*hides head*

Nobody saw that slip up, right?

Grades and Holiday Plans

Semester GPA: 3.8, Four 4.0 and one 3.0.
Cumulative: 3.429 (Damn you 2.0 in Texas Government.

I was hoping to pull out a 4.0 for the semester but I think the finial killed me in History of British Lit, my brain went blank on some of the quotations and terms. Still its a good GPA and it proved not only to me but to some that I could handle five upper level classes, thank you ever much. I shouldn't have to fight quite so hard for some things next fall.

I can relax for a bit. I've had a blast with arts and crafts with the kids this week. We've made Christmas Ornaments and hand print wreaths. Normally crafts are hard since I was only with them three times a week but working all week made a big difference. I keep saying I'm going to stop working with the kids but I must admit its fun to be Ms. Geek a few times a week. I don't want to do it full-time for the rest of my life, but for right now its nice that I don't dread my job.

So here I am sitting in front of a nice fire watching the Grinch (old school of course), writing out Christmas cards and taping candy canes to to the envelopes for the kids, and drinking some Irish creme. I still have some presents to wrap but my shopping is finish. Even found two nice dresses for myself.

Speaking of presents I've already received some from my mum since we part of Christmas early so my brother could join us. I'm torn between my red scarf with pockets or the new digital camera when it comes to declaring the favorite so far.

Next week is a three day week, then on Sunday I'm off to Florida with my best girl-friend.

Almost Christmas

Where has the year gone? No, really I still have Christmas shopping to do!

As you might have gleaned from my last post I survived finials, though I'm not sure I ever want to write that much by hand ever again. The only final grade I know is my Chaucer finials since I was up in my Professor office with some classmates working out the syllabus for our Senior level Conference class with him (which I'm doing instead of the Graduate glass). There's only about three of us in the class so I'm thankful I know the other people. I also traded my sat class for Shakespeare. Because lets face it Geek's ass isn't getting out of bed before eight on Saturdays.

And can I do a little dance since I don't have any classes before 9:30?

Wait I was talking about grades wasn't I? They should be online before Friday, and I'm chomping at the bit. I really don't envy my friend in the pysch department, who has people telling her that she needs a 4.0 in all her pysch classes to get into the master's program. I don't think I could stand the pressure, or be able to resist asking what type of grades Freud and Jung has in school.

Randomly BBC's new Robin Hood series looks good. As in Robin looks very very yummy.

Zzzz...Finals are Over...Zzzzzz

My last final was today. Lots to update on.

Sleep first. Mmmm sleep. How I've missed you.

Papers are done, on to finals

Classes are officially over. All my papers are turned in and I almost don't mind if I never see them again. On to finals week. All five of them. Four of which are essay tests. Two of which require two essays and are on the same day.

If you don't hear from me by Friday, send help.

Closed?!

Closed?! What do you mean school is closed tomorrow?! They can't be closed! Not after I missed classes due to illness on Tuesday!

Ack!

On the other hand this does give me more time to work on papers, but still.

A little icy rain and Texas freaks out.

Not dead!

I swear! Really, I might feel like death warmed over but I'm not dead.

About two weeks left of regular classes and a handful of papers due next week. Then on to finals.

Don't be surprised if I don't surface again until almost Christmas.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving (if you're State side). See you on the flip side.

Come See the Violence Inherent In the System

Unlike in Python no one is laughing.

Mostafa Tabatabainejad, a UCLA student, was repeatedly stunned with a Taser and then taken into custody when he did not exit the CLICC Lab in Powell Library in a timely manner.

I've talked about this else where but I'm livid about this, and thank god other students used their camera phones to record it.

I read about this over at Bitch PhD and there is some very interesting, to say the least, discussions going on in the comments (with my two cents through in).

"Here's your Patriot Act. Here's your Fucking Abuse of Power"

Graduate Level Class Update

Thank you to everyone that commented with advise and kind words. I was approved to take the class as a Conference course, so it'll show up as a 4000 level on my transcript.

I've decided (thought it should have been plain to me earlier) that the girl who gave me the hardest time about the 5000 level class, and was the originator of the "No one will give you a rec letter' is a petty bitter person. I really should have known better than to talk to her since she is also the one that had a fit that I was in upper level History classes without taking the History Research Class.

You'd also think I'd know better than to ask my father advise about anything at time point in my life.

So, long story short (too late), my class line up for spring looks something like this:
Topics in Classic Myth (with the Prof who is trying to convince me to take Greek next semester instead of Latin)
Intro to History Research with Prof I like(Hey don't look at me like that, I've been waiting for a session that wasn't American History focused)
British Empire (with my fav Prof in the History Department)
Medieval History (This is a Saturday class. Only for you Medieval History would I give up sleeping in.)
Chaucer Conference Course

If the stars align correctly I should be done Thursday mid-day then be on a plane to K-zoo.

'Girl' Gamer Rage Post

Quick post before I go back to completely putting off my research by playing Windwaker to my research.

Games 4 Girls at Gamestop: Gagging, Weeping, Bleeding From the Eyes

There are comments in there that display my frothing raging much more eloquently than I would. My first console game for LoZ: Link to the Past at age 12, you can bite me Gamestop and EB games.

Breaking Barriers, or An Undergraduate In a Graduate level class

Barriers are everywhere. Some are tangible. Some are invisible or imagined but no less daunting than the psychical ones.

Police tape around a crime scene. The only teenage girl in a highschool weight training class. The dividers put up in the once vaunted 'open class rooms'. A student with LDs in honors classes. The glass between an inmate and the family visiting them. A English major in a upper level chemistry class. A child safety gate.

If I'm approved by my Professor (and boy, do I wish the undergrad advisor had just told me to talk to him, since I have two other classes with him, instead of forwarding it to him but that's a different issue), I'll be crossing one of those invisible barriers. I've been told by several people since those wee hours of Friday morning that I have a lot of 'gaul', 'nerve', 'balls', and 'common sense'. Not mention a very strong look of disapproval from a senior and a lecture about how I'd ruined my chances of ever getting a letter of recommendation from anyone in the English department, that how dare I even think about a 5000 level class, and that it just isn't done.

Have I crossed a line?

Part of me wants to know why shouldn't I request approval for a class I want to take? I've always done so in the past, both in high school and at University. The worst that happens is that my Professor says no, that I'm not ready for the class. I'm not going to beat my breast, rend my clothing and wail like the a figure from Greek Tragedy. I sent a very nice polite email to the English advisor and acknowledged that it was a graduate level class and I would more than understand being turned down.

But there is another part of me that worries that I have crossed a line. That I look arrogant, naive, and foolish. That this is something that just isn't done.

More than that, part of me worries now that I was fooling myself and that I wouldn't be able to handle it. I'm struggling with my thesis for my paper on Chaucer's use of female assent in marriage and which books of the Canterbury tales to narrow my focus to. So how can I dare think that I could handle Chaucer's Literary Geography? I have doubts where I once had none.

Is a undergraduate trying to take a graduate level class a unpardonable sin? Will I be made to sew a red letter of some sort to my clothing? Your thoughts?

Friday Poetry: Fragments of Sappho

For this Friday poetry night I choice one of the fragments of Sappho. The text I'm working from is If Not, Winter translated by Ann Carson.


]heart
]absolutely
]I can
]
]would be for me
]to shine in answer
]face
]
]having been stained
]

Letter(s)

A Letter to my University:

Dear University I attend,

Why when you finally offer a history class that's remotely focused on the medieval period, does the class have to be on a Saturday?

Also please to stop making the interesting classes in the English department 5000 level? I want to take that class on Chaucer's Literary Geography.

I would like to thank you for allowing me to charge my prescription to my college account.

Some Love,
Me

Amazon.com,

Stop taking all my money.

No love,
Me

Pretty boysPeople down stairs having a party,

Please stop having fun. No fun allowed on a school night. Wait one more bloody day will you.

You can keep your shirts off by the way.

Wishing you all looked at least the drinking age, so I wouldn't feel so much like a dirty old woman,
Me

Me,

No one but you will probably notice that you'll be wearing the wrong period clothing when you show up for the roleplaying as Eleanor of Aquitaine
. You do not have the money to buy something or the skill to make something.

Deal with it.

No Love,
Your Bank Account

Updates: It has Been a Few Months

It has been more than a few months since those horrible gut-wrenching few weeks. Thing with my step-father* are...well I don't have contact with him unless my mum is there. He is in counseling and after the first few times my mother stop trying to give me updates because I bluntly told her "I didn't care". She though has never once asked me to forgive him, though he has once. I told him I couldn't.

Which sounds pretty cold hearted, but it's going to take years to forgive him.

Part of me wishes my mum had just kicked his ass to the curb, so didn't have to deal with him. She loves him and has forgiven him, and that is okay I guess. I want her to be happy.

I have new habits now. I look for his van on the street when I come home. I have my cell phone in my hand when I enter my condo alone. I put the slide lock on even when a friend is over. And other safety measures that are best left unsaid even if I am pseudonymous (because let's face it I've probably given enough clues that someone could piece together who I am, not to metion some of you have met me).

