thus ends the first 2 decades of my life.

the days of my youth cease to exist.

it's over.

the good old days are now but a dream.

i'm on the decline.

capitonyms.

It's been a while, faithful readers. A long while.

Amidst the craziness of Christmas shopping, studying for exams, working, and playing Dynasty Warriors on PS2 (yeah, you read that right), I have found time to update you on an important discovery that I have made.

I learned a new word today.

Did you know that, in addition to synonyms and antonyms, there are.. capitonyms?

capitonym: a word that changes its meaning (and sometimes pronunciation) when it is capitalized.

Yeah, I know. Whaaat?!

Some examples:

Nice (in France) and nice (pleasant)
Polish (from Poland) and polish (to make a surface shine)
March (the month) and march (to walk to a rhythm)
Job (from the Bible) and job (an occupation)

Awesome, isn't it?

Dear annoying Bostonians,

Just in case you've forgotten, we are in America.

In America, we walk on the right side of the street.

The right side of the escalator is for standing; the left side is for walking.

Before you shove your way onto the train, you should let the people who need to exit the train... exit the train.

Also, boys, please open the door for girls. Or at least hold it until she gets to the door instead of pretending not to see her.

Unless you have a physical ailment, please stop taking the elevator from the first floor to the second floor. You're wasting space, oxygen, and everyone else's time.

If you're going to drive 50 on the freeway, please get out of the fast lane.

And finally, when a car is speeding along at 40 miles per hour through a green light, your pedestrian rights don't matter. Get off the street and back onto the sidewalk until the white man says it's safe.

k, thanks.

my favorite thing in the world, currently.

tackiest. thing. ever.

Today, on my lovely stroll around Copley Square, I stumbled upon this abomination:




This Dunkin' Donuts was recently renovated and is now sporting some tacky, God-awful, cheap-looking, plastic door handles. If it were not for my acute addiction to caffeine, I would've made it a point to stay far, far away.

Superstar Status.

This morning, in the daily morning rush to get out of the house on time, I stubbed my toe. On the fireplace. The fireplace is brick, and it hurt. But my mom was yelling at me to hurry up, so I threw on a pair of shoes (and by threw on, I mean lovingly unlaced, put on, and relaced) and ran to the car.

I took off my shoe on the car ride, just to make sure I was OK. That's when I realized I was bleeding, and that the blood had already soaked all the way through my sock.

My first thought?

Just for today, I get to be Curt Schilling.

305.90

In the past 24 hours, I have ingested well over 300mg of caffeine (I mean... definitely more than that). It was a long day, and I've been downing coffee after coffee in a last ditch effort to stay awake. Just so happens that my professor mentioned "Caffeine Intoxication" during lecture today. That's right. It's a diagnosable disorder.

Below, I present to you the Diagnostic Criteria for Caffeine Intoxication (as stated in the DSM-IV). I've highlighted the symptoms I've experienced throughout the day.



This is probably not a good thing.

I am a bad person.

So, today, after dinner, I went to the store with my mom. On the way out, I saw this hideous display of men's neckties. I mean... hideous. First of all, the small round table on which the ties were placed was in complete disarray. Someone had foraged through the ties, and no employee had bothered to reorganize them. As I contemplated exactly how much distress the clutter was causing me, I saw a tie that was particularly outstanding (and I don't mean 'outstanding' in the way that your 5th grade teacher means it when she writes it on your paper next to a foil star sticker). I took a picture with my phone as evidence of its... not-so-tasteful appearance:



The first thought that hit me was "wow, that's an ugly tie." It had slightly uneven stripes all over it (in shades of blue and green) and it honestly looked as if it'd been colored in with magic markers. I continued to frown disapprovingly and the following (slightly harsh) thought crossed my mind:

The only way this tie would ever be worth buying was if some poor cancer-stricken child had designed it and was selling it to raise money.

And then I saw the label.

hello.

I desire to blog, but I have neither the brainpower nor the content to do so. Just letting you know that I am still alive, kind of.

Also, I think the world as a whole is going to be much more productive for the next few hours... because Facebook is down. Yup, I just tried to log on, and I was presented with this message:

Your account is temporarily unavailable due to site maintenance. It should be available again within a few hours. We apologize for the inconvenience.

I wonder how many middle schoolers (and high schoolers and college students, actually) will be emotionally distraught when they return from school only to find that their beloved time-waster is down.

Oh well. Maybe in the next 3 hours, someone will discover the cure for the world's diseases.

Jessica is shaking her fist angrily.

