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Tuesday, January 30, 2007
My First Scarf
I've finished my first hand-knitted scarf!!! I'm so proud of myself. Diana taught me when I visited her in New York during winter break, and this is the product of my labor. It's very long, but used less than one skein. Still, I don't have enough yarn left over to make another one, so I guess I'll just have to go buy more! :)
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Stories from California
After my lovely New York excursion (see below for details) I flew to California to visit Ryan. Right away I had a bit of an adventure. My layover was in Pittsburgh (oh the irony) and as I got settled into my seat for the flight I heard this man's voice behind me, terse and pretentious, snapping at the flight attendant for "shoving" his 600 dollar (extremely ugly) plaid sports jacket in the overhead bin. It was a full flight, so space was scarce. "You don't shove a 600 dollar sports coat in there, you place it in" he yelled peevishly. And after it was disposed of in the right way, he proceeded to look to his neighbors for sympathy, complaining about the flight attendant. I rolled my eyes at his shallowness and continued to wait for our departure, which was looking like it was going to be late as it was.
Before we left, a flight attendant walked down the aisle to make sure everything was secure, and noticed that the snobby man behind me was still on his laptop, even though they had made the announcement to turn off all electronic items. She asked him to turn it off and put it away, and he made some bland reply. This flight attendant, however, was not going to be talked down to. She became shorter and shorter, asking him if he was going to be a problem on the flight, telling him that she saw how he treated the other flight attendant about the jacket, snapping that he had better listen. When he gave some rude replies, she said "that was it, you're being taken off this flight" and walked away. Then he got a bit scared, and began complaining to his neighbors about his treatment.
The plane sat there for a few more minutes until we felt that we were pulling forward to the gate, not backward. The Captain announced that we had to return to the gate "to deal with some passenger issues". This got the man a bit angry. The flight attendant returned with a male attendant and a slip of paper, saying that it detailed why he was being taken off, that he "violated FAA regulations". He asked for her name, and she kept declining, and the male flight attendant kept saying "you have to leave now". He walked off in a huff, blustering that this was "outrageous, it's never happened to me before, completely outrageous", and a few people clapped. While this might have been a bit over-the-top, to take the man off for something rather small, the woman in front of me said that he had been making trouble before we boarded and that they had probably anticipated problems with him then. Still, a first for me, and kind of exciting.
_________________________________________________________________________
My next story has to do with my trip into San Francisco with Ryan. We decided that rather than driving his car and having to find parking, we'd buy day passes for the CalTrain (similar to the NJ Transit with New York) and take that in.
We spent the day walking around the downtown area and had dinner at a restaurant on Fisherman's Wharf, and I got to see the sea lions on Pier 39.
After dinner we began our way back to the CalTrain station, taking a trolley part of the way. It was a Sunday, so the train left every hour until midnight except 11:00. It was nearing 9:00 and we still had many blocks to walk, but we thought we might make it in time. As we neared, we realized that we'd probably would miss it by 5 minutes, so rather than running there to try to catch the 9:00 and wear ourselves out, we'd take a leisurely walk back and shop at the grocery store before the next train left.
We got to the station at 9:05 as predicted, and went to check just to make sure the train had left. Ryan tried to open the door only to find it locked, which was strange. A janitor working there told us that the station was closed and we had just missed the last train!! Ryan immediately took out his copy of the schedule, and sure enough, the times he had thought were for the weekend were only for Saturday night! I had to laugh, but he was really worried. We were stuck in downtown San Francisco at 9 o'clock at night, in a not-so-nice part of town, with no way to get home. We had to think of alternatives. We could either find a hotel to stay the night in or take a cab back to Mountain View. We asked a cab driver how much it would cost to drive to Mountain View, but he quoted too much. We stood there looking foolish for a bit, and I reasoned that it would probably cost the same to take a cab back as to rent a room and buy two more tickets for the next day's CalTrain in the morning, and more inconvenient.
Just then, a man walked up to us. "I heard that you missed the train and wanted to get back to Mountain View right? And that cab driver quoted you such and such a cost. Well, I can take you there for less." A bit shady, right? Well, we negotiated a price, and he accepted it and took us to his car. He was a legitimate cab driver, incidentally, and we got back to Mountain View. A bit embarrassing, but we got home regardless, and that's all that matters.
However, the story isn't complete. The next day Ryan biked into work so I could take his car in for lunch and meet him there. I'm ready to go and walk down to his parking spot, only to find his car missing. I walk around the complex, just to see that it wasn't in another spot, and call him to tell him about it. He immediately starts home, telling his boss about the problem, and I have to go tell his manager about it. I call the police and give them the information, and they tell me that they're sending an officer over. I sit tight to wait, so worried, and thinking that I must be back luck for this many bad things to happen to Ryan.
Then Ryan calls me. "I know where the car is," he says. It was parked in the CalTrain parking lot, where we'd left it the day before. In our stupidity, we forgot that in taking a taxi back to his apartment that we'd left his car parked to receive us when we got off the CalTrain we'd missed. So he went to get it, and I called the police back to tell them not to send the officer, and told the apartment manager about it. The worst part was that Ryan had to tell his boss about the whole affair.
