bitter_crimson's BFF

Quick update

2010-09-04T20:22:38Z

People keep getting mad at me for not telling them what's been going on in my life, so just a couple of major things:

- My brother-in-law DID end up moving to South Korea with my sister after all, so I'm back to living in her house. It's nice and I'm happy to be there, even if I'm not in another state like I wanted.

- I'm going to visit South Korea in a couple weeks (Sept. 19 - Oct. 6). I'm pretty excited about that! Unfortunately I don't think I have the funds nor the time to visit wizened_cynic in Hong Kong, which makes me very sad. I'm going to try, but it's not looking good, Jo. Next time?

Yep. So that's happening. I'm house/pet-sitting for Kim's parents tonight, so I get to watch the college football games on their flat-screen HD TV. The first quarter of the Michigan/UConn game just ended, and Michigan has TWO touchdowns and successfully blocked UConn's field goal attempt. It's like they're an entirely different team! Oh, wait, they almost fumbled as I said that. Haha, that's more like it.

Someday I'll get a job :/

how SEA YAK says happy birthday

2010-08-18T05:54:49Z

Yoon-Hee: happy birthday!
Me: aw thanks Yoons
Yoon-Hee: =)
Yoon-Hee: you're 24!
Yoon-Hee: TWENTY FOUR!
Yoon-Hee: SIX TIMES FOUR!
Yoon-Hee: THREE TIMES EIGHT!
Yoon-Hee: TWELVE TIMES TWO!
Yoon-Hee: what else is there?
Yoon-Hee: FORTY EIGHT DIVIDED BY TWO!
Me: hahaha
Me: 4! ?
Me: (as in 4 factorial)
Yoon-Hee: ... oh dear, i think you outdid me.
Me: hahhahaha
Me: yay I win geek off=P
Yoon-Hee: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Yoon-Hee: apparently, that was your present!

It's a really small world

2010-08-09T22:40:24Z

After I joined the Ruckus, I started getting emails from some publicists about random bands. This morning I got one about French Horn Rebellion. I read this email in a daze this morning on my phone, but that name was still very familiar.

That's when I remembered French Horn Rebellion was one of the first bands I ever worked with/interacted with, waaaay back when I was at Northwestern. I was on a committee for booking activities during Dance Marathon, and FHR was one of the bands I booked for our concert event. I vaguely mention it here.

It makes me want to contact them about their new album to review it for the site just out of sheer nostalgia. It also makes me really miss Northwestern and SEA YAK. Today is Elizabeth's birthday too, so I'm doubly nostalgic.

Anyway. Random.

The Summer of My Discontent (it's clever?)

2010-07-25T02:31:06Z

I made a mix for mugs_fic just now because she "challenged" me and I was bored at my brother's since he was playing NCAA College Football on PS3 and Sonali was sleeping. It's a mix of stuff I've recently gotten into (like Thao and These United States from The Ruckus) and randomness. I tried to avoid Ami stereotype bands (aka Sarah McLachlan and T&S).

Click the picture for the download!

(Speaking of These United States, by the way, I've totally been emailing back and forth with the lead singer/songwriter the past couple days because of the review I wrote over at The Ruckus. Awesomesauce.)

All I have is all you gave to me

2010-07-22T04:30:45Z

nikkur is back from South Korea for a while, so she came up to Ann Arbor to visit with us! We mostly ate a lot, since Naomi mainly missed Americanized foods while she was abroad. We did go to see Inception, which I really enjoyed. I was super impressed with most of the cast, especially Ellen Page (being serious! who knew). I wish Leo DiCaprio's character was less of a focus, or at least that they'd picked someone else. He just doesn't do it for me, I don't know. But it was a great movie that left me with questions and ~thoughts~ afterwords, which I always appreciate.

My parents and I leave to go to New Jersey tomorrow morning. At 5 am. We'll see how well that works out. We'll be staying with my brother for about 10 days, so hopefully I'll get to actually spend more time in New York. I plan on doing postcards this time. I think I have most of your guys' addresses, but I may need updated ones for people who've moved recently. If that's you, and you'd like a postcard, you should send me an email or something with your new address!

One awesome thing about this trip, besides spending more time in the city, is that I'm going to the Boston Lilith Fair. Heck yeah! Sarah MFing McLachlan. Win. I don't even care if you make fun of me, I'm finally going to see my musical idol in person.

Speaking of music, I'm doing this meme: Comment on this entry and I will give you a letter. Name 5 songs you love starting with that letter.

tiffiny gave me "E"

1. Elsewhere by Sarah McLachlan - One of my favorite Sarah songs, off my favorite Sarah album. the quiet child awaits the day when she can break free the mold that clings like desperation. I don't over-relate to that AT ALL.

2. Evening on the Ground by Iron & Wine - I became obsessed with this song after cheshirepuss put it on a fanmix. I really don't like Iron & Wine at all, but somehow this song completely owns my soul. I used to listen to it on repeat for hours, and now it's in my top 5 played songs.

3. Eye by Smashing Pumpkins - This song is just epic. There is so much going on and it somehow still flows. Sheer Genius.

4. El Scorcho by Weezer - One of the first songs I ever loved by Weezer, which led into a phase in high school/early college of listening to way too much Blue Album and Pinkerton. I still find myself singing along enthusiastically when it comes on.

5. Elevator Love Letter by Stars - There were a lot of other E songs I like equally as much as this one, but this one won out I guess. Stars talks about some of the most random topics that I can't relate to, but I still love them. I'm hoping to see them again in October. They put on a killer show.

shake shake shake, shake the frame of this house

2010-07-10T09:50:26Z

So some of you guys already know, but for those of you who do not, What's The Ruckus/tiffiny made me ~official staff~!! This is pretty much the most exciting thing that's happened to me this summer. I would say this year, but I did graduate and all. I feel like that's pretty huge, even though it seems kind of anti-climatic to me.

Anyway! Here are some links to things I've done for them recently, because I am a self-promoting whore.

Thao interview!
Thao and Mirah show review

Of course everything on the website is awesome, so you should just go through the archives already, come on.

But, back to Thao. Guys, she is super cute and I really like her music, and I think you all need to listen to her. A couple music videos to get you interested:

When We Swam - Beach party fun times. Seriously a great summer tune, with a summery video to boot.
Cool Yourself - Amusing animations! Pause on the newspapers, they're hilarious.

