:: Pedantic Platitudes ::

:: Sunday, December 18, 2005 ::

Yay, I finally found an easy way to upload my pictures and share them. As much as I gripe about and hate The Facebook, the picture uploading program is really fast and easy to use. Now, I can share my photo album with non-Facebook users, too!

Here are some photos from the Live 8 concerts this summer, which I got to help cover for The Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper.

:: SL 8:25 AM [+] ::
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Augh! I didn't want to read this news article while eating breakfast!

:: SL 3:49 AM [+] ::
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Wow, it's been exactly four years since I found out I got into Harvard. I'll never forget the day when my life changed forever. It feels like just yesterday... I had applied early action in October senior year of high school, never thinking I had a chance of getting in. They mailed a confirmation postcard saying that they had received my application and that a decision would be sent by e-mail on December 15.

The day finally came around, and I was running to the computer lab to check my e-mail between every class in the morning to see if I had been accepted. I checked again at the beginning of lunchtime, but the notice still had not come. Finally, I checked one more time right before lunch ended. There was the e-mail from the Harvard Admissions Office.

I opened it, held my breath as the page loaded, and saw the word: Congratulations. I couldn't believe it. I reread the letter three times before I could believe the good news. It was one of the best moments of my life.

Since then, the past four years have been a nonstop whirlwind of excitement and possibilities that I never could have imagined or anticipated back then during my senior year of high school. Thanks, Harvard, for taking a chance on this small-town kid with big dreams.

:: SL 7:11 AM [+] ::
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Sunday night was my house's winter formal. Although it was on a Sunday and I have lots of work to do this week, I can't say no to social events, so I decided to go. It was held at a nice little bar down the street, and I had fun hanging out with friends and dancing. The food was really great, with buffalo wings, calamari, taco pizza, tons of fresh fruit, cheese and crackers, and wonderful little tarts, eclairs, and cream puffs. After the formal, I stayed up way too late for a Sunday night hanging out with friends and chatting into the morning.

The most intense part of the semester is hitting. I had an exhausting-to-write five-page paper due today, an 8-10 page paper due on Thursday, and another 8-10 page paper due next Tuesday.

I'll have to finish that last paper before Tuesday, since I'm leaving Tuesday morning for winter vacation! I'm really looking forward to the break. I'm flying into San Francisco to see Jessi and Bruce, as well as Sandy, who will be visiting at that time. We will have fun! Yay.

Quote of the Day: "I don't want to hear about their sexual freakshow bedroom activities!!!"

:: SL 12:09 PM [+] ::
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On Friday, I went to a special event featuring James Schamus, who is the co-president of Focus Features, the art-house division of Universal Studios, and the producer of the upcoming film Brokeback Mountain. Focus Features has released films such as Lost in Translation, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and this year's Pride and Prejudice. The professor of my film art course organized and hosted this event, so he invited us to attend. There was also a special advance screening of Brokeback Mountain, which was released by Focus Features and is currently only playing in New York and San Francisco and doesn't open to other big cities until the end of this week.

Brokeback Mountain was a really beautiful film, both visually and emotionally. I've been a fan of Taiwanese director Ang Lee after seeing his films Sense and Sensibility and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and he really does well with Brokeback Mountain. The film is truly evocative, with its sweeping landscape shots, long takes, and slow pacing. The relationship at the heart of the film is one of forbidden love in the face of societal hostility, and watching the story unfold causes us to reflect on the regrets and missed opportunities in our lives. It's an emotional, tragic love story film unlike anything I had ever seen before and really reminds us of the artistic power of film. I highly recommend Brokeback Mountain.

After the screening, there was a Q&A with James Schamus. He talked about the making of the film, his work with Ang Lee and the cast and crew, and many of the decisions that were made regarding its production, release, and marketing. It was interesting to get a look into the business side of Hollywood.

Later that evening I visited some friends and played the longest game of Uno possibly in the history of the game. I had a ton of fun, though, and we conversed and partied to music.

It snowed this weekend, heavily. And there was lightning, too. Quite surreal. I associate lightning with warm rainy weather, not freezing snow. Apparently, snow-lightning only happens 5% of the time it snows, so it's rare. Pretty cool, though. I learn something new every day.

For the past two weekends, I've been helping out with a production of Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore as house manager. I manage the ushers, take care of programs, and make sure fire safety regulations are observed. It's nice to be involved with a production again here at Harvard. Besides having to deal with the occasional snippy patron, it's a fun extracurricular. The musical is really funny, too, so it's nice to be able to see it several times.

Last weekend, my friends watched the movie Newsies, and afterwards we played this hilarious game called "Bag Full of Nouns." It's a little bit of charades and a little bit of Taboo, and some of the associations we came up with were hilarious. Some words or phrases that we had to guess, such as "punitive damages," "the mass-balance equation," "enema," "meringue," "foot fetish," "the Bangladeshi ambassador to Sweden," "virginity," and "Equitorial Guinea" were especially amusing. I hope to play it again sometime.

I think I neglected to talk about the rest of Thanksgiving weekend... The Friday after Thanksgiving, I went to see the newest Harry Potter movie, and I really enjoyed it! It was much scarier and darker than any of the previous ones, but it was still very suspenseful and visually appealing. Was anyone else creeped out by the scene with Moaning Myrtle in the bath?

Oh! The most exciting thing about the movie was seeing places I had seen during my study abroad trip to England this summer. Much of the Harry Potter movie scenes were filmed at Oxford and Cambridge (to get that fancy old university feel), and I recognized some of the courtyards and building interiors from our tours of the colleges at Oxford and Cambridge. For example, we visited the courtyard in which they filmed the scene where Malfoy gets turned into a ferret. Let me see if I can find some pictures I took from my trip...







We also went into the building where they filmed the scene when the Hogwarts kids learn to do ballroom dancing:



And this grand staircase appeared in the first Harry Potter film where it was shown leading to the grand hall (we then visited the dining hall that inspired the grand hall in the movie):



Yeah, it was an enjoyable movie. The next day, we all went shopping at this huge mall. We then had a wonderful dinner and stayed up late watching Fiddler on the Roof, but I fell asleep after a few minutes because I was so tired... we got up early the next morning at 5 a.m. to return to Boston, back to school.

Quote(s) of the Day: "The apple body shape is worse for the heart than the pear body shape." "What body shape am I?" "You're a stick."

"I woke up today at 1 in the afternoon... Now I know what it's like to live your life!"

"Why do I have two bald eagles?!?" - while playing Apples to Apples and clearing showing only one "bald eagle" card.

Playing Uno: "Uno!" "But wait, you still have one card left!"

:: SL 3:51 AM [+] ::
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The most tragic love story ever told:

A girl with a severe peanut allergy died after she kissed her boyfriend, who had just eaten a peanut butter snack.

Girl with peanut allergy dies after kiss

:: SL 5:38 PM [+] ::
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Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

I am visiting my fun friend Sara in New York for Thanksgiving. My sister gets an entire week off for Thanksgiving, so she flew back home for the holiday.

On Tuesday, after scrambling to finish my paper due that day, Sara's dad and brother picked us up, and we made our way back to her house. The rest of the day, we crashed and watched various TV programs, including one with the worst actors and actresses ever and a billion unnecessary subplots on the creepy religious channel. We were sure to mock the terrible production mercilessly.

Yesterday, I met Sara's hometown friends, and we all went to the mall, where one of the friends was looking for a job for winter break. There was a Disney Store, and I got a few new Disney pins, one of which is Mickey Mouse dressed as Santa. It'll go well with my Santa hat with Mickey Mouse ears.

We then went to see the movie Rent, which is based on the Broadway musical. I saw it live a couple years ago when the touring production stopped at the Performing Arts Center in SLO-town, and the movie version was really good, too.

Later that evening, we went to a diner and had late night snacks. I had this huge slice of carrot cake that was pretty tasty. The plate was decorated with this interesting green apple flavored sauce, which was tasty on its own but seemed strange paired with the carrot cake. At least the green color looked nice against the orange/brown of the carrot cake.

Today is Thanksgiving, and I am reflecting on things for which I'm thankful. Here are a few:

The fulfillment of basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing, etc.
My amazing friends who are supportive and have given me so many wonderful memories
Being able to get a good education
Having a kind family
The magic and fun of Disney

Quote of the Day: "If Beethoven had died in a plane crash at age 22, it would have changed the history of music... and of aviation."

:: SL 11:46 AM [+] ::
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Two weekends ago, I went to see Chicken Little! It was so much fun, and I got to see it in 3D, too! Disney is trying this new 3D projection system in various big cities, and it looks amazing. You get fun 3D glasses that look like the ones Chicken Little wears, and they make everything stand out and give the backgrounds such depth. I think all movies should be presented in 3D from now on... it makes the movie so much more fun. The movie was very funny, too. For a change of pace, I also saw the movie Jarhead. It was an interesting movie that showed the many sides of war. Regardless of how you feel about war, in the end, it's all about people and our interactions with each other.

This past weekend was the Harvard-Yale football game. It's a big deal because my school has a huge rivalry with Yale, and the football matchup each year is such a big event that it's simply known as The Game. The Harvard-Yale match switches location each year, and this year, it was at Yale. Coincidentally, my sister just started as a freshman this year at Yale, so I went to Yale to see the game and visit her for the first time. Good times ensued.

