News Details (Posted: May 6, 2005):

SEASIDE SCOOP By Peggy Fisher

Full Description:

May 6, 2005 Use control and click on the hyperlinks to fly to your favorite features (If they don’t work, a trick that activates them is to do Reply in some versions of Outlook.) Welcome! Word for the Week—for the men ;-) Happy Mother’s Day Weekend! Mother’s Day Sun Protection Find Peggy’s Publication Progress: Citizens Home Insurance Woes Feedback Graphics Galore: New feature launched An American who honored the uniform he wears. Planting Sea Turtles? Triaging Time Secret Sources Mail Call April 30th beach clean-up Last Laugh Cartoon Cavalcade: Mother’s Day Warning about Internet Love Peggy’s Pet Parade Seaside Scoop Web News Wabasso Beach & Roofing Updates Helping Tsunami Victims Critic’s Corner: Grey’s Anatomy —To men who may feel neglected by all the female fanfare this edition: If you don’t read to the end of Critic’s Corner, you may be missing out ;-) Using Seaside Scoop Content ******************************************* Welcome! Welcome to Seaside Scoop, strengthening our word power and memories incrementally while linking friends and wildlife supporters across Florida and the globe. Seaside Scoop readers span Florida, 38 states, Guam and 16 countries abroad. (Your email address is safe. Seaside Scoop will never sell, rent or disclose your email address to third parties.) A warm Mother’s Day welcome to another new slew of readers: Nancy our first reader from Cooper City, FL, K. Mastain, Karen Kelly, Orlando girls and sisters vacationing at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort; Seminole High 2002 and Poofy Doofy. I took five photos for them with three cameras. Let’s hope at least one digital pix—Life Magazine-like, comes out. It was a beautiful shot of the friends enjoying a gorgeous overcast day, as perfect as it gets for beach walking. ******************************************* Word for the Week World Wide Words is copyright (c) Michael Quinion 2004. All rights reserved. The Words Web site is at . You may reproduce this newsletter in whole or part in free online newsletters, newsgroups or mailing lists provided that you include this note and the copyright notice above. Reproduction in printed publications or on Web sites requires prior permission, for which you should contact TheEditor@worldwidewords.org . Noted this week ------------------------------------------------------------------- MURSE American and British newspapers have found some satirical mileage in this word recently. It's a humorous portmanteau name ("male" + "purse") for a manbag, another name for it that has been around for some years. Confusingly, "murse" has also been used slangily for a male nurse. Try not to confuse the two. For the cognoscente of male fashion, there are also the older "manties" (male panties) as well as "moncho", which a writer in the Guardian on 16 April described as the male equivalent of the poncho. Odd that, considering that in South America the poncho can be male attire anyway ... ******************************************* Happy Mother’s Day Weekend to All! [Victorian Lace on Mother's Day] George Washington: My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her. Henry Ward Beecher: The mother's heart is the child's schoolroom. Napoleon Bonaparte: Let France have good mothers, and she will have good sons. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis: If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do well matters very much. Dorothy Canfield Fisher: A mother is not a person to lean on, but a person to make leaning unnecessary. From North Beach Civic Association President Bill Glynn: (Tried to edit below because this Mother’s Day edition is so overflowing; but couldn’t bear to delete even one graphic—so apologies for the length of this special Seaside Scoop—some things are just too good to edit—even for the most ruthless time triagers. (Awesome Seaside Scoop writers and world-class editors: what would you have left on the cutting-room floor?) Happy Mother's Day [http://www.allposters.com/GetPoster.asp?CID=5752EC29FE65419A9366037B33B522F8&PPID=1&APNum=857478&search=children%20photography&f=t&FindID=0&P=8&PP=96&sortby=RD&cname=&SearchID=] [http://www.allposters.com/GetPoster.asp?CID=5752EC29FE65419A9366037B33B522F8&PPID=1&APNum=825494&search=children%20photography&f=t&FindID=0&P=14&PP=96&sortby=RD&cname=&SearchID=] Somebody said it takes about six weeks to get back to normal after you've had a baby ......... somebody doesn't know that once you're a mother, "Normal," is history. Somebody said you learn how to be a mother by instinct ... Somebody never took a three-year-old shopping. Somebody said being a mother is boring ...... Somebody never rode in a car driven by a teenager with a driver's permit. Somebody said if you're a "good" mother, your child will "turn out good." Somebody thinks a child comes with directions and a guarantee. Somebody said "good" mothers never raise their voices ..... Somebody never came out the back door just in time to see her child hit a golf ball through the neighbor's kitchen window. Somebody said you don't need an education to be a mother. Somebody never helped a fourth grader with her math. Somebody said you can't love the fifth child as much as you love the first. Somebody doesn't have five children. Somebody said a mother can find all the answers to her child-rearing questions in the books ........ Somebody never had a child stuff beans up his nose or in his ears. Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother is labor and delivery ...... Somebody never watched her "baby" get on the bus for the first day of kindergarten… [http://www.allposters.com/GetPoster.asp?CID=5752EC29FE65419A9366037B33B522F8&PPID=1&APNum=986517&search=boot%20camp%20photography&f=t&FindID=0&P=1&PP=38&sortby=RD&cname=&SearchID=] or on a plane headed for military "boot camp." Somebody said a mother can do her job with her eyes closed and one hand tied behind her back ........ Somebody never organized four giggling Brownies to sell cookies. Somebody said a mother can stop worrying after her child gets married ... Somebody doesn't know that marriage adds a new son or daughter-in-law to a mother's heartstrings. Somebody said a mother's job is done when her last child leaves home .... Somebody never had grandchildren. Somebody said your mother knows you love her, so you don't need to tell her ....... Somebody isn't a mother. From Doris Richards: My Mother... After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said, "I love you, but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some time with you. "The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my MOTHER, who has been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally. That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie. "What's wrong, are you well," she asked? My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news. "I thought that it would be pleasant to spend some time with you," I responded. "Just the two of us." She thought about it for a moment, and then said, "I would like that very much." That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel's. "I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed," she said, as she got into the car. "They can't wait to hear about our meeting." We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. Half way through the entries, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips. "It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small," she said. "Then it's time that you relax and let me return the favor," I responded. During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation – nothing extraordinary but catching up on recent events of each other's life. We talked so much that we missed the movie. As we arrived at her house later, she said, "I'll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you." I agreed. "How was your dinner date?" asked my wife when I got home. "Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined," I answered. A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn't have a chance to do anything for her. Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place mother and I had dined. An attached note said: "I paid this bill in advance. I wasn't sure that I could be there; but nevertheless, I paid for two plates - one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you ,son." At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: "I LOVE YOU" and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off until "some other time." From May 05 PAWs Newsletter: A new Wisconsin plan would declare feral cats, which volunteers have been feeding for the past 10 years, an unprotected species, just like skunks or gophers. Anyone with a small-game license could shoot the cats at will, legally. Joe Rossi / St. Paul Pioneer Press via AP In the Aftermath of a Vote to Shoot Cats in Wisconsin, Alley Cat Allies and Pets & Animals in Distress Calls on Residents to Act Now to help save the Feral Cats. The vote taken by the Wisconsin Conservation Congress supporting Question 62, a proposal to list domestic cats as an unprotected species, represents the views of only a small percentage of Wisconsin residents: hunters. Less than .02 percent of Wisconsin attended the advisory meetings Monday night. If this proposal were to move further, it would not represent the opinions of the majority of residents and would be a significant step backward for the State of Wisconsin. (more) WI Residents and Non-WI Residents: Send a letter of thanks to Governor Doyle and DNR Secretary Hassett for their support of humane solutions to cat overpopulation. Report Animal Abuse This depends on who handles animal abuse reports in your area. It could be any of the following that you have to call. Call your local humane society (this is the most common group that handles animal abuse cases) Call the non-emergency number for the police. (Some counties or cities animal abuse is reported to the