Daily Double

Note to all Jeopardy! contestants:

If you are appearing on the show, and you don't have any entertaining anecdotes to relate during the "Meet the contestants" portion of the show, you should go ahead and make something up. Because there's nothing more pathetic than a contestant who can't even come up with ONE interesting story from their life.
And also, as a viewer, I always root for the contestant with the best anecdote. Because if your first appearance's anecdote is lame, that means we'll be treated to successively lamer anecdotes each day thereafter, until you finally lose.

Here is one guy's tale of his Jeopardy! appearance.

Lowcountry living

Today, the local weather forecast included a salute to "People working outside." Because apparently, with the temperature only reaching the "mid-upper 50s", continuing to work outside qualifies you as some kind of hero.

I've had a couple of years to adjust to the southern climate, but winters here in Charleston are even warmer than Atlanta. It's camellia season here, so that means that the trees around our apartment are in bloom. In January. My northerner brain is having a difficult time wrapping itself around this phenomenon. Fortunately, the weather looks promising for the Lowcountry Oyster Festival this weekend. However, it's BYO knife and glove, so I need to figure out where I can get those...

As I write this, the Charleston City Council is considering a proposal that would ban smoking in nearly all workplaces. I really hope they pass it... whenever we go back to Atlanta, I am reminded of how nice it is to be able to go out to a bar and not come home reeking of smoke. Plus, it's a step in the right direction. It still drives me nuts that motorcyclists in SC are not required to wear helmets.

Well, I'm off to check out the Oscar nominations and to get ready for the State of the Union.