Ooh, AFI names the 100 Best Movie Songs. There are some classics on there, but the obvious oversight is "Damn is Feels Good to Be a Gangsta" from Office Space. The true classic...

Note: Woah, "Lose Yourself" from 8 Miles made the cut? The injustice for Office Space is tripled.

Yeah, he came off a little childish, but Dave Chappelle had a point. Plus, he's so dang funny, why would you want to relive the show and ignore what else he has to say?

"People can't distinguish between what's real and fake. This ain't a TV show. You're not watching Comedy Central. I'm real up here talking."

"Shouts continued to interrupt Chappelle's routine until he stopped to give a lecture on "how comedy usually works: I say something. You mull it over and decide whether you want to laugh or not, and then you do or not. Then I say something else, and you think about that."

Here's the best part:

"Stop listening to celebrities," he said. "They do what they do for money - that's all. I don't even know why you're listening to me. I've done commercials for both Coke and Pepsi. Truth is, I can't even taste the difference, but Pepsi paid me last, so there it is."

(courtesy of FARK)

I just passed another milestone... Rachel (my GT friend, for whom I was a bridesmaid) just had her baby last night! We're going to pretend this is Taylor. It's from the nursery pictures at her hospital (who knows how old the pic is), and I know she did a classic Pooh theme. Close enough for now.

I hate that I'm moving away so soon; she has repeatedly assured us that we have babysitting privileges, and that I could easily assume honorary-Aunt status with little Taylor. I guess I'll just have to be his crazy honorary aunt in Iowa.

This Iowa City police blotter is reassuring. If I can just dodge the drunk drivers, I'm good. Well, so long as I can also dodge the scary tornadoes.

AHS update - Erin and Ali both got engaged in the last two weeks (not to each other, which will surprise many c/o 99'ers). And no, you probably don't know the lucky guys. What's even better is Erin gave me an awesome new wedding website to surf - Indie Bride. TheKnot.com is so 2000. Weddings really are contagious, though I am, thankfully, immune.

Follow up: My Stupid Wedding is hilarious. Don't tell me if you know it's fake, it's so much funnier thinking it's for real.

I'm not sure this guy at the Chicago Sun-Times is an authority, but I still like his ranking of the top 20 sports rivalries because he acknowledges my most dearly held hatred of Bama:

"Alabama-Auburn: No rivalry comes close to the bitterness between these schools. The Iron Bowl divides the state, and that's why from 1948 to '89 it was played in neutral Birmingham. There was no meeting for almost 40 years because of a dispute between the schools over nearly everything, including how many players to suit up. When Fob James, a former All-American halfback at Auburn, ran for governor in 1978, Crimson Tide fans paid for advertisements asking the public if it wanted a former Auburn player in the governor's mansion? He won the election nonetheless."

I didn't realize Fob James was Auburn-affiliated. If I had known, maybe I wouldn't have helped so many of his campaign signs disappear.

From FARK: The most fun flash game I've seen in a long time.
(Like whack-a-mole, but with evil, tricky aliens)

Since some of you are fans of Spellbound, I figured I would pass along 3XK's update on the Spelling Bee Championships:
"I was just watching the Spelling Bee finals, and this Indian kid..He couldn't figure out how to spell "alopecoid"..and after like 3 minutes, he just passed out..fell on the floor..got right back up and immediately spelled the word correctly. Maybe now I get why this is on ESPN. I've seen boxers that didn't hit the canvas that hard!
Anyway, it's still going on, and he's still in. They brought him out a chair for the following rounds."

Funny stuff.

Here's the news story (with video!)

I've been looking everywhere for a Rio Cali 256MB mp3 player (my desire for one was rekindled by max's purchase). Is this mp3-player-purchasing season? Why are all the ones at a good price sold out? Why don't these people go buy the over-priced ones at Circuit City, and leave me with the deals?
If I keep running into people with MY mp3 player, I'm going to get mean.

Saw Spellbound tonight... still traumatized. It wasn't that great, plus it was disheartening. At least I picked the right kid to make it to the top. Suck it, 3XK. I also spelled chateaubriand, which stumped 3XK. Woop.

I finally saw Big Fish on the tech movie channel tonight. Proof that good things come to those who wait:
"The scenes at Auburn were originally supposed to be shot on location on the campus of Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, but the school officials asked for script approval and the production didn't have time to wait so they filmed the scenes at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama instead."
It's disappointing to see shots from Huntingdon when you expect to see home. Good movie, nonetheless.

