A few random, short things:
- I am deeply saddened by Sydney Pollack's passing. I really, truly adored that man; he was exceptional.
- It's possible that I love Phil Collins more than is entirely normal.
- Work sucks the energy out of me, but it's so much fun and the people are really great (especially now that I'm socializing more).
- My paycheck on Thursday is going to ROCK. Hard core.
- California overturning the ban on gay marriage rocks even more hard core. Small steps.
- I still love Alanis Morissette. So very much.
- My BFF is engaged to be married. So very weird.
- Policies and Republicanism aside, I think John McCain is a really good guy (and he has some AMAZING people on his staff who are steering him in all the right directions).



Alright...I can't think of anything else and I'm sleepy, so I'm going to watch a little TV before hitting the hay. I have to wake up at 5:10 tomorrow morning, so I can get to work by 7:15am. I work until 8pm...that's a 12-hour shift. Ouch.

And because this is just fabulous:

More strife in Iraq. U.S. financial system in crisis. Rice prices soar.

None of these headlines will matter a bit, though, if two men pursuing a lawsuit in a court in Hawaii turn out to be right. They think a giant particle accelerator that will begin smashing protons together outside Geneva this summer might produce a black hole that will spell the end of the Earth - and maybe the universe.


From the International Herald Tribune article, Try this headline: Black Hole Eats Earth.


I love how remarkably blasé the IHT is about that.

But I'm adding it to my list of "thing that will cause an apocalypse, possibly around December 2012."

And if you're laughing because you think I don't actually have a list...think again. I started it in Geography on Thursday when I added "a change in the magnetism of the poles." It would literally cause airplanes to fall out of the sky.


So if you're curious...

Things That Will Cause an Apocalypse, Possibly Around December 2012:
- Asteroid colliding with Earth (that's an easy one)
- Change in magnetism of the poles
- Change in speed of Earth's rotation (we'd be so fucked)
- Black hole from particle accelerator (apparently)
- Something massive to do with the changing of the Mayan calendar from the fifth world to the sixth
- Nuclear holocaust (and resulting nuclear winter, another gimme)


Sadly (and morbidly), I think I'm going to be pretty disappointed if the world doesn't come to an end then. It'll be Y2K all over again. And not the cool, Family Guy version.

Oh my god.

This is the BEST thing I've seen in AGES!

Vermont towns vote to arrest Bush and Cheney


It's just what it sounds like.

"Voters in two Vermont towns on Tuesday approved a measure that would instruct police to arrest President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney for 'crimes against our Constitution,' local media reported."

Granted, it's a "nonbinding, symbolic measure," but still.


That's awesome.

I find it oddly comforting that three different people were sure to inform me of Heath Ledger's death.

It's so very surreal to me, though.

I wasn't sure how to react at first. I wanted to burst into tears, but it seemed inappropriate as it's not like I knew him. I was hoping it was some sort of a mistake.

I think that it's so strange because he's really the first celebrity death of my generation that has mattered to me. I mentioned Brad Renfro last week, but I had to look him up on IMDb to remind myself what I'd seen him in. Heath Ledger has been a part of my consciousness since Spring 1999 when I first saw 10 Things. I own six of his films on DVD. Candace and I just watched A Knight's Tale a few weeks ago when I was in New York.

I won't lie...I am more than a little heartbroken.


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As an unrelated side note: Jon Favreau is incredibly smart and insightful, particularly when it comes to making films as a director and producing his "Dinner for Five" series. So perceptive. (As seen on "Shootout.")

Also, kudos to AMC for greenlighting a project like "Breaking Bad."

A quick, random post:

First off, Brad Renfro, best known for his roles in The Client, Tom and Huck, and Apt Pupil, died this morning at the age of 25.


Second, Johnny Depp donated £1 million to the London children's hospital that treated his daughter last March when her kidneys failed due to E. coli poisoning (if you don't recall, it occurred during filming of Sweeney Todd). Additionally, back in November, he had his Captain Jack costume shipped over from LA and dressed up to lead a 4-hour impromtu storytime for the kids at the hospital.

Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter are said to be matching the donation and Disney will also be donating £10 million. (Keep in mind that the British pound is worth $2, so Depp is donating $2 million, and Disney's putting up $20 million.)


Third, I'm kinda psyched that "American Idol" is back. Though I wish we could get passed the auditions. It's always my least-favorite part.

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In non-entertainment news, this is going to be a CRAZY busy semester. Suck.

I'm mostly enjoying my classes. At least while I'm in them. I rarely want to go...and it's only the second week. And I already have a crazy amount of work to do, aside from the thesis. Nuts.

I sent in my absentee ballot for the Florida primary today. Yay!

I think that's it...

DUDE!

New Earth-like Planet 'Habitable'

There's even a picture (err...well...artist's rendition).



I love my Google Mail news feed.

One more post of random stuff before I actually get to studying for those pesky final exams....


First, look how cute! Waiting to chase the mouse


Second, from marriedtothesea.com (which Chazzie posted a few days ago), I found two gems:
a) Simon's Shitty Stick
b) Dictionary Guy

Also, it's possible I want a It's Motherfucking Booze Time tee-shirt.


Third, what's next? Wikipedia in book form? Wikipedia woos the offline world


Fourth, ( a small rant on how I want a Landmark Theater near me. )


Alright, 20th Century Art. Le Corbusier, Pollock, Dubuffet, Warhol, Richard Serra...go!

Ha HA!

I KNEW it had to do with outsourcing!!!

Clues to pet food recall traced to Chinese city


Granted, I said it partially as a joke for those* who are all up-in-arms over outsourcing (I hate the loss of American jobs as much as the next guy, but I also appreciate cheap clothing and other necessities)...but it is true. When you pay less money and use cheaper materials...you're going to get really poor quality. That's just common sense.


I'm just glad my kitty's food isn't deadly.


**cough*Republicans*cough*

Another interesting news article:

Whether women describe themselves as straight or lesbian, “Their sexual arousal seems to be relatively indiscriminate — they get aroused by both male and female images,” Dr. Bailey said. “I’m not even sure females have a sexual orientation. But they have sexual preferences. Women are very picky, and most choose to have sex with men.”

Pas de Deux of Sexuality Is Written in the Genes


However, I thought the most fascinating part was regarding the "fraternal birth order effect":

Two Canadian researchers, Ray Blanchard and Anthony F. Bogaert, have shown that having older brothers substantially increases the chances that a man will be gay. Older sisters don’t count, nor does it matter whether the brothers are in the house when the boy is reared.

The finding suggests that male homosexuality in these cases is caused by some event in the womb, such as “a maternal immune response to succeeding male pregnancies,” Dr. Bogaert wrote last year in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Antimale antibodies could perhaps interfere with the usual masculinization of the brain that occurs before birth, though no such antibodies have yet been detected.

The fraternal birth order effect is quite substantial. Some 15 percent of gay men can attribute their homosexuality to it, based on the assumption that 1 percent to 4 percent of men are gay, and each additional older brother increases the odds of same-sex attraction by 33 percent.