GOOD LORD ITS BEEN A MONTH

Jeez. I am such a bad blogger.

God DAMN my room is so FREAKING messy. I hate this crap!!!!!!!!! My roommates are all leaving to go home on the 16th, and so I will have the house to myself for the 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th. I'm coming home on the 21st. First thing I will do when they all gtfo is CLEAN LIKE A MAD WOMAN. And then I will walk around naked and cook in my underwear. Definitely.

This semester is almost OVER! I can't believe it. I took my religion ("Sin: History of an Idea") final on Friday and I also did the oral part of my french exam... I got 18/20 points!!!! Je suis etudiante francais tres bonne :). I have a 30 page paper due on Monday for US Foreign Policy, and my take-home exam for that class due next Thursday. And next Wednesday I have the written part of my french final.. and then I'm DONE!

I changed my major, too! I am now a communications/journalism major with a MINOR in poli sci! All mass communications majors have to have a minor, and since I am already more than halfway done with poli sci, I stuck with that. I will be a much cuter, more feminine version of Anderson Cooper. (OR Tyra Banks). I'm really happy with it... I think it will be a much better fit. My classes for next semester:

French II
Love and Friendship in Antiquity (It counts for my pre-modern humanities requirement)
International Relations
Social Justice
Intro Mass Comm.
Mass Comm. Writing

Work is also going really well. I am getting REALLY close with some of my coworkers!!!! More than anyone with Desiree, who is probably my soulmate hahaha. Last night she and another coworker, Allie, and I all went downtown and farted around. It was way fun. And fun like... legit fun. Not the kind of like forcing myself to have fun cause it's my only option fun that I have with my Loyola friends. And don't get me wrong... there are some friends at school that I adore!!!! But they are fun to party with, and not much else.

And okay. Yes, I am seeing someone. No, you will not be meeting him anytime soon. No, I'm not sure it's even going to last that long to begin with. Yes, he has a job and goes to school. Yes, he is responsible. Yes, he treats me well. No, you probably would not approve.

:)


I know I am a hard person to shop for for Christmas, so I have tried to come up with as best a list as I could:

Luggage.
MONEY
A coffee maker.
Gift cards to: Urban Outfitters, Sephora, Victoria's Secret, Macy's, WAL-MART. I buy so much crap from Wal-mart.
Books! Like novels. Classics. I am not well-read.
Cool cooking gadgets.
Really strong-smelling candles. Like those Yankee candles.
Big, funky, leather (BUT NOT PATENT), black or brown purses. The bigger, the better.
BROWN Uggs. (Size 9.5) I already have black ones.
A beanie. Not a beret. A legit beanie. Lucky has cute ones.
A chord for my ipod that connects the ipod to the computer so I can upload my songs. I lost mine. :(


Maybe someone should buy me a guitar. Like a cheapy old one. Maybe if I learned guitar I would sing more for y'all.

Black and White polos from Aeropostale, size L. Gay present, I know, but I need them for work.
Nike running shorts (like the zillion pairs Jen has), size L.
Perfume!
A WATER PURIFIER. Like the Brita pitchers that filters your tap water. So I can stop wasting so much damn money on water bottles.
A gift card to Earth Savers - it is a spa that does pedicures/manicures and stuff. I usually need those pretty badly.



So there you go. I don't expect all of those, but it is just to give y'all some ideas! Seriously, and I know this sounds gay and totally ridiculous coming from me, but I am so excited to be in Santa Fe and getting time off from school/work for Christmas, the presents are WAY at the bottom of my list. Plus I am po' as hell so y'alls presents are going to be pretty haggard.

:) Love you guyssssss. And I miss you! Would you rather me bring coffee or tea home for y'all to drink over the holidays?

(PS: good songs to download:
"More Like Her" "Me and Charlie Talking" by Miranda Lambert
"Green Light" by John Legend)

My prospectus

Perhaps one of the biggest problems in United States foreign policy is one of the most overlooked – the war in Iraq. Foreign policy experts are busying themselves with much smaller and more mundane problems, ignoring what has become the cliché. To many, it seems too simple to even be worthy of a solution: the United States, led by George W. Bush, entered into an unprompted war with the nation of Iraq under the guise of fighting terrorism – though the terrorist network whose attack prompted any and all U.S. defensive action was based in Afghanistan, where troops were already instated. However, we are so deeply embedded in the seams of the Iraqi nation-state at this point that there is no simple solution to a simple problem.
In my paper, I plan to examine the true motivation behind the invasion by US troops of Iraq given the president’s reasoning as well as possible foreign policies advantages gained by the invasion. I will also delve into the human struggle of Iraq, and how the troop surge has affected it in either a positive or negative way, involving US foreign aid and what sort of role it has played in the civilian’s lives.
Most importantly, I will look at the biggest problem staring America in the face concerning the war – how to end it. Billions of taxpayer dollars are being spent in what many consider a pointless (and fruitless) war in Iraq, and with the new “bailout bill” on Wall Street, Americans simply cannot afford to keep this going. Many politicians argue that pulling troops at this point would cause a complete breakdown of Iraqi society. Others, in turn, argue that American’s have no place in Iraq in the first place, and demand immediate pulling of troops. Then enters the problem of setting up a democracy in Iraq – is it necessary? Iraqi people democratically voted in Shari’a law, a religious, sexist, and oppressive law form governed by Muslim tradition and leaving little room for traditional western democracy. Do we, as practically a governing nation, instate a democratic government and force it to stick? Do we allow the new Iraqi government to decide for themselves what kind of rule they want to assert? And, if so, doesn’t that defeat the purpose of our occupation to begin with?
My plan is to propose answers to these questions and solutions to these problems. I will make connections and disband others between the war in Iraq and the war in Afghanistan as well as the September 11th attacks on the United States. With a new president on the horizon, a 700 billion dollar bailout bill in Washington, and an economic recession plaguing our nation, one less pointless war is one big hurdle we, as a nation, need to clear.

time on my hands could be time spent with you

HEY FAMILY.

first of all, i wanted to share this with y'all... i made it this morning and it's actually pretty good! if i hadn't made it myself, i probably wouldn't even know there was pumpkin in it...

