Xuemei said an interesting thing - that when learning some things, sometimes it is better to not think, and sometimes it is better to think too much, than to only half, distractedly think about it. She was knitting at the time, but another good example I think is martial arts (natch). Sometimes it is better to not think at all, and just let your body do it (you performing the action, as opposed to your mind telling your body to perform the action). And sometimes to learn you have to have complete focus. But too much thinking can hinder the body from doing its thing. Either way, only half-thinking about it never gets the job done.

The Phantom of the Opera-with Emmy Rossum and Gerard Butler. For the most part, I liked this version better than the original. I definitely liked Rossum over Sarah Brightman, in any case. I wish I was still taking literary theory at the moment, as there are so many things going on in this musical that deal with the uncanny and the abject, not the least of which being the Phantom and Christine's reciprocal identifications (tied in with so many mirror motifs!). Carolyn even noticed a narcissistic catch in the song with 'the point of no return' line in it, in that that might be the point where the Narcissus-figure (practically tripled in this case) realized it can't have itself, as it were. And then there's the whole mask motif, I mean....yes, well, I could go on.

-The Free Fall Research Page - possibly silly, but I like the line, "Mount it and ride, cowboy!"

-Tucson Roller Derby - Rollerskates. Violence. Yes.

-Eric Kellerman Photography

-Varieties of English - probably better with some linguistics knowledge, but still kind of fun