The Third Year

It was an early Monday morning. The sun had not yet risen. I fell asleep while doing French homework. It was three years ago. But it feels like more.

The hall was silent. The house was silent. The room beside me was silent. It was like that for a week. No footsteps traversing through the house, no signs that another person lived in the house...

No sickly coughing echoing through my house. No, I could not hear the deathly coughing that had plagued our thoughts for months, that had plagued her for years.

That day was silent and it would remain that way. I woke and sat up in bed. And I stared at nothing.

Nothing sounded. There was nothing that triggered my awakening. It was dark. It was quiet. I merely woke up, sat up, and that was that.

Then the silence broke. It was still dark when the phone rang. I instinctively walked into my parents' room. My mother sat up. She knew it too. My father picked up the phone. It was my uncle, my mother's brother, my grandmother's son. He called to inform us, and my father relayed the message to us.

Then I wept. I wept and I slept and that was all I did that day.

Farewell, Mr. Edwards

Edwards Drops Out of Race for President.

Despite your millionaire status and exorbitant haircuts, you have painted yourself well as a man who is dedicated to the middle class. You have endured much hardship, been motivated by something purer than any other candidate, and upheld that promise to remain pure. With all due respect, it was not strategically wise to reject the money from interest groups, but you have made your statement, and it shall stick by you. At least you shall be remembered as a good man while history unfolds before us all.

EDIT: As much as I hate to taint this post, Giuliani has also dropped out of the race and has endorsed McCain.

Florida Primary

Clinton and McCain finish first in Florida!

(I think their ages resonated with the Floridians who voted... hah.)

Congrats to McCain, and hooray for Hillary, but it's really too bad that the DNC has stripped Florida of its delegates. I really hope the penalty is lifted. Michigan carries 156 delegates and Florida carries 210 delegates... and that's a decent amount of delegates.

On another note, I've found it so funny that everyone seems so excited by the idea of a black president, but not a woman president. It would be wonderful if it was because they viewed Hillary as an equal, but judging by all the [irrelevant] criticism she has received, they certainly have NOT ignored the fact that she is a woman. Is America ready for a black president? That depends on how successfully racism has been filtered out of the country. Is America ready for a woman president? No, they just want a good president. Think about her as a woman, and they're all ready to put her down.

No wonder Bill is getting so frustrated. It takes a lot for him to lose his cool. But apparently he's calmed down a bit. Haha...

P.S. Bye-bye, Giuliani. Guess it didn't work out too well after all.

Oh, and I got my voter registration card in the mail today. Next eligible election: Primary Election of 2009... boo.

Tuna Fish Stories

Tuna Fish Stories: The Candidates Spin the Sushi

All I can say is... whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?

Haha, you had me there. I know I'm gullible. So this is a joke, right? Right??

... Ah, just call me gullible then! I still can't stop believing it. It's just so... true!

On a side note, I stumbled upon this short story, titled "The Dandelion Girl" by Robert F. Young. It's a little long, but if you take the time to read it, I think you'll find that it's quite nice.

S.C. Primary

Obama Wins South Carolina Primary

You know, I find it interesting how a candidate who speaks of uniting the American people is undoubtedly dividing America by - you guessed it - race. I know the Clintons have the support of many blacks and African Americans, Bill Clinton labeled as "the first black president," but come on, I think everyone knew that the outcome was going to be fairly obvious.

Oh, I'm also getting sick of what CNN calls, "jumping on the Obama bandwagon." Apparently, even though I haven't seen the article on the NYTimes yet, Caroline Kennedy has just endorsed Obama. How meticulous of them. Vicious, really. Manage to get her down on one knee and they spit on her. I mean, I admit I'm not following this obsessively, and maybe it just so happens that when a candidate wins a primary/caucus a subsequent endorsement makes the news, but I just feel like when something bad happens to Hillary, there is always something there to make it worse. It's clever, yes, but I just think these double attacks are so cruel. But I guess that's the game of politics, n'est pas?

