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Greetings,
Quotaholics:
Chris
Paul is the senior class president, and a star point guard on the
West Forsyth High School basketball team in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
He’s a well-grounded young man with a close-knit family, and no one
was closer to him than his grandfather Nathaniel Jones.
Jones,
61, ran a service station, and he’d tell his customers he was closing
early to watch his grandson play every time Chris had a game.
He was always there to watch, and Chris knew he could always count on
his grandfather to be there for him.
On
November 14, Chris was accepted with a full basketball scholarship to
nearby Wake Forest University. He was walking on air, but the
very next day his world came crashing down. His grandfather was
found slain, beaten and left to die in the carport next to his home.
His wallet was missing.
When
Chris’ next game came, he said his first thought was, "How can
I go out there on that court knowing my grandfather’s not there? And
my aunt mentioned before I went to the Parkland game, she said, ‘How
about 61 points for your granddad?’ And I just thought to myself, ‘That
would be lovely’ and I just thought to myself, ‘Ain’t no way I can do
that.’"
And
yet the teen decided to go for it, one point for each year of his grandfather’s
life, without even letting his parents know what he had planned.
He went on an absolute scoring rampage, nailing 24 points in the second
quarter alone. By the third quarter, the game was wrapped up,
but he continued. Word spread through the crowd about what his
intentions were. His mother, Robin Paul, heard about it through
the grapevine. "I think I heard some of the children talk
about it but I didn’t believe them. I mean 61 points, come on.
That’s just almost unreal, so I didn’t believe it."
But
Chris kept on hammering home point after point, and his total started
to climb. 40, 45, 50 points, and still he perservered. With
two minutes to go in the game, he had scored an unbelievable 59 points.
Then he drove to the hoop, took a hard foul and the shot dropped, and
just like that, he had his 61.
Chris
recalled, "And I laid it up and I got fouled and it went in.
And I lay there for a second and was just overwhelmed because I knew
that at this moment in time, this is something I’d never forget. Ever.
It just felt like I could have died and went to heaven right there."
Then came his foul shot. "I walked to the free throw line,
he gave me the ball and I shot an air ball right out of bounds.
And my coach took me out. I just looked at my dad and started crying."
His
stunned father, Charles Paul, watched in disbelief. "It was
just like everything came out of him. He just walked over to me
and gave me a hug. He just fell in to my arms. It just tore me up because
of what he had just done."
Chris’
total was six points shy of the state record, but the only thing that
mattered to him at that moment was the number 61.
Chris
believes that the incredible moment helped him deal with the pain of
losing his beloved grandfather. "I believe it makes me stronger
but it’s so hard because … we’re still getting through it.
My granddad did so much for our family that it’s unreal. It’s hard to
go on right now … I’m thankful for my granddad and I’ll never
forget him. Ever."
I
read this story and it almost choked me with emotion. I think
of the incredible determination of that young man, and the horrible
toll that another senseless murder has exacted on a family. Six
familes, actually, since there are five juveniles now in custody on
murder charges.
Chris
Paul is a man with a future. I don’t know if he’ll be a pro basketball
player or if he’ll run a service station, but I’d be willing to bet
money that whatever he does he’ll be successful at. His story
is a combination of tragedy, love, perserverance, tribute, and sheer
guts. I wish for his sake that it had never happened, because
that would mean his grandfather was still there with him, but his will
and courage dealing with his pain is an absolute inspiration to me.
Awe-Struckly,
P.S.
I wrote this piece in 2003, and at the time I predicted Chris
would be successful because of his incredible determination and heart.
Since this is an archives piece I decided to see what I could find about
Chris Paul.
Turns
out I was right. He’s definitely a success, now, playing professional
basketball for the New Orleans Hornets. Here’s a link
to his page. This is a young man on whose success I would have
bet, and I couldn’t be happier than to learn he’s living up to his potential.
You go, Chris!
