"I'll take "anal bum cover" for 500" ~ 'Sean Connery' on SNL's Celebrity Jeopardy

Alex Trebek: That's "an album cover."
Sean Connery: I spent the better part of my life trying to perfect an anal bum cover. It can't be done.

In the last few days there has been a lot of drinking, maybe...maybe too much drinking.

~Sleeman's Honey Brown on Saturday night
~Canadian on Monday night
~Alberta Genuine Draft at Kirny's on Tuesday night
~Löwenbräu last night...

It's turned out to be some sort of great beer tasting debauchery week.

'Gay-Tee' threw a grand wedding and, except for the flower-wilting gas that Kirny tormented me with on the drive down, it was a wicked time. The beds were far too comfortable in the hotel and there is one thing I don't understand...the shower head was about 5 feet up, so for someone my height, I had to crouch or lean back in order to get the shampoo out of my hair. Kirny was shouting that Terror Squad rap "do the rockaway, now lean back, lean back, lean back, lean back..."
Too funny...but why in hell do they put the showerhead that low? Hm?

The Roadrunners game was the best time. They pulled out all the foam sticks the Edmonton Journal had made up last year, clearly for the Oil, and gave them out to the crowd. If you bend them in half they are perfect for whipping somebody in the head...We had some good fights. The little kids got crafty and started making hats and elaborate outfits with all the foam sticks. The crowd was huge and really into it. I have decided I like the OT shoot-out at the end, it is rather enjoyable, but have a few of those work out against my team and I bet I wouldn't like them all that much. I have yet to see the RoadRunners lose because everytime I go to a game they win it.
Also what is up with Hamilton? Even with the new big-ass blue lines they were offside all the time. Get it together, Dudes. And I am sad to realize that my J-Lo was there at the game too and I didn't know she would be there.

Last night I was supposed to go to a movie but instead we played a bunch of games whilst drinking all manner of German Alcohol (mostly beer and wine). We even played Scrabble. Smith's team managed to spell out Quorum (I know, shocker)....it was rather impressive and most hackilicious.

We played this other game called Watten and I loved it. You get your cards and then you get to signal your partner what you hold in your hand. Like an elaborate game of crazy eights with sign language. It was rather weird having Smith, my partner, pull faces, wink, and roll his eyes at me. He's not very subtle though and we got our butts kicked soundly. I just kept getting all the signals wrong and making an ass of myself. There was lots of dancing to eighties music and I think I have filled my quota of Wham music for the holiday season. Thankfully, no one pulled out the Aqua...but you know you have a good party going when the whole place is singing and dancing along to Dancing Queen...tee hee.

Christmas break is great because so many people are home for the holidays. It is impossible to get out to all the different events going on but I hope everybody else is having as much fun as I am this week! And thanks to all of my friends and family, I am such a lucky person to be surrounded by such amazing (not to mention hilarious) people!

Happy Holidays to all!

Song Du Jour: "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" ~ Wham

"A hot romance between odd couple Brigitte Nielsen and Flavor Flav blossoms"

I kid you not...this is what passes as entertainment? And this show is in season Three? I've never even heard of it...

"THE SURREAL LIFE": SEASON 3
M3 EXCLUSIVE SERIES CONTINUES WITH ALL-NEW CAST OF HAS-BEENS
Sundays @ 8pm ET beginning January 16th
Hi-res photos available @ www.muchmoremusic.com/media

A new assortment of C-list celebs including Public Enemy clock-toting'rapper Flavor Flav, former New Kid On the Block Jordan Knight, "American Idol" runner-up Ryan Starr, "Coochi Coochi" Latina legend Charo, "Full House" nice guy Dave Coulier and blonde bombshell Brigitte Nielsen ("Rocky IV", "Red Sonja") crash in one house. Fans can watch this all-new eclectic crop of has-beens and never-weres live it up in a $7-million Los Angeles mansion, video-rigged for weeks of close encounters.
Jan. 16th - Episode 1: "Six Degrees of Irritation" The C-listers fight for the best rooms in the house leaving Jordan Knight fuming over the lack of privacy.
Jan. 23rd - Episode 2: "Strange Love" A hot romance between odd couple Brigitte Nielsen and Flavor Flav blossoms.

Ugh...what a strange couple...and Charo and Jordan Knight? C'mon....

That just made me giggle. I was really going to that site because U2 will be on Much More Music...just click the link in the title for more info U2 fans.

So it is Friday. I now have 17 hours before I write an exam and here I am in the library at school blogging. Some lady in the stacks behind me is hacking up a lung but other than that all you can hear is the quiet hum of the computers and lights and the murmuring snore of the student at the workstation next to me. She has drool dripping from the side of her mouth onto her notes, where she is totally passed out. At least I am not sitting next to a nose-whistler...I hate that.
Student's seem in a daze. Most of us can barely link thoughts and put them into sentences and I collapse into fits of giggles at the silliest things. Ahhh finals, don't you love them?
And I'd like to shout out a big ole screw you to Clarissa and Mike who both felt it necessary to gloat.."I'm Done writing finals! na, na, na ,na ,na!"

Right...Now I have to get back to studying. All I keep thinking about is 11 a.m. tomorrow morning and 24 hours of debauchery in Cowtown with my boys. Cheers!

Song Du Jour: Get in The Ring ~ Guns and Roses

"I'm not a speaker of dudish, so I could be wrong " ~ Mark Liberman

Dude...
It is a word like Smurf....Who remembers smurfs? When everything was smurfy...or you need to smurf that smurfy smurf. Dude really is a catch all phrase...
I admit I use the word Dude way too much. I just change the inflection, the pitch or tone, in my voice and it means something completely different. That is just plain handy. I also do this with the word Lady.

Lady!!!!
Laaady.
Laaaa-deee.

The other day Mr. Speaker asked me why I call my friend Lado. Yup Lado. (She's the only one I call Lado though, the other Rotten's hate it and have banned the use of it.) It just sounds better and rolls of the tongue if you say it fast. It evolved from Lady at some point and I guess the truth of it is that my friends and I seem to have developed a language all our own. I've been in public places having a conversation and some person with us wonders what the hell we are talking about. We all understand this lingo but to anybody outside our group, without the same pop culture references and such, it is just gibberish.

Without context it means little to the vast majority if I say,
"Hey Dudes remember when we went pirate with the Indian at The Moontower" but to me, and my group of friends, this makes perfect sense...

We have our "Hey you's" Which is a reference to an old, *old* SNL skit about a perfume called "Hey You" that a chick wears in the bar to pick up guys. The next scene is her, with a love bun (that knot of messed up hair in the back of your head after a night of rumpeh-pumpeh), with last nights' clothes on and her make-up down to her ankles...she's hailing a cab. So Hey You's became the name for the place we would all meet, at one of our houses, the day after we went to the bar. We'd all drag our sorry, hungover asses, with our love buns, back to Ronnies and gossip about the night before and where and with whom we ended up.
Usually this Hey You/meeting of the hung involved "Getting Grease" which shouldn't be confused with getting greased...
No 'getting grease', or the 'ole Potty Picnic' (cause it goes right through you, so you might as well eat it on the toilet), refers to getting McDonald's before going to The Hey You. The magic elixer and cure of many hangovers...greasy McDick's food.

We also call cake "Cock" (and Coke is often referred to as "Cock"....just for fun)which has to do with Martin Short's brilliant portrayal of an "English as a second language" Wedding planner in "Father of The Bride" ("Faja of the Bride" or "Pather pa da pride" if you're my Lado...)

Imagine standing in Blockbuster with me and my ladies and I turn to you and say, "want to rent a pussy movie? Oh and should we get girl-drink-drunk or Cock tonight?"

You can see how this can get confusing...Sometimes I forget myself and speak this way with new friends and they look at me like I have lost my mind...
So I start again and translate "Sorry Lady (or Dude)I mean... do you want to get a sappy-girly movie? Shall we drink Pina Colada's or Coke tonight?"

These obscure references to things from the past are now part of our collective language. Try explaining purse bitch...(Without a picture of Bogg)
No doubt other groups of individuals do this but I wonder if they have as much fun with it as we do? I doubt it Dude.

Okay enough procrastinating...

Song Du Jour: Burn One Down ~ Ben Harper

"As a result of the smaller roster, all-star forward Danielle Proletariat will be expected to play 60 minutes per game for the remainder of the year"

"Fake Mutton" from an article in this year's "Getaway"....

The article made me laugh out loud. That would be fine except for the fact that I was in "History 10" at the time and I got a wicked look from my prof. Whatever. It is first year history, he should be used to immature behavior by now.

When I talk about 'my cousin Danielle' I can't seem to drop the 'my cousin' bit before I say her name. This has prompted many people to also call her 'my cousin Danielle' which makes for interesting conversation. It is rather funny and a bit esoteric, but reading that line used in the Getaway will make three or perhaps four people laugh. Good on ya "Fake Mutton," that took balls to put it in there.

Other than that I didn't really think the Getaway was that funny. Was it just me? It seems that over using expletives constitutes wit in this years issue. I'm not an enemy of toilet humour but this tactic backfires. Also that revolting picture of Paul Owen (with tassels even...ugh..) on page eight is enough to make you lose your lunch.
*shudder*

So as long as you are not eating, or have just eaten, skim through the Getaway, avoid page eight at all costs, and read the article entitled, "Hockey Panda's Coach Goes Insane". Seriously, don't look at page eight it may be one of those images you never recover from...
*shudder*

(at the time of this post The Getaway was not published on the website, when or if it is published I will link to the story)

"Brain? What is Brain....?" ~ Homer Simpson

I could have titled this "I are study..."
My brain hurts.

