A Very Short Megillah

It’s the book of Esther in six quick images.

I drew them in ink.

Then I painted some larger, similar images in acrylics.

I scanned the original drawings and printed them out. These were hand-colored, cut out, and attached to Popsicle sticks to be used as puppets.

I colored these using ye olde MSPaint. (Click to see them full size)

The same thing that we do every night

Professor MacKay is plotting world domination.
Over the course of a quarter I take a lot of notes. And to stave off boredom I keep a dossier inside of the spiral notebook's back cover on personal information that the teacher advertently or in, drops into the lectures. For example, last quarter I noted that the classics guy was a Presbyterian. All that I had on Mackay was that he came from a small town in the eastern part of the state. But yesterday he had a chattier hour than usual. It was revealed that:

1. He is fond of Hungarian goulash


2. He would like everyone in the class to take 3 or 4 more classes from him to complete a minor in his specialty.


3. We should attend the Grad program that he chairs in Governmental Analysis.


4. And follow that up with law school

I could easily conclude that he intends for us to get jobs with think tanks, NGOs, run for office, and pretty much

RULE THE WORLD in his image.

The Writer’s Art

Got 91% on the scary midterm of doom. Some of the people who I studied with did even better -- which is good right? I'm sure that exposure to their mad study skilz rubbed off on me. Two papers left to write and then the quarter is done. I'm not nervous about the writing, cranking out like a thousand words each, while not piece a’ cake, is highly do-able. I do have some anxiety about the research part.

In more fun writing, I submitted a few short stories about differently sized elephants to my school’s literary journal, and I may shoot them some verse as well. Won’t know for about a month if anything is accepted.

And Purim is coming up soon. Last year I wrote a skit and this year I'm considering a song. Of course I also have my famous stick puppets… If you guys are lucky, I will scan them. So check back in a few weeks for puppet goodness.

Grousing

The Cheney debacle is pretty close to Murder Most Fowl Of course it could remain a minor mishap with some amusing pockmarks as a souvenir. Either way, it's a place in history that some good ol guy woulda never had otherwise

Endangered species

Fascinating article in Salon today:
"As kids in New Orleans are turned away from filled schools, the city gambles its future on charter schools." http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2006/02/13/n_o_schools/#

It's not how schools are funded that's important, it's whether they exist at all.

Also...

I saw an eagle today!

It was roosted in the bare branches of a deciduous tree just accross the bike path from the lake.

Anatidae have swum and also flewn

If you don’t know the tune to Jakers
And my paean to Potter you’d like to croon
Just scroll back a couple of day-kers
And sing it to the Brady Bunch tune

Just five days ‘til my birthday cakers
Candle-lighting will be at noon
Celebrate for goodness sakers
If you’re a pirate, bring me a doubloon

Then we’ll go to Washington Lakers
It’s close by, we’ll be there soon
Look at all those ducks and drakers
Swimming in a bird platoon

For breakfast I enjoy oat Quakers
Eaten with a runcible spoon
George Bush prefers to have corn flakers
Bugs Bunny would call him “a maroon”

Harry Potter Song

(The sad violin music that accompanies the Harry Potter movies is really quite touching. But I prefer something with more pep. Sing the following words to the tune of the Jakers cartoon theme.)

This is the story of a young wizard
He lives with muggles, in conditions foul
But he knew he was destined for greatness
When his mother sent him an owl

Harry, Ronnie, and Hermione
Study magic at the academy
Incantations and Quidditch
But there's a mysterious enemy

If you'd like to learn levitation
And meet mythical beasts of old
There's a charm for every occasion
Some day we'll turn lead into gold

Dang'rous secrets are hidden in Hogworts
Don't believe everything that you see
This potion calls for frog hearts
We love the life of Wizardry