:: Pedantic Platitudes ::

:: Friday, October 31, 2003 ::

Happy Halloween!!!

Today, my friends and I dressed up as characters from Homestarrunner.com! It is most fitting, since we are always quoting humorous lines from the cartoons. We had all sorts of characters, from The Cheat to Homsar. Four of my friends decided to be the Teen Girl Squad, which I think is one of the most hilarious series. You really have to see it.

I decided to be one of the most obscure characters ever. In the Teen Girl Squad series, there is a recurring character who appears for only about two seconds in each episode (or "issue"). It's this guy who randomly appears to try to kill members of the Teen Girl Squad. For example, in the first episode, he suddenly appears, and says, "ARROWED!!!" Then arrows shoot out of his gaping mouth and kill one of the girls (The Ugly One). In Issue #2, he is driving a truck and runs over a student while saying, "CHILDREN!!!" In the most recent episode, Issue #4, the man is driving a brain and says, "CEREBELLUM'D!!!"

Well, I am the guy in Issue #3, where he appears behind a stand for "3 Spring Rolls" when the Teen Girl Squad decides to enjoy some Pan-Asian cuisine! He's wearing his usual shirt and tie, but this time he's wearing this hat. He says, "MSG'D!!!" and chucks some spring rolls at one of the girls. She then says, "Ow, my stomach lining!"

Who is this guy? We may never know, but he's cool enough for me to dress up as him for Halloween!

Tonight, I got together with my friends, and we went to a party at The Crimson. It was so crowded there that it became difficult to walk through the hallways. Many people wore creative costumes, and it was fun to figure out what each person was trying to be. We danced for some time, and then we went out for pizza.

We then hung out, typing out the first official e-mail of Hovember! That's right. Rocktober ended with a bang, and we decided that we can't just let the party die there, so we're continuing it to this month, which we voted should be called Hovember: a celebration of ho's and supporters of ho's. The location of the rocke was finally revealed as part of the closing ceremony for Rocktober, and we all partied hard on Halloween to celebrate the last day of Rocktober. It was a ton of fun.

Quote of the Day: "Societal norms are violated... hilarity ensues!"

:: SL 4:00 PM [+] ::
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Wow, 38 e-mails today.

Today, I went to see Vienna Teng perform! Vienna Teng is a songwriter and performer. She is a classically-trained pianist who attended Stanford University and once worked for Oracle as a computer programmer before realizing her dream of performing her music. Her songs are expressive, lyrical, and dramatic. They sound wonderful, too.

I was first introduced to Vienna in San Diego this past summer at the Asian American Journalist Association. She performed a very short set as part of the evening's entertainment. I bought Vienna's CD then and got it autographed. I thoroughly enjoyed the album, and I've been listening to it on and off since then.

I found out Vienna was performing here in Harvard Square at Club Passim, so I went to see and hear her perform. Her live performance was extremely entertaining because she tells stories in between her songs. She explains the inspirations for the song she is about to play, and she tells interesting tales of events in her life. She did tell stories when I saw her perform the first time, but this time, I discovered her wonderfully sardonic wit, which she did not really reveal at the AAJA convention. I was laughing so hard at some of her off-beat comments during her stories.

She said she doesn't work off a play list, so the audience members were able to request what they wanted to hear. The room was packed with people. I had no idea she had such a following. Most of the songs were off of her first album, but she did play a couple of new songs that will be on her second album, which is due in February.

The opening act was Kyler England, another singer/songwriter who has a beautiful voice. Kyler plays the guitar, and her songs were pretty good, too. She provided backing vocals for one of Vienna's songs, and Vienna provided background vocals for one of Kyler's songs. Their harmonizing sounded beautiful. I really enjoyed the concert. Vienna's songs

After the concert, I went to a study group for my Chinese class. We were putting together our second presentation for this week. It was both productive and entertaining. The rest of the evening, I worked on my Chinese essay (which I wrote with Chinese characters) and did reading for my evolutionary biology class.

Quote of the Day: "She's a tramp, and she's retarded. That's right... she's fast and slow at the same time!"

:: SL 8:39 PM [+] ::
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This morning/early afternoon, I went to four consecutive hours of classes. We had a lab in psychology section, and that was fun, even though it was the rather difficult task of mental image rotation. In Chinese, we presented our lectures and skit, and that was fun, even though we didn't prepare too much. It sort of broke into chaos at the end, but it was humorous, and we gave everyone Chinese food at the end, so that should make up for any shortcomings of our presentation... I hope.

After my classes, I participated in a psychology study for study pool credit. It was interesting how I could still see what was flashed on the computer screen, even though it only appeared for the slightest fraction of a second. Dinner was excellent; it was like a Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, gravy, dressing, mashed potatoes, etc. They also had these great canned orange slices, which I love.

This evening, I took it easy by working on my Chinese homework, listening to music (go Hairspray, the musical!), and reading the new Hairspray book I received.

Quote of the Day: "I don't like food anymore!"

:: SL 1:32 PM [+] ::
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I found this very poignant photograph taken by NASA of the fires in Southern California.

:: SL 5:38 PM [+] ::
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Wow, 37 e-mails today. So many e-mails.

Well, after yesterday's more-than-stormy weather, today was a period of relative calm. However, tonight, it has started raining once more. Alas.

Today, I got up early for my cognitive psychology class, which continues to interest me. I then had breakfast, participated in a psychology study where I looked at attractive faces, and took a nap.

After lunch, I went to my Chinese class, where I got together with my group to prepare for our group presentation tomorrow. The meeting was rather entertaining, and tomorrow's presentation should be as well.

Tonight, I worked on my response paper for Immanuel Kant's Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals. What fun reading! I also did some independent research for my Chinese presentation tomorrow.

Quote of the Day: "I see rich people!"

:: SL 8:51 AM [+] ::
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Today, I attended my philosophy class in the morning. Then, I had a nice lunch consisting of a half-pint of milk and a chicken salad sandwich. Then, I attended my evolutionary biology class, which was enjoyable because we are getting to parts that really relate to psychology in nature. I had an hour of Chinese class where we kind of wrapped up the unit we just finished, and then I went to my two-hour psychology "tutorial."

As soon as that finished, I rushed to the Institute of Politics, where I attended the third installment of Hardball with Chris Matthews, Battle for the White House. Today's guest was Democratic presidential candidate Reverend Al Sharpton. It was another interesting event with another candidate. I got really great seats this time, and I could see pretty clearly. Al Sharpton is pretty sharp-witted, and he spoke very well, even though he's more of an activist for social causes who is using his candidacy to get his views heard. I agreed with much of what he said, though, and he threw out some great lines. Much of the banter between Chris Matthews and Al Sharpton brought about laughter in the audience.

