:: Pedantic Platitudes ::

:: Sunday, October 31, 2004 ::

Last night was so much fun! My roommates and I threw a big "Rocktoberween" party, and we invited all our friends and more! I DJ'd for most of the night, and we danced and had fun. It was great to see everyone dressed in costumes. I had a cowboy costume. Two of my friends, who are roommates, came as an angel and a devil. One of my friend's came as a peninsula. It was most amusing.

For the party, we used my roommate's cool sound system, which had a subwoofer, so the music sounded great. We also had glow sticks, which people placed in suggestive places on their costumes. Some showed off their glow stick waving skills when we played techno music. So cool!

We dressed up:

We danced and partied:

We were scandalous:

And then we crashed afterwards:

Quote of the Day: "No! Don't name my breasts! Stop it!"

:: SL 2:16 PM [+] ::
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Happy Halloween!

Saturday night was one of the best ever... more details soon.

:: SL 1:34 AM [+] ::
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Quote of the Day: "I still read your blog even though I don't care for some things you say."

:: SL 1:20 AM [+] ::
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Yesterday, I worked on some assignments that were due soon. I had a great dinner with some friends in which we shared stories we had heard about people getting maimed by elevators, and later at night, we had a quick tea party in which we had some great laughs. A couple of my friends were fighting over a red pitchfork that's part of my friend's devil costume for Halloween, and we found that wildly hilarious as they chased each other around the room for the object.

Despite the good times with friends, yesterday was a crappy day. It kind of worsened as the evening wore on, so I could not fall asleep last night. I ended up getting only about four hours of sleep when I could have gotten nine because I was so upset. Alas. Well, today is another day, and it was a bit nicer.

I went to my classes, and then I had lunch with a friend. Then, I worked on an assignment that was due later today and turned it in. I then planned with my roommates a major party we are throwing tomorrow evening for "Rocktoberween." We got a black light and glow sticks, so it should be lots of fun. We moved the couches and futon in our common room to clear a space for people to dance and planned where we would put food and drinks.

I then went to see the movie Mean Girls, which was being presented at the Science Center. It was such a hilarious movie. I highly recommend it. Its caustic commentary, satire, and caricaturizing of the high school social structure amazed me, and I could not stop laughing at the continuous humor. Lindsay Lohan does an amazing job in this film (as she does in all her films); I think she's a very talented actress.

Afterwards, my friends and I went to Finale, an upscale dessert restaurant, for a treat. I didn't feel like having any of their super-sweet desserts, so I just had some chai tea. I am growing quite fond of chai, actually.

I then went and got some snacks and drinks for the big party tomorrow.

Quote of the Day: "Well, I don't know how you're going to get into our room for the party that early; the doors open at 11." "What is this, a Broadway show???"

:: SL 7:48 PM [+] ::
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Summit board rejects 976 voter challenges: Officials say four Republicans had no proof of impropriety. Angry citizens blast accusers

Another shocking example of Republicans illegally attempting to deny others the right to vote. I am so angered by this case, and it's not the only one; all across the country, certain Republicans are scheming to deny non-Republicans the right to vote. That's about as un-American as you can get.

The Republicans cannot defend the record of their failed George W. Bush, so they seek to disenfranchise dissenting opinions to win the election. Shameful.

:: SL 11:53 AM [+] ::
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They finally took down the construction tarps. The new paint and gold leaf is INCREDIBLE!!! Sleeping Beauty Castle looks so beautiful now.

:: SL 1:28 AM [+] ::
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And I hope that you know
That nature is so
This same rain that draws you near me
Falls on rivers and land
And forests and sand
Makes the beatiful world that you see
In the morning
Everything's fine in the morning
The rain will be gone in the morning
But you'll still be here
In the morning

Vienna Teng: "Lullaby For A Stormy Night"

:: SL 1:22 AM [+] ::
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Big day today! Today, I went to my classes in the morning. Then, after researching and deciding my positions on the issues on the 20,000 propositions we Californians have to decide on (the LA Times offers some humorous commentary on California propositions... worth a read), I completed and mailed out my ABSENTEE BALLOT for the November 2 presidential election!!! What an important election. I'm so glad I am doing my part in our democracy.

