I can't promise I'll actually follow up on any of these links, Hil, but I do appreciate the info. Keep 'em coming!

(My priority for my family right now is to keep us all from killing each other while we deal with having a newborn in the house during the coldest/darkest time of the year. Also I would really very much like to not be pregnant anymore. Really really really a lot.)

huh ... my mother was nominally Unitarian (she claimed to be, but preferred sleeping to going to Sunday services) but made it clear that religion was for stupid people, my father was atheist. They were shocked when I became Episcopalian. (My sister says she's a Druid ... which seems to be more acceptable to mom.)

When is your due date, Jessica?

December 31st! 4 more weeks!

I've heard really mixed things about the Hebrew Language Academy Charter School in Brooklyn. Officially, they're a secular public school with an emphasis on Hebrew language and the culture and history of the Jewish people, but most things I've seen seem much more "We're secular so that we can run on public money" than "We're secular because we believe in that as a philosophy." I haven't heard much about it lately, though.

(Yikes, just noticed the time. Off to teach.)

What a rough day, Ginger. Hope the little guy is ok. Lots of figuring it out~ma for Mr. Peabody.

December 31st! 4 more weeks!

Awesome! Come on, BABY!

You know, I think that's Mary Alice from Ace of Cakes due date too!

Vibing hard for no more seizures for Mr. Peabody, for Tikka and Hershey to stay in their own dang yard, for Peter the Cat to be healthy again, and for that careless vet to get his butt kicked.

Happy Hanukkah to everyone who celebrates it.

...and now for an abrupt subject change...

I so shouldn't be taking the time to post while to-do piles loom menacingly, but I had to share. I'm editing a user manual (for a high-flow gas valve, not even remotely interesting) but suddenly this one paragraph is reading like erotica and I can't get past it without tittering like a middle schooler. Seriously...

As Demand increases, the solenoid exerts more force on the flow tube assembly, thus stroking open the valve until it reaches the appropriate position while further compressing the return spring. As Demand decreases, the solenoid exerts less force on the flow tube assembly, thus allowing the return spring to stroke closed the valve until it reaches the appropriate position.

Thank you for allowing me to share (though it is just remotely possible that you all have been A Bad Influence on me).

Also, Hi Everybody!!!

I can totally understand tittering at that.

I haven't gotten to paying medical bills yet. Decided to upload a YouTube "video" (more like a still photo) of one of my songs. In the meantime, I got an email back from KUT saying they'd heard my album and passed on it. While I'm happy they replied, props to them, it's also the first time I've definitely heard from a radio station that they didn't think my album was for them. When stations have a format, I can soothe myself by saying it was the format. But this is a public radio station. So it means they just didn't like the album enough. *sigh*