Random stuff

I think I might have figured out the origin of "May Day" as an expression of distress in vernacular English... I haven't looked it up cause I haven't the time just now (right in the middle of critical school work), but I have to write it down or it will drive me crazy...

I think "May Day" is a corruption of the French "m'aidez," which means "help me!" in French.

Anybody reading this know for sure? I'm really curious...

(Told you it was random.)

What to watch during November Sweeps...

(or at least, what I'll be watching...)

So... Sweeps start on November 1st... Which means that I have to take at least ten minutes here to pimp my favorite shows for those of you out there who might not watch them (yet!).

My very favorite show in the whole universe right now is Supernatural. It is amazing and completely fantastic television... It's like a movie that has another (good!) sequel every week... I LOVEit! And God forbid I ever accidentally miss it! It airs Thursdays on the CW at 9pm EST. November 1st, episode 3.05 "Bedtime Stories" will air. Here's the trailer:


The promo scene (aka "The Director's Cut") can be seen at the CW website here. I wish I could embed it, but I can't 'cause it's not up at YouTube yet...

You can also watch the first three episodes (and very soon the fourth should be added) there on the CW website... so you can get all caught up... :D

I also give big thumbs up to the following, which I never miss (unless my DVR malfunctions and then I'm sad):

Prison Break - FOX - Mondays at 8pm - although it's getting a bit ridiculous lately

Heroes - NBC - Mondays at 9pm

Bones - FOX - Tuesdays at 8pm

Ghost Hunters - Sci-Fi Channel - the time varies, but usually somewhere between 8 and 11 pm. (oh, and this Halloween, they are broadcasting *live* from the Waverly Hills Sanitarium for *6* hours! If you've got nothing to do, I recommend watching. Their live investigations are kinda awesome...)

Smallville - CW - Thursdays at 8pm - despite the fact that it's been sucking since at least the beginning of last season... I can't seem to let it go...

My Name Is Earl - NBC - Thursdays at 9pm

Supernatural - CW - Thursdays at 9pm - so much better than anything else in this timeslot that it is sad other things get higher ratings... ::sighs:: Seriously, give it a try... and then you too will be saying:

ER - NBC - Thursdays at 10 pm - got hooked on this only at the end of the 2004/2005 season... Wow, that's late! But it's surprisingly good for a show that's been on as long as it has.

Ghost Whisperer - CBS - Fridays at 9pm - 'cause what else is on on Friday nights, and I like Jennifer Love Hewitt... she's so classic... like Audrey Hepburn...

quizzes and such... just 'cause I can...

Wheee!!

My Harry Potter Spoiler of Doom is: Ginny Weasley discovers Jesus and becomes a Bishop thanks to a hidden supply of flapjacks Get your Harry Potter Spoiler of Doom

Don't laugh, I like sheep!

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Duchess Rachael the Ovine of Bismorton Shropcake Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

A little Tarot, to once again remind me that I need to get an LOTR deck(!):

You are The High Priestess

Science, Wisdom, Knowledge, Education.

The High Priestess is the card of knowledge, instinctual, supernatural, secret knowledge. She holds scrolls of arcane information that she might, or might not reveal to you. The moon crown on her head as well as the crescent by her foot indicates her willingness to illuminate what you otherwise might not see, reveal the secrets you need to know. The High Priestess is also associated with the moon however and can also indicate change or fluctuation, particularly when it comes to your moods.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

And a little Classics, just because:

I took the "The Nine Muses" quiz on gURL.com
		My muse is... Clio Clio is the patron goddess of history. Her name means "The Proclaimer" and her symbols are a scroll and a pile of books. Read more... Who is your muse?

::sighs::

Finally got my make-up assignment done for Theory... my paper on Natalie Zemon Davis. She's pretty cool, ya know? Thank God it's done. It was only 5 pages so it didn't take too long to write but it took me forever to get it ready to send and it's technically late because of that. Although, he might not notice the timestamp or care to count it late, since either way he won't get it until tomorrow morning. I told my prof that I was having a hard time converting it to the format he needed it in to be able to open it on his computer as an explaination of why it was sent at like 12:40... instead of before midnight. I'm really not good at navigating the new Microsoft Word, which is hella un-user-friendly. I wish I could just use the old version of it... the 1997-2003 version it's now called... but I don't have it since they don't issue new computers with it anymore and even the computers at school all have the new version (this is a change since last school year when they all still had the older version). :-( If it worked for 7 years in that old format, why did it need to be updated to this convoluted version? Really, it was truly infuriating.

