docoflove1974

Well, yes and no. With regard to New Orleans, it's a natural delta in that area, but there are plenty of 'dry' areas. If I recall correctly, sinking wasn't a huge problem until the Army Corps of Engineers did their usual bang-up job in planning all of the freeways and the various developments in the 20th century which took away the natural levies that Ol' Man River had built up (and perhaps adding to them). Had they kept that 'idea', Katrina would probably not have been as devistating. As for out here and earthquakes...what most people west of the Rockies don't realize is that most of the land along the coast (and much of it in the valleys) is granite and clay...quite stable. And there are various ways of engineering buildings, etc., so that it would take a monster quake to knock them down. If you think about it, the quake of 1989 (Loma Prieta/NorCal) and 1994 (Northridge/SoCal) were major quakes--6.9 and 6.7, respectively. Despite what you guys might have seen on tv, there was really little damage; most buildings withstood the movement, and well as most infrastructure. In all honesty, California has been a major hub of research and development on earthquake safety and engineering for over 100 years. I believe (although I'm not 100% sure) that in California, when one is in contract to buy property, one receives information about the faultlines, floodplanes, and all that jazz. If it's not a law, it's something that reputable (ha!) real estate agents do.

Ok, I'm not, really, but it makes for a great title. I crack up anymore about meteorology and the news. If you're here in the States, and perhaps on some BBC newscasts, the weather here in Northern California made headlines. "Monster storm!" "Buckets of rain!" "Flooding!" Yeah, ok. Let me 'splain some tings, Loocee: 1) January is usually a wet month for us. Usually November is, too, as is March...this time 'round November was kinda dry, but so far January's holding up its end of the bargain. Granted, it's only the 4th. 2) High winds aren't always usual--certainly not hurricane force winds, true enough. But it does happen. I remember one year my dad had no more gotten down out of the trees after pruning back the cypresses behind the house when the next day a huge storm came in, and possibly would have knocked some of them down. Like I said, it's not usual...but it's happened before. 3) Flooding...what people keep neglecting is that each place that floods is in a goddamn flood plane!!!. Therefore, every year, when storms hit, the tendency is for these areas to flood. Yet people build there...because 'they've always been there'...blah blah blah. Lookit, I do have sympathy for you that you lost your stuff...but whose idea was it to go and live in a natural flood plane? Did you not check the area out before you decided to live there? Oh, sorry, that requires common sense. Basically, I figure that it has to be 'big news' (hell, it's taken over half of the newscasts locally) because news producers are bored...or perhaps they find this entertaining. Really, I don't need another 'story' about people loading up on supplies and sandbags, nor the trees that randomly came down. The bit about the tree falling in the BART tracks, yeah, that's important (BART, or Bay Area Rapid Transit, is our elevated/subway transit system). Closing of roads and bridges, that's very important. But notes on how a small creek is "20 feet from flood stage, and rising"??? Nope, really, that's ok. FYI: I'm dry...but then again, I didn't go outside. Go figure.

Swindon...the only thing I know about that is it is the 'other Office' of Wernham Hogg Paper Company...or, at least it was in Ricky Gervais' head.

No sushi...just carne guisada tacos and Gordon Biersch WinterBoch. And a 10 lb. feline who won't get offa my lap!

I keep watching the radar here. It's supposed to rain for the next 3 days--a typical January here in the San Francisco Bay Area is quite wet. However, as the first bands of rain come off the Pacific, they're skipping San Jose all together. Man, I'm all ready...I'm bundled up, got a pot of tea starting, and am ready for a nap. Ooooooh...a quick sleep while the rain is pinging off the roof. But, dammit, it's not raining here yet. C'mon...I want my siesta!

Thanks, all! GO: The interviews went well, but I won't hear anything for a while. To be honest, I have so much on my plate to get through before the semester starts up again, I can't even think about them! But I'll keep you guys informed--well, besides the fact that if I get a job, the entire world will hear me giggle with glee!