I, of course, voted for John Kerry for president not just because George W. Bush is a colossal failure and an incompetent leader who lied to the country and put our troops in danger and made us Americans look like fools in the world, but because John Kerry has the strength and the vision to carry our country through these difficult times and to restore our country's dignity and credibility in the international community. I hope Kerry wins on Tuesday!!! I'm so nervous; I just want the election to be over so I can celebrate the end of the nightmare that was the last four years with Bush in office (or, god forbid, prepare myself for a draft and the end of the world).

Speaking of celebrating, the Boston Red Sox finally won the World Series after 86 years, ending the "curse" that was put into place after the team sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees. Wow, what a win. Everyone has been watching the games this week, and tonight everyone staked themselves out in front of televisions, watching the exciting game and cheering the historic win. The Red Sox have won the last eight games straight. What a winning streak to break the "curse"!

So after the game ended, everyone streamed out into the streets and gathered in Harvard Square, where the Harvard marching band played rousing tunes to rally the huge crowd that spread out into the streets, which were shut down by police to allow the celebration. Everyone was singing, cheering, and chanting in happiness. I've only been swept up by the enthusiasm since a little while ago, but there are fans who have been waiting decades for this historic moment tonight. I was quite touched by this Nike commercial celebrating the history and endless hope and enthusiasm of the Red Sox and the team's fans.

This afternoon, I went to the psychology department building for a meeting, but it was canceled, so instead I participated in a short psychology study for some quick cash. After having dinner with friends (and having one of the best conversations ever), I went to the mall to get some Halloween stuff.

While at the mall, I passed by the Apple store, and I saw the new color photo iPod that was introduced earlier this week. So cool! I wish I had one like that. Not only does it store 60GB of data (about 15,000 songs), but it also has a color screen (the quality of which is wonderfully vivid) and has the capability to store photos! They show up on the screen quite well. But it's sooo expensive!!! $599 for the new 60GB iPod. I already have a 40GB iPod that I won from a mall earlier this year, and even though it was the most expensive and advanced model at that time, it feels totally inferior to this new color iPod. But I'm still happy that I have an iPod at all! Such a cool gadget. I don't use it nearly as much as I should, considering its worth.

Going back, on Tuesday I went to a class and then ran some errands and did some work. Nothing too eventful. On Monday, I went to a bunch of interviews for activities I'm trying to get involved in this year. I think one of the most unfortunate things about extracurricular activities here is that so many of them require difficult applications that really puts a damper on wanting to participate. Oh well. I really hope I get into these organizations; they are certainly worth joining. I also did a lot of reading because I had a response paper due that night.

Quote of the Day: "For your birthday, I got you some scented hand lotion because ever since you started masturbating, your hands have acquired a strange odor."

:: SL 9:55 PM [+] ::
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Almost 380 tons of dangerous explosives have gone missing in Iraq. George W. Bush refuses to comment on this dangerous situation.

What happened to these explosives, Mr. Bush? Why won't you admit that you are doing a horrible job of handling the situation in Iraq? What else are you hiding from us? You already lied to us in order to push your illegal war on Iraq. Why can't you tell the truth?

:: SL 11:20 PM [+] ::
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Woo! Go local towns! As Apple celebrates the release of its new version of the immensely popular iPod, this one with new photo storage capabilities, it has put up a new page advertising the product, and guess what town is featured in one of the pictures? San Luis Obispo!

Check it out!

Scroll down about two-thirds of the page, and it says "San Luis Obispo Vacay" (Vacation?).

Coolness.

:: SL 8:28 PM [+] ::
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On Saturday afternoon, I went to help out with the Hasty Pudding business staff stuff envelopes and advertisements for this year's show and stick mailing addresses on them.

This weekend is the Head of the Charles regatta, so there were a lot of tourists and students from a lot of different schools participating in this major crew event on the Charles River, which is just literally ten steps away from my dorm. I went and watched some of the races, and that was a neat experience. They also had a lot of small tents set up along the river where the sponsors of the event were giving away free stuff and food vendors sold fried dough (New England's version of funnel cakes), hot dogs, and other foods you typically see at fairs.

In the evening, my friends and I went to see the movie I (heart) Huckabees, billed as an "existential comedy." I highly recommend this movie. I thoroughly enjoyed its humor and its pseudo-intellectualism and philosophical basis. It was really amusing how the main character had the detectives following him through his daily life, and I enjoyed how it brought such interesting theories alive to apply to modern life. Very funny movie.

