coquina

Isn't it a shame that most people don't "learn how to learn" until they hit college. I am forever in debt to my high school advanced biology teacher who taught that "knowing the answer isn't anywhere nearly as important as knowing how to find the answer". I learned a hell of a lot of biology from her, but I learned more about learning. Interestingly enough - I thought she was ancient, and she was about the age I am now. She waited to go to college until her children had graduated high school. I would love the luxury of getting up at 7. I have to be at work by 7 and am usually up by 4:30 or 5:00 am. Which brings me to another question - do interns still have to work such ungodly long hours? I really don't understand the rationality of that - asking someone who is still learning to make a decision that may result in the life or death of a patient when s/he has gone without sleep for 18 or 20 hours.

I have about 2 years of college courses under my belt. I did very well when I attended, but I quit to go into the family machine shop business. I wasn't learning anything in school that was going to help me in a prototyping machine shop environment. Over the years, I have taken a course here and a course there, and I have taught myself many things - CAD/CAM programming for example. I have been running the shop since 1981 - after my dad retired my husband and I shared responsibility. Since my husband died, I have considered closing it and just going to work for someone else so I can have planned vacations and 40 hour work weeks. I have made some inquiries and my lack of a degree is a severe limitation when it comes to salary. I considered going back to school and getting the coveted piece of paper - but it wouldn't be cost effective. Anyway - I have worked for over 30 years without a degree and never felt the lack of it until now. However, none of us can foresee the future, and having the degree is far better than not having it. So --- every time you get totally frustrated and think you won't use what you are learning - you may not, but people still want to see the piece of paper that says you had enough perserverance to stick it out.

Thanks for the invite. If y'all are ever in this neck of the woods stop on by! You can have a go at pickin' Chesapeake Bay blue crabs.

I'm back from my trip to England (Have been for almost a week, but this is the first time I've had a chance to mention it between digging out from piled up work and recovering from a cold that nailed me the day after I came home.) Anyway - the wedding went off fine, the happy couple took off for the Greek Isles, and my cousin took me sight-seeing around her corner of Suffolk. I saw a working tidemill at Woodbridge, the Anglo-Saxon burial site at Sutton Hoo, the House in the Clouds at Thorpeness, and Suffolk Punch draft horses. Visited Bawdsey, Woodbridge, Ipswich, Orford and Aldeburgh, and innumerable small villages. Talked to lots of local people, didn't get into any political arguments, and had a wonderful time.

You might get additional insight by reading this article from the National Institute of Mental Health: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/schizkids.cfm

5'4" We do have a sarcastic smilie: Back from England, BTW, and loved every minute of it.

Are you sure about that statement? I thought the pygmies height was genetic, just as is the Watusis. I would think that there may have been a natural selection for people with shorter bodies when food it in short supply, and that stunted growth can occur when there is not enough food to promote growth, especially of the long bones. I'm not saying your wrong - just asking you where you got that info.

Ya gotta get your syntax right. I wouldn't mind (to paraphrase Buffet), "Goin' to the Islands, Fishing the pilin's, and drinkin' green label all day either. People tell me I'd get bored with it, and I say, "I would love to have the opporunity to be bored with it, and if it happens, then I'll come home. - It can't be worse than the day to day grind I do now."

If he is not doing a lot, but getting by enough on his own to put a roof over his head and food on his table, I say leave him be. However, if he has no physical problems, or mental ones other than a lack of desire, I say that's his choice, but he shouldn't go to the government or others looking for a handout. I visited some of the less frequently traveled Islands in the BVI's. Some of the people lived in homes we would call shacks. They had a few rows of vegetables growing in the yard and a couple of chickens running around. However, because of the climate, they didn't need better shelter. Between what they grew, eggs laid by the hens, and seafood they caught, they had all they needed to survive in relative comfort. The government was tried to get industries come so they could be put to work, but they weren't interested, and I don't much blame them.

big porker = huge boar 2-bit whore

One word. Apparantly the two main themes are "sea-serpent like creatures" and "Yeti like creatures". First off - it seems quite strange to me that we have never found a dead one of either, let alone a live one. Let's take the Yeti - it's also odd that there are several places in the world where similar creatures are thought (by some) to exist. The Yeti of the Himilayas, the Sasquatch of the Pacific Northwest, and the Yeren of China. Fossils have been found of a prehistoric ape that lived in asia called Gigantopithecus http://www.unmuseum.org/bigape.htm - they are remarkably similar to Yeti, Sasquatch (or Bigfoot) and Yerin). I am doubtful of their existance today, because there would have to be a fairly large number in order to sustain a reproducing population. With all the explorers combing all parts of the world, it's incredible to me that one has neither been found dead, killed, nor brought back alive. Neither have we found feces, hair, or other residue that can be examined for DNA - strange, what? Also interesting that the two most plausible pieces of evidence, the movie of the sasquatch and the photo of Nessie, were both proven to be hoaxes, through evidence given by the perpetrators. What do you think about this explanation? We know that our human ancestors coexisted with other now-extinct animals - mammoths, cave-bears, wooly rhinoceros, etc. Perhaps the origination of these tales, fables, or stories, had their roots in prehistory when gigantopithecus did share the world with our ancestors. Perhaps these stories have been handed down generation after generation. As to what people see today - people have extraordinary imaginations, and the mind is tricky. If one hopes, or expects, to see a strange creature, the mind is more likely to conjure one up out of shadows, foliage, other animals, or a combination thereof. What do I think - I'm highly skeptical, but I just don't know if it's plausible that these creatures can exist undetected in today's world.

