Delirious?

There is a small spot on the back of my right calf, right in the middle, where a charlie horse has been hanging out for the past two days.

Last night, a cut appeared on the tip of my left middle finger (my best theory is from when I was scraping ice off the car) that just happens to occupy the exact part of my finger that makes contact with the keyboard when I type.

Since I woke up from my nap half and hour ago, I have found that if I tilt my head to a particular degree or twitch my eye in just the right way, there is a stabbing pain just behind my left eyebrow.

I imagine that if I just keep writing final papers for long enough, these concentrated areas would slowly build up across my body until finally cracks appeared between them and I fall into pieces. It shouldn't take too much longer, I think it's based on an exponential equation...but I only have one more ten-page paper to go and I'm not sure if it will be enough. So, my question is, would it be worth it to keep writing something after I finish my finals in order to see where this is going? Will someone be able to put me back together at the end so I can finish and publish my study? Oh my god it is so far from mattering because I never want to have to write anything again. It confuses me that I'm doing this.

Finale Rack

I was going to say I can't believe I've completed the month, but more shocking to me is the fact that tomorrow is December 1. That doesn't seem right, even though I've been expecting the advent of the December for some time now. It's a rather sad prospect, because December 1 was an excellent day for me last year, and this time around I know it's not going to be the same. It, like most (if not all) of my days until December 12, will find me tired and worried about (or blocking from my mind the impending nature of) writing all my final papers. I really hope Gossip Girl is on, it will be a bright spot in my day.

Overall, I'm really glad I did this, because now I know I want to post in my blog everyday! Except, not. I think I'll be more likely to continue updating on a regular basis, which is good. But since I don't have to post everyday, I can just say something when I have something to say. Which is also good. Most of all, completing NaBloPoMo gives me something to feel accomplished about in a month full of...well, I'll just say non-accomplishments. So yay! I did something! I will use that feeling to get me through the week.

DANGER DANGER

I almost missed posting today because of this fine musical ensemble.


I also got to eat Leo's!

Seeking Justification

I love these boots.

And these ones.

I already have four pairs of boots, but no green ones or tall ones (as in height on leg, not height of heel). The green ones will stand out more, but will match less. The grey ones will stand out in their tall buttoned glory. They are also the right color for getting dirty in the snow. The grey ones cost $30 more, $20 when I use my coupon code. I just convinced myself that the grey ones are the better buy; however, I'm still not sure if I'm allowed to buy any boots at all. Hm.

Still Eating, Somehow.

Oh my god, Thanksgiving almost ended it.

I'm about to go to bed, I will be babysitting my favorite twins in the morning while their parents go shopping, and, fortunately for me, I remembered my blogging obligation just in time. I don't really have anything to say, but here I am! At the end of a wholly satisfying family and neighbor holiday. Cheers!

Imagine what would have happened if they had criticized Oprah.

Since Obama won, I have been continuously impressed by the number of Republicans saying, "Okay, I voted for McCain, but Obama won and I respect that, and I think he can do good things for our country." If McCain had won, I don't think Democrats would have responded that way at all. Especially when I consider what my own response would have been.

The impression I get from this guy, though is that he is completely removed from anything that isn't money in his pockets. Which is just so typical of an advertising tycoon that it kind of surprised me.

Also, I don't have class again until next Monday!

Last night I went on a new-music binge and got about 150 new songs from the likes of Cut Copy, TV on the Radio, Tilly and the Wall, MGMT, Ani DiFranco, The Dears, Streetlight Manifesto, Flight of the Conchords, Shout Out Louds, and My Morning Jacket...maybe among others? There's a lot and I really like all of it. Since it was ska that started it all, I have chosen this song to share with you, in this particular video form because I don't understand it. So yeah.

Chuck Bass's real-life predecessor?

