movies i've seen recently, and other things

whale rider...concur with greg, though, i think that it was mis-billed as an intellectual's movie. when all it was was a great flick, with a good story, that was superbly acted american splendor...it was a good movie, many people won't like it though. dark humor. lot's of switching in between harvey pekar and the guy who plays him talk to her...it's a good flick...almodovar on sedatives...beautifully shot the flower of my secret...another quiet almodovar flick intacto...wow! for a first movie...aside from one quibble...it is amazing...very much in the vein of night k. shamayayayalamahan will maybe review these at some point...but, i am writing this to not have to put more thought into them cd's i've been listening to christopher o'reilly's true love waits (he puts radiohead music to piano) nina simone jazz master's 17 (she has one of the most haunting voices in jazz) sarah vaughan the gold collection charles mingus black saint, sinner lady laverne butler blues in the city she uses her voice as if it were an instrument, she sings classic jazz and jazzes up some ballads liz wright saltneo-jazz singer, about 22, has the phrasing of a seasoned singer and the lyrics to match medeski, martin and wood best of 1991-1996 d.j. logic project logic (hip-hop jazz) he scratches to acid jazz type stuff what about you?

posted by Jeremy at 4:29 PM

we want to wish you

a bon voyage and remind you to stay cool, much like these swiss pigs

posted by Jeremy at 9:52 AM

pedantries

a friend of mine recently wrote this: I donÕt like fiction/literature/poetry because it is so often: - boring (Tolstoy) - empty; a waste of time (Clancy) - full of yucky stuff Ñ how bad we are, details of violence, sexual depravity and other emphasis on the very worst in human nature or seeing the world through nihilistic glasses (Percy) I want to like fiction because - I donÕt like the kind of person for whom the above is true - I fear IÕm missing out on much that is rich and rewarding but inaccessible Ñ that there is really good stuff in there, but I need to learn how to see it. Guidance is sought to - speed up the process of finding the good stuff - avoid the yucky stuff myself, being a snob and not considering clancy anywhere near tolstoy, whom i think to be a wonderful novelist...also being a heretic and wanting a good dose of sex, drugs, violence, and nihilism to spice up my drab existence...and being someone who reads for the joy of reading and not thinking that i need every single one of my novels to have deep philosophical reflections (though, in his case, he wants them to be religious, specifically christian, or at least syncretistic enough so that if one were to ignore the buddhist, or other thinking in it one could read christ into it) found myself at a loss. i am currently writing a series of reflections to him...all which contradict themselves, as i am wont to do. here is part of the first response: why bother? At some point the High Modernist intensification of the Romantic notion of the artist as a god (Pound, Eliot, e.e. cummings, Joyce, Lawrence. et. al.) supplanted or co-opted letters and culture. By doing so, the literary arts of fiction and poetry became the Queen Mothers of written Culture. Philosophers of a radical nature such as Wittgenstein, whose stylistic eccentricities are matched by biographical eccentricities, or Heidegger, whose always-difficult writings slide into a modern mysticism that is practically unintelligible in his later years, are sometimes admitted into the pantheon. Still, poetry and fiction are the 20th CenturyÕs Grand Dames. This was not always the case. In fact, throughout the Medieval and Renaissance period the artist (both plastic and literary) continually struggled to be recognized as the intellectual peers of the philosopher and the theologian. Two examples from the plastic arts where one can see this struggle for admittance into the Òrespected circle of thinkersÓ are Da VinciÕs and DŸrerÕs letters and memoirs. BoccaccioÕs writings on poetry and much of DanteÕs non-poetic texts take up the complaint of being seen as mere wordsmiths and not true philosophers. Poetic theoreticians throughout the 16th and 17th centuries consistently warn against fiction (whether in verse or prose) because of its beguiling and seducing nature, because it is not truth. The man of lettersÑthe humanist of the 15th ø17th Centuries and the Natural Philosopher of the 17th and 18th, being two incarnations of this personÑread widelyÑfiction and poetry being only a small part of their dietÑnatural science and philosophy, theology, law, essays (especially after Montaigne and Bacon), and erudite letters (of the kind we donÕt write anymore) comprised the bulk of their reading material. Even in the 19th Century, poets like Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson read much more widely than just ÒliteratureÓ (as modernly defined) and, more importantly, they are at their best in their essaysÑarguments, intellectual explorations filled with rhetorical flourishes and flashes of brilliant insight. These two poets, who are essayists, are instrumental in the deification, even creation of the notion of genius as something belonging to the artistÑthey, of course, are reading the German RomanticsÑGoethe, Kant, the Schlegels, NovalisÑfrom whom they get many of their ideas. ItÕs interesting to note that in this group, Goethe is the only real poet, in the strictly classical sense of the wordÑa writer of verse and of novels. One of the Schlegel brothers writes a novel, but they are philosophers reading a lot of Renaissance and Baroque literature, and a lot of other stuff and writing philosophy or essays or bizarre collections of fragments. So, part of me would ask: why believe in the Modernist call to respect the artist as a purveyor of truth? Being a person of letters, being a cultured person doesnÕt necessarily mean that you have to read fiction. If you want to read fiction because of "truths" it may contain, you can get much of same "truths" from really good movies. And what movies donÕt provide, you can get if you are a reader of philosophy or theology or essays or biographies or history or science. Thus, if you are one who doesnÕt have the patience, or the stomach, or the desire, or the Ç je ne se qious Èbecause in the end thatÕs what it is, a certain Òwho knows why we like itÓÑthat it takes to read and appreciate fiction or poetryÉwhy engage in an activity that you will only resent? So, why bother with fiction? Read what you like...as long as you try to remain eclectic. Just read and study and see what is out there in the world, what has been thought and why. Fiction and poetry could be todayÕs rear-gard.

