Forty Thousand Comments And Counting

Clicking on the RoveStorm link made IE crash. It's like some sort of internet black hole.

Thank God for a new kit. The old one was getting way, way too heavy for something that's supposed to be humorous.

Here's another Nani, from March 3:

I was an usherette at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio back in the 50s. We wore cute little military-styled uniforms, caps, gloves and carried flashlights to help late comers find a seat. Back then you could buy a ticket, 50 cents adults, 10 cents kids, and watch the movie as many times as you liked, stay all day if you cared to. The theatre itself was magnificent, red velvet seats, balcony, opera boxes and a lush red curtain that covered the screen and then pulled back slowly when the opening credits began. I loved that MGM roaring lion. Folks were more polite back then. (Well, except for the ladies who wore great big hats replete with flora and fauna and didn't remove them). I don't recall ever needing to ask anyone to shush. Even the bathrooms were swell. Antique dressing tables, a sofa and a maid dressed in a black silky uniform with lacy apron to assist you (with what I always wondered?)

Congratulations on the milestone... have there been any motions for making donatios for a "Blog software course" ?

Joel,

I see that you also disregarded the first piece of advice that was offered to you from the Boodle: review at the end of the day!

Joel, I think you need to add categories to do it any justice. For instance, I nominate the "Achenblog Recipe for Quick Beans" boodle for "Outstanding Group Riff Between an Unknown Number of Actual Boodlers", from about 6:30 to 11pm.

An example:

Frijoles negros and all that slop
Buddha beans and gumbo glop
Black beans, rice and chicken bones
Kareem Abdul and LeRoi Jones
black Krishna, shango shaggy mop
LeRoi Jones Baraka wop

Posted by: fop | Feb 24, 2006 8:47:39 PM

Joel,That wonderful Nani featuring the wonderful theater bathrooms (umm, "ladies' lounge?) reminds me that every grand 1920s movie palace I've visited seems to have inadequate facilities for the ladies. On the other hand, Jacksonville's Florida Theater had a wonderful mens' room at the top of the balcony that only a few seemed to know about. The thoroughly modern Oregon Convention Center was considerate enough to provide attractive, appropriately located pictures of Oregon waterfalls.

Oh, *&^%$#, I just posted a long one at the tail end of the last kit that will ensure Peace In Our Time--and now find we've moved on to a new boodle. Story of my life.

Hang on, we'll drag it over here.

From Curmudgeon:

slyness, I tend to stay away from these religious discussions when they pop up (except for the occasional historical note), in part because I don't like any of the terms and definitions people are using. Many people either don't know the actual meanings and distinctions of the words they are using, or are just careless in how they use them (I find many "religious" people especially ignorant about their own terminology; how many people can define "presbyter" or know what the Method is that gave Methodiswm its name?)

It seems to me that "religion" per se is a large philosophical construct. In my view it is IN NO WAY the same as the word "faith," yet people use them interchangeably (and in my view wildly incorrectly all the time). "Faith" is NOT synonymous with "religion"; it may be a part of it, or in some/many cases it is not. But this distinction (which I view as quite important) is virtually lost on most "religious" people in this country.

Next, I think one has to distinguish between a "religion" as a hilosopical construct and body of thought, and the "church" that claims to espouse it, because the church is simply a particular institution run not by God but by people, who pretty much (in my view) screw the whole thing up royally. The upshot is, you have "Christianity" in general and its subset, Catholicism, as a branch of it, and then you have the Catholic Church as a human institution, which is the gang that brought you the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the Albigensian thing, papal dispensations, crazy popes, fish on Fridays, and priests who like to fondle little boys. Sometimes there is a close corollary between the "religion" as a philosophy, and the (deeply flawed) insttiution that represents it, and sometimes there isn't.

Likewise, a lot of the discussion of Islam is similarly full of crap. As a "religion" and as an overall philosophy, Islam is remarkably similar to Christianity--which is why I find it ironic (and a pox on both your houses) that at the present time, these two religions seem to be at war with each other. (In fact, they aren't; it is the a---hole fundamentalists running various human institutions who are at war with each other. The "enemy" isn't the religion; the enemy is fundamentalism.)

I was pretty close to being "spoiled" against religion by the time I got to college, but be that as it may, I was totally ruined by the time I left. I enjoy the study of religion from a philosophical and secular/history point of view, and find it fascinating. But after you've read Buber, Tillich, John A.T. Robinson, Teillhard du Chardin, Reinhold Neibuhr, Bonhoeffer, and that crowd (which I did), then people like Jerry Effing Falwell, Pat Effing Robertson, the Tim LaHaye/Rapture crowd, Jimmy Swaggert, Jim and Tammy Baker and all their followers and fellow travelers (Bush, and all those "Born-Again" alleged "Christians," et al.) are just beneath contempt. How anyone can hold up Paul Tillich on the one hand and Jerry Falwell on the other, and then pick Falwell is just inconceivable to me. Pat Robertson isn't fit to carry Dietrich Bonhoeffer's lunchbox.

So yeah, people like Bonhoeffer, Tillich, Robinson, Buber, Neibuhr, Maimonides, Karl Barth, Thomas Merton, Robert Gordis (whom I met and had autograph four of his books for me), etc., have utterly ruined "religion" for me. And it goes to show what a dangerous institution college is.There's nothing more dangerous than teaching people to think.

[Let's remember that when we hit, say, 50,000 comments, we need to subtract one, since this was posted twice.]

May not be worth it, Joel.

Nani:

You are a delight. I have my own "swept the playing board" clean story, but it was Scrabble, not chess. It's a sweet memory to have called back to me.

Your story about made me cry. Wonderful.

Whoops! Nani, it was your story about your sister that made me cry. I liked the theater story, too, but it didn't make me cry.

Mudge, I certainly agree with your distinction between faith and religion, and I wholeheartedly agree with your comments about fundamentalism. But let me point out to you that all the Christian thinkers you named (that I am aware of) were members and leaders in church organizations. For me, church is a place to worship and to be a part of those who try to behave as God would have us behave. Perfect? Of course not. But a place where my faith can be challenged to grow, where I can be a part of compassion to all.

The church where I am a member is not part of the mainstream. It's not fundamentalist in any form, which makes us unpopular among our brethren. So be it. My mother used to say that had not we gone to this particular church, I would have been lost to faith. That's probably true. But my point is that if faith is to survive and be passed on, it depends on religion, as bad as that institution may have been.

Joel, since you seem to be hanging around . . . I'm curious re how your job is structured. Not that it's any of my business, but are you a full-time Post employee? Are your only obligations to the Post the Sunday column and the blog, w/ whatever features you can talk them into compensated separately? Or, do you take leave to do big projects such as the National Geographic article?

Again, not that it's any of my business.

About your sister: beautiful. Thank you.

Hold on a minute. If things that are posted more than once shouldn't count to the total for more than one, than this place may not have hit 40K.

Call in the auditors.

Good point, Bayou Self. Remember all the multi-postings we had with Typepad, especially those days when everything seemed to post 3 or 4 times (or more!)?

And, of course, we have all those really, really trivial comments. Like this one. Seems they should hardly count. Maybe a tenth of a comment.

"....then you have the Catholic Church as a human institution, which is the gang that brought you the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the Albigensian thing, papal dispensations, crazy popes, fish on Fridays, and priests who like to fondle little boys."

Mudge, please forgive me if I have misinterpreted your comments.

This gang also brought us Mother Theresa of Calcutta. She said:

"You and I, we are the Church, no? We have to share with our people. Suffering today is because people are hoarding, not giving, not sharing.
Jesus made it very clear. Whatever you do to the least of my brethren, you do it to me.
Give a glass of water, you give it to me. Receive a little
child, you receive me.

Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater developments and greater riches and so on, so that children have very little time for their parents. Parents have very little time for each other, and in the home begins the disruption of peace of the world.

If we really want to love we must learn how to forgive."

Earlier today, I went back and looked at the first Kits with comments (pre-K: back before Kits and the Kaboodle were named). Interestingly, almost none of those people stuck around. mizerock appeared in the first week, and still occasionally posts something. That name seems familiar to me, somehow... someone I know from real life, but the name is escaping me.

SciTim, by the accounting you espouse, I could be considered to have yet to comment on the Boodle. :-)

To paraphrase Robin Williams, wouldn't it be funny if I were just a Boodle hologram (Boodlegram???) and went "poof?"

TBG - if I haven't scared you off, I hope we are still on tomorrow at 8:15 at McDonalds. I have secured a limited amount of insignia swag, which I hope you can distribute to some of the other boodlers. They can do with it what they wish. Possible uses include bonfires and dart boards. Goodness knows from time to time that's what I want to do.

Egad, how do you all keep track of this? Do you regulars just keep a window of the blog open at all times and refresh periodically betwixt workday doings? I went away to work on something and when I came back there was a whole new Kit and everything. I feel a little like Rip Van Winkle here. Any strategies for those newbies wishing to keep up with the fast pace of all this?

Tim, I noticed that too. These people abandoned the blog. I wonder what the turnover rate is? (And will kguy come back or is he just another one of those boodle-bam-thank-you-ma'am types?)

Oh, and I AM going to post some more stuff on the main kit shortly.

spob, the best strategy is to abandon all hope. Seriously: You don't have to keep track. You'll go crazy.

As this boodle is about comments and being off-topic I noted my dear Joel that your Homage to Spit piece in this month's National Geographic wasn't open for comments. Here's my contribution to a future main article on this fascinating subject. I noted that the production of spit, or saliva if we are to use the fancy-schmancy term, wasn't discussed in the piece. My large dog for example can drool buckets of the stuff after eating some foods like grapes or olives. Hardwood floors are transformed into skating rinks by this natural lubricant. Other food, say roasted meat, sausage, bacon, anything with nitrites really makes the dog drool in anticipation of getting some. Have you had the opportunity of exploring these issues in your research for the Homage ?

I have three computers in my office. One of them is just to do research on the internet. Naturally I have it set up to refresh the Achenblog frequently. I multitask a lot.
I also think that many people hang out here a while until they suffer criticism of some kind, or discover that contrary points of view are allowed, or go back on their medication. Then many of them vanish.

Many of us consider the Boodle to BE our medication...

That might explain my jitters during the weekends and vacations.

What would also be interesting would be a headcount of 'boodlers and lurkers. I don't post to every kit, but I do try to read the comments every day.

Did anyone take a headcount of all those who posted a few weeks ago about the font size for the 'boodle?

DV

On the spit threat, the word "expectorate" is one of my favorites. I am endlessly amused when it is used because the word "spit" would seem to lowbrow.

Oh I am so glad that Joel begins with Nani included. Nani's Mr. Nani stories are so wonderfully warm and so very human. Sorrow, solace and joy in every word.

And Curmudgeon and bc are wonderful samples of boodlosiphy.

Its so nice to have a place and some fine, warm, yet largely faceless friends with whom to share interesting illuminating conversation, under the direction of the master of interesting stuff. We are like a fine choir with Bachenbach as choirmaster.

Achenbach writes:
Tim, I noticed that too. These people abandoned the blog. I wonder what the turnover rate is? (And will kguy come back or is he just another one of those boodle-bam-thank-you-ma'am types?)

[How unfair, Joel, kurosawaguy and his erudition were with us for quite some time...]

kurosawaguy wrote on March 15:
Hmmmm, well I guess they've all gone out to the video store to rent Deliverance after the purty mouth reference. Since there's no one here, I'd just like to hearken back to the last Boodle enough to say that I hope Cassandra didn't feel ganged up on. She's a nice lady and I like to read what she has to say, but her frequent references to her faith can sometimes bother me. The fastest way to attract proselitizing is to announce your non-belief. Many don't see this as a legitimate viewpoint, just a challenge to their evangelical fervor.

Yes, talk about all the other people Joel, but when you Google "legume humor...."

I think Hal has the stats on hits, turnover rates, etc., Joel.

These are filed along with the infamous "Held Comments" in the Achenblog Black Hole storage device (you don't want to know the nickname), of course.

This system is in Hal's secret basement Lair, which is maintained by his fleet of Fembots (what's a group of Fembots called? A Loomis of Fembots? (uncomfortably) Heh, heh, that's a joke, Linda.).

Hal's an IT guy. If you want to get that kind of info, you need to offer up a sacrifice to him on his altar. A goat will usually suffice.

You must be phrase your request most precisely, because, as you know, IT guys are *not* in the business of providing information. If you don't ask the right question completely unambiguously, you probably won't get a useful answer, and they're not going to volunteer explainations.

And you need to be able to translate information in the form of Hawking radiation, which is a lot harder than ASCII. There's freeware out on the 'net for this, I think.

bc

Unfortunately, the boodle statistics that I'm most interested in are the stuff WaPo.com considers proprietary--number of hits, comparative rankings, etc. I understand that if that's there policy, then so be it. But I can't quite figure out WHY that stuff is so top secret. What would it hurt to learn that on such-and-such a day Achenblog got X gazillion hits and that Froomkin got Y gazillion. I mean, I know they gather that stuff, but why sit on it? How is it different from newspaper circulation figures that are reported to ABC (the Audit Bureau of Circulation, not "7 on Your Side"). I dunno (I'm guessing it's just the business office/beancounter mentality). Not important, in the grand scheme of things, just interesting.

