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I'm still in problem solving mode. I've done a system restore, and that didn't help. A virus scan came up with zilch. After a thorough scan of both c and d drives, I discovered that there were minor issues, but my poor laptop still likes to shutdown unexpectedly. So, what's the diagnosis? It's a heat issue. Been there, done that. Except, I've already opened up my laptop and cleaned where I dared. Maybe I need to go further?
I'm having uber laptop trouble, so this will be short. For all I know my laptop will shut down before I finish this post. Then I'll have a fit. Sucky.
As of right now I do not know who is responsible for the rapes at Hearst college. I came home and caught up on last week's episode and had many laughs. There was much LoVe angst. I swear if Logan is murdered tonight it will be the end of the world! (not) I have my theories. If it's the sheriff, I'd be sad. His scene on the phone with the "reporter" had me cracking up. I would love to know more about him. Piz is cute, but that's it. I'm not buying the Piz. Weevil, Wallace, and Mac are untouchable. They're also MIA.
Hmm, now that House is over, I really should hit rewind, zoom through Gilmore, and settle down with Veronica Mars. Am I going to cry?
It's my last night in El Paso. The Irish lost, and I had great Mexican food yesterday. Leftovers this morning. I think I've officially tasted the second best tamales in the world. My aunts make the best.
I fly back to SA tomorrow. It's still warm in SA. The air conditioners are still running. It's slightly mad. Then again, as long as the weather stays comfortably cool I really can't complain. Anything is better than the 30's.
Christmas songs have started edging their way on the radio. Not the good kind. The bad ones sung by so-called pop stars with pumped up tunes and doctored vocals. The song is supposed to sound brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Twenty years from now I'm not going to remember it. No one will. I will, however, remember this one:
So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones
The old and the young
{Refrain}
A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Christmas (war is over)
For weak and for strong (if you want it)
For rich and the poor ones
The road is so long
And so happy Christmas
For black and for white
For yellow and red ones
Let's stop all the fight
{Refrain}
And so this is Christmas (war is over)
And what have we done (if you want it)
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so happy Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young
{Refrain}
War is over if you want it
War is over now
Hmm. I love this Lennon song. The arrangement is so pretty, but I had never really paid much attention to the words. I wonder how much rotation this song will get this year.
The game of games is about to begin. The Trojans are about to lose, and I can't be happier. Of course I just ran into a snag today. Mom showed me the form for the bowl tickets, and there's a chance that the Notre Dame team might come to play here. A bowl game in El Paso?! I fly out two days before the bowl game. I may have to change my tickets if that ever happens.
The Irish playing in the formerly titled Sun Bowl. I think I'm baffled.
Game time... Go Irish. BEAT TROJANS. and their stupid song too.
I'm not a fan of Will Ferrell movies. I'm actually not a fan of comedies, period. So when I found out that I was going to be dragged to the new Will Ferrell movie, I went with a sad face. At least I had heard it was good. He was after all acting in a more serious role. This wasn't Saturday Night Live. Emma Thompson can save it. Actually, Emma Thompson rocked in the movie.
I was pleasantly surprised.
I love it when comedians can act. Will Ferrell is no exception. As Harold Crick he's so muted and dull, it's perfect. By the end of the movie I was really caring about whether he would make it out alive. He is after all a figment of Emma Thompson's imagination. Or is he?
Thompson is used sparingly, but her scenes are hilarious. In every book her character has ever written she's killed the protagonist. This time she's having trouble coming up with a suitable death scene, so she keeps imagining all these different situations and places herself in them. The outcome is ingenious.
This was a nice movie. A keeper? Don't know yet. I definitely recommend it.
Note to self: We have not killed each other on Thanksgiving Day, yet.
My family has the Thanksgiving meal in the evening. We were hoping to have it at around 6pm, but nothing goes as planned here, so like clock work, it will probably happen around 7:30 or 8. Two family members are already moaning about missing Ugly Betty.
The menu for this evening is turkey. My mom made this new dish using cranberries and jello that I'm actually curious to try. There will be the usual stuffing (yuck), and yams with marshmellows. I tried making the latter a few weeks ago, and I ended up adding too much pineapple concentrate. Fortunately, no other palettes were harmed in the process.
For now I'm trying to convince my mom to add a simple salad to the menu to balance things out because apart from the food just mentioned, gravy isn't going to cut it. And then there is the pie. For any sweetaholic, tonight would be their type of heaven. I'm just trying to make up my mind.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
The internet connection here in EP town is downright disastrous. Cable has died a few times, and when that happens one brother panics. When it's wireless it's up to me to fix it. That can be rather annoying. It makes me want to have a central line.
