Is That a Quiz in Your Pocket, or Are You Just Happy To See Me?

I guess I should be happy that you guys didn’t get the ones about being too young for that kind of fun - hehe

#6 was Does Your Mother Know? by ABBA

#7 was Young Girl, and I had it by Gary Puckett, but I’d be happy to be corrected on that one. I actually didn’t hear about the whine-fest from Donovan, not that I’d be particularly surprised. Was it a good one?

I wonder how many folks are still out there in holiday-land. Well, for those of you that are still here, I warn you, I’m stuck in a scary time, and there are no Christmas songs yet. Yet. :)

#1

The things that pass for knowledge I can't understand.

#2

Tell me no secrets, tell me some lies
Give me no reasons, give me alibis
Tell me you love me and don't make me cry
Say anything but don't say goodbye

#3

What I've got they used to call the blues
Nothin' is really wrong
Feelin' like I don't belong
Walkin' around, some kind of lonely clown

#4

Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band
Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man

#5

They would not listen
they're not listening still
perhaps they never will.

#6

Loving you
Isn’t the right thing to do
How can I ever change things
That I feel

#7

Reading, writing and arithmetic
Are the branches of the learning tree
But without the roots of love every day, girl
Your education ain't complete
T-T-T-Teacher's gonna show you

#8

Did it take long to find me? I asked the faithful light.
Did it take long to find me? and are you gonna stay the night?

#9

Everybody wants her, everybody loves her
Everybody wants to take your baby home

#10 and, just for balance,

So from my personal point of view,
Get an ugly girl to marry you.

What? Who Runs?

8.6km - 50 minutes

Ok, I finally ran again. My footsies were not pleased. It felt pretty good though. I had to run on the treadmill again though. I'm getting used to it though. I did go through with the Audible.com thing a month ago or so and I'm running and biking now listening to The World is Flat. It's a very interesting very globalization... tape...er... MP3? I'm very torn on the topic, but I like some of the things that author brings up - most importantly is the need to start actually funding education. He also thinks that engineering a Fossil Fuel Alternative could be the modern version of the Moon Shot. Getting kids into science and challenging the current possibles, but with a goal of general good. I don't think that would be as sexy as the Moon Shot, but the true sadness is that we're not trying anything. We just de-fund everything in the hopes that the private sector will pick up the slack. Sigh... In two generations, or very possibly one, there will simply be no way we are going to be able to have more or better technical workers than India or China. We simply don't have the money, the drive or the numbers. The best we can hope for is to minimize the damage to our industry and give away green cards to any PhD who wants one.

Wow. That all just blurted out. I wonder if any of it made sense?

Oh, Hell

People Who Use Cell Phones/Laser Pointers in a Movie, Parents who bring squalling brats to R-rated movies
Circle I Limbo

Scientologists
Circle II Whirling in a Dark & Stormy Wind

Owners of Telemarketing Businesses
Circle III Mud, Rain, Cold, Hail & Snow

Editors of Fashion Magazines/Promoters of Stick-figure Women
Circle IV Rolling Weights

Plagiarizers
Circle V Stuck in Mud, Mangled

River Styx

George Bush
Circle VI Buried for Eternity

River Phlegyas

Bigots
Circle VII Burning Sands

Osama bin Laden
Circle IIX Immersed in Excrement

NAMBLA Members
Circle IX Frozen in Ice

Design your own hell

hehe - seen at casa de Luckybuzz

Handholder - Feh!

Handholder

You go out of your way to build bridges with people of different views and beliefs and have quite a few religious friends. You believe in the essential goodness of people , which means you’re always looking for common ground even if that entails compromises. You would defend Salman Rushdie’s right to criticise Islam but you’re sorry he attacked it so viciously, just as you feel uncomfortable with some of the more outspoken and unkind views of religion in the pages of this magazine.


You prefer the inclusive approach of writers like Zadie Smith or the radical Christian values of Edward Said. Don’t fall into the same trap as super–naïve Lib Dem MP Jenny Tonge who declared it was okay for clerics like Yusuf al–Qaradawi to justify their monstrous prejudices as a legitimate interpretation of the Koran: a perfect example of how the will to understand can mean the sacrifice of fundamental principles. Sometimes, you just have to hold out for what you know is right even if it hurts someone’s feelings.

What kind of humanist are you? Click here to find out.

Seen at Scrivener's House of Pancakes

Trimming the Wikipedia

(fair warning - some of the linked comics contain nasty language and naughty thoughts)

I'm a bit embarrassed to admit it, but some of my written stylings come from a man I know only as 'Tycho.' He's half of a webcomic duo that creates some pretty hilarious comics about gaming and such. The thing is that many of their comics require a pretty deep explanation if you aren't in the gaming 'cool kids' circle - and I left that circle a long long time ago. So, anyway, I like the way the guy writes even if there are (gasp!) spelling errors (I'm done grading. I'm done grading. I'm done grading).

explanations done, the Penny Arcade folks have taken a look at Wikipedia. And it's not that pretty.

A selected chunk from the newspost that accompanies the comic: (persistent link may be here)

Reponses to criticism of Wikipedia go something like this: the first is usually a paean to that pure democracy which is the project's noble fundament. If I don't like it, why don't I go edit it myself? To which I reply: because I don't have time to babysit the Internet. Hardly anyone does. If they do, it isn't exactly a compliment.

Any persistent idiot can obliterate your contributions. The fact of the matter is that all sources of information are not of equal value, and I don't know how or when it became impolitic to suggest it. In opposition to the spirit of Wikipedia, I believe there is such a thing as expertise.

The second response is: the collaborative nature of the apparatus means that the right data tends to emerge, ultimately, even if there is turmoil temporarily as dichotomous viewpoints violently intersect. To which I reply: that does not inspire confidence. In fact, it makes the whole effort even more ridiculous. What you've proposed is a kind of quantum encyclopedia, where genuine data both exists and doesn't exist depending on the precise moment I rely upon your discordant fucking mob for my information.

I note this because I've been fighting a losing battle to keep Wikipedia sources out of students' papers. I really like Wikipedia, but I know that it's not particularly reliable. That's not to say that you can't find good informaiton there, because obviously, you can, especially on techy stuff. There was a recent study comparing Wikipedia with Britannica, and Wiki held its own, with 4 errors per entry vs. Britannica's 3. I think the problem is that many people see Wiki as the answer instead of a tool that you can use to help find the answer.

Now that I write that up, I guess it's not that different from any other source. Hmm... Is Wikipedia legitimate as a source? Do you folks let students cite Wikipedia?

A Quiz Is Not A Dinner Party

Ah, not just the hat trick, my friends, it was the Baker’s Hat trick… er… plus one. That is, two Laupers, two Madonnas, two Billy Joels, Two Stings, and two from Sir Elton John.

The missed ones:

#4 – De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da – Sting (Police)
#8 – Change Of Heart – Madame Lauper

And now, the main event. This one's all over the place. Are you ready to rumble?

#1

Maybe he's no Romeo
But he's my loving one man show

#2

He's a lover boy at play
He don't play by the rules
Oh oh oh
Girl don't play the fool—no

#3

It's a losing proposition,
But one you can't refuse.
It's the politics of contraband,

#4

I like the way your sparkling earrings lay,
against your skin, it's so brown

#5

They're out to get you, better leave while you can
don't wanna be a boy, you wanna be a man

#6

I can see what you want
But you seem pretty young to be searching for that kind of fun

#7

My love for you is way out of line
Better run, girl

#8

'Cause we're living in a world of fools
Breaking us down

#9

If there’s a cure for this
I don’t want it
Don’t want it
If there’s a remedy
I’ll run from it
From it

#10

Got no deeds to do,
No promises to keep.
I’m dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep.

