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Greetings, Quotaholics:
We
recently had the honor of attending my daughters graduation from college.
I
feel a little bragging is in order here. She got her associates degree
and will be transferring to a 4 year school in the fall to pursue her
bachelors degree. She was able to complete her associates completely
on scholarships, so dad didn’t have to try to figure out how to
pay, and she graduated with honors!
Of course graduations are always fun. There’s the parading in,
the introductions, the speeches, and finally, what everyone came for,
the awarding of the diplomas.
Invariably, there are a few students who do something, shall we say,
“different” when it comes their turn to walk. At my daughter’s
graduation it was the class clown who had to dance his way across the
stage to much hooting and applause from his fellow students.
I think everyone thought it was funny, if somewhat immature. I don’t
think anyone was upset or offended. Certainly the faculty didn’t
seem bothered by it.
But some schools have a narrower view of what is proper behavior. Schools
like Bonny Eagle High School in Maine.
According to an article a Yahoo
Buzz, “‘Four years ago we had some issues with silly
string and beach balls,’ said (school superintendent Suzanne)
Lukas.”
So this year students agreed to new rules meant to prevent any “misbehavior”.
These rules lead to a problem for senior Justin Denney. According to
Fox News,
“A Maine high school senior was denied his diploma at graduation
after he took a bow when his name was called, pointed to friends and
blew a kiss to his family.”
“School Superintendent Suzanne Lukas abruptly told Denney to return
to his seat, according to WMTW TV in Maine. He didn’t get his diploma.”
“Mary Denney (Justin’s mother) doesn’t believe her son violated
any code of conduct.”
“‘There was no misbehavior. Showboating is not misbehavior,’
she told the station. ‘A bow, a kiss to your mom is not misbehavior.’”
Now in all fairness to the school, I suspect the bow and kiss were somewhat
exaggerated, but to deny the student his diploma seems a bit harsh to
me. What now, is he a high school dropout? Will he have to repeat his
senior year?
What do you think? Does the punishment seem to fit the crime to you?
Could the rules have possibly been meant to be this strict?
Did you do anything silly at your graduation? Did any of the students?
Would you have wished for rules this strict at your, or your child’s,
graduation?
No Showboating,
Comment
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"We’re all in this alone." - Lily Tomlin
"Writing is not necessarily
something to be ashamed of, but do it in private and wash your hands
afterwards." - Robert Heinlein
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Charm School
[Thanks Sied]
Two nicely dressed
ladies happen to start up a conversation during an endless wait in
the LAX airport. The 1st lady was an arrogant California woman married
to a wealthy man. The second was a well mannered elderly woman from
the South.
When the conversation centered on whether they had any children the
California woman started by saying, “When my first child was born,
my husband built a beautiful mansion for me.”
The lady from the South commented, “Well, isn’t that precious?
The first woman continued, “When my second child was born, my husband
bought me a beautiful Mercedes-Benz.”
Again, the lady from the South commented, “Well, isn’t that precious?
The first woman continued boasting, “Then, when my third child was
born, my husband bought me this exquisite diamond bracelet.”
Yet again, the Southern lady commented, “Well, isn’t that precious??
The first woman then asked her companion, ” What did your husband
buy for you when you had your first child?”
“My husband sent me to charm school,” declared the Southern lady.
“Charm school??” the first woman cried, “Oh my God! What on earth
for?”
The Southern lady responded, “Well for one thing, instead of saying
“Who gives a shit?” I learned to say, ‘Well, isn’t that precious?”
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"Each individual piece is a calculated attempt to entice women
to add to their wardrobe."
"When in doubt wear
red."
"Something about glamour
interested me. All my schoolbooks had drawings of women on terraces
with a cocktail and a cigarette." - all from Bill Blass, born on
this day in 1922
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Speak
right up!
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Life
What is life? People are alive. Animals are alive. Microorganisms
are alive. Plants are alive. We have a wide variety of living things
right here on our planet, yet we search for more, here and beyond
our atmosphere.
It seems the definition of life depends on one form of motion or another.
