another</strong><br>cell in the sea

:: 2008 7 September :: 8.15pm

You kick-box naked?

That isn�t the point.

So, the point, the only point.

:: 2008 4 September :: 11.20pm

! الحمد لله
I started my last year of college last week. I do not want to talk about how much this is freaking me out.

I am so sorry that I haven't updated lately but things have been crazy. On Mondays and Thursdays, I have class from 9am - 7pm with 5 minutes between classes and work crammed in there too. Otherwise, I have one or two classes.

Here's the rundown:

Mondays/Thursdays
I have Cartography at 9. This class is awesome because I've always wanted to be a useless cartographer and it's taught by Bieneman. Did I ever tell you I had his wife in elementary school? She was my fourth grade teacher. Her mother passed away this week.

At 10:50, I go to work until 1:25.

Don't even get me started on these new kids. They deserve their own post.

At 1:40, I have French Film and Lit. It's only the second week of school and I already am just reading the SparkNotes. The class would be so much less painful with you girls but I'm surviving okay with...the one girl whose name I still don't know after four years and some other girl.

Five minutes after the end of French class, I have Ceramics. It's really just a class to help me calm down but I've already broken two pots and found two very not artistic buddies. I am so not artsy.

Five minutes after the end of feeling dumb, I have Arabic. Which is, quite frankly, awesome. It is difficult but a ton of fun. I feel like such a genius when I get a word right or when I understand what's going on. Also: heritage! I hope I get to talk to my mom's relatives before the kick the bucket because now I know my blood languages (as my mom calls it).

Tuesdays/Fridays
I have a confession to make. Because I couldn't afford the textbook and he stressed homework so much, I dropped my history class. So now I have to take it next semester.

In other news, at 10:50, I have Tai Chi. Which is reaching Folk and Square Dance in awesomeness. The prof learned Tai Chi directly from some famous family who created a form of Tai Chi. He is a hoot. I have a thousand stories from him. He fell off a curb and landed on cement about a year ago and had trouble walking again. His hip hurt when he walked so he couldn't walk across the room until he tried doing Tai Chi. When he walked by doing his Tai Chi moves, his hip didn't hurt any more. Since he is injured, his wife does most of the demonstrations. She also helps him remember how old he is when he adds thirteen years to his age. Both of them are pretty old, 60s and 70s, but they are hilarious. He calls himself Monk and his wife Natalie Teager. Most of the class is taken up by his stories.

On Tuesdays, I have Arabic at 6 (work before that (10:50 to 5) but I have Arabic only Mondays through Thursdays so I just have Tai Chi and work on Fridays.

On Wednesdays, I am not working for the first time in my life. So all I have is Arabic at 6. I sleep, I read, I do homework, I relax.

Overall, this semester is awesome but very stressful. I have a lot of work ahead of me.

I love you all.

3 thoughts | Comment

:: 2008 4 September :: 9.52pm

:: 2008 4 September :: 9.36pm

Your momma so hairy, the only language she speaks is Wookie.

taoman1121

:: 2008 29 August :: 12.35pm
:: Music: McCain VP Announcement

So this is what live blogging is like...
I gotta hand it to you, John (or better yet, your campaign managers).

- You waited less than 12 hours (!!) to quell the enthusiasm of Obama's speech to announce your VP pick; I've seen vultures work slower than that. You go steal those headlines, John! Show them how politics is about the people, and not just a game!
- Your pick is a plain-spoken (anagram pun intended), middle-aged female governor from Alaska who shares a name with one of the funniest Monty Python members. Kudos on your successful Hilary-cloning experiment, John! And nice touch picking a brunette... nobody will catch on to that one!
- Not only does your VP pick come from a state whose capital is Juneau (totally boss), she's got a son in the military! Take that, Obama! Michelle, you better ship one of the cute little girls of yours off ASAP.

Standing up to 'politics as usual,' eh? You show them, John. You show them exactly what we are trying to get away from.

:: 2008 29 August :: 10.07am

What do you think?

Hookers?

Sure.

:: 2008 24 August :: 10.46pm

When they�re just inches away you invoke the Dong Hai defense.

What�s that?

You protect your dong and swing like your life depended on it. (swings nun chucks above head).

