Major Sighs of Relief
Mood:  celebratory
Today, Professor Tartaron emailed me to let me know that as long as the class doesn't fill up with grad students and upperclassmen majors, I'll be allowed to take his Archaeological Ceramics classes this year! This is a relief for me because I am very excited about these courses and they would ensure that I wouldn't have to take Chemistry for my Archeo major.

If I had received this a few days ago, I would be incredibly nervous about the class filling up. However, I read in the catalogue that in order to double major, no more than two term courses can overlap. This makes majoring in both Anthro and Archaeo very, very difficult, since the vast majority of archeology classes are cross-referenced under Anthro. It looks like I'll have to major in one or the other. Anthro is more general and gives me the most leeway in case I want to go down a different track. In that case, then, I don't need to worry about the difficult course requirements for Archaeo, which reduces my potential stress level quite a bit.

On a side note, since I don't want to make a whole new entry for this, the floor in our kitchen is done! Look at the cartoon of me enjoying the new wood floor! Yay!

I also wrote today. Thank you, Frank Herbert. And the Dodgers won. Methinks I will go to high school cross-country practice tomorrow to visit old friends.

Changes
My house has just shrunk dramatically, thanks to the new floors coming in this week. I'm confined to the backyard, the computer room, my parents' room, and to a lesser extent my own room. I'm also in the early stages of planning what to bring back with me to college.

The Dodgers traded some of their best players for pitcher Brad Penny a few weeks ago, with the idea that they can do well in the playoffs only with a stronger starting rotation. Well, yesterday against the Phillies Penny strained his bicep in the first inning and had to be pulled out of the game (which the Dodger lost, unsurprisingly, 4-1). They were having such a good year, and if they blow it because of these trades the fans will not be pleased.

Rereading Dune has reminded me that what I really want to do is write. More than archeology or anthropology, I dream of writing. However, I think it's important for me to have a career outside of literature in order to broaden my experience of the world from which I draw inspiration. One of my goals for myself should be to set smaller goals, and not be disappointed with myself that I haven't finished anything yet. This is still my "soaking up life" stage. That said, I should still write more :)

Of Symphonies and Sandworms
Mood:  chillin'
Now Playing: "Sonata No. 26 in E flat, Op. 81a," Beethoven
I've been listening to all my dad's classical music. He doesn't have the world's most varied collection -- disproportionate amounts of piano and Mozart, for example -- but it's great stuff. This fall I want to take the "Listening to Music" class to enhance my ability to take in the classics and distinguish them from one another. You'd think that with seven years of piano training I'd have had a fine exposure to classical music, but alas, I began to fall into the trap of preferring "songs" to "pieces." Don't get me wrong; I've always loved going to orchestra concerts and absolutely adore the one classical CD I own (and have listened to over and over whilst creating fantasia-like stories to accompany it). Well, no longer. I'm determined to be able to say "I like (say) Strauss" and mean it; to be able to pick a favorite piece that wasn't by Howard Shore. I'm currently enamored with Dvorak's New World Symphony (yes, I know that's not the real name, but it's concise), which actually echos one of Shore's LOTR themes in its second movement. Ahh, strings...

Speaking of rediscovered loves, I started reading "Dune" for the second time yesterday. Man, do I love that book! Herbert's imagined world is so densely tangible and grittily real, and the characters are so lifelike! Even though I like the sequels well enough, they feel thinner in richness, and I miss young Paul too much, and the Duke. The full story may not be complete in the first book, but unlike many first volumes it does stand firmly on its own. So good!

Off to the Dodger game!

Joyfulness
Mood:  happy
I got my course catalog! I have my spring schedule planned out already, but there's still some flexibility in the fall. I get to take Native American Studies! Some high authority must have been listening to my complaints about the one sad hole in the anthro department. Ah, the joys of shopping period. Of course, all this is providing I can get credit for my summer archaeology program and don't have to take the intro course. I'm crossing all my fingers and toes and writing a letter to the profs.

We're getting a new "wood" floor in our kitchen and hallway. No more ugly green/orange/khaki carpet from the '70s!

I went to a party last night and everyone there was planning on voting Democrat! Oh, and one of my high school friends became a Reverend. He just filled out a form online, and now he can marry people. I don't think he's even Christian. What a wonderful world.