People move. We measure all sorts of movements within ourselves to
determine whether we are alive or not. Movement of blood within us
is a prime determination. Movement of involuntary muscles is also
used to see if a person is breathing, if their eyes react to light,
or if their heart has is beating. We even measure the flow of electrical
impulses through the neurons and synapses of our bodies to see if
the brain is working or if the extremities are getting their signals.
Even trees and flowers are considered to be alive if they show some
movement. No, they don’t get up and walk away, but if they don’t bud
in spring, or have sap running through their fibrous trunks, we consider
them dead. Microbes are viewed by super magnification devices to see
if they continue to move.
Some say plant have feelings. They aren’t the same as the sensory
capacities of humans and other animals, but there has been a lot of
funding to show how plants react to different stimuli when they are
in a controlled environment. There are no neurons in plants, or none
we have identified yet. They do not have synapses to use to think
or feel. The only movement they perform is growth, or at least swaying
in the breeze. But we consider them alive anyway.
Rock moves. It doesn’t move like animals do, nor even as plants do.
Many all over the world will attest to the veracity of an earthquake.
However, only a few societies attribute any spiritual nature to rocks,
dirt, soil, and other minerals. Generally, we simply do not consider
it to be alive.
How then are we to discover life beyond our own planet if we have
such a limited view of what constitutes "life"? We are carbon-based.
Carbon is just an element plentiful on Mother Earth. However, we consist
mostly of water, a combination of elements also extremely plentiful
here. Neither of these, or any other of the elements within us are
"organic", per se. But, combined as they are, they create
an organic creature.
Here’s your quiz:
Do you think "life" exists out there in the universe?
Do you think humans have the capability to discern the presence of
other "life" forms?
Besides
movement, are there any other base methods to determine if "life"
exists?
Is the guy in the cubicle next to you really alive, or is he simply
capable of doing nothing for extended periods of time?
Life - Not Just A Breakfast Cereal
Cliff (the High-Tech
Redneck who doesn’t rate a fancy ’signature pic’) 
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Email Kirsten
“A
deft, half-unconscious twist of the wrist and another fly fell to
the ground, maimed. To kill a fly was careless. Cripple it, then the
bastard would suffer and repay in tiny measure your own suffering.”
~ James Clavell - King Rat ~
Last week, during one of my daily subway commutes to the office, I
opened the newspaper to read a horrifying account of an animal-rights
violation. This one was right up there with the mass-mutilation of
cats. It caught the attention of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment
of Animals), and prompted them to send free samples of animal-safety
devices to none other than the President of the United States. President
Obama - the guy that some people love to hate and that other people
love to love - showed a blatant disregard for animal rights and a
complete lack of compassion towards our non-human, um, friends. What
did he do that was so terrible that PETA felt compelled to get on
their high horse? He swatted
a fly. Instead of capturing the pesky creature and releasing it
outdoors, he swatted it. He prematurely cut short this innocent insect’s
life instead of allowing it to reach its full potential and live long
enough to die of natural causes.
Has the world gone completely insane? You would think PETA would have
far bigger fish to fry (sorry, I know that’s an entirely inappropriate
metaphor to use for PETA, but I couldn’t resist). This is about as
ridiculous as the time PETA encouraged students to drink
beer instead of milk for the benefit of the cows. Now, before
anyone jumps, I want to make it clear that I am making no statement
whatsoever on the effects of dairy production on cows. I don’t know
nearly enough about the process to comment. But encouraging alcohol
consumption among a population segment that is not even legally allowed
to drink? C’mon!
I love animals, and I abhor animal cruelty as much as the next person.
I grew up surrounded by pets; I have volunteered at the Humane Society.
That’s not to say that I haven’t made mistakes, of course. PETA would
have been absolutely horrified if they had seen my brother and I when
we were very young children. When I was four and my brother was six,
one of the family dogs was a Fox Terrier named Twiggy. Twiggy was
one of the most manic creatures I have ever encountered. Picture the
Energizer Bunny on steroids. This dog was highly entertaining by virtue
of being completely nuts.
