Melanie has the questions, I have the answers…

What did you learn the hard way? That those balance transfer offers you get from credit card companies really suck.

Which activities make you lose track of time? Anything involving the Internet in general. Wikipedia, YouTube, and Baseball Reference are the big offenders.

Why do we seem to think of others the most after they’re gone? Because they’re gone. When they’re around, we take them for granted.

Is it possible to know the truth without challenging it first? No, although you can choose to accept something as true that you haven’t challenged. Religion and economics are but two areas that do this all the time.

Thanks for your prayers and thoughts for Kip. Please keep them coming.

Share Your World time again! Let’s see what Melanie has for us this week…

What’s the worst commercial you’ve recently seen (or heard)? Why was it so bad? Let’s just say I have no intention of giving Liberty Mutual any business anytime soon. All their commercials are D-U-M dumb, particularly the guy selling wet teddy bears, followed very closely by Limu Emu and Doug.

What takes a lot of time but is totally worth it? Flying to Australia from Atlanta. Right now, that’s the only thing that occurs to me.

(Voiceover by Howard Morris, Ernest T. Bass on The Andy Griffith Show.)

Have you ever smiled at a stranger and then wished you hadn’t? Why or why not? On more than one occasion, I’ve smiled at a stranger, discovered that the person is a total kook, then been unable to get away from them.

What do you think is the nastiest tasting food? Practically any condiment. About the only ones I like are barbecue sauce and oil and vinegar dressing (in a stretch, vinaigrette). The rest of them – mustard, ketchup, relish, mayonnaise, Miracle Whip, honey mustard, bleu cheese dressing, tartar sauce, hot sauce, steak sauce etc. – are just awful. (Yes, you have asked that before, but I don’t mind.)

Are you at peace with yourself? Your world? I’m at peace with myself. My world has been kind of crazy: my brother Kip, who comments here pretty regularly, has been in the hospital for about a week. I don’t feel it’s my place to talk about why, but it is kind of serious. Any prayers, good thoughts, positive energy etc. would be most appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Now this is dedication: Melanie has Share Your World questions even on a national holiday!

What activity instantly calms you? Playing solitaire.

What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve done lately? I don’t do much of anything spontaneously anymore. It takes too much planning.

If people receive a purple heart for bravery, what would other color hearts represent? (Example yellow heart = cowardice) They receive a Purple Heart for being injured or killed while serving in the military. I looked it up. I think Blue would be for bravery, Green would be for being able to grow things, Black would be for not being able to grow things, White for peace, Red for love, and Orange for being unable to rhyme.

What is the bravest thing you’ve ever done or witnessed someone else do? I think looking for a new job while you’re still working the old one qualifies, especially when doing so could get you fired. I’ve done that several times.

It’s Memorial Day in the United States, a day when we honor the service members who have lost their lives to ensure the safety of the people of this nation. That includes the men and women of the Armed Forces, and also includes the animals (dogs, horses, donkeys, camels, carrier pigeons, dolphins etc.) who accompanied our service members and never returned. "Thank you" is hardly enough.

Share Your World time again! Melanie wants us to tell her…

What are you most proud of in the last year? That we got through it. Seriously.

If you see a puddle on the ground, do you walk around it or give in to the child within and splash about? I try to stay as dry as possible while walking through it.

Do you feel free? Why or why not? Thanks to the stroke, there’s a host of things I can’t do anymore, mostly because of what they call "hemiplegia," weakness on the right side of my body. None of them vital, but all of them having something to do with quality of life. My mind works fine, and I can have whatever thoughts and memories that I’ve accumulated oner the 65+ years I’ve been around without fear of the Thought Police, at least not yet. So, yes and no.

What life skills are rarely taught but are extremely useful? Here’s a partial list:

• Money management, including saving and investing
• Minor home and auto repair
• Looking for a new job, including resumé writing
• Post-academic learning (skill development)
• Self-sufficiency (doing laundry, shopping for food, etc.)

And that’s just for starters…

Melanie has a new batch of questions, meaning I have to come up with another batch of answers…

What inanimate object do you wish you could eliminate from existence? Inkjet and laser jet printers. I have very little use for them, but I have one for the two or three times a year I have to print something, uually to sign and scan so it can be emailed. And of course, it never works when I need to.

What tells you the most about a person? Their actions.

What is something you thought would be easy until you tried it? Explaining relatively simple concepts, like the electromagnetic spectrum, memetics, the Enigma machine etc.

What ridiculous and untrue, yet slightly plausible, theories can you come up with for the cause of common ailments like headaches or cavities? What else? Voodoo!

And I am outta here!