"Huckabee—tired-eyed but expansive, wearing a gold wristwatch, a suit and a tie (checked, with red and pink daisies), and kangaroo-skin cowboy boots embossed with the Arkansas state seal (“Regnat Populus,” wheat sheaf, steamboat, bee-hive)..."

Why oh why isn't there a picture with this article?

I'm confused about so much.

Why DOES the Kremlin want 3200 female white mice?

I'm thinking they can all be painted a different color to make one of those pixelated portraits of Putin...that doesn't explain why they need to be female though. I actually can't really come up with any good reasons for this at all. What bothers me is that I may never know.

Also, are these kids really confused? Do they just think this is cool? I don't understand.

STEVE HOLT

In case you haven't heard, the Arrested Development movie is like, actually ACTUALLY going to happen, sometime. I'm so glad!

Today I got up at 12 for an hour or so to eat cereal, then decided the exertion had worn me out and took a nap. I kind of made up for that by going to the gym for three hours, but either way that's the kind of day it's been.

It's the...fluourescence.

I'm running out of steam, here, but I'm just so close finishing this month that I can't quit. The full trailer for Coraline premiered yesterday, and fortunately it looks great. I need to reread the book, though, it's been quite a while.

White Rabbit

Ah! Late! Driving to Grand Rapids to see Twilight tonight! Later!

That's preposterous!

Today is Cookies for Dinner Day, and I'm about to make these and these. Also, though it wasn't honored with a widespread facebook event this year, November 19 is also Awesome Day. For those of you that don't know, while this hopefully means that you will have an awesome day today, it is even more important that you recognize one awesome thing that happened to you or around you. Here's mine:
In one of my classes today we discussed if/how the RCAH (the college I'm in) should donate money this year. After hearing some of our ideas and listing some of his own, my professor (the dean of the college, in fact) closed the topic with, "I think an RCAH fashion show would be AWESOME."
It should be noted that Dean Esquith is often compared to Mr. Rogers, and no one actually suggested a fashion show.

That Sexy Trombone

I am about to go to bed thanks to another blanche nuit...I am also trying to ingrain upon my subconscious the need to wake up early enough to do all my French homework. Here is Thierry Hazard's pop classic, "The Jerk," encouraging me to keep in mind those song lyrics I need to record:


I feel kind of like I'm phoning it in with these blog entries, but at least I'm succeeding in the goal of posting everyday? I guess it's getting me into a good habit, even if it's a hard month for me to fit in any actual writing.

"They weren't quite the same in the first place."

Tonight I got to see Margaret Atwood speak, and she was wonderful. I expected her to be good, but I didn't expect her to be so hilarious. Here is a video of her that I don't have time to watch right now, but I promise I will later, and I have no doubt that her words will be worth your while.



Also, if you ever get the chance to ask Ms. Atwood a question, I recommend that you ask about her communications with animals rather than Canadian politics or women characters in her stories.

Do you get along with your mother-in-law?

Tonight at the gym I watched 60 Minutes, featuring Barack and Michelle Obama. I had a huge grin on my face the entire time they were being interviewed together. Enjoy!

What did Hillary show Laura?

I want some of these pretzels right now and I'm glad I searched for them, because now I know what website to look to when I'm "serious about snacks."

Also, I'm glad Laura Bush knows what women should care about and made sure Michelle Obama knew when she showed her around the White House.

I don't think Kurt Cobain would like him.

"It remains unclear as to why Elden decided to shoot this new photo."

I hate strawberry cake

I don't have very much time tonight. But have you read DINOSAUR COMICS? If not, I just enriched your life and this post has earned its place.

The weather, for once, did not contribute to my rage.

Today I woke up and found out that my subconscious wanted today to be a terrible, terrible day. Everything that happened to me this morning that I would normally brush off was instead a personal attack: my hair looked greasy even though it was clean, every pair of jeans that I kind of wanted to wear today felt tight, my new portable mug is made of metal (therefore NOT microwave-safe), and, appropriately enough, I was SO ANGRY that such stupid things were making me angry. The mood peaked during my second class where I spent an intense hour brooding, and my day has incrementally improved from there.

