Happy Birthday to You

Today is Leslie's birthday. After all this time of me telling her she was almost there, today she turns the big 3-0! Happy birthday, baby!

Strawberries and cream in a public toilet . . .

That's how one person described the so-called "king of fruits." I can't remember where I first heard about durian, but ever since I did, I've wanted to try it. I've always been a bit of an adventurer when it comes to trying odd or off-the-wall foods. When I was little and my mom would let us get a treat at the grocery store, I always managed to find something completely random to get--like a tiny jar of caviar, or sour pickled Japanese plums. I was in good company, though--my older sister would almost always insist on getting a jar of green olives and my older brother would usually opt for a tin of sardines. We would beg my mom not to let him open them in the car on the way home. The grocery store always brings back good childhood memories. I won't go into our obsession with grocery store gumball machines here, though. Charlotte, can you say rabbit's foot? Anyway, back to my story.



Durian is this fruit that grows in southeast Asia and is considered one of the most exquisite delicacies. The problem with it is that it is a bit on the stinky side. When I say a bit, I mean REALLY, REALLY stinky. Descriptions of it's smell abound. Here's how one travel and food writer described it: "... its odor is best described as pig-@#&*, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock. It can be smelled from yards away. Despite its great local popularity, the raw fruit is forbidden from some establishments such as hotels, subways and airports, including public transportation in Southeast Asia." Appetizing, huh? I guess the thing that intrigued me most is how something that smells so bad could possibly taste so good. How is that possible? So imagine my delight when I found it for sale in a local Asian market.

I think I've mentioned before that I moonlight at this Vietnamese office that's in this huge shopping center called the Hong Kong City Mall. When you step into this place, you truly are in a different country. Most signs for the businesses are in Vietnamese and pretty much everyone is speaking Vietnamese. There are some perks to working there, though--well a perk, which is the Vietnamese sandwich shop across from the dental office. If you've never had one, you need to find your nearest Vietnamese bakery/sandwich shop and pick yourself up one of these. So a couple of weeks ago, I had some time to kill between patients so I took a stroll through the grocery store that is in the Hong Kong City Mall.

Much to my delight, there next to the check out was a big crate of spiky durian. The glaring red sign that said "No Returns" should have been a warning, but no, I pressed on. I thought the price was $4.00 for the whole thing, but when I got to the checkout I quickly learned it was $4.00 per pound, and this is no small fruit. But, I thought, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to try the "king of fruits," so I shelled out the 20 bucks to buy the stinky thing. The checkout lady again reiterated to me "no returns," as I paid.


I had to ride home with my windows open. At first the smell was almost overpowering--even with the windows open. But strangely enough, after a while it started to smell not-so-bad--almost good. I was getting excited that it was actually going to be good. So I got home and cracked the thing open.

Let's just say that the smell of the unopened fruit didn't even compare to the smell when I got wind of the white, custardy clumps that were inside. It's hard to describe the smell--almost like an over-ripe fruit smell overlaid with maybe a bit of poop and garlic? It truly is something you have to smell for yourself. So I pulled out a couple of the clumps. I brought it in the house and needless to say it sent Audrey and Parker running--they wouldn't try it, let alone even come near it. Even Moe pushed it away without hesitation. So I tasted it.

You would think that since it is a fruit, it would taste, well, fruity. Au contraire mon frère. Nothing fruity AT ALL here. To me, it tasted kind of like really intense roast beef with garlic with again, poop. Not that I know what poop tastes like, but I can imagine. And the consistency made it even worse--like a squishy custard. Funny that those who like it often cite the texture as part of its appeal. I didn't swallow it, it was just too bad.

So along with a really gross taste in my mouth, I was left wondering what is so fundamentally different about the taste buds of people of Northern European descent and those of Southeast Asian descent? How could one group be so enamored by something so repulsive to the other? I guess I'll never figure it out. So if you ever find yourself in Bangkok, or the Hong Kong City Mall, and you get a hankering for some durian, don't say I didn't warn you. Go for the bánh mì thịt nướng instead.