And about the NYTimes endorsement, since I just found this article while trying to research the candidate endorsements, I just want to say that I can knock down every one of those arguments:

A) Black was particularly upset over newspaper editorial boards' endorsement policies, and wondered why people can't be left to make a decision on their own.

Um, do you know how many endorsements there have been? There weren't any overt complaints when Oprah endorsed Obama (and Oprah is a hell more influential than the NYTimes will ever be). Besides, even though endorsements are meant to influence others, it's still up to the person and his or her values to decide for whom to vote. People, especially those who read the NYTimes, are NOT going to simply vote for Hillary merely because the editorial board has chosen to endorse her, yourself a clear example. Endorsements are a way to voice one's opinion, and this is the NYTimes's opinion, one that should be respected like any other.

Oh, and the whole burning your socks thing? Yeah, a little extreme, don't you think? Just a little, of course.

B) "I can't describe the disillusionment I feel from reading the Times endorsement of Clinton," Kress wrote from Austin, Texas. "The primary reason was her 'experience' which the editorial failed to delineate.

Well, yeah. The NYTimes must assume that their readers have at least some awareness of the world. Who really doesn't know that Hillary Clinton is the most experienced out of all the candidates? Why do you think Obama runs under the facade of change? He's acknowledged her experience himself, and has been attempting to counter it. Where have you been this past decade or two? Under a rock?

C) "Further, the editorial made clear that the divisiveness of the Clintons would have to end in order to not to damage the Democratic party. With that, it basically stated that there was not much difference with the Obama campaign and gave much credit to Obama for his call for unity and the inspiration he has brought to the race."

I really don't understand that flow of logic, but anyway... Along party lines, there hardly ever is a difference between what candidates promise and want. And the credit to Obama? Doesn't that just prove that the NYTimes has attempted to make a very informed decision, and that it attempts to address all options? Way to weaken your own argument, Sweetie.

Sigh... Anyway, on to Super Tuesday! While nearly the entire nation votes, I'll be stuck somewhere explaining the potential of nanofibers in administering anthrax vaccine.

Yeah, at least I'll have my soul back from ISR (my science research group) soon...

P.S. As my coworkers put it... SECOND-TERM SENIOR, BABY!

NYTimes Primary Choices

The New York Times editorial board endorses Hillary Clinton and John McCain as their respective parties nominees.

I wholeheartedly agree (even though I think McCain is REALLY old), but then I wonder if reading the NYTimes (and I only read the NYTimes) is what influenced me in the first place. Because honestly, I admit I don't know much about the candidates' stands on issues or their histories, and that I'm just going on how well I think each could carry out their respective agendas. Yes, that's important, but I know I'm not that well-informed.

Didn't know Romney wasn't keeping his promises though. Not that it matters since I probably wouldn't vote for a Republican in this election... Not that it matters since I can't vote period.

Ah, the woe of having a late birthday.

And the woe of A.P. Biology, my midterm for which is tomorrow and I'm not prepared at all, as evidenced by the fact that I'm blogging right after returning from a study session with friends that made me realize that I don't know shit.

Sushi Warning

High Mercury Levels Are Found in Tuna Sushi

Oh, sh--.

Ah... and it really doesn't help that the picture of it looks so perfect and delicious either.

But yeah, so if you're weird and eat sushi like I do, please be mindful.

(Especially you, FatMan.)

On a side note, I seem to be doing everything in my power to avoid writing my English essays, studying for my biology midterm, or working on my science research presentation. Is this senioritis?

Thirty Ways of Looking at Hillary

Candidate Clinton Scrutinized by Women

"The 24/7 replaying of that [crying] moment on cable television also reminds us how relentlessly Mrs. Clinton has been dissected, deconstructed and decoded over the years: by now her marriage, her hair, her pantsuits, her voice and her laugh have been more minutely anatomized than her voting record on Iraq, her (mis-)handling of health care during her husband’s administration or her stands on Iran, Social Security and immigration. This willful focus on the personal is underscored by “Thirty Ways of Looking at Hillary,” an intriguing but highly uneven anthology of reflections about Mrs. Clinton by a spectrum of well-known female writers."

