18 December 2005

My Final Final, Finally

Yesterday, at 3.30 pm, I turned in my last final of the semester. I celebrated by driving home in my nasty car without a heating system, tail lights, or interior lights. My smooth operator (a la Sade, it's what I named my vehicle when I first got it in 2000) also sports a passenger side window that falls down intermittently. The time has come; I'm getting a new car this week.

But, now I am home, all safe, cozy and warm. I arrived back and was so tired that I barely unpacked and treated myself to an Animal Planet documentary on the search for an endangered viper. Unfortunately, I was falling asleep at the end of the show so I didn't get to see if they actually found it. But, from the looks of the trailers for the episode, namely pictures of the search crew with the viper, I have a feeling they were successful.

I apologize in advance for the lack of photos over the next month or so; AOL does something strange where I cannot upload JPEGs. If anyone can offer some advice, send it this way.

Now, I'm going to be all nerdy and listen to my new Emanuel Ax (pictured at right) recording of Chopin with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment - on period instruments!

Aaaand, it's vacation.

13 December 2005

Ottoman New York


Get it? Autumn in New York! I discovered this little word play yesterday in the deep dark aisles of Target. My friend pointed out an ottoman that looked comfortable, and the rest is history...

11 December 2005

Air on the Plane-String

Yesterday, I flew to Boston on Independence Air. Unfortunately, they've gone bankrupt, but they are still functioning and doing it with amazing style and fun. The flight attendants are really the nicest ones I think I've ever met, and they're also quite witty. The service is great, too. After they serve you a drink, you are offered a hot towel and then a mint. Très chic, magnifique.

I definitely flew from Western New York to Washington D.C. and then to Boston, as it was the cheapest flight I could find. Not so fun for me, but that means I got four hot towels. Actually, I got three, because I was skeptical of them at first. Note to the reader: TAKE THE HOT TOWEL! You won't regret it.

One flight attendant was so funny. We were landing in Boston, and he came over the speaker and gave us landing instructions as usual-- buckle up, stow your belongings under the seat in front of you. Then he really got going. "We ask that you refrain from smoking, really for the rest of your lives, but especially on the rest of the flight. We also understand that you can fly with any bankrupt airline that you wish, and we thank you for choosing us." The whole plane was roaring with laughter and delight, and it just made the flight that much more special.

Another attendant, when he was announcing our drink options, said, "We are serving Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, spring water, Arizona iced tea - a green tea with honey and ginseng. And, because somewhere in the world it's five o'clock, we're also offering a chardonnay and a cabernet sauvignon." (I liked this one.)

On the last leg of my flight coming home, the flight attendant said that if we enjoyed flying with them, then we should tell everyone we know. So, I'm telling you all, because I enjoyed it.

08 December 2005

Musical Word Plays

As the semester winds down, so do my critical thinking skills. Here's an easy break from the seriousness of classes and piano.

Below are original musical word plays absconded from the whiteboard on my door. My friends and I have active social lives comprising of laying on someone's bed and laughing about nothing. If we're really feeling ambitious, we go to the grocery store. Aside from those activities, my whiteboard has provided countless hours of non-stop fun. See for yourself.

Preludacris (John)
Largo away (me)
How does your garden Allegro? (me)
Prestoe nails (John)
Adagi-oprah (John)
Andante's Inferno (me)
Andantinosaurus Rex (me)
Graziosewing Kit (me)
Grandioso What? (me)
Vivace-chis (John; this is hard - think, "Viva Chi-Chis", as in the Mexican restaurant)
Legatomobile (me)
Liszterine (me)
Chopinaramic View (me)
Too Hot To Handel (John)
Hadyn Go Seek (me, via countless others)
Kelly Clarksonogram (John)
Bono Way (John)
Ralph Lockeness Monster (Jared; musicologist Dr. Locke really is the nicest person; I just thought this was funny)

02 December 2005

Chiplomacy

The article below is from The Onion. I couldn't resist; it's so brilliant and witty:

FRITOLAYSIA CUTS OFF CHIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH SNAKISTAN

KARUNCHI, SNAKISTAN—Citing crumbling relations due to years of protracted french-onion diplomacy, the president of the Central Asian doritocracy Fritolaysia withdrew the country's ambassadors from Snakistan Monday.

Enlarge ImageFritolaysia Cuts Off Chiplomatic Relations With Snakistan

"We have been supplying the people of Snakistan with pre-packaged consumable goods for over 40 years, and for them to show resistance to our savory products is unacceptable," Fritolaysian President Barbbaku Chedar said, referring to Snakistani officials' unwillingness to adhere to Fritolaysia's zesty new initiative introduced during a between-meals conference at last week's international-trading summit held in München, Germany.

"Fritolaysia has no choice but to crumple up and throw away all chiplomatic ties with the greedy, gluttonous government of Snakistan," Chedar added.

Relations between the two countries grew stale in 1994, when Fritolaysian rufflelutionaries crossed zestablished borders and forced Snakistan to dispatch cheesekeeping forces. The late-night SALTY talks held at Snakistan's Kuler Ranch, however, cooled the spicy conflict with the signing of the historic Buttermilk Compromise, which established bilateral chiplomacy and regulated trade flows by setting the international Rold Gold standard of currency.

The dispute over increased prices and decreased serving sizes escalated when Snakistan, swayed by the influence of the nation's healthiest 1 percent, signed a historic fat-free-trade agreement with the Yogurtslavian nation of Colombo. Preparing for a long and grueling war of nutrition, Fritolaysia imposed trade snacktions and set up a blockade of Snakistan's major ports, cutting off their commerce with Yumen, Mmmmadagascar, and the Chex Republic.

Enlarge ImageFritolaysia Cuts Off Chiplomatic Relations With Snakistan

Fritolaysia's CORNCOM command center.

According to internoshonal-relations expert Grady Freedman, Snakistan's reliance on, and craving for, Fritolaysia's delicious exports will likely force their chargé d'éclaires to re-establish ties with Fritolaysia's government and draw up a late-night treaty.

"The only option besides bowing to Fritolaysia's demands is to begin trading with the extreme funyunmentalist people of Utzonia," Freedman said, referring to the Blandinavian nation that offers similar but less-satisfying goods for cheaper exchange rates. "But deals with the Utzonians always leave a funny taste in your mouth."

With much of his country fearing that the rift with Snakistan could lead to a family-size conflict, Snakistan's President Ghulam Murtaza Pringle, whose pork-rind-barrel legislation and 2002 negotiations with international spambassadors earned him the Hormel Peace Prize, said his country cannot live without a strong, flavorful relationship with Snakistan.

"I am sending hundreds of chiplomats to Fritolaysia in the hopes that something can be worked out," Pringle said. "Even if we have to dig in and get our hands a little greasy, we aim to hunker down, preferably on a couch."

01 December 2005

World Aids Day


"AIDS is not a death sentence in the UK. We have drugs. The politicians also tell us it's too difficult to get these drugs to everywhere in Africa, yet we can get cold, fizzy drinks."
- Bono

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