10 Bottles of Beer on the Wall

So it's Free For All Friday, and I am Steven a.k.a. Livewire. Today I will be writing about one of the greatest things in the world: beer.

I have discovered over the past few years that apparently I have a taste for a more sophisticated type of beer. While most college students stick with their Buds, Millers, Nattys, and Keystones, I need something I can enjoy. I feel I approach drinking more like an art, not just drinking for the sake of getting drunk. So with that said I present my top ten favorite beers/breweries.

10. Pabst Blue Ribbon (Woodridge, Illinois) - This is the only true contradiction to the statement above. PBR is on this list simply because it is my favorite beer for drinking games. I think everybody needs a cheap beer they can enjoy if they’re going to play games, because let’s face it, no one wants to throw a ping pong ball or quarter into a well-crafted beer.
9. Thomas Creek (Greenville, SC) - Surprisingly, I have not had this beer very often and have only gotten into it recently. I say surprisingly because it is a fairly well known local brewery from my hometown, Greenville, SC.
8. Blue Moon (Denver, Colorado) - This was the first beer I drank on a regular basis, simply because it was the one my parents’ kept around the house most often. Don’t forget the orange slice.
7. Magic Hat (South Burlington, Vermont) - Very recently (a week ago) I tried Magic Hat #9 because it was on special at the bar. I figured it would be good, was right, and stuck with it for the rest of the night.
6. Newcastle (Newcastle, England) - I don’t drink Newcastle as often as I used to but it’s on the list because I can still enjoy it everytime.
5. Leinenkugel (Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin) - I was introduced to Leinenkugel this past Christmas by my sister, who was first introduced to it by her boyfriend, originally from Wisconsin. Two of their more exceptional brews are Fireside Nut Brown (darn you winter seasonal) and Sunset Wheat.
4. Atlanta Brewing Company (Atlanta, Georgia) - Of course I have to represent the city where I’m currently living. They only have six varieties, though (two of which are seasonals), but the good thing is they’re all great.
3. Sweetwater (Atlanta, Georgia) - This is another one of the local breweries in Atlanta. I was told about Sweetwater by one of my cousins who used to live in Atlanta. I recently re-discovered it when a good friend of mine came to visit so he could pick up the Sweetwater brews that aren’t sold in South Carolina.
2. Sam Adams (Boston, Massachusetts) - Though Sam Adams is very well known, don’t be fooled. All of their beers are full flavored, and I have only found one that I don’t particularly enjoy, their Irish Red. If I were to recommend a specific brew of there’s, I would have to go with the Cherry Wheat.
1. Rogue (Newport, Oregon) - I can’t do justice to Rogue Ales. You’ll just have to try it for yourself.

Friday Memes

1. How often do you get paid? I get paid once a month, around the 10th.
   
2. Do you tend to splurge a little on (or shortly after) pay day NO! I am a work study. I don't make enough money to get paid.
   
3. What are the few days leading up to pay day like for you? Same as ever. All my money goes towards bills. At least right now. It's all pre- scheduled.
   
4. If you had the option, would you like to be paid daily for each day’s work? Well, work studies don't always do too much, but I'm doing some research assistant work right now. So I'd like to get paid maybe twice what I get paid right now (I get minimum wage. It's federal work study).
   
5. When did you get your first paycheck and what was it for? My first paycheck was from working at J.C. Penney's as a stock room associate. It was so sweet!
   

Play with us!







Friday Fill In

1. I'm feeling silly today, I'm looking forward to hanging out with everyone tonight, I don't want to go back on Paxil. (Those are so not related)

2. Why do I have a craving for sushi and not any money??? :-(

3. How does this "real world" work, anyway?

4. Every morning, I put pants on my bum.

5. I consider myself lucky because I'm Asian. And Asians are very cool.

6. One day we’ll see Pluto.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Tiwari's Other Movie Night and Waffle House!, tomorrow my plans include making sure Boyfriend writes his paper and Sunday, I want to STUDY (because I'm a nerd)!

Come play with us:

Free For All Friday #2

It's time for Free For All Friday again! If you want to participate send me an email or leave a comment and I will contact you.

marycommentaryguest@gmail.com

What it is:
It's posting to my blog! You get a guest login and password for the opportunity to share on my blog. If you have more questions, leave them below. :-)

Pi to 30

My goal for March 14th:

memorize 3.141592653589793238462643383279.

memorization technique

Digits 0-22 : Rebecca Brannon's Poem

I think this poem is a good start for memorizing Pi. It fits the tune of "America" from West Side Story:

three point one four one five nine
two six five three five eight nine
seven nine three two three eight four
six two six and a whole lot more.

Digits 13-30 : The Giant Palindrome

If you use only the first two lines of the poem (digits 0-12), you can memorize the digits up to position 30 in the following way:

79...........
..32.........
....38.......
......46264.3 - If you disregard the 3, the center of the palindrome is a palindrome itself
....38.......
..32.........
79...........

What is sexy

Here is a shocker for you. This is an excerpt from my Research Methods text.

"[Undergraduate] students at Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina, conducted a study under the direction of Sheila Brownlow in which they used a stimulus [independent variable] (Walter, Brownlow, Ervin, & Williamson, 1998). They asked 144 college students to judge various traits of women who walked barefoot and then whore high heels. The stimulus variable was whether the person being judge was barefoot or wore heels. The results shows that when the women wore heels, student participants judged them as less sexy and more submissive than when the were barefoot" (Smith and Davis, 2007).

Smith, R., & Davis, S. (2007). The psychologist as detective: An introduction to conducting research in psychology.Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Booking Through Thursday: Collectibles

I don't collect much, I'm sorry to say. So, I'm just going to answer about my books in general.

• Hardcover? Or paperback?: I love paperbacks. I love just tossing a book in my purse and carrying it around with me. For the more special things, I like hardbacks, but for the most part, I love paperbacks.
  
• Illustrations? Or just text? Illustrations are good in informative texts and texts for younger people. Le Petit Prince would be lacking somehow sans de Saint-Exupery's dessins... Buuttt, speaking of collectibles, my ex had the Complete Works of Shakespeare, Illustrated, and it was lovely!
  
• First editions? Or you don’t care? Oh, I don't care much. Again, I'm not a book collector. But I do love older books! I love the way old books smell. Is that silly?
  
• Signed by the author? Or not? Well, this would be neat, but I can't see myself seeking it out in most circumstances.

Well, my answers were a little lame, but I'm not a collector.


Now, last week I said I'd put up photos of my shelves. Be prepared, this is in a college dorm, so I'm giving them to you AS IS. Meaning, I didn't clean up the papers and drinks etc. I PROMISE my books will be given a happier home when I graduate.

This is a coffee table with a shelf underneath

Play with us:

HNT #2

So, this is my second HNT. I was reading the guidelines and they say:

Half-Nekkid Thursday is the celebration of exposure. Of your big toe. Of your breastbone. Of your knuckles. Of your uvula. Whatever.

