26.12.04

i think I'm about to explode.

Let me list off the things we've eaten in the last 24 hours:

-filet mignon
-raclette
-fondue, both Chinese and chocolate
-Christmas cookies
-tangerines
-coconut cream pie
-arroz con pollo

I didn't think it'd be possible to eat all the things that Shawna and Joe had waiting for us. But somehow, we did, and it was amazing. We didn't leave that house for 12 hours, just stayed and played board and card games and ate, ate, ate. I'm definitely exercising tomorrow, but for now, I need to go do laundry.

22.12.04

at the awwwwwwwwww - fisssssssss.

I decided to dress for warmth today, and am thus wearing sweater that I may have bought as a freshman in high school. It has various shades of red and pink in stripes. "Striped sweaters" would be a good way to describe most of my winter fashion choices during high school. But it is very warm, which is an advantageous thing.

I'm looking forward to tonight, which boasts an excellent Thai Garden dinner with J-Frey, and then later some racquetball at the Valley with Batman. I've been feeling the need to exercise lately, especially after coming home last night to more cookies and candies offered by the neighbors. The holidays are going to make me diabetic. There was this excellent candied apple that had caramel, chocolate, cashews, walnuts, and a drizzle of white chocolate coating it. Way too much...

Last night I went shopping with the Hallster, for lack of better things to do. (Well, we could have watched Eddie Izzard, but I really needed to do my Christmas shopping.) I bought Christmas presents for the brothers. Still need to find stuff for the father and lil sis.

Thought briefly about using punctuation for "lil sis". Decided against it.

Yay for no work on FRIDAY! I mean, no working at the office. Working in Seattle. Outside. Selling parking passes. But not for very long. And then it's time for CHRISTMAS!!!

21.12.04

sooooo many cookies that patients bring in. Guys, this clinic promotes HEALTH. Not obesity, which is currently being promoted in me.... bleh.

had fun last night at Jihad's house, where we watched about 5 episodes of Alias, which I don't really understand but I was catching on. Jennifer Garner has a man-jaw, but jeez, is she thin. The show's pretty good, with a lot of cat-fights and other fun plot twists. Persistent comments on the part of Ella and I prompted Patrick to flip on the subtitles. He was quite into it. We also watched Family Guy, which is an overdone thing, but still funny. It was good comfortable fun, normal for the Sheik house, with college kids practically piled on top of each other on the couches and the parents bringing snacks of popcorn and peeled apples for us to enjoy. Current relationship status of Ella and Jihad caused an understandable tension, but it was slight and not too annoying, and certainly didn't ruin the evening like it has done sometimes in the past. It was also good to see people I hadn't seen in years, like Tesla and Patrick and Sema, even though they're not especially close to me.

In other news, Jeff tore a ligament in his foot last night playing basketball in L.A. I don't know why I'm writing this here, because Jeff's pretty much the only readership I have left, and he probably has already heard the news. :\ So Jeff, keep icing and elevating, and get better. And get an MRI.

So much shopping left to do. So little time...

20.12.04

lack of correspondence from my German exchange family makes Kyla a sad panda. perhaps I should send a Christmas card. Won't make it in time, though.

working again at Dad's office for some much-appreciated cash. I'm pretty sure he's not paying me to blog... at the moment, though, there's not a whole lot else to do. Even though it's only quarter after 3, we've seen all of today's patients and the mail still hasn't come. I seriously am out of work. Maybe I'll take off early and get a workout in before I go about my evening activities. (laundry, but maybe also a movie at a friend's house.)

then it's back again to the office for the rest of the week until Friday, when on Christmas Eve I get to spend three hours selling parking passes in Seattle. I don't really care about that, either... I'll just go to Redmond afterwards for a wonderful Christmas Eve with my dad's family.

Warm 106.9 has been playing Christmas favorites all day here in the office. Right now they're playing a version of "Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland" titled "Sippin' in Seattle's Latte Land". Barf. What junk. If you're going to make a parody, don't make it sound like a MIDI file with bad lyrics. It reminds me of the song Kip sings to Lafawnduh at their wedding.

Here's a better set of lyrics from a parody we sang in Unleashed last year:

"Oh we're going to Seattle for Christmas,
And the freeway is one long isthmus,
But we can swim down the carpool lane,
Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain."

That's more like it.

18.12.04

life.

it happens.

how can it be so delightful, lebendig, so joyful and filled with emotion? and at the same time be cold, weary, unsure, and stagnant?

I guess that explains the love-hate relationship.

I'm in a crying mood, and I also want to laugh until my sutures over my wisdom teeth sockets burst. (well, maybe almost to that point.) I feel like doing things I never feel like doing... cleaning the kitchen, doing my laundry. I want a hug.

I was going to edit this post for purposes of coherence. I don't think that'll be necessary. why should I edit myself?

I care, but mostly I don't. Not anymore.

my hair feels soft and pretty today. Ella says there is this magnificent shampoo that would bring out the red tones in my hair, but would come out with the next wash. She was going to give it to me before I left her house, but we forgot.

where can I get good bubble tea in Olympia? and on that note, what is there to DO in Olympia?

I want to drive. Just get in the car and drive. See how far I can get before I force something to happen - I run out of gas, or I crash, or I get to Vegas, or Canada, or Portland.

maybe it's more than that. I want to be away. but I want to be home. striving for something new - now there's a concept.

you know this is for you, right?

this has GOT to be an effect of the vicodin. there really is no other possible explanation. that, or I'm growing. I don't think I like it. there are better things.

I want to write more. but there is nothing coherent = nothing useful, nothing worth saying. Right? so should I read instead?

a Very boring individual, I am. cookie cutter. a Happy person isn't always the most interesting person, in fact that's seldom the case. MAybe if I read more/ write more/ do more/ explore more/ adventure more/ live more/ listen more/

it would make me a more interesting girl

16.12.04

turns out that getting my wisdom teeth out is just like every other medical procedure: I dread it, and I think that I'll freak out during it, but then it turns out it's not that bad, and neither is the recovery.

:) so I'm doing good, and I'm glad that I'm at home. Ususally I try to stay up in Seattle as long as I can, two or three days after finals, just to hang out, and maybe see a movie or two. But I couldn't get home fast enough this time - mostly because Brother the first finally got home last Friday. We hadn't seen each other for 6 months, and I didn't want to wait a day longer. I was done with finals on Monday, but I DID still have a project to finish, so I did that at TESC library most of Monday and Tuesday and brought it back up to Seattle on an errand run. Got to bring Jeff to the airport so he could catch his flight back to LA. It was fun seeing him off... that makes two goodbyes in one day, as I had to say goodbye to a friend who is moving back to Missouri on the 21st. It was sad, but that's how life goes, I guess.

The only downfall of having my wisdom teeth out this morning was that there were three opportunities for having fun tonight in Seattle, if I had gone. An OC party, a final farewell party for the Missouri guy, and some hanging out with older friends from Yale and 'SC. But I'm really reveling in the post-op crashing and the Vicadin, so it's all good.

Speaking of the OC, I think I'll watch that tonight. That, and Love Actually, which I downloaded onto my laptop before I left the glory of DC++. Between that and re-loading stuff onto my iPod, I think I'll be set for my figurative house arrest.

9.12.04

I'm officially out of money on my meal card. woot.

Finals suck. but there are worse things.

My new favorite song is "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight" by The Postal Service. Fantastic. "Ocean Breathes Salty" by Modest Mouse is a close second.


5.12.04

the girl who lives next door to me lives in a single. She's loud and sounds, I swear to Pete, JUST LIKE Elishka Jackson. I do a double take every other time I hear her voice...

4.12.04

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

2.12.04

I couldn't decide, so I guess I'm both:

HASH(0x8887c0c)
You are SALUTE YOUR SHORTS. You are a wangsta who
knows business. You have fun in the sun and
know how to have a good laugh.




HASH(0x8ad0c68)
You are CLARISSA EXPLAINS IT ALL. She is a rad
chick with absolutely no fashion sense. If you
are a guy and chose this... you are gay.


Which old school Nickelodeon show are you?

29.11.04

mhall07cmc: did i tell you the gremlin story the other night?
KillahKyla: what? gremlin?
mhall07cmc: yeah
KillahKyla: no
mhall07cmc: a friend of mine was talking to a friend who has another friend at UT Austin
mhall07cmc: anyway, this person was doing acid for the first time
mhall07cmc: and so she and her friends decided to all go driving around at 4 am wasted out of their minds
mhall07cmc: so they were driving along and saw a gremlin running down the street
KillahKyla: oh man
mhall07cmc: so they chased it with their car for a while
KillahKyla: course
mhall07cmc: and then decided that it would be a good idea to capture it to take home and play with in the morning
mhall07cmc: so they threw some jackets on it
mhall07cmc: and put it in the back seat
mhall07cmc: and took it home
mhall07cmc: all the while it was going crazy,
mhall07cmc: as only gremlins can
KillahKyla: oh man, what was it???
mhall07cmc: so they locked it in their bathroom
mhall07cmc: and it was going nuts all night
mhall07cmc: and when they woke up in the morning they found a 4 year old girl in their bathroom
mhall07cmc: and now they are being prosecuted for kidnapping
KillahKyla: OH MY GOODNESS
KillahKyla: ARE YOU SERIOUS
mhall07cmc: yeah, i am
mhall07cmc: but it still doesn't answer the question of why a little girl would be running around a street that early in the morning

23.11.04

Regarding my post from the 20th: I've found my solutions.

