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Oranges off the tree at Jocelyn's house.
...I miss California...
...I miss California...
December 23rd, 2009
mildly acidicDecember 16th, 2009
This t-shirt.
It's a good thing my office is empty.
"Wear this shirt: if you think you’re going to die. That way, the next guy wakes up to a free shirt. It’s sort of a nice thing to do.
Don’t wear this shirt: if your mom keeps talking about how cute you are and how you should take her to the prom."
The first part in particular reminds me of:
"Do me a favor. When you feel the end is near, when you can't hold on any longer...give your self a good solid punch in the nose." (my quote might be slightly off)
It's a good thing my office is empty.
"Wear this shirt: if you think you’re going to die. That way, the next guy wakes up to a free shirt. It’s sort of a nice thing to do.
Don’t wear this shirt: if your mom keeps talking about how cute you are and how you should take her to the prom."
The first part in particular reminds me of:
"Do me a favor. When you feel the end is near, when you can't hold on any longer...give your self a good solid punch in the nose." (my quote might be slightly off)
December 15th, 2009
Last night we started "The War Games." Man I'm going to miss the Patrick Troughton era...season 6b theory is sounding better all the time.
The boy was feeling unusally enthusiastic about it: "War Games, eh? So, Daleks? Cybermen? Ice Warriors?"
When I told him no, he asked: "Is it an alien we've encountered before?"
Well, the careful viewer knows that there are two sets of aliens in that particular episode. One of them is a one-shot. The other...
"Oh yes. This is an alien with which we should be quite familiar."
A true answer, rendered curious by the fact that this is the episode in which they are first introduced. Sort of.
I can't tell you how amused I am by this.
In other news, I think I'm going to give "The Twin Dilemma" another shot while I fold laundry."
In other other news, I just read the first chapter of "The Lightning Thief" (the first in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series) and found it awesome. It reminds me a bit of what I was trying to do with my Compiled Existences of Sean Everett Balewin. Only, you know, good, and involving Olympians.
The boy was feeling unusally enthusiastic about it: "War Games, eh? So, Daleks? Cybermen? Ice Warriors?"
When I told him no, he asked: "Is it an alien we've encountered before?"
Well, the careful viewer knows that there are two sets of aliens in that particular episode. One of them is a one-shot. The other...
"Oh yes. This is an alien with which we should be quite familiar."
A true answer, rendered curious by the fact that this is the episode in which they are first introduced. Sort of.
I can't tell you how amused I am by this.
In other news, I think I'm going to give "The Twin Dilemma" another shot while I fold laundry."
In other other news, I just read the first chapter of "The Lightning Thief" (the first in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series) and found it awesome. It reminds me a bit of what I was trying to do with my Compiled Existences of Sean Everett Balewin. Only, you know, good, and involving Olympians.
December 13th, 2009
Fortified by having just murdered one of his companions, the Doctor expressionlessly watches a man burn to death.
...
yeah, no part of that sentence is false. And it's not even a Doctor you might kind of expect it of...
That said, every Doctor looks better in his shirt sleeves. I mean, I can't speak to the new lot much, but certainly for 2-6, you know it't gonna be good when he's down to his suspenders. Or vest - vest is nice too.
Also also - Peri. Why why why??? Why would you do that to a perfectly good show?? Colin Baker is a good actor - a good Doctor! He has really good episodes. He has a vest. But get him and Peri in a room together and you just want to crawl into a hole and die. And it's not just because that many plaids in one screenshot is physically painful. It's that you don't watch Doctor Who to see abusive relationships. It's extremely upsetting - I actually had to turn off "The Twin Dilemma" and watch something else. And you look at it and know that somebody did this on purpose. Okay, Darker and Edgier I get but, say, "Attack of the Cybermen" would have been plenty Darker and Edgier even if it had been Patrick Troughton and Jamie, for crying out loud. (Well, in which case it would be "Tomb of the Cybermen" but anyway). The whole thing is deeply disturbing. I'm gonna go watch something less uncomfortable, like Battlestar Galactica.
...
yeah, no part of that sentence is false. And it's not even a Doctor you might kind of expect it of...
