By far the most confusing oral exam of the day was the one wherein a girl gave an informative speech about vegetarianism. She explained that many people use vegetarianism as a prophylactic (realize she intended it in the sense of preventing disease, but come on now, you know the first thing that springs to mind is condoms), and then went on to say such things as, "Before the Bible declared that people must be carnivores, many would not use meat as a main dish," and, "Bad eatings can be cause by cancers." Put me in mind of something I read in Teresa Nielsen Hayden's blog. And now, let the quotage begin!
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06:57:26 AM,
Wednesday 28 May 2003
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In France it is 8:45 a.m. on the 28th of May. Happy Birthday to me! For my birthday, I have chosen to give myself a quotes page. You may consider this fair warning.
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(4)
02:37:39 AM,
Wednesday 28 May 2003
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When I first saw that there would be a movie called 28 Days Later, I thought it would be a sequel to that Sandra Bullock flick about people in rehab. When I found out that it was really about diseases and zombies, I was quite astonished. Now I can't help thinking about Sandra Bullock as an alcoholic zombie. "Brains! Vodka! Brains in vodka sauce!"
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(6)
01:34:29 PM,
Tuesday 27 May 2003
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Today on the bus to the engineering school there was a group of schoolchildren being suitably boisterous. One of them was a raggedy little girl with brown hair all in a tangle. She was wearing a pink shirt with an even pinker angel printed on it, and above this were the words, "Soy un angelito". I looked once, and then twice, and then laughed quietly while wondering if the girl knew she was announcing her maleness to the world.
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02:24:14 PM,
Friday 23 May 2003
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If you can't eat them...
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(2)
07:02:28 AM,
Wednesday 21 May 2003
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I don't think I can express how much the name of the woman in charge (that is to say, the Executive Editor, and not just the Regular Editor) of the Harlequin Flipside line pleases me.
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(6)
09:21:58 AM,
Thursday 15 May 2003
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Also, I ate a bag of candy today. It was called FLOPPY, and had a picture of a seal on the front. It tasted kind of like artificial cherry flavour and those circus peanut things. Basically pure sugar that has been spun out and then concentrated. It reminded me of when I was eleven (or so) and used to sneak chunks of Koolaid from the big cannister in the storeroom at the ranch where we lived. Somehow moisture had permeated the theoretically airtight seal of the lid and made the powder into more of a very very thick paste. It would form itself into ruby colored lumps, and it wasn't terribly wonderful, but it was sweet and just a tad tart, and so I stole bits because I knew they wouldn't be missed. The only other good and sweet thing around was a bag of chocolate chips in one of the kitchen cupboards. It had obviously been there and open for years, the chocolate having that whitish discoloration and all. It was riskier to nip into the chocolate chips because they were more countable. I did a few times though, taking a few and dipping them into a cup of scalding hot tea so they got all melty and smooth. I'd forgotten about all that until FLOPPY.
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02:34:55 PM,
Wednesday 14 May 2003
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I usually don't go in for fanfic, but how could possibly pass this up? Rated PG, even!
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(3)
01:55:45 PM,
Wednesday 14 May 2003
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Absinthe makes the heart grow flander.
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(1)
12:38:10 PM,
Saturday 10 May 2003
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Document presentations today at the engineering school. That's where they have to take a one minute segment of dialogue from a video or sommat, write a transcription, come up with some questions to quiz the class with, and teach everyone four new vocabulary words. The highlights today were clearly the kid who showed us a bit of The Crow and defined the term 'cluster-fuck', and the kid who did his on Shrek and explained that Princess Fiona liked Piņa Coladas and getting 'in cold moraine'. The Shrek kid then went on to offer up 'moraine' as a vocab word. I explained that the actual words were 'getting caught in the rain' and that to my knowledge 'moraine' wasn't an English language word, but said kid confidently replied, "Well the dictionary said it was the accumulation of fragments transferred from a glacier." Sing it with me:
If you like Piņa Coladas
And Getting in cold moraine...
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(3)
02:58:09 PM,
Friday 9 May 2003
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And she shall never have to write another exam again. Unless for some ungodly reason she chooses to teach again. But then she'll have chosen it. And guh. Okay no.
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05:41:48 AM,
Tuesday 6 May 2003
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My sister is in my office reading in that precise and monotonous voice of uncertain translators, "I bet you $25,000 that your testicles are..."
