My great-aunt: What are you going to do with your life?
Me: I'll probably go to college at some point.
My great-aunt: Where are you looking?
Me: Oh, I don't know.  Michigan, places like that.
My great-aunt: Yale?
Me: I don't know.  Maybe.
My great-aunt: How are your grades?
Me: Pretty good.
My great-aunt: You mean A's. 
Me: Sure.
My great-aunt: And your boards?
Me: I'm taking them in two weeks.
My great-aunt: But you've taken them before?
Me: Well, yeah...
My great-aunt: And how'd you do?
Me: Alright.  I need to get my scores up. 
My great-aunt: Oh.
{awkward silence}
My great-aunt: Do you do extra-curricular activities?
Me:............
My great-aunt: You'll be...fine.

[[[[[[[[[[LATER]]]]]]]]]]]

My great-aunt: What are you going to do with your life?
Me: {didn't we just have this conversation?}
My great-aunt: I've never been in a room with such smart people.  Once, I was in a room and everyone had either gone to Harvard undergrad and Stanford grad or Stanford undergrad and Harvard grad.
Me: Wow.
My great-aunt: But you guys, you're smarter than most people.
Me: Thanks...
My great-aunt: Your sister's going to be a doctor. 
Me: Yes?
My great-aunt: Your other sister's going to be a doctor, too.
Me: Of philosophy....
My great-aunt: You're going to be a doctor too?
Me: Um, maybe.  I've entertained the possibility....
My great-aunt: What about a lawyer?  Your future brother-in-law is a lawyer.  But oh that's right, he's having trouble finding a job.  Would you want to be a lawyer?
Me: Maybe.
My great-aunt: Are you interested in business?
Me: No.
My great-aunt: Then be a doctor.  Or a lawyer.

Current Mood: stressed

stolen from rachel:

#120 Taking a Year Off
#119 Sea Salt
#118 Ugly Sweater Parties
#117 Political Prisoners
#116 Black Music that Black People Don’t Listen to Anymore
#115 Promising to Learn a New Language
#114 America
#113 Halloween
#112 Hummus
#111 Pea Coats
#110 Frisbee Sports
#109 The Onion
#108 Appearing to Enjoy Classical Music
#107 Self Aware Hip Hop References
#106 Facebook
#105 Unpaid Internships
#104 Girls with Bangs
#103 Sweaters
#102 Children’s Games as Adults
#101 Being Offended (the worst)
#100 Bumper Stickers
#99 Grammar
#98 The Ivy League
#97 Scarves (I tried)
#96 New Balance Shoes
#95 Rugby
#94 Free Healthcare
#93 Music Piracy
#92 Book Deals
#91 San Francisco
#90 Dinner Parties
#89 St. Patrick’s Day
#88 Having Gay Friends (not like I made them be gay)
#87 Outdoor Performance Clothes (wtf does that mean)
#86 Shorts
#85 The Wire
#84 T-Shirts
#83 Bad Memories of High School
#82 Hating Corporations
#81 Graduate School
#80 The Idea of Soccer (I used to be this way, but I actually learned something about soccer)
#79 Modern Furniture
#78 Multilingual Children
#77 Musical Comedy
#76 Bottles of Water
#75 Threatening to Move to Canada
#74 Oscar Parties
#73 Gentrification
#72 Study Abroad
#71 Being the only white person around
#70 Difficult Breakups
#69 Mos Def
#68 Michel Gondry ("She's a wonderful director! Yes...HE is!")
#67 Standing Still at Concerts
#66 Divorce
#65 Co-Ed Sports
#64 Recycling
#63 Expensive Sandwiches
#62 Knowing What’s Best for Poor People
#61 Bicycles
#60 Toyota Prius
#59 Natural Medicine
#58 Japan
#57 Juno
#56 Lawyers
#55 Apologies
#54 Kitchen Gadgets
#53 Dogs
#52 Sarah Silverman
#51 Living by the Water
#50 Irony
#49 Vintage
#48 Whole Foods and Grocery Co-ops
#47 Arts Degrees
#46 The Sunday New York Times
#45 Asian Fusion Food
#44 Public Radio
#43 Plays
#42 Sushi
#41 Indie Music
#40 Apple Products
#39 Netflix
#38 Arrested Development
#37 Renovations
#36 Breakfast Places
#35 The Daily Show/Colbert Report
#34 Architecture
#33 Marijuana
#32 Vegan/Vegetarianism
#31 Snowboarding
#30 Wrigley Field
#29 80s Night
#28 Not having a TV
#27 Marathons
#26 Manhattan
#25 David Sedaris
#24 Wine
#23 Microbreweries
#22 Having Two Last Names
#21 Writers Workshops
#20 Being an expert on YOUR culture
#19 Traveling
#18 Awareness
#17 Hating their Parents
#16 Gifted Children
#15 Yoga
#14 Having Black Friends
#13 Tea
#12 Non-Profit Organizations
#11 Asian Girls
#10 Wes Anderson Movies
#9 Making you feel bad about not going outside
#8 Barack Obama
#7 Diversity
#6 Organic Food
#5 Farmer’s Markets
#4 Assists  (MY ABSOLUTE FAVE)
#3 Film Festivals
#2 Religions their parents don’t belong to
#1 Coffee

