The Things You Learn

Finals week.

I've spent the past several hours making a study guide for my criminal justice test tomorrow morning. I have yet to actually study the study guide and to put that task off even longer, I shall share some of the most interesting things I learned while making the study guide.

-The most common punishment in Greece and Rome was exile or banishment.

-38 states and the federal government use the death penalty.

-In the 1984 case, Minnesota v. Murphy, the Supreme Court held that the probation officer-client relationship is not confidential.

-The first private prison was opened in Kentucky.

-About half of all female inmates become members of "make-believe families," essentially adopting different family roles and acting them out like a game of house.

-A Sticky Shooter is a less than lethal projectile which uses stun gun technology to temporarily incapacitate a person at standoff range. It uses a low-impact, wireless projectile fired from compressed gas or powder launchers and is accurate within 10 meters.

The Room Was Romantic

Today in writing class my instructor decided to have the class do some writing exercises. I consider myself a terrible writer so I wasn't exactly excited. The first few exercises were rewriting sentences to make them more understandable. Then he started talking about writing styles. The next exercise was titled "The Room Was Romantic." We had to describe a romantic room without actually using the word romantic. Okay, sure. We all wrote our require half page of romantic room description. Unsurprisingly, when we all had finished our instructor asked for volunteers to read what they had written. Also unsurprisingly, no one raised their hands. I didn't raise my hand because I always volunteer to read my examples and decided to take the day off from volunteering. I was considerably proud of what I had written though. Then he started calling on random people. The first person he called on was a member of my group. I wasn't expecting what I heard. The guy read his thing and I felt like I was listening to someone narrate one of those romantic novels with Fabio on the cover. It was kind of weird. I wasn't so proud of mine anymore...

My Awards

I am not above telling others of my accomplishments. This is why I am willing to share all of the Spring 2007 staff awards I received from The Daily Evergreen. I was awarded the following:

Outstanding Rookie

Reporter of the Semester

Most likely to achieve future Evergreen glory

and

Outstanding Underclassman (For this award, my name gets added to a plaque in our hallway.)

I am very pleased. Though I would still spend all my free time in the newsroom, it's nice to know that all my work doesn't go unnoticed. Tonight we are putting together the very last issue of this semester. It is both satisfying and a little bit sad to be at the end, but I have thoroughly enjoyed this semester. Now that newspaper is done, I shall also have more time for blogging and reading and all those other free time activities I can never seem to get to.

Pain in the...

When you're sore, no matter which muscles hurt, the most challenging thing to do is go to the bathroom.

Following the IMDb Game

Guess the movie and I'll tell you if you're right.
I've added more clues. *#10's clues changed on IMDb when I went to get more clues...

1. Virgin Mary/Lover/House/Woman (Under The Tuscan Sun - Christina)
2. Love Triangle/Dead Brother/Gold Mine/Child Kidnapping
3. Con Artist/Caper/Mastermind/Perfect Crime (Ocean's Eleven - Mr.A)
4. Sibling/Piano/Parent-Child Relationship/Snobbery
5. Pirates/British Empire/No Opening Credits (Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl - Josh)
6. Judo/Romantic Comedy/Martial Arts/Heiress/Ellis Island New York (Hitch - Christina)
7. Character's POV Camera Shot/Disney/Turns Into Animal/No Opening Credits/ Magic (Beauty and the Beast - Todd)
8. Self Sacrifice/Teen/Heroine (Little Mermaid - TRP)
9. Police/Car/Death/Shoot/Accident/Mini Cooper (The Italian Job - Christina)
10. Brother Sister Relationship/Color Remake of B & W Film/Mirror/Librarian/Shot to Death (The Mummy - Christina)

A Few of My Favorite Things: Part VIII

1. When the cashier rings you up at the store and you find out the item you're purchasing is on sale.
2. Fresh veggies from the garden - If you run out of basil or dill or carrots you can just walk outside and get some more.
3. The beach - I think I've made a beach/ocean reference in every instalment of this list.
4. Milk - Helps build strong bones!
5. The Farmer's Market - local food, local products, local entertainment, awesome.
6. Summer time activities - softball, camping, BBQs, Bear Festival, swimming outside, quading, cooking outside, etc.
7. Craisens - the perfect sweet, yet healthy, snack.
8. Dried mangoes - they're just so good!
9. Nutella - What's not to like?
10. Laughing until it hurts or until I cry - feels great!