In case you couldn't tell by the time I am posting this entry, I am really seriously off a normal sleeping schedule. Oops. At least I don't have a job to worry about! Haha, amirite?! ... yeah.

I don't know, things.

2010-07-01T23:33:50Z

I really need a job. I'm kind of in that frantic stage of looking where I'm preparing to resume bomb basically any job listing that I could even potentially be qualified for. First I have to fix up my resume though. It's really annoying, and I just want it to be over already. Ugh, adult life.

In other way more awesome news, on Sunday I went to the Thao and Mirah with the Most of All concert (which was Thao and her music, plus Mirah and her music on stage together. Really odd, but really cool). The awesome thing is, because of The Ruckus, I got to interview Thao. My ~first interview~. She was really nice and cute in person, and it was seriously a ton of fun.

I got to go with Megan, so that was also awesome, as it always is to hang out with Megan. And, I know you're curious as to what deliciousness she gave me this time. I got Banana snack cake which has THE BEST frosting ever on it. I usually don't like frosting because it's too sweet, but this was just A+.

Later this month, my parents and I are going back to New York to visit my brother and his family for his birthday. (Here's hoping Sonali doesn't get me sick again...) That should be fun, and this time, if all goes well, I'll have more than just 8 or so hours in New York. There's a lot I didn't get a chance to see the last time. Also, even though it consists of all the kinds of music my brother makes fun of me for listening to, we're going to Lilith Fair in Boston. I don't even know why, but he was all for it, so there you go. My first time seeing Sarah McLachlan in concert <3<3 I may swoon.

Also: The US exploded an H-bomb in space in order to see if they could affect the Van Allen belts. Really? "We just discovered a vast, intricate, finely balanced system of radiation and magnetic fields surrounding the entire planet that likely has been there for eons performing some important function we don't yet fully understand... LET'S SEE IF WE CAN FUCK IT UP!" Good job, USA.

You too will have to push the boundaries of what seems possible.

2010-05-05T07:23:01Z

Saturday, as you may well know, was commencement. AKA, I officially graduated!! Fuck yeah, only six years later.

The ceremony was pretty awesome, except for Governor Granholm's speech that was basically "Oh, Mr. Obama sir, you are just so amazing. Please give Michigan more money!" Whatever, Jenny, go away. Obama's speech on the other hand, was pretty fantastic, and I mean that outside my admitted complete liberal bias. The conservative members of my family even loved it and kept gushing about how great of a speaker he was and how he was really striving to reach across the aisle, etc. If you guys are interested, here's the speech (it's 32 minutes long, apparently, but it felt like 15).

I love his little scrunchy face smiles. YOU'RE SO CUTE, BARRY. Between this and the Correspondent's Dinner, my love for him has kind of shot back up again. Off-shore drilling and failure to deliver on issues I really care about? Whatever, he's got a great sense of humor! (Not really, I'm still not ok with that stuff.)

I don't know, I have so many thoughts about the end of my college career and the ceremony and things that happened after, but I can't even put them down. Basically, I'm really excited but really apprehensive about where I go from here. (cue Buffy musical)

Whatever. My next post is going to be about tattoos, so look forward to that I guess.

it's hard to figure out your next move, one minute here the next you're gone

2010-04-29T20:56:56Z

So about two hours ago, I turned in the last freaking paper of my undergraduate career, came home, took an extremely long shower, and now I'm sitting here thinking about the fact that in two days I'll have a [random paper placeholder for my] degree and I'll have freaking seen Obama give a speech to me, and I will be a GRADUATE.

Ok, I know that probably 95% of you are already graduates and this is not a big deal, but it's kind of been a crazy road for me. Northwestern, time off, U of M Dearborn, and finally University of Michigan. Six years! 2 changes in major! And now I will have a piece of paper that I can frame and put on my bedroom wall that says I spent about 100K to have a degree in a non-marketable field.

AWESOME!

Speaking of which - I'm moving because Michigan is completely devoid of jobs right now and I'm pretty sure I can't live with my parents and their 11pm curfew. Where am I moving, you ask? Well... somewhere. And that's where you come in! Where the hell should I move?

View Poll: AMI'S FUTURE

I will walk through the fire (like I could resist this lyric)

2010-04-19T22:58:19Z

Tomorrow is my last day of undergraduate classes EVER. Honestly, I don't know if I'm more excited for that, or for the Madonna episode of Glee. MADONNA, guys. I love Madonna.

I finished my story from the last entry. Thanks to everyone who helped me, or at least those of you who were big enough pushovers that when I said "please read this, please, just once/twice/eight million times" you actually caved in. I love you guys more than my non-pushover friends. Just kidding, I love you all the same. (Really though, pushover friends, I love you more.) I feel much better with the new ending and all the changes.

On Saturday, I got to see Megan and Katie, who came up to visit! We only got to go out to dinner, but we had a lot of fun. And Megan brought me jam! Also there was this moment where we were walking down the street and some guy behind us yells out "did you just litter? That's fucked up!" to a bunch of frat guys standing outside a club. Then he picked up whatever it was and threw it away. It was hilarious. Maybe more so in the moment, but I'm still laughing just thinking about it.

In other way less awesome news, Kim posted about this the other day, but it's in a locked entry as it reveals our addresses, so I can't just link it to you. There have been a series of small car fires in our neighborhood, which apparently have been going on since the beginning of the year, but have escalated lately.

Since Kim and I both watch too much Criminal Minds, we're concerned about how far this escalation is going to go. There was another fire a couple weeks ago in a house which resulted in someone's death, but they're not sure if that fire is connected to these others. I doubt it is, because it's a different MO, but there's still at least 5 separate fires that are definitely connected. There are also a series of trashcan fires that are likely related. And all of this was within a few blocks of our houses. Scary.

This post was boring wasn't it? Whatever, point is, I'm on schedule again.

Help me? [edited: 4/18/10]

2010-04-16T21:25:28Z

So, for my Ancient Greek/Modern Gay Sexuality class, our final project requires us to "contribute to contemporary queer culture using ancient Greece as a vehicle." It can be a painting, a script, poetry, short story, essay, whatever.

