My Vocab List

I have been picking up bits of German. Very small bits. And I can't say that my german class was a complete and utter waste. I can read signs and get the gist of posters, and I can more or less get across what I want, usually with a lot of pointing. But that class did really not teach me any of the german I really needed to know. For example, I can tell you about my family and my hobbies (Ich habe ein hund und er schlaft gern), but I can't ask for directions. I can tell the time and name the days of the weeks, but we never got to colors. Really I'm not sure who comes up with the curriculum for intro language classes, but they are clearly not aimed at practicality. So here is a list of the german vocab I have picked up, so that in case any of you are in a position to write an Intro to German class, you will know what to include:

gleis: platform
hauptbahnhof: train station
bahn: train
nachste halte: next stop
wagon: train car
zeit: time
spat: late
ankunft: arrivals
abfahrt: departure
karte: ticket
essen: food
mittagsessen: lunch
schwein: pig/pork
schnitzel: country fried meat
gemuse: vegetable
wasser: water
still: not carbonated
stimmt: right
schloss: castle/palace/mansion
museum: museum
briefe: mail
briefemarken: postage
waschmunchen: laundry tokens

Clearly my vocabulary is mainly picked up in train stations and cafeterias.

Sound Familiar?

You might work in lab if you're more afraid of what's on your hands before you go to the bathroom than after.

You might be a science major if your notes include the words "various math steps later".

You might be science kid if you have ever considered ditching class to go to a seminar.

You might be a chemist if your experiment would be illegal in your parents' garage.

You might be a physicist if you have ever been disappointed that your intro physics book didn't include the quantum mechanics appendix.

You might be a biologist if you have ever grown something that could wipe out an entire third world country.

You might be a science major if you think Schrodinger would be an epic name for a cat.

Or Earl and Meyer for a set of dogs.

Levels of Accent Confusion

I realized today that most people don't really think of having an american professor as a luxury. Most people sort of expect it, especially considering USC is an american college. I however take A LOT of mathy, sciency type classes. Mathy sciency classes tend to, but are not limited to, be taught by people from a foreign country. This often comes with a ridiculously confusing accent. So here's my handy-dandy Richter Scale of Accents:

0- No accent at all! Maybe a slight hint of southern under there but really the only thing that could confuse you is the material he's teaching.

1- Accent is so slight that you may not notice at first that they're not american. Maybe a random word here or there could throw you off.

2- Accent is definitely foreign but he/she has obviously been either taking a lot of english classes or has been here FOREVER. Shouldn't give you too much trouble but keep an eye on their grammar.

3- Accent is thick enough for you to easily identify their homeland. This one may require you to pay much closer attention to what they're saying but you should be ok.

4- Accent is thick enough to make understanding difficult. You aren't going to get every word but if you can get the gist of things you'll at least know what to study.

5- They're straight up speaking a foreign language. Good luck.

Disagreeable Smells

Everyone smells things differently, but there are lots of smells that just about everyone agrees are disagreeable. And for every one of those disagreeable smells, there is someone out there who likes them. Like gasoline for example. My lab TA first semester loved the smell of gasoline, but I like many people don't like it.

My personal list of smells that I love that most people hate:

~Fresh paint: I love the smell of fresh paint and the stronger the better.

~Bleach/chlorine: To me this just smells clean but I've been told I'm crazy.

~Shoe polish: Can't really explain this one.

~Coffee: This isn't really that unusual, lots of people like the smell of coffee. My little weirdness is that I don't like coffee, just the smell.

Smells I don't like include nuts (except for peanuts), cigarette smoke, and "airplane smell". Buses don't smell too terrific either. Thoughts?

Some of My Best Ideas Really

So Blog Post Ideas 21-30 contains some of my best really and I just HAD to post my responses.

21: I'm fairly certain that I have always been partial to blues and greens.

22: I don't actually have any rainboots. Rather sad.

23: Ok, I'm sure there are like a gazillion really good pertinent questions you could ask to really super important people, but I can't think of anything that I'm just desperate to know so I'm skipping this one.