Before we left, a flight attendant walked down the aisle to make sure everything was secure, and noticed that the snobby man behind me was still on his laptop, even though they had made the announcement to turn off all electronic items. She asked him to turn it off and put it away, and he made some bland reply. This flight attendant, however, was not going to be talked down to. She became shorter and shorter, asking him if he was going to be a problem on the flight, telling him that she saw how he treated the other flight attendant about the jacket, snapping that he had better listen. When he gave some rude replies, she said "that was it, you're being taken off this flight" and walked away. Then he got a bit scared, and began complaining to his neighbors about his treatment.
The plane sat there for a few more minutes until we felt that we were pulling forward to the gate, not backward. The Captain announced that we had to return to the gate "to deal with some passenger issues". This got the man a bit angry. The flight attendant returned with a male attendant and a slip of paper, saying that it detailed why he was being taken off, that he "violated FAA regulations". He asked for her name, and she kept declining, and the male flight attendant kept saying "you have to leave now". He walked off in a huff, blustering that this was "outrageous, it's never happened to me before, completely outrageous", and a few people clapped. While this might have been a bit over-the-top, to take the man off for something rather small, the woman in front of me said that he had been making trouble before we boarded and that they had probably anticipated problems with him then. Still, a first for me, and kind of exciting.
_________________________________________________________________________
My next story has to do with my trip into San Francisco with Ryan. We decided that rather than driving his car and having to find parking, we'd buy day passes for the CalTrain (similar to the NJ Transit with New York) and take that in.
We spent the day walking around the downtown area and had dinner at a restaurant on Fisherman's Wharf, and I got to see the sea lions on Pier 39.
After dinner we began our way back to the CalTrain station, taking a trolley part of the way. It was a Sunday, so the train left every hour until midnight except 11:00. It was nearing 9:00 and we still had many blocks to walk, but we thought we might make it in time. As we neared, we realized that we'd probably would miss it by 5 minutes, so rather than running there to try to catch the 9:00 and wear ourselves out, we'd take a leisurely walk back and shop at the grocery store before the next train left.
We got to the station at 9:05 as predicted, and went to check just to make sure the train had left. Ryan tried to open the door only to find it locked, which was strange. A janitor working there told us that the station was closed and we had just missed the last train!! Ryan immediately took out his copy of the schedule, and sure enough, the times he had thought were for the weekend were only for Saturday night! I had to laugh, but he was really worried. We were stuck in downtown San Francisco at 9 o'clock at night, in a not-so-nice part of town, with no way to get home. We had to think of alternatives. We could either find a hotel to stay the night in or take a cab back to Mountain View. We asked a cab driver how much it would cost to drive to Mountain View, but he quoted too much. We stood there looking foolish for a bit, and I reasoned that it would probably cost the same to take a cab back as to rent a room and buy two more tickets for the next day's CalTrain in the morning, and more inconvenient.
Just then, a man walked up to us. "I heard that you missed the train and wanted to get back to Mountain View right? And that cab driver quoted you such and such a cost. Well, I can take you there for less." A bit shady, right? Well, we negotiated a price, and he accepted it and took us to his car. He was a legitimate cab driver, incidentally, and we got back to Mountain View. A bit embarrassing, but we got home regardless, and that's all that matters.
However, the story isn't complete. The next day Ryan biked into work so I could take his car in for lunch and meet him there. I'm ready to go and walk down to his parking spot, only to find his car missing. I walk around the complex, just to see that it wasn't in another spot, and call him to tell him about it. He immediately starts home, telling his boss about the problem, and I have to go tell his manager about it. I call the police and give them the information, and they tell me that they're sending an officer over. I sit tight to wait, so worried, and thinking that I must be back luck for this many bad things to happen to Ryan.
Then Ryan calls me. "I know where the car is," he says. It was parked in the CalTrain parking lot, where we'd left it the day before. In our stupidity, we forgot that in taking a taxi back to his apartment that we'd left his car parked to receive us when we got off the CalTrain we'd missed. So he went to get it, and I called the police back to tell them not to send the officer, and told the apartment manager about it. The worst part was that Ryan had to tell his boss about the whole affair.
Monday, January 08, 2007
New Yawk
Although it's been several days since I left, New York is still on my mind. I had a spectacular time with my lovely Diana, and will be going back there as soon as I am able, or as soon as she'll let me. :)
We spent at least half of every day in Manhattan (she lives in Brooklyn), going to the Met, meeting friends for lunch, spending time drooling over jewelry at Tiffany's or clothing and bags at Macy's. We spent a morning in Soho shopping (my new favorite place). If I ever live in New York that's where it'll be. Her mom is a great cook, so we ate dinner at her place several nights, and the last morning I was there Diana took me to a traditional Chinese brunch place where I was the only person who didn't speak Chinese. It was excellent and very fun. I also learned how to knit, and set a goal to knit a sweater by next Christmas. Let's see how I do!
I always thought that people who thought New York was the only place to live were full of themselves, but last week I understood, at least in part, why that's so.
We spent at least half of every day in Manhattan (she lives in Brooklyn), going to the Met, meeting friends for lunch, spending time drooling over jewelry at Tiffany's or clothing and bags at Macy's. We spent a morning in Soho shopping (my new favorite place). If I ever live in New York that's where it'll be. Her mom is a great cook, so we ate dinner at her place several nights, and the last morning I was there Diana took me to a traditional Chinese brunch place where I was the only person who didn't speak Chinese. It was excellent and very fun. I also learned how to knit, and set a goal to knit a sweater by next Christmas. Let's see how I do!
