| Obligatory LJ update |
[22 Jan 2006|04:39pm] |
Well, classes have started again. We're heading into the third week, actually. Hurrah.
I managed to get A's in all of last semester's classes, but we'll see how this semester goes. I have the last classes for both of my majors; they are (and will be) a lot of work. But I'll graduate at the end of this semester, so that's something to be thankful for.
Not sure what I'm doing after that, so don't bother asking.
I forgot to see what my last entry was about, so I'm not sure what to say now. Hrrrrmmm.
Oh, here's something fun (lifted from something I wrote last night at my other journal):
But the best thing that happened to me today happened when I got home. I was walking around the back of the house, being careful because it was very slippery.
And then I was flat on my back, looking up at the sky.
Hum.
I contemplated lying there like a dead fish until someone found me, but it was a little too cold for that. So I got up and went in the house. Then went back outside with a bag of salt and kicked some icy sidewalk butt with it.
I daresay I may be a little sore tomorrow. But it wasn't as bad as I'd always thought falling on my backside would be. I didn't even really know it had happened until I realized that I was no longer walking forward. Oh, and my head complained a little from the jarring. But I guess it could have been worse. I could have lost a limb or something.
LOCAL WOMAN LOSES BOTH ARMS TO TRAGIC ICY SIDEWALK ACCIDENT: STORY AT 11.
::shrugs:: You never know.
So, really, I do have excitement in my life. I just have to fall flat on my -ahem- to get it. ::grin::
Unfortunately, I have a ton of reading to do for tomorrow, so I'd better get cracking on that. I think it's a slew of papers on essentialist relativism or something similar. Yeah, I don't know either.
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[05 Dec 2005|11:11pm] |
Things I have learned today:
1) Marx's The Communist Manifesto is not very uplifting. It mostly goes like this:
Marx: Doom.
Me: ...?
Marx: Doom, I tell you! Doom and destruction!
Me: Surely there's something good--
Marx: DOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
As you can see, reading that has brightened my day considerably.
2) Melvin Tumin's running commentary on structural functionalism is about as dry as a piece of paper can get without spontaneously disintegrating into dust. Though to be fair, what can you really expect from a guy named Melvin Tumin?
Mr. Melvin Tumin: My favorite hobby is taking rare and collectible words out of their display cases and using them in my highly intelligent articles.
Me: Figures.
Mr. Melvin Tumin: I am a genius. Also, my name almost rhymes.
Me: ...help.
3) Gemeinschaft and gesellschaft are two very funky words.
4) Two pages of text, double spaced, is not very much at all.
5) Accuradio's Broadway channel gives me warm fuzzies, especially when it plays Sondheim's "Invocation and Instructions to the Audience", which never fails to make me laugh.
6) My next novel for YA lit was written in response to people who protest Harry Potter. The author dedicated the book as follows: "This book is dedicated with affection for but no patience with those who would protect our children through humorless moralizing and paranoia about fantasy."
7) We can lift evil spells by collecting the following items from the woods: "The cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn, the slipper as pure as gold."
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[04 Dec 2005|11:41am] |
So... I'm alive.
Most of you know this, but I figured I'd just put it out there in case anyone was having doubts. I haven't a clue why I haven't written here in ages; somehow, I just haven't. But I am now, so that counts for something, right?
I doubt I am fooling anyone; I'm sure you all realize that the very reason I'm writing here is that I have something that I must do (namely, a paper) and thus am in desperate need of some way to procrastinate on doing it. Enter LJ.
I can't express the level of stupidity that I'm currently displaying. This paper is due tomorrow at 12:30pm, and I have to work tonight. So right now is it, unless I want to a) pull an all-nighter, or b) get up at about 4am in order to finish it. Considering that neither of those options are at all palatable (and considering that even if I worked on this paper all afternoon before work, I'd probably still have to finish in the wee morning hours), I really should be working on it.
I've done most of the background reading, so all I need to do is write the thing. Background reading, of course, refers to psychology articles in professional journals-- or to put it more simply, utter nonsense. Honestly, I'm inclined to believe that humans don't actually write these things; this paper is supposed to be in that form, and I am absolutely incapable of writing that way. Call me dumb, but... ::shrug:: I'm also inclined to believe that whoever wrote them (robot, alien, my cat) did not intend for them to be read by humans except as a remarkably successful torture device.