Before that, my internet was on and off because of a Trojan virus that got past my Norton... It was screwing with the function of my browser as well as with my Norton (wouldn't let it send messages to Norton's security center or turn the auto-protect on. So that took from Wednesday morning til this morning to find the time between studying and research to find the right fixes in Norton to update so it could be ferreted out, but Norton eventually managed it and I got all my programs back up and running virus-free. Watch out, everybody, keep your anti-virus stuff up to date and run scans regularly. For serious.

Oy! No wonder I'm a luddite, really...

In other news, I've been dealing with either stress or a slight stomach bug for most of the week. Ick! Feel crappy most of the time... Although, it's been getting a little better since yesterday... at least I'm not getting heart-burn every time I eat now... Mia thinks it's stress, since it hasn't actually been bad enough to cause either a fever or actual revulsion toward eating and tends to be worst when I have a lot to study. I think I'm inclined to agree with her, but if it is stress, it's a new reaction and I almost wish that my arms were going numb again cause an upset stomach is way worse...

Sad news...

My cat, Dixie, had to be put to sleep this morning. I'm doing better now... and I know she is. She was 17 and 7 months old.

A ludite can be excited about a new phone, right?

Especially if the old phone was almost 4 years old and was no longer functioning due to circuits burning out?

::squee:: I got a Treo!! It's not the same one that Sam had in Season 2 of Supernatural; it's the next model up, but still - a Treo! A Treo wx700 to be exact... With a camera and Windows and a calendar and unlimited wireless internet and texting... I just have to figure out how to use the punctuation and we're all set. It's so cool! It's like a laptop, but smaller and a bit cheaper with a built in phone and camera... And the stylus is a really nice metal one, not a plastic one. Some of the ones they had at the store had a plastic stylus and I thought, you know, I bet those will break.

And now there won't be a minute of the day that I can't check my e-mail and favorite websites...

This might be dangerous...

okay... so things are looking better...

I wrote to my prof a little while ago and he got back to me really quickly. He says that it's not a problem and that I can write a 4 - 5 page paper on my oral report topic instead. So score! 'Cause, as we all know, I can write papers in my sleep. He did warn me to footnote carefully though... ::rolls eyes:: Duh!

yeah, well, this sucks out loud...

Cause I'm gonna be emo about it for a minute...

Tears, idle tears
I know not what they mean,
Tears from the depth of some divine despair,
rise in the heart and gather in the eyes,
in looking on the happy autumn fields,
and thinking of the days that are no more.
- Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Yeah, totally emo... I've been having panic attacks for the last few weeks. They haven't been bad, but still panic attacks. I've been trying to avoid things that trigger them, but that's difficult when that something is a class... a class I have to take and pass with a C or better in order to graduate... For the last 48 hours or so, the panic attacks have been getting worse. Really bad, in fact. I wasn't able to go to my Latin classes yesterday because I was panicking all day. I didn't realize that I was panicking but that's what I was doing. It came to a head in the middle of my Theory class last night. I thought I was getting sick. I felt light-headed and very dizzy and like I might throw up. I was shaking and my breath was shallow.

I told my professor at the 7:30 break that I thought I was sick and that I needed to leave. He said that I should and that I should take care of myself, but before I left he took me to his office and gave me my paper from last week back, saying he had checked to see if I plagiarized... I did not. I have never been accused of such a thing in my life. I would rather not turn something in at all than plagiarize it. I told him that. Still, while I was standing there in his office, growing sicker by the minute, swaying on my feet, praying I wouldn't have to lean on the wall to stay upright, he quizzed me on the meanings of different words, things like "betrothed" and "Vexin" and asked where I had gotten phrases like "dysfunctional family" (the paper was a reaction and detailed list of "historical issues" in the movie "The Lion In Winter") to see if I really knew them or if I had copied and pasted from somewhere he hadn't been able to find on the internet. (WTF?!?!) *And* he gave me a B on it, despite the fact that other than suspecting I plagiarized it, he had no other problems with it. No, seriously, wtf?!?!

