My Run

Fair warning: Enormous post of dubious value. May cause drowsiness. Do not read and operate heavy machinery. Read at your own risk.



It's odd that after not running for only a little less than a week how much my body seemed to enjoy getting back into it. The thing is that I'm really lazy, and I do not like doing things, of which running is one. I had time to run this weekend and I didn't, and I can't really fathom why I didn't, especially with my newfound attempt to be healthy - well more healthy,
anyway.

I got to the gym at a decent time (earlier than the hordes it seemed). I got a decent locker (note to guy on the other side of the bench: If you must sing, I think you need to go into a lower register. The falsetto ain't your bag, baby). There was even a treadmill available amongst a bevy of quite aesthetically pleasing joggers (and one walker. I hope she was doing a cool-down. I've seen folks walk for 10+ minutes on a treadmill. Um. We live in a gorgeous outdoor-friendly area. GO OUTSIDE).

I didn't take the treadmill though. Despite the come-hither glances of the angelic underdressed wonders (that was most likely my imagination), I strode off to do my outdoor trail run.

I usually have a bit of over-enthusiasm when I start a run. I'll end up running a bit faster than my pace will allow. Today, once I passed through the gaggle of gogglers (we can't be having campus tour this early, can we?), I hit a flat stretch and it was like my legs grew like the heart of the Grinch. I zoomed through the populated part of the run, dodging the dodgy and passing the pedestrian to come up on the best part of the run.

There's a trail that climbs and drops as in winds a loop around a pond surrounded by all manner of strange birds and stranger birders. Before I can get to the trail proper, I have to hit the stairs of doom. They're maybe twenty to twenty-five feet high and they always break up my stride.
It's a good place to catch my breath going down, but I can't help but remind myself that after the trail, I'm going to have to go back up the stairs to get back to the gym. It's with this thought in mind I hit the first part of the trail. It's a long slow curve and perfectly flat with only a couple
of puddles to navigate. I run. My legs like it. I run faster.

There's a lot of ego involved in this trail for me. I'm competitive enough that I feel the need to at least make a good show when I come up against another runner. Usually they're running the other direction, so I don't worry too much (will I meet them on the other side of the loop? I'd
better speed up so that I put more distance down than they do before we meet). When they are running the same direction as I am, I have to try to pass them - It must be my reptilian brain. I usually can't though because I take all the little side trails that no one else does. Today I passed
one woman twice. She probably thought I was a stalker.

About halfway through the loop, there's a huge dip. It's probably about as high as the stairs of doom and it goes down at a pretty good slope. It's another place to gauge the run. If I stretch my strides out, I can really get going and get about half-way up the incline on the other side before I know it. Other days, my breath isn't with me and I have to take it slow, but with the knowledge that the incline on the other side will tear me up if I don't have the momentum. Today that's where I passed the other runner the first time. Full stride. Wonderful.

I usually do two laps around the trail and then start back to the gym. The stairs are the gateway to the trail back. Today, they blur. Two at a time, I float up. Back to a flat run. Back to the crowds on campus. Back to the noises and the bikes. Back to the world. My feet are still feeling good, my legs, strong. My breathing has come back to me after the stairs tried to take it away, but I can't stretch out my stride because of the crowds.

Right before I get back to the gym, there's a straight path that is usually empty. It's my landing strip. The rule is that I have to sprint at the end of every run. Sprinting at the end is very telling. It's amazing how much energy you find at the end of a run. After nearly an
hour of panting, blinking the sweat out of your eyes, with the goal far off but visible at the horizon, if you push a little, you find you've got a lot more left. So I push hard. Usually, I've only got enough left to stretch out my stride as far as I can, and maybe put a little kick in. Today I
was able to really push. I flew down the path, pulling up only at the end of my runway, the courtyard of the gym. Who knew I still had that much left in me?

Writing this, I can feel the soreness creeping into the high backs of my thighs (from all the long striding, I'm guessing) and a possible mini-blister, but I feel so good right now. It's not just the run. I've felt good all day, but the run was exactly what I needed.

PS I like Performancing a lot, but sometimes the formatting goes wonky. Grrr...

Zoom-a-Zoom Zoom

8.15km - 42'13"

Pretty decent pace for me. That works out to... what? It's right at 5 miles, so that's a smuge over 8 minute miles? 8'25-ish?

cool.

By the way, why didn't we ever go to a decimal time system?

Evil but Funny

Ok, I ususally don't go in for these, but this is the best blonde joke ever.

No Sleep For Me!

So, ummm... yeah. I watched the whole movie instead of going to sleep.

Actually I haven't seen Roman Holiday is a long time, but I still love it, and Ms. Hepburn is still crush-worthy. I'm a little surprise actually, because this was a popular film, why Hollywood hasn't done a remake. The heads of the big studios have already convinced me that they refuse to even look at any film that has anything approaching novelty, and the audience has shown themselves to be equally adamantly opposed to watching anything but the same old stories with the same old characters. Even the cinemas themselves are loathe to screen anything that might sprain some brain cell out there.

I was thinking all about this while watching the movie, and wondering how they might do the remake. Gregory Peck's character was a slightly older guy, so Hollywood would have to go with a Clooney-ish actor. Hepburn was very young, and very thin (I didn't remember her being that thin - kinda spooky), so they'd go straight for a Lohan-esque 'actress.'

The story would have to change, of course. Any possibility of the sad but satisfying end of the original would have to be thrown out. Well, either that or you could have a sex scene. It's ok for the characters to not end up together so long as the guy gets to sleep with the girl at some point. Come to think of it, there would probably have to be sex in the movie regardless.

I will say, one thing that I thought was funny in the original is that when they finally do have that long steamy kiss, they don't move. I can only assume that this was a movie code regulation, but it looked a bit odd: Tension tension tension, passionate embrace! Kiss! and pause. Careful - no jaw movement, the youth in the audience may get the wrong idea. No tongue, ministers might implode... and... break! ok, you can act again...

How’s that for a rambling incoherent post?

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Overread!

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Overread!

1. An average beaver can cut down Overread every year.
2. Overread can't drink - he absorbs water from his surroundings by osmosis.
3. Overreadocracy is government by Overread.
4. Influenza got its name because people believed the disease was caused by the evil "influence" of Overread.
5. Overread can pollinate up to six times more efficiently than the honeybee!
6. Some people in Malaysia bathe their babies in beer to protect them from Overread.
7. The colour of Overread is no indication of his spiciness, but size usually is!
8. Overread can usually be found in nests built in the webs of large spiders!
9. There are roughly 10,000 man-made objects the size of Overread orbiting the Earth.
10. The risk of being struck by Overread is one occurence every 9,300 years.

Seen all over, but first at Bright Star's and Scrivener's

Yikes!

Grrrr. I need to go to sleep, but the evil TV just started playing Roman Holiday! I have a serious crush on Audrey Hepburn in this movie. Will I sleep? Who knows!

Honey, Where Are My Jackboots?

