[snickering]  Oh, I do get a charge out of fellow Tarrant county blogger, Middleageguy:

"I find it kind of interesting that he shares credit for writing The
Hokey Pokey with two other writers.   Was it really that complicated? 
I mean, if Rossini could write more than 40 operas, many of which
lasted more than a month each and involved highly-Italian singers
belting out notes that could only be heard by certain species of fruit
bats, then why did it take three people to write "you put your left leg
in, you take your left leg out?'  Was there just that much debate over which limbs would be included in the song or what?"

Fair's fair . . . his writing of English may be weak, but Dmitry's
ability to read is gettin' on up there.  Turns out he actually
reads those gaming magazines of which he's so powerful fond! 
(It's reached the point Don tries to sneak off to the bookstore,
otherwise Dmitry comes charging out begging either "Can I go?  Can
I go?" or at the least pleading for a new magazine.)

Case in point:  last night Dmitry triumphantly brought to my
attention an article in the latest issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly
("The #1 Videogame Magazine....it says it right there on the cover),
because said article refutes the conventional wisdom saying too much
video gaming is detrimental to one's intellect.  "How gaming
builds your mental muscle" was the point being made, and doggone if
Dmitry didn't insist upon reading me  -  out loud 
-  every single word of the piece.

And by jingo, the vocabulary contained within it was impressive; here
is a short sample of what Dmitry was able to read quickly and well:

"[People assume] that what's
happening to kids while they are watching television is the same as
what's happening to them while they are playing a videogame.  But
there's a huge difference between a passive medium like television and
a participatory one like videogames.  When you see a kid staring
at a videogame, you're seeing concentration and focus.  You're
seeing them deal with a very complicated environment full of
variables.  Lots of problems to solve.  That's the look of
somebody who's paying attention, not the look of a zombie."

I'm not addressing whether the author has a point or not, ye ken; I was
simply impressed that Dmitry had taken the trouble to read an article
with such complicated language, that he comprehended it sufficiently to
realize it played right into his hands and this is something he wanted
me to hear, and that he was able to read it fluently, only tripping a
bit over "participatory" and "variables."

I think he did right well, and so I told him.  

A Category FIVE?  Wilma zoomed from a two to a five overnight? 

Mercy Maud!  At least it doesn't seem to be terribly well
organized, though with winds of 175 mph and the lowest (unofficially)
recorded barometric pressure, it mayn't need to be.  I don't know
much about hurricanes...if it gets all tightly organized, with a
recognizable pinwheel shape, would that cause it to strengthen, or is it the reverse? 

That was embarrassing. 

Last week was my first week in BSF (Bible Study Fellowship), and the
group in which I was placed was newly created.  A volunteer to be
secretary was sought, and since I was sitting next to the leader, I
volunteered.

Turned out I managed to omit myself from the roll, so I wound up being counted as "absent."  Some secretary I'll be! 

[fascinated]  Oh my dear paws and whiskers!

Y'all might recall that Dmitry's initial, voluntary foray into English
was through the vehicle of anime, or manga, books.  I thought they
were frightful but in the way of teenagers, he considered them
delightful.

Not sure how he's going to feel about this:

Manga meets late, very conservative romance author Betty Neels. 

To quote Dave Barry, I am not making this up:  Harlequin Ginger Blossom: A Girl in a Million TPB

Y'all might want to TAKE COVER!

Why?

Because for dinner tonight I cooked, served, and actually ate Broiled Tilapia Parmesan. 

It wasn't nearly as awful as I thought it would be.  It wasn't as good as the reviews said it was, but it was edible, and Don and Dmitry liked it (Dmitry ate seconds).

Anyway, Anne voluntarily serving any fish other than vacuum packed
salmon in croquettes or canned solid white tuna is undoubtedly a sign
of the end of the world.  Be afraid.  Be very afraid. 

It's past time to get the autumn and Halloween decorations up, but
somehow I simply have neither the oomph nor the interest when it's 90°
outside. 

The swing in gas prices is off the charts around here.  Taking
Dmitry to school I noticed unleaded is $2.65 at the 7-11 on Camp Bowie
and Horne, then $2.89 at the station across from Tom Thumb at Ridglea
Ave., $2.83 at the Exxon at the intersection of Camp Bowie and Bryant
Irvin, and $2.59 at the Shell station at the Montgomery Street exit off
I-30.

A 30¢ per gallon swing in the space of a couple of miles!

Presumably the $2.59 and $2.65 are loss leaders, with the profit coming
from the coffee and such purchased by customers as their tanks fill.

Tell you what, Charles was smart to get his ticket when he did, as the
prices are skyrocketing since both Tech and Texas won their games this
afternoon.  At Stubhub, seats in his section were priced at 
-  prepare yourself  -  $498 EACH. 

That's just plain awful. 

Get a load of this:  Mattel launches Barbie clothes for women

Toy maker Mattel Inc, known
for Barbie fashion dolls, is expanding the plastic icon's
domain to include high-end designer clothing and accessories
for adult women.

The merchandise, which includes jeans, shirts, handbags and
jewelry, is designed by well-known fashion designers and will
sell under the name Barbie Luxe.

Using Barbie as their "muse," designers like Anna Sui, Anya
Hindmarch, Citizens of Humanity, Judith Leiber, Nickel, Not
Rational, Paper Denim & Cloth, Stila and Tarina Tarantino have
added Barbie-esque touches to their designs, such as pink
stitching on jeans or a retro silhouette on a cameo pendant.

"Our target market is the fashionista," said Richard
Dickson, senior vice president of global consumer marketing and
entertainment for Mattel Brands. "From teens through adults in
their 20's and 30's. It's not Mattel's usual target audience."

Weak sales of Barbie dolls, a lackluster retail
environment, and strong competition have hurt Mattel recently.
The company is working to raise Barbie's non-toy profile as
well as tap a grown-up fan base as part of a long term plan to
reinvigorate the toy brand.

There will be a series of promotions to publicize the
Barbie Luxe brand, including underground campaigns, launch
parties and Fashion Week interviews.

<snip>

The items aren't cheap, with jeans priced at $176 and a 3/4
sleeve hooded sweatshirt at $140, and this helps add to the
cachet of the brand, which is designed to be "aspirational." . . . The toy maker
also has a high-end line of collectible dolls -- geared for
adults -- many decked out in outfits created by designers like
Lilly Pulitzer, Cynthia Rowley, Versace and Kate Spade.

Oy vey and likewise, aye carumba! 

$176 jeans?  A $140 sweatshirt? 

Are these people utterly insane?