At work or in school: I work best by myself. I like to focus on my ideas until my desire for understanding is satisfied. I am easily bored if the subject holds no interest to me. Sometimes, it is hard for me to set priorities because so many things are of interest.
With friends: I may seem reserved. Although my thoughts and feelings run deep, I am uneasy with frequent displays of emotion. I enjoy people who are interesting and of high integrity.
With family: I am probably seen as a loner because I like a lot of private time to think. Sometimes, I find family activities boring and have difficulty following family rules that don't make sense to me. I show love by spending time with my family and sharing ideas and interests.
Take this quiz!

Well, I'm certainly not that reserved or aloof with friends and family, but otherwise pretty nail on the head. And my favorite color.

h/t Sleepy Beth

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You Are Vixen

Sexy and sultry, you're the one all the other reindeer dream about. Why You're Naughty: That fur pulling spat you got into with Dancer over Santa. Why You're Nice: Because even when you're nice, you're still delightfully naughty!

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Some of this is a spun argument, for example most kids in high income homes have two parents because most of the time it takes two incomes to reach that level, but all in all, an interesting hypothesis and a new interpretation of data that social scientists have been mining for years.

In this article from the City Journal, sociologist Kay Hymowitz posits that there is an increasing gap in marriage between the educated and the less educated in America, and that this gap has startling implications for the children of both married and unmarried parents.

Princeton sociologist Sara McLanahan, co-author of the breakthrough book Growing Up With a Single Parent, has fleshed out the implications of the Marriage Gap for children in an important paper in Demography—and they’re not pretty. McLanahan observes that, after 1970, women at all income levels began to marry at older ages, and the average age of first marriage moved into the mid-twenties. But where mothers at the top of the income scale also put off having children until they were married, spending their years before marriage getting degrees or working, those at the bottom did neither.

The results radically split the experiences of children. Children in the top quartile now have mothers who not only are likely to be married, but also are older, more mature, better educated, and nearly three times as likely to be employed (whether full- or part-time) as are mothers of children in the bottom quartile. And not only do top-quartile children have what are likely to be more effective mothers; they also get the benefit of more time and money from their live-in fathers.

For children born at the bottom of the income scale, the situation is the reverse. They face a decrease in what McLanahan terms “resources”: their mothers are younger, less stable, less educated, and, of course, have less money. Adding to their woes, those children aren’t getting much (or any) financial support and time from their fathers. Surprisingly, McLanahan finds that in Europe, too—where welfare supports for “lone parents,” as they are known in Britain, are much higher than in the United States—single mothers are still more likely to be poor and less educated. As in the United States, so in Europe and, no doubt, the rest of the world: children in single-parent families are getting less of just about everything that we know helps to lead to successful adulthood.

All this makes depressing sense, but when you think about it, the Marriage Gap itself presents a puzzle. Why would women working for a pittance at the supermarket cash registers decide to have children without getting married, while women writing briefs at Debevoise & Plimpton, who could easily afford to go it alone, insist on finding husbands before they start families? For a long time, social scientists assumed, reasonably enough, that economic self-sufficiency would lead more women to opt for single motherhood. And to listen to the drone of complaint about men around water coolers, in Internet chat rooms, on the Oxygen Network, and in Maureen Dowdworld, there would seem to be plenty of potential recruits for Murphy Browndom. Certainly when they talk to pollsters, women say that they donÂ’t think thereÂ’s anything wrong with having a baby without a husband. Yet the women who are forgoing husbands are precisely the ones who can least afford to do so.

There's lot more to the article, including at least 2 more sections I'd like to excerpt. Go here to read the whole thing.

h/t Ron Coleman at Dean's World

Venomous Kate also has an interesting take on the article.

So, what do you think?

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Well, baby steps I say.  Here's a start, huh?

A Christmas meme stolen from Cobb:

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate? Hot Chocolate.  Egg Nog is nasteeee.  NASTY.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? WRAP!!  Where's the fun otherwise?

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White is too boring to bother with.  Colors on tree and house.  The more the merrier.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?  Occasionally.  Usually the plastic variety. 

5. When do you put your decorations up?  Usually the weekend after thanksgiving.  Tree stays up until at least Epiphany (Jan 6).

