Life of Wiley

Camping Trip with the Kids

2010-08-30T19:56:00.002-04:00

I put my travel trailer to use for the weekend. We went to the Tacoma KOA, to give Faith her first camping trip. Not exactly roughing it with a heated pool and watching a movie in the camper, but we did cook out, enjoy some smores over the hot coals, and join the campgrounds pancake breakfast the next morning. Cozy in an 18' travel trailer, but fun! They are the best kids ever (in my unbiased opinion ;-)

I learned an important camping lesson while there. Never ever leave the drain while pumping the sewage tank. I went inside for a bit, when I came back out the attachment had come loose and there was all manner of unspeakable ick all over the drive. And nice and smelly to boot. Made for a very unpleasant cleanup. A lesson I won't soon forget...

Family Visit

2010-08-30T19:44:00.000-04:00

When we dropped Jaime off at the airport, we picked up family visiting from Maryland. My travel trailer came in handy as a spare room (for me), since we had a houseful of people.

Meeting of the minds -- Uncle Don and Dad keeping us updated on the latest news

Aunt Elaine and Elaina play "go fish"

Zach in 'native' Seattle attire

Dave 'bringing sexy back'

Zach watering flowers (and his sister, with regularity)

Catching up on "The Archies" (who knew they were still around??)

Intense 'Blues Clues' watching

Sisters (n' friends)

Who says cats don't 'move' well??

2010-08-30T19:10:00.005-04:00

I think it is safe to say that Wiley and Lemur have bonded during their long trip west (and maybe missing Maz??).

They also seem to be adjusting rather well to their new home in Seattle, despite the noisy dog-thing that keeps running around the house ;-) Pretty soon my folks are getting a pug puppy, so the noisy dog thing concentration will increase notably. Hopefully, they'll see it as a toy...

Rest of the Trip

2010-08-23T19:28:00.002-04:00

Since I'm so far behind on my "inner Bedouin" posting, I'm just going to finish off with pictures from the trip. Mostly driving, but a few sites seen on the way. Little explanations where needed:

The Badlands --

Happy kitties --

Giant bug-bird that should have cracked the windshield --

The Vore Buffalo Jump (a large sink hole that Native Americans drove buffalo in to) --

Stepan Center west?? (a bad idea...twice!) --

Montana sights (continental divide, the Madonna of the Rockies, Butte) --

Milestone for my 10 year old Jeep --

The Berkeley Pit (polluted copper mine) --

Dust devils of the west --

Mount Rainer ("the mountain was out") --

Jaime in Seattle --

Inner Bedouin Day 3 -- Big Bad Day

2010-08-16T02:33:00.002-04:00

...literally and figuratively as to the title above. Big refers to the concrete fauna we observed; bad meaning good, describes the beauty of the Badlands National Park. We drove from Jackson MN to the Badlands in South Dakota.

The day began at Ace hardware however, where we tried a variety of pins to hook up the sway bar. Found two that worked, bought 6 of them. While Ace might not be a big tourist attraction for most, we thought it warranted a picture because it allowed us to drive on in comfort. No more bouncing. Please note my macho big mirrors, which make seeing around the travel trailer MUCH easier. I've since added small convex mirrors as well and now have a clear shot of much of the road behind me.

At our first gas stop was uneventful till we noticed three HUGE tractor trailers pulling the blades used on the giant wind turbines. Pretty cool.

This was only the first of many "giant" things spotted during the course of the day. The first caught us off guard, hadn't fully done our Roadside America homework. Suddenly, we saw a giant steer head sitting on the plains. The first picture below shows the scale compared to passing cars. The second shot gives it an Easter Island-esque quality. We've since found that it is part of Porter Sculpture Park in Montrose, South Dakota -- the bovine head is that of an Egyptian cow.

At a gas stop, we caught a view of a giant buffalo. Can't find anything about it tho', and have no recollection of where we took the picture.

As we drove along, we saw so many billboards for "The Corn Palace", that I was lured in by the siren song. So, we went in search of it. Jaime questioned the wisdom, and rightly so. But, I've spent too much time around Mike Homan listening to Nebraska corn stories to pass it by. And for any of you who may have wanted to go, but a stronger traveling partner convinced you of your foolishness - here it is:

About the only plus to going to it, was finding another large bovine next to a hotel:

By far the prettiest thing we saw on the drive were the huge fields of sunflowers. Yellow as far as the eye could see.

But the piece de restance of the day was for sure the human skeleton walking a Trex skeleton on a leash. Set a bit off the road, if you didn't know it was there, you would be hard pressed to describe it. Jaime and I realized that as the passenger, had she not know it was there and suddenly saw the ironwork, either her brain wouldn't have been able to register it as the ridiculous sculpture that it is, or, she wouldn't have mentioned it because really, who would believe it? So, should you be driving along this stretch of i-90, you'll see a billboard for the art and finally (and quickly) the sculpture.

We ended the day at the Badlands KOA, you had to drive thru the Badlands National Park to get to it. Just gorgeous. We caught it as the sun was setting, making the red rocks even more vibrant. I'll wait for pictures of that leg till tomorrow's post. Instead I'll leave you with this giant prairie dog statue we found somewhere nearby:

Inner Bedouin Day 2 -- Jackhammer ride to Jackson

2010-08-16T00:35:00.001-04:00

Today we drove from Madison, WI to Jackson, MN. Right near our KOA, we saw our first "big cow", as per Roadside America's "Big Bovines" list. Jaime noted the injustice of the Burger King/McDonalds backdrop.

We also passed a huge windmill farm. Kinda pretty, not sure I understand the hub-ub about how they 'disrupt the landscape' as is often noted. Jaime pointed out that they seem no "uglier" than power lines.

We stopped for gas at a Superamerica station which fascinated Jaime, leading her to sing a "Team America"-like song with each one we passed from that point on. It also held enough fascination for her that she took a picture of it, so I include it here.

We later unduly pondered a sign that advertised a "4-D Movie Experience." Since the 4th dimension is time, we concluded that all movies are 4D since about 2 hours pass. But we doubt that's what they meant.

We crossed the Mississippi river today. Surprisingly long climb back out the valley, first real test of the Jeep's towing ability.

Our "growth opportunity" for today came after we parked in the Jackson, MN KOA (a GREAT campground). As I was getting the camper set up, I noticed the sway bar was hanging on by one hook. Apparently the pin that held the other end in place had fallen out. Which suddenly made our very bouncy ride for many many miles make sense. It was ridiculously bouncy at times, which caused many a chuckle on the drive. But not so funny when we realized the reason. And even less so when we found that no one had the pin we needed to fix it. So, RV-lesson #2 -- carry along extra parts.

Fortunately RV-lesson #3 -- people camped nearby are very very friendly - also occurred as a result. Had some super nice folks next to us.

The cats grew accustomed to their Road Warrior status pretty quickly. The first picture is of Wiley checking out the campground while we registered, the second is of my Lounge Lemur, comfortably ensconced on the windowsill next to Jaime's foot.

Inner Bedouin Day 1 -- We Learn by Doing

2010-08-15T23:51:00.001-04:00

Since I'm on leave this Fall, I decided to drive out to Seattle with the 'kids' and visit with my family while I write. Jaime has never been to Seattle, so I offered to cover all costs if she would co-pilot. We're driving a travel trailer that we camp in at night. Jaime's husband didn't quite get the idea of driving around with your 'house' hooked to your car, until someone made an analogy to Bedouins. They subsequently observed that we were simply getting in touch with our inner Bedouin, which gave us our trip name.

Wiley and Lemur. ride in the Jeep with us during the day, and are adorable. Either snuggled up between us on the arm rest, sitting on a box to watch the world go by, or trying by every stealth means possible to get Jaime to let them lay in the foot well between her feet/under her seat.

Day 1 did not go down as a particularly good start. It's been a learning experience, should be a pro by the time we get there. The first day we were delayed because I slept thru my alarm and Jaime didn't have the heart to wake me up. Then, when I finally got my lazy arse out of bed and we were hooking up the trailer, we realized that the cable that controlled the lights and brakes was sliced. Must've happened when I was practicing backing up and turning. So, I called one of my new pals in the RVing business and asked if he could sneak us in right away to rewire it. He did and off we went.

Right into Chicago traffic, even tho we went 80 to 39 up to 90. That was fun, for the first real time driving the travel trailer. I had no feeling in my hands about halfway thru it.

Finaly we turned onto 39. At one point I thought it has started raining hard, then realized that in reality we were committing bug genocide. Unreal number of flying insects on that road, it was not fun cleaning up afterwards.

We had considered stopping at the worlds largest museum dedicated to angels, and/or Circus World and the International Clown Hall of Fame - but the soul-sucking properties of highway 39 hot the better of us.

We finally pulled into the KOA Jaime found us, but well after the office closed. They had left us a great space. Setting up the camper at midnight with a flashlight while those flying insects we didn't manage to kill on 39 took out their revenge was 'fun', but the camper was quite comfy.

Only made it as far as Madison, WI that night. 'Twas far enough.

Matzel

2010-08-14T01:21:00.000-04:00

Sad day last week when we lost Matzel. He's been suffering from kidney failure for some time, which required 3 pills a day and a subcutaneous IV every 36 hours. Although he still had a good appetite, he pretty much just snuggled with me, went to the bathroom, then back to sleep. On shakier and shakier legs. I finally had to decide if he could make the long drive out to Seattle with us, and it just seemed too stressful. He was good for at most a few more months, and those months would have been spent driving and moving to a new house, etc. So, the vet came to the house to put him to sleep.

