Some people around here may remember the summer of 2002 when I admitted that I sat wearing a bag of frozen peas on my head when I was at home . (AC broke for the first time.) It's actually not that bad, my feet just get hot. The rest of me is moderately adjusted.

Little trick courtesy of the red kangaroo (and my mother): run cold water into a basin, and put your hands and wrists in. Because the blood vessels are close to the surface of your skin there, doing this will cool the blood, which then gets carried around your body and helps cool the rest of you.

Of course, any other cooling agent such as the bag of frozen peas can likewise be applied to the wrists.

Yep, I've done that too. Coldpack around the neck helps too. The reverse (hot) works well in winter too. Same principle, reverse effect.

OK, so I'm watching the Frontline thing on AIDS. And I just saw a President actually RESPOND to the charges of a heckler, taking responsibility, not making glib, looking tormented and saddened to admit fault. And admitting failure. Not a President I was particularly pleased with a lot of the time, but THAT was accountability. God, I miss that.

I have Targeted. I have a memory foam pillow and a home planaterium. WHEE!

I also have pizza slices and I need to eat those.

msbelle, have you ever a desire to make a special field trip in NM to a real live telescope, I can hook you big time.

OH! Speaking of which, my dad had a Tale from the Telescope. Often in the evenings, they open up the ops building (it doesn't have ac but for the computer room) including the doors. An observer wandered out of the control room to see... a Very Large black bear walking into the foyer.

Oops. It turned and left upon seeing the human but OMGWTF! Foyer opens immediately into a common kitchen and living room area. Had the observer not come out, it'd likely have been a kitchen raid. I told him they need to get a screen door or something.

not that a screen door would do much to deter a black bear that smelled food.

No telescope, but thanks. NYC skies don't so much work for telescopes - not that I have any knowledge of that.

not that a screen door would do much to deter a black bear that smelled food.

I was thinking the wrought iron bars so common in that part of the world. Also, a non-opening wouldn't prove as curious as an opening to a nosy bear.

Also, I mean, should you ever find yourself with an astro-loving kid, I've got connections down there. I'm biased because I have fond memories of getting into unauthorized portions of telescopes. Giant wheels! Getting to push the buttons that turn tons of glass and iron! Swinging from the secondary mirror supports! OK, don't tell dad's bosses about that part.

Hee. That's a great story. The bear was probably all, "Damn! And I was just about to check out Ursa Major at close range. I'll just act casual and leave."

Actually, knowing the observers, the bear was probably like " DONUTS! Wonder if they are from the Lodge or the General Store. Hope these pinkies aren't vegan..."

OK, so I'm watching the Frontline thing on AIDS. And I just saw a President actually RESPOND to the charges of a heckler, taking responsibility, not making glib, looking tormented and saddened to admit fault. And admitting failure. Not a President I was particularly pleased with a lot of the time, but THAT was accountability. God, I miss that.

I saw part of the first half of that last night, and my reaction was the same as yours. As much as I dislike Reagan's politics and especially his delayed reaction to the AIDS epidemic, the fact that he didn't have the hecklers to his (only) AIDS speech escorted immeditately out of the room just shows how far the Presidency has fallen in the past 5 1/2 years.

Kathy, the funny part is I missed that part. My reaction was to Clinton tonight.