Comment
on this article |
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it worth $1 a month to you to keep RGQ going? Please click the
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| Today’s
Quotes |
“A strong positive mental attitude will create more miracles than any
wonder drug.” - Patricia Neal
“Hardening of the attitudes starts long before hardening of the arteries.”
- William A. Marsteller
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| Today’s
Chuckle |
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Energy Drink
[Thanks Bonnie]
What’s that drink
you’re mixing” the stranger asked the bartender in the upscale Tex-Mex
bar.
“I call it a lil’ Texas Shooter”, said the bartender as he continued
to mix up several batches of the drink.
“What’s in it ?” asked the stranger.
“Sugar, milk and rum.” said the barkeep.
“Is it good ?” asked the man.
“Sure is, Senor.” said the bartender smiling. “The sugar gives you pep,
and the milk gives you plenty of energy.”
“And the rum?” asked the stranger.
That gives you plenty of ideas what to do with all that pep and energy.”
quipped the bartender.
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| Life
Sentences |
“A daydream is an evasion.”
“Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm
and harmony.”
“Peace demands the most heroic labor and the most difficult sacrifice.
It demands greater heroism than war. It demands greater fidelity to
the truth and a much more perfect purity of conscience.” - All by American
author and monk Thomas Merton born on this day in 1915
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| Image’n
That! |
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| My
Most Embarrassing Moment
My Scariest Moment |
Ldo wanted to share a scary moment with us. Thanks ldo!
Have you ever misplaced your child? Did you experience that hollowness
in the pit of your stomach? That scary feeling with all kinds of bad
thoughts running through your mind? I have. It happened 30 years ago.
When I had a day off and my wife was working, I and a family friend
took our five-year old boys to the mall. We kept close eyes on them
as there had been child abductions in the city, with severe sexual
abuse reported.
We instructed our boys to stay close to us, and we held on to their
hands as much as we could. In one of the stores, I was checking out
an item and turned to show it to my friend. When I turned back, I
noticed my son was not there. I looked all around the immediate area.
Nothing. I noticed my friend looking around too. His son was also
missing. How could that happen? We took our eyes off them for just
a minute.
We both started running around and checking all the aisles. Of course
we immediately thought "abduction". We ran out the side
entrance, which was only 40 feet away, but saw nothing. No kids, no
adults, only a few cars. We ran to the cars and checked each one -
nothing. We went back inside and contacted mall security.
By this time, only about 3-4 minutes had elapsed. After giving descriptions
of the boys to a security officer, he alerted mall officers to be
on the lookout, and to start checking all stores. My friend and I
did the same.
After about 10 minutes, one officer asked us to come to a toy store
at the other end of the mall. We did. He pointed to 2 boys sitting
on the floor at the back of the store playing, and asked us if these
were our sons. They were!
Now, can you imagine the relief we felt? My knees almost buckled.
I had tears in my eyes. But my child was safe. Our children were safe,
oblivious to the all that had happened in the past 15 minutes. They
were just laughing and playing, as children do.
Have you ever been in a similar situation? Have you ever lost someone?
Have you ever been lost? Have you ever found a lost someone?
Submit
your Most Embarrassing Moment | Submit
your Scariest Moment
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Speak right up!
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| Cliff’s
Notes
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Recovery
My last article described the preparation for my colonoscopy.
As Paul Harvey used to say, this is "the rest of the story".
It took from 3 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. to get the preparatory part done.
I was told this was the worst part, to which I can fully agree.
The cramps and frequent trips to the toilet were rather uncomfortable.
Luckily I was smart enough to include a choice of apple juice between
doses of laxative so I would not become dehydrated, nor would I be totally
starved.
There was some residual effect in the morning upon rising, but it was
nowhere near what I had experienced the evening before. I did
partake of coffee when it was done. I learned this wasn’t the
wisest thing to do. They really don’t want anything on your stomach
while performing the "procedure". As such, after arriving
at 7:15 a.m., I had to wait a little while to make sure all had passed,
so to speak.