Definitely shed many a tear of the last week. He was a pretty constant little companion for 17 years, and much loved. I miss him.

Wine Tasting

2010-07-27T23:40:00.000-04:00

Alica came in for the weekend as part of our new "Alumni Day" with the field school. One of the activities Jaime planned for us and the TAs was a trip to a local winery. Tiny place, but fun way to spend the afternoon. Came home, made a tasty dinner.

The Librarian

2010-06-12T21:17:00.003-04:00

I've got to confess, I just love "The Librarian" movies. Might be goofy, but you gotta laugh at lines like "Yay Newton!!" after his 3rd law of thermodynamics saves the day, and "I think it's only fair to warn you I AM in fact, a librarian!" as Noah Wyle fights Vlad the Impaler.

I just watched the newest one "The Curse of the Judas Chalice" - New Orleans, vampires, Bible curse, Bob Newhart as a 2000 year old "Scholar" who fights the forces of evil -- really, what's not to love?! Giggled away, as I have with the previous two.

I had it on as "background noise" as I did some number crunching...didn't work.

Upright Citizen's Brigade Parody of the BP Oil Spill

2010-06-12T11:39:00.003-04:00

Anthro majors change the world!

2010-06-10T22:43:00.000-04:00

This is pretty cool - one of our majors was pivotal in getting a bill signed by President Obama last week. He's the Executive Director of a program called "Resolve Uganda", a project he started while a student at Notre Dame. Michael is second from the right (red tie) in the picture below.

The bill, titled the "Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009," commits the US "to help bring an end to the brutality and destruction that have been a hallmark of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) across several countries for two decades, and to pursue a future of greater security and hope for the people of central Africa."

Here's a link to an article about the legislation:
A Future of Greater Security and Hope for the People of Central Africa

50 FIRSTS: Atlantic Char (Yawn)

2010-06-09T21:57:00.003-04:00

Okay, this is boring. But it's a first, so dammit, I'm counting it.

We went to Bonefish Grill to celebrate Jaime's new PhD-ness, and I had Atlantic char. Quite tasty, tho' a bit oily (perhaps due to preparation rather than type of fish).

That's about it. Dull, but counted.

iPad: Fun AND Useful

2010-06-02T15:30:00.000-04:00

I am using a wireless keyboard with my iPad for the first time, and have to admit, this became not just a fun toy, but a useful tool. With the AV adapter, it allows me to show my lectures (translating from PPT to Keynote pretty easily) in class without having to lug my laptop around. The bluetooth keyboard weighs nothing, so even carrying that is still a substantial net gain in portability.

While it won't replace a laptop or desktop for extended work (or adding skeleton action figures, of prime importance ;-), it will be great in the classroom, for travel, and for my old eyes when searching the web in the evening or Facebooking while petting a cat or two and watching TV.

Yep, total and complete and utter decadence. I fully admit it.

(action figure to be added later ;-)

Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill(s) - 1979, 2010

2010-05-28T03:40:00.003-04:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Oil Spill Ticker

2010-05-26T17:54:00.002-04:00

Virtual Committee Member

2010-05-26T14:02:00.001-04:00

Jaime had her dissertation defense today. I was there...virtually. I Skyped in - which meant I was sitting in my study. And with me were all three cats. Lemur lying across the back of the chair, Wiley laying on one arm, and Maz curled up in the windowsill. I think their attention was a combination of missing me for the past several days (I was in Seattle), and because they could hear the voice of one of their favorite people.

Apparently no-one noticed the feline participants. I thought about dipping their little paws in ink so they could "sign" the approval form ;-)

PS -- if you try this for a defense, consider getting an external microphone (if they exist) for Skype, because it is VERY difficult to hear much of what is said by those a few seats from the the computer.

The gods must be angry

2010-05-20T03:49:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago I posted an article about skeletons found in a remote mountain region who were recently diagnosed as having been killed by a massive hail storm. I didn't really buy it, till I saw this tonight on the news:

Almost TOO cute!

2010-05-17T18:27:00.000-04:00

Pretty adorable (even for a non-primate, non-cat ;-) --

Meet the sloths from Amphibian Avenger on Vimeo.

Probably Not...

2010-05-06T15:41:00.001-04:00

I wonder if Wiley would be willing to get a 'lion cut' to help the people of the Gulf Coast?? :-)

Sopping Up An Oil Slick With Castaway Hair
NPR.org
May 6, 2010

I can't decide if this counts as a 'green' alternative...or just a drain clogger.

BP - Broken Promises

2010-05-04T22:25:00.001-04:00

BP - worst saftey record in the country. BP - the cause of more than one leak. Now, BP has created an underwater oil volcano that threatens to destroy some of the most delicate marine habitats in the world.

Limbaugh tells us that "ecology takes care itself" and "seawater is tough stuff." I say we coat him in the stuff and float him out there for a few days/weeks to do first hand "journalism." Sadly, embryonic shrimp are not, bones and wings and fins are not tough stuff. Thus far they've criminally underestimated the amount of oil spewing forth (by an order of magnitude), told us it is the fault of the company that owned the oil rig, and claim that they are working as hard as they can. Time will tell. The time now? To send them back to the UK with a fond farewell.

50 FIRSTS #21 -- Tweet(le) Dumb

2010-05-02T07:26:00.004-04:00

I sent my first tweet today. Not quite sure what I'll use Twitter for other than to update my Facebook status occasionally (can't change my 'skeleton action figure' profile pic to match the status using it, so only of limited utility).

Nevertheless, it brings me into 21st century media more fully (Skype, Twitter, Facebook, and a blog), so I guess by definition I'm much more 'cool' now. Right?? ;-)

If you're on Twitter, let me know your ID. I'm "primatebonz" and my ID picture is the one to the right.

50 FIRSTS #20 -- 20th Century, Here I Come!!

2010-04-29T02:44:00.003-04:00

This almost counts as 2 new 50 FIRSTS -- tonight I Skyped for the first time AND it was part of a conference call. Yep, Lesley and Jaime ushered me into the previous century, as we spent an hour or two making the final decisions about this summer's NSF-REU Fellows. It was a painful process (choosing, not Skyping) - but in a good way - lots of exceptionally qualified applicants! Occasionally Matzel contributed to the 'conversation'.

Brings a Smile, Every Time

2010-04-11T02:40:00.005-04:00

I was in a crumby mood Thursday/Friday, so fell back on a few of my favorite you tube videos for a smile:

50 FIRSTS #18: Easter Ratatouille

2010-04-07T20:15:00.006-04:00

Enjoyed the Johnson family's hospitality for Easter, as is becoming the tradition. Great lamb by Randy, excellent fare all around. And apparently I added a 'first' by enjoying some ratatouille. I've obviously heard of it, never tasted it tho'. Fun to say, tasty to eat - figured it could go on 'the list.'

The day was topped off as usual by the lamb cake decapitation (apparently these little lamb cakes are a South Bend area specialty). Moment captured below:

50 FIRSTS #19: Internet Help-Chat

2010-04-05T17:18:00.004-04:00

I have to confess, 10 years into the 21st century and I've never actually used one of those live interactive options while on one of my financial pages. But today, I couldn't find my end of year tax info from my mortgage holder, so went online, tried to set up an account, it dumped me, so I timed the online chat option against calling. The person was online before I'd finished entering the 1-800 number in my iphone. It was pretty interesting to answer her questions about loan amounts, interest, etc. by having to bounce around to other websites to pull the answers. Never had to touch a piece of paper. I don't know if that felt convenient, or a bit scary ;-) Regardless, it was a first, so it's on the list!

Ape Language Studies

2010-03-30T22:43:00.000-04:00

Scientists Successfully Teach Gorilla It Will Die Someday

50 FIRSTS #17: 1st Census Form

2010-03-30T22:34:00.004-04:00

I'm not sure how this is possible, but I just filled out and sent in my first census form. I was in Jerusalem for the year in 2000, so must've missed doing it (maybe Yorke filled it out for me??) In 1990, my then husband must've done so. 1980 - last year of high school so I guess my parents did it.

I have to confess that although short and certainly not difficult, some of the questions did make me think "should I really be answering this??" I did it, but wish there was a more secure way to do so.

Sunbathing

2010-03-23T00:12:00.003-04:00

We have a new contender for "favorite position" I think. I walked into the living room this afternoon (stayed home to work on our summer website) and found a giant hairy slug on my sofa. He was o-u-t cold. Really very cute. When I pet the sunny side of him, he was like a hairy heating pad.

50 FIRSTS #15: Rest in Peace Ted Kennedy

2010-03-21T22:40:00.006-04:00

Watched the endless back and forth on the floor for several hours, in order to see this historic vote. Watched it on Fox News to see what they were saying during the process. Insightful comments like "who ever designed a graphic that uses white letters against a bright background?? The graphics people at Fox certainly wouldn't do that." When they brought on Trent Lot who said this vote represents the destruction of the country and the Constitution, I changed channels.