I just steal the digital pictures taken by others. ;)
Here's some more links to yesterday's madness, including a great cover photo in today's Daily. Andy's in the forground, and my friend Ashley is behind him on the right. Boing Boing covered two different accounts of it (account 1; account 2). Many people blogged, live journaled, and photogalleried the event (here and here and here and here). I was at the table most of the time, helping people make their own aluminum brain wave protection hats and folding the never-ending stream of new flyers that ended up being quite a hit. Looking at some of these pictures, you might think that I wasn't even there. But I was... oh, how I was.

If I get bored again, I'll post my own series of pictures.

22.11.04

today was the day we staged a mock-demonstration for LaRouche. It was fantastic. Donning aluminum foil hats to deflect government mind control and armed with brochures proving nothing but the fictitiousness that was our rally, we set up camp right next to the REAL LaRouchies. Chanting "RaLouche in 2007", we began to support our cause of ridiculing the LaRouche supporters in earnest. What great madness ensued.... People we didn't know were coming to our table, making tin foil hats, and sometimes even joining in the fray. The LaRouchies were confused at first, then started to try and argue against us, then decided it was hopeless and made tin foil hats for themselves as well. Our sloganed cardboard signs included such gems as "Dick Cheney Eats Kittens; Stop the Insanity!", "Global Warming is Literally Melting the Economy", "Children of Santa IV", "Does The Government Limit Your Right To Hold Cat Orgies for the Purpose of Gambling?" "Wyoming DOES NOT EXIST! Stop the Lies!", "Bush is Responsible for the Decline of Gary Coleman's Career" "The Government is Trying to Control Your Mind: Stop Using Toasters!".... you get the drift.

All in all, it was a success, and I missed my math class for it. Time well spent, I assure you.

Here's my article "Dick Cheney and You" from the pamplet titled "STOP THE INSANITY: A Warding Off the Government And Other Instruments of Pure Evil Using Only Simple, Easy-To-Use Household Products":

"The claim that Dick Cheney is an immoral shape-shifting reptile is completely logical and has multitudes of evidence to prove its validity. One not need do his or her own research on this matter, because that runs the risk of said person discovering that this supposed evidence does not, in all truth, actually exist. Indeed, all one has to do is compare the photos on this page. There is a clear resemblance between the slimy, creepy, fork-tongued creature and the snake. Can you see it? [note: at this point in the article, there were pictures, but I didn't want to put them on the blog for fear they were copyrighted. if you care, you can see them here and here.]

This undeniable evidence clearly proofs that LaRouche’s points about Dick Cheney are valid in every way possible. So do the right thing: use your vote in 2008 to put LaRouche in the Oval Office. Or hell - vote for him next year. LaRouche in 2005!"

20.11.04

sometimes I think to myself that I need to take more pictures.

Then I realize, no, it's not pictures of life that I want. I want a life that is so vibrant and overflowing that there is no time to take pictures, or even look back at them later.

problem is: how do I get there?

15.11.04

there's nothing like a day of running around figuring your life out to make you believe again that you are indeed moving forward, and that you have direction.

Now that I've gone to the IPE and found out what I need to do to apply, I just have to choose: Berlin, or Tuebingen. On the one hand, I have access to a huge city that would be excellent to hang out in. There would always be something going on. The history there is intense, and the two sides of the city are vibrantly different even after the 15 years since reunification. They offer either an international student dorm, where I would live in a single and could make friends easily but would probably end up speaking more English than German, or I could opt for a WG in another part of town where I would have a roommate and live mostly with native students. On the other hand is Tuebingen, a smaller college town in the south. The people are more open there, but speak a heavier dialect. The town caters to college students, and it would just generally be a younger population with whom I would live. Housing is harder to find here, but I would like to live in a college town, having already lived in a big city for a few years. In both places, I know a few people already: three different families around Tuebingen, and then a young couple in Berlin, plus an American friend from UW who is also going to be in Berlin when I would be.

Plus, I have to maintain a certain GPA while in Germany so that my scholarship does not get revoked. If it does drop (which the UW won't know until I'm back), I'll be required to pay back the value of the scholarship. Scary...

Anyway, all this talk about GPA reminds me that I need to study for my o-chem exam, which is tomorrow morning. And calc, too, which won't be as hard but I'd best review anyway. Better get crackin'.
got some of my classes! ESPECIALLY my honors o-chem lab...

Also, did NOT get my math class. darm.

off to class.

KillahKyla: hahaha... don't you get stuff done in that break, though?
TheFrog84: sure...halo 2 and whatnot

14.11.04

boo for Internet Explorer.

YAY FOR TWENTY!

13.11.04

"The first, and most important fact to be recognized concerning the Hitler regime, is that Adolf Hitler was put into power in Germany on orders from London. The documentation of this matter is abundant and conclusive."
"Humboldt Versus Hitler", Lyndon H. LaRouche, Jr., The Campaigner, August 1978

OH! Really. the documentation is both 'abundant' and 'conclusive', you say? Well, that seals the deal. Wind it back a few weeks, Time - I voted for the WRONG GUY. LaRouche for President in '08 - it'll be his 13th consecutive election year on the ballot...

also funny: the increased number of happy birthday wishes you get when you're on the FaceBook.

Ever realize that every birthday you celebrate is a year closer to your death?

Dr. Thurman: The search for God is absurd?
Donnie Darko: It is if everyone dies alone.
there are four basic types of people in this world:

-people who think they are the most important thing around and act like it;
-people who think they are the most important thing around but hide it through "concern" for others;
-people who know better than to think they are hot stuff, and so devote themselves to helping others because they truly believe others deserve the devotion;
-and people who know they're not that important, but pretend they are anyway.

Where do I fit into that?

*shrub*

talking away
i don't know what, what to say
but i'll say it anyway
there's another day to find you
shying away
i'll be coming for you, that's okay
take on me, take me on
i'll be gone
in a day or two

Ah-Ha - Take On Me

7.11.04

Quick post before I hit up the homework.

This weekend... I knew it would go by fast. I hate how I look forward so much to the weekend, and then I get there, and it's gone like *that*. Friday was a fun-filled evening of watching The Big Lebowski in the lounge with Jeff and some other people who wandered in close to the beginning of the movie. It was a pretty good film, I thought. Not side-splitting hilarious, but well done nonetheless. Walter is by far my favorite character from that movie. Anna and Tara came in at the end of the film, so I need to watch the last 15 minutes again because I wasn't paying attention, and I didn't really know why Donny was dead.

Saturday, I had a fun day of work and then I hung out with a friend who lives in Redmond.

And now it's Sunday, and my O-chem is far from learned. Dar. So I'm gonna go get a start on that. Maybe I'll tell you about work on Saturday some other time... it was definitely one of the most bizarre shifts I've ever worked...

The Dude abides.

2.11.04

I was sitting in the HUB Husky Den today, eating my chowder with goldfish crackers (as is my wont), when a group of about 6 Kerry supporters just march in, singing songs with lyrics that included what sounded like "Wanna know what to do with Bush? He needs some good ol' psychiatric help." And then they cycled through and came by again, this time singing about "Cheney Dick". Man, if the College Republicans chose to EVER do anything like that, they would be booed and pelted with food bits until they finally resigned to submission and left the food court. Liberal wankers. How do they get away with it?

1.11.04

We begin today with a disturbing escalation in the trend of coffee retailers giving stupid names to cup sizes. As you know, this trend began several years ago when Starbucks (motto: ''There's one opening right now in your basement'') decided to call its cup sizes ''Tall'' (meaning ''not tall,'' or ''small''), ''Grande'' (meaning ''medium'') and ''Venti'' (meaning, for all we know, ''weasel snot''). Unfortunately, we consumers, like moron sheep, started actually USING these names. Why? If Starbucks decided to call its toilets ''AquaSwooshies,'' would we go along with THAT? Yes! Baaa!

But it's getting worse. Recently, at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Death March, Mister Language Person noticed that a Starbuck's competitor, Seattle's Best Coffee (which also uses ''Tall'' for small and ''Grande'' for medium) is calling ITS large cup size -- get ready -- ''Grande Supremo.'' Yes. And as Mister Language Person watched in horror, many customers -- seemingly intelligent, briefcase-toting adults -- actually used this term, as in, ''I'll take a Grande Supremo.''

Listen, people: You should never, ever have to utter the words ''Grande Supremo'' unless you are addressing a tribal warlord who is holding you captive and threatening to burn you at the stake. JUST SAY YOU WANT A LARGE COFFEE, PEOPLE. Because if we let the coffee people get away with this, they're not going to stop, and some day, just to get a lousy cup of coffee, you'll hear yourself saying, ''I'll have a Mega Grandissimaximo Giganto de Humongo-Rama-Lama-Ding-Dong decaf.'' And then you will ask for the key to the AquaSwooshie. And when THAT happens, people, the terrorists will have won.


More from Dave Barry available at www.davebarry.com.

25.10.04

Also: an email in a newsletter I get regularly. It's from a Canadian woman:

Subject: Make your vote count

As a non-American - but a North American (yes, Canadian), I cannot
tell you how many people I have had political discussions with in the
previous four weeks about the American election - and how we all figure
that we should be allowed to vote in this election. This decision can
and will affect my life, just as much as it will affect the citizens
of the USA. Making an informed decision and voting is a precious
commodity that many do not understand the value.


Um, lady... if you want to vote in the American election so badly, MOVE TO AMERICA. Otherwise, butt out. It's our president, so it's our "informed decision". If you were somehow to obtain voting rights in the USA, then I'd have to demand some for Canada, which I have to admit I could probably care less about. Not that I don't care about your government; it's just that I don't demand to participate it, nor should I, seeing as I'm not Canadian. Tell me, exactly how do you "all figure" that you should be able to vote in our election?

