It's Banned Books Week

Oh so fun! Love the "treasure your freedom to read" tagline, although the pirate thing is a bit hokey. Still, lovely puns abound. "Ship o' the banned." Heh-heh.

Of course it wouldn't be banned books week without a reference to Harry Potter, so I picked my favorite character, Snape--I mean Alan Rickman. Oh hey, so tell me if you have difficulty recognizing him in this picture because he's smiling. With his eyes, even. So NOT Snape.

I am overjoyed that Huck Finn has finally been released from the bonds of banhood. This year's top banned book is about gay penguins, and here I've thought all this time that Happy

Feet was a family flick.

Game Day, Again

The royal "we" shall endeavor to be fan-like. Such as.

I broke my glasses

Wow.

Just. Wow.

Computer science majors. LUGs (not Lesbians Until Graduation--admittedly a very weird social trend, but a Linux Users club!) and Sororities. Oh, and nerd makeovers.

I think it's a very bad combo, but these guys are hopeful. It's like Reality TV, only...real.

Looking to recruit more women, and perhaps date some sorority girls, the largest computer club at Washington State University hopes to hold a "nerd auction." The idea is to trade their computer skills to sorority girls in exchange for a makeover and, possibly, a date.

"You can buy a nerd and he'll fix your computer, help you with stats homework, or if you're really adventurous, take you to dinner!" Ben Ford, president of the Linux Users Group, said on its Web site recently.

for Anna Banana

Here's a treasure hunt of my favorite verses for you to look up. Tell me what you think of them.

Mark 10:13-16

Ephesians 6:1-3 (LOL, my favorite)

Romans 15:13

and my personal favorite, although this one might need mom or dad's help:

It's called Mary's Canticle, so look it up and see what you learn, Luke1:46-55.

Backyard Pets

For My Brother

Spotted on a T-shirt when I dropped off Jonathan for a math competition:

There are 10 kinds of people in the world. Those that understand binary, and those that don't.

I got it. Hee!

'

Updated: Who sues God?

Betcha he wasn't expecting a countersuit.

This fool sued God to prove there are frivolous lawsuits. He wasn't expecting a response, but he got one. The article, "God Apparently Responds to Lawsuit" explains it all. If you have a few moments, you should follow the link and read it. I snorted my coffee as John read the article.

My favorite highlights:

• St. Michael the Archangel is listed as a witness.
• The suit was filed in...wait for it...Corpus Cristi.
• Best quote from article, regarding the presentation of the suit, "This one miraculously appeared on the counter. It just all of a sudden was here - poof!"

There's actually some serious commentary there. Ha!

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Seems that there's more news about the suit against God. An attorney came forward to accept responsibility for the first response, saying that just in case, somebody ought to defend God.

Duh. Things are not looking good on earth. But the big mystery still remains with the other document, that just "appeared" on the counter.

In other news, apparitions at my old parish, St. Brendan, in Miami. Check out the video that accompanies the brief article.

Aaaar, ya landlubbers! ! !

Ahoy! Me mate and me didn't have to use our ferocious pirate weapons, since th' godfosaken grades were submitted early. After being talked at interminably at a faculty meeting, we were ready to walk th' gang plank ourselves. Luckily, Captain Hook released us from duty th' rest o' th' day, so we're off to swill a pint or two o' grog.

this in from cuba...

After serving for two different dioceses at the same time, my uncle was finally able to step down from one. I guess bilocation really is possible, although the ensuing gray hair seems an inevitable byproduct. I can't even imagine the workload, let alone the stress of shepherding his vast flock with the usual wolves-in-waiting;he has to do it under the specter of a particularly diabolical chupacabra.

Pray for vocations. And pray for the priests and religious in Cuba.

let me share my dream with you because psychosis loves company

This morning a little while before sunrise I awoke to the distinct feeling that someone was leaning over me in the bed, like when little kids get in your face to see if you are asleep. It goes down hill from there. I proceeded to take the dream equivalent of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. It was definitely a mickey-mouse adventure, only this wasn't Disney World, and Mickey Mouse was nowhere to be seen.

It played more like Twilight Zone or Outer Limits, and featured, of all things, a nun in a navy blue habit that drove a stick shift minivan (burgundy, for anyone keeping count). At one point, she leaned over to me from the back seat to ask who was driving, and I had to somehow jump into the driver's seat. Naturally, the gears were all in the wrong place.

She kept wanting to know the topic of the next That Catholic Show and she was evidently going to drive me around until I spilled the beans. We ended up at the bottom of the Zugspitz, although I recognized the village as a little town outside of Bamberg where John and I used to drink beer and eat awesome meats and cheese. Help!

Finally, I demanded that we return to get my car, which I had inexplicably abandoned by the side of the road. The keys were in the ignition, but someone had taken my cell phone apart and left all the pieces neatly arranged on the bottom shelf of an emergency room crash cart.

I woke up then. It was actually kind of disappointing. I was really getting into the weird adventure, ya know?

My friend and former professor, Gonzalo, a Freudian Psychoanalyst, wouldn't touch this dream with a ten foot pole. Of course, I wouldn't trust anyone with a cat named Mario anyway.

