D
But when I say we should have a universal basic income I’m suddenly evil??
Also maybe I’ve been watching too much Handmaid’s Tale but because of the source it feels like the next step is MAKE “a spouse” (let’s be honest, they mean wife) stay home and sell it by saying they get paid anyway.
Mom got the old shot and was planning on the new jabs when Covid came to town... She got shingles that turned into a long-haul version that I guess sometimes happens? Ugh. Pain across her side and back that never goes away.
I got both of mine and didn't lose any days, but it was tough to work through.
Wow, Ron. I'm so sorry.
I didn't know it could become chronic.
I only knew because when I went in to my PCP with the rash (which I suspected was shingles - it was a pretty classic case) he grilled me on the timing. He shared that if you start the meds for it within 72 hours it greatly decreases the chances of it becoming a chronic case. I was puzzled (I was picturing a chronic rash - I really knew nothing about shingles). He explained that some people get nerve pain when they have shingles and that the pain can just stick around if it becomes chronic. True to his word I spent about a week with the trunk of my body (left side only) feeling like it was on fire. Nothing could touch my skin without extreme pain. Wearing a shirt was excruciating. Thankfully it went away pretty quickly, but it scared me enough that when I think carefully about that pain (ten years later) I can (psychosomatically) feel my skin crawl in those same spots.
I think I have only seen The Birds and Psycho. I really enjoyed The Birds!
I had shingles about ten years ago and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I didn’t even have a bad case but it was still awful. I’ll get the vaccination this year, as Ontario has it on the vaccine schedule for fifty year olds. But given these accounts, I’ll plan the timing carefully!
Showing my age.
Indian, indigenous. Is the word tribes acceptable these days?
First nation? American aboriginals?
Australia I know have gone through this process and is still evolving the non-offensiveness.Transfer that to the UK and you get a real messy jumble of us mongrel folk
Personally I like 'aboriginal', even though it is an Italian rooted word.
It’s definitely a bit fraught! Tribe isn’t used here - Nation is a safe term. We use First Nation Métis Inuit as a catch all sometimes but Indigenous has more or less replaced that terminology as well - I think largely because it isn’t acceptable to omit any of those three groups if you are using it as a generic term so it’s a mouthful. Aboriginal was used at one point, especially in legal documents, but it fell out of favour as it was seen as too general. Basically Indigenous leaders have asked that Indigenous be the general term unless you are speaking of a specific Nation or community in which case you should name that Nation. Be specific as possible, and use Indigenous when you are being non specific. When I am talking about a friend of mine with my students I will say that she is an Indigenous person so they understand where I am going with it and then will say that she is an Anishinaabe woman from Bkejwanong. Then I will usually tell them that Bkejwanong is also called Walpole Island, because that is a place name my students will sometimes recognize.
I think of the word “Indian” the same way the one might think of the word “Negro” in the US. While it remains in legal documents and the names of some agencies, it would be offensive to use the term to talk about a person or group of people.
How about renaming Canada Geese as Donald Ducks.
I could not believe this Lake America story at first, so ridiculous; and anyway, wasn't Ontario named by the native Indians?
Yes. It is a Wendat word meaning “beautiful lake” or possibly “Great Lake”.
Side note: in Canada the more correct term to use is Indigenous to broadly refer to the original inhabitants of North America. While I know it is still accepted/preferred to use “Indian” in some places, and by some people, unless you are specifically discussing legal documents (such as The Indian Act), in Canada the word is considered offensive.
Time is fleeting.
One of my favourites.
We have lots of ticks in my neck of the woods and our public health offers identification for free if you send the ticks to them. We have a conservation area beside my old school so I would take my students there for walks and we would often come back and find ticks on the kiddos. Always dog ticks, thankfully. There are deer ticks in our area (which carry Lyme) but mostly in wilderness areas so I don’t stumble into them.
@steve-miller You know, I’ve never had a bad one!