After the movie, we decided to go get bubble tea at the newly-opened Boston Tea Stop, which is much cheaper and much better than the other place I've gone to get bubble tea because it is not a franchise. They even give you a free bubble tea every time you have nine! I'm totally going to this place for my bubble tea fix from now on.

Later, my friends and I went to the Quincy Grille for some late night snacking. It was funny because two of my friends who are dating placed their orders separately, and one ordered as "Lilo" and the other ordered as "Stitch." We cracked up when we heard the second name being announced. We had a lively conversation and talked into the night.

On Sunday, I volunteered with Pets as Therapy, where we take dogs and take them to visit the senior citizens at the local nursing home. It's such a joy to see the faces of the senior citizens light up when they see the cute dogs.

Later in the evening, I went and watched the Red Sox game at my friend's room. Wow, the Red Sox are ahead 2-0 in the World Series! Could this be the year they win it?

Quote of the Day: "Oh yeah! He was in that movie... what's that movie where you dance?" "Um, Footloose?"

:: SL 9:40 PM [+] ::
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Go Jack LaLanne! He lives in my hometown of Morro Bay, California.

Fitness guru Jack LaLanne turns 90

:: SL 6:30 PM [+] ::
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Great video.

:: SL 6:02 PM [+] ::
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This is shocking but confirms that many Bush supporters don't know what they're talking about:

"Supporters of President Bush are less knowledgeable about the president's foreign policy positions and are more likely to be mistaken about factual issues in world affairs than voters who back John F. Kerry, a survey released yesterday indicated.

A large majority of self-identified Bush voters polled believe Saddam Hussein provided "substantial support" to Al Qaeda, and 47 percent believe that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction before the US invasion. Among the president's supporters, 57 percent queried think international public opinion favors Bush's reelection, and 51 percent believe that most Islamic countries support "US-led efforts to fight terrorism."

No weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq, the Sept. 11 Commission found no evidence of substantial Iraqi support for Al Qaeda, and international public opinion polls have shown widespread opposition to Bush's reelection."

From Divide seen in voter knowledge

Quite an interesting read... I just don't understand why people still believe Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. There were no WMDs found in Iraq, and Bush lied to America to push for his war. In addition, Iraq had no ties to al Qaeda; the September 11 Commission has determined. Yet people are stubborn and unwilling to admit that they were fooled. Sigh.

:: SL 1:45 PM [+] ::
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Wow, what a busy week! I suppose I should say something about the events that transpired between last Friday and now. On Saturday, my friend's aunt visited, so she treated my friends and me to cheese, crackers, and beverages and then a wonderful dinner at Henrietta's Table, a semi-fancy restaurant. It was exciting because it was a four-course dinner with a fixed menu, making it extra-fancy.

There was a New England crab cake appetizer with a fine cucumber tartar sauce. Then, we were served a spinach salad with very fresh leaves topped with goat cheese, super-sweet raspberries, and crunchy walnuts coated with a toffee crunch. We got to choose our main entree from three dishes, and I chose the salmon dish because I love salmon. The salmon had a sweet glaze made from apple cider and honey and was decorated with a slice of braised apple speared with thyme. Sides included mashed potatoes, squash, beets, and brussel sprouts. The meal concluded with a dazzling dessert: chocolate bread pudding with caramelized bananas and the most wonderful vanilla ice cream. Such a delightful end to an amazing meal. I was so full afterwards.

Later that night, we celebrated my friend Molly's 21st birthday. It was a stylish soiree with conversation and fancy drinks and snacks. Not as much dancing as there had been at the party I went to the night before, but still fun in a different kind of way. I saw a bunch of my friends and we socialized.

This week has been rather busy. On Tuesday, my tutorial class got to watch the movie Memento, which was exciting because I had heard a lot of great things about it and had wanted to see for a long time. It was really clever how the story was told backwards, which mirrored the confusion of amnesia. We watched the film because the topic we were studying was memory and memory loss.

