Science Class

Chemistry - "That branch of science which treats of the composition of substances, and of the changes which they undergo in consequence of alterations in the constitution of the molecules, which depend upon variations of the number, kind, or mode of arrangement, of the constituent atoms. These atoms are not assumed to be indivisible, but merely the finest grade of subdivision hitherto attained. Chemistry deals with the changes in the composition and constitution of molecules." (Webster's Unabridged Dictionary)

Chemistry - "Not only the study of the properties of matter and the changes it undergoes, chemistry can also define people's relationships. As all chemists know, chemistry is extremely complicated. Between sublimation, atomic masses, moles, beta and alpha decay, oxidation numbers, emperical formulas, diatomic molecules, stoichiometry, molarity, kinetics, brownsted-lowry acids and bases, titration, redox equations, hydrocarbons, isomers, , and of course the one and only equilibrium, there is so much to understand in the scientific world of chemistry.

However, what some chemists might underestimate is the figure it plays when speaking of "bonds" between two completely different people or molecules. Since they are coming from different families or groups, they of course have different properties and characteristics. Yet through forces of attraction, such as vanderwaals, they are able to bond. This is because chemical reactions occur and two different people exist in equilibrium.

Alright. We are sure you are sick of hearing these chem terms, as are we. So basically chemistry is a way of describing a friendship, not only a science. Although many fights and conflicts occur, there is some sort of chemistry that brings two souls back together. And though they may drift apart, these forces will never be able to be broken. As they say, Chemistry is everything. So I guess friendship is everything." (Urban Dictionary.com)

Huh.

Interesting.

Possibly.

What to keep, and what to toss? What do YOU think? Homework - discuss.

Video Mash Ups

Heh.

Got any fans of Buffy out there? Ever wish she'd give Edward the ol' what for? Check it out.

http://blip.tv/file/2261825/


And this is fun - a Fred Astaire video, set to Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal". Pretty cool, actually.

Sunday Snippet

It was a good day - I felt like I got something important out of all three meetings, and the things I got were all tied together. I appreciate the reinforcement, what with being a *little* hard-headed, and all.

The Sunday School lesson focused on the importance of learning -

And I give unto you a commandment that you shall teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom.
Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand;
Of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which are on the land; and a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms—
…And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.
- Doctrine and Covenants 88:77-80, 118

Look at that list! There is so much to study and learn, and no way we could ever get to it all... we really don't have time to waste when it comes to the things we "study". As discussed in our class, in the end it's not really about WHAT we study, as it is about "learning how to learn". Learning to learn and making a habit of learning from the best books does not seem to include space for procrastination and filling our heads with mental cotton candy.

I was having a related conversation with my neice this evening (well, "conversation" might be a bit strong, as it was more of me on a soapbox with her staring, wide-eyed) - we were discussing books, and looking over the ones she might take with her this week to EFY. She had a pile of very old, very harmless historical romantic fiction novels - in fact, I remember reading those very books when I was her age. I remembered, too, that my mother had once warned me against reading romance novels - and that over the following years, I ignored her advice. Now, every few months I make another resolution to stop reading them. Talk about your mental cotton candy - they are in no way productive, or inspiring, or "of good report"... they just sit and rot your brain with fantasy and escapism. I was reminded rather forcefully in church today that I simply don't have time for that kind of thing - I should/could be learning Spanish, figuring out how science and religion mesh, studying for grad school, reading biographies of important people, working on family history, discovering the different ways in which the written word can be truly beautiful... etc... (all of which is covered in books currently living, unopened, on my bookshelves.)

Along with my newest resolution to give up sugar (starting tomorrow - I had to have one final milkshake tonight) I will also be giving up (PERMANENTLY) romance novels. I don't need any of that in my body or brain, and there are plenty of other things on which I can and will be spending my time.

***In the interest of full disclosure, however, I will admit that I just started re-reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and that books Six and Seven are also on my current list, to be finished before the next movie comes out in two weeks. (Look for the review!)***

A Story in Pictures

plus

with

and

minus

equals

and

for a good cause.

The End.

An Oily Solution

1) Apparently, you can even use duct tape to patch an oil leak on your car.

2) Also, there are still mechanics out there who will work for Dr. Pepper and donuts (if you know where to look.)

I love it when car repair comes together so well.

Goodnight to the King

Sorry about the cheesy title, but that's my entire middle-school persona down there sobbing on the floor... Michael Jackson may have been strange and disturbed in the last few years, but he was one of the original iconic superstars and produced some really FANTASTIC music. His Greatest Hits Album is on my playlist tonight!