I do not wish to preface this post other than by saying that the following is an email I just sent to Melody, plus bits and pieces of a conversation I had with Jerry. I am ornery.
---
Dear Melody,

I am currently sitting in Abnormal Psychology, and I feel like dying. We just spent 25 minutes going over Freud and then Humanism. And now he's talking about Behavioral Psychology and classical conditioning. Umm... newsflash? This is PS371. WHY are we doing intro stuff? Honestly, earlier in class, someone raised their hand and didn't know what the Oedipus Complex was. Excuse me, miss. If you don't know what the Oedipus Complex is, you should stand up, pack up your things, and walk over to PS101.

Seriously! This is the 5th lecture of the course and I cannot believe he's talking about Pavlov. Get awayyyy from me.

-jess
---

Jerry: the number and class name do not make me feel like it's an intro class

you should leave.

me: i'm sitting in the far back corner.

Jerry: or raise your hand and say, "when does the learning start"

me: if I was in the front row, I would definitely walk out. immediately.
---
me: i don't know why i'm so ornery.

I think it's because this is my last class... on a Friday.

Jerry: how many lectures have you had so far

that would do it.

me: umm, this is lecture #5.

Jerry: wow

that is a little ridiculous
---
me: no

he's talking about classical conditioning

Jerry:and this is from hs psych

hahaha

pavlov and his puppies

me: puppies.

i like them.

i'm writing a ranting email to melody.

because she enjoys my anger.

Jerry: haha

she's funny...

classical conditioning = showering to mozart
---
me:OMG. he just said, "we're now going to differentiate between reinforcement and punishment."

you are JOKING me.

[repeatedly slams head against wall].

Jerry: haha

add that.

especially the repeatedly slamming of the head.

---
Raaarrrr. The end.

for the sake of organization

I've long found the world to be too spontaneous, too chaotic, too disorganized for my liking. I can't tell if that's what made me type A, or if that feeling stemmed from me already being type A. As far back as I can remember, I've liked to put things in order. It doesn't matter what order-- alphabetical, numerical, color, size... they give me the same sense of calm.

Anyway, as I was sitting at the dining room table this evening, taking notes on my brand new textbook ("Psychology and the Legal System"), I whipped out a bag of gummy bears with the sole intention of keeping myself from going into hypoglycemic shock. What I found myself doing (instead of reading about therapeutic jurisprudence and the like) was, that's right, putting the bears into color order. After creating 2 rows of perfectly aligned greatness, I decided it was probably time to start consumption. As I was chatting it up with Melody, I happily popped the red and orange gummy bears (separately, of course) into my mouth. But when it came time for the next color, I realized...
me: i'm on yellow.

i HATE the yellow ones.

but order must be maintained.

So I ate it. Because that's the way the world is supposed to be. Orderly.

facebook statuses.

Melody and I were spending time tonight lamenting the rapid decline of our society.

Melody: I hate it when people post every detail of their lives on statuses or away msgs. It's so desperate.

me: lolll

Melody: nevertheless, i read them and criticize

me: im gonna change mine just because you said that

Melody: thanks a lot. I will change mine too. my first ever facebook status will be dedicated to you
me: I am deeply honored and appreciative.

The result?

Melody: <3 can you blog that

me: yes.

Melody: why are we so awesome? Jessica, really.

me: I don't even know. God made us that way.

Conversation Excerpt of the Day.

Sometimes, I have highlight conversations. Like, I have an exchange with someone that is so good or funny or dumb that I find myself thinking back to it over and over again and wanting to share it. Here is one such exchange that took place earlier in the day:

me: lol

omg

zhou laoshi

im scared.

Melody: <3

me: if i had boots, i'd be shaking in them.

Melody: send her my regards

hahahahah

me: because i like that phrase.

Melody: why can't you shake in your shoes

me: i'm wearing flipflops.

Melody: oh.

LOL

me: so considering i'm not really "in" them.

Melody: I love you.

Maybe I'll do this more often. I have a feeling most of the exchanges will be between Melody and I... but I know you don't mind that.

AB, O, JC.

Do you remember JC Chasez? Yeah, the man's still around. Albeit in his 30's now and not-so-hip anymore (see America's Best Dance Crew. bow tie and tight shirt? ewww?). His second album was supposed to be released in 2007, but then he split from his record company and is now apparently set to release a second solo album in 2008. He's already released 2 solo singles from the album, the first one being "Until Yesterday", which came out late 2006.

Now, imagine my excitement. I was eager for an older, wiser JC. I mean, after listening to his trashy songs from his '04 album, including "Blowin' Me Up (with Her Love)" and "Some Girls (Dance with Women)", I could hardly wait for something calmer, maybe even cheesier. "Until Yesterday" had the potential to be the key to his success.

I counted on him to deliver. And what does he do?

