Good for you, CNN

At least somebody's talking about gay immigration rights and the HIV travel ban. Whereas, from Obama we get a proclamation. A written statement that's so vague on details it's laughable. "Oh, we're really proud of gay people and it sucks that they suffer everywhere." At least he's said something, I guess, which is better than the endless string of non-answers from Gibbs. Still, I won't be happy until Obama starts actually fighting to overturn DOMA and DADT. Hell, even Cheney is a stronger proponent of gay rights than him. Now that's sad.

Although, I would like to keep a positive note going. Cheney's statement supporting gay rights is evidence of a very strong trend in America. The more progress we make towards equality, the more open people are about their sexuality, and the more people see that, wow, gay people are just like us! It's starting to reach an exponential phase, and I wouldn't be surprised to see civil unions at least in a majority of states in just a few years. I'm almost certain that, by the time I've found somebody to marry, I'll be able to do so with at least some sort of federal recognition. It's a good feeling, even if I'm still disappointed by our "fierce advocate" in the White House.

Today is the first day of not being so lazy

So I tried to kickstart this lil' blog a while back with my rant about Obama.  Yeah, that lasted for all of a couple of hours.  At least it got back to kicking around in my head, so here I am trying to start it again.  Let's see if I can get back to semi-regular posting.

In the spirit of easy, light-hearted prattle, I have decided to come up with a list of things I want to do before I leave Chicago (it's only a month, how crazy is that?)  In no particular order:

Eat at Clarke's at 2 in the morning - (Melrose would work too.)  It's been way too long.  Mainly because I think their food took a major turn for the worse.  But still, I miss going out for a full meal in the middle of the night.  Especially when I've had a few drinks and I get really excited about eating mountains of food, and then having two bites before I realize that all I really want to do is sleep.  I even miss the random drunk people making a scene.  It's part of the charm.

Wander around Millennium Park like  a midwestern tourist - I'm gonna admit, I haven't actually been to Millennium Park since that one House event right after it opened.  And even then, I think all I did was walk under the Space Jellybean.  It's time to lose the snobby attitude and join in with the gawkers.

Hit the beach - Not such an exciting aspiration, but this may be my last chance to go to an actual beach for a while, seeing as I'm heading to a state with nothing but rivers and "lakes" that are actually glorified ponds

Shop at the giant Macy's - Seriously, it's like its own little city.  Sure I can only afford like 20% of the items there and the chances of actually finding those items is tiny, but I want to soak in all of the retail excess before I leave

Go running downtown - I think the most fun I've ever had running is when I went down the Embarcadero in San Francisco.  People-dodging adds interest and an extra challenge to the excursion.  Another thing I might try is to just start running north and go as long as I possibly can, then take a bus home.  Sure to be a good time, although I'm sure that the other busgoers would not be too happy to share their space with a sweaty, panting guy in running shorts.

Buy the "Where fun comes to die" T-shirt and other school merchandise - Since I'm leaving the good ole' U of C, I need to start showing my pride.  Not to mention my mom'll kill me if I leave without getting her a bumper sticker.

Become officially overweight - It turns out that for somebody who's 5'11'', you're officially overweight on the BMI scale if you're over 180 lbs.  Seeing as I'm currently at 177, I think it'd be hilarious to be both overweight and in the best shape of my life.  Besides, while I'm in Davenport, I'm not sure if I'll even get a gym membership and I'll probably spend most of my time running anyway (SO excited for the Bix), so this may be my last chance to bulk up for a while.  

I'm sure that there's more.  If I weren't so poor, I'd try to do things that cost money, like go to the opera and the symphony.  However, I need to start saving for the move and the month and a half that I'll be living without a paycheck.  Besides, if things go my way, I may be paying vet bills in a few months...

Just a disclaimer:  I'm kind of sick while I write this, so if it's completely nonsensical I blame the fact that my head is swimming.

