Larry Bird video
As a lifelong Celtics fan, I found this video really fascinating. It's a compilation of Larry Bird buzzer-beating shots. I hope you like it, too.
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Plainbellied is a big fan of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." I used to like it, but now I think it's just sappy drivel that rots my brain. I bring this up because Plainbellied just got the first season on DVD from Netflix. I watched an episode with her, and I realized two things that have changed significantly. First, they no longer actually do a "makeover." Now they completely demolish the house and start from scratch. Second, they spend much more time talking about the family and less on the actual building of the house. While I do care about their stories, I'd rather see what they've done with the house.
I'm more of a "This Old House" kind of person. They take the time to make the house really shine, and they show you what they've done, in detail. Lots of the houses on "Extreme Makeover" are just not the sort of thing I would ever want. I prefer understated elegance to over-the-top extravagance. "Hometime" is another one that I kind of like. They sometimes take on smaller projects, and I really like to learn how to do things. Someday I'll have my own house, and I'm sure I'll want to do something to it.
I'm more of a "This Old House" kind of person. They take the time to make the house really shine, and they show you what they've done, in detail. Lots of the houses on "Extreme Makeover" are just not the sort of thing I would ever want. I prefer understated elegance to over-the-top extravagance. "Hometime" is another one that I kind of like. They sometimes take on smaller projects, and I really like to learn how to do things. Someday I'll have my own house, and I'm sure I'll want to do something to it.
Alligators and lions and bears, oh my!
Here in Florida, we have a lot of very dangerous creatures. Probably the most dangerous is the alligator. A few years ago, we visited the local botanical gardens with my parents when they came to visit. At the gardens, there is a stream, and an alligator lived in the stream. It was very exciting for my parents to see it. Well, about a year later, it turns out that the gator attacked one of the workers. I think he ripped off the worker's arm, but I can't remember if the man lived (I'm a little hazy on the details).
Yet for some reason, we aren't content with the vicious animals we already have. We have to import more. A friend of ours worked at a theme park with animal attractions, and he gave us free passes. We asked for a "behind-the-scenes" tour, but that wasn't allowed. The reason? A keeper at another theme park had brought friends behind the scenes to see the lions. Well, she got careless and the animal ripped her arm off (I'm certain about this one). So those tours were banned from all of the parks.
It makes me wonder about our fascination with animals that would kill us if given the chance. Think about Grizzly Man. He went to live with Kodiak bears and they killed him and his girlfriend. Maybe it has something to do with a need to dominate the things we most fear. Who knows?
Actually, I think it would be fun to play with a grizzly bear. . . if I knew it wouldn't hurt me.
Yet for some reason, we aren't content with the vicious animals we already have. We have to import more. A friend of ours worked at a theme park with animal attractions, and he gave us free passes. We asked for a "behind-the-scenes" tour, but that wasn't allowed. The reason? A keeper at another theme park had brought friends behind the scenes to see the lions. Well, she got careless and the animal ripped her arm off (I'm certain about this one). So those tours were banned from all of the parks.
It makes me wonder about our fascination with animals that would kill us if given the chance. Think about Grizzly Man. He went to live with Kodiak bears and they killed him and his girlfriend. Maybe it has something to do with a need to dominate the things we most fear. Who knows?
Actually, I think it would be fun to play with a grizzly bear. . . if I knew it wouldn't hurt me.
Meeting the President
My brother, who works in the US Foreign Service, is currently stationed in Colombia. He just met the President, and I think that's pretty cool. I'd like to meet the President, too. I may not agree with the man, but he's still the freakin' President. Actually, I think it would be even cooler to meet his wife. Laura Bush is a remarkable woman.
Apparently, my brother's wife took their kids to some sort of meet and greet at the embassy, and Mrs. Bush wanted to take a picture with their daughter, but the young 'un didn't want a picture with the strange woman, and it didn't happen. That's too bad. Knowing my family, she's still going to get teased about it in college. :)
In other news, Plainbellied and Her Nibs remain at my parents' house. Today is my father's birthday, and we got him some chocolate coins. We thought it would be nice to combine his birthday and St. Patrick's Day, so we decided to give him a pot of gold. Well, it turns out that he's received chocolate coins like three times in the past week. I guess it'll have to be four now.
Apparently, my brother's wife took their kids to some sort of meet and greet at the embassy, and Mrs. Bush wanted to take a picture with their daughter, but the young 'un didn't want a picture with the strange woman, and it didn't happen. That's too bad. Knowing my family, she's still going to get teased about it in college. :)
In other news, Plainbellied and Her Nibs remain at my parents' house. Today is my father's birthday, and we got him some chocolate coins. We thought it would be nice to combine his birthday and St. Patrick's Day, so we decided to give him a pot of gold. Well, it turns out that he's received chocolate coins like three times in the past week. I guess it'll have to be four now.
Estoy de Rodrigo
Plainbellied and Her Nibs left town this morning, and I am now alone at home, getting on with revising my dissertation. In Spain, they have an expression for this: "estar de Rodrigo." I don't know why they use those exact words, but it comes from the old days, when families left the cities during the summer to spend time in the country. Spain gets very hot in the summer, and before modern sanitation, leaving the city was the best thing you could do. If a husband was "de Rodrigo," it meant that he was staying behind to attend to business in the city. Often, the men would use the time to act as though they were free from the "ball and chain." Anyway, since Plainbellied and Her Nibs are away, I'm technically "de Rodrigo." I like how the expression sounds, but rest assured that there is no play this week. I have lots and tons of work to do.