An EXCELLENT article (or really, a book review). Thank you, Ms. Kakutani, for recognizing the bias both in this book and throughout all the media. I'm glad someone has addressed it in such a concise manner.

I must admit though, it's that type of feminism, criticism, and hypocrisy that renders me ashamed of my own gender.

Nevada (and South Carolina)

Woohoo!

Hillary wins again! As does Romney, while McCain wins in South Carolina.

Not liking how Huckabee is in a close second with McCain, but at least Romney essentially plowed through the competition in Nevada.

Oh, you Republicans... will we ever have a clear idea of who your nominee will be?

Loving how Hillary has defeated Obama though. Sorry, Mr. Edwards.

Well, onto South Carolina and Florida. Then... Super Tuesday! (I love saying that, by the way.)

Talk about front-loading... though doing so has seemed to upset the RNC and DNC enough to strip states of their delegates. I wonder how that's going to work out in the end.

Cutting the String

Two midterms down. Two (one of which I can't really study for) to go.

Plus I just went to Cheesecake Factory with some of the best people in the world.

Farfalle with Chicken and Roasted Garlic.

And Tres Leches Cheesecake (with strawberries and the usual whipped cream) for dessert.

One day I'll actually remember to take a picture, but anyway I highly recommend both. The farfalle was absolutely delicious and if you're looking for something light[er], the Tres Leches cheesecake is definitely one to try.

Disappointment

So it would have been great if I, you know, actually won Intel. I could have called up Penn, give them a ring, be like "Hey, guess what? Remember me? Well I was kind of just named a semi-finalist in the Intel Competition. Accept me now, please?"

Oh, but life can't be that simple can it?

Two winners out of nine entrants from my school. What a sucky success rate.

Now what have I worked for? What can I hope to achieve now?

And if I don't get into a college I actually want to go to, I really am going to cry. Will I ever get into Penn now?

Sigh... Another knot in a string of bad news...

Hey, Life? You listening? Yeah, can you stop being such a bitch now? I really don't appreciate it. And actually, neither do my friends. Yeah, we mind. A lot. Thanks.

Michigan Primary

Less exciting but...

Hillary wins, of course. Romney has also won.

No surprise for Hillary, especially since Obama and Edwards withdrew their names from the ballot. I just hope the penalty is lifted and that Michigan's delegates will be able to attend the national convention.

As for the Republicans, Romney's win really deepens the hole from which the nominee will be picked. This only prevents anyone from making any real prediction about who the nominee will be, something I'm sure the Democrats are having a little field day over.

Now off to study for A.P. Gov... hooray, not.

P.S. I like this little primary/caucus organizer a lot.

On A Whim

Yeah so... I probably just did one of the most random and spontaneous things I have ever consciously decided to do.

Well, it all began when we finished our work early for once. Now, FatMan and I already showed up later to work than we usually do (around 3:00 instead of 2:30 or 2:45) as he had his car for once (already an unordinary event), however, the five of us were done by 3:45 or so.

So my coworker suggests we all get crêpes.

Yes, crêpes. Random, yes.

So after a failed attempt to leave work early (followed by an hour of mindless busywork), we all leave together at 5:00 and seek out this coveted crêperie my coworker so desperately wishes to go to. Why we all agreed to this is beyond me, though perhaps I did have an underlying urge to try these crêpes my coworker spoke so highly of. So FatMan parks on the busy street far away from the crêperie since my coworker (who was driving his own car with another coworker) failed to specify where this place actually was. So we park, we walk, we meet up with them, then we walk some more. We're cold, but he says we're almost there. Then he stops.

I looked around, but I didn't see anything. Why? Because the lights were off? Why? Because they were closed.