So, I recently came across this post by Sullivan and it really struck a note in me.  I am sick of the 'gay issue' getting shoved into the backgroud by Obama's administration.

The thing is that Obama ran on a platform of change.  Now, I can see that change is slow and it's hard to actually enact things in Washington.  However, I think that the really telling thing is that two of the greatest movements of this year, the push for gay rights and for the legalization of marijuana, have been completely ground up and given the cold shoulder by the administration.  Change, really?

One thing about Obama is that he inspires strong emotions.  I think that it's just a quality that he has.  Unfortunately, this is not the first time he's inspired actual rage and disappointment in me.  His silence on the issue tells me that he cares much more about his political capital with social conservatives than equal rights.  And why not?  As long as he plays the middle ground, he doesn't lose anything, although there is going to be a slow erosion as his aversion to meeting the issue head-on becomes more apparent.  Just like the invitation to Rick Warren to speak, he's sending a message that his standing among bigots is more important than justice.

I realize that I am rather partial on this issue, as I'd have to be.  As far as I'm concerned, DOMA is a blatant violation of our constitutional rights and I'd be in favor of an immediate supreme court ruling on this issue.  However, I see how strategically that would be a bad idea.  Seeing as how most Americans have no idea what the judicial branch is here for.  You know, ruling on laws that violate the constitution...  But, you know those liberal activist judges

Now, Don't Ask, Don't Tell...this is what really has me worried.  There is absolutely no excuse that this debacle hasn't been repealed yet.  It's wildly unpopular and based on premises that are blatantly false.  The only possible reason that it hasn't been approached yet is that Obama is afraid to open the big closet stuffed full of the gay issues that have been ignored by this country's leadership for so long.  However, every state that approves same-sex marriage adds more pressure, and there is a sea change in public opinion going on right now.  Eventually the issue will be unavoidable.  I only hope that Obama will start to become the advocate of gay rights that he pretended to be when he was campaigning.

All right, I'll get off my soap box now.  I hope the rant actually made some sense.  In any case, it's time to lay down and have another cup of tea.

PS I also just started watching the third season of Battlestar Galactica.  CRAZINESS!!!!  For example, did they just kill who I think they just killed?  And my only consolation for the fact that they made my favorite eye candy into a fatass is that they added new eye candy that's way cuter and less self-righteous.

Woohoo!

AND Sullivan

More awesomeness

And the counter-protest on Westboro even got Dan Savage's attention

Awesome

Reasons why my undergraduate institution is the best school ever: here and here

And the icing on the cake:

I have to intellectualize everything, don't I?

I've been wavering on what to post next, as well as the general direction that I want to take this blog.  I actually dislike talking about my own life, especially since I have discovered that in this age of information, people end up reading it and knowing stuff.  And I don't really feel like guarding myself all that much.  I also don't really want to make it too political, since it'll just end up being me ranting and raving about all the people that I disagree with.  In the end, I'm left with pop culture, which tends to be the most fun to blog about anyway.

So, with that in mind, I want to return to the topic of Terminator, and also to horror and action flicks (and shows) in general.  Anybody who knows me probably knows that I absolutely love the new TV show, especially the new season.  It got to a bit of a rocky start, but the portrayal of the characters is totally dead-on.  

What I really love about the show is that it isn't an action show.  Sure, there are robots beating each other up, but that's not what it's about.  It's about people who are launched from their orderly universe into something completely unexpected, terrifying, and dangerous.  And it's actually realistic about the consequences.  Let's face it:  running from killer robots is going to give you PTSD, or at least serious social disorders.  However, it's not whiny, it's about people dealing with it and moving on.  And the ones that don't usually last long.  It doesn't hurt that it's got Summer Glau and Shirley Manson.  Seriously, that's a catfight I can't WAIT to see.

