Hm, what's all this? H. Res. 847: Recognizing the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith

Bush On The Defensive Over New Iran Intel

This one is my favorite: "...has dealt another blow to Bush's credibility -- which already was low over his false claims about illicit weapons in Iraq -- because he was aware of the findings [that the NIE has concluded that Iran has no nuclear weapons program] when he warned on Oct. 17 that Iran's quest for nuclear weapons could ignite World War III."

What is his ISSUE with the Middle East??? And his constant need to attempt to scare us into supporting him??? Seriously. I want to write an angry letter, but I don't even know where to begin.

Dear Mr. President,

Stop being completely moronic. We are not as stupid nor desperate as you.

Signed,
Me

This, on top of what Moondoggy posted about King George wanting to set up permanent occupation in Iraq, is just pathetic. It boggles my mind that he can still possibly be in office. Why, when it seems perfectly clear that he is unfit for his position, does no one question it? Honestly.

In other news, I've made the decision to vote in the primaries. Obama is my homeboy.

mood: disgusted

Halloween is TOMORROW! And for the first time since coming to Purchase, I actually have a costume I'm excited to wear and parties to wear it to.

The sun has emerged and the temperature has dropped, leaving our house in a state of frozenosity. However, yesterday the heating plant came and fixed it, so now we are baking in our beach-like tropical getaway. Luckily, just a crack in the window will even it out to a normal temperature (yes, our thermostat is just for show).

Had a busy day yesterday. Went with Andrew to get supplies for his Halloween costume, got new lightbulbs for my desk lamp, shattered the old lightbulb on the floor of Walmart (yup, and ran away), built the Macbeth family for my Shakespeare Sims Town, went to my staff meeting and organized our awesome block party which will now feature "Pie your CA", then helped Andrew to build his costume.

Paper mache was hard to master, but with the right consistency, we were able to make it work divinely. All that's left to do is to spray paint it.

Hm? What is he being you ask? Han Solo. Frozen in carbonite.

If I was a good girlfriend, I would be Boba. But I'm a great girlfriend, so I'm being Death.

mood: chipper music: "This World Is Full of Crashing Bores" Morrissey

I've had the hiccups on and off all day long.

Last night, I spent fifteen dollars too much on groceries. Nevertheless, I now have awesome sherbet for my soar throat. And more chips. You can never have too many chips.

Today I turned in my analytical book review for senior project. I had a heart-to-heart last night with one of the other CAs about how I originally wanted to make a historical comic book for senior project and he encouraged me to pursue the idea, even though my adviser laughed at me when I suggested it sophomore year. Come now - prostitute comic? Awesome idea.

I have a midterm coming up this week on Friday for American Frontiers. I thought this was going to be Cowboy Class, but instead it is Americans Kill Every Indian Ever Just For Existing Class. We were such bitches. Selfish bitches. Our country was founded on selfishness. That makes a lot of sense.

I worked today with the children. Work seems more like play when you're running around the kitchen trying to find your eyeballs. I convinced them for a few minutes that I was a zombie. Then I was a whale and then I went home.

I went to Barnes and Noble and waited for Becka to get off work so we could go home together. Next to me sat two old men arguing adamantly about whether or not one of them was an atheist because he didn't believe in intelligent design. I thought the man not in question was being really stupid. Then I fell asleep reading about kabuki onnagata and their legions of fans and how kabuki was the people's theatre. You really wouldn't think that looking at it now. It's so bourgeois now.

Riding the bus back, the bus driver took a wrong turn and got lost in the backwater apartment complex on campus (the New). We tried to give him directions to escape and we got stuck between two trees. Those back-roads are not made for city buses. The four people on the bus plus the bus driver had to work together to get us out. I felt like I was in a zombie movie - when a situation demands a bunch of strangers to work together to survive. But if it had been zombies, we would never have survived, as none of us had any weapons. Unless these zombies were allergic to coffee-soaked graham-cracker crumbs. Because that's what I had.

I am loving being able to play Sims 2 on Becka's computer. I am currently filling Veronaville with my versions of legions of Shakespeare characters. My favorite was Hamlet's house. I made Hamlet, Gertrude, Claudius, AND the Ghost King. Then I promptly killed off the Ghost King. I wonder if there's any way I could have gotten Claudius to kill him specifically. That would have been great! As is, everyone in that house is now hysterical.

My only issue with the Sims is that I have so little patience for the actual game. I love making the houses and the families, but I usually only play for a little while before I get bored. There's too much time wasted on feeding them and cleaning and making them pee - if I wanted to do that, I'd play real life. I want to work on their relationships! I want to make DRAMA!

