the internet indulges my distaste for california exceptionalism.

bicycle jesus sends his blessings.

Did I just buy a t-shirt with a picture of Jesus riding a bike on it?

Yes, yes I did.

I could not resist the allure of Bicycle Jesus.

There is nothing more appropriate to wear when I ride my bike to Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, methinks.

the 2008 super ultimate list of things i'm grateful for, in no particular order.

I'm grateful for Vicks Chloroseptic Sore Throat spray, even if it makes me feel like my dad-- or maybe because it makes me feel connected to my dad.

I'm grateful for my humidifier, sweats, scarf, Netflix instant movies and soft sweater, all of which make being sick a little less lame.

I'm grateful that I have a great friend who invited me to spend Thanksgiving with her family. That means a lot to me.

I'm grateful to be in Salt Lake even though it is the hardest thing I have ever done.

I'm grateful for all of the opportunities that I have.

I'm grateful that my future is probably more forgiving than I think it is, and that even though I haven't done everything--or anything-- perfectly, I'm grateful that I'm getting to wherever I'm supposed to be.

I'm grateful that I don't feel regret.

I'm grateful to have a good job-- to work for good people and to work with good people is rare.

I'm grateful to be an Aunt, and that just thinking about what that means to me makes me cry.

I'm grateful to be the sum of my parts, which is to say that I am so grateful to be a little piece of everyone in my family.

I'm grateful that I have changed-- or maybe just that I am being more true to who I am. Something to that effect.

I'm grateful for my plane ticket that will get me home in 24 days.

I'm grateful that I have 24 days to get everything done.

I'm grateful that I have much left to learn.

I'm grateful that I encounter so many passionate people because of what I study.

I'm grateful that I have new car tires for winter and a bike that keeps me fit.

I'm grateful that I still have friends that I grew up with, friends I only just met and friends I have yet to meet.

Thanks for reading my blog, and Happy Thanksgiving!

the beginning of the i'm grateful fors.

This is the most heartwarming story. Especially because it includes heartwarming pictures of little children trying to get a piece of the President-Elect. Isn't this the kind of guy you want at the helm? I'm grateful for Barack.

ch-ch-changes.

I was inspired earlier to make over my blog header. I used the 'sketch rockwell' font that I downloaded earlier today. Answer the poll in the form of a question:

something for everybody.

For the health issues folks: A very interesting story about how abortion providers are trained.

For the design people: FONTS! The 'Aller Sans' font is really nice for an every day font, I think it's going to replace 'Corbel' as my default font.

For the history and juvenile lit nerds out there: Laura Ingalls Wilder's Twitter account.

For the bike riders: Speculation on whether or not Obama's transportation secretary will be a bike proponent. Survey says probably not.

Something for everyone:
Only two days left until we get past the biggest barrier to wholesale Christmas obsession (although the whole 'being a grad student' thing may cramp my style a bit). The fact that Thanksgiving has not yet happened is not stopping me from listening to Christmas music. Not even my pumpkin-pie-free state of being could keep me away from wishing I was one of Mariah's backup dancers.

Mariah Carey- All I want for Christmas I
by tktouz

magic happens.

I would just like to note that there is a price to be paid for trash talking in The Paper. For example, look at what happened to Max Hall, BYU quarterback. Before the Holy War, he said:
“We have sort of a swagger. If you want to win a conference championship, you’ve got to come through us. We feel like it’s ours to lose.”

Well, it was Max's game to lose. As the Trib notes:
"BYU quarterback Max Hall was intercepted five times and lost a critical fumble in the third quarter when BYU trailed only 27-24."

Utah went on to win, 48-24. I'll leave you with this lovely quote from the Times story so you can truly appreciate the tension of the rivalry and the douchey-ness of the BYU team.

The most dramatic [game finish] came two years ago, when B.Y.U. quarterback John Beck scrambled around from the Utah 11-yard line as the clock ran out. He eventually threw across the field to a wide-open Jonny Harline, who sank to his knees to make a catch that delivered a 33-31 victory.