I even started by cleaning up my office, which looked like a war zone. Now I'm ready to get down to the business of revision. Maybe I'll even make it a revisionist history. . . .
I even started by cleaning up my office, which looked like a war zone. Now I'm ready to get down to the business of revision. Maybe I'll even make it a revisionist history. . . .
Fun Russia Journal
I was looking through some of my old papers the other day, and I came across a journal I kept when I went to Russia (seven years ago). I was part of my university's chamber orchestra, and we went there on tour for three weeks. It was great fun. We stayed on a boat for the first week or so, and we floated from one city to another along the Volga. We went from Samara to Saratov to Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad), then by train to Rostov and on to Moscow. What I call a journal is actually a list of stuff I had done or seen, and I thought I would share a couple of choice tidbits.
"Seen a real Russian parade, complete with tanks and soldiers." We happened to be there for a national holiday. Here in the US, our parades usually involve huge balloons and cotton candy. They like to march soldiers around city squares and put military hardware on display.
"Saw real Cossacks doing real Cossack dancing." We went to a performance in one of the cities we stopped in, and they were pretty amazing. I've never seen anything quite like it.
"Was bothered by a drunk who yelled, 'Saratov! Saratov! It's land! It's land! The Volga! The Volga!" One of the Russian people who helped us organize things translated for me. As an American, one tends to stick out (especially wearing the regulation orchestra blazer).
"Got a standing ovation and played two encores after our concert in the Rostov Philharmonic Hall." This is a very good feeling. Standing ovations are great, and encores are even better.
Russia is a very fascinating country, but I have to admit to being a little intimidated by it still. It fit my Cold War preconceptions pretty closely. I felt like I was in Rocky IV when we stepped off the plane in Samara in the middle of an empty field. But overall it was a great experience, and it taught me a lot. Perhaps some day I'll go back. . . .
"Seen a real Russian parade, complete with tanks and soldiers." We happened to be there for a national holiday. Here in the US, our parades usually involve huge balloons and cotton candy. They like to march soldiers around city squares and put military hardware on display.
"Saw real Cossacks doing real Cossack dancing." We went to a performance in one of the cities we stopped in, and they were pretty amazing. I've never seen anything quite like it.
"Was bothered by a drunk who yelled, 'Saratov! Saratov! It's land! It's land! The Volga! The Volga!" One of the Russian people who helped us organize things translated for me. As an American, one tends to stick out (especially wearing the regulation orchestra blazer).
"Got a standing ovation and played two encores after our concert in the Rostov Philharmonic Hall." This is a very good feeling. Standing ovations are great, and encores are even better.
Russia is a very fascinating country, but I have to admit to being a little intimidated by it still. It fit my Cold War preconceptions pretty closely. I felt like I was in Rocky IV when we stepped off the plane in Samara in the middle of an empty field. But overall it was a great experience, and it taught me a lot. Perhaps some day I'll go back. . . .
Committee Implosion
I had a very interesting experience yesterday. As part of the final semester of graduate school, I needed to make sure that everything was correct in the system, including what courses I've taken and the composition of my dissertation committee. Many schools have different guidelines for such committees, but at my university, the committee must consist of five professors: the advisor, three other members from one's department (two from one's major field, and one from the minor field), and an "external" faculty member from a different department.
One of my committee members is a former faculty member teaching at a different university now but "grandfathered" into my committee. I found out yesterday that such things are not really acceptable under the rules, and I had been misled by a former administrator in my department (who left under somewhat unpleasant circumstances). What this meant was that I had to find a new committee member to replace him. Luckily, my advisor was around, we talked about possible replacements, the best choice happened to be around as well, and he agreed to join my committee for the last leg.
I felt very good about that change. Then something even more curious happened. I had not heard back from the "external" member of my committee, so I called her department to find out what was going on, and it turns out that she is sick and on sabbatical. This meant that I needed to find another committee member. Well, another faculty member from that department graciously agreed to fill in, but said, "I can't promise to do more than read the introduction and conclusion." Of course, that is not a problem, because the last thing I need is to have a new committee member join at the last moment, after everything is basically done, then tell me I have to change something. That would really stink.
So now I have changed 3/5 of my committee in the last two semesters of graduate school (I had to replace another faculty member last semester). How cool is that? Not very. Now I have to try to get five academics (one of whom is in England--he can teleconference) to meet at the same time for a defense. Wish me luck. . . .
One of my committee members is a former faculty member teaching at a different university now but "grandfathered" into my committee. I found out yesterday that such things are not really acceptable under the rules, and I had been misled by a former administrator in my department (who left under somewhat unpleasant circumstances). What this meant was that I had to find a new committee member to replace him. Luckily, my advisor was around, we talked about possible replacements, the best choice happened to be around as well, and he agreed to join my committee for the last leg.
I felt very good about that change. Then something even more curious happened. I had not heard back from the "external" member of my committee, so I called her department to find out what was going on, and it turns out that she is sick and on sabbatical. This meant that I needed to find another committee member. Well, another faculty member from that department graciously agreed to fill in, but said, "I can't promise to do more than read the introduction and conclusion." Of course, that is not a problem, because the last thing I need is to have a new committee member join at the last moment, after everything is basically done, then tell me I have to change something. That would really stink.
So now I have changed 3/5 of my committee in the last two semesters of graduate school (I had to replace another faculty member last semester). How cool is that? Not very. Now I have to try to get five academics (one of whom is in England--he can teleconference) to meet at the same time for a defense. Wish me luck. . . .
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