Wha? Post

Dear Washington Post,

Have you decided that 'bootylicious' is a word you are comfortable using? Because I would rather you didn't. Thanks.

Yours in curmudgeonitude,
Overread


The quote:

That has given birth to a marketing strategy that combines the cutthroat with the chic. Wal-Mart preempted competitors when it unleashed its holiday marketing campaign in November a week earlier than last year. Advertisements for the first time featured celebrities like the bootylicious girl group Destiny's Child and tweener heartthrob Jesse McCartney.

From here (Registration required)

The King is Dead, Long Live the King

King Kong (link has autoloading movie and sound)

Honesty, I expected better.

On the plus side, it’s an entertaining film. There are lots of creatures and death and thrills and such. It’s also very clear that the filmmakers were truly paying homage to the original film. I happened to catch the original on AMC a week or so ago, and many of the scenes are very lovingly recreated in this remake.

Unfortunately, that may have been the source of some of the things I didn’t like. The biggest problem I had with Kong can be paralleled in the CG for Kong himself. Throughout the film, I was trying to figure out what I didn’t like about him. It finally hit me when he was climbing up the Empire State Building. He’s got no physics. When he had Ann in one hand, he would let go of the building with the other and casually reach for the next window. If they had shown his feet gripping the wall tighter, or maybe made him grasp the next window in a quick movement, it would have seemed more believable. Later when he was at the top, he would reach out and find purchase on a diagonal sheet of metal without any trouble. I’m sure this seems very nitpicky, but bear with me. What was bothering me was that there was no gravity. It seemed as if Kong was not held to the rules of the world in which I wanted to believe he lived.

So here’s my leap – It was the same for all the characters. They didn’t seem fully rendered. I think I can say that I liked the actors, but not one single character. I realize this is an action film (horror film, monster film, whatever), but the actions of the characters didn’t seem to be based on the world that I know. The vaudeville show for Kong on his Pride Rock? The Coke commercial-esque Kong sliding on the frozen lake in Central Park? Those are perhaps the most obvious scenes that I couldn’t get my head around, but if we’re going to make plot-points of this movie revolve around the emotions of the main characters, why aren’t we treated to a better understanding of them?

Jack Black’s character was perhaps the most frustrating. He very possibly could be the most complex and intriguing character in the film, but we never get to know him. Maybe this was an artistic choice, or maybe it’s all on the cutting room floor. Anne and the writer’s relationship was also very underplayed.

But, this is not a love story, so let’s take a look at the action sequences. Most were done pretty well. There was a ‘bug moment’ or two that had the audience squealing (aside - why do people take kids who can barely walk to movies like this?). The problem is that things would start out ok, but then go quickly to the ridiculous.

A great example is the stampede. Everyone is running through the canyon floor and there is a herd of brontosaurus (brontosauri?) chasing after. Ok, well, it seems silly that the people can run faster, but I thought I would let that slide. But then they catch up. And the people are running under the feet of the dinosaurs (being chased by raptor-like things, natch. You can’t have a dinosaur flick without those guys – Thanks Steven). Running underneath a herd of brontosaurs. Ok. Suspension of disbelief. Ok. Move on.

It gets worse though. From the Cirque de Soleil show where Kong, Anne and a handful of Tyrannosaurus Rexes dangle and swing from vines (including the swinging Rex trying to take a chomp out of Anne every time it swings closer), to the very implausible capture to the final scene where our two human protagonists stand without difficulty in a very light breeze on the top of the Empire State Building. Oh, yeah, how did she keep those high-heels on during all this? I understand that they were really trying to capture the feel and glamour of the early movie world, but it just didn’t work for me.

The thing is, I’ll happily follow a movie into the most ridiculous worlds, but they’ve got to be believable. Aliens, Harry Potter, even Narina created worlds were you may not understand how everything works, but the things that work make sense in the context of the film. Kong in New York is placed in a world that perhaps we know too well, and he seemed very much detached – not so much in a fish out of water way, but in an ‘I can see the wires’ kind of way.

One last thing. On Skull Island, there are several scenes with blurred and jerky camera work. It was a bit jarring at first, but as I got into it, I liked the idea that we were seeing the images with the state of mind of the protagonists – unclear, confused, and in bits and pieces. Then it stopped. Did they give up on this idea after a couple of tries and just leave it in the film? If not, why didn’t we get more of that? Sloppy.

Again, I did enjoy the movie. There are lots of fun bits. It’s just not what I was hoping it would be. I won’t say that you’re better off seeing the original, though. Let’s just say that you should see both. I will say that if you do want to see this one, see it in the theater. A lot of what is good about this movie is its bigness. It’ll lose a lot in the transition to the small screen.

King Kong 6/10

In the Immortal Words of One Particularly Bright Star,

Don't hate me 'cause I'm beautiful...

hate me because I'm done grading!

There was oh, so much trauma though. The prof wrote a particularly good final, and several students didn't read the questions well at all... boo hiss...

Even though I was the personification of benevolence in the grading, I'm expecting at least a handful of very nasty emails once these grades go live :(

but until then, I'm free!!

Woohoo!

Anyone want to go skinny-dipping?

More Fun Than A Quiz Full Of Monkeys

Hehe got a couple on you last time. Let’s take a look. 7 was Your Wildest Dreams by the Moody Blues and 8 was Hot in the City by Billy ‘the Snarl’ Idol.

I’m not-so-secretly happy that you guys got It’s Raining Men and Convoy hehehe!

New stuffings! One or two are kinda hard, but most are easy, and there’s an easy pattern to find. Enjoy!

1 –

A man can tell a thousand lies
I've learned my lesson well

2 –

Been high in the Rockies under the evergreens

3 –

Oh Lawdy mama those Friday nights
when Suzie wore her dresses tight

4 – the spelling might be a hint - hehe

The only cheques I’ve left unsigned
From the banks of chaos in my mind

5 –

Stray cat is crying so stray cat sings back

6 –

You're the one I'm dreaming of
Your heart fits me like a glove

7 –

At least he can polish the fenders

8 –

Here I am
Just like I said I would be
I'm your friend
Just like you think it should be

9 –

Time on my hands could be time spent with you

10 –

How can I save my little boy from Oppenheimer's deadly toy

From the Pigeon Trenches

'Military coos'

sounds kind of cute, really.

coo coo

Qafe Quote

"They were stripping over there, but other than that, there wasn't anything to do."

In Which A Final Exam Writer Teaches Me A New Word

"ignoration"

Should I ask for a definition?

My guess would be a state of ignoring someone or something, but from the context, it seems to be a state of ignorance.

Write your own snarky comment here.

Mommy, Why Is the Book Blue?

Cafe ran out of bagels, so I was forced, forced I tell you, to go across the street and get chocolate chocolate cake donuts. I had my choice, you see?

A pile of bluebooks
holding hopes, dreams, gibberish
A flashing red pen

Link Dump

Ok, no quiz, but fun links! Alright, I know it's no substitution, but I hope you'll be ok. :)

Santaland Diaries online! Woohoo!