I always thought that people who thought New York was the only place to live were full of themselves, but last week I understood, at least in part, why that's so.
Monday, January 01, 2007
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Yay for the first blog post of the new year! I hope this coming year will be as good (hopefully better) than the last, but I think I'm starting it off right. :) Maybe when I'm more awake I'll post more, and maybe my new year's resolutions, but for now....
I hope everyone had a great new year's!
I hope everyone had a great new year's!
Friday, December 29, 2006
The Transcontinental Traveller
So, it's official, I bought my tickets and everything! This will be the shortest I'll have been home for Christmas break EVER! I'm going to go visit my lovely New York friends right after New Year's, and then it's out to San Francisco for pretty much the rest of break. The downside is that I'll be back in Pittsburgh pretty early, but that just means that I'll have plenty of time to go grocery shopping and book buying before school starts. :)
This break is suddenly turning out better than I thought. :)
This break is suddenly turning out better than I thought. :)
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
The Pinup and other quizzes
| You are Betty Grable |
 The ulitmate girl next door You're the perfect girl for most guys Pretty yet approachable. Beautiful yet real. |
oh yeah... :)
| You Belong in London |
 A little old fashioned, and a little modern. A little traditional, and a little bit punk rock. A unique woman like you needs a city that offers everything. No wonder you and London will get along so well. |
I always knew it!
Friday, December 22, 2006
Home again
It's interesting, even though my life has been super busy lately, I haven't felt like anything was worth writing about. It makes me wonder if what I'm doing is really all that important. The semester is over and I'm back home for a while; at least for the holidays. I really want to visit people in January, so hopefully I'll get the opportunity to do that.
Being home has become a bit interesting since my first year in college. I love spending time with my family, but now it's persistently strained. My parents and I are on different sides of the spectrum, and while they "accept" my choices, I'm almost certain that they don't approve of them. It's incredibly frustrating to hear them talk about politics, religion, or current events without inwardly seething because not only do I disagree with them, but if I am bold enough to venture a contrary opinion I'll start a fight and further strain the already tense situation. So I sit quiet and hope that the topic is dropped quickly. I hate doing that, but I hate arguing with them so much more. I know I'll never change their views, and they don't approve of mine, so it's just easier to keep quiet about it. They hate liberals, feminists, environmentalists, basically anyone with a world-view that is different from theirs, and sometimes I think they'd hate me by extension. That's probably a bit strong, but a lot of the time it's true, and although they'd like to think that they're open-minded, they still make me feel so uncomfortable when I'm home.
This is not to say that my parents are bad people; everyone who's met them knows how nice they can be. It's just when you disagree with them on any point that they feel strongly about that it becomes hard.
On another note, Christmas is coming but it doesn't feel like it at all. It's so warm that it looks like it's going to be a rainy, warm Christmas. Yuck, I say. Where'd all the snow go? It's very unseasonable and un-Christmas-cheery.
Being home has become a bit interesting since my first year in college. I love spending time with my family, but now it's persistently strained. My parents and I are on different sides of the spectrum, and while they "accept" my choices, I'm almost certain that they don't approve of them. It's incredibly frustrating to hear them talk about politics, religion, or current events without inwardly seething because not only do I disagree with them, but if I am bold enough to venture a contrary opinion I'll start a fight and further strain the already tense situation. So I sit quiet and hope that the topic is dropped quickly. I hate doing that, but I hate arguing with them so much more. I know I'll never change their views, and they don't approve of mine, so it's just easier to keep quiet about it. They hate liberals, feminists, environmentalists, basically anyone with a world-view that is different from theirs, and sometimes I think they'd hate me by extension. That's probably a bit strong, but a lot of the time it's true, and although they'd like to think that they're open-minded, they still make me feel so uncomfortable when I'm home.
This is not to say that my parents are bad people; everyone who's met them knows how nice they can be. It's just when you disagree with them on any point that they feel strongly about that it becomes hard.
On another note, Christmas is coming but it doesn't feel like it at all. It's so warm that it looks like it's going to be a rainy, warm Christmas. Yuck, I say. Where'd all the snow go? It's very unseasonable and un-Christmas-cheery.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Let me be a lemming...
And join my friends in filling out a survey. I don't feel like doing work yet anyway.
Two Names You Go By:
1. Lauren
2. Laur (only by my dad though)
Two Things You Are Wearing Right Now:
1. the claddagh ring that never leaves my hand
2. argyle socks
Two Things You Would Want in a Relationship:
1. respect
2. the butterfly happy feeling
Two of Your Favorite Things to do:
1. singing
2. drinking tea and reading Pride and Prejudice for the millionth time
Two Things You Want Very Badly At The Moment:
1. cuddles with boyfriend :)
2. groceries
Two pets you had/have:
1. Miann Jiuh
2. my toy polar bear (my parents didn't like animals for the longest time)
Two people who will fill this out:
1. umm, Maggie, because she loves surveys
2. Ryan, because I'll make him :P
Two things you did last night:
1. watched way too much Sex in the City
2. read about neurophilosophy
Two things you ate today:
1. yummy salad
2. pizza
Two people you Last Talked To:
1. Ryan
2. Steve
Two Things You're doing tomorrow:
1. last dance rehearsal of the semester
2. H&SS Senator meeting!!
Two longest car rides:
1. Pennsylvania to California (clearly not in one contiguous trip)
2. Pennsylvania to Florida
Two Favorite Holidays: I know it's completely unoriginal, but...