I was escorted to a little room defined only by the bed and the curtains
that separated me from other patients. I was to disrobe entirely
and put on the traditional robe that opens in the back. After
taking my "vitals", I had an I.V. inserted. I was asked
a lot of questions about my history, my previous day’s success, and
what my coffee contained this morning. I must have passed the
test because I was soon wheeled off, bed & all, to the "procedure
room".
I met the staff who would be participating. Some had already introduced
themselves in the preparatory process. I was shown the monitor
connected to the camera I was going to have used on me. The anesthesiologist
then said he would make me sleepy and inserted a needle into my I.V.
tubing. The solution in the needle was white, so I commented that
I finally got the milk to go with my coffee. He chuckled and said,
"Yes, this is milk of amnesia." I think I chuckled.
I heard a voice and I opened my eyes. A different person was there.
And, I was in a different place. I immediately recognized this
and commented that I supposed it was all over. She said yes.
After checking on me, I was given some cookies and a Diet Coke.
She told me to release the air they had introduced during the procedure.
As I was feeling bloated, I immediately complied. Shortly thereafter,
I had the longest duration and most satisfactory feeling fart I have
ever experienced. On a scale of 1 to 10, it had to be a 12!
I called my wife and told her she could come pick me up. As we
live close, it didn’t take long for her to arrive. I was escorted
out by the nurse. I had been advised not to drive, call old girlfriends, engage
in sexting, operate machinery, or sign any contracts as I will be under
the influence of the anesthesia for the bulk of the day. I agreed.
Instead, I chose to write these articles.
Upon arriving home, I sat down and relaxed. A polyp had been removed
and I would expect a report on it in a week or so. Since I was
allowed to eat anything I wished to eat, I had some lunch. There
is very little residual discomfort other than needing to expel the air
that remains, but I am already highly skilled at that.
Here’s your quiz:
Have you had a recovery period after a medical procedure? If so,
how long was it?
Have you had dietary restrictions due to illness or medical procedure?
If so, how well did you handle it?
Do you joke around with your anesthetist before going under?
Recovery - Good Enough For The Economy, Good Enough For Me
Cliff (the High-Tech Redneck who doesn’t rate a fancy ’signature pic’)
Comment
on this article |
| Ranina’s
Ruminations |
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Ahh Snow…
The
beautiful, majestic quality of gently falling fat flakes creates a feeling
of serenity and peace within me when I’m at home, watching the back
yard being transformed into a land of wonder. The big oak in the back
yard is slowly transformed. I absolutely must bake something. Doesn’t
matter what. Bread, pie, cookies, cake, whatever. The smell of baking
in the house enhances the feeling of coziness while watching the snow
fall. By morning, the tree limbs are covered with a fluffy, white coat
that makes each limb look like a singular work of art drawn by the hand
of no less than mother nature, herself. There are icicles hanging from
limbs that look like crystalline stalactites that gleam like ice diamonds
when the sun shines. The bushes are coated to look like they are covered
with a layer of fluffy white icing. They look like treats. Various plants
in the yard look like they have been decorated with gum drops made of
icing.
I remember the snowball fights, snow angels and attempts to build a
snowman that were never succesful. We took the remains of our failed
snowmen and pushed them into the faces of others in o ur group, laughing
and falling and running. Our dog, a Husky named Niko, would come out
and hop through the snow like a rabbit, running back-and-forth through
the cold fluffiness. Then he would run around and around, back and forth,
pounce on us and run away. He was, or course, then required to race
around the yard pulling us one-by-one on our little sled. (We had no
hills, then.) I am quite sure I saw a joyful, happy doggie smile on
his face the entire time.
I remember buying two sleds when my son was about 11 years old — one
for me and one for him. We lived in a subdivision bordered on one side
by a raised shopping strip that put us in a kind of one-sided bowl.
That made for a great sledding hill. I was in my mid-thirties. My son
was not used to doing anything outdoors, especially in the cold and
snow. Nintendo and TV were all he cared about at the time (Oh yeah,
and food). I came home and said, "Let’s go sledding." What??