It is the last ditch effort to pull this semester out of a tail spin that is causing my head to throb. Thank God for all out panic attacks...if I didn't wake up in the morning with that dread of failing in the pit of my stomach I would most likely never make it through school.

Today is my last day of classes! Woo hoo! So you'd think I would be going out to celebrate or taking some time to relax now that it is over. Uh...No. It is about following the study plan I mapped out in order to squeeze every last moment of study time out of the next 13 days. Inevitably that means less blog posting, so to my wonderful readers, please don't expect too many posts over the next 2 weeks...unless I find myself in a procrastinating mood, but that time is usually allotted to NFL watching.

Speaking of the NFL, I took a break Sunday to watch the games and to yell at my TV...well more specifically to yell at the Bronco's. Jesus. Why is that I feel compelled to yell at the TV? I have no clue, but it scares the beejeezus out of my friend's cat...so maybe I do it just to see her freak out. I also watched Elf this weekend and I found it rather hilarious...The Bears hockey team won 7-2 and 8-3. I worked my first shift in the sin bin and I can't think of a better way to spend my evenings than with sweaty hockey players and getting paid to watch games. Good times.

Song Du Jour: White Flag ~ Dido

"The Perfection of Rottonness" ~ William James (American philosopher and psychologist, leader of the philosophical movement of Pragmatism, 1842-1910)
 

As 'Rotten Leader' I think I have almost perfected my corrupting ways, I felt I should offer proof.

"Bring back the NHL so I can cheer for the Oil!!" ~ Baby Jacob 

"Taking Ritalin to study is very dangerous. If you let your focus drift, you'll spend the night scrubbing your telephone." ~Danielle Carlson

So apparently one of those Desperate Housewives (*not* the one who got naked with Terrell Owens and caused a big flack in Jesus Land) takes her kids' A.D.D. medication to help her get through her busy day.

I haven't actually watched the show but it made me wonder how many other people saw that and ran to the medicine cabinet and downed a couple tabs of lil' Timmy's medicine to see what would happen.

Is this what it has come to? My ladies are at-home Mommies and they have their bad days but I wonder what it must be like to be at home with the kids all day with no outside contact with a million things to do. One of my friends told me that her husband, and his friends, make jokes that their wives are "retired" now that they stay at home with the kids. Like they sit at home watching their 'stories' and eating Bon-bons or some shite. Puh-lease..it is hard work raising kids. (I know there is some feminist rant in there about unpaid labour and how domestic chores seem to fall to one gender and such, but I can't be bothered to go all femi-nazi just now)

Some days I see my friends with their kids and I wish I could be a Mom and do all that Mom stuff...usually I just want to be a part of the more interesting Mom stuff, not the really hard Mom stuff.
I get the impression that they would also like a day like mine where I have some time for myself and get to learn amazing new things and socialize with great people...

Why *is* the grass always greener on the other side? Stupid grass....

Song Du Jour: Camp Fire Girl #62 ~ Guttermouth

"Bee-do" said my old cell phone one final time...

Here is some 'I'm an arts student' math for ya:

3 months +
5 irate phone calls to Rogers +
one $30 charger +
$75 for a new phone =
I am back on the cellular network! Huzzah!

Yes, that is right, Bee-do has been replaced.
It is sad day for me. Bee-do and I went through a lot together, she was a fine...oh screw that...BUH-bye Bee-do! Good Riddance you peice 'o' Shite.
I am so excited to have a new phone!!

It even has a fancy-schmancy colour screen! Ooooooh...
I know you're jealous...
Now, we need to give it a name (any suggestions? Hammers named the last one, perhaps she'd like the honour?) and have a champagne christening of course...
With Bee-do it was a rather informal "Beer Christening", which may have been the start of the problems...bah! Booze can only improve a cell phone, no? (and by "Beer Christening" I mean she was on the table when somebody knocked over a pint in RATT...whoops.)

Song Du Jour: Chrismahanukwanzakah ~ Dean and Gene Ween allegedly wrote it...

On Ween's website read the Waste Page, it just might make you laugh...(oh, that link no worky...you actually have to click on the link at the top of the page entitled, handily enough, "Waste")

"Canada is like an old cow. The West feeds it. Ontario and Quebec milk it. And you can well imagine what it's doing in the Maritimes." ~ T. Douglas

Former Saskatchewan premier Tommy Douglas, said that on June 29, 1983. Tonight Canadians picked him as The Greatest Canadian.
And The Dude's head just exploded.

This whole greatest Canadian contest really opened my eyes about some pretty amazing Canadians. I never knew what impact Frederick Banting's life had...And Terry Fox still inspires me to this day. Trudeau came in third which surprised me. I voted for Lester B. Pearson.

All in all I think this contest taught us all a little more about Canadian history (always a good thing) and gave us a glimpse into the lives of some of the incredible people who have shaped our country.

Song Du Jour: World on Fire ~ Sarah McLachlan

The world's on fire, it's more than I can handle
I'll tap into the water, try and bring my share
Try to bring more, more than I can handle
Bring it to the table
Bring what I am able....

*Your* University of Alberta Panda, #88, A. Danielle Bourgeois

Leading Scorer (23 points)she tops the conference in goal scoring...woohoo! 

"You looked inside me..." ~Griet from Girl With a Pearl Earring

So Smith says don't bother spending your student loan money on the movie Alexander...I say don't bother renting Girl with a Pearl Earring.

Personally I will see a movie just because Colin Firth is in it, but this one I should have skipped over. It is one of those movies that finishes and you have that moment, when the credits start to role, where you wonder to yourself, "That's it? That's the end?...Did I miss something?"
Brutal.

On a more positive note, The Bears Hockey team won both games against the Dino's this weekend. Taunting The Dino's goalie made for funtimes last night. The Pandas Hockey team bitch-slapped UBC, 5-0 and 9-0. They are now 91-0 overall. My cousin Danielle rocks...

Song Du Jour: Lie To Me ~ Depeche Mode

"Truth is a word
That's lost its meaning
The truth has become
Merely half-truth
So lie to me
Like they do it in the factory
Make me think
That at the end of the day
Some great reward
Will be coming my way"

"Although the word 'God' is used, the University has not attached any religious significance to the term" ~ Carl Amrhein

Normally I don't find the GFC agenda remarkably funny, but I almost snorted ginger ale out my nose laughing at a response to a query Alex Abboud made about the convocation ceremonies. And yes this is all Paul Welke's fault, I am sure.
[Edit: I have been informed there is a webboard thread about this]

Question from Alex Abboud, Vice-President(External):

"A Graduating student recently raised a concern with me regarding the Admission performed by the Chancellor at the end of the convocation ceremony, which finishes with the line "I charge you to use them for the glory of God and the honour of your country." This student feels that as an atheist, the inclusion of this offends his personal beliefs. As the University is a public, not a religious institution, what is the rationale for the inclusion of this line as part of the ceremony?"

The response from The Provost:

"The University of Alberta adopted the wording for "The Admission" as the standard from McGill University in 1908.(McGill Got it from Oxford University)...Although the word 'God' is used the university has not attached any religious significance to the term and it can therefore be defined however the student sees fit given their personal circumstances. It is not intended to have any specific religious connotation."

That made me giggle...I guess when I hear the word God I think of, you know, the man upstairs, the head of the Catholic faith. So why don't we say Allah? Or Buddha? Or Zeus?

From Encarta:
"God
1. Supernatural being: one of a group of supernatural male beings in some religions, each of which is worshiped as the personification or controller of some aspect of the universe
Thor, the Norse god of thunder

2. Figure or image: a representation of a god, used as an object of worship
the little bronze god standing in a niche above the altar

3. Something that dominates somebody’s life: something that is so important that it takes over somebody’s life (informal)
worshiping the false god of fame

4. Somebody admired and imitated: a man who is widely admired or imitated(informal)
he was one of the rock music gods of the early Seventies'."

I think there might be a way to fix this. At the Presidents Standing Committee on Convocation meeting (this item is now on their agenda for further discussion) perhaps it could be suggested that we alternate the word god with other 'gods'...
When I graduate in April 2006 I hope that the Chancellor uses the name of a certain rock God...I can hear it now, "I charge you to use them for the glory of Bono and the honour of your country."

Or better yet, in Greek mythology, the god of the heavens, husband of Gaea and the father of the Titans who personified the earth, was Uranus. That would certainly make for an interesting convocation ceremony.
Too funny.

Song Du Jour: Willow Weep For Me ~ Billie Holiday

"Sure, luck means a lot in football. Not having a good quarterback is bad luck." ~Don Schula.

Ahhh..Luck..My Aunt always says if it weren't for bad luck I wouldn't have any luck at all. I guess it is all what you make of it, right? I get to give a presentation on perseverance tomorrow at the SU's High School Leadership Conference and rest assured I won't be talking about how *luck* got me where I am today.

Today I wish I was in America celebrating Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving to any Americans reading this. It would be a day off today and I wouldn't have a bazillion things to do and I could just have spent the day watching the NFL. I picked the Bears to win...But I also picked the Colts so let's just call it even shall we?

Last night the Roadrunners had a great 3rd period (about 12 minutes of incredible hockey). My new best friend Raffi Torres scored 4 goals. It was beautiful. I never knew that Jordin Tootoo was such a brawler. So far he's got 63 penalty minutes...Frick, and here I thought he was all about scoring goals. Rocky Thompson has 63 minutes too...I certainly would never have compared those two players together.

I'm loving the AHL...it's helping me get through the NHL withdrawl.