Because I'm not quite brave enough to put up some photos like some others do -- but I love to see them! -- this idea appealed to me. The idea of "exposure" but not necessarily sexual. I actually dress quite modestly, but not because I am a modest person, but rather because I gained about 45 lbs in one semester. I went from 105 to 150lbs. And I'm 5'2. So, it's not a small amount on my frame. [I am down to 143, yay! :-)] I am rather uncomfortable with my body. However, there are still parts of my body that I like. I rather like what the weight gain has done to my, umm, upper torso. (Not a big fan of what happened to the lower torso, though.) I bought this sweater and love it because, 1) it's warm and 2) it's snug. In all the right places. And I like unzipping it slowly.

Come play with us:

P.S. Did anyone notice that on last weeks HNT my header said "Thurday"...? Well, I made a new one. MS Paint doesn't have spell check. And I'm only moderately retarded.

Thursday Thirteen #5

Thirteen Things on My Desk

Gosh, I know, too simple, but I always thought that little things like this can tell you a lot about someone. One day, I'm going to do 13 books on my shelf. Bookshelves can be so intimate.

The Whole Set Up:

A mess, I know. But I'm in college. In a dorm. There's no where else to put everything!

1. A ceramic tray that I got at an Asian store in Greenville. It holds little jars and such, like eye cream. I don't have a vanity, so all my stuff is on my desk.
2. Vera Wang Princess. I love it. I got it for Christmas from Boyfriend.
3. Makeup that I made for my sis that I have yet to mail off
4. Two beverages that are half-drunk and no longer optimal temperature (a cold cup of coffee and a room temp Dr. Pepper).
5. My computer! Naturally
6. The email address to a statistician who works at the Belmont Abbey College Office of Institutional Research. I need some stuff for my thesis.
7. A shot glass filled with random bits of jewelry that have no home
8. Drawers and drawers of well organized makeup
9. A catch-all basket where I throw my keys and, erm, everything else.
   
10. A flash-drive that holds a precious project I am working on for Data Utilization. It is so freaking fun. I love numbers!
    
11. A little thing made for mixing paint. I use it to mix nail polish and franken some colors.
    
12. My camera! Because I am taking photos of these things. Because I like photos. :-)
    
13. *Gulp* An empty Dr Pepper bottle.

Hehe. That was fun. Not terribly interesting maybe, but fun. Next week, I'll be doing Thirteen Things I'd Never Say To You In Person.

Come play with us:

A Yawning Gulf Between My Vision Tree and Reality Plant

I do not know what to do about this boy. I do not know what to do.

He had a 4 page paper for Great Books that was due on Tuesday, last week. He got an extension to Thursday. It is now Wednesday, over one week past the original due date. He hasn't done it yet. He said he couldn't work on it yesterday or today because he had a midterm today (Wednesday, the date doesn't change in my head until after I go to sleep) and he had and accounting assignment due at midnight tonight. So, the midterm test is over. Now, its 12:21am Wednesday night, I noticed he was playing computer games. I asked if he'd finished his homework. He had not. He hadn't done it at all. So, of course, I told him he needed to do his homework. And he fiddles with his computer games. And so I tell him that he needs to close the game, say good bye, do his homework. I consider unplugging his internet, but he needs to email the work to the professor.

He would get so much work done if someone would take away all his electronics. I just don't know what to do. If I gently encourage and remind, he doesn't do anything. Suggestions don't do anything. Getting angry only make it worse. I have tried talking with him about it, but it doesn't help. Because he knows he needs to do his homework and he knows that his procrastination is a problem.

I cannot sit in his room every time he has an assignment due and make sure that he does it instead of playing games. But I have done it twice this semester already.

I can't just ignore this problem, because it can't get worse. I mean, it can get worse, it is possible. But he is on probation already. This is what I mean by it can't get worse. I wish I could ground him from computer/video games.

He routinely skips class and sometimes ends up dropping classes to avoid the "F." Not because he was unable to succeed in the class (like me and my several attempts at chemistry) but because he does not go to class. He skipped his two math classes today (I think this is his third time this semester). I asked him why he skipped and he told me that he honestly did not have a good reason. Well, at least he was honest. He has at times ignored my phone calls because he knew that I was going to ask if he went to class.

What would you do to prevent failing? I am frustrated. I feel that there is nothing I can do to help him, though he clearly needs it.

Okay. Now, I am going to yell. Please skip the italicized text that is interspersed with CAPSLOCK text if you don't want to read the yelling. There is cursing. Tiffany, you may want to cover your eyes.

~*~*~*~*~*~

IT IS NOT THAT HARD. You have said yourself that you are in an easy major. DO YOUR FUCKING HOMEWORK. It's FOUR FUCKING PAGES! FOUR! I know you don't write as swift as some do, but IT'S FOUR FUCKING PAGES. Get off that goddamn computer and do some fucking homework. I don't want to have to babysit your ass every fucking time you have an assignment due!!! Oh my god, that accounting assignment took MAYBE 45 minutes. Maybe. I'm being generous. And because of a FORTY-FIVE MINUTE ASSIGNMENT you couldn't work on your paper? What, do you have a quota of studying you're allowed everyday? Is that it? You can't study for more than an hour?

~*~*~*~*~*~

Yes, I'm concerned. Yes, I'm making a huge deal out of this. Guess what, I don't want my boyfriend to flunk out of school. Because that would suck. And guess what else? I'm off my medicine, so I may be just a wee bit prone to getting angry. But, seeing as he's on probation, this is so clearly not a one time thing.

Okay. I'm done.

Wednesday Weirdness #2

1.) You're on a trip taking a tour through the jungle. You have a backpack with some food, some first aid supplies, a pocket knife, a flashlight and a couple bottles of water. Some how, you get separated from your group. By night fall you haven't found your group and haven't heard them looking for you. How long do you think you would be able to survive on your own?
Fuck. I don't like this. Grr. I will probably survive for a while. As long as the water lasts me. Hey, I watch Survivor Man and Man vs Wild with the ever adorable Bear Grylls!



2.) Do you think it's okay to lie to spare someone's feelings? Why?
Yes! Unless it's a terrible lie. It's only okay if it's a white lie. A lie that won't have terrible consequences. It's not okay in a situation like say the one that Sven got himself into. Because he's a slut. (P.S. that last link is NSFW. Pixelly goodness!)


3.) If a talking Mary doll were made, what are THREE phrases it would say?

