Cite your sources!

On facebook there is an application called "flair".
You can send little buttons to people, of varying quality (both buttons and people, I'd guess), and they place them on a little corkboard on their profile. It's cute and I get addicted to looking new ones up. A cute one has a picture of Andrew Jackson on the $20, and says, "Irony is Andrew Jackson on a central bank note"
Sometimes I come across particularly atrocious ones. Such as one claiming Patrick Henry said "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
Which is almost always attributed to Voltaire.
Which was actually said by Evelyn Beatrice Hall.

In other news: I Love BBC and NOVA! Archaeology class is much more entertaining than expected.

I Am Afraid

That this movie will be every bit as bad as it looks.
And as bad as the books were.
And that I will watch it.
And like it anyway.

"I stopped reading [the book] when it said, 'Even in the rain he looked like he was in an underwear commercial.'"

– Twilight star Robert Pattinson, on why he initially thought he wasn't right for film's romantic lead, to EW

And Now We Shall See.

Our aim is not to do away with corporations; on the contrary, these big aggregations are an inevitable development of modern industrialism, and the effort to destroy them would be futile unless accomplished in ways that would work the utmost mischief to the entire body politic. We can do nothing of good in the way of regulating and supervising these corporations until we fix clearly in our minds that we are not attacking the corporations, but endeavoring to do away with any evil in them. We are not hostile to them; we are merely determined that they shall be so handled as to subserve the public good. We draw the line against misconduct, not against wealth.
Theodore Roosevelt, State of the Union address (2 December 1902)

Today is a special day. No matter what, there would have been something special about it. A woman VP, a black president, or a third party actually winning.
I didn't support either of the two frontrunning candidates. There was too much with each of them that I couldn't stomach. I thought my mind was made up, but when I stepped into the voting booth I just couldn't fill in the bubble. I gave my support to the Libertarians. Had I known Ron Paul was endorsing a candidate I would have chosen him.
This has been an interesting election and I am excited for what will happen. And, of course, nervous.
Good Luck, America!

Time goes by and still I think of you

I need lessons in time management.
I love my classes. I love school. I even sometimes enjoy writing papers.
How can I train myself to study outside class better?
Just do it. Is the general consensus.
But if I could Just do it then wouldn't it be getting done?
I need a system. I love systems.

Also, I searched "Cordwainer Smith" on goodreads.com and it asked me if I meant "Sam Godwin".
Wtf? No. That makes me sad.

Help! Help! I'm trapped!

So I went to California this weekend. It was Natalie's bridal shower, and as Maid of Honour, I figured I should show up or something. I got there and immediately sensed a difference. People were colours! They didn't try to make awkward eye contact with me! Natalie and I reunited at the baggage claim of LAX and made our rip-roaring way back to her house with her father at the wheel.
We spent the first part of the weekend preparing for the Shower, and indulging me in all the gastronomical splendor I missed while I was away from my homeland. There were Mexican restaurants galore, including one with authentic mariachis playing so loudly that we had to yell to be heard despite being on the other side of the room.
The shower was a blast. Natalie and I spent the beginning in the laundry room frosting last-minute cupcakes and all the games went over quite well. Bridal shower games are obviously (for the most part) throwbacks to the fifties and yet any girl who tells you she hates them is a liar. Guess the cleaning product? Especially when the cleaning product eats its way through the freezer bag? Priceless and entertaining.
However the trip came to a unique twist when Natalie dropped me off at LAX around 730am for my 9am flight. I got meekly in line to check in and soon after a woman with an apologetic look frozen on her face began making the rounds. Anyone with "Houston" on their ticket was instructed to follow her. I look down. Well golly, my connecting flight goes through Houston. Joy.
I follow the poor harangued woman (not everyone is as open to an alternative situation as I am. Or at least, some are faster to flip out.) to another line where we are told our flights have been canceled.
After an hour or so in line, new plans are made. Plans that involve an extra twoish days in California. Normally this would not be traumatic, but it means missing school. I hate missing school. Regardless of the perceptions one might have of my study habits, I have a history of being freakishly unwilling to miss school. At least in college. Even when I was so sick with the flu that I fainted in the bathroom, I went. Which turned out to be a not fantastic idea. I felt like crap on toast past its 'best by' date.
Eventually, instead of being home at 7pm on Sunday, I arrived home at about 8pm on Tuesday. After a nice quick trip to San Diego where I watched fancy TV, visited Encinitas, tidepooled, and met some Chargers Cheerleaders. There was some football nonsense going on.
And thus ends the brief California trip overview.

I have a dream

I dreamt that I had cats. There was other stuff in the dream too, I had magical powers and so did paul and there were these giant robot things and I was caring for a tiny orphan baby. But also there were cats. I went into the back yard area and there was an endless vista of cats and kittens. Twenties of kittens, and tens of cats. At least thirty older cats, and many more kittens. I was filled with a glowy sort of joy as I thought about how I would have to get collars for them all. It occured to me, in the dream, that I didn't know where they came from. It didn't matter. Even when we were fighting an epic battle on a mountaintop surrounded by flames as the sun set I was still preoccupied - when could I go back to the cats?

I know where I am, But I don't have to Eat it

So here are some gastronomic reasons I am not a good candidate for living in the south:

I Don't Like
Gravy
Grits
Fried Food
Chicken on the bone
Pork (except bacon)
Sweet Tea (unless Roommate Sarah makes it)
Biscuts
Banana Pudding
Meat originating from cute animals (Bunnies, lambs, baby cows, Bambi, Duckies, etc.)
Any part of the animal other than muscle tissue (liver, intestines, stomach, etc)
Anything with a lot of butter
Cake with fruit in it
Pecan Pie
Lard, or anything that Lard may have breathed on.

So you see, I get to drive my roommates a little crazy with my pseudo-yankee ways. However I do love some southern things such as pecans, peaches, and the crazy friends I have made out here. More to come, perchance. I've finished my Religion homework and am being called to our ceremonial viewing of Gilmore Girls.