*Sigh* Canadians.

As I write this, I'm sitting at a computer that has somebody's old boarding pass for an Air Canada flight from Seattle to Vancouver lying on the desk next to it. They print in 3 different languages: English, French, and German. How tolerant of them! Probably more so than us...
why is the abbreviation "o-chem" when we all know that it really stands for "ridiculously hard chemistry"???

Midterm tomorrow. Don't know if I'm going to make it. In any case, I'm not going to reveal my score. Not even if I get a hundred percent on it.

So HA.
experiment.

23.10.04

haha. i am such a dork...

I was driving my sister and her entourage to their homecoming tonight in my father's Suburban. I managed to get them off to the dance fine, but then I was leaving and the car started in with the darn brake lights. The little signal was flashing which meant that my e-brake was on... I definitely hadn't pushed in the little foot pedal, but the indicator wasn't turning off and I was still in the high school parking lot, so I pushed in the e-brake, causing the Suburban to come to a full halt. And THEN, I couldn't find the release handle!! So I was sitting there in the path to the exit (thankfully there was no one behind me) and I couldn't move. Irritated, I called Dad, because surely he would know where the lever is. All the advice he could offer was "it's down there." Hmm, how helpful... but I guess that's all really one can say, isn't it? So I got out of the car and looked for it. Finally I found it - it was a push button, not a release handle - and I pushed it. And the car started moving forward because I had never put it into park.

I'm awesome.

So I had to chase down the Suburban and hop in while trying to tell Dad bye on my cell phone without letting on that I didn't have control over the car.

Yeah, it was sweet.

Well, off to watch a little of the first Lord of the Rings before I go back to pick up the kids from the dance and take them somewhere else for the after-party. Then I get to go to a different after-party hosted by Manzanita's little brother... he's a senior now so it's all good. We'll probably... play a lot of poker.
Here's some food for thought.

The Daily Record
Wed.,October 6, 2004.
By Mathew Manweller, Political Science prof. at CWU

Election Determines Fate of Nation
In that this will be my last column before the presidential election, there will be no sarcasm, no attempts at witty repartee. The topic is too serious, and the stakes are too high.
This November we will vote in the only election during our lifetime that will truly matter. Because America is at a once-in-a-generation crossroads, more than an election hangs in the balance. Down one path lies retreat, abdication and a reign of ambivalence. Down the other lies a nation that is aware of its past and accepts the daunting obligation its future demands. If we choose poorly, the consequences will echo through the next 50 years of history. If we, in a spasm of frustration, turn out the current occupant of the White House, the message to the world and ourselves will be twofold.
First, we will reject the notion that America can do big things. Once a nation that tamed a frontier, stood down the Nazis and stood upon the moon, we will announce to the world that bringing democracy to the Middle East is too big of a task for us. But more significantly, we will signal to future presidents that as voters, we are unwilling to tackle difficult challenges, preferring caution to boldness, embracing the mediocrity that has characterized other civilizations. The defeat of President Bush will send a chilling message to future presidents who may need to make difficult, yet unpopular decisions. America has always been a nation that rises to the demands of history regardless of the costs or appeal. If we turn away from that legacy, we turn away from who we are.
Second, we inform every terrorist organization on the globe that the lesson of Somalia was well learned. In Somalia we showed terrorists that you don't need to defeat America on the battlefield when you can defeat them in the newsroom. They learned that a wounded America can become a defeated America. Twenty-four-hour news stations and daily tracing polls will do the heavy lifting, turning a cut into a fatal blow. Except that Iraq is Somalia times 10.
The election of John Kerry will serve notice to every terrorist in every cave that the soft underbelly of American power is the timidity of American voters. Terrorists will know that a steady stream of grizzly photos for CNN is all you need to break the will of the American people. Our own self-doubt will take it from there. Bin Laden will recognize that he can topple any American administration without setting foot on the homeland.
It is said that America's W.W.II generation is its 'greatest generation.' But my greatest fear is that it will become known as America's 'last generation.' Born in the bleakness of the Great Depression and hardened in the fire of WW II, they may be the last American generation that understands the meaning of duty, honor and sacrifice. It is difficult to admit, but I know these terms are spoken with only hollow detachment by many (but not all) in my generation. Too many citizens today mistake 'living in America' as 'being an American.' But America has always been more of an idea than a place. When you sign on, you do more than buy real estate. You accept a set of values and responsibilities. This November, my generation, which has been absent too long, must grasp the obligation that comes with being an American, or fade into the oblivion they may deserve. I believe that 100 years from now historians will look back at the election of 2004 and see it as the decisive election of our century. Depending on the outcome, they will describe it as the moment America joined the ranks of ordinary nations; or they will describe it as the moment the prodigal sons and daughters of the greatest generation accepted their burden as caretakers of the City on the Hill."

The Most Important Article in Our History
By TOM KUNTZ

If the presidential election were Mae West, her reply to a flatterer calling her the "most important election ever" could easily be: "I bet you say that to all the elections, big boy." Surprise, all you election 2004 superlative-pushers, from Bruce Springsteen to the Christian Coalition: This election is the "most important" in our history - our lifetimes, a generation, whatever - only if you ignore a slew of others.
Here is a sampling of comments stretching back more than a century and a half.
1864 Lincoln vs. McClellan
"We have had many important elections, but never one so important as that now approaching."
Gen. James H. Lane,pro-Lincoln campaigner, The New York Times, March 31

1888 Harrison vs. Cleveland
"The Republic is approaching what is to be one of the most important elections in its history."
New York Times editorial, July 2

1924 Coolidge vs. Davis
"I look upon the coming election as the most important in the history of this country since the Civil War."
Joseph Levenson,Republican leader, The New York Times, July 20

1976 Ford vs. Carter
"I think this election is one of the most vital in the history of America."
President Ford, debating Jimmy Carter, Oct. 22

1980 Carter vs. Reagan
The International Union of Electronic Workers said it felt it was important to take a stand early because the critical problems the nation faces may make the 1980 election "the most important of this century."
Associated Press, Nov. 2, 1979

1984 Reagan vs. Mondale
"This is the most important election in this nation in 50 years."
Ronald Reagan, Nov. 5

1988 Bush vs. Dukakis
"It may be the most important election of this century."
Senator Robert C. Byrd, Democrat of West Virginia, Oct. 22

1992 Bush vs. Clinton
"I ask you to join with me for these last three days to reach out and call your friends and family and neighbors to tell them this is the most important election in a generation."
Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas, Oct. 30

1996 Clinton vs. Dole
"This is the most critical election in the long history of the American labor movement."
John Sweeney, AFL-CIO president, The Washington Post, March 3

"It's the most important election of our lifetime."
Ralph Reed, Christian Coalition director, The Tulsa World, April 14

"Talk about a bummer! Can you imagine how the Republicans must feel at this, the beginning of the most important election year in decades? Pass the Prozac, please."
Robert Beckel, Democratic political analyst; commentary in The Denver Post, Jan. 31

2000 Bush vs. Gore
"The first national election of the 21st century is the most important election (so far) of the 21st century."
Ebony magazine, November

United States Representative Zach Wamp said last week he believes "2000 historically is the most important national election in my lifetime."
Chattanooga Free Press, Nov. 22

2004 Bush vs. Kerry
"This is the fourth presidential election which Pearl Jam has engaged in as a band, and we feel it's the most important one of our lifetime."
Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam,www.pearljam.com

"This is the most important election I can remember, at least since 1968."
Al Franken, comedian, Minneapolis Star Tribune, July 8

"Christian Coalition of America believes this is the most important election in our nation's history."
Press release, Aug. 24

"We share a belief that this is the most important election of our lifetime."
Statement on Bruce Springsteen'sWeb site on the Vote for Change tour

"My fellow Americans, this is the most important election of our lifetime."
Senator John Kerry Democratic National Convention, July 29

"For that reason, ladies and gentlemen, the election of 2004 is one of the most important, not just in our lives, but in our history."
Vice President Dick Cheney Republican National Convention on Wednesday

Larry King: "Is this the most important election ever?"
President Bush: "For me it is."
"Larry King Live," Aug. 12


And last but not least, a quote from my brother:
"I got online to read your blog thing, and it was in German. It made me sad. It ruined my whole day."

20.10.04

I dare you to come bug me again. I love distractions.

I promise you a treat! Similar to the usual standard for vocabulary and zits.

Only goes for another hour, though. Danach Schluss damit. :)

how faithful of a reader are you?
today's discoveries:

1. it takes 270 votes from the electoral college to win the presidential election.

2. many people think that the popular vote should determine who becomes president. I think this idea is stupid based on the large ratio of dumb Americans to smart well-informed ones.

3. the band "They Might Be Giants" is an extremely weird band. Really.

That is all. oh, and this.

18.10.04

Is it really that great to be a Republican? You decide.
lots to do this week.... the least of which is a math midterm tomorrow. so, I think i'll get started on my German essay as I sit here in the Mary Gates Computer Commons. Just have to write, and don't want to make a Word file and email it to myself (how lazy am I??), so, yeah. ta da.

worueber soll ich schreiben? ich darf keine Geschichte schreiben, sondern einen Aufsatz. und es muss sich um die Wende und Hausbesetz handeln. ich glaube, die Hausaufgaben von gestern passt gut zu den Vokabeln und deswegen werde ich einen Aufsatz ueber die Besitzsituation im ehemaligen Ostdeutschland schreiben. es gaebe zwei moeglichkeiten, das ekonomisches Problem zu loesen. 1. Vorzutreten, dass der Kommunismus nie existert haette. Zurueck zu 1945 zu gehen und die landstuecke zurueck zu den ursprunglichen Besitzern zu geben waere ganz fair.