Also notable this week, the Red Sox won game 7! I'm not a big sports fan, but being in Boston, it's hard not to be swept up by the fever and excitement. Some of my friends who are hardcore Red Sox fans were so nervous, especially when the Red Sox were down 0-3, but they made an unprecedented comeback, winning four games to win overall 4-3. It was especially tense for the fans because the Yankees are the greatest rivals of the Red Sox, so it was an even bigger deal. Great stuff. After they won, everyone rushed out into Harvard Square and celebrated with cheers, singing, and general hullabaloo. Good times! Will this be the year the Red Sox finally win the World Series? I'm thinking this will be the year; the "curse" will be broken after almost 100 years.

On Wednesday, I went to a wonderful tea, where I socialized with faculty members and other students. I also ran subjects in the psychology lab I'm working in.

I had a paper due on Friday, so I worked on that, reading the subject material and then writing on the vague assigned topic. After I went to classes, finished writing my paper, and turned the assignment in, I participated in a quick psychology study and then had dinner with my friends. In the evening, I watched the movie In The Mood For Love, which is a Chinese/Cantonese movie with English subtitles. Since I didn't get any sleep at all the night before, it was a bit tough to stay awake, but I still understood the movie.

Later on, I visited my friends, and we went to CVS to buy some Halloween candy with a coupon one of my friends had in her possession. We ran into some other friends, and I ended up teaching the "TRAGEDY!" dance in the middle of Harvard Square. It was quite an event. We later visited and talked about the fashion and the musical Newsies.

I then visited some more friends and drank some tea while chatting. It was more good times and humorous discussion. I then went to bed "early" because I was so tired from not getting any sleep from the night before.

Quote of the Day: "Come on, we're college students! We're supposed to be doing acid and having group sex with animals!"

:: SL 9:25 PM [+] ::
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I just heard the song "I Hope You Dance," and it brought back unspeakably horrible thoughts about my not-so-pleasant past.

Can I just say that whenever I hear that song, I either a). want to laugh hysterically in pure mockery or b). want to vomit.

"...and when you get the chance to sit it out or dance, I hope... you DANCE! tee hee! I'm such an airhead!!!"

I want to sing a parody of the song and entitle it "I Hope You Suffer Through The Rest of Your Miserable Existence."

:: SL 3:05 AM [+] ::
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The header on this webpage from the White House has taken on a sad new irony...

:: SL 1:57 AM [+] ::
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It is less than two weeks until the presidential election, and it's time for this blog to get political.

This election is going to be one of the most important elections in our lifetimes. So much is at stake here. Are we going to continue to alienate ourselves from the rest of the world, or are we going to choose to build alliances that will allow us to work together with and be respected by other countries? Are we going to ignore science to appease a few people, or are we going to make informed decisions based on research? Will we continue to spend the government's money without care and create a larger deficit, or will we try to create jobs and bring back the projected surplus?

There are so many issues on the table, and one candidate, John Kerry, can lead us through these uncertain times with strength, intelligence, and an agenda that will help the people of this country - not just the richest one percent.

:: SL 5:08 PM [+] ::
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Anyone up for a good movie?

The Monster Slash

:: SL 9:52 PM [+] ::
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Well, after sharing the "enema story" from last post, I got several (interesting) responses. Here are my favorites:

"Horrifying!
EW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ewwwwwwwww. Ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew
EWWWWWWWWWWWW!!! EW! EWW! EWW! ICK!! ACK!!!! EWWWWWWWWW!!
P.S. EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW"

"I never knew they sold disposable enemas at the drugstore."

"Are enemas like colonic irrigation?"

"Do people even give themselves enemas?"

:: SL 9:12 PM [+] ::
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Conversation Today:

Random Person: "Hey... how are you? Are you feeling better?"
Me: " Um... Me?"
Random Person: "Yeah, is your meningitis better?"
Me: "What? I don't have meningitis."
Random Person: "Oh! It's not you. I'm so sorry!!! I thought you were someone else!"

Me, thinking to myself: "Of course... because all Asians look the same."

:: SL 10:26 PM [+] ::
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Yesterday, I went to the local drugstore/convenience store to buy a new umbrella, since some ASSHOLE had stolen it the night before. I was waiting in line to pay for my new black umbrella when I noticed who was in front of me. It was a creepy old man, but it was quite jarring when I saw what he was buying: latex gloves, a "disposable enema," and KY Jelly.

I don't even want to imagine what that guy might have been doing that night.

:: SL 9:53 PM [+] ::
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Freudian Slip?