I found this folk song book in my house, and the entry on "If I Had a Hammer" intrigued me, so I started a mystical wikipedia/google/youtube search and here I am sharing it with you.

So everyone knows the song, originally by Pete Seeger, made famous by Peter Paul and Mary, about social struggle in the 50s under McCarthyism, etc. etc. etc....

Here's the "original" folksy version with Peter Paul and Mary:


</lj-embed></lj-embed>

La lirica:
www.musicaememoria.com/rita_pavone_datemi_un_martello__.htm

(The best part of this one is definitely the background "dancers" [Che cosa ne vuoi fare???]...her voice is kind of shrill for me thoûgh, and I'm not too crazy about her "jew-do-jew-dà" thing...I mîght have to check with the ADL on that one.  Between that screeching voice, the terrible acting and the fact that she's waving a hammer at the camera like only Italians know how...well...maybe I could throw in a little Falcetto and we could start a little revolution)

Oh, and here's the last one: "El Martillo" by Victor Jara.  It's a bit dull in comparison, as is a lot of nueva canción stuff...a lot of communists just don't have much of a sense of humor:

Current Mood: complacent

 it just makes you wanna get up and do the samba...don't deny it



Letra:
Ouviram do Ipiranga as margens plácidas
De um povo heróico o brado retumbante,
E o sol da Liberdade, em raios fúlgidos,
Brilhou no céu da Pátria nesse instante.

Se o penhor dessa igualdade
Conseguimos conquistar com braço forte,
Em teu seio, ó Liberdade,
Desafia o nosso peito a própria morte!

Ó Pátria amada,
Idolatrada,
Salve! Salve!

Brasil, um sonho intenso, um raio vívido,
De amor e de esperança à terra desce,
Se em teu formoso céu, risonho e límpido,
A imagem do Cruzeiro resplandece.

Gigante pela própria natureza,
És belo, és forte, impávido colosso,
E o teu futuro espelha essa grandeza.

Terra adorada
Entre outras mil
És tu, Brasil,
Ó Pátria amada!

Dos filhos deste solo
És mãe gentil,
Pátria amada,
Brasil!


Deitado eternamente em berço esplêndido,
Ao som do mar e à luz do céu profundo,
Fulguras, ó Brasil, florão da América,
Iluminado ao sol do Novo Mundo!

Do que a terra mais garrida
Teus risonhos, lindos campos têm mais flores,
"Nossos bosques têm mais vida",
"Nossa vida" no teu seio "mais amores". (*)

Ó Pátria amada,
Idolatrada,
Salve! Salve!

Brasil, de amor eterno seja símbolo
O lábaro que ostentas estrelado,
E diga o verde-louro dessa flâmula
- Paz no futuro e glória no passado.

Mas se ergues da justiça a clava forte,
Verás que um filho teu não foge à luta,
Nem teme, quem te adora, a própria morte.

Terra adorada
Entre outras mil
És tu, Brasil,
Ó Pátria amada!

Dos filhos deste solo
És mãe gentil,
Pátria amada,
Brasil!


go ahead, sing along!!!!

Current Mood: jubilant

When you get there 5 hours early, you get to rock out and indulge your repressed narcissistic tendencies at the same time.

Current Mood: chipper

All the ER links are broken on surfthechannel.com (which completely ruined my plans for the first three weeks of summer vacation....season 7 looked really promising), so I started to look through their movies.  I watched half of Pan's Labyrinth until I realized that that movie really does scare me shitless.  Anyway...their movie selection is pretty large, so I scrolled down to the S section to see whether I might find my favorite movie of all time, and sure enough:

I DID

that's right muthafuckers...I can now watch The Sword and the Stone whenever I fucking please!

oh, yeah, and school's almost done for the year.

