Grading Gem

Not an exact quote - I changed it to protect the innocent incoherent:

The group which was led by Mr Man whose philosophies were based on the thoughts of Jesus Christ, that cut a swath of destruction throughout the entire region.

I think I get what Mr. student is getting at, but I just love the image of this maniacal 50 foot tall Jesus tearing through huge geographical areas.

While I'm on a mental hygiene break, I've got some good links, too.  I always forget to mark down where I got them, though.  Most probably Boing Boing, Kottke, or Stumbleupon:

(video) The trailer for the new reimagining of The Ten Commandments

(video) A talking head reveals a heroic mountain climber's disability

(video) Charleston dancers set to a new tune

The healing of a scar left by an old railroad line in San Francisco

umm...  ok, that's about it - I'll get back to work now :(

A Rabbi, A Priest and a Quiz Walk Into A Bar...

Should we all be happy that the one song that wasn't guessed last week was Could've Been by Tiffany? Probably so... I can't believe no one made any snarky comments about my 'Good girls don't quiz on the first date' title. I was so proud of myself for that one. Maybe I have to be more lewd :)

1.

Runnin' out of self-control
Gettin' close to an overload
Up against a no win situation
Shoulder to shoulder, push and shove

2.

At night I wake up with the sheets soaking wet
and a freight train running through the
middle of my head
Only you can cool my desire

3.

Get a shoe thrown at me from a mean old man
Get my dinner from a garbage can

4.

There's a song on the air
with a love-you line
and a face in a glass
and it looks like mine

5.

Come on and dance, come on and dance
We may not get another chance
You know the night is fallin'
And the music's callin'

6.

I don't know why nobody told you
how to unfold you love
I don't know how someone controlled you
they bought and sold you

7.

We are stardust, we are golden,
we caught in the devil's bargain,
And we got to get ourselves back to the garden.

8.

I don't wanna be your mother
I don't wanna be your sister either
I just wanna be your lover

9.

Hey pretty baby with the high heels on
You give me fever like I've never ever known

10.

Don't know what colour your eyes are, baby
But your hair is long and brown
Your legs are strong, and you're so, so long
And you don't come from this town

How Can You Not Appreciate Good Spam Poetry?

The email was entitled 'Your wealth., goat-horned'

Genius, no? I think I may use that for the title of my autobiography. There was the standard make a million in work at home scheme spiel. Ah, but then, then follows the muse-touched beauty:

faun-colored overflow bug kedani fever
cat-locks pressure governor candle paper
blink comparator peppermint stringbark crystal malt
well-behated mid-crowd ding-a-ling
sky-line pneumatico-hydraulic pseudo professor
gas-operated forward-bearing terror-breeding
pseudo marriage spring-raised wit-abused
pistol carbine muscle cell resonance wave coil

In all seriousness, there are some really interesting images in there. I really like 'gas-operated forward-bearing terror-breeding.' Such a powerful imagining of the industrial military world. Followed up with, 'pistol carbine muscle cell resonance wave coil,' which envisions the bullet from all weapons tearing through muscle and cells, and the ripple of impact waves through the body. And of course all this is started with the subtle danger hidden in natural beauty that has gone beyond nature - 'faun-colored overflow bug kedani fever'

Why yes, I should be grading and finishing my thesis, why do you ask?

Flash!

You know what'll wake you up quick-like?  How about getting up, getting dressed, showering, getting ready to TA your 8am section, and then picking up your watch that tells you it's 7:56am? 
I ran out the door and hopped on my bike.  The ride takes 15-20 minutes usually.  I was going to make record time. 
As I rode, I cursed and wailed about my taking too long in the shower heating my shoulder (still hurts! grrr).  Didn't I have plenty of time when I woke up? What would I say to the students waiting for me?  Surely some will have left already.  What should I do about this week's content?  I built a quiz for today, what do I do with that?

I made it to class in about ten minutes - Jogged up the stairs two at a time(third floor, natch).  No time to go to the office and print out my lesson plan, I'll just have to wing it.  Sweat pouring down my face, I swing open the door...

to silence.  darkness.  nothing. 

My watch was an hour fast.  I don't know why.  I don't know how.  It just was.  Anyway, I was 100%+  awake by then and had a nice 50 minutes to refine my lesson and come up with a good excuse for not having their papers graded yet. 

Woot!

New record for me!

8.23km - 38'16"

I earned that bag of Skittles I had with lunch! :)

Evil Library

Why, oh why do you have a book sale on the first floor that I much walk through to get to my 4th floor study pit?  Why must you taunt me with $1 HARDBACKS and $.50 paperbacks?  And why can't you provide shipping services to my home, because, let's face it, my backpack is already way too full.

We're So Dull

Why can't we have money that looks this cool any more?

That's Electricity in the center, with Jupiter on the left, Fame with the horn under Electricity and Peace over on the right. 

8.25km - 38'47"

Grrr.

Because the minutia of my life is of no doubt endlessly fascinating to you all, I slept on my shoulder wrong and it hurts like hell.

Sunday in the Park with Overread - Except It's Not in the Park. It's in the Library. But You Get the Picture.

Happy Mothers Day to all you mothers out there!  I hope your day is full of happiness, quiet, love, chocolate, bubble baths, or whatever it is that you are in need of - Particularly if it's something made of butcher-paper and glitter, because we all know that's the bestest kind of gift for a mom, right?

Ok, anyway.  This is my blog so it's all about me me me me!  So, back to my whining about fears and inadequacy.

I sent off the biggest portion yet of the thesis to advisor in a foreign land.  I'm very very nervous.  I haven't showed much of it to anyone.  This is going to be a big turning point one way or the other. 

I've been told that if I don't get the thesis in on deadline, I can still probably teach this summer, but it'll require paperwork and begging.  Maybe roses and chocolate too.  That's at least a little comforting, but I want to finish this bad boy.  I want closure, damnit!

PS -  the drunk guy at the table next to mine (in the library) wants to make sure that everyone knows that it wasn't his mother he called, it was his stepmother.  So, I guess I figured that included you guys too.  Now you know.

PPS - Did I mention that in the middle of all this, I've just had ~50 papers to grade dumped on me?  No.  I don't think I have.  Do I have any motivation to grade them?  No.  I don't think I have.

Acting!

(byt the way, you have to read that title in a John Lovitz voice)
Scrivener has a nice post up about his opening night of Love's Labour's Lost.  I was going to write a reply over there, but my response in a little more personal, so I figured I'd do it over here.

I've mentioned before that in one of my earlier incarnations, I was an actor.  When I went to university the first time around, I majored in Theatre.  Some of the happiest times of my life have been on stage and his post really brought a lot of that back to me.

The first time I really knew I was going to be an actor was when I was in high school and was playing Malvolio in Twelfth Night.  I remember specifically that we never got very many people in the audience because the drama teacher and,  lets be honest, the entire group of drama geeks never wanted to produce anything but deep and meaningful theatre.  Twelfth Night was even a little light for us.  Anyway, I loved that play.  My epiphany came as I was on stage and I had a feeling of complete awareness.  I felt that I had control over my entire body - my voice, my movement - everything.  It was almost as if I were directing myself. 

After one of the performances, an older man came up to me at the gladhand line and told me that I had something special and I could teach the others about how to speak on stage.  I was floating.

All of that aside, now that I'm very far removed from the theatre world, I agree completely with something that Scrivener mentioned.  Some of the most valuable things that came out of my time there, especially dealing with Shakespeare, was learning how to read a text.  Shakespeare is hard, and there are still lines that I said hundreds of time that I'm not sure how to explain, but I learned how to dig into a text, read it out loud and try to get into the tempo of the words to tease out a subtle phrase.  Whatever skill I may have today comes directly from those days.

I also remember playing in a theatre in the park production of Cyrano de Bergerac (still one of my favorites - go with the Burgess translation, not the Hooker).  I missed a entrance cue because I was trying to flirt with a girl named Rose.  Ah... the misspent youth...

Good Girls Don't Quiz On The First Date

Number nine gave everyone sadness! Bwahahaa!

