Momofuku Ando, the inventor of instant ramen, died in 2007 at the age of 96. He ate Chikin Ramen, the original flavor, nearly every day until he died. I love ramen, but I know they're junk so I rarely indulge. What I love more than ramen, though, are the quirky obituaries and tributes to the man and his noodles: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/09/opinion/09tue3.html?ex=1325998800&en=5e351e668da0b093&ei=5090 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93954544 "I invented instant ramen when I was 48 and Cup Noodles at 61. In life, there is no such thing as too late."

Not a pagan, but I think this explanation is a bit different than the others cited: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cailleach

An atheist's creed I believe in time, matter, and energy, which make up the whole of the world. I believe in reason, evidence and the human mind, the only tools we have; they are the product of natural forces in a majestic but impersonal universe, grander and richer than we can imagine, a source of endless opportunities for discovery. I believe in the power of doubt; I do not seek out reassurances, but embrace the question, and strive to challenge my own beliefs. I accept human mortality. We have but one life, brief and full of struggle, leavened with love and community, learning and exploration, beauty and the creation of new life, new art, and new ideas. I rejoice in this life that I have, and in the grandeur of a world that preceded me, and an earth that will abide without me. -- P. Z. Myers

I had forgotten how young Catherine and Heathcliff were. They were 18 and 19, respectively, when Catherine died. http://www.wuthering-heights.co.uk/timeline.htm Makes their behavior somewhat more believable. I was an idiot at their ages!

:iagree: It's usual and customary in our group of real life friends on Facebook (mostly moms with younger teens) to do all of the above. As a "friend," you would have access to your child's page and see all messages and who she befriends. You don't even have to go to her page because there's a live feed of all activity on your friends' pages (which you can turn on or off for specific "friends"). ETA: My concerns are less about internet predators, etc., and more about computer viruses.

How weird -- I joined Facebook yesterday because my kid joined and I want to keep an eye on things. And now this thread. This is somewhat off-topic from the original post, but I would urge you to join just to check it out. As your child hits his early teens, he may very well find himself in the situation where everyone else on his basketball team (or whatever) is on Facebook except him. You could reject his participation out of hand, but would that be good for your relationship? Something to think about. So far (after all of one day!), I've been happy with the privacy controls and how my kid and his friends use Facebook. And it's kind of sweet to have his friends send me "Friend" requests (although it probably has more to do with upping their Friends numbers). I see that some of my long-distance (real life) friends use it passively, for receiving rather than giving out information and news, and that's how I'll do it, too.

Oops. I also misread it as "pacifism." In Robert Lawrence Smith's A Quaker Book of Wisdom, he talks about his experiences as an infantryman in the Battle of the Bulge. Smith, a former headmaster of Sidwell Friends School, served in WWII, as did more than half of all draft-eligible Quaker men in the United States, "inspired by the clear moral choices of this conflict." In another chapter, he mentions that several Friends Meetings supported the use of peacekeeping forces in the former Yugoslavia. Perhaps there's some public record of the debate within the Quaker community on pacificism versus pacifism.

M. K. Gandhi's writings on Satyagraha.

This may interest some of you with Native American ancestry: If you lived in Virginia between the years 1924 and 1979, you would have been classified as "colored." The Racial Integrity Act [1924] essentially narrowed race classifications on birth and marriage certificates to two choices: “white person†or “colored.†The law defined a white as one with no trace of black blood. A white person could have no more than a 1/16th trace of Indian blood – an exception, much to [Registrar of Vital Statistics, Dr.] Plecker’s regret, legislators made to appease the descendants of Pocahontas and John Rolfe, who were considered among Virginia’s first families. The act forbade interracial marriage and lying about race on registration forms. Violators faced felony convictions and a year in prison. and Plecker saw everything in black and white. There were no other races. There was no such thing as a Virginia Indian. The tribes, he said, had become a “mongrel†mixture of black and American Indian blood. Their existence greatly disturbed Plecker. He was convinced that mulatto offspring would slowly seep into the white race. “Like rats when you’re not watching,†they “have been sneaking in their birth certificates through their own midwives, giving either Indian or white racial classification,†Plecker wrote. He called them “the breach in the dike.†They had to be stopped. Many who came into Plecker’s cross hairs were acting with pure intentions. They registered as white or Indian because that’s how their parents identified themselves. Plecker seemed to delight in informing them they were “colored,†citing genealogical records dating back to the early 1800s that he said his office possessed. His tone was cold and final. In one letter, Plecker informed a Pennsylvania woman that the Virginia man about to become her son-in-law had black blood. “You have to set the thing straight now and we hope your daughter can see the seriousness of the whole matter and dismiss this young man without any more ado,†he wrote. In another missive, he rejected a Lynchburg woman’s claim that her newborn was white. The father, he told her in a letter, had traces of “negro†blood. “This is to inform you that this is a mulatto child and you cannot pass it off as white,†he wrote. “You will have to do something about this matter and see that this child is not allowed to mix with white children. It cannot go to white schools and can never marry a white person in Virginia. “It is a horrible thing.†http://www.weyanoke.org/pdf/plecker1.pdf http://www.weyanoke.org/pdf/plecker2.pdf

