Here we go again.....

1. Traditional ::
2. Popeye ::
3. Gin ::
4. Harsh ::
5. Topless ::
6. The thing ::
7. Defiant ::
8. Huge ::
9. Food ::
10. Lenny ::

You know the rules. My answers in the extended post..... more...

Posted by: caltechgirl at 08:16 PM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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If you could only watch 10 currently in production TV shows, which would they be?

In no particular order:

House
Psych
The Dresden Files
Ugly Betty
Deadliest Catch
The First 48
Burn Notice
The Closer
Around the Horn
Pardon the Interruption

Stolen from Ith's LJ.

What about you?

Posted by: caltechgirl at 12:20 AM | Comments (14) | Add Comment
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As many of you know, from my occasional posts about the subject, my dear friend Helen is 26 weeks pregnant with twins after a series of failed bouts of IVF.

Last night brought word that our girl was in the hospital, with hydronephrosis and a terrible kidney infection.  She's being treated for the infection and the twins (her Lemonheads) are being monitored for any signs that they want to jump ship early.

So far so good, as there's no sign yet of early labor and the antibiotics seem to be helping the infection.  However, the doctors don't know whether or how they'll treat the hydronephrosis.

Which is all a long way of saying that our girl needs love and good wishes and prayers, which I am sure she and Angus can feel and do appreciate, even in the UK.

Please drop by and give her some love and encouragement.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 09:58 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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I know, I am both a geek and a Google whore.

But I love google talk.  Not the least of which includes the fact that you can run Gtalk from your Gmail without having to download the chat program or that you don't need to add people to your list manually, all you have to do is send them an email from your Gmail account.

But by far my favorite aspect of google talk is the "status message" that you can customize.  That's so much better than "available" or "not available"

Recent status messages I've posted:

I am not among the rice-eating robots
I wish I'd never been broiled
I have a date with Harry Potter
Ice!  We have Ice!
I'm afraid of Farmer Shootypants too

I've noticed some of you getting into the act too! Notably sarahk and Paul Burgess who usually have an amusing message attached to their avatar...

So, fellow googleheads, do you have Gtalk?  Do you like to leave wacky messages on your "status" line too?

Posted by: caltechgirl at 11:45 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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Of course, I was done with HP7 on Thursday night, courtesy of the dude who photographed the "carpet" book. Thanks, bud. You rawk.

We did go out yesterday morning and get 2 copies, and I finished it with DH yesterday evening (we were reading aloud).

To make up for it, we set ourselves up for some more serious house work, and this morning we nearly finished the front room.

But this evening I am going to snuggle back up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione and re-read a few favorite moments.

So, what did you love? What did you NOT love? Spoilers sure to abound in the comments, if you're a slow reader.....

My own thoughts in the extended: more...

Posted by: caltechgirl at 04:09 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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This week's Unconscious Mutterings:
1. Situation ::
2. Theme song ::
3. Kelly ::
4. Club ::
5. Swerve ::
6. Couch ::
7. Bigfoot ::
8. Arbitrary ::
9. Inventor ::
10. Blazer ::

As always, my answers in the extended and feel free to play along in the comments! more...

Posted by: caltechgirl at 11:29 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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1 1. Situation :: room 2. Theme song :: MASH [?] 3. Kelly :: Suburban Blight 4. Club :: Gitmo 5. Swerve :: crash 6. Couch :: potato 7. Bigfoot :: sasquatch 8. Arbitrary :: random 9. Inventor :: marconi 10. Blazer :: truck

Posted by: pam at July 17, 2007 06:21 AM (l6NIn)

2 Now that I've seen yours, my answers look weird... always happens like that.

Posted by: pam at July 17, 2007 06:23 AM (l6NIn)

3 1. Situation :: Normal, All F****** up (SNAFU) 2. Theme song :: ????? 3. Kelly :: girl 4. Club :: DV8 5. Swerve :: squirrel 6. Couch :: potato 7. Bigfoot :: hairy 8. Arbitrary :: legal system 9. Inventor :: Edison 10. Blazer :: hot

Posted by: Mrs. Who at July 17, 2007 12:39 PM (YU6UF)

4 1. Situation :: Normal 2. Theme song :: Gilligan's Island 3. Kelly :: Clarkson 4. Club :: Med 5. Swerve :: Sharply 6. Couch :: Potato 7. Bigfoot :: Big shoe 8. Arbitrary :: Law enforcement 9. Inventor :: Edison 10. Blazer :: White

Posted by: Jay at July 17, 2007 06:35 PM (Z7+lJ)

5 1. Situation :: Upheaval 2. Theme song :: John Williams 3. Kelly :: Irish (World Cup, of course) 4. Club :: Beaters 5. Swerve :: flying car! 6. Couch :: common room 7. Bigfoot :: Crabbe 8. Arbitrary :: Educational Decrees 9. Inventor :: Nicholas Flamel 10. Blazer :: Ginny Weasley

Posted by: sarahk at July 20, 2007 03:47 PM (QLpkT)

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Care to play along?  As always, my answers in the extended...

1. Happen ::

2. Terribly ::

3. History ::

4. Master ::

5. Petrified ::

6. Moan ::

7. Attack ::

8. Picture ::

9. Students ::

10. Potter ::

More weekly mutterings here.
h/t Quicksilver Jenna more...

Posted by: caltechgirl at 12:07 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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It's time to make your "official" predictions for who lives and dies in Harry Potter 7. No major prizes, just brownie points and maybe gratutious linky love. Your prediction should have two parts: 1) Does Harry make it, or not? 2) Who else did she kill off?