Crazy... Everytime my friend Steph goes to Paris to visit her (oh la la) French boyfriend, something scary happens. She went at Christmas, Air France cancelled flights to the US because of terrorist threats. There were "specific threats" when she flew at Spring Break. She's supposed to fly today, and of course, there's a Deadly Paris airport roof collapse. The poor girl hates flying as much as I do. But I give her props for courage, since I would never fly (not that I do) if it seemed fate was out to get me.

There's been a Mr Wizard marathon on the Science Channel (formerly the Discovery Channel) since last night. The episodes are obviously circa 1950, which made me wonder how long he'd been on the air. I wonder no more. What a fun show.

I don't know how he got to my second-story window ledge, but I had a little squirrel friend visit me this morning (sorry about the fuzziness, the stupid screen obscured him).
Sooooooooo cute.

The mayor of London is on my cool list today.

"Parents who use four-wheel drive vehicles to take their children to city schools were tonight branded “idiots” by London Mayor Ken Livingstone.
...
“When you see someone trying to manoeuvre it round the school gates, you have to think ‘You are a complete idiot’.
“These are not cars which people should be using in London. They’re bad for London and they’re totally unnecessary. They’re largely a status symbol. If you’ve got that much money to spend, you could spend it on a better holiday. I would.”"

I would, too.

Interesting site that gives a prediction of how you'd like a movie based on your ratings of movies you've seen. Pretty interesting, though I didn't test the results too, too much.

(geez, I'm really tired and I can't remember or find what site I found this on...)

This is exactly how Tech is. I don't think Tech girls deserve the bad rep for being ugly or for having TBS. But there really aren't many girls here, and I've seen a few dogs having their day...

(BTW, the costume in that second picture is so She-Ra, Princess of Power, not "Chiana" as they want to claim)

Robots protest in Madison. And to think, I could've ended up there for next year. UIowa better get stocked up on their crazy pills.

(link courtesy of boing-boing)

Student escapes the long arm of Darwin.

Weird story from FARK. I don't understand the logic of the redemption theory (if there is any), but it is interesting... I think the redemption theory is one of those "theories" that give Theories a bad rep.

I got an awesome purse for my birthday, from none other than Lisa, the coolest present buyer. The designer makes such cute stuff! Don't buy anything, I'm getting it all and you can't copy me.

(yes I'm a sucker for retro stuff and kitties, so I was a pushover at this site).

Sometimes I wish I had friends. If I did, I could do fun things like join a race-ists club or play pac-man-atlanta (a la Pac-Manhattan).

New reality TV low?? Announcing a new low in reality television is like announcing a new high for gas prices... in less than a week, the record is broken.

I do kinda want to watch... except that bad singing is the main reason I don't watch American Idol. I don't see what the commotion is about though, just a little purposeful deception.
(link courtesy of FARK)

The new image at the top of the page is Herky the Hawkeye (or just the hawk?) of Iowa. He's on parade in his various incarnations.

Iowa was fun, though their mascot could use some personality. I'll keep Aubie as my favorite.

I'm leaving tomorrow for Iowa with 3 X K. In case you're not familiar with that state, here's a map. Yeah, you're not the only who didn't know where it was.

"PacManhattan is a live-action version of PacMan, played around Washington Square Park, in which people in Pac Man and ghost suits chase each other through the streets, seeking out power-pellets."

Awesome. Go see the pictures.

(link courtesy of boing-boing)

I love vending machines. If I weren't so anti-flying, I'd go straight to Japan to see these machines for myself.

I figured out who the voices from "The End of the World" sound like... Group X. The white boys from an Atlanta suburb who perform as middle eastern rappers. Yeah, it's weird. They threw cheese sandwiches into the audience when I saw them on campus... anyway. You can hear their work in Mario Twins (I don't think they had anything to do with the animation).

"WTF, mate?" Funny flash illustration of the end of the world. Seems like I've heard that voice before, can anyone place it? Funny, funny.

(link courtesy of Margaret, who should have a blog)

I don't care if it rains or freezes, long as I've got my plastic Jesus riding on the dashboard of my car.

(link courtesy of metafilter)

By the way, Iron Chef America with Alton Brown was good. Alton didn't lose any respect from me, but I still probably won't watch Iron Chef unless there's nothing else on.

And while I'm reviewing entertainment items, let me just say that I loved 13 Going on 30. Jennifer Garner came off pretty lame in her MTV diary, so I was prepared to be annoyed by her, but I absolutely loved her character in the movie. And the love interest? He's got that nerdy-hot thing going that we all know I fall for every time.