posted by Jeremy at 4:44 PM

It's not American't, it's American

Ten impossible tasks:

Respond seriously to the question, "Are we gonna read all of that book?"

Make plagiarism scary.

MakeGraduate Instructor an important title.

Explain a grading scale.

Describe a "blog."

Make a class web site exciting.

Get 22 sophomores interested in telling jokes.

Enjoy "teacher clothes" in 98 degree weather.

Be a cool teacher on the first day.

Teach a general education class that's not fifty percent business majors.

posted by Greg at 12:08 AM

interrogating

why do so many people believe that beans go with rice?

posted by Chris at 7:00 PM

with apologies to miss twain, her husband "mutt," her daughter eja, and all her fans

so in the paper shania twain says this of her future writing, (and this is how it appears in the column) "In the future, I will be writing from a deeper perspective. I just feel deeper now. My emotions are deeper; my thought processes are deeper." the way the column breaks it up produces a very nice visual metaphor for deeper (the way the words begins to lose any meaning and even seem absurdd-e-e-p-e-rit almost feels as if one had slid down the rabbit hole with alice where the absurdity of language shows forth, or it's like some stein experiment that tries to make this absurdity a tangible reality. the deepers just keep piling updeeperone on top of the other). is it the graphic layout, the piling up of deepers one on top of the other so that a sort of color bleed type phenomenon ocurrs, only here e's and p's and d's jumble about in that small space interrupting any kind of rhetrorical force that this statement might have in casual conversation, or is it simply that this is a quite empty statement that really says nothing except: "today, i am one step closer to dying. thus, i am that much more wise than i was at 21."? and, if the latter is the case is it because reporters, or at least this format, the quick blurb to get you to watch the televised concert, are really about as sustantive as dehydrated celery, or is it that despite appearances no one is really all that deeper...just a little bit older? really, when people say that they are deeper...what does that mean? 'cuz i'm not sure i know what that looks like.

