I thought 'journalists' were supposed to be professionals in their line of business. Every other word and/or sentence structure is grammatically incorrect. Aren't the writers required to be college graduates? The poor sentence structures, along with mispronounced words is just sinful!!!! For example: The words "lie" and "lay". People "lie", objects "lay". That isn't too difficult! When asked, "How are you?" 99%respond, "GOOD"! If I hear that one more time, I will scream!!!!! THE CORRECT RESPONSE IS "WELL"! Again, not that difficult. Every commercial, commentator, etc. ends their sentences with a preposition! Again.....wrong. For instance, "Where did you get that FROM? "FROM" is a preposition. Proper grammar, "From where did you get that?". AND, THE MOST WIDELY MISUSED, INCORRECT PHRASE IS..........."FOR FREE". We don't get things "FOR FREE". We get them "FREE"! American citizens aren't even capable of using our language correctly. Open the dictionary.....you will be amazed how much there is to learn!!!!!!!

Heh! Carolyn, differences sure can be peculiar. But please don't be disillusioned with me -- we can still be boon reading companions. :-) Veronica, I agree that Sudoku puzzles are not really math; they are logic problems -- the nine numbers could be replaced easily with nine different letters and the solving aspect would be the same. Kath, I've always liked reading maps...give me an atlas and I'll be content for hours. My father, who always did most of the driving on our family trips, had one rule he strictly enforced: at least one person besides him had to stay awake to 'ride shotgun', talking to and reading the map for him (it kept him from nodding off). My mother could talk but she was a lousy map-reader; one brother could read a map but would forget to talk; other brother could do neither very well; and then I, the youngest, could do both. I was always proud of that and the fact that daddy trusted me most. The only problem that developed for me was I cannot sleep as a passenger in a moving vehicle; I'm apprehensive that as soon as I fall asleep something bad will happen. Daddy complimented me by saying I was part 'homing pigeon'. His training put me in good stead, because I've driven on five continents with usually no more directions than the notion that such-and-such place is north/south or east/west of wherever I am at the moment. I'm a pretty good navigator at sea, as well. Kath, the spatial thing that gives you problems is something that perplexes me at times. Although I'm reasonably good at visualizing such things as, for example, the internal structures of crystals and can draw them (my geophysicist husband cannot), when it comes to most forms -- especially life forms -- I can't make them look realistic. My drafting ability is fine (e.g., I love to draw floor plans and elevations), but my artistic ability is practically nil. Aren't we all curious conglomerations of abilities?!

I went to Ferguson, Sophie. All but one brand of vanities they carry is imported. And that brand's aesthetic was very "country." Kohler is making their vanities in Kentucky, but they are quite expensive. Please don't think we are lazy...some of us may have explored other options that were outside of our budgets. Looking at your profile, it says your typical project goes up to $100k (or am I missing a few zeros?). That just isn't plausible for some and I'm sure you know this. I buy mostly American made furniture, but even some of the major brands are sending production to Asia. Plenty of companies have High Point showrooms, but are getting their goods off container ships. Since you are a pro, I'm sure you know this as well.

Lindsey, I think you're off a bit with the accepted Dr usage thing. I missed your comment earlier It's either Dr. John Smith, or John Smith, MD. Not Dr John Smith, MD. That's redundant. Or the dentist Dr. John Smith, or John Smith DDS. Not Dr John Smith DDS. Or the academic Dr. John Smith, or John Smith PhD. I too think using Dr. outside of a work context, like for travel reservations, for someone with a PhD, EdD, etc., is pretentious and wrong. But, they can do as they wish. We have a professor friend that does that. We also have family members with real medical doctorates who NEVER refer to themselves as Dr this or that outside of their occupational activities. That's a lot more classy in my mind. "You're Dr Bob XXXX? No, please just call me Bob". A degree from law school is a JD but they're never called Dr. More typical in a mail address would be John Smith, Esq. Interestingly, there are advanced law degrees (that some take after law school) and they are a variation of LL.M, Masters in (subject studied), like LL.M Taxation, or International Law, etc. So after the Juris Doctor degree comes a Masters Degree. The one exception is chiropractors, who seem to call themselves Dr John Smith DC. They're not real doctors anyway and they're few so for me, they can call themselves what they want.