Perhaps never have I been so happy to see Thanksgiving come. While normally it acts as a simple holdover until Christmas, this year it was a blessed respite from the ongoing siege of physics work. The general mood about the department was so jovial about the holiday that it was difficult (and frankly nonsensical) not to join in. The only downside was that the usual desire for understanding was wholly replaced with a far baser yearning for completion. I shall see tomorrow if the determination gained from our turkey-stuffed intermission will be able to overpower the force that another impending holiday will surely exert.

My friend from Oregon paid a visit over Thanksgiving, and I will not hesitate to say that we managed to live the high life. We cooked up a storm on Thursday (leftovers still fill my fridge, but I must dispatch them quickly, lest they begin to linger, or worse yet, loom), surveyed the town on foot and watched a substantial number of movies including this homage to Sergio Leone and this Kafka adaptation. We also managed to fight our way through the storm-slick, gourd-colored leaves that littered the streets of downtown Davis to visit the area's best Sushi restaurant. Since our number was but two and we showed up early, we were able to take coveted places at the sushi bar itself, giving us constant access to the radiant carousel of piscine delights. My friend and I went our separate ways this morning (mine up the stairs and his up Interstate 101), each diving back into his own work.

I plan to purchase no more food until I return to the state in January, forcing me to deal with some of the more exotic and incongruous inhabitants of my pantries. I predict a positive outcome. What I do need to buy is something to read for my imminent plant trips.

The excellent storytelling of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure also managed to keep me company over the break. I now present the main villain of the series and one of the most evil personages you will ever meet: Dio Brando.

The events of Dio Brando's childhood are grim. He murdered his real father, used his superhuman charisma and intelligence to get adopted into the wealthy Joestar family and immediately proceeded to make a run at the inheritance by killing his new father and attempting to take the life of his new brother, Jonathan. The rest of his life is even more twisted. Dio abandons his humanity and becomes a vampire when he learns of the power it will bring, and he begins to delight in the slaughter of humans and the pain he can bring others. Before he can become too powerful his body is destroyed by Jonathan Joestar, but unbeknowst to his brother, Dio's head survives due to the supernatural regenerative powers innate to vampires. Catching Jonathan unawares years later, Dio decapitates his sibling and seizes his body, becoming whole once again. More than a century later Dio learns of the power of Stands, and uses his own (called The World and pictured behind him above), in his attempt to dominate the planet. His cunning, charisma and immense vampiric abilities now augmented with the power to stop time itself, his only obstacle is the great, great grandson of the murdered Jonathan Joestar, Jotaro Kujo. I have not yet finished the series, and I have reason to doubt that Dio's evil will be curtailed anytime soon.