I decided, because I'm unhinged, to do a short story. I'm really bad at creative stuff, guys. I stress out about it like you wouldn't believe. The evidence of this fact is that I started an outline and rough draft of this assignment OVER A WEEK before it was due. You know me, that's insane.

I've edited and added a lot since my first draft based off suggestions from awesome friends (♥ you know who you are), but I still don't know if I'm satisfied with it.

On that note, I'm posting it below in hopes that you guys will give it a read and let me know what you think. The ending in particular seems really rushed and unfocused to me, and it took about a year to think of a decent closing line. I went with funny, but I'm not sure how well it fits. So please let me know if you have any suggestions, see weak points, or whatever. I'd appreciate it greatly.

I've turned it in, so this is basically just here for posterity now. Thanks to everyone who helped me fix shit in it, I super duper appreciate it. I added in a "duper," so you know I mean it.

AMERICAN GODS

Notes: This story is mostly based off of Pindar's First Olympian Ode, but includes references to various other myths about the Greek gods. Also, I've shamelessly stolen the title from a Neil Gaiman novel.

~*~

There was no question that Zeus was born to be a politician. It was in his blood; his father, his uncles and brothers, they were all born to be rulers. In another time they would have been kings of a vast empire, but these days they had to settle as senators and governors, forever striving for the greatest pinnacle of power any of them could ever achieve: President of the United States of America.

That prize was Zeus'. His older brothers might have had a shot once, but they just didn't have the same drive, or let's face it, the charm. Zeus had charm. The public adored him; he was regal yet down-to-earth, suave yet honest, unapologetic yet humble. They knew and forgave the wild days of his youth, jumping from girl to girl in the 70s and 80s, leaving behind a trail of broken hearts and cold beds.

They even forgave the scandal of 2000, two years after Zeus was first appointed senator of New York. The media had somehow discovered that Hercules, rising star of the Michigan State basketball team, was his illegitimate child. Zeus turned that train wreck around with a teary speech about the long lost son he had never known and a couple of photo ops with the family at the national championship game, cheering his boy on as the Spartans beat the USC Trojans in overtime.

Zeus could do no harm. He was on his way to the White House, with a decisive lead in the polls going into the 2012 Democratic primaries. Until somehow, the Ganymede story leaked.

~*~

"So, Ganymede, eh? I hear he was a waiter when Zeus met him; I bet he really served his needs, am I right, Pan? Ha ha, ba da bing!" Hermes, king of late night TV, ladies and gentleman. Political scandals were like Christmas to Hermes, and this story was like 10 Christmases at once. Zeus, shoe-in for the presidency, perpetual ladies' man, brought down by a huge gay scandal. You couldn't make up material better than this. "No no, in all seriousness though, seems like this Ganymede thing's really hit him hard, if you know what I'm saying. Zeus' poll numbers may have shot way down, but Ganymede's popularity sure has gone up! Ha ha, bam! Alright folks, simmer down. Have we got a show for you tonight…"

~*~

"They're calling for impeachment, Atty. Impeachment! How am I going to run for President if they've fired me from being a senator?"

"They can't impeach you, dad. Legally speaking, they have no case. You didn't lie about anything. You had this… relationship with Ganymede before you married mom, so it wasn't adultery. Plus, there's no concern regarding age; he was 18 at the time, and you were only 25. And the state's sodomy law was lifted in 1981 in the People v Ronald Onofre – I looked it up – they can't bring up charges on that. It was designated a class B misdemeanor, so it'd fall under the statute of limitations anyway. Besides, even if it were illegal, you'd still have a case because those laws were so outdated and no one re –"

"Athena, dear. I did not call you for legal advice," Zeus cut off. "I know you're Ms. Harvard Law class president, but I called you for support. I'm trying to complain here. Odysseus crushed me in the last three primaries, and I just can't lose anymore or I'm out of this race and that silver-tongued weasel will get the nomination. Do you want that, Atty? Do you want your father to lose to a weasel?"

"Dad, you know I like the guy. He's done a lot of good for Massachusetts, he has great stage presence, his plans for health care and the war are really detailed and –"

"Thanks sweetheart," Zeus cut off again, "I'm glad I have your support."

~*~

"Ganymede, it seems like there's been a lot of backlash since it came out that you had an affair with Senator Zeus. How has that affected your everyday life?"

"Well Aphrodite – you look lovely by the way; I love your hair – I was certainly not prepared for the amount of attention I've received the past week. I'm just a regular guy. I'm 48, a chef, nobody really. And now, I've got the press at my door every day, people calling me, death threats –"

"Death threats? That sounds awful!"

"It seems people are blaming me, saying I seduced Zeus, or that I made this story up to keep him from getting nominated. That's ridiculous; I voted for the guy!"

"Well, what did happen, Ganymede?"

"We were young. It was 30 years ago, you know? I was 18, brand new to the city, didn't have a clue. I got a job as a waiter in some upscale restaurant that cared less about experience and more about how I looked. I was pretty handsome back in the day, if I do say so myself. Anyway, Zeus came in with some friends, and well, we hit it off. We met up a few times in the following weeks, and after that we mutually parted. I knew the deal when we met; Zeus had a reputation back then, a real love 'em and leave 'em type. I wasn't expecting anything else, and I never thought it would come out so many years later. I'm happily in love with my partner Androcles, and I never wanted this to hurt Zeus' career. I think he's a great senator, and he'd make a great president, if people could just get past this whole thing. It's 2012, you know? He didn't cheat on his wife, he didn't lie to the people, he just had a fling in his youth. You'd think people wouldn't care about things like that by now."

"Well, preach it, honey! You know, I had a few flings of my own back in my sorority days…"

~*~

"Zee," Poseidon started, pouring himself a scotch and sitting next to Hades on the couch, "you're down by 250 delegates. I think it's time you admit you're out of this race, buddy. That snake Odysseus has it locked down."

"Fuck, I know. This goddamn Ganymede shit screwed me over! I had this! You saw the fucking polls in December! This was MY election!" Zeus slammed his fist down on the table, shaking the ice in his third scotch of the day.

"Well you should have thought of that before you decided to be a fag," Hades said coolly, sipping on his club soda.

"Shut up, Hades. Why don't you go home to your child bride and leave me the fuck alone."