What does this all mean? Is this the end of nabloplomo? Um, no. Stubborness is a trait I treasure even if it can be a curse. In the meantime, my fingers are so crossed.
I am now in parent town, and the first thing I was made to do was watch anime courtesy of my brother S. Methinks Karas will be an obsession. I'm not too sure about the other one we watched, since the name escapes me. It's supposed to be based in the same time period as Kenshin, but I never saw that one. I'm ambivalent about this one.
The teaser trailer is up for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. They're growing up. It's kinda cool, but given what happens in the book, it's kinda sad too. I still really want to see this movie.
I'm writing a list. I'm hoping to check it more than twice. If I forget something I know I'm going to regret it.
Isn't anyone bothered by the fact that by the first of November our country becomes a holiday marketing machine, so that every time I hear the slightest hint of a carol it seems more like a gimmick than the promise of family reunions and cheer? I love December. My brother and I see it as a double whammy. We celebrate our birthdays (I'm not thirty, yet!), and then there's Christmas. It's just two weeks of going back and forth and feeling special. Presents or no, I enjoy spending that time with my family, but this country has made this Holiday its plaything. By Friday everything will be ramped up, carols will be blaring on mall speakers, and there will be cutthroat sales all over the place.
Christmas is a time for sharing and spending time with family. Gifts are a part of it, but I miss the days counting down to the new beginnings. Christmas Eve dinner. Red wine and a quiet evening at the table. Opening gifts the next morning and being surprised. Welcoming the New Year a few days later.
What is this holiday supposed to be for you?
The Wolverines lost and the Trojans seem to be waking up. I think they need to fall asleep again. I hope that by tomorrow the sports people will be throwing in ND's name into the pot for the national championship game a bit more should USC falter. If the Trojans don't lose, next week will be a nail-biter.
This morning I was faced with a dilemma. Do I watch the Notre Dame v. Army game, or do I watch the Michigan v. Ohio State game? Home game versus alma mater's mortal enemies? Then again I was born in Michigan. Who am I kidding, I have to support Michigan.
As of right now Michigan just scored a touchdown, but they're still losing. In the meantime, it was a blowout at South Bend. Finally. Except, it was Army. 41-9 is nice.
SPOILERS for tonight's BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
------------------------
Someone is going to get boxed! D'anna is just losing her mind, and the other copies are catching on. I'm just wondering what it all means.
The previews... ohhhhhh... the previews! It's the flashback episode, but why in two weeks. That's going to take forever.
Anyway, I think this was my least favorite episode so far, which doesn't mean it was bad. It just felt slightly contrived. I loved the way the plot mended Adama and Tigh's relationship to the point where they can confide in each other again. The theory that maybe Adama and the Colonials might have started the new war is interesting. Did violating the armistace convince the Cylons to finally strike a year later, or were they already planning on killing the human race? I vaguely remember from the miniseries that 6 had been working on the mainframe for a year, which matches up to this attack. Then again, like Roslin said, the Cylons didn't need a reason.
I just wasn't convinced that Adama would feel so guilty, and act the way he did. He's been so strong lately, so much the voice of reason. Even when he wasn't in his right frame of mind the man would show it with anger or that dreaded mustache. It's difficult to see a man weep, and I don't think he failed to convince me. It's just something about this episode that felt off.
Finally, the music. Baltar's theme was missing this time. Instead we were treated to a mix of the Pegasus leitmotif. The music this season is seriously blowing last season out of the water. I want it now!
Capital One loves to advertise that it's the best credit card company ever. It would never send its customers to Antarctica, or push around small business owners. It will, however, do its best to make sure that no one cancels its services. Discriminating against the deaf, that just doesn't surprise me.
Via Digg.
Couples fantasize about making out in an airplane lavatory. And if they hadn't, well one viewing of Rumor Has It will either be enough to convince the lucky lover of a quickie in that tiny bathroom, or kill that libido as soon as the airlines start passing out photocopies of this article. Of course this happy twosome just couldn't wait to express their carnal love in a more private place.
"Persing was observed nuzzling or kissing Sewell on the neck, and ... with his face pressed against Sewell's vaginal area. During these actions, Sewell was observed smiling," reads the indictment filed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.On a second warning from the flight attendant, Persing snapped back threatening the flight attendant with "serious consequences" if he did not leave them alone.
He was so hot and bothered he just couldn't contain himself! Now they're both charged under the Patriot Act.
