I got 99 on the Constitution test, for goodness sakes.....

You Passed the US Citizenship Test

Congratulations - you got 10 out of 10 correct!

(h/t Her Caffeinated Crankiness)

Posted by: caltechgirl at 01:19 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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1 Ooh. I like my new nickname! "Her Caffeinated Crankiness" has a nice ring to it!

Posted by: CrankyBeach at August 31, 2005 05:10 PM (VA6NK)

2 This quiz was way to easy.

Posted by: Contagion at September 01, 2005 11:51 AM (Q5WxB)

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Jay writes that bloggers all seem to share phone phobia as one of their quirks. Yet we're all big email (and to some extent chat) fans.

I think that has to do with the difference in immediacy between a phone call and email/chat. When you're on the phone, you have to interact, you have to respond. Over email or chat, you can choose to respond when you want, if at all. Over email, you can evaluate the message and the sender more carefully than in a phone conversation (this applies more to talking with people you're not comfortable with) and couch your response more appropriately.

What do you think about that? Do you like email or the phone better? What about chat vs the phone?

Posted by: caltechgirl at 02:36 AM | Comments (11) | Add Comment
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I now have google talk. Citgirl99 if any of you want to chat....

Problem is, you need a google account, which of course you can only get by invite.

I have several since I have a number of personal gmail accounts, so if you want an invite, drop me a comment**

**if you are a random person that I've never seen on here before, tough luck. Invites go to regular commenters/bloggers first....

Posted by: caltechgirl at 02:09 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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1 Cool. Guess I might have to break down and do this.

Posted by: vw bug at August 25, 2005 04:08 PM (coJPb)

2 If you've still got one available, I'll accept an invitation. BTW, I don't talk trash during college football season, for obvious reasons.

Posted by: physics geek at August 25, 2005 08:58 PM (DAgzB)

3 At last count, I had approximatley 150 invitations. If a few hundred of your closests friends need an invite and you're out, lemme know.

Posted by: Margi at August 26, 2005 02:00 AM (nwEQH)

4 I heard that Google was going Alpha?

Posted by: Paladin at August 26, 2005 05:20 PM (6rrD3)

5 I finally succumbed and signed up for a gmail account so I could get Google Talk. I wasn't going to, but a friend sent me an invitation. But I'm an IM addict I think. I've got AIM, Yahoo, ICQ, MSN Messenger, and now Google Talk, all handily run through my Trillian program.

Posted by: songstress7 at August 28, 2005 03:31 PM (ie93s)

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Hot Sh*t we're back! At least for the time being....

And it doesn't look like I've lost much if anything...

YAAAAAAAAY!

Pixy is a god.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 11:24 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Here's Pixy's explanation:

:Crapweasels
A combination of blog-spam, an ineffective denial of service attack, an inadvertant denial of service attack, and possibly other factors, managed to slow the server down to the point that it might as well not have been there for that past few hours.

While I was asleep. The one time each month I'm not logged in, and that's when it has to happen. Mad

Sorry about that, folks. We're back on the air and I'm working to make sure it doesn't happen again."

UPDATE: Trackbacks are off for a while due to the issues we had this morning that appear to be continuing. If you link me, drop me an email or leave a comment!

Posted by: caltechgirl at 02:21 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Read 'em and weep fellow Sudoku addicts.....

Oh yeah!

Posted by: caltechgirl at 01:00 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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This week's meme appears to be quirks. Several bloggers have been admitting their quirks as of late, so here are mine, I guess...

1. I am like the queen of hospitality. I guess it's the Armenian in me. If you come into my house expect to be served a drink and any kind of food you want in the house. Put your feet up, watch my TV, use my phone, whatever. It may not be the tidiest house on the block, but I can guarantee that you'll feel at home. If you're not comfortable in my home, that makes me sick. It's more important to me that you enjoy yourself than that the house is spotless. However, I expect to be treated the same way in the homes of my friends, and I can get a little irritated if I'm cheaped out on. Especially by someone who has been in MY home many, many times. That makes me feel freakin' used, you know? It really bugs the crap out of me.

2. I tend to get really into the good stuff going on in my friends' lives. Getting married? Expect a big shower and shopping trips and all kinds of help putting everything together. Having a baby? Expect to be deluged with booties and blankets and me asking how you're doing. Having a birthday? At the least a card or email, and if you're in the same town, dinner and a cake. In our lab at UNC, I was known as the one who collected the $$, did the shopping, and organized the party whenever someone got married, graduated, or had a baby. And it was fun. I love doing fun things like that.

