Oh, I Forgot This.

Aren't you hungry? Just look at that excitement! Look at the way the noodles are hanging to the side - he's bringing that fork to his mouth with some speed! There are more terrifying illustrations here.

More good ones:

Satanic Huckleberry Finn
Cherry-Stem Knot-Tying Kid
Gollum-Girl. "My Precious!"

Flutter Flutter

Yesterday was one of the most full Fridays I've had in a long time. I was working in the office until about 11:30pm Thursday night. Then Friday stared with a three-in-a-row class block (2 teaching, one attending) I got two hours for lunch, which naturally meant I had to eat in 20 minutes while trying to finish some classwork. Then there was lecture number two for the day and a one-on-one with advisor the second. That got postponed, so I had time to help out a postdoc with some problems she was having. Then I had another couple hours free, so I bicycled home to get a shower (did I mention I hadn't showered yet?), and got in a few minutes reading before hopping back on the bike to zoom over to advisor the first's home for a dinner with visiting scholar-whose-book-we're-using-in-class (I'm also thinking of using his book for my summer class). I got home at about 11pm.

Yowza.

The dinner was actually very nice. I'm very much a hermit, so I don't get out much (although I've got another dinner tonight - aren't I the social butterfly all of a sudden?). The most flattering part about it was that I think it's the first time I felt like I was comfortable dealing with a fairly big name in the field who wasn't from my department. Uber kudos to my advisor who brought everyone together and made me feel like I fit in. Oh, also, I was the only grad student invited. Just me and a bunch of real living breathing big-wigs. Cool.

Tonight's a Chinese New Year party, so in case I forget, I hope everyone has a great year of the dog!

Hello! Mr. Blogger!

Is anyone else still having to type the 'I'm not a robot spammer' code in the comment window twice? because I still am and it makes me sad.

I'm It!

I've been tagged! (thanks ZeroDoll!)

Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom slot, like so.
1) shelly
2) zydeco fish
3) doris
4) zerodoll
5) Overread

Next select five people to tag (Sorry!):
1) Jayfish
2) BrightStar
3) Russian Violets
4) Luckybuzz
5) Sheepish

What were you doing 10 years ago?
Aaaaaaaaaarmy training, Sir! (That's the fact Jack!)

What were you doing 1 year ago?
Very much the same thing I'm doing now.

Five snacks you enjoy:
1) Tortilla Chips
2) Chocolate
3) Mandarin oranges (or any nibble-sized fruit)
4) Pita (or bagel chips) and hummus
5) all manner of candy (except for a few abhorations of nature like Circus Peanuts)

Five songs to which you know all the lyrics:
1) Almost every song in Rocky Horror
2) Most songs in Grease
3) I used to know all of American Pie
4) I used to be able to sing all of Piano Man by Billy Joel
5) If I've go the music, I can sing Paradise by the Dashboard Light by Meatloaf

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
(I agree with ZeroDoll - it's gotta be a multi-millionaire; these days, a million bucks buys a shack in some parts of the world)
1) Pay off my debts and the debts of my immediate family (no luck distant cousins!)
2) Buy land, losta land under starry skies above
3) Set up my own foundation so I wouldn't have to worry about funding :)
4) Travel everywhere
5) Have a home

Five bad habits:
1) Lazy
2) I always find excuses to not be social
3) I abuse my electronics
4) I don't know when to say 'this is good enough' and move on
5) I often don't finish what I start (nice paradox, no?)

Five things you like doing:
1) eating
2) reading
3) watching old movies
4) Going somewhere I've never been
5) ZeroDoll was trying to be all coy by saying 'getting intimate,' I'm blunt. I'll just say 'sex.'

Five things you would never wear again:
1) Frank-n-Furter costume
2) High Heels
3) Full body makeup
4) Cross-gartered tights (ah, my days in the theatre world...)
5) Military uniform

Five favorite toys:
1) Laptop
2) Zen Micro
3) Canon 20D w/ assorted lenses
4) Nike Triax Running system
5) My blog! (that's a toy, right?)

Conundrum

Why don't they just kill James Bond when they capture him?

Temptation

Ooo... I got this nice projector for this silly little presentation tonight. Is it wrong that I want to just stay in my office and project movies onto my wall all night? I'm supposed to give it back tomorrow, but it's too cool! I want I want I want!

Not Fed After Midnight

The gremlins in the wireless network have had sunlight shone upon them. Hoo-ray for modern technology!

I know I haven't been posting much lately, and I'm afraid it may be getting worse as the the weeks pass. The thesis work is piling up on top of the already decently size pile of classwork and TAing work.

And yet I found time to watch the NOVA special on building a trebuchet. Because... Umm.... it's trebuchet... And that's cool. And I have no ability to stay on task.

It was a trebuchet though. I mean - just say it. Cool isn't it?

Sneaky Morning Run

8.14km - 41'31"

Well, the gym is still crowded in the morning, btu the trail was great. I even got to run a little bit with what looked like the women's track team. :)

It was sneaky because I should have been prepping for a one on one after today's lecture with a very meticulous prof. I don't think I'm going to be as prepared as she would like me to be.

