OK, I was having a horrid day, the kind where you can't decide whether to kick a hole in the wall, strangle a co-worker, or cry. Then I saw these bunnies. OK, now I'm in a good mood again. And I have my Christmas list all sorted. Lots more ridiculously fluffy angora bunny pics here.

I think we can all agree that the Intarweb is a fabulous crutch for the socially impaired. Communicating via e-mail and blog posts ensures that we never have to speak off the cuff. Rather, all our thoughts are carefully crafted, re-worded and teased into something that... well... if it's not perfect, at least it won't be instantly regretted. On the other hand, the Internet forces us to be explicit about our associations. Where else do we have to actually ASK people - "Will you be my buddy?" "Will you join the esteemed ranks of my Google Talk contact list?" "Will you add me as a friend?" Ack, it's horrible. Can't I just HAVE friends, without having to spell it out? Seriously, if someone you knew came up to you and said, "Are we friends?" what would you think? A) This person that I formerly thought was cool is actually creepy. B) Oh God, I have terrible B.O. and this is an intervention. C) Yeah, I could make out with this person. D) No, I'm NOT helping this person move. E) F$#%&-ing Amway.

Patterns from the next Interweave Knits are available here. Discuss. I'm digging the Brooklyn hat, but I doubt I could pull it off.

The new Knitty is up, and most of the patterns are kinda weird for me. But, I love the knitted nautilus toys! And, after looking around on the designer's blog, I found a great compilation of "geeky" knitting patterns, which included a lot of patterns I've never seen before. I really like the knitted double helix, as well as the knitted plate tectonics scarf. If I start now, I can finish them in time for Christmas. I have a LOT of geeks in my life.

I just learned something new! Apparently, it's possible (if rare) to end up with a different speech accent after having a stroke. It happened to this American woman, who now sounds as though she was born and raised in London. And this woman, from England, speaks like a Parisian after her stroke! This raises so many questions. And in case you think this is a tardy April Fools joke, you can read more about it here.

If this story on Cockeyed doesn't make your blood run cold, I don't know what will. If you thought that tearing up those pesky credit card offers was sufficient to protect you from identity theft, you were wrong. If you thought that credit card companies would recognize a clearly fradulent credit card application, you were wrong again. I heart my shredder.

So I'm attending at least 2 weddings this summer (there's still time, ladies) and I've decided that it is time for me to learn how to dance. In my mind, there are several options: 1. Take a dance class, dammit. The UW offers a couple of beginning social dance classes through their Experimental College, and they're pretty cheap. However, this would involve exposing innocent strangers to my special brand of arm flapping, butt wagging, and white-girl-overbite. Nuts to that. 2. Learn from a DVD! Oh, this has potential! All my embarrassing mis-steps can be hidden away in the privacy of my own living room. However, there is no guarantee that what passes for funky foot action in my living room would be acceptable in public. I need an objective observer. Preferably an expert. Most preferably Johnny Castle. 3. Learn from a cassette tape! I didn't know this was an option until I went searching the library catalog for dance DVDs. Apparently, I can learn to mambo with Betty White. Ohhhh that is so awesome. According to the library catalog, the tape provides "spoken dance instruction with music to practice dance steps of the mambo." I can't see how this could possibly fail. And, after I learn to mambo, I can move on to her "Learn to Peabody", which I didn't even know was a type of dancing but I'm sure if I master it, I can win some sort of award. Ba dum bum. The only problem is that it's a cassette, and I don't think I own anything that plays cassette tapes anymore. 4. Moving our way through all available media, I can also learn to Lindy Hop on a VHS tape. Yes, I still have a VCR, but it's not hooked up. That can be remedied. There are a couple of holds on the library's copy, so that's indication enough that the Lindy Hop is sweeping the nation! 5. Once I get the Lindy Hop under control, I can move on to the Arthur Murray VHS tape "Dancin' Dirty". OK, I guess they had to switch the words around a little to avoid copyright infringement, but I'm not sure if Arthur Murray is the foremost authority on Dancin' Dirty. Which, of course, brings me back to Johnny Castle. Something tells me I'm never going to be invited to another wedding in my life.

I just can't get enough of Dinosaur Comics. And now there's a book! My birthday is coming up. Just sayin'. And yes, I have put a little bit of thought into making a comic of my own. I've even done a dry run on the back of the envelope that my Visa bill came in. That's serious. I verified that I can't draw, and messed around a little with computer animation. I think the key is that I need to integrate my comic into my dissertation research, so that I can justify spending time on it. Didja ever notice that pancreatic cancer isn't funny? Sigh. Another scheme foiled.

Perhaps the worst post title ever, but everything is all a-scatter in my brain-ular region. 1. Help, loyal readers, help! I need some ideas for places to find cool handmade jewelry online. There's always something cool listed on Daily Candy, but the jewelry tends to be on the expensive side. 2. When is the spring Knitty coming out anyway? I've been waiting for AGES! 3. My response to the "what's on your iPod" meme: Pink Moon - Nick Drake Now This is Fun - Depeche Mode Chorinho - Pepe Romero playing Villa Lobos Little Maggie - Ricky Skaggs Sei Tu - The Dining Rooms A Little Respect - Erasure Ice Cream - Sarah McLachlan Root Down - Beastie Boys Star Shaped - Blur Get the Balance Right! - Depeche Mode Split - K.M.F.D.M. Hillbillies in a Haunted House - Austin Lounge Lizards So Wrong - Patsy Cline I can explain. 4. Is "Unan1mous" the most f-ed up show ever to pollute the airwaves, or am I just clueless? We cancelled our cable last month, so maybe I'm not aware of what passes for entertainment on the other channels nowadays. Participants! Sleeping time has expired! 5. I appreciate that y'all took my advice to check out the UW quad, but could you do me a favor and stay out of my shot? Yeah, thanks. 6. I'm re-doing my freakishly long Waving Lace sock. Behold. This is how far I had to rip back. Stay tuned. 7. I'm currently addicted to books by Ian McEwan. I've read Atonement, The Cement Garden, and The Innocent in the past month or so. His writing is really amazing, verging on disturbing. It's not too often that the written word can produce a visceral reaction in the reader, but McEwan's prose is startlingly effective at doing just that. I think the common theme in his books is perspective. He'll either tell the same story from the perspective of different people, or show how people can be so wrapped up in their own perception of reality that they can do truly horrific things, and accept them as normal. 8. I just spilled a little bourbon in my keyboard. I don't think it minded a bit.

These pictures are almost identical to the ones I posted last year, but I can't help it! The cherry treese are so beautiful in person. If you're in Seattle, do stop by the UW quad and take it in before the blossoms begin to fall.