Couch Potato(e)

Via the most lucky of buzzes

Bolded ones that I've watched and italicized ones I've never heard of - this should be disturbing...

The quick answer is that I like the Beeb and cartoons, old shows and in general I've watched way too much TV in my time.

24
4400, The
7th Heaven

Absolutely Fabulous
Adam-12
Addams Family, The
Adventures of the Gummi Bears
Aeon Flux
ALF
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alias
All Creatures Great And Small
All in the Family
America's Next Top Model
American Dad
Andy Griffith Show, The
Angel
Arrested Development
A-Team, The
Avengers, The

Babylon 5
Babylon 5: Crusade
Batman
Batman:the Animated Series
Battlestar Galactica (the new one)
Battlestar Galactica (the old one)
Baywatch
Beavis & Butthead
Ben 10
Beverly Hillbillies, The
Brady Bunch, The
Beverly Hills 90210
Bewitched
Blackadder
Blossom
Bonanza
Boondocks, The
Bosom Buddies
Boy Meets World
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Bug Juice

Carnivale
Carol Burnett Show, The
Chappelle's Show
Charlie's Angels
Charmed
Cheers
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers
CHiPS
Closer, The
Code Lyoko
Cold Case Files
Columbo
Commander in Chief
Cosby Show, The
Coupling [BBC]
Coupling [the NBC series that got cancelled]
Courtship of Eddie's Father, The
Cowboy Bebop
Crossing Jordan
CSI
CSI: Miami
CSI: NY
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Cybll

Daily Show, The
Danny Kaye Show, The
Danny Phantom
Daria
Dark Angel
Dark Shadows
Dark Skies
Darkwing Duck
Dawson's Creek
Dead Like Me
Dead Zone, The
Deadwood
Degrassi: The Next Generation
Designing Women
Desperate Housewives
Dharma & Greg
Diagnosis Murder
Dick Van Dyke Show, The
Different Strokes
Dinosaurs
Doctor Who
Dragnet
DuckTales
Due South

Ellen
Emergency!
Entourage
ER
Everwood
Everybody Loves Raymond

Facts of Life
Family Guy
Family Ties
Farscape
Father Ted
Fawlty Towers
Felicity
Firefly
Flintstones, The
Flying Nun, The
Frasier
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The
Friends
Fury
Futurama

Gargoyles
Get Smart
Gilligan's Island
Gilmore Girls
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Golden Girls, The
Goodies, The
Green Acres
Green Wing
Grey's Anatomy
Growing Pains
Gunsmoke

Hannah Montana
Happy Days
Hell's Kitchen
Henry Rollins Show, The
Hercules
Honeymooners, The
Hogan's Heroes
Home Improvement
Homicide: Life on the Street
House

I Dream of Jeannie
I Love Lucy
Incredible Hulk, The
Inuyasha
Invader Zim
Invasion

JAG
Jackass
Jeffersons, The
Jetsons, The
Joey
Johnny Bravo
Jonny Quest
Junniper Lee
Justice League, The

Kingdom Hospital
Knight Rider

L Word, The
Land of the Lost
Laugh-In
Law & Order
Law & Order: SVU
Law & Order: CI
Little House on the Prairie
Lizzie McGuire
Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Lost
Lost in Space
Love, American Style
Love Boat, The

M*A*S*H
MacGyver
Malcolm in the Middle
Married… With Children
Melrose Place
Miami Vice
Millennium
Mission: Impossible
Monk
Monkees, The
Mork & Mindy
Mr. Ed
Muppets Tonight
Murder She Wrote
My Favorite Martian
My Three Sons
My Two Dads
Magician, The
Man From U.N.C.L.E., The
Munsters, The
Muppet Show, The
My So-Called Life
My World and Welcome To It

NCIS
Night Gallery
Nip/Tuck
Northern Exposure
Numb3rs
One Tree Hill
Oz
O.C., The
Office (UK), The
Office (US), The
Outer Limits, The
Outlaw Star

Penn & Teller's Bullshit!
Perry Mason
Pokemon
Power Rangers
Pretender, The
Prison Break
Profiler
Project Runway
Quantum Leap
Queer As Folk (US)
Queer as Folk (British)
Quincy ME
Real World, The

Red Dwarf
ReGenesis
Rescue Me
Road Rules
ROME
Roseanne
Rose of Versailles, The
Roswell

Sailor Moon
Saved by the Bell
Scrap Heap Challenge
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?
Scrubs
Seinfeld
Sex and the City
Six Feet Under
Shield, The
Simpsons, The
Six Million Dollar Man, The
Smallville
Smothers Brother’s Comedy Hour, The
Sopranos, The
So Weird
South Park
Spaced
Spongebob Squarepants
Star Trek
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Enterprise
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate SG-1
Suite Life of Zack and Cody, The
Superman
Supernatural
Surface
Survivor

Third Watch
Three's Company
Top Chef
Top Gear
Taxi
Teen Titans
That 70's Show
That's So Raven
Transformers, The
Twilight Zone, The
Twin Peaks

Veronica Mars
Venture Brothers, The

Waking the Dead
Waltons, The
Whose Line is it Anyway? (UK and US)
Will and Grace
Wings
Without A Trace
West Wing, The
Wild, Wild West, The
Wonder Years, The

X-Files, The
Xena
Xiaolin Showdown
Young Ones, The
Zorro

Yikes!

I don't off the face of the blogging world for a few days and when I come back there are 150 blog posts to read! 

No real news here - I'm still getting hammered by the summer class teaching schedule.  I did get several pieces of departmental gossip, but then I can't very well tell all of you guys about that, now can I?  You'd be blabbing it to everyone and the next thing I know, I'd be on CNN trying to explain myself. 

It is pretty juicy though.

I Need That Like a Quiz in the Head

So no one will openly admit to liking “Don’t Worry, Be Happy?” (Don’t worry Camera Obscura, your secret is safe with me :) )

Ah, and the last title was from the opening line of the Dao De Jing - 'The Way that can be spoken is not the eternal Way.' Quizzical philosophy for the day.

1.
This is a town where everyone is reachin' for the top
This is a place where second best will never do
It's ok to want to shine
But once you step across that line
No matter where you hide I'm comin' after you

2.
Should've known better than to cheat a friend,
and waste the chance that I've been given.
3.
Well you can take it as a warning
Or take it anyway you like
It's the lightning, not the thunder
You never know where it's gonna strike
4.
People call me on the phone, I'm trying to avoid.
Well, can the people on TV see me or am I just paranoid?
5.
If I ever catch up with you
I’m gonna love you for the rest of your life
6.
But it's gonna take money
A whole lotta spending money
It's gonna take plenty of money
To do it right child
7.
My lips are moving and the sound's coming out
The words are audible but I have my doubts
That you realize what has been said
8.
And found myself alone alone
Alone above a raging sea
That stole the only girl I loved
And drowned her deep inside of me
9.
When I call love
Give love some soul
If I may be quite so bold
Where does it go from here?
Is it down to the lake I fear?
10.
So we journeyed to her house one thing led to another
I keyed the door we cold hit the floor looked up and it was her mother

Edited: very wonky formatting :(

Multimedia message

Multimedia message
Originally uploaded by Overread.

