:: Pedantic Platitudes ::

:: Sunday, November 30, 2003 ::

Wow! It's good to be back! I have to catch up on how everyone is doing, though; I'm still amazed at how I went four days without a computer or internet access. It felt weird to not blog for so long. Now it's time to update my blog.

Today, we got up early, had breakfast, and headed back to school. It had been a wonderful vacation, but it was time to return to the hard work. The traffic was really bad today. At many places, the traffic resembled that of Los Angeles and Southern California. We passed by the city of Hartford, and the skyline was just beautiful. The buildings downtown showed that skyscrapers can still be beautiful. Eventually, we made it back to school in the early afternoon.

After unpacking, we decided to go out for lunch. The campus was still fairly empty, and the dining halls were not all open yet. We went to Boston Chowda for lunch, and I got a Caesar chicken wrap with clam chowder. It was quite delicious. I had never been to this restaurant before.

In the evening, I did reading for my psychology tutorial. More and more people returned from their vacations, and I saw a lot of my friends and caught up with what they did this past weekend. I finished the night by starting to study for my big Chinese exam on Tuesday.

Quote of the Day: "It's like playing the Teletubbies theme song at the concert of a death metal band called Satan's Orifice."

:: SL 1:48 PM [+] ::
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Today, we were going to have lunch with another new friend in Yonkers, but my friend's cousin had to go back to Princeton University, where she goes to school, so we all piled into one car and took the drive from New York down to Princeton, New Jersey.

It wasn't too long of a drive. I was surprised that an approximately two-hour drive landed us halfway down the state of New Jersey. On the way, we passed by New York City and Manhattan with all its gloriously tall skyscrapers. The skies were clear today, compared to yesterday's wet and overcast weather. We could see how the Empire State Building stood up so majestically – a beacon to the world.

We went to the house of my friend's uncle, which is in Princeton, New Jersey because my friend's mom had to drop off some items. After meeting the family, we made the quick drive from their house to Princeton University. From far away, we could see the spires of the tower above the trees.

We took the bridge across their artificial lake/river used for crew practice; the body of water looked very natural, not manmade at all. We then drove to my friend's cousin's dorm. After taking a look inside her dorm room, which was very nice (very reminiscent of the rooms inside Matthews Hall in Harvard Yard). It really looked like the dorm they showed in the film A Beautiful Mind, which is set at Princeton University. My friend's cousin said she actually saw John Nash passing by on campus.

Following lunch, my friend's cousin took us on a quick tour of the campus. It is beautiful with its gray stone buildings, which had incredibly intricate details. Their on-campus church had stained glass with such rich colors, and there was even a castle in the middle of campus! Because the university is so isolated from any big city (even though there is nearby train line that can take people to New York City), there is a convenience/grocery store on campus, something we don't have at Harvard University. Another cool thing about Princeton University is that the students get free laundry; that is, there is no charge to use the washing machines.

We shopped around the U Store, which sells official Princeton merchandise, and then we headed back to New York. We passed by Newark, which had really pretty tall buildings, and Manhattan. The setting sun cast a golden glow on all the tall buildings, and it gave the city such a magical feeling. The view really was incredible. We crossed the George Washington Bridge across the Hudson River and made our way back to New York.

Tonight, my friend showed us her yearbook. Then we went and had dinner at a small Chinese restaurant that was pretty good. We all shared different dishes in a family-style meal. Then, we got to meet Chris, my friend's best friend from high school. He really was the lively character my friend described him as, and we had an enjoyable conversation at the coffee shop. Finally, we returned to my friend's house, where we settled down for one final night in New York.

Quote of the Day: "You know what's creepy about Massachusetts? The Amish."

:: SL 6:11 PM [+] ::
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Today, we got up early to go to New York City! Alas, it was a rainy day, a sharp contrast to the beautiful weather of yesterday. I can now say that the weather has been horrible every single time I've been to New York. We took the train from Crestwood to Grand Central Station in Manhattan. The fare was a bit much, I thought, but the train got there pretty quickly, and we met up with another friend of ours who lives in New York at the station. We then proceeded to visit the New York Public Library, the front of which appears in the film Spider-Man. We went inside and toured the incredible reading rooms, which were paneled with wood and had beautiful paintings on the ceiling. One special exhibit room had original paintings of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart, who is famous for his portraits of the president.

We then walked to Rockefeller Center, where they film the Today Show on NBC. We saw the tall building in the background, and there was the huge skating rink with the gold statue in the background. It was picture perfect, except for the pouring rain. There were actually people skating on the ice, despite the wet weather. The holiday music was playing in the background, and if it had been light snow falling instead of the heavy rain, it would have been a scene right from a movie. We walked up towards Fifth Avenue, and there was a beautiful cathedral to our right and a long line of upscale stores along the street. Eventually we passed by a cafe, where my friend introduced to us the black and white cookie, which is available only in New York. We ate our cookies after we found a subway to go to Chinatown, our next destination. The cookies were good, but they were too sweet. They were like a giant sugar cookie with sugar frosting on half of one side and chocolate frosting on the other half of that side. The subway fare has increased significantly! I was last in New York City in the spring, and the fare for an all day pass was only $4. Now, it's $7! We figured that we would only be making one round trip, so we loaded our subway passes with $4 for two one-way trips instead of purchasing a day pass.

We arrived in Chinatown and met up with another friend from school. She was also in New York for the weekend visiting a relative. We went shopping for a little bit along the little stores, and then we went to Little Italy, where we found a nice Italian restaurant for lunch. I shared a chicken Caesar salad with a friend. We then went back out to Chinatown, where my friends did some more shopping. We also were able to get some bubble tea; I really miss this drink, which is popular in Asia. I've only had the milk-tea variety, so this time I tried something different by ordering my tapioca pearls in a passion fruit, green tea drink. It was too sweet initially, but once the ice cubes melted, it was perfect... quite an exotic flavor and drink.

