In case you haven’t noticed, we’re in crisis mode again. Finals. And stuff like that.
Right.
I’m only writing this blurb because I’m procrastinating studying for a physics final that is in 10 hours. That I haven’t started studying for. YAYFACE!!!!
We’ll be back shortly, in the meantime, please study hard for physics and come take my final for me! =)
Love and some CHOICE verses,
Jinx the pile
Prompt: Presidential Election 2008
Music: My Materials Science professor discussing binary eutectic phase diagrams
And etc: oh callou callay? (3)
I don’t know if you’ve been following the news as closely as I have, but it’s election day is on the horizon so if you didn’t know that Paris Hilton is running for president, you really should pay attention.
Here’s the quick backstory: John McCain created a campaign advertisement that compared Barack Obama to celebrities, such as Paris Hilton, and criticized his energy plan. So Paris puts on a leopard-print swimsuit and some flashy high heels, thanks the “white-haired guy” (McCain) for promoting her as a presidential candidate, and created a hybrid of the McCain and Obama energy plans that actually… might work.
Barack wants to focus on new technologies to cut foreign-oil dependency, and McCain wants offshore drilling. Well, why don’t we do a hybrid of both candidates’ ideas? We can do limited offshore drilling with strict environmental oversight, while creating tax incentives to get Detroit making hybrid and electric cars. That way the offshore drilling carries us until the new technologies kick in, which will then create new jobs and energy independence. Energy crisis solved!!
Sure, the idea has some flaws that need to be ironed out, such as where the hell we’re going to get the money for offshore drilling and tax incentives (oh right, more taxes – my apologies for the cynicism), but it is a really interesting way to combine the ideas of both candidates. We’re already working on new technologies, such as hybrid/fuel-efficient cars and alternative fuel, but it still not cheap enough for everyone. Nobody wants to depend on foreign fuel, so offshore drilling with environmental oversight makes a lot of sense. I don’t really know enough about this topic or the current presidential debate to go too into detail about anything, but that’s just my quick opinion. And I mean hey, Paris gets a lot of airtime, especially with her new hit(?) reality show, “Paris is my new BFF” which my roommate and I get a riot out of whenever it’s on, so she obviously must be popular enough to hold her own in a presidential election! I support this idea, so I’m voting for her because this message is “totally hot.”
So actually, I should probably vote for the creators of funnyordie.com, who actually wrote the script. Hmm… Will Ferrell and Adam McKay leading the country? Well, we’d definitely be in for some HILARIOUS broadcasts! And who knows, I might actually start paying attention to politics!
Teeheehee >:3
Prompt: Voting Absentee?
Music: My Materials Science professor discussing binary eutectic phase diagrams
And etc: on my laptop computer (2)
A few of my thoughts:
Yes on Prop 1A: This is something I’ve been really excited to vote for since I heard about it over the summer. I’ll be the first to tell you that California’s public transportation system isn’t where it should be. In our area, most people drive because it is so much more convenient. However, with rising gas prices (well actually, they’ve fallen recently, but they’re still pretty high) and all the stories about how we’re destroying the planet with greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide emissions, it really is time to find a solution that will revolutionize our transportation system. According to the informational website, expanding the train system will have the smallest environmental impact out of the three main forms of public transportation (trains, airports, and highways) as high-speed trains use 1/3 of the energy required for an airplane trip or 1/5 of the energy required for a car trip. The electrically-powered trains will save 12.7 million barrels of oil per year by the time it is financially self-sustaining in 2030, while decreasing air pollutants and reducing automobile accidents.
And besides, how cool would it be to get on a train in San Jose and get to Los Angeles in half the time it takes to travel from Boston to Troy? And if that sounds oddly specific, it’s because I’ve looked at that route before… multiple times =) If we just focus on the issue of convenience, taking a train will be so much more convenient than the entire process of booking a flight, getting to the airport two hours early to go through a tedious security process, baggage claim, and everything associated with that. Financially, while the flight will be about $97 for a 50 minute trip opposed to $51 for a 2 hours and 9 minute trip, the projected carbon dioxide saved per trip will be about 288 lbs. WOW. And if you’re not convinced, check out this spiffy website, complete with trippy animation!