Following the live taping, I started working on my Chinese homework, taking a study break by getting a snack in the dining hall. It's raining like crazy tonight, and the wind is blowing so hard that it's hard to walk outside. What stormy weather... I'm not sure what to make of it. Tonight, I went to bed early because I have my early-morning cognitive psychology class tomorrow.

Quote of the Day: "Oh, my story's short, so I'll tell mine first, and then you can tell yours afterwards… it'll be like a double feature!"

:: SL 5:59 PM [+] ::
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It appears as if the weather in California is warm warm warm due to some sort of a heat wave! Sigh... all the more reason to miss California. Actually, it hasn't been all that frigid here. It was rather humid today, and there was a lot of rain. I guess that kept the temperature from being too cold here.

Today, I worked on my big Chinese essay. It was quite a project. I didn't think a 300-character essay would be that big of a deal, but 300 characters is a lot! It took me quite some time to complete the assignment. I also did my reading for my psychology tutorial class. It was interesting reading about the theory of "flow" and how if we match our challenges correctly with skills, we can achieve a state of optimal experience that transcends normal consciousness. Most interesting. I then wrote a response paper based on the reading.

Quote of the Day: "This will be Shakespeare with a strap-on!"

:: SL 2:16 PM [+] ::
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Welcome to the Super Saturday Feature, where we properly put the pedantry of Pedantic Platitudes on a pedestal!

Here is the pedantic sentence of the week:

His obscenely profligate behavior and discourse immeasurably affronted her superciliously augmented self-perception of moral superiority.

Translation: He dissed her.

:: SL 4:09 PM [+] ::
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Last night was a wonderful night of sleep. I wish all nights were like that. I had a nice brunch this morning and even had some of the apple crisp that was left over from yesterday's big apple celebration at dinner.

In the afternoon, I attended an interesting panel discussion about the presidency of John F. Kennedy at the government school, which is named after him. It was produced by The History Channel and was meant to commemorate the 40th anniversary of his death. The panel was hosted by Phil Donahue, the trashy talk show host turned serious news telejournalist.

Members of the panel included Robert Dallek, who wrote the book An Unfinished Life - John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963, Ernest May, a history professor (he taught my Vietnam War class last year), Steve Gillon, the historian for The History Channel, and Ted Sorensen, who was a speechwriter and advisor for Kennedy himself.

There were a lot of people in the audience, and they were encouraged to speak out about their opinions and to ask questions to the members of the panel. It was like a huge Q&A session, and many people had a chance to speak.

The title of the program was called JFK: History or Hype?, so there was a focus on whether Kennedy really deserves the reputation he has as one of the greatest presidents in our nation's history. Some said that the fact that he was assassinated enhanced his image, while others praised his representation of idealism and hope for the betterment of not only Americans but also humanity. It was interesting to hear the wide range of opinions about the great president.

They had a huge film crew taping the event and discussion, and apparently the show will air on Friday, November 14 on The History Channel, so everyone save that date and watch the show! I know I'll be on it sometime during the program.

Tonight, I started cleaning up my room. I also did some reading for some of my classes. That was an unexpected activity for a Saturday night, but it was a good thing to do.

Quote of the Day: "A bok choy named Jesus... is that kind of like a streetcar named Desire?"

:: SL 3:55 PM [+] ::
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After staying up all night finishing my cognitive psychology lab report and doing reading for my evolution class, I went to have breakfast. They had these wonderful pumpkin muffins, and I enjoyed them with a nice cup of raspberry-flavored tea.

After hours of classes, I finally finished at 3 p.m. I then went to participate in a couple of psychology studies. Following some e-mail checking, I went to dinner. There were some nice falafels with tahini sauce. Soon after, I went to bed because I was so tired.

Quote of the Day: "If you were a laser gun, you'd be set on stunning."

:: SL 5:08 AM [+] ::
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It sleeted and snowed for a bit early this morning, but it wasn't cold enough for it to pile up; it melted as soon as it touched the ground. Yay for partially-frozen precipitation! Well, maybe not. The frigidity has been overwhelming as of late.

After going to classes, I took a long nap in the afternoon. Then, I had dinner and started to work on my homework. I had a lot to do for Friday. It'll be so nice tomorrow when everything is done for this week.

For a study break, I went across the pseudo-hallway and visited my pseudo-roommate, who was hosting a Nutella study break, where we took random food items and slathered the delicious Nutella chocolate/hazelnut spread on them. So European. My favorite combo was Nutella and banana.

I then continued studying for my Chinese quiz tomorrow, as well as doing reading for my evolution class and writing up my lab report for my cognitive psychology class.

Quote of the Day: "She has more issues than a magazine stand!"

:: SL 9:13 PM [+] ::
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Ha ha ha... From a Knight Ridder newspaper:

"Bush told his senior aides Tuesday that he "didn't want to see any stories" quoting unnamed administration officials in the media anymore, and that if he did, there would be consequences, said a senior administration official who asked that his name not be used."

:: SL 6:47 PM [+] ::
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I got a lot of sleep last night, but I'm still tired! Ah, after going to classes, I participated in a psychology study. I then ran some errands and had dinner at Lowell House with some entryway-mates from last year.

I ordered the soundtrack to Hairspray: The Musical online today. I hope it comes soon, unlike my order from Barnes & Noble online, which took almost three weeks to arrive.

Tonight was a homework catch-up day. I didn't do anything really remarkable; it was mostly just staying in my room and doing work work work. Tomorrow should be a more interesting day; I have a lot of things scheduled.

Quote of the Day: "I was a ballerina once. Have you ever seen Fantasia? Third hippo from the left!"

:: SL 5:20 PM [+] ::
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This morning, I got up early for my cognitive psychology class, where we had an exam. It wasn't too exciting… I probably should have gotten a little more than three hours of sleep I got the night before. After the exam, I went to Annenberg Hall to have breakfast. Then, I went to Chinese class.

Then, I was done for the day, so I came back to Leverett House for lunch with a bunch of friends. Following that, I checked my e-mail and then took a long nap for the rest of the afternoon. It was quite refreshing; I needed the rest. Then, I went to dinner with a good friend whom I haven't seen in quite some time.

Tonight, I went downtown to see Hairspray, a musical based on a John Waters film about a bubbly girl who fights for integration in Baltimore during the 60s. This production is a direct copy of the Tony-award winning Broadway musical and is touring the country; it is in Boston for this month.