How True That Is...
Now Playing: "Rockin' In the Free World," Neil Young
Here is the "Bushism of the Day" from Slate:

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."
--Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004.

Truer words were never spoken.

Want more Presidential words of wisdom? There are always more Bushisms.

Irony in the Golden State

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn't know it, but every time he gets in the car and drives he's breaking state law.

That's because Arnold drives a Hummer H2, which, at 8600 pounds, is too heavy to legally drive on most California residential streets. The legal limit, created before these mega-SUVs became all the rage, is 6,000 pounds. And Arnold's not alone: such mainstays as the Chevy Suburban the Ford Excursion, the Lincoln Navigator, and the Range Rover are technically illegal.

The weight limit was created because cars that weigh more than 3 tons can damage roads. Ironically, the drivers of these heavy vehicles actually get tax breaks by calling them "commercial vehicles." As long as the law is not enforced, these drivers actuallt contribute less to the tax money that repairs the roads while contribting more to the damage.

Yesterday in MSN's Slate Magazine, Andy Bowers wrote a much more detailed article on this subject. He proposed a solution which would be unpopular but very effective in terms of solving the problem:

"Why not classify SUVs under 3 tons as passenger cars and regulate them accordingly? Make them meet car gas mileage and safety standards, and let them drive anywhere cars can drive.

"For vehicles over 6K, classify them as trucks, pure and simple. Let their drivers use more gas, roll over more often if they want, and take tax breaks. And ban them from residential streets."

Mega-SUVs are bad for the environment, bad for national security because of our reliance on mideastern oil, and bad for consumer safety. It's never going to happen, but enforcement of this simple law might prove a much needed wake-up call to a nation that has gone Hummer happy.

More Personality Stuff
According to the Meyers-Briggs personality types, this is me:

57% Introverted/43% Extroverted
66% Intuitive / 34% Sensing
67% Feeling / 33% Thinking
53% Perceiving / 47% Judging



So I'm a "Quester?" Huh. Always knew it. :)

Ditching the Sophomore Slump
Mood:  on fire
Now Playing: "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses," U2
I'm so excited for this year! I've been looking through courses online (the catalog still hasn't come, but I have faith) and I'm eager to start school. Anthro offerings rule this fall: "Language, Culture, and Society," "Ancient Civilizations of the Andes," "Evolution of Primate Intelligence," and the list goes on. I think I want to take an Art History class that will count towards my Archaeo major -- "Ancient Painting and Mosaics," as well as "Foundations of Modern Archaeoloy," a core course. My bibliophile friends and I have agreed that the English classes are lacking this semester, which would give me an opportunity to branch out and work on my major. I might go for "Dante in Translation," a Lit course, but I also am interested in "Listening to Music." The latter would be the easiest, and if I take Chem (with its lab -- ugh) I will probably have 5 1/2 courses, so an easy one wouldn't be bad. Then there are "Philosophy of Mind" and "Phil. of Language," either of which would be worth checking out.

Outside the classroom I'm also going to be branching out. I really want to take Tai Chi classes, but I'm not sure they have them until winter starts. I have decided I need more balance in my life. Besides the campaign, I'm applying at the Art Gallery to be a guide, which would be a lot of work but very fun. Finally, I'm auditioning for Tangled Up In Blue, the folksinging group. Don't laugh, people from home, I've gotten better since high school! I still doubt I'll make it but it's worth a shot.

Of course, I can't wait to see my friends again and move into my new room! Woohoo!

Playing Psychologist
Mood:  bright
Last night my mom and I came up with a theory of personality that focused on peoples' perceptions of their "purpose" in the world. We called them Mode A, Mode B, and Mode O:

Mode A: People who live primarily in this mode are driven by achievement. They are more likely to give themselves to a cause, goal, or ideal than to individual relationships. They act not to get ahead but to help the greater good.

Mode B: People who live primarily in this mode are driven by their devotion to another person or small group. They are more likely to pour themselves into a loved one than into a goal. They often act as nurturers or supporters.

Mode O: People who live in Mode O are driven by their own self-interest, wants and desires. They have difficulty giving of themselves to either the greater good or to individuals. This does not mean they are bad people, but they are highly self-involved.

