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General Information

Word Games:  Live trivia at various times and places throughout the week.

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Your BIRTHDAY TREE

March:  gemstone is Aquamarine, the symbol of Health;  flower is Crocus.
April: gemstone is Diamond, the symbol of Fidelity; flower is the Sweet pea.

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EVENTS

In an attempt to get more of our chatters involved in our newsletter and to make it more interesting, we are adding several new columns.  The recipe column has been very popular!  I hear tell there is a movie critic's corner starting soon.  That's exciting!!  I'd love to see a gardening column if that's an area of expertice for any of you.  Maybe even a book review column would be nice?  Please get together with me if you have other ideas or if you're willing to do a column for our newsletter!

COOKING ON THE WILD SIDE Recipes and more    ...by Wildchild.

Happy St. Patrick's Day chat buddies. Hope that you had a wonderful Day. I want to thanks to beahive from #40something and other channels for these wonderful delicious recipes. Please send your recipe's and even cooking hints and cleaning the house or kitchen hints to cookingonthewildside@yahoo.com. Thanks again and until April let's keep cooking on the wildside!!

Scones 2 cups flour 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt ¼ cup vegetable oil 1 cup milk Mix together dry ingredients. Pour oil evenly over mixture and stir in quickly. Pour in milk and stir vigorously until it comes freely from the sides of the bowl. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and kneed gently for a few minutes. Roll dough out ½ inch thickness. Flour a small juice glass to use as a cutter.Cut dough and place on an ungreased baking pan. Bake at 450°F for 12-15 minutes. Options: Cheese Scones: Decrease oil to 3 tablespoons and salt to ¾ teaspoon. Add in ½ cup grated cheese with oil stage. Buttermilk: Decrease baking powder to 2 teaspoons; add ½ teaspoon baking soda. Substitute 1 cup buttermilk (OR sour milk) for milk. Sweet Cream: Substitute ½ cup skim milk and ½ cup whipping cream for milk. Sweet Cream and Jam: as above but before baking, make a small dent in top of each scone and add fill with a ½ teaspoon of jam.

Fruit or Nut: Add ¼ cup sugar to recipe at dry ingredient stage and decrease milk to ¾ cup. Add ¾ cup raisins or currents or sultanas or nuts with the milk stage Whole Wheat: Use 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup white flour. Yorkshire Pudding 1 cup flour ¼ teaspoon salt 2 eggs 1 cup milk Preheat oven to 450°F. Stir flour and salt together in a bowl. In another bowl beat eggs until thick and foamy and combine with milk. Make a well in centre of flour and gradually stir in milk/egg mixture. Beat with electric beater at low speed until batter is very smooth….about 2 minutes. Set aside while preparing baking pan. Using a 12 hole muffin tin, pour approx. ½ teaspoon of vegetable oil into each muffin hole. Place muffin tin in oven and heat until almost smoking. Remove from oven and pour batter into holes to ½” depth. Bake in hot oven (450°F) until puffed and brown (15 minutes approx.). Reduce oven temperature to 350°F for remainder of baking time (approx. 15minutes).

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MAYBE MABEL KNOWS?     Gossip

So far, we have not had any submissions to our Mabye Mable Knows? desk.  Are any of you seeking advice?  If so, just send in your question and put "Maybe Mable Knows?" in the subject line!

MOVIES                 Movie Reviews - by Zadi of #Lupuschat

Starring Ashton Kutcher as a college-aged guy who can't remember key periods of his life until he begins to read his journals. When he looks at the pages, he finds himself transported back in time, where he finds the terrifying events in his life that he had blocked out. He also sees the destruction that those events caused in other people's lives around him. Can he go back and change the past? What effect would that have on the future?
    This movie will keep you on the edge of your seat with a combination of suspense, tasteful special effects, and changing relationships between the characters that keeps you guessing right 'til the end.

Jude Law plays a confederate soldier trying to get home after being wounded in battle. The story documents his long, diffult journey and his loyalty to the sweetheart, played by Nicole Kidman, to whom he is trying so hard to return. While he has been away, she has had struggles of her own, and met up with a drifter in the form of Renee Zellweger.
    This movie is touted as having a soundtrack with Allison Krauss, so we expected plenty of good bluegrass along the way, but were sorely disappointed in that regard, and the plot tends to drag on. Not one that I'd sit through twice. I felt like I was tired and wounded by the time it was over.

I must admit, I went to see this movie to enjoy Russell Crowe, who plays the captain of this Navy ship in Napoleon's time, and found instead a gem in Paul Bettany, his ship's surgeon. However, back to the plot, the two characters are longtime friends and the ship is merely on patrol, allowing them the leisure to enjoy their travels and explorations. Suddenly, they are attacked by an enemy ship, matched in strategy and wit, and Russell Crowe's character must decide whether to risk his ship and crew to chase this new foe to the death.
    Russell Crowe portrays the kind of leader we all want, human, but in the end, made of integrity and authority. The scenery and interaction in the course of their journey is rich and inspiring, and I highly recommend this one.