Where??," he said. "Right over on the hill," I said."Aww
Mom, it’s cold. And you’re too old for that." No, I thought. He
did NOT say that. Too old? 35? Well, let’s just see about that. I admit
I had never really been sledding before, but it seemed so much fun.
I said, "put your thermals on, get your coat and your gloves. We’re
going." We went to the hill. I checked out the terrain. The hill
led down to the subdivision parking lot, but there were very few cars
around due to the time of day. I got in my sled and coasted down the
hill for a bit, then the steepness and gravity took over and I was flying
down the hill. Several yards from the end of the hill and parking lot,
something told me to flips my body a bit sideways to make the sled dig
into the snow from the side, hopefully decreasing my speed and allowing
me to stop before I hit the parking lot. It worked! That must have come
from my many years as a tomboy, doing stunts on my bicycle. Anyway,
I showed my son how to do it, but he never seemed to enjoy it. I told
him, "Just go on home, hon. I like this and I’ll be back in a little
bit. I learned that you are never too old to have fun playing. I had
so much fun in the snow!
Screech! (Brief halt, sorry.)
Now to the reality of those of us who have to drive to work in these
conditions, no matter what. We are expecting a blizzard next week in
the Chicagoland area. I’ve lived here all of my life, so I know what
to expect if this does happen. White-out conditions with snow falling
so heavily that the windshield wipers cannot clear the snow from the
entire windshield. Snow building up on the winsdhield below the wipers
that hinders their movement. Icy, slick, treaterous road surfaces accompanied
by many spinouts. Many people who forgot how to drive in the snow, causing
more spinouts and multiple crashes. People who are so afraid to drive
that they are going 20 mph on the expressway and people trying to get
around them, creating even more danger. People with AWD vehicles thinking
that they can conquer the roads, ending up either in a ditch or causing
accidents that leave them, as well as the others they hit, sprawled
across the traffic lanes. Roads or expressways closed down with traffic
sitting there for hours and hours.
Here are some helpful things I do: Keep warm, thermal gear in the trunk,
along with a mason jar in case need arises. Keep one or two blankets,
a lantern, maybe a couple candles (to generate at least a little heat).
Keep hand warmer pads, foot warmer pads, warm hats, socks and boots
in trunk. Keep a couple bottles of water and a couple cans of any kind
of food in trunk. I’m sure there is much more, but I consider these
to be the basics.
Comment
On This Article |
Today
In History |
January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There
are 334 days remaining until the end of the year
Holidays and observances
- Independence
Day, celebrates the independence of (Nauru) from Australia in 1968.
- World Leprosy
Day (International)
- Feast of Blessed
Ludovica
Events on this date
- 314 – Silvester
I begins his reign as Pope of the Catholic Church, succeeding Pope
Miltiades.
- 1504 –
France cedes Naples to Aragon.
- 1606 –
Guy Fawkes is executed for his plotting against Parliament and James
I of England.
- 1747 –
The first venereal diseases clinic opens at London Lock Hospital.
- 1846 –
After the Milwaukee Bridge War, Juneautown and Kilbourntown unified
as the City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
- 1865 –
The United States Congress passes the Thirteenth Amendment to the
Constitution of the United States, abolishing slavery, submitting
it to the states for ratification.
- 1915 –
World War I: Germany uses poison gas against Russia
- 1929 –
The Soviet Union exiles Leon Trotsky.
- 1930 –
3M begins marketing Scotch Tape.
- 1945 –
US Army private Eddie Slovik is executed for desertion, the first
such execution of an American soldier since the Civil War.
- 1958 –
Explorer program: Explorer 1 – The first successful launch of
an American satellite into orbit.
- 1968 –
Viet Cong attack the United States embassy in Saigon, and other attacks,
in the early morning hours, later grouped together as the Tet Offensive.
- 1990 –
The first McDonald’s in the Soviet Union opens in Moscow.