50 FIRSTS #9: Sunrise Balloon Ride Over the Nile's West Bank

2010-03-21T02:44:00.009-04:00

This was not on the archaeology tour plan for Luxor, but when we checked into our hotel, we noticed a sunrise hot air balloon trip over the Valley of the Kings available for the next morning at an amazingly inexpensive price. Too good to pass up. Definitely one for the "firsts" list. Very cool. It included breakfast on the Nile, then about an hour long flight. Here are a few shots:

Stewart as Beck

2010-03-19T20:59:00.002-04:00

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Conservative Libertarian

www.thedailyshow.com

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Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Reform

50 FIRSTS #14: Called my Congressman

2010-03-19T18:47:00.008-04:00

I have often thought about calling my congressman at various times, but finally did it today when I read that Donnelly still hadn't made a decision about how he is going to vote on the Health Care bill. Seems a bit cowardly -- time's a ticking. So, I sent an email, posted a comment on his webpage, and called both his DC and South Bend offices. Then posted a notice on my Facebook page as well as the ND Faculty & Staff FB page. I even made this nifty little skeleton action figure just for him...

When I called, the aide took my name, occupation, and then said "so, you want him to vote "no"? He received a rather surprised, then emphatic response from me... ;-)

Come on Donnelly, you know what the right answer is!

On the off chance that you are a resident in Indiana's 2nd Congressional District, here's how to contact him:

website contact form: http://donnelly.house.gov/contact/contact-us-form.shtml
DC office phone: 202-225-3915
South Bend office phone: 574-288-2780

Dixie Chick

2010-03-15T20:29:00.005-04:00

Yesterday Michael and Doug had to go into Chicago for a funeral, so Dixie came to stay for the night. She's a cutie pie...at least I thought so. Lemur was of a differing opinion. Wiley just looked at her, then went back to sleep, and Maz stayed in the closet for the night. Poor Dixie didn't get much sleep - so many new noises to check out (among them Lemur's fairly regular growl or hiss just for effect).

This morning when I let her outside, she ran into a giant opossum and came right back in. So when I took her for a walk a bit later, she led me (with determination) back to her house and wouldn't budge. She jumped in a chair, laid down, and essentially said "okay, you can go now." I checked back in on her later, she didn't even get up to bark at me as I came in (normally she's quite vocal). Dixie was one tired pup.

She did manage to bark at the Jehovah's Witness who came by while I was hanging out, and gave the UPS man some lip for good measure. But quickly back to the chair and back to sleep.

The pictures below -- a)Dixie responding to Lemur's threat (little foot in the air), and b) Lemur's general hiding place when not c)espousing his displeasure at her visit.

50 FIRSTS #1&2: United Arab Emirates Visit

2010-03-15T01:21:00.006-04:00

Got to see 6 of the 7 Emirates in December/January. Lesley needed to collect samples from several collections for her dissertation, which meant visiting numerous museums around the country. The only Emirate we didn't visit was Abu Dhabi (admittedly, the largest). We visited several cool places (Arabia Wildlife Center, Blue Suk, Sharjah Cornish, etc.), but I have to confess that the highlight for me was seeing my first large sand dunes. I've been in the desert before in many places, but there were always bushes/trees n' such. Pictures from Dubai were posted earlier, I've included a few from the various other Emirates below (including some seriously flooded streets after a downpour in Fujairah):

50 FIRSTS #5: Crumby Omani Hotel

2010-03-15T00:43:00.006-04:00

After working at several museums in the UAE, we traveled to Oman to see the beehive tombs near Ibri (that's a tale for another post). On the first night we stayed in the Marina Hotel in Muscat. We went with the recommendation in the Lonely Planet guide (which got all manner of things wrong in their UAE/Oman/Yemen book - beware), but clearly should have checked Trip Advisor first. Only one review is good (probably written by the owner), the rest tell the tale.

When we went to check out, they tried to triple the rate from that agreed to on the phone. Argued for a bit, finally got fed up, paid them the equivalent of half the price of one room (we had 2) at our agreed upon price, told the guy at the front desk he had no honor and walked out. Gotta admit, although feeling justifiably self-righteous, I was a bit nervous doing it.

We chuckled for the rest of the day that they had no way to find us since we didn't reserve on-line and didn't pay with a credit card...until we got to the hotel in Ibri and they asked the standard first request -- "passports please." Then we remembered, the Marina had indeed xeroxed our passports like every other hotel we'd stayed in on our trip. Probably to keep people from jumping their bill... So, we spent the day hunting for the tombs, assuming that we'd be thrown in chains at the border crossing ;-) Yep, we showed them all right.

50 FIRSTS #3: High Tea in Dubai

2010-03-13T21:55:00.005-05:00

I want to link each of the "50 New Things" to a posting, so I have some backtracking to do. Here are a few picture from our visit to the Burj al Arab, Dubai's 7-star hotel. Gotta confess, while the food was amazing, I wasn't much of a fan of the opulence of Dubai. Conspicuous consumption on an unimaginable scale.

The first shot is of the outside of the hotel, a view from inside looking up, the fountain and Christmas decorations, and the Burj Dubai just before it opened (world's tallest building).

50 FIRSTS #12: Homemade Horseradish

2010-03-12T20:31:00.009-05:00

Lately I've been cooking a lot on the weekends (for the remainder of the week), hitting the Farmer's market, using mostly organics, trying to cut out meat for the most part, etc. This has involved some experimenting with new foods along to the way to keep it interesting. For example, several stores seem to have horseradish root available now, getting ready for Pesach (Passover) I 'suppose.

I LOVE horseradish. The hotter the better. "Preparing a Horseradish Root" gave me what turned out to be, very accurate information. I thought they were exaggerating in parts, such as: Grind or grate fresh horseradish in a well-ventilated room. The fumes are potent—a whiff may be stronger than you expect! I thought, really, how strong could it be??

Nope. I think I burned my eyeballs out. The smell was great, but man are the 'volatile oils' released are silent but deadly. Man it tastes great. Painful but worth it. Yum!

NCSE's New "UpChucky Awards"

2010-03-04T19:34:00.003-05:00

This is a pretty fun new award, in name as well as purpose.

The UpChucky Awards

As explained on the website: Enter the intelligently designed UpChucky Award, which recognizes supreme achievement in the field of persistently rejecting evolution in the most stomach-turning way imaginable. This crown of cluelessness, this diadem of density, this badge of bullpucky isn't awarded to just any Darwin doubter.

I think Ben Stein should still be on the list.

SNL Humor Worthy of Blogging Again

2010-03-03T22:14:00.005-05:00

For some odd reason, the blogging muse is back with me. May only be temporary, I may quickly be wooed back to the instant gratification of Facebook if no comments appear after a few entries, but for now, why not? Not much of meaning to share, just like having a place to upload fund finds on the web. So let me start with this new political piece, directed by Ron Howard, that brought back all the starts of SNL who played presidents for a dream sequence with Barack Obama. Pretty fun:

Funny or Die's Presidential Reunion from Will Ferrell

Neuroanthropology 2009 Student Posts

2009-06-06T04:03:00.005-04:00

The student posts for Dan Lende's class on 'Culture and Compulsion' are posted on Neuroanthropology. As usual, interesting reading that shows off the quality of our majors. Pretty interesting stuff, worth a look. Here are the individual topics, go to the Neuroanthropology link above to access them:

• Why Do They Do It? Portrayals of Alcohol on Facebook and MySpace
• Gambling and Compulsion: Neurobiology Meets Casinos
• What’s the Dope on Music and Drugs?
• Tobacco Worse Than Cocaine?
• Caught in the Net – The Internet & Compulsion
• Lights, Camera… Alcohol?
• Confessions of a Shopaholic
• Can Videogames Actually Be Good For You?
• The New Performance Enhancing Drugs

Movie Night: "Up"

2009-06-03T23:09:00.006-04:00

Michael, Doug and I have been hitting the theaters over the past few weeks to see a variety of movies. Today was supposed to be "Terminator," but "Up" won out due to the time. And I'm glad it did - what an enjoyable movie. (I made this colorful skull balloon image in honor of the film).

Highly recommended - good story about realizing life goals, friendship, adventure, fatherhood, aging, etc. It's also a very beautiful, colorful film. Totally worth going to - with or without kids in tow.

Here's part of a critique of the film:

As a Depression-era kid, Carl thrills to the newsreel exploits of explorer Charles Muntz (voiced by Christopher Plummer), who pilots his dirigible the Spirit of Adventure to exotic climes. Brought together by a mutual admiration for Muntz, young Carl bonds with tomboyish Ellie, and their make-believe adventures give way to an achingly lovely montage of their marriage and life together. Alas, real-world demands force the couple to perpetually postpone travelling until Ellie becomes too frail for such excitement.

As a stubborn widower, Carl (voiced by Ed Asner) refuses to budge from the couple's pastel Victorian home, even though it's surrounded by a mammoth urban construction site. Rather than go gently to a retirement home, Carl resolves to keep his pledge to Ellie and sets off for South America with the help of a zillion helium balloons. Carl finds an unwanted companion in the perky Boy Scout Russell (voiced by Jordan Nagai). Russell wants to help the elderly man, but never expected to be shanghaied by a flying house.

Docter turns Up's whimsical notions into surprisingly potent metaphors. On arrival in South America, Carl and Russell end up on terra firma, tethered to the house like it's a parade float. Docter shows Carl tugging his home, possessions and memories almost literally on his back, as if he's both treasuring his past and shouldering a Sisyphean burden. Ironically, Carl arrives in the land of his dreams but still drags his mundane reality around with him.

