Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Feb 26, 27, 28: Fired Up

Kate Spade collection

Kate Spade collection by bunni711 featuring polka dot jewelry

New addition to the blog: alright, so I'm going to be adding a little something extra to each blog post.  I've been meaning to get around to this for some time (and I really mean awhile!), so I've decided it would be cool to incorporate this idea into my blog posts to help me keep up with it.  Introducing... the word of the day!  So I'm going to pick a new word every day (well, every post), give it's definition, and try to use it in my post.  I don't know if it'll be boring or interesting or whatever, but I think it will be a great way to expand my vocabulary.  So the word of the day is...

Pablum (n.) - bland writing or thinking [The New American Webster Handy College Dictionary]; bland or insipid intellectual fare, entertainment, etc.; pap [Google Dictionary]

I read this word a few days ago and was wondering about it.  Sometimes I hear a new word and repeat it over in my head, so I thought I'd find out what it meant. By the way, this is what "pap" means (I didn't know this, either):  Reading matter or entertainment that is worthless or lacking in substance [Google Dictionary].

Anywho, let's get on with it!  Feb 26: I started 1Q84 last night and I like it.  It's very easy to read and interesting, too.  I'm glad it's not just another example of pablum, like some of the useless pap out there.  (Did you see what I did there?!)  I'm glad it is easy to read, though, because otherwise it would take me absolutely forever to finish and I have other books out from the library that I need to get to eventually.

James and I watched the Oscars tonight.  It was fun watching it together.  I like seeing what people wear and imagining what kind of floofy dress I might wear to the Oscars.  Maybe I'll do a set for the Oscars on Polyvore...  Hugo won a lot of awards, but I was disappointed that The Help didn't win anything (besides Octavia Spencer winning best supporting actress, that is).  I was disappointed when The Artist won best picture because, honestly, it looks like a dumb movie.  I figured the Academy would like it, though, because who would make a silent film in the 2010's?  They just love that kind of pablum, though (I did it again!)  I did think it was really cute that they brought the doggy from the movie with them to the Oscars; he was a pretty cute dog.

Feb 27: Today was a work day.  James is working hard on his labs to get them all finished.  We were supposed to go back to my house today, but he needs more time to finish them.  I told him it was alright with me if we stayed at his house longer so that he could finish everything up.  I finished up the last two quizzes for the class and all I have left to do is the last paper.

I started working more on my idea for the technical writing paper.  I've figured out what kind of research I need to do, so I'm going to find some through the school's research database when I'm at home and print some of it out.  It's easier for me to sift through that sort of thing on a printed page, armed with a highlighter.  I also tried to figure out what I would write in the different sections, so I'm making some progress.  Other than that, I played a fun game of golf solitaire on Kongregate.  It was a little frustrating, though, because the last two levels are pretty hard and I was trying over and over to get 3 stars on each level - with no luck.  I did some reading, too.  The book is pretty good.

Feb 28:  I woke up late again today and I'm starting to feel the oversleeping catch up with me.  It sort of builds up in layers and weighs me down.  After I got up, I read some and tried to beat those two levels of golf solitaire again.  No luck.  It's kind of addicting, but so, so frustrating.  It's nice to take a break, though, and play a game.  James worked most of the day on finishing his labs.  I figured out that I don't have to do my last paper since I already have a 98 in the class.  I'm not sure if it's one of those classes where you have to turn in everything or you get an F, though.  That makes me afraid enough to just write the silly thing.  So I guess I will - tomorrow.

We headed over to my house after James finished his laundry.  I wrote down the setup of the proposal paper from the book before we left so I wouldn't have to take the book with me.  First, we stopped by the library because The Hunger Games finally came in.  Hopefully no one else has it on hold so I can finish 1Q84 first.  My dad started reading it earlier tonight at my recommendation because he said he'd read everything in the house that he was interested in.  I'm already 160 pages into my book.  Like I said, it's pretty good.  I also returned the Isaac Asimov book I got out because I don't think I'm going to read it.  I just wasn't that interested in it in the first place; I got it out before because there wasn't anything else at the library that I wanted to read at the time.

We had homemade beef stroganoff for dinner and I convinced my mom to make Wacky cake for dessert.  I feel bad, though, because James isn't eating any chocolate now because it makes the acid reflux worse.  I really shouldn't eat chocolate in front of him.  : (  Oh, and our refrigerator is making some crazy noises - it sounds like it's on its last leg.  The manager can't come fix it, though, because he's sick.  He might have pneumonia, but I'm not sure.

James and I played some Skip-bo and hung out, plus I read some while he finished up the labs here at the house.  He's really glad to have them all done.  Now I'm just worried about the new classes because I haven't heard anything from one of the professors and the class site is not available on Blackboard yet (the class starts Thursday).  The other class - Computer Assembly and Configuration - is a "work at your own pace" class, so everything is due at the end of the semester.  I have to work week by week on it, though, or I'll never get it done.  I hope James does the same...  That class looks like it's going to be a pain, though.  Lots of command-line stuff and weird graphs.  I don't know.  I don't think I'm going to like it at all.

I just want to mention this whole contraception debate that's going on in Washington right now.  My dad watches political shows everyday and I try to avoid them, but I hear some things from time to time.  I used to be really into politics, but I've since discovered that they are just not worth my time.  There is really no rhyme or reason to politics and I just do not want to hear about them most of the time.  But I'm pretty upset about this contraception thing.  Not only is there a movement against abortion rights - including that ridiculous rule about invasive ultrasounds - but there is also a movement against providing birth control coverage for women through their health care.  I guess I understand what the deal was with exempting religious institutions from providing birth control (I do not agree with it, but I at least understand where they are coming from with that argument), but trying to extend that to all health care providers is a blatant attack on women's rights.  There is just no excuse for it.  The only ulterior motive I can dream up is that they are trying to systematically dismantle the whole healthcare ("Obamacare" - ugh, I hate that word) thing piece by piece.  I guess they're trying to be sneaky, trying to do it under our noses.  I don't know.  I hope that's the reason, because I don't want to think what it would mean otherwise.  You don't have to be a feminist to be upset about this, either.  Millions of women would be affected if their health care providers did not have to cover their birth control.  Even a lot of Catholics use birth control.  It's not a religious issue!  This is about taking away a woman's right to decide the terms on which she is pregnant and has a child.  Simple as that.

I just hope this doesn't go through.  I already don't want to live in a country that considers issues like this.  If it becomes law, I'm really not sure what I'll do.  Fight like hell to repeal, I guess.  I just wish politicians wouldn't masquerade this as a religious issue, but leave it at face value: you are trying to take away my reproductive rights.  Just because you think one way, does not mean I do, too.  So keep your religion, or what you want us to think are religious motivations, out of my government.  It's so sad that politicians use religion the way they do - as a cheap way to get votes and as a mask for pushing their agendas through in government.  I'm over it!

I'll leave you with a nicer thought.  I hope you have a wonderful night!  [Peace, love, and understanding]

Love,
Christen

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