24: 2 dogs: an English Springer Spaniel named Coach (short for Coach Bobby Knight) who passed away at the age of 13, and a black lab named Calbert (short for Calbert Cheaney) who will be 8 this July. My dad's a big Indiana University basketball fan.

25: favorite class: Basketball Pep Band. even if our team did play like crap at the end of the season.

26: Calbert could easily have a BA in Supervising. He can follow anyone around and supervise them doing anything. He's especially good at supervising my dad on the weekends and my mom around dinnertime. He's such a good superviser he can do it with his eyes closed, which he does most of the time.

27: I'm probably Violet (the girl who ends up as a blueberry). Not sure why, but she seems to be a little more fitting than the others.

28: Absolutely! I love a good storm. Calbert however does not.

29: I've thought about this and I really think I would be in Slytherin. I know I know it's the evil one, but really not everyone who goes to slytherin ends up evil. Gryffondor is known for bravery; well we can knix that one right now. I'm just not nice enough to be in Hufflepuff; I can only be Suzy Sunshine for small, isolated periods of time. I'm smart enough for Ravenclaw, but I'm not the right kind of smart. I don't like studying, being in libraries, or doing extra class work. I would be bored in Ravenclaw. Slytherin is full of people who know what they want and how to get it. They're the "go-getters". They also have a tendancy to be snobs and have a certain disregard for rules. We have a winner.

30: I once tripped on the sidewalk while wearing roller blades and tore up both my knees. It was awful. I still have the scars.

Blog Post Ideas 21-30

21. What was your favorite color when you were little? Now?

22. What one item is your wardrobe lacking?

23. If you could ask anyone any question (just one), what/who would you ask?

24. How many pets has your family had and what were they?

25. What was your favorite class last semester?

26. If your pet had a major, what would it be? (like a BS in Napology)

27. Which Charlie and the Chocolate Factory character are you most like?

28. Are you a fan of thunderstorms?

29. Realistically, which Hogwarts House would you be in?

30. What is the most embarrasing injury you’ve ever gotten?

Blog Post Ideas 11-20

11. What were some of your favorite childhood board games?

12. What movie (if any) in theaters do you want to see?

13. If you could take any movie and watch it on IMAX, what would it be?

14. What are some of the best/funniest Apples-to-Apples match-ups you’ve had?

15. What is your pet’s name? What’s the story there?

16. Are you a beach or mountain person?

17. Why did you start a blog?

18. What was the last meal you had?

19. When was the last time you had milk and cookies?

20. What is your dream car?

Once again, I'd love to hear your responses, so if you decide to use one, leave me a link!

Blog Post Ideas: 1-10

So I was brainstorming random blog ideas (my posts can only be classified as random) and I came up with a whole bunch. So now I'm sharing them with you! Enjoy and please leave me a link if you decide to use one; I'd love to read your responses ;).

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1. Provide a running commentary on the sports event you are currently watching

2. What your dog/cat/fish is probably thinking about right now

3. If someone ran up to you and told you if you could answer a riddle correctly you’d get $100, but if you got it wrong you’d get punched three times, would you try to answer it or just walk away?

4. What you wore today and why (this is only good if there’s an intense inner monologue to go along with your outfit)

5. If you were going to die your hair a completely different color, what would it be?

6. What major cities in the US have you seen? Which ones would you go back to?

7. When you go to the zoo, what animals do you absolutely have to see before leaving?

8. What song are you listening to right now? Why do you like it?

9. What color are the walls of the room you are currently sitting in? How do they make you feel?

10. If you had to play hide and seek right now, where would you hide?

More End of the Year Thoughts

So I've been thinking about the past year and about decisions I made and if I would change them.

1.) Random roommate: I would totally not change this. Sam and I being roommates worked out perfectly (ok about 99.99% perfectly). We're very different people with different interests (tennis and photoshop versus marching band and watching CSI) but I think this is partly why it worked out so well. so I would do that again.

2.) Not lofting: again, I'm glad I did this. I do wish though that I had put my bed higher because it would have given me more storage space.

3.) Taking Science and Technology in World History: I loved that class. I like history, but I hate history classes. I feel like they're boring and they focus on details that don't matter in the long run. This was a great class though. I would totally take another histroy class with that professor (Dr. November for those who are interested).