Strange Sand art video - This guy makes fun images out of sand and a projector

Development of the Latin alphabet in one animated gif

Famous folks answer the question "What do you believe but cannot prove?" (scroll to near the bottom and the next pages)

And finally,

The most popular toys of the last 100 years

Blind Update Downrange

Finally met with the prof about the finals.

Finally realize the doom that awaits me in grading these things.

I swear If I just gave everyone a C+, more people would be happy than if I actually graded these monsters.

The deadline is coincidently the same as the next batch of PhD applications (for which I have to select and edit a new writing sample). Can anyone tell me why I'm applying to all these places?

What are the odds that I get right on this and get it all done in the quickest amount of time?

Yeah, that's what I thought.

It Walks Down Stairs, Alone or in Pairs. Everyone Knows it's Quiz-ie

Ah, I fondly remember the Dr. Zaius song from the Simpson’s version of the Planet of the Apes. Although, it’s right up there with the musical version of Streetcar. They may have gone a bit downhill, but that was hilarious stuff.

Ok, back to the quizzing (which may become a every other day kind of thing)

This group may be a touch too easy for you folks, but don’t worry. The theme runs out after #5 :)

#1

They say that the road
Ain’t no place to start a family

#2

Like a band of gypsies,
we go down the highway

#3

Yeah, them smokies is thick as bugs on a bumper.
They even had a bear in the air!

#4

I’m empty and aching and I don’t know why
Counting the cars on the new jersey turnpike

#5

Miner’s lady, stranger to blue water
Dark and dusty, painted on the sky

#6

God bless Mother Nature, she's a single woman too
She took off to heaven and she did what she had to do

#7

And when the music plays
And when the words are
Touched with sorrow

#8

'Cause when a long-legged lovely walks by
Yeah you can see the look in her eye

#9

Cool cat looking for a kitty
Gonna look in every corner of the city

#10

That’s when sport was a sport
And groovin´ was groovin´

Hello Doggies

IMG_2555
Originally uploaded by Overread.

Oh, doggie troubles!

Chronicles of Narnia

Another movie review, hopefuly a bit shorter

Chronicles of Narnia

I have to admit I don’t think I read this book until I heard the movie was coming out. I grabbed a copy, read it in the bookstore and enjoyed it a lot.

It was hard for me to watch the movie without looking for the heavily mailed fist of the Christian Right dangling over the heads of the audience (hmm, that should be a dangling sword, shouldn’t it?). From all I’ve heard, this movie is an insidious tool that evil fundamentalists are going to use to get kids hooked and lead them into the temptation of banning science and them blasted free-thinkin’ liberals. I should be an anthropologist for a moment and explain that I’m a moralizing atheist, but, having grown up in the deep pit of a nasty form of oppressive religion, I have a knee-jerk reaction against blatant religiosity.

Well, I was going to post something facetious, like how I found all these connections (Remember in the bible, when after the resurrection, Mary Magdalene and Jesus’ mom went out the battlefield and Mary shot a bow and arrow and killed that ogre? That was cool, right?), but frankly, I don’t think it’s needed.

I don’t think it’s warranted because I didn’t think the movie was particularly biblical at all, really. I mean, sure the Lion is a pretty blatant Christ-figure, but for crying out loud, if we’re going to see an underhanded attempt at brainwashing in every Christ-figure in film and literature, we’re going to have to condemn most of the western canon. Or maybe Joyce was proselytizing Greek Polytheism.

In any case, while I worry a little bit about the marketing in the fundamentalist churches, I can’t blame the marketers for trying to game an excellent market. They’d be fools not to use Lewis’ ideology to turn a couple of box-office tricks. It’s a bit seedy, but that’s marketing.

I honestly hope, damned heathen that I am, that if kids get a little mixed up by what they’re hearing about all this, that maybe they actually pick up the bible and try to dig through it, or at least the fun parts. It’s a good book, even if I don’t think it’s The Good Book.

See, I told you the review would be short. The ranting was a bit long, but if you look back there, there’s almost no review at all. :)

Well, ok. CG was passable. Acting seemed alright – I especially liked Lucy and Susan. Writing was decent. It helps a lot when you’re making a movie from a book that’s not Potter-length, ain’t it? It’s a pretty entertaining flick, really. The downsides are in pacing and some huh? issues. (the vast land covered there and back in the space of a couple minutes. If he can really run that fast, let us see that speed, otherwise it just looks like the timing of the entire climax is shot.) I didn’t like the voice of Liam Neeson for Alsan, although I have to admit, I thought it was Sean Connery at first. Despite my confusion, he’s just too recognizable right now, and it was distracting.

One final note - I think the blooding scene is just awful. Alsan making Peter kill the wolf (hehe that's funnier than I thought it would be) before he can be knighted borders on the cruel. It smells of gangland morality to me. I know that's how it was written, and it's a true reflection of the way testoterone sometimes works, but I don't think that needed to be in this film.

All in all thoguh, a pretty good movie, I thought.

Chronicles of Narnia 7/10

Best Line on the Application

Sex: optional [HELP] M o F o

I think the application seems a bit, ah... conflicted...

Third and Long

I mentioned that I wasn't going to look at the finals until I got together with the prof and the other TA, but I kinda lied. I peeked at a couple today. Oh, dear... It's going to be ug-ug-ugly. I'm thinking that we're going to have to come up with some seriously creative grading to save some of these people from the sad-file.

On that note, I finished my dining book (remember that I try not to do any 'real' reading while I eat, otherwise, I'd never read anything but work-related stuff, and that's just not healthy).

The title is "I'm the Teacher, You're the Student" by a Patrick Allitt, a prof at Emory. I'm so embarrassed that I can't remember who recommended it, but it was a blog-buddy... Ah, well, if you recommended it and you read this, let me know. I'll give you 5 bonus points on the next quiz :)

I really liked the book a lot. I'm going to hand it around at Christmas to see if any of the family wants to read it and get a better idea of the insane world for which I'm spending a gawd-awful fortune and the better part of what's left of my youth.

I don't want to do a full review, but there was one thing I wanted to write about. He writes about what once was the 'gentleman's C,' and has become the 'professional's B.' he ties it with the unbelievably favorable letters of recommendations that profs are supposed to write ("student is the best I've ever had. I'm quite sure that even though he studies English Lit, he could quite easily cure cancer. I've also noticed that he can see through walls. I think he should date my daughter.") As a PhD hopeful who (crossed fingers) is getting those kinds of LOR, and as a TA who is battling the 'professional's Bs' (and frankly, I'd be happy to toss the 'gentleman's Cs' while we're at it.), I completely understand the reasons behind all this, but I'm torn between being envious of how he seems to have come to terms with the situation, and anger at his complacency about the situation.

My experience is very very limited, but I've seen students who should not get a degree from my university. But, they will. Heck, I'll probably even pass some of them myself.

I'm not really sure what my point is [no thesis - FAIL]. Maybe jut looking at the final where a student couldn't answer what the capital of a very well-known world power and long-time US ally was made me a bit sad because I think that student will probably pass the class. I think this is something I'm going to be wrestling with for a long while.

Pride and Prejudice

Well, I’m not going to grade papers until I get together with the prof, and that’s not til Monday, so… I’ve only got PhD applications and my own final project and a whole bunch of procrastinatables, so…

It’s movie time!

