Mmmmm.... Genetically modified bacon....

Gold in and of itself probably isn't a very good investment. But I would include it as part of a well-balanced portfolio that also includes a lot of foreign currency, and foreign-denominated stocks.

t fans self

SEE! It's competence that's sexy, not evil per se.

Mmmmm.... Genetically modified bacon....

::looks sadly at his own stack of applewood smoked stock tips...:

Right now, I'm investing my money in my mental health

Wise move. That's bound to increase in value over time.

SEE! It's competence that's sexy, not evil per se.

You want competence? You should hear him pronounce "cot" and "caught."

The weird urban legends at my college:

1. There was one room on the 4th floor of the all-girls dorm (which was the original only dorm of the school) which had no door and was unoccupied. The floor only had about 5 rooms anyway (this was where all the really quiet, studiious students lived). The "legend" was that the a pregnant nun had killed herslef in the unoccupied room, and now haunted it. Further, she was per person on whose life "Agnes of God" was based.

In truth, someone's brother or boyfirend or something who was homeless ended up camping out in that room, and ended up in big trouble!

2. At BOTH my college and the university I currently work at, there are tunnels to certian buildingds and at BOTH you always heard people saying "there used to be a tunnel to the auditorium/cafeteria/graduate dorms but it is closed off because someone was murdered/raped/had the tunnel collapse on them"

I'm investing my money in my mental health

Does buying myself ice cream cones count as an investment, then?

Anyway, it should. (Not in the middle of winter, but, you know, any other time.)

But isn't part of the purpose of the planked wood floors to provide a little give? I mean, you could play on concrete and not have any dead spots, but it's harder on the joints.

I dunno. Most wood floors I've played on have been pretty hard. I think the greater advantage wood has is that it's smooth, so you don't rip skin up if you hit the surface. Also, it was a college and high school gym, so really not a lot of games compared to what an NBA player would play.

Allyson, where did you get this? Do you have a link. I must get one for my nephew

JPL store.

I know stages and dance floors use sprung wood flooring which is usually tongue-in-groove planks, on top of ply, on top of something else (I think this part varies). Anyway, it is a pretty solid floor, but with just enough give that it's less likely to destroy ankles and knees and such. A quick google tells me that this is common in sports, too.

eta: And reading further tells me that sports flooring lays the boards differently for a thicker, harder floor. So, I dunno either.

And I have now ascertained that there is only ONE other person in my office who pronounces "cot" and "caught" the same way. Everyone else has enough vowels to pronounce them differently.

I am now cracking up my co-workers by sitting here muttering "cah-ah-ah-tttt," "cawt"!