posted by Jeremy at 12:17 AM

of cars, hygiene and the moral problem in american society today

so we all know why fat, middle aged men buy hummers and bald men drive corvettes. compensation...projection of an idealized self-image...wishful thinking. (much like my bald neighbor who changed his convertible jaguar to a shaguar...fortunately, he's changed it back) we also know of those people whose cars are like the inside of a garbage can...they live in them, is their excuse. cars become an extension of their own slopy selves. not that all extensions of self are bad. some friends of ours bought a ford focus wagon...it's their first car to purchase as a couple. when his high-school/college/first-fewdied, they went a couple of years without a car. they are very practical, very spartan people...so they bought a practical car. when t's high-school/college/first-few-years-of-marriage car was gotten rid of (it was a mustang) we went out and bought a beetle...used, but still fun...and hey! it is a practical car 45 mpg's on the interstate. but our need to project (in reality, to tell our parents that we were still not ready to have children) is not the point of this post...neither is the point to extoll the virtues of friends. instead, it is to write about the bizarre ways in which projected identity and extension of self clash in most bizarre ways. (forgive the solecism of repeating bizarre, twice but it is tres bizarre, and now four) it is commonplace in a big city, and quite frequent in movies (especially ones that want to critique big-city living) to see the inevitable make-up applique at the stop-light. however, one normally associates this with the morning rush-hour, or the mid-day touch-up. but today, at the light, in her beautiful white mercedes suburban assault vehicle (not the ones that look like armoured cars, the sleeker, slicker ones. the ones that say i live in a stable, wealthy neighborhood, and have a stable, wealthy family) was an elegant lady, not just digging for gold...maybe i could've accepted easily enough the impulsive need to scratch one's nose, or free a nostril's passageway, but she was popping a zit...though, i guess i should write blemish. granted, this car, like most has a mirror. but when did the car as a space that is lived, as an extension of one's self open up to more than basic grooming and hygiene? when did it move from make-up and hair to spilling, or spewing, as the case maybe, precious bodily fluids all over the windshield? this i think, is what is really wrong with america. this, and men not using belts and walking around with untucked shirts because they can't live with the fact that they are fat.

posted by Jeremy at 12:41 AM

What kind of bug inhabits you?

A few weeks ago on This American Life, Ira Glass and Carl Zimmer, author of the book Parasite Rex, were talking about parasites. Apparently, there is a parasite that loves to live in the belly of sheep, but sometimes it finds itself far, far way from the bowels of this ruminant and in the innards of snails. How they got from there to there they did not say. But, there they are little bitty parasites and much like the 2 dogs and 1 cat from the Great Adventure, they must find their way home. ItÕs almost like a Joan Osburne song Apparently, and I donÕt know why I keep using this word, for it is more than appearance, it is scientific truth, what they do is find their way into the mucous glands of this gastropod mollusk and happily become part of the trail these slimy creatures always leave behind them. Because, of course, as all good parasites know from finishing school, ants love to eat the sweet, sweet juices of the snail. And once they go snailÉwell, they canÕt go back. Once inside the ant, they somehow work their way into the nervous system creating in the little insect the overwhelming and irresistible desire to get the best view of the setting sun. ItÕs all romantic and what-not when the little guy asks the girl heÕs had his eye on for a while if she wants to climb the nearest blade of grass. But, evening time is a preferred grazing time for sheep and there you have it. Joe and Jane ant get eaten while watching the sun sink into the horizon simply because they had a parasite that wanted to get back into a sheepÕs tummy. I think I may have a bug that prevents me from working on my dissertation. (The above story is accurate. Some of the details may have been altered in the hopes of dramatic effect, and because, I did listen to the story 3 weeks ago and am only trying to put off writing on my diss and so will not take the time to fully verify it all)

