Haha. . . Look at Walmart now!

So, it looks like Walmart attempts to tantalize grandparents and their grandchildren by selling bundles of the Nintendo DS Lite in a "Grandparents' Day" special :




Would it be considered an insult to grandparents to receive this as a Grandparents' Day gift?

My feet hurt!

What Pirates of the Caribbean character are you? Your Result: Tia Dalma You are Tia Dalma! You are a voodo . You belive in superstisous stuff. You may have been Davy Jones's former lover. Good job, know he wants everyone to die because you broke up with him!
Will Turner
Elizabeth Swann
Jack Sparrow
Hector Barbossa
Cutler Beckett
James Norrington
Davy Jones
What Pirates of the Caribbean character are you?

Why can't I kick self-doubt's ass??

So a couple of things happened today. The first is that I was still working on my conference paper (which should have been in the mail today), and I realized that it was pretty shitty. The thesis is not entirely there. Also, I discovered that someone else had recently published an entire book on the very subject that I was discussing. According to several reviews, it looks like I have an identical thesis. And this is very bad.

The second thing is that I had submitted my essay for a competition. . . and lost. I didn't even receive an honorable mention, and I realized that I may have only been one of two competitors. This made me even more embarrased and sad. And no one even knew. I didn't have the guts to tell anyone. Well, till now.

In brief retrospect, I realize that these problems (and other problems like it) are all in my head. Sure my essay may suck, but that's what public forums are for. It's a matter of correction, not humiliation. I also may not suck as bad as I think I do. I'm probably just okay. And I also don't know that I'm the only person in the world who can't write. . . Maybe I am actually ok. . . not the best, not the worst. Well, it's difficult to say.

So I'm turning over a new leaf. I'm not going to trust my gut, since my gut constantly tries to undermine my intelligence and talent. I'm going to trust the guts of others and depend more on reliable peer and faculty reviews. Fuck negativity. I'm going to kick self-doubt's ass!

Celebrity look-alike thingy

Okay, I've never even heard of these people before. Please tell me that these are real celebrities and not porn stars!

As I clean, I ponder

(not actual house depicted.)

This afternoon is my first contact with the fall semester. I will be attending a benefits meeting for new TAs, and it's as if I'm renewing a life cycle (or something to that effect).

I am planning on having an excellent semester. Although the summer had some harrowing moments, I really learned a great deal. I think my teaching style has made marked improvements, and I finally learned to take my education much more seriously than I have in the past. I would say that many of my old UNC profs were right, but, como siempre, we have to learn these things through our own experience.

I guess I'm not a manly man

You Are 30% Boyish and 70% Girlish

Even if you're not a girl, you're very feminine. You're in touch with your feelings, and your heart rules you. A bit of a emotional roller coaster, one moment you're up and the next you're down. But no matter what, you try to be as cute and perky as possible.

How Boyish or Girlish Are You?

Daily Show, Target: USA

Per Catherine. This is just too funny to pass up.

It's a mad, mad world!

Well, I'm finally back in Madison. And I'm too tired to celebrate. Blah.

Here's a picture of my sister running away from a Diet Coke bottle filled with Mentos. Yup, it sure does work:
Here's a link to her journal that discusses what's going on, I guess.

Simpsons Marathon

My lovely sisters have given me season 6 and 7 of the Simpsons. Woo-hoo!

You Are Lisa Simpson

A total child prodigy and super genius, you have the mind for world domination. But you prefer world peace, Buddhism, and tofu dogs. You will be remembered for: all your academic accomplishments Your life philosophy: "I refuse to believe that everybody refuses to believe the truth"

The Simpsons Personality Test

I'm finished with the summer job! Woo-hoo!!!

Finally!

All I need to do now is pack, pack, pack. . . ship, ship, ship. . . clean, clean, clean. . . and shake, shake, shake!!!

I also got fed up with seeing Kirk Cameron's videos on my TV screen. . . so I deleted the religion channel from our line up. It's low down and dirty, but at this point in time, tormenting my roommate in little ways is the only entertainment I have in Mordor. So sue me. Besides, if she understands the nature of TV remotes, she'll eventually figure out what to do.

One Week More!

After Sunday, I only have one week left of teaching for this company! Woo-hoo!!!

I will go home and eat myself silly. I will wear ugly, comfy clothes. I will read and write as much as I want!

I want to watch my DVDs. I want to pet my sister's guinea pig and feed it bananas and mandarin oranges.

I want to go to the Shakespeare Fest. I want to go shopping at Park Meadows. I want to visit casinos and Buffalo Bill's grave (well, one of them).

I want to veg without worrying about students, parents, roommates, and other teachers.

In about a week and a few days, I will be out on a plane to Denver!!! Woo-hoo!!!

Ugh

I finally have an opportunity to post! If this is any indication of how the summer has been, I can't wait to get back to school and relax!

• I am not a religious person, but I generally respect worship and religious practice. However, I have now converted to being a fundamental atheist and an intolerant jerk all thanks to my summer roommate. The hypocracy and domineering spirit of this roommate serves as a reminder of why I have never joined any church or religious group. I realize that she takes these things to an extreme, but she has completely turned me off from anyone in the religious right -- forever!!!
• She's also a terrifying control freak. I thought it was just me, but her persona silences everyone. I'm now typing away at my hotel room in Tucson because I'm terrified of her looming presence.
  
• My job feels like it has no end. One fellow became extremely ill, and I ended up with a ton of classes to teach in the past two weeks. When I wake up every morning, I think I have to go to work. When I teach, I teach like a robot. This is horrible.
• I really want to quit my job, but I am unable to. They shipped me to the desert on a horse with no name. Hell, I don't even have a horse with no name!
• I have no idea what day it is. I have to ask a 6 year old what day it is. That's just plain sad.

At any rate, I probably won't be able to post on my blog until I get out of "Dodge." So, here's to the last 2 weeks of this nightmare!

My obituary

'What will your obituary say?' at QuizGalaxy.com

RIP Nermal, aka little bunnia

My poor little bunnia passed away last night. May she rest in peace.


She lived for nearly four years. She brought sunshine and smiles to Keith and I. She also became a lifelong companion and friend to Suki, aka big bunnia. She will be missed.

Jedi Skills

This is the beginning of the wind down for our first teaching session. All of the students now know the drill and have started re-challenging my authority. However, the classes in general have been melancholy -- I'm proud of my students for what they have accomplished, and I am sad that I will not see them again after next week. I suppose, teaching becomes a balance between caring and letting go.

