3 years ago and 1/2 a world away

3 years ago today. I was hanging about doing my thing in the minivan lane with a (then) 7 year old boy.

Spouse was 1/2 a world away picking up a package.




She drives me crazy at times (LOTS of times). She's a bundle of energy that I will never be able to keep up with. Her brother would gladly trade her for a Playstation 3. She'd trade her brother for some hair bling. There are days I claim that I'd trade the lot of them for some chocolate.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

Convenient AND Environmentally friendly

Today, in the Chicago Tribune, there were two articles one pro and one con for the giving of gift cards.

If you feel the need you can look them up here ....

the pro ...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-0612050297dec06,1,3461768.story

and the con

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-0612050297dec062,1,3646867.story

Having already made my mind up before reading the articles, I didn't go through them word for word. But I did like the following from the pro gift card article ...

If every clueless but well-meaning gift-giver went for a gift card instead of, say, a giant plastic topiary or a hearth rug shaped like a poodle, we'd have less garbage to recycle, fewer lies to tell and more time to spend with those we love.

Convenient, charitable (we buy gift cards through my children's' school and the school gets a cut), and doubly environmentally friendly (saves on packaging, and saves on the trip to the store to buy the original gift AND the trip back to the store when the recipient returns the gift).

AND -- I don't know about you but I know I don't have much extra room around here, and gift cards fit in a specific area, whereas I'm not sure where exactly I'd put a giant plastic topiary.

More news

From the Enquirer (Cincinnati)

The chess world's governing body announced it will introduce drug testing in the Asian Games in Qatar. Steroids? We all know how hard it is to push one of those rooks across that board.

I'm trying to think of what performance enhancing drugs would help with chess. I guess I'll have to keep an eye out the next chess tournament I go to, see what the coaches are slipping to the players between games.

OKAY OKAY -- I CONFESS!!!! The last time I went to a chess tournament I gave the boys SODA and PIZZA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lock me up and throw away the key.

Sometimes I think the entire world is just a little bit off kilter.

Kinsey 6

Bit of news from last week. The following from the Washington Post


WASHINGTON -- Pentagon guidelines that classified homosexuality as a mental disorder now put it among a list of conditions or "circumstances" that range from bed-wetting to fear of flying.

The revision came in response to criticism this year when it was discovered that the guidelines listed homosexuality alongside mental retardation and personality disorders.

Okay -- I suppose this is a way for the military to get around having homosexuals in the military, without directly calling homosexuality a "mental disorder." (Gotta hand it to the Pentagon -- in what 1973(?) or something the psychiatric association declassified homosexuality as a mental disorder and it's now 2006 -- they're only 30 years behind -- really builds MY confidence in the Pentagon folks).

But I had an interesting thought. There are some calling for a reinstatement of the draft. This issue has pros and cons (and I really don't need or want to get into a debate about it :} ). I give points to the argument that it would make our congresscritters think twice before voting to start a war. I mean it's one thing sending "troops" in, it's something completely different when your own kids or grandkids or nephews are in the military. (Though let's face it -- even when there was a draft there were loopholes for kids of elected officials).

But - IF the draft is reinstated, AND if homosexuality is a condition that is not conductive to military service I predict that there will be a sudden change in the numbers of those that state their homosexuality. At least between men that are 18-24.

And the winner is .........

I wonder, if I did a google search on the number of various and sundry questionnaires out there in net.land, how many are there??

One question that seems to show up often is ....

Are you a early bird or a night owl.

I guess most people seem to be one or the other, otherwise the question wouldn't show up all that often.

For some reason that question popped into my head today and I *FINALLY* figured out my once and for all final and decisive answer to that question.

Night owl????? Early bird?????

SLOTH!!!



YEP -- that works for me (or, I guess in this case, what doesn't work fits me best).