I’ve been behind on my blogging–all of my writing energy is going into the book (as of this week, finally).

So let’s play I never . . .

I have never enjoyed snow.

I have never read anything by Agatha Cristie.

I have never eaten veal.

I have never enjoyed shoe shopping.

I have never been Governor of Alaska and then left the post my constituents trusted me to because I didn’t want to be a lame duck, all the while wanting to be President, even though that’s a job where I would be a lame duck at the end.

And now, the flipside:

I have given a lightsaber as a birthday present to an adult.

I have been in every open to the public room of the British Museum.

I have smiled every time I see a Finnish flag sticket on a car.

I have enough unread books in my house to keep me reading for a while, but I keep buying more.

I have actually disliked relatively few students, but oh, those few.

The new column is up! Read all about radical movie adaptations of the classics (these aren’t your mother’s adaptations!)
http://www.matchflick.com/column/1978

Are you one of those people who bristles when congresspeople and political talking heads tell you about “silly” scientific studies your tax dollars are being used for?

Like one study on truck-drivers’ homosexual encounters at truck stops?  The people who did the study actually had to appear before Congress after some politicos started in on them.  The Congress’s findings?  That the study was furthering our understanding of how AIDS is spread–one of the things it was designed to do.  The study continued.

Now, including winners of the Ignoble awards (those who actually do stupid research), most scientific inquiry looks odd to outsiders, although those outsiders should remember that many scientific discoveries were not even planned.  Viagra and microwaves are just two things discovered while scientists were doing their thing–running studies.

An article in a recent Mental Floss (May/June 2009) hits the point home with “10 Technologies We Stole From the Animal Kingdom.”  Why study shark skin, bat radar, or resurrection plants, to name the first three?  I’m not sure why they were originally studied (other than–cause we want to know!) or how the studies were funded (private or public), but now there’s a new coating to avoid germs in hospitals, canes for the blind that really let you know what’s out there, and how to keep vaccines viable for longer–the better for the vaccines to help children in inhospitable regions.

Science inquiry is cool and it’s time we reclaim it as an American value.

Just saw The Hangover.  Even if it hadn’t gotten a bunch of great reviews, I would have had to due to its starring Zach Galifianakis, one of my favorite stand-up comics.

The film does not disappoint.  Unlike lots of things this film could have been–a gross-out boy movie, an a bunch of shit happens but then I realize I really love her movie, et–this movie was consistently funny.

Now, I’m the kind of person who’s really glad never to have had a night or a next morning (or another night and another next morning) like these boys had.  But I will gladly laugh at their misfortune (for some reason, I was tickled most when animals and babies were hit on the head).

I was happy to see an erect penis.

Those of you who know me know that I think it’s a horrible double standard that you can see an aroused woman naked in a R-movie, but that you can’t see an aroused man.  Fair is fair.

Unfortunately, to avoid an NC-17 rating, they had to use a fake cock.

I can watch a maniac disembowel someone slowly in an R-rating . . .

But I’d rather watch The Hangover, fake cock and all.

1. Denise and I should be at least bi-sexual. Too bad we can’t choose that lifestyle.
2. I don’t like it when radio stations play songs that don’t match the day/time. So Manic Monday should only be played on Monday. And Friday I’m in Love should only be on Fridays. And In the Air Tonight shouldn’t be played in the morning. Yes, it’s anal of me–too bad.
3. There is not much good on television right now. Thank god for Netflix and the fact that I have to clean off two DVRs.
4. I was surprised at how surprised I was that this week’s Republican sex scandal was heterosexual. What does that say about the “Moral Majority”?
5. Things I am thankful for: friends, pie, hum 13 going forward, air conditioning, health insurance, beautiful northern california skies

http://www.matchflick.com/column/1967

1. Losing weight (yea!)
2. Weird Al’s new single. Video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R32aFmxL9HY
3. Spinal Tap has a new album–Back From the Dead!

1. Losing weight (yea!)
2. Weird Al’s new single. Video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R32aFmxL9HY
3. Spinal Tap has a new album–Back From the Dead!

Well, it’s midway through my “week off” before summer session starts.  Funny how I’m working so much.  There are classes to plan and writing to put off . . .

Being a workaholic makes time off problematic, especially when you have the kind of job that means you can work all the time.

I did take a few hours off last night to watch Season 1 of Frisky Dingo.  Thanks, DJ, for the recommendation.  I have never loved a villain more!  I have also added Waiting for God, a British Sitcom recommended by Jenni to my Netflix list.

Cool things, though:  I have three Simpsons interns for the summer, so maybe some factchecking and website building will get done.  Woohoo!  I’ve never been a boss before (I know, being a teacher is very much like being a boss, but there is a difference between students and interns).

My grandparents are celebrating their 58th anniversary today.

I’m going to take at least a day off to attempt to show a friend around Oakland and Berkeley.  It would be better if I knew where things were, but we’ll manage.

And then classes begin.  Will my Humanities class begin?  That’s still up in the air.