posted by Jeremy at 1:42 AM

and now for some more religion

i didn't want to be the one to do it...so soon after my last posting on religion, and all. but the sloth :) of my fellow bloggers, who i am sure would tell you that they are busy packing up to move or unpacking from said move, busy taking breathing classes, or preparing for the new school year, forces me to post, this post. I went to a Bible study group tonight hosted by Jay Baker [sic], Jim and Tammy Faye's son. This dude is seriously twisted. I'm HOOKED !!!...Tonight was my first but I'll be going every Tuesday now. I went and got good and tanked up before I went and brought an old bible I used to get the fire going when my heat went out this winter..but the damn thing wouldn't burn... did yall know that ??? Anyway...... Jay is completely covered in tattoos, is a raging alcoholic, and often goes into fits of crying and screaming about his childhood. writes some guy named aaron. yes. jay bakker is in town and has been in town for several years. apparently, it's much like fight club, only with christians. an underground movement among the down and out youth. he and his cronies hang out at the alternative coffee shop near campus (the one where the tragically-hip, always dressed in black or vintage boutique clothes, with-a-camel-dangling-from-my-lips as-i-read comp-liters and philosopherts hang) so there he sits...he and his cronies...tatooed from the base of the neck to the top of the ankles. wearing goth t-shirts designed by themselves, with catchy slogans about revolution, about death to religion. there they sit, driking their coffee, smoking their expensive cigars and every once in a while cussing...to keep it real. if you look closely enough, their tatoo's are religious in nature. in fact, on one of his arms, the baker boy has a series of tatoos that remind the literate observer of jonathan edwards' Sinners in the hands of an angry God...spider-web an' all. though, of course, he is about loving marilyn mason and other punk or goth kids. which, of course, has gotten this Brother John's panties in a wad, or, at least, it has allowed him to fulfill God's command to judge. for Jay Bakker is deceiving his followers. brother john is a self proclaimed: Bible-believing Born-Again Christian, Trinitarian, Holiness, and Pentecostal (NOT Charismatic) who condemns bakker as a false prophet p.s. his patient reading of "so called Christian rock" is quite a gem in close reading techniques

posted by Jeremy at 12:40 AM

in honor of dave

"Bass needs to quit worrying about going into outer space and embrace and celebrate life by learning how to kill his own food." Ted Nugent, 53-year-old rocker, on 'NSync singer Lance Bass, who was rejected by the Russian space agency in his bid to visit the International Space Station. (San Jose Mercury News, Sept. 5, 2002)

posted by Jeremy at 2:16 PM

how many wives do you have?

a friend of mine in college told me about a traveling salesman who was an elder in his church who had a second family in another town. it wasn't discovered until the two sons were friends in college and they discussed who their father was and how he died. these kind of stories the and they were roommate kind of stories always make me wonder. case in point, in florida a millionaire's wife dies. two weeks later he marries this other lady who lived 20 miles apart. both ladies drove rolls', both lived in huge houses, both hobnobbed with the high society of tampa. it wasn't until the marriage that they found out that he had had this double life. TAMPA, Florida (AP) While their wives drove Rolls-Royces and moved among Tampa's elite, Douglas S. Cone and Donald Carlson always seemed busy with business. Cone, the 74-year-old millionaire owner of a Tampa highway construction company, was gone most weekdays. Carlson was also frequently away from home an absence his family attributed to a sensitive government job that required him to travel for long stretches. But those business trips masked a shocking secret: Douglas S. Cone was Donald Carlson. Cone lived a secret double life for nearly 30 years, raising two affluent families in lavish homes 20 miles apart one with his wife of 52 years and the other with a former employee. what i don't get is how carlson was equally in the dark. she was 18 years the junior of the first wife and had been a secretary for one of his (granted, many) companies.

