tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-306169832011-04-21T12:12:48.043-07:00Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.comBlogger691100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-53364498279371961352008-07-02T17:38:00.000-07:002008-07-02T17:41:23.535-07:00

I dunno what it is, but I kinda feel like Mander might be up for more musing some time soon. Stay posted.

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-33622985645368032832007-11-26T16:31:00.000-08:002007-11-26T16:39:01.348-08:00

OK, so this blog has had no action for a while now, and it doesn't look like that's really going to change. So I'm officially putting this baby on sabbatical. The reason is--I don't feel like it anymore. Maybe I will post to it again later. Relocating to England has been difficult. If you want to hear about it, and you know my email, contact me and we can Skype about it. Otherwise, you'll

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-25174487344543223752007-11-02T16:52:00.000-07:002007-11-13T03:04:19.618-08:00

1. Spent a week not knowing anyone, hanging out 24/7 with a flatmate that didn't know anyone. 2. Yelled at said flatmate for not pretending to be my bf when some scally got "up in my grill," as the kids say (or as they said five years ago).3. A few minutes--and beers--later, yelled at same flatmate for being chivalrous and pretending to be my bf, telling him, "You're my houseMATE. MATE as in

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-79027836636865221262007-10-06T12:06:00.000-07:002007-10-06T12:07:13.171-07:00

After spending the last week--Fresher's Week--drinking at the University's behest, I think this place is alright.To be continued...

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-72501769382836743452007-09-18T10:30:00.000-07:002007-10-21T05:26:41.515-07:00

This story is an account of something that happened to me. Nothing really happened, but the incident was on my mind for a long time. I think that it stuck with me because of what I felt when it happened. Here it is. If it’s boring, I’m sorry.Recently I visited friend Lian. She and I worked together for a short time, when I was a full-timer and she was only part-time. She had a second job,

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-17906504477732016502007-08-14T23:48:00.000-07:002007-08-21T10:43:23.545-07:00

For the Francophiles among ye, I have a very basic question...Why the fuck doesn't the French language differentiate between the simple present tense and the present progressive?Isn't there a difference between the statement "I work," meaning, "Yes, I am nominally employed," and "I am working," meaning, "Leave me alone kid, I'm busy?" Is this how they get away with a 35-hour work week?Just

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-80987495359307287542007-08-11T19:18:00.000-07:002007-08-20T21:12:11.129-07:00

A few days ago I posted about Victoria's Secret and its disturbing fascination with oversexualized youth. I also just recently saw Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, and Bette Davis' character, Baby Jane Hudson, puts a wholly different grotesque slant on the youth fetish. Witness:For a sec there I thought it was Britney.

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-24789202257239612292007-08-01T12:20:00.001-07:002007-08-06T23:45:37.689-07:00

Disclaimer: In this post, I make fun of infantile hyper-femininity and excessive use of the color pink. Some of you may feel the need to point out that I can also be infantile, and that I really, really like the color pink. Well, you'll just have to work that out for yourselves. Don't make me quote Whitman again, dammit!So ladies, now that that's outta the way, lemme ask you this:How hard is

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-7496242065834143622007-07-30T13:55:00.000-07:002007-07-30T14:17:11.060-07:00

Do you remember the friend I told you about, the one that told me that generalizations were indefensible? Wel, he was actually a more-than-friend, that is until I realized he had no sense of reciprocity. So fuck him, let the generalizations begin.To wit: hotness. Is it important? Not really, at least not in relationships. A guy will treat you the same, no matter what you look like. My proof

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-2545071471482685952007-07-29T16:28:00.000-07:002007-07-29T19:36:25.295-07:00

A little while ago I saw a movie called Straw Dogs. Dustin Hoffman stars in it as an American mathematician who flees the campus politics of the early 70s to hang out with his wife in an English country house. They're stuck in the bleakest, grayest, most brutal town you can imagine...the American West in Cornwall. The wife, Amy, is from the town, but our "hero," David Sumner, is an American

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-24774345920821946762007-07-27T10:34:00.001-07:002007-07-28T13:28:52.947-07:00

In case you haven't noticed from the lack of updates on this blog, I've been going through a sluggish/downer phase the last few weeks. I won't call it Depression, at least not with a big D, because I've experienced Depression, and it's downright frightening. This is more of boredom/loneliness/apathy combo. At least the weather's nice:More posts to come soon, promise.

