Mush

We all loved Mush at some point. Perhaps it was in the form of a lumpy bowl of cream of wheat served with butter and sugar, or perhaps a bowl of torn bread served with milk, salt and pepper. Maybe that bowl of steel cut oats served with date sugar just hit the spot to perfection one morning! Well, this post about to get Mushy, like it or not.

Over the last ten years, C has been an amazing companion, husband, friend, confidant, cheerleader, and all around good person. Somehow he manages to still love me despite my prickly parts and blunt communication (no sugar on this bowl of mush). Recently he cleaned all of the weeds out of my nightmare flowerbed. It is filled with solid clay soil, and if it has not been soaked for several days with rain, those weeds have ironclad immunity from the spade.

One night, I was on the couch doing my homework, and he called from the guest bedroom, "Hey babe, could I have about ten minutes of your time?" I knew he was working on folding the laundry that had accumulated over the past few weeks. I was behind on my studies and finally had time to work on them.

"No!" I called out.

"Many hands make light work!"

"No!"

"Please, just ten minutes..."

"Grrr. Five!"

I then walked to the kitchen and set the timer for five minutes. I helped fold and put away clothes, taking a large load of items to my closet and then started working on the piles of folded clothing that were already there. Some time passed by before I called out, "Did my timer go off?"

"No!" C said in his obviously-trying-to-get-the-most-of -my-pseudo-willingness-to-clean tone. We both laughed.

For Mother's Day Weekend, C treated me like a queen, even if at the end of the day, despite all of that great treatment, I got a little emotional. Still, he did everything he could to keep my spirits up on the one day I allow my heart to feel a little sad. After all, what good does it do to feel bad all of the time about a 'someday?' None at all, I say. A positive attitude is a kindness to yourself and to those around you. Well, C is a pretty positive guy, but the most important part is that he's positive when I'm not. He fills my sails with air when they are drooping on a breeze-less sea.

C is a blessing to a stranger. He is the man who will run into a burning house with no thought of his own life, and then walk away with no acknowledgement. Once we were roller-blading up the canyon on a rather steep trail and stopped at a gate. A girl screamed, "Get out of the way! Get out of the way!" Beyond the gate was a sharp turn followed by a narrow tunnel, which at her speed she would surely wreck, and if she didn't make the tunnel, she would crash against a large pile of boulders.

Without thinking twice, C stepped in front of the flailing girl, and she slammed into him with full force, knocking the air out of him. He caught her so that when she fell backward, she was unharmed, although his hands were gouged from the fall. So there I was, I new bride, looking down at my husband lying on top of another young lady, and all I could think was, he's a superhero!

I could continue on forever on this, talking about times when he spent an hour helping a 4x4 truck get unstuck when we were in our little car, the times he helped dig people out of the snow, or stopped to help someone, or times when neighbors or friends have asked him for help or advice, or a listening ear, or times when we get a late-night knock at the door, and even though he is asleep in bed, he gets up and goes to help, no matter the hour.

I could tell you about the time when he went to visit a prison with some classmates, and rather than let the girls feel harassed at the catcalls, took the attention away from them by calling out, "You mean ME?" and sacheting down the hall. I could tell you about how the youth in our church group flock to him like the pied piper when he walks in the room, or look dismayed when we leave a youth dance, because he is so much fun, or how he convinces them to come on long, hot, youth activities like pioneer treks just because he believes they can do it.

I could tell you how he is patient and kind, generous, hardworking, how he has never left the toilet seat up in ten years of marriage, and how I have never had to ask him to mow the lawn or change the oil. I could tell you how I trust him even in the most compromising situations because he is not for sale, and his mind and heart are not even mine. They belong to God first. I could tell you all of these things, and a thousand more, but then, wouldn't that just be a whole lot of MUSH?

Attacked by Alien Lifeforms and More Adventures from the Recursion Zone

There are the skeptics, those who would question the title of this post. {Dee-dee-dee-dee, dee-dee-dee-dee...}
But truly, how do you explain a flock of green globs attacking your car in mid-day?