Suggest you go to Google, type in "neuron" click on "images" then "search". Here's a liver cell: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.biologie.uni-hamburg.de/b-online/snowbird/prefaces/liver.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.biologie.uni-hamburg.de/b-online/snowbird/snowbird/life_cell.htm&h=510&w=379&sz=61&tbnid=7J2yvaE82qcJ:&tbnh=127&tbnw=95&start=5&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dliver%2Bcell%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26sa%3DG I found it the same way. I had the same teacher for geometry and advanced biology in high school. She said, "It's not what you know that's important, it's knowing how to find it." Learn to use a search engine. Try to find .org and .edu sites rather than .com. They're not promoting a product. Use the proper scientific name when you search. If you don't know the right name of an organism, go to google, type in the common name along with the word, "taxonomy".

There once was a gal from Hoboken, who claimed that her hymen was broken by riding a bike on a cobblestone pike, but it really was broken from pokin'

Your VD joke reminded me of one - There once was a man from Pool Who discovered red spots on his tool. Said the doctor, a cynic, "Get out of my clinic, And wipe off the lipstick, you fool." Anybody know anymore? I have a raft of 'em...

You may be a redneck if.....(2004 version) 1. Your standard of living improves when you go camping. 2. Your prenuptial agreement mentions chickens. 3. You have jacked up your home to look for a dog. 4. You have a relative living in your garage. 5. Your neighbor has ever asked to borrow a quart of beer. 6. There is a belch on your answering machine greeting. 7. You have rebuilt a carburetor while sitting on the commode. 8. None of the tires on your van are the same size. 9. You hold up the hood of your car with your head while you work on it, 10. Your idea of getting lucky is passing the emissions test. 11. Your town put the new garbage truck in the Christmas parade. 12. Your local beauty salon also fixes cars. 13. Your doghouse and your living room have the same shag carpet. 14. You've slow danced in the Waffle House. 15. Starting your car involves popping the hood. 16. Your garbage man is confused about what goes and what stays. 17. You whistle at women in church. 18. You actually wear shoes your dog brought home. 19. You've been in a fist fight at a yard sale. 20. You carry a fly swatter in the front seat of the car so you can reach the kids in the back. 21. You think people who have cell phones and e-mail are uppity.

to the Dept of Homeland Security. I was at a conference last fall about the needs of the Department of Homeland Security. The head honcho of the Bio-Hazards Division talked about their requirements. Their unit had to deal with the anthrax attack on the Capital Building. The existing bio-hazards suits are designed to be worn for a very short period of time. It takes a long time to get into them, and a long time to get out of them. However - in order to do an effective cleanup, the workers had to wear them for hours at a time. They do not have any kind of cooling mechanism, they don't even have a way that the wearer can get a sip of water without completely decontaminating and taking off the suit. Just to let you know that there is a real incentive for someone to come up with an effective wearable cooling unit - if it could be worn and would function beneath a bio-hazard suit.

The proper term for it is "the oouch" This is usually practiced when there is food in the general vicinity. The dog lies down across the room from the food and seems totally disinterested, however, over a period of time, it gets closer and closer to the food, even though no observable movement has been noted. Time lapse photography reveals that the dog extends its forlegs and pushes forward with its hind legs without apparently moving the rest of its body. This enables it to creep up on its prey (the food) without attracting attention.

What kind of dog is he? Sadie has some other tricks too. She likes to goose the cats. She does a "hit and run number", because they turn around and swat her. However - she knows that Louie, who we took in when his owner had to go to a nursing home, has been declawed. When she sticks her cold nose in his rear, he turns around and swats her, but she just stands there and lets him do it. She figured out he can't hurt her.

Sadie can't stand having a closed door between us. I can't even have a private moment in the bathroom without her scratching at the door. She is very fortunate because she gets to go to work with me - all the employees love her. So does my grandson and his friends. I need a sign. "A spoiled rotten dog lives here."

I have had dogs before who seemed to be dreaming. Most of the times the feet would go as though they were running. Now, I have Sadie, a black lab mix "pound puppy". She's now about 2. She is a very sweet and good natured dog, and she loves people, but some things absolutely terrify her - the garden hose for instance. She is afraid when you even turn on the spigot. Now - for the dream part. When she is asleep you often yelps as though she is being beaten. Several times it has caused me to rush from another room to check on her because it sounds as if she is being hurt. Do you suppose that she could be having dreams about her former abusive treatment?