:: 2008 22 August :: 8.36pm

Got into New York last night, Jason and Michelle met me at the airport. The city is surprisingly like Minneapolis/St. Paul. We went walking around to hit the liquor store, which was closed. Ended up with some Miller from the gas station and playing Mario Kart Wii.

Today I took my first subway ride and went to Rockefeller Center. Neat area, but much smaller than what it looks like on TV. We proceeded to wander around and look at places: the M&M Store, Nintendo World, Virgin, and MOMA (Museum of Modern Art). We had lunch at some little place that had a ton of food and EXCELLENT pizza. Dinner was at ESPN Zone.

jedibumblebee

:: 2008 20 August :: 7.13pm

ugh.
i think i am having a panic attack.

rina

:: 2008 20 August :: 3.53am
:: Mood: blank
:: Music: the sound of settling - the string quartet

that night, a forest grew
summer is winding down, and i'll be back at school in about four days.

these past few months have been odd, and it feels like no time has gone by at all. i'm in a weird place, too -- my best friend's mother was murdered last week. the funeral was monday; the first funeral i've attended, and though i didn't go to the viewing, i still managed to see some of her and it was-- it was so horrible. i had to fight the urge to walk out of the church, certain that i couldn't go through with the rest of it.

she was just so empty.

it hurts to even think about.

the tropical storm hit today, though everyone tends to shrug off these things unless it's at least a category 2 or 3. after so many hurricanes i've become almost numb to the thought of them. the only people who are actually terrified of them are tourists caught on the tail-end of their vacation.

and in a few hours i'll finish doing the laundry and slowly begin packing up my things for next year. here's hoping it won't be as stressful as the last.

:: 2008 15 August :: 10.51pm

I�m really pissed at my iPod. I wanted to listen to Placebo this afternoon and it wasn�t listed underneath artists, so I just listened to something else. I made sure Placebo was on my laptop, it was, so I hooked up the iPod to sync it, but it was already done. Going a different way I searched for the album title on the iPod and it�s listed. So, why is this album listed but not the artist?

5 thoughts | Comment

:: 2008 15 August :: 4.22am

Guy: All right, Hamburger Hamlet, Harbor House, Oriental Seafood...
Jessica: Anal Seafood? What?
Tina: Angel Seafood.
Jessica: Oh.
Guy: No, Oriental Seafood.
Jessica: Oriental.
[laughs]
Jessica: I thought he said "Anal Seafood".

:: 2008 11 August :: 8.17am

What are you in for?

Biting the mailman. He was trying to cast a spell on me, like a wizard or something. (waves hand)

Are you sure about that?

I dunno, maybe he was just waving.

:: 2008 6 August :: 11.59pm

It's weird living with people again.

I have to close doors now when changing or going to the bathroom.

It's cold all the time.

I have to wear clothes.

Oh the sacrifices we make...

:: 2008 6 August :: 1.55am

Well.

I guess that's that.

:: 2008 1 August :: 11.26pm

Why does the court system hate me? Am I some hardened criminal? Do they invent new punishments just for me? I feel as if I am being punished more severely than most actual criminals. All I did wrong was not pay a fee on my driver�s license. Because of this I got a ticket, which in turn caused me to lose my license for two years and now they are sending creditors after me and are slapping on additional fees as well as tacking on 12% interest retroactive to the date the ticket was issued. I corrected the fee thing shortly after receiving the ticket, but that was not enough for them.

FUCK!

On a side note, Menards has the full Halloween display up and the Christmas display starts going up Monday.

:: 2008 24 July :: 11.14pm

Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

I don't know. Are you thinking Holy Shit, Holy Shit a swordfist almost went though my head? Then yes.

taoman1121

:: 2008 21 July :: 4.28pm
:: Mood: nostalgic
:: Music: Stars - One More Night

So, there's been official word that they're will be a new 'Lost' ARG (alternative reality game) set to begin at this year's ComicCon in San Diego. Supposedly, they will 'recruiting' Dharma Initiative members. This thing looks to blow the 'Find 815' ARG out of the water. I'm so jealous I'm not going, but at the same time I'm totally excited for another Lost-related time waster. If only this pesky school thing would stay away a little longer.

Summer's already half over, which depresses me. With every day, it's harder to not think about having to go back. I probably should be doing more with my time off, though, as usual, I don't feel like the summer is being wasted. And I finally got a draft of my predisseration turned in, and by this time point next year I finally should have a couple articles to my name, so it's not all bad.