Oh, diese Idee ist viel besser als die andere. Hier geht's los: wie waer's, wenn der Kapitalismus ausgefallen war?

nein, scheisse, was fuer eine bloede idee. das geht nicht um die geringste vokabenliste. bin ich ja doof...

muss nach mehreren infos nachsuchen.

17.10.04

I am NOT missing Scrubs this week.

I can't wait to go to Oly next weekend! Hopefully Manzanita and I find a ride...

take me, don't leave me
aby, love will come through
it's just waiting for you
-Travis, "Love Will Come Through"

16.10.04

Garden State was just fantastic. I don't remember the last time I saw such a great movie... so bold, so funny, and so much like "Scrubs", but with a more subtle way of presenting the moral of the story. I guess Napoleon Dynamite was also a good one, but I didn't leave the theater feeling about it the way I felt after watching Garden State tonight.

I felt like there was so much more to life, and that it was within my reach, if only I would reach out and grasp it.

I felt somewhat like Zach Braff's character, a little drugged, a little aimless, and not really sure of his direction in life.

I felt like I could marry Zach Braff, if he asked me to.

Ahhh, amazing. I tried for about 10 minutes to register with www.imdb.com so I could point out to the naysayers on the forum what exactly it was about Garden State that touched me... but then I figured my blog would suffice. Plus, IMDB wanted to load cookies onto my computer, and my computer ain't having none of that. No sir.

BTW, the post before my last post wasn't deleted after all. Just hiding.

15.10.04

dar. I think blogger erased my last post.
Signs that I am really a nerd:

- I tried to use expired milk on my cereal this morning. After I had put my Special K with strawberries into the bowl (and most of the strawberries left in the box were in the bowl... oh yes, they were), I poured milk in, and only THEN did I realize the milk had expired 3 days ago. Bleh. I tried a bite anyway, which turned out to be a mistake. Needless to say, that cereal plus the rest of the milk were soon disposed of in the kitchenette.

- I am blogging at the gym.

- I will probably do homework tonight before going to see Garden State downtown. Ooh, that reminds me... gotta check showtimes.

I had some other reasons which I can't think of right now, but I'm sure I'll get to them eventually.

14.10.04

several things happened to me yesterday which I thought were noteworthy.

one, I got my hair cut. I'd been thinking about getting my bangs back again for some time, but I thought it would be a much more premediated haircut. But no, I walked into the the place, and let the Asian guy with poor English skills but good hair style me some bangs. They look good, I think... I'm still getting used to them.

two, I gave change for the first time ever to a Seattle bum. I gave him a few quarters, and it looked like he had mainly pennies in his hands, so he seemed kinda surprised that I was giving him larger coins. Not that I think that was an enormous act of goodwill - actually, it's probably a lot worse that I hadn't given any homeless people any money up until then - but I thought it was worth mentioning. First time.

three, we started a cappella auditions. Three out of the five were good. Today was even better - we had two people that really impressed me. And this was just the guys... girls are next week. Callbacks will be REALLY fun. SOOO excited.

four, went to Cheesecake Factory with some of the CHS posse. Was a bit disappointed in my evening there, but whatcha gonna do. my cheesecake was good, at least.

As for today, there's not been a whole lot of new stuff. Ian's was out of the bubbles for the bubble tea, which I think they've had for about 24 hours now, so we'll see if my meal card can hold up against that temptation. Gotta have the bubbles, though. We held our American Century class outside, which was great - I felt less like falling asleep. (Why is it that I get so tired listening to one person talk, even when I'm not tired and I'm interested in the material? So annoying.)

more later!

9.10.04

today's topic: House Parties.

1. Never throw a party half an hour after the conclusion of a major nationally-broadcast political debate, unless you are certain that everybody in attendance is of the same political persuasion. Doing otherwise promotes arguments, unnecessary feelings of apathy and the occasional death threat in a language that the other party can't understand.

2. House parties can be boring at first. Thus, you should make sure to arrive more than fashionably late.

3. When the large hoard of Russians shows up, make sure one of the hosts is aware of the situation. Also, remind him/her whose name, exactly, is on the lease.

4. Music of some sort is a must. Lest your house party have a dull moment, take every measure possible to get some tunes blasting through your pad. Yo. (This could require you to assemble a small contigent to help a friend carry his 5-piece stereo over from his house, 2 blocks away.)

5. Having two chess boards out is generally not the way to "get the party started right". It's excusable at the very beginning of the evening, especially if no one shows up until 10:30.

Any more questions? Just ask. I probably won't answer.

6.10.04


and this.... this is a tribute to the tr00ness that is Jeff. Hi-YA! Posted by Hello

My sister is the cutest thing in the ENTIRE WORLD. Well, maybe except for a little adorable white kitten. But Jamie is definitely a close second. Posted by Hello

...and she can also be fiesty. GRR! Posted by Hello

My sis and her friends getting ready for the football game... she naturally inherited most of my CHS stuff Posted by Hello
there's so much to say. I've thought about blogging at least once a day for the last week, and haven't gotten around to it. I hate this kind of catch-up blogging, though, because it all ends up being summary. And the IB gods never did like summary, did they? No. They liked analysis.

But just briefly: been back 2 weeks tomorrow. Math sucks, German rocks, don't have to buy books or do homework for my honors class, and O-chem is hard but the professor is a cute first-year who doesn't have a wedding ring. I've noticed. Roommate is sweet, we're hardly even in the room at the same time, and I'm messier than her which makes me a bit nervous, but it's been going fine so far. Efforts to form a new a cappella group are going wonderfully - we've had numerous guys reply to our call for singers but few girls. I'm extremely excited to see the talent that I will have the honor to audition next week. Looking into doing an exchange next year - just realized that this *might* interfere with a cappella (oops, not good) - I want to go to Germany again.

My music for the last two weeks has pretty much been the Die Aerzte album "Runter mit den Spendierhosen, Unsichtbarer!". I need to get away from that, though, if I'm ever going to find new music that my a cappella group can cover.

So many poignant moments, so many amusing trivialities, so many instances of irritation that I could have shared on here, had I not wasted my time not blogging. Now it's lost, and I'll have to wait to find it again.

Next post: how I managed to not have a good blood-drawing experience.

cheers.

22.9.04


me and trez with random  Posted by Hello

with our arch rival Kathy the Cougar Posted by Hello

Here are some old photos... me and the Capital girls at the 2003 Apple Cup Posted by Hello
WELL>>>>

I am doing

21.9.04

I couldn't see her very well from my place in line. But I could hear her voice. Loud and clear. Emphasis on loud.

"How ARE ya today?"

Center Stage: Ridiculously Cheerful Starbucks Lady.

To every customer in front of me, Ridiculously Cheerful Starbucks Lady gave an annoyingly custom-tailored greeting, such as "hi there! So, what are you going to do today?" The elderly man in front of me got this gem. He replied with something about since he's retired, he never really has a daily plan, and Ridiculously Cheerful Starbucks Lady exclaimed how "that sounds great! You always get to do whatever you want!" I wonder what she would have done if he had explained that his day consists mostly of weeding, measuring his blood pressure and taking prescription medication. That's what I would have done if I were in his shoes, even if it weren't true.

Enter Kyla, stage left. I didn't get the chance to say "Pray to God that I never turn into you," which is what I would have said had she given me the same question. Well, okay, so I wouldn't have said that, but my response was nonetheless bland and uninviting. Who was dumb enough to let this lady take coffee orders? My opinion is, people who drink coffee that early in the morning are NOT morning people. They are not bright-eyed nor bushy-tailed until after their dose of caffiene. This lady should be leading an early-morning kickboxing class, not selling coffee to tired, grumpy, sleep-deprived caffiene-seekers.

Screw Starbucks. I'm going local, where the baristas have strange piercings and unnatural colored hair and refreshing attitudes. Fair-trade coffee, you have just won my affections through the heinous deeds of Ridiculously Cheerful Starbucks Lady. Yes, Starbucks, I DO bite my thumb at you, sir! Never again will I drink your corporate-produced excuse for a latte!

Unless, of course, I go there with Manzanita for breakfast. That's a different story.

20.9.04

The music of the day is "Float On" by Modest Mouse. Not that I'm a big fan of theirs, or even know their music all that well. But I was listening to K-Rock Seattle today (something I have recently become addicted to, especially Andy Savage in the mornings), and both times I left the office during the day, that was the song that was playing. I found it strange but probably not an omen because I don't really believe in that sort of thing unless it's a really standout extraordinary thing.


girriffic666: that's right
girriffic666: the man wont keep me down
girriffic666: ill fight him w/ love n crap
girriffic666: and stealing
girriffic666: hahahaha
this weekend was extremely... "geil". I got to go to Manzanita's apartment up in Seattle, and we had a blast.

Hmm. Relatively short post. More later.

17.9.04

Famous scientists around the world have mysteriously disappeared and Chronicle reporter Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow) along with ace aviator Sky Captain (Jude Law) are on the investigation. Risking their lives as they travel to exotic places around world, can the fearless duo stop Dr. Totenkopf, the evil mastermind behind a plot to destroy the earth? Aided by Franky Cook (Angelina Jolie), commander of an all-female amphibious squadron, and technical genius Dex (Giovanni Ribisi), Polly and Sky Captain may be our planet’s only hope.

The funny thing about this is that the guy playing the "evil mastermind" is Sir Lawrence Oliver, who's been dead for 15 years. Furthermore, his character is named "Dr. Totenkopf", which in German would translate as "Dr. Dead Head." Weird.