Not Exactly Pret-a-Porter

Oh for crying out loud.

I’ve never understood fashion.  I don’t think I ever will.

Slow On The Uptake

More proof (as if needed) of my geekiness: I love the OED. My campus has it set up where we get automatic access from our browsers. Clickity click click and whoosh I can tell you all that the first entry for ‘numinous’ is:

1647 N. WARD Simple Cobler Aggawam 66 The Will of a King is very numinous; it hath a kinde of vast universality in it. 1864 R. S. HAWKER Quest Sangraal 17 An Orient Cruse, Fulfill'd, and running o'er, with Numynous Light. 1941 G. G. SCHOLEM Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism 59 The key-word of the numinous, the Kedushah, the trishagion from Isaiah VI, 3, in which the ecstasy of the mystic culminates: holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts. 1951 J. L. ADAMS tr. P. Tillich Protestant Era p. xxxix, Protestants..often are unaware of the numinous power inherent in genuine symbols. 1993 Atlantic Oct. 113/1 Calle de la Luna shows a smiling crescent moon, Calle del Cristo a numinous Christ on the cross.

The power of the OED is very numinous; it hath a kinde of vast universality in it.

Most Distressing!

The internets are not accesible from my home! The wireless gremlin says that he is connected, but he won't allow me to see webpages... Evil little gremlin...

It's Gotta Be The Shoes

8.13km - 41'53"

Originally uploaded by Overread.

A Quiz in a Poke

Yowza!

The only missed one was number one! - Robert Palmer - I Didn't Mean To Turn You On. Well, it's actually a lie. I kinda tired to turn you on, but only a little bit. EDIT - Zerodoll actually did get this one. I'm sorry about that! I'm getting rusty on these quizzes, maybe I need to do them more often :)

Ah, but camera obscura brings out a oh, so difficult problem. Hazy Shade of Winter - Simon and Garfunkel or the Bangles. I first heard the Bangles version, and loved it, but there's nothing that S&G have done that I don't love. Ah, troubles (and not of the doggie kind).

In any case - here's a new quiz!

1

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

2

You see it all around you
Good lovin' gone bad
And usually it's too late when you realize what you had

3

So you think you’re lonely
Well my friend I’m lonely too

4

The first time that I got it
I was just ten years old
I got it from some kitty next door

5

Johnny died one night, died in his bed,
Bottle of whiskey, sleeping tablets by his head.

6

He's got such a supple wrist

7

I can walk down the street there's no one there
Though, the pavements are one huge crowd

8

In sixty-nine I was twenty-one and I called the road my own
I don’t know when that road turned onto the road I’m on

9

It’s all wrong, but it’s all right.
The way that you treat me baby.
Once I was strong but I lost the fight.
You won’t find a better loser.

10

You've got everything, but nothing's cool
They've just found your father in the swimming pool

11

You see the world through your cynical eyes
You're a troubled young man I can tell
You've got it all in the palm of your hand
But your hand's wet with sweat

12

And when I awoke and felt you warm and near,
I kissed your honey hair with my grateful tears.
Oh I love you, girl.
Oh, I love you.

13

We have to shout above the din of our Rice Crispies

14

I could barely walk when I milked a cow
When I was three I pushed a plow
While chopping wood I moved my legs
And they saw me dancing when I gathered eggs

15

Once I never could hope to win
You starting down the road leaving me again
The threats you made were meant to cut me down
And if our love was just a circus you'd be a clown by now

Two Bits

From the land of the Cheeky Prof:

25 Questions that no one would ever think to ask:

1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
"Ugh. I don't need to shave today, do I?"

2. How much cash do you have on you?
~$30, which is odd, because I usually hate carrying much cash

3. What's a word that rhymes with TEST?
Best

4. planet?
Forbidden

5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list?
Hmmm... I don't know. It's not a number I recognize.

6. What is your favorite ring on your phone?
Marriage of Figaro

7. What shirt are you wearing?
Black polo (without the little polo guy though - it's Land's End, I think... I can't see the tag from here :)

8. What do you label yourself?
$3.99

9. Name the brand of your shoes you're recently wearing?
Nike running shoes (Air somethingorother, but then again, aren't they all?) I'm hoping that I can find a bit of time to go run today

10. Bright or Dark Room?
Right now, I'm in my office, which is very bright thanks to our friend the sun.

11. What were you doing at midnight last night?
Sleeping - I live a thrilling life, it's true. Actually I had to go to sleep early because I had a 9am shoot this morning.

12. What did your last text message you received on your cell say?
Words to the effect of: "This costs too much money. Why don't I just call you?"

13. Where is your nearest 7-11?
Oh, wow... maybe... 3 miles? maybe?

14. What's a saying that you say a lot?
"jeeze"

15.Who told you they loved you last?
My Sis-tah

16. Last furry thing you touched?
Briar, the 9 billion pound monster dog who lives in the house where I am staying. He needed a good petting and patting this morning before I left

17. How Many Drugs Have You Done In The Past three Days?
I really hate drugs of all kinds - even when I need to take them. I get very unhappy when I'm living somewhere where my allergies kick up, because then I have to take antihistamines, and I always feel that that's cheating somehow. I know, I know, not a healthy attitude. So, no drugs. I did take a multivitamin, does that count?