Multimedia message

Multimedia message
Originally uploaded by Overread.

Exhausted

I don't know why, but I've been insanely tired lately. I mean, I've been working hard, but not much different than before. Maybe it's the heat sucking my energy out. In any case, I went home early yesterday and slept for about 10 hours. Let's see if that helps any.

Luckily, I'm still a happy guy. Some of my happiness comes from my good friend the internet. Since I don't have a quality blog post ready (wait until I see Pirates of the Caribbean this weekend - the reviews look really bad!), I'll give you some more fruits of my internet habit (and yes, they almost all come from Boingboing, what of it?):

#1 Quality sarcastic comments from the Sarcasm Society: (is there anything that Jane Austin cannot do?)

» Sometimes I need what only you can provide: your absence.
- Ashleigh Brilliant

» It's always darkest before it turns absolutely pitch black.
- Paul Newman

» It's a catastrophic success.

» I feel so miserable without you, it's almost like having you here.
- Stephen Bishop

» History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives.
- Abba Eban

» No, Groucho is not my real name. I am breaking it in for a friend.
» I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception.
» I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.
» I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it.
» I didn't like the play, but then I saw it under adverse conditions - the curtain was up.
- Groucho Marx

» The United States is a nation of laws: badly written and randomly enforced.
- Frank Zappa

» The 100% American is 99% idiot.
» The trouble with her is that she lacks the power of conversation but not the power of speech.
- George Bernard Shaw

» He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends.
- Oscar Wilde

» He was happily married - but his wife wasn't.
- Victor Borge

I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.
- Mark Twain

» I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure.
- Clarence Darrow

» If you ever become a mother, can I have one of the puppies?
- Charles Pierce

» You have delighted us long enough.
- Jane Austen

#2 Streaming Classical Persian Music. Cool! I don't even know Persian music, but this is nice.

#3 David Hasselhoff's Music Video "Get Into My Car" Fair Warning - it hurts

Best Google Query That Led Here

Most of the queries are for lyrics and such, then there's a whole lot asking for Quizno's calorie information ('cuz Quizno's won't tell anyone)  There's still someone trying to find the blueprints for Wayne Manor - good luck to you, sir! and of course the classic, "Women are like McDonalds"

That I could amuse myself for hours looking at this stuff has nothing to do with the fact that I should be prepping a class right now

So far this is the best one I've gotten:

"my friend swears that you can't be prosecuted for stealing a dead body because it has no intr [insic value?]"

Other gems:

"I'm a failure"

Rabbi+Priest+Bar

Psychadelic [sic]+folgers

squash+hippopotamus

prejudice,+blue+eyes,+hats,+experiment

mrs. beauregarde farted

"didn't+do+the+reading"+"grad+school"+en

Movie Posters

Funky Polish Movie Posters (Benji: The Hunted is...eerie, somehow)

Imagined Russian(?) movie illustrations - I'm still not sure I know what each of them are for.  Umm... Accordion playing alligator?  Did I mis that one?  Can you guess them all?

8.23km - 38'34"

Same as Monday - heh

Proof

Netflix tells you what is popular in your area (zip code, I guess).  I present to you evidence that my area is particularly tasteless:

The number one most popular film in my are is....wait for it...

The Pink Panther - the new one.  Let that sink in.  #1 is the Pink Panther.  Wow.

Back to Space

Happy Fourth everyone!

Yea Shuttle!

So, Germany or Italy?  I'm no big fan of either one, though.  I think I'll root for lotsa goals (how Amurikun is that?)

The coin flip says I'll go for Germany

My, Aren't I Fickle

I've fallen back into infatuation with Minnie Driver thanks to An Ideal Husband.  This netflix beast is a dangerous thing.

The Quiz That Can Be Quizzed Is Not The Eternal Quiz

(bonus points for what the title is riffing on)

 

A dangerous turn toward the 80’s looms ahead. Well, mostly the 80s…

 

You know, reading all these lyrics makes me realize that all musicians are psychos. Stalkers and freaks, every last one. Good to know, I guess…

 

1    Stalker!

I tried to call you before

But I lost my nerve

I tried my imagination

But I was disturbed

 

2    Don’t break up with me, I’ll change! I need you!

Baby, I think tonight

We can take what is wrong and make it right

Baby, it's all I know

That you're half of the flesh and blood that makes me whole

 

3    Was that your ex on the phone? I don’t want you talking to him.

Wanna have you near me

I wanna have you hear me sayin'

No one needs you more than I need you

 

4    umm… psycho much?

I will have you

Yes I will have you

I will find a way and I will have you

Like a butterfly

A wild butterfly

I will collect you and capture you

 

5    Perhaps if you can’t write the next line, you should wait until you can before you write the next line.

I bought a ticket to the world

But now I’ve come back again

Why do I find it hard to write the next line

When I want the truth to be said

 

6    This precedes one of the best lines in music history. Ouch!

The tears I cry aren’t tears of pain

They’re only to hide my guilt and shame

I forgive you now I ask the same of you

 

7    Just. Wow. Funny, but wow.

Like Kurasawa I make mad films

Okay, I don't make films

But if I did they'd have a samurai

 

8    One of my favorite lyrics ever. I picture all these animals stop motioned in a weird game of red light green light

Animals strike curious poses

 

9    What?! What am I supposed to do?!

Just remember to always think twice.

Don’t think twice!

Don’t think twice!

 

10    My apologies for this one – I still like it.

The landlord say your rent is late,

He may have to litigate

 

11    Um… instead of holding her down, maybe she needs someone to take her to the hospital?

Who's gonna hold you down

When you shake

Who's gonna come around

When you break

 

12    Stalker!

I’ve been meaning to tell you

I’ve got this feeling that won’t subside

I look at you and I fantasize

You are mine tonight

Now I’ve got you in my sights

And This Doesn't Even Start To Counter The Ice Cream

8.26km - 38'34"

hehe - last month's total? 137.8km

And Now For Something Completely Different

based on a discussion over at RussianViolets:

Be it resolved that Keanu Reaves is known to the world as dumb as a box of rocks.

For the guy in class who showed up with his bike:

No, you can't park it in the very small classroom because you forgot to bring your bike lock.  The thing is that I'm pretty sympathetic, and if we were in a giant lecture hall, I wouldn't have any problem with it, but yeesh, we're squeezed in already.

