gaspode's brain detritus

On every website I look at for Olympics news, there is invariably a medals table. And, except in one instance, the medals table looks how I expect it to look: in order of gold medals. So China is first. But this is the way that I have always seen the medals table represented!

The one exception is the NBC website (although I don't look at any other USA websites), which lists the medals in order of total won. Which, as of this writing, has the USA at the top. Back in the day, this would have annoyed me incredibly, and probably instigated a rant about US-centrism and blah blah to tedium. Now, it just makes me smile. Aw, America. You need to be first, don't you? It's been hard going the past few years, looking down the barrel of decreasing influence in the world, and obvious contempt for the fucking around in the Middle East. You need that little boost. I kind of want to give the US a hug now.

In other news, New Zealand is having a fucking awesome Olympics. Go Kiwi!

My friend Jan sent me this. Hee hee hee.

and just so as to not make it two baby-related posts in a row... today's xkcd is particularly awesome for those of us who completely nerded out in middle school and high school (and onwards...)

Is the book that mr. gaspode thinks he should write. He thinks it would sell much better than the one we have (the ubiquitous What to Expect when you're Expecting).

An empty inbox.

What are five words you really like? 
Submitted by purplesque.

Oh this is a beautiful question. In university, my friend S. and I had a list of words that we used to keep and try and work into our essays. I can only remember a couple of them; definitely mellifluous and parsimonious were two of them (keep in mind we were neuroscience majors). But there were a bunch more. Man, I wonder if she still has that list. I should email her and ask her.

From the same time period, but not worked into our classwork was autumnal. Probably still my favourite word, just for the images it evokes.

The term that I have constantly stuck in my head (it's been there for 8 or 9 years now) is seminiferous tubule. And I do like the word seminiferous. It rolls off the tongue well. I make up little songs about seminiferous tubules. Yeah, I'm odd. What?

Typically, I see around 3 or 4 movies at the theater per year. I would like to see more, for I love going to see movies, but always there seems to be something preventing me - other obligations of course, or they are on at a bad time, or not at a theater near me, or mr. g has to work etc. etc. But in the last couple of months, we've managed to see 4 movies all of which were pretty good.

1. No Country for Old Men. This went straight to one of my favourite movies of all time status. Beautifully shot, sparing dialogue, and a fantastic performance from Kelly Macdonald as Carla Jean.

2. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead. Poor movie. It suffered from me seeing it only a few days after the previous one. Very few movies would come out with a positive comparison. It was good, a good movie, kind of tragic in that inevitable fate kind of way, and a surprisingly good performance from Ethan Hawke. Also, I love Phillip Seymour Hoffman, always, all the time, anywhere.

3. Charlie Wilson's War. The movie you go see as a compromise because your mum is in town and you really want to see There Will Be Blood, but know that she will be bored to tears by it. Aaron Sorkin making politics look breezy and fun again. Also, I hate Tom Hanks. This movie made me not hate him. Not bad at all. And again with the Phillip Seymour Hoffman, gloriously chomping on the scenery as a Greek CIA agent.

4. Sweeny Todd. Well, I liked it. Opinions in our group were mixed, although my mother really like it. Go figure. I was distracted the whole way through because one of Helena Bonham Carter's boobs was continually hitched higher than the other one.

This week is the 100th week of Out of 5 posts, and to mark the occasion, we all have our own themes, with our own 10 songs. So there's 10X as much musical goodness over there, for a week. Go over and get some!

My theme is: The 80's Didn't Really Suck. I uploaded a song from every year and here's the playlist, from 1980 to 1989:

X - Your Phone's off the Hook (But You're Not)
AC/DC - For Those about to Rock
Men At Work - Down Under
Tom Waits - 16 Shells from a Thirty-Ought-Six
Van Halen - 1984 (...what?)
Mekons - Chivalry
Beastie Boys - Hold it Now, Hit It
Straitjacket Fits - She Speeds
Pixies - Gigantic
Fugazi - Margin Walker

I think it's a pretty sweet list, and I was trying to get a variety of genres in there. Well, I kind of achieved that.

This was our Thanksgiving menu:

Appetizers:
Cheeses, crackers
french onion dip, chips
bruchetta

Pumpkin soup, rolls

Main:
Roast turkey
Mashed potatoes
Roast vegetables (yam, parsnip, beet, fennel, rutabaga, scallions, carrots, garlic)
creamed corn gratin
winter salad
stuffing
gravy
cranberry sauce

Dessert:
blueberry bread pudding
pumpkin cheesecake
ice cream
blackbottom cupcakes

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
Brooklyn Pennant Ale
Pilsner Urquell
Yuengling
2 malbecs and a pinot noir

*burp*

A month ago, the USA women's team won the Venice Cup, the women's competition at the World Bridge Championships. When they were presented with their trophy, they put up a spontaneous sign stating "we did not vote for Bush". Now, they have been censured and among other penalties, are facing a years suspension, which will affect their incomes. So how far do their rights to express themselves freely, without fear of penalty, go? At my bridge club lately, surprise surprise, it's been quite the topic of conversation. 

Hee hee hee.