Yeah. Good job.

But instead of just parting ways, we walk past a Greek and Mediterranean restaurant, and you know what we decide to do? We decide to have dinner. So we sit down, we order (delicious, delicious veal souvlaki-pita for FatMan and myself, and I also tried some of his grape leaves which I must say are an acquired taste), we chat.

But I couldn't help but think that somehow... being there was extremely wrong.

And indeed, my coworker (the one with FatMan and me) was in trouble with her mother, FatMan got fatter, and I still haven't studied for my A.P. Calculus midterm, which is - you guessed it - tomorrow!

I had a good time, but that only means that there's suffering to come...

Though that veal souvlaki-pita was pretty damn good, I must admit.

Distortion

Clinton and Obama Spar Over Remark About Dr. King

Again! How frustrating! Leave it to the media to blow anything up that concerns Hillary!

If Obama wasn't black, no one would have said ANYTHING. But alas, he is, and as much as everyone is claiming that it isn't a factor in their opinions, the truth is that it undeniably is!

I understand that she's the national frontrunner. But if you're going to scrutinize her, at least look at the other candidates in the same light. She isn't saying incredibly hurtful or erroneous things. People are just twisting her words as they like.

And all these new political endorsements for Obama? I can't believe they're using this as an excuse. How timely and convenient...

Sigh... People really need to learn to be less defensive. Not everything has a second meaning you know.

Tears and Fears

Oh no! Not ANOTHER 1 AM post! Well, I sort of just woke up about 45 minutes ago, so this is going to have to do...

Tears and Fears

Sent to me by FatMan, and I'm glad he did because I'm glad someone actually addresses this on a wider scale.

"When I think of the way Eleanor Roosevelt was attacked, Geraldine Ferraro was attacked, Bella Abzug was attacked, Nancy Pelosi is attacked, Hillary is attacked, I wonder. I hope like hell to be mistaken. I hope gender doesn't matter. I hope race doesn't matter, but I wonder."

My god. First you criticize Hillary for being too stoic, too unhuman, not empathetic enough with the American people. Then she gets teary-eyed, TEARY-EYED, and the media blows it up and turns it into "Hillary's Breakdown." Even to say that she cried would be an exaggeration. But how absurd can they get?

Hillary's not allowed to get teary-eyed because she's a woman? After blaming her for failing to show any emotion, you're going to call her out and say that she played "the woman's card" merely because for once, she showed you how she was feeling (without even going so far as to cry)? And who cares if it was calculated or not? If anything, she gave you what the American people wanted! And if Obama did the same, you wouldn't assume it was calculated. Even though he's a man, you wouldn't go so far as to call him a wimp.

Don't go on the "Oh, if she's breaking down now, how is she going to handle being President?" track either. If anything, she's probably put up with the most criticism out of any candidate, Democrat or Republican. Sure, she's the national frontrunner, but it certainly wouldn't be the same if she wasn't a woman. Even though Bill Clinton would probably naturally say it anyway, what he's getting upset about is true. The media bombards Hillary unlike any other candidate. She's under constant scrutiny, and most media coverage is more favorable towards other candidates. It's like they're thinking, "How can we knock Hillary down a few notches?"

I don't care what any politician says about this issue, but politics is a game. You can't expect some newcomer to just come out of nowhere and declare that he's going to change everything when he doesn't even know how hard it will be to actually change things. Words inspire, but it is experience that allows a person to maneuver through the world and make things happen. And don't say that you don't trust Hillary. She's never done anything to make you question her integrity. On the other hand, what has Obama done to earn your faith in him?

Change, change, change... Attach a pretty word to your campaign and suddenly you're the only candidate that can bring it? Instead of telling me what you think you can do, why don't you show me? Prove to me that you'll be this "agent of change" that our government "so desperately" desires.

Look, if you don't like a candidate for their views then that's fine. But don't go dragging in extraneous details that mean nothing. You let things like that get in the way, and there will never be the change that America truly needs.


