Something Clever

whatsanubian@hotmail.com — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:33:37 GMT

Boy oh boy, I hate Critical Mass.

whatsanubian@hotmail.com — Wed, 27 May 2009 11:38:29 GMT

My 6 kindergarteners are graduating today.

I miss them already.

whatsanubian@hotmail.com — Wed, 20 May 2009 20:13:49 GMT

Also: as of May 15th, I've had this journal for 6 years. What what!

whatsanubian@hotmail.com — Wed, 20 May 2009 17:33:53 GMT

I forwarded a yahoo news story entitled "Being a People Person may be all in your head" to Diane.

I hope she chokes on a donut and dies.

3 things

whatsanubian@hotmail.com — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:21:22 GMT

1. Went to the Cubs game last night. They lost. Oh well.

2. I really like the song "Life is Sweet" by Natalie Merchant.

3. Pretty happy right now.

whatsanubian@hotmail.com — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:02:11 GMT

If I could pick one xkcd that was most suited for me, it would be the newest one.

http://xkcd.com/561/

whatsanubian@hotmail.com — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:10:34 GMT

I think this guy is pro-choice and doesn't know it:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090312/ap_on_go_ot/steele_abortion

whatsanubian@hotmail.com — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 01:28:08 GMT

Last night Rosie slept with us in our bed and I had a dream that we had nine puppies.

DO it!

whatsanubian@hotmail.com — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 03:39:04 GMT

YOU
1. Name:
2. Date of birth:
3. Where you live:
4. What makes you happy:
5. Currently listening/the last thing you listened to:
6. Do you read my journal?:
7. If yes, what makes it especially good or bad?:
8. An interesting fact about you:
9. What do you love at the moment?:
10. Favourite place to spend time:
11. Favourite lyric:
12. The best time of the year:

RECOMMEND
1. A film:
2. A book:
3. A band, a song, or album:

PLUS
1. One thing you like about me:
2. Two things you like about yourself:
3. Look at my friends-list and tell what you like about one of our mutual friends:
4. Put this in your journal so that I can tell you what I like about you.

whatsanubian@hotmail.com — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:06:03 GMT

Yay for Obama!!

Yay for me!! Things are going well.

whatsanubian@hotmail.com — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:25:17 GMT

I really really like the first line in this story--http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081023/people_nm/us_beyonce

Way to go, yahoo news reporter! Now off to the pumpkin farm.

I love this promo...

whatsanubian@hotmail.com — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 10:57:35 GMT

whatsanubian@hotmail.com — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 21:38:18 GMT

Got another phone, same number.

I had a really good day today. Not sure why but I feel really, really happy.

I might get a new student tomorrow. If I do I will have a grand total of 8 kids. This job is so great.

Farm field trip on Thursday, woo! Hopefully the weather will be better than today.

whatsanubian@hotmail.com — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 21:24:41 GMT

My phone fell down the toilet today, damn, damn. Will update when I get another one.

The Wackness

whatsanubian@hotmail.com — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:01:38 GMT

I want to focus some of my writing on what I've thought about movies/TV shows/books, etc., that have been special to me (or not special) for whatever reason. I haven't really given a "review" of anything in quite some time, and usually when I do, it's in the form of a comic and I'm kind of just messing around anyway. So, no messing around right now, here's what I did at 4:30 yesterday.

My decision to go see The Wackness was based on a few different things. This is only the second movie I've gone to see in a theater by myself, the first being Atonement, which I was thoroughly disappointed with. Since then, I’ve been kind of reluctant to go see another movie alone. I’ve been meaning to see The Wackness since it came out on the 3rd, and since I live almost down the street from the Century Theaters on Clark, I figured I might as well take advantage of the fact that I live so close to a movie theater. Since I was running late, I almost ditched it for Gonzo (about Hunter S. Thompson), but I figured if The Wackness sucked, I’d sneak into Gonzo or go home and do something else.

A quick note about Century Theaters: this is a really cool theater attached to not much of a mall, which makes it an even better theater since every time I’ve gone, there haven’t been too many people milling around. Century Theaters also has a really good movie concession stand, especially since they have Kernel Seasons’ popcorn seasonings (Jalapeno is my favorite). Even though it’s a winding walk (more so when you walk back down to the mall’s entrance after the movie), going to Century always makes me feel like I’m going to some kind of private theater reserved just for me and others who just might be cool enough to go.