Weight Watcher peanut butter fudge
Ingredients:
2 cups canned pure pumpkin
1 box Betty Crocker Fudge Brownies Mix (the 18.3-oz. Family Size box)
2 tbsp. Better ‘n Peanut Butter, room temperature (i used reduced fat jif, it was all they had at winn dixie... probably adds a few more calories)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine pumpkin with the brownie mix in a large bowl; stir until smooth (do not add anything else). Spray a small baking pan (8" X 8" work best - no larger!) with nonstick cooking spray and pour in the mixture. Spoon 2 tbsp. of Better ‘n Peanut Butter (room temperature) on top and use a knife to swirl peanut butter around. Cook for approximately 35 minutes. The batter will remain very thick and fudgy, and it should look undercooked. Remove from oven. Cover with aluminum foil and let cool in fridge for a couple of hours. Cut into 36 squares and serve.

Serving Size: 1 piece (approx. 1.3 oz.)
Calories: 63
Fat: 1g
Sodium: 56mg
Carbs: 13.5g
Fiber: 1g
Sugars: 9g
Protein: 1g



This fudge is 1 "point" (weight watchers language) per serving where the fudge we are all familiar with (with the marshmallow cream, etc) is 5 points per serving!!! So you know what that means... 5x the fudge to eat!!! :P


Anyway. I am still trying to become a "runner", and I've been doing okay! I can run about 3/4th of a mile without stopping.. and it takes me like 12 minutes hahaha. I walk faster than I run. But its definitely a better workout... really gets my heart pumping! Other than that... stuff is fine. juuust mighty peachy. I'm ready for CHRISTMAS!

ALSO

there was a halloween party last night.

photos:

who says you can't go home?

i'm going HOME TODAY!!!!!! :) i'm leaving in like... 4 and a half hours! AHHHH!!!!!!! I'm so excited.

I got some more picture from this summer at Kickapoo Kamp:

it is 63 degrees outside!!!! :)

I'm so sorry - I'm the worst blogger in history.
Things are going good. Toga party this friday!!!!!!! I cannot WAIT. How cliche of me. Also "Undertakers Cotillion" next Thursday - both hosted by my faaaavorite fraternity, Sigma Alpha Kappa. BFFs. It will be fun.

Speaking of greek...

IIIII am getting initiated into PI SIGMA ALPHA this spring!!!!!!
And okay. No. PSA is not like a sorority. It's the Political Science Honors Fraternity.

But still. You KNOW that's gonna look awesome on my resume.

8 days til I come HOME. I can't wait - I need a weekend of R&R! I am working my TAIL off. I worked like 37 hours last week... That's abnormal, I begged for extra hours because I am taking so much time off this week and next, but still. I was POOPED.

I had a french test yesterday, and I'm pretyyyyyy sure I got a 100. If not, I DEFINITELY got an A... if she takes off points for missed accents and stuff. I didn't have a single midterm. That was a weird... stress-free feeling. Definitely nice.

I'm such a terrible roommate. I am like BLARING really annoying Irish punk rock cause it helps me wake up... but i'm pretty sure Lindsay and Jack are still asleep.

Oh well. I hate them. Hahahahahaha.


OOOOH. AND. I VOTED FOR PRESIDENT LAST NIGHT!!!!!! :) absentee voting. I got a little choked up!!!!! I even shed a tear or two. Now it's time to just hold on and wait for November 4.

(PS: Ralph Nader is running again. WTF? Seriously. Give up.)

The shit hole I live in.

(and i'll have you know, not ONE of the messes in these pictures is mine. i have talked to them REPEATEDLY, and this is what i'm left with.)















PS: I thought you'd like to see me in my work uniform. I rock it. :)

you can't return, you can only look behind from where you came

I am in such a bizarre mood today. I feel completely lazy and unfocused and surly... I think it is just cause my day started out badly when I went to the bank and couldn't get my cash checked because they are an establishment of sons of bitches. Whateverrrrrrrrrr. I need to just go sit outside and soak up the weather and remember that today is a GOOD day. Hahaha. I'd go work out but I just showered and I don't want to do that again.

Work is still going great - freakin LOVE that job. :) And the tips aren't too bad either!

I have to work tomorrow morning from 5:45 - 1:00, that's going to SERIOUSLY suck. But I will never have to open ever again hahaha.

I am officially coming home on the 17th! I'm really excited. I don't think I'm even going to tell any of my friends I'm home, cause I don't want to make promises I can't keep when I get home and decide I'd rather spend the weekend with mom and dad.

As soon as I get this money situation figured out, I'm gonna start adding like $20 a paycheck to my new savings account. I think that I will be really glad I did that.

I am also talking to a new guy... We're JUST talking at this point, and I have no clue where it will go... but he is definitely someone y'all would approve of. :) He and I may hang out later.

Ok, sorry my life is boring and there is not much to update on! I am looking sooo forward to Christmas in Santa Fe... I REALLLLLLLLLLYYYYYYY hope it snows!!!! AHHH that would make my Christmas! And I can bring my fur boots and have a legit reason to wear them. :) I can't wait! (and hopefully byt hen I will have raked up enough cashola to buy everyone like cool presents from the french quarter.)

LOVE

i wear my sunglasses at night

SERIOUSLY.

11:20-12:30 on my Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays is the most boring time EVER. I don't have class and everyone else does so I am like wandering campus by myself. It'd be pointless to go home for like 20 minutes so I just stay here. BORING.

I don't know if this is a hypochondriacal manifestation, but I think I might be getting sick. Jack (oh, you know, my third roommate who doesn't pay rent? That's the one.) just got over this terrible virus... Though I think it has a lot more to do with the fact that he and his disgusting girlfriends are PIGS and let their dishes sit and fester in tepid water for DAYS before HAND WASHING THEM... because it would take too much GD energy to bend down and put them in the dishwasher... which only SANITIZES your plates. Why would anyone go to THAT trouble?! Oi vey. Regardless, I have been feeling just a little out of it and under the weather lately... Maybe I am just running myself ragged. I'll try and take a load off this afternoon, I get done with school at 1:20 and I don't have work. OOOOH, maybe I'll go to the river. Fun. It is so beautiful outside! (Ahem... this is GOD'S COUNTRY.)

By the way, weight watchers has been going well. So far I've lost 4.8 lbs!!! I hope that I at least lost .2 this week because I really want to hit that 5lb mark... but I'm not sure. I've been trying, but I have not worked out much this week and I've been eating whatever is handy since I'm on the go so much. (Plus free coffee really is not helping. I'm going to start making my own drinks with nonfat milk. Sound good?)