This is also incredibly cool to any U2 fans out there. Wish I could have been there to see that....

Song Du Jour: Still The One ~ Orleans
(This song is now firmly trapped in my head...curses! Don't you just hate it when you can't get a terrible song out of your head? Please, somebody help me...)

“It is what we make of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.”~Nelson Mandela

Thanks for the comments on rights...The Duke brings up some good arguments in the comments of my last post. I think He and The Dude agree, and I realize my approach is more idealistic. Negative and positive rights, or The Freedom "from" something, and the right "to" something. How much should the state intervene? How much political will is there to back up these "rights" up? I took Human Rights (Political Science 396) with Dr. Jiang and by the end I was more confused than when I had started. It seems that everybody has a different idea of what a right is. (Feminists and Chomsky argue our set of so called Universal Rights are set down by rich, white men and have failed to produce a fuctioning set of rights that are truly universal) I realized that I viewed human rights from a standpoint that is rather patriarchal and biased. After that class I reassessed what I thought about rights given my limited understanding of them. Education should be a right because it allows for men and women to grow and become self-reliant and students become a commodity in our economy. I think that education should not be commodified because it produces a better society and a better global community.
I like the way the Irish educational system was set up in 1966 and wonder why governments got away from implementing free-post-secondary education? After WWII didn't most governments in Europe have systems set up like that? I should check that out...

Speaking of good Irish things...did anybody catch U2 on Saturday Night live?

"Without education, we are in a horrible and deadly danger of taking educated people seriously." ~G.K. Chesterton

Mmmmm....Education.

So I think education is a human right. Yup, I think that if "society" was smart it would realize just how important a liberal education is to our society and would stop commodifying it.

So I got to meet Ralph Klein on Friday. He's the rather embarrassing premier of my province. Sadly, he doesn't share my opinion on education and I would also say a lot of Albertans don't share this opinion either, so this upcoming election on the 22nd will most likely benefit Mr. Klein and his party and that makes me sad. What surprised me even more was his size. He's so wee. I had no idea...it caught me off guard and I marveled at it. I've been studying history and my prof likes to highlight the height of tyrants. Something could be said about powerful men and their stature...Hitler, Kim Jong Il , Napoleon(but I certainly won't make that comparison here). I just thought of how many wee men have taken their inferiority complex...This "short man syndrome" to a whole new level. (Apparently David Suzuki is also wee and look at what he's done with his power...) Things that make you go Hmmm....

I finally got to see the movie Boys on The Bus (Thanks to Lancaster). It is a movie about the Oilers in the cup winning days. It was pretty funny to watch and Gretzky is hilarious. "I want the puck...the rest of you can get your own..." I got my fill of sad 80's mullets, too. It was heartbreaking to revisit the infamous Smith Goal, although the movie makers were smart to only touch on it briefly, not really showing it at all, and move on as fast as they could. Oh and the sequel "Back on The Bus" is terrible...although seeing Kelly Buchberger at such a young age was pretty cool. He's the assistant coach with the Edmonton Road Runners now...

So there you go, I had an interesting weekend, a brush with the most powerful man in Alberta and a glimpse back into the lives of the best hockey players in the world. Now if only we could send Klein back to the 80's or trade him, like The Oilers did Coffey, at the very least...

"Knock, knock"
"Who's there?"
"Paul"
"Paul who?"

exactly.

"We still have a long way to go, but the step we have taken this afternoon is a very important step in the right direction," said Olusegun Obasanjo

The UN Wire reports today (link above):

Rebels, Sudan reach agreement on Darfur After two weeks of talks, and under threat of sanctions by the United Nations Security Council, the Sudanese government has agreed to disarm the Janjaweed militia, create a no-fly zone over the Darfur region and help the hundreds of thousands of people who have been displaced by the conflict.

If the Sudanese Government and the Janjaweed militia were *reportedly* covertly working together in the past what is it that makes this step different? When I read that I am skeptical but perhaps this means an end to the atrocity in Sudan. Am I jaded and cynical if I say I won't hold my breath?

Raise your hand if you read Harpers Weekly by Roger D. Hodge!! I was interested by the reports about last week's presidential election:

"Lines at Ohio polls were extremely long; one was estimated at 22 hours. Election software in Onslow County, North Carolina, miscounted the votes for county commissioners. Some voting machines in Broward County, Florida, started counting backward once they reached 32,000. An electronic voting machine in Ohio added 3,893 votes to President Bush's tally in a district that had only 800 voters. Four thousand five hundred and thirty early electronic votes in Carteret County, North Carolina, were lost. Votes were also lost in Palm Beach County, Florida, and in Tampa.
Journalists were still trying to figure out why exit polls -- which projected that John Kerry would win in Florida, Ohio, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, and Iowa -- turned out to be completely wrong. "Exit polls are almost never wrong," wrote Dick Morris. "Exit polls cannot be as wrong across the board as they were on election night. I suspect foul play." It was noted that anomalous voting patterns in Florida (where a disproportionate number of Democrats apparently voted for George W. Bush) were all confined to counties where optical-scanning machines are used to read paper ballots. Such votes are tabulated by Windows-based PCs that are vulnerable to tampering."

Hrm. That is kind of scary, no? So much for democratic and free elections. Also, for those of you who are interested, Lewis Lapham is coming on January 21st for the revolutionary Speakers series on campus.

What is really strange is that I came here to blog about Saskatchewan fans and the Hardy Cup Playoff game on Saturday but I had all this Darfur and election stuff on my mind....Clearly my priorities are out of wack.

At the Debt Sentence Bake sale this morning I found out that Erin, advocacy director of the SU, is also a Huskies fan! They are everywhere! I see that we are going to have to be louder in cheering on our Bears to drown out the Huskies fans...I can't wait for the big game! Salmon was named CIS Offensive Player of the Week! Go Salmo!

Song Du Jour: Le Tigre ~ New Kicks

I've been listening to a lot of punk rock lately (thanks to The Dude) but this morning Hudema had this CD playing in his car and New Kicks is on it...love it!!

"A friend is one who knows all about you and likes you anyway" ~Christi Mary Warner

What a week. Bush got re-elected but I have nothing to say about that really. I certainly was not surprised. The Duke became a Father. The Pandas won both games on the weekend and the Bears Football team won too. The Smos on the other hand, lost. I took it badly and was a poor loser. I had made plans to go out after the game with some friends and one of them is an obnoxious Riders fan. I thought I just might have to punch him in the nose...

After a few beers I decided that The Roughriders fans have always been pretty decent about losing, so I better be a good sport about the whole thing.
After sitting with a riders fan with green and white paint all over his face I have to admit it was probably better that I went out, instead of going home to throw a pity party.

What is it about sports? How is it that I can take it so serious and yet fully understand that in the end it really means next to nothing in the grand scheme of things. The Fins lost, again. To Arizona! Jesus.

Seeing as I am filling the gap the NHL has made in my sports watching schedule I have a pretty tame week ahead. The Bears football team plays Saturday at 2 p.m. Golden bears, Go Golden Bears....

This might mean I actually take the time to get caught up in my school work...but not bloody likely. I have been invited to play "Punk Rock Bingo" on Tuesday night and there is birthday party on Wednesday night...I think instead of just giving us 2 days off this week, we should get the whole week off. At this rate I'll just have to pretend I have the whole week off...

"2005 is our chance to go down in history for what we did do, rather than what we didn't do. This campaign is critical...." ~ Bono

Millennium Development Goals. Ever heard of them?

United Nations Millennium Declaration - September 2000
1.) Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2.) Improve maternal health
3.) Achieve universal primary education
4.) Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
5.) Promote gender equality and empower women
6.) Ensure environmental sustainability
7.) Reduce child mortality
8.) Develop a global partnership for development


In 2005 the so called 'international community' can really make a change for the better and I am proud to say that my new job will allow me to make a difference here on campus. International Week will focus on Making Poverty History (that's the theme, which we adopted from the campaign) and we will focus on the issues of Debt, Aids, and Trade. If you know me, you know that those three subjects are very important to me.

As I was running across campus back and forth from SUB to HUB today I was thinking how lucky I am that I finally have a job that I really love. It is a first for me and I have to say what a wonderful feeling it is!
I feel empowered today...

One day you will look...back
And you'll see...where
You were held
By this love...while
You could stand there
You could move on this moment
Follow this feeling


Song Du Jour: Evening Falls ~ Enya (lyrics)

EDIT: If you read The Economist, and you should, there is an article about Jeffrey Sachs:
Jeffrey Sachs and saving the worldOct 28th 2004

"When you are asking for $75 billion a year, you need a good reason. Jeffrey Sachs has one. He thinks that if aid to poor countries were increased by this sum - ie, more than doubled — and kept at that level until 2015, extreme poverty could be halved.."

I tried to link to the online version, but you have to be a subscriber to read it.

"Defend The Turf...."

Looks like we'll be freezing our asses off next Sunday at Commonwealth thanks to the B.C. Lions. Woo HOO! What a great game and the 4th quarter was a thing of beauty (except that timekeeper needs to be kicked to the curb). B.C.'s third string quarterback, Spergon Wynn, just kept marching it down the field for the most amazing touchdown...Saskatchewan scored 22 points in about 2 minutes and I thought B.C. was done. But no! Take that, Nub Jones.

Football rocks.
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday...

The Duke, Scotty, Champ 

"I said maybe, You're gonna be the one who saves me..."

To The Duke and Hammers, thanks for your help in finding the elusive singer of the cover of "Wonderwall".