In fact, this show has gotten me thinking about horror and action movies in general.  They actually have very similar premises:  people are thrown into extraordinary and dangerous situations.  For the most part, the actual details don't matter much:  what matters is how each character responds.  This is how franchises like Terminator and Alien can be so successful:  they can, at turns, be horror or action, or both.  What matters is the reaction to the terrifying other: fear and resignation, or anger and determination.  In most horror movies, there is a specific turning point where the protagonist switches between these two viewpoints, and that is the point where the plot becomes one of action.  One may even say that the only true horror movies are ones where nobody survives aside from by blind luck or the capriciousness of the villain.  The only specific example I can think of right now is The Strangers, in which (spoiler alert) both of the protagonists die.  There was actually one specific instant where I saw each of their reactions to the situation and decided that they were doomed.  Oddly enough, this resignation on my part completely removed my fear and the film almost became pornographic in nature because all I saw was the promise and carrying out of violence.  

Well, I got kind of sidetracked there.  Anyway, I love Terminator.  As I mentioned before, I think it's pretty awesome that the franchise can have such range.  The first movie was pure horror, the second was a feel-good action movie with a dark undertone, and the third was a pure campy romp.  The TV show embraces the action, and to some extent the camp, but its focus is really the psychological impact of the situation and the relationship between all of the characters.  I'm actually really nervous about the new movie because it doesn't take place in a contemporary world:  it's after the machine apocalypse.  The strength of the story is the fact that the vast majority of the world is completely oblivious of the threat, that the Connors have to run for their lives in a world that simply sees them as crazy, that nobody can help them because they have no idea of the scope of the threat.  If they play their cards right, it could be an amazing movie, but I just have no idea how it'll end up.  If they follow the path of the third movie, I'm afraid that it's going to be a flop, but if they concentrate on the human aspect instead of the action, I think that it could be an excellent continuation of the Terminator story.

hmm, maybe I should be working on my essay...

New Year

Well, it's a new year, huh? Hopefully the start of it isn't really indicative of how the rest will proceed, seeing as I spent New Year's Eve incredibly sick and somewhat incoherent. On the upside, I kind of feel like my life is going SOMEWHERE, so that's a plus.

Anyhoo, I've never really gone in for the whole resolutions thing. If I don't have the willpower to start something during the rest of the year, chances are that I'm not gonna get around to doing it now, either. However, I do want to change some things.

First, I need to seriously get on the Ritalin. After the fiasco that is my attempts at applying to graduate programs, I realize now that I really need to do something about my ADD problem. So, as soon as I get around to it, I'll call my doctor and figure out what I need to do to get a new prescription. I'm afraid that I'll probably need to get re-diagnosed, since I haven't actually taken ritalin since I was in high school.

Secondly, I want to seriously get into running. I'm not talking about the usual couple of miles 2 times a week, I want to start a hardcore training program. My goal is to start doing 8-10 mile runs by this summer. Why, you ask? Because I can.

Lastly, I WILL finish applying to grad schools.  I will put real effort into it, and I will care about the results.  Actually, I can't guarantee anything about the last one.  Part of my problem is that I'm awfully apathetic about these things.  Yeah, I am getting kind of sick of working as a tech, but at the same time, my life isn't that bad now.  I'm now making enough money to support myself, and sometimes I even get to buy video games, even though I rarely have enough time to play them.  Anyway, I'll do what I need to, and if I don't get in anywhere that I want I'm not going to cry or anything, but it would be nice if it worked out.

Next, I may do a year in review or something for 2008.

UGH

I know it has no impact on his ability to give an invocation, but seriously, Rick Warren, REALLY?



Note that towards the beginning he stopped himself from saying "Christian" marriage in reference to all valid marriages. Let's face it, he is a bigot, and apparently, has absolutely no idea what Supreme Courts are for. Good to know that minority groups should all be subjected to oppression by the majority and that the Courts should have no ability to overturn unconstitutional laws. I think that it's a travesty that a secular right should be legislated by religious views.

Also 2% of the population is gay? Really? Maybe that's the portion brave enough to speak out on a survey, but I'm pretty sure that any reliable study shows that the proportion is quite a bit larger than that.

