The Curse of Phooeyhoo.com

In February 2004 the person that writes this blog succumbed to the promise of a Movable Type platform that saves comments and allows flexible template customization. He blogged regularly for a while but hasn't written a word since May 2007. In similar fashion, this person also succumbed and hasn't written since April 24, 2007 and, by his own omission, only because some fools had been commenting the hell out of one post.

It would appear the move over to this server will silence your blogging forever. Be forewarned future phooeyhoo.com users! We lure you with lots of server space and fees as low as a beer every time you see me. But, the price is your eternal blogging soul! (Ha, ha, ha! - said in evil Phillip Fry Laugh from Futurama.) Well, now that I've effectively silenced this space, I can write whatever the hell I want, right? In previous times of parsimonious blogging, I always came back with either an interview with myself or a bulleted list. I think I shall do the latter.

• This summer I did a two week road trip in California starting from Portland, winding down to Crater Lake, over to the coast and down to the Redwoods, all the way down 101 to Santa Barbara, back up again to Sequoia National Park, through San Francisco/Berkeley, and then back to P-Town. Photos were taken. Some have been posted to the Phooeyhoo Photo Gallery. More will be posted soon. I have put on a password to protect the innocent. If you know me and want to see the photos, the password is the state I've lived the longest in, all lower case. I guess if any strangers are desperate enough and want to sit down and type in all fifty states, they deserve to see the photos.
• I am in love with the Brits. I love the accent, the way that bloody is a real honest to goodness curse, and the copious use of "right!" When an inebriated British researcher planted a wet kiss on me at ICME, it was a highlight of my life. My love of the Brits extends to British pop and by extension to Scottish band Camera Obscura. I am not a huge fan of ABBA, however. Yet, I recently found a hauntingly beautiful a cover of Super Trouper by Camera Obscura that I am in love with. I am truly ashamed for myself that I like an ABBA song.
• Dave and I have never really been known for our outstanding musical taste. I believe one person described it as isomorphic to that of pre-teen girls. Oh, well. On one last musical note I will say that I heart Kate Nash (and Lily Allen too, come to think of it.). Made of Bricks has been out for a while, but was recently released in the States. Check it out. If you're not sure, NPR has a free Kate Nash concert available free through streaming.
• Okay, I lied. One last musical note. Besides the Brits, it looks like I have a thing for lesbian singing duos too as the Ditty Bops are one of my favorite groups and this week I have been enjoying Tegan and Sara while trying to survive the grad school. A quick search shows that I'm not the first of my friends to discover this. Oh, well. Another PDX Blog/Welcome to Blog is right, though. Back in My Head is very addicting.
• More later. See: I'm so lazy that it takes me a good 24 hours before continuing a silly bulleted list ... right!
• I hate Ph.D. school. I am tired, burned out, and exhausted. Did I mention that I'm tired? Why did I ever think this would be a good idea? I'm not balanced, don't really want to be a Tier I researcher, and think that this entire thing is cruel and destroys the hopes and ambitions of our best young people. I am only going on because 1) It is way too late to get out of the game, 2) I've lived the last four years in poverty ... what's two more years?, and 3) I want to be that professor that teaches really good classes, rants on about thousand year old dead Egyptian pharaohs, takes three day weekends, is rarely seen during the summer, and falls asleep during dissertation defenses, yet has associate tenure so nobody can really do anything about it. Hell, Piled Higher and Deeper is right, I just want a frickin' job after I finish enduring this hell.
• Joe Biden looks just like John Penick.
• OMG: Julia Child was a spy! I'd like to put up for proposal that a Julia Child unit be added to the next Command and Conquer game.
• Kevin Duckworth died. We'll miss you, big guy.
• Who knew that even Roger Ebert despised Jay Mariotti?