What have I done, what have I done, what have I done to deserve this?  hehe Got it now?  Pet Shop Boys, doncha know?

Numbers 1 & 3 were Roundabout by Yes & All the Young Dudes by Mott The Hopple (yeah, I guess that one was a stretch)

Right then.  On to new and improved quizzing!  (well, new, anyway)

1.

The sweet words you whispered
Didn’t mean a thing
I guess our song is over
As we begin to sing

2.

I need some information first.
Just the basic facts.
Can you show me where it hurts?

3.

Hey, hey, mama, said the way you move,
gonna make you sweat, gonna make you groove.

4.

Splits a family in two
Puts people on streets
It's the terror of knowing
What this world is about

5.

She just can’t be chained
To a life where nothing’s gained
And nothing’s lost
At such a cost

6.

Fantasy will set you free
Close your eyes girl
Look inside girl
Let the sound take you away

7.

Welcome to this one man show
Just take a seat, they’re always free
No surprise, no mystery
In this theatre that I call my soul
I always play the starring role

8.

They showed you a statue and told you to pray
They built you a temple and locked you away
But they never told you the price that you pay
For things that you might have done...

9.

I've been singing with my band
Across the wire, across the land,
I seen ev'ry blue eyed floozy on the way

10.

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?"

Pedometers

Sheepish asked about how accurate the pedometer is.  Honestly, I don't know.  To be embarrassingly honest, I've never even calibrated the darn thing.  When I say I'm running 8km, maybe I'm actually running a block and a half.  I can say it's fairly consistent - Here are the last few distances on my most common run:

8.36km
8.27
8.27
8.32
8.28
8.20
8.17
8.14
8.28
8.22
8.28
8.22

8.14 is the shortest and 8.36 is the longest.  I'm not doing rocket science here, so factoring in all the changes in the way I run each time, a .24km gap doesn't seem that bad.

I should say that I'm using the Triax Elite, and I'm happy with everything about it except the software, which is pretty pathetic really.  For the longest time, I figured that they must be working on a new program, but I guess not.  They're just happy with the old sad thing.  The watch itself is fine, and nice enough to wear during the day if you don't mind looking like a huge geek (not a problem for me).  The little foot pod (I call it my little UFO) is very light - I never even feel it - and very sturdy.  I've run through puddles and tall grass and up and down rocky hills and all sorts of places, and it's stayed together. 

Duuuude...

So like, I know the paper's due Thursday before lecture, and I know it's 3am Thursday morning, but could you look over my thesis statement?

Different duuuude (approaching as I get ready to walk over to the lecture hall):

DD: Hey Overread!  Can you take a look at my paper?

OR:  Well, you'll be turning it in in a couple of minutes, right?  I'll look at it then.
DD:  Yeah, I know, but I'm still working on it.  Do I need a Works Cited page?
OR:  Umm.. Yes.
DD:  Oh...  I'm short of the page requirements too.  I hope that's ok.
OR <bangs head on door jamb>
DD:  So, I'd better go finish this!

The cooler thing is that it looks like half of DD's paper is Wikipedia and the other half is oddly transcribed bits from the lectures and chats with me.  He's a cool duuuuude, but it looks like he's going to crash and burn on this paper.  I should have seen the warning signs when he started angling for grades the day before the paper was due...

Oh, did I mention I'm finishing my thesis?  Yes?  I did? Oh, well.  Did I mention that I have no time to grade papers or plan for tomorrow's lecture either?  Can I just have them read quietly at their desks?

Oh #2.  I just reformatted my thesis to university guidelines and it looks like I'm going to be waaaaay over minimum.  That's good, I guess.  I've still got a heap of editing (and writing!) to do though.

sigh.  Poor me!

8.?? - 38'42"

The battery died in my pedometer so I don't know the exact distance, but it's the exact same run I always do.  So predictable I am :(

Found Treasure

I loves me some found treasure

Multimedia message
Originally uploaded by Overread.

The Evolution of Dance

via Boing Boing

Rationalizing in the Procrasti-Nation

hehe - I'm bad. 

You know it's really bad when you get really excited when a student emails you with a paper problem that you can answer really well and in depth.  Well, I guess it's only really bad when it's a question you could answer in one line, but because you should be writing thesis you happily decide to write a monograph on the history of the problem the student raised and your personal take on all the sides of the argument. 

and, um.  Replace 'you' with 'I.'

Hey!  I was helping a student!  I was facilitating education!  The wisdom-ifying of our nation's future!  It wasn't procrastination at at all!

A Long Walk and a Short Pier

I've never really cared much for the 'walk across the stage and get your diploma' thing.  I did it in high school because it wasn't really an option, but I've been able to avoid it ever since even though I've had a few opportunities.  The thing is, it just seems like another manufactured celebration designed less to express pride in hard-earned accomplishments and more to stroke egos and siphon cash.  In this line, see class rings, yearbooks, most student government, etc. etc...

Reason I bring this up is that I think I'm being kidnapped and forced at diploma-point to walk for my MA.  My fellow grads told me I had to.  The admin folks demanded that I had to, and most difficult to duck, the department chair, who I really like, asked me to.

feh.  renting a gown is how much?  My funding didn't cover wardrobe. 

8.22km - 39'07"

Crunched Time

So I've got this thesis thing.  I imagine this seems normal to all you academic folk out there, but I've never dealt with a long-term project lie this before.  The deadline is approaching in a most unfriendly fashion, and although I've got enough ego for several folks, I'm beginning to realize that I don't know what the hell I'm doing.  I'm terrified of sending pages to my advisor because he's going to realize what a vapid hunk of crap they are, revoke my recommendation letter and get me kicked out of PhDland before I even get to go.  Then of course they won't let me teach the summer course (and let's face it, that may be better for all involved).  In a month and a half I'll be asking strangers if they want fries with that.

The funny thing is that I'm used to reading about how many academics have the whole 'what is the world discovers I'm a compete fraud?' complex, but for some reason, I didn't think I would get that.  But now that there are more things riding on my performance, I see myself feeling exactly that. 

I always thought the trick was never to give anyone the impression that I thought I was anything more than I am.  That way no one would ever be surprised to realize that I don't know jack and I haven't read Foucault.  I guess that plan didn't work out so well.

sigh.  7 hours is enough work on this beast today.  I'm going home. 

Shhh...

IMG_2220
Originally uploaded by Overread.

Don't tell anyone I snuck out to shoot a baseball game yesterday. I may even do it again.

Mental health vacation, doncha know?

Cinqo de Quizo

Oh Sadness!!  A9.com was my search engine o' choice for lots of reasons - You could set it up where you got regular website results and images on the same page for every search, and, which is more pertinent to this post, they would tell you when you've already been to a site.  So... That was the only way I knew if I had already used a lyric!  Now they've switched over to using Windows Live instead of Google, and alas, all is sad and not as good as it was. 

Long story short - expect to start seeing duplicates on ye olde lyrics quiz :(  I'll try to keep it to a minimum though.

So last time all went well except for no one knowing 'You Sexy Thing' by Hot Chocolate.  Maybe that's all for the good anyway.  Oh and there was mild disagreement on #10.  Sorry, New Kid, 'Babe' was indeed by Styx, not Air Supply.  See!  That why you don't have to be embarrassed about recognizing them! :)

Also, a special 'howdy' to Gary.  Good to see you 'round.

Alrighty then - now that all that's out of the way, let's get quzzin'!


1.

The music dance and sing
They make the children really ring
I'll spend the day your way
Call it morning driving thru the sound and in and out the valley

2.

It's not in the words that you told me
It's not in the way you say you're mine
It's not in the way that you came back to me
It's not in the way that your love set me free

3. This one should be worth 2 points. :)

But we can love oh yes we can love
And my brother’s back at home with his beatles and his stones
We never got it off on that revolution stuff
What a drag too many snags

4.

And the county judge, who held a grudge
Will search for evermore

5.

But I ain’t forgetting that you were once mine
But I blew it without even tryin’
Now I’m eatin’ my heart out
Tryin’ to get a letter through

6.