"After standing on the stage, after the debates, I made it very plain we will not have an all-volunteer Army."

-George W. Bush during a recent campaign speech

:: SL 7:00 PM [+] ::
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OK, it's almost 5 in the morning, and I have to get up before noon tomorrow for an activity I'm participating in... but it's been so long since I've updated my blog that I feel compelled to do so right now.

This week has been quite busy; I had a midterm this morning and a big paper due this afternoon, so that was quite a drain with all the studying, researching, writing, etc. I also started running subjects for the psychology lab I'm working in, which has been fun but a pain in terms of scheduling because I have to run it with two people at a time. So, yeah, it was a busy week.

But after all was done this tough week, I totally let loose tonight; I went to a tea party with my friends at Quincy House. I then got some bubble tea (milk green tea flavor) because I haven't had it in a long time and I had a tough week and wanted to treat myself.

Afterwards, I went to a huge party hosted by my friends in Mather House, which was so hot that the windows literally fogged up. There were just so many people packed in that common room. We danced and partied and had a great time. After the party ended, the small group we had left gathered and chatted and joked. I played Super Mario Brothers on my friends' Super Nintendo in their room. It was a great time. Oh, I also found out that this girl from my tutorial is the roommate of a couple of my good friends! She's so cool; I had no idea we should have been friends all along.

It's been raining like crazy tonight. I hope it clears up tomorrow; I don't want to walk all the way to Harvard Law School tomorrow in the rain. OK, so it's totally not that far away, but I still don't want to walk all that way in the rain, especially after some bastard stole my umbrella tonight. That's OK; it was broken anyway. Ha! Sucker!!!

Quote of the Day: "Eat Ramen... for Ramadan! It's like Ramen-dan!"

:: SL 1:46 AM [+] ::
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GROSS!!! (From sexual harassment lawsuit against not-so-nice conservative bully Bill O'Reilly from Fox News.)

:: SL 9:42 PM [+] ::
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Good times gone awry...

:: SL 11:19 PM [+] ::
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Today was a good day. I participated in a psychology study where I sat in front of a computer screen and identified the names of celebrities whose pictures were flashed onscreen. That netted me $10 for less than an hour.

I had a couple of classes today, and then I went to the psychology lab and ran my first study! It was exciting to be running the study with real subjects after practicing it so many times to get it right. I think it ran pretty smoothly.

At dinner time, I joined the Taiwanese Cultural Society in making and cooking and eating dumplings. Yum! They are such a tasty meal. It was a nice social time, and a couple of people even made extra-large dumplings!

Afterwards, I participated in an economics study in which I solved mazes and earned money for it! I ended up making $48.40 cash in 40 minutes. Woo! So today was a lucrative day.

Tonight, I went to the open house hosted by our house masters. I got monkeybread! It was so sweet and cinnamon-y. Yum. There were also good snacks like chips and hummus, guacamole, and mini tacos. There were a lot of people watching the big Red Sox vs. Yankees game, too. Later, I visited a friend and had a good discussion.

Tomorrow will be quite a busy day. There's the third and final presidential debate, too! I'm quite excited about watching that.

Quote of the Day: "I'm too sexual to be asexual!"

:: SL 7:12 PM [+] ::
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Ooh, a day off! It's been a nice three-day weekend; I've been appropriately unproductive thus far, so now I must get cracking on the reading I have put off for so long.

Today is Thanksgiving in Canada! I should eat turkey today! I am really hungering for pumpkin pie. Yum. I can't wait until Thanksgiving! Well, maybe not because I don't have any place to go and will probably remain here at school for that weekend. Alas. Oh well. I could make good use of that time by studying.

Quote of the Day: "Shall I pay you for 'services rendered'?" "Just leave the money on the dresser."

:: SL 2:28 PM [+] ::
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Sigh. It's been too long since I last updated. Classes have been going OK, and I have been recruiting and scheduling people for the psychology study I'm running. Yesterday, I my friends had a wonderful tea party, and we drank tea and snacked on goodies. I then went over to Lowell House to watch the second presidential debate. Why is George W. Bush so angry? It seemed as if he was yelling at the people in the audience; he just seemed really upset and foul-tempered. At one point, he even cut off the moderator Charles Gibson... a big no-no in debate.