Let's begin at the beginning. Saturday. 1:00 PM. Mr. C arrives to pick up Ms. A in une voiture avec style.

{Well, of course it's not ours. Mr. C just happens to know people in Corvette places. Just stay with me here...}

Ahem, as I was saying, picked me up in a "carriage" in style to take me to enjoy my favorite little South American Cuisine.As it turns out, the Salsa bar is delightfully diverse, not to mention the bakery with Dulce Pan and Mexican wedding cakes.
Following the meal we thought we'd burn off some steam on the chessboard, during which time Mr. C found himself in a quandary. I should have suspected something was awry when I whopped his royal hiney in a show-stopping reversal checkmate.

As we departed, we suddenly became aware of the fact that our fuel had indeed been depleted, to the point of warning signals, red flashing lights, and blaring sirens. Oddly, Mr. C's brain was overcome with an unrestrained urge to follow the road to its bitter end while Ms. A helplessly looked on, wondering if her shoes could make the five mile journey to safety when ma voiture was rendered a useless pieces of shiny red metal.At last his transitory state was shaken off, and the carriage arrived safely at a refueling station. To help her most beloved, Ms. A purchased one extra large unleaded algific potation, and there beheld a most unusually ample paratrophic device! She knew it must belong to her one true beloved for his ultimate refreshment. Mr. C's response: It's like drinking from the Alaskan pipeline! {This message is brought to you by enhanced descriptions of a soda and a straw}
While journeying to the final destination, a most ornate habitation created a magnetic pull so powerful that is caused our passing vehicle to do a rubber-squealing U-turn, and would not release its hold without a Kodak Moment!
Alas, once the journey commenced, this is when tragedy struck. At first we thought we were traveling through a swarm of insects. Upon closer inspection, however, we discovered the ALIEN LIFEFORMS FLYING TOWARD US THROUGH THE AIR!!!They clung to our vehicle like a swarm of leeches, and refused to relinquish their deadly hold! We helplessly pondered our fate. Would their acidic forms burn through the frame like water through snow, or would they would morph into some spectacular creature and crush us in a single step?
In the end, Ms. A's botanical brain concluded that the pulpy masses were actually algae offspring, spreading their wings to find a happy soggy place to proliferate their species.

THE ALMOST END.

This morning, after donning my jewelry making hat, and creating my newest custom-made Mother's Day enchantment, I spun together a loverly corsage (sorry, I forgot to take a photo), and raced off to attend church with my mom. As my sister pinned the corsage on my mom, she leaned over with a smile and said, "You're making me look bad!"

My response? "You have no idea. You forgot to send me a

pic of your kiddo!" (Thus the empty frame below)

Three hours later, I enjoyed a happy-tearful mom-daughter chat, and gave mom her gift and card, then hurried home to attend yet another three hours of church and teach a lesson to the adult church members on Deuteronomy. No thanks to my own efforts, it went beautifully. I arrived home and took two very excited birds out to the hammock to enjoy the last few warm moments of the day. (I kid you not. Kawi gives his excited "really, really?" calls and flaps his wings like he is going to take off to the moon or something every time I get near the back door.)And after a delightful picnic-style dinner of National Hebrew (100% beef brisket!!!) hot dogs, baked Cheetos, diet rootbeer floats and celery, we all snuggled down on the big chair for a nap...at least until Kawi and Coco woke us up by competing over our fingers to get their heads scratched.

And they all lived happily ever after. The End.

Coco, Half-way House Bird, is Back.

Coco is a true survivor. His first owner threw him against a wall, breaking his wing and causing a permanent trauma spot, hidden by his crest, where he will forever be bald. The wing mended in its own way, but Coco drops to the ground like a rock when he tries to fly.

