NBC's new series written potluck style!

NBC has a new series this season called "Surface" about extraterrestrial invasion, (but then what network doesn't have an ET theme in one of its shows?). On the show's splash page on the network's website they quote the LA Times as "It is a Spielberg pastiche through and through...an excellent one." I agree with the first part of the quote, it's definitely a pastiche. Let's see.. there's some Jaws, some Close Encounters, some E.T, possibly some Jurassic Park (we'll see what that thing was), some SeaQuest... then there's some Moby Dick and I'm sure that I'm missing some of the other sources from which they cribbed the script. So the show is most definitely a pastiche. However, I wouldn't call it an excellent one. It's not like a potluck featuring Daniel Boulud, Alice Waters and the Two Fat Ladies and organized by Martha Stewart. It's more like the potluck in your friend's church's basement where they brought food that was just weird like green jello with carrot shavings, chicken fried in frosted flakes and 18 types of potato salad. It's all LIKE food you know, but it just doesn't taste right. That's what Surface is like. Yeah.

Game Night a Success!

Despite a few very important no-shows, last night's Game Night went off well. The BF's "The Greatest Game Ever" was only slightly confusing, and everyone had an amazing time... well, except for one of our friends, but he was born under the sign of the curmudgeon, so the stars are against him.

My gym is the COOLEST!

So my gym plays the best music! Yesterday, like, oh my God! They totally played this song and it was, like, with this girl and she's totally with this flippy red hair and she's, like, talking in French like talk and saying stuff like "How do you say 'de-gorgeous?!' Bippidy bup bup bup BOP! How do you say 'Delight?" And then it goes into this totally cool bass line and the video's all cartoony like and she's all "Groove is in the heart!" over and over! The next song was the new one from Cher and she's all "Do you believe in life after love?" All this brand new, never-before-heard music! It was, like, unbelievable!

Seriously, the ipod is proof that God loves us.

JetBlue pulls through!

Holy Shizizizzle! I cannot imagine what it must have been like to have been on yesterday's JetBlue flight 292! If you've ever taken JetBlue then you know that each seat has its own satellite television. (A couple of years ago it had only lower tier cable channels, but now carries NBC and CNN Headline News, among others.) Those passengers were able to see the entire thing, clips of their plane circling with the landing gear highlighted, reports that the plane was circling to burn off fuel to prevent a fire ball, etc. Can you imagine what must have been going through their heads? I'm surprised to hear that things were as calm on board as they were. Then again, my experiences flying JetBlue have always been excellent. I used to fly them much more frequently to California, though in the last year or so their prices have been almost double what I find on orbitz.com, regardless of how far ahead I try book the flight. I simply can't remember a time when anybody from the ticket counter to the flight crew wasn't efficient and friendly. After the landing I'm happy not only for the passengers but also for JetBlue.

Of course, we were talking about the landing in the department office today. Others were saying how freaky it must have been and all that. My partiality for JetBlue expressed itself in an odd way. I said, "Well, thank God they were on JetBlue and not some other airline like Hooters Air! I mean, I'm sure that much of their maintenance money goes into better 'flotation devices.'" To this someone else replied, "I don't know... Hooters Air has never had an accident, have they?" She did have a point. And yeah, there really is a Hooters airline. They fly between places like Newark, Philly and Scranton to Orlando, Vegas and Ft. Lauderdale. Yeah.

Hooters Air, do we need any more evidence of an impending apocalypse?

Martha as Trump, yes, Martha as Oprah, eh!

Martha has two new shows, as you know, of course. Her morning show has been a tad soporific. How many times will she show a guest how to do that t-shirt fold thing? And the interview while cooking or whatever isn't entirely successful. The guest is too freaked out about getting the eggs right to give a completely coherent answer. Thank you, TiVo, but you can go back to sleeping in. However, I love her on the Apprentice! Despite the fact that Trump has defined the show, Martha takes over and makes it her own. The little touch at the firing, when Martha writes a personal note to the disappointed guest, is just so fucking Proper... and is definitionally Martha. She even comes off as personable, Wow!

And we're back.

huh, what? I'm sorry, where were we? Okay, um... yeah.. uh... Can I pass?

Welcome to the life of a teacher. My year is going to be an interesting one.