Today, I got up early, dressed up in business clothes, and participated in Harvard Model Senate, a government simulation sponsored by Harvard Model Congress. It was fun to debate the great issues (domestic and international) facing our nation. We sat in committees and discussed the pros and cons of various pieces of legislation, from the legalization of marijuana to air strikes on North Korea. I had to play the roles of a conservative senator and the Director of Homeland Security Tom Ridge; that was a real trip, but it was interesting to see these issues from the "other side."

Tonight, I'm going to a big birthday party for my friend, whose birthday was actually earlier this week. However, parties are so much more fun when they are on a Saturday night, so I look to have a good time tonight!

Quote of the Day: "Yeah, this is the story of how I overcame diversity... I mean, adversity."

:: SL 6:18 PM [+] ::
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On Wednesday, I got up early and went to classes. Afterwards, I went to a health fair that they held under a tent in front of the Science Center. There were a lot of informational booths about various aspects of health, from dental care to stress relief. They also gave away a ton of free stuff, from Purell hand sanitizer and mini-pumpkins to thermometers and lip balm. They were also giving away an iPod in a drawing!

Afterwards, I had lunch with some of my friends. I then went to a meeting for the lab I'm working in. After sorting through some e-mail stuff, I went and had some tea. I chatted with some faculty members and students, and then I went and had dinner with other Mandarin Chinese speakers. We meet each Wednesday to socialize in Chinese.

Tonight, the fire alarm suddenly went off! It was so loud! I was so startled when it suddenly came on. We then gathered outside until the "all clear" was announced. I then had tea (again!) with my friend. I then memorized some of the things I have to do to conduct the psychology study I'm running.

Quote of the Day: "I like to sip weak tea in a cold room watching a dull movie."

:: SL 11:53 PM [+] ::
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Vice President Cheney is a liar.

During the VP debate on Tuesday, he said, "I have not suggested there's a connection between Iraq and 9/11." Yet in an appearance on Meet the Press last year, he stated, "If we're successful in Iraq, if we can stand up a good representative government in Iraq, that secures the region so that it never again becomes a threat to its neighbors or to the United States, so it's not pursuing weapons of mass destruction, so that it's not a safe haven for terrorists, now we will have struck a major blow right at the heart of the base, if you will, the geographic base of the terrorists who have had us under assault now for many years, but most especially on 9/11."

At the debate, Cheney also said that he had never met Senator Edwards until Tuesday's debate. That is a lie as well. They had met at least three times before, including one time when Cheney actually thanked Edwards for being at the event.

These are among the most egregious of various distortions that were made by the vice president at the debate.

:: SL 7:22 PM [+] ::
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Oh, so that's what the back of my head looks like.

:: SL 6:26 PM [+] ::
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Wow, it's Tuesday already.

On Sunday, I did a lot of schoolwork to prepare for this week. I had a quiz on Monday that I had to study and do reading for. The rest of the day was nice; I visited a couple of my friends and ate snacks. I then worked on a response paper that I had to e-mail to my seminar group.

It's gotten really cold these past few days. I'm sad because I don't like extremely cold weather. I have to wear a jacket now, and I can't wear shorts or short-sleeved shirts. I actually saw a tree with leaves that had started changing colors! It was depressing... winter is almost here.

On a brighter note, I went to a study abroad fair that was held today, and I got a lot of information about interesting schools around the world. I probably don't have time to do travel abroad, but it's nice to imagine the possibilities.

Sigh. I just spent an hour sorting through and organizing hundreds of e-mails from the last three days. I get too many e-mails! It's not going to get any better once I have to recruit subjects for the psychology lab I'm working in.

Tonight, I will be going to the open house being held by our house masters to get some tasty monkeybread (described as the "inside of a cinnamon roll" - it's really sweet and tasty!). I will then head over to the Institute of Politics and watch the vice presidential debate! Nobody wants crusty Cheney. We want Edwards!!!

Quote of the Day: "Was he hitting on you on behalf of someone else?!"

:: SL 2:51 PM [+] ::
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We made crepes yesterday! It was so much fun. After we went to see some improv comedy in Winthrop, we had a mini tea party and then went over to another friend's dorm to make crepes. We had some pears, apples, and bananas, as well as chocolate sauce and peanut butter, so we put that on the crepes. So tasty! It was cheap to make ourselves with the machine, so it made me upset just how much crepe places charge for those desserts. We mixed the peanut butter and the Hershey's chocolate syrup together to make a wonderful sauce.