Current Mood: enthralled

(recién descubiertas por mí)

Flaca - Andrés Calamaro

flaca
no me claves
tus puñales
por la espalda
tan Profundo
no me duele
no me hace nada

lejos
en el centro
de la tierra
las raíces
del amor
donde estaban
quedarán

entre
"no me olvides"
me dejé nuestros abriles
olvidados
en el fondo del placard
del cuarto de invitados
eran tiempos dorados
un pasado mejor

aunque casi me equivoco
y te digo poco a poco
"no me mientas"
no me digas la verdad
no te quedes callada
no levantes la voz
ni me pidas perdón

aunque casi te confieso
que también he sido
un perro compañero
un perro ideal
que aprendió a ladrar
y a volver al hogar
para poder comer

flaca
no me claves
tus puñales
por la espalda
tan profundo
no me duele
no me hace nada


No Me Arrepiento De Este Amor - Attaque 77
(estos tipos punketos suelen cantar de la política, pero parece que también saben escribir una canción de amor)


no me arrepiento de este amor
aunque me cueste el corazón
amar es un milagro y yo te amé
como nunca jamás imaginé

arrancarme de tu piel
de tu mirada, de tu ser
yo siento que la vida se nos va
y el día de hoy no vuelve mas

después de cerrar la puerta
la cama espera abierta
la locura apasionada
del amor

y entre un "te quiero" y "te quiero"
vamos remontando al cielo
y no puedo arrepentirme
de este amor



La segunda se utilizó en una propaganda de la selección argentina durante el mundial de 06.  Pero duda que la banda estuviera pensando en eso cuando escribió la canción.

Ya he decidido: y me arrepentiré de mi vegetarianismo para poder ir a la Argentina.

Current Mood: okay

It appears that the beuracracy here can't manage to spare $100 in cash as a reward for Poetry Out Loud, so I've just learned that I'm going to have to request $100 worth of books...And I'm kind of blanking...

Any ideas?

Current Mood: disappointed

looking through my old e-mails, I found this gem from my BFF Leonard, who now apparently lives in Illinois (note: I have no fucking idea what this about):

(Dated July 26, 2004)

Current Mood: giggly

In honor of St. Patrick, who is also the patron of excluded people and Nigeria...I will post the following Irish music youtube finds:
(The Pogues - "Sick Bed of Cuchulainn")                          
Spike and Patrick from Degrassi slowdance to this song.


(Liam O'Maonlai - "Sadhbh Ni Bhruinneallaigh")             
Apparently about a girl or a drunken sailor...or something.  This guy is the father of Celtic Gospel                                

(Same guy about 15 years earlier - "Sí do mhamo í")      Awesome bagpipe solo!


(The Grunts - "Ná fhág mé Crochadh")                           hee...hee...grunt....grunt....

Current Mood: awake

"tudo se acaba na quarta-feira"


funny, I haven't yet today seen anyone with schmutz on their forhead....

**Breakfast**
Eggs; Sunny side up, Scrambled or Hard boiled? Scrambled.
Sausage or Bacon?: I'm veggie, and besides, I don't like smoked things
Pancakes, Crêpes or Waffles?: Crêpes - I like my breakfasts to be wafer thin
Croissant, Danish or Pain au Chocolat? I'm not refined enough to have tried Pan au Chocolat, so I'll say Croissant
Coffee, Juice, or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate, though I don't like hot things.

**Lunch**
Pasta; Spaghetti, Tortellini, Lasagna, Ravioli, or Gnocchi?: Ravioli
Pasta Sauce; Cheese, Tomato, or Meat?: I like a very light tomato sauce
Soup: Carrot, Vegetable, Chowder, or Other?: Carrot
With Soup; Crackers, Toast, Croutons, Bacon Bits or Baguette?: Croutons
Pizza; Cheese, Hawaiian, Pepperoni, Italian Sausage, Veggie, or Other?:  Cheese
Pizza; Square Slice, Pointy Slice or Deep Dish?: The only pizza I've ever known that was square was Vento's and that is not good pizza.
Sandwich; or white bread or wheat?: Wheat
Toppings; Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Peppers, Mushrooms, Mayo, Salt, or Other?: Lettuce, Tomato, Mushrooms, lots and lots of Ketchup.  BTW, mayo is for the goyim
Chinese; Springrolls or Eggrolls?: Springrolls
Chinese: Sweet & Sour Pork, Crispy Sesame Beef, or General Tao Chicken?: General Tso's is tasty with bean curd.
East Indian: Veggie Korma (curry) or Tandoori Chicken?: Veggie Korma all the way.  It's my fave.