I gotta stop blogging at the office. So addictive, though!
i'm trying to enable the "comments" feature on this blog so I can get feedback and see who still actually reads this thing. c'mon comments, do your thing!
nothing to say. I'm tired. At work again.

I guess I can talk about how I have a dentist appointment today, or how I'm going to the UCLA vs. UW game tomorrow, or how much packing I have to do beforeI leave for school next week, or the books I need to buy.

But I don't feel like it...

15.9.04

I feel like my sinuses are playing that game where the toy gopher pops up and you hit him back down with your mallet, but he keeps coming back in another opening.... what happened is that I was driving home from work today and my ear finally popped after being closed up all day, and then I got home and blew my nose, and my ear closed again. JEEZ. I hate head colds. Plus, my wisdom tooth is definitely poking through the gums now. CRAP.

14.9.04

wow, I spend a lot of time online tonight. I forgot how much fun AIM can be when you really get into it. Here are some snippets of conversations which really made me laugh out loud, literally:

BK729: BK729: the way i got to it might be wrong, but i think the answer is right
so, according to the question, a volume X, when multiplied by the density of bromine and the density of gallium, will give two new weights
BK729: these weights, added, and then added again to the 3.390 kg will give a mass, the mass of the mercury
BK729: this mass divided by density of mercury should give the same volume yet again
BK729: i.e. 750
BK729: wait
BK729: hagn on
BK729: thats the answer
BK729: now i will give you the question
BK729: what think you ?
KillahKyla: okay I need some time
KillahKyla: like 5 people JUST imed me
BK729: tell them to go away
BK729: THE FATE OF OUR SOCIETY DEPENDS ON THIS QUESTION!
KillahKyla: lol okay okay!!!

KillahKyla: "I'm not hungry!"
KillahKyla: lol Ernesto
cesordinol: Hahah
cesordinol: And then I hate a sh*tload.
KillahKyla: lol, if I didn't know that you meant "ate" instead of "hate", that would be a funny sentence
cesordinol: oh
cesordinol: sh*t
cesordinol: *ate

KillahKyla: just work them really hard and they will all leave
KillahKyla: save for a choice few hard-working athletes
mhall07cmc: yeah, the key is to get dews out of them first
mhall07cmc: so we can buy more boats and have a better team
KillahKyla: oh, haha, dues
KillahKyla: I thought you meant "dews" like fresh blood or something?
mhall07cmc: ah, sorry
mhall07cmc: yeah, money from them

JSykora386: do anything interesting today?
KillahKyla: gave a few ultrasounds
JSykora386: I said interesting

KillahKyla: I went to the wrong Happy Teriyaki to pick up our office lunch
KillahKyla: which was funny
JSykora386: interesting!
KillahKyla: how come the Asians have to be so PRODUCTIVE and have like 23 Happy Teriyakis in the South Sound area?
JSykora386: its probably more efficient or something
JSykora386: kinda like them all being black-haired and good at math

JSykora386: I totally moted this guy at the gym in front of his girlfriend yesterday
JSykora386: that was sweet
KillahKyla: moted?
KillahKyla: what does that mean?
JSykora386: sorry, I picked that up from Kenny
JSykora386: like "diss"
JSykora386: from "demote"
KillahKyla: Kenny??
KillahKyla: you let your mutant Cheeto-eating cousin INFLUENCE you?
JSykora386: what's it to you?!

JSykora386: and no, not usually, but its kinda funny...moted
KillahKyla: yeah I like it... okay
JSykora386: good, now you must use it, grasshopper

KillahKyla: i have had so many funny AIM convos today
KillahKyla: I think I will post them in my blog
JSykora386: good, do it
JSykora386: nothing I've said, I hope

ALilHusky: i love when you guys speak in german
ALilHusky: and laugh in german, " Ya, hahah, ya"
ALilHusky: it's pretty much my favorite thing

KillahKyla: I thought you met Brett already...
ALilHusky: nope i only met the other one
ALilHusky: whose name escapes me at the moment
KillahKyla: Alex
KillahKyla: :-)
ALilHusky: yeah!!
KillahKyla: yeah I have too many of them
ALilHusky: sorry
KillahKyla: I will only have a few kids
KillahKyla: and they will be trackable
ALilHusky: hahaha
ALilHusky: mine will be robots

KillahKyla: speaking of home renovation/construction, do you have to do that to your new house in Seattle?
hanging onacliff: yeah, it's freaking freezin in here
hanging onacliff: i could cut glass, it's so cold
KillahKyla: haha, put a space heater in
hanging onacliff: electricity is expensive
KillahKyla: okay, wear some more clothes
hanging onacliff: oh right....pants...i thought there was just a draft


I am endlessly entertained by this. If anyone doesn't want their screen name on the internet and it is on here, lemme know. K?
back at work. again.

I've been a little under the weather lately, starting with a cold I think I caught from my father. And then I went to the dentist yesterday, and they told me my wisdom teeth need to come out. After that visit, one of my wisdom teeth started aching. I thought it was just because it had been brought to my attention and possibly slightly agitated by the dental visit, but it still hurts this morning. Perhaps if I could stop tounging it, it would go away... So I'm scheduled to get my wisdom teeth out December 16th. I have the option (well, I did yesterday, maybe not today) to get them out on Friday, but if I did I would miss the UCLA vs. UW game the next day, and Manzanita and I were really looking forward to that. But is it worth an entire quarter's worth of pain? Or will this pain go away when my cold does? If that's going to happen, then I need to make it happen soon...

...because I'm going back to school in 9 days. A ridiculously short time. I'm so excited, though... for my new dorm, for the football games, to see my friends from classes and Haggett... et cetera. I guess I'm not all that excited to actually *go* to class, but hey, you gotta make some concessions if you're going to attend college.


10.9.04

100 things about me:

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Go to this page.
2. Follow the easy instructions to have the HTML generated for you.

The things in Bold are true; everything else is false

01. When I was younger, I made some bad decisions (not any horrible ones, so no)
02. I don't watch much TV these days (at the moment I do, because I'm at home. I watched most of "Fried Green Tomatoes" on TV last night)
03. I love broccoli (but Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn't... "shaddup with the brocolli!")
04. I love sleeping (must be getting old)
05. I have loads of books (used to! not anymore since my ex-stepmom STOLE them all when she moved)
06. I once slept in a toilet (what?)
07. I love playing video games (never did, never will)
08. I adore marijuana (who "adores" anything but another person or a pet? but the point is, I'm not a marijuana fan anyway)
09. I watch porn movies (no)
10. I watch 'One Tree Hill' (again, what?)
11. I like sharks (this survey is schizo)
12. I love spiders, I think they're adorable, especially the ones with bright colors on their backs (stop using forms of the verb "to adore")
13. I was born without hair and I still have no hair. (hahahahaha sucker)
14. I like George W. Bush (on occasion, when he's not conducting preemptive strikes, a.k.a. starting wars)
15. People are cool (some aren't, but the statement generally applies)
16. I have changed a lot mentally over the last year (what about physically? I could talk a bit about the Freshman Fifteen...)
17. I have a Toyota and a pool (neither? who do you think I am?)
18. I have a lot to learn (but I sometimes don't admit to it)
19. I carry my knife everywhere with myself (that's only Matt and Rick)
20. I'm smart (or at least a smarty-pants)
21. I've never broken someone's bones (can't say I haven't, I guess... ask Jared Squires about 2nd grade))
22. I have a secret (doesn't everybody?)
23. I hate rain (I live in Washington, so I can't afford to be a hata)
24. I drink health juice (if by "health juice" this stupid survey means "fresh fruit juice", then yes. Side note: if you are ever in Germany, don't choose the VitaBier at restaurants. It's made for kids and tastes like the underside of a shoe)
25. Punk rock rules (naw)
26. I hate Bill Gates (he's my neighbor... well, in a sense)
27. I love Vietnamese food (heck yes! but not as much as Thai)
28. I would hate to be famous (influential I could do, but famous... forget it)
29. I am not a morning person (used to be VERY true about me... less so now)
30. I have semi-long hair (I'm growing it out again)
31. I have short hair (obviously I can't choose this one if I just made 30 true)
32. I have potential (...and kinetic!! (who DIDN'T see that one coming?))
33. I'm pure Afghan (no, but I can knit you one)
34. My legs are two different sizes I refuse to believe my legs are identical. (that's 100% crap)
35. I have a twin (in a parallel universe, maybe?)
36. I wear those long ass socks (used to)
37. I can roll my tongue (because I am genetically superior)
38. I like the way that I look (only some of the time)
39. I'm obsessed with Italian food (just olive garden, holla)
40. I know how to French braid (only my own head, though... when I do it to other people's hair it comes out all loose and crappy)
41. I can be pessimistic or optimistic whenever I want (is this supposed to be opinion or fact? it's a pretty optimistic statement. I'm assuming it's fact)
42. I have a lot of mood swings (only once in a while)
43. I skateboard/snowboard (nope, neither)
44. I think that skateboarders are HOT (again... no)
45. I'm in a band (but used to be in a quartet, and now am starting an a capella group)
46. I have talent (I used to think I did, but now I've seen just how many people there are that are better...)
47. I'm always hyper no matter how much sugar I have (change "hyper" to "almost never" and you're there)
48. I think that I'm popular (no comment)
49. I am currently single (true!!)
50. I can't swim (I'll take Blondes for $500, Alex)
51. My favorite color is either blue, red, or white (I'm not that jingoistic)
52. I practically live in sweatshirts (my house is made of them)
53. I love to shop (no, if I go, I have to really be in the mood)
54. I would classify myself as either punk or goth
55. I would classify myself as ghetto
56. I'm a prep, shop at abercrombie, and ADMIT IT. ((NEVER BOUGHT A THING FROM THEM)
57. I'm obsessed with my blog. (dang it, ya got me there.)
58. i dont hate anyone (only strong dislike based on close analyses of their personalities. like a certain close friend's ex-roommate...)
59. I know how to square dance (no, but I can line dance)
60. I have a unibrow (HAHAHAHAHAHA Jihad does!!!)
61. I'm completely embarrassed to be seen with my mom (n/a)
62. I have a cell phone (along with the rest of the civilized world, yes)
63. I believe in God (the truth is out there)
64. I watch MTV on a daily basis. (no. In Germany i did, though)
65. I know how to play the tuba (trombone was my brass instrument)
66. I need coffee to live. (pretty much)
67. I have had a boyfriend before (ooh, confessions)
68. I've rejected someone before (everyone has to)
69. I currently like someone and they have no idea that I like them (we're out of middle school now...)
70. I have no idea what I want to do for the rest of my life (i have some idea, but it's not set in stone)
71. I want to have kids when I get older (older? I want them now!!! um, just kidding, but yeah, I's gonna be a mommy someday)
72. I have changed a diaper before (and if you haven't by now and you are an elligible dating-age guy for me... you aren't anymore :) j/k)
73. I've called the cops on a friend before (haven't really had the occasion arise)
74. I bite my nails (used to)
75. I am a member of the Hilary Duff fan club (NEVER)
76. I'm not allergic to anything (like I said, genetically superior)
77. I love broadway plays. (OOOOOOOO... klahoma)
78. I have no idea who the 38th president was. (But I should... let's see... DubYa is what, 43? So Clinton was 42, Bush Sr. 41, Reagan 40, Carter/Ford... OH CRAP, WHAT ORDER DID THEY COME IN? Okay, I'm guessing Ford.)
79. I plan on seeing Mary Kate and Ashley's new movie (no, I wanna see Lindsey Lohan instead)
80. I am completely shy around the opposite sex (nope)
81. I'm online 24/7 (used to be)
82. I have at least 25 away messages saved (haha crap)
83. I have tried alcohol or drugs at a party (well, if Germany is a party. And it is!)
84. I loved Rush Hour (YES, and Money Talks wasn't bad either)
85. I've read all of the Harry Potter trilogy (sadly, yes)
86. If I were a dwarf, I would be dopey (nope, Doc)
87. When I was a kid I played with G.I. Joe (Barbie, you idiot survey)
88. I dont mind country music (in fact, IT'S GRRRRREAT!)
89. I would die for my friends (my close friends)
90. I think that Juicy Fruit is the best type of gum (if it didn't lose its flavor so fast, it would be)
91. I watch soap operas whenever I can (that's Andrea you're thinking about, and they're in Spanish)
92. I'm obsessive and paranoid and extremely jumpy (nope)
93. I would love to be demi moore because ashton kutchers a major hottie (neither the reason nor the will have I)
94. I love the Beatles. (used to be an even bigger Beatles freak, tho)
95. I know all the words to 'I'm a barbie girl' (sadly, yes)
96. Halloween is awesome because you get free candy. (when you were younger...)
97. I watch Spongebob Squarepants and I like it (AND I'M PROUD)
98. I have to fart (girls don't do that, remember?)
99. I want this damned thing to be over! (PLEASE! I WANNA GO EAT AT ANDREA'S!)
100. I'm happy (that it's over)