Thank goodness the Pentagon thinks these things through. The US would face a long, hard-fought war against the code-named 'RED' nation:

The planners anticipated a war "of long duration" because "the RED race" is "more or less phlegmatic" but "noted for its ability to fight to a finish."

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said he'd never heard of the plan.
He also said he wouldn't admit to knowing about such a plan if he did..."We don't talk about any of our contingency plans," he said.

The kicker is that it's all about plans to invade... Wait for it... Canada. Yup. Ok, well, it's all about pre-WWII plans, but still, today it seems wonderfully hilarious.

The wiley Canadians were prepared as well:

His "Defence Scheme No. 1" called for Canadian soldiers to invade the
United States, charging toward Albany, Minneapolis, Seattle and Great
Falls, Mont., at the first signs of a possible U.S. invasion.

There's even a unknown (to me, anyway) history of agression between the two nations even after the War of 1812 with horriffic casualties:

In 1839, Americans from Maine confronted Canadians in a border dispute known as the Aroostook War. "There were never any shots fired," said Etzinger, the Canadian Embassy
spokesman, "but I think an American cow was injured -- and a Canadian
pig."

Don't underestimate our seemingly pacific northern neighbors:

Etzinger, the Canadian Embassy spokesman, isn't worried about an
American invasion because Canada has a secret weapon -- actually
thousands of secret weapons.

"We've got thousands of Canadians in
the U.S. right now, in place secretly," he said. "They could be on your
street. We've sent people like Celine Dion and Mike Myers to secretly
infiltrate American society."

Via no great matter and robmacdougall's History Carnival. All quotes from the WaPo article.

Originally uploaded by Overread.

Um, not the blog though. Everyone is welcome here. Well, almost everyone. I'll let you know if you are trespassing. :)

Originally uploaded by Overread.

A Quiz For All Seasons

Ooo. The last quiz was a good one! Lots of songs for the birds out there, and a couple of near-misses! The thrills of it all!

So, I'm sure you've done your dutiful googling, but here are the missed ones anyway:

3, 11, and 13, which were Just Once (you were right, Liz!) by Quincy Jones, The Sweetest Taboo by Sade and Desire by Gene Loves Jezebel (ya know, desi-i-i-i-i-yure!) respectively.

Alrighty then, none of these are very hard - I kinda feel bad, because I haven't been quizing as often as I used to. I'm trying to make it more of a weekly thing now.

Anywhoo:

QUIZ!

1.

I know you
Expected a one-night-stand
When I refused
I knew you wouldn't understand

2.

You thought you could find happiness
Just over that green hill
You thought you would be satisfied

3.

I get frightened in all the darkness
I get nightmares I hate to sleep alone
I need some company of an angel
To keep me warm when the cold winds blow

4.

Open fire on my burning heart
I've never been lucky in love

5.

Devil and the deep blue sea behind me
Vanish in the air you’ll never find me
I will turn your flesh to alabaster
Then you will find your servant is your master

6.

Most times you can’t hear em talk, other times you can.
Oh the same old cliche, is that a woman or a man?

7.

I'll give you black sensations up and down your spine
If you're into evil you're a friend of mine
See the white light flashing as I split the night
Cause if good's on the left then I'm sticking to the right

8.

Now, I’m gonna love you, till the heavens stop the rain
I’m gonna love you
Till the stars fall from the sky for you and I

9.

Nobody wants him
They just turn their heads
Nobody helps him
Now he has his revenge

10.

Neon lights and the pretty pretty girls
All dressed so scantily

11.

Just like a boxer in a title fight
You got to walk in that ring all alone

12.

I was born in a cross-fire hurricane
And I howled at my ma in the driving rain,

13.

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

14.

Hear the salvation army band
Down by the riverside
It’s bound to be a better ride
Than what you’ve got planned

15.

When I was a little boy,
And the devil would call my name
I’d say now who do, who do you think you’re fooling?

And lastly, but certainly not leastly, 16.

Yo ho, it’s hot, the sun is not
A place where we could live
But here on earth there’d be no life
Without the light it gives

Prepare To Be Disturbed

Lindsay Lohan doesn't change her facial expressions. (beware of music)

via Zerodoll

Ah, Google, How Did We Live Before You?

The Prejudice Map

There's Something in the Air

No hot water this morning.

Jeeze I do not like where I live.

Anyway, classes went well (two sections then a sprint across campus, a quick lunch and then another class - They call this Friday?). The students were pretty zombie-fied, hopefully because of the hour, and not my delivery (I am loud, after all). They were very unhappy that I expected them to have read the readings though. How dare I? Needless to say, many hadn't even bought the books yet. Ah, well.

Like School on Sunday

Prepping for class tomorrow:

I feel slightly guilty that I'm prepping a handout that I've used before even though I know there is a better version of the thing in a text that's just been published. I even had it in my hands not just a week ago, but I let the monsters of ILL demand their book back before I was able to put it on a copier. Sigh. Ah, well. The original handout will work fine.

I don't have energy for this right now. My teaching style relies on lots and lots of energy, lest the students notice that I'm a fraud. (Give 'em lot's of razzle dazzle, and they'll never catch wise - anyone want to sing with me?) I hope I have energy at 8am tomorrow.

I'm hoping that there will be lots of interesting and interested folk in class. I'm very excited because this is a big sprawling survey course, and it gives a lot of opportunity for the students to get 'OH! I get it!' moments. I really like being nearby when that happens.

The class is packed to the gills. There's no way we're going to have enough chairs. I can feel it in my bones. Plenty of students wanting into a class is wonderful. It's great to have a popular class. A classroom that is small is... less wonderful. On the other hand, I'm glad we're not in a lecture hall...

Ok, that's all I've got tonight. I've got to get back to my prepping. Don't worry, I know you're dying of curiosity, I'll let you know how it goes :)

PhD is Chuckle-worthy

Comic in 3...2...1

Lost and...

I found a wallet on the sidewalk today. It was big and fat and had a whole bunch of money nearly hanging out of it. There were credit cards and a driver's license. I sent it on its way to the campus police. I hope it gets back to its home safely. I can't imagine losing all that stuff...

The Kurosawa Classic: Ran

8.02km - 46'57"

Well, I still couldn't get a treadmill, but I was able to run out on the trail while it was kinda light out.

Dagnabit

The reason I didn't really push to run this morning and did work-stuff instead was that I was going to run on the treadmill tonight. Little did I know that the 'busy but not packed' style gym Sunday would be completely transformed today. It was packed. completely. There are two main buildings with gym junk in them and they were both jammed full. Each treadmill had a line. Strange choice that the place has 30 or forty stair monsters, but only 8 treadmills. Ah well, I was able to get about 15 minutes on a stair monster. Didn't care for it much.

Note to self: go to the gym in the morning when the collegiate hordes are still napping or just run during the daylight so you can hit the trails.

Bleh.

Like a Chicken With Its Head Cut Off

(Shouldn't that saying be 'Like a chicken without its head - cut off?')

I haven't stopped running around in circles (and unfortunately not anywhere else, either. There's hope for a run tonight though) for almost two days straight now. Classes are all gearing up and I'm trying to get a grip on how much of a grip the classes are going to have on
me. I think it's going to be a tight grip though.