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-35979297949822690132007-06-19T10:17:00.004-07:002007-06-19T10:25:42.756-07:00

I'm going to England! I'm going...broke. Oh, dear.This shit had better be worth it.

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-49518166363654621402007-06-18T21:02:00.000-07:002007-10-30T15:56:37.027-07:00

An article in the NYTimes about Chinese gold farming really grabbed me today, and it put a lot of things into perspective.For those of you that don’t know—you’re probably out reading good books or having a life—gold farming is an industry in which Chinese kids are paid about thirty cents an hour to play massive multi-player online games like World of Warcraft (WoW) and collect the gold coins that

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-29979852255159685742007-06-13T22:17:00.001-07:002007-06-24T21:38:35.093-07:00

Recently, someone told me that generalizations were intellectually indefensible. Feeling defensive, I made a crack about how he was making a generalization, and inwardly decided to disregard what he had said. After all, generalizations are necessary as expedients. If a dude comes at me with a knife or a gun, I'm going to remember the generalization, "Dudes that come at you with weapons want to

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-40278070955151098082007-06-07T18:58:00.000-07:002007-06-07T19:09:17.796-07:00

facing north:facing east:facing south:It was cold!

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-44608367628029368242007-06-05T11:42:00.000-07:002007-06-05T12:06:46.181-07:00

The gentleman I spent time with in Vanderbilt just sent me this picture:He also sent me text messages describing the waves and mentioning places "where we could..."Life just isn't fair sometimes. I really want to see him again, but he'll probably find a beach bunny (or two) on his trip through California, and that's probably for the best. When it comes to "love 'em and leave 'em," I really need

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-78525336572456869002007-05-28T11:53:00.000-07:002007-05-28T12:11:21.955-07:00

1. Start drinking beer in the afternoon because you can. Wonder vaguely about how you're going to get dinner that night.2. When your roommate, whom you've just met, comes home with her bf and a chum, drink more beer with them in an effort to make friends. Note that the beer is awfully filling, and that you might not need solid food after all. Celebrate this discovery with more beer.3. Walk

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-24736213961974294472007-05-18T17:06:00.001-07:002007-05-19T14:30:45.689-07:00

After the BF said "It's over," we had another conversation that wasn't too promising, and then he said, "Let's talk on Saturday." I suspect that he's putting it off b/c he has dissertation stuff to do, but I also think he's going to a.) say he overreacted, apologize, and still somehow try to find a way to blame everything on me; or, b.) stubbornly say that everything he does is fine, and demand

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-73739949580625096432007-05-15T20:11:00.000-07:002007-05-15T20:20:08.016-07:00

Okay kiddies, I'm telling y'all this to get it out of my system, so I can get on with the work I have to do: Yesterday the bf sent me a wonderful present, a picture of two otters. He knows that I love otters, especially after watching that YouTube video where the baby otters hold hands in the water. Anyway, this morning he and I got into it over somehting relatively minor--he was trying to

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-5939428815113496252007-05-13T18:44:00.000-07:002007-05-13T18:55:07.524-07:00

So I've been at this academic conference at Vanderbilt University, discussing, (believe it or not) the "Souls of Brutes and Stupid Things." We're essentially studying the difference between a "person" and a "thing" and how these boundaries get blurred. Anyway, I'm sure that Kant has plenty to say about this, but, alas, it's KANT, which means I CAN'T UNDERSTAND A DAMN WORD. So, for any of

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-15887379763108805172007-05-04T07:48:00.001-07:002007-05-04T10:14:11.391-07:00

