COBRA

If you ever apply for insurance with Cobra I suggest you apply and then leave the house for a couple of days. Cause they'll keep on calling you... a lot. What is your deductable? What is your co-pay? What kind of rate would you get on drugs? What is the maximum out of pocket expense? You already know that company is in network with your doctor? Oh, we can't give you a better deal than that... I'll e-mail you an application...

So if you want to talk to me don't call the house line... or you can, but leave a message. I'm screening my calls.

The Big Review

Ok, this is a little late, but here's the review of The Simpsons' Big Movie.

First I'll say if you aren't already a Simpsons fan, if you don't already like a sarcastic, dry humor you can stop reading now. I don't think that will actually eliminate any of my fair readers, since well... thats the company I keep. Kind of.

I went to Bible study (actually not Bible study these days but Lewis study) before the show. I wore my "Someone in Springfield Loves Me" shirt (it's Milhouse) and much to my chagrin my friends asked me where Springfield is. I don't know... from the state line you can see Ohio, Arizona, Maine, and Kentucky... it's within hours drive of Knoxville and South Florida...

Anyway... to answer my friends' t-shirt question... "it's the movie." "What movie? That movie you are living for is coming out in November." "Oh you mean Hairspray?" Some of my friends are uh... different these days. That's why they weren't invited.

I promised a review though. I'll say, if you are still reading... go see it. Remember in college when you used to gather around the twelve inch television and watch it on the futon? Remember how it it was just better back then? That's what you are paying for. To watch it with other people who love the Simpsons, but on a much larger screen, with much better colors... the reception is good, no static and only one commercial. It isn't the same watching it by yourself.

The script feels like it was written back then as well, which should get rid of any worry that it is just "weird."

It does play out like an extended episode, and unfortunately most of the focus is on the nuclear family. There is a reset... and all is well (I think, this could be debated). Oh, and FOX and the FCC didn't get to it. Not to say that it is "raw and uncut" by any means. This isn't South Park...

Awesomeness...

It is a word if you say its a word. It is indeed official, and given that I'm lazy I'll just refer you here. I'll have to spend an hour in Paris to get there, and a couple of hours to get back... but it is all good.

I didn't get to see the Gummy Bears with my dad this weekend, but I do get to see the Simpsons' movie in 26 hours. Spider pig...

Spider Pig (Simpsons Movie)

Update

Hello all you crazy cats out there.
I'm sure you missed me. Unless of course you actually see me. I've been busy. Seems taking three classes during summer school and working on an internship was exactly what I thought it would be and no less. But alas, I can do just about anything for a couple of weeks, and in a couple of weeks at least some of that will be over. I'll have one fewer class to take in the fall too, which will be nice.

We won't mention the other things I've been up to, save to say it hasn't been all work and no play. That would make a dull boy.

Some things have come up though, so I'll invite your thoughts on the matters.

1) In an Ode Magazine article "The Case of the Alphabet" (June 2007) they cited research (kind of bothers me when they mention there is research but don't actually say what the research is... guess that's why I'd buy the book they are hocking) anyway... they cited research that said that readers, specifically whole cultures that read, are more violent than those that do not. There were historical references, the highlights being: Religions of The Book, vs. oral traditions, Sparta v. Athens, Middle Ages v. Reformation (the turning point of course the printing press), and the coincidence of the advent of television and the civil rights movement. Mixed up in the argument is not only the prevalence of war and peace but also the presence of equality of the sexes in minimally literate societies. The scientific argument is that the brain is much more passive watching television than reading a book: alpha and theta vs. beta brain waves. I've heard these arguments before, tying historical periods and literacy to war and peace (but also sensual cultures to be prone to takeover), but the division where male=war and female=peace seems to be a bit of a jump. Brings up new questions about all those fights caused by video games huh? And what about graphic novels?

2) I'm not really "up" on the gaming world. Some of my friends are, so I asked them about the virtual world Second Life. They thought it was kind of weird too. I'll link to it here, but not as an endorsement. Someone will have to explain what it is beyond a tremendous waste of time AND money. If the numbers are true, in a 24 hour period $1.7 million was traded on the site...so people could buy and sell virtual land and virtual products. My take on it is that the ones profiting are the ones that built the site, and therefore own the land, which can be expanded at a total profit to them. This isn't Manhattan, this is Houston... where when land prices go up we just start commuting... or in virtual world don't go to work. Yet there seems to be a contingent of librarians out there that think this is a great tool for advancing libraries. Which I don't get either. So we'll chalk this one up to a what-the-hell-are-people-thinking-???? category and move on.

3) Insha'Allah. If God wills. It seems a noble thing "thy will be done." At the end of the day that might be the only prayer worth praying. Except if you can change God's mind. For better or for worse... it's been done before. Insha'Allah. It takes a lot of faith perhaps, but it could also be an excuse for procrastination.

Does art imitate life or does life imitate art?

There is a new character greeting me when I walk into the museum these days. As I walk past the two um... fat silver track stars that are just asking for weggies I meet Mr. Pointy. Who I will link to here... but the link won't work so go there and then go to images and then he's on the second row third one over... it will be obvious.

I kind of wish I'd won him at a Crawfish Festival or something, or that I could snatch him up in the mechanical arm at Pizza Hut. Not that I have to bring him home, but those guards are around all the time. I can't touch him without consequences. Cause he's just... provocative.

We finally have it...

Sometime last spring I mentioned Bethany and I were going to Europe. Three checked out library guides, a few interviews, and a spreadsheet of airfares later we've figured it out: Budapest in October. Probably a little Prague too, since there's the astronomical clock and the torture museum.

