Return of the Occasional Bloggerette?

Seems it's well over a year since I've bothered to write anything here, despite the occasional nudge from assorted parties. Yours Truly is toying with the idea of reclaiming her small corner of Teh Interwebs, though with a change of venue: http://armchairnomad.wordpress.com. 

In the meantime, go read someone else's blog. Or go sit in the sun! It's summer, fer cryin' out loud!

Happy Fourth of July

From sea to shining sea...and to those overseas as well!

Quizzie Time: Decades Gone By

Loosely (very loosely) inspired by this post and exchange:

The Thirties. Take this quiz!

That's reasonably close. I would've said '30s/'40s. Or as the Little Brother once said, "You were born old." Thanks, bro. It's true, though.


And on an even more random note...

What Kitchen Utensil are You?

Hmm. I'd have said "bowl" because I use them much more often than plates. I guess I do have a tendency to expound whilst cooking, a natural outgrowth of which includes emphatic gesticulation while holding cutlery. Knives are pretty darned useful, too, though.

Theory vs. Practice

Gee.

Relief

I admit it: not being the World's Greatest Law Student frequently worries me. I fret that this means I won't be the World's Greatest Lawyer, and will therefore not have a job, &c., &c. (I never claimed this was a rational fear.)

However, as the Great and Wise Nomad Mom--who would be an outstanding President but who'll never take the job--is wont to say, "if Ted Kennedy can make it through, so can you." Just now, I've come across another weapon for her arsenal for whenever I end up taking the bar and if, God forbid, I ever end up in a courtroom due to some truly evil stroke of misfortune:

But the hype was at times nearly overwhelming. To take just one example, it was often said that Mrs. Clinton had been judged one of the top lawyers in America. But both books point out that she failed the District of Columbia bar exam when she took it fresh out of Yale Law School. (Bernstein’s recounting of her years at Yale give the impression that she trained as much to be a social worker as a lawyer.) Of the 817 people who took the exam with Mrs. Clinton, Bernstein tells us, 551 — that’s 67 percent — passed, “most from law schools less prestigious than Yale.” The fact that Mrs. Clinton failed is not a scoop — after keeping it a secret for many years, she revealed it in a little-noticed
passage of her memoir, Living History — but it will receive new attention now. (She was also, by the way, unimpressive in the courtroom, and Bernstein reports that her worried Rose Law Firm partners “began steering her practice toward nonjury work.”)

Phew! I feel better already. Don't worry, though--I've no plans to run for Senate, President, or First Lady of anything, or even to try a hand at cattle futures. In all fairness* to HRC, though, hindsight appears to offer a cautionary lesson on hype for aspiring political power brokers: very few of those aspirants will in practice be consistently brilliant strategists or truly great politicians.

*However, having one's White House portrait painted with one's hand on one's book is, well, tacky. On that point, I am unshakeable.

With Bated Breath

I hope these bettors are wide of the Mark:

Bookies are certain Harry's a goner.

William Hill Plc, a London-based bookmaker, is so sure of Harry's demise that it stopped accepting wagers and shifted betting to the possible killers. Lord Voldemort, who murdered Potter's parents, is the most likely villain, at 2-1 odds, followed by Professor Snape, one of his teachers, at 5-2.

``Every penny was on Harry dying, and it became untenable,'' said Rupert Adams, a William Hill spokesman. ``People are obsessed about this book.''

[...] Rowling has refused to give any clues about which characters will be killed off. Writing on her Web site last month, she asked people not to spoil the ending for fans by speculating about the outcome.

``I want the readers who have, in many instances, grown up with Harry, to embark on the last adventure they will share with him without knowing where they are going,'' she wrote May 14.

I do hope Harry survives, but as I always tell amused friends, I'll be even more devastated if Ron & Hermione die. I say "Ron & Hermione" because I think they are entertwined and one will not survive the end without the other. (Yes, I know, hopelessly sappy romantic.) I have only a few other simple requirements for JKR:

At least some of the Weasleys must survive.