"Persephone is 26; that's a perfectly respectable age. At least my re-election is still imminent, you're just lucky you've got four more years as senator before your career is over."

"Hades," Poseidon warned, sending a calming look over to Zeus who looked like he was ready to chuck the scotch glass in his older brother's face. "Zee did nothing wrong. It's a PR nightmare. I mean who could have known this would come out 30 years later?"

"Fucking Odysseus; I bet he leaked it. That bastard has spies everywhere," Zeus raved drunkenly before suddenly deflating. "I can get past this, right? I mean, everyone already knew about all those flings back before I met Hera. They got over the Hercules thing, they'll get over this, right?"

"I doubt it; no one wants a homo running the country," Hades mused.

"Shut the fuck up Hades, seriously," Poseidon glared. "You're a Democratic governor; doesn't your official platform support gay rights?" Hades shrugged. "Stop being such an asshole, then." Poseidon took a sip of his scotch, contemplating his little brother's defeated look. "Why did you do it anyway, Zeus? You were the prime example of a skirt-chaser back in those days. Why Ganymede?"

Zeus sighed, staring into his now empty glass. "He was hot. I had fun. I didn't think much of it."

Poseidon nodded, looking at his brother for a few moments in silence. Finally, he took a steadying breath. "I did it too." Off his brothers' confused looks, he elaborated. "Slept with a guy. His name was Pelops. He was… he was beautiful." Poseidon paused, taking a shaky sip. "I kept tabs on him afterwards, you know, make sure he didn't reveal anything. He married some girl a couple years later. Guess he didn't want anyone to know either." Poseidon shrugged, draining the rest of his scotch quickly. He stood up, moving to the window to stare out at nothing. His brothers looked on in silence.

~*~

"Congratulations on your nomination, Odysseus, I'm happy for you," Zeus said, putting on his best fake politician smile and shaking the senator's hand for the sake of all the cameras trained on them.

Odysseus laughed, leaning closer to whisper in Zeus' ear without being overheard by the microphones. "That's the biggest pile of crap I've ever heard you say, Zeus. Look, I like you, and in eight years – cross your fingers – I hope you'll run again, because this party needs you. You just have to learn how to spin this Ganymede thing. I know you can, because how you handled all that Hercules shit? Masterful." Odysseus pulled back, giving Zeus a friendly back slap and walking off like the self-righteous asshole he was. Zeus really hated that guy.

~*~

Hera was packing when Zeus stumbled into the room, tipsy from consolatory drinks with his campaign manager. He came to a halt, his tie still half undone in his hand. "Are… are you leaving me?"

"What? God, you look awful." Hera frowned at her husband, handing him her bottle of water from the dresser. "No, I'm flying out for that environmental conference in Geneva, remember? Why would I be leaving you?"

Zeus took it gratefully, finishing it off in a few gulps. "Because I lost. I'm never going to be president now, and I know how much you wanted it."

"Yes, well, we're still a team. You're going to fix this mess and try again. I didn't invest 27 years into our marriage for you to just give up."

"What about this whole Ganymede thing? We haven't really talked about –"

"What about it, Zeus? I always knew about your past. It's not relevant to our relationship now."

"Really? I mean… it doesn't bother you?"

"Why should it?" Hera stared at her husband, once so dashing and commanding, now a rumpled mess. "It was before you met me. I tamed the unrelenting beast that was your libido and put you on the path to greatness." She smirked, then narrowed her eyes. "You've never cheated on me, right?"

"No! I'm fully aware that you'd castrate me."

"Yes, I would," Hera agreed, turning back to her packing. "And are you unsatisfied?"

"God, no. I don't even think I could manage having an affair these days."

"Then I don't see what the problem is. Hand me that file over there," Hera demanded. She continued packing in silence for the next few minutes, as Zeus sat on the bed watching.

"I think Poseidon's gay," he blurted out.

Hera turned around quickly, a genuine look of surprise on her face. "He's what?"

"Or at least, he was in love. He said something, a few days ago. At first I thought he was just commiserating with me but –," he trailed off

"What did he say?" Hera questioned, going to sit by her husband on the bed.

"He just talked about this guy… I don't know. I'm sure Poseidon was in love with him; he just won't admit it, even to himself. I doubt he ever will."

"Poseidon did always seem to care inordinately about his image. And after seeing how the press has treated you…" Hera trailed off.

"I just want him to be happy. He's my brother. He's always been there for me," Zeus sighed. "What do I do?"

"I don't know, dear. Maybe it's time to show him it doesn't have to matter." She stood up, returning to her packing, while Zeus was left to his thoughts.

~*~

"I'm certainly not ashamed of it, Hermes. I know it took me some time to really speak on the matter, but that's because I didn't believe it was something I needed to address in the first place. I genuinely enjoyed Ganymede's company. He was, and still is, a great guy. I've gotten to know him a lot better these past few weeks, and at the very least, I'm glad this story could bring him and Androcles into my life again."

"Well I'm sure you did enjoy his company," Hermes smirked, "but don't you think you owed something to your constituents? No one wants to see their representative knee-deep in a scandal."

"Look Hermes, let me be frank. I refuse to classify my relationship with Ganymede as a scandal. It was consensual, we were single and we had a good time together. Sure, it didn't last, but just like any other relationship I had, I learned and grew from the experience. There's no joke here, Herm! Find another punch line."

~*~

Zeus attacked the media circuit with vigor after he lost the nomination, refusing the political death a sex scandal usually caused. After the public saw Zeus own up to the affair, they lost interest and got over it fairly quickly. He still got the vague threat now and then, but he got those for supporting pro-choice legislation too. His poll numbers were back up again, and he was seriously dominating the gay and youth vote.

He spent his time working twice as hard, trying to be the best senator the state of New York had ever seen. He cleaned up crime (because there was always crime to clean up in New York), led the committee for President Odysseus' health care reform (his plan really was great, the asshole), and worked relentlessly in Washington promoting gay rights legislation.

Eventually he gained a victory; New York legalized gay marriage. Of course, Zeus knew just how to capitalize on the event. He arranged it so Ganymede and his long-time partner Androcles would be the first homosexual couple officially married in the state, and the topping on the cake? Zeus performed the ceremony himself.