This is something that is going to happen – it is inevitable, so why not start this project now? It will generate about 160,000 construction-related jobs and 450,000 permanent jobs, which will definitely boost the economy. And the best part – no new taxes. Supposedly =D
(All facts and figures from the CAHSR website)
No on Prop 2: So call me evil, but I stand on the side of voting NO on proposition 2. Prop 2 requires for more humane treatments of certain farm animals, such as the chance to stand up and spread their limbs for a set amount of hours per day, etc. I giggled when I read about that. While this leads to more humane treatments of animals, it will lead to a decrease in supply. And as we learned in our senior economics class, as supply goes down, demand goes up. And when demand increases, the cost will also increase. We are not all going to go vegetarian, so the demand for fresh eggs and meat will not decrease so California will have to turn to another method of meeting this demand, which will lead to importing from other states or across the Mexican border. Hmmm…
No on Prop 4: In my opinion, Prop 4 is heading in the right direction because it is trying to protect underage kids. However, Regina is completely right when she says that girls who are afraid to tell their parents will find more dangerous and illegal ways to get an abortion. This is really dangerous because while they can try and increase the use of protection, it is a fact that the government is not going to be able to do anything to keep minors from having sex. Underage pregnancies will continue to happen, and putting Prop 4 into effect will not protect minors in all cases. If they do not want to go to their parents, and physicians are required to notify the parents, there is no other option but to go to either a sketchy back alley clinic, or practice self-induced abortion. Coat hanger, anyone?
So effectively, Prop 4 will not force the kids to open up to their parents – it may actually drive them to do something dangerous. It’s a nice try in the right direction, but not the best solution.
No on Prop 8: Check out EW’s post here and the comment response by “Inculpatuspuer” because it really puts out a good argument that I 100% agree with. Don’t be intimidated by the length, it is a very very good read that I encourage everyone to look at before they vote if they’re on the fence.
Expanding on a point EW made on the idea of a “traditional marriage” being based on Christian beliefs – I saw “Religilous” when it came out a couple months ago, and one scene I remembered was a crowd protesting against same-sex marriage, holding signs along the lines of “GOD HATES GAYS.” Bill Maher went up and asked one of the protesters why they hated gay people, to which they responded” I don’t hate gays. But God does.” I’m not bashing on religion, as I believe that people can have their own opinions, but when religion becomes a basis for legislation, we need to take a step back and reanalyze the situation. In the end, what is marriage exactly? Are gays that are getting married really bothering anyone? Does it discredit the idea of a traditional marriage? Why are we so resistant to change? Divorce used to be unheard of and now look where we are today – people in some countries (like Portugal) can file for electronic divorces. America is in debt, the planet is dying, and our economy is in the (pardon my language) SHITTER, so why are we making this such a big deal?
When I have more time, I might actually come back and expand in detail on one of these.
Prompt: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Music: 周杰伦 – 不能说的秘密
And etc: come Thursday, chickens (1)
I’ve been thinking about this question since I wrote it a month ago because while it was an easy prompt to write, it’s a difficult one to answer. The best part, however, was when my PDI professor told us that our first analysis essay would be on defining beauty and aesthetics from the standpoint of a designer. Therefore, it narrowed the scope so we were only defining what made an object beautiful, not art and aesthetics as a whole. I’d read parts of it before a couple years back in high school, but been reading segments of Immanuel Kant’s The Critique of Judgment more since Jess mentioned it in Blaze, splendor, symmetry, so while it didn’t have to be a research essay, I included some research that I’d done on the side because I felt it applied. And so, segments of my essay (with editing by Xan and my professor) are below the cut!
A/N: There’s a lot more that I should fix based on some insight that my professor gave me, but I’ve been getting really tired of being behind on posts, so I’m putting this up for now, and maybe fixing it sometime in the near future!
Prompt: Scripting off the soundtrack
Music: Sumin Lee – Tempest
And etc: munches upon the trellis (2)
Whenever I hear this song I picture a scene from an epic movie. I don’t know the plot, but it doesn’t matter because all I see is the camera panning across a vast canyon. Maybe it’s surrounded by mountain and on the right side there is a volcano that is randomly spewing out fireballs are the fast parts in the song. The scene begins with a slow pan of the surrounding landscape, perhaps a tranquil river bending its through the valley, and as the music speeds up the camera starts to follow the river at an increasing pace until it reaches a waterfall, where the slow part at 1:30 slowly directs the viewer’s eye to the top of the waterfall, where the leading actor is standing at the edge of the cliff with his trusty wolf companion.
He is standing there in a a large hunter’s hat, black boots, and a traveler’s cloak, through which an outline of the hilt of a broadsword can be seen. The wolf stands, ears pricked and tail at attention, and howls a tired guttural howl that sounds across the confines of the valley. The hunter’s cloak billows and floats in the wind, in the most cliche sense, as he bends down to pick up a smooth rock. Looking down upon the rock, his brows furrow in thought as he reaches into his mind for a glimpse for a memory from the past. The wolf rests silently on its haunches, looking out into the vast expanse of the valley below. The scars on his hand are old, and his beard is long and grey, though he is young. He has been through many battles, none of which he can recall. In frustration, he crushes the rock into powder, and lets it trickle out from the bottom of his clenched fist. Fireballs explode in the background, lighting up the cloudy skies as the hunter turns away from the cliff and begins to walk back the way from which he came.
