Cute

My friend N sent me this gem. Neither of us know what inspired him to do so, but whatever Muse it was deserves a pay raise.

Blogging Politics'll Be Fun

On that last note, I should probably state for the record that I tend to come down on the conservative side of things and that I tend to prioritize certain concerns about American foreign policy and its role in the Middle East. Current state of mind on that: thoroughly, incredibly, despondently disappointed. Ask me about it in person.

At this time, having followed all the debates and the candidates fairly closely, I can't see myself voting for anybody. I'm really hoping that one of the Republicans sees his way to doing something really impressive over the next year that I can hang my hat on. The chances of that happening are slim though. For the time being, I'm just enjoying the experience of watching this tremendous political theater play out from a DC vantage point. It's like a magic show, but with more smoke and mirrors and sleight of hand.

And in Hillary's case, more plants in the audience.

So... Super Tuesday should indeed be fun but that's currently the extent of my comments on the matter. Should she choose to post a bunch of poltical stuff, J's theories on the world are sure to be more well-reasoned and coherent than my own gibberish, and I'm looking forward to reading that.

Currently I'm lying in bed... still... having recently taken my meds to cure what has become a nearly-permanent illness of one type or another, and a true pain in the ass in general. My theory is that I got a flu immediately following finals, suffered through that for a week and a half, had that evolve into the obligatory follow-up sinus infection, and then somehow had that develop into what the doctors call "pneumonia". So now I'm on bed rest for the next couple of days, which is an easy way to minimize the coughing and thus prevent my taxed ribs from just giving up the good fight and cracking. It's a story I'll tell my grandkids, if I ever stop coughing and hacking and being so incredibly gross that marriage and couplehood seem like real prospects again.

'Gather round, children. Let me tell you about the time I became the poster-child for immunological deficiencies."

And while tangentially referencing marriage and couplehood, lemme just send out best wishes for Refuah Shelaymah to AC and RSC, who seem to be similarly mucousically talented from what I've read over at Small Thoughts.

Breathe well, sleep easy.

Over'n'out.

obama mama

i think the time has come to acknowledge to our readers that i am a raging liberal. i can't believe this hasn't happened yet. i am going to need to get more serious about some political posts as the election season moves forward. right now i'm biting my nails in preparation for super tuesday. i should probably give it a rest so that i actually have some nails left to bite on super tuesday.

oh, and i am definitely working on becoming the next obama girl. tshirt suggestions much appreciated. 55-27....booyah baby.

The Democratic Debate

I'm especially liking the smackdown between Obama and Clinton. They've basically done everything but stoop to 'Yo' Mama' lines.

It must be hard to Stand for Change when you're mud-wrestling.

The Countdown

There is such a long distance to do between now and then, but I can't resist contemplating spending next semester in Israel. And I know that that's past 1) finishing the paper from last semester, 2) getting through this semester, and 3) tackling the shiny summer job in NYC, but I can't seem to hold back the excitement any longer.
Georgetown will soon be announcing the opportunity to study abroad at Hebrew U through a newly-established partnership with the Mount Scopus facility. They're still hammering out the differing schedules, which is why nothing has been announced yet (Israel starts after the chagim, which would present potential problems in aligning the end of the fall semester overseas with the start of the spring semester here). And they only have space for 4-5 students. But I've known about this damned program for months and the anticipation is just starting to bubble. It's been far too long since I've been back. What's really awful is that once I am back, all the whitewashing of the "matzav" that's going on in my brain right now is going to disappear. Probably immediately. And I will miss the DC community very much. But it's primarily that first thing that scares me.
And with that babble finally out on paper, perhaps I should preemptively quash this new habit I'm forming of working to strains Galgalatz in the background. It just may be affecting the quality of my study habits.

hissing fauna...

ah so we are back again and honestly i am quite excited! oh, but i can't wait for it to snow again. this year i went back to california and actually craved snow on the streets which i suppose just shows that i have morphed into a creature of the east. today was pleasantly brisk and as it's not over yet i plan to take advantage of the chill and run to dupont for my little evening with w.