I finished my work on Friday (tutoring at the high school and then finishing taking notes on a film for my Chinese cinema class) and then hopped on a charter bus to get to Yale. Unfortunately, we hit the pre-Thanksgiving weekend traffic rush, so what would normally be a 2.5 hour ride turned to an almost 4 hour nightmare... It was like dense Los Angeles traffic with cars coming to a complete standstill. I kept feeling carsick because the bus would stop and go, stop and go, which I hate. I got to Yale at almost 8, and I met up with my sister to see the musical Assassins, which was a student production being presented that weekend. It was the first time I had ever seen the Sondheim musical, and I enjoyed it immensely. The performers, set design, lighting, and musicians were all excellent, and the production could have been one done by professionals. I really liked the musical's satirical take on murder, ambition, and disillusionment.

After that, I met my sister's friends at Yale and we went to a big Harvard-Yale dance party on campus. It was held in this huge hall that is very Harry Potter-esque (more on the beauty of Yale in a moment). 'Twas great fun and a great lead-up to the next day's game.

Saturday, I got up early because my sister is in the Yale marching band, so she had to get up at 6 a.m. to go to rehearsal. I was planning to sleep in, but I couldn't fall asleep again, so I read excerpts from random books in my sister's room, including Harry Potter 4 and The Da Vinci Code. Finally, the tailgates were starting, so I made my way over to the Yale Bowl and surrounding fields, where various Harvard and Yale students were partying and having a great time. There was much food and drink to be had, so I found a bunch of my Harvard friends and had a great time.

Eventually, we all headed to the actual football game, and Harvard was doing terribly against Yale... losing 21-3 for a long time. Then, it was halftime, and my sister performed in the halftime show, which was hilarious because both Harvard and Yale put on short shows in which the other team gets crushed. Ex: The Harvard production made a giant bulldog (Yale's mascot) and proceeded to blow it up in the middle of the football field. It was cool to see my sister perform in front of thousands in such a huge stadium at such a major event. The third and fourth quarters got more exciting because Harvard eventually caught up to Yale, and the game was tied at 24-24 at the end of the fourth quarter. The game went into sudden death overtime, and in a nail-biting finish Harvard scored a touchdown and won! Yay for my last Harvard-Yale game.

We went back to the dorms, and my sister and her friends and I had pizza. Sunday morning, my sister gave me a tour of the Yale campus, which is beautiful (I'll try to share pictures sometime). Dare I say I think the campus is prettier than Harvard's? The architecture is stunning and really reminded me of the style at Oxford or Cambridge. I felt like I had gone back to Oxford. The only thing is that Yale is not in a big city, and that's something I really like about Harvard and its location near Boston.

We had breakfast at one of the residential colleges at Yale, and took pictures in front of the amazing courtyards. We then had lunch, and then I had to catch my bus back to Harvard, this time a much shorter 2.5 hour ride without the terrible traffic.

It was nice to see my sister at Yale and to meet her friends and see her school. It's one thing to hear her describe everything in e-mails and on the phone and another to actually see it all. Good times, all around. Maybe my sister will visit me at Harvard sometime soon.

Quote of the Day: "Dance! Dance! Dance! ... Oh wait, you're not my friends!"

:: SL 2:36 PM [+] ::
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November 18

Happy Birthday, Mickey Mouse!

You, too, Minnie!

"I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse."
-Walt Disney

:: SL 7:02 AM [+] ::
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Long post including stuff I should have posted a long time ago! Here's an update about the last three weeks... an epic tale with a cast of thousands and four musical numbers!

Halloween weekend was filled with fun, activity, but it was followed by an intense yet extremely productive week.

I ended up having four costumes over the course of Halloween weekend. Previously, I was hoping to come up with a great costume idea, and I thought I had until Oct. 31 to come up with a costume. However, I had forgotten that all the parties were the weekend before, since Halloween was on a Monday this year. Thus, when my friend invited me to a get-together on Friday night, I was caught without a costume. I ended up wearing my cowboy hat from last year and some random plaid shirt and went as a not-so-convincing cowboy. It was the best I could do after being invited moments after seeing the drag show at Adams House, an annual tradition for the house. I had to see it, since this is my last year here.

After that first get-together, we were going to a Halloween dance party called "Sweet and Nasty," so I had another chance to get a new costume. I copied my friend's idea and went as a surf bum, wearing my board shorts and a surf t-shirt. Still uncreative, I know, but better than before. I had such a great time at the dance. It was fun to see what costumes everyone was wearing, and there was just so much energy in the hall.

Musical number #1!

High pitched voices: "They did the mash!"
Creepy disembodied voice: "They did the MONSTER mash!!!"

Saturday evening, there was another Halloween party at a different house from where I live, so I could go as a Mormon missionary for my costume. Backstory: Last year I was kind of disappointed with my costume, so I vowed that I would plan ahead and come up with a better costume. A couple months later, I saw a movie about some Mormon missionaries, and I thought, that's it! I'm going to be a Mormon missionary for Halloween. I would wear a short-sleeved collared button-up white shirt with a thin black tie, slacks, and a black nametag with white lettering saying "Elder Lin - Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints." I would also wear a bicycle helmet, since the missionaries often travel via bike, as well as carry around a Book of Mormon.

I was so excited about this costume until this school year, when I found out that five Mormons, who left at the end of our freshman year in college, just came back from a two-year mission, were resuming their studies as sophomores, and were living not only in my house but also on the floor directly below mine. Of course, I didn't want to be offensive to members of my residential hall's community, so I realized I couldn't do my costume, even though I don't think it's intentionally offensive... (it would be if I had claimed to have multiple wives or was proselytizing all over the place, but I digress).

However, on Saturday, the Halloween party was in a different residential house/hall, so I figured it'd be safer to wear my costume. Thus, my third costume of the weekend was the Mormon costume. Hilariously, the theme of the party we went to was "Heaven and Hell." There were two rooms for the party, one on the basement floor that had red lights and a horror movie playing on the wall, and another on an upper floor with white lights and softcore porn of women dressed as angels. I spent a considerable amount of time in the "heaven" room - not surprising, considering my costume. One girl, after having been explained what I was supposed to be, remarked that my costume was the most offensive costume she had see all evening. Really? More offensive than the Jewish rabbi costume with the giant prosthetic nose, or the cheerleader costume that barely concealed the wearer's lady parts?

Anyways, the dance was way too overcrowded (score another point for Harvard's pathetic social scene - there are often so few parties on campus that the ones that are held quickly become overcrowded), so my friends and I went and got some pizza and then later went to socialize while eating chips and ice cream and Swedish fish. Yum.

On Monday, the actual day of Halloween, our house master had an open house with great snacks, and people weren't really expected to go in costume, but I wanted to get in the spirit, so I came up with another last-minute costume. I dressed up as a Mickey Mouse fan going to Disneyland, wearing my Mickey Mouse shirt with my Disneyland nametag, my Mickey Mouse hat decorated with Disney theme park pins, and my Mickey Mouse stuffed animal (which, incidentally, I got for free from The Walt Disney Company at their booth at our career fair earlier this year). Let's see if I can find a picture... oh yeah... here.

Anyways, that was the long convoluted saga of my four costumes this Halloween season. I had a lot of fun, but the crazy weekend was followed by an intense week.

I had an 8-page paper due on Monday (it ended up being 9 pages), a 4-page paper due on Tuesday (it ended up being 5 pages), and a 90-minute midterm on Thursday. I probably got less sleep that week than ever before. But it was OK... I felt more productive than ever before.

At the end of the busy week, I had to unwind, so Friday, after tutoring high school kids in the morning and then working the psychology lab, I went to our house's twice-a-year 80s dance! It was so much fun to rock out to such classics as "Livin' on a Prayer," "Like a Virgin," and "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" Oh, the 80s. Everyone wore headbands and short shorts and those side ponytails! It was really crowded, and as soon as you walked into the room you could feel a blast of sweat and hot air on your skin.

Musical Number #2!

Toni Basil: "Oh, Mickey, you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind! Hey, Mickey! ... Oh, Mickey, what a pity you dont understand. You take me by the heart
when you take me by the hand. Oh, Mickey, you're so pretty. Can't you understand?
It's guys like you Mickey. Oh what you do Mickey, do Mickey, don't break my heart, Mickey!"

That Saturday, after working in the psychology lab and dealing with high drama involving my crazy British acquaintance (ask me about him if you haven't heard this story 20,000 times already), I visited my friend in Mather House and watched a bit of Ocean's 11.

I then went with another friend to the highly anticipated Glowell party at Lowell house. The theme was that of a glowstick rave, minus the ear-splitting techno music and rampant drug use. I've been longing to go to a rave since forever (high school friends, this is your cue to start reminiscing about how I used to talk all the time about my desire to go to a rave, my obsession having been worsened following a screening of the film Groove on DVD), so I was really excited to go to the party.

However, I was really disappointed by the dance. While the glowsticks they handed out were colorful and fun (especially under the blacklights), the music wasn't loud enough and even worse the DJ alternated between techno-pop (yay!) and bad hip-hop (boo!). While I can understand that not everyone wants to dance to techno the entire evening, it really kills the flow when you play one techno song then one hip-hop song then another techno song and then a hiphop song. The DJ should have played a series of three or four techno songs, then three or four hip-hop songs. That way, people can get into the music and not have to transition between two different types of dancing so frequently. Also, the fog machine at the party wasn't working, so my dream of the ideal "rave" experience didn't really manifest itself at Glowell. Oh well.

So my friends and I decided to go to another dance party, this one was smaller and more intimate, but I felt like I had more fun because it was more my kind of crowd!

They played a bunch of fun songs, including "Ray of Light" by Madonna.

Musical number #3!