posted by Jeremy at 8:44 PM

Adaptation

I am a man and a valuable part of God's kingdom. I have a special role to fill - a role that is different from the role of women. Although this is a very simple concept, it is one that has been a struggle for me. To understand God's plan for my life, I must look to his word. Does God's word concerning my role as a man change to fit the times or is his word unchanging and timeless? First, the idea of a "changing word" is contrary to scripture (1 Peter 1:23-25, Deut. 4:2). Second, it just doesn't make sense! . . . In defining roles and who may fill them, God did not differentiate between Jews and Greeks or slaves and free. He did, however, differentiate between women and men. This is true in the home and in the church (Eph. 5; 1 Tim. 2-3). God had already turned the "establishment" on its ear so what was stopping him from finishing the job and making men the same as women? God was obviously not swayed by what culture dictated; therefore, it must be that the differentiation of women and men was part of his plan. In the beginning, God created men as helpers of women and women as head over men. At the establishment of the church, God created men as helpers of women and women as head over men. Today, God is still creating men as helpers of women and women as head over men. God's plan involves using women and men in different, yet equally important ways. Men are not the same as women. We differ both physically and emotionally. God designed men as complements to women. Women bring spiritual leadership, practical support and a cherishing love to the relationship. Men provide household management, emotional support and a respecting love to the relationship. When combined, we make a smooth-running, love-filled home. . .. [In the church] the women of the church provide the spiritual leadership and practical support [and] the men of the church provide management skills and emotional support. . .. When combined, we make a smooth-running, love-filled church. Therefore, I must allow my wife to develop into a wise, effective, strong and respected leader by subjecting myself to her authority and providing a peaceful and supportive home. . .. Although I do not share the same role as women, I am no less responsible for my own salvation. Did I zealously serve God with the talents that he gave me and within the role that he provided for me? Or did I succumb to the "boastful pride of life" (1 John 2:16) and destructively struggle against the authority and design of God? Simply put, I have come to realize that men are of no less value in God's eyes. God merely chooses to use us in different, yet equally wonderful ways. What a tremendous blessing to be a man of God!

with some apologies to Raye Lynn Mathews and none whatsoever to Church and Family

posted by Greg at 6:02 PM

You Are Tangerine

You are a beautiful person, in a wistful kind of way.Ê If you could, you would spend all your time daydreaming and writing poetry.Ê You are a tragic beauty. You are sensitive and caring, and you don't take insults well.Ê You don't smile much, but when you do, you really mean it. People like to be around you because you are a calming influence.Ê You have an appreciation for all things beautiful, and you probably have some potted plants.Ê You also most likely own a cat. You like Sundays and hot tea.Ê You will spend your entire life yearning for quiet beauty, which is a rarity in this world, so you read a lot. Everyone you know thinks you're "nice."

Take the Which Led Zeppelin Song Are You? Quiz

posted by Greg at 9:18 AM

a whale of a...

So, I happen to live close to one of the fifteen screens in the U.S. that's showing Whale Rider, and we saw it tonight. If you're close to one of the other fourteen screens, I think you would like to see it, too.

posted by Greg at 1:04 AM

d≥ja vu all over again

What I hate most about having my teeth cleaned is not the hygienist's scraping, nor is it having someone else floss my teeth, nor is it the uncomfortable touch of the probe; I don't even mind being told that I am the one who needs to do the flossing (every night) nor do I mind the way the hygienist presses the polisher to buff my dentals as though they are the paint on a car. No, what I hate most about having my teeth cleaned is having to be told why it is my gums are receded. If as a teenager you were fortunate enough never to have conversations every two weeks with an orthodontist while his arms were elbow-deep in your mouth, then you may be unaware of one of the more unfortunate effects of orthodontia: braces make your teeth bigger. Well, actually, they don't make your teeth bigger, but for various reasons, by the time you've taken your braces off, your gums have retreated as much as an inch since the time you put them on, and for all intents and purposes, because your teeth look bigger, it's as good an excuse as any, if somebody asks, "How'd you get such beautiful teeth?" to reply, "Oh that? Well, braces made my teeth grow." But a dental hygienist is too smart to fall for that more than once, and besides, its in the nature of the hygienist to see a world full of half-empty glasses. So, every six months, sun then snow then sun again, when I have my teeth cleaned as I did today, the hygienist asks, "You have a lot of recession here! Did you have braces?" And then she explains, helpfully, that gums are like fickle friends who visit once but never come back, not for all the sweets you offer them, and she recommends that I use soft bristles on my toothbrush, and she tells me to brush in a soft, circular motion, as though I were cleaning a teflon-coated frying pan rather than a pizza-encrusted cookie sheet because, in fact, brushing too much will make my gums recede just as much as braces did, if not more. Next February, when I'll have this conversation again, is just around the corner! I can't wait! Today I also stopped at Prairie Lights bookstore to ask after their new readings schedule, which hasn't been released yet but which I'd like to add to the course syllabus I'm now planning. Suddenly, a man reeking of cigarettes turned to me and asked, in an existential way, "Brother, how do you know you weren't a great guitarist?"