And perhaps the most important of all, Remus must live, marry Tonks, and live happily ever after, because no one deserves it more.

But as for Harry's fate? You'll find no opinion here! Honestly, I enjoy reading and listening to others' predictions, but I've tried hard not to formulate any of my own speculations on that point. (Which is probably to everyone's surprise.) This time, I don't want predictions to burden the reading experience; I want to see what JKR has been plotting all these years.

HT: Marginal Revolution

Two Separate Thank-Yous

One:

I hope this means that both Rosie and The View can now slide back into their respective obscurity, and nevermore will I be subjected to news reports of "what ridiculous, and occasionally physics-defying, twaddle Rosie held forth on today" or, really, any other "who said what on The View." (Honestly. Women. I swear...) O Bliss! Nevermore!

Two--and significantly more important:

Thank you, on this Memorial Day, to the thousands upon thousands of brave men and women who have given life, limb, and sacred honor to defend this beloved country. "Thank you" is too small and insignificant, but it is the best we can do in honor of your heroism and sacrifice, of what you have done for us and for peoples around the world, and for what you continue to do.

Happiness is...

Sticky kisses. (The hardworking Little Bro will appreciate this.)

Real Men Do Not...An Occasional Series, Parts 1 & 2

Real men do not...

1. Wear fuchsia.

2. Tattoo enormous angel wings across their backs. (And if, for some wholly inexplicable reason, they have such a tattoo, they ought not jog by me, shirtless. Twice.)

Ha! (ish)

Well, it may be entirely possible to think one has a quasi-decent understanding of assorted international agreements--TRIPs! Paris Convention! Berne Convention! Patent Cooperation Treaty!--or to think one does, and yet to know that it is equally possible to have answered every single exam question incorrectly.* However, I did correctly answer that Canada is the 2nd largest country in terms of area, unlike a gaggle of TV anchors. Ha! Small victories.

*Actually, I think I got one right. The other 19, not so sure. Fortunately, most everyone else was probably in the same boat.

Observations over Ice Cream

I'm not persuaded that Segolene Royal's economics are much more than wishful thinking (I grant you I'm watching a translation, y no hablo el frances), but I am persuaded of her excellent taste in blouses.

Difficult Questions

Do I love Trip Tucker III Enterprise enough to purchase Seasons 1-4?

Update: Ayuh, apparently I do!

Hereby and Forthwith Concluded

Perhaps I should not be allowed to chose my own topics, for I shall inevitably have chosen something much better suited for a dissertation, without realizing it upfront.

Manual Gaming Gone Wild

Rock, paper, scissors? You ain't seen nuthin' yet. I'm not at all familiar with Lovecraft, but seriously, how does this not sound fun?

From the RPS-101 Outcome Guide: Chainsaw DICES Turnip, Turnip STAINS Cup, Cup HOLDS Beer, Beer AFFECTS Chainsaw USE. Wow.

Delightfully nerdy. (Would 'Mesh prove to be the champion of this game, too?)

Not a Popularity Contest

This is a refreshingly realistic observation:

I am somewhat pleased by the fact that very few of the frontrunners in either party are particularly likeable. We have had 7 elections in a row in which we were supposed to
care about how much we "liked" the candidates [...]
[...]

We're not electing a dad or a mom or a best friend. We're electing someone who is supposed to: show up on time and sober every day, even when he's on vacation; work his (or her) tail off; juggle an enormous amount of responsibility; use good judgment with little information or time to respond; appoint reasonably competent people
to wield enormous (and sometimes lifetime) power; engage in hardball political negotiations with a sometimes-hostile and sometimes-stupid Congress.

I want a competent President who uses his head and who, at least occasionally, sees things "my way". I don't care if he or she is a jerk.

Quite so. We're electing a President, not a Prom King.

Quizzie Time: L.M. Montgomery

Which L.M. Montgomery Heroine are You?

Way to make my morning!

TT Ben