I never knew it was on The OC, but I kept hearing it, and loving it, and I should have known it would be Ryan Adams...At first I thought it might have been David Gray, but that was wishful thinking. Duke have you heard Rufus Wainwright cover "Hallelujah"? It is so good. (Thanks again to Hammers for that little gem) I am thinking about making a cd with sappy ballads on it, can ya tell? I am open for suggestions so Blogger readers...What's your favorite sappy ballad?

Additionaly, The Duke suggested in my comments that George Harrison had written the lyrics to "Wonderwall" but apparently Harrison was responsible for the composition and arrangement of the Indian instrumentals for the unreleased film Wonderwall (the resulting soundtrack, Wonderwall Music, provided *inspiration* for the British band Oasis' hit, "Wonderwall"). I never knew that...That's good trivia.

Oasis always reminds me of that night we poured out of The Black Dog and Scotty C stole some buskers guitar, put down his portable bar, and belted out what has to be the best rendition of "Don't Look Back in Anger" for us all. We sang along at the top of our lungs:

"Sooooo Sally caaaaan Waaaait, she knooooows its too laaaaaate as we're waaaaalking on by..."

That was a great night...that is until PJ lobbed that empty mickey of SoCo into the street...whoops. We were forced to flee back to The Moontower. But that night will be forever etched on my brain, which is saying something given the fact that it was, yet another, drunk night on Whyte. We all know how they all seem to just blend together. That same scene was revisited years later, on the evening (Okay well 2 a.m. the next day) of The Duke's reception, to the tune "Hit me Baby, One More Time".

Aw, Scotty C, he is one great, great (not to mention hysterically funny) man.... And clearly very good at getting buskers to relinquish their guitars too...you try it...

Song Du Jour:Don't Look Back in Anger ~ Oasis

Slip inside the eye of your mind
Don't you know you might find
A better place to play
You said that you'd never been
But all the things that you've seen
Will slowly fade away
So I start a revolution from my bed
Cos you said the brains I have went to my head
Step outside the summertime's in bloom
Stand up beside the fireplace
Take that look from off your face
You ain't ever gonna burn my heart out

So Sally can wait, she knows its too late as we're walking on by
Her soul slides away, but don't look back in anger I heard you say

Take me to the place where you go
Where nobody knows if it's night or day
Please don't put your life in the hands
Of a Rock n Roll band
Who'll throw it all away

Gonna Start the revolution from my bed
Cos you said the brains I have went to my head
Step outside cos summertime's in bloom
Stand up beside the fireplace
Take that look from off your face
You ain't ever gonna burn my heart out

So Sally can wait, she knows its too late as she's walking on by
my soul slides away, but don't look back in anger I heard you say

Don't look back in anger
Don't look back in anger
Don't look back in anger
I heard you say...

At least not today

"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on." ~Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

Did Hitler really only have one ball? I learned that today in my class....Apparently when the Russians found Hitler, or what remained of him, they claimed he only had one ball? I think "consider the source" might be the best plan on this tidbit of info.

My prof went on to sing some song about it.

Yeah Education.

This last week I went to:
~Home opener of the Edmonton Road Runners, squeaked out the win, and I can't say the goalie, Moss, is that hot, but hey, first game and all...
~The Strath for many, many beers (and some bar called the Thirsty Turtle, they should call it Sausage Party)
~The Bears Football game (we killed Regina 41-7 and one member of the team had the unfortunate name of Kuntz...you can imagine what became of that...I froze my ass off in the blowing snow...brrrrrr.)
~ The other Road Runners game, again we won...good game. (first game of my 10 game pack)

So as a sports fan I got my fill. In between all that I studied (barely)and procrastinated (lots) a paper, which was due today. I also am organizing events for our group Debtsentence, along with the SU. So that is taking up oodles of time. Debate in Quad tomorrow, visiting MLA offices on Friday. So much to do!
Started my new job today. I love it.

Next week midterms! Not to mention I work two pandas games (Friday is the home opener and the CIS championship banner will drop at 6:45 if any of you would like to come!), the final game of the season for the Bears (then play offs, woohoo)and then the Smos final of the season on Sunday...

I've clearly lost my mind....It's all good.


Song Du Jour: "Wonderwall" ~ I have no idea..

Somebody help me...who does that remake of Wonderwall? It's a ballad...they over play it on the radio...

"He wasn't a violent alchy, just a gentle soak..." ~ Professor Pooh

My professor digressed and told a story in class on Tuesday about the neighbourhood drunk from his childhood. The drunk was an optometrist and he had a glass eye. Being an optometrist with a taste for the sauce he bought, at cost, a series of eyes in varying shades of bloodshot that he would replace as the night faded into oblivion. If he had to go to the bathroom he would remove his eye and prop it up on 2 straws over his brew..."keeping an eye on his beer."

Apparently Professor pooh would steal said eyes and use them as marbles in the school yard and, pretending to wipe a nostalgic tear from his eye, he commented, "they were the best marbles he had...." I was falling out of my chair laughing at this unexpected anecdote but the rest of the class doesn't seem to grasp his witty British humour.

Today he was explaining, while trying to get the overhead projector to work, that he wasn't a technophone per say, just terribly inept. He worried aloud that if he did get it working the bulb would most likely burn out...
There was a comment from the class about Murphy's law...and he scoffed and asked if we'd heard of 'Coles law' and to the shaking heads he said, "mostly made of shredded cabbage if memory serves me correctly...

Ba-dum-ba! Ching!!
That class is always entertaining...

We are studying Treasure Island....sadly I rented the movie to save myself some time...But I do plan on going pirate this weekend, (that counts for something right?) and I think my self-professed piss-tank of a professor would highly approve.

I got a new job this week and although I am up to my ears in my projects I am having a great week so it is celebration time!

Song Du Jour: Fair ~ Remy Zero (I am so sad they are no longer a band...)

"You're so strong
And this life and work and choice took far too long
Where'd it go? Tonight the sun shall see its light..."

"Nihilists! F**k me. I mean, say what you like about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, at least it's an ethos." ~ Walter Sobchak

There are certain movies that just don't let you down, no matter how many times you have seen them. The Big Lebowski is that kind of movie. It just gets more and more funny each time I see it. This time we watched it because Sammers was in a bowling mood and she's the birthday lady, so we did whatever she fancied. Happy Birthday Sammers!!

To celebrate we started out at a sweet little restaurant called Culina's...Just off 99 Street and about 86 ave. Then we were late getting to the bowling lanes, sorry dudes, but we got in a few games before going home to watch a movie...and why not a brilliant movie about bowling....just to top it off! YAY! (Thanks to The Dude and 'La Maison Blanche Video Rentals' for the late night loan)

Yesterday I went to the Library to research my paper but more specifically I came to update my blog...(**grumble, stupid computer at home won't let me publish, grumble**) and they closed down at like 5:30. It really sucks. So today I have been here since 11 a.m. and got a fair bit accomplished. I have a Kiddy Lit 389 Paper due on Tuesday. The resource desk Dude rocks, he helped me find a bunch of articles and stuff. What would I do without these librarians? I have to compare two authors in my essay. I picked the rational moralist Dorothy Kilner and The evangelical 'Sunday School Moralist' Favell Lee Mortimer. Mortimer was the first to use flash cards. And Kilner was the first to use animals in stories but give them human attributes...mmmmm...animism. I shall finish writing it tomorrow. Boooooring. Is it bad that it is Saturday and I just got my research done?

I like being on campus on Saturday. Walking here was very peaceful, the wind might be crisp and chilly and the leaves were whipping in my face, but I enjoyed the walk because the hectic pace of the week seems gone from campus. In its place is a kind of tranquil, calm in the air. Plus when you go to the info booth in SUB there is no lineup! YAY! Got my ticket for the 'Smos game on Monday!

Now if I can just get that paper done before then! Perhaps a better quote for this post would have been from Bernard Meltzer: "Hard work is often the easy work you did not do at the proper time."
Bah! 'Proper time'? That is not in my vocabulary....'beer time' I understand and it sounds to me like proper time might conflict so to be safe I'll just have to drop that whole idea....Sorry Mr. Meltzer.

Salacious B. Crumb
 

"When nine hundred years old *you* reach, look as good *you* will not, hmm?" ~Yoda

I love Yoda, yes Captain Grammar himself...he rocks!

Ahhhh...good ole Return of The Jedi....I think my favorite character is the little muppet, from Jabba the Hutt's lair of reprobates, who laughs hysterically at the misfortune of pretty much everybody. The little jackass kills me every time. He was clearly reincarnated as Nelson on the Simpsons...ha ha!

So, I go to the website to look up a link, so all my fine readers could see who the hell I am talking about, and I find, to my delight, his name is Salacious B. Crumb.
Wonder what that B stands for? And doesn't salacious imply that he is "titillating or arousing people sexually"? Hrmmm...Is that what he was doing to C-3PO's eye? Kinky.

Crumb, apparently, is a Criminal Kowakian monkey-lizard. Cram that into your frontal lobe..there might be a test...or that could be the answer you need to win millions on Jeopardy. Is it any wonder I can't remember new things? Clearly, my brain is crammed to capacity with useless trivia like this. Good times.

I'd forgotten how hilarious Han Solo is:

C-3PO: His high exaltedness, the Great Jabba the Hutt, has decreed that you are to be terminated immediately.

Han Solo: Good, I hate long waits.

And when he tells Chewie to "Fly casual"...Classic!

I find I am always in awe of the imagination behind these movies. Can't wait for Episode III. When does it come out? And who is going with me to see it at 2 a.m. that day?
As an aside, I am just wondering how it is that a Senator (Palpatine) acquires the ability to use deadly force lightning? You can't teach that.