18. How many rolls of film do you need to get developed?
Film! Ha! actually, I do have a roll of Tmax that I should get developed one day. I'm a completely digital shutter-monkey now.

19. Favorite age you have been so far?
Today

20. your worst enemy?
The sloth that lives inside my brain and makes me want to be laaaaazy

21. What is your current desktop picture?
A picture of the card my brother sent me for Christmas (here it is)

22. What was the last thing you said to someone?
"Kick ass this afternoon!" When I biked by one of our basketball players this morning. They've got a game today.

23. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly, which would you choose?
Ya know, I've never been a big fan of the flying superpower. I'd go for other powers long before flying. But this one's tough, because I bet I could make a lot of money flying. Of course, I'd probably be shot down by some duck hunter or declared an threat to homeland security because I wouldn't screen myself before flight. I guess I'd take the money...

24. Do you like someone?
Almost everyone, actually... Almost...

25. The last song you listened to?
25 or 6 to 4 by Chicago

Friday Poetry Meme

Great Idea Jo(e)!

Here's an old fave from Li Bo (Elling Eide, Trans):

Beneath the blossoms with a pot of wine,
No friends at hand, so I poured alone;
I raised my cup to invite the moon,
Turned to my shadow, and we became three.

Now the moon has never learned about my drinking,
And my shadow had merely followed my form,
But I quickly made friends with the moon and my shadow;
To find pleasure in life, make the most of the spring.

Whenever I sang, the moon swayed with me;
Whenever I danced, my shadow went wild.
Drinking, we shared our enjoyment together;
Drunk, then each went off on his own.
But forever agreed on dispassionate revels,
We promised to meet in the far Milky Way.

Ah, Friday

I should give up trying to get anything done on a Friday. I've got two sections and two lectures all with very minimal time in-between. Several other officemates have the same problem, so in-between classes we all pile into the office (there's 5 of us total in here now. 3 desks, five people. Don't even get me started about shelf space), and we end up chatting all day long. Nothing gets done but we have a grand old time.

Today there was the furniture drama:
Where did the X go? Several admin people are frantically wondering. Frantic why? No one knows. No one has ever cared much about X, and it's been gone for over a year.

Admin #1 pops head into the office: Anyone seen the X?
All office folk: Nope, it's been gone for a long time
Admin #1: Ah.
(five munites pass)
Admin #2 pops head into the office: Anyone seen the X?
All office folk: Nope, it's been gone for a long time
(five minutes pass)
Random McStudent pops head in the door: Anyone seen...
All office folk break into wild hysterical laughter
R McS: (Head cocked to the side like a puppy) Professor Y?
All office staff still giggling: Um, We thought you wanted the X!
R McS: (quizzical look)

We finally straightened him out, but ah, it was funny. I know, I know. You had to be there. Trust me, it was funny.

Class

Like you want another post about how crazy-busy I've become. Well, unfortunately that's what this is. Enjoy :)

Actually I'm not whining. The only downside is that I'm way behind on my running and blog reading (and my thesis, but I'm beginning to understand that's the norm).

Best class o' the moment:

I've got a seminar that is taught by my advisor, so it's great already, but it's gathering interest from other quarters. From the beginning, another big-name faculty sat in, and now we hear murmurs that a up-and-comer faculty is interested in sitting in too. Normally this might be troublesome, especially if my advisor weren't truly expert in the field, but he is, and the whole class has turned into an incredible round table discussion of the topic. Advisor prompts the discussion, but it's free-wheeling and hitting topics that we couldn't cover as completely without big-name. Adding the up-and-comer, who is an expert in a subfield of what we're dealing with, but in a different way, should be even my interesting.

This is what I had hoped university would be. Experts dealing with vital topics and pulling from each other, while students follow and learn how to enter the discussion. Each of us will present a very brief review of material and try to add to the discussion. This may sound like a typical seminar, but with the two (3?) faculty coming at the problem from different angles, it's better than any other I've had. Today the class went on about an hour longer than it should have and no one wanted to leave.

How am I going to leave this place?

Alright, this was more gush than while, but oh, well.

What Else Has The Media Hidden From Us?

I'm sure everyone has seen this, but I just did and I literally laughed out loud. Make sure and read to the end.



From Alas, a blog
info at educe me

Don't You Understand? I NEED This Class!

Yes. You are graduating (so you think) in the Spring and you just found out that you need this class to graduate (I'm not even sure I could be that oblivious). And you want in. And it's full. And you want in. Bursting at the seems full. And you want in. No you didn't come to any of the lectures or discussions held so far. And you want in.

Ah...yes, and also this:

You're a senior and you need this class. You'll just die if you aren't able to get this class and graduate on time (on whose time?). You'll do anything to get in. Anything. Oh, I'm the TA that has the early morning sections? Where's the other TA?

Ah...