Upon having discovered that I truly am a nerd

I am really, really enjoying reading this Primer of Ecological Statistics. There's no denying it now. Will I ever be invited to cocktail parties again? Wait, have I ever been invited to cocktail parties? Gasp.

Medium

I am sometimes confused about medium. It's not because of the colored synesthesia that words remind me of painting. This week, though, I feel like I'm dancing. Ballroom dancing with a good partner. With the right words, I can feel that perfect pressure on my back, and I don't step on any toes.

Writer's block

Further evidence that bicycles are sexy

A man in a black Volkswagon nearly hit me trying to hand this little slip of paper to me while driving yesterday. I wonder how often he tries this tactic and what his success rate is. Also, does he carry pre-written slips of paper with his phone number on them just in case? Or did he somehow manage to also tear off a bit paper and write his information out, also while driving? As Matt would correct me, there is at least one way to find out.

1906

Someone found these old glass negatives of the 1906 San Francisco shake down. Pretty crazy. It kind of makes me want to read history books.

Lydia the Tattooed Lady

I'm kind of in awe of these lyrics...

My life was wrapped around the circus.
Her name was Lydia.
I met her at the world's fair in 1900,
marked down from 1940.
Courtesy of YouTube, watch Groucho Marx singing 'Lydia the Tattooed Lady

Ah, Lydia.
She was the most glorious creature
Under the su-un.
Guiess. DuBarry. Garbo.
Rolled into one.

Oooooooh
Lydia oh Lydia, say have you met Lydia,
Lydia, the Tattooed Lady.
She has eyes that folks adore so,
And a torso even more so.

Lydia oh Lydia, that encyclopidia,
Oh Lydia the Queen of Tattoo.
On her back is the Battle of Waterloo.
Beside it the wreck of the Hesperus, too.
And proudly above waves the Red, White, and Blue,
You can learn a lot from Lydia.

La la la, la la la, la la la, la la la

When her robe is unfurled, she will show you the world,
If you step up and tell her where.
For a dime you can see Kankakee or Paris,
Or Washington crossing the Delaware.

La la la, la la la, la la la, la la la

Oh Lydia oh Lydia, say have you met Lydia,
Oh Lydia the Tattooed Lady
When her muscles start relaxin',
Up the hill comes Andrew Jackson

Lydia oh Lydia, that encyclopidia,
oh Lydia the queen of them all!
For two bits she will do a mazurka in jazz,
With a view of Niagara that nobody has.
And on a clear day you can see Alcatraz.
You can learn a lot from Lydia.

La la la, la la la, la la la, la la la

Come along and see Buff'lo Bill with his lasso.
Just a little classic by Mendel Picasso.
Here is Captain Spaulding exploring the Amazon.
Here's Godiva but with her pajamas on.

La la la, la la la, la la la, la la la

Here is Grover Whalen unveilin' the Trilon.
Over on the West Coast we have Treaure Island.
Here's Najinsky a-doin' the rhumba.
Here's her social security numba.

{whistles}La la la, la la la, la la la, la la la

Oh Lydia, oh Lydia that encyclopidia,
Oh Lydia the champ of them all.
She once swept an Admiral clear off his feet.
The ships on her hips made his heart skip a beat.
And now the old boy's in command of the fleet,
For he went and married Lydia.

I said Lydia
{He said Lydia}
They said Lydia
{We said Lydia}
La La!

The way everything is made that much better with a fleur de lys

I was terribly pleased with the quiche I made with Matthew when we had our tiny dinner party on Friday. Such a lovely evening.

Accept the mystery

It has been a crazy few weeks. Everything that could have been wrong has been right. And now, listening to discussion of the nuclear holocaust on the radio, the last connection between reality and my feet has been replaced by space. The next two weeks should be quieter, and I'm looking forward to just letting it all sink in.

Section quartet

So good. Black Hole Sun is even better than the original. Swoon. I love me some string section.

Were you aware of it? vol. 32: Sibs

It's still just a factor, obv, but I find the explanation of how birth order affects IQ fascinating. It really is important to expose kids to sophisticated conversation. So true for my family, in any case.