Weather Pixie

I'm really enjoying my weather pixie, who you might have seen on the right hand side of the screen. She, through the wonders of technology, gets updates about the weather and time of day and changes clothes to fit the situation. She, oddly, often seems to be wearning clothes and carrying things I might actually wear, such as jackets with cute little (fake) fur collars and one of the original i-Macs. (Although she sometimes also wears fishnet stockings and belly shirts. And she should wear warmer clothes when it snows.) She also is sometimes accompanied by a little black cat who looks a lot like Mao. If you choose to get your own weather pixie, you will have choice of gender, ethnic background and haircolor.

A belated happy birthday to Sarah

Elvis Mitchell and The Treatment

I think in one of Kate's posts she mentioned Elvis Mitchell, former NY Times movie critic. I always enjoyed reading his reviews- insightful and well written- now he has a radio show that is podcast from a Santa Monica station. (You can also subscribe through the iTunes store.)

Each show is an interview- interesting guests, great questions. This week, the guest is Chris Rock. It is really fun.

Rome

Does anyone else watch this show? I didn't like it that much when I watched part of an episode last season, but now I am completely sucked in. Sex! Violence! Italy! Hunky guys with Brit accents! Completely anachronistic dialog!

I have to admit, part of the reason I gave this show another look was hearing the fabulous Brian K. Vaughn (author of Ex Machina, Pride of Baghdad, Runaways and other great comix titles) talk about how much he liked it at one of the panels Calvin moderated at NY Comic-Con. He just started writing for Lost- maybe it will get better now? (The last couple of episodes have been an improvement, except maybe for the Locke one).

Any TV show is better when you can watch 5 or more in a row. Thank God for HBO on demand (and of course DVR in all its forms).

Yankee Fans

Anders continues to show his good taste, sporting a Yankee hat and eating a bagel. I think he is trying to say he wants to come to New York City.




Or maybe he just wants to be like his grandfather.

Veronica Mars News

My loyalty to Veronica Mars has been sorely tested this year by its atrocious depiction of feminists as unreasonable, vengeful, and, of course, ugly. Still, VM is (ironically) one of the strongest, coolest, smartest female characters on TV. The show is on the chopping block, as, apparently, people would rather watch the contest to become the next Pussycat Doll. But here is some news:

A) From Watch With Kristen:
1. Creator Rob Thomas is shooting a five- to six-minute featurette of a new version of Veronica Mars, which is one of three options the CW is considering for next season (cancellation, renewal or new format).

2. This new Veronica version takes place four years in the future, and features Veronica as a full-fledged FBI agent. (This morning's Hollywood Reporter incorrectly reports that in the new featurette, Veronica is still in the FBI Academy.)

3. Kristen Bell is the only castmember who is part of this "FBI years" trailer/featurette. It is not yet known which other castmembers would come on board if the CW chooses this option. Veronica's current cast and crew were informed of the featurette yesterday (hence, the widespread panic and cancellation rumors running rampant—and my panic attack).

To help save the show, send a postcard to:
Dawn Ostroff
President of Entertainment,
The CW Television Network
4000 Warner Blvd., Bldg 168
Burbank, CA 91522-0002

B) From a fellow Veronica Mars fan.
If you need a Kristen Bell fix, she will be on 2 episodes of Designer to the Stars on the WE network tonight (the 24th). The designer helps Bell "transform her backyard into a doggie paradise that's also a people hangout."

I've started my food blog

You can check it out at http://www.kymskitchen.com/

It is early days yet but I am looking forward to it.

Excused

One of my student's was arrested at this protest. I gave her an excused absence.

Alive and Living in Oswego

On Friday, an article about Doris Caroline Brown Allen meeting Richard Nixon appeared in the Post-Standard. Yesterday, there was a correction, which explained the article had "mentioned that Allen, a Democrat, was spotted and greeted by Hosmer Culkin, a prominent Oswego city Republican at the time. Unfortunately, the passage described as 'the late' Hosmer Culkin. Mr. Culkin is alive and living in Oswego."