Speaking of grand scheme of things, Abramoff got a six-pack. Yee-haw! Roll 'em up, move 'em out, Rawhide!

Laughing, bc.

'Mudge, excellent post on religion.

Slyness:
>be a part of those who try to behave as God would have us behave

Q: Who says what that is? Who speaks for the infinite?

>But my point is that if faith is to survive and be passed on, it depends on religion, as bad as that institution may have been.

I have no religion to speak of (at least as far as most people would define it) and have been described as both having no faith and having perfect faith.

Maybe it depends on whether your faith is in life, the universe and everything, or if it's faith in some particular dogma or story about that nice young Jewish fellow.

I seem to do perfectly well without the latter, but have an abundance of the former.

bc - I may have identified the black hole of which you speak.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/03/0329_060329_eclipse.html

I mean, I knew you IT guys were powerful, but really, who knew?

SCC: their, not there. Yes, I know the difference. It's just me fingas that be dumb.

>And you need to be able to translate information in the form of Hawking radiation, which is a lot harder than ASCII. There's freeware out on the 'net for this, I think.

Yes, the bad news is it runs under GPL V166.7 which won't be available until spring 2917. You CAN run it in the meantime, but you'll have Richard Stallman to answer to. On the hole (ahem) it's just not worth it.

OK, this is the one time I'm going to try to give a bit of explanation. I quit this blog because I didn't feel like doing this anymore. I learned that a very very good friend of mine has liver cancer and has a very short time left. I left work, and town, and this blog abruptly to try to do something for him and with him that we had talked about for years, a particlar camping trip to a particular wilderness area in the Deep South. When I learned this news I was engaged in a discussion of faith-religion-whatever here, and I really really really didn't feel like hearing the opinions of others about that subject at that time. That's it. Bye.

Vaya con dios, K-guy. And your friend.

On this historic date, I would like to remind everyone of the original charter of the Achenblog:

"The Achenblog will focus on science, history, sports, journalism, cool stuff that’s in the news, and my own inexorable psychological disintegration.
Also there will be some politics, but in measured doses, as that blogging niche is overpopulated, not to mention overheated. This is not going to be a blog for screamers and ranters and ravers. Well, some ravers, maybe. But I marvel at people who have extremely strong convictions and dogmatic beliefs about issues that, to me, are fraught with uncertainty and ambiguity and incomplete data. Would that just once I knew the truth about anything."

It is my hope that we never allow this inspired guidance to go the way of the principles of Charles Foster Kane.

K-guy, I hear you. Perhaps when you are feeling differently you can come back. I look forward to that day.

k-guy, my thoughts are with you and your friend.

bc

I was away for a while, on the road. Not being able to so much as lurk, I felt like a drug addict being deprived of his juice. (NOT that I have ever so much as touched the stuff, mind you. No, no, no.)

But, now I'm back, feeling like a kid in the candy store. I wish that I could meet folks at the next BPH. The rub is, it's scheduled for a time when I have to run a Cub Scout meeting. Got to show the little rascals how to make one of these new, experimental, anti-gravity, flying machine thingies out of aluminum foil and balsa wood. Easy project, cool results. Except that they need 20,000 volts of electricity to work. Mixing Cub Scouts and high voltage kinda gives me pause... d' ya think?

k-guy;

Your friend is very fortunate to have you around, and may he continue to do so for as long as possible. My thoughts are with you both.

E, I gnu you were going to say that!

bc

By the way, RD, that's a spectacular photo.

bc

You have done the right thing, of course. As 'Mudge says, go with God. Come back when you can. Know that you and your friend are in our thoughts and hearts.

kurosawaguy,

Best of luck with everything. I have no idea the discussion, but have a friend in a similar position.

Ah, to savor a moment... to enjoy the wonder. It is like when we try to catch lightening bugs in a jar as kids.

We need to know that it is just not to be. As we get older, it gets harder and harder to accept the realities of our life.

kurosawaguy, thanks for sharing what you have, peace.

bc, RDP;

That pic scares me no end... Rather reminiscent of Jupiter at the end of "2010," I'm glad I can't make out the monoliths in the photo.

Gotta bug out of the boodle early today to go attend Mrs. Curmudgeon's business awards dinner extravaganza. The cummerbund will NOT make an appearance this evening, alas.

Glad for that reminder from K-guy about what's important and what isn't.

Hang in there, peeps.

k-guy: We'll miss you. Live well. Be happy. And, thank you.

Kguy, I hope that trip is everything you always hoped it would be. I'm not sure what's worse, being forced to say goodbye to someone you really care about, or not having the chance at all. The one is agonizing, and the other just cuts you down at the knees. But you know we'll keep a spot at the table for you here on the blog for whenever you might decide to venture back.

On the question boodlers coming and going, here's my tale. I'm a longtime lurker who boodled most of December while home on medical leave. Once I went back to work, well, boodling became difficult. At present I'm home with a sick child, so have a minute to post.

The biggest challenges to boodling, IMHO, are 1) the speed with which regular posters launch up follow up posts just boggles my mind, and 2) the quality of many of the posts is intimidating. Many here are really damn clever and write really well.

Carry on. And Kguy, best wishes. Go do the lord's (and your friend's) work.

FYI, I posted a few more items in the kit. There's too much to choose from and I could spend the rest of the day trolling for treasure. Sadly I must work instead. Tomorrow I fly to Colorado to do interviews, so there may not be a fresh kit. If I'm lucky, I'll manage to persuade my brother to blog a little and maybe share the secrets of his beans recipe.

kurosawaguy, coming back to post that says a lot about you and this little community. I admire your commitment to your friend.

Good luck to your friend and to you.

Hey, The Man just updated the Kit.

bc

Looking back at my own contributions, I haven't written any "stories" since, what, November? Maybe if I get a day off, or maybe during the weekend, when my spouse doesn't have a Honey Do list...

I'll get to it. I promise. It's on my To Do list.

Achenfan's going to be on pins and needles waiting for Rockin'bro to post.

bc

A great moment in 'Boodle history ...

http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/achenblog/2005/08/message_in_the_.html#c8883637

I second all the heart felt well wishes to kurosawaguy.

Whenever I read a long, thoughtful post by Mudge, I immediately look for a new Kit.

RD, you haven't scared me off (ha!). Little G and I are looking forward to our Egg McMuffins in the morning. See you at 8:15.

k-guy, best to you and your friend.

And yes, the 'E' was me bc. Sharp eyes. :-)

Does Gene Weingarten have a blog?

Kguy, you have put things in the right order. Loved ones first and always.

kurosawaguy, I'm so sorry about your friend and hope the good memories of your trip together will bring you both solace and keep you strong in the future. And thank you for checking in. Joel said it best; he's saving a place for you at the table. Love, Nani.

kurosawaguy has inspired me to contact an old friend whose cancer recurred a while back. Thank you.

Bayou Self, I don't know which is better, reading it the first time or reading it the the second time!

I'm flattered, Bayou Self. But I've got to admit, I need an editor in the worst way. I should pre-submit everything to Achenfan first. Did you notice the unexplained change from present to past tense? And the typo's. Yeesh!

Loved Cow San's story again, but I have to admit that part of the joy of reading it again was the font size.

Ahhh... the good old days... when men were men and comments were in 12-point Times.

As a fellow blogger to Joel (in the sense that a community theater player is a fellow thespian to William Macy), I like to relate to my blog as the Achenblog in microcosm. Joel (actually Hal the Schemer, since Joel probably doesn’t know what I’m blathering about) doesn’t divulge hit counts except to potential advertisers, but I get about 100 unique visitors a day. Since I started keeping track in September, I have had over 1200 comments. A Rovestorm® on my blog is about a dozen comments. That’s a far cry from 40,000 total comments and 2-300 hundred on a given post.

In order to build readership for my own blog, I am always looking for like-minded blogs similar to mine where I can comment and they can reciprocate. I will also pepper bigger blogs than mine with comments that, while just sort of spam, are aimed at drawing off some small fraction of the bigger blogs readership to mine. I am the remora fish of bloggers. My first comment on the Achenblog was a self-plug for my response to the Blogs Loving Blogs kit about his “Feeding The Blog” Rough draft column (before he discovered the labor saving device of cross-posting columns as kits).

http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/achenblog/2005/08/blogs_loving_bl.html#c8803983

I blog about many of the same things that interest the boodlers: politics, literature, the nature of reality, underdressed actresses. The one topic that I blog about on regularly that the boodle doesn’t ever touch on are the daily comics, and that is Weingarten’s side of the street.

Since there are so many interesting characters here, I have since set up house as a semi-permanent boodler myself. I find that the boodle is a good place for my minor thoughts that I don’t have time or space for in my blog. SAT analogy: Kit is to Rough Draft as Boodle is to Foma*. Like Joel, I’ll even self-plagiarize and expand boodle comments to blog posts.

Since we are reminiscing, at one time when we temporarily had visible permalinks (like extra-terrestrials, the permalinks are always there, you just have to find them), I would del.ico.us my more labor intensive boodles in hopes of being able to recycle them later. I reviewed some of them and found most of them fairly nonsensical out of context. Still, please indulge me while I recall some of my favorite bon mots.

About a boodler posting comments while driving to work:
"Blogging while driving. Can they give you a field literacy test if you get caught?"

In discussing watching movie adaptations of Jane Austen novels with my wife:
"We have watched over ten hours of uptight women in too many clothes pine over emotionally unavailable twits."

I am also fond of coining the phrase "some of the racier Stephen Jay Gould books"

"And yes, the 'E' was me bc. Sharp eyes. :-)"

Sharp eyes to match my pin head, EF.

CowTown, we all understand the tightrope we walk on here. Don't obssess on it. What you wrote was great.

I should add that I am smugly pleased to see a mention of the SAO-15 in JA's opening para.

bc

kurosawaguy,

Thank you for letting us know. That was very decent of you. My best to you and your friend in this most difficult time.

I'd also like to wish the best to k-guy.

And Cow, don't have a cow over the grammar details, although it's good that you care. Does anyone even remember the phrase "have a cow." I've flashbacked to the '60s, I think,

K-guy is nice enough to remind us that there is life beyond the boodle and while we share a lot with complete strangers here, we all have other people in our lives that are important enough to drop everything for. I'm sure k-guy's friend appreciates him and I definitely respect k-guy for his acts of compassion and humanity.

Excuse me while I wipe a tear from my cheek so my employers don't think they have driven to that display of emotion.

kurosawaguy,

That really sucks about your friend. I'm very sorry.

You said:

>>When I learned this news I was engaged in a discussion of faith-religion-whatever here, and I really really really didn't feel like hearing the opinions of others about that subject at that time.<<

I think I know just how you felt. The last time I attended a regular Sunday church service on my own was an hour after my sister-in-law lost her long battle with cancer (about 8 years ago). I thought it would make me feel better, but it didn't. It was almost the opposite; I can't really explain it. And I pretty much said that day what you just said: "That's it. Bye."

So just know that we'll all be with you along your strange journey and we hope you don't mind if, during our ongoing movie discussions we continue to say WWKGS (What would k-guy say?).

Come on back if and when you feel like it.

Not to change the subject or anything, but has anyone else had a pizza float across this page?

Bayou, I think you're right on Don't Have A Cow, but it had a resurgence as the original catchphrase of Bart Simpson.

If I may nominate my own, I'd say my two very best posts would be the the Dark Chocolate/Red Wine Steak Sauce and the Tilapia Retsina/Lime Marinade recipes.

Both can be found in the "Official Opening of Porch Season" Boodle

DC/RWSS at 3:42 PM
TR/LM at 4:16 PM

(and though the Macaroni and Cheese recipe is excellent, it's not originally mine, so just those two).

Omni, I nominated your Steak with Dark Chocolate sauce in an e-mail to Joel, but he didn't bite.

thanks nellie, I haven't made it in quite a while, so I think it's coming to my dinner table soon. I think of the Steak/Dark Chocolate/Red Wine as a fall-to-spring dish as it tends heat the kitchen up a bit while the Tilapia is more of a summer dish as its quick and stove top only (plus there's a salad).

Just remembered I posted an excellent Chili recipe as well, but you know it is with Chili recipes: dime a dozen.

Sadly, omni, I won't get to try out those recipes. The ScienceKids have both gone vegetarian on me. Although it's a bit of an adjustment in my cooking, I applaud their determination and willingness to take an ethical stand (they both are very fond of the flavor of meat, so this is a major sacrifice that they have willingly chosen). It also provides the impetus for me to improve the quality of my own diet. They are piscivorous, but ScienceKid #1 is very fond of a tilapia in a fish tank at school, and therefore won't countenance the consumption of tilapia. I predict the end of piscivory in the not-too-distant future.