My mother keeps the extra key with her at all time (we still fight about her giving it back to me, she doesn't seem to understand why).

Overall I'm not more paranoid but more aware. I don't fear/suspect the man I pass walking to the store around 8pm more than I did before. I trusted my step-father on some level I wouldn't trust other men because he was my mother husband, despite other incidents that should have told me otherwise. Family is family I was taught, and I never had a reason to be wary of family.

Sometimes it is easier to not think about what happened and still think about him as the cool guy that plays Jazz and makes my mum smile. Sometimes I hate him so much I want to hurt something.

Most of the time I don't think about him at all, and that is the way it should be.

For new readers the posts "You didn't say no" and "Sometimes Blaming the Victim Works", are good background posts to understand this post better.

*(#2 not to be confused with my out of state step-da that was my 'dad' after my bio-dad died. Yes sometimes I wonder if my mother's multiple husbands, there were two more before my bio-dad, and my obsession interest in Wife of Bath are intermeshed.)

And Now For Something Completely Different

Edit: I should make clear that this exchange was with my mythology Professor.

Professor(smiling and to whole class): Remember Vote early and often.

Me (grinning): I think that illegal

Professor (laughing): I'm from Chicago that sort of things common practice.

Me: So are dead people voting, I still think its general frowned upon.

Professor: Now we don't want to be prejudiced against the dead or the undead.

Me (trying to picture a zombie voting): I don't think the Greeks had these issues sorts of issues.

Professor: No, they didn't dwell on zombies attending assemblies.

In my Chaucer class one of my fellow students had a "I think I voted' sticker on.

A is for Apple, V is for Vote

Even more yummy when sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and paired with a tall glass of ice cold milk.

In something that will interest more than just my mother (look mom I'm eating an apple!), I voted for the first time at a 'major' polling place. In the past I've lived in much smaller area with only a few polling places. There the chance of running into a candidates was pretty much nill. Here? I had to run the gauntlet of candidates, people wanting me to sign stuff, and guy with a Kinky sign handing out bumper stickers.

The ballot was long as hell, but I refuse to vote straight party even if they claimed you could still vote for individuals that weren't in your party on the ballot too (I'm an untrusting soul).

Now I will settle in to do some reading for classes and papers. Later I will watch the election episode of Futrama if CN doesn't show it.

Hello There Bloggers!

For those of you finding your way here from Bitch PhD, welcome! Pull up a chair and stayawhile. I promise I don't bite hard and I'm can type rationally. Really!

For those of you from google I hope you find whatever your looking for, expect for the person that search was for naked Tom Leykis. I'm still traumatized from that one I think.

Comments are always welcome and if you'd like to get a better sense of this blog take a look at some of the old posts featured in the left hand column.

Romance of the Rose and Vacuum Cleaners?

Now there are two things that normal aren't put together, huh? (Unless your copy of Romance of the Rose needs a good cleaning or you just rather vacuum the book up than read it. There would be a new excuse for professors: "My vacuum ate it.")

My Hover has died. Well it still technically 'works' in the sense that when you turn it on it makes noise and pretends to be cleaning. The fact is it isn't actually picking up anything. I've cleaned the filters, changed the bag, checked for obstructions, checked the brushes, and still it will not clean worth a damn. It's had a long run, as it was my mum's before it was mine, but I think its time for a new one.

I need something that will clean carpets and tile floors, any one have any suggestions?
Also I'm looking to pick up my own copy of Romance of the Rose, but I'm not sure which translation to pick up. Which translation to you own, or teach with?

(repost)And it starts again...plus some Ben Jonson

(For some reason this post disappered from my blog, so here it is again. For the newest post look down one.)
First a poem:

Ben Jonson

To My Book

It will be looked for, book, when some but see

Thy title, Epigrams, and named of me,

Thou should'st be bold, licentious, full of gall,

Wormwood and sulphur, sharp, and toothed withal ;

Become a petulant thing, hurl ink and wit

As madmen stones, not caring whom they hit.

Deceive their malice, who could wish it so.

And by thy wiser temper, let men know

Thou art not so covetous of least self-fame

Made from the hazard of another's shame ;

Much less, with lewd, profane, and beastly phrase,

To catch the world's loose laughter, or vain gaze.

He that departs with his own honesty

For vulgar praise, doth it too dearly buy.


After a brief break the end of last week and the start of this week the cycle of test and papers starts again. Halloween was a blast, holidays during the week seem to extend the weekend even when you DON'T have days off. But back to real life where I'm not American Mcgee's Alice or Romana II. It was a nice break, and I adore my 'ass kicking' boots I bought for my costume.

What I don't love is my grade on my paper from History of British Literature, and I suspect the fact that he read my other paper (for the other class I have with him) first, and the first paper was much better. The topic I picked wasn't easily discussed with the resources I had and I should have taken a draft into him when I was having problems wording part of my argument in a way that non mind readers could understand.

Meme, or Procrastination is Fun

Gacked this from Bardiac
Bold the ones you've done

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain (not all the way up, but to about 16,000 feet)
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total solar eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk.
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe.
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house (well a condo)
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents (well, not literally, but I assume cremation counts?)
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently well enough to have a decent conversation
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised (raising) children (child)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98 seems to be missing?
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery (it's pretty much major anytime it's me, right?)
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours (I think, see #119 above)
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

The Black Death

I think I have the plague.


Okay, not really but it's more interesting to say one as the plague than just a normal cold.

Idle Worry

I'm nervous as anything about the two papers that should be handed back tomorrow. I always feel like this over the first essays, in class or otherwise. All those lovely little what ifs come out to play and leaves me biting my nails to the quick and worrying my cuticals, which is just a lovely habit.

Also I'm slightly paranoid about suddenly having all these people seemingly reading this blog and not commenting. Its the same feeling you have when you get a paper back with no comments at all on it. Even if you got an A, you're still left wondering 'well what did you think'? I love peer reviews as much as I hate them because I love getting comments on my stuff. I want to be smacked when I have a stupid idea or am going up the wrong alley.

In general I worry to much about things I shouldn't worry about. The more I can't control it the more I worry over it. Though right now those butterflies in my stomach could have more to do with having not eaten all day then anything else. Whoops.

They're banning WHAT?

Tag. They're banning tag.

I'm sorry but what?

What?!

You know the way schools and many parents act you'd think a good deal more of us died in horrible way in the past few generation from games like tag, dogeball, and red rover.

Isn't it enough that most schools don't have separate recess periods anymore? Or that PE in many places in once a week for 30 minutes and that included the time it takes to dress out?

Kids LOVE chase games. I play a form of tag almost everyday I work aftercare, and those are four and five year olds. They love it. They're tug on my hands saying "Chase me, Ms. Geek. Catch me!"

Another Willett parent, Celeste D'Elia, said her son feels safer because of the rule. "I've witnessed enough near collisions," she said.

No, lady. YOU feel safer.

I've seen many collisions and the kids most of the time pick themselves up, laugh, and start running again. Sometimes they need a hug, a big smile, and a "hey your okay right?". But then they're nod give you a hug back and off they go again. After a few collisions they get better at avoiding them and actually like the 'near collision' part.

I expect to see kids playing little league with soft foam bats and balls, covered head to toe in padding at this rate.

Let kids be kids. Let them have their fun and learn from it. I mean I used to have sword fights with very large sticks with a boy down the street and I turned out just fine.

Random updates:

• Some of my midterm grades are back in! A on the Myth midterm, B on the Early Modern (must expand more on the next test).
• I'll have one of my two Chaucer essays back on Thursday
• What another Early Modern in-class essay next Friday? Ack!
• I either had A. Lice B. Termites C. Larva Tent Worms.
• Important: I was sitting under a tree when I discovered the little white ant like bugs on my shoulders and some in my hair.
• Important fact 2: I've been told more holistic lice treatments today then I've ever cared to know.
• Important face 3: I went with the chemical pesticides! Yay Chemicals!

Read My Result
Take the Test

Part of Being a Grownup

...is when you have to have your brakes rebuilt is telling your mum that no you'll pay for it yourself...

And still being lectured about taking better care of your car.

Oh, Texas...

For those of you that don't know some of the more curious aspects of Texas law and how much they like to poke into ones sex life, here's a little educational video (warning the video is NWS):

Don't Use the D-Word in Texas


What a lovely state I live in.

The Wife of Bath, Written Authority, and the Antifeminist Tradition

In one of my course this semester we are asked to write short one page double spaced essays from prompts about different texts. While I'm not happy with all of this piece I do like some it and its been my best so far.

Chaucer suggests in the prologue of the Wife of Bath’s tale that written authority in his time strengthens and perpetuates antifeminist stereotypes. The Wife of Bath’s fifth husband’s book of bad wives is a perfect example of this written authority. Though there are many good wives and women in biblical and classical stories, the bad women were the ones mostly written about. Men were in control of what was written and copied. Chaucer, through the Wife of Bath, points out if the women wrote such books they’d be filled with tales of "men more wikkednesse than al the merk of Adam may redresse". Chaucer seems to be implying that while some of the stereotypes might be true, it is unwise to assume all women act the same way.

