I am filled with gronk. It is again far to early to already be seated on my flight waiting for boarding to finish.

Seska, sending out the giant-clue-stick~ma for your university.

I have googled L'Escalade and it is now my favorite holiday:

Celebrations include a large marmite (cauldron) made of chocolate and filled with marzipan vegetables and candies wrapped in the Geneva colours of red and gold. It is customary for the eldest and youngest in the room to smash the marmite, while reciting, "Ainsi périssent les ennemis de la République! " (Thus perish the enemies of the Republic), referring to how fictional character Mère Royaume poured boiling hot vegetable soup on soldiers climbing up the walls of the city.

Much job~ma to Aims. The world needs you as a teacher. Also, clue-sticking all around Seska's university, which I would have thought would have been thoroughly clued years ago.

What side of the country are you on again, ND?

job~ma for Aims!

Right now I think I'm over the Gulf of Mexico. I'm on a flight from Orlando back to LA.

"oh God, somebody give the girl a sandwich! Quick! Before there will be no wedding!"/"she's looks absolutely anorectic".

I know that not everyone agrees with me, but I need to reiterate what I've said before: I really have a problem with this kind of body-image commentary. I think it's just as restrictive and hurtful a form of policing as are similar comments on overweight people (i.e., "Oh God, somebody give the girl some diet pills! She looks absolutely obese!").

I know that several people have said that commenting on weight/body image is no different than commenting on a haircut or hideous makeup, and I respectfully disagree.

I didn't mention it yesterday but my aunt (mom's sister) died yesterday. I don't know the details but it was apparently a blood infection. I wasn't particularly close to her mainly due to geography since I grew up in southern California and she lived In Ottawa but I always liked her. I'm pretty sure the last time I saw her was more than a decade ago when I made it up to Ottawa for my uncle's funeral (it wasn't her husband, she was unmarried). I do regret not having made it up to see her sometime in the past 13 years. I also know the news will be hard on my mom.

Aw, ND, sorry for your loss. Sending peace~ma out to your mom.

bonny, much financial aid~ma to you.

Looking at kittens cures many ills: [link]

You do have a valid point, Steph. I realize now how it can sound.

But I don't know. It could have been the angle of the camera or what not, but I had a serious doubt about her health - and while I know you can see it in both directions (obese and anorectic), I think there's a line where someone/society should question health. I'm not saying it's always easy or should be easy to recognize a starving person, but if someone is harming himself or herself - I think society has responsibility on that issue.

Ah, the thin line between good Samaritan and the Know-it-all and entitled-person.

Oh, ND. Sorry for you loss. Much ~ma to your family.