Song Du Jour: Close To Me ~ The Cure

"This is a call to join in...leading the tough-minded reinvestment of Alberta's universities." ~University of Alberta president Dr. Rod Fraser

There is a good article (click on the title for link) up on ExpressNews today about the Fest for Knowledge.
If any Albertan taxpayers are reading this (besides the usual cast of characters who read my blog)I hope to compel you to demand that the Province reinvest.

If you haven't already done so fill out the It's Your Future Survey. The government wants to know:
"What more needs to be done to make sure Alberta has an outstanding, leading edge education system?"

"I can't imagine the design guys and U2 thinking that an image of the four of them sitting on their arses is a good idea. In other words ... I'm suspicious." ~M2 from @U2.com, wonders if this is the *real* album cover or not.... 

"I heard the word party - obviously got the wrong idea." ~Bono, Labour Party conference speech

New U2 single is out!! I just heard it...but I haven't heard it on the radio yet. I don't really listen to the radio these days...too preoccupied with my Garden State Soundtrack. And my 80's mix.

U2 has apparently decided to call their new album (Set for release on November 22nd) "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb". With songs like "Love and Peace or Else" this one sounds fierce. Some U2 fans think the new song sounds a little like The Hives. I can't wait to hear the rest of the new album. The song 'Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own' Bono sang at his Father's funeral. I have wanted to hear it for over 2 years.

Today Bono was also addressing the UK Labour Party:

"he described Tony Blair and Gordon Brown as the John Lennon and Paul McCartney of the global development stage.

'I'm fond of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. They are kind of the John and Paul of the global development stage, in my opinion. But the point is, Lennon and McCartney changed my interior world, Blair and Brown can change the real world.'"

He went on to say "This is not about charity, this is about justice."

You can read the rest of that speech at U2.com if you like, I think it is brilliant (Bien Sûr). He talks about some of the hard truths behind the crisis in Africa...

"justice is a tougher standard. Africa makes a fool of our idea of justice; it makes a farce of our idea of equality. It mocks our pieties, it doubts our concern, it questions our commitment.

Because there's no way we can look at Africa- a continent bursting into flames -and if we're honest conclude that it would ever be allowed to happen anywhere else.
Anywhere else.
Certainly not here.
In Europe.
Or America.
Or Australia, or Canada.

There's just no chance.

You see, deep down, if we really accepted that Africans were equal to us, we would all do more to put the fire out. We've got watering cans; when what we really need are the fire brigades."

Sometimes I feel like nothing will ever be done about Africa because we are living in a world that is made up of too many self-interested parties. Is it naive to think that one day the West won't be so focused on power politics? Sometimes I berate myself for being too idealistic, but I also have learned that without dreaming big you stand still. The pendulum is swinging, I see it, the debt is dropping, the aid is coming, but man is it slow! And what about the people who are losing hope? What of them?

The other day, sort of off the cuff, I spoke of Missile Defence (space-based weapons technology) with a gentleman, who shall remain nameless, and I said, "think of what could be done if all that money was spent in Africa, helping the poorest of the poor, and not on putting weapons in space."

He replied, "too unrealistic. There are too many of them to help."
I laughed incredulously. Apparently saving Africans is unrealistic but putting weapons in space somehow makes sense. What scares me the most is that powerful people might actually believe that.
All I can do is believe that one day that won't be the case and I hope I can have a hand in changing things. I don't really know how, but I know I can do my best.

Song Du Jour: Vertigo ~ U2

"...your eyes are widened though your soul, it can't be bought, your mind can wander...you give me something I can feel..."

(Edit: For Heather I have to mention that McCartney=myocardium)

"Democracy: The substitution of election by the incompetent many for appointment by the corrupt few." ~George Bernard Shaw

In Poli Sci 324 we were defining Democracy today. You'd think this would be simple, but it isn't. I love this class...it asks the tough questions and demands you think about the things you take for granted. The more I learn in school the more complicated words like democracy and freedom become. I think we live in *more* of a democracy today than we did 50 years ago...but I still argue that a capitalist democracy isn't really a democracy at all...it is a plutocracy. Discuss.

Yesterday I heard this loud hissing noise outside my apartment window...I stepped over to see what was making the noise and it was a Medigas truck filling up what looked to be like a large portable oxygen tank. This is nothing new at the Commune, but what scared the beejeesus out of me was when I noticed that the fucking idiot filling the tank thought it would be best to kill time by taking his smoke break. At one point he actually leaned on the truck right next to the bright yellow explosion warning sign and took a nice, long drag. He was never more than 8-10 feet away from the tank...by the time I got my camera he'd finished his smoke.

Maybe one day he will win a Darwin Award. (The Darwin Awards honor those who improve our gene pool... by removing themselves from it. Of necessity, this honor is bestowed posthumously.)

Song Du Jour: Sleeping In ~ Postal Service

"Ottawa has cancelled $9 million of debt owed by three African countries."

Paul Martin addressed the UN last week...this cancellation was announced the same day and I found myself clapping and cheering at the TV. Yes, I am a nerd....But I am also writing a letter, filled with accolades, to both the Finance Minister and the Prime Minister. That's a first for me, so I felt inclined to also add on a request for more money to combat the AIDS pandemic in Africa. They must love me over there...my letters are always saying, "good job Dudes, now if you can you just put more money over here and there....pretty please?"

Here is more on the debt cancellation:

The following is a news item posted on CBC NEWS ONLINE
at http://www.cbc.ca/news
____________________________________________________
OTTAWA FORGIVES DEBT OF 3 AFRICAN COUNTRIES
WebPosted Wed Sep 22 11:47:49 2004

Ottawa---Ottawa has cancelled $9 million of debt owed by three African countries.

Finance Minister Ralph Goodale announced on Wednesday that the government will forgive the debt owed by Senegal, Ghana and Ethiopia.

"Excessive debt is one of the heaviest burdens to economic growth for
African nations," Goodale said in a news release. "The relief provided today will enable these countries to spend more on priorities such as health and education, rather than debt payments."

Canada has previously forgiven the debts of Benin, Guyana and Bolivia.

In 2000, then-finance minister Paul Martin announced Canada would stop collecting debt payments from heavily indebted poor countries if they committed to reducing poverty, spending on social priorities such as health care and education, and protecting human rights.

Canada plans to forgive more than $1.1 billion in debts.

Copyright (C) 2004 CBC. All rights reserved.

"A schlimazel's toast always falls butter-side down. A schlemiel always butters his toast on both sides."

Every day I get an email from wsmith@wordsmith.org...no relation to the infamous 'Stalbert Smiths' we all know and love. Today's 'WAD' I must share...
The word of the day is actually 2 words...try to use them in a sentence...it will make for more interesting blogging. Yay Yiddish!

"schlimazel or shlimazel (SHLI-mah-zuhl) noun

Someone prone to having extremely bad luck.

[From Yiddish, from shlim (bad, wrong) + mazl (luck). A related
term is Hebrew mazel tov (congratulations or best wishes).]

A schlimazel can be concisely described as a born loser. No discussion of schlimazel could be complete without mentioning his counterpart: schlemiel, a habitual bungler. They go together:

A schlemiel is one who always spills his soup, schlimazel is the one on whom it always lands.

A schlimazel's toast always falls butter-side down. A schlemiel always butters his toast on both sides.

"No one would deny (Virginia Governor Mark) Warner took office under lousy conditions -facing an opposition-party legislature during a recession -which qualifies him as a schlimazel."
A. Barton Hinkle; So, is the Governor a Schlemiel or a Schlimazel?; Richmond Times-Dispatch (Virginia); Jan 28, 2003.

"He (Uncle Danny) ticked off the names on the Pirates' roster. 'Abrams,Gordon, Kravitz, Levy - what are we running, a shlimazel farm?'"
Clarke Blaise; Sitting Shivah With Cousin Benny; Salmagundi (Saratoga Springs, New York); Fall 1999.
This week's theme: words borrowed from other languages."

Song Du Jour: "Making our Dreams Come True" ~Theme song from Laverne and Shirley

"After fifteen minutes I wanted to marry her, and after half an hour I completely gave up the idea of stealing her purse." ~ Virgil Starkwell

Woody Allen is just plain silly. Roman and I watched the mockumentary "Take the Money and Run" and I laughed and laughed. But if you don't like silly movies then this isn't for you. Woody Allen plays a sad and pathetic criminal...My favorite part was when he was in a marching band in his youth...playing a cello...yup...a cello in marching band...top notch hilarity.

I spent the weekend studying, making 80's CD's and going to varsity games. The Bears football team had a slow start but pulled out a pretty decent game, and a 3 point victory over UBC. My Cousin Danielle and her Pandas had a series of exhibition games this weekend. Friday they tied 1-1, Saturday they bitch-slapped GMCC 14-1, and Sunday they lost 1-0. Yup..a loss. Brutal.
So this, my 88th post, is dedicated to Danny and her final year as a Panda!

Go Pandas!

I also got a job working for the Pandas WOO HOO! I start Friday, which happens to be another exhibition game against The Calgary X-Treme from the NWHL. If you come to only one Panda game this year it better be the one on Friday...you can see Hayley Wickenheiser, Cassie Campbell and of course my cousin Danielle, Delaney and The Pandas take it to them.


Song Du Jour: Tainted Love ~ The Clash

a lady...far too happy about that tree in a pool!  

A boat on a fence... 

so much damage...a car in a pool! 

