I Got a Crimson Ticket!

For someone who is saying that she is undecided, I certainly made quite a statement when I stood for two hours in the rain to get Obama tickets. In my defense, I quietly deflected Obama lackeys who wanted me to commit now by letting me know that I haven't made a decision-- which earned me some dirty looks. Whatever, there were Republicans behind me. Go bother them.

After a bone-chilling wait in the misty weather, I finally seized ticket number 319. I can't find my camera, so here is a reasonable facsimile of the "crimson" ticket:

And by "reasonable," I mean horrific.

Tune in on Wednesday, April 2, at 5 PM to MSNBC's "Hardball" to see me try to ask Obama a question. No, seriously, there are things I need to know!

K.

Obama Update

Confirmed!

Chris Matthews (MSNBC) is interviewing Obama at the West Chester University campus. Look for me, I'll be the one sobbing like a little girl.

K.

Squee!

Obama + my campus + secrecy = I'm sooo there!

K.

PS. Still not sure if I'm voting for him, but he has the voice of an angel.

Song Lists for My Own Entertainment

Having sort of made a commitment to at least do some lists this month, I decided to go through the 94 songs on my "To Hell With Alphabetical Order" playlist on my iPod and categorize some of them. So here they are... top five in no particular order.

Sexy songs

Hello Again --Neil Diamond
I'd Love You to Want Me --Lobo
Slow Dancing --Johnny Rivers
Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin' --Journey
My Doorbell --White Stripes

Uplifting Songs

Forever Young --Rod Stewart
We're All in This Together --Ben Lee
Beautiful World --Colin Hay
Merry-Go-Round --Antje Duvekot
New Soul --Yael Naim

Songs that have been my ringtones

Travelin' Band --CCR
Get Rhythm --Johnny Cash
Call on Me --Eric Prydz
Don't Stop Believing --Journey
Uhm, I don't have a fifth. I fail.

Songs that make me laugh every time

Mystery --Hugh Laurie
Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road --Loudon Wainwright III
Hey Jude --Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry
Everyone's a Little Bit Racist --Avenue Q
Long-Legged Guitar-Pickin' Man --Johnny Cash and June Carter

Songs for depression

Schadenfreude -Avenue Q
Teenage Wasteland --The Who
Sunshine (Go Away Today) --Jonathan Edwards
Operator --Jim Croce
It Don't Come Easy --Ringo Starr
Keep on Trying --Poco

Songs that make me do silly dances

Ramblin' Man --Allman Brothers Band
Sweet Transvestite --Rocky Horror Picture Show
My Maria --B. W. Stevenson
Don't Stop Believing --Journey
Girls Just Want to Have Fun --Cindy Lauper

Songs that transport me somewhere else

Back in the USSR --The Beatles
Hold On --Wilson Phillips
I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker --Sandi Thom
Rehab --Amy Winehouse
I've Been Everywhere --Johnny Cash

Songs that explain me

Cool Change --Little River Band
It Sucks to Be Me --Avenue Q
Beautiful World --Colin Hay
Doctor My Eyes --Jackson Browne
Get Rhythm --Johnny Cash

K.

Not So Revolutionary Thoughts on "John Adams"

I just finished watching the first episode of the new HBO ministry "John Adams"* and found myself pleasantly surprised. I'm not sure what I was expecting-- I grew up on the 1956 movie "Williamsburg: Story of a Patriot" from my multiple trips to the Colonial Williamsburg visitors center. It was from this film that I learned that men should not be trusted to choose ladies hats unattended, George Washington could crack a walnut between his thumb and forefinger, and the meaning of the word "pusillanimous" from that most brilliant orator, Patrick Henry**. My second Revolutionary film staple was "1776," in which I learned that Philadelphia was mighty warm that summer ("It's ninety degrees/Have mercy, John, please/'Cause it's hot as hell in Philadelphia!"), that John Adams was "obnoxious and disliked" ("Did you know that?" "I hadn't heard."), and that Mrs. Jefferson found ol' Tom's violin mighty sexy. Pretty unimportant stuff, over all.