Before that happens, however, I wonder how your marinade would go with orange roughy?

W/ regard to the question of who comes, who goes, who writes, who reads, I have a couple things to say.

First, in most online discussion groups of whatever kind (moderated vs. un; professional vs. hobby), the number of posters is much, much smaller than the number of lurkers. If I had time I could find the ratio, but the difference is generally large, and I'm sure that's the case here too.

Second, I've done a lot of lurking, but only a little posting. I didn't start right out as a poster, and then I sort of began to feel that there was an inner circle that I wasn't part of. I felt a little shy about chiming in---perhaps even that anything I said might seem intrusive.

Third, there's the annoyance of work. I work all day at a computer, and I could, without a doubt, spend a really large chunk of my workday poking around the Post web site. There's the paper itself, the chats (Monday: Kurtz, Tuesday: Weingarten, Friday: Hax, Kelly, de Moraes, 11:00 AM everyday: the Post Politics Hour . . . and that doesn't include Priest, Pearlstein, Froomkin, Robinson, and others.), and the blogs. This wealth of words, data, diagrams and such is wonderful, but, really, a girl needs to earn a living.

Nonetheless, now that I've made an entrance, I'll be around and will post once in a while. I'm glad for the opening the 40,000th post day gave me to introduce myself.

Another of my alltime favourite categories is the 'Global Warming' kits. If you go back to the Nov 8, 'Pine Trees Growing in Greenland' kit, one of my favourite things is the comment by an unnamed poster, 'Is there a vertical hold on this thing?'

Oh for the good old days (deep rose coloured glasses here) of typepad.

Hi there, J.Rae! Nice to have you here!

Maybe we should post a repeated item at the beginning of each boodle -- "We're not insular; we're just blabbermouths. Also, opinion is divided on the value of semicolons and ellipses..."

But I guess that would mess with the quality of Hal the Schemer's comment-counting.

Word of the day, brought to us by ScienceTim.

Main Entry: pi·sciv·o·rous
Pronunciation: p&-'si-v&-r&s, pI-
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin piscis + English -vorous
: feeding on fishes

The other day, my young daughter, blurts out that she's hungry and says she hasn't had a thing to eat all day except for shrimp. We laughed and told her that it's usually a good day if you get to eat shrimp. I know, that's not fish, it's seafood. I'm just freely associating here.

Now if you'd like me to get going again about semicolons, I'd be glad to do that. Many writers have an area where they are just in a zone. Joel is an unstoppable force when it comes to the subject of coffee. One of my teachers in college used to talk about what he could do describing cornfields. For me, it's apparently semicolons. If I ever write a book, semicolons wil play a role in there, someway, somehow. Probably as a villian.

The problem, of course, is that boodlin' is a full-time activity. Some of us who read and commented regularly in the beginning had to take time off for various things.

I remember kurosawaguy well, and my excuse pales in comparison to his. But that, perhaps, explains it best.

Obviously, ellipses rule, right...?

The 5:24 was myself.

Thanks, ScienceTim. Good to be here, but, um, now I have to go! More later.

Since my brain has shut down for the day, I decided to head off to the links noted above, most notably the first comments kit. A strange voice inside me begged me to post in that nice open comments box at the bottom. I resisted of course, but Joel, this might be something you want to do in honour of the 40,000th.

If for no other reason than to say neener, neener, neener to Nikos, who posted' The comment thing is just a phase. There is no way Joel keeps this going.'

dr, your comment about heading off to the links has me looking forward to the 'other' links (golf).

k-guy - my heart broke when you posted that! a very good friend of mine was murdered 1 year and 3 months ago and what goes says is very true - it cuts you to the knees! i'm very glad that you get the chance to say goodbye to your friend in such a poignant way! i can only hope is to offer whatever consolation saying goodbye can give you - none of it is ever easy!

SCC - sorry - i was emotional when i posted that - what ACHENBACH says is very true - and MY only hope is to offer...

and how about that excellent achendictionary post by... who?? um... moi? i'm starting to take umbrage! btw - remember moimoi?

mo, if you're going to take umbrage, please don't take mine as I have very little left. Mine is in the blue tupperware.

> If I ever write a book, semicolons wil play a role in there, someway, somehow. Probably as a villian.

Bayou Self: Easy one, just make it hinge on a software bug, i.e.:

if ( IsRadioactive() )
while ( NumOrg < MaxOrgs )
; //semicolon does nothing but is legal
{
alertOrg(NumOg); //happens only once!!!
NumOrg++;
}

There are doubtless better examples but I've spent my life avoiding this kind of thing, so I don't want to think about it too much.

Oh, I didn't comment to Achenbach. I liked Mudge's "My Baby shot me down" parody.

SCC: alertOrg(NumOg); -> alertOrg(NumOrg);

Typos I can live with, code I have to fix.

Oh, so this is where all the action is!!And all this while I've been wasting my time over at Leslie Steiner's mommy-blog. (I don't even have kids!)

Joel,
If you got room for one more, I promise to never be on topic, and from time to time I might even throw a compliment your way. I would consider it the thrill of a lifetime to contribute to the blog of such a witty, talented, and (need I say?) attractive writer such as yourself. (Just trying to get into practice.) So if you'll have me, I look forward to much more of Nani's powder room memoirs and the random philosophizing of Curmudgeon, as well as your own brilliant and incredibly accurate theories on life. (How'm I doing?)

I just hope the change in subject isn't too much of a shock on my system. Do you think one of y'all might be able to instigate a SAHM vs. working mom cat-fight to help ease my transition?

VidaBlue suggests "... think one of y'all might be able to instigate a SAHM vs. working mom cat-fight..." ?

No. No, no, no, no. No.

Been there and done that.

Vida, for a moment, I thought you were talking about the Sir Douglas Quintet and the Texas Tornados!!!

Those were good times. Where is Augie?

Some years ago, when I was in another line of work, a person asked me what I did. I replied that I did what I was told. "Someone tells me to call up people I don't know, ask them questions and report back what they say. Then I get paid for that information, which they sell as well." "Are you a spy?" My reply, "No, I'm a journalist." ###

Vida, while I am in favour of catfights as much as the next fellow (and then some, Lord knows), discretion is indeed the better part of valour on some occasions. When I first dropped into the boodle, the discussion was on Aaron Burr, so I will adopt the lesson from Mr. Burr in his final address to Mr. Hamilton "[i]f you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen, MF, now eat lead" (or words to that effect). So I am staying out of the SAHM v. WM debate.

If you still need a decompression chamber, review the entire day on the Domenech fiasco, or Loomis' post on March 26 at 10:34 discussing her neighbourly dispute. The image of the squashed squirrel being flung through the air haunts me still.

For any newcomers the defacto rules of this blog are as follows:

1) You can take umbrage at a statement, but no nasty name calling.

2) You are encouraged to use the word umbrage when taking umbrage.

3) We always use our indoor voices. NO CAPS.

4) None of that potty talk.

5) Although you can loathe Joel, you must respect Paul Lynde.

>Paul Lynde

RD, I picked up an F-Troop DVD recently and he plays a Canadian Mounty. What a whack.

Example from some game show:
Host: "Do female frogs croak?"
Paul Lynde: "If you hold their little heads under water long enough they do."

SCC: Mountie?!

kurosawaguy:

We missed you but you did right. You didn't owe us any explanation but it was nice of you to stop by, it's appreciated. How much more must your friend appreciate what you are doing for the sake of friendship. If only everyone in the world could have--or be--a friend like you.

Warm thoughts and best wishes to you.

I think it is Mountie. But I defer to dr and SonofCarl.

I've never really understood the Paul Lynde requirement, although I think it has something to do with the second law of thermodynamics.

Hey kbertocci - there is a busload of hyperactive band kids heading your way from Fairfax. Keep an eye on the saxophone section. There could be trouble....

RD, wha?

I read that the number one spring break destination is now...

Miami!

We might not have to wait for global warming to flood us: the sheer weight of the college students might sink the Sunshine State soon. And now, what are you saying, high school? middle school? mercy.

kbertocci, I doubt if you'll see any "Band Kids Gone Wild" videos from these kids. You remember the band kids in high school, don't you? The only ones geekier are the drama kids.

Here's a boodle technique for ya: wait until everybody's gone, then come in and talk to yourself. It's been done before. Some people make up multiple characters and argue back and forth. I just like to hear the echo in the emptiness of cyberspace (ace, ace, ace).

Anyway, in about an hour, which is past my normal bedtime, I'm heading to the airport to pick up a friend who is flying in from Cleveland. She's coming to my house for a couple of days and then we are going to Key West this weekend for the Party of the Century--an April Fools Day shindig honoring a local celebrity who just happens to be a Close Personal Friend of Mine. This party is open to the public for a charitable donation of only $25 per person so if you can make it, you are more than welcome. I blogged about this more than a month ago

http://readthinklive.blogspot.com/2006/02/fool-and-his-money-are-soon-partying.html

and now it's about to actually happen. Don't you love it when it works out like that.

Oh yeah, I guess you didn't go to *debate camp*--!

That was for you, TBG--and here's another one: my daughter liked to hang around with the
*robotics club*--in MY day, the band kids didn't have that level of competition.

k-guy

Didn't mean to stress you with my going on about my faith, and my love of God, and Christ. When you love someone you want everyone to know, and you want them to love them too. I am truly sorry about your friend, but think it is so great that you're there for him. If it's okay with you, I will pray for you and him, and my best to you and your friend. Love, Cassandra

Wait a minute, you guys (TBG and RDP) haven't had your BK rendez-vous yet. What is this, you are apparently exchanging sub rosa messages and then flaunting your inside info here on the blog...? I think the asides are cool, but not the flaunting.

or am I just being a moron, misreading or missing reading comments? I think I'm too tired to be here now.

Peace out, all. <3 If you don't hear from me until Tuesday it's because I'm having fun out here in the real world. (but there is an internet cafe on Duval Street, so...)

You and I went for different high schools, TBG. The band kids worked and played hard.

My high school band was cool. Band camp in the Poconos...

I played sax and flute, and synthesizer. No synth in the marching band, so I riffed on alto sax. The other players were really expert, and I could never understand why they didn't give me a hard time since I never really learned any of the tunes. I was doing my best John Coltrane impression while playing Average White Band...

I was in the Debate Club too. No surprise there, I guess.

as to why some people move in and out, etc.:
being a full-time student, i rarely have time to sit at my computer and read, or read non-class related material. my free time, not that i have a lot if it with my class load, is often spent doing other recreational activities. i chimed in the first time when the discussion was about religion, and i took umbrage to some of statements. i enjoy exposure to a plethora of different views about, well, just about everything.
k-guy, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your friend. i know what it is like to have friend or family member battle that disease (my mom's in the middle of chemo right now), not that that's any consilation. as 'mudge said, vaya con Dios.

Nani, just read your post from the other kit about the hearing-aid. Thanks so much for the thought, and I see Joel put your stories in the new kit. Way to go, Nani. And you too, Mudge, Science Tim, and Cowtown.

Congratulations on the blog, Joel, I think it's the best. It feels like family.

Have fun kb! I'll be very jealous of you in Key West. We'll be here celebrating my hubby's April Fool's birthday. It's a big one and I can't believe I'm married to someone so old--but still so cute!

RD and I haven't had our Boodle Porching Breakfast (tomorrow), so we have no inside jokes yet. It's just that through RD's boodling I've figured out that his son goes to the same HS I did (and obviously, not pj's), so I feel like I've got a little inside info there.

My son is a HS drama geek and proud of it (he wears his mag lite on his belt). He also went to computer camp. When he was in second grade, his hero was (and I guess it still is) Steve Wozniak. Although I think he'd like to see in himself a little more Steve Jobs instead right now.

VidaBlue, don't forget to ask 'Mudge (Curmudgeon, to be totally accurate for the newcomers) about the Infield Fly Rule whenever possible. It's particularly appropriate coming from someone with your handle.

:-)

Next week I am chaperoening my son's band trip to Disney World. Sixteen hours on a bus each way with hormonally charged teenagers. Nothing but fun.

The band kids look down on the chorus kids.

In high school I was in the Model United Nations. I quit the math club to spend more time with my girlfriend (now my wife).

I am such a dork.

First and second, or first second and third, less than two outs...

...I think I had an extra Tom Collins at the banquet tonight...

...............zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Error Flynn - I had in mind shotgun-totin' semicolons or knife-wieldin' semicolons. Or maybe evil ninja semicolons, the kind that attack the good guy one at a time rather than rushing all at once. That's just one of many reasons why I'll probably never write a book.

Best to you and your friend k-guy. This blog becomes an addiction but it is nice to revisit some of the best/favorite old posts.

bdl

Scottynuke - I was wondering if anyone would catch on to that. Matter of fact (not to give away all my secrets directly after walking into the room, but...) I really don't know a thing about Vida. I just liked the name. "Vita" means life in Italian, and well, blue's my favorite color. Sometimes I find it hard to come up with a clever handle for these sites. Using my initials seems so boring, and I wanted to find a nickname that generally fits my character. I would guess that Mudge knows what I mean. Does anyone else ever have this problem? Or am I the only one who doesn't know how to present themselves to the world?