In my latest effort at finding nice restaurants on the South Side, I happened upon the Parrot Cage Restaurant. It's located on 71st and South Shore drive, an otherwise dreary intersection, in the South Shore Cultural Center. (When the BF and I took the 6 southbound at 7 pm, one nice black lady said, "You know you're going south, right? Take care!") But forget the inauspicious surroundings--

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-16462577148787377662007-04-26T11:52:00.001-07:002007-05-03T15:20:26.736-07:00

My mother says that I was a serious adult in a kid's body, up until age eleven, at which point I started regressing. And it continues. Now, at 23, I am increasingly going through squeally fits of "ooh! babies! I wanna hold the cute wittle baby!," which I'm told is appropriate behavior for someone that is...ten. My boyfriend used to be disgusted by this behavior, but now I think he's resigned

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-89046458040541270292007-04-13T16:49:00.000-07:002007-04-13T17:29:54.628-07:00

Britney on a shopping spree:Marlon Brando in The Island of Dr. Moreau:Okay, I'm being mean, but I can't deny my fascination with The Britney Spears Show (a real-time trainwreck that is much more fascinating than her reality TV show, Chaotic). She used to be that cute, perky teen that was sexually precocious while projecting an impossible innocence. Well, I guess embodying all of the

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-91618519225204083902007-03-16T23:27:00.001-07:002007-03-17T05:40:06.781-07:00

Well, looks like I'll be going to the city of York in the fall. A part of me is actually disappointed that the school was founded in 1963, and won't have the medieval edifice, but as my mom says, "edifice is artifice." They told me that they were offering "unconditional admittance," which they explained meant I wouldn't have to maintain a minimum GPA. I got a little defensive at first, saying

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-61329320131529021482007-03-08T18:43:00.000-08:002007-03-15T19:37:04.238-07:00

Inspired from a conversation at work last night, I decided to go eat at a West African restaurant. Why West African? Because I've been to Ethiopian and Eritrean restaurants--yes, yes, they're completely different countries, I know--and I have to say I'm not crazy about it. East African cuisine is not for me. So on my day off, I went to Yassa, a Senegalese restaurant on 79th and Cottage Grove.

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-73961909150883735722007-03-01T19:58:00.000-08:002007-03-01T20:17:59.675-08:00

Dear Amanda,Thank you very much for your application. We regret to inform you that you were not admitted to our program.There were a lot of qualified applicants, and you were one of them, but we had a limited number of positions to fill, and many applicants were not accepted. Like you, for instance, you were not accepted. Na na-na na na-na.We could, of course, tell you what the weaknesses were

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-59027873663776357112007-02-21T00:08:00.000-08:002007-02-21T00:11:29.589-08:00

Here is the letter I wrote to the University:To Whom it May Concern:I am a UofC alum '06 writing to express my extreme displeasure atbeing denied access to the 24-hour study space at Crerar this evening. Intending to work on some more UK graduate school applications, Itried to get in by swiping in using my Alumni card, and when it didn'twork, the woman at the desk told me that alumni weren't

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-16387661078607437972007-02-12T22:53:00.000-08:002007-02-07T08:27:00.830-08:00

I had to go home from work several hours early on Saturday, because I felt like crap. Later that day, I had a catastrophic blow-up with the man I'm dating (that's another tie-in to my story on 'forgiveness'), and then the next day I was up at 6 am to go back to work. The worst part about getting paid by the hour is that you feel compelled to show up even when you really shouldn't, and you never

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-41051784997656707052007-02-01T00:31:00.000-08:002007-02-01T00:35:45.828-08:00

So, for all two of you that read my blog, a question:Do you believe that there is such a thing as forgiveness, and if so, what does it entail? If you have any ideas, please let me know.A longer post on this subject to follow.

