Brian is in the final 20 for the College Blogging Scholarship! The grand prize is $10,000 and Brian sure could use the money to finish off his degree in Ecology and Evolution.
I strongly urge you to head over to Brian's blog, Laelaps, and take a look at the amazing pieces of writing he has posted there. Brian most definitely deserves this award for the time, effort and energy he has put into bringing us interesting information that is inteligently presented.
There aren't many bloggers whose work I admire more than Brian's. Plus, he's a super-nice guy.
Go vote for him!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
I almost peed my pants but instead I just cried
I fell asleep last night around 10 o'clock with my computer right next to my bed, displaying automatic updates of the electoral map. At 11:30, I woke up and thinking it was much much later, checked the computer, anxiously. The blue-colored swing states were an indicator that Obama had become president-elect (YEAH....UNH....it feels AWESOME to say that!!!). I woke up J and told him the news and then I fell back asleep.
At 12:30 am, McCain's voice blared his concession through my computer speakers. I don't know how that happened...I didn't have any live streaming programs open. It was eerie...but it was beautiful. I do not hate that man, but I am glad that he's out and that the Republican reign is over, for now.
Obama's speech moved me to tears. I am not under and illusion that his election has changed anything, but I have hope for the first time in 8 years (1/3 of my life!!!). He has one hell of a mess to clean up, but his election is a step in the right direction. I feel energized and ready to join in the fight in any way I can.
Sadly, the U.S. hasn't hidden its bigotry. Though we've elected the first black president, we've denied homosexual citizens in Florida, California and Arizona the right to marry. In Arkansas, an initiative has passed (or will pass...it's not close) that bans gay couples from adopting children. This country has taken a big step forward some steps back.
So today I am ecstatic...elated. I have hope and some pride in my country. And I am also deeply saddened and disappointed.
But I'm going to hold on to my hope and allow my sadness and disappointment motivate me, remembering that there's work to do and that it's done through action.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
So that's what they're thinking....
The woman who used the computer in my cubicle before I was hired was a real piece of work. I've heard horror stories about her and I got my job despite her; she did not want someone young and "inexperienced" replacing her and she tried her best to keep me from being hired, indirectly.
She also had some weird internet searches. I know this because she never cleared her search history, and everything she ever typed into the Google search box is still in there.
Today, while I was looking for a good political argument, I typed in "Obama is"... and here's what popped up automatically in the search box:
-Obama is a Muslim
-Obama is the Antichrist
-Obama is a terrorist
-Obama is an arab
-Obama is a socialist
-Obama is an idiot
Ugh. Despite all the fear and hate, there was this, my personal favorite:
-Obama is my homeboy
She also had some weird internet searches. I know this because she never cleared her search history, and everything she ever typed into the Google search box is still in there.
Today, while I was looking for a good political argument, I typed in "Obama is"... and here's what popped up automatically in the search box:
-Obama is a Muslim
-Obama is the Antichrist
-Obama is a terrorist
-Obama is an arab
-Obama is a socialist
-Obama is an idiot
Ugh. Despite all the fear and hate, there was this, my personal favorite:
-Obama is my homeboy
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Friday, October 31, 2008
Eyes are scary, no?
So it's Halloween and that means that I have to do something festive like give out candy or carve pumpkins or something. Except I don't have time for all of that, so I'm going to post a gross picture of an eye. At least, most people seem to think it's gross. I think it is astoundingly cool.
Check this out:
That is my eye!!!...or really my optic nerve.
Notice the little white spot...looks kinda fuzzy? That's Mr. Fuzzle. He's a cotton wool spot, or a nerve-fiber layer infarct. It's often a symptom of diabetes, HIV and hypertension; three things that I have been tested for and that I'm sure I don't have.
I started having weird spots in my vision the other day and I paid a visit to the ophthalmologist. He did all sorts of cool tests and dilated my pupils, which I've never had done before. One of the tests showed two little blind spots in my left eye, besides the normal big-arse blind spot. Upon closer inspection, the doc noticed Mr. Fuzzle.
I need to go to another specialist (I'm kinda confused about this. I thought that the specialist was sorta an "end of the line" thing...) next Friday so they can decide if this is really weird and whether or not I should get some blood work done. I guess most healthy, young adults don't get these...though mine is an isolated one and they usually occur in bunches when some horrible disease is underlying.
Anyway, that's my addition to this crazy holiday. I'll be donning my costume in less than an hour and heading over to a friend's house to see her son's costume and her decorations. Then, it's off to volunteer at the co-op for an hour and then on to Friendly's to have sundaes with J and my friend Franky.
What are you doing tonight?
Check this out:
That is my eye!!!...or really my optic nerve.
Notice the little white spot...looks kinda fuzzy? That's Mr. Fuzzle. He's a cotton wool spot, or a nerve-fiber layer infarct. It's often a symptom of diabetes, HIV and hypertension; three things that I have been tested for and that I'm sure I don't have.
I started having weird spots in my vision the other day and I paid a visit to the ophthalmologist. He did all sorts of cool tests and dilated my pupils, which I've never had done before. One of the tests showed two little blind spots in my left eye, besides the normal big-arse blind spot. Upon closer inspection, the doc noticed Mr. Fuzzle.
I need to go to another specialist (I'm kinda confused about this. I thought that the specialist was sorta an "end of the line" thing...) next Friday so they can decide if this is really weird and whether or not I should get some blood work done. I guess most healthy, young adults don't get these...though mine is an isolated one and they usually occur in bunches when some horrible disease is underlying.
Anyway, that's my addition to this crazy holiday. I'll be donning my costume in less than an hour and heading over to a friend's house to see her son's costume and her decorations. Then, it's off to volunteer at the co-op for an hour and then on to Friendly's to have sundaes with J and my friend Franky.
What are you doing tonight?
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Halloween Teaser
Since J and I have no social lives, we didn't plan on doing anything on Halloween night and consequently didn't bother finding costumes this year.
And then we signed up to do member work at our local co-op, which does a themed costume thingy every year. This year's theme: TV/movie characters.
So, last minute, I rushed out and got us some costumes. I tried mine on today.
It's just about the dorkiest thing I've ever done.
You'll have to wait for pictures.
And then we signed up to do member work at our local co-op, which does a themed costume thingy every year. This year's theme: TV/movie characters.
So, last minute, I rushed out and got us some costumes. I tried mine on today.
It's just about the dorkiest thing I've ever done.
You'll have to wait for pictures.
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The Self-designed Student
- Amanda
- United States
- Fledgling Zoology student with the dream of one day becoming a paleontologist. Nestled in a dinosaur-barren corner of the U.S. with two smelly cats and a beautiful guy named J.
