ita !, so sorry to hear about your mother's preliminary diagnosis. Here's hoping that the details turn out to be favorable.

Speaking of Moms, I have to get packed and down to PA today for a long long weekend. Talked to my brother last night, and they took her to a hospital yesterday but she checked out OK, just dehydrated and low on potassium. (This is with my aunt staying with her to try to make sure she drinks and eats and takes her meds. SIGH.)

Just seen on FB:

Hey Alexander Graham Bell, I'm real proud of you and imma let you finish but Steve Jobs invented the best phone of all time.

Sad about Steve Jobs. Definitely.

ita, I'm sorry to hear about your mom. Is there anything you need or I can do?

Chilly this morning so I am sweater/turtleneck wearing. It's much easier to get up and go when it's warm when I wake.

(This is with my aunt staying with her to try to make sure she drinks and eats and takes her meds. SIGH.)

My grandmother will swear up and down that she drinks water and Gatorade all day long, but I SEE HER. She has a tiny juice glass and takes a sip every once in a while. Oy.

Jessica,

man, I thought I was over Kanye West references, but that was a funny one!

And RIP Derrick Bell.

This was on the unhinged hatefest side. I am not an Apple fan myself, but now is not the time to rip into Steve Jobs. I can recognize world-changing genius and a life cut short without wanting to own an i-anything.

I ran into Unhinged Hater #2 (who possibly is the person you are talking about), who seems to make a career out of hating absolutely EVERYTHING with extreme hyperbole. Expressing sadness over Steve Jobs' death and recognizing his many, very legitimate contributions to technology is not "elevating him to godhood."

This is not someone to whom I would suggest decaf. This is someone who LOVES to be angry about pretty much everything in the world, and nothing anyone says will ever change that. It's not life-force or sheer will that keeps her going; I believe she is truly fueled and held together by her anger at everything in the world, and if she stopped being angry, all of her atoms would fly apart without that cohesive center of vitriol.

I don't get how a person can be that angry, about EVERYTHING, all day long, day after day, without being exhausted all the time.

I guess I'm too lazy to be a professional-level hater.

I believe we are thinking of the same unhinged hater. She cannot let anything go, which is why I had to back away slowly some time ago. She also seems to have acquired some friends who are deranged conspiracy theorists.

Some dead geniuses are easier to elevate to god-like status for some people.

I don't call being sad that someone who has touched the lives of so many people and quite literally changed the way we communicate across the globe as a species has died canonization.

Perhaps we should reserve that status for musicians and artists?

I'm finally ready to depart. Just can't pry my fingers off the keyboard -- the prospect of a 7 hour drive isn't helping my enthusiasm any.