First and foremost, last night I traveled long and far to get to a cinema that is actually showing…

Pride & Prejudice

Ok, I’m comfortable enough in my masculinity to admit that I really like this kind of movie. This can also be a problem, because, as previously mentioned, I’m in love with the actress who played Elizabeth in the BBC version. With my bias (prejudice?) noted, I should say that’s not to say that Ms. Knightley isn’t extraordinarily easy on the eyes. She is. She’s that and more. I’m just not sure that she was the right choice to play Elizabeth. She’s got a wonderful laugh, and looks the part well enough, but she doesn’t seem to carry off much of the self-confidence or intelligence that I think the character demands. This might be a problem with the script as well – much of the wit naturally had to be cut for time reasons.

Mr. Darcy is also a wee bit problematic, but his troubles again stem from the cutting, I believe. Perhaps it played better to the women in the audience, but seeing him looking like he walked off of a Harlequin romance novel cover really took away a lot of the reserve and well, ‘pride’ that I like about the character.

There were also some odd technical choices. I don’t know why I’m becoming hyper-sensitive to the lighting in movies, but there were parts of this movie that were simply badly lit. I’m sure it was an artistic choice to make Elizabeth look bluer than the Boo-Berry ghost when she travels at night. There were other scenes that were obviously shot in a studio and for some reason it looked like the actors were lit with bare 120 watt bulbs.

Also, in one of the final scenes, Elizabeth walks out in a field. In the beginning of the scene, the set is draped in the nice, chilly-looking morning fog. As she walks, the fog naturally dissipates. Except for the fog coming from the fog machine. The fog machine that must have been sitting there right next to where she was walking, because that was the only place that had fog shooting out of it. By no stretch of the imagination am I a film expert, but that’s just inexcusable. Any mediocre haunted house kids would know better than that.

I did say I liked the movie, right? I did. I liked it a lot. I loved Mr. Bennett. I wouldn’t have thought so, but Donald Sutherland was a great choice. I’m sad that we didn’t get to see more of his relationship with Elizabeth, but for the time allowed him, he was excellent.

I thought the loving attention paid to the costumes came through very well. The dances were very well done, using some particularly nice camera work, hiding and revealing characters in the crowded rooms.

The other sisters came off well, particularly Mary (although I don’t remember this scene in the movie or the book), who in only a few short scenes, showed a great character. Charlotte also provided a nice character study in very limited time. And how can anyone not love a movie with Judi Dench?

While I’m thinking of it, though, it’s a pity they had to cut out so much about the Wickham affair, but again, I can’t fault them for cutting so much.

In fact, that’s probably the biggest issue I have. Because they had to cut so much, it’s not the story that I wanted. I was prepared to feel that. Maybe that’s why I’m forgiving. There’s no way this movie can compete with the BBC version. If you want it to, you’ll be disappointed. All the much more so if you want to compare it to the book.

So, for what it is, I think it’s a great flick.

Pride and Prejudice: 8/10

A Polite Request

A Polite Request
Originally uploaded by Overread.

The Rockettes Ain't Got Nothin' On These Guys

I've been trying to find a way to casually slip this photo into the blog, cause it's the best photo ever. I can't think of a way to bring it up in stride, so, like the drunk guy at the cocktail party, I'm just going to blurt it out embarrassingly and deal with the humiliation later.

I give you:

You Couldn't Hit the Broad Side of a Quiz

Avast* there, ye takers of quizzes!

I don’t know the parody that Camera Obscura is talking about, but if it has anything to do with counting road-kill, I’m all for it. Hey, it’s not for nothing that I grew up in the sticks…

Problem children from yesterday:

#4 – Effigy, the Ministry

#7 – Amadeus, Falco – Actually, I do remember a parody about a danish…

Extra jumbo sized points for the trans-lingual luckybuzz and her grasp of Nena’s 99 Red Balloons. I thought the Captain Kirk thing might throw you guys off. I certainly didn’t remember it… Hmmm… maybe I should do more foreign language ones :)

To the new quiz! Excelsior!

#1

You've lied your last lie
And I've cried my last cry
I'm out the door, babe
There's other fish in the sea

#2

Summer turns me upside down
Summer summer summer
It’s like a merry-go-round

#2 – Um… Ew…

I guess I must be dumb
’cause u had a pocket full of horses
Trojan and some of them used

#3

I bought you drinks, I brought you flowers
I read you books and talked for hours

#4

Wearin' next to nothing
Cause it's hot as an oven

#5

So you say I got a dirty mind,
I'm a mean go getter

#6

I remember the way that we touched
I wish I didn’t like it so much

#7

My story's infinite
Like the Longines Symphonette it doesn't rest

#8

I feel safest of all
I can lock all my doors
It's the only way to live

#9

We slip through the streets
While everyone sleeps
Getting bigger and sleeker
And wider and brighter

#10

As Rose collects the money in the canister
Who comes sliding down the banister?

Whee!

*Microsoft Word doesn’t know this word. I guess it’s true that Bill Gates hates pirates…

Guess Who CameTo Dinner?

Also, I’m stuffed. Tonight, the prof I’m TAing for invited me and the other TAs he has (a good handful of people) over to his house to dine. Yummy yummy food. I particularly liked the ribs – and I’m very picky about meat that’s still on the bone. These were oh-so-tender. He said the trick is in boiling the meat and then quickly removing the water. He does this several times, later adding spices into the mix. I didn’t get the full recipe – it sounds much more complicated than my skills allow. But, yum. Seriously, yum.

There was much good discussion too, as there often is around this prof. His wife teaches a distantly related field as well, so the conversation was all over the place. I guess I should feel a bit sad that it’s tough for any of us to talk about anything except work and our studies, but hey, I actually like talking about that stuff. Oh, and LoudGradGuy is going on the most absolutely envy-inducing research trip. I would be more jealous, but it’s also sure to be intestinal distress-inducing, so I’ll be content to daydream and let him go and do his thing. TimidGradGal was very impressive too. It’s a pity I won’t ever deal with these people again, because I kind of like their pseudonyms.

Two folks were talking about the various must-be-jumped-through hoops of the grad world. The scariest was the exam bit. Am I really sure I want to be in this world? I love the teaching and I love the research, but do I really want to deal with all the griefers and bureaucracy and pettiness? No, I don’t, but I guess I will…

The Third Student

Well, I’ll be…

I’m not even sure what to do with this one. This student hasn’t been in class for the last, say… 80% of the class. Our class has a very stringent attendance policy: miss more than x classes and you fail (where X=much less than other teachers give), so he’s already gone on that count. He didn’t take either of the two quizzes. He failed spectacularly on the midterm, and he didn’t turn in either of the papers. Here’s the kicker:

He took the final.

I took a quick glance at some of the fill-in-the-blank answers – Woohoo! Comedy Gold.

Ok, I lied. I do know what to do with this student, but the amazing thing is the gall that it took to show up for the final. I mean, does he think he may actually pass? I can completely understand taking a class so you can fill up the credits enough to get student loans, or convince the parentals to keep sending money, but why actually spend the effort to get out of bed at 8 in the morning to take the final?

I’m baffled. Amused, but baffled.

Parlez-Vous Quiz?

Welcome back!

The final happened, and I am now the proud owner of ~60 bluebooks. Oh, no that’s wrong, most folks used two bluebooks, so that’d be about 100+ actual bluebooks for ~60 exams. Poop.

Didn’t I just finish grading?