He pens these horrific lyrics:

I found a letter on my dresser last night/ I've got a baby on the way/ It made me suspicious of another guy 'cause/ You couldn't tell me to my face /And so I asked to find out if I was right/ That's when your eyes filled up with rage/ Nine months go by, the baby's not my blood type/ Look at the mess you've made

Wow, JC. I am appalled. This is like, the broadway musical remake of an episode of Maury. Gosh. And really? You're denying that the child is yours because... it doesn't have the same blood type as you? Newsflash: Babies don't have to have the same blood type as their parents! Hellooo?! Ever heard of alleles? Punnett squares?

OK, I'll cut him some slack. Maybe what he really means that his supposed offspring's blood type proves that it cannot possibly be JC's child. For example, if the baby is blood type O and JC is AB, then the baby's definitely not his. Or if he's O and the baby's AB.

"Nine months go by, the baby's blood type authenticates my suspicion that you've been unfaithful to me/"

Hm. I suppose that hasn't got quite the same ring to it.

profit.

Earlier on in the summer, I had the chance to eat lunch with a few friends at U-Burger in Kenmore Square. My delicious "Yuppie Burger" rang up to $4.99. I handed the cashier man a $10, and he gave me back my change of $5.01. Or, so I thought. As I stepped away from the counter, I looked down at what I held in my hand. A $5 bill, and...something that looked like a penny. Except it wasn't a penny. It was a 5-cent Euro coin!




Easily mistaken for a penny.

You know, 5 cents in Euros is worth 7.3 cents in US currency right now. I felt kind of bad. I almost wanted to alert the cashier of his mistake. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have cared, though. He probably would've thought me a bit crazy.

So I just kept it. And here I am, maybe a bit crazy, but 6 cents richer.

Scam.

There's an old lady who works in the office with me, and she thinks my given name is Jessy. She also calls spam (junk e-mail) "scam". Anyway, because Gmail is pretty much the greatest thing since sliced french bread, my account usually receives very little "scam" mail. In fact, when I do receive it, Gmail conveniently catches it and places it in my Spam folder. Then, all I have to do is click on that folder and hit "delete all". Before I do so, I usually skim the titles of the emails to make sure Google didn't mislabel a normal email as spam.

Today, Gmail told me that I had 1 message in my Spam folder. I went to it, and found an email in my inbox from someone named Elwood Holloway. The subject of the email? "Your narcotic Experts".

To be honest with you, I was kind of interested. How did the dealers find me?

I clicked on the email, my curiosity quelling my common sense.

Inside was this lone sentence, accompanied by a link to a website: "Save big on all your pills"

OK, seriously? If you want me to buy your drugs, you should spend more time and effort on your advertisements. Try cool fonts. Color pictures? A flash homepage?

brilliant idea.

With the recent recession in the economy, many airlines have been forced to cut back. US Airways no longer offers snacks on their flights, Delta has parked over 40 planes, and worst of all: American Airlines is now charging $15 per bag that you want to check.

$15?

In a recent conversation, two friends calculated that to fly them and their children from Boston to LA, they would be paying $100+ one way just on baggage.

I listened bemusedly as Friend A tried to come up with a solution. Stuff all luggage into 2 huge suitcases? Friend A's spouse, whom I will call Friend B, reminded Friend A that they wouldn't have anyone to carry the huge bags (as 1 or 2 of the children may also need to be carried). Also, they might go over the weight limit and have to pay extra, anyway for heavier-than-normal bags.

When Friend A mentioned that they usually only brought enough clothes for 5 or 6 days, anyway (because they can do laundry while on vacation), I suddenly knew.

Light dawns on Marblehead.*

I figured out how to save the $15/checked bag fee, and now I must share with you all:
Just wear all your clothes. For example, you could wear: 5 T-shirts, a jacket, 1 pair of shorts with 2 pairs of pants, and 6 pairs of underwear. No socks needed, considering you're going to sunny CA. OK, it'll be slightly uncomfortable. So what? The discomfort will only last for half a day... and think of the money you'll save!
---

*not sure what it means?

let's call the whole thing off.

Recently, I was on the phone with a friend. At the end of our conversation, I cheerily told her I'd "talk to [her] soon!!!". She replied, "Yep, I'll talk to you later."

HUH?!

Now, at the risk of being called trivial, I'll let you know that I've been pondering the difference between the phrase "talk to you later" and the phrase "talk to you soon". Is this simply a case of tomato vs. tomah-to? Are they the same? Which do you use? Do they imply different things?

I sometimes feel slighted when someone says "ttyl" in response to my "tty soon". Don't you wish to speak with me again sooner rather than later?

I wish I were a...

I have a migraine right now. It hurts. Ouch.