Born on this date
- 36 BC –
Antonia Minor, daughter of Mark Antony and Octavia Minor (d. 38 AD)
- 877 – Taejo
of Goryeo of Korea (d. 943)
- 1512 –
King Henry of Portugal (d. 1580)
- 1543 –
Tokugawa Ieyasu, Shogun of Japan
- 1673 –
Louis de Montfort, French catholic priest and saint
- 1797 –
Franz Schubert, Austrian composer
- 1872 –
Zane Grey, American novelist
- 1892 –
Eddie Cantor, American actor and singer
- 1919 –
Jackie Robinson, American baseball player
- 1925 –
Benjamin Hooks, American civil rights activist
- 1938 –
Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands
- 1946 –
Terry Kath, American musician (Chicago)
- 1954 –
Adrian Vandenberg, Dutch musician (Whitesnake)
- 1966 –
Dr Umar Alisha, Indian Sufi master
- 1970 –
Minnie Driver, British actress
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| Lucille’s
Lunacy |
Eye doctors seem the least prepared to deal with blindness. When I was
in college, a friend of mine had to pick up something at the optometry
building. I went with her because we planned to waste time and money after
her errand.
The students pasted themselves against the wall as if I was typhoid Mary
delivering lunch. The ones who dared to look at me were openly fascinated.
Others, my friend informed me, looked the other way as if they were about
to give me bad news. I can’t prove it, but I think there was a big sigh
of relief when I finally left.
I went home for a weekend, and got a horrible eye infection. That Monday,
instead of going back to school, since my head hurt so bad I went to my
parent’s ophthalmologist.
He poked and prodded at both of my eyes. I explained that the infection
was only in one.
"Do you mind if my students take a look?" he asked.
"No, bring them on," I said. I’ve always wanted an opportunity
to contribute to science. 3 future ophthalmologists, a nurse, and possibly
half of the people in the waiting room trooped in and examined my diseased
orbs with great interest.
Finally, the circus ended, and mine doctor sat grimly across from me.
"I’m afraid I have some bad news for you," he began carefully.
I was on full alert. Was this one of those things you read about where
you go in for routine medical treatment only to find you are dying of
some rare disorder?
"I can’t do anything to help you get your vision back," he explained
somberly. "Your eyes are very diseased, and —"
"Look," I said to his relief, "Just give me something for
the eye infection, and I’ll call it even."
"Oh, all right," he said humbly. "But I don’t think any
other doctor can help you see again either."
By then, I had been to several of the most prominent eye surgeons in the
country. My parents had exhausted every possibility to restore my sight.
I had no illusions about a cure. I just wish I had the wit to scare the
heck out of the doctor by saying something in a choked voice like, "but,
Doctor, you were my last hope."
Comment
On This Article |
| Poet-Tree |
Good ones again. Here’s another line from
ldo.
Next opening line…
My cat was stuck in the tree…
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
Joe
wanted to kiss his new date
He really wanted to "mate"
She told him that later
He’d get to sate ‘er
He assured that he was first rate. - Skeeter |
Joe
wanted to kiss his new date
But in stepped dame fate
"If you do it now
You’ll start a real row
You’ll just have to wait." - Skeeter |
Joe wanted
to kiss his new date
But she did hesitate
She said, "do tell?
I don’t know you that well"
That he sho did hate. - Skeeter |
Joe wanted
to kiss his new date
Beside the garden gate
But his line was well worn
Then he got stuck by a thorn
From a rose…that was his fate. - Skeeter |
Joe wanted
to kiss his new date
until the hour grew quite late
he went up and down
on her ******* went to town
’til she said "this I appreciate"! - Cassandra in New
York |
Joe wanted
to kiss his new date
So he kissed her and then it was late
She showed him the door
Said there will be no more
So he left, but he was certainly irate. - Bonnie |
I’m on vacation
and yet I glare
At the airline agent and swear.
