I love Billie Piper and find her to be an extremely attractive young woman, and not a horrible actress. But WHY is she always in period pieces (except for Dr. Who). She is not right. (I am still watching PBS)

The bubba effect is basically the people dumb enough to think a black man can't or shouldn't be president, but not dumb enough to admit that to a pollster.

I thought that was called the Bradley effect.

The bubba effect is basically the people dumb enough to think a black man can't or shouldn't be president, but not dumb enough to admit that to a pollster.

So it's people who (a) will choose based on race, and (b) feel bad enough about it that they'd lie to a pollster about it? I must admit, my first thought is that if I didn't want to vote for Obama, I'd have no problem telling a pollster. I'd just lie about the reason.

Anyway. Was there a bubba effect in the primaries?

Wait, I've found an analysis thereof. [link] Apparently if anything there was a reverse Bradley effect, except possibly in the Northeast. It seems the Bradley effect was significant in the 80s and 90s, but it's no longer such an issue.

Well, sorta, I think the Bradley Effect is people that want the pollster to think they'll vote for the black guy but they don't. But I would distrust any political sentence from me that doesn't start "Keith Olbermann says..." That said, in the Buffista admin, I would *love* to work in the Ministry of Kill The Stupid People.

Skipping the last 673 for now:

I got to see my brother defend his diss and it was AWESOME. The first half (background) I didn't really understand (it was lingo heavy, but he clearly knew what he was talking about) but the second half, about the experiments themselves, I did, largely due to his talking about them to me over the past 4 years, and providing lay translations back then. He got some tough questions (and this was after his private defense with his committee) and fielded them well. It was so cool to see my brother clearly the expert, and confident in that. Also, him in a suit. He wears them frequently enough, but I haven't seen him in one since my college graduation. So I'd be watching and there'd be this realization that this smart-sounding, grown-up, good looking dude was MY BROTHER.

We keep calling him Dr. Josh A. and he's quite discomfited by it. So we use it measuredly. Like when we want to annoy.

He totally used the picture of me and the Rover in his dedication and said "and my sister, who shown here is about to hit the Rover with a rock." Ah, siblings.

I got plenty of time with the nephews. D glommed onto me (he'll be 6 this xmas) and I was clearly The Person To Do Stuff With. Which is just awesome. I did a lot of coloring and reading books. When I arrived, I picked up him & T from daycare and took them to the airport to pick up my parents. Now, T is 16 months and can't possibly remember me from a year ago, but he was excited to go with me and clearly felt totally safe with me. Which is a nice feeling.

From the airport, I called my brother on my cell and put D on the line (remember, he didn't know I was coming.) My brother was so confused! It was great. I love sitting around with him, just shooting the shit like we do on the phone and I got to do a lot of that.

Great 4 days. More later, as I think of it.

I really want them closer.

Loki is BONKERS which is making Devi BONKERS. Tonight will be interesting.

And I DON'T have a build tomorrow.

Shuttle mission was moved to 10/14.

That sounds like a wonderful weekend, sara. Congrats to Dr. Bro.

Had a good but crazy hectic weekend. Had dinner with Polgara and bon bon and bon bon's fiance.

That sounds lovely (the dinner.)

Turns out, I think my brother and I were the calmest of the crew. PJ hasn't been able to eat well for the past week. My mom's stomach was all knotted up. My dad was uncharacteristically circumspect in not arguing with anything and everything under the sun.

I *knew* Josh'd do fine. He knew he knew his stuff, he doesn't get nerves. He channels all his fear into excitement (c'mon, he races cars) and totally knows he does that.

Now? He's worried about getting a postdoc.

I can see worry about getting the postdoc too. The defense is a Big Deal. But then the post doc is the rest of life.

I just watched In Bruges. Not all of it, but enough to know I still love Colin Ferrell and I am reminded of how much I loved Bruges when I visited.

I'm trying to articulate why the politics from the pulpit thing irks me so much.

I *knew* Josh'd do fine. He knew he knew his stuff, he doesn't get nerves. He channels all his fear into excitement (c'mon, he races cars) and totally knows he does that.

Um, he's a PhD who races cars? ::hearteyes::