So it seems that Col. Gaddafi--or, as
--has met his proverbial maker. Obviously, most Libyans (and perhaps others in North Africa) are elated at the thought that their former dictator is no longer in any position where he can control their every moment. And, from what the reports are suggesting, one son is dead, and the other is in custody.
I truly hope that all of this is true.
Call me a cynic, but we went through this before with this family a couple of months ago, that 'the reports
What is it about olives?
Just...what is it about them?
I used to hate them until very recently; the brine or cure in which they are placed often either tasted bad to me or really didn't sit well in my stomach. In general, most things that are pickled set my tummy into the duck-and-cover position, unless the balance is so light on the vinegar that it hardly has bite. Sourkraut is a total no-no, and most gardinera mixes (Italian pickled veggies, which are often part of an antipasto sprea
Christmas Eve. This day has a ton of personal memories. Growing up, it was always the day of a ton of food, then church, followed by a light supper and tons of Mom's awesome Christmas cookies. And a very fitful night of sleep, as I really couldn't wait until the morning to open packages.
My bedroom was right next to the living room, where our tree was. My parents had to walk by my room to get there, and had to do so silently as I always have been a light sleeper. When they woke up in th
Human behavior is so incredibly fascinating. And how we deal with pressure is a big fascination for me. I still am trying to understand my own behavior, let alone what others do...and how we all feed off of each others' energy and actions.
In the last week, the 'busy season' of the semester has ended--not only did I have a lot of grading to do, but I had exams to create, final plans to set up for, and general bookkeeping to do. I have a tendency to just bear down and slog through everythi
Well, the interview has passed. And my nerves are infinitely calmer for it, too.
I have spent the last week or so cramming as much Italian grammar as I can...which sounds like a lot of studying. But considering this is mid-semester, and that normally implies a mountain of work, I didn't get to study quite as much as I would have liked. Not to mention that I had no time to go to any conversation groups, so my confidence in my speaking abilities was not exactly bolstered.
I knew that in
On the island of Oahu there is so much to do, so much to see, but the one thing that is a must is to hike the Diamond Head Trail. Diamond Head is a crater from a volcano that blew many thousands of years ago, and is now by far one of the most spectacular views on the island. Sure, it's a bit rocky, and there are quite a few stairs (the US used it as a lookout in WWII), but once you get tot the top it's so worth it.
Today is my first full day here, and I wanted to really start my vacation her
Dun dun dun dun DUN dundun dundun dundun....
In about 90 minutes, I'll start my dissertation defense. So why am I on a computer, you ask? Because I had to print out stuff, and since I have time to kill, I decided to spend it doing something, rather than waiting around nervously.
Oh, I won't be on here long. But it's weird. I'm jittery...not a lot, but a little. Nerves of steel had better show up quick...
Update at 11...or this afternoon, whatever.
Whew. I made it! Well, ok, it's not quite done yet; next week is finals week, and I still have plenty of work to do before I leave for San Antonio and Austin on 4 June, but one class is completely closed for the spring, and the other two will be shortly. I'm telling you, I didn't think I would get so slammed with work.
Just a couple of random musings:
[*]MSNBC is reporting something that I've heard rumors about in some of the publications I get, that more and more 'traditional' 4-ye
For the completely ignorant, there is a vote going on...well, later tonight...regarding the institutionalization of a type of national health care system. To put it mildly, it's a hotly debated topic. We Americans have a very strong sense of "I am my own person"--basically, we are a wee-bit leery of people, particularly big governments, telling us how to live our lives. And yet we also are concerned with the "common good," such that we really don't want our fellow Americans to suffer and we r
*Shuffle into the room*
*Notice tons of dust on the blog*
*Pull out cleaning rag and wipe away dust*
There...that's better
So, uh, yeah, been a bit busy this year. Not that I have a ton of time to maintain this blog currently...and probably won't for another month. But at least I should make an effort, right?
Yeah, I hope so, too.
So, what and/or who has been taking up my time, you ask? Funny, that. In no particular order...
Boyfriend: Ok, that one is in a part
I've come to a realization in life.
Well, more than one, but this is just the latest.
I can multitask very well--indeed, I have all my life. Working in a kitchen, I can have 3 pots going at once and know what's going on. I can even carry on a coversation while doing it. I sing along to whatever music I have filling my domicile while I work in the kitchen or in the garden. In fact, even if there is no electronic device playing music, the music in my head is playing, and I'm singing
I will readily admit it: U2 is perhaps my favorite band, and certainly in my personal Top 5 of music acts who have musically impacted my life.
I was ready to write a blog entry about what's going on in the Eastern Mediterranean and North African, making comparisons with Post-Franco Spain and pondering the future of these newly-freed peoples, and suddenly started playing my entire U2 collection. (iTunes is great for that, doncha know.)