Frankly, I'm ashamed to admit that when I picture John Adams, it's as William Daniels (aka Mr. Feeny from "Boy Meets World"). In reality, John Adams looked more like this. And between Paul Giamati and Daniels, I think Giamati has the look down a little better. Instead of the trim, nattily dressed little man from "1776," we see Adams as pudgy and with a receding hairline beneath his wig. Giamati plays him as a dispassionate man searching for justice, whether it be for his own New Englanders or representatives of the Crown. A man who refuses to choose a side until he feels that basic human dignities have been wronged. A man, in short, that we could sorely use in today's world.

The show doesn't present the Revolution we learned in elementary school. Instead of the murder of innocent Bostonians, the Boston Massacre is portrayed as instigated by a violent mob and the soldiers as scared boys who are far from home. Later, a customs officer is stripped naked, then tarred and feathered. I found this scene particularly horrific. I'm not sure what I expected-- how could I not realize that to be tarred means to having molten liquid poured on the bare skin and hardening to a shell? It seems to obvious to be now. I remember being back in elementary school learning about the practice and thinking how silly that sounded, like a bit of fun. Who wouldn't laugh at a guy covered in feathers being carried out on a log like some absurd parade float? But the agonized arch the man's body made as his skin sizzled beneath the tar has banished those airy thoughts altogether. I trust I will not be abused for admitting that I cried a little.

I think this show has something to say about our times-- that not everything is black and white. This may be the most obvious of observations, but it bears mentioning. We hear about events in far away places and it is easy to place sides in tidy boxes of right and wrong. Indeed, passion makes it even simpler to smudge the line between truth and fiction to fit a certain viewpoint. Perhaps we should be a bit more like John Adams and take the time to scrutinized both sides, witness both the beautiful and terrifying nature of each issue before making a choice. Some choices seem instinctual, but is there really a difference between instinct and primitive urges? Isn't rational thought the thing that makes us most human?

This is quite disjointed, but this blog was never meant to present precise arguments or coherent thoughts. I save those for graded assignments.

I look forward to the next episode when Adams ventures to Philadelphia. And I swear to G-d, if there is singing, someone is going to die.

K.

* This is not a review; I suck at that game.

* *The phrase "Are we so meek and pusillanimous?" became my favorite line for a period of about three years during my elementary school career. It made me very popular on the playground.

That Most Vicious Disease

It appears that my trip to China is almost a reality. But first I have to get over this horrific case of senioritis that is absolutely decimating my will to go on.

Does anyone have any tips on how to survive for a few more months?

K.

Taken Out of Context

Again, a quick note as I am in the computer lab waiting for my lunch date to show up.

I was in my Power, Politics, and Propaganda class about half an hour ago where we had just received a hand-out about tropes and figures of speech. In addition, we were given Obama's speech that he made in Philadelphia yesterday and told to analyze it for the rhetorical points we had just discussed. After we were given five minutes of reading time, we splintered into groups.

Having read and underlined bits of the speech, I turned around, confident that I would be able to discuss the piece in rhetorical terms. Unfortunately, my group never really made it that far.

"I didn't even read the damn thing," the boy behind me declared, almost proudly. "I can't stand that man." I tittered nervously, hoping to avoid a political discussion at nine in the morning, but the kid continued on, comparing Obama to Kennedy and prophesizing the candidate's clash with Russia. "Mark my words," he said, "we'll be at war with Russia in four years."

Alllllllllllright.

"Well, that aside, it was a good speech," I ventured.

"He's so charming and manipulative." This was said with a grimace of disgust. "And he's only a junior senator. I could be a junior senator tomorrow, if I wanted to!"

"Abraham Lincoln was only a junior senator," I murmured, but he ignored me. He continued on a tirade about the faults of Obama for another minute and a half. Then, as if he had forgotten something, he quickly blurted out, "Vote for Hillary."

Wait a second. Something was not right here. So I sat back, identifying tropes in the neglected speech while training my ears on his one-sided conversation. His politics didn't fit his political endorsement. A wait-and-see attitude about the war, conflicts with Russia, absolutely no mention of Hillary's record or political claims (despite throwing in a plug for her every so often)... this didn't fit the profile of a typical Hillary support, much less a Democrat.