He had a second owner, who then passed him to a third owner (did I mention that cockatiels may live for up to 28 years?). When the third owner moved to an apartment without pets, her children considered dropping the bird off of the roof or feeding it to the snake. A neighbor claimed the bird and brought him to our home. Coco fell in love with Kawi, but Kawi didn't fall in love with him. Coco chased Kawi around like the lost little brother that Kawi never wanted.

When the neighbor who brought him to us offered to give him a trial run, we agreed, but before we could take him back, she passed him on to a second neighbor. The second neighbor (and fifth owner) had a dog who thought the bird was a chew toy. Yesterday, I think Coco wound up in the dog's mouth again, and the well-meaning family felt it was in the best interest of the bird to help him find another home. I readily agreed.

After the family dropped him off, Coco sat in his empty cage, unusually silent and looking rather traumatized. I first sprayed him down for mites, just as a precaution, and then gave him a nice long warm bath. After the bath I started to blow dry him, which birds normally enjoy, then I realized that this bird had experienced something very bad today. I wrapped him in a towel to keep him warm, and he fell asleep.

I have never seen a bird let you hold him sideways, unless he is very well trained, or dead.
Here he is not restrained, lying in the palm of my hand. He only woke up briefly...

...then fell back asleep while I held him in front of the fireplace blower to keep him warm.

When he finally awoke some time later, two dots of faint blood were on the towel, about the distance of canine incisors apart.

Now, Kawi is our little night owl. Usually you have to wake him with some serious effort. If you manage to sleep longer than he wants to sleep (which almost never happens), he will let you know with a "Hi Kawi!" And then only because of discomfort, since he refuses to poop in his cage, so you take him to the bathroom where he relieves himself, and then he says good morning to himself in the mirror for at least 20 minutes before he wants to say hello to you.

Last night I covered Coco's cage with a thin, light sheet, not taking into account the fact that the cage was next to the French Doors in the kitchen. At 6:00 AM, in the early morning light, I heard a faint cry of alarm from the kitchen. A few minutes later, after Coco figured out his safe whereabouts, came a friendly little chirp as he said hello to the morning birds outside. It wasn't much longer before I heard him say, "Pretty Bird, Pretty Bird," and then, and incredibly accurate DOG WHINING TO BE LET OUT imitation. "Coco, stop that!" I called out, and he went back to his normal pleasant bird noises. I think I will pull out the heavy polar fleece blanket tonight.

I sleepily mumbled to C, "It's like we have our own personal rooster!" C, apparently more awake than usual at 6:00 AM, said, "I had a dream last night that I went to sleep next to a beautiful woman...and then I woke up to find it was true!" Suddenly I didn't mind our dog-whining bird so much. Oh, and Kawi? Two hours later, and he's still fast asleep.

Friendly, handleable, free cockatiel bird to a VERY good home. No cats, dogs, small children, or snakes allowed. Coco loves to cuddle down for a nap with you any time of day. He has a very sweet temperament and will want to spend lots of time with you if you let him. A great companion pet for a gentle owner who will invest at least 1-2 hours/day handling him (out of cage time). Will never fly away. Says, "Pretty Bird," and can learn to say more with some time invested. Will sleep quietly when cage is kept in a dark quiet place. Needs 10-12 hours of sleep a night, a clean warm cage, and music to listen to when you are gone during the day. Cage included. Interested parties please comment below, or contact via: nixiao {at} comcast {dot} net.

Post Script: For those who wonder why we don't keep Coco, we would love to. He has a much sweeter personality than Kawi, but for some reason Kawi can't adjust to him being around and gets so stressed he gets sick.

But DO...

...Visit my Whose-its blog. That is my treasure box!

What's Your Public Privacy IQ?