Hairspray was such an incredible production, one of the most amazing shows I've ever seen. It now beats out The Producers as my favorite modern musical. Yes, I thought it was better than The Producers. I had heard great things about Hairspray: The Musical, so I was already expecting a lot. Hairspray met and even exceeded my expectations; I usually end up disappointed when something has a lot of hype, but the production is totally everything it's cracked up to be and more. The show was incredibly colorful. The set design and costumes were bright with a rainbow of hues, and the music was enjoyable pop. The jokes were hilarious and the dancing was incredible in a lively way. The storyline was quite endearing, and it even offered a lot of redeeming social commentary, considering it's about racial integration in 1962. Two of its themes reflected two of my most important life philosophies: follow your dreams and fight for what's right.

I was able to get a student rush ticket for only $25, and I got a seat on the front row of the balcony, so the view of the stage was unobstructed and clear. I could go on and on about the show; it was that good. Playing the role of Edna Turblad was celebrity Bruce Vilanch, who is famous for his comedy writing for the Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, etc., as well as his appearances on the game show Hollywood Squares. He did an amazing job in his role, which is played by Harvey Fierstein on Broadway to rave reviews. After the curtain call he appeared on stage and did a short comedy routine to lead into his request that the audience donate to an AIDS charity.

After the show, I got to meet Bruce Vilanch, and I got his autograph. He was very friendly and gracious, and when we left, he gave us some words of advice: "Never stop laughing."

I got back to campus and worked on some homework. Then, I helped some of my friends find the "rocke," which is hidden in somebody's room. We still couldn't find it, even after all that searching. We've concluded that the "rocke" has probably been relocated.

Quote of the Day: "You idiot! You're like a parrot without a brain!"

:: SL 10:22 AM [+] ::
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This video is one of the more disturbing things I've seen this week.

:: SL 5:52 PM [+] ::
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Today, I had two midterms, one right after the other. First was Science B-29, AKA "Sex." I think I did alright on the test, although I did run out of time at the end. I think I also did OK in Chinese, though there were a couple of characters that I simply forgot.

After my class finished at six, I grabbed some dinner and then headed to the Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government for the second live taping of Hardball with Chris Matthews: Battle for the White House. Today's guest was Senator John Kerry. It was fun to watch the taping. It was quite similar to last week, with Chris Matthews entertaining the crowd when off the air. John Kerry was very confident and forceful in getting his message across. He would make a fine president; he definitely has the demeanor and voice.

When I got back, I started to study for my cognitive psychology midterm tomorrow morning. I studied in the Leverett library, which is quite nice. There is glass paneling that allows an interesting view of the towers and gives the room an open, outdoorsy feel to it. After taking a snack break, I went back to my room and studied psychology for the rest of the night.

Quote of the Day: "They should hand out ribbons in the shape of a dog for people to wear to pledge that they won't commit bestiality."

:: SL 5:51 PM [+] ::
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This is the best Disneyland feature/news story I've ever read. It's such a well-written and compelling narrative. I could relate to it in many ways.

:: SL 4:07 PM [+] ::
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Augh! Today was a day of mad cramming for my midterms tomorrow. I have midterms in both my evolution/biology class and my Chinese writing class. After lunch, I went to the Science Center to watch a video for the bio class. Then, I went to a review session for Science B-29. After an entire afternoon of evolutionary biology, I went back to Leverett House to have dinner with a bunch of cool friends.

Tonight, I studied a lot for my Chinese class, learning some last minute characters. For a study break, I had a lightly toasted and buttered bagel at Brain Break. Then, I reviewed all the lecture notes so far for Science B-29. I still don't feel as if I'm ready for the midterm tomorrow. We'll see how it all turns out.

Quote of the Day: "Eggs run out, but sperm are forever... just like diamonds."

:: SL 4:07 PM [+] ::
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Welcome to the Super Saturday Feature of Pedantic Platitudes, where we present a panoply of pedantry!

Here is this week's pedantic sentence:

The corporate bureaucrat bloviated prodigiously, cunningly obfuscating into seemingly veritable testimony the deceitful and devious proclamations he maliciously endeavored to convey.

Translation: He's a filthy liar.

:: SL 9:17 PM [+] ::
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I spent most of today studying for my big Chinese midterm on Monday. I had lunch with some good friends, and we caught up with our news. Then, I did more studying. For a study break this afternoon, I went on a walk along the Charles River because this weekend is the huge Head of the Charles Regatta, which is supposed to be the world's largest two-day rowing event. It was a nice day, despite the coldness, and many people were enjoying the event. Hundreds of people lined up along the river and on the bridges to watch the numerous boats that would row by each minute. The river was abuzz with movement and it gave it a cool, busy atmosphere. It's so nice that Harvard is right next to the river. The walk along the river affords such magnificent views of the campus' bell towers and domes that rise up majestically above the trees.

Tonight, I had dinner with some more good friends, and then I went back to studying. Tonight, I took another study break with a couple of good friends. I went to have pizza at Tommy's House of Pizza, and they got some cookies and milk from the convenience store next door and brought it over to the pizza restaurant to enjoy with me. It was so fun and "ghetto" at the same time. We poured our milk in plastic cups and spread out the selection of cookies on the table. We shared a lot of great laughs and stories, and it was extremely amusing. Then, we stopped by the Quincy Grille. Finally, I spent the rest of the night doing more Chinese.

Quote of the Day: "If you really loved me, you'd play with my phlegm."

:: SL 4:07 PM [+] ::
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Today was another long day. I'm so glad it's finally Friday. After going to classes, where I struggled to keep awake, I had an early dinner. I then proceeded to study for some of my midterms. I have two midterms on Monday and one on Tuesday. It's not going to be a pleasant weekend. On the bright side, my pins and watch came today. It's always fun to receive packages in the mail.

Today, the Undergraduate Council had a screening of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, which is a big deal because it's just barely out of the theaters and not on DVD yet. I tried to get a ticket this afternoon, but they were already sold out! I really wanted to see this film again because I didn't really enjoy it all that much this summer and I wanted to give it a second chance. Alas, I waited in the standby line, but there was just no more space.

Tonight, I went to a party to celebrate my friend Molly's birthday. It was the best get-together I've been to all school year. A ton of people showed up, and the room was just abuzz with excitement. We enjoyed cake, chips and salsa, tea, and candy, and we shared hilarious and random stories. It was a ton of fun hanging out with friends in a not-too-wild setting.

Finally, I headed back to my room because I was tired and had a lot of work to do. I then tried to go to bed early so I can be even more productive tomorrow morning.

Quote of the Day: "Are they like golden delicious apples, which are neither golden nor delicious?"