Of course, in doing due diligence, I looked up the v
Anyone who knows me or has been around me quite a bit knows that I'm basically a ball of energy. I can run at a high level for a long, long time. I do my best work in the afternoon and evening, especially when I work-out in the morning; I never go to bed before 11:30pm, and I still wake up refreshed in the morning. But when I crash...look out.
This week has been a difficult one, not because of anything in particular. I know I'm starting to crash, and it's the week before Spring Break. I
There are aspects to summer that everyone can count on. The sweet smell of blooms in the garden. The salty air experienced on a vacation at the coast. Watching lightning bugs flicker in the evening darkness.
For me...I can count on the fact that I'm not just mosquito fodder, but I'm a gormet meal.
Well, I must be...it doesn't matter what I do, I'm bitten. I've yet to find a product, either natural or chemical, which keeps the suckers off of me. I've been offered all sorts of remedie
Being that it's Presidents' Day Weekend, one of the local classic rock stations did a survey of its listeners, asking them to name the iconic song of each president's term from Richard Nixon to Ronald Reagan. The survey was put out there by Greg Kihn, a local (and somewhat mildly nationally-recognized) guitarist and band-leader, who does the morning show on that radio station. Nixon's term was represented by Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze" (appropriate for so many reasons), I forget Ford and Cart
Up until about a week ago, much of the North American continent was in a very gripping Arctic snap--so bad that it was likened to having a hurricane-type pattern of wave after wave of winter storms. Extreme bitter cold, snow measured in feet...yet on the West Coast we had nothing but gorgeous weather. Sunshine, spring-like temps...in February. Not really normal, although it was somewhat, in that we usually have a week or so of warm weather in this second month on the calendar. But not for li
I don't know why, but I love gumbo.
Ok, I know why exactly: it's a stew served with rice...it's a combination of flavors that is captivating. It's both spicy and savory. It's got both pork and chicken...well, ok, my version does, since I can't have any shellfish. A pinch of cayenne, a bit of fil
4 May 2007. That's the defense date. From now until the end of March, I'll be using any time I have that's not spent in the classroom or on the retail floor probably in the library, working furiously to finish my dissertation in full. The pre-defense went well--many comments, mostly that I need to focus more on my topic (I'm too talkative and vague...go figure lol), but my committee gave me very specific details as to how to hone this. But, overall, they liked what I had written so far...and
Here in the States, we have a tradition. It's not the holidays until the Charlie Brown cartoons start.
It starts with "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" for Halloween, but one of my favorite one is "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving". Besides, it sets up a day of football (not footie, mind you...that's a different sport), and this year my Niners are playing in the Har-bowl...the head coaches of both the 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens are brothers Jim and John Harbaugh, respectively, and bo
"So, how are you, really? You sound entirely too stressed. This is not normal." Dad hit the nail on the head, as we were driving to lunch today.
Let's face fact: I'm a creature of habit, as we all are. I'm just one of those creatures who likes to plan ahead, organize as much as possible, so that when the poop pops upward, I know where things are, what can be done, etc. I see it as being prepared, so that I can work a ton and then have plenty of time to relax in between responsibilities
Innit puuuuuuuuuurdy!?
(BTW, to borrow the British expressions...I'm bleeding on Cloud 9, but and completely knackered...but am enjoying some champers to celebrate nonetheless!)
(I can't upload the damned picture, for some stupid reason, but it's in the Gallery: click here)
At 10ish this morning, my phone beeped at me...another news bite from the Associate Press. Thank God I was just walking, and not driving or chopping vegetables when I read this:
Paulson states that the economic crisis is "embarrassing to the United States of America."
The full quote is here (click here for the full article), with the emphasis being mine:
It was an interesting reaction that sprung forth from me as I read that initial news blurb, and then later the article. Fury and
There are certain words in Old Castilian that occur in my dataset which I have traced their etymology...and they are Arabic borrowings. Not unusual at all; because of almost 800 years of Moorish rule, and the close contact between the Romance-speaking Iberians, the Jewish shopkeepers and the Arabic-speaking Moors, there's about 10% of the Spanish, Portuguese, and Catalan vocabularies which is Semitic (mostly Arabic) in origin.
So, I have about 8 words in my dataset which are Arabic in origi
Admittedly, I spend a good chunk of money on shoes, and for good reason. It can be shown that cheap shoes usually are badly made, and aren't worth the money paid for them. And while I may not be a Manolo Blahnik or Jimmy Choo kind of girl, I definitely will drop some change on footwear. This is particularly true for my gym shoes.
No, seriously, it really is a good idea. I mean, think about all the punishment that you're doling out on your feet when in the gym, or going for a good walk
Fellow sports fans, have you ever noticed how a radio or television broadcast of a sporting event can be made or broken solely on the skills and prowess of those calling the game?
There's no question that I learned the game of baseball by listening to Giants' broadcasts on KNBR radio, whether I was at the game or at home. Later, yes, our television announcers fell into greatness, but growing up Hank Greenwald called play-by-play on the radio on our games, plus the national games were called