Madonna: "Zephyr in the sky at night I wonder, do my tears of mourning sink beneath the sun? She's got herself a universe gone quickly, for the call of thunder threatens everyone... And I feel, like I just got home... Quicker than a ray of light, quicker than a ray of light, quicker than a ray of liiiiiiigggggghhhhhhht!"

After the dance, my friends and I went to the Kong, a Chinese restaurant popular with the late night crowd, and ordered some tasty appetizers. 'Twas the end to a great relaxing weekend after a busy week.

This past week, I decided to catch up on a bunch of films I've missed for my two film classes, so I watched a lot of them at the library. I really liked the films I've seen in my Chinese cinema course. I really recommend "Farewell, My Concubine," which I saw recently, as well as "Suzhou River" and "Not One Less." For my Art of Film class, I also screened the famous film "M" by German director Fritz Lang and "Ballet Mecanique," an avant-garde surrealist experimental film that offered striking social commentary by juxtopositioning moving, almost dancing, machines and inanimate objects with human bodies and parts.

Finally, tonight, Friday night, a couple of my friends and I decided to rent some movies, so we watched them. We watched the special edition of Pocahontas with the deleted song "If I Never Knew You."

Musical Number #4!

Pocahontas: "Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon? Or ask the grinning bobcat why he grinned? Can you sing with all the voices of the mountain? Can you paint with all the colors of the wind? Can you paint with all the colors of the wind!?!"

We also watched the new Family Guy DVD: "Stewie Griffin, the Untold Story," which was hilarious and even better than the TV series because it was a full-length film but with the same absurdly offensive humor. Oh, I think I'm going to have to buy that film and the entire Family Guy series on DVD now... My wallet is hurting already.

Ah well.

See? I told you it was a tale with a cast of thousands and four musical numbers!

Quotes of the Day: "I can't believe you thought I was a lesbian! That's so homonormative!"

"Quick! I need a man or someone with a penis to back me up about this!"

"Pocahontas: 'London? What's London like? Is there shopping? Can I get my gorgeous hair done?'"

:: SL 10:46 AM [+] ::
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Oh, Walt Disney Company, please love me!

:: SL 9:27 PM [+] ::
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Friday evening was one of music; I attended a small chamber music concert featuring student musicians in our house playing classical pieces, and after that I went to see my favorite singer/songwriter Vienna Teng, who plays the piano and sings evocative pieces with clever lyrics that often have multiple layers of meaning. I last saw her two years ago when she stopped by Cambridge, and this time she played some new songs that I look forward to hearing again next year when her third album is released.

Yesterday, I watched the film "The Silence of the Lambs" for the first time. It was for the film class I'm taking this semester. What a well-done yet psychologically disturbing film! The final scene in the basement was so frightening... I wanted to jump out of my seat because it was so suspenseful. Now, I finally get all the references my friends make about the film...

"Good evening, Clarice..."
"It puts the lotion on its skin, or else it gets the hose again." ... "Put the fucking lotion in the basket!"
"A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti."

ha ha

I also went to my friend's birthday party, and that was a lot of fun. There was Toblerone chocolate! Yum. It also reminded me of newspaper class from senior year of high school.

It has been raining like crazy the past few weeks, and the air is getting really cold, too. Not all the leaves have started changing colours yet, so it doesn't look completely autumn yet, but soon that will change.

This weekend was the annual Head of the Charles Regatta, where all these schools race on the Charles River, which my house is on. It was really busy with all the visitors. I did get out a bit to see one of the concerts and get some free ice cream that they were handing out at one of the many promotional tents along the river.

Quote of the Day: "Your crotch is numb!"

:: SL 8:34 PM [+] ::
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Article about one of the trips we took in Wales in the UK during my Oxford study-abroad program written by a geology expert who was our guide.

:: SL 5:44 PM [+] ::
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As my friend says, "Don't hate stupid people; just try to sell them something":

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5814415846&ssPageName=ADME:B:EF:CA:1

:: SL 5:32 PM [+] ::
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Those still asking the "blame-the-victim" question about Hurricane Katrina’s victims - "They had warning, why didn’t they leave?" - should read John Scalzi’s wrenching blog post Being Poor

A sample:

Being poor is knowing exactly how much everything costs.

Being poor is coming back to the car with your children in the back seat, clutching that box of Raisin Bran you just bought and trying to think of a way to make the kids understand that the box has to last.

Being poor is thinking $8 an hour is a really good deal.

Being poor is people surprised to discover you're not actually lazy.

Being poor is people who have never been poor wondering why you "choose" to be so.

Being poor is knowing how hard it is to stop being poor.

Being poor is seeing how few options you have.

Being poor is running in place.

Being poor is people wondering why you didn't leave.

:: SL 12:14 AM [+] ::
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It's really sad when some people actually blame the victims of Hurricane Katrina for not exercising "personal responsibility" by getting out of the way of the storm.

What they don't realize is that some people were too poor to get out. Some didn't have cars and could not afford a bus ticket out of the area. This was readily apparent to anyone who watched the news or has a basic understanding of American society (the fact that there are many people living in poverty), but some ignorant people blame those suffering right now from the effects of the hurricane by saying things like "They should have been responsible for themselves and gotten out of there" or "It's their own fault for not evacuating," which is basically like saying "It's their fault for being poor."

A little like kicking people when they're down, eh? Sheesh. And then they go on to praise and defend Bush when even he took responsibility and admitted himself that the government under his leadership didn't "fully do its job right." It's one thing to be conservative when you actually have some semblance of an educated and logical argument, but sadly too many are "conservative" because they are just ignorant and misinformed.

But I guess when one is so busy having fancy dinners at country clubs and being lavished with expensive jewelry by a rich significant other, it's easy to become a selfish right-wing nutjob and forget or ignore people who are suffering in poverty.

Quote of the Day: "Yeah, I want to go to Irac [actual spelling] and kill people!!!"

:: SL 11:25 PM [+] ::
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Today, I went to have tea at Lowell House. It was great just like always, with aromatic chai tea, fresh fruits, little sandwiches with the crust cut off, and sweet treats like cookies, fudge, and bread pudding.

Today is the autumnal equinox, so my friends and I got a raw egg from the dining hall and got it to balance on the table at the exact moment that the north and south poles are equidistant from the sun. One can get an egg to balance at the equinox in the spring and in the fall because of physics; it doesn't really happen any other time of the year. It was really cool to see. I joked that it seemed that our experiencing this happening at this exact moment of the year and only at that exact moment of the year (well, besides the spring equinox) would cause us to be sucked into an alternate universe. (UPDATE: Or not... apparently eggs can balance any other time of the year and it has nothing to do with physics... Thanks for the link, Alex!)

Speaking of the dining hall, today they served this spinach-filled flaky pastry that was called Spankotopia or something like that. I thought it sounded like the name of a place and wondered what it would be like to be from that place: "Hi, I'm from Spankotopia!"

Quote of the Day: "Does it scare you when I quack?"

:: SL 4:44 PM [+] ::
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AUGH!!!

I am a terrible person. I suck at life!!!

:: SL 5:55 PM [+] ::
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Shiver me timbers, it's International Talk Like A Pirate Day!!! Arrrrrgh!

Time for pirate jokes!

What was the new pirate movie rated?
Arrrrr!!!

Why was the pirate wearing a heavy coat?
Because he was in the Arrrrrtic!

What is a pirate's favorite restaurant?
Arrrrrby's!

A pirate walks into a bar with a steering wheel affixed to his crotch.
The puzzled bartender sees this and asks, "Why do you have a steering wheel affixed to your crotch?"
The pirate replies: "Arrrrrgh, it's driving me nuts!!!"

Strangely enough, my high school mascot was a pirate, which, when you actually think about it, isn't exactly the best role model for young people. Hey kids, let's steal, rape, and destroy everything we see!!!

:: SL 1:54 PM [+] ::
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So I had an enjoyable summer; working as a reporter at the Philadelphia Inquirer was such a wonderful experience. I got to meet lots of important people and cover international news events. Then Europe was great; Oxford is an amazing place and the colleges there are just beautiful. I learned a great deal about evolutionary biology and the history behind the science, and it made me even more saddened how backwards the US is in allowing religious fervor to trump rational scientific thought in ridiculous "debates" on evolution. I think if people who don't accept evolution sat down and actually learned a little bit about the overwhelming evidence behind evolution, they just might realize that Darwin knew what he was talking about.

For my last two weeks in Europe, I spent time in Paris, went on a grand tour of England, and went on a day trip to France/Belgium. Right after my course at Oxford ended, I packed up and took the bus to London, where I took the Eurostar train to Paris! What a beautiful city. One of my classmates who is from Paris was really nice and allowed me to stay at her place, which was conveniently located near the Arc de Triomphe and the subway.

On my first day in Paris, I did the least French thing I could do in France, which was to go to Disneyland Paris. I wanted to go there first because it was the last day in the summer/year they would be offering their "Fantillusion!" nighttime light parade and their version of the "Wishes" fireworks spectacular. Disneyland Paris was tons of fun. I enjoyed comparing their versions of classic Disney rides with the other Disney parks I've visited. Because it opened in 1992, Disneyland Paris utilizes a lot of new technological innovations that weren't available when Disneyland opened in 1955. Their version of the Haunted Mansion (called Phantom Manor) has a more defined storyline (narrated in French!). Their Pirates of the Caribbean is more elaborate on several levels. Also, their Space Mountain goes upside down three times! It had just undergone a major refurbishment this past winter and reopened with new special effects and a new soundtrack, so that was cool to experience.