I wasn’t completely taken with the movie at the very beginning; initially, I thought it was too vocal about the fact that it’s set in 1994. For instance, in the beginning, characters seem to reference current events, celebrities, what have you, a good lot in the first 20 minutes. When a character (Shapiro) says he’s depressed, another character (Squires) asks if it’s “because of Kurt Cobain,” even though Shapiro doesn’t listen to grunge. Shapiro goes to get drugs and his supplier introduces him to the music of Biggie Smalls, in a sequence that felt way too much like, “Holy cow! It’s 1994 and Biggie Smalls is still alive and making music!” Shapiro goes to sell drugs, and the girl he’s selling them to pushes his hair back and tells him he looks like Jason Priestly from 90210. Those three parts, although setting up the fact that it’s 1994, seemed a little too forced.

However, despite this, The Wackness is one of those movies where the rest of the movie makes up for the beginning’s missteps. This movie had three excellent things in it (in this order): Squires (Ben Kingsley), Shapiro (Josh Peck), and the mix tapes. First things first: Squires. No doubts about it, he’s a weird old man, even if he doesn’t like to admit it. For most of the movie, he’s in a loveless marriage, he smokes pot like a pro, and he takes a lot of prescription drugs. Even though he’s by far the silliest character, he’s also the smartest, which kind of reminded me of Royal Tenenbaum from The Royal Tenenbaums, which is probably always going to be one of my favorite films.

The Wackness also reminded me of Igby Goes Down in a lot of ways too, because both are excellent stories about someone “coming of age.” The Wackness is a movie in its own, though. The simplest way I could describe the events of this movie, without giving too much away, is by saying that two people (Squires and Shapiro), capable of great love yet essentially alone, are friends and then go their separate ways. Shapiro appealed to me because of this. One of my favorite things about movies is the rare film that isn’t about two people ending up together; it’s about the rarity of finding someone you can actually call a friend, and the fleeting nature of the relationship that makes you appreciate it all the more. I don’t know whether Shapiro and Squires keep talking after the movie’s over, but the movie isn’t really designed to make you wonder that sort of thing.

Finally, the mix tapes which, to me, were the entire reason why this movie needed to be set in 1994. As much as I hate to admit it, the practice of making a mix tape for someone is obsolete and has been replaced with CD mixes and mp3 mixes, which to me are never as meaningful or as genuine. Mixes are made for different people in the movie, but the only mixes that matter (like the relationships in this movie) are the ones that Shapiro and Squires give to each other. Everything else is one-sided, and nothing else gets reciprocated in that same special way.

The main reason why I enjoyed this movie so thoroughly, and why I consider The Wackness to be the best movie of the summer so far, is because of the movie’s message: with friendship, there is always hope, and you are never truly alone if you have had one good friend. As soon as I finished watching The Wackness, I went home and called my dad to talk about the movie. I told him it was the perfect movie to see alone because it was something I needed to experience all by myself without thinking about who I saw the movie with and if they liked it or not. My dad said he never really considered going to the movies the way I did, as he always watches a movie alone (in his head) regardless of who he sees the movie with, while I always remember who I saw the movie with and what they thought of it, which can influence my opinion on the movie from time to time. It was a good conversation to have because it made me rethink how I watch movies, and the entire experience of The Wackness makes me want to see more movies by myself, even if they won’t move me quite as much as The Wackness did. The Wackness is an incredibly engrossing movie about a time in life when it feels like all hope is lost; it’s amazing because it a movie that is truly about both men, giving them equal importance (while some movies try to do this, one of the main characters usually gets the short end of the stick and it doesn’t work). It’s most amazing because even if you don’t know exactly what happens next, or if Shapiro and Squires ever meet again, when Shapiro flicks his cigarette at the train station, you just know that everything’s going to be alright.

This is where I live?

whatsanubian@hotmail.com — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 18:52:04 GMT

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070929/ap_on_fe_st/odd_stop_means_stop

whatsanubian@hotmail.com — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 02:03:49 GMT

Right now I'm really sore, tired, and I want to play Uno and Kill Doctor Lucky with Mike and his family. And listen to Bad Religion. And just veg out.

More lengthy update to follow, probably tomorrow.

whatsanubian@hotmail.com — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 17:22:28 GMT

Dear Bambi, my car:

I hate you, I hate you, I hate you. Remember in February, when you wouldn't start on the coldest day of the year? I replaced your battery then. Yet here we are in June, and yesterday you wouldn't start on the hottest fucking day in the year. What's with you, man? We used to be good pals. Get better, why don't you.

Love, Brigid

whatsanubian@hotmail.com — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 20:52:57 GMT

I don't know about you guys, but I liked "Planet Terror" a lot better than "Death Proof."

Other than that, Happy Easter.