As a mixed race person, I can choose what I like, but the dominant "white" society here in the rural South is always ready and willing to put me in my place (i.e., remind me that I'm not-white). I do think this is changing, though, as this country becomes more multicultural.

CNN, NY Daily News name the pilot as Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III. Bio: http://safetyreliability.com/about_us

We have experience with a Mara, which is similar to a Herbst. If you google, you'll find quite a few orthodontists' websites that will give you an idea as to what to expect. The only things I would add are that ibuprofen is sometimes needed after adjustments (just for the day) and a higher-end Waterpik can really come in handy.

There are websites and blogs on self-reliance all over the internet. Here's one: http://www.pathtofreedom.com/

I've been on short courses twice. The first time, in my 30s, I had insomnia and felt extremely energized. I was too hyper to concentrate, however, so I didn't actually get anything done. I think I lost a few pounds because I was so hyper. The second time, 5+ years later, I felt a little more awake than usual, but that was it. I think my thyroid was already slowing down.

Yes, the pink area that stretches all the way across most of Pennsylvania, across New York State from Buffalo to Westchester County, across northern New Jersey, covering most of Connecticut is a mix of rain, ice, and snow. New England looks boxed in. You could always make a big loop up and around through Canada. Or head south by boat!

I think you're already surrounded. Take a look at the current surface map at weather.com.

What about: Your attorney, business or personal. Your business accountant and/or tax accountant. Your business' relationship banker or the bank branch manager where your business has its accounts. As Tap, tap, tap suggested, someone impressive for a personal reference.

Ha. That is my worst area in America, with the exception of the large cities and university towns.

I'm lost. My question is: Does "power" in the poll refer to electrical power? Power used by the household? If so, I don't think the stats of power generation vs. power consumption would be different in a meaningful way. Fossil fuels would make up the majority of sources. My electricity comes from coal. My heat comes from oil. No natural gas or propane, although some do have it in this area. If you mean energy consumption by the individual, I also directly consume energy in the form of gasoline (oil) for various internal combustion engines around the place. Again, it's fossil fuels.

"Power" as in "electrical power"? Sources of electricity in the U.S. 2006 (Wikipedia, DOE: http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epa/epat1p1.html)

Morrowind http://www.amazon.com/Elder-Scrolls-Morrowind-Game-Year-Pc/dp/B0000CNUUP http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morrowind

I was shoved out of the way by Ronald Reagan's Secret Service detail in 80s, when he was President. Do I get a "lovely?"

Al Franken: middle class upbringing, graduated from Harvard cum laude in general studies (liberal arts), work study job at Harvard washing dishes, Emmy award-winning and best-selling writer . . . I would think he would have some fans here on the WTM boards. Democrat, liberal in the Paul Wellstone tradition . . . hmmm, maybe not.

We have Nintendo ds and the Wii and we love them. Also books, board games, construction toys, art supplies, lots of outdoor space. Everything in moderation. We have some very sporty, video game-less friends. My kids are pretty laid-back and, unfortunately, have poor physical coordination (they take after their parents). When we visit these friends, my kids usually end up playing with the dogs because losing all the time isn't really that much fun.

You'll find some company here: http://www.steadyhealth.com/CAN_ALCOHOL_AFFECT_JOINTS_-t89958-0-asc-50.html