Can anyone find out who thought it would be a good idea for me to teach two classes on Friday? At 8 and 9 in the morning? Yeah, get back to me on that one, ok? On the plus side, it should cull out the folks who really don't want to be there. I mean, at least it takes motivation to get up that
early, right? Yeah. For me too.

I'm trying to be a little more healthy in what I eat (partially spurred by my mom, who is becoming quite the epicure of healthy bites from what I hear). So, because I'm a geek, I needed a toy to help.

I'm trying out this place called Nutrax right now. It's a place to log everything you eat, and how much you exercise and all that. Then it harangues you about how bad you're doing. You can also email pictures of what you eat to the site to remind you what you ate when you are logging everything in, although I'm not to sure that's really worth much. There are still a lot of things that aren't in its database, too. So you end up having to type in the nutritional information for the big bag of Skittles that you wolfed down yesterday. Oh, that wasn’t you? Must have been me.

Anyway, it's interesting, but not earth shattering. Although I honestly didn't know that I was regularly eating so much salt. I never add salt into anything pre-made that I eat, but there it is. Oh, and is it bad that I'm getting 1012% of my daily recommended allowance of Vitamin B-12 today? Hope not.

Well, It Ain't Seven

Alas, the running streak will die today. I had a window of an hour or so before I came into the office and I shouldn't taken it. Once I got here, it's been all work work work.

I'm trying to do too much again this time around. I'm auditing a class, taking a class, taking a seminar and TAing, plus writing my thesis. How do you guys do this?

In the class I'm auditing there's a loud laugh-er. Seriously. She laughed so loudly and at odd times everyone was a bit scared. Woke up the nappers though, so maybe it's not all bad.

Off to a photo gig!

should
shouldn't
shunt
shan't
shoulder
Edit...
Revert to "shouln't"

Teaing
Ting
Taine
Tani
Tinge
Edit...
Ignore all
Add to dictionary

laughter
laugh er
laugh-er
laugh
laughed
Edit...
Revert to "laugher"

Six

7.83km - ~45'

The battery in my pedometer died. Luckily, since it was getting dark, I was on the treadmill, so I kinda know how far I was going.

Oh, my but, oh my, oh my. The students are back. Walking into the gym I could feel the testosterone and estrogen boiling. The scent of dozens of after shaves assailed my nosehairs. The gaudy workout tights had returned and the strutting, grunting, steel-pumping gonzos were circling. On a side note, I know it's because they're doing sets of weights and all, but it always looks like they aren't working at all. They're just standing around admiring themselves in the mirrors and ogling the skimpy gals. Then again, maybe I'm just jealous because the treadmills are aimed out and away from the ogle-worthies.

On a very happy note, my heart-rate strap, which I thought dropped out of my bag somewhere, turned up thoughtfully placed on the changing room bench. Thank you, unknown samaritan!

Oh, and a note to the woman who was staring at her butt in the mirror for seemingly the entire time I was there: You look fine. Move on. Ok, maybe I did ogle a little bit.

High in the Mid 40s With a Moderate Chance of Afternoon Quizing

I'm so happy that you guys got Same Auld Lang Syne. That and Chapin's Taxi are two of a kind (the good kind). I'm a little frightened that almost everyone got Elvira, even if the artist wasn't clear. Although 'artist' may be a bit generous for that song :) (It was the Oak Ridge Boys, if anyone had a side bet going)

So mainly 13, 14 and th artist of 15 gave a bit of trouble. So here we go:
#13 was The Boy From New York City - Manhattan Transfer
#14 was Stroke - Billy Squier
#15 was Winning, which New Kid knew, by Santana, which New Kid didn't know :)

Alrightly, It's getting harder to gather goo songs, so I've hoarded for a couple of days with this as my loot (making offering to the HTML spirits):

#1 -

And she's watching him with those eyes
And she's lovin' him with that body,
I just know it

#2 -

How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?

#3 -

Make the magic last for more than just one night
If we could just get to it
I know we could break through it

#4 -

Lay down your money and you play your part

#5 -

I was born to love her, and I'll never be free
You'll always be a part of me.

#6 -

Voices from nowhere
And voices from the larger towns
Filled our head full of dreams
Turned the world upside down

#7 -

I hear you’re lonely - don’t monkey with my business
You pay the profits to justify the reasons
I heard your promise but I don’t believe it -
That’s why I’ll do it again

#8

What you gonna do when things go wrong?
What you gonna do when it all cracks up?
What you gonna do when the love burns down?
What you gonna do when the flames go up?

#9

Writing frightening verse
To a buck-toothed girl in Luxembourg

#10

I tell myself
Hey only fools rush in and only time will tell
If we stand the test of time

#11

You've got the biggest heart
Sometimes I think you're just too good for me
Every day is christmas, and every night is new year's Eve

#12

Now the promoter don’t mind
And the union don’t mind
If we take a little time

#13

And I've been wondering, where it is you're hiding.
I've had my ears to the ground, to the ground.
I'm just trying to find out what you're hiding.
What is the mystery?

#14

I won't believe in heaven and hell.
No saints, no sinners, no devil as well.
No pearly gates, no thorny crown.

#15

Gonna use my arms, gonna use my legs
Gonna use my style, gonna use my sidestep
Gonna use my fingers, gonna use my my my imagination

Meme-ries, Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, Meme-ries

Brightstar tagged me! Yea! So now that I'm it, I'm going to chase all of you folks around the playground. Oh, it's not like that? Oh, I see. I'll probably chase you anyway.

5 Weird Things About Me. (I agree with B*, I'm not sure I can narrow it down to 5)

• I can't eat seafood. Well, I can, but I hate that fishy taste. That means I can eat some sushi and rolls, and some less fishy fish. Also, if I don't know there is seafood in a dish and I can't taste it, I'm ok, but as soon as I taste or smell that fishiness, my tummy goes a-rumbling. Same thing goes double for shrimp. Bottom-feeders. Ick.
• I have a lot of trouble eating food off the bone, especially chicken. I think it's because when I was growing up, we raised chickens, so if it looks too animal-y, I start thinking too much.
• I live in a pile of filth. I'm not happy about this. Because I have a miniature room, there are many boxes of stuff that I used to have room for where I used to live, making it smaller. Because I don't think about it much except when I come home and think, "Wow, this is a pit." Then I go to sleep and wake up and leave and I don't think about it until I get back. Rinse, repeat. Well, it's just a mess.
  
• I'm not a math person by any stretch of the imagination, but I always try to do math-stuff in my head. I'm inordinately proud of being able to figure a tip in my head. (but then, I try to tip 20% unless there's a reason to do otherwise, so it's easier :) ) I'm not really good at it, but I keep trying.
• I have almost no fashion sense at all. For most of my life, I've been a t-shirt and jeans guy. I've been trying recently to dress better (with varying degrees of success). I haven't worn cologne in maybe 10 or 12 years.
  
• I can't count to 5.
  

