Humph! I saw VA and got all excited thinking that you were moving here. Curse you, Veteran's Administration!

Actually, that's why I was looking at the federal jobs listing, because I would like to move to the DC area after getting my MLS! But, if I could get a fed job in the Chicago area, especially one paying $20K more than I currently make, and keep my cost of living the same, that would be more practical. But, making that $$$ would mean I could take trips out there much more often than I can now!

I tried the thimble-ready exercise. Still laughing.

All ease and comfort to your families, Kate and Burrell, and gentle passing for those who are leaving.

I can't order glasses online. Even if my prescription wasn't somewhat weird, my face is so different on each side I'd have to take them to Lenscrafters or another glasses place to have them adjusted so I could wear them. And those places often decline to fit glasses not bought there.

Yeah, the glasses I got last fall are kind of bent in weird ways in order to fit my unsymmetrical head.

My ears are very uneven, which means my glasses are usually uneven. And I always have to check behind my stylist to make sure my wee sideburn thingies are even. Also, one ear sticks out more than the other, and when I drink, that one gets red first. Both of which have led me to conclude that I inherited that ear from my dad, and the other from my mom.

My ears are very uneven,

Bilateral asymmetry! If it works for Colbert it can work for you.

Didja' hear a dog was with the Navy Seals when they took out Bin Laden? A dog with titanium teeth! (It bit a board a while back and busted some teeth. Cheaper to give it titanium teeth rather than train a new Navy Seal pooch.)

Awesome slideshow: [link]

Love the photo of a dog strapped to the chest of a Navy Seal as they skydive together. They are set up for a high-altitude jump, so they both wear oxygen masks.

Today, MWDs [Military Working Dogs] are outfitted with equipment of their own -- a range of specialized gear that includes Doggles (protective eye wear), body armor, life vests, gas masks, long-range GPS-equipped vests, and high-tech canine "flak jackets."

n August 2010, The Register, a British online tech publication, reported that "top-secret, super-elite U.S. Navy SEAL special forces are to deploy heavily armoured bulletproof dogs equipped with infrared nightsight cameras and an 'intruder communication system' able to penetrate concrete walls." The article also reported that the U.S. Naval Special Warfare Group had "awarded an $86,000 contract to Canadian firm K9 Storm Inc. for the supply of 'Canine Tactical Assault Vests' for wear by SEAL dogs." The K9 catalogue boasts an array of high-tech canine devices, from storm lights to long lines and leads to an assortment of vests -- assault, aerial insertion, and patrol-SWAT -- which are rated from "excellent" to "good" in protecting the animal from harm due to everything from bullets to ice picks.

Bilateral asymmetry!

One of my ears is higher and more prominent, too. Now that my face is fuller with the weight gain and softer with age, it's not as noticeable, but when I was younger and more bony, when I was tired I looked like a stroke victim. One eye is sunk deep with a puffy upper lid, the other has a visible crease below the brow bone; one is round-shaped, the other is almond-shaped. I taught the lower eyebrow to fly by practicing in a mirror. I corrected my lopsided smile and learned to cover my gums when I smiled by hours of practice and checking in the mirror. I used makeup to minimize the difference in features on either side of my face. My nose is straight, but one nostril flares much more than the other, and the upper lip is thinner on that side. Theatrical makeup classes led to intense scrutiny and awareness, and correction attempts.

H used to sit and gaze at my face, with an intensity that suggested he was taking mental notes. When I asked him why he was looking at me that way, he said, "I love everything about you. But I especially treasure every little way your face is unique and individual, because it's *your* face. And I love your face."

I learned to love my bilateral asymmetry. Though I'm still aware of it when I need glasses fitted.

Timelies all!

Why I'm so sleepy, I don't know.

Wow, Bev, that's a fascinating insight into so many aspects of your life. Story of a Face indeed.

As I scroll through various news headlines I keep hitting variations on "Pakistan Warns U.S. Against Further Attacks on Pakistani Soil."

And I keep having the same involuntary reaction: "Pfft."

After either the Pakistani government's (a) massive incompetence, or (b) damning complicity (most likely) they're pretty fucking lucky Team Six didn't bitch slap every member of their cabinet on the way out.