At the reception, Zeus watched his family fondly as Hera took a turn on the dance floor with Poseidon, Hercules' son Hyllus ran around happily with the other children, and Athena seemed to be talking business with Androcles's nephew, a high-end litigation attorney. He smiled, letting himself enjoy the moment for the first time in a while. He'd done it; he was back on top and better than ever, and in a few more years the presidency was his.

He just hoped those sexual encounters where he and his partners had dressed up as various animals didn't surface next.

I know I'm insane, but seriously, creative work really stresses me out, and I really could use the input. Give me a 10-page paper on the ethics of euthanasia, and I can crank that shit out in a few hours, but a simple short story consumes my life for a week. Figures.

Well, I failed the update weekly game.

2010-04-14T15:17:26Z

So last you guys heard, I was on my way to the Tegan and Sara concert. That happened. I've written enough squee about them that you guys don't need to hear another detailed review, I'm sure. They were awesome, as usual, and can seriously rock. I enjoyed one of the openers a lot, Holly Miranda, and I'll definitely be looking into her stuff some more.

I did indeed get some black bean burgers for dinner and even German pancakes for breakfast the next morning. Megan and Jake are basically the best hosts ever, and I wish every weekend were concert weekend with them.

I was supposed to go to the Broken Social Scene concert last Wednesday too, but they up and cancelled the show because of an illness in the band. Day ruiner. I had a paper due, and it was to be my prize. No such luck, and they haven't rescheduled yet. This makes for a sad Ami.

Counting today, I have five days of class left. FIVE DAYS. All I have to do is turn in 3 more papers, and take a final and I'll have a fucking degree. Finally.

I get away, you can not follow me

2010-03-27T19:08:36Z

This week has gone by so fast, I almost forgot it was time for me to post. I'm actually really glad the week has sped by, because tonight is the Tegan and Sara concert in Royal Oak! Megan (rainbowbrite227, her boyfriend Jake and I are all going and it is going to be so much fun. Megan is also going to make me ~black bean burgers~ for dinner AND since I'm spending the night there, I will totally be getting some amazing breakfast too. Basically Megan is awesome, guys.

Apparently people are already lining up outside the venue, even though doors don't open until 7. If you thought I was obsessed, well.

In other news, I have just about one month left of my undergraduate career. This is beyond exciting, but also pretty bad news for my motivation which, as you may have gathered previously, is already pretty low. I have 4 papers, 1 exam and 1 project left of the semester. THIS IS NOTHING. Also, I'm hanging around a GPA right now (if I don't drop the ball) that MIGHT bring up my cumulative, which I really, really want to happen.

I have been playing way too much Dr. Mario than is probably good for me. Like, staying up until 4 am, and playing every spare minute. IT'S SO FUN. Nonetheless, Matt keeps kicking my ass when we face off because I can't set up combos. Alas.

PS. Happy Spring everyone! I hope it's actually acting like Spring where you are, instead of being a weather cocktease like Michigan.

because England's full of bitter purists and France has know-it-all snobs

2010-03-07T00:32:22Z

Well, I'm back from my trip to New Jersey/New York. I only got to go into the city for one day, but that day was spent well, meeting grdnofevrythng, going to various shops, visiting the MOMA, and missing trains. I had a really awesome time, and there will be pictures at some point in the future.

For now, have this (illegal!) picture from the Tim Burton exhibit at the MOMA. It was so freaking awesome. I wish I could have taken a million pictures, but it was prohibited so I could only sneak a few. This entire room was dark with black lights, so everything was all glowy. It was hard to take pictures of, but so cool in person. The bottom of this piece was rotating, like a carousel, which is why it's kind of blurry.

I have done approximately 25 of the 400 or so pages of reading I have to do this week, so I should get back to that, I suppose...

"I like pudgy abs"

2010-02-26T05:47:42Z

I've been grossly sick since this weekend and people, let me tell you, it has sucked. I was a little unwell last week too, but I thought I had gotten over it, until Saturday rolled around and I was a complete mess. It's the worst week for it too, because I had a presentation to give on Wednesday (I coughed so hard through the whole thing I had to stop multiple times, get a cough drop, and get water and the class was just cringing the entire time, because really, that's so gross), and a midterm on that day as well. And tomorrow/today I have 2 papers due (but they're both pretty short). So that's happening. I'm getting better though, I'm on the recovery stage, I think. *knocks on wood*

Apparently NYC is going to get something like 14 inches of snow tomorrow, so we're not leaving like originally planned (we were going to drive). HOPEFULLY we're still going on Saturday, but I'm not holding my breath. Family.

In other news, my sister and I have been messaging each other lately, and we had this conversation today:

me: My abs are sore from all the coughing. Best workout ever?
Priti: Tsk tsk
Priti: Ab work out?
Priti: I like pudgy abs
me: Ohh right, so you can be the slim hottie sister
Priti: I got pudgy abs!
me: yeah right
Priti: and I am not the hottie sister
Priti: Remember that is u
me: mhmm sure
Priti: Dude u r 14 years younger
me: And yet somehow you are still the hot one
Priti: That is just wrong and so not true
me: I knew there was a reason you were always willing to make me fatty cheesy foods or get me fatty baked goods
me: All a part of your diabolical plan to stay the hot one forever
Priti: This is just WRONG
Priti: Plus how could I the over the hill sister be looking better than u
Priti: u are delusional
me: You aren't over the hill and ppl always think you are the younger one
Priti: They need glasses
me: haha well w/e if those ppl who need glasses judge you to be the hot one you are still the hot one
Priti: oh lord
Priti: k fine
me: ok gotta get ready for class, eat and dance to lady gaga (oh god, what has come over me?)
Priti: Clearly the meds have not worn off

Basically, I love my sister.

the worst part of writing an entry is thinking of a subject line

2010-02-18T18:36:50Z

For Spring Break this year (in two weeks, because Michigan thinks the first week of March is Spring for some reason), I'm going to be going to New York! Mostly to help my brother move into his new place, but psh, I'm so going off to do my own thing. If anyone lives nearby, maybe we can meet up. Or, if you have any suggestions for things I must see/do, let me know! I've never been before, so even the most obvious tourist traps are new and exciting for me.