Carl encounters a sinister alter ego when he discovers the fate of long-lost Muntz, but Up doesn't dwell on its heavier ideas. Instead, the film strikes a lighter-than-air balancing act, with dizzying adventure scenes inspired by pulp novels and movie serials. Docter shows his genius for spinning endless variations off a handful of clever ideas. For instance, Dug, a floppy-eared, slack-tongued mutt, has a gizmo on his collar that translates his single-minded canine concerns into words. Dug's ability to speak turns out to be the beginning of a series of uproarious, dog-based jokes that prove as inspired as anything in Pixar's canon.

As two of Pixar's rare human heroes, Carl and Russell have facial designs that wittily reflect their life experiences...The audience feels privileged to soar and drift with them. In fact, you may never want to go back down to earth.

From: "Pixar's new movie Up sweeps audiences off their feet." by Curt Holman, 5/27/09, Creative Loafing blog.

Yay ND Winner!!

2009-05-19T17:32:00.008-04:00

Congratulations to Patrick Tucker for winning the 2009 Jeopardy College Championship. Must've been quite an end to a senior year.

He's a friend of Mary D's, who said they had a nightly viewing in his dorm - during which he told people that he really hadn't done that well, had blown simple questions, etc. Lured 'em in. Well done.

Movie Madness

2009-05-18T22:53:00.006-04:00

I took the past week off, and in addition to lots of sleep and housecleaning, I went to see several new movies. Big fun!

On the Friday it opened, several folks from the Department went to see the new Star Trek movie. We grabbed dinner at Fiddler's Hearth -- which is going on my "firsts" list because apparently my never having been there before marks me as seriously lame -- and then to the movie (very early, thanks to my anal planning). The movie was/is AWESOME!! Whole new franchise in the making.

The next week, I returned to see the movie with Michael and Doug. The next day we took in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine." Both days we went to see the movie around 5, which meant a) no crowds, and b) a feeling of being slightly naughty by playing 'hooky' from work.

Today we repeated our afternoon outing to see "Angels and Demons." Escapist fun. Followed it up by "Thai-ing one on" (meaning - dinner at Siam Thai). Nice evening.

The final unanimous ranking -- Star Trek by far eclipsed the other two. Angels & Demons comes in at #2. Wolverine - just okay.

Graduation Done Right

2009-05-18T01:46:00.004-04:00

Great graduation service. Fr. Jenkins gave a terrific introduction for President Obama, who then directly addressed the controversy of the past few months. Nice acknowledgment of Fr. Hesburgh's role in the civil rights movement too. I was particularly proud of the graduation class who chose John Jenkins as the 2009 Senior Fellow for his tenacity in this situation, and for their unified response when hecklers interrupted the President.

Here's a link to Obama's speech: http://commencement.nd.edu/commencement-weekend/commencement-videos-recorded/commencement-address/

And to John Jenkins' charge to the class of 2009: http://commencement.nd.edu/commencement-weekend/commencement-videos-recorded/charge/

Lunacy

2009-05-17T01:55:00.020-04:00

Things around campus have been pretty crazy with the upcoming visit of President Obama. Randall Terry brought his 3-ring circus to town over a month ago, renting homes, trucks, and planes from which to spread his message. Rather than spending the money on useful items like adoption issues, prenatal care, etc., they looked for the most radical way to get themselves on the evening news. Hubris at its finest. And a message of intolerance that does not permit room for dialogue.

I considered going on a rant about the activities of the past month, but I think I'm going to let the pictures speak for themselves. By way of a quick explanation, the shots are of a plane that has been flying around campus for a month towing signs such as the one pictured saying "This is what you're honoring."

There are giant aborted fetus signs as well - while someone not wanting their children to see such images could easily take a different route and avoid campus, there are trucks that drive all around town with the same images attached (as pictured). Not pictured are the baby carriages full of bloody dolls that they wheel onto campus in order to get arrested and thus garner further attention. Nutjob Alan Keyes has now joined the fray, thus enhancing the furvor of this fundamentalist minority.

Below the pictures, I've posted an essay that discusses this issue as clearly as I've seen. The author correctly points out that the policies President Obama has put into place will do more to reduce the nation's abortion rate than anything our previous "pro-life" President did (the "pro-life" handle of course ignoring the fact that he killed more prisoners as governor than all 49 other states combined, and began an unjust war that has killed thousands. But I digress...)

These final pictures from the press capture the true nature of the situation -- Randall Terry + Alan Keyes = film crews. I confess I question the piety of such acts...

Cheer, Cheer for Old Notre Dame
A War of Words That Folds Neatly into the New Century's War of Weapons
By James Carroll

President Obama goes to Notre Dame University this Sunday to deliver the commencement address and receive an honorary degree, the ninth U.S. president to be so honored. The event has stirred up a hornet's nest of conservative Catholics, with more than 40 bishops objecting, and hundreds of thousands of Catholics signing petitions in protest. In the words of South Bend's Bishop John M. D'Arcy, the complaint boils down to President Obama's "long-stated unwillingness to hold human life as sacred." Notre Dame, the bishop charged, has chosen "prestige over truth."

Not even most Catholics agree with such criticism. A recent Pew poll, for instance, shows that 50% of Catholics support Notre Dame's decision to honor Obama; little more than one-quarter oppose. It is, after all, possible to acknowledge the subtle complexities of "life" questions -- When actually does human life begin? How is stem cell research to be ethically carried out? -- and even to suggest that they are more complex than most Catholic bishops think, without thereby "refusing to hold human life as sacred."

For many outside the ranks of conservative religious belief, this dispute may seem arcane indeed. Since it's more than likely that the anti-Obama complainers were once John McCain supporters, many observers see the Notre Dame flap as little more than mischief by Republicans who still deplore the Democratic victory in November. Given the ways in which the dispute can be reduced to the merely parochial, why should Americans care?

Medievalism in Our Future?

In fact, the crucial question that underlies the flap at Notre Dame has enormous importance for the unfolding twenty-first century: Will Roman Catholicism, with its global reach, including more than a billion people crossing every boundary of race, class, education, geography, and culture, be swept into the rising tide of religious fundamentalism?

Those Catholics who regard a moderate progressive like Barack Obama as the enemy -- despite the fact that his already unfolding social and health programs, including support for impoverished women, will do more to reduce the number of abortions in America than the glibly pro-life George W. Bush ever did -- have so purged ethical thought of any capacity to draw meaningful distinctions as to reduce religious faith to blind irrationality. They have so embraced a spirit of sectarian intolerance as to undercut the Church's traditional catholicity, adding fuel to the spreading fire of religious contempt for those who depart from rigidly defined orthodoxies. They are resurrecting the lost cause of religion's war against modernity -- a war of words that folds neatly into the new century's war of weapons.

If the Catholic reactionaries succeed in dominating their church, a heretofore unfundamentalist tradition, what would follow? The triumph of a strain of contemporary Roman Catholicism that rejects pluralism, feminism, clerical reform, religious self-criticism, historically-minded theology, and the scientific method as applied to sacred texts would only exacerbate alarming trends in world Christianity as a whole, and at the worst of times. This may especially be so in the nations of the southern hemisphere where Catholicism sees its future. It's there that proselytizing evangelical belief, Protestant and Catholic both, is spreading rapidly. Between 1985 and 2001, for example, Catholic membership increased in Africa by 87%, in Europe by 1%.

In their shared determination to restore the medieval European Catholicism into which they were born, Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI became inadvertent avatars of the new Catholic fundamentalism, a fact reflected in the character of the bishops they appointed to run the Church, so many of whom now find President Obama to be a threat to virtue. The great question now is whether this defensive, pre-Enlightenment view of the faith will maintain a permanent grip on the Catholic imagination. John Paul II and Benedict XVI may be self-described apostles of peace, yet if this narrow aspect of their legacy takes hold, they will have helped to undermine global peace, not through political intention, but deeply felt religious conviction.

Something to Cheer

No one can today doubt that the phenomenon of "fundamentalism" is having an extraordinary impact on our world. But what precisely is it? Some fundamentalists pursue openly political agendas in, for instance, Northern Ireland, Israel, and Iran. Some like Latin American Pentecostals are apolitical. In war zones like Sudan, Afghanistan, Palestine, and Sri Lanka, fundamentalism is energizing conflict. Most notably, after the Bush administration's invasion of Iraq in 2003, the insurgent groups there jelled around fundamentalist religion, and their co-extremists are now carrying the fight, terrifyingly, in the direction of the nuclear arsenal of Pakistan. Catholic fundamentalists in the U.S. are far from being terrorists, but an exclusionary, intolerant, militant true belief is on display this week in their rallying to denounce President Obama in Indiana.

Obviously, these manifestations are so varied as to resist being defined by one word in the singular, which is why scholars of religion prefer to speak of "fundamentalisms." But they all do have something in common, and it is dangerous. The impulse toward fundamentalism may begin with fine intentions: the wish to affirm basic values and sources of meaning which seem threatened. Rejecting any secular claims to replace the sacred as the chief source of meaning, all fundamentalisms are skeptical of Enlightenment values, even as the Enlightenment project has developed its own mechanisms of self-criticism. But the discontents of modernity are only the beginning of the problem.

Now "old time religion" of whatever stripe faces a plethora of threats: new technologies, a shaken world economy, rampant individualism, diversity, pluralism, mobility -- all that makes for twenty-first century life. The shock of the unprecedented can involve not only difficulty, but disaster. And fundamentalisms will especially thrive wherever there is violent conflict, and wherever there is stark poverty. This is so simply because these religiously absolute movements promise meaning where there is no meaning. For all these reasons, fundamentalisms are everywhere.