In Rainbows, In Review

I hate to say Radiohead is an acquired taste, because I think it implies something that really does taste bad at first, but then you start to like it. I don't think Radiohead could ever taste bad--but you just might not realize just how good it tastes initially. I like to think of it as more of a refined taste. And it gets more savory the more you hear. When I first listened to In Rainbows I wasn't quite sure about it. I have to admit I'm one of those people that listens to little snippets of each song really fast to quickly get through the whole album and get a feel for it. After 14 years, I should know that doesn't fly with Radiohead. Even though the first listen is more instantly gratifying than some of their other albums, this one definitely gets better with each listen. I was with Jooj at first--I thought it was good, but maybe not great, but after a couple of listens, I think I would classify it as a whole as one of their better efforts, with a couple of the songs being on par with their best. The first track 15 Steps is amazing. This track could have easily come from Thief or Amnesiac with it's uptempo snares layered over a slightly distorted main beat. The best part is the jazzy guitar riff that seems to run throughout the album. And who doesn't love a song with a sample of cheering children? Bodysnatchers is the hardest track of the lot. The vocals start out almost exactly like Palo Alto from the Airbag/How's My Driving EP--one of my favorite songs of all time. It gets just gritty enough without being over the top like they sometimes get--I'm thinking of The Bends and the later tracks from OK Computer. I didn't really like Nude at first, but after a couple of listens its growing on me. It would fit nicely on a Magnet album and the very end sounds almost like Matt Hales. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi is my favorite track on the album, and may turn out to be one of my all time favorites. I read one review that said that the lyrics are "deeply depressing, even for Radiohead," but then again, no one can sing falsetto about ending it all and then being eaten by worms and weird fishes quite like Thom. It's got the almost panicked drum beat of some of their more recent stuff, but it's melodic like their earlier material. It kind of reminds me of some of the tracks from The Bends, but doesn't get corrupted by the hard guitar/heavy distortion like (nice dream) or high and dry--it builds just enough. All I Need is my least favorite track. Nothing really stands out about it. Does the synth loop at the beginning remind anyone else of Nothing Better by The Postal Service? I thought so. Faust Arp is a great song. It could almost be the second half of A Wolf at the Door (It Girl. Rag Doll), with its run together, stream of consciousness sounding repeated lyrics. Reckoner is another great track. It features the jazzy guitars again--over tambourines that sound a lot like the beginning of sulk. I swear the unintelligible vocal track at the beginning of House of Cards is a sample from Cocteau Twins' Treasure. OK, I know it's not her, but it sounds a lot like Elizabeth Fraser. And who would have ever thought the lyrics " . . . I don't want to be your friend/I just want to be your lover . . . " would come out of Thom's mouth. Jigsaw Falling Into Place is a good track, doesn't really stand out. Videotape would be a lot better without the disconnected drumbeat that starts about halfway through the song.

So there you have it. My take on each track. Overall I like it--a lot. It seems to me to be kind of a mix of The Bends, Airbag, and Hail to the Thief but without some of the negatives from those albums. Leslie once told me that she wants her own iPod because "it would have way less Radiohead on it." Well, there are now 10 more tracks on it that will be in heavy rotation. My picks--tracks 1, 2 and 4. There you go.

And, by the way, if I'm on anyone's Christmas list, the £40 boxed set can be ordered for December delivery. Just FYI.

Radiohead Update

I finally got the confirmation email yesterday, and I successfully downloaded the album this morning. I haven't finished listening to it yet--I'll let you know how it is later!

Have you seen this?
I hope it's good.

Noose Flash

It's nice to see my birthplace in the noose, I mean news--especially in such a positive light. My brother emailed this story to me and I thought I'd share it. Leslie likes to remind me that I grew up in a place that was very different from a lot of places in more "mainstream" America. Thankfully it's usually not in reference to racism or other negative aspects of Southern life, but incidents like this and the whole Jena thing just serve to reinforce stereotypes. But let's face it, stereotypes are usually rooted in truth--I think that's part of what can make them so offensive. In other noose, I have to prepare a talk for Sunday. Apparently the family that was supposed to speak didn't think the first counselor was serious when he asked them a couple of weeks ago. Just FYI, don't be too good of friends with the members of the Bishopric. And never, ever give them your cell phone number.

ALEXANDRIA, Louisiana (CNN) -- A Louisiana city that hosted many of the "Jena 6" protesters Thursday became the site of a racially charged incident of its own.

A photo taken by I-Reporter Casanova Love shows a noose hanging from a pickup in Alexandria, Louisiana.