police department) Tell the person you talk to about what you have observed. Give them the address of where you have seen this take place, also any dates and times you remember. Prevent Educate Arrange for speakers to go to schools or community areas and hold discussions about proper pet care and animal abuse. Teach your own children the proper care and handling of pets. If a friend is getting a new pet offer to help them learn the proper care of that pet. Make a gift basket with treats and toys for the new pet include information on care and handling. The library is a great source of free information. Change laws Write to your legislators tell them what needs to be changed and why. Get others to help you make these changes…it’s hard to ignore more than one voice. Help support the efforts of others trying to get the laws changed. If you see an abused animal take action. They need your voice to save them. They can’t speak out for themselves. Great SunGuard™ Protection Parasol [http://www.totes-isotoner.com/Products.aspx?Page=0&Product_id=102&Brandid=1&SegId=2&CatId=7&SubCatId=0] Publix is offering great sun-protecting Totesport parasols with SunGuard UPF50+ to protect your family rain or shine for only $14.00 and a lifetime warranty. These sun umbrellas offer the highest rated protection factor, UPF 50+ and block 98 percent of harmful radiation. SunGuard™ triple protective coating guards against sun and rain. Cheerful yellow and orange hued, they are made by Isotoner—the company which makes those slippers and gloves we love so much. What a terrific Mother’s Day Gift—with the power to protect for years to come. Protecting your skin and possibly saving your life doesn’t get any cheaper or easier than this. Check it out. ggggggggggggggggg Peggy’s Publication Progress Cartoon: To read text, you may need to increase your view to 150% or more. Home Insurance Woes Elated to report the Press Journal printed my Gallagher dashes homeowner hopes on their Sunday May 1, 2005 Opinions page under Tom Gallagher’s letter Seeking a fix for Citizens. Both were under James Casciari’s clever Home Insurance Woes cartoon (kudos to him) and across from Robert Ariail’s Bankruptcy Bill passes—depicting credit card Huns’ glee. Editorial composition and page makeup don’t get any better than this, but you always read it first in Seaside Scoop. From Carrol Morrison of CoralStone: Thank you for your letters and advocacy re Citizens on all our behalf. It probably won’t make a difference, but at least you keep trying. From Marty Thaler from badly damaged ocean-front Marbrisa homes: I saw your letter. I read everything about Citizens that I see. My last Citizens bill that came in Nov. was double what the previous one was. I still have not completely settled on last years storm damages with them. My good news is that we moved back last week. Been busy but hope to get out for beach walking this week. —Because Citizen’s bills come due during different months, many homeowners haven’t encountered sticker shock personally yet…but, unfortunately, they will. From fellow writer Georgina in Coral Gables, FL : I think I understand more and more why you live in fear of the Tropical Terrors. It's the aftermaths you have to deal with. You lived through Andrew, and now you've had to put up with this mess. I sincerely hope the storms go elsewhere this year: for you up mid-coast, for us down here...for all concerned! Great cartoon! Like-minded souls love company. And congrats on your continued successes with Press Journal: new year, new quota (you mentioned something about a yearly quota to me, last year). —I believe it’s seven, but trying hard to resist the lure of free publication and focus instead on freelancing for a fee. Syndication Progress: Mature Years, another senior publication, called wanting to pay me for Puzzle Power! New client—very good deal! Need to squeeze in time somehow to do more queries! ggggggggggggggggg Seaside Scoop Secret Sources: Off to Italy Bon Voyage! To two Secret Sources off to a grand holiday in Venice and then Florence, one of the world’s most beautiful cities. Next year they hope to return to Tuscany. May we come too? Who wouldn’t want to be Under the Tuscan Sun—savoring that heart-healthy, life-saving Mediterranean cuisine and Italian Chianti? Ciao! From another Secret Source: Beginner aerobics is fun, but a question: how long before you can engage arm activity without canceling leg routine? I'm flailing around like a drowning person. Don't you DARE print this!! Your turn-around time is breath taking. —Will only print in Secret Source to share with other readers who may wonder about their aerobics. The bad news is you may never be totally coordinated. I never am. The great news: it doesn’t matter. The only thing that counts is that you do the best you can. I always remember what Lois said about a lady’s Mother who did the rigorous Street Dance class Lois took twice a week, and many of us tried: “Carolyn’s Mother can’t do some moves; but she just does it