in britannia

I discovered that the someone across the street from me has a wireless network up that is completely and totally unsecured. This makes me lucky, and that person stupid. However, I find that I cannot access the network at peak hours, if only because my antenna is so bad that I can only squeeze out 1 or 2 mbps, rather than the 54 that I am capable of. Such is life, I suppose.

I've been watching the Olympics and I must say that it is truly touching to see the American flag rise up over all of the other ones. I am also truly proud to be a citizen of the country that brought the world Olympic beach volleyball, which is not so much a sport as it is borderline soft-core pornography. As one of my friends put it in an IM chat: "yeah, it was distracting though. i mean, i'm a straight woman & still found myself watching their stomachs more than their playing". A sports commentator on NPR was saying this morning that beach volleyball is his favorite sport to watch in the Olympics. I mean, they look really good, but I'd prefer to be able to concentrate on the skills rather than their bodies. Interestingly, I was also watching the gymnastics team competitions yesterday and today. I was struck by the fact that the women were wearing makeup. What kind of bizarre sport asks its competitors to wear makeup before competing? Creepy...

I'm finishing up tutoring for the summer: it's been great, and I wish all students the best as they head back to school in less than a month. Good luck especially to those leaving the safety and sanctity of the P. school as they head off to college. I'm leaving NJ on Saturday, never to return again (or at least, not in the near future), and will be spending the next month in Boston. I'll leave for England sometime in late September (if I receive a college room, then in October, if I don't and have to look for my own housing alternatives, then late September). It's so depressing not knowing where I'll be living...