I am wanting to come home Oct 17-19 just for a weekend... Check your calendars. :)

my first mini-paper of the year

Melanie Ziems
Due September 24, 2008
Paper #1
Aristotle’s Question of Human Function
Word Count: 536

Thesis: In this paper, I plan to explore Aristotle’s classic question of the human function: does the carpenter have a function but the human have none?

Introduction: The question of human function is infinite. In the time of Homer, man was recognized as “good” or “bad” by how well he performed his function – generally, his occupation. However, as humanity grew to encompass much more than a career as their defining factors, the question of their quality began to grow much further past the boundaries of their “nine-to-five”.

Reflection: So, then, what are we defined by? Are we defined by anything outside of our occupational function? Aristotle questioned this with the classic question of the carpenter versus the human. Take that for example: In the workplace, a carpenter is judged by the quality of his work, the efficiency of his time, the amount of money he is able to make in a given day. As with any job, however, there comes a time in the day when the job ends and is met with the rest of life: family, friends, social obligations, a home, etc. Parents are often found to say that their function is as a mother or father. They judge themselves (and are presumably judged by others) based on their relationship with a child, the amount of care they give them, or the child’s general well-being. To an extent, is being a parent just another job?
It is becoming more and more clear that, to this day, we are judged by how well we perform our job functions. However, do not be mistaken in assuming a “job”, in this sense, is only one which provides a paycheck. Humans are bestowed with many “roles” in their life. For example, a young woman may have the roles of a student in the morning, a receptionist in the afternoon, a girlfriend in the evenings, a roommate, a daughter, a sister, a cousin, a best friend. She is judged by her grades, her paycheck, her relationships – all results of how well of a job she is able to do in each of her many roles. It has become tripe and cliché to assert that following the path to one’s happiness is the best way to judge them, because it is such an obscure final goal that involves much transcendence in the process. Yet, in our western society, it becomes to easy to reject the idea of judging anyone – much less based on something as trivial as who they are to someone else (as opposed to who they are to themselves). It is natural to determine if one is “good” or not by their performance of their many “jobs”, and, beyond that, it is not nearly as detrimental as preached in grade school. In the same was as no two people are able to see the same object from the exact same point of view, no two individuals are able to see the insights of another human – only how that person portrays themselves to others. In that sense, judging someone’s worth by their functionality is probably a pretty good bet.

lips like sugar cane

SO. I'm sorry I don't update much, there just isn't much exciting going on. I'm a little run down and just really needing some sleep... I almost feel like I'm getting a cold? But I have all of tomorrow off and I only work 12-5 on Sunday, so I'm going to focus on just getting organized and getting my stuff together so I can relax. I'm just a little all over the place right now. But I'm gonna get it all together this weekend.

I really just need to go buy a case of water. Cause I'm feeling all headachey and I can't keep stealing Lindsay's water haha.

PS: Worst day of my life: working til 10 when the new season of Law and Order: SVU starts that day from 9-10. Breaks my heart.

goodbye, you were good, but not good enough

I am in such a fabulous mood today (though I'm not sure why... my head kind of hurts!)

OH. i bet I know why.

I got up early this morning and ran/walked a mile. it was easier this time than last time. I ran more. Just a little bit more. But more is more. I bet that's why I'm in a good mood. And it is a BEAUTIFUL day outside! Like no joke... clear skies, a little breeze, about 78 degrees, and totally not at all humid. It's lahhvley. I even turned off my a/c and opened my bedroom window.. miracle of miracles.

I have been looking into study abroad stuff since Jen went to Switzerland and had such a great time, and last night I hit the jackpot...

SOUTH AFRICA

at the University of Stellenbosch
http://www.sun.ac.za/

like... how COOL would that be?!?!i think the only hard part would be the language barrier, but it is an Afrikaaner / English school, so maybe it is do-able. I just think it'd be such an adventure!!!!!! That'd be worthy of a whole new blog: Melanie Ziems: The African Chronicles.


Anyway. Work is going GREAT - i'm officially a barista now, no more training (whew), so that's exciting. I need to figure out when I'm going to Santa Fe for Christmas (COUGH COUGH... PARENTS... GRANDPARENTS... IF ANYONE WANTS TO FILL ME IN...) so I can figure out time off... And I guess Thanksgiving too, but that's really more of my call... jeez, that's the first time I'm going home. (My PARENTS are haters and poo-pooed the idea of me coming home to vote, so I applied for my absentee ballot... they're just using that to hide their pure disdain for me as a human and keeping me gone as long as reasonably possible) How many days away is that? Let's see, it's Sept. 16th... 72 days. Well probably morel ike 71 or 70 cause i'm sure I won't be driving home ON thanksgiving... Sheesh. Time flies when you're having fun!

We don't have a fall break this semester because we got that whole week off for Hurrican't Gustav. Which is crappy... could have racked up major work hours that week without being busy with school work. The professors are all being really cool though, since we're all like 2 weeks behind because of storm stuff (we had classes cancelled last Friday as well because of tropical storm weather from Ike).

The boys downstairs found a freaking pit bull and are keeping it. Gross. Pit bulls are so disgusting. Je n'aime pas.

Ok. I need to clean. I started my laundry later than I thought I would so it's going to be like sitting in the drier while I'm in class and it's all my work clothes... gross, they're going to be wrinkled. Annoying. Whatever. Something tells me I'll get away with it :P

OH. And yesterday this ho I work with (like seriously the ONLY one I don't like, and I really don't dislike her, I just like her less than everyone else) told me I had to take my nails off cause they're not real and might fall off. I'm like... you would have to take a sledgehammer to these to get them off... it's not like I got Sally Hansen press on nails, I spend good money on these. If it were ME as a customer, I would appreciate someone with a nice manicure cause it shows they are clean and take care of themselves.

But my manager said I could keep them. Me: 1. Bitchy coworker with no sense of personal pride: 0.

centennial post!!!!!

this is my 100th post. too bad i have to make it short; i need to leave for work in 5 minutes.

i am doing great... school is a pain in the butt but i'm staying on top of everything.

im getting excited about life. :)

malo, malo, thanks be to god

Happy hump day!

Speaking of humping...

Hurricane Ike is about to rape the crap out of Houston. :(

I mean I'm glad its not coming here and stuff of course... but still. Can't it go to Mexico? It's not like anyone even LIKES Mexico, much less gives a crap if it floods a little.

(Sorry, Papa)

Anyway. I'm getting back into the swing of things... still absolutely LOVING my job... I work about 20 hours a week. I also applied for Student Ambassadors... its like the students who give campus tours and answer admission phone calls and stuff... I think it would be really fun. Plus great on my resume. Hopefully CLC will be starting again soon, and I want to join LUCAP (Loyola University Community Action Program)... So things are going to be getting pretty busy (and I couldn't be happier!)

