my virtual notebook

Barbie goes Barvarian...

Here's a link to an article describing a new look for Barbie.  Also if you scroll down a bit you can see a "Barbie" version of Angela Merkel, looking very proper in a dark pant suit.

In other news: summer is almost over and the week of meetings and gatherings before classes start begins. I have finished editing the article and now just need to check footnotes and send it out. I am working on my tenure file, which is due Sept, 14. I am still working on my syllabei, but feel pretty good about what I've done so far and what remains to be done.

We might be getting a new kitty temporarily (till December)  this week.

Quick I need a picture for Project 365! Project 365: # 34

Taken on Saturday, December 2, 2006

So I decided to take a picture of my Presidents placemat.
It sits on top one of my windows in my study. I love geeky historical stuff likes this - I also picked up the presidents study cards. Based only on the portraits seen here my vote for "hunkiest" president goes to Franklin Pierce, closely followed by JFK.

Welcome to Michigan! Project 365 #27

Taken on Saturday, November 25,2006.

This was taken on the road between Maumee and Ann Arbor. I was happy that I managed to get the sign-I tried to get the Ohio one on the way there but missed it.  This was taken after we had eaten lunch at the Maumee Cracker Barrel.  I read somewhere that "Cracker Barrel" restaurants are considered "red state-ish".   We as true blue-ers living in a red state world still like their lunches. Bill can't stand the kitsch that they sell out front, and eventhough I look at it I'm not overly impressed by it. It seems over-priced. I'd much rather look for funky kitschy stuff at a thrift store.  But their lunches are quite satisfying. I had the "low-carb" grilled cat fish with three sides, including not-so-low-carb fried okra which I love. Bill had the chicken fried chicken which is always tasty.

After that we stopped to get some groceries at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's in Ann Arbor.  Whole Foods is fun but expensive, but it has better fresh produce than Trader Joe's.  We also like the fresh salmon at Whole Foods and their fresh chicken sausages...they are yummy.

All this shopping meant we didn't get back to Albion until after it was dark. But it was a good trip.

Funny!

So I was doing a little webresearch on Pinochio and came across this!

Word of the day

This morning on NPR's "Morning Edition" Nina Totenberg used a word I had never heard before. She was describing what the nomination hearings would be like  if Bush decided to go ahead and nominate Clarence Thomas to be the next  Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: she said there would be a "donnybrook"....

It sounded irish and like it meant something like "brouhaha" - Bill said "kerfuffel" -- all of which are great words. 

Anyway here's a link explaining the term in great detail. 

And I added "radio" as a category, since I don't  watch television: DVD's of TV shows, yes, but we don't have cable, so no TV.  (I've probably mentioned this here before).  The only show I vaguely miss is The Daily Show, which I could watch on the computer if I really wanted to.

Now I must go prepare a yummy Indian dinner!  (prepackaged meals, but they're pretty good and we have Garlic Naan to go with them and I'll make some rice).

An intriguing quote by a former president

I find this quote that I found at Marianne Williamson's weblog very interesting:

"Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes that you can do these things. Among them are a few Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or businessman from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid."

President Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1952