1. Thanksgiving
2. Christmas
Two favorite beverages:
1. raspberry iced tea
2. orange juice
Two Names You Go By:
1. Lauren
2. Laur (only by my dad though)
Two Things You Are Wearing Right Now:
1. the claddagh ring that never leaves my hand
2. argyle socks
Two Things You Would Want in a Relationship:
1. respect
2. the butterfly happy feeling
Two of Your Favorite Things to do:
1. singing
2. drinking tea and reading Pride and Prejudice for the millionth time
Two Things You Want Very Badly At The Moment:
1. cuddles with boyfriend :)
2. groceries
Two pets you had/have:
1. Miann Jiuh
2. my toy polar bear (my parents didn't like animals for the longest time)
Two people who will fill this out:
1. umm, Maggie, because she loves surveys
2. Ryan, because I'll make him :P
Two things you did last night:
1. watched way too much Sex in the City
2. read about neurophilosophy
Two things you ate today:
1. yummy salad
2. pizza
Two people you Last Talked To:
1. Ryan
2. Steve
Two Things You're doing tomorrow:
1. last dance rehearsal of the semester
2. H&SS Senator meeting!!
Two longest car rides:
1. Pennsylvania to California (clearly not in one contiguous trip)
2. Pennsylvania to Florida
Two Favorite Holidays: I know it's completely unoriginal, but...
1. Thanksgiving
2. Christmas
Two favorite beverages:
1. raspberry iced tea
2. orange juice
Sunday, December 03, 2006
The Last Week
It's here, the final week of classes. The semester went surprisingly fast, but nonetheless I am supremely happy to finish this set of classes. Not that I didn't like them, but 22 programming assignments will sicken even the most avid programmer. I have just a little bit of work to go, and I definitely don't want to do it. Usually the final class week is so incredibly piled with work and hectic because of it, but my week is going to be hectic because of meetings. I have a ton of stuff left to do before the week is out, and everything is culminating in the barrage of meetings and events that are scheduled for the next five days. My roommate and I thought of hanging a noose from our ceiling just at the idea of having so much going on, but I think using it will be a last resort. :)
The upside of all this is that my academic work is light for the week. A couple more programming assignments to finish, a presentation to create, and reading for a couple classes is about all I have to do. It's just hard to bring myself to do them when I'm so burnt out and stressing over the million other things I need to get accomplished outside of classwork. Some of it is fun, like shows. And now for the shameless plug:
- Dancer's Symposium is this Friday and Saturday at 8pm in Rangos
- Soundbytes will be caroling around campus for a bit on Tuesday afternoon (and probably during finals week as well)
- the H&SS senators in Student Senate are holding a meeting for their constituents this Wednesday at 6:30 in PH 125C. Come ask questions and see what we're up to. There will be food.
- Soundbytes Winter Concert is the Tuesday of Finals Week, starting at 9pm in UC Connan (I think). Counterpoint, Joyful Noise, and The Originals will also be performing. It'll be a blast, filled with awesome music and, of course, carols. :)
The upside of all this is that my academic work is light for the week. A couple more programming assignments to finish, a presentation to create, and reading for a couple classes is about all I have to do. It's just hard to bring myself to do them when I'm so burnt out and stressing over the million other things I need to get accomplished outside of classwork. Some of it is fun, like shows. And now for the shameless plug:
- Dancer's Symposium is this Friday and Saturday at 8pm in Rangos
- Soundbytes will be caroling around campus for a bit on Tuesday afternoon (and probably during finals week as well)
- the H&SS senators in Student Senate are holding a meeting for their constituents this Wednesday at 6:30 in PH 125C. Come ask questions and see what we're up to. There will be food.
- Soundbytes Winter Concert is the Tuesday of Finals Week, starting at 9pm in UC Connan (I think). Counterpoint, Joyful Noise, and The Originals will also be performing. It'll be a blast, filled with awesome music and, of course, carols. :)
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
I'm going home!!!
I'm so excited. It's finally Thanksgiving Break!! I'm proud of myself that I managed to get all my work done and now have a bit of time to relax. Not that I'm not going to have work over break; if I don't do work then I'll be screwed for the upcoming week. But I'm really happy I get to go home and be with my family for a little while. And Ryan is coming too!!
In other news, this weekend started out to be the best weekend of the semester, and ended rather badly. Soundbytes had a Thanksgiving dinner that was spectacular. Everyone makes such good food now!! I can remember our first potlucks, when this wasn't the case. The next day I went to the football game (CMU's first playoff game in Gesling Stadium ever) and we won! It was really fun to be there and watch it. I then proceeded to spend the rest of the day relaxing, and arranged holiday music for hours. I was really happy that we had so much to sing for caroling.
And then rehearsal came.... It started out fine, but there are just some problems that had been unresolved and kept building. Long story short, things were said that were offensive and angry. I'm just sorry it had to happen right before we all left for a holiday vacation. I think we'll all be able to work it out, and I appreciate everyone's support more than they know.