4.) Taking From Page to Stage: I needed a fine art, and this was pretty much the only thing that would fit in my schedule, so I signed up for it. But even my advisor was kind of leary about me taking it. He was like, do you even know what the class is about? I dunno, something theater related I guess. It ended up being a 9 person class, only 3 of whom are theater majors, and the professor is the most laid back person ever. We don't really have grades, but it's very participation intensive. It was great. My final is on wednesday, so tomorrow I need to go get cupcakes from Publix. mmmmmm :)

5.) Green bedspread: I love my bedspread, but I wish it was heavier. Everytime I come back from home I really notice how light my bedspread here is.

Hm, ok that's all I can think of for now. Better, more exciting posts to come.

Things that make you feel better

1. People reminding you that the world has not ended.

2. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

3. Going to the gym and working off said sandwiches.

4. Prompt package deliveries.

5. Cadbury creme eggs.

So I'm feeling a little better about the whole thing. Don't really have many other options. Easier to just talk about what I'm up to this week.

Wednesday (omg this is going to sound so nerdy) I'm going to the Hydrogen Convention with Lindsay! I really can't tell you how excited I am about this. It's going to be so great. They're going to have hydrogen fueled cars there and you can take a ride in them. They'll have lots of other exhibits too, and I really can't wait. This is one of the areas of research that interests me the most and I'm thrilled about going to this convention. I know, I know, as Amanda said, 'nerdy' is the understatement of the year.

Saturday is Scholars Day and I'm doing a big poster set up about marching band and basketball pep band. Which I need to go work on some more...

Anyway, feeling better from the desk of

Jackie

Wedding Wisdom

Don't worry, I'll post later about basketball. I haven't completely lost my mind.

The first weekend of spring break, my grandparents were staying at our house on their way down to a wedding in Florida. My grandmother chose to utilize this opportunity to give me some wedding wisdom, which I will pass along to you. In a few years we'll probably all be guilty of violating most of these rules.

1.) The photographer should be discreet, out of the way, and inconspicuous. Nothing worse than a wedding ruled by the agenda of the photographer.

2.) There is no reason for ugly bridesmaid dresses. They should look good too, and furthermore, their dresses should be simplified versions of the bride's dress, just in a color of the wedding theme instead of white. And above all else, the dress should be flattering on all the bridesmaids, not just the skinny one.

3.) Children, like the photographer, are not the focus of the wedding, and their parents' should keep them under control.

4.) Everyone should dress up for a wedding, even if it is not a particularly formal event. Personally, I want to have an evening wedding so everyone will be forced to go formal.

5.) The reception shouldn't be too long after the ceremony. Just give people enough time to get over to the reception hall, plus about ten minutes, and you're good. You should also serve food. A full meal is not necessarily required (unless the ceremony/reception is close to a meal) but hors d'oevres are expected.

6.) Outdoor weddings are only nice if they're private, and if there's a plan in case of rain. Having it on a public beach or park is not acceptable. You can't close it off from other people, and even if you could, what's to stop Joe Funloving from throwing a frisbee through the vows?

7.) There is nothing wrong with having a wedding in a church.

8.) Weddings should be on Saturday. Friday weddings are acceptable in specific circumstances, like if you're in the military and you're only on leave until monday. Any other day of the week is just silly.

9.) Asking for money instead of gifts is tacky.

10.) When shopping for the dress, take as few people as possible. Don't take two friends who will fight or kids. The groom should absolutely under no circumstances be there. Myself, I'm just taking my mom, and possibly my mother-in-law as a goodwill gesture. I will not be going with every female member of my family in tow.

So maybe we watch alot of wedding shows on tv, but really this is good stuff.

My List of Things To Do...

...before I leave for Spring Break! I leave tomorrow afternoon, right after french class, which brings me to my to do list.

1.) Finish French hw. That would be watching the news broadcast, taking notes, and then doing the workbook pages. Ugh.

2.) Finish vector hw. I almost got it done before the basketball game (which we are not going to discuss), but I still have about 1.5 problems to do.