Fortunately, the not-so-great part of my day will soon be moot because I'm going to see the Decemberists in an hour!

BLOG OR DIE!

Did you know that Sean "P. Diddy/Puff Daddy/Diddy, etc." Combs once tried to release a gospel album (after, not before, he was famous)?
Did you know that the "P" was getting in between him and his fans?
Did you know that there is an animal called the raccoon dog?

I don't remember why i searched for Sean "The P has been omitted" Combs on Wikipedia, but I'm so glad I did.

I never listen to my own advice.

Note to self: if you write a long to-do list, and there is one thing on it that must, above all else, be completed, DO THAT FIRST. I completed every item from my list yesterday, except for going to the grocery store, which I did today. Unfortunately, I was awake until 5:30 A.M. because I needed to finish that paper about Lucy that was due at 10:20 A.M. Sometimes to-do lists should also be prioritized.

Follow-up on the upstairs neighbors: one of them is probably either nocturnal or a vampire*, judging by the resounding crash I heard directly above me at 4:30 this morning. Perhaps the sound of a victim's limp body hitting the floor?

I have been awake for 33 of the past 36.5 hours, and I'm not really tired. I even went to the gym an hour ago. I think Ben Franklin slipped me a few extra hours while I was sleeping. Thanks Ben Franklin!

*Twilight fans, heed my warning: I have seen the guys who live above me and they are not attractive. If one of them is a vampire, he will not be the Edward to your Bella.

4 Down.

When I woke up today, I decided I was going to have a productive Sunday. I don’t usually like Sundays very much, so sometimes it helps if I can feel accomplished about them. Thus I present today’s to-do list:
• Go to the gym for at least 2 hours
• Finish A Personal Matter
• Finish A Man Without a Country
• Do French homework
• Read all of The Wasteland
• Read that other article for English
• Write paper about Lucy
• Bake banana bread
• Go to the grocery store
• Blog
• Write at least a page not related to any classes
But the most interesting things that happened today couldn’t be planned for. This morning, I discovered the culprit that was stinking up one of our kitchen cabinets—potatoes! Apparently, when potatoes start growing eyes, they also begin to smell.
Perhaps the most exciting part of my day, though, came when I was drying my hair. My hairdryer learned how sparklers worked, and subsequently used its remaining life force to demonstrate for me. I’m too afraid to turn it on again and see if it can do more, but I am certainly impressed.

We can't ask them, because they're not allowed to talk about it.

The weekend after Halloween is a rough one for most MSU students...with the exception of the guys who live above me. Just as the football season is ending I think I've finally grown immune to their tailgating...I remember waking up around 8:30 this morning to a persistent downbeat from above, then waking up 3 hours later having slept rather peacefully in spite of it. I can't decide whether they're going to find something to party for early Saturday mornings for the rest of the year, but maybe it won't matter if they do.
As for the rest of their noise, I don't expect that to go away anytime soon. My roommates and I have a number of theories as to what could possibly going on in the apartment above us. The noise is most commonly attributed to a.) a fight club or b.) the replacement of their entire floor with trampolines, but sometimes I wonder: are they double-dutch champions? Riverdancers? Do they rearrange their furniture every single day? The world may never know.

Writing is hard.

You should read this book.


Then, try to write a short story and marvel at the fact that he made it through one.

neither here nor there

Shit! This is technically going to count as November 6's post, because I haven't gone to bed yet so it's still Thursday to me. Plus, in every other time zone in the U.S., it IS still Thursday. So this isn't so bad.
The weather here has been BEAUTIFUL for the past few days, and I've been wearing skirts without tights everyday as a gesture of appreciation. Also because when the weather in Michigan gives you a gift, it is bound to take back something in return. Such as your warmth, joy, happiness. I'm afraid of what's going to happen when this warm spell is over.
I'm about to buy tickets to a concert featuring the lovely Daisy May and Seth Bernard. They are folk singer from northern Michigan and I encourage you to check them out.

