I'M DONE.

IT'S CHRISTMAS.

Odd

This is weird.

Here I go again...

You know you're sick of your essays when you find yourself Googling "how to become a private investigator."

Whatever will I think of next?

Ok, so it wasn't totally random. I mean, I went through several different detective phases when I was a kid, but I think everyone goes through that. I got excited because I solved a mystery today: The Case of Where the Hell Did I Put My Eyeliner? Also, my roommate told me yesterday I should be a detective when she heard about my freakish memory. Yeah, maybe if I actually paid attention to the real world and could lie without smiling.

X-MAS LIST UPDATE: Munsell Color Chart. Needed for senior project and life. Way more money than Richard told me it was. Figures. Also, I want a contour gauge. Man, I'm expensive AND boring. :/

Irony: The history paper I whined so much about? DONE, and kind of enjoyable in the end. Senior project stuff is now the most painful thing on my agenda, while a few weeks ago it was my favorite. Oh how finding out you're doing everything wrong can destroy your love for an assignment.

I missed Music Monday because all my music is on my computer whose display won't turn on. Sorry. It would have been carols anyway.

Now back to the horrible senior project proposal / preliminary analysis of nebulous doom.

Mel Gibson for the fail.

Part of me really, really wants to see Apocalypto. It's not just my sense of duty as a New World archaeologist, or the lure of controversy, or morbid curiosity, though maybe it's a little of all these things. I kind of just want to see it.

Frankly, I'm pretty sure I couldn't handle it. I happen to rather like blood (god I'm so weird), but organs, now, that's a different story. Once you bust out the organs (quite literally in this case, I imagine), you've lost me. So when the inevitable question comes, and I say I haven't seen it, it won't be because I'm boycotting Gibson's historical inaccuracy or his intolerant existance, though believe me, I've noticed. It will be because I'm a wuss.

Since I don't have the constitution to watch this controversial behemoth of a flick, I'll content myself with reading as many reviews as I can until I feel like I've seen the thing. And in doing this I learned that at some point the hero is spared a grisly death because of a surprise solar eclipse. A surprise solar eclipse?!?!?!?! Deus ex machina aside, these are the MAYA we're talking about. The Maya. If you did your homework, Mel (and you must have to have gotten the costumes and the rituals and the freaking language right), you'd know that the Maya had both a lunar and a solar calendar, both extraordinarily accurate. If there's anything that should never happen in movie about the Maya, it's a surprise eclipse. FAIL.

I will never stop making fun of my mother for swooning over this guy back before he revealed his lunacy.

Findings

First: I found a new cartoon to watch!!

Second: Today in lab, I opened up my third box of ceramics and found this, scrawled on the back of an artifact tag:

Friday No. 25 '94

:) Hello/Hi/Hola: I am George Miller's daugher he had a visiting professorship here at Yale as an Arceologist (sp?) in the fall semester of 1994. If you would please send this to him when you find this, years from now, it would make us very happy. 1410 Spruce St., Berkeley, CA 94709. Thanx, love you! Creagh Miller :)

Cool, huh? I'm going to double check the address with people here who know this Miller chap, and mail it.

Music Monday

Mostly mellow stuff this week. Enjoy.

Rocky Votolato - White Daisy Passing : I got this for free via Apple via Facebook. It's exactly what I need when I get home from school. Or when I need to relax, which is kind of all the time.

Cat Power - Cross Bones Style : Indie folkish. Popular among people who don't want to like "popular" things. Wonderful for writing, getting dressed, and life in general.

Belle And Sebastian - Dress Up in You : From their newest album. There's always one track that sticks in your head the whole day when you hear a B&S disc for the first time, and this is it.

Mika Nakashima - Glamorous Sky : Surprise, love from Japan. I first saw this song in video, which may be one reason I find it so addictive. This is more energetic than the past three. I listen to it about three times a day.

Also, today I spent the day almost 100% positive I wanted to be an archaeologist. Yes!

Absurdity.

The "X" key on my laptop broke off. The weird thing is, it got taken out by a runaway wad of post-its. I guess paper does beat rock (or at least plastic) after all.

Also, as I typed that sentence, a rain of what could quite possibly be urine decended from one of the floors above. It wouldn't be the first time.

Random thoughts...because paragraphs aren't happening.