My friends and I then saw a bit of Saturday Night Live, which wasn't really as funny as it used to be. We had hoped to watch some satire of the presidential debate earlier this week, but that might have been the first skit, which we missed because we were cleaning up dishes from making crepes.

My friend Molly asked me why I preceded a reference to my friend Alex with the phrase "my friend," since she knows I know that she knows who Alex is. I don't know why I always have to say "my friend Alex" instead of just "Alex." It just sounds right because Alex is my friend.

Quote of the Day: "I have a hair in my chicken." "I once had a chicken in my hair."

:: SL 2:01 AM [+] ::
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What does it say when George W. Bush's own hometown newspaper endorses John Kerry? The newspaper endorsed Bush in 2000, but this year, it offers reason after reason why it important for Kerry to win this election and why it would be dangerous to reelect Bush. I urge anyone even considering voting for Bush this year to read this piece and seriously reconsider; the dangers facing our country are too great to allow Bush to remain in the presidency and mislead our country even further.

:: SL 2:18 PM [+] ::
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Yesterday, I went to my classes. Afterwards, I went to a meeting with a graduate student with whom I am working. She showed me the procedures for one of the studies she is running, and we did a quick run-through of the experiment. Afterwards, I returned to my room and did some work.

In the evening, following dinner, my friend and I went to the Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government to watch the first presidential debate. It was so crowded there; a lot of people had turned out to watch this pivotal moment in this year's election.

I must say with relief that John Kerry did a great job in maintaining a steady position and defending himself from the meritless and scripted attacks from Bush. Bush looked really unprofessional during the debate. He appeared flustered, angry, and impatient. He rolled his eyes, shifted back and forth, and was hunched over his lectern. Bush kept repeating the same lines over and over again, and there were moments when he spoke that the audience just looked at each other and wondered, "What?" because it was so non-sequitur and nonsensical. Some quotes from Bush sounded like something right out of Saturday Night Live. The Republicans, who spun Al Gore's sighing out of control in the 2000 election, are now getting a taste of their own medicine. It was interesting to see just how much Bush relies on his backup staff; during the debate, when he had to answer direct and critical questions, Bush stuttered, hesitated, and spoke very poorly (as usual). However, when it came to the final two-minute wrap-up, for which the candidates could prepare, Bush suddenly sounded clear. The contrast really underscored just how much Bush's campaign is just built on a big act to hide that the man really doesn't know what he's doing. The country and the world are suffering due to this.

Today, I got up early to attend a section I thought I had to attend, but it turned out that it does not begin to meet until next week. Alas. I could have spent that time doing something more important... like sleeping.

After attending classes, I had lunch with some friends and then attended the rededication of the Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library, the centerpiece of the university library system. It's this huge, but beautiful, building in the middle of the campus that was built as a memorial by the mother of a book-loving Harvard graduate, Harry Widener, who died on the Titanic. The library opened in 1915 and now has 3.5 million books, but in the last five years it has gone through an extensive renovation that was such a massive undertaking. There was always construction going on inside and outside the library; it's so nice that it's finally all done.

The rededication featured some music and speeches. Then, a big red ribbon was cut with a big pair of scissors. Attendees were then treated with apple cider and a delightful selection of cookies at the reception afterwards.

Tonight, I went out to dinner with my friends Alex and Alex to John Harvard's, a really nice restaurant with really tasty food. I had a buffalo chicken salad, which was an interesting take on an already tasty food. It was nice, except they put too much dressing on the salad, and that didn't work well with the chicken, which was already very salty. For an appetizer, we had pita bread and hummus, and that was a nice, light beginning to the meal.

Later in the evening, I joined another group of friends, one of whom made smoothies from fresh fruit. It was very tasty, and it was like a taste of Jamba Juice, which reminds me of home. My friend from Minneapolis said a Jamba Juice just opened there, and her sister and she were obsessed with the wonderful concoctions.

We then watched some Father Ted, a hilarious British comedy about a bunch of Catholic priests and their exploits on a small, isolated island.

Quote of the Day: "The gays are destroying the morality of this country, but they do it while wearing such nice shoes!"

:: SL 11:16 PM [+] ::
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