Things that have cheered me up recently:

whatsanubian@hotmail.com — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 02:04:45 GMT

http://www.hotchickswithdouchebags.com/

"O Valencia!" by The Decemberists

"The District Sleeps Alone" by The Postal Service

"Flathead" by the Fratellis

"It's Not Over Yet" by Klaxons

"Motorcycle Drive By" by Third Eye Blind

"Intervention" by Arcade Fire

"Sound and Vision" by David Bowie

http://youtube.com/watch?v=1dmVU08zVpA

It's not much fun to read my depressed posts. I'm in a rut; besides homework, these are what I've been listening to/looking at/watching to raise my spirits, which have all helped to some extent.

whatsanubian@hotmail.com — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 05:24:56 GMT

http://entertainment.tv.yahoo.com/entnews/ap/20070209/117108426000.html

Yesterday, walking to the bank, my grandfather fell down and broke his wrist. He's getting surgery on Monday to fix it, and he needs surgical screws put into his arm. I'm hoping the screws won't feel really painful for him.

This article is the reason why I worry about my grandfather. Picturing a frail old gentleman screaming in alarm makes me feel so sad.

One minute rant

whatsanubian@hotmail.com — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 21:32:48 GMT

I have taken 2 classes that were essentially the same, but necessary to get a Middle School Endorsement and teach junior high along with elementary school students. I have read nearly the same passages about Piaget, Pavlov, Vygotsky, and Dewey several times for different classes in different textbooks. I have taken the physical education requirement, which was pretty much high school health class all over again. I've listened to boring professor after boring professor. I took a class all about talking about why anyone would want to be a teacher, also pointless. I listened patiently to some dumb administrator talking for 30 minutes about the Conceptual Framework of SXU, another "talking about thinking about teaching" exercise. Now, finally, after almost 3 years of college, it's time for me to apply to be a student teacher. What does it say on the first page of the application? Could it be anything positive, possibly? Maybe, "You're doing the right thing," or "It's so great that you're almost done with this nonsense," perhaps?

"The placement process for clinical practice is a complex, labor-intensive, highly competitive, and often, lengthy one."

As if I didn't already know.

It's maddening!

What do you think?

whatsanubian@hotmail.com — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 00:29:14 GMT

http://www.latimes.com/wireless/avantgo/la-na-stunt3jan03,0,7778280.story

I found this story and thought it was interesting--it really reminded me of working at camp last summer. I can identify with the parents' arguments in keeping their daughter small in order to care for her at home, mainly because heavier people require more assistance than lighter people do when it comes to lifting and personal care. I think the decision doesn't really have to do with the girl's personal dignity, only because when a person cannot think for themselves, parents or guardians make their decisions for them in their best interests, which this decision seems to be.

At camp, I worked with a 52-year-old developmentally disabled woman who was sent away to live in a group home when she was seven because her parents could no longer care for her. She lived in a place full of strangers for the whole of her life, and her parents visited her on weekends. Another woman I worked with, 62, was much more cognizant, and had lived a normal life until her stroke. After the stroke, her mental capacities were severely damaged, and she had to live in a group home as well, which she did not like that much. In an ideal world, group homes are great places and have wonderful, caring people who help the residents live an enjoyable existence. However, because of how little these attendants get paid, and how little money these group homes have, they aren't always the cheeriest places, and I'm sure any parent with a disabled child would rather be able to take care of their kid at home.

Additionally, I talked to a few parents at camp who expressed frustration at having to care for their children--especially girls--once they hit puberty and had more personal care obligations once a month (I'm trying not to gross you out here). Hysterectomies are used in these instances because (like it says in the article) the child has no chance of recovering from their disability, has no intention of having children, and it's just easier. I know the parents said it is not for their convenience, and that is probably true. I do think it's nice they found a way to care for their daughter, but I also think this does make their life more convenient at the same time.

These are just my ideas, they aren't set in stone. I was interested if anyone considered this matter differently. If you do, please comment.

whatsanubian@hotmail.com — Sun, 31 Dec 2006 21:35:13 GMT

Here's to going to Dominick's, buying Bacardi Rum and Captain Morgan Rum, and then going home to have a "rum-off."

Happy New Year!

Holiday fun

whatsanubian@hotmail.com — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 21:24:26 GMT

Since 8 dollars remain in my checking account, my Christmas shopping is done.

Yesterday was Mike's holiday office party, which was pretty boring, but we got to leave early and eat sushi. Still, only at a holiday office party can some old hag make a poorly written speech naming all the different 'teams' of the company. My personal favorite part was the different team members calling out, "Woo!" when their team was mentioned, kind of like lame-ass rock stars.

On the El home, Mike realized at about Halsted that his credit card was at the sushi place, so we waited on the concrete slab for a train back into the city. This turns out to be awesome, since the next train into the city is the Holiday Train! I've wanted to go on this train since I was a kid, and being high makes the experience all the more rewarding. Thank you, Santa, and the Candy Cane elves. Seriously, coolest train ever.