I am SUCH a slacker. It has now been MONTHS since I have worked on my entry from February on public privacy. The original entry included 25 questions about public privacy, and I started answering them three at a time. Rather than making you hunt back through those entries, I have added both the questions and answers here in all of their glory. As a side note, we cannot live our lives in fear, and should not do so. We should, however, use wisdom with information we choose to disseminate about ourselves, our lives, and our loved ones:

25 Questions about Your Privacy:

1. T/F Anyone may have access to my telephone bill.

Telephone Bills: This one is tricky, so bear with me. While this is not the type of information anyone may pull up on the Internet, telephone bills are often used as evidence. A few examples this might include evidence that you were on the phone or texting at the time you got into an accident or got a ticket, spending excessive time on a phone at work (say, your job is to supervise at a jail and two inmates kill another inmate while you are on a personal phone call), or to help identify a connection between two individuals. Yes, certain government entities may get access to these records, but anyone may ask for them as evidence in court, and they must be provided.

Answer: False, unless there are legal proceedings involved, and then the answer would be True.

2. T/F Anyone may find out when and where I was married.

Marriage Records: True. Marriage records are public domain. When we purchased our home, there was a strip of land bordering our land that had questionable ownership. This brings me to #9.

3. T/F Anyone may find out if I had a parking violation.

Parking violations - absolutely available to anyone. If an employer wants to double-check your driving record, they can do so in a round-about manner by visiting justice courts individually and asking if there are any dockets containing information on you. It's a long process, but I happen to know that military recruiters frequent courthouses for that very reason. While you won't get a warrant from not paying a traffic ticket, you may certainly wind up with a warrant by failing to pay a traffic ticket. That means that you get to pay a lot more money, and you could get taken in if you show up at a jail to visit a friend. If you can't pay a ticket, show up, ask the judge for more time, and make payment arrangements. If the judge asks you to do something you can't handle (pay fines you can't afford, etc., just respectfully ask for an adjustment.

4. T/F Anyone may find out about law violations I had prior to age 18.

Law violations I had prior to age 18. - Juvenile court records are highly protected except in situations where you are tried as an adult. These would be some pretty serious situations, but for the most part, the law gives adults the benefit of the doubt when it comes to dumb things we do as kids. Nowadays kids can wind up in detention for something like toilet papering a house. Wow! That's something we did as kids for fun, and my dad even gave us permission! There are a few situations where juvenile records can come back to bite you, including certain federal positions, but for the most part, False. These records are only available to a very few.

5. T/F Anyone may find out about law violations I had after age 18.

Law violations I had after age 18 - Some may think that law violations are much more protected than something little like a traffic violation, however, this, too is public information! Law violations are available to the public. Just stroll down to the courthouse, have them search for a docket for a specific name, and locate a court case number. Sometimes these are even available online for free. Anyone may find out about these. Historically newspaper writers visited courthouses to publish marriage licenses, and word-for-word details on court cases. Today, news reporters may do the same. Thank goodness they are so interested in making a big splash, so the majority of individuals are safe! True.

6. T/F Anyone may find out if and why I spent time in jail.

See below #7.

7. T/F Anyone may find out if and why I spent time in prison.

Six and seven - true. In fact, in many states, there is an online database into which you may type a name and locate anyone incarcerated within the past few years. Here is where you really need to keep your wits about you. If you have a reason to search for someone, be careful, because there are a LOT - ahem, A LOT of companies out there just feeding off of ignorant individuals who don't know that they can get this information for free or for a reasonable fee. In fact, most of the other information I mention that is public falls into that same category. To obtain certain public domain records, you don't have to contact a company like Vital Records dot com or online investigation companies. Instead, you may simply request a copy from the entity that created it, keeping in mind that often there are copies of the same records available from more than one such entity. See below for details.

8. T/F Anyone may find out when and where I was born.

Now, births are a highly protected class of records. Good gravy, and when it comes to adoptions, it gets even more complex!!! I will save that discussion for another day, however. Birth records are often protected for about the same number of years as census records are protected, and even then some states (or countries) require you to state your relationship to the individual. If someone was trying to obtain your birth certificate without your permission, it is highly likely that you might be contacted and informed of the query.