Let this be a lesson. Sex on airplanes is bad. It turns ordinary people into terrorists, and that just isn't good.
Via Irish Trojan
Was Bill Piatt a good Dean for St. Mary's University? The bar passage rate is holding steady at nearly 85%, but is this enough. The Express News has another article highlighting Piatt's missteps while barely touching upon his accomplishments. Maybe no balance is possible?
Trust me, this is all so juicy. Put a few of my classmates and I in a room, and this article would be G-rated next to our R.
Illegal immigrants will have a tougher time thriving in a suburb outside of Dallas. Apart from making English it's official language, the town will be imposing fines on landowners and business who cater to illegals.
If illegal immigrants want a better life here in the states, they should at least take the time to learn English.
When I woke up this morning it wasn't pretty. Forget the medusa-like hair (fashion statement, yes), I wanted to rip my nose off and throw it at the tv. Living in San Antonio has made me a newly minted member of Allergies R Us, and I don't like it. Then again, who does.
It was slightly downhill from there. Only slightly because I'm peachy right now, so the day isn't a lost cause. And because this isn't meant to be a whiny entry, I won't dwell on the bad.
Here is a question though for any net savvy people who happen to stumble upon this blawg. Why the surge in comment spam? It's driving me batty. For a moment I thought that's why my install of MT was down, but it was just the server. There also seems to be an overall increase of spam generally. Add that to my list of things to do for the week. Modify spamassassin and write a novel and continue with this, nablopomo.
He was positively scary on screen. He just had that presence. At the same time it also meant that every role he would ever have guaranteed greatness. Not from the movie itself but from the man. This was after all Jack Palance.
I can't believe I'm saying was. Rest in peace.
The episode just opened with a warning. Apparently, it will contain violent and mature content that may not be suitable for some people. So I'm wondering, does this mean that the episode is going to be more intense than the ones earlier in the season? Is that possible? Ha ha, don't mess with Mr. Moore.
Here is the latest world news. Mexico City just passed a law allowing civil unions. Yes, that very same Mexico. Home of the stereotypical macho man who drinks tequila till dawn and expects the wife to have dinner ready every night when he comes home from work. He is the bread winner.
It's a Mexico that is more Americanized than I'd like. There are KFC's, Domino's, and Subway's in the smaller town now. When the taco stands begin to disappear, there will be an uproar. Picture an Irapuato without a Pingüino's or a Furber's. It's too scary to picture. My tongue is welling up with saliva just thinking of that fire roasted meat on real corn tortilla's...
Now it's a Mexico with a capital city that recognizes civil unions. The vote was 43 - 17, and all the members of incoming President Calderon's party disapproved.
La Sociedad en Convivencia la podrán establecer dos personas de diferente o del mismo sexo, que sean mayores de edad, aunque no se podrán apegar a esta figura los parientes consanguíneos en línea recta sin límite de grado o colaterales hasta en cuarto grado.
The law basically states that a civil union can occur between to people of either the opposite or same sex as long as they are of legal age (18 I assume). However, one can't enter into a civil union if it's a parent, brother, sister, uncle, aunt,or a cousin. Fifth cousins are allowed.
SCOTUS heard arguments today on partial-term abortions. Apparently, it was quite a spectacle, yet no one knows how the court will rule because Roberts and Alito have no 'real' caselaw prior to joining the court that might hint as to which way they may lean.
I would love to sit in on an argument, and I'd be interested in reading the transcripts for this one. The only thing that really bothers me is the idiot who disrupted everything. This isn't a church or a circus; it's the Supreme Court. It's downright disrespectful. I hope someone tattoed JESUS on his forehead.
Texans just don't know how to think. They're not all the same. Some can be open-minded. I'm just blown away that Kay Bailey Hutchinson was re-elected. She's owned by the MPAA. Ugh.
The voting site used to be across the street from my apartment. When I logged in this morning to check that it was still going to take place there I was shocked. SHOCKED. The bastards changed it. It's two bus rides away, and only a five minute drive by car.
The bus system in San Antonio really sucks. They just rearranged the schedules this week to improve performance. What I find so fascinating about the whole ordeal is that the people running the schedule changes don't even ride the buses. I really wonder what's in store for January. And because I'm really lazy, and I don't feel like sitting around and waiting for a bus, I'm just going to "walk" to the location. Here's hoping the battery on my scooter doesn't die.
Not long ago Wired had this article containing the shortest short stories. They were 6 words long to be exact, and they were written by today's better known horror, sci-fi, and fantasy writers.
