What Did You Call It? - New York Times

What Did You Call It? - New York Times: "Another view was offered by John H. McWhorter, a linguist and a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, who pointed out that the women associated with introducing the word — Ms. Winfrey, the Miranda Bailey character on "Grey’s Anatomy" — are middle-age African-Americans. "The reason that vajayjay has caught on, I think, is because there is a black — Southern especially — naming tradition, which is to have names like Ray Ray and Boo Boo and things like that," Dr. McWhorter said. "It sounds warm and familiar and it almost makes the vagina feel like a little cartoon character with eyes that walks around."" Um, WHAT? (I was fine with the term vajayjay until I read that last sentence.)

Coming Soon: ‘Law School Nation’? - New York Times

Coming Soon: ‘Law School Nation’? - New York Times: "YALE LAW SCHOOL has graduated some of the nation’s most prominent public figures, among them Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr., and Michael B. Mukasey, the nominee for United States attorney general. In January, a new alumna will grace their ranks, one whose attempted suicide, drug use, self-mutilation and indiscriminate sex have made her famous. That would be Elizabeth Wurtzel, the author of "Prozac Nation: Young and Depressed in America" and "More, Now, Again: A Memoir of Addiction." Once dubbed by Salon.com "the Suzanne Somers of literary letters," she is now completing her transition from woman behaving badly to doctor of jurisprudence."

But really, Dethpakt has a better ring to it:

Reading Room - Sunday Book Review - New York Times Blog: The illustrious Dr. Baker points out that the New York Times currently has its own online club reading the new translation of War and Peace.

Broadsheet: Women's Articles, Women's Stories, Women's Blog - Salon.com

Broadsheet: Women's Articles, Women's Stories, Women's Blog - Salon.com: "Even in the storm of controversy and opinion, Northrup's New Age gloss on the disease seems particularly egregious. On her Web site's page devoted to hypothyroidism, following a more medical definition of the disease, she writes: In many women thyroid dysfunction develops because of an energy blockage in the throat region, the result of a lifetime of 'swallowing' words one is aching to say. In the name of preserving harmony, or because these women have learned to live as relatively helpless members of their families or social groups, they have learned to stifle their self-expression. These women may, in fact, have struggled to have their say, only to discover that it doesn't make any difference -- because in their closest relationships they have been defined as insignificant. In order for this complex, entangled state of affairs to be resolved, a woman might need to take not only supplemental progesterone and thyroid hormone, but also an unblinking look at what parts of her life and interpersonal relationships need to change." Oh, for fuck's sake!

Dostoevsky's Demons Dethpakt

Last spring, some friends of mine held an online book club of sorts for the reading of Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow. It was known as the Gravity's Rainbow Death Pact.

Recently discussion arose about having another such reading event, and I proposed that a suitable book might be Demons by Fyodor Dostoevsy (also translated as The Possessed and The Devils). I mentioned this work because it has occupied a place on my shelves for several year and thus far has resisted my attempts to read it. I have read and enjoyed all of Dostoevsky's other major works and would like to complete the list.

I initially became interested in Demons after seeing the amazing documentary The Stone Reader. I actually met the subject of that film, Dow Mossman, and talked with him about what he'd been reading, and this is one of the things he recommended.

Dethpakt II officially kicks off on November 1st. For the rules, such as they are, see the link about the original and substitute Demons for Gravity's Rainbow in your reading of it. We also have a Flickr group, and a list of participants and their blogs (for commiseration) will be posted somewhere.

Papelbon marionette

My pumpkin let me show u it

The Onion on the Sox

Red Sox Attempt To Break Fabled 'Curse Of Relief Pitcher Curtis Leskanic' | The Onion - America's Finest News Source: "The Boston Red Sox, who have failed to win a single World Series since the departure of relief pitcher Curtis Leskanic in 2004, are attempting to defy the odds and do the impossible: reverse the curse of the journeyman reliever whose ghost has haunted this team since the mid-2000s."