All of this wailing isn't urging the paper any closer to completion, so I suppose I'll just stop wailing about it for the moment.
I am quite ready for classes to be done. We have one more week of classes before finals, which means that everything is starting to be due. The lab manuscript is due tomorrow. A YA lit paper is due on Wednesday (and these things are so long, it's disgusting). I have to read two books for YA lit and then write the final for the Wednesday after that. I also have to do a big theoretical analysis paper for my urban sociology class to be turned in no later than a week from Thursday. Also on that Thursday, I have two exams: Industrial/Organizational Psych (oh, kill me) and statistics.
And then I will be finished.
I can't really see the light, but I know that it's coming.
Surprisingly (and foolishly), I'm not as stressed out as I usually am. Which means that nothing is prodding me to work extra-hard on this stuff. Hello, senioritis. I believe we've already met-- in fact, haven't we been roommates for the past six years?
Work is the same as it's always been. We're getting scheduled for more hours because of the holidays, and for the past two weeks I've had to battle with my managers to get time off to go to my classes. They keep scheduling me during times I've already told them that I'm in class; it's really annoying. They got it right this week, but I shudder to think what they'll do to next week. I think if I see them I'll give them a friendly reminder that I still have one more week of classes. A couple of weeks ago one of them scheduled me because he "thought [I] might be done for the holiday". Yeah, right. Don't I wish?
Okay, paper time now. Probably.
Edit: ...and I just received an email from my stats prof reminding us that our review of a journal article (the utter nonsense that I was discussing several paragraphs up) are due on Tuesday. Oops. Thanks for the reminder, prof, because I never would have remembered on my own.
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[29 Aug 2005|10:34am] |
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While getting ready for class this morning I've had FOX News/CNN on in the background. Of course, all of the news is about the hurricane near New Orleans. And, heaven forgive me, I can't keep myself from laughing.
Hurricanes bring out all the crazies-- and by crazies, I mean "field reporters who are desperate to make good". Thus we are barraged by videos of men standing out in 150+ mph gusts with a microphone, stumbling around in an attempt to remain upright while the hurricane screams, "I'm gonna knock you down! I'm gonna knock you down, punk!"
On FOX News right now, there is some guy named Steve standing out in a yard, with a large billboard/sign nearby. Smart. From what I could tell, they were just outside of a hotel where some other people were taking cover. "Whoa!" he exclaimed. "A huge chunk of roof just landed about three feet from me!" His next decision was to "get out of here" and "be back on next hour". The delayed intelligence of the former statement was unfortunately negated by the latter. And he'd already been standing out there for at least 10 minutes, vowing to stay out there until he could no longer stand up, while the cozy FOX News anchor interviewed him. (Sample question: "I bet that rain feels like little pellets of glass hitting you, huh?" Answer: "Yep.")
The anchorman also asked him where he, the camera man, and the truck driver were going when they weren't on the air. Steve replied with a laugh, "Well, they've locked the hotel, so we're just sort of sitting in the truck by the wall." Do you know why they locked the hotel on you, Steve? Because they were afraid that your stupidity was contagious. And in these rough times, the last thing we need is an epidemic.
Oh, and this just in: In a hurricane, we have hurricane-force winds. Thanks, Mr. Anchorman, for clearing that up.
Earlier in Steve's interview, he was attempting to describe the conditions in the hurricane. "...and the winds are very strong, and they think it could get worse after..." He trailed off, doing his best to stare off into the distance as the wind pummelled him. "Wow. Uh... A roof... over the... just went... flew over there..." Yes, Steve. If you're very lucky, that could be you!
All right, all joking aside, I certainly would not want to be anywhere near that hurricane right now. My thoughts go out to anyone who's attempting to weather it and anyone who has to come home to the wreckage. I couldn't even imagine that.
Breakfast now. Class at 12:30. Hurrah.