Also, is it possible to get the classroom a little hotter?  Because I'd like to see if I can get the pit stains to meet on the back on my shirt if that's possible.  It's kinda like a goal of mine.  Also, it's important for an afternoon class to have as much 'post-lunch nappism' as possible, and excessive heat really helps out with that. 

Finally, I think it's safe to say that the woman in the back was not taking notes on her Nintendo DS.  At least with a laptop, I can delude myself into thinking that they're working.  Feh, I know her though.  That she showed up is a huge success already.

Oh, Sheepish - it was Curse of Monkey Island :)

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Originally uploaded by Overread.

Mama Told Me

There'd be days like this.

Nothing really bad happened, but nothing else is happening either.  I wanted to finish off this side project I'm doing today, and I probably could have, but I just can't get moving on it.  I feel so tired.  It's not physical tired, just tired.  I came into the office and set up some stuff, and couldn't get started.  I tried a couple of other things I could be doing but just couldn't get on top of them. 

I think the mentally healthy thing to do is to take a step back.  I'm ok on my deadlines, so I can afford to just go home - maybe pick up something to eat on the way home - maybe even ice cream.  That way I can positively reward my sloth. 

I've got a couple of Netflix offerings at home.  I'll do a little cleaning so that I feel like I got something done and watch a movie or two.

Yes, folks.  This is about as thrilling as my life gets.  feh.

Hang Ten

Very bizarre surfing gets done late late at night when you're doing laundry (cause it's too bloomin' hot to do laundry during the day).

So, excuse me if I'm a little too amused at these links. Well, a link and a video. They're just sooooo hypnotic:

Stan sells lots of stuff (noisy) (bonus points for folk who know what the image comes from)

Whew!

One week down, a summer's worth of them to go.  From what I can tell, it looks like it's working.  No one has seen entirely through my facade, so I guess that's good.  The talkers that I've got are generally engaged in the topic and not so much in just hearing their own voice.  So as long as I bust my tush every day for the rest of the summer I may make it.  Thank goodness I'm making the big bucks now.  Oh, no.  I forgot.  I'm only making a touch more than I was making as a TA.  Feh.

oh, yeah - 8.19km-39'30"

Teaching Notes

• Has anyone done a study of teachers getting white-lung (chalk-dust inhalation sickness)?  If so, can I get workers' comp?
• Three students saw Superman - 2 enthusiastic thumbs up, and one 'meh,' as Camera Obscura puts it.
• I am actually where I planned to be after the first week of lectures.  I'm stunned.
• Tomorrow is for analyzing the readings.  Danger danger danger.
• It's odd - I'm used to being able to lean on the professor's presence in discussions.  If there's something I don't know, it's never been a problem because I'll just say, I'll ask the professor.  It sounds a lot more sketchy if it's 'I'll go look that up.'
• I can also play against the big bad professor - "Well, it is a difficult reading, but the professor thinks it's important, so...  Now I'll have to actually be responsible for my actions!  I'm an American for crying out loud!  I don't do that well at that!

Whoa.

Blogger cloning! cool...

I know kung fu...

Tunes

Tunes

Tunes

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Tunes

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Superman

I snuck out to see a movie instead of running today.  I don't want to say much about the particulars.  It's sort of odd, it seems like there are a lot of 'new' things, but I kept on thinking, wow, there's really nothing fresh about this.  It's the same old stuff happening the same way it always does (without Richard Pryor as a computer whiz, thank goodness). 

There's one really big 'surprise,' but I really didn't like the way they handled it.  Overall, I enjoyed most of the movie, but left me feeling very unfulfilled, and very unsatisfied with what passed for the 'character' of Superman.

I'm glad I saw it, but I'm even more glad that I didn't have my hopes that high

Stressball

Class went a little better today.  Notes were taken.  Questions were asked (and I even knew the answers, which is helpful)  I think one of the hardest things for me is to judge how much material we can cover in how much time.  Better to over-prep than to under-prep, I guess.  I know I'm dumping a lot of material on them, and I wonder if I'm going too fast.  I tend to talk more quickly when I'm nervous and/or excited, which covers this class pretty well from beginning to end.

We're getting into more difficult territory tomorrow, so we'll see.  I can tell that teaching this way every day is going to wear me out.  I need to look for a masseuse.

8.28km 39'05"

Online advice.

On classic photographs.  Great fun.

8.27km - 38'52"

Post Lecturum

Wow.  Lecturing is so... different.  The students weren't taking notes.  I wasn't really hitting a lot of content on day one, but still, shouldn't they be taking notes?  Also, there are several ringers in the class.  They know the subject really pretty well (and two of them could probably teach the class themselves), so I was always running my eyes back to them to see how they were taking it.  Nerve-wracking. 

On the plus side, I didn't run out of material.  I thought I planned a bit too much, and it turns out that I planned a bit too much, so I guess that's good.  Also, I have a handful of good talkers, and a couple of people very interested in getting into content arguments, so that's nice.  Maybe during discussion they can pull some of the quieter ones out of their shells. 

Oh yeah, one guy went to sleep and one guy came in one hour late and asked when the class started.  :)

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Originally uploaded by Overread.

Why am I so nervous?  I'm getting ready to teach a class in a half an hour, but I've taught before.  It's no big deal, is it?

This is my first teaching position all on my own at a real university.  Everything is mine.  The readings selections, the lectures, the discussions, everything.  I mean, I've borrowed content from here and there, but I chose them all.  Cutting there, adding here. I've always said, 'if I were teaching this course, I'd do it this way - I wouldn't do that.'  Damn karma.  Of course, I now know very well that idealism and course design don't mesh well.  Well, I guess it's a progressive thing.  I've got to start somewhere, right?

Hehe - These people actually expect me to run the whole show. 

So, I'm a little jumpy.  Students can smell fear, right?

Just Add ‘In a Quiz’ to the End of Your Fortune Cookie

Well, as long as I get it posted before Monday, I’m still not late, right?

Only one missed from last time was #7, “Mona Lisa and Mad Hatters” by Elton John. I just love that ‘Sons of Baaaankers, sons of Laaaawyers’ part. Good Stuff.

1 – I never would get the artist on this one

Soon You will come to knowWhen the bullet hits the bone

2 – I had/have a big crush on this artist. I think just about everybody did.

To where the water and the earth caress

And the down of a peach says mmh, yes,

Do I look for those millionaires

Like a Machiavellian girl would

When I could wear a sunset? mmh, yes,

3 –

It was kind of cold that night

She stood alone on her balcony

She could the cars roll by

Out on 441

Like waves crashing in the beach

And for one desperate moment there

He crept back in her memory    

4 – Eeeeeeasy

There’s something about you girl

That makes me sweat

5 – I’m not so sure about this one…

    There's a hole in my head where the rain comes in,

You took my body and played to win,

Ha Ha woman it's a crying shame,

But you ain't got no one else to blame.

