I'm dreaming...

...of a white Thursday.

I'm supposed to have a test tomorrow, but all I am studying are the radar maps! We haven't had any snow. About 15 school districts have already canceled Thursday classes. Our notification (if it comes) will not be until early morning, via email. I'm hopeful that classes will be canceled --- not to postpone the test, but to potentially delay my final lab practical for a week (back to the original date). For some reason our professor decided to move 2 lab groups' practicals forward one week from the originally scheduled dates. Normally it would be a blessing, but it was moved to a week chock-full-o-tests!

In other news: my Chinese professor today said 'Rods in the Retina", but with his accent it came off as "Rods in the Rectum." *ouch*

The Office - You're So Damn Hot by OK Go

OK Go - Invincible Dwight

It's a phenomenon!

ok go lego treadmill

OK Go Ping Pong Tips

ok go - a million ways

Here's another video from Ok Go off the same album as the treadmill one...

How to Wash A Cat

I like how it is described as a "double-spaced manifesto" and "12-point, Chicago-fonted magnum opus"

Freshman Term Paper Discovers Something Totally New About Silas Marner

But still.....

AGI has to be my top choice.

Hope I can get on there. It should help having my friend Nate up there to put in a good word for me.

An account of my recent misadventures

When I started grad school and was awarded an assistantship, I was already working in a lab on campus as an hourly employee. They had to move me to a salaried employee since I could not be both hourly and salaried through the university. So a year and a half ago, we spend a couple of days trying to work things out and finally got it worked out that the MABE would pay all of my tuition and I could get a smaller assistantship through the IE dept for about 8 hours per week of work in the campus lab. If I was paid any more that that through my IE assistantship, they would have to split the cost of my tuition with MABE, which they didn't have the money to do. Having explained that, on to the more recent news....

I got a call last Wednesday at about 4:00 from my boss, Dave, who told me he had just gotten an email from one of the secretaries in the IE dept that I was being dropped from my assistantship with the MABE dept. This was a big issue for them because if it were true, my tuition waiver that was being payed by MABE would be taken away and all or part of my tuition would need to be picked up from the accounts for the on campus lab. They don't have the funds for this, so it was indeed a major issue that needed to get straightened out. I emailed Dr. Smith hoping to get a response by early Thursday morning since he is in charge of making the GA assignments for MABE. I never received any notice that I was not going to have an assistanship this semester, especially since Dr. Johnson had contacted me a few days before to ask me to teach a lab for him again. I never heard anything from Dr. Smith, so I went by his office Thursday afternoon. He confirmed that I was being dropped from my GA position because the three guaranteed semesters had run out (even though they are good for three semesters for a Master's student, I had heard from numerous professors that if you got a GA position you would have it until you finished your degree, so I didn't think I was going to lose it). I explained to him that Dr. Johnson had wanted me to teach one of the 345 lab sections for him (my section was the next day) and wanted to confirm that someone else had been lined up to teach it. He said it had already been taken care of and suggested if I wanted extra money to check with a few professors he named that needed graders for a class they were teaching. Apparently they have a shortage of GA's this semester and aren't giving out any new ones and need students to work for $10 as graders. So I went to look into this with a professor I had worked for last semester and agreed to be a grader for him. Just out of courtesy, I emailed Dr. Johnson to confirm what Dr. Smith had said and that there would be someone else teaching the lab section the next day since I didn't want no one to show up to lead the lab. Dr. Johnson replied back and was in disbelief because he still had me down as the teacher for that lab section and sounded a little pissed towards Dr. Smith asking him to let him know if he had hired someone else for it. This amazed me, but it really shouldn't have since I know how damn disorganized that whole department is anyway. So, when Dr. Smith finally looked into it he stated he had made a mistake and I was teaching the 345 lab section. Okay, that's great, but there is no way in hell I'm going to teach a section of that as an hourly employee without a tuition waiver when the other students doing the same job (there are 4 sections of the lab in that class) and getting a tuition waiver. So I wanted to clarify that I would be a GA and not hourly. After another long wait, Smith finally said I was to have the same stipend and tuition waiver I had during previous semesters.

