Okay, I called the Blue Care line and talked to a nurse, who really does think I should at the least show it off to a doctor-type person, so I'll call my physician's office and see if they'll fit me in. Thank goodness they're about a five minute walk over from my office....

Dana, I'm a horrible skipper, but - how do you like your hair-cut now, several days after its newness?

So glad you called them, Theo.

After months of me saying, "I need to have someone look over this, I'm not an expert, I need to have a trainer tell me if this is realistic," she sent me a snooty e-mail in which she informed me that "we are pretty far apart" in terms of her expectations and my results.

Grr. Can you point out to her your months of asking for feedback and guidance, or will she just spit a buzzword at you?

I spoke to soon. Australia v. Japan was not boring.

I am pleased with my hair and am getting many compliments on it. Also, it sure gets tangled a lot less when there's so much less hair.

Can you point out to her your months of asking for feedback and guidance, or will she just spit a buzzword at you?

I'm trying to decide how snippy to be in return. I mean, I'd have to be pushed pretty far to actually be snippy with a client, but I am tempted to remind her that I said from the beginning that I would need an expert's opinion on these sections.

Harder to swallow are the changes she's insisting on that run completely contrary to my experience of what constitutes a readable document. Apparently, both the client managers and the people who *train* based on this document will only read "the fine print" and can't be expected to look at the whole thing.

I am pleased with my hair

Excellent.

megan, are many people following the soccer games in the USA?

megan, are many people following the soccer games in the USA?

I really couldn't say. I love the World Cup so I'm watching everything I can. Soccer has come a long way here in the last few years, but I think that the average American is probably only really interested in how the US does. For example, I had to explaining basic rules (offsides, etc.) to my neighbor, who in general is a big sports fan; however, he is excited to watch the US matches.

In my area, where Brazilian immigrants are a big influence, the World Cup is at least familiar. I've seen placards for the game schedule outside of bars, and I know that a couple years ago, when Brazil won, there was a big street party out by Revere Beach.

I can't think of any other sport that so much of the world is mad for but the US doesn't much care about. Like, Dominican/Caribbean baseball enthusiasm kind of blends in, in baseball-mad Boston. But if not for vocal immigrant communities, I'm not sure pro soccer would make it to network television as much as it does.

(Thanks to the NPR show Only a Game, I know there are also local hurley leagues -- Irish -- and rugby and cricket leagues -- Commonwealth. But none of them are professional, or make it to national television. No word as yet on badminton or pingpong.)

Now I'm kind of surprised that, sitting outside in my garden for a couple of hours yesterday, that I didn't hear any of my foreignish neighbors with one or another of the games on.

erikaj - you say "wirefiend" and I think you mean Wire. The very excellent band.

Ah well.