You may like this movie, you may not, but you will not leave it unaffected. This movie made me notice Sean Penn. I have never seen such acting from a male actor. Now I am watching all of his movies.
    Mystic River starts out with three boys, one of which gets abducted by two strange men, and the boys' lives are changed forever. They grow up into characters played by Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, and Kevin Bacon. The daughter of Sean Penn's character is brutally murdered, Tim Robbins appears suspect, and Kevin Bacon is the cop assigned to investigate the murder. Sean Penn's character is driven by his grief to find his daughter's murderer and circumvents the police, causing conflict with Kevin Bacon's character. Did Tim Robbins' character do the deed? How will this affect them all?
    I tell you, this movie is one that will touch you, disturb you, affect you. It's intense.

PETS AND PESTS         Critters   by Momma

If you have questions, interesting facts or suggestions, other notable news concerning pets and pests, please submit them to the newsletter with Pets and Pests in the subject line.
Pet Rabbits & Easter Chicks

Easter will soon be upon us. With this in mind I thought I would address the issue of rabbits as pets.
First off, rabbit breeders love this time of year. Those who 'show' rabbits have been busy with breeding new show stock and are now culling those that don't measure up to standards. The show season starts this month, and what better way to cull kits (baby bunnies) then to sell them to pet stores for pets or advertise them in local papers.
Pet stores will set up displays of bunnies where they are easily seen by passersby. What parent hasn't heard "oh they are SO CUTE, can we get one?" And many parents give in to pressure thinking that a rabbit can not be all that hard to keep. Sadly, a large percentage of rabbits end up being disguarded, either through pet shelters or dumped on a country road, within a couple of months.
So I would like to talk about a few "do's and don't's" when concidering a bunny as a pet.
First off, many pet store employees know little more then what they read in the booklets they sell. Rolf C. Hagen booklets tend to be the point of referance. While these books do have some good information, there is little in them to prepare you for what MIGHT happen. So DO some research before you buy on impulse. Know what you are getting into.
I have actually seen bunnies sold in pet stores as 'dwarf' rabbits, knowing full well that the purchaser will eventually end up with a 22 lb. pet. A true dwarf rabbit is a Netherland Dwarf, Polish, or Hotot. These little cuties will grow to be 3-4 lbs. Next is the common Dutch rabbit, who will grow to be 7-8 lbs. Although cute and small, I really do not recomend these breeds as pets for children, as they can be very high-strung.
The perfect child's pet bunny would be one of the lop-eared variety. Mini-lops are cute and calm. However, they will reach a weight of at least 8-9 lbs. Some have been known to reach 12 lbs. Holland Lops are also a good pet, calm and gentle in nature and reaching an adult weight of around 7 lbs. Breeders over the years have bred for smaller bunnies, but a perfect bunny is not going to be found in your local pet store. They are kept for the show-tables.
Another good natured rabbit is an Angora, however they are high maintenance. They must be groomed and "plucked" on a regular basis.
If you have decided to purchase a rabbit for your child, please DO check to make sure it is healthy. If the rabbits in the pet store are sneezing, or have crusty residue around their nose and/or eyes, DO NOT buy it. Often the sales person will tell you that this is caused by the 'shavings' in the cage. This is most likely not true. A rabbit who continually sneezes has Snuffles. Snuffles is like a forever cold, and will never go away. You can treat the symptoms of Snuffles, which can be costly over time, but you can never cure it.
When you buy your bunny, DO purchase the right sized cage. Unfortunately pet stores will want to sell you the Hagen Small Animal Kit. This is often a total waste of your cash as it will need to be replaced within a year, if not sooner. The bottoms of these kits are plastic, and rabbits chew. Plus, often the rabbit outgrows this unit and you will need to buy a larger one in order to keep your pet healthy and happy. So buy the right one from the start. A wire cage, with a metal pan that slides out on the bottom is ideal, for bunny and for you when it comes time to clean. Make sure it is big enough for a full grown rabbit.
Building a wooden hutch is often a good idea if your bunny is going to live outdoors. But be forewarned, wood rots, holds urine odors, and can become a breeding ground for maggots. Be sure to have the run of the hutch floor made of "baby-saver" wire. This will ensure that droppings fall to the ground while protecting your pet from getting a foot caught in the larger squares of the 1x1 inch squares of regular rabbit cage wire.
If you plan to let your new bunny run around the house, remember bunnies CHEW! Phone cords, TV plugs etc. are prime targets. Pet stores sell a spray called Bitter Apple. This can be applied to cords and whatever you wish to remain chew-free. (btw it does NOT taste like apple, don't ask how I know!) A less expensive solution is to use any hot sauce you have in your kitchen cupboard. You can use it straight or make a spray by adding a bit of water to the hot sauce. It will not harm your pet, but will make him think twice before chewing on your computer wires!
Always keep your pet's food and water supply fresh and clean. While you can buy rabbit food at the pet store, it is less expensive to buy a larger bag at your local feed store. A tightly seal container such as a small garbage can is a good investment, and makes an awesome storage container for the extra bulk rabbit pellets. Fresh veggies such as lettuce and carrots, and a slice of apple is very much appreciated by the rabbit. However, please DO wash these well, as chemicals sprayed on them can cause serious illness, and can result in death.
Bunnies do like to play. An inexpensive toy is a piece of wood. Pet stores will want you buy the cutsie shaped wooden carrots, but they are a waste of money. If you have end cuttings from a project in the work shop, toss it in for your rabbit. He can spend hours tossing it around, plus it helps keep teeth trimmed. Rabbits teeth continually grow and they need to chew to keep them healthy.
NEVER pick up your bunny by its ears! This is something that upsets me to no end. It is harmful to your rabbit, and hurts him. Always make sure when holding your rabbit that his back feet are secure. If a bunny feels insecure, like he is falling, he will kick. And a rabbit's back legs are very strong, and he can do damage with those claws. If he feels comfortable, he will sit with you for hours!
A well cared for rabbit will live for many years. I personally know of a few that have reached the grand old age of 15 years! These are not a diposable pet, so be prepared to have him for a long time. If you or your child become bored with your bunny, please, do NOT dump him in the country. He will not know how to take care of himself, and will most likely get hit by a car or hunted down by preditory animals. Find a farm that will take him in, or another child that will give him a good home.