I got up to wash my face
When I come back to bed
Someone’s taken my place

7.

Then your innocent distractions
Hit me so hard
My emotional reaction
Caught me off guard

8.

Wherever you go, I’ll be with you.
Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you.
Whenever you need someone to lay your heart and head upon.

9.

At night, the people come and go
They talk too fast, and walk too slow

10.

and now we're six months older
And everything you want and everything you see
Is out of reach
not good enough.

Multimedia message

Multimedia message
Originally uploaded by Overread.

8.14km - 38'40

under 39 minutes!  Woot woot!  (personal record for this trail is 38'30" - ugh!  I'm... al...most... there...)

Multimedia message

Multimedia message
Originally uploaded by Overread.

Genius

80 random people + blue polo shirts and khakis + plans to politely hang out at the local Best Buy = Hilarious

8.22km - 39'08"

Almost under 39' again! :)

I Have Not I Have Not I Have NOT!

I have not wasted most of today already!  Why do I feel like I haven't done anything

• I did that stupid survey that explained how no one earning what I earn can afford to live here. 
• I answered all of those emails (including the student who had a really good question, but wasn't my student). 
• I read a nasty (but useful) article in a language that I read really slowly.
• I mapped out a bunch of things I'll need to get corralled for the summer class. (scary scary scary)
  
• I did a bit of hunting around for materials for the summer class (I think this is where I feel like I didn't get anything done because most of what I did was discover that all those sources just wont work).
• I even blogged

and the day isn't done yet.  I'm breaking for a run, then I get back to work.  Maybe I'll feel like I've accomplished something later.

Oh, and the Black Adder DVD that Netflix sent me was cracked.  Poo.

Because I Know You Were Worried,

Now the sneezing.  So.  Allergies it is. 

I've taken the antihistamine, but the true question is:  Will the cafe people throw me out because of me sneezing every 30 seconds before the medicine kicks in, or will I pound my head open on the metal table first?

Why does my body not work right!?

Sniffle

Grrr...  This is absolutely no fair.  I've been surrounded by people hacking and coughing up their individual plagues for weeks now, and I've survived.  Now, just as most everyone else is recovering (except for one colleague who I seriously think is ill on a serious scale - naturally she refuses to go to the clinic: 'They'll only give me medicine, and I won't take it.'), I start to sniffle.  I hope it's only allergies.  If this is a real illness, I'm going to... um... drink fluids and rest?  Feh...  Even my threats are pretty sickly.

A Stitch in Time Saves a Quiz

Weird stuff afoot!

I thought I was going to get Camera Obscura on the #1 question, but Bozz Skaggs and Rita Coolidge use the exact same phrase:

Outside the rain begins and it may never end
So cry no more, on the shore dream
Will take us out to the sea
Forever more, forever more

Same basic song, but different titles and the endings are different! So, I doff my hat to you Oh, most obscura of cameras!

The only one that caused grief was #10. It was Get Out the Map, by the Indigo Girls, but then you knew that already, didn’t you, you naughty googlers :)

Oh, yes, #9 – it was the Mamas and the Papas, Creeque Alley – “ain’t no body getting fat, but Mama Cass,” dontcha know?

So, on to the new tunes! um... I got carried away. There's 15 this time around. I know I should have saved some for next time, but, um... I'm an 'instant gratification' kind of guy. So... 15. Enjoy. :)

1

But you know
I'm never really sure
If you're just kissing to be clever

2

Nine a.m. on the hour hand
and she's waiting for the bell
and she's looking real pretty
just wait for her clientele

3

How I dearly wish I was not here
In the seaside town
that they forgot to bomb

4.

He got a Custom Continental
He got an El Dorado too
He got a 32 gun in his pocket for fun
He got a razor in his shoe

5

Thirteen month old baby, broke the lookin’ glass,
Seven years of bad luck, good things in your past

6

Trying to make some sense of it all,
But I can see that it makes no sense at all,
Is it cool to go to sleep on the floor,
'Cause I don't think that I can take anymore

7

See the smile a-waitin' in the kitchen,
food cookin' and the plates for two.
See the arms that reach out to hold me,
in the evening when the day is through.

8

With a little push, we could set it off.
We can send it rocketing skywards.
With a little love, we could shake it up.
Don’t you feel the comet exploding?

9

Only yesterday I was on my own
Just another day later my mind was blown
You sexy thing come into my life
Forever and a day it feels so right

10

But I’ll be lonely without you
And I’ll need your love to see me through
Please believe me, my heart is in your hands
And I’ll be missing you

11

Sit down, take a look at yourself
Don't you want to be somebody
Someday somebody's gonna see inside
You have to face up, you can't run and hide

12

’cause the free wind is blowin’ through your hair
And the days surround your daylight there
Seasons crying no despair
Alligator lizards in the air, in the air

13

She gets up and pours herself a strong one
And stares out at the stars up in the sky
Another night, it's gonna be a long one
She draws the shade and hangs her head to cry

14

Still looking for that blue jean, baby queen
Prettiest girl I ever seen
See her shake on the movie screen, Jimmy Dean

15

Well, the rain exploded with a mighty crash as we fell into the sun,
And the first one said to the second one there I hope you’re having fun.

Good News, Too

There was a post here
A naughty leak of secrets
even comments gone

Sorry to deletees corndog and zerodoll :)

Lecture Hall Cop

So the professor is ending the lecture, but there's still time left and he's still giving out information.  He's not just chatting or anything.  There are ~100 students in the class and once they figure class is wrapping up, a whole lot of students rumble around packing up and talk amongst themselves.  I look back (I'm the TA), and see one of my students in particular joking loudly to the person next to him.  Grrr... Overread gets ticked.  The professor has been having a hard time holding their interest throughout the class anyway, but we're not even halfway through the term, and I'm afraid it's only going to get worse.

So.  After class is over, I go over to the students that I saw talking and tell them that they need to be quiet while the professor is speaking.  They protested their innocence.  I was probably a bit forceful, but I don't think I was particularly nasty.  I made it clear that they were disrupting the class, and this was unacceptable. 

I know this seems minor, but it was a pretty big thing for me.  I really don't like doing that sort of thing, especially with a big audience (all of their classmates were around).

Maybe I'm just too paranoid, but I'm wondering:

• Did I see it wrong?  Were they the ones that were talking? (I'm 99% sure they were, but the 1% is killing me)
• Am I placing my frustrations with the way the class is being taught on the students? (The professor doesn't have the most powerful stage presence, and many students were rumbling and chatting.  Both of these things frustrate me.)
• Do I need to make an announcement in my sections (Yes, I do.  But what exactly will I say?)

8.28km - 39'36"

For Weak Women

Mother's Little Helper?

Wait a Minute Mr Postman

Well, joy.  I've found out that I do need my thesis committee chair's signature physically on a special piece o' paper (no faxing allowed) contrary to previous assumptions.  He's in...  Well, let's just say he's far away in a place where reliable mail service is a little less than the standard (it was suggested that I mail off three copies so that one might make it there).  The practical effect is that I'll need to have that thesis done about a week or two earlier than I had thought.  Poop.

On the plus side, just for kicks, I put all of my thesis files into one big one to see where I'm standing length wise, 'cause - hey, it beats actually writing, and it looks like, if things go well, I'll hit right around the length that I was aiming for.  It's a bit weird to see it all together though.  It's almost as if it's a single thing now.  Spooky.

On a topic-related note, a few of the amazon packages are arriving today.  What are the odds that I won't go home early and giddily rip open boxes?

Found card

IMG_1763
Originally uploaded by Overread.

Amazonian Conquest

I feel like I need to confess.  When I went to the conference a couple weeks ago, I promised myself that I wouldn't buy any books that I absolutely didn't need.  So I didn't.  I waited til I got home and I bought them all on Amazon.  Why! Oh cruel cruel dark mistress Amazon! Why must you taunt me with your universal purchasing options. 

Seriously.  So far they've broken it up into five packages.

