This layout is pretty fugly in Opera. Pity, that.

I’m still trying to do my second essay. The prompt calls for a persuasive essay, some subjective argumentation, which I’m finding particularly difficult because it’s so up my alley. I just keep putting off the thinking. Hopefully things will go better now, because my headache is fading and it feels like my brain is coming back online. Beep beep whirr.

Quick note before I dive back into essays: I’m reading Wicked by Gregory Maguire, and it is so very good. I haven’t finished it yet but I’ve had to place it out of arm’s reach so I don’t start reading it again. I really like Elphaba — she’s one of those characters you wish existed, so you could go to cafes together and such. I’m not sure how I feel about Maguire’s habit of skipping forward in time seconds after the climax of a particular plot point, and letting the reader figure out what happened afterwards through the retrospective musings of various characters. It certainly feels very modern and literary, but I also wish he would tell me more.

Changed the layout. Why? Sick of autumnal leaves. Now there are green tea colors and scribbly Marx from last year’s AP Euro class. Lea may recognize this one as the precursor to Marx in a Wheelbarrow, the greatest of all the Marxes.

This is temporary, so don’t worry.

Studying for biology test, lalala. Or not studying. Am sort of in a good mood despite pooey day (one of those where nothing goes exactly right) probably due to nap. I have evolved into a slightly newer Anush that does naps and surprising amounts of work and needs the laptop to live.

I’m thinking I should do a chapbook this year. I’ve already started, because I’m a nut, even though I have maybe three pieces of printable writing. I think I will name it ampersands. Isn’t that a good name for a chapbook? Yes, it is.

I have this craving for green tea ice cream because of this happy thing. I refuse to let go of my idealistic vision of college as a place where there is always green tea.

So excited about the upcoming election.

I never have productive weekends. Blarg. Mark Strama, who is running for State Rep, sent me a pamphlet indicting his opposition, Jack Stick. It’s got a happy-looking little cartoon guy on the cover below the word “SHAMELESS.” I think Mark Strama’s strategy may backfire: Jack Stick the stick-figure is so adorable people may vote for him anyway, regardless of illegal campaign contributions or whatnot. Awww, stick Jack Stick, you look so happy buried in money!

Oh, Josh Lyman, you are the best thing. [media link]

Picked up a phone today:
Hello, this is congressman Lloyd Doggett..
“Is this a recorded message?”
…of your congressional district…
“Oh, that’s so lame.”
I believe in the values of…
“Woah, do you stop talking when I’m talking?”
…strength, integrity…
“Lalala!”
.. encourage you to vote early in this election…
“Wow! That’s so cool! That’s brilliant!“

Thinking about commercials lately — what works? Those “bounce” commercials for Diet Coke are pretty effective, i think, although not on me specifically because I can’t stand sodas. But they’ve got Adrien Brody in them, trying very hard to be hip in his plaintive Jewish way, and many pink bubbles, catchy music. The most effective commercials ever, I think, were for iPods. Those were aesthetic and fun. You almost couldn’t feel them stabbing the needle of consumerism into you. (I want an iPod.)

Hellish week on the verge of being over, yay. I think I shall pull out of policy debate to free up some space and sanity for myself.

Today was day from hell. Was actually asked if I was ok, pfft. Spent most of debate class moping around, bemoaning the loss of my topicality accordion, and trying to get my partner to stop playing Snood on his (insult to injury) Powerbook. Things improved around 3:30 when the school was attacked by terrorists. The lockdown lasted until 4.30ish; no one died.

I cut my hair, and I liked it a lot, but I can’t make it behave. I will never master the girly arts. Never never. Also I visited Lea on Saturday and slept over on her couch in the dorm. My mushy love for college fills me like a Twinkie. I dream of escape.

The ratio of number comments to entries in this thing is nearly 10:1. There are four explanations that I can see: 1) my entries are so pithy as to inspire much discourse, 2) you people talk too much, 3) I allow too much time to pass between updates, or 4) I should really, really cure the plague of comment spam.