Three levels of understanding, maybe more.

I'm sure we all know someone who regularly forwards you the latest urban legend, Internet hoax etc. I have thought of three ways of understanding this, in ascending levels of complexity. As an added note, the senders all are college-educated professionals.

Level 1: They send these messages along because they honestly believe in the truth of what they are sending. This is possible because people seem to constantly over-estimate how much they know in areas in which they are not experts. For example, I have frequently worked with PhD life scientists who espoused economic ideas which would be laughed at as primitive in business school--in much the same way creationism would be treated by those scientists.

Level 2: They are well aware that what they are sending is unsound, but they are testing you. What they really want to know is whether you are smart enough to see through it too. So, in this scenario; when you send the snopes link debunking what they sent, you passed their "intelligence test".

Level 3: They know that what they are sending is a hoax AND they know that you will easily see that it is a hoax too. So, why send it? Maybe it will amuse you. Maybe they wonder how you will respond--will you think they believe in it and then act blunt or will you be diplomatic about it?

What is going on in her cute little head?

This morning, like I have been doing a couple of times per week, I took Meenah for a four mile jog. I sometimes look over at her as she trots along and wonder what she is thinking.

At home she has a pretty good sized back yard to run-around in and she does dash about, but she never just runs without stopping for any extended length of time. I never have to cajole her to come with me or to keep going non-stop for the whole 30 minute run. She seems to enjoy running with me. Sometimes I let her get ahead of me and other times behind me, but most of the time she runs along side of me.

Does she ever wonder why we are doing this? I don't think she does, a human would wonder and probably decide to be uncooperative. Meenah just goes with the flow, takes things as she finds them and enjoys life.

Tips for the aspiring DIY automechanics...

When removing an a part of your car which is essential to its function--it is risky to take a part out if you have reason to believe you will not be able to get it back in.

Case in point: I was removing 4 bolts which connect the exhaust manifold with the exhaust pipe. The first bolt sheared-off, but no problem, I could just hammer the other end of it out the hole. Except, I couldn't get it to hammer out. I figured it was rusted on and I would have better access for hammering when the rest were off. At this point it would have been a good idea to stop and take it to a shop.

It turns out that the bolt are pressed in, like the bolts which hold your wheels on. I have had these shear-off before and was able to sledge hammer them out. It is just very difficult to get a good swing going from under the car. Maybe I can figure out some way of jury-rigging it with stainless steel tie-straps.