Maybe to bring some peace
I should go to Greece
It seems that my luggage’s already there. - E. Cole Aye |
In sports,
my pride I have swallowed
It does seem that my team did implode.
I thought they’d be great
They are now eight and eight -
Lost eight at home and eight on the road. - E. Cole Aye |
I know my
place, let me be blunt,
There’s no doubt, not even one figment.
About this there’s no fog:
My boss is the head dog . . .
And I’m the alpha fire hydrant. - E. Cole Aye |
I know that
you many not give a damn
I had to go in for an exam
I hate to be a cad
But my doctor’s so bad
He is not able to cure a ham. - E. Cole Aye |
There once
was a man named Stan
Who was a hardworking loyal man
Though he worked with a smirk
He’d make progress at work -
That is ’til the meetings began. - E. Cole Aye |
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Reader Comments
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Re: Double Spacing
AHAHA! This is funny you
bring this up. I too learned to double space and I still think it
makes reading easier. I was asked by a friend, who is an English major
and a bit younger than I, to proof read a story he was writing. I
pointed out that double spacing was needed and he said it was not,
so it looks like they are un-teaching the double space rule to some
of the current generation. Honestly, as I look at this email I am
writing here, the double space makes it that much easier to read…but
then I too learned to type on an actual type-writer. Maybe I’m just
an old dog, stuck in his ways, but I’m teaching my son & daughter
the double space rule, so in some ways it will still live on! - Fred
Mike asked, "Are
you a double spacer? Did you learn to do it that way in typing class?
Did you learn it after electric typewriters had made it unnecessary?
Do you think you will change?"
Just
look at your article in print. It all runs together. I find it much
easier to read when sentences are clearly divided. Count me in as
a double spacer. Oh, and with a blank line between paragraphs. - Ray
in Port Washington
I also learned
the double space rule in typing class in the 60’s and you’re right.
It’s very hard to hit the space bar ONCE! - Mare in Mare-land
I learned to type
in 1960 - so we used double spaces after a period. I worked as a clerical
worker/secretary since 1963 and have lots of typing stories.
(My manual typewriter was the best working one in the office because
I learned to keep it clean by opening side doors and cleaning gears
with brushes and keys with typewriter gum. Once I had to retype a
double-page single-spaced case history because my supervisor was a
"butt" and instead of marking my mistake with light pencil,
she marked it with red pen - like a teacher. I could have erased the
word and squeezed in the extra letter - I was a pro at corrections.)
However, starting to work in 1963, I "grew up" with the
industry. In 1967 we switched to electric typewriters. In 1973 I started
working with the Selectric typewriter that used the ball instead of
keys. In 1974 I worked with the IBM Mag Card using a magnetic card.
We started using codes to merge names and addresses into letters that
were sent to the "printer."
In 1982 I worked on the IBM Composer whereby an article was typed
on one machine that recorded onto a tape deck. This was my introduction
to typesetting. The tape deck was taken over to the print-out machine.
Codes had been used to set margins and stops so that leading could
be manually changed, the print-ball could be changed, etc. At this
point, I learned to switch over from double spacing after a period
to single spacing after a period.
After IBM stopped servicing the Composer, the company bought the Compugraphic
typesetting machine and that was a whole ‘nother ballgame. The system
which cost around $80,000 to $100,000 included a keyboard, monitor,
preview monitor, processing tank for print-out which included manual
fonts, photo paper and chemicals for processing the paper. A more
detailed system included digital fonts. I learned about point sizes
(as we worked with quarters of a point - and there are 72 points to
an inch).
I learned to set forms and I believe I was one of the best forms person
in the state, especially when I changed jobs and learned to work without
a preview monitor. (The nice thing about the Compugraphic was that
you could tell it to reverse leading which set the type a few points
above a line in a form, then when the line was complete, you could
add the leading back in.) A calculator was a constant at my workstation.
I worked with the Compugraphic 8400 and 9600 at two different companies.
In 1989 a really cool thing that happened was the company I was now
working for bought both Compugraphic systems from the other two companies
and I was able to marry the systems, combining the best of both systems.
