Originally written 12/12/09
Being at Wellesley has made me crave academic excellence. Yes, “crave” insinuates that I don’t already have it. I probably have the worst study habits out of everyone in my dorm…this semester has been a rough one. In other words, I REALLY NEED TO PASS CALCULUS. If I don’t, oh man. It will not be pretty.
Anyway, this article about America’s best high schools according to (Who else?) US News and World Report came out, and Yahoo told me about it. And of course, one of the first things I think about is how my little brother should go there, or whatever. And then I realize: Yeah right! He’s intelligent, but I don’t want to kill the boy!
I find mental health a lot more important than academic achievement. These, of course, are not mutually exclusive. But when you get into high levels, you realize just how close that line between genius and insanity really is. Maybe geniuses all drive themselves insane by not sleeping enough.
I wouldn’t know – there’s been many a time when I’ve decided to sleep instead of doing (necessary) work.
Anyway, this book sounds interesting:
School of Dreams: Making the Grade at a Top American High School by Edward Humes
It’s about Whitney High School, in Cerritos, CA. Whitney is the third best high school in the nation according to the 2010 list from USN&WR. Being from CA, I already knew about this school. My high school ( “only” in the top 3% of American high schools according to USN&WR) prides itself on its API scores and how we’re the best in our county and in the top 25 of the state. But guess what school is #1? Yes, Whitney. And even then I wondered: What do they do that is so effective?
It should be clear that I dislike rat races and “top lists”. I don’t like what they stand for – that someone could be totally esteemed and accomplished, but they are overlooked because “they aren’t Harvard”. (Btw, Harvard is totally overrated, at least as an undergrad college.) After all, at that point, what’s the real difference between #1 and #2? And colleges specifically – there are so many fantastic institutions that #25 isn’t something to sneeze at.
The people that I really respect are the deeply intelligent ones that somehow achieve outside of the rat race. Take Thao Nguyen. She’s an alumna from the #1 high school in the country – Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. She’s currently the guitar strumming vocalist of the indie band Thao With The Get Down Stay Down. That, my friend, is bad ass.
When you’re the president of the Breakfast Club…
A lot of things have happened since my lack of facebooking (I definitely miss it more than I should). I’ve been trying to delve into the mind of the ultra-feminist lesbian Jew known as Adrienne Rich, and it’s been an interesting experience, to say the least. And frick, I still have to write that essay.
As a side note, because this weekend was one long reading spree, I finally watched the Breakfast Club for the first time ever. Good times. And it led me to thinking, if it was recast today, who would be in it?
Of course, I am NOT saying that it should be remade. Remakes are terrible. But it’s still an interesting concept? After some thought, I came up with the best cast possible out of our choices of “teen” stars. (In reality, most of them are in their 20s. Which always bugs me. But I felt better when I did the math and found out that three of the original were also in their 20s.) Granted, if anyone ACTUALLY wanted to remake this (which they shouldn’t), then it would be best to have all unknowns. But imagining an all-star cast is fun for kicks and giggles:
1. The Princess – Leighton Meester
The reasoning behind this is pretty simple – she is one of the main characters on Gossip Girl. This role would not be hard for her.
2. The Jock – Cory Monteith
Once again,it’s pretty obvious why I thought this one up – he’s a football player on Glee. Who wrestles anymore anyway?
3. The Criminal – Taylor Lautner
Ok, this one was actually hard to find, because Bender was my favorite character. No one could live up to Judd Nelson in this role. I tried and failed to think of an actor bad ass enough for this character, but alas. There is none. But, I think if Lautner grew out his hair a little, got a little more grungy and angry (aka, was less of a pretty boy), he could do it.
4. The Basketcase – Emily Browning
She’s pretty, and a good enough actress to act crazy for most of the movie.
5. The Geek – Michael Cera
So. Obvious.