Easy as 1-2-3

Accent: Hmmm… Well, I grew up in an accent heavy place (a bit southern-ish), and I spent a lot of time in theatre classes trying to keep a ‘mid-American standard,’ but truth be told, my accent depends on who I’m talking to. I think this happens with a lot of folks in my family. Oh, you should hear my mom talk to my grandpa – fun fun fun :)

Booze: Not much, really. I had my drinking phase (theatre world, again), but it never was that big a deal. That being said I was dragged off to two parties last weekend, which is unheard of for a hermit like myself. I took advantage of the two for one happy hour special and had way too many margaritas. Frankly though, I don’t like tequila unless it’s in a margarita or another froo froo drink. I usually go for vodka.

Chore I Hate: Um… anything! I’m a lazy lazy guy, doncha know? I did just do massive amounts of laundry and get a haircut, all in the same week, so maybe I’m getting better.

Dog or Cat: Cat cat cat cat and cat and then cat. See the thing is that I love all sorts of pets, and I grew up with a menagerie befitting my living in the countryside (seriously, at one point, we had a sheep. Lamb? Sheep. Maybe. We also had multicolored ducks and I spraypainted chicken poop fluorescent orange once, but those are other stories for other days). So the thing is I love dogs and cats, but I really really want a cat. A furry little purr-ball like the ones of Cute Overload. Yes. Of course I realize this doesn’t jibe well with my chore hating, but hey - I am large, I contain multitudes. Thanks Walt.

Essential Electronics: Yes. All of them. I should also say though, that it is refreshing to go screenless for brief stretches.

Favorite Cologne(s): I’m another in the anti-cologne camp. In junior high (?), I once saved up a huge amount of money to buy a bottle of White Linen for a birthday present the ultimate-love-of-my-life-who-I-couldn’t-be-without-and-my world-would-come crashing-down-if-she-ever-left-me-even-though-she-was-dating-that-other-guy-and-routinely-crushed-my-spirit. I was so proud of myself for casually finding out what she wore early enough that it wouldn’t seem obvious. So I gave it to her, she seemed happy and while we were talking in her bedroom (in her bedroom! Oh bliss upon bliss), I saw that she had received another bottle of the perfume from her grandmother. “She gives me a bottle every year.” Thank you. And I don’t like perfume.

Gold or Silver: Eh… Silver? I’m not really passionate either way

Hometown: Small city near a bigger city in a state that is unassuming enough that I have to regularly explain it’s location to foreigners. And some Americans, too.

Insomnia: Nope (knock wood)

Job Title: Teaching Assistant (“Lecturer” come this summer!) – Oh yeah, and all that ‘grad student’ stuff, too.

Kids: I hope so, but it seems I’m a little behind the game on that one.

Living arrangements: Uck. Small room in an awkward house under the flight path of low-flying airplanes and the rumbling tracks of the railway. It is a good biking distance from campus though.

Most admirable trait: I think my most admirable trait is to not answer certain questions.

Number of sexual partners: See above :)

Overnight hospital stays: None (still knocking on that wood. Plywood counts, right?)

Phobias: I do get vertigo, but it’s kind of attractive vertigo. I’m a bit like those little yappy dogs who run up to the bigger dog, bark and then run away, only to do it again. Each time I’ve been on the Eiffel Tower I force myself to go to the edge and then I run back and try not to notice the swaying of the whole friggin’ tower. Then I go look again.

Quote: What? I just quoted Whitman, for crying out loud! Aren’t you even paying attention?

Religion: None, although I do like the FSM

Siblings: One sister, one brother, both older. You guys probably know ‘em too :)

Time I wake up: Not as consistently as I should. Recently it’s been about 7 or so.

Unusual talent or skill: I can juggle, but only 3 items. I actually had to learn for a part in a play in college (Major Barbara). I had to juggle on stage as part of a sight-gag. Fun, but nerve-wracking.

Vegetable I refuse to eat: None! Gimme veggies! Gimme veggies! I even love brussel Sprouts and beets and oh… I’m ok with mushrooms, but it’s taken me a while to get on good terms with them...

Worst habit: Not finishing what I start. Finishing the MA while applying and negotiating the PhD thing has been a huge test of that.

X-rays: No, but I always wanted to buy the eyeglasses.

Yummy foods I make: (first of all, that was a stretch to get something that started with a 'Y') I used to make a kick-ass turkey chili, but I haven’t cooked in so long…

Zodiac sign: Leo, Ox

8.13km 39'29"

I Love The Internet

Ever wanted to argue about when to use diacritical marks?

Or hunt for a word that means "the feeling of sorrow one experiences upon finishing a really good book?"

The Ask Metafilter language tags section is the place for you!  Seriously, check Ask Metafilter's main section out too, it's a wonderfully crazy spot.

In Like a Lion, Out Like a Quiz

Quiz postmortem!

Very well done to all, even though you were out of practice, you came through with stellar results! Extra credit for Lyrical Liz and Corndog for above and beyond the call quizzing.

(oh, and it was Gary Wright who did Dream Weaver – I really thought it would be a more recognizable name. Did he do anything else?)

Now, on to the fresh meat:

1.

Outside the rain begins
And it may never end
So cry no more
On the shore, a dream
Will take us out to sea
Forever more forever more

2.

If I'm laden at all, I'm laden with sadness
That everyone's heart isn't filled with the gladness
Of love for one another

3.

And Mr. Baker, can you tell us why your secretary had to leave this town?
And shouldn't widow Jones be told to keep her window shades all pulled completely down?

4.

She’s got electric boots a mohair suit
You know I read it in a magazine

5.

Well I tried to make it sunday, but I got so damn depressed
That I set my sights on monday and I got myself undressed
I ain’t ready for the altar but I do agree there’s times
When a woman sure can be a friend of mine

6.

Does any one know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?
The searches all say they’d have made whitefish bay
If they’d put fifteen more miles behind her.

7.

Ride a white mare in the footsteps of dawn
Tryin’ to find a woman who’s never, never, never been born.
Standing on a hill in my mountain of dreams,
Telling myself it’s not as hard, hard, hard as it seems.

8.

If you wanted the moon I would
try to make a start.
But I would rather you let me give my heart

9.

In a coffee house Sebastian sat
And after every number they'd pass the hat
McGuinn and McGuire just a-gettin' higher
In L.A., you know where that's at

10.

Suzanne calls from Boston the coffee's hot the corn is high
And that same sun that warms your heart will suck the good earth dry

Cinextatic

Ok, a whirlwind of posting here, but there's more to come :)

This is Roger Ebert's 101 movies you must see before you die. I've meme-ified it to bold the ones I've seen. I'm at 38/101. It's pretty humiliating and more than enough evidence that I need to see more movies :)

Feel free to steal the meme if you are so inclined. And if you are so inclined, either lie down or sit up straight. No one likes an incliner. A recliner, sure, a barco-lounger, sure, but never an incliner.

"2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968) Stanley Kubrick

"The 400 Blows" (1959) Francois Truffaut

"8 1/2" (1963) Federico Fellini

"Aguirre, the Wrath of God" (1972) Werner Herzog

"Alien" (1979) Ridley Scott

"All About Eve" (1950) Joseph L. Mankiewicz

"Annie Hall" (1977) Woody Allen

"Bambi" (1942) Disney

"Battleship Potemkin" (1925) Sergei Eisenstein

"The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946) William Wyler

"The Big Red One" (1980) Samuel Fuller

"The Bicycle Thief" (1949) Vittorio De Sica

"The Big Sleep" (1946) Howard Hawks

"Blade Runner" (1982) Ridley Scott

"Blowup" (1966) Michelangelo Antonioni

"Blue Velvet" (1986) David Lynch

"Bonnie and Clyde"
(1967) Arthur Penn

"Breathless" (1959 Jean-Luc Godard

"Bringing Up Baby" (1938) Howard Hawks

"Carrie" (1975) Brian DePalma

"Casablanca"
(1942) Michael Curtiz

"Un Chien Andalou" (1928) Luis Bunuel & Salvador Dali

"Children of Paradise"
/ "Les Enfants du Paradis" (1945) Marcel Carne

"Chinatown"
(1974) Roman Polanski

"Citizen Kane" (1941) Orson Welles

"A Clockwork Orange"
(1971) Stanley
Kubrick

"The Crying Game" (1992) Neil Jordan

"The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951) Robert Wise

"Days of Heaven" (1978) Terence Malick

"Dirty Harry" (1971) Don Siegel

"The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie" (1972)
Luis Bunuel

"Do the Right Thing" (1989 Spike Lee

"La Dolce Vita" (1960) Federico Fellini

"Double Indemnity" (1944) Billy Wilder

"Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and
Love the Bomb" (1964) Stanley
Kubrick

