Our office network is down, and this seems to be the only site I can get to (and this one only sporadically). Clearly, TPTB want me to Natter instead of work. Who am I to argue with fate?

I think this weekend wins at Eventful For Buffistas - whew!! So glad that JZ & the Halloweenie are all right, and that Tom got some good painkillers, and YAY for Robin and WBBFDH!

And now, vibing hard for Beverly. Really, really hard.

Now we've really really had our collective share of time in hospitals for a while, right???

ok...got kicked off the internet completely that time! posting from my treo now... t pets treo

My friend R was telling me rather proudly this weekend that she's gotten quite good at the scoop-up-toddler-and-teenager-and-race-to-the-er routine. I pointed out to her I'd really prefer they weren't so familiar with the place. (Incidentally, the latest run, last week? Her husband collapsed. Kidney stones.)

Oh Beverley, much vibage for you and your family.

ETA: And Sara, I'm glad your dad's okay.

I just took a walk in the city park and discovered a MOTHERLOAD of blackberries, still unripe. I wonder how much they will fine my ass if I go back in a couple of weeks and pick them?

I wonder how much they will fine my ass if I go back in a couple of weeks and pick them?

Divide the fine on a per/pint basis and find out if it's comparable to buying the berries.

Divide the fine on a per/pint basis and find out if it's comparable to buying the berries.

Well blackberries are always at a premium around here...

Salon has an interesting article with Francis Collins of the Human Genome Project online today

Hm. For me it was eyeroll-y. Some of the questions are moronic. On the other hand, a lot of the answers seem to be deliberately missing the point.

I have trouble with the argument that altruism can be completely explained on evolutionary grounds. Evolutionists now universally agree -- I think Dawkins and Wilson and Dennett would all agree -- that evolution does not operate on the species. It operates on the individual. If that's the case, then it does seem that in any given circumstance, the individual's evolutionary drive should be to preserve their ability to reproduce at all costs.

Okay, that's.... irritating. Because it's not like there aren't one or two theories explaining altruistic behavior. If he doesn't find any of them convincing, and can't bother saying why, whatever. It seems like the actual answer to the question of how he responds to sociobiology is, "I put my fingers in my ears and go LA LA LA."

Yeah, Corwood, that thing with Swergin scarred me for life, I think. Also, thanks to House, I was halfway thinking I'd see his urologic tract, but that's totally just me.

Caught up from my long weekend. Much ~ma to Zmayhems, Tom, and anyone else I forgot. And congrats to Robin!

Zenkitty, I think that $20 would be more than fine for a gift. Since I'm a smartass, I'd probably get a giftcard, and make a comment about an item I saw at that store that I thought they'd like, but you wanted to make sure. It's possible that I'm a snot. But I don't think you should feel at all bad about not giving more than that. She's a coworker.

Also, on the short hair thing... I had long hair for years and the only direct attention I got for it was the creepy guy in the movie theater trying to stroke it in the dark. If hair's that big of a deal for you, fine, but get over yourself.