Speaking of balance, here's that seriously long yet amusing Jedi quiz.
Per Christina and Keith:

You scored as Yoda. You are master Yoda. Yoda's teachings are far reaching within the Jedi order. Ever the diplomat, scholar and teacher - Yoda seeks to enlighten through wisdom, experience and discipline. Yoda employs the lightsaber form Ataru in which the practioner uses The Force in conjunction with his own physical prowess to achieve unparalleled acrobatic skill, accuracy and speed. Skill is stressed over raw power. He has trained many Master Jedi - most notably Count Dooku, Mace Windu and Obi-Wan Kenobi and is one of only four Jedi to have preserved his personal identity after death. Yoda 93% Obi-Wan Kenobi (Pre Death of Qui-Gon Jinn) 79% Bastila Shan 75% Obi-Wan Kenobi (Post Death of Qui-Gon Jinn) 71% Qui-Gon Jinn 68% Mace Windu 64% Darth Revan 64% Luke Skywalker 61% Count Dooku/Darth Tyranus 61% Darth Sidious 43% Anakin Skywalker 39% Darth Vader 36% Exar Kun 32% Darth Maul 25% What Star Wars Jedi or Sith character is most like your personality? created with QuizFarm.com

When you work on the weekends, you forget what day it is

So, this past week or two (I honestly have no concept of time any more) I've been working some extra classes because my fellow posse-people have been ill. This job has been so detrimental to the health of so many of us. Knock on wood that I don't get sick in the next 10 weeks. That seriously make me angry.

My friends and I from UNC did get into the MAPACA's conference on Popular Culture. We will be on a panel called "After Altamont: The Contemporary Rock Film Genre." I was attempting to be cool and witty, punning off of the Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter and the many interests in deMan-ish "After Auschwitz" courses in recent lit studies stuff. I'm hoping to make my title-creating into a new career. . . and of course, I'm only kidding about that last part. At any rate, we will be living it up for a weekend in Baltimore! I'm now hunting down a possible lift from Ivan. . . please???

I'm trying to revise one of my seminar papers into something a bit more cohesive. It's on Miyazaki's Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, and I've decided to focus my topic more on the issues surrounding invasions in the pastoral space. I think I'm going to call it "Space Invaders," which will probably give the paper a more sci-fi feel. Although, I whole-heartedly object to dubbing all anime, particularly Miyazaki's, as sci-fi. Don't we limit our experiences of these films when we label them as sci-fi?

Welcome to Mordor

My uncle mentioned that Phoenix is also known as Mordor. Well, here's to Mordor (survey per Christina):

The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Sixth Level of Hell - The City of Dis!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

Level	Score
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)	Very Low
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)	Very Low
Level 2 (Lustful)	Very High
Level 3 (Gluttonous)	Extreme
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)	Very High
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)	High
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)	Extreme
Level 7 (Violent)	High
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)	Very High
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)	Low

Take the Dante Inferno Hell Test

Yet another moment for surveys!

You are a Brainy Girl!

Whether you're an official student or a casual learner, you enjoy hitting the books. You know a little bit about everything, and you're always dying to know more. For a guy to win your heart, he's got to share some of your intellectual interests. A awesome book collection of his own doesn't hurt either!

What Kind of Girl Are You?

Your Style is 1950s

High heels, pretty dresses, classic makeup... You're a feminine beauty who knows how to play up her assets!

What Decade Matches Your Style?

Your Love Song Is

Your Body Is a Wonderland by John Mayer "One mile to every inch of Your skin like porcelain One pair of candy lips and Your bubblegum tongue" Why go out... when so much fun can be had indoors?

What Love Song Are You?

You Are Trinity

"Touch me and that hand will never touch anything again."

What Superheroine Are You?

First Full Week Finally Finished

Today was my day of recovery from my 9 class teaching load this past week. Let me tell ya, it was quite a load.

What they don't tell you in training:

• Wear comfortable shoes. Like nursing shoes. Otherwise, your feet will blister and bleed in places you never knew existed.
• Drink lots of water, but pace it. You need the water to prevent voice loss, but if you drink too much water, you have to pee. With nowhere to pee, where would that lead you?
• Moisturize. Moisturize. Moisturize.
• Advil is everyone's friend. Especially the 400 mg kind.
  
• Eat a big breakfast. That will be your last meal for the day.
• Don't choke on food that you try to choke down quickly.
• Put up that sun visor in your car. Seriously.
• Folks in the AZ think that air conditioning is great at 80 degrees.

It's safe to say that I learned a lot about the new sport I've labeled "Power Lecturing." It should be an olympic sport, like the triatholon. I can see it now: thousands of TAs lining up at the starting line with tatoos like the Ironman competitors. Good times, good times.

Mystery Meat

My roommate and I were getting ready to chow down when we notice an unfamiliar leftover container in our fridge. Lo and behold, it's filled with sesame chicken. Now, neither one of us has eaten chinese food in Arizona yet. . . So, this mysterious, chinese chicken is from someone else.

This confirms our suspicions from earlier this week. About two days ago, my roommate was getting ready for bed when she noticed something touching her feet. She looked under the bed straight away and found a pair of white sandals!!! Neither one of us own these shoes. . . what is going on???

Let me suggest our hypothesis. Our current digs are owned by a subletting company. We suspect that the owners of said company have been snooping around in our apartment, causing this mayhem. . . We're going to leave them an earfull tomorrow morning. Bastards!

On another note, it's still freakin' hot here. And I can't believe I missed the last scene at the end of the credits of X-men 3. I'm usually so good about that. Sigh.

Living it up in Scottsdale, AZ

So, I've finally arrived in Scottsdale, AZ. . . Well, I arrived a few days ago, but we were still in "Work" mode, and we still are. . .

Anyway, we are again in a lovely apartment with central air and all the other most convenient and modern appliances. I also received my very own rental car, a Chevy Cobalt. . . It's a scoupe in bright yellow! Very fun.

Can I tell you how odd the weather is? We get to Phoenix in the late evening, around 10pm, and it's 98 degrees outside!!! I mean, it's hotter in Phoenix at night than it was in California at noon. And the heat is not just any heat, it's the kind that permeates your SOUL!!! (Imagine that dungeon guy from The Princess Bride saying this before he cleared his throat)

On a lighter note, I convinced my company to allow us to expense a cheap printer for our use. . . This has become a revolutionary breakthrough. . . No more driving to Kinkos at odd hours. :)

Even one more thing: I just saw X-Men 3 last night. It's good. Real good. If you loved the other X-men films, you're going to see it anyway. . . If you don't, I don't think you'll like this one that much. But, I liked it. :)

Iron runs in the family

Per Christina:

Fe... Iron You scored 22 Mass, 44 Electronegativity, 63 Metal, and 0 Radioactivity!