Janekin, it can be argued, represents all clerks, and his Book of Bad Wives represents their authority of written word. Janekin’s continual reading of the lives of bad wives every night to his wife and her reaction to it can be read as an allegory of the struggle women had against the authority of the written word. Examples of wicked women are thrust upon them while their voices often are ignored. While the written word holds power in the marriage of Janekin and the Wife of Bath there is no peace between them. Only when Janekin’s accepts the authority of his wife’s experience over the written word do they reach an accord. When taken in account with the Wife of Bath’s tale, Chaucer shows us that a man is most happy when his wife rules him.

The Wife of Bath’s rebellion against her husband and, in effect, the authority of the written word can be seen as having a duel effect. Stereotypes are both overturned and enforced. Some of the stereotypes that are enforced are stubbornness, pride, and violable emotions. Examples of this are her refusal to submit to her husband, her pride in her experience, and her emotional outburst of tearing out the pages. Some of the stereotypes that are overturned are untruth, lack of honor, and lack of restraint. This can be shown with the closing of the lines. Chaucer is showing that women are more than the sum of their stereotypes.

The BIBLE....

....in lego form!

This is second the best thing EVER!*

I'm cracking up over some of the lego characters that have used in the different stories. Like Snape's head used for the Devil.


*The best thing ever being Chaucer hath a blog.

Midterms

It must be October because Midterms are here!

This week I have two tests (one essay) and one short essay.

Next week I have two essays due a day apart from each other.

It isn't all that much, but I feel like it sort of sneaked up on me. I really wish I didn't have this essay test before the papers are due. I've been concentrating so much on my prep for this weeks tests (along with last weeks test and short essay) that haven't been able to really work on either essay.

At least my marks on my last two short essays were A's. I might post a bit of my Wife of Bath one up here since I'm rather proud of it.

Back to Fig Leaves Then?

Art Teacher Loses Job After Kids See Nude Sculpture

I'm both ashamed and not at all shocked that this happened in Texas. I hope the teacher in question is reinstated and the Principal gets his ass handed to him by the school board for being such a doormat. Sadly that probably won't happen.

Bloody hell, are we going to cover all the 'naughty bits' with fig leaves again? Had that parent never been to the DMA before or did they think the teacher would cover the kids eyes or something?

The parents signed permission forms, the principal approved the field trip.

They're in fifth grade! I saw more in fifth grade health films back in the eighties, for crying out loud.

What is WRONG with these people?

Week almost over....

This week has been way to long. At least I won't have to do another essay test in that class. Plus one more translation quiz out of the way. I felt pretty good about this one too. Writing out the translation the night before really helped.

Tomorrow my Student loan refund check should be here and I can pay my HOA off for the year. Tomorrow evening a plan on having my butt in front of the TV to watch the second season of Doctor who.

Great Escape

*face palms*

Somehow Pumpkin got outside and went into be neighbors condo. She just walked him back over. I'm such a bad mummy because I thought he was still out on the balcony enjoying the weather.

But no he'd somehow sliped out when my girl-friend left this afternoon. Or when I was carrying a case of water in.

I really need to get his tags updated and have a chip put in him.

And Matlida says I must show her as well.

Recipe Friday: Main Course

This is a dish my mum threw together on night from leftovers and became a family hit!

Being a family recipes none of the amount are exact.
Chicken-Pasta

Some chopped bacon
Some chopped chicken breast
Bow-tie pasta
spoonfuls or so of garlic
Bit of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
shredded Parmesan and Romano Cheese

In a saucepan on med heat put in the bacon. When the bacon is brown drain off the grease. Add EVOO, garlic, and chicken. Turn down heat to med-low and stir occasional.

Put pasta water on to boil. When water comes to a boil add pasta. Cook pasta to the package specs. Drain and add to saucepan when chicken is cooked. Stir pasta into contents of saucepan.
Take off heat. Stir in shredded cheese to taste.

Plate and serve with a white wine.

It's an easy recipe to tinker with, and you can substitute ham for the bacon or not use it at all. I've also made it without the pasta, with seafood instead of chicken, and with different cheeses. Have fun playing with it and let me know what you think.

Carnival of Education

The 85th Carnival of Education is up over at The Median Sib

Read for Fun Wednesday

My 'fun' book for the week as been A Madman Dreams of Turing Machines by Janna Levin

It is fiction but at the same time a 'true' story about the lives Kurt Godel and Alan Turing.

It was featured on the Colbert Report. So far it a interesting read, even if I don't full understand some the theory that is mentioned. I'll let you know my thoughts on it when i finish.

Yes! and No!

I was approved for a student loan!

This means I'll be able to finishing paying off this semester tuition without borrowing from mum, not to mention paying my car insurance and hoa for the rest of the year. That I'll be able to put some money aside for property taxes.

Now if only I could get my Chaucer translation quiz grades to go UP not down. (Granted it only dropped from a 8 to a 7, and most people in the class had a 6 last time and a 7 this time. But STILL.)

Talk Like a Pirate Day

Ahoy, there you mangey rapscalions! It be talk like a pirate day*!

In honor of this here day, I be telling you a pirate joke:

Why couldn't the boy see the Pirate movie?

Because it was rated ARRRR.

Be sharing your pirate jokes with me, me hearties.


*Which I observed by speaking Middle English and will further celebrate by playing Monkey Island.

Friday Recipe Blogging: Side

This is one of my favorite recipes. It's simple fast and can taste different each time you make it depending on the beer you use. In fall I like using some of the pumpkin and pumpkin spice beers.

This recipe original came from a very odd source: Dragonlance's More Leaves from the Inn of the Last Home by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman/
Beer Bread:

3 Cups of flour
3 tbs sugar
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
12oz of beer or ale
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Shift dry ingredients. (If you use self-rising flour you can leave out the salt and baking powder). Shake up the beer or ale so it's nice and fizzy and pour it into dry ingredients. Warning failure to shake beer will result in tasty rocks. Stir mixture thoroughly.
Spoon batter into greased bread pan.

Bake 45-50 minutes. Let bread cool for 15 minutes before turning out of the pan.

Hot for the Teacher?

At age 26 that I'm near the same age as some of my potential professors. Some of which who will be (male or female) attractive, interesting, and someone that I'd like to get to know better outside of class. These in some ways are my peers, but only not.

I've never really thought about that before now. I never thought it would be an issue, because it didn't really occur to me until this past birthday that 'I'm one of the grownups now'.

There are lines that cannot be crossed even on the level of just being friends with a Professor while still in their class. That is a given.

When though is it appropriate to have outside social contact? When your out of that class or when you've graduated?

What are the rules of this sort of thing when you hit grad-school?

In conclusion, I admit nothing.

Butterflies? Feels more like elephants

I don't think its possible for me do any more preparation for my second translating quiz tomorrow. Or to read out my section of House of Fame.

But I'm still panicking. I can feel it in my stomach, that worry knot.

It doesn't help matters that I left one of my text books that I need for tomorrow at work, with no way to retrieve it until Friday.

I'm going to finish my cup of tea and head to bed. If I'll panicky in the morning I'll take some St. John's Wart.

Damnit I really don't want to go back on lexapro. I can't afford it.

(I also just realized I've been doing really boring blogging lately. An undergrads life just isn't that interesting.)

Note to self:

Do not over think yourself on the next translation quiz.

On another note: One page papers are hell. It was agony only having one double spaced page to talk about the correlation between the hunting and bedroom scenes in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. I could have spent a page just talking about Reynard!

Kitten!

Did I mention my mum has a new kitten?

He is so tiny, only six weeks old. Him and his brothers and sisters were left at the local petsmart with note saying their mum had died. He's been checked out for feline leukemia and AIDs, and he was completely free.

I spent most of yesterday with him either hiding beside me under a nest of pillows or climbing over me mewing. He eats some wet food and can drink milk, but mum's still having to bottle feed him some.

He makes me want a new kitten but it would be very unfair to the kitten since I have so little free time and to my other two cats. Empress Matilda would think it was some new toy I'd gotten her most likely.

Random updates

I survived my reading in my Chaucer class fairly well. I only really butchered 'countenauce', which was slightly embarrassing because I'd been saying it correctly when I was practicing. The teacher pronounced it twice in class, so of course, I said it completely wrong. I won't know how my translation went until Tuesday, at but least I'll have it back before my second translation quiz.

I did enjoy The Book of the Dutchess. In a 'modern updated' version I could see the Black Knight saying something along the lines of "She's DEAD you imbecile!", in frustration at the narrator near the end of the poem. I'm of the mind that Chaucer as the narrator here played dumb, in part, to provoke the Black Knight into plainly stating his lose. Parts of the poem also reminded me strongly of a scene from Sleepless in Seattle where Tom Hank's character is talking about his dead wife.

Also, Chaucer is a bit of a show off. Yes, I know film at Eleven.

I only wish I could say the same about my first commentary (getting it back before the next one is due that is)from Hist of Brit Lit. I have a second one due on Tuesday over Sir Gawin and the Green Knight (and really I don't remember it having this much 'sex', so to speak, in it when I read it back in Highschool) and I'd rather have known how I did on the first one before starting on the second. But what can you do? It's only a page long so I can't bugger it up too badly.