9.9.04

COOLEST EXPRESSION EVER:

"hammer mega geil"

must be spoken in a German accent.

Thank you, Bine, for that gem. I want to go back to Germany just to use that phrase. And get the new Die Aertze DVD, of course.
Workin on the night shift
passin' out the tickets
you're gonna have to pay her
if you want to park here.

How did Jack Johnson know exactly what my job at UW is?

8.9.04

KillahKyla: you scaring my family away with your gayness

KillahKyla: AWESOMe

girriffic666: its like my super power

girriffic666: of gayness


I love you, Jacob.
lean back, lean back...

That's what SHE said. y'know, it always takes me about a week to stop wanting to say that after I hang out with Jeff a lot. I never say it here. But around Jeff, it's every 10 minutes. AT LEAST.

I was supposed to go shopping with my brother a few hours ago. but instead, he decided to bake a pizza we had lying around, and bam - we ended up not going anywhere. Surprised? anyone surprised? I thought not. But there's still a possibility that we might - he's pretty determined to buy some long-sleeve t-shirts to cover up some weird fungus that is festering on his bicep.

Let's see, what am I up to these days. Work, updating a website for my father, more work, occasionally having time to sit at home and do nothing before I go back to work again. I really don't mind being at the office, but it IS monotony, and that is never a good thing. I spend my free time trying to get my room back in order and ready to move back up to Seattle in... hmm, I guess it's only 15 days now. Wanted to have a garage sale this weekend, but cancelled it on account of my second cousin getting married on Saturday and then helping Manzanita move on Sunday. Needless to say, I never hang out with anybody anymore. Did go to Esmereldo's birthday party on Sunday night, which was entertaining. It was a replay of Manzanita and Batman's joint birthday party, except 2 years later and the faces were all different. Kinda creepy. Plus, I missed the pinatas both times, which is a crying shame, because they were all made to look like the faces of the honored kid and were really cool. But I saw the Mickey Mouse cake with tin foil piercings and bloodshot eyes, and a joint sticking out of his mouth. And I took pictures. AWESOME.

Anyway, can't wait to get my social life back at the U. Only two more weeks.

Next weekend (9/18) I will be at the UCLA/UW game. Was thinking about going to the UW/USC game in LA in late October, but decided against it because 1. football tickets are too expensive and 2. it would only be a 2-day trip, which wouldn't be worth the frequent flyer miles. So, will plan to do it another time. Spring break, perhaps?

Pizza time.

1.9.04

New eMail exchange between Jeff and Kyla regarding previous post:
(Jeff in Bold, Kyla in Italics)

Also, Kyla's new blog makes Jeff a sad panda :-( Try to relate to me, in your own words, the points of that drivel without reducing it to catchy slogans (war for oil, secretive administration, etc.). I heard he took time at his father's funeral to bash Bush...

Oh, come on. I just put that in my blog because I thought it was well-written. He's really a good writer, that Ron.

Well written? So was Mein Kampf.


Special thanks to my personal Friendly Neighborhood Conservative.

31.8.04

The far-right wing of the country—nearly one third of us by some estimates—continues to regard all who refuse to drink the Kool-Aid (liberals, rationalists, Europeans, et cetera) as agents of Satan.Bush could show up on video canoodling with Paris Hilton and still bank their vote. Right-wing talking heads continue painting anyone who fails to genuflect deeply enough as a "hater," and therefore a nut job, probably a crypto-Islamist car bomber. But these protestations have taken on a hysterical, almost comically desperate tone. It's one thing to get trashed by Michael Moore. But when Nobel laureates, a vast majority of the scientific community, and a host of current and former diplomats, intelligence operatives, and military officials line up against you, it becomes increasingly difficult to characterize the opposition as fringe wackos.
Ron Reagan, The Case Against George W. Bush

29.8.04

hey.

just got back from a friend's wedding today. It was crazy... well, besides the fact that there was a decidedly large age gap between the bride and the groom... she was the first of us to go. how can we already be that age, where people are choosing and marrying their life partners... insanity. and she was only the first. she looked so beautiful, and somewhat grown up, but we could still see the young high-school student in her... the girl with so much ahead of her, so much that she was willing to sacrifice for something that will hopefully turn out to be even better. We can only hope.

Aside from that, I got to see some old CHS kids that I haven't heard from in quite some time. That was mostly a good thing... and in the cases where it wasn't, we simply didn't talk beyond a short "hi, how're you." Plus, a few UWers from the 'Couv' who were fun to have along for the ride... fun to dance with and catch up with, at any rate. Overall it was a fun time, a pretty wedding held in a pretty place with beautiful weather and a beautiful bride. Plus a cemetery on the other side of the road, but we will ignore that. it wasn't very "auspicious." (I heard that word at least 3 times from the lady who performed the ceremony. I think it was the only word over 2 syllables that she knew. people like that shouldn't be allowed to talk...)

27.8.04

just for quick reference

http://www.livejournal.com/users/wondertone/

http://www.livejournal.com/users/wondertone/48397.html
OH MY GOODNESS my father is driving me CRAZY. I SWEAR I will never live another entire summer in Olympia.

Okay, calm down. It's fine. You're overreacting to something that's not that big of a deal. This is temporary, it will pass.

STILL though. Do I really have to spend my summers being bossed around both as an underling as a daughter? Tcha. No way... I want more freedom than this.

but I really have it good. I don't have to pay rent, I can get hours or days off if I really need them, I can come and go whenever I please as long as my dad doesn't get woken up, I'm allowed to take road trips or shop or go swimming or do anything I can think of.

still though...
Been back for almost 4 days now. Weird how it works... I really slid right back into the swing of things pretty quickly. I wouldn't say I've been experiencing "culture shock"... but there are a few things that come to mind:

1) I miss the good food in Germany. Every store had inexpensive, fresh food for you to buy. There is no broetchen here... I tried to bring a piece of Germany home with me by bringing Nutella. But this morning I tried to find something I could spread my Nutella on, and there wasn't anything! I finally had to settle for a piece of toast. Then at the store a few nights ago, I looked for Campari tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. The tomatoes were there, but the mozzarella - the kind sold in the little bags with a lot of moisture inside - was nowhere to be found!!! dar. So I had to settle for "low-moisture" mozzarella, and it just wasn't the same.