I'm so sick of the religious right's fear-mongering. I'm also getting sick of Christianity's overreaching impact on politics, but that's a whole other rant.

I basically want to be Elle Woods

I think that my application essay should be a video, like this one

Music videos!

I'm completely in love with this song:
The Fear video


Also, since I'm on the topic of music videos, I just thought I'd share my favorite ever:


Björk was SO GOOD in her heyday.

Jon Stewart is my hero

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Mike Huckabee Pt. 2

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

That's the type of argument we need.  Huckabee ended up sounding quite ridiculous and defensive by the end.

Testing, testing, 1 2 3...

So, I took the GRE yesterday.  I was FREAKED OUT, since according to the test preparation book I used, I was doomed to miss 1/3 of the questions.  Also, I was working like a madman last week since I started at my new lab (I'll get to that later) so I had practically NO TIME to prepare.

Luckily, the test wasn't nearly as bad as I expected.  I kind of bombed the math section (well, I didn't finish it and I had to guess on a few questions) but I felt pretty good about the verbal.  I think that my main problem is that I just don't do mental math very quickly, probably because my ADD doesn't permit me to have a very structured thought pattern.  Also, I've used a calculator for pretty much everything besides simple addition since high school, so I was kind of doomed from the start.

Anyway, I got my verbal and quantitative scores right away.  I got a 670 on verbal and a 720 on quantitative (1390 cumulative).  Oddly enough, when I looked up percentile rankings, my verbal is actually MUCH higher than my math.  It corresponds to a 95th percentile ranking, while my quantitative was only equivalent to about 75.  To get above 90th percentile, apparently you have to get pretty much a perfect score on the quantitative.

Normally, these scores would be great.  One thing that I do worry about slightly is that I'm really trying to compensate for my GPA.  While these do go a short way to do that, I'm going to have to have stellar recommendations and very good applications.  I'm not going to be able to go to any top-tier schools most likely, but I think I was doomed to that when I decided not to show up to biochem.

This brings me to a bit of introspection.  I think that I have ridiculously high expectations of myself.  In my mind, if I studied for another month, I could easily get a perfect score on quantitative and possibly improve my verbal.  Because I don't fail very often unless I totally deserve it, it's really hard for me to handle scores that are merely "acceptable."  However, I think that I'm just going to have to get over myself and deal with it, since I need to be focusing on applications and I don't even know if my new scores would get to schools before application deadlines anyway.

And now the really important question.  Where do I apply?  Obviously, my best bet is a state school.  My sister Jennifer suggests Big 10 schools, and I think that I could handle that.  One of my obvious concerns is that the school needs to be in a pretty liberal, metropolitan area, since a)I'm used to Chicago and may go crazy in a small college town, and b) I need to go somewhere I feel comfortable as a gay man.  As several people have pointed out to me (not just Jennifer, who I think has slightly suspect motivations) Columbus has a sizable gay population and would be a good place, as far as the Midwest goes.  I'm actually giving Ohio State pretty serious thought, and it would be pretty cool to have a family member in the area.  (Especially one who is a professor.)  Another possibility would be picking a school based on where I want to live.  Obviously, it would be pretty cool to go to California.  My sister Elizabeth seems to think that I actually have a fighting chance of getting into CalTech.  I seriously doubt that, but it would be pretty cool if I could.  I mean, there's no harm in trying, right?

So now, my current course is to round up some recommendation letters (luckily, I now have two professors that have had me both in the classroom and in the lab) and take a serious look at programs and prospective labs to see what I'm really interested.  I most likely want to stick to some sort of genetics or cell biology, although there are some aspects of ecology and microbiology that really interest me.

Wish me luck, I guess.  Hopefully by this time next year, I'll be in a PhD program, working my ass off.

And Then You Kissed Me, Part II

Haha, this post title is a funny one.