Back to senior project - what do you guys think of the historical comic idea? A brief story about some prostitute at some point and then using that to focus my paper around. Maybe about Yoshiwara, the brothel district, closing down in 1956 with the Anti-Prostitution law. I dunno. Thoughts?

location: Desk. mood: thoughtful music: "Monster Hospital" Metric

Chewbacca is coming to CONvergence 2008 (4 DAYS!!!)!!

I have been waiting so long to see Chewbacca at a con. Though usually I meant simply wanting to see someone in a Chewbacca costume, nonetheless seeing the man who played Chewbacca sans Chewbacca suit will suffice. I'M GOING TO FIND HIM AND MAKE HIM DO THE SOUND!!!!

P.S. Atchan, let's do a Supernatural panel.

mood: WOOO! music: "Jellyhead" Crush

David Hasselhoff is "Hooked on a Feeling"

Last night, I was privileged to be in attendance to a viewing of R. Kelly's epic opus "Trapped in the Closet." From the gay pastor to the midget in the cabinet to the lesbian hos to Pimp Lucius at church to my beloved Tron (Twon? I prefer Tron) with his magic bullet-healing powers, it was truly awe-some. I can't help but wonder who provided the funds for such a project. But wow, the same beat for an hour and a half takes its toll on you... Nonetheless, I can't help but need to know what the package is. *headdesk*


There's a taste. Now extend that to an hour and a half. That is the experience I had. *nod*

mood: stunned music: "LDN" Lily Allen

Went into NYC yesterday with Becka-Becka to go to the New York Public Library and find sources for our senior projects. It was really awesome - got me my own Access card (in which I look like I'm trying to come on to the library attendant) and copy card, saw them use crazy tubes and book elevators to deliver to me my books of choice. You can't check out books at the New York Public on 42nd Street (ie the famous one) because it's a research facility, but that also means you can touch things published in 1899 (did it!) and your books are almost guaranteed to be available all the time!

I read prostitute laws in Japan - apparently in 1946 the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers sent a memo to the government officials of Japan directing them to illegalize prostitution. Tiddle dee dee, before that they kept a registry. I've also been looking into stuff that seems to say that during the Occupation, there were Japanese women provided for American soldiers - IRONIC!

After the library, Becka and I met my friend Mai from last year (she's a Japanese student whom I tutored last fall), who is now at grad school, and she and I spoke Japanese together! In fact, we agreed that weekly we will get together and she will help me with my Japanese, and I will help her with her papers for grad school. The grand thing is we will get together in the city but she will pay for the transport - it's super awesome! I'm excited, and hopefully this won't be too overwhelming for me to do.

After lunch at a Japanese cafe (onigiri I MISSED YOU!) we went to the Village to a Japanese conbini (no Pure gummies, unfortunately) and got snacks (Mai bought me shoyu rice cakes, a study favorite of mine!). We went to Trash and Vaudeville, a punk store, and to a Halloween store which was like if Party Papers had exploded and become huge and really unorganized. We had more Leg Avenue than them, despite their monstrosity. I think perhaps they were bought out by Charades or something, because they had tons from them.

We then met Becka's brother for giant margaritas the size of my head. I barely made a dent in mine before we decided we needed to head back. Rode the Purchase Bus and got extremely claustrophobic. You'd think after how many years they'd figure out how to run a shuttle that comes on time and has enough room for everyone. Dumbasses.

After THAT, Andrew came by and we watched the Office. Ally - I am totally rooting for Jim and Pam. OMG. She needs to get a grip and make out with Jim when she's not drunk at the Dundees.

Today I spent putting in my requests for interlibrary loans and watching the Muppet Movie (totally Andrew's fault for singing "Movin' Right Along" and "Rainbow Connection" this morning). Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem not only have the best name for a band ever, but also bring justice to the name with their awesome jazz-fusion sound. Can you picture that?

mood: wasting time on internet music: Techno stuff in Complex Office

Some pics for Evan under the cut!

( Read more... )

A collection of videos of songs I really loved to listen to when I was in Japan. ( Cut for Obnoxiousness )

The moon over Jersey was absolutely GORGEOUS coming in on the plane. Tara picked me up with fellow CAs Neil and Crystal and we had a lovely time driving back to school, the highlight of which was when they brought to my attention that we had not just left La Guardia but in fact had been at JFK. Ha ha ha, I am dumb. It was really good to see them all too - this includes the rest of the CAs I saw in the office when I was checking in.

Got to school, got my bedding (cheers to Tara for NOT giving it to Janna like I asked - if she had, I would have no bedding till Saturday), got into my apartment.

