I know the Kool-Aid phrase came from the Jonestown suicides, but as with most things, I do believe it's been softened over the intervening time. It now means something closer to having been swayed by an appealing idea or someone's personality, you'll follow their example. Time and the sarcastic use of the phrase has pulled its metaphorical teeth, I think. It doesn't provide the same frisson of horror as it did at the time.

Tommy, yikes! Glad you're all right.

Flowers don't make up for a killing schedule, Allyson, but at least they make you smile, meanwhile. And that's something.

Why are people expecting that the candidates will help their opponent? I mean, it is a contest after all.

In the end, though, aren't they both on the same side? The Democratic one?

Steph, without being able to click your clickity links, how long is the story going to be? That's cool and crazy.

Beavers said part of the overall increase in low-birthweight babies was due to a rise in multiple births as more older women use fertility treatments to conceive. But she said the birth-weight problem also has been worsening for single-baby deliveries.

Roughly half of the NICU babies were multiples. And multiple births are, of course, more likely with fertility treatment, but they are also more common in older women in general, even those who don't undergo fertility treatment.

One important factor, Beavers said, is the mother's overall health at the time of pregnancy and her access to good prenatal care.

@@ at this one. I know it must be true. But honestly, I had excellent prenatal care and I was in the best shape of my adulthood when I got pregnant.

sometimes it's all irritating.

And on a completely other topic: Teppy, that's not only amazingly cool, you've managed to make me seriously think--for a moment, anyway--about actually getting a tattoo. Still not doing it because of the needles and the phobia, but that is incredibly cool.

But what if you volunteer and find out that you're "is" or "of"?

But what if you volunteer and find out that you're "is" or "of"?

What if you're a comma, and you should have been a semicolon?

bonny, I got the email and we should be there! We're hoping for no thunderstorms so we can have dinner at one of the sidewalk cafes, too. Will you join us?

Sparky, I have an obligation after the workshop but I could sit with you guys for a drink first. It will be great to see you again.

I would totally get "is" tattooed on me.

Allyson, K is not feeling great (and frankly neither is Mr. Man) so she's gonna stay home with Noah tonight.

I'm reading the preview of the NYT Magazine for next week. The big article is on the division of labor in families, particularly looking at families that do a more equal division.

It's sort of freaking me out.

I know the Kool-Aid phrase came from the Jonestown suicides, but as with most things, I do believe it's been softened over the intervening time. It now means something closer to having been swayed by an appealing idea or someone's personality, you'll follow their example.

Yeah, I hated being told I drank the Kool-Aid not because of the original context, but because I resent any implication that I'm some kind of idiot who's been swayed by powerful oratory and who didn't use my brain in deciding to vote for Obama. My own mother thinks people supporting Obama are just too young and inexperienced to realize that a president really doesn't have the power to accomplish that much. Me: "Mom, I'm 37! What do you want to do, raise the voting age to 40?" Her: "I wasn't talking about YOU."

So, apparently the not getting up thing I've experienced on subways here extends to the theater. My sister got tickets to Hairspray for last night and the women at the end of the row didn't get up to let us by to our seats. And by no stretch of the imagination was there room to get by--even for my skinny 10-year old niece! The most hilarious part was that they looked very perplexed that we were bumping into them. Also, people now eat at the theater. WTF??

ION, Hairspray is very fun.