In contemporary Roman Catholicism, whose deep traditions include the very intellectual innovations that gave rise to modernity -- Copernicus, after all, was a priest -- Catholic fundamentalists are more likely to be called "traditionalists." They are galvanized now around the moral complexities of "life," at a time when the very meaning of human reproduction is being upended by technical innovation, and once-unthinkable medical and genetic breakthroughs are transforming the meaning of death as well.

Like other fundamentalists, they are attuned to the dark consequences of the Enlightenment assumptions implied in such developments, from the Pandora's Box opened by science unconnected to morality to the grotesque inequities that follow from industrialization and, more recently, globalization. Where others celebrate new information technologies, traditionalists, even while using those technologies, warn of the coarsening of culture, the destruction of privacy, and, especially, threats to the family. In nothing more than its emphasis on a rigorous and comprehensive sexual ethic -- anti-feminist, radically pro-life, contemptuous of homosexuality -- does this brand of Catholicism echo a broader fundamentalism.

In the immediate aftermath of the liberalizing Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), Catholic traditionalists, with their attachment to the Latin Mass, fiddle-back vestments, clerical supremacy, and the entire culture of the Counter-Reformation, were rebels. That was why the anti-Council sect, the Lefebrites, including the notorious Holocaust denier Bishop Richard Williamson, was excommunicated in 1988.

Today, as indicated by Pope Benedict's lifting of that excommunication, the Vatican is the sponsor of such anti-liberal rebels. Instead of reading the Bible uncritically, as Protestant fundamentalists do, Catholic traditionalists read Papal statements that way. To affirm the eternal validity of prior Papal statements, as in the case of the on-going Papal condemnation of "artificial birth control," traditionalists willingly sacrifice common sense and honesty.

If the Catholic Church is as opposed to abortion as it claims, why has it not embraced the single most effective means of reducing abortion rates, which is birth control? The answer, alas, is evident: the overriding issue for Catholic fundamentalists is not sexual morality, or even "life," but papal authority. As Protestant fundamentalists effectively make an idol of biblical texts, Catholic fundamentalists, in obedience to the Vatican, make an idol of the papacy.

When it comes to Notre Dame, ironically, American Catholic fundamentalists, including the bishops leading the charge against Obama's appearance, are not going to be backed up by the Vatican. In Rome, a tradition of realpolitik tempers the fundamentalist urge of the current establishment. The highest Church authorities have long been accustomed to putting issues of theological purity second to the exigencies of state power.

So, no insults of the American president will be coming from the Vatican this weekend, and its silence on the Notre Dame controversy will speak more clearly than any official statement on the subject might. Indeed, the long history of Roman Catholicism, where Puritanism has steadily lost out to robust earthiness, and doctrinal rigidity has regularly bent before the pressures of lived experience, is itself reason to think that Notre Dame University has found the truest Catholic response to the world's present moment: its brave decision to honor President Barack Obama.

James Carroll is a scholar-in-residence at Suffolk University, columnist for the Boston Globe, and author of the bestselling Constantine's Sword. His most recent book is Practicing Catholic, from which this essay draws.

Copyright 2009 James Carroll

Catchin' Up

2009-05-05T19:40:00.010-04:00

I've been delinquent again. So here's a catch-up email.

1). Happy Cinco de Mayo.

2). I recently moved my office to a more central location. I was tucked back in the corner of our "pod", which admittedly is what I requested 10 years ago. But of late I've felt a bit isolated, and got tired of 'spying' on everyone as they ventured to the restroom. My new office, while notably warmer (a minus), is closer to 'the action', the printer, and has a view of the Dome. As importantly, I can easily see if my Jeep is being ticketed in the spot where I often illegally park ;-) The pictures below are of my crack moving crew:

3). Wiley went to the vet for grooming earlier this week. They sent him home with a bow in his hair. Definitely required a photo for Jaime and Yorke, his arch-nemeses. When he first saw me he meowed in a way that can only be interpreted as yelling (turned the heads of a few techs) - saying, I'm sure, "get me the hell out of this carrier and take this frackin' bow OUT of my hair!!!"

4). And, since I'm in 'cat lady' mode, here are a few cute shots of late. The first picture is of Lemur sunbathing (literally and figuratively). The next is he and Wiley hanging out together, and the final shows my very attentive 'helpers' while I'm eating dinner.

Ummmm....

2009-04-28T17:58:00.004-04:00

Glad classes ended today. For many reasons, but this one is up there.

Swine flu confirmed at Notre Dame; student has recovered
Dennis Brown
Notre Dame Newswire,
April 28, 2009

More Pollock

2009-04-25T17:42:00.009-04:00

I think this has morphed into clear-cut work avoidance...

"Tesla"
"Crayon Drippings"

Pollock-ing

2009-04-24T03:06:00.018-04:00

I've been having fun with the new "Pollock" app on my iPhone. I love my iPhone (have I mentioned that before??)

I won't quit my day job...

"Burst"
"Angst"
"Dexter"

Gumby I Ain't

2009-04-19T14:39:00.004-04:00

I started yoga today. And tho' I feel great right now, I have a feeling I may be immobile tomorrow morning... Definitely noted muscle groups I'd only seen in anatomy books, never actually felt on myself. And my flexibility was compared to that of a steel i-beam. Guess this'll be good for me, who needs an ego anyway ;-)

Easter Dinner

2009-04-13T01:49:00.009-04:00

Fun Easter afternoon! Donna G. and I went to Max and Nancy's for dinner, featuring fun company and Randy C's exceptional leg of lamb. Culminating with the traditional lamb cake beheading. This year also featured a new addition, the lamb butter - tho' no one was willing to behead it.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-11T16:31:00.002-04:00

And So It Begins

2009-04-09T19:12:00.006-04:00

Today there was a protest in front of the main entrance to campus. Fortunately, it was only a small crowd holding up pictures of dead fetuses. Really made me angry - none of the protesters were ND students, this issue has been hijacked by radicals. Really a shame for the graduating seniors.

It came up today in class, I told the seniors to quit signing petitions on Facebook and get their butts out there for a counter protest. Show that the majority of folks at the University are quite excited by the prospect of President Obama's visit.

After class I headed over to do just that, but I guess they punch a time clock, 'cuz no one was there. Good. This whole boondoggle is embarrassing. Recently we made the NY Times:

Invitation to Obama Stirs Up Notre Dame
By DIRK JOHNSON
NYT.com,
April 5, 2009

Cat Bliss

2009-04-07T23:31:00.003-04:00

Tonight I learned that cat nip is in the mint family. I let the boys run around out back this evening, and found Lemur very joyfully rolling around and rubbing his face in a patch of leaves. He seemed utterly content. At one point Wiley walked over to him and started licking his face and chewing on the leaves.

When I picked Lemur up to go inside, I noticed he smelled minty fresh. And he was purring his head off, not something he usually does when forced back into the house. I quickly looked up "cats and mint" and learned my 'something new for the day.'

Apparently in many parts of the world, cat nip is called 'cat mint.' All plants in this family produce a group of chemicals that cats apparently enjoy. Based on Lemur's response, I'd add "...quite a bit." Twenty-five years of cat companions and I never knew this. Fun little discovery, I'm going to plant more.

Whale Farmers

2009-04-02T19:38:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, NPR's All Things Considered ran their weekly segment "Letters from Our Listeners", where people wrote in to complain about/praise an earlier story about dry-land whale farms. It reported on farmers in Illinois who raised pods of whales in order to use their body parts -- blubber for fuel, the bones for building projects like front porches, etc. One farmer was interviewed about a pod he'd taught to sing whale-song in 3-part harmony. Some viewers complained about the lack of harmony, others about the misuse of bottom land for whale pods, and another about the fact that these farmers wasted the blowholes so shouldn't be claiming complete 'recycling'.

It sounded real.

But it was April 1st.

Today's real segment of "Letters from our Listeners" was loaded with complaints about the cavalier way the story was reported, about the horrific farmers who would engage in such practices, etc.

It worked. Pretty funny.

Here's the link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102618951

Hilarious

2009-03-30T00:48:00.002-04:00

A friend posted this on Facebook, made me laugh so hard I cried. Why? It might be THE perfect cat video. Make sure you have the volume on.

STOMP!

2009-03-29T19:32:00.005-04:00

Went to see STOMP! today with a friend in the department (Donna G). I've wanted to see them for a very long time, got the 'inspiration' after attending the symphony several weeks back. Came home, and bought tickets so I'd have to go.

Today was an ugly, snowy day. But since the tickets were in hand, off we went. Nice lunch at Le Peep beforehand, then braved the weather to walk (in my case, hobble ;-) up to the Morris Theater.

Pretty awesome performance. Amazingly athletic, and interesting that everything they used (brushes, trashcans, plastic bags, lighters, matches, etc.) were common products. I supposed they can perform in any town with a Lowes.

Did My Part

2009-03-29T18:56:00.002-04:00

Did my part for the economy Friday, went to the closing to refinance my house. Now I have a much lower monthly payment (went from a 15 yr adjustable rate to a 30-yr fixed) and have a nice chunk of change to make some improvements to the house. First on the list? Painting. Then the upstairs bathroom. Both projects are about 2 years overdue.

Did my part for Obama (aside from working for his campaign and voting for him).