And the wolf sits, head cocked for a moment. With a glance back over his shoulder, he stands and follows his companion, knowing that the solution that they had been seeking had not been found, and that the journey is far from over.
Prompt: A picture worth a thousand words
Music: Volkswagen bus syncro commercial ^_^
And etc: sing songs of freshness (3)
I feel like I’ve gone back in the day and receiving my monthly subscription of National Geographic: Kids again. They always had a section where readers could submit captions to their photos and they would publish the best ones. Actually, now that I think about it, I think Highlights totally did that too. But whatever – I was never any good at this, mwahaha!
Picture 1
Left: So babe, what do you think. You and me, until the end of time?
Right: Shut up for a sec, I think I just saw a salmon swim by
Picture 2
Left: What. Are you doing?
Right: Uhm… AIR GUITAR!!!!!!
Picture 3
(reference to The Producers) Adolf, return! OH! I didn’t know you were all named Adolf! GETOFFFF
Picture 4
My wife just gave birth to this hairy MONSTROSITY! Quick! Throw it in the river!
Picture 5
(if you haven’t seen the BEST CAR COMMERCIAL EVER)
Left: Catch it quick! (from prompt)
Right: Cannot! It’s running to fast!
Left: Quick, get in our fuel-injected all wheel drive Volkswagen Bus Syncro!
Yep. I’m still terrible at this -_-
Prompt: Beijing bans dog meat
Music: Family Force 5 – Peachy
And etc: Staz sucks at haiku
I’m not going to lie, Asians eat the STRANGEST things. Basically, if it moves, it’s considered food. And I’m far from being racist – I’m Asian. I worked on a project for a Design, Culture, and Society class last semester where we had to choose an aspect of kitchen culture and present how it has impacted our culture in America today, and my group chose to focus on Asian foods (mainly in Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong). We knew about the dog-eating, bird nest soup (literally, because cave swallow spit was valuable and symbolized longevity), but we were shocked to find out that frog fallopian tubes were an ancient delicacy in China. Okay, that’s just… disgusting.
There are many ancient customs that run along the lines of “if you eat this, you will live longer” etc etc. We may or may not have heard of many Chinese remedies such as “zhong yiao” (smelly black liquid that’s supposed to be good for you) and acupuncture. I have experience both of those at length because i have really terrible allergies, but I don’t know if it actually helped. Acupuncture definitely helped short-term, but I don’t honestly know about long-term. However, the nice thing about Asian medicenes compared to American medicene is that they are more natural. If someone came up to me with a crushed leaf and a pill and told me that they would both help my allergies, I might just stick to the leaf because I don’t know what the pill is going to do to me in the long run. However, If I was dying and I had to choose between an ancient Asian remedy or new technology, I would probably go with the latter just because I know that it has been proven to work and the percentages are high. I’m an engineer at heart – I need to know schematics and test-runs!
I think that China raised even more skeptical glances in the direction of their odd cuisine by banning the dish – my cousin’s boyfriend makes a point of eating the weird delicacies when he visits. For example, when he went to China two years ago, he specifically ordered rat and dog, and when the owner asked him if that was what he really wanted, he insisted upon getting the dish. We are taught as a culture to be open-minded, and it’s not like dog-eating automatically turns you into a dog-killer. I love dogs as much as the next person, but China is so overpopulated that it’s only natural for them to have to resort to unconventional methods of survival. Just hope they don’t become cannibalistic.
Prompt: When did society decide…?
Music: My roommate is watching “Law & Order”
And etc: who reeks of unseasoned limes
It’s always flattering when your friends notice what you wear, but in my opinion, it’s going a little overboard when people start pointing out that you wore the same pair of pants two days ago. I’m the kind of person that changes into something comfortable as soon as I get home (or back to my dorm room, depending where I happen to be) so for example, if I only wore this pair of pants for about three hours and I didn’t really do anything to exert energy and sweat in them, there really isn’t any point in wasting the water to wash them. Also, a lot of my clothes tend to fall apart after I wash them too many times, so if it isn’t dirty at all and smells perfectly fine, it’s going into the “wear again” pile. That doesn’t mean that I don’t wash my clothes, that just means that I’m deriving the maximum utility and full use from them. Am I right?
By the way, that line is what got me into that song in the first place because it took something that I was thinking for a long time and publicly voiced it. I felt more accepted by society =)
That was terribly scattered.
Love and some choice verses,
Jinx “I recycle my pants” FLAIR
