Kevin M

At the pool, I swim in the medium lane because it takes me an average of 39 seconds to swim 25 metres. A fast swimmer should be able to swim the same distance in 30 seconds or less -- or so I've heard -- which is why I stay out of the fast lane.

Another regular swimmer, who takes 62 seconds to swim 25 metres, is starting to get annoyed with me because I need to pass him every few minutes.

What do you think? Am I too fast for the medium lane? Is he too slow for it? Or are we both in the correct lane?

My Dell desktop (dating back to 2002) is on its last legs, and I'm looking to replace it with a Dell laptop that is compatible with FS2004, and perhaps with more recent versions of the game.

I've ruled out the Mini (for its lack of memory) and the high-end gamer machines. Other than FS2004, I rarely play other video games.

That pretty much leaves me to choose between the Inspiron and Studio lines.

If you've played Flight Simulator on a Dell Inspiron/Studio laptop, how well does the game work on these laptops, and what should I be sure to do/not do when buying a new laptop?

I was looking at some data on how Canadians' religious practices changed between 1982 and 2000, and noticed the following:

Average age of those who attend religious services at least once a week: 45 in 1982, 54 in 2000. (If this were to continue, the average weekly parishioner will be about 65 years old in 2020 and 75-80 years old in 2040.)

Percentage of Canadians who belong to a religious denomination: 89 percent in 1982, 67 percent in 2000

Percentage of Canadians who attend religious services at least once a month: 46 percent in 1982, 36 percent in 2000

Now the question: Are Canada's traditional churches/religious denominations heading for eventual bankruptcy? Or just a serious downsizing?

We were joined on this morning's downtown commute by a wasp that was trapped inside the bus, trying in vain to find some way out.

Eventually it did get out, but what is that wasp's likely fate? Would it be able to find its way back to its nest from several miles away? Might it be integrated into another colony? Or would it effectively become "homeless" and be forced to fend for itself?

It's springtime here in the Northern Hemisphere, which is a mixed blessing for those of us living on a tree-lined street. It means that we're getting into dive-bombing season as crows, grackles, magpies and other birds defend their nests.

Does anyone have any tips or tricks for avoiding being dive-bombed? Or any warning signs to watch for?

Also, when is the latest in the year that anyone has been dive-bombed? I used to think that dive-bombings were a May-July sort of thing. However, I was once surprised to be dive-bombed in mid-September, just a few days prior to the official start of Autumn.