Today we had one hell of a debate in my European and Comparative Gov't class... Since it's 9/11, we just stuck to the war in Iraq... and there are some DAMN FOOLS in that class. This one guy was like, "Well, we have to give Bush some credit because since 2001 we haven't had 1 attack on our soil." and then went on to make statements how the middle east is a breeding ground for terrorism and hate and they needed/deserved to be stopped.

Go figure, my hand SHOT UP. I didn't even wait to be called on:

"Just because we haven't had an attack in 7 years doesn't mean he's not a blithering idiot. I mean, Jesus Christ, before 9/11 we hadn't had an attack since PEARL HARBOR!!! It's not like 7 years is some huge record.

And also, making generalizations like that towards the middle east makes us just as ignorant and hateful and breeders of ignorance and hate, so shouldn't someone be bombing us as well?"

Verbatim. I even used the term 'blithering idiot'.

Lucky for me, the class is majority democrats, so no fear of being burned at the stake. (Unlike last semester's Christian Ethics course... what a friggin witch hunt that was!)

It just irritates me. Democrats are not the reason why the world hates America. Nuff said.

I know I have not been keeping in touch with anyone lately... Not trying to hurt any feelings, I'm just busy loving life. Work is great, school is wonderful, making lots of new friends (and getting closer with old ones)... And of course there's always SOME boy. :)

Now I have to go read the NY Times so that in my 2pm US Foreign Policy class, I will have some semblence of what the hell is going on in this world. It's a class of 6 people. It's kind of hard to get by without having any idea of what you're talking about.

I am so freaking hungry.

they're trying to wash us away

That's what I came home to.
Keep an eye on Hurricane Ike.

I don't want to evacuate again. :(

i know some people who are calling you a whore

i'm freaking outtttttttttttttttttttttttttttt.

loyola issued an evacuation for its students and faculty. i'm coming home tomorrow.

please please please please dont let anything happen.

i guess i'm gonna go to mass tonight? i want really badly to go to church but most protestant churches dont do random thursday services. jeez. not good.

omg.

singin' sweet home alabama all summer long

So. I thought surely I wouldn't have anything to write about, but life always throws me a curve ball!

1. I lost 2.4lbs last week on my first week of weight watchers!

2. Hurricane Gustav is making Loyola shit itself, and I may have to evacuate. I so don't want to. It is easy to play like it would be fun to not have school/work for a few days, but it scares me to think that something really bad could happen... again. When all the seniors talk about their "Katrina Semester", it makes me really glad that I didn't have to pick up and move halfway through the year and then move back again. I don't want a "Gustav semester"

3. I woke up this morning to find my roommate's boyfriend (who basically lives here) dying his hair in the bathroom. Not some crazy color. He was dying it brown. His hair is already brown.

I mean, clearly, he's gay... right?

Fucking weirdos.

if she goes away, it's all right, and i'm okay

OKAY. I'm exhausted. BUT I promised myself I would update this tonight (who knows if y'all even keep up with this stupid thing! I'll pretend you do. I bet Mama does. She stalks jailbirds online! The least she could do is check my blog.)

The job at Starbucks is working out GREAT! I really like it a lot... It's a lot of work, and it will take me a while to feel like I have it all under my belt, but so far, so good. I worked today, yesterday, and Sunday, and I work again Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, and Tuesday...

and then I'm done with training! (Thank GOD! Training sucks. It's so much less hands-on stuff than I would prefer.)

Classes started yesterday. I'm generally pretty pleased with my courses.

Religion ("Sin: The History of an Idea"): The professor is this incredibly sweet old lady (ahem, a NUN. Sister Elizabeth.), and so far, the articles she's given us have been very readable. The subject itself is pretty interesting, so I think it will be fine, aside from the fact that it's a 9:30 class, aka the buttcrack of dawn.

Philosophy ("Making Moral Decisions"): Same guy who taught my Intro to Philosophy class, and I liked him a lot... though it seems there will be some overlap from that class into this. Our first assignment was to read/answer questions on an article we did in Intro. Oh well... I don't feel like it's too easy, I just feel a little at an advantage cause I have a better grasp on the material...

French: Please kill me. Sil-vous plais?

European and Comparative Government: The class is HUGE (like 30 people AT LEAST... that's a freaking ginormous class for Loyola... I've never had more than 20 tops!), the professor is, in my opinion, a waste of oxygen. She taught my International Organizations class last spring, and she is seriously an embarrassment to political science professors everywhere. At least she's an easy A? Although in my major classes, I'd rather get a C and really feel like I"ve learned something that's going to benefit my career. Oh well. Can't win 'em all.

US Foreign Policy: Good lord. There are 7 people in the class (myself included), and I am the ONLY GIRL! And most likely, from the sound of our discussions, easily the most retarded student in there. Not that that intimidates me... I'm a pretty good bullshitter, and the professor seems REALLY cool. He requires his students to read the NY Times daily... good thing Loyola provides it to students for free! And Starbucks donates NY Times to the animal shelter at the end of the day, so if I don't pick it up at school, I can swipe it from work. Should be an interesting course, especially with the elections coming up.


So there you have it. Add in work with a sprinkle of cheap college bar booze, and you have my life. Jealous? You should be. :)

well i never seem to do it like anybody else

OKAY. So. There have been quite a few happenings in the dirty dirty these past few days.

First of all, Reginelli's never called me! How GAY is that?! BUT! It doesn't matter. Because on a whim, I turned in an application at the starbucks in Metairie, and I got hired!!! $8.50 an hour plus tips, which is usually $2.50-$3.50 an hour. I was supposed to start training yesterday, but they rescheduled it to tomorrow... which is good I guess, except for it is supposed to rain all day tomorrow, and driving out to Metairie in the rain is a load of bull. Oh well, I'll have to do it at one point or another! And I have a feeling it pays a LOT better than the Reginelli's job, PLUS there is a parking lot! Ding ding ding, WINNER!

Last night was... interesting! Our friend Kelly was having a party at his new house, and so we (Camille and I) decided to go. Well around 9 o'clock we were in my room getting all gussied up (oh yeah, I just said gussied up), and guess who just waltzes in... EVAN! He is a great secret keeper and surprised us all. It was lovely to see him. Anyway, we went to that party and I also went to a party at Constance's house... it was a lot of fun.

