life update

so i haven't written in a while....here's life. i finished my yale app. yay! out of my hair! my play was last weekend, it was great, so much fun, and kinda stressful leading up to it cuz i had SOO many lines! what else...i talked to a scary old curmudgen man about a yale alum interview today. that was fun. he refered to himself as an old geezer, said his house was an antique, that 8 people in his family had gone to yale since 1910, and that this interview wasn't entertainment or a curtosy (i can't spell) but rather a vital part of the admissions process. and i wasn't even rude! oh well, it'll be a fun interview.

i've decided to go stubbly. that's right, i haven't shaved for a week. originally, it was a halloween thing, to leave my options open, but i think i actually like it. hmmm....people this summer told me stubble was sexy, so...we'll see. speaking of halloween, it's tomorrow! it'll be fun, i'm wearing the pants from a pirate costume i had when i was 5 (they're kinda revealing, but oh well), a crazy women's ruffly shirt and a pink/red cape. oh yeah, and a sword. it's kinda...scarlet pimpernel meets chippendale's stripper. fun stuff. i hung out with my friend Matt today and we tried on crap in my house. he's gonna wear a cape i had, a black cool indiana jones-esque hat, and a colorful vest. just a vest. no shirt. and he's BUFF, let me tell you. wooohoo!

hmmm what else. i bummed around with him today, it was fun. we tried to find him pleather pants like keegan had for rocky horror, but they didn't fit. it was sad.

i think that's it for life right now...is anyone else doing intel science talent search? the application is way dumb. hahah way dumb. ooh i'll be cool and new england! WICKED DUMB!

-- alex

well, I'm done.

My Cornell application was sent via certified mail this morning to the Undergraduate Processing Center in Ithaca.

We'll see where it goes from there.

hey guys this is tina using krishanu's username b/c i forgot my own

sorry i'm finally crawling out of my cave. please, keep emailing me/talking to me/liking me/hating me whatever. i miss tasp greatly, and hardly a week goes by without my remembering something we did there and feeling nostalgic and wistful. i've been living, listening to sublime, writing a new play, doing a lot of math and physics, and of course, tackling college apps. i love you all! no really, i'm not just saying that.
~tina
ps. tosin, try a math paper for ur EE. there is no word limit.

How is everyone? Im doing good. Some news: my uncle from Poland, who has been staying at my home for the past six months, is leaving tommorow. Im really bummed because he was so cool and funny. Im skipping tommorow in school to go to the airport with him. I really appreciated him this past half year, and it will be so different without him. My dad works at night, so my uncle and me got really close. Well, onwards and upwards.

In addition, his laptop is what I have been using for interent so I'll cyberally disapper for at least a few days. Dont worry. I will return.

I just saw the movie Pi this past weekend with a few friends. So good! I enjoyed it greatly. I loved the artistic style of the filming and the pace of events. Mmmm delicious film. Also, I am going to help make a music video for someone's video production class. Weve got some good ideas for songs and for the plot of the video. Can anyone recommend some really good music videos to check out for ideas? I would appreciate it.

Alright see you all later.

Telluride

Well, I've been accepted into the Cornell Branch of the Telluride House. I received an e-mail today from Nathan the split head. Let everyone who reads this know, he wrote "congradulations." Ahem. Obviously Nathan's not at Cornell for spelling. Of course, the next hurdle is actually getting in to Cornell. A task which is bound to be harder once they see my first quarter grades in AP Spanish and AP Physics; a far cry from stellar. My first quarter has come to an end now, however, and I have bid my high school CC days a tearful buon voyage. They did me well. I've been sick for two months with some bizzare sinus infection and cough, and so I've decided to pay the doctor a little visit on Thursday. Of course, I am then spending Thursday evening trying to join the NATO Lions men's rugby club. The race is on; what will kill me first, sports or illness?

I still try to hold on to my Taspiness, and I ask that you all continue to help each other do so as well. This will be a trying year for us all. Metal cools off when the forge goes out, so let's try our best to keep the bellows going.

Analogy strikes again!

Love you all,

Keegan

wowza

my dear taspers, the most amazing thing happened this weekend. I was at Amherst for a Students of Color Open House (SOCOH, god, the acronyms won't stop) and when this girl told me she goes to a boarding school in chicago, I gave her a funny look and said, "I know a girl who goes to a boarding school in chicago." and she asked who, and I said Nancy, and she said, "That's my roommate," and I said, "AAAAAAGH yay tasp whoooh!"

she was extremely calm, and I think maybe a little annoyed when I kept saying, "Man, I can't believe you're Nancy's roommate. Man." the funny thing is that she sounds EXACTLY like Nancy... it was almost like she was being channeled or something.