That said, every Doctor looks better in his shirt sleeves. I mean, I can't speak to the new lot much, but certainly for 2-6, you know it't gonna be good when he's down to his suspenders. Or vest - vest is nice too.
Also also - Peri. Why why why??? Why would you do that to a perfectly good show?? Colin Baker is a good actor - a good Doctor! He has really good episodes. He has a vest. But get him and Peri in a room together and you just want to crawl into a hole and die. And it's not just because that many plaids in one screenshot is physically painful. It's that you don't watch Doctor Who to see abusive relationships. It's extremely upsetting - I actually had to turn off "The Twin Dilemma" and watch something else. And you look at it and know that somebody did this on purpose. Okay, Darker and Edgier I get but, say, "Attack of the Cybermen" would have been plenty Darker and Edgier even if it had been Patrick Troughton and Jamie, for crying out loud. (Well, in which case it would be "Tomb of the Cybermen" but anyway). The whole thing is deeply disturbing. I'm gonna go watch something less uncomfortable, like Battlestar Galactica.
troubledDecember 12th, 2009
A student of mine wrote this in one of her papers:
"This targets women and mothersbecause the normal everday woman is not a celebrity, they are just an average woman."
(emphasis added)
Whatever your opinions on singular they, it takes the place of the absent English third-person neuter. What makes this example so fantastic is that my student felt the need to use singular they for a generic antecedant even when that antecedant is necessarily female.
This is, in a way, better even than Pullum's example:
"This person is not ignorant.
They are a prophet.
The machines will rule us all."
The gender neutralitey is unneccesary here as well because the above was scrawled in a men's bathroom (and therefore the antecedant was contextually necessarily male). In my example, though, the gender is right there in the linguistic context - you don't even need to draw on the real world context to figure out the gender of the antecedant. It's beautiful!
Admittedly, it could just have been a typo.
*EDIT*
Another student, another example:
"After a long day of work, a man could now relax, turn on a football game and feel as though they deserved that refreshing beer they had just opened."
emphasis added.
This is exactly the same thing - singular they agreeing with an overtly gendered generic. Fascinating!
"This targets women and mothersbecause the normal everday woman is not a celebrity, they are just an average woman."
(emphasis added)
Whatever your opinions on singular they, it takes the place of the absent English third-person neuter. What makes this example so fantastic is that my student felt the need to use singular they for a generic antecedant even when that antecedant is necessarily female.
This is, in a way, better even than Pullum's example:
"This person is not ignorant.
They are a prophet.
The machines will rule us all."
The gender neutralitey is unneccesary here as well because the above was scrawled in a men's bathroom (and therefore the antecedant was contextually necessarily male). In my example, though, the gender is right there in the linguistic context - you don't even need to draw on the real world context to figure out the gender of the antecedant. It's beautiful!
Admittedly, it could just have been a typo.
*EDIT*
Another student, another example:
"After a long day of work, a man could now relax, turn on a football game and feel as though they deserved that refreshing beer they had just opened."
emphasis added.
This is exactly the same thing - singular they agreeing with an overtly gendered generic. Fascinating!
November 23rd, 2009
...and no end in sight. What other TV show can say that?
I think I'll go watch "The Krotons."
I think I'll go watch "The Krotons."
geekyNovember 20th, 2009
Anybody interested in Doctor Who computer ads from the 80s? It's a little magical...and a little frightening.
November 17th, 2009
November 15th, 2009
Othar's twitter has started updating again. Exciting!
Also, with episode 2 of "The Invasion" came the Brigadier. That means my four favorite characters in the entire show were together at once. Huzzah!
The thing about the Brigadier is that he is amazing, and a lot of that amazingness comes from applying Fridge Logic to this very episode. Almost the first thing he says is that it's been four years since "The Web of Fear" - a long time, since it's only been a couple of weeks for the Doctor and Jamie. But let's stop and think about what he's managed to accomplish in those four years.