:: SL 1:09 AM [+] ::
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Wow! This has got to be one of the most fabulous outfits ever! I especially love the hat atop the huge hair and the makeup; they really make the whole ensemble just so delightfully over the top.

:: SL 6:25 PM [+] ::
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Wow, everyone is changing their blog templates...

Augh. What a long day it was. After staying up all night writing my huge paper on moral reasoning, I had breakfast and went to my classes, barely keeping awake. Then, I finished proofing my paper and handed it in before the deadline at 3 p.m. I then crashed by sleeping for the next four hours, waking up just in time to catch the end of dinner. Then, I chatted with a bunch of friends in a stairwell for some time.

Tonight, I watched the exciting Red Sox versus Yankees baseball game. Alas, it ended quite tragically for the Red Sox, who were hoping for their first trip to the World Series in almost a hundred years. But it was not to be this year. So close, though! I'm not a big baseball fan, but you can't neglect the Boston Red Sox once you're living here, so I joined the bandwagon. It seemed as if the Red Sox were going to make it tonight, on this seventh game, because they were in the lead, but then the score became tied, and the game went into overtime. Finally, at the last moment in the 11th inning, the Yankees scored.

Wow, Sam J talking about sports... what is the world coming to?

Tonight, I stayed up late finishing my Chinese homework.

:: SL 4:02 AM [+] ::
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Yay! Space Mountain at Disneyland is being repainted white! Of course, it could just be primer, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed they'll bring it back to the clean, futuristic look of days gone by.

:: SL 6:44 PM [+] ::
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Wow, what a windy day! I don't think I've ever been in such windy weather before. The leaves were just being torn off the trees and debris was flying everywhere. It felt as if I was in the middle of a tornado. A tree was even knocked down by the wind in the courtyard! Today, I went to my classes and then participated in a psychology study. It was a busy day for me, as I have a Chinese quiz and a six-page essay due tomorrow. How aggravating. Alas.

I worked on my Chinese homework for the beginning part of the evening, and then it was on to my essay, which is about the moral shortcomings of a proposal where healthy individuals are killed to harvest organs to help a greater number of patients in need of an organ transplant. Fun stuff.

Tonight, I studied in the Leverett House library, which is most beautiful inside with its collection of old books. Speaking of books, the books I ordered from Barnes and Noble online finally came today after nearly three weeks, but I digress. The library really feels much more different inside the library than outside, where the architecture isn't too pleasing to the eye. For a study break, my friend who lives down the hall from me and I went to the Quincy Grille, where they are now offering Krispy Kreme donuts on Wednesday nights. A Krispy Kreme donut shop just opened this summer right outside of Boston, so it has been the talk of the town for some time. I enjoyed a regular glazed donut. It was deliciously sweet.

:: SL 5:49 PM [+] ::
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Big news! Cynthia Harriss, president of the Disneyland Resort, resigned today due to personal reasons. She will be replaced by Matt Ouimet, president of Disney Cruise Line.

:: SL 9:17 PM [+] ::
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With the myriad delightful delectables I consumed this evening, I expect to have a heart attack sometime this evening. Tonight, I attended a special recruitment meeting for the Walt Disney Company, which is seeking a financial analyst for its corporate division. It was for graduating seniors, but I felt it wouldn't hurt to get a head start and to try to see what's out there after college. The event was held at the Charles Hotel, a fancy convention hotel next to the Kennedy School of Government.

They gave a short video presentation of the many facets of the Walt Disney Company. It was then that I fully realized just how massive the company is. It's huge! I always knew the Disney Company was a big company, but it didn't really hit me until I saw this video, which showcased every division of the company, from theme parks to movies to radio to television to theatrical productions to sports teams to consumer products to cruise ships to magazines to record labels to books to the internet and more! It's actually quite frightening how massive this company is.

They described what kinds of tasks people in their division do and what they're looking for in applicants. In between, they showed video clips of current projects they have in line for release soon, such as The Haunted Mansion starring Eddie Murphy or The Alamo, a live action film about, well, The Alamo. There was also a preview for the new ABC sitcom I'm With Her, which seems to be very hilarious, if only I watched television. I was pretty impressed by all the company had to offer, as if I wasn't already...

They served such wonderful catered desserts in the back. They were tasty, bite sized, and beautifully decorated, with little chocolate garnishes and artistically arranged fruits; this was in addition to cookies, crackers, cheese, and chocolate-covered pretzels. As for drinks, they had a full coffee bar with specialty flavor mix-ins and a soft drink bar. I guess a big company can afford such delights in such a fancy hotel!

Afterwards, I visited my resident tutor, who was hosting a study break tonight featuring cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory. I tried the tiramisu cheesecake, as well as the pumpkin pie cheesecake. It was divine. The flavors really stood out, especially the tiramisu one. My only complaint with The Cheesecake Factory is that their cheesecake is too soft. I think it should be a little firmer.

Finally, the house masters were hosting another open house this evening, so I went and had the delicious monkey bread, which is like the inside of a warm gooey cinnamon roll. I also tried some of their flavorful ham and turkey. I chatted with some friends who were also there. Yeah, so all of the great food I had today is certain to catch up with me soon if I don't start exercising!

It's really starting to get busy for me. I have lots of work I need to get done, and I'm spending more time studying. Tonight, I worked mostly on my Chinese homework because I have a quiz in that class on Thursday. I also started working on my essay for Justice because that's also due on Thursday.

:: SL 9:15 PM [+] ::
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I was on national television today! Starting today and for the next nine Mondays, the IOP (Institute of Politics) here at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government will host each Democratic presidential candidate on a live taping for the MSNBC show Hardball with Chris Matthews. Today, North Carolina Senator John Edwards came to town to appear on the first program of the series. The entire Hardball with Chris Matthews team was here with technical assistants, cameramen, producers, directors, and outspoken Chris Matthews himself.

I was lucky enough to procure a ticket for the event, for which there was a lottery; not everyone who wanted to attend could do so. The place was packed. I had a friend who was in charge of organizing the event, and she so graciously helped me find a better seat. In fact, she got me into the "cheer crowd" for Chris Matthews and John Edwards when they entered the room. To live up their respective entrances, the directors asked for some students to stand behind the important people to cheer and act enthusiastic. That's how I made it onto national television.

It was so exciting. The stage manager came out first and gave us a quick talk about the format of the live show. Then, Chris Matthews came in, with me as part of the group cheering him on as he entered the room. I extended my hand as he was passing by, and I got to shake hands with Chris Matthews. Then, he took his seat on the stage and got ready for the show, working the audience with humorous jokes. He's such a funny, lively person. He's very intense in his interviewing on his show, but off the air he's quite relaxed and very conversational with the audience members, keeping them entertained even though he probably should be focusing and preparing on the upcoming show.