The symbolism of seeing Harline go to his knees to receive Beck’s prayer was not lost on many. But in case it was, B.Y.U. receiver Austin Collie gave it an accompanying sound bite last year after he caught a 49-yard pass on fourth-and-18 to set up a last-minute touchdown in a 17-10 come-from-behind win.

“Obviously, if you do what’s right on and off the field, I think the Lord steps in and plays a part in it,” said Collie, the Cougars’ leading receiver this season. “Magic happens.”

That comment has not been forgotten by the Utes.

“It definitely rubs guys the wrong way,” said Utah defensive end Paul Kruger, who is Mormon. “We’ve got guys who go to chapel every day after practice, people who are doing good things up here. People think that just because they go to a religious school, God’s blessed them with success.”

Oh, and speaking of Paul Kruger, I will use this opportunity to post a picture of him (with the amazing QB Brian Johnson). I saw him on the field after the game (you know it's a big win when the fans storm the field with 29 seconds still left on the clock) and he is an Adonis (who knows something about being blessed by God beyond the realm of his awe inspiring hotness).

Conference champs and headed to the BCS! Go Utes!

o tannebaum.

I put up my Christmas tree three days ago.
Pretty classy for white tinsel, methinks.

What more can I say? Amidst the trauma of being so busy and continuously sick, this glowing fake conifer is my Paxil.

yearning.

As if my case of wanderlust wasn't already out of control, the Smithsonian opened its remodeled National Museum of American History today. I can't tell you how badly these pictures make me want to hop on a plane and be a tourist over Thanksgiving rather than a thesis writing PhD applicant. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

salmon croquettes.

When I was a wee lass, I remember me mum frying up salmon croquettes in the trailer we lived in by the river. They were served with ketchup. So when I saw this story about ways to repurpose your leftover mashed potatoes, I jumped at the chance to channel culinary memories, to recreate the cuisine of the first Bush presidency, to make the limp white mass in my refrigerator into something meaningful.

It took a damn while, but it was worth it. This is the best dinner I've made since I roasted the cornish game hen and red potatoes about a month ago. I have included the recipe here, reworked with my own commentary and tips as usual. (original can be found here) I found the dill cream to be a little thick for my taste-- to be quite honest, I think you could dumb these down by throwing some dill in with the patty mix and dipping these bad boys in ranch and be no less happy. I personally am going to go pass out because that dinner was just too awesome. Can't wait to reheat these in the oven all weekend!

Potato, Salmon and Spinach Patties With Garlicky Dill Cream

Time: 45 minutes plus at least 30 minutes’ chilling

FOR THE POTATO SALMON PATTIES:

10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed

2 cups mashed potatoes, chilled (I don't think I had quite that much)

6-8 ounces salmon-- the original recipe called for "cooked flaked salmon" but I don't have time for that shit, I used pouches. I used less because salmon is probably the only food on the planet that I find to be too rich for my pallet.

2 cups panko (it's in the Asian foods section)

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4-1/2 cup all-purpose flour

FOR THE GARLICKY DILL CREAM:

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (I buy mine prechopped, no shame)

1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill (mine came from a cannister, bite me) (I think I used about a tablespoon, it was fine)

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Olive or vegetable oil for frying.

1. Squeeze as much water from spinach as possible (use your hands and squeeeeeze). Place in a bowl and add potatoes, salmon, 1 cup panko, 2 eggs, salt and pepper; mix well to combine.

2. Place remaining bread crumbs in a wide, shallow bowl. Place remaining eggs in a second bowl and beat lightly. Place flour in a third bowl.

3. Form spinach mixture into 3-inch patties, about 3/4-inch thick (mine were smaller, and to make them again I would make them even smaller--easier, faster frying). Dip each patty into flour, tapping off excess, then the egg, letting excess drip into bowl. Coat evenly with panko crumbs. I recommend doing allof them in the flour, then all in the egg, then all in the panko. Otherwise you get this otherworldly clumps of creation on the ends of your fingers that will not quit. Even then, this part is so messy. Don't let it break your spirit. Transfer patties to a large baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.