We hosted our second poker night yesterday at the apartment. I had a lot of fun and things went a little faster and a little smoother than last time. And I finally won for a change. Thanks to everyone who came.

I'm off to the library to pick up some more reading material, as if I needed it. If I get inspired, maybe I'll share my "to read' list. That, or I'll enter back into radio silence for another 6 months. Guess we'll have to wait and see together.

(edit 5:32pm) Based on his already impressive resume, especially considering his relatively young age, I'm naming Christian Bale the best actor of his generation. I'm not even going to look at his competition, because I'm fairly confident I don't need to.

:: 2008 20 July :: 3.51am
:: Music: Your 8th Birthday by Cloud Cult

Update
We moved from a two bedroom apartment to a three bedroom apartment in the same apartment complex.

Katti and Oliver are here.

Which is cool because we have a place to live. Not cool because I wanted change. I wanted different.

But that'll just have to wait until after graduation.

Saw Batman. It was great.

Need to do my resume tomorrow.

Love you.

rina

:: 2008 15 July :: 9.02pm
:: Mood: thoughtful
:: Music: fljótavík - sigur rós

med vind i vårt hår
jag gillar inte honom längre, och vi har inte tillrekligt med pengar för nästa skolåret.

men det kommar att vara okej. just nu jag bara lässar böker, lyssnar till musik, och försörkar att förstår mitt liv. imorgon ska jag gå ut och känna solen på mitt ansikte, och hoppas att den kan ljusa sökvägen.

:: 2008 15 July :: 9.26am

"Oh.....oh my. Bloody, furry and dead, well that's an image
that should follow me through eternity."

taoman1121

:: 2008 8 July :: 12.17am

E.B. White - Here is New York
"There are roughly three New Yorks. There is, first, the New York of the man or woman who was born there, who takes the city for granted and accepts its size, its turbulence as natural and inevitable. Second, there is the New York of the commuter--the city that is devoured by locusts each day and spat out each night. Third, there is the New York of the person who was born somewhere else and came to New York in quest of something. Commuters give the city its tidal restlessness, natives it solidity and continuity, but settlers give it passion."

:: 2008 7 July :: 6.28pm

I'm cursed and without a driver's liecense, again. And guess what, it's because of paperwork, again.

:: 2008 7 July :: 4.19am

- On equality: "I've been portrayed as a caveman by some. That's not true. I'm a conservative progressive, and that means I think all men are equal, be they slants, beaners, or niggers."

:: 2008 5 July :: 6.37pm

:: 2008 5 July :: 1.09pm

One of my sister's friends died the other day.

He was driving his moped from Kroes to Courtland, right by my parents' house when he was hit by a car. The police say he didn't yield but I think he really just thought he could make it across in time. He wasn't wearing a helmet.

He was 18. He was going to attend Aquinas in the fall. I was getting his information ready for STAR when Ashley found out.

I saw him do stand up at Rockford High School. He was a funny kid.

It's just so sad. He was so young.

4 thoughts | Comment

rina

:: 2008 3 July :: 11.18am
:: Mood: calm
:: Music: skin is, my - andrew bird

a change in the weather
leaving for new york in about thirty minutes. my parents, naturally, think i will die as soon as i step off the plane. their confidence in me is truly astounding.

things lately have felt as if i've just been waiting -- hanging by a thread on some unmade decision which i can't begin to imagine. and as soon as this decision is made, my life will take off for heights unknown.

:: 2008 2 July :: 2.02am

:: 2008 30 June :: 12.02am

I got my hair cut this weekend.

It is pretty hot.

Katti said it is an adult version of my asymmetrical haircut from high school. And it is. And that's awesome.

We're watching The Pixar Story and it just makes me want to watch all the Pixar movies again.

I love you all.

P.S. We saw WALL-E this weekend and it was fantastic.

:: 2008 26 June :: 10.07pm

Katti and Oliver are here all weekend (today is only the beginning) and I am pumped.

It is going to be an awesome weekend.

ALSO! I am getting my haircut on Saturday. ALSO! Nick is getting a facial (AT THE SAME TIME) because I told him how awesome it was and called them and set up an appointment and told him he was going.

ALSO! You all = awesome people and I love you.

Happy (early) birthday to all you birthday peeps this weekend. Holla at me and tell me how awesome your birthday weekend is going.

I love you all.