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-72773015745215638962007-01-08T23:14:00.000-08:002007-01-11T00:09:02.646-08:00

I just saw an old movie called "Soylent Green," starring Charlton Heston. It takes place in the future, when humans are just hanging on after an environmental disaster, and Heston has to investigate a murder, ducking crooked parties left and right. The full meaning of the revelation at the end of the movie isn't properly explored, but it's a diverting movie nonetheless, and a great opportunity

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-14334326162673460522007-01-04T23:50:00.000-08:002007-01-05T14:49:05.796-08:00

In Chapter Two of A White Girl's Adventures to Ethnic Coffeeshops, I went to Cafe Mestizo in Pilsen to try the "special brews" praised so much in TimeOut Chicago. Turns out, the afternoon of December 31st--which was also a Sunday this year--is one of those days when businesses get zero traffic. At least, I think that's why I was the only patron at Cafe Mestizo--it was just me, the barrista, and

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-2829180345245340682007-01-01T13:54:00.000-08:002007-01-01T14:01:42.763-08:00

Winter “vacation” in Ohio can be strange. Lay aside family politics (the usual crisis over my stubborn little brother), and the thing that has affected me the most is the fatness. It’s everywhere. EVERYONE IN OHIO IS HUGE. To be sure, the average Chicagoan is pretty big—our eateries serve big portions, and the long winters encourage people to pack on the insulation—but still nothing is quite

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-51808377520374833842006-12-20T21:34:00.000-08:002006-12-20T22:41:40.138-08:00

When I lived in Kenwood, I picked up a flier for the Bronzeville Coffee House. The picture looked nice, and I was intrigued. When Timeout Chicago neglected to include the Coffee House--or any coffee shop in the (non-Hyde Park) South Side--I thought I'd find out for myself what it was like. So, after taking the 55 westbound and the 3 northbound, and walking two or three blocks toward the lake, I

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-53066153388311842472006-12-14T07:06:00.000-08:002006-12-14T07:16:05.733-08:00

Electronic Application fees for ten schools: $600Sending supporting application materials via express mail: $150Sending GRE scores to said schools by phone request, plus ETS service fee: $156Sending last-minute Interfolio recommendations via overnight express mail to meet app deadline: $250But hey, at least twenty years from now I'll be making the big bucks as an academic. Humanities people make

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-10184801515064962762006-12-08T21:07:00.000-08:002006-12-10T21:58:19.475-08:00

Recently I've been exploring the area south of Hyde Park, looking for places to get used clothes. The neighborhood I've been visiting is South Shore, close to where I work. In general it's not a flashy neighborhood--parts of it are getting gentrified with those new apartments with impossibly straight edges, but those are mostly at areas close to Lake Shore Drive, where folks can get straight on

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-46309019154398115292006-12-08T00:06:00.000-08:002006-12-08T00:10:02.840-08:00

Yes, I am old. People ten years younger than I have won gold medals. What do I have to show for myself? About as much as anyone else. Lengthier posts to come later, peeps.Peace.

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-34413652638757156152006-12-05T00:23:00.000-08:002006-12-05T00:31:02.709-08:00

Shabat Shalom, Muthafucka.

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-42944987935644693782006-12-01T16:28:00.000-08:002006-12-07T00:04:02.156-08:00

I was skimming through Jossip, and the latter blog linked to an NYTimes article that said that, according to Google, "the average blog has one reader." Mander's Musings, on the other hand, has, at minimum, THREE readers other than myself. Three hundred percent times the average! Break out the party hats!I started this blog as a way to get my opinions and observations written down--it was my

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-38388895937924810972006-11-26T23:43:00.000-08:002006-11-27T00:04:55.133-08:00

Here's a list of things I've been told in the last two days:"You got nappy hair!" - my youngest student. She's six and her hair is already broken off from wearing a weave."You sound country. Like you from Mississippi." - two of my teenage students, who by the way have not yet mastered subject-verb agreement. And I sound country? Can't a girl say "y'all" without having it come back to haunt

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1164607671839825492006-11-26T22:03:00.000-08:002006-11-29T01:11:00.523-08:00

Recently I have seen two films by Terry Gilliam, the American member of Monty Python. Yes, I know, I did not know there was an American Python. Shows what kind of Anglophile I am. Anyhoo, Gilliam was the Python animator, and it seems he is better suited as an animator or a film director, one who makes great film images, rather than just sitting around squawking in a Cockney accent. The second

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1163795173136566902006-11-17T12:22:00.000-08:002006-11-17T12:26:13.150-08:00

I have no idea how to use these words correctly. Well, that's not entirely true--I have some idea, but I want clarification. If you know exactly what the differences are between these two terms, please enlighten.