Yes, but by being born at 7:30am and after 19 hours of labor, I cheated my mother out of blueberry pancakes. So I guess it all evens out

No civilized human being would buy a car nowadays without a/c. Period. Cruise control is an option, though

Awesome, guys. Thanks for remembering! So far, the day has been 1 hour old (aka I got up an hour ago)...Bella licked my face to wake me up. Been on a treasure hunt, too; my mom was here for a couple of days while I was out of town, and she hid my birthday present. And I really didn't find it until this morning, when my parents called! I do have to run to the store to pick up a couple of things, and I've got some applesauce muffins to make...and then the party. My brother Matt is throwing a shin-dig--BBQ and all sorts of food. No idea who's coming over, other than his neighbors. And here's to a wonderful, happy, and healthy New Year to everyone on here. May your dreams come true! EDIT: I forgot to add that, Neph, that dancing baby is giving me fits of laughter. I haven't seen one of those in so long, that it got me! That rocks!

Trust me, it doesn't happen often...most of us are flying around in our terrestrial flying aircraft (or, in my case...my Corolla...)

Neph, that description sounds like PMS on steroids...and monster cramps and migraines. While it probably doesn't describe what most women went through, it sounds similar today to all of the PMS jokes that we have in our society. Also, it sounds similar to what some other cultures think on the subject. I know that some Native American tribes would banish a menstruating woman from the camp, because of 'unpleasantness'--other references to ill-will!

There are a couple of things to remember about Latin (and, as a consequence, Romance) verb forms: there are different 'groups' (for Latin: -are, -ere, -ĕre, -ire), and within each 'group' you have 6 different subjects (singular and plural forms of 1st person (speaker, speaker +), 2nd person (hearer, hearer +), and 3rd person (other)). From here you have various conjugations that mix tense (time: past, present, future), aspect (how the time is described: punctual/perfect, durative/imperfect, etc.) and mood (under what conditions, if any, the utterance is placed: subjunctive, indicative, imperative). With all of this incorporated in the one word, the verb is highly descriptive and includes many aspects...which, for languages like English, are usually expressed with adverbs and adverbial clauses. In the case of Latin, every subject has its own endings, and while they are similar across the various 'groups' (in order to have some sort of symmetry), there are subtle differences, particularly with the theme vowels (-are verbs have -a- as their theme vowel...it's throughout all of the endings for -are verbs). Furthermore, each combination of tense, aspect and mood have mostly unique endings (combinations of suffixes for both the tense/aspect/mood and the subject). So...the verb forms you put above, are 2 examples of 3rd person singular (-it and -at) and 2 examples of 3rd person plural (-ant and -unt) of verbs. When you look at the syllable or two before these subject endings, you know what form you have: dormiebat: 3rd person singular imperfect (past durative) indicative--'he/she/it used to sleep/was sleeping intravit: 3rd person singular perfect (past punctual (I think...I tend to get this wrong)) indicative--'he/she/it entered' intraverunt: 3rd person plural perfect (past punctual) indicative--'they entered' bibebant: 3rd person plural imperfect (past durative) indicative--'they used to drink/they were drinking' Another great resource for a quickie grammar of Latin: University of Texas' Linguistics Research Center] and their Latin Online site. They have not only their explanation, but also several links to other sources and resources.

And the funny part is that right now I'm listening to South Park's Christmas CD...and "Adolf" is singing O Tannenbaum...is this wrong?

Things went well, yes...but I won't know anything until January, some time. In the meantime, I have 2 more interviews at the annual convention...yikes! So, on a spur-of-the-moment whim, I decided to go to dinner downtown and watch Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (which, btw, was OUTSTANDINGLY funny...tons of gag jokes and a great time for all adults!). As always, my camera was in my purse...you never know what you'll find this time of year. Lo and behold! Real Christmas stuff! I posted a ton of pics in my gallery...but I almost missed the movie, I was so giggly and child-like in my Holiday joy. *This* is what Christmas is supposed to be like!

Don Tomato, you did the true Italian version! I'm proud of you! Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Buon Natale, Feliz Natal! & Happy New Year, Feliz A

Great job, JP. Keep up the good work in 2008!

Let's hold a moment of silence for Maxie. And another one for Caldrail's sanity.........

