<p>mythmom–I think we agree–cast the best voice and don’t worry about the ethnicity. It’s all play-acting anyway.</p>
<p>The only time skin color would make a difference is in a situation where that would be the first thing you notice–“Hey, the suspect was white. Do you notice any WHITE people in this crowd of dark-skinned gangsters?” LOL. Drives me crazy. I know we’re meant to overlook the color difference sometimes but for me it creates a gaping plothole.</p>
<p>Lets get back to drinking.</p>
<p>How did we get all serious and cerebral? Is this or is this not SA?</p>
<p>Barkeep! Can we have some service here? </p>
<p>The next round’s on me. Set em up for my friends Mulan, Anna, Butterfly, Whoopi, Kim, Maria, and Tony. ;)</p>
<p>It’s the Alley. Soju cocktails on me.</p>
<p>S1 did not accept the Salvation Army/Goodwill as a substitute for the junkyard. According to him, those places have working appliances and it would be wasteful to use them for parts. He wants old, broken things. Furthermore, according to him, poor people depend on those places to get cheap VCRs and microwaves. For us to buy one there would be tantamount to stealing from the poor. </p>
<p>I need a very strong drink. Probably Jack Daniels. I don’t care that it’s not even noon (or that I don’t drink anything beyond wine and beer and have never tasted Jack Daniels)</p>
<p>Your S1 joins the other socialist sons referenced in this thread. I love these good hearted boys!!</p>
<p>NYMom–Tell your son that Salvation Army/Goodwill WANT people to shop there–and they don’t care if they have money to burn or not. Not that he’ll listen. But I can see his point about not wanting to trash a perfectly good appliance (even if it is so old you could use it with your collection of 8 tracks.)</p>
<p>Now for my good news–Son who is a senior in college has a job for next year! Actually the job of his dreams, in a city he wants to live in. Many layers of interviews it took, and it was all I could do not to bug him for details, but wait until he actually had news he could share. And it’s good news! I am so proud.</p>
<p>I look forward to visiting him in the Windy City next year! :)</p>
<p>Champagne all around! A toast to my S#1, and pour some over me while you’re at it!</p>
<p>Champagne it is for mommusic’s boy!</p>
<p>Can I say that today I heard, on our “soft rock” station, John Mellencamp a-playin’? Poor Mr. Mellencamp. KOIT, lite rock, less talk.</p>
<p>Mommusic—I’ve got a full bottle of champagne, left over from one of those baseball locker room celebrations last week. I’ve shaken it up real good, come on over so I can spray it all over you and dump the rest! Yay mm’s boy!</p>
<p>Thanks, astrophysicsmom! </p>
<p>My boys were never much good at sports, so I’ll take any chance I get for a special “shower.” Yay CS geeks! (Though Mt. Dew or coffee would probably be more appropriate for their celebrations.) :D</p>
<p>We have a special section in the Alley for CS geeks.</p>
<p>The tables are equipped with latest style laptops running partitioned Linux and Windows. Or latest Apple for those who like the UI too:). All chairs are Aeron. But, they can sit on the floor if they must. Sleeping bag hooks are there on the wall for the all-nighters. Jolt Cola in honor of the old days, that’s what we served. Also red licorice whips.</p>
<p>And these days, every model of cellphone is there on the table. Whoever hacks them first for free VOIP gets rounds on the house.</p>
<p>Peanut shells on the floor.</p>
<p>Talking is optional. We have acronym bingo every Thursday night. Come one come all.</p>
<p>Yea! mommusic’s son, and Chicago, too! L’chaim!</p>
<p>mommusic, what great news! I love Chicago! </p>
<p>Alu, I will make sure S1 does not hear about the CS geek sub-alley. He would love it so much he would never come out. He loves hacking. His school is using some sort of web-based anti-plagiarism software. He said that he was sure he could beat it. I explained the severe consequences for plagiarism. He said that he wouldn’t get caught. I’m 99% sure he would not really do this, but he is very tempted. This is the kind of thing that worries me about him.</p>
<p>He would never really plagiarize or cheat, mind you. He even protested the school’s giving kids some strategies for standardized tests, such as guessing if you could narrow the possibilities down to 2. He considers this immoral, because they are, in his view, helping the students get credit for questions they can’t really answer. I’ve never thought of it this way before, but he does have a point. How ironic it would be if this kid were the one to get in trouble for plagiarism.</p>
<p>Congrats to Mommusic son!</p>
<p>Alu,</p>
<p>Which open source version of Linux are you running here? Doesn’t have to be Mac or Windows to have a decent UI. Ubuntu for all!</p>
<p>When I was in college (when polyester ruled the earth) we once drank gin and Tang. Would that qualify as a SA drink for the CS crowd? Insert Jolt or Mountain Dew if you prefer. I now prefer a nice hoppy microbrew.</p>
<p>Acronym bingo?!!! I like the way you think.</p>
<p>My kids would play Ghost sometimes using computer-related acronyms. </p>
<p>They would also play by agreeing to start in the middle of words, adding to either end. I don’t like to play with them anymore.</p>
<p>The UI I was referring to was the one you build yourself:). Most of the designers I know still want their Macs.</p>
<p>Tang and gin.</p>
<p>Eek. I now prefer a nice boutique gin martini. Say, Junipero, Plymouth, etc.</p>
<p>But the CS section is a corner. They don’t want to have to break focus unecessarily…We just like to be all-inclusive here, so we offer modified environments for all.</p>
<p>Should we have poetry slams too?</p>
<p>That’s my son in the corner. He’ll have a Reed’s Ginger Brew. I have no idea what Linux version he runs, except I think he changed over to a “better version” last year.</p>
<p>We have the All Sons All The Time band too:).</p>
<p>Daughters seem to visit the Alley less often. But astrophysicsD is welcome of course at our hacker’s table:).</p>
<p>Aludaughter is too busy organizing people IRL.</p>
<p>BTW it was my birthday on Sunday.</p>
<p>Who remembers last year? Cries of anguish in the night and all.</p>
<p>This year I got some new blue jeans, a new VCR, and a really cool jacket so I can look fashionable in my fifties. Well, semi-fashionable. Sybbie’s D would perhaps think I was being silly to call what I do fashion. But I FEEL fashionable.</p>
<p>And it’s the Alley, so heck, if I want to play America’s Next Top Model in Her Fifties, I know you will all show up with glass in hand. As someone said before, I will invite Tim Gunn along too.</p>
<p>DS1 will also be in the CS corner. He knows where to find Jolt – at Sheetz, for $1.69 a 20-oz. can. 7-11 has them, too, but a $2.49 a can. He’ll be the one with the ear plugs humming along to TMBG.</p>
<p>mommusic, congratulations on the son’s job, the cool city to visit, and a job well done by you. <em>Pop</em> Fresh bottle of champagne, coming up!</p>