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1162968939276883112006-11-07T22:52:00.000-08:002006-11-16T18:23:49.723-08:00

Britney filed for divorce a few days ago...yes, I care about Britney Spears, and I still care about literature. I can care about both things at the same time! I'm a complex person dammit! I contain large multitudes! Let me tell you I am so relieved that she finally left the guy. Everything about him said "loser," and it was obvious Britney was funding his lifestyle. Anybody who had an ounce

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1162877526597765042006-11-06T21:23:00.000-08:002006-11-06T21:32:06.606-08:00

So I've taken the GRE subject test in Literature in English and a lot of the questions were related to 17thC/Restoration/18thC writers. So I didn't totally choke. Strangely enough, there were no questions related to Shakespeare that I can remember, and there was a series of questions related to Pride and Prejudice, which I thought would have been too obvious or well-known for a test like this.

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1162608607551692042006-11-03T18:05:00.000-08:002006-11-03T18:52:58.080-08:00

I'm taking the GRE Lit test VERY soon. Here are some of my favorite quotes:"Heav'n has no Rage, like Love to Hatred turn'd,Nor Hell a Fury, like a Woman scorn'd." - William Congreve, The Mourning Bride , 1697."I hate all monarchs, and the thrones they sit on,From the hector of France to the cully of Britain." - John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester, circa 1670."FIDELITY n. A virtue peculiar to those

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1162271074399512532006-10-30T20:57:00.000-08:002006-11-07T09:37:50.703-08:00

my brain splits nerves are burnt, numbbody sinks with every stepslow goingJason's not chasing me chopped nerves like a jellyfishIf I put it back in my headit will make sensedark seeps inmy brainfloats beside meI am in a bad dream

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1162186744547482002006-10-29T21:18:00.000-08:002006-11-16T19:15:23.176-08:00

So it seems to me that the situation for women hasn't changed much in the last three hundred years. This biggest difference is that we are no longer considered property of our fathers/husbands; we have legal autonomy. Still, with the all the pro-choice judges leaving the Sup Court and Roe v. Wade about to get overturned, our rights are going to be put second to the rights of a cluster of cells,

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1161573400334992162006-10-22T20:12:00.000-07:002006-10-22T20:17:58.180-07:00

If you’ve read my blog before you know I love eighteenth-century British lit, and right now I’m doing my best to acquaint myself with “the canon” of eighteenth-century stuff, so that I can look like I know what I’m talking about. The Mysteries of Udolpho, by Ann Radcliffe, is supposed to be one of the more important Gothic novels written (the Janeites among you might recognize that Catherine

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1161313308584885032006-10-19T19:43:00.000-07:002006-10-19T20:01:48.596-07:00

It's low-budget, and not that well-done, but if the Scientology folks are really trying to wipe it off the net, why not link to it? Here ya go.

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1159196210058824412006-09-25T07:53:00.000-07:002006-09-25T08:04:16.143-07:00

Like a lot of people, I know enough random words in Yiddish to embarrass myself in mixed company. One of those words is shanda—or shonda, shondah, shande, however you want to spell it. It means “shame” or “scandal.” Open up a Philip Roth novel and every other page there’s a stereotypical overbearing Jewish mother yelling at her son that he’s a shanda to the family. How dare he look at a

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1158039729157012292006-09-11T22:32:00.000-07:002006-09-17T13:43:33.283-07:00