**Dinner**
Meat; Well done, Medium, or Rare?:  When I ate meat, I liked it medium.
Mashed Potatoes or Baked?:  Mashed
Salad Dressing: Vinaigrette, 1000 Island, Ranch, or Other?: Italian Vinigarette.
Cheese: Cheddar, Mozzarella, Havarti, Ricotta, Feta, Cottage, Brie, Soy, or Other?: Feta.  Goats are the shit
Milk: Regular Soy, Chocolate Soy, 1%, 2%, Skim, or Chocolate?: I really don't like milk recently.  But 1% in my cereal.
Sushi: California Rolls, Spicy Salmon, Crab, Eel, Egg, Octopus, or Other?: Cucumber or avocado
Sushi: Wasabi, Soysauce, Neither, or Both?: Soysauce with wasabi in small amounts.

**Fastfood**
KFC; 2 piece combo, 3 piece combo, Family-Sized combo, or Chicken Club?: 2 piece, I suppose.  I don't know if I've ever been to KFC.
KFC; Coleslaw, Potato Salad, or Macaroni Salad?  If I'm going to have to choose between things doused in mayonnaise, I'll have to choose the macaroni.
Pop; Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, Rootbeer, 7-Up, Orange Crush, Cherry Coke, or Other?  Cherry Coke
Burger King, In & Out, McDonald's, Harvey's, Hardee's, White Castle, A&W, or Other? Burger King, I suppose.  (I've heard very bad things about A & W.  Terrible things...)
Burger Toppings; Lettuce, Tomato, Ketchup, Mayo, Mustard, Mushrooms, Or All Dressed? Lettuce, Tomato, LOTS OF KETCHUP, mushrooms
Fries; Tater Tots, Poutine (if you're Canadian), Cheese Fries, Wedge, or Regular? Cheese Fries.  DEATH TO CANADA.
Pie; Apple, Cherry, Lemon, Lime, Blueberry, Sugar, or Other? Sugar pie? Such a thing exists? Apple - I can't stand berries.
Pie; With or Without Ice Cream? With.
Dessert; Ice Cream, Frozen Yoghurt, Gelato, or Jello? Ice Cream.  Gelato is just expensive yuppie ice-cream.
Dessert; Cake, Pie, Brownies, Cookies, or Fresh Fruit w. Whipping Cream? Brownies.
Popcorn; Buttery, Caramel, Strawberry, Or Plain Old Salted? A bit o' butter.

**Your home***
House, Condo, Apartment, Trailer, or Other?  House
Live alone, with Roomies, with Parents, or Other?  With Parents
Rent or Own? (if you Rent, how much do you pay?) Own
Neighbourhood you live in; Poor, Middle Class, Wealthy, Artsy, Conservative? Upper-middle class - Yuppies and old money
City Centre, Burbs, or Country? City
Is your area safe? Yes, but the next neighborhood over is kind of a war zone.
At what age did you move out? If you haven't yet, at what age do you plan to? 19 or 20
What was the hardest part about leaving home? N/A
Do you and your family still live in the same city or town? Yes, even my much older sisters.
Your room; Messy, a bit Messy, Cleanish, or Meticulously Clean? a bit messy

**Getting Around**
Walking, Bicycle, Rollerblades, Bus, Subway, Car, or Commuter Train? I walk and take the godforsaken bus
If you take public transit, how much is the fare? I don't pay.  I get a free buspass.
Commuter Ritual (Coffee? Newspaper? Book?)  I sleep, as long as I wake up on time.
Which Bus, Subway, or Train stop is nearest to you? Half a block.
Doughnut run; Glazed, Chocolate, Bavarian Cream, Crueller, or Jam Filled?  Chocolate
Drivers License; Learners, Drivers or None? I never plan on learning how to drive.
Do you own your own car? (what kind of car?) No


**School**
Home schooled, Private, or Public?  I've been in Public since kindergarten.
Your School; Uniform or No Uniform? No uniform.  Actually, you have to dress originally.  If not, you get sent home.
You; Preppy, Jock, Goth, Punk, Cheerleader, Loner, Nerd, Class Clown, or Other? Loner/Class Clone
What year did you Graduate? if you haven't yet, what year will you graduate? 2010 or never
Discipline; Excellent Student, Good Student, Okay Student, or Abysmal Student?  I am excellent in subjects that I care about, of which there are almost none.

**Travel**

Where have you travelled? (be specific; name specific cities) US: (NYC, DC, Philly, Ft. Lauderdale, Ann Arbor, San Francisco, lots of airports and a few small towns); Canada: (Niagra Falls, Calgary, Bamf National Park); Mexico: (DF, Morelia, Guanajuato, Oaxaca, Patzcuaro, and Leon) Spain/Catalunya: (Barcelona, Girona)
Have you flown before? if so, what's your favourite airline? Yes, but I hate all airlines because they are malicious and unreliable.  Especially Northwest.
Flying Rituals? (book, ipod, sleeping, etc..) Music, books (I've read quite a few tomes on airplanes)
In flight meal; Chicken, Beef, Pasta, Vegetarian/Vegan, Oriental, or Kid's? Vegetarian
Have you been on a train before? If so, which? (subways don't count) Only one time, in Spain, from Barcelona to Girona.
Have you been on a ferry before? If so, which? Maid of the Mist - is this a ferry?
Have you been on a cruise before? If so, which? No.
Do you get motion sick? Not anymore
Hotel; which sort of room do you usually stay in; Suite, Premium, Regular? Regular, but occasionally a suite.  It depends on the occasion.
Have you travelled on your own before? (alone; that means no friends, no parents) Yes, I've visited cousins in Massachusetts on my own before.


**At what age did you...**
Learn to tie your shoes? 5 maybe.
Learn to walk? (if you're unsure, ask your parents) Early talker, late walker.
Learn about sex? I knew the word at age 7 or 8.  I knew what it involved at 9 or 10.  I learned the details at 12 or 13.
Have your first real kiss? N/A
If you're not a virgin; have sex for the first time? N/A
If you're married; when? N/A
If you had kids; when? I hate children

**Mental and Physical Well-being**
Are you seeing a shrink?  Yes, I'm on my second.
Are you on any medications? Anti-depressants, and these fish-oil pills that are supposed to improve your mood
Birth Control; Condoms, Depo-Provera, the Pill, Vesectomy, or Hysterectomy? The pill.  It seems the best option.
Smoke, Drink, Do Illegal Drugs? (if so, which?) None.
If you smoke; have you any intention of quitting? I don't smoke.
Is your diet Low-fat, Reasonably Low-fat, or High-fat? (be honest) Fat, period.

**Relationships**
Casual, Short-Term, or Long-Term? Short-term
Are you an open & honest individual or do you stew in your feelings? Stew or stow?
Is your relationship such, that if you wanted to candidly discuss sex , you could? (What is the sex?)
How do you cope with breakups? (Häagen-Dazs? A Box of Tissues? Revenge?)
Straight, Bi-Curious, Straight-Curious, Lesbian, or Gay? I'm sexual. 

**Holidays and Religion**
Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzah, or Neither? Hannukah and Kwanzaa.
Christian, Catholic, Shinto, Buddhist, Wiccan, Qwaker, Agnostic, or Atheist? Jewish Deist.
When you buy presents, are they extravagant, reasonable, or cheapskate?Cheapskate
What was the BEST present you've ever received? I got a guitar once.
Easter; Cadbury Eggs, Kinder Surprise, Jellybeans, or Peeps? I would never ever celebrate easter.  The whole holiday is just an excuse for pogroms.
Do you take Valentines day seriously? If so, how do you celebrate? I pass out those little cards to the boys and girls in my class.
Halloween; what is the worst thing you've gotten trick-or-treating? A TOOTHBRUSH FROM THE DENTIST DOWN THE STREET

**Hot topics**
Pro-choice or Pro-life? Abortion should be mandatory.
Pro-gay marriage or against? Marriage, sucks, so if they really want it, then what the hell.
If your daughter or son were gay, how would you respond? I would prefer it that way.
If your daughter decided to have an abortion, how would you respond? YES YES YES, but I wouldn't have a daughter
Are you generally intolerant of those different from yourself? I'm quite prejudiced.

**Death**
Burial or Cremation? Burial, I suppose.
Funeral; Lavish or Simple? I want to be buried like Mozart.
What do you believe happens after death? A long sleep in a cosmic sea until the Messiah comes and wakes you up ever so rudely.
Have you seen a dead body before (human)? Yes, but I only looked once..or twice...
How would you ideally like to die? Without pain

Current Mood: indifferent

me llaman el desaparecido
cuando llega ya se ha ido
volando vengo, volando voy
de prisa de prisa rumbo perdido

cuando me buscan yo no estoy
cuando me encuentran yo no soy
el que está enfrente porque
ya he corrido más allá

me dicen el desaparecido
fantasma que nunca está
me dicen el desagradecido
pero eso no es la verdad

yo levo en el cuerpo un dolor
que no me deja respirar
llevo en mi cuerpo una condena
que siempre me echa a caminar

yo llevo en el cuerpo un motor
que nunca deja de rolar
llevo en el alma un camino
destinado a nunca llegar


esta cancion me ha enctantado porque refleja exactamente mis pensamientos y sentidos de ahora.  Me siento atrapado acá y es muy dificil escaparme. 