Well, after I left, I nearly threw up in the parking lot. I don't know how I got home (other than, obviously, I drove myself home, but I was flipping out, so I don't know how I was able to make it). It was when I got home and sat down next to my mother in the den that I realized it was a panic attack. Probably the worst one I've ever had.

It hasn't gotten any better today. My feet and hands have been numb for most of the day and when I sit down, I can't really feel what I'm sitting on because my back and butt muscles are so tense. (TMI? Sorry...) I wasn't able to sit in my classes today (Latin 1 that I TA for and Latin 3 that I am currently taking). I had a panic attack on the way to class and went straight to Prof. M's office. She took me to the TA office, that I could have to myself for the day and told me she'd be back after Latin 3 and not to worry about anything. She couldn't stay to talk just then obviously, she had two classes to teach. So I sat there, in that small closet of a room with one entire wall of window looking out on one of the courtyard/park areas. I sat on the broke down couch and stared at the clouds. Watched them change over time. I watched birds. And I watched people walking around down below. I studied the map of the ancient Mediterranean on one of the walls. Traced the trade routes from the Pillars of Heracles to the Black Sea and back. Found all the cities I know stories about. It took almost an hour for the tears and shaking to stop enough that I could work. And when it did, I did my Latin homework that I wasn't able to do yesterday. At least Latin still makes sense...

At 3 o'clock, Prof. M came back and talked to me. She doesn't know how to help me get over or around this thing, but she's willing to help however she can, for which I am so grateful there are no words. Even now, I can't think about it without getting faklempt. She said not to worry about anything as far as Latin goes, that no matter what, we'll get through it. So that is a *huge* load off my mind.

After, I left to go see if I could find Stacey or Mia or Katie or Chelsea... knowing that Laura and Lauren were no longer on campus. But Katie was already gone, Stacey I couldn't find and Mia and Chelsea were in class. So I sat out in the quad under a tree between Cooper and the CIS building and tried to breath and figure out wtf I'm doing. Didn't come up with too much in the way of answers but the time passed and then Mia called at 4 and said she was just getting out of class in the BSN building and I went over there. Mia and Chelsea along with Stacey are going to a punk rock concert of some sort in St. Pete tonight, so they were waiting for Stacey to come get them. The person who was going to give them a ride got into a car accident today, so couldn't. (I'm assured that she's fine, but I don't know her, so...) So they had to wait for Stacey to get there. I told them about everything. Mia's conclusion was that this is not the end of the world, that the professor was obviously "being a bitch" about my paper and wtf?! about that, and that I should for all the world be allowed to not do this oral presentation next week (which is the root of all that ails me) and skip it, take a zero, whatever, as long as I can still get a C or better in the class.

So what I have to do now is finish the work that I still have to turn in from Tuesday night's class and when I e-mail him about that, I have to e-mail him that I'm having issues, that I will not be doing the oral presentation (because I'm an adult, damnit, and if I want a zero instead of doing it, I'm getting that damn zero!), and that I need him to let me know right away if I will still be able to get a C or better in the class, assuming I do well on the papers we have left to do. Because if not, I need to know so I can withdraw from the class and try to take it again next semester... at which time I will have to explain to the prof at the outset (and it will probably just be him again) that I can't do any oral presentation. Just can't. Absolutely not gonna happen. Because this has been fucking me up all semester long now. I know it's already effected my grade because I really have been having a hard time thinking of anything else. The worst thing is that if that's the case, if I will not get a C is that I won't graduate this semester and have to enroll again next semester... That's the worst thing... and that's not really tragic... is it?

I really can't say it surprises me...

You appear to be a Knitting Guru. You love knitting and do it all the time. While finishing a piece is the plan, you still love the process, and can't imagine a day going by without giving some time to your yarn. Packing for vacation involves leaving ample space for the stash and supplies. It can be hard to tell where the yarn ends and you begin.http://marniemaclean.com

Take this quiz!

Sour Grapes for FSU!

Now, I'm no great fan of football, even of my home team, the Bucs, and my school's team, the Bulls... I really don't care all that much about it... I have better things to be doing. Like studying! Football is just not important to me.

