Senators today decided to drop the Matthew Shepard Bill that was previously appended to the 2008 Defense Authorization Bill. While this is eerily almost a tit for tat re-enactment of what happened 4 years earlier in 2004, things were a little GOP-crazy back then. But today, with the Democrats in the majority of the House . . . we let prevalent and persistent issues such as hate crimes fall by the wayside. If you are not too familiar with what the bill entails and what it would have changed, read more about it here.
Soooo's, it's been a long time since I have written here.
Things have been overwhelming over the last few months and for a while there I was suffering from what they lovingly deem Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) on account of all that fun I had in the military.
Right now, I'm living with a friend of my mom's over in Santa Monica and having a good time riding my blue bicycle to school. It's only a six-mile ride and the hard part is getting there. I'm in Week 3 of a 10-Week quarter system at UCLA and so far I'm already suprised as to how much they expect me to read... Seriously. I'm a reading machine.
Oh, and lately I've been obsessed with this song. It's called "Oh Be One" by Oh No! Oh My! and it sounds like he's making an allusion to Obiwan from Star Wars.
I HAVE RETURNED! Well, sort of. I started school at UCLA this week. I'm taking a class titled "Coalition and Conflict: Urban Poverty, Migration, and Race in the U.S." It's intense to say the least. So far, we've addressed the issues of the social construction of race in the interest of a group to maintain supremacy over other groups.
On Monday, we're addressing the social construction of sexuality and how many of the same methods were used to suppress more groups of people as were used on race. It's crazy! I feel like there was so much history about the U.S. that they never taught me in school. How did I miss this???
In the next few weeks, we're also reading Black, Brown, Yellow & Left: Racial Activism in Los Angeles which I'm really excited about. I've heard a lot about it.
However, to be completely honest, I also feel terribly guilty about getting out of the military. Everytime I see something about it on the television my heart goes out to those guys. I'm going to be part of a seminar called "Action Conversations" which includes UCLA students who are war veterans and/or artists. I'm hoping something great will come out of this but at least it will give me an opportunity to share my experiences. :/
I'm sitting in a hotel room in Seattle watching Interview with the Vampire, eating chocolate covered strawberries and looking up places to visit in Portland.
I AM IN AMERICA!
The flight from Kuwait was over 30 hours including the quick stops in Germany, New Jersey and Texas before finally reaching Washington. It was an uncomfortable voyage sitting in coach for that long. On one side of me, I had an older gentlemen who reeked of moth balls and chewing tobacco. On the other, was a young woman chewing gum with a high pitch giggle.
As soon as we touched ground my allergies kicked in and made this a bittersweet homecoming. I woke up in the morning with red, itchy eyes that my mother thought was conjuctivitis. I couldn't figure out where I'd picked up pink eye but I went to the doctor to get treated right away. The doctor, an elderly man with red eyes of his own, prescribed a slew of expensive allergy pills and we chatted about his visit to Los Angeles to see the Dalai Lama lecture near UCLA so many years ago. Old people are fun.
I've got two weeks to outprocess the military to make it home in time for summerschool. Can I make it? I'm not really sure. Usually people get an entire year to start outprocessing and a few months to really concentrate on it. However, all the people in my unit are helping me out and I already have my orders cut (HALLELUJAH) so I figure it won't be too terrible. I'll try to keep you posted on my progress.
Ok, I'm going to go put on a cup of coffee and start reading all the exciting updates I've missed for so long. Isn't that the best part of being away? There's so much to catch up on.
I have a feeling these are going to be the longest four weeks of my entire life...
What is the most interesting class you have ever taken?
Submitted by Melissa.
By far, it would have to be an Introduction to Cinema class taught by the famed Dr. Drew Casper (I must warn you, it's rumored that he has written his own wiki entry). It's a required course for all students entering the Film Production and Cinematic Studies majors at the University of Southern California.
His demeanor was a bit over the top for me. Professor Casper performed/taught as if he were in a silent film, flailing about dramatically to express his intended message. However, he has such a commanding voice such actions were unnecessary and distracted me from the notes I was frantically scribbling.
What I enjoyed most about the class were the films to which I was exposed. My all-time favorite was a screening of a film directed by King Vidor released in 1937. A film called Stella Dallas.
The story begins with Stella, a poor young girl searching for love (or money). As fortune has it, she reads in the paper about a rich eligible bachelor for whom her brother works. She weasels her way into his life and quickly they tie the knot and her rich, joyous life begins.
Eventually, the couple go on to have a daughter. Being that the daughter is not shiny and new, Stella finds it difficult to care for daughter as she does for her new clothes. As time goes on, Stella blossoms into motherhood and gives all her life and love to her daughter to the point where her daughter's happiness is more important than her own. That's all I'm saying, I can't give the ending away!!
If you want to see an entire room full of women cry, show them this film.
Reviews on the professor and the course (CTSC-190) can be found at the USC professors website.
Seli tried to get me up at 2100 to go running yesterday. I told her I wasn't interested so she decided to take a photo of my laziness for future reference. It is so cold in the barracks that I have to wear layer upon layer in an attempt to curtail an oncoming head cold.
I refused to go with her on account of my own desire to finish The Bluest Eye. Yes, it is novel with a big sticker that says Oprah's Book Club on the cover. Ok ok, you can judge me. It's actually a very nice read.
I found it at the leisure library at Emerson Middle School over in Los Angeles when I was home late last year. I saw the lonely little girl on the cover and, since I have a soft spot for lonely little things, I had to pick it up.
What I love most about reading it is the fluidity of events. Although the story covers the lives of a number of characters, it's difficult to know at first whose eyes you are looking through because of the delicate nature of every character. It is only when you finally see the lives intertwine with previously established characters do you realize, "ah, so this jerk does have a heart."
Right now, my mind is on overdrive. I have so much to do before I get home (which should be within two months) and I am pulling my hair out stressing. I don't think I'll be posting anything spectacular until then. Mostly just grunting and moaning. :)
Audio: Share a song that makes you think of your crush.
Submitted by ♥Voxy Lady M♥.
I have a crush on Daniele Silvestri. I doubt we really have that much in common, however. :(