Believe it or not, a good model of this can be found in Frodo, Sam, and Gollum in The Lord of the Rings. Frodo loves Sam, but is focused above all on his task of getting to Mordor and destroying the Ring, saving Middle Earth. He is a quintessential A. Sam, on the other hand, is first and foremost devoted to Frodo rather than to the quest itself. He is the devoted supporter -- the perfect B. Gollum wants the Ring purely for himself. He doesn't even plan to do anything with it. A true Mode O, Gollum doesn't care about the war between good and evil, only his own desires.

We decided that these modes are genetically predetermined, but everyone begins life as an O. Most adults are a mixture of A and B. Adults who live in Mode O are cases of arrested development in which something in their environment has caused them to retain their O qualitites. Good partnerships and marraiges usually consisted of two people with complementary modes (ie, mostly A and mostly B) rather than similar ones.

In my family, we determined that my Dad and I are Mode A, while my Mom and brother are Mode B. My Mom's mother is O with A tendencies, and her father and brother were B. My dad's parents were both B, and so is his sister.

Of course, this only measures one factor in a personality -- what motivates your actions and feelings. There are many other factors, such as introversion/extroversion, all of which have been extensively studied. We thought ours was new, but we were wrong. Apparently David McClelland's Motivational Needs Theory had already been established by, well, David McClelland. I'm honestly not too impressed with this guy, because two women without psychology degrees were able to duplicate his famous theory in two hours. :)

Three's A Crowd
Now Playing: "Friend of the Devil," The Grateful Dead
I don't get HBO at my house, so I don't get to watch Real Time With Bill Maher, but apparently last Friday was Controversial Liberal Day, featuring Michael Moore and Ralph Nader. In a glorious moment liberals everywhere should learn from, Maher and Moore dropped to their knees and begged the candidate for whom both of them voted in 2000 to drop out of this year's race.

(Side note: Call me paranoid, but I would be worried about having both of these figures on my show simultaneously. Both have been the subjects of so much ire that if you told me a political figure was going to be assassinated by the end of the year I would bet on one of these two. I fear for Moore's safety at the hands of the loopiest right-wingers, and for Nader's at the hands of the most desperate Bush-haters.)

There's no question in anyone's mind (except, possibly, Nader's) that without the Green Party crusader thrown into the mix, Al Gore would be running for reelection this year. Will John Kerry be his next victim?

Maher doesn't think so, but he isn't willing to risk it. In a February interview with Chris Matthews, Maher predicted little to no Nader effect in '04. "I think the people who vote for Nader this time are not the ones who would in any way vote for the Democrat.? I think it`s just a bunch of crackpots who are going to vote for him because we all feel differently this time."

He may be right. After all, both Moore and he have wised up since 2000, and doubtless many non-celeb ex-Naderites have as well. I know several But if this is the case, why is Maher imploring Nader not to run? Perhaps Moore, who on "Charlie Rose" cited Nader as "something the Kerry people should be very worried about," has persuaded him that any Nader impact, however small, is worth combating.

As we learned in Florida, every vote counts in swing states. Nader must realize that if he hijacks few votes from the Dems, he even takes fewer from the GOP. Secondly, despite his distaste for Kerry and the two-party system, Nader has admitted on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart that "anyone is better than Bush." So why doesn't he put two and two together? Perhaps, though Nader has denied it, it's a simple matter of ego. Smitten with the image of himself as a crusader for the little guy, Nader has blinded himself to the big picture. But I think it's more than that. Nader believes that the long-term benefits of a multiparty system outweigh the short-term dangers of another Bush presidency. He feels like it's not about him, it's about breaking down the corporate two-party machine, and it is his critics, not he, who are short-sighted.

That's all well and good, but as Arianna Huffington said, "When your house is on fire, it's not time to talk about remodeling." Ralph Nader has been a hero for environmentalism and consumer advocacy for decades. His motives may be good and his 2000 run forgivable, but if he repeats that showing and hands the election to the GOP again this year he will irrevocably tarnish a long and admirable career.

Maher made another comment on Hardball that should give potential Nader voters pause before casting their ballots: "I have to say, I feel like a spoiled brat with that vote last time.? It just showed me, people do not have the indulgence in most places in the world to vote for the lesser of two evils." Indeed.

-T.