In the front yard where we lived at the time, there was a big flower
bed filled with brightly coloured flowers, which in turn were popular
hang-out spots for a large number of neighbourhood bees. Twiggy’s
energy-levels took on a whole new proportion when there were bright
colours around. My brother and I, cruel children that we were, would
get out our red, yellow and blue beach ball and throw it into the
flower bed, knowing that Twiggy would run after it as if her life
depended on it. We would then roll on the ground in fits of giggles
while Twiggy spun around in circles snapping at the bees.
We were so young that were oblivious to the danger we were putting
the dog in. All we saw was the entertainment value. We were the kinds
of kids who would hold elaborate funeral services for our goldfish
and bury them in mini-graves in the back yard, complete with crosses
made of matches. As we grew older we recognized the trauma that we
had made poor Twiggy endure. Twiggy herself survived our childhood
taunts and eventually died of natural causes when I was well into
my teens.
I am all for respecting and promoting the rights of animals. During
my time as a volunteer at the Humane Society, I saw some animals that
had been victims of unspeakable cruelty. These animals would bolt
into a corner and shrivel up in fear as soon as a human entered the
room. It was unbearably sad and I found myself filled with rage toward
the people who had been responsible.
We have to balance our concern for animals with practical considerations,
though. It is one thing to ensure that we treat our pets with respect,
and that animals bred to be eaten do not endure cruelty for the short
duration of their lives. It is something else entirely to avoid ever
swatting a fly.
Next we’ll be told we cannot kill the mosquitoes that bite us. They’re
just little insects, for crying out loud. We’ll just ignore the small
matters of malaria and West Nile Virus. Let them live!
Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten
Comment
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Write
to Faithy
Faithy’s Freaky
Sites (and free downloads)
Yes,
I am finally back again, after a simply horrid experience with a Trojan
generator that managed to infiltrate my system and spawn it’s many
nosy children onto, into, and out from my system. So much for MY skills
in security, I proudly pass that hat to our Tim, who through great
diligence finally rescued me.
I
am still 3 weeks or so behind on e-mail, but determined to get this
weeks RGQ out so. . .
Happy
Monday RGQ !!!
I have missed several great opportunities, holidays and noteworthy
events in my absence, but never fear, I won’t try to recover all of
them. Just two. One today and one Wednesday, and then beginning on
Friday I will revert back to real time. The two days I wish to commemorate
both occurred on the same day this year – Sunday June 21st. One is
the Solstice and the other is Father’s Day. Since my father is gone,
and the season will still be here, I will begin with Father’s Day.
My
Dad was a great guy. He was one of those fellows who was quiet and
unassuming, with a ready joke and a simple wit. My father wasn’t ever
the most popular guy around, but I never met anyone who didn’t like
him. He could get along with anyone. I admire that trait, and envy
it a bit. I never had that knack myself. My father died in September
of 2003. He was ready to go, and hung on for a year and a half after
the loss of my mother, more for My sake than his own. I cherished
every one of those days. After he passed I did the internet memorial
thing, and lit a candle for him. If you wish to view it please go
here.
http://www.candleserver.org/index.php?lang=en&kerze=882
He
was also a proud veteran of WWII, and we were proud of him for his
service. Here is a link to Dad on the Navy memorial Site named for
the “Lone Sailor”.
http://spg.navymemorial.org/individual.aspx?&navy_log_id=275452
These
two sites keep me close to dad, but I still miss him everyday. Cherish
your parents while you have them, even when they are a pain. I was
fortunately able to place my life on hold to care for both my parents
at the end, when they needed me. It is a great comfort when they are
gone, to know I was there for them when they needed me. It wasn’t
easy, but it was all worth it in the end. Don’t wish you had, when
it is too late.
Another
interesting point to mention this Father’s Day is that we have a father
of young children in the Whitehouse again. Yes, very Ameri-centric
of me, but I like him. I like the messages they are putting out across
our country. Mr Obama grew up with an absentee father. A few gifts,
cards and letters were about all he knew of him. He understands, first
hand, how important it is to be a Dad. As he said, “Any fool can have
a baby, but it takes a Man to raise one” and with that I again Thank
my father, for he did truly Raise me. He was there every step of the
way. Even when I was an ass, he was there. To this day, approaching
50 years old, and with grandchildren of my own, the first picture
that flashes in my brain when I think of my father is one of Reaching
up with my whole hand, over my head, to grasp his finger. And knowing
in that second that I was safe and would never be alone.