BTW, ellipses...all the way. I hate semicolons; they're so indecisive.

Wait! Wait! That's not what I meant!

*Disclaimer*

*Disclaimer*

I didn't mean that I thought YOU were a "An ill-tempered person full of resentment and stubborn notions",(dictionary.com), but that you chose this name for yourself because in some way you found it to be a clever representation of your character. There. Am I in the clear? I don't want to make any enemies on my first day. They'll be plenty of time for that later ;)

k-guy, thanks for checking in. We missed you.

As Cassandra said, it feels like family.

DV

VidaBlue;

I certainly don't have many stubborn notions... Oh, you meant 'Mudge! :-) I think if you ask him about the cummerbund, all will be forgiven.

As to noting semi-hidden meanings, let me paraphrase Jeff in "Lion in Winter"...

"We're a knowledgeable Boodle."

I think the Kit today should be about...Washington Post Radio!

I listened to it on my drive to work--and I thought it was much better than what WTOP usually has to offer.

k-guy: Best wishes to you and your friend. I lost my Dad to cancer a couple of years ago and my Mom by her own hand when I was eighteen. One of my students is terminal with leukemia as I post...May you camp in a spot where the view of the heavens is unobstructed...I did a day trip to Pa. last weekend and passed through the Roanoke and Shenandoah valleys betwixt and between; the highlight of the return trip was viewing the stars from the car window as I drove through Fancy Gap...my window faces the south,and I'm almost half way to heaven...snow is falling but all I can see are fields of cotton smiling back at me...my window faces the south, and though I'm so far from the Swanee, I'm never frownin' or down in the mouth, my window faces the south ...Peace be with you and your friend.

jw, thanks for that comment. I'm jumping on a plane at BWI (literally leaping on the wing). Who else has an opinion about WaPo Radio? I was very excited, particularly Spinner on Carroll and Finer from Baghdad. I'll check in later today.

I'll start off! What I was impressed with was the longer stories. WTOP usually spends about 30 seconds on an issue, which isn't bad if what you really want is traffic updates and some news as you commute. But listening to Tom Sietsema wax on about the Willard for a good two minutes or so was really fun. And you could tell how excited everyone was about being on the radio.

My son is helping start the anime club at his school. He downloads fan subtitled cartoons from Japan and transfers them to his PSP. He says there more girls in the club than guys.

I joke with him a lot about joining the Gay-Straight Alliance since so many of his friends could be in it. Yet another group my school would never have had in the day.

We also suspect a girl we always thought liked our son really has a crush on a girl my son likes too. They are all riding the same band trip bus and are jockeying for seating arrangements.

I must note, with the umberest of umbrages, that JA has been unjustly excluded from the list of WaPo Radio contributors on Page A2!!!

I hold out hope that this is merely an oversight, or that this is somehow linked to Weingarten's abscence as well.

Weingarten was probably left off because the sound of his voice would force listeners to charge stations or risk permanent damage to their hearing. In fact, his voice alone would probably be enough for the FCC to levy enough indecency fines to put WaPo Radio out of business.

>Or maybe evil ninja semicolons

Well, if you can get THEM...

VidaBlue, I believe Bayou has a number of handles in-stock if you're still shopping.

"Bonsai Kitten" is all I can remember at the moment, the coffee is still sinking in...

Oh, yeah. Clever handles. Man, I sweated over mine.

I was one of the founding members of the War Games club in High School. But all we did was play Dungeons and Dragons, so War Game(s) was a big misnomer.

Don't forget Shrieking Denizen.

I'd like to report that the first Boodle Porching Breakfast was a fine success! Egg McMuffins were enjoyed by all.

RD Padouk is a nice fellow who didn't shoot us (as my daughter worried when I told her that we were going to meet a stranger from the Internet for breakfast--"Do as I say, not as I do!") and, because he can't make next week's BPH, provided trinkets for me to hand out to his fellow Boodlers.

No work today, so no commute or car radio. Hence, no WTWP yet. Now, where's that darn radio?

Hm. I thought it was people wouldn't be able to distinguish between Gene's voice and a test of the Emergency Broadcast System.

Coming from the northwest, I can't get WaPo Radio until I'm rather close to the city, didn't hear much of it unfortunately. I liked what I heard FWIW. Hopefully they can boost the signal for those of us who live up the Potomac far enough to see Sugarloaf Mt.

I went crazy with my initials by insisting on using lower case. Especially after the bruhaha around the "Tom Befuddled by Speed of Light" Kit & Boodle.

http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/achenblog/2005/04/tom_befuddled_b.html

And the resulting "No Flaming" K&B, of course.

http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/achenblog/2005/04/no_flaming_plea.html

bc

The first sentence in my 9:10 AM posting was a response to jw's 8:39 comment.

jw, you've spoken to Gene on the phone: How can you tell the difference between his voice and an misdialed call from a fax machine?

bc

Of all the pithy quotes or slogans posted by CowTown, my favorite is:

To err is human
To moo is bovine

Back to movies for a sec (I don't get WAPO radio) "Breaking Away" is the best teen or coming of age film ever in my opinion. I identified with the "cutters" and fell in love with the boy who wanted to be italian and his parents. Paul Dooley and Barbara Barrie were perfect as the parents (I'm not your g--damn papa!)

pj, if you're familiar with the film, please tell me what Italian song the boy was always singing. Was it "Santa Lucia"? It's stuck in my head and that's not a bad thing.

I also want to commend McDonald's for their new coffee lids (which RD had to show me how to use). They are a vast improvement over the punch-a-hole-and-watch-the-coffee-spill-all-over-the-car lids and will make me return more often.

Our town and school was so small that there was really not a lot of organized anything outside of sports, yearbook, and student council. There always was a group of people who played cards, but that was not me. I was one of the rest. I spent my teenage years working after school. I babysat regulary for the princpal, and the local doc, I worked at my Uncle's grocery store, and I cooked and waitressed at the local hotel and coffee shop.

Oh and for whoever asked, it's Mountie.

I did Model UN in high school, and caused a bit of a stir. Although I was the delegate from Qatar (and therefore small potatoes), I knew enough Robert's Rules of Order to demand a "Point of Personal Privelege" when the "Soviet Bloc" folks started wearing "Better Red than Dead" T-shirts and such. Got a standing O from the "NATO" folks for my trouble.

I am SO much more a geek than is generally realized.

I did actually play soccer all four years of high school, but never finished a season. Always argued with the coach (my social studies teacher) and quit.

Scottnuke, don't worry. We realized it right away. And we love you for it, too.

I was in the band (drums and majorette), glee club (alto), thespians club and debate team because I really dug those activities. These were the organizations the "popular" kids were in, but I never identified or hung out with them, nor they with me. Pretty much a loner in high school, but never lonely.

ScienceTim, I've never had Orange Roughy that I remember, but the reason I chose Tilapia is that for me it doesn't have a strong flavor and that's the important thing. You want the Lime/Retsina flavors to come through.

TBG, I'm really laughing about your daughter's observation about going to "meet a stranger you met on the Internet" for breakfast. That's made my day.

SCC, 9:15 AM: replace "an" with "a".

The Kaboodle *is* dork- and geek-friendly.

I daresay it wouldn't exist at all if it weren't.

bc

The difference is that fax machines don't make off-color jokes. Although they might talk dirty to the automated 411 girl.

The Kiwi (New Zealander) Michael Baigent is scheduled for a WaPo.com chat today at 2 p.m. WaPo snags interesting guests for these chats, to be sure.

It took half an hour to get a prescription filled yesterday afternoon, so I drove across the street from the HEB pharmacy to Barnes and Noble to peruse Baigent's book, released Monday, titled "The Jesus Papers." Baigent's working alone on this one, not paired with Leigh or the filmmaker Lincoln, although they are discussed early on in the book.

Interesting marketing ploy by Random House--5 million paperbacks released (including non-traditional venues such as service stations) Monday of "The Da Vinci Code" and 150,000 copies of Baigent's "Jesus Papers." I didn't have much time yesterday to skim Baigent's new book as long as I would have liked, but there were three interesting photo sections spaced evenly within, showing the various cave sites where different ancient writings were discovered, and a site in Italy where Baigent himself was very much a part of the exploration team. Toward the end of the book, Baigent discusses the rather late discovery in the 1940s of the Gnostic Gospels in Egypt.

I wonder how much of the information in Baigent's new book is different, or in addition to, the information in "Holy Blood, Holy Grail"? How much of his new book explores Templar history and legend? How confident are Baigent and Leigh that they will win their London court case against Dan Brown? Are they disappointed that Blythe Brown didn't testify? Could she have been called to the witness stand?

I admit to being fascinated by the trial for two reasons. First, Lawrence Lessig's backing of Alice Randall in her attempt to write the fictional "The Wind Done Gone," based on the fictional "Gone with the Wind." Second, my nodding acquaintance with a handsome, white-bearded reporter and former Marine James Alexander Thom, and his rewrite of the facts of the Lewis and Clark expedition into a powerful retelling of the expedition from the Native perspective in his 2000 historical fiction, "Sign-Talker." Brown has created a fictional account based, Baigent claims, on his team's earlier non-fiction "Holy Blood, Holy Grail."

The grandmother in front of me in line at the coffee bar was buying numerous children's books for her granddaughter--and for herself, a paperback copy of Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code." Reports from Australia from the web indicate that tickets are selling Down Under now eight weeks in advance of the worldwide premiere of the movie on May 19.

What's worse? Meeting a stranger from the Internet for breakfast or taking my 12-year-old daughter with me?

I was in concert band (clarinet), jazz band (tenor sax), marching band (sax), and math team (arithmetic and calculus being my specialty). I loved those arithmetic problems, which weren't so much, "What is 5+7?" but more like, "What is 4375 base 8 + 3401 base 5 * 10201 base 3?"

My only redeeming quality was that I ran track. Which isn't exactly the sexiest H.S. sport in the world, either.

Hey! We can listen online:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/wtwpradio/listen.html

Cool! Thanks, T!

bc

TBG, I was also thinking of the porching hour--what's "worse" than meeting one person from the Internet? Meeting 8 or 10 of them!

Sorry to intrude, but I have a work-related question: in the phrase "community-dwelling older people," what does "community-dwelling" refer to? Older folks who live in nursing homes and assisted care places, or older folks who do NOT live in those kinds of facilities?

Anybody know the answer definitively (as opposed to guessing)?

TBG writes:
What's worse? Meeting a stranger from the Internet for breakfast or taking my 12-year-old daughter with me?

It was a smart move, TBG--taking your daughter.

When I was competing for a Rotary Undergraduate Fellowship for a year abroad, I was flown to San Francisco, expenses paid, for the final round of interviews. We candidates had all had our half hour in front of the interview committee and I was waiting in the lobby of the hotel where the interviews had been held for a courtesy van to take me to the San Francisco International airport terminal.

One of the men from the interview committee, Eugene Fields of Santa Rosa, (I shall never forget his name or his city and presume he is dead by now.) sauntered by. He said that he could take me to the airport faster than the courtesy van, since he was on his way out of the hotel, but that he just had to stop by his hotel room first to pick up his papers and luggage, and would I accompany him? By that time, I had been waiting at least a half an hour for the van, and didn't want to miss my flight, since only one airline serviced the Eureka/Arcata airport.

In his hotel room, he said that he had exciting news--that I had been selected as one of two to win the scholarship for a year abroad. He then proceeded to step over and give me a big hug, and became aroused. Luckily the maid knocked on the door in order to clean the room and stepped inside, or who knows what else may have happened.

I flew home, and called my parents and told them what happened. I was in a quandry--had I really won the scholarship, or had the "news" been a ruse, so this 60-year-old could put the moves on me? I sweated the situation for 24 hours, after which the president of Humboldt University finally called and told me that I had been selected one of two finalists. The joy of the real announcement was forever stolen from me.

About six months later, Eugene Fields came to town, and *insisted* on taking me to dinner. He wouldn't take no for an answer. I *insisted* on bringing my college boyfriend along (for safe measure). I didn't want to upset any Rotary applecarts, so went along with the dinner. Fields paid for the dinner for me and my boyfriend, but it was one of the most awkward meals I have ever eaten.

Safety in numbers.

MUN was a blast in high school and not just because I met my wife through it. We would deliberately sign up for the most radical countries we could find. Over the years we did Libya, China, and France. The Libyan consulate sent us mountains of position papers and old UN speeches as well as The Green Book by Qaddafi.

My future father-in-law subscribed to Beijing Weekly, an English language propoganda magazine from China. That was full of those particularly pompous communist Chinese pronouncements about economics and politics that we could lift whole cloth for our MUN speeches.

We also partied hard. The Florida High School Model United Nations (FHSMUN, pronounced Fush-mun) was our big annual trip. After 11 pm we would have our beer parties we dubbed Busch-MUN. One year finally got out of hand when one group set up in their hotel room stag movies, a full open bar and then charged other schools a cover.

