In general it has been my observation that americans off the u.s. are anti-intellectual. Many resent intelligence. Look at poor old John Kerry and his run ffor the pres.

yes...but even admiration is problematic

there's just no good response to compliments!

just smile modestly :P

Oh, just say 'thank you.'

even saying thank you almost feels arrogant to me

but my therapist also tells me that is what to say.

hi guys : ) hursh, just say thank you

Ok. 'Thank you for saying that.' how's that?

hi babbler

i have been trying to say thank you.

Babs!!

sometimes i do *blush*

hi Mab! :D

so do I!

but then i worry that it comes off as false modesty

hi Ata :D

i am never offended myself, but always paranoid about offending others

babbledy babbledy babbler

is that a purple sheep?

lol!! no it's a purple monster!! it says "aarrrr, arrr, arrr, squeeeek" underneath!

Hi Babs :)

You can't predict or control how others respond. You can accept yourself in all your glory, and no blushing.

a very cute monster :)

*squirms at mab's advice*... guess that's why i'm in therapy

it's cute to blush, hursh, I wouldn't worry about that. I understand you might squirm with embarrassment when you get fantastic compliments, but that's how it is when you're blessed with something.

accept what you're blessed with! : D

but don't people know that compliments make you feel funny???

yes!

when i give them i mostly try to be brief and matter of fact and not make too big a deal out of it.

then learn to accept a compliment too! : D

well i'm working on it...

it's a lovely thing to give and receive a compliment. They don't come every day. : )

(not that I don't squirm with embarrassment whenever I get one! LOL!)

there are different kinds though

Well said, Babs.

like if i said, "i like you, babbler"

thanks : )

that is fine.

or "well said, babs"

also fine

Oh yes. I actually argue with the complimenter and try to prove to them they are wrong!

but when people say, "i'm lost in admiration of your brilliance", that is too much

heh, me too, Mab!

me too :)

LOL!! oh hursh, if only someone said something so fantastic to me!! That's a wonderful compliment!

but it's the squirmy kind!!!

heh, it sure is, hursh, I see your point

one thing i liked about joelgee was that to show his appreciation for a good joke he would respond with another... that is the best kind of compliment

Just say 'Feel free to bask in my radiance'

I miss joelgee

!!

LOL!! nice one, Mab!

just say "feel free to call me sprite" :P

!!

hurshy canNOT say these things

what if people took it seriously?

then hurshy had better start learning! lol

nah!

Or 'yeah, well, I'm not as brilliant as Einstein' (even though that's probably not true)

I kid

or say "I don't know everything.... yet"

i used that one earlier this evening, mab!

oh babbler, my dad has a pin that says, "those who think they know it all really annoy those of us who do"

LOL!! that's good, hursh!

Morning All - and I'm afraid goodbye - todays is easy easy.

hi and bye Lamancha. and wow!

hi :)

he's right though... least it seems that way as i chat and sudoku lejurly

dang, that joke falls flat every time.

*lonely*

*sits with hursh*

:)

; )

okie dokie that's done

I must say good night. I'm trying this new thing - sleeping while it's dark outside. (((((hurshy)))) ((((((babs))))))) (((((ata)))))))

((((mab)))) sleep well : )

night mab! sleep well!

((((mab))))

i love you friendses. you are vewy nice.

ACK, since when is sikh not a word?

k, time for me to go too. (((ata))), (((hursh))) : )

night!

(((babbler)))

hmmmph

before at flips, bj hadn't put up stats yet

so i didn't feel bad taking clues for long ones cause i knew people just found em

now people are using the list right away!

list is for emergencies!

i know, and luckily i found one of the 7's before anyone posted

and the other i def would have found pretty quickly

i shut the log now.

good idea - at least for a little bit!

my system since you've been gone is thus

i find at least half before even looking at stats panel

and i keep log shut until i have like 90% of the words

it depends who is on as to whether I have the log on or not. if there's people like you and sprite and haz, I'll keep it open just not really look at the clues

yes or if people are chatting not about clues

the goal is to collect the people we want to chat with in IM

yes!

pretty light grid today

and that was a cuuute little sudoku grid

:)

my new goal is getting mediums with no marking

*runs to the archives*

atalante, have you lost your first love?

yeah ...

:O

'Easy' is a harsh description of this one. Night all

atalnate, how come your flag doesn't match your country?

krys, no idea!

mphm

i've always wondered...

yay, 16 to go

i think i go to bed now

night!

night! so great to get to talk to you dear! :)

Finished!

*many hugs*

Morning/Evening everyone

I, for one, wish to welcome our asparagus overlords.

Morning all

morning Sprite

Hey Ginger :) How are you doing?

not bad thanks... it's raining today... I only got half my grass cut yesterday!

you?

Weather is getting more Springlike here, which works miracles for my feeling of wellbeing, lol. Looking forward to a day without many "must-do's" for a change. So I am well today :)

that's great... I know what you mean about the feelings of wellbeing, I am seasonally affected. We have had some sun so I am begining to liven up!

I love the seasons, but Winter is long and dark. The older I get, the more I feel it's too long and I am in need of more light, sun and warmth before Mother Nature is good and ready ;)

hi sprite! :) hi ginger!

Atalante hi :) Great to see you!

morning everyone!

Morning MaW

I'm going back through the archives in the middle of the Californian night :)

And having a very pleasant time, I am sure :)
It's nice that doing an archived puzzle doesn't interfere with chatting on today's chatlog.

having a wonderful time! we're driving up to Oregon tomorrow morning for the next week, then back to boring, cold old England ...

it's not cold! It was a lovely day in London yesterday

Although I must admit that Nottingham this morning looks rather dull

was it? cool! I mean warm!