Many moons ago, there was a quiz, and I think #9 was the only trouble – Pointer Sisters’ The Neutron Dance. Much more dangerous than the Safety Dance.

Right then! Upward and onward! (ok, maybe it’s not particularly industrial strength, but hey! It’s got a fur-in language!)

#1

What in the world can make a brown-eyed girl turn blue?

#2

Hey where did we go,
Days when the rains came

#3

Oh daddy dear you know you're still number one

#4

Well I look to my left and then I look to my right
And then I realize they've been striking at me
Since the middle of last night, hey!

#5

Jeder war ein grosser Krieger
Hielten sich fuer Captain Kirk
Das gab ein grosses Feuerwerk
Die Nachbarn haben nichts gerafft

#6

Talk to me, don’t lie to me
Save your breath
Don’t look at me, don’t smile at me
Just close your eyes

#7

With a bottle of wine in one hand and a woman in the other
'Cause he was a ladies man
He never stopped to worry what the next day would bring

#8

Hugging like a monkey see
Monkey do

#9

Falling in love is all bitter sweet
This love is strong why do I feel weak

#10

When I, you, and everyone we knew
Could believe, do, and share in what was true

The Glass Needs to be Full of Grain Alcohol.

I'm done.

2:58am

8am final

~15 bike commute home.

Very cold.

Will be very awake when I get home.

Will not have warm blankies.

(reason #9234785 I need a gal - blankie warmer)

hardly worth going home, but here I go.

No whining allowed about the quiz, now. I'll get you an industrial strength one tomorrow after the post-final crash :)

The Class is Half Empty

E-papers done, now I've got a clump of hardcopies to grade. I'm slowly trudging through. Fun thing with hardcopies is that I have to remember how to mark up a paper with a pencil. Oh, and I do a lot more plagiarism checking. Some students think just because it takes a bit more time to check off a hard copy that I won't do it. Assume at your own peril, oh students of mine!

Remember how I've been cutting down on the caffeine. Um... Not today.

I also have a bag of candy. Jelly Bellys, Gummies (coke bottles and peach penguins), Runts, and Ghiridelli mint chocolate bits.

So, yeah. I'm wired.

hehe - and you just clicked over here to see if there was a quiz! hehe - addicts :)

If I finish before it gets toooo late, I'll post one. I've been listening all night, and I've got a good list :)

By the way, I really like the title of these posts. Man, I'm clever...

Emo!? I Was Sooo Pre-Emo... Drama Freak, Well...

I swear, the only reason I did this was because I had just gone on a bathroom break. Mr. Scrooge, in his benevolent wisdom, took the manacles off my ankle, and I won't test his patience by slacking in my grading again. It would be nice to put another coal in the stove, but I know better than to ask...

Arty Kid

Whether you were a drama freak or an emo poet, you definitely were expressive and unique. You're probably a little less weird these days - but even more talented!

Who Were You In High School?

The Class is Half Full

Little over half done grading!

See, I promised that I'd have all the papers done on final day. Tomorrow's final day. Because of all the PhD app grief, I didn't really get a chance to look at any of them in detail until today. Bad bad Overread. I figured I'd be spending the night here in the office tonight (we've got a nice couch-ish thing in the conference room if I needed to nap for an hour or two). It's not so bad, because tomorrow all I have to do is proctor the exam at 8am (who scheduled that?), and then at noon I could collect the papers and go home to sleep.

Funny thing is that I think if I can keep this pace, I might be able to finish in enough time to go home and shower, brush teeth (I really should keep a toothbrush in the office), and get a few hours of sleep before the test.

It's a dream, and it prolly won't happen, but everybody's got to have a dream, right?

There Goes The Neighborhood

I seriously should be grading papers, but (how many blog posts start out like that) I just discovered that our very own Mendi-la has a blog!

I've only read a couple entries so far, but I can already tell it's quality. Most importantly, there are updates about Angel Baby and Darling Daughter, but of course there are also shenanigans. Here's a clip from a movie review post:

Z man [Mendi-la's hubby] claimed War of the Worlds was like sex without the orgasm. All this energy went into it and then no climax.

comedy gold, I tells ya.

Trod the Mill

5.28km - 31'02"


Yeah, I haven't run in a week - What's it to you?

I actually only ran about half my plan then my tummy started rumbling unhappily, so I stopped. Treadmill: good or evil, I still haven't decided

Four Score and Twenty Quizes Ago

I agree. I think the bunny’s dead. Does that mean I’m pregnant? Because if so, I’ve got some explaining to do...

Anyway, now that the first two nasty apps are out, and there’s no way I’m going to dive into the papers I need to grade…

It’s Quiztime!

I have to say, I’m very happy when the quizzes are hard, but almost everything gets answered, so I’m very happy with the last quiz – hehe

Mendi-la very nearly has #3. It is Looking for Love (In All The Wrong Places), but the artist is Johnny Lee. Who is Johnny Lee? I have no idea. No idea at all…

The other troublesome was #9. Kenny Rogers… wait for it… The Coward of the County… Ah, yes, you knew that one, didn’t you? It’s okay, you don’t have to tell anyone. Just nod your head a little bit – no one will see. Good. Now aren’t you glad you go that out of the way?

I’m also very glad that Mon got I’m Coming Out and New Kid got Voulez-Vous. I was afraid I was going to need to assign some remedial disco study sessions :)

Newness! (bonus points if you can guess what station I’ve been listening to!)

#1 – A couple of folks did this one…

You, you've got a pretty car.
I think I wanna drive it.

#2 –

Got to concentrate
don't be distractive
Turn me on tonight

#3 –

We are strangers by day, lovers by night
Knowing it’s so wrong, but feeling so right

#4 – toughie… I had another great misheard lyric on this one too…

Hey, If we can solve any problem
Then why do we lose so many tears
Oh, and so you go again
When the leading man appears

#5 –

When you’re down and out, there seems no hope at all
But if you just believe there’s no way we can fall
Well, well, well, well let us realize that a change can only come
When we stand together as one

#6 –

Radio playing softly some singer’s sad sad song
He’s singing about standing in the shadows of love

#7 –

Strangers making the most of the dark

#8 –

Tell you straight - no intervention.
To your face - no deception.
You're the biggest fake.
That much is true.

#9 – tough cut, but you all know the song :)

Industry don't pay a price that's fair
All the common people breathing filthy air
Roof caved in on all the simple dreams
And to get ahead your heart starts pumping schemes

10 –

What started out as friendship, has grown stronger
I only wish I had the strength to let it show

Raisin Detour*

So, this is what frantically trying to get all these applications together at the last second does to me:

I sent emails to a couple of the people I'd like to work with at XXXX. I appologized for my applicaiton being a couple days late and wrote a quick overview of my research and how it fit with theirs, and politely asked if they would still take the application under consideration.

Not too awful, right?

Except I mispelled one of their names.

Twice.



Anyway, the first two apps are out. Ugly, but out. That's ok, I don't think I could really live in XXXX town (watch - that's where I'll end up), and I don't have a great chance at XXXXXXXX. How's that for justification!


*Raison d'etre - That's why blogs are here, right? To record our humiliations for the world to see for all eternity, right?

Rock, Sure, But Roll?

I'm still neck-deep in applications, so I don't know if there'll be a quiz tonight, maybe, maybe not. I just wanted to pop up for a sec and mention that Rock and Roll might not be the best foundation for a city. I mean, if you build a city on Rock and Roll, I'm imagining your insurance premiums are going to be really high.

