soaring through the air

It's been a long time since I actually posted. So much has happened that I probably cannot relate everything. As with any senior, the word "future" is like the light at the end of the tunnel. Madison was Madison. Dallas was... well... Texas. DC was incredible. That's a city where I could see myself. Minneapolis was the same as usual. Centuria was as I remembered, though I only saw part of it. Woodbury has become a giant shopping mall. Easton junior. Another Starbucks. Incredible. Disgusting.

Next year I'll be in Galway. Ireland. It will be good for a change. A chance to figure stuff out for another year. Studying, research, travel. I haven't had be I aenough time to process everything but I realize that sometimes I don't want all of the immmediate answers. I'm still idealistic enough that I think I have years to figure things out.

People-watching can be romantic or depressing. Imagining where each family or businessman is traveling. France. Florida. A long-lost cousin. Until you sit by the balding, middle-aged safari guy who carries the camouflage duffel. Headed to Chicago. Wearing a leopard skin jacket.

I am amazed by some of the people that I have met in the last few years. Some people are outstanding and brilliant. Others have taught me a lot. Some aren't as smart as others while others have more hidden talents.

Happy belated Thanksgiving to everyone.

quote of the week

On the Bush administration:

"I had to do something about that anger and I could immerse myself in Scrabble rather than start a revolution."

On Calvin and Hobbes:
His main quality, other than imagination, is enthusiasm. Calvin, as befits his name, is a carefree fatalist.

I'm less of a loser than my sister.

You scored as Popular Bitch.


What type of girl are you?!!
created with QuizFarm.com

Popular Bitch 63%
Nerdy Girl 50%
Preppy Girl 50%
Athletic Tomboy 44%
Hippie 19%
Slut 19%
Loser 13%
Goth 13%

Short skirts in lab and chemistry all around.

Truly an example of how surveys are wrong

You scored as Popular Bitch. Popular Bitch 50% Hippy 44% Athletic Tomboy 44% Nerdy Girl 44% Loser 38% Slut 31% Preppy Girl 25% Goth 19% What type of girl are you?!! created with QuizFarm.com

Action hero

You scored as James Bond, Agent 007.

James Bond is MI6's best agent, a suave, sophisticated super spy with charm, cunning, and a license's to kill. He doesn't care about rules or regulations and somewhat amoral. He does care about saving humanity though, as well as the beautiful women who fill his world. Bond has expensive tastes, a wide knowledge of many subjects, and his usually armed with a clever gadget and an appropriate one-liner.

James Bond, Agent 007 83%

The Amazing Spider-Man 71%
Maximus 67%
Captain Jack Sparrow 58%
Indiana Jones 58%
Lara Croft 58%
Neo, the "One" 54%
El Zorro 50%
Batman, the Dark Knight 42%
The Terminator 42%
William Wallace 33%

And so it is. Fortunately, I'm the charmer with a bit of a nerdy streak in me and am ready to save the world. Just in time for a martini- shaken not stirred.

p-chem test break

You scored as James Bond, Agent 007.


Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0
created with QuizFarm.com

James Bond is MI6's best agent, a suave, sophisticated super spy with charm, cunning, and a license's to kill. He doesn't care about rules or regulations and somewhat amoral. He does care about saving humanity though, as well as the beautiful women who fill his world. Bond has expensive tastes, a wide knowledge of many subjects, and his usually armed with a clever gadget and an appropriate one-liner.

James Bond, Agent 007 83%
Maximus 79%
Indiana Jones 79%
Captain Jack Sparrow 71%
The Amazing Spider-Man 71%
Lara Croft 63%
Batman, the Dark Knight 58%
William Wallace 54%
El Zorro 46%
Neo, the "One" 42%
The Terminator 25%

I guess that I'm a sophisticated, charming, intelligent flirt.

cream rising to the top

I realized somewhere along Hwy 62, I take much more for granted now than I ever did as a freshman. More in terms of my abilities and what I expect a meritocratic world to hold for myself and for others. To this end, I've had different versions of "merit" floating around in my head lately. Deborah Stone, the visiting professor, pointed out an interesting book review by David Brooks this past week. Brooks states that college admissions are stacking the deck in favor of those who are most like them:

In 1952, more than 37 percent of Harvard freshmen had fathers who had not attended college. By 1996, less than 11 percent did. In 1954, 10 percent of Harvard freshmen had fathers who worked at blue-collar jobs. Forty-two years later, only 5 percent did.

In 1996, only about 3 percent of the American labor force was in one of the highly credentialed professional occupations (doctor, lawyer, professor), but nearly a third of Harvard freshmen that year were children of such professionals.

With the traveling and schmoozing that I've done lately, I can see how that is the case. I've come across some fabulously brilliant people with backgrounds that are both amazing and slightly frightening. People are always surprised that there are no doctors in my family, only teachers (as if that means that teachers aren't ultimately more influential). However, Brooks' case is frightening with its suggestion that a culture difference is widening due to a combined effort of societal and cultural pressures.

the circuit gets smaller.

Spending one's first night as a 22 year old in a five star hotel isn't so bad. Ordering New York Strip steak (medium rare) also eases the pain as well. However, nothing can compensate for the fact that Kar and I had gotten up at 4 am in order to leave for the airport at 4:45 am. Needless to say, I was a walking zombie with a cold. Notwithstanding, since I arrived in STL so early, I did get to visit my lab for two hours and visit a friend from two summers ago. Still fabulous as ever.

Oh, and the temperature was a balmy 75 degrees.

As for my actual purpose of being in St. Louis, not much can be said. Maybe one day Kar and I will co-author the definitive guide to leading a double life.