The next day, I went to the Louvre and saw many famous art and historical pieces, including the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, Venus de Milo, and the Code of Hammurabi. The museum is huge, and even at the fast pace I was going I still barely scratched the surface. After the museum closed, I walked along the River Seine and visited Notre Dame and the surrounding area. After some shopping and eating (I had a baguette sandwich and then for dessert a delicious crepe with Nutella and bananas - a strange combination, and I was doubtful at first, I'll admit, but the flavors really worked together), I walked to the Eiffel Tower, so emblematic of Paris. It's lit up so marvelously at night, and every hour strobe lights on the tower create a magical sparkling effect. Also, it was wonderful to see Parisians enjoying the evening and having a picnic and wine in front of the tower and also on the bridge over the Seine near Notre Dame.

In my last day in Paris, my friend and I went to the Arc de Triomphe and went to the observatory at the very top. It provided such a lovely view of the city. I got some really nice pictures which I’ll have to post at some time. I then strolled down the famous Champs-Élysées, enjoying French pastries, drinks, and the warm summer sun. It was a perfect end to my time in Paris.

I got back to England and finished some assignments on which we had received extensions. I then was taken on a grand driving tour of the UK, with stops at Stonehenge (nice rocks piled up), Bath (the Romans used to bathe here), Cardiff (Wales) (everything here is in Welsh! But there’s a nice castle and natural history museum in the middle of town), the Welsh countryside (green mountains), Edinburgh (Scotland) (cool castle to explore in the middle of town, beautiful buildings, fun bus tour to see some of the city), Newcastle (cool bridges and castle), the Yorkshire Moors (cool countryside and native plants), and Alton (Alton Towers, the Six Flags of England with intense roller coasters).

Then onto a day trip to France to see Lille (nice Parisian town) and Ostend in Belgium (nice seaside community and fun beach, no Belgian chocolates, alas) and back to the small seaside community of Selsey, England for one last day in England before coming back to the US Saturday morning. I have tons of stories from England, which I am too lazy to write all out here, so if you see me in person, do ask me about them!

Some notes:

Pan au chocolate (chocolate croissant) is a tasty treat.
It’s hard to get around France when you can’t speak French.
Castles are cool.
Punting on the river in Oxford is fun.
I did drink English tea while in England, but I didn’t have the full experience with watercress sandwiches, scones, and cream tea.

Quote of the Day: "Like, I'm on birth control, he wears a condom, AND he pulls out... if I get pregnant, like, it will TOTALLY be an act of god!!!"

:: SL 12:00 AM [+] ::
...

"I Have To Deal With Something Racial Every Day"

Me: "May I have some tea?"
"Yes, but I'm sorry, we don't have green tea."
"Huh? Oh, any tea is fine."
"Oh, I just thought you would only drink green tea because you're Asian."

Quote of the Day: "This is what we call eco-porn."

:: SL 10:54 PM [+] ::
...

Oh, Europe...

I've only been back in the US for a day and I'm already missing everything across the Atlantic. I'm back at school now, getting ready to start my senior year!!! It's so weird to think that I'm going to be a college graduate by the end of this school year.

I finally posted my pictures from my time in Oxford online: http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~sjlin/Oxford/
I can only leave them online for two weeks, though, because there are so many large files.

:: SL 4:49 PM [+] ::
...

Last week, we went to Down House, where Charles Darwin lived and where he wrote The Origin of Species. It was neat to get a more personal view of the man whose discovories we're studying. You could see everywhere in his house his love of finding out more about the wonders of the natural world. Later in the week, we went to the Oxford University Natural History Museum. I studied for and took a final exam on Friday, and then we partied into the night since it was the last night in England for many of us.

Well, my time at Oxford has come to an end. The course was amazing. Our professor was quirky and hilarious and knew so much about the subject. The field trips were amazing, too, from Cambridge University to North Wales to great museums in London.

Now, it's time for a grand tour of Europe! I'm spending the last weeks of my summer before school starts traveling around Europe and seeing the general tourist-y sights there are to see. I'll have limited internet access during this time, but once I get back to school, I'll give a review of my trip (with pictures)!

Quote of the Day: "An aerial view of a Princeton reunion must look like pools of vomit merging into each other."

:: SL 5:01 AM [+] ::
...

Augh! Too many happenings, too little time to write about it!

A few things happened in the past few weeks:

We went to Wales! We climbed a steep 1,500 foot mountain to observe the geological results of glaciers, to see the same geological observations Charles Darwin made in the 1800s. The climb was quite strenuous, but at least there was a trail. The very next day we climbed another mountain that was even steeper and there wasn't even a trail! We just walked through heavy brush and on unstable boulders. The view from the top was incredible, though.

We also got to stop by a couple of towns in Wales, one of which was Llangollen (pronounced "thangothlen" because the spelling of "ll" in Welsh denotes a "th" sound), and it was cool to experience a bit of their culture. All the signs were in Welsh and English. I think it would be cool to learn Welsh.

We visited Shrewsbury, where Charles Darwin was born, and where our professor went to high school. We saw some of Charles Darwin's notes and random doodling as an elementary school student, as well as the house in which he was born.

We visited Stratford-Upon-Avon and saw the house in which Shakespeare was born. We also saw a Shakespeare play: As You Like It, which was, well, Shakespeare. The play was a bit long, but they did add some song and dance to keep things interesting. In Stratford-Upon-Avon, we also saw the Harvard House, which was the birthplace of John Harvard (Harvard University is named after him). The plaque on the house was wrong, though, because John Harvard was not the founder of Harvard University; that was done by the Massachusetts Bay Colony. John Harvard only donated a bunch of books to the institution... we had to have dinner before the play, so we didn't get to see where Shakespeare was buried... but it's in the town as well.

Our class went to London again, and I got to ride the London Underground! It was an interesting experience, and I liked how there were warnings to "Please mind the gap" between the train and the platform. We visited the Natural History Museum, as well as the British Museum, where I saw a bunch of mummies as well as the Rosetta Stone, which was the key to understanding Egyptian hieroglyphs.

A bunch of us stayed in London for the weekend before the class field trip, and we got a special tour of the Tower of London, which is really a castle. It's beautiful, and inside are many exhibits and displays about British history. The monarchy's crown jewels are also stored there, so we saw exhibits with glittering crowns, orbs, scepters, and other amazing objects made of gold and decorated with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and every other gem you can imagine. We also saw the famous Tower Bridge. We had dinner (Chinese food, yay) near Picadilly Circus and then wandered about that area at night. When it got dark, we wandered near Big Ben, which is stunning at night, and it reminded me of the scene in Disney's Peter Pan when Peter, Wendy, John, and Michael fly over London and then pause briefly on the big hand of Big Ben.



We then walked along the Thames, past the London Eye, and towards our hostel. The walk along the river was so amazing at night because the trees are all lit up with blue and white twinkly lights. Such a sight.

We also passed by St. Paul's Cathedral, which is in the movie Mary Poppins where the old lady is telling people to "Feed the birds, tuppence a bag." It's a particularly poignant scene in the film, and the song (which happens to be Walt Disney's favorite) reminds us of the power of simple charity and the need to be kind, especially to those less fortunate than us.



The next day, after visiting the museums, I saw Mary Poppins, the new musical. I liked it so much. It had elements from the movie, but it also had so much more. They rewrote some of the Sherman Brothers' classic songs and added new songs, but it all worked so wonderfully well together. It still had the magical feel of the movie, more so because it was all live onstage. There were also a lot of special effects, including the title character flying over the audience with her umbrella! They even got the scene where Mary Poppins pulls a tall lamp and plant from an empty carpetbag. At intermission, I moved up to some empty seats in the second row from the stage, and it made the rest of the show so much better. Yay, I love this musical. Better than any other Disney stage musical because it's not just the movie onstage... it's so much more. I can't wait to see it again if/when it arrives in the US on Broadway.

OK, now I'm off to play Mafia the card game, which my classmates have recently become obsessed with. It's quite a fun game... I've grown quite fond of it myself.

Quote of the Day: "She's playing you like a friggin' fiddle!"

:: SL 4:38 PM [+] ::
...

Photo update!

Instead of studying for my exam like I should, I decided I would post photos from my recent trip(s) to London (I went again this past Saturday).


Buckingham Palace


Palace Guards with big fluffy hats!


The park near Buckingham Palace. It looks just like a fairy tale with view through the trees.




One of the most famous symbols of London: Big Ben


Across the river


Built for the millennium celebration in London, the London Eye has become another symbol for the city


Picadilly Circus is a famous area in London. It's like Times Square in New York with big billboards, retail stores, and nearby theaters with musicals playing.


Big neon signs


We went to see Guys and Dolls starring Ewan McGregor


Someday I will see this show!!! I hear the stage production of Mary Poppins is quite good.


The inside of the British Museum has an amazing indoor courtyard. I got there right after it closed, so I couldn't see any of the cool exhibits, but it's something to look forward to in a future visit (The Rosetta Stone is on display there).

:: SL 2:00 PM [+] ::
...

So much has happened, and I haven't had much time to write about it! We have a lot of reading to do each night, and I want to make the most of my time here in England doing sightseeing when I have free time, so I haven't been updating. Plus, it was a bad start that I didn't get my internet access working in my room until three days into the program.

In my first week in Oxford, my classmates and I went out often to socialize. There are a lot of pubs around here, and they are great social gathering places. We were taken on a grand walking tour of Oxford and saw a bunch of the colleges that make up Oxford University. They are so grand, and it was neat to see how the setup and traditions of the colleges here influenced some US universities, like Harvard or Princeton.