2) I'm used to typing on the German keyboard, where the "y" and the "z" are switched, and the various symbols are switched around. My name frequently is typed out initially as "Kzla". Cute.

3) The language thing... it's so nice to understand and be understood 99% of the time. I can tell you, that wasn't the percentage I was maintaining in Germany. I now have a lot more confidence when calling people I don't know, because at least I know they will probably be native English speakers, and that is comforting. So this is a postive culture change.

I had a better 3rd point, but I forgot it so I had to replace it with something weak.

Anyway, so being home has been fun. I got to see Batman and ... um I forgot what nickname I had for him, but yeah, I guess I'll call him Robin, because they pretty much go together. For example, we loaded Batman's car last night, and today they are leaving for school, since they both go to the Claremont colleges. But I did get to hang out with them a good deal... yesterday I went to lunch with Batman and Manzinita. We really had a rollicking good time, and I was 45 minutes late in getting back to work, but it was fine.

More later.

20.8.04

Hannover Aktion!

So. Pferd Mädchen arrived on Wednesday. It was great getting to see her again. I was incredibly excited, not to mentioned surprised, when my host parents told me about her arrival... hmm, did I write about that already? anyway. I couldn't remember the last time i had talked to her, much less seen her, so it really was a pleasant surprise. the family has been busy, with the parents having mucho arbeit at the office and the kids starting school again. (I know it seems early for that, but the Germans get lots more breaks during the school year than we do. And not wimpy '3-day-weekend' breaks, either... nice week or 2-week-long things.) So we've had time to hang out and see some of the area by ourselves. Yesterday we went to Celle, which is a sweet little town a bit north of Isernhagen (where our host family lives). We did some shopping and ate. Today we ate with our host parents at this wonderful breakfast buffet in downtown Hannover near Kröpke. I haven't wanted to eat since because we had soooo much great food. (this is strange for me since it is already a quarter past 5!! Usually I think a lot more about food...) Then they took us to a Picasso exhibit at the Sprengel Museum, which was really cool. So many pretty pictures... unfortunately no really famous ones, like Guernica, but still really impressive. Then Pferd Mädchen (who I will now refer to as PM) and I went CD shopping to buy all the cool German music that isn't 'erhältlich' in the States. I got the Silbermond album (they're a lot like Evanescence), the new single 'Troy' from the Phantastischen Vier, and the Dragonstea Din Tei song, if only to remind me of this entire summer (it was all over the radio, along with those two songs from Eamon and Frankie). Of course, I left with yet another Die Ärtze CD. This one is from 2000 and has a cool blue case which is fuzzy. weird band. I restrained myself from buying their DVDs because of the price... but they have no country code, and when am I ever going to be in Germany again??? AND their new DVD comes out Monday, the day I leave. Hopefully I can stop by some store and pick it up before I catch my flight out. It would have been even better to go to one of their concerts. Last week they played in Salzburg, and this week they are taking a break. I am SOOO jealous of the certain Asian kid who went to see them in concert in June. ARRRGH.

Anyway. Oh, and PM and I randomly stumbled across a international youth conference. they were holding some kind of fair and had 85 different countries represented by booths with food samples. The Canadians were nice and gave me a flag, and one of the Brits handed me a candy bar and kindly told me what was going on. the Swiss made me try fondue, and then when I said 'schmeckt alkoholisch', it was then that they told me about the white wine in it. I made sure the bread was on the fork really well, because PM says if your bread drops in the pot, you have to kiss the person on my left. I didn't know who the person was on my left, but chances are I wouldn't wanna kiss whoever it was.

So. Leaving on a jet plane on Monday. I know I will miss Germany in particular and Europe in general, but for now I am just glad to be going home to see my family. and my friends, of course. Stay posted for sad withdrawal posts. _wink_

don't know when I'll be back again

16.8.04

so.

Back in Hannover. Can't say I wasn't glad to see it again. Especially the part where I rolled into Isernhagen and my host parents were there on the platform to greet me. My trip is finally winding down... only a week more and I will be back in Olympia. This is perfect... I want to spend another week learning and practicing German and hanging out with my host family, and I need more time anyway to get my stuff together and pack and buy enough souveniers to bring home. But on the other hand ('andererseits'), I really don't think I'll last much longer without seeing my family. I love them so much! and my sister sends me the cutest darn emails. Prolly a little too hyper, honey!! Anyway. And things have changed at home even in these few short months... the truck is being traded in for a new one, and Dad has started plans for building a new house out by TESC. Plus the new office is currently being built, and and and... crazy. Anyway, can't wait to see the Olympia crowd, hopefully before they all go back to school. Just one more week... and it's just right. now, time to shop!

bis demnächst!

11.8.04

hmm. where were we last time I wrote? I think Vienna.... well, we were in Munich after that, and now we are in Stuttgart. (That's not entirely accurate... we stayed mostly in small towns about a half-hour outside of the big cities. But anyway.) Friday we will leave for Ballingen, and then Sunday (August 15th) I will be back in Hannover. I don't really feel like writing a whole lot right now, so I'll just leave y'all with this little message from an email I recently received:

my dad just handed me a gin a tonic today with the words "son, if you want to be an intellectual, you had better learn to drink these." works for me.

awesome.

1.8.04

jeff and i are in Vienna, Austria now... went to see Bellevedere castle today, and went to an orchestra concert last night which was obviously tourist-geared, and played only Strauss and Mozart because they were Austrian, but it was still good and lots of fun. we also went to a really cool 'Schatzkammer' (treasary) place which has all these relics, both ecclesiastical and secular, including one of the nails that held christ to the cross!!! crazy. Anyway, we have to leave tomorrow, unfortunatly, but we'll be heading back to Germany, which will be sweet. i'll post more about Zürich, Switzerland (we were there between our time in Paris and Vienna) and then the rest of my trip later.

26.7.04

here we are in Paris. I like it here all right... the language barrier kinda frustrates me, but it's my fault for coming to Paris and not knowing much French. I've got the important phrases down now, though.... like 'bonjour', 'bonsoir', 'sie-vous plait', 'je ne sais pas', 'je ne parl pas francais', 'merci', and 'au revior'. 'Je ne parl pas francais' comes in especially handy when a random guy at the landromat starts talking to you to ask you for something involving fabric softener (as far as I could tell) or at an internet cafe asking you how to print out something from the computer. (Both of these happened to me. I can't figure it out - perhaps the French are friendlier than the Germans? Because nobody in Germany ever did this type of thing.)
Anyway, tomorrow we leave for Zurich, which is too bad, because Paris has a lot to offer. (Not bad that we're going to Switzerland - just bad that we have to leave Paris...) We saw Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower (of course), and Versailles, to name a few. It was all fun to see, noting of course that every place we go is crawling with tourists, unfortunately, and that statement includes the Metro (subway), which is overcrowded and piping hot most of the day, and then stops running at 1:00 AM. This is crap, because in Germany the subway cars are big, you can almost always find a seat, they are fast, efficient, and punctual, they run until 3 AM and all night on the weekends, and you can buy a day pass instead of individual tickets for EACH TRIP. blah. stupid French.
Anyway. Time to take off... later gators.

17.7.04

just a quick blog entry and I'm on my way.
 
Been living it up here in Berlin... been here since Wednesday and man is it cool. So much interesting and important historical stuff... we went to the Reichstag (German equivalent of the White House) two days ago, and then yesterday we walked down the East Side Gallerie (the longest piece of the Berlin Wall still standing in Berlin) and saw the Topographie des Terrors, which is a series of pictures chronocoling (sp?) Hitler's rise to power, the Third Reich and its victims, supportors and opposers, and then the collapse and the following division of Germany and so on. Good times. We also ate at a restaurant which, much to our delight, was called 'Kaiser-Sosse Cafe'. Very down-to-earth and somewhat Bohemian. I didn't take pictures of it but we might go back to do just that. Today we'll spend our last full day in Berlin hanging out, seeing the Olympic Stadium and whatever else we feel like doing. But I must be off now,  so... more later. Sometime. I promise.

4.7.04

do people not check their emails anymore? dar.

perhaps it's because of the time difference.

Blogs are such handy things to have. I can check in on all my friends and see if they're doing okay, and it doesn't force me to call each person. yay!

in other news, I went to Schützenfest for the second time this weekend. It's this LakeFair-type event, only about 3 times as big, and with cooler rides. Plus, most everyone speaks German, drinks beer and plays trombone. (well, less people do the latter activity.) There's a thing called a Lüttje Lage which is only found at Hannover's Schützenfest. It's basically a triple-shot of beer taken simultaneously with a tiny martini-glass-like thing of some type of alcohol. I was coerced by my host father into trying one yesterday, and it wasn't bad at all. The funny thing about it is that they sell them individually for 60 Euros a piece, and the next level is 11 for 6 E, and then 15 for 7.50. Germans are awesome.

We go to Würtzburg tomorrow, and we've already been to Köln, Kassel and Berlin (in chronological order). The rest of the group leaves on Wednesday - I'm so glad I get to stay another month and a half!!!

til later...

Das sind Dinge, von denen ich gar nichts wissen will
lass mich doch im Ruh', und texte mich nicht zu
Das sind Dinge, von denen ich keine Ahnung haben will.
Behalt den Kram für Dich - Es interessiert mich nicht!


