Quinn the Brain

The age-old dilemma

2009-05-13T21:26:00.000-07:00

World peace or the blonde?

Bumper Sticker Watch

2009-04-25T22:14:00.001-07:00

Seen today on the way home from the museum: "What Would Scooby Do?"

I am back to looking carefully, because I need a new sticker for my car. (Currently, it hosts an Obama '08 sticker.) I think a simple message might be best, something like "Wicked" or maybe "Truthiness." Other thoughts? History related perhaps?

Online class WTF?

2009-04-15T20:19:00.000-07:00

I opened the new term with a new online course, filled to the brim (and overflowing) with eager students. The first assignment they have in my class is to introduce themselves. Tell us their name and an interesting fact about themselves. Yada yada yada.

Then I get this one: "Hi, I'm [Student] and I'm a nympho."

I quickly deleted the message and sent [Student] a reply reminding her about what is appropriate for a class chatroom.

She replaces the message with, "Hi, I'm [Student] and I give in easily to peer pressure."

WTF? Is this something that should concern me? Or is this some sort of stupid-college-kid-style dare?

Letting go

2009-04-10T21:44:00.000-07:00

I've always had a problem with students who disappear. I know this is a common occurrence, and I resist it probably because I was quite dedicated to school in my day, and quite unlikely to have something major derail me from school. I had enough money, no major health problems, no major tragedies. That's simply not the case with many people.

In the past, when a student disappears, or still attends but stops trying, I got flustered and frustrated, and wondered what I had done wrong. Or wondered what I could do to reach them. And I'm glad that I'm the kind of person who makes the extra effort. But I'm through with taking this on by myself.

I learned this in recently when I had a student contact me to let me know that he couldn't attend class because he was "a guest of the county" (ie -- in jail.) Just one day, then they set a court date. He asked me if I would write a letter for the judge stating he was enrolled in college and almost done with the term, and if they could delay jail time until after the term was over, that would be nice. I asked as few questions as possible (I seriously DON'T want to know!!!) and wrote the letter. He called me to thank me profusely for it, and said the judge agreed to the delay. Great!

Then he didn't show up for the final.

So, recognition that there is more to my students than their coursework. They have jobs and families and responsibilities (and criminal records, evidently! This is not the only time I've had a "guest of the county" in my classes). I can only do so much. I'm slowly finding that happy medium: Try to reach out, but know when it's time to let go.

Daily Affirmation

2009-04-07T20:46:00.000-07:00

Except it doesn't happen daily. But it happened today:

Scene: me walking by a group of male students on my way home today.
First male student: "Hey, how you doing?"
Second male student, "Dude, that's a TEACHER!"

To Be Read at some point in the future

2009-04-01T19:36:00.000-07:00

Back from the OAH with a whole slew of stuff to read. Prepping for a new class on gender in American history next fall.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies! (can't make it all serious...)

Ehrenreich, Nickel and Dimed

~~Crow Dog, Lakota Woman~~

~~Butler, Gender Trouble~~ -- OK, I get it, gender is a performance and you know a lot of big words.

Ryan, Mysteries of Sex

~~Spear, "Colonial Intimacies"~~ -- so clear and useful! Wish more articles were like this one.

~~Godbeer, Sexual Revolution in Early America~~ -- awesome! Loved it.

Barr, Peace Came in the Form of a Woman

Gutierrez, When Jesus Came, the Corn Mothers Went Away

Audiobook Kiss of Death

2009-03-09T18:29:00.001-07:00

I recently started... and stopped the audiobook of Cry the Beloved Country. I was enjoying it -- really! -- but I just couldn't do it anymore. Instead, I went out and checked the hardback from the library.

Here's the thing. I drive close to 100 miles a day. I spend 2 hours in the car. It is a relaxing commute, with beautiful scenery and very little traffic, and I love my Prius. But my audio must not further relax me. The woman reading the audiobook had a lovely, lilting South African accent. She spoke slowly, with a relaxed and musical cadence. She complemented the text nicely.... she was putting me to sleep.

That's not what I'm looking for in an audiobook. Seriously. Kiss of death. The only other time this has happened was listening to Henry James' Portrait of a Lady. I liked the story, but just couldn't handle the audiobook.

Give me a good Sarah Vowell anyday. Funny, slightly nasal, and fascinating.

You know who's looking hot these days?

2009-01-25T20:36:00.000-08:00

(I mean, besides Spouse. And Neil Patrick Harris. And of course Brett Favre.)

Dr. J, that's who:

Oddly enough, I love this!

2009-01-21T18:43:00.001-08:00

Today, Spouse looks at me for a moment at the breakfast table and says, "You look pretty today. Wait, that's not the right word.... You look ass-kicking."

Breaking News

2009-01-17T19:28:00.000-08:00

3 hours is too long for a child's birthday party. I'm just saying.

Bonus Conversation: on the drive home from the grocery store today.

DQ: "Where do trees come from? Do they have seeds?"
Quinn: "Yes. Acorns are tree seeds, and when the fall to the ground, they can grow new trees."
DQ: "But where did the first tree come from? From God?"
Quinn: "I don't know."
WB: "There is no God."
DQ: "Yes there is."
WB: "There is no God!"
DQ: "Yes there is!"
WB: "THERE IS NO GOD!"
DQ: "YES THERE IS!"

It's on like Donkey Kong

2009-01-09T18:44:00.000-08:00

Peyton Manning AND Oreos? I'm so there.

Bball bball bball... hot.

2009-01-07T21:51:00.000-08:00

A great day in college basketball. Tommy Amaker and his Harvard team (Woot to KG!) defeated Boston College, their first win over a ranked opponent. Go Tommy! Duke beat Davidson, besting national scoring leader and all-around cutie Stephen Curry. Aw.

The only downside was that for some reason, ESPN was doing an NBA/NCAA announcer trading thing that meant Dickie V was doing the NBA game, and Jeff Van Gundy (huh?) was doing the game at Cameron. I'm beginning to realize that the reason I can't stand the NBA isn't all the fault of the game. Some of the blame must be placed on the shoulders of their terrible, and terribly distracting, announcing.

In other news, major flooding in our neck of the woods, but I'm fine. Campus closed early. We'll see if I have to go to work tomorrow. (Please, no!)

Romance

2009-01-02T09:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, DQ asked me how I met Spouse.

Quinn: "We lived in the same building at college."

DQ: "But how did you meet?"