If you were wondering it is also cheaper than other places to go to Madrid and to Dublin this fall... and there is a spreadsheet to prove it.

Disappointing

I got my bacteria in the mail yesterday. I was kind of hoping the outside of the box would be stamped all over with the words "Live Bacteria." It was disappointedly absent of such markings.

Yesterday I spent almost the whole afternoon working on a paper, er... a bibliography of recommended titles. None of them were to be over five years old. I think my course notes were written over five years ago so all of the tools I was supposed to use were from 2001 (or before). Which means I couldn't use the tools they told me to use unless I could find a later edition. When there was a later edition it wasn't available through the libraries I can go to. Which means I couldn't use the materials that I was supposed to. Except for the ones I could get free trials for, which have a three business day waiting period while they find out if I'm leggit or not. Which means I learned a whole lot about ways you can be set up for failure before you even begin.

Honey Bees

Somehow I missed this in the news over the last few months. I'm told it will be a question in trivia next week so that means it is important.

Hitting Close to Home

The other day I saw an eight year old with a Bluetooth. I'm assuming he was eight... plus or minus a few years due to the fact that I just don't hang around that many eight years. But that's not the point.

He's eight... he had one of those contraptions that keeps you permanently wired and always distracted. He's one of those people in the airport that you think are talking to you... until you realize they aren't.

Huhhhhhhhhhhsssshhhhh...

I'm a little over half of the way through my internship at the MFA. I finished the last of my projects today. Done and done.

In case you were wondering how cool it is to be a librarian I thought I'd direct you to these recent postings and articles:

A Hipper Crowd of Sushers

Spectacles

and the reason for all the attention: Hollywood Librarian

I'm not getting evicted!

In the ever continuing mount of complaints against my landlord...

Friday I got a phone call. From Sam, mind you, that we hadn't paid rent. This wouldn't be the first phone call, and given that we're probably not moving any time soon it probably won't be the last.

One: Sam isn't on the lease, he's an "occupant."
Two: The other phone call went to my mom, who most certainly isn't on the lease either.
Three: I've changed my phone number with them at least half a dozen times in the last four years. They've never written it down or put it in the computer...

Anyway, rumor had it I hadn't paid rent. I most certainly had. Two days early because the 1st fell on a Sunday. The check had CLEARED.

I went to the office. They close at 6PM. Except for on Fridays when it rains when they close at 5PM... since they all live an hour away and it was flooding (they are all supposed to live on site). I know this now cause the guy that works there told me as he went out to walk his dog.

So I called Saturday. No one there to actually help me (only the guy that can find keys and MAYBE find my package... the one that was walking his dog). He told me to call back Monday. So I did.

So they found my check, she'd "cashed it with like five or six others but like oh my gawd some reason didn't post them." Beh.

I miss Sunshine and the sunshine.

Receptions

Apparently more people got married today than any other day that's been recorded... 7-7-7.

In our world it was the third and fourth shindigs of the Waitman-Dikeman aka Dike-man wedding. Which begs the question: was this the first keg party to be thrown at Dr. and Mrs. Dikeman's house?

It was, at least to their knowledge.

Sicko

I hadn't been eagerly anticipating the newest Michael Moore movie. I didn't actually know it existed until one of my dear friends, Rufus (not her real name, but she knows who she is), proposed that we go. You know, cause everyone else in the little Bible study was out of town.

Rufus's husband calls me Kate McArtle. It is, his thing. Rufus thought my name was McArtle until she was watching reruns on cable and said "hey, she's got the same name as Kate!" It is totally understandable.

Anyway. We went to see Sicko. I won't waste my time dissecting the problems of Moore's "random sampling" or trying to identify who the actual villain was or try to explain why Hillary Clinton would promoted as the lone ranger in a fight for universal health care in America. Nor will I postulate what Moore would say if his hero did become president and tabled the issue in favor of spending political capital on more easily won fights.

What I will bring up is this notion that "until me becomes we" the problem won't be solved. Then again, isn't that the fundamental problem of all public policy? Er wait... the cause of misery, strife, and warfare everywhere?

Cheeeeesssy

I tried to make mozzarella today. First draft... not so great. Me and my brain said citric acid was well... citric acid and I put 1.5 tsp of lime juice in there. Turns out citric acid is sold in the vitamin aisle at *some* pharmacies (er not any actually) and at in the bulk section of a restaurant I used to eat at with Emily(1)

(1) I don't think anyone that reads this blog, save Sam... er... and maybe Greg if he's reading... knows Emily. Anyway update... she's in California being Berkley. Something about feminist literature, Italian, and a PhD. I've never known what's been going on since '99.

Anyway, the second batch worked and I have some lovely mozzerella balls in the *clean*(2) fridge.

(2) Sam and I cleaned out the fridge. Mostly Sam, but you know. I even relabeled the glass yogurt containter in the back with its true contents "cooking grease." I think we'd scared people with the previous label. I can't find my labels so I used name badges I used in history roll plays. So now there is a yellowish orange substance in the back labeled "Hello my name is cooking grease." Stop by to say "hi."

So they said to reserve the whey. I did. I don't have hogs to feed it to... so oh say can you say, what do you do with whey?

In other news, if anyone wants any ricotta let me know. Otherwise I'll throw a Roman/Mafia(3) party. Anyone know how to fry a lasagna?

(3) I'm aware of the historical inaccuracies of attributing pasta to the Roman Empire. But how else do I get lasagna AND togas?