Every year at Christmas, once school got out, my mom used to take us up to San Francisco. We'd park at the Stonestown Galleria, which is in the outskirts/Park Merced district, and take the street car into Union Square. We'd go to FAO Schwartz to play with the toys and dream of what we'd really love Santa to bring us; we'd have lunch somewhere in some cafe; we'd watch all the ice skaters fall down and look silly on the rink on top of Union Square. We'd gawk at all of the glorious displays in all of the stores...I always wanted to buy something, even if it's small, and sometimes my mom would let us. It was a tradition; my grandmother and great-aunt used to take her, and supposedly my grandmother and great-aunt used to go when they were younger (they didn't move to SF until 1925, and they were teens). To this day, I go at least once during the Christmas season, just to see what is going on. So I just posted in the gallery my pictures that I took today. There aren't many pictures of displays...it seems that in these economically uncertain times, many stores can't afford them. The Christmas Tree in the center of Union Square is still the focal point, and it's in its usual splendor. It stands strong along with the Dewey Monument, which was erected to mark the accomplishments of Admiral Dewey. Macy's has sponsored the tree for the last 5 years, as they are such a monumental part of the vibrancy of Union Square. But things change: where FAO Schwartz used to stand (it closed several years ago), Nieman Marcus has a store; they now have a tree displayed in the front, but it's nothing like the mobiles, trains, and other miraculous toys the old store had. Nephele, this is for you: The New York Times' Marquard Liquor Store! The ice skating that used to be in the Square has been moved to the Embarcadero...and I just didn't feel like crossing town to fight more crowds. But here are some links to the best treats of San Francisco during the holidays: The San Francisco Ballet's The Nutcracker: I saw it for the first time last year, and was floored. I'm not a ballet person, but it hit me hard...gorgeous. The Maritime Parade: Many of the boats and yachts in the SF Marina light things up, and show off their wares. The Victorian houses along the Marina and Chrissy Field are wonderfully dressed up, too...on a cool, crisp night it makes for a beautiful walk. The Embarcadero: Each year, as one comes in from the East Bay and goes across the Bay Bridge, this is the sight that greets you. It's not the Holidays unless the Embarcadero's lit up.

Not just the Native American children. Any child who came from a non-English-speaking family was punished for speaking anything but English, even a single word. My grandmother used to tell stories of being smacked on the hands with a yard stick every time she uttered an Italian word, and the same with the Hispanic (mostly Mexican) kids of the day. She was born in 1913, but I think the same held true in the parochial schools when my mom was a kid (the 1950s and 1960s).

You drive a fire truck? And is that your driver out front? *giggle*

Ooof...that reminds me, I have to shoot an email off to a friend... The horrid thing about these on-campus interviews is that they jam-pack your time, such that there is no time for extra visiting. Literally...they pack your time, in part because they only have a short amount of time with you, but also because it's thought of as 'bad hospitality' if you leave the guest alone for a time. For example, my agenda for the next couple of days: --Arrive Sunday 8:40pm, go to where I'm staying the night. Monday: 8:30am--get picked up 9:30-10:20am--campus tour (this might get changed) 10:30-11:20--interview 1 (with professors) 11:30-12:50--lulnch 1:00-2:00--Interview 2 (with professors) 2:00-3:00--Interview 3 (with big-wig on campus) 3:30-5:00--presentation/lecture and meet with students 5:15--check into B&B for the night 6:30pm--dinner with the department Tuesday: 10:00-12:00--another tour 12:30--lunch, drive to airport See? Not much time...and, sadly, not much room for meeting. For example, I have a very dear friend who just got a new professorship in the area, and would love to meet up with her...no idea if it's really feasible.