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[15 Aug 2005|02:42pm] |
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 Astaireable |
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Freddie (i.e. Mr. Astaire) is the star of the day on TCM today. ::loves::
I'm so deep into a classic movie kick right now that it's not even funny. It started with a Judy Garland/Van Johnson film and snowballed from there-- into the territory of Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Doris Day, Cary Grant... Mmmmm.
I got halfway through Bringing Up Baby last night before bed. How much do I love Cary Grant in that role? Too, too much. His comedies-- love 'em.
Might need to visit an Irene Dunne film soon as well; she's one of my favorites.
I also watched The Joy Luck Club yesterday for the very first time. I was extremely pleased and surprised by how good it was. I've owned the book for a couple of years, and now I plan on reading it. Started it last night after work, in fact.
Hurrah for good books and great movies! So much better than going to work and writing papers... ;)
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[09 Aug 2005|12:27am] |
I had to go the Secretary of State's office today to renew my license. (I'm turning 21 on-- well, I guess it's today now that it's past midnight.) It occurred to me while I was waiting that working there would subject one to... well, all sorts of stupidity.
Example: "I'm sorry, but we can't transfer someone else's deed into your name without their permission." The people to whom this was directed declared that they were going to the courthouse and left.
There was also the young woman who came in to renew her license and tried about six thousand times to pass the vision test, finally admitting that she was supposed to wear glasses. She didn't have them with her because she didn't like to wear them. And yes, she'd driven herself to the office.
...and I am driving on the same roads that she is. Help me, please. ;)
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[01 Aug 2005|02:34pm] |
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I'm currently sitting here pain-free, which is a lovely feeling. This, I believe, is due to many factors: four over-the-counter ibuprofen, a long early-afternoon nap, the incredible lack of any noise whatsoever, and the knowledge that soon (i.e. tomorrow) ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) certainlily will be here to entertain me and keep me company.
I have completely given up on these prescription meds I have here. While they seemed to have no immediate effect on my mental capacities early in the week, by the weekend they were starting to make me restless, jumpy, and utterly paranoid. Not to mention sick to my stomach. (As did the one vicodin I decided to take. Bleh.) So the little blue pills are gone (and good riddance, I say).
Certain (happy birthday to her today, by the way) is coming to spend a couple of days here, for no real reason except that we haven't seen each other since this spring (Jane Eyre play, I believe) and that there's an utterly fantastic booksale going on 'round here starting on Thursday morning. She came with me a couple of years ago, so we're going for a repeat appearance.
I will also be going on the last day, as you can fill a box with stuff for only $2 (or a bag for $1). (The first day is most expensive because the selection is the best; the last day is the cheapest.) Depending on the size of the box/bag and your packing abilities, you could make a killing. I believe there was one year where I got an insane amount of books for what averaged out to be less than 5 cents per title. Part of me feels guilty about the cheapness of these books, as it's a library fundraiser, and I support the library. Then I remember how much I pay to the bloody library in fines, and I don't feel so bad.
Still, I've decided not to go crazy this year, mostly because I have nowhere to put these little gems. Parents may not be too thrilled if I come home with five boxes full of books. But that will not stop me from going only a little crazy. Because, c'mon, they're cheap books! I mean, last year I got up on the morning after I got back from Ireland just so I could go for the last day. Absolutely exhausted, but still had to go.
Ahh, books.
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| Tip of the day: Do not allow random men to rip perfectly functional teeth out of your head. |
[30 Jul 2005|07:32am] |
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 painpainpain |
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Hey, if anyone has a minute, would you mind asking the bad man to stop this ride so I can get off? Thanks.
So this entire wisdom teeth thing has been one big barrel of rabid monkeys. I had fully expected to be at least a little bit better by this point in time, but if the site of extraction ("The Throbbing Holes of Death") is actually healing, it's certainly not being reflected in any of my conscious feelings.
