The Friday Five.

1. Do you like talking on the phone? Why or why not?

Not really. It's in that intermediate place between the feedback of face-to-face and the deliberateness of email. I can take my time when writing; I can make important judgements about another person's demeanor in person. Neither of those are available over the phone.

2. Who is the last person you talked to on the phone?

My wife. Which is different. I know her well enough to guess where a phone conversation is going.

3. About how many telephones do you have at home? Plugged in?

One, in the kitchen. We both have cell phones, though.

4. Have you encountered anyone who has really bad phone manners? What happened?

Not that I can recall.

5. Would you rather pick up the phone and call someone or write them an e-mail or a letter? Why or why not?

Write email. It's less of an an intrusion into their life, and it involves much less guesswork when trying to figure out how they'll take it.

Friday Fives of Ancient Days: October 5, 2001

1. What's on top of your refrigerator?

Vitamins. Gummy-bear types for the kids, Centrum Spectrum for me, One-A-Day Women's for omahas. A miscellany of zinc, NSAIDS (acetaminophen and ibuprofen). Oh, yeah, and the laser pointer, after we discovered the girls going after it so they could tease the cat. While that's an acceptable use of it, they're not old enough to use the thing wisely. Until they regularly avoid shining their toy flashlights in people's eyes, they're not to use it.

2. What's your favorite meal of the day?

Dinner. I get to eat with my family. Breakfast is a rushed thing, and lunch is frequently solitary and leftover. I get to write during my lunches, but it's not as good as face time with my beloveds.

On the weekends, it's harder to say. We eat together for most meals and not in front of the TV. We frequently have friends over, and we tend to overdo the home-cooking thing, if such a thing is possible. Tuna isn't just canned tuna and mayonnaise: it's albacore and chopped celery and cucumber with a splash of rice vinegar.

3. Wash dishes by hand or in the dishwasher? What detergent do you use?

In the dishwasher. We're using Cascade these days-- dunno why, just seems to be the default, and it's the cheapie at the discount warehouse place we get it from. Besides, it's better in the dishwasher: hand-washing a common load of dishes uses an average of 90 liters of water and 2.4kWh of electricity, whereas a modern dishwasher uses only 17 liters of water and 1kWh of electricity.

4. How often do you eat out compared to eating in?

Numerically, it comes down to about 1.5 times a week. Omaha and I eat at home mostly, or prepare lunches to take out.

5. How do you plan to spend your weekend?

If it's a nice weekend, we'll be spending it cleaning up the yard and preparing the driveway for patchwork, which suffered last fall from construction work on the water line to the house. Omaha will be attending a meeting at her start-up, and later we'll all be going to the Bi-and-Bi Social at Vivace's Roasteria up on Capitol Hill, Seattle. I don't have anything planned Sunday, and that's the way I like it: mellow, laid-back. I could use some study time and some time with the kids. Maybe we'll actually get some art done. If the weather's still nice, maybe we'll try tennis-ball art (tempura paints, a big sheet of paper stuck to the back gate, and tennis balls hurled with great effect). Kouryou-chan is actually learning to hold still long enough for me to at least get a figure, perspective, and gestural done, too.

Must Share!

( Warning! Offensive to Vegetarians! )

Middle School Student Outed By School, Disciplined For Not Changing

Thomas McLaughlin, a student in middle school in Little Rock, Arkansas, is suing his school. The complaint alleges that McLaughlin's confidentiality was violated by the school, that teachers actively called his parents to complain about his apparent sexual orientation, that school officials preached to McLaughlin and compelled him to read anti-gay Bible verses aloud (and threatened to expel him if he revealed the punishment), and disciplined for having a conversation with a female student as to whether or not a boy was "cute." The girl was not reprimanded.

The allegations, if true, are still a reminded that the battle for equal rights is not over.