Let's look at the REAL message

Oh, look. John Edwards would consider something in the Obama administration. Of course he would! But you know what? That's NOT the freaking story! Edwards' anti-poverty campaign IS the story. It would be nice to see the media covering this instead of being repetitive, boring and discussing who might be Obama's VP. There's only so many times you can talk about it!

Ugh.

6

Hemingway's best work? Six words. Inspiring.

Obnoxious Articles Day

The biggest liars ever.

The article itself isn't obnoxious but the truth of it is.

Seriously. Seriously?

Could he please just go away? Please?

Summer Movie Blast: Part One (May - June-ish)

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Prince Caspian is a hottie and I still love darling little Lucy. And why the heck did it take so long for Aslan to show up, honestly? I think I liked this one better than The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. And the hostility betwixt William and PC was fantastic. Expected, but definitely fun. And I loved Edwin's grown up attitude. Quite the humorist of the bunch and a bit more mature. Fantastic. Did you know he grew like 6 inches while filming the first CON? Talk about a grown spurt. And internet bless IMDB, for that bit of information.

Sex and the City. It was damn fun. A little bit more serious than you're used to seeing in a 30-minute episode, but something had to happen for there to be a plot. So, there's this middle to end 3/5 of the movie that isn't quite the laughs and humor you get used to with SATC. But, enjoying it with a cosmo and old friends made for quite an enjoyable evening.

The Incredible Hulk. Did I mention I'll see almost ANY movie if you get me in the right mood? It was a rainy Sunday, what else was I supposed to do? Edward Norton is a hottie and a damn fine actor, so I loved his performance. Liv Tyler, well I would really like to BE her, so I thought she was great. And Tim Roth pulled off a nice antagonist to the BB's alter ego. Yet, I didn't feel the motivation was quite there for his character's action. Initially, yes. But then? Well, maybe the gamma is addicting in low doses. And he did have some absurd lines, all the actors did really, but what else are you to expect? It's an action movie and it was good, summer fun.

Trailer-in-waiting: While, I grew absolutely GIDDY in seeing The X-Files trailer (I knew it the minute I saw Amanda Peet and heard her say "you're not exactly the most popular woman with the FBI, right now...") I'd really like a Harry Potter trailer. If that hits me unexpectedly (without any WB announcement beforehand) I might spill my Diet Dr. Pepper. So, future movie goers watch out. You have been warned.

The Floods, The Tornadoes and the Spring that just won't end

Everyone I know has been generally lucky so far, but who feels like they have a target over their city or town? Raise your hands. You all should. Because this is getting out of control and I don't know if the weather we've had this year is ever going to stop.
If you're lucky, one of two things can happen. Despite the loss of life, the destruction of homes, the ruin of whole towns; humans can surprise you with their compassion.
And then there's this 13 year-old who, naturally as an Iowan, is blowing away the rest of the country with his or her commentary on what he or she has seen helping out people in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. And damn, can he write. You cannot expect that level of writing proficiency from any given adult, let alone a 13 year old. That's because Iowa education rocks! :D
Good luck everyone, I hope you and your families stay tornado and flood-free.

Oh, and the other thing that can happen? People scream and shout and complain and basically, you remember what an ugly world this place can be. So, let's hope we stay on course with option one.

Well, alright.... if you insist

This is what? A week late? But, yes, I took a pic of the tv. There were so many emotions in this evening...and I had a lot to deal with. I thought HC would be the better president, but I now must accept that BO is the nominee. And, I've been thinking about this for a few months, he's not a horrible second choice. And damn, that man can GIVE a speech. I am also confident he will do better things for our country then any republican ever could. But that's maybe why I'm a democrat...

