I always thought modem was pronounced "Moh - derm" -> short for Modulator / Demodulator, so we also derive the pronounciation from both words. Then again, don't take my word for it. I tend to mix things up and sometimes call it a "Moh-Damn" like Gabriel, and some times call it a "Moh-Derm" when I'm trying to act technical.
[Ed: Check Merriam-Webster if you aren't satisfied - www.m-w.com]

Whoa, John Proctor. A name from a time long past - I absolutely hated that story. Don't know why. It's eey-rational. Just didn't like it. Wound up studying "Global Tales" like crazy. Can't believe you just quoted (well, sort of) from it. Its so horrible my mind is blanking it out. Go away, scary person.

What style of music is Goldenburg Variations?
[Ed: GOLDberg. Goldberg Variations - 30 Variations played on the pianoforte. Composed by J.S. Bach to help this insomniac nobleman sleep]

And: Pimple cream doesn't work :P For me, anyway. Go try using Australian Tea Tree oil, and facewash with Salycic (is this how you spell it?) acid in it, like Neutrogena.
[Ed: Tea tree smells disgusting. Well, oftentimes]

Interesting facts:
The word "yaoi" itself is an acronym from "YAma nashi, Ochi nashi, Imi nashi" - "no culminaton (peak), no meaning, no conclusion". I believe that it was originally a demeaning term used by fans. Now, its being used more (possibly due to the internet). Generally, non-professional yaoi is manga about well-known pretty guys - characters from popular manga and anime series for guys, but told from the viewpoint of homosexual relationships. I believe it became known as "yaoi" only because, unlike manga for guys, "yaoi" less frequently observes the classical concepts of the construction of a literary work. The first series off of which there appeared a lot of yaoi manga was the anime "Mobile Suit Gundam" (Kido Senshi Gundam (1979-1980) (which is a nice anime series about robots, which I like. Didn't know it was so "popular" though ^_^;;;)

How do I know about this? A quick search on google quickly enlightened me. Amazing what google can do.
[Ed: To save everyone trouble - http://gwu.edu/~koulikom/wyaoi.html
]