But I must say this article (sent to me by my friend, Maria) is rather shocking... I can't believe it was even printed...

Just how sour *are* those grapes, Frank? 'Cause you sure are suckin' 'em hard!

*****************

USF still no FSU
By: Frank Longobardo
Posted: 10/4/07
© Copyright 2007 FSView & Florida Flambeau

If a college football fan from the state of Florida was in a coma for ten years and suddenly woke up today to see that the University of South Florida was ranked in the top ten, they would be quite perplexed.

That person would have only known South Florida as a Division 1-AA independent team in 1997 and then look at the current top 25 rankings and be confused that Florida was the only one of the big three schools that was ranked.

Though I haven't been trapped in a coma for ten years, I still look at what is going on today in college football in the state of Florida and I am also quite perplexed.

While what South Florida has done in their short existence of ten years in playing football is nothing short of amazing, I am already tired of seeing the entire state and now the entire country jump on to the USF bandwagon.

Congratulations USF, you've made it. But don't start comparing yourself just yet to FSU, UF or Miami, three schools with incredible football tradition.

Yes, they have had a great season so far and have upset two big-name programs in Auburn and West Virginia, but look at those wins a little bit closer and they are not that impressive.

Winning at Jordan-Hare Stadium is huge for any team outside of the SEC, but this is not a typical Auburn team. Yes, they did beat Florida at the Swamp, but Auburn lost to Mississippi State at home and struggled with New Mexico State at home for the first half.

As for their victory over West Virginia, while South Florida's defense has been solid all season; but my guess is that if Pat White was healthy and played the entire game, the outcome would have been different.

USF may have forced six turnovers against the Mountaineers, but their offense committed four of their own.

That leads me to Matt Grothe, who everybody said was the next big thing at quarterback. I, on the other hand, have not been so impressed. He had two interceptions against West Virginia and is only ahead of one other starter in the Big East in passer ratings.

All of this leads me to my biggest gripe, which is the University of South Florida overall.

First off, their fans, a.k.a. students, aren't the brightest crayons in the box considering all it takes to get into USF is an online application and $30 - no essays needed.

They don't even have their own stadium. I know that they are only a program that is a decade old and Raymond James Stadium is right there, but how can you consider yourself a big-time program when you don't even have your own stadium?

Speaking of UCF, the only way South Florida could get a non-conference rival was to get a contract with the Knights, which is not even being renewed after this season. In fact, up until a few years ago, USF refused to even play UCF.

Not to mention the fact that the only time USF can sell out a game is when they are playing West Virginia in prime-time on a Friday night. I would like to see them sell-out on a consistent basis.

Does USF even have a fight song? If they do, I would like to hear one of their students recite it; they probably couldn't.

Their little Bulls hand gesture happens to look a lot like Texas' Hook 'em Horns hand gesture. That's probably because its the same thing and they ripped the Longhorns off.

Their coach Jim Leavitt, who helped start that program from scratch, will definitely jump at a big offer that he gets from a national powerhouse program.

I would like to see South Florida's fans travel like Florida State's or Florida's fans do.

I mean the 'Noles played a neutral site game against Alabama, who was only ranked 22nd and FSU was unranked, and Jacksonville Municipal Stadium had 85,000 people in it; more than were at the Super Bowl about three years ago. Could USF do that?

UF does that on a yearly basis, better than Florida State does, with their annual game against Georgia in the River City.

Finally, I know that Florida State still has two open slots for non-conference games for the 2008 season. My suggestion to Dave Hart and the rest of the administration in the athletics department, schedule South Florida for next season.

Make the game either neutral site for a one-time deal or a home and home series and let's see if USF can hang with the big boys of college football in the state of Florida.

*************************

We at USF, unlike at some other Florida schools, aren't on a high horse. We know that we're a new program. We know that this winning streak might not last. We know that there are other teams out there that have longer, most fabulous traditions than we do. We aren't being pretentious. We're just enjoying things while they last and for what they are... Chill the fuck out, Frank. And keep your opinions about USF limited to the football program. FSU ain't exactly the Harvard of Florida either, ya know? Not having to write an essay to get into a school, doesn't mean that we don't have standards. We all have to pass the same high school standards in Florida. We all have to earn the same minimum GPA and exceed the same minimum SAT and ACT scores. We all have to pass the same CLAST exams, writing requirements, and general education standards to earn a BA. Come on! A single stupid 500 word essay admissions requirement is not what makes or breaks a university's academic standard!

