Link potpourri

For everyone freaking out about the name of the latest Apple product. Really, people? Menstrual products were the only thing you thought of when you heard the name?

"Humilitiation (the game) and J.D. Salinger." That is, elitist pride that comes with not having read a classic.

One of those "duh" papers that it's good someone actually did: Students who get FAFSA help are more likely to attend college. (Seriously, have you filled one out lately? Not easy.)

On the off chance you're interested, here's info on the quantitative seminar our department runs.

This novella is one of the most brutal stories I've ever read. It's also amazing and brilliant. You should read it.

Blizzard 2010, Take Two

We're snowed in, and it's fun to watch Nashville try and cope. Now, I fully understand that it snows here so infrequently that it doesn't make economic sense to keep a full set of plows on hand. I also understand that driving in the snow is a skill that takes practice, and most people here haven't had much opportunity to practice it. So I'm not laughing at the drivers. Nor am I laughing at those seriously impacted by the snow; there aren't enough beds for the homeless now, because some of the places have had to temporarily close since their volunteers can't get there.

But some of the choices people make leave me baffled. There was a woman crossing the street, glaring at the dirty piles of mush as she gingerly tried to avoid them. What, I wonder, made her think clogs were the right choice in footwear for today?

Then there were the parents who were letting their kids sled in the street. "It's OK, I'm watching the traffic," said the dad. This was said only a few blocks from Shelby Golf Course, where I anticipate most of East Nashville's children are at this moment.

I would have wondered at the mailman wearing shorts, except given my friends who have worked for the post office (N=1), this doesn't surprise me at all.

Flirt FAIL

IMG_7446
Originally uploaded by TheTurducken

So, apparently the secret to a good online dating site photo is kissy face.

Now, I don't have any photos of myself that would qualify. Nor do I have any photos of my friends in which they are making said face. And I started to wonder, is this a generational thing? The data for the article went up to age 31, and it doesn't report what percent of women are doing it at what ages. I went back to college photos, to sorority events, and none of us were doing it. Back in my day, we didn't have digital cameras, and we didn't take as many photos or show them to as many people. We didn't have any of this online social networking nonsense. We also had to walk uphill both ways to class, barefoot, in the snow. But I digress ... We settled for doing the basic sorority pose most of the time. You know .... slight turn to the side, slight bend forward, hands just above your knees or on the girl in front of you, and biiiiiiigggg smile!

So, in the name of scientific research, I decided to see if I could do it. If millions of teenagers on MySpace can do it, how hard can it be? I forewent the recommended cleavage, not having time for an augmentation tonight.

Results? First, I should not take up acting or modeling, although I may be able to play Derek Zoolander in a community theater production if they're hard up. Second, I don't know what I was expecting. I can't take a good self-portrait, even though I can take good photos and pose well for others. (I will also blame this on my generation.) Third - no. I can't do it. At all. You can see the awful results here. I look ... afflicted may be the word I am looking for, although I also considered mentally subnormal.

I guess Teh Menz of Teh Intertubes will never know what they are missing. And without cleavage or kissyface, I will be SINGLE FOREVER!

Excuse me, I have to go adopt several cats.

Publishing a book

Here, go depress yourself.

Pseudonyms

One little detail about my dissertation I've been working on is pseudonyms for the colleges I'm studying. It shouldn't be this difficult, but I had to reject any number of schema. Numbers or letters implied hierarchy among the three. Colors carry too many connotations. It's hard to find common last names that aren't in use already (Smith, Jones, Brown - all taken). First names don't sound dignified ("Fred College"). Many things were just too whimsical.

So I've finally settled on tree names. Common trees sound rather dignified, have positive associations, and can't be readily rank-ordered. There are a few schools with "Elm" or "Oak" in their names, so I'm excluding those. Pine College, Maple College, and Birch College - I think I'm set.