Not so favorites:

1. When people don't clean up after their pets - how rude.
2. Conjugating verbs - they make my brain want to explode.
3. Losing things - especially if they don't belong to me.
4. Motion sickness - bluuuuuuuh. It lingers for the whole day.
5. Snot suckers - use a decongestant or a tissue!

Oh My Josh!

Tickets went on pre-sale this morning for the second leg of Josh Groban's Awake tour. Pre-Sale was to start at 10AM and as I'm you probably guessed I was sitting in front of my computer at 9:30 ready for action. I stared at the clock in the corner of the computer screen and the instant it turned to 10:00 AM I click on the link that said "Buy Tickets."

I was totally ready. I had been practicing all night. You only have 90 seconds to type in all your information before the page refreshes and you lose your place in line. My credit card was out and I started inputting information. 2 tickets, best available, password, GO! It went. "We're sorry. You're request could not be processed." WHAT??!!! YES IT CAN! It did it again, and again and again, but it still couldn't be processed. They must have sold out in pre-presale for FOJG members only the night before. I was pissed (for lack of a better word). Frustrated beyond belief, I called my mom. "It just wasn't meant to be, honey." Why the hell not, I though.

That's when more anger set in. It would have been meant to be if there wasn't a pre-presale! Why would you do that? Have a pre-presale the night before to fan club members only?! That's STUPID! I'm a starving college student. I can't afford to pay $50 a year for fan club membership. I AM THE FREAKING FAN CLUB! I skipped my favorite class for this and they're sold out?! I grabbed my bag and stormed to class, late.

Needless to say, I was not a pleasant person for those two hours before I returned to my room. I was still in shock, so I check the Josh website again to see if I missed something, which I often do. Sure enough, there it was. "JG.com Pre-Sale Information." I clicked on it to see what they could possibly be telling me that I hadn't already found out. I was expecting to see "Pre-presale Tickets sold out in record time!" but no. It said the password. It was in all caps. I didn't use all caps...then the little voice in my head said "TRY IT AGAIN!!!!" So, naturally, I did. And guess what...I GOT TICKETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Possibly some of the best tickets in the arena!!!!!!! I was in shock from the sudden reversal of my previous sad shock. Of course I called my Mama and said "Mommy! I think I just got tickets!!" "You think? That's never good." "NO I GOT TICKETS!!!! SECTION 114, ROW 4!!!" "Really?" "YES!" "Guess God was looking out for us." "GUESS SO!"

I'm kinda excited.

Sailor's Delight

I love to watch the sky. I am mesmerized as it turns from blues to purples to pinks to reds to oranges to yellows. What can be more inspiring? Even when there are dark clouds, sometimes they part just enough for golden beams of light to stream down to the earth as if to be blessing everything they touch. It's the same thing at the beach. The every person is silent for 5 minutes each evening to stare in wonder as the sun sinks below the horizon. Sometimes, if you're lucky, you can see the green flash of light just as the last bit of sun disappears below the endless sea.

How can you describe the mystery of the night sky? The ultimate representation of endless possibilities. The final frontier. It is a wondrous thing to behold, the stars appearing one by one and then suddenly all at once. Shooting stars, the Milky Way, satellites, all so foreign and yet strangely familiar.

Red sky in the morning means sailors take warning.
Red sky at night means...

A Ruined Cake

There once was a good little girl, who didn't care very much for vegetables. Still, this little girl was so good that she ate them anyway. As her reward, she got to have dessert. Her mouth watered and her eyes widened as a lovely piece of chocolate cake was placed in front of her. She tasted a bit of the frosting. It was delicious. Next, she cut into the soft, fluffy goodness with her fork and scooped up a big bite. But as she began chew, she realized something was wrong. There was something in the cake, something ... gross. Not just one thing, but multiple things. They were stringy and slightly firm, not soft and moist as a cake should be. The little girl screwed up her nose. This cake was no good. She slowly pulled out a stringy thing. It slithered out from between her lips like a worm. She poked at the cake and found other worm-like things. This was not what she had bargained for when she ate her vegetables.

This was my first experience with German Chocolate Cake. I did not know it was German Chocolate Cake. It looked like a normal innocent cake. This was also the day I learned I hate German Chocolate Cake. Coconut and pecans only corrupt cakes and should stay out, at least out of mine. The shredded coconut makes me feel like I am eating a cake full a meal worms and cake should be smooth and soft. Pecans are hard.

Today, I was again tricked into eating German Chocolate Cake. The cake looked innocent enough. It looked like a plain chocolate cake topped and filled with chocolate frosting. But no. It was German Chocolate. It was not good. I screwed up my face upon the first bite just as as I did when I was a good little girl.