6 – Obscure, but I bet you’ll get it

No one in the world ever gets what they want

and that is beautiful

Everybody dies frustrated and sad

and that is beautiful

7 – A hmmm hmm hmm

And you know what I’m talkin’ about.

Just let me know if you wanna go

To that home out on the range.

They gotta lotta nice girls.

8 – The lyrics site had the last line as ‘You always see my number, you don’t..’

Most times you can’t hear ‘em talk, other times you can.

Oh the same old cliché, as that woman on her a man

You always seem outnumbered, you don’t dare make a stand.

9 –

Face to face

And back to back

You see and feel

My sex attack

Sing it

10 – Toughie?

And when my mind is free

You know a melody can move me

And when I'm feelin' blue

The guitar's comin' through to soothe me

Don't Tell Anyone,

I feel busier now getting ready for this class than I did when I was getting the thesis together.  Feh, anyway, my dirty secret is that I'm still getting out and running:

Fri: 8.27km - 38'46"
Today: 8.23km - 38'45"

Funny, yeah.  Consistency's gotta count for something, right?

So yesterday I went shopping to get a couple more 'Lookie, lookie, I'm an adult' shirts.  I know I can never really pull off the illusion, but if I can trick the students into buying it for the first week or so, I figure it's in my favor.  Good grief though, I forgot how proud of their nice clothing those stores are.  I spent a lot more money than I thought I would.  Ended up with some nice stuff though, so I guess it's ok. 

I'm still lacking shorts that fit my new waist size though.  That's lower priority, but still, I finally feel like one of the cool kids, because my shorts want to ride with the waist somewhere around mid-thigh.  I just roll like that, you know.  I guess paisley underwear should be on my list too...

Final random notes:

• The machine is out of diet coke, so I'm drinking my first non-diet coke in a long long time.  Tastes funky.  I want my unnatural chemicals back in my beverage!
• If I played for Brazil, my name would be 'Overreaca.'  It's true because a website told me.
• Yesterday's outing also involved Ice Cream.  Phish Food, you are my true love.
• I'm not a student here anymore, so I've got to pay for the bus and for the gym.  Feh.  At least my library card still works
  

Done For today

Creating this class is a wonderful pain in the tush.  Ive been working on fleshing out the readings and finalizing the structure all day long (except the break just long enough to be disappointed by the US soccer team, of course).  I'm really excited about being able to put in parts that I really get excited about, but I feel embarrassed when I take out pieces that I don't feel as comfortable with.  I generally over prepare, but I think that's a good thing.  I am a little worried about assigning too much reading.  It is a summer class, after all, but the readings are fun!  Well, maybe not all of them.  Maybe not to undergrads who are only taking the class to knock off requirements, but still... :)

US - Ghana

Well, crap.  Ok, I actually had hope of the US actually winning one.  No dice.  I'm a little skeptical of the penalty kick, but there's no doubt that the US had their chances and didn't take advantage.  They looked ok against Italy, but this was the US team that played the Czech Republic.  I wonder how long Arena will keep his job?

Honestly though, the team from Ghana earned this.  The US team played horribly, but they earned it.  They played well and deserve the win.  I'm rooting for Ghana and Korea now.  Ghana'll play Brazil though, so I guess I'm rooting for Korea.

Work is Dead, Long Live Work!

The grading is done and submitted, and now the work begins. 

Putting together a class is an exhausting job.  I've TAed one of the classes I'm going to teach twice and the other class once, so I'm lucky to have a lot of material to draw on, but still, I've got to build a lot of it from scratch.  In fact, it's a very good possibility that the only reason I'm not tearing at my clothes and ripping out my hair is that I really don't know what I've gotten myself into.  I've got the basic form and themes of the class down basically, but the readings and finer structure are still very much... hopeful.

Another odd first - a couple of 30-something students came in to talk to the 'professor of the X classes for the summer.'  I was pointed out and they came to chat about seeing if they could get in (the class is full).  First funny thing was that they didn't laugh when they saw that I was the one who was going to be teaching it.  Second funny thing is that they seemed genuinely excited about taking the class.  Now maybe that was just an act to butter me up so I'd let them in, but still.  funny world. 

The office is getting more and more private as people leave.  This one left the academic world to try her luck in DC.  This one left to take care of ill parents.  That one is going to spend the summer back home with the long-distance boyfriend.  This one is working like a madman at his local job to build up enough money to make it through another school year.  And here I am - the only grad student hanging through the summer in the office.  I always gripe about not being able to get anything done because of all the distractions, but I'm going to be really lonely in here.  Especially since I'll be moving on before the office gets rowdy again.  sadness.

8.24km - 39'04"

Feh - I Only Got 10 Right

Who said what:  Ann Coulter or Adolf Hitler?

(Give it some time, the server seems to be getting hammered)

Link Dump!

• My audiobook of the moment is Shelby Foote's Civil War, so I needed something... visual, as Dr. Frank N Furter would say. So I found these battlefield maps. Random Link, but cool if you dig maps like I do.
• VERY NOT SAFE FOR WORK OR THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. (Also generally offensive to most humans, but still, kinda funny):
• If you are wondering how ESL students pick up some of the... um... manners of speaking, check out these excerpts from the Japanese English text, Adult English: Porno Smallbook Speaking, Let's Go!
• Others have already noted the psychedelic Folgers Ad, but have you seen the Slovenian condom commercial? The Virgin Airlines Flashback? How about the Match.com crusade against 'Bachelorism?' Aw, heck, just go over to AdFreak - they've got all sorts of crazy ads over there.
• This is ancient, but I stumbled on the link again recently - Have you ever wondered if Shamu could use a credit card? Will "Service Sucked" be challenged when signed on the dotted line? How about "My Butt?" Well, now you need question no longer, for your questions, and many more, are answered here.
• Files Are Not For Sharing: A Children's Book.

Last Week's Top 5

8.25km - 38'36"

Tuesday O'Meme

I'm way behind in my meme-ing, so here's a golden oldie from Chez Stewgad

5 Items in my Fridge: (it's a huge embarrassment, but I couldn't tell you what's in there. I'm never at the apartment enough to know. I only vaguely remember cooking, many many moons ago)

5 Items in my Closet:

1. Much that needs laundering
2. A couple of pairs of old beat up running shoes that I've never gotten around to tossing out.
3. An insane number of socks. I firmly believe that there is little better than a really good pair of cushion-y hiking or running socks. Oh, yeah. I don't have a chest of drawers, so the socks go in the closet. Nice eh?
4. small cobweb at the top corner
5. a shelf-piece from an old computer desk that I don't have enough room for in my room. Do I have room for it in my closet? well, no. Not really.
   