Dad is in town. They were going to go fishing but with Tropical Storm Fay approaching (which the threat of is making all the new freshman shit their pants), it is too windy. So they're going to come by around 3:30 or 4:00 or so... Sounds like they had a fun night last night! :P

I joined weight watchers... it is hard work, but I'm giving it a week to see how I feel.

(By the way, my roommates are disgusting.)

olympics!!!

I think I may have gotten a job. I'll know for sure on Friday. It would be answering the phone / taking orders at Reginelli's, and I'd move up to server. Cross your fingers!!!

i've got my sights set on you

Places I've applied to work (that don't want me):
Hemline
Petcetera
Funky Monkey
Starbucks
CC's Coffee
Coldstone
Reginelli's
Blockbuster

I know, right?!

I WILL find a job. By god.

So last night I went on the most romantic date ever... We went to Cafe DuMonde and got beignets to go and sat on the moonwalk and watched the sun set and the ships go up and down the river and the cars go over the GNO, and then we got in the car and drove around only the most beautiful parts of this city.

Oh, and my date? Was Camille. ;P
One of these days... I'll have a date with an X chromosome.

1956: budapest is riding

Guess who's happy to be back in the DIRTY DIRTY!!!!

It's been a long-ass summer. Exhausting. Frustrating. More than anything, it was just difficult to go from being all on my own (no matter how often I despised it) to being... well, being in Katy, TX. I never realized how much I despise the entire attitude of that place. It's what I would like to call: an epic fail. Hahahaha.

Anyway. It doesn't matter, cause I'm back now, moved into my apartment (which, though better than a dorm, needs plenty of work... and my roommates certainly don't seem to mind the fact our sink is hidden by a half-inch thick film of filth), my room looks fabulous (pictures below!) and school starts a week from today. I'm trying to find a job, but I didn't realize how hard it would be to find a place uptown that is hiring!!! I checked all the Starbucks (even 2 in Metairie), Hemline, Ah-Ha, and Frock Candy, and they're all fully-staffed. I will not be deterred, though. I WILL find a job. I'll try again tomorrow.

As for the rest of today, I'm hoping to go workout at the rec-plex at school and go out tonight. You're only young once, right?

OH! And I'm joining weight watchers!!! I'm really excited. First meeting is Wednesday!

Photos of my new bachelorette pad:

1 down, 3 to go.

First semester:
World Civ (Civ - 1650): B
Intro Philosophy: A
Intro World Religions: A
Intro American Gov't: C+
Acting I: A

GPA: 3.500


Second semester:
World Civ (1650-Present): B
Soph. English: B+
Intro Chemistry: B
Christian Ethics: B+
International Organization: B
Dramatic Imagination: A
Production (Drama): A

GPA: 3.368

Cumulative 1st Year GPA: 3.426

I'll take it. I was primarily disappointed with not making dean's list again 2nd semester, but I have since come to hear about A LOT of people with 1 or 2.something GPA's... So apparently I am doing okay.

it's 3am and i wanna go to bed

So, I have an appointment to get my wisdom teeth removed May 16th. Bye-bye, stupid impacted wisdom teeth that are making my life hell.

I can't decide what is more unpleasant: The unbearable pressure and throbbing I am now dealing with in my jaw

-OR-

needles, teeth-pulling, and pain killers.

I'm beginning to think maybe I should just gussy up and deal with the pain. I don't need to get them pulled. I mean... having a constant headache the rest of my life is do-able, right? :(

I'm scurred.

I've always been quite fond of my teeth. I'd like to keep them in their place, thank you.

the difference between the two is about a million miles

MAN. I hate finals!! Studying is quite possibly the most boring waste of time EVER. Grrr.

Our friend, Milton, used to cook at Commander's Palace and made us all fajitas last night. Omg. Seriously? So good.

(They were also drinking like a 2 qt. pitcher of powdered lemonade mix, red bull, and an entire fifth of everclear. EWWWWW. I couldn't even bring myself to try it. It smelled like vomit.)

13 days left in the countdown to being freakin DONE with freshman year. And dad will be here next weekend, and we're going to jazzfest!! I am sad because O.A.R. is playing today, so I will be missing them, but we will be seeing the Subdudes!! Basically pretty amazing. Anyway. Back to history flashcards. Booooooo.

hey your glass is empty, it's a hell of a long way home.

no reigns

I have not updated this beast in a long time. Probably because I've been enjoying life more than sitting at home updating blogs. We leased a house on Jefferson, move in on June 1. Nooooot exactly sure what I'm going to be doing with all my stuff like my tv and printer and lamps and stuff until then. Hopefully I can stash it at Camille's house or something. I mean I'm not leaving until like the 11th or 12th, so it will only be there for like half a month.

Being single is so weird. Like... declaring myself consciously single and planning to stay that way. It's just weird. I don't know. I'm really not used to it. Oh well.

Something like 28 days of freshman year left!!!

sometimes i do forget what's simple in my life.

"When will our consciences grow so tender that we will act to prevent human misery rather than avenge it?"
-Eleanor Roosevelt


Happy 5-year anniversary, Iraq War.

i need you to hurry up now, cause i can't wait much longer

I'm hungry. I'm going to get a smoothie after this class and go to walgreens for cough drops. I am losing my voice in a bad way.

Oh, by the way. I'm staying at Loyola.

Don't judge me. I'm a girl, it's totally my perrogative to change my mind a hundred times a minute. I may end up renting a house uptown with Matt next year. That would be good. He could kill roaches.

already she knows me better than you

I promise I am not so sad all the time. I just usually only feel like blogging when I'm distressed.

And I am. Can't exactly say why. Just a big ugly crossroad in my life. Ew.

school girl in a little world who learns everything late.

WASSSAP BLOG READERSSSS.

This time next week I will be HOME HOME HOME. I'm antsy. Sarah is flying in early Thursday afternoon, and driving home with my Saturday morning. I need some KTX time!!!!

I also really need to finish choreographing the 2 numbers I'm teaching for my Superstars class over the break. And come up with a basic lesson plan. Here are the rules I'm thinking of instating for my class:

1. Never, ever, ever, make fun or tease anyone about their singing/acting/dancing abilities. To be able to grow theatrically you have to be completely comfortable in your learning environment.