Amherst was pretty nifty. If anybody wants to know anything about it, ask me, because I think I talked to every panel they have.

Saddam grabbing PlayStation 2s for weapons

Ananova - Saddam grabbing PlayStation 2s for weapons: "One source tells WorldNet Daily: 'Applications for this system are potentially frightening. One expert I spoke with estimated that an integrated bundle of 12 to 15 PlayStations could provide enough power to control an Iraqi unmanned aerial vehicle.'
It is believed Saddam Hussein may have exacerbated the Sony PlayStation 2 shortage."

A couple of years old (2000); got it off of Atrios, but it made me laugh, which is something I really need right now.

going to hell in a handbasket

I'm making no progress whatsoever on my Cornell application.

My parents are getting frustrated to the point where I'm not going to be on a speaking basis with them by tomorrow.

I don't know what to do.

Telluride

I've been away for a little while for CC, so I haven't been able to respond lately. In response to your question, Rima, I jumped the first hurdle and conducted a phone interview with the admissions committee. I should be finding out in the next week whether or not I got in.

It was not easy to write that after having read Rima and Sid's messages. Sid, don't let this affect you as a person. You ARE unique and smart and everything Telluride wants. Rima, you as well. God knows you're both as qualified, if not more qualified for a position at the house. I can't really type anymore, I'm about to go get auctioned off. (Buy a senior day's coming up) Please guys, don't get down. I really hope they come to their senses and accept you in the winter selection. I want you guys there with me.

Correction

I read my post and realized I didn't make sense when I said, "I think that I'm not as down as Sid because I was counting on this so strongly." I meant "because I was NOT counting on this so strongly." Sorry!

How is everyone?

Ive been doing great. I have had lots of fun these past few weeks. I hope you have all been doing wonderful. I saw Alex a few weeks ago. We spent the afternoon together and ate dinner. Good times. Also, I went to a pow wow a few days ago. I was annoyed because most of it was selling gee gaws to tourists. However, I did talk to a chief of a group of wampanogs who live in the area which was cool.
I tried calling some people yesterday. I could not get in hold with anyone! Do you not have call waiting. Maybe you have given me fake phone numbers? It's okay; I am forgiving.
Alright, I gots to go now. Gotta find out what Im doing tonight.

Peace.

Telluride

As Sid has revealed, I ain't in. I think I'm still in shock. I was at my friend's house when I found out, which I actually think was good, because I didn't immediately have to face my parents' overweening and clueless sympathy--having someone my own age was better. So I basically don't feel anything. Also partly because the letter they sent me was kind of ambiguous...am I out? Are they considering me later this year? Are they not considering me for the fall, but possibly for the winter? Did they read my essays at all? Will they? Would I have had a better chance if I had sent them in earlier? Confused.... So I guess I'm reserving my final feelings for when some of these things are cleared up. I'm a little more nervous about my Cornell app now than I was previously--should I apply to other schools just in case? But I still really love Cornell, and even if I live in the freshman dorms, that would be really awesome--and some of you know my agonizing this summer about whether to defer my admission to Telluride if I got in...so now I wouldn't have to worry about that, and I would get the benefits of living in the freshman dorms. Which I would like. I think that I'm not as down as Sid because I was counting on this so strongly. So I'm also being restrained about counting on Cornell...aaaaah, I'm looking forward to the time when i really know. Yeah....has anyone heard from Keegan about whether he's gotten in?

so much for community and committee

rima and i have been rejected from the telluride house.

maybe we'll get in in the winter. maybe not.

Question

Does anybody know if/when we are/were supposed to get our final TASP evaluations back? If anyone knows anything or can get ahold of the professors, I'd really appreciate it.
Thanks, Love You Guys,
Brandon.

This is rather creepy

The PROFILER personality test: "The PROFILER personality test is the key to your future success and will help you stand out from your peers. Consider this: 75% of working individuals have a personality that is less than optimal, a personality that hinders their performance. Chances are that you are one of those 75%. Most employers are trying to screen these applicants OUT. However by understanding your strengths and developmental needs NOW, you can increase your chances of getting IN or moving UP. This is your opportunity to maximize your professional, physical and interpersonal well-being. To get started just click here." [ed: emphasis added]

As much as I love science, this is the sort of thing that makes people associate scientists with psycho eugenicists and stuff. Not a good trend.

random

well i was persuaded by tosin to post a message stating the random occurences of my life. Unexpectedly, when i stepped off the plane from ithaca a new party life was born. This has been somewhat exciting though nto especially healthy for any of my body systems.
Besides my sad attempt to fill weekends with meanless interactions, i have been doing college apps and homework, quite like the rest of you. i have nothing more to say for myself, but i promise if something exciting does happen, i will be posting like crazy!