Otherwise, I'm going to finish packing and wait for my ride, and enjoy the drive home!!
Have a wonderful, safe, food-filled Thanksgiving!!
In other news, this weekend started out to be the best weekend of the semester, and ended rather badly. Soundbytes had a Thanksgiving dinner that was spectacular. Everyone makes such good food now!! I can remember our first potlucks, when this wasn't the case. The next day I went to the football game (CMU's first playoff game in Gesling Stadium ever) and we won! It was really fun to be there and watch it. I then proceeded to spend the rest of the day relaxing, and arranged holiday music for hours. I was really happy that we had so much to sing for caroling.
And then rehearsal came.... It started out fine, but there are just some problems that had been unresolved and kept building. Long story short, things were said that were offensive and angry. I'm just sorry it had to happen right before we all left for a holiday vacation. I think we'll all be able to work it out, and I appreciate everyone's support more than they know.
Otherwise, I'm going to finish packing and wait for my ride, and enjoy the drive home!!
Have a wonderful, safe, food-filled Thanksgiving!!
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Retreat
Today I woke up earlier than I have in months. 7am is earlier than a lot of college students wake up, I thought, but I was amazed at how many people were out an about. I was up to go to a 9 hour retreat for Student Senate, and just like last year, I had been expecting a very different turnout than there actually was. Last year I was the only member-at-large to go to retreat, and this year only 10 other people showed up. However, the select few were the dedicated, and it was much more fun than I had been expecting. Just goes to show never to judge before you try, because it may just surprise you.
We drove two hours to a ropes course and did team-building exercises, and in any other setting what happened would have been considered sexual harassment, given how physical we were with each other. :) However, I've always liked doing those kind of games (e.g. the spiderweb, the human knot, etc.) so I wasn't upset or uncomfortable at all. And it was really nice to get to know some other Senators better; it will make the meetings more fun and go a bit faster because I'm actually better friends with people in the group. And there are some really cool and interesting people in Senate, many with great ideas and ambition that is refreshing in what I feel is sometimes an increasingly jaded atmosphere.
The only downfall of the trip was that 2/3s of the group didn't come, for some reason or another (probably mostly because we had to get up so early), and it would have been beneficial for them to come, however much I prefer a smaller group. Many people in the organization could use some team-building exercises (if you have ever been to a meeting you understand what I'm talking about). People tend to think that their voice is the only important one and don't collaborate.
In other news, Soundbytes had a concert tonight that was really fun. Afterwards Counterpoint performed and then a really cool CMU student band. It was kind of a jazz rock thing that had a lot of potential, I thought, and although the acoustics in Kirr Commons is horrible they still managed to sound really good. And the Truman scholarship is due in about 5 days, which is crazy. I have so much work to do, but I think it's worth it. And soon enough it will be over and Thanksgiving will be here! I can't wait to go home.
We drove two hours to a ropes course and did team-building exercises, and in any other setting what happened would have been considered sexual harassment, given how physical we were with each other. :) However, I've always liked doing those kind of games (e.g. the spiderweb, the human knot, etc.) so I wasn't upset or uncomfortable at all. And it was really nice to get to know some other Senators better; it will make the meetings more fun and go a bit faster because I'm actually better friends with people in the group. And there are some really cool and interesting people in Senate, many with great ideas and ambition that is refreshing in what I feel is sometimes an increasingly jaded atmosphere.
The only downfall of the trip was that 2/3s of the group didn't come, for some reason or another (probably mostly because we had to get up so early), and it would have been beneficial for them to come, however much I prefer a smaller group. Many people in the organization could use some team-building exercises (if you have ever been to a meeting you understand what I'm talking about). People tend to think that their voice is the only important one and don't collaborate.
In other news, Soundbytes had a concert tonight that was really fun. Afterwards Counterpoint performed and then a really cool CMU student band. It was kind of a jazz rock thing that had a lot of potential, I thought, and although the acoustics in Kirr Commons is horrible they still managed to sound really good. And the Truman scholarship is due in about 5 days, which is crazy. I have so much work to do, but I think it's worth it. And soon enough it will be over and Thanksgiving will be here! I can't wait to go home.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
A New Era
So, it looks as though both the House and Senate will have a Democratic majority, the first time in my memory. It's an exciting time (for liberals at least). However, I can't help but wonder if things will really change or get any better under the new regime. I feel like in many cases liberals have compromised their values in order to win back Congress and restore their power. But to what end? If we have Democrats who are anti-abortionists (like Bob Casey) or other representatives who are out of step with the majority of liberal thinkers on social, political, or economic issues, will we just have a Republican/conservative Congress in Democratic clothing?
Another problem I see probably just stems from my upbringing in a conservative-Republican household. I grew up believing that liberals were basically feckless, caring more for their media appearance than the interests of the American people. I guess time will tell if my dad was right, but to some extent, if it is true, will it be the product of having a more "moderate"/conservative democratic majority or just the intrinsic nature of Democrats?
Personally I don't like the two-party system that we have. It pigeon-holes people into one category or another, and if they belong to a minority party they are basically voiceless. (I'm not a fan of pigeon-holing in any way). How can complex people with complex and often opposing values be almost forced to support a party or a candidate that they don't believe in because he or she is the best option in comparison to the other?