When I get migraines, I become very sensitive to light. Even a dim lamp causes my head to pound. Presently, I wish I were a troglodyte. A cave dweller. The cool air and darkness may do me well.

If I lived in a cave, I would wear glow-in-the-dark nails. Awesome.

it is upon us.

Dear friends,

The "drought" that I spoke of earlier is upon us. Although I suppose I shouldn't compare a middle school camp ministry to a period of abnormally low rainfall, water shortage, etc. Anyway, the point is, I must start have already started my kind-of-hiatus for the summer. I have posts that I will release probably once a week, and I hope that this will sustain you in the coming months.

If I ever find myself with down time (and find myself rested and prepared for camp), then I will sit down and attempt to convert to writing some of the crazy things that run through my mind, thereby creating new posts.

Maybe some of these extra posts will be purely media (pictures, videos, etc). Speaking of which, here is a recent video chronicling my adventures.



Until next time,
Yours truly

ooo ooo oooh.

How hilarious would it be if you could go through life with 3 backup singers? Not only would it be funny, I think it would also boost self-esteem, increase success, and augment credibility.

1) + self-esteem

There you are, strolling along... awkwardly, with your hands in your pocket. You speak with great reluctance and hesitation, so everything you say sounds like a question. How amazing would it be if you had not one, not two, but three people assuring you on everything you say? Confirming and praising your every word.

2) + success

How else do you think Gladys Knight came up with classic (and classy) songs like "Who Is She (And What Is She to You)" and "This Child Needs Its Father"? She never would've made it without her Pips.

3) + credibility

Maybe no one ever believes what you say. Maybe they discredit you and doubt you. But how can they doubt you when you've got 3 grown men supporting you?
---

With that being said, read this article and begin your search.

What? You need more inspiration, you say?

Then turn up the volume and check out this clip:

"sorry, honey...

but Santa isn't real."

I was in early elementary school when I found out this devastating truth. How old were you? How did you feel? Sad? Disappointed? Shocked? It's quite plausible that you felt all three of these emotions. But how come no one ever reports feeling angry? Shouldn't you be outraged at the hoax that you were subjected to? Aren't you angry that your parents (and the world) lied to you through their teeth for the first decade of your life?

I bet that's why people have so many trust issues and broken relationships. Because Santa's not real. And you betcha I'm angry about it.

polygamy.

is it legal for me to marry the entire Celtics team?

Cache.

Q: Where have you been?!

A: It may appear to you that I have been neglecting my blogging duties recently. Alas, that is not the case! In fact, I've been blogging more often than usual.

Q: Then where are the posts? Secret blog? Diary?

A: Nope. Actually, I've been blogging for your entertainment purposes. This summer, I will be too busy to be churning out content... so I decided to write the posts now. Yes, I've been writing up posts and saving them as drafts to be released gradually throughout the summer. Have no fear, I have no plans on going on a 2 month hiatus!

Q: Wow, that's actually a good idea.

A: Yeah. It's kinda like having a fully stocked silo. It may be hard to produce enough grain to fill it, but you'll sure be glad to have it when the famine hits.

Q: Why is this post entitled Cache?

A: A cache is a reserve, a repository, a stockpile. A supply stored or hidden for future use. A cache of posts.

Q: Where do you buy your sneakers?

A: Footlocker, Finish Line, The Nike Factory Store, etc. =)

another sports post.

I watched the game last night. Well, from halftime and on. Let's just say, I wasn't feeling too good about it at the beginning of the 3rd quarter, and I bet none of you were, either. O ye of little faith!

Anyway, the Celts really pulled the rug out from under the Lakers.

There are a couple of things I noticed/wanted to share with you.

1) I cannot believe Ray Allen played the entire game.

2) Jack Nicholson is super sketchy-looking.

3) Phil Jackson is MASSIVE.

4) I thought P.J. Brown retired. Isn't he like... 40 now?

5) Justin Timberlake was there.**

6) After last night, all the Kobe Bryant-Michael Jordon comparisons will probably cease.

7) Doc Rivers doesn't seem like he's very eloquent. And Phil Jackson is WAY too calm for my liking. Creepy much?

8) I've decided that Sasha Vujacic is probably the most annoying player to watch... ever. He spends most of his time spazzing out and being annoying on defense. And then after Ray Allen blew right by him and scored, he flipped out. I think they replayed that part once or twice-- He was nearly crying on the bench (really) and when someone put a hand on his shoulder, he screamed and proceeded to pummel the chair next to him. Classy, Sasha... classy.
---

**Side note:

[cameras pan to Justin Timberlake]

Kid brother: Hey, look.

Me: Oh, he's here, too?