2. Always put 110% energy into everything you do.

3. Be willing to try new things and not be self conscious. We are all learning together!!


Yep. 3 pretty basic rules for anything theatrical. I am thinking first day first thing I am going to play the songs and just make everyone dance like a crazy person and make them all think I am nuts. I mean, to properly do musical theatre, you have to really feel the song you're doing... So, whatever. I'm the teacher. They'll do what I want. (Though they are going to call me Melanie, not Miss Ziems or any crap like that.) I hope they all like me and don't think I'm some crazy nazi. I'm trying to do fun dances and fun songs and stuff. It will be interesting. Plus, it's like 200$ in the end!!!

Anyway. One last week. I paint my nails today... alternating black and purple. Did my toenails too! Exciting.


I might be a rebel tonight. Mwahaha.

la banlieue

Well. Sitting in the library. Did chemistry extra credit article, history reading. I basically don't wanna go back to my dorm cause I will most definitely fall asleep and it is too early for that crap. There is this woman at a computer near me and she keeps falling asleep in her chair. I feel bad for her. She probably has a family and stuff to deal with. Oh wait. I have a family and stuff to deal with. Maybe she is just old. Alzheimers, perhaps?

Yep, definitely going to hell for that one.

Sarah is flying here a week from tomorrow and will drive home with me on Saturday for spring break. I can't wait!

I need to go shopping. Bad. But I'm desperately trying to save money.

I miss Ian. SIIIIGH. Emo?

This is surprisingly racist of me.

I was followed to my car today in the Wal-Mart parking lot, by some black guy who kept calling me baby. “Hey, baby.” “Wassup, baby.” “C’mon, baby, don’t ignore me.” Then I think he saw all my keys lodged between my fingers, ready to slice his ass X-Men style, and he backed off about 10 yards from my car. Good trick, mom, thanks for teaching me that one.

It freaked me out, but more than anything, it totally infuriated me. How DARE he assume that because I’m some little white girl I can’t throw down? What, you assume because you’re a black man I will cower in fear at your ridiculous grill and let you rape/kill/rob me? I don’t think so, buddy. It just blows my mind. How demeaning. I am not now, nor will I ever be your baby, so keep dreaming and find someone else to harass.

Deep breath. IIIIN. OOOOOUT.

You know, it’s highly aggravating that I can’t even go to WAL MART by myself. Jesus CHRIST. In Katy, I go anywhere by myself, and I have never ONCE felt at all threatened. And I mean, I’m very aware. I walk fast and I keep my keys in between my fingers and I don’t talk on my phone and I always know exactly where I parked. It’s like it doesn’t even matter. Might as well be dawdling with a blindfold on and a big neon sign that says “FUCK WITH ME”.

And generally, it’s not even the black people that worry me. I learned really quick the kind of people here to be wary of, and most of them are white. With black people, it’s all in the eyes. I think its because against dark skin, eyes pop out a lot more… And you can really see in someone’s eyes if they’re just downright mean or not. That’s why white people scare me so much more. You can’t read them. And that’s their/our edge.

I need an edge. I should start carrying pepper spray. See how much you like that… baby.

do they cry out loud?

Christy and Sarah are coming today!!! I'm soooooo excited. I need some bff time. It will be a little annoying because I have shows and stuff and they will be alooone :( but I still can't wait. It means so much they are coming.

The show is going great. We close tomorrow night. (THANK GOD.)

Can't wait to have my life back.

Introducing Nanna, Iraqi street peddler:

i can't be breaking through walls i shouldn't still have at my age

"... so i'm shaken and affected to hear unexpectedly for no apparent reason you love me."

The show is going unbelievably well. I think I have a stomach bug, but I'm at least feeling better today than I was yesterday. I dunno, I just wish it would go away. I can't afford to be under the weather these days.

I'm trying to take life one day at a time. It's going okay. Sarah and Christy are coming on Friday, and then I'll be home in 2 weeks. Thank GOD.

Love,
Mel

everything i need that i never knew i wanted

Let's make it official.

I'm going to UH next semester... pending my acceptance.

Have opinions, don't have opinions, support me, don't... I'm past letting that sway the decisions I need to make for my life.

Allison and I are looking for apartments inside the loop. Sarah won't be able to move out, but Allison is itching to, and she'll be at UH again next semester as well. Hopefully in a year or so, Sarah will be able to join us in the big, bad world.

I'm excited. It makes me happy. It makes me feel safe. It makes me feel like this year is just an adventure I'll soon be able to put behind me and never re-live.

I can't wait to have friends and family and love back in my life. About 8 weeks left... Thank GOD. I think in a year I will look back and be shocked I made it without killing myself. As hard as I feel it is now, I know myself, and I know once it's over I will think it was even harder and be even prouder of myself for not giving up.

I am dating another boy in the army. We went to high school together. His name is Ian. He's being deployed to Afghanistan in a month-ish. Of course its never easy. If anything in my life was easy, what on earth would I have to worry about?! :) But he is fantastic, and he is what makes me smile at the end of a long, horrendous day. More reason to elect Hillary and bring our boys home even sooner.

Show opens on Friday, and we have a preview performance tomorrow night. It's been a TERRIFIC experience, but I don't mind telling you I'll be glad when it's over and excited to have my life back.

"Anyway, that is life. You cannot compare, just be compassionate."

if you have to, then you have to, so whatever

I am so tired and I can't stop crying. I haven't slept. I have no food. I'm stressed out and beyond any comprehensible explanation for the word EXHAUSTED and very vulnerable, and now I feel like I'm fixing to be extremely disappointed.

shorty got low, low, low, low, low, low, low, low.

Sometimes I feel as if I should be unlove-able, and then I feel exceedingly fortunate to have people love me regardless.

I cried tonight. For a lot of reasons... for few reasons... Maybe I'm just worn out. My body is used to long rehearsals and sleepless nights, but my heart may not be in it anymore. Don't get me wrong, I am attached to this show with the deepest fiber of my being... But it's taking its toll on me.

I just feel stuck. I feel like there's nothing big to look forward to, nothing to work towards, nothing to really do at all but distract myself.

I wish to God every minute of every day that I wasn't so disgusting. I abhor myself.

i'm a new chicken clucking open hearts and ears

Back to New Orleans tomorrow.

When I'm in Houston, I'm surrounded with love. And histories. And I know that my family will be in New Orleans in 2 weeks to see my show, so I really shouldn't fret much, but it still sucks, because it's not the same. I'm COMFORTABLE here. I'm happy, I can wake up and see my dog and think our neighbors are creepy and when I see the people I know I can absolutely trust that they are genuine.