When we first met Lethbridge-Stewart, he was a young up-and-coming by-the-book (slightly sinister) stiff-upper-lipped Colonel - who is suddenly confronted with Yeti in the London Underground (not to mention the general whirlwind craziness that is the Doctor). Not the sort of person who you'd think would be particularly well equipped to deal with either. So what does he do? He deals with the alien menace. He doesn't say "that's impossible" or freak out or whatever - killer robots from outer space: five rounds rapid. (admittedly this is not terribly effective).
Four years after first learning that there was a problem (aliens exist and periodically try to invade earth) we meet him again with a promotion and a command. And this is not a home-brewed little thinktank, this is a United Nations Task-force. Faced with a threat to the planet, the Brigadier appealed to a body whose stated purpose is to protect the whole planed (the UN), narrowly avoiding an Earth=England approach (equivalent to Earth=America that other shows sometimes have). Perhaps more impressively, he gets results. Out of the UN. In just four years! That means he had to convince the UN that alien invasions were a real problem (not easy), get them to approve a plan of action (also not easy), and get a decent amount of funding out of them. Admittedly, UNIT is very small at this point, but they do have a plane, a couple of helicopters, a couple of rolls royces and an extensive high-tech intelligence network. On top of that, he had to recruit and train a substantial body of people (also convincing them of the reality of potential extraterrestrial threats). And they've been researching and developing new technology. All in just four short years. This must have been the most efficient operation in military history. I'd promote the man too!
On top of this, he's an excellent commander, a tactician and a strategist, knows how to play politics while being utterly incorruptible (not to mention his unrivaled ability to wrangle the Doctor into line), and is just a nice guy while upholding the honor of his uniform. And he's got a sexy mustache.
All this to say: the Brigadier Gets It Done. Fear the Stache.
Also, with episode 2 of "The Invasion" came the Brigadier. That means my four favorite characters in the entire show were together at once. Huzzah!
The thing about the Brigadier is that he is amazing, and a lot of that amazingness comes from applying Fridge Logic to this very episode. Almost the first thing he says is that it's been four years since "The Web of Fear" - a long time, since it's only been a couple of weeks for the Doctor and Jamie. But let's stop and think about what he's managed to accomplish in those four years.
When we first met Lethbridge-Stewart, he was a young up-and-coming by-the-book (slightly sinister) stiff-upper-lipped Colonel - who is suddenly confronted with Yeti in the London Underground (not to mention the general whirlwind craziness that is the Doctor). Not the sort of person who you'd think would be particularly well equipped to deal with either. So what does he do? He deals with the alien menace. He doesn't say "that's impossible" or freak out or whatever - killer robots from outer space: five rounds rapid. (admittedly this is not terribly effective).
Four years after first learning that there was a problem (aliens exist and periodically try to invade earth) we meet him again with a promotion and a command. And this is not a home-brewed little thinktank, this is a United Nations Task-force. Faced with a threat to the planet, the Brigadier appealed to a body whose stated purpose is to protect the whole planed (the UN), narrowly avoiding an Earth=England approach (equivalent to Earth=America that other shows sometimes have). Perhaps more impressively, he gets results. Out of the UN. In just four years! That means he had to convince the UN that alien invasions were a real problem (not easy), get them to approve a plan of action (also not easy), and get a decent amount of funding out of them. Admittedly, UNIT is very small at this point, but they do have a plane, a couple of helicopters, a couple of rolls royces and an extensive high-tech intelligence network. On top of that, he had to recruit and train a substantial body of people (also convincing them of the reality of potential extraterrestrial threats). And they've been researching and developing new technology. All in just four short years. This must have been the most efficient operation in military history. I'd promote the man too!
On top of this, he's an excellent commander, a tactician and a strategist, knows how to play politics while being utterly incorruptible (not to mention his unrivaled ability to wrangle the Doctor into line), and is just a nice guy while upholding the honor of his uniform. And he's got a sexy mustache.
All this to say: the Brigadier Gets It Done. Fear the Stache.
November 13th, 2009
See above.
Also, Cartoon Benton is hot. Yay for reconstructions of "The Invasion" !
Also, Cartoon Benton is hot. Yay for reconstructions of "The Invasion" !