Authorities in Alexandria, less than 40 miles southwest of Jena, arrested two people who were driving a red pickup Thursday night with two nooses hanging off the back, repeatedly passing groups of demonstrators who were waiting for buses back to their home states.

The marchers had taken part in the huge protests in Jena that accused authorities there of injustice in the handling of racially charged cases -- including the hanging of nooses in a tree after a group of black students sat in an area where traditionally only white students sat.

The driver of the red truck, whom Alexandria police identified as Jeremiah Munsen, 18, was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor -- a reference to the 16-year-old passenger. Munsen also was charged with driving while intoxicated and inciting to riot, according to the police report.

As officials were questioning the driver, he said he had an unloaded rifle in the back of the truck, which police found. They also found a set of brass knuckles in a cup holder on the dashboard, the police report said.

The passenger told police he and his family are in the Ku Klux Klan and that he had KKK tattooed on his chest, the police report said. He also said that he tied the nooses and that the brass knuckles belonged to him, the report said.

The report, filed by Officer F.R. Drewett, said he and another officer were standing with protesters awaiting their bus back to Nashville, Tennessee, when one of the group told him about a truck driving with nooses hanging off the back.

The truck was circling around town, repeatedly driving past groups of demonstrators, the report said. The officers pulled the pickup over and arrested two after searching the vehicle.

At least one of the nooses was made out of an extension cord, according to the police report. The driver and passenger are white, according to the police report. An entry in the report lists "Bias Motive: Racial Anti-Black."

Alexandria Mayor Jacques Roy said those involved were "from around Jena" and not from the same parish as his city. Roy said he is looking into whether the incident was a hate crime. A photograph of the truck was sent to CNN by I-Reporter Casanova Love, 26, who said he is in the U.S. military. He's visiting his family in Louisiana and said he witnessed the event. After the arrests, Roy came out to address the crowd and apologized, saying he does not condone racism, Love said. Love added, "If the police had not stepped in, I fear what might have happened." Love explained why he sent the photo to CNN: "People need to see this. It's 2007, and we still have fools acting like it's 1960." Roy said the matter is "not indicative" of Alexandria and that local authorities will look into it "completely, thoroughly and transparently." Some protesters saw another truck with a noose hanging off it, but authorities did not find the vehicle, according to the police report.

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

You may or may not have heard, but the Houston Museum of Natural Science is the first stop on Lucy's first tour of North America. This is only the third time "she's" ever been displayed--the other two times were in Ethiopia where she was found. Many people are not happy that she's been removed from her African home to be paraded around the US, but I am more than excited about it, and I can't wait to go see her. So a couple of days ago, I picked up Audrey from school and she was recounting a conversation she had with Braden (more about him in a subsequent post) in which she was telling him about the things she likes at the HMNS. "I was telling him that I like the skeletons of the woolly mammoth and the pterodactyl the best because I like the kind of scary things. Scary and ancient are the kinds of things I like." At that moment, without thinking I said, "Yeah, we need to go there soon because Lucy is going to be there." Her--"who's Lucy?" Me in my head--"how do you explain the concept of an early hominid to a six year old whose only frame of reference is a very literal understanding of the biblical story of The Creation?"

When I was about seven or eight years old, I remember my best friend's dad used to always like to talk to me about human evolution. They had some books about (ironically) Lucy, and he loved to tease me, in a good hearted sort of way about weather or not man evolved from monkeys. Back then, I was a strict Creationist, since I hadn't learned anything about evolution up until then. I don't really remember when I even was taught about evolution, but I don't ever remember thinking that it didn't jibe with my religious convictions. There was never a question of whether or not evolution has and continues to occur, because the evidence in the fossil record is pretty compelling. The organisms that are represented came from somewhere, and it just isn't coincidence that they show a pattern of change, right up to the flora and fauna found living today. I guess I've just never understood the point of view that evolution goes against the story of the creation found in Genesis. Or even more implausible, that the evolution of other animals occured, but somehow humans didn't evolve from earlier hominids.

I'm not saying that I have all the answers--it does put the story of the Creation in a precarious place. I can't explain how Adam and Eve were the first people. Some have hypothesized that earlier hominids didn't have spirits or something, and I don't know about that. I do believe that Adam and Eve are the parents of the human family, but I don't know what came before, or how the human family arrived at that point in time.