On Friday, we went to Cambridge to visit Cambridge University. We got a great tour from the author of one of the Darwin biographies we read, and he took us around the city, pointing out sights Darwin would have seen. We saw the pub where Watson and Crick realized the double helix structure of DNA, as well as Charles Darwin's residence and college dorm. It was neat to see where Darwin lived as an undergraduate in college.

On Wednesday, we went to London. It was the first time I've ever visited London (not counting being there briefly when arriving in England two weeks ago). The city is so busy! It reminded me of being in New York, where the cars are loud, the people crowd the streets, and everything you could ever want is available.

We visited the Geological Society, where we saw a famous map that charted the geological features of England. We then went to the Linnean Society, where we saw the actual collection of Carl Linnaeus, known as the "father of taxonomy" for creating the organizational system for animals that scientists still use today. It was neat seeing his personal books and collected specimens of fish, insects, and plants, all nicely preserved.

We finished in the late afternoon and were welcome to stay in the city for the rest of the evening, so a couple of my classmates and I decided to see a show in the West End, London's version of Broadway. We had some time before the show, so we walked in London's famous Hyde Park. It's an amazing park. The pond is so beautiful and the gardens are flowering during the summertime. There are a lot of birds and squirrels, too, interacting with the people who are enjoying a stroll in the nice weather. At the end of the park, we saw Buckingham Palace. The guards are really cool, especially with their big furry hats.

In the evening, we went to see the musical Guys and Dolls, which is currently starring Ewan McGregor. He's a great singer, and was as good live as he was in the movie Moulin Rouge. The show was really funny and lively. The cast members were energetic and really got into their parts. It's great that a show from a while ago can still be as entertaining today.

Quote of the Day: "Trivial Pursuit?!? Is that a sex game!?!"

:: SL 1:59 PM [+] ::
...

Greetings from Oxford University! I am having a blast in England. I can't believe I've been here for a week already. Here's an update (Part 1).

I finished packing up all my stuff and wrapping up loose ends in Philadelphia last Friday. (My last story: Boy's medical battle gets boost from run.) It took a bit of scrambling, but I got all my stuff together and then took the overnight train from Philly to Boston.

Arriving in Boston in the morning, I dropped my stuff off at the airport and met up with some friends staying at Harvard for the summer. They showed me their apartment for the summer, and we chatted. I then walked to Porter Square to meet up with a couple of other friends, and we had lunch at Uno's. I was more thirsty than hungry, so I drank a lot. I had this wonderful mango iced tea, and it was so sweet and full of fruit flavor that it tasted just like bubble tea without the bubbles. After visiting the Gap clothing store, I went back to Harvard Square to meet up with another friend and her friend who was visiting. We shopped at the square, and then we found out that my friend's friend had never had bubble tea, so we went to the Boston T Stop and got bubble tea! Yay.

I then went to the Boston airport and flew to New York, where I made the short connection (although my luggage didn't) to London. The flight was nice. There was a weird and creepy man sitting next to me, but he was quiet and watched his movie, so it was OK. It was an overnight flight, but I was too excited about going to England for the first time ever to sleep. I watched the in-flight movies they played on the tiny screen they had on the back of the seat in front of me. I could select from several channels what I wanted to watch, from movies to TV programs to cartoons. I watched Miss Congeniality 2, which was hilarious, and parts of Spider-Man 2 and Guess Who, a romantic comedy starring Ashton Kutcher about an interracial couple. That was pretty amusing, too.

Arriving at the London airport on Sunday after the 6-hour flight, I passed through the passport check and got my dollars exchanged into pounds. That really hurt my wallet, since the dollar is so weak right now. While waiting for my luggage, which was delayed but ended up on the next flight to London, I ran into another Harvard student who's in the same program I'm in. I got my luggage, and we found our bus to get to Oxford. It was about an hour's bus ride, and we drove past these wonderful English countryside fields.

Just getting into Oxford we got a quick look at the city. It's beautiful with buildings hundreds of years old. The streets are so much prettier because they have little planters on the lampposts with blooming flowers and colors that enliven the surroundings, particularly in dreary, pouring weather like we had the day we arrived.

I checked in and started unpacking. We are staying at Jesus College (yes, we have made every joke possible about this... "Have you found Jesus?... College?" "We've found Jesus... College." "We live in Jesus." "Jesus gives us shelter." "Jesus is beautiful!" "I love Jesus!" etc etc... we've even turned Jesus College into an exclamation, like Jesus Christ! "Jesus College! That's a lot of work!"), and it's a magnificent college. We have come to find that some of the other colleges here are more beautiful and grand comparatively, but Jesus College is quite magnificent. Oh, Oxford University is a bit different from American colleges in that the "university" is actually a collection of colleges, so Oxford has 39 colleges, and Jesus College is one of them... others include Magdalen College, New College, Christ College, St. John's College, etc.

Pictures and more updates will come soon.

Quote of the Day: "Ahhh! There's 'tossed salad' in the newspaper!"

:: SL 6:46 PM [+] ::
...

Wow, what a weekend.

The retreat in San Jose was wonderful, as always, and it was great to see fellow journalism scholars, catch up with them, and make new memories.

I arrived in San Jose before noon on Thursday, so I took a swim in the hotel pool. I haven't been swimming in over a year, so the dip in the pool was quite refreshing. Thursday evening, we went out to dinner in small groups and had interesting discussions with company leaders.

On Friday, after a day of meetings and seminars, we had burgers and shakes at a chain diner restaurant and then saw the movie Crash. I highly recommend this film to everyone; it has redeeming social commentary and has moments that make you happy, sad, and angry. I always enjoy movies that show "what if" scenarios and how we are all interconnected. Also, since "I Have To Deal With Something Racial Every Day," the movie was quite relevant.

Saturday, we had some sessions in the morning, including one about how to dress appropriately for the workplace (very interesting) and dining etiquette (also very interesting). In the afternoon, we went to San Francisco!!! It was a fun ride up to the bay. We then boarded boats to visit Alcatraz Island. The audio tour led us around the jail cells and pointed out some details of historical relevance. Afterwards, we had dinner at a seafood restaurant on oh-so-touristy Pier 39 - always a fun place to stop. For dessert, I had this wonderful chocolate souffle with a gooey chocolate center. It would have been better had it been served warmer, but paired with vanilla ice cream, it nicely concluded my salmon dinner. We had time after our meal, so some of us went to Ghirardelli Square to get some chocolate!

Sigh. I love the Bay Area. Just being in SF, seeing the TransAmerica pyramid and Coit Tower and soaking up the atmosphere was great. Random people on the street would talk to me; that never happens on the East Coast. The people in the Bay Area are so friendly. Well, most of them are... except for certain pissy Starbucks workers who might yell at you if you don't put money in their "tips" jar, even though tip is never required for such Starbucks workers when all they do is ring up your friggin' order... on a computer no less.

Speaking of which, how tacky is it for workers at Starbucks to put a tips jar out in front of the cashier? Starbucks drinks are already ridiculously expensive without having bitchy "baristas" complain about wanting extra money. It's not as if they're not being paid for the job, anyways, with cushy stock options, etc. once they've been working there for a bit.

But I digress...

When we returned to our hotel, we scholars said our goodbyes, and some of us spent time in the suite hanging out and chatting into the night like we do every year. I ended up staying up the whole night, and as the sun began to rise, I shared a taxi with fellow scholars to the airport to fly to Los Angeles, where I met up with my sister at Disneyland for its actual 50th birthday on July 17, 2005.

It was a magical day filled with touching and heartwarming moments to remind the parkgoers of that special day back in 1955 when Walt Disney invited everyone to his Magic Kingdom with the following speech:

"To all who come to this happy place: Welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here, age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and the promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America, with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to the world."

There was a big ceremony in the morning (which sadly I missed because I was still on my way to the park) with the bigwigs of the Walt Disney Company, Art Linkletter, Walt Disney's daughter, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, they replayed the ceremony later in the day on giant Jumbotrons around the park. At exactly 4:45, the time Walt Disney made the dedication speech on July 17, 1955, the Jumbotrons played a video of that speech. My sister and I gathered at Town Square to experience the moment, and it was indeed an unforgettable one, one that will be remembered in the history of Disneyland.

Later in the day, I got to ride the reopened Space Mountain roller coaster! It closed more than two years ago for a complete refurbishment, and the track was completely rebuilt. The ride now has new special effects and is so much smoother. Because the ride is darker, as well as smoother thanks to the new track, you really feel like you're gliding through space. For some reason, the ride feels faster than ever, and the new soundtrack enhances the feeling of speed because it is timed to every small turn or drop in the track. Everyone go check out the new Space Mountain at Disneyland!

After the amazing fireworks show (which I've written about in the past - it's a whopping 17 minutes long with a new flight routine for Tinker Bell and more fireworks and special effects than ever), my sister drove me to the airport, and I took an overnight flight back to Philadelphia.

Oh, I forgot to mention that last week I got to see the musical The Fantasticks for free! I had wanted to see the production of West Side Story that was in town, and on the way to a park I passed by the theater it was playing at. I stopped to check out show times, and these three old ladies approached me and asked me if I needed tickets. Well, it turns out they were tickets for The Fantasticks, which I had heard about earlier in the month and had wanted to watch. I had forgotten that that day was the very last performance of the run, and the performance was sold out, so I was really really lucky. In the right place at the right time. The show was great. Sad at parts, but a nice nostalgic look at a simpler time with pretty romances and family time.

Ah, it's time to wrap up my experience here in Philadelphia... Friday night I will be taking the train overnight back to Boston, where I will (hopefully) visit some friends who are staying on campus for the summer. Saturday night, I will board a plane for my first trans-Atlantic flight for my first-ever trip to England! I'm really looking forward to the study abroad program, and I shall try to provide details once I'm there!

