from something genuine and awesome to something co-opted and pathetic in record time

Why are we even having this conversation?

[This is related to something from before.]

Jocelyn's theory of Seattle

A reputable reference source such as Wikipedia will tell you that Seattle is a city with more than 3 million people in the metropolitan area, and covering 142 square miles. AND YET! I visit Seattle often (my parents live in Tacoma) and there is no evidence that it is actually big. Every place I have ever needed to go in Seattle, including my mother's work, a client's office where James went on our last trip, the theatre where we saw Flight of the Conchords, the jeweler who is making our wedding rings, etc., has been within an area of about 15 square blocks. Some people might say that this makes sense, because this area is "downtown." But I think it is more logical that Seattle is a partly-imagined community, with about 10 actual tall buildings, a few streets, and then some tricksy mirrors around it. This would also explain why you have to go through so many tunnels to get there. THINK ABOUT IT.

Also, on an unrelated note: Diet Dr. Pepper ≠ Win.

Safety first.

Matthew Baldwin, over at Defective Yeti, has come up with an ingenious concept: clone code. The idea, here, is that you have a secret tidbit of information that only you and your close friends and family know. Thus, if James suspects he is not dealing with a real Jocelyn, but rather a clone, he would ask me for my "clone code," and only the real Jocelyn would know. So if it WAS a clone, he could dispatch her apace (and if I know James, this would be accompanied by light sabre noises, but those are optional). In the TV shows I watch, body-switching is actually more of a problem than clones. Fortunately, this little trick makes you switched-body-impersonator proof as well as clone-proof.

-----BEGIN CLONE CODE-----
Version: CCv1.0

Identity: Jocelyn

Challenge: "What is the magic number that determines whether something is cheap or expensive?"

Response: "5"

-----END CLONE CODE-----

it's raining more than ever...

Sundays are such a drag. They pretend to be part of the weekend, but they're really not, because you always end up spending them getting ready for the week anyway--doing laundry, dishes, ironing, vacuuming, whatever needs to be done so that Monday can arrive without crisis. In my case, this means preparing a handout about Knowledge Management. Sunday breaks my heart, every week. The good news is that after this coming week my class will be over, and I will get about 10 hours a week of my life back, and hopefully I will become a nicer person and stop snapping at my boyfriend on the phone for no reason.

I watched the first few episodes of Fraggle Rock with some friends last night, and I can't believe I never watched it before--it's sad to think that I lived 24 years of my life without the awesomeness that is Fraggle Rock. Deprived childhood/teenage years/early adulthood alert! In fact, Lost just keeps messing with me, so I might break it off for good and take up with Fraggle Rock. I love those crazy singing Muppets, flying through the air, and I am feeling my tolerance for ambiguity plateau. I might've just been sleepy, but this show even seemed to have more than its share of angst and nihilism, for a kids' show. I don't remember what it was, but SOMETHING that happened in one of the episodes we watched yesterday was a perfect demonstration of the idea of hegemony. (Also, side note... does anyone else notice how Bob the Builder seems to have some eerie similarities to the Doozers?

AND:



Ahem. And they both live for building. I mean, I'm not a conspiracy theorist NORMALLY, but this is a little too coincidental, if you ask me. Check out those toolbelts! Aside aside: I don't know about you guys, but I'm suspicious of Bob the Builder. I mean, I know he likes to build, but he goes too far--his ENTIRE identity is constructed [heh] around the idea of being a builder. Can we build it? Yes we can, Bob, but I'm not sure we SHOULD. Maybe you shoud get a hobby, or some friends that aren't from work.)

I'm having one of those days where I am in a perfectly good mood, until I have to interact with other people, and then I suddenly realize I am grouchy. In fact, even my blog (with the theoretical, one-sided human contact it represents) is making me grouchy. For that matter, benign children's TV characters are making me grouchy. Screw you, internets. I know you don't take my Doozer/Bob theory seriously anyway.

----------------
Currently listening to: Rihanna - Shut Up and Drive
via FoxyTunes