What with all the rocking and rolling and all...

Sad Bunny

IMG_2550
Originally uploaded by Overread.

Sorry for the lack of a lyrics quiz. instead I give you a sad bunny who lives (?) on the wall. I commute past him every day.

Poor bunny.

Do Not Apply To Open Wounds

Five hours straight of applications ick is about all I can take for now, I think I need lunch and then a bout of grading before I dig back in.

Now the quesiton is: Will my recommenders be able to stifle their anger at my screw up long enough to write a recommendation quickly and without the phrase, "Student is a freaking twit who will nevermake a deadline. Do not admit."

On the plus side, on the internets there is a USB powered nerfgun-thingie. That's good, right?

If I Told You You Had a Beautiful Quiz, Would You Hold It Against Me?

Well, just ‘cause I’m insaaaanely busy don’t mean I can’t do a quick quiz :)

From yesterday’s results, it looks like I’m making these too easy! Hehe

Back into the past!

#1 –

The time has come for me
To break out of the shell
I have to shout

#2 –

When tragedy befalls you
Don't let them bring you down
Love can cure your problem
You're so lucky I'm around

#3 –

I spent a lifetime looking for you
single bars and good time lovers were never true
playing a fools game, hoping to win
telling those sweet lies and losing again

#4 –

It's kind of a special feeling
When you're out on the sea alone
Staring at the full moon, like a lover

#5 –

And here we go again, we know the start, we know the end
Masters of the scene
We've done it all before and now we're back to get some more
You know what I mean

#6 –

Look at us baby, up all night
Tearing our love apart

#7 –

Romantic Lady, single baby
Mm sophisticated mama

#8 –

They made a record and it went in the chart
The sky was the limit

#9 –

I promised you, dad, not to do the things you done.
I walk away from trouble when I can.
Now please don’t think I’m weak, I didn’t turn the other cheek,
And papa, I sure hope you understand:
Sometimes you gotta fight when you’re a man.

#10 –

And the years rolled slowly past
And I found myself alone
Surrounded by strangers I thought were my friends

Dead Lines

I need to stop believing myself. I distinctly wrote down that XXXX School’s deadline for applications was December 15^th. I distinctly wrote down that XXXXXXXX School’s deadline for applications was February 15^th. Boy, was I wrong. XXXX’s was December 1^st! and XXXXXXXX’s is December 5^th!

Poop.

Luckily I caught my wonderful advisor as he was trying to escape for his weekend. Seriously. I stopped him in the hall. Good times. He not only very graciously said he would get the recommendation for XXXXXXXXXX out super-quick, but he said that I should go ahead and apply to XXXX late, and he’d get that recommendation out toot-sweet too. He said that the department over there might not care that much about being a bit late.

I guess this is a psychic manifestation of my ambivalence toward XXXX School. The thing is that they’ve got two really great people that I’d love to work with, and it is a very well-respected school that would get me great connections and such, but… Ah… but but but… It’s in a place that I really don’t like. I’ve never lived there, but I’ve been through a few times, and it always frustrated me in heaps of ways. I shall apply. I hope I get accepted. I hope I get accepted somewhere else too.

I guess this is good because it’s a kick in the pants that’ll get me running on all the applications (7 total as of right now. Oh, 8 if we include XXXX). For those of you playing at home, that’s a minimum of $50 per application, plus another $15 per of the fine upstanding folks who extort from their GRE monopoly.

Now I’ve got to find the other reference-givers and oh, yeah, finish off my statement of purpose/research so that they’ll actually know where and for what they are referring me.

Bad Overread! Bad! Bad! Bad! This was all supposed to be done a long time ago!

Then there’s the stack of papers that didn’t get graded during Thanksgiving. And the paper for my seminar. And all the finals to grade when they come in next week. And a can’t miss photo gig on Sunday right in the middle of the day.

Can You Hear Me Now?

With the weather turning a bit icky, I think I need to be putting time in at the gym on the treadmill, but here's the rub - I need distractions. All the treadmills face the window that looks out on... well, nothing. Music's good, but I think I need to be distracted more.

It comes down to this: Has anyone tried Audible.com? I like the idea of just hopping on the treadmill for an hour and getting a chunk of an interesting book out of it too. They seem to have a good selection... They say they can be put on an MP3 player...

hmm...

Whoopsie!

We let one slip by!
She's so High was by Tal Bachman instead of Depeche Modecq.

Also, if it's raining, I don't have to go to work, right?

Where did I put my poncho?

Thanks to Jayfish for uncovering my shame. :)

Playing With The Quiz of Hearts

Early quiz tonight, as I’ve got an early day tomorrow.

I’m happy to see that the tradition of Depeche Modecq lives on! Jayfish actually has a point about the Furs and Heaven – it’s a tough call :)

The misses though… Let’s see, we’ve got Hot Cha by They Might Be Giants at #10, and Mendi-la was getting close on #11. I mean, come on, everyone knows that Madonna likes the Hanky Panky, right? Hanky Panky… You know, from the Dick Tracy Movie? Hehe…

Newness!

#1 –

My Munequita, my Spanish Harlem Mona Lisa

#2 –

We went searching through thrift store jungles
Found Geronimo's rifle, Marilyn's shampoo
And Benny Goodman's corset and pen

#3 –

I don't care if Monday's blue
Tuesday's grey and Wednesday too

#4 –

Suck it in suck it in suck it in
If you're Rin Tin Tin or Anne Boleyn

#5 – We haven’t done this one before, have we?

I never saw no miracle of science
That didn't go from a blessing to a curse
I never saw no military solution
That didn't always end up as something worse

#6 –

I'm your hell, I'm your dream
I'm nothing in between
You know you wouldn't want it any other way

#7 –

Have I been blind?
Have I been lost inside myself and my own mind?
Hypnotized, mesmerized, by what my eyes have seen?

#8 –

Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus

#9 –

My hands are tied
My body bruised, she's got me with
Nothing to win and
Nothing left to lose

#10 – There is one of the best misheard lyrics for me on this one. I could have sworn that there is a point in the song where they sing, “She’s so popular.” It’s actually the title of the song in French. Oh, the embarrassment.

Andre has a red flag, Chiang Ching's is blue
They all have hills to fly them on except for Lin Tai Yu

Shouldn't This Go Into the Spam Folder?

Email: (no salutation or closing - there's no need for any silly formalities between you and the guy evaluating your progress this time around, right?)

"Hey! This is Stu Dent [he takes Russian Violet's classes, too, I believe] from your XX Gruub class. Can you tell me what my grade is so I know what to get on the final to get an A?"

Response:

Well, first off, a quick check of your grades (which you also have, by the by) shows that you aren't getting an 'A' unless the spirit of Laurence Olivier posesses your body and you give the Hamlet sililoquey before you take the final. Not that that would prove you've grasped the class material at all, but hey, it's got to be worth a lot of extra credit points somehow.

That being said, I'll repeat, you have all the numbers that I have, save one: your participation grade. Now, I know you didn't do the reading, and I know that you very rarely opened your mouth in discussion, and that when you did it was generally because you were called on. So, if I know this, I hope you do too. So you could probably ballpark your participation grade too.