"Square," I say, without looking up from the folklore exam that I can't seem to finish writing.
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02:27:44 PM,
Monday 5 May 2003
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Play me the best song in the world
Or I'll eat your soul
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12:27:25 PM,
Monday 5 May 2003
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Coming Soon: The Story of How Julia Got Very Drunk For the First Time During Febbie Year at St. John's College, Annapolis (with a special guest appearance by none other than m14m.net's very own host, The Amazing Moss Collum, Programmer Extraordinaire)! You won't want to miss this (unless you really hate stories of drunken debauchery which are heavily tinged with self-deprication, in which case, by all means, do miss it. In fact, best to just quit reading my bloglet, yo).
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(1)
03:13:13 PM,
Wednesday 30 April 2003
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Finished Prodigal Summer and found it lovely through and through. Also noticed this (again): You know a good story's good because even if you can predict the outcome, getting there is still enjoyable; a process to savor, and full of little delights and surprises along the way. A good story is not just plot. Plots are really mostly pretty similar. Like structures of buildings. But the way they unfold... you may have a plain house with a solid structure, which is better than a plain house with a shaky structure, and perhaps better than a pretty house with a shaky structure, but sublime storytelling gives us pretty houses with lovely detail and a tight structure. Good stories are where we dream of living.
I realized after the fact that I had a second Barbara Kingsolver book lying around, so I picked it up next. Julia's Barbara Kingsolver Double Feature Weekend (SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY-?) I'm about halfway through Animal Dreams, which was published a full ten years before Prodigal Summer. It's funny reading them back to back, because I am especially prone to noticing her patterns (Gee, people seem to eat goats a lot in her books, don't they?), and also because it's really clear how she's developed as a writer. Kingsolver has a distinctive voice, and Animal Dreams is an engaging read. I'm interested. It's certainly not bad. But it also hasn't once made me grin like a fool and put the book down for a second to revel in the glory of a beautifully crafted story. When you read something of superior quality (or at least when I do), you (I) end up stepping back every once in a while and mentally putting your hands on youy hips and saying, "Well done! What a neat trick!" Feeling like that is one of the best things in the world. It makes me really wish I could one day write something of equal caliber. On the other hand, seeing an author's earlier efforts before it all came together so smoothly is wonderful, too. Because it's very encouraging. People don't tend to start out with masterpieces. They build up to them. Sometimes it's hard to see it, because one of the best things about a really good book, is that the writing usually seems like it was effortless. Animal Dreams is a mostly plain house with a mostly solid structure. Prodigal Summer has lovely nooks and crannies and they come together in a beautiful package with a solid foundation and good wooden support beams (probably American Chestnut). This is good for me to see. And I ought to make a note to self here. Julia: For the love of God, quit expecting yourself to be perfect. Just write stuff down anyway. How silly to not finish things because you think they're not perfect. Of course they won't be to begin with. Or ever. But not being perfect doesn't mean 'not good at all', nor does it mean 'not worth bothering', okay? Okay. Glad we got that taken care of. I'm going to go finish the second book now.
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(1)
01:58:47 PM,
Sunday 27 April 2003
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Happy Birthday, Remi!
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(1)
01:33:48 PM,
Sunday 27 April 2003
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1. Anne got attacked by a strange man outside her building the other night. SHe managed to get away. Fought with him for fifteen minutes and made it to the door buzzer thingy and was lucky enough to find Greg home and ot in paris as she'd feared he might still be. The attacker ran off when he heard Greg's voice. Anne screamed and fought viciously for fifteen minutes in a residential street and no one came to help. This was at 11:30 on a week night. I'm proud of her for winning, even though I suppose she could just as easily have lost. I'm proud of her for fighting, because I know that something so shocking as being jumped on in a dark street by a strange man is enough to make even a strong person freeze with shock. I'm sort of smug about all the people who assure me walking in nicer areas before midnight is "safe". Anne's street is nice. Under it all, I'm horrified. And a bit scared. And even more disgusted with myself for being scared. Because dammit, I've got no more reason that before. I always knew people could be violent. I choose to have a life anyway. But it doesn't stop me from making sure I don't walk alone after nine until Moss gets back from croquet. I have no idea why the thought of being able to call someone who is thousands of miles away makes me feel better about walking home at night, but such are the mysteries of the human mind.