Subsequent to that, we hopped on the subway again and went to Times Square. It had been crowded all day in the city, despite the rain, but it was even more crowded at this time and place as everyone was getting off work and going out for shopping on "the busiest shopping day of the year." The sidewalks were jammed with people, and we moved slowly along the street. By this time, the sky had darkened, so the billboards and signs were all lit up brilliantly in true Times Square fashion. We made it to a couple of shops, and we even stopped at the Toys "R" Us store, which was so jammed we could hardly move. I've never seen a store so busy in my life. How interesting we would find ourselves in the busiest place in the busiest city on the busiest day.

The rain and the crowds were getting really bad, so after a quick visit to the Hershey's chocolate store and the Disney Store for shopping, we parted with our friends staying in New York City and walked back to Grand Central Station. On the way, we saw the Chrysler Building glowing through the fog in the sky. It was truly beautiful; I was glad to see one skyscraper today, considering that the clouds had obscured many of them through the day. We took the train back to my friend's house in Yonkers, and we had a delicious dinner cooked by my friend's dad. It was chicken breast in a salty French sauce, accompanied by rice and corn. Soon after dinner, we went to bed because we were so tired from walking around all day.

Quote of the Day: "Anyone who isn't Helen Keller can read that!"

:: SL 7:22 PM [+] ::
...

Today was Thanksgiving. We all got up early this morning and packed into the car. We drove to the countryside of Pine Bush, which is in upstate New York. We went there because my friend's aunt was hosting Thanksgiving dinner. We drove a long way, and there was beautiful scenery to be seen. I had never been to upstate New York, so I enjoyed all the sights, although I think it would be even more beautiful if there were leaves on the trees. We crossed several bridges and went up several winding mountain roads.

We got there in the early afternoon, and we met my friend's aunt, grandmother, and extended family, which included her cousin Andrew, who is a super-hyperactive seven-year-old child. This kid dominated all conversations and would say such random, non-sequitur comments that we were all in stitches. At times we were frightened, at times we were wildly amused with horror. It was quite an experience.

The Thanksgiving dinner, which we actually ate during the mid-afternoon, was delicious. The family had the meal catered, and we had turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, biscuits, green beans, gravy, and this wonderful cranberry sauce that had strawberries in it. I suppose the strawberry/cranberry sauce would be delicious on some vanilla ice cream. Andrew continued to say crazy things throughout the meal, much to our mirth. We had pumpkin pie and apple crumb pie for dessert.

Finally, we went outside and played with my friend's aunt's cute dog. Their house is quite isolated out there in the countryside, so it was so quiet outside. There was a beautiful lake surrounded by trees out there in their backyard, and we actually saw some wild deer with white tails grazing out there before they were scared away by the dog.

It was starting to get dark when we left to return to Yonkers. I was full from the Thanksgiving meal, so I was asleep for most of the trip back. Back at my friend's house, we had a nice dialogue with her family. I worked and some homework and went to sleep soon after.

Quote of the Day: "Your skin is so soft!" "Do you want a massage?!"

:: SL 5:32 PM [+] ::
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Today, I went to a couple of my classes. In Science B-29, we watched a film about remarkable adaptations in the plant world, and it was narrated in such a humorously dramatic way that we all laughed. It was also kind of creepy to see some of the plants trapping the insects, which had no way out after they were stuck.

After Chinese class, I rushed back to Leverett, where I met up with two of my friends, one of which had her dad drive us to Crestwood in Yonkers, New York. Yonkers, where my friend is from, is a city just a little north of New York City. There was a lot of traffic initially because of all the people leaving for Thanksgiving weekend, but it did clear up after we got out of Massachusetts. I slept for much of the trip because I was so tired, but we got to my friend's house at about seven in the evening; it was a drive that took between three and four hours. We settled down and put our stuff away; we then met my friend's cousin, who is a freshman at Princeton University. She's a very friendly person who is originally from Louisiana. Then we had dinner, which consisted of spaghetti and meatballs.

Following dinner, we watched a video that my friend had made during her senior year in high school. It was rather humorous, with one of her friends donning a wig and pretending to be Barbara Walters. We had a lively conversation into the evening, and then we went to bed because we were tired from the day's journey.

Quote of the Day: "My shoulders are wide - like a linebacker."

:: SL 2:04 PM [+] ::
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Well, it's time for a vacation! I am going to Yonkers, New York with a friend this weekend, and we're likely to be going into New York City, also. It's my first Thanksgiving not celebrated at home. Alas. I am sad, but I am still looking forward to this opportunity for rest and relaxation!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

:: SL 12:30 AM [+] ::
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Weird news from near home... Man steals, swallows child's ID bracelet, SLO police say.

:: SL 12:27 AM [+] ::
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It's official!!! Summer, 2004: MIAMI!!!

:: SL 9:20 AM [+] ::
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While I finish up studying for my cognitive psychology exam, which begins in an hour, I'd like to share some psychology with the Thatcher illusion. She looks fine... until you flip her the other way...

:: SL 4:38 AM [+] ::
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Even though we have school until Wednesday, the campus is already starting to weed out. Many people are taking this whole week off or leaving early for Thanksgiving, so a lot of my classes are less than full. It seems kind of weird... there's that end-of-the-year feeling where everyone is so done with classes and is ready to leave.

After having stayed up all night to study for my test, I ate breakfast and went to take my test in cognitive psychology. Following the exam, I went to Chinese class, and then I had a small lunch in the Leverett dining hall. I then talked with my scholarship coordinator, and I finally decided where I'm going for my internship for next summer. It looks like I'll be going to The Miami Herald! It should be a ton of fun. Apparently, four other Knight Ridder scholars will be going there as well. I've met all of them, and they are all wonderful people, so I know I'll enjoy the experience. I just hope I can stand the humidity and the heat! That, and I have to find my own transportation and housing. Challenges!

After taking a long nap that took up most of the afternoon, I had dinner in the dining hall and proceeded to ride the subway into Boston, where I went to see a play starring Nathan Lane at the Huntington Theater near Boston University. The play was called "Butley," and it's about a British professor, Ben Butley, who is having the worst day of his life: His wife asks for a divorce, and then his gay lover abandons him for another man, all in one day. The play was sold out tonight, but I signed up on the waiting list, and after waiting forever, I was able to get a ticket due to some cancellations. I really lucked out; I got the second to last ticket available right before the show started. The seat wasn't too bad, either.