"Duck Soup" (1933) Leo McCarey

"E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" (1982) Steven
Spielberg

"Easy Rider" (1969) Dennis Hopper

"The Empire Strikes Back" (1980) Irvin Kershner

"The Exorcist" (1973) William Friedkin

"Fargo"
(1995) Joel & Ethan Coen

"Fight Club" (1999) David Fincher

"Frankenstein" (1931) James Whale

"The General" (1927) Buster Keaton & Clyde
Bruckman

"The Godfather," "The Godfather, Part
II" (1972, 1974) Francis Ford Coppola

"Gone With the Wind" (1939) Victor Fleming

"GoodFellas" (1990) Martin Scorsese

"The Graduate" (1967) Mike Nichols

"Halloween" (1978) John Carpenter

"A Hard Day's Night" (1964) Richard Lester

"Intolerance" (1916) D.W. Griffith

"It's A Gift" (1934) Norman Z. McLeod

"It's a Wonderful Life" (1946) Frank Capra

"Jaws" (1975) Steven Spielberg

"The Lady Eve" (1941) Preston
Sturges

"Lawrence of Arabia" (1962) David Lean

"M" (1931) Fritz Lang

"Mad Max 2" / "The Road Warrior" (1981)
George Miller

"The Maltese Falcon" (1941) John Huston

"The Manchurian Candidate" (1962) John
Frankenheimer

"Metropolis" (1926) Fritz Lang

"Modern Times" (1936) Charles Chaplin

"Monty Python and the Holy Grail" (1975) Terry
Jones & Terry Gilliam

"Nashville"
(1975) Robert Altman

"The Night of the Hunter" (1955) Charles Laughton

"Night of the Living Dead" (1968) George Romero

"North by Northwest" (1959) Alfred Hitchcock

"Nosferatu" (1922) F.W. Murnau

"On the Waterfront" (1954) Elia Kazan

"Once Upon a Time in the West" (1968) Sergio Leone

"Out of the Past" (1947) Jacques Tournier

"Persona" (1966) Ingmar Bergman

"Pink Flamingos" (1972) John Waters

"Psycho" (1960) Alfred Hitchcock

"Pulp Fiction" (1994) Quentin Tarantino

"Rashomon" (1950) Akira Kurosawa

"Rear Window" (1954) Alfred Hitchcock

"Rebel Without a Cause" (1955) Nicholas Ray

"Red River" (1948) Howard Hawks

"Repulsion" (1965) Roman Polanski

"Rules of the Game" (1939) Jean Renoir

"Scarface" (1932) Howard Hawks

"The Scarlet Empress" (1934) Josef von Sternberg

"Schindler's List" (1993) Steven Spielberg

"The Searchers" (1956) John Ford

"The Seven Samurai" (1954) Akira Kurosawa

"Singin' in the Rain" (1952) Stanley Donen &
Gene Kelly

"Some Like It Hot" (1959) Billy Wilder

"A Star Is Born" (1954) George Cukor

"A Streetcar Named Desire" (1951) Elia Kazan

"Sunset Boulevard" (1950) Billy Wilder

"Taxi Driver" (1976) Martin Scorsese

"The Third Man" (1949) Carol Reed

"Tokyo Story" (1953) Yasujiro Ozu

"Touch of Evil" (1958) Orson Welles

"The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" (1948) John
Huston

"Trouble in Paradise" (1932) Ernst Lubitsch

"Vertigo" (1958) Alfred Hitchcock

"West Side Story" (1961) Jerome Robbins/Robert
Wise

"The Wild Bunch" (1969) Sam Peckinpah

"The Wizard of Oz" (1939) Victor Fleming

Today's Mission

Haircut

Result:  Nearly bald.

I Annoy Even Myself

I really hate people who wine about good fortune, but I'm going to do so.  I just got an email from a uni that I'm 99% sure I'm not going to attend (To be brutally honest, they're a very good school, but not in the same league as the #1 on my list).  The email offered a pretty generous fellowship for the entirety of the PhD program.  See, here's the thing.  I'm really excited, because that's not that common, and it's very cool to be selected (even if I imagine at this date, I'm probably not the first person to be offered this fellowship).

I haven't sent out the 'thanks but no' emails yet because I haven't gotten the final acceptance letter from #1, so I'm delaying on the reply to the fellowship email.  I wonder if there's a way to explain how grateful I am while saying I'm not going there. 

See - even in the midst of great good news, I can still be fretful :)

Oh yes, and I'm not running today.  I'm going out to eat and heading off to a birthday party tonight and another one tomorrow.  Look at me being all social and stuff.

If I had my druthers, I'd probably stay home. :)

8.17km - 39'54"

Guess how far I've run this year?

256km! Thats about 159 miles! yea me!

Sigh

If I hand you a list of names folded over with the names on the back side crossed out in pen and say two times, "Don't do x with the people on the back of the paper. We need to talk to them first," It'd be cool if you didn't do x with them until we could talk to them.

But here's the fun. I did explain it, but I feel guilty for the crapfest that's going to come down. It's not even going to lead to any trouble on my end. It's going to be all falling on the guy who didn't listen. But I feel guilty still. Maybe I should have marked the names off with a sharpie. Maybe I should have shooed him away and done it myself. Maybe I didn't explain things clearly.

ugh. I'm going home.

So Bummed

The "free massages for grad students" notice neglected to say that they only had 2 masseuses. By the time I got there, there was a sad dazed line of folks sitting out on the patch of grass. The last woman in line told me that she was about an hour away from the front of the line. I've got class in just a little bit, so no massage for Overread. :(

There was another table set up giving out coupons to grad folks, though, so I got a coupon at least. Funny thing was that the woman at the coupon table offered coupons to the folks in line - "come on over and I'll give some coupons!" Three people in line said almost in chorus, "I can't leave the line" in a kind of desperate drugged voice.

Grad students, part of the second best job in the whole world! By the by, I wonder if they factored the salary of TAs into their rosy picture

If It Were A Quiz, It Would've Bit You

Wow, I'm not even sure I remember how to do this :)

Thanks to Zerodoll (although I was really hoping she would drunk blog too) and Jayfish for kicking me in the tush and making me start this up again :)

1.

Lotta places I've been, lotta names, lotta words
No one compares to my real gone girl
Lighten up baby, I'm in love with you

2.

I call you on the telephone my
voice too rough with cigarettes.
I sometimes feel I should just go home
but I'm dealing with a memory that never forgets

3.

I felt a rush like a rolling bolt of thunder
Spinnin' my head around and taking my body under.

4.

You talk, talk, you talk to me
Your eyes touch me physically
Stay with me, we'll take the night
As passion takes another bite

5.

How many times must I tell you babe,
How many bridges I’ve got to cross?
How many times must I explain myself
Before I can talk to the boss,

6.

Fly me high through the starry skies
Maybe to an astral plane
Cross the highways of fantasy
Help me to forget todays pain

7.

Know it sounds funny
But I just can't stand the pain
Girl I'm leaving you tomorrow
Seems to me girl
You know I've done all I can

8.

Oh my love you’re so good
Treating me so cruel
There you go with your fancy lies
Leavin’ me lookin’ like a dumbstruck fool

9.

He’s tearin’ you apart
Every day, every day
He’s tearin’ you apart
Oh girl what can you say?

10.

Listen to the wind blow
Watch the sun rise
Run in the shadows
Damn your love
Damn your lies

Where'd They All Go?

Also, in case you're wondering where all the Eastern Orthodox, or maybe the Unitarians are, you can check here. What can I say, I'm a sucker for maps.

