Some random thoughts:* So now Sally Field is an expert on middle eastern diplomacy? Oh, wait, I forgot. She was in Gidget, so knows all about sand-covered areas. And she was The Flying Nun, so she has inside knowledge of aviation. And of course, she was in Smokey and the Bandit 1 and 2, so she understands...uh...torture techniques. Next up, Jessica "Invisible Woman" Alba discusses stealth bomber technology...
* So today is supposedly Pirate Day, and the hallways of my college are filled with dopey-looking 20 year-olds in three-cornered hats with plastic parrots on their shoulders muttering "Arrr this" and "matey that." Am I the only one who thinks this was originally a PR strategy by the fine folks at Disney, Inc.? And why just Pirate Day? Why not Cowboy Day, when we all call everyone "pardner" and walk bow-legged? What about "English Chimney Sweep Day" when we all smudge ourselves up and say "Can I clean your smokestack, gov'na?" (and still sound more realistic than Dick Van Dyke)? If we really want to seem like pirates, we should all dress up like the CEOs of breakfast cereal companies...* Speaking of breakfast cereals, I was thinking the other day about Freakies, a cereal I loved as a kid. Well, ok, the cereal was average, but the Freakies characters were fantastic. At the time, my friends and I were desperate to get a complete
collection of the Freakies figurines that came as premiums in the box, but none of us ever did. I've checked Ebay for 'em from time to time, but I've never found a set for less than $50 or so and...well...Mr. Hickman is one cheap SOB. Like most other collectors and fanboys, though, I dream of that one perfect garage sale... 
* A shout-out to my baby at work, who might be reading this. I love you, and I'm thinking about you. Now get back to explaining to ESL students why they can't use their debit card to check out books from the public libary...
*I like soup. It's ostensibly a simple food, but damned it's hearty, especially if you combine it with a hunk of grainy bread. I wish I had a big bowl of soup right now...maybe thick, creamy potato soup...or clam chowder...or a ham & bean...that'd be good. Gabriel's a big soup fan, too. Maybe we should have soup for dinner. Lea's not so much a soup person...though I'll bet she'd like some nice meaty beef stew. Mmmmm, soup... 