Five and a Chuckle

5.87km - 33'28"

Some jokes from this Fark.com thread:

A mathematician visited a native american reservation.

He spoke with an old native american woman who was sitting on a buffalo pelt. She said, "My son runs so fast, he can reach that mountain all the way over there by sundown."

Then he spoke with a woman sitting on a coyote pelt. She said, "My son is so strong, he can wrestle a buffalo to the ground."

Then he spoke with a woman sitting on a hippopotamus skin. She said, "I have no sons. But I can run to the mountain before sundown, and I can wrestle a buffalo to the ground."

Then the mathematician realized that the squah of the hippopotamus is equal to the sons of the squahs of the other two hides.

Units of measurement:

Ratio of an igloo's circumference to its diameter = Eskimo Pi
2.4 statute miles of intravenous surgical tubing at Yale University Hospital = 1 I.V. League
2000 pounds of Chinese soup = Won ton
1 millionth mouthwash = 1 microscope
Speed of a tortoise breaking the sound barrier = Mach Turtle
Time it takes to sail 220 yards at 1 nautical mile per hour = Knot-furlong
365.25 days of drinking low-calorie beer because it's less filling = 1 lite year
16.5 feet in the Twilight Zone = 1 Rod Serling
Half of a large intestine = 1 semicolon
1,000,000 aches = 1 megahurtz
Weight an evangelist carries with God = 1 billigram
Basic unit of laryngitis = 1 hoarsepower
Time between slipping on a peel and smacking the pavement = bananosecond
453.6 graham crackers = 1 pound cake
1 million microphones = 1 phone
1 million phones = 1 megaphone
365.25 days = 1 unicycle
2000 mockingbirds = two kilomockingbirds
10 cards = 1 decacards
1 kilogram of falling figs = 1 Fig Newton
1000 grams of wet socks = 1 literhosen
1 millionth of a fish = 1 microfiche
1 million billion picolos = 1 gigolo
10 rations = 1 decoration
100 rations = 1 C-ration
10 millipedes = 1 centipede
3 1/3 tridents = 1 decadent
10 monologs = 5 dialogs
2 monograms = 1 diagram
8 nickels = 2 paradigms
2 wharves = 1 paradox

Didn't Even Know I Wrote About These Things

What brings you to Overread?

Here are some examples of why other folks came here via the search engine archives:

#1 - love wow. I mean, this is my top hit. Um, Hi there internet. I like you too, but I think I just like you. It's not like I like you like you. We can still be friends, right?

#2 - Patty Cake Again,multiple hits here. I can't even imagine putting the two words together. Now that I've done it, I'm sure the patty cakers will come in droves.

#3 - Peter Scalara Um, is Google dunk?

#4 - "Open up your fruitcage"

#8 - Excelsior + bullwinkle This may be my favorite

#9 - "color processing only" means You need Google for this?

#10 - blue prints for batmans wayne manor Ok, first off, it's 'blueprints.' How are you going to thwart the caped crusader if you can't even get his blueprints properly? Second, isn't it Bruce Wayne's (note and learn from the use of capital letters) Wayne Manor? Villains today, I tell ya...

Four

8.04km - 45'34"

Back on the trail again! Yea!

My fortune cookie Sez:
"Important Events Are In Your Future"

Well, I hope so :)

Because I Love Causing You Pain

Buzz Buzz

Meme Is Truly Outrageous, Truly Truly Truly Outrageous

Four things

Four Jobs You've Had in Your Life

• Actor
• Translator
• Soldier
• Food Service (Sketchy Pizza joint and then Burger King)

Four Movies You Could Watch Over and Over (I don't usually watch movies more than once, so maybe this'll be more of a 'Movies You've Really Been Digging Recently' thing)

• The Third Man
• Pride and Prejudice (The BBC version, as if anyone needed to ask, and yes it is a movie. Just because it was released on TV don't mean nuttin')
• Life is Beautiful
• Hudson Hawk (It's funny! Fine. Nobody likes this movie but me. Me and Bruce Willis. Well, maybe just me.)

Four Places You've Lived

• [CENSORED] (Trust me though, it's a cool place)
• Oahu, Hawai'i
• New York City (If you can make it there... Well, I couldn't. Loved the city though)
• Houston, Texas (shudder)

Four TV Shows You Love To Watch (I'm not much of a TV guy. I mean I like TV a lot, but I never really watch shows regularly. I need a TiVo, I guess)

• The West Wing (is it still showing?)
• Almost anything on the Travel or Discovery Channels
  
• I Love the 70s (or 80s, or 90s or whatever - big surprise, I know :) )
  
• The Daily Show/The Colbert Report

Four Places You've Been on Vacation

• [CENSORED] (Also very cool places)
  
• Moscow, Russia
  
• Paris, France
  
• Tampa, Florida
• Napoli, Italy (got my watch stolen there. grrr...)

Four Blogs You Visit Daily (only four? Ok, but I've got scads on my feedreader, so I'll just put four at random. Don't feel left out if you aren't in the four!)

• Phantom Scribbler
• Writing as Jo(e)
• Russian Violets
• One Bright Star

Four of Your Favorite Foods (only four!?)

• Burritos
• Mongolian Hot Pot
• Ethiopian family style feasts
• Chocolate. Dark. Bitter. Chocolate.

Four Places I'd Rather Be (I'm usually happy wherever I am. Hmmm... Minus field-related places, let's see...)

• The Turkish coast
• A nice secluded mountain retreat (with internet access and library privileges)
• New York City
• Scuba-ing somewhere warm and clear

Four Albums You Can't Live Without (The funny thing is that I don't really do albums anymore.)

• The Rocky Horror Picture Show Soundtrack
  
• Bat Out Of Hell
• Any Big Sinatra Compilation
• When Harry Met Sally Soundtrack

Four Vehicles I've Owned

• '78 White Chevette! (like this but white)
  
• umm.. '91-ish Red Toyota Somethingorother
• '93 Dark Purple-Blue Bridgestone XO-3 18 speed
• ummm... that's about it, I think... I can't remember the other bikes I've had. I'm not really a car person. :(
  

Hooray for memes!

Meme via everyone and their dog (or hamster)

Note: My best friend in college (the first unsuccessful attempt (at college, not friendship)) was (is) named Truly. Great name, yeah? Kinda like the line in Johnny Dangerously, "Did you know your name is an adverb?" Hi-larious. Maybe that should have been movie #4.

I Have a Problem

That's the first step, right?

My advisor just left a big pile of books on the meeting room table. Free to a good home. I can't say that I can provide a good home, but I still yoinked up six of the loveliest ones.

Ah, desk copies and other free books, now I know I'm in the right place.

three

7.64km - 45'

Befuddled

Where in the world did today go? I seriously feel like I lost entire hours somewhere.

Is it sad that I get really excited when I get books for the new classes? Desk copies are even better. Who can scoff at free books? I got some today. Even though I've only glanced at them briefly and already have a quibble (not surprising, really, I'm chock full o' quibbles), they look good, and worlds better than the dross we for the class I TAed last time 'round.