Ayer, habia un reunion que trato de hacer intercambios.  Asistieron dos profesores, mi padre, y yo.  Salio bastante bien, pero cuando regreso a casa y hablo con mi madre sobre ello, me dijo que es imposible vivir o trabajar en un pais extranjero y que las unicas oportunidades que tendria seria hacer este intercambio.  Temo que me pongan en un pueblo muy pequeño y isolado donde no hay nada que hacer.  Preferiria estar en una ciudad grande con mucha gente.  Dije que pensaba en graduarme un año temprano y viajar a sudamerica para trabajar antes de decidir que quiero hacer con mi vida.  Pero no, solo puedo hacer el intercambio por solo un semestre, y despues tendre que volver a casa y ser un buen estudiante estadounidense.

Estoy harto de este pais.  Tengo que huirme de acá.  

Current Mood: irritated

So I just recently discovered that I like to read.  Who woulda thought???

Here's a list of books I've read since the beginning of summer:

* Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell - Well written and interesting within certain contexts.  Some of the chapters on Spanish leftist politics can get a bit wordy/boring (a fact that the author himself nobly admits), and it is definately NOT a travel book.  Worth reading, though, if you're interested in the time period.
*A Tale of Love and Darkness by Amos Oz - This is an extremely beautiful memoir about growing up in West Jerusalem in the 1940s, surrounded by Russian Tolskoyist intellectuals and finding personal, political, and national identities.  The characters are very colorful and well-drawn, and you find that you can actually remember who he is talking about 400 pages in.  Has some very interesting insights into Jewish history and the Mideast conflict.
*Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling - 'Nough said
*Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling 
*Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
*Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
*Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix by J.K. Rowling
*Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling - (I just finished rereading this today)
*The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway - It was required summer reading for school, but I actually liked it: it was an easy read, engaging story, interesting themes (I convinced my English teacher that it was about Hinduism...)
*Out of this Furnace by Thomas Bell - Another book for school.  Quite similar to The Jungle, which I read last summer on my own, although I personally find depressing Lithuanian meatpackers more interesting than depressing Slovak steelworkers, although that might just be my very humble opinion
*A Separate Peace by John Knowles - Another one for school.  It was well-written and I liked the characters (the setting creeped me out though).  However, as often happens in English class, it was analyzed to death by overly-fruitful discussions (One of my classmates compared the death of one of the main characters under anasthesia to the prophet Elijah's ascendance to heaven - Huh???)
*Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides - Incest, Hermaphrodites, and Greek-Americans = Definition of Intrigue.  Reminded me of Rushdie's Midnight's Children.  Couldn't really put it down.

And now for books that I hope to read in the upcoming weeks:
*The Woman in the Dunes by Kobo Abe 
*The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
*Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
*The Oath by Elie Wiesel

There.  I do deem myself "bookworm".
  

Current Mood: nerdy

It's odd that horrible events often happen on the same day of the year.  9/11 has its own meaning now, and requires no further explanation in order to be understood.  But what else has befallen history on September 11th that no Americans know about, or are even capable of identifying with?

1714 - Surrender of Barcelona to the Spanish during War of the Spanish succession.  Catalunya has not been independent since.

1857 - The Mountain Meadows Massacre, in which Morman militias kill 120 settlers passing through Utah Territory

1973 - Coup in Chile deposes democratically electes socialist prime minister Salvador Allende with General Augusto Pinochet, starting a wave of desaparaciones and purges of progressive and leftist activists.

Current Mood: gloomy

Yet again I have had a one-degree taste of fame.  That is, an aquaintance has of late become quite famous.

Yes, that's right: CTY Carlisle legend George Hotz has become an instant phenomenon by hacking the new Apple iPhone and making it accessible to services other than AT&T.  As I'm practically technologically retarded, I don't really have a clue as to what he did, and I don't really give a shit about iPhones, but what makes me feel crazy is that I know him.  That's right, I have a distinct memory of myself at CAR Session 2 '06 playing cards with him and some other friends before dinner on Upper Quad.  He had the fastest hand in Egyptian Ratscrew that I'd ever seen and he talked in that rapid fire Jersey voice of his about how he had given up on school, and was practically failing everything, despite his amazing skills at math and robotics.