I can't believe it will be 2007 in a month.
And I'll be 22. Seriously, my 21st birthday feels like yesterday.

I'm in the Christmas pageant again, playing the bitter feminist aunt (last year I was the senile aunt, and I have never gotten to play the drunk aunt). Emily and I sang Christmas carols in the streets today. I won't be satisfied until I've had my first eggnog of the year, though.

I wish I had a credit card, kind of a little

I labbed again today. I really like my ceramics!

One of my friends has scarlet fever. I didn't know that existed anymore.

I would like a little snow before I leave.

The Christmas list in the right-hand column is growing. Check it.

I'm so tired of this issue.

Congratulations, U.S.A. You're now more bigotry-infested than South Africa.

It's the holiday season! Plus, the first Music Monday

I had a happy day and let myself get into the Christmas spirit. I've started viewing Christmas not as a deadline (though it is), but as a reward for finishing my work. No Christmas for you if you don't write your papers!

But, time is running out. And speaking of which, I can't stop listening to Muse. I've decided to host weekly downloads on Mondays to share the music I'm currently into. They'll expire in seven days. Here's the first gloriously addictive angsty tune by the epic Radiohead wannabes Muse.

Muse - Time is Running Out

Oh heck, I'll give you another.

Muse - Butterflies and Hurricanes

Required Reading.

"Tomorrow marks the day that we will have been in Iraq longer than we were in all of World War II. That's right. We were able to defeat all of Nazi Germany, Mussolini, and the entire Japanese empire in LESS time than it's taken the world's only superpower to secure the road from the airport to downtown Baghdad."

Read the rest here at Michael Moore's website.

I guess I should eat breakfast.

This is, hands down, the best article about eating disorders I've ever read.

Axed like Tom Bombadil

I missed this originally, having been away from the fandom for a few days as I'm wont to do when juggling obsesssions. Apparently they're making a movie out of The Hobbit after all, which would be absolutely squee-worthy if not for the news that Peter Jackson's not directing it. The studio dropped him over some disagreement, which seems suicidal to me, since he's proven himself more than capable of making high-quality adaptations not to mention billions of dollars. As recently as the 14th, it looked like things were going well. I'm glad I hadn't read that news flurry before New Line decided to yell "Psyche!" Talk about a letdown.

Then again, there might be an upside to Jackson's divorce from the new film. For one, it preserves Jackson's LotR trilogy as standalone movie gold. As I've said before, don't mess with perfection. No matter how bad the new Hobbit movie is, it won't tarnish the splendor that is LotR.

That being said, a non-Jackson Hobbit may not be that bad. It solves a problem that many fans had been debating: the question of tone. Tolkien's Hobbit is a much lighter work than LotR, less awash in carnage, symbolism, and confusing names. The merry elves of The Hobbit are nowhere to be found in its sequels, replaced by a vanishing race of solemn beauties who wouldn't lower themselves to frolic. Ultimately, Bilbo's story is much more of a childrens' book, right down to its very diction, and Jackson is not a childrens' film director. He likes his battles bloody and his symbolism heavy, thank you very much. In order to make his prequel match his trilogy, Jackson would probably have to change The Hobbit into something very different from its source material. This might not be a bad thing, but it's a complication. Now, a new director may still decide (or feel obliged) to imitate the feel of Jackson's films. But if he fails, it won't be Jackson's fault. It might even make him look better.

But I'll still be signing the petition. :)

Literally everything you'd ever want to know about this can be found at geek Mecca.

Giving Thanks

I'm thankful to live in a country where revolution can be bloodless, and freedom hasn't lost all of its real meaning.

I'm thankful to even be in a position where I can question what I want to do with my Yale education, where finding a vocation I really love is even an option.

I'm thankful for my body. It has two arms and two legs and eyes that can (kind of) see, and youth and health and strength.

Mostly, I'm thankful for everyone who loves me, because without them, all the rest would be meaningless.

If you're reading this, chances are, that's you. So thank you!

*hugs*

Time keeps rolling by...

Santa Barbara is finished and in the mail! I honestly can't remember the last time I finished anything a week early.