I'm Appreciated!

The department took out the office folk and the grad folk out to eat tonight for some kind of appreciation week. Tomorrow, we get free 10-minute massages and 'frozen treats' from the university. Good times, good times...

Cool thing was that for dinner, I got a plantain sandwich. That's a sandwich that uses fried plantain as the 'bread.' I chose falafel as the innards. Extraordinarily yummy. Oh yes, and sweet potato french fries. num num. I'd never been to that restaurant as it's a bit out of my regular biking circle, but I think I'll have to go back.

And it's all good, because I went on a run today too!

8.20km - 39'36" (getting closer to my pre-conference lazy days time :) )

Originally uploaded by Overread.

State of the Overread

I'm feeling a bit distanced from my thesis right now, which is not a good thing, to be sure. Crunch time has begun and I really need to be churning out some pages, but I can't seem to get back into it. The last few months have been so busy that I've lost the habit of writing often. That seems to be the key. When I'm writing often, even if I end up deleting a lot (which I do), at least my brain is tumbling around in the general area of where it should be. I'm going to try to ease myself back into writing a bit today by starting with a dip into the readings for the class I'm TAing. The readings are tangentially related, so I'm hoping that I might get a bit of a click.

Also, because this seems to work for Profgrrrrl, has anyone seen that book? You know, the one I was looking at maybe using for the summer class? Um... 'cause I can't find it. Did I lend it out? Anyway, if you see it, just stamp 'Overread' on it and drop it in a mailbox. Thanks.

The Simpsons - Cultural Phenomenon or Linguistic Puzzle?

Why not both?

The Jabberwocky Of Authors

Pure genius

I wonder if I could fit "he kiplinged in his joy" into casual conversation?

I'm Not In Kansas Anymore

Who would have thought that not running for two and a half (help) weeks and then going on a 8km run would have a downside? Well, I'm sore. I was sore yesterday, but I thought it would be better today. Not so.

I have an 8am class of Fridays and I wasn't entirely prepared, so I woke up at 5:30. When I stood up - woooo the things were still a' burnin'. So I trundle outside to get on my bike and get to the office, and oh. It's raining. Really really raining. So, on with the rain gear and off I go. The rain gets heavier. The wind picks up. By the time I get to campus I'm seeing branches blow across the street - branches that were very recently on trees. Of course, when class started the wind died and the rain dropped to a drizzle.

Anyway, the lesson I'm taking is that the world doesn't want me to really work today. The rain's picked up again, so I'm not going to run (maybe tomorrow). I've finished my 'must do today' work, and so I'm going home. I've got a brand spanking new desk copy book that I can curl up with (up with which I can curl?), and the pattering rain on the window will sound so nice.

The downside is that I've got to bike through all that again to get home :(

Sidewalk After a Rainy Day

My firewall is popping up all sorts of worm attack attempts. Someone must be after me...

Originally uploaded by Overread.

Running In the Sunning

Wow, Don't run for 2 and a help weeks and you get slower. Will wonders never cease?

8.23km - 41'02"

Stomach Gone Twisty

Ok. Hold on, this may take a bit.

I didn't want to talk directly about this before I knew more, but I did mention I got to talk to two of my potential PhD advisors at the Conference of Doom last weekend. One was from a school I did get in and one was from a school I got waitlisted for. Here's the breakdown:

Old School School (OSS?):

• I would have to reread a lot of pre-PhD classes - would probably add 2 years on to the PhD trail
• Very strict - don't graduate until you get it place. 10 years? no problem.
• Funding very tight
  
• Up and coming department in a very well-respected university
• Really good sub-field of Gruub studies folks to work with
• My subfield of Gruub studies is solid there, but in the process of building (up and coming, don't you know)
  
• Advisor is good, youngish and also up and coming
• Gorgeous location

Famous Urban Uni (FUU?):

• My MA would be very well received there so I could go straight into the PhD
• timetable oriented. They want you on track and headed toward graduation. This is good and bad, really. I'm an older grad for my field, and I'd like to get the PhD and get out there soonish, but I'm not sure if I would feel rushed.
• Hugely well-known, world famous uni
• My sub-field of Gruub studies is very strong there, but the sub-field that I need to work on might be a bit weaker than OSS
  
• Advisor is very well established, has written books that I've got on my shelf and dig. His reputation is quite strong (I'm already thinking recommendation letters, how mercenary is that?)
• Very urban location - lots of opportunities, but all the ick that comes with big sprawl (can you guess it yet?)

So here's the kicker. I talked to the FUU advisor last weekend and he seemed very encouraging. My writing sample wasn't exactly what they were looking for and so they placed me lower on their lists (hence the waitlist), but I explained why the writing sample was a bit unconventional, and he seemed to understand. We chatted for a while and seemed to get along well. He said he was really glad we got a chance to talk and that he'd go back and double check on my application.

I got an email today.

acceptance with guaranteed first year TAship.

So...

I'm really excited, but I'm not sure what to do with myself.

(read in a stunned voice) I think I'm going to FUU (need a better acronym though).

The funny thing is that when I talked to the OSS potential advisor, he asked what my other options were and I mentioned FUU and the advisor there. OSS advisor said, "Wow. If I were a grad student again, I'd go there and work with him."

Home Again Home Again, Jiggidy Jig

I made it back from conference-land with only a minimum flight delay (Also, by flight was listed as taking me to Dallas instead of home. I didn't want to go to Dallas.)

In any case, I've been running around like crazy lately, so I haven't had time to really digest everything I saw and did, but all in all I think things went well. I got to meet with two potential advisors from different schools, catch up with a couple people I haven't seen in a while (have I even been in this field long enough to have 'I haven't seen you in a while' people?). And I was even recognized by a prof who I took a class from a couple of years ago - he's at Hoity Toity Ivy now. He even deigned to chat a little.

Ah, more to come. I've got class paperwork that's calling and it's gonna be a loooong day.

"Burritos"

Originally uploaded by Overread.

Notes From The 5th Row

• Guy reading directly from paper zombie-like makes finger quotes several words after the word he meant to finger quote
• Members of the panel look zombie-like while listening to paper. Are they listening?
  
• Dude is a good speaker, but the mic is having a tough time picking up his voice because his head is buried in his paper. Seriously, his neck is at like a 90 degree angle. That can't be comfortable
• More mic troubles. Ma'am, please be aware of your swaying. back and forth and back and forth and back and forth. Leads to: quiet quiet quiet, mumble mumble LOUD LOUD LOUD mumble mumble LOUD mumble quiet quiet. What was your topic again?
  
• Macs are also not immune from the powerpoint curse. The cable will not truck any type of computer. Woe be to those who needed visual aids for this panel.
• (completely different panel) Overhead projector? Might as well bring out the campfire so we can make shadow puppets on the wall. They could have at least got one that had consistent focus. Here's a headache potion
• It's so sad to see the fleeing of audience members after the big name has finished her paper. The next presentation was a good one, too
• A monotonous tone can make even the most interesting topic duller than a pair of kindergarten scissors.

Forgotten

on this trip:

Eyeglasses
Contact case
Saline solution
Ethernet cable
Conference registration material - including my 'Hello my name is' tag

feh!

Horray!

I got to see the nieces last night, and they are truly sweet beyond understanding. There was much My Little Pony-ing and a good time was had by all. Number 1 niece is a flat out genius. She's already running a laptop like a wiz. But, oh, niece number 2 is only a year old, but is already showing an interest in books! Well, it's in tossing books from the bookshelf, true, but still!

I think I'm even becoming a little more recognizable to them too, which is amazing, considering I hardly ever get a chance to see them.

Ah, they're just beautiful. I'm sure we got them so wound up that they didn't go to sleep for hours though hehe.

Originally uploaded by Overread.

Originally uploaded by Overread.

I'm Leeeeeavin' On A Jet Plane!

I am such the jet-setter. I've got a meeting at 11, a lecture at 12:30 and a flight to catch a little after that. I'm flying off to Monster Conference which is nearby the Land of Wonderful Nieces (and Brother too!), so I get to go to there and enjoy both MonCon and family!