That being said, there are situations where vital record departments have made digital or microfilmed copies of records and the repositories for these records may not extend the same protection over those records. These instances are rare, but even I have stumbled across modern record sets that were not protected like they should be. On a positive note, for historical purposes these copies may mean that rather than paying the Vital Records or Health Department $20.00 for a certified copy of an ancestral record, you may be able to go to the state archives for a $.50 copy of the same thing!

9. T/F Anyone may find out details about my divorce.

True. Divorce records are also not in the protected class, similar to Marriage records. Back to my story, I could not locate the individual who owned the land using my usual methods, so I contacted the county courthouse and asked about a possible divorce. Yes, a divorce took place after this person purchased the land, but the land was still in the name of that initial marriage. Next I searched for a second marriage for this individual, and found the second marriage. I then used my usual search methods and found her to discuss the land in question. Answer? True.

10. T/F Anyone may find out my mother's maiden name.

This one is tricky. Obviously there are many ways one may get this information. There are also these online personal information pages that associate your name with past addresses, and then match up that data with others who lived at the same location the same time you lived there. This is one way to match up personal associations you have had, or possible family members. Don't forget about obituaries, that very helpful family member who loads onto the Internet your family tree, including the living family members, and a hundred different alternate possibilities.

I guess the main reason I include this question is to get people thinking about personal security. What question are you asked when you call the bank? Try, "What is your mother's maiden name?" This one backfired on me years ago. I had a family member with my SSN, my mother's maiden name, and enough information to create some financial trouble for me. What did I do? For starters, I told my bank a different name. Nothing says you have to give them your ACTUAL mother's maiden name, so I made one up. Technically, no, this information SHOULD not be accessible at first glance, but then, if someone knows where THEY were married...

11. T/F Anyone may find out my parents' first names.

As mentioned above, once someone has your maiden name (if you are female) and knows where your parents were married, well, it doesn't get much easier than that. If you are the oldest child in the family, that sets a marker for the time period in which one should search for your parent's marriage license, give or take a couple of years. Once they know your last name or maiden name... it all depends on other known data.

12. T/F Anyone may find out how much money I spent on my home.

True. Land records are very accessible. This is how title companies work with title insurance. They stroll down to the county courthouse and start searching. Land records are often available online, too. Now, let's jump down to question 14.

13. T/F Anyone may obtain my Social Security number.

Okay, now for #13. Doesn't everyone dread this question? How safe is your Social Security Number? Well, this depends on you and a whole lot of other people. Have you ever given blood and had then ask for your SSN? Have you ever had your SSN on your health insurance card? Have you ever tossed an old health insurance card in the garbage? Is your SSN on your Driver's License? Who sees it? Fact: The Red Cross does NOT need your SSN. Your SSN does NOT need to be on your insurance card. Your SSN does NOT have to be on your Driver's License.

Unfortunately, we are so used to handing it out, that we just do it without questioning why. You may request a different number be used to identify you on an ID card, and you may refuse to put your SSN on your license. SSN's should not be on identification cards in the first place, for everyone to see. Obviously these are needed for reporting income, financial purposes (credit, banking, etc.), and for employment. Obviously, there are a hundred other ways to get SSNs, but refusing to hand it out when unnecessary may help.

14. T/F Anyone may find out if I obtained a second mortgage.

Also true! Along with the land records are records of who technically owned the house and the purchase amount. This may be easily located again, either online or at the courthouse.

15. T/F Anyone may find out where I live.

There are numerous ways one may find this information.

16. T/F Anyone may find out how many children I have.

Someday I am going to write a book where a trio of criminals is gathered behind the minivan, one with a telescopic pointer in hand. "Okay, folks. Here's what we are dealing with here. We have a teenage boy who is in drumline," (points to the bumper sticker), "and a teenage girl who is a cheerleader." (points to another bumper sticker). "Next we have a dad and six other small children, two dogs, and a cat to contend with." (points to the family lineup of stick figures representing each family member and pet). "Since the football game is tonight, we know that the cheerleader, the drummer, and possibly the parents are out of the house, so that leaves us with a babysitter, the dogs, cat, and small children. Ready? BREAK!"

