bread maker
Vegan Zombie Med

I used to ask strangers the gawdawful "What do you do?" but many years ago switched to "What is your passion?" It often takes people by surprise, but sometimes they just light up and then launch into a spirited discourse that is fun for both of us.

"…Ziggy plaaaaaayed gui-taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrr…"

I am always stunned at peoples' willingness to refute apparent environmental idiocy just because they think they're smarter.

There are huge amounts of waste collecting all over the world; nowhere is pristine any longer. Fine, humans are basically a virus, me included.

But why not take steps to ameliorate the problem? Much has been done to create biodegradable plastics, but most people seem more concerned with not spending an extra $.25 USD on their 2 liter Mountain Dew rather than making a difference in the condition of the planet for the next 2 generations.

I guess the same mentality brought about the near extinction of the buffalo AND Native Americans, the near elimination of all top tier predators in the US (except in SoCal--Go Mountain Lions!!) so I shouldn't be surprised. I just wonder what sort of natural world my grandkids will grow to know.

Um first off, yes: not all the shapes are from Tetris, but few Tetris shapes have four sides so WTF.

Second, I only see 4 wheels. Where are the other two?

Still, I wonder how they get those boards to slide sideways…

I read a UK study awhile back that found that roaming cats killed BILLIONS of small wildlife: birds, all types of rodents, etc. The loss of songbirds kills me, because they need fields of wild flowers to do well, which are so hard to come by. Our neighbor has two cats that are outside more than they are in: they tear up our gardens, plants, grasses, use our plant beds as litter boxes. When will cats be treated that same as dogs an not be allowed to roam free without ID?

I live on the edge of suburbia and half a block away is the industrial district. Almost every weekend the four of us ride our bikes through the parkings lot of these buildings, and late last summer we found a 20 foot apple tree. I'm not sure of the variety but given that the tree was right at the edge of the tarmac and overshadowed by a towering sycamore, it had an astounding amount of fruit. We just checked on it last weekend and it is already covered in tiny green apples. This season, we will be heading to that tree with Scout Poles: walking sticks 6-8' long with a simple cup hook screwed into one end. Most scouts can tell you that you use the hook to grab the stem just above the apple and yank. We will be stocking our Mason jars with homemade apple sauce this season!

I also question how well the plants will do given that most of their foliage will be laying atop the hot, hot crete. Seems like less than ideal growing conditions especially for vegetables.

I really dig the bird's use of pause beats, where he waits…then jams to the left. It seems as if doing that makes if more fun for the bird rather than just hitting every beat. Go birdie, it's ur birthday, go birdie…

My local java fave, Stauf's Coffee Roasters here in Columbus, Ohio has had one for about a year now. My wife works there, and has pulled a couple of Clovers for me in the past. The coffee was good, but the cup sells for about double what a normal cup sells for at the counter. My wife tells me that many people prefer the clover cuppas, and sell 6-9 cups sold each day. Given that a two group La Marzocco espresso machine sells for under $20k, the $11k price seems somewhat high, but then ALL the high end professional coffee gear is pricey, whether in this country or in the Land of Extreme Coffee, Italy.

Sorry if I made you blow the final gasket, SW!

Yes, most kids over the age of say, 5, have heard the bads words. I was a sketch comedy actor when my sons were born and they saw my shows.I taught them the difference between hearing the words and the consequence of using them around their mother, their teachers, g-parents, etc. As to the issue of sex, just today the boys and I were watching a rerun of Scrubs and the word 'masturbate' was used. Both my 11 y.o. and my 8 y.o. asked 'What's that?' Chicken that I was, I dodged it by redirecting. Keep in mind, I had the sex talk with my oldest about 18 mos. ago, but I skipped that part. Don't think he's figured out his Feel Goods yet, and honestly I'm not certain about 'teaching' him. I'm not a prude, but I do believe that we are all only children once, and only for a small percentage of our lives, so why rush adulthood? I give them info that will protect them, but I try not to enable them.

As to -13 vs. R ratings, my only concern is the nightmare issue. Both boys recently watched the Lord of The Rings set with me, and there were no problems. My ex, however, took them to see I Am Legend, and my 8 y.o. got the heebies.

With movies as with mature video games, I just think kids should not be exposed too soon: innocence is so easily lost and can never be recovered.

peach y'all

Aw maaaan, I wanted to read about more than just the one example!

Sparge: me too!!! I just ran across it yesterday in a storage bin in my basement! LOLZ

Yep, back in the early 1900s (and prior, of course) the Chesapeake Bay (Virginia and Maryland) used to be home to hundreds of thousands of water fowl. The flocks were so thick that hunters didn't even have to wait for the ducks, etc. to sleep, just land on the water or marshes. The hunters would then sell the ducks at market or to restaurants.

Once in a while, I still see flocks of small birds (sparrows?) that extend for yards and yards, flying across fields, twisting and turning in a beautiful, seemingly random dance. I have a hard time imagining the sky darkening due to massive flocks flying by. Sure wish I could see it though…

I was thinking it might be the Gozilla sequel