Lovely weather...
Jan. 25th, 2007 01:08 pmI live in the north partly because I really do prefer the weather here, overall. Today was an excellent example; it's been snowing for the past couple of days. Everything is white and pretty, and the snow is coming down moderately heavily, in the nice puffy flakes that indicate (relatively) warm conditions. It's in the mid-twenties, with a wind that's mild, not biting, and in normal winter gear (coat, gloves, hat), it's quite comfortable, and exposed bits on skin just feel pleasantly chilled. In my opinion, it's very much "the best of winter" sort of conditions, and entirely enjoyable except for its interference with my ability to read while I walk (although I'll take snow over cold rain any day of the week, since at least it brushes off reasonably well).
So far today's been a lot quieter than any this week so far. It's a very nice change; I was getting to feel a bit too harried and stressed for my liking. I'm not being very productive at home; nothing really desperately needs doing, and I've been enjoying being rather lazy. I've finished up Snow Crash, which I enjoyed a great deal. I was thoroughly surprised by how long ago it was written (88-91), and that impressed me even more. Right now I'm partway into Powerful Medicines: The Benefits, Risks, and Costs of Prescription Drugs. So far I'm finding it highly readable, and a good well-balanced look at the issues (although he does make a few snarky comments about postmodernism early in that grated on me just a bit as being rather "baby with the bathwater"). I called my Dad and read him the bit about the first recorded clinical trial being in the book of Daniel. It's definitely written to be comprehensible to the average layperson, and I'd recommend it to folks who don't have a strong science background (assuming it doesn't manage to irredeemably piss me off in the next couple hundred pages somewhere).
My DVR is being replaced again this Sunday, so I'm trying to get through everything that taped while I was away, most notably the Outlaugh Festival on LOGO, which has been entertaining. Kind of hit or miss, as any assortment of standup comics is likely to be, but we've caught shows by a few of our favorites between the actual festival and the Wisecrack marathon they ran during the weekend. I'm particularly fond of Elvira Kurt and Sabrina Matthews, myself, although there are some other good ones whose names I've forgotten at the moment.
Incidentally, Gender Rebel is a pretty decent documentary on genderqueer folks, although unfortunately limited in scope (the three people it followed were all young, white, female-bodied, and primarily dyke-identified). I'm not really sure whether it was meant as a one-shot, or whether it's part of a series. I'm hoping for the latter, since I'm glad to see the concept being discussed at all, but I'd like some more diversity in their coverage. And Out in Nature is amusing just for what it includes that most Animal Planet shows leave out. Yes, I suddenly remembered that I have LOGO (this happens every few months), and went crazy with the recording again.
I did see Happily N'ever After with the family last weekend. It was amusing fluff; chuckle-worthy but ultimately pretty forgettable. I got to introduce mom to Mirrormask, though, and Dad to V for Vendetta, which was fun. I brought Firefly and Serenity with me, since I'd introduced Dad to Firefly last year. I was pleased to discover it must've taken, since by the time I saw him this year he'd seen all the episodes and the movie (Dad's responsible for my introduction to Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Star Trek, and Aliens, so I get a thrill out of finding SF/F/Action stuff to introduce him to).
I never did write anything for Blog for Choice day. It was too busy on the actual day, and I don't feel I have anything profound enough to say to warrant going back and writing something belatedly. Still, I've really enjoyed a lot of the posts that resulted, so thank you to those of you who did.
I'll probably post some more stuff pretty quickly, since it's finally quiet enough to think, but I think this is enough randomness for one post.
So far today's been a lot quieter than any this week so far. It's a very nice change; I was getting to feel a bit too harried and stressed for my liking. I'm not being very productive at home; nothing really desperately needs doing, and I've been enjoying being rather lazy. I've finished up Snow Crash, which I enjoyed a great deal. I was thoroughly surprised by how long ago it was written (88-91), and that impressed me even more. Right now I'm partway into Powerful Medicines: The Benefits, Risks, and Costs of Prescription Drugs. So far I'm finding it highly readable, and a good well-balanced look at the issues (although he does make a few snarky comments about postmodernism early in that grated on me just a bit as being rather "baby with the bathwater"). I called my Dad and read him the bit about the first recorded clinical trial being in the book of Daniel. It's definitely written to be comprehensible to the average layperson, and I'd recommend it to folks who don't have a strong science background (assuming it doesn't manage to irredeemably piss me off in the next couple hundred pages somewhere).
My DVR is being replaced again this Sunday, so I'm trying to get through everything that taped while I was away, most notably the Outlaugh Festival on LOGO, which has been entertaining. Kind of hit or miss, as any assortment of standup comics is likely to be, but we've caught shows by a few of our favorites between the actual festival and the Wisecrack marathon they ran during the weekend. I'm particularly fond of Elvira Kurt and Sabrina Matthews, myself, although there are some other good ones whose names I've forgotten at the moment.
Incidentally, Gender Rebel is a pretty decent documentary on genderqueer folks, although unfortunately limited in scope (the three people it followed were all young, white, female-bodied, and primarily dyke-identified). I'm not really sure whether it was meant as a one-shot, or whether it's part of a series. I'm hoping for the latter, since I'm glad to see the concept being discussed at all, but I'd like some more diversity in their coverage. And Out in Nature is amusing just for what it includes that most Animal Planet shows leave out. Yes, I suddenly remembered that I have LOGO (this happens every few months), and went crazy with the recording again.
I did see Happily N'ever After with the family last weekend. It was amusing fluff; chuckle-worthy but ultimately pretty forgettable. I got to introduce mom to Mirrormask, though, and Dad to V for Vendetta, which was fun. I brought Firefly and Serenity with me, since I'd introduced Dad to Firefly last year. I was pleased to discover it must've taken, since by the time I saw him this year he'd seen all the episodes and the movie (Dad's responsible for my introduction to Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Star Trek, and Aliens, so I get a thrill out of finding SF/F/Action stuff to introduce him to).
I never did write anything for Blog for Choice day. It was too busy on the actual day, and I don't feel I have anything profound enough to say to warrant going back and writing something belatedly. Still, I've really enjoyed a lot of the posts that resulted, so thank you to those of you who did.
I'll probably post some more stuff pretty quickly, since it's finally quiet enough to think, but I think this is enough randomness for one post.