Evil Giraffe for Jaime

Christmas has begun!

This is the BEST Christmas because...
I finished all my shopping yesterday.
I get to see my cute nieces every day.
Julie is a great cook!
Columbus is sooo much less expensive than Los Angeles.
Talking to my siblings in person is even better than reading their blogs.

Here is a cute picture of Mandy knitting a gift for someone: who could it be?



The only thing that could make me happier would be if Ben and Grushka were here!

Favorite Things/People of 2007

No Country for Old Men



Once



Lives of Others (released in Germany in 2006, but seen by me in 2007)



The Bryant Park Project/Alison Stewart/Luke Burbank



Gillian Welch



Feist




Grushenka



Common



Silver Lake

Regarding family members disappearing

So...I don't like to think of myself as CONTROLLING or anything...but when Dad up and goes to Paris without letting anyone know, and then Mandy doesn't really tell anyone when she's going somewhere in Canada for several days, I get a little anxious. But, then I thought about it some more, and I think that, although Dad as a parent has an obligation to inform me when he's leaving the country for ten days, Mandy really should be commended for going off on her own adventure. So, Mandy, as long as you don't come back married, I think it's GREAT that you go off on adventures visiting random boyfriends in Canada in the dead of winter. That said, I think you should have a cell phone just in case something terrible happens. After all, I have just seen No Country for Old Men, and the only thing that could have made that movie more terrifying would have been if it were really, really cold outside.

Why don't people steal Netflix from other people's mailboxes all the time?

Bad odds

Yesterday Ben and I went out to Claremont to see Scripps, where I have applied to do my pre-med stuff. After four long months at USC, I wasn't expecting much, but the Claremont colleges are really in a beautiful spot, and Scripps in particular is quiet, well-manicured, and architecturally consistent, which is, sadly, what I've been craving. Now I know what those college guides mean when they say "dorms like palaces". Why is St. John's SO poor?
Today, I had my stats exam at eight. I absolutely rushed through it so that I could leave as soon as possible for Scripps, because it's at least 45 minutes away (which in L.A., sadly can mean 1 1/2 hours away) and my interview was at eleven. I made it, happily, with plenty of time to spare. Overall, I think the interview went well, but I have learned that there are 150 applicants for 14 places, so I'm trying valiantly not to get my hopes up. Sadly, the last couple of days have really convinced me that this program is perfect for me. I like the people I met, I love that the program is small but integrated into the college, and I LOVE LOVE that it is supportive rather than competitive. They seemed interested in St. John's, and although they haven't had any St. John's students there, they have had students from St. Thomas Aquinas, which is about five minutes away from Ben's house in Ojai. They said that the Aquinas students have tended to be immature, sheltered, Catholic boys, which I clearly am not, so I hope that goes in my favor. Anyway, fingers crossed!

Enchanted. Really!

This is embarrassing, but I talked Ben into seeing Enchanted last night in Ventura. We really wanted to see Atonement or Juno, but they're only playing in L.A. and we've been spending weekends in Ojai. So we were looking at rottentomatoes.com and the only movie other than No Country for Old Men (which we've seen and is definitely worth seeing-filmed in the backyard of Santa Fe, by the way) that had good reviews was Enchanted, which I'd always sort of hoped would be good. It was hilarious and sweet! The premise is that a cartoon amalgamation-of-all-Disney-princesses-ever princess finds her true love and goes to the castle to be married and live happily ever after, when the prince's wicked stepmother tricks her into looking down a wishing well.

The princess, Giselle, falls down the well and ends up in a New York sewer, then promptly climbs out of the sewer and wanders around the city asking where the palace is, etc. This movie comes off well because the real-life princess, Amy Adams, plays her part sooooooooooooo sincerely that she's almost believable when she meets Patrick Dempsey, a divorced divorce lawyer, and lectures him about true love. The songs are also pretty wonderful, but the best part is the gently ironic tone of the entire movie, which makes countless amusing references to Disney cartoons past. Anyway, if you haven't seen this movie, which I kind of assume you haven't, I highly recommend it. And if you don't trust me, read someone else's review, because I honestly can't imagine someone sitting through this without laughing out loud.

2 years!

I Heart Huckabee

If I worked on an admissions committee, I would bust my ass to make a decision so that some poor, hopeful (but not tooo hopeful) girl sitting in her apartment waiting patiently (but not THAT patiently) wouldn't be disappointed every time she checked her
email. This is going to be a loooooooong six weeks.

On a brighter note, I am now officially content with the outcome of the 2008 presidential race. Why, you ask? Because of Mike Huckabee. Please don't expect real substance from this post.

As a long-time Edwards-lover and realist,I know that there is no way he is going to win the primary. Thankfully, this year there are so many entertaining, generally sane (or at least entertaining) people running for the Democratic spot on the ticket that I can't lose.

Hillary:


A little severe and power-hungry, but who doesn't want a woman to be president? Plus, she's composed and competent. (That was a pretty non-rhetorical rhetorical question, actually...there are probably millions of people who don't want a woman to president)

Obama:

He's upbeat, articulate, and all this talk about his inexperience is irrelevant: he'll pick good advisors. I also like that he isn't as hyperpartisan as Clinton and Edwards. Hope IS audacious. Plus, who doesn't want a black man to be president?

Richardson:

He isn't going to win, and I don't want him to because he's way too good for New Mexico, but if he did win he'd do really well. Plus, who doesn't want an Hispanic man for president? By the way, if anyone wants to start a crazy new hobby, following New Mexico politics is a