I just wrote a 250-word essay about cultural diversity at tasp. 250 words! I haven't been asked to write anything that short in the english language since junior high. There wasn't space to describe or explain anything, to give examples, or to use the word "community" more than once, so... I simplified, idealized, and concise-ified until what I wrote was hardly even about tasp.

I'm hurting in the essay sector because all my tasp essays are two to four times too long to use for college essays.

Sorry to ramble on about college apps, but that's what's on my mind right now. And I have to go to my shithole of a school now, so bye.

Hey

I miss you guys. And i miss my mummy. I woke up this morning with a Yoruba song about mothers stuck in my head and it was all i could do not to cry. I still feel like that now, 3 hours later. Mrs. Gillespie is a great mum, but... well she's not the same mum I've had for the past 17 years. Its kinda depressing. At least now i know i have a heart - i was starting to get worried bcuz i wasnt feeling very homesick. I got what i wanted i guess.
Has ANYBODY got an email from Seyram? I've sent him at least two, probably more, and have got no reply. I'm afraid he may be on the run. Who else (apart from Isa) seems to be ignoring us!
I finally got AIM. I'm so happy cuz so far I've spoken to Miriam, Jordan, Alex, Alina and Sid online. So if u're online and someone with the screenname maneatertoes starts talkin to you, dont start screaming.. its only me.
I really need to get going on my extended essay, and its stressing me immensely. I've a first draft due on the 30th (and that's an extension from the 22nd) but i still havent been able to bring myself to start it. have u guys got any advice for startin 4000 word papers? Do share.
Well thats all for my rambling today. I miss you guys emailing me. so do. even if its just to whine (or gloat) about the weather. its dreary and rainy here.

Posting seems to be slowing down lately. And fewer people are posting.

But then again, it's open season on college admissions. Understandable.

Hey, Wazzahhhhhhhhhh

Hey guys--
Sorry I haven't posted for so long. (I'm not the only one, slackers! :) ) How are you all? I'm doing well. I have almost no homework this weekend--do you believe it? And NO ESSAYS!! I'm almost done with my Cornell app, and I finally summoned up enough time and desire (and humility!) to resume studying physics with my dad. Driver's ed starts next week YAY!!! So, I have a car but no license. I won't be able to drive alone until April. Oh well. At least I'll be able to drive. I'm really psyched.

Stuff...does anyone have an lj code? I think I may be ready to try it.

My attempt to get a social life is sort of on hold...I think I overdid it at the beginning--so that then I sort of pulled away from it really fast. I think I need to start more slowly, trying to be more outgoing at school, speaking up in class, not raising my hand occasionally (gasp!), volunteering to read parts when we do plays...meeting new people and seeming confident. I can also try to explore my friendships at lunch time. I need to be patient.... and I also think that maybe exploring my relationship with my parents and letting them into my life more as well as having free time to explore my own interests at my own pace might be precursors to expanding my out-of-school friend time.

I'm reading The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir and I just read Building a Bridge to the Eighteenth Century by Neil Postman. And the Oedipus Trilogy. Has anyone read any of this? Comments? Likes? Dislikes? And to all my Latin homies out there, I'm reading Phaedrus (oh, why don't they all follow grammatical rules and separation of clauses as well as he does?) and soon to embark on an intimidating Seneca journey. I enjoyed Plautus and Catullus, Horace was a bit harder, and Livy was, as usual, the spawn of the devil. As you may have gathered, the first part of my curriculum is a survey of authors. Kind of fun. Are any of you taking (or have any of you taken) either Latin AP Exam? Any thoughts? Recommendations?

Well, I guess that's all for now. I think Isa either despises me or has fallen off the face of the earth. EMAIL ME! And I'll reply to those of you who have emailed me sometime soon. I promise.

Oh, yes. I am very assumed.

Where's Saddam?

Though some of y'all would be assumed by this:

Amazon.com: Books: Where's Saddam?

I know I'm getting a copy.

:D

Hey TASPers! I took out my braids on Monday. My head feels so much lighter. But i also have the impression that I'm not (physically) the girl i was at tasp. BUt, since I'm in contact with you guys (God bless blogs) the feeling is not as bad as i had anticipated.
To any who is interested, and tons who arent, my application to Yale is going out tomorrow. Thank God. I dont have to see it again. Until December when they decide my life. Sorry for the fatalism, its actually not THAT dramatic.
School's a laugh (not) but who cares.
Interesting news on Morocco; the King had a forum on women's rights last weekend, and i was happy with the results. For once totalitarianism (not really, but almost) is good - he mandated some rights for women that makes me smile. First, the legal married age was moved from 15 to 18. But, even more important, women have the right now to sign a prenup, statin that if their husbands take another wife, his ass will be divorced. Yay for Moroccan women!! Its appallin because a man can divorce his wife, for no reason, simply by sayin "i divorce you" three times. Can u imagine? THAT is legally binding!
But, the king seems to be serious about women's rights, because, also this weekend, he presented his wife to French President Jacques Chirac. At a reception! I know that sounds chauvinistic, but its a HUGE step for morocco. Now the queen (called the princess in morocco because she's just a figurine as far as power) is recognised. Sorry for my overexcitement, its just nice to know that i'm livin in a country that's trying to improve more than just its economic status.