Gown removed carelessly. Head, less so. - Joss WhedonWe kissed. She melted. Mop please!
- James Patrick KellyHeaven falls. Details at eleven.
- Robert JordanStarlet sex scandal. Giant squid involved.
- Margaret Atwood
What Wired failed to realize was the monster they had created. The lovely community at Newsvine decided to try it out, and now there are over 100 more short stories, and they're hysterical.
As if one could watch the internet like tv.
First, for all my law-minded readers, in case you didn't know Crescat Sententia is now a .net. Update your links accordingly. Their former domain name was hijacked and now the new owners are stealing their content and traffic. It's just not acceptable. Seriously, if you link to Will's site then do him a favor and stop linking to the old site. The jerks don't need the traffic.
In other news I'm a raging Democratic with libertarian tendencies.
In other news it rained today.
It's taboo to bring up politics in my household. The parents and one brother lean one way, and my younger brother and I lean the other way. And as viewpoints go, we all think we're right. I guess that's what happens when you grow up in a family with very, very stubborn genetics.
By Tuesday night the election will be over, and saying that I will be overjoyed is an overstatement. Almost every phone call home has some subtle comment from the parent about my affiliation. How could I vote for that person? Why did S. vote for X? Are we nuts? Did we know that X supports murdering children?
Oh my goodness I had no clue that murdering living, breathing children was legal in the United States of America. Then again illegal wiretapping is legal now as well as the temporary cancellation of habeas corpus for would be terrorists who may or may not be Americans.
Hmm.
I haven't decided who to vote for yet. I'm more worried about being able to vote than actually having to make that choice. I don't want a repeat of last time.
Hay veces donde realmente me pregunto ¿porqué cometí este estupidez? Metí la pata. En serio. Entre más grande, más estupida. Y aparte todas mis amigas se están burlando de mí. Ya verán.
I have yet to see the documentary, "Murderball," but apparently it's done wonders for the sport called quad rugby. It's catching on, and now more men and women want to participate. I guess it comes with the thrill of crashing their wheelchairs into each other! What is even funnier is reading that the women are meaner than the men. Nah, really?
I narrowly escaped the spoilers today, and I'm very glad I did. OH FRAK! Just when I think this show has finished with the surprises it moves forward with an other one. There are still ten minutes left, but what I love so far is the Cylon point of view. The way the music changes into a more classical theme to better illustrate Baltar's predicament and the Cylon's distress. I'm wondering if they're using Phillip Glass again.
One thing is certain, the woman in me was quite happy to see a muscular Lee. Yum.
For the last few years it's been almost impossible to enjoy October. Normally I spend the entire month in a growing panic. After all a few short days after my favorite month in the entire world bar results are released, and the last time I put myself through that agony I ended up in the ER with a very. very bad headache.
Migraines are bad.
This time I just felt apathetic. My best friend kept trying to convince me to have a party, and the only thing I could picture was our resulting disappointment of no one showing up and the mess in the end. Not that it would happen, but that it could. It was unshakable, and I'm realizing now that this October was making up for all the last few. It was a breather. Maybe it was giving me a chance to find it again, so that next year I might enjoy it again.
So what did I do? I laid out a bowl full of candy in front of my door, watched scary movies all day, and I ate plenty of Tootsie Rolls. The bowl was still full when I rescued it later that night. No surprise there. I had no clue that the killer in Friday the 13th was that person! How did they come up with the hockey mask? Granted I was switching back and forth between that and Halloween 4.
Next year I think I need to dress up and throw a party.
Bill Piatt will no longer be the Dean of St. Mary's University Law School. Despite having increased the bar passage rate for the university, the school decided not to renew his contract over growing concern in the declining enrollment of minority students and faculty:
Eight years ago, Piatt took the helm of a law school struggling with a spotty reputation for producing graduates who couldn't pass their Texas Bar exams on their first try with promises that pass rates would be a top priority.To Mynor "Eddie" Rodríguez — a 2002 grad who passed the bar exam on his first try — that commitment rang hollow.
"When we (as a class) didn't do too well, he disowned us, which I found offensive because had we done better, I'm sure he would have taken credit," Rodríguez said.
Over his eight-year tenure, Piatt also acquired a reputation — deserved or not — for heavy-handedness and declines in the percentages of minority students and faculty members at the school.
As a proud member of the class of 2003 I can only hope that the new dean will work to strengthen the reputation of the university. Professor Cantu is standing in right now, and he was a wonderful instructor when it came to Torts. He's very smart too. Hopefully they'll let him keep it.
