So Tired!!!

I just got back from watching a crazy film. I believe it may have been Andy Griffith's first film. Anyway, it was a really great film, but the ending creeped me out from all things Andy Griffith. Damn. . . he was good!



I was also surprised at how HOT Walter Matthau was when he was younger! I mean I was totally floored.

He was sooo cute, smoking his pipe and giving somber yet heartfelt advice. Sigh!

At any rate, I'm basically procrastinating my French homework while I simultaneously debate on whether I will work out tomorrow or not. Hmm. . . hard call.

Gar! What a busy week

It's still busy! I don't have as much in terms of reading, but I do feel like I am rarely home to enjoy rest and relaxation. However, I did do the following:
Got a flat tire from a rusty nail that prevented me from going to Franz Ferdinand
Went to see Corpse Bride (which is totally awesome-- yay! Tim Burton!)and then went to a bar that forced its people to dress like German strumpets (if y'all know the Essenhaus, I'm sure you also know that it will be soon mowed over for apartments)
Went to a poetry reading by Linh Din (although I don't know if I spelled his name correctly)
Also read enough to make my eyes bleed (but only on a metaphorical level)
Found out that everyone I knows feels just as self-conscious as I do

I will probably be at a friend's house tonight for dinner and a DVD. . . Better Luck Tomorrow. . . I think it will be interesting. There's also a midnight showing of Brazil, but I think I'm just going to wait for the Netflix queue on that one.

A Night at the Eagles Club

So, we went to see White Stripes last night at the Eagle's Club in Milwaukee. Loads of fun. I am not a huge fan of the White Stripes, but I do enjoy their music. They are a great band (if you can call 2 people a band) to see live because their enthusiasm for playing is nearly orgasmic. The venue itself was cool and odd. It's obviously a huge ballroom, and we stood on the wooden, ballroom floor while thumping our feet to the rhythms of Meg White's drums. Her basic drum beats, ultimately, made the scene turn primativistic. . . the energy of everyone on that dance floor vibrated with the same beat. We soon travelled up the stairs and sat down in one of the balconies that overlooked the ballroom floor. This was an awesome view as we could see the pulsing of the room to the beats and melodies of Jack and Meg. Needless to say, I was very impressed.

Whoa, nelly!

Today was the first day of classes for me. . . It was a really fun experience. I got up early to work out with my new AOF buddies, and then I went home to shower and eat. I then went to my first seminar in Madison. Loads of fun! The discussion was interesting, people were engaged. . . It seems so long ago when people actually engaged in discussion back in Greeley. I'm really enjoying myself...

Of course, there is a downside to everything. In this case, I wasn't entirely prepared for the amount of work I would be doing. It's a lot! And I don't have my other 3 courses until next week. So, the workload is already quite incredible. I hope I can balance all of this out WITH a job. I'll be applying for a cheesy parttime job typing for TTY. I hope I get the position, although who knows. I had to jot down a basic schedule, and it left me with working only on the weekend and Wednesday nights. Oh well!

I really enjoy the fact that this grad school is non-competitive in the classroom. We have a great program, and I feel really secure with the people in my class. I don't need to worry about covering my books or anything like that. It's great!

I'm on the Outside Looking in. . .

Orientations are at full force, and I must admit that I really enjoy what I see. Everyone here is extremely open-minded and kind. I really hope this works out (especialy since I haven't even started my courses yet).

On another note, however, I do have to say something about the destruction from Katrina. It's quite a banal statement to say that Katrina is destructive, but I honestly feel that the destruction is not just on a physical or emotional level, and it's not simply something we can gloss over and pretend didn't happen in a month from now. Instead, it becomes representational of both how the people of the United States are able to support others in their own unique fashion, without any punch or persuasion from outside figures. It demonstrates that today's American Hero lies within each individual, rather than in some intangible character or high-and-mighty organization. However, Katrina also demonstrates that our government has failed to act quickly. Although many people in D.C. have stated that their rather sluggish response is not due to racism, I (like many others) take note of the fact that those who suffered the most are those that almost always suffer the most. It is our poor, our weak, and yes, our minorities that have suffered and will always suffer the most. We live in an upside-down system, where the most power rests within the privileged and select few. . . They are the few that would have difficulty in understanding why anyone would "strand themselves" with an oncoming class-5 hurricane, or why the victims didn't just "drive away" when they had the opportunity. They are also the ones who distinguish differences between "finding food" and "looting." They are also the ones who can't possibly understand why so many victims of Katrina became angry and rioted. I'm sorry, but not all of us can simply "Eat cake" when a tragedy occurs. Although I will not deny my own hypocrisy, the fact that I am safe in a graduate school in the upper midwest, I think I can easily say that the aftermath of Katrina has reflected both of what we should be proud of and ashamed of.