"Lucy is a skeleton that's millions of years old that was found in Africa. She was kind of like a human, but she lived a long time before humans were on the earth," I said. "Cool," was her reply. When we got home she ran to tell Parker "Parky, we're going to go see a skeleton at the Natural Science Museum that's millions of years old that was kind of like a human but not a human. Cool, huh?" Then later that night she came up to me and said, "what did they talk like if they weren't really like people?" The wheels had been turning.

I'm sure she will have a lot more questions after we actually go see Lucy. I'll keep you posted.

A sad commentary . . .

So I'm in desperate need of some new material to post. I thought I had a lot to post about, but now that I've got a forum, I'm kind of struggling. I guess it's easier to come up with responses than original material, thus the multiple accusations that my comments sections are more entertaining than the actual post. So here we are--this post is all about the comments. Leave your best observations, questions, comments etc. and we'll see just how entertaining this can really get. Especially if we can get some anonymous (or anyonomus for you Mike) comments to roll in.

Pedernales Falls

Okay, I realize I've been slacking in the blogging department. I guess I just don't have the talent for it. Anyway, you probably read over at the 'chain that we went to the Hill Country for the Labor Day weekend and we had a grand 'ol time. One of the highlights was going to the Pedernales Falls State Park. It is an area where the Pedernales River spills over some large limestone slabs. Needless to say Audrey and Parker loved it. You have to go down a series of stairs then pick your way through a fair amount of brush to get to the water. Every time we would get to the spot we were going to, Audrey would decide there was something else she HAD to see. We pretty much had to drag Audrey back to the car to leave. When we got back to the car, Parker kindly informed us all that "we're not really supposed to go see waterfalls on Sunday." Anyway, here are some pictures.

Explanation

So here's the deal. As Leslie said, I moonlight at the office of a Cuban dentist whose mom, Pilar, works the front desk. So pretty much every Cuban expatriate in town gets their dental work done here--I think mostly because they like to sit and chat with Pilar about Cuba, Fidel, etc. So anyway, I finished an eval on one of Pilar's Cuban friends and was writing up the chart. I had to go up to the front to get something, and Pilar has this huge smile on her face and practically yells--"Fidel se murio! Now I can go back to Havana and urinate on his grave!" Yeah, not a picture I wanted in my head either, but I thought I'd pass it on for effect. Anyway, one of her friends had just heard that the Cuban government was going to make an announcement yesterday afternoon that Castro had died. Bear in mind that most Cubans think he died a while back, but that the government has been hiding it, for obvious reasons. So Pilar called her brother in Miami who maintains close contact with friends and relatives in Cuba and he told her that Miami was in a complete frenzy. By the way, her brother was a political prisoner for something like 7 years before Castro got tired of him and put him on a plane to Miami. So her brother also said that all telephone lines going into Cuba had been blocked and that no one could communicate with anyone inside. Looking back, it was probably because every Cuban in the U.S. was trying to call at the same time. So, to make a long story short, it's back to the status quo with no one really knowing if he's dead or alive. The Cuban government of course is saying the rumors were started by the anti-Castro contingent in Miami and that Fidel is very much alive, but they have offered no proof to back that up. Anyway, check our this blog--it's the most popular Cuban blog around and has some interesting posts. The latest one about Hugo Chavez is interesting and very telling, in my opinion. Or read this, or if you're looking for something a little more light hearted and can stomach a little more questionable content, go here. So I guess, Ginger was right . . .

The King is Dead

Fidel Castro is dead. You heard it here first.

Dean dean bo-bean, banana fana . . .

Check this out:



Makes you wish you lived on the Gulf Coast during this time of the year, huh?

The end of an era

Somebody in my household thinks I've been a little bit harsh and mean with some of my posts, so I'm turning over a new leaf. By the way, that somebody has developed a bad habit of meddling in my blogging affairs and if it continues, I will have no choice but to change my password so said person will be unable continue to fiddle with my blog. Anyway, I just want everyone to know, I'm removing statcounter and I now welcome anonymous comments--especially the mean and inflammatory kind (and especially from you, Mike.) No one will be called out again. And also, feel free to continue to blog stalk to your virtual heart's content, I won't know just how many times you may have looked at my blog. I only ask that you leave an anonymous comment every once in a while. Thanks.

My name is Neal, and I'm an . . .