2. Good rocks and good books and good friends are strong magic. I hadn't realized how much bad books can make one wary of picking up and starting on a new book. I'd been hiding behind things I'd read a thousand times, because then at least I knew what I was in for, but I squinched up my eyes real tight and took a deep breath and said, "Now or never!" last night. And I can't put Prodigal Summer down. Just goes to show. Reading books is like riding horses. You get thrown off by a bad one and the best thing to do is get right back on and start the next one. I guess hiding in old friend books is kinda like jumping onto a placid trail horse or somethin' -- enjoyable, but not lovely and surprising and rewarding (also, though, not bitchy and spiteful).
3. On Saturday evening in the French supermarket 3/4 of the people have at least one alcoholic beverage in their baskets.
4. My last -very last- intact bra broke this morning. The left strap ripped clean off. I am reduced to wearing my bodice as an undergarment. Had really thought it was a frivolous purchase? This remids me that I really enjoy the bound-in corset feeling. My only gripe is that modern boning is too flimsy.
5. It was pouring all day, but when I emerged from the supermarket, the sun was shinging in that late-afternoon way (all golden and perfect) in a line that caught the cathedral towers and made them all glowy. The effect was all the more lovely for the dark cloudy sky just behind the cathedral. Menacing and cozy all at once.
6. I'm going to go home and drink Kahlua and milk and read the last seventy pages of the book (I tried to stretch it out, but the best I could do was force myself to stop seventy pages short of the end to go shop and blog and stuff). I'm insanely jealous of all you people having a wonderful time at croquet, but I must admit, I'm doing a good job of making the best of things over here. After the book ends and I have a fair amount of Kahlua warming me, I'll start on the Neil project that I was inspired to make. Because it's really bloody cool to have a Fairy God-Neil.
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(12)
03:20:28 PM,
Saturday 26 April 2003
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The Ten Prettiest Room in Annapolis! Moss and I are so staying there for Croquet 2004.
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(6)
03:42:00 PM,
Thursday 24 April 2003
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Also: apparently my amazing feelings of insight, have no positive reflection whatsoever on my ability to edit for typos. Bloody Hell Damn.
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(1)
03:37:25 PM,
Thursday 24 April 2003
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Today, I keep looking at everything and thinking, hey! That's totally in line with this other totally different thing! Buddhism, Taoism, Karaoke, Disney Princesses, Curta Calculators? It all fucking connects. I haven't done any drugs today, to my knowledge (eating all those lotus flowers doesn't count, right?). This may not make logical sense to anyone but me, but it feees really nice.
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(1)
03:35:34 PM,
Thursday 24 April 2003
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The video for "C'que T'es Belle" makes me happy.
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03:05:21 PM,
Tuesday 22 April 2003
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One thing I love love love about spring in France: wysteria. What an aptly named flower. Mmm.
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11:54:01 AM,
Tuesday 22 April 2003
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God. I so failed my coolness roll tonight. Like my "Gift of Pan" roll botched or something I dunno. Everytime I speak a silence ensues. We played this guess the famous person by the initials and yes or no questions game and no one even remembered who Max Headroom was. I am not supposed to feel old an dated at 24 years old! WTF?
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(14)
10:37:04 PM,
Friday 18 April 2003
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Chris's Aunt likes witches. Not the neo-pagan kind, the real halloween sterotypical deal. Warty nose, purple or black robes. Pointy hat... you know. The array of cheesy halloween figurines in this house is astounding. I love it. But yeah, that's where the handstamp comes from. Of course we all had to have them. Cameron tried to say no and we wouldn't have none of that shit, yo. Breeceratops was all, "No, it's your entry into the witch disco!" And I thought, Wow, Punk band name!
Witch Disco. All the way.
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(1)
05:59:44 PM,
Friday 18 April 2003
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Fondue + Tenacious D + Soho Orange + Fluorescent Pink Handstamps in the Shape of a Witch = Love.
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(1)
05:04:58 PM,
Friday 18 April 2003
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I find this very distrbing. Especially the first two options. The first seems to be a good supporter of Orwellian War is Peace ideology and the second... well. Not only is War Peace, but it is also a video game? Yay.
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(2)
02:35:10 PM,
Thursday 17 April 2003
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I had a nightmare yesterday. It can be summed up neatly and succinctly like this:
1. Panthers are mammals.
2. Pathenrs fight ALL the time.
3. The purpose of the panther is to flip out and kill people!
Disturbingly, the "panther" was actually a big vicious dog. With catlike reflexes and amazing jumping skill.