Serves Me Right

2009-03-25T18:32:00.004-04:00

It's broken. Gotta admit, today it started to smart quite a bit. My doctor called to tell me there was a fracture, and said: just turn the toe medially, tape it to the next toe, go get a podiatric shoe, stay off of it as much as possible, and...clean your room ;-)

Yep, a messy bedroom is to blame. I tripped over a shoe while stepping over a pile of dirty clothes on the floor. My mother taught me better ;-) Two of my colleagues said I should make up a heroic story about saving a cat, people would believe it.

The good news...I have something to include on my "50 New Things" list...

Guess I have to give up the stilettos for awhile. Here's my current "fashion statement" (with Wiley for scale). Talk about "sensible shoes."

Wee Wee Wee Wee

2009-03-24T20:58:00.009-04:00

Ouch. I hurt my little toe last night, am currently waiting on the x-rays to find out if it's broken. Clearly I should've just stayed in bed this month!

Couldn't put on a shoe today, so while still chilly here, I was hobbling around campus in Birkenstocks. Got a few comments, so I just showed 'em my bum toe.

But it was worth it, what having saved that poor old nun carrying a newborn baby and a ...umm, puppy, crossing the street while a giant 18-wheeler was bearing down on them. Pretty heroic of me I think.

That's my story, I'm stickin' with it.

Happy Day

2009-03-20T18:23:00.007-04:00

Feeling much better today. Not great by any means, but better. I have a new found respect of food poisoning, I've never had something wipe me out for this long before.

I taught yesterday and really thought towards the end of my second lecture (ironically, about disease), that I would be sick right there in front of the students. Interesting pedagogy I 'spose, but I let 'em go a bit early rather than risk it. Came home, slept for about 12 hours.

Today has been notably better. Bolstered by three things:

1) the VERY pretty flowers Diane sent from the Department:

2) the news that President Obama is going to be our commencement speaker!! The glee amongst the students was great to see, I imagine for most of the faculty it is even greater. I went to pick up some groceries after work, ran into Gene Ulrich, shared the news, and he remarked that his day just got so much brighter. I agree, it is wonderful news!

As to groceries...talk about the most boring basket of food. All bland. When I checked out, the woman asked "you sick?" She wasn't looking at me at the time (which is admittedly telling in itself), but at the Gatorade, chicken noodle soup, plain yogurt, bananas, and potatoes going by.

3) This evening is the final Battlestar (I made the skull Viper pilot figure above to commemorate the 'event'). Bittersweet, but I'm looking forward to the episode just the same.

Very Funny

2009-03-19T02:07:00.002-04:00

Experts Agree Giant, Razor-Clawed Bioengineered Crabs Pose No Threat

Grapes of Wrath

2009-03-17T17:21:00.004-04:00

Boy have I been sick. I ate some big juicy sweet black grapes this weekend, ended up needing two IVs, vicoden, and antibiotics as a result. Seriously un-fun food poisoning.

Today is much better (tho' far from great), with the added 'bonus' that I've lost my voice. Apparently a not uncommon side effect of too much stomach acid in the throat. An interesting sensation, tho' the cats seem a bit confused.

Had to cancel classes today...tho' perhaps not my most unpopular decision, given that it's St. Patrick's day (kind of a big deal here at ND). Couldn't speak, and couldn't be away from the bathroom long enough to teach.

My first clue was when I put on sweats, turned up the heat, and was sleeping under two big comforters, yet was still cold. Definitely not me. What soon followed left nothing to the imagination.

Battlestar Let-Down

2009-03-14T16:51:00.004-04:00

I hate to say this...but I'm a bit less than enamored with the past two episodes of Battlestar. And as they were 2 of the final 3, I'm disappointed. I hope the final 2 hour installment is awesome, because right now, the greatest show ever is going out with something of a whimper. They'd have been fine episodes somewhere in the middle of any given season, but not as a blockbuster ending to a blockbuster show.

(I made this fun little cylon skeleton action figure. Surprisingly, there aren't many BSG skeleton/skulls out there...)

Monkeys Flossing

2009-03-13T20:28:00.000-04:00

Allstate Update

2009-03-13T19:43:00.005-04:00

I posted "Allstate Woes" here last night and likewise put a comment on Facebook, and finally heard from my former Allstate agent this morning. Don't know if the two are related, probably not. But a fun coincidence just the same. He simply left a message for me to call him, no details as to why. I haven't...since I'm not a customer anymore.

It is amazing how many people have hit on yesterday's post (I can check via "details" what page people come to this site from). There must be a lot of unhappy Allstate customers out there.

The Rock Obama

2009-03-13T01:56:00.007-04:00

Allstate Woes

2009-03-12T23:53:00.015-04:00

Many moons ago, I remember reading about the raw deal Allstate dealt to the people of New Orleans, and Mike H's testimony before Congress detailing their dirty deeds.

At that time, I found myself in a moral conundrum. On the one hand, drop the company to protest their treatment of people in Louisiana. An easy choice but for two points: 1) my father worked for Sears for nearly 40 years and I felt company loyalty (Allstate was part of the Sears Financial network). I've had their insurance for almost 25 years. 2) For the past 16 years, I've worked with the same agent. He's an amateur archaeologist, and tho' a bit smarmy, a decent enough guy to work with. In the end, I decided that, like politics, "all [insurance] is local." And I stuck with 'em.

Until today. Today I am a new State Farm customer. Home, car, personal umbrella.

Why the change? 'Cuz my agent (John Davenport) apparently screwed up my homeowner's policy - for the past 8 months I've been without insurance. I found out this surprising detail as I was getting ready to close on my refinancing. When I called Allstate, my agent said I'd canceled my policy because I was upset about the rate increase that occurred as a result of my claim last year.

Trouble is, I have never had a claim on the house. Nor have I ever complained about my rate increases...never actually noticed them. So I had him check, and sure enough, no claims. Then, why no coverage? "You forgot to pay your bill" he explained. Nope, I called in the payment to him and indeed got a 3 dollar reimbursement for overpayment - with a hand written note from him about the matter. He checked, and sure enough, the $3 reimbursement on my HOMEOWNER's policy showed up. When we concluded the conversation last week, he was going to check on it.

Haven't heard from him since. I called on Tuesday, said to get back to me by 4 the next day so I didn't lose my loan. Nothing.

I called State Farm, they had new contracts for me within 30 minutes with more comprehensive coverage on all 3 policies at an almost $500-a-year savings.

The moral(s) of the story -- a) always listen to Mike H.; b) check on your insurance rates regularly, could save you a lot of money; and c) the concept of "company loyalty" is dead (except for Apple ;-)

To fully illustrate my feelings toward Allstate today, I made the logo below. Kills two birds with one stone.

Oh Ooooh

2009-03-07T23:29:00.001-05:00

My secret's out...

Bailout Woes

2009-03-05T12:07:00.000-05:00

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

CNBC Gives Financial Advice

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Joke of the Day

I've Been Remiss

2009-03-02T20:21:00.007-05:00

I've been a bad blogger, and have been duly chastised by my father. So, here's an update on life of late:

1. Matzel is doing great! He's like a new cat. He's perky, purring up a storm, hardly seems to notice the giant incision on his belly. He even looks different when viewed from the side. He had the physique of a cat who'd birthed a couple dozen litters. While there's a pouch of loose skin, he looks like he's lost half his body weight. I am so glad I did this operation - messiness for the next few weeks aside.

2. I've started a 3-hour a day writing schedule. I'd give myself a B- at sticking to it, but it's definitely gotten me back into working on the monks. Kinda fun from that standpoint. And, I've decided that my trip to Mongolia will be my Full Professor gift to myself, so have some inspiration. I've hung up brochures in each place that I write to keep me motivated.

3. Saturday night I went out to dinner at NOMA's and then to the symphony. Heard an awesome classical guitarist. The South Bend Symphony is really quite good, we are lucky have such a quality group in a city of this size. Indeed, I was so inspired by my evening out, that I came home and bought tickets to an upcoming Stomp show in April

4. Today was the memorial service for Michael Signer. It was absolutely packed. A heartwarming service, particularly the eulogy by the chair of Theology. The gathering accomplished what Michael's career was all about - interfaith conversation. He brought together a large group of friends to celebrate his life, and mourn his passing far too early.

They're Comin' Out of the Woodwork

2009-02-25T04:08:00.001-05:00

Obama is the Antichrist/Hitler/BiSexual. CNN and Fox actually gave these boobs airtime!!

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Unusual Suspect

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Funny Political News
Joke of the Day

Colon-free Kitty

2009-02-24T18:39:00.011-05:00

Matzel is back home, sans a body part. He seems to be doing well, and has attracted the attention of his curious brothers. For a few days, he'll be enclosed in a large dog cage to keep him from moving around too much, because his incision is literally the length of his trunk. I was surprised at the size, until I saw what they took out.

The pictures below are of Matzel in his new abode, and Lemur keeping him company. Wiley was laying on my lap.

As I was paying for his operation, one of the techs came out - a woman who has been working with him for years - and said that she thinks he lost at least 2 pounds (the equivalent of about 30 lbs for humans) just in the size of the colon. Then whispered: "you want to see it??" I had to promise I wouldn't pass out (as if) and lord o' mighty, it was impressive. I guess when you consider the xrays, it's not so surprising. After a initial "holy shit", I said, "this is totally blog-worthy, will I seem really odd if I ask for a picture." She said yes I would, but go for it. So I did.

Sadly, it was hard to photograph. They removed a good 7-8 inches of colon. This thing literally looked like some kind of parasitic alien from a sci-fi movie. Indeed, adding to the geekiness of taking a picture, my first thought was "oh my God, it's a goa'uld!!!" (alien evil doers from Stargate SG-1, for the uniformed ;-) The pictures below don't do it justice.

