Miscellaneous Notes

[stoutfellow]

I was going to write the third part of my knot theory discussion today, but I find that I need some information that I don't have at home. In the meantime:

• I loathe the phrase, "Get a life". I think that, if anyone ever tells me to get a life, I will take theirs.


• I find that, though I can use the word "lunch" in a sentence without any trouble, if I use it in isolation I'm automatically reminded of a certain scene from A Fish Called Wanda. (Yes, that scene. Poor fishies...) John Cleese and Jamie Lee Curtis are wonderful in that movie, but Kevin Kline just steals the show.


• I don't understand the thinking at UPN. Okay: you are UPN, the smallest of the six national networks. In "Veronica Mars", you have a critically-acclaimed but relatively low-rated drama. So, after its wonderful first season, you move it opposite one of this past year's breakout hits. "Lost" will eat VM's lunch next year. As matters stand, if I must choose between the two, I'll probably stick with VM, but the season finale of "Lost" hasn't aired yet, and there's some chance that I'll change my mind. Buggrit, anyway.


• I've added John Cole's "Balloon Juice" column to my favorites list. I'm growing disenchanted with the Volokh Conspiracy, my previous main window into the right blogosphere, so the discovery of Mr. Cole pleases me.


• I put in an Amazon order yesterday. Among other things, I ordered two CDs, Neil Young's "After the Gold Rush" and "Johnny's Greatest Hits", by Johnny Mathis. I'm of two minds about buying "Greatest Hits" albums. On the one hand, it's a reasonable way of making sure you'll be happy with the contents. On the other, you're giving up the pleasant surprises that you'll find on other albums. (You also give up the unpleasant surprises, but in my experience the pleasant ones are far more common. Consider Don McLean, for example. Many people know "American Pie"; rather fewer, but still quite a few, know "Vincent"; but how many remember "Sister Fatima"? "Empty Chairs"? "Everybody Loves Me, Baby (What's the Matter with You?)"? Wonderful stuff.)