Come revisit the good stuff: Thriller - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtyJbIOZjS8&feature=featured

Beat It (the dancing is AMAZING, in the worst way) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqxo1SKB0z8

And in tribute: Billie Jean sung by David Cook


Look how cute he was! How much did I love Captain Eo at Walt Disney World (in 3-D)? SO MUCH.

Bye, Michael - I'll see if I can find a single glove to wear for you today!

Double Feature

In which we shall see: Well, not much of anything, frankly, because at my age sitting through two movies in a row leaves you a bit fuzzy (*gets cane to hobble to front door and yell at neighbor kids to get off the lawn*). You all get two movie reviews, plus bonus-type stuff! Lucky you.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Right next door to the theatre where I'm currently working (how sad is it that I am super excited to be upholstering a prop carriage tomorrow? It's been too long, staple gun! If only there were a dead body in the carriage, life would be complete) is a movie theater, and I decided to catch a matinee show right after work. Big feature, just opened, lots of hype - and I always love getting in to see a film right as it opens. Halfway through the movie I caught myself thinking, "Huh. I wish I'd gone to see The Proposal instead."

So - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. *sigh* I wanted to like it, I really did. I'm as big a fan of the summer "popcorn" movie as the next person, and I have no beef with action/adventure. (Except for that Indiana Jones Goes Geriatric and His Son Gets Weepy Because of the Stupid Props fiasco, but we're not talking about that.) I was even OK with the first Transformers film, having been a big fan of the cartoon (see the original disclaimer about my age, all right?). This one, though - well, pardon my language, but it sucked. Yes, I know it's Michael Bay and one should expect only big explosions and long action sequences with very little plot or character development. Got it. Unfortunately, he also got fairly decent actors who were doing their best with the material they were given, and every time there was a slower scene involving dialogue or an attempt to develop relationships they made glaring and joltingly obvious shifts in the pace of the movie, and actually demonstrated the deficiencies in the plot rather than moving it forward. MB's editor should probably be fired, and his scriptwriters sent back to third grade (with an apology to all you third-graders out there). Yes, lots of things went BOOM - the problem with this franchise, though, is that the robots are so complex that it's actually difficult to tell if anything's happened to them in the course of a fight. Plus the whole "shaky cam for reality" thing definitely did NOT help clear any of that up. I remember when my parents went to see The Bourne Ultimatum and they ended up on the front row and Mom came home with motion sickness - that's how I felt with T:RotF, and I was back in the middle of the theater. It was a relief to watch the driving scenes, because when I was looking at the various vehicles I could tell what they were and had some idea which side they were working for. This movie was too long, the CGI was too complex and not clean enough, and it was just uninvolving - much of it was in freaking EGYPT, for pity's sake, and I couldn't even enjoy the visuals. I'm all about the travelogue! (Shia LaBeouf was cute and fine, and Megan Fox did a good job - she's a little, oh, "much", just being herself - and the costumer definitely played that up - but I have a suspicion that there is a decent actress lurking inside that disgustingly gorgeous exterior. The only time you got to like Josh Duhamel was when he was throwing a governmental advisor out of a plane - and again, the humor was off-putting because it was so forced. Funny, but ill-fitting.)

Naturally, when someone leaves one movie slightly queasy, the remedy is to immediately move on to the next! If I hadn't been queasy I might have just checked the times for the next movie I wanted to see at the theater where I was already parked, but no, I got in my car and drove to another one that was a little closer to home. Bonus: I got my ticket about 10 minutes after movie #2 started, and it was awesome - I only had to sit through about 8 more minutes of previews before the actual show started! Score!) Movie #2 was, in fact, The Proposal. And let me just say - I liked it! I have also been known to enjoy a chick flick or twenty, but I do not immediately give a movie a "+" just because it has shopping and sappyness. (I'm a little nervous, actually - we're having a Girl's Day on Friday and watching Confessions of a Shopaholic. I'm considering bringing chicken fingers, (root) beer, and doses of testosterone to combat all the rumored estrogen in that one.) I enjoyed Sandra Bullock, and while Ryan Reynolds hasn't been given much to do besides play a Ken doll, he's been growing on me and I thought he did some good stuff in this show. They played off each other well, and had a terrific supporting cast - and Alaska! It's beautiful! The movie settled my queasy stomach and left me with a much better taste in my mouth. And yes, I'm perfectly OK with a movie that has an older woman (though age is not mentioned) get together with a very cute younger man. So sue me.

