Ugh, my coworkers are going to be insufferable tomorrow. Now I'll have to abandon all the taunts I worked so hard to prepare. Still, it was a thrilling game.

^No need to tell me, I got the telegram

Try all of the above, Geeljire. Believe me, I also have the aesthetic sense of a concussed anteater, but I find myself offended by these monstrosities. Che, no way, better to live in the eternal yesteryear of the exile. But if I ever run into the owners/employees of Daryeel Construction Company, I'll make a citizen's arrest on the spot

You call for a rest from Sheikh Sharif, then spend the next 3 out of 4 sentences talking about him! Typical oday

They do look terrible. I can't decide if it's the willful asymmetry or the colors, or the busy wall graffiti. Is that a purple roof with a green gutter? There's also a sore need for basic landscaping. And here I was imagining the motherland in terra cotta and tile

To Aaliyah indeed. If for no other reason than that she has managed to avoid the many snares set by the SOL odayaal who hyperventilate every time someone asks her for her age

Hello ladies and lurking boys! Malika, I would have to say hair bands/clips Should I wear the cheery yellow one to give the week a jolly start? Or the plaid blue one to match my sweater? Or should I go with a hair clip for a more adult look? Which color then? The big one for maximum security, or the little one to make it easier to pull my hoodie up if it gets cold? It probably takes me longer to pick a hair clip than it does to get dressed...

Hello trollers. Today I'm walking around hoping people won't resent me for being a member of the ruling elite

I dunno about everyone else, but I've been trying to get rid of a computer virus for two hours. Note to self, don't click on "cute kitten eating a pancake!" links so much...

^LOL. No, Bush is certifiable. He really really cannot comprehend why people don't like him. As far as he's concerned, the shoe-thrower in no way reflects a common Iraqi sentiment. At the little speech he gave at the end he sounded almost HURT. He says something like, this is just like when people yell bad things at rallies and give me the 1 finger-salute. He tries to make it sound like something the average Joe is familiar with, like traffic jams and bad cellphone reception. Not his fault and nothing he can do about except to show it doesn't faze him. There's a reality-warping zone around him, it's the only explanation. :confused:

Yes Ms DD, Mr. Ngonge is A Man of Ponderous Responsibilities. If he's even 3 minutes late, he'll arrive at home with people arguing about the contents of his last will and testament. But may I ask what other time I would've guessed Can't stand Heroes for exactly the same reason, so fake. Now Battlestar Galactica, that's quality sci-fi. Everyone can see a world of sexy robots and faster-than-light travel is so much more REAL.

Hello trollers. Scram @ Ngonge.

These George Carlinesque one-liners made me laugh really hard for some reason: They call it PMS because Mad Cow Disease was taken. Give a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate. And whose cruel idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have a "S" in it? Do crematoriums give discounts on burn victims? "Maybe it's in the basement. I'll go upstairs and check." - M. C. Escher

The whirring and clicking makes her less "creepy" for some reason. I wonder how technically advanced her voice recognition and ability to identify objects is. Is she really able to learn? That's really fascinating, if it's true. But honestly, except for the doll head, it's hard to see what's so special about her being "female". Do men have a strong yearning for women to identify food they've already made? Maybe true love lies in being able to tell the weather in remote airports.

Going by the Indian Navy's previous record, who wants to bet that the 23 "pirates" are actually 7 dolphins and a perplexed blue whale? -------------------------------------- The Indian navy says it has arrested 23 Somali and Yemeni pirates who tried to storm a ship in the Gulf of Aden. A navy spokesman said it had responded to a mayday call from MV Gibe, flying under the Ethiopian flag. Several countries have warships patrolling the gulf amid growing international concern about piracy. Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said better intelligence was needed for a land attack on pirate bases to be considered. Mr Gates, speaking at a security conference in Bahrain, also called for shipping companies to do more to protect their vessels travelling through the Arabian Sean and Indian Ocean. Arms cache The Indian government said in a statement that the captured pirates had a cache of arms and equipment, including seven AK-47 assault rifles, three machine guns, and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher. The pirates would be handed over to the appropriate authorities, the statement added. Last month, India's navy said it had sunk a pirate "mother vessel" off Somalia. But it later emerged that the vessel was actually a Thai fishing trawler that had been seized by pirates off Yemen. Full article

^I don't believe a word.

The problem KJ, is that despite saying you want women to make thoughtful decisions, you at the same time condemn women who DO make decisions about their lives simply because you disapprove of their choices. Let's say I marry a Faarax and I want to have a child right away. But after our child is born, the marriage falls apart for whatever reason. If having this child somehow makes me unsuitable for future Faaraxs, should I then think less of myself for it? Maybe I should blame my kid because, as you put it, "If I were a smart, resourceful guy who had his life together, the last thing I would want is to be married to someone who's only real contribution to my life is her children FROM ANOTHER MARRIAGE. " Why are you assuming that this is the only contribution this woman will make to the man's life? Is that the sum meaning of being a woman? Does your rich inner life collapse to nothing simply because you now have children in tow? It's easy to make snap judgments based on appearances isn't it?

Originally posted by Kulalihi: ^And you would trust a right wing newspaper's fabrication and its take on matters relating crimes/abuses done by Muslim Madrassas , right? Yes, that's what I meant...

^Matilda is a children's novel by Roald Dahl. It was also made into a movie. I would be a bit skeptical of a "study" about abuses in local madrassas carried out by someone who "runs the Light of Islam Academy in Rochdale". Seems like a good way to discredit one's competition.

One was “picked up by one leg and spun around” while another said a madrassa teacher was “kicking in my head - like a football”, says the report which was compiled by Irfan Chishti, a former government adviser on Islamic affairs. Mrs. Trunchbull from Matilda anyone?

Thank you Ibti, Val and FB. Ibti that sounds so final for some reason. You'll be fine I'm glad you're feeling better Val. I can only afford Saturday and part of Sunday in bed, so this thing will clear up by Monday. Besides, all the free holiday food awaits, and I simply refuse to not be able to taste food at this critical juncture.

Enjoy yourselves ladies. Your experiences will determine whether I try this next June.

LOL @ FB. When you first met her, did you tell her you thought the earth shook, but really it was just her? Seems like that line of work offers unlimited cheesy pick-up lines. Gheelle. T, I knew you would understand. Even with your own private jet and a staff dedicated to your every comfort, traveling nonstop can be really disorienting. Half the time I can't tell what timezone I'm in! And I had clean forgotten about the trip to Poland but I'm sure my assistant has everything under control.

Gheelle.T, thank you so much. I'm a little busy at the moment, trying to broker a peace deal in the Middle East. It is so tedious mentally switching from classical Hebrew to Yiddish don't you think? But at least the Arabic was simple to master, a weekend well-spent.

Ouch @ Ngonge. I will think of a snappy comeback in 30 minutes on my lunch break, but alas you will already be on the train, almost a tenth of the way home. Have a good weekend.