5 Items in my Car: (Well, crap. Maybe this meme just looked cool, but I don't fit it. See, I don't have a car. So... How about things on my wall in the office!)

1. Big calendar from the campus student group (major circled day was thesis turn in day. Next circled day is due date for grade turn in)
2. Bunches of pictures of my two beau-ti-ful nieces.
3. Postcards - 1 from Profgrrrrl, several from Jayfish & Zerodoll and a couple other random ones
4. A thank you note from a student from last class. I know - I was shocked too.
5. a cartoon printed from Phdcomics.com (this one)
   

5 Items in my Purse: (how about backpack?)

1. Waaaaay too many books.
2. Laptop (in padded compartment) with various cables and such
3. Pens and highlighters beyond number
4. Hand sanitizer
5. point-n-shoot camera

5 Items in my Desk: (This'll have to be 'on' my desk, because I'm not cool enough to have a desk with drawers.)

1. Nike triax dongle (to download my runs to the computer)
2. wicker basket that is supposed to be full of nutritious fruit goodness, but has been suspiciously empty of late.
3. Kleenex for crying students and allergy-ridden TAs
4. A stack of several things that need to be translated with a quickness
5. Giant teddy bear (free gift with purchase of $100 or more at the campus bookstore) wearing my mortarboard. He's actually on the filing cabinet, but I couldn't leave him out. Him? Maybe it's a her?
   

'Nother Bit of Grading Joy

When I said that I highly recommended that you students get together for group study sessions, I was hoping that you wouldn't pass around incorrect information like some kind of ignorance virus. 

From the Bluebooks

It seems that the main activity of revolutionaries is not 'revolting' but 'revolving.' 

I mean, I'm sure that Lenin and Mao are spinning in their mausoleums, <twirling Groucho cigar>but this is ridiculous. </twirling Groucho cigar>

Maybe it's lack of sleep, but the image of George Washington on a hilltop slowly spinning with arms outstretched (with or without the musical accompaniment) is very difficult to dislodge.

More Procrastination

Long run:

11.3km (7 miles!) - 54'54"

Waiter, There’s a Quiz in My Soup.

The quick like a bunny quiz!

 

1.

Smack, crack, bushwhacked

Tie another one to the racks, baby

2.

I’m in a mood for you

For running away

Stars come down in you

And love...you can't give it away

Inside you the time moves

And she don't fade

3.

Who broke my heart?

You did, you did

Bow to the target

Blame cupid, cupid

You think you’re smart

Stupid, stupid

4.

Open fire on my burning heart

I've never been lucky in love

My defenses are down

A kiss or a frown

I can't survive on my own

5.

I'd lay in a pile of burning money that I've earned

and not even worry about getting burned

I'd climb the Empire State Building, fight Muhammad Ali

Just to have you baby close to me

6.

If you took all the girls I knew when I was single

And brought them all together for one night

I know they’d never match

My sweet imagination

7.

Sons of bankers, sons of lawyers

Turn around and say good morning to the night

For unless they see the sky

But they can’t and that is why

They know not if its dark outside or light

8.

Morning, just another day

Happy people pass my way

Looking in their eyes

I see a memory

I never realized

you made me so happy

9.

Anybody could be that guy

Night is young and the music’s high

With a bit of rock music, everything is fine

10.

Now I’m towing my car, there’s a hole in the roof

My possessions are causing me suspicion but there’s no proof

By The Power Of Greyskull…

Thanks for all the happy thoughts and congratulations everyone. You guys are so sweet to me.

It’s all over but the paperwork. I am a Master. By the way, don’t you think that ‘Master of X’ should be a higher degree than ‘Doctor of X?’ I mean, hey, if I’m a Master, why should I keep studying, right?

Thoughts from the commencement ceremony:

• I like the symbolism of the hooding ceremony for the PhDs. I think it’s important to show the world that after decades of study and hundreds of thousands of dollars spent, that newly minted PhDs still need help getting dressed.
  
• There is more evidence of this in the way that the people dressed themselves. Ratty tennis shoes and frayed blue jeans? Flip-flops? I mean, c’mon now, at least try.
  
• When getting hooded, kneel or squat, do not bow! Plenty of people bowed – it only makes it harder for your hooder. Now, that’s fine by me, I had a great time making fun of everyone, but it might cause embarrassment for you. Another important lesson is to choose tall advisors.
  
• The quality and variety of robes was just wonderful. I think that the European schools had the best ones though. I swear one of the professors looked like he just stepped off the stage from a community theatre production of Merchant of Venice (Scrivener? Was that you?)
  
• Commencement speakers need to be able to speak well. This goes back to my firm belief that all potential educators need to take a public speaking class (or 3)
  
• On the other hand, I feel awful for the name-readers. Phonetic spellings can’t help you out of everything. Bonus points for all of them. Also full points for the hand-shakers – you just know that they’re going to come down with some kind of cold or something.
  
• Nobody tripped. Pity.
  

Right then. A return to grading!

It's Done.

A massive white-out of blog posts is ended with these words:

It's Done.

The masters thesis, warts and all, is filed and very soon I will be walking across the stage in my silly black dress and backwards necktie (MAs get hoods - who knew?).

I'm still not thinking very well, but I think I could use a nice long nap. 

I followed Jayfish's advice and got some ice cream - Mint Chocolate Chip, and it was so very very good.  Ah yes, did I mention that I still have ~50 essays and an equal number of finals to grade by next Tuesday?  No, I'm guessing I didn't.  Oh, yes,  then there's also the prep work and reader-building for two classes this summer that start the week after next.  So, there's not even time for a debauch trip to Vegas.  All for the best, I'm sure, but still.

My hopes are for quizzes and regularly scheduled blathering to be back up to speed by next week.

Oh, one last note of interest -  One of the 'things I do' is shoot sports.  I've been taking pictures for the athletics department here for the past couple of years, and, I've gotten a couple of good shots, if I do say so myself.  Anyhoo, the uni I'll be attending in the fall has a massive sports program.  They regularly compete and win playoffs of all sorts and flavors.  So, I chatted with the Media relations guy here, and, guess what?  He's got some connections over there.  He says he'll get me an introduction and figures that I should be able to shoot down there too.  Woohoo!  Fun fun!  Now I think I really may need that new lens :)

On The Trail Again

8.23km - 39'45"

Oh yeah,

The US Soccer Team makes me sad.  I mean, I never thought we would beat the Czechs badly, but I figured we wouldn't get blown out.  So sad...  And like we're going to do any better against Italy - Pheh.  I'll need to find another team to root for here in a couple of games.  England?  Mexico?  Korea?

Egg-Sauce-Ted

I think I'll I can handle are bullet points right now.