I've been looking up some concerts I'd like to go to in the next few months. There are a lot, but only three that are even possibilities. One I already have tickets for: Tegan and Sara on March 27th. Kaki King is playing in Ann Arbor on May 5th, which I'm pretty sure I can attend as it requires no car.

However, Spoon is playing on a Tuesday, March 30th, in Royal Oak, so even though I REALLY want to go, I have no form of transport. Plus the show conveniently starts at the same time my class does (6pm). This is my awesome Anc. Gk. Sexuality class, so I kind of don't want to miss it, but if I magically procured a car and someone to join me, I would totally go.

Recently I was going through pictures on my camera and found this one from right before Christmas. It's Sonali imitating her Aunt Ami, and doing a hilariously accurate job. All she needs is a laptop, and that is my holiday break in a nutshell.

(Don't worry, there was no actual Dr. Pepper left in the can.)

Sometimes I actually have exciting things to say

2010-02-12T15:38:14Z

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA is going to be the speaker at the University of Michigan's Spring 2010 Graduation Commencement.

As in, ~MY COMMENCEMENT~

I knew there was a reason that I switched schools halfway through and took 6 years to get my undergraduate degree. It was all part of my plan. (...)

Oh man, the president is going to wish me luck on my future and shit. Although, seriously, aren't there better things to do in the country than come to UofM, Obama?

here's something tempting for the palette, prepared in the classic technique

2010-02-11T06:35:07Z

I've never been one to cook. I can make myself some pasta or grilled cheese sure, but if we get recipes involved, shit gets rough. I took Home Ec in 7th grade because I wasn't in band and it was required. It was awful in all respects (I was so bad at sewing, my teacher undid my entire project one day after school and fixed it herself), but cooking especially blew. We worked in partners, and to this day I feel really bad for my friend Kristine. We had to make this cake once, and somehow I ended up putting in twice the flour and no sugar. Our cake could have been a new alternative for rubber. In fact we tried bouncing it and I'm pretty sure it got at least two inches of air.

Since then, I thought I had gotten a little better at least, but usually I have supervision so maybe that was it. Today I made myself some macaroni and cheese from the box, but tried to get a little creative by cutting up some vegetables and adding some spices. It was tasty. High off this minor success, I decided I would attempt a full-on, recipe required, substantive dish.

My sister makes this potato cheese soup for me sometimes that is rather delicious. I asked her for the recipe a week ago, when I first got this crazy notion in my head while at the store. The recipe calls for boiling broth and vegetables on high, switching to medium to cook the potatoes, and then simmering on low to melt the cheese.

Things were going great, I thought. I had everything going, only I noticed it was cooking REALLY fast. Well whatever, I had to cut down the recipe by half, so maybe it was just cooking faster because it was a smaller amount. I finished everything and pulled the pot off the stove and noticed there was a lot sticking to the bottom, but figured it was the fault of my not stirring enough. I turned off the burner, and went ahead and cleaned up a little. I looked back after a few minutes and realized the burner was still red hot. That's funny, I thought, it should have cooled down by now.

It was then I realized the entire time I had been adjusting the heat for another burner. My soup had been cooking on high the whole time and I'm completely incompetent.

My roommate, Kripa, tried it (despite my warnings) and told me it was delicious. I'm pretty sure she was just trying to make me feel better, but she was being a real trooper about it and kept eating anyway.

That is not appealing in the slightest. :/

Whatever, I think I'm just going to stick to pasta from the box from now on and leave the cooking to the professionals.

In an abrupt change of topic, if you read my Twitter, you may already be aware that my roommate Margaret is amazing. Some proofs of her awesomeness:

> She accepts and even accommodates my unflattering addiction to the Disney channel by watching it with me and buying me a Wizards of Waverly Place calendar;
> When I wake up at 6:30 in the morning to finish my paper, she makes me blueberry pancakes for breakfast

But not only is SHE awesome, her boyfriend Matt is equally awesome. They're kind of perfect for each other. He also makes pancakes for me (and Margaret, of course) or homemade potato chips (lightly salty and so delicious). He joined me at the arcade the other day while I was killing time between classes and played air hockey with me. In my eyes, playing air hockey together means friends for life.

He's also really sweet. For instance, he got flowers for all three of us for Valentine's Day.

I don't know flowers at all, but the white daisies are for Margaret, the purple ones are for Kripa, and the pink/orange ones are for me. :D

Speaking of Valentine's Day, I hope you all enjoy yours. I'll be spending mine at a brunch with friends from Caribou I haven't seen in a while and delighting in various homemade sweets (made by this awesome lady, and NOT by me, and therefore safe). I'm pretty confident it will be awesome.

[52] I would not think to touch the sky with two arms

2010-02-05T22:27:16Z

In my Ancient Greek/Modern Sexuality class, we've been reading a lot of fascinating works (it's the only class I have not had trouble keeping up with). This week we've been focusing on Sappho. In case you don't know, the vast majority of Sappho's work is lost, as they were on papyrus, and that stuff is not resilient. Some poems are so lost that all they have are a simple word, like "danger" [184] or maybe a line: "I used to weave crowns" [125]. There's only one complete poem; the rest are just scraps.

I've never actually sat down and read the works of Sappho before, and considering everything I've heard about her and how prominently she's held as a gay icon, I was really expecting a lot more about her affairs with women, or more explicit descriptions of her desires. There's relatively little of that, especially compared to the work of her contemporaries, who seem almost exclusively to talk about their various sexual flings - many times rather bluntly. (A favorite Theognis poem [lines 1249-52] reads:

Boy, you're like a horse. Just now sated with seed,
You've come back to my stable,
Yearning for a good rider, fine meadow,
An icy spring, shady groves.

Real subtle there, Theo.)

Sappho's work is far more beautiful than I expected, and with the huge gaps missing it felt mysterious and ephemeral. Especially since, in the version we read, the translator would devote a whole page to each fragment, even if it were only a word or line long. This gave it much more of an impact when you saw an entirely blank page except for

[147]
someone will remember us
               I say
               even in another time

Eerie, right? Maybe that's just me. Well, here are some of my favorites:

[34]
stars around the beautiful moon
hide back their luminous form
whenever all full she shines on the earth
               silvery

[47]
                                                Eros shook my
mind like a mountain wind falling on oak trees

[105A]
as the sweetapple reddens on a high branch
               high on the highest branch and the applepickers forgot -
no, not forgot - were unable to reach

[105B]
like the hyacinth in the mountains that shepherd men
with their feet trample down and on the ground the purple flower

[168B]
Moon has set
and Pleiades: middle
night, the hour goes by,
alone I lie.