Quinn: "Well, that was our second year of college. I hadn't met him our first year, but I met [Flyboy]. He was in one of my classes. So the next year, when Daddy and [Flyboy] were living together, I went to see [Flyboy] and I met Daddy."

DQ: "Why didn't you just marry [Flyboy]?"

This makes the holidays for me...

2008-12-22T19:13:00.000-08:00

Protest -- you're doing it wrong.

2008-12-12T13:44:00.000-08:00

College was recently targeted by the charming folks at the Westb0r0 Baptist Church for a play our drama dept was putting on (with HOMOSEXUAL! THEMES! GASP!) They planned to picket. We planned a counter-demonstration. There was drama. It was exciting.

I was either sick or nursing other sick family members, so I didn't get to see the end result. But when I asked a colleague, he said only one person showed up to protest. He covered his face and very meekly carried a sign reading, "Gays are Queer."

Wow, he sure told us!

At the end of the term (an update)

2008-12-09T06:28:00.000-08:00

For those of you who have expressed concern, I'm surviving quite nicely. Actually, very happy and very energetic(!). And I'm giving finals this week, so I'm swamped with the world around me.

Besides work and a very active almost-4-year-old (and the almost-6-year-old keeps me on my toes, too), a couple of other things are distracting me from blogging: Facebook (addicted!) and the beginnings of basketball season. I will be back. Probably not as frequently, but from time to time. This format suits my needs in ways that facebook does not, so I promise I am not totally gone.

Happy December to y'all!!!

Am I still blogging?

2008-11-18T19:35:00.001-08:00

I haven't decided. But I do know that I want to wish K-lyn many happy returns on this glorious day.

What a difference a quadrennial makes

2008-11-06T18:22:00.000-08:00

Top five things overheard after election day:

I was the first one in the office Wednesday. When the other woman in my dept came in, she asked, "Where are the guys?" I responded, "They are probably hung over."

When one of the guys came in: "Good morning! I'm a little hung over."

(Actually in an email) "I just wanted to give credit where credit is due - I remember... when he was running for the senate. You called your shot then, saying that he could be the next president. I still won't believe until I hear a concession speech, but you saw it before anyone else. Great call - and I don't have to move to Costa Rica if this holds."

From one of my students: "If you heard fireworks last night, that was probably me."

"I feel so much lighter."

Top five things overheard four years ago (stolen from my previous blog):

"Is 9:30am too early to start drinking?"

"I wore my ass-kicking shoes today, and I'm looking for a fight."

"Oh for the days of Richard Nixon!"

"I haven't felt this bad since McGovern lost, and at least I knew he was going to lose."

... and my personal favorite...

"Well, I have to go lecture today on how a president can lie to his country to get involved in a war in Iraq... I mean Mexico."

Barack-o-lantern

2008-11-01T08:45:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a great Halloween! Don't forget to vote!

Late October

2008-10-27T18:11:00.001-07:00

I've got a bunch of random stuff to throw in here. This might as well be a "random bullets of" post.

I voted! It felt really good.
The foliage is magnificent this week. The commute has been lovely.
A couple of bumper sticker/roadside signs to report: "Jesus for President" (shall I point out why that is constitutionally impossible?); "McCane Reigns" (you spelled reign right, but misspelled the other part? WTF?)
My kids are back after a visit to their grandparents. I'll admit it. I missed them.
My spouse is back too. I missed him a LOT. (And not just 'cuz I'm reading those addictive, sexually frustrating -- and yet totally awesome -- Stephenie Meyer vampire books!)

Gravity

2008-10-20T21:21:00.000-07:00

Wild Boy: is the earth dizzy?
Drama Queen: why?
WB: because it's spinning all the time!
DQ: do you know what keeps us on earth even though we are sideways?
WB: what?
DQ: gravity!
WB: not me. i'm allergic to gravity. aaaahhhh (as he pretends to fly into the air...)

Never been to Pundit Kitchen?

2008-10-16T20:35:00.000-07:00

My child is Linus Caldwell

2008-10-09T16:23:00.000-07:00

The scene: WB comes galloping up to me, proudly brandishing the wallet he just pulled out of his father's back pocket.

Me (silently): Nice pull, kid.

My child is a Monty Python Skit

2008-10-06T06:20:00.000-07:00

The Scene: Wild Boy and I are getting ready for bed. He keeps refusing to admit that it is nighttime or that it is bedtime or that I will be leaving his room shortly.

Me: "I'm going now."
WB: "No, you're not."
Me: "Yes, I am."
WB: "No, you're not."
Me: "[WB], don't contradict me."
WB: "I'm not contradicting you."
Me (mustering patience and failing): "When you say the opposite of what I'm saying, you're contradicting me."
WB: "No, I'm not."

Tangled up in blue

2008-10-04T15:47:00.001-07:00

A sweater made for Baby W.

This blanket is eventually going to be for Wild Boy (so he claims). It is water waves, but will have a series of yellow ducks swimming in rows across the wide stripes (if I can figure that part out!)

As far as the knitting goes, I'm still working on my thneed. I missed Lesson #2 due to overwork/sickness, and I'll be missing this coming week's as well, due to department meetings.

It's been a while...

2008-10-02T21:54:00.000-07:00

But the greatest thing about fall is back: Peyton Manning commercials.

Occupational Hazard

2008-09-28T19:31:00.001-07:00

I really don't give a crap about Ancient Rome. There. I've said it.

Seeing Red

2008-09-27T17:13:00.000-07:00

Frustration at the politics and elections? Yes. Stressed about the start of the new school year and more time away from the family? A little (on the other hand, relieved to be back into using my brain and interacting with adults, quite frankly.) Solution: knitting lessons.

My college has a fairly active knitting community. I had my first lesson last week. I have "homework" to complete for this week. My new boss knits, and suggested I aim toward doing one of these:

Red Scarf Project

(He seems like a great guy. Good old Cascadian Hippie Knitter type.)

I'm working on putting up some pics of my recent crochet projects also. I finished a sweater for Baby W and am still truckin' away on the duckie blanket.

You Might Think

2008-09-25T20:36:00.001-07:00

So, yeah, I needed a little cheering up after the Anne of Green Gables: The New Butchering rant. And I found my bliss:

Three cheers for YouTube mash-ups!

Why Kevin Sullivan must be locked up

2008-09-24T06:52:00.000-07:00

He's coming out with a new Anne of Green Gables movie. Ok, so for those of you not in the know, this is the guy who did the wonderful Megan Follows version in the 1980s. The one that got me hooked when it was on PBS lo these many years ago.