On a side note if I hear another population stat in the next month, it will be too soon. I'm rather disappointed in the fact that my texts for my Early Modern Europe class are more interesting than the lecture. I've already read most of The Witch Hunt in Early Modern Europe.

I'm going to start the 'reading for pleasure Wednesday' for my sanity I think. I have several books on my 'to read' pile, the least of which are The Historian, A Mad Man Dreams of Turing Machines, and re-reading The Time Traveler's Wife before I need to give it back to my friend (not to mention one or two Doctor Who novels).

Lanval

This really didn't belong with the other post so...

For some reason the end of Lanval with the Lady showing up at just the right moment to save Lanval, then him riding off with her to live happily ever after reminded me strongly of part of the end to Brazil*.

In both cases the 'hero' is saved in very fantasy like way just when things look at their worst and then they ride off with their loves to live happily ever after in some far away place never to be heard from again. Now in Brazil clearly the Sam is being tortured and retreats into his own mind, back into his fantasy world. In Lanval, Marie is writing a lai, so such a fantasy/magical rescues fits in with the reality of that world.

Really there is not to much commonality between the Lanval and Brazil other than this feeling I have on the 'un-realness' of the happy endings.

I'm not sure why my brain even made the jump and similarity is mostly in my head. Oh well.

*I have not seen the movie in several years so forgive me for any mistakes about the plot.

No, I'm not speaking in tongues...

I have to read some of the Book of the Duchess aloud in my Chaucer class on Thursday, not to mention the translating quiz. I'm completely freaked out that I'm going to butcher it and look like an idiot. Or at least more of an idiot after my attempted comment on Lanval and how it relates to courtesy and justice, History of Brit Lit.

Did I mention both are taught by the same teacher and have some of the same students in each? I don't even remember what I was trying to say just that it didn't come out how I wanted it to, plus I could tell if the look the teacher gave me was 'that interesting' or 'dear lord shut up'. I wanted to sink into the floor.

It seems I need to re-train myself to raise my hand after a few years of classes where no one raised their hand, you just sort of spoke up when questions were asked (never interrupting the teacher though).

I had someone ask me today why a history major was taking junior and senior level English classes, because you know there is no reason what so ever that a history major would be interested in the History of British Literature or Chaucer. Plus, never mind that I do have two history courses this semester; Early Modern Europe and History of England to 1688.

Where the intro to mythology fits in all this?

I wanted to, it was open, it vaguely fills one of my requirements, and I've frankly have been wanting to for a few years now.

Get Tom Leykis off the air

On my way home tonight my radio was tuned to one of the local talk radio stations. Now normally this station has very funny, very liberal people on. Hell they hoist love-lines. While some of their people can be assholes they tend not to be misogynist asshole as the guy I heard to night.

Tom Leykis.

First thing I heard one his show was a guy calling in talking about dating a girl that had blamed the holes in her walls on her abusive ex, then said two years later she'd turned me into that guy.

My reaction was pretty much....The fuck?

I waited for the host to smack the guy down and when he didn't I changed the station. Normally that be the end of it, but later while flipping around I landed back on the same station.

Right in the middle of his lovely rant about never ever owning or buying property with a woman. That you should only let a girl move in if your going to marry her, and in opinion you should never get married. And how most women he's been involved with try to get you to buy property with them, and he says it has if these girls are just after his money.

While I was still in shock over the stupidity of this, he took a female caller. She's railing on him about his women hating ways, and when he asks her for examples she cites him saying that men should never date a woman with kids.

To paraphrase him: "I don't want another mans garbage."

I wanted to rip the radio out of my car and throw it at someone. Namely Tom Leykis.

I've emailed the station, with the strong request to replace him with ANYONE else. I'm going to email one of the women on the morning show about it, along with the woman that co-hosts the mid-day show. Give their general personality I'm pretty sure the might at least be able to give me the right numbers to call to make my voice have the most impact.

He isn't local but syndicated so hopefully if enough people get pissed he'll be replaced with a different show.

If Tom Leykis is broadcast in your area call or write that station to try and get him off the air.

I would like to say this in closing: If you move in with a guy and are helping or making the mortgage payment? Make sure your name is on the deed.

If he refuses to but your name on the deed but wants you to pay, get a rental or lease agreement with him. I don't care if you love him, protect yourself.

If you own the place? Make sure your name is the only one on the deed if you marry him. In joint property states get a pre-nup or if you don't and thing go to bad get a good lawyer that will fight for you.

Tragedy In Denim

My favorite pair of jeans is on their death bed and need a desperate patch to the back two pocket areas in order to save them.

I hope they can be saved without making them unwearable to classes. They're my most comfortable pair of jeans, even if they DO comes from the juniors department. Classic five pocket, mid rise and flared legs. I found this pair at a goodwill four years ago.

I might have to go hunting for a new pair. Even, though, yes I was bitching about needing new bras and that I really didn't think I should have to pay $50 for something from Nodstroms or Dillards.

Back to the jeans. Their (Pairs Blues) website says Khols carries them and the Khols website says they do carry that style. And I think I love Paris Blues even more for being carried at places like Sears and Khols and places like Macy's and Nodstroms.

Though I kind of want to wait to buy any jeans until I lose some weight and get in shape, which with all the walking I'll be doing across campus this semester shouldn't be the hardest thing in the world. I need to drop at least ten pound and firm up someplace. I do worry this will effect my yummy new suit, but I don't think it will effect the fit of the skirt too much. Even if I do drop those ten pounds I won't drop to an eight so I should be fine.

I was going to link to a picture of my suit by the website doesn't have it (damn it they'd better still have it in store because I want to buy the pant when I can use those $25 off cards they gave me). Which makes me fret and want to go into the store tomorrow to see if they still have that suit. If they do I'll see if they'll let me put the pants on lay-away or something until the 11th.

This concludes the rambling clothing post.

Ow my feet

Oh, I'd forgotten the joy of speed walking across campus in shoes just not made for that sort of thing.

Note to self: When you know you have a lot of walking to do? Wear comfy shoes.

I'd also like to go on record to the most of the young women I saw walking across campus as saying: Those aren't shorts those are knickers. Put on some pants. Please.

I might have my feminist card taken away for saying this but for goodness sakes put on some more clothes! Cover up a bit! I know it's Texas and it's hot as the surface of the sun, but I really really really do not need to see most of your ass hanging out of your short-shorts. I'd be more okay with mini-skirts but hey at least those can look good. This just looks like you forgot to put on your pants in the morning.

And to the young woman in front of me in mythology class? The fact you told the girl next to you that your really there for your MRS degree made me want to take my book and smack you over the head.

And completely randomly to all Universities and College out there: if you have to remodel the activities building, which includes gutting the lockers rooms and equipment supply rooms? Do it during summer, please?

Any of you still with me that are curious here are the classes I'm taking:
ENGL 4325 - CHAUCER
HIST 2313 - HIST OF ENGLAND
HIST 3383 - EURO 1560-1715
CLAS 1300 - INTR CLAS MYTH
ENGL 3351 - HIST BRIT LIT I

Can I hit the reset button?

As bad days go lets go down the check list:
Somehow getting turned around and going the completely wrong direction than you need to get to school? Check.
Pouring down rain? Check
Almost running of a gas? Check
Realizing you missed your first class and have no chance to get to the second one? Check
Run of the road by an 18 wheeler? Check
In tears and headachey before 10:30? Check
Giving up and just going home for a hot cup of tea and nap? Check
So far?
Worst birthday ever.

School starts again and other....Stuff

School starts back up for me tomorrow and I just realized how little I've been blogging her.

Bad blogger, no cookie.

Long story short, here a run down of things happening lately:

• My cat? Yeast infection in her ears, and is all better now. The vet near me? Rocks. They even have email reminder.
• I might have gotten a student loan, hopefully I will hear something this week. This would make my life so much easier.
• I have 13 hours this coming semester. What's the 1, I hear you ask. Fencing. I'm both dreading and looking forward to this.
• I turn twenty six tomorrow. Am I allowed to wail about almost being thirty, or will I have things thrown at me?
• My best friend rocks and so does bread pudding.
• BBC's Shakespeare Re-Told - Taming of the Shrew? Thoroughly enjoyed it.
• Btw, BBC? I could do with less Sharpe commercials and really why is any woman getting near him with his track record for having his girl of the movie raped/killed/maimed/sold/etc?

Fear and misery

The new security measures for airplanes as me pretty pissed off because I don't really believe it will just be 'temporary'. The airlines will find a way to cash in. Yes, I'm that cynical.

When will people understand that fear and misery don't make us safer?

Just scared and miserable.

PS. I promise to blog something remotely historical soon. Really.

Don't I have an open honest face?

Kitty update

My kitty has a appointment for Thursday and I've found a really nice clinic right near me. The place is open until midnight and does payment plans.

She seems to be acting a bit more lively today and she's grooming herself, but I want to make sure she's okay. I might not really have the money for it now, but I love her.