Nathan Lane plays the title character in this "tragi-comedy," and indeed it was tragic and comedic at the same time. The play was so well-written; the metaphoric language and biting wit made the play truly entertaining. Nathan Lane (who, of course, has starred in many theater productions and movies, including The Producers, The Birdcage, The Lion King, and a cameo role in Austin Powers 3) did an amazing job in conveying the emotions of the character and in making the audience laugh. I had a great time. The only problem was that Nathan Lane chain-smokes throughout the play as his character, so the second-hand smoke was getting a bit noxious. Following the show, I was able to get Nathan Lane's autograph. He seems to be a very shy and quiet person, despite his dramatic stage presence and over-the-top characters.

Tonight, I did my laundry, worked on the computer, packed for vacation, and wrote a response paper for my moral reasoning class. I really wanted to go to bed early, but once again, there was too much work to be done, so I still went to sleep really late. Alas.

Quote of the Day: "I feel the need for cream."

:: SL 4:38 AM [+] ::
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Sigh. My friend said it the best when she said, "So much beauty, so much pain."

:: SL 4:47 PM [+] ::
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Today, I went to my moral reasoning class. Then, I went to an interview/dialogue evaluation for my Chinese class. The premise was that I was applying for a job as an English teacher in a Chinese-speaking country, and I had to explain my experience and skills so they fictional company would hire me.

I then went to Science B-29 and Chinese class, ran some errands such as purchasing and mailing a birthday card for my father, and attended my two-hour psychology tutorial. We met at a later time for this week's session, so we all got dinner at the dining hall and had our class over the meal.

Tonight, I did mad studying for my cognitive psychology exam tomorrow. There's so much material to cover! I wasn't sure if I could get it all done; it looks to be a late night. Lo and behold, a huge distraction comes along: My friends decide to have a big tea party, so I was dragged along to the soiree featuring the aforementioned drinks, as well as dried fruits and nuts.

We then decided to head over to the Quincy Grille, where we had a blast being loud and crazy. I brought my materials to study, but that sort of went by the wayside when we started a lively discussion about "which animated Disney character are you most similar to?" and began eating the snacks we ordered. Finally, I returned and studied studied studied into the early morning for my psychology exam.

Quote of the Day: "I finally realize the inherent logical fallacy in the lyrics of this pop song; I am shocked, concerned... even dismayed."

:: SL 4:46 PM [+] ::
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I don't know why I felt compelled to post a photo of this delicious-looking dessert.

:: SL 4:18 PM [+] ::
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Today, I got up and had a quick lunch. Then, my friend and I worked on collecting data for our project on the role gender plays on pedestrian/driver interactions. It wasn't as cold as it was the last time we collected data, so it was bearable. After collecting the data for much of the afternoon, I took a nap (yes, on a Sunday) because I was tired.

This evening, I had dinner with some friends. There was an ice cream toppings bar, so I excitedly made my own Sunday sundae with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream, and strawberries. For extra chocolate, I sprinkled a few M&Ms on top.

Tonight, I worked on reading and responding to this week's assignment for my psychology tutorial. I then studied some more Chinese because of a quiz tomorrow. Finally, I started studying for my psychology exam, which will be administered on Tuesday.

Quote of the Day: "Last week it was so cold I had to blow-dry myself."

:: SL 4:18 PM [+] ::
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Welcome to the Super Saturday Feature, where we put the pedantic in Pedantic Platitudes!

Here is this week's pedantic sentence:

The antediluvian fogy utilized gruesomely violent aggressiveness to articulate his categorical antagonism toward due societal progression.

Translation: Hate crime!

:: SL 4:33 PM [+] ::
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I can't believe I still haven't seen Brother Bear. I don't think I've allowed so much time to go by following the release of a Disney full-length animated feature before going to see it. Maybe I'll find some time to go see it over Thanksgiving break.

Today, I worked mostly on learning how to write a ton of new Chinese words. It took a while, but I made some serious progress. In the evening, I took a couple of study breaks, first with some friends to have crepes from this little, horrendously-overpriced restaurant. Granted, the food was excellent, but it was still way too expensive. I ordered a cheese crepe, and my friends had a chocolate/banana/almond crepe and a lemon juice/strawberry/almond crepe.

Later, I some other friends wanted to get some Baskin-Robbins ice cream, but when we got there, it was closed, so we went to the nearby convenience store to get a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream (chocolate chip cookie dough). We also got some ice cream cones and "magic shell" chocolate sauce, which hardens into solid chocolate soon after being poured on ice cream. We then went back and enjoyed our ice cream while not really watching an episode of The West Wing. After that, I stayed up into the late morning doing work.

Quote of the Day: "Fo' shizzle my nizzle; that was so bling-tastic."

:: SL 4:18 PM [+] ::
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What a long day. For some reason, my neck hurt all day, and I couldn't turn my head to the left. I had a 90-minute section for Science B-29, including a quiz. Then, I stopped for a short lunch break with a ham and cheese sandwich and milk. There was lecture for Science B-29 and Chinese class following that. Finally, I went to a two-hour review session for a cognitive psychology test next Tuesday. I then went to a quick psychology study to finish my study pool credit. I now have enough for my psychology class. Yay!

Dinner was enjoyable with several friends, and we helped one of the members of our group come up with characters and ideas for a lurid "romance novel" set in a tea shop called "SexualiTea." Following that, I went to see a student production of Rogers & Hammerstein's South Pacific. The people worked hard, and it showed, but something about the musical didn't click with me. The dialogue was either written or delivered horribly, and the songs were a bit lackluster, although the band worked hard. The story wasn't particularly engaging, either, although admittedly I did cheer with the rest of the audience when the lovers were reunited at the end. At least the sets and lighting were quite noteworthy and spiced up an otherwise dull musical.