Kid brother: Wait, he's a Lakers' fan? WHAT? He's a LAKERS' FAN?!

Me: Yeah, I think so.

Kid brother: Oh well, his career was already over anyway when he did that song with Madonna.

Walleteer Wednesday (Week 6).

This week's number is an interesting one. The amount of "5 easy payments of $19.95" has been requested. Ask, and you shall receive.

For $99.75, you could:

• Buy over 13 lbs of Sunkist Fruit Gems. Does anyone else remember these?:
  
  
  

• Fly from Boston to La Guardia this Saturday with $10 pocket money:

• Get 5 of these Candle Lanterns and save them for when you and your friends go camping:

• Buy 66 Filet O' Fish sandwiches from McD's. YUM!:

• Purchase a "fruit knife" from The Japan Chef. First of all.... what is a fruit knife? Secondly, why does it look SO sketchy? It clearly looks used... for violent, non-food-related purposes:

Stay tuned for next week, folks.

fear not.

walleteer wednesday IS coming. Soon. Tonight.

a long awaited reunion.

I'll admit it. I didn't watch last night's game. In fact, I didn't even know who had won until this morning, when I glanced at the newspaper that the man in front of me on the train was reading. Celtics 108, Lakers 102. Nice.

I started thinking... this warrants a post. However, as Melody has already written quite an impressive exposé on sports, I will not attempt to do so myself. I will only share with you my thoughts from this morning.

You see, I don't know very much about the Celtics. Why should I? Growing up, they were a joke team. Actually, most of Boston's teams were kind of... sad. Our crown jewel was our football team. The baseball team was so-so, the hockey team was... well.... yes. And the Celtics? I remember when I was in elementary school, I asked my teacher if they were any good, and he laughed. With bitterness. "Hah! Good? Riiiight..."

I think I only knew 2 of the players' names back then in the late 90's, early 2000's. Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker. It was the two of them that brought the team to the 2002 Eastern Conference finals (one of only 4 times we've been to the finals in the past 12 years... excluding this year, of course). Antoine Walker. Number 8. I can still picture him now.

In 2003, Antoine was traded to Dallas. I was (almost) devastated. I felt betrayed, used. How could he leave us? After that, he was traded another bazillion times, even coming back to the Celtics for the 2005 season, I believe. And now, I hear he's with the Timberwolves. (side note: I used to think that Timberwolves sounded so cool, but that was probably due largely to the fact that I was in love with Justin Timberlake at the time.)

Anyway... my point is... this morning, as I was relishing our team's victory with as much enthusiasm as a band-wagoner could muster up, I thought of Antoine. Poor Antoine. I wonder what he's thinking now. I wonder if he wished he would've stuck with us just a few years longer.

Then, as soon as I got to work this morning, as if in a vision from the hypothetical sports gods, I saw him. We've been reunited at last, Antoine and I. I hadn't seen him for... 6 years (the last time I kind of cared about the Celtics and watched a game). He looks just like I remembered him to look, except older, sadder, and sans a Celtics' jersey.



OK fine. I didn't see him in person. But here's a picture from ESPN of him at last night's game. Poor Antoine. If only you'd stayed.

Silica Gel: An Explanation In Poetic Form

Have you ever found in your bag of shrimp chips a small, sketchy packet labeled "Do Not Eat"? Ever wondered what's in the packet? I, too, have sought this knowledge for many years. Now that I've been enlightened, I shall apprise you through this graceful haiku:

Silica
by Jessica Lui

dearest silica,
do you have a true purpose?
oh, you desiccate.

a cogitation on silica.

Do you know what this is? I've been meaning to blog on this substance for some time now, and so I decided to switch my weekly walleteer post with this. But then I realized I'm tired and don't feel like blogging right now. So, for now... I leave you to figure out the substance in the picture.




*EDIT*

You know, I totally forgot that I put "silica" in the title of this post. Darn.

Yes, Melody. Silica gel this is.

Marauding Monday: Fainting Goats

Not so long ago, I was flipping through the bountiful and inexhaustible array of channels on Melody's TV (in our room at BU). I came across a show on Animal Planet and was bewildered when I saw on the screen a grown man... chasing goats. He kept saying something about wanting to see them faint. I was captivated. Fainting goats? Today, I borrow this article for your education and enjoyment:


Fainting Goats
by Jason Bellows
9/30/05
www.damninteresting.com/?=69



"Most of the internet savvy, it seems, are somewhat lacking in knowledge relating to the interesting topic of "bizarre domesticated animals that people breed for fun." To help reduce this unfortunate trend, I introduce the fainting goat.

The small, domesticated goat carries the hereditary genetic disorder called myotonia congenita which causes the legs of this little critter to, when startled or excited, go rigidly stiff for about ten seconds.