Then, the show started, and Chris Matthews introduced Senator John Edwards, one of the nine Democratic presidential candidates. I actually saw John Edwards just an hour beforehand. Before his appearance at the IOP, he was present at Kirkland House for its "Conversations with the Candidates" series, which is a more intimate get-together with the candidates preceding the Hardball appearance. I managed to attend the Kirkland House event, and he appeared with his wife and daughter, who is currently attending Princeton University. There was a Q&A session, and he answered many of the questions.

It was quite an experience seeing him at two separate events today. John Edwards was very charismatic and friendly. His Southern accent is charming in a way, and at 50 years old he looks like he's 30. He is obviously very intelligent and a quick thinker, able to come up with quick responses to tough questions, except ironically he did stumble when it came to asking about his favorite movie – a question posed by host Chris Matthews. After stumbling for a few minutes, he finally came up with the film The Shawshank Redemption, whereas he could immediately respond to a complex question about globalization or foreign policy.

I really didn't do too much research about John Edwards because I didn't really think he had a chance in the race, but he's actually quite liberal for a "Southern Democrat." He didn't grow up in the wealthiest family, and he was the first person in his family to graduate from college. With such humble beginnings, John Edwards really knows the value of hard work.

As the show ended, John Edwards headed out slowly while greeting people in the crowd. It was then that I got to shake hands with John Edwards and wish him luck with his campaign, even though I'm more of a supporter for John Kerry or Howard Dean. I think he really has his heart into running for president, and had he more support, I think he could definitely get the job done.

Tonight's event was a neat look into the workings of a television show. It was fascinating to watch the dozens of behind-the-scenes people working when most people only see just two people on the television screen. During the hour-long show, the cameras panned through the audience, so I made a couple more appearances on TV. I hope to attend the rest of the series. Next week, Massachusetts Senator John Kerry will be the guest, and I already have a guaranteed ticket to that event, so I'm looking forward to that.

Please check out my pictures from the event here.

Earlier today, I participated in a three-hour psychology study that netted me $50. It was very interesting because of all the studies that were done in those three hours. I filled out dozens of surveys and did dozens of tests on the computer. I've never had so much information collected from me all at once. Following the study, I went and explored the Oktoberfest celebration in Harvard Square today. It was a massive street fair with arts and crafts vendors as well as stands selling foods from all over the world. The streets were packed with people, and the atmosphere was made even more exciting with live music acts.

Tonight, I attended a tea party with some of my friends, and it was a wonderful English time all around. I tried marmite, which is put on buttered toast, and it tasty salty and different, but I was excited to try something new. It's from England, and many people are put off by the smell; even there it's either you love it or you hate it. I liked it.

It was nice to have this day off for a much-needed three-day weekend. I felt very relaxed today, despite the myriad events. Now, I need to settle down for this four-day week, which is filled with lots and lots of work.

:: SL 8:27 PM [+] ::
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Today, I slept in. Following lunch, where I made a really delicious salad from the salad bar, I started working on my Chinese homework. I worked on that most of the afternoon, learning new characters and making flashcards. Meanwhile, I listened to the Seussical the Musical soundtrack in its entirety. I kind of get the storyline now. I'm going to have to catch the show when it's performed sometime.

Dinner was nice. There was glazed ham with pineapple, and for dessert there was real ice cream, not frozen yogurt. There was a toppings bar with cherries, strawberries, whipped cream, M&Ms, chocolate sauce, and caramel sauce. I had strawberry ice cream with cherry topping with just a touch of caramel. During dinner, I caught up with a bunch of my friends.

Tonight, my friends and I watched the film Life is Beautiful starring Roberto Benigni. It was the first time I had seen this movie, and I was glad to finally have a chance to see it. It was quite haunting and poignant, as are most Holocaust movies, but it also had its moments of humor and light. The heart of the film came from a father's interminable efforts to keep his son from discovering the horrors of reality, to allow his son to survive. It was most heart-rending to watch, but the end demonstrated the brilliant triumph of the human spirit.

Following the film, I went back to my room and started cleaning up. In addition, I did my laundry, which took a lot of time because I have so many clothes to sort through. I then went to bed fairly late in the night, even though I have to get up before noon tomorrow morning.

:: SL 9:46 PM [+] ::
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Welcome to the Super Saturday Feature, only at Pedantic Platitudes, where there is a plethora of pedantry! This week's pedantic sentence:

The conspicuously corpulent literary invention of the ursine variety compellingly exhibits outlandishly anthropomorphic characteristics but demonstrates exceedingly lethargic body kinetics and obtuse cognition processes, thus straightforwardly validating warranted allegations of deficient mental capacity and severe neurological underdevelopment.

Translation: Winnie the Pooh is stupid.

:: SL 4:09 PM [+] ::
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Today, I got up super early to go to New Hampshire! It was a little difficult to get up at 7 a.m. on a Saturday, but I did so and managed to have breakfast in the dining hall. I then met up with a group organized by Harvard students for John Kerry; I was going to hear him speak and then help canvass for his campaign. John Kerry is one of the nine Democratic candidates for the 2004 presidential election. I am still undecided between John Kerry and Howard Dean, so I am doing what I can to learn a little more about each candidate. After more than an hour of driving, we arrived in Dover, New Hampshire. The event was at Dover Middle School, and we gathered in the multi-purpose room. There were many Kerry supporters there, and at 10:30, Senator John Kerry arrived to thunderous applause.

He spoke for some time and then allowed for questions. It was actually a pretty intimate setting. The audience wasn't that large, and people were able to get their questions answered by Kerry. Afterwards, there was a huge group following him as he left the room, and he left slowly, taking time to meet and greet. It was outside right before John Kerry got into his car when I finally had a chance to meet him. He brought out a Red Sox baseball cap from his car and put it on. Then, I got to shake his hand. This was the first time I ever saw John Kerry in person, and in his speech he came off as a pretty personable and charismatic person, not to mention that he has pretty good experience in politics.

Following the mini-rally, we went in our van to Manchester, New Hampshire, where we had lunch and then were set up to canvass for Kerry. We went into a random neighborhood in a suburb of the city and distributed campaign literature. I met some interesting people out there. It was such a hot day, and it was difficult to bear because I had dressed for much cooler weather, since the temperature has been lower here the last couple of weeks and the last time I was in New Hampshire (last year campaigning for Jean Shaheen's run for the US Senate) it was absolutely freezing.