To be sure, I recognize all the elements of craziness going on in my life at the moment. I shouldn't have had that second glass of cabernet sauvignon before going to bed last night. The only thing I don't get is the nun.

Who is the nun?

update: my friends, the Lindas-Squared, pointed out that Blue Nun is a wine. I guess that makes sense. Even as I was drinking that second glass of wine I was thinking that I should switch to white because red gives me heartburn. Hmmm.

Parent Night at GaTech

The band performed last night, and of course today is game day! I should have filmed the Pagliacci piece. It blew me out of the seat. Just to give you a sense of size, we are in a fairly large theater, and the band is wrapped around the theater and on stage. It was definite;y surround sound!

Hey Linda!

Read the ARTICLE. Just sayin'.

I want to be a "real" boy!

I suppose the modern day Gepetto can be found in Texas, where David Hanson and his robotics company have created their own Pinochio. It's notable that the reference in the article is about artifical intelligence and modern science fiction, forgetting that the original idea of "creating" a person is much older.

Hanson seems to be more focused on entertainment and toys than a Frankenstein-like desire to animate the dead, but it does make me pause.

Why is the collective "we" of humanity so intent on creating human-like robots or puppets or some kind of artifical intelligence? Admittedly, the original is flawed, but has so much potential!

I am both fascinated and repulsed by the idea.

Robotics, Hanson believes, should be about artistic expression, a creative medium akin to sculpting or painting. But convincing people that robots should look like people instead of, well, robots, remains a challenge that robot experts call the "uncanny valley" theory. The theory posits that humans have a positive psychological reaction to robots that look somewhat like humans, but that robots made to look very realistic end up seeming grotesque instead of comforting.

And yet, I have to admit that robots do fascinate me. I ate up Isaac Asimov's series as a kid, and think Data is one of the most fascinating characters in the Star Trek universe. I'll be watching this closely.

September 12 of 12 v.2

Join the adventure across the world as we all share 12 pictures of our day. It's time for Chad's 12 of 12. Check out the rules and the official listing of all the participants here.

6:10 AM: A morning Still Life. Guess which one of the three is the essential item. If you said "coffee" you win!

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7:10 AM: Amused beyond belief, track one was especially meaningful. Sometimes people just don't know how to help themselves.

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7:20 AM: This guy happily watches over me while I make copies. It's a relief to know somebody in the building has a sense of humor.

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10:10 AM: Done with classes for the term! Now to grade papers and do some other stuff, but first, some green tea.

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11:00 AM: After great feedback from Greg about a script, worked out some changes and additions. Now it's ready to really be ripped apart!

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3:10 PM: Leaving work. This is my parking space. In front of a fence. Lovely view, no?

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3:15 PM: Stopped for gas and perhaps the most repulsive, offensive QuikTrip in the history of the universe. It's a very busy store with good prices and odious employees. The customers are the rudest people in America. I don't have strong feelings about this establishment at all. Of course, I have no scruples when it comes to cheap gas.

4:ish PM: Having a lovely ichat with my dad. We shared somepictures and some generally entertainng commentary.

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6:ish PM: Evidently Doug feels a need to get beat on Scrabulous again. I can say that because this is my 12 of 12.

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6:40 PM: I discovered these faux-PopTarts. They're OK. When you're hungry. Really.

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&:30 PM: Rode the bike for like 20 minutes. Did about 5k. I feel totally stupid. I didn't realize someone had reset it for kilometers, and thought I was doing miles. I'm a loser.

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9:00 PM: watching the kitschy Last Starfighter. It looks like they recycled the set of Space:1999. I miss that silly show!

"My Day" An Original Rendering by Bego

Where's Waldo?

It's Tuesday, You Should Check This Out

My friend Rob Suarez has this exciting adventure thriller out this Friday. Subscribe to the audiobook--it'll be fantastic. I read the first draft a while ago and the story is terrific. I can't wait to hear it on my commute instead of the usual crass morning shows.

Get on board and go for a wild ride like you've never seen before. It's a little bit of Bourne Identity and a little bit of National Treasure, only, not. TeeHee.

Confessions. Oh, that's already been done

Episode # 8 of That Catholic Show

I have to say, this episode is beautifully done. Jennifer, who is game for all kinds of physical stuff, should get an award for a sprained tongue on this episode. Enjoy! Learn something! And don't forget to spread the word about the series. You can see them all, FOR FREE at http://ThatCatholicShow.com.

Tell your friends!

with apologies to my friends in South Bend

This article is why, as a composition and rhetoric professor, I have always told my students the BEST examples of what formal academic writing IS NOT can be found on the sports pages. I beg them not to write like this in the classroom.

It is also why MY FAVORITE kind of writing can be found on those very pages.

Here's to all the sports writers in the universe. This guy is a champion (second only to my boyfriend).

He's a Hack!

Oh my goodness! You have to check this out. There is actually a group of people investigating whether or not William Shakespeare was actually, um, William Shakespeare.

I love it.

I even signed the petition. I didn't agree to posting my profession, though, because I am a coward. Another way to look at it is, I have a mortgage payment.