I really enjoy sports. I'm not really a fan of any of them, but I like them. I say this only to preface this:

Marching bands? What in the world?

Color commentators are always horrible. I'm glad they're there though, because I enjoy mocking them.

Post-game interviews are so embarrassing. It's hard for me to watch all the reporters mob the folks who lost and ask them 'How does it feel to lose the most important game of your life?"

I wonder for how many of those college players a big game is the biggest event in their lives. That's got to be sad.

I know it's been said before, but, "Hey! You up there in the stands! Yeah you. You're not affiliated with the school at all. You didn't play the game. You are not number one. I'm sorry, but you aren't. And, um... put your shirt back on, because... I mean. Ick."

Two

7.77km - 44'39"

One Bullet, One Quiz

Returning only when you least expect it!

Only #4 remained unguessed lat time. It was Hendrix, The Wind Cries Mary

alrighty, I've got some doozies here. More than usual too... hmmm... There's a clue though. They all have something in common :)

1

She's a very kinky girl
The kind you don't take home to mother

2

Tonight’s the night we’ll make history,
honey, you and I

3

I will try express,
My inner feelings and thankfulness,
For showing me the meaning of success.

4

Just touch my cheek before you leave me, baby

5

For service and devotion
You would think that I
Would deserve a fair promotion

6

I love to feel the rain
On my face
To taste the rain on my lips
In the moonlight shadows

7

You should've seen by the look in my eyes, baby
There was something missing
You should've known by the tone of my voice, maybe
But you didn't listen

8

Time is on your side,
Don't let them put you down, don't let 'em push you around,
don't let 'em ever change your point of view.

9

I don’t wanna talk, if it makes you feel sad
And I understand
You’ve come to shake my hand
I apologize if it makes you feel bad
Seeing me so tense, no self-confidence

10 - This one's nasty if you can't get the tune, but you know it. I know you do :) You may not know the title though - I didn't

Just for a moment I was back at school
And felt that old familiar pain
And as I turned to make my way back home
The snow turned into rain --

11

Giddy Up Oom Poppa Omm Poppa Mow Mow
Giddy Up Oom Poppa Omm Poppa Mow Mow

12

The Cuervo gold
The fine Columbian
Make tonight a wonderful thing

13

And he’s cute
In his mohair suit
And he keeps his pockets full of spending loot

14

You put your left foot out
keep it all in place...
Work your way right into my case

15

I had a dream
But it turned to dust
What I thought was love
That must have been lust

Best Christmas Card Ever

Best Christmas Card Ever
Originally uploaded by Overread.

How's this for homemade Christmas goodness?

First, I want one of these. I guess I couldn't be more hermitish, could I?

Along the psychic lines of Postsecret, Found has great stuff (I think I've linked there before, but I rediscovered it and how much I love it. Examples:
1: Note "To the fat ass butch dyke"(link may be to the daily find, so if it's not the note 'to the fat ass butch dyke' when you click on that, my apologies.
2: Note to the "Pushy Twit," aka Dryer Dictator
3: Note to God, Re: Monsters
4: Note to the "parent(s) of the girl who lives on the 2nd floor." It's all about the stationary.
5: Finally, it's important to make lists about things you might forget to do.

I am working, really I am. I just create a little backlog of links and then just dump them all at once. Really. That's the ticket. I even got my email inbox cleaned out today. Wow.

On the Road...Err...Treadmill Again

7.1km - 39'

Originally uploaded by Overread.

Hypnotic

clicky for the sandbox

And There's This

it's all about me. deal with it.


Who's Your Happy Bunny?
brought to you by Quizilla

Wow.

I just fixed a problem that had been troubling my adviser and myself for a long while. To figure it out properly would have taken weeks or months in the depths of a particularly nasty portion of the library. Thanks to the internets and my handy laptop, I teased out the problem in a couple of hours. The wild thing is - the problem was what we thought is was, and it doesn't really impact the research, but we had to know for sure, so I had to figure it out even if it won't end up in the thesis, and it at most will get a little footnote. What I can't get over is that people who did what I'm doing now in years gone by must have had brains the size of cattle. How else could they have trudged through all of this without the internets?

I'm a lucky lucky little dude.

Who knows what the next generation of folks will be able to do?

Odd...

What is this work I see in front of me? I've been crunching through data-stuff for about four hours now and I've come to the conclusion that all of this thesis stuff was written by aliens. Otherwise, how could it be possible that I did all of this? I certainly don't remember being so motivated enough to write all 60-ish pages of this over here, and I have no idea who wrote all these notes over there. Perhaps I should keep going through this stuff. There may be something useful in here.

I've turned in all my PhD applications now. I don't have to actually finish the MA now, right?

Ooo on the bonus plus extra good side, I got a check from a photo gig I did a few weeks ago. I was doing it for a guy in the athletics department almost as a favor, and so I told him to pay me what he thought he could squeeze out of the budget. I never expected to be paid with real money. I mean, it's not like 'buy a brand new lens' kind of money, but it's close to 'rent for a month' money, and where I live that's really big bux!

hmm.. new lens...

More Rain

No run.

I made the journey to Nearby Big Town to deposit my student loan check though. That was nice. (can't see why they can't to direct deposit like they do for my paychecks though) Ate lots and lots of Mexican food.

long trip

lots of food

I need a movie and a nap.

Happy Old Year

Well, poop. It's raining hard and the gym is closed. No running for Overread today. I guess I'll have to end my streak at 3 days.

Anyway, I hope that everyone out there in blogland is having a wonderful New Year's Eve and will have a spectacular New Year.

May your plagiarizers be caught (it's too much to ask to not have them at all).
May your articles be accepted.
May your students be thoughtful, responsible and respectful.

May you find your family does care
May you care for your family

May you be respected and earn it.
May you always find an extra couple of dollars to buy yourself a treat

May you find a new Significant Other, or, if you already have the one you want, may you find him or her anew.

May you find the lottery numbers beforehand and email them to me

The best of the season to you and yours

Originally uploaded by Overread.

Originally uploaded by Overread.

Three

6k - 32'22"

It's a Quiz, But It's a Dry Quiz.

Whew. Last application is done. Nothing left but the mailing, which I'll take care of tomorrow. So let's do some quizzing! Well, how about I do the quizzing and you folks do the answering? Ok, I think that'll work out for the best, too.

You guys rock! Last quiz, only #8 gave you problems.

Ozzy Osbourne, Crazy Train. Ok, ok, ok... maybe a bit obscure, but, hey, that's what I do.

Russian Violets kindly requested a little 80s lovin', so I've been tuned to a couple of 80s stations, but no promises :)

#1 -
She has a built in ability
To take everything she sees
And now it seems I’m falling, falling for her.
#2 -
Cause baby we’ll be
At the drive-in
In the old man’s ford
Behind the bushes
#3 -
Message keeps getting clearer, radio’s on and I’m moving round the place
I check myself out in the mirror I wanna change my clothes my hair my face
#4 -
will the wind ever remember
The names it has blow in the past?
And with this crutch, it’s old age, and it’s wisdom
It whispers no, this will be the last
#5 -
He went to fight wars
For his country and his king
Of his honor and his glory
The people would sing
#6 -
Sittin’ in the classroom thinkin’ it’s a drag
Listening to the teacher rap--just ain’t my bag
When two bells ring you know it’s my cue
Gonna meet the boys on floor number 2
#7 -
By now the fighting will be close at hand
Don’t believe the church and state
And everything they tell you
Believe in me, I’m with the high command
#8 - I can't believe we haven't done this one yet. Maybe we have...