Yeah, I know this list is pretty ridiculous (they are all TOO PRETTY), but given my options (at least Miley Cyrus isn’t in it, guh) it’s not bad. And in my defense, it’s four in the morning. And on that note, I’m going to bed.
Edit: Oh, actually, I wanted to share that I always forget how much I LOVE Duckie. Granted, I probably forget because I’ve only seen Pretty in Pink once or twice. But still. The boy is my hero.
Sometimes.
I wish I was genuinely crazy. Well, kind of. Crazy in the uninhibited, creative way – when you wonder whether that person had to be on drugs to think that crap up, but they really weren’t, because that’s just how they think. Does that make sense? Probably not.
I’m kind of at an awkward middle ground craziness. My dad is too sane, my mom is too random. Yes, I am clearly defined by my genes. Isn’t everyone?
Anyway. Something that’s been happening in my life recently: my relationship status with with vegetarianism went from “In a Relationship” to “It’s complicated”. On Thanksgiving I ate turkey, yesterday I ate chicken, today I ate an omelet with some meat product. I had been living with vegetarianism for four years, but I think by this point I’ve officially moved into another apartment with an omnivore lifestyle. I admit, I’ve cheated on vegetarianism before (no relationship is perfect), but this is different. I’m not sure if vegetarianism is giving me what I need. I also don’t know if I can handle this kind of a commitment during this point in my life. And it’s not that I want to separate from vegetarianism forever (I really do love it), it’s just that maybe we should take a break. I need to find myself.
(My change of heart is mostly because of the dining services here. It’s really hard to be healthy in general, but to be a healthy vegetarian is even more difficult.)
Apparently there’s a new food manager now, and there are going to be community groups for vegetarians and vegans starting up (next semester, perhaps?).
Maybe this is just the kind of counseling our relationship needs.
“If I” by Demetri Martin
I just watched the whole 48 minutes of “If I” on Youtube. And I’ve got to say, the man is a genius. I mean, I’d realized this to a certain extent before, but now I know that he’s literally a genius. The first video is here.
What I find particularly amazing are the poems. The first is a poem written entirely out of words on a beer bottle. The second is a 224 word palindrome (having to do with a mailman?).
A surprisingly true youtube comment on one of the videos:
“Sounds like a confession. A long, nerdy, beautiful confession.”
I feel like I don’t talk about anything else.
This is what my blog has become: “blah blah blah WZLY blah radio mumble bumble web casting grahhhh MUSIC.”
Ah heh. On that note, I’m subbing for two people in this next week, so my radio schedule looks like this:
Thursday, 19th (MY BIRTHDAY):
DJ-ing from 6pm-8pm
11-midnight
Tuesday, 24th:
from 6-8pm
Y’all should listen (if possible). Clearly. Because I love you Ventura people!
Ahahaha, wow.
I love how when I posted poetry, my blog stats died. Come on, am I the only one who finds art more interesting than the randomness that often inhabits my life? Especially the Brooks poem….ahhhh. I’ve loved it for years, since the first time I read it. (Even though I didn’t fully understand it at the time. Heck, who says that I fully understand it now?)
So. I just found out that Wellesley Volunteers is hosting a Haircut Donation. For the Pantene Pro-V “Beautiful Lengths” program. On my birthday. I am SO TEMPTED.
I’ve donated my hair twice. The second time was for “Beautiful Lengths”, which I trust a lot more than Locks of Love. I was thinking about doing it again after I get back for Spring semester (aka, when it warms up).
Problems with me donating my hair on my birthday:
1. It’s going to get cold. Hair might be useful.
2. I was also thinking about getting a helix piercing. Doing both on the same day might be a little drastic?
3. …this one might be a little vain, but… Brad really likes my long hair, and I told him I wouldn’t cut it until after January.
4. Also kind of strange…my roommate has very short hair and multiple ear piercings. Am I the only one who thinks that it might be weird to randomly start pseudo-looking like my roommate, even if it is completely unintentional?