This year a a band trip chaperone, the shoe is on the other foot. As part of our security, we tape closed the doors of the rooms from the outside after curfew. One group of seniors is determined to defeat the security and have a beer party. One of the parents is devising very elaborate traps to catch them leaving the room.

Should be interesting.

Cur--some Google detective work shows that "community-dwelling" and "independently living" are interchangable, so I vote for NOT.

hey boodlers ! check this out. Boodler yelloljkt (on his own site called http://foma.yellojkt.com) posted a list of the top ten excuses for plagiarism, and the second comment is from another regular boodler kbertocci, who wrote: "Here's a comment that I decided not to post on Achenblog because plagiarism is Not a Joking Matter at the Post these days". The gist of the comment is that when she read the Mar 26 Rough Draft piece on lawn and gardening to her husband, he laughed and then he said "Wait a minute! That's an old Dave Barry column", from the days of the Herald Tropic, the Sunday magazine of the Miami Herald, now discontinued. There isn't any reference to a specific Dave Barry column, but apparently he did write funny stuff about lawn and garden, and kbertocci says Joel might have just internalized the whole Dave Barry worldview (Joel worked there too, apparently). Meanwhile over here on the WaPo site, if you click on the red "Opinions" button, then on "columns & blogs", and then on Rough Draft, you'll see the March 26 piece isn't there. I guess it takes them a while to post these things. Anybody have access to the old Dave Barry columns ?

Mudge more background required. My first thought is that it should not be hyphenated. If that is the case then I would think that the writer is trying to say older people who live in the community.

I do believe that both Shrieking Denizen and bonsai Kitten are available as 'Boodle handles, if anyone is looking for one. Ninja Semicolon is also out there.

I like the name "VidaBlue," but you do understand that Vida Blue was a famous baseball pitcher, don't you?

Mudge,
Across the West and Southwest, there are numerous communties--private residences or condos, or a mix thereof--targeted specifically at those over age 55, 60, or 65, depending on the community. These communities are for active seniors, not necessarily the "very old" with health issues. Don't know how prevalent these types of community structures/enclaves are east of the Rockies?

For me, this best defines "community-dwelling older people." My mother lived in just such a manufactured home park before her move into an assisted-living facility in 2002. These types of communites come in all price ranges--from relatively modest to very exclusive.

Jw, because it is used, does not make it good english writing. The hyphen is being used poorly.

I think that, at least for Mudge, "community-dwelling older people" is a very specific term used in research journals. At least that's what I found with Google.

Mudge: this paper compares "community-dwelling" to institutionalized and hospitalized, so I would say that you can safely assume it means "people still living on their own."

http://www.ahrq.gov/CLINIC/PTSAFETY/chap26a.htm

dr, understood, but I don't think he wanted grammatical advice. It's one of those quirky medical journal terms. It seems to be hyphenated consistently. Can't speak as to whether it's appropriate because I usually just throw them in willy-nilly.

What's this WaPo radio I'm hearing so much about? I hadn't realized the Post had joined the A/V club. I'll check out the link, but I'm really kind of skeptical about getting all my news from the same locale. Besides I wouldn't want to betray my long-term love affair with NPR.

Joel, I hear you're flying in my direction. (I'll duck when I see you coming.) But seriously, are you planning on attending some sort of meet and greet while you're out this way? Dave Barry likes to hit the Tattered Cover while he's in town. Not to belittle your greatness by comparing you to some hack that can't string two words together without using a thesaurus. (Sorry Dave, I'm kissing up to Joel today.) Just wondrin...

Scottynuke, Error Flynn, thanks for the suggestions, but I think I'll stick with this handle for awhile. Although I might make up another user for myself, so I have someone to talk to late at night after all of you have gone to bed. Oh, what great conversations we'll have!

Well, clearly, "community-dwelling older people" must refer to persons of advanced age who lack a specific fixed address (i.e., homeless) and who therefore make the entire community into their dwelling.

Oh, wait -- the requirement was for an answer from someone who actually knows the answer, whereas I am just trying to force the meaning as far as I can.

Nevermind.

Perhaps VidaBlue could chat with AvidGreen.

"Breaking Away" was the movie my wife and I saw on our long courtship. I had previously disclosed that piece of trivia when I blogged about our joint 40th birthday party.

http://livebythefoma.blogspot.com/2006/02/awesome-80s-birthday-bash.html

I asked her out while we were both pretending to be Gabon at a local MUN. She didn't quite realize the ink on my drivers license was still wet. I scared her enough to keep her from going out with me again for another year and a half.

"VidaBlue" is a great handle and would also be the perfect moniker for a black stallion! You know, that deep black that looks midnight blue in some shades of light? I googled "VidaBlue" because it sounded so familiar, and was surprised to see it's the name of a ball player; but still, there's something or someone else with that title/name. (Oh and VidaBlue, don't mind me; just an old lady who collects names for her imaginary horses; have a chestnut named Serafina and now, a black stallion named VidaBlue).

And a famous African-Canadian baseball player at that, that's a rare bird.

Bayou - I wouldn't exactly call him famous. It's not like people are fighting over his autographs. ($20 on a photo, $25 on a ball - don't ask me how I know these things.)

A quick Google reveals that "Vida Blue" is also the name of a jam band formed by Phish keyboardist Page McConnell (www.vidablue.net). Apparently I'm not the only one who liked the name.

Thanks everyone for making me feel so welcome in this boodle. I'm gonna bow out for a few hours so I can get some work done. Type to y'all later.

My breakfast with TBG and the younger G was a delight for me. I was very relieved when they showed up as the bow on my shoulder totally clashed. Besides, the french fry guy was starting to check me out.

The time flew by far too quickly. TBG is an absolutely charming women. I enjoyed hearing about the boodlers, and comparing notes. I hope that those of you at the BPH get a kick out of the trinkets, at least in an ironic way. Anyway, thanks again TBG! Now I feel a little bit more like one of the club. Or the unruly mob.

Aha, StorytellerTim, if only those who actually knew would reply, this whole bog would be pointless, your science handle excepted of course.

Some of the worst sins of english language writing come from technical manuals. I would supply our phone system manuals as evidence, but there are just too many examples to choose from. I could also point to numerous engineering journals, and then, sadly things that have been used as marketing materials by people in this building. The last is truly heart-stoppingly bad, and not funny to boot.

If there are any spelling mistakes in the above, yes its bad english writing too. I SCC in advance. Consider this my periodic SCC for any and all spelling errors.

You want bad writing, just look at ANYTHING that comes from the military--memos, reports, etc. It's like no one ever told them that using jargon is a BAD thing.

Or maybe even SoylentGreen... (Love the ellipse!)

The Evil Semicolons
By Bayou Self
(Take 1)

The sun was just rising and daylight began to come in through the window as I awoke, realizing that I had once again fallen asleep in my office. My head hurt and the dead soldier on the desk — an empty bottle of whisky — was my witness. I needed a shave and a shower. And coffee. But then I heard footsteps and a knock on the door.

It would be a dame, of course. A dame with a mystery to solve. That's how it always worked. And I'd take her money and solve her problem and get drunk again, and then another dame would knock on my door. I shouldn't complain. The dames were all knockouts and they paid me well. But it was the cycle of my life. It was as if someone was writing my story and kept going back to the same old plot. And I was trapped inside of it.

Plus, they never passed out in my office. So I never got to do the Steve Martin routine from Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, where he says "I had to find out if they were real."

But today would be different. No, I wouldn't get to do the Steve Martin routine. But this dame wouldn't have one of the usual stories.

As I let her in and said hello, I couldn't help noticing that she smelled nice. Like all the other dames, she was also a looker.

"So," I asked, "Did your husband go missing?"

"No," she said, "I'm not married."

I thought again of Steve Martin.

"Somebody trying to kill you or cause you trouble?"

"No."

"Difficulties understanding the infield fly rule?"

"Sometimes."

"Well, it depends on how many outs there are and how many men are on base, you see ..."

"I'm not here for that," she said, interrupting me. "I'm not even quite sure how to explain it." She started to cry.

They always started to cry. As I handed her my handkerchief, I asked myself if the writer of these stories would ever come up with something new. I also made a mental note that I hadn't washed that handkerchief in quite a while.

"I don't know how it's happening," she said, dabbing her eyes and, thankfully, not looking too closely at the handkerchief. "And it makes no sense."

"What?" I asked, leaning toward her. This was how it always went. I'd reach the big leaning-toward-her-moment after asking "What?" and there'd come the revelation. She'd spill it and I'd have a case.

"It's the semicolons," she said. "They're up to something."

Jill Carroll was released today.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/30/AR2006033000225.html

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060330/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_carroll_released;_ylt=Ahrrn_7eI61SUl45E6GByaOs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

And I keep hearing the mainstream media never reports good news out of Iraq.

Nani, Don't forget your filly Soñada (Sonya for short).

Jw, have you forgotten? By Jingo, Bad writing is good. If nobody understands it, the writer can't be blamed for leaking information.

Loose Lips Sink Ships

If you tell where it's going, it may never get there

Americans Suffer when Careless Talk Kills

Somebody blabbed-- button your lip!

Anonymous: Wait for tomorrow's paper, when the front page article will be about how she was treated so civilly and respectfully by her captors, vice the pens we put ours in down in GTMO.

I'm only half-kidding.

I'm happy to see that someone has latched on to "Curiously Afraid." I had forgotten about that one.

VidaBlue, love the handle. I imagine a popular dive site, maybe near Cozumel, with clear warm water and tons of fish.

As Tim confessed to having been a D&D geek in HS, as will I. There was a small club, but my particular circle didn't go, and considered ourselves the "cool" D&D players. Har har.

Bayou,

LMAO, I am on the edge of my seat. I love Philip Marlowe style parodies. Over at the Comics Curmudgeon, a guy did one that included the aliases of all the frequent commenters. Not that I'm sugesting you do that, but the effect was just hilarious.

I eagerly await future chapters.

Thanks, jw. The first thing I did was Google it, too, but got a bunch of hits that didn't answer the question for me.

Yes, I am editing a research paper and don't have the option of changing the term; I was merely trying to understand what class of people they were talking about. My first thought, of course, was that hell, "everybody" lives in a community except for hermits, etc. Then I thought, well, maybe it refers to people who live in groups, i.e. nursing homes/assisted care, etc.

It was also apparent from the context that it was a commonly used term in the particular field I'm editing, and it ticked me off that it was jargon that was 1) undefined, and 2) totally ambiguous unless you were already clued in.

The hyphen is correct (at least according to the style book I'm forced to use--my personal opinion is, alas, irrelevant).

Thanks, everybody who chimed in. (Even StorytellerTim.)

Sorry, jw, the headline already reports that she says she was treated well by her captors.

Hmmm. I'm not quite sure which direction you're taking with your irony. Are you being sardonic about the press, or about U.S. policies toward prisoners?

Hey! It IS opsec awareness month here at HQ--the poster outside my cube says, "Protect our mission by keeping it UNCRACKABLE," and there's a big picture of a nutcracker (of the x-mas decoration variety).

Bravo Bayou! For a moment there, I thought someone posted the opening paragraphs of a Raymond Chandler novel.

VidaBlue - I don't know enough to know if Vida Blue is ever going into the baseball Hall of Fame, or to what level of fame he may have at this time. But, back in the day, he was mighty famous. He won many games, more than 20 per season a few times, and also stood out in postseason play.

And how funny that you should mention "VidaBlue" as a dark, almost black color. For reasons that defy logic, I'm arguing today with a writer who wants to say that fashion editor Diana Vreeland had navy blue hair. Nobody has navy blue hair, although they may dye it that color, I suppose. The writer finds something that says she died her hair black and it *sometimes* looked navy blue. And I'm having to explain that that's different from simply having navy blue hair. Maybe I can sell the writer on VidaBlue hair.

Tim, I was just being a wise-acher in general. Since the poster said the press never writes anything positive, I was joking that they'll probably spin it into an anti-U.S. military piece.

For the record, I think the Washington Post is very balanced--and by that I mean being honest about the issues, even if that means coming off as negative (or positive).

Oh, that hyphen is correct. It sets up that the older folks are dwelling in a community. It's not a troublemaker, like those damned semicolons, despite the confusion over what darned kind of community it is that the older folks are dwelling in.

Nani,

Gosh, I haven't seen "Breaking Away" since it came out. I'm drawing a blank on the song, although "Santa Lucia" would make sense. Sorry.

Curmudgeon, being a tad more serious about it: I would deduce that the term refers to an individual dwelling or unified environment (e.g., a compound) that maintains a more-or-less complete community within its confines; hence, a "comunity-dwelling." Although a hyphen is inappropriate in this case, as it is not used as a single adjective. Community-dwelling older people would be persons (not people) who inhabit such a self-contained fabricated community. Think retirement Village (you are Number 6), high-class resort planted in third world nation, or cruise ship.