Cat worries

I'm going to have a breakdown before the week is out at this rate.

My kitty Tilly has really bad waxy build up in her ears and even with the drops and cleaning as suggested it is just not getting better. Now she's refusing treats and seems to be loosing fur around her ears. I'm going to have to take her to the vet. My other cats ears are fine.

I feel like such a horrid person for thinking "But I can't afford to take her to the vet right now!"

Mmmm Curry

Let it be known that the 'A Taste of Thai" Red curry noodles is very very very very very delicious (and spicy).

I'm so stocking up on these when I go to the store this weekend.

The Pad Thai Noodles are half bad either.

Falls down dead (an update)

My mother, as I should have known given that hello this is my mother, believed me. Plus had she been in the same country as my step-father at the time I think he'd be missing a few parts. She's making him go back to counseling and if he even 'thinks' about even calling me or she has the slightest hint he's even been near my condo? She's throwing him out.

She took me to dinner Monday. She told me the thing that upset her most was that he'd made me feel has if I was at fault and that he'd made me unsure about telling her. I've always been able to tell and talk to my mother about anything even subjects we disagree on. I'm glad this hasn't changed.

I now have a chain on my door and a alarm company coming out next week. I also had a girlfriend over this weekend who kept me from dwelling on things. Good friends will listen to you, best friends will let you drag them into store after store when shopping for clothes and shoes really isn't there thing.

In other news I'm the biggest dork in the world because I have The Doctor Who technical Manual sitting right next to The Riverside Chaucer.

Why blaming the victim often works

First off, thank you everyone for your support. It might be silly but it has made writing the letter to my mother a bit easier.

I also realized something as I struggled with my fear of telling my mother. He has done exactly what experts say a victimizer will do to the victim. He made me afraid.

Not of him but of talking.

I'm a twenty five year old woman, a homeowner, a teacher, and someone who had no problem telling a stalker where to get off and I'm terrified that my mother will read his email/talk to him and decided that I led her husband on. Why on earth should I feel this way?

I certainly haven't done anything wrong. I know I didn't lead him on. I know I didn't give off signals. And it isn't like I haven't made my mother aware of past incidents. She knows about him walking in on me and some of the other incidents. She'd confronted him, made him get counseling. I later moved out and he seemed to be better. Sorry even.

I shouldn't be scared of telling her about this, but I am.

It's very easy to say, "why didn't she just tell her mother" when watching something on CourtTv. It's easy to wondering "why didn't she just say no". Or "I wouldn't have let that happen".

We never think those things if the victim is a child. No one ever says about a five year old molested by anyone that they were leading the person on (expect maybe the molester). So why is it that when a teenager or a young adult is put in the same situations blaming the victim seems to be almost a kneejerk reaction? So much so that victims blame themselves with no outside influence.

"You should have worn that." "You were asking for it." "You gave you signals." "I'm impulsive, you should have said no." "You didn't make me stop, you must have liked it."

No woman should ever have to hear those words for anyone.


I'm not sure if any of this makes much sense but it helps to put it in writing. Is it time for Ka'zoo yet? I need the distraction.

"And you didn't say no..."

Edit: For some reason the last part of the post was originally cut off, I've now fixed it.

Today I received an email on my lunch break that I'm not sure how to deal with.


A few of you might know my history with my step-father and that he has done a few inappropriate things since he started dating my mother (almost four years ago) such as (when I was living at home) standing just out side my bedroom door or walking into my bathroom while I was showering. Along with unwelcome back rubs which he says I must have enjoyed as much as him because I never said no (and I'd like to know since when back rubs entail touching a girls breasts). Let us not even go into the lacy nightgown he thought was a nice birthday present three years ago. About a month ago I caught him naked in my condo and I made my displeasure very well known.

So, today he sends me a email 'apologizing' where he pretty much blames his behavior on me. I used to walk about with too few clothes on, or saying I've bent over on purpose in front of him with no panties on (which I have never done, I don't even sleep without underwear on). He has this whole list of stuff that pretty much reads like 'you were asking for it'. He even has told me that he can't seem my bra without picturing me in it.

Fuck, he should have just written 'hey you little hussy it your fault that I see you sexually'. For gods sake he's my step-father and I treated him as such. When I lived at home I had every right to walk downstairs at midnight and expect not to see a naked man, or have to worry about whether my nightshirt was too short. You're a older male with in a position of authority. You're my step father. You should know better. I shouldn't have to tell you to get your hands off me.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

I don't even know what to do about this. Email my mom and possible ruin her marriage? I don't want to be in this position.

I don't need this stress. I don't need this.

My hands were shaking and I had three more hours with small children.

It is three-four hours later and I've had a chance to become pissed off. Calmer, but pissed off.

I've written an email to him where I've said exactly what I think of his 'shifting the blame' and the other bullshit, but I also wrote that I he was lucky I didn't foward it to my mother. I haven't sent the email yet.

I honsently need some good advice. The people I normally go to are my mother and grandmother.

I have the urge to change my locks.

The Un-dead Post

No this doesn't mean I'm a zombie (but I make no promises about eating brains).

The nearest my brain has been to academia this summer as been the book on Margery Kempe (Margery Kempe and Translations of the Fleshby Karma Lochrie) in my bathroom and yelling at History international.

Some updates on life in general:

• Signed a contract to work after school three days a week at current job. It's at the same rate of pay and I'll get substitute work. The job market for the hours I need? Really really really sucks.
• Paid part of my fall tuition. Thank you payment plans!
• I still refuse to take a history research class where the topic is WWII. No. Just no.
• Slightly worried about taking Early Modern but I have History of England and intro to mythology. I will survive.
• Still debating between Latin intensive (the only Latin the offer this semester) or taking it at night at local community college. Cheaper and easier at the community college but I'm not jumping for joy over 730-930.
• Lending Tree? Bite me. No I will not add a second co-signer. I'm twenty six, I already have one co-signer, and my credit? Not that bad.
• Any suggestions for places that give student loans?

My Governor is Kinky

Kinky Freedman will be on the ballot in November.

This makes me a very happy Texan.

Also?

I love my mother but I wish she'd get that I have a life outside of visiting her.

And in closing: Hoodwinked has no right to be so damn funny.

Rain

Rain.

Sweet, beautiful merciful rain.

Thank God.

Rain.

Uneventful

Life has been pretty uneventful. I have a few posts I want to make but the heat is sapping my brain cells.

I've spent the last few weekends helping my mother get her house ready to sell. I've cleaned for carpets than I ever care to clean again.

Oh, and one of the books I brought at k'zoo? The company just now got around to depositing the check. This amuses me.

*fumes*

My cat-a-corner downstairs neighbor had the lovely big tree, which gave much shade, down. This annoys me.

What pisses me of is that my balcony is covered in saw dust, I received no notice, and a gateroaide bottle was left on my balcony.

The gateroaide bottle really ticks me off because this mean there were strangers on my balcony. With out my permission. My HOA is getting a call about this.

Owowowow

A TV fell on my foot at work today.

Don't ask.

I don't think I'll be doing much walking this weekend.

Life updates

On another note, school wise I'll be staying right where I am now. It's tad of a let down, but I perhaps wasn't being very reasonable about my chances in the first place. I can make the school am at now work and if might just be easier to receive federal aid since its a public university.

Oddly, I'm not as upset as I thought I would be over all this. I've been so tired this week between work and insomina that I haven't had the ENGERY to be upset.

Work is going to odd though for my last two months. I'll be training my replacement. This is a rather odd thing for me as I've never had train a replacement before. I'm not even sure how to go about teaching/showing her all of the million little things you do as a assistant without thinking. Part of me wishes I was staying, but unless I want to be another three-four years on my degree I need to be able to take classes during the day.

Long weekend and lots to do. Cleaning, cleaning, laundry, and more cleaning. I also plan to finish watching The Key to Time box set(Doctor Who). Or maybe I shouldn't since upon watching the Ark in Space the other night with a friend I declared "Tom has a great bum."

All the cool kids are doing it...

Which Classic Female Literary Character Are you?

You're" Elizabeth Bennett of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen!
Take this quiz

*bangs head against the wall*

Life (and a Doctor Set of Doctor Who DVD'S) have kept me rather busy the last week or so.

Here are some updates on the life of History Geek:

• I'm really starting to re-think my University of choice. I emailed my admissions advisor on Friday letting her know that the correct transcript would be mail on Monday. Today I got a letter of rejection dated: you guessed it Monday. Shoot me.
• My boss is either evil or stupid. Or both.
• I hate the dentist. I swear I don't have any teeth without fillings now!
• I really should not be fancying Tom Baker.
• Because my mother fancies him, and I'm still creeped out over us both having a thing for Sean Connery and young Harrison Ford.
• I really didn't need to know I might have been convinced during a romantic night of Doctor Who and Masterpiece theatre. I really didn't.
• The Little Empress likes fig newtens. Is there nothing she won't steal from me and eat?

Looking up

The trouble with the grade point average has been fixed. All should be will in a few days. I over-reacted it seems. Hell, I tend to always over-reacted


In other news the interview today went very well. If all goes right in a few weeks I will have a new job!