November 11th, 2009
and for Canadians:
Happy Rememberance Day!
and for old-schoolers:
Happy Armistice Day!
and for Joel-Henry:
Happy Birthday!
and for people who are yesterday: (day late on this one I'm afraid)
Happy Birthday Marines!
and for y'alls in general, enjoy a day off in the middle of the week. Huzzah! :)
Happy Rememberance Day!
and for old-schoolers:
Happy Armistice Day!
and for Joel-Henry:
Happy Birthday!
and for people who are yesterday: (day late on this one I'm afraid)
Happy Birthday Marines!
and for y'alls in general, enjoy a day off in the middle of the week. Huzzah! :)
November 1st, 2009
Happy All Saints Day, all!
And an additional Happy Birthday to Laura and Susan - neither of whom read this blog.
And a belated Happy Halloween to all as well. I totally want to see pictures of your costumes. I was Marian the Librarian!
And an additional Happy Birthday to Laura and Susan - neither of whom read this blog.
And a belated Happy Halloween to all as well. I totally want to see pictures of your costumes. I was Marian the Librarian!
October 29th, 2009
Dear Columbus,
You fail at holidays.
Love,
A concerned citizen
So, we already know how Columbus (and at times Ohio in general) fails at democracy. Actually, with another election around the corner, we might see it fail at democracy yet again. But I've also realized that Columbus fails at holidays pretty consistantly.
Take Columbus Day. Or leave it - it's a fairly controversial one. But it is still a national holiday and, this is what gets me, we live in freakin' Columbus. What ever you think of the Genoan, this should be our sort of civic pride day. We celebrate Columbus Day on the day after Thanksgiving.
Earth to Columbus: The day after Thanksgiving is already a holiday. Thanksgiving is a two-day-long holiday. And it deserves it, since it is our second most important civic holiday. It does not need to be demoted to "Columbus Day Observed Eve."
(They do the same thing to President's Day, by the way. It's now "celebrated" the day after Christmas. I mean, I know we don't do Boxing Day in this country, but seriously, maybe we should start if only to avoid this nonsense.)
Some things we don't celebrate at all. You get to pick Memorial Day or Martin Luther King Day. Because, you know, they commemorate exactly the same thing.
Then there's the 4th of July. Pretty obvious, right? I mean it's on the fourth day of July. And every year the city lets of a huge fireworks display called Red, White & Boom. Everyone goes downtown for the party. On July 3rd.
And then we come to today. What's today, you ask. October 29th is a holiday, you ask. Columbus calls it "Beggar's Day." You know, the day when all the kids go around from house to house asking for candy and saying "Trick or Treat." Or at least, today is Beggar's Day for our neighborhood. It'll be tomorrow for other neighborhoods. So, what'll happen this saturday, you ask. That's a good question.
Columbus, man, you fail at holidays. Or at least, in having them on the days they are on. I kinda have to wonder when Christmas will be celebrated this year.
You fail at holidays.
Love,
A concerned citizen
So, we already know how Columbus (and at times Ohio in general) fails at democracy. Actually, with another election around the corner, we might see it fail at democracy yet again. But I've also realized that Columbus fails at holidays pretty consistantly.
Take Columbus Day. Or leave it - it's a fairly controversial one. But it is still a national holiday and, this is what gets me, we live in freakin' Columbus. What ever you think of the Genoan, this should be our sort of civic pride day. We celebrate Columbus Day on the day after Thanksgiving.
Earth to Columbus: The day after Thanksgiving is already a holiday. Thanksgiving is a two-day-long holiday. And it deserves it, since it is our second most important civic holiday. It does not need to be demoted to "Columbus Day Observed Eve."
(They do the same thing to President's Day, by the way. It's now "celebrated" the day after Christmas. I mean, I know we don't do Boxing Day in this country, but seriously, maybe we should start if only to avoid this nonsense.)
Some things we don't celebrate at all. You get to pick Memorial Day or Martin Luther King Day. Because, you know, they commemorate exactly the same thing.
Then there's the 4th of July. Pretty obvious, right? I mean it's on the fourth day of July. And every year the city lets of a huge fireworks display called Red, White & Boom. Everyone goes downtown for the party. On July 3rd.