Good things about donating my hair now:
1. Well, donating is always good.
2. It’s really convenient that I can make such a change on my 18th birthday…it’ll help make the day eventful.
3. There’s less chance of my hair freezing in the winter.
4. It can grow out for a month before I go home…although I’m not sure how much that would be…
Well, I guess I still have two weeks to think it over.
Mantras. (which may or may not be true)
My classes are not beyond me.
It is not too late to do better. I have two months.
I am not a bad person for not understanding time management.
I will pass all of my classes.
I actually do care. And not just because my parents care.
I will do better. I will do better. iwilldobetteriwilldobetteriwill…
I realized why I love Thoreau a few breakfasts ago.
The fall leaves and cold wind never fails to make me smile. Some days the clouds and mist and the swirling, ahhh – the tragic beauty. I want so much to lay in the grass and be. This is true living, Thoreau says. This is escape, I say. I’ve always wanted escape, and Thoreau only validates this by telling me that my secret temptation is something that should be sought after, and with haste!
I’ve decided that I have a psychological problem. I create a fake reality. It is a coping mechanism. In this reality, I have nothing to do. Therefore, I have no stress. Therefore, I can do what I want.
I do this because I know that I will freak out if I fully realize all the things I actually have to do. I will break down. Sure, I can say the sentence, “I have to write an essay, do calculus homework and econ homework”, but I don’t actually mean it. Usually I can pull out of this thought process in order to get stuff done at the very last second, but obviously it is not as amazing as it would have been otherwise. I do not procrastinate, I hide under mental covers.
Anyway, eff this emo-ness. I’m sure my problems are somehow related to my brain chemicals, and therefore any negative emotions at this time are irrelevant.
Good things about the last 24 hours:
WZLY! All of it, ahhhh. This is what I should be doing.
An amazing nacho lunch today! Jalapenos remind me of home.
Getting a Spongebob postcard from Felipe. =D
Wearing my comfy “grandpa” sweaters.
Apparently!
This blog won’t make sense unless you read my last one.
Lawl, talk about coincidences.
According to Maria and some resourcefulness, the girl who has a radio show before me is the same girl that I want to strangle because of her fake polite laugh.
Fantastic.
Guys, girls, radio.
One of the things that I miss the most about males is their voice.
Part of the reason that I’ve been watching “Tales of Mere Existence” videos for the past hour, definitely.
Of course, that’s not the only thing.
I miss being able to tell dead baby jokes and not feel guilty.
I miss being able to hug the awkward ones.
I miss being “one of the guys” and chilling, playing rock band.
I still laugh loudly (the girls in my dorm LOVE it), but I’ve become more annoyed with how some girls laugh. Emma, my roommate, is one of the few people who I don’t judge on this. Her laughter is practically silent, but it’s ok, even adorable in it’s delicate nature. But some girls, OMG. Giggling politely is so annoying. There’s one girl in my math class in particular…I want to strangle her.
I’ve noticed that there are more “classical prep” girls around than I’ve known in the past. I don’t really mind them, in some ways I kind of admire having a professional attitude. And I haven’t seen any open hostility, which is nice. But I feel very separate from them…I’m the kind of girl who will wear a men’s large flannel shirt and worn down jeans. I wear leather jackets. I am practically unaffected by the violence in movies like Fight Club, and greatly prefer those movies to romantic comedies. I own a tutu. I love awkward conversations most of the time. I laugh like an explosion, I have no sense of tact, I’m legally still a child.
But, all these things that make me atypical…kind of make me a bad ass. Actually, I’m not sure about that one, but that’s what Anna said, so I’ll go with it.
Ok, the most important part of this blog:
RADIO SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT: My show is now officially Thursdays 11pm – midnight. One hour, yes, and I’m perfectly fine with it (I asked for it, actually). I think I’m starting this Thursday, so woot. West Coasters should tune in at 8pm at wzly.net.