Tonight, I visited some friends to watch a couple of episodes of Blackadder, the hilarious British comedy. We also enjoyed pizza and lively conversation. I then went to bed relatively early because I was fairly tired.

Today, I have been moved to make a decision of whether to fight the passive-aggressive behavior of another with passive-aggressive behavior of my own, and although I am upset, I have concluded that I will not stoop to such ridiculousness. I think I am the better person for doing so.

Quote of the Day: "So much beauty, so much pain."

:: SL 2:41 PM [+] ::
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The Cat in the Hat is let out of the bag, but it doesn't look to be a hit, says this review. How fitting. I never saw how this could work in the first place. The book is such a Dr. Seuss classic that it would be hard to translate into a full-length movie, and add that to the fact that this film is live-action, when it probably would do better as a cartoon. Alas. Poor Dr. Seuss.

:: SL 9:49 PM [+] ::
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"As a giant screen displayed images of Mr. Bush, Jake Wayne, 5, could be heard asking, 'Is that Bush, Daddy? Does he kill people.'

His father, Mike, laughed, and said, 'Yes. Yes.' "

I thought the above quote speaks volumes. I found it in this New York Times article about Bush's visit to England.

"Calling You Bush Insults the Plant World," was written on one protestor's sign.

"It's absolutely disgusting, the thought of him being in Buckingham Palace," said Judith Thomas, 66, who sat with her cane. "The queen should have refused."

:: SL 7:07 PM [+] ::
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Today, I went to cognitive psychology class, section for Justice, and Chinese class. There were a lot of students in Chinese at the 11 a.m. class, for some reason. Last Tuesday there were only three students, whereas there must have been 15 today. I then went to an appointment at the Bureau of Study Counsel and ate lunch with a couple of friends.

In other news, I took a nap this afternoon. I then went to a tea at the masters' residence at Lowell House. It was a delightful affair, with tea lightened by milk and sweetened by sugar. There were also several baked goodies, including a chocolate fudge with mint-flavored frosting on top, sugar cookies with white chocolate chips, and wonderful sandwiches and sweet bread pudding.

Following that, I went to dinner, where they served wonderful herbed salmon. It was part of this "American foods" celebration with foods from various states around the country. Dinner ended, and I checked my e-mail for the first time today. A flood of messages awaited me.

Tonight, I went to a birthday party for one of my friends. We socialized, listened to music, and ate this delicious homemade lime pie. I then spent time with some other friends, drank tea, ate dried fruit, and went to The Collective, which is located in the basement of Quincy House. Various student bands perform there in a cool, underground environment. I then returned to my room to study for my Science B-29 quiz tomorrow.

Quote of the Day: "Sex is religion, and religion is sex; don't forget to say your prayers."

:: SL 6:54 PM [+] ::
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I don't know where I find such crazy websites like The Sound of Music Drinking Game.

:: SL 10:31 PM [+] ::
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Britney Spears becomes a champion for self love as she sings a song about masturbation on her new album In The Zone. One small step for female empowerment, one giant leap for the concept of using sex-related songs to show "edginess" and "maturity" as a "grown-up" performer.

:: SL 6:37 PM [+] ::
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Today, I went to my classes - four consecutive hours of sitting and listening and writing. It was pretty interesting, but I was tired today and had forgotten to wear my watch, so it felt as if the classes were dragging on.

In other interesting news, this afternoon I took a nap.

Following dinner, I proceeded to work on some homework, when I came upon a wonderful way of distracting myself from my work by going to the house masters' open house, where they served wonderful food (including the incredible Monkeybread) and gave visitors the opportunity to sing along to songs played on the piano. I declined on that aspect.

After finishing up my homework, I tried to go to bed a little earlier because I have to get up early again tomorrow morning for cognitive psychology.

Quote of the Day: "So, on the pregnant/non-pregnant scale, how are you?"

:: SL 3:47 AM [+] ::
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Today, I went to my early cognitive psychology class. Following that, I had breakfast at the beautiful Annenberg Hall, where they had slices of honeydew melon; that was exciting because good fruit is so hard to come by these days. It was then time for my Chinese class, and I did well on the quiz from yesterday. I then ran into a couple of good friends, so we went to Mather House to have lunch. The Jell-o at Mather House is really good because they put in bits of fruit in it. After that I took a nap.

In the afternoon, I did some reading and homework. Tonight, I met up with a fellow Knight Ridder scholar who is also here at Harvard, and we went to dinner with a former Knight Ridder scholar who is now at the university at the Kennedy School of Government. We went to Uno's Pizzeria, where there was a pizza special. The meal was really good. We also got free dessert from the manager because he made us move for another group. I got a cheesecake with strawberry topping.

After stuffing myself with pizza, I went to a little tea party with my friends. I had apple-cinnamon herbal tea. We joked and had a great time. I then spent the rest of the evening writing up a response paper for a reading assignment in my cognitive psychology class.

Quote of the Day: "In the bathroom, somebody smears menstrual blood all over the walls; I've seen homeless people who are cleaner than that."

:: SL 1:12 PM [+] ::
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Pictures from the 80s dance are back!

Um, wow.

:: SL 8:44 PM [+] ::
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Today's quiz in Chinese class wasn't too bad. I think I did pretty well.

My sophomore tutorial in psychology, which meets until 6 on Mondays, was interesting today, too, because it was more structured than it usually is. I guess I like lectures more than random, free-flowing discussions.

Tonight, I went to the fifth installment of Hardball with Chris Matthews: Battle for the White House at the Kennedy School of Government. The guest was Presidential candidate Carol Mosely-Braun, and Chris Matthews grilled her on all the usual questions: Iraq, social policies, etc.

They wanted me to ask a question during the show, so I did so and made it onto national television in front of millions of viewers! I was really nervous, but I think I sounded alright. My question was, "If you do not get the Democratic nomination, what issue on the Democratic platform do you think is the most important to further?" My parents taped the show, so we'll see how it turned out.

After the show, I went back and ate dinner. I then worked on some homework before going to bed early because I have my early cognitive psychology class tomorrow morning.

Quote of the Day: "The Chinese language is quite tasty, too!"

