coquina

This should help: http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/word-order/adverb-position

I know what to ask to be sent to me as a Christmas present. What about the Aga?

My cousin sent me a book called "The Reading Club" in it "aga" keeps coming up- I gather it is a kitchen appliance - a stove or range maybe? There was also reference to Nutella - what the heck is that?

I remember reading about this carving, which seems to portray an "earth mother". Certainly women had a very important place in this very early civilization - whether the society was matriarchal, I don't know. http://www.angelfire.com/realm2/amethystbt/willendorfthewomenof.html

People around here are very water oriented, so someone who owns a sailboat is a "ragbagger" and someone who owns a powerboat is a "stinkpotter". A farmer is a "dirtbuster" or a "clodhopper". Gang-bang means group sex. It's funny that slang means radically different things across the Atlantic. We say, "I'm stuffed" after we've eaten too much - I gather in England and Australia it means to be pregnant. I also understand that you "knock someone up", if you visit someone and knock on their door - here it means to get someone pregnant. My all time favorite is "Keep your pecker up." My cousin, who is a clone for Hyancinthe in "Keeping Up Appearances" told me to do that when my husband died. Apparently in England it means to keep your chin up. In the states a "pecker" is a strictly male appendage located below the waist. I told my cousin, "Sheesh Liz, I would if I had one."

I'm in agreement with Bettina. It takes a ship going that fast a distance of 5 miles to stop. With all that mass behind it, if it had struck the iceberg head on it would have probably crushed a fourth of the ship. Also, many of the passengers would have been seriously injured. Anyone in the forward area of the ship would have been killed, and others would have been thrown down companionways, or had things fall on them. The only advantage I can think of is that is would have probably enabled more of the life boats to be lowered, because the ship wouldn't have listed to one side. The boats were on davits, and when the ship started to list, the ones on the lower side swung away from the ship, making it difficult for people to board, but the ones on the high side swung inwards over the deck, making them impossible to launch. They learned something from that - many ships now have bulkheads that run longitudinally, so that water from a hole in the side can't flow all the way across the ship.

My 99 Chevy van just has an AM/FM Radio and a tape player. I would like something that gives me more options. I was thinking about getting a CD player, but I don't see any vacant slot, so I'm wondering if I would have to replace the whole audio system presently installed. I'm intrigued with the idea of satellite radio, and wondering if anyone has any experience with one. I've read that there are models that you can take out of the car to the house, or even a personal model. I like a wide variety of music, I hate commercials, and I frequently drive almost 400 miles a weekend. On the road trips I have a hard time finding stations I like. Does anyone have one of these gadgets? Do you like it? Do you think it's worth the cost and the monthly fee?

The part about "you want more than one cell..." is what I have always questioned about curing genetic diseases in adults. There must be ways to make small numbers of cells affect the whole organism, or bone marrow transplants wouldn't work, but how do they do it?

Ruby & sapphire are both corundum. They are number 9 on the Moh's scale of hardness - the only thing harder is a diamond, which is a 10. http://www.24carat.co.uk/hardnessmohsscaleframe.html When you use the hardness scale as a test, you see if your suspected mineral will scratch something of a known hardness that is lower on the scale. Quartz is #7 on the scale, topaz is #8, and ruby is #9. Topaz is not generally red, so if your stone will scratch a piece of quartz, it is either a ruby or a red topaz. (Natural red topaz is rare, but it can be colored by a heating process.) Of course, synthetic rubies are also made from corundum, so they would scratch quartz too. Then you look at it through a jeweller's loop. If there are no inclusions (small pieces of "dirt"), it is either a very fine natural ruby or a synthetic.

In looking for websites on pigeon care, I've come across several about the diseases they carry, including salmonella, psitticosis, and "pigeon breeder's lung". I've also read that pigeons, including feral ones that have been raised in captivity, are good companions because while they imprint on you, and are your friend for life, they don't have to be caged. They can be allowed to fly free and they will return to their home coop. So - I'm wondering whether my wild pigeon is carrying anything nasty. He doesn't seem to have any external parasites, and he (I don't know whether it's male or female) seems quite healthy. I'm being reasonably careful when I handle it. I have a bunch of old towels and when I feed it I put one in my lap and cover it with paper towels then toss the towels. I have 2 nesting buckets (old litter buckets) which I line with a plastic bag (stretched tight so he can't smother in it. It has balled up newspaper in the bottom and softer paper towels on top of that. When he poops, I move him from the dirty bucket to the clean one, pick the bag up, tie a knot in it and throw it all in the dumpster. Anyway - is there anything else I should do disease preventative wise. I was wondering if he should be treated with antibiotics just to make sure he isn't carrying anything. The saga of Dirty Bird continues....