And then he did a pretty lovely sequel a couple of years later. Sure, it deviated from the books, but it stayed true to the heart of the story and to the characters. So I was cool with it. (Even spent a relaxing few evenings at Julie's place watching it in her adjacent recliners, while eating flavored popcorn and hearing her dad say, "I know this is a chick movie and everything, but I really like it." So true.)

So, circa 1987, all is right in the world. Then, in 2000, Mr. Sullivan figures (I suppose) that he needs more money. So he decides to do a WWI epic with Anne. Great, I think! L.M. Montgomery's final Anne books talks about that very thing, seeing the war through the eyes of Anne's 14 year old daughter, Rilla. Would make a good film, I say.

Not so. Sullivan instead COMPLETELY messes with the timeframe, making Gilbert (oh, my beloved Gilbert!) go off to war and Anne, in a leap so far out of character I couldn't even fathom it, hunts all over France to find him and bring him home. Um, no. I watched it, but it was painful. And there was much grousing from the peanut gallery (K-lyn and the aforementioned Julie.)

And just when you think it couldn't get much worse, you ain't seen nothing yet: Sullivan is now in post-production (meaning: this travesty is already filmed) of ANOTHER "Anne of Green Gables" film, this time... oh, hell. My words won't do justice. Here's the plotpoints:

Gilbert's been killed overseas in World War II (HUH??? He'd be at least 75 when the war breaks out, in my estimation) so Anne returns in her head to the past to make peace with herself.
Anne was evidently mistaken (or lying?) about her parents, and her birth father was in fact alive??? (Um, she visited his damn grave in the books.)
She's played by Barbara Hershey, who is not a Canadian and is definitely not very Anne-ish.

In the ensuing emails between our little gang of Anne devotees, I offered, "as a Professional Historian (TM)," to write to Sullivan and mention the timeline problems. K suggested that I should expect a response along these lines:

Dear Professional Historian (TM),

Thank you so much for calling this to our attention. We were all smoking crack and have since sobered up enough to realize how right you are. To compensate you please accept this all expense paid trip for four to PEI to experience Anne's world and the works of LM Montgomery in a way that we can't mess up.

Sincerely,

Stupid Idiots with No Brains to Speak Of

J and K will of course accompany me on the trip. Final guest to be determined (maybe Julie's dad!)

Bumper Sticker Watch: Feline Edition

2008-09-21T09:41:00.000-07:00

"My significant other says MEOW"

I so wanted to pull up alongside this person and say, in my best Bruno Kirby impersonation, "You made a woman meow?"

Working in the Sticks

2008-09-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

My job is in a small town community, and the college feeds a larger rural community surrounding it. Which is kind of cool, as I have interaction with rural folks that I've never really had, being an urbanite or suburbanite my whole life.

Fun stuff: a flyer posted around campus with a picture of Fonzie. Caption: "Hay! Hay for sale, call xxx-xxxx." Besides that, there are at least occasional offers of free farm products: apples from peoples orchards, eggs from their chickens and geese, and even the occasional "Does anybody want a lamb shank this winter?"

Scary stuff: I'm talking about developing a team-teaching course with another instructor. He says the best way to plan this out would be if I came up to his place (WAY out of town), ride some horses, and then we do work. He just got 3 horses and is tremendously excited about them. I'm a little terrified of horses. Wish me luck.

I Hate Ike

2008-09-13T09:55:00.001-07:00

This is the email I got this morning from a good friend in Houston:

I hate Ike, but we're fine. I took in some other friends and dogs. Ike went right over us. 6am the back side hit hard; forced rain water through some windows and actually through my wooden front door--the door, not the edges of it. All under control, minor other damage. Little rain/wind now, but not going out yet. Still have electricty, a/c, tv, ec. --one of the only parts of the county with electricity. Water supply may be bad, but plenty of bottled water and alcohol. Buffalo Bayou that goes through downtown has overflowed its banks, NOT from rain, but from the tidal surge tht forced water back all the way from Galveston Bay into town. One of my best friends had a 60' pine tree go through his home. He's safe.

It was as bad as everyone said it would be, and I/we got damn lucky.

Just as a side note: Buffalo Bayou is about 50 miles from Galveston Bay. That's a hell of a surge.

Geez, I am so glad I moved.

Some sort of post commemorating Neel's Birthday

2008-09-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

I put this (with title) as a placeholder post on the 10th, when I sent dear friend PW her birthday greetings... her birthday's the 11th, but she understandably chooses to celebrate early or late.

And so now it is nearly the 13th, which is the birthday of another dear friend, of the same vintage as PW. We don't get to see him enough, but he might be the only person out there who could entice me to go to Vegas!

Happy birthday, Neel. May the force be with you!

Flippity Floppity

2008-09-07T18:47:00.001-07:00

Spouse, observing tonight's bath: "What are you doing with your peanut?"

WB, holding himself: "I'm making it go flippity floppity to see if any yellow water will come out."

In my own words

2008-09-07T12:11:00.000-07:00

I'm currently reading Kings or People: Power and the Mandate to Rule, by Reinhold Bendix, which is long and somewhat tedious, but has some very important stuff in it. As per my standard practice, I take notes on everything I read, putting the main ideas into my own words.

So when Bendix talks about the formation of Islamic empires, he traces it back to Mecca establishing itself as a holy space pre-Muhammad where no blood-feuds could be practiced. This "safe haven" label is what helped establish Mecca as a center for commerce in the Arabian world. Looking over my notes, I wrote, "Forbidding bloodshed makes Mecca a Mecca."

Bendix probably said it better, if not more concisely.

The Latest

2008-09-05T14:42:00.000-07:00

Please make a note that I am a lazy crocheter who does not check my gauge with a swatch before starting a project, despite being warned repeatedly that I should do so. I am also lazy enough to use the wrong sized hook if I can't find the correct hook but really want to start something.

Witness: DQ's back-to-school sweater.

It does not fit her. It almost fits me. Oh, well.

The Great Debate

2008-09-04T18:52:00.000-07:00

So, I'm not watching the RNC. It angers up the blood a bit too much. But my mailbox had all sorts of info on it today, and then there was this:

Baskin Robbins has a contest where you can vote for your preferred new ice cream flavor: Straight Talk Crunch or Whirl of Change. I guess I should thank my lucky stars that it wasn't Chocolate vs. Vanilla.

