Pop Quiz

The following is an excerpt from Jimmy Carter's 1976 DNC Address.

At a time like this, scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed. O! had I the ability, and could I reach the nation’s ear, I would, to-day, pour out a fiery stream of biting ridicule, blasting reproach, withering sarcasm, and stern rebuke. For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake. The feeling of the nation must be quickened; the conscience of the nation must be roused; the propriety of the nation must be startled; the hypocrisy of the nation must be exposed; and its crimes against God and man must be proclaimed and denounced.

True or false?

Celebrity Look-a-like

Remember my list of celebrity comparisons from way back? A couple days back, someone told me I look like Evel Dick from Big Brother 8. Don't look at me; I didn't come up with the spelling. Oddly enough, this is the 3rd time I've heard this very comparison. During the initial run of Big Brother 9--a show I never watch--my sister commented that I look, and act, like Evel Dick. A few months later, an employee at a Petsmart came up to me and said, "Do you know you look just like Evel Dick? I thought you were really him for a while."

Sure beats that Yanni comparison I received. Frakkin' Yanni? I just don't get it.

Overload

Today is one of those really overwhelming media days that comes along every once in a great while. Battlestar Galactica concludes its run as a series, The Clone Wars ends its first season (and has been surprisingly good), and Dollhouse presents an episode that is being reviewed widely as Joss Whedon's return to form.* All the shows overlap, of course, and that means I had to do a quick reprogram of the DVR to record Clone Wars tomorrow AM. I'll watch it live, but the DVR can only handle two recordings at a time ::shakes fist at Mediacom technology Gods & Goddesses::). I'm dreading the end of BSG; it will not end on a happy note. With the exception of Starbuck, I'm predicting death for most of the major players. At the very least, Adama & Tigh will go down with their ship in a blaze of glory.

To top it all off, Metric released a streaming version of their new album yesterday and I just can't seem to find enough time to listen to it again, and again, and again, and again. I've contacted the Universe about adding two hours to each day but have yet to hear anything back.

*About six episodes too late. Dollhouse ratings haven't been all that stellar, although the series did see a gain last week and sees even more gains when time shifting numbers (DVR) are factored into the occasion. If forced to make a prediction, my guess is that FOX doesn't renew the show for next season. Could someone get the Sci Fi channel, er, SyFy Channel on the phone? Whedon's work never really takes off until the mythology is established, usually about half way through the 1st season. FOX never seems to get this until too late (like when Whedon's shows generate significant $$$$ via DVD sales).

Conversation Realities

T: The sorority Barbies next door just picked up a chihuahua to go with their collective ensemble. And they're partying it up on their back deck....the place is rank with cigarette smoke.

Me: Well, a chihuahua goes with everything.

T: That's what I hear.

Have Fun Storming the Castle

Just a reminder to all you Captain Mal/Caleb/Captain Hummer fans that Nathan Fillion returns to network television tonight with his shiny new series, Castle. Most of the dozen or so reviews I've read this morning seem to be of similar mind: while the acting is reportedly good, the series concept--murder mystery writer becomes police consultant--is worn out. I'm not a huge fan of the murder mystery genre but I'm going to give the series a chance based solely on Nathan Fillion. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised, right?

Gallimaufry

Aging with the President. I was washing my hands in a restroom a couple days back when I looked at myself in the mirror and realized that my hair is now noticeably gray. The fact that I'm going gray is not big news--I've had gray hair sprouting from my lid since my mid 20s. What's different, however, is that the grays are starting to gather in noticeable clumps. In fact, I'm starting to look a little like Mr. Fantastic. And Rogue.

RIP RMN. When I lived in Denver, the Rocky Mountain News was my newspaper of choice. Sad to see it go. Is there any hope for the newspaper industry in the digital age? Maybe.

New music on the horizon. I'm looking forward to checking out new albums by Roxy Epoxy and the Rebound (March 10) and Metric. Roxy Epoxy is kind of a guilty pleasure; I've enjoyed her work since she was with the Epoxies. Metric, on the other hand, is probably my favorite band ever. There's an outside chance that we might be in Toronto, ON this summer when Metric performs a show or two. It would be frakkin amazing to catch them again.

Stumped

As someone who teaches at a smallish liberal arts college, becoming a frequent of the college's Interlibrary Loan office has been absolutely crucial. We just don't have the resources to compete with the larger institutions. So, much of my research is done via ILL. Over the course of almost four years, and some pretty obscure requests, the ILL department has never let me down. I'm afraid there might a good chance that run is about to end.

A few days back I submitted a request for Linda Godfrey's Beast of Bray Road. I discovered the book after a somewhat local newspaper reported an encounter with the Man Bat, a humanoid figure that witnesses described as part man and part bat. Man Bat, duh! I'm not sure why this kind of thing intrigues me, but it does. I'm all about Nessie, Bigfoot, Yeti, Champ, Ogopogo, and the Man Bat. If I've managed to stump ILL--I've yet to hear a peep about my request---I'm prepared to take the plunge and buy the book. Amazon has the text rated at 4.5 stars. How can I go wrong?