biodork

Very nice, and good on you for the YWCA donation. My apartment complex set up one of those Salvation Army trees a couple weeks ago, and today they're coming to collect all the gifts. It was heartwarming to see how many there were this morning (mine included). :)

Absolutely. There is a great deal of cultural misinformation (on both sides) between "the West" and the Middle East, and Canada is demonstrating how we go about breaking down those barriers. We're all just people, and 99.9% of those folks just want a stable place to call home and raise their families in peace.

BOOO. :nana: ---------------------- The new Canadian PM is showing the world how it's done: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/12/world/americas/syria-refugees-arrive-in-canada.html?_r=1 (sorry for weird quote formatting, having copy/paste issues)

Great stuff, pA.

I think I saw it was called "Every Child Succeeds".

Holy crap. Scary stuff, Jo... I hope everything works out before things get worse. My stepmom's dad passed away yesterday. It was expected because he was 83 and in poor health, and had developed pneumonia (on top of COPD). He'd chosen not to have treatment last week and they spend the last several days in the Hospice wing of the hospital, which was surprisingly nice and thoughtfully designed from what they were telling me. She wasn't close to her father, either, but her mother died when she was young so he was the only parent left. And jeez, the timing... can everything in their lives please stop going to sh!t now? They need a freaking break for once. And the other girl I work with is driving me nuts. I'm honestly debating whether to start looking for another job. I hate what I'm doing right now anyway, but I like my boss and I'm still holding onto a sliver of hope that I can start doing more interesting work in the next several weeks. But the other girl here has a serious Napoleon complex, and most days she makes things miserable. It's like she's looking for reasons to be upset, because she'll chew me out about the stupidest things whenever she feels slighted or left out. I just want to stay out of her way and be left alone to do my crappy work, but she's unpredictable and frustrating, and I'm tired of her always talking to me like I'm a child when we should be equals.

That's crazy, too (I had no idea), but after reading the other one it seems pretty tame by comparison. Yeesh.

Holy hell. No idea how he survived all that and how it never escalated to deadly consequences. I've never heard of someone beating only their child, but he doesn't seem to indicate his mother was on the receiving end of things at all.

As usual, South Park is ahead of the curve: http://southpark.cc.com/clips/104296/birth-of-n-word-guy http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0940288/

You've piqued my interest! I have no idea what an authentic Czech hockey bar should entail, but I'd like to find out!

Good call! Bankrate.com has some good ones, too: http://www.bankrate.com/calculators/index-of-mortgage-calculators.aspx I believe you... I'm shocked at how places here that are nothing special and would be in the $175-250k range back in central PA are valued in the upper $300s to low $400s. I'd like to buy again someday, but for now I can't afford it; my rent on a one bedroom apartment in the Tech Center is more than twice what my mortgage was in PA! :blink:

Very nice, Hoss. Cheers to you and your family.

Jeebus. OUCH. How is that only a 3 month recovery?? Even after he's healed his conditioning will be shot.

That sounds delicious, weave. Just saw that Dad's Hat Pennsylvania Rye is Whisky Advocate's craft whiskey of the year: http://whiskyadvocate.com/2015/12/04/whisky-advocates-22nd-annual-craft-whiskey-of-the-year-award/ Not one I would've tried before, but maybe worth considering given the price point.

That was fun (after the first period). Looked like rookie night to start (Domi, Reinhart, Eichel), but man Kane was good. Very nice win and light years better watching these two teams this season vs last spring!!

That started happening at my house the last several months. I only ever noticed it in the bathroom, but when I would flip the switch (only on), there was a small popping sound that reminded me of a light bulb burning out, as you described. It worried me a little but at that point I already knew I was selling the place so I didn't investigate further. Hopefully it's nothing serious for you! Aaaah, that makes sense... I'd replaced all the switches and outlets upstairs this spring. Only that one ever gave me trouble, though.

I do love it! Wish it'd been sunny that day, but it was still gorgeous. They weren't kidding when they said Colorado residents are an active lot; it was only in the mid 20s and overcast, and we still had lots of company on the trail. I'd kind of hate to see it on a warm day, lol.

Apparently the female San Bernardino shooter pledged her loyalty to ISIL on Facebook shortly before the shooting: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/12030160/California-shooting-Multiple-victims-reported-in-San-Bernardino-live.html FBI heavily involved now, so far looks like they were "self-radicalized" but not yet clear. Sheesh. Edit: Hadn't noticed this in the other thread. Feel free to carry on there.

Being able to go hiking in early winter is pretty awesome:

Can't emphasize this enough. Do not buy into all the hype about "owning for less than you rent" without crunching some numbers of your own. Those statements normally only factor in your base mortgage payment, and do not account for homeowners insurance (which costs far more than renter's insurance, especially depending on where you live) and property taxes (which can vary a great deal by locale, so do your homework). I don't necessarily regret buying my house because I wanted a permanent place I could do what I wanted with after moving around apartments for several years prior, and I went into it with the mindset that I was only aiming to break even by the time I sold, which should have been reasonable given I was there for 9 years. But in hindsight (which is always 20/20), I would've been better off financially renting all those years because what had been disposable income I could use towards debt became nonexistent, and things will always break and need repair with a home, and like Matt, property values in my area declined to where I sold my home for LESS than I paid 9 years prior. So buyer beware: rates are excellent right now and if you can find the right place at a price that allows you to retain some flexibility and breathing room in your budget, go for it, but with eyes wide open.

That's a tough and scary situation, Jo, and horribly unfair that you're trying to deal with it while you're still on the mend. I hope your mom can be convinced to get the help she clearly needs. :( My (lame) complaint: this morning I get an email from my coworker saying that she will be out of the lab today. Normally that's cool by me, but all day I've felt like a jackass when people say "Where's x?" and all I can say is, "I think she's sick?" There's only two of us here, FFS. Later today the same girl sends an email to the admin assistant to be circulated to our group, basically saying she's noticed people are still using her gmail and old work email address and would like them to start using the new work address so she doesn't miss anything. The message she sent me this morning was from her gmail address to my old work email. :doh:

That's more like it, lol.

Geez, that's a small group! My high school band was somewhere in the 70-80 person range, I think.

You flatter me by including me in the same company as weave in the whiskey thread, good sir! ;) I've also not tried any of those scotches since I tend to favor the blends and Speysides over peat, but if you're looking for an inexpensive entry-level scotch, Monkey Shoulder is a decent (if uncomplicated) pour that runs around $30. As for the bourbon: Blantons is tasty, tasty stuff. I need a bottle on my bar, matter of fact. Larceny is also very solid for the price, and not so expensive that you'll feel guilty mixing it. I'm not a fan of Four Roses personally because I don't care for floral and herbal flavors in general, but plenty of people disagree with me there. :) Another excellent one (that I also need for my bar once I'm in a position to re-stock) is Angel's Envy. Delicious. BRB; gotta make a drink.

It's been a rough year, but here are some things I'm thankful for: - my dad's persistence in pressing his doctors for help when he knew things weren't right. - the amazing surgeon who most likely saved his life - the incredible team of doctors and nurses who've administered his follow-up chemo and radiation treatment - the unintentional 5 weeks of unemployment that allowed me to spend as much time as possible with him during and after the surgery - a chance to relocate to a beautiful new part of the country - family who remain close at heart in spite of the physical distance - a Sabres team I can cheer for again - all of you here, who at various times have provided support, laughter, and a very welcome distraction Happy Thanksgiving, SabreSpace.