today mcn brought me this cd that i have been yearning for (totally the accurate vocabulary choice) for about a month. but i had been yearning for it based on a couple of particular songs and was not expecting to stumble into something even greater than what i had hoped for, which is really the best present ever. i always write about how i am a sucker for a good song but every once and a while you come across one that just flows through you as if it were part of your person always even before you ever heard it. it is beautiful.

the last two weeks since i have been back have just been so amazing. i feel that i am finally coming out of everything that has happened over the past few months and the world looks incredibly bright -- not that it wasn't bright before, but now it is really shining. i am so so so happy to be in this place with so many wonderful people. and thus far classes are beyond exceeding my expectations, which very much excites me. it's hard to believe this is the last few months that we'll all certainly be in the same place. everyone is really scattering after this semester...

all the more reason to make it the most amazing one yet.

Jewish Law

I joined RBF's Jewish Law class shortly before it was no longer possible to do so. It was a tossup between the other course that I was taking because I thought I should, and then this one (the one that I wanted to take but didn't think would ultimately look useful). Weakness for what I hope will be tons of muttered random Aramaic phrases uttered in the Jesuit-iest institution around finally won out.

The course is actually split between RBF, the top Rabbi of Reform in the US, and another professor that I have yet to look into. We'll see how this plays out, as I'm not entirely sure how a multi-professor, multi-ideological course can really come together. But I've got faith (ba dum bum).

As an update to the post below: we had a good time even though I looked like I was totally suffering. Icing on the cake: going to hug Guy goodbye... and missing him by about two feet (to the left). Good catch, Guy.

By the way, I'm currently in NY. Quite sick, quite working on papers, quite going to miss the first day of school and wondering how the hell I'm going to make it through yet another schedule-intensive semester (though less so than the last one for reasons we'll just refer to as 'lessons learned').

This should be laughably interesting

I'm currently in so much physical pain that I can't walk for more than a few minutes. This has been occurring and gradually worsening for several days. The pain is concentrated in my neck, lower back, and legs and is resistant to all pain-relieving balms we have administered thusfar. Even the 'Extreme' stuff only works for a few minutes at best.

This evening, I'm going on a date-ish type get-together (type, because when you already know the person for a hella long time, it's something of an odd thing to label a 'date'). Perhaps because we've been chums for such a long time, even upon being informed that I am hobbling, hacking, and kvetching like the world's most romantically unappealing geriatric (Leona Helmsley-level), Guy's response was sympathetic, followed by 'can you at least chew?'

Why, yes. Yes I can. Problems solved.

In short, this evening promises to be personally pleasant, yet physically excruciating. Props to Guy - if I had to relish the prospect of taking me out me at the moment, I'd require payment in my weight in the strongest currency going and a guaranteed favorable exchange rate.

Swap exchange, I Law II peeps!

Wow. Wow.... Wow.

These guys are so... damned... good. Click around, buy tickets, whatever. But especially watch the opening video and then listen to their other stuff.


Do you have any idea how hard that is?! They're amazing! The only thing that would make this stuff better is if the cameraman had captured more of the fingerwork. Which he apparently decided wasn't all the important even though... well, that's really all that's important.

More vid here, by the way.

The Happy New Year

Sure to be smoother than the last one, but filled with just as many quality people and experiences. Gotta say, the first day was not so bad. Hope yours was as good as mine, and if it wasn't - well there's always tomorrow, which tends to exceed expectations in one way or another.

To kick off a slight return to relative regularity in these posts: I caught Minnieckey (celverly using a box, a spoon, a rubber band, a spatula and a clear plastic container with a strong zipper) who turned out to be both a Mickey and a Minnie, and released them into the wild. Ojalo que tengan buen suerte, kidlets. The streets of Georgetown don't have nearly as many sweaters of mine to chew as you'd hope.

Anyway - now going back to writing papers and securing America for the common - and the greater - good.

Don't ask.

Just have a good night. Ciao. :-)