And then we come to today. What's today, you ask. October 29th is a holiday, you ask. Columbus calls it "Beggar's Day." You know, the day when all the kids go around from house to house asking for candy and saying "Trick or Treat." Or at least, today is Beggar's Day for our neighborhood. It'll be tomorrow for other neighborhoods. So, what'll happen this saturday, you ask. That's a good question.
Columbus, man, you fail at holidays. Or at least, in having them on the days they are on. I kinda have to wonder when Christmas will be celebrated this year.
sarcasticOctober 27th, 2009
If it be your will
That I speak no more
And my voice be still
As it was before
I will speak no more
I shall abide until
I am spoken for
If it be your will
If it be your will
That a voice be true
From this broken hill
I will sing to you
From this broken hill
All your praises they shall ring
If it be your will
To let me sing
From this broken hill
All your praises they shall ring
If it be your will
To let me sing
That I speak no more
And my voice be still
As it was before
I will speak no more
I shall abide until
I am spoken for
If it be your will
If it be your will
That a voice be true
From this broken hill
I will sing to you
From this broken hill
All your praises they shall ring
If it be your will
To let me sing
From this broken hill
All your praises they shall ring
If it be your will
To let me sing
September 22nd, 2009
September 21st, 2009
September 18th, 2009
Hee hee hee - snatched so fast the question marks came off his lapel!
...hee hee hee...
...hee hee hee...
September 17th, 2009
Mary Travers, of Peter, Paul and Mary, died yesterday at age 72.
http://www.livedaily.com/news/20149.htm
:(
http://www.livedaily.com/news/20149.htm
:(
My computer seems to be WORKING! today. This is very good news since I was about ready to put my fist through a filing cabinet yesterday (not as much fun as it sounds).
So I'm desperately hacking out a syllabus while this benediction lasts. Current hard decision: Person A teaching the class required everything to be submitted electronically in .pdf format. Person B required everything to be submitted hard-copy in class. I am person C.
Considerations:
A means I will have a record of everything, and will potentially be easier for the students.
But it means I will have to print everything out my own self.
B is more appealing, because I distrust technology. It requires people to be in class to turn things in, which is both a good and a bad thing. But I'll have hard copies right off the bat.
With A, I don't have to worry about last-minute printer errors (on the part of my students at least) but (assuming they don't read directions) I will have to deal possibly with file format problems (Oh docx, you are the bane of my existence!). On the other hand, with B, they'll try to submit it electronically ANYWAY, and then I'll have bigger file format problems.
On the other hand, with A, I will have to hold myself to the same standard of everything in pdf, which I don't feel like doing. B is potentially easier for me - but potentially harder for them if their machines don't like my files.
Really, the choice is between embracing technology or continuing to be a Luddite. This is a harder choice than you might imagine.
Anyway, better use this time before my computer decides that it's above having a screen that doesn't short out. It's a good little well-behaved NISS machine...for now.
So I'm desperately hacking out a syllabus while this benediction lasts. Current hard decision: Person A teaching the class required everything to be submitted electronically in .pdf format. Person B required everything to be submitted hard-copy in class. I am person C.
Considerations:
A means I will have a record of everything, and will potentially be easier for the students.
But it means I will have to print everything out my own self.
B is more appealing, because I distrust technology. It requires people to be in class to turn things in, which is both a good and a bad thing. But I'll have hard copies right off the bat.
With A, I don't have to worry about last-minute printer errors (on the part of my students at least) but (assuming they don't read directions) I will have to deal possibly with file format problems (Oh docx, you are the bane of my existence!). On the other hand, with B, they'll try to submit it electronically ANYWAY, and then I'll have bigger file format problems.
On the other hand, with A, I will have to hold myself to the same standard of everything in pdf, which I don't feel like doing. B is potentially easier for me - but potentially harder for them if their machines don't like my files.
Really, the choice is between embracing technology or continuing to be a Luddite. This is a harder choice than you might imagine.
Anyway, better use this time before my computer decides that it's above having a screen that doesn't short out. It's a good little well-behaved NISS machine...for now.