By the way, I will ALWAYS pick Chocolate in that matchup. Just like I prefer dark meat at Thanksgiving. Big surprise.

I Found It

2008-09-03T15:58:00.001-07:00

Thanks to all the commenters who suggested things to make me smile. I found something just right:

Michael Palin brings SexyBack!

A Terrible Horrible No-Good, Very Bad Day

2008-09-01T13:39:00.000-07:00

I'm in need of a pick-me-up. Anybody out there got a priceless YouTube or internet gem they want to share with me? I'll start the ball rolling with something Nate sent me last week: The Top 11 Naughtiest Moments in Animaniacs.

Gustav: How to Help

2008-08-31T21:06:00.000-07:00

Elle's got some links on how to help people evacuating Gustav. Please please please check it out and help if you can. I have fled a hurricane. And it freakin' sucks. I evacuated for Hurricane Rita in 2005. 3 weeks after Katrina, we were taking no chances. It was a horrible experience. Even if you have money, and family support, and a car, and a job that has allowed you to go. It still sucks.

And it's scary. Just not knowing what you will come to. So when I take a moment and think about all those people facing such a scary, difficult, even deadly undertaking without the sorts of privilege and resources that I had, I'm floored. So once again, give if you can.

Gustav

2008-08-31T08:23:00.000-07:00

To Miss M, the in-laws, and all the rest on the gulf coast, stay safe. We're thinking of you.

It's never too late to say, "Sorry, we were misogynist assholes"

2008-08-29T07:45:00.001-07:00

This story talks about the exoneration of one of the last witches executed in Europe. I take issue with the article's specifics ("several thousand"? Try tens of thousands... probably 40,000 to 100,000 at best scholarly estimate, but hey, what's a few thousand troublemaking women more or less? And "mostly women" should be "overwhelmingly women"), but I do appreciate their recognition that there was something wrong. Go Switzerland.

Four Long Years

2008-08-28T20:12:00.000-07:00

Four long years ago, I was sitting in a dorm room at the University of Minnesota. I was on a research trip, financed on a shoestring grant, for my dissertation. I spent 5 days at their Social Welfare collections, and five nights all alone (well, with WB in utero to keep me company), listening to my walkman with AM/FM radio. I found the local NPR station and followed the speeches at the Democratic Convention.

Four long years ago, knowing nothing about him and never having seen his face, I heard Barack Obama speak and thought, "That's the guy who should be president!"

We're close. Here's hoping.

What Quinn's reading

2008-08-23T13:02:00.000-07:00

What I should be reading:

The second half of Global Rift, which is amazing and mind-blowing, but is also daunting and huge. I did about 200 pages before I needed a break.

Silk and Religion. One of my big projects for the summer was learning more about China. Academically, it is a big weak spot of mine.

The Camel and the Wheel. I'm almost halfway through, I swear!

What I actually read:

Charity Girl. A fictionalization of female detention centers during World War I. Right up my professional alley. But not so captivating as a novel.

The Other Boleyn Girl. Ok, I'm weak. I like trashy historical fiction. And this is primo trashy historical fiction!

Llama Llama Mad at Mama! A great story of grocery store tantrums. Which is ironic, since we read it at the grocery store to appease my tantruming pre-schooler. (WB did not want to get rainboots, but really wanted to get a dinosaur.)

Happy Days Are Here Again

2008-08-20T09:51:00.000-07:00

Anybody got the summertime blues? Anybody need a little pick me up? I give you the solution to the world's ills: Neil Patrick Harris.

And while they don't allow embedding, check out his appearance as the shoe fairy on Sesame Street.

I mean, seriously, how can you be sad when this man exists? Even when he's not riding a unicorn, he is awesome. Despite his lack of interest in me or my kind, he's fast making his way toward the laminated list. He has definitely earned himself a "lusty wench" tag.

h/t APL for the Sesame Street link

Random Bullets of Olympic Dreams

2008-08-17T18:47:00.000-07:00

I'm in love. Not with Tunisian distance swimmer Oussama Mellouli as I briefly considered, but with a member of the women's US indoor volleyball team: Ogonna Nnamani. Stanford Grad in bio and chemistry, taking some time off before med school to spike it down your throat!!! She's wicked awesome.

My son wants to be Michael Phelps, but doesn't want to stick his face in the water.

On Friday night, chatting with the always intriguing Sco4tt (the 4 is silent), he told me his favorite sport was Modern Pentathlon. Invented by Coubertin (father of the modern games and topic of a previous post, who was most concerned in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War with France's, um, military shortcomings) this sport was to combine elements essential to a Frenchman's military success: pistol shooting, epee fencing, swimming, riding (equestrian show jumping) and cross-country running. I suggested adding in "faking a German accent."

Also from Friday night's convo, plus an email from the Divine Miss M: Ian Thorpe, Michael Phelps, or Matt Biondi?

We've found the ultimate sport my kids enjoy: Steelpechase. Run, jump over hurdle into puddle. Repeat.

Strange beverage commercials

2008-08-16T09:03:00.000-07:00

Ok, so as I obsessively watch the Olympics, I see commercials. Coca Cola and Budweiser, in particular. And these two are hi-larious! First up, Bud is totally kissing up to Americans and begging them to forgive them for being bought out by the Belgians.

But this Coke ad is even better.

What was the secret formula? Caffeine and cocaine. The drink originally sold as a headache remedy. Considered not appropriate for children. History is a funny thing. (Oh, and read A History of the World in Six Glasses for more on your favorite drinks. Fun read, and fun for interesting lecture factoids.)

This Just In

2008-08-16T08:56:00.000-07:00

The Wild Boy is playing trains as we speak and singing a medley of his own design: "Yellow Submarine" transitioning to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and straight into the Alphabet Song.

What the hell is wrong with NBC's gymnastics coverage?

2008-08-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I'll tell you:

1. Tim Daggett is being an ass. Not that I want someone who doesn't recognize the errors in a routine, but the man is just mean-spirited. It would help if he actually explained the differences between various difficulties of routines, instead of saying stuff like, "Well, that's not going to be good enough."

2. He needs a spoiler alert. Last night during the women's team competition, they cut away for some swimming, which is totally fine. When we came back, the guy says something like, "When we left China was up by a point. But at the balance beam, it all started going horribly wrong. Let's see what happened." Um, I think I can guess that someone fell off. Probably would have been more exciting if they had just showed the routine rather than giving it away.