As far as I can tell, most people breed these varmints mostly to snap open umbrellas at them, and watch as they scatter like bowling pins. In the past however, fainting goats were bred for circuses and menageries as food; the fainting goat would be placed in an enclosed location with an animal that needed to hunt, such as a lion. The chase didn't last long once the goat was startled by the giant cat bearing down on it. The lion got to hunt, the animal's keepers didn't have to let it out of its cage–everybody wins. Except the goat."

Anticipation and baseball.

While you eagerly await new posts from me, I would like to focus your attention on this amazing video. I am utterly embarrassed and disgusted at the same time. I mean, really. Just watch.

Mariah Carey throws the first pitch at a game at the Tokyo Dome (5/28/08).




The woman clearly has no future in the sports world. Who in her right mind would wear like, 5-inch heels to a baseball game?

they stole my idea.

They must read my blog. I am convinced. grrr, boston.com. I shake my fist at you.

Walleteer Wednesday (Week 5).

I've been waiting for suggest this number. In fact, I'm kind of surprised it wasn't suggested sooner. Anyway, here it is. Things you can purchase with $12.34 (a number chosen "for obvious reasons"):

• A "DEG Mouthpiece adapter for cornet and trumpet" (???!?):
  

• An unframed NBA all star game picture
  
  

• Really sketchy looking headphones from "Silk Vertical":

• A "Jellycat" stuffed animal:

• 14-Channel Car FM Transmitter and MP3 Player with USB Port and Remote

Oh, I almost forgot. For $12.34, you can also order the "Beef with Oyster Sauce" dish from the Palm Beach Hotel Restaurant in Jamaica. If you happen to be in Jamaica, that is.

*By the way, I'm out of numbers to post about! Leave more :)

On Idioms.

I've been meaning to blog about idioms for some time now. (No, enoch, not dumb people. "You idiom!") I think I've been thinking about it every day for the past... 2 or 3 weeks. Now, I have no idea what in fact I want to say about idioms... I just want to blog about them, hammer something out. So now that finals are over, I'm back on my feet. And since I've gotten everything squared away, here goes nothing.

Let's start from square one. What is an idiom?

id·i·om (noun),/ˈɪdiəm/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[id-ee-uh m]: an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements.

Now, I'm not one to use many idioms in my daily speech. I do so only once in a blue moon. And when I do try to use one, it usually comes out kind of skewed. I never actually hit the nail on the head. You know, it's always a "close but no cigar" kind of situation.

OK, OK. Hold your horses. I really do have a point here.

Idioms are the kinds of things that you have to play by ear. You can't really force them, because then people start noticing. Can't pull the wool over anyone's eyes nowadays.

When you do use them, you've got to make sure you use them in the right context. And you just have to bank on the fact that someone knows what you're talking about. For example, this weekend, while hanging out with some friends, I said, "A stitch in time saves nine." They looked at me like I had two heads.

As I mentioned above, I'm not an authority on this matter. I probably won't try to correct you on your misuse of idioms, because that'd be like the pot calling the kettle black.

Lalalala...

Alright, fine. So maybe I don't have a real point. I should stop babbling. Clearly I'm beating a dead horse here (excuse the graphic nature of this one).

I'll just cut to the chase: Idioms are cool.

Marauding Monday: amazing animals.

Animals! pictures from snopes.

• A giant rabbit (3 feet, 17 lbs).

• A bird stealing quarters from a carwash (he's a smart one):

• A puppy born with a heart-shaped pattern on his coat:

• A black bear with her white cub:

• A horse with a prosthetic leg:

please pray!

Many of you know that I've recently (in the past year) become quite fond of the music of Steven Curtis Chapman. I've been following with his family's blogs in the past few weeks and am just amazed by their love for God and each other. Steven & wife MaryBeth have 6 children-- 3 biological and 3 adopted girls from China.

Their youngest daughter Maria (age 5) was struck and killed by an SUV last night. My heart is really aching for this family and I hope you'll join me in praying for them. If you click on the 2nd link, you can see Maria and her Dad doing dishes together (4/2/08 post).
---
*edit*

SCC wrote this song for friends who had lost a child. Thought it would be appropriate to share here:

"With Hope" - Steven Curtis Chapman

Marauding Monday: Random Facts

I know, I know. It's Tuesday. My b.

Some random facts for you, from randomfunfacts.com*:

• The only letter not appearing on the Periodic Table is the letter “J”.
  
  
• In the year 2000, Pope John Paul II was named an "Honorary Harlem Globetrotter"!
  
  
• Licking a stamp leads to the consumption of 1/10 of a calorie.
  