Have you guys heard about the Muslim teacher in Germany who may be prevented from wearing her head scarf in school? I thought that would be something unique to Germany until some school district in the US took disciplinary action against a girl in early elementary school for wearing her head scarf because it was against the dress code. Their argument is that they must treat all clothing the same and not make exceptions for religious items. You could also make the counterargument that they are preventing her from the free excercise of her religion, which violates the First Amendment.

This kind of confict would be much more likely to come up in a school than with respect to the government's laws because a school can have control over its students that is much tighter than that that the law has over adults. A school is allowed to do things, such as banning certain kinds of clothing, that a government could never do to adults.

So what do you guys think? Do kids have First Amendment rights, as adults do? I think it's nuts that for the most part, we don't.

Who all is applying to the House, or the house at UM (I guess Brandon and I are the only ones who are really likely to go to UM)?

in response to keegan re: other people

i agree completely, it's very hard to imagine other people being when you can't see them or aren't in touch with them. i think it's as sign of maturity to be able to do this. i remember how huge a realization it was when i figured out that when i'm driving down the highway, EVERY SINGLE OTHER CAR has people in it, and they all have lives, loves, families -- everything! -- of their own. it was really...shocking, and wonderful, all at the same time. good thing i'm not a misanthrope!

in other news, i'm on a college run this weekend. brown, tufts, harvard, brandeis. i've been to brown, tufts, and harvard, and i only really liked tufts. brown was, i think, too ivory tower, and too obsessed with itself and how cool and open it was, while, at the same time, being fairly closed off to the rest of the world (no offense if any of you love brown). Harvard was gorgeous, the quintissential college campus, almost surreal. but it seemed kind of....cold. and chock full of tourists, which was disconcerting. i didn't go on a tour with a student, though, so i'm not really sure, i suppose. anyway, i can't picture myself at harvard, so...that's that. tufts was nice, friendly, down to earth, and a really pretty campus. i liked it. brandeis is tomorrow.

sorry for rambling on about colleges, it's been first and foremost in my mind recently. that and the play i'm in, The Man Who Came to Dinner. it's a hoot, and i'm the lead, and i get to be in a wheelchair the whole time. it's muchos fun, you should all come visit me friday october 24th or saturday october 25th and see the play! of course, if i don't learn all my lines, it could be a problem....but other than that....well, i'm working on it.

anything else....i don't think so.

be good, all!

-- alex

commenty goodness

Now we have comments. Comment away.

But please be the people that you are; don't be cheap-ass and masquerade as someone else. Just in case.

comments

yeah, i couldn't get any (PHP, ASP, or CGI) comments to work on my server. i honestly tried each one.

so sure, go ahead, do whatever you like (and if you need me to do something, just ask).

i'm sorry i couldn't respond more promptly; i was visiting Stanford, California, where i was sadly unimpressed by the lack of close-knit community. i think tasp has spoiled me. ah well...

Keegan, I know exactly what u mean. At times, i wonder if the whole thing about the world isnt just made up, and everyone I've ever heard of isnt just fiction. But then I go on an airplane and see all sorts of random people - and i figure they probably have lives. Unless the matrix is working extremely well.
The one thing i used to wonder as a kid is whether fiction really is all that fictional. Often, it souds disturbingly plausible. But then again, maybe not.
Am i rambling? probably. Ignore me.

hey

Elise, get ur backside on AIM this instant. I just downloaded it, and u must be online since u've posted twice in the past 2 minutes.

I got my first TA newsletter today, and spent too many joyous minutes reading about people I've never heard of and being amazed by their lives. This prompted me to go to the TA website and try to log in as an associate. Lo and behold, the site let me sign up for an account and I looked around a little. It wasn't incredibly fascinating, except that I found (drumroll please)

...the factotum manual. (evil laugh) Even most of this wasn't that exciting, although it was interesting to see what Dara and Christian were required to do and what was their own invention. The best part however, was when it advised factota to keep in mind "that many TASPers come to their programs already morbidly obsessed with the Ivy League." I would probably be offended if it weren't somewhat true, although the "morbidly" probably wouldn't describe most of us. Right? Right.