Here's the original xray, followed by two views of the dead alien/colon:

Happy Fat Tuesday!!

2009-02-24T00:48:00.004-05:00

Lemur Antics

2009-02-23T21:42:00.009-05:00

Lemur's been keeping me entertained while I work in the study. What a doofus!

He obviously takes after his other two "mothers" (Jaime and Alicia ;-)

Click on the first picture and look at his face up close - sure to get a laugh.

What the Bloody Hell??

2009-02-18T19:10:00.003-05:00

This was in the NY Post today. Apparently they haven't gotten the memo that this ain't 1809.

Here is the email address for the editor is you'd like to complain: letters@nypost.com

The Real Facebookers

2009-02-18T18:31:00.005-05:00

Why Facebook Is for Old Fogies
Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009

Readers Digest version:

1. Facebook is about finding people you've lost track of.
2. We're no longer bitter about high school.
3. We never get drunk at parties and get photographed holding beer bottles in suggestive positions.
4. Facebook isn't just a social network; it's a business network.
5. We're lazy.
6. We're old enough that pictures from grade school or summer camp look nothing like us.
7. We have children.
8. We're too old to remember e-mail addresses.
9. We don't understand Twitter.
10. We're not cool, and we don't care.

Battlestar

2009-02-13T23:06:00.005-05:00

I downloaded the new "Cylon Detector" app for the iPhone and checked myself out. As suspected, I'm a cylon. Explains a lot.

Wiley however, was detected as human. Again, no big surprise ;-)

Yep, too much time on my hands.

Congratulations Jim McKenna!!

2009-02-13T15:08:00.004-05:00

Jim was selected as a Fellow of the AAAS. If you want to send him a note of congratulations, here's his email address --

Here is the press announcement (I've only included the Anthropology section):

AAAS Members Elected as Fellows

In November, the AAAS Council elected 486 members as Fellows of AAAS. These individuals will be recognized for their contributions to science and technology at the Fellows Forum to be held on 14 February 2009 during the AAAS Annual Meeting in Chicago. The new Fellows will receive a certificate and a blue and gold rosette as a symbol of their distinguished accomplishments. Presented by section affiliation, they are:

Section on Anthropology

* Susan C. Anton, New York University
* Claude Bouchard, Louisiana State University
* Daniel E. Brown, University of Hawaii
* Marian Dagosto, Northwestern University
* Robert G. Elston, University of Nevada
* Carol R. Ember, Yale University
* Charles F. Hildebolt, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology
* Stephen A. Kowalewski, University of Georgia
* Steven R. Leigh, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
* Jeffrey K. McKee, Ohio State University
* James J. McKenna, University of Notre Dame
* J. Michael Plavcan, University of Arkansas
* Matthew J. Ravosa, University of Missouri
* Audrey Smedley, Virginia Commonwealth University
* David G. Smith, University of California, Davis

Explains A Lot

2009-02-12T14:11:00.006-05:00

My de-evolution fun (previous post) was cut short when my father sent me the following story. A new Gallup poll shows that less than 4 in 10 Americans believe in evolution.

On Darwin’s Birthday, Only 4 in 10 Believe in Evolution: Belief drops to 24% among frequent church attenders
by Frank Newport, Gallup.com
February 11, 2009

I feel I must quibble with the wording of the report tho' -- since I don't think "believe in" applies to a time-tested set of scientific evidence in the same way that 'belief' in creationism does. And to harp further, it is only "belief" (dare I add "blind"...) that works for creationism, because any degree of critical thought shows the innumerable flaws in the idea...beginning with the presence of two Creation stories in the Bible, the lack of agreement between those two stories, the fact that time periods are described as days before there was a Sun, and so on, and so on, and so on. (I know, I know -- my trip to the Creation Museum clearly did not take hold).

As I become older and increasingly intolerant, I'm starting to think that they (the big They, you know, Them) should make everyone of voting age take at least 1 biology course (taught by an actual biologist) and one course on Biblical Exegesis - not for the theological component, but so they learn how to read ancient texts for what they are!! Only after receiving an "A" in each are you allowed to cast a vote.

Harsh, I know, but COME ON?!! Less than 4 in 10??!!!!

D-evolution

2009-02-12T13:27:00.009-05:00

In honor of Darwin's birthday, here's a fun little tool that will let you 'devolve' yourself into an Australopithecine, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, and Homo heidlbergensis. My results are below:

Made Me Laugh

2009-02-11T23:24:00.002-05:00

Robot babies with Uzis riding Roombas - how can you NOT laugh ;-)

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Future Shock - Roombas of Doom

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Fun Bone Stuff

2009-02-10T22:43:00.010-05:00

I recently found a few fun bone-related goodies. The first is a toggle for necklaces. In the past I always included a small metal skull bead at the end of any necklace I gave as a gift. From here on out, I might be using these bone clasps from Absolute Crystal.com.

Turns out there's a bunch of skull n' bone stuff on Overstock.com. Including this bedspread. I mean really -- pink AND skulls, does it get any better?? Sadly, sold out. I also found these cute flats - alas, they only come in size 6. Who wears size 6??

Scary Prospects

2009-02-10T07:34:00.000-05:00

Today's Israeli elections make me nervous. There's a new ultra-right wing nationalist group - called "Israel Our Homeland" Party - who believe no Arabs can be trusted and make no bones about saying so - including Arab Israeli's. They are so extreme, they make Bebe Netanyahu look like a reasonable choice. Which he's not. Sadly, it seems quite likely that Bebe will win, and the ultra-nationalists will get a big showing in the Knesset.

Iran better be paying particular attention (which also scares me, since their president is a few chickpeas short of a falafel). Syria can't be resting easy either I would think.

Just about the time Jimmy Carter says we can have peace in the region (I've 'captured' the book, but have not yet read it), along come these elections. I'm worried.

Obama Snowball

2009-02-07T18:18:00.003-05:00

Compliments of Mike:

Oh Shit (Literally)!!

2009-02-06T20:27:00.008-05:00

Poor little Maz. A few days ago I took him to the vet because I noticed he wasn't lifting his tail when he went to the bathroom and was afraid the arthritis in his hips was getting worse. The images below show quite a different problem!!

Matzel has suffered from something called megacolon for years. He's on medicine for it. However, because he's had several rounds of being impacted, the nerves in the region are deadened.

This time around, he wasn't really acting sick (indeed, quite the opposite at times, playing with his 'brothers' rather rambunctiously only a few nights ago). The vets and I audibly inhaled when we saw the xrays below.

He had 5 enemas, and meds to clean him out. Today he's back to his usual sweet pink-nosed self. Tomorrow he goes in to get his fluids checked, and Monday he will have a subtotal colectomy. Apparently for about 6 weeks he'll have to get used to the sensation of eating and going to the bathroom very soon thereafter. The end of the intestine expands a bit after awhile, and he'll eventually get back to going about 2-3 times a day.

He'll have to be enclosed in a small area until that happens. Yesterday I bought a big dog cage, so he can at least be around me and the other cats while he recoups.

Poor little guy. Prepare to cringe, here's a side and top view of just how impacted he was. Yes, what you're looking at is all poop!!

Vitriolic Veep

2009-02-05T20:57:00.009-05:00

What an utterly reprehensible human being. Seventeen days after Obama takes office, and Cheney is back on the stage spewing his vitriol (with a few bold faced lies tossed in for good measure -- "61" detainees returning to terrorism for example).

Here is the Politico interview. I'll likewise post Olbermann's eloquent (non-rant) statement on the matter, and Jon Stewart's spot-on comedic take, once they become available.

Cheney warns of new attacks
By JOHN F. HARRIS & MIKE ALLEN & JIM VANDEHEI
Politico.com, Feb 4, 2009

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

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Klingon Caper

2009-02-04T18:59:00.003-05:00

Here's a pretty amusing story (compliments of Mike H.) for all you Star Trek fans. Apparently a man robbed stores with a Klingon bat'leth. I made the "action figure" to the right to illustrate both the bat'leth and a Klingon skull.

Pic Shows Man Robbing Stores With Klingon Sword
TheDenverChannel.com
Feb 4, 2009

25 Random Things

2009-01-29T22:12:00.005-05:00

This Facebook message has gone viral. Since I don't have George Bush to complain about anymore and thus not much to write...I figured I'd put my list here as well:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Write 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about yourself. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. Tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

To do this, go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.

1. I hate the feeling of suede.

2. I have an unnatural affinity for all things Mac.

3. I have virtually no memories of my childhood.

4. I once laughed in class and a giant bugger flew out of my nose, in front of all the students.

5. I love the taste of aspirin.

6. I have no depth perception. Yet am a great parallel parker. Go figure.

7. I really really want to winter over at McMurdo Base, Antarctica.

8. Bananas used to make the insides of my ears itch. I outgrew it.

9. I flunked my French quals 5 times in grad school, until they finally lowered the departmental requirement to match my highest score. So where was my home base for many years working in Jerusalem -- a French monastery!!

10. I really hate the sound of chewing.

11. I was once the target of a ring tailed lemur stink fight. (I was trying to catch them with a net to take blood samples so I deserved it).