Life in New Orleans is not living. I have nothing genuine there. I want to sing and tap dance and not be looked at like a freak for it. I can embrace I am completely 100% nuts and probably won't get along with 90% of the people I encounter in life. But I have found people I get along with. Splendidly. And it's so stupid for me to leave all of that just so I can feel like a pretentious snob when I say I went to some ritzy Catholic school. I'm not too good for Houston. How incredibly pompous to say so. Houston is love. Houston is comfort. Houston is protection. And New Orleans is the "descent into Hell".

dreams stay big, worries stay small

So. I'm sitting in the Louis Armstrong Airport in NOLA... waiting to get on a plane and fly to my beloved KTX. I am so hyper!!! I wish I could just get on the plane and get the hell out of this tourist-trap. I am looking forward to a week off from rehearsals and school and stress. I am committed to just sleeping in and NO DRAMA. It will be a good week. Now if only I could board the freaking plane.... 20 minutes...

never knowing what could have been

I wrote this e-mail to my parents tonight. I can't sleep.:


So I'm writing this e-mail now so I can get it all out and not forget when I talk to you tomorrow morning.

I sooo can't sleep. I am going out of my mind.

I think I need therapy. And I mean that in all seriousness. I am an over-anxious, emotional mess.

I am quite positive that the only reason I want to come home for good is because being away from home is the first time in my entire life that things have been hard. And I'm not so good at it in the beginning. Which is so new to me. I'm always good at everything and I always master everything and become president or leader or something. I am not making as many friends as I'm used to having, which freaks me out. I don't like to be alone. And the friends I do have are generally not very quality. It makes me miss high school.

That's what this was all about. I OWNED Taylor High School. I was president of theatre, I had lead roles in shows, I was validated, I had friends, and I had like... purpose. And now I have to make my own decisions that effect the rest of my life and I'm so scared if I mess up I won't have anyone to blame.

I'm so ashamed that I am one of those people who runs away as soon as crap gets hard. I am just so freaking scared of EVERYTHING. Including failure. And driving. And being alone. And getting a C. And disappointing people. And just living.

But on the same token, I wonder if the only reason I came here in the first place is because it was so cool and romantic to be from such a "cool" city as New Orleans, and it made sense for me to want to go back. But did i ever really give two shits about being back here? One year ago, I wanted to be an actress. Now I want to be a civil rights attorney. Or a substance abuse counselor. Or who the hell knows?! I have no idea where I'm going in life. And I'm so scared of screwing it up. I don't wanna be one more person in our family to make stupid mistakes. I want to be the daughter/granddaughter/niece/cousin/whatever who the family brags about.

I'm so scared of moving on and really admitting to myself that this is it, and I can't keep clinging to high school like it's somehow gonna come back and be a part of my life again.

I don't know. This is like 1/100th of all the crap that goes on in my head. I don't know how I got so stressed out and messed up. I feel like I'm so used to being stressed that I don't even notice it until my stomach is in knots and I can't sleep for days on end. This is not a healthy way to live. I'm so sick of it.

Anyway. I guess we'll talk about this when I get home.

-Mel

when you look at them and you see that they're beautiful - that's how i feel about you.

Time to blog.

I feel a huge void in me.

I found out my UT application won't be complete until after this semester. I need 30 hours to apply. So I won't even KNOW anything until June 15. Oh well. To be honest I'm not that interested in UT to begin with. Hmph.

I don't feel interested in anything. That's the problem.

My body is alive. It's my soul thats a little dead.


5 days til I'm home.

you take the darkest clouds and turn them into rainbows.

Might as well blog. Why not?

I wonder why I never got into figure skating. I'm a pretty weird bird ; it seems like a fitting hobby for a young me.
My tummy hurts.

Mom and dad are off to Virginia today for Grandma's 80th birthday. Sounds fun. Better than here.

Did I ever write this... When Jen & I were driving to New Orleans, somewhere between Baton Rouge and the Motherland, Jen says, "Driving into New Orleans is like a descent into hell."

Yeah. Totally.

I go home innnn eight days. GOD. Longest eight days of my life. It will be a good break. The only thing that will suck is that I won't really have a car for the most part (unless I can convince mom to borrow one of Mama's cars and let me use hers, but even if that does work, it will probably only be for a day or two). But oh well. I can sleep during the day and work on character stuff for 9 Parts and stuff. It will just be good to be in my own bed and see my puppy and my momma and pops.

I dunno. Rehearsals are going well... you know it's a challenge when you dread doing your monologues because they get harder by the day.

you always look so beautiful.

12 days until I go back to Houston. I need this vacation bad.

I will make a countdown.

Some Krewe de Vieux pictures:

omg.

my phone is broken.

this is been a really sucky day.

say your goodbyes if you've got someone you can say goodbye to.

i'm sorry.

let's get down and freaky baby.

No, I don't have any more videos of KD. Sorry! :( I will take more next time.

3 day weekend coming up. Then 4 day week. Weekend. Week. HOME!!!!!!!

I miss my mom.

goodbye, earl.

Wow. I just found out I can upload videos on blogspot. I will have to be doing that more. That's Kyle playing "Wild Nights" by Van Morrison on Thanksgiving '07.

Last night I had this REALLY vivid dream... strangely vivid. Not a dream to be forgotten. It just really drilled in the point that I will never be completely happy here, and New Orleans is not the place for me. Not that it's a bad place, but it's not MY place. And that's ok. I'm completely content with that. And I am able to stick it out like 4 more months.

I'm not a quitter. Nobody is quitting anything.

I'm just living MY life.

wake me up before you go go

Tomorrow it is supposed to be freezing cold and really rainy and windy... PERFECT day to lay in bed. I am praying they cancel school because it is apparently going to flood... Last time it flooded they cancelled classes!

My poppa was in town today for a few hours between Mississippi and his flight home. It was a MUCH needed mini visit!!! We went for muffalettas (I'm sure I spelled that wrong) at Napolean House and then walked around Jackson Square and then to the river and then we went and found our brick outside the Aquarium. I didn't want him to leave, but all good things must come to an end. The thing I love most about my pops is that he is always capable of saying what I NEED to hear - I may not WANT to her all of it, but he always opens my eyes to a lot. And he manages to do it without hurting my feelings. I dunno. I was very happy to see him.

Rehearsals are going well - just lots and lots and lots of work!! But I am loving the process - definitely the best show I've ever been involved with. And get this - THERE IS NO BACKSTAGE DRAMA!!! I am digging it. It is so envigorating to be involved in a show that everyone wants to be a part of. Everyone is very dedicated.