Do
yourselves a favor and search "Daddy" and "fathers
day" on YouTube, the stuff there is remarkable, funny and endearing
all at once.
Happy
Belated Father’s Day to All our RGQ Dad’s out there,
 the
Freeloader
With another load of _ _ _ _
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On Friday I told you about RegistryProt,
a free utility that monitors what starts when your computer starts.
At the time I hadn’t tried RPADMIN, a program that comes with RegistryProt.
That’s a simple program that lets you start and stop RegistryProt,
and also will install it for you. There’s no need to create a shortcut
in your Programs -> Startup folder, so you can just delete that.
There was also some joker (and I’m not going to mention Larry’s name)
that told me it didn’t run on Vista. Well, the site doesn’t say it
runs on Vista, but since I tested it on Vista, I would have to say
that it does. Just right click on RPADMIN, select Run as Administrator,
click OK to the prompts, and have fun. Vista’s registry is more complicated
than XP’s, so RegistryProt might not catch everything, but it caught
what started on my computer.
Now that we’ve got that straight, I want to talk about something
I found while I was doing my research. It’s gonna kill me to say this,
but it’s a Microsoft product that might help your computer. To me,
that’s like saying my mother is a virgin. She ain’t, and I’ve rarely
found Microsoft useful. But this just might be. It’s a program that
will return your computer to the original boot condition, or so it
claims. The College uses a similar program called “GoBack”, but that
costs money. This one is free.
I haven’t tested it, but the theory is sound, and the price is right.
I can try to screw up my computer as much as I can, and it will return
it to the original working state once I reboot. A good thing if you
have kids that are smarter than you, or if you’re like me and try
to break computers. Microsoft thinks it can fix it, no matter what
damage I manage to invent.
Microsoft: The
game is on.
Tim a’Musing
Having a Ball with Yarns
Comment
On This Article
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Icings
Store buttercream icing in an air tight container in the refrigerator.
Fresh is best, so don’t make buttercream icing in advance if possible.
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Ha, Ha, good ones! And welcome back Marsha.
A quick scan of the archives revealed that it’s been way too long since
you contributed! Thanks.
Next opening line…
I ate till I thought I would die…
Hints:
Here’s a great new rhyming/composition tool. http://www.writerhymes.com/
There’s also a great rhyming dictionary at http://www.rhymezone.com/
Limerick rules. http://freespace.virgin.net/merrick.sheldon/limerickrules.htm
Submit
Opening Line
Submit
Limerick
I
like a big burger with cheese
And chili fries would be the bee’s knees
Oh yes, one thing more
A diet drink I’d adore
I’m trying to loose weight, if you please. - Anne Onimous |
I
like a big burger with cheese
Just like the one I saw on TV
Not some shy burger
That’s thinner than thicker
I need something to quench my munchies. - E. Cole Aye |
I like a
big burger with cheese
With an order of fries if you please
Dripping with mayonnaise
And a donut with glaze. . .
Yep, that ought to clog my arteries. - E. Cole Aye |
I like a
big burger with cheese—
except that it can make me sneeze—
when I add the pepper
it surely tastes better
but soon I will then start to wheeze. - Cassandra in New York |
I like a
big burger with cheese……
And fries or chips if you please…..
And some onion I think……..
Though it will make me stink……
Much less than carrots and peas - Skeeter |
I like a
big burger with cheese……
With a bit of "mayonneese"………
Well it rhymes don’t you see……….
Even if you disagree……….
Or you it doesn’t please. - Skeeter |
I like a
big burger with cheese……..
Or even without one would please..
I like hotdogs as well……….
As my friends you will tell……….
