Ha!

Check out the date!

Posted the day after he lost.

I mean, who doesn’t want to work for a candidate who already lost? I suppose it lowers expectations significantly.

Okay, who was I kidding?

I can’t look at this story anymore, and it’s not even finished.

Evidence of the world’s ridiculousness

• I am supposed to be working on an English paper, but instead I’m drawn to my fiction. Which is to say, I would rather write a short story than a critical essay. WHAT! If someone would have told me I’d feel this way now one week ago, I would have laughed. A lot. But now that the plot is vaguely outlined, bringing characters to life is such a pleasurable enterprise. They are living in my head.
• An Iranian-American scholar who was supposed to be teaching at Columbia will likely be in prison for 15 years for doing, well, not much of anything.
• The events of last weekend.
• I’m not reading enough in general.
• I am able to be semi-coherent on so few hours of sleep. So few, even for me.

• Last but not least…(See second item. I found out via … Google Alert.)

Search terms that make me happy

Unlike some previous weird ones about pantyhose, I’m pleased to see people coming here after searching for information:

People may learn things! Who'da thought?

(Information? Not like there’s been any of that over the last few weeks, I know. I’ve been drowning in job applications, Spec, school, and life in general. And still searching for inspiration for a short story).

Almost done with that Canterbury Tales read-through

The Prioress’s Tale really got me. Why is it just as chilling every single time?

Yikes.

But really, what a pleasurable assignment.

I wish I could be at the UN today

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be addressing the General Assembly, and many groups—including previous political prisoners—will be protesting.

I want to be there to get it all down, to understand the burden of a people wronged, especially after covering a similar—but smaller—post-election protest this summer. Ahmadinejad is an extremely contested figure, and since his little visit to Columbia—personal politics aside—I’ve always been curious to see the potent reactions and speeches he elicits. A figure so polarizing ekes out such a wide array of opinions.

But, as several news outlets have pointed out, Kian Tajbakhsh won’t be protesting today. At least, he won’t be protesting out loud. An Iranian-American scholar with a Ph.D. from Columbia, Tajbakhsh was supposed to be teaching here this semester. But Iran arrested him this summer, shortly after he was freed from Evin prison in Tehran.

The prosecutor has accused him of fomenting revolution, while his family and friends have repeatedly noted that he had nothing to do with the protests. He’s being held in secret detention, and occasionally the Iranian media will show him under mass trial, reading prepared statements of guilt. My heart goes out to his family, who was supposed to move here with him.

Alas, I have class, and meetings—but I will be watching closely.

Back to school!

I’ve been breaking in notebooks for the last week, and it feels slightly different this time around. It could be because it may be the last fall in which I go through this life-stabilizing routine. I’m sure life will be good in the long run, but transitioning from one phase to another seems thorny…

Also, I was talking to Elizabeth about the True Blood finale—which ended on a cliffhanger—and she said that the next season starts in ten months. By then, I’ll be, well, not here. True Blood is the first tangible thing that I can say starts after I graduate. What a weird way to mark time.

Anyway. Here are the classes I’m enrolled in right now. I should probably drop one, but I really love them all (except for the one my parents are making me take). And when will I ever have another chance to take such courses? But then again, some sleep is good, I guess. Hit me up with suggestions, given the following constraints.

• Freedom of Speech and the Press. A political science course run like a law course taught by Prez Bo. The reading is short but dense, dense but riveting. The topic is important to me. And, it fulfills a minor requirement for polisci. Awesome!
• Independent Study. I’m working one-on-one with a Chaucer expert instead of doing the regular senior seminar. I met with him today and I am psyched! My first project is to read the Canterbury Tales cover to cover over the next few weeks. Yay! (Note that I meet with him once every few weeks, so it’s a lot of homework with very little class time).
• 17th Century Prose and Poetry. I took this as my last major requirement—aside from thesis stuff—and it turns out to be really, really interesting. Lots of John Donne! And the professor was president of the Donne Society. Perfection.
• Principles of Economics. I am not required to take this course for anything, but my parents are making me. That said, though I’ve never been economically inclined, the professor is hilarious and brilliantly captivating. And it’s generally good to know. Maybe I’ll P/D/F this one.
• Intermediate French. Just for fun—because I love languages and the professor is great. I guess I could drop it but it is a breeze and actually practical.
• Beginning Fiction Workshop. Given the constraints mentioned above, this would be the logical course to drop. But that would be a copout, you know? Since workshops are scary. And I’ve never pushed myself to write fiction. It’s something I’d like to start now and advance in next semester, but it is technically a superfluous course. Hm.

This brings me to a total of 20 credits. Not good. Help.

This is me, confused.

Dreams

I got in late last night, and had a particularly vivid dream. I was at home, sleeping in my basement for some reason, and there was a tarantula. Not a hairy one, but more of a pointy and scary kind of creature. We have cave crickets down there in real life that we are perpetually exterminating (and I’m petrified because they jump so so so high) but they’re not dangerous. But I digress. Anyway, this tarantula crept onto my foot, and though I tried to shake it off, crawled up and bit my neck. I woke up shortly afterwards and my neck is still sore. Weird.

Anyway. Week two of senior year begins tomorrow. I’m trying to get some reading done before a stream of meetings starts. I have a problem: I’m enrolled in way too many classes given my commitments outside of class. On the one hand, I’d be crazy to go through with them. On the other hand, how can I not take these classes? I’m a senior, an old fart, and have almost no more chances to learn so much at once. Whadaya think? I’m sensing a poll soon, maybe?

Overheard on the steps

Harried girl on cell: “You’re going to a rosh hashanah pool party?! That doesn’t even make sense.”

It’s good to be back.

(Second day of classes today. Yesterday was my last first day of school. Today a pigeon almost flew into my room. I don’t know what to make of this.)

More on search terms

Only because I find it amusing, I will say that the last few days have brought readers eager to learn about “gauchos,” “terminator suit,” “eminem,” and, my personal favorite, “banana peel related injuries.” Awesome.

Just got back from a productive day followed by two matches at the U. S. Open. I love watching tennis—human athleticism in the quantities latent in Sharapova and Andy Murray is a thing to behold. And no matter how far up you sit, that display is always different from any image on your TV screen.

In other news, Spec’s orientation issue came out today! Be sure to check it out if you’re around town, or read it online.