I actually had nothing to do with it, it was all Tom Scola. I just boosted the signal.

Re: podcasts, X-Files Files is probably my favorite of late. It's an X-Files retrospective, and it's actually inspired me to start planning a Buffy retrospective podcast of my own. (Never mind that there are a couple out there already.) Episodes are 45 minutes to an hour long, but I usually have no trouble pausing and picking back up later.

I can't have cilantro without thinking I'm eating soap. I require the Oxford comma in my own writing, and any writing I edit for work because we use Chicago and they call for it, but I merely flinch when others don't use it and would always refer to the appropriate style guide before insisting on it.

I'm going to miss eavesdropping at work. I'm the only FTE in my department now. Sadface.

Moji said the family settled on the Angelus Funeral Home.

It's a bit on the nose, yeah?

So very. I feel like the employees should wear leather pants.

(I want to know if the staff wears leather pants. I'm sure they don't.)

Regarding the GRE troubles, it appears the only risk is being ineligible for big fellowships. Still feels like losing a shot at almost $40,000 ($4,000 a year more than the regular funding over the course of 4 years, then a fifth year at upwards of $22,000), but if I'm admitted (and I expect to be admitted), I'm guaranteed full funding for 4 years (stipend + tuition + health insurance) - it's just a lower stipend, 4 years instead of 5, and comes from the department instead of the university's grad school office. And doesn't have a prestigious fellowship name attached to it. But I've done the math and I can live on even the lower stipend just fine, and if necessary I can supplement with summer gigs, tutoring, and freelancing. And probably doing research and publishing will be more important than a named fellowship.

So, actually not really anything to stress over except that I might have to hurry up and take the GRE to get some usable scores in, but I did a practice test with a terrible headache at 4am today and got 93rd percentile verbal and 56th percentile math, so I'm in good shape even if I don't study, and I plan to study.

Angelus Funeral Home

Oh, my. I can't imagine anything more appropriate.

JZ, I listen to several of the podcasts mentioned above, as well as The History of the World in 100 Objects and Kevin and Ursula Eat Cheap. The latter is a podcast where two people (and occasional guests) eat weird, cheap food (and sometimes weird, not so cheap food that people send them) and rate them. They also drink during the show and rate their beverages. It can last 1-2 hours, but there's nothing suspenseful. I just find it kind of hilarious. There are also random digressions on art, politics (they're lefty liberals), gardening, computers, sex, drugs, roadtrips, and so on. Ursula is, among other things, a cartoonist, children's book author, grownup's author, and illustrator (the Dragonbreath series, Digger, etc.)

So, hey...

I'm so tired of students, college students. Just the thoughtlessness, the self-centeredness, the undue sense of entitlement. I hates them, precious!

I think every person between 18 and 25 should be...not killed, but...stuffed into another dimension. I'm all grumpy old codger yellin' "Get out of my universe! Stop ridin' your bikes across my plane of existence!"

Ooh, wait!

"Get out of my brane!"

Beverly, were you looking for the link to the quote generator? It's here [link] and also in the Buffista Link on the sidebar. The reload button is on the page there.

I'm so tired of students, college students. Just the thoughtlessness, the self-centeredness, the undue sense of entitlement. I hates them, precious!

Yeah, I live in a college town, and I get this sometimes, too. My favorite bar was chosen because a) it has great cocktails and comfy furniture and b) college students never, ever go there. But I still have to dodge them on the way there. Or so I've been led to believe. I'm open to alternate theories.

Hi all. So I was judging a speech tournament today and there was a prose piece about an 18 year old girl who had debilitating migraines due to a head injury sustained in a swimming accident. At the beginning, a doctor tells her, "well, you won't die from it, you'll just always have extensive pain." I just about broke down crying right then. Had a hard time paying attention to the rest.

Kiba, I'm sorry but I missed what you're going to be studying

The word "just" is so horrid, ChiKat. That's so hard.

Podcasts: I just started listening to Compulsory - a podcast about people who make stuff. it's about the right length. spilled milk is a shortish & non- serious food podcast I enjoy.

What I've noticed is that often podcasts are shorter at first and then gradually get longer.