I don't really need to describe you do I? You're the backbone of any well put together group... communally minded, out going and social, but you don't demand to be the center of attention. Without groups of people like you, human society would crumble. I mean that... don't change. With respect to realtionships, I don't know what to tell ya. I guess I'd reccommend a first row transition metal... or if you don't mind being submissive then go for an oxygen... everyone else will wonder how you ended up with one of those drama queens, but you'll probably secretly love it and he/she will bring out colors of you that you didn't know existed.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 9% on Mass You scored higher than 85% on Electroneg You scored higher than 67% on Metal You scored higher than 0% on Radioactivity

Link: The Which Chemical Element Am I Test written by effataigus on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Pig farming and other novels that have bad subject matter

My training thus far has been quite smooth. I've found I can fall asleep during the instruction portion and still maintain an okay ability to perform the tasks at hand. Honestly though, I've really enjoyed the training, and I am really excited to get my summer going in Phoenix.

While I've been in Long Beach, I've seen a few of the sites:

• The LACMA and their current exhibit of five Gustav Klimt paintings (oh yeah!)
• The beach at Long Beach (we live 2 blocks away)
• The island of Naples (we live 1 block away) and Sushi of Naples, an AMAZING restaurant
• The Queen Mary (unfortunately not Mary of Scots, but the ship)
• Alhambra, Monterey Park, and La Canada (there's a tilde somewhere in there)
  
• The joy of mochi, belgium chocolates, dim sum, and wicked strong coffee

I still have this weekend to visit the Glendale Galleria with my extended family, enjoy a night of drunken revelry with my new found friends, visit West Coast Choppers during my lunch break (I'll try and get bumper stickers), and go night clubbing (yeah, right). As for the usual touristy things to do in SoCal, I will be skipping those. After all, Disney probably hasn't changed in the last 15 years. . .

Ironically, one of the favorite restaurants for my fellow co-workers happens to be Mimi's Cafe. That's just plain funny. I've basically travelled a thousand miles for food that I can get in my home town(s). Woo-hoo.

Celebrate!

I'm finally finished with my spring semester!!! Woo-hoo!!!

I probably turned in one of the worst papers I have ever written, but I don't care! No more all-nighters and full work days this summer!!! Woo-hoo!

Sleepy

Finally finished semester. Going to nap now before work. . . zzzzzzzzz

Now I know why Austen wrote about interiors rather than exteriors

Many of my friends have asked me what California is like thus far, and I can only talk about how nice my apartment is. Well, I just realized that my paper (which I am still writing) has kept me indoors the entire time I have been here. So, I obviously can't comment on any of the beaches, the weather. . . you know, the usual thing that people comment on when they travel to new and exciting places.

I am, of course, still writing my paper. I have about 8 pages (probably all crap). I have no idea if my argument is too plain jane, and I may be too uncritical and not using my full range of sources. Nonetheless, I will still push through, burning the midnight oil, tonight and try to finish by the crack of dawn tomorrow morning. Hopefully I can then clean it up and send it in on Sunday night/Monday morning.

AAAAAHHHHH! Then FREEDOM! 2-4-6-0-1!!!!!!

I'm in L.A.

My summer job is about to start in an hour, and I am currently sitting in "my apartment" in Seal Beach, just south of Los Angeles. The weather is nice (as always). I have a really NICE bed. I miss having a bed this nice (did I ever have a bed this nice?).

I'm a bit nervous. . . but not entirely of the job. I'm still working on my paper for my class, but I have yet to type A SINGLE PAGE. I've been compiling a ton of information on the author and his work, and I'm in the midst of close reading passages with swains in them. Yep. Swains (not swans, look it up). Blah.

I'm already freaking out inside. I am worried this is not going to make it to my professor in time. I have no idea if he will offer me an incomplete. . . and ultimately, I'm not sure if I want to take it. This is a rather precarious situation to be in. . . Who's fault is it? Mine Mine Mine.

Our work schedule is 8:30-4:30, but it takes about 15-30 to drive to our work site. I have no idea what this will be like, but I have a feeling that it will be uncomfortable. This is one of the philosophies of the company. Put people into a state of disequilibrium so that they must learn more in order to adjust to a state of equilibrium. Pretty much like grad school.

A new yu!

Just kidding. . . anyway, here's a picture of me and my new haircut. The picture looks grainy and unkempt because of the lighting:


I've gained quite a bit of weight in the last month of this semester, but I hope to drop it all once I start working and actually DOING something instead of writing papers. . .

It still hasn't hit me that I will be leaving town on Sunday. . . for a LONG time. Ah well. . .

Gah! I look like a man!

AAAACK! Dread of last paper

Have I started my final paper? The very last paper that will guarantee me solace and relief from the past semester? Nope.

This is a problem. This means I either have to write it straight through in the next 2 days, or I will have to bring all of my work with me on the plane.

I'm off to get a haircut and not worry about it for now. I'll show y'all a picture when I get back.

2 down, 1 to go

I know I haven't been keeping you abreast of my mayem lately, but that's because I've been busy working my weary hands on some very sinister papers. So, I'm at the point right now where I have finished my pastoral paper (incidentally on Miyazaki's Nausicaa), and I am now taking a quick blogging break before I begin work on Thomson's Seasons. Little did I know that this work is rather cumbersome and has an extensive publication history. .. well, actually. . . I did know this, but I decided to do it anyway. Meh.

I just found out that I will be in LA this summer for about a month and then moving my way to Phoenix until August. Hopefully I will be an amazing teacher. Hopefully. I want to say that this may determine my future in academia. I've found more and more enjoyment in the editing and writing process than I actually do in the literary analysis process (but not so much in the way of composition studies). So. I never really tried my best in terms of my teaching. . . This may be the summer for me to give it my all and find out how rewarding it could be (or not be!).

I take delight in moments where I practically resolve issues in papers. . . It makes my heart skip a beat. I wonder if I can feel the same way about literary analysis again. . . I know I can about theory, but it's been a while for the thing that I'm actually supposed to enjoy. . . Is this pathetic, or am I just exhausted?

While enjoying my miel (yes, it's now one of my favorite caffeinated beverages), I noticed how cold it is. . . Drink faster, Em. . . faster!

It is Sunday and I am scared!

For some reason, every time I type an apostrohe, my Find function keeps popping up. That is just plain annoying. Oh well!

Anyway, it is Sunday (and I am avoiding the use of contractions and the like), I am currently at Panera Bread, hurriedly typing away at my Troilus paper. Okay. I am glad, at least, to know that I do not really enjoy Middle English in the ways that others do. However, I did really enjoy reading Chaucer. He is a kick in the pants, but his scholarship is a bit scary.

I have about 7 pages, including two 3-passage long quotes. That is not good. But I only need about 12-15 pages for this bad boy. . . Soon I will be starting my paper on Thomson and his Seasons. That should be interesting, to say the least.

Yet again, I wonder why I always procrastinate till I can no longer wait. What am I thinking? Well, I suppose I am not thinking. I believe that subconsciously I want to fail. . . I desire failure so that I can stop what I am currently doing (because it is too difficult) and move on to something else. But it's not too difficult (yay! that damn apostrophe thing finally went away). And I know that I can accomplish these things, not easily but y'know. I think I'm just plain lazy.

Woo-hoo! Just a week left, and I'll be on my way to someplace else!

Yeah, my summer job. . . I've no idea where I'm going, and I've no idea where I'll be, so this becomes an excitin' new exper'ence that'll shape the way I think. Hop'fully, not too much.

Christina, we're driving almost the same car!

You Should Drive a Jaguar XK 4.2

You don't care how you get there as long as you get there with class. And having a little power doesn't hurt either!

What 2007 Car Should You Drive?

'Tis an honor!

Hi all,
I just received a message regarding Carol's Friends of the Friendless Marching Band and Friendly Fridays. . . Apparently, this blog is being monitored by many people now. . .

I originally started this blog as a venting mechanism, like so many others also have. At the moment, it's a way for me to communicate with family and friends that I hardly ever seen now that I am working on my degree in Madison.

Thanks for featuring my blog this week! I hope that y'all will also take a look at my sisters' blogs (they are located on the side links, I believe).

Best,
Bemmie

Best Caffeinated Beverage of All Time

I don't know what I would have done in my life if I hadn't tried this beverage. Yes, I've fallen off the wagon, and I've started drinking caffeine again. I now drink Coke but not as much as I used to in my younger and slightly wanton days. However, my friend introduced me to Electric Earth (cute coffee shop), and I tried something the call "Miel." This may be old hat for some of you, but it's a new experience for me!

It's basically like liquid incredible! It's a latte, but they press the espresso shot with cinnamon, and then they fill the bottom of the glass with honey before they pour in the latte. I get it with soy milk, so I don't have to suffer through traumatizing lactose-intolerance pains. This has just the right amount of sweet with spice, and it keeps me up for many MANY hours.

Of course, now it is problematic as I am typing to a heart attack as we speak...

One day, I shall conquer you again caffeine. . . oh yes, I shall!

More quizzy mcquiz quiz stuff

Your Five Factor Personality Profile

Extroversion: You have medium extroversion. You're not the life of the party, but you do show up for the party. Sometimes you are full of energy and open to new social experiences. But you also need to hibernate and enjoy your "down time." Conscientiousness: You have medium conscientiousness. You're generally good at balancing work and play. When you need to buckle down, you can usually get tasks done. But you've been known to goof off when you know you can get away with it. Agreeableness: You have medium agreeableness. You're generally a friendly and trusting person. But you also have a healthy dose of cynicism. You get along well with others, as long as they play fair. Neuroticism: You have low neuroticism. You are very emotionally stable and mentally together. Only the greatest setbacks upset you, and you bounce back quickly. Overall, you are typically calm and relaxed - making others feel secure. Openness to experience: Your openness to new experiences is high. In life, you tend to be an early adopter of all new things and ideas. You'll try almost anything interesting, and you're constantly pushing your own limits. A great connoisseir of art and beauty, you can find the positive side of almost anything.

The Five Factor Personality Test

What can I say? I'm bored. . .

Your Hair Should Be Purple

Intense, thoughtful, and unconventional. You're always philosophizing and inspiring others with your insights.

What's Your Funky Inner Hair Color?

You Belong in Paris

You enjoy all that life has to offer, and you can appreciate the fine tastes and sites of Paris. You're the perfect person to wander the streets of Paris aimlessly, enjoying architecture and a crepe.

What European City Do You Belong In?

You Should Get a PhD in Liberal Arts (like political science, literature, or philosophy)

You're a great thinker and a true philosopher. You'd make a talented professor or writer.

What Advanced Degree Should You Get?

I guess, he's okay

I've lately been thinking about the actor Billy Bob Thornton, and I finally came to the following realization: I like Billy Bob Thornton. Now, I'm not saying that I want to have his babies or kiss his hillbilly feet. Billy Bob is quite an accomplished character actor. He keeps it real. He keeps me entertained. And at the end of the day, what more could you possibly expect from an actor? His depictions of mentally disabled Slingblade man to I could give a shit less safe cracking Santa are really quite strong. They're memorable. He's memorable. And there are definitely some instances when I am completely appalled by how grotesque he is, but there are also roles that are quite endearing in that "average joe just trying to make it" way. I like the fact that he seems practical and smart, but not booksmart, just reasonable. He's also quite matter of fact about getting laid. . . who couldn't appreciate that?

Anyway, that particular confession has been weighing down on me for months. There. I said it. I like Billy Bob Thornton. We can now move on.

Interview #237

I'm waiting in anticipation for possibly my final interview with this company. I've interviewed with the same company for the same job for the past 2 months, and I think I may finally discover what the result of all this interviewing is. It's really all part of some secret government experiment to test my nerves (and how quickly I can get so terribly annoyed by this process). I could understand if each interview involved some different questions or techniques, but I have been answering the same questions repeatedly over the last five or six interviews (including the one in person). I know they have a file on me. I know that all the interviewers communicate with each other. So, why don't they know it??

In other news, the semester is winding down to the last three weeks of school. I remember that the last three weeks were so much more chaotic in my mind last semester. Now, I feel underprepared yet calm. I don't know which is worse.

Today I'm wearing my black ballet slippers, which is a significant change from recent foot events. I can't wear regular shoes because my baby toe has swollen joints that make it painful and impossible to walk. I can't wear flip flops because I have a former blister scabbed over between my toes. And I can't go barefoot because restaurants like McDonalds and Burger King refuse to service me. So, it's either ballet slippers or crocs.

Disney Fun House

Sick and Twisted

So, right now I'm laying in bed, watching crappy infomercials that remind me of those trailers for Resident Evil, and finishing up my state taxes for last year. Blah.

I can't believe how much information is required for Madison financial aid, especially when I don't recall having to fill out this much information in Colorado. They require special forms, FAFSA, and a signed income tax return. That's just crazy talk!

Anyway, I'm not the one whose thinking and typing right now. . . Mr. Nyquil has taken over my mind and is making me do things while I am knocked out unconscious in my bed. Laalalala. . . *Devious laughter ensues*

I can't wait to go back to school again. . . I'm so sick of laying around, reading and watching infomercials. Blah.

This is the end, the end, my friend, the end.

Well, not quite the end of the semester yet, I'm afraid. But, that doesn't mean I don't want it to come any faster.
I'm currently working on rough drafts for all of my classes. Is it me, or do these rough drafts take a lot longer than they used to? I don't know if it's me being hedgy, or if I'm being much more meticulous in my writing. Meh.

This weekend will be both fun and incredibly strenuous. One of my professors is retiring, so they are having a 2 day conference in his honor. This is a fantastic event with the major players in the field. However, I also have about 4600 words due on Monday. I'm currently around 1000. So, we'll see how this turns out.

I promised many people that I would go out for shooting pool and partying to my heart's desire on Thursday (whoa, that's tomorrow!), but I now realize that promises were made to be broken. Damnit, I'm going to have that draft complete by Monday!