12. Spiders have no business being on the same planet with me.

13. I've always wanted to be an astronaut. Still do.

14. I had to wear a patch over my right eye for a few years as a kid, and don't much like pirate stuff as a result ('cept maybe the skull 'n crossbones thing ;-)

15. When I first heard the song "Pink Cadillac" I thought one of the verses went: "in love with a Peking man" - and sang it as such for ages until a friend heard me and stared in disbelief.

16. I make all my own jewelry.

17. I can't watch enough Stargate SG-1.

18. I like Perry Como music.

19. I haven't balanced my checkbook since 1985.

20. I can't sleep without noise. Actually, I can't much sleep, ever -- but definitely not when it's quiet.

21. The night John Lennon died...I had no idea who he was.

22. I once held a baby aye-aye, and it still ranks as one of the coolest moments of my life.

23. I have a giant birthmark on my elbow that a classmate once named "Bertha" and used to say hello to every day in Geometry class.

24. I have an unnatural affinity for all things Mac. (did I say that already ;-)

25. I can recite entire Star Trek episodes.

Be Careful What you Cite

2009-01-28T13:18:00.003-05:00

This is pretty funny. A nice cautionary note about citation.

And even more impressive...I actually have a skeleton action figure to match the story (sort of ;-)

Peer reveals 'cello scrotum' hoax
BBC.com
Jan 28, 2009

Sinister Hand Wine

2009-01-24T16:04:00.005-05:00

To celebrate the inauguration, I opened a bottle of one of my favorite wines -- Sinister Hand. It is an Owen Rowe wine from Washington state, I first tried at my sister's. I've made a tradition of picking up a few bottles each Christmas when I'm visiting family. Since it's not widely known (and because this has been a boring weekend and I don't have much else to write about ;-), I thought I'd blog it.

The story of the label goes: The Sinister Hand label is a family crest - a depiction of a severed left hand that tells the story of a rowing competition among O'Neills and O'Reillys (Owen Roe was an O'Neill). Whoever touched land first after rowing across the lake was rewarded with the land he touched. Lagging behind, one of the kinsfolk grabs his sword and cleaves his hand and pitches it ashore to touch land first. He won the land and eventually ruled over it as king.

The version available now is the 2007 variety. It is quite good, but I think previous years have been better (2004 or 2005) in particular. Try it if you can -- and when next at my house, ask me to open a bottle...assuming any is left ;-)

Compliments of Jaime

2009-01-24T02:53:00.001-05:00

If you can't read this, just click on the comic for a larger image:

Fun

2009-01-22T19:17:00.009-05:00

I found a fun new application today, let's you posterize yourself in the style of the iconic Obama "Hope" poster. Go to obamiconme.com.

And if that wasn't good enough, today my new boots came in.

Admittedly, I have great boots from my Antarctica trip, but they are overkill for a whole day - which is the length of time I have to wear 'em on teaching days because I don't have a place to store them. These are much lighter-weight.

Plus...they have skulls all over them (in case you can't make out that fact from the picture). They are even better than the pair I bemoaned missing out on two Decembers ago.

Class-y. Michelle Obama WISHES she had a pair!

Somber Evening

2009-01-21T22:40:00.007-05:00

I went to the Signers' shiva tonight. As in his work, Michael brought together a diverse group of friends. It was nice to again visit with many friends from Temple Beth-el, although it saddened me to realize how long it's been since I've seen many of them. Betty shared some wonderful stories of Michael's final days, and the peace he found in friendship. He passed away on Shabbat, which somehow seems fitting. Cried a bit, laughed a bit, hugged a lot.

This an obituary that recently appeared on the Notre Dame website:

Rabbi Michael A. Signer, Abrams Professor of Jewish Thought and Culture at the University of Notre Dame, died Saturday (Jan. 10). He was 63 years old.

“We are saddened at the loss of our dear colleague Michael Signer,” said John Cavadini, chair of theology at Notre Dame. “His leading work in Christian-Jewish dialogue and his scholarship in medieval biblical exegesis made him a beloved teacher and scholar whose loss will be keenly felt not only by his colleagues and students in our theology department, but by the theological community worldwide.”

A member of Notre Dame’s faculty since 1992, Rabbi Signer was a professor of Jewish history at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles from 1974 to 1991.

Rabbi Signer was an international scholar with wide-ranging expertise. In addition to Jewish history, liturgy and Biblical commentary, he was particularly interested in the multiple relationships between Judaism and Christianity. He initiated and directed the Notre Dame Holocaust Project, an interdisciplinary group of faculty which designs educational opportunities for the study of the Shoah.

Rabbi Signer was graduated from the University of California Los Angeles in 1966 and earned a master’s degree from Hebrew Union College in 1970, the same year as his rabbinical ordination. He became interested in interreligious affairs as a doctoral student at the University of Toronto, where he wrote his dissertation on Andrew of Saint Victor, a 12th century Biblical scholar. While in Los Angeles, he participated in numerous dialogues between Catholic priests and rabbis, taught Bible courses to Catholic seminarians of the Los Angeles archdiocese, and organized retreats for his Jewish, Catholic and Protestant colleagues.

Throughout his ministry and career, Rabbi Singer followed what he once described as “the impulse to explore relationships between Catholics and Jews by encouraging students to investigate the darker moments of rivalry and even persecution that mark the pages of history to those invigorating engagements between scholars of our two communities.” He said he cherished his years at Notre Dame because they provided him “the opportunity to engage in the day to day lives of Christian colleagues and students as they wrestle with what it means to live their tradition in the modern world. Their struggle to discover how their faith can guide them as they negotiate a path to discover meaning in the pluralistic society that surrounds them without surrendering a distinctive religious identity awakens many echoes of the Jewish tradition which has in the past and continues to chart its course between assimilation and resistance to contemporary culture.”

A well-traveled theologian, Rabbi Signer also taught courses at the Institut Kirche und Judentum at Alexander von Humboldt University in Berlin and for the Catholic theology faculty of the University of Augsburg and several Catholic universities in Poland, including the Pontifical Academy of Theology in Krakow.

Rabbi Signer was the author and editor of numerous books and encyclopedia articles on topics ranging from medieval Latin biblical commentaries to contemporary Jewish-Christian relations. He also was one of the authors of “Dabru Emet: A Jewish Statement on Christians and Christianity,” a document signed in 2000 by more than 220 rabbis and intellectuals from all branches of Judaism.

In 2005 Rabbi Signer was designated a “Person of Reconciliation” by the Polish Council of Christians and Jews, an honor annually awarded to an individual advancing Jewish-Christian dialogue in Poland.

Rabbi Signer is survived by his wife, Betty, and their daughters Aliza and Hanna.

A funeral service for Rabbi Signer will be held in Los Angeles on Jan. 14 (Wednesday) at 2 p.m. at Mount Sinai Memorial Park. Donations may be made in his memory to the Michael A. Signer Memorial Funds at the University of Notre Dame or at Hebrew Union College in New York City.

Optimism

2009-01-20T16:14:00.007-05:00

I've been like a moth to a flame watching all the festivities. I gave my students a group of questions to answer about today's events, so I flipped back and forth between MSNBC and FOX much of the day taking notes. Subtle but significant differences between the two, really quite amazing. And said with some contempt for both stations at times, I must admit.

Nevertheless, it was a glorious day. I'm very hopeful. Just looking at the diversity and size of the crowd is awe-inspiring. I really wish I'd ventured to D.C., despite all the difficulties. I know I had a much better view on TV, but something was missing. I had the opportunity to attend several Watch Parties today, but decided I'd like to have the time alone to really take in what I was viewing -- maybe that was a mistake, indeed it seems something that should be shared and celebrated in a crowd perhaps. Live and learn.

Right now, I'm watching the Obama's walk down Pennsylvania Avenue, and am scared to death. GET BACK IN THE HERMETICALLY-SEALED CAR!! People keep drawing parallels between Obama and Lincoln, Kennedy, and/or King...and all I can think is, they shared one thing in common beyond brilliance. GET BACK IN THE CAR!!

On a day of otherwise unsurpassed glee, I have to admit to one disappointment. I went to check my Bush countdown clock, hoping for fireworks or something (Stephen Colbert threatened that it would explode) -- nothing but zeros. Admittedly, that's a gift unto itself, but still, I wanted a little fanfare.

Happy Day!!

2009-01-19T13:30:00.001-05:00

A totally ridiculous but cute skeleton action figure movie. Kinda expresses my glee at this being Bush's last day in office.

Battlestar Countdown

2009-01-16T20:17:00.009-05:00

Still cold as can be here...but I'm too busy counting down the minutes 'til Battlestar's final (sniff) season premiers.

Tonight: the final cylon will be revealed. I can't stand the anticipation ;-)

UPDATE: Boy was that FRAKIN' good!!! (Can I say "fraking" in a post?? I sure hope my parents can't figure out what it means in Galactic-ese...) If the rest of the season is like tonight, it's gonna be a fun ride!!

Bush Legacy Tour

2009-01-16T20:15:00.001-05:00

In honor of last night's pathetic "Farewell Address". Four days and counting...

FREAKING Cold!!!

2009-01-15T18:50:00.007-05:00

I just got home, walking out to my car in -12°F weather (I put several pieces of my Antarctica gear to good use today). The Jeep was none too happy about starting up, made sounds I've never heard before. And the roads are like skating rinks since the salt can't melt. Pretty ugly.

Sadly, due to fear of pipes freezing, the buildings are sweltering hot (that's according to the students, not just me and my penchant for chilly temps).

I'd complain more, but I'm watching the news reports of the plane crash, and the hell in Gaza. Doesn't seem so cold after all...