Also is it wrong of me to want the TARDIS (Doctor Who) to land sometime in the regin of Richard II?

Zero to pissed and back again

700pm: I'm so pissed off right now I can't even see straight. I busted my ass to get a C in that damn political science class and the university is telling me oh sorry but now you can't come back to 2007.

WHAT!?!

Since when do a B and a C get you booted the hell out? This is fucking up so much stuff I can't even start. What's even better? I can't even talk to anyone over there because they've all gone home for the day.

I'm so fucked. All that work I did is for nothing because no other U is going to take me, especially not prestigious U.

*makes Hulk smash noises*

745pm: And..and...*takes deep breath*

Okay, mom made me calm down and look at it with out panicking. It seem unlike my old college (where most of my credits are at) they do not automatically replace a D or F with the grade received on repeat. You have to file a letter of intent. Of course my advisor didn't inform me of this when I told her I was repeating the class.

So tomorrow I will call them and see if they will please replace the F with the C. I've already email my advisor at prestigious U telling her that there was an error on my transcript and I'm trying to have it corrected. With all luck this is just a minor speed bump.

For your amusement

Found this over on livejournal and thought some of you would get a kick out of it.



If you mock up do we not...uhm...whisper to each other louder?

Sick day redeux

So here's hoping they call me for a formal interview in the next few days. I did pick up one of the new Doctor Who books while there. Then headed over to half-price books to turn my application in over there. I picked up a few books from the clearance bin and happened upon my prize of the day.

Riverside Chaucer 3rd edition for 14.98.

Sick Day

I'm taking a sick day. When I woke up this morning my throat felt like lava had been poured down it. While I feel better now, there was no way I was going into work today.

So I'm catching up on a ton of things that need catching up on. Laundry for one thing. I'm going to shower and get my ass over to Borders and hope I can catch the manger. If I can land a interview I know I can get the job. I'd really not have to last the summer at work. With some of the things going on I wish I could afford to just leave.

Wish me luck folks.

A very boring post

I really need to finish my K'zoo post, just not right now.

Right now, Geek is going to drink some very cheap wine with some 90sec rice while figuring out how to make up for bitching two of her co-workers out this afternoon.

I have the interview for 'perfect job' on thursday. I need to work up/update my resume before then. Sadly even if I land this job I'll have to stay on at the current job until the first of Aug.

On more pressing matters I need to deicded between re-watching Doctor Who (again), Narina, or P&P (A&E), because TV until about 10 is horrible tonight.

That damn cat

My orange tabby has decided that he wants to go outside today. Every time the front door opens, out he scoots. The last time, as he ran down the stairs to the courtyard he managed to pounce on a little bird. The poor little thing almost didn't get away as I tried to make it down the stairs in time. Luckily, for the bird anyways, there was a gutter spot near by which the little bird hide in.

My cat thought this was a horrible thing as he wanted the bird. He meorwed pitifully at me as a carried him back up stairs and into my condo. Now he's sitting on the balcony eyeing the birds in the trees. He is also pouting again.*


*He was pouting before since I spent the night at my mother's after taking her out for mother's day.

Teaching Carnival 9 and other semi related things

Teaching Carnival 9 is up over at adventures in Ethics and Science.

On a related note this week was Teacher appreciation. I've accumulated more swag than I did at Christmas. Between flowers, gift cards, a purse, cookies, cakes, and other sweets I've brought home my neighbors must be wondering about me.

Well, wondering more since I think they've been wondering since I started playing 'Billy was a mountains and Ethel was a tree growing out of his shoulder' with my balcony doors open.

Some of the before mentioned gift cards were from Borders, so I stopped by on my way home from work. Did I purchase books? Alas, no. Instead I spent seventy dollars on A&E's Pride and Prejudice and Chronicles of Narina (I almost wonder if will see any sessions on CN at K'zoo). Forty of this was covered with gift cards.

none of this as anything to do with my next statement: Applebees must suffer for turning 'Mack the Knife' into a jingle for their steaks. Their marketing department should be forced to listen to their own jingle until the end of time and/or space (which ever comes first).

Persuasion (1995)

I have such a weakness of movies based off Jane Austen books. Even if they aren't the best.

K'zoo Review Part 1

Wednesday night: I decided within minutes of dragging my bags up the hill to Valley I that next year all my stuff WILL fit into one bag! Within the first hour, I already had a list going for things to bring to better survive the dorms next year. I was much too wired to sleep so I finished Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunart* is one go.

Thursday: 8am Meant to wake up to go to breakfast, wound up walking the exhibit hall for an hour.
9am Started off towards Waldo Library for the XML workshop.
920 Still hadn't found Waldo Library.
940 Decided whoever designed the campus was a sadist with a wicked sense of humor.
950ish Found Waldo! Sadly he was more machine than man..
The first part of the workshop was good, though I wish we'd been allowed to stay and work on our exercises longer. Of course, in my brilliance I had started with the exercise for that afternoon instead of the first session. Doh!
1ish The cafeteria food was much better than expected. They also had my weakness Cherry Coke.
130: Went to a session in Valley II. My biggest lasting impression (after the chair were horrible), was that like a lot of things when marrying a heiress or widow in Richard II England it was easier to ask forgiveness than permission. Though it would be more expensive.
330: Back to Waldo for the second XML session. "Yes! What IS x-path?" I'm telling you, he had us well trained by the end. Maybe this says something about me but I would have loved for another session. Once a coder/programmer always a coder/programmer...
Blogger gathering (I sorry this still make me thing we should have had swords and uttering 'there can be only one): Loads for fun, though I wished I'd gotten their earlier and hadn't rambled on about Montessori so damn much. I can talk about other things! I swear!

Part 2 to follow...

*Which I really enjoyed though I had a few issues with it.

Lost Cat---found

My mother stopped by my condo this afternoon to pick up something. While doing so she accidentally let one of my cats out. My other cat is freaking out and I can't find my orange tabby anywhere.

I can't call in tomorrow to look for my cat can I?

Edit 11:17pm : The prodigal son has returned. The little Empress hissed at him too for making mommy worry.

Contracts and new jobs

I need to decided soon whether to sign my new contract or tell my director that no I will not be back for the fall. Granted this isn't the worst place to work, and my pay isn't the worst I've been paid, but it would take much more than they've offered me for me to stay.

I shouldn't have to fight for my overtime pay. The law says we receive time and a half, I shouldn't have to stress out over making them pay. I'm tired of being sick all the time because stay at home mothers thing I'm their nanny and sick-nurse. I think I've ranted on most of this before.

I should be able to quit with a great deal of relief. Only, I'm not twenty anymore, I'm not even twenty three. The thought of not having a job? Of having to relay just on federal aid (which I don't think I qualify for) and loans to make ends meet? Scares the fuck out of me.

Still most of this is academic until I find out if I've been accepted as a transfer. *resists biting nails*

Onto the latter part of the title. I might have a job opportunity. A very nice one. Making possible fifteen dollars an hour and only having to work two or three nights a week. They'd pay me while they trained me. We'll see how things pan our in the next few weeks.

Boggling before bed

Just two things I'm boggling over before I try to sleep (oh the pain of a insomniac).

Unfortunately, we can't tell him to listen carefully to what your teacher says and believe everything she says," he said. "That shocks me."

Two families are suing the town of Lexington, several school administrators and a teacher over the issue of parental rights and children's books about same-sex marriage
Because you know folks, if they read a book about it they'll become gay! In all seriousness, while I can understand parents wanting to be the ones to talk to their children about the issue. At the same time if they're going to be teaching hate as a society do we let them do this?

The book in question is King and King by Linda de Haan, Stern Nijland.

America may be the world's superpower, but its survival rate for newborn babies ranks near the bottom among modern nations, better only than Latvia.

US Newborn survival rate ranks low and State of the World's Mothers Report now available.

Most of the articles out there seem to focus on how bad '3rd world' survival rates are when you'd think they'd be boggling at bit more over how low the US ranks.

Still avoiding that K'zoo review

Procrastination thy name is History Geek. In my defense I have been busy with things like laundry, cleaning, and swimming.

On the latter, my condo's pool is simply smashing. The water was just the right temperature, and it's just long enough for me to do my laps. I also had it completely to myself.

In other news I'm still working on my 'write your recommendation letter from your own point of view' letter. I really don't like boasting or lauding myself to people. Also my teacher let me re-take the final, and has things would have it I took 30 seconds longer than allowed according to blackboard.

Blackboard=Evil.

I'm convinced that I should probably not be eating fish sticks with good white wine. Especially while watching BBC American's 'What not to where'. This ladies can come pay me a visit anytime.

Oh yes! It is Teacher appreciation Week*. My haul so far is as follows: two bouquets, a starbucks card, home-made chocolate chip cookies, and a pretty picture frame.


*This is also know as Guilt Trip For How Teachers Are Generally Treated Week

Not really my Kalamazoo write up

I planned to write up how 'zoo went tonight. Or at least babble on about the people I met, stumbling my way through middle-English in the midst of those with a better grasps than I, and the Malory's Le Morte Darthur reading among other things. I should also try not to giggle like a school girl over meeting Terry Jones and having my picture done with him (he really he a very gracious and kind man). Or you know I should completely 'come out' to at least one person but saying who I talked to for several hours in the airport on Sunday morning.