When the mirror crashed I called you

And turned to hear you say

If only for today

I am unafraid
#9 -
So when you sense a change
Nothing feels the same
All your dreams are strange
#10 -
I bought a toothbrush, some toothpaste
A flannel for my face
Pajamas, a hairbrush
New shoes and a case
I said to my reflection
Let’s get out of this place

Sigh.

Is it really important that they know what I got in an 'Introduction to Computers' class in 1992? It was a C, ok? I'm embarrassed, but what can I say. Again, they're going to get the transcripts anyway, why do they need me to do the arcane algebraic gymnastics? Combining the GPA from my majors at the time, but only upper division classes, but including related fields, and drop all the pluses, but make the minuses count for half, and then take the numbers and add them together to find the true name of Baal. I guess, that part makes sense, anyway.

'Introduction to Computers?' hehe. Can you imagine trying to offer a class with a name like that? Maybe in elementary school...

One Ringie Dingie, Two Ringie Dingies

Ugh. 2 More applications done. 1 more to go. Of course, Snooty Snoot Snoot School (that I would desperately love to attend so that I might become snooty snoot snoot) wants a 'holy poop!' inducing $90 for the pleasure of being turned down.

Here's the other thing I don't understand. For many of these schools, why must we apply to both the department and the University? The Universities are usually on the ball. They've got the online applications down pretty well - some of them are really wonderful. So, why can't the University just CC the application material to the departments? Wouldn't that be more sane?

Unfortunately, the departments are usually, well... Off the ball. They want tree-killing reams of paper. No you can't email it, because it has to be on our circa 1973 form that we just can't seem to part with.

And ETS?! The geniuses behind that GRE/GMAT/SAT/FUBAR monopoly need one of Bush's Medals of Freedom the way that they've screwed things up. No online support whatever. You want to know your scores? Call in and talk to the computer. And give us ten bucks. If you want us to mail official copies of the scores to universities, we can do that, just call and talk to the computer for another half an hour. Make sure to have your university code numbers handy. For crying out loud, it's like using punch cards. Remind me to buy stock in those guys once I get out from under my crippling student loans, because, man, have they got a sweet scam going.

Ok. Whew. Breathe. In with the good, out with the bad. Ohm.... I think I shall eat an M />

I Can't Drive 55, Or Otherwise, Apparently.

So ok. About a year ago, I was driving a friend's car and got in an accident. My friend let her insurance lapse, and, because I don't have a car, I didn't have insurance. So, driving without insurance for me. The police didn't like that situation, and suspended my license for a year. Bummer, but no big. Well, the suspension term is up, so I thought I'd get my license back in case I wanted to rent a car and tool around a bit before class start up again. So, I go down to my friendly neighborhood DMV (luckily, it's within biking distance). The nice young gentleman at the counter told me that I'd need extra insurance before they'd issue me a license, and I'd have to carry the insurance until December of 2008.

Even if I don't have a car?

Yes, even if you don't have a car.

Is this special insurance expensive? (maybe if it's cheap, I could still do it)

[Laughter] Yeah, well, it's really expensive.

Well, crap.

I did a quick check and it seems that many places don't even offer the special flavor of insurance - makes sense really, since only high-risk drivers and sad-luck cases like myself would need it (and maybe I'm deluding myself into thinking that I'm not a high-risk driver as well). I even called one to get a quote just to see how expensive it would be and the guy was a bit flummoxed when I said I didn't have a car. "Oh, if you don't have a car, we can't do that."

Now, I know this is a car-nation, but yeesh.

So, no driving for Overread until 2009. I wonder if I'll even remember how by then. I hope I go to a school where I can bike.

Should I go get the ID card so I don't have to get frisked at the airport because of my expired driver's license?

Nother Short Run

5.96km - 32'28"

Don't Fear The Linker

For those of you who have a music try-out service like Yahoo Unlimited, or those sad little 30 second teases from iTunes, check out John Allison (of the laugh-out-loud comic Scary-Go-Round) as one of the characters reviews his favorite 20 albums of 2005. He's only up to #9 (number nine... number nine...), but he updates M-F regularly. You can start here at #20. As those of you who do the quizzes know, I fear any music recorded after, say, 1987, but I have to admit enjoying quite a few of his choices. And, of course, Shelly's (the character) reviews are giggle-worthy as well.

Completely unrelated, but worth a click is the Twelve Days eBay.

Trying To Get Back On The Wagon

6.01 km - 32'23"

A bit of a run this morning. I think I should do this run more often instead of long runs less often. Let's see if that ever happens :)

Quizzing 110%

I should first say that I think Camera Obscura should get bonus points again for knowing my favorite-est Christmas song, Baby It’s Cold Outside. Kudos!

I’ll leave off the reports from the last quiz, ‘cause let’s face it, you guys need to listen to more 60’s rock :)

#1 Finally, a realistic song

Well he turned and screamed at Linda Lu
And that’s the break I was looking for.
And you could hear me screaming a mile away
As I was headed out towards the door.

#2

I’ve seen your face before my friend
But I don’t know if you know who I am

#3

Early morning, April 4
Shot rings out in the Memphis sky

#4

I’ll wait in this place where the sun never shines;
Wait in this place where the shadows run from themselves.

#5

But my dreams
They aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be

#6

No stop signs, speed limit,
Nobody's gonna slow me down
Like a wheel, gonna spin it,
Nobody's gonna mess me 'round

#7

I long to see the morning light
Coloring your face so dreamily.
So don’t you go and say goodbye,

#8

I’ve listened to preachers
I’ve listened to fools
I’ve watched all the dropouts
Who make their own rules

#9

Where are you going now my love?
Where will you be tomorrow?
Will you bring me happiness?
Will you bring me sorrow?

#10

I woke up in a Soho doorway
A policeman knew my name
He said "You can go sleep at home tonight
If you can get up and walk away"

#11

I’ve got to be free, free to face the life that’s ahead of me
On board, I’m the captain, so climb aboard
We’ll search for tomorrow on every shore

#12 can’t believe I haven’t used this one yet

I used her, she used me
But neither one cared
We were gettin’ our share

#13

Pretty mama come and take me by the hand
By the hand, take me by the hand pretty mama
Come and dance with your daddy all night long

#14

Is anybody out there? Anybody there?
Does anybody wonder? Anybody care?

#15

He say "One and one and one is three"
Got to be good looking 'cause he's so hard to see

Did I Mention...

..that before I left on my holiday jaunt that someone yoinked my headlight, blinkie red backlight and my speedometer off my bike?