I know exactly what you (Keegan) mean about not believing other people exist when you're not talking to them.

Think about it- right now, OJ Simpson is doing something. Maybe he is brushing his teeth or eating a hamburger. Maybe he has the flu and is waiting in a doctor's office, staring at some pink wallpaper and thinking about a summer vacation he took as a kid. Everyone you have ever met who is not dead is either sleeping or doing something and thinking something right now. And there are what, like 10 billion people on this planet now? All thinking and doing, and existing.

comments & such

since the asp server-side blogComments system didn't seem to work for Dustin, I can sign us up for a HaloScan externally hosted comments system, if people so desire.

I'll wait for some responses,though -- esp. from you, Dustin.

Keegan -- your lj accountname is thegreykameleon, or something close to that. what your password is between you and your computer.

Food for thought, brains for eating:

Ask yourself this. Can you honestly say to me that you totally believe that everyone around the world has a full life of their own? Sometimes I do, mosttimes I don't. Strange huh? I mean, do people I've never heard of exist?

My Livejournal is...um...less alive than I would like

I forgot how to access my live journal...help?

So at least it'll be three of us huddling on the porch behind sacks of rice from the House kitchen with AK-47s as we fend off hordes of merciless maniacal ninja assassins sent by our mysterious arch-nemesis. Yay Keegan.

And get more sleep. You're more incoherent than I am right now.

And post on your darned LiveJournal too, Keegan.

I'm not crazy I'm just a little unwell...

That's a good song by Matchbox 20. Kind of a representative song for me. Oh, Sid and Rima, I too have finished my Telluride early app. and am about to send in my Cornell early app. And for all who care, ahem, Ralphie, I have long since submitted my NROTC app. and am awaiting the verdict, which should arrive very soon. huzzah! Ramble Ramble. sofnhwoa orih ahto fahoid aheo aoiuhfy7 euga aiudf uairufa igrf ujhrgfuargyv khbg usybgys erbgf krfgb urubguyrhgtuywghuyhg iusrehgyuh g rg sreh hesrg uih srpoh sher gouishr5g ha;up[wa;rfu hareaofhaygef rjh gb754gh o87rgh4y5 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

New fresh scent -- and 10% more FREE!

Note that the posting time is now a link. This is a permanent link to that one post, if you want to refer your friends and family circle to one of our illustriously intellectual posts. Just click on the link and save it.

I aim to please.

jesse "the body"

Actually, Minnesota had serious issues with Jesse Ventura -- he was constantly at odds with both Republicans and Democrats, making it virtually impossible to work effectively with the legislature. He also apparently fired his entire household staff after they leaked that his son was trashing the governor's mansion with raucous parties. And Minnesota has a deficit instead of a surplus now, although that's partially accounted for in the general economic malaise. I don't think many Minnesotans recall "The Body" fondly.

As greasy and nasty a guy as Davis was, I think voters blamed him for far more than he was responsible for -- the energy crisis was a result of seizure of the deregulation process by greedy power-trading companies, like Enron; and you can hardly blame the guv for the collapse of the Internet bubble.

Let's not get into my thoughts on the current innocent until proven guilty situation.

But that's enough politics for now. I'm too tired to rant, and it's a good way to piss people off. I've done enough of that today as it is.

Good for him

Hell, Jesse Ventura was govenor of Minnesota, and there were no massive problems with unemplyment, debt, power, ecosystem...however, why don't we all look at California under Davis a so-called "politician." I think I'll stick with the pro wrestler, thanks. Don't get sucked in by all the media hype of movie star blah blah blah. He needed to hire people who do know what they're doing to get him in, so he will have people who know what to do to help him get through it. Guess what? I'm a military brat, does that mean I can't be a good protestor? Objectivity guys. Go ahead and run away, I'll stay in the country where a man's innocent until proven guilty.

Time for Total Recall 2

Nah, let's go to Cuba, totalitarian dictatorship aside. It's warm.

The absentee ballots could still funk up the system, though.

fountain pens are really cool. I always get ink all over my hands and pants, though.

AHHHHNOLD

well, looks like arnold is california's next governor.

when bruce willis becomes the governor of new york, remind me of the idiocy of this country and i'll run away somewhere. maybe europe.

-- alex

pictures a-comin'

just so you guys know, I have become a serial letter-writer and will be sending you all snail mail in the near future, usually complete with one or more photos of your beautiful selves. whee, I wish I had a fountain pen.