One more bit about the election. I'm not sure how many people paid attention to the ballot initiatives that were voted on, since the Senate and House elections were so important, but in about seven states, give or take, amendments banning same-sex marriage were passed. Ironically, Arizona was the only state with a same-sex marriage ban on the ballot where it was defeated. In every other state it passed with large majorities. It's frightening to think that in a few years our country could be further divided along the basis of same-sex marriage. Yet another case where religion muddles government: marriage in the legal sense of the word means nothing more than a union of bank accounts and some rights gained, essentially (granted, I could be speaking out of my ass). However, we have forced legal marriages to encompass a larger definition that includes religious tradition, which is not in keeping with the principle of separation of church and state that our forefathers believed in and the Constitution upholds. Clearly high school US history classes are not doing their jobs, and not just in this case either....
Another problem I see probably just stems from my upbringing in a conservative-Republican household. I grew up believing that liberals were basically feckless, caring more for their media appearance than the interests of the American people. I guess time will tell if my dad was right, but to some extent, if it is true, will it be the product of having a more "moderate"/conservative democratic majority or just the intrinsic nature of Democrats?
Personally I don't like the two-party system that we have. It pigeon-holes people into one category or another, and if they belong to a minority party they are basically voiceless. (I'm not a fan of pigeon-holing in any way). How can complex people with complex and often opposing values be almost forced to support a party or a candidate that they don't believe in because he or she is the best option in comparison to the other?
One more bit about the election. I'm not sure how many people paid attention to the ballot initiatives that were voted on, since the Senate and House elections were so important, but in about seven states, give or take, amendments banning same-sex marriage were passed. Ironically, Arizona was the only state with a same-sex marriage ban on the ballot where it was defeated. In every other state it passed with large majorities. It's frightening to think that in a few years our country could be further divided along the basis of same-sex marriage. Yet another case where religion muddles government: marriage in the legal sense of the word means nothing more than a union of bank accounts and some rights gained, essentially (granted, I could be speaking out of my ass). However, we have forced legal marriages to encompass a larger definition that includes religious tradition, which is not in keeping with the principle of separation of church and state that our forefathers believed in and the Constitution upholds. Clearly high school US history classes are not doing their jobs, and not just in this case either....
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Reflections of a College Student in Junior Year
What makes us work so hard to get somewhere? It's a badge of honor to have a sleepless night, and you're in the big time when you've have a few all-nighters in a row. At least at this university, it's almost a competition among students to determine who has the most work, who's most stressed out, who has the least time to themselves. Why do we do it? Why do we sacrifice our time, our money, our sleep, our sanity, even some of our loves to work to satisfy our ambition? And what is it that we ultimately want? Money, prestige, to make a difference, security for the future? I'm seriously doubting whether any of those ends are worth the sacrifices we make now.
There comes a point when you have to draw back and take stock of what you're doing. At least in my case, we get so focused on the little things that we forget about the larger world around us. I stress out about a grade, a project, a meeting, an application, work. I have become so busy and so strained that I almost missed fall. It's my favorite season, and I can't even go outside for an hour and just walk around, enjoying the turning of the leaves, the smell, the crisp air. I don't have time to carve a pumpkin, I don't even have time to get groceries.
I'm worried that I don't have what it takes to make it in my field. I'm scared that I won't get a good internship this summer because I haven't done outstanding things. I'm worried that I'm just not doing enough, that I need to do more to be successful. I'm stretched so thin that I feel like my performance has declined in everything. I used to strive to be the best and now I'm unsure of whether that goal is even feasible for me anymore. Every moment of every day, even when I sleep, I feel tense and strained. I can no longer go to sleep, regardless of the hour.
But more and more I'm beginning to feel like my goals just aren't worth it, that the sacrifices I'm making are too great. Americans used to average about three close relationships; studies have now shown that that number has decreased to two. Most people now have only two close friends. We've lost touch with simple pleasures, for cultivating relationships, for enjoying our surroundings, for taking a break. Taking a break is synonymous with failure. Failure is unacceptable.
The worst part about all of this is that I feel so alone in my disillusionment. Everyone around me is successful and happy. They are sleeping well, cultivating new relationships, having personal time, enjoying their work, doing well, and looking forward to the future. They see prospects in their futures that I don't see in mine. I'm jealous of my friends' success, happiness, and most of all, direction in their lives. I have two majors but I still don't feel like I've learned enough; I'm involved in a lot of different activities, both academic and recreational, but I still don't know what I want or where I'm going.
It makes it worse to feel that because of all these inadequacies, regardless of whether they are real or perceived, I'm a total failure in comparison to my peers. As much as I might have just said my ambition isn't worth the sacrifices I've been making, it's hard to let it go. It's hard to fail.
There comes a point when you have to draw back and take stock of what you're doing. At least in my case, we get so focused on the little things that we forget about the larger world around us. I stress out about a grade, a project, a meeting, an application, work. I have become so busy and so strained that I almost missed fall. It's my favorite season, and I can't even go outside for an hour and just walk around, enjoying the turning of the leaves, the smell, the crisp air. I don't have time to carve a pumpkin, I don't even have time to get groceries.
I'm worried that I don't have what it takes to make it in my field. I'm scared that I won't get a good internship this summer because I haven't done outstanding things. I'm worried that I'm just not doing enough, that I need to do more to be successful. I'm stretched so thin that I feel like my performance has declined in everything. I used to strive to be the best and now I'm unsure of whether that goal is even feasible for me anymore. Every moment of every day, even when I sleep, I feel tense and strained. I can no longer go to sleep, regardless of the hour.