I won't be recommending Transformers to anyone, and won't be bothered to see it again, even on DVD. I don't think I'll see The Proposal again in the theater, but will be happy to talk about it with friends and will have no issue with seeing it sometime in the comfort of my own home.

Mini-Reviews: In contrast, I saw Star Trek twice in the theater, and am starting to feel like I may want to catch it again while it's still on the big screen. FANTASTIC show, for many reasons, and definitely destined for my home library.

I also very much enjoyed Up, which made me cry, and laugh, and cry, and laugh again - not bad for an animated flick. The gal at the counter was probably right, though - this was one where the 3-D probably didn't make much difference, and it would have been fine to see in the regular format (and a couple of dollars cheaper). I'll certainly look for this on DVD as well.

And... I'm now officially tapped out. Happy movie-going, people!

Watch out for falling robots (literally) and murky plotting that may or may not involve turtles,

Cyd

P.S. I DO have a couple of tickets for the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and it is entirely possible I will dress up in full costume. I am frantically re-reading the HP books 1-6, just to be ready for the film. I am a nerd. I am also a nerd with an extra ticket.

ETA: So, The Proposal wasn't actually shot in Alaska - it was Massachusetts ACTING like Alaska. 1) Way to go, MA - that was a better performance than many so-called "professionals" I could name, and 2) I still want to visit Alaska thanks to this movie. Works for me.

Drastic Measures

Move back home: check
Cut hair (twice): check
Facebook de-friending: under consideration
Phone contacts purge: ditto
Cut out all sugar (again): pending
Increase run (not just walk) to a solid 5+ miles a day: planning stages, build from 4.68 mi.
Find second job: eyeing possibilities uneasily
Give full boxes away, rather than unpack: yes, please
Refuse to speak to any non-familially-related males: tempting - potentially impractical. Reconsider options
Leave the country: October can't come soon enough

BLIMEY!!!

THE APPLICATIONS ARE IN! ALL HAIL THE QUEEN (AND MY FABULOUS COUSIN WHO DID ALL THE WORK) 'CAUSE I'M GOING TO GRAD SCHOOL! IN ENGLAND!

So, around the 15th of July there will be a British-themed post (though that one will probably include music, fireworks shooting from the computer, and a Photoshopped picture of me and the Queen) that will share which of the programs I applied to that I'll be attending. Of course it's still not 100% sure that I'll get in, but I've been reassured that, being American, I'm a shoo-in as a quota-filler. I love shooing-in! Stay tuned. (And pray. Couldn't hurt.)

If you'd like to check things out (as I'm sure you all will, since it's summer and everyone's BORED) take a look here and here. Which would you choose, if you were a bright-eyed and aspiring young dramaturg (or failing that, me)?

* * * * *

Remember this? Just for my sister, I'm going to try it again. (Also, there were some pretty good ideas going on that I ought to get back to.) Off we go (once more)!

Oh, wow. WOWOWOWOWOW.

Thank you, Matt. From the bottom of my heart.

Sunday Snippet

Today's church talks were about keeping the Sabbath day holy. A quote used from President Kimball:

"The Savior knew that the ox falls in the mire, and one must pull the ox from the mire when necessary. But no one deliberately puts the ox in the mire every week, or lets him get in the mire with no effort to keep him out." (The full talk is also really good, and can be found here.)

This got me thinking about grad school, and reminded me that there will definitely be things I can do to keep from having to work and study on Sunday. That whole procrastination thing really isn't going to fly, y'know? No excuses!

Photo bonus:

Graduation Tunes

With all the things I could be writing about and catching up on, the one thing that keeps coming back and making me giggle is the memory of the principal's speech from Graduation. (Side note: She and I have the same first name - spelled the same way, even - and both have shoulder-length red hair - well, DID: I just got mine cut - which was crazy to work around, because people were always saying my name and asking questions I had no clue about, until I realized the principal was standing right behind me, etc...) At the ceremony she outlined her speech with music ("quoted, not sung"). She used songs from John Mayer (pronounced my-er), Bob Dylan, U2, and a couple of others, finishing with a "popular song that talks about the importance of appreciating the journey, and remembering that it's all about 'the Climb'."


People. At a high school graduation ceremony, the principal quoted MILEY CYRUS. My brain, she is still a-blowin'.