Syllabus for August

To encourage myself to finish these tasks, I shall post them to 'the world'. (also, as a personal reference with hope of crossing them out as I go)

Review Arabic:
-Vocab! Everything from 'ministry of economics' to 'fish'
-Practice sentence structure
-Adjectives and related grammar -_-
-Brush up on verbs and tenses
-Remember (memorize) how to make nouns plural. No, really- its complicated as fuck.

Read Madame Bovary (en francais)
-Include brief review of passe simple (dumb)

- If its too unbearable, just listen to mom's audio book for basic plot overview (in english)

-Mental preparation for fourteen weeks of Novack

Remember what numbers are!

-i. e. read some of Stat textbook, understand wtf is going on

Less urgent- non-coursework related tasks- in order of 'importance'

Read Before European Hegemony
-Get ideas for honors project
-Ideas for next summer fellows

-Develop crush on Ibn Battuta
-read related articles
-prepare argument to convince Doughty to be my honors advisor

Apply for Study Abroad
-including CIEE scholarships

-Collect books on how to not die in Morocco

Re-re-re-read drivers manual, visit DMV, pass written test before Aug 20, pass drivers test after Aug 20.......icky

Research Grad school/schools

-cry a little in confusion

-panic

-realize poverty
-other details unknown

Brainstorm ideas for STAND

-calendar for the semester

-ideas to capture and retain freshmen

-make contacts, find speakers

-One Night Stand, can it be done?

Clean (uproot) room

-purge books, clothes, shoes
-Dig out both closets

-recover from ensuing asthma attack

we'll see how long i can make this last

Comrades- Whovians!
From now on we are going to put a snooty, pretentious spin on our Doctor Who love and refer the last 5 seasons with their proper numerical distinction, namely, Season 27, season 28, season 29, season 30 and season 31. Seasons 1-5 now refer to the eras of William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton (1963-1968). These episodes were designated as such for 42 years- and I think we're all capable of using 'the big-kid numbers' instead of confusing season one with actual season one.
-maybe I will be the only one who is counter-cultural enough to try this out. I suggest you join me.

And for the visual learners:

Season Twenty-Seven:

Season Twenty-Eight:

Season Twenty-Nine:

Season Thirty:

Season Thirty-One:

The Times they are a changin' so get with it!!!
(and i will get back to my summer fellows paper......................)

oh my outline
you are so fine
we’d drink wine
in Palestine
If you were mine
-and human
you’re intricate
and so fit
packed with detailed bits
you’d buy me an orchestra pit
-if you were human
bullet points in excess
indentations caress
subheadings press
-and pleasure my organizational skills
Drag and drop
Highlight and crop
Bold letters pop
5 pages, don’t stop
-you bend to my wordy academic will
lines flow so easily
where would I be
without your clarity?
some place like Germany
-Berlin, late April 1945. Getting my ass handed to me in a concrete bunker by Katukov's Tank Army
-that would suck
but you prevent my despise
as you italicize
contextualize
all facts, no lies
i look into your eyes
-and I see myself
when will it end?
it may never, my friend
i’ve got 12 more books to comprehend
and more notes to unbend
you may extend
-into the endless white unknown of Microsoft word
-i plunge back into your textual arms

Martha Jones: keeps your sorry asses afloat

hmmm- Amanda got me thinking (many weeks ago- but hey, I got around to it when I could). And I have been re-evaluating and exploring my stance on Martha Jones (summer fellows project anyone??). Ms. Blythe mentioned having a greater affection for Martha recently. I don’t know if we have the same reason, but by the power of suggestion, I have found some new affection for Ms. Jones.
Martha’s introductory stereotype is the hardworking student. She is more prone to stay in the background as opposed to being overly peppy or exquisitely pretty and her personality is not big and sassy. Martha is never front and center, unlike the Doctors other companions. Whether this is due to her personality or her life style, I don’t know. But now that I'm thinking about it more, I'm feeling more relatable affection for her. Her issues and hesitations are easier for me to understand than those of the cute shop-girl, the sassy temp or the kiss-a-gram. Is she as entertaining to watch? No, not always. But i think I understand her more than Rose, Donna or Amy and her find her motives and choices more reasonable because of that. I think we dismiss her because she is a more realistic character- and that’s why she should deserve more credit and praise than any of the other girls. Her crush on the Doctor is understandable- but she is reasonable enough to grow up and get over it without tearing a hole in the universe. Her choice to go back to her family is also wise, and pragmatic- whereas the other companions rarely address that issue.
However, she’s not normal enough to go back to a regular life after she leaves the doctor- that would be unbelievable. But she immediately applies her hardworking, achieving mentality and intergalactic experience to a real, practical job (Unit and even Torchwood for a little while). We know Rose did her share of hard work after she left the doctor, but that was mostly to find a way back into his exciting life. Martha, on the other hand, assumes her role as part of the team and becomes a realistically valuable member of Unit. She is a smaller player contributing to a larger picture, and while that’s not as interesting as blasting yourself between two dimensions and rebooting the dead Tardis- Martha’s life is more understandable and possibly more commendable. So give her some credit- she works harder than you!

gah- stop over thinking and procrastinating and just post something. it doesn't have to be the New York fucking Times. I'm not even busy. I've got the thing on Martha Jones practically written out in word...... I think I'll just give y'all some CamelIndulgence and call it a day.

