you tend to: Crank up your music, and try not to feel frustrated Relax and enjoy the scenery Get agitated about how other people are driving How fast do you drive? You usually are at least a few mph over the speed limit. You rarely speed, and if you speed, you only speed a little. You routinely drive 5-10 mph over the speed limit. If someone is trying to get ahead of you without a lot of space, you: Let the driver in but feel grumpy about it Speed up so that the driver can't get in Let the driver in Have you ever flipped someone off when you're driving? It's happened a few times Not that you can recall Of course How do you feel about traffic cops? You don't mind them, as long as they're not pulling you over. They are just doing their jobs. You can't stand traffic cops. When you're driving, do you tend to get distracted? You occasionally get distracted by a song on the radio or people in the car You never get distracted You are easily...

Do you ever shout to get your point across? Yes No Is modern architecture and design your favorite style? Yes No Do you consider yourself a born entertainer? Yes No Are you very picky about what fonts you use? Yes No Do you consider yourself upper class? Yes No Are you a geek? Yes No You Are Times New Roman You are formal and conservative. You're concerned with how you appear to others. For you, maintaining a good reputation is important. You want people to trust you. Elegant and classy, you always maintain your composure. You are never crass. You are professional, competent, and upstanding. And it shows!

Once again, another night was enjoyed with hours of unfettered Olympics! This year is the first in many that I have kept up amazingly with the Olympics. There are days worth of action - more than mere hours! Luis hasn't gotten through Sunday and I'm already up to Tuesday. I finally got to watch the men's 4x100 meter men's relay which was an outrage! The teams all did beautifully, but there was more to it than that. The French team made the huge mistake of actually stating to a newspaper that they were going to SMASH the United States team, that's what they came to the Olympics to do. Now, a healthy dose of competitive spirit is one thing; but this is a truly unbecoming thing to say, and not merely a pep-inducing way to speak. And when you make gauntlet-throwing statements like that, you are likely to pay a price for that. A rather high price... This is unadvisable in so many ways. And I don't care that it was the French. It would have been totally unprofessional...

Over the last three nights, NBC has led its primetime Olympic coverage with synchronized diving. According to the stacks of letters that have poured into the Fourth-Place Medal Investigative Unit Headquarters, you've all been watching but are baffled by one facet of the competition. In that case, you're in the right place. After successful forays into the cases of Cullen Jones' disappearance and the identity of the hot Paraguayan , Fourth-Place Medal will today tackle the mystery of the showering divers. After completing a dive, competitors swim to a ladder, climb out of the pool and head immediately to a bank of showers that sit adjacent to the diving boards. Then, in full view of the crowd and NBC cameras, they shower off. Divers keep their suits on, of course, usually appearing only to rinse off their hair and arms. Oftentimes, the divers will receive their scores while still showering off. What's the purpose of this? Theories have ranged from 'to get the chlori...

Yes, once again I am watching the Olympics, soaking up the good stuff. Diving has begun and the Chinese team has done an amazing job on the qualifying rounds. Now the United States team is on the floor, but one of them, Samantha Pezsek, did not go out onto the floor. No one seems to know why yet. The lead girl made a big error, she was two feet out of bounds. Ouch. And the announcers are not helping. Comments such as "there is no doubt that the United States will qualify" are heaping yet more pressure on these athletes. How do they know that? There are a gazillion factors to this kind of competition and they are already at a disadvantage by being down one team member. The second one up landed out of bounds and that is a big hit. A bigger hit than the first one. The first girl lost 0.3 points and this one lost 0.5 points. That is not at all good. Let's see how number 3 does... She's very long. Tall, but very slender. Wow. She was very close to being out of bounds, but ...

Hmmmm... what do you think? What does it take to make great sex happen? The right mood and the right person. It takes a lot. Great sex doesn’t happen all that often. Not much. It can happen at any time. If something is safe, but sexually taboo—you: Shy away from it Are all about it Secretly desire it How likely are you to feel sexy? Not very likely—you don’t consider yourself sexy Somewhat likely—you feel very sexy sometimes You always feel sexy! If you catch someone checking out your body in public, you’re likely to feel: Slightly flattered Annoyed or embarrassed Excited! If you see your partner talking to an attractive person, you feel: Indifferent—it’s not a big deal Turned on. Insanely jealous What influences your sexual morals? Your life experiences Religion What sexual morals? If you had one word to describe sex, it would be: “Meaningful” “Fun” “Complicated” You Are Extremely Sexually Powerful Your sexual power is obvious - you don't do anything to hide your sexuality. In fac...

To the coolest Blogger ever! To the blogger who makes me think and consider things in a different light, and brings out the kinder, gentler me (there is one in there somewhere and she finds that one every time!). I expect to see many, many more posts this year! That is a really cool basket. What a neat and thoughtful idea that truly is! Good luck to all the http://roamingwithmary.blogspot.com/ readers out there who enter in to win! AND HAPPY BLOGAVERSARY, MARY! And many happy returns!

We are recording and watching the 2008 XXIX Summer Olympics and enjoying it, a lot. As usual, Luis is not as fussy about what he watches as I am, and that broadens his scope quite a bit. But I'm not unhappy with what I watch. He'll also watch something purely for the sexual thrill (yikes... I need some intellectual or other component to any viewing, not just sexual). But I guess that is good for him. I enjoy the gymnastics, swimming, diving, some equestrian, and that is pretty much it. That sounds so limited, but it is a lot. Luis watches that and the volley ball (there is the purely sexual part - loves the bikinis; I have the theory that the bikini became the uniform to up the viewership), weightlifting, fencing, cycling and rowing. There is probably more, but I don't know what it is. So a last night we were watching some of the Olympics and the women's weightlifting. My goodness. The physical prowess of these women is staggering, but there is a high price to be paid...