I do have some thoughts on the blogging round table which I really should put down on paper before I forget.

Sadly this all requires more concentration and keeping my eyes open longer than I'd like. I'm going to stumble to my bed for a few hours. Since it is Monday and I can't miss Almanac or Conquest of History-I, I will stumble back out around 10ish.

Note to self

Or else I'll forget:

There have been three King Richards of England. Two of the three were deposed by a Henry. Both Henrys engaged in a certain amount of propaganda and suppression of varying degrees.

Does the name Richard appear again as the name of a King's Son? Is this deliberate choice? Granted the heir is most often named for his father or his grandfather (and quite often it is the same name), but there is usually more than one son.

Back from the Zoo

Despite my 'minor' melt down on Friday night, K'zoo was great fun. Since I'm odd and cannot go without blogging for more than a day or so, I felt the need to post something when I arrived home.

My cats are thrilled to see me and since my mother is a saint, the cat box is clean.

I'm very glad I went to the Pseudo society last night and then to the dance. Thank you again, Owlfish for letting me have the extra seat, it was much appreciated. At the dance I meet up with some other people I'd met and had great fun drinking and talking.

I will try to write a full report along with thoughts about my first 'Zoo trip when there isn't a cat helping me type.

I think I want to go home now

Maybe I'm just crashing from having a good day. Maybe I'm over tired. Maybe I just hurt.

But I think I want to go home now.

My on-line final which I thought I'd done. Didn't go through so effectively I missed my final. It worth %10 of my grade. I've thrown myself on the mercy of my teacher.

Also, my checking account is giving me lovely red numbers. Which it shouldn't. Which there should be no way in hell that it should.

I can't go to my room since my roommate is likely already asleep and I don't think I could deal with being sniped at again just for trying to open the bathroom door.

I feel isolated, dumb, out-of-place, and all of five.

At the Zoo Zoo Zoo

The dorms are...well dorms. Next time I'm making sure I have single or know my roommate. My roommate has been asleep since 8pm. I'm not sure if I'm jealous or bitter.

The gathering was fun. Hopefuly some of us can get together before the congress is over.

Also the chairs in the Lobby of Valley One? Are very very comfey. Do you think they'd yell is I slept down here? (Kidding)

I'll try to be more coherent tomorrow or sometime before Monday.

Plus so itchy to do some xml.

Packing for K'zoo

Mostly packed for K'zoo. Though the 'how many bags' issue is kind of getting to me.

I'm a one carry on-suitcase type of girl, but there is NO way I'll be able to fit everything into my little roll on. My other 'suitcase' is a duffel on wheels. Is anyone else taking two bags, because that might be my the way I go. Really wish I'd picked up a bigger suitcase from Mom's this past weekend.

Laptop? Bring it or no? I'm attached to the hip to it, but since the computer lab is open to us I might forgo it. I would like it for the plane trip and downtime though, since I like watching movies on it (and if I bring it other-insominaics are more than welcome to come watch moviesat night).

I wish I'd thought of the travel iron while I was at Target (but since I don't even own a regular iron), along with a travel hair dryer.

I did pick a new book (as I don't have enough to read), Birth of Venus. I'm going to be totally evil and return it when I come back from the trip. My mother does this with romance novels when she travels, all the time.

Must haves that I'm taking:
Tea bags
Lipton Green tea
snacks
surge protector (really, I don't trust dorm wiring)


Any advise for the first time K'zoo go-er?

History Carnival with a side of fire and sword

History Carnival Number 30 is up over a ClioWeb.

Also we are in the longest period since 113 B.C. in which no one has crossed the Rhine with fire and sword.

This obviously needs to be remedied. I'll bring the swords, so who will bring the fire and the boat?

Somewhere a group of historians is probably planning this already. After all we've had MIT & MythBusters Take on Archimedes' "Death Ray" , Archaeologist Peter Vemming is working on a 22-ton fourteenth-century trebuchet at Warwick castle in southern England , and the 'Tree canon' myth (and all its questionable history) on mythbusters; why not this?

K'zoo

Cloning is the only answer.

No, wait, then each clone would need a badge.

Perhaps a device to bend time and space enabling me to be in several places at once. I'll just have to be careful not to run into myself less the space time continuum explode with lots of pretty colors and a rather loud popping noise. It's never a good thing when this happens and Doc Brown shows up to give you a rather firm talking too.

I could train my cats to...on second thought any thing involving training cats is a bad idea.

Tape recorders!

No wait, I hate tape recorders.

So, really the best option seems to be bending time and space. Or flagging down The Doctor (or failing this finding an archeologist with some sort of Gate of Stars).

What's that? Pick just one session?

That's impossible.

The bra post

I now have four bras that are truly the right size. Yes, a bra that fits well does make a difference. Also it seems my bra size is one of the hardest to find on the whole damn planet! I managed to find only six bras at Khols in my size. Are there really that few women wearing 34D out there? Or are is that there is just that many?

Would it kill stores to make it easier to find sizes? There is no reason you should have a rack mixed with 36c, 44DD, and 32A. I could see if oh the racks were divided into A, B etc or 32, 34 etc, but the randomness is boggling. You cannot blame it on other customers either even the volume and the fact that all the brands seem to have this problem.

There are days I wish I could wear my circular boned bodice, because the back support is lovely. Sadly, I do not work at Hot Topic or anywhere else that a bodice is appropriate work attire.

On a related shopping note I picked up a cute little half jacket and a skirt. All told I only spent 54 dollars at Khols, close to the amount I'd planed to pay for two decent bras.

Really this was my biggest accomplishment this weekend, other than the typical weekend cleaning chores.

I did pick up Casanova but I'm not sure that should be seen as a accomplishment per say.

Poetry Friday- The Countess of Dia, a Trobairtiz

The Countess of Dia- Estat ai en greu cossirier

I've been in great anguish
over a noble knight I once had,
and I want everyone to know, for all time,
that I loved him-too much!
Now I see I'm betrayed
because I didn't yield my love to him.
For that I've suffered greatly,
both in my bed and when I'm fully clad.

How I'd yearn to have my knight
in my naked arms for one night!
He would feel a frenzy of delight
only to have me for his pillow.
I'm more in love with him
than Blancheflor ever was with Floris.
To him I'd give my heart, my love,
my mind, my eyes, my life.

Beautiful, gracious, sweet friend,
when shall I hold you in my power?
If I could lie with you for one night,
and give you a kiss of love,
you can be sure I would desire greatly
to grant you a husband's place,
as long as you promised
to do everything I wished!

Numbers

No, not the show.

• Six days until K'zoo.
• Two weeks until I MUST have my application in to the university to be considered for scholarships.
• Two letters of recommendation asked for, and received.
• One past professor vanished from the fact of the earth
• One hundred and eighty dollars spent at the salon last night.
• Four transcripts order.
• One closet half way cleaned out.
• One more test in Texas politics.
• One bottle of wine left in the fridge.
• Five new children starting in my class on Monday.
• Zero days between me and the weekend.

Insight from panic

For those of you playing along at home, you might remember that I'm applying at a prestigious private school to finish my undergrad. I've been panicking faster than a speeding bullet over the said application lately. Most of the panic itself as little to do with a the application itself or even the application essay of doom(tm).

No, most of my panic, anxiety, and overall freaking out is over "what do I do if they don't accepted me?"

Do I continue on at the State U (not Texas State BTW) with no Medieval Studies department, and the long commute? Do I apply to a few other universities with medieval Studies programs even though this could mean a even longer commute then State U?

I don't have the 'what ifs' Uncle Shelby writers about so much as the "Do Is?".

Through all of this my dear friend who lives too many states, we'll call her English-Shrew, away as been calming me down and smacking me down with reason. For this I'm very grateful, since I really don't have the time for a mini panic attack right now. I also fell like a bit of a heel.

English-Shrew has been applying to grad schools and dealing with all the stress there-in. Stress and panic which I haven't been the most supportive about. Suddenly I realize that 'it will all work out', and 'well you can try again in the spring' are about the least supportive things ever to leave my mouth.

Why she hasn't sent masked men to kill me in my sleep yet, is beyond me. I'm very thankful she hasn't and has given me the support I should have given her.

Though it is entirely possible that she is lulling me into a false sense of security and will soon have me tried for my abuse for the common coma.

And remember what ever you do, don't panic.

'Me' meme

Found around the blog-sphere.

