At last, my list of really odd street names has another item! For almost a year now, Lovely Johnson Lane in Annapolis, Maryland has been the sole occupant of this photo-list, despite pleas for submissions of oddly named street signs and their locations. Maybe this will break the stalemate. I give you:

"A AND EAGLE blvd"
When I picture a boulevard, I see a very broad road with a wide island divider, usually with pretty landscaping and/or decorative. A and Eagle Boulevard is a short street in the Parole district of Annapolis leading to a service-oriented business, (no "A" or "Eagle" in the company name, either) with lots of trucks. No island, no landscaping, no signage, which is probably why I've long overlooked this candidate for the list. Definitely the road less traveled, more of a lane than a boulevard.In the tradition of street signs, all letters are capitalized. Ergo, "AND" is all caps and disturbing to my grammatical sensibilities. The first letter wouldn't be capitalized, since proper sentences never begin with "and" (those of us who remember Schoolhouse Rock are humming Conjunction Junction, what's your function? right about now). Does "AND" have a different function here, perhaps an adjective, identifying a type of eagle? It's a stretch, yes, but who would have thought that wawa is a species of waterfowl and not just a convenience store?Why all this analysis of a street sign? Darned if I know. In fact, I just realized what an unusual person I must be to even conduct such an analysis, let alone blog about it for all to see. At least I'm living up to my tagline!"Expect the Unexpected"http://www.cynthiapolansky.com/http...

As soon as I read the pet article's title, How Not to Lose Your Pet in Our Difficult Economy, my blood began to boil. Tips to prevent people strapped for cash from surrendering their pets to shelters, rescue organizations, or simply abandoning them? It is unthinkable to me that such an option exists.Okay, so I was already a little hot under the collar, so to speak, about a Baltimore "pit bull" who had been doused with gasoline, been forced to swallow gasoline, and ignited (for the outcome of that story, sign up for my newsletter). I was frustrated that convicted felon Michael Vick was released from prison after such a short sentence for his part in animal abuse (animal cruelty laws need to become more stringent, but that's another blog). Personal feelings aside, I realize that perfectly nice people may be under economic pressure to relinquish their pets.I just don't understand it.Do these perfectly nice people consider relinquishing one of their children? Of course not. Do they investigate every economic option before taking the easy way out and getting rid of the pet? Doubtful. Before taking on the responsibility of pet ownership, did they even consider the possibility of a crisis, economic or otherwise, putting them in this position? Probably not.I know I'm a bit militant when it comes to animal welfare, and I'm prepared to accept any recriminations for the following content (I took similar heat when I challenged Katrina victims who abandoned their pets). But why is it acceptable to disavow compassion and responsibility for pets when pockets are light? Why do they deserve a lesser quality of life than the humans who take them into their homes? Why do they deserve a lesser quality of life than humans, period? They are sentient beings who can teach mankind a lot about character, loyalty, and love.Economic struggles regarding pets usually manifest in the cost of feeding them. We seem to forget that, in domesticating dog, man essentially traded custodial obligations for dog's labors on the battlefield, hunting grounds, farms, sentry duty, etc. If dog didn't eat, man didn't benefit. Our survival no longer depends on dog's assistance, but care of domesticated dog is no less our responsibility.The article I read suggested cutting pet-care costs by buying the cheapest food possible. Far be it from me to criticize economically-strapped dog owners from bulk-buying Brand X chow if that's the only way they can afford to keep their pets. However, the composition, not the price, of Brand X chow is the problem. The filler, grain, and other inexpensive, processed ingredients do not comprise an optimal diet for carnivorous canines.In all fairness, most Americans don't feed themselves an optimally-healthy diet; why should I expect anything different for their pets? After all, if the Average Joe family is going to have processed hotdogs for dinner, how cost-prohibitive can it be to buy enough to include the family dog? Americans' tendency toward excess in everything extends to our pets, but we should remember that a lack of excess does not equal insufficiency.As for health care, the economy puts many of us in a position of choosing between medications and food. But again, denying a pet from necessary health care due to financial constraints is not just unfortunate, it's abusive. I'm not talking about major surgery here; many pet owners unable to pay for expensive emergency medical treatments make the difficult decision to euthanize. I'm referring to pet owners who ignore parasite prevention, infectious disease prevention, spaying/neutering, etc. And while parents who neglect to provide routine health care for their children are subject to legal action, such pet owners usually aren't, implying a kind of complaisance. Bottom line: if you can't afford to pay for heart worm prevention and regular veterinary care, don't get a dog. The "Octo-Mom" garnered media attention -- and subsequent financial aid -- for her economic plight as mo

There is nothing wrong with your [monitor]. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission [of this very disturbing image]...You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to... The Outer Limits of Crossing Polansky...Since donning my first pair of eyeglasses at age seven, eye doctors and vision professionals have figured largely in my life. From kindly old Dr. Skirball (whom my brother once called Dr. Eyeball by mistake -- there must be an unwritten rule that a doctor's last name determines their specialty. Cases in point: orthopedist Dr. Shin and hand surgeon Dr. Nalebuff. I'm not kidding.) in the early 1960s to respected Dr. Maria Scott, who ten years ago changed my life forever in only three minutes with a simple laser beam. Medical and technological improvements in today's eye and vision care range from pleasing (no more "puff" (read: "blast") of air at close range on your eyeball to check for glaucoma) to miraculous (cataract replacement surgery and LASIK vision correction).I gave my trust over to each and every one of those eye care professionals -- my 20/400 uncorrected vision depended on it. So when optometrist Nikki Meadows wanted to measure my tear production, I didn't have a moment's pause, even when she gently hooked the little paper equivalent of a dipstick on my lower eyelid and bade me close my eyes for five minutes. After all, I'd had my eyelids everted, my pupils dilated, my eyeballs "puffed", and my retinas cut. What's the big deal about a little dipstick? I only wished I could have opened my eyes to see how funny it must have looked.Technology the rescue...Dr. Meadows obligingly took a picture with her cell phone.Why am I sharing this random, banal anecdote that's immortalized in one of the most hideous photos I've ever taken? For no other reason than to give you the same laugh it gave me, and to add that anyone looking for superlative eye and vision care should visit the Chesapeake Laser & Eye Care Center in Annapolis, Maryland. Any one of the practitioners in this group is top-notch for eye care, but for the discerning patient who also seeks a medical modeling career, my money's on Dr. Nikki Meadows every time.
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