Guys.

My apartment. Is huge. Albeit, there are six people in it, but compared to the six-person apartments elsewhere on this campus, this is the biggest I've seen. It's a duplex, with stairs! I am upstairs, which means I get to go up and down these stairs every day! I'm so happy. I've got to do a tricky paper-work switch so Janna and Becka can live upstairs with me instead of downstairs where they're assigned but I am hopeful and recklessly confident I can pull it off. It's just paperwork after all - I just need to make sure I get it done before the rest of the girls get here.

Tomorrow I go with Becka to Target. We will buy many pretty things for our pretty apartment. I already have several cookbooks to adorn our kitchen. Yes. Rachael Ray wrote one of them. I feel no shame in admitting it.

I am a little nervous about the other three roomies coming but I'm hopeful. Hell, this place is so big we could handle it. I just can't handle people who don't understand how to operate a garbage can. I can't. I will vote them out the window.

Miss my peeps in Mpls already! Word up, homies!

mood: hopeful music: "Back in Black" ACDC

On my birthday, no one should be able to show things on TV that frighten me.

So, yup. I'm 21. Finally out of limbo! However, from here on in, there's nothing to look forward to except aging. Well, okay, I can still look forward to a midlife crisis, but for the most part, there's no more exciting ages.

The weekend was super fun, and the birthday festivities have already begun! My mother organized a surprise party for me at my dad's and I was so completely unprepared. I was driving up to my dad's, and my friends jumped out of the shrubbery and leapt in front of my car, throwing confetti through my windows! I was smiling for about an hour, after I recovered from my heart attack.

It was so super fun! I've always wanted a surprise party.

Saturday I worked all day, then went to a party at Adam's. It was super fun, although the drunkeness ratio was a little off-kilter, not to mention I was driving so I got a full sober eyeful of every boy at the party deciding to take off their shirts and wrestle each other. It was ...um, awkward. But overall, especially after the shirts were recovered, I had a delightful time.

Sunday we went to Renaissance festival, we being my mom, sister, cousin, and Ally. Jon and his Christmas friend joined us, and it was good fun till the sky broke open and overflowed the walkways. And even then, it was still fun. Ally belly-danced in the rain and I bought a delightful pipe with which to chew on and say things like "Hmm" and "Ah ha!"

I pretty much looked like this:
Totally badass. All I need now is a monocle and to change my name to Kingsley. I'll also have to work on my accent.

A great weekend for certain. I'm going to have to go to Fest again next weekend, and then, in one week, I will set off again for New York. School? Already? Gracious, time sure flies. Pretty soon I'll be turning thirty and lamenting all the things I wanted to do with my life that I didn't.

Ah well, if not for reflection, what else are birthdays for? And with that, I'm going to go read posts from birthdays past.

mood: old music: CSI Miami

Ha ha ha, I remember having an argument with a Prof. Ponce de Leon regarding the difference between "it's" and "its". Even though I ended up being wrong, I made him doubt himself, which in my book, is one hell of a consolation prize.

So, just letting you all know I am safe and frolicking back in the lands of Minnesota after a truly epic road trip to South Dakota and the historic town of Mystic (population: us). Check out this sideways video for a small moment of that trip:



Hawks are cool. They're cooler when you snap a video of them rather than a picture, regardless of what I had originally been intending to do.

More photos are available on facebook.

Tonight, Ally and I will be going to see Stardust. Those who are interested in going should call me. Which reminds me, Amy, I request you invest in a cell phone. Or at least an answering machine. I bought you a present! Come back home so I can arrange to give it to you!

mood: refreshed music: "Barracuda" a song sadly overlooked on our driving mixes...

The collapse of the 35W bridge was really a massive shock, I think, for everyone. But more than wanting to know why an 8-lane freeway bridge randomly collapsed, I'm just glad that everyone I know is okay. I had some great moments when my imagination ran away with me picturing realistic situations in which those of my friends who live or have reason to commute to Minneapolis were caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, but all I've heard has been good news from them. Thank goodness.

What really makes me sick right now is the completely inaccurate and obsessive news coverage. While it's very easy to find information on the accident on TV, it's incredibly difficult to know what's true, because everyone is saying something different. 7 dead? 14 dead? 4 dead? I've heard them all in the last hour.

Watching the news conferences last night, I found myself swiftly unable to watch simply because as the doctors, police officers, and other officials were trying to tell journalists how smoothly the emergency plans worked and how quick everyone was to help, the journalists were trying to make them talk about how horrible everything was. They were like rabid tragedy-hungry hyenas.

