Note to CNN.com's editor: "Disrespect" is not a verb.
Mercy Maud, it's difficult enough to maintain proper standards of English grammar without finding on CNN's website, Parents: Army disrespected Tillman's memory
This observation, of course, does not address the validity of the late
soldier's parents' complaint, merely the newsite's lamentable mangling
of the language.
Yet again I find myself nonplussed at the peculiar "suggestions based upon [my] selections" at an on-line shopping site. 
In my 'shopping basket' are three dresses and a capri pant set. All are 'summery' in style and fabric.
The suggested items to complement (and I wish someone would tell these ignorami that it's complement, not compliment) these items?
Leather boots. A 'snowflake' sweater. A pair of bow skimmers (shoes, gentlemen).
Okay, the last named isn't totally off the mark, but wouldn't I make a
sensation entering a restaurant in a black, ruffled gauze dress and
leather boots? 
Am I the only person extant who actually enjoys the sound of silence? 
Mercy Maud, but it's a noisy world we've crafted for ourselves!
Music in department stores. Music in grocery stores. Radio
stations blaring at the hairdresser. Muzak in elevators, and on
the telephone as you're on hold. Televisions in doctors' waiting
rooms. I was just at Border's books, which is adjacent to Central
Market, and there was a live band playing - loudly
- at the latter establishment, and darned if there wasn't some
guy singing and playing the guitar in the coffee area inside
Borders! 
Didn't encourage me to linger, I'll tell you that. Made my selection, paid, and got the heck outta there. 
Okay, that's just tacky.
It has become more and more difficult to take the Mainstream News Media
seriously. For one thing, it'd sure be pleasant to be able to get
through a whole month without "finger" playing a prominent part in the
news. I do NOT wanna hear about it.
Second . . . Saddam Hussein in his undies?
The man's a murderous creepazoid, but c'mon . . . he still bears the
image of God due to his being human. Hard to believe and accept,
I realize, but there it is. We cheapen ourselves when photos
intended solely to demean are published, not to mention arousing the
wrath of the target's supporters.
Did the position of 'editor' fall by the wayside at some point?
If there's anyone with a firm hand on the tiller, it's hard to tell.
It does seem to me they should at the very least receive a certificate
of completion.. Anyone who manages to make it through a
dozen years of school, even if they can't pass the exit exam
(TAKS), ought to be able to put on the cap and gown and walk, that's
what I say. From the Dallas Morning News:
Last week, Kendra was ushered into a counselor's office at Bryan Adams
High School in Dallas to get the bad news: She failed to pass the TAKS
in her final attempt and will not graduate with her class Sunday.
"It makes me feel like all I've done is a waste of time," said Kendra,
18, who didn't pass the math and science portions of the test. "I can't
be there with my class."
But she is not without peers. Hundreds of area seniors – including up to
697 students in DISD, or about 10 percent of the senior class – will not
receive their diplomas after failing to pass the Texas Assessment of
Knowledge and Skills.
This is the first school year that seniors who did not pass all portions
of the TAKS cannot graduate. They began taking the exit-level test in
the 11th grade and had up to five chances to pass.
Those students are left to consider some options: They can continue to
retake the TAKS until they pass or pursue a GED. Others may choose to do
nothing – never receiving a diploma after finishing all of their
coursework.
The news has hit students – and parents – hard.
Patricia Rainey said her daughter has cried more times than she can
count. She now has to postpone attending Texas Southern University in
Houston, where she was accepted.
"She's been crying every day, I feel so sorry for her. She has me
crying," she said. "This is holding her back."
I think I see why Amtrak is having financial troubles. Alex needs
to head back to Tennessee before Beth, so the question has arisen how
to get Beth and Hannah back there. Driving her back is probably
what we'll do, but we looked into other options. Flight?
$388. Ouch.
Train! Why not the train?
Well, let's see. To get from here to Memphis takes over 31 hours
because it goes from here to Chicago, then travels from Chicago to
Memphis.
Hmmm. Holding Hannah. Don't think so.
Okay, we're flexible. What about Arkansas? Walnut Ridge
isn't too far from Memphis. And look! It's only about
$60!
Gets in at 2:00 a.m. 
What a terrific morning! I got to mind Meredith, Margaret, AND Hannah! 
The older girls were entranced with their baby cousin:
How babies can snooze through TV, pop-pop toys, and who knows what all commotion, beats me.
Meredith jivin' to the tunes Cousin Dima was dishing out.
Aunt Elaine finally got to meet Hannah! They got along famously.
BTW, this is one of the kimonos I made. (Darn neck's too small.) Aren't the girls poppets? 
What happened to companies subtly - to a greater or lesser degree - suggesting that if only we bought and used their products, we too could be as beautiful or rich or stylish or popular as the people in the ads?
Nowadays commercials portray those who use the advertised product as being not so bright.
Case in point: a Bud Light ad that aired during this evening's
Mavericks' play-off game. It showed a man aping a chimp in order
to get a beer from it.
There's a heck of an incentive to purchase and drink Bud Light . . . "We'll make a monkey out of you!" 
For better or worse, thus endeth Dmitry's first full year in an American school. 
As a surprise for him, I went by and collected the older Waybourn boys
so they were in the van when Dmitry was picked up. Gracious, he's
not terribly observant about some things, is he? There was Dan
sitting in the front passenger seat, with the other two in the back,
yet Dmitry didn't notice them until he started to open the sliding door
to dump his backpack.
Dan, especially, thought it most amusing. The important thing, of
course, is that Dmitry was surprised and delighted at the completely
unexpected appearance of his best friends. I'd planned to take
them to Main Event Entertainment for pizza, video games, laser tag, and
bowling, but doggoned if the place wasn't closed for a private party
when we arrived, and not scheduled to be reopened to the public for
over two more hours.
The boys declared they'd willingly take CiCi's Pizza as a substitute,
and then asked to go to the park, running by the house first to get the
bike, which they took turns riding.
Here's Zhenya on it.
Joe taking a turn.
Dmitry's getting pretty decent on it, as well, though he's got a ways to go to be as adept as Joe.
While at the house I fetched leftover bread and hamburger buns so the
ducks and birds could be fattened up. Turns out squirrels will
eat it, too, with Joe stalking a squirrel around a tree (it was quite
funny to watch), though Dan settled for trying to entice a pigeon to
take bread from his hand.
Didn't work, unfortunately. 
Afterwards it was off to Blockbuster to choose a game, then back to the
house to hang out for a couple of hours. It was good to hear so
much Russian spoken again. I'd missed it.
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