Hey all

I'm in school on tuesday morning and its picture day. My class, Lord bless our dumbasses, chose red as the class color, because the senior class gets color pictures. Now i am a great lover of the color, except that the class of 2002 chose that same color. Two years ago! ARGH. ah well, if my class didnt annoy me, i'd be mighty worried.
I dint get into the talent show. Ironically, Kim was much more bummed than i was about it. Sweetheart that he is.
Hm... i dont know what else i have to tell you guys. Oh... i hope i'm not making a precedent (seeing as i hate talking about politics, cuz i always put my foot in it) but I am majorly agrravated by the attack on syria. Its like "oh, a random palestinian woman bombed us. Lets attack... SYRIA" I sure as hell dont see the connection. But then again politics has never really made sense to me. On a 'funner' note, Nigerians are having general strikes again, because oil prices have been pushed up.. again. U'd think that in a country where oil is at least half as abundant as sand, they'd figure out a way to provide at least that for the people. But with Nigeria, u'd be thinking wrong.
I have a french oral in a few minutes... and i have to go take a class photo and a group photo with my friends. ANd i have to learn to complain less. But thats for next time.
Love,
Toes.

I've survived almost as much as my computer!

Hello All! It's me, Keegan, and the plague has more or less lost its grip on me. I'm a little confused about the workings of this site, but I'm slowly figuring it out. There is a LOT of posts, aren't there? Well, I'm reading them tonight, and it's good to talk to people again. By the way, Chris, I know it's late, but I, too, am a huge fan of Dulce et decorum est. In fact, I have a book full of poems like that, I recommend people read it. It's called "Anthem for a Doomed Youth." And is a compilation of WWI poems. It's beautiful, encouraging, and most of all, sad. For a final depressant kick in the ass, the end of the book has an author index with their birth and death dates. I'd say about half of them end pre-1920. (guess why)

Keegan

Speaking of poets...

It's all about Dubya, folks:

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Oh my, lump in the bed
How I've missed you.
Roses are redder
Bluer am I
Seeing you kissed by that charming French guy.
The dogs and the cat, they missed you too
Barney's still mad you dropped him, he ate your shoe
The distance, my dear, has been such a barrier
Next time you want an adventure, just land on a carrier.
- George W. Bush: October 4, 2003, written for and recited by Laura Bush

Mondo dorkage

I'm writing a paper on the social and cultural (did I just make that word up?) implications of stop sign design, and I came across this:


MUTCD Millennium Edition, Revision 1, 12/28/2001
quote:
"We love to drive! Americans relish the freedom of climbing in a vehicle and hitting the road. And as we drive, we rely on a complex series of visual cues to help us make the journey safely. The signs, signals, and pavement markings that guide us are called traffic control devices. These devices are the language that communicates to drivers along the Nation's roadways. They tell us to slow down for the sharp curve on a two-lane rural byway. They make it possible for us to drive 100 km/h (65 mi/h) on the highway separated from other lanes of traffic by only a narrow yellow line. They tell us when and where to stop, and where we should think twice before we park. And they communicate with us in Mobile and Minneapolis, New Orleans and New York, in Seattle and Savannah.

The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, or MUTCD defines the standards used by road managers nationwide to install and maintain traffic control devices on all streets and highways. The MUTCD is published by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) under 23 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 655, Subpart F. Although the MUTCD is routinely updated to include amendments that clarify new standards and incorporate technical advances, it's been more than 20 years since the manual was entirely rewritten, and the most recent edition was published in 1988. In 1992, the FHWA announced the initiative to perform a major rewrite and reformat the MUTCD. "

Gay marriage, James Merrill, and ringing ears

Hi guys. The Christian Coalition and their cohorts are at it again, urging Bush to officially declare the week of October 12-18 "Marriage Protection Week". Ultra-conservative organizations such as the Family Research Council, Concerned Women for America, and Focus on the Family claimed at a press conference yesterday that Bush will officially endorse this weeklong movement for a Federal Marriage Amendment, an amendment that would permantently declare same-sex civil marriages unconstitutional and thus set a precedent for discriminatory amendments to the Constitution. The Human Rights Camapaign has already spoken out against this political attack, urging Bush not to officially endorse Marriage Protection Week. Read all about it at www.hrc.org. You can also sign a petition showing advocacy of gay marriage at www.hrc.org/millionformarriage/index.asp Sign it, tell your friends, etc. if you believe that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender families should have the same rights as heterosexual ones, including:
-ability to make decisions on a partner's behalf in a medical emergency.
-petition for partner to immigrate.
-up to 12 weeks leave from work to care for a seriously ill partner or parent of a partner.
-parenting responsibilities of children brought into a family through birth, adoption, surrogacy or other means.
-ability to purchase continued health coverage for a domestic partner after the loss of a job.