Quote of the Day: "I haven't been around any exploding vaginas lately..."

:: SL 10:53 PM [+] ::
...

I was furious when this online pop-up ad sprung up on my computer after I loaded some news site. The pop-up ad leads to a U.S. Army recruitment site.

War and death are not "fun." Having to shoot someone at a moment's notice when you don't know whether they're innocent or an enemy, tensing up every time you hear a loud bang, fearing that any moment you could die are not "fun." Thousands of U.S. soldiers have died overseas in recent years, and even more innocent civilians have fallen victim to accidents caused by U.S. military presence overseas. Saying that our soldiers are just having "some fun" as they risk their lives daily - many soldiers becoming injured or paralyzed forever if they are not killed - is a major disservice and trivializes the difficult job they have to do.

Also, the part about seeing your name in headlines... it should be noted that yes, your name will be in headlines.... when you die in battle. Sad but true - as much as we support our soldiers, they really don't get a mention in the paper unless it's on obituary after dying while serving for their country.

I know that the Army is not meeting recruitment goals, what with the exhaustion of our military due to an ongoing war that doesn't seem to have an end in sight. Things are so bad that they are even recruiting in high schools and using, according to some accounts, high pressure, psychological techniques to get more people to join right after graduation. This is tragic, and the misleading advertisement (on a pop-up, no less!) is no help to the cause.

Support our troops. Bring them home now.

:: SL 7:50 PM [+] ::
...

In exactly two weeks, I'll be on a flight across the Atlantic Ocean for my first ever visit to England! I'm looking very forward to studying abroad at Oxford, and the subject matter - evolutionary biology - is becoming increasingly relevant, considering how some people as of late have been launching a coordinated attack on science in the name of unsubstantiated belief systems.

I just booked my ticket, and I've left some time for myself to explore a bit of Europe after classes end. It's going to be so amazing. I can't wait!

In other travel news, this Thursday I'm heading out to San Jose for the weekend for a journalism-related conference. A highlight is that we're going to visit San Francisco afterwards! I haven't been to SF in a while (well, that's a lie... I did make a stopover at the airport there on my way home for my sister's graduation, but that doesn't count), so this trip should be fun, especially since I'm going with my journalism buddies, whom I only see once a year. We're scheduled to take a tour of Alcatraz, too. I haven't been there since I was a little kid.

Oh, and Disneyland's 50th anniversary, July 17, is next Sunday, so since I'll be in California, I'll be making a stop at Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom for the historic celebration. Space Mountain, which has been closed for more than two years, is finally reopening that weekend, so I look forward to seeing the new special effects on the roller coaster.

Finally, another story in the paper that I forgot to post the link to: Camp teaches youth fire safety

Quote of the Day: "Stop collecting guys on MySpace like Pokemon!"

:: SL 3:04 PM [+] ::
...

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Yesterday was another great day. 'Twas the Fourth of July, so I went downtown to check out the fun. There was a big street fair, and late in the afternoon/early evening, there was a parade! I got there early, so I got to wait on the curb... so Disneyland-esque. It was great hearing the bands march down the street so enthusiastically. Some of the floats were nice, too.

Once it got dark, the free Elton John concert started. It was on the same stage in front of the art museum that the artists of Live 8 performed on (that's part of the reason why Philadelphia was selected for the event; it already had the stage and backup prepared for its July 4th events). The Philly Pops Orchestra performed some patriotic pieces. Then, Bryan Adams took the stage and sang some songs; I'm not too familiar with his songs, so I don't know what they were called, but I did enjoy them. The same with Rufus Wainwright, who took the stage next. I have a friend at school who's a big fan of his, but I felt bad that I didn't know any of his songs. He is a good piano player, though.

Philly native and legend Patti LaBelle was the next artist to perform in the free concert. She sang Lady Marmalade... a great song... it was wonderful to hear the original performer sing it live. Finally, Elton John took the stage, and he performed his classics as "The Bitch is Back," "Rocket Man," and "Tiny Dancer." The finale appropriately was "Philadelphia Freedom." He didn't perform my favorite song of his, "Your Song," but he did perform my second favorite song of his, "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues." It was a great concert, and to see someone with as storied a career as Elton John live and for free really made my Fourth of July.

And to top it off, there was a spectacular fireworks show presented above the Philadelphia Museum of Art. They set the fireworks to music and used a bunch of great songs, including the Rocky theme! Very appropriate, with the iconic steps of the art museum just right there. They also lit up the columns on the front of the museum, and it was very pretty when matched with the fireworks. It was truly a blast. A spectacular ending to a wonderful Fourth of July. With all the events of this past weekend and the city's history as the birthplace of America (after all, this is the city where the Declaration of Independence was adopted and signed in Independence Hall), I couldn't imagine a better place to spend the 4th of July.

Oh, on Sunday night, I saw "War of the Worlds." It was a terrifying but thrilling movie. Truly Spielberg-ian. I enjoyed it very much, and I would recommend it to everyone. The ending does fizzle a bit, but the story's been around for over a hundred years now, so it's not a big surprise. But there are quite a few suspenseful moments; I haven't seen such a scary movie in a while.

Quote of the Day: "You make it sound like I'm training to be a slut."

:: SL 11:04 PM [+] ::
...

My cell phone is officially about to die, and a replacement is in order.

Until then, I apologize if I do not answer when you call; the phone just isn't picking up reception all of the time anymore.

In other news...

I love my friends.

Friday I got a drunk dial message (I couldn't answer because the cell phone wasn't working) that consisted of someone mooing loudly, multiple people telling me they miss me and love me, and someone who got really confused that they could not speak to me and had to leave a message. Aww!

:: SL 1:12 AM [+] ::
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Live 8. Philadelphia. July 2, 2005. Part of the most-watched international event in history.

I was there.

I got to help cover this massive event, one of the largest ever in Philadelphia and the world. It was such an amazing experience to be part of a historic event like this. I'm still processing just how incredible the event was.

If you haven't heard, Live 8 was a series of 10 free concerts held today featuring popular bands and singers in major cities around the world to try to influence the G8 nations (which are meeting this coming week) to provide more assistance to Africa, where a person dies every three seconds from starvation or disease. The extreme poverty has been worsened by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and many of the people in the continent's countries are desperate for help. Live 8 comes during the 20th anniversary of Live Aid, which featured concerts in London and Philadelphia and raised millions of dollars to help the poorest in Africa. This time, as their slogan goes, "We don't want your money; we want your voice." Live 8 organizers hope the the G8 leaders will be influenced by unity shown worldwide by those who watched the concerts, live, on TV, or online, and agreed with the message.

I got up at 5 a.m. after (foolishly) staying up a bit too late last night. I quickly got downtown and walked to the concert area to start my shift. I had been assigned to cover the morning events before the concert actually started at noon. I interviewed people who had stayed up the entire night to get a good viewing location and did some early reporting so the newspaper could get a story online for the newspaper's website.

I also covered a press conference for ONE: The Campaign to Make Poverty History, which is an umbrella organization for groups working to help those in Africa. Among the speakers were actor Chris Tucker, as well as members from the band Jars of Clay (I had never heard of them, but apparently they're famous?).

I then covered a bit of the concert as it began. Actor Will Smith introduced the show with a dramatic demonstration of just how bad the situation in Africa is: He had the audience members snap their fingers every three seconds. That's how frequently there is a poverty-related death in Africa, where the poorest die from diseases that we've long had cures for because they cannot afford the medicine.

The Black Eyed Peas were the first group to perform. They sang "Where Is The Love?" and "Let's Get It Started," among a couple other songs. Then Bon Jovi sang "Livin' on a Prayer" (an 80s classic popular with my college residence, Leverett House) and "It's My Life." Soon to part ways Destiny's Child followed with "Survivor" and "Say My Name," and a couple more songs.

I then had to go back to the office to do a write-up of what went on so far in the day, so I missed Kanye West, Will Smith (who performed blast-from-the-past "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It"), the Dave Matthews Band (sad tear), and Toby Keith (yes, Bruce, I had a chance to see Toby Keith in concert here but missed it, and even though I could tell you that I profess no supreme love for country music or TK in general, I know you are still disappointed in me... you can go ahead and never speak to me again, ha!).

After finishing my writing, I was done with my 8-hour shift, so I went back to the concert. I caught the very end of Alicia Keys' set (she's a great performer; I had seen her in concert before, as I had Black Eyed Peas, Destiny's Child, and Bon Jovi). Then, Linkin Park came on and performed some of their hits. They were soon joined by Jay-Z, and they performed a few songs together, including Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin'".

Def Leppard was next, and they seemed somewhat out of place with the rest of the lineup, but I did enjoy their performance of "Pour Some Sugar On Me," another classic cherished by my members of my college residence at our 80s dances.

Finishing the day were Sarah McLaughlan (with an appearance by Josh Groban, who joined McLaughlan during her song "Angel"), Jars of Clay (I didn't know any of their songs at all, and neither did most of the rest of the audience), Maroon 5 (my sister's seeing them in concert later this summer; I never realized that I actually like some of their songs until today), Keith Urban, Matchbox Twenty lead singer Rob Thomas (he sang his solo album songs but then sang "3 a.m.," which is a Matchbox Twenty song), and finally the legendary Stevie Wonder closed the show. Throughout the concert, there were introductions by Richard Gere, Naomi Watts, and Kami, the HIV-positive character from South Africa's version of Sesame Street. Paula Abdul made a cameo appearance near the end, too, while Stevie Wonder was performing.