5 AM EDIT (and no I did not go to bed):

P.S. I find this picture highly amusing (from this opinion article about the "polling mistake" in case you're curious).

N.H. Primary

The votes are in!

McCain and Clinton come out on top.

Congrats to McCain, though personally I think he's past his political prime. I'm somewhat comforted, however, to know that Romney is in second place. On the other hand, Giuliani can probably kiss his campaign goodbye now. Nonetheless... Off to the next polls!

All I can say for Hillary is... yessssss.

(I love how this article was originally written about McCain defeating Romney, and then rewritten and refocused on Hillary defeating Obama once the numbers came in.)

Pinnacles of Perfection

As I sat there I realized that I had never seen this before.

I concentrated on the task at hand, but it was difficult to ignore their presence, especially their presence together. As the three of us casually worked by slipping small glass beads into small plastic tubes, their differences became clear.

"Yeah, it's a weird major. I don't really do science anymore. What about you?"

"Biology, molecular and cell. Basic pre-med track."

"Yeah, I don't know. I guess I was just really involved when I was in school."

"I was the complete opposite. When I was in high school I didn't do anything."

Despite being the same age, it became clear that the two really did not know each other, and it felt strange. Sitting there with both of them cast me as a mediator. They seemed to be getting along, but it was amazing how different they were. Or rather, to me, it was amazing how I could admire such different people.

Relaxed. Preppy. An all-American girl.

Spirited. Trendy. Russian by birth.

They pursued different things, both during high school and after, academically and socially. The way they lived their lives was incredibly different. Even the way they spoke was different, one tone peppered with somewhat ditzy mannerisms and the other tinged with a gentle foreign accent.

But I admired both of them. While both were kind, smart, and well-liked, I admired one for her intelligence, athleticism, and sense of civic duty, and the other for her inviting demeanor, gorgeous smile, and sharp fashion sense.

Yet somehow, both seemed to personify perfection. While I have known one for a significantly longer time, I have looked up to both of them since the day we each met. But is that even possible to admire two people for being seemingly perfect? Perfection may exist in the eye of the beholder, but can the beholder have two different views on the matter? I wonder...

What is perfection?

Or does perfection not exist at all?

National Treasure: Book of Secrets

Even though this has been out for two weeks now...


I'll give you two circumstances under which you should see this film:

1) If you liked the first one AND can call yourself a fan.
2) If you're bored.

Why? Because honestly, it's a lot like the first movie. Too alike, and overall even worse. Whereas the first movie was actually rather exciting (in my opinion anyway), this one is lacking in many areas.

PLOT: While perhaps it's a bit more noble this time, the storyline still revolves around Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicholas Cage) and his attempt to clear his family name. A little boring, no? What was even more annoying though was that the FBI realizes there's something fishy going on with the antagonist, but the realization doesn't even matter. What's the point in having your integrity restored if no one is even there to help you?

STORY: As for the story itself, there really isn't anything special about it this time. By this point, the viewers are used to the characters finding and following little clues, and the movie fails to keep the audience on their toes (probably because its lacking the idea of a chase). Despite expanding to an international scale, it is only to a certain extent and the new scenery hardly offers anything truly exciting to the film. Furthermore, I've found that there's quite a lot of distractions in this movie. The actions scenes were a bit too much honestly, and I think the intensity of those few scenes is simply way too great for a movie like this. While it does make decent eye candy, one cannot help but think it pointless and overboard. Also, love between the main characters is okay, but extending that to the protagonist's parents? Actually, I take that back. The relationship between the main characters wasn't even sweet this time around (and like the rest of the movie fails to satisfy the viewer's questions and expectations).

CHARACTERS: Well, I do like the cast. I think they perform wonderfully with each other. Personally, I think Riley Poole (Justin Bartha) could have used a bit more screen time as I think the movie could have used a bit more humor, but I do like the cast when they're together. The villain isn't as fun this time around though. In fact, he invokes a bit of sympathy eventually, which really doesn't do the movie much good in the end.

