I Me Mine, I Me Mine, I Me Mine

This pizza is many different flavors of Wrong. Don't click on that link if you're hungry, because you won't be hungry after clicking. (Check out the calorie breakdown for even more horror.)

Thanks (um, I think) to shadesong, who was never crazy enough during Blogathon to want to eat this...

A "glass sponge reef," a type once thought only to exist in the fossil record, has been discovered 650 feet under the ocean surface off Washington state.

My dad will appreciate the description of "the reef of yellow and orange sponges, which look something like hollowed-out, supersized Cheetos."

I didn't know this: the Tears For Fears song "Shout" was written after member Roland Orzabal had done primal scream therapy. (Though, as Orzabal himself says, there's more to it than that.)

Speaking of "Shout": sighted once, written into the crevice between bathroom tiles: Shout, shout, let it all out, these are the things I can do with grout...

While I have a little break, I'll post a couple of links that struck me as interesting:

J.K. Rowling on what happens after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (OBVIOUSLY spoilers. In fact, I'll bold it: Spoilers!).

Matt Groening and Simpsons writer-producer Al Jean with details on The Simpsons Movie.

Later: And another for now: a pro wrestler named Chris who (I'm glad to say) HASN'T died; Chris Nowinski talks about the not-enough-concern over concussions in contact sports. Which sounds obvious, but that injury is likely drastically underreported. yendi, you might like this story...

Thoughts coalesce and express themselves at interesting times. This came up today in an e-mail exchange between me and co-worker David. First, he (he being "D.") fake-whined about my request he do something:

***

D.: How am I going to remember all that???! Oh, all I have to do is reread this message, I guess. Ah, the self-fulfilling prophesy. Nothing beats planning to fail, I guess.

Me: Exactly. I try to be very aware of self-fulfilling prophesies. When someone says they have a "senior moment," I tell them that that reinforces the idea that your brain worsens as you grow older, when in fact forgetfulness happens at all ages. I prefer either "brain lapse" or, even better, "brain ****" (y'know, the word that rhymes with "art"), because it sounds like something anyone can do, and about as consequential. In other words, calling it a "senior moment" makes it something to worry about; calling it a, well, my second term makes it something to amuse you.

[Editor's note: I can add here, in my journal, that it's "Brain Fart," but I thought putting that in an office e-mail was pushing it...]

D.: I've always like "cognitive mishap," a term I first heard in a music class I was taking in college. It amused us all. It's simple, gets the point across, and is sufficiently erudite that it makes it somewhat of an oxymoron, in a peculiar sort of way...

***

There could be other terms, too: "Mental hiccup," maybe? The point is, THEY HAPPEN. But they happen to everyone. Don't think you're feeble because of it.

You're welcome.

OK, folks: this week at Firefly at the Mission we get Saffron in the flesh and Jayne, um, as a statue: that's right, Tuesday's double feature is "Our Mrs. Reynolds" and "Jaynestown," and at least for "Jaynestown" we (meaning "I") need to prepare. Thus, here are the lyrics to the song that gets sung in the bar:

The Man they call Jayne!

Oh, He robbed from the rich
and he gave to the poor.
Stood up to the man
and he gave him what for.
Our love for him now
ain't hard to explain.
The hero of Canton
the man they call Jayne.

Our Jayne saw the mudders' backs breakin'.
He saw the mudders' lament.
And he saw the Magistrate takin'
every dollar and leavin' five cents.
So he said: "You can't do that to my people."
said "You can't crush them under your heel."
So Jayne strapped on his hat
and in 5 seconds flat
stole everythin' Boss Higgins had to steal.

Oh, He robbed from the rich
and he gave to the poor.
Stood up to the man
and he gave him what for.
Our love for him now
ain't hard to explain.
The hero of Canton
the man they call Jayne.

Now here is what separates heroes
from common folk like you and I.
The man they call Jayne
he turned 'round his plane
and let that money hit sky.

He dropped it onto our houses
he dropped it into our yards.
The man they called Jayne
he stole away our pain
and headed out for the stars!

(Here we go!)

He robbed from the rich
and he gave to the poor.
Stood up to the man
and he gave him what for.
Our love for him now
ain't hard to explain.
The hero of Canton
the man they call Jayne...