3. Here's a weird one: I CAN NOT stand the sound of people chewing. I mean even polite mouth-closed eating. If I'm eating too, it's totally ok, but if DH is sitting next to me snacking while I work, it drives me batshit. I always make him go away to eat. Most other little noises don't even faze me, but chewing can make me retch. Go fig.

4. Like Michele, I have to be covered when I sleep. This doesn't mean PJs necessarily, but I have to at least have a sheet over me or I can't sleep. I think this comes from sleeping directly under a front-facing window growing up. It kind of drives DH crazy. The rheumatoid arthritis has actually made this one worse, since I get weird chills now if I get a draft under the covers.

5. I abhor talking to strangers. I hate using the phone, even to call for pizza. I hate answering the phone and I hate calling anywhere where I don't personally know who I am talking to. Even if I know you and I've never spoken to you over the phone before, I hate calling. (take note those bloggers whose phone #'s I have.... ) I hate drive-through windows, too. It was YEARS after I learned to drive before I went through a drive-through. I can be quite social at a party, and I am more than willing to get up in front of a room full of people and give a presentation, but the phone and the drive through, no way. As an extension of this, I also hate going ANYWHERE alone. ANYWHERE. For years I wouldn't even go to the grocery store alone. Being an army wife with a husband stationed 1200 miles away for 3 years changed that, but I still HATE going anywhere alone and I won't if I can help it. It makes me feel strange and vulnerable.

6. I get really antsy when I ride in the front seat while someone else drives. Especially if I think they're too close to the car in front. Super- especially while braking hard. I've been in 2 serious car crashes (wasn't hurt in either one -- props to Chrysler for making Neons so awesome in a crash), and both of them were front end collisions on my end. So if I'm in your car and I tell you to slow down or stop, just ignore me unless I see something in front of you that you don't.

7. (Bonus round) Quickies:
**Must. Have. Remote. (DH and I each have one for the bedroom TV)
**I Hate predictable situations in movies and TV. It's not funny and it makes me cringe.
**Oh yeah, and TP goes under, not over.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 11:28 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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1 I totally knew #2. You've been so wonderfully supportive of me, the DH and our lil' peanut, I just knew that was the way you are. Don't change a hair for me. . . )

Posted by: Margi at August 22, 2005 12:48 AM (nwEQH)

2 TP under?? No way, uh uh. If you ever make it out to Australia and visit, if you use up the roll, don't be putting the new one on, I'll do it! hehe And I am so with you on the driving/going places alone thing. Except for going to work, I hate driving by myself, especially if it is a fair distance. I feel vulnerable too, like I'm going to come across a situation that I am so not going to be able to deal with.

Posted by: Amanda at August 22, 2005 01:23 AM (8Bhm3)

3 I enjoy being the cruise director / party planner too!! Sounds like you're the bestest hostess! TP under!??

Posted by: Marie at August 22, 2005 07:45 AM (410kz)

4 Over! But totally with you on the phone thing.

Posted by: Jay at August 22, 2005 12:28 PM (NxYzY)

5 Yeah. The phone thing. I absolutely despise the telephone, and wish it could somehow be de-invented. I would much rather communicate with people face to face, by email, by IM, by snail mail, or even by passenger pigeon. Anything but that damn telephone!

Posted by: Paul Burgess at August 22, 2005 02:08 PM (q36UY)

6 If you come into my house expect to be served a drink and any kind of food you want in the house Awesome. Can I come over? My grandmother has that, but to the point where you kind of want to give her a Xanax at times. I run out of ways to say "No, grandma, really, everything is wonderful and delicious and swell and I swear on all that's holy I am not just saying that." She is an excellent hostess, but I think she drives herself a little batty with it now and then. Re: last asterisk--I absolutely second that. UNDER. Make the weight of the roll help you in separating the tissues! It's not, ha ha, rocket science! And the boyfriend and I totally argue over who has to call for pizza as we're both phobic about talking to strangers, too. Maybe I should have gone for an extrovert.

Posted by: ilyka at August 22, 2005 05:54 PM (z+oQt)

7 Who hoo! Free liscence to mooch! I'll be visiting soon . I swear, you and my #$^%$ing mom with the TP, sheesh.

Posted by: Ben at August 22, 2005 08:15 PM (NIpoo)

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I added the category archive links..... more minor tweaking to come.

Some of you should appreciate the humor behind the latest character......

Posted by: caltechgirl at 11:53 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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My life is rated R.
What is your life rated?

(h/t Jay Solo)

Posted by: caltechgirl at 12:56 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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