  
• TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.
  
  
• Donald Duck's middle name is Fauntleroy.
  
  
• There are only four words in the common English language that end in "-dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.
  
  
• Hershey's Kisses are called that because the machine that makes them looks like it's kissing the conveyor belt.
  

*Validity not guaranteed.

assist me.

Dear readers, I write to you with a humble request. It has come to my attention that the name of my blog ("just my musings...") has become painfully inadequate. Thus, I need a new one. The new appellation will then be followed by a new layout. I trust you, dear readers. Name my blog.

blood cake.

Since I was a child, I have had an unnatural (and perhaps irrational) dislike of chocolate cake. I mean... yes, I'll eat it sometimes. But most of the time, if I look at a slice of chocolate cake for too long, it makes me shudder. Today, the reason why I don't savor this widely enjoyed dessert was finally unearthed. My dear friend made me a cupcake. A chocolatey, "red velvet" one. I was staring at it and, as I slowly entered a trance-like state, it hit me. It was Matilda's fault that I don't like chocolate cake!

Remember the movie Matilda? In it, there's a slightly overweight, plump child by the name of Bruce. The headmistress of the school catches him stealing a piece of chocolate cake and punishes him by forcing to eat an entire gigantic chocolate cake in front of the whole school. When Bruce politely refuses, Ms. Trunchbull (blech!) insists: "But you'll hurt Cook's feelings! She made this cake just for you, to have on your very own. Her sweat and blood went into this cake, and you will not leave the platform until you have consumed the entire confection!"

So, there you have it. I've figured it out. Since the time that I saw this movie (12 years ago), I've forged this strange connection between blood and chocolate cake in my mind. Thus my unusual aversion to this food...

One of the kids at the afterschool program I volunteer at pointed out to me today that the cake did not actually contain blood, that "sweat and blood" was meant only to be a metaphor for hard work. I beg to differ. That Ms. Trunchbull was evil, and I'll bet my lunch money that was something nasty in that cake.
---

See the vileness for yourself:

Walleteer Wednesday (Week 4).

I have returned, and so has Walleteer Wednesday. Today, I draw my inspiration from Kanye (my iTunes is currently playing Gold Digger).

The next number in the line is one zillion. However, because one zillion is a fictitious number, I cannot feature it in a Walleteer Wednesday post. If you insist that your question be answered, please post it to Melody's blog, to be answered on a future Supererogatory Sunday.

Moving on to the next amount, then. $46.91.

It sounds like a hard number (very exact), but I actually found a bunch of products that cost $46.91. I took screenshots as evidence:

• A "Human Torso Model":

• A book on French Philosophy:
  
  

• A "flowery" men's cologne:
  

• An Irish "lucky" doorknocker:
  
  

• And last but not least, Monster Trax:

So there we have it. Five items that cost exactly (down to the penny) $46.91.
---

Leave more numbers!

Also, to answer Emily's question: I do take numbers in the order they are suggested. However, if one person offers multiple numbers, I am apt to answer his first one and then take others' numbers before returning to his other ones.

1,000!

Today, when I returned to my dorm room after completing my last final exam of the semester, I noticed that a grand happening had occurred. The counter (located at the bottom of my site) alerted me that I had officially gotten over 1,000 hits on this blog! To quote our former high school principal (I can't remember who she was, but she wore jean skirts and long black boots and her first name was Jean): "holy moly COW!"

I just happened to check my StatCounter account at the moment I received hit #1,000. I took a screenshot as evidence:



Wow. 1,000. And no, I didn't sit in front of my laptop and hit refresh repeatedly!

How to celebrate such a joyous milestone?

I decided to post a celebratory image that really conveys the significance of the number 1,000. And how did I go about searching for such an image? Google Image Search, of course. I entered "a thousand", and hit the search button. Here are some of my results (I couldn't pick just one!):

• "A Thousand"-year egg.
  
  

• "A Thousand" pennies! ($10)
  
  

• "A Thousand" Different Ways.
  

• "A Thousand" dollar ice cream sundae (Serendipity 3 restaurant, NYC). Served in crystal goblet, with 18k gold spoon.
  

So, I just wanted to say thanks to my faithful readers! Hope you will continue to visit and read. For now, my brain is fried, but be not afraid! I have plenty that I have been wanting to blog about in the past weeks, and as my heap of neurons slowly recovers from the assault that was final exams, you will be presented with much new knowledge and insight.

on the brink of summer.

well, folks, i'm nearly done. 1 more final left (in a little over an hour), and another year of college will have concluded.

as I scramble to do some last minute cramming, I am hit with an overwhelming feeling of guilt for not having posted more frequently in the past week or two, and for having missed not one, but two Supererogatory Sundays. and so, I dug up something for you. I leave you with this to ponder while I am taking my exam.