But don't expect much from the movie, it's just a romantic comedy, after all. If you prepare yourself by thinking it's going to suck, you'll be fine.

If you're a Jump, Little Children fan, but not a big Jump, Little Children fan, you may not know that they have a new album out. Although Jump and I are estranged right now, I still might pick up a copy, as I like a few of the new songs.

I realize now that I should've gone to the last Atlanta concert. For old times sake. Oh well.

I was less than excited about Iron Chef America, and getting a bit annoyed with the constant ads and sudden removal of my Good Eats 11:30 bedtime episode, until I saw that Alton Brown, himself, would be the host. I hope he takes a big bite out of a pepper to start the show, or it just wouldn't be the same. Now I have to watch to cheer on my Georgia boy (even if he isn't competing).

PS - I just noticed this line of the article: "Runners also relay information, and Brown has a PowerPoint presentation on his laptop about some of the more exotic pantry ingredients the chefs employed." That's why I like him, he's a true nerd.

(link courtesy of FARK)

I think everyone from Auburn High School will join me in a collective "WTF?" Erica Hurwitz is marrying Rusty Jones, of all people. Were they even friends in high school? I'd be more convinced if I could find a photo of them together. Craziness.

PS - did they go to senior prom together? For some reason that rings a bell.....

(props to Laura for sending me the link)

Uh oh... Spring celebration sparks riot-- in Iowa, no less. Surely Iowa City is above this nonsense in Ames... right? I'm not going to live near the stadium, just to be safe.

Interesting - 100 Greatest Movie Characters. I can think of a few that deserve to be on there more than some of the nominees... The guys from Office Space leap to mind. You can cut to the chase and see the entire list, but I like that they picked out the defining moment for each character.

(link courtesy of j-walk)

For the two people who read this site more regularly than supercres.net- Patrick linked the most fun site I've seen in a long time (it's virtual bubblewrap, you have to see it).

Yay! Easter day means fun with Peeps. They're repulsive on the gustatory level, but oh so cute on the visual level. Here are some funny parodies linked by metafilter. There are a few more peep parodies here, as well as some facts on the nasty (but cute) little buggers.

Well, the grad school decision must be made by Thursday, the 15th. Since I'm pretty sure I'll go to Iowa and certain that I'll be cold, I've been trying to find a good site that will give me tips on what I need to know to live in the midwest. However, I can't find a darn thing... The best I've got is the AAA guide How to Go on Ice & Snow (catchy, eh?)
I'm not sure exactly what kind of info I'm looking for, but I do know that my coworkers laughed at me for not knowing what snow boots are. Is Iowa far enough into the plains to have dust storms? I know I'm headed into Tornado Alley. Will my apartment complex have a cellar (a la Wizard of Oz)?

The response to my query on facts about Iowa was about nil. So, I'm going to share this list of some of the notable University of Iowa alums:

Mildred Wirt Benson-Creator of the Nancy Drew mystery story collection. B.A., 1925; M.A. 1927, Journalism and Mass Communication

George Gallup-Founder of the Gallup Poll. B.A., 1923.

E.F. Linquist-Co-founder of American College Testing (ACT) Ph.D. Education, 1927

Richard W. Maibaum-Screenwriter and producer who wrote Broadway plays and thirteen James Bond scripts/films. B.A., 1931; M.A., 1932, Communication and Theatre Arts. Died 1991.

Tennessee Williams-Author of A Streetcar Named Desire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. B.A., 1938.

Gene Wilder-Comedic film and television actor whose credits include "Silver Streak," "Young Frankenstein," and "Stir Crazy." [and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory!!!] B.A., 1955, Communication and Theatre Arts.

If I'm going to move to Iowa, I think I need to develop a stronger interest in corn. I'm sure I'd be one of the first lucky folks to buy corn clothes. I'll also have to figure out where Nebraska is, so I can go thank the scientist in the article for my lovely corn clothes.

Professor Snape is too sexy...
I hope this isn't a sarcastic creation, because it means I'm not alone in my infatuation with Alan Rickman. From Sense and Sensibility to Harry Potter to Galaxy Quest and Dogma... he is one of my favorite actors (though I cannot say why I find him attractive, who knows). Meow.