That year I worked on my first PC - an IBM 386 and learned the software
PageMaker. It took me a long time to find that PageMaker could be
as detailed and defined as the Compugraphic system. One would think
it would have been easier working with a visual monitor where everything
happened real time rather than working with codes. The Compugraphic
language was similar to HTML and it was very hard for me to let the
machine do the work.
In 1995 I bought my first computer and printer for home use and now
computers are a staple in my daily activities. Double spacing after
periods are never ever remembered until an article such as Mike’s
comes along. This is probably more than you all wanted to know, but
it was fun reminiscing. - Noella
Okay, maybe it’s because
I learned to type in Oklahoma back in the 60’s, probably about the
same time you did, Mike, but I single space after a punctuation mark.
My family has a lot of printers and typesetters in it and that’s how
we were taught. My husband does the same thing, also. He thinks it’s
because of the use of word processers and the way they have pseudo-kerning
to look like what the manual typesetters would do. - Ruth
in WA
I’d never
heard of double-spacing until I corrected someone else’s use of it.
They told me I was wrong. Thanks. What bugs me is that now we often
skip the blank line between paragraphs, but have not restored the
custom of using an initial indent to help the eye follow the breaks.
- Bob of the North
Double spacing has been
a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Grade school in the
50’s impressed upon me the importance of double spacing. I continue
that habit today. As far as I’m concerned, single spacing is just
not proper. In fact, it doesn’t even look right. This comment is double
spaced, although it’ll probably be changed to single before being
reprinted. Whenever I see single spacing between sentences, I involuntarily
cringe. Even though I know it will be changed to single, I still use
double spacing whenever I type anything, whether it be forums, geocaching
logs, blogs, or anything else on the web. It falls right up there
with mom, baseball, and apple pie. As long as I still have control,
it will always be double. Long live the "double"! - ldo
I am a double spacer,
and I prefer comic sans font. To these old eyes it’s really easier
to read. I never took typing classes in school, just had my mother
telling me how to do it on an old manual typewriter. She told me it
gave your fingers a rest between thinking and starting a new sentence.
No idea what she meant, but I still do it without thinking. - JustKat4Now
I use 2 spaces at the end
of a sentence. I always have. It looks better. Even though most text
editors will try to truncate it to a single space, I have changed
my settings to add the 2nd space. Often when an abbreviation is used,
followed by a period, like streets (Rd., Dr., Ave., Blvd., etc), state
names (N.Y., N.H., N.D., S.C., etc.), or even salutations (Mr., Ms.,
Mrs., Dr., etc.), it looks more like the end of a sentence rather
than an inclusion to the sentence when there is a single space used,
especially if the following word is a proper name and is capitalized.
I’ll stick to the 2-space convention. It looks better to me. -
Cliff
I am a
double spacer and an old bat. However, it is my understanding that
it doesn’t matter how many extra spaces you have "html"
only permits one. - Lucille
I’m a double-spacer, too.
I think that when you look at the printed page the double spacing
makes it look far better, separating sentences with greater clarity.
And
I hate to acknowledge it, but I learned on a manual typewriter. It’s
hard to believe that I actually used such archaic technology, but
I did. Double spacing may be a holdover from an earlier era, but I
think it still has its place.
Anyone who questions that can copy and paste a few sentences from
somewhere, and then go through and repaste it a second time and add
the double spaces. Then visually compare what you have. I’d wager
that most people will like what double spacing looks like. - Bruce
Re: Name Game
During a sensational
political trial in Victoria, B.C., there was a lot of testimony from
Police who had staked out the suspects. Not infrequently, they had
been visited by prostitutes, and the offices would read from their
notes that they "saw B.J." After several such instances,
one of the lawyers enquired about just who "B.J." was. Much
merriment ensued, and he had a new nickname that stuck for years.
- Bob of the North
I named my son Jimmy Joseph,
not James Joseph. Did ya ever try to say James Joseph without spitting?