• Ok, yeah, no quiz this weekend.  No blogging at all. I've just been beat.  So very tired. 
• The upside is that I've gotten signature 2 of 3 on the thesis and the last one should be just a formality (watch - I've just jinxed it). Still plenty to be done - especially in the proofreading department, but closer and closer
  
• Here's a good way to not endear yourself to your TA:  If the exam is at 12, and you aren't going to go to the exam, then your TA should have the exam prompts in advance so that he or she can make copies so that the students can take the test.  It is a good idea not to breeze in at 11:45 and respond to the question, "Do you have the tests?" with a shrug or an "Oh, yeah," especially when you don't have the tests.  There is a chance however that your TA will have foreseen your not taking care of things and he or she will have pieced together a retyped version of the draft so that there will be something to give the students on time.  Seriously, I like this prof, but I don't see any excuses here.  I mean, a simple email would have saved a lot of stress and panic. 
  
• Last night was the official 'Goodbye Grads' party.  There was an obscene amount of food and booze.  I got home at around 3am, which ain't my usual thing.  I had many many many beers (and toasts of champagne) which is also not in my general habit.  Perhaps that's why I'm exhausted?  Many dark secrets were discovered after the professors went home and the booze flowed more freely.
• There's no way I'm running today.
• Exam proctoring results:
• 3.12% are left handed
  
• 5.22% wear hats
• 20% turned backward
• 20% turned sideways
• 40% trucker hats
• 2.08% wear hoodies with the hoods up
• 21.84% wear glasses
• 2.08% wear sunglasses on top of their heads
• 1.56% have beards
• 4.68% are long haired dudes
• 2.08% are short haired gals
• 2.08% have long braids
• 17.68% wear their hair in pony tails
• 7.28%  wore clothing with our university's name on it
• 1.04% wore clothing with the names of other universities.
  
• Beverage count
• 17.68% of students had a bottles of water
  
• 2.08% coffee
• 3.12% soda
• 3.12% sports drinks/juice
• Of the last 15 students taking the exam
• no lefties remained
• only one had curly hair
• 7 men 8 women
• notable shirts:
• "I hate myself and want to die"
• "Tennis 1994"
  

Rarbie

Rarbie
Originally uploaded by Overread.

My Thesis Will Go On (Sing It, You Know You Want To)

Well, what did I say?  That I was going to turn in version 1.5?  right?  Well, I think I just sent version 1.45 off to the chair of my committee.  There's still a bit of friction coming from my advisor in charge of the 'data.'  It's well-deserved friction, to be sure, but troublesome anyway.  Oh, yeah, she's gone out of the country too -yeesh.  In any case, I still say this with a bit of incredulity, but it looks like I'll be able to get it in - on time, even. 

I'm thinking I need to buy myself a treat.  What do you guys think?  Camera lens?  Video game system?  Wild weekend of debauchery in Vegas?  Spinning rims for my bike?  Scratch 'n Sniff stickers?

Round and Round I Go

8.20km -39'45"

I Couldn't Make This Stuff Up.

Stu:  Do I have to write the paper in English?

Overread:   [stunned silence]

Thesis? What Thesis?

8.18km - 39'20"

Because I Won't Respond This Way To Their Faces

To the dude in the gym:
    The public shower is not the place to practice your standing toe touch stretches.

To the student with my email on speed-dial (I know, I know, but you get it, right?):
    The answers to all of the questions you asked are on the syllabus, on the website, and on page 2 of the reader.  You lose 10% of your grade for being a twit.

To the guy behind me in line:
    Yeah, you probably should have waited for the tests to come back, because it sounds like she wasn't that umm... healthy.

Image is Nothing

Someone just dropped by to see if they could get into the full summer class I'm teaching. 

After the student left, I thought that perhaps leaving off shaving for the weekend, wearing a beat up shirt and ragged jeans (hey, I don't have class on Mondays - I have no class to begin with - har har har) and having a desk buried in crap doesn't present a particularly inspiring image to the world.  At least she called me "Mr. Overread" and not "Professor Overread" - That's already happened once and it freaked me out.

Just Another Form of Procrastination at This Point

Fri:
6.07km - 28'39"
Sat:
6.05km - 28'42"
Mon:
8.25km - 39'50"

Nose to the Quizstone

Ah yes… Thanks Camera Obscura. I did my best to drop off the face of the earth this weekend and didn’t post a quiz. Bad, bad Overread… (fun typo – I originally typed “drop off the farce of the earth.” Fits a little better if you ask me)

Old business:

#2 – Well, it is Tom Petty…it was… “Don’t Do Me Like That!”

#7 – “El Paso,” Marty Robbins – another one of those songs with a story – Ah, nice…

#10 I have no clue about who sung “Momma Told Me Not To Come” first, Three Dog Night or Tom Jones. I would guess Three Dog Night, but that’s just a guess.

Alrighty – here we go – some easy ones and a couple of hard ones mixed in!

1

She'll take a tumble on you

Roll you like you were dice

2 Super Bonus Geek Points for anyone who gets this one

The fools that think the worst is over

They won't live to be much older

Why do they remain, why do they remain

Everything is ready, everyone that's cominghas been safely brought on board

3

Like to tell ya about my baby

You know she comes around

She about five feet four

A-from her head to the ground

4

Baby, I think tonight

We can take what is wrong and make it right

Baby, it's all I know

That you're half of the flesh and blood that makes me whole

5

In my life there’s been heartache and pain

I don’t know if I can face it again

Can’t stop now, I’ve traveled so far

To change this lonely life

6

Something’s happening

Happening to me

My friends say I’m acting peculiarly

7

I bought a ticket to the world

But now I’ve come back again

Why do I find it hard to write the next line?

8

I think I caught his spirit

Later that same year

I’m sure I heard his echo

In my baby’s new born tears

9

I want a doctor to take your picture

So I can look at you from inside as well

10 Yeah, yeah, ok, I had to add this one after #9 – Cheap laugh, I know :)

Neon on my naked skin, passing silhouettes

Of strange illuminated mannequins

Shall I stay here at the zoo

Or should I go and change my point of view

The Heat

It's sapping my will to live.  I deal very badly with heat, and we've had a very unseasonable heat wave the past couple days.  Yesterday I was sitting in the library (on the floor that doesn't get wireless access - Sometimes that helps me focus).  I wasn't moving.  Just sitting there at my laptop.  Sweating.  streams of sweat.  I couldn't even think.  I spent about 4 hours there and got nothing worthwhile done.  I went to the office.  Nothing.  I went home and went for a quick run.  The only upside to that was standing in the ice-cold shower after. 
I thought I might be able to get something done when the sun went down.  The sun went down, but it never cooled off. 
I remember when I was little, when it would get really hot at night I would get out of bed and put a sheet on the ground and just lay down on top of it with the fan turned on high blowing right on me.  I could never get to sleep on nights like that.  miserable miserable miserable.  It was almost that bad last night. 
This morning I figured I needed to get the blood flowing, so I went on a longish bike ride to a guilty pleasure spot for brunch.  I'd hit the cafe nearby to work.  When I got there I realized I left my wallet at home.  Ugh.  I had enough to eat, but not enough for anything else.  So.  long bike ride home to get the wallet and then short bike ride to the local Bucks o' Star to work.  That's where I am now.  Still hot.  Still unhappy.  Still not getting any work done.