(link courtesy of web-goddess who got it from Moire)

Ahhhhh!!!! This page of scary faces in clothes reminds me of this time when I was 8 (or so) and I stayed up half the night because my Land Before Time pj set was laying on my dresser in such a way that it looked like an evil face. I couldn't close my eyes or it would get me! I still shudder thinking about it. Eek!

(Link courtesy of MetaFilter)

So this is what winners look like??

I'm not bitter.

Just another incident of my Mom may be paranoid, but she can also be right. She never let us go to any of those shady fairgrounds, because she thought the constant assembly and break down of the rides made the bolts wear out. She was so right in this case, it's scary:

"An amusement ride broke open and ejected several passengers at a county fair, injuring seven people including a teenage girl who was in critical condition.

A piece of paneling came off "The Gravitron" while it was running late Friday, Miami-Dade police spokesman Juan DelCastillo said Saturday. The ride spins at high speed to generate centrifugal force that pins seated passengers against its interior wall.

A bolt that held the panel in place sheared, said Liz Compton, a Department of Agriculture spokeswoman."

After a couple of nail-biter showdowns - it's Tech vs UConn for the big game.

Go Tech!

Go Tech! Beat UConn or Dook!

There's some serious celebrating going down on campus. I just hope the firetrucks I hear are just passing by,

The uncomfortable hazards of being a research assistant:

Every once in a while, during our psych experiments, a participant tries to put the moves on one of the research assistants. It hasn't happened to me, but I'd rather count it as a blessing than try to understand why I don't have what it takes to get asked out by random weirdos.

Top Three weird-participant moments:
3. Sometimes they write their observations on their note paper. One such comment: "The researcher is hot, in a nerdy-girl sort of way." The RA in question erased the comment super-fast, but I still read it and laughed at her.

2. "So, what's your sign?" One participant used this line, followed by "Taurus? I'm a Leo, maybe we should hang out sometime." The RA was like "uhhhh, I'm not really allowed to" and hustled him out.

1. Preface: one of our ability tests is the diagramming relationships test. One of our RAs is a FASET (freshman orientation) leader who knew some of our participants through that program. One of those participants wrote her a little love note (with his phone number included):
Becky, when are you and I going to diagram OUR relationship?

UGA fools... I originally thought anyone could see this great UGA spoof. But apparently only on-campus techies can see it at uga.edu, so I grabbed a screen shot for you to enjoy. The academics link went to that basketball test that was all over the news last month, and other academic links went to a kindergarten's website. Of course. "how to give to UGA" went to a page that tells you how to give to Georgia Tech. Clever....

Here comes Peter Cottontail...
At work the other day, a coworker asked why the Easter Bunny exists. Being a know-it-all, I explained that it was a leftover of pagan rituals, adopted by Christians so they didn't have to give up their fun rituals just because they stopped being pagan (it reminds me a little of Jews for Jesus). Anyway, I found some support for my stance here, and some info about why exactly there is a Mr Easter Bunny (a la Santa) here (3rd paragraph). But I still like the theory my coworker had as a child: "I figured when Mary Magdalene went to the tomb, the Easter Bunny was the one who told her that Jesus was gone."

I think the most important Easter question is will my mom remember to put a lot of chocolate in my Easter care package?!?

I would be the first to admit that I had a big crush on Josh in high school. My platonic admiration has grown because I would never have the nerve to do all the great world travelling he's done. However, his new blog tests even my devotion.

I'm just kidding... but I'm also a little freaked out by the chest hair. His interest in Austin powers (as exemplified by all of the references to Austin Powers in his old webpages) suddenly makes sense in terms of identifying with Agent Powers in certain ways.

For several months, I've been lamenting my upcoming (i.e., August) loss of GT cable (I have ten movie channels) since I probably can't afford the kind of cable I want as a grad student (I looooove my ten movie channels). But now, my personal knight in shining armor - Senator John McCain - is trying to get the cable system to offer a la carte programming. How much would that rock? I (heart) McCain. Just make sure it happens before August!

Pictures of Iowa City, IA where I potentially might live next year.

Would I be moving to Iowa or the 1950's?

(I'm referring to the store fronts... the van is straight out of the 80s.)

"If Condoleezza Rice can find time to do '60 Minutes' on television before the American people, she ought to find 60 minutes to speak to the commission under oath," Kerry said while campaigning Saturday.

Kerry chastises Rice for 9/11 commission absence
It's getting ugly, y'all.

"This is why my happiest times looking through the boxes are when things turn weird. "

Citizen Kubrick: Strangely fascinating article about a guy who got to go through Stanley Kubrick's massive archives.