• "Pay attention to me!!!" (or "Hey! Hey! Listen!" which is what Tim would say about me)
• "I'm hungry! Bring me sushi!"
• "Let's read a book!" or "Let's study" or something equally nerdy (I think a Stargirl Doll would have a few more naughty choices for her three phrases)
  

4.) If the super power to be able to read minds at your own will were possible, do you think it would be... cool and helpful, intrusive and wrong, manipulative or maddening? Explain why you would or wouldn't want to be able to read anyone's mind at your own will.
I would freaking love it at first because I am so nosy. But then I would probably get hurt when people thing mean-y things about me. Hopefully that won't happen. Hopefully they'll just thing things like "she's awesome" and "she's hott!" lol. I would want this power, but I would be miserable with it until I could control myself and only use it in certain situations. Like, not reading a meany's mind. Besides, Barry Allen can tell us all about how depressing having a super power really is (see video below)


5.) Drunk confessions, are they the things people can't bring themselves to say sober or just crazy ramblings of an influenced and intoxicated mind? Both, definitely. The latter is for sure true when they've got something that they want to get off their chest or if they are someone who is economical with what they normally verbally expose. Sometimes, however, the person is just being drunk and silly. If you are a good friend, you will often know the difference. I had a friend who got into a bad situation and was saying some things that were depressing. Very bad things, they were. The next day I was discussing this with another of our close friends. The second friend said "I think it's hard to take what someone says in that state as meaning more then drunken rambling." But, anyway, Friend 2 wasn't there when Friend 1 was saying sad things. Anyway, I could go on and on about this, but... onto next question!


6.) What brings out the worst in you?
When I am off my medication and things make me overly frustraed. Things like not getting pancakes or being interupted. Also there are some certain people who know exactly how to push the wrong buttons and piss me the fuck off. The sad part is who the people are. Anyway, you should never antagonize a person like that just because.








7.) Do you think long distance relationships work? Have you ever been in one before?
Erm, I have and it was never good. They just don't work for me. Because if I am going to be in a relationship, I need the actual, physical companionship. Better for me to not be in a relationship at all.

Come play with us:

Oh Barry Allen! You are so sad. So sad...

Thursday Challenge: Jewelry

Thursday Challenge: "JEWELRY" (Ring, Ear Ring, Bracelet, Necklace, Watch, Precious Stones, Gold,...)

Some jewelry from Nigeria that I got from Maureen a few years ago:

I wish it were spring...

Come play with us:

Ten on Tuesday

Today's Ten on Tuesday is 10 Favorite Ethnic foods....
My numbers 1-10 are SUSHI SUSHI SUSHI. Just Kidding

In no particular order:

Paella (Spain)

Lamb Curry (Inida)

Chicken Adobo (Philippines)


Ika Geso Karaage (Japan)


Shrimp Lo Mein (China)


Sushi (Japan)
(any and all minus cukes, plz)


Soba (Japan)


Mandoo (Korean)
also acceptable: potstickers and gyoza

Tocino (Philippines)

Dahl (India)

Lol @ 90% being Asian.
Come play:

Eek! A Penis!

I'm going to do it. I am going ... to learn... CALCULUS!
AIIEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!
Calculus is a scary word! Maybe I will watch that movie where all those high school kids passed the AP Calc test, Stand and Deliver, for some motivation. Probably not.

"How do I reeeech theeeese keeeedss???"
-Eric Cartmen

There's a Cello In Your House

We just got back from spending about 3 hours at the Waffle House. Oh yes, it is our preferred hang out spot. Tim brought Trival Pursuit Genus edition, the freaking hard one from the 1980s. Actually, Tim and I tied. I was pleased.

"Now I'm just as much a smart ass as you, Tim."
-- Mary

This is becoming quite the habit and the WH waitresses are recognizing us. Ray isn't allowed on campus after 10pm on the weekdays and we usually are just not done hanging out by that point.



Today at about 8pm we watched the movie "Rocket Science." It's about a boy with an unpredictable stutter who gets recruited for the debate team by a girl. Does this go well? What do you think? It's not a fucking Disney movie. I'd personally be pissed if it all turned out roses, because if I wanted that, I'd watch a Disney movie. I'm not saying it's not a good movie. It's alright. I'm just glad it's not a Disney movie.

photos from imdb.org

TMI Tuesday #2

TMI Tuesday! Want to play:


1. What do find is the most exciting part of a new sexual encounter?
I've always one to enjoy to climb to the top, I mean working your way to the actual deed. And I don't mean just typical foreplay. I mean the flirting and the kissing. I suppose this would be my foreplay though.





2. Do you have "a most exciting part of a sexual encounter" with a usual partner?
Erm, not sure. All of it? Can I say that?


3. How open and honest are you about your life with someone you just met?
How many drinks are in me? No, I can be very open about somethings and very guarded about others. This depends. The situation I'm imagining is when I used to go out and I would meet someone at the coffee shop or at a bar. Sexually, I'm terribly curious, so I'll probably wax poetic if it's someone who's interested in simply talking about sex. I imagine that until I know them better (or I'm a bit tipsy) it'll tend to be a bit superficial.


4. How open and honest are you about your life with someone you work with?
I'm still a student so I'm going to answer this as someone I go to school with. And the answer is very open to people I really feel I can talk to. Especially if it's a more intimate conversation.


5. How open and honest are you about your life with a casual acquaintance who lives in your neighborhood (or the parent a your child's friend or...)?
Again, I tend to be rather open. But it depends. I can also sometimes be judgmental of others, so if its someone I've known for a while but I've already labeled them (sorry. It's a bad habit, but I'm in college and there are just some people here that I do NOT want to talk to.) I probably won't talk much to them


Bonus (as in optional): Define a "normal" as in "normal relationship" or "normal sex life". No such thing! No such thing as "normal." Normal is whatever is the norm for you. If there is no norm for you then you are probably "normal." Hehe.

Manic Monday

1. Wow, hmm, this was the hardest for me to answer today. There are so many things in life that are simple pleasures. . .

Oh! I just thought of one!

I get so freaking happy when people comment on my blog, and no I'm not fishing for comments. I'm serious. I get really happy when people comment. I love to see that people are enjoying what I'm writing. It just gives me a little boost and a smile. :-)



2. Nom, hands down: Smart Food White Cheddar Popcorn. There is truly nothing like it. I could eat it for days. And then I would be seriously ill. But until the point I got Ill, I would be soooo happy. I will also need a Cherry Coke plz.






3. If I was on Survivor... hmm, they get basic hygiene stuffs right? Cuz if not I want that! All of it! Soap, tooth brush, etc. But I'm going to assume they do. I would like my camera. No! On second thought I would like a waterproof camera, like this one from Olympus. Cute, no? My camera would die if I took it on Survivor. . . Also, lots of memory cards. I know they film it already, but seriously, what would I do w/o my camera. I mean, I was gonna say internets. Can I take the internets? Seems less feasible.






Come play with us:

Moody Monday

Is ticklish a mood? I'm not sure, but it's today's Moody Monday. Soon, I'll actually start using my own photos, but I have no photo of "ticklish."

icanhascheezburger.com

Play with us:

Bands you've probably never heard of

I used to be an indie rock kid. Somehow, I found myself in a friday-night-dive-bar-dance-party scene. I made lasting friends and I learned what the "indie" of "indie rock" meant. I made friends with the people who put on a bi-weekly dance party and got to hang out with some of the bands. I even wrote for an indie rock website for a while (greenvillescene.com) but the venture didn't go as any of us had hoped.

