Here's the Scoop by Brian Sweeney

Welcome to my house
It was like a police interrogation. Without the dead body. Yet.
The story was told to me while I was at a gathering the other evening with some people I had just met. It didn’t matter, though, because like many people who have had a life-altering experience, they were ready to spill their guts.

Time to Twitter
I’m running late this week. Must be I’m spending too much time on Twitter again.
OK, that may not be entirely true. In fact, I was not exactly certain what it is that Twitter is — or does — until I looked it up.

Whistling in the dark
We hadn’t owned a pet in quite awhile before obtaining a “packaged cat” about a year-and-a-half ago for Christmas. I have detailed a few of the kitty’s exploits in this space, but have some updated observations.
I guess one thing that needs to be cleared up is the “ownership” issue. “Holly” (it’s that Christmas tie-in) is pretty much the owner of the folks who give her a warm place to reside and who feed her (when I remember).

Tunes for sale. Cheap.
I heard some disturbing news on the radio this week. Along with all the well-documented effects of our economic Re-Pression, as I like to call it, have been some lesser known side effects.
The story I heard told how one particular shop that purchases used compact discs has been flooded with returns. Apparently the “economic downturn” has plenty of folks turning in their tunes for cash. Now that’s blues music. Or is it green music?

That’s how I remember it. I think.
I don’t believe I’m alone when it comes to not always being able to remember things.
The fact I sometimes can’t recall something that I “learned” can be pretty annoying. For instance, I’m terrible with driving directions. Much of this is due to the laziness inspired by usually having a “navigator” during out-of-town trips.

Turn it up. Louder.
“Progress” is a funny term. In recent years, more and more people are coming to the realization that “progress” isn’t necessarily a good thing. For instance, using a bunch of additives mixed up in a laboratory to make our food grow faster, larger and have brighter color is not necessarily beneficial.
The same with the vehicles we drive.

What are the chances?
Some stunning news was reported this week on my Home Page. It seems that “only half the population understands what a precipitation forecast means well enough to make a fully informed answer to that tricky question of whether or not to bring an umbrella.”
That leaves half of us all wet, I guess. Or not — depening on one’s luck.

Now who’s the dork?
For years, I have started my mornings from early spring through early fall with a review of the box scores to check the progress of my Fantasy Baseball players.

It’s a handful
My wife is fond of watching TV programs and reading books about different cultures. This is a good way to gain an understanding about the ways that others live their lives. She’s learned a lot of important information. And, while not among the top facts she’s picked up, she has discovered that people in many other countries favor eating with the hands.

Enjoy the holiday, kids...
Among the growing number of things that I can never understand is why so many symbols associated with “fun” holidays are — what’s the term? — not fun. I’m reminded of this each year at this time when the Easter Bunny hops into the picture for a few weeks. Real bunnies, as a general rule, are furry and cute. And small. I think that’s the major difference between an Easter Bunny and a Non-holiday Bunny. Easter Bunnies are, more likely than not, big. Huge even.