4. Meanwhile, make dill cream: In a mortar and pestle or with the back of a knife, mash garlic and salt together to make a paste. (yah right) Stir it into the sour cream or yogurt. Add dill and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Chill until ready to serve.

5. Heat 1/4-inch oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; if using olive oil, you don’t need to use good extra virgin oil (oh snobby NYT, how I love you). Cook patties in batches, turning once halfway through, until golden and cooked through, about 3 minutes a side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Serve hot, with a dollop of dill cream.

Yield: 14 patties.

in further observance of rivalry week.

Dear Jason Chaffetz, thank you for making Utahns look like a bunch of cot-toting slack jawed yokels. We appreciate this. Glad to know that you'll be test driving materials for that tent cities concept in the House.
Rivalry Week aside: All a BYU education gets you is a bag of stinky underwear and a cot from Smith's. Noted.

So glad that somebody is speaking out about what a piece of shit the Electoral College is; so sad that our country has MUCH BIGGER PROBLEMS than what would inevitably be a protracted awful nasty amendment attempt.
Rivalry Week aside: Cosmo the Cougar's dumb outfit is made from the skin of recently shot rhinos. Cosmo the Cougar is also stupid. (zing!)

On a more positive note, I love this package design website and I really appreciate the art of Frank Plant.
Rivalry Week aside: BYU doesn't even like art.

You know what else I appreciate? GQ made Jon Hamm a man of the year. Of the four, he tops my list! Heh heh heh. Rivalry Week aside: Jon Hamm won't even make appearances in your dreams if you go to BYU because BYU sucks and Jon Hamm hates BYU and he hopes that they lose lose lose on Saturday because they are losing losers who lose.

What, that was too much for you? Fine. Then I'll leave you with an image of something really fantastic, something I'm going to make out of my leftover mashed potatoes.
Rivalry Week aside: It's something almost as good as watching BYU suffer at the hands of the Utes. Close, but not quite.

we couldn't afford a puppy.

I never get tired of Tracy Morgan terrifying people on morning shows.

Tracy Morgan Makes Kathie Lee and Hoda Uncomfortable on The Today Show @ Yahoo! Video

byu sucks.

Happy Rivalry Week... May the #7 Utes continue in their undefeatedness!

(and may BYU continue to suck!)

positive energy.

Today has been a good day. My writing sample is coming together, I incredulously shouted at a kid for loving The Book I Recently Hated So Much that I Almost Destroyed it (in a friendly, good-natured way), I got some little baby steps things done that make me feel very ahead of the game, I realized how much I appreciate my funny and awesome coworkers, and I celebrated the day with my favorite takeout drug of choice, chicken tikka masala from Bombay House. And then, THEN, Blogging via Typewriter featured some very lovely Banksy:


Could the day get any better?! Oh wait! It could! Bill Kristol might be leaving The Times (hopefully for outer space!)! Mittens had interesting things to say in The Times! Ted Stevens lost! Thanks for keeping felons out of the Senate, Alaskans.I would say my faith in democracy is restored, but really, this is the country that elected Barack Obama two weeks ago. My faith in democracy is sustained.

dance biscuits.

I think it can seldom be said that the best part of SNL was the musical performance, but last night Beyonce' really stole the show. The song is full of pop goodness and she looks like she is genuinely enjoying herself.

Video

I also love the fact that they spoofed it. (can't find it on the interwebs, sorry)

Not the funniest thing in the world maybe, but I do love that Andy Samberg.

Yay Gawker for beating Hulu to the punch!

i can't wait to see this movie.

weekly barack.

I'm excited that President-Elect Obama has decided to post weekly internet addresses. I think that they will really help to bridge the disconnect between the people and the government that contributed to the extensive abuses of executive power and the sense of political powerlessness citizens felt during the previous administration. His confidence that sacrifice and unity will help to solve our problems is profound and inspiring.

hillary and tubas.

