Land of Lakes and Volcanoes

I like stupid TV. It provides background noise and it doesn't require thought, and now that I can watch pretty much anything I like on Hulu , I often have something streaming. Despite not having time for a real post, I have enough time to watch Angel in the background. Yes, Angel, I said stupid TV. And Buffy is making a guest appearance. Let me just say, I haaate Sarah Michelle Gellar. Ugh, ugh, ugh. She's just so, vapid. How is it possible to be more vapid than these other characters? It's the blonde, wide-eyes, I'm so innocent yet so hurt and hard, ick. She's like a really stupid doll. And it's not just Buffy. It's every character she's ever played. She has four whole emotions and none of them are very believable. Sorry Buffy-ites, but there it is.

Courtesy of Pharyngula .

On the one hand I'm happy - yay diversity! On the other hand, how can it be that this is actually the first Hispanic to lead a university system in the US? In 2009??

There an article in Monday's LA Times about Jill Biden going by Dr. Jill Biden. Good for her! Apparently, this strikes people as pretentious, funny, and unnecessary. It was also pointed out that Lynne Cheney has a doctorate, and went by Mrs. Cheney. Good for her! I don't understand why this is pretentious. The argument made in the article is that usually only MDs go by Doctor. That is patently false. A doctor in a professional setting introduces herself as Dr. Whosawhatzit. If you met her on an airplane, she'd probably just tell you her name. People meet medical doctors in a professional setting every day, so we're accustomed to hearing MDs go by Doctor. In their corresponding professional setting, the university, PhDs go by Doctor as well. If you met one on the airplane, they, much like the MD, would just say their name. As the wife of the VP, she is perpetually in a professional setting, and is asking to be introduced in professional settings by her profes...

A women's shelter in Rock Hill has closed due to lack of funds, as explained in the State newspaper . This really is sad, as women who are homeless are at a greater risk of becoming victims of violence than men in the same situation. Not that that's an excuse, like, oh, the guys can take care of themselves, but across the nation there are consistently more programs and shelters available to men. This problem is true here in Columbia as well, where I used to do some volunteering at the shelters, which were all exclusively for men at the time. Even more unfortunate is the lack of family shelters. The separation of males and females at shelters is designed to reduce the likelihood of problems occurring and to protect women during times of vulnerability (showering, sleeping, etc.). However, when there are no family shelters available, men and women may be separated by long distances, and losing their one remaining source of support. The situation is really quite sad. All of th...

I feel sorry for my left eye, really I do. Like any biological indicator of the health of a larger system, my left eye is in sad shape lately. Let me explain. When I have a horrible headache, it is accompanied by eye pain. It becomes difficult to see, and I experience a throbbing behind my left eye. When I am under a lot of stress, my lower eyelid twitches. I'm not kidding. I wish I was, as I fear this makes me look crazy. Finally, when I cry too much, I get a mother-freaking sty. Always in my left freaking eye. Really? Really? In the past week, all three of these things have happened. Maybe this is an indicator that I need more sleep. G'night.