Off Topic!, For all our "general" off topic tendencies Options

[Skeptic007]

DonnaLucy, are you only going into Manhattan for a single day? You might already have enough planned. But if you have time and need to get indoors to cool off, you won't go wrong with a stop at the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the Guggenheim Museum. I also highly recommend a stroll across the Brooklyn Bridge, preferably at dusk, if you can stay that long in the city.

[krodgers]

This is funny for a 19 month old to do! My son-in-law taught my grandson, Parker, to spit on bugs!! He thinks that gets rid of them!! That will make you go, hhmm?

[stefanl]

I'm reworking parts of my forensic science class this summer and am coming across some pretty amazing websites, including one that has pathologist's reports on Jon Benet Ramsey and Ronald Goldman. If you are interested in reading about how an autopsy is performed, follow this link. Those two reports and others can be found at the bottom of the page.

There is a link to the virtual autopsy in which you can use an interactive cadaver to view medical reports, images of some organs and explanations of 18 cases and try to guess the cause of death of the person. Don't know that I'll actually use this information in my class, but it just fascinates the dickens outta me.

[DonnaLucy]

DonnaLucy, are you only going into Manhattan for a single day? You might already have enough planned. But if you have time and need to get indoors to cool off, you won't go wrong with a stop at the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the Guggenheim Museum. I also highly recommend a stroll across the Brooklyn Bridge, preferably at dusk, if you can stay that long in the city.

Just for the day. My daughter has work early on Friday. My two boys & my husband aren't going with us, so I'll need to get back. I only live an hour from Manhattan, but its still tough for me to get in there. We might do another day in August before everyone goes back to college.

What a great idea about the museums! We've only been to the Museum of Natural History, so I think we'll do the Met. After that, we'll go down & eat at Chelsea Piers. Keep your fingers crossed!

[rowenaaine]

Hi everybody,

I wanted to stop in and say hi, and apologize for being MIA for such a long time. I think I may have mentioned at one point that I had some neck/back problems. Well, they became bad enough that I was actually home on medical leave for about six weeks. I really didn't use the computer much during this time; mostly laid around, took meds, and went to physical therapy. I'm happy to report that I am 110% better since that time, I'm back to work and back to using the PC again with more frequency.

Having said all that, I wanted to take the opportunity to thank PeachyBC publically for all she has done for our board. We talk regularly, both on the phone and via email, and she knows how grateful I am -- but I want ALL of you to know how grateful I am to her. She has become a great friend and important person in my life. And I'm very proud of her. Her "ramp-up" time was very short! It didn't take long for her to find her own style and voice and become a moderator extraordinaire, and we are very lucky indeed to have her. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, girlfriend!

I'll be by more frequently now, but not as the "main mod." Peachy is every bit my equal now (she always was, but she didn't believe me) so I'll be posting as a board member a little more often. I'm looking forward to Season Seven, and where the writers and actors take the story this year. And Peachy and I will continue to "work" our contacts as best we can, and hopefully make new ones at USA very soon.

Hugs,
rowe

[Mari Welsh]

Hi everybody,
I wanted to stop in and say hi, and apologize for being MIA for such a long time. I think I may have mentioned at one point that I had some neck/back problems. Well, they became bad enough that I was actually home on medical leave for about six weeks. I really didn't use the computer much during this time; mostly laid around, took meds, and went to physical therapy. I'm happy to report that I am 110% better since that time, I'm back to work and back to using the PC again with more frequency.
Having said all that, I wanted to take the opportunity to thank PeachyBC publically for all she has done for our board. We talk regularly, both on the phone and via email, and she knows how grateful I am -- but I want ALL of you to know how grateful I am to her. She has become a great friend and important person in my life. And I'm very proud of her. Her "ramp-up" time was very short! It didn't take long for her to find her own style and voice and become a moderator extraordinaire, and we are very lucky indeed to have her. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, girlfriend!
I'll be by more frequently now, but not as the "main mod." Peachy is every bit my equal now (she always was, but she didn't believe me) so I'll be posting as a board member a little more often. I'm looking forward to Season Seven, and where the writers and actors take the story this year. And Peachy and I will continue to "work" our contacts as best we can, and hopefully make new ones at USA very soon.
Hugs,
rowe