After deltanova's translation I thought I'd throw something in that uses the vernacular from my neck of the woods: Southern This is for Southern Belles, Ladies who should have been Southern Belles, and those who would be Southern Belles if they knew the rules. Someone once noted that a Southerner can get away with the most awful kind of insult just as long as it's prefaced with the words, "Bless her heart" or "Bless his heart." As in, "Bless his heart, if they put his brain on the head of a pin, it'd roll around like a BB on a six lane highway." Or, "Bless her heart, she's so buck- toothed, she could eat an apple through a picket fence." There are also the sneakier ones: "You know, it's amazing that even though she had that baby 7 months after they were married, bless her heart, it weighed 10 pounds." As long as the heart is sufficiently blessed, the insult can't be all that bad. I was thinking about this the other day when a friend was telling about her new transplanted Northern friend who was upset because her toddler is just beginning to talk and he has a Southern accent. My friend, who is very kind and, bless her heart, cannot do a thing about those thighs of hers, was justifiably miffed about this. After all, this woman had CHOSEN to move to the South a couple of years ago. "Can you believe it?" said her friend. "A child of mine is going to be "taaaallllkkin liiiike thiiiissss.." Now, don't get me wrong. Some of my dearest friends are from the North, bless their hearts. I welcome their perspective, their friendships and their recipes for authentic Northern Italian food. I've even gotten past their endless complaints that you can't find good bread down here. And the heathens, bless their hearts, don't like cornbread! The ones that really gore my ox are the native Southerners who have begun to act almost embarrassed about their speech. We've already lost too much. I was raised to say "swanee," not swear, but you hardly ever hear anyone say that anymore, I swanee you don't. And I've caught myself thinking twice before saying something is "right much," "right close," or "right good" because non-natives think this is right funny indeed. I have a friend from Bawston who thinks it's hilarious when I say I've got to "carry" my daughter to the doctor or "cut off" the light. She also gets a giggle every time I am "fixin'" to do something. And, bless their hearts, they don't even know where "over yonder" is or what "I reckon" means! My personal favorite was my aunt saying, "Bless her heart, she can't help being ugly, but she could've stayed home." To those of you who're still a little embarrassed by your Southerness: take a dose of sausage gravy 'n' grits and call me in the morning, bless your heart! And to those of you who are still having a hard time understanding all this Southern stuff, bless your hearts, I hear they're fixin' to have classes on Southernese as a second language! Southern girls know bad manners when they see them: Drinking straight out of a can. Not sending thank you notes. Wearing velvet after February, or white shoes before Easter or after Labor Day. Southern girls appreciate their natural assets: Dewy skin, a winning smile, that unforgettable, Southern drawl. Southern girls know their manners: "Yes, ma'am." "Yes, sir." Southern girls have a distinct way with fond expressions: "Y'all come back!" "Well, bless your heart." "Drop by when you can." "How's your mother?" "Love your hair." "Well, shut my mouth." Southern girls don't sweat... they glisten. Southern girls know their summer weather report: Humidity, Humidity, Humidity. Southern girls know their three R's!: Rich Richer Richest Southern girls know their vacation spots: The Beach The Beach The Beach Southern girls know the joys of June, July, and August: Summer tans, wide brimmed hats, mint juleps. Southern girls know everybody's first name: Honey, Darlin', or Sugah. Southern girls know the movies that speak to their hearts: "Gone With the Wind", "Fried Green Tomatoes", "Driving Miss Daisy", "Steel Magnolias" Southern girls know their country breakfasts: Red-eye gravy (or thick white gravy, or chocolate gravy for the die-hards ) GRITS Mouth-watering homemade biscuits Southern girls know their cities dripping with Southern charm: Adlanna (Atlanta as outsiders say, lol) Richmon, Chahleston, S'vannah, Birminham, Nawlins' OH! That city in Alabama? It's pronounced MUNTGUMRY! Southern girls know their elegant gentlemen: Men in uniform. Men in tuxedos. Rhett Butler, of course. Y'all know Southern girls are quick on the drawl. Southern girls know their prime real estate: The Mall, the Beauty Salon, the Ranch with the longest stretch of river bottom Southern girls know the three deadly sins: Bad hair, Bad manners, Bad blind dates. Southern girls know men may come and go, but friends are fo'evah! G. R. I. T. S. = Girls Raised in The South! Now you run along, Sugah, and send this to some other Girls Raised In The South, i. e., Southern Belles, or any females aspiring to be GRITS.

Doesn't a lie detector work by measuring anxiety? (As revealed by changes in persperation, respiration, heart rate, etc.)

If your speaking of the Pyramid at Giza - it's a lot older - estimated at 2500 years BCE, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/gateway_eternity_02.shtml Metallic ages: http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/I/IronA1ge.asp Explanation of pyramid building technique: http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/material.htm

In my case it would be "kill the cat", he's 19 years old, but I think he has feline alzheimers. He wakes up in the middle of the night and forgets he's already eaten.

The materials are much stronger as alloys, and the different alloys of aluminum are made for specific purposes. There is one alloy suitable for welding, one that can be bent without cracking and one that is meant to be used specifically in marine applications because it is corrosion resistant.