@wtg I have an Apple Maps Guide I’ve started with different places folks have recommended or that I’ve found while poking around online. About 1/3 of them are chocolate shops 
To be honest the reason I have so many is because I adore hot chocolate so it will replace gelato for my mid day travel treat! I am sure I won’t be able to resist picking up some solid chocolates as well though!
@bernard I’m so happy to hear that the concert at Sainte Chappelle was memorable! I will definitely book it now that I have confirmation that it’s a good experience. I am always a bit nervous about how touristy these little concerts in amazing venues will be (and usually book them anyway!) To be fair, we have only had one bad experience (Vienna Musikverein) and the venue was so stunning (and the acoustics so brilliant) that it was still worthwhile to go!
@adagiom We won’t be climbing the Eiffel Tower but I’m very excited about seeing it in general! I read Eiffel’s Tower by Jill Jonnes and that added to my desire to visit. Right now Versailles is one of the places we have left off our list. We didn’t want to give up a full day in Paris for it and while I know Versailles is THE palace to visit, palaces in general are never our favourite. We will save it for a second trip!
Replaceable You by Mary Roach. Her books are always educational and highly engaging. I listen to them and she does an excellent job reading her own work. This one is about prosthetics, organ donation, and other means of replacing human parts. Very interesting (and often hilarious). I have enjoyed all of her previous books, though Stiff might be my favourite.
For those who enjoy puzzles, I have recently become obsessed with Murdoku. They are kind of a cross between sudoku and a logic puzzle. I have two of the books (a third is in preorder). You can also try them online. I did online first and then ordered the books (trying to stay off devices). I find them easier to do on paper. I highly recommend them! https://murdoku.com/?lang=en
Thanks, John! We have already planned to go to the Catacombs. We went to the Sedlec Ossuary when we were in Prague, and the Catacombs sound like a similar idea on a larger scale. I looked at Musee de La Musique but I think it’ll have to wait until another trip - but it’s on my list of things to consider if the weather is truly terrible one day so our afternoon non-plans of wandering whichever neighbourhood aren’t ideal! I love the Canal St Martin boat tour idea! I’ll look into that. Thank you!
I want someone to do a study of folks who play board games as a serious hobby and see if that has impact. I spend so much time learning new rules, mechanics, symbology, and strategies for various games I have to think it counts for something!
We had a complete change of heart and decided to avoid heat by trying travelling during my March Break rather than July. So we are going to Paris for 7 days in March. We haven’t been!
We already have our hotel booked on Rue Cler and have a pretty good itinerary sketched out. We love all art museums so that has our mornings pretty much locked in so we can do first entry to the Louvre, L’Orangerie, D’Orsay, and Musée Marmottan Monet. Hotel Des Invalides (Rob is ridiculously excited about the military museums there). We will do a food tour in Le Marais and in Montmartre for two evenings. Possibly an evening concert at Sainte Chappelle. At this point we are trying to eliminate what we won’t have time to see rather than looking for stuff to do! But I know many of you have been and I think maybe @jon-nyc lived there for a time so throw any great tips my way!
I am so glad you have landed somewhere safely and happily!
Hope you have a great time and that you post pictures on your return.
We were going there until Bob has some trouble.
I’m sorry to hear that. I hope at some point you can revisit that plan.
And you remind me I need to write up an Italy post with photos. I’ll try to get that done this week!
Either way you can’t really go wrong. While I’ve never cruised there, I’ve visited all the Baltic port cities you’d likely stop at on a cruise and it’s probably a decent way to see them. (I wonder if those cruises are still stopping in St Petersburg?).
I also did a trip a couple of years ago with the boy where we did Oslo-Bergen-Stockholm. While in Bergen we did a fjord cruise which was by far and away the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever taken in
Personally I’d probably lean toward the latter type of trip (land based with day cruises) but that’s just me. Summer in those cities is lovely and you can tour around them comfortably on an ebike.
We do love the unpack once benefit of cruising so that’s why we are leaning that way. We also do not drive in Europe so it limits small towns for us. We love public transit so the British Isles is more where we are thinking land based. Considering how well travelled you are hearing your perspective of the scenery of the fjords is really helpful! Thank you!