3.) Prelab for experiment 8 and postlab for experiment 7. These aren't as dire, seeing as I could just as easily do them at home, but I won't want to, so better to get them done now.

4.) My theater hw. Noticing a pattern? I would like to get the work for the Crucible done before I leave (two set designs and a costume collage) because I can easily read Our Country's Good while I'm away.

5.) Practice the piano one last time before I leave for the week. I'm hopeful that I'll have time tomorrow, but if not, it's not the end of the world. I know I won't be able to practice at home (the whole no piano thing), so it'll be a week without touching the keys.

6.) Laundry! I won't be able to take laundry home to get done, so I'd like to do it before I leave so I know that it won't be waiting for me when I get back.

7.) Clean up the room. Everything I won't be taking home with me that is of value, aka my printer, iHome, etc, needs to go in my closet. And get locked there. But that's a tomorrow morning kind of thing.

8.) Pack. This is the big one. Deciding what goes home, what stays, what clothing to bring...oy. This sort of has to get done last minute because it'll depend on how much work I'm able to get done tonight.

9.) Check my email and facebook voraciously for any word from Brozak on what/how/when we need to be ready for the men's SEC tourny.

10.) Get ready for the best week ever! Home cooked meals here I come!!!

See you on the other side!

Thoughts about Oscar

I'm watching the Academy Awards tonight, and I'd like to share my thoughts.

I will not be commenting on who won what, or who I think should've won, or which movies I liked best, or which stars I wish hadn't been announcing.

Instead I will be commenting on a rather different, and slightly different matter: the fact that I have not seen most of the movies being awarded.

Slum dog millionaire: haven't seen it. probably should, it's being given so many awards. all my friends are giving it rave reviews. the problem is, I already know what happens. I know the story, the plot, parts of the beginning, most of the middle, and all of the end. I hate watching movies for the first time if I already know the plot. I can easily watch movies I've seen before and it doesn't bother me that I already know what happens. It only bothers me when it's a "new" movie, at least new for me.

Dark Knight: seen it, loved it. very much worth all the acclaim. heath ledger is amazing, best supporting actor.

Wanted: like it more than many other people. some of my friends called it predictable, but I really was taken a bit by surprise with a few twists. there were some undeniably cliche (sorry I don't know how to do the accent on here) moments.

wall e: wanted to see it. really. but then everyone told me that it was weird, so I didn't go.

kung fu panda: never considered seeing it. I'm not a jack black fan. except for his role in The Holiday. that was good. (that was jack black right? if not then scratch anything about liking jack black).

frost/nixon: kind of wanted to see it, but never got the chance.

the curious case of benjamin button: I don't like this movie. It was not deep, thought-provoking, or moving. it was not worth the time. at all. the story is ridiculous, the actors wore poorly cast and lacked chemistry, and the "special effects" were not really all that special. Im glad it didn't get very many of the oscars it was nominated for. also don't like brad pitt.

doubt: not sure if I want to see this or not. I don't know anyone whose taste in movies I trust who has seen it. the verdict is still out. may watch simply because of meryl streep.

valkyrie: I love this movie. I saw it with my dad and sister. So historically accurate, very moving. Excellent plot, even though you know the eventual outcome. not mentioned at all. possibly not in these oscars?

rachel getting married: not an anne hathaway fan. liked the princess diaries (just the first one) and devil wears prada, but nothing else. and those are rather in spite of her.

the reader: had never heard of it until today. kate winslet is amazing though, best leading actress 2008.

the duchess: I really really really want to see this. Just haven't had the opportunity.

the changeling: too weird for me. won't watch it.

Milk: won lots of things, including best lead actor. have no idea what it's about (something to do with gays) and hadn't heard of it before today. not sure if i want to see it.

So there you have it. What Oscar watches and what Jackie mostly doesn't. Why is it that so many of these I haven't heard of? Am I just not watching the right tv channels to see the commercials for these or what?

College Wisdom

Some choice bits of college wisdom:

1) Cycling is harder than it looks. Approach cycling classes with caution.

2) Expecting anything other than a last minute notice of a french club meeting is silly.