Terry Francona Announces Josh Beckett Will Start Games 1, 4, 7, 2, 6, 3, 5 | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

Now It’s Nobody’s Secret - New York Times

Now It’s Nobody’s Secret - New York Times: "Ms. Mitro of Victoria’s Secret recalls that in the late ’90s, when younger shoppers began wearing panties or thongs that peeked above the tops of their jeans, she couldn’t believe they actually wanted their underwear to show. The company responded with styles that were decorated at the rear with flowers, ruffles and Swarovski crystals. "Suddenly," she said, "what was on the back of a panty became an important part of our design concept." Other lingerie makers have been quick to come on board. "We’re not focusing so much on hidden detail," said Franceska Luther, the creative director of Myla, an upscale British brand, "but tending instead to do a lot of frills and bows. I’m definitely creating products that allow for more exposure."" NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Listen, people, it's called underwear because it goes under what you wear!

Zombies in Plain English

From Common Craft comes the latest in the series of "In Plain English" videos - just in time for Halloween:

Sean O'Hagan: Wear your heart on your sleeves

Sean O'Hagan: Wear your heart on your sleeves | Review | The Observer: "In the days before iTunes, when you wanted to impress a girl you lovingly put together a compilation tape from your LPs. Now - thanks to the wondrous choice of digital music - mix tapes and vinyl are dying out. But is some of the mystery and meaning of music also disappearing?"

I was never any good at making mix tapes, but I do still have one that a boy gave me the summer I was sixteen. It's long since become unplayable, but I hang onto it for sentimental reasons, despite my usual lack of sentiment attached to physical objects.

ESPN - Arrested Red Sox fans get homework as sentence - MLB

ESPN - Arrested Red Sox fans get homework as sentence - MLB: "Seven rowdy Red Sox fans have a homework assignment, and it has nothing to do with baseball. A judge has ordered them to write a five-page essay explaining what they have learned from their experience of being arrested after the Red Sox won the American League Championship Series on Sunday night."

ESPN - Attack on Web site shuts down Rockies tix sale - MLB

ESPN - Attack on Web site shuts down Rockies tix sale - MLB: "About 20 people had lined up in near-freezing temperatures outside the Denver Public Library before it opened in hopes of using public-access computers to score tickets."

The OED on "crunk"

Inside College Sports' Biggest Money Machine - WSJ.com

Inside College Sports' Biggest Money Machine - WSJ.com: "At $109,382,222 for the current year, Ohio State's athletic budget is the largest in the nation and the biggest in the history of college sports. It allows the school to field 36 varsity teams in everything from baseball and soccer to riflery and synchronized swimming. The school spends about $110,000 on each of its 980 athletes, which is triple the amount the university spends per undergraduate on education."

A vision of students today

I somehow missed this YouTube video from Michael Wesch, but it really captures a lot of what I've been thinking about lately as far as the challenges of my job. Maybe later I'll write more about what I've been thinking.

There's also a transcript of the film.

Terry Francona Sends Eric Gagne Down To Made-Up Triple-A Team |

Terry Francona Sends Eric Gagne Down To Made-Up Triple-A Team | The Onion - America's Finest News Source: "CLEVELAND—Following Eric Gagne's 11th inning meltdown in Game 2 of the ALCS, Red Sox manager Terry Francona informed the reliever that he was being temporarily demoted to the 'Appleton Red Wolves,' a completely fabricated Triple-A team that, unbeknownst to Gagne, Francona made up right on the spot. "

Red Sox win Game 5 | Salon

Red Sox win Game 5 | Salon: "That ends by far the longest, most stable and most successful managerial era of the Steinbrenner era for the Yankees, and it probably would have totally overshadowed the ALCS if the Red Sox hadn't been playing. As it is, ESPN is playing it cool, though it has commissioned Philip Glass to write an opera about Torre's contract negotiation that will debut Sunday afternoon."

The Smart Set: The Handbag - October 17, 2007

The Smart Set: The Handbag - October 17, 2007: "If one thinks anthropologically, handbags may be a vestigial expression of women’s biological desire to nest. We need to feel that all the necessities of life are immediately within reach — and these necessities have increased in number as civilization has grown more complex. By the same token, the handbag may only be a shrewd invention on the part of patriarchy to keep women enslaved. The dead white male who invented it knew that it was an accessory that we wouldn’t be able to resist."