Picture Test

Yeah, that's me... sure.

"The Windies"

BebeMoche and I were on the phone the other day, talking about plans to get together for coffee and conversation. The time we'd arranged had become inconvenient for me so I'd called to see if we could meet up an hour or two later. It turned out that BebeMoche was having an upset stomach and was feeling like she'd stay in. I'd forgotten that she'd eaten fast food for lunch, an out-of-the-ordinary occurrence, and asked her whether or not she'd eaten something which could have caused her malady. Bebemoche responded, "I think it's the windies." Puzzled but thinking this was a quaint and euphemistic way of saying "I've got crazy gas and I'm ripping some nasty farts up in here," I asked her what caused it. She restated, "The Wendy's, you know, my lunch!" So we laughed at me being a fool and now a new phrase has been born... The Windies, what your grandmother might have called undue flatulence.

Welcome Anonymous Reader!

I, BuddyCrocker, have been shocked and awed to find a comment from a reader I don't know! This is more than a little puzzling since I've told all of three people about this blog and only one of them has posted a comment on it. Another referred to me as a bastard on her blog, but that's another story. (Scroll down the Tuesday the sixth for the comment.) Anyhow, the fact that somebody else has found my blog is boggling since I've actually searched actively for this blog on Google and have found nothing. I've been happily typing away thinking that I was sharing my thoughts only with those whom I've told about this blog. Your arrival was an unexpected surprise, Anonymous, but let me welcome you! Your daughter sounds amazingly dedicated and you sound rightly proud of her! (And HBO's Rome is very true to what the evidence tells us about ancient Rome. Consequently most would consider it too mature for high schoolers so your daughter's not missing out.) From this point on, out of consideration for the sensibilities of others who may be reading, I may watch my words... or maybe not.

I'm evolving as we speak, darling!

The New Scientist, a magazine I'm not too familiar with, has recently published an blurb regarding studies of the human brain indicating its ongoing evolution. Both studies were concerned with genes which regulate brain size. Each has a specific mutation present in only part of the human population. For one, the mutation is present in approximately 70% of the global population, for the other the mutation exists in about 25% of us. The more widespread mutation is present primarily in the European, North American and Middle Eastern populations, being less prevalent in the Sub-Saharan African population. The less common mutation is mostly found in the European and Middle Eastern populations. New Scientist states outright that there is no indication that these genes effect brain function.

The thing is I'm concerned with how some people will deal with this information. Outright racists will actively seize on this as "scientific support" for their prejudice. Then again, they really don't need reason to fuel their hate. Still, you know this world is filled with people who aren't actively racist, but will nevertheless not be satisfied with people being simply different. For them, one person being different from another means that one person is better than another. Also, we all have the capacity to be lazy thinkers on certain topics, especially the more complicated and the less relevant we think they are to us. Neurological development is clearly one of those things that most people aren't going to spend a lot of time on. Plenty of people will hear that these mutations are more common in people of European background than Africans, and in the hazy recesses of their minds they will make the vague connection that these genes explain European cultural dominance.

Perhaps I'm just being pessimistic about human nature. Perhaps there will be no bad reaction. Perhaps people really are evolving to the point where we can accept that we're just not all the same. And so what?

Conspiracy?

Is there some sort of plot to make everyone in the United States fat? Whenever and wherever I've been out to eat I've been blown away by the size of the portions served. One main dish alone is usually more than I need to eat in one sitting and generally an appetizer alone is enough. And though you see this in the city, it's worse in the suburbs. Visiting family always means eating out at least once at some restaurant (like Chevy's) which serves Carmine's size portions, but instead of being for the entire table the plate is for one person. Starbucks is in on it too, witness: the venti. Enablers of this insanity: clothing companies. Has anyone noticed that a small is no longer small? That a medium is often now too big? That clothing sizes can now go up to XXXXL? I feel as if the world is aligning against people who don't want to bloat.

At the gym.

Today, as I'm at the gym doing crunches someone from housekeeping decided to vacuum nearby. He was cleaning around the treadmills all of which were empty at the moment. Between two of them was an empty water bottle which had clearly fallen and been forgotten. He carefully vacuumed AROUND the bottle and moved on. It was beautiful.