Mod Rowe! It is great to see you back! Wow, you have had some serious recovery to do, and I am so happy and relieved that you are feeling better, because that is the most important thing!
We are really thankful to have Mod Peachy to help us out and keep the board ship shape and Bristol fashion, we would be rudderless without her. (Hmmm, could I possibly be any more nautical.... ) You are right on the money, she is amazing! That doesn't mean we we didn't miss our great, good Mod Rowe any less though! The spam attack we had was a clear reminder how lucky we are to have dedicated and caring Mods, and Supreme Mod Skampy looking out for us. When you see other boards you can appreciate the Mod Squad even more.
Glad to hear the good news, and please take care of yourself! (I'm hopelessly selfish and want to see the Mod Squad in top form, steering, posting and waiting with the rest of us!) Thank you for working so hard for the board we do appreciate it!
Mari

[EYEballer]

Hi everybody,

I wanted to stop in and say hi, and apologize for being MIA for such a long time. I think I may have mentioned at one point that I had some neck/back problems. Well, they became bad enough that I was actually home on medical leave for about six weeks. I really didn't use the computer much during this time; mostly laid around, took meds, and went to physical therapy. I'm happy to report that I am 110% better since that time, I'm back to work and back to using the PC again with more frequency.

Having said all that, I wanted to take the opportunity to thank PeachyBC publically for all she has done for our board. We talk regularly, both on the phone and via email, and she knows how grateful I am -- but I want ALL of you to know how grateful I am to her. She has become a great friend and important person in my life. And I'm very proud of her. Her "ramp-up" time was very short! It didn't take long for her to find her own style and voice and become a moderator extraordinaire, and we are very lucky indeed to have her. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, girlfriend!

I'll be by more frequently now, but not as the "main mod." Peachy is every bit my equal now (she always was, but she didn't believe me) so I'll be posting as a board member a little more often. I'm looking forward to Season Seven, and where the writers and actors take the story this year. And Peachy and I will continue to "work" our contacts as best we can, and hopefully make new ones at USA very soon.

Hugs,
rowe

Sorry to hear about your back and neck problems. I can relate; with my back problems I can barely get out of bed some mornings. Glad you're feeling better.

[stefanl]

Hi everybody,

I wanted to stop in and say hi, and apologize for being MIA for such a long time. I think I may have mentioned at one point that I had some neck/back problems. Well, they became bad enough that I was actually home on medical leave for about six weeks. I really didn't use the computer much during this time; mostly laid around, took meds, and went to physical therapy. I'm happy to report that I am 110% better since that time, I'm back to work and back to using the PC again with more frequency.
Hugs,
rowe

Rowe,
You've left us in able and capable hands. We've missed you, your voice and quirky humor. Peachy has kept us on the straight and narrow in your absence; but, please, you take care of you first. We'll try to be on our best behavior with only the occasional *bonk* upside the head from Miss PeachyBC.
Linda

[Not_saying]

Rowe,
You've left us in able and capable hands. We've missed you, your voice and quirky humor. Peachy has kept us on the straight and narrow in your absence; but, please, you take care of you first. We'll try to be on our best behavior with only the occasional *bonk* upside the head from Miss PeachyBC.
Linda

Woooo Hooooooo

Glad to see you rowe been abit worried about you .
Yes peaches has done a grand job in your absence.

And I'm glad you are back to have fun .cus we missed ya and ya missing all our fun hehe.
and my comedic postings of when will I get that pic .lol I'm just being a brat thats all ..lol
Did peaches tell ya that I wrote Vincent hehe

i had some fun last night Had a trekie night which continues tonight since we have alot .
most of it though in vhs darn it .lmao


And nope didn't actually watch ci last night...

[abfirefighterchi...]

Oh Miss Rowe, so nice to hear from ya!! SO happy that your feeling better. Peachy is a gem and beyond capable of doing more than holding her own. Glad she's convinced of that now!

Have you ever tried getting therapeutic massage when your back or neck start to feel out of wack? It has helped so many of my clients who had severe neck/shoulder/back/pelvic and wrist pain. It may help you keep your back and neck from bothering you so badly again.

[peachybc]

Hi ya Mighty Mod!

Wouldn't you know it? Had a super busy day yesterday and wasn't on the board and low and behold you post! I'm awfully glad you're back and posting!! Even talking with you almost daily and emailing back and forth, I've missed your presence here on the board. You are and always will be Mighty Mod to me.

Who knew that helping you out here would result in such a good friendship! THAT has turned out to be a wonderful, unexpected bonus in my life. So, you continue to take care of yourself (that's my daily nag reminder ) BUT commence posting forthwith and Mod'ing! We're a team remember?? I've just helped hold down the fort in your absence.