St. Patrick's Day in Oswego

Aya and Steve Earle

My article on the graphic novel Aya appears in this week's PW Comics Week. This is a great book. Set in Ivory Coast in the 1970s, it follows the lives of several teenage girls and their families. The author, Marguerite Abouet, originally from Ivory Coast herself, wanted to show a different side of Africa that than the one of war, poverty, and illness usually seen in Europe and America.

In other news, I went to see Steve Earle at the Blue Note on Tuesday. He is really a charismatic performer. Who knew that country boy and his wife now live in Greenwich Village? He is in love with neighborhood in an adorable way--he kept talking about at the historic sites around the Blue Note, like the house where John Reed wrote Ten Days that Shook the World. I love it when people love New York. Lefty to the core, he kept the anti-war patter going, to a pretty receptive audience. Maybe that is why he left Nashville for New York.


Speaking of Greenwich Village, there was a shootout just blocks from my house that left three people dead. Yikes.

Sout Texas Spring

First we have Clio and Oso relaxing after a hard day outside. Then we have the pictures of the Yuccas otherwise known as Spanish Dagger. These catui bloom at this time of the year and are a favorite of mine. The blossom is actually eaten by many in Mexico. These photos were taken at the Laguna Atacosa Wildlife Refuge where we often ride our bikes. Several miles of the ride go right alongside the bay and it is a great ride even on the windest of South Texas days. I am traveling to Oswego tomorrow and hope to post from there. Happy Birthday Jody!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Jody

Three Conferences in one Month

I haven't been posting too much lately, it has been a busy time. I attended 3 conferences in one month (with a workshop I organized on the other weekend)- is this a record? Perhaps only for me.

The first conference was the College Art Association- it was in New York, in a huge midtown hotel. Interestingly, I have no pictures of this event (is it a visual meduium? not at the conference level.) I managed to attend many, many panels - my strategy was to go to each meeting for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Depth is not my thing, apparently, at least when it comes to art discussion.

Next was the fabulous NY ComicCon- second annual in New York. Kate has already posted about this. Not as much fun for me as San Diego ComicCon- but how can you compare the Javits Center in February with San Diego in July (when I am officially on holiday?) It was great fun to cruise the floor with Kate and, as in San Diego, with Marianne and Matt . I also attended the Diva art fair (Digital and Video Art) at Embassy Suites in lower Manhattan with Kathy that weekend- this was also really fun- mostly videos displayed in hotel rooms.

This weekend, I am in Covington Kentucky at SIGSCE. My life has taken an unexpected turn, when the one event of these three in which I am a participant is a conference on Computer Science Education. Chris Stein and I were invited to present our work on our National Science Foundation grant. Chris was not able to attend since his wife just gave birth to their first child.

Aging Superheroes

Anakin Skywalker

View of Cincinatti from my hotel room in Covington Kentucky

Our powerpoint presentation and poster at SIGSCE.

Me and Steve Cooper, guru in Alice programming curriculum, a generous, energetic and smart man. We adapted his curricular materials as part of our grant. Steve was very helpful in giving us feedback, and he also ran a workshop for us last January.

Our Friend, John Neck

Dad has made news with the Texas Civil Rights Review. You can check also check out the article on the OpEd News website. It is funny to hear Dad described as "his friend, John Neck" since Dad is such a force in and of himself, but we are very proud of the work he is doing. He likes to hang back these days and let others take the credit, but we all know that the protests wouldn't be possible without him. You go Dad!

News Alert: Cat Seen at Century 21

I was in the shoe department at Century 21 when I noticed a women with three cute little dogs. On closer inspection, I noticed she had two dogs and a cat. As my dream is to have a cat I can take everywhere, of course I had to talk to her. I learned she had started walking Willow with her dogs when she got him as a kitten a few months ago. Now, he doesn't even use a litter box--he just waits to go out with the dogs. Like Audrey, Willow is a Russian Blue and we bonded over what wonderful cats they are --smart, sweet, shy but adventerous. Here is a blurry cell phone picture:




Lest Audrey be jealous, here is photographic proof that she continues to be the cutest girl in the world: