Comedy Gold
Well, ok, maybe it's not that good, but I still found it rather amusing.
30 Second Bunny Theater
It's a Wonderful Life was particularly good. Well, all of them were particularly good. What I found fascinating was that, despite the fact that it was done with flash bunnies, they actually did a good job picking out some very key points in the movies. I especially liked the interpretation of the theme music done in bunny voices.
I also liked that they were bunnies. Because I like bunnies.
In other news, I'm actually starting to do things as a Hedgehog Welfare Society Rescuer. Two people found my name on the HWS website and contacted me about adopting hedgehogs, and now two people have said they have hedgies who need homes. Ta da! I'm hoping that before too long, two hedgehogs will be happily settled in their new homes.
Sophie is also doing very well. She takes naps with me when I take breaks from studying. She splats out and snuggles up to my side. I'm pleased to say that after 12 months of hard work, she finally seems to enjoy herself while around me irregularly.
Time to study. Or put off studying. Haven't decided which yet.
~Kristen
Sunday, December 19, 2004
Whoo Hooo!
I finished my Torts exam today at noon. That's awesome. I'm watching Earth Sea on Sci Fi. I love cable. It's awesome. Nothing quells the strain of legal analysis like good science fiction/fantasy. That's my way to de-stress, you know. I come home from my exam at noon-ish, eat a bite or two, and then read a novel until I am tired enough to sleep. Then I sleep until 4 or so. It's a great way to get over all that exhausting thinking. That being said, I still dreamed of tortuous situations and their legal impact. Bleh.
So, my last exam is Wednesday. Civil Procedure. Just the way I like it (or not). I need to start reviewing notes tonight, write up an outline tomorrow, and study more on Tuesday. Or something. Whatever. I'm ok with studying more, as long as it's tomorrow. :)
Actually, studying isn't so bad. I don't have to memorize stupid things or verses in foreign languages. I can go to a coffee shop where I can comfortably sip tea in the presence of other studious individuals. I can glance up at sunlight and plant life. It's very pleasant when compared with arduous hours spent alone in an uncomfortably dank, windowless concrete prison (aka Humanities Practice Rooms). Besides, the stuff I'm studying is really interesting. Yay. :)
Ok, back to watching Earth Sea. Yay for fantasy!
~Kristen
I finished my Torts exam today at noon. That's awesome. I'm watching Earth Sea on Sci Fi. I love cable. It's awesome. Nothing quells the strain of legal analysis like good science fiction/fantasy. That's my way to de-stress, you know. I come home from my exam at noon-ish, eat a bite or two, and then read a novel until I am tired enough to sleep. Then I sleep until 4 or so. It's a great way to get over all that exhausting thinking. That being said, I still dreamed of tortuous situations and their legal impact. Bleh.
So, my last exam is Wednesday. Civil Procedure. Just the way I like it (or not). I need to start reviewing notes tonight, write up an outline tomorrow, and study more on Tuesday. Or something. Whatever. I'm ok with studying more, as long as it's tomorrow. :)
Actually, studying isn't so bad. I don't have to memorize stupid things or verses in foreign languages. I can go to a coffee shop where I can comfortably sip tea in the presence of other studious individuals. I can glance up at sunlight and plant life. It's very pleasant when compared with arduous hours spent alone in an uncomfortably dank, windowless concrete prison (aka Humanities Practice Rooms). Besides, the stuff I'm studying is really interesting. Yay. :)
Ok, back to watching Earth Sea. Yay for fantasy!
~Kristen
Friday, December 17, 2004
Today I got up at 7:30, took a nap from 7:45 to 10:30, was up until 12:30 and then took a nap until 4:30. I think I'm coming down with something. I'm going to go to bed again now. Yay exams: Torts on Sunday. :P
Cheers!
~Kristen
P.S. I am totally incapable of printing double sided using those odd or even page settings. First, instead of getting evens after the odds, it just printed the whole thing, and now I ended up printing the even pages right on top of the odd ones. For whatever reason, the logic to the process is beyond my grasp.
Cheers!
~Kristen
P.S. I am totally incapable of printing double sided using those odd or even page settings. First, instead of getting evens after the odds, it just printed the whole thing, and now I ended up printing the even pages right on top of the odd ones. For whatever reason, the logic to the process is beyond my grasp.
Thursday, December 16, 2004
Contracts is Done Forever
Yay. Didn't feel too bad about the exam. I hope not to feel too bad about my grade as well. I don't think we get those until late January. No hurry.
I also found out that, while many of the people with whom I have had every class so far have classes together again next semester, I am not in those classes with them. Fortunately, I was not one of the unlucky students that was assigned 7:45AM classes 5 days a week. I only have 7:45AM classes one day per week. It's a writing analysis class. I'm done with all classes by 1:00PM, which is a nice change, since I had classes until 4:30 and 6:30 four days a week this semester.
I also have Professor Dickey for my Criminal Procedure class. He wrote a good portion of Wisconsin's Penal Code. He is very very intelligent. He has also stormed out of the Criminal Law class he was teaching this semester because he didn't feel his students were well prepared. Yeah, he's a little intense.
I'm sad, I'm going to have to make all new friends in my classes this semester. :( Good thing I'm generally outgoing, cause otherwise I'd be out of luck rather than just rather unlucky.
Yay. Didn't feel too bad about the exam. I hope not to feel too bad about my grade as well. I don't think we get those until late January. No hurry.
I also found out that, while many of the people with whom I have had every class so far have classes together again next semester, I am not in those classes with them. Fortunately, I was not one of the unlucky students that was assigned 7:45AM classes 5 days a week. I only have 7:45AM classes one day per week. It's a writing analysis class. I'm done with all classes by 1:00PM, which is a nice change, since I had classes until 4:30 and 6:30 four days a week this semester.
I also have Professor Dickey for my Criminal Procedure class. He wrote a good portion of Wisconsin's Penal Code. He is very very intelligent. He has also stormed out of the Criminal Law class he was teaching this semester because he didn't feel his students were well prepared. Yeah, he's a little intense.
I'm sad, I'm going to have to make all new friends in my classes this semester. :( Good thing I'm generally outgoing, cause otherwise I'd be out of luck rather than just rather unlucky.
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
Sunday, December 12, 2004
And Now I'm An Activist (or something)
Ok, for a little bit of history on this post please click here for the original article to which I refer, and here to the poem and posts that so enraged me today that I had to write the following letter on a blog for the author's column.
Here it goes:
"I hear your complaint. I hate those animal rights people out there! I mean, come on, standing up for something they believe in is SO last year. If they would just drop it and just write posts on online blogs like the rest of us, the world would surely be a better place.
"You're absolutely right. We shouldn't stoop to helping animals when there are so many people out there who need our help. In fact, if everyone who wrote in about news-paper articles went out there and DID something about the homeless, DID something about abused kids, DID something about the cost of healthcare, we probably wouldn't have those things to worry about at all!
"But, come to think of it, in a society that is rampant with apathy and selfishness, is it really fair to criticize those who would do something about their passion and the wrong they see? Is there any guarantee that those writing to help homeless animals in fact aren't the same one serving soup in a homless shelter? What about those who simply want to make wrongs right regardless of who is being hurt?
"Yes, there are problems in this world that desparately need fixing. There are so many that my heart is heavy just writing about it. There are thousands and thousands of people in jail as a result of no parental or societal support, lack of education and proper access to mental health care. There are people who are on death row who had no legal representation. There are children being shuffled from foster home to foster home because of a system that is poorly funded and under-staffed. These things deserve our attention.
"But animals who are abused or neglected do, too.
"Did you know that often when investigating animal abuse, domestic violence is often found as well? Bringing evidence of animal abuse is actually helping to fairly and harshly punish those who abuse their families emotionally, physically and sexually.
"Did you know that activism doesn't have to be contained in one area?
"I'm in law school. I volunteer for the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts in my state, and will soon volunteer for the Rape Crisis Line. I donate money to the Nature Conservancy and am politically active in issues regarding LGBT rights and women's reproductive rights. I plan to practice law in a public interest field in 2.5 years when I graduate, and hope to do a great deal of work pro bono.
"I also am a Hedgehog Welfare Society member, fundraiser and rescuer.
"Tell me, does that make me a bleeding-heart, human-hating animal lover?
"Think about it. I think you'll find that we humans have the capacity to love and help in many ways at once, if we would only get off our butts and do something about the problems we see.
~Kristen
"P.S. If you think raising money for animals is bad, think about the money spent on reality tv, on gadgets and gizmos, on plastic surgery and overall on selfishly extravigant lifestyles. We're talking billions. Yes, more money should go towards helping fix problems in our society. Helping animals is just one area that deserves our attention. It's your money, use it how you think it will help best, but don't criticize other people's efforts to make a difference."
Ok, for a little bit of history on this post please click here for the original article to which I refer, and here to the poem and posts that so enraged me today that I had to write the following letter on a blog for the author's column.
Here it goes:
"I hear your complaint. I hate those animal rights people out there! I mean, come on, standing up for something they believe in is SO last year. If they would just drop it and just write posts on online blogs like the rest of us, the world would surely be a better place.
"You're absolutely right. We shouldn't stoop to helping animals when there are so many people out there who need our help. In fact, if everyone who wrote in about news-paper articles went out there and DID something about the homeless, DID something about abused kids, DID something about the cost of healthcare, we probably wouldn't have those things to worry about at all!
"But, come to think of it, in a society that is rampant with apathy and selfishness, is it really fair to criticize those who would do something about their passion and the wrong they see? Is there any guarantee that those writing to help homeless animals in fact aren't the same one serving soup in a homless shelter? What about those who simply want to make wrongs right regardless of who is being hurt?
"Yes, there are problems in this world that desparately need fixing. There are so many that my heart is heavy just writing about it. There are thousands and thousands of people in jail as a result of no parental or societal support, lack of education and proper access to mental health care. There are people who are on death row who had no legal representation. There are children being shuffled from foster home to foster home because of a system that is poorly funded and under-staffed. These things deserve our attention.
"But animals who are abused or neglected do, too.
"Did you know that often when investigating animal abuse, domestic violence is often found as well? Bringing evidence of animal abuse is actually helping to fairly and harshly punish those who abuse their families emotionally, physically and sexually.
"Did you know that activism doesn't have to be contained in one area?
"I'm in law school. I volunteer for the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts in my state, and will soon volunteer for the Rape Crisis Line. I donate money to the Nature Conservancy and am politically active in issues regarding LGBT rights and women's reproductive rights. I plan to practice law in a public interest field in 2.5 years when I graduate, and hope to do a great deal of work pro bono.
"I also am a Hedgehog Welfare Society member, fundraiser and rescuer.
"Tell me, does that make me a bleeding-heart, human-hating animal lover?
"Think about it. I think you'll find that we humans have the capacity to love and help in many ways at once, if we would only get off our butts and do something about the problems we see.
~Kristen
"P.S. If you think raising money for animals is bad, think about the money spent on reality tv, on gadgets and gizmos, on plastic surgery and overall on selfishly extravigant lifestyles. We're talking billions. Yes, more money should go towards helping fix problems in our society. Helping animals is just one area that deserves our attention. It's your money, use it how you think it will help best, but don't criticize other people's efforts to make a difference."
Thursday, December 09, 2004
Talking with Animals
Have y'all seen the "Pet Psychic?" The lady on show is able to talk to the animals and help their owners understand them better. Cool enough, but is it real? Can you really talk with animals?
Well, I've been trying to talk with my Sophie lately. She's such a complicated animal, you know; I'd like to know if there is anything I can do to make her happier, and if she likes me. I have to report, I think I'm making a breakthrough! Everytime I sit quietly with my hedgehog and clear my thoughts, I get the sense that I'm tired! Just like Sophie! She's tired all the time! It's a sign!
I made puppy/people chow to use for Christmas Presents for friends, and wouldn't you know, it didn't turn out quit right. There are some pieces that are good and chocolate-y, but some are just powdered-sugar-covered chex. People will still eat it, right?
Man, my connection with Sophie must be so strong, because I'm just really tired! Maybe I'll give in and take a nap. This animal communication thing is hard work!
~Kristen
Have y'all seen the "Pet Psychic?" The lady on show is able to talk to the animals and help their owners understand them better. Cool enough, but is it real? Can you really talk with animals?
Well, I've been trying to talk with my Sophie lately. She's such a complicated animal, you know; I'd like to know if there is anything I can do to make her happier, and if she likes me. I have to report, I think I'm making a breakthrough! Everytime I sit quietly with my hedgehog and clear my thoughts, I get the sense that I'm tired! Just like Sophie! She's tired all the time! It's a sign!
I made puppy/people chow to use for Christmas Presents for friends, and wouldn't you know, it didn't turn out quit right. There are some pieces that are good and chocolate-y, but some are just powdered-sugar-covered chex. People will still eat it, right?
Man, my connection with Sophie must be so strong, because I'm just really tired! Maybe I'll give in and take a nap. This animal communication thing is hard work!
~Kristen
Wednesday, December 08, 2004
A CURE for allergies??
How cool is science?!? This morning I read an article in the newspaper about how they are working on a vaccination that will work to cure asthma and allergies! I guess it works on the immune system and keeps it from freaking out about stupid and harmless things like bunny fur and blades of grass.
Science is really cool, isn't it? Maybe by the time they come out with those allergin-free cats I won't have allergies anyway!
For now, I'll just work on controlling these stupid migraines. grumblegrumblegrumble...
~Kristen
How cool is science?!? This morning I read an article in the newspaper about how they are working on a vaccination that will work to cure asthma and allergies! I guess it works on the immune system and keeps it from freaking out about stupid and harmless things like bunny fur and blades of grass.
Science is really cool, isn't it? Maybe by the time they come out with those allergin-free cats I won't have allergies anyway!
For now, I'll just work on controlling these stupid migraines. grumblegrumblegrumble...
~Kristen
Monday, December 06, 2004
Finals frustrate me. It's not that they're SOOOO horrible, like some people would like you to think. I have four exams. They will last a total of 14 hours and account for 100% of my grades in 3 classes. Yes, in the short term, they are very stressful things. But really, come on. We'll be all done by Christmas. No one will die. No one's career will be made or broken. Most of us will pass. Besides, we get a month off afterwards to recover. Exams are WAY easier than a bar exam, and studying for these tests is probably less pressure than working for a big firm. And what do we have to complain about? We're part of an elite group of people accepted into law school who will graduate and probably get some of the best-paying jobs out there. Oooo, it's soooo hard to be us.
That said, I still don't like studying. It's annoying. I think the most annoying part is how stressed my classmates get. I like to study in groups, but man, with everyone saying "oh my gosh, I'm sooo gonna fail!" I just feel like, well, yeah, refer to the title of this entry.
Exams are just too small a part of life to get upset about. There are just too many things that matter so much more.
I had written a nice blog last night about a wedding I attended this weekend, but the internets ate it. Damn internets. (anyone watch the presidential debates? anyone?)
Cheers!
Kristen
Friday, December 03, 2004
Bugs are Cool
I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I have this hedgehog named Sophie. ;) Well, her favorite food is bugs. Specifically, she likes can-o-pillars and mealworms.
Mealworms are creepy little bugs, kinda wiggly and squigly and apparently very slurpable. Unlike the can-o-pillars, which are nicely canned in their own juices and VERY dead, mealworms are best served live from the container. I feed these to Sophie by hand. Yes, I hold live mealworms with my bare hands in order to get my pet to like me better.
So, last night I went out and had a couple (2) drinks with my friend Erica (who is attractive and intelligent and single, by the way) while listening to her friend Tani play a really neat-o instrument at Cafe Montmartre (sp?). Upon returning home, I found myself fascinated by the little squiggly mealworms I was feeding Sophie as a snack. Several were in the pupating stage, and there were even some full-grown beetles!!! Yeah, mealworms turn into beetles. I fed those to her quick before they could escape and form a colony in my bedroom.
Well, I was thinking about the little buggers, and I thought, hey, I should feed these things. They come in pre-packed little plastic containers with sawdust in them. I don't know if they eat that stuff or what, but usually I just leave them sitting around until Sophie eats them all up. Last night, however, I decided to give them oatmeal. They seemed to like that, since they wiggled around and maybe munched a bit. Then I thought, what better to go with oatmeal but a water-soaked paper towel! So, I added some little bits of water-soaked paper towel. Those little critters were thirsty as a frat boy on a Sunday morning! When I checked on them earlier, they were all frolicking about the moisture. How neat!
And then I realized I am inches away from raising my own mealworms. I'm crossing the line into being a total slave for my pet.
At the same time, this is the most worthwhile relationship I've had in my short life. That's not saying much, seeing as the object of my affection has spikes and eats bugs. That's not SUCH a high standard for guys to live up to, is it??
I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I have this hedgehog named Sophie. ;) Well, her favorite food is bugs. Specifically, she likes can-o-pillars and mealworms.
Mealworms are creepy little bugs, kinda wiggly and squigly and apparently very slurpable. Unlike the can-o-pillars, which are nicely canned in their own juices and VERY dead, mealworms are best served live from the container. I feed these to Sophie by hand. Yes, I hold live mealworms with my bare hands in order to get my pet to like me better.
So, last night I went out and had a couple (2) drinks with my friend Erica (who is attractive and intelligent and single, by the way) while listening to her friend Tani play a really neat-o instrument at Cafe Montmartre (sp?). Upon returning home, I found myself fascinated by the little squiggly mealworms I was feeding Sophie as a snack. Several were in the pupating stage, and there were even some full-grown beetles!!! Yeah, mealworms turn into beetles. I fed those to her quick before they could escape and form a colony in my bedroom.
Well, I was thinking about the little buggers, and I thought, hey, I should feed these things. They come in pre-packed little plastic containers with sawdust in them. I don't know if they eat that stuff or what, but usually I just leave them sitting around until Sophie eats them all up. Last night, however, I decided to give them oatmeal. They seemed to like that, since they wiggled around and maybe munched a bit. Then I thought, what better to go with oatmeal but a water-soaked paper towel! So, I added some little bits of water-soaked paper towel. Those little critters were thirsty as a frat boy on a Sunday morning! When I checked on them earlier, they were all frolicking about the moisture. How neat!
And then I realized I am inches away from raising my own mealworms. I'm crossing the line into being a total slave for my pet.
At the same time, this is the most worthwhile relationship I've had in my short life. That's not saying much, seeing as the object of my affection has spikes and eats bugs. That's not SUCH a high standard for guys to live up to, is it??
Wednesday, December 01, 2004
Today in Brief
Today's Theme Songs:
"See You When You're Forty" by Dido
"Son Of A Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" Janet Jackson & Carly Simon
Coffee Tonight At:
In The Company Of Thieves
Accomplished:
Nothing academic
2 Miles at the S.E.R.F
Dinner w/ Family, Coffee w/ Ben
Happy Birthday:
Dad is 50!! Happy Birthday Dad!
Mood:
energetic Enthusiastic or Bitter :)
Today I Realized:
I'm soooo ready to be done with classes for a month!
Today's Theme Songs:
"See You When You're Forty" by Dido
"Son Of A Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" Janet Jackson & Carly Simon
Coffee Tonight At:
In The Company Of Thieves
Accomplished:
Nothing academic
2 Miles at the S.E.R.F
Dinner w/ Family, Coffee w/ Ben
Happy Birthday:
Dad is 50!! Happy Birthday Dad!
Mood:
energetic Enthusiastic or Bitter :)
Today I Realized:
I'm soooo ready to be done with classes for a month!
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Catch-up
Eight whole days since I last wrote in my blog! How terrible. I blame the turkey (which was really good, by the way. Thanks mom!).
So, what has been up with me? Oh, lots of things! Let's take a look!
1. Heartache for the Holidays
Doesn't it seem to happen around this time of year? People are either still or suddenly alone, and man does that sting. A couple of friends who were suddenly with someone are now suddenly without. It sucks. I wish that the hurting would stop after a good meal of sushi and beer. Or something like that, anyway. Remember those in your life who are sad and remind them what they mean to you, k? I figure that's the only thing that can help.
2. Shots are Shot
I have to stop my allergy shots. :( I never would have guessed that this would make me sad, but I rather looked forward to seeing the shot-giver every week and proving my bravery by not even flinching when injected. Unfortunately, the beta-blockers will save me from having migraines, but could also kill me if I had a randomly terrible reaction to an injection, so the injections have to wait for a while. I'll probably have to start over with my doses by the time I can get back to it. Sad, so sad.
3. Turkey Day!
My family had a wonderful holiday together. We went to our favorite thankgiving day restaurant for Thanksgiving Lunch, saw National Treasure and got pie at Cracker Barrel. As a special added bonus, we actually cooked a turkey and fixins on Saturday!! This is a big deal. We've been eating out for Thanksgiving for the last 15 or 16 years. And, as a reward for my part in helping out, I got all the left-overs!
4. The Migration Continues
In little over a month several more good friends are departing for their corner of the world. Some will be back from time to time, some not. It's tough when so many people leave so suddenly. I'm really happy that they're graduating or moving up in the world and making things work for them, but will miss them all the same.
5. Singing as a Hobby
I love it! I'm singing for my good friend's wedding this weekend, and for Christmas Eve service back home. I still apparently have a working voice, though it takes ages to warm up these days. It's so fun to pick out music, without any pressure, to sing just because I like it, not becuase there is something I have to learn from it or it's in the correct language. That, and I also found a ton of Christmas-appropriate music to sing that is NOT Oh Holy Night or Ave Maria (which were already claimed by the time they asked me to sing). I like being able to sing because it feels good, rather than having to sing up to a standard or because it's my job. Going to law school was such a good decision!
6. Exams on the Horizon
Yep, they're coming. Class ends next week Tuesday or Wednesday. Exams are on the 13th, 16th, 18th and 22nd. They are each 3.5 hours long beginning at 8:30am. All but one constitutes my entire grade for the class for the semester. I'll be studying a lot :)
There you go! Cheers!
~Kz
Eight whole days since I last wrote in my blog! How terrible. I blame the turkey (which was really good, by the way. Thanks mom!).
So, what has been up with me? Oh, lots of things! Let's take a look!
1. Heartache for the Holidays
Doesn't it seem to happen around this time of year? People are either still or suddenly alone, and man does that sting. A couple of friends who were suddenly with someone are now suddenly without. It sucks. I wish that the hurting would stop after a good meal of sushi and beer. Or something like that, anyway. Remember those in your life who are sad and remind them what they mean to you, k? I figure that's the only thing that can help.
2. Shots are Shot
I have to stop my allergy shots. :( I never would have guessed that this would make me sad, but I rather looked forward to seeing the shot-giver every week and proving my bravery by not even flinching when injected. Unfortunately, the beta-blockers will save me from having migraines, but could also kill me if I had a randomly terrible reaction to an injection, so the injections have to wait for a while. I'll probably have to start over with my doses by the time I can get back to it. Sad, so sad.
3. Turkey Day!
My family had a wonderful holiday together. We went to our favorite thankgiving day restaurant for Thanksgiving Lunch, saw National Treasure and got pie at Cracker Barrel. As a special added bonus, we actually cooked a turkey and fixins on Saturday!! This is a big deal. We've been eating out for Thanksgiving for the last 15 or 16 years. And, as a reward for my part in helping out, I got all the left-overs!
4. The Migration Continues
In little over a month several more good friends are departing for their corner of the world. Some will be back from time to time, some not. It's tough when so many people leave so suddenly. I'm really happy that they're graduating or moving up in the world and making things work for them, but will miss them all the same.
5. Singing as a Hobby
I love it! I'm singing for my good friend's wedding this weekend, and for Christmas Eve service back home. I still apparently have a working voice, though it takes ages to warm up these days. It's so fun to pick out music, without any pressure, to sing just because I like it, not becuase there is something I have to learn from it or it's in the correct language. That, and I also found a ton of Christmas-appropriate music to sing that is NOT Oh Holy Night or Ave Maria (which were already claimed by the time they asked me to sing). I like being able to sing because it feels good, rather than having to sing up to a standard or because it's my job. Going to law school was such a good decision!
6. Exams on the Horizon
Yep, they're coming. Class ends next week Tuesday or Wednesday. Exams are on the 13th, 16th, 18th and 22nd. They are each 3.5 hours long beginning at 8:30am. All but one constitutes my entire grade for the class for the semester. I'll be studying a lot :)
There you go! Cheers!
~Kz
Monday, November 22, 2004
Busy Busy Busy
So, a holiday is almost here and another one close on its heels. That means most of the population of Madison is starting to freak out. The end of the semester has crept up on us again, and everything we have been putting off finally needs to be done. Fortunately, all I have been putting off this year is studying, which everyone is doing this time of year anyway, so I'm not nearly as bad off as when I put off bigger, more important things. These things have been applications for jobs, applications for schools, research papers, speeches, memorization of songs, and reading entire books. I don't miss my undergraduate years.
For now, I must return to writing about the options my hypothetical District Attorney's office has in charging people related to a terrible death of a woman with cerebral palsy. I am on page 3. Whoo hoo.
Okeydokey.
~kz
So, a holiday is almost here and another one close on its heels. That means most of the population of Madison is starting to freak out. The end of the semester has crept up on us again, and everything we have been putting off finally needs to be done. Fortunately, all I have been putting off this year is studying, which everyone is doing this time of year anyway, so I'm not nearly as bad off as when I put off bigger, more important things. These things have been applications for jobs, applications for schools, research papers, speeches, memorization of songs, and reading entire books. I don't miss my undergraduate years.
For now, I must return to writing about the options my hypothetical District Attorney's office has in charging people related to a terrible death of a woman with cerebral palsy. I am on page 3. Whoo hoo.
Okeydokey.
~kz
Friday, November 19, 2004
Splat
So, I was over at my handy dandy Ikea desk checking my e-mail on my laptop while it was plugged into my big music speakers. I brought Sophie with me and set her on the desk portion while I typed and clicked. I was listening to some neat Iranian pop music on iTunes Radio. It has a pretty good bass that resonates through the desk. I took a minute to look and see how she was doing (as she sat between my elbows), and lo and behold, she had splatted out to enjoy the musical vibrations!
So, I was over at my handy dandy Ikea desk checking my e-mail on my laptop while it was plugged into my big music speakers. I brought Sophie with me and set her on the desk portion while I typed and clicked. I was listening to some neat Iranian pop music on iTunes Radio. It has a pretty good bass that resonates through the desk. I took a minute to look and see how she was doing (as she sat between my elbows), and lo and behold, she had splatted out to enjoy the musical vibrations!
Thursday, November 18, 2004
One of those moments...
Do you ever have one of those moments? I don't mean a moment when you realize your fly has been unzipped throughout your speech, or that you remember that you left eggs boiling on the stove (shout-out to my mom, who has some of the funniest cooking stories I've ever heard). I mean a moment where you suddenly realize the course and direction your life is taking. Not just, oh, I'm in law school so I'm gonna be a lawyer. I mean the moment when you read a bit of contracts, think of all you have to learn about them, and realize that not too long in your future you will have an understanding of this and many other very legally useful concepts; that someday soon you will be able to advise people seeking legal information; that you will be one of the people changing the way the law is understood and enforced.
I just had one of those moments. Maybe it's my coffee.
I'm really excited about my future. I think it'll be fun. :)
On a side-note, I'm really feeling excited about the upcoming holiday season. I think this weekend I'll get out my Christmas tree and squeeze it into my 10x10 livingroom, somehow... I can't really afford to buy Christmas presents this year, so I'm trying to think of a cheap, creative but not terribly time-cosuming way to share the joy of the season with friends and loved-ones. If you have any ideas, let me know.
Ok, back to studying, yep, you guessed it, Contracts! Yay!
Do you ever have one of those moments? I don't mean a moment when you realize your fly has been unzipped throughout your speech, or that you remember that you left eggs boiling on the stove (shout-out to my mom, who has some of the funniest cooking stories I've ever heard). I mean a moment where you suddenly realize the course and direction your life is taking. Not just, oh, I'm in law school so I'm gonna be a lawyer. I mean the moment when you read a bit of contracts, think of all you have to learn about them, and realize that not too long in your future you will have an understanding of this and many other very legally useful concepts; that someday soon you will be able to advise people seeking legal information; that you will be one of the people changing the way the law is understood and enforced.
I just had one of those moments. Maybe it's my coffee.
I'm really excited about my future. I think it'll be fun. :)
On a side-note, I'm really feeling excited about the upcoming holiday season. I think this weekend I'll get out my Christmas tree and squeeze it into my 10x10 livingroom, somehow... I can't really afford to buy Christmas presents this year, so I'm trying to think of a cheap, creative but not terribly time-cosuming way to share the joy of the season with friends and loved-ones. If you have any ideas, let me know.
Ok, back to studying, yep, you guessed it, Contracts! Yay!
Monday, November 15, 2004
Passwords
Sorry for not posting for a few days, but I managed to forget my password! Worst of all, I think the e-mail account I signed up for blogger with has been lost to the empty void of cyberspace. Oops. Fortunately, after a couple shots and doses of pills today (thanks UHS), I was able to remember. Whew!
I had a great weekend with my family. We did fun things, like sit around, talk a lot, and go to New York City. You know, just normal weekend things.
I'm being sarcastic, we really don't normally just jet off to NYC for the day. Seriously. But more about that later.
Yes, and two of those pills today were Vicodin. But don't worry, I won't do a Brett Farve. I'll stop, no problem. Well, one more wouldn't hurt...
Ok, I'm kidding again. They gave me two at UHS and two to take home. I'm really worried that y'all will take me seriously today!
Anyway, more later
~Kristen
Sorry for not posting for a few days, but I managed to forget my password! Worst of all, I think the e-mail account I signed up for blogger with has been lost to the empty void of cyberspace. Oops. Fortunately, after a couple shots and doses of pills today (thanks UHS), I was able to remember. Whew!
I had a great weekend with my family. We did fun things, like sit around, talk a lot, and go to New York City. You know, just normal weekend things.
I'm being sarcastic, we really don't normally just jet off to NYC for the day. Seriously. But more about that later.
Yes, and two of those pills today were Vicodin. But don't worry, I won't do a Brett Farve. I'll stop, no problem. Well, one more wouldn't hurt...
Ok, I'm kidding again. They gave me two at UHS and two to take home. I'm really worried that y'all will take me seriously today!
Anyway, more later
~Kristen
Thursday, November 11, 2004
How Christianity Fits My Belief (or vice versa)
Without much explanation, I want to put down in type the ways that my faith meshes with Christianity, how I understand it intellectually. Here is goes:
Prayer - This seems like a sort of meditation, or being very aware of the messages we send ourselves and those around us. I believe it has tremendous power, but maybe doesn't summon literal miracles in the magic sort of sense.
Miracles - Maybe not divine intervention so much as demonstration of the amazing and unknown power we posses, as humans and as a planet. There are lots of forces that we don't understand. Miracles are still very special, but perhaps more organic than we understand.
God - The idea of an old man with a white beard doesn't really fit into the way I see the world. I feel like the idea of God better describes the filament of our world, the source of life and that which connects us all. Higher consciousness, river of energy, karma, these things all kinda fit into it.
Jesus - The person who communicated to people (Jews at the time, Christians now) about God and what is real and important. We are Christians because Jesus is the man who taught us these things. If it had been someone else, we may have been Jews or Muslims or Islamic. Jesus is also symbolic of those unknown powers we posses and the "miracles" that can happen when we believe in something greater than ourselves.
Holidays - Most Christian holidays were first pagan holidays, so the days are really very special anyway. Most of the meaning I find in the various celebrations is symbolic, which I find very inspirational.
None of my beliefs are meant to diminish Christianity or its importance in my life and the lives around me. Rather, it is a way for me to incorporate my life's experiences and the knowledge I've gained into my faith.
It also helps me to reconcile with the blatant patriarchy preached in Christianity (which followed Judaism in direct conflict to the woman God who ruled in early human civilizations, see When God Was A Woman for more info), and, for that matter, the terrible ways in which power-hungry men have used the guise of Christianity to further truly evil aims to horrible ends. As much as Jesus preached peace, Christianity really hasn't followed suit, you gotta admit.
So, that's what I believe. Mine is but one path to the top of the mountain, no better and no less.
Without much explanation, I want to put down in type the ways that my faith meshes with Christianity, how I understand it intellectually. Here is goes:
Prayer - This seems like a sort of meditation, or being very aware of the messages we send ourselves and those around us. I believe it has tremendous power, but maybe doesn't summon literal miracles in the magic sort of sense.
Miracles - Maybe not divine intervention so much as demonstration of the amazing and unknown power we posses, as humans and as a planet. There are lots of forces that we don't understand. Miracles are still very special, but perhaps more organic than we understand.
God - The idea of an old man with a white beard doesn't really fit into the way I see the world. I feel like the idea of God better describes the filament of our world, the source of life and that which connects us all. Higher consciousness, river of energy, karma, these things all kinda fit into it.
Jesus - The person who communicated to people (Jews at the time, Christians now) about God and what is real and important. We are Christians because Jesus is the man who taught us these things. If it had been someone else, we may have been Jews or Muslims or Islamic. Jesus is also symbolic of those unknown powers we posses and the "miracles" that can happen when we believe in something greater than ourselves.
Holidays - Most Christian holidays were first pagan holidays, so the days are really very special anyway. Most of the meaning I find in the various celebrations is symbolic, which I find very inspirational.
None of my beliefs are meant to diminish Christianity or its importance in my life and the lives around me. Rather, it is a way for me to incorporate my life's experiences and the knowledge I've gained into my faith.
It also helps me to reconcile with the blatant patriarchy preached in Christianity (which followed Judaism in direct conflict to the woman God who ruled in early human civilizations, see When God Was A Woman for more info), and, for that matter, the terrible ways in which power-hungry men have used the guise of Christianity to further truly evil aims to horrible ends. As much as Jesus preached peace, Christianity really hasn't followed suit, you gotta admit.
So, that's what I believe. Mine is but one path to the top of the mountain, no better and no less.
How Christianity Fits My Belief (or vice versa)
Without much explanation, I want to put down in type the ways that my faith meshes with Christianity, how I understand it intellectually. Here is goes:
Prayer - This seems like a sort of meditation, or being very aware of the messages we send ourselves and those around us. I believe it has tremendous power, but maybe doesn't summon literal miracles in the magic sort of sense.
Miracles - Maybe not divine intervention so much as demonstration of the amazing and unknown power we posses, as humans and as a planet. There are lots of forces that we don't understand. Miracles are still very special, but perhaps more organic than we understand.
God - The idea of an old man with a white beard doesn't really fit into the way I see the world. I feel like the idea of God better describes the filament of our world, the source of life and that which connects us all. Higher consciousness, river of energy, karma, these things all kinda fit into it.
Jesus - The person who communicated to people (Jews at the time, Christians now) about God and what is real and important. We are Christians because Jesus is the man who taught us these things. If it had been someone else, we may have been Jews or Muslims or Islamic. Jesus is also symbolic of those unknown powers we posses and the "miracles" that can happen when we believe in something greater than ourselves.
Holidays - Most Christian holidays were first pagan holidays, so the days are really very special anyway. Most of the meaning I find in the various celebrations is symbolic, which I find very inspirational.
None of my beliefs are meant to diminish Christianity or its importance in my life and the lives around me. Rather, it is a way for me to incorporate my life's experiences and the knowledge I've gained into my faith.
It also helps me to reconcile with the blatant patriarchy preached in Christianity (which followed Judaism in direct conflict to the woman God who ruled in early human civilizations, see When God Was A Woman for more info), and, for that matter, the terrible ways in which power-hungry men have used the guise of Christianity to further truly evil aims to horrible ends. As much as Jesus preached peace, Christianity really hasn't followed suit, you gotta admit.
So, that's what I believe. Mine is but one path to the top of the mountain, no better and no less.
Without much explanation, I want to put down in type the ways that my faith meshes with Christianity, how I understand it intellectually. Here is goes:
Prayer - This seems like a sort of meditation, or being very aware of the messages we send ourselves and those around us. I believe it has tremendous power, but maybe doesn't summon literal miracles in the magic sort of sense.
Miracles - Maybe not divine intervention so much as demonstration of the amazing and unknown power we posses, as humans and as a planet. There are lots of forces that we don't understand. Miracles are still very special, but perhaps more organic than we understand.
God - The idea of an old man with a white beard doesn't really fit into the way I see the world. I feel like the idea of God better describes the filament of our world, the source of life and that which connects us all. Higher consciousness, river of energy, karma, these things all kinda fit into it.
Jesus - The person who communicated to people (Jews at the time, Christians now) about God and what is real and important. We are Christians because Jesus is the man who taught us these things. If it had been someone else, we may have been Jews or Muslims or Islamic. Jesus is also symbolic of those unknown powers we posses and the "miracles" that can happen when we believe in something greater than ourselves.
Holidays - Most Christian holidays were first pagan holidays, so the days are really very special anyway. Most of the meaning I find in the various celebrations is symbolic, which I find very inspirational.
None of my beliefs are meant to diminish Christianity or its importance in my life and the lives around me. Rather, it is a way for me to incorporate my life's experiences and the knowledge I've gained into my faith.
It also helps me to reconcile with the blatant patriarchy preached in Christianity (which followed Judaism in direct conflict to the woman God who ruled in early human civilizations, see When God Was A Woman for more info), and, for that matter, the terrible ways in which power-hungry men have used the guise of Christianity to further truly evil aims to horrible ends. As much as Jesus preached peace, Christianity really hasn't followed suit, you gotta admit.
So, that's what I believe. Mine is but one path to the top of the mountain, no better and no less.
Monday, November 08, 2004
So, it's Monday. Think it's not a good day? How wrong you are, my friend! Tonight, the proverbial "they" are predicting another excellent night for viewing the Northern Lights!! I saw an amazing display last night as my dad drove me from Germantown to Madison. Wow, what a sight! So, tonight, go somewhere dark and look north! Also, I guess there's a pretty good website out there that tracks sightings of the Northern Lights, but I don't know what it is. I'll ask my mom what site she used and get back to you.
Cheers!
~Kristen
Cheers!
~Kristen
Thursday, November 04, 2004
So, after the depression
...comes the very fun and relaxing morning courtesy of skipping my Civil Procedure class. You know, life is better when I don't go to Civil Procedure class.
Television is really kinda calming. I've been watching the Travel Channel. The "Get Packing" show is refreshingly, well, moronic. I just ate a noodle bowl by Simply Asian, which I really liked.
It was just nice to get up this morning, nice and early, eat some breakfast, and go back to sleep with my hedgehog snuggled up next to me. :)
You know, things really are ok. They will be ok.
Can I just say that this commercial that's on Travel Channel, Animal Planet, etc is hilarious? It's for "Life Alert", a little button to push if you fall and you're old. Oh my gosh, it's these people who look like they're from some trailer park and haven't left the house in decades. The best is this goofy looking "doctor" who says, and I quote, "If you fall, the chances of reaching a phone are very unlikely." It makes me smile every time I see it. :)
I'm gonna go snuggle with my hedgehog and eat some string cheese!
~Kristen
...comes the very fun and relaxing morning courtesy of skipping my Civil Procedure class. You know, life is better when I don't go to Civil Procedure class.
Television is really kinda calming. I've been watching the Travel Channel. The "Get Packing" show is refreshingly, well, moronic. I just ate a noodle bowl by Simply Asian, which I really liked.
It was just nice to get up this morning, nice and early, eat some breakfast, and go back to sleep with my hedgehog snuggled up next to me. :)
You know, things really are ok. They will be ok.
Can I just say that this commercial that's on Travel Channel, Animal Planet, etc is hilarious? It's for "Life Alert", a little button to push if you fall and you're old. Oh my gosh, it's these people who look like they're from some trailer park and haven't left the house in decades. The best is this goofy looking "doctor" who says, and I quote, "If you fall, the chances of reaching a phone are very unlikely." It makes me smile every time I see it. :)
I'm gonna go snuggle with my hedgehog and eat some string cheese!
~Kristen
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
Shock and Heartache
I've heard before that Madison is insulated, that we are an island of liberalism and education. I've heard that academia is it's own world as well, something separate from the "real world." I've been told that I'm young and naive, privileged and lucky. You would think that I would expect to be let down and hurt as reality invades my experience.
It doesn't make it any easier.
Oh, I could be talking about the election. My candidate for president didn't win. Sure, this was a let-down, but really, the choice between two politicians is never that different. Yes, the conservatism of the current administration worries me, but there are many ways to affect change if I feel so threatened. I still have a lot of power as a citizen and a future lawyer. Besides, four years from now we'll have a different president regardless. Life goes on.
What really has injured me today was the realization of the prevalence of ignorance. Not just in my neighborhood. Not just in my state, but everywhere. I am injured that hate and bigotry and prejudice and just plain ignorance permeates our society and lingers even as we claim victories through equal rights amendments and education.
It hurts.
On one hand, I am looking into the developing field of Animal Law, about which I have written before. I actually found a yahoo group on the subject of Wisconsin Law, which is pretty interesting. Encouraged by the existence of such a group, I decided to look up information on feminist groups, since that is also a cause I care strongly about.
What I found, instead, were heavily populated groups on something called Anti-feminism. Here are some excerpts on what they had to say:
"feminism_is_wrong
Do you believe that feminism is the great lie of the last 100 years? A list for those who believe that feminism is WRONG -- that all leaders (in homes, churches, government and schools) should be MALE. If you believe in patriarchy, if you believe that allowing women to vote is wrong, if you think that female preachers aren't right, join us. We'll talk about right relationships in the family, women as keepers at home, male headship, headcovering, homeschooling, and lots more."
"feminism-nothanks
This group is for intelligent discussions on how to counteract the destructive effects of feminism that has already destroyed the American family and is destroying the entire fabric of our society."
"TeenAnti-Feminism
A haven for Teen Anti-Feminists ( youth who are Against feminism, and who are pro-life ) to have a place of their own to come and discuss Anti-Feminists issues. Also to discuss the new Youth for Anti-Feminism the youth arm of the new National Organization for Anti-Feminism"
This exists. This is out there.
it hurts
I've heard before that Madison is insulated, that we are an island of liberalism and education. I've heard that academia is it's own world as well, something separate from the "real world." I've been told that I'm young and naive, privileged and lucky. You would think that I would expect to be let down and hurt as reality invades my experience.
It doesn't make it any easier.
Oh, I could be talking about the election. My candidate for president didn't win. Sure, this was a let-down, but really, the choice between two politicians is never that different. Yes, the conservatism of the current administration worries me, but there are many ways to affect change if I feel so threatened. I still have a lot of power as a citizen and a future lawyer. Besides, four years from now we'll have a different president regardless. Life goes on.
What really has injured me today was the realization of the prevalence of ignorance. Not just in my neighborhood. Not just in my state, but everywhere. I am injured that hate and bigotry and prejudice and just plain ignorance permeates our society and lingers even as we claim victories through equal rights amendments and education.
It hurts.
On one hand, I am looking into the developing field of Animal Law, about which I have written before. I actually found a yahoo group on the subject of Wisconsin Law, which is pretty interesting. Encouraged by the existence of such a group, I decided to look up information on feminist groups, since that is also a cause I care strongly about.
What I found, instead, were heavily populated groups on something called Anti-feminism. Here are some excerpts on what they had to say:
"feminism_is_wrong
Do you believe that feminism is the great lie of the last 100 years? A list for those who believe that feminism is WRONG -- that all leaders (in homes, churches, government and schools) should be MALE. If you believe in patriarchy, if you believe that allowing women to vote is wrong, if you think that female preachers aren't right, join us. We'll talk about right relationships in the family, women as keepers at home, male headship, headcovering, homeschooling, and lots more."
"feminism-nothanks
This group is for intelligent discussions on how to counteract the destructive effects of feminism that has already destroyed the American family and is destroying the entire fabric of our society."
"TeenAnti-Feminism
A haven for Teen Anti-Feminists ( youth who are Against feminism, and who are pro-life ) to have a place of their own to come and discuss Anti-Feminists issues. Also to discuss the new Youth for Anti-Feminism the youth arm of the new National Organization for Anti-Feminism"
This exists. This is out there.
it hurts
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
40 Minutes In and Still Awake!!
This is the first time in over two weeks that I can say that I HAVE NOT DOZED A BIT in my Civil Procedure course! Yay!
We're talking about three reasons not to like jury trials. Over 50% of the class said that it was because jurors are incompetent. That was my answer too. I figure it's because I wouldn't want the people I went to high school with deciding my fate. Maybe just my personal prejudice.
VOTE!!
This is the first time in over two weeks that I can say that I HAVE NOT DOZED A BIT in my Civil Procedure course! Yay!
We're talking about three reasons not to like jury trials. Over 50% of the class said that it was because jurors are incompetent. That was my answer too. I figure it's because I wouldn't want the people I went to high school with deciding my fate. Maybe just my personal prejudice.
VOTE!!
Monday, November 01, 2004
Halloween!
Yes, I was amongst those who flocked to State Street on Saturday, October 30th. It was such a great time, to say the very least. During the hours I was part of the crowd (between 8 and 11), the atmosphere was jovial, friendly and safe. The Madison Police did a fantastic job of remaining a strong presence throughout the evening. The two officers with whom I conversed were in good spirits and seemed to wish only to avoid violence and riots. I could sure agree with them on that!
As you can see, my costume was a home-made version of one of Wisconsin's least endangered animals, the construction barrel. Though most often sighted in large groups during the summer months, the construction barrel can also be seen in small, lingering clumps through the winter months, especially in large cities. Notice the bright orange and reflective coat, perfectly designed to maximize aggravation to unsuspecting drivers. Notice that the two barrels pictured above are juveniles, lacking the distinctive skid and tire marks of the mature members of the species.
Election tomorrow. Don't forget to vote. Hah. The only people who could possibly "forget" that tomorrow is election day have no electricity, access to media, telephones or friends. Thus, no one reading this fits the bill. Unless you have no friends, in which case you should probably shower more.
Goodnight!
Yes, I was amongst those who flocked to State Street on Saturday, October 30th. It was such a great time, to say the very least. During the hours I was part of the crowd (between 8 and 11), the atmosphere was jovial, friendly and safe. The Madison Police did a fantastic job of remaining a strong presence throughout the evening. The two officers with whom I conversed were in good spirits and seemed to wish only to avoid violence and riots. I could sure agree with them on that!
As you can see, my costume was a home-made version of one of Wisconsin's least endangered animals, the construction barrel. Though most often sighted in large groups during the summer months, the construction barrel can also be seen in small, lingering clumps through the winter months, especially in large cities. Notice the bright orange and reflective coat, perfectly designed to maximize aggravation to unsuspecting drivers. Notice that the two barrels pictured above are juveniles, lacking the distinctive skid and tire marks of the mature members of the species.
Election tomorrow. Don't forget to vote. Hah. The only people who could possibly "forget" that tomorrow is election day have no electricity, access to media, telephones or friends. Thus, no one reading this fits the bill. Unless you have no friends, in which case you should probably shower more.
Goodnight!
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
A Hedgieblog
Today I slept about 12.5 hours, minus a half-hour where I got up to eat my frosted mini-wheats (generic version). After eating, I decided it would be nice to sleep away the rest of the morning with Sophie, my hedgie. As usual, she wiggled loose of her blankie as soon as I got into bed and dove under the covers. She usually finds her way to a small depression in the mattress somewhere about a foot to the left of my feet, but this time she decided to stay near me. In fact, she found my feet, sniffed them a bit, decided they would probably taste good and started chewing on my socks (hedgies have a habit of tasting things they think smell good and then anointing themselves with the scent by licking their backs). After she was sure they were dead, she crawled over them, kinda dug at them with her paws, and snuggled up to my right foot, tummy to sole, with her head resting on the side of my heel. I'm sure it would have looked adorable if I could have seen. She and I slept for a while like that until I had to get up and go to my waste of a class (contracts). She made sure to let me know she was NOT happy with me when I moved her back to her apartment. What a cutie. :)
Cuddling feels good, even if it's just a hedgehog cuddling with my foot.
Today I slept about 12.5 hours, minus a half-hour where I got up to eat my frosted mini-wheats (generic version). After eating, I decided it would be nice to sleep away the rest of the morning with Sophie, my hedgie. As usual, she wiggled loose of her blankie as soon as I got into bed and dove under the covers. She usually finds her way to a small depression in the mattress somewhere about a foot to the left of my feet, but this time she decided to stay near me. In fact, she found my feet, sniffed them a bit, decided they would probably taste good and started chewing on my socks (hedgies have a habit of tasting things they think smell good and then anointing themselves with the scent by licking their backs). After she was sure they were dead, she crawled over them, kinda dug at them with her paws, and snuggled up to my right foot, tummy to sole, with her head resting on the side of my heel. I'm sure it would have looked adorable if I could have seen. She and I slept for a while like that until I had to get up and go to my waste of a class (contracts). She made sure to let me know she was NOT happy with me when I moved her back to her apartment. What a cutie. :)
Cuddling feels good, even if it's just a hedgehog cuddling with my foot.
Sunday, October 24, 2004
Animal Law Conference, Chickens and Karaoke Kid
First, I need to post this link. Someday I will own chickens, too.
I am strongly considering attending an Animal Law conference the weekend of the 5th of November. It sounds like a great place to find out more about animal law, meet some people that I could possibly work with next summer and be with others who care about animals. The only problem is that the conference is being held in CT, which means I'd have to pay for the flight as well as registration fee and hotel cost. It sounds amazing, though. Check it out for yourself.
Finally, Karaoke Kid. Some friends and I went and sang on Friday night, with about 40 drunk and obnoxious sports fans. It was a great time, minus the drunk sports fans. I found out that they have two private singing rooms that groups can rent for 25 dollars an hour. For less than 5 dollars a person you can sing all the songs you like and not have to wait 130 minutes to sing (grumble grumble stupid drunk sports fans grumble grumble). I love karaoke.
First, I need to post this link. Someday I will own chickens, too.
I am strongly considering attending an Animal Law conference the weekend of the 5th of November. It sounds like a great place to find out more about animal law, meet some people that I could possibly work with next summer and be with others who care about animals. The only problem is that the conference is being held in CT, which means I'd have to pay for the flight as well as registration fee and hotel cost. It sounds amazing, though. Check it out for yourself.
Finally, Karaoke Kid. Some friends and I went and sang on Friday night, with about 40 drunk and obnoxious sports fans. It was a great time, minus the drunk sports fans. I found out that they have two private singing rooms that groups can rent for 25 dollars an hour. For less than 5 dollars a person you can sing all the songs you like and not have to wait 130 minutes to sing (grumble grumble stupid drunk sports fans grumble grumble). I love karaoke.
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Things That Make Christian Fundamentalists Look Stupid
Hah, where to begin...
Well, I guess, for the sake of brevity, and because I'm currently in Contracts class, I'll just include this link and explain it.
The Bible Explains the Grand Canyon
So, the gift shop at the Grand Canyon has to promote a book that says the Grand Canyon is not actually the result of environmental factors working through the geologic deposits in the area, but actually the result of Noah's Great Flood!! Oh my gosh! How could we have been so blind???
Actually, it makes me want to barf. I think it's kinda nice, though... we don't have to worry about making religious fanatics look stupid. They do such a great job themselves.
Oh, and Aretha Franklin didn't sing "I will Survive". I always forget that.
Hah, where to begin...
Well, I guess, for the sake of brevity, and because I'm currently in Contracts class, I'll just include this link and explain it.
The Bible Explains the Grand Canyon
So, the gift shop at the Grand Canyon has to promote a book that says the Grand Canyon is not actually the result of environmental factors working through the geologic deposits in the area, but actually the result of Noah's Great Flood!! Oh my gosh! How could we have been so blind???
Actually, it makes me want to barf. I think it's kinda nice, though... we don't have to worry about making religious fanatics look stupid. They do such a great job themselves.
Oh, and Aretha Franklin didn't sing "I will Survive". I always forget that.
Friday, October 15, 2004
Why Aretha Franklin is the Best Ever
I’m on the Badger Bus heading away from Madison and towards Germantown. Well, technically I think I’m headed to Milwaukee, but somewhere along the line I’m going to get off and veer north towards Germantown. That’s still an hour away. Until then I have my laptop and Contracts book to amuse me. And, of course Aretha Franklin.
Admittedly, I don’t have an album devoted to Her Greatness, but R.E.S.P.E.C.T. does make an appearance on the Forrest Gump album (which I DO have). Oh, Aretha. So strong, such attitude, and such darn good singing! I don’t know much about her (not to self: I should learn more about Aretha Franklin), but I imagine she would be just the kind of woman I admire. She’s not a violent feminist. In fact, I imagine she still conformed to certain societal expectations for women in her day. But she seemed to make it clear: she’d play the game, but you had better know she was in charge. She could still have a broken heart, but she wasn’t about to let some man get her down. She would survive!
I really need to sing that at karaoke soon. I will survive!
It’s interesting… She could be strong and have attitude, but all the guys still wanted her. She was still a big star. She’s my hero.
I’ll stick to law school and karaoke for now.
I’m on the Badger Bus heading away from Madison and towards Germantown. Well, technically I think I’m headed to Milwaukee, but somewhere along the line I’m going to get off and veer north towards Germantown. That’s still an hour away. Until then I have my laptop and Contracts book to amuse me. And, of course Aretha Franklin.
Admittedly, I don’t have an album devoted to Her Greatness, but R.E.S.P.E.C.T. does make an appearance on the Forrest Gump album (which I DO have). Oh, Aretha. So strong, such attitude, and such darn good singing! I don’t know much about her (not to self: I should learn more about Aretha Franklin), but I imagine she would be just the kind of woman I admire. She’s not a violent feminist. In fact, I imagine she still conformed to certain societal expectations for women in her day. But she seemed to make it clear: she’d play the game, but you had better know she was in charge. She could still have a broken heart, but she wasn’t about to let some man get her down. She would survive!
I really need to sing that at karaoke soon. I will survive!
It’s interesting… She could be strong and have attitude, but all the guys still wanted her. She was still a big star. She’s my hero.
I’ll stick to law school and karaoke for now.
Thursday, October 14, 2004
Of Migraines and M&M's
Mmmm. M&M's are good. Especially with peanuts. And I feel floaty. I warned my professor that I might seem floaty this half of class because of the migraine and nausea pills. She seemed happy to know this in advance.
I saw a former classmate dressed up as spiderman yesterday, running up and down library mall shouting. I'm too young to have senile friends.
My therapist says my migraines are probably due to tension and I need to avoid being so tense. It's hard to be tense when you feel floaty.
Mmmm. M&M's are good. Especially with peanuts. And I feel floaty. I warned my professor that I might seem floaty this half of class because of the migraine and nausea pills. She seemed happy to know this in advance.
I saw a former classmate dressed up as spiderman yesterday, running up and down library mall shouting. I'm too young to have senile friends.
My therapist says my migraines are probably due to tension and I need to avoid being so tense. It's hard to be tense when you feel floaty.
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Puggy Luv
Tonight I attended a debate gathering with some friends and former co-workers (who are also friends, but whom I differentiate just the same). The woman who hosted had a lovely home on the near east side of Madison, complete with Ikea and Restoration Hardware items and... a PUG!!
As you may know, I don't really like politics. It's deviceive, deceitful and downright dirty. I've watched the debates to see the candidates for myself, without so much spin. Tonight, though, it was more of the same.
Thus, the Pug.
She was a 7 year old puppy who loved to sit on laps and smile. She didn't eat food off the table though it was well within reach. She jumped up towards the t.v. whenever an animal was shown, just to keep us safe. She loved to give kisses and snorted whenever you told her "no." She was just adorable!
Oh, the puggy love!
It's hard for me to imagine feeling more loved than I do after spending time with a friendly puppy. It leaves me feeling warm, happy and sneezing. :)
Tonight I attended a debate gathering with some friends and former co-workers (who are also friends, but whom I differentiate just the same). The woman who hosted had a lovely home on the near east side of Madison, complete with Ikea and Restoration Hardware items and... a PUG!!
As you may know, I don't really like politics. It's deviceive, deceitful and downright dirty. I've watched the debates to see the candidates for myself, without so much spin. Tonight, though, it was more of the same.
Thus, the Pug.
She was a 7 year old puppy who loved to sit on laps and smile. She didn't eat food off the table though it was well within reach. She jumped up towards the t.v. whenever an animal was shown, just to keep us safe. She loved to give kisses and snorted whenever you told her "no." She was just adorable!
Oh, the puggy love!
It's hard for me to imagine feeling more loved than I do after spending time with a friendly puppy. It leaves me feeling warm, happy and sneezing. :)
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
Darn it's good to be a 1L
I went to see a recital last night by Susan Gaeddert and Julia Foster (two names to look for in lists of up-and-coming). It was the first recital I've attended since leaving my music study to become a law student.
Leaving music to study law was a really hard decision for me. It really took the loss of my voice to convince me that I should go a different direction, but that was only after years of questioning, doubt, worry and fear about my future. How could I turn my back on practicality and any hope of security by following my dream of singing?
I didn't commit to the idea of law school right away. I didn't want to give up my dream, or have a new dream and risk losing it so soon. Yet the more I learned about law school, the more I experienced and understood, the more I knew that this is where I need to be.
Last night, listening to Julia's beautiful singing, it really hit home. It was beautiful; the music took me miles and miles from my everyday cares and worries. It made me laugh, and it really did (almost) make me cry. I could listen and think, "Wow, that's beautiful."
I didn't feel like I had to compete. I didn't feel inadequate. I didn't feel jealous.
I just thought, "Wow, that's beautiful."
And I like being able to think that. I don't miss the other feelings at all. I'm happy just to listen.
I'm doing the right thing after all. :)
I went to see a recital last night by Susan Gaeddert and Julia Foster (two names to look for in lists of up-and-coming). It was the first recital I've attended since leaving my music study to become a law student.
Leaving music to study law was a really hard decision for me. It really took the loss of my voice to convince me that I should go a different direction, but that was only after years of questioning, doubt, worry and fear about my future. How could I turn my back on practicality and any hope of security by following my dream of singing?
I didn't commit to the idea of law school right away. I didn't want to give up my dream, or have a new dream and risk losing it so soon. Yet the more I learned about law school, the more I experienced and understood, the more I knew that this is where I need to be.
Last night, listening to Julia's beautiful singing, it really hit home. It was beautiful; the music took me miles and miles from my everyday cares and worries. It made me laugh, and it really did (almost) make me cry. I could listen and think, "Wow, that's beautiful."
I didn't feel like I had to compete. I didn't feel inadequate. I didn't feel jealous.
I just thought, "Wow, that's beautiful."
And I like being able to think that. I don't miss the other feelings at all. I'm happy just to listen.
I'm doing the right thing after all. :)
Friday, October 08, 2004
A Quick Update
I realize I haven't written in a few days. Thus, since I am home and have time, I will compose a quick synopsis of my week.
I am sad to report that I am still having trouble with migraines. I was migraine-free yesterday and today until about 9:00 p.m. Other than that, they have still been daily, though varying in ferocity. I have made it to all my classes, and even worked out three times this week at the S.E.R.F. I figure as long as I am moving forward with my physicians (I'm seeing her again on Monday) and able to function, I'll survive just fine. Besides, if I'm doing ok now, think of how much I will accomplish when I DON'T have almost daily migraines!
I watched the presidential debates again this evening with a group of former co-workers and friends. It is such a good time to sit around and talk at the television and keep up on the latest in political news. It's a decisively pro-Kerry crowd (what a shocker in Madison), but there is a lot of intelligent discussion about both candidates. At one point tonight it hit me though; we as middle class people (or lower, depending on how much we owe in student loans) will never have the opportunity to run for president. We could never afford to. Seems kinda sad to me.
I tried to donate blood today. I say try because I guess my iron levels were slightly too low for them to accept my blood. HOWEVER this is the first time EVER that I've gotten my finger pricked and not felt dizzy or passed out! I was so proud of myself! I figure that even though I couldn't donate today, I am at least one step closer to being able to donate eventually. Hooray!
I ordered Chinese food for dinner tonight. I was kinda sad it came drenched in brown sauce and the spicy food wasn't really spicy, but this is the first food I've had delivered to my house since I moved here. I'm glad I have been able to hold out so far.
I've also started reading the final Dark Tower book by Steven King. It's really good so far. I anticipate it will take longer for me to read than any of the books so far. Part of the reason is that it's a very large book. Part, though, is because I don't have a lot of time for pleasure reading.
I also took my first bath in my new apartment. It's a pretty good tub. The only problem is that there is no slope to the back end, it's just a ninety degree angle. The bath pillow helps. I'm glad to finally have a good soaking tub that I trust! It sure will come in handy around exams when my back is spasming from hand-writing my 4 hour exams :)
Ok, this has taken me an hour to write with phone calls and instant messages to distract me. I think I'll go cuddle with my hedgehog and call it a night.
I realize I haven't written in a few days. Thus, since I am home and have time, I will compose a quick synopsis of my week.
I am sad to report that I am still having trouble with migraines. I was migraine-free yesterday and today until about 9:00 p.m. Other than that, they have still been daily, though varying in ferocity. I have made it to all my classes, and even worked out three times this week at the S.E.R.F. I figure as long as I am moving forward with my physicians (I'm seeing her again on Monday) and able to function, I'll survive just fine. Besides, if I'm doing ok now, think of how much I will accomplish when I DON'T have almost daily migraines!
I watched the presidential debates again this evening with a group of former co-workers and friends. It is such a good time to sit around and talk at the television and keep up on the latest in political news. It's a decisively pro-Kerry crowd (what a shocker in Madison), but there is a lot of intelligent discussion about both candidates. At one point tonight it hit me though; we as middle class people (or lower, depending on how much we owe in student loans) will never have the opportunity to run for president. We could never afford to. Seems kinda sad to me.
I tried to donate blood today. I say try because I guess my iron levels were slightly too low for them to accept my blood. HOWEVER this is the first time EVER that I've gotten my finger pricked and not felt dizzy or passed out! I was so proud of myself! I figure that even though I couldn't donate today, I am at least one step closer to being able to donate eventually. Hooray!
I ordered Chinese food for dinner tonight. I was kinda sad it came drenched in brown sauce and the spicy food wasn't really spicy, but this is the first food I've had delivered to my house since I moved here. I'm glad I have been able to hold out so far.
I've also started reading the final Dark Tower book by Steven King. It's really good so far. I anticipate it will take longer for me to read than any of the books so far. Part of the reason is that it's a very large book. Part, though, is because I don't have a lot of time for pleasure reading.
I also took my first bath in my new apartment. It's a pretty good tub. The only problem is that there is no slope to the back end, it's just a ninety degree angle. The bath pillow helps. I'm glad to finally have a good soaking tub that I trust! It sure will come in handy around exams when my back is spasming from hand-writing my 4 hour exams :)
Ok, this has taken me an hour to write with phone calls and instant messages to distract me. I think I'll go cuddle with my hedgehog and call it a night.
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
After the Storm
I just finished up my midterm for Civil Procedure. It went alright. As much as I worried about the pain I was going to experience through my death-grip of the pen and my shoulder tensing up, having to take the exam with pen and paper wasn't terrible. My shoulder and back are definitely sore, and really, I only wrote for half an hour, so I think I'll need to schedule a massage after all of my semester exams.
The scariest thing about the exam was that I finished in half the time we were allotted.
Looking at the "Model Answer," I did miss a few things, but not nearly as much as I was afraid I would. I think the reason I finished so quickly was that I wrote and thought at the same time, instead of taking time to think first and write second. I think I'll try that think-then-write strategy in the future.
So, I survived. I got 6 hours of sleep, mostly because I stayed up late to do SBA election stuff (I'm running for student council). I packed my lunch for today (mmm hummus and bean sprouts and tomatoes and tomato-basil wrap make a yummy sandwich!). I even planned when I would prepare for my afternoon classes. Law school is hard, don't get me wrong, but it is definitely more survivable that I would have thought.
Ask me how I feel about it after my final exams. It might be a different sentiment.
I just finished up my midterm for Civil Procedure. It went alright. As much as I worried about the pain I was going to experience through my death-grip of the pen and my shoulder tensing up, having to take the exam with pen and paper wasn't terrible. My shoulder and back are definitely sore, and really, I only wrote for half an hour, so I think I'll need to schedule a massage after all of my semester exams.
The scariest thing about the exam was that I finished in half the time we were allotted.
Looking at the "Model Answer," I did miss a few things, but not nearly as much as I was afraid I would. I think the reason I finished so quickly was that I wrote and thought at the same time, instead of taking time to think first and write second. I think I'll try that think-then-write strategy in the future.
So, I survived. I got 6 hours of sleep, mostly because I stayed up late to do SBA election stuff (I'm running for student council). I packed my lunch for today (mmm hummus and bean sprouts and tomatoes and tomato-basil wrap make a yummy sandwich!). I even planned when I would prepare for my afternoon classes. Law school is hard, don't get me wrong, but it is definitely more survivable that I would have thought.
Ask me how I feel about it after my final exams. It might be a different sentiment.
Thursday, September 30, 2004
BINGO!
or The Presidential Debate
I don't like politics. It's messy. People get upset about it. There is rarely a definite line between right and wrong. Most of all, there are too many names to remember. But, tonight I found a way to make politics a lot more interesting.
It's called Presidential Debate Bingo.
Not only did it allow me to focus on important topics, such as weapons of mass destruction and waffles, it also gave me an incentive to pay attention. I must admit, with the help of this game, I was hanging on both candidates' every word! In fact, I even cheered them on. Say "Mission Accomplished!" Call him a flip flopper! Go go go!
The next presidential debates are October 8th and 13th. Plan a party, print out some cards (they change each time you push refresh), and have a grand ole bi-partisan time!
or The Presidential Debate
I don't like politics. It's messy. People get upset about it. There is rarely a definite line between right and wrong. Most of all, there are too many names to remember. But, tonight I found a way to make politics a lot more interesting.
It's called Presidential Debate Bingo.
Not only did it allow me to focus on important topics, such as weapons of mass destruction and waffles, it also gave me an incentive to pay attention. I must admit, with the help of this game, I was hanging on both candidates' every word! In fact, I even cheered them on. Say "Mission Accomplished!" Call him a flip flopper! Go go go!
The next presidential debates are October 8th and 13th. Plan a party, print out some cards (they change each time you push refresh), and have a grand ole bi-partisan time!
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
Monday, September 27, 2004
Killer Winter Boots!
My boots arrived today. I bought them a while ago during a class, probably contracts. They were initially appealing because they don't have heels. You would be surprised how many "winter" boots for women have huge high heels. Where would I be walking in winter where the weather necessitates a boot, but where a high heel would cause me to fall and kill myself? I'm a little fuzzy on how that is supposed to benefit me, or any woman for that matter.
Beyond the lack of a high heel, these boots are still supreme. They are tested and certified to -22 degrees Fahrenheit. They are waterproof, with fake furry stuff at the top. They also look like mean winter stomping boots, which is exactly what I was looking for.
Of course, I haven't tried them on yet.
Sunday, September 26, 2004
Single
I realized today that more and more of my friends are coupling off. Friends who have been single for a little bit are finding new people to pique their interest. Other friends who have never, ever, in the many years I've known them, dated, are suddenly finding that person they were always looking for. Add to that the fact that I know of possibly two people in my law school classes who aren't married or in long-term relationships.
It adds up to this: I feel very, very single.
Not that good kind of single, where you're all keyed up to go out on the town and hunt for manflesh. Not that "full of possibility" feeling. It's more the feeling that school will keep me so busy that I won't have the time nor energy for at least three months to go out and find a date. It's that uneasy feeling that I probably won't even notice that much.
Well, it's not like I haven't been completely single before. There are certainly positive aspects to not having to tell anyone where you're going or why. It's nice knowing that I can take a break from any drama that might come with a relationship. All in all, it's probably not a bad thing to be single.
It's just that no one else seems to be.
P.S. Read Something Positive I picked out a nice lonely one. To really get a feel for the comic, start from the beginning.
I realized today that more and more of my friends are coupling off. Friends who have been single for a little bit are finding new people to pique their interest. Other friends who have never, ever, in the many years I've known them, dated, are suddenly finding that person they were always looking for. Add to that the fact that I know of possibly two people in my law school classes who aren't married or in long-term relationships.
It adds up to this: I feel very, very single.
Not that good kind of single, where you're all keyed up to go out on the town and hunt for manflesh. Not that "full of possibility" feeling. It's more the feeling that school will keep me so busy that I won't have the time nor energy for at least three months to go out and find a date. It's that uneasy feeling that I probably won't even notice that much.
Well, it's not like I haven't been completely single before. There are certainly positive aspects to not having to tell anyone where you're going or why. It's nice knowing that I can take a break from any drama that might come with a relationship. All in all, it's probably not a bad thing to be single.
It's just that no one else seems to be.
P.S. Read Something Positive I picked out a nice lonely one. To really get a feel for the comic, start from the beginning.
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Um, the Constitution?
I just saw "Unconstitutional," a film put out by the ACLU or something like that. I encourage you to see it, or at least to read the USA Patriot Act and compare the things it allows to what the Constitution protects.
Just to clue you in, you might find some discrepancies.
Oh, and when the media talks about the Geneva Conference, and how the people we're holding in the brigs of ships and on a little base in Cuba are being held in violation of it... What that means is that the USA is, in affect, committing war crimes. WAR CRIMES. You know, like Hitler. Detaining American citizens of Japanese origin all over again.
This is all stuff that Bush and Ashcroft support, have supported, and even pushed through into being.
Am I unpatriotic for not supporting the Patriot Act? Well, only if Madison and Milwaukee are too, cause they both passed sweeping resolutions condemning the unconstitutional sections of the Patriot Act (yes, the same ones our president supports).
One more thing: The people who flew the planes into the twin towers didn't have beards. They didn't wear turbans. They didn't go to mosques.
I feel sick.
I just saw "Unconstitutional," a film put out by the ACLU or something like that. I encourage you to see it, or at least to read the USA Patriot Act and compare the things it allows to what the Constitution protects.
Just to clue you in, you might find some discrepancies.
Oh, and when the media talks about the Geneva Conference, and how the people we're holding in the brigs of ships and on a little base in Cuba are being held in violation of it... What that means is that the USA is, in affect, committing war crimes. WAR CRIMES. You know, like Hitler. Detaining American citizens of Japanese origin all over again.
This is all stuff that Bush and Ashcroft support, have supported, and even pushed through into being.
Am I unpatriotic for not supporting the Patriot Act? Well, only if Madison and Milwaukee are too, cause they both passed sweeping resolutions condemning the unconstitutional sections of the Patriot Act (yes, the same ones our president supports).
One more thing: The people who flew the planes into the twin towers didn't have beards. They didn't wear turbans. They didn't go to mosques.
I feel sick.
Monday, September 20, 2004
Why I Will Eat A Krispy Kreme Doughnut This Morning
Ah yes, another Monday morning. The sparrows are singing in the trees outside my windows. Groups of motor vehicles speed by on the street below. The Wisconsin State Journal lauds and laments the weekend's athletic events/disasters. My body cheerfully begs me to sleep another fifteen hours.
What's there not to love?
Thus, to celebrate this lovely time of the week, I shall consume one (1) Krispy Kreme doughnut. Why yes, I did eat one yesterday as well. Consider it an extended celebration of the wonderful life I lead; what better way to celebrate being alive than sinking your teeth into the delicate glaze frosting of a melt-in-your-mouth treat such as a Krispy Kreme?
To those who would scold me, I say nay! I will not celebrate my life with lettuce and low-carb bars! If I were to take the advice of those wise souls who have gone before me, I should live each moment as though it were my last. Would I slip from this world to the next with a carob bar melting on my tongue? I say thusly, NO! A Krispy Kreme would surely ease my passing and bring peace to my soul at such a moment. Who can say this moment is not my very last?
I shall now partake in the sensual sweetness that is my after-breakfast snack. Woe to you who are not so lucky!
Ah yes, another Monday morning. The sparrows are singing in the trees outside my windows. Groups of motor vehicles speed by on the street below. The Wisconsin State Journal lauds and laments the weekend's athletic events/disasters. My body cheerfully begs me to sleep another fifteen hours.
What's there not to love?
Thus, to celebrate this lovely time of the week, I shall consume one (1) Krispy Kreme doughnut. Why yes, I did eat one yesterday as well. Consider it an extended celebration of the wonderful life I lead; what better way to celebrate being alive than sinking your teeth into the delicate glaze frosting of a melt-in-your-mouth treat such as a Krispy Kreme?
To those who would scold me, I say nay! I will not celebrate my life with lettuce and low-carb bars! If I were to take the advice of those wise souls who have gone before me, I should live each moment as though it were my last. Would I slip from this world to the next with a carob bar melting on my tongue? I say thusly, NO! A Krispy Kreme would surely ease my passing and bring peace to my soul at such a moment. Who can say this moment is not my very last?
I shall now partake in the sensual sweetness that is my after-breakfast snack. Woe to you who are not so lucky!
Sunday, September 19, 2004
Migraines v. Law School: Bonus Round
Friday morning I awoke thinking I had survived my first round with a migraine with little collateral damage. I thought I could get back to normal and go about my education.
I was wrong.
Friday I spent from 8:45AM to 12:30PM at UHS. The problem was, I had taken the top dose of migraine medicine, so all they could do for me was give me anti-nausea medicine and let me sleep until I could receive a shot of Imetrex closer to 24 hours after my first dose on Thursday.
God bless the lovely people at UHS. I slept for a majority of the time. They gave me my own room and a nice warm blanket, and a little bowl in case I needed to be sick. They let me eat my bag lunch while I waited to get my shot. They were really nice about giving me another parking pass when my first one ran out. If I had to have a migraine, at least I was lucky enough to have one there.
I came home from the doctor's office and promptly passed out on the couch for about three hours. Migraines are tough work!
So, that means I've missed a total of 5 hours of classes thus far.
Migraines 5, Law School 0
Friday morning I awoke thinking I had survived my first round with a migraine with little collateral damage. I thought I could get back to normal and go about my education.
I was wrong.
Friday I spent from 8:45AM to 12:30PM at UHS. The problem was, I had taken the top dose of migraine medicine, so all they could do for me was give me anti-nausea medicine and let me sleep until I could receive a shot of Imetrex closer to 24 hours after my first dose on Thursday.
God bless the lovely people at UHS. I slept for a majority of the time. They gave me my own room and a nice warm blanket, and a little bowl in case I needed to be sick. They let me eat my bag lunch while I waited to get my shot. They were really nice about giving me another parking pass when my first one ran out. If I had to have a migraine, at least I was lucky enough to have one there.
I came home from the doctor's office and promptly passed out on the couch for about three hours. Migraines are tough work!
So, that means I've missed a total of 5 hours of classes thus far.
Migraines 5, Law School 0
Friday, September 17, 2004
Migraines v. Law School: Round 1
I have suffered through my first official migraine during my time in law school. It started about half-way through my contracts class. My head hurt. My stomach felt unsettled. I couldn't concentrate. I took a bus home after that rather than go to my criminal law class.
Score: Migraine - 1; Law School - 0
Not only did it disrupt my day, but my entire night as well. I wasn't surprised that, while waiting for my two doses of imetrex to kick in, I couldn't concentrate on writing jury instructions. Huh. Who'da thunk?
I hope my migraine attacks are few and far between. Otherwise getting a J.D. might not be in my future after all.
~Kristen
I have suffered through my first official migraine during my time in law school. It started about half-way through my contracts class. My head hurt. My stomach felt unsettled. I couldn't concentrate. I took a bus home after that rather than go to my criminal law class.
Score: Migraine - 1; Law School - 0
Not only did it disrupt my day, but my entire night as well. I wasn't surprised that, while waiting for my two doses of imetrex to kick in, I couldn't concentrate on writing jury instructions. Huh. Who'da thunk?
I hope my migraine attacks are few and far between. Otherwise getting a J.D. might not be in my future after all.
~Kristen
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Tonight, once again I find myself in the Law Library. I'm done working now. I've put in as much time as my brain will allow me.
It's tired.
I didn't realize this until tonight. Once I rationalized not doing more work, and how I'll be ok tomorrow regardless, I decided to give myself some time to sit and let my mind wander. I knew I hadn't written a good blog in a while (or, some might argue, ever) and wanted to put down some of the thoughts bouncing around in my head. So, I put on some Miles Davis, leaned back in my chair, and let go of the trials, statutues, crimes and contracts, and found...
...nothing.
Stillness. Air conditioned air filling my lungs. In and out my nose with the all the flavor of cold bottled water. Blackness filling the space beyond the windows. High ceilings to allow room for the enormity of the thoughts filling the room. Clean tables. One more minute clicking on the clock.
But no wondering. No pondering or day dreaming.
There have been times I haven't known what to write before; I'll start with an idea and it just won't go anywhere. There are times I can't put words to thoughts yet, try as I may. I think, thought, that this is the first time that I haven't had any wonderings at all. Nothing. Just stillness. I hadn't realized I'd stopped.
It's tired.
I didn't realize this until tonight. Once I rationalized not doing more work, and how I'll be ok tomorrow regardless, I decided to give myself some time to sit and let my mind wander. I knew I hadn't written a good blog in a while (or, some might argue, ever) and wanted to put down some of the thoughts bouncing around in my head. So, I put on some Miles Davis, leaned back in my chair, and let go of the trials, statutues, crimes and contracts, and found...
...nothing.
Stillness. Air conditioned air filling my lungs. In and out my nose with the all the flavor of cold bottled water. Blackness filling the space beyond the windows. High ceilings to allow room for the enormity of the thoughts filling the room. Clean tables. One more minute clicking on the clock.
But no wondering. No pondering or day dreaming.
There have been times I haven't known what to write before; I'll start with an idea and it just won't go anywhere. There are times I can't put words to thoughts yet, try as I may. I think, thought, that this is the first time that I haven't had any wonderings at all. Nothing. Just stillness. I hadn't realized I'd stopped.
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
On Surfing the Web During Class
I know that I'm paying a lot of money to be in law school. My learning now is going to be important to my performance as a lawyer. Civil procedure is certainly an important topic in the legal system, and could very well be directly applicable to my chosen field of practice. The learning I do here will be the foundation for later learning in the next two and a half years here at the UW Law School.
Yet, I'm writing a blog during class.
This, of course, comes after an hour of intermittently taking notes and checking my favorite web comics.
I suppose it's a bit more subtle than knitting during class, which was my other solution to a slow-moving class and my small attention span. I knitted an entire hat in my German class one semester.
I suppose if the law school really wanted me to pay full attention, they wouldn't have such great wireless signal in the classrooms.
I know that I'm paying a lot of money to be in law school. My learning now is going to be important to my performance as a lawyer. Civil procedure is certainly an important topic in the legal system, and could very well be directly applicable to my chosen field of practice. The learning I do here will be the foundation for later learning in the next two and a half years here at the UW Law School.
Yet, I'm writing a blog during class.
This, of course, comes after an hour of intermittently taking notes and checking my favorite web comics.
I suppose it's a bit more subtle than knitting during class, which was my other solution to a slow-moving class and my small attention span. I knitted an entire hat in my German class one semester.
I suppose if the law school really wanted me to pay full attention, they wouldn't have such great wireless signal in the classrooms.
Monday, September 13, 2004
My Mom Rocks
Today my mom came to Madison from Germantown (aka home) to spend the day with me making my apartment feel more like home. She helped me unpack boxes, iron curtains, wash dishes, take out garbage, hang rods, not to mention buying me odds and ends (aka TONS OF STUFF) to put around my place to make it feel warm and inviting.
In the span of one day, my apartment has gone from cold and semi-inhabited to cozy and friendly and HOME.
I have a HOME again. :)
Mom, you're the best. I love you!
~Kristen
P.S. Now you have to come visit me to see my new place! And coming soon, a reupholstered recliner!
Today my mom came to Madison from Germantown (aka home) to spend the day with me making my apartment feel more like home. She helped me unpack boxes, iron curtains, wash dishes, take out garbage, hang rods, not to mention buying me odds and ends (aka TONS OF STUFF) to put around my place to make it feel warm and inviting.
In the span of one day, my apartment has gone from cold and semi-inhabited to cozy and friendly and HOME.
I have a HOME again. :)
Mom, you're the best. I love you!
~Kristen
P.S. Now you have to come visit me to see my new place! And coming soon, a reupholstered recliner!
Friday, September 10, 2004
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
From Diva to Dork in One Week Flat
Here I am once again at the Law Library, preparing myself for at least three hours of work tonight. The soda machine is out of both Diet Coke and Diet Dr. Pepper. My legs are sore from biking to school too fast this afternoon. I am also warm.
So, how did it happen? How did I go from carefree summertime fun to study nerd in just under a week? When did I officially trade my time in the spotlight for the anonymity of the study desks?
It was probably a long time in coming, to be honest. I loved being in the spotlight, but the effort to get there (aka practicing for long, lonely hours in the dark depths of humanities, or drinking too much) became too much for me to justify the short moments I had there. Music was fun and challenging, but not really at the intellectual level I craved.
Apparently all the build-up from undergrad led to a blossoming of study skills this first week. Hours tick by like minutes, and studying feels almost therapeutic. I feel more myself, more at home here in this airplane hangar of a room than I did after two or three years in humanities. Sure, I may know less people at this point, but I know that the only person who really matters during my time here is me. I know that the only expectations upon my shoulders are the ones I place there myself. I know that my potential here, at least in this moment, is limitless.
My homework also seems limitless.
I bid you adieu.
Here I am once again at the Law Library, preparing myself for at least three hours of work tonight. The soda machine is out of both Diet Coke and Diet Dr. Pepper. My legs are sore from biking to school too fast this afternoon. I am also warm.
So, how did it happen? How did I go from carefree summertime fun to study nerd in just under a week? When did I officially trade my time in the spotlight for the anonymity of the study desks?
It was probably a long time in coming, to be honest. I loved being in the spotlight, but the effort to get there (aka practicing for long, lonely hours in the dark depths of humanities, or drinking too much) became too much for me to justify the short moments I had there. Music was fun and challenging, but not really at the intellectual level I craved.
Apparently all the build-up from undergrad led to a blossoming of study skills this first week. Hours tick by like minutes, and studying feels almost therapeutic. I feel more myself, more at home here in this airplane hangar of a room than I did after two or three years in humanities. Sure, I may know less people at this point, but I know that the only person who really matters during my time here is me. I know that the only expectations upon my shoulders are the ones I place there myself. I know that my potential here, at least in this moment, is limitless.
My homework also seems limitless.
I bid you adieu.
So, so sad...
Thank goodness for the weather channel! How else would I know what to wear in the morning as I'm leaving for school? Or if to bring my umbrella? Well, of course, I wouldn't! The weather channel is just that important.
Which only makes the betrayal that much more painful.
How could you, Weather Channel? I thought ours was a relationship of mutual respect, but now I know better...
How do I begin? Local on the 8's has always been a particularly favorite of mine. It made me feel special to see my very own local weather on such an important station. Imagine my surprise when, yesterday, I noticed I recognized the song they were playing in this special moment. What? Is that, could it be, from Kind of Blue by Miles Davis? But... but...
WHAT BLASPHEMY IS THIS?!?!?!
Yes, it's true. The weather channel took the groundbreaking work by Miles Davis and, stripping it of all dignity and glory, transformed it into elevator music. Oh the horror!
Oh... Oh the horror!!!!
Thank goodness for the weather channel! How else would I know what to wear in the morning as I'm leaving for school? Or if to bring my umbrella? Well, of course, I wouldn't! The weather channel is just that important.
Which only makes the betrayal that much more painful.
How could you, Weather Channel? I thought ours was a relationship of mutual respect, but now I know better...
How do I begin? Local on the 8's has always been a particularly favorite of mine. It made me feel special to see my very own local weather on such an important station. Imagine my surprise when, yesterday, I noticed I recognized the song they were playing in this special moment. What? Is that, could it be, from Kind of Blue by Miles Davis? But... but...
WHAT BLASPHEMY IS THIS?!?!?!
Yes, it's true. The weather channel took the groundbreaking work by Miles Davis and, stripping it of all dignity and glory, transformed it into elevator music. Oh the horror!
Oh... Oh the horror!!!!
Monday, September 06, 2004
As Promised, Another Entry
See? I really am trying!
I'm sitting in the Law Library, taking a short break from the books to let my mind wander to lighter subjects than contract law and civil procedure. On a side note, though, I really do think that Shirley MacLaine Parker's assertion that a role in a dramatic western to be filmed in Australia was not similar enough to a role in a comic musical filmed in LA to qualify as refusing mitigation, and therefore was entitled to the $750,000 awarded to her in lost wages.
Law school is fun, by the way. I feel like I'm learning so much so fast! Probably because I find it so interesting and important that I'm soaking it up like a sponge at this point. For the first time in my life I'm not looking at the subject matter of my classes and asking myself, "So what?" To me, that which I am learning is so vital and pertinent that I cannot help but be in awe of the future significance it may have in my life. Besides, I think I can probably help more people through law than through opera singing. ;)
It's also nice to know that, at any given time, I can go to the Law Library and run into people I know, working on the same thing as me. When faced with the choice to either lay around alone in my apartment or come here with classmates and be productive, the Law Library has a lot of appeal.
Add to that the fact that the law library is infinitely more aesthetically pleasing than humanities...
Look! It has real windows!
Anyways, I should get back to my studies. We shall see how my opinion of law school changes throughout the semester, and over the course of three years too I suppose. Can I maintain my interest and optimism? Will the study of law turn out to be all I hoped for? Will I still like the law library after exams are over? Will I recover from my caffeine addiction anytime in the foreseeable future?
Tune in next time...
See? I really am trying!
I'm sitting in the Law Library, taking a short break from the books to let my mind wander to lighter subjects than contract law and civil procedure. On a side note, though, I really do think that Shirley MacLaine Parker's assertion that a role in a dramatic western to be filmed in Australia was not similar enough to a role in a comic musical filmed in LA to qualify as refusing mitigation, and therefore was entitled to the $750,000 awarded to her in lost wages.
Law school is fun, by the way. I feel like I'm learning so much so fast! Probably because I find it so interesting and important that I'm soaking it up like a sponge at this point. For the first time in my life I'm not looking at the subject matter of my classes and asking myself, "So what?" To me, that which I am learning is so vital and pertinent that I cannot help but be in awe of the future significance it may have in my life. Besides, I think I can probably help more people through law than through opera singing. ;)
It's also nice to know that, at any given time, I can go to the Law Library and run into people I know, working on the same thing as me. When faced with the choice to either lay around alone in my apartment or come here with classmates and be productive, the Law Library has a lot of appeal.
Add to that the fact that the law library is infinitely more aesthetically pleasing than humanities...
Look! It has real windows!
Anyways, I should get back to my studies. We shall see how my opinion of law school changes throughout the semester, and over the course of three years too I suppose. Can I maintain my interest and optimism? Will the study of law turn out to be all I hoped for? Will I still like the law library after exams are over? Will I recover from my caffeine addiction anytime in the foreseeable future?
Tune in next time...
Sunday, September 05, 2004
So, I haven't updated in a while. I guess work got busy, and since I was on the computer all day at work, my desire to be on the computer at home went down significantly. Oh well.
Anyways, UW Madison has this great new My Website feature that will allow me to host pictures of my lovely Sophie and share them with you here! Yahoo! She's currently running around my livingroom, getting her "out" time. She usually just burries herself under something difficult to move or squeez her out of, but I think it's important for her to have the opportunity to use lots of space regardless. Did you know hedgehogs can run up to four feet per second? Silly little things!
Ok, here's my attempt to include a picture of Sophie in this entry:
She enjoyed nosing around my parents' back yard. Isn't she cute? :)
In any case I'll be sure to update now that I'm doing interesting things again. Law school is fun, by the way, though a lot of work. The people are great, and I think it is going to be a good three years!
Cheers!
Kristen
Anyways, UW Madison has this great new My Website feature that will allow me to host pictures of my lovely Sophie and share them with you here! Yahoo! She's currently running around my livingroom, getting her "out" time. She usually just burries herself under something difficult to move or squeez her out of, but I think it's important for her to have the opportunity to use lots of space regardless. Did you know hedgehogs can run up to four feet per second? Silly little things!
Ok, here's my attempt to include a picture of Sophie in this entry:
She enjoyed nosing around my parents' back yard. Isn't she cute? :)
In any case I'll be sure to update now that I'm doing interesting things again. Law school is fun, by the way, though a lot of work. The people are great, and I think it is going to be a good three years!
Cheers!
Kristen
Thursday, May 27, 2004
Dreams
I had a funny dream last night. Here is how I described it to my friend Chris. I don't think I it was very representative of the flavor of my dream, and also how I felt as I remembered it. :)
i had a dream you married my cousin only he's a he, but you were pretending to be a woman but it turns out HE was the one who had been physically altered to be a woman! but no one knew you were a he but me. but i slipped out of the wedding to get some air and missed the song i was supposed to sing but then, after the wedding and after we talked and stuff I was getting chased by these guys, how scary! they were a gang, some sort of scary group, and they were chasing me, so I had to hold on to the end of a bus to try to hide, but they knew i was there and they went crashing through this mall to try to get me off the bus! but then we ended up back at my hs anyway, and they were caught by the teachers but then I couldn't find my locker, and I didn't know the combo, but I used a magic snake to kill the bad lady who was taking over my locker space. well, it wasn't really a snake, but more like a bracelet that worked as a snake, too. it was magical. and the lady, i don't know why she was bad, she had a very beautiful hand and wrist style bracelet on. it was very delicate, made from gold, with ropes of it ranging from very thin to very thick. maybe my snake bracelet didn't really kill anyone, but it obeyed me anyway. and there were ferrets living in my locker. only by then it didn't really look like a locker anymore, but more like one of those california closet shelves, and I really don't think there was a door but the ferrets were playing in a little tupperware bin and i let them out. :-) it was very hard for me to reach my locker, though... i wanted a different once, because i had to use a ladder to reach the one i had. sometimes the lockers looked like old shelves you would find in an out of date locker room. sometimes they were linnen shelves. sometimes they were real lockers. my problem was i couldn't find the one that was supposed to be mine, thoguh by the end of looking i don't think i needed anything from it anymore. at first i think i was looking for books for class, since i did end up in my hs and all. the funny thing is, when i was being chased, it was dark outside, so i'm not sure why school would have been in session, which it was. did i tell you there were animals at the wedding? i think it was by a private zoo or something, cause when i stepped out to take a breather (thus missing the bride's grand entrance) i was playing with the little animals and got distracted but that's before you were the bride. the animals were very small... one was a bird-type animal, small and green. The others looked like small monkies or maybe rodents that climbed, i don't remember. then my aunt got really mad that i wasn't in the pictures of the wedding party, even though i didn't think i should be in the wedding party. after the wedding there was this flood, or maybe it was after the locker combo incident at my hs. there was water everywhere, and all my things were going down the drain. my make-up, my medicine, everything i needed to be ready for the wedding. and then my ex-boyfriend came and complained that his dad was finding my stuff in his septic tank. i remember not really wanting to see him. the wedding was more of a musical show, or a cabaret show, really. the bride did big musical numbers, both at the wedding and afterwards. she looked really tired afterwards, though, and i barely recognized her. it wasn't until after she changed out of the wedding dress that she turned into you, Chris. you had short spikey hair, but you were wearing fake eyelashes on both eyes, and on your upper lip too, and so you looked a little feminine. i was scared and sad for you, having married this guy and not knowing him that well, but you seemed ok with it, though not particularly excited. i'm not sure how my dream got me from talking with you to being chased by the gang of angry guys. i don't think they were angry at me in particular, but mostly just angry and dangerous people overall. good thing i could get into the back entrance of the hs otherwise i would have been caught!
And that was my dream. Pretty normal for me, actually. I guess not everyone remembers dreams in that kind of detail, or maybe their dreams aren't like confused action stories. Mine are, though. I wonder what a dream analyst would say?
I had a funny dream last night. Here is how I described it to my friend Chris. I don't think I it was very representative of the flavor of my dream, and also how I felt as I remembered it. :)
i had a dream you married my cousin only he's a he, but you were pretending to be a woman but it turns out HE was the one who had been physically altered to be a woman! but no one knew you were a he but me. but i slipped out of the wedding to get some air and missed the song i was supposed to sing but then, after the wedding and after we talked and stuff I was getting chased by these guys, how scary! they were a gang, some sort of scary group, and they were chasing me, so I had to hold on to the end of a bus to try to hide, but they knew i was there and they went crashing through this mall to try to get me off the bus! but then we ended up back at my hs anyway, and they were caught by the teachers but then I couldn't find my locker, and I didn't know the combo, but I used a magic snake to kill the bad lady who was taking over my locker space. well, it wasn't really a snake, but more like a bracelet that worked as a snake, too. it was magical. and the lady, i don't know why she was bad, she had a very beautiful hand and wrist style bracelet on. it was very delicate, made from gold, with ropes of it ranging from very thin to very thick. maybe my snake bracelet didn't really kill anyone, but it obeyed me anyway. and there were ferrets living in my locker. only by then it didn't really look like a locker anymore, but more like one of those california closet shelves, and I really don't think there was a door but the ferrets were playing in a little tupperware bin and i let them out. :-) it was very hard for me to reach my locker, though... i wanted a different once, because i had to use a ladder to reach the one i had. sometimes the lockers looked like old shelves you would find in an out of date locker room. sometimes they were linnen shelves. sometimes they were real lockers. my problem was i couldn't find the one that was supposed to be mine, thoguh by the end of looking i don't think i needed anything from it anymore. at first i think i was looking for books for class, since i did end up in my hs and all. the funny thing is, when i was being chased, it was dark outside, so i'm not sure why school would have been in session, which it was. did i tell you there were animals at the wedding? i think it was by a private zoo or something, cause when i stepped out to take a breather (thus missing the bride's grand entrance) i was playing with the little animals and got distracted but that's before you were the bride. the animals were very small... one was a bird-type animal, small and green. The others looked like small monkies or maybe rodents that climbed, i don't remember. then my aunt got really mad that i wasn't in the pictures of the wedding party, even though i didn't think i should be in the wedding party. after the wedding there was this flood, or maybe it was after the locker combo incident at my hs. there was water everywhere, and all my things were going down the drain. my make-up, my medicine, everything i needed to be ready for the wedding. and then my ex-boyfriend came and complained that his dad was finding my stuff in his septic tank. i remember not really wanting to see him. the wedding was more of a musical show, or a cabaret show, really. the bride did big musical numbers, both at the wedding and afterwards. she looked really tired afterwards, though, and i barely recognized her. it wasn't until after she changed out of the wedding dress that she turned into you, Chris. you had short spikey hair, but you were wearing fake eyelashes on both eyes, and on your upper lip too, and so you looked a little feminine. i was scared and sad for you, having married this guy and not knowing him that well, but you seemed ok with it, though not particularly excited. i'm not sure how my dream got me from talking with you to being chased by the gang of angry guys. i don't think they were angry at me in particular, but mostly just angry and dangerous people overall. good thing i could get into the back entrance of the hs otherwise i would have been caught!