Anyway, this lil' quiz was on Stin's blog, and I decided to post it, since I am tipsy and incredibly bored, and lord knows I don't do anything actually original in my life.

However, in true U of C spirit, I have to tear apart the concept of the test before I submit myself to it.  Obviously, the answers to each question turn out to be sufficiently vague that the subject of the test can interpret it any way he/she wants.  They can look at the title, lyrics, or the tone of the song and choose whatever meaning they want.  It's just like a psychic reading in that manner.

Also, how high school are half of these questions?  I'm just sayin' 

1.  If someone says "Is this okay?" you say:

Poe - Wild [So no, I am not okay.  I am angry, and I’m bitter, and I’m going to get my revenge.  THEN I’ll be okay.]

2.  How would you describe yourself:

Sufjan Stevens - A winner needs a wand [Oh dear, phallic references ALREADY?]

3.  What do you like in a girl/guy?

The Faint - Symptom Finger [It’s about unhealthy body images promoted by the media, so...yeah, that’s about right]

4.  How do you feel today?

Apparat - Cerro Largo [It’s an instrumental track with a serene melody but an insistent, anxious undercurrent, so that actually kind of works.]

What is your life's purpose?

Final Fantasy I - Battle Scene [What can I say, I’m a fighter, lol.  Either that, or my life’s purpose is to play video games.]

6.  What is your motto?

Of Montreal - Your Magic is Working [I guess I give up too much for my lovers.  Yeah, once again, it kind of works.]

7.  What do your friends think of you?

The Pipettes - It Hurts to See You Dance so Well [Unfortunately, i think I’m the person writing the song, desperate and alone. Sigh.]

8.  What do you think of your parents?

Bear Vs. Shark - Antwan [Um, the song is incomprehensible and the lyrics make no sense, so I think this one doesn’t quite work]

9.  What do you think about very often?

Avril Lavigne - I Can Do Better [Shallow, but yeah, I can see that.]

10.  What is 2+2?

  The Appleseed Cast - Strings [whatever]

11.  What do you think of your best friend?

  The Weepies - World Spins Madly On [Lol, this is how I feel about life and friendship in general]

12.  What do you think of the person you like?

  Jem - Missing You [Oh dear, apparently the person I like is dead, or at least gone from my life in some form or another.  Seeing as I don’t have a current crush or anything, I guess it’s applicable]

13.  What is your life story?

  Abba - Dancing Queen [YESSSSS!!!!!!!  That’s all I have to say.]

14.  What do you want to be when you grow up?  Broken Social Scene - Guilty Cubicles  [I have such lofty aspirations.]

15.  What do you think of when you see the person you like?  Enon - Starcastic [I don’t actually know the song, but knowing Enon, it probably works.]

16.  What will you dance to at your wedding?  Beck - Soul Suckin’ Jerk [HAHAHAHAHA]

17.  What will they play at your funeral?  Mogwai - Summer [Um, okay, whatever.]

18.  What is your hobby/interest?

  Cloud Cult - Please Remain Calm [Apparently, being a spazz.  Yep.]

19.  What is your biggest fear?

  Be Your Own Pet - Adventurer [Yeah, this test totally knows me.]

20.  What is your biggest secret?

  The Shins - Fighting in a Sack [Whatev]

21.  What do you think of your friends?

  Sia - Judge Me [Unfortunately, I think it’s true.  I’m kind of obsessive about how I present myself sometimes]

22.  What song would you play during your first time having sex?  Portishead - Undenied [Guess I’m not denied NOW, huh?  Also, portishead = awesome sex music, so I approve]

23.  What will you post this as?

  The Cardigans - And then you kissed me, part II

My favorite answer is most definitely #13.

Intolerance sucks

Several people I know have linked to or commented about this video, so I thought that I'd jump on the bandwagon and share it here:

Keith Olbermann may be crazy, but he's my kind of crazy.