Oh, and despite my late email, potential advisor at Prospect #1 Uni has graciously agreed to meet with me and chat about my potential future there. Yea!

Also, and even more terrifying/thrilling:

The summer class schedules came out and I am listed as the instructor for my two summer classes. What is the world was this university thinking hiring me?! Don't they know what they're doing? Don't they know I will most likely... um... break their students?

And finally, why no, no I haven't packed yet, why do you ask?

The Emmy Goes To...

The Little Professor

She's simply much funnier than she has any right to be.

more videos

here

An American Revolution

So, it seems that Chevy thought it would be cool to allow random folks on the internet build commercials for them. Brilliant, right? Who needs all those ad execs anyway?

Hilarity ensues.

Enjoy the videos: (more here)

Originally uploaded by Overread.

Apropos of Nothing...

Note to all the ladies out there:

When the bathroom trash can has just been emptied (mind you this is a bathroom used by four people and the only option most of the time), perhaps there might be a better place to throw away your dingy thong.

It's been sitting there all alone for days now. Maybe I should give it a decent burial shroud of toilet paper so I don't have to look at it.

No Fair

I want my hour back.

"Making Eye Babies" Not Allowed

I'm not sure if everyone saw this during my down time, but it's pretty good. This whole college sounds like a fraternity prank.

Pensacola College: If Bob Jones seems a little too permissive for you. Just don't try to transfer the credits or get a job with the degree you got there.

My Own Little World

Why is it that I am so unable to be social?

Even when it is in my best interests, it’s very difficult for me. I just had a long conversation with an advisor who repeated what many other folks had told me: It would be perfectly acceptable to email potential advisors from potential PhD programs who will be at the upcoming conference and ask to meet with them.

This would be very good for me because it would give me an opportunity to meet with them and gauge personalities and see what the programs would be like and maybe get a taste of the atmosphere and all that good stuff.

So why is it so hard for me to send the emails?

Am I afraid that they’ll think I’m pushy?
Am I afraid they’ll say no?
Am I afraid they’ll say yes?
Am I generally happy thinking that if I do nothing, people will naturally feel my brilliance and rain opportunities and funding down upon my head? Well, maybe so…

So I sent the emails.

Inbox = 0

Woohoo! It can be done! For 90% of them, I could have just pasted "No." as a response and been done with it, but alas, I'm a verbose little twit.

Biking Blues

Now I'm a very pro-biking, anti driving-two-blocks-to-pick-up-a-gallon-of-milk kind of guy myself, but I'm quick to admit the troubles of biking. Number one is weather of course. I'm lucky enough to live in a land of perpetual spring and roses, but when it does get rainy, it goes all monsoon-style. It's been doing that a lot lately. I bought some nice rain gear, even a backpack rain cover, and that seems to be working well.

Yesterday however, sadness struck. I got a flat on the way home. Poop. Luckily, I wasn't in a hurry or anything and I was close to the grocery store that has a nice bike rack, so I walked my sad bike over there and locked him up. This also gave me an excuse to go in and get a 70% dark chocolate bar for the rest of the walk home. Num. Although I do wonder if the guy who saw me take all the stealable things off my bike thought I was being thiefy. And I've got the Audible.com audiobook thing going, so even though it was still about a mile or so from home, it didn't seem too bad. (I'm now listening to this book - very fun)

So today I got to hoof it back to the grocery store, get the bike, walk it over to the bike shop and get a new tube & tire put on it while I ate lunch. Yes, yes, I am able to do it myself, but I'm lazy. Like so many stores, the bike shop is dangerous. They had a very cool high candlepower headlight and a cool ergonomic seat that almost found their way into my purchase.

Anywhoo, story of little import, but just another excuse to say that I love biking instead of driving. I should also say that I don't even have a car, so it might be a case of making a virtue of necessity. The way things are panning out, I'm probably going to be going to a very different climatic world to read my PhD. I think I'll still be able to bike, but it's going to be much more challenging - fun!

The DTs

I’m not dead yet!
I’ve been on a several day bender.  I’m a wild guy, ya know.  I apologize for not at least posting a ‘gone fishing’ sign.  
I’ve been doing all sorts of wild and crazy things like getting a full night’s sleep and eating and watching movies. 
I got on the Netflix trial plan and so far it’s pretty fun.  I finally watched Good Night and Good Luck, which was quite good, but I may have over-hyped it in my mind.   I’ve also watched some good guilty-pleasure flicks like the Clone War cartoon series and Sahara.  Tonight is Breakfast at Tiffany’s – I know, I know, I’ve never seen it, ok?  The shame of it all!
Important lessons learned:
-          Eating an obscene amount of black licorice while grading monster essay exams will lead to monster intestinal distress.  I’m not sure if it was the quality of the exams or the quantity of licorice that did it though.
-          Loss of water weight from intestinal distress is a great way to lose weight.
-          I am still very subject to addiction to video games.
Digression:
My brother and I were very early adopters of computer game joy.  It all started with pong.  We actually had a pong console.  How cool is that?  The early real danger was from the Atari 2600.  Ah, Adventure, what a wonderful game.  I never did get good about catching the bombs in my water buckets though.  Later we moved in the land of C64 games.  I have wonderful memories of spending long long cold hours in the freezing room which had the computer.  We would both be wrapped in piles of blankets with a space heater at our feet.  One of us would be the designated map-maker while the other would direct the combat of our merry band of characters.  He did the best maps – we went through pads of graph paper.  Also required for our adventures were massive cups of heavily sugared tea and unending bags or tortilla chips with gallons of salsa.  It’s a pity we didn’t have Costco back then. 
In any case, my reward for hitting my weight loss goal was to buy a video game.  It’s good.  I’ve lost many hours of usefulness already.  I better bore of it before class starts up again next week or else I’m in a lot of trouble.

Imagine...

Overread...

crawling across the desert. He is bedraggled. His lips are cracked. His clothes are torn - he has tied a shirt around his head to shield himself from the merciless rays of the sun. He crests a dune and sees before him an oasis of crisp pure water. That oasis is his only chance for salvation.

It's only 9 papers away. I'm into the single digits. Finally.

By the way, I know it's all a mirage. I've still got the monster 3 hour essay exams to grade after that, but hey, the oasis is a goal to strive for, even when I know the sweet clear water will only turn to silica grit in my teeth.

Bonus cafe stories:

There's another group of graders across from me. One howler they got must have been especially good. The guy reading in burst out laughing. He tossed the paper to his friend who also started laughing - loudly. All I heard was the quote, "Monkeys all over campus!" talk about intriguing. It could be as good as Snakes on a Plane

Also, dude over there reeks of pot.

Also, dude behind me is trying to sing along with the jazz standards on Starbucks Radio. He's failing miserably.

Running Rumbling Tumbling Tummy

8.32km - 38'39"

I almost trod on a black furry caterpillar. It was most distressing.

Also: Although the skittles, they call to me, it might not be the best idea to eat a bag before going on a run.

You Can Tell I'm Grading, Can't You?

Taken from Metafilter's Ask pages

Q Why does Lenin drink peppermint tea?
A Because all proper tea is theft.

Karl Marx goes to visit his friend Friedrich Engels, they have tea and cake, and Marx excuses himself to use the bathroom. As he flushes the toilet, he hears the unmistakable sound of a string quartet. He shrugs and goes back to Engels.
Over the next few weeks, Marx continues to visit Engels and use his bathroom, and every time he flushes, there's the sound of a string quartet.
Finally he confronts Engels: "Look Friedrich, every time I flush your toilet, I hear a string quartet, what's that all about?"
"Oh that," says Engels, "That's the violins inherent in the cistern."

An angel appeared at a university faculty meeting and told the dean that in return for his exemplary behavior, the Lord would reward him with his choice of infinite wealth, wisdom or beauty. Without hesitating, the dean selected infinite wisdom. "Done," the angel said, then disappeared. The other faculty members looked at the dean, who was surrounded by a halo of light. One colleague said, "Say something wise.” The dean sighed and said, "I should have taken the money." - Playboy's Party Jokes

Originally uploaded by Overread.