posted by Greg at 11:55 PM

matchmaker, matchmaker

somethings you just don't have to comment on, the match just fits: "The man that is failing the people more than anyone is Gray Davis. He is failing them terribly, and this is why he needs to be recalled, and this is why I am going to run for governor." others beg to be brought together. apparently a vegan restaurant in manhattan wanted to expand and moved into a location that has historically been a failure (5 restaurants in 20 yrs). so, of course, they turned to feng shui: "To protect the restaurant from the building across the street, whose sharp edges "create a knifelike effect on the restaurant's energy, cutting into it," they hung up two octagons with mirrors in the middle, for to better reflect back all that negative energy... "Slanted energy can cause accidents, bad business and lawsuits, and we want to cut that off immediately," said Judith Wendell, the feng shui consultant. She hung a bamboo flute above it on the inside. "Usually you hang a sword, but it didn't match the d≥cor," she said. "The flute symbolizes the sword." germany wants to "rebrand" themselves: To counter their stereotyping as humorless, rude, know-it-all, perfectionist workaholics with a historic tendency toward murderous chauvinism, Germans will soon be portrayed in advertisements across Europe as hedonistic, with-it, athletic sexpots. Think Claudia Schiffer, not Helmut Kohl. or, as the guy on marketplace said "not all germans like women with hairy armpits." since, of course, german people aren't products...(the nice thing about a coke is that a coke is a coke and you can judge whether or not a coke fulfills or fails the created expectation)...since, of course, they might talk back and so ruin the whole campaign (during the chrysler-daimler merger, one of the german engineers said: "ya, we germans know how to make cars. look, you can eat off the floors of our factory, they are so clean. our cars are better than american cars.)...since, of course, there might be a german man out there that digs a woman with hairy armpits...i suggest that they get in touch with Judith Wendell, also known as the author of this ground breaking studyfeng shui: marital bliss and your bedroom. who knows, she might have them all wear little bamboo flutes

posted by Jeremy at 9:11 AM

and now for some religion...

Are you a Campbellite? If someone asks you this simple question, I suggest that you deny it. If you don't know how to deny it...this should get you started. First: you should step back and look aghast. Second: you should respond: ÒI am a Christian, a follower of Christ for He and He alone shed His blood for me. I wear no manÕs name only the one the Holy Spirit gave me, Christian.Ó Third: quote Romans 12 to them, even if this is a strange use of Scripture. Fourth: If they press you, respond:The term Campbellite is not found in the Holy Scriptures, therefore I denounce such term. Fifth: If they retort: ÒWell, you follow CampbellÕs teachings.Ó Respond I hold the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit inspired prophets and apostles. Alexander Campbell, John Wesley, John the Baptist, Martin Luther were not crucified for me therefore I belong to none of them nor do I follow any of them. As for following the teachings of Alexander Campbell, show me any one of his teachings that is not consistent with the Holy Scriptures and I shall denounce such. Some of you might genuinely not be, some of you may not care, if so, sleep soundly tonight. Some of you reading this, however, may not know what a Campbellite is...and that might very well mean you are one.

posted by Jeremy at 11:18 AM

nothing spells lovin' like c-o-u-s-i-n

according to research cited by richard conniff in the latest issue of discover magazine, having babies with your cousin is not as risky as you might think. rather, cousin-spawned babies face "the same increased risk of abnormality that a woman undertakes when she gives birth at 41 rather than at 30." so, keep your eyes peeled at the next family reunion. discover magazine's site offers links to internet resources for people interested in hooking up with their own cousins. information on arkansas tourism is here. no word on whether or not it's cool to get it on with your siblings.