I just had a very odd bodily experience wherein I was simultaneously glued to the couch by the huge Paperweight O' Gravity and flying through the air due to the Blue Candy-Like Pills That Don't Take Away Pain But Probably Have Some Sort of Medicinal Properties Somewhere. During that time of exquisite insanity, my stomach kept saying, "Umm, hello? Can we possibly abort this plan? It's really not working for me." To which the phantom wisdom teeth replied, in a fake French accent, "Heh heh heh, not in zees lifetime! We need zee pills. Zey are like a good cheese: way too expenseev and not serving any useful purpose whatsoevair!"
(It's true: I don't like "good" cheese.)
Speaking of food, (Food? Where? Gimme!) when it's not flying through mind-space, my stomach can always be found pleading for some. "Okay," it says in a calm tone, "remember that soup from an hour ago? Now don't get me wrong, it was a very nice condensed Campbell's soup. And those star-shaped noodles? Very cute. But... Could you maybe sometime in the near future possibly... give me some freaking real food here? Meat, dammit! I need meat! And a large loaf of bread! And something besides those sissy-pants mashed potatoes that you keep throwing at me. Fake meat-flavored gravy ain't cuttin' it, buddy!"
Oh, what I wouldn't give for a steak.
And, you know, a whole heck of a lot less pain. But I wouldn't want to go around asking for too much. While my oral surgeon appeared to be a jovial man with no hatred toward humanity in general (or me in particular), I am starting to believe that he was really a sadist. What kind of person has the nerve to charge me over a thousand dollars for the privilege of having him rip perfectly functional (i.e. heavily-rooted) teeth out of my head? And then, on top of it, prescribes wussy Tylenol-esque prescriptions? And, on top of that, has the gall to be cheerful about it?
Granted, I'm extremely grateful that he medicated me enough so that I didn't wake up while he was in the midst of shoving the rusty chainsaw halfway down my throat. I would roughly estimate the value of this courtesy as being comparable to the value of my iPod. But if he wanted money enough for six iPods, he really could have stepped it up a little and given me a little less pain.
Because, right at this moment, I would gladly trade my iPod for a nice painkiller. And, well, if you wanted to throw in a complimentary steak, I really wouldn't object.
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[13 Jul 2005|10:41am] |
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I was idly browsing the internet last night and happened to come upon something weird. (I know, shocking, huh?)
I haven't been following this whole Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes/scientology thing very closely, but I have caught glimpses here and there of the whole strangeness of that trio. Very odd, if you ask me-- but then, who am I to judge?
Still.
I stumbled onto a link that gave a short summary of the beliefs of scientologists-- and as many of you know, it was just... weird. But then someone else linked to a list of questions that scientologists are apparently asked when they are (if I understand correctly) trying to become true scientologists. And that was just bizarre. So here are some of those questions (and my answers, because I couldn't resist) to entertain you on this Wednesday morning. It's an extremely long list-- so I will not post them all. Maybe more will follow later.
( Take me to your leader. )
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[10 Jul 2005|04:39pm] |
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Last night when I got home from work, I was in rare form. I honestly, truthfully, no-holds-barred hated humanity and was about this close to telling some customer/random person/family member off. It was to the point where I could scarcely control the urge. It's been a while since I've truly been to that point.
Some of the hate and discontent has faded, but not all of it. Oh, no. Not all of it.
For some reason, I like the Dear ______ game. Don't know why, but I do. So I'm going to play it, as it's easier than writing a real entry.
( Dear_________ )
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[24 Jun 2005|03:09pm] |
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I cracked and bought an iPod (20GB) this morning. Pity my credit card. However, I got $75 off, which was a bargain that I just couldn't pass up. Hence the reason I am now sitting with status-symbol white earbuds in my ears, listening to Alanis Morrisette tell me that she's "not the doctor".
The earbuds hurt my ears, actually. They may have to go.
My iPod's name is Scharwenka. She's lazy, like me. And although I didn't think it was possible, she's whiter than me, too. I believe we shall get on splendidly.
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| Tag-- I'm it. |
[23 Jun 2005|01:55am] |
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music |
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"Sirens" - Jane Eyre (probably should have made the list) |
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List five of your favorite songs and tag 5 friends who must share theirs.