17. T/F Anyone may find out when I am out of town.

I am in awe at how vulnerable we make ourselves. I have watched teenage girls put details about themselves on MySpace for all to see, including where they lived, when the family was going out of town, etc., etc., and I shook my head in amazement. Again, this isn't about fear or paranoia, rather this is about common sense, folks. Carefully consider who you tell about your month long family vacation this year, and keep details vague, including when you will return. Then ask neighbors to watch your home, collect mail and newspapers, and perhaps stop by (if they are a trusted friend). Consider where you have advertised your absence (blogs, Facebook, or other social media), and avoid discussing those details until after you return.

18. T/F Anyone may find out where my children attend school.

See #16-17. If you are President Obama, everyone knows where your kids go to school already, but think before adding information about where your kids go to school. Keep in mind that children don't have the cognition to distinguish between friend and foe. If someone knows that child's name and what they look like, their birthday, as well as details about you, your name, your address, your pets names, it isn't hard to convince a child that they are close friends of the family. Take care when placing this type of information online and keep children safe and secure.

19. T/F Anyone may find out if I am a sex offender and where I live.

Both True and False. If you have never been charged with a sexual offense, it you will not appear on a sex offender registry. This is one reason why it is so important to prosecute sex offenders, otherwise they will move into neighborhoods under the radar. Sex offenders, like anyone else may change, and I believe people may change. That being said, there are tools available online for anyone to easily locate registered sex offenders living near their homes. This applies to the United States, and other countries may have more lax laws about sexual offenses. In summary, you may locate sex offenders living nearby IF they have been charged and thereafter are required to register with the National Sex Offender Registry every time they move. If there is no legal knowledge of their sexual offenses, they will not appear on the registry.

20. T/F Anyone may find out what grades I received in school.

While attending college, I had a family member who accessed my school records without my permission. I quickly changed the status of my privacy to prevent any further access. Check with your local educational institutions to ensure your privacy and read up on the privacy laws. Someone claiming to be a parent or spouse may be able to obtain this information if they know the correct things to say. The family member in question was not a parent or spouse, and yet claimed to be. When asked my SSN and mother's maiden name, this person had obtained this information and so had access to my school records. I changed my mother's maiden name on every record, including banking, school, etc.. With online family trees and other information readily available nowadays, it is just an extra step in the privacy security fortress.

21. T/F Anyone may read text messages I send.

All I have to say is: http://www.textsfromlastnight.com/

22. T/F Anyone may read e-mails I send.

While attending college, I had ONE e-mail address (now I have many), and only corresponded to around five individuals. I had not given out my address to anyone else for any reason. One day, I wrote to a friend the following: "If I keep eating like this, I am going to get fat!" The following day, I started getting weight loss ads in my e-mail account. Any unencrypted e-mail sent is accessible and viewable. I avoid sending any information I would not like the world to see via e-mail or text messaging.

23. T/F Anyone may see what I am looking at on the Internet.

With Google now owning YouTube, Blogger, Google Chrome and Google Search Engine, it is very easy for them to customize ads to your specific area and interests. It's their job, and because I know what they are doing, I don't really mind, but it is good to be aware. For example, when I visit YouTube, my recommended videos are in the German language, or are on the subject of programming tutorials or cockatiels or conures. Google learns what I like and offers me what will interest me most. We love all of their free stuff, but keep in mind that there is always a price. Still, I love Blogger, Google Docs, Google Wave, Google Chrome, Google, Google Phone, YouTube and all of the other wonderful things Google dreams up. I would rather see cockatiels on YouTube than half-naked women any day.

I had a friend who lived in China, and the government carefully monitored the Internet with a fine tooth comb. While our government is much more free about these things, don't go searching for bomb ingredients any time soon online. The government of any country may see what you are looking at at any time, and may look for patterns or words in your searches. Also, consider that almost anything you put online is available for anyone to see. The Internet Archive (Wayback Machine) scans websites and makes them searchable by date at a later time. I have websites that are offline now, but still searchable and viewable via the Wayback Machine.