He was named after his father who was a jerk (James that got shortened
to Jimmy), and his brother Joseph (that took me to the hospital and
stayed with me while his stupid brother was at a poker game). My mother
objected but finally decided he could be called J.J. She is the only
one that calls him that, every one else still calls him Jimmy, and
he is 42 years old. Don’t worry about B.J., except a few of us older
folks might get a snicker out of it! - JustKat4Now
So you should be
glad your family wasn’t Biblically inclined, or ethnically inclined
(what we did to our kids). My family was of the Biblical inclination
and there are some real doozies back up the tree. I’m a Ruth, fortunately,
fairly mild, but I know there’s a Martha, Dorothy, and Orpah, and
a few others. The men were mostly stuck with those oh-so-Germanic
names, Fritz, Ernst, Karl, etc. Germanic, Lutherean, Biblical, no
less!
We
went ethnic Celt with our kids, but I thought long and hard before
naming them. I know kids can be really mean if you have a weird name.
They still got teased, but not as much.
I’m an Okie too and I know I went to school with some Bobbie Jo’s,
Billie Sue’s, Mary Jane’s, one Lloyd, and lots of Billies (male) and
Eddies. Very common in a generation just coming into Paul Anka and
Dion, etc.
Sounds like your grandparents could have been hippies or beatniks,
although that would have meant names like Moon Unit and Dweezil! Or
that was probably and era too soon for those. - Ruth in WA
BJ - so just like
BJ Hunnicutt (on M*A*S*H) who was so named by Bee Hunnicutt, his mother
and Jay Hunnicutt, his father. - Cool Huh (or not perhaps)
Anyways, my daughter-in-law is German. So all the boys have 3 given
names (not just 2 like here) and many are spelled in German or Russian
fashion.
They end up a mouthful, ie Sascha Michael Alexander Wagner-Vieno,
the next to youngest. Here in the states Sasha is a girls name, but
in Europe it is a boys name if spelled with the extra C. The middle
child has Wolfgang as one of his names, so I call him my little Wolfie
- but he goes by Frank (his first name).
Both my brothers were always called by their Middle names, not thier
first. No idea why.
And then, I live in a predominately black neighborhood, so the names
here get really interesting. Latesha, Latoya, and odder ones I would
not even try to spell. My eldest grandson (a stapping 13 year old)
has a best friend name Lavante. He’s a boy too, so I assume that’s
a boys name.
And so goes the world, eh? - Faithy
Hey BJ, you should
be thankful the didn’t pick the B for Bob and the S for Stanley because
you would be know as BS Cassady. And I do think that would be worse,
don’t you? People would think you were a politician. - Mare in Mare-land
I have known several people
whose "names" were only single letters. In each case I asked
why. Some had reasons similar to yours, yet others had other reasons.
Only one person I knew who was named like that actually liked the
uniqueness their name had. Most of the rest adopted the primary reason
and wrote their names as the names the letters represented. Another
simply spelled out the letters phonetically (as your would be Bee
Jay) so there was less question as to "what the letters stood
for". -
Cliff
Re: Procedures
Routine procedures? Very few, but I was offered a chance at a state
run procedure that is routine for many people with health insurance.
I was offered a free mammogram and pap test. I was really scared,
because the last one I had to undergo was over 10 years ago when my
husband last had insurance thru his employment. I was told I need
a biopsy on a lump in my breast, two weeks from now is my appointment,
and I’m still waiting on results from the other test. Scary thoughts
are ingraining themselves in my mind since we have no insurance and
I won’t be able to do anything if bad things are found. At least I
know what I’m dying from! As if that’s any help… - JustKat4Now
Re:
Fear
Hey Tesser–don’t feel bad about the deep water thing–I have the
same problem. I hate boats for that very reason, though I will go
on them if I don’t have to think about it too much! Guess it comes
from being nibbled on once too often when swimming in a lake when
I was a kid. - Ruth in WA
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