A Few of My Favorite Things Part VII

1. Using big words - it would be cool if I could think of one right now...
2. Funny family stories - they make me want to do stand-up.
3. Going out to dinner - it's a nice change of pace.
4. Singing loud in the car - usually I have the volume up just to the point where I can't hear my own voice.
5. Bear Festival Food - Elephant Ears and Curly fries!
6. The way light reflects off water - not when it blinds you, but when you can see it reflecting on a wall or at the bottom of the pool, it's magical.
7. BBQ - the event and the food.
8. The food at McCleary middle/elementary - tator tot casserole, cheese zombies, mac n' cheese, Thanksgiving special, Italian dunkers...yum-o!
9. Chapstick/lip gloss - adds that little something extra to your face, and it generally tastes pretty good.
10. Good dreams - I hate that they're over when I wake up, but they put me in a good mood.

Not so favorites:

1. When it rains while I'm camping - it just sucks.
2. Mumblers - I can't talk to you if I don't understand what you're saying!
3. History papers - most papers in general are lame, but history papers are just disgusting.
4. When people have their pants tucked into their shoes - it looks bad.
5. Stupid questions - think before you speak. I have been guilty of this many times.

Panic Mode: Major

I have issues. I'm sure that has become quite clear. One of my biggest issues is anxiety. I get minor anxiety attacks for the stupidest reasons. For example, school. During high school on random days I would get stomach cramps and be nauseated and nervous. Sometimes because of a test and sometimes for no reason at all. I always got this feeling before a swim meet. It was the same thing with homecoming. The whole day leading up to the dance I was in a state of panic. I felt sick, and shaky, and nervous. Why? I had nothing to be nervous about. The same thing happened before prom. In both cases, everything turned out brilliant.

I bring this up because today in my math class I was thinking about how I'm going to hopefully be buying Josh Groban concert tickets on Thursday. As I was thinking, I felt that familiar twingle of panic. It always starts with tightness at the base of my throat, like a precursor to an asthma attack. Then my hands start to shake a little bit and it becomes hard to hold my pen. It's like when you've forgotten something really important and it's too late to do anything about it, but you freak out anyway. Then I felt my face get red and then fade. Why was I starting to freak out? It's just a concert. What if I screw it up though, while I'm online trying to order tickets? What if I type in my information too slow and the page refreshes and I lose great seats? What if I can't figure out what to do and by the time I do all the tickets are gone? It was madness. Then 5 minutes later I was fine again.

The other day I found out that my sister is bringing her new friend camping with us this year. I not sure how fond I am of this girl, I don't know her very well, but she is (as of right now) coming to my happy place. Strangers are not allowed at my happy place. That was the trigger. I started freaking out in my head. All of the negative possibilities came rushing in and then the twingle in my throat, the shaky hands, the nausea, this time there were even possibilities of tears. I was thinking I'm going to be alone, Ali will be spending all her time with her friend, I won't be able to do anything because I can't go anywhere alone while I'm there (long story), I won't be able to do my traditional 3 mile beach walk to the lodge because Christina won't be there, I'll be the third wheel, It's going to suck...etc. I wanted to come home from the trip and it hasn't even happened yet. Those are stupid thoughts that I'm still thinking now. I can't even tell you why.

Apparently, the future freaks me out.

Song of the Day

"Wide Open Spaces" by: The Dixie Chicks

I haven't listened to this song in a long time, but it really applies to my life right now.

Top 5 Olympia Resaurants

These are my top 5 picks for Olympia restaurants that I have been to:

• Ranch House BBQ - A little out of the way for most, but well worth the drive! They have won tons of awards including some from the Food Network!
• Lemon Grass - Really small, not a lot of seating, but great food. Wide variety and perfect portion sizes.
• Waterstreet Café - Prices are a little high, but the food is worth it. Dessert menu changes regularly.
• Oyster House - Perfect for seafood lovers on a budget. If you get the mud bay mud pie make sure you have someone to share it with!
• Urban Onion - Great for healthy eaters. Soups and Sandwiches are perfect for lunch! Great catering as well.

Other restaurants of note:

• Taco Bus - although not an actual restaurant, if you want authentic Mexican food check it out!
• Casa Mia - I'm not a big salad fan, but at Casa Mia salads are piled with olives and mozzarella. Delizioso!
• Apollo's - Fabulous pizza.
• El Nopal - Has the BEST salsa I've ever had! You can even buy just the salsa to-go!
• Farmers Market - All the food at the Market is amazing!
• Vic's Pizzeria - Also has amazing pizza.
• Plenty - Unique and yummy sandwiches.