The sea it swells like a sore head, and the night, it is aching ~ 'Electric Coaster' by U2

The ladies are finally having success getting off the island!!(click on the title to see more pictures of the damage) Leighanne gets home today and Stina is set to get a plane today to Miami. She waited all day yesterday, outside the airport, tickets in hand under the scorching sun, just to find out that she couldn't get a plane out. What a nightmare. It is huge relief to know that they are making their way home.

The Canadian and British Governments stepped up and in a pretty amazing way...I am rather impressed. Yay The State!

In other amazing news...*I* fixed my computer! For those of who know me..that is a bloody miracle! I can finally publish from my home computer!

7 more days until the new U2 single is out!!

Song Du Jour: Electrical Storm ~ U2
"Well if the sky can crack
There must be some way back
To love and only love"

I'm not afraid of storms, for I'm learning to sail my ship ~Louisa May Alcott

Well here it is my last day at my jobity-job. The ladies are a buzzing and they seem to be very sad that I am leaving. I am not sad so I feel kind of weird around them and I have these weird butterflies in my tummy. I can't help but wonder if giving up this job is the right thing to do, as I will miss the paycheque...that is for sure. I *might* be making a huge mistake, but I have to take that chance. A chance for something better, a chance for happiness and a challenge. I've weathered bigger storms than this...and in some ways I feel like that legless dude, Lt. Dan, from The Movie Forrest Gump who climbs up to the top of the ship's mast and shouts like a madman into the storm...This could be an interesting ride and oddly enough I am really looking forward to it to see what lies ahead...

Turning from metaphors to actual storms...News from The Caymans is not pretty. The ladies came through the storm, although news is that Stina is lucky to be alive because she did not go to a shelter, but the island took a beating. They are unsure of how long clean up might take, jobs are on the line...the hurricane changed everything. They are frightened and just want to come home. Water and food shortages are a problem but they are coping and we are waiting to hear word of what their next steps will be. The coverage on the news has been brutal and that has been frustrating.

"Armageddon" has come to Japan according to Colt. "Within 2 weeks, Japan had about 6 earthquakes (which caused tidal waves), 2 typhoons, lots of flooding (due to heavy rainfall during the typhoons), and a volcano eruption."
Frick...and we bitch about snow in September...

I have been "under the weather" (oh how clever...yet another reference to weather) having contracted a blasted cold...I blame the beers and the debauchery...it was bound to happen. I couldn't sleep and found myself watching late night TV. The only interesting thing I learned was that if you are in the Scrabble world championships on ESPN you can't use all the words in the scrabble dictionary...
You can't use 'Lez' for example...or the word "Redskins"....I laughed at that...you can't spell the word Redskins on ESPN...I wonder if Nick 'Scrabble Man' Tam has heard about that? Of course he has...
And Tears For Fears was on Jay Leno last night...Tears for Fears! (everybody air keyboard!)

I also have to comment that Martha Stewart has decided to suck it up and go to jail. This move actually made me respect her again...(except for the bit about how she will miss her dogs...*rolls eyes*) She is taking responsibility for her actions and I respect that. See ya in March, Lady...

Song Du Jour: Shout~ Tears for Fears

"You do it to yourself, you do..and that's what really hurts" ~Just

It was 2 a.m. and there were 6 pitchers of piss...errr I mean Strath Beer on the table and I started to go pirate. The Dude looks over and says...why do we have 4 new pitchers? I look at the table and even with one eye closed I count 6.
"It's six Dude..."
The Dude, "holy fuck..."

Yes, holy fuck indeed. The Bouncer asked us to "move to the front" so we all grabbed a pitcher and our wee glasses and headed to the south end of the Strath.
Sammers, or as the boys renamed her "Hammers" did her part and chugged straight from the pitcher. This is the bit where "I'm not drinking" turned to "she gess vey, vey drunk azza bar." She lived up to that new moniker too...I love you Hammers. D'Ondion bought off sales and there was a rumour we were going to Lancaster's for yet more beer but, somewhere between The Strath and 99 street we lost our way. Marcel promised he knew the way, he ran ahead to check, but we just wandered about for an hour or so...

At some point the fact that I had to work at 9 a.m. should have slowed me down, but no. It isn't often I get to hang out with such a motley crew...The old friends meeting the new...in a word, last night was sawesome. Thanks to all those who showed up, even for a bit...Allie, Genevers, The Rev and Dezbion, Boggy, Rotten Ronnie...who is probably hurting just like me this morning...
Seriously...what is in that "beer" at the Strath?

Now I just need to figure out a way to do my job without moving.
Stupid brown bottle flu....Is it true that Extra Strength Midol cures hangovers?

Song Du Jour: Just ~ Radiohead

"All right, brain, I don't like you and you don't like me - so let's just do this and I'll get back to killing you with beer" ~ Homer Simpson

This week has been stressful. I have been avoiding talking about it here on my blog but to sum up for when I am 80 years old and reading back over this:

3 more shifts and I am no longer "The Bus Lady"...yup that is right...time to focus on my studies and give up this "slave to the wage" city job. Don't get me wrong, this job helped me pursue my higher education but the fact that it is slowly killing me can't be ignored any longer. So I saved and saved this summer, and with the help of student loans I can focus on my studies this semester. It's is a luxury this *just* being a student. I have never been just a student before.

My classes rock, and I am glad to be back on campus, seeing friends back from summer adventures, but it is a totally different year than last year. Totally different. No more SU for this girl because I feel I am unwelcome there. I've never encountered anything like it before. The SU was such a big, nay HUGE, part of my day to day activity last year so it is a bit of an adjustment. But hell, that is life and fuck it, I can volunteer my time where I am wanted and needed. Altruism has its place but clearly that is not at the SU this year. It makes me sad. I am not angry, nor do I wonder why...I know why...it just makes me sad that this is what it has come to. Bah, I say...bah! There are plenty of other ways for me to serve students...
I'm excited for the other opportunities already popping up!

There is a hurricane bearing down on my friends who live in the Cayman Islands. It has me worried...I don't know what is worse...them being there or me being here unable to know what is happening to them. 20 hours and the eye should make land fall...this could be the longest 48 hours, filled with worry.

So I find I am drowning my sorrows and worries with libations this week. Last night I actually had to take a day off because I am "saving myself" for tonight's stomp down Whyte. I can't drink as much as I used to. Moreover, my hangovers have become unreasonable. So last night at the Football game, sans beers, I had a great time whilst we walloped Calgary 44-12. We were sitting near some fans from Calgary, but it actually didn't end in bloodshed, yet we managed to antagonize them just enough to keep them quiet. I had a great time. I hope Sylvain had a great Birthday.

Another plus this week, beside seeing Sarah M, was to be a part of the first class of what will eventually be Political Science 399 (it is now Pol s 324). This is a class that I actually had a hand in creating. Instead of having classes that tell us how the systems of our governance work (most Poli sci classes) this class focuses on how to engage that system as a citizen in a democracy. How to get involved, and how to make change. It felt amazing to sit there in that class and realize that it actually came to fruition...I felt very proud.

So there you have it a paradoxical week...a roller coaster of emotions. How is it possible to feel two completely opposite ways at exactly the same time?? My brain hurts.

Mmmmm...beeeeers....(tee hee)

Song Du Jour: Mysterious Ways (Solar Plexus Magic Hour Remix)~U2

"Welcome to Kiddy Litter 389" ~ Prof. Sanders

I am taking Children's Literature 389 with a professor who oddly resembles Winnie The Pooh. I kid you not. He uses words like "jolly good" and "Cheerio" and "Oh Bother". His physical attributes also resemble Pooh, the cheeks, the pot belly....But who better to take "Kiddy Litter" from than Pooh incarnate?

He has also kindly explained to me that deferrals on exams are out of the question. Seeing as I have two exams on December 18th as well as the wedding (in Calgary) of one of my best friends this was not good news. It is a strange coincidence and I wonder why the hell life has to hand me these ridiculous problems. I never, not in a million years, would have expected to be writing exams on a Saturday. The exam is at 9 a.m. so now all I need to find is someone else going to Calgary after 11 a.m.

Oh...and also defer the 1 p.m. exam I have that same afternoon, let's hope Dr. Patten is a little more receptive that Professor Pooh.

"Spend all your time waiting for that second chance for a break that would make it okay there's always one reason to feel not good enough..." ~Sarah

Aren't concerts great? I just saw one of my favorite singers and she was amazing. With each song she took me back to moments in my life that I had set aside or forgotten. "Angel" hits home everytime and takes me back to the death of my ex-boyfriend's Mother...The way I felt that day...the emotions...

It is hard to explain, perhaps because all those emotions are summed up in the lyrics. That song always reminds me of her struggle with drugs and addiction and how she just needed to escape just one more time...just to find some release from her tumultuous life.
That is why I love the emotional roller coaster of concerts. When I see U2 in concert I feel that way too.

There is nothing like it.
Also I got to hang out with Paul Welke...and what could beat that?

Each day it seems like a new song marks that particular moment in my life...I think the soundtrack of my life would be pretty wicked.

At one point in the concert Sarah stopped and said that "Angel" and "Answer" were the type of songs that a songwriter loves, they just came to her, she said that she wondered sometimes where they came from and that perhaps it was more than just her at work in those lyrics. She likes the songs that "come fast"...The way she put it was rather funny and the audience caught the double entedre and we had a good laugh. When she started to sing, my laughter turned to tears...what an amazing power.

