hair today...gone tomorrow

a few hair tips for the europeans (or anyone for that matter):
*if you wear a comb-over, please do not drive a convertible with the top down. your 18 inch (now vertical) wall of hair just flaps all over the place .....not attractive and it upsets the kids (you could cause an accident)
*if you choose to go au naturel and not shave your legs, do us all a favor and DO NOT wear stockings. it is actually creepy to witness leg hairs long enough to be braided sticking through a sleek pair of stockings like a bunch of grotesque spider legs. (hey--even drag queens know enough to shave their legs when they wear stockings)
*if you go even one step further on the au naturel ladder ....and don't shave your armpits, then PLEASE do not become a hairdresser who prefers to wear tank tops. when i get my hair cut by you, it is disturbing to see more hair in your pits then on my head.
*if you have a hairy chest that resembles a tangled briar patch, please cut that mess! trim back the jungle mister! (by the way, the pet hamster you lost last winter......he's in there hibernating)

It's always nice to match your accessories (literally)

Berlin

We visited Berlin this year for the first time. we found that it really is like no other German city. all of the quaintness and cuteness is gone. it bears no resemblance to the half-timbered, flower-laden, lederhosen wearing German towns we have visited so many times before. Berlin is a big, modern city that has pushed its way into the future.....the two sides of the city are now blended and the wall that separated them is only a blurry line now, barely discernible. (actually there is line that now traces the path of the defunct wall). the East proudly displays capitalism on every corner, although it still has the imposing grey drab stalinesque communist architecture that seems to announce "hey, look! we were oppressed ....let's not forget that!". and just when you begin to wish they would tear those buildings down and build something more eye-pleasing, you go to the museum of the Wall and realize just how much Berliners have endured. and you then understand the importance of these reminders that lay around the city. and there are many reminders....many things to remember. Berlin was hard hit in WWI.....at the worst point of the inflation after the war, one dollar was worth about 4.2 trillion marks. (too bad I didn't get that exchange rate when I lived there!) after the first world war, they were ruled by the Third Reich and the Nazis, then post war, the city became divided--separated by an ugly uncaring concrete wall that ripped families, friends, and neighbors apart. half the city fell under a communist government. actually, the communists sorta had the right idea: everyone is equal....everyone has a right to the same benefits in life. however, as we all know, it takes more than one great idea to form a successful government. the vision of equality is a good one, but not when it is offered without freedom, without choice. you can still see some remnants of oppression in Berlin. they are very moving and sad and tend to feel like a slap-in-your-face-wake-up-call. however, what is very evident is that although Berlin has not forgotten its troubled past, it is moving full force into the future! it is exciting, lively, friendly, polished....you can feel the vigor of its people pounding around you as you walk the streets of this city that has endured, survived, and emerged. a true butterfly.

He asked: Who came up with the word "dingleberry"?

My answer: since you asked....dingleberry is a slang term for the unfortunate condition of fecal matter being caught in the hair or fur of an animal or human around the region of the rump or buttocks. it generally occurs when the afflicted are unable to wipe or remove excrement from the nether regions and the matter dries. they occur on animals, especially those with thick coats or with people who have the inability to wield toilet paper in an appropriate manner. animals such as long-haired cats, dogs and sheep may have to have the offending berries removed by trimming hair to prevent other nasty things occurring such as fly problems. humans (mostly male as they are the more hairy) can wax or shave the hair or learn to use toilet paper properly. another piece of advice is to use expensive toilet paper as it does not disintegrate and leave behind debris that may become dingleberries. using a bidet may also help. (hey....I have 2 in my house!)
oh wait.....you asked about the word origin!....well..the word is not featured in the Oxford nor Chambers dictionaries but the word dingle is, and may give some clue as to the word's origins.
there is also a Dingleberry Lake in California. odd but true.
and now----I bet he is sorry he asked!