And that was my dream. Pretty normal for me, actually. I guess not everyone remembers dreams in that kind of detail, or maybe their dreams aren't like confused action stories. Mine are, though. I wonder what a dream analyst would say?
Thursday, May 06, 2004
iSketch
I love isketch. It's online pictionary! I remember playing vacationers with my family when I was young. Some of the pictures were certainly worth saving, though we never did. It was a great time to socialize and stretch some creative muscles.
Now I can relive those hilarious moments with complete strangers in the anonymity of cyberspace. Each person takes a turn drawing in the 10-picture round, and fills the rest of the time with guesses on the pictures drawn by other players. Drawing is much harder when using a mouse rather than a pencil, but the pictures are equally memorable. Yesterday, for example, my word was "ginger." I tried to communicate this word by drawing sushi on a plate with a side of ginger, since that is the only time I see ginger. In retrospect, I suppose a ginger-bread cookie would have worked, but I was thinking sushi, so that's what they got.
Unfortunately my sushi looked like infected eyeballs. Oh well.
I suggest taking a look at this new online game. Beware, it's addicting.
I love isketch. It's online pictionary! I remember playing vacationers with my family when I was young. Some of the pictures were certainly worth saving, though we never did. It was a great time to socialize and stretch some creative muscles.
Now I can relive those hilarious moments with complete strangers in the anonymity of cyberspace. Each person takes a turn drawing in the 10-picture round, and fills the rest of the time with guesses on the pictures drawn by other players. Drawing is much harder when using a mouse rather than a pencil, but the pictures are equally memorable. Yesterday, for example, my word was "ginger." I tried to communicate this word by drawing sushi on a plate with a side of ginger, since that is the only time I see ginger. In retrospect, I suppose a ginger-bread cookie would have worked, but I was thinking sushi, so that's what they got.
Unfortunately my sushi looked like infected eyeballs. Oh well.
I suggest taking a look at this new online game. Beware, it's addicting.
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
It's not snow
Today several of my co-workers were amused to discover the way I choose to deal with snow that falls late into Spring (as it inevitably does in Wisconsin). Although I admit my strategie doesn't fall within the realm of what's normal for people to think, I was under the impression that it was more of a creative solution than a humerous insight to my personal psychosis.
And what is this strategie, this frame of mind that allows me to deal with the horror of late-falling snow? Simple, really:
"It's not snow, it's volcanic ash."
Where does this mindset come from, you ask? Well, from all my days watching educational television, of course! I have seen many pictures from towns around volcanic eruptions where ash piles up like snow. The pictures and video from Mount St. Helens are particularly stunning. Put that together with the knowledge that some tropical islands are volcanically active, and you have a perfectly logical reason as to why it might be "snowing" in the middle of a streak of otherwise lovely weather.
Avoiding reality is a perfectly healthy way to deal with reality. :D
Today several of my co-workers were amused to discover the way I choose to deal with snow that falls late into Spring (as it inevitably does in Wisconsin). Although I admit my strategie doesn't fall within the realm of what's normal for people to think, I was under the impression that it was more of a creative solution than a humerous insight to my personal psychosis.
And what is this strategie, this frame of mind that allows me to deal with the horror of late-falling snow? Simple, really:
"It's not snow, it's volcanic ash."
Where does this mindset come from, you ask? Well, from all my days watching educational television, of course! I have seen many pictures from towns around volcanic eruptions where ash piles up like snow. The pictures and video from Mount St. Helens are particularly stunning. Put that together with the knowledge that some tropical islands are volcanically active, and you have a perfectly logical reason as to why it might be "snowing" in the middle of a streak of otherwise lovely weather.
Avoiding reality is a perfectly healthy way to deal with reality. :D
Thursday, April 15, 2004
Spring
It hit me last night: it's spring. I mean, not just officially, but in very tangible ways the spring-ness is affecting people around me. The overall mood has changed from bundled-up isolationism to porch-sitting, guitar-playing socialite everywhere I look. Crushes are growing, skin-coverage is shrinking, and summer seems moments away.
I love this time of year. I love the first day that really affects people like yesterday did. I love the hope that awakens in the hardened hearts of stressing students that indeed school is only a temporary hell. I love the sensory. memories stirred by a sunny afternoon: the taste of fresh grapes, the smell of suntan lotion, the feel of a warm breeze on your face and grass beneath your feet. These things are all too easy to forget through a long Wisconsin winter.
This time of year is what keeps me from running away to Arizona. This time of year helps me forget the pain of winter for another 6 months.
It hit me last night: it's spring. I mean, not just officially, but in very tangible ways the spring-ness is affecting people around me. The overall mood has changed from bundled-up isolationism to porch-sitting, guitar-playing socialite everywhere I look. Crushes are growing, skin-coverage is shrinking, and summer seems moments away.
I love this time of year. I love the first day that really affects people like yesterday did. I love the hope that awakens in the hardened hearts of stressing students that indeed school is only a temporary hell. I love the sensory. memories stirred by a sunny afternoon: the taste of fresh grapes, the smell of suntan lotion, the feel of a warm breeze on your face and grass beneath your feet. These things are all too easy to forget through a long Wisconsin winter.
This time of year is what keeps me from running away to Arizona. This time of year helps me forget the pain of winter for another 6 months.
Wednesday, April 14, 2004
Orkut: The New Way To Prove Your Popularity
I just got into a new online networking group called "Orkut." It's along the same lines as "Friendster," an online community of people connected as "friends" to find out if there really are only 6 degrees of separation between them and their favorite movie star. Or something like that.
Orkut works much the same way, but unlike Friendster, you may only join Orkut if you are invited by someone already in the network. This creates a closed community connected through real-life friendships, which is an interesting concept to me. You can also connect with other people on Friendster with whom you do not have a friendship by joining groups centered around a common interest (i.e."hedgehogs") or by searching through your friends' friends.
I have spent many hours paging through the many tangled connections in Orkut, and I must say that I find it very amusing. I've idly searched through the directory, looking for old friends. I've scrolled through pictures to see if there is a face I recognize or find particularly attractive. I especially enjoy rating my friends' coolness, attractiveness and trustiness. You can't rate someone negatively, so it's rather like giving presents to people without them knowing.
In a world that is continually becoming smaller thanks to increased travel and high-tech communication, it sometimes seems more and more difficult to meet people face to face. Many of the ways in which people used to meet are becoming too impersonal, or too distant. How do you make real-life friends in an online course? Why meet new people if you can have constant communication with your long-distance pals? It is nice to see that technology is answering with ways for people to meet one another through the trusted method of "mutual friend."
I just got into a new online networking group called "Orkut." It's along the same lines as "Friendster," an online community of people connected as "friends" to find out if there really are only 6 degrees of separation between them and their favorite movie star. Or something like that.
Orkut works much the same way, but unlike Friendster, you may only join Orkut if you are invited by someone already in the network. This creates a closed community connected through real-life friendships, which is an interesting concept to me. You can also connect with other people on Friendster with whom you do not have a friendship by joining groups centered around a common interest (i.e."hedgehogs") or by searching through your friends' friends.
I have spent many hours paging through the many tangled connections in Orkut, and I must say that I find it very amusing. I've idly searched through the directory, looking for old friends. I've scrolled through pictures to see if there is a face I recognize or find particularly attractive. I especially enjoy rating my friends' coolness, attractiveness and trustiness. You can't rate someone negatively, so it's rather like giving presents to people without them knowing.
In a world that is continually becoming smaller thanks to increased travel and high-tech communication, it sometimes seems more and more difficult to meet people face to face. Many of the ways in which people used to meet are becoming too impersonal, or too distant. How do you make real-life friends in an online course? Why meet new people if you can have constant communication with your long-distance pals? It is nice to see that technology is answering with ways for people to meet one another through the trusted method of "mutual friend."
Tuesday, April 13, 2004
Friday, April 02, 2004
Dreams
I'm one of those people who remembers my dreams on a daily basis. Sometimes it is due to the fact that I wake up in the middle of them, sometimes because I am left with a feeling from a dream I had earlier in the night. I never thought this was strange or unusual in any way, but it seems that many people give very little though to their mind's nightly wanderings. I, on the other hand, often have a difficult time shaking feelings I experience in my sleep the following morning.
I can rationalize that the feelings from my dreams are simply amplified feelings I felt before I slept. I can tell myself that these dreams are my mind's way of working through these feelings while my body rests. On some level I believe angry or uneasy dreams help me process my emotions in a healthy and normal way. Still... Sometimes dreams become the problem.
Have you ever dreamed of some wrong committed against you by a friend, only to wonder if you should be angry at them the next day? Have you woken in the middle of the night to check to be sure your kitchen knives haven't really taken over the house?
Are dreams so harmless when they spill over to the day? Aren't the days supposed to affect the nights and not the other way around?
I'm one of those people who remembers my dreams on a daily basis. Sometimes it is due to the fact that I wake up in the middle of them, sometimes because I am left with a feeling from a dream I had earlier in the night. I never thought this was strange or unusual in any way, but it seems that many people give very little though to their mind's nightly wanderings. I, on the other hand, often have a difficult time shaking feelings I experience in my sleep the following morning.
I can rationalize that the feelings from my dreams are simply amplified feelings I felt before I slept. I can tell myself that these dreams are my mind's way of working through these feelings while my body rests. On some level I believe angry or uneasy dreams help me process my emotions in a healthy and normal way. Still... Sometimes dreams become the problem.
Have you ever dreamed of some wrong committed against you by a friend, only to wonder if you should be angry at them the next day? Have you woken in the middle of the night to check to be sure your kitchen knives haven't really taken over the house?
Are dreams so harmless when they spill over to the day? Aren't the days supposed to affect the nights and not the other way around?
Wednesday, March 31, 2004
Steve Reich's Drumming
I have been studying a percussion/voice/piccolo piece by my favorite minimalist composer, Steve Reich. Minimalist music, you say? Why sure! Just as visual art went through the movement with pieces like this, so did music with pieces such as "Drumming" by Reich. While it is easy to see why one would describe this kind of artwork as minimalist, it can be difficult to conceptualize minimalist music if one has never heard it.
The best way I can find to describe the allure of "Drumming" is to compare it to that of a lava lamp. We stare at lava lamps for hours, transfixed by the slowly morphing of the ever aesthetically pleasing goo. In the same way, the delicate melodies and slowly phasing rhythms of "Drumming" invite the listener to enter a trance-like state that, with the aid of certain controlled and illegal substances, would rival any of the free-love dreams of the 60's. Drug hazes aside, "Drumming" remains a piece that can fascinate those more apt to analyze than inhale. Following the complicated rhythms and melodies resulting from the interplay of dozens of instruments is enough to occupy even the best ear for an hour, never mind the rest of us.
The University of Wisconsin - Madison Western Percussion Ensemble, along with piccolo and three voices (one of them mine) will perform this work on Tuesday, April 20th in Mills Hall in the Humanities Building. I suggest that anyone interested come, if only to sit in the back and have some killer music to accompany their required reading.
I have been studying a percussion/voice/piccolo piece by my favorite minimalist composer, Steve Reich. Minimalist music, you say? Why sure! Just as visual art went through the movement with pieces like this, so did music with pieces such as "Drumming" by Reich. While it is easy to see why one would describe this kind of artwork as minimalist, it can be difficult to conceptualize minimalist music if one has never heard it.
The best way I can find to describe the allure of "Drumming" is to compare it to that of a lava lamp. We stare at lava lamps for hours, transfixed by the slowly morphing of the ever aesthetically pleasing goo. In the same way, the delicate melodies and slowly phasing rhythms of "Drumming" invite the listener to enter a trance-like state that, with the aid of certain controlled and illegal substances, would rival any of the free-love dreams of the 60's. Drug hazes aside, "Drumming" remains a piece that can fascinate those more apt to analyze than inhale. Following the complicated rhythms and melodies resulting from the interplay of dozens of instruments is enough to occupy even the best ear for an hour, never mind the rest of us.
The University of Wisconsin - Madison Western Percussion Ensemble, along with piccolo and three voices (one of them mine) will perform this work on Tuesday, April 20th in Mills Hall in the Humanities Building. I suggest that anyone interested come, if only to sit in the back and have some killer music to accompany their required reading.
So, it's another day in the life. Today I've spent a fair portion of time wondering what one writes in one's blog. I've read some blogs that center around current issues, cool websites, fuzzy pets and daily drama, but none have really appealed to me. My goal isn't to create something cool or innovative or important; nor is my goal to publicize over-dramatic version of my everyday existence. The former is probably beyond my skill, and the latter wouldn't do anyone any good.
So I blog about what to blog.
So I blog about what to blog.
Tuesday, March 30, 2004
So, I finally caved and made a "blog" so that loved ones and hated ones alike may peer into my daily doings and thus feel closer to me than they really are. More of an excuse not to make my own crummy website, really.
On a side-note, I'll post some pictures here for the curious, particularly from vacations and of my precious Sophie. Who knew so few people could envision an albino hedgehog as a pet.
More blogs to come. Be afraid.
On a side-note, I'll post some pictures here for the curious, particularly from vacations and of my precious Sophie. Who knew so few people could envision an albino hedgehog as a pet.
More blogs to come. Be afraid.
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