As the semester closes in upon me like a lion to its prey, I wonder why this particular semester felt so much better than the last? Have I stopped caring? Have I started to care again? Have I figured out a momentum that works for me? Well, I don't know. . . All I know is that I feel a lot better about graduate school and this particular graduate program. I'm also okay about being locationally separated from significant other. That was one of the more difficult parts of last term. I also don't feel like I have to be perfect in the eyes of most of my professors. They assume that I won't be anyway. So, I don't feel this stress about having to prove myself all the time. As for the other students. . . well, as usually, I don't honestly care what they think of me.

I ought to be depressed or something

This weekend has been crazy, and I haven't done a lick of intended work. I went to school yesterday, and that was fine, went home, packed, and then drove for about 3.5 hours to get to downtown Chicago. It was around 10:30 or 11pm when I checked into the Marriott.

It was a gorgeous hotel, beautiful view, etc. But, the gigantic king sized bed took up about 75% of the room. Also, I had to literally $40 for parking, $70 for gas, and $30 for a hamburger and beer. Yeah.

I went to my job interview today which went okay, but on my way back to the hotel to pick up my car, I tripped over a random curb which appeared in the MIDDLE of the sidewalk, and I think I may have sprained (sp?) my ankle and toes. It hurts like hell.

I proceeded to drive back up to Madison. Unfortunately, it took me about 2 hours to get out of the downtown area (due to heavy traffic). I then drove all the way back (seems fine). Once I got home and looked at my foot, I noticed that it is entirely swollen, starting bruise, and extremely painful. Now I need to spend the rest of my weekend writing stuff up, researching and writing for my rough draft due next Monday.

Oh yeah, of course I also need to set my clocks up and watch yet another hour of my life disappear into nothingness.

"Complexification"

I attended a lecture on Women and Print Culture earlier this week. The speaker was "winging it" from a series of notes and an outline. . . She was very nervous. At some point, instead of saying a situation had "complication," she used the term "complexification." -- That term pretty much means what it is. . . if it were a real term. I sympathized with her nerves, but she is a professional scholar. . . she's been in the "biz" for quite some time, so I'm rather surprised that she employed techniques that would be for a more casual, informal talk on a lecture that was supposed to spark interest in a recent collaborative publication. It was bizarre. Moreover, she unintentionally insulted the English department -- this was not a good thing, given that many people in the audience were from the English department. She later apologized for it, but still. . . it was very strange.

I'm in the midst of lackadaisical procrastination. I remember how my friend Misty from high school loved the term lackadaisical. It was another one of those terms that is what it is. Anyway, I feel like killing time with video games, surfing the internet, writing my blog (hurr), and other miscellaneous non-school activities. Spring Break at mid-semester can do these things to a person.

I feel that I may be too prolix. Which is a term that isn't what it is. Hmmm. WWWD? (What would Wittgenstein do?)





**Another funny note. Blogger's spell check actually picked up the term "blog" as a misspelled word. That's hilarious.

**Even funnier, I think I've been misspelling the word "misspelled" for most of my life.

Rare Disney VD movie

I saw this from BoingBoing quoting google video:

End of the week, beginning of the end

This would be the one time in the semester where we all bunker down, stop having fun, and start living in . .. the real world. haha, just kidding.

Honestly, it's the approach of our last weeks in the semester when all of our reading material and course work is supposed to help enlighten a path for our final projects. I only know of one thing I'm interested in writing on this semester, and perhaps two larger/general ideas, yet the way I've formulated my ideas for the past 9 weeks is coming from an approach that isn't really literature oriented. Perhaps, am I returning to my roots of philosophy and film? Hmm. . . interesting.

We also had an interesting discussion on Interdisciplinarity Today. To a certain extent, there is now a return to the "Renaissance Man" -- generally, a person who is well-versed in many areas and an expert in many things. However, there is this danger (could it be an exciting danger??) to experiment with issues, genres, media, and concepts that you are not an expert in (and will probably never become an expert in). . . Although this experimentation could open many possibilities, there is the risk of being mediocre and uninformed in a scattershot manner rather than an expert in more things that one. This presents interdisciplinarity in a more intellectually elitist light, and I'm not sure that's the kind of "bad" elitism that people fear and disdain. Instead, I would like to think that this kind of elitism is one in which we push ourselves to learn more and become so much more adept. Interdisciplinarity is one of those things that if you are good at, you are really good; however, on the flip side, if you are bad, well... you get the idea.

I'm feeling so pensive right now. It could be the after-effects of reading good ol' Wittgenstein, or it could be my desire to (my lack of) sleep and regain the things I have already lost.

Which reminds me. . . I'm really enjoying the theoretical work in the pastoral genre (particularly space). Why do I keep returning to these genres that reflect a sense of loss or nostalgia? What is it that drives me to seek these things out? What we produce is a reflection of the issues and concerns we've been struggling to answer throughout our lives.

Okay. . . that was quite Emo of me. Back to work. . .

Finally!!

It's what I've always wanted. . . a flat panel e-book reader. How many times have I asked for something I can use to read pdfs and bring them to class?

Sony's new Reader

At last! Someone has been eavesdropping on my public rants and made my dreams come true!

I did absolutely nothing!

What is Spring Break? In what way does it function in society? And how the hell is it supposed to make you feel better about the rest of your semester?

Right now I am procrastinating my studies by procrastinating cleaning my apartment. I just left my SO and my family and other friends behind in Colorado for cold Madison. If Madison were in Colorado, or if everyone I knew were here, I would be 200% happier.

The difficulty with being an English major pack rat is that you accumulate an insane amount of paper and books that could possibly take over your entire apartment. Apparently, I need more bookcases. Blah.

My old advisor told me to revise and submit my papers for publication.
-- What? Are you serious?
-- You'd honestly be surprised.
I would definitely be surprised. Because right now, I find so much wrong with my work. . . I guess I will once again relegate these things to the summer.

First, I need to clean my apartment. Then I can clean up everything else.

I swear. . .

This baby is evil!

You Are 58% Evil

You are evil, but you haven't yet mastered the dark side. Fear not though - you are on your way to world domination.

How Evil Are You?

For Christina

I finally found it. James Lipton does PopoZao:

CSI, how you amaze me

I watched the newest episode of CSI tonight. . . I think it's called "I Like to Watch." Anyway, I've been over-using the term "Post-Modern" as a way to describe any text that leaves its own diegetic realm and pops over to our side. When CSI makes fun of forensics shows like it, that definitely makes an impact on the viewers. Initially, you laugh -- you are also aware of the shortcomings and unrealistic expectations that these shows produce. Then there is a moment of silence when you wonder if fans like you encourage this kind of sensationalist behavior that makes everything into a spectacle (and makes that spectacle a social commodity). . . and, of course, you do. So you come out of part of the episode laughing, but you also realize that you are laughing at yourself. And that's the kind of laughter that hurts in the not-so-good way.