While my stint as an indie kid was short, I learned to love indie rock music. The CDs I purchaced at these concerts are still in regular rotation and they are so good that I need to share them with you. Check out their myspace pages to listen to their songs!


The Winter Sounds - I first heard these guys in July of 2007 at one of my bigger indie rock concerts. By that I mean it wasn't in a dive bar, it was in an actual venue. My favorite TWS song: Windy City Nights or wait...maybe it's Poor Sailors...or A Call to Arms. Heck--I really like this band. Of all the bands here, TWS is my favorite.
How they define themselves on myspace: indie/rock
http://www.thewintersounds.com/, www.myspace.com/thewintersounds


Slow Runner - Oh, how much fun is Slow Runner! Their album Shiv! is so great. I highly reccomend it. Their music is fun and danceable and, I think, my second favorite. Some of the songs sound retro in a way I can't quite define.
http://www.slowrunnermusic.com/, www.myspace.com/slowrunner



Tora, Tora, Tora - TTT were at my very first Modern dance party. I ended up feeling sick and going home, but a friend bought me the CD. I fell in love with the music. TTT is currently in my car CD player. It's a little more rockin than most of the bands on the list, but with that definite "indie" sound.
How they define themselves on myspace: rock/indie
www.myspace.com/toratoratora


Boulevard - In my un-educated indie-rock mind, Boulevard will always be quintessential. Dance music, definitely. Also, very addictive
How they define themselves on myspace: rock/alternative/pop
http://www.boulevardrock.com/, www.myspace.com/boulevard


A few more you should check out:
Bang! Bang!
new wave/punk/indie
www.myspace.com/bangbangband

The Slack Republic
indie/punk/rock
www.myspace.com/theslackrepublic


These small bands are more copious then you would think. Do a little research for your city or surrounding areas on MySpace and you'd be surprised what you would find. Bands usually have a list of concert dates and have songs you can listen to. One of the best concerts I ever went to was in someone's living room.


♥, Tiffany a.k.a. Tiffasaurus
Tiffasaurus has her own blog which she updates regularly, "In Pursuit." It's a knot of self-indulgent lunacy.

Friday 5: Souvenirs

When you travel, what kinds of souvenirs do you like to bring home for yourself?
I collect shot glasses. My collection is low. A college dorm isn't the best place for shot glasses. A few have been broken. Fallen off tables and things like that. (my shot glasses are cooler than those-->)


Is there a certain kind of souvenir you always bring back for a particular someone?I always bring Tiffasaurus Rex a spoon. That's her thing. Spoons. Yeah, we're in to dining souvenirs, right?









Of the souvenirs you’ve collected from your travels, what are some that have special meaning for you?
I don't actually thing have anything too special. Isn't that sad? Oh wait! I have Rocky the Trilobite. He is a good friend of mine. I am teaching him to tell riddles so he can trick people at parties. (P.S. He is much more attractive than the trilobite in that photo, but he is a little camera shy...)



What’s the silliest souvenir you’ve brought back for yourself, or what’s the silliest souvenir someone has brought back for you?Someone once brought me some Kindereggs from Germany! I was so happy because I loved them as a child. They have fun tiny toys inside.




If you were going to send someone a souvenir from places you visited today, what might it be? I could see if there were spoons in the BAC gift shop (there aren't). Or I could go downtown Belmont and find something funky. I bet there is a gift shop in Belmont that has spoons. Or shot glasses.



Play with us!

Free For All Friday!!!!

I almost forgot! It's Free-For-All Friday! If you want to participate, you must email me at

marycommentaryguest@gmail.com

I will give you the guest login and password and you can post to Mary Commentary if you wish. Remember, ultimately, I will have control over what you post. I can delete all of the guest posts. Please be considerate of other people and don't take advantage. You can post whatever you like, but don't mess with other guest posts. Also, in your post, leave a link to your own blog/website. If you don't have one, leave your name.

The password changes at midnight.

Now, this used to be a meme, but it isn't really going on anymore. If anyone wants to start it back up, I would be willing to host it. By that I mean I will have a Mr Linky's magical widget thingy so we can let everyone know who is participating (participating here means opening up your blog). I will have instructions on how to make a gues account. If you want to participate in Free For All Friday, just let me know in the comment box and I will be in touch. The previous FFAF was only the last Friday of the month, but we can discuss it and see how often we would like to do it.

"Mary Likes To"

You go to Google.
Type your name in quotations with "likes to"
then write a note with the first ten sentences you get.

Mary likes to dance, mortally hates & fears being kissed by boys (a transfer of resentment against her father).
Mary likes to books... good long books that have sad endings.
Mary likes to hike, to swim, and to ride a bicycle.
Mary likes to book in advance, and price is important to her.
Mary likes to watch movies.
Mary likes to ask: Are global standards in law and technology expanding the reach of government?
Mary likes to share her assistive technology tips with everyone. That’s part of her job!
Mary likes to snuggle up on the couch with Hugs and watch movies.
Mary likes to read and write.
Mary likes to spend her free time with family, friends and neighbors, enjoying the Spokane area's beautiful natural environment.

I did "Stargirl" also, but this is mostly talking about the character in Jerry Spinelli's book.

Stargirl:
Stargirl likes to meditate in a Zen-like fashion.
Stargirl likes to change her name a lot.
Stargirl likes to give old people flowers and she kisses Leo on the lips.
Stargirl "likes to be different."
Stargirl likes to sing and cheer lots.
Stargirl likes to cheer for everyone, like in the basketball game on pages 53 and 54. She cheers for the other team when they score.
Stargirl likes to leave treats on her classmates desks when holidays come around.

Stargirl likes to talk shit... and shawnapaulajoe likes to play with shit. By all logic the two of you should be best friends.
Stargirl likes to pretend that she is a girl, but I know better I've been stuck between stargirls pants. It's just me down here.

Friday Fill-ins

1. Give me some chocolate and I'll love you forever.







2. Whenever wherever, we're meant to be together, I'll be here and you'll be near and that's the deal my dear. (Yes, Shakira just popped into my head.)



3. I wish I could move off campus and into my own place TODAY.




4. A Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme was the last thing I ate that was utterly delicious. No joke. Those things are delish.



5. To live in this world is to accept its faults.

6. Other than this one, Mina's At Longing's End is the last blog I commented on. I think. I commented on 865521 blogs today.



7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to coffee and second-hand smoke (read Waffle house), tomorrow my plans include working on a report about productivity and efficiency at a certain company and Sunday, I want to RELAX!







Come play with us:

What has happened in the past 1000 posts? This is not in order

I sprouted Christmas lights


I grew a mustache


I learned to play with picasa


Tiffasaurus learned to Indian dance


My brother moved to a monastery


I learned some interesting things about my friends


I made a kick ass waffle


I cut my own hair


I dyed my own hair!