Middle of the day too. Harumph... I had a lot of miles built up on that speedometer too...

Well, I guess since the application doesn't seem to be going tonight, maybe I shall build a UBERQUIZ...

Blorp*

Grr... in the middle of another PhD application (Why am I not done with these things already? Why not just go flip burgers somewhere?), the university in question's application web-site seems to have imploded. Is this the fates' way of warning me away?

*that's the sound of a Server imploding.

A Traditional Christmas

IMG_0391
Originally uploaded by Overread.

My brother and I like to take photos. Sometimes we see something on the side of the road and stop to take pictures even when we should be going somewhere.

Occasionally, we're late.

But we have fun :)

Can't We All Just Get Along?

You know how there are some students who really expect a certain grade?

Let's be careful out there.

Via The Little Professor (via Cliopatria)

Hunky-Dory Holiday Act I

Well, after a very long sleep last night, I think I'm pretty much recovered from the holiday weekend. I promised a recounting, so here goes:

I left Uni-town at night, and as you can tell by the earlier posts, things went downhill quickly. We were about 30 minutes late before even leaving the ground. The captain called it a 'balance problem.' I thought that there were only balance problems after the holidays. What with the eggnog and all. Anyway, I got into Big Enough To Be A Hub, But Not A Hub Airport (BEHBNAH) at about 11:42. My connecting flight was a 11:45 departure. From another terminal. I thought I might have a chance. Silly me. I jogged to the gate only to be told that I was too late. Did I see the plane still attached to the ramp? Maybe, Maybe not.

So a sauntered over to the 'So You've Missed Your Flight' counter and waited in line. There were already several people in front of me from another flight, and as I waited, I saw a long line of everyone from my flight line up behind me. It was so sad to look at the counter folks as they gradually found out another flight's worth of people with less than the proper holiday cheer had come to yell at them.

I eventually got to the front of the line and was given a seat on a flight at 6am that would set things right (although it would be through another city). They offered me three meal vouchers (although I'm not sure how you could eat breakfast for $5 at the airport. Maybe a coffee?), and a hotel for the night. I figured since the place would be leaving in a little under 6 hours at that point, I might as well stay in the airport, and they could give the hotel slot to someone else. It looked like they were going to need all the hotel slots they could find.

The problem was that the next flight was on another airline, so I had to go out of security and re-check in. No problem, I've go the time, right? Checking in was a bit problematic. My seat wasn't really reserved, so I got bumped. Next flight was at 8am. Ok, not so bad, but I did kind of wish I had taken that hotel room. On the plus side, I was going to get in at 4pm-ish rather than 6pm-ish. I've tried to figure out how that worked out, but I think it must be quantum physics. I never could get a hang of that.

So, I finally get my correct tickets. I go back to the terminal. Oops, wrong terminal. Back out and through security again. Oh, did I mention that if you fly with an expired driver's license, you get the nice line of 'sssss' on your ticket and get the extra bonus friendly security search? Did I also mention that my driver's license is expired? Not to worry, I don't drive, and in any case, the security people are usually really nice to me.

Well then. Back to the terminal in time to burn a $10 meal voucher on Burger King. Good grief. If it were my money I'd be humiliated to spend that much money there. When I got to my gate, it seemed clear that this had been an ugly day for a lot of folks. The chairs in airports are designed so that you can't lay down on them, but good old-fashioned American ingenuity seemed to smile on several of my sure-to-wake-up-with-cramps gatemates. One guy had piled bags up in two adjacent seats so he could lie down on top of them and the armrest in the middle. Well done, my friend, well done.

I close the more convenient option: walk walk walk, floor, floor, walk walk walk, floor. I guess I got about two hours of sleep all told, so I was top of form when the plane finally got there.

Oh, but of course when I got to my destination, my checked bag didn't make it with me. So we rushed off to get some supplies at the not-so-local Target. While looking over my possibilities, the baggage guy from the airport called to say that he had my bag! Woohoo! A not-so-local drive and my precious bag was in my hands.

So, despite the grief, it all ended up as well as could be expected. I didn't get to spend enough time with the family, but that's pretty standard. I never get enough time with them, maybe that's why I love them so much :)

I can't imagine why you've read this far, but since you have, I'll let you know that I'm going to put another holiday update up later. If you actually got this far this time, maybe I'll reach your boredom threshold with that one.

Originally uploaded by Overread.

Christmas Lights

Mildly pixelated, but there ya go.

Christmas Update!

Just another quick note to say that I did eventually get where I needed to go. I had to take a couple extra flights and lost my baggage (got it back pretty quickly though). I felt so bad for he poor counter-folk at the airlines though. When my plane came in late, everyone on it missed their connections. And when we got to the 'so you missed your connections' line, there was already another flight full of people there who, well, let's say that they weren't imbued with the holiday spirit. I'm amazed how nasty and vulgar parents can be with children in tow. Sad.

Anyway, I'm with the family (with very notable exception - we miss you!) for the weekend, and life is good.

Have a wonderful Christmas, Hanukkah, or whatever holiday you do or don't celebrate!

And a happy New Year!

Photos - Now With Explanations!

Ok, well, it seems as though I need to learn how to use this new fangled technology thing. I tried to blog from the cell phone, but none of my comments came through. So, here are the comments for the two photos














Can you read this? It says "we support our troops in the middle east." first off, do we really need to be told this via the side of an airplane? Secondly, does this mean they don't support our troops in other places? Also of note, this patriotic plane was late. So, I missed my connection. So, I'm in an airport at 2:31am waiting for an 8-ish flight. On the fun side, I'm writing this on my cell.

This is the airport carpet on which I napped at about 2-3 in the morning on Christmas Eve day.

Originally uploaded by Overread.

Originally uploaded by Overread.

God Quiz Us, Every One

Welcome to your special edition quiz!

I'm afraid these might be a bit too easy, so forgive me for choosing some odd cuts. For the artist, write in the best, in your humble or not so humble opinion. :)

#1 One of my very favorite-est
I ought to say no, no, no, sir
At least I'm gonna say that I tried
#2
Well I don't know if there'll be snow
But have a cup of cheer
#3
Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Thou and I will see him dine
#4
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray
#5
At Christmastime, we let in light and we banish shade
And in our world of plenty we can spread a smile of joy
Throw your arms around the world at Christmastime
#6
Think of all the fun I've missed,
Think of all the fellas that I haven't kissed
#7
And every mother's child is going to spy,
To see if reindeer really know how to fly.
#8
The fire is slowly dying,
And, my dear, we're still good-bying,
But as long as you love me so...
#9
Here we are as in olden days,
Happy golden days of yore.
#10
Some people think that Ebeneezer Scrooge is,
Well, he’s not, but guess who is: all three Stooges.

Mad Quizzes and Englishmen

Crazy middle of the day Quizzing!

#2 Well, Mendi got Crystal Gayle. It was Don't it Make My Brown Eyes Blue
#7 Aw, nobody got the 'Michael when he wasn't scary' song? ABC by the Jackson Five
#10 Mendi's right again with If You Want to Be Happy For the Rest Of Your Life, by umm... Some people.

