Linda Z

We're "down to" between 211.9 to 226.9 a gallon around here (Cleveland). One of our local supermarkets, the one that gives gas discounts for every X number of dollars spent in the store, just sent me a coupon for $1 off per gallon if I transfer/fill a prescription at their pharamcy. Woo woo, I just happen to have a prescription that needs a refill. God, I'm old. I clearly remember when gas was like 25 cents a gallon when I first started driving. Of course that was back when I was walking 10 miles in the snow in my bare feet to school and when a loaf of bread was a dime. Okay, I have now officially become my parents. The young people (if they're awake) can start throwing stuff at me now.

The Wrong Box Dudley Moore Unfaithfully Yours

I'm sooooooooooo late to the party, but I hope your b'day was very, very happy. And thanks for your words of wisdom!

Although the conditions seem ripe for this virus to mutate so that it can spread from human to human, it hasn't yet and it might not. I'm all in favor of preparing for the worst, but I still believe in the power of prayer. I'm sure I'm not the only one prayin' that this sucker doesn't mutate.

Groucho said: Sorry Groucho, but I disagree. I never had the impression that I'd do 4 years of training and then be done. It was clear to me that I was signing up for a lifetime of service. My experience was as WhiteDove has described. Could it be that an individual told you this, misrepresenting what the Corps was about?

This question has been languishing in the Open Forum for a while. Long enough to get me curious. Can we change them, or do we have to ask the moderators or Pawtucket to change 'em? Thanks, Linda

How did I miss this one? Happy birthday to you, CW!!!

Happy, happy birthday, WB. Enjoy your day!

May today and all the days that follow be filled with joy and peace and love. Happiest of birthdays to you, Robin!

Hope your birthday is filled with laughter and lots of cuddles from Vixen and your favorite things to do! Happy birthday, Belle!

Excie: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Of the four people I knew well who were kidnapped by deprogrammers, none left twi. All went through harrowing experiences to escape their captors. One other woman, with whom I was only acquainted, did leave twi. I didn't much care for her when she was in, and she didn't seem that different after she was out. :)

I'm so glad you made it back safely. Happy birthday!!

Hear, hear, Sudo! Well said.

What a courageous woman she was. God rest her soul.

Kevin Kline A Fish Called Wanda John Cleese Tommy Strange, I like this game better than the Pictionary one. :P

Tim Robbins Bull Durham Susan Sarandon (edited because I was on the wrong page!)

Happy birthday, David. Keep on pickin' and grinnin'!

To everyone whose birthday I've missed and to everyone whose birthday will be posted in the future, many of which I probably will miss, let me just say: I wish you a warm, heartfelt HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! So often I only have a few minutes to peek in at GS and catch up on a few threads without posting anything. Then when my b'day rolls around, I feel guilty being on the receiving end of birthday greetings, because I know how many I've missed. Anyone else feel this way? My failure to keep up with posting said greetings in no way reflects a lack of fondness or respect for my fellow Greasespotters. I think you're all swell, really I do, even the ones I most often disagree with. I hope your past birthdays have been wonderful and that your future birthdays will be everything you want them to be. :wub:

That's some great advice, mstar and krys! And I might add, proper handwashing isn't just a good idea when there's the threat of a pandemic. It's a good idea ALL the time. Germs on the hands are the culprits in the spread of many, many diseases. I can't tell you how many studies I've read that found healthcare workers (including docs and nurses!) weren't washing their hands properly or for an adequate length of time. Amazing. On the preventive side, doing things to boost your immune system isn't a bad idea, either. Good nutrition, exercise, fresh air, and exposure to sunshine (10 minutes a day on normally exposed skin WITHOUT sunblocker--yes, I heard it straight from the mouth of an infections disease expert) are so important.

Thanks, everyone! And thanks, Act2 for your avatar with the picture of "the hat." It tickles me every time I see it. I had a lovely day--flowers, cake, hugs and laughter, plus all your warm greetings. My son, who never remembers birthdays, even remembered. :) And Happy Birhtday to you, too, OutofdaFog!!

Belle, I'm so happy you were able to get Vixen out of her pickle! My heart was pounding as I read your post. I love terriers. My Emma's a half-terrier muttski, but she's got all the smarts and persistence and curiosity of a full-blooded terrier. I can sooooo see her getting into exactly the same kind of fix Vixen found herself in. Terriers' personalities remind me of obsessive-compulsive disorder in humans. :lol: My son's dog Cleveland Brown, a gorgeous half-Chessie, half-chocolate lab, is staying with me because my son works so many hours that I begged him to let Clevey stay here most of the time. Emma loves having a doggie companion. She picks on him mercilessly, even though she weighs 40 lbs and he weighs 107. (Terriers don't know they're small, do they???) Today I had to take Cleveland to the vet's to have a little benign growth removed. I can't pick him up until late this afternoon. When I got back, Emma looked at me as if to say, "Where's my pal? What'd you do with him, Mom, huh huh huh? Brother Speed, that's so great you were able to rescue your three little sweeties. Emma came from the pound and despite her sometimes less than ladylike behavior, she'll have a home with me for the rest of her life. I do occasionally remind her that I saved her from doggie jail or worse, but she is too confident in her position of quieen of all she surveys to worry about her past.

Nah, Sudo, I'm not highly offended. Your view that my faith is mere superstition is something I've grown accustomed to hearing from you. My heart's still warmed by the two stories. And frankly, I'd rather rub elbows with a couple of kind and honest guys like you and LG than with some of the religious hypocrites I've met who are only outwardly kind. I don't think atheism/agnosticism are contagious. :)

Both stories brought tears to my eyes. The rabbi who wrote the story about Shaya said it's a true story told to him by the boy's father. The snopes commentator yammers on and on about how condescending the story is ...blah, blah, blah. I find her view cynical and too politically correct even for me. :) Thanks for posting that, LG. And Sudo, I liked the one you posted, too, even if it was to take a poke at the one LG posted. (Maybe it wasn't, but it does seem that way.) If you ever want to have your heart broken and uplifted at the same time, go to the Special Olympics. A few pats on the back and the cheers of loved ones and strangers go a long way toward making the special kids who run, jump, and wheel themselves around a track with their whole hearts feel proud. Hats off to the kids and coaches in that Texas town. A cynic may call what they did "a pat on the hand" (snopes). I call it compassion and kindness.

Everyone's explanations have been correct, but just when you think you've got our magnificently rich language figured out, it throws you another curve. There are also these less common usages: Main Entry: effect Function: transitive verb 1 : to cause to come into being 2 a : to bring about often by surmounting obstacles : ACCOMPLISH <effect a settlement of a dispute> b : to put into operation <the duty of the legislature to effect the will of the citizens> synonym see PERFORM usage The confusion of the verbs affect and effect is not only quite common but has a long history. Effect was used in place of 3affect as early as 1494 and in place of 2affect as early as 1652. If you think you want to use the verb effect but are not certain, check the definitions in this dictionary. The noun affect is sometimes mistakenly used for effect. Except when your topic is psychology, you will seldom need the noun affect. Main Entry: af·fect Pronunciation: 'a-"fekt Function: noun Etymology: Middle English, from Latin affectus, from afficere 1 obsolete : FEELING, AFFECTION 2 : the conscious subjective aspect of an emotion considered apart from bodily changes (From Merriam-Webster Online) Isn't English fun?!?