Am I getting a little excited about all of the Hillary for Secretary of State buzz? Yes. Yes. Yes. My latent inner Hillary supporter-- surely you remember her, from the spring? When healthcare was the only issue she cared about?-- has slowly been crawling out from behind the Obama car magnet and the Obama buttons and the Barack a day posts (you know I still love the Obamas, right?), bursting forth with the kind of glee that only Hillary's bepantsuitedness can inspire. Granted, I've been mulling over the possibility of the State job in terms of "But we need her to push through healthcare in the Senate" and "Colin Powell got really effed over in that job," but it's just so nice to have her back. Thankfully, Gail Collins indulged me in a little upbeat Hillary love.

Also, this is really sad. I remember Tuba Man inspiring me as a young tuba kid going to concerts at The Key. I thought it was poignant that they had a tuba ensemble play Salvation is Created at the memorial service. While there aren't any good recordings of it up, I found this one (performed at my alma mater, no less) to my liking. The tuba part in this song was always one of my favorites.


Now I'm busting out all the old band hits. Add a tuba to my fantasy Christmas list.

i can't tell if this shows that i really care about what i do or whether it justs boasts about my ability to make a great sandwich.

I would just like to use this post to publicly thank the turkey-cranberry sandwich in front of me for preventing me from spontaneous combustion. You see, I turned down an invitation to a kegger in Logan (Logan? Really? Not even gas under two bucks a gallon can make driving that far seem like a good idea when I am this busy. It just occured to me that not even free beer could get me to drive that far this weekend. Who am I becoming?!) to spend the evening "getting ahead" on a paper not due FOR ANOTHER MONTH (Where is Melanie?! What have you done with her?! This is turning into Invasion of the Body Snatchers, clearly).

I say this because I think that such effort-- such devotion to my craft-- should certainly be rewarded by the magic of the text-- the six books I need to read are, after all, in my field! This should be an unending pleasure cruise of an evening! And then I opened up The Longest and Newest Book on My List that I Shall Not Name and my evening started to feel like that Office episode where they go on the cruise, only not even funny or entertaining. I have not been so enraged and annoyed by a book after reading only the introduction EVER. I already hate this book more than any book I've ever read, and I mean come on, I finished... no, nothing even compares. My sensibilities have been so assaulted. I feel so wounded, injured, insulted, and aghast that somebody entered my subject area, injected this nasty, biased, bourgeois consensus liberal intellectual elitism into it and then, THEN, called it OBJECTIVITY! The children of post-modernism weep at the very existence of such a book.

So I just wanted to thank artisan bread, mayonnaise, red leaf lettuce, salt and pepper, rosemary infused roasted turkey breast, homemade whole cranberry sauce and whipped cream cheese for settling down the bustling atoms that make up my body. I very nearly exploded.

fantasy christmas list.

Just listening to the Harry Connick Jr. christmas album tonight (it's one of the best!) triggered an instaneous online Christmas shopping reaction. For somebody else. But if I were buying for myself, I might head in this direction:

This Eleanor Grosh print on canvas. Pretty much sums up my favored aesthetic, and would look good with my fantasy brown modern couch (with cute Japanese pillows) in my fantasy PhD apartment where I have my fantasy queen sized bed, my fantasy docile pet and my fantasy freezer that doesn't stank.


These cutie slippers by Simple. My awesome felted wool slippers are beyond repair. :(

A roof rack and carrier to ease the stress of moving all these G-D books next summer.

Oh wtf, this is fantasy. Somebody find me a road bike, stat! And hey, I want to build a Muppet too!

here's to art, which gives us perspective and reminds us how to live.

It occured to me tonight as I was coming home that my bike rides are different than they used to be. Whereas before they were tranquil, slow, with my thoughts kind of flittering about my mind, completely unconcious of body, they have become effecient, fast, quads pushing down hard, shoulders tight, pulling myself up the hill, sentences moving through my head with equal, pounding force forming precis, sanding off the grit of concepts to reach the door of my building with a smooth sentence worth putting down on a notecard for later use.