I always get into trouble when trying to figure out my all-time favorites, so here are the five that are near the top of my current playlist:
1. "Send Me A Song" - Celtic Woman CD
2. "Some Things Are Meant To Be" - Little Women soundtrack
3. "Addicted to Love" - Robert Palmer
4. "I Can Do Better Than That" - Last Five Years soundtrack (Okay, really the whole CD, but that's probably cheating.)
5. "Summerfly" - Whiskey Still
And I'm tagging...
1. certainlily
2. ktblueyes
3. darnegaemls
4. alisaselene
5. nicole27k
If you're bored, it'll give you something to do. ;)
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[15 Jun 2005|01:53am] |
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Another bit of a laugh, courtesy of bash.org...
[Azemilcar] What do you Brits say when you stereotype American speech?
[Starblaydia] anything lacking irony or sarcasm usually qualifies, Azemilcar
[Gala|drunk] *nod*
[Yamatto] or we just hoot like gibbons and invade sandy countries.
Snerk.
I think I need to go to bed now.
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[10 Jun 2005|02:25pm] |
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There is no purpose to this entry except to say that Easter Parade is love.
Fred Astaire. Mmmm.
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[09 Jun 2005|06:57pm] |
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Just a survey I found to pass the time...
( Book meme )
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[09 Jun 2005|06:13pm] |
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It's too hot to do anything but sit around in a swimsuit, methinks.
I actually have a little color on my shoulders. It's red, yes, but color nonetheless.
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[08 Jun 2005|12:40pm] |
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 complacent |
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I have decided that I like getting up early on my days off from work. Mind you, it's still incredibly painful to my sleep-deprived body, but once I'm up and half-awake, I can usually manage to forget that my eyelids are still incredibly heavy.
Right now I'm enjoying a massive slurpee-- 32 oz, to be exact. It's certainly not the biggest they sell, but it's still at least twice as much as I would normally be able to drink. However, buying this size earned me a free song on iTunes, so I suppose it all worked out in the end. Too bad it's approximately two hundred degrees outside, which caused the slurpee to melt in record time. Ah well.
Somehow my brother managed to miss the bus this morning, so I had to take him to school. We made it the whole school year without him missing it, and on the last day our streak was ruined. Curses. He actually went outside early, so the bus must have been super-early. (Or perhaps it didn't even come at all.) Either way, I ended up driving him there and spending about ten minutes sitting in the parking lot. Apparently every parent decided to take his/her child to school on the last day-- with the result that there was a long line of slowly-moving cars circling the parking lot. Good thing I didn't have anywhere urgent to be after that.
I also went to the library, where I checked out four books; I'm hoping one of them will strike my fancy. I spent a good deal of time in there, partly because I was trying to decide which books to get-- and partly because it was brilliantly air-conditioned inside. Mmmm.
Still, it's a gorgeous day outside. I'm kind of glad that we don't have air conditioning in our house, because I like having the windows open. Last night I slept with the one above my bed open (something I never do); I fell asleep listening to the late night thunderstorms. It was really nice.
My newest music acquisition is Celtic Woman (the CD to the PBS special of the same name); I love it. I'm kind of picky about the celtic music I like, and I was a bit wary about the CD-- but I'm glad I bought it. It's highly enjoyable, and there are both traditional songs and more modern ones. In short, it's very nice.
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[05 Jun 2005|01:00am] |
Reminder, reminder:
The Tony Awards are on Sunday night (i.e. June 5) at 8pm on CBS. This is basically the one night of the year that many people even think about the existence of Broadway.
I will personally not be able to watch it live, as I have to work, but I have enlisted my mother's help in taping it. So that means I'll get to fast-forward through all of the boring stuff and just watch the main categories and performances. Come to think of it, it's better that way.
And now it's so hot that I think I'm going to go curl up with my newest book (I'm A Stranger Here Myself by Bill Bryson-- funny guy) and a popsicle.
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[03 Jun 2005|01:17am] |
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The following chat log quote I found on bash.org made me laugh:
[Unspawny] The ultimate game would be a game sorta like The Sims.
[Unspawny] Except it would be called 'Angst'.
[Unspawny] And you would see how many angsty people you can befriend, screw over, and then befriend again.
[frog] you just described Livejournal: The Game
Heee.
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