Now, on to more pleasant subjects. My favorite poet at the moment would definitely have to be James Merrill. I recently purchased his Collected Poems (2001) and am delighted with them, especially gorgeous love poems like "Poem of Summer's End". This should be required reading for anyone who has a heart. Also great are Elizabeth Bishop, and, of course, Sylvia Plath and Mark Strand. Yummy yum yum! Is anyone else obsessed with villanelles, i.e. "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night"?

Yesterday I went to see Pie Tasters, and for those of you to whom I complained about my ringing ears last night, THEY'RE STILL RINGING! I'm getting a tad worried, because usually after a concert my ears have stopped ringing by the time I wake up the following day, if they ring at all. Anyone else experienced ringing that has gone on for 24+ hours? The music didn't seem too loud, but somebody told me that if you're exercising while listening your blood flows to your brain and increases hearing damage, and I was certainly skanking my ass off. Somebody said wear earplugs, but how extremely lame would that be? It's a moral dilemma. Anyway, if I'm deaf in a couple weeks, we'll know why. Well, I'll post with further developments. Bye bye!

Yours Truly

It's all about Walt Whitman.

P.S.

ISAIAS, IF YOU EXIST AND ARE READING THIS, EMAIL ME!!!! WE LIVE IN THE SAME STATE AND I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOU AT ALL SINCE TASP!!!

Yay, and "Hold on, Brendan", Favorite Poets, and Stuff

Yay: I, like Sid, sent in my Telluride app today. (Actually, my mom did because she's so cool like that.) HALLELUJAH! Maybe I can start to live again a little. I must have spent like 8 hours with my parents just editing crap like grammar. YUCK. It's been all I've been thinking about. I've probably been an intolerable bore.

"Hold on, Brendan": Brendan, if you think that you want to live in freshman dorms at Cornell, but you still will want to live in the House later on, I (and Amina, whom I am currently channeling) strongly advise that you apply to the House now, while they have your TASP app and you are fresh out of the TASP oven, and then defer admission a year. You probably have better chances if you do that.

Favorite Poets: Emily Dickinson. All the way. I like one poem by, darn it, what's his name, William Cullen Bryant--Thanatopsis. I am, as you can see, very old fashioned. (Actually, I've never read poetry on my own, so the only poetry I know is that which I've read in English class. Actually, I've read Sappho, who's cool, on my own (although the book was lent to me by a former English teacher. And I've read a ton of Catullus (in translation) because I wrote a report on him for Latin. He's cool too. And I've read snippets of people like Horace, Vergil, Catullus, and Ovid in Latin. That's really cool. It's my favorite part of Latin.)

Stuff: I went to a Ropes Course for Gay-Straight Alliances in New Mexico today. It was lots of fun. I got to do a scary high event and to give a presentation about last year's Rainbow Week event that I ran at my school--this year we're going to try to make it statewide. I also remembered how important it is to meet new people and not let shyness curb friendship. Something I learned at TASP as well. Life's too short for shyness. Someone at my school committed suicide last week. I wish that he wouldn't have felt so alone... And...right now I'm procrastinating from writing a paper on Rosicrucianism. Ever heard of it? It's a really cool brother/sisterhood that believes in seeking spiritual truth and health through reason and study. It started out from mystical Egyptian knowledge, and in the middle ages it influenced alchemy.

Happy Wednesday night. I guess I'll start living again after I finish this evil paper.

contact craziness

this past saturday i went 'rock climbing' at the climbing gym way out in west miami. it's cool to go there because tamiami airport is right next to it and you can hear the planes landing and taking.

so we had been at the gym for a while by the time this story really starts. i was nearing the end of an excruciating climb (it had a ledge and ledges are really tough for me because ... well ... a lack of upper arms ... might as well just consist of the humorus).

ok, so i just passed the ledge and am basically on the final stretch of the climb. five feet away from the last hold. the rope is caught on a hold above me. it's in my way. i chuck it off of there and think of resuming my climb when the end of the rope somehow enters my eye.

my thoughts are no longer on the climb, rather on the contact lens that is on my cheek. realising this really only for a split-second, i, for some reason, look down at my friend who is belaying me and yell, 'my contact just fell' (even though there would be no need to say that had i not even bothered to do so).

i quickly climb the last few feet and yell to be lowered. when i get down i kneel down and look maniacally for this clear little lens among a gravel-ridden floor.

after like a minute of searching, eureka (!), i find it and its nasty and ducty and dry but, fortunately, not torn. at this point, i go to untie my eight knot and, lo and behold, he contact flies out of my hand ... again ... onto the gravel floor ... again. this time i'm sure there's even less hope finding it this time than there was the first time, plus it would probably be torn if that time came.

so i spend another five minutes on all fours searching with one working eye and a blind seeing eye friend. she (unfortunately/fortunately) finds it and announces that she has. i crawl over to her and she digs in to get it.

now ... the contact is only dug deeper into the gravel.