3. I don't see why the US women should be so horrified with getting silver. The Chinese were a formidable team on their home turf with the home crowd. The US was injured. So why are the commentators acting like a building just fell on them? (This gets to the heart of what is wrong with the Olympics: jingoism and entitlement. The idea that America should win EVERYTHING. I much prefer Morgan Freeman's VISA commercial which states that we cheer for people not because of the country they come from, but because we are human and they are human. Damn right, Morgan!)

4. Do we really not need to see anything from the other teams? Was there no other performance that was particularly gripping and worthy of our attention? Instead, we get to see the Chinese and US warm up, get to see them chalk their hands, get to see them stand around and wait for scores. Get to see them march from apparatus to apparatus. C'mon: a vault takes 12 seconds. Show us a couple of those while we're waiting. Romania won the bronze. We saw a grand total of 1 of their performances.

On the other side: what is right?

Raj Bhavsar. I loves me some Indian Americans!

Tales of TA-ships

2008-08-12T15:55:00.000-07:00

My first semester in graduate school, I was thrown in the deep end. Working at a large commuter state school, receiving funding, I was put to work for Awesome Professor as a TA in the US survey class. There were 570 students and 3 TAs: me, Smelly Guy, and Creepy John. One thing that made Awesome Professor so Awesome is that he worked individually with me whenever I ran into trouble... and he required the three TAs to spread their office hours out over the week for maximum availability. Consequently, I didn't have to spend too much time with Smelly Guy or with Creepy John. In fact, it took me almost the entire term to learn why Creepy John was particularly creepy.

During the final exam, we were proctoring and collecting students' blue books, and Creepy John started to make small talk. It was common knowledge that I was traveling to India over the winter break for my first trip there. CJ asked where I was to travel, what I would be doing. As a young student with a pierced nose turned in her test, CJ asked me if I'd ever considered piercing my nose, suggesting I could get it done in India pretty easily. "No," I replied. When a tattooed student turned one in, he asked if I planned to get a tattoo while in India. "No."

"What about a toe ring?" Now, I had considered that. I had a fake one which I wore occasionally, and the thought of getting a permanent one was intriguing. At this admission, CJ perked up considerably.

Come to find out later on that CJ was notorious around the TA office for his interest in the feet, hair, and other extremities of the female TAs. He had offered to paint toe nails, to give foot massages, to brush hair (he repeatedly told me how lustrous my hair looked during the two semesters I spent preggers) for any of us.

Looking back, I wouldn't quite consider this a hostile work environment issue, mostly 'cuz we all openly laughed at him and his various fixations and he never had any real power over anyone.

But this gets at a very real situation in grad school: the women's protection grapevine. I was on both sides of it during my time at the University: being warned which professors to avoid ("He's a boob starer," "He's a butt pincher") and telling the newbies the same information. Most were harmless, although one woman did tell me never to meet with a particular prof with the door shut. Nor to wear skirts when I went to class with him. One young woman, when going over her schedule with two more senior grad students, was informed that she'd signed up for three classes in one term from known department pervs. "You've hit the dirty old man trifecta!" one woman told her.

I know this was not unique to my institution. And that's just sad.

On this day in history...

2008-08-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

1974: V was born.

2008: Quinn remembers it.

Foot Fetishes, TAs, and Animaniacs

2008-08-11T17:06:00.000-07:00

There are whole websites out there dedicated to the wisdom of Colin, aka, the Randy Beaman Kid. And this particular bit of storytelling is out of the 1993 Time Capsule and back in my life, because DQ and WB are watching "Animaniacs" on DVD. That is teh Awesome!

What's this got to do with TAs? I'll get to that next time. For now, I'm just living in the past and loving it. Goddess Bless Netflix!

Things my three year old shouts at restaurants

2008-08-10T09:25:00.000-07:00

"Mommy! Mommy! I went tee-tee standing up!"

Yes, please!

2008-08-08T10:42:00.000-07:00

DQ is registered to begin soccer in the fall. As such, I'm on the mailing list for the local youth soccer organization. And they sent me a very interesting email recently. The gist: they're hosting a soccer camp and tournament with their sister club in the UK. And they're looking for volunteers to host visiting soccer players and coaches from across the pond.

Do I have any space available?

ETA: for my loyal readers who fancy the ladies:

Bumper Sticker Watch

2008-08-06T13:49:00.001-07:00

In the parking lot of the post office: "Barack My World '08"

Uganda's Circumcision Song

2008-08-05T11:25:00.000-07:00

Flyboy sent me this, which is tremendous. A song to encourage men in Uganda to get circumcized to help deter the spread of HIV. It's got a good beat and you can dance to it.

Thanks, Flyboy!

Know Your Limits

2008-08-01T21:19:00.001-07:00

"Beethoven couldn't play clarinet for butt!" -- professional musician/skinny-legged Indian pre-med kid Nodden.

Stupid Historical Analysis Bullshit

2008-08-01T13:52:00.000-07:00

If you want your head to explode, read this article on fitness and the presidency:

I mean, really. BMI of presidents and candidates? I also love it how they picture Clinton and Obama in workout clothes (really? Pictured with a basketball?) but Bush is in his presnit suit. Where's the big-ass belt buckle and his brush-clearin' jeans?

Personally, I wouldn't trust someone who is only 5'7" to run the free world. Would you???

The Birkenstockmeister

2008-07-30T19:55:00.000-07:00

I had reason to visit the local Birkenstockmeister (seller of Birkenstocks) recently. I have a pair of sandals purchased on my honeymoon in Munich -- CHEAP! -- nine years ago and they've just about bitten the dust. Time for some new ones. And since I have no upcoming trip planned to the Fatherland, I must do my purchasing locally.

When I got there, the very nice hippie gentleman who waited on me showed me an identical pair to my old ones, priced at $80. OR, he said that he could refurbish my old Birkenstocks: recork, resole, whatever. And that would be $65. With the prices so similar, I asked him what the advantage to refurbishing would be. "Oh, well you could buy the new AND refurbish the old, and that way you'd have a pair just to kick around in."

Now, I may be Northwestern enough to have a good fleece, but do I really need "good" Birks and "kick-around" Birks?

Happy Working Song

2008-07-24T19:45:00.000-07:00

My daughter was informed yesterday that she absolutely must clean her room. After whining and griping for a while, wheedling her father and I to do it for her, she was finally left alone to do the job.