Ah, it was a great concert. They said a million people were there on the streets at the concert. It feels great to be a part of it. I still think London had the better lineup, with Mariah Carey, Elton John, Coldplay, Sting, Madonna, U2, Paul McCartney, and REM (come on, "Everybody Hurts" and "Man on the Moon"!), but it was great to see so many energetic acts today. Now, I've got to do my part to help those in Africa... angry diatribe on this subject to come later...

After the concert, I went back to the office to pick up some items, and then I went to Penn's Landing, where there was another event, this one part of the city's Fourth of July celebrations. There was a free Ruben Studdard (of American Idol fame) concert, but I only caught his last song, which was his single "Flying Without Wings," a cover of British singing group Westlife's popular single (I suspect many of Ruben's American fans don't know this).

The concert was followed by a fireworks show, and I just have to say it was one of the biggest fireworks shows I've ever seen... and this is just a pre-July 4th show... there's still the fireworks show after the free Elton John concert on the actual fourth. Tonight's show was set to rousing music played on the loudspeakers, and the fireworks were pretty well timed to the music. I kept expecting the show to end because it had gone on for a while, but it still kept on going... it must have been over 20 minutes long. The finale was breathtaking, and loud, too. They set the fireworks over the water on the waterfront, so it made for a nice view.

Now, I'm getting ready to go to sleep because it has been a long, but deeply satisfying and memorable, day.

Anecdote of the Day: I was at the supermarket when I passed this lady wearing the most hideous outfit (think: revealing muumuu). I thought to myself, "Wow, those clothes makes her look terrible." But then a moment later, the man behind me says to the lady, "You're looking mighty fine tonight, miss" (exact quote).

There seems to be a disconnect...

:: SL 11:14 PM [+] ::
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Fireworks law sparks new concern

:: SL 9:14 PM [+] ::
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Things are getting more and more frenzied at work as we prepare to cover the huge Live 8 concert this weekend to raise awareness about poverty in Africa. I've been hard at work writing stories, and I think there should be another story in tomorrow's paper. I'm on a roll!

I've signed up to work on Saturday, so that means I get to cover the Live 8 concert. It's exciting to think about being a part of one of the biggest pop culture and music events in history, both on a national and international level. I'm sure it will be all over the news this weekend.

Meanwhile, I hope I will have time to sneak out to the movie theater to see War of the Worlds this weekend. Since there's a movie theater right next to where I'm staying, this should actually be feasible. I've gotten pretty pissed at Tom Cruise and the things he's said about the field of psychiatry, but I'm always up for a good Steven Spielberg movie. I've never disliked any of the films he's directed.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I'm working at a union paper, so I had to join a union and pay union dues to work here... I feel so Newsies! Speaking of which... I haven't seen that movie in a while... too bad I left the DVD at home.

Quote of the Day: "Oh my god, I think there's some kid upstairs who is like permanently jacking off."

:: SL 1:13 PM [+] ::
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Neighborhood remembers Negro leagues

:: SL 10:28 PM [+] ::
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According to www.jobpredictor.com, my "ideal job" is a funeral director. Funny... I played one in a comedy during high school.

:: SL 10:27 PM [+] ::
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I was about to spill all the feelings in my heart into this post, but then I decided not too because it's getting late and I should be going to bed...

I'm sure this weekend will offer some exciting activities to talk about here.

Quote of the Day: "Dying naturally scares me."

:: SL 10:27 PM [+] ::
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The P-A-R-T-Y turned out to be a quiet get-together with friends, but it was quite enjoyable.

On Saturday, my sister and I went to Disneyland! It was a lot of fun; it was the first time my sister had seen all the new 50th anniversary stuff, and it was cool to see her reaction to all the new things. We went on so many rides and saw so many shows in one day. We also found our pictures in the “Happiest Faces on Earth” photo collages.

We saw the new Block Party Bash at the dreadful Disney’s California Adventure, and the parade/show was great… it made me want to dance in the streets because the dancers were so energetic and the music so upbeat and catchy.

Here’s the obligatory Disneyland ride photo:



Yay. The fireworks were amazing, as usual… I can’t even imagine how much it must cost to put on that 17-minute pyrotechnic display.

We didn’t get back on Sunday until the late afternoon, and I had to rush to pack and get to the airport, so I couldn’t see my friends from home one last time *sad tear*. I might be back at the end of summer

Now, I'm back in Philadelphia, and I had a story published today! Yay!

Today, I got to cover a huge protest against the big biotech convention that’s in town this week. The demonstration was peaceful, but then it got a bit violent at the very end, and the police arrested a bunch of people. One officer had a heart attack while going into the massive crowd, and I was right there in the crowd while other policemen were trying to resuscitate him on the ground, giving him CPR. He later died at the hospital. Such a surreal sight.

It was even more crowded on the streets because today there was a huge unofficial skateboarding event downtown, and the skateboarders (who had come from all around the country) were protesting to get one of the city parks open for skateboarding. The biotech protestors and the skateboarders converged, and they formed such a large crowd. The police were prepared, so there wasn’t too much trouble. They did have to use some force, though.

Well, things are going well; I managed to get some sleep on my overnight flight coming to Philly, and I actually functioned at work on Monday! I think tomorrow I will be following a reporter to the police station to see what it's like reporting cops, so that should be an adventure.

Quote of the Day: "Why do gay terms revolve around farm animals and lesbian terms around ocean animals?"

:: SL 8:15 PM [+] ::
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After staying up all night so I could get to the airport on time, I took the commuter rail out to catch my flight to California! I slept during the entire flight because I was so tired.

I got into SLO-town in the early afternoon, and I spent the afternoon hanging out at home, relaxing, enjoying my time. Later in the evening, I joined my sister and some friends to see the film Batman Begins, which is much less cartoony and more intellectual and philosophical than the previous Batman films.

Afterwards, I met up with a couple of my friends, and we chatted into the evening. We then went to Denny's and got a snack.

Today, I attended my sister's high school graduation! It was a wonderful event. My grandparents and my uncle were there, along with my parents, and we got good seats by getting to the football field early. My sister got to speak at the ceremony, and she gave a great, inspirational speech. I'm glad I came home to see this special moment in her life.

I also saw a lot of high school classmates and teachers. I'm glad I was able to see a couple of my former teachers before they retired.

Tonight, I got Chinese food! Yay. Sesame chicken is the best food everrr. Later tonight, I plan to P-A-R-T-Y with friends.

Quote of the Day: "I'm racist... but in a good way!"

:: SL 10:50 PM [+] ::
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I forgot to mention that yesterday, I passed an organic supermarket, and there was a Jamba Juice inside! I had a Mango-A-Go-Go (my fave), and it was such a cool treat on a hot and humid day!

Quote of the Day: "I have brandy in my pocket!!!" "And I just drank a bottle of wine!"

:: SL 10:51 PM [+] ::
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Well, I had to take my computer to the shop to get its hard drive replaced, so I won't be able to be online all the time anymore *sad tear*.

I was in a good mood yesterday because my story was published. I had to go a long way to the shopping center that has Best Buy, where my computer could be fixed, so I took the subway and then transferred to a bus. After leaving my computer at Best Buy, I decided to stay in the area to do some shopping. There was an Ikea there, and I had read about people buying cool things from the Swedish furniture store, so I decided to check it out. It was so amazing! It was like I had died and gone to... Sweden. Seriously, Ikea is the best thing to come from Sweden since ABBA!!!

I walked in, and there was a small three-person band playing (what I presume to be) Swedish music! It really set the mood. After you enter, you have to ride an escalator to the second floor, heightening the excitement of entering the store because it's like you're entering a new realm... the realm of furniture and home decorating. Then, you watch this short video introducing you to the store and giving advice on how to shop. You then follow this long winding path through the huge building to see various showcases and room decorating examples, and eventually, after winding through two levels and a huge warehouse, get to the checkout stand.

It was like a furniture Disneyland... There was a livingroomland, bathroomland, bedroomland (the areas weren't actually called that, but I decided to call them that)... I didn't need any furniture, but it was really cool to see all the things they sold at the store. Everything was so sleek and so modern and so... European! If I ever make enough money to buy my own house, I definitely would want to get stuff for it from Ikea.

Oh, and there was a restaurant in the store! And it served Swedish food! I tried some Swedish meatballs, a drink made from a Swedish fruit called the Lingonberry, and a dessert called the "Princess Torte." I always love trying new foods from different cultures, and it was so exciting to try these Swedish treats. The store also sold some Swedish foods, so I bought some crackers with hazelnut filling, as well as milk chocolate with hazelnuts (so European!). The chocolate is made from a company that supposedly makes candy for the King, so it should be good.

In other news, two young people called me "sir" on separate occasions yesterday... I think I'm getting old. Alas.

Today, I took a walk in the park! It's the same general park my article was about (Fairmount Park), but the park is huge... I walked along the river on the trail. It was a hot day, but there were still many people jogging, strolling, and having a picnic in the park. I'm going to have to go back soon to check out the rest of the park. I also got the latest issue of Disney Magazine (it's supposedly the last issue because the magazine is apparently no more). It's all about Disneyland's 50th anniversary and has some neat info.

I'm going home on Wednesday! I can't wait to see my friends again. It will be good times.

Well, luckily there's a computer lab here where I'm staying, so I'll still be online... occasionally. I'm hoping so.

Damn. Why am I so clingy?

Quote of the Day: "Well, you're definitely not going to be invited to the wedding."

:: SL 10:51 PM [+] ::
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Volunteers spread seeds of service at Fairmount

I didn't write this headline, but somehow it still manages to sound like something I would write...

