I would look it up in the dictionary and then rephrase it very slightly to show I understood it and wasn't just copying.

Er, I'd advise against doing this. Slightly rephrasing someone else's words could get you into unnecessary trouble. Either rewrite it entirely in your own words, or use a direct quote.

If I were you, vw, I'd quote the dictionary and then provide my definition or brief discussion of how it is used (no more than 1 or 2 sentences, however). But I'm an ex-grad student, so I like to cover my bases.

Okay, the article I'm editing -- the pay-to-be-in-this-study article -- does say, in the section where they discuss results, that the fact that the patients had to pay might have biased the results.

I feel a little better now, though I still question the importance of publishing this.

The mindset around here seems to view pregnancy as "Excellent, you're fulfilling your purpose in the world, well done, good and faithful servant."

That may be the problem right there. Putting pregnancy on the level of having your teeth cleaned doesn't exactly promote a joyful outlook.

There is the distinct possibility that I'm becoming a nasty crone.

I hear the club meetings have some terrific potlucks; I've been toying with joining myself.

I feel a little better now, though I still question the importance of publishing this.

Can you take your concerns to anyone? Or is the decision set in stone?

Eh, it's hard to judge other people's joy. Some women are so worn down by the physical demands of pregnancy that taking joy in it is just about impossible. Every one of those that I've known has been crazy happy about the baby once it was born, though.

Ugh. Ouch. Headache.

Damn, this has been coming and going all day, but I thought it was from not eating or something. Now I just had lunch and I've had a half-gallon of water to drink and it's still hitting me.

connie, when we were in Utah over Thanksgiving, I was well aware of how much we fit in, what with a barely toddler-aged child and me visibly pregnant. The only significant difference was my age.

Hey, Susan, we could kick M's ass. Would you like that? Stupid contest winning bitca.(we could put a note in the women's that she steals her plots from coffee commercials and she stuffs her bra.)

Hey, Susan, we could kick M's ass. Would you like that?

I think I'd rather you find my judges and kick their asses.

I'm hip. Paulie Walnuts, "literary agent" could talk to them. The next time they wrote "I'm sorry..." they really would be, guaranteed.