Restaurants for me to try:

• Meconi's
• Cieloblu
• Bamboo
• Peppers
• Chopsticks
• Basilico
• Iron Rabbit
• Nonna Rosa

Any other suggestions are welcome!

The Courts and Abortion

I was conflicted when I heard about the recent Supreme Court decision to uphold a ban on a specific type of abortion, called intact dilation and extraction, or D and E. This type of abortion is typically used when a woman is 20 to 23 weeks pregnant and before the fetus is viable.

Proponents of the new measure argue that D and E is an unnecessary measure and that other methods can be used. Contrary to what I originally believed, the ban does not prevent all later pregnancy abortions, but just this specific type, according to The New York Times.

The law is perfectly clear, said Douglas Johnson, legal director for National Right to Life, which opposes most abortions. To violate it, Mr. Johnson said, a doctor has to plan to deliver vaginally a living fetus and then deliberately kill it when it is leaving the womb.
It is permissible to kill the fetus while it is in the womb, Mr. Johnson said, adding, “Anything goes inside the womb."

Earlier, the article explained,

The Supreme Court decision on Wednesday to uphold a ban on a type of abortion, has huge political implications but, as a practical matter, is unlikely to have much of an effect.

This is the cause of much of my confliction. Should law be used to make political statements? Upholding the ban doesn’t really change very much in the ability of a woman to have an abortion, but both sides of the abortion debate acknowledge its significant political impact. In this sense, the court has misused its resources. What did the court really change or do? They chose to rule on an issue that was much more a political matter, than one with a major concern of legality.

The decision also raises serious questions about the new court and opens the door for future decisions which are likely to please pro-life advocates. I am wary of the idea of trying to legislate morality and I believe the abortion debate is an issue of morality. There is also the issue of whether or not abortions, especially those occurring later in a pregnancy than usual, are a medical issue. If so, should the court really be regulating them?

I am still not sure about the decision. As D and E abortions seem less humane and there are other options available, I am not entirely opposed to the idea of ending this specific kind of abortion. At the same time, I question the means through which it was ended. Did the court actually have a right to do this? I think other avenues would have been more appropriate.

The End is Near

As I'm sure has become somewhat observable, I have become increasingly busy. The decreased number of my posts reflects the fact that I have not recently found myself sitting bored in the newsroom. As of late I have only had time to work in the newsroom and then am off to work on final projects. My last final, of my first year of college, is next Wednesday. Getting to that point in the future, however, is going to be a mad dash as I finish final projects and try to finish all the articles on the table for this semester. I spent last week interviewing different religious leaders about views of homosexuality and shortly after writing this post, shall begin working on shaping those interviews into a paper. So far this has become my favorite school project. It was interesting and I feel like I learned so much. As I said last time, I'll share more details later. Until then, I am off finishing this year of college. 11 days and counting

A Few of My Favorite Things Part VI

1. The Sound of the ocean waves - I basically love all aspects of the ocean.
2. Having a full tank of gas - so many possibilities.
3. Good surprises - I hate the bad ones.
4. Caramel - especially with chocolate.
5. Asking questions - as long as I don't feel stupid afterwards.
6. Dressing up - "I feel pretty. Oh so pretty!"
7. The woods/forest - unless they're spooky woods.
8. Inside Jokes - because they're funny!
9. Finding lost things - because then they're not lost anymore.
10. Free stuff - Duh! If I get it for free then I don't have to buy it!

Not so favorites:

1. Water I can't see through - makes me feel like I'm swimming in bacteria and that something I can't see is going to grab my legs and pull me down...like aquatic vegetation.
2. When the batteries in whatever I'm using die - always at the worst possible time.
3. The smell of wet cigarettes - the smell of normal cigarettes is gross enough.
4. When I don't have a hair tie - that's just annoying.
5. When my ankle pops in mid step/run - pain is bad.

"Are You Wearing Flip-Flops?"

This story is from a while ago, but I still think it's funny.