3) Dressing appropriately for the weather is an accomplishment, especially if you don't have a mom standing there telling you it's going to be cold and windy today.

4) Money can't buy you happiness, but it can buy a reese's cup and a pineapple paradise smoothie, which will give happiness.

5) The television is always more distracting when you have better things to do.

6) Fish don't feed themselves.

7) At IHOP every number is lucky. Just ask the lady giving the call numbers.

8) Naps are good for you.

9) Hot showers are God's way of paying you back for good karma.

10) Friends are those people who will listen to you whine about your day even if theirs was a thousand times worse.

Perhaps

Perhaps today was a good day.

Perhaps I did well on my chemistry exam.

Perhaps I gave good advice to a friend in high school.

Perhaps I did a good job advocating my university.

Perhaps I aced my vector calc quiz.

Perhaps I brightened my friend's day by spending time talking with her.

Perhaps today was a good day.

Or perhaps not.

Perhaps from the desk of Jackie

Home Remedies

Now let's not get carried away here; I will be the first to send you to a doctor if you are sick, I prefer name-brand, store-bought cleaning supplies over Sam's all-natural organically made stuff, and I will always take science over folk wisdom. That said, these are pretty good ideas that I do use on the occasions that require them. Enjoy!

1. If you have a sticky or baked on mess in your microwave, placing a large bowl of water inside and setting the microwave for five minutes will loosen everything up. Also, adding fresh lemon slices will remove pretty much any bad odor, including fish.

2. Sore throat or lost voice after the big game? Hot tea mixed with honey is really good for the vocal chords. Gargling with salt water is also a common practice among singers to help out the ol' voice box.

3. Toothpaste will dry out pimples. Not kidding, it really works. For those stubborn, super oily under the skin spots, dab a little toothpaste (whatever kind you have) on the area and leave it overnight. It will dry out your skin so fast it's not funny. Even an hour will make an improvement.

4. Lemon juice in your hair will bring out highlights. Just squirt a little on the top, go out and play in the sunshine for a few hours, and come back and wash it out. Don't over do it or you'll bleach your hair.

5. Really really oily hair? Solution: rinse with vinegar. I don't think it matters what kind, but I always use apple vinegar because it doesn't smell quite as bad. Rinse your hair with it a couple times and then let it soak in for about five to ten minutes. Wash it out so you don't smell like vinegar all day. Then go buy yourself better shampoo.

My Favorite Things

I promised a list of my favorite things and here it is.

10. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, pere. Everyone should read this book; it's a quick read and a page turner.

9. The Cereal Bowl, aka the fish bowl in Sam's and my room. I gave it that nickname because the fish are named Coco and Puff. Feel free to find this way funnier than it actually is.

8. The Onion. This is a fake news network online and they do excellent parodies and satires. You should watch the clip about the new Macbook Wheel. Super super funny.

7. Group exercise classes at the Strom. The fitness center on campus has a bunch of exercise classes throughout the week and they're loads of fun. Tonight I'm going to Relaxation Yoga.

6. Martin Luther King Day. I totally respect MLK and everything he did, but to be honest, if we didn't get the day off, I would ignore it. As it is, yay for MLK!

5. The Cutest Blog on the Block. I love their layouts and especially the one I have right now. I'm a big fan of argyle, and when you add in the lacy-ish other pattern, it's just awesome.

4. Zia Juice smoothies. They're delicious and yummy and on the meal plan (which is perfect). On the other hand, they are closed for the holiday weekend. *sniff*.

3. Mail. I LOVE mail. I check every single day and I get excited if I get even a measly ad. Getting a package is the ultimate.

2. Facebook. This is the ultimate procrastination tool, the best way to waste time, and an excellent way to stay in touch with friends who insisted on going to colleges that are far away.

1. My new iTouch. Allow me to preface this by saying that I am a PC person; I am against Macs and most Apple products. The only exception is the ipod because I could not live without mine and I'm addicted to my new iTouch. Sooo much more space than my 1st generation nano. *smiles contentedly*.

So there you go. The list of my current favorite things. You also know what I'm reading right now, so you can keep up with my reading list, which I'm sure I will post soon. Have a wonderful day from the desk of

Jackie