I got a hamster (who died)


I became obsessed with makeup


I made some awesome awesome friends


I drank copious amounts of alcohol and celebrated TLAPD with said friends

I got my yellow belt

I made Boyfriend a bitchin' scarf that matches his gorgeous eyes

My fish died right in front of my eyes

I hung out with my sis. A lot. She's cool. This is not a link because we do this a lot. Lots of posts on this.

998... 999... ONE FUCKING THOUSAND HOLY CRAP

I got on my computer earlier and found this:

HOLY CRAP!!!

Now, it looks like this:

This is my 1000th post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



It's taken my almost 7 years to get this far! I've been blogging since I was 17 and so much has happened since then. What has happened, you ask? Well, its all in the archives!



Thank you to all of my readers, particularly the commenters. Comments make me very happy. Most of all to my Tiffasaurus Rex who has been blogging right along side me for years. :-)

(That's the Tiffasaurus -->)



Here's to the next 1000 posts.

HNT #1

Recognize these photos? They are a reprisal from the "Hot Date" Series. I am using them for my very first Half-Nekkid Thursday.

Thursday Thirteen

My intro to Thursday Thirteen, so this will be thirteen things that I am.

1. I am an independent individual
   
2. I am a psych major
3. I am a numbers nerd. In fact, I work with data and numbers almost every day
4. I am awake at 6 am! I have yet to go to sleep
5. I am in love with nail polish. I don't like the look of naked nails.
6. I am someone who thrives on conflict, tension and most of all, sexuality
7. I am rooming with two most awesome people this summer. I'm stoked. For reals
8. I am addicted to my computer. It, in turn, is addicted to me, poor thing.
9. I am a social drinker. If someone says they will have a drink, I say "So shall I."
10. I am rather neurotic. I score very low on the "N" in OCEAN (Well, it's called the BFI now, so I mean that I score low on the Emotional Stability subscore) and I am perfectly OK with this.
11. I am a puzzle fiend. Particularly if it can be found on the DS (CAN ANYONE SAY GALACTRIX! OH YES)
12. I am thoroughly in love with Waffle House. I think they have good coffee. The best conversations are held there. It is a hang out of ours, you see.
13. I am enjoying the Blog meme-scene, as I shall call it. I look forward to doing this next week when I shall do "13 Things on my desk right now"

P.S. Those are clearly not my lips. Did you SEE the cigarette brand?

Work Complete!

I have just combined Red Cat Stills and Mary Commentary. Or rather, I put RCS onto this blog. I hadn't used RCS very much and it gets very little traffic. If you click the tag photos on the right hand side (you know, in the tag list) all the new photos new to this site will be in there. Enjoy!!!

A brilliant fool

This is so weird. Coincidences like this are just bizzaro, I think. Anyway, I'm still in the process of selecting a background for my blog. The one that's up now is not so bad, but I'm still looking. I found one today that I thought was cute and wanted to try out:


Nice, no? It's called "Quixotical." What a delightful and whimsical name. The colors are lovely and it looks rather antiqued, doesn't it? So, I thought I would try it out. At the same time, Digsby tells me I have a new email. It's my Peterson's word of the day. I check it out:

Yes, how bizzare, right? Anyway, coincidences coincidences. I love Don Quixote. I really do. I think it's a really great tale and every one EVERYONE should read it. The way he goes about rationalizing all the irrational things he does... Hmmm. His courage and passion are admirable, however... "Although it may be possible to be both courageous and crazy Don Quixote is so consumed by his mental state that any sense of courage is really lost to foolishness." (click the quote for a link to the source.)

My goodness.... Why haven't you read it yet? Then you will understand why the word Quixotic means what it does. It's like using the word Machiavellian without having read Machiavelli! You will understand why "they might be giants...."

Side note: I've already decided my next beta fish will be named Rocinante -- after Don Q's horse.

Below are portraits of the famous knight by Dali, Picasso, and two that I don't know. I particularly love the third. If anyone can tell me who it is by, that would be lovely.

Booking Through Thursday: Bookshelves

I have one teeny tiny bookshelf. A lot of my books are back at my parents house, lying in a mail bin. They are sad being there, I just know it. It's okay books! I will come back for you.

But my books are organized on my bookshelf thusly: Textbooks and large hardcover books on bottom shelf. Smaller books on top shelf. You see, it is a very small shelf. Plus, I really like things to be organized by size. What I may do when I get a decent sized bookshelf is put all the text books in their own area and organize everything else someone. What I will probably do is put them wherever they fit. And even then I'll have piles lying around because I forgot to reshelf them. Oh, I love books.

I had a photos of my sad little bookshelf, but I can't find it and also my camera is downstairs. I will take a photos and update this later.

On a side note, I am rapidly approaching 1000 posts! Oh, what should I do, what should I do?

Facebook Graffiti

Facebook has an application called Graffiti where you can draw stuff for other people. But, it's very simple. Anyway, these are just a couple of things I have drawn:

For me, because pirates are awesome and so is Andy Warhol:
For no one, really, but we spend a lot of time at the Waffle House. That's Ray's cigarette. You can tell by the blue stripe. He smokes Camels... if it were Dr. Tiwari's cigarette it would be a different color, lol:
For Tiffany. We love PPP:
For Dr Tiwari, he was giving a lecture at Oxford:
For Dr. Tiwari, he was showing a movie about Andy Warhol:

Curfews SUCK

So, after the Bourbon Incident, after a meeting with the Abbot and the College President, Ray is allowed on campus again! w00t, but he has a curfew: he must be off campus by 10:00 pm Sun-Thurs and 7:30pm Fri and Sat.

I loose track of time and before I know it, Ray is getting up and I think he's going to go outside for a smoke. But he says he's got to go. I look at the clock and it's almost 10pm. I get sad when he has to leave. He just moved into his new apartment and the power hasn't been turned on yet. It's absolutely freezing. He's got water, but since there isn't any power yet, his showers are also freezing.

"Have you ever gotten a brain freeze while showering? Not fun."
-- Ray

It's a bit lonely. He has to leave here at 10:00 pm and can't use the internet or his X Box or anything. When he does get power, I hope that we'll hang out in Ray's apartment more often. In late April/early May, he'll be getting a couple of roommates. It's gonna be an awesome summer.

U Comment I Follow

I don't exactly understand what this does, but I do know that it's a good thing. If anyone can explain it to me in VERY SIMPLE TERMS, I would be grateful. Anyway, I have joined the U Comment I Follow movement in the blogosphere.


Here is what I think it means. I think it means that when people comment to my site and post a link in the comment, Google will track that and count it as... ? What? Will it raise their Google ranking? I am not totally sure. Anyway, it's removed. You comment, Google follows :-)

Wednesday Weirdness #1

Before you read, you should know that Wednesday Weirdness is a more mature meme. This is my first time doing this meme and, today at least, it's more TMI than TMI Tuesday.