So for all of you who don't know, I wear the same ring on my right pinkie finger every day. I only take it off when I swim (usually). When I take it off at the pool I put it on the little hook inside the locker. I have never forgotten about it and have only lost it once (interesting story). One night after I swam, I was talking to my mom on the phone (Ali was there too) and I was going to fiddle with my ring like I usually do when I talk to people. When I went to touch it, it wasn't there! I had left it in my locker at the pool! So, I was like "CRAP! MY RING! I LEFT IT AT THE POOL!" and Ali was like "GO GET IT!" So, I grabbed my keys and my ID and ran out the door. I literally ran all the way to the pool, which is not that far, right across the street, but I DO NOT like to run. Anyways I was still on the phone the with mom and Ali while I was doing this and I ran in the rec. center, handed them my ID and ran into the locker room and opened the locker...if I was a cruel person I would just end the story right there. Anyways I opened the locker and thankfully there it was just hangin' there. So I grabbed it put, it on, and ran back out. The two people at the desk were just watching me like it was totally normal for a person to sprint into the locker room and sprint back out a few seconds later...and I was still on the phone by the way. Then I ran all the way back to my dorm. And my sister, who was still on the phone, was like "Are you wearing flip-flops?" "Yeah." "Wow, I can hear them, while you're running!" "Wow."

The other story of me losing my ring was a few years back. I took a shower and a few hours later I realized my ring was missing. I looked all over the house for it and finally decided that it must have fallen off in the shower and gone down the drain or something. Well, a few months later, I was shaving my legs and looked over at the huge bottle of shower gel that was there, on the bath tub, next to me and there was this weird green ring around the neck of the bottle. This wouldn't have been weird, but the shower gel was orange not green...so naturally I took the top off and stuck my finger in (if you see weird green liquid you probably shouldn't put your finger in it) and there was my ring. Then I remembered, when I was in the shower the day I had lost it (my ring not my mind) I had stuck my pinkie in the bottle to unclog it and it had slipped off because of the soap! Makes you wonder where all of the things you lose end up doesn't it?

A Few of My Favorite Things Part V

Halfway done...

1. Laughing for no reason - it's good not to take life too seriously all the time.
2. Liquid coffee creamer - Yum-o!
3. The Pacific Northwest - We have mountains, a rain forest, a peninsula, an amazing coastline, a rain shadow, drastic seasons on one side and not so drastic on the other (because of the rain shadow), lakes, rivers, valleys, earthquakes, volcanoes, plateaus...basically we have everything.
4. The Music of Olive Garden - "Como e` bella ce` la luna..."
5. Garage Sale-ing - One woman's trash is another woman's treasure.
6. Antiques - sometimes found while garage sale-ing!
7. Old Buildings - that have antiques.
8. Old Books - found in old buildings during garage sales.
9. New books - pristine, perfect, sleek, smooth...
10. Tiramisu - Thanks to Todd for trying (or pretending to try) and thanks to Jeff for coming through!

Not so favorites:

1. Driving in snow - just not safe.
2. Allergies - they ruin all the fun.
3. Pointy shins - I know it's weird, but until you actually encounter a pointy tibia you can't understand.
4. Disney sequels - destroying the imaginations of children everywhere.
5. The Smell of burnt popcorn - it gets into my pores.

My Happy Place

I have a happy place. It's a real place, not a place in my head. One week out of the year my family and I go there. When I am there I am at peace with the world. Nothing else matters for that week. The past two years I have taken Christina with me. This is a big honor. I don't allow just anyone to come to my special place. Family only. I consider Christina my family. She has been my best friend for about the past six years and has practically lived at my house during most of that time. You have to earn your right to come. You can't just be my friend for a few months and assume you are invited, no no. You have to earn my trust. I have to know that you will not take for granted the natural beauty and tranquility of this place. I need to know that you will not whine for not being to take a shower and that there is no cell phone service. Please, do not abuse my happy place. Do not ruin my favorite week of the year. Please don't make me want to come home. I love this place. It's my place. Unless you yourself have a happy place of your own you can not understand how I feel.

Dustin' Off the Teddy

So I've been extremely busy the past two days. For my English class I'm working on my final paper which is on different Christian perspectives on Christianity. I've been interviewing different religious leaders in the community. So far I've done LDS, Catholic, and Episcopal. It's all very interesting. I'll report back again when I have more research.

Anyways, before heading off to bed, I thought I'd share the experience that started my day. Early this morning I was bolted awake because I felt someone touch my forehead. But when I opened my eyes, heart pounding, I saw no one. There wasn't a dangling piece of cloth or anything either. I have no idea what it was. Maybe I've been drinking too much coffee. Maybe the stress is finally starting to get to me. Maybe it was a more vivid dream than usual. Who knows? I do not, but I do know that I'll be dusting off my teddy bear tonight. He'll protect me.

Also randomly, I learned about Swiss wrestling today. I encourage others to educate themselves similarly.