Additionally, just because you haven't given someone your Facebook address doesn't mean they can't find you. Information added on Facebook belongs to Facebook, unlike blogger. There is nothing to stop them from publishing that information in a book someday. Understand the licenses of the social media tools you use if privacy is important to you. I can't tell you how many times a director has tried to Google me at work. Inevitably, they don't find me, but nevertheless, I don't put things online that I don't want people to read. It's like trying to keep a secret while broadcasting it on TV. The person you just insulted will eventually see that insult, or read that rude comment and then, well, you know THE REST OF THE STORY.

One more note on Internet usage: Employers commonly monitor Internet usage and have a right to do so. They are able to see everything you see, even 30 second snapshots of your screen. They can record your passwords, e-mails, and anything else you do on your computer, including documents you write. There is nothing to stop them from doing this. The computers belong to them, as well as the Internet access. They may document every keystroke you make on a computer (see below), so be wise when writing that e-mail about how much you hate your boss or when slacking off by spending lots of time on your blog during worktime.

24. T/F Anyone may listen to my land-line phone conversations.

Phone tapping is not legal in normal circumstances. If the government has a justified reason to, there is a hotwire that may be placed temporarily on a cell phone to monitor conversations. Anything shared on cell phones MAY be monitored. This doesn't involve most of us, but land lines are not exempt from this type of monitoring either. In fact, because land lines are tied to a specific location, name, and address, this really makes it easier. Outside of government monitoring, there are many devices that allow one to record conversations.

You may have seen LiveScribe pens and similar devices. Yea, verily, that person wearing a phone headset while speaking to you could have someone else listening to your conversation. This is not a paranoia discussion here, just a reality check. I am an advocate of avoiding gossip, slander, and libel at any cost, and even try to speak, about others in such a way that if they were to overhear what I said, I would not mind it. I would be willing to say the same thing to that person's face. Without living your life in fear that someone is listening to what you are saying, just be aware that when it comes out of your mouth, or out of your pen, or out of your fingertips, it may grow feet and run away like a greased pig, never to be regained again.

25. T/F Anyone may videotape me without my consent.

Anyone may videotape or film you in a public setting, however, they may not include you as the feature or focus of that videotape or film without your consent. You will notice, for example that when newscasters are filming an overweight person for a special on obesity, they usually leave the face out so that the person is unidentifiable. Private property that is not open to the public is not filmable, especially when it violates privacy laws in certain rooms such as bedrooms, bathrooms, hotel rooms, etc.. Filming that interferes with emergency or legal services is also not allowed. Cameras have commonly been removed from in courthouses and jails as well. That being said, if you are in the grocery store parking lot with your boyfriend or girlfriend, smile, you are on camera!

As a fun little side note, if you are interested in learning more about devices that may monitor what you do, check out http://www.brickhousesecurity.com/, http://www.spectorsoft.com/products/spectorpro_windows/

http://www.livescribe.com/

Persiflage on Cake

In the world of confectionery genius, a plenitude of sweet species roam the planet, and have for many a century. Take for example flummery, that delightful custard-like substance whose name (almost in extinction today) simply exudes a need to try such a delightful concoction.

Suzanne Iles: Flummery

And then there is gelato, delicate and smooth, perfection without a hoard of blistering ice crystals interfering with a perfectly smooth, and aerially chilled dessert.

NCLRC Culture Club Photo

The French had it right when they created layered dessert delights in small, dainty proportions, called "petit fours" (translation, small oven and photos by moi).
Crème brûlée has survived popularity a bit better than flummery, and continues to be a consistent menu item in fine restaurants throughout the United States.

Photo: SaveaFew, Dunbrody House

So what I am yearning to understand is this: What is it about CAKE that has made it the centerpiece of every life-celebration, including anniversaries, weddings, birthdays, retirement parties, graduation parties, and a countless other number of celebratory events?