:: SL 8:44 PM [+] ::
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Today, I worked on this week's reading for my psychology tutorial and studied for my Chinese quiz tomorrow.

Tonight, I was supposed to take a new Knight Ridder Scholar out to dinner with another fellow Knight Ridder Scholar, but he cancelled sick, so I had dinner in the dining hall. Following dinner, I wrote up my response paper for my psychology reading.

I went to a couple of study breaks tonight. The first offered delicious and oh-so-soft challah bread and flavored cheese, and I enjoyed that with sweet apple cider. Then, I went to a study break held in the entryway of some of my friends who live in the other tower.

As soon as I walked in the door, I was amazed. On the table was a literal buffet of desserts. I don't believe I've ever seen so many colorful and succulent desserts and snacks assembled in one location. There was strawberry cheesecake and lemon cheesecake, honey-BBQ buffalo wings, chocolate-dipped strawberries, pumpkin bread pudding with caramel sauce, pastries with sweet cream cheese and a strawberry on top, tiramisu, and a giant apple tart. For drinks there was hot apple cider and chilled chai tea. The sight of all the goodies was awe-inspiring.

I tried a little bit of everything, and needless to say I was riding on a huge sugar high thirty minutes later. I returned to my room and started working on my lab report for my cognitive psychology class. I worked on this assignment for the rest of the evening.

Quote of the Day: "The situation is escalating; I'm going to court. I think I'll go out and smoke a Newport."

:: SL 5:18 PM [+] ::
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Welcome to the Super Saturday Feature, where we put the pedantry back into Pedantic Platitudes!

Today's pedantic sentence: The non-fecund and vertiginous dialogue betwixt the latitudinarian acquaintances concerned the hoary uncertainty: Is it preferable to imbibe copious amounts of male ejaculate fluid or a popular whitish condiment prepared from eggs and vinegar?

Translation: Semen or mayo?

:: SL 7:28 PM [+] ::
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And here I find myself quoting lyrics from J-pop songs...

"Voyage" by Ayumi Hamasaki

Bokutachi wa shiawase ni naru tame kono tabiji wo yukun da
Hora egao ga totemo niau
Iroaseru koto naku yomigaeru hakanaku utsukushiki hibi yo
Mabushii umi kogareta kisetsu mo
Yuki no maiorita kisetsu mo
Itsu datte furimukeba anata ga ita
Bokutachi wa shiawase ni naru tame kono tabiji wo yuku
Daremo mina ienu kizu wo tsureta tabibito nan darou
Hora egao ga totemo niau
Nando michi ni mayotta no darou
Sono tabi ni atatakai te wo
Sashinobete kureta no mo anata deshita
Bokutachi wa kono nagai tabiji no hate ni nani wo omou
Daremo mina ai motome samayou tabibito nan darou
Tomo ni ikou akiru hodo ni

We're on this journey in order to become happy
Look, a smile really suits you
Oh those fleeting, beautiful days, brought back unfading
The season when we longed for the bright ocean
And the season when the snow fell
Whenever I turned around, you were always there
We're on this journey in order to become happy
I wonder if we are all travelers with wounds that can't be healed
Look, a smile really suits you
How many times did I loose my way?
Whenever I did, there was a warm hand
And you were the one who held it out to me
What will we think at the end of this long journey?
I wonder if we are all travelers searching for love
Let's go together, until we've had enough

:: SL 7:25 PM [+] ::
...

Ah, Saturday.

Today, my friend Alex and I started a project we're working on for Science B-29. It entailed having a pedestrian stand at the crosswalk to try to cross the street and observing whether or not drivers would be willing to stop for them. We looked at whether male drivers or female drivers were more likely to stop for male pedestrians or female pedestrians. This was a pilot study, and we're hoping our teaching fellow will approve our study.

Alas, today was another frigid and windy day, so my fingers were almost frozen stiff outside and recording the results on my trusty laptop. Following the study, Alex showed me how to upload webpages I can design on Dreamweaver, so that was quite interesting and useful. I then started working on memorizing my new Chinese vocabulary words, since we have a quiz on Monday.

Tonight, I went to see a student production of Little Shop of Horrors, with music and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken of Disney's Beauty and the Beast fame. This show ran off-Broadway and has become a cult favorite as a movie. It was recently brought to Broadway and is still playing. The music was catchy, but the small venue made this particular student production a little quiet and less powerful. The fact that there was only a pianist accompanying the show made it a little less exciting, also. Nonetheless, the performers were quite talented and worked hard. In addition, the puppets for Audrey II were incredible. They were fully articulated and looked very professional. I think they were the best part of the show. The show picked up as it went along, and it definitely is entertaining with its music and good laughs. I hope to see it on Broadway someday.

After the show, I went to the Leverett House 80s Dance! My friends and I got dressed up in 80s garb, took pictures, and then headed off to the big event. It was so much fun! This was the first dance I've been to all school year, and I had a blast. The music was great, too. All the great music hits were played. I wanted to hear "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper and "Take On Me" by A-Ha, and they played both of them. It was fun to see everyone dressed up in crazy 80s clothes and dancing along. A lot of people showed up, and it seemed to be one of the most popular events on campus. We also received a cheesy 80s sweatband to wear as a souvenir. It really was one of the best times I've had all school year. Who would have thought that I had such a hidden love for the 80s?

After the dance, my friends and I went to the Quincy Grille to get a late night snack. I ordered a Quincy Grille Hamburger, which was quite good because it had something like steak seasoning on the ground beef. We shared some great laughs, and then I returned to my room to do some late late night studying before going to bed in the early morning.

Quote of the Day: "I would never hurt you... intentionally... much... repeatedly."