Could eat a couple with ease. - Skeeter |
I like a
big burger with cheese
And lots of lettuce too, please
I love onions too
But they make my breath ewww
So I eat and then stand in the breeze. - Marsha in Michigan |
I like a
big burger with cheese
I also like sitting in trees
I like little puppies
And funny-eyed guppies
And I love writing limericks with ease! - Marsha in Michigan |
I like a
big burger with cheese
And a side of fries if you please
I find it so sad
That to eat this is bad
I’ll probably die of some heart disease - Bonnie |
I like a
big burger with cheese
In fact I eat dozens of these
Although healthwise they’re shit
And I have to admit
When I look down I can’t see my knees - Julian, England |
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Re: Yearbook Picture - Shadow or Something Else
Good Grief, that word makes my jaws tight. Whether or not the girl was
wearing underwear, is her own business. It may be a poor clothing choice,
but it’s hers to make, as is the Myspace junk. The picture should have
been caught and screened before it was published, yes, the photographer
could be prosecuted, and the principal, etc., etc., etc., confiscate
the books, and reprint them. The girl will grow up some day, and if
it’s any consolation, she won’t thank her mother for being such a ditz
and poor example. The point I’m trying to make, is we are supposed to
be past the age where women are judged by what they wear. This is very
much like blaming a rape victim because she wore a low cut blouse. I’m
glad you’re fully clothed, because I don’t appreciate looking at men’s
butt cracks, either. - L&K, herm
[I
don’t even like looking at mine!]
Can you say future porn star queen? Makes you wonder if mom is trying
to live through her daughter and encouraging the behavior or if they
just come by it naturally? - Ruth in Washington
So, did Alex Rodriguez get her too? - Lucille
Hey it’s not like the students aren’t warned ahead of time that such
and such day pictures for the year book are being taken! I remember
we had two week’s notice in school. So you mark that day on the old
calendar and wear something appropriate for that day! Duh! It’s not
like they just came in and said: "Hey wouldn’t this be a good day
to take yearbook pictures?" The photographers schedule this stuff.
- Phyllis
Being curious, I looked online for the offending picture. I agree with
the school officials. It looks like a shadow to me. There is way to
much darkness in the unretouched photos for it to be, er natural. I
did a Google search with the school’s name and got the pictures. Her
distress seems a little ludicrous since she broadcast it to the world.
I’m sure the school will fall all over itself apologizing to Commando
Girl. They will eat the cost of reprinting the yearbook. I would like
to think they would simply tear out the page, but then the people who
wore their big girl panties to school will whine about being deleted.
Because she chose to make this big brouhaha out of this, she is forever
going to be known to her classmates and the girl who didn’t wear underwear
and then didn’t know how to sit. And the no panty lines is pure bullshit.
There are so many other ways to avoid that, including wearing the right
size garments. - Patti
[That
was my thinking Patti, if she hadn’t come out on television and said
she wasn’t wearing underwear nobody would have know for sure.
I looked at the pictures too, purely research you understand, and I
couldn’t tell. It doesn’t seem right that the taxpayers would
have to cover the cost of having a reprint.]
Re: Cliff and Birthdays
Oy–you mean I still have
to think about birthdays? Aren’t 55 of them enough now–or do I get
to count backwards next year? When I was a kid (in the dark ages, of
course) it was homemade birthday cake, ice cream, a few gifts and friends.
We were broke with six kids in the family so that’s how it went. Mom
swears the two siblings who were ten years and one day apart were planned,
and also the one born three days after Christmas, which I always thought
was a raw deal for him!
The family parties
usually had homemade ice cream since we all liked it, or watermelon
for the summer ones. My dad’s dad would treat the group to lunch at
a local cafeteria after church. That could be a real budget buster since
he had two married children with eight children between them.
My kids got a card
and a small gift–we were usually too broke to do much when they were
little. Nowadays it’s a card and a small gift still–we are still too
broke!! My granddaughter and grandson are the only ones on either side
of the family so they have their own toy factories! For her third birthday
this year her mom has said no more toys unless they are craft things
or clothes–she can’t take it anymore. But they still have a simple
party–mostly for family at the moment since they are both just babies.
Her mom isn’t the type to get carried away with theme parties and other
excesses, thank goodness! - Ruth in Washington
Cliff said: How did you celebrate your birthday when you were a kid?