Another big seller at Easter are the pretty coloured Easter Chicks. Dyed pinks, blues and purples, waddling around in an aquarium, and peeping! Yes...they are an attraction, but they are also chickens! The colour will fade shortly after Easter. The fluffy "down" will change to feathers and now you have a chicken running around your house! Chickens do not make the best pets. They don't come when called, they hate to cuddle and are impossible to house-train. A few weeks after Easter, the city dweller with a chicken for a pet has few options. Explaining to a child why the family pet is now Sunday dinner is never easy, so please refrain from bringing home one of these cute little guys unless you live on a farm.

The perfect gift for your child at Easter? Plush toys, bikes and the popular chocolate rabbit or chicken!

contributed by Amazing

Tech Support: "I need you to right-click on the Open Desktop."
Customer: " Ok."
Tech Support: "Did you get a pop-up menu?"
Customer: "No."
Tech Support: "Ok. Right click again. Do you see a pop-up menu?"
Customer: "No."
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Customer: "Sure, you told me to write 'click' and I wrote 'click'."
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Customer: "I received the software update you sent, but I am still getting the same error message."
Tech Support: "Did you install the update?"
Customer: "No. Oh, am I supposed to install it to get it to work?"
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Customer: "I'm having trouble installing Microsoft Word."
Tech Support: "Tell me what you've done."
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Customer: "It says '[PC manufacturer] Restore and Recovery disk'."
Tech Support: "Insert the MS Word setup disk."
Customer: "What?"
Tech Support: "Did you buy MS word?"
Customer: "No..."
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Customer: "Do I need a computer to use your software?"
Tech Support: ?!%#$=20
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Tech Support: "Ok, in the bottom left hand side of the screen, can you see the 'OK' button displayed?"
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Tech Support: "What type of computer do you have?"
Customer: "A white one."
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Tech Support: "Type 'A:' at the prompt."
Customer: "How do you spell that?"
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Tech Support: "Is your computer on a separate telephone line?"
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Tech Support: "Well then we can't-"
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You need to-"
Customer: "No, that's not it. It does this all the time. I just have to try a few times, and it will let me through."
Tech Support: "No, ma'am. It's not even trying to dial right now because you're on the phone with me."
Customer: "It must be busy. I'll try again later."
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Tech Support: "What's on your screen right now?"
Customer: "A stuffed animal that my boyfriend got me at the grocery store."
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Tech Support: "What operating system are you running?"
Customer:" Pentium."
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Customer: "My computer's telling me I performed an illegal abortion."
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Customer: "How do I print my voicemail?"
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Customer: "You've got to fix my computer. I urgently need to print a document, but the computer won't boot properly."
Tech Support: "What does it say?"
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Tech Support: "Just call us back if there's a problem.
We're open 24 hours."
Customer: "Is that Eastern time?"
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Tech Support:: "What does the screen say now?"
Customer: "It says, 'Hit ENTER when ready'."
Tech Support: "Well?"
Customer: "How do I know when it's ready ?

Happy Birthday to Someone Special