So it seems that had worked out, but I was prepared for another twist in the story considering he didn't know what the hell he was talking about the first time I had gone to talk to him. So I met with my boss Dave and the guys at SIRC Friday morning to fill them in on the story and try to make some calls to ensure everything was straightened out. We called around to the IE office to confirm I was back listed as a GA through MABE, but the didn't show it. So Dave explained what had happened so far and basically said we were trying to do this covertly without talking to Smith to see if he was telling the truth or still full of it and clueless. So the IE secretary called one of the MABE secretaries she was friends with to try and clear it all up. The MABE office had no record that I was to be kept on their payroll as a GA, so she had to call Smith to make sure. Finally, it seems they have confirmed it all and I do have my GA position this semester. What a hell of a headache. I seriously do not know how they MABE department operates on a day-to-day basis....I really don't.

In addition, where I had thought Dave had been hinting around at offering me a job at SIRC before, I had not heard anything from him like that two or three months. When we were meeting in his office last Friday trying to get all of thsi straightened out, he asked me what I was doing after graduation. I replied "I don't know," and he said "Well, before you decide anything talk to us because we might have something here for you....if you are interested." I said I was very interested so hopefully that is an almost guaranteed job. Not sure of the pay or anything, but it would be a good, easy-going, low-stress place to work. All the benefits of a small business, my own office with a window, getting to stay local and be around family, and much lower cost of living than most of the places I would be applying for jobs so I would probably be able to buy a house almost right away.

Have a beer with you best friend...

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/01/22/beer.dogs.ap/index.html

WHEN CATS ATTACK!!!

Aaak!

I got an offer to change to the new version of Blogger, which I did, and now I get a runaround every time I try to post a comment. Has anyone else had this problem, andwhat can I do about it? Just tried to post a comment to Rob's cartoon, and sort of got bumped off without it posting.

I do believe this is the one item the SCO optical does not offer...

Pierced Eyeglasses

I'm a puppy...

You Are A: Puppy!

Beloved by all, puppies are energetic, playful, and loving. Your friendly nature is part of what makes you a puppy. Known for their loyalty, puppies make great pets for young and old alike. And an innocent puppy face can melt anyone's heart!

You were almost a: Kitten or a Turtle
You are least like a: Squirrel or a ParakeetWhat Cute Animal Are You?

I'm a monkey!

You Are A: Monkey!

Monkeys are intelligent and agile, well-adapted for jungle life as they swing happily from tree to tree. As a monkey, you are a social animal who eats a wide range of food, is quick to learn new things and loves to climb. A monkey's tiny primate features are irresistable, as is her gregarious personality!

You were almost a: Kitten or a Squirrel
You are least like a: Turtle or a GroundhogDiscover What Cute Animal You Are!

Not-so-cheap entertainment

In an effort to discourage inappropriate behavior (peeing on my kitchen floor and getting on the counters) I purchased a Scat Mat ( and an extension), which arrived yesterday. It uses a small electrical current to create a static shock if they (or I) touch it. I put it on the lowest setting and tried it out. I've had much worse shocks at Wal-Mart, where during cold weather I get a zap every time I touch a shelf. One that about straightens my hair. A nd I can ratchet this thing up a couple of notches if needed.

So last night I laid the two mats out and hoped for the best. I had hardly turned my back when I saw, out of the corner of my eye, Emily jump way back past the fridge then look accusingly back at the kitchen floor. That behavior was repeated by several felines throughout the course of the evening. Who would've thought that Lardo Bimbo can jump like a gazelle? Or that Annie has a 24-inch vertical leap from a standing four-pawed launch? The best part is seeing them try to figure out what the heck happened.

I worried about Fatty, but she seems to manage as well as or better than the others. They all skirt the bar as they head for the food dish. (They'll get a new challenge when I turn the bar around this weekend.)

