hey, smart computer-code people --

-- you know who you are --

so is the new Friends Page code broken, or what? it appears that nobody's posts have any comments (which i know to be untrue, since i've read the comments), and when i make a comment, it appears as the only comment. when i go to read comments, i can see them all, but from the main flist view, it looks like nobody's talking.

i wouldn't mention this -- i'd think it was just a temporary glitch -- except that i know they were implementing Something New today, or something.

if this is the new default, and there's a way to make it stop, i'd very much appreciate hearing about it --

[eta: this is true in my own journal view, also, where it's even more annoying. i don't know how to report it to the people who know how to fix it, so, like, can someone take care of that for me? kthx --]

friday five

because even the kids who double-checked that i was having extra office hours haven't come to the extra office hours ...


1. What vehicle do you drive?

a 1999 volkswagen jetta. new body design, 5-speed manual transmission, 4 (i think) cylinders. used to be datlowen's. they say it's a bad idea to buy a car from a friend, but they assume everybody's not a grown-up, i guess.

2. How long have you had it?

since memorial day weekend, 2001.

3. What is the coolest feature on your vehicle?

i am totally in love with the one-touch power windows. nothing will ever be as cool as that.

4. What is the most annoying thing about your vehicle?

that's a toss-up -- on the one hand, it has like no ground clearance, so i've had to reinstall the belly plate once and replace it twice (and once even had to replace the oil pan, after a pothole cracked it while it was killing a tire and a wheel), and datlowen tells me he too replaced it at least once; and on the other hand, it still has most of the original belts, hoses, etc., which after the almost 60K miles that are on the thing are starting to give up the ghost, but only one at a time. seems like every few weeks something lights up and i have to take the damn thing to the shop. well, you've heard me complain about it.

5. If money were no object, what vehicle would you be driving right now?

if money were no object, i'd have a couple of different cars. a mini, because i think they're fun and sooper-cyoote. a passat, but i'd make them put in a gear box so reverse was where it belongs in a VW (when i test-drove the 2001 passat, reverse was at the bottom, on the right, behind 5th gear -- exactly where it is on every other car in the world. not where you expect it to be on a volskwagen). something SUV-like with 4WD for winter-time.

and probably etc.


oh! a student is here. perhaps i should do my job for a few minutes.

as usual:

it's the kids who get it who come to office hours. the ones who need it? don't bother.

in other news, i saw a girl this morning honest-to-god wearing a bagel on a lanyard around her neck. that's a new one for me.

two -- no, three -- items

1. happy birthday to lwood!

2. imelda is now coming to meet me at 4:00 monday afternoon. progress!

[eta: our three chief weapons are -- oh, come in again! ( cunning, witty, and a little bit drunk: )

]

in which fox is LAME

keep meaning to call, just to say hi.

keep chickening out.

advice/discussion welcome.

lotr marathon

theaters here.

DC people: dude, the hampton is cool, but ... uptown ...

edited to fix the just-woke-up-from-a-nap thing where i put "here" in italics instead of actually giving a url. tickets go on sale october 9 -- i.e. next thursday! -- for the marathon december 16/17 -- i.e. after the end of finals week!

oh, crap, does that mean i'll be grading on the 16th?

the gift

i've seen this before, although i don't quite remember whodunnit -- but right now, every few minutes the thought that hits me is this:

good god damn, miss cate blanchett is gorgeous.

just look at how pretty she is. like, jesus.