Update, Thoughts, and Links

Mixed verdict on the car. The warning light gave a code for a sensor, and replacing that is easy. They also flushed the transmission fluid, but they're concerned because we changed that last year and apparently it should last longer. The concern is that instead of the failed sensor causing the fluid to go bad, something deeper internal caused both. However, there's no way to know that, and for now the solution cost is in the hundreds, not thousands. Sadly, that's a plus.

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A Few Nice Things About Unemployment

1. I can stop what I'm doing and go kiss Carlos whenever I want to. Sweet kitty fur.
2. He can come and ask for a lap and nine times out of ten, I can oblige.
3. I started a baby blanket last Friday night, and I passed the half-way point today.
   

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A fun story in SI about Brad Marchand, the player Bruins fans love and all other hockey fans hate. I enjoyed reading it, but my one quibble is that it, as other national hockey coverage has done, claims or at least implies that President Obama gave Marchand the Little Ball of Hate nickname. Check the Globe archives and you'll find that the venerated Dupont has been calling him that for months now (here, for example, from last April, which I found via the arduous task of Googling "dupont little ball of hate"). Credit where it's due, people. The Presidents' speechwriters found it, not created it.

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When I see a clip on a blog or in an e-mail, I will often pass or at least put off long ones. Who has the time, right? But sometimes I do get back to them later, and a week after I first saw this on Bookshelf Porn, I finally got around to it. If you feel you can spare fifteen minutes, please go to Vimeo and watch The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, which was amazing and sweet and touching and thought-provoking. It's an animated short film, and it's nominated for an Oscar. I suppose it's not fair to say this when I haven't seen the other nominees, but I hope it wins.

If fifteen minutes is too much, what about five? I saw this clip on another blog, and really liked it. This is from Ellen, about overturning prop 8 in California, and the whole JCPenney kerfuffle. She handles herself so well.



Way to go!

Now, if you have more time to fill, I also recommend the charming German woman who built her own Tardis--collapsible and foldable! Obviously for Doctor Who fans.