Quite entertaining, and seems to be working for now.
Wonder if these things come in room size?

Mom's fear of worms...

...is called Scoleciphobia.

Do you suffer from...

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia?

Say this 3 times fast...

Sixth sick sheik's sixth sheeps sick.

Danny found this on website. It is supposed to be the hardest tounge-twister out there.
We can't say it one time fast --- Danny can't even say it one time slow!

Operation Acoustic Kitty

Click here to read

My favorite part of this story...(read on)

Rescued boy's parents hail Missouri 'miracle'

ST. LOUIS, Missouri (CNN) -- Shawn Hornbeck smiled broadly at a news conference with his mom and stepdad Saturday, less than a day after they took him home, four years after he went missing.

"We're glad to have him home," said Pam Akers, choking back tears. "Shawn is a miracle here."

Shawn was found Friday in an apartment near St. Louis, Missouri, with William Ben Ownby, a 13-year-old known as Ben who had been missing since Monday.

"This is one of those rare rare things. To have one missing child found is just extraordinary," said Shawn's stepfather, Craig Akers. "To have two found at the same time is one of those things -- you don't even read about things like that."

"It's been like a dream. We're so fortunate. This is a prime example of why I've told everyone in this situation not to give up hope," Craig Akers told reporters as he teared up. He spoke in a room decorated with balloons and posters that read "Miracles do happen."

Shawn was last seen riding his bike to a friend's house in October 2002.

A suspect, 41-year-old Michael J. Devlin, was arrested Friday and has been charged with one count of first-degree kidnapping, said Franklin County Prosecutor Robert Parks.

Devlin was being held on $1 million bail, and more charges are likely, Parks said.

Craig Akers said: "It's hard to believe that somebody could be that brazen and just boggles my mind that somebody can just get away with it. This has been going on for four years, and he's been under our nose this whole time."

The boys were found in Kirkwood, Missouri, about an hour away from the Akers' home in Richwoods.

It is not clear what happened to the boys while they were with Devlin, but Craig Akers said Shawn had not been to school during the years he's been missing.

"All the questions will come later," said Pam Akers. "We're just trying to absorb that he's home."

The news conference was set up quickly to give hope to parents whose children were still missing, Craig Akers said. He remembered the day Utah teenager Elizabeth Smart was found -- on March 12, 2003, nearly a year after being kidnapped.

"I remember how much that raised our hopes, how much fuel that gave us to keep going," Akers said.

Boy told police who he was

The break came, thanks to a rusty white Nissan pickup truck that matched the description of that sought in the disappearance of Ben, last seen getting off his school bus in Franklin County, near St. Louis.

Two police officers in suburban Kirkwood went to a residence at the apartment complex to serve an unrelated warrant and spotted the pickup, Toelke told reporters. (Watch how police found the boys )

"That resulted in the recovery," Toelke said.

Shawn identified himself to officers, Toelke said. He said Shawn's appearance had changed so much that he didn't recognize the boy.

"He looked like he'd probably grown quite a bit. He was a little taller and his hair was darker," he said.

"I'm sure the parents would have recognized him, but if he'd have walked into the office I don't know that I would have."

Video footage taken at the Franklin County Sheriff's Office showed both boys getting out of a vehicle. Ben's relatives met him at the sheriff's office, and police were notifying Shawn's family, Toelke said. (Watch the boys being escorted into the building )

He said officers brought the boys Twinkies and doughnuts after they arrived at the sheriff's office.

Authorities divulged few details regarding the recovery, the investigation or the suspect.

"There's a lot of things that we don't know right now," Toelke said.

But he called the recoveries a "complete surprise. ... To have two endings like this is just unbelievable."

Chris Diamond, who shortly after the disappearance in 2002 co-founded the Shawn Hornbeck Foundation for families of missing children, told CNN's Larry King that the foundation's volunteers were ecstatic.

