2009 May » otoh

Cue Balls: Head Shots, Part II

Posted by Tim at 12:28 on 2009/05/31

May 312009

Building on a comment to my post about movies with gorgeous bald women, here’s another triple feature film fest this time featuring bald men. [I will leave it to the women to determine whether these are gorgeous bald men....]

Since unowhat requested Jean-Luc Picard [the character] and not Patrick Stewart [the actor], we’ll start with Star Trek: First Contact.

Then we’ll see Ben Kingsley in Searching for Bobby Fischer, because we can be geeky without being sci-fi and this film never got the respect it deserved.

Finally, we can’t go wrong [smirk if you know the tagline] with Yul Brynner as the Gunslinger in Westworld, because we can be geeky and sci-fi and wild west and 70s retro all at once.

I was going to have Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor in Superman on this list, but it turns out he wore a skullcap and didn’t shave his head. I think I need more popcorn…..

Betty, Mary Ann, and Bailey

Posted by Tim at 12:22 on 2009/05/29

May 292009

Everything happens in threees. I think.

The WGN America cable station is running episodes of WKRP in Cincinnati as part of its Outta Sight Retro Night Sunday lineup. In some of the promos they went on the streets to ask, “Bailey or Jennifer?”

They referenced the much older pop-culture question, “Ginger or Mary Ann?”

I remember thinking, “I wish I could think of the third part to this so I can write about it.” It completely eluded me though. Until, that is, Dogs and Jeans jogged my memory by announcing that Archie has finally made his choice between Betty and Veronica. [I knew there had to be a third!]

And [as if I really had a choice] all of these were easy decisions for me.

Spiders and Snakes

Posted by Tim at 17:11 on 2009/05/28

May 282009

This critter was on my patio recently.

It’s not a great photo and I didn’t want to get any closer than I needed to with a long lens. From what I can tell from this fuzzy shot and an online search, I think this is an orchard orb weaver. Not that it matters. I’m glad that spiders eat insects. In central Florida we have plenty for them to eat. But spiders? Kinda creepy if you ask me. And walking through a cobweb? Ick! As long as spiders stay away from me and don’t block my path with their webs, I leave them alone.

The other day while mowing the lawn I saw a black snake slithering in the grass a few feet away. [I don't carry a camera while doing yard work, so no photo.] It [I am forever grateful] quickly headed away from where I was cutting. I have seen brown striped snakes more often in my yard here. [Twice, when I let the grass get way too long I saw pieces of brown striped snakes when they didn't retreat from the blades quickly enough. Sorry about that.] I appreciate the role snakes play in nature. The snakes around here eat rodents and other small critters. They don’t bother people if we don’t bother them. And I try not to. Really. Because snakes? They totally creep me out. No matter how far away we stay from each other. If I can see them, I’m getting the willies. Even though that black snake probably left my yard immediately, I started imagining it was over there in the taller grass waiting for me. Or hiding in the shed where I would have to put the lawn mower. They are crafty little devils.

Head Shots

Posted by Tim at 17:23 on 2009/05/27

May 272009

The movie G.I. Jane was on TV the other day. As I flipped through channels I happened to catch the scene where Demi cuts off all her hair.

That reminded me of the scene in V for Vendetta where [the always yummy] Natalie Portman gets shorn.

Since everything happens in threees, I had to recall the character Lt. Ilia [played by Persis Khambatta] in Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

Her head was shaved before filming began, but according to IMDB, “At first, she shed tears over the haircut, but smiled after the finishing powder was applied to her scalp and her facial features were more defined by Fred Philips.”

Anyone up for a triple feature film fest featuring gorgeous bald women?

Nine Circles

Posted by Tim at 20:46 on 2009/05/26

May 262009

Ms. Cornelius over at A Shrewdness of Apes has written “When teaching school is like… a divine comedy.” It’s way better than anything I have today. Go on over and take a look.