I also spotted an amazing looking guy, perfect body, a face with just the right combination of rugged and pretty, dark and dreaming eyes... and all this in a four foot tall package. Seriously, Stuart Little could have taken him in a fight.

Unbelievable!

Senator Santorum has said that in light of the aftermath of Katrina they should perhaps consider exacting fines on those who ignore the order to leave a disaster area. I am simply baffled by the manifest insensitivity of these people who have made a livelihood out of their public persona. The fact that the people of Pennsylvania have elected and re-elected him makes my head spin.

Multa Roma!

I'm so glad that there's a glut of Rome shows on History, A&E, and HBO this week! It's like being presented with a 10 pound gift basket of Neuhaus chocolate! Yumina-yumina! Besides, as the Roman historian Livy said, engrossing yourself in the events of the past is a great way to escape the crap that's going on now. Well, I'm paraphrasing, but I'm sure that's what he would have said were he alive today... and my brother. I'm sure that's part of my interest in the past and in sci-fi, it gets my head out of the present. So thank God for diversion. And so, ignoring what our administration is allowing within our borders and what it's inflicting overseas...

This month is actually turning out to be a rather good one for me, personally. I'll have my dissertation in by the end of the month, which has been a long fucking time coming. Also, I've been put on the tenure track at work, which is just lush! Today was our first faculty meeting and things went well. We also had orientation for this year's seniors and juniors. Seeing the students back from summer was heartening. I really am thankful that I work where I do. The kids are sharp witted, fun, good-hearted. Even the ones that are a pain in the butt to have as students are still entertaining. Half the time when they say something smart-assed I have to stifle my laughter before I tell them to can it. Anyhow, I miss the fact that I won't be teaching some of them this year.

I read a few other blogs, mostly of homos that I've seen around Chelsea and the Castro but don't really know. I hope that doesn't make me a stalker on some minute level. Anyhow, the thing lately has been to list ten songs that you've been listening to a lot lately, so here goes:

1. You Got Me, Eskobar featuring Emma Daumas

2. Breathe, Kylie Minogue

3. Algo Tienes, Paulina Rubio

4. Unwritten, Natasha Bedenfield

5. Las de la Intuicion, Shakira

6. Masquerade, Berlin

7. Don't Stop Me Now, Queen

8. Walk Out to Winter, Aztec Camera

9. Light Years, Kylie (again)

10. Shocked 2000 remix, Kylie yet again

And now I'm supposed to nominate someone else to do the same... BebeMoche, you're it!

Katrina, New Orleans...

I haven't mentioned the hurricane and the devastation it's brought to New Orleans and elsewhere. Truly, I don't know what to think about it. Aside from donating to the Red Cross, there's a feeling of helplessness about the whole thing. I think I'm in a bit of a holding pattern. We've heard things about the city and the flooding, but I don't want to jump to conclusions. I've only visited New Orleans once so I don't have a strong emotional tie to it, but really, it's more than a city. There's such a mythological aura built up around it and that legend is what lives in all of our minds, not just in the hearts of those who have had the good fortune to get to know it personally. The idea that such a place could essentially no longer be is... a shift.

And then there's all the crap that this has brought to the surface about our society. The fact that so many people were evacuated to a safe place which became unsafe... so many people trapped with no help coming... frustration at our government... I don't know what to think. The response to the disaster has been slow, but I don't know how fast it could be. Is it realistic to think that everyone could be brought out the next day? No. Is it possible that those responsible in our government didn't think about the fact that these people were going to begin to starve in just days? Yes. And is it possible that those responsible didn't think about it specifically because most of those who would suffer were "disposable"? Yes. Yes. Yes. Still, I don't know what they were thinking. Were they making plans for food drops? Were they assembling a fleet of relief ships? Were they too busy making a new mix for their ipod and deciding whether to order Indian or Chinese? I don't know. There's a part of me that's so ashamed of the entire situation that I don't want to know. And the foolish comments of people like Dennis Hastert don't help. And the fact that Condoleeza Rice went to see a Broadway Show while the crisis was unfolding doesn't help. And the fact that Bush is looking forward to see how Trent Lott will rebuild doesn't help. And if Lott gets a beautiful new mansion built with federal funds, it won't help. If I see one single mention from some freak-show that this is God's punishment for New Orleans' wicked ways, it won't help.