Om nom nom

Grilled cheese sandwich + tomato soup = delightfully simple, yummy dinner.

Things of interest, interest in things

I have this kind of perpetually changing list of "things that I don't know much about but think maybe may be interesting but not enough to really seek out information, unless I'm bored or just stumble across something on that topic in which case I'll take a look and see if it's interesting or not." This is a widely varied list (a great shock, I'm sure, to anyone who's ever met me) and currently includes topics such as cholera, the history of tea in the western world, whether the local train is diesel or what, and historical dentistry (don't ask).

It turns out that another item on this list was cricket - the sport, not the insects (which freak me the hell out). I saw a passing mention of a cricket and said, "The extent of my knowledge about this sports is 'flat bats' and 'it's played in an oval I think?' Perhaps I shall use the internet to educate myself."

Conclusions:

1. Apparently you can write out cricket scores as fractions.

2. I still really understand nothing about the sport.

3. Perhaps it's my cultural bias and ignorance, but cricket seems to be the stupidest damn sport ever. I reached that conclusion when Wikipedia informed me that a particular fielding position (which isn't always in the same place or something?) is referred to as the "silly mid on". It's like no one is even trying.

4. Cricket is, however, a sport which could be dramatically improved by adding one hungry grizzly bear per game. There aren't many sports I think that about (ice dancing is another that comes to mind), but cricket definitely belongs on the list.

What.

My attempts to understand what exactly the problem is with Britain's massive screw-up of an election have led me to the conclusion that there's only one good solution:

Write a freaking constitution. Seriously, the universe is trying to tell you guys something, and maybe it's that working from an unwritten, nonsensical system kludged together according to the changing whims of society of hundreds of years is perhaps not the best idea. Case in point: as far as this stupid American can tell a big part of the problem is that you for some reason need a supermajority in the House of Commons in order to have a prime minister, however, there's no real obligation to have a prime minister. There's no legal document that says,"Uh, yes, we need to have a head of government" - basically the highest office in the land is ruled by nothing more than tradition and momentum. That, amongst other things, strikes me as maybe something you want to fix? For god's sake, there's no shame in it. Just write some stuff down, come up with a coherent electoral system, and join the, oh, post-Industrial Revolution world!

Granted, what I'm really hoping for, solely for the "Holy shit" factor is for the queen to actually use the privilege that she does have and, you know, take over. Corgis and silly hats all around!

I no longer live in New Jersey

Right now, the first two stories on the local newspaper's website are:

Officials aim to trap foraging bear

and

New Mexico confirms first hantavirus case of 2010.

I swear, every time I start to think I love this place, I remember why it sucks. And then every time I start to think it sucks I remember why I love it. Some of the most beautiful scenery in the country? Check. Terrible, frightening potentially fatal disease spread by rodents? Check. Fantastic sunsets just about every night? Check. Recreational drunk driving? Check. Amazingly wonderful food? Check. Something like fifteen measly inches of rain per year? Check.

My nerd thoughts on Doctor Who, let me tell you them. (Spoilers)

I have finally watched both The End Of Time and The Eleventh Hour, and will be finishing my Who catch-up tonight. Spoilers ahoy!

So far I'm kind of lukewarm on Matt Smith's Doctor, but I was a big Tennant fan, so he's got some mighty big shoes to fill. His characterization seemed a little bit rough in The Eleventh Hour - but the terribly devious thing about Doctor Who is that, well, yes, he's in a sense a brand new person, so they have an in-universe excuse for it.

Amy seems like she'll be a decent enough companion, though there's kind of too many shades of both Rose Tyler and Donna Noble - she's a little bit dumb, working some stupid dead-end job, crappy/no family, etc. But I did grow to like Donna, and I'm willing to wait a bit before judging. I did really hope that she was actually a police officer, just because that would've been an interesting change, and I think it could've gone some amusing places. But oh well.

If someone could please explain to me the part where Martha married Mickey Smith, that would be great, because - what?

I [i]love[/i] the new Tardis. I will miss the old, more busted-up appearance, but as soon as I saw the spinny thing on the control panel and the hot and cold water taps I was in love. Sexy thing, indeed.

The Doctor's eagerness to have Amy join on struck me as kind of weird, because remember when he really was hesitant about letting his prior two companions on? Yes? Well, apparently he's not, and if that means we never hear a damn thing with him mooning over Rose Tyler again, I'll be pretty damn happy.

Prisoner Zero and the whoever aliens were pretty good monsters of the week - the part with the little girls in the hospital was surprisingly effective. Apparently Steven Moffat is now the writer and Russell T Davies is gone - which is good, because Davies gave us all sorts of mediocre-at-best episodes, and Moffat gave us goodies like The Girl in The Fireplace and Blink (which I still maintain is one of the best television episodes ever). So plot-wise, I'm feeling pretty optimistic, and I have a feeling that Moffat will also do good things with the characterization.

Did I mention that I love the new Tardis? And my god how much do I want to see the Tardis's library?