I noticed this only after a pronounced juxtoposition just minutes earlier. I had gone down to the Utah Museum of Fine Arts for a lecture-- a lecture about the history of libraries-- a lecture that though interesting and engaging but at the same time, embodied the hues of graduate school-- black, gray, cream, white-- words a page (literally, talking about the history of books as well), words in the air, expressions of concepts and insights and interpretations. It was nice then, after the talk, after the reception, to wander off alone into the gallery.

While I liked the works of Shauna Cook Clinger, I was struck by an exhibit of 1960s paintings-- bright, vibrant colors, punchy, in your face, a black circle on a yellow square, a bevy of acrylic colors arranged in perfectly straight lines, So that what you see in the painting is what it is, the painting has no life outside itself, the descriptive card said, or something to that effect. It was like being in a tunnel and suddenly reaching a window. A moment of clarity. A moment of feeling something. A moment of being outside of my self-- outside the realm of my satisfying yet lonely, absorbing life-- and having no life but that sensory one of experiencing the painting. It was revitalizing, exhilerating, and sad all at once-- the joy of existance and being fused with the unaknowledged exhaustion from the consuming scholarly habits of a life of the mind.

Walking back afterwards to where I had parked my bike, before I realized that even my bike rides have changed, I allowed myself to do what I have not done lately. I left the present, the demands of writing and applying and doing, and allowed myself to enjoy what it might feel like when the work is done, when I can play with the kids and meander through foreign lands and overload my mind with superficial movies like The Terminator, to know what my path will be but to momentarily have all the work I can do done. I actually daydreamed rather than press my mind towards what I must do to meet the rapidly coming deadlines. It was marvelous.

I am resolving to reclaim my time on the ODT as something peaceful and restive, to be my little window in my daily tunnel.

love is... never having to equate equal rights with shoveling poo.

I submitted myself to a few hours of mindnumbing microfilmery today and the only things keeping me interested were the number of Love is... cartoons dispersed throughout the paper (1975 Ogden Standard-Examiner!), the fashion trends as manifest through the ads (very similar to what you'd see right now actually) and puff pieces like this:

Having equal rights really is like shoveling shit all the time! Somebody make this lady a candidate for vice-president, stat!, and for goodness sakes, make feminism stop!

a little public health for ya.

A neat article about Google's new service Flu Trends. The service is purported to be able to track flu outbreaks faster than the CDC. The class and age bias is problematic, as people without regular access to computers tend (at least I would think) to be poor or old.

happy veteran's day.

another chinese dinner.

Knock knock knock.

For fifteen minutes I had been listening to the gathering rally of Chinese voices in the kitchen. I had hoped I had been forgotten so that I might immerse myself in my professor's latest essay, or that book about Central Texas, or maybe a browsing of some must-read book on my list (how am I going to move them all in six months?!). Alas, I was not forgotten. Met by Miss Nigh's slender form clad entirely in green, I excused myself noting that I had much studying to do and might join them later. I was surprised as she said forcefully that the food would not be good if I waited and that, as she grabbed my wrist, I should come join them. It's hard to say no to someone who's got a grip you, so I joined the celebration.

And wouldn't you know, I shared in debates about which is bigger-- America or China (I dissented from the women in that gendered debate and came out on top, China, of course), and whether or not the Utes are actually better than TCU (debatable). If anything, the Chinese love me because I can, without flinching, suck down two room temperature Heinekens (strangely complimentary taste to the regional fair of Schzwan, Dombe and Hainan) (most of them share them between styrofoam cups). I ate tofu, chicken and napa cabbage, brocolli and sausage, 'old air' fungus and get this- I found out what that mystery meat was-- pig's ear! It tastes good, classic pork flavor with a bit of crunch, served parched, with a sauce-- but a little too intimate for me, nibbling on Wilbur's ear (it makes me want to whisper sweet nothings, really).

I served them family recipe molasses cookies to mixed reviews. I think the full bodied molasses was a bit strong for the more mild Schzwan people. Miss Ling, my other roommate, seemed to like them. I like to throw them for a loop after they've served me fungus and pig's ear, it makes me feel like I'm part of the joke.