:: SL 7:24 PM [+] ::
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Today, I got CEREBELLUM'D!!! Yes indeed! It was so exciting I could hardly contain myself. How did I get CEREBELLUM'D? Well, we dissected a sheep's brain in section today for Science B-29. This was the first time I had dissected anything since the fetal pig in 9th grade. Ah, the memories of formaldehyde and organic tissue! Today, we examined the various structures of the sheep's brain, and we even cut it up to look at the structures hidden under the layers. It was quite fascinating. Well, at the end, we were instructed to tear off the cerebellum, so I, showing off my intimate knowledge of lines from the Teen Girl Squad, excitedly said, "CEREBELLUM'D!" And everyone just stared blankly at me, except for one girl, who laughed. I'm glad at least one person got the joke. She later asked me which episode it was from. I reminded her it was Issue #4.

After my day of classes, I ran some errands in Harvard Square, picking up tickets for upcoming events and getting my rebate check from The Coop Bookstore. I then had dinner, which was quite delicious with its Chinese food tonight. After dinner, I went to see a student production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, a popular off-Broadway musical. It was the first show I've ever seen at the Loeb Experimental Theater, so I didn't really know what to expect, but I ended up enjoying the simplicity of the production. It's so much more interesting when you have to use your own imagination when you're watching a performance. The musical was very hilarious but introspective at the same time. The guy who played Hedwig did an amazing job. I had no idea that the show was just like one long monologue. I am amazed how many lines and lyrics he had to memorize for the show.

I went to bed fairly early tonight because I was fairly fatigued.

Quote of the Day: "And when you're ready, I'll show you how to rip out the cerebellum!"

:: SL 1:51 PM [+] ::
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Augh! It's so cold and windy today! The wind is seriously blowing like there's going to be a hurricane. Add that to the cold, and you've got really unfriendly weather. At least there's no precipitation.

Today, I went to my classes. We had an interesting lecture about face recognition in cognitive psychology. It was neat to learn about the studies that show evidence that there is a specific part of the brain that regulates face recognition.

Tonight, I went and had dinner with my good friend Kate, who used to live across the hall from me but now lives in a different house. It was a nice dinner; I had never dined at Mather House's dining hall before. They even had real ice cream in order to compensate for their supposedly comparatively "sub-par" dining hall, although I personally don't think it's really all that bad.

I spent the rest of the night doing reading for my evolutionary biology class. We're covering neurobiology this week, and it's quite exciting that my classes are covering similar material, so I feel as if it all ties together in one great education instead of five distinct, different classes.

Quote of the Day: "You have no ass? I never noticed. I'll check it out later."

:: SL 6:32 PM [+] ::
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Wow, in just one day of using the Google Toolbar, I have blocked over 100 pop-up ads. Crazy, isn't it? It's all those annoying news sites that want to make an extra buck by sticking advertisements everywhere.

Today, I went to my classes and took the exam in my Chinese class. It was short but long at the same time; it took me a while to complete it.

We had an interesting lab in cognitive psychology section today. We identified the tops and bottoms of the faces of five male celebrities to test face recognition. Did you know that there's a module in the brain wired specifically for face recognition? In class we watched a video of a woman who had lost that function and could no longer identify people by their faces... she couldn't even recognize her own face when looking in a mirror.

After I was finished with classes, I went back to Leverett House for dinner. It was quite nice to dine with friends.

I must say that today's Quote of the Day is one of the most amusing lines I've heard in quite some time... It's so hilarious yet tragic at the same time. Ha ha ha ha ha.

Quote of the Day: "This coat is warmer than my family."

:: SL 4:51 PM [+] ::
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Today, I finally installed the Google Toolbar, which has a feature that blocks pop-up ads. I have noticed that pop-up ads have been appearing more and more, and besides being an annoyance, they also waste time. It was high time I installed some type of pop-up ad blocker. The Google Toolbar is cool because it has a search feature built into it, so I won't have to go to Google.com every time I need to search. Wow, what a great company Google is.

It was a nice holiday due to Veterans Day. Many people went out for entertainment like movies or shopping, but I stayed in to study for my Chinese exam tomorrow after sleeping in way too late. There's so much material that's been covered already in my Chinese writing class, and on top of that there is an essay that is rather difficult to translate and analyze that we received as a take-home portion of the exam. I had to complete that as well.

Meanwhile, I became distracted by the ever-amusing Engrish.com, as well as other online vices such as AOL Instant Messenger, e-mail, and this. Ah yes... the ever-popular Stroop test, now adapted for an online audience. Not to brag or anything, but I scored a 100% on my first try.

Alas, these distractions are keeping me up all night!

Quote of the Day: "Chai tea? Oh, I thought you said Tai Chi."

:: SL 4:35 PM [+] ::
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Check this out: The Meatrix.

A bit preachy, but it's quite clever in getting its message across. It really makes you think...

:: SL 9:41 AM [+] ::
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Today, I had classes from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. That included my two-hour psychology tutorial, where we discussed the concept of self-esteem today. It was an interesting talk, and one theory is that like good health one cannot get too much self-esteem.

After my classes, I went and had dinner with a good friend who lives down the hall from me. Tonight was the student/faculty dinner. I didn't have a faculty member to go to dinner with and my friend's chose faculty member declined at the last minute, so we decided to "crash" the occasion anyways. It turns out that the dining staff wouldn't have turned us away anyway, but it seemed so much more fun to pretend that we were faculty members.

I pretended to be a professor in the department of folklore and mythology, and my friend pretended to be a professor in the Scandinavian studies department. We took turns gushing to each other about the books we had supposedly written. It was such a strangely crazy yet incredibly amusing dinner. We started in the masters' residence, where we enjoyed drinks and hors d'oeuvres. They served really fancy food, too. We enjoyed nice rolls with butter, potato chowder, crab-stuffed salmon with rice and asparagus, and a super-fancy apple/cranberry strudel for dessert. The dessert had a really flaky crust and powdered sugar on top.

Tonight, we had a study break in our entryway. There was cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory restaurant. I tried three different flavors: peanut butter, Oreos, and dulce de leche. With all the decadent foods I had this evening, I can hear my arteries slowly clogging up. I conversed with my friends, and then I went back to my room to do some work. After finishing the work I had planned to do, I went to bed fairly early because I was tired. Luckily, I don't have class tomorrow because of Veterans Day.

Quote of the Day: "I hope your mother dies in a freak yachting accident."