Answer
I will be the answer at the end of the line
I will be there for you while you take the time
In the burning of uncertainty I will be your solid ground
I will hold the balance if you cant look down

If it takes my whole life I wont break I wont bend
Itll all be worth it worth it in the end
Cause I can only tell you what I know
that I need you in my life
When the stars have all gone out
you'll still be burning so bright

Cast me gently into morning
For the night has been unkind
Take me to a place so holy
That I can wash this from my mind
The memory of choosing not to fight

If it takes a whole life I wont break I wont bend
It'll all be worth it worth it in the end
Cause I can only tell you what I know
That I need you in my life
And when the stars have all burned out
you'll still be burning so bright
Cast me gently into morning for the night has been unkind

Thanks Sarah for letting me release all the tension of a bad day...School starts tomorrow and I am so super excited I can't sleep.
All of a sudden the name of my blog takes on a literal meaning....

"Laughter is the closest distance between two people" ~Victor Borge

Last night International House Alberta opened and I volunteered to work the reception at the Timms Centre, the toilet bowl lookalike. I met students from around the world and was kind of caught up in the auspicious moment. Nancy gave a brilliant speech filled with touching anecdotes about the experiences from other International Houses around the globe. It made me think about all the people who have come into my life and those who have faded from it. I am pretty lucky to have such a wide range of friends and loved ones.

I spent my whole weekend hanging out with friends, old and new, and I realize now that I have surrounded myself with some pretty amazing individuals.

Sammers and I went to see Garden State on Friday night and I thought it was a very intelligent movie. It is about a young man who is numb and going through life without feeling a thing. Zach Braff (that dude from Scrubs) is a very talented young man, he wrote and directed the movie. I'm going to go and check out the soundtrack as well, it sounds like it would kick ass.

Saturday I went out for dinner with my ladies, Leighanne and Carol. We had some great conversation which was frank, as always, and perhaps not appropriate and we got a few weird glances from the table next to us. C'mon, what is wrong with talking, in depth, about sex in a 'classy' restaurant? I love my ladies and the relationships we have built, so honest and open. After dinner Carol went home and Leighanne and I embarked on an adventure. We hooked up with The Frenchies and went for beers at O'Byrneys. That was fun. Leighanne had never really met the Frenchies before and they made sure to speak English to her so she wasn't feeling left out. Jimmy et Christian are so very kind, what amazing guys. Then we were off to the Westend to check out a new bar called "Escape"....and that is exactly what I wanted to do from the moment we got in...escape. Very aptly named indeed. We should have know when Todd had to "assume the position" to be frisked and was patted down. It was kinda scary. We had to show our I.D. four separate times...*just* to get in the doors to the coat check. The bar is very "L.A.esque". Not that I have ever been to a bar in L.A. but I imagine this is what one might look like. We walked amongst the gang members towards the bar to get a drink. For old times sake Leighanne got a Fuzzy Navel and I got a monkeys Lunch...which the bartender made with Amaretto..ugh.

There was a huge dance floor and I dragged Leighanne out there and we danced with the 15 year old sluts and wondered how they made it past the four ID check points.
It had a very 'chachi' type atmosphere and after being leered at we decided to head down to The Roost where we could dance to better music and hook up with Mel and Cory.

The Roost was good times. Lots of dancing, lots of good friends, and only one big blowout on the dance floor when one girl was hitting on another girls' girlfriend. Yikes, I thought we'd have a bigass fight on our hands, but it was all good. I met a really cool dude who is taking Engineering Physics at the U of A. We danced the night away....and left *early" at 2:30. What a great night!

I am lucky to have such a diverse group of friends. Friends from high school, friends from French Camp, friends from the SU, friends old and new.

Last night after the I-House reception I hung out with The Dude, Allie and Bog and whilst sitting there many familiar faces from classes and council came over to say hi. Everybody is back, fresh from summer holidays and getting ready to party it up this week. Is there anything better than WOW week? I saw Duncan Taylor and he is so excited for this week, his enthusiasm is contagious!! This week should be a blur...lots of fun, little sleep, and drunken debauchery with the best friends I could ask for.

The best part is that Gt is coming up from Cowtown next weekend so we'll be rockin it old school. Woohoo!

Song Du Jour: New Slang ~ The Shins
Blog Du Jour: Zach Braff

"So you mean, in countries like Argentina, or…Rand McNally, the toilets flush backwards?" ~Bart Simpson

These pictures below are of a public bathroom in Sweden.
Made with one-way glass....Would you use it?

From outside 

From inside 

"Is it getting better..." ~ 'One' lyrics by U2

Raise your hand if you love The Economist. I'm thinking about asking Santa for a one year subscription.
The other day Mustafa posted a link to a report by the CBC about peace spreading around the world. It keeps coming up in my mind over and over. Perhaps it was just bad timing but, over the last week it seems whenever I read about *another* account of terrorism, (from last week's coordinated airplane bombings, this week's subway bombings and the current hostage crisis in a Russian school in North Ossetia) I keep thinking back to that article.

Is it getting better? Is peace really spreading? Sure doesn't seem like it and this week it seems like all the forces in the world are trying to prove those think-tanks wrong.
(Incidentally the Russians have just called upon the security council to legitimate their response to these attacks, they are going so far as to compare it to Sept. 11th and the Afghan invasion)

Back on the soapbox about The Sudan, Jesse Jackson has weighed in.
He's got harsh words for Bush:

"Bush seems simply oblivious to all this. We're killing terrorists in Iraq, he claims, never acknowledging that we are creating many more fanatical enemies than we are slaying. And the victims aren't simply the U.S. soldiers and Iraqi civilians. The victims include the beleaguered children of Darfur whose lives might be saved were the United States free to do good and not shackled to the self-destructive debacle in Iraq."

The whole idea that Bush is not a "do-gooder" should not be lost on this man. I wonder why we continue to be surprised by the fact that the US foreign policy is not more altruistic. They have proven their preference for working unilaterally so why are we so surprised?
I am just tired of that ridiculous argument...
Bah!

In other news it only took me a total of 18 minutes to get my student loan signed today!!! Usually this is a long, drawn out process involving 2-3 hours of standing and waiting in the Butterdome. Kudos to those fine individuals at Administration and SFAIC for your hard work, you guys made my day.

Song Du Jour: Amsterdam ~Guster

"...some of that is our fault...We bribed killers so they wouldn't become commies." ~Bill O'Reilly

Ooooohhh...funtimes Bono and O'Reilly at it again!!! Wish I had Fox, just to see this. Did anybody catch it?

U2 lead singer and DATA co-founder Bono will be appearing on The O’Reilly Factor at the Republican National Convention on FOX News Channel tonight at 8pm! This will be Bono’s follow-up interview after appearing on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 show a month ago at the Democratic National Convention in Boston.

Bono and Bill O’Reilly will engage in a spirited discussion on the issues of global AIDS and poverty and how Americans are making a difference through the ONE campaign.

"If the UN has any shred of credibility left, it must act immediately, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 1556" ~ Dr. W. Andy Knight

In today's paper there is an opinion piece by one of my Prof's and it highlights the need for urgency from the member states of the UN to stop the genocide in Sudan. It is a very good article and if you can't access it through that link above, please just send me an email and I will forward it on to you.

They said "never again" and they are failing to live up to that promise. From the article:

"The Council set a firm deadline of August 30, 2004, for the government to comply, making it absolutely clear that by that date the government must fulfill commitments made to the UN with respect to disarming the Janjaweed militia and apprehending those within the various militias who carried out human rights abuses and violated international humanitarian law.

....The international community has a responsibility to protect innocent people in countries where the government has failed to protect their own population. Therefore, the UN could assembly a peace enforcement force to enter Sudan and restore order. However, since the UN doesn't have a military contingent of its own, it has to rely on its member states to contribute personnel and equipment to such a force. Countries in the African Union should be the first to supply contingents for such a force. But countries like Canada should also be on standby to help."

We need political will to enforce Chapter VII and that means we need to pressure our governments to act. Not an easy task but if you are so inclined (and I beg you) please write a letter to your political leaders. Perhaps we can get some response from the so-called 'international community' by applying a little pressure from below.

I have sent a letter today asking Paul Martin to support this resolution, and then I laughed because I know our military is in such a state that I doubt we would be able to offer any assistance anyway. Cripes!

Can the UN survive through another genocide without crumbling? What is the alternative?
Does anybody give a rat's ass?

Song Du Jour: Sunday Bloody Sunday~ U2

"How long must we sing this song?
How long? How long...

...And it's true we are immune
When fact is fiction and TV reality
And today the millions cry
We eat and drink while tomorrow they die"

"Fulfilling America's Promise: Building a Safer World and a More Hopeful America" ~ 2004 Republican National Convention slogan

The Republican convention started today down in New York. I've never watched one before. I was excited and was looking forward to great coverage from CPAC, as they were pretty good during the Democratic national convention. However, I watched on CPAC and laughed and laughed. CPAC seems to think that having a camera person wander around the floor is good coverage. So it's like you are there, wandering aimlessly with the camera man trying to get closer to the *action*. (and I can say with some confidence that there really was no action at all) The security guard comes over and tells 'us'...no, can't go there, go here. The guard even moves a person out of the way for 'us'. Knocking into people we weave our way through republicans talking about the weather, Republicans talking about the Olympics and one guy who sadly spilled his coffee (perhaps vodka) on his tie and is having some manual dexterity problems trying to balance all his crap whilst trying to clean up the spill without spilling more. (honestly these were the things the camera man passed by, no commentary, nothing...except the band playing "Soul Man" off in the distance)

Next, we walk past a group of young men in suits who are staring at seniors dressed like patriotic Uncle Sam (you know, with the garish, big top-hat with the stars and stripes). The seniors are mostly dressed in red, white and blue, except that the suits they wear are bright-ass yellow. This seems inappropriate to "The younger suits" who look on disapprovingly, whispering..."Oh that yellow is all wrong..." "I wouldn't wear that...well not *that* suit..."