(link courtesy of FARK)

Too bad you aren't one of my coworkers or you would have seen me do an impersonation of this SpongeBob moment. Bring it around town. Bring it aroooound town. 3XK says: "he doesn't do it half as passionately as you do." I'm just that good/weird.

Trivia Challenge: Without consulting any resource but your own knowledge, what do you know about Iowa?

I know that Ashton Kutcher is from Iowa.

What do you know?

(I got good news from U of Iowa about financial aid, which is why I thought of this. And yes, the fact about Ashton is the only thing I know about Iowa.)

The better-late-than-never Friday Five:
If you...

1. ...owned a restaurant, what kind of food would you serve? Small portions of comfort food and huge portions of dessert. I hate that I never have room for dessert at restaurants.

2. ...owned a small store, what kind of merchandise would you sell? Funky knicknacks and furniture (a la Terra in Auburn or Metropolitan Deluxe)

3. ...wrote a book, what genre would it be? Something like Bridget Jones's Diary or The Nanny Diaries.

4. ...ran a school, what would you teach? Self-restraint. Schools don't (or aren't allowed) to teach that much anymore.

5. ...recorded an album, what kind of music would be on it? Punk cover songs (see New Found Glory's From the Screen to your Stereo)

Talk about bad luck: The Regular Guys on ATL's 96Rock were suspended because they are really unlucky (and/or careless). Here's what went down:

"They had planned a segment called "backward smut," in which they would bring in porn star Devinn Lane, talk to her on tape, then play the tape backward on air. "It's not actionable because nobody can understand it," Wachs said earlier this week.

While taping the segment during a commercial, the mikes stayed live. Over the sound of a Honda truck ad, Lane could be heard describing sexual acts in graphic terms.

Moments later, Wachs said on the air, "Our bold experiment will not go forward," blaming "technical difficulties."

Will they or won't they? Alabama legislators are trying to name an official state whiskey.

The maker of Conecuh Ridge Fine Alabama Whiskey says the whiskey is "a source of pride for Alabama."

I say.... who? what? You're wasting everyone's time bickering over a whiskey I've never heard of?
Get cracking on a state cookie, like Massachusetts

(link courtesy of FARK)

A wider 14th St bridge means a lot of construction, traffic and store closings in my area. A start date of 2005 means-- SUCKERS, I'm so out of here in August!!!! You can't screw me over anymore with your ridiculous urban planning.

Who is America's Funniest Senator??

Zug.com got several senators to send them their favorite joke by posing as a 10 year old boy with a social science project. It's nice to know there are some good natured folks in DC (most likely just interns). If you don't have time to read all of them (come on, only a handful of the 100 responded), here are my five favorites (you'll have to go to the site to read them):

1. Jon Corzine (I agree with the zug.com guy, this was the only one that made me laugh out loud)
2. Olympia Snowe
3. John McCain (love this guy....)
4. Chuck Hagel (who doesn't love a terrible pun?)
5. Kent Conrad (old joke, but still funny)

(link courtesy of FARK)

In case you wondered where I disappeared to for a week (and missed the prior warning), here's where I've been:

Tuesday- 9 hours to Lafayette, IN
Wednesday- 2 hours to Chicago, IL- visited UIC- 2 hours to Madison, WI
Thursday- Madison
Friday- Madison, 2 hours to Chicago
Saturday- Chicago
Sunday- 12 hellish hours back to Hotlanta

A quick rundown of how it went:
UIC was not pretty, the Ed Psyc Department has some great faculty but Chicago is too sketchy and it's just not happening.
Madison was cute as anything. Very Athens, lots of restaurants, great atmosphere. Cold as bullocks.
UWisc- cute, great faculty and students.
Chicago- gritty and urban, and this is coming from a girl who lives in downtown ATL. Maybe there are parts of Atlanta that look desolate like Chi-town, but we don't have an El to show it off.
Shedd Aquarium- pretty cool. The seals, beluga whales and penguins were fun.
Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio- it's not in Prairie style, but it was the place where he developed that style. It was probably cooler than one of his houses, as he constantly renovated it and added cool touches.

BTW, we saw 37 state tags in our journeys. Apparently New England and the West have no business in Indiana. Since returning, we've seen five of the missing tags in GT parking lots. I'm playing the tag game at home sometime.