1. Exciting? Not favorite... The chase.
   
2. Cuddle and watch TV
   
3. I honestly don't think I can answer this....
   
   
   
4. Well, my friends and I are movie snobs, so it's been a while. Oh, I saw The Happening with my friend Jeff. "Why do they keep letting M. Night Shyamalan make movies???" he asked incredulously. I only went to see it because it was like a train-wreck and I couldn't look away.
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. "You smell like my Nana!" Anything
   erotic involving feet. Gross. Wearing nothing but socks. LOLOLOL!
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Trashy Lingerie! I don't own anything from that place, but I LURVE to browse
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Ummm, I don't know. I'll have to say no, because I've never been with any really great dancers.
   
8. Wow, I don't know. I don't eat a whole lot of breakfast. I drink coffee... I mean, I do eat in bed, but usually it's me grabbing something and munching on it while sitting on the bed, since we're in a dorm and we don't have a couch.
   

Wordless Wednesday #12

Flying chairs? lololol

Ma-hal? Ma-jal? I don't know, actually

Did you know that Lwaxana Troi was played by none other than Mrs. Gene Roddenberry: Majel Barret Roddenberry. How freaking cool!

She died this past December. I didn't know, but I was just reading the NY Times article published at her death:

Majel Roddenberry, ‘Star Trek’ Actress, Dies at 76

"Ms. Roddenberry was involved in the “Star Trek” universe for more than four decades. She played the dark-haired Number One in the original pilot then metamorphosed into the blond, miniskirted Nurse Christine Chapel in the original show, which ran from 1966 to 1969.

"The character had abandoned a career in bio-research to join the starship Enterprise under the command of Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) in the hope of reuniting with a fiancé who had gone missing in deep space. She served as the loyal head nurse under the chief medical officer, Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) and harbored an unrequited infatuation with the first science officer, Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy)."

She voiced the ship's computer in the original Star Trek, TNG, DS9, Voyager, Enterprise (the prequel) and most movies. 10 days before her death, it was announced that she would again be voicing the ship's computer again in the 2009 film Star Trek.

...

It is so sad. She was jonesin' for some Picard, let me tell you.

Ten on Tuesday

10 Songs That Describe You or Your Life

• Don't Let's Start - TMBG

When you are alone you are the cat, you are the phone
You are an animal
The words I'm singing now
Mean nothing more than meow to an animal

• Metro Boulot Dodo - Gary Flanagan
  

Metro boulot dodo, chaque jour c'est le meme chose

• Nrrd Grrl - MC Chris

She's romantic, known to panic
With anxiety attacks
Literary, it's so scary
Reading Brontes back to back
She's playing Ragnarok on her mom's Magnavox
She's underneath my skin like a million nanobots

• Sugar High - Coyote Shivers

We could go out and not even leave the house
A t.v. set and a bottle of wine is just fine
Making out on that old pull out couch
Watching Saturday night live

• I Go To Extremes - Billy Joel

Either I'm wrong or I'm perfectly right every time
Sometimes I lie awake, night after night
Coming apart at the seams
Eager to please, ready to fight
Why do I go to extremes?

• The Mesopotamians - TMBG

We've been driving around
From one end of this town to the other and back
But no one's ever seen us (No one's ever seen us)
Driving our Econoline van (And no one's ever heard of our band)
And no one's ever heard of our band

• Jim - Missile King

Jim is a new character I just thought of today, but I warn you - don't get too used to him. Don't try to get to know him, don't try to like him, because I'm gonna kill him. That is what I do. I invent people, and then I kill them.
Mother We Just Can't Get Enough - New Radicals

• Reasons Why - Nickle Creek

Standing on a darkened stage
Stumbling through the lines
Others have excuses
But I have my reasons why

• A Little Help From My Friends - The Beatles

What do I do when my love is away
Does it worry you to be alone
How do you feel by the end of the day
Are you sad because you're on your own
No, I get by with a little help from my friends

• My Bad Reputation - The Donnas

I don't give a damn 'bout my reputation
You're living in the past it's a new generation
A girl can do what she wants to do and that's
What I'm gonna do

Free For Alls!

Testing Testing!

This is going to be the Guest Blogger account for Free-For-All Friday! It's supposed to be one Friday a month (next one is Friday, Feb 27) but I may do it more often. I will let you know when I do. On Friday's, I will activate the account and supply a username and password, so my readers can log in and post something. Find out more info at Free-For-All Friday! There you can find FAQs and other info. I'm not sure it's still active, but I thought it was a neat idea. So, we'll try it out. Let me know if you want to do this also. :-)

Monthly Mingle

Got a blog? Want more readers? Well, I just found this really cool thing from Indigo at That's My Answer!. It's called Monthly Mingle. You sign up and you're name is put on the Monthly Mingle list and other bloggers will come check you out. There aren't that many people on it yet. It just started. I just signed up and I'm #13 or #13. Anyway, you should check it out. Click the button below to find out more.

From Here To Eternity

So, TMI Tuesday this week asked if you've ever tried to recreate the famous scene from From Here to Eternity (see video embedded at bottom of post). I think it's crazy and messy and SAND EVERYWHERE AAUUGGGGHHHHHHHH. But, I suppose it is entirely romantic.

"I never knew it could be like this. Nobody ever kissed me the way you do."

"Nobody?"

"No, nobody."

New Look

So, I'm playing with my layout. I like it wider. Also, what do you think of the new header? It's what prompted me to get a new layout. It wouldn't fit on my last layout So, give me suggestions, tips etc for how to make this better.

Also, can you tell I'm getting meme crazy? LOL

That's My Answer

1) "the curious incident of the dog in the night-time" is a book that I'm not completely through with, so maybe I'm not quite qualified to recommend, but I'm going to do so anyway. It is about an autistic young man who sets out to solve the mystery of why a neighborhood dog was murdered. This young man is a high functioning autistic. He is usually very rational and logical. The chapters in the book are numbered by prime numbers; that is, instead of chapters 1,2,3, etc, it goes 2, 3, 5, 7 etc. He likes primes. Anyway, I cannot say too much more, because I am in the middle of it and don't quite know what to tell you.





2) The second book that I recommend is "Le Petit Prince" and I recommend it in French. Mostly because I love the French language. My favorite quote: "Les grandes personnes ne comprennent jamais rien toutes seules, et c'est fatigant, pour les enfants, de toujours et toujours leur donner des explications." It makes me giggle, but it is also so true. Just ask a child. Also, translation of the quote in the photo to the left: "Here is my secret. It is very simple: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." Le Petit Prince is a best selling children's book, but should be read by young and old alike.

TMI Tuesday #1

FINALLY! A Daily Meme naughty enough for Mary:

1) I'm not really sure I have a favorite charity. I feel like people might think I'm a bad person for this. Ummm. Oh. Oh well.




2) I sleep in a dorm room, but I've piled approx 489217 blankets on my bed, so it's really comfy. It's pushed into the corner. That's how prefer my beds. I like to sleep against the wall.