Even if you've only seen the movies, I'm interested in other people's takes on it. Especially if you disagree radically, or if you agree, but for different reasons. Post your predictions in the comments. Contest ends July 20, 2007. Void where prohibited. Do not fold, spindle, or multilate.

I'll start: My own "official" prediction is Snape and Hagrid. Maybe Draco Malfoy. Snape is a good guy and proves it via his death. Similarly I suspect Malfoy bites it to prove his own "redemption". And poor Hagrid is the "Innocent" of the stereotypical hero myth, so I suspect he gets caught in the crossfire and his senseless death serves as a spur to Harry's ultimate action against He Who Shall Not Be Named. I think Harry lives too. He almost MUST. And if Harry lives, Ginny probably does too. Remember, Harry WILL end up with Ginny. Hermione is in love with Weasley. Speaking of, if she kills off either Ron or Hermione before they get a happily ever after I will hurl the book at whatever is close and cry for a while. Profanity will be uttered, too. Deep, dark profanity, of the sort that forms the proverbial cloud over Lake Michigan...

this post inspired by sarahk's

Posted by: caltechgirl at 07:21 PM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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1 I think Neville or Hagrid will die. Oooh - or maybe even Professor McGonagall! I can't wait to get my hands on this book.

Posted by: Kate at July 09, 2007 08:15 PM (XargM)

2 I'm thinking Snape and Neville for sure will die. Snape either because he's proving he's good like you posit or because he's unable to do so. I lean slightly on the Snape is bad side of things though - Dumbledore wasn't completely unfoolable. I kind of wonder if she's going to kill off Ginny though - it adds to the tragic hero bit for Harry (everyone who loves him dies - reference his parents, Dumbledore, and now Ginny) plus it has potential to cause a rift between him and Ron, which she seems to delight in doing. I don't think she'll kill of Harry simply because she's a business woman and knows that doing that really kills off the franchise, no matter how many spinoffs might come from side characters, without Harry she loses a lot of her audience.

Posted by: beth at July 10, 2007 04:45 AM (YxbTJ)

3 I can buy the Snape dying. I believe that Rowling has tried to make this character as misunderstood and at times, ambivalent as possible to later "reveal" that he was working on the good side afterall. Maybe that's wishful thinking. Along with wishful thinking, I hope Draco has some sort of redemption. Rowling again has set that up by showing him as fearful and hesistant during the sixth book. I hope that leads to him to the good side. But I don't want him to die. But that could be poetic at the end if he dies in an attempt to save Harry. I think a Weasley *MUST* die. I don't hate saying that too much either. I don't want it to be one of the twins but I would not be surprised if it were Ginny or Ron. Better Ron than Ginny, I say. And the foreshadowing of Ron sacrificing for the good of the mission has already occurred as witnessed in the chamber of secrets. As for Harry dying? No way. Not in a million years. If she kills off Harry, she'll alienate her younger fans who won't understand his death and that could be tragic for the entire "Harry Potter" enterprise (ie. the theme parks, merchandising, movies, tv specials, possible sequals)...As Beth said, it'd be a bad business decision. Although the Christ allegory that some claim that the Harry Potter series references would be better served if he *did* die (...and maybe somehow was revived/resurrected?) -- but Rowling can still keep that allegory strong by making it clear that Harry Potter is WILLING to die, willing to lay down his life for the greater good. And yes, I'm done. I'm way too involved in this series, as you can tell.

Posted by: Jody at July 10, 2007 06:20 AM (IEpte)

4 I'm hoping they kill of Jar-Jar Binks.

Posted by: wRitErsbLock at July 10, 2007 06:33 AM (+MvHD)

5 I do not believe that Harry will die. He has scraped by too many times to build up to...his death? no way! I think that Neville will die. I also suspect Luna could go and maybe even Ron. I expect that Scabbers/Pettigrew will die because of the debt he owes Harry that must be repaid. And, I suspect that Snape will also shuffle off, though I'm still on the fence as to whether he is good or evil, or perhaps just out for himself? I don't know. I can tell you that I am primed and pumped and farookin' ready to get my hands on the book!

Posted by: Phoenix at July 10, 2007 06:43 AM (4N2f4)

6 If a Weasley has to die, I hope it's Percy.

Posted by: Jenna at July 10, 2007 07:58 AM (fd/rX)

7 I don't think that Percy will die, that's too easy. The readers have no real emotional attachment (other than thinking he's an absolute wanker --hehe-- gotta use the British terms). If he dies, I think another more likable Weasley will die too. And yes, on the baddie side, Pettigrew will have to die, I think she's set us up for that. (And Voldemort as well)...

Posted by: Jody at July 10, 2007 08:05 AM (IEpte)

8 I've never read any of the books nor seen any of the movies, but the rest of my family are card-carrying Potter-heads. This is what I tell them: The BIG SECRET in Book VII will be that Harry and Hermione are really brother and sister and that Valdamort is their father. He'll die only after turning good and reconsiling with Harry. In the meantime, a loveable army of House Elves will save Hogwarts from a surprise attack by the armies of darkness. There are times when my family doesn't like me very much.

Posted by: Robbo the Llama Butcher at July 10, 2007 08:20 AM (0JsTF)

9 I'm scared to guess...I know at least two characters will die, maybe more. I'd say Hagrid, Hermione, and maybe Draco. No matter what, I'll be getting my book at midnight and reading it straight through.

Posted by: Mrs. Who at July 10, 2007 08:34 AM (9FXen)

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Name all 43 Presidents. It took me less than 5 minutes, but I would have been done in under 3 if I had remembered who was before old Abe sooner.

It's not super hard, as Presidents with the same last name are entered together when you type in the name. The timer starts when you click the link.

h/t El Capitan

Posted by: caltechgirl at 03:32 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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