I worked out tonight, and now I have homework that I am just avoiding. Might as well do it.


(Our brick outside the aquarium)

good morning, america, how are you.

I don't mean to cry when I'm on the phone with my parents. I promise. I try really hard not to, and when I do, sometimes I can pull it off without them knowing.

I am just soo sick of being sick. I came down with SOMETHING last night, whether it be bug or anxiety attack or what have you. I'm just sick of it. I have spent all day in bed just completely no energy and nauseous and just not doin so hot. I just know this is not the place for me. I just need to take a deep breath and take it one day at a time. Part of me wants to throw int he towel and call it quits and just be done with it, but at this point it is just a personal challenge that I know I need to overcome for my own personal strength.


I'm just sick of it.

hide my soul, i wanna drown my sorrow.

I have a fortune taped on the bottom of my shelf above my bed so I can only see it when I'm lying in bed. "Smile before bed. You'll sleep better."

I VERY rarely read it, much less actually smile. I would probably feel like a tool.

I began to google how to relax tonight. Isn't that sad? I am such a product of the 21st century. I have to GOOGLE how to de-stress. Pathetic. It said some people write as an outlet. I guess I haven't been blogging enough.

I think every day of my life involves pain. An extremely deep pain in the depths of my body. If it's not a physical pain, it's mental (which in turn usually triggers physical pain... the stomache aches I have endured due to stress would blow your mind.) When I wake up, if I DON'T feel sick, I wonder how long it will be until I feel sick. I don't think as clearly when I wake up, so I obsess over it until I convince myself I don't feel well... It is a nasty pattern. If I do feel sick, I try to take a hot shower and not puke and drag my sorry ass to class regardless. I usually make myself look especially cute when I'm not feeling well in hopes that no one will see the bags under my eyes and might forgive me if I have to run out of the room to vomit. It's not fun to say the least. If, on a rare occasion, it's not physical, it is mental. It is a struggle between wanting to be indepenent and wanting to crawl in my mom's bed as well a massive, cancerous, brain-consuming fit of survivor's guilt. My stress spans the globe. I am struck by the fact that my spoiled ass is saved and pampered on a daily basis while women in the middle east are being stolen and sold into brothels and children in Africa are killed or made into child soldiers just walking to school. I have never endured tragedy - and I feel like I am less of a person for it. No matter my ideas or what I could do for the world, I am nothing more than a spoiled brat.

And sometimes, I couldn't care less about the rest of the world. I just want my stomach to not hurt. Or I want to drive on I-10 without fearing for my life. Or I want to curl up with my dog on the couch.

I am going to Katy for the week of Mardi Gras. I need to make a doctor's appointment. I think I am quite possibly losing my mind. I wonder if that a sign of insanity - being able to FEEL instability slowly creeping in.

And then there are moments of incredible clarity. They make me realize why I am here. When I am able to share a laugh with a cast of girls I hardly know and feel comfortable and safe in their presence. When I am walking to class and feel a warm breeze on my face and think that July is just around the corner, and I can't wait to go to Florida. When the version Scott and I did of "I'd Give It All For You" plays on my iPod and I remember how much I love to sing.

I am ready to find my husband. I'm not ready to get married, but I just want him. I want to stop wondering if he's out there.

I feel very far from God right now. And yet I feel very close in realizing how much I rely on Him.

I miss Sarah. I can't imagine what my life was like before her. They say best friends are sisters God forgot to give you. What a thing to forget! If I could give everyone one thing in the world, it would be a best friend who so perfectly understood them as Sarah and I do one another.

I am babbling. I wonder if this will destress me. I didn't do my history homework for tomorrow. Cool.

guitar, suitcase, and a warm coat.

I am blogging because today was my first day back at school.

I think I had a miniature anxiety attack last night - it was like all of a sudden I was shaking and shivering a lot and having trouble breathing and I thought i was gonna puke... no fun. And what's weird is that I don't feel particulaly stressed. I dunno. It was weird... and kind of alarming. I think I will make a doctors appointment tomorrow for when I come home.

Anway... today. First class was my Drama 107 Class. It was... interesting. Everyone in the class knew each other so I was kind of the odd man out, but it wasn't necessarily bad. I was just quiet. Oh well. Then was my English class. Good lord. It's like the SMALLEST classroom ever it's like a freakin closet. The teacher is a cool dude, but he has a lisp and talks like his mouth is full of cotton balls. Then was chemistry... Brittany is in that class with me, so I can't complain. It sounds like it won't be too hard... the teacher seems like really nerdy-funny-cute.

Then we had rehearsal tonight... which was cool. We did a read-through and the director told me I had a good dialect and it was good I was making bold choices. It made me happy. I have rehearsal all week but not on Saturday which is good. I will want a day off I think.

Anyway, I'm exhausted. Time for bed.

i love the way you call me baby.

Back in New Orleans. Still no roommate - which is badass. I thought i would mind, but thinking about it now, I'm really glad. I put a comforter on the extra bed so I'm ready for some visitors!!! It was one hell of a trip, but I'm glad to be back and unpacked and now I can just relax. Love.

head under water.

I am going to continually blog during the New Hampshire debates tonight. Right now we're like 25 min. into the republican debate:

Mitt Romney, you are a slimy asshole. Muslims have not "perverted their religion" into a hatred of Americans... could you be slightly more ignorant, cause I'm a little unentertained. Also, quit smirking whenever Ron Paul speaks. He's the only one with any brains out of you six idiots, and he's also your elder. Have a little respect.
Does Rudy Guilliani have a lisp?
Tied for first: Huckabee and Paul. Poor Ron Paul. Way out of his element. Give in, buddy, join the dems.
God, Fred Thompson looks like he's ready for his death bed. "Get those bags removed, man."
Agree w/ Ron Paul: we want to be treated like we treat others, but we treat others like we're a big bully.
BS we have the best healthcare system in the world. Go to Ben Taub and tell me that.
These grown men need to grow up and stop laughing and smirking at one another. I mean, really. We're all adults here.
STOP SAYING WE HAVE THE BEST HEALTHCARE IN THE WORLD.
Mitt Romney avoids answering questions. Too much of a politician. That, and he sucks. A lot.
Fred Thompson!!! REMINDS ME OF THE JUDGE IN MY COUSIN VINNY. Oooooh.

I'm bored with this. Nexxxxt.