Pride & Prejudice

Which Pride and Prejudice character are you most like? (PICCIES) created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Elizabeth Bennet You are independent, passionate and unconventional, with a sharp tongue and a quick mind. But you have a quick temper and sometimes forget who you're talking to... Elizabeth Bennet 85% Mr. Darcy 80% Charlotte Lucas 75% Kitty Bennett 55% Lady Catherine de Bourgh 50% Mr Bennett 50% Mr Bingley 50% Jane Bennett 50% Mary Bennett 45% Lydia Bennett 45% Mr. Wickham 40% Mrs Bennett 25% Mr. Collins 25%

Favorite New Word: Prayfullness

Somehow, I find myself watching PBS. I have three channels in HD, so I might as well learn something. I'm watching an episode of Prayer in America. The episode description: "Examines how prayer has contributed to the fabric of American history, culture and everyday life". I'm not a religious person, but I can appreciate learning about a religion from a... well, outside point of view. I like approaching it like you would anything else in history or popular culture. As a scholar, not as a person of faith. Not that I do not have faith. I have much faith. I would have given up on the job search long ago without faith. More, I do not have a religion and religion has, in fact, probably turned me off from having faith in the past. Thankfully, I have since been educated (pause for haughty look from a highly educated young woman....oh, wait - that's not me. The haughty look, not the educated part...) and have been able to find a distinction between having an established religion and and being religious (or having religious tendencies like faith or prayer). I'm still wary of religion and the ridiculous things it makes people do. I cannot deny it has had a positive influence on thousands of lost souls and others needing hope and a definite say in the structure (whether positive or negative, I do not know) of our country (best class I ever took: American Studies/Sociology 110) but it has also done some largely negative things for our world. Which, given a certain 5-year anniversary taking place today I refuse to discuss since it makes me absolutely sick, is a whole other post for several other days.
But, prayfullness. It was used in this episode of Prayer in America and it made me giggle. The man using it was totally serious and academic and the use made sense..but prayfullness? America should really stop making up words. I think we're out of any good options.

Wow, and that was going to be a short entry. Whoops.

Anyone else remember how much ice we got in December? It was like living on a skating rink which is very tricky when going to campus on a giant hill. Or a mount. Mount Oread that is. Still, with all the time I spent on campus because of Campaigns, I got some awesome shots of Stace and I celebrating the completion of The Plans Book (to remain unseen) and a cool shot of our lovely ice-covered campus.
A bit of tweaking in Picasa made this picture look a little grainy (from the sharpening) but also rather striking and mysterious.

some clips from the wise people we pay to teach us

"I'm warning you - if you don't get this read you're going to flip my bitch switch. I'm gonna be pissed" -DD

"The proof is in the pudding" -Dr. JF

"Starbucks is to blame for global warming" - Dr. JF

"Guyssss" -Dr. G

That's all I can remember for now. Maybe I'll edit later. Basically, you have to be crazy to be a college professor.

The Emmys Finally GET It!

Unprintable song up for Emmy on Saturday

Update: IT WON!

advertising, promotion, publicity, public relations, sales

"... if the circus is coming to town and you paint a sign saying 'Circus Coming to the Fairground Saturday', that's advertising. If you put the sign on the back of an elephant and walk it into town, that's promotion. If the elephant walks through the mayor's flower bed, that's publicity. And if you get the mayor to laugh about it, that's public relations." If the town's citizens go the circus, you show them the many entertainment booths, explain how much fun they'll have spending money at the booths, answer their questions and ultimately, they spend a lot at the circus, that's sales."

this is from Reader's Digest...

i can't help myself

apple and google are basically going to take over the world. (with the help of cbs and youtube)
and. I. don't. mind.

I want an iPhone.