It never ends - I think the same thing about what I did when I was 45 - ie, took a boat out in a major northeaster, just because I wanted to go somewhere. To me, the curfew laws serve 2 purposes - they attempt to keep the juvenile delinquents off the streets, but people bent on mayhem don't obey laws anyway. More importantly, they keep innocent kids out of the hands of those who would do them harm. Also - if kids have school the next day, they have no business out past 9pm. And - before you go running me down as an old fuddy-duddy, my memory is extremely clear about some of the mischief I got into.

My mom was a Brit, and she used to always say, "Cheerio" when she hung up the phone. Cheers is probably derived from that - I have no clue where "cheerio" originated.

There are other sources of protein that are inexpensive. Eggs are one example. On the vegetarian side, beans have protein and are far better for you than pasta. Salmon may be a little more expensive than tuna, but it doesn't have the mercury problem. I also eat sardines. Another way to save money is to go to the grocery store and look at the "past its prime" meats and fresh veggies. They mark them down on the last day they can be sold. They are fine if you are going to cook them that night and are generally less than half price. If you have a decent size freezer, I can give you recipes for some meals that are quite inexpensive to make in bulk. You can freeze them in individual freezer containers or bags, and zap them when you get home. For example - Brunswick Stew. Use bulk chicken thighs and legs for the meat - you should be able to get them for around fifty cents a pound. The vegetables that go in it are canned crushed tomatoes, frozen lima beans, corn, and green beans (family size bags) - you can add other veggies you like - I always put onions and peppers in mine. Nuke the veggies to give them a head start on cooking - if possible, grill the chicken - if not, bake it. Pull most of the meat off the bones and set it aside. In a large pan simmer the bones with enough water to cover - you can add spices of your choice - I like plenty of white pepper and some garlic. This makes the stock, and the marrow from the bones is a source of additional protein. Add a large can of crushed tomatoes and the nuked veggies and simmer uncovered to reduce the water. Take you fingers and pull the chicken meat into fine shreads and add it to the mixture. Freeze in individual containers. You have a meal of meats and vegetables that tastes good and only takes a few minutes to reheat. If you're interested, I can give you recipes for 15 bean ham soup, chili, and "everything but the kitchen sink" spaghetti sauce. It does take a little initial investment, and some time, but it sure beats eating the same thing night after night.

Thanks for an early morning laugh.

I prefer inter-species companion

Jealousy is not limited to humans. Pets, especially dogs and cats, feel jealous too. My office assistant sometimes brings her dog to work - my lab, Sadie, is always in the office. Sadie likes Dixie, and will play with her, but if I pet Dixie, Sadie will run over and push Dixie's head away from my hand, and put hers there, whilst giving me a "How could you?" look. Therefore - I think it is definitely a "hardwired" emotion.

DB seems to be thriving. He is standing on his own and eating mostly mooshy grits with a little canned dog food mixed in for protein. He doesn't have to be hand fed, I have taught him to eat out of a plastic cup that's been trimmed down to where he can't bury his beak in it and get food up his nostrils. When I let him stand on the edge of my hand, he flutters his wings. I can see the gray feathers coming through on his back, and he is losing his down. He knows my voice and starts to squeak and flutter when I ask him if he is hungry. He sits in his bucket at my feet and cocks his head and watches me. He's learned to preen himself too - it's only been a couple of days, but I'm amazed at his development.

Eon - don't go away yet... I've always wanted to study philosophy, but never had the opportunity. I have some questions - perhaps you would reply if I started a thread in the "Religion and Philosophy" section. For example: I think I've heard Nietszche quoted more than anyone else - what does "relavist" mean? What exactly is "philosophy"? I have always thought it entailed learning to think and analyze, is that right? How old must a person be before s/he can understand rudimentary concepts? (I always thought teaching a person to think was more important that throwing a lot of information at them to memorize - if they can think, they can read and learn many things on their own.)

Bird has learned to eat oatmeal out of a plastic cup, but it doesn't seem to like it much. At anyrate, it slurps up a fair amount, so at least it is hydrated. I think I'll stop at Petsmart and see if there if a commercial feed, since people raise pigeons. Thanks.

Thanks. It ate a little mashed up cottage cheese. I figured that would be similar to what its parents feed it, and would have a high protein and moisture content. I read not to give them plain water, it causes aspiration pneumonia.

Most people despise them, and they are a nuisance, but... I work at a dry storage marina part time. We have a huge building in which we store the boats. Pigeons have taken up residence, and the owner hates 'em because of the mess they make. One of the owners requested that his boat be put in the water for the first time of the season. No one knew there was a pigeon nest in the canvas, and when the boat was being readied for the owner, they found a single partially fledged pigeon. They put it in a bucket and brought it to me. Does anyone have any experience raising pigeons? I read that the parents produce a kind of "milk" in their crop that they feed the baby. What could I use as a substitute? Putting it back for its parents to care for it is not an option - the marina owner wanted it killed and will not tolerate its presence there. Are there any pigeon lovers here?