Pontificum Scriblerus

Halloween is one of those holidays that has a triple age distribution as far as enjoying the holiday goes. The little kids get the first peak, up until the age of what, 12? Trick or treating, candy, all that. Then, college kids get the second peak, girls dress up slutty, and everyone gets drunk. The third peak comes when you've got little kids of your own, and Halloween becomes a family affair. I was driving today and was surprised to see trick or treaters all over the street - even in my dumpy neighborhood!! I wish I was a little kid who'd dress up.... Or knew someone who had little kids who dress up... Or lived near some kids that dress up... Or had some kids that dress up.... Or got dressed up myself... Instead, I went home and thought of Halloweens of yore. The irony of this picture is, at the time it was taken, I happened to be working at a state institution, running the prison ward. Therefore, my costume is quite true to life - well, except the short shorts and high heele...

Ever since I started working in hospitals, I noted how nurses in places tend to be the same age and have similar names. It's either Cathy (sometimes, Kathy), Donna or Patricia. I always figured, if you stand in the middle of a floor, and say "Cathy!" really loud, 3 nurses will turn around - and probably 1 speech therapist. The other day, I was trying to make my way through the extraordinarily poorly designed and over-crowded nurses' station on the 6th floor, when I found myself blocked by a wall of man: two surgical interns, Ike and Gil, were in my path. They're each about 6 feet 7 inches, hugely muscular (Ike's arm is my thigh, but with muscle), bald, very black, and wearing the same exact blue scrubs and blue surgical caps. Making my way past them, I ended up right between them, and said, "Jeez, you guys are so tall, I'm craning and straining my neck just to look at you!" In my head I thought, "I should make a wish." They answered, al...

Hubby is in distress today - understandably - a close coworker has passed away. He was diagnosed with some sort of tumor, then developed pneumonia, and died very quickly. He probably did everything right: ate the right things, exercised. He worked hard, saving for a happy old age. He was 48 years old. He had little kids. He played golf just last week. On the other hand, here I am, with a service full of people who've done nothing but abuse themselves with alcohol and drugs, but are now priority number 1 for us. I'm not suggesting that there are some who deserve to live more than others. But....

I have no words. http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/10/28/uzi_recoils_questions_echo/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+Front+Page

I don't know in what sort of left-handed vortex I am trapped, but I definitely think I'm close to the twighlight zone. After morning rounds today, instead of incessant screeching of pleasant alert # 2, I was surrounded by near-deafening silence. I did all my dictations and revisions, and was still bored. My afternoon procedures were canceled, and not a single new cirrhotic showed up today. I took a little desk nap, in the tradition of my research year hiatus. I tinkled around gmail, but my friends have real jobs, so my usual chatting buddies weren't available. My favorite shopping sites are blocked by websense. My mind was starting to get inundated by melancholy thoughts. I actually resorted to reading a text book, but absorbed none of the text. This is so freaking weird, am I gonna get into a car accident on the way home? (spit spit spit, knock knock knock)

Did anyone know this? : Advocates: RI Becoming a Haven for Prostitution Last Edited: Sunday, 26 Oct 2008, 1:08 PM EDT Created: Sunday, 26 Oct 2008, 1:08 PM EDT PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- Brothels are booming in Rhode Island. Advocates say the state, one of only two that considers prostitution legal as long as it occurs indoors between consenting adults, is becoming a haven for those forcing women into prostitution. Melanie Shapiro of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Human Trafficking, said Rhode Island used to have just a handful of brothels. Today there are 28. Donna Hughes, a University of Rhode Island professor studying international sex trafficking told The Providence Journal the state is becoming the sex trafficking capital of the Northeast. While sex trafficking is a federal crime, there are few prosecutions because women are too afraid to testify against the men who forced them into prostitution. ------ Information from: The Providence Journal, http://www.projo.com/ Copyright 2...

Okay, people. When Prince wanted to be known as a random symbol, we understood. When Puff Daddy became Puffy and then P Diddy, we dealt with it. But this has gone TOO FAR!! http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/61803020 Made my name into a porn star! And named an album after it?! And what's with changing names anyway? From now on, I wanna be known as SexyMama1978. With the number. It's my alternate personality that allows me to be... whatever!