So I just want to address the topic of anonymous comments. Like I said, I'm in my blogging adolescence so I guess I'm dealing with issues you blogging old timers got over a long time ago. But I just think the whole mindset behind the anonymous comment is interesting. I mean, sometimes it's funny to post something anonymously if it goes along with the spirit of the post. But anyway, my point is that sometimes anonymous comments are appropriate. Like when one of your friends posts something and let's say their virtual zipper is down and you need to tell them something like, "hey, XYZ," or "your barn door is open," or "it doesn't pay to advertise," or something of that nature, but you don't necessarily want to further embarrass them by letting them now it was YOU that noticed--maybe then, an anonymous comment might be acceptable. I can even understand someone posting something anonymously when they want to say something really hateful and nasty, but they don't have the backbone to attach their name to it. I don't think it's appropriate or acceptable, but I can understand why someone would do it, socially unacceptable as it may be. I guess the last situation that it would be appropriate to comment anonymously is when you don't have a blogger account, but then you can still just sign your name at the end of the comment. I can't understand it when someone wants to say something that doesn't fit any of the above situations and still comment anonymously. Like if you wanted to post something like, say "Some of us will miss George W. Bush when he leaves office and is replaced by Bill & Hillary Clinton." Why wouldn't you want to attach your name to such a statement? Most of the people that read this blog would probably agree with you. Or the person that made a kind of underhandedly disparaging comment about our buddy Mitt. It wasn't that inflammatory. And just for the record, I like to make fun of Mitt sometimes, too. I can only conclude that when a person comments anonymously, they obviously don't have the guts to own their opinion and accept whatever might come back at them as a result. That's my take on it. Maybe I'm wrong, and feel free to call me out on it. But kindly sign your name to your comment.

Espique de languich

President Bush was hosting Nicolas Sarkozy this weekend at the family pad in Kennebunkport when the following exchange occurred:

"No I can't," the president said, when asked by a journalist if he could say something in French. "I can barely speak English."

Now that's funny.

*I first heard about this from Amy. She didn't think it was funny, she thought it was sad. Boo hoo.

Moe-gabm

Well, today is Moe-D's birthday. I can't believe he is one year old. In some ways it seems like he has been a part of our family forever, though. I remember how little he was when he was born, but how BIG his mouth seemed as he cried when he first came out. It was also nice that he was the first one of our kids that did not have to be resuscitated and deep suctioned upon arrival. One of the most interesting things about having kids for me has been to watch their little personalities emerge and blossom. Each one brings their own little character traits and qualities into the world with them and it's fun to start to see it show. This little one definitely has his own personality. He always has a smile on his face and rarely is in a bad mood. He loves to do things to make you laugh at him. Maybe that is a result of Audrey and Parker praying every night that "Moe will get funnier and funnier" (we have no idea where they came up with that). He has been a great addition to our family and I'm so blessed to be his dad!

On a side note, I finished Confessions and it did not get any better after those opening pages. Such a waste of a book, I don't know why I read the whole thing. In other blogging news, I'm working on some posts for my very own etsy showcase. The 'chain and I have collected some very choice items that I think you will all enjoy. Stay tuned . . .