3) I think it's rather important. I suppose if you love someone enough you won't care. Or maybe you'll find that when they lick your gums, you actually like it. Really, I don't understand people who won't kiss before they're married. The argument is that you're staying away from temptation. It reminds me of a fellow I know who joined the seminary to avoid temptation from girls (he's out now. has a girlfriend. lol.). Really? You don't have enough self-control to make out without jumping each other? Hmmm. lolrant. Next question***





4) I routinely jump drunk sorority girls. Just kidding. Errrm, I don't think this has ever really been a problem for me. I think when I fuck up when I drunk, it's my own damn fault.







5) That sounds like a terrible idea. Sand in my hooha. Yuck.










***P.S. Tiffany, that isn't directed towards you. In general.

Manic Monday

Sushi. Hands down. I think I would cry if you told me I could never eat sushi again.





Spring months. February in the south, I suppose, because you never know what it's going to be like when you wake up in the mornings.



I would love to be on one of those crazy Filipino game shows!!!!
But I can't speak Tagalog. :-(

Moody Monday

I thought of two things when I saw today's Moody Monday: Love and Taco Bell. Because when I thought of "want," I thought of Desire, hence love. Also, I am hungry. So, here you go. The first picture is two high-schoolers (not me) hugging. The second picture is a Crunchwrap Supreme NOM-NOM-NOM-OMG. The third photo is a freebie that I liked. Came across it when I Googled "want."

First Day Blogging Evar

So, I was just wondering what my blog's birthday is. August 17, 2002. That means that I've been blogging for over 6-and-a-half years. Craziness. My blog will be at the age of reason in 6 months. I wonder if it will change, lol. Anyway, here is a picture of my very first day of posting. It's 5 very short posts. I have no idea why I decided to write a blog in the first place, but I'm glad I did.

Click to enlarge.

Unconscious Mutterings

I'm going to start doing my weekly memes again. This is Unconscious Mutterings, a free association meme for every Sunday

Week 316

1. Be mine :: Valentine
   


2. Ecstatic :: Overwhelming
   


3. Orderly :: Math
   


4. Sebastian :: Scuttle
   


5. Sore :: loser
   


6. Don’t need :: nobody
   


7. Rockstar :: Eyeliner
   


8. Tinfoil :: Ah-Lu-Mini-Um!
   


9. Addiction :: Coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee
   


10. Where? :: uptown
    

Gymnopedie

Fast Car

I ought to be working on a report based on data gathered in Gaston county about the differences between gender and salary and between gender and job category. Let me explain that second one further: I have information about some number of citizens of Gaston county. This information includes gender, salary, and job category (janitorial, clerical, managerial) among much other information. I have to compare then number of men and women in each job category and then carry out a chi-square to see expected values. Essentially, to see if men or women are over or under represented in any one category. I'm thinking women will be over represented in the clerical category and men will be over represented in the managerial category. I've already taken a peek at the numbers and they seem to agree. This report is due tomorrow. It will take me two or three hours at most.




But instead of writing this report, I am listening to Pandora and blogging and thinking. And it may be a while before I really get started. Because songs that I didn't think would come up in a "Cranberries Radio" are coming up and reminding me why I have chosen to stop taking my medicine for now. The heartbreak oozing from my speakers is seeping into my veins and gripping me tightly. It is warm and cold, lonely and comforting, all at the same time. And interspersed in these songs is lighthearted pop stuff like Love Fool by The Cardigans. It brings me back and give me time to thing about how grateful I am for feelings and emotions. I am choosing to give myself a chance to experience these emotions while I am able, before the become truly debilitating once again.

/is finding it increasingly difficult to write in a computer lab occupied by random strangers.

मेरी हज़र

I learned to write my name in Hindi yesterday, and since blogger has a way that you can translate what you write into other languages, here it is:

मेरी

I had to figure it out, because I had to spell "mery" to get it to write my name properly.

I can't quite get blogger to write my last name
हाइज़र
I actually spelled "ha-i-zer" to get that. "Haizer" gets you हिज़र, which isn't quite correct. But I'm going to trust the human, rather than the computer in this instance. That's usually a good idea when dealing with translations. And the human in question isn't just someone who just took a class in the language but was actually born and raised in that country.

Anyway, languages are fascinating. Especially those that do not use Latin characters.

Loveliness Beyond Words...

Loveliness beyond words,
this woman dressed
in a sari to match her skin,
those beautiful breasts
concealed and yet exposed.

-Bihari

Howzit?

This is a great list that I got off of Divine Caroline. It's Eight Commonly Misinterpreted Songs. My favorites? 2, 3, 5 and 7.

1. “Born in the U.S.A.,” Bruce Springsteen
Almost everybody knows the chorus of this song, but fewer know the rest of the lyrics, which is why Springsteen loudly singing, “I was born in the U.S.A.” is often taken as a patriotic proclamation. However, it’s really about veterans returning from the Vietnam War and facing the harsh realities of how they’re treated post-war. The misinterpretation only grew after both Ronald Reagan and Bob Dole used the song on their campaign playlists.

2. “Losing My Religion,” R.E.M.
When Michael Stipe sang about being in a corner and losing his religion, he wasn’t referring to a relationship with a higher power, as many believe. To “lose one’s religion” is actually a Southern phrase that means to run out of patience or to be very frustrated by a person or situation. This song is actually about having a crush on somebody and constantly looking for assurances that the love is not unrequited.

3. “Every Breath You Take,” The Police
How many people foolishly chose this song for their first dance as newlyweds? I’m not sure why this song is misinterpreted so universally as a love song. Do people listen to lyrics? If someone says to you, “Every game you play, every night you stay, I’ll be watching you,” wouldn’t you be more than a little creeped out? I guess that’s the power of Sting—even his stalker anthems are considered romantic.

4. “Hollaback Girl,” Gwen Stefani
I’ve gotten into arguments with people over this song. Many believe it means that, by not being a “hollaback girl,” Stefani is saying that she won’t respond to guys who “holla” at her or treat her poorly. Actually, she’s using a cheerleading metaphor—a hollaback girl is one who repeats back the cheers that the head cheerleader yells. With this song, Stefani is stepping away from the pack and proclaiming herself independent. She’s the head cheerleader giving orders, not one of the cheerleaders who simply repeat them back.

5. “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” The Beatles
Many assume that this song refers to drug use, especially since the capitalized words in the title start with the same letters used to denote a particular hallucinogenic drug. However, John Lennon stated that the origins of the title come from a drawing that his son did of his friend, Lucy. The title of the picture was “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” so John used that for his song. Whether the actual meaning behind the song is about drug use is debatable, but the title itself is not meant to refer to an LSD trip.

6. “Crash into Me,” Dave Matthews Band
I’m pretty sure I put this song on a mix CD I made for a crush my sophomore year of high school. At the time, I thought it was a beautiful love song about longing for someone else. Well, it is … but the person singing is actually a perv! These lines give him away: “Oh I watch you there through the window and I stare at you. You wear nothing but you wear it so well.” How did I miss the peeping tom aspect? The part about him wanting to be “tied up and twisted” is a bit off-putting as well …

7. “The One I Love,” R.E.M.
It sounds like the perfect song for a radio dedication when Michael Stipe sings, “This one goes out to the one I love.” Oh, except until he gets to the line about the one he loves being “a simple prop to occupy my time.” Ouch! This song hardly inspires romantic feelings; actually, it makes Stipe seem like kind of a jerk. He’s basically saying the one he “loves” is nothing more than a waste of his time that he’s abandoned. Not exactly an uplifting declaration of true love, but people seem to focus on that first line before listening to the rest of the song, hence the constant misinterpretation.

