Things I learn from the mass media vol 1.

So...from reading and seeing the Da Vinci Code....clearly I.M. Pei is the new head of the Priory Scion.

Also learned from television....vampires and succubi can't enter your threashold unless you invite them in....so be careful who you let into your house....you never know if they are a force of evil, a mormon...but what is really the difference?

lacrosse semifinals

so, I am watching the syracue vs uva game....and I am disturbed by the commentary on the duke lacrosse situation.

1) The denial by lacrosse pundits that there is a problem with lacrosse...and this is purely a duke lacrosse problem. I will not deny that Duke had its problems, but....I have rarely met a men's college lacrosse player that didn't feel a certain sense of entitlement and this sort of feeling that they are above the law.

2) One point I think they did point out correctly, that a lot of the problems we are seeing across college athletics are caused by alcohol. Having spent a large portion of my adult life on college campuses, it is not just the athletes, it is a pandemic problem. I think partially caused by the rather puritanical view of most Americans to not let their children learn to drink responsibly before college. Europeans have us on this one. What these commentators have missed is that this problem is not just limited to athletes, it is across campuses. It is just that when athletes are involved, the university is involved and thus, heightened media attention.

3) The major thing these commentators are missing is group behavior. All of these people are asking for individuals to stand up in the face of wrong doing. Well....home many people do that....what have we learned from many years of social psychological research, people tend to conform to the group. Even a token group identity produces a great deal of pressure to conform due to the effects of social desirablity. Do we not learn lessons from the past....oh wait...we don't....and that is why we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past.

4) Do you want to know my view on the Duke Lacrosse situation.....at first, I wouldn't have been surprised. When I was at Duke, I was glad I was friends with them, they had my back. But I was always aware it was a situation where I knew something could go horribly wrong. Perhaps we can blame it on the CSI effect...and yes it is real, but the lack of a conclusive dna sample makes me a bit skeptical.

New Baby Friend

So my friends Dani and Pat just had their second baby...Jacob.....I think he is pretty good looking for being born on Friday!

by popular request

Some new pictures of the "Joss"

Yup...she is cute...photos courtesy of Dr. Kathy

New Apartment Mate

So...in the end of June Sir Grizzly Bear and I will be moving into a new place together. We just picked it out today...so I am moving back to mountain view. It is a nice place, much bigger than my current place, with a much larger kitchen......so I am happy. It also has a huge balcony for my plants, and for enjoying the sun...but not too much, as I burn way too easily....as I was reminded yesterday at Mateo's birthday party.....I am pretty much a lobster today.....it hurts to touch my arms.....

New Monkey Genus!!!!!!

This kind of made my day....it hadn't been going that well...until.....
this... new monkeys in africa!

And here are the cute little guys in action!

Gettin' the job done

So truth and i went to get some things at wallgreens...and I needed some tp....

As we were heading home...i read the back of the package....

"Soft... but not too soft. With an extra layer to get the job done."

That cracks my shit up quite literally.

Meet my new Llama Steve

He is down there at the bottom of the page....he is cool...check him out....

Apparently the name steve is catching on....while reading deadspin today they named a horse steve

In other news we were supposed to go to a birthday party tonight, but the birthday girl is ill....poor thing...although we may still go...waiting to hear from the newcastle and german brigades....

Oh...I forgot to mention....there is another new steve....steve moose stevenson...he is from canada and has a lovely maple leaf sweater. He likes to watch me work and watch the tv...so we get along well....

Life in the Park

So...I am still recovering from the sprained foot....which means a lot of sitting on the couch....and with Sir GB in Vancouver at a conference, I have to do everything myself....poop....

But I have been rather productive...paper number 3 from the dissertation...it is almost done....paper number 2 will go out in about a week or so.....still no word on paper number 1.

I have done a lot of programming for our next experiment....

I must remember to upload my knitting photos and update gerbil knits as several projects have been completed recently.....damn...i am a slacker....maybe later today....

C is for Cookie

I discovered this hysterical video today C is for Cookie I highly recommend it.....

I like it when they shave rosie's head....it is sweet!

Weekend Update

So...the foot is improving, but I can only walk short distances....otherwise it hurts a lot.

