Witch bumming over time

Prove any historical argument!

For relational graph of witches, angry mobs, and witch burnings over time, see The Tomog.

Important data

Important topic and discussion

Sometimes me and CC run out of things to say to each other, but I still want to talk to her, so I try to facilitate a good discussion on a new topic. Like the other night when we were in the grocery store:

Me: CC, there is something that I want to ask you.
CC: What?
Me: Do you think that crabs would do a good job if they were in charge of running a grocery store, instead of people being in charge?
CC: Yes.
Me: How do you think it would be different?
CC: Everything would be really low to the ground.
Me: Yeah, all the food would have to be on the floor.
CC: Mmm.
Me: Wow, and I bet there would be a lot of sand around.
CC: Yeah.
Me: No, I bet the whole floor would be made of sand! And the food would have to be displayed on the sand, so that the crabs could move it around. There would be wet sand everywhere when you walked in. I wonder if they would not be able to display as much merchandise as they do now? Maybe they would use little hand trucks to move the food, but move them with their claws?
CC: YSA? I love to talk to you about this very important topic, but I am very tired right now. Could we talk about this later?
Me: Sure, CC!

But you know what? It has been two days and we have not returned to this topic. What is that about? Do you think she doesn't really think it's important?

Hurray for green building

I spent yesterday working with my dear buddy from high school at her construction firm, New Frameworks, on a hay bale house they are doing near Albany, NY.
I had the most fun, ever, and hurray for green building. Hay bale insulation is 2-3 times more energy efficient than standard insulation! I learned all about plastering and got a lime burn on my finger. And we went swimming in a pond, camped out in a field, and ate at a diner.(Pictures: Us in front of the house, a (plaster-over-hay bales )wall and corner that I worked on and my awesome buddy then fixed, see how smooth it got?)

The Beautiful Dream

I used to think it would be a romantic adventure to immigrate to Canada. But now I do not think that, as the National Bird of Canada hisses away into the moonless night.

But I did not have to go on Canadian reality TV to find an apartment at least, because the landlords of the place I really liked said I could rent it.

We will not disarm

I was really sad to roll out of bed this morning, after the exciting missle tests yesterday, only to find out that some world leaders have called our missle program "dangerous" and "reckless." We will not disarm, because our missles are for defense in the first place, and it would not have made any sense to go to the trouble of testing them in the first place if we were going to disarm. (The U.S. should disarm first, then we will disarm. The U.S. has nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons!)

But if we were going to disarm, we would have a list of demands that are now on The Tomog and that include one hundred million dollars, Food Aid, Dissertation Aid, and Cooking Aid. Please refer to the Tomog.

Do not try to capture us. We have at least two missles. Refer to pictures.

Also, I feel like just because CC also does not support our missle program and our P.O. box, though that is sad, we certainly are not going to disarm because of that. I will just stop telling her about it.

We Successfully Tested Some Missles (Two Kinds of Missels) That Are For Defensive Purposes Only

Dear World, this blog announces, jointly with the Tomog, the successful test launch of two kinds of missles developed jointly by the Tomog and this blog.

These missles are for defensive purposes only. They go very far and can cause enormous destruction, and one kind is really huge, while the other kind makes a lot of fire. Both kinds are very dangerous. We announce that we have developed these missles for defensive purposes, in the course of normal military operations. We have missles and we are psyched about them, but they are for defense only.

Upcoming announcement

Please tune in to the Tomog for an important announcement that will affect world security.

Television apartment budget makeover show

So this epic apartment search weekend last weekend: I saw 12 different apartments and found only one I liked, but that landlord did not call me back. I grew miserable. Maybe I should just hire a flipping broker, I thought.

I called a real estate agent. But she told me that she didn't work as a broker, but that if I wanted a broker, perhaps I'd be interested in appearing on a reality TV show? They were casting, she said, and they acted just like a broker, but for free. She had already told them about me, she said, and they wanted to have me on the show.

The show is "For Rent" and is about people searching for apartments. Show employees act like free brokers for you, setting up as many apartments as you want to view. And you are on TV doing this. Then, when they find you an apartment, a "team of experts" led by a "TV personality and real estate expert" do a budget makeover of your new apartment.

I called the show. They wanted me to drive up for a screen test.

I told a lot of people about this, thinking they would laugh, har har! But as a rule, they all got all excited about how "lucky" I was to be able to be on this show. Even the academic I know who has published on how reality TV insidiously promotes the "fun" of people working for free (the people on the show don't get paid) and of living under video surveillance--even she was like, "Man, you have got to go on the show!"

All except my Mom. She did not think it was a good idea.

Looking for apartment

Last weekend I was searching for an apartment. I saw the following ad:

$675 2nd Floor Bachelor with Skylight/Just minutes to The Beach

This bachelor has high ceilings,a very large skylight,a four piece bathroom with a large bathtub...a full kitchen...laundry facilities on site and parking included in rent....Just minutes to the Beaches and minutes by street car to downtown.For further info please call...

I was like, well, I'm looking for a 1 bedroom (a "bachelor" is a studio). But it's cheap, and near the beach, maybe it's nice. And I was in the neighborhood. So I biked by. The guy took me upstairs to see the apartment, and--

See in the ad where it says "a very large skylight"? What the ad doesn't say is that that's all the apartment has. It has no windows. Just a very large skylight!

Why do people put the most wretched-looking pictures of apartments on craigslist when they are the landlords trying to rent them? And why, as I see more and more crappy places, do these pictures start to look good to me. (See figures--live in Dracula's castle, enjoy relaxing in a claw-foot, antique bathtub next to a pile of laundry, in a stark, dim, empty room!)

Pity Party

I am sorry that I have not posted. I have not really been working on my diss. I just feel so bad about it! I feel bad, baaaad about it.

But the time is ticking away. If I don't file it soon, I'll not be able to take the post doc. Which means having no money. I don't think academias' all that great, and my diss is a diss-aster, and I don't want to teach, etc.. But I need money. I need to buy some pants, by God. And some burritos.

So I have to work on it. And therefore, I have to post. Post till its done! Yay!

JM said working on her diss is like having her own private Iraq. Which is kind of how I have felt lately. Not to blow things out of proportion too much.

Pun to sum up everyone's life

Diss-aster!