Update on the TV thing: Horrors-- I woke up last Tuesday (maybe it was Monday) to no Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV... etc. It sucked. Thank goodness when I arrived home from my trip, order had been restored. Can you imagine having to miss the new season of Southpark because of a price hike on a utility I have no control over? Horrors. I (heart) cable.

PS- I had at least 30 hits from people searching black bar and various losing-cable search terms. I wasn't the only one freaked out.

Conspiracy theorists-- I need your help.

I'm watching Dogma on Comedy Central, and every 20-30 minutes an alert goes across the screen that starts "Attention: dish network threatens to ban..." and then a black bar comes up and blocks out the rest of the message. Is it a legitimate alert and it's being blocked out because I don't really have their service (I have cable through the campus system)? Or is dish network doing something uncool (like... not allowing moveon.org ads) and they don't want the alerts to be seen by their customers??

Update: I got more of a sample this time: "attention something/Dish network subscribers: dish network has threatened to take away the following channels:..." and then it's cut off. This makes it more likely that it's just being blocked because it doesn't affect me, but... the wording is weird. Are they taking away Al Jazeera (sp?) or something? that's the only controversial channel I can think of.

Update2: They were a little slow with the black bar on MTV-- they're taking away BET and Nickelodeon. Awwww naw, no one denies me my morning SpongeBob!!

Remember the punk kittens?

I've been to the rathergood site many times, but I never saw the resemblance of their work to the Quizno commercials (the weird creature ones that people either love or have nightmares about). Well, guess what- the same folks who bring us Punk Kittens actually make the Quiznos ads (see their FAQs). So, if you like those ads, you can adore their other work. If you hate those ads, maybe they can redeem themselves. Try these on for size:

When biscuits go wrong

fearsome stomping Laibach kittens

And the inspiration for the Quiznos ads: We love the moon
(see? the ad is not so bad compared to the singing in that one)

(link courtesy of Black spots in the white noise)

Unwashed for 10 years, smelly Kenyan gets scrubdown

I think we need a similar scrubbing posse at Tech to take care of our local dorks who don't bathe. Of course, even clean, they can't exactly expect the ladies to throw themselves at any tech boy.

the friday five

What was...

1. ...your first grade teacher's name? Ms. Valenzuela (Mrs V)

2. ...your favorite Saturday morning cartoon? Everything on CBS

3. ...the name of your very first best friend? Sarah

4. ...your favorite breakfast cereal? Cinnamon Toast Crunch (still my favorite)

5. ...your favorite thing to do after school? Go to daycare (I didn't exactly get options)

You may have heard that some British school children found a three headed frog, but have you seen the pictures?? It's cool in a "gross!! ooh, let me see it up close" kind of way.

(As seen on fark.com, drudgereport.com and probably (in a few days) on CNN.com)

Crazy weather. Just a week ago, the snow was melting. Today, I am melting (it's 76 degrees!!)

I am so looking forward to my trip to Wisconsin next week. I'm going to blow a ton of money on souvenirs (yes, that's a UWisc Badger made of cheese).

Tirades like this are funniest when they say exactly what I'm thinking.
(link courtesy of web goddess

"If I dream of Tariana, they speak Tariana. Sometimes I dream of Estonia, and they speak Estonian. In my nightmares, people speak to me and I understand, but I can't answer..."

An interesting interview on dying languages with a woman who studies them.

(courtesy of metafilter)

Happy Sadie Hawkins day!

I was going to just use it as an excuse to take 3XK out to a meal, but it seems that I might actually be able to get new gloves (see paragraphs 3 and 4) if I play my hand right. I would like brown driver's gloves, please.

(link courtesy of web goddess)

IT SNOWED!!!!

I woke up this morning, glanced out the window just in case there was some snow and THERE WAS A LOT!! At least 2-3 inches. Unfortunately, Tech is probably the only campus in town (or in Georgia) that isn't closed or delayed in opening. So, I just hope I don't wipe out on the slush-covered sidewalks.
Happy snow day!!

(stock picture from snow in AU two years ago)

Good legislation

Bad legislation

Net change in my opinion of Georgia: zero.

I love this: Duck Brand duct tape has a scholarship contest called "Stuck@Prom" where couples go to prom dressed in duct tape attire. I love it. I just might have a new craft project (though sadly I am past my prom years.... maybe my sister will let me dress her for prom next year??)

(the link goes to previous winners, they're.... intricate).

