List of things I do not understand:

1.) Alignment software
2.) Phylogenetics software
3.) State songs

Virginia's "emeritus state song" is "Carry Me Back to Old Virginia" (sometimes spelled "Virginny") which completely fails any PC tests. The move to replace the state song has been on since 1999; the interim state song is "Shenandoah".

"Maryland, My Maryland". You have to wonder about any song that proclaims "Avenge the patriotic gore/That flecked the streets of Baltimore" in the first stanza; it took even Francis Scott Key a little longer than that to fall from metaphor to invoking actual blood.

The District of Columbia doesn't seem to have any sort of official song. Too bad; it might be as charming as the DC license plate.

Chiming in on local gossip: got damp biking to work last Thursday, and got a more thorough soaking today. I cannot predict cloudbursts to save my life - or at least my jeans. I'm watching the weather with a mix of childish glee and horror. On the one hand, water! Lots of water! Flooding the metro, when was the last time that happened? And ohhh, lightning. On the other hand, chaos, turmoil, and property damage are not cool. At least no one's died yet, though that could change; predictions seem to call for even more rain tonight.

Judging by the deafening number of comments I've gotten lately, I'm apparently even less amusing than usual, so let's make this an interactive post. Reply to this with a topic you'd like me to pontificate on. I'll give you a paragraph, unless it warrants a post.