THE END: Unsatisfying, I must say. I'm not going to spoil it for you, but honestly, there isn't much to spoil. While I wouldn't go as far to say that it's disappointing, it's hardly as exciting and heart-wrenching as the first movie. Riley gets a nice surprise at the end though.

Despite all these setbacks, however, I think this movie is entertaining enough for the bored moviegoer. It desperately lacks closure and the entire movie is laden with used but open-ended plot devices (and can I smell a sequel?), but if you don't care, then maybe this is the movie for you. All I can say is... just don't expect too much.

Rating: 3/5

Picture copyright (c) Disney and whoever else is involved.

Iowa Caucus

So apparently, here are the results.

Huckabee and Obama lead their respective parties.

But you know, after looking at the map, I wonder if Illinois's location to Iowa has anything to do with the way the votes were dispersed. But anyway...

Poor Hillary... close or not, third place is still third place, even if the caucus doesn't have as much as a foreboding effect for Democrats as it does for Republicans. Besides, Bill Clinton didn't even run in the Iowa Caucus, and he still turned out fine, right?

On a side note, my friend and I woke up to a car accident today. I look up and suddenly I see this car spin around. The bus driver said that the car veered off but never came back. It hit a telephone pole which snapped in half, and the driver hopped out, cell phone ready.

Now I originally thought she had taken it out to call 911, but my friend believes she was on her cell phone, in which case I would personally think that she was texting.

I really hope not. But anyway, she was fine. The car didn't go up in flames either, at least as far as I know.

Anyway, although I sort of have this strange urge to stay up and watch the numbers finalize, I think I'm actually going to go to bed now. Seeing as how I already broke most if not all my New Year's semi-resolutions already, I think I can at least go get some rest for my own sake.

Brain Chemical

Brought to my attention by my dear friend, Loo...

Snorting a Brain Chemical Could Replace Sleep

What an idea, eh? Still, I'd be afraid of some weird additional effect that you wouldn't realize until it's too late. Sort of like how they say that even if you could freeze time, you'd still age, so that you'd be 80 when everyone else is still 18, but by that point it would be too late to do anything about it. Like that.

Speaking of which, we had an interesting conversation about Nostradamus at lunch because after talking about the concept of time, we somehow jumped to talking about how the world is going to end in 2012 (as he predicted). But anyway...

And yes, I know I have to stop with these 1 AM posts. And I'm NOT going to bed because I'm still working on homework. What homework, you ask? Calc homework of course. Because Calc is a freaking b

...

The New Year's Cocktail

The New Year's Cocktail: Regret With a Dash of Bitters

Interesting article. Might be worth taking a look at yourself.

On a side note, I don't want to go back to school. But making an attempt to keep to my "resolutions," I will now go to bed (and yes, I still consider this early).

Resolutions

The last five things I did:

1) Wake up at 4:00... PM.
2) Eat lunch (dinner?).
3) Freak out about college apps.
4) Scream and laugh with Kirby on the phone.
5) Eat a piece of cheesecake with a cup of tea.

The first five things I did:

1) "Yay."
2) Drank a glass of Sparkling Cider.
3) Pondered life.
4) Blogged.
5) Went back to doing college apps while waiting for New Years wishes.

Five things I didn't really do the whole year:

1) Go to bed early.
2) Eat healthy.
3) Study.
4) Not procrastinate.
5) Appreciate.

Five things I may do this year:

1) Go to bed earlier... like 1 AM.
2) Control my compulsive eating.
3) Be less of a bitch [and bitch less].
4) Procrastinate less.
5) Get into college.

Three things I will do this year, no matter what:

1) Be happy.
2) Appreciate.
3) Live.

Well there you go.

Happy New Year... hopefully. Haha...

Warm wishes to everyone with hope that your year will be fulfilled with success and joy.