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? My stuffing or latkes and bacon, our traditional Christmas eve fare

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child: Hmm, that's a tough one.  Let's put it this way, I can tell a Barbie wrapped up under the tree from a mile away....

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? You mean that Santa isn't just one dude with a sleigh and Rudolph?  I STILL believe in Santa.  Come on now.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? My Dad's side comes to our house on Christmas Eve, so we open those presents then.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? well, we have a bunch of ornaments, most of which have some meaning for us from characters to tradiational ornaments, as well as colored globes and glass icecicles.  Big Gold Star for the top.

11. Snow! Love it or dread it? I love love love snow!  I hate the idiots who don't know how to drive in it.

12. Can you ice skate? Nope.  My ankles are too weak.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? My favorite gift I ever got was DH getting holiday leave from Basic Training.  The best gift I ever gave was the microwave we got Mom last year.  She was shocked!

14. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you? The time to relax and enjoy, to sing songs and smell pine trees.  To act like a 4 year old.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Peppermint ice cream.  My favorite all year round, but much easier to find at the holidays.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Christmas Eve at my parents' house.

17. What tops your tree? This year, a big gold star.  Previously a Winnie the Pooh Angel (which makes a better table decoration since it is usually to big for the HUGE ASS TREE we always get).

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? I love giving.  I'm very good at it, and I love to watch people's faces light up at the surprise.  I'm terrible to buy for because I want to be surprised and blown away like they are, but no one has managed it yet.

19. What is your favorite Christmas song?  All of them.  The songs are the best part!

20. Candy canes: One is generally enough.  Really.  Give me the ice cream!

21. Favorite Christmas movie? 1. White Christmas 2. A Christmas Story 3. Love, Actually

22. What do you leave for Santa? Whatever Santa asks for.  Usually popcorn and fudge and a glass of milk.

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1 Favorite Christmas movie... The Desk Set. *grin* Guess I'll have to get hold of Love Actually since I've never seen it.

Posted by: Teresa at December 06, 2006 06:20 AM (5UR9t)

2 1. Egg nog or hot chocolate? Egg nog, no contest 2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? depends on how my family was feeling when I was a kid... of course, I never believed, but I played along for the presents... 3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? neither 4. Do you hang mistletoe? If I thought someone would be dumb enough to actually kiss me, I'd nail bushels of the stuff all over my ceilings... then invite them over to my place... 5. When do you put your decorations up? I don't decorate 6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? hmmmmm.... cranberry sauce 7. Favorite holiday memory as a child: when "Santa" tripped over and crushed the Hot Wheels city my brother and I received... and he was asking what happened... I knew my grandmother had gotten up in the middle of the night and forgotten about it being in the floor... 8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I've always known Santa was someone in the house; mom asked me when I was six if I believed, and I told her no; she told me not to tell my brother... too many illogical things happening where the Santa myth was concerned, and I wasn't a child who took anything at face value 9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? I don't do Christmas, although I buy for my kids while secretly awaiting their realization that Christmas is BS 10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? blah 11. Snow! Love it or dread it? snow? no such thing anymore... global warming killed it all out... unless you live in or near the Arctic Circle or near the South Pole... anyway, I like snow 12. Can you ice skate? no 13. Do you remember your favorite gift? no 14. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you? When they're over 15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? pumpkin pie 16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? hiding in a closet until everyone's gone 17. What tops your tree? what tree? 18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? are we still talking about holidays? 19. What is your favorite Christmas song? Christmas Time is Near ~ Chipmunks (I think that's the title) 20. Candy canes: ack! no 21. Favorite Christmas movie? 1. Die Hard 2. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Boris Karloff rocks) 3. nada 22. What do you leave for Santa? a loaded bear trap...

Posted by: Thomas Warlock at December 06, 2006 04:00 PM (qeZ2A)

3 White Christmas is my all time favorite movie. LOVE IT.

Posted by: wRitErsbLock at December 07, 2006 08:21 AM (MwQOF)

4 Thomas, my husband also swears Die Hard is a Christmas movie. And it's one we watch on Christmas Eve.

Posted by: wRitErsbLock at December 07, 2006 08:22 AM (MwQOF)

5 Well, Die Hard 'is' a Christmas movie... sort of. It takes place at the appropriate time.

Posted by: Thomas Warlock at December 07, 2006 09:30 AM (NvS/T)

6 I'm not arguing with you. I was backing you up, in case people in your life give you the hard time my husband gets.

Posted by: wRitErsbLock at December 07, 2006 07:34 PM (0Pi1o)

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Lifted from Karen:

1. How old were you when you learned to read and who taught you?
I was about 2 and a half when I started reading.  I have no memory of NOT knowing how to read.  My mom says that Sesame Street and the Electric Company taught me to read, and I believe her.