Or, you could ask the author to 'splain him/her/itself, and point out that it is good style to clarify the meaning of jargon, even for an expert audience. It turns out that your own colleagues within the field do not want to work too hard to understand what the heck you are saying. Plus, with modern coinages of technical terms, it is quite frequent to find that the internal model for the meaning of the term varies a bit between practitioners. Leastways, that has been my experience.

Bayou Self, "Curiously afraid" as a handle is still up for grabs if anybody has the courage to do so.

I scanned through Joel's Quake story in the latest Natl Geographic. You politically/writing correctly interviewed the same kind of quake-trackers. Too bad you weren't daring enough to check into the NEWEST technology that stops earth quakes in their track before they render the earth apart and cause devasation. Briefly, it checks the very low frequency range of the moving quake-to-be and makes a quake not-to-be with directed low frequency breams at the quake frequency and their sidebands above and below that center frequency. I dare you to look into new things. :)

As a devout Raymond Chandler fan, I liked your story, Bayou--except for one thing. Her gams. We have to hear about her gams. Dames always have gams.

You have been warned. Don't let it happen again.

Bayou Self | March 30, 2006 11:16 AM: Excellent story. Hopefully to be continued?

Boston Blackie,

Man, you are practically begging me to blow off work and go do a back-of-the-envelope calculation on how much energy it would take to cancel an earthquake's vibrations. Plus, that energy has to go somewhere, so the heating and acoustic waves emanating from a canceled earthquake would cause problems of their own.

Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! I have work to do!

It would be interesting to read about an "earthquake stopper". However, to a person with limited knowledge of the area, doesn't this seem like a classic example of setting up the Law of Unintended Consequences? If you can't prevent the underlying cause of earthquakes (tectonic plate shifting), you're just postponing the inevitable (which may then greatly exceed the earthquake originally prevented).

From the context of the link that jw gave, I would have to agree that "community-dwelling" is being used as a euphemism for "non-institutionalized", meaning any elderly person not living in a nursing home or similar facility.

We, as a culture, have a terrible time with terms associated with the elederly, er, seniors, er, not-quite-dead. For example the acronym ACLF is listed on freedictionary.com as being for both "Adult Care Living Facility" and
"Adult Congregate Living Facility (retirement home)" which are very different from ALF's which can be an Adult Living Facilty or an Assisted Living Facility. One of these terms refers to what is commonly called a nursing home, but I have no idea which.

Some input on EarthQuake Stoppers.

I was thinking about the Richter Scale, and then there was Tim's comment at 11:52, and I decided to go to Wikipedia to see if what I remembered about it was correct. I think it was.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richter_scale

Better bring a LOT of energy to cancel out earthquakes, even on a small scale. That table on the bottom of the Wiki entry is quite interesting...

bc

All of which is to say that not including that particular "technology" may not have warranted discussion.

All this lingo fiddlefaddle about "community dwelling" this, and "assisted living" that is giving me a headache. They should just call us the "undead." Might strick a note of fear in those young folks.

Then maybe they'd stop tailgaiting us on the road.

bayou - there IS such a color as blue/black - that's the color i use for my hair...

Curmudgeon,

I agree with the entirety of your first post that Joel dragged over here from the other kit.

*waving at everyone* Hi everybody! I've been away but I'm bbaaaaccckk!

Life was simpler in Oregon when the European population had no idea that the coast was subject to Great Subduction Earthquakes and their accompanying tsunamis. As it turned out, the longer-standing locals were aware of the monster that had happened on January 26, 1700 at 9 in the evening (approximate timing worked out by tree-ring analysis, precise timing courtesy of Japanese tsunami records).

Here in Florida, at least before Katrina, I found some difficulty in persuading people that Frances was scarcely a hurricane, and Jeanne not a bad one.

>back-of-the-envelope calculation

ScienceTim, you beat me to it. The forces are enormous. The energy has to come from somewhere, and there will be a reaction. Assuming it worked, would it be OK to stop an earthquake if it moved the Earth into a new orbit?

Boston Blackie, why don't you post a link to some peer-reviewed research?

Gams! If only there were an edit function. I could work in a fine set o' gams in no time. And I could fix a couple of other things in there.

To those who've asked, I don't know if I have any more for that story. We'll see. If I do, gams will surely be involved.

Bayou Self, that was me who described the black/blue hair. Yes, there are some with black/blue hair (tho I wouldn't call it "navy blue"). My best childhood friend, Olga Quiroga, had sleek, straight, long to the waist black hair. In the sunlight, her hair looked midnight blue. Her mother cut it so that it fell in a perfect V shape from her shoulders to her waist. We were just little kids and I'm sure her mother didn't dye her daughter's hair.

I just want to say that I am upset to have been misquoted and quoted out of context, and by someone who doesn't have the decency to sign, even a fake name.

Umbrage, that's an UNDERSTATEMENT.

That description of Olga's hair has me swooning.

Hmmm. I have been inspired by several of your remarks, and have copy edited the following section

"The literature review describes [my deletion of the subject matter] in the older community-dwelling population in the United States. Within the population of community-dwelling older persons in the U.S., more than [X]percent of persons age 65 or older..."

to read as follows:

"The literature review describes [my deletion of the subject matter] in the walking undead population in the United States. Within the population of the walking undead in the U.S., more than [X]percent of fogies age 65 or older..."

I may be unemployed by sundown.

Uh, I should say that I'm pretty sure Boston Blackie was giving us an early April Fools' leg-pull. Right? Right? So, let's not get too umbrageous.

Why don't you putzes get off your fat asses and check this out? Especially the usual retarded comments of so-called "Science" Tim, who would do well to be in grade school. :) I'd refer any of you ares still able to get off your chairs, to look up Arno & Foster's treatise on this. Sorry to be so blunt. I figured I'd get lots of flack anyway. Hey, bubbalos, get out and enjoy SPRING! I am. Got some days off b4 getting back into the editing shack. :)

Grammar was covered in grade 7 where some of us were an experiment in 'open concept learning'. Loosely translated it meant, our school was too small for the number of students enrolled, and no teachers were available. We were left to fend for ourselves, as long as we submitted some work. We specialised in group projects that year. Now that we are older and wiser, we agree that grammar is not a good group project.

I judge by how things read. If it reads awkwardly, its wrong. I never know why its wrong, and I don't care, but standardised grammar and styles are meant to clarify. This does not. I'd check with PtheP, who I consider to be the master of grammar, on it, but I would likely be wrong.

You'll be welcome in my office if that ever happens, 'Mudge.

And I think perhaps the original BB is not the Boodler currently attempting to force romantic ideas into the cold, hard world of facts.

Well, SciTim, that was my question the first time Boston Blackie brought it up, a few Kits ago.

I asked him if, by any chance, he had read about these earthquake blockers in the most recent (April) issue of an otherwise reputable science magazine.

I seem to remember from back when I had a subscription that Scientific American always had one column each April that was totally bogus, but was filled with enough science-talk that it was hard to detect unless the gain on your b-s detector was dialed way up.

Oh, and hiya amo! LTNBoodle...

Anyone seen the new $10 bills? They're ORANGE! Or pink. They look dumb, either way. I had to do the "hold it up to the light" test to make sure it was real when I got one as change. Watermark and security strip, so I guess it's kosher. But PINK?!?!

Wh00ps! Just read "Science" Timmy's ref to April Fool. Yah, it sounds that way. But check into it, anyway. There is more to REAL science than what so-called "scientists" THINK they know. Most scientists are knee-jerkers, afraid to explore anything more. They are all subsidized by a "scientific" establishment. Lot of "research" papers read by a less than a dozen people. Government, biz and industry grants doth how they survive. Will they put down any independent research? You bet these UN-thinkers will! To keep their jobs!

They are the walking undead because of ... semicolons!

I have no idea what that means.

On the color of money topic. "Be it orange, pink or green, HAVING the money is surely KEEN!" {BB}

You know, I might have seen an ad for the "Earthquake Blocker" not to long ago. Yeah, it was in the back of Parade Magazine. That's it. Near the Star Trek collector plate, or something.

Maybe this will help.

Cherry blossoms sway...

World Peace perhaps will emerge

Earth--in the balance

Wish we'd had one of them earthquake blockers back in New Madrid in 1811. Of course, it was tough enough dragging that damned sonic disruptor through the wilderness as it was.

Here are some simpler earthquake prevention methods:

http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF2/296.html

omni, when Olga grew into a teen, she and her brother, Jaime, performed flamenco dances in our high school variety shows. Her blue-black hair pulled tightly away from her face into a bun at the nape of her neck with a large white flower tucked behind her ear, she wore a cherry red form fitting, to the floor dress with many ruffles at the hem and slit in front to her knees. Black stiletto heels. Jaime, who also had the shimmering blue-black hair, wore skin-tight black trousers, flared at the bottom, shiny red silk shirt and black bolero, his black gaucho hat trimmed in tiny ball fringe, and black boots. Oh it was exciting, all that stomping of feet, twirling, gazing deeply into each other's eyes and the caracas clacking.

I'm planning on going for a run down Independence and around W. Potomac Park. Suicide? Insanity? What's the situation like out there?

jw, isn't there a Blossom Cam or somesuch on the National Cherry Blossom Festival site?

Speaking on a totally uninformed basis, since it's about 65 degrees outside, you'll be fortunate to get up to shuffling speed... :-)

Welcome to the world of Canadian money! It will help, trust me. Think of how easy it is when you don't need to know what the $ are, you can just navigate your wallet by colour.

Remember how I keep telling you we Canadians are a subversive lot? First Celine Dion, now coloured money.

"A similar approach to the problem has been reported by California seismologist Bruce Bolt. In his book Earthquakes? A Primer, he tells of a handyman at the seismographic station in the Bahamas. During a strong earthquake in 1965, the man drew out his pistol and shot the jittering seismograph in an attempt to quell the violent ground motion."

I swear I must have been on jury duty with this guy. Had to have been him.

This past weekend I was at Epcot and rode Mission Space, which if you haven't done and you're a spaceophile, you MUST do!

I know it fulfilled a personal science fantasy of mine. LOL No, no, the one about launching into space, just to see what it would be like, how it would feel, etc.

And the solar eclipse, too? Wow. Just got done visiting the NASA website:

http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/solarsystem/sun_earthday2006.html

SCC: Castenets (not caracas)

Or maybe maracas, Nani?

Our money isn't "coloured", it's "colored". Jeez.

nellie - those little wooden clappers thingies held in the palms of her hands while she drummed them rhythmically with her fingers.

Nani - castenets it is.

jw, is it? One day its green, then its colored, then its coloured, and the next thing you know you're singing God Save the Queen again.

Gee Blackie, wish we had you around when I was working at Plasma Physics Labs on the TFTR. Coulda gotten that thing off the ground after all.

Haha...can we have afternoon tea, as well? I do so love afternoon tea, with the cucumber sandwiches and such. So civilised. Er...civilized.

Okay, we don't seem to be so friendly anymore.

I looked up "arno foster earthquake" on Google scholar, and got squat. Over at the physics and geophysics abstract lookup service operated by Harvard, the names Arno and Foster as co-authors yielded no hits. I tried "earthquake vibration damp" as keywords, searching refereed and unrefereed sources, and got 49 hits. They were either addressing natural damping systems within natural seismic processes, or they were addressing vibrational damping within individual structures -- i.e., structural protection and resilience. No mention of any particular technology or concept for the palliation of the actual earthquake, per se.

I understand the essential concept proposed by Blackie to be similar to noise-cancellation headphones. I can perceive two classes of enabling technology for such headphones (I have not examined any): (1) receive sound, digitize, identify and mask noise sources, reconstitute sound into a sound-isolated environment in order to synthesize a noise-free signal. Technological difficulty: complete sound-isolation of the cavity in which to produce the "noise-free" signal. I believe that this is not the technology commonly used in noise-canceling headphones, but may be used in noise-reducing hearing aids. This holds no hope of earthquake-cancellation in principle, so we must look to the other process, which is (2) receive sound, digitize and construct fast Fourier transform or wavelet transform in order to deduce frequency distribution, amplitude, and phase of acoustic vibrations from the environment. Synthesize the complementary acoustic source with phase inversion and introduce into finite volume, canceling the initial distribution of noise. This could also be done in analog with feedback techniques. Works in headphones or other finite volume, cancels ambient sound. Technological difficulty: requires the formation of a counter-propagating, opposite-phase signal of amplitude equal to the wave to be canceled. Easy to do with sound. Outside the limited volume of spatial coherence, this results in two propagating assemblages of sound waves -- i.e., it makes even more sound: outside the region of spatial coherence, the noise-cancellation becomes a noise source. This is not a problem in practice with headphones because the headphones themselves absorb most of the acoustic energy. The energy of the canceled acoustic waves must primarily be dissipated as heating of the enclosed air and the soft tissue receiving the acoustic waves. Power dissipation requirements are small.