Rarely! A couple of years of friends coming over and playing simple
games and running around, one roller skating party, one awful trip to
Farrell’s, and I refused to celebrate after age ten (much to my mum’s
chagrin because she so wanted to throw me a sweet sixteen). I never
understood why we have to celebrate another travel around the sun.
How
did you celebrate a child’s birthday recently?
My nephew had his first birthday, and we gathered in their house, admired
him and his cuteness, had some food and cake, and moved on. Low key
and right on.
Do you
set a gift purchase limit for a gift you give or for others to give
your kids?
I don’t have kids, but I definitely think there should be limits!
If you
could celebrate your birthday any way you wished, how would you celebrate
it?
I choose to not celebrate, to the point that I ask the few people who
know when my birthday is to not even remind me, though someone just
told me that this makes me incredibly selfish because I deprive the
people who care about me the chance to show it. I am still digesting
this info, and will get back to you on whether I agree or not later.
- Bear
When I was a kid, I used to
have birthday parties and would invite my friends and my brother and
sister’s friends. I don’t remember if I received presents from them
but we would have cake and coke and ice cream too. The birthday I most
remember was my 8th birthday. My mom used to work in a burger joint
called Popeye and I invited 11 kids. I remember because my parents said
it quite a few times after that. Not that they were complaining, but
because we had a station wagon and all of the kids were in the back
with the seat down and my mom kept saying that we were lighting the
signs with the headlights. I received from the manager a ring with Popeye
on it! What a thrill! He even put it on my finger! My sister, brother
and I got T-Shirts and caps too. And there was a lady that came to wish
me a happy birthday and I was all amazed that she knew it was MY birthday.
How could she have known about it? 
We are about to celebrate my niece’s birthday on July 3rd and I was
told by her mom that the gift has to be small, useable preferably. They
are moving at the end of July and she does not want to have to move
a bit thing. Since there are 11 grandkids on my husband’s side, we have
agreed that we only give small gifts and it does not have to be expensive.
Plus, if it is big and bulky, we might end up with something bigger
and bulkier as pay back, not as a competition. Plus if it makes a lot
of noise, our kids’ birthday is also coming up eventually and as I like
to say, revenge is a dish better served cold.
As for how I would celebrate my birthday any way I wished? I just turned
40 recently and I decided to throw myself a party. I’ve always wanted
to do a murder mystery. So I bought a game, invited friends over and
they were not told it was for my birthday. I had a good time and my
gift from them was their time with me doing something I enjoyed. - Nathalie
Re: Cliff and Fences and Lawns
Cliff said: Have you had neighbors so uncaring that they let their
pet soil your lawn?
Oh boy,
have I got a tale for you! I live in a small town where the houses are
very close together. One neighbor with a large dog used to let it leave
rather large calling cards on our front lawn. That was bad enough, but
the lady next door ran a beauty shop in back of her home and her customers
had to pass by the calling cards on our lawn. That lady used to pick
up the evidence and deposit on our front steps on a lovely paper towel
doily to emphasize that she thought it was our dog leaving the messes
behind. Even when that part of the family moved out, taking the dog
with them, she would still leave the friendly calling cards on the steps
for me to dispose of. I even bought a couple of signs and posted them
in the front yard. The dog owner stole them. A steel fence would have
been ideal, especially if I could have electrified it. - Peg
Reader Submission
I realize you weren’t making fun of my plight, I definitely took it
in the vein that it was meant. Just whining, my back has hurt for so
long……..Bonnie >^,,^<
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Disclaimer- All quotes printed in this publication are believed to be
accurately attributed, but no guarantees are made that some incorrectly
attributed, or even outright false quotes won’t get in here from time
to time. I assure readers that I will do my best to weed out incorrect
quotes, and will print a retraction as soon as I become aware of any errors.
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Click here to see the archives of past issues, or go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/reallygoodquotes/messages.
If you run across something really outstanding when perusing the archives,
I’d appreciate it if you’d mail me at TheBestOfRGQ@yahoo.com
and point it out to me. I’m in the process of compiling an e-book
called, not surprisingly, The Best of RGQ, and I’d like to hear from you
which pieces impacted you the most. |
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