Die Ärtze - Dinge Von Denen

1.7.04

TICKET EXTENTION AND THE STUPIDITY OF LUFTHANSA UPDATE

My departure from Deutschland is now offically scheduled to be the 23rd of August. I will be back in Olympia sometime on the 24th (thought probably not as a fully functional human being, considering travel time and jet lag).

On Lufthansa: they are still stupid, but the friendly lady who helped me get a reasonable return date was über cool. Thank you much, my good woman.

28.6.04

hey there!

long time, no blog. This last week, I have been in Hanover, Germany, hanging out, getting to know the city, speaking German, all of this fun exchange-student stuff. the original plan was to stay in Germany until August 16th, but it looks now as if I am going to be staying until about mid-September, due to stupid airline restrictions in conjunction with my stupid student-fare ticket. Not that I'm complaining.. Germany rocks, and I've done more interesting stuff in this last week than I think I've done for a long time. Still, though... there are friends at home I want to see, a brother that I have to see off to college, and an old high school friend's wedding to attend. what to do, what to do... nothing but what the airline tells me to.

A word about public transportation in Germany: sweet mother of Pete, this stuff is good. The family I am staying with lives about 18 kilometers away from the heart of downtown, and there is a train every hour that gets me from here to there in just about 13 minutes. The station is less than a 10 minute walk from my house. From the Hauptbahnhof (main train station downtown), it's a short U- or Strassenbahn ride to school, and there is one of these every 3 to 5 minutes. Everyone uses this system, not just poor students and even poorer street bums: there are old ladies, blue and white collar workers, small school children who would NEVER be allowed to do this if they had American parents, and even housewives. It's much faster and more cost-efficient than driving a car. If we adopted such an efficient train and bus system, we could achíeve the same thing in America... but granted, there are a few things in our way, namely a) the way America is much more spread out, b) our faithful marriages to our SUVs, and c) Bush's devotion to making sure none of his buddies in the petroleum industry have to go without their annual new vacation house in the Bahamas. (yes, I have been reading too much Michael Moore.)

A few weeks more, and Jeff will be joining me in Europe, where we will be going to fun exotic cities such as Paris, Zürich, Vienna, Berlin, Stuttgart, and Munich. Then I will come back and spend another month in Hannover chilling out and having fun, hopefully.

Anyway, I don't want to spend too much more online time, and I am sick of using the German keyboard which has the 'z' switched with the 'y', and puts special symbols in weird places (i still can't find the 'at' symbol for email addresses). But macht's gut, everyone, and I'm sure you'll hear from me sometime soon. (Postcards are on their way.)

19.6.04

Recent email dialogue between me and Jeff:

Jeff's initial question:
Tell me if I should feel bad. I was at Mcdonalds for breakfast. And
my food cost 3.67, so I gave the guy 10.67. But he thought I gave him 20.67
and gave me 17.00 back. I was like "wtf?!?!?!". But I didn't say that. I
just took my change and left. Think about your answer. Be specific with your
examples. This is for a grade.

My response:
McDonald's is a huge corporation that can't possibly be hurt by the loss of
ten bucks and an egg mcmuffin. They hire undereducated people and exploit them
by paying them minimum wage and providing nigh-insufferable woring conditions;
by doing this, they are in a way just begging for a lawsuit. If I were you, I'd
feel proud that you caused so little a stir in the fast-food industry. Just be
glad you didn't get a chicken foot in your hash browns.

Jeff's rebuttal:
Partial credit. The question was not concering what kind of company McDonalds
is (McDonalds is a "tasty" company by the way). You failed to address the
question of my personal moral situation. Does what I did equal stealing? How
and why does it matter who I took the money from? If it is something to be
proud of, where do I draw the line? In this case it was $10, but should I have
accepted $100 extra change? $10000? Should I have reached behind the counter,
snatched as much cash as I could, and run? Suppose McDonalds was running an
audit and discovered that money was missing, and then held one of the
"undereducated" employees responsible, and then fired him. Being
undereducated, he is unable to find work anywhere else and can't afford to feed
his family. What about my personal principles? Even if nobody was hurt by me
taking $10, how does the fact that I took something that was not rightfully or
lawfully mine reflect on my chracter. What about my motives?

...

ha, haha.

15.6.04

I thought people stopped posting when they went to college. Now they have stopped since coming BACK from college. I'm beginning to believe that people have just plain abandoned their blogs.

I'll be leaving for Germany in 5 days and counting. Check back here for updates on the trip - hopefully they'll be in English.

11.6.04

oh, and a side note: I'm back in Oly now, so if anyone has anything cool going down, call me up. i need to see people before I leave for Germany next week. I may have a small going-away party, so stay posted...
when i have kids, i'm going to name them something pretty, like Anya Komaile. No s's, just in case they have a lisp. I guess that limits who I marry, then, huh?

10.6.04

KKind
YYum
LLuscious
AAmbitious

Name / Username:


Name Acronym Generator
From Go-Quiz.com
rebeckydoo03: brittany's a little studmuffin!

yeah! I agree!!! this girl has been so lucky these last few days, it's impossible!

can't believe we're all leaving. haggett= so empty in this moment. ah well, it'll all be ok. we'll be back next year.

7.6.04

SkiDawg111784: Well see...actually I don't personally know where it is...I have two friends that both know really specific clues, and I think with the three of us we should be able to find it real' quick....and tell mr. linnenkohl jr. that if he does "he's entering into a world of pain"...(actually....no...not really...I'll probably just be like wtf)....anyway...jb out

6.6.04

winding down to the end of the quarter. it is immensely sad to see everyone dragging their stuff down the elevators, and leaving behind empty rooms, devoid of posters, decorations, and the life that once dwelled there. i wish we could have a few weeks of just fun, where we had no classes and we just went and canoed and camped and saw shows and went to the movies and stuff. Alas, UW wants us out 24 hours after our last final. For me, that is 10:30 AM on Wednesday, but I doubt I'll be gone by then... I'll probably leave sometime on Thursday. There are some things I gotta wrap up before I get outta Dodge.

last night, in celebration of a fantastic first year here, our floor made the 20-minute drive to Alki Beach and played around for a few hours. I was pumped up and ready to play some tackle football in the sand, and I wasn't disappointed... we played a great game, going barefoot in the sand littered with cinders, cigarette butts and the occasional piece of glass. Needless to say, we all came away with filthy feet and sand in every nook and cranny in our clothing. Sadly, I had to stop early because my new ear piercing got tugged, lost its backing and ripped a slight bit. That should teach me to play contact sports while wearing jewelry. But it was still a fun time, because after I got back from cleaning the blood off my ear, we ate smores and listened to music around the campfire, and then attempted unsuccessfully to make a six-layer human pyramid for about half an hour. We also had fun going to other campfires down the beach and making people believe that the Tajikistani and I were German exchange students. They posed for pictures with us and asked us how we liked America... hahaha we are dorks, but it was so much fun.

I just got back from cheesecake factory with a few of the good ol' gang from oly, and now i've got to make up for lost time and hit the books. i'll be back in oly in a few days, probably thursday, and from there it's a matter of days before I touch down in Germany. At any rate... more later.

4.6.04

If you are in the Seattle area tonight:

Unleashed! A Cappella Concert
7:30 PM
HUB auditorium
ABSOLUTELY FREE!!!

2.6.04

bigaxl67: tell skidawg somtin fer me

Auto response from bigaxl67: Homework, floor dinner (last one!), a cappella rehearsal (also the last, for big group), mandatory floor meeting (whaddya know - the last one of its kind as well), and then bubble tea. busy!

bigaxl67: if he thinx hes gonna out do me, find the treehouse first, ill show up at HIS house, and ill FInd out where it is
bigaxl67: uuh ok bbye

this might be getting out of control.
bigaxl67: tell skidawg somtin fer me

Auto response from bigaxl67: Homework, floor dinner (last one!), a cappella rehearsal (also the last, for big group), mandatory floor meeting (whaddya know - the last one of its kind as well), and then bubble tea. busy!

bigaxl67: if he thinx hes gonna out do me, find the treehouse first, ill show up at HIS house, and ill FInd out where it is
bigaxl67: uuh ok bbye

this might be getting out of control.
'Look!' cried Montag.
And the war began and ended in that instant.
Later, the men around Montag could not say if they had really seen anything. Perhaps the merest flourish of light and motion in the sky. Perhaps the bombs were there, and the jets, ten miles, five miles, one mile up, for the merest instant, like grain thrown over the heavens by a great sowing hand, and the bonbs drifting with dreadful swiftness, yet sudden slowness, down upon the morning city they had left behind. The bombardment was to all intents and purposes finished once the jets had sighted their target, alerted their bombardier at five thousand miles an hour; as quick as the whisper of a scythe the war was finished. Once the bomb release was yanked, it was over. Now, a full three seconds, all of hte time in history, before the bombs struck, the enemy ships themselves were gone half around the visible world, like bullets in which a savage islander might not believe because they were invisible; yet the heart is suddenly shattered, the body falls in separate motions, and the blood is astonished to be freed on the air; the brain squanders its few precious memories and, puzzled, dies.

-from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

There is more than one way to burn a book. And the world is full of people running about with lit matches. Every minority, be it Baptist/ Unitarian, Irish/ Italian/ Octogenarian/ Zen Buddhist, Zionist/ Seventh-day Adventist, Women's Lib/ Republican, Mattachine/ FourSquareGospel feels it has the will, the right, the duty to douse the kerosene, light the ruse. Every dimwit editor who sees himself as the source of all dreary blanc-mange plain porridge unleavened literature, licks his guillotine and eyes the neck of any author who dares to speak above a whisper or write above a nursery rhyme.
-from "Coda" by Ray Bradbury (epilogue to Fahrenheit 451)