Really simply, eh?

I've pretty much ignored the buzz over RSS feeds up until now, deciding that, for my own purposes, the best way to streamline my online time and stop frittering away time reading blogs is simply to spend less time online reading blogs. I really don't waste that much time clicking aimlessly away at blogs and waiting for them to load (we have a fast connection) and I'm usually eating or doing something else productive at the same time, so the time saving factor is negligible.

On the other hand, I've heretofore neglected to look into adding an RSS feed to my blog for the simple fact that it seemed too conceited - to syndicate myself?! To assume that there are hordes of people waiting with bated breath for morsels of wisdom to spring from my keyboard? It turns out, however, that there is at least one person who would appreciate it, so upon request (hi, Lisa!) I've turned on the settings to allow full RSS feeds. I assume that's all I need to do. If it doesn't work or if I must needs tinker more with codes and suchlike, by all means please advise, all you RSS fans and experts.

Dear Scranton Times-Tribune

To Whom It May Concern:

I understand that you recently published a story wherein reporter David Singleton alleged that someone in the crowd shouted "Kill him!" (referring to Obama) at a Palin rally, and that you continue to stand by the story, insisting that "the facts reported are true and that's really all there is," despite the fact that the Secret Service investigated the matter thoroughly and found no evidence that this event actually transpired. I really appreciate how you stand up for your employees, even when there's no corroborating evidence for their stories and all eyewitnesses interviewed deny the story's veracity.

(Actually, it kind of reminds me of the old saw: "If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is there to hear it, does it still make a sound?" If someone yells, "Kill him!" at a political rally, and no one hears it, did he still say it?)

Because this is the kind of job security I'd value, and because I'm starting to get a feel for the kind of sensational yet utterly unassailable stories you run, I would like to submit my own article for publication to your newspaper, recounting the events which I personally witnessed at a local McCain rally. I was there in person, and at one point I distinctly heard a fervent McCain supporter yell, "Tar and feather him! Draw and quarter him! Run him out of town on a rail!" when Biden's name was mentioned. Actually, I also heard another unmistakable McCain supporter yell, "Roast him! Boil him! Squash him into jelly!" *

No one else heard or saw any of this, aside from me, but I was there and I swear it happened. I know you take your reporters' observational skills seriously, so I'd like to get on the payroll quickly and have my investigative skills bolstered and strengthened by the dignity of this great paper. Please advise me of your word limits and deadlines, and I'll get the article written up posthaste.

Sincerely,

Concerned (and Attentive) Citizen

* There was actually a UFO hovering over the platform during this event, too, but I think I'll save that for my next article. As fate would have it, no one else noticed it, so - lucky you! - you'll get a national scoop on that one too!

Fall fun

Here are the girls, enjoying the swings at our little playground.
















Ella can swing on the tire swing all by herself!















Jane loves to dangle. After I helped her across the monkey bars, she spent a good bit of time dangling from the 'Capital A' (you can see it right behind her).



















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Speaking of letters, Jane is all fired up about reading. She sounds out letters on signs, and always asks me what that word says. One of her favourites is: 'C-V-S; that spells kah-VISS!'

On a rainy day last week, I asked her what letter umbrella started with. After correctly answering U, she added, 'It's a short U. If umbrella had a long U, it would be OOM-brella!' This is another one of her favourite pastimes, the random hypothetical. 'But if you said yes, Mama, then I could climb on the back of the couch!'