YES WE CAN!

B: What's that, Tyra?
T: Oh, it's just my crystal ball. It says you're going to win.
B: Well, that's pretty neat.



Read what other countries' leaders think of America's choice:
"I look forward to meeting with the president-elect so that we can continue to strengthen the special bond that exists between Canada and the United States."

Happy Voting Day!

I wrote this paper for a class today and I liked it. It sounds more essay-ish than bloggish, but I am too anxious about this election to alter it right now.
Popular media is rife with “hidden” values and power relationships—though in many cases the term “hidden” can be used only loosely. One could easily argue that in the past year, the presidential primaries and election have exposed extreme racism and sexism that continue to underlie media coverage. However, less remarked-upon values and power relationships also exist in both the news and entertainment media. One example of such that I have recently been noticing more and more is the value that the media places in wealth—especially those who have it and those who seem posed to gain it. In the United States, 1% of the country owns 38% of the country’s wealth—the odds of joining that 1% are very low for most people. However, political coverage, television shows, magazine articles, and other forms of media all convey the idea that the rich live the best lives, and they should be allowed to keep them, because someday you might be rich, too.
This year’s election has motivated extensive discussion about taxes, the economy, the rich and the poor; but perhaps most of all, the middle class. I find that the media consistently assumes that members of the middle class can have no more compelling goal than to become members of the upper class. Take, for example, an from Fortune magazine, which explores the plight of the HENRYs: “high earners, not rich yet” who are afraid they may never enter the upper class if the taxes on their $250,00-plus incomes are to increase. This article bemoans the fact that though “most HENRYs don't need to worry about making the next mortgage or credit card payment,” they also do not have golf-club memberships or $1,400 dresses. According to this article, HENRYs earn more than 98% of American households, yet the media encourages those 98% to think, If I work hard enough, it could be me earning $250,00 a year, and I don’t want to pay higher taxes when I earn that much. The media ihttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifs trying to convince us that to be rich requires more than a quarter of a million dollars per year, even though most of us would be thrilled just to not worry about paying our mortgages. Overall, I found the reasons this article presented for opposing higher taxes for HENRYs to be fairly ridiculous.
Entertainment media also perpetuates the idea that everyone should try to be rich by implying that rich people live the best and most exciting lives. Programs like VH1’s The Fabulous Life Of… and MTV’s Cribs show off the cool and crazy things that wealthy people can buy, while shows such as Fear Factor imply that eating disgusting things is worth it for a lot of money. However, it is shows like Gossip Girl that do the best job of instilling a sense of “rich is better” in citizens, because it is marketed to impressionable teenagers who think that with money, they can be like their favorite characters. I will be the first to admit that I adore Gossip Girl, and I fully agree with New York Magazine when they call it “the greatest show of our time.” Unfortunately, when I think, Thank god I wasn’t rich enough to be cruising around bars at age fifteen, other girls are probably thinking, I wish I were rich enough to be pictured in the tabloids. From a young age, Americans are taught that their own value is directly proportional to the value of their assets.
The portrayal of wealth in the media often presents itself as the American Dream, but it is a distorted picture. People like the HENRYs have been made to believe that their hard work that comfortably supports their families is still not enough to qualify themselves as successful, and teenagers who have not even had the chance to begin a career are taught to aim for wealth rather than something that will fulfill their interests and adequately support them. In addition to enforcing unachievable values and levels of power on American citizens, the power structure of wealth in the media reinforces corresponding values of racism and sexism—the wealthiest people in America tend to be white males. By intertwining America’s inherent value of the American Dream with a hidden value of unnecessary wealth, the media instills yet another power structure that alienates most of the country’s citizens.