posted by Chris at 11:00 PM

the verdict is in...

i am an ass. write it down that i am an ass. sorry...no...that's dogberry. i'm just technologically inept. it's not that i can't use dreamweaver. it's not that i don't know some code...however, my fellow hermits chris and greg are much more web-savvy than i. it's just that i should never be allowed to be around portable technological devices of any kind whatsoever. i first noticed this my freshman year in college, when i got my first laptop. oh, i was happy, happy like a kid when christmas falls on saturday. i took it to class only because i wanted to show off...rarely, if ever, did i actually take notes on it. in truth, i spent most of the time playing the snake game, where the blinking light grows a tail and gets longer and longer as it eats its way around the screen, and trying to keep my roommate from finding it and doing his programming homework on it. my blissful days of riding the techno-wave soon came to a crash. one saturday night, after typing up my notes, in bed - that's the nice thing about a laptop, it's versatility - i gently placed it next to where i lay. actually, i placed it at the foot of the bed...because what if i stepped on it while groggily getting out of bed? and step on it i did, despite, or because of my foolish precautions. the next morning, when hoping around trying to get my pants on over my poorly dried legs, for less than a second...i swear...i landed on it. but i knew that i had, even before the cracking of the lcd panel. instinctively the leg that landed on it went limp to take the weight off the laptop and i fell to the side, bruising my arm on my bed. but, to no avail. that was the end of my laptop. fast-forward ten years. this past christmas I got a palm-pilot. no, i didn't step on it. with it came one of those protective cases, which i never liked because it made the palm too bulky to slip into a shirt pocket. but i used it anyway...to better protect it. last friday, i was subbing for a guy who went to a wedding in seattle, washington. as i was walking out the door, i looked at the table and saw my 8-month old palm (i was even given a keyboard for it...better to write my dissertation with), and thought...do I really need that today? well, against my better judgment, i took it to class...and no one has heard of it sense.

posted by Jeremy at 10:39 PM

can't get there from here

i am spending hours and hours trying to get our visa to go to belgium. i have a job there, i have a place to live, and i have airline tickets. but i cannot get all the parts of my visa application finished. it is like that game where you hit the little weasels in the head with a plushy mallet thingas soon as you smack one weasel, another bloody one pops up. here is a list of all the stuff we need for our visas. (it sounds a lot easier than it actually is.) even though i have a paying university job, the university recommends me getting a student visa so i don't have to pay the 45% income tax on my 20,000 euro salary. in the meantime, i've taken up sewing. i'm trying to make a little black gangsta spandex hat for my eagerly-anticipated new infant. we have some big scraps of spandex, and i've already roughed out a prototype version. if i can master the little cuff around the bottom before i run out of scraps, i may even attempt to fabricate matching father/daughter (we think it's a daughteror else he has very small genitals) hats. you can call me c. diddy. or c. daddy. ETA of hat(s): 2 wks. (pictures will follow) ETA of (probable) daughter: mid-November.

posted by Chris at 12:30 PM

out and loving IT...

so it's silly...to go by jeremiah when everyone knows i'm Jeremy. especially since we only have 2 readers. hermits chris and greg. but's that's not why i am writing. i am writing to warn you all against the evils of tear staining Your dog's tears contain a pigment that will stain the fur in a reddish-brown color. To minimize the staining of your dogs fur, wipe the area below the eyes with a damp wash cloth at least once daily. Applying a small amount of petroleum jelly to the fur under the eyes will help prevent the stain from penetrating the fur. there have been times when out walking my dog that she has looked up at me and wept because other dogs mock the stains under her eyes. don't let this happen to your weiner dog...they've got enough strikes against them. and, they may blame you for life

posted by Jeremy at 3:58 PM