Accent: Mix between East Coast and Texas
Booze: Australian chardonnay and Asian beer
Chore I Hate: Cleaning the cat box
Dog or Cat: Cats. They hunt me down.
Essential Electronics: Laptop/ipod
Favorite Cologne(s):BPAL's Doormouse
Gold or Silver: Silver.
Hometown: Small town in Texas.
Insomnia: All the damn time.
Job Title: Assistant transition teacher
Kids: None, and would people please stop asking me when I'm going to have some?
Living arrangements: A nice two bed, two bath condo in a nice up and comin area. Formal a run down 1 bed/1 bath apartment in a not so nice part of town.
Number of sexual partners: Right now? None. Less than four more than one.
Overnight hospital stays: Yes, when I was five.
Phobias: Spiders, utterly humiliating myself in public, running into stalker-ex.
Quote: Follow your bliss- Joseph Campbell.
Religion: Deist
Siblings: One brother, three step-brothers, two-step sisters.
Time I wake up: 6:30 am.
Unusual talent or skill: Bending my thumb backwards?
Vegetable I refuse to eat: Lima Beans.
Worst habit: Biting my nails
X-rays: Teeth, right knee, right arm and shoulder
Yummy foods I make: Seafood pasta, ginger-snaps
Zodiac sign: Virgo. Ascendant in Scorpio, Moon is in Aries.

Isabella: She wolf of France

Alison Weir's, Queen Isabella : Treachery, Adultery, and Murder in Medieval England

I always enjoy Weir's books, and must admit that I own all of those that she's written to date. She has a bit of a thing for English Queens and I can't say that I blame her. This time around she takes a look at Isabella, 'the she wolf of France'. History has not been kind to her.

Yesterday I had a long review written out. Today we're going the bullet route.

Main thoughts on the book

• As always I liked that we are given contemporary events, instead of focusing just on the main subject.
• Use of contemporary sources, how I love seeing them used. I think most of us have read at least one book that refers to the sources written long after the subject (person, place, or thing) and have wondered why the contemporay sources were ignored.
• While Weir is biased towards Isabella in part, she keeps to the facts and contemporary sources for the most part.
• This brings up a point for another time, should historians attempt to suppose what their subject might have felt and thought or keep to what we know for sure?
• The debunking of the popular mode of death for Edward II, ala red hot poker, done in a way that made sense. I agree that Edward more than likely died by suffocation.
• I'm not sure how much validity the premise of Edward escaping and living as a hermit has but she did support her theory well.
• I was pleased to see that she did not come down on one side or the other of the death verse escape. Though she does lean heavily towards the escape theory.
• Yes, the escape theory very much appeals to my romantic literary side.
• I agree that it is rather doubtful Isabella would have agreed to killing Edward II. Killing a King, any king is a dangerous precedent to set and she would have been smart enough to be wary.
• Must find a book on Queen Philippa of Hainault, from what we see of her in this book she'd be a fascinating subject.
• Overall if Isabella is everything later histories say she is, one would thing the contemporary records would show more of this tone towards her.

Thoughts, criticism, debates?

This is a non-post

I had a nice long post about Alison Weir's 'Queen Isabella : Treachery, Adultery, and Murder in Medieval England'. Which the gods of the internet decided should be sacrficed to them in their mercy.

In other words, the 'net ate it. I'll attempt to re-write the post tommorw.

Overworked and Overstressed

I hate being sick when I have so much on my plate. Though the reason I'm sick most likely is because I have so much on my plate.

Work has been nothing but stress for months now, and working until five now isn't helping. The teacher meeting we had today just reminded me how glad I'll be not to be here come next fall.

Assuming I survive the summer.

I caught a stomach bug at some point and would have really liked to stay in bed most of yesterday and today. My sun-burn from yesterday is a little better but I now have red splotches all around my eyes. I'm operating under four hours of sleep and insomina is the name of the game.

I've tried working on my application essay but keep having the urge to burn the thing. Which is difficult considering it's on a hard drive.

In the next week I have way to much to do. So much so that I'd have a breakdown if I tried to list it all.

So for now I'm going to curl up in my dark cool bedroom with my cat and take another nap.

Baaa

Movie meme found over at Dr. Virago's.

Bold the ones you've seen; star the ones you love.

"2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968) Stanley Kubrick
"The 400 Blows" (1959) Francois Truffaut
"8 1/2" (1963) Federico Fellini
"Aguirre, the Wrath of God" (1972) Werner Herzog
"Alien" (1979) Ridley Scott*
"All About Eve" (1950) Joseph L. Mankiewicz
"Annie Hall" (1977) Woody Allen
"Bambi" (1942) Disney
"Battleship Potemkin" (1925) Sergei Eisenstein
"The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946) William Wyler
"The Big Red One" (1980) Samuel Fuller
"The Bicycle Thief" (1949) Vittorio De Sica
"The Big Sleep" (1946) Howard Hawks*
"Blade Runner" (1982) Ridley Scott*
"Blowup" (1966) Michelangelo Antonioni
"Blue Velvet" (1986) David Lynch
"Bonnie and Clyde" (1967) Arthur Penn
"Breathless" (1959) Jean-Luc Godard
"Bringing Up Baby" (1938) Howard Hawks*
"Carrie" (1975) Brian DePalma
"Casablanca" (1942) Michael Curtiz
"Un Chien Andalou" (1928) Luis Bunuel & Salvador Dali
"Children of Paradise" / "Les Enfants du Paradis" (1945) Marcel Carne
"Chinatown" (1974) Roman Polanski
"Citizen Kane" (1941) Orson Welles*
"A Clockwork Orange" (1971) Stanley Kubrick*
"The Crying Game" (1992) Neil Jordan
"The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951) Robert Wise"Days of Heaven" (1978) Terence Malick
"Dirty Harry" (1971) Don Siegel
"The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie" (1972) Luis Bunuel
"Do the Right Thing" (1989) Spike Lee
"La Dolce Vita" (1960) Federico Fellini
"Double Indemnity" (1944) Billy Wilder
"Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" (1964) Stanley Kubrick*
"Duck Soup" (1933) Leo McCarey
"E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" (1982) Steven Spielberg
"Easy Rider" (1969) Dennis Hopper
"The Empire Strikes Back" (1980) Irvin Kershner*
"The Exorcist" (1973) William Friedkin
"Fargo" (1995) Joel & Ethan Coen*
"Fight Club" (1999) David Fincher
"Frankenstein" (1931) James Whale
"The General" (1927) Buster Keaton & Clyde Bruckman
"The Godfather," "The Godfather, Part II" (1972, 1974) Francis Ford Coppola
"Gone With the Wind" (1939) Victor Fleming
"GoodFellas" (1990) Martin Scorsese
"The Graduate" (1967) Mike Nichols
"Halloween" (1978) John Carpenter
"A Hard Day's Night" (1964) Richard Lester*
"Intolerance" (1916) D.W. Griffith
"It's A Gift" (1934) Norman Z. McLeod
"It's a Wonderful Life" (1946) Frank Capra
"Jaws" (1975) Steven Spielberg*
"The Lady Eve" (1941) Preston Sturges
"Lawrence of Arabia" (1962) David Lean*
"M" (1931) Fritz Lang
"Mad Max 2" / "The Road Warrior" (1981) George Miller
"The Maltese Falcon" (1941) John Huston
"The Manchurian Candidate" (1962) John Frankenheimer
"Metropolis" (1926) Fritz Lang*
"Modern Times" (1936) Charles Chaplin
"Monty Python and the Holy Grail" (1975) Terry Jones & Terry Gilliam*
"Nashville" (1975) Robert Altman
"The Night of the Hunter" (1955) Charles Laughton
"Night of the Living Dead" (1968) George Romero
"North by Northwest" (1959) Alfred Hitchcock*
"Nosferatu" (1922) F.W. Murnau
"On the Waterfront" (1954) Elia Kazan
"Once Upon a Time in the West" (1968) Sergio Leone
"Out of the Past" (1947) Jacques Tournier
"Persona" (1966) Ingmar Bergman
"Pink Flamingos" (1972) John Waters
"Psycho" (1960) Alfred Hitchcock
"Pulp Fiction" (1994) Quentin Tarantino
"Rashomon" (1950) Akira Kurosawa
"Rear Window" (1954) Alfred Hitchcock
"Rebel Without a Cause" (1955) Nicholas Ray
"Red River" (1948) Howard Hawks
"Repulsion" (1965) Roman Polanski
"Rules of the Game" (1939) Jean Renoir
"Scarface" (1932) Howard Hawks
"The Scarlet Empress" (1934) Josef von Sternberg
"Schindler's List" (1993) Steven Spielberg
"The Searchers" (1956) John Ford
"The Seven Samurai" (1954) Akira Kurosawa
"Singin' in the Rain" (1952) Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly*
"Some Like It Hot" (1959) Billy Wilder*
"A Star Is Born" (1954) George Cukor
"A Streetcar Named Desire" (1951) Elia Kazan
"Sunset Boulevard" (1950) Billy Wilder
"Taxi Driver" (1976) Martin Scorsese
"The Third Man" (1949) Carol Reed
"Tokyo Story" (1953) Yasujiro Ozu
"Touch of Evil" (1958) Orson Welles
"The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" (1948) John Huston
"Trouble in Paradise" (1932) Ernst Lubitsch
"Vertigo" (1958) Alfred Hitchcock
"West Side Story" (1961) Jerome Robbins/Robert Wise
"The Wild Bunch" (1969) Sam Peckinpah
"The Wizard of Oz" (1939) Victor Fleming