I'm a very helpful rule

My sister sent me this quiz to determine which federal rule of civil procedure you are(ahh, to be a 1L again). Apparently, she and I are both rule 15, which means that "You're a very helpful rule! You allow the attorney to amend their complaint once as a matter of course at any time before the answer is filed, and also allow amendments in other cases. If a claim relates back to the original transaction or occurrence outlined in the complaint, you can amend the complaint, even though the statute of limitations has run. Like a good friend, you're always there to help out in a bind."

You have been forewarned

You know those signs on the highway - "Accident at exit 12 seek alternate route" type of things- which occasionally will tell you to expect delays because of a "stadium event" or something to that effect? Well, today they had the one on the Baltimore Beltway - Baltimore, mind you - warning drivers to expect delays on 95 and 495 (which is the Capital Beltway, B-more is 695) on January 20 for the inauguration. It's six days in advance and in another city. That's how many people they are expecting. That the back up could already be starting. It's going to be insane.

Mmm, squirrel

Apparently, because of the invading North American grey squirrel overpowering the native British red squirrel, there are people who are trying to get people to eat squirrel meat. So there was an article in the New York Times today about the movement, but there was also this wonderful vignette about buying and preparing squirrel meat. If you can stomach reading the article, it is beyond hilarious.

Puzzle update

Apparently, Southbury, CT is the place to go. S and I were driving home from A/A's house in Massachusetts after new year's and we needed gas (we thought we had enough gas to get back to New Jersey, but we wound up having to stop in Connecticut, where gas is $1.89, instead of $1.50 like in the Garden State. But don't worry, we only bought enough to get us to NJ where we could buy the cheap gas). Anyway, we had to go to the Borders to use the bathroom, and since we were there, we decided to check out the puzzle and game section. There was quite the variety. And now I am contented.

The Baltimore City Fire Department wishes you a safe and joyous holiday season

Today at the butcher, I saw a sign from the fire department with some handy tips on how to avoid menorah fires and latke fires, because the BCFD wants everyone to enjoy a happy, healthy Channukah. And also, you just have to appreciate the notices that get put up in assorted kosher and otherwise Jewish emporia.

Puzzles

I have been on a quest for the past few days to find puzzles (or just one that doesn't suck, really). I've been in the mood for a puzzle, and not having any in the house, I had to go out and get one. The Pikesville Barnes and Noble only had one, of the cover to the White Album, and as much fun as putting together a white square seems.... Anyway, the Pikesville Target - no puzzles at all. The Ellicott City Barnes and Noble, only Christmas puzzles, and I'm just not that into angels or Baby Jesus. The Timonium Borders, also only Christmas themes. The Towson Barnes and Noble, Christmas and the White Album (I'm not sure how that became a thing that people wanted to do). The Towson mall (yes I went to the mall in the days just before Christmas, because this is the level of my desire) no longer has any stores that even sell puzzles - when I was younger, they had several. Finally, I found some at the Towson Target. The selection wasn't that good, so I may have to continue on my quest, but at least I am sated for a while. But in general, I don't understand why puzzles are so hard to find. They're awesome and they make for good gifts (all the places I looked didn't even have empty shelf space like they had recently run out of them because of people buying them up to give as gifts). What is this world coming to when a committed consumer can't even find a limited selection of a long popular item?

It melts!

So let me start off by saying that I don't approve of vegans (vegetarians are fine, but there is no earthly reason to be a vegan). Partly it's that I think being a vegan is completely unhealthy, but mostly it's that part and parcel of being a vegan is that the person must apparently be a pretentious jerkface. Let me also say that I have no problem with soy milk in its liquid form, and I actually find it quite useful, since it is not an actual dairy product, and so can be used in the same meal as meat.

Anyway...I was at Whole Foods today and I noticed some soy cheese with the exciting news emblazoned on the label that "It melts!" Cheese is supposed to melt. If cheese, in it's natural form, did not melt, many dishes, including pizza and grilled cheese sandwiches, would never have been invented. Thus, it says something about a product and the fact that it should never exist that a selling point for this particular brand is that it does something that the real product they are attempting to imitate does already. Just eat cheese, or eat something else. Because soy cheese is disgusting.

I just wanted to put that out there.