As most of you should know, I hate The Passion of the Christ. The drunky that put it together, Mel Gibson, thought he was clever because he used subtitles, but it's still a pointless visual onslaught that takes one image--Christ on the cross--and bludgeons you with it. The movie doesn't enrich or complicate the audience's understanding of Jesus as a divine figure, and it certainly doesn't go so

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1158036894289295202006-09-11T21:18:00.000-07:002006-09-11T21:56:33.676-07:00

Everyone does that line--and a lot of them haven't seen Taxi Driver. I just saw it myself, but I've never been one of those people that quoted the line, so....there! And another thing...Most people don't realize that in Taxi Driver, De Niro doesn't sound like a New York Italian-American (much). He tries to maintain a Midwestern accent, and it falters, but still, the thick New Yawk inflections

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1157431177202664992006-09-04T21:37:00.000-07:002006-09-05T15:17:44.550-07:00

Why am I obsessed with fashion exhibits in NYC museums? Who knows. But here's another:Starting Sept. 9 the Museum of the City of New York will be showing an exhibit called "Black Style Now," a presentation that an NYTimes article claims is based on "the groundbreaking exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in 2004." Well kiddies, I went to see the V&A exhibit and I have to say I

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1156979474753102092006-08-30T14:54:00.000-07:002006-08-30T17:14:03.276-07:00

In case you didn't know I'm obsessed with Englishness, American-ness and the notion of a constructed selfhood on either side of the Atlantic. So of course I was in heaven when I visited (twice) the Anglomania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion exhibit in the Metropolitican Museum of Art in NYC. The exhibit features the fashion designs of John Galliano, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1156709352551147852006-08-27T13:08:00.000-07:002006-08-30T14:54:15.736-07:00

I have gone to NYC.I have graduated. So I guess I have to get a job?

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1154589959121834692006-08-03T00:22:00.000-07:002006-08-03T13:55:27.850-07:00

es·say n. (s)A short literary composition on a single subject, usually presenting the personal view of the author.Something resembling such a composition: a photojournalistic essay.A testing or trial of the value or nature of a thing: an essay of the students' capabilities.An initial attempt or endeavor, especially a tentative attempt.For all two of you that care, I turned in an academic project

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1154152327303300272006-07-28T22:47:00.000-07:002006-07-29T00:31:23.593-07:00

The Illustrious Mel Gibson, Mister I-paint-my-face-blue-and-make-movies-that-bash-British-people-and-Jews, has been arrested "on suspicion" of driving under the influence. Go here if you'd like to read what Mr. Passion said to the officers that pulled him over. Good to know a man fond of anti-Semitic tirades is raising seven kids to think just like him!Mad Max is recently directed a film called

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1153775922249561182006-07-24T14:15:00.000-07:002006-07-24T14:33:24.616-07:00

So the PR recaps go something like this: “Malan has a fake accent—haha! I hope he gets kicked off. Oh, but wait, he’s not nearly as annoying as Angela or Vincent. I hope they get kicked off. And his mom was mean to him! Now I’m totally his #1 fan. Go Malan! But it’s a LOG! AACK! Now he’s off. Oh well, he was totally fake anyway.” I take issue with this assessment. THE ACCENT. How do we

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1152843280899774032006-07-13T18:58:00.000-07:002006-07-13T19:33:26.373-07:00

Shakespeare's first folio goes for $5 million.A 200-yr-old poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley has been found stuck inside an old book. This is how it always happens. Go Romanticism!