Nevertheless, it has amused me immensely. Check it out here.

Can't we bank some of those points from the game? Just in case?

Happy 22nd Anniversary to Us

Happy Anniversary, Happy Anniversary

Happy Anniversary

Haaaaaappy Anniver-sary

What I did today

Woefully sorry it's not 12 of 12 day.

New Stuff Here

Well Hi-dee Ho. I made some changes in the blog which made my mind explode, but miraculaously, it worked and I managed to salvage a few things. It's still not quite the way I'd like it, but I can live with it, and hope you can, too. I don't want to mess up anybody's fung shui by changing the template too much. At least for me, it's a bit disconcerting to go to a blog and it's changed, but hey, evidently a lot of people do it, as in the past couple of months I've seen like 5 changes. It's just not for me.

The two special features that I added include links to my books. Run now and buy them! And this google thing that shows random episodes of That Catholic Show. Just scroll down and select a pretty picture, and the full video will play up here. That's the weird part--that the link is on the side but it plays up here like a post. Go figure. My head is not in a place to deal with that now, so enjoy, or not. Whatever.

I do hope you'll watch them. Pretty please?

Adversaries? I don't think so!

These two lovely young ladies met face to face in the big game. Check out those lovely smiles!

According to Vic, Notre Dame has the nicest fans ever. I suppose those silly Domers have their priorities in order. Anyway, she had a blast at the game, and it's good they won. It's better still that the losers were gracious. Vicky had to march flute at the game and since they were literally on the field, accidentally got kicked in the face by a cheerleader. You can see the bruise on her lip. The injury wasn't all that bad, but she was taken to the bench where the trainers staunched the bleeding and gave her an ice bag. It was there that she met Calvin Johnson and shook his hand. That kid makes me laugh. Who could consider getting kicked in the face a stroke of good luck? Ha!

When they got to the stadium she says that as she looked up at the sea of ND fans she knew there was no way she'd find Laura, but in the middle of doing some goofy marching maneuver she saw a couple of green shirts walking along the side, and when she looked, it was Laura. so, here's a little shout out to Laura and Joey. (Hey L, I heard you have a better pic--share?).

Congratulations to Leonie!

Leonie finished a horrendous round of training to prove what we already knew--that she's a damn fine nurse.

Everybody has a story tell. As I writer, I know this from deep down, which is probably why I've kept up with this blog. One thing is writing down my thoughts, another thing is shutting up long enough to listen to somebody else's story.

Leonie may be able to dress wounds, draw blood, and all the other gross medical things that she does, but her real gift, the one that saves lives at a higher level is her compassion and empathy for the people under her care.

I may tell stories, but she listens to them. All day. Every day. And even though some of those people move on and may even be unaware of her ministrations, she keeps those stories alive. I know because she shared one with me.

She told me the story of an old man, sick and ailing in her ward, who got it in his head to recite poetry to her. What a funny thing, huh? Well, not so funny. Moving actually. You see, as Leonie would tend to him he recited a particular poem, in pieces. I think the recitation of the poem kept him alive, or rather, the fact that Leonie listened to it, and as proof that his word was heard, she passed on the story to me. You see, the poem is a kind of eulogy. Perhaps she was the only one who heard it. It haunted her, and after discovering that I was a literature teacher, recited part of what she remembered.

There are ironies in life that one can't explain, and while I would never suggest that John Greenleaf Whittier is an obscure poet, I can certainly attest to the fact that Barefoot Boy is probably not one of his best known works. It turns out that it is one of my husband's favorite poems, recited to him by his grandfather. I recognized it immediately.

I don't suppose that means very much to any of us, consumed with living our own lives, but it meant something to the old man, and Leonie's healing compassion to listen to him. Somehow, through her, he lives on a little bit in this story.

Congratulations, Leonie! We need more nurses like you.

Alfred Peet, Coffee Guru, Dead at 87

I figured given the name of the blog and my addiction, that it would be appropriate to post this here. It's an interesting obituary, and I learned a few things.

It also made me laugh. It seems the guy is Dutch and started the whole coffee revolution that led to Starbucks. Peet said American coffee is disgusting.

Does anyone know another Dutchman who has a few things to say about American coffee, especially from McDonald's?

HA!

Mystery Sock Found!

I found this kiddie-size sock tucked in between some cushions in the sofa. I guess that rats out how long its been since I look in the cushions, since it won't fit any of these Sasquatch feet:

I suspect that it belongs to this cutie-pie:

or this silly goose:

The Chupacabra is Back!

Oh boy! The Chupacabra is back! I suppose that bodes well for the town of Cuero, Texas cuz they're making some money on the T-shirts. I'm not so sure the chickens are loving it, though.

I suppose it's a fun thing. I'd wear a Chupa-shirt. Really. C'mon--I wear my Starfleet Academy shirt for college t-shirt days at school.

Anyway, because I am such a nerd, I went along and did a little bit of research. The description given in the article above actually matches with the description for the Elmendorf Beast. Not surprisingly, that was also determined to be the Chupacabra.

Who knew? They could be on to the real thing. I amuse myself.