2. Did you own any books as a child? If so, whatÂ’s the first one that you remember owning? If not, do you recall any of the first titles that you borrowed from the library?
Did I own any books, are you kidding?  I had dozens.  Among the earliest were: Go Dog Go, Hop on Pop, Wacky Wednesday, Put Me in The Zoo, Big Dog, Little Dog; and and all the Little Golden Books.  Later I had the Little House, the Anne of Green Gables books, The Narnia series, Encyclopedia Brown, the Ramonas, the Fudge books, and dozens more.  My favorite library books were the Obadiah books, by Brinton Turkle

Did I mention my mother is a children's librarian?

3. WhatÂ’s the first book that you bought with your own money?
Oh Boy.  No idea.  I think it was a full (8 volume) box set of Anne of Green Gables.

4. Were you a re-reader as a child? If so, which book did you re-read most often?
I still AM a re-reader.  The Little House Books and the Anne Books were definitely read to bits and replaced.  And Sherlock Holmes mysteries.

5. WhatÂ’s the first adult book that captured your interest and how old were you when you read it?
I always loved the Sherlock Holmes mysteries, and I startes reading them before I was in second grade.  I also read a lot of my mother's crime novels, Elliot Roosevelt, Margaret Truman, and Tony Hillerman were some of her favorites, and I read them when she was done.

6. Are there childrenÂ’s books that you passed by as a child that you have learned to love as an adult? Which ones?
I didn't read a lot of Dr. Seuss as a kid.  Mom wasn't a fan, so I didn't get them.  But  Green Eggs and Ham is seriously one of my favorite books of all time.

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My friend Val Prieto  just got some serious validation that what he is doing at Babalu is getting the message of Cuba out there!

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Didja miss me?

I've written this post in my head 200 times (at least) since Sunday....  Which of course makes it harder to write.

Where to begin?

So Friday I was supposed to get up at 3am to be at LAX in time for a 6am flight.  But DH turned off the alarm in his sleep and we woke up at 5.  YEEOUCH!

Flew to the airport, only to be told that I had missed the bag check cutoff by 10 minutes.... So I called using the little phone and changed to a flight laving at 7am.  And they only charged me a $25 same-day confirmation fee, rather than like $100 for changing my ticket.  Thank God for Travelocity travel insurance.  I usually never get it, but I did this time because I was making other stops (more about that later).  Good thing.

So I left at 7am, and arrived in Atlanta about 2:30.  I got a taxi to the hotel and transferred a few things to a smaller bag.

At 4 pm the Mulleted one arrived and whisked me away.  Well, whisked is probably a strong term considering that it took us two hours to get out of Atlanta.  Damn Friday rush hour traffic.  And we only had to turn around twice! :-)

He even took me to Chick Fil A!  What a nice guy.

So eventually we get to the hotel in Tennessee, and finally on to our destination, the Straight White House.  I walked into the house, and instantly got swallowed up in a sea of bloggers and blog buddies:  Sissy, Bou, Bou's sister Morrigan, Jimbo and his bodyguard Kenny, Denny, T1G, Redneck, Johnny-Oh, RSM, Yabu, Recondo32 and Georgia, Eric's buddy J, and of course the SWG and the SW Missus.

I felt comfortable immediately, and let me tell you, this is a good bunch of folks.  Fun AND funny.  And it was awesome to put faces with names and to get to give my Adopted Blog Mom and Sis hugs!

On Saturday morning we all went to breakfast.  I didn't realize it was still possible to get more food than you can eat for $4!  As we pulled up to the cafe, Teresa arrived, too.

While I'm on the subject of breakfast, Boudicca can really put away the food.  She may be little, but there's a lumberjack in that little body!

After breakfast we returned to Eric's, with only a few people getting lost, and soon there were more folks to meet:  Ellison and SWMBO arrived right after breakfast, and then Velociman, Dax Montana, and Big Stupid Tommy joined the party.