I went to work with my ceramics today. It was so cool! It really is going to take a long time, because there are even more of them than I thought, but it's kind of relaxing. I wish I could go in tomorrow, but I won't have access because of Thanksgiving. Oh well. I supposed I should concentrate on the things that are due this semester.

The winter weather blew in today. I hadn't really gone outside in a while (I'm scarily seeing shades of future me who lives alone and doesn't leave the house), and it was jarring to see so many bare branches. Strangely enough, I thought it was beautiful. I've appreciated the seasons more this year than the past two years. Whether that's because it will probably be my last real winter in a while, or because I myself have changed, I'm not sure. Then again, it might be because winter hasn't really hit, and in March I'll be singing a different tune.

Applications are for BS!

What my application says about the Whitfield House lab class:

"As the most experienced member of our group, I took on a leadership role, devising the research design, delegating tasks, and editing the final project’s sections together. In synthesizing previous seasons’ work into a coherent picture of long-term activity, we gained a more comprehensive and unified understanding of the site as a whole. We also learned that through efficient teamwork, even a daunting task could become feasible. I now feel comfortable planning and carrying out group research projects as a leader among my peers."

What it really means:

"As the only person in my group who knew anything, I told everyone what to do, yet still ended up doing most of the work myself. Despite trudging through five years of material, we really didn't come up with any substantial conclusions because the assignment was stupid. We also learned that the most effective way to complete a team project is to have the best student do everything. I now feel comfortable planning and carrying out group research projects without my peers. I also learned a valuable and expensive lesson about loaning out library books."



*does not play well with others*

HAHAHAHAHARVARDSUCKS!!!

And I didn't even go to the Game. All the restrictions just sounded oppressive and lame, plus Jenny was here, which was much more fun.

As I have nothing Game-related to blog, I am reposting last year's cider-steeped treatise on the incredible suckage of Harvard, the self-evidence of which is made even more manifest by Yale's resounding victory this year.

News flash to Harvard: You're only better at football. You've got a misogynistic president, a ridiculous mascot, an evil color, lame parties, and annoying accents. And a ridiculous mascot. And most of all, school on Monday.
Read the rest here.

And now, you're not even better at football. Silly can tabs.

This is strangely fun.

Disorder	Rating
Paranoid Personality Disorder:	Low
Schizoid Personality Disorder:	Moderate
Schizotypal Personality Disorder:	Low
Antisocial Personality Disorder:	Moderate
Borderline Personality Disorder:	Moderate
Histrionic Personality Disorder:	High
Narcissistic Personality Disorder:	High
Avoidant Personality Disorder:	Low
Dependent Personality Disorder:	Low
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder:	High
-- Take the Personality Disorder Test -- -- Personality Disorder Info --

Angst begone.

Today was a beautiful, career-affirming day. In the most open-ended of ways. It's good to know I'm not numb to intellectual pleasure.

Presentation going no place, though...it's all good. Jenny got into MICHIGAN (her top choice), so when she arrives tomorrow we're going out for THAI...mmm, I can smell it already.

Edit: Presentation going someplace, thanks to Mozart. Seriously, there is nothing better to work to.

I'm obsessed with this quote and I haven't even read the book.

Child, child, have patience and belief, for life is many days, and each present hour will pass away. Son, son, you have been mad and drunken, furious and wild, filled with hatred and despair, and all the dark confusions of the soul -- but so have we. You found the earth too great for your one life, you found your brain and sinew smaller than the hunger and desire that fed on them -- but it has been this way with all men. You have stumbled on in darkness, you have been pulled in opposite directions, you have faltered, you have missed the way -- but, child, this is the chronicle of the earth. And now, because you have known madness and despair, and because you will grow desperate again before you come to evening, we who have stormed the ramparts of the furious earth and been hurled back, we who have been maddened by the unknowable and bitter mystery of love, we who have hungered after fame and savored all of life, the tumult, pain, and frenzy, and now sit quietly by our windows watching all that henceforth never more shall touch us -- we call upon you to take heart, for we can swear to you that these things pass.

-Thomas Wolfe, “Look Homeward Angel”

sigh.

Testing, yeah.

This is my new blog. The old blog is annoying. Almost as annoying as my history paper. But unlike my history paper, the old blog is not going to bite me in the butt Wednesday if I don't finish it.

I would love to transplant the old entries onto this software, but I fear that's impossible. *sigh*