anyway, her way, the best she can.” Perfect advice whether we are 80+ or only Baby Boomers, and especially for the uncoordinated at any age. Just doing the classes, we’ll be way ahead of couch & pc potatoes every time. Also seek classes that are low impact. Higher impact is not good for Boomers & Beyond (series of articles being drafted for queries—here’s hoping ;-) If you’d ever like to speak out without being quoted, send your anonymous feedback. Secret Sources was created for you. ggggggggggggggggg Graphics Galore It’s a pleasure to launch yet another new feature this week. Graphics Galore will be for those exceptional photos and great graphics readers send that aren’t animals or cartoons. Since readers are so fond of visuals in our imagery-drenched society—I’m considering moving up the other photo features. But thanks to Microsoft and Sir Bill, every time you move anything hyperlinked, MS gets confused and loses it; then you have to do the non-user friendly, non-intuitive hyperlinking all over again. With time triaging so critical, it makes moving anything a bad idea. Seaside Scoop Survey If you are emailing, please let me know if you’d like graphics given greater priority. You speak, Seaside Scoop listens… whenever possible. Warmest thanks. From Double-Clicker Editor Jennifer Arman: Thanks for using my Earth Day greeting in the Seaside Scoop. Let me just say, the article from Laura about Denzel Washington brought tears to my eyes. I have one sister in the Air Force, one that has just been given an army discharge and her husband (my brother in law) who is currently serving in the Army in Iraq. So that really touched me. On a happier note Suddenly Senior Carolyn’s “Basic Rules of Catdom” & Woody’s “How to Call the Police” made me laugh so hard, I snorted. Having 5 cats myself (2 adults & 3 kittens), I have experience in each of those areas especially Doors, Hampering & Hiding. —Mother’s Day Kudos from cat-centric Seaside Scoop! A follow-up to the Denzel Washington story from mentor Al in Ft. Lauderdale which, if you’re an American reader, will surely touch you and make you proud: Marines This young man brings honor to our country. Photo: The man on the left is the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and he is proud to know the man on the right. Maybe you'd like to hear about a real American, somebody who honored the uniform he wears. Meet Brian Chontosh. Churchville-Chili Central School class of 1991. Proud graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology. Husband and about-to-be father. First lieutenant (now Captain) in the United States Marine Corps. And a genuine hero. The secretary of the Navy said so yesterday. At 29 Palms in California, Brian Chontosh was presented with the Navy Cross, the second highest award for combat bravery the United States can bestow. A year ago on the march into Baghdad, Brian Chontosh was a platoon leader rolling up Highway 1 in a humvee. When all hell broke loose. Ambush city. The young Marines were being cut to ribbons. Mortars, machine guns, rocket propelled grenades. And the kid out of Churchville was in charge. It was do or die, and it was up to him. So he moved to the side of his column, looking for a way to lead his men to safety. As he tried to poke a hole through the Iraqi line, his humvee came under direct enemy machine gun fire. It was fish in a barrel and the Marines were the fish. Brian Chontosh gave the order to attack. He told his driver to floor the humvee directly at the machine gun emplacement that was firing at them. He had the guy on top with the .50 cal unload on them. Within moments there were Iraqis slumped across the machine gun, and Chontosh was still advancing, ordering his driver now to take the humvee directly into the Iraqi trench that was attacking his Marines. Over into the battlement the humvee went and out the door Brian Chontosh bailed, carrying an M16 and a Beretta and 228 years of Marine Corps pride. He ran down the trench. With its mortars and riflemen, machineguns and grenadiers. And he killed them all. He fought with the M16 until it was out of ammo. Then he fought with the Beretta until it was out of ammo. Then he picked up a dead man's AK47 and fought with that until it was out of ammo. Then he picked up another dead man's AK47 and fought with that until it was out of ammo. At one point he even fired a discarded Iraqi RPG into an enemy cluster, sending attackers flying with its grenade explosion. When he was done Brian Chontosh had cleared 200 yards of entrenched Iraqis from his platoon's flank. He had killed more than 20 and wounded at least as many more. But that's probably not how he would tell it. He would probably merely say that his Marines were in trouble, and he got them out of trouble. Hoo-ah, and drive on. "By his outstanding display of decisive leadership, unlimited courage in the face of heavy enemy fire, and utmost devotion to duty, 1st Lt. Chontosh reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service." From Al in Ft. Lauderdale, Laura in Atlanta, and many other readers, in sync re gorgeous May flowers for Mother’s Day. The desert can be beautiful after a wet winter. It’s a sight to behold: This is so stunning, it looks like an artist spilled his paints. Enjoy... Desert Flowers The east side of the Carrizo plain, in the Temblor Range, (about 50 miles due west of Bakersfield). From Carl Peterson in Guam another amazing sand sculpture: From the Rainforest Site, Mother’s Day Thanks for protecting Mother Earth: [Click Every Day and Tell a Friend!] [Click here to help preserve our rainforests!] From Woody of Cape Cod, Mass & Vero Beach: More Illusions? THESE ARE VERY INTERESTING TO ME. IT MAKES ME THINK OF HOW MANY TIMES WE SEE THINGS AND SWEAR THEY ARE ONE WAY AND IN ACTUALITY THEY ARE ANOTHER. TAKE A MOMENT OUT OF YOUR DAY TO GO OVER THESE - IT ONLY TAKES A MOMENT OR TWO AND YOU MIGHT JUST FEEL A LITTLE MORE RELAXED WHEN YOU ARE THROUGH. The diagonal lines are parallel. ggggggggggggggggg Planting Sea Turtles? Tracking those elusive Animal Kingdom Turtle Trackers paid off this week. They were in front of Disney, and it looked for all the world as if they were planting sea turtles! Yes, sea turtles, not sea oats which the county planted a couple of weeks ago. Lance reports they were actually burying chicken eggs—just like an overdue Easter Egg Hunt. It’s to test technology for finding nests. He says so far they’ve observed two false crawls between CoralStone and Grand Harbor—leatherbacks which nest first. North of our shores, there have been 13 nests recorded as laid so far. Triaging Time Joy seems to me a step beyond happiness--happiness is a sort of atmosphere you can live in sometimes when you’re lucky. Joy is a light that fills you with hope and faith and love. —Adela Rogers St. Johns (1894-1988) Journalist Please share your time-saving tips and tricks via Seaside Scoop, if you have time ;-). ggggggggggggggggg Mail Call From Anne Dunn in Vero Beach & other locales: Thanks for your newsletter. It looks terrific. From Deke Morrison of CoralStone: Thanks for the kudos and mention of "Wonder Dog" Joey. That big Woodpecker you mentioned is probably a "Piliated Woodpecker". I saw one at Sandridge just next to the Tee Box on hole #9 on the Dunes course last Tuesday. From Double-Click Associate Anethea Veenman of DeRijp, Holland: Thanks for sending your newsletter through -- I really enjoy them! — Hope your Dutch tulips are all abloom for Mother’s Day during the Merry Month of May ;-) From Regina Provost in Sarasota, FL: Recommend your readers check out "Surfing the Himalayas" by Fred Lenz for an intriguing, thought-provoking story. Won't disappoint. From fellow writer Georgina in Coral Gables, FL : Bumper Seaside Scoop , indeed - if anyone doubts your feline allegiances, just get a hold of this one! Lots of great feedback from readers, too...plus congrats on all your new followers! Plus the cartoons, and Denzel Washington, to boot…. End of April. Here's hoping to a calmer, smoother May for all of us: after all, April showers are supposed to bring May flowers...right?... Please keep me posted on roofers, Citizens (ouch!), etc. Glad you got letter in Press Journal: your activism continues to reap rewards. From Lee in Port St. Lucie, FL: Re April 30th beach clean-up: The estimate is 150 volunteers on the beaches cleaning up in Ft Pierce, St Lucie County. Overall Sat was a wonderful day of enviro stewardship for our beaches and coastal waters...and an inspiration for more people to get involved and get out there and DO something good for Earth Day IS Everyday! With 150 people participating and the average bag weighing at least 20 lbs. .and 3-4 bags per person I estimate that there was at least 6-10,000 lbs of trash removed from the beaches, shorelines, parks, etc... Photo: The 1st piece of wood pulled off the beach Lets all get together on the beaches & waterways to Clean Up Paradise! For more info: To Volunteer or Count You In for clean Ups, please call or email: Lee & Gary Hedrick o.n.e.w.i.l.d.w.o.r.l.d. E-Mail ~ OneWildWorld@aol.com (772) 336-9252 See you at the Beach! ggggggggggggggggg Cartoon Cavalcade Mother’s Day Warning about Internet Love From Judith Wilson of Ocala, FL, another Mother’s Day Special: And at least something for the men amid this feminine fiesta from mentor Suddenly Senior Frank: Please email cartoons that give you a smile to share. ggggggggggggggggg Peggy’s Pet Parade ?Animals in Action from mentor Al in Ft. Lauderdale: I wish you.... Good Health with exercise!! ?From Carl Peterson in Guam: ? From Shirley in Miami: True Friends let everyone come along.... From Linda Sue in Sebastian?: Ever wonder what your pets are doing while you are at work? ?From Geri in Port St. Lucie, FL: ?From Judy Wilson in Ocala, FL: [sleeping with my teddy] From Chris Quinton in England: ? Thirsty Giddiap! ? From Bill Glynn, North Beach Civic Association President ?From Laura in Atlanta: If you have digital pics of your pet stars, please email them; once they join “Pets in Waiting,” Seaside Scoop stardom awaits via Peggy’s Pet Parade. ggggggggggggggggg Last Laugh Last Laugh is dedicated to all those who have the last laugh. Until the Fat Lady sings…we never know who will have the last laugh. From Carolyn Kaiser, wife/partner of my mentor Suddenly Senior Frank with their amazing 1.5+ million readers: "There are many intelligent species in the universe. They are all owned by cats." —Anonymous I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely superior." —Hippolyte Taine From mentor Al Franco in Ft. Lauderdale: Note: “JCI-ers” we all shared this one, but for the Seaside Scoop world beyond Jaycees, they are cute and so true: What is a Cat? 1. Cats do what they want. 2. They rarely listen to you. 3. They're totally unpredictable. 4. When you want to play, they want to be alone. 5. When you want to be alone, they want to play. 6. They expect you to cater to their every whim. 7. They're moody. 8. They leave hair everywhere. Conclusion: They're tiny women in little fur coats. What is a Dog? 1. Dogs spend all day sprawled on the most comfortable piece of furniture in the house. 2. They can hear a package of food opening half a block away, but don't hear you when you're in the same room. 3. They can look dumb and lovable all at the same time. 4. They growl when they are not happy. 5. When you want to play, they want to play. 6. When you want to be alone, they want to play. 7. They leave their toys everywhere. Conclusion: They're tiny men in little fur coats. From Doris Richards in FL: Women's Humor: One day my housework-challenged husband decided to wash his sweatshirt. Seconds after he stepped into the laundry room, he shouted to me, "What setting do I use on the washing machine?" "It depends," I replied. "What does it say on your shirt?" He yelled back, "University of North Carolina." And they say blondes are dumb... _______________________ A couple is lying in bed. The man says, "I am going to make you the happiest woman in the world" The woman says, "I'll miss you..." _______________________ "It's just too hot to wear clothes today," Jack says as he stepped out of the shower, "honey, what do you think the neighbors would think if I mowed the lawn like this?" "Probably that I married you for your money," she replied. _______________________ From Judy Wilson in Ocala, FL: Court Testimony These are from a book called "Disorder in the American Courts" and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and now published by court reporters who had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were actually taking place. Q: How was your first marriage terminated? A: By death. Q: And by whose death was it terminated? ______________________________________ Q: Can you describe the individual? A: He was about medium height and had a beard. Q: Was this a male, or a female? ______________________________________ Q: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney? A: No, this is how I dress when I go to work. ______________________________________ Q: Doctor, how many autopsies have you performed on dead people? A: All my autopsies are performed on dead people. ______________________________________ Q: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to? A: Oral. ______________________________________ Q: Do you recall the time that you examined the body? A: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m. Q: And Mr. Dennington was dead at the time? A: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy. From Chris Quinton in England: Marriage Quotes: Marriage Is The Only War Where One Sleeps With The Enemy. Someone Stole All My Credit Cards, But I Won't Be Reporting It. The Thief Spends Less Than My Wife Did. A Man Inserted An 'Ad' In The Classifieds: "Wife Wanted". Next Day He Received A Hundred Letters. They All Said The Same Thing: "You Can Have Mine." First Guy (Proudly): "My wife's An Angel!" Second Guy "You're Lucky, Mine's Still Alive." ggggggggggggggggg Seaside Scoop Web News: Wabasso & Roofing Updates More kudos to Bill Barron of Boppies who continues his one-man conservationist efforts to protect our beaches and our life-saving lifeguards. In addition to their protective anti-sun and rain temporary hut, he’s now donated a bright colorful beach umbrella to protect them from our fierce subtropical rays and is going to add his own plant food to our newly planted sea oats to make sure they have a good chance to flourish and re-nourish our Frances- and Jeanne-ravished dunes. Thanks, too, to Bill for the two hoses he leaves out in front of Boppies for beachgoers to wash off. That way we don’t have to track sand back to our homes, still impaired by roof repair debris like plastic tarp tacks and old rusty nails galore littering our yards and hiding in the grass, no matter how often we pick up buckets full. So much for walking barefoot in our yards, as we struggle to get our roofs repaired before the 2005 Hurricane Season, approaching with dreadful speed. Never let it be said, one person can’t make a difference. Bill can and does. Kudos! Lifeguard Eric Carson reports they spotted manatees off Wabasso last Friday, but otherwise very little sea life. The good news is he says this is normal for this time of year when various fronts are still making their way south, and when we are lucky, reaching Vero Beach, prolonging this gloriously cool Spring weather, before our endless steamy summer sets in. For Seaside Scoops online, check: http://www.iloveverobeach.com Photo: latest damage in our kitchen, which was fine before Campbell Roofing (no relation to Campbell Seaside Scoop readers) started working on the roof! So was the garage, guest bedroom and dining room all which now have new leaks. The one blessing—that I wasn’t electrocuted by the kitchen light I turned on which we afterwards discovered was full of water! ggggggggggggggggg How You Can Help Sri Lankan Tsunami Victims Photo from Shirley: Banti Fernando, a 14-year-old Sri Lankan girl, mourns the death of her mother in Koralawella, south of Colombo Sri Lanka, who was killed when a tsunami hit the area. REUTERS/Anuruddha Lokuhapuarachchi [ Click For Small photo] Updates from Shirley: I’m involved mobilizing efforts in South Florida with fund raisers especially for the long-term rebuilding and restoration of our island nation of Sri Lanka. A group of us Sri Lankans living in south Florida are collecting donations to help relief efforts and have set up a bank account at Washington Mutual Bank, Pinecrest, under STARR Inc. (Sri Lanka Tsunami Aid for Rebuilding and Reconstruction Inc.) Our efforts will focus on day-to-day needs of kids especially those affected or orphaned by the tsunami. We hope to help them for about two years by which time we hope the government and NGOs will have gotten their act together and distributed aid to those who need it most. If you would like to help—and here any amount—no matter how small, will be gratefully accepted-please send your check, made out to: STARR, Inc. and mail it to me at [below in label format you can copy and paste directly from Seaside Scoop email]: Shirley Wijesinha 6820 SW 28 Terrace Miami Fl 33155. I will be happy to make the arrangements to have the funds channeled through the RED CROSS in SRI LANKA where the relief efforts are already underway... If you have any questions or concerns, please give me a call at 305 661 8855 or 305 335 2373. Or email: shirleypw1@bellsouth.net Many Thanks. Shirley Wijesinha. ggggggggggggggggg Critic’s Corner Separating Fact from Fiction in Michael Crichton's State of Fear [http://actionnetwork.org/ct/D1apmts1JRwC/] There's a reason why it's called "science fiction." In Michael Crichton's thriller State of Fear, global warming plays a starring role. But Crichton uses dramatic license to fictionalize the science with incomplete and distorted information. Find out the real story. If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for Environmental Defense Action Network. By Georgina Marrero: Grey’s Anatomy [http://abc.go.com/primetime/greysanatomy/images/gallery/ep103/gallery.html?photo=3] Sex and the City meets ER. —with a few Revelations along the way ; -) From: http://abc.go.com/primetime/greysanatomy/about.html Meet Meredith Grey (pictured, left). She's a woman trying to lead a real life while doing a job that makes having a real life impossible. Meredith is a first year surgical intern at Seattle Grace Hospital, the toughest surgical residency program west of Harvard. She and fellow first-year interns Cristina Yang, Izzie Stevens, George O'Malley and Alex Karev were students yesterday. Today they're doctors and, in a world where on the job training can be a matter of life and death, they're all juggling the ups and downs of their own personal lives. The five interns struggle to form friendships in this most stressful and competitive atmosphere. [http://abc.go.com/primetime/greysanatomy/images/gallery/ep103/gallery.html?photo=2] Grey's Anatomy focuses on young people struggling to be doctors and doctors struggling to stay human. It's the drama and intensity of medical training mixed with the funny, sexy, painful lives of interns who are about to discover that neither medicine nor relationships can be defined in black and white. Real life only comes in shades of grey. Episode 4 Izzie becomes the subject of hospital gossip. If you have a favorite movie, book or television review you’d like to shares, the Critic’s Corner has space saved for you. ******************************************* Merry May Cheers from Vero Beach, Peggy Writing by Fisher Vero Beach, FL (772)388-4920 Turn the wheel of your life. Make complete revolutions. Celebrate every turning. And persevere with joy. —Deng Ming-Dao Writer ******************************************* Seaside Scoop (AKA Word-a-Day) Content Any content may be copied; please credit Seaside Scoop . I would also appreciate your publishing information on subscribing: To subscribe to free Seaside Scoop email: writingbyfisher@bellsouth.net