8. “This Land Is Your Land,” Woody Guthrie
I remember singing this song in elementary school and thinking it sounded so pleasant and positive. It’s actually a critique of the idealistic version of the U.S. that Irving Berlin sang about in “God Bless America.” His displeasure is subtle, but made obvious upon careful examination of lines like “As I was walkin’, I saw a sign there and that sign said—No trespassin’. But on the other side, it didn’t say nothin’! Now that sign was made for you and me!” This song is often grouped with “God Bless America” as patriotic tunes, but Guthrie had the opposite intention.

What music essentially boils down to is not necessarily the meaning songs are meant to convey, but what meanings we actually derive from them. After all, more important than what messages artists intend to get across is their desire for people to connect with the music. However, considering how striking the differences are between what the aforementioned songs mean and how they’re interpreted, it might be wise to stick to the author’s version. I know I’ll think twice before putting “Crash into Me” on my next mix CD.

Making the Grade

Today, I was talking with Dr. Tiwari about physics. The class, not the subject. Tim took physics last semester; we have to have one physical science. Most non-biology/math majors take physical world, but Chris told Tim that he'd be bored in Phys. World. And it's a ridiculously easy class. So Tim took physics. The problem is that he's lazy. And he didn't turn in a lot of his labs. And stuff like that. He made either a C or a D. Doesn't really matter, because he only needs a D. Dr Tiwari and I were discussing this and I said something along the lines of -wouldn't phys world have been better for Tim because it's easier and he'd make a better grade.

I was thinking about that just now. I wonder if I put too much emphasis on grades rather than learning. I feel like Tim enjoyed physics class much more than he would have enjoyed physical world. I find myself disagreeing with what I said earlier. Anyway, Tim's not going to grad school, so he doesn't need to make A's. I mean, I make A's and B's. If I made a C, I'd probably get really upset. I don't like doing poorly in classes. But we're not all the same.

Anyway, it takes all types, doesn't it?

Why I Love Second-Hand Smoke

Tonight was both good and bad. The badness: Ray got escorted off campus. The goodness: we got to have coffee and waffles with Dr. Tiwari.

Ray's been having some trouble with drinking. And by that I mean I had to go with him to the hospital (via ambulance) one night after he got alcohol poisoning. All in all, scary and worrisome. I've been just a little stressed. But things are looking up. We've gotten him to move up here to Belmont where he won't be so isolated. So there are people who will take care of him. Who will make sure what happened that night doesn't happen again. And who encourage him to go to AA.

Apparently after that incident with the massive quantities of bourbon, he was put on the Banned from Campus list. So nice of them to let us know. Because he was escorted off campus during dinner tonight. I was visibly upset. Where would he sleep? He was homeless. He had gotten rid of his apartment in Alabama and was crashing on campus until he got an apartment, which should be soon. He has the money.

Luckily a friend who has an apartment off campus came through for us: Dr. Tiwari. So, Ray will be crashing on his couch tonight. Ray met up with Dr. Tiwari and talked for a while about the situation. Afterward, several of us (Tim, Kevin, myself, etc) met up with them for coffee and waffles.

It's one of my favorite times, when we go to Waffle House with Dr. Tiwari.

Nail Bed of Roses

Last night I did my first Konadicure(click for examples). Or rather, "fauxnadicure". (I don't own any real Konad plates.) I used the dusty lavender polish that I just made and used an old Love My Nails polish that had gone thick on me. Thicker polishes are better for konad stamping. So, now I have lovely purple nails with chrome-y pink roses.

But I have no thesis rough draft.

Urrg...

On the other hand, I have discoverd Pascal Rogé on Pandora and I am enjoying it immensely, because Eric Satie is, sadly, not on Pandora.

Smart Pen teaser

A teaser for what I just wrote at Smart Pen

~*~*~ ~*~*~ ~*~*~ ~*~*~ ~*~*~ ~*~*~ ~*~*~ ~*~*~ ~*~*~

"Umpfffff...," said the body, inching over until his ever-present stubble scratched against her pale and naked legs. He was smiling, just barely awake. He kissed her thigh. She bumped her hand against his shoulder. He groaned and rolled over, pushing himself up into a semi-sitting, mostly slouching position. He took the cigarette from her and she leaned over to the night table and dug the empty ashtray out of the drawer. She held it up and he tapped the cigarette on its rim. One hand absentmindedly played the hem of her panties. He held the cigarette out for her and she took it back. She threw the covers off and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She leaned over the side of the bed and grabbed a discarded tank top off the floor, shimmying into it as her lover looked on in disappointment.

She took a drag and sighed.

Smart Pen

I just wanted to let people know that I may start writing on Smart Pen again. I have written something there today, let's see if I keep it up.

To remind readers, what is written in Smart Pen is generally not real life.

WHAT DO WE WANT? "brains....." WHEN DO WE WANT THEM? "brains....."

It's been a while. It's been quite a while. I was doing my beauty blogging for a while, but I really don't have time right now. Because, as opposed to my normal blogging, it requires uploading pictures and videos and geez, I don't even have time to take those photos!

I spent nine hours in the science building today! Seven of those hours I was in the psych department. Of those seven hours, four hours were spent working for the WOman (women really, Drs Coté and Calhoun-Sauls) and three were spent writing my results section. The remaining two hours (the hours not spent in the psych dept) were spent in PSYCH CLASS. Research Methods. For which I was writing the results section to my thesis. Because it was due at 6 pm. (Class is 6-8pm). YES. I live in that building.

I actually did not go to sleep until about 6:00 am. I was up working on generating data for my results section. See, we are writing a mock thesis paper, so the data isn't real. It's okay, turns out my numbers indicate a moderate correlation! Woooo! I can't tell you what it's for. It's a surprise. So I worked on that all night -- and by all night I mean I went to Taco Bell then watched a movie (Wanted) and then started working at about 2 or 3 am. I woke up at 10:30 am -- hey! Four-and-a-half hours of sleep! Sweet! I walked with Kevin to Stowe, the building where he had his 11:00 am class. I got myself a large white chocolate mocha (oooh, soo delcious) and two Odwallas to provide me with sustenance through the day: Chocolate Protein and Strawberry C. Kevin likes Chocolate Protein-- says it tastes like chocolate milk. No! But the Strawberry C is delicious.

Right now Kevin is sitting on my bed studying for his math tests tomorrow. I am feeling like I've already done enough work today, but thinking that I'll probably read a couple modules from my Social Psych text tonight. I am also thinking that I would like some Taco Bell.