Did I miss anyone?

Saturday's highlights included breaking shot glasses (hot glass + cold Vodka = crack!), a rocket attack, and Dax et al ACTUALLY sleeping out by the fire.  No.  Really.  When they actually slept.

Saturday also featured a yummy dinner of barbecued ribs, beans, and biscuits, followed by birthday cake.  It seems that SWG, Ellison, Zonker, Jimbo, and Denny all have birthdays in the last 10 days.  So we had two cakes, and a singalong.  Seems the Debonair One is also quite the songwriter, and he wrote a great song commemorating the event and the Straight White Birthday.

And then Ellison and Jimbo made up a song about getting older and slamming your dick in the door.

Yep.  You read that right.  Zonker has the video.

Sunday featured breakfast cooked by the Ellisons and Yabu ducking out of doing the dishes. Velociman left early because he had a long drive.  Except that he forgot his laptop, and had to return for it.  But the sneaky bastard thought he could grab it and go.  He didn't reckon on the alarm, though.  The rest of us were in the kitchen when he sneaked in, and I heard the alarm and saw him sneaking out the door.  The only words I could get out were "There he goes!" and the rest of the crew took off out the door and made him pay for trying to pull a fast one.

 Then we left and drove down the back roads back to Atlanta, where I got back into the swing of things at the meeting I actually came to town for.

But that's another post entirely.

More on everyone and pictures and more stories later.  It's just too much to remember.  Check everyone else's stories, especially Ellison's latest.

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1 You're back! I was going to email you, then realized you'd have like 10,000 messages in your box... so I waited. *grin*

Posted by: Teresa at October 19, 2006 02:14 PM (jgXyO)

2 It was a pleasure to make your acquaintence. I apologize for spending so much time out back with the boyz... but I don't get to see that crew too damned often. I hope you come again next year, if they'll have us back.

Posted by: RedNeck at October 19, 2006 03:05 PM (a6pA8)

3 Nice to have you posting again.

Posted by: vw bug at October 19, 2006 03:09 PM (5zbJF)

4 CTG, it was a pleasure to meet you. Mebbe we need to have a California 'meet next time...

Posted by: Elisson at October 19, 2006 03:15 PM (t0AZH)

5 so envious.

Posted by: wRitErsbLock at October 19, 2006 04:42 PM (0Pi1o)

6 Holy crap, I forgot about the song about slamming one's dick in the door. That whole thing was hysterical. Its one of those things... the whole weekend was so enjoyable and funny, that you forget pieces. And it was WONDERFUL to finally hug you. We HAVE to do that again!

Posted by: Bou at October 19, 2006 07:28 PM (iHxT3)

7 I'm glad you're back! I'm also glad you had a wonderful time meeting everyone. Now then, the important question: where are the PICTURES???

Posted by: Amanda at October 20, 2006 06:01 AM (ay+rD)

8 .. I am SO glad you made the trip... it was wonderful to meet you and feed you ribs!...

Posted by: Eric at October 20, 2006 06:08 AM (NlzwQ)

9 It was nice to meet you...have a good weekend.

Posted by: Yabu at October 20, 2006 06:09 AM (b1/rU)

10 It was great to finally meet you!! I'm glad you made it back safe!

Posted by: Sissy at October 20, 2006 08:32 AM (e+8WB)

11 'Twas great meeting you, CTG! Now I can rub it in Contagion's face...

Posted by: That 1 Guy at October 20, 2006 02:41 PM (PmJUQ)

12 Great to meet you. Hope to do so again.

Posted by: Jim - PRS at October 20, 2006 03:11 PM (a6/Kb)

13 Really glad you made it to the latest fest. You are *definitely* welcome at future Jawja blogmeets. Anytime you're out this way, just give a holler!

Posted by: zonker at October 21, 2006 12:43 AM (PrUNH)

14 Sorry the ATL traffic was so brutal...it is usually like that though. It was a pleasure meeting you. I know Sissy was happy to pass off the horned hat.

Posted by: Morrigan at October 23, 2006 11:57 AM (dUaag)

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Jim of Parkway Rest Stop and his crack staff have uncovered a transcript!

Drink warning for the end!