Hugs,
Peachy

[rowenaaine]

You guys are all so sweet - I thought maybe I'd be greeted with...

...Rowe Who?



LOL! Thanks so much for the good wishes, and I'll definitely be around. Y'all can't get rid of me that easily.

Hmmm, Peachy - We need to come up with fun names for our profile - Board Moderator is so dull.

I'm definitely up for suggestions, gang! Give us a few and we can vote - something to do whilst we wait (and wait and wait) for new CI episodes?

rowe
1/2 of the Mod Squad

[stefanl]

You guys are all so sweet - I thought maybe I'd be greeted with...

...Rowe Who?
LOL! Thanks so much for the good wishes, and I'll definitely be around. Y'all can't get rid of me that easily.

Hmmm, Peachy - We need to come up with fun names for our profile - Board Moderator is so dull.

I'm definitely up for suggestions, gang! Give us a few and we can vote - something to do whilst we wait (and wait and wait) for new CI episodes?

rowe
1/2 of the Mod Squad

How's about Grand Poobah?

You can change your avatar to Pooh Bear, complete with the nose. Although I would miss the current flash light Goren.

[abfirefighterchi...]

I vote for the MOD SQUAD! LOL!!

[Mari Welsh]

Well I have a small bit of good news to share, and I hope I don't bore everyone. We, my godson and I, planted a young Baby Blue Spruce tree. At the moment, it's about 20 inches tall. Eventually, it will be over 40 feet tall! Small but quite beautiful as is, and the scent is lovely and stronger than I would have imagined for a baby tree. My godson helped with the whole event; cutting through the grass digging it out, then digging the hole, mixing up the topsoil, coir and some left over perlite, then adding transplant food for trees. He was a great help and he really enjoyed himself. He said when the tree is grown up he wants to show off what it was like as a baby (Because nobody will believe that it was once so small!) so we took photos. If they turn out I'll add one to this post. It's the third tree I have planted for myself, not as part of a reforestation or renewal project, and if anyone is on the fence about it, I would suggest doing it. It is a wonderful feeling. (This little wonder cost $4.99 at Loblaw's Garden Centre, they are having a sale, so any fellow Canucks who'd like to become a tree parent, why not head over there? Just measure the area you would like the tree to go into and take into account how much space the roots need, which you can find on horticultural websites.) I also feel like it is a bit of atonement for my carbon footprint, and a gift for the Earth. Selfishly, I was walking past the garden centre, with too much to carry, and I fell in love with this little tree!
Mari

[stefanl]

Well I have a small bit of good news to share, and I hope I don't bore everyone. We, my godson and I, planted a young Baby Blue Spruce tree. At the moment, it's about 20 inches tall. He was a great help and he really enjoyed himself. He said when the tree is grown up he wants to show off what it was like as a baby (Because nobody will believe that it was once so small!) so we took photos. If they turn out I'll add one to this post. Mari

Congratulations, Mama Mari! The blue spruce in my yard is quite tall and offers shade and a comfortable home to all manner of birds and the enemy (squirrels). Assure your godson that they grow really quickly and soon will be too large to decorate at Christmas if that is part of the interim plan until the new baby grows into the promise of its rootball.

That bit about looking into how large the root system can get is an excellent point. Especially if people are planning to put in ornamental trees. Be careful about how close they are placed to your house. Have an idea of where the sewer pipes run from your house to the city lines. A neighbor nearby put in a charming and beautiful weeping cherry, quite close to their house. It's already cracked through the pipe under their lawn and grown through THAT path of least resistance. Roto Rooter loves, loves, loves their money and are more than happy to snake those pipes any and every time they call. They may just be on speed dial.

[DonnaLucy]

I vote for the MOD SQUAD! LOL!!

Yes. or Cagney & Lacey. The blond one of you, if there is one, could be Cagney. The brunette Lacey. Did I get that right?

Doesn't matter. What matters is that you are feeling better. I went through a back problem years ago when my kids were little. God, its so painful, and frustrating because you can't do anything. You sound like you have been a very good patient, which is smart, so you can get back to normal.

Anyway, it's so great to have you back posting. And we would never forget you. Are you kidding?

Mari, how sweet of you to plant your tree, especially since it was a project you shared with your godson. Now the two of you can watch it grow together. A bond you have with him forever.

[peachybc]

This is OT for sure, but I found it interesting.

The real truth
about yawns. Very cool.