I'm really excited to go back to Colorado tomorrow. I'm worried that this weeklong vacation is going to encourage bad habits during the remainder of my semester. I will try to not let it get to me. I've also packed light in terms of my homework. Well, four books is considered light. I doubt I will get to all of them, but I figured it would be better to be safe than sorry. Besides, I swore to myself that I would not do any research or paper-writing during my break. No problem.

With that, this will be my first true Spring Break since . . . freshman year of undergrad. Whoa. It's been about 11 years. Yikes!

Support Hoth 2014!

Sign the petition for Hoth as the next Winter Olympics City/Planet!

A vote for Hoth is a vote for the Jedi!

Osteo BiFlex Frankenstein

Okay, this is also just really funny. . . Unfortunately, I couldn't find a way to embed the video into this entry. Sorry! But, it's definitely worth a click:

The new "Frank"

One to cheer up many

One of my school friends says this video is the treat he grants himself for studying:

The day before tomorrow. . . Today!

I'm really excited, yet really nonchalant about returning to Colorado tomorrow evening. Maybe it's due to the long road trip to Chicago and the wait in Midway that I have to look forward to. Or maybe it's because I know I have to clean, do laundry, and pack when I return from classes today. Or maybe it's due to the weather right now (all fog). Thank goodness I didn't schedule my flight for today.

This week hasn't been the greatest, but it hasn't been the worst either. . . I'm pretty sure that I've been rather hormonal in my reactions to random things. . . Blah.

I wonder what would happen if I didn't go anywhere I intended for spring break -- I could go to Vegas or NYC or anywhere but Colorado and Wisconsin. . . What purpose would that honestly serve?

Last night, I was speaking to my friend about how odd some people find their niche when they are very young. I wondered about whether or not people had personalities to match the careers they eventually choose in life. . . Have I chosen the career that matches my personality yet? Have I even been exposed to what that is? I don't know. . . My friend said that she could ferret out problems and possibilities that many people do not think of because of her previous experiences with the underworld of crimes and misdemeanors. . . Now she gets paid to find mistakes. I don't ultimately know what my talents and skills are good for. . . Perhaps I was born to be a Rock Star and missed my calling. Damn. I knew I should have taken choir.

Ad creates a live Simpsons intro

This is crazy awesome:

Getting me on "Medieval"

Well, today I lead class discussion in my Chaucer class. I even read a little middle English (poorly, of course) in front of all my classmates. Discussion went ok. Or did it? Everyone afterward said, "Great job on discussion" but none of them were smiling when they said it. . . What the hell?

I also spent way too much time at the library today. I even fell asleep reading Swift, which should never happen. I think it's simply the power of Husnus for lunch. . . Sadly, I only ate half of my plate, and I forgot my leftovers in the restaurant. . . Very sad. I was looking forward to leftover grape leaves stuffed with lamb and rice. That's some good eatin'!

Happy Birthday to Somebody Else

So, my significant other's birthday was this week. It was a strange experience because I couldn't celebrate the day with him. However, I plan on taking him out for dinner (and possibly getting an ice cream cake) when I visit during Spring Break.

In other news, I've been at home in my pajamas all day today. . . I've finally had the opportunity to watch all the CSI's I've missed this past semester and that child molester edition of Dateline NBC, which is simultaneously disgusting and entertaining. I can't believe how many men are interested in hooking up with young children. . . It is absolutely appalling, and I wonder if it is part of the increasing feelings of inadequacy that Susan Faludi describes in Stiffed. I shouldn't assume that this behavior is specifcally a product of this culture. . . Many novelists describe similar inklings in men of different cultures, histories, etc. Oddly, Dateline even commented on how women did not engage in this activity whatsoever. It's definitely something to think about.

On a more positive note. . . has anyone played Sudoku? Why is this game so addictive?

H&M with Stella McCartney!!!

I hate to advertise, but even Scary Go Round is excited at the prospect of H&M!

How exciting is that?! Plus, Madison will be opening one soon. . . along with a PF Chang's! Woo-hoo! I'm such a consumer whore! Normally, I wouldn't care. . . but I am absolutely starved for eating decent (but standardized) pseudo-chinese food and shopping at trendy fashion mcfashion stores. . . meh.

When procrastination's lost its fun, you're f*ing lazy!!

It's only about th 5th week of school, and I am already beginning to procrastinate my work. As I'm typing out this blog, I'm supposed to be working on a 5pg book review of a Pope scholar.

I just got back from the AAAGS movie night. . . We watched Robot Stories, which is an excellent flick. If you ever get the chance to view it, definitely take that chance. The progression of the movie is through 4 short segments on completely different people. But, it's pretty good.

Frostbitten and Frozen

I learned a few new things about Madison this week:

• Thundersnow: When a big snowstorm hits, sometimes you hear thunder and see lightening. Apparently that's what the term means
• Bitter Cold vs. Regular Cold: Bitter cold is actually a scientific term used by meteorologists in Madison for really F*CKING cold. Brutal cold is also used synonymously.
• Never complain about the cold to someone from Minnesota. That just goes without saying.
• You can get frostbite from just standing outside for 20 minutes. Think about that as you're waiting for the bus.
• Colorado ain't got nothin' on us. I laugh at your meagre five inches. Ha!
• You can have a blizzard in Madison while you have a tornado and 60 degree weather in Chicago. We're only 2 hours away. . . That's almost like Colorado weather.
• Grad students don't get breaks. There were safety concerns for undergrads, so classes were cancelled for them. Did any of my classes get cancelled? Yeah. Right.
  

All the cold does is make us stronger (unless it kills us, of course).

Two in One

Here's my general post on wishing my mom a Happy Birthday today and everyone else a Happy Valentines (or Anti-Valentines) Day tomorrow. Yay!

Tonight I had no homework for the first time in a while. Although I could have worked ahead like a smart (and good) grad student, I opted for watching the TV and vegging out in front of my computer.

Don't worry, folks. . . I'm working right now. . . hehe.

Getting "Medieval" on me!

I've spent the last day or so reading part of The Knight's Tale. I'm tired. So tired. And yet, I have about 5 pages left. . . and I can't bring myself to finish! What is wrong with me!
I've also spent the entire weekend in my pajamas. I haven't seen the outside world since Friday. Blah.