2007

As the calendar year changes, people tend to look back and reflect on the previous year. Yeah, 2006 was great. And it sucked. And the war got worse. We spent too much time on facebook. Sexy was back. We're still waiting on the world to change.
And as fun as it is to read top lists from last year and say "oh, I remember that!" I am much more excited about what is going to happen in this year. 2007. double-o seven. It's a big year for me! A total of EIGHT people I know are getting married. (1 cousin, 3 from work, 1 former coworker, 2 friends from high school and there's another person that I can't remember. That's what happens when everyone decides to get married.)
I'll also be finishing college. That one word, "college", encompasses so many things. Yes, it means completing 25 more credit hours (starting next Friday!!!) and receive a degree. But I've done so many other things that have really highlighted my experience. And still so much to do!
I get to finish up an amazing year with sua...(my fourth and final actually). I get to delve into a new leadership position with the homecoming steering committee. I will hopefully scrape up a few thousand dollars to study abroad. I'd like to intern at the statehouse in Topeka and make a path to a political campaigning job in '08...it looks like they'll be plenty of candidates to work for.
That's one year to do all that. I don't know if they'll be enough time. Wish me luck!

headlines

my favorite headline in a long time:

Brownback polling better in Israel than in Iowa

progress

Katie Couric anchored her first CBS news cast this evening. She is the first woman to ever host an evening news show without a male co-anchor. That's pretty sweet. I'm excited. And, I thought she did a good job for her first night. In a few months I think she'll find what works best and make it her own news program. Changes are already visible. Since CBS is in 3rd place for this time slot they won't be afraid to make the changes needed. This will hopefully revolutionize evening news.
Yay for change. Hopefully, now we can elect a woman president in '08.

weird news

uh-oh. good thing I'm no longer a freshman...

i'm always listening...

Last week, as I was going back through my class notes from the semester and studying, I noticed a trend. I like to write down the funny, awkward and basically interesting things my professors say in class. No, not necessarily the things we should learn for the test but things that strike me as different. I compiled a partial list. I was pretty bad at keeping notes together this school year so I don't think I got all of them, but I don't think I'd want to share all of them anyway.
But here are the things I've heard. I guess I just like to listen to the funny things of life.

“Teaching college students is the most fun thing in the whole, wide world.” –C. Johnson (obviously sarcasm since she deals with pre-law undergrads...damn pre-law kids, so pretentious)

“If you plagiarize, I will kill you.” -D. Guth (It’s funny, because it’s true…which also makes it a little scary….)

“I was much more of a bitch back then.” –C. Johnson defending herself against students who believe she is a hard teacher and expects too much.

“clear writing indicates clear thinking and fuzzy writing indicates fuzzy thinking”

“nice, Midwest, liberal, college-town….nice place to start a revolution” -documentary about the MC5

“This class will liberate you from the tyranny of what you used to think.” –J. Bremer speaking of what we would learn in Western Civilization.

“synthetic sex turned into a spectator sport” –documentary about “The Twist” in the 1960s.

sound of settling

ahhhh. feel that? it's the sound of summer, slowly settling, surrounding us.

I think my inner psyche needs to realize that it IS summer. I still have this pressure inside of me-go to work, work on a project prepare a presentation. I'm still in my semester mode. I even feel guilty beginning this potentially lengthy blog entry. My instinct is to keep going-work, class, SUA, study. I need to rev down.

It's not just an unusual hot spring day. It's not just a weekend with no pressing projects to work on or no tests to study for. It's just summer.

Hopefully, this weekend-with only graduation celebrations to attend and friends to enjoy time with-I will realize I CAN relax. I can start watching the episodes of "Lost" I have so kindly been supplied with. I'm sure a healthy obsession will ensue...

(Programming note-I'm watching the CBS Evening News and they just did a story about this elephant "farm" (I guess?) in central Florida. It's adorable. I've decided I LOVE elephants. :)

I think the summer must have been lurking in western Kansas the past week. It let the majority of KU students finish finals and prepare for graduation. Today is the first, unofficial, day of summer. The sun is shining, the trees are green, the temps are HOT. I drove home late this afternoon with the air on and the cotton from trees floating past my car in the humid air.

I am going to relax now. Or at least TRY to. I might also have to do laundry and clean my room...