Cancellation of an earthquake requires the generation and control of waves with large amplitudes (e.g., many feet of transverse displacement) and high energy (e.g., controlled release of nuclear-weapon type energy output, according to wikipedia page found by bc). This is conceivable within the region of spatial coherence -- i.e., within the confines of a finite bounded region at the limits of which the earthquake wave signature is received and analyzed. Note that this has nothing to do with seismometers, which sense only trivial incidental noise from the earthquake. Property damage is created by the dissipative waves that release the stress from the underlying rock interface. These are the waves that must be detected and countered. Problem: propagation of "waste" wave energy from the cancelation system would be perceived as an earthquake, same as before. Only the limited region of spatial coherence can be protected.

Boston Blackie's point appears to be addressing the concept of countering the release of wave energy prior to the formation of the actual earthquake. Let us dispense with the minor practical matters -- earthquake location is only stochastically predictable, therefore you must be prepared to act over vast regions of finite earthquake probability; you must be prepared to do so instantly (as earthquakes remain unpredictable in timing, as well), thus you must have the ability to release vast amounts of energy instantaneously over a vast region, in controlled fashion. I can see certain security issues with developing this capability. The fundamental concept is one of preventing the earthquake from passing a tipping point. The earthquake itself, however, is only an epiphenomenon of the fundamental event, which is the motion of gigantic masses of rock from the collision or separation of continental plates. The earthquake is the mere squeaking of the chalkboard as gigantic fingernails scrape across the board. Countering the annoying sound does nothing to prevent the fingernails from moving. If you are really dedicated to eliminating earthquakes through tehcnology (such hubris!), your more feasible plan would be to learn how to induce small earthquakes in order to leach the strain from the stressed rock at the continental margin. Again, one can see certain security issues arising from the posession of technologies capable of inducing earthquakes. This might be accomplished by the intentional driving of acoustic waves from several focused transducers in order to heat and melt the rock at the focal point and lubricate a short period of motion by the basement rock. Possible consequences include the unintentional release of much more energy than intended, triggering the major earthquake that you were trying to avoid. The remote heating and liquefaction of rock would require copious energy, presumably harmful to the environment fo the transducer.

There. Is that sufficiently far off my fat behind? May I get back to work now?

nellie, GRACIAS mija!

See? Like I said, jw, subversive.

Hello from a lurker! And a lurker from the get-go no less - I've been a Joel afficianado for a very long time and began reading the blog as soon as it hit the sphere.

I even have a copy of Captured by Aliens, which I didn't even steal from the library. Bought it with my own money.

I'll bet there a whole lot of long-time lurkers out there like me.

Any the boodle is as much fun as the kit, so thanks all for a great, sometimes headscratching, but always interesting read. Ciao from Colorado!

jw, I love your sense of humour!

SciTim...did you see my theory on the earthquake dampener? I think BB was had.

Ack! It's spreading! To the village green, boys, the Redcoats are coming!

Hiya Bey.

As to Canadian influence, In the future, we'll all be saying "eh" a lot. Eh?

kbertocci--

The quotes from your comment are verbatim, and I think I summarized the context fairly. I don't have a dog in this, but I thought it was important, and I didn't see why you didn't post it here. But I guess people can go over and read it for themselves, it's at http://foma.yellojkt.com and its the second comment on his March 26 item on the top ten excuses for plagiary.
My real name is John. I certainly had no intention of upsetting you, but the issue seems important, and I was just wondering whether anyone has access to those old Dave Barry columns.

NASA Budget Cuts?

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/02/science/space/02nasa.html?ex=1143867600&en=6dcdc5ebe94a5004&ei=5070

Also, I've been totally tripped out re: Time's coverage of the heating up (no pun intended) of the global warming debate. Although if you can call it a debate anymore, you're doing better than me. I'm pretty much converted to the idea that it's a dire problem that's hitting us now, and not some time in the foggy future...

http://www.sciencemag.org/sciext/ice/#section_this-week

We recycle, compost and are contemplating a vegetarian diet - although that is only mere contemplation at this point.

Part of my last post was eaten!

To continue:

We reduce, reuse and buy second hand where possible and give to environmental causes. Other than vote, what can an average person do? (Besides wring their hands and move from low-lying areas in Florida? LOL)

I saw the April Fool's theory. I had intended to revive it (I forgot the attribution). But I got my dander up, and now there's dander all over my desk. Yuk.

Joel and Dave Barry are friends from way back, as reported here, on Weingarten's chat, and Barry's chats with the Post. Plus, Barry wrote the foreword for one of the Why Things Are books. Any apparent plagiarism would be more in the way of an "hommage." More likely, it comes from a long stream of shared humor (or humour, if you're un-American).

Ola, dr. My friend Curmudgeon suggested I ask you what the name of your currency was up there in Canada. Peso? Dineros? It's one of those, isn't it? How many Canadial pesos equals a dollar?

I think the point to remember is that Dave Barry and Joel don't come up with columns in a vacuum, and they probably hatch a lot of ideas while shootin the poop with the other funny guys in the office. And they're also both guys and therefore the coming of spring and impending lawn care is an obvious source of humorous columns and general joking. So should anyone be surprised that Joel Achenbach writes a column about home and garden care that sounds a lot like a Dave Barry column from 10-15 years ago? No--since they probably had more than one conversation about it between themselves. I wouldn't call it plagarism by any means. And I think that's what K meant--you make it sound like she's being accusitory.

Bayou,

The non-use of "eh" is considered to be merely a venial sin, as long as the Canadian is otherwise in good standing as a follower of the One True Sport. As a point of interest for the curious, "eh" is actually an abbreviation of "Ever Hockey", and is attached to most items of conversation as a reminder of the One True Sport, in much the same manner as "pbuh" is attached to Islamic correspondence referring to their Prophet.

Other such venial sins include failure to wear flannel shirts and failing to consume excessive amounts of beer. The wearing of the highly traditional mullet is considered somewhat archaic in modern times, and is more generally considered the mark of an unusually devout follower.

Is that you, Rowsdower?

Hockey's the one with the rocks and the brooms, right?

LOL, jw

Bayou Self, the walking undead have semicolons due to colon surgery.

Unfortunately, the high prevalance of semicolons out there far exceeds the logical number of colonectomies done. (See Piano Tuner puzzle).

One flaky blog theory is that sperm banks are churning out illegimate children of Colon Powell.
While this theory completely inaccurate in every respect... yet it is not so far off the truth, as the sobbing dame with the glam gams knew.

Oh Nani, just when I recover. Time for another walk I guess.

My husband wants to write this book (you have to say this out loud, including all punctuation):

The Colon and Rectum: Part One: The Colon

Wrecked 'em? Damn near killed 'em!

Isn't the monetary unit of Canadia the Cabuck?

bc

I thought they just used beaver pelts.

amo, I've ridden Missin' Space.

It's fine if you like centrifuges. I don't.

I don't think Joel does either, I seem to remember him writing about it somewhere...

bc

Here's an even better link to kb's comment:

http://livebythefoma.blogspot.com/2006/03/plague-of-plagiarists.html#c114342480104020871

And if you don't care to follow the link, this is my summary of her comment: Joel's "Stop and Smell the Flowers" Rough Draft column (which is available on this very blog, go back about three kits) vaguely reminded her husband of a Dave Barry column but he couldn't quite recall how. The money quote from her comment is this:

"And I convinced both of us, eventually, that maybe the Rough Draft sounds familiar because Joel is repeating one of his own themes."

Doesn't sound like she's accusing Joel of anything. Here are some real Dave Barry quotes about lawn maintenance I found on the web:

"· I care for my lawn about as well as Godzilla cared for Tokyo.
· I have, over the years learned a few basic facts about lawn care, the two major ones being: If you fail to feed, fertilize, and water your lawn, it will die. If you feed, fertilize, and water your lawn, it will die.
· Americans have never been as fond of gardening as, for example, the British, who have, through centuries of puttering, managed to transform their little island into one of the world’s fourth-rate powers."

Despite my vast collection of Dave Barry books, including a few autographed ones, I don't recognize these quotes. Presumably they came from his book, "Homes and Other Black Holes", particularly Chapter 10 – A Lawn Is A Terrible Thing To Waste. For $6.99 you can buy it from Amazon and check it out for yourself.

To summarize:
·Joel wrote an article about the enormous effort required by lawn care, a topic that has been covered by innumerable writers, funny and otherwise, from Erma Bombeck to Tim Allen.

·Joel used to work with Dave Barry who believes lawns cannot and should not be maintained properly.

·No one anywhere has found any substantial similarity between Joel's column and any words Dave Barry has ever written up to and including "and" and "the".

Case closed. Next.

BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!

Do you remember where you at this moment 25 years ago today.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/29/AR2006032902595.html

I was gnawing on a corner of my binkie. And contemplating the constitutionality of gun control. I was very advanceed.

I was in high school and the brand new breed of young conservatives were extremely distraught that this would be their "Kennedy moment". Ronnie and the Young Republicans both survived. I shortly afterwards abandoned all plans to attend Yale in order to meet Jodie Foster.

http://livebythefoma.blogspot.com/2006/01/celebrity-babby-daddy-wannabe.html

(Find the secret Ray Davies allusion)

I was in my college dorm room in St. Louis, working on something collegiate. This was the second semester of my freshman year, which began with ScienceGrandpa being robbed and shot the night that he deposited me in the dorms before (intending to) drive home to Maryland the next day. He's all better now. But his opposition to gun control laws (with the usual shibboleth of future Nazis finding all the registered gun owners) was reversed by experiencing the consequences of easy availability of inexpensive small-calibre weapons. He's been a regular contributor to gun control organizations since then, particularly including Jim and Sarah Brady's work. It shouldn't take such a personal experience to bring home the foolishness of unrestrained handgun availability.

Its funny, I don't remember where I was coming from or where I was going, but I was in the Student Union building and noticed a crowd had gathered around the TV (it was hung high on the wall so though the crowd was big for the space, everyone could see). So it wasn't exactly 2:25, it was very shortly after, the reports were only that he was shot, but not how bad or how he was. So I don't remember where I was when it happened, only where I was when I learned of it. My last class that day was over at 1:30, and there was no reason for me to stick around (I lived just two miles away). So its weird that I have know idea where I was just a half hour to an hour before it I learned of. I mean why was I even still on campus???

Don't mean to throw the boodle off, but can anyone tell me the name of a poem and the author? Part of it keeps going through my mind, but I can't remember the name.

Be still sad heart and cease repinning,
behind the clouds is the sun still shinning, thy fate is the common fate of all, into each life some rain must fall
some days must be dark and dreary.

I know that isn't the whole poem, just a part of it, but I can't it get out of my head, and it's so sad. When I think about it, I'm almost in tears. I don't know where this is coming from. I don't like feeling this way. Hope everyone is okay.

The Evil Semicolon
By Bayou Self
Part Two

Semicolons? Great. This was the first dame coming to me for help that was off her rocker. All the others had been perfectly sane.

"Semicolons?" I said, hoping that maybe I had misheard. After all, I could still hear the hammers in my head from the previous night's drinking.

"Not just any semicolons," she said, adjusting her long dress and unexpectedly giving me a rather nice view of some fine gams. And boy, those were gams that sure got my attention. They were nicely shaped and had that line running down the back of her nylons. And she was revealing quite a bit of leg, so much that I wondered if she was giving me a show on purpose. Was that a garter way in there? I tried not to stare but, boy, this sure beat orange juice for breakfast.

"I think it's the Canadian semicolons that are causing all the trouble," she said. "Or maybe it's semicolons that have some sort of connection with Canada. I'm not sure."

"Okay," I said. "Now these semicolons, well, first ma'am, I don't believe we've been introduced. I'm Bayou Self, private eye."

"My name is ..."

She paused, just like that, letting the ellipses sit there in the air like three boobs in a row. I leaned forward. It showed that I cared. It showed that I was a good listener and that she should hire me for the case, even if it involved some loony grammar issue. It also gave me just a slightly better view of her gams.

"My name is Stone. Sharon Stone."

Hi Cassandra. From WorldofQuotes.com:

Be still, sad heart, and cease repining; Behind the clouds the sun is shining; Thy fate is the common fate of all, Into each life some rain must fall, Some days must be dark and dreary.
Author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Source: An April Day

Nani, a question about the song in the movie "Breaking Away": is it the same song he sang as a serenade?

???M'appari, tutt'amor???

For Casandra S:

Henry Longfellow

>Find the secret Ray Davies allusion

All I can think of is Lola, which I'm listening to right now.

Ah, The Kinks!
Preservation Act II
Lola vs The Powerman
The Muswell Hillbillies

Under-appreciated by the general public.

Cassandra, here's the rest of it:

The Rainy Day by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The day is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the moldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.

My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the moldering past,
But the hope of youth fall thick in the blast,
And the days are dark and dreary.

Be still, sad heart! And cease repinning;
Behind the clouds the sun is still shinning;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.

PI Bayou,

If it was Sharon Stone, you had a better view than just her gams. Unless gams has an alternate meaning I'm not aware of.