Out of a delightful myriad of choices that I personally deem much more worthy of celebratory status, somehow unctuously robed, quotidian cake, won? How could this be?

Perhaps it was never placed in competition next to a chocolate mousse bar, by far the dessert with more mettle than a flour-egg-and-sugar shell of a dessert.
Or how about a peanut butter cup brownie? It is dense and substantial, with plenty of "meat" to fill those cake-loving bellies.

And yet there it stands, in all of its tallowy glory, perhaps the only candidate who was allowed to join the race for sovereign of commemoration, innocently bewitching the ignorant generations to come to believe that this is simply the way things are done.
So hide your cheery faces in shame, fruit tarts...... and surrender this forfeit battle, Napoleon. Your delicate sister Mille Feuille should have prevailed with nonpareil sway, and yet there she stands,

Photo: Azelia's Kitchen

...an outcast of the candle and the crumb.
Join the un-cake revolution and try something new. You may have your cake, but I shan't eat it, too.

POST SCRIPT:
On a healthier note, did I mention that I am still losing weight? While I may blog about yummy food, I also only eat treats once in a blue moon, so please eat this entry with a bowl of steamed broccoli. :D

POST-POST SCRIPT:
Linked words added for my own, my own precious, beloved C.

Die Wichtige Fragen

(Translation: The Important Questions)

1. How is it possible, that after several days of holding back the evil minions of a nasty cold while working seventeen hour days, that on the last day of the conference a little man somewhere down in the churning depths of my endless brainial cogs declared a holiday for all of my cold warriors? And should I celebrate the victorious battle to make it through the last day of the conference, or should I chastise them for going MIA because they didn't QUITE defeat the enemy before the battle was over?

2. Why is it that berry flavored Nyquil tastes just as nasty as regular Nyquil?

3. Why do I feel the need to put wishbones on the windowsill to dry, even though they have dried just fine on the counter? Do you think it's because my mom did this, and do you think that she did it to really get it dry, or just to keep it out of reach so we wouldn't fight over a silly piece of calcified poultry collarbone?

4. How did my cucumbers turn to mush over the past two weeks without me noticing, and then creep in to infect my perfectly lovely carrots so that I couldn't make myself scratch chicken noodle soup today?

5. Why is my sweet hubby so cursed with OOOPSES this week, much to his own torment, and why does this make me love him even more?

6. How is it possible to find a movie that I love even more than Emma (with Gwyneth), so that now I have to go spend my Best Buy reward points to purchase Young Victoria instead of waiting for Clash of the Titans to come out?

7. And how is it possible to have a spring of neverending water pouring out of my face, when I am pretty sure that there isn't any left in my double-barreled spout?

8. Why are baby doves so gosh darn hard to find when they fall out of a nest, and why do I decide to wear a polka-dotted dress as a mu-mu outside at night to make the neighbors drive REALLY slowly as they pass by, wondering why I am up on a ladder with a spotlight next to our blue spruce?

9. How do little cockatiels learn to recognize people noises (names omitted to protect the innocent) so well that they know EXACTLY who is in the house at any given time and will call out that person's name when they hear said (anonymous) noises?

10. Why do I turn to mush when C brushes his foot against mine while we are sleeping, and when did feet become such a wonderful, intimate thing?

11. Why does my fridge howl like a ghost at night so that every night I regret not spending another $300 on that ONE appliance?

12. Will the sun come out tomorrow, or will we get to enjoy more lovely, refreshing snow in May?

13. Why am I such a technology nerd that I think Vlingo is the best thing since sliced bread, and I spend my sick days loading up my iPhone with cool new stuff I will probably never use? (Except the app that turns my 3G camera into a video camera. Woot-woot!!!)

14. And finally, why am I blogging at 1:18 AM in the morning when I could be snuggled up to the cutest guy ever? (Please see #1 and #7)