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Ok, so I got tagged and it's Friday. Here we go:
List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if theyÂ’re not any good, but they must be songs youÂ’re really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your blog along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what theyÂ’re listening to.

This I can do.  They're not really  "new" by any stretch, but they are the ones I've been listening to and thinking about...

1. "Lovers in a Dangerous Time" -- Barenaked Ladies

Don't the hours grow shorter as the days go by
You never get to stop and open our eyes
One minute you're waiting for the sky to fall
The next you're dazzled by the beauty of it all
Lovers in a dangerous time

These fragile bodies of touch and taste
This fragrant skin this hair like lace
Spirits open to the thrust of grace
Never a breath you can afford to waste
Lovers in a dangerous time

Find me and follow me through corridors
Refectories and files you must follow
Leave this academic factory
You will find me in the matinee, the dark of the matinee
It's better in the matinee
The dark of the matinee is mine, yes it's mine

One, two boys by the river
Down by the water
Tellin' riddles in the dark
With fireflies under the moonlight
Carvin' the insides of a tree with a knife
Ever hear the one about the boy's big sister
His best friend come along
He tried to kiss her
The only difference
That I see
Is you are exactly the same
As you used to be..

We would stand in the wind
We were free like water
Flowing down
Under the warmth of the sun
Now it's cold and we're scared
And we've both been shaken
Look at us
Man, this doesn't need to be the end

Just let me hold you while you're falling apart
Just let me hold you so we both fall down

Fall on me tell me everything you want me to be
Forever with you
Forever in me
Ever the same

Where does the heart reside
If not where I lay my head?
I could run but I'm petrified
And choose this instead
Again and again

Destruction leads to a very rough road
But it also breeds creation
And earthquakes are to a girl's guitar
They're just another good vibration
And tidal waves couldn't save the world
From Californication

I was so high I did not recognize
The fire burning in her eyes
The chaos that controlled my mind
Whispered goodbye and she got on a plane
Never to return again
But always in my heart

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Arrrgh!  It be Talk Like a Pirate Day!

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Go here and sign up!  Nestle is sending a free bag of it's new Chocolatier products to anyone who signs up for their promotions team in September!

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1 Signed up. Can't pass up free chocolate.

Posted by: Sissy at September 02, 2006 12:32 PM (e+8WB)

2 me too

Posted by: Sharon at September 02, 2006 12:46 PM (pgnbp)

3 It won't send me a password. Guess I really don't need free chocolate... sigh.

Posted by: vw bug at September 04, 2006 01:50 PM (iBf5y)

4 Did someone say chocolate?

Posted by: Greta (Hooah Wife) at September 07, 2006 06:53 PM (Cbtbf)

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For your Friday viewing pleasure, Hampton Pig and Plucky Duck in
Istanbul (Not Constantinople) by They Might Be Giants.

Two great tastes that taste great together:

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1. A book that changed my life:
Wow, that's a hard one.  I think every GOOD book makes an impression on you, makes you think, changes your world view just a little. Here are a few:
Thomas Lynch, The Undertaking and Bodies in Motion and at Rest
Beverly Donofrio, Looking for Mary
Antonio Damasio, Descartes' Error

2. A book that I've read more than once:
There are about 50 million books on this list.  I re-read almost everything that I like.  The ones I've read to replacing, though, are:
John Grisham, The Rainmaker, A Time to Kill
Stephen King, The Eyes of the Dragon, The Bachman Books, The Talisman, The Dark Tower Series
Annie Proulx, The Shipping News
Alexandre Dumas (pere), The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo (I own 4 different editions of this one, sadly all in English)
Robert Crais, The Monkey's Raincoat

3. A book I'd take to a desert Island:
Stephen King, The Stand  1200 pages, I wouldn't get bored.

4. A book that made me laugh:
To be honest, and I'm not making fun of it, The Book of Mormon.  Every frickin' sentence starts with "And it came to pass that..."  My friend (who is Mormon) would read it aloud to us just to make us laugh.  True story.