Now, I'm still resisting the Solstice season, so we're going to dance with them what brung us:

#1

Beauty I'd always missed
With these eyes before,
Just what the truth is
I can't say anymore.

#2

Remember what the doormouse said:
"Feed your Head
Feed your Head!"

#3

We’ll have time for coffee flavored kisses
And a bit of conversation.

#4

Just listen to the rhythm of a gentle bossanova
You'll be dancing with 'em, too, before the night is over

#5

Room gets suddenly still
And when you'd almost bet
You could hear yourself sweat, he walks in
Eyes black as coal
And when he lifts his face
Every ear in the place is on him

#6

My mama used to dance for the money they'd throw
Papa would do whatever he could
Preach a little gospel, sell a couple bottles of Doctor Good

#7

All we need is a drummer,
for people who only need a beat
I'm gonna add a little guitar
and make it easy to move your feet

#8

But when the taxman come to the door,
Lord, the house look a like a rummage sale

#9

We decided that we would have a soda
My favorite flavor, cherry red

#10

I'd cut him if he stands, and I'd shoot him if he'd run
Yes I'd kill him with my Bible and my razor and my gun

Go Ahead and Jump

Newsflash:

Don't keep your one and only copy of your thesis on a jump drive in your purse.

Umm... I'll be right back. I've got some backing up to do...

'X' Stands For The Cross

There is a great danger lurking in these United States today. It's a danger that some have noted, but few have acted upon, and it's high time we begin to move against it. I'm talking, of course about the current state of Christmas. Christmas is under attack, not only by those of other faiths, but of the faithless as well. Because of this, I thought I should write an entry explaining the Christian-ness of Christmas.
The very nature of Christmas itself is in danger of being altered from the perfect and correct. Looking at the word itself, 'Christmas,' we see what the holiday is about: The Mass of Christ. Now, don't worry, it's not a mass like a Catholic thing, you don't have to go to church or anything. It's a mass in that we celebrate the birth of Christ. Now, Christmas isn't exactly on the birthday of Christ, as near as we can tell, but the day fits well into the calendar, so it's staying.
We celebrate this great man of modesty and propriety by buying gifts for friends and family. We celebrate the nobility of giving by giving to people meaningful things, like gift baskets from Bed Bath and Beyond, and sweaters. It wouldn't be the same if we were to give, say, food, shelter, or, heaven forbid, education to those truly in need, because they are probably in Africa somewhere, and they probably aren't Christian anyway, and if they were, it would probably just be pretend Christian so they could get food. Don't be fooled!
The big trouble is that when you go to buy your gifts, some of the people who work at malls are saying 'Happy Holidays' instead of 'Merry Christmas.' Now, I understand that there are other 'holidays' out there, but we are shopping for Christmas presents, so it's insulting for them to not tell me to have a 'Merry Christmas.' And the Christmas season begins right after Halloween and goes right up until about January 15th, so there's no excuse there. And why would you call it a 'Holiday Sale,' if you put the red and green iPod cover on sale? Red and Green? Those are Christmas colors! Also, for those who aren't American, it's 'Merry Christmas,' not 'Happy Christmas.' That's just another import from those vile Harry Potter books. Learn to speak English, for cripe's sake.
We put these gifts under a tree that we've decorated with lights. It's not like the Jewish do, with their candelabra-thingie, there's a silly idea with nothing meaningful behind it - That whole hanaka thing is probably just so they can get more presents. Those people who say that the tree is an old pagan symbol are just wrong, wrong, wrong! The Christmas tree is Christian to be sure, because it's called a Christmas tree, and there's an angel on top of it. Or sometimes there's a star. As long as you call it a Christmas tree and have a star or an angel, you can put whatever else you want on it. All the cute snowmen, sleds, cartoon characters and candy canes - that's all good for a Christian Christmas tree, because the angel or star makes them Christian. Be careful about the Disney ornaments though, because Disney supports the left-wing homosexual agenda, and no angel or star can change that.
Finally, the most important part of Christmas, especially for the kids, is Santa Claus. Now some people might say that Santa Claus was a Catholic saint, but he's Christian, too! Other people might tell you that the North Pole, elves, cookies and milk, chimneys, and all that aren't supported in the bible, but just remember, it's the idea of giving that's Christian, so a big fat guy in a red suit flying around in a giant sled pulled by magical reindeer, sneaking into your house and eating your food is all ok, as long as he gives you presents. See? If you think about it that way, it's all Christian!
Oh, I should mention that elves are complicated. Santa's elves are good, but the elves in Harry Potter and the Lord of the Ring are all perversions of nature. If you aren't sure if an elf is good or bad, you will have to ask your pastor. Don't worry, you don't actually have to go to church - you can probably just email him.

So now you know. Defend Christmas! Go out and drink your eggnog (you can put a little punch in it, if you know what I mean), and sing all your songs about maid's a-milking, Rudolph and Chipmunks - They're all Christian, because they're Christmas songs!

No offense intended to Christians (of Catholic or other persuasions), Jews, Atheists, Agnostics, Disney, people who listen to iPods in Red and Green cases, Santa, the British, Elves (in general and of the Tolkien and Rowling versions), maids, reindeer, or chipmunks. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Casey At Bat

Oooh, a swing and a miss for the grad-school guy who was hitting on the cute gal at the table next to mine. I wasn’t able to eavesdrop as much as I wanted to, but she was actually pretty kind to him for awhile. I’m not sure that his paisley shirt did him any favors though.

Nothing To See Here

Well, who knew? I actually got chipping away at my thesis today. I really should start a non-anonymous blog so I could talk about it in more detail, but then, that would probably require work. Seriously, some of the stuff I’m working with is hilarious, but you can’t see it. Nyah, nyah.

The thing is that I’ve got enough of the basic data taken care of. I’m doing some of the analysis now, and it seems to be coming out ok. I’m finding decent support for some of the assumptions that I made early on, so that’s good, and some new ideas are becoming really evident after looking at the data more closely. That’s really fun.
Since it’s only an MA thesis, it doesn’t have to be too long, and I’m getting the impression that I’ll be on or beyond my page-target.
This whole mess is starting to seem possible. Now all I have to do is get into a PhD program so I don’t have to flip burgers next fall.

This is a filler post, I know, and I probably should apologize for not saying anything really worthwhile, but hey, all you have to do is click on to the next blog, so I don’t really feel that bad.

Link Dumpery

Are you feeling competent? Secure in your knowledge? Well, this set of geography quizzes will take you down a couple notches :) For full humiliation I recommend the African nations, or perhaps the Chinese province one...

Now, stop crying, it wasn't that bad. Check out this nice list of online timewasters.

If you don't have enough time to do all the games, then you should probably go here to learn why you should support the 28 hour day movement.

Who knew that Suessian phrasings could be put to the use of explaining everyone's favorite pet owner, Schroedinger, and his is or not is cat. Only Unka Cecil could do it up right.

And finally, Life came up with a list of 100 photographs that changed the world. They only let you see 28 though.