Anyways, there is nothing like a potluck dinner with the Chinese. Surrounded by jovial conversation I couldn't understand, I just had to sit back and smile. I have really great roomates, and I forget that sometimes.

it's that time of the semester again.

Problems:
-Doh! I don't really have a writing sample for my PhD applications.
-15-20 Chinese will be here in an hour to drink two cases of Heineken and feast; I really need to do some reading.
-Mistakenly wrote first thesis draft in my own voice; must write second draft in someone elses. HOW DARE I HAVE MY OWN VISION FOR MY WORK.
-My recreational reading book, Revolutionary Road, ended in a tragic and bloody fashion. Sorry for the spoiler.
-Think I may need new tires soon.
-Dunno why, I just feel like running down the hallway screaming.

Solutions:

matchy matchy.

Twinsies!

what the world needs now.

There has been all this contention on the interwebs lately about politics and the involvement of certain exceptionally large churches getting involved in certain exceptionally volatile political issues in certain exceptionally large states. So to change the subject, I am going to get really, really fixated on Christmas. In fact, to show you I am committed, I am posting this Christmas themed video for your entertainment:

being an activist is more fun than studying it.

Lesson learned: never leave a protest early. I left just as the counter-protesters were crossing the street (which is some scary shit to walk through), and not long after the rally took to the streets. The rest is history. In a week when we elected a new President and the Utes won to remain undefeated, a march for equal rights on the Temple (!) of all places just adds to the energy. This is a great time to be alive.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

your last regular barack a day.

So it took me a day to recover from my one woman celebration of the most satisfying electoral victory I've ever been apart of, but I think Michaele provided a nice way to wrap up the "Barack a day" feature with this great gallery of pictures from President-Elect Obama's campaign. This one was my favorite, I think because having children living in the White House provides a poignant symbol to remind people of the hope and the possibilities that this presidency has to offer. And I think those girls are cutie-pa-tooties.

It has been really nice to talk to people around campus who voted for McCain and have acknowledged that no matter the outcome, democracy has done its job and the people have spoken, and they'll support Obama. I think that people can get past the loss and see that we all have to move forward and solve the problems our country is facing really shows that regardless of who is at the helm, we all have to rise to meet the time that we live in. It's nice to feel unity again.

live blogging obama.

Can't stop clapping. Love a man who loves his family.

ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE! The American dream is real. "Tonight is your answer."

"That their voices could be that difference." "Sent a message to the world."

"WE ARE AND ALWAYS WILL BE THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA."

(ALMOST CRYING BECAUSE IT'S REAL!)

Bending the arc of history towards a better day -- "A DEFINING MOMENT-- CHANGE HAS COME TO AMERICA"

McCain WAS graceful! Give that douche a role in your presidency, man! Also-- Palin looked hot in her Carharrt. I officially want one.

JOE BIDEN-- who's he? what about your wife?!

Oh there she is! I love Michelle! THE NEXT FIRST LADY!!!!!!!!!!

His kids don't appreciate this but I bet they will love on that dog.

HIS GRANDMA! And his family. Can't wait for inauguration!

And kudos to Plouffe, for sending all those fucking emails.

YAH OBAMA CAMPAIGNERS! Those fucking emails worked.

It's about us! Yes! I love this man! I feel completely different about America. "Young people who rejected the myth of their generations apathy"-- YES WE DID!

"GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE, HAS NOT PERISHED FROM THE EARTH!" <-- Barack gets it!!!!

I really feel like he's gonna fix America. I feel like this is America's moment. This is our Kennedy moment, America.

"WE AS A PEOPLE WILL GET THERE."
"YES WE CAN." Let's answer that!!!!!!!!

"I will ask you to join in the remaking of this nation." As a historian, this moves me. "It IS ONLY THE CHANGE WE MAKE... LET US SUMMON A NEW SPIRIT... WHERE EACH OF US RESOLVES TO PITCH IN."
Obama is a team player!

Tie in to Republicans thru Lincoln-- fucking brilliant! This is why I love you Barack!

"I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your vote!" Awesome!!

"Our stories are singular but our destinies are shared!" This is a global president up to the job!!!