Oh, and the last line in each verse should be intented.

I do remember where I was, omni. I was pulling into a space in the parking lot of the Giant at Beacon Mall.

I was asking if anyone knew about access to the old Dave Barry columns, for the purpose of following up on whatever relationship there may be. But never mind. Raise a question around here and you get your head blown off.

ef,

Not even close. The allusion is in my 2:34 boodle comment, not on my blog, just in case I had sent anyone on a wild goose chase by mistake and left them in a state of confusion.

Hi from the Boulder bureau of the Achenblog! Just popping online from Pearl Street.

The Jill Carroll news is so exciting, though I couldn't help but notice that, right away, there are people squabbling about whether she was too deferential to her captors in her opening interview. Isn't there a kind of grace period in which people just CELEBRATE the freeing of a hostage before arguing about whether she has made the kind of statements that some folks think she should make? It's the 24-7 culture: Everyone's on a hair trigger.

I see, in a quick glance, that "John" questions whether my gardening column of four days ago might have conceivably plagiarized a Dave Barry column (never identified but just sort of generically floating out there in someone's vague memory). No one's ever actually suggested that I plagiarized anyone in all my years of pounding the keyboard, but I do repeat my own jokes and themes all the time, so I guess I plagiarize myself, promiscuously. And in a more general way I steal constantly from Dave Barry -- in the pacing of a column, in trying to sustain a stretch of highbrow diction before suddenly switching (in what linguists call a register change) to something low-rent, and more generally in trying to mine humor from the stupid ordinary stuff of daily life, like yards, cars, kids, jobs, and whatnot. Obviously Dave didn't invent all these moves, but he perfected them. If I had a shred of decency I'd send the guy a royalty check every friggin' day.

SonofCarl, I am consumed with umbrage. Hockey is not the one true sport. It is the one true sport of the young. Curling is the One True Sport of everyone else.

Otherwise, ditto. What he said, people. There has even been a primer written about it.

"How to Be a Canadian*
Even if you already are one
Author: Will Ferguson, and Ian Ferguson
A hilarious inside look at that unique species--the Canadian--covering subjects as diverse as diet, sex, dating rituals, sports, politics, social rules and our death-defying search for the middle of the road--any road."

"Why I Hate Canadians" is the follow-up tongue-in-cheek guidebook for newcomers on how to be Canadian.

SonofCarl, if you have missed these, they are pant-wettingly funny.

No John, ask a question around here and you'll usually get an answer; imply an allegation of plagarism against the person who purportedly runs this blog, and you'll get peppered with semicolons.

I remember at the time a lot of my friends saying that when they first heard of it the would look at their watch or a clock and think back because they wanted to be able to say ten, twenty, thirty years later they remembered exaclty where they were and what they doing because they had heard it all their lives from their parents, uncles and aunts regarding the Kennnedy assasination. But me, I couldn't remember an hour earlier when I found out. I just couldn't. Maybe I had been "captured by Aliens" and they did a mind swipe.

Re: WaPo Radio, here's an exchange during Fisher's chat today:

Washington, D.C.: Maybe it's just opening day, but I thought WTWP was just plain awful. I listened for about 15 minutes in what radio people like to call the 7 o'clock hour. Maybe in other dayparts there will be the greater depth that the station is supposed to offer, but amid the self-promotion, self-congratulation, and general inappropirateness of the very talented anchor Mike Moss, I was not impressed. I'm a regular NPR listener and I've been saddened by the smaller-and-smaller role that real news and perspective has in their flagship news programs. I don't see WTWP stealing any listeners from them, and I'm not sure I see how it's going to persuade at least drive time WTOP listeners to switch. Maybe it will be different in TWP's longer-form shows.

What's your take, Marc?

Marc Fisher: Far too early for any definitive judgments, and of course anything I say is colored by the fact that I will be appearing daily on WashPost Radio (3:20 every afternoon, and on the politics program Fridays at 10 am), but I heard both good and bad this morning. I liked the immediacy--the reactions to the Jill Carroll release with firsthand accounts about Carroll from Post reporters who knew her in Iraq, and I liked hearing Post reporters who really know their stuff--Jackie Salmon on helicopter moms, David Broder on the immigration debate.

I wish the station sounded more like radio, with the sounders, jingles, billboarding (alerting listeners to upcoming features) and other tools that make radio feel compelling especially in drive time. But that may yet come. This is very much a work in progress, so keep listening, and keep sending along your impressions.

Thanks so much, I knew there was more to it than what I could remember. It's still a sad poem, and I want to get it out of my head, but it just sticks, that last part. Oh well, I'm on my way to the math and reading program so maybe I'll stop thinking about it. I might be the only one there. Hope not. Take care everyone, maybe I'll get to talk later when I get back.

I should also sneak in that for a long time, we called our dollar 50 cents. Lately though we are calling it 75 cents, but whats a few cents between friends?

Tim, Great post on the physics of cancellation. I hope that the taunting that prompted it was a freakish occurance. Perhaps BB missed naptime and was simply grumpy.
Anyway, I am heading to Luray Caverns with my wife and daughter tomorrow, so if anybody is planning on testing any earthquake distruption beams, please wait until we get home.

John, at 03:01 -- "Raise a question around here and you get your head blown off."

I don't think you got your head blown off. You got a vigorous, but civil, answer (well, a bunch of them -- you know, we can't find out if someone else replied until after they have done so and we've refreshed the page).

It did seem that your quotation of kbertocci was in a form that made it sound as if she were accusing JA of plagiarism and, worse, covering it up. That is the context in which follow-up comments have to be read in order to understand the subtext. We're rather fond of JA, which is why we waste time around here. We also respect his abilities as a journalist, so even the hint of a plagiarism accusation is very disturbing. It's not JUST a question in that context. Although Joel will admit to shamelessly plagiarizing his own earlier writing.

Off the top of my head, I don't know where to go for old Dave Barry columns. To the extent that he is willing to make them freely available on the web, rather than profiting from selling them in book form, you can probably find what's available at Barry's own blog: http://davebarry.com/

The FM antenna in my car radio has been busted for over a month, so I have gone through the cold turkey no-NPR stage and have resigned myself to bad AM drivetime radio for the rest of my life or until my son gets his full driver's license and I can make the radio his problem.

The link for WaPo radio someone gave this morning had a URL for the web simulcast. Since my cell phone has internet capability, that might be worth a try. I'm still trying to get all the bugs out of getting podcast feeds. This staying ahead of the technology curve is a full time vocation.

one of his best known poems, I think I'll leave out the rest of what I know, as it truly is sad

John, sorry you felt picked on. Contrary to some rumors, it IS possible to be contrarian here and even ridicule the blogger in charge.

We can move on. I am posting a new microkit.

And there, it's happened again: while I was busy with lovingly crafting my post in order to remedy my lousy typing, a cascade of other responses, far more concise and less comma-laden than mine, poured out upon the digital page.

That really is a lot of comments! The internet has really become a great resource for people to voice their opinions.

MPM
The Guide to Getting More Out of Life
http://www.thegmanifesto.com

This morning I briefly listened to 107.7. I associate Mike Moss's distinctive voice so strongly with WTOP that I kept waiting for him to break for weather and traffic. It will take a while, I am sure, for WTWP to form a unique personality. I mean, look at the Achenblog. At first it was just an incoherent jumble of random blatherings. (Wait, maybe that isn't such a good analogy.) Anyway, I am willing to give the station time to evolve. Like others, I was dissapointed not to see Joel's name listed on A2 of the Post. Joel, will you be a contributor?

Thank you, SciTim. As a third party, I think you have summarized the kerfuffle much better than I could have. Part of your response remind me of a disclaimer that used to be on the Straight Dope website (it may still be there I just can't find it at the moment) which went like this:

"Before you start penning missives complaining that there is only a year of columns available and that 'information wants to be free,' please remember that this information actually wants to one day be bundled up and sold for $9.95 at a store near you."

A significant revenue stream for a columnist is being able to repurpose old columns as a "Best Of" book collection. I wonder how the web is affecting that dynamic.

I think Joel checked in a few minutes ago for the sole purpose of inserting the word "promiscuously" in his post, as he is wont to do. Dreamer, you concur? (Until you wake up and have your coffee, I take the liberty of assuming you would.)

For some reason my attempt to post a new kit doesn't seem to be working....hmmm...I wonder if it's a time-change thing. A two-hour delay because I'm on mountain time and the time-stamp doohickey is confused. Oh, Haaaaaaaallll.......[Where is the Schemer when you need him?]

Um, never mind.

Pay no attention to the idiot in the Pearl Street Starbucks.

Chief, I think I've found him!

He's at the Pearl Street Starbucks! Approach him carefully.

We usually don't.

Watch out for the squirrels...

Even on a dead kit, I manage to BOO. I was talking to Joel, not SpyCow. So it goes.

I thought it fit rather nicely.

"No one's ever actually suggested that I plagiarized anyone in all my years of pounding the keyboard, but I do repeat my own jokes and themes all the time, so I guess I plagiarize myself, promiscuously. And in a more general way I steal constantly from Dave Barry -- in the pacing of a column, in trying to sustain a stretch of highbrow diction before suddenly switching (in what linguists call a register change) to something low-rent, and more generally in trying to mine humor from the stupid ordinary stuff of daily life, like yards, cars, kids, jobs, and whatnot. Obviously Dave didn't invent all these moves, but he perfected them. If I had a shred of decency I'd send the guy a royalty check every friggin' day."

And, to prove a point, Joel is blatently plagerizing everything he says in this interview:
http://www.learner.org/catalog/extras/interviews/jachen/jachen.html

Check out that awesome screen shot! Haha!

Blatent plagerism!!!

"One of the big dangers of course, if you're not careful working with Dave Barry all those years, is you end up telling jokes that sound like Dave Barry jokes. And you end up being like the poor man's Dave Barry. 'Cause there are certain patterns that he uses that are just so, Dave Barryish. And more than once I've had editors delete jokes, just because they sounded too much like something Dave would say. Not even if they were, weren't funny. So they thought a little too much like his style. So I try to, I don't know if I have a style, I think that probably, um, that, someone once told me that I changed registers. Now I have no idea, it's like some linguist's term that I guess I go from saying something very high falutin', you know, a science type thing, to then like, some little vulgar aside. And that comes very naturally out of what I do, because I'll be sitting there, talking to a professor of psychology, like I was when you came in, about baby talk. And about you know, the various terms that they use for what baby talk is, and how they study it, and so I'll be writing something in my column, you know in a very scientific way about baby talk, and then suddenly, there's clearly a demand for a parenthetical remark about spitting up, or something. You know, something gross. You know what I mean, you have to, you can't maintain the seriousness too long. At least I can't, because I can't put on a straight face for that long. I have to have some comic relief. So, I guess that's what I do in terms of trying to be funny is I often throw in these little asides, but it comes very naturally out of, I think, of what I do.

Someone once said to me, they talk about your style. I don't know that I have a style, I try to write, it all pretty much just comes out the way it comes out.

Really. I'm trying to be Erma Bombeck, actually. It's not working. I was hoping you would have made that comparison already."

For shame!!!

what is BOO, anyway?

BOO means boodled out of order, i.e., that someone has posted between your post and post you mean to comment on.

I know this is a dead boodle, but I also want to point out to john that we also like kbertocci and will jump to her defense at the drop of an umbrage.

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"No one's ever actually suggested that I plagiarized anyone in all my years of pounding the keyboard, but I do repeat my own jokes and themes all the time, so I guess I plagiarize myself, promiscuously. And in a more general way I steal constantly from Dave Barry -- in the pacing of a column, in trying to sustain a stretch of highbrow diction before suddenly switching (in what linguists call a register change) to something low-rent, and more generally in trying to mine humor from the stupid ordinary stuff of daily life, like yards, cars, kids, jobs, and whatnot. Obviously Dave didn't invent all these moves, but he perfected them. If I had a shred of decency I'd send the guy a royalty check every friggin' day."

And, to prove a point, Joel is blatently plagerizing everything he says in this interview:
http://www.double66.com

This morning I briefly listened to 107.7. I associate Mike Moss's distinctive voice so strongly with WTOP that I kept waiting for him to break for weather and traffic. It will take a while, I am sure, for WTWP to form a unique personality. I mean, look at the Achenblog. At first it was just an incoherent jumble of random blatherings. (Wait, maybe that isn't such a good analogy.) Anyway, I am willing to give the station time to evolve. Like others, I was dissapointed not to see Joel's name listed on A2 of the Post. Joel, will you be a contributor?

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Rugby players spend a lot of time physical training Compared to other form of sports.I have read the
Rugby laws mentioned on this site. It's a gripping sport which targets the grip strength and the active mindedness of a player. American football and rugby league are also primarily collision sports, but their tackles tend to terminate much more quickly. For professional rugby, players are often chosen on the basis of their size and apparent strength and they develop the skill and power over the passage of time. In modern rugby considerable attention is given to fitness and aerobic conditioning as well as basic weight training.