:: SL 2:23 AM [+] ::
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I spent today doing work. Most of it was reading for my psychology tutorial, which meets tomorrow. I then wrote a response piece based on the reading.

Dinner was great tonight because there was real ice cream for dessert. Even better, they had vanilla ice cream. They keep serving strawberry ice cream all the other times. I topped my vanilla ice cream with hot fudge, strawberries, and whipped cream.

Tonight, I took a study break by going to the Malkin Athletic Center to exercise. I ran for about a half hour and then returned to get a snack. Later, I did some more work for my classes and organized the music files on my computer.

Quote of the Day: "You're asking me to comment on the defecatory habits of rodents… I don't know."

:: SL 10:38 PM [+] ::
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Welcome to the Super Saturday Feature, where we celebrate pedantry in Pedantic Platitudes!

The susurrous discourse among the puerile gossipmongers educed an austere objurgation from the livid pedagogue, whose excoriation impelled the scholars to caterwaul in abject despondency.

Translation: The teacher cracked down – hard.

:: SL 7:25 PM [+] ::
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Today at lunch they served these really cool croissant sandwiches with ham, egg, and cheese inside. It was quite delicious. Add that to the chicken fingers and fries, and you've got an unhealthy yet satisfying meal.

Following lunch, I went downtown to see Les Miserables, described as "The World's Most Popular Musical" and "The Musical of the Century." Les Miserables has been around since the 80's, and it has been performed to millions of people. It actually only closed on Broadway earlier this year. This touring company is an exact copy of the original still playing at the West End in London; it opened here in Boston this past Wednesday and will stay until December 7.

I think the show might have gotten too much hype... or maybe it's because I'm a bigger fan of comedy than drama (having seen The Producers and Hairspray)... but I didn't get into this musical as much as all the other ones. The production was still amazing... I guess I just didn't get into it as much as other people in the audience, who were driven to tears by the emotions evoked by the musical.

The musical really is wonderful. The centerpiece on the stage is this huge turntable, which turns at certain times to help facilitate scene changes and to give multiple views of the same scene to the audience. It was an incredible sight because eventually you could see the front, the sides, and the back of the 3-D sets when they were on the turntable. Other impressive set pieces included these two massive structures of rubble, which would change to become a bridge or a huge barricade. There was also a nifty fiber-optic backdrop that created a sky of stars, as well as heavy usage of scrims to project expository information and to make the ensemble appear dramatically in certain moments. They used a ton of smoke and fog, too. The costumes were incredibly elaborate, and the entire package really took the audience back to France in the 1800s.

The music was very impressive, too. There was very little dialogue because most of the lines were sung as part of the songs. In essence, it was three hours of continuous songs and musical numbers. Yes, the show was nearly three hours long, supposedly trimmed from an original three and a half hours. However, the performance was engaging, so it didn't seem like a full three hours.

This truly was an epic musical. I appreciated its inspirational message about fighting for your ideals and revolution against what's unfair... about still believing and holding hope for a brighter future despite current adversity. It was emotional, too, because of the suffering and death portrayed in the show. But the ending was cathartic, and people left feeling hopeful and inspired for the future.

Continuing my day of entertainment, I went just down the street after Les Miserables to meet up with my friends, who had planned weeks ago to see The Matrix Revolutions at the theater downtown. Besides grumbling about the exorbitant $10 evening price, I was sorely disappointed by the movie. It was ridiculous and made no sense whatsoever. I didn't really understand the first two movies, so I was hoping this third movie would tie it all together and make it all make sense. But no. This was just as bad (and worse) than the other two. Most of the people in our group (and we had a lot of people) were confused and puzzled after the movie also. What does it say when a whole group of Harvard students doesn't understand a popular movie after they see it? A mainstream film really should work harder to help the audience understand exactly what is going on. I think The Matrix, as a trilogy, didn't do a good job of making things clear for a majority of people to understand. There's a difference between making people think and confusing the hell out of a lot of people in a movie.

Well, I finally headed home after the movie. I was hungry, so I went out for some pizza. I then did a lot of writing.

Actually, Les Miserables is starting to grow on me the more I think about it and the more I listen to its songs. I think it's one of those shows that you grow to love, that you get a little more out of after each viewing. The drama and the inspirational message is starting to get to me. Here are some lyrics from the rally song that is reprised in the finale:

Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!

Will you join in our crusade?
Who will be strong and stand with me?
Somewhere beyond the barricade
Is there a world you long to see?
Then join in the fight
That will give you the right to be free!!



There was also this quote from Victor Hugo in the show program that I found very beautiful:

"Will the future ever arrive? ... Should we continue to look upwards? Is the light we can see in the sky one of those which will presently be extinguished? The ideal is terrifying to behold, lost as it is in the depths, small, isolated, a pin-point, brilliant but threatened on all sides by the dark forces that surround it; nevertheless, no more in danger than a star in the jaws of the clouds."

Quote of the Day: "That love poem was horrible; I've read overdue library book notices that are better than that."

:: SL 7:24 PM [+] ::
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I love this Lego website!

Here are some highlights:
Characters from the Dilbert comic strip
Rodin's The Thinker
MC Escher's Relativity

Absolutely incredible. There are also a bunch of other MC Escher-inspired Lego creations on the site, too.

:: SL 4:23 PM [+] ::
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Wow, what a long day. When does the night end and the morning begin?

I had a nice breakfast with pumpkin muffins and grapes, both green and purple. I then went to my classes. My 90-minute section for my evolutionary biology class was entertaining today because we talked about game theory as it applies to reciprocal altruism and evolution.

I then had lunch and attended lecture for the evolution class. Then, it was Chinese, where we reviewed for our exam next week. Following my classes, I took a short nap.

After dinner, I went with my friends to see Finding Nemo, which was playing for $1 movie night. It was so fun seeing it with so many people. I've seen it five times now, and each time it just gets better. Es-ca-pe! Sweet… totally! Are you my conscience? Just keep swimming! [Speaking whale sounds.]