Fly Away Little Thesis

First off, an apology to what few loyal readers I've got left for the lack of posts lately.  I've been doing the thesis tango with my advisors and a whole lotta caffeine.  That means I'm grumpy, tired and all sorts of not into writing blog posts.  However:

I've sent Thesis v1.25b to the advisors.  I think I'm going to end up turning in version 1.4 or so.  There is a mild danger that v1.25b will need to become v2.0 (Summer edition).  I'm not too distressed by that - it was my original intention to turn the blasted thing in in the summer, but it's still to be determined what will happen to my summer gig if I don't have MA in hand.

And a couple of notes to the students in my sections:

I'll help you, but I'm not going to do it for you.  (Seriously, I should get this stitched on a pillow.)

Yes, well, you should have noticed that you weren't enrolled in the class sometime before week 9.

Yes, perhaps it would have been a good idea to write that paper and turn it in instead of... not.

The Madness Continues

4th day in a row.  I think this is the only think keeping me from thesis-induced insanity
8.23km - 39'27"

Multimedia message

Multimedia message
Originally uploaded by Overread.

Runlog Backlog

I felt like running a bit more this week - go figure

Monday - 6.06km - 28'17"
Tuesday - 6.02km - 28'29"
Today - 8.29km - 39'30"

Meme-orial Day

From Zerodoll
10 Favorites
Favorite Season: Fall
Favorite Color: Green
Favorite Time: either late late night or early early morning
Favorite Food: Nachos
Favorite Drink: Hot chocolate
Favorite Ice Cream: Cherry Garcia
Favorite Place: Park Place – but only if I’ve got Boardwalk too.
Favorite Sport: I would say football, but it’s generally whatever’s going on at the time
Favorite Actor: (I should mention that I’m very fickle about actors and actresses. These opinions will probably change in a few minutes) Ben Kingsley
Favorite Actress: Jennifer Ehle (Elizabeth in the BBC Pride & Prejudice)

9 Currents
Current Feeling: worn out
Current Drink: Diet Pepsi (I usually go with Diet Coke, but same thing, right? They’re both bad for me)
Current Time: 7:28 pm
Current Show on TV: Heat vs Pistons Game 4
Current Mobile used: Cingular
Current Windows 3 Microsoft Word (Beta testing the 2007 version – Woohoo!), 1 Yahoo Music Engine, 1 Firefox (9 tabs), 1 FeedDemon and a handful of widgets and a couple of field specific ones that I ain’t telling you about :)
Current Underwear: Um well, I just got out of the shower after a run, so… none. TMI? I know, I know, but I can’t lie on a meme, right?
Current Clothes: see above – none.
Current Thought: Why don’t I take more pictures anymore?

8 Firsts
First Nickname: The Fonz (first one I remember, anyway)
First Kiss: On stage: Katherine (I mention this because it happened well before anything more real). For reals: Catherine (For those who know me, you don’t know either one)
First Crush: Tracy (?)
First Best Friend: Chris
First Vehicle I Drove: My sister’s VW Bug – well before I should have been doing so legally :)
First Job: Sonic
First Date: Mexican
First Pet: Skeeter!

7 Lasts
Last Drink: Um… Diet Pepsi? Didn’t we already do this? Oh! Drink! Um… Margarita. Geeze, that was many weeks ago
Last Kiss: Right before the breakup. Nearly a year ago?
Last Meal: Turkey and bacon from the sketchy little sandwich shop right off campus
Last Web Site Visited: IMDB to look up Jennifer Ehle’s name.
Last Movie Watched: I’ll give two, because this is a really good insight into my psychoses: MST3K – The Wild World of Batwoman and The Seventh Seal
Last Phone Call: To my Mom (awww)
Last TV show Watched: actually watched? From beginning to end? Tough. Umm… Oh! I watched an episode of Airline yesterday or the day before– very entertaining.

6 Have You Ever...
Have You Ever Broken the Law: sure!
Have You Ever Been Drunk: yup
Have You Ever Kissed Someone You Didn't Know: Are we talking ‘know’ in the biblical sense? No. er. Know.
Have You Ever Been in the Middle/Close to Gunfire: I had an AK-47 pointed at me in Moscow, but he didn’t fire. I was around a lot of gunfire in the army though
Have You Ever Skinny Dipped: no
Have You Ever Broken Anyone's Heart: perhaps.

5 Things
Things You Can Hear Right Now: the TV and the fan (the wind-making kind, I’m not that popular yet) and occasionally street noise
Things On Your Bed: Me. Various sheets and pillows
Things You Ate Today: We did this one before already too! Umm… Turkey & Bacon sandwich, Special K cereal bar thingie, pretzels, a bag o’ skittles and some tortilla chips (can you tell I’m on diet hiatus while I finish the thesis?)
Things You Can't Live Without: I’ll second Zerodoll’s ‘oxygen.’
Things You Do When You Are Bored: surf the web, read, play video games, watch tv

4 Places You Have Been Today
home
office
library
old running trail (it’s only ~7km, so I got off easy today!)

3 Things On Your Desk Right Now
mountains of papers
Sharpies in several rainbows worth of colors
2 hard-copy papers I forgot to grade

2 Choices
To omit or not to omit, that is the question
Can I last another day without doing laundry?

1 Place You Want To Visit
The Space Station

Thesis Blathering

I hope everyone had a loverly Memorial Day.

 

I actually had a minor breakthrough on the thesis front. Once again, to no surprise, it was thanks to my advisor. He suggested a reorganization that will give me legitimate reasons for changing some parts and ejecting some portions of the thing that were really dragging the thesis down. So, rather than presenting each piece of data and painstakingly analyzing it before moving on, I’m going to give a general overview of the problems, explain trends (with excerpts from the data) and then present all of the data at the end.

 

The problem was (and is) that I have a big teenage-hormone-crush on my data. It was really the reason I came to this field and this topic in the first place and I love it. It’s also really really hard and the main product of the thesis itself. Even though the analysis is useful and interesting, it’s very secondary in importance (in my mind).

 

I wanted to put the data up front and with big flashing lights to let everyone know – “HEY! I CAN DO THIS STUFF AND YOU CAN’T!” Err… or something like that.

 

Anyway, it just makes soooo much more sense to organize all of the data behind the discussion of the trends and such. Yea advisor!