"Hundreds and hundreds of volunteers have helped search. We have scoured so many acres and acres of areas. We have tips from all over the country. We have just searched for him and we've never given up."

"There's kind of a gut feeling," Diamond added. "I had a feeling that hopefully one day we would have the kind of reunion that we're having tonight."

Mom's 12 Days of Christmas!

The Twelve Cats of Christmas

Ok, sing along, cat lovers!

On the first day of Christmas when I brought home my tree
My 12 cats were laughing at me

On the second day of Christmas I saw beneath my tree
2 mangled garlands
and my 12 cats laughing at me

On the third day of Christmas I saw beneath my tree
3 missing Wise Men
2 mangled garlands
and my 12 cats laughing at me

On the fourth day of Christmas I saw beneath my tree
4 males a-spraying
3 missing Wise Men
2 mangled garlands
and my 12 cats laughing at me

On the fifth day of Christmas I saw beneath my tree
5 shredded gifts
4 males a-spraying
3 missing Wise Men
2 mangled garlands
and my 12 cats laughing at me

On the sixth day of Christmas I saw beneath my tree
6 fallen angels
5 shredded gifts
4 males a-spraying
3 missing Wise Men
2 mangled garlands
and my 12 cats laughing at me

On the seventh day of Christmas I saw beneath my tree
7 half-dead rodents
6 fallen angels
5 shredded gifts
4 males a-spraying
3 missing Wise Men
2 mangled garlands
and my 12 cats laughing at me

On the eighth day of Christmas I saw beneath my tree
8 shattered ornaments
7 half-dead rodents
6 fallen angels
5 shredded gifts
4 males a-spraying
3 missing Wise Men
2 mangled garlands
and my 12 cats laughing at me

On the ninth day of Christmas I saw beneath my tree
9 chewed-through light strings
8 shattered ornaments
7 half-dead rodents
6 fallen angels
5 shredded gifts
4 males a-spraying
3 missing Wise Men
2 mangled garlands
and my 12 cats laughing at me

On the tenth day of Christmas I saw beneath my tree
10 tinsel hairballs
9 chewed-through light strings
8 shattered ornaments
7 half-dead rodents
6 fallen angels
5 shredded gifts
4 males a-spraying
3 missing Wise Men
2 mangled garlands
and my 12 cats laughing at me

On the eleventh day of Christmas I saw beneath my tree
11 broken branches
10 tinsel hairballs
9 chewed-through light strings
8 shattered ornaments
7 half-dead rodents
6 fallen angels
5 shredded gifts
4 males a-spraying
3 missing Wise Men
2 mangled garlands
and my 12 cats laughing at me

On the twelfth day of Christmas I looked at my poor tree
12 cats a-climbing
11 broken branches
10 tinsel hairballs
9 chewed-through light strings
8 shattered ornaments
7 half-dead rodents
6 fallen angels
5 shredded gifts
4 males a-spraying
3 missing Wise Men
2 mangled garlands

and my 12 cats laughing at me!

That's Wierd!

Humans on display at Australian zoo.

Where is everyone?

Does no one have anything interesting (or otherwise) to post?
It's snowing here this morning and all the trees are beautiful.

Happy Bleepin' New Year

Hope you rang in the New Year better than I did. Simba was begging for water from the bathroom faucet (as usual) so I turned on a drip for him and then came back to the front of the house and promptly forgot about it. About 11:45 (some 3 hours later) I started to bed and saw water in the hallway in front of my bathroom and heard an ominous drip, drip, drip ... The plug in the sink was closed and it doesn't have an overflow hole ... so it had filled up and run over for a long time ... besides the hall, the whole bathroom floor was full of water. So I started the new year by soaking up water and mopping up and draining drawers (yes, they were full too) until 2 a.m.

Hope this is not a preview of things to come ...

On the brighter side, I guess, I just ordered my two textbooks I'll need from half.com, and one of them is coming from Cordova, Tenn.

Hope your New Year is good.