We come back a few minutes later to find her leaning out the window, singing. Hey, it worked for Giselle in Enchanted:

No rats, cockroaches, or pigeons assisted her. But eventually, her daddy did.

History Book Review: Take 2!

2008-07-22T16:01:00.001-07:00

Edward Said, Orientalism (1978)

We have two choices for my brief review of this week's book. (Does that mean I'm going to do one of these a week? Clearly, you haven't seen the monstrosity that is next week's reading.)

1. On the downside, this is a book I should have read 8 years ago. On the upside, the material has become so familiar that I felt like I'd already read it.

2. George W. Bush should read this. Oh, who am I kidding? George W. Bush should have someone ~~read~~ explain this to him.

I love legitimate theatre!

2008-07-18T19:34:00.001-07:00

We went from the Ridiculous to the Sublime.

Cruel Irony

2008-07-18T19:28:00.001-07:00

Spouse is working the night shift tonight, so I ordered takeout from the Happy Lucky Panda Garden for me and kids. After a lovely meal, we broke into fortune cookies. Mine read: "Romantic opportunities abound tonight."

You lie, fortune guy.

Today's Historical Book Review

2008-07-18T16:13:00.001-07:00

Eric Walther, William Lowndes Yances and The Coming of the Civil War (2006)

You ever go into reading a biography thinking, "This guy was kind of an asshole," and then when you finish the book, you think, "Wow, he was a MAJOR asshole!"? I have.

Family Reunion

2008-07-18T15:09:00.000-07:00

I mentioned to my friend E that the trip to Colorado was a family reunion, a visit with 23 total cousins (11 of which were under the age of 11). She asked if it was my side or Spouse's. Come now. Not even counting the Mormon branch of the family, who we very rarely even talk to, I don't have 23 cousins. So this was Spouse's fam.

A very good trip. It was nice that all the cousins got to see each other. And, you know, there's stuff to do in Colorado.

[picture removed]
The Wild Boy with his two compatriots, all enjoying Teddy Grahams. (Memories, ~n!)

Three 3-year-olds. Chaos reigned supreme, needless to say.

[picture removed]
DQ hanging with her older cousins.

Lots of time outdoors enjoying ourselves. Pony rides, hiking, rafting, pedal boats, barbeques, and for after the kids went to bed, a rousing game of 80s music trivia.

Pictures will be removed shortly. Enjoy for now.

An Ethical Dilemma

2008-07-12T19:09:00.001-07:00

Would purchasing songs by Amy Winehouse merely encourage her behavior, and would I therefore be morally culpable if I wanted "Rehab" on my ipod?

More Movie Loglines

2008-07-10T18:35:00.000-07:00

Not to be outdone (oh, who am I kidding? Of course I'll be outdone) by Neel, I present another round of Movie Loglines Quiz:

1. A lawyer develops an eating disorder in an effort to push away the demons that surround him.
Solved by Neel

2. A politician seeks the help of musically talented criminals to assure reelection.
Solved by Neel

3. A woman loves and leaves a bar owner for the prospects of a political marriage.
Solved by Neel

4. A secret society walks the line of criminal behavior and hedonistic depravity. Hijinks ensue.
Solved by Julie

5. A woman falls in love with her captor, to the point of defending him against attackers. (Multiple answers)
#1 Solved by Julie
#2 Solved by K-lyn

The Tudor Blanket

2008-07-09T08:44:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is a picture of the Tudor yarn blanket. And as a bonus treat, it is modeled by Baby A, the newest nephew we just visited last week.

Aww....

I'll Fly Away

2008-07-02T17:51:00.001-07:00

Heading out of town tomorrow. See you in a week! Thanks, everyone, who participated in the movie quiz.

Movie Loglines quiz

2008-07-01T07:36:00.001-07:00

As stolen from Neel. The basics: loglines are 1-2 sentence descriptions of a movie, like you'd see in a TV listings grid. But what if they presented a vague, warped, or odd description of the movie in question?

See if you can guess the following films:

1. A woman forsakes her religious order to join forces with a man on the run from the government.
Solved by K-lyn.

2. A king fears his daughter's romance with a man from another race will bring trouble to their kingdom. The girl's efforts to forward her romance bring her into contact with a rival to the throne.
Solved by Andy.

3. A damaged father desires to reunite with his son and train him in the family business. But the son has other ideas.
Solved by Andy.

4. A man seeks to save his community and redeem himself through a daring motorcycle stunt.
Solved by Neel.

5. A wartime profiteer finds a cheap source of labor among an exploited population.
Solved by Neel.

Summertime and the living's easy, part II

2008-06-29T09:05:00.000-07:00

Non-academic issue. Since I'm not teaching this summer, I also have lots of non-school-related projects to work on. First and foremost, it's late June, which means I have to turn on Wimbledon and take naps. It's like the law or something.

Although when Marat Safin is playing, I don't think I'll be napping too much. Go Big Sexy Russian Man!

Other projects:

Crochet. Finished the Tudor blanket (crocheted while watching the Tudors, coincidentally). Pictures to come.

Get back into a schedule of working out.

Read some fiction, dammit!

Overheard at Avenue Q

2008-06-27T08:01:00.000-07:00

Spouse and I attended Avenue Q recently. Great show. And even the intermission was entertaining... especially since we were eavesdropping on the conversation of the folks a row ahead of us.

1st Woman: "What's the street called on Sesame Street?"
2nd Woman: "Sesame Street."
1st Woman: "Yeah, but what's the street called."
2nd Woman: "Sesame Street."

(The Bad Idea Bears told me to blog this. YAY!)

Summertime and the living's easy

2008-06-26T07:52:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right. I survived academic year 1 at my new college. My first full-time gig. And now, as my reward, I'm not teaching this summer. I look forward to going days without driving my car or answering questions about due dates.

But I do have some projects to take care of over the break:

Plan out and build my first ever online course
Revisions to an article requested by the journal that wants to publish it (yay!)
My around-the-world-in-80-days reading list. I'll post when I find one particularly interesting. Currently: just finished Nathaniel's Nutmeg and am starting The Sacred Willow
Possibly put together another article for submission?

Great Transitions in iPod Shuffle Playlists, Part I

2008-06-25T07:48:00.000-07:00

The shift from Dar Williams, "Teen for God," to Prince, "The Pope" (opening line, "you don't understand, I ain't scared of you muthafuckas" works nicely right after Peacebranch Horse and Bible Camp).

