Realm of the Wombat

And to send 2006 out with a cynical bang: Found-To-Do-List

Fun game for you trust-busters out there: Anti-Monopoly

10 Most Bizarre People on Earth

Happy Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Saturnalia, or anything else you might be celebrating this time of year!

Does anyone remember the pre-Daily Show Jon Stewart? I don’t remember much about him, except that MTv kept giving him shows. They weren’t funny. I didn’t think anything he said was funny. When Stewart replaced Craig Kilborn on The Daily Show, I actually thought it was a step down for Comedy Central (if that’s possible). He’s has since redeemed himself with bits such as this and become a huge star. Unfortunately, this collection of short stories was published in 1999, so it’s more of the MTv days and less of the Comedy Central days. It’s full of irreverence for the likes of Martha Stewart and Bill Gates, which I appreciate, but it’s just not that funny.

I told myself I’d go to the top of the Campanile when I finished my Ph.D. I got within a middle name of keeping that promise. Thankfully I didn’t jinx it by going up a little early.

North: Evans Hall (front right) and Engineering buildings, North Berkeley in distance

East: Chemistry complex (front left) and Memorial Stadium (rear right) in front of the hills

South: Hearst pool (center), Barrows Hall (right), high-rise dorms and Durant Hotel (left, center), Telegraph Ave (right) leads to downtown Oakland

West: Life Sciences (center), downtown Berkeley, SF Bay and the Golden Gate (rear)

Here’s to a green 2007: Stop receiving junk mail. I’ve tried some of these tips, and they actually work.

The Kite Runner is the five-tool player of books; it does a lot of things well. But, as with many five-tool players in baseball, it has no truly outstanding points. The plot is good, but a tad formulaic. The theme of redemption has been done better elsewhere. I hoped this would be sort of an Afghan analog of Reading Lolita in Tehran, but even though Afghanistan is the initial setting and the culture is referred to frequently, I don’t feel like I learned that much. If you don’t expect miracles, or if you need something to read on a plane, then it’ll serve you well.

Terry Gross’s interview with the current funniest person on the planet, Ricky Gervais

I went to Berkeley this past week to file my thesis. I made my final corrections, collected my signatures, and headed off to the graduate division.

I was so happy, I think I was skipping across campus.

But when I met with the person in charge, it became clear that there was a problem with the title page.

I got my name wrong.

It’s not quite as bad as it sounds. I included my middle name, which was not on file with the registrar. This left me with two options: (1) reprint the title pages and collect a new round of signatures or (2) change my name with the registrar. I probably could have pulled off option 1 with some quick feet, but with the end of the semester fast approaching, I really didn’t want to take the chance. Thankfully, my new Illinois license has my full middle name, so the second option became viable. The registrar was able to do this, but the system didn’t update in time for me to file the thesis myself. Good thing I have some mighty trustworthy labmates to sort this out on Monday.

And then I’ll be a doctor.

Zephyr’s YouTube pick of the day: Amateur drummer

Melissa and I had our first experience with the Illinois DMV yesterday. If you ever need an IL driver’s license, Deerfield is the spot. Short lines, friendly people. I like it.

Our tale of woe from the DMV has to do with a fellow IL resident. You see, our compatriot requested a copy of the written test in English. This was strange since he didn’t understand the worker’s instructions that were spoken in English. He then sat down, filled out the exam, and returned it to the counter. Every single answer was wrong. Even recognizing a red octagon as a stop sign. The DMV worker’s theory was that he had a copy of the test at home, and that he memorized the answers for that test. However, they have multiple tests at the DMV. Our friend’s ignorance of English probably didn’t help him understand these accusations. He did know one phrase in English though. As he left, he said “I try again tomorrow.”