Chrysalis

fire

Books are better for most genres because the author can let you know what is going on inside a character's head which explains various attitudes and actions. You can also conveniently get the backstory which also is very helpful to understand characters' motivations. Movies are better for huge, gorgeous landscapes (like Dances with Wolves) and for special effects.

Very interesting, Sazerac. Color of blue sky, eh? Good thought; I'm going to check that out in the future. I don't believe in "intuition" as in an unexplainable gut feeling. I believe that intuition happens when our brain is processing so many teeny tiny pieces of information so fast that we aren't consciously aware of it all. Because of all this subtle and rapid information processing, the correct answer seems to appear from out of nowhere. But, no, your brain is instantly processing all these things we are talking about-- sky, roads, plants, architecture, etc.-- and saying, "H-m-m-m, looks like some place in Scandinavia." or wherever. That's why I asked this question; I was curious about what some of these "teeny tiny pieces of information" are. Anybody else? What are some things that you notice when trying to solve these puzzles?

I find it pretty amazing that we can be shown a photo of one tiny little place that could be anywhere in the world-- anywhere-- and more often than not we can locate it at least in the right country and sometimes within 100 miles. How do we do that? I'm curious. You folks who play this game, what clues do you look for? I look first at the vegetation. I'm no botanist, but there are certain common plants I associate with certain types of climates--pines, palms, sage, agave are easy to identify and they grow in defined climates. Then I look at how the roads are constructed and which side of the road people drive on (a big clue there). Of course, if I there is human habitation, I look at the style of architecture, color schemes, cleanliness and maintenance, and the color and style of dress of the people. Last, I look for any words-- road signs, buses, shops. I identified one place because an outdoor menu listed the prices in currency units called py6 (I used Google to find out what py6 is. Turns out to be Russian.) So how about you? How do you go about solving these geography puzzles?

engines

Thank heavens for "Old Grubby Road"! :D Score: 18186 ( https://www.geoguessr.com/results/TETd0NdPjl1FFH8w )

Get thee behind me, Satan! :help:

zap!

Bandito said it all better than I possibly could. He is absolutely correct on all counts, including that fact that your commitment to protecting your quit is fantastic! The only other thing I would add is yes, make hubby brush his teeth and gargle before any kissing. That's fair.

irregular

I got 15902 on this game. Love you both! :)

erratic

fun

depressing

wealth

When I first saw this bus photo I was concerned about all the people who would have fallen forward when the bus crashed. Then I realized that the bus backed over the edge so the people would have been safely supported by their seat backs. Now that I don't have to worry about the people I find the photo funny. The lesson is "Never back a bus on a narrow, twisting street!"

beneficial

sympathy

I love this meme in Colleen's signature However, I HATE those stupid "Elizabethan collar" things they put on dogs and cats. Maybe they don't hurt, but they are very annoying and embarrassing to the animal (yes, animals do get embarrassed). I suggest that people prevent animals from pulling out stitches by putting a "panty hose T-shirt" on them instead. Our old tom cat, Harry, models such a T-shirt here. He had a cyst removed from his left shoulder last week. The vet agreed to put this on Harry instead of the collar thing.

fertile

Yes, this game is addictive. :) :( My score: 18091 (It was pretty easy because most of the scenes had some type of signage--I liked the Finnish one best.) Game summary: https://www.geoguessr.com/results/0qCnMqVFuZO3dYvL

worm

Something about this picture reminds me of Alfred Hitchcock's film "The Birds". :)

Hi, Jen- I'm so happy to see you back! Good for you. That takes guts! I love your "Dear Jen" letter-- it's beautifully written and very honest. I suggest that you use it as the basis for your own "Pre-Repsond to Your Own Quit" message. That is a thread pinned to the very top of the SOS forum. We each of us write what we would want to hear if we start to think we might relapse. It's very helpful for us to read our message to ourselves. It also helps others to help us when we're feeling shakey. It's also great for the rest of us to read some of the "pre-responses" from time to time because those messages really help to keep us all on track. Actually, not only Jen, but anyone who has not yet written your own pre-response should consider doing that now. You can find the Pre-Respond thread here http://www.quittrain.com/topic/259-pre-respond-to-your-own-sos/

coward