But more and more I'm beginning to feel like my goals just aren't worth it, that the sacrifices I'm making are too great. Americans used to average about three close relationships; studies have now shown that that number has decreased to two. Most people now have only two close friends. We've lost touch with simple pleasures, for cultivating relationships, for enjoying our surroundings, for taking a break. Taking a break is synonymous with failure. Failure is unacceptable.
The worst part about all of this is that I feel so alone in my disillusionment. Everyone around me is successful and happy. They are sleeping well, cultivating new relationships, having personal time, enjoying their work, doing well, and looking forward to the future. They see prospects in their futures that I don't see in mine. I'm jealous of my friends' success, happiness, and most of all, direction in their lives. I have two majors but I still don't feel like I've learned enough; I'm involved in a lot of different activities, both academic and recreational, but I still don't know what I want or where I'm going.
It makes it worse to feel that because of all these inadequacies, regardless of whether they are real or perceived, I'm a total failure in comparison to my peers. As much as I might have just said my ambition isn't worth the sacrifices I've been making, it's hard to let it go. It's hard to fail.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
California Trip
I <3 California vacations. I had so much fun! Not least because I got to spend it with Ryan. That made it so much better. I went to Google for lunch (which was pretty good, especially because it was free) and got a tour of some of the places Ryan frequents, including the two pool tables he likes. :P We went out for a wonderful dinner in downtown Mountain View, which isn't saying much since it's about a street long. It was this new Spanish place where the service was good and the food better.
The next day we went to the beach, and drove over the mountains which felt like a cross between the Mediterranean and West Virginia. There were a lot of bikers, most of whom had to be in incredible shape to bike those hills. We also went and saw The Departed, which was really violent and disturbing but incredibly good.
Here are some pictures of the beach that I took.
The next day we went to the beach, and drove over the mountains which felt like a cross between the Mediterranean and West Virginia. There were a lot of bikers, most of whom had to be in incredible shape to bike those hills. We also went and saw The Departed, which was really violent and disturbing but incredibly good.
Here are some pictures of the beach that I took.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
I feel the need to blog
Ok, so right now I am so wired it's crazy. I normally don't drink all that much caffeine (usually a soda now and then) so when I say that I've had a pepsi, a cup of coffee, and an energy drink, you can deduce two things: 1) that I'm so crazy jittery that I could run for hours and 2) I have so much work to do it shouldn't even be legal.
Granted, maybe I'm making too much of this, maybe I'm playing up the whole "OMG no one is busier than me and I'm going crazy it's crazy" thing, but hey, a girl only gets to this a few times a year (if you're lucky and don't go to CMU). I actually shouldn't even be writing now I have so much other stuff I could be writing, like the 5 more essays I have to get out of these tired fingers before tomorrow morning. (I'm not joking either) To put into context, these essays aren't meant to be long, but put enough of them together, and you're bound to be a little jittery too. I've already written 7, just for reference.
But it all pays off. Once I'm done with this stuff, I get to crash for a couple hours (hopefully) and go to class, pack, and be on my merry way to California! It will be such a release. Whew.
Granted, maybe I'm making too much of this, maybe I'm playing up the whole "OMG no one is busier than me and I'm going crazy it's crazy" thing, but hey, a girl only gets to this a few times a year (if you're lucky and don't go to CMU). I actually shouldn't even be writing now I have so much other stuff I could be writing, like the 5 more essays I have to get out of these tired fingers before tomorrow morning. (I'm not joking either) To put into context, these essays aren't meant to be long, but put enough of them together, and you're bound to be a little jittery too. I've already written 7, just for reference.
But it all pays off. Once I'm done with this stuff, I get to crash for a couple hours (hopefully) and go to class, pack, and be on my merry way to California! It will be such a release. Whew.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Long Time
It's been quite a while since I last posted. There hasn't been too much to report. It's just been business as usual, kind of overwhelmed and a bit frustrated and burned out, but I suppose that's usual for your third year. Some of the things I've been keeping busy with:
- work (of course)
- first CMU ACLU meeting, which was relatively successful
- the Chili Cook-Off, which Soundbytes made really good chili for, although we didn't win
- a lot of reading and writing
- trying not to be down-trodden by professors who suck and are incredibly cruel (in a personal way)
- waiting for midsemester, when I get a respite
Overall, I'm doing okay, although I could use some cheery words to brighten my day. I haven't been getting much of that lately. Just a whole lot of unwelcome criticism. Such is the life of a college student, right?
Just as a reminder: remember to VOTE on November 7th. It's an incredibly important election. There's my two cents on politics (although I could write volumes on the subject).
- work (of course)
- first CMU ACLU meeting, which was relatively successful
- the Chili Cook-Off, which Soundbytes made really good chili for, although we didn't win
- a lot of reading and writing
- trying not to be down-trodden by professors who suck and are incredibly cruel (in a personal way)
- waiting for midsemester, when I get a respite
Overall, I'm doing okay, although I could use some cheery words to brighten my day. I haven't been getting much of that lately. Just a whole lot of unwelcome criticism. Such is the life of a college student, right?