Of course, before this iPhone thing, he was quite famous (at least in a CTY sort of way) for his Carlisle Session 1 '05 "95/2 Theses" fiasco, in which he posted a list of rants about the CTY system and staff around campus early one morning, mimicking 16th century Church reformer Martin Luther.  He got in a fair amount of trouble for it, but it was quite eventful, and frankly, for a newbie like me, rather scandalous.

This serves as an example of surprising success reached by one of my peers.  This could be said to be increasing expectations for other CTY alums and the like, and considering his feat, this could be rather daunting.  However, based on my experiences, I must say that George Hotz, is not the kind of picture-perfect example that our parents all want us to follow.  I mean, he confessed to not giving a shit about school, homework, or the SATs.  He didn't, despte his achievements, get into an extremely famous school (though RIT isn't bad at all).  And this, in the end, sort of makes me feel good, because it proves that one doesn't need to flourish within the system to be considered successful.  I mean, he did trade his hacked iPhone in for a car.

Here's a link to his techie blog, which has more comments than I've ever seen in my life.  I'm soooooo jealous.....

Current Mood: impressed

Today, in Heads Together, before heading over to the disney section...my 6-year-old cousin lingered by the adult movie section for a startling while.  I told him to come over to the Kids movies, that he couldn't go in there.  Yet he just stayed there, demanding to know why.  "It's just one of those things.  You can't go in there."  He was stubborn.  "I don't really want to go in there...I just want to touch the thing."  WTF.  The kid is not getting his hands anywhere near porn while I'm babysitting him, so at this point I start basically draggin him over to pick out a movie.  And then, I realize what it was he wanted to touch:  There was a beaded curtain blocking the porn room, with that picture of Che Guevara on it.  Then came the epiphany.  "Oh right!  We did just see Comrade Turan on the street!"

Current Mood: amused

When I was little, I confused the yiddish words מאַנדל/mandl (almond) with מיידל/meydl (girl).

Thus, I thought for a time that my grandmother's homemade מאַנדלבראָט/mandlbroyt (almond cookies) were girlcookies, and that I, as a boy, could not eat them.  But then I learned the error of my ways, and began eating the mandlbroyt again, which are extremely delicious.

By the way, diz site iz ploymdik fur allez dein yiddisher kheysheks:

http://www.yiddishdictionaryonline.com/

Current Mood: bouncy

movies that I want to see @ filmmakers this month (courtesy of their website):

Aug 3–9 at Harris Theater:
Black Sheep

"...a giddily subversive addition to the cinema tradition of the horror comedy." – Hollywood Reporter

If you liked Shaun of the Dead, you'll love this hilarious County Fair version of a gorefest. When we meet Henry Oldfield (who's terrified of sheep) he's returning to his family's farm to sell out to his brother Angus, unaware that something odd is going on there – namely a reckless genetic engineering program. Environmental activists release a mutant lamb onto the farm, and thousands of sheep turn into bloodthirsty predators. Along with a farmhand and a "green" girl, Henry must find a way to take back control of the farm, defeat an ovine invasion, and save New Zealand's greener pastures. (Jonathan King; New Zealand; 2007; 87 min) 

Aug 5 at Regent Square:
Blazing Saddles

One of Brooks' funniest, least politically-correct films is an unsubtle spoof of all the clichés from the American Western. It may be full of toilet humor and foul language, the characters may be racist and sexist, but you’ll never laugh harder. Stars Gene Wilder, Cleavon Little, Madeline Kahn. (Mel Brooks; 1974; 120 min)

As long as there have been sacred cows to be mocked and ridiculed, anarchic comedy has thrived on the big screen. This is the first of four knee-slappers from four decades. 