Hi Atlante and MaW

Things are lightening up slowly now. Are you enjoying your trip, Atalante?

I really am! Its been wonderful so far. We drove up to Yosemite for 3 days and just spent the time walking and watching the wildlife, and the rest of the time, I've just been with my friends, going to various local places and just spending quality time together. Quality time is all too rare with transAtlantic friendships!

So true! And if I remember correctly, you are visiting bridges too, right? Can we look forward to a photo reportage? :)

loads and loads of photos! you'll probably be sick of them LOL. Bridges yes, and even volcanoes - we're hopefully going to Mt St Helens in a few days

Woo! done the puzzle too. Perhaps lack of sleep contributes to ability... time for breakfast!

Ooooooh! Vulcano's! I have been fascinated by them from my very early childhood days. My father was a sailor when he was young and he has seen an eruption from see. I believe it was the Stromboli.
I hope you make the pics available for babblers too :)

And WTG MaW! Enjoy your breakfast :)

Sure is an easy one, done too. Babble time!

of course I will, sprite!

dane

oops done!

doing an archive now...

yup definitely an easy one. managed to do it without any pencil marks.

too easy, really

i'm sure there's an archive one to keep you busy!

Hi all, here i gooooowowow

well, that took all of four minutes. Either the easy ones are getting easier, or I'm getting better at this...y'all have a good Sunday...ciao...

A little more than 4 minutes but I'm done! Off to the archives again :-)

Congrats

Yes im done!!!

way to go scribble! Truly an easy one, eh?

yeah its gotta be if i finished!! well good luck with the archives! im off to church. c-ya!

bye!

yay! 5 minutes!

easiest yet! no guesses!

hello

fin

well, 15 min is my new personal record :)

good by

9 mins YAYAYAYAY

It sure is quiet out there

hello all

good evening

hi all

hi everybody

hello

done

yay! 5 mins :)

sweetness, wats w/ all these 2s and 4s toward the end?

hooray for cheb!

done

thanks, and grats :)

good job cheb and andy

roughly 6 more hours til the next one

on to my da vinci code quest

gl to all!

Nailed that puppy!

Rank me, BABy!

good one, limer

Thx LA

uh hurshy??

am i me again?

yay!

yup :)

hursh i went pro!

i see that! :)

how lovely

yeah i got bored after finishing so i'm playing back puzzles

ohhhh

you might also enjoy www.websudoku.com, that's what i'm doing to pass the time until TV shows :)

new grey's tonight! is that what you're waiting for too? :)

no...

i enjoy the desperate housewives

and my guilty pleasure is at 8

yeah, i watch that too :)

it's getting better again, at the beginning of the 2nd season it was kind of boring

DH? boring?

i didn't notice that

well, after you figured out what happened to mary alice there was no big mystery

but there was lots else going on

what time zone are you in?

central

(dr. god time :)

ah so perhaps you thought when i said my guilty pleasure is at 8 i meant DH :)

ah what is your guilty pleasure then?

*ashamed*

can hurshy trust leslie to keep secret??

of course, i watch lots of ridiculous tv

i don't know about the lurkers, though

*whisper* charmed

lol that's ok. i'm addicted to reality tv.

ack!

*whispers* i watch it too hurshy..sshhhh..

hi blue

hey, we're not judging here, ok?

hey hursh

you see, the distinction is this: DH is a well-written, well-put together show... charmed isn't even GOOD, but i can't help watching. i am SO glad this is the last season so i will be free!

of course not...i don't think it's even possible to defend my obsession with amazing race or survivor

hmmm...reality tv bores me, in the main

blue! i looooove the amazing race (and i'm keeping up with survivor too)

i hope the hippies win!!

for real, although i would be ok with ray and yolanda too... just not the other two

what..mojo? or the frat brats?

both, but especially mojo. they bother me.

yeah...whiney AND b**chy..not a good combo...;)

i was sad fran and barry got cut, but i'm glad they got to win a leg first

i was amazed they hung in there so long.....

they were some tough old people!

i don't think i'll be bungee jumping in my sixties...

are either of you heloise-ish? ask in good housekeeping's heloise with her household hints?

hahahahaha.... no.

why?

because...because...my slippers are a getting a little smelly and i want to know how to de-smellify them

they can't be washed?

i don't know - the insides are so soft and sometimes like with really soft stuffed animals if you wash them they are never so soft again

true....and if they are the soft padded ones...the padding blows up like a balloon and they never get their shape back ....

you could try a couple of things..if you want to invest in a home drycleaning kit........

no... they are the kind with really hard bottoms so you can wear them outside even

aahhh simplest thing is febreeze......

i have that!

here is what kind they are: http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/374,77492_
Acorn-Chinchilla-Booties-For-Women.html

maybe i should just buy a new pair, they are cheaper now than when i first bought them

it's a closeout they must be discontinuing them

all they have now is navy there...pah...i like brown

maybe another website

hmm other websites are not as cheap

i'd say try the febreeze maybe...foot powders will clump in the hair i'd think......although, chinchillas clean by taking a dust bath...........

oh well it is time for charmed...i will think of you as i watch, blue...resume your reality discussion (it's fake chinchilla fur)

lol enjoy your show hurshy1

bye hursh. good luck with your chincilla feet.

Hi all

Bye Hursh

Welll have to go now everyone sorry I could not stay longer bye

whos ready for the next one!?

apparently only me