So, in the humanities and social sciences, most of 'us' are well-entrenched in the academic hiring process. Letters and dossiers have been sent, and the first round of interviews are about to commence. The usual process is to interview either by phone or at a convention (which tends to occur right after Christmas, or perhaps the first week of January), followed by an on-campus interview which lasts 2ish days; this second interview is usually done in January or February, so that decisions can be done in March. Thursday 30 November, Bella woke me up at 7:30am...I told her I wanted to sleep until 8am. At exactly 8:03am, my phone rings...it's someone from one of the universities which I applied for^. They want to set up an interview. Uh, sure! No problem! My adrenaline starts pumping immediately, waking me up far more so than normal at 8am. (Have I mentioned that I'm pretty much brainless, especially in connecting thoughts to vocal aparatii, before 9:30am?) No...they want me to fly out there. After quickly catching my jaw before it hits the floor, I agree. They want me to fly out 2 December for an interview on 3 December...nope, sorry, guys, but I have to give a final exam that day, and activities the following day preclude me from flying out there. But I can do it after that. Ok, they say...please fly out here for the following week (we'll reimburse you, of course). [NB: this is normal for on-campus interviews, that either the school schedules the flight or, in many cases, the interviewee schedules it and is reimbursed once they get to the interview.] I'm calm, poised, ready for action during the phone conversation and in the booking of my flight (hot damn I love American Airlines and the AmEx I have with them...POINTS! POINTS! POINTS!). I call the professor back and ask for an email, so I can forward my confirmation. Sure thing. Done. I put the phone down...Bella just starts looking at me with that cute kitten face (you know the one: Ooh! Whatcha doing?! Can I come, too?!)...and I'm trying not to squeal like a little girl (don't want to freak Bella out completely), but it's hard to muffle it. Seriously...I have an on-campus interview as my first interview...I'm just finishing my first article, so I'm going to try it out on them (I don't know if it's the wisest move, but I want to show that I'm moving on from my recently-finished dissertation, and not stuck on it). The only minor problem is that since I had my suit last tailored, I've put on a few pounds...on the other hand, it's tailored to my 4" heels, and since the forecast calls for snow and sleet, perhaps it's best to set the wardrobe around my stacked-heeled loafers (much lower heel, thicker heel...rubber soles). Yes, yes, I know, not the greatest snow gear, but consider this: 1) I don't live in an area where it snows...and don't know if I will be; 2) I still have to dress to impress, and snow boots aren't exactly punching a wow-factor; and, perhaps more importantly, 3) I'm not going to be walking around outside much. Yes, there's a campus tour planned, but I'm guessing that if it's snowing and/or sleeting, there's not going to be much of that. Thankfully my 'good' long coat is wool, warm, and should do ok. I wish I had a weatherproof one, but again, I don't want to buy one and then end up not needing it after the interviews*. So we'll see. So, tonight I'll finish the PowerPoint presentation and accompaning handouts. Tomorrow off to Kinko's to copy them, a couple of loads of laundry, and last minute stuff. My brother flies back from LA-La-land Sunday afternoon, and will take care of Bella while I'm gone. I come back Tuesday night...and hopefully full of tales. ^I'm keeping this 'anonymous', so that I don't possibly get this jinxed. Also, for decorum-sake. I'm not even going to give the location, short of the fact that it's east of the Mississippi...you never know.... *Yes, I said interviews. I have to go to our 'convention', which is in FREEZING COLD CHICAGO on THE WEEK AFTER CHRISTMAS...they are going to move it to the first week of January, but that's not until 2010, so I'm freezing until then. Buggery bollocks, as Edina Moon would say.

Watch it, Don Tomato...I'll send Minerva on your ass, and I'm sure Neph will have a bevy of powerful gods hot on your Southern Eye-trallion tail. As for the women you've unfortunately had to deal with as 'superiors', Caldrail...what can I say, other than they are poor examples of my kind. It's women like them that make it worse for us normal lasses.

Aren't sulfides and sulfites two different things? As far as I know, sulfites are found in wine in small quantities, but are also sometimes added as a preservative. Wine with a lot of sulfites gives me headaches. Ow. -- Nephele You are so right, and it was my error. I corrected my post above. Thanks, Neph.

I believe that we've all also answered your 2nd question, GO...if not, perhaps you can guide us? Well, to be honest...when reading *anything*, one must be somewhat cynical. Every author, be they ancient or modern, has a bias...this is something which should be tatooed on every school child's brain, yet it's sorely missing. Furthermore, bias is not a bad thing: it means that the author/speaker has a point they wish to get across, they have an opinion, and they are trying to convince you of their point. Personally, I see bias as a good thing; otherwise we're pretty boring. How do you know what to believe? Well, follow your gut and your common sense, and use some logic. Keep an open mind; this is something that most everyone needs to be reminded of. Bottom line, believe what makes sense to you...and be understanding and critical (yes, you can do both) of all research which is presented. Think about it, mull it over, wrestle with it, and make your own opinions. It seems like a daunting task...but it's one everyone can do. All of the above is especially true in the humanities and social sciences; when one has "cold hard facts," things get a little different, but the same reasoning processes apply. There, my $0.02.