Elephant Hamper

Elephant Hamper - I could use a new hamper. Isn't this cute?

Cleveland Midge Mask

Cleveland Midge Mask: Props to Cleveland for this, but my Sox are made of tougher stuff than the Yanks!

Matsuzaka workout day interview

The Official Site of The Boston Red Sox: News: Boston Red Sox News: "I was wondering if you saw the swarm of bugs that attacked here in the last series, what were your impressions of that, and is there anything you can do to prepare for something crazy like that?
DAISUKE MATSUZAKA: I did bring along some bug spray (laughter). "

The World’s Biggest Stash? at Mochimochi Blog

The World’s Biggest Stash? at Mochimochi Blog This is truly impressive.

Right Brain v Left Brain | Herald Sun

Right Brain v Left Brain | Herald Sun This is wacky. At first I see her going counter-clockwise, but if I shut my eyes and open them again she's going clockwise. I can't seem to get her to go back the other way. Does this mean I start out left-brained and switch to right? Or is this all malarkey?

Cute Overload! breaks teh intarwebs once and for all

Cute Overload! :) Now that I've seen this, I'm pretty sure the internet is over.

Just One More Before Bedtime! - New York Times

Just One More Before Bedtime! - New York Times: I'm hardly a Luddite, and I'm far from blameless when it comes to following celebrity gossip, but this article really makes me want to go live off the grid somewhere.

No, no, it's not OK.

Yes, There Is Crying in Baseball (and It’s O.K.): 'And her Torre tears created a bookend to the Yankees’ ultimately disappointing season. On May 6, she went far over the top in describing the scene at Yankee Stadium when Roger Clemens announced his return. In a more extreme version of her Game 4 lamentation, she shouted that afternoon with untrammelled joy: "Roger Clemens is in George’s box and Roger Clemens is comin’ back. Oh my goodness gracious, of all the dramatic things — of all the dramatic things I’ve ever seen, Roger Clemens is standing right in George Steinbrenner’s box announcing he is back."'

WCBS NEWSRADIO 880 - Roger Clemens is BACK!

Which spectator sport is best for the environment? - By Brendan I. Koerner - Slate Magazine

Which spectator sport is best for the environment? - By Brendan I. Koerner - Slate Magazine: "Antiquated Fenway Park in Boston is arguably one of the most eco-friendly stadiums in the nation, because of the fact that parking is so scarce and most fans must take public transportation. That gives it a big leg-up on modern counterparts that claim to be green, whether by virtue of their solar-powered LED boards or their cup-and-bottle recycling programs. But cutting down on automobiles, of course, is easier said than done, especially in cities with less developed public-transportation options than Boston."

I might quibble with the MBTA being called "developed."

Thank-You Note Enters College Admission Game - New York Times

Thank-You Note Enters College Admission Game - New York Times: "There are even thank-you notes that are less than thankful, like the one from a young man who announced he had visited Lehigh under parental duress and begged to be rejected. "He said, ‘My parents don’t know I’m sending this letter,’" said J. Leon Washington, the dean of admissions and financial aid."

What is wrong with us?

Photoshop Of Horrors: Faking Fitness? Really, It's Time To Stop With The Photoshop - Jezebel: Self magazine photoshops its models to look "bigger, healthier."

Meanwhile, the NY Times wonders, "Is the 'Mom Job' Really Necessary?" I would say, emphatically, no.

Halloween decorations

Lately, a lot of people in my apartment complex have been decorating their doors for Halloween. I decided to join in the fun, but I was bored with store-bought skeletons. This was the result.

Jonathan Papelbon has dancing skillz

Thanks to Sheila for passing along the link. I don't have a TV so I didn't get to see this back when the Red Sox clinched. Ah, YouTube, how I love you.

