docoflove1974

Yikes...I guess I'd better keep to my speed demon ways here in the States, where you can pick and choose your spots to put the pedal to the metal. That, or take a trip to Germany :P

I went to my yearly exam in May, and yesterday got the 'Explanation of Benefits' from my health insurance company. If you've never seen one before, it pretty much outlines the charges sent in by the doctor, what the discout is for going to a 'network doctor', what the insurance pays, and what I pay. I just looked at the rate that my doctor charges...and I've decided that I must rethink my rates. Figure that I got billed for an hour--between the time to get the vital statistics, the waiting, the exam, and then returning to my normal state, that's fair. The doctor charged $200. She charges $200 an hour? Ok, I have more schooling than she does--at least for the doctorate part, as an MD takes 3-4 years and a PhD takes 4-8 years (8 in my case). But, she has to have malpractice insurance, which is quite expensive, whereas I have nothing of the sort. She does have to 'rent' her space--perhaps, as she might be a partner in her office--so factor in a modicum of costs there. But while she might charge me for an hour's worth of time, she probably can see 2-3 patients in an hour for yearly exams. Still...she's still getting much more per hour than I am, I reckon. Hmmmmmmmmm...ok, this needs to change. I DEMAND EQUAL PAY! Oops, sorry, forgot my place. Back to the books now *shuffle shuffle shuffle*

You're assuming that she'll live that long. Those who get that messed up on that crap, unless they get help that sticks, well, it's not a happy ending. But, if indeed she does, it really depends on how damaged she is from the effects. I've seen it with family and friends, and it really depends on how it is they got clean (forced to or of their own accord) and their support network. But regardless, they're never the same as before they got f'ed up.

Oh quite...on the move down to and back from Texas, I pretty much was going 90-100 mph most of the way through the desert. I routinely go 80 around the freeways here. Ok, it doesn't have the instant zoom that the fancy-schmancy cars do, but I gots mad hops!

So, she's the female Noel Gallagher? Could very well be. She also could be just this weak individual who crumbles when given the opportunity to alter her experience in life. The 'powers that be' could just be banking on the old adage that 'bad press is still good press.'

I really was never impressed with Audi. If I want a luxury car, and for whatever reason can't go the Beemer/Mercedes/Porsche route, then I go Lexus/Infinity. Audi seems wannabe to me, dunno why. And for the record, I'm a professor with a Toyota Corolla who wholeheartedly believes that the accelerator is my divine right. So there

Well if that ain't an endorsement, I don't know what is!

I agree...it's like she's trying to be just like Billie Holliday. But I'm sorry, she can't have half of the demons that Billie did. And while I like Amy fine, she's not Billie's level of talent, either.

Well, you had once enthusiastic audience member at the gig...better than having only cattle...maybe?? I forgot to add that at least you guys didn't pull an Amy Winehouse

Alas, no, Doc. They will have to go through the qualifying rounds like everyone else. Only the hosts of the World Cup escape the qualifiers. Even previous holders have to qualify these days - which means Italia better get their bums in gear pretty sharpish! I forgot that the previous winners had to qualify, too. Yikes...eh, well, I guess it's fair if EVERYONE has to qualify, although I think it's a bit odd. Then again, us Americans aren't qualified (yet) to make FIFA decisions

That was a great match...a couple of those tries from Espa

Nicely put. Indeed...and I recommend a book for everyone about Darwinian theory in general...and how to put it to use: Hull, David L. 1988. Science as a Process: An Evolutionary Account of the Social and Conceptual Development of Science Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. This is a great book to understand what "Darwinian theory of evolution" really is, and what it's been turned into. Additionally, Hull takes what he believes to be true Darwinian theory (aka Darwin's exact thinking) and applies it to a sociological and historical analysis of two groups of 'evolutionary' biologists. Really, the entire book is a blueprint for how one can take Darwin's ideas (not versions of his theories) and apply them to various areas of academia--history, linguistics, biology, etc. Hull argues vociferously against 'social Darwinism', and so one of his goals is to show us all how to really use Darwin's theories to analyze diachronic change (in whatever field). Indeed, the linguistic theory that I am investigating and testing out (that of William Croft) is based on Hull's (and, really, Darwin's) concepts. I heartily recommend it...Hull is a philosopher and historian of Darwinian and biological science, so his book is a good read, and I guarantee you will learn quite a bit.

So, when you become filthy rich, will you still remember us poor lil folk? I mean, do we count, too?

I'm not too sure about that. I think that until Darwin's time people in the West liked to think of themselves as inheritors of the Roman Empire, and stood in awe of its achievements. However, with Darwinism taking hold, it's hard to believe that the Romans - or anybody else - could have achieved things we do not understand, simply because we are the 'survivors' in an obviously superior age. Therefore, although a minority understand that we actually don't know as much as we think, a large proportion can't really believe that, for example, the Romans could have a highly-developed medical service for the army, or that they could put an awning over the Colosseum, and it's obvious that everybody thought that the Earth was flat until Columbus proved it wasn't! The 'Antykthera' (please don't correct my spelling!! ) mechanism couldn't have been built by ancient people without the use of modern technology - it's obvious!! Eh, while it is true that it is a common viewpoint in the published works of the 19th and 20th century, it was used before then, too. Early linguists and philologists of the 19th century used similar arguments of 'primitive languages' of 'early primitive cultures'; even earlier in the 16th-18th century philologists used similar arguments (Wikipedia's site on philology isn't half bad at this). Even when the Europeans conquered much of the new world, describing the peoples and their languages as primitive. It's not accurate, but it was still a common practice.