"THE TRUE STRENGTH OF OUR COUNTRY COMES FROM OUR IDEALS... UNYIELDING HOPE!"

"OUR UNION CAN BE PERFECTED!"

Obama really will make America work because he can inspire the people. "The American Dream: Yes We Can!"

YES WE CAN!

"We shall overcome! YES WE CAN!!!!!!!!!!!"

And this year in this election she touched her screen and cast her vote!-- YES WE CAN! There's so much more to do!"

He is a Kennedy indeed.

"What change will they see?" "This is our moment, this is our time!"

"Where we breathe, we hope!"

God I love OBAMA! He can do it, and now I know that we can do it too.

Brian Williams-- "Because we are led by the people who want to lead." Yes, that is America!

exultant.

barack the vote.

First, you need your game face on.


That's better.



Barack's ready, are you?

Get to the polls early, folks. There's too much at stake to wait.

OBAMA /BIDEN '08!

barage of barack a day... one day left.

Let's make it happen folks.

ready to be done.

I swear my blood pressure's been up all day. It's Sunday, it's raining-- I should be so chilled out that I am practically in a coma, or at least slowed down enough to be disqualified from giving blood. It didn't really hit me as to why until I made plans for Wednesday. My acquaintance was like "should be lots to celebrate!" and I was like "WHAT!?" because I haven't even begun to conceptualize that Wednesday was even going to happen. I mean hello, I remember watching Barack start his campaign while I was living alone in Tacoma! This has been going on so long that I hadn't ever actually considered that the election wouldn't be here anymore. Everything's been building up to Tuesday and it kills me. What will I read in the newspaper? On the blogs? Will the whole internet suddenly implode, not knowing what to do with itself-- will all of America burst into the foggy lethargy that tends to consume graduates after their graduation party is over? I hadn't even thought to think about it. I mean, technically nothing changes until January anyways, but isn't overwhelming to try to wrap your brain around the possibilities? It's like history is happening now, and only now, and on Wednesday, well, I don't know. I suppose I'll have a cocktail, but that's about all I can call.

Come Wednesday, I like to think that I will be so glad to return to the mundane business of being an American, but I wonder if, after being told for so long that our votes will change everything, if I'll ever be able to slip back into the unconcerned passivity of previous years.

UPDATE: Ha! Looks like it's hitting the candidates too!

a barack a day with only two days left.

We can't be complacent, but news like this is uplifting: McCain hasn't led a national poll in six weeks and Barack has a commanding lead in states totaling 300 electoral votes.

Also, PSA to my fellow Utahns: Don't forget that State Liquor Stores will be closed on Tuesday!

i found this much funnier than it is. i think it is tied to my love for electrical tape and my exceptional understanding of conduit.

goes well with chicken nuggets and gin.

file this under: reasons why the electoral college is a fucking sham.

This handy map shows how much your vote counts depending on how many electoral delegates your state has. I would prefer a popular vote system, or at the very least assigning delegates by congressional district like they do in Nebraska.

UPDATE: Maureen Dowd seldom entertains me in spite of how hard she tries to, but this week she got it, spot on. And not just for the Guys and Dolls reference.

unknown unknowns.

Bob Herbert's column in The Paper today reminded me of this Slate article from way back. With election day only 72 hours(ish) away and superstitious uncertainty filling the heart of this Obama supporter (my concerns unassuaged by projected electoral maps and polls), I summon the poetry of Donald Rumsfeld for comfort:

The Unknown
As we know,
There are known knowns.
There are things we know we know.
We also know
There are known unknowns.
That is to say
We know there are some things
We do not know.
But there are also unknown unknowns,
The ones we don't know
We don't know.

—Feb. 12, 2002, Department of Defense news briefing

UPDATE: This also makes me feel better-- yeswecake.com.

i say sexy things to myself when i'm daaaaancccinng.

Halloween left me feeling like I really need more opportunities to wear fake eyelashes and excessive amounts of gold eyeshadow and Illuminator blush (a true miracle product).

a barack a day for only three more days, damn.