The Camera ('us') pans to the left...weaving us through the sparse crowd. People gathered from Colorado...Conneticut...California. We pan across rows and rows of empty seats.

Then we come up to another group of people. A mix of women and men, in their 40's or so, talking about swing states and the protests from the day before. The woman, in a lovely suit, says something derogatory without realizing 'we' are listening, her friend gives a good effort to get her to shut up, but to no avail. She blathers on for a few moments about the protests and then finally gets the hint and turns around. She turned about 3 shades of red...

We turn our back and walk away...(okay well not really, the cameraman just keeps going... but I would have turned my back and walked away..tee hee)

This wandering about, living vicariously through the cameraman, continues for a while until they *finally* get back to the task of roll call and nomination votes and our attention is drawn back to the stage. Nomminations, eh? Now to me this seems redundant. Is there really someone out there wondering who will get nominated? "Who, who could it be? Oh, the excitement, the thrill of the unknown!!!"
I don't bloody think so...

The Chair "hearing no other nominations" moves us quickly on to roll call.

So Sara Gear Boyd, Secretary of the Convention, reads out the name of the state and the votes it contributes. It goes a little like this:

Ms. Boyd says, "Guam, nine." Then their representative gets up and says lovely things about their own state and remark about *any* republican within the borders of said state and how many of their votes (ummm...usually all of them) go to George W. Bush.

Then The Honorable Jane Norton, Assistant Secretary of the Convention, repeats this information back to the secretary (who is about 3 feet from her) for confirmation. They do this for every state....over and over.

These secretaries must be from the Department of Redundancy Department.
And apparently it will *only* take 2 days to complete this roll call. They've broken it down into three sections. Sheesh...I hope you don't miss all the *action*

Sadly I had to leave before Rudy Giuliani took the stage. I hope to catch more of the convention, but sweet Jesus, I hope the coverage is better.

Funnily enough, each day they have a different theme:

Today's theme: "A Nation of Courage"
Tomorrows' theme:
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
"People of Compassion"
I, for one, can hardly wait to see these compassionate Conservatives.

"...I really want to be like those inspiring Points-o’-Infos writers! They’re so dreamy!” ~Secretary of Snark

POI makes me giggle. Dreamy, indeed.

Also of note, Mustafa writes:

"Being the conscientious Albertans that most of us are, and knowing that several other such Albertans read this blog, I thought I would direct you all to the Province's "It's Your Future" Survey which the government will supposedly use to help determine what future surpluses will be used for.

You can fill out the survey here.

I figured just in case some of you don't read POI (*shock*,*gasp*,*sputter*) you should know about that wee survey. (also I can't seem to figure out that trackback dealy....or I would use that too...cripes! I'm useless.)

On the cell phone front, and as a wee update from my last post, I am told that I would need to wait until May 2005 to get a *free* upgrade.
"Bee-do"
I think I may follow Alex Abboud's lead on this one and just wait it out and save myself the $75 bucks. Although Kyle, Mr. Helpful, at Radio Shack seems to think that Rogers will give me a rebate of $50 bucks if I upgrade this week. He's getting back to me later in the week on that. I love you Kyle, I don't know you, but I love you and your kind customer service skills.
"Bee-do," says my phone, clearly in agreement.

I inadvertently copied my work schedule down wrong and I missed a shift. I am blaming this on the fact that I am "in between" daytimers. I am waiting to pick one up from the U of A, so in the meantime I am using bits of paper to keep myself organized. This method works rather poorly...Obviously...I would not recommend it. I wonder if the new daytimers are in yet? Perhaps I need to talk to someone at the ASA office and see if I can get one this week. First, I would actually have to find out if we still have an ASA though.
Anyhoo.....
So I waltz, blissfully ignorant, into work today not realizing I've pulled a no-show. My boss loves me. I thought it was fall-down funny...I'm in the minority there.

But I didn't come here to talk about any of this, I came to talk about the RNC.
I'll be back lata!

Song Du Jour: Into Temptation ~ Crowded House

"Low Battery" ~ My peice of shit cell phone

My phone makes this wee noise when it has a low battery. "Bee-do"
"Bee-do"
"Bee-do"

Every 10 minutes or so.
I have a friend who had this phone and she had to trade it in and warned me it was only a matter of time before mine did the same thing. If Jt is reading this, he's laughing at me and shouting "ha ha I told you so" at his monitor.

Alex Abboud has the same phone I do, I wonder if his went tits-up yet?

It won't charge and the charger is now not working (because of a knot in the cord and what I can only assume are broken connections on the wiring) so the phone is "bee-doing" all the time. I have to buy a new charger...$30.

I shall be going in to upgrade to a C370 on Saturday. To the tune of $75 bucks.
Is it fair that I have to pay for a phone that *most* people have had to return? Word to the wise: don't buy a Motorolla C333 (even if it comes with a *free* backpack). You'd think that they would allow you to upgrade for free given that most phones are returned because the battery is built right in. But no.
No...

"Bee-do"
"Bee-do"

"To be a book-collector is to combine the worst characteristics of a dope fiend with those of a miser" ~ Robertson Davies

Those over at Thinklings bring us this list which I find very interesting (given my book obsession) so I couldn't resist picking my peculiar preferences. I'll just highlight mine and I'd love to hear yours.


EITHER/OR

Hardback or Paperback
Highlight or Underline
Lewis or Tolkien
E.B. White or A.A. Milne
T.S. Eliot or e.e. cummings
Stephen King or Dean Koontz
Barnes & Noble or Borders (...damned American lists...Chapters)
Waldenbooks or B. Dalton (Wha??)
Fantasy or Science Fiction
Horror or Suspense
Bookmark or Dogear
Large Print or Fine Print
Hemingway or Faulkner
Fitzgerald or Steinbeck
Homer or Plato
Geoffrey Chaucer or Edmund Spenser
Pen or Pencil
Looseleaf or Notepad
Alphabetize: By Author or By Title
Shelve: By Genre/Subject or All Books Together
Dustjacket: Leave it On or Take it Off
Novella or Epic
John Grisham or Scott Turrow (although reading about Lawyers is not my *thing*)
J.K. Rowling or Lemony Snicket
John Irving or John Updike
Salman Rushdie or Don Delillo
Fiction or Non-fiction
Historical Biography or Historical Romance
Reading Pace: A Few Pages per Sitting or Finish at Least a Chapter
Short Story or Creative Non-fiction Essay
Blah Blah Blah or Yada Yada Yada
“It was a dark and stormy night…” or “Once upon a time…”
Books: Buy or Borrow
Book Reviews or Word of Mouth

"We wanted to work with Steve [Lillywhite] again, because he did our first three albums, well… that and we can call him Bitch” ~ Adam Clayton.

That's funny....

U2 fans, get out your pens and mark it down...

Sept 24 ~ U2 'Vertigo' Single Radio Debut
Nov 8/9 ~ U2 'Vertigo' Single Release Due
Nov 22/23 ~ U2 Album Due (title still unknown)
(Thanks to Pete The Chop)

This time next year U2 will be on tour....I can hardly wait.

"...In a business that attracts pompous blowhards, senators are the crème de la crème" ~ Mark Steyn

Well, I just spent the last few days with my new Nephew and his amazing Mom. Some women are just meant to be Mothers and Lina is one of them. It is incredible to watch them together.

let's see...so much to comment on....hmmm...where to start....

John Kerry was on The Daily show last night and did pretty well I think. He's a bit stiff (see above link to the funny article by Steyn for more on that), and I wish he would have stopped talking about Bush and told us about his plan. (I'd blame Stewart for not asking him about his policies and only asking about Bush.) But Kerry eluded to a plan, which means he actually has one, so that bodes well. He needs a monocle and a top hat to go with that laugh of his... perhaps his handlers should think of going in that direction and play up the pompous nature he exudes...keep him in tails and a top hat. And then Stewart actually asked him about Ketchup...Jackass.

In other news, and by that I mean news which actually has an impact on my life, you can take Swahili at the U of A now! Cool.

SWAH 111
Beginners' Swahili I
*3 (fi 6) (fall term,5-0-0)
Introduction to Swahili language and culture. Not to be taken by students with native or near native proficiency, or SWAH 35 or its equivalents in Canada and other countries.

I think I would like to take that class. I still need 30 option credits for my degree. Yes, 30!! Any suggestions?? I would be grateful, as I really have so completely focused on my core requirements I feel like a deer caught in headlights with these "options". What to take...?
and can I fit them into Spring/summer next year? Cripes, I'll need to take 9 credits next summer.

Apparently council took 2 hours to debate two $10,000 money motions last night. Good to see there is a lot of debate, but I hope it wasn't to terribly boring. The first 10G is for a survey and the second 10G is to get machines to accommodate the expansion of the Aramark meal card to SUB. I wonder if *any student* (grad or undergrad) can buy Aramark meal cards? I should look into that...or post it here on my blog for some smarty pants to answer. (My guess is Smarty Pants = The Dude.)

The construction above my head at work is getting weird now. The whole place vibrates. (insert vibrator joke here) It is rather disconcerting to be at work and the computer monitor is vibrating..the phone, the chair....the plants vibrate off the desks. The keys on my keyboard tickle my fingers as they dance over them...it makes my hands feel like they are asleep...pins and needles.

It kind of feels like when you are little and you, while your mom pushes, ride in the top of the shopping cart across the pavement to the car...
Freaky.

Song Du Jour: Tangerine ~ Led Zeppelin (Hi JK!)