Just as a reminder: remember to VOTE on November 7th. It's an incredibly important election. There's my two cents on politics (although I could write volumes on the subject).
Saturday, September 30, 2006
19 days!
It's official. I just bought my ticket to go to California over midsemester break. Now I will be completely insufferable and unliveable-with for the next three weeks in anticipation. :) Well, maybe not totally, but I'm really excited.
Also, what is this and why was it passed? What has this country come to? This country is a mockery of what it once was, and could be, with things like this happening in our legislature, and it needs to be stopped.
Whew, ok, I've stepped off my soapbox now. I don't say political things that often in this blog, but every so often something is so egregiously wrong that it just needs to be stated. And this is one of those times.
Also, what is this and why was it passed? What has this country come to? This country is a mockery of what it once was, and could be, with things like this happening in our legislature, and it needs to be stopped.
Whew, ok, I've stepped off my soapbox now. I don't say political things that often in this blog, but every so often something is so egregiously wrong that it just needs to be stated. And this is one of those times.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
And I thought this year was going to be easy...
But I was wrong. Granted, I love it. But for once I'd like to have a week (or weekend) completely and totally to myself so that I can watch tv, read a recreational book, catch up on some homework, or anything!! I think I need to revamp my time management skills. They got kinda mutilated this summer, when I didn't have anything to do. Man, I was a bum! And I don't know how I got through this summer with my sanity. .... And I feel like a broken record. That's it, NO MORE complaining about work.
In other news, Soundbytes is singing in the Relay for Life talent show this Friday night. Come show some support! It'll be in Gesling Stadium. The event goes all night, but the talent show is from 8-9pm. Hope to see you there!!
Oh, and I <3 running. :)
In other news, Soundbytes is singing in the Relay for Life talent show this Friday night. Come show some support! It'll be in Gesling Stadium. The event goes all night, but the talent show is from 8-9pm. Hope to see you there!!
Oh, and I <3 running. :)
Thursday, September 21, 2006
New Blog Format
I just switched to the new beta of Google's blogger, and I really like it. It's a lot easier to personalize (especially for non-technical people like me). In switching I decided that I wanted to change the whole layout of my blog, because I was sick of the old one. So enjoy the new look!
In other news, today I'm being voted on for Student Senate. Wish me luck! I really hope I get it. I could do so much good. :)
In other news, today I'm being voted on for Student Senate. Wish me luck! I really hope I get it. I could do so much good. :)
Saturday, September 16, 2006
My life on speed
So, someone who reads this blog must have noticed that something happened to me at the end of August, because I stopped posting. I find it very humorous that the lazy slow summertime yielded more blog posts than the current helter-skelter pandemonium of my current state. I have way more to say right now, but much less time to say it. Ah, so it goes...
I have been so busy with things that today was a marked contrast from the previous three weeks. I finally got a day to veg without feeling guilty (or missing some meeting). This is my first weekend to myself, and I LOVE it. Granted, I still have tons of work, and Soundbytes callbacks, and grading, and sleep to catch up on, but I get to make my schedule, rather than have it dictated for me by the myriad meetings I attend every week. Who knew my life could get so packed?
Last night I went to an awesome party. Unfortunately I couldn't stay later than midnight because I had to get up early for Soundbytes callbacks, which were fun, and sad in a way. I hate getting to know people only to have to give them a rejection, because everyone is nice and friendly and has some quality that makes them cool, but the sheer fact is that 90% of them won't make it. If we weren't that selective our group would be up to 50 people by now. Talk about a choir!
The rest of the day I spent vegged in front of the tv (productive, I know). I'll go do some reading now, or programming or something. I just really needed this time to chill, because next week will be another hold-on-by-the-fingernails week. And tomorrow is a major work day. I have to hold 3-4 hours of Soundbytes callbacks, grade, program, read, start my research and do stuff for work, update my resume, and look into the Truman Scholarship (which will be one hell of a commitment). I'm not sure that I'll have time, but I'm going to try to make time for it. 30,000 dollars for grad school? Sounds good to me.
I have been so busy with things that today was a marked contrast from the previous three weeks. I finally got a day to veg without feeling guilty (or missing some meeting). This is my first weekend to myself, and I LOVE it. Granted, I still have tons of work, and Soundbytes callbacks, and grading, and sleep to catch up on, but I get to make my schedule, rather than have it dictated for me by the myriad meetings I attend every week. Who knew my life could get so packed?
Last night I went to an awesome party. Unfortunately I couldn't stay later than midnight because I had to get up early for Soundbytes callbacks, which were fun, and sad in a way. I hate getting to know people only to have to give them a rejection, because everyone is nice and friendly and has some quality that makes them cool, but the sheer fact is that 90% of them won't make it. If we weren't that selective our group would be up to 50 people by now. Talk about a choir!
The rest of the day I spent vegged in front of the tv (productive, I know). I'll go do some reading now, or programming or something. I just really needed this time to chill, because next week will be another hold-on-by-the-fingernails week. And tomorrow is a major work day. I have to hold 3-4 hours of Soundbytes callbacks, grade, program, read, start my research and do stuff for work, update my resume, and look into the Truman Scholarship (which will be one hell of a commitment). I'm not sure that I'll have time, but I'm going to try to make time for it. 30,000 dollars for grad school? Sounds good to me.
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