I completely forgot that it was Fat Tuesday. That means tomorrow, we all have to give fun stuff up (I do it just to prove I can). I'm giving up cheese (because my doctor is making me do so anyway), and...(thinking about what I can live without).... white bread. I've been trying to cut down on processed foods, so the super-soft stuff has got to go. I retain my right to eat french bread (it's chewy, so it doesn't count).

(I'm sure you really care, but studies have shown that public declarations result in better resolution-keeping)

Web-goddess linked to a great metafilter thread of jokes. My favorites (that weren't too long):

A woman walks into a bar and asks for a double entendre, so the barman gives her one.

Knock Knock.
Who's there?
Woo.
Woo who?
Calm down, it's just a joke.

Okay, two sausages are sitting in a frying pan. The first sausage says, "Is it getting hot in here to you?" The second sausage then replies, "Holy crap, a talking sausage!"

best one Halloween night. A kid comes to the door dressed as a pirate. The man who answers the door says "What are you supposed to be?" The kid says "A pirate". The man says "Yeah? Where are your buccaneers?" The kid says "Under my buccan' hat".

Anyone who knows me (or has ever seen my webpages) knows I have been a Jump, Little Children fan since August of 1999, yes mere weeks after coming to college. After years of growing ever closer, Jump (as they have now poser-ly started to go by) has become distant. New name, new music, but worst of all, no old music. This saddens me. We've grown apart. The magic has somehow died.
This has happened before, but this time I just don't have the energy to go all the way to Athens to be reinvigorated as a J,LC fan. So, I hate to say this, but Jump and I aren't seeing each other right now.
Maybe some day things will change, but after not making my pilgrimage to Charleston this year (after two great years) and missing the acoustic tour, I've decided we can live without each other. I'm sorry Jump.

BTW, if you're not a fan of Jump, Little Children, you still should be. They make great music and I love my albums still, but the concert-going frenzy is over for me.

Have I mentioned I'm a FARK addict now? Not only do I get heads up on news (a la the drudge report), but the posters make sure the headlines are darn funny:

U.S. National Debt goes over $7,000,000,000,000. Americans, you owe your government $23,976.15 (article)

Isolated for 20 years, family talks in grunts. Jodie Foster still tay inna weeun (article)
---this one's probably just funny because we used to mock that exact phrase circa 1996

Police on the lookout for woman who ran off without paying bill after receiving "biggest silicone implants available." If caught, authorities say it could be biggest bust ever (can't find article)

Intimate text message sent to wrong phone, nearly causes divorce

That'll put a damper on your Valentine's romance...

If I can't say anything interesting, I can at least say something useful:

Three things: Cool words from my current book Victoria's Daughters (Packard)

par·ve·nu
Function: noun
: one that has recently or suddenly risen to an unaccustomed position of wealth or power and has not yet gained the prestige, dignity, or manner associated with it
(my new favorite insult)

per·spi·ca·cious
Function: adjective
Of acute mental vision or discernment : KEEN
synonym see SHREWD

en·fi·lade
Function: noun
An interconnected group of rooms arranged usually in a row with each room opening into the next

The Feynman Problem Solving Algorithm:
1) Write down the problem.
2) Think very hard.
3) Write down the solution.

("So long, and thanks for the Ph.D.!" )

Wow, just when I complain, I start having things to talk about:

Amtrak president says Bush funding proposal would shut down railroad- doesn't Amtrak threaten to shut down every year in order to get more money? It's not a practical system anyway, I don't exactly see what we're saving... (seriously, try to book a trip from ATL to DC or New Orleans... it will take days and cost a ton).

Atkins-Blasting 'Physicians' Committee is a Front Group for PETA - okay, okay... so PETA might be crossing the line with their "physicians" group that recommends crazy, unsubstantiated medical advice... but it's no worse than Bush & Co. and it amuses me much, much more. Those crazy PETA folks and their over-the-top tactics!!!

I don't care if it's not cool to have fun with valentine's day-- I'm going to have a v-day picture and a cool link from LYD:
Funny, weird valentines - trust me, they're a riot. My favorite is probably the last one- the dog with a cone around his head. So random, I love it.

I haven't found much I want to talk about lately... I've been checking the Drudge Report and Fark religiously, but I need a page with more diversions... like MetaFilter... but cooler. Any suggestions?

The Friday Five on Sunday:

1. What's the most daring thing you've ever done?
Participated in Government Club and went to the 3-day conference WITHOUT MY FRIENDS. At the time, that was a big step for me. I think that helped give me the confidence to go to Tech, which turned out great.