You know that sound Scooby Doo makes when he's confused? "AARRRgh?!?" That's the sound that I made when I found this.



ok, so it's not a shot from the movie (notice cleaning personnel in the background). but, think with me for a moment... what if it was?

followup.

a steel penny?

walleteer wednesday: postponed.

Sorry, guys. I've got to push it back again. I'm in the midst of finals....you know how it is. Everything should be back to normal by next week. Fear not, faithful readers.

Anyway, in honor of Walleteer Wednesday, I bring you this news story:

Did you know that the penny costs more than 1 cent to make?

Marauding Monday: shopping bags.

Another Monday is upon us, friends. To celebrate, I found some cool shopping bags to show you. Yes, these are indeed real:

Panadol headache relief:




Jewelry:




Reach out to children with autism:




Jumprope!:




Nailbiting? Stop 'n Grow helps!:




Gun:


---

Oh, and I promised to reveal the answers to the last post. You got most of them, anyway =)

1. Shape of My Heart (Backstreet Boys)
   
   
2. You're the One That I Want (Grease)
   
   
3. Because You Loved Me (Celine Dion)
   
   
4. This Is Why I'm Hot (MIMS)
   
   
5. Behind These Hazel Eyes (Kelly Clarkson)
   
   
6. Holy (Nichole Nordeman)
   
   
7. Spyrtle the Turtle (SteveSongs)
   
   
8. Breathe (Michelle Branch)
   
   
9. Gettin' Jiggy With it (Will Smith)
   
   
10. Just Got Paid ('N Sync)

And the 3 clips?

1. Happy Day (Tim Hughes)
   
   
2. Gettin' Jiggy With it (Will Smith)
   
   
3. Bad Day (Daniel Powter)
   

a break from studying.

During these last few weeks of final papers/studying, I've been quite attached to my iTunes. I mean, how else would I stay sane, right? I have recently come across many songs that I forgot I ever listened to... and some songs that I'm (almost) embarrassed of. I wonder if you know any of them. So here you go--a "random" selection of the music that I've listened to in the past 2 weeks.

Guess the song & artist based on the lyrics (no google searching!):

1. Looking back on the things I've done/ I was trying to be someone/ I played my part/ Kept you in the dark
   
   
2. You better shape up/ 'Cause I need a man/ And my heart is set on you
   
   
3. You gave me wings and made me fly/ You touched my hand; I could touch the sky/ I lost my faith; you gave it back to me/ You said no star was out of reach
   
   
4. I'm into driving cars/ Push 'em off the lot/ I'm into shutting stores down/ Just so I can shop
   
   
5. I told you everything/ Opened up and let you in/ You made me feel alright/ For once in my life
   
   
6. How many roads did I travel/ Before I walked down one that led me to You/ How many dreams did unravel/ Before I believed in a hope that was true
   
   
7. She likes to eat shellfish but she's not very selfish/ So she shares 'em with her fellow reptiles
   
   
8. So just give me one good reason/ Tell me why I should stay/ 'cause I don't want to waste another moment/ Saying things we never meant to say
   
   
9. What?/You wanna ball with the kid?/ Watch your step/ You might fall tryin' to do what I did
   
   
10. Check the mirror, lookin' fly/ Round up the posse, jump in my ride/ Radio rockin', hottest jam/ Feel the rhythm, pump up yourself

I guess some of these are hard. I will be surprised if you get #4. I'd be impressed if you get #10. And I don't think any of you will get #7 (unless you're cecilia or e).

You know what would be fun? If I posted different audio clips for you to guess, too. Hmm... brb.

OK back. Here's some more for you to guess. They're intros from songs (not necessarily the ones above). Guess away!

Clip #1:

Clip #2:

Clip #3:


Answers will be posted on Sunday.

Walleteer Wednesday (Week 3).

Hellooo. Here I am: tired, but ready to blog. This week, we've got the hefty sum of 23 cents to spend. Now, reader, I know what you're thinking. With the current state of the economy, there's no way I could buy anything for 23 cents! But I am here to prove you wrong. Behold.

With 23¢, you could:

• Put 1/15 gallon of gasoline into your car. That's 8.5 ounces, or a little more than one cup.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Buy 5.75 Haribo gummy bears (~4¢/bear).
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Ride a 3-wheeled auto rickshaw in India for 1 hour.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Pay the tax on your purchase of this 2004 Kennedy half dollar.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Buy this handy dandy laminated card printed with the important holidays of 2008.
  
  
  
  
  

Whew, that was a hard one.

Goodbye for now. Leave some numbers!