Permission to Hop

Ok, NOW I'm hopping mad. There is a scratch on my bumper from yesterday's hit and run. Fairly deep. Can't figure out how I didn't catch it yesterday. Pissed.

Random Wrap-Up

In my unintended absence, a few things to note:

• Hat tip to belledame for linking to a Parenting article on being the parent of mixed-race children. Echoes my own experiences on occasion.
  
• I got rear-ended driving to work today, and the guy that hit me just drove right off without stopping. I was hopping mad... and then realized that there was not even a scratch on the car. So I guess I can't be hopping mad.
  
• Projects are going well. I'm halfway through another sunhat (baby sized) and less than halfway through the gingham blanket.
  
• V for Vendetta rocks. Seriously.
  
• Following up the "name that voice" game, there's an episode of Dora the Explorer in which Ricardo Montalban guest stars as a wizard who has lost his magic wand. And his super-dramatic, mellifluous "let's find my magic wand!" cracked me up every time.
  

All is Well

No real reason for the week of no posting. I'm actually being social and productive and having a good time. I'll catch up more later.

Name! That! Voice!

A favorite game of Spouse and I while we're watching TV with the kids is trying to identify famous actors that lend their voices to various animated characters. Most recent discovery: the singing voice of Shang in Mulan is Donny Osmond! No way.

And then there's this.

I'd never seen Lilo and Stitch, but DQ came home with a copy of the sequel the other day. I was watching with her, confused as to why I was familiar with the voice of Pleakley. That is, until he resisted holding onto Jumba's creation, declaring it was "EVIL! EVIL!"

That's when I realized...







... it was Kevin McDonald. Former Kid in the Hall. aka Sir Simon Milligan.

Projects!

The to-do lists of the dissertation days are done, at least for the time being. I'm wrapping up the class of awesomeness, getting set for a summer of unemployment, and thinking in the long term about the fall. I'll be teaching three classes, two of which I've never taught before and that are outside of my specialty. (Elle, what are we thinking?)

So, a partial list of projects:

1. Book orders. These are due soon. In the meantime, to do my book orders involves actually going to campus and getting set up in the system (and getting a college email address). It has given me the excuse to read some really fascinating stuff lately, both online and in books.

2. Syllabi. The first one is easy. In fact, it's mostly done. The next two are challenging, to say the least.

3. Lectures. Ideally, I'd like to get a head start this summer on my lectures, so that I'm not resorting to prepping lectures the day before (or, shudder, the day of) class. I don't want to play the "keep one chapter ahead of the students" game. That's a game that a woman with two small kids making an hour-long commute cannot win in the long run.

4. Crochet!!!! I'm currently working on a "gingham" pattern. I'm not sure if it really look gingham-y, but it's kind of cool.

Academic Book Review

Sidney Mintz, Sweetness and Power: The Place of Sugar in Modern History (1986)

In America, first you get the sugar. Then you get the power. Then you get the women.

A Glimpse at Parenting

Scene: The Drama Queen is pushing all my buttons on Mother's Day, immediately doing things she knows she's not supposed to do.

Quinn: How many times do I have to tell you not to play with the blinds?
DQ: Twelve?
Quinn: [silent, trying not to laugh.]
DQ: Seven?

____________

Scene: The Wild Boy lying down on the changing table.

WB: Where's my penis?
Quinn: Right here.
WB: Where? [can't see it past his big belly. I lift him up a bit.]
Quinn: Right here.
WB: Oh! There's my penis!

Baby Got Book

My iPod had a weird transition moment today. Yes, it was on a playlist. My workout list, sorted alphabetically, has Destiny's Child's "Survivor," (which ends with the lovely word "bootilicious") transitioning straight into Dar Williams "Teen for God." Ha! And in case you think evangelicals don't have a sense of humor, here's "Baby Got Book."

(h/t Shakesville)

Macho Business Donkey Wrestler

The sun is shining, class is going well, Spouse is building the kids a play structure in the backyard, and "Super Karate Monkey Death Car" was today's Newsradio episode on TBS.

Life is good.

Here Comes the Sunhat (aka Make it through the week Monday)

I must say, I'm pleased.

If you're happy and you know it...

Julie and K-lyn stole some thunder, but I'll play along with the "10 songs that make me happy" meme. Here goes:

As Cool As I Am, by Dar Williams. Totally danceable and Dar is adorable, plus a great message. Reminds me not to think of myself based on what men say about me. "I will not be afraid of women." Damn straight.

Don't Worry about the Government, by Talking Heads. I don't even know why I love this so much. But I have vivid memories of moving into a new house, unpacking the boxes, and blasting this repeatedly.

I Feel Lucky, by Mary Chapin Carpenter. "Hot dog, I feel lucky tonight!" And I would totally choose Lyle (choice #11?) over Dwight.

Heatseeker Boy, by Moxy Früvous. Umlaut or no, these guys rock. I could have picked half a dozen Früvous songs, but "Bustier and the Sassy Crew" puts this over the top.

Hey-Ya, by Outkast. I mean, seriously, try not to dance to this. Plus, you gotta love somebody mashing it up with the Charlie Brown videos.

Think, by Aretha Franklin. Another song with a great beat AND a great message. And it reminds me of countless 2am showings of The Blues Brothers with Spouse and the college gang.

The Three Fine Daughters of Farmer Brown, by Eddie from Ohio. Funny how upbeat a song about tragic death by drowning can be. Plus, it reminds me of the half-dozen times I've seen EFO live. And Julie freakin' WAILS!

Women and Men, by They Might Be Giants. Memories of high school, marching band practice, Corridor 2, Sco4tt, and so much more.

When I am King, by Great Big Sea. Great Big Sea is the one that's like Carbon Leaf, but doesn't suck. (Hee hee!)

Mah Na Mah Na, by the Muppets. Classic.

My favorite novel

This whole Mitt Romney loving Battlefield Earth thing got me thinking. While my first impression is of course to laugh at him, the question is a lot tougher than I thought.

If I were Romney, and was asked what my favorite novel is (I mean, duh, favorite book has to be the Bible or your campaign is toast), what would I say? Scanning through my favorite novels, I don't know that any of them would be amenable to the voting public. Let's review:

• Catcher in the Rye. Naughty language.
  
• A Passage to India. Too foreign.
  
• Catch-22. Too anti-war. Might offend veterans.
  
• A Prayer for Owen Meany. Might offend the Religious Right.
  
• Good Omens. Might offend the Religious Right. And possibly Queen fans.
  
• The Color Purple. Might offend asshole men (but on the upside, plays well to the Oprah crowd.)
  
• Pride and Prejudice. Too girly.
  
• Anne of Green Gables. Anti-American.

So should I take this opportunity to announce my decision not to run for president of the United States? Instead, I'll start working on grassroots support for a future run for Prime Minister of Canada.

How would you answer the question, and how would it disqualify you from becoming president?

The Onion Solves the Troop Surge Problem

The easy answer.