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(1)
07:12:57 AM,
Wednesday 16 April 2003
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Rachel: Food!
Philippa: We going?
Rachel: Let's do it.
Julia: Okay then.
Rachel: Food! Food and alcohol! Or Maybe alcohol then food! ... Then Alcohol!
Yeah, so it's time for girls' night.
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12:40:35 PM,
Monday 14 April 2003
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Grar on network trouble! Grar!
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(3)
02:18:26 PM,
Friday 11 April 2003
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Today at the engineering school things were a bit odd. Everyone in the class was present. 11 boys and one girl, all between 18 and 20 years old. Vincent, a clean cut blond kid, jumped out of his seat halfway through the class for no apparent reason. This is what ensued.
Me: Vincent, what are you doing?
Vincent: I need to use the dictionary, because I am a Nancy boy.
Me: What?
Vincent: I am a Nancy boy. I need to use the dictionary.
Me (unsure of whether he meant he was from Nancy, or whether he meant he was gay, and even more unsure of what either had to do with the need for a dictionary): ... uh ...
Sedat (a Turkish kid who's a bit of a class clown): He is a Nancy boy! You know!
Oussama (Sedat's friend who isn't a class clown): What means Nancy boy?
Sedat: He live in Nancy. He is a Nancy boy. You, me, he, we are all the Nancy boys, no?
Philippe (a slightly chubby kid with glasses and a very low level of English): Je comprends rien.
CHorus of random boys: We are Nancy boys!
Me (noting that Vincent has sat back down, and is looking in the U section of the dictionary. Still v. confused about what being a Nancy boy had to do with anything): Okay, well none of this will help you with the test you have tomorrow. Let's get back to Exercise 3.
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(2)
11:42:55 AM,
Friday 11 April 2003
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Also, how cool is this?!
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(7)
09:39:15 PM,
Thursday 10 April 2003
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An interesting essay on Christian messages in the Harry Potter books. I can't say I agree with Mr. Granger wholeheartedly, but he did give me lots of things to think about. And it helped me figure out just where my vague dissatisfaction with the His Dark Materials trilogy might be coming from.
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09:23:07 PM,
Thursday 10 April 2003
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One of my old professors is facing a possible 1 year prison term over this ludicrous tresspassing charge. Grrr. This older article gives the full story and shows just what kind of respectable Republican cloth the formidable plaintiff, Ms. Whitehead is made of.
"We do not know what will be next. Will there be a barn burning? Will there be animals contaminated or killed?" But of course, that's what animal rights activists aim to do, naturally. Harm animals. Surprised you didn't know that.
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(1)
02:15:44 AM,
Thursday 10 April 2003
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I cannot express the happiness that a certain language symbol key on the French keyboard causes me. It looks like a forlorn little square computer monster. I want it to star in cartoons. I'll try to recreate it below.
¨
^
You must love him well. Also, I think he needs a name. Any ideas?
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(3)
11:15:59 PM,
Wednesday 9 April 2003
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Just because I could, I scanned the various types of eurochange in my fish coin purse. Maybe I ought to scan that sometime. It's fun. In any case, see happy fun coins here.
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(2)
02:35:55 PM,
Tuesday 8 April 2003
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hellinda23 (19:58:00): Ninjamania!
glossomania (19:58:12): wow.
glossomania (19:58:17): what the fuck?
hellinda23 (19:59:03): Um. Nothing.
hellinda23 (19:59:24): I'm just periodically possessed by one of those announcer voices
hellinda23 (19:59:38): Ninjamania! Live and Lethal at the Sheldon Amphitheatre!
glossomania (19:59:57): wow. that would rule.
glossomania (20:00:13): i would totally love to see a bunch of ninjas fuckin kill each other.
glossomania (20:00:42): sometimes i hear, "SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY! MONSTER TRUCK RALLY at the OAKLAND COLISUEM!!!!"
glossomania (20:00:45): that's fun.
hellinda23 (20:02:43): BLOOD DAY BLOOD DAY BLOOD DAY!! NINJA SAMURAI RALLY at the SAN RAFAEL YMCA!
glossomania (20:04:09): holy shit. that would so rock.
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(1)
03:08:25 PM,
Monday 7 April 2003
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site & script courtesy of Moss