Follow-up on "Thanks, stupid"

I saw on the news the other day that the police have been going after bicyclists that fail to obey traffic laws. Quite a few bikers were given tickets that were over $200. People commented that they think the amount of the fine is too much for the offense--"the message would be just as clear if the fine were only about $50-60." If $200+ is the amount an Oregon driver would be fined, and we want equality on the road, why should our fines be less...?

Here's an idea... Don't break the law!

(Or, live dangerously and possibly get hit by more than a ton of steel... in which case, you better have good insurance.)

Breaking Pasta In Half

When some people cook pasta like spaghetti or linguine or any of the other long noodles, they break the pasta in half before putting it in the boiling water to cook. I don't understand this and it can't be very authentic. I never saw my Grandpa do it, I don't think there is really a rational point to it, other than making it easier for you to cut up food for youngsters who need to take small bites.

You are supposed to put the pasta in the pot of boiling water and as the part that is in the water softens, push the noodles down so they are all fully submerged. When you eat the pasta, yes, it can be long and there may be lots of fork-twirling. This can be helped by using a tablespoon to twirl your pasta with. With a little practice, that traditional technique will almost always result in a clean, compacted bite of noodles. No problema!

If you do not enjoy long noodles and would rather stab your pasta with a fork or be able to eat smaller bites, you might want to try a different kind of pasta like Fusilli or Penne. Wikipedia says "there are approximately 350 different shapes of pasta." That means you have many options for what pasta to prepare, and what to serve it with. And many types of pasta are already so small, like Orzo, they don't need to be modified for cooking.

Mangia!

Dreams

What the heck is up with them, anyway? Are dreams expressions of our subconscious frustrations, fears, and desires that we don't think about during the day? Warped ideas of what we are feeling in our conscious mind?

When you have a physical problem in your dream like trying to speak and no sound comes out, is this symbolic or is it connected to your actual physical state where you are sleeping (perhaps your mouth is smooshed into your pillow)?

We know how it can go when you have to go to the bathroom and are dreaming...

Probably needless to say, my wondering about the nature of dreaming and what it all means has been inspired by recent dreams that I have found particularly disturbing or strange. It's no fun to wake up crying, scared, sad, too soon (if you know what I mean ;) or peeing (haha - that actually hasn't really happened to me).

Sometimes no matter what the feeling is, it is soooo good to wake up... and separate dreams from reality.

Sleeping Through Thunderstorms & Earthquakes

I like thunderstorms, and apparently I slept through a crazy one the night before last. But, when I was a kid (so, yesterday) and we had that earthquake around spring break time, I slept through that. My sister went running downstairs into our mother's room because she was scared and when they came to check up on me I was like Wha...? So I guess you could say I'm not a very light sleeper. In my defense, I was tired and had to get up early yesterday morning so when my head hit the pillow I was out. All that dancing around with my headphones in--because it was too late to have my music up loud--wore me out before bed.