Holy Hacking, Batman!

Giant exam today. Is there any place more unhealthy than a lecture hall in the spring full of people taking a 3-hour exam that is crucial to their grade? I haven't heard so much hacking and coughing and wheezing since that supporters of Philip Morris convention I stumbled into. Yeesh. I'm almost fully recovered from the ick that I got earlier, but how can my poor immune system hold out against that assault?

(And but the way, the (electronic) stack of papers that I have left to grade seems to be multiplying. Anyone have any essay prophylactics? And anyway, add another 50 essay exams to that pile. Happy spring break!)

Treadmillin'

9.9km - 45'

V For Vendetta

I just got back from seeing “V for Vendetta.” I know, I know, frivolous frivolous.  Shouldn’t I be grading?  Well, yes, but I am now getting ready to grade, so the day still will be productive, so there.  Now that I think about it, productive may be a bit ambitious, but it’s best that I not think to hard about that lest I become sad.

The movie!  I should first say that I’m getting rid of the X out of ten review system.  I’ve never really liked how it makes certain movies ‘equal’ when they ain’t.

As I’ve mentioned about other movies, I was pretty well-disposed to this one before I went in the cinema, so there wasn’t much chance that I’d not like it.  So, big surprise – I liked it.  I liked it quite a bit.

There aren’t many blow-em-up movies with genuinely thoughtful ideas, and, while there are some over-wrought speeches, the film pushes its ideas across with minimum vocal soap-boxing.  The points it does push well – generally around the theme of ‘the slide to authoritarianism comes from fear’ come through clearly though.  I imagine that much of this depth of story is probably due to the background of the comic book (graphic novel?) from which the film is drawn, but I haven’t read them, so I couldn’t say.

The world, a fascist Britain, is very convincing, and they’ve gone to great pains to weave familiar points into the story.  It’s easy to recognize the talking head ideologues in the films ‘Voice of London.’  Stephen Fry (who I still think of as the guy in the old Black Adder show) comes through as a mash-up of Graham Norton and Benny Hill – complete with sped up tape of a chase sequence to that Benny Hill tune.  That the Voice of London is a drugged up egotist shouldn’t seem that far from our world, but his vitriol is simply take a few steps forward.  Fry’s character is similarly pushed a bit beyond, but is still very recognizable.  

Another wonderful problem is central to the ambivalence that a lot of folks seem to be feeling about the movie.  ‘V’ is branded a terrorist, and it’s hard to argue that he’s not one.  He assassinates, spreads chaos, and well, terrorizes, and yet we are led to sympathize with him.  The movie does depict gruesome, bloody death, but only that of evil men and their henchmen.  The henchmen are often ‘Fingermen,’ the film’s version of brownshirts, as in the opening scene when the lead is saved from being raped by them, but they’re also occasionally just cops.  That which he attacks is undeniably evil, so are his bombings and killings excused?  

I hope that people who take a blind faith point of view toward our current situation go see this movie.  I hope that they are drawn in to the film because they think Natalie Portman is hot, or because they liked Batman.   And I hope they think a little about the story.

All that bather said, it’s a very entertaining movie.  The filming is done quite nicely.  The expressions of a motionless Guy Fawkes are captured well through angles and lighting.  The acting is generally good – certainly above par for an action movie, which is, after all, what category this film will fill.  The fight-scenes are handled well in a suitably comic-bookish way, but without too much over-the-top super-heroics.  

So without recourse to an X/10 system, I’ll just say I highly recommend this movie.  And anyway, Natalie Portman is hot.

Follow Me, Your Considerate Leader

Considerate Leader
(mouse-over for absolute truths about my personality!)

It's not nearly as cool as The Dear Leader, The Great Leader (or a little classier, the Eternal President), The Great Helmsman, Il Duce, Der Fuhrer, Man Of Steel (sorry Supes, you ain't the one!).... Hmm... Lenin doesn't seem to have a cool name like that, does he?

iMeme

(note that I'm blogging a lot, so it must mean I have a lot of work I should be doing - big surprise)

Now I don't actually have an iPod, mainly because they are popular, and I do my best to avoid popular things unless there aren't any other options, and in this case there are not only more options, but, in my humble opinion, better ones. I like the Zen Micro, it's got a radio receiver, recorder and a removable battery - beat that Jobs! :)

Ok, that being said, almost all I've got on the Zen are audiobooks (right now is Mike Wallace's bio - it's surprisingly bland) Sooooo, I'll use the Yahoo unlimited station built on my preferences. Here we go!

1. How does the world see me?
"One For My Baby" Sinatra [Ah, Is this why all the gals think I'd be good for someone else?]

2. Will I have a happy life?
"Voices Carry" Til Tuesday [So, I'll be happy as long as I'm quiet?]

3. What do my friends really think of me?
"Afternoons and Coffeespoons" Crash Test Dummies (a song about getting old; either they think I'm old or really relaxed)

4. Do people secretly lust after me?
"When All Is Said And Done" Abba [So they do, but not until later? Great.]

5. How can I make myself happy?
"Point of Know Return" Kansas [ummm... First off, I didn't know it was spelled that way. Secondly, huh?]

6. What should I do with my life?
"Closer to the Heart" Rush" [Interesting...]

7. Will I ever have children?
Tune" Paul Simon [Ok, now the iMeme spirits are just being coy]

8. What is some good advice for me?
"Mammal" They Might Be Giants [umm, ok... Good advice indeed...]

9. How will I be remembered?
"Miracles" Jefferson Starship [That's positive at least :)]

10. What is my signature dancing song?
"Skin and Bones" The Sundays [This fits - I'm not sure anyone could dance to this song - Or is this because of the wight loss? hehe]

11. What do I think my current theme song is?
"Janie's Got A Gun - Water Song" Aerosmith [That's a little scary]

12. What does everyone else think my theme song is?
"Ride Like The Wind" Christopher Cross [Well, I am on my way to another university]

13. What song will play at my funeral?
"Addicted to Love" Robert Palmer [Oh, my! That would be hilarious! Could I get the expressionless musicians from the video to dance behind my casket, too?]

14. What type of men/women do I like?
"Drive My Car" Bobby McFerrin [I don't even have a car. Is that why I don't have a girlfriend?]

15. What is my day going to be like?
"Short Skirt/Long Jacket" Cake [Are you kidding? I'm not even going to put on shoes today, much less a long jacket... or a skirt, for that matter]

Oh No

Please, if you value productivity at all, for god's sake do not click on this link.

Remember, you've been warned.

Aww...

Almost All Hobbes You are 10% Calvin and 90% Hobbes

You're a clever tiger with a dash of little boy. A bit pessimistic about human nature, you think most people would be better as meals than as friends, and maybe you're right. At least, I've known several guys who fit that description. But your cannabalistic streak notwithstanding, you're a sensitive, (mostly) patient, and supportive friend. You have a few wild ideas here and there, but over all, you're quite sensible. Finally, my guess is you're the kind of person who gets along well with others, but who really needs space to be alone, like me.

My test tracked 2 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 0% on calvin You scored higher than 99% on hobbes

Link: The Calvin Or Hobbes Test written by gwendolynbooks on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

The picture scares me a bit though

Random Ramblings

Well, I apologize for the lack of blogging. I'm slowing getting back to speed (although only one run this week -bad, bad overread), but I'm still feeling a bit icky. And I've got a stack of papers that don't seem to be grading themselves. Oh yeah, and the massive three hour exams are coming in for me to grade on Monday.

sigh.

I need a break.

Luckily there is a break on the horizon. Maybe it'll mean a movie (V for Vendetta?) Maybe it'll mean more blogging. Maybe it will mean a prize for my weight loss goal being reached (more or less, I'm not going to obsess - I hit -25 pounds) I wanted to get two weigh-ins under a certain number, but I figure I'm ok, so I'm going on to the 'maintain' phase.

Maybe it'll mean a few music quizzes :)

I'm a Failure

I would completely fail the 8th grade final exam for those poor students in Salina, Kansas in 1895.