Think of the brain as a computer, prone to heat up

By Heidi Dawley
Jul 9, 2007


In the ranks of rudeness, the yawn has long been up there, a sure sign of boredom with whatever happens to be going on, and usually at the worst possible moment, as when the person across the table from you is striving earnestly to make a very important point.

We now know, as we know the earth is not flat and the sun does not rotate around the earth, that the yawn is not a sign of boredom after all, as off-putting as it may be.

We can thank science. It turns out, the real purpose of the yawn is to cool the brain. The yawn opens the mouth and rushes in fresh air for that very purpose. The idea is that the fresh, cooler air will reinvigorate the brain, allowing it to better focus on the matter at hand, scientists tell us.

So in some ways, odd as it may seem, the yawn is an expression of interest, not boredom at all.

“If you are talking with someone and they yawn, there is no need to be offended. Rather than being discourteous it may really be a compliment,” says Gordon Gallup, professor of psychology at the State University of New York at Albany.

Yawning is as natural as scratching our heads. It begins before we are even born, and it’s also common among many animals.

Gallup’s work puts to rest a lot of theories about yawning, among them the association with boredom and sleepiness and that we yawn to replenish low blood oxygen levels.
Gallup’s cooling notion arises from the fact that the brain uses lots of calories to operate, about one-third of our caloric intake, and that kicks off lots of heat. Heat, it turns out, is a problem for brains. Says Gallup: “Brains are like computers. They can only operate efficiently when they are effectively cooled.”

Which is where the yawn comes in. The idea is that when a person’s brain temperature becomes too elevated, it triggers a yawn. As a person yawns, large volumes of cool air pour into the lungs, cooling down the blood in the capillaries. That causes heart rate and blood pressure to increase, and this in turn sends a cool wave to the brain.

Full article at:
http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman2/p...s_Very_cool.asp

Peachy

[Bellarina]

I also feel yawns are highly contagious, I started to yawn and am yawning while I type this note. I haven't yawned in days....

[abfirefighterchi...]

Well I have a small bit of good news to share, and I hope I don't bore everyone. We, my godson and I, planted a young Baby Blue Spruce tree. At the moment, it's about 20 inches tall. Eventually, it will be over 40 feet tall! Small but quite beautiful as is, and the scent is lovely and stronger than I would have imagined for a baby tree. My godson helped with the whole event; cutting through the grass digging it out, then digging the hole, mixing up the topsoil, coir and some left over perlite, then adding transplant food for trees. He was a great help and he really enjoyed himself. He said when the tree is grown up he wants to show off what it was like as a baby (Because nobody will believe that it was once so small!) so we took photos. If they turn out I'll add one to this post. It's the third tree I have planted for myself, not as part of a reforestation or renewal project, and if anyone is on the fence about it, I would suggest doing it. It is a wonderful feeling. (This little wonder cost $4.99 at Loblaw's Garden Centre, they are having a sale, so any fellow Canucks who'd like to become a tree parent, why not head over there? Just measure the area you would like the tree to go into and take into account how much space the roots need, which you can find on horticultural websites.) I also feel like it is a bit of atonement for my carbon footprint, and a gift for the Earth. Selfishly, I was walking past the garden centre, with too much to carry, and I fell in love with this little tree!
Mari

When I was a little girl my cousin Seth and I planted a tree with Grandma in her back yard. It was only a little sappling at the time, and that was over 20 years ago. The Jacob's Tree(not sure if that's the offical name) is now at least 30 feet tall. It is one of the fond memories that my cousin and I share. Grandma was amazed that it left such an impression on us. We spent so much time at Grandma and Grandpa's house, and I wish that everyone could have the kind of relationship with their grandparents as I have with both sets of mine. They moved over 10 years ago, and since my grandpa has passed on to be with his creator. The tree is still there and when I pass the house and look into the backyard it is a little piece of my childhood that I will treasure and pass on my children should I have any.

This also triggers another memory this one of grandpa. The whole family was at least once a month at Grandma and Granpa's. Every month there was a birthday in the family and all major holidays, we ate at their house on Sunday for dinner after church. If I still ate like that I would have a huge problem!! LOL!! In the summer Grandpa would fire up the grill and he would be SOOO MUCH lighter fluid on there that when he lit it, the flames would soar past the roof of the house. That would be accompanied by Grandma shouting " Auck Daddy!!" He would calmly say, "Well it has to get hot." As a FF now looking back, that's the stuff we preach to people not to do!!!!

Years ago for Earth Day McDonald's would give away free little trees, I wish they would do that again.