I threw a little birthday dinner for tahu last night....it was a nice little sicilian feast....

here is the menu

I am just busy writing papers and knitting up a storm....it seems a lot of people I know are having babies....I should be posting some finished objects on my knitting blog soon enough....

oh...i forgot...i just got my copy of on homans, in which Karen and I have a chapter. While not in Hungarian....it is still kind of exciting! Yeah I probably need to get out more....

and in other news, I was absolutely delighted while at Kepler's books today....I disovered that Simon Schama is giving a talk in may. I am definitely going. I loved his specials on the history channel.

last but not least....i ordered my regalia.....instead of the gold sociologists have white....so....i'll get to wear that once a year for a while....i think it looks like a batman beyond version of academic regalia.....pretty sweet

Sir Grizzlie Bear Comes to His Senses

So he has returned to Sir Grizzlie Bear from Sir Grizzlie Bastard.....he called last night realizing the errors of his ways....apparently I am hard to resist.....so my singledom only lasted less than a week....that is good....b/c it sucked.....but I am kind girlfriend....so I guess I won't make him repent too much......

Happy Easter all of you Christians.

I got a LLAMA

His name is Roo....or more specifically steve roo llama stevenson....I adopted him...no he doesn't live in my apartment....it is too small for a llama....instead he lives at a llama sanctuary...

Truth and I adopted him....we were going to get a sheep.....but a llama needed us more.....since I don't have a real pet, I will live vicariously through Roo

An Amusing Easter Tale/Tail

Many moons ago....when I was a little gerbil....we spent Easter with my paternal grandparents....if I recall correctly, I wanted to get up and get my basket and find eggs, etc....as small children do....well my parents said I had to wait for my grandparents to wake up....well we all knew they slept a lot later than we do....so I decided to wake up my grandmother by singing that classic easter song.....here comes peter cottontail.....well....I was about 3 maybe 4 and this didn't come out quite right....in fact....i jumped on her bed and sang "here comes peter cock and tail"....needless to say this woke up grandmother and I think got my dad in trouble....oops...

and to this day it is a classic holiday song in my family.....

remembering this made me chuckle...not many things have lately...so I thought I would share it with you my faithful readers...

Update on the Gerbil

I want to thank all of my family and friends that have been so excellent lately...Those who have called, emailed or stopped by to check on me...or have helped me get up and down my stairs....crutches aren't easy. My foot is getting better, although it has turned purple....see the photos....I'll try to get a better one, but it is hard taking pictures of my feet.....

I am doing ok....

Bad things happen in Threes

So I have had a pretty shitty past 24 hours....so I am hoping bad things only happen in 3s.

I am newly single, have sprained my foot falling down a flight of stairs at school, and my grandfather is dead. That is the short version.....the long version, I don't want to go into it....so if you actually know me, don't call...It is too hard to get up and reach the phone....I have to get the crutches, etc....so it is likely you will get the answering machine anyway.....and I don't really want to talk about anything...I am OK.....I am just having a shitty day.

Just thought I would update you, my faithful readers.

day two at sse

so.....what you missed from last night....is that...aromas is the best bar in athens georgia...if you go, ask for taylor or scott....and please discuss punk and/or indie rock/philosophy or anything else random...

they are total sweeties.....and will serve you a nice glass of wine and perhaps a bela bartok....and if you have to ask who that is....well....you are shit out of luck...

well...other observations from the conference....there is a certain awardee of the cooley meade award that resembles a yellow gummi bear..... please investigate and submit answers...a knitted gift will be awarded to the first correct comment....Kristen, you are not eligible....

yesterday...what i forgot to mention was that we were on lock down......George W. Bush was at the UGA campus and we were not allowed to leave our building between 9 am and 2pm....it was lame....it rocked...i saw a police steve dog stevenson...and it was cute...but they wouldn't let me play with it...b/c they are lame.....

so...tonight we headed back to aromas....where we were named the favorite regulars...except we won't be back next weekend...so sad...if you are in athens...see those boys...

WE GOT A MUG

So we came to the social structure and emotions conference and all we got was a stupid mug....


actually kristen and i are having fun.....but we did get mugs....i'll take a picture when i get home on sunday!

we have found jesus, god, success it is gwynnet, the mammoth chicos of doom...and of course the home depot....

oh and we found steve snap snap stevenson...who is a girl.

Hungarian Version

So several years ago I wrote a chapter with my lovely advisor for the following book:

Creating Social Trust in Post-Socialist Transition


I had an english version of the book...but today I received the Hungarian Version.....

Clearly this will be of much use in the future....well at least I can put it on the bookshelf....

The McRoberts

So...apparently I have been a bit confused....in watching the duke games....I have been impressed with the freshman bigman #2 McRoberts....I kept talking about him as Omar McRoberts, which I thought was a slightly odd name for a very large white man....well...then I discovered the source of my confusion.....
Omar McRoberts is a professor of sociology at U of Chicago, he wrote this cool book, streets of glory....

The basketball player is Josh McRoberts....but I will not remember that and continue to call him Omar....so there you go....

Also I hate Lee Malchionni.....the man missed a wide open dunk in the most embarassing way....then.....airballed a 3 pointer....please coach K don't let him play!