I just hope that the death-toll remains small and that everyone in the hospitals and doing the recovery are okay.

As for my day today, it would have been awful. I got locked out of my car at the DMV (ironic? maybe a little?) and then got sick at work, so I couldn't drive myself home early. But I don't know, in light of all that has happened, I don't think my day was so bad.

location: Home. mood: not sure

...but no, that was Harry Potter.

Been working all week, actually. Sidewalk Sale at Party Papers. I got to sit outside for 7 or 8 hour shifts and read/draw. It was heavenly, actually. I read all of Marvel 1602, which was really awesome even though a handful of the characters I didn't know exactly who they were from normal Marvel. The story certainly stood on it's own and I really enjoyed it (the art was gorgeous, and I am excited to play with some of the styles in my own drawing) - plus, the concept was great. Renaissance superheroes. Um, yes. My favorites, I think, were the X-Men. Go Carlos Javier. Tee hee, "John" Grey.

In other news, my mother found an awesome spot on ye olde Mississippi for swimming with sandy beach and mild current. We will go swimming there again today, and I am looking forward to it immensely (Ally, get back from whatever you're doing!).

South Dakota on Saturday. Hell. Yes.

EDIT: Swimming was fantastic. We crossed the river, braving the possibility of strong current and deep water (of which there were neither) and found clams, then swam back and played on the sand bar in the middle of the river. It was so so so much fun! We need to have a big BBQ out there before summer is out.

mood: cheerful music: "Everything's Wonderful" Lily Allen

Hey hey folks. As many of you probably know, last weekend was the epic CONvergence (sci-fi/fantasy convention in Minneapolis - we've been attending for I think 7 years now). I would put up a long and detailed post of all the events, but I think I covered it pretty well in the two albums I posted on facebook:

CONvergence Creature Feature

CONvergence Creature Feature, Saturday Night

Check it out! But for those just skimming before work or what have you, here's a brief summary.

Got to the hotel Thursday, watched a really slashy movie called Student Union or something with Brendan Frasier and Matt Damon fighting naked in the shower, ran around Friday, badged for an hour, went to the slash panel, ran around some more, went to bed early, got up for masquerade orientation on Saturday, watched Pathogen (a movie made by a 12 year old girl - fantastic for a first film 4srs), did masq tech, got ready for masq, performed in masq, won Best Makeup (again) for masq (WOOOO!), ran around till all hours of the morning, got up on Sunday, bought stuff in dealer's room, watched an epic thunderstorm from the 22 floor, watched closing ceremonies, felt like a member of a really awesome community, went home.

mood: All Conned out

Okay, so maybe Con costumes are getting a little worrisome. Maybe everyone's nearly full-time jobs is really getting the way of spontaneous hang-outtage. However, last night was proof that we still got It.

The initial plan was to have 9 and Atchan over to work on Con costumes. Yeah, we actually believed that was going to happen for about five minutes before we sprang off to the store to get some food to cook. I made sukiyaki and Amy called - since the recipe I had sitting disused on the counter next to me said four people should be involved, we told her to scamper on over. We ate delicious beef dipped in raw egg and my delight soared when everyone liked it!

After a time, Niq called and seeing as we hadn't seen him for quite some time, we told him to come on over. He brought his crew (please think D&D geeks with bling and grills - mostly because it's a hilarious image, not so much that it's true) and we had a grand ol' bonfire. We passed around the sake and tequila (oh curse you tequila - I never realize when you're going to wedge that big ol Mexican ax in my head the next morning) and had a gay ol' time (ha ha, gay). Jon and Lauren joined us, and Lauren and I spoke Japanese together (Atchan came too!) - the boys had a fanboygasm, apparently. I really want to practice with her more often. She's at almost the same exact level I am at this moment. She will soon progress, and I will be left behind. But if I keep practising with her, I will be able to cling to her coattails and progress as well!

9 and I named the night It, after the video Niq'n'Hoskins' crew had finished making. There was an It stuck on a keyboard and it was quite hilarious - a potential You-Tube star. It will be there soon - check it out (although, I cannot for the life of me find them on youtube - help!).

In short, I was thoroughly delighted when a really fun bonfire party just kind of happened last night. No planning, nothing - it just happened. And that, my friends, is one beautiful Saturday night.

In other news, I thought I would share with you my sister's grand Friday adventure. We also call it "How Lea got hit by a car, scared the shit out of her sister despite being more or less unhurt, but the lady drove off making it a hit and run, and then they got lost looking for the urgent care where they finally arrived and found out that Lea broke her butt."