'opps' she says, 'i think you should take it from here' ... yea ... thanks. so i start carefully uncovering the lump of gravel from around the lens and eventually ......... i obtain it!

luck has proven to be on my side thus far (but then again so have little needed situations proving the need for such luck): now all i need is solution. i go around dorkily asking these climbing jocks for contact solution and they all give me puzzled looks. finally i ask the dude at the front desk (which i don't know why i didn't go straight to him in the first place ... lol) and he has it.

by this time by contact is crinkly and nasty and looks kinda like a dried up cataract. i go into the horrible (hahribble ... for alex) bathroom with a brown urinal (!?) and spend like a minute wetting the contact and swishing it around in my palm and finally it's ready to enter my eye.

well ... i went home with two eyes that night and with memories of one of the biggest (physical) struggles i've ever been put through.

Random news.

Speaking of poets...I hear there's a Sylvia Plath movie in the making. Gwyneth Paltrow is playing the poet, ergo, it will suck. If it even gets finished, because I'm convinced that any day now that blonde little bitch is going to collapse from malnutrition.

In my personal life...I have work like I can't believe. Just tonight, I did an English essay, a newspaper article, and a take-home test...for French. Gaaaa, that class sucks my left AND right assholes. Simultaneously. Somehow my teacher's attempts to explain things always come out as "You're a moron." Tomorrow I get to do a calculus project that I'm utterly lost on...thank God for last year's teacher, who should be available for my use sometime tomorrow morning. Also God bless morning study halls. I love my Tuesday-Thursday schedule.

Fall break is coming. And not a minute too soon. Must...sleep...must...refrain...from...calling...TASPers...at...two...in...morning... Yeah, I'm a crazy stalker. It is a fun job.

I had Hostess cupcakes for lunch. While I chatted with my college counselor about the CD that hopelessly fucked up my scholarship application. Oh well. It's only a few lines, those admissions folk have probably seen stranger. It's not like it wasn't complete bs in the first place...now I also have the "shadow of a doubt" thing going for me. Yay technology. Speaking of which, Brendan and Sid, you will be happy to know that I am being forced into the world of Photo-shoppy tech-nerdism. It's for newspaper...yeah, yeah, exciting times. Assuming, of course, that people actually get their articles in.

Sorry I haven't been posting, guys...it's been crazy eights down in the now-freezing sunny South. Love you all - *warm fuzzy*

favorite poets...

well, adam, favorite poets. WILLIAM MATTHEWS!!!! I LOOOOOOVE HIM!!! no one knows who he is, but everyone should. the only books i think he has in print are after all, published posthumously, time and money, which won some award, and selected poems and translations. i own all three, plus one i picked up in a used book store. he's SOO GOOD!! some of you know him, i forced you to listen to me while i read him this summer.

others: bob kaufman (beat) and lawrence ferlinghetti (also beat) are great. personally, i don't like kerouac (as you all know because i yelled about it so much this summer). hmmm who else....oh, elena dykewomon, of COURSE! (haha remember that book i found of hers the last day?)

speaking of poetry, we did a comparison in english class that reminded me of all y'all. we read one poem by w.h. auden and one by silvia plath and compared them. needless to say, auden was rambling and insightful, and plath was morbid and fascinating. but it reminded me of all of you.

ooh funny thing. we had door decorating today in school (it was "spirit week"). my group, being all seniors, was very bored with all this "tiger pride" and "go team" crap (our team is the tigers, how cliche). anywho, with my suggestion, we went minimalist. we taped a piece of paper inside the door so it was framed by the window, and put one orange dot in the upper left hand corner. then we put a little plaque made of an index card that said: "Spirit" 2003. Washable Marker and Butcher Paper. I think it was the piece de resistance of door decorating, not to be too stuck-up. but it was way better than "go tigers" or "tiger pride" or some other hackneyed old thing. yeah, so that's life. that and a hell of a lot of paperwork. and a physics test tomorrow.

-- alex

Congratulations

On finishing your house app. I was going to apply to the house, but I talked it over with the Cornell recruiter who came out here and she convinced me to do the whole "freshman experience" thing. The dorms, at least in the rosey terms of a college recruitment officer, sound like they have the same community building type stuff that goes on in the house (although to a lesser extent, I'm sure). And since I've never lived in a dorm, there you go. If I hate it, well, it's just for one year.

Of course, all that is assuming that I get in to Cornell, and that I go if I get in.

I'm DONE!

After weeks of hellish effort, I mailed my application for preferment to the Telluride House this morning.

Did anyone else besides Rima and I apply? I'm quite curious.