After an afternoon of campaigning, we headed back to Kerry headquarters and then drove back to Boston. One thing that was striking both on the way to NH and back was the scenery. Right now, the leaves are starting to change colors for the fall, and the sight is absolutely incredible. The highway we took was lined on both sides by dense forest, so there were a lot of trees that had leaves with bright reds, oranges, yellows, and greens. Occasionally, there would be a lake, rendering the rustic countryside even more picturesque. I neglected to bring my digital camera, and I am disappointed I missed the opportunity to capture the image. But it really was just like one would imagine a beautiful New England scene with the vibrant colors of autumn.

When I got back to campus, I had dinner with some friends, and then I headed back to my room to conduct some busines online and to start my Chinese homework. It seemed to be a relatively quiet Saturday night. I'm guessing we're heading into mid-term season; mine are in a couple of weeks.

Quote of the Day: "Brahms does not menstruate, at least not anymore. He's dead."

:: SL 4:09 PM [+] ::
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Wow, what a long day! I had to get up really early this morning to return my evolution book that I borrowed late last night from reserve because the one I purchased online from Barnes and Noble still has not arrived, despite the fact that they promised delivery within three to eight days, and today was the eighth day. I'm quite dismayed. Well, I had to return the book by library opening today, which was at 8:30 a.m. After returning it, I immediately checked it out again for another three hours because I needed to use it. I headed over to Annenberg Hall, the beautifully extravagant freshman dining hall, for breakfast because upperclassmen are allowed to have breakfast there, and I did some more reading out of the evolution book.

When I finished my reading, I decided to take a quick nap because I still had an hour before class. So in an inefficient use of my time, I trekked back to my dorm and slept. Then, I went to section for Science B-29. Then, after a break for lunch with my friend Alex, I headed to lecture for Science B-29. I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but Science B-29 is nicknamed "Sex" because it deals with a lot of matters of a reproductive nature, especially in animals. Thus, after a 90-minute section and hour-long lecture for Science B-29, I remarked, "It's quite tiring to have so much Sex in one day." Following the lecture, I went to Chinese Bx. Then, I had to trek all the way to the Quad to Hilles Library, where my psychology tutorial, which normally meets on late Monday afternoons, was meeting for a library research introduction session. This was two hours long, and I finally was finished with my super-long day at 5 p.m.

I then went back to Harvard Yard to the Mower kitchen, where the Taiwanese Cultural Society was making dumplings. There was a ton of people there! The basement was completely crowded with students with a Taiwanese heritage, as well as their interested friends. We all sat around tables, conversing and making little dumplings. They were then cooked for consumption. Yum! I haven't had real good Asian food since I left home, so it was wonderful to have the homemade dumplings. I then had dinner with some great friends back at the Leverett dining hall. There was this great dessert that was like whipped cream with flaky layers in between and fresh strawberries on top.

Tonight, I joined some friends to watch A Midsummer Night's Dream, the most recent Hollywood version starring Kevin Kline. It was amusing, even though I am generally not a fan of Shakespeare. Then, I went back to my room and tried to go to bed a little earlier because I have to get up early tomorrow morning.

Final thought: Today, the BGLTSA celebrated National Coming Out Day, even though the actual day is tomorrow, so in the spirit of Rocktober, I declared that today would also be National Rocking Out Day! Yes, 'twas a wonderful Rocktober day, and we all rocked out to the max.

:: SL 4:34 PM [+] ::
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This morning, I got up early for my interesting cognitive psychology class. After Justice section, there was Chinese, and then I was done for the day. Following a short nap, I had lunch with a couple of friends.

I then did some reading for my classes, and afterwards I went to have tea at the masters' residence in Lowell House. It was exceptionally fancy and special. Tea was served in a lovely china cup - complete with a saucer! - with milk and sugar added, and there were small snacks on trays set about on various tables. The snacks included this delicious bread pudding - one type with a peanut butter flavor and one type with a buttery raspberry flavor. There was also an assortment of fancy sandwiches - prepared with the crust on the bread cut off and enlivened with creamy spreads - as well as delicious, fresh-baked cookies. Apparently, the event is held every week! So I know I'll be going back next week.

We had dinner at Lowell House and had a great time conversing about Rocktober, while I tried to prove myself as the biggest fan of Teen Sensation Brandy Lynn. Alas, I lost that one...

Tonight, I studied for my Science B-29 quiz tomorrow, while shopping for Disneyland pins on eBay. I haven't used eBay for at least a couple of years, and tonight I stumbled upon it and decided to look for Disneyland pins. I instantly became addicted. My pin collecting fever has been reignited, and I'm not sure what I'm going to do about that. I should stop while I still can!

:: SL 1:14 PM [+] ::
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Fun fact of the day: Gephyrophobia means the fear of crossing bridges.

:: SL 5:41 PM [+] ::
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They finally turned on the heat! It's become very cold lately, and we've been clamoring for the heaters to finally turn on, especially in the towers because the concrete and the huge windows make the building very frigid. Last night, there was actually some warmth emanating from the heater in my room. It was most exciting. Add that to today's relatively warm day, and you've got a happy camper.

Today, I had a four-hour string of classes as part of my wonderful Wednesdays. After my classes, I hurried to a special discussion with Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, the Tony Award-winning team responsible for the songs in the animated feature Anastasia as well as several musicals, including Ragtime and Seussical the Musical. They talked about the process of writing a musical and discussed several of their most well-known projects. It was so amazing to hear the stories behind these popular pieces of entertainment. At the end, I got their autographs on my copy of the Seussical soundtrack.

After running some errands, I stopped by the bookstore to read a few Dr. Seuss stories that were inspiration for Seussical the Musical. Some of them I had never read before, such as Yertle the Turtle or Horton Hears a Who. I really liked Horton Hears a Who. "A person's a person, no matter how small." I've come to realize what important messages and redeeming social commentary Dr. Seuss offers in his delightful books for children. Although easy to read, they often carry a deeper meaning and things that I'm catching now that I didn't capture when I first read those books years ago.

This evening, I had a fine dinner with a friend, and then I did my Chinese homework. I also chatted with some friends online and listened to the soundtrack to Anastasia, which I haven't listened to in a long time. It has some pretty catchy tunes, actually. Ah yes, the genius of Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens. Then I went to bed early because I have an early class tomorrow morning.

Get well, Robert.

:: SL 1:45 AM [+] ::
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What the hell is this?

:: SL 10:31 AM [+] ::
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Whoa. What just happened in California today? Well, we can't say we didn't see it coming, but it's still quite a shock.