Afterwards, I spent time with my friends, later going to see another episode of the hilarious Blackadder, a comedy series from England starring Rowan Atkinson. Finally, I went to bed, exhausted from such a long day.

Oh yes, and the holiday season officially begins today at Disneyland, with the opening of it's a small world holiday and the Believe... In Holiday Magic fireworks spectacular, in addition to the already-open and wildly successful Haunted Mansion Holiday, which features characters from The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Quote of the Day: "I'm so goosed up, I'm swimming in them!"

:: SL 4:15 PM [+] ::
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This morning, I went to my classes. Cognitive psychology was very interesting because we got to look at a lot of different optical illusions. I then met with my TF for my moral reasoning class to discuss my essay.

Well, I had a five-page paper due at the end of today, as well as the equivalent of a six-page paper due tomorrow, so there was a lot of writing going on today. I holed myself in my room and chugged away, writing (or rather, typing) until my fingers were numb. The five-page paper was for my psychology tutorial, and the three-page, single-spaced piece was for my evolutionary biology class. Fun times when everything is due all at once.

I did manage to get my psychology paper in on time. Following that, I took a study break by getting a snack from the dining hall. They had a nice cheese platter out, so I enjoyed cheddar and Swiss. I then started working on my other paper. It looks to be a long night.

Quote of the Day: "You can't have a wireless cup phone… that's called shouting."

:: SL 12:45 PM [+] ::
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Here's a pretty cool blog.

:: SL 5:14 PM [+] ::
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Today, I went to the exciting Wednesday lineup of four classes in a row. I then participated in a psychology study that was a followup to the one I participated in on Monday. It was pretty quick, and I was able to go back to Leverett House to take a nap for the afternoon.

There was a very funny conversation tonight at dinner, where we discussed "ho economics" in celebration of the month of Hovember, which is coming along pretty wonderfully. In fact, we even have an official Hovember blog. It's been a source of great humor, and we expect it to continue just wonderfully until the end.

Tonight, I studied for my Chinese quiz tomorrow.

Quote of the Day: "Veterinarians are the unsung heroes of American agriculture."

:: SL 5:14 PM [+] ::
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"The dialogue is dreadful, with philosophical claptrap stumbling over kiss-me-before-I-go banalities, and the plot is cut from very worn cloth."

I loved that sentence from a review of the The Matrix Revolutions.

:: SL 8:44 PM [+] ::
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Today was a cold day. There was partially frozen precipitation, but it was so light that the ground didn't get wet. I wore my heavy snow jacket, though, to stay warm. After attending my classes, I took a nap. I then went to an appointment with an advisor.

I had dinner with a bunch of my friends, and we conversed freely about myriad topics of a random nature. Tonight, I did my laundry and did some reading and homework for my classes. For a study break, my friends and I got together for tea! It was a wonderful occasion with everyone conversing and relaxing to nice, classy jazz music from the speakers. I had a great time.

Finally, there was more work to be done on the academic front, so I toiled through the night finishing up assignments.

Quote of the Day: "You need a new name... something like Candelabra."

:: SL 4:39 PM [+] ::
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Today, I had Justice, Sex, and Chinese. After those classes, I participated in an interesting psychology study where I was asked to eat and rate seven different food items. They gave me pretzels, a cookie, hard crackers, tortilla chips, a slice of bread, a breadstick, and another type of cracker with peanut butter sandwiched in between. It was nice to get that unexpected class in the afternoon.

Then, I went to my two-hour tutorial class. It was an interesting discussion about the positive effects of writing in a journal. Well, it looks as if I've got that one covered… Right after the class, I went to the Kennedy School of Government to watch the fourth installment of Hardball with Chris Matthews, which was being taped live there for MSNBC. The guest was Democratic presidential candidate Representative Dick Gephardt. It was an interesting talk, and although Dick Gephardt is not my favorite candidate, it was still a neat to get another look into the production of a live TV show. Chris Matthews is a great interviewer, and he is so knowledgeable about issues both current and past.

Following the event, I had dinner and started to do some homework. At 10, I went to a study group for my Chinese class, where we worked on a project that was due tomorrow. I then spent the rest of the evening doing homework and reading.

Quote of the Day: "Even the ugly ones know that Clinique is not French for hospital."

:: SL 5:59 PM [+] ::
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Today was another cold day, and it felt even more frigid because it was so warm yesterday. I worked on my Chinese homework today. Then, I did some reading for my psychology tutorial.

This evening, I went to the Quincy Grille for a late night snack with some of my friends. It was a most hilarious occasion, and I had a great time. I then did some more late-night reading and sent out some e-mails.

Quote of the Day: "You're MSG-ing prematurely!"

:: SL 6:54 PM [+] ::
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Welcome to the Super Saturday Feature, where we perfect the prettiness of pedantry in Pedantic Platitudes!

Today's pedantic sentence:

With the auspicious acquisition of a resplendently modish significant other, the compellingly charismatic and visually appealing Caucasian human being of the feminine gender abruptly found herself possessing the aptitude to transcend her utter social ineptitude in a fabulously contemporary and bordering-on-the-cliché rendition of the oft-told fictional narrative "Cinderella."

Translation: She's All That.

:: SL 2:44 PM [+] ::
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Today was such a wonderfully warm day! It could have very well been a day in summer. Many people were out enjoying the warmth of the sun, and they were wearing shorts and short-sleeved shirts. This afternoon, I worked mainly on my Chinese homework, considering how much there is to do in that class. I then took a break by going to the Malkin Athletic Center to exercise. I ran and then used the rowing machine.

This evening after dinner, I attended a birthday party for one of my friends. A lot of people showed up, and we enjoyed cheesecake from Finale, the upscale dessert restaurant in Harvard Square. Later, I caught up with some of my friends to watch an episode of Blackadder, a hilarious British comedy series starring Rowan Atkinson. It was very irreverent, with humorous randomness and sometimes inappropriate jokes. I found it incredibly entertaining. Then, we talked for some time and ended up hiding the "hoe" of Hovember.

Quote of the Day: "It's like Mary Poppins with pharmaceuticals!"

:: SL 11:47 AM [+] ::
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