Finally, even if I could, through some magical brew of freshmen guts and 6th-year-senior brains, conjour up a projected grade, how would that inform your studying for the final? If I told you you had a, say, 'C,' would you study harder than if I told you you were on a track for an 'A'? What about a 'D'? Would you give up or study like a madman, forsaking sleep and the company of others?

I'm skeptical.

Are you sending this email simply to remind me that you are an 'A' student and that I'd better keep that in mind while grading, or are you simply coming to terms that while you may have been an 'A' student in high school, doing it at university may be a mite bit harder?

Quiz. James Quiz.

Camera Obscura, as far as I can tell, out in the heartland or anywhere else, it’s all Clear Channel. I don’t know if there really are actual radio stations anymore. They’re all just little boxes that repeat the correct tunes that have been approved by the marketing gods.

Ick.

That being said, I would mind hearing some music from Depeche Modecq. I think that’d be keen. :)

Misses from yesterday:

Suzanne was right, # was Erasure, the song is called Ship of Fools – good tune.

Only other miss was #4, Alkaline Trio’s Heaven – it’s another good tune, go check it out :)

Ok, we’re going into rare territory tonight, I’ve been looking into new stations, so who knows what’ll come up. Well, I guess it’s not that surprising – I’m pretty predictable, really…

#1 –

I won't be held responsible
She fell in love in the first place

#2 –

I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try

#3 –

Hangin' round downtown by myself
And I had too much caffeine
And I was thinkin' 'bout myself
And then there she was
In platform double suede

#4 –

She's blood, flesh and bone
No tucks or silicone
She's touch, smell, sight, taste and sound

#5 –

We laugh just a little too loud
We stand just a little too close
We stare just a little too long

#6 –

You say I only hear what I want to.
You say I talk so all the time so.

#7 –

Though I’m far away
I’ll whisper your name into the sky
And I will wake up happy

#8 –

A man walks down the street
It’s a street in a strange world
Maybe it’s the third world
Maybe it’s his first time around

#9 –

You got it down and you’re well
On the way to the top
But there’s something that you forgot

#10 –

If that honey would come back
We would throw such a party
Drink and cook the prodigal son
Fondue forks for everybody

#11 –

Some girls, they like candy, and others, they like to grind,
I’ll settle for the back of your hand somewhere on my behind.

Finish Line in Sight

Whew. I just finished my last marathon 3 in a row discussion section. We did a review session even though I’m pretty ambivalent about that.

For some reason I’m not sure I’m comfortable spending precious class time going over what folks should be already on top of. I know it’s needed and a good way to solidify information and get them thinking about how they’ll do their studying for the final, but there’s so much more new material we need to be discussing! There’s really important misunderstood guy and huge catastrophic event and then of course there is her. Alas, we simply haven’t the time.

I really shouldn’t say this, but I’m cautiously optimistic about their chances on the final. I think they’ll make me proud.

Sigh, 7:30pm = nose + grindstone

You Can't Eat Soup With A Slotted Quiz.

Wow, I didn’t expect #1 to cause so much grief :) hehe. It was, of course, Bad Moon Rising by CCR.

You guys are too good!

Funny story – in basic training, there was a guy with the last name, ‘Moon.’ One drill sergeant loved that, and so he made the entire platoon sing Bad Moon Rising at some assembly. Sad, but also kinda funny.

Back at it – I also promise there will be more substantive blogging in the future, but it’s not happening right now. I’ve had requests for the ‘remote control vibrating panties’ story and the ‘how I got hit by a car on my bicycle’ story. I should also tell the ‘how I got an AK-47 pointed at my head in Moscow’ story, the ‘I got robbed in Napoli’ story and maybe the ‘168 mile bike ride’ story.

But there’s no time for that now. There is only time for:

THE QUIZ!

#1

Misjudged your limits
Pushed you too far
Took you for granted
I thought that you needed me more

#2

Girl of sixteen, whole life ahead of her
Slashed her wrists, bored with life
Didn’t succeed, thank the lord
For small mercies

#3

He was the baby of the class you know
He really didn’t know that one and one was two
Two and two were four

#4

there's a hole in the sky
where the sun don't shine
and clock on the wall
it counts my time

#5

Strummin’ my six-string
On my front porch swing

#6

I got my first real six-string
Bought it at the five-and-dime

#7

When I get lonely,
And I'm sure I've had enough
She sends her comfort,
Comin' in from above

#8

I don’t believe in Peter Pan
Frankenstein or Superman

#9

So let's sink another drink
'Cause it'll give me time to think

#10

Wearing her high-heel shoes
And her low-neck sweater

Between a Rock and a Quiz Place

Dang! You guys did really well on that one – only misses were:

#6 –

Olivia Newton-John – Xanadu! Oh, c’mon – there’s some body out there who loved the couples skate!

#10 –

Crystal Gayle – Half The Way. Well, ok, I’m not sure I’d admit to knowing that one either :)

Enjoy!

#1 –

I fear rivers over flowing.
I hear the voice of rage and ruin.

#2 –

And I’ve got one more silver dollar,
But I’m not gonna let them catch me, no

#3 –

I been up, I been down.
Take my word, my way 'round.
I ain't askin' for much.

#4 –

You know you got to go through hell
Before you get to heaven

#5 –

Then I guess she had to crash
Valium would have helped that dash

#6 –

I’m gettin’ bugged driving up and down the same old strip
I gotta find a new place where the kids are hip

#7 –

I’d rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints
The sinners are much more fun...

#8 –

I had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee
Clouds in my coffee, and...

#9 –

No more will my green sea go turn a deeper blue

#10 –

You fill up my senses
Like a night in the forest

Shamed Into Running

This weekend showed me that I need to get running again. Both because it was a lot of fun to run Jayfish and Zerodoll, but also because I ate like an animal that eats a lot on a day in which it ate a particularly large amount of things that it really likes to eat.

So, I ran.

7.7km - 50'

It was another treadmill run (my, but doesn't it get dark early now?), and I'm still not sure if I actually like that. I tried one of the pre-set courses and I didn't really know what I was doing. The ramp would whirr and chug and put up a higher incline and then slide back down all at odd moments. The machine also told my that my heart rate was alternately around 32 and then 247. I don't think I particularly agree.

Anyway, the really odd thing is that you choose how long you want to run. Well, I guess you don't have to, but I did. I'm sure that's good if you have a specific training goal or something, but it feels a bit underwhelming to me. Oo! Oo! Another 5 minutes! I don't think that will ever compare to making it past the bend in the trail where you can finally see where you are going to end the run over there next to that tree.

Also, I end all of my runs in a sprint because it gives you a great sense of finishing something, and it seems to help with my cool-down somehow. Anyway, that's tougher to do on a treadmill (I did try though - I was punching that 'Speed Up' button like a wild man at the end).

Although, I do have to admit that I feel great now, so I guess it can't be all bad.

Holy Poop.

This is real.
The penny is for scale.
It was tasty.

:)

Ok, I admit that Lawyers in Love has nothing to do with Thanksgiving, but it came to me in a flash this weekend and I just had to include it.

Other hits:
#4 – Thanks for the Memories, Sinatra (et al)
#6 – Eat It, Weird Al

Alrighty then – here comes the new hotness:

#1 –

A love like ours is love that’s hard to find
How could we let it slip away
We’ve come too far to leave it all behind
How could we end it all this way

#2 –

There ain’t no doubt it no ones mind
That loves the finest thing around
Whisper something warm and kind
And hey babe the sky’s on fire, I’m dyin’

#3 –

I am yours, you are mine
You are what you are

#4 –

'Cause you came and you took control
You touched my very soul
You always showed me that
Loving you is where it's at

#5 –

He’s got such a supple wrist.