Anyway, I'm clearly upset about the passage of Proposition 8, as well as the existence of many other state laws and constitutional amendments banning gay marriage.  Not to mention the idiotic restrictions on adoption, when we have countless children needlessly floating around the foster care system.  As far as I'm concerned, the people that argue that a child needs a mother and a father are saying that single parents should have their children taken away from them.

I know that every generation has been progressively more tolerant, but I think that it's ridiculous that we should have to wait to enjoy such a basic human right.  Especially when it doesn't affect straight people IN ANY SINGLE WAY.  Grr.  This Saturday, I'm going to be joining the nationwide coordinated protest, and while I realize that this won't directly accomplish anything at all, hopefully it'll send a message about the widespread outrage that so many people feel about this issue.

Update...?

Well, I clearly haven't been writing much in here lately.  For the past couple of weeks I've been way too busy, and now that I have time to breathe I realize that I have nothing to write about, as my mind has been far too preoccupied with Halloween costumes, orchestra concerts, and GRE preparations.

So, I guess it's time to start stressing out about the next round of challenges.  First off, I need to take the general GRE as soon as possible.   Like, I need to register pretty much tonight.  Then, I need to figure out what school I want to go to, what program, and get my rec letters together and apply before the deadlines, which will mostly probably be in December and January.  That's surprisingly little time.  But if I don't get all this done by then, I'm gonna be stuck here for another year.  And I won't have an apartment to live in.

...And I just registered for the GRE general test.  It's next Saturday, so I've got to get going on any sort of preparation that I'm gonna do.  I got the little Kaplan study guide, so maybe I'll try to do all the crap that they suggest.  I'll probably just end up using it for sample questions, though.

Okay, gotta go clean.  My room is a giant pile of dirty clothes and trash right now.

We live for the fame

Okay, so I've got to talk about Lady GaGa for a while. Now, I don't use the 'F' word easily, but this girl is fierce. All of the gays have been buzzing about her for months, and her album just came out today.

On first pass, I was totally blown away. Now, I've been listening to her singles, so I knew pretty much to expect. What I didn't expect was the total consistency of her album. Most pop albums have at least 40-50% filler which you generally skip to listen to the singles. However, every single track is amazing, which is incredibly rare. I also expected it to be much gayer than it is. However, it turned out to be more straight-up pop than the pure dance music that I expected.

Of course, it is most definitely a pop album. It was clearly carefully crafted to appeal to large numbers of people. You've got the catchy choruses and requisite guest spots by other artists designed to draw in listeners by association. There's a somewhat suspect variety of musical styles, so that they can tailor future singles to audience reactions (or maybe she's just showing her range and I'm being cynical). I mean, it's pretty obvious that Lady GaGa is carefully constructing her own image to sell albums. You've got the contrived name (obviously), plus the ridiculous unitards and shoulder pads and glam makeup that she wears. But somehow the quality of the music shines through all that. And by quality, I mean catchiness and sheer dancibility of it all.

To be honest, I think that this is the best pop album, all around, that I've ever heard. This is the solo album that Gwen Stefani should have come out with. She's amazing. And she's younger than me, which is just frightening.

In costume news, I have now completed my genie costume and now need to do accessories and do my barbarian costume. I've got a Starbucks liqueur bottle that's got a good shape, so I'm thinking of decorating/painting that, and maybe I'll try to make slippers.

I can totally get the people that go into costume design

Seriously, I've become obsessed with this.  First of all, I made my costume debut last night with what was supposed to be Robin Hood.  Unfortunately, I couldn't get the hat to work so I decided that I was a New England colonist.  Doubly unfortunately, everybody that saw me thought that it was lederhosen.  Oh well.

Sometime during the concert, I had an epiphany.  Why don't I do ANOTHER  costume for next weekend?  Double epiphany: why don't I do a costume for EACH NIGHT?