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1152820806176528822006-07-13T12:55:00.000-07:002006-07-13T13:01:32.696-07:00

A few days ago I posted about a Times of London article that tried to say all Indians are Hindus, and that they would like to be known as Hindus first. I thought this was a strange way of formulating the race/ethnicity/religion question; apparently I'm not the only one. Click here to read the replies to this article. Sadly, while most of these letters point out the article's inaccuracy in

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1152677003022761782006-07-11T20:12:00.000-07:002006-07-14T11:23:15.370-07:00

Ever since the Omen got remade and released on 6/6/06, I've been interested in seeing 70s horror classics, starting with the original Omen and then the Exorcist. While The Omen looks campy now, I have to say The Exorcist has aged well. I was definitely spooked and a little jumpy when trying to fall asleep afterwards. So what is it about that movie that makes it so scary? First, the

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1152672610513001212006-07-11T19:49:00.000-07:002006-07-12T20:15:28.883-07:00

so there.To read about the Pro-Lifer that thinks "pro-abortion" article in The Onion is REAL, go here.To respond to this guy, go here.we need help.

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1152579028975323832006-07-10T17:31:00.000-07:002006-07-24T17:01:31.496-07:00

UK Hindus don't want to be called AsianIf you've never been to the UK, you might not know that over there "Asian" is the term used to refer to groups called "South Asian" in the US. Other Asian groups--i.e. the Chinese--are East Asian. Of course, this means that "Asian" refers to Pakistanis, who are largely Muslim, as well as Indians, most of whom are Hindu. Apparently British Hindus dislike

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1152506211999089182006-07-09T21:09:00.000-07:002006-07-09T21:36:52.026-07:00

Seriously, if this movie needs anything, it's another 45 minutes of repetitive exposition and scenes of Orlando Bloom frantic in a rolling hamster wheel. Who really likes Orlando Bloom anyway, except for Legolas fans? I mean his girlfriend Kate Bosworth is turning into a Skeletor...right. I was talking about pirates. This flick clocked in at 255 minutes. Why are movies getting longer? The

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1152394102497659232006-07-08T13:49:00.000-07:002006-07-09T21:00:29.810-07:00

Names have been changed to protect the innocent, but someone *cough*boyfriend*cough* found this DVD in a Borders Bookstore, nestled among other animated movies in the children's section (we were looking for the old BBC version of the Narnia Chronicles). I'm not sure why this DVD exists--Mel Gibson's Passion was created as a movie specifically for adults, presumably because those that are 17 and

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1152331249161704632006-07-07T20:45:00.000-07:002006-07-07T21:00:49.180-07:00

"The writerly is the novelistic without the novel, poetry without the poem, the essay without the dissertation, writing without style, production without product, structuration without structure." -- Roland Barthes, S/Z, translated by Richard Miller.Would this sentence make any sense in the mother tongue?

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1152329629971465582006-07-07T20:31:00.000-07:002006-07-07T20:33:49.976-07:00

The 18thC is my field of choice (ok maybe not yet but I'm working on it), and the problem with the English in the 18thC is they were writing/reading in bloody FRENCH half the time! Mi espanol just ain't gonna cut it. Mon dieu.

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1152138123726658122006-07-05T15:11:00.000-07:002006-07-05T21:22:33.863-07:00

When registering for silly little insignificant things like the GREs, which of course have no bearing on your grad school application whatsoever (GREs are just for fun!), it's not an issue if the online registration system doesn't work. Also, it's no sweat if, when calling the registration hotline, you're put on hold and and automated voice tells you more than once about the wonderful online

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1152042619602387072006-07-04T11:58:00.000-07:002006-07-04T15:51:45.696-07:00

I have never felt the need to take a Shakespeare class as an English major in college. The reason for this is simple: I overdosed on the Bard in high school. Every year was spent obsessing over one of his plays, as if nothing great had been written in the English language since then. So depressing. Also depressing was the senior term paper I was required to write Macbeth AND Hamlet, an

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30616983.post-1151975314981342982006-07-03T18:08:00.000-07:002006-07-03T20:12:35.083-07:00

A certain person who shall go unnamed *cough*boyfriend*cough* has ordered a book called "The Alphabet of Manliness" by a guy named Maddox, who apparently runs a popular website. After visiting this website and others like it, I've realized what my blogging friends have been telling me for years: anyone, and I mean ANYONE, regardless of taste or basic intelligence, can post his opinions on the

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694923563675217486noreply@blogger.com1