Close ups are the best

Absolute perfection- and Bold!

CamelPhotos.com- this is what the internet was made for. The "historical camels" section made me squeal- spent 40 minutes

Crazy, Sexy, Beautiful

More historical camels- condensed and LOVING it!

The Bactrian close up. Known to make grown men weep

Strutting her stuff on the street- and by 'stuff' i mean firewood

So much for introspective posting. Meeehh I'm a lazy waste of life.

NZ Book Council - Going West

This is the coolest thing StumbleUpon has showed me in a long time.
-a) New Zealand is awesome
-b) I really want to crack and read some some novels
-c) I really want to destroy some novels for artsy release
-d) I want the New Zealand Book Council to make a Decemberists music video from the pages of 'The Tempest'...yeeaahh

A series of moments when Amy Pond is spunky and in control

-That sums up most of my favorite moments from Amy Choice

Shes the best. I hope thats vanilla custard

But this ones not bad either:

Srs Bsnz sweater

Amy faking labor to get some attention from her boys- shes in control

I love all these new little corners of the Tardis- show us more, you sexy thing

And the best moment-> ponchos by Amy, shes got this!

Congo Minerals Provision Becomes Part of Financial Bill

NY Times

ya done good, US senate. at least a mini part of the senate added a mini provision to the massively incomprehensible financial regulation bill. small but effective, the provision forces companies (specifically electronic companies) to trace and certify that the materials in their products do not come from the Congo. its just a tiny thing slipped in their, but it should have a good impact on the rebel groups that fund their militias with the money from mining these few minerals and selling them to the US.-and this is just another reason why i don't vote and ally myself with one political party. Sure, I agree with the democrats most of the time, but it was Sam Brownback, a republic from Kansas (of all places) that pushed this little provision into the bill. So today I feel like being a proud republican. tomorrow?? probably not. But for now I'm all about the GOP spirit of Kansas :D
So now the house and the senate just need to get this bill fixed up and coordinated, then hopefully pass it, where ever it needs to be passed- fucked if i know.

Get 'er Done!!!!

Real 'merican hero

Vampires of Venice

My blog would not be complete without a weekly recap of Doctor Who. But it think i'll keep it to a list of my favorite moments- to avoid long ramblings without fruition.
We will start with last weeks Vampires of Venice (since no screen caps have been posted yet for this weeks episode)

1. Socially awkward Doctor is socially awkward :)

2. Some honestly decent chemistry between the mother/son villainy duo

3. "...and she kissed me"- "And you kissed her back?!?"- "No, I kissed her mouth"
Even better socially awkward Doctor

4. Tee hee hee. Matt Smith is a bamf

5. The Doctor- not a big proponent of teamwork

Jones v. Tweed- historical SMACKDOWN

I've got Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall on the brain tonight. Why? cause i'm a nerdy history major with a crush on Alexander Hamilton. I think Tammany Hall would make a sweet movie- specifically Tammany Hall's downfall- cause' the audience loves a fell good, happy ending, up lifting story. Unfortunatly, there are about 3 or 4 of those in all of wolrd history. But Boss Tweed and gang might provide one of those...eventually I will need to read deeper into the history, get all the kinks worked out- but for now, let's just speculate over basic knowledge.

So Boss Tweed is an oversized New York douchebag (an honorific title) of considerable character running machines of political corruption all up and down the city. The setting; a chaotic and vivid immigrant-rich 1860 would also have considerable charater. But when Boss Tweed gets his grimiest and most powerful, journalist and New York Times founder George Jones relentlessly published articles that bring down Tweed and the worst of his political, grease-covered puppet game.

so what do you think? Wild, overblown charaters, a hot and spicy historical setting, New York attitude, and a handful of journalistic integrity? -I'd go see that movie! and I'd drag at least 1 desperatly bored friend to come with me.
Thats all I'm sayin for now.

So I few ground rules about my blog:
-I will not write about myself most of the time. It's awkward and I like historical anecdotes better.
-I'm going to write whatever I fancy to write about and not think about it too much...or it will never get done. So forgive errors and ramblings
-Lastly, I write in a long winded style. I cant help it, you deal with it.