Aug 10–16 at Harris Theater:
Into Great Silence

Back by request! The Grande Chartreuse, deep in the French Alps, is one of the most ascetic monasteries in the world. German filmmaker Gröning wrote to the Carthusian order for permission to make a documentary about them. Sixteen years later they agreed. Without crew or artificial lighting he lived in the monks' quarters filming their daily prayers, tasks, rituals and rare outdoor excursions. This transcendent, closely observed film seeks to embody a monastery, rather than simply depict one: it has no score, no voiceover and no archival footage. What remains is stunningly elemental: time, space and light. A mesmerizing and poetic dissolution of the border between screen and audience with a total immersion into the hush of monastic life. (Philip Gröning; Germany; 2006; 162 min) 

Aug 26 at Regent Square:
It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

Spencer Tracy leads an all-star cast in this classic comedy about a dying man who reveals to a random group of travelers where his stolen loot is buried. A wild and wacky chase ensues across California as each in the hapless, hilarious group tries to get there first. “Wonderfully crazy and colorful ... a pretty severe satirizing of money madness and motorized momentum” – NYTimes. Archival 35mm print. (Stanley Kramer; 1963; 154 min)

As long as there have been sacred cows to be mocked and ridiculed, anarchic comedy has thrived on the big screen. This is the last of four knee-slappers from four decades. 


AND ESPECIALLY:

Opens Aug 24 at Harris Theater:
This Is England

It’s the summer of 1983 in northern England. Punks, mods and skinheads are on the rise, but employment is not. Eleven-year-old Shaun has lost his father but seems to find a surrogate family in a band of friendly skinheads. When they’re joined by the older, overtly racist Combo (a deeply impressive Stephen Graham), who’s just out of prison, the tale takes a much darker turn. Yet, even the scariest, most thuggish of these skins is not a caricature. Com is a wounded man on the edge of middle age who feels abandoned by his country and his family. His care for Shaun is genuine even if his expressions of it – like joint outings to terrorize Pakistani shopkeepers – leave something to be desired. (Shane Meadows; UK; 2006; 102 min)

Current Mood: hot

Anoche y anteayer por la noche tuve pesadillas muy graves.  No las tengo a menudo, entonces aquellos sueños me parecen raros.  Voy a intentar a describirlos – en castellano:

La primera pesadilla:

Estaba en mi antigua escuela.  Asistí allí por sólo un mes, más o menos.  No sé por que, pero estaba en esa escuela y era estudiante.  Pero, bueno, no he estado ahí por unos meses, entonces me he olvidado mi horario y donde están las clases.  Eventualmente lo averiguo y llego a las clases.  Pero los profesores me dicen: “No has estado acá.  No eres estudiante nada más.  No vas a sacar ningunas notas buenas en esta clase.”  Después, me doy cuento que si no voy a sacar nocas, no necesito estar en la escuela.  Luego, salgo y empiezo a caminar para mi casa.  Hay mucha nieve.  Encuentro a mi amigo Ryan por la calle (esta es una cosa muy extraña, porque el vive bastante lejos de mí – pero, por lo general, los sueños son muy extraños).  De repente, unos chiquitos del barrio nos acercan y empiezan a tirarnos pelotas de nieve a nosotros.  Jugamos con ellos por un rato; es divertido.  Pero cuando seguimos a caminar, hombres altos y feos corren hacia nosotros y comienzan a lastimarnos y golpearnos.  ¡Tengo muchísimo miedo y me duele todo el cuerpo!  Después, el jefe me pregunta: ¿Sabes cuantos dientes yo he perdido luchando?  No puedo hablar, entonces me levanto cinco dedos.  Se ríe.  “¡Jeje…mi tía Doris ha perdido cinco dientes…yo he perdido cien!”  Luego me prohíbe de hablar nunca más, y dice que si me hablo, me va a cortar la lengua.  Se van y Ryan y yo corremos a mi casa y nos escondemos en el desván (donde estoy ahora…jeje).  De repente, mi padre llegue.  Le cuento de todo lo que nos ha ocurrido.  Me dice que va a llamar al hombre que me golpeó, pero le pido que no le llame.  Tiene el teléfono en la mano, y luego….yo me despierto.

La segunda pesadilla:

Estoy en la cárcel.  No entiendo por que estoy allá pero yo veo que es un lugar terrible.  Duermo en una habitación muy pequeña con cuatro o cinco otros prisioneros.  Se quedan despiertos toda la noche mirando películas de horror.  Sus ojos siempre están abiertos, y me dan mucho miedo.  Una vigilancia entra y le pregunto: “¿Por qué estoy aquí?”  Me responde: “Alguien más hizo un crimen, pero tú tienes que pagar por ello.”  Después, me llevaron arriba, y supe que había una escuela encima de la cárcel.  Fui a una clase donde los alumnos estaban aprendiendo de la historia de México y la Revolución.  Fui abajo, donde preparaban por alguna cena.  Me acuerdo que había dos cosas: hojas de albahaca y un pastel gigante y sabroso.  Cuando veo el pastel, me despierto.

Current Mood: scared