LibX USA Toolbar for Firefox and Internet Explorer

LibX USA Toolbar for Firefox and Internet Explorer: I was delighted to learn earlier this week that there is now a LibX toolbar for Internet Explorer. I had been playing around with a Firefox version for University of South Alabama, and over the last day or so I've spent some time tweaking it to add more features. I also created this documentation page for our version of the toolbar, LibX USA.

Since You Asked, by Cary Tennis: My sister is a famous designer and I'm jealous | Salon Life

Since You Asked, by Cary Tennis: My sister is a famous designer and I'm jealous

I don't have a sister, but I liked this snippet of the response:

I love myself because I have to. I love myself because suicide is not an option. I love myself because other people love me and I've got no right. So I love myself immoderately and without delay. I love myself without recompense, without reason, without state sponsorship or licensing, without writing a proposal first or getting a grant, without getting dressed up first and taking a shower, without calling ahead to find out what time I should love myself, without buying a bottle of wine and some flowers first, without shining my shoes and clipping my nails. I love myself because of you. I love myself because there are people like you and me all over the world beating ourselves up because our sisters made more money, because our sisters are more perfect, because everybody loves our sister better. Jesus, woman! Love yourself! Take the afternoon off. Pick up something you've made that you love and admire it. Spend all day admiring it. Don't criticize it. Don't pick it apart. You made it. You are a creative person. You don't control the market. You don't even control your creativity. It's a gift. Take care of it.

Wetlands on campus

Now that it is cooler here in Mobile, I'm starting to explore my surroundings. These are some wetlands across the street from the library. In this picture, I am facing towards the library, which is the glass building.

It is very disconcerting to me that it is October and the temperatures are now down to the mid-80s.

Bibilomu-u-u-u-las!

BBC NEWS | Venezuela's four-legged mobile libraries:

"The idea of loading mules with books and taking them into the mountain villages was started by the University of Momboy, a small institution that prides itself on its community-based initiatives and on doing far more than universities in Venezuela are required to do by law...

..."Bibilomu-u-u-u-las," they shouted as the bags of books were unstrapped. They dived in eagerly, keen to grab the best titles and within minutes were being read to by Christina and Juana, two of the project leaders.

"Spreading the joy of reading is our main aim," Christina Vieras told me...

... As the project grows, it is using the latest technology. Somehow there is already a limited mobile phone signal here, so the organisers are taking advantage of that and equipping the mules with laptops and projectors."

Holy Cow! A Bookcase!

Holy Cow! A Bookcase! This bookshelf is adorable.

Nerdy knitting: daleks

I've never actually seen an episode of Doctor Who, but I do know what Daleks are. A while back I showed some friends my nomination for the ugliest sweater pattern ever, and one commented that it made her think of Dalek. Ever since then I've liked the idea of knitting a Dalek.

Naturally, someone else on the internet has already thought of this. First there was the crocheted Dalek shaving cream cozy.

And here is the EXTERMIKNIT! Dalek knitting pattern.

Let the final words on the subject come from the lovely SparkleJ: "If you knit a dalek, you should make a little blobby-squiddy guy to hide inside. Ooh-ooh! If you want to score big geek points, you should get a little voice recorder so it can say EXTERMINATE! That would be cool! Or so uncool that it becomes cool... I can never tell the difference."

Papelbon on Beckett

Boston Red Sox - Deal turned up an ace - The Boston Globe: "'He's trying to grow up. Put him in this locker room with a lot of respectable intellectual people like myself and he changes. I think he's benefited by sitting next to me all year. That's why we got him in this locker room. If I can help him in any way I can, then that's what I'm going to do.'"

This makes me almost as happy as the NESN segment early in the season in which they put a wire on Papelbon and recorded batting practice. The resulting segment showed Papelbon and Beckett going to Terry Francona to mediate a dispute about whether you can use a word in a sentence if you don't know how to spell it. (The word, used by Beckett, was emphatically - but don't ask him to spell it.)

New website design

I have updated my website, knowltonian.net. You might say the following Foxtrot cartoon (from Sept. 22, 2006) was my inspiration:

I am also going to try to update this blog with the stuff that I always mean to email to people. We'll see how that goes.