When I was 10 or so, the local Monsignor visited our class at the parochial school I attended and quizzed us about the commandments. When he got to the 7th commandment, he asked one of the boys what adultery was. The kid dithered for a second and then said that it was kids smoking cigarettes. Monsignor turned his back…

“Just got interesting”? This has BEEN interesting ever since news of the chamber surfaced!

“La Brea Tar Pits, where nobody’s dream comes true.”

Do you think there’s any connection between depression and migraines?

I used to work with a woman who insisted that 1) she didn’t need a flu shot and 2) she wouldn’t get one because they “made her feel sick”. She was out sick at least three times as often as the rest of us.

Really? My old plastic pumpkin cost a quarter at the grocery store in 1960.

Given the many problems we’ve had in the US the past few years with salmonella and listeria contamination of cantaloupes, I would rather not leave my oatmeal in a melon shell overnight. I note that the recipe made no mention of washing the cantaloupe thoroughly before making this.

I paid a cool $0.00 by being willing to stand in line at a local hospital that gives free flu shots as part of its public health program. I know people who work there who say the program actually saves them big bucks by helping to prevent epidemic flu seasons.

If you’re going to Side Project, you may as well stop 1.5 blocks east and include the Schlafly Bottleworks.

Back when I was having daily migraines, I would have happily tried this.

Dorothy Dunnett’s historical novel series about the House of Niccolo has a major subplot involving alum.

That’s odd. I buy a really nice lactose-free commercial plain yogurt, and it’s actually on the sweet side. I generally add fruit to it, but no sweetening. It never disagrees with me, so I know it’s genuinely lactose free.

Thanks for mentioning that there is no lactose in kefir. I’ve been wanting to try it, but have hesitated due to a desire not to spend my whole day in the bathroom.

I was asking because I grow Black Pearls, cayennes and habaneros. Looks like any of them would do, depending on the desired heat level.

Why those particular varieties?

I had a tortoiseshell cat. Her beige and red fur showed on dark sheets, and her dark brown and black fur showed in light ones. I had to learn not to sweat it.

A bee, immobilized by earwax and slowly dying in my ear canal? No wonder I keep having to turn up my phone volume!

I walked out of Meet the Parents, which I hated enough that I’m not going to to traumatize myself by going to find any art.

Can’t stand it either. Elk is similarly icky to me.

I’m a big fan of hidden object games (gets behind large object and prepares to be told she’s not a gamer). A lot of really lovely looking hidden object games come from Russia and Serbia and suchlike places, and could desperately use proofreaders and linguists to check their scripts. Nothing puts me off a game than…