In other news, I've finally created the long-awaited knife pony. Her name is Deirdre...the knife pony. I started off trying to create an online pony for myself and instead ended up with something that worked altogether too well as the knife pony not to make it. I think it came out pretty damned well...
Things that I deem anathema for State of the Union addresses and other public speaking events:
1. Standing ovations. The gesture has become cheapened to the point where if a production/speech/other public event doesn't receive it, the players involved feel unappreciated and unloved. I say screw that—let's take back the meaning of the standing ovation! No more of this "They're nice people, I guess they deserve an ovation, too" crap. The ovation was developed for use when merited, not whenever your friend from down the street or the president is involved.
2. Applause. We don't need applause after every sentence said in a presidential speech. So you're showing your "official support" or the fact that you've officially denounced whatever the man's saying. Who gives a crap? Why must you prolong the process by needlessly applauding? Further, the canned applause on television sitcoms must be abolished. It's probably one of the stupidest, most annoying things I can think of. "Oh, ha ha, it's so funny, the people are laughing, I must also laugh with them..." Right. Anathema.
Oh yeah, this is the part where I cobble together pieces of emails from over break and pretend they're the rest of the post. For now, I'll just mention that I read 14 books over break, half of which I completed within one 3-day period.
For the record, the new black-painted-steel fence with spikes on top bordering the main parking lot here on campus that makes it impossible to properly cross the parking lot is also hereby deemed anathema. Also for the record, J. rocks, as he built me a neat program that automatically deletes "font size='2'" tags in posts. For this he is awarded a shining moment of rockingness and the promise that I will finally manage to retrieve my package, complete with dead kitten, from the mailroom today.