 

At the risk of getting hit by a train, dare I say that the light at the end of the tunnel is getting a smidge brighter?

 

Pages:     113

Words:    45,710

Lines:    3,057

 

Ok, I’m kinda proud of the poor, disorganized, rambling thing :)

A Long-Tailed Quiz in a Room Full Of Rocking Chairs

Oh, deary deary deary, I hope everyone was just as busy as I have been last week, otherwise, I’ll have to be disappointed in the quiz results :) Here are the one that didn’t get guessed:
1 – Be Good To Yourself – Journey
4 – Heaven – Psychedelic Furs (Jayfish! O! My! – I think that was on a mix tape you gave me! :P )
8 – Justify My Love – Madonna!
9 – The way you make me feel – Mikey Jackson!

Well, let’s put that unpleasantness behind us and get on to the goodies. I’ve finally finished grading, so I’ve got a tub of tunes to tickle the timorous tines of tiny… taupe…tuned-in…terriers? Ok, that didn’t go over well at all…

1 –

Turn on the light, babe
Are you someone else tonight?
Neighbor to neighbor, door to door
Don't ask questions, there's time for it all Oh yeah.

2 –

And you know you better watch your step or you’re gonna get hurt yourself.
Someone’s gonna tell you lies, hurt you down inside.

3 –

Body and beats I stain my sheets I don’t even know why
My girlfriend she’s at the end she is starting to cry

4 –

And then you sense a change
Nothin' feels the same
All your dreams are strange

5 –

His rival, it seems, had broken his dreams
By stealing the girl of his fancy.
Her name was Magill and she called herself Lil,
But everyone knew her as Nancy.

6 –

Whoops its ringing and I rise,
Wipe the sleep out of my eyes.
My shaving razor’s cold and it stings.

7 –

Something is dreadfully wrong for I feel
A deep burning pain in my side.
Though I am trying
To stay in the saddle,
I'm getting weary,
Unable to ride.

8 –

What in the world ever became of sweet Jane?
She lost her sparkle, you know she isn’t the same
Living on reds, vitamin c, and cocaine,
All a friend can say is ain’t it a shame?

9 –

It seemed the taste was not so sweet
So I turned myself to face me
But I've never caught a glimpse
Of how the others must see the faker

10 –

The radio is blastin'
Someone's knocking at the door
I'm lookin' at my girlfriend
She's passed out on the floor

11 –

No more falsehoods or derisions
Golden living dreams of visions
Mystic crystal revelation
And the mind's true liberation

12 –

Well, I can’t tell lies, cause they’re listening to me.
And when I fall asleep, bet they’re spying on me tonight, tonight.
cause they’re waiting for me.
They’re looking for me.
Every single night they’re driving me insane.
Those men inside my brain.

Grading Does Make Me Smile Sometimes

"Be bold in you hypostasis and careful in you proofs."

um... hypotheses?

Wha?

Who is in charge of the weather here?  Seriously, I plan on sending a very terse email!  So a few days ago, it was sunny, but nice and cool.  Then two days ago it rained like Noah was done building.  (Why yes, yes, I did decide to leave my rain gear at home and had to bike home in the monsoon, thanks for asking!).  Yesterday it looked like it was heading back to nice and cool.

Today?  THE SUN LANDED IN MY BACKYARD.  Hot hot hot hot dismally, energy-sucking, sidewalk-egg-boiling, wavy-lines-coming-off-the-ground-hot.

It gets worse.  Worse why?  Because I'm dumber than a box of rocks.  I didn't run on Monday because I was trying to catch up on some stuff, so I didn't want to miss today, but I could have run early or late to avoid solar incineration, yes?  Well, I could have, but I didn't.  1:30pm I roll out of the gym (slathered in sunblock, for what that's worth anyway) and jaunted off to my trail. 

Well, it's hardly worth mentioning that I ran very very slowly (40'13" for those playing at home), but I also seem to have run into a cleverly placed pollen-bomb somewhere out there.  Sweat, sunblock, red, itchy skin and red bloodshot eyes.  Oh the joy of it all. 

Adding insult to idiocy, both of the other MA folks graduating this spring are pretty much done with their theses.  Oh, how I hate them.  Hate hate hate, Hate that burns like a very hot burny thing.  Well, ok, it's not hate.  It's jealousy, but I've never been too good about telling one emotion from another.

Good Morning!

I'm still here, but only barely.  I thought I would try to knock out a few papers this morning before class, but I hit the most frustrating paper I've seen in a very long time.  This student seems to have misunderstood so many fundamental concepts that I'm not sure this isn't a joke.  This student cited class discussions (ugh!) when claiming something so patently absurd that I can't even really laugh at it.  And of course, on top of that, it's written in the style of a gifted 4 year old with a thesaurus.

Naturally, I can't take it as a joke.  I commented in depth and without kid gloves.  I hope that this student reads the comments - I know most don't, but I wonder if I won't have a more hostile student on my hands once the grades go back. 

So most of this morning was spent eyes-squinted, head at a 'His Master's Voice' angle trying to parse out what this student could possibly be meaning, then carefully forming responses. 

My friends tell me that I spend too much time on grading, and I know they're right - especially now when my priority must settle squarely on the thesis, but I haven't found it within myself to just stamp a crappy grade on a paper and hope the student figures out what was wrong all by their lonesome. 

Feh - another half day done.

Running in Place

Well, there you go. I got my first response from the main clump of thesis-dross from my advisor on Friday. He was, as usual, very kind and supportive, but pointed out that there were many 'discrepancies' in my... er... 'data.' Well, that's as clear as I'm able to be without blowing what's left of my blogland cover.

Anyway, the solution was to proof many many pages of very dense, troublesome clarity-resistant 'data.' So that's what I've done this weekend. I locked myself up in a little cabinet in the library. My only escape was for a few hours to try to grade a few papers - now that's relaxation! But I got it done.

So, I'm done with the proofing, and I do feel better, because it did bring to light some troubles that I'm now able to repair. These could have very easily slipped into the final draft and caused embarrassment if anyone ever goes to the trouble to read the blasted thing. The problem is that I had to put a lot on hold to take care of this. I was supposed to be at X, but now I'm at X-2 days. Feh.

I realize however, that this thing can be finished though, and that's a very nice thing to be able to say without crossing my fingers. I'm even almost ready to say I can finish it on time (and under budget!).

Again, this won't make sense to anyone except me, but my advisor also pointed out that I have two major themes that run through the paper. He suggested adding a third one, and while it might be a bit more work, I think it's a pretty good idea. The thrid topic includes a good chunk of material and research that I decided to toss out a while back, but the way he framed it, I think I can bring it back in avoiding the problems that led me to want to toss it while putting the work I did back into the thesis!

Woohoo! Back to the grindstone!

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...)