In other news, my "v" key is sticking

"If Obama's elected, I don't know what's gonna happen. His whole career has been left wing. Is he an ideologue? Is he gonna bring a far-left sensibility into the White House? My instinct says no, because he's cautious. When I interviewed him, I saw a very cautious guy. I didn't see some crazy bomb thrower. I can read people pretty well.

"So, I think he took the avenue to power that he had to take. I think he'll govern to the center like Clinton did. I think Clinton is his role model for governance. I think JFK is his role model for the campaign. And Obama has waged a brilliant campaign."

BILL O'REILLY said this. I know, right? I was surprised, too.

However, since every interview I see with him goes something like this, I don't see my opinion of him changing in the near future.

Day 2: The Commitment Continues

As I mentioned yesterday, I’m going to be posting each day this month. This is clearly going to be quite the endeavor for me; however, my perception of this monumental task is skewed because I am also going to try to complete NaNoWriMo. Compared to writing 50,000 words that form a coherent plot, writing a couple of disjointed paragraphs each day should be simple!
Of course, what this all really comes down to is having another distraction from schoolwork that I can consider “productive.” In October that distraction was the gym, but I would like a break from eighteen hours a week at the gym…twelve or so should serve me just fine for November. The idea, though, of these productive distractions is that I can engage in them for copious amounts of time instead of doing my homework, and not feel guilty. For example, right now: I have a 1,500-2,000 word paper to write by tomorrow, it’s almost 9:00, and I have yet to begin. But THIS is NECESSARY. Cheers to writing initiatives!
All right, I believe this has been a successful second-day blog post. I leave you with a heartwarming story and low expectations for the quality of this essay.

SO. I'm doing Nanoplomoblogo...! Hang on, it's...Nablopomo. But I don't have time to say anymore right now! Happy Day-After-Halloween!

what i wish i could sound like when i talk about running.

"Whenever I run a marathon my mind goes through the exact same process. Up to nineteen miles I'm sure I can run a good time, but past twenty-two miles I run out of fuel and start to get upset at everything. And at the end I feel like a car that's run out of gas. But after I finish and some time has passed, I forget all the pain and misery and am already planning how I can run an even better time in the next race."
--Haruki Murakami

Haruki Murakami is one of my favorite authors, and it just so happens that his new book about running was released the day after I was told to refrain from the same activity until January. Now I fear that my hiatus from running will result not only in the loss of my endurance and sanity, but also my future chances at novel-writing. This book and I are entangled in an intense love-hate relationship right now.

great expectations

Everyday, I check and read many blogs. Considering how much it irritates me when my favorite bloggers don't seem to be posting enough, one would think I would be better at updating my own site.
Of course, this blog is somewhat lacking in the "readers-eagerly-anticipating-Bianca's-newest-insights" category. Also, the "readers" category.

Fortunately, my sophomore blog post will not end with the above paragraph, thanks to the unusual initiative I took to write a title. I was surprised and amazed to find that by misplacing my left hand on the keyboard, the first three keystrokes of "great" turned into "few." Really, try it. Place the fingers of your left hand one key to the left of where they're supposed to be, and begin to type "great" as you normally would. See? Few!

Now, if only I had such strokes of genius every night. Get it? Strokes? Now that this post has commentary on other bloggers, self-deprecation, a meaningless discovery, AND a pun, I think I can call it finished.

hebrewnational-cheesesociety.com?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the URL "justanotherblog" being unavailable is ironic, right?

I typed "taken" before replacing it with "unavailable," and now I'm imagining how one URL might go about asking another on a date. If they get married, does one adapt the URL of the other? Do their children hyphenate or is there some way of determining which URL is the father? They say opposites attract, but will vegans and bacon-enthusiasts appreciate finding their homepages inexplicably linked? It will be the first virtual war, where the people will fight to keep their bookmarks separate, but the URLs will keep directing them away from the message board where they hope to plan their strategy. The internet will never be the same.

I believe there was a reason I started this blog, but I think "to discuss the marriage of URLs" is a much better one.