2. What one thing would you like to try that your mother/friend/significant other would never approve of?
I've often thought it would be fun to join the Peace Corps. My mom would be terrified for me (and I am definitely too worried for myself to actually do it).

3. On a scale of 1-10, what's your risk factor? (1=never take risks, 10=it's a lifestyle)
2.5 - I'm a little ashamed, but also not willing to up the ante.

4. What's the best thing that's ever happened to you as a result of being bold/risky?
Had a fabulous summer studying in France.

5. ... and what's the worst?
Hmmm, I guess if I took more chances, I'd have a good failure story... and probably a lot more success stories.

This game warms my little feminist heart: Throw Rocks at Boys

(link courtesy of metafilter)

CNN ranks the most lucrative college degrees to have... my degree is bottom rung, 3XK is number 5. Good thing I'm going to grad school!

I'm going back to Twist tonight (previous post). This time it's not for the yummy food, but to celebrate the 21st birthday of my fellow Francophile, Steph. I always looked over at the crowded bar area in horror... I'm not exactly thrilled, but I'm sure it will be fun.

Favorite Super Bowl ad: NFL:

"As of tomorrow, we'll all be undefeated again."

This whole 'replacing evolution with the phrase 'biological changes over time'' is too ridiculous to even comment on. However, I found this interesting:

"Nationwide ridicule of Georgia's public education system will be inevitable if this proposal is adopted," said Carter, a former Georgia governor. (from this AJC article)

This could bring about a wonderful change-- using Georgia as the touchstone "redneck, uneducated" state instead of Alabama. GA kids are already #50 on some measures of school success, now it's finally gaining some attention... I'm so mean, but dangit, we don't deserve the bad rep.

LAURA!!!!! and everyone else who likes funny rap - read this plain English translation of 50 Cents' and Lil Kim's "Magic Stick"

Excerpt:
Shorty don't believe me, then come with me tonight
And I'll show you maaagic
(What? What?) Maaagic
I got the magic stick
EQUALS
What? you don’t believe me? If you join me tonight in a social situation you will see for yourself that I am a phenomenal person.
What did you say? Did I studder?
My phallus is incredible.

(link courtesy of LYD)

Three things: Fun Games
1. Dope Wars- I think we all remember playing this on our graphing calculators instead of listening to our Calc teachers... right?? This one has added features like Bitches to carry drugs for us, and a much more user-friendly interface.

2. Penguin Smackdown- I can't explain why this is so entertaining. I find it amusing, but others think it is the best game ever. Go figure. My high score was 555 ft (or yards, whatever they're measuring in).
Update: I put in a little work-- my record is now 575.7ft.

3. Very cool interactive MASH. I've linked others before, but this one has the most verisimilitude to the paper version (I know, awesome word).
Here are my results (I put in goofy options too, thus the banana yellow car):

Your husband's name is Jon Stewart and you have 0 children. You're a professor who drives to work every day in a banana yellow BMW.

It's truly a wonderful life when you consider the countless romantic nights you have spent with Jon in your shack in Boston.

Freaky: A pickled dragon (i.e., a hoax specimen in a jar)

The coolest jar-preserved creatures I've ever seen were fetal cats. It sounds gross, but really... they were tiny, perfect, little cats (minus fur, obviously). Anyway, the dragon is cooler, but can't dethrone the cats since it's probably made of rubber or wax.

(link courtesy of boing-boing)

WOAH!! Pixar dumps Disney

I'm beginng to be afraid... Is Disney really in trouble?!? Either way, I'm still getting my super-Deluxe Alice in Wonderland DVD for my birthday... right?

I'm willing to bet David Bradley is your favorite guy you've never heard of. He invented Ctrl+Alt+Delete. Yeah, I never thought about that having to be invented either. I thought God handed it down with the ten commandments. Here's the classic part of the article, though:

"At a 20-year celebration for the IBM PC, Bradley was on a panel with Microsoft founder Bill Gates and other tech icons. The discussion turned to the keys.

"I may have invented it, but Bill made it famous," Bradley said.

Gates didn't laugh. "

Come on, Bill. Lighten up!

Thanks to friends of Supercres, I can bring you this year's PETA Superbowl commercial. Their ads are always naughty and always rejected by the Networks.

Bonus: I found one of their previous ads, 'Bad Kitty'. Not for the weak of heart.

Jodi Speaks Up

Jodi stood up to a rude cell phone user at the gym, and got no respect for her troubles. I'm just glad to see I'm not the only assertive girl who gets herself into uncomfortable confrontations.