YoS

Posted by Tim at 21:05 on 2009/05/21

May 212009

What one of my colleagues refers to as the Year of Suck, an especially difficult and frustrating school year, is coming to a close. Senior exams are finished and graduation is ~~tomorrow~~ Doh! — graduation is next Friday. See how tired I am? [for most of them]. We have another week with underclassmen before their final exams begin. Trying to keep them focused and on task is rather like herding [big, obnoxious, self-centered, rude] cats [with an exaggerated sense of importance and entitlement (but I'm not bitter)]. I am SO ready for this year to be over, but I refuse to give in to the temptation stop teaching and coast for the last few days.

But… I’m just so damn tired.

Days of Future Past

Posted by Tim at 19:37 on 2009/05/19

May 192009

I’ve been on a bit of a non-fiction reading streak lately. I recently finished Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach. I like it, but I don’t love it. [It was here, though, that I read about unmitigated bovine fascination. You may wonder what that could possibly have to do with scientific study of the afterlife. I would if I hadn't read the book. smirk.] I do love though that it reminded me that I had planned to write about A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson, a book that I’ve read a couple times so far and that I do love. This book is a fairly comprehensive and humorous overview of what we know (and a great deal that, surprisingly, we don’t know) written for non-scientists by a non-scientist. I like the historical perspective on scientific inquiry and how what we think we know changes over time. I like the anecdotes about the people doing the inquiring. I like that he does a fairly good job of putting complex topics in relatively simple terms and tying it all together. Most of all, I share his curiosity and I appreciate the breadth and depth of his research.

Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Mary Roach approaches serious subjects with humor. Some readers will, I think, find this a little off-putting in this case. Beliefs about the afterlife may not stand up to scientific scrutiny; perhaps they should not have to. Given that, Roach presents a fairly broad, if not especially deep, overview of the many facets of our search for an answer to the question, “What comes next?”

View all my reviews.

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I love this book. I first read it a couple years ago (and re-read it last fall). I think Bryson is best known as a travel writer and he brings humor to everything of his that I’ve read. Here he writes about science from the perspective of an interested non-scientist. I think this makes it a really good book for people that may not have a strong science background. It’s packed full of scientific facts and history wrapped in the foibles of the all-too-human scientists. Bryson puts complex topics in relatively simple terms and frequently points how how much we still don’t know about the world in which we live.

View all my reviews.

Unmitigated Bovine Fascination?

Posted by Tim at 20:45 on 2009/05/14

May 142009

I recently read this:

Go into a pasture where cows are grazing in the distance. Shout to get their attention and then suddenly lie down. The moment you do, they will hurry over to investigate, encircling you and staring down at you with unmitigated bovine fascination.

I’m currently researching whether it’s true. [By that I mean I emailed a former colleague with an advanced degree in Ag.Ed. and am awaiting a response. I doubt I will resort to actually testing it if she is unable to confirm or deny. Although....] I don’t know why I find this so intriguing. [I can probably find a way to blame Gary Larson.] Has anyone else heard of this?

Wonder-ful World

Posted by Tim at 21:26 on 2009/05/13

May 132009

Today is Stevie Wonder‘s birthday. I once saw him perform at a private concert for a high-tech, high-cost school [operated by evil poseurs, but that's another story] that I used to work for. At one point while he bantered between songs he said,

She broke my heart… so I broke her jaw.

and although he immediately retracted the statement it remains the most inappropriate thing I have ever heard a famous person say in person. I don’t even remember which song he was talking about at the time. Ironically [I think] I had as my guest at that concert a woman who was not exactly breaking my heart but treating me quite shabbily none-the-less. [That too, though, is another story.]

Despite all this Mr. Wonder remains one of my favorite artists and I am awed by his musical genius [if not his political correctness].

Cuchini

Posted by Tim at 19:08 on 2009/05/07

May 072009

I heard about Cuchini on the radio yesterday. Other than, “Aren’t there more appropriate wardrobe choices?” I don’t know what I can say that a) doesn’t seem totally* out of line and or b) would just get me into a lot of trouble. Your thoughts?

*I was all set to write wholly out of line….