Got it from Ilana...

Not fond of yellow, but I can see the rest of it...

Your Power Element is Earth

Your power color: yellow Your energy: balancing Your season: changing of seasons Dedicated and responsible, you are a rock to your friends. You are skilled at working out even the most difficult problems. Low key and calm, you are happiest when you are around loved ones. Ambitious and goal oriented, you have long term plans to be successful.

What's Your Power Element?

Although, if I change the arbitrary question's answer from chocolate to spicy salsa ('cause really I could go for either right now) I get this one:

Your Power Element is Wood

Your power colors: green and brown Your energy: generative Your season: spring Like a tree, you are always growing and changing. And while your life is dynamic, you are firmly grounded. You have high morals and great confidence in yourself and others. You have a wide set of interests, and you make for intersting company.

What's Your Power Element?

So... hmmmm...

Supernatural Season 3 Premiere! - reaction!

I love, love, love this show! The angst is primo, grade A stuff! Dean is made of awesome! Sam is a puppy... a pouting, lovely puppy... I *heart* Supernatural. Can't process enough to get specific right now... I just totally loved it!

Supernatural Season 3 Premiere!

Starts in less than an hour! ::squee!:: Also, you can download the episode for free on ITunes for a limited time. If you've been wanting to see Supernatural but you haven't and you can't watch it tonight live at 9pm Eastern on your local CW, then you can download it for free... Or you can do both! It's free!

Wool...

You know what I really love about good 100% natural wool yarn? What my favorite thing is? The vegetable matter... Most people would probably say that's their least favorite thing about wool. But really, it's my favorite. Because it proves that this stuff is real, natural, grown-on-a-sheep-in-a-field-somewhere wool... It's not acrylic or nylon or polyester or any other synthetic crap modern science has come up with. It's not vegetable fibers created by some elaborate and/or labor intensive process. Nope, the vegetable matter gives me tangible proof that it's just plain, simple wool from a real, live sheep. And for some reason, I really love that...

I'm not dead!

Update on what's going on with me:

Busy, busy, busy with all kinds of school related things... Still, in that insanity, I've found time to start carding the alpaca Ilana was good enough to send me last December (I think it was last December - how pathetic it's taken me nearly a year?)... It's slow and dusty going with a cat brush and a dog brush... Perhaps would go better with combs or at least brushes of the same time... But the resulting fiber is clean and fluffy and pretty and *so* *soft* - and I am *so* looking forward to spinning it eventually!

Also have found time to make one dishcloth... It's very nice. I have to track down where I found the pattern again and post it along with a picture... My cellphone is seriously on the fritz and I have to get a new one this weekend. Until the new one is functional, I'm SOL on posting pictures. Also went to JoAnn's this afternoon because they are having a dollar off special on organic cotton yarn from Bernat, as well as Felting Wool also by Bernat (not sure if this is a local special or national in-store-only 'cause it's not online). I got Felting Wool to make a Christmas present... a felted bag (not saying for who - that would ruin the surprise)... It's working up really fast. It's over half done and I only started it this evening at around 8:30 and have been knitting on and off while reading. Totally mindless pattern in a good way... I highly recommend Felting Wool; it's lovely! Don't know how it will felt yet, but it looks good even unfelted in a lopi, unspun kind of way. Not sure what I'll be doing with the organic cotton yet... But it's very nice too.

Also, season 3 of Supernatural premieres tomorrow night (that's Thursday, October 4th at 9 pm eastern/8pm central) on the CW. It's going to be *awesome* and I'm so looking forward to it! Can't tell you how much. I'm just barely containing my glee. Will be wearing my Metallicar "I'll only date a guy if he drives a '67 Chevy Impala" t-shirt to school tomorrow. Am also having a little party at my house in honor of the occasion. I highly recommend checking it out. All you really need to know (although you won't be as emotionally invested as I will if you haven't seen everything up to this point) will be explained in the course of the episode, I'm sure...

Check out the official promo vid, recapping Season 2: