Standard poll disclaimer: not all possible descriptions of human experience are represented by the answers given below. This is not hard science. It is not even social science. It is still a better-designed poll than half of the crap that Harris or Zogby put out.** Choose the best answer. If all answers suck equally, don't answer. Nobody's forcing you, darling.

[Poll #945207]

** Seriously, I took a Zogby poll the other day which asked the question "Can a woman be sexy if she is a size 14 or larger?", and the only two response options given were "Yes, sexy is about attitude, not appearance", and "No, appearance must come first". No option at all for people who thought that women who are size 14 or larger could actually have an appearance that was attractive. It was like answering "Have you stopped beating your wife?".

Asmodeus (my 160,000 mile, four-wheeled companion) has developed a hitch in his transmission, which is expressed by a general unwillingness to shift into fifth gear. He will eventually shift, and does not make a horrible CLUNK when he does, but where he used to transition smoothly to fifth at about 55 mph, he now whines and revs and finally turns over at about 62.

diermuid has suggested that he might be in need of more transmission fluid. I was having that thought myself, and will be giving that solution a test this evening. I am not keen on the idea that he might have hit the distinguished age where a rebuild or replacement of the tranny will be required. For lo, I will have a difficult time finding the money for that all at the same time, and also, it will not be easy to leave him at the mechanic's for an extended period of time. It's doable, but unpleasant to contemplate.
( In which I worry a lot, and talk about self-reliance )

This week has been a bang-up week for my practice of Competence. I expanded my skill set with the whole brakes thing, I learned a couple of new tricks for upkeep (and eventual modification) of our awful website, and I've gotten enough work done to be able to see the woodgrain of my desk and generally be able to clean up my office. Also, I'm moving the Winter Bazaar stuff along, and I think it will not eat my soul after all.

Sadly, this week is not the week where I was supposed to focus on Competence. It is the week where I am supposed to focus on Creativity. But I will take Competence anywhere I can get it. Not that I haven't been creative, too -- I've been doing graphic design in addition to my usual work here, and making little Christmas ornaments for this tree competition thing we're doing, and I've been working on the jewelry thing quite a bit ("I'm just going to give you all my beads," said opaljax.) So that's all good too.

Also, vaguely related to virtue, we had a goofy meeting with our goofy consultant yesterday. In the middle of some unrelated thing, he said something like "Your character is more important than your actions", or something. And I'm thinking to myself, "That's bullshit! Your character is only available for review via your actions -- everything else is just empty wind. If you don't act on a thing, how is it part of your character?" I worry that I may be becoming a behaviorist in my old age.

Also, completely unrelated to anything, it is generally held to be true in my household that anything that is a)dipped in garlic butter or b)deep-fried is tasty and good. I'm sad to report that this is not true. Long John Silver's down by the office has langostino tails dipped in garlic butter and then batter-fried, and they're .... not good. Not inedible, but not good. I don't know what the world is coming to.