Still, it sounded like a pretty scene, calm and inviting. I used to watch the hawks and falcons at the old house, gliding the breezes until they saw tasty bit of prey below. It is a great sight! As for the weather...doesn't it make you wonder at times what life really would be like without our modern creature comforts? I mean, sturdy boots, warm jacket, flashlight...I know they're more modern versions of what people had before, but it still seems to make it all bearable.

LOL love it!

LOL That's a good one! I'll have to remember that tactic! I told this story to one of my friends (Denise), and she said this same pazza luna must have been at the restaurant my friend was at the other day. Denise was lunching with a friend who is both wildly successful professionally and a bit on the chunky side, when some random woman came up to her friend and said, "Oh, you really would be much prettier and would get further along in life if you dropped a few pounds." No idea what the friend's reaction was to that, but jeeeeeeezus, they're multiplying!

So I'm in the dressing room of the gym, after a good workout, and I'm stripping off to go into the showers. Now, if one were to look at pictures of me, even if they only saw my face, they would guess (and correctly so) that I am prolifically freckly. Indeed, previous boyfriends have kidded around that they could play connect-the-dots on my body, and would be amused for hours. 'Tis true. Freckles and moles are all over, and have been since I was a babe. I have been made aware of my sensitive skin and the use of sun block for literally decades, and pretty much know what to look for should anything go south. It took a while, but hey, I'm used to it, and it's part of who I am. Anyway, I digress. Some random woman came up to be as I was finishing the undressingroutine, tapped me on the shoulder, and said the following: "Oh, honey, you should have those spots looked at. You can't be too careful!" Now, here's the part that grills me: not even my best friend would say this. Yet a middle aged, slightly overweight stranger will come up to me out of the blue, and SHE will say this. I'm sans clothes, glaring at this amateur dermatologist, and snapped right back at her. "Do you always give such impromptu diagnoses to random strangers?" (That was the closest to "F*** off!" that I was willing to go at that time.) "Oh, no, but I just love to give advice!" (Gee, ain't she sweet?) "Are you a dermatologist?" (I had half a thought...I mean, you never know.) I swear to Christ this is what she said, with a giggle in her voice: "No, but I play one on tv." Yep, that stupid joke line. I'm trying to be on my best behavior...this is a nice athletic club, and I really don't want to piss off the fellow members as I ream this airhead a new one, letting fly a long blue streak. I'm trying, really. So the best I could do was shoot her a malocchio and say, "I think I'll go with the advice of my real dermatologist, thanks." And with that, I headed off to the showers. As I walked home from the gym, I called my dad. He couldn't stop laughing. To him, this was the funniest thing he had heard in a week. I'm glad my life amuses him. On the other hand, I'm not upset, just beyond annoyed that some pazza luna, as my grandmother would say, felt the need to play doctor, and not in the way that I like. I tells ya....

As promised...here's what I have... Beekes (1995: 27): Germanic's "area of concentration was the south of Norway and Sweden, Denmark, and the coast of Germany. It was from this area that the Germanic languages spread further south." Beekes (1995: 29): "In fact, the whole problem of subgrouping of the Germanic languages has always been the subject of much scholarly dispute. But in principle the situation is a clear one. East Germanic [Gothic] split off from the main language first. Contact between the speakers of North [Norweigian, Swedish, Danish] and West [English, German, Dutch] Germanic became less and less frequent. In the southern regions of this large language area changes began to occur, originally involving the whole area (West Germanic developments), but later these changes originated from a number of different centers and covered smaller areas. The changing influences resulted in a large number of different dialects." **This is particularly interesting the 'migration' of Germanic...however, it should be pointed out that Beekes also states in the following paragraph that "Germanic is not particularly archaic," which isn't always agreed upon. Schwink (2004) in particular says that there are issues with this in various parts of his book. Now, this is a start...I can't find some of my other sources. But if the Beekes quote hold water, it certainly compares nicely to the Wikipedia map posted earlier. References: Beekes, Robert S. P. 1995. Comparative Indo-European Lingusitics: An Introduction. Translation of Vergelijkende taalwetenschap. Philadelphia: John Benjamins Schwink, Frederick W. 2004. The Third Gender: Studies in the Origin and History of Germanic Grammatical Gender. Heidelberg: Universit

Ok, this makes some sense. Linguistically it fits with evidence [i'm away from my books right now, but will come back to fill in the bits later] of Proto-Germanic and the spread of Germanic.

Yikes, how dreadful! I mean, it's healthy to have a skeptical nature when working for 'the state', but still.... Well, it's 7:58am...I'm awaiting the interview.

And the land in between the Roman purple and the Gothic orange...is that the Dacians and Moesians? Does the archeology support a southern (or southeastern) migration? Is it possible that this group started out in the Scandinavian area, moved across to the Baltic region, and then to the Black Sea area? (Admittedly I haven't finished the book yet, nor looked at the others, so the answers could already be there.)

Hey, Spain played better in this match...I'll hand it to them. I wish them luck! (Now I'm seriously going to hear it from my Spanish friends...)

Yeah, well, it's about to go to PKs...and the ref was crap. Italy is lucky they didn't lose this one to PKs earlier. Nail biting time...