Stay tuned. This might be a recurring series.

Happy Loving Day!

2008-06-12T19:02:00.001-07:00

As I get ready to celebrate my 9th anniversary (wow! 9 years!), I'm reminded of my friend E who got married on the day after my anniversary. Incorporated into the ceremony was a remembrance that not all people in this country have the right to marry, and a fervent hope that someday (SOON!) we all will have that right.

And today, June 12, 2008, is the fortieth anniversary of the Loving v. Virginia decision, which outlawed anti-miscegenation laws in this country.

We're moving in the right direction. Sometimes the progress seems slow, but we will get there. Oh, and if anybody knows how I might sneak into George Takei's upcoming nuptials, I so want to crash that!

The Last, Best Hope

2008-06-03T19:39:00.001-07:00

Thanks the gods that's over. (Well, I guess it's over.)

ps. The man has good taste in campaign music. Bruce and U2? I can handle that.

Random Bullets of Keeping it Together

2008-05-28T07:57:00.000-07:00

Two weeks left in the term. Geez, I hope I make it!

If I am asked, "why?" one more time, I'm gonna smack someone (probably myself). Yes, I realize I'm in the wrong line of work for this sentiment.

The ducklings have hatched!

Wednesday Whining. Perfect Timing.

The remake of the Thomas Crown Affair was really pretty good! (The original blows, by the way.) I couldn't sleep last night. It was a nice alternative.

Yay news (non-whiny). New baby cousin in the family. I'm working furiously on a blanket before we see them in July.

I need some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Sometimes, they're the only things that satisfy.

I'm here.

2008-05-12T18:55:00.000-07:00

I'm just a little burned out and overworked (grading, prepping for classes, etc.) and blogging has taken a backseat to sleeping and/or watching The Tudors on my Netflix queue.

Hopefully, I'll be back more often come summertime.

Hey, you know what?

2008-05-05T18:40:00.000-07:00

Sunshine is awesome.

Go Ducks Go!

2008-04-23T18:50:00.000-07:00

This might be the coolest thing ever:

In our neighborhood, we have a small duck pond, populated usually by about a dozen or fewer ducks. This pond is on the way to the kids' school, less than a half-mile from our house, and only about a block from the school. In fact, some of the ducks have wandered up toward the school to explore the little fenced-off wetland next door.

Well, for the past few weeks, we've spotted two particular ducks, a male and a female, who seemed to have taken up residence right outside the school's fence. They saunter around and don't seem overly concerned if you're walking near them. Pretty laid-back ducks.

At the end of last week, the kids were abuzz. Turns out, this duck couple has settled down and decided to nest. IN THE SCHOOL PLAYGROUND!!! They waddle around the playground while the kids are playing all around them. Totally unconcerned.

They've built their nest in the flower bed right below the window to DQ's classroom. There are at least 4 eggs in there already, and the mama duck was laying again this morning.

I think I'm more excited about this than the kids.

Little House

2008-04-22T17:57:00.000-07:00

I've been reading DQ Little House in the Big Woods, one chapter each night before bed. This is the first in the Laura Ingalls Wilder series, a book I adored as a child, and one that I got based on DQ's newfound interest in "the oldie days." She LOVES it, but I have to admit it raises a whole slew of questions that have involved very long, drawn-out discussions.

The gun discussion. Why does Pa have a gun and talk about it all the time, yet Mommy and Daddy don't have a gun and don't want us to play with guns? I answered this by comparing Pa's circumstances to our own. There are no bears and panthers out our door. So we don't need a gun. She bought that.

The spanking discussion. Why does Pa spank Laura when she does something wrong? Well, that's how some people punish kids, more commonly in the oldie days. But Mommy and Daddy don't do that.

The yellow curls/brown curls discussion. Why does everyone love Mary more? Oy! I had no recollection of how much the book went into this. I remember it somewhat from the TV series, but seriously, at age 5? Geez. I totally avoided this one, rather than get into beauty image (whiteness or the the like) conversation. "Some people like yellow hair and some people like brown hair. And some people like both." Whew!

The Sunday chapter. Why couldn't they do anything fun on Sunday? Well, that was a day to think about God (yeah, another can of worms there) and so some people in the oldie days didn't think you should do fun things on Sundays.

The "where does meat come from?" conversation. Luckily, we've already paved the way for this. But still, it was a bit of a startle to her to make the jump from pig running around the yard to bacon in the smokehouse. (Although, hey, cool balloon from the pig's bladder. 'Member that?) She seemed to take it well. She was most worried about whether they would eat the horses. No, I told her, they need the horses to drive the wagon.

I went ahead and ordered a copy of the boxed set for her, since she liked the first one so much. (As for the TV show and the constant threat of typhus/anthrax/scarlet fever that it brought up, we'll wait awhile.)

The Wild Boy Cooks

2008-04-15T18:18:00.000-07:00

Scene: WB playing in the bathtub, mixing cups of water back and forth, playing "kitchen."

WB: "Would you like some hot chocolate?"
Q: "Yes, please."
WB: "Ok, first I have to make it. Put in some chocolate, and some milk, and some salt, and some vinegar, and some sugar, and some sparkles. And then we put it in the oven to get all melty. It's done!"

Mmm....

ETA: Neel made the comparison to Elvis. Which reminds me...

WB's first Halloween.

Wildlife spotting

2008-04-13T16:53:00.000-07:00

The weather turned beautiful in the PNW this weekend, so we went hiking! The whole family went to a nature park and did some hiking this morning. Along the way, we saw a family of deer (mama, daddy, baby), about a dozen snakes, a woodpecker, and sundry other birds and insects.

And back home, we spotted a pair of this rare species:

The hunt is now on a for a pair of white mice, which Wild Boy desperately wants to track down and procure.

Back to History

2008-04-12T17:06:00.000-07:00

I haven't done much in the way of history blogging recently. In a lazy effort to correct that, I present the following review of Adam Hochschild's King Leopold's Ghost:

Holy crap, what an amazing book!

We now return you to your regularly unscheduled brief posts about crocheting, basketball, and funn things my kids say.

One Shining Moment

2008-04-07T21:51:00.000-07:00

I won my family's bracket contest, netting me $40. Not bad. Not bad at all. Almost makes up for losing to Neel in the college bracket.