The Maid of Honor Deliberate Gentle Love Master (DGLMf) Appreciated for your kindness and envied for all your experience, you are The Maid of Honor. Charismatic, affectionate, and terrific in relationships, you are what many guys would call a "perfect catch"--and you probably have many admirers, each wishing to capture your long-term love. You're careful, extra careful, because the last thing you want is to hurt anyone. Especially some poor boy whose only crime was liking you. Your exact opposite: Half-cocked Random Brutal Sex Dreamer We've deduced you're fully capable of a dirty fling, but you do feel that post-coital attachment after hooking up. So, conscientious person that you are, you do your best to reserve physical affection for those you respect...so you can respect yourself. Your biggest negative is the byproduct of your careful nature: indecision. You're just as slow rejecting someone as you are accepting them. ALWAYS AVOID: The False Messiah, The 5-Night Stand, The Vapor Trail, The Bachelor CONSIDER: The Gentleman, someone just like you. Link: The 32-Type Dating Test by OkCupid - Free Online Dating. My profile name: blackeyedmonkey

the Cutting Edge (57% dark, 42% spontaneous, 36% vulgar)

your humor style: CLEAN | SPONTANEOUS | DARK Your humor's mostly innocent and off-the-cuff, but somehow there's something slightly menacing about you. Part of your humor is making people a little uncomfortable, even if the things you say aren't themselves confrontational. You probably have a very dry delivery, or are seriously over-the-top. Your type is the most likely to appreciate a good insult and/or broken bone and/or very very fat person dancing. PEOPLE LIKE YOU: David Letterman - John Belushi The 3-Variable Funny Test! - it rules - If you're interested, try my latest: The Terrorism Test

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 59% on darkness You scored higher than 41% on spontaneity You scored higher than 48% on vulgarity

Link: The 3 Variable Funny Test written by jason_bateman on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Strange bad but good occurrence

I just started using Library Thing to catalog all of my books online. It's a great service! You can catalog up to 200 books for free, but memberships will let you catalog as much as you want. Now, I recently (in the last week) put up about 200 books from my collection (which is a little less than half so far). When I returned to the site to tag some of my books, I noticed that most of them were gone. It turns out that they had a major server crash and lost about 160 of my books. Which is a little disappointing. However, to make up for it, they gave me a free membership! I was planning on purchasing a membership eventually, and now I don't have to for at least another year.

If you look to the right of my blog, you'll notice a random sampling of some of the books in my collection. Well, right now it's a random sampling of about 20 books in my collection. I'll have to get cracking on that again sometime next week.

Year memberships are $10, Lifetime ones are $25

Define me

Emily -- [adjective]: Pretentiously academian 'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Caffeine. . . so evil yet so necessary

Upon the advice of friends, I decided to drink a medium cappuccino to stay awake tonight and finish my homework. Caffeine is the devil. I quite drinking caffeine entirely last year. I only drink it in emergency, all-nighter situations. So, now it's 4am, I've finished most of my homework, and I can't go to sleep. I'm worried if I go to sleep, I won't wake up in time for my9:30am class. I'm also rather jittery. .. I wrote up an email for tomorrow, that I'm not entirely sure makes sense now. . . I also read, wrote my topic proposal for the same class, edited my friend's intro to his master's project, and wrote my friends about a summary of Althusser and the ISA. I'm freakin' out. Why would people ever want to put themselves in the precarious position of taking amphetamines to stay awake and do homework? My hands are shaking, and I don't know if what I am thinking actually makes any sense. I'm totally weirding myself out, and now I know that I will, at some point in the day tomorrow (well, technically today), completely crash and burn. Which totally sucks. Blah! How do people handle drinking caffeine so frequently? I'm worried about having a heart condition. . . my heart is beating so fast, and my hands are all shaky. Plus there are moments when I pause and get all drowsy, but then I suddenly stir with hyperactivity. This really is a weird state of being. I don't even remember what I was like when I drank caffeine. . . I wasn't even a heavy coffee drinker. . . I mainly drank tea and coke, so I don't know if this is the coffee or what. And I was foolish enough to order a cappuccino, not a regular coffee, a cappuccino. . . But I used to love cappuccinos. . . How? Was I a different person on caffeine? Was I happier, sharper, and more awake? Maybe human beings shouldn't always be in that state? Maybe it's a new state of consciousness that we normally couldn't access in our regular state? I don't know. . . I sincerely doubt that what I am saying right now is pure brilliance or anything like that because my hands are simultaneously tiring and numbing from my hyperactivity. . .


Damn caffeine!

Coffee, tea, or me? I don't drink caffeine!

You Are a Frappacino

At your best, you are: fun loving, sweet, and modern At your worst, you are: childish and over indulgent You drink coffee when: you're craving something sweet Your caffeine addiction level: low

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

What the Bleep?

I was absolutely amazed by the film What the Bleep Do We Know? last night, but there are definitely many questions it raised. I know that many people have written on the oddities of quantum physics (such as Zukov's The Dancing Wu-Li Masters), but I questioned the validity of many hypotheses that were explored in this film.

This was the one thing I was both amazed and quite skeptical of:

http://www.whatthebleep.com/crystals/

Apparently, this japanese fellow would tape words or blessings on bottles of pure water then watch them freeze and snap a picture of the result. . . It was quite surprising, and I'm not sure how the hell this would or could be real. I mean, he speaks Japanese, and all of these experiments took place with Japanese text. Would there be any difference in English or any other language?

My skepticism grew when I discovered that he is an alternative medicine doctor and does not have other medical degrees. But seriously, is this legitimate? Because if it is true, it's amazing.


(The above image is for the new sequel of this film. . . It's supposed to come out in Winter 2006.)

Paranoid

I really don't want to dwell on this particular thought because of the following reasons:

• If it's true, then everyone here thinks I'm an idiot
• If it's false, then I'm just an idiot for thinking it.
• I could be digging myself into a hole
  

I've had a rough time last semester adapting to both living in Madison and working in the PhD program. I'll admit that my own lack of self-esteem has taken a major toll on my image within the department. Yet, I cannot stop myself. I keep jokingly maintaining that I have "no idea why I'm here," and others remain silent instead of positively reinforcing my reasons for being here. Why do I need this continual positive reinforcement? That's just ridiculous! And, I can completely understand why these people would choose to remain silent since I keep saying it. True, they could be thinking that I am unworthy of being here. Or they could just be absolutely sick of hearing me constantly put myself down. I should just stop talking!

Personally, I've finally come to terms with being at a highly ranked school. I finally feel comfortable enough to not really worry what others think. . yet, this also has slightly more positive ramifications in the classroom as I no longer fear talking and asking questions.

Although those that sit in silence generally appear slightly more intelligent than my random prattling, I still recall what it's like to be a TA and just sitting and waiting for a response from my students. It was totally disappointing when they just sat there and had nothing to say. I would rather entertain silly questions than silence. But, that's just me.

I honestly can't say that I'm really enjoying this semester, but I can't say that I hate it either. I've become much more comfortable in this happy medium between passion and distaste. Although, I don't really enjoy most of the material I've been reading. . . I find myself to be so much more analytical and critical of it than if I did. However, I really loved reading AYLI again. . . and Michel de Certeau's The Practice of Everyday Life. . . and Lisa Cooper's "Bed, Boat, and Beyond." These have been the highlights of my recent weeks, and I'm finding myself more and more enthralled by theory and criticism than by actual texts. Is something happening to me?