#6 –

A million lights are dancing
And there you are
A shooting star
An everlasting world
And you're here with me
Eternally

#7 –

It's the heart afraid of breaking
that never learns to dance
It's the dream afraid of waking
that never takes the chance

#8 –

There’s nobody here
It’s just you and me
It’s where I wanna be
But I hardly know this beauty by my side

#9 –

Saving nickels saving dimes
Working til the sun don't shine
Looking forward to happier times

#10 –

So fill me up to the top
don't you stop till I'm over-flowing

#11 – Guaranteed a tear-fest. Oh, yeah Jayfish – you aren’t allowed to answer this one

Through the summer and the fall
we had each other that was all
just she and I together
like it was meant to be
and when she was lonely
I was there to comfort her
and I knew that she loved me

Bonus!

Every streetlamp
Seems to beat a fatalistic warning
Someone mutters
And the streetlamp gutters
And soon it will be morning

Hehe – feels good to be back :)

Homeward Bound - Again

So here I sit in Gargantuan Megapolis Airport (no WiFi – pathetic) almost done with my return trip from the Land of Wonderful Nieces (LWN). I do apologize for the lack of blogging and quizzing in particular. I should be able to pick things up a bit once I get back home.

The trip went really wonderfully, as might be expected from the name of the place. I actually got to hang out with a new-to-me cool person up there. I guess you could even call it my first blogger meet-up. This particular person is dating my brother – Yeah, I know, there’s no accounting for taste. She’s a great and friendly gal. She seems to be treating my brother well, which is a nice bonus :). I’m very happy I got a chance to meet her. I even got to meet her sister and bro-in-law – all very good folks.

One of the best things about heading up to LWN is that my brother knows where all the best restaurants are. The night I got in, Jayfish, Zerodoll and I went to a Japanese Tapas place. Yeah, I know it doesn’t make much sense, but the food was scrumptious. I particularly remember a squash soup that was oh-so-yummy.

We also went to an Ethiopian place where he had taken me before (even though I had forgotten). If any of you out there in blog-land have a decent Ethiopian restaurant in your town, you must go out and try it if you haven’t already. We usually get the veggie combos, which ends up being some steamed (?), some blended, and some who-knows-what. Order everything family style and they’ll put it on a big platter. Then you grab the flat bread and grab the food with the bread – Oh, delish! (random picture goodness)

I should also note that although my bother is a wonderful food guide, due to time problems and various emergencies, we also sampled the subtle delicacies of a wonderful place called Taco Bell, and another called Arby’s.

The best, however, was Thanksgiving dinner at The Official Mother Of The Wonderful Nieces, my equally wonderful sister’s place. There was salmon and chicken and white beets (very yummy) and cranberries and stuffing and potatoes and rolls and pecan pie and lime tarts and birthday cake (My sister had the good taste to be born in November). It was all very tasty, even if I didn’t try the salmon (I don’t handle fish very well).

Luckily, my brother, Zerodoll and I went on a run that morning. Funny thing though, a short run turned into a long run when asked, “how far away is [big monument thing]?” My brother, with an evil grin, said we should just run in that direction and find out. Zerodoll didn’t flinch, and of course I couldn’t admit to being a wimp – damn testosterone! So we ran to the big monument thing. It was actually a great run. It felt really good and makes me feel a little bit better about all of the food I ate this weekend.

We also went out and saw Harry Potter. Maybe I’ll post a review later, but I liked it quite a bit. There was a horrible trailer for some god-awful piece of drek called Monster House (noisy link). Yeesh, folks, when will you producers learn that making a movie in CG doesn’t necessarily make it a good thing. It looked like someone got Maya for Christmas last year and thought they’d see if they could make a movie. Uck.

***

Whew. Finally got back. I stopped off at the office to take care of a couple of things, but I need to get home and take a nap. I only got a few hours of sleep last night and I’m getting loopier than usual :)

Dallas Cowboys vs the Quiz

Alright, there is a lyrics quiz tonight, but it's a bit odd, So I feel I should apologize first. The thing is we (Jayfish and I) tried to do a theme, but, well... It only kinda worked.

Anywhoo, Here y'all go. Enjoy!

1-
But I have a talent, a wonderful thing
’cause everyone listens when I start to sing
I’m so grateful and proud
All I want is to sing it out loud

2 -
Push the door, I'm home at last and I'm soaking through and through

3 -
And if you threw a party
Invited everyone you ever knew
You would see the biggest gift would be from me

4 -
Of letters I destroyed, books that we enjoyed
Tonight the way things look, I need a book by Sigmund Freud
How brainy he was

5 -
I don't know how you keep on giving
For your kindness I'm in debt to you

6 -
Your table manners are some cryin' shame
You're playin' with your food, this ain't some kind of game

7 -
when the boy was a boy, the girl was a girl
they found each other in a wicked world

8 -
There’s only one girl that I will ever love
And that was so many years ago

9 -
So why were you holding her hand? Is that the way we stand?
Were you lying all the time? Was it just a game to you?

10 - Um... I warn you. This one is... umm... odd.
God sends his spaceships to America, the beautiful
They land at six o'clock and there we are, the dutiful
Eating from TV trays, tuned into to Happy Days
Waiting for World War III while Jesus slaves

Oddness

Oh, my. I'm posting using a _Mac_!

I'm over at the Brother's Pad

Life is good

Neices are still wonderful

But I'm typing on a _Mac_!

How do you people deal with this?

This has been a filler blog post. You may return to your normal lives. Had this been an actual blog post, well, let's face it, you probably wouldn't have seen it here.

Points of Bulletosity

• So, the internet is dead to me at work, so I can't even stream tunes in the office! O! Tragic! Should be fixed soon - they say... Upshot is that the lyrics quiz hiatus may last through the vacation. I know, I know. It'll be okay. Pet a kitten - you'll feel better.
  
• I don't really understand how time passes. By some twist of the hands on a clock somewhere, I'm flying off to the Land of wonderful Nieces tomorrow. This is wonderful.
  
• I did have plans to get things done before I left, though. These things are not getting done.
  
• I probably should pack sometime, too.
• Don't masturbate. You'll die. Kinda makes hairy palms and blindness seem mild.
  

Haiku

The emailed papers
slowly they come trickling in
goodbye, my free time

Vacation Grading?

Everyone I know seems to be getting papers this week.

We are all split on how to deal with this weekend. AlreadyPublishedCrossField says she’s not even going to look at them for the whole weekend and she wants me to do the same so she won’t feel bad about it. ExperiencedNewbie said she doesn’t want to grade, but that she’s going to bring a small stack. EscapeHatch is going to get all of hers graded before leaving. We’re all convinced she’s insane.

Me? I haven’t decided yet. Maybe I’ll play Punxsutawney Phil and see what they look like before I decide.

Shouldn't I Have a Secretary?

I think I need a secretary. How else am I supposed to remember where I need to be? and evernmore than that, when?

Surely, there must be some kind of concept where days are diliniated on paper, or maybe on a computer. You could write under the heading of the particular day where and when things need to be done, and then you could find out, with one look, where you need to be... Whoever designs that would make a mint.