I became enamored with this idea quite quickly.  Of course, making a costume takes time, so I'm going to have to keep them pretty simple.  For one night, I think that I'm going to stick to one of my original ideas of going as a barbarian warrior.  (think Conan)  The other night, my new idea is to go as a genie.  I think that both of these are easy enough to pull off in the next week, without sacrificing too much studying time.  Plus, I'm going to have some extra time on my hands anyway because my job hours are getting cut :(

So, today I'm off to Vogue fabrics, and let's see if I can pull something together.  (this is SO MUCH FUN!)

Is McCain bipolar?

Well, in true style, McCain has apparently flipped his positions AGAIN.  After his horribly failed attempts at a smear campaign, all of a sudden he's playing Mr. Nice Guy.  Seriously, who is running his campaign?  He's floundering like a fish on the deck of a boat, and it's getting to be a bit sad to watch.

The funny thing is, I think that it was his base that totally ruined it for him.  There might have been some merit to his smear-campaign strategy, but if you'll notice, it turned his audiences into raging mobs.  He aimed at seeding doubts in the minds of moderates, but ended up just inflaming the negative sentiments of the right.  I think that he underestimated the nastiness that people are capable of, and I think that if he'd continued along the path he started, he'd end up appearing angry, hateful, and possibly even racist.

I am SO ready for this election to be over.

SO MUCH STUFF

Somehow I'm feeling completely overwhelmed on every front. I'm way behind on my studying for the biology GRE exam, I've got orchestra to practice for (at least now it's one orchestra, not two. Last week drove me totally crazy), and I'm trying to pull together a homemade Halloween costume when I barely just learned how to sew a straight line. Plus, I'm trying to juggle three ongoing experiments at work when i'm only supposed to work 30 hours a day. Oh, and I might only have a job for a few more weeks. Add on top of that the fact that I seem to be suffering from some MAJOR seasonal affective disorder already, and I'm about ready to go crazy.

So I'm going to take a step back, and talk about completely irrelevant things. Like music and TV.

First of all, and most importantly, Rachael Yamagata just released her new album. Now, I'm actually surprised about how excited I was about this. I mean, I never really listened to her first album obsessively, although I do think it's gorgeous. But there's just something about her music that I absolutely love. First and foremost, she's just got the most awesome husky voice, and she manages to write really emotional songs without coming out sounding whiny or cliché. That being said, I REALLY HATE the pacing on the album. Yeah, it's all gorgeous, and as far as songwriting goes, I think that she can do no wrong. However, she stacked all of the slow, soft songs at the beginning of the album and then jammed all of the faster-paced and edgier songs at the end. I'll be the first to admit that I have a really short attention span, and after 3 or 4 ballads, I get a little snoozy. But I'll tell you, the first time I heard Elephants, I literally almost cried. This woman is totally amazing.

Another exciting media thing: I finally watched the S2 premier of the Terminator TV show. LOVES it. First of all, it starts out with a bloodbath set to Shirley Mansion (the singer from Garbage) singing an awesome song about Samson and Delilah (probably a cover of a famous song). Then, lo and behold, she's ACTING in the show AS A T-1000! Running an evil corporation! Yeah, I'm a huge nerd. Let's face it, I watch TV for pure escapism, so as far as I'm concerned, the campier the better.

Then of course there's Project Runway. I'm annoyed with this season, I think that all the designers kind of suck, but I was actually glad that the last episode went the way it did. I've been hoping for Jerrell to get kicked off the show for the entire season, mainly because I just despise his style. I'm personally rooting for Korto, because what I've seen of her collection seems much more diverse than the other two, and Leane's is pretty, but so obsessive and her color pallet is too limited.

And last but not least, there is the issue of my Halloween costume. I have decided that it has to include some sort of lacing, and I'm trying to decide between a tunic and leggings, or a vest and pants. Tunics seem to be pretty ubiquitous as Robin Hood's uniform, but a vest would be much easier to make really tight, and I could lace it up all the way. I'm also a little concerned about the hat and boots, since those are things that would probably have to be bought, so I'll have to settle for what I can find/afford.