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How babies are made… in Germany. HOLY COW. (Probably not safe for work, by the way, even though it’s apparently an actual children’s book.) I still remember just enough German to follow the text. And, um, I just learned a lot of words that I never learned in high school Deutsch.

From Wikipedia:

From the moment he wakes up with gum in his hair, things just do not go Alexander’s way. At breakfast, Alexander’s brothers Nick and Anthony reach into their cereal boxes and pull out amazing prizes, while all Alexander ends up with is . . . cereal. His teacher doesn’t like his drawing of an invisible castle, he loses his yo-yo, there is no dessert in his lunch, the dentist tells him he has a cavity, there is kissing on TV, and he has to wear his railroad train pajamas (he hates his railroad train pajamas). No wonder Alexander wants to move to Australia! The book ends with his mother’s assurance that everyone has bad days, even people who live in Australia.

Even people who live in Australia. Indeed.

ESPN has a really nice article about Notre Dame interhall football. I played for my women’s dorm (GO P-DUB!), but it’s not taken quite as seriously as the men’s version. I mean, the players themselves take it seriously, but since the girls only get to play flag football the cost and insurance issues aren’t so great. Also, I don’t remember that we ever cut anybody from the team. It was more of just a fun thing to do, rather than some fulfillment of a childhood dream or anything. (Link courtesy of RT, who played Defense.)

The “broken windows” theory of crime is correct. That’s neat! I’d heard that rule before but it’s cool that someone actually put it to the test. There’s a burnt trash bin around the corner from our house (no idea whether it was lit deliberately or accidentally by a cigarette butt) and every morning I see it I just mentally recoil. It makes the whole street look so junky. I hope they get rid of it soon.

More veggie box goodness tonight! We got celery, pak choy, a leek, onions, potatoes, carrots (real ones with the tops still on!), a sweet potato, a monster zucchini, lemons, oranges, apples, nectarines, and half a dozen organic eggs. Phew. I used up some of the potatoes and eggs making a Provencal salad. It also had cherry tomatoes, tuna, olives, capers, parsley, and green beans (including four from my garden!). The dressing is white wine vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard, and garlic. I served it on a bed of endive and baby silverbeet. If you liked the previous tuna pasta dish I made, you’ll like this one!

Photos from the Tim Tam production line. *drool* What I wouldn’t give to work in that QA department…

A Room With a… WHAT?
I just watched A Room With a View, the recent TV version that I recorded last weekend. I was prepared for it to suck compared to the Merchant Ivory production, but I was pleasantly surprised! It was less arty, but I think the story was simpler to follow. I really, really liked Rafe Spall as George Emerson. (I didn’t think anybody could top Julian Sands, but I think I prefer this earthier, sexier George.) But wait – did they insinuate that both Mr. Beebe and Cecil were gay? I could’ve gone along with that departure from the book… until the surprise ending. WHAT. THE HELL. George dies on the battlefield? Right after we see them triumphantly getting it on in front of the view of the Arno? And the final scene is her in the field with the carriage driver? That was the weirdest thing ever. Weird and depressing.

The complete screenplay for Wall-E. Just reading the ending made me cry again. (Link courtesy of kottke.)