I might be a liberal

This morning the patient at one of my moonlighting gigs no-showed (by the way, don't ever do that when you have an appointment) so I ended up in the car at the same time one of my favorite radio shows was playing--Democracy Now!. It airs on the station here that is an affiliate of Pacifica radio which is a network of uber-liberal, listener-supported stations. The Houston affiliate can be highly entertaining and Democracy Now! is the crown jewel. Just to put things in perspective, Cindy Sheehan was one of the most frequent guests on this show before she renounced the peace movement. But then she decided she could defeat Nancy Pelosi in a bid for Congress, so she's back. But I digress. Usually I just listen to Democracy Now! (yes, you have to put an exclamation point behind Now! every time--that's the proper name of the show) to see what kind of ridiculous rhetoric is being broadcast on any given day and for a good laugh during the afternoon commute.
Anyway, this morning, my buddy Amy Goodman was interviewing this guy named John Perkins who claims he was an "economic hit man" for the US government in the seventies. Let me explain in a nutshell what an economic hit man is: these are people who work for "consulting" firms that go to foreign countries and convince their governments to accept huge loans from the World Bank and IMF and then funnel the funds to US companies who are in charge of the projects. Then the US government swoops in and used the debt as leverage to force the government of the country to grant access to its natural resources, military cooperation and political support. Sounds feasible and kind of interesting, right? So, since I had some time to kill before my next patient at school, I stopped by Barnes & Noble (or Barnes & Nobles, as we like to call it at our house, along with Chipoltes, Krogers, Williams & Sonoma, Abercrombie & Finch, OK I need to stop) and bought Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. I know, I know, if Amy recommends it it's gotta suck, but I couldn't resist. I love a good government conspiracy theory. A couple of years ago, I discovered Loose Change and I guess I've never been quite the same since. As a side note, the next time you're at cruising altitude in an airplane, turn on your cell phone and see if you get a signal. Sorry, I know, once you do you won't be able to sleep at night. Anyway, back to COAEHM. I started reading it while I was taking the bus from the parking lot to the DB and it is horrible. I mean really bad. The way he describes how he was "recruited" is so cheesy, and so far it's mostly him describing how he knew what he was doing was wrong, but he is such a red-blooded heterosexual man that he was seduced by beautiful women to do our government's dirty work. Then when I got home I found this rebuttal by the State Department, and I'm left wondering why they bothered. Maybe there is something to his story . . . So in case your next read was Confessions, of course, after you read this, don't bother. Thanks for nothing, Amy. Now go watch Loose Change.

I wonder if Mitt's seen it . . .

Let's hear it for statcounter

OK, I realize I'm a latecomer to the blogosphere and this topic has been discussed ad naseum, but just indulge me while I beat the proverbial dead horse. Just think of it as part of my blogging adolescence and just roll your eyes. So my new obsession with statcounter is what precipitated this. Let me break it down: yesterday flowerchain got 374 hits. I think that's an all-time high. Of course I like to think I had a hand in it--I know everyone was furiously emailing their friends saying "you need to check flowerchain because it links to her husband's new blog." Don't lie, you know you did. Anyway, after reading flowerchain's post you probably think I'm going to complain about the lack of comments, but no, that's not the interesting part about the blogging phenomenon. What I find the most interesting is that that the 'chain and I don't know even close to 374 people. Who are all of these people that are interested in looking at pictures of our kids and reading about our lives? I know, I've read blogs of people I don't know, and honestly I don't know why. Usually it's not a totally random person--I almost always know them in some roundabout way. But I don't obsessively check their blogs, or mark them for easy access. But when flowerchain consistently gets over 300 hits a day, that can't be chalked up to people randomly clicking over from another blog. I can only conclude that it's a case of serial checking. Now, if you're one of those who has no connection to us but just thinks we're enthralling, obviously, I can't blame you. I mean, who can help but be obsessed with a gorgeous woman and her devastatingly handsome husband who are raising three child prodigies. Seriously, Becks and Posh have nothing on us. I'm not saying that something's wrong with you, or that you need to engage in some primal therapy to get over your deep seated psychological issues. I'm just saying it's a little weird. But then again, I guess that's why we have blogs--to share our lives with random people. Would we post if we knew no one was reading? So I guess this is why I shouldn't check statcounter anymore.

In the beginning . . .

. . . there was flowerchain. And she begat Rainbow Flying Unicorns. Then she begat I Love Heroes. Then she begat A Room Somewhere. But through it all, she couldn't beget the desire in her husband to start a blog. Until now. But before you get too excited, you're probably not going to find many posts about my childhood, there may be the occassional pictures of the fam, but definitely no memes. I think the 'chain has that pretty much covered. So if you're looking for pictures of beautiful things, you might want to step into a room somewhere else (although I'm pretty sure there will be an etsy week sometime soon--oh don't you worry, it's going to be good). But when you need a break from the virtual world of spotless living rooms, amazing hubbies, endless spirituality and impossibly cute kiddos (yes, I look at your blogs, too), come on over and hang out here. I don't care that your sink is piled high with dirty dishes, your kid won't sleep through the night, you went to the donut store during Sunday School, and that your husband doesn't appreciate you. Just relax--we're all friends here.

I'm not kidding myself, though. I know that most of the traffic to this blog will come from flowerchain. With her average of 200 hits a day, at least a few of you will wander on over. And when you do, feel free to write a comment. As a matter of fact, leave a comment right now. If you do, I'll add you to my sidebar links. It'll be like a free giveaway to commentors. I know, just call me Design Dad.