The Wild Boy Performs Stand-up

2008-04-05T18:11:00.000-07:00

WB: "What do penguins eat for dinner?"
Q: "I don't know, what?"
WB: "Iceburgers! What do seals eat for dinner?"
Q: "I don't know, what?"
WB: "Fish! What do sharks eat for dinner?"
Q: "I don't know, what?"
WB: "People!"

How mean can I be?

2008-03-31T18:29:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the first day of the term. The day when I'll be going over expectations, assignments, and requirements with my classes.

It is also April Fool's Day. There is huge potential for me to be extremely mean. Any suggestions?

The Final Four

2008-03-30T20:37:00.001-07:00

Four number 1 seeds. Historic? Yes. Interesting? Not really.

I hate to say it, but I'm almost rooting for a UCLA/UNC final so I can see Love face off against Hansbrough.

I don't get it (aka I'm old)

2008-03-30T08:38:00.000-07:00

I recently rented Hairspray. I like the original Ricki Lake version, and I saw the Broadway version a couple of years ago, so I was intrigued to see how it would translate to film.

It was ok. But I had one major problem. This guy?

Neither cute enough, nor talented enough, to play Link. Compare him to Michael St. Gerard, who played Link in the 1988 version. Dude looked like Elvis. Seriously.

So I eventually looked up this "Zac Efron" character, and came to realize he's the star of Disney's High School Musical franchise, and therefore the hottest thing to hit 12 year olds since, well, the Coreys. I don't get it. Which means...

I'm old.

Arrrrr!!!

2008-03-25T21:35:00.000-07:00

When discussing the diversity (or lack thereof) of the student body at my new job, my girls reminded me that I have not just a Native American, but also a Pirate-American in my class rosters.

This raised some eyebrows, and so I had to explain (with the help of K-Lyn, who has also encountered this phenomenon) the pirate community in the PNW. Which led to this priceless exchange:

Quinn: "When is Talk like a Pirate Day?"
K-Lyn: "That one sneaks up on me."

Thanks to all my homegirls, who made Saturday night rock! And kept me out until 2am.

The Sweet Sixteen

2008-03-24T09:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I've resigned myself to the fact that Duke isn't in it. (Yeah, quite frankly, I'm not surprised.) But who's gonna walk away with the whole thing? In my infinite knowledge, I give you the Sweet Sixteen:

North Carolina. Yeah, they're good. If I didn't hate Hansbrough so much, I'd be ok with that.

Washington State. Go Pacific Northwest Bias! My Husky friends will hurt me for this, but I'd love to see them knock off UNC. (Not that it's actually going to happen....)

Louisville. Yeah, I guess they're good.

Tennessee. Gotta love Coach Pearl. I really like these guys, and I have them going to the final four, so go Vols! (Rob will be happy, Miss M. will be miserable.)

Kansas. Go turkeys! (that's what my daughter calls the Jayhawk.) I'm not actually cheering for them, but I admit the likelihood of them advancing.

Villanova. Well, I guess they DO deserve to be there! I was wrong.

Wisconsin. Shut up. You're eminently beatable. I really hope it happens.

Davidson: Hells, yes! I'd have a crush on Stephen Curry if it didn't make me feel like an old perv. Spouse is less bothered by age difference with his little crush on Stephen's Mom. Stephen's mom has got it going on.

Memphis. My overall pick to win it all.
Not going with my heart, but with my head on this one.

MSU. Not a fan of Izzo.

Stanford. I'd love to see these guys do well.

Texas. Hook'em Horns! I can cheer for these guys. One small problem: they're playing Stanford, where I almost went to school, and where I have some almost-PNW bias. Can't both of these teams win?

UCLA. K-Love is for real. Now that the Ducks and Singler are out, Oregon represent!

WKU. Knocking off UCLA? I don't see it happening. But then, I've been wrong before (many, many, many times.)

Xavier. Go!!!!

West Virginia. Sure, why not? I'd be happy with either of these teams advancing.

My brackets are, shall we say, flat busted. So I rejoice in the fact that some higher seeds (especially Davidson, even though I had them losing in the first round) are shaking things up.

The skirt (pre-blocking, so still a little lumpy)

2008-03-21T19:25:00.000-07:00

It's finished!

This Week's To-Do List

2008-03-18T17:42:00.000-07:00

1. ~~Grade finals.~~
2. ~~Calculate and report grades.~~
3. ~~Edits to encyclopedia articles.~~
4. Plan out History of Everything Part III course.
5. Watch a shitload of basketball. in progress... what a day!!!

Blogging takes a backseat. More later.

A Belated Honoring of President Washington

2008-03-17T17:52:00.000-07:00

Reviewing for the final, we discussed the various splits between the political parties in the eraly part of US History. I posed the question, "How could George Washington get away with having advisors like Jefferson and Hamilton from all over the political spectrum?"

Says Student J, "'Cause he's George Frickin' Washington, that's how."

I'm wondering how many times I'm going to get references to George F. Washington on the final.

Career Goals

2008-03-15T08:35:00.001-07:00

Friday was a teacher in-service day, so DQ and WB's school was closed. I still had to work, and Spouse is off cavorting with the boys this weekend, so I called up the grandparents to take the kids for a few hours. It's always fun to spend a day with the grandparents, since they dedicate their time so fully to entertaining (and perhaps spoiling) the kids. DQ notes this especially.

"Mommy, I want to be retired so that I can go to movies and go bowling anytime I want."

How Well Do You Know Your World?

2008-03-12T16:45:00.000-07:00

This Geography Quiz is super-addictive. I got to level 10... I'm betting SH can beat me!
Try it for yourselves.

Sidewalk Drawings

2008-03-09T21:56:00.000-07:00

Julian Beever does a little bit more advanced work than my kids with their sidewalk chalk.

Check out his stuff. It's phenomenal.

The Wild Boy Contemplates his Genitals

2008-03-06T17:47:00.000-08:00

While Daddy was giving WB a bath last night:

WB: "Daddy, my peanut won't go down."
Spouse: "What?"
WB: "See? My peanut is up and I want it to go down." (grabs penis to demonstrate)
Spouse: "Don't think about it, and it will go down."
WB, incredulously: "What?" Pokes at it a little.
Spouse: "You need to stop paying attention to it and it will go down."

Side comment: yeah, good luck with that.

I would say it, but why reinvent the wheel?

2008-03-04T20:16:00.001-08:00

WKW over at Shakesville says pretty much my thoughts on the matter:

Brett Favre: One seriously hot guy retires from the NFL