It all started in 7th grade. I got caught in a study hall with nothing to read and no homework to do. I rooted around in my desk and found a dictionary. I started reading it ... and got hooked.

That particular dictionary also gave word roots. So I not only got to soak up different meanings, but I began to get a sense of where the word had come from, and how meanings shifted through each linguistic turn.

A couple of weeks ago, I was having troubles with my Internet Service Provider. My e-mail "alias" (jlarue@jlarue.com) wasn't working. Over the course of 14 calendar days, I made three e-mail requests to their technical support line, and four phone calls. Each time I was most careful to provide my account information, the date at which the problem began, and what I'd tried to fix it.

Profane. Vulgar. Violent. Full of sexual innuendo. That's not unusual for a movie, I guess. But this one, I got from a minister.

The movie's name is "Dogma." I have no idea how it was described at the time of release, but I know how I'd label it: a metaphysical farce. I'm sure it's at least an "R." The language is pretty coarse.

The basic plot line is convoluted. In brief, two long-exiled angels have found a sort of doctrinal loophole that will get them back into heaven. If they succeed, there will be, well, hell to pay.

About fifty years ago, an expert in the new field of time management was having lunch with a prominent executive. The executive was frustrated. How could he get more done in a day? If the expert would just tell him some sure fire method to increase productivity, the executive promised him a big check.

The expert thought for a moment, then said, "Every morning, write down a list of what you want to happen that day. When you finish something, check it off the list."

At first, the business executive scoffed. Too easy!