:: SL 10:04 AM [+] ::
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On Monday, I got to go to my first professional baseball game! It was the Phillies vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks. We had excellent seats with a great view, and of course I had a hot dog (no Cracker Jack, though). I also had my first Philly Cheesesteak sandwich while in Philly! It was a lot of fun, and there was quite a bit of action, on and off the field, despite the heat and humidity.

In other news, I have been drunk dialed like crazy in the last two days. People must be drinking crazily during this week!

Quote of the Day: "I just had my ass steamed by a fucking... oh, what do you call them... dishwasher!"

:: SL 6:27 PM [+] ::
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Woo, a whole week in Philadelphia! So much fun... but how quickly time passes.

Some points:

- It's been great this week meeting and hanging out with the other interns here this summer. Even though we're all working on separate desks, hopefully we'll all get together to do more some fun activities sometime.

- I am eating guava yogurt. It's actually quite tasty. Thank goodness there's a supermarket near where I'm staying... I'm sure I'll be eating a lot better than I was when I was in Miami last year.

- For the second time in a couple of weeks, someone has told me that I look JUST LIKE someone they know and that we look so similar we could be brothers. Yup... uh huh. Cause all Asians look the same. ::rolls eyes::

- Techno remix of the song "Living on a Prayer" = AMAZING.

- I'm looking forward to visiting home in a couple of weeks!

- The little plant that I transported all the way from Boston is blooming! The fact that it's still alive after all it went through on its little journey shows just how amazing nature is.

- Life doesn't suck as much as some people make it out to be.

Quote of the Day: "I'm only going to sing songs in the pentatonic scale when I'm around you."

:: SL 4:28 PM [+] ::
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A Midnight Fantasy

Last night seemed like the most ordinary of nights as I climbed into my bed to begin my slumber. I fell asleep, completely unaware of the excitement that awaited me. All of a sudden, the night became a most magical one as I had a wonderful dream that I had been visited by the drunk-dial fairy! It was such a wonderful dream; SOMEBODY had drunk dialed me, and the call was filled with crazy laughter, fun jokes, random insults, and the phrases "I love you!" and "You're the best!" mentioned many times. And it was so appropriate because I had just thought to myself the other day, "It's been a while since I've been drunk dialed, and it's been a while since I've mentioned that I want to be drunk dialed." Oh, what an amazing dream it was. I was sad when it came to an end. But what a splendid thing that happened to me!

Moral of the story: If you're drunk, call me!!!

:: SL 5:12 PM [+] ::
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Update!

I finished with packing after my finals and on Tuesday took the train to Philadelphia. The train had some engine problems so we were delayed for more than an hour, but I got into town in the early evening. I found my dorm on the UPenn campus, and settled in. The campus is pretty and it's near a bunch of restaurants and a supermarket, so I will probably be eating more often than when I was in Miami!

I got up early on Wednesday and ran a bunch of errands, from getting an access card to enter the building I'm living in to researching how to get around this (huge) city. I took the subway (it's a bit complicated... like being in New York!) and somehow managed to get to work. I got to help write a couple of stories this week, but soon I'll be writing my own stories.

Anyways, it's been a good week. I've been trying to get used to the city and figuring out where things are, how to get around, etc. Yesterday, I went to see Independence Hall, where the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. I also saw the Liberty Bell and Benjamin Franklin's grave, as well as a bunch of other historical buildings and sites. It felt it was a patriotic thing to do, especially on Memorial Day weekend. I'm not sure what I'm doing tomorrow, but I'm sure it will be exciting. I've been back on a regular sleep schedule this week, and it feels good to go to bed early enough and actually wake up before 9 a.m. without feeling tired throughout the day. Hopefully this will continue through the summer, and because I'm doing reporting and don't have the night shifts of copy editors, it should come pretty naturally.

Oh! Last week, my friends put on a stage production of the six-hour TV mini-series "Pride and Prejudice" called "Pride and Prejudice - Live!" (PNPL, for short). I was originally planning to just play the role of the carriage, continuing my short career as a portrayer of inanimate objects in random theatrical productions. I was then asked to play Mrs. Bennett (whose name, for some reason, I keep thinking is Mrs. Haberdash - I'm not sure where that came from), but I didn't want to be typecast as the loud, annoying character. Later, however, I was cajoled into playing the role when somebody dropped out due to a schedule conflict. Forced to play the role of Mrs. Haberdash, I mean, Mrs. Bennett, I decided to spice up the part a bit. My friend Marion (standing next to me in the scarf in the third picture below) played Mr. Bennett, and she offered to share a script with me, so I joked that in addition to sharing scripts our characters also shared conjugal beds. Later on, I discovered that my character had five children, so I commented that my uterus was sore and stretched out.

The play was enjoyable... we all did silly fake British accents, and we had a small audience (the actors outnumbered the audience members), but it was a lot of fun. I got to wear a silly costume... check out some of the pictures (yes, I am indeed wearing a skirt as a poncho):

:: SL 10:47 PM [+] ::
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A couple of friends and I went to see the Star Wars Episode III last night! It was such a great movie, though very sad and tragic. Anyone who has seen the original films knows what is going to happen in the end, but it's still depressing to see all the events spiral out of control and the fall into evil of a character for whom you grow to become sympathetic.

Quote of the Day: "Your deeds, [President Bush] - neglecting the needy to coddle the rich, desecrating the environment, and misleading the country into war - do not exemplify the faith we live by. Many of your supporters are using religion as a weapon to divide our nation and advance a narrow partisan agenda. We are deeply disappointed in your failure to renounce their inflammatory rhetoric."

:: SL 10:48 PM [+] ::
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Yay, I just finished my last final and am ready to start summer '05!

Summer plans:

5/25 - 7/23: Internship at the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper
6/16: Morro Bay High School Class of 2005 Graduation
[7/17: Disneyland's 50th Birthday]
7/24 - 8/28: Study Abroad in Oxford, England
8/29 - 9/7: Travel in Europe
9/8 - 9/12: Home

To my dear friends: Let us meet up this summer for good times galore!

:: SL 9:50 AM [+] ::
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The teaser trailer for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe is now online. Apparently, the trailer preceded the new Star Wars movie.

It's looking to be an epic, epic film; I'm looking forward to seeing it this winter.

:: SL 11:55 PM [+] ::
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Soon after I was invited to join the group "Students Against the Misuse of 'Heart' as a Verb" on TheFaceBook.com ("Because we're elitist snobs who believe in using nouns as NOUNS, and think that "I heart you" is the worst thing to be perpetrated upon the English language, EVER. Join us in the fight! We don't fucking "heart" ANYTHING!"), I was invited to join the group "I ? Fisting."

I don't think my life can get any stranger.

Quote of the Day: "Join us as we recognize the lure of the fist. Just don't forget your Crisco."

:: SL 11:52 PM [+] ::
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Some random facts as I study for my Human Sexuality final:

A 1992 study reported that worldwide there are more than 100 million acts of sexual intercourse daily.

In the US, 1/2 of all pregnancies are unintended, resulting in 1.4 million abortions and 1.1 million births that women either did not want until later in life or did not want at all.

Klismaphilia: being sexually aroused in response to enemas
Autoerotic Asphyxia: a form of sexual masochism which links strangulation with masturbation
Telephone scatologia: making obscene phone calls

In a study it was found that only 1/3 of those that had visited a prostitute actually enjoyed the experience.

Pimps introduce the females into prostitution. They provide housing, protection, money, even jewelry in return for the money that the girls earn. However, abuse is often the result of such an arrangement.

Quote of the Day: "Well I certainly will take no part in such debauchery!"

:: SL 11:48 PM [+] ::
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A news story today stated: "The White House said on Monday that a Newsweek report based on an anonymous source had damaged the U.S. image overseas by alleging that U.S. interrogators desecrated the Koran at Guantanamo Bay."

As if the image of the U.S. overseas hadn't been damaged already...



The Bush administration through its foreign policy has been damaging the U.S. image overseas nonstop for years now... I don't think it carries much weight when they now accuse a magazine of doing that.

:: SL 6:09 PM [+] ::
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Finally... after hours of writing and resizing/uploading photos:

Disneyland's 50th anniversary kickoff features Christina Aguilera, Julie Andrews, LeAnn Rimes

Disneyland 50th anniversary celebration begins with ceremony in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle

Highlights:


Donald Duck, Christina Aguilera, Art Linkletter, Julie Andrews, Walt Disney Company President Michael Eisner, Walt Disney Company President-elect Bob Iger, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts President Jay Rasulo, LeAnn Rimes, Disneyland Resort President Matt Ouimet, and Mickey Mouse gather for a picture in front of the newly decorated Sleeping Beauty Castle featuring new crowns on May 5, 2005 to begin Disneyland's 50th anniversary celebration.


Christina Aguilera, Julie Andrews, LeAnn Rimes, and Mickey Mouse in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland's 50th anniversary celebration kickoff.

Quote of the Day: "To all that come to this happy place: welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here, age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America, with hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world." - Walt Disney, July 17, 1955.

:: SL 2:31 AM [+] ::
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Having attended all these press events at Disneyland this past week, it's sort of weird to see myself on other Disney websites.

For example, that's my hand, camera, and hair in the bottom of this picture of Disney President Michael Eisner:



I'm standing in front of the gold lamppost in the center of the picture for this event with comedian Steve Martin:



And I'm wearing the black jacket on the right for the big ceremony in front of the castle (Leann Rimes and Christina Aguilera performed, and Julie Andrews narrated):



Pictures of my own will be coming soon.

:: SL 8:51 PM [+] ::
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