Today, I got up early for my cognitive psychology class. After my Chinese class, I was finished for the day, so I took a nap because I was tired. Later in the afternoon, I participated in a psychology study that involved completing math problems. Some of those problems I hadn't done since I was in middle school. It was a weird experience.

This evening was the Sophomore Dinner, a chance for the sophomores in Leverett House to get together once again (the last time was when we all went to Jillian's in Boston to play pool). There was a reception right before the dinner in the house masters' residence, and very special appetizers were served: warm and flaky hors d'oeuvres and tasty cocktail shrimp along with a wonderful selection of drinks, including Orangina and other spritzers. We gathered on the plant-filled terrace for some socializing and then headed to the dinner. Even though it was still dining hall food, they arranged it and served it a manner akin to that of a fancy restaurant.

After dinner, it was work. I then headed over to the IOP (Institute of Politics) to watch results for the California gubernatorial recall election. I watched a lot of the news on the television (I haven't seen much TV news lately – most of my news comes in writing), and saw the various speeches given by the candidates this evening. Then, it was a late night finishing up homework and studying for a Chinese quiz tomorrow.

:: SL 10:31 AM [+] ::
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I just read an article about McDonald's wanting to make its Chicken McNuggets out of all white meat, and now I really want to eat Chicken McNuggets. Sadly, or maybe fortunately, there are no McDonald's restaurants around here.

Well it was a super late night last night, so I slept in rather late. It was nice because I didn't have class until 1 p.m. because my morning class didn't meet today. I went to two classes, and then I visited the Office of Career Services for the first time to look up some information. I then took a nap because I was tired.

This evening, I discovered the magic of Seussical the Musical! It's a Broadway musical based on the books of Dr. Seuss. The tunes are very catchy and poptastic, and the lyrics capture wonderfully the whimsical nature of Dr. Seuss's rhymes. Sadly, the musical closed soon after because of lackluster reviews. Apparently it's because the story just didn't work very well, but supposedly the writers have fixed this problem, and Seussical is currently doing well in its current national tour.

I visited my friends Alex and Alex, and they helped me try to get my wireless internet to work, but alas that did not happen, as it turns out that my computer does not have a wireless card. We were in the "G-Spot," our tower's common room with a big-screen TV, and people were watching the Red Sox game. Apparently it was a big deal that the Red Sox won, but I don't really follow baseball or even sports in general, so it didn't mean that much to me. The people here are crazy about the Red Sox baseball team, and everyone was abuzz that they had won.

Tonight, on the eve of the historic California gubernatorial recall election, I got caught up on the news and then had a lengthy chat on the phone with my sister, with whom I tried to impart some advice about high school and colleges. Sigh. I remember the turmoil of my junior year in high school. It seems like just yesterday.

:: SL 2:36 AM [+] ::
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Today, I slept in way too late. I did some work I had to do for my classes today, namely my lab write-up for my cognitive psychology class. Then, I went to dinner early because I was hungry: hungry for food, not hungry for boobies like Arnold Schwarzenegger when he gropes women. It was nice to see Alex and Alex there. We talked about weddings in various literary classics. I suggested My Big Fat Greek Wedding, even though I was fully aware that it was neither literary nor a classic. If there are a lot of weddings in movies, surely there must be more weddings in literature.

I then went back to the dining hall later because my friends were getting together for dinner. I just had dessert. I made some flashcards for my Chinese class during that time to be productive (not reproductive), but we still had some meaningful conversations. I had this really nice apple cinnamon tea that did not contain any caffeine, and I also enjoyed a cone of frozen yogurt - the flavor of which was chocolate. I'm normally not a fan of "fro-yo," but it was pretty good this time. There were also nice berry and peach strudels that I enjoyed.

Tonight, I spent a lot of time finishing up my lab report and also filling out a survey for Disney Magazine. They have put me on their panel to give my opinion about various aspects of the Disney Company, from theme park attractions to movie characters. My contributions may be published in next summer's issue of the magazine. The survey took a couple of hours to complete, but I think it was worth the time.

:: SL 6:14 PM [+] ::
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I refuse to be disenfranchised! Thus, I woke up "early" this morning, which means before noon, and went to the post office to mail my sample ballot with my vote, which the Office of the Clerk-Recorder will transfer onto a real ballot, since the absentee ballot I requested never arrived in the mail! So I found out what I could do, and now my vote will count in this heavily important election on Tuesday, October 7.

As I walked back from the post office, I stopped by Tower Records to browse through some CDs. When I returned to Leverett, I passed by my mailbox, and there it was: My absentee ballot. Curses! True to the word of the lady at the Office of the Clerk-Recorder, the postmark was for September 23. I can't believe it took so long for this ballot to get here. Well, I had to discard this new ballot because voting twice in the same election is a crime, and I had just voted by mailing the sample ballot.

Today, I decided to go into Boston to go shopping. I ended up on Newbury Street, which is this super-long street downtown that is super-posh and super-upscale. I can't believe today was the first time I explored Newbury street, since it is such a big tourist attraction. There were a lot of stores, and the buildings were absolutely beautiful. The gardens and trees in front of the buildings really gave the street a promenade feel to it. I found the Virgin Megastore here in Boston, and I looked at a lot of CDs and DVDs.

It was pretty rainy today, and that was unpleasant to walk through. Nevertheless, I walked all the way across downtown Boston (it must have been at least several miles) to get to the Cambridgeside Galleria, where I did some more shopping, getting, among other things, a new summertime shirt for next year (once it gets warm again) that was on sale and a nice belt. I also got new headphones for use on my laptop or discman because my current American Airlines headphones aren't working so well anymore. I purchased this at Borders Bookstore with my giftcard, which was given to me by an editor at The Tribune at the end of summer.

When I got back to the campus, I went to a party for my friend, who was celebrating her 21st birthday. It was a racuous occasion but fun nonetheless. We danced to fun, upbeat music and enjoyed snacks. I ended up not going to bed until a late hour, thus ensuring that I will not get up tomorrow morning until lunch at the dining hall is about to end.

:: SL 11:00 AM [+] ::
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Welcome to the Super Saturday Feature! Now, Pedantic Platitudes will feature more pedantry than you can shake a stick at! Enjoy:

He derived peculiar pleasure from engaging in exceptionally egregious displays of petulance, irking the masses with thunderous flatulence, and masticating in a flagrantly non-silent manner.

Translation: He's a jackass.

Their wanton expressions of mutual love sustained through the obscurity of the darkness and would not subside, despite the heavily physical, nay, exhaustingly laborious aspects of their nocturnal activity.

Translation: They freaked all night.