5. A book that made me cry:
Adriana Trigiani, Big Cherry Holler

6. A book I wish had been written:
"Cleaning in Your Sleep" and the companion volume "Grant-Writing in Your Sleep"

7. A book that should never have been written:
I can't think of any.  Censorship is BAAAAD.

8. A book I'm currently reading:
Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner, Freakonomics

9. A book I'm planning to read:
Lemony Snicket, The End

10. Five people I'll send these questions to:
Y'all feel free to chime in.  I'm not tagging anyone in particular.

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I got tagged twice this week. So here's one, hopefully I'll get to the other tomorrow.... Or maybe just later. I gots ta work, ya' know?

From Ken:

Four songs that you could listen to over and over:
"Sunny Came Home"-- Shawn Colvin. Burning down the house AND a mandolin solo, what's not to like?
"Call and Answer" The Barenaked Ladies. F*ck it, almost anything by BNL. Except the Chimpanzees song (see below)
"Somebody" Depeche Mode. That was sung at my wedding.
"Santeria" - Sublime "...I won't think twice to stick that barrel straight down Sancho's throat.  Believe me when I say that I got somethin' for your PunkAss.."

Four songs that drive you up the friggin' wall:
"Live and Let Die"- I don't care if it is just McCartney's accent. It sounds like he's saying "in this world in which we live in".  Uh-uh.  No way.
"Chimpanzees" by the Barenaked Ladies. Self-explanatory from the title, no?
Anything by the Rolling Stones except "Brown Sugar" and "Sympathy for the Devil". I know, I know, heresy, but I HATE Mick Jagger's voice.
"Dixie Chicken" -Little Feat, Garth Brooks, etc. Stupid. And I like punnery.

Four songs that you're embarrassed (or should be) to admit you like:
N*Sync "Bye Bye Bye". N*Sync. N*uff said.
"Fantastic Voyage" -Coolio
"Say My Name" - Destiny's Child
"All Out of Love" - Air Supply

Four best driving songs:
"FreeFallin" Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Always a classic. Or "American Girl". But that always makes me think of Silence of the Lambs....
"Take Me Out" Franz Ferdinand. Try it on the 110 freeway.
"Sharp Dressed Man" -- ZZ Top. Tush is also good.
Anything by the Beach Boys. Except maybe "God Only Knows". (see below)

Four songs that make you cry:
Amazing Grace on the bagpipe
"Lightning Crashes" - Live
"Sunrise, Sunset" -Tevye and Golde in Fiddler on the Roof
"God Only Knows" -The Beach Boys

Four best risque' songs:
"SqueezeBox" -The Who "Mamma's got a squeezebox...Daddy never sleeps at night."
"Baby Driver" -Simon and Garfunkel.... "We can go up to my room and play.... I'm not talking about your pigtails, I was talking about your sex appeal..."
"I Touch Myself" -The DiVinyls
"Strokin'" - Clarence Carter.  Strokin to the east... strokin to the west...

Four best kid songs:
Puff the Magic Dragon
Eensy Weensy Spider
Ten Elephants
Do Re Mi (from the Sound of Music)
... it's all about the old skool here.

Four Other Songs: Four 80's Movie songs:
"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" -Tears For Fears, Real Genius
"Danger Zone" -Kenny Loggins, Top Gun
"In Your Eyes" -Peter Gabriel, Say Anything
"If You Leave" - OMD, Pretty in Pink

Consider yourself tagged if you want to participate. Otherwise? Meh, not so much.

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From the Jawas:

Muslims Protest Freddy Mercury's Birthday

(Zanzibar, Tanzania) Muslims are outraged at the planned 60th birthday celebration for deceased rock star and Zanzibar native Freddy Mercury, born Farrokh Bulsara, because his sexual preferences and flamboyant lifestyle insulted Islam.

The full story is here.
Here's the kicker line:

"Allowing such a function for a person known outside Zanzibar as a homosexual tarnishes the name of Zanzibar," he said in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by AFP. "Let us protect our good culture."

This is Killer....

Or how about some Flash?

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Google Maps has yet another great feature:  an accurate pedometer!

With the GMaps Pedometer, you can trace your route and figure out how far you've walked.  Even for crazy paths.  And there's a calorie counter, too!

h/t Deb

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Today's Editorial Cartoon by Cox and Forkum:

Posted by: caltechgirl at 11:07 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The blogosphere is as small a world as real life.  Especially when you find out  that people read blogs you never expected them to know about.

Jes' sayin.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 12:05 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
Post contains 33 words, total size 1 kb.