Maybe I ought to read more "high" theory this summer? Maybe that's what I'm currently missing in my academic life?

Does this surprise anyone?

I was mildly surprised. . .

Who Should Paint You: Andy Warhol

You've got an interested edge that would be reflected in any portrait You don't need any fancy paint techniques to stand out from the crowd!

What Artist Should Paint Your Portrait?

I Love Fried Rice

Yesterday, as we all know, was the Lunar New Year (aka Chinese New Year). My friend and I decided to go to a potluck sponsored by the Association of Asian American Graduate Students (AAAGS). It was awesome! We opted to make both vegetarian and chinese sausage fried rice.

Initially, we argued a bit about the ingredients. The fried rice that I've made usually has chicken or bbq pork, but chinese sausage was a fair (if not better) substitute. My friend loves to put ketchup in her fried rice (she argues that it's the secret ingrediate to all great fried rice).
"Ketchup?? I've never had ketchup in my fried rice!"
She then responds, "Ketchup is what makes fried rice red."
"I've never eaten red fried rice."
"Well, ketchup also makes the fried rice tangy."
"Uh. . . I've never eaten tangy fried rice."
You can see where this conversation was going. . . In the end, I relinquished to ketchup. . . It tastes good, yet very different than the rice that I'm accustomed to.

So, we make two huge batches of this fried rice -- one with chinese sausage and the other without. Everyone at the party loved it. However, not as many people showed up to the party as we expected. So, we now each have one gigantic bowl (and I mean GIGANTIC) of fried rice that will last for many days (possibly weeks!). All in all, we had a great time meeting the Asian Americans in our local community. Everyone is a fantastic cook! Yum!

Happy New Year!

Let's get this party started!

I'm in the wrong business!

Yesterday, a friend and I were chatting about people we knew in fashion and/or interior design. She mentioned that one of her friends took a pop-up book class from the Stephen Greenblatt of pop-up book authors. . . All they did was make pop-up books!

I'm ridiculously jealous. . . of course, if I were majoring in pop-up books, I'm sure that I would find a way to intellectually terrorize it and make it "not fun."

Momentum is not. . .

... absolutely necessarily. . . Not right now, anyway. I'm just hours away from putting the finishing touches on my last paper from last semester. Yay, big procrastinator me, yay! I know that the momentum of the end of the term is exciting and loads of fun (har har har), but I don't think a slow pace when you're not under pressure makes my papers any worse. They seem to be a little more methodical. . . something that you can tongue and melt in your mouth, rather than biting straight away. . . I don't know. I think providing myself a good 2 weeks per paper seems to do the trick. Of course, the hard part is trying to actually find a full 2 weeks per paper to provide myself. Sigh.

Another nice thing about this semester is that I don't really have an emotional attachment to anything we're reading yet. Now, that is very interesting. . . I find that having no attachment to your topic (you neither like it or dislike it) makes it so much easier to write. Ultimately, I can be super objective about the work because I don't feel anything for it. Quality goes up as my expectations go down. . . quite ironic!

From a friend on myspace!

Oh Dave, you silly girl. . .

Which Disney Princess Are You? Jasmine You're the girl who has everything but is still desperate for the thing she cannot have, love. Jasmine first wandered onto our screen in Aladdin (1992)

Click Here to Take This Quiz Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

Back to School

Today is the first day of the rest of your life. . .

Actually, it's not. Today is the first day of the spring semester. I have one class in the middle of the day, but I still insisted on waking up early (well, early for me), trying out my new system of studying (well, sorta), and going to campus early for homework purposes. We'll see how it all turns out.
I hope everyone had a great set of holidays recently. I'm really excited forChinese New Year. . . This year pretty much sucked the big one.

I'm also including a ridiculously cute picture in this post: The well-known hippo-tortoise surrogate mom family:


I can't recall where I snatched this picture from, but I think that I found the story from Boing Boing.

What to look forward to

Happy New Year to all. Here are some things to look forward to in the new year:

• I don't have to write, edit, review, or present any Masters Projects
• No long distance moves across the state of Iowa or Nebraska
• No more Colorado conservative politics for me
  
• The comeback of moon boots
• No more Atkins diet stigma
• A DVD burner and a 250gb hdd!
• A new mattress to sleep on
• Another new semester (haha. . . devious laugh)
• No longer the newbie (again)
• I can finally wear legwarmers without shame
• Same thing with Ugg knockoffs
• MySpace and Facebook taking up all my time, along with Spider Solitaire (the old standard)
  
• The George Eliot Support group supporting itself with something other than George Eliot
• More Knightlys than D'arcys (or even more Crawfords or Tilneys)
  
• Doing things "doggie" style (dog being the new Chinese year)
• Taking incompletes without that "incomplete" stigma

Adendum coming. . .

Colorado really surprises me

The first day I came into Colorado, it was about as cold as Madison when I left. But that was the only cold day I've experienced here. Every day has been in the 60s, which is fairly unusual in Colorado's December, and I've been running around without a jacket or a hat for the last two weeks. It's been great!

Of course, this will also make the transition to Madison's winter so much worse. . . Now that I've had a taste of Colorado's great weather, I'm not sure if I want to go back!

Counting down the Chinese New Year!

We're supposedly going to have a good year. . . reaching our goals and working through our obstacles. . . I hope so because last year really sucked!

Finally home (but not home free)

So I finally made it back to Colorado on Thursday. It was a literal full day of travelling. I got up and took a cab to the Memorial Union at 6am,travelled by bus to Chicago from 7am-noon, got on an airplane to Colorado from 2:40-4:50pm, went to my parents' house and ate dinner at LD Buffet! from 6:00-11:30pm, and then finally made it to Greeley at around 12:30am.

I literally slept all day on Friday. I wrote my 2nd to last paper for a while, went to bed, got up and finished it this afternoon (well, I consider it finished!).

So that leaves me with this evening. I think I'm going to sleep some more. . .

Sadly, Colorado is getting about as cold as Madison was earlier this week. Unfortunately, I didn't bring anything to wear from Madison for the cold. I decided that my Madison coat (down coat that makes me look like the kid from A Christmas Story who can't keep his arms down) would stay in Madison. It's a symbolic gesture. . . shedding my Madison persona for Greeley (yeah, right). So, I'm now just freezing a little. . . oh well.

Oddly, I have fallen completely in love with my Ugg knock-offs for the cold weather. Although they aren't technically waterproof, the snow and wetness do not infiltrate the thick layers of faux fur that surround my bare feet. Plus, they're pink!

Oh yeah, so remember that drawing of Nail's Tales? Well, here's what the real deal looks like. . . basically the same. . . .

How perfect is this? R. Stevens is da man!