The apprehensive debutante, transcending outlandish societal expectations with her exceedingly sophisticated comportment, exhibited unquestionably meritorious pulchritude.

Translation: She's hot.

:: SL 11:00 AM [+] ::
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Here's another fun website to visit and entertain yourself with on this lovely Friday.

:: SL 3:41 PM [+] ::
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Today was not the most wonderful day. I guess the lack of sleep severely affected my mood. Alas. I got up early and went to have breakfast in beautiful Annenberg Hall. There were still a lot of other upperclassmen there, probably rekindling the nostalgia for the freshman dining hall. Afterwards, I went to section for my Science B-29 class, as well as the Science B-29 class itself. In between, I had lunch with my friend Alex.

After participating in a psychology study, I went to a quick meeting with my Chinese teacher, and got my test score, which was not bad. I then checked my e-mail at the computer lab and went to dinner, which was most delicious. Friday dinners usually feature some theme, and today's theme was Italian. There was a lot of pasta. In addition to that, I enjoyed a big bowl of canned Mandarin oranges, which the dining hall has been making available quite frequently lately.

This evening, I busied myself with such light activities as hanging out with friends, writing, and catching up with the world of news. I was persuaded to go to a party at The Crimson tonight, but I was tired and not really feeling it. After getting some stuff in order, I went to bed "early," which ended up being 1 a.m.

:: SL 3:41 PM [+] ::
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OK, I had no idea that the phrase "fold the paper hamburger-wise" and "hot dog-wise" were California specific. Today, I was teaching some people how to make paper hats, and I said, "Fold the paper hamburger-wise." They looked at me and said, "What?!?" And I sat there agog: "You've never heard of folding a paper hamburger-wise?" They had never heard of folding a paper hamburger-wise. They were from New Jersey and New York. Then a third person walked up and said, "Yeah, don't you know about hamburger-wise?" He was from California. Apparently, they call it different things in different places: "tall guy to tall guy and short guy to short guy" or "mountain fold and valley fold." Hmf. Go figure...

Anyways, I was teaching people how to fold paper hats when I attended the 13th annual First Annual IgNobel Prize Ceremony today. This is a spoof of the Nobel Peace Prize and celebrates actual scientific studies that "first make people LAUGH, and then make them THINK." Previous winners have been studies on scrotal asymmetry in ancient sculpture, an estimation of the total surface area of Indian elephants, the invention of a translating device to understand the barking of dogs, and "Courtship Behaviour of Ostriches Towards Humans Under Farming Conditions in Britain."

I had heard a lot about last year's ceremony, and I really wanted to go this year, so my friend Alex helped me procure tickets. I went with the Harvard Computing Society, which had a delegation at the ceremony. The ceremony really runs like an awards show, with various musical numbers and interesting demonstrations in between the actual awarding of prizes. As part of the HCS delegation, I had to dress up as "Gray Goo," which had to do with the theme of "nano" at this year's IgNobels. We decorated ourselves with duct tape and pieces of gray paper and were vocal at various points in the show.

Present were several Nobel laureates and other special guests, including Edward A. Murphy III, the son of the Murphy of Murphy's Law, which states that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. I also enjoyed the appearance by the guy who invented the plastic pink flamingo that people put in their front lawns.

There was even a "nano" opera, which was most hilarious, much like the rest of the show. My favorite award tonight was the one given for biology, and this year's recipient studied homosexual necrophilia in mallard ducks. Incredible, no? Apparently, what happened was a mallard flew into a window at a science museum and died. The curator of the museum noticed that another mallard walked up to the dead one and started copulating with it. The curator noticed that the mallard that was alive was male, as was the dead one. After an hour of watching the action, the curator finally felt the need to put a stop to it, and he confirmed that both mallards were male, hence his detailed study.

It really was very irreverent, with random things going on at the same time and audience members constantly flying paper airplanes onto the stage.

Here's a newspaper story on the event.

After the show, I helped the HCS delegation clean up all the paper airplanes that had been made and flown. That's why I was teaching people how to fold things.

Earlier today, I had my Chinese test, which I think I did acceptably on. I participated in a psychology study that netted me about $20 for less than an hour's worth of work. Then, I went in to The Crimson to finish my dining hall story. Barring any last-minute things-going-awry, it should run tomorrow.

There was also an open house this evening at the residence of the house masters, who provided us with delicious food and MONKEYBREAD, the delicious, gooey, sweet, cinnamon-y delight that we all love. I went and socialized a bit.

Tonight, I stayed up late finishing up my problem set for Science B-29. That's OK… tomorrow is Friday.

:: SL 1:19 PM [+] ::
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It is October! Er... I mean, Rocktober!!! Yes, I have been told to anticipate this, and now it is here: Rocktober. My friend who lives down the hall has promised Rocktober to be an extravagant month filled with activities on each day. In essence, Rocktober will, well, rock. She sent a bunch of us an e-mail, which promised the following:

"Tea parties, drag car racing, nude stargazing, and funkalicious choreographed dances will all be hallmarks of this exciting month. Rocking so hard, you will lose all sphincter control."

Anyways, I can't believe September is over. Now that the weather has become consistently cold and classes are in full swing, I guess my summer is officially over. It really was a good summer. I'm glad I felt I got an extra month of it in September.

I have been reading the blogs of some of my friends, and I just want to say how wonderful it is that they are happy. Things are going well for many of my friends, and I can't be happier myself that that is happening. Yay for good news. I'm truly glad we have blogs as a forum for sharing such good news and thoughts.

Why does caffeine make me want to laugh? I just had a glass of Coca Cola, and now everything is funny to me. I have become giddy. I guess because I don't get very much caffeine in my diet, the effects on me are pretty extreme.

Well, it looks as if I am about to be disenfranchised in this upcoming election by a faulty mailing system. I requested my absentee ballot for the California gubernatorial election three weeks ago, and I still have not received it. I need to mail it in time to the county clerk-recorder on or before election day (October 7) for my vote to count. Frustrated, I called the office of the clerk-recorder, and an official said my ballot was sent on September 22. Yet it has not arrived in my mailbox. I am becoming worried. Everyone knows how strongly I feel about this recall election, how this is my first election that I'm allowed to vote in, and how much I want my vote to count. It would be most ironic if I wouldn't be able to vote because my absentee ballot was lost in the mail, while thousands of eligible voters in Californian neglect to exercise the civic duty of voting simply because they do not care. I would be furious. More furious than the angry vagina.

I spent all of today studying for my Chinese exam tomorrow - the first exam of this school year!

:: SL 5:44 PM [+] ::
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