Also, one of our assignments for the class was a rather silly poetic exercise in which we take one of the fragments and "fill it out" so to speak, either in our own words, or how we imagine Sappho originally wrote, or whatever. A lot of them tried to be mysterious and write in an over-the-top classical way (like me), but some modernized them and wrote about things like Michigan winters or Angelina Jolie, which was cool to see. I was expecting a lot more bad poetry, but either I'm indiscriminate or my class is abnormally full of sophisticated poets because I genuinely enjoyed most of them.

This class is definitely turning out to be one of the favorites of my undergraduate career, so I'm glad I have it to compensate for the PAIN that is Philosophy of Action. Seriously there is no point to that class. It's a bunch of people arguing over petty shit that has NO PRACTICAL APPLICATION. Like, I understand that most people don't believe any philosophy has a practical application, but I honestly feel discussions of ethics or various political theories lends itself to some sort of real world application eventually. The arguments between Kantian ethicists and utilitarians still matter in contemporary fields like medicine, or whether some legal crimes can be justified under certain conditions. Arguments between political theories still matter in that Hobbes and Locke and Marx fucking changed the world and how government works and how people view their role in society and a great deal about the way the world is politically structured today is directly due to their works.

Shit like "if I flick a switch and unintentionally scare a potential robber away, is that an action?" DOES. NOT. MATTER. (I mean, ok, yes, I guess it does matter in terms of assigning responsibility and whether you can be held accountable for unintentional actions, but WHATEVER.) Hate.

Okay, yeah, anyway, the point of this post was that Sappho is cool, I love that class, oh and also, Kim's birthday is tomorrow! Oh my gosh, yay BFF, I love you! I still have to go to the *ahem* toy store and get you your present. When I give it to you I'm going to sing Sesame Street and you can't stop me. I DON'T EVEN CARE IF I BREAK YOUR NON-EXISTENT GLASSES AND EMBARRASS YOU IN FRONT OF ALL YOUR FRIENDS, MWAHAHAHA!!

I straight up just killed a dude with a turnip.

2010-01-27T04:48:16Z

Right, so it's posting time again. Man, I really am not going to like this every week thing. Not much has happened since my last post. Oh, I definitely got into my Philosophy class I was worried about, so I'm still getting my minor. Yay for that.

Regarding the future: I still haven't applied for Teach for America (the deadline is in 1.5 weeks...) or any other programs, so I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to resort to crawling back to Caribou come this summer. This thought has been so pervasive and anxiety-inducing that I've been having coffee anxiety dreams again, where I'm back behind the counter making endless drinks and dealing with customers and being late for shifts. It's been almost two years since I quit that place, and yet here I am, still plagued by it.

Okay, it really wasn't that bad, but I just... want to move on. Maybe I can get my old job at Alps back, or some other administrative or office-type work (which isn't really moving on, I guess). If all else fails, I'm making my sister take me on vacation all summer to Europe and Asia and South America... Hey, someone's got to enjoy all her money, right? *nudges Prit*

The other day I broke out my old NES after quite a long break from playing it, and now all I want to do is play constantly. I'm trying to still be on top of reading and stuff, but it's like - do I want to read the debate of whether you can commit unfree actions by going against your own will, or do I want to beat the snot out of Bowser in a raccoon flying suit? I think the answer is self-evident.

Speaking of which, my friend Mugs sent me this awesome link: Super Mario Texts From Last Night. Hilarity. One of my favorites: "WHERE ARE THEY GETTING ALL THESE HAMMERS"

For someone who had nothing to write about when I started this entry, I certainly rambled enough. Whatever, see you next week.

posting ahead of schedule?

2010-01-19T04:42:03Z

Instead of actually DOING my reading, I procrastinated by making an Excel document detailing how much reading I have:

Color-coded! This document is only how much reading I have up to the end of this week: the second full week of classes. So... that's fun.

Also, this (note how the cover is even done in imitation of the Twilight books - only black/white/red colors; even the font looks the same):

I ask you, why? Why is this even happening?

Okay, really going to go try and do some reading now.

girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes

2010-01-14T22:43:21Z

Hey, second week and I'm still going strong on this actually updating thing! A lot of shit has happened this week, and I don't even know if I want to write it all out, let alone the fact no one will probably read it. ~~But, in summary~~ Scratch that, I can never be concise:

1. Last Thursday night, Kim called at 2:30 asking me to drive zir to the ER because zie was in so much pain (from complications from a bilateral mastectomy procedure a couple weeks prior). Of course that was the night of the first real snowstorm Michigan has had this winter and the roads hadn't been plowed yet. So even though I was trying to go fast since Kim was in a lot of pain, I also didn't want to go too fast and end up crashing the car. It was a bit rough. After we got there, I stayed with zir until 6 am, when they gave Kim a diagnosis of a hematoma that required surgery. I had class that day, so I couldn't stay, but eventually Kim got the surgery and is now recovering, so I'm glad that whole ordeal is over and that Kim's ok. Hopefully there are no further complications.

2. This week was the "real" start of classes, aka where we actually have readings and lecture on relevant material. On Monday, I had 285 pages of reading due. I am not even kidding. 12 books of the Iliad (which is half the fucking epic), and 3 long articles. The rest of the week wasn't AS bad: 70 some pages for Tuesday, 30ish pages for Wed and today. [I know people like English majors have to read like, a book a week for each of their classes; I'm not used to that, ok?] Since my OTHER New Year's Resolution was to actually be a good student and do all my reading and go to all my classes and bring up my GPA, I am proud to say I actually accomplished all that reading. Yeah, that's right. For once in like, 5 years, I'm not slacking or behind! I'm also endeavoring to be more outspoken and involved in class. It's a brand new Ami! Just in time to graduate... I think I'm getting this "senioritis" thing confused.