It's my opinion that if I looked in the College Republicans' roll book, I would find this kid's name there. It makes quite a bit of sense that the Republicans on this campus feel that Hillary would not get elected if she fought directly against McCain. Therefore, it would be in their best interest if Clinton won the nomination. Ohhhhh, son, I have your number.

This blatant manipulation irritated me, but not as much as a political shouting match at a time when my brain was barely functioning. So I tried to push him away from politics and towards the speech.

"We can take this thing out of context and just analyze it. Can we please just do that?"

"You can't take it out of context," he huffed. "The context makes all of the difference!"

"No, it doesn't. Look at this part where he is repeating 'we can blah blah blah... we can blah blah blah"-- I just identified it as a rhetorical device without using the political part of the sentence!"

More blustering from him. Long story short, we never did get to analyze the speech.

I'll be so glad when this election year is over.

K.

PS. I'm still undecided, by the way. Pray that I can make a decision before April.

Here's to the American School System!

Have been absent lately, but PA's up-coming primary is bringing out all of the voter registration booths on campus. Was changing my party affiliation (closed primaries suck) when a kick came up to the table.

"Want to sign up?" the sweet young thing behind the table asked.

"Doesn't this sign me up for the war?"

Silence. The people working the registration stared. I dropped the pen. Crickets chirped.

Since no one else seemed like they wanted to say anything, squeaked, "What?"

"This signs me up for the war, right? Like, a draft?"

For some reason, I can't remember the end of the conversation, just that I wondered whether he remembered signing that piece of paper when he turned eighteen that actually did qualify him for the draft. And whether he thought the army was desperate enough to take me, the biggest wuss in America. One day in Iraq would have me the same hue as a boiled lobster, sand in my mouth, and sobbing because I've just seen a camel spider.

K.

Failed

Well, I had a post for yesterday, but it seems that the Clipper function on my Firefox browser sent it to a defunct blog I used for class only. I suppose the March Lists thing wasn't meant to be. :(

Just as well, probably.

K.

Sorry to Interrupt, But...

Suck it, Huckabee! Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.

On the other hand, now I have no idea who to vote for in the PA primaries. At least there was always voting against the Huckster, but now I have to actually make a decision. Dammit, Super Tuesday, why did you fail me?

K.

A List of Today's Observations

I can't wait until March 4, 2056.

All I want to do is write 3/4/56. Of course, if I'm in some other part of the world, I'll have to wait until April.

My professor smells like old books.

It's only today that I've identified the smell. I want to follow her around all day and just sniff her hair.

There are three police cruisers sitting outside of my house, lights flashing.

It looks like an Israeli security check point out there, all for a little fender bender.

Kind of a lame post, but it's March and I need to make some damn lists.

K.

Top Five Places Where Cap'n Crunch Cereal Bits Are Currently Lodged

5. Down my shirt.

4. In the crease of my futon.

3. Between the "Q" and "tab" keys on my laptop.

2. In the pages of my textbook.

1. In my tummy. Dear G-d, too much Cap'n Crunch!

K.

Top Ten Things That Could Be Causing My Illness

10. A mix-up in medications (which is probably the correct diagnosis)

9. An overdose of toast and English muffins.

8. Too much emo over a lack of interesting television.

7. The stress of thinking of new lists to post for the month of March (notice how late this one is?)

6. An acute lack of parakeet playtime

5. Sitting in front of the microwave for a full hour while my matzah ball soup thawed (radiation!)

4. Blood clot from worrying whether I got published

3. Poisoning from the make-up I used to become an awesome Bowie-esque glam rocker on Friday

2. The price of fresh fruit these days

1. Inhalation of Febreze fumes

K.

The First

A List of Things I'd Rather Be Doing Than Sitting Around My Apartment Sick

-- Be some place sunny.

-- Keep something down for more than a few hours when I eat it.

-- Have one full night's sleep.

-- And, frankly, not making this list.

Hopefully I'll be in finer fettle tomorrow.

K.