Yup. Hit'n'run, on the way to Driver's Ed. We wonder if the lady even noticed that she hit someone. You'd gotta be pretty stupid to not notice that, though. I imagine a thunk would happen, right? But she wasn't too hurt, and the ambulence guys were like "She seems fine - just take her to an urgent care and get her checked out."

I of course had just come speeding from work, where I'd been for a half hour tops, knowing she was fine but being so scared at how close it came anyway. I was just like "Yup!" when I got my directions from the ambulence guys and went off, then realizing after we started driving that I had no idea where urgent care was. After a grand adventure taking us to Blaine, Anoka, Coon Rapids, and Blaine (in that order) we finally found the place. So did my dad (thank goodness - I had no idea what I was doing)! Lea got x-rays, where they found a break in her tailbone. She must have fallen pretty hard off that bike.

I still can't believe that the lady didn't stop. Honestly, are you stupid? Fuck people driving big white Mercury SUVs.

location: Home mood: lazy music: None.

Last weekend was Father Hennepin Festival (ie county fair) and through the throngs of pre-teen clones, we managed to have a fabulous time. On Friday, we went shopping and watched the tail end of the parade (we being 9, Atchan, and myself). We then went up to my dad's new place on the Mississippi River where we had a delightful bonfire.

9 stayed over and the next morning we woke up at the ungodly hour of 6 am to play with my adorable baby brother!! When I left, he kind of a drooley baby, crying and pooping and stuff. But now he's a little person! He can say a few things, he REMEMBERS me, and he's adorabley good-natured. He has a personality now! The whole thing just reinforces my belief that my dad was put on this earth to be a dad, because those two are just so perfect for each other (he and the baby - adorable).

Then I went to work, and had a fantastic time doing DISPLAYS. How I adore displays, and oh! how the party shop needed a revamp. My coworker and I had a fantastic time creating a female pirate and corresponding display!

That night, a big throng of us all met up at the festival, where the pre-teens were milling around and making me wonder if I ever behaved that way. I think I'm at the age where I start hating teenagers. Which is weird, because I still feel like a teenager. We rode the Tilt-a-Whirl, where Amy, Atchan, and I got a REALLY good cart - it was constant spinning the whole ride!

The fireworks were spectacular, better than I remember. They were huge and there were spiral-shaped ones! After that, 9 and I rode on the Tarantula, much to 9's terror. It was absolutely hilarious to watch her ride that ride and listen to all the new swear words she made up in her haze of fright.

On Sunday, I had a picnic with my family at Como Park. It was really cool to see how many people showed up! Delicious food and great fun. The place was so so so full, people waited ten to fifteen minutes idling near our car, waiting for us to pack up and go.

Other than that, the week has been rather uneventful. Through a series of mishaps, my sister had to walk home from Champlin Park after her first driver's ed class, because I was gettin my hair did. Poor thing - and it was so hot today. But on the other hand, the walk from the train station to my house in Japan was longer than that, and I walked that on a regular basis. But then again, I never did it alone. Nonetheless, she's gonna ride her bike everyday from now on, unless I'm there to drive her both ways.

Hardee har. No more updating lj while watching TV - sorry this is so disjointed. x__x

location: House mood: tv zombie music: Disney Channel - *bows head in shame*

BABY!!!

( Pictures from Sakura-Season in Hirakata and Kyoto )

I think I'm having another one of those future-crises. But I also think I've pinpointed my problem. It's not that I don't have things I love to do and am good at, it's just that I'm too defeatist and not passionate enough about them. I am going to work on that.

I have been working all week long at the illustrious Party Papers, where I have already improved the window display and printed about a million napkins. Happy Graduation Tyler/Amber/Chris! I hope you make memories with those napkins, the product of my many hours of toil, which will very soon ruin my physique by making me stronger in my right arm than in my left.

I have also been browsing through facebook, looking at photos from my Swedish friends' trip to South Korea, but there's something about doing this which makes me feel like a total stalker. Perhaps that's because usually I only use facebook to make sure some guy I'm interested in isn't dating anyone. e__e *hangs head in shame*

I'm hoping this weekend 9 will be able to come up and we can work a little on the Masquerade costumes and enjoy the insanity of the half-broken rides at Father Hennepin Festival (county fair, for those from out of town). Who wants to ride the Tarantula, with the missing seat? I know I do!!

If anyone around is interested in parading through the Father Hennepin festival Saturday evening, please give me a ring.

Also, Bon Voyage Moondoggy! Please enjoy Yemen!

location: Home: LR mood: tired music: "Glamorous Sky" Mika Nakashima