3. The one shitty thing about classes this week though: I am still waitlisted for that Bioethics course I need for my philosophy minor. I've been following all the rules, talking to the teacher after every class, etc. but yesterday the prof told me that he can't offer any more overrides because he'll get in trouble, and basically I'm out of luck. Yeah.. that's not acceptable. So I went to the department today and had to be bitchy!Ami (I HATE being bitchy Ami so much. It makes me feel uncomfortable and itchy and that's why I'm still calling Comcast every month to adjust my bill because I won't just yell at them one time and demand better service). I told them that I was a philosophy concentrator, and it made NO SENSE while all these stupid med students were taking up all the seats in the PHILOSOPHY course and were given preference and allowed to register a week before everyone else, and how I was promised an override since I am a graduating senior concentrator, and how I followed all the rules and went through the proper procedure, but all these random med kids got in because they went around and blah blah. At first they tried to convince me to take a summer course which, no fucking way. Then they tried to make me take another course that would satisfy my requirement, but it conflicted with another philosophy course I'm taking. Eventually they caved (because bitchy!Ami gets 'er done, even though she hates herself for it), and they agreed to let me override into the course, as long as the professor is ok with it - which I'm pretty sure he will be. It's not confirmed yet, so I feel like maybe I'm jumping the gun, but yeah. If he does say no, I'm not going to get my philosophy minor and that will really blow.

On the entertainment front: I've been watching a lot of random movies lately; especially older musicals. I saw the Sound of Music for the first time yesterday (yes, I know, gasp, it's a classic; what can I say?). It was pretty good, but I knew it would be because I really do love musicals. I also saw Cabaret which was WAY better than I was expecting.

Also, I'd just like to say - even though Dollhouse totally broke my heart with its subpar plot and development in the first season/first half of the second season, it's gotten so good lately that it reminded me why I ~~love~~ ~~hate~~ love Joss. It figures that he'd wait until the show was canceled to be like "ok, well NOW you can have plot!" My point is, if you gave up on Dollhouse earlier, I recommend coming back just for these last few episodes. It'll be worth it.

I'm off to my awesome Greek Sexuality class now.

keep the fun glowing

2009-12-26T01:15:09Z

The other day, I was talking to my sister about my favorite childhood toys, and I mentioned the ~LITE BRITE~, which was definitely one of the best toys ever made.

Since my sister is COMPLETELY AWESOME, she went out and got one for me for Christmas!!

OMG LITE BRITE! Obligatory "artistic" shot:

These new-fangled Lite Brites require batteries, instead of having a plug like the ones from my youth. I wanted to play with it so badly today, I actually ran out to the store just now to get D batteries.

In probably more exciting, adult news, I also got a ~terabyte external hard drive~ (from my sister + brother-in-law) and a new ~Blackberry~ (from my brother and sister-in-law)!! I can finally text people! Starting tomorrow that is; I haven't activated it yet. Other things I got include: random clothes, especially pajama pants (I LOVE pajamas) and my brother's old PS2 since he's not using it anymore.

I was totally spoiled this year, I know. I hope everyone else had an awesome Christmas too - and if you don't celebrate, I hope you had a nice, relaxing start to the weekend =P

And that's how Sue Cs it

2009-12-22T02:03:19Z

Things have been ~happening~

Finals week:
Lots of studying D= I somehow did not completely fail my Greek final, but I ended up with a B overall in the class. I guess that's still pretty good after the whole "fairly disastrous" fiasco from my midterm. My other exams went pretty well, but I haven't gotten those final grades back yet. I think nonetheless, my overall GPA is going to take a hit. Ohhh well.

I had this epic research paper due on Friday, and my partner and I literally spent from 9:30 pm, after my Stats final, until 4:30 am in some random classroom in a deserted school building working on it. This paper has been the most I've ever worked on one thing in my life: we had to design our own research experiment on political advertisements, conduct said experiment, and then do analysis. In total, I think my partner and I spent a combined 50ish hours on it. Even though it was so much time and effort, it was possibly one of the most informational and fun projects I've ever done. I could definitely see myself doing research like that for a living. I should ignore that thought; I don't need another career change at this point :/

Friday night:
After my last final/paper, bitter_crimson's co-op had a party, which I went to with my roommate Margaret and her boyfriend. There I met Kim's "New Friend" (that's her unofficial title), and ate lots of snickerdoodles. I like snickerdoodles. I also proceeded to get quite drunk, and even participated in a Truth or Dare game. Yeah, I don't even know. Some of the others dared each other a lot, which was fun. We had a guy streak, the same guy simulate a blowjob on a wine bottle that some other guy was holding, and also someone go outside in the snow and recite a poem in his underwear. Amusing.

Saturday:
My roommates and I hosted a Holiday party for a bunch of people. We went on an epic shopping trip in the afternoon, then we made baked macaroni and cheese and burrito stuff for dinner. We made cookies and had pie, lots of appetizers and a bunch of drinks - including this really strong sangria. Kim and New Friend came over, as well as Jill and her girlfriend, plus a lot of Margaret and Kripa's friends. Tres fun. I felt all ~grown-up~ hosting a grown-up party.

Except, haha, here was our door:

We like Glee in our apartment. "howsuecsit" is also the name of our wireless. Basically we win.

Sunday:
OMG KIM GRADUMATATED! I went to the ceremony, and then Kim's family and I went to a bar (I had DRINKS with Kim's PARENTS. Kim's dad and I talked about which kinds of beers we like best! I recommended something to Kim's mom! It was very weird.) and then dinner. Yay Kim's graduation!

Today:
Kim and I are watching TV all day basically. We watched SGA, now we're watching Wizards of Waverly Place, haha. I think Kim is maybe finally enjoying it? Hahaha, Disney Flu will prevail! There is a lot of Kim in this entry.

What Drives Edward

2009-11-14T21:05:37Z

So the other day, Roommate!Kripa was watching something in the living room, and I happen to look over during a commercial. At first it looked like just your regular New Moon trailer, complete with creepy Edward and obsessive Bella, but then! Then the REAL sponsors of the ad were revealed:

Volvo?! What the hell, Volvo? I don't know who the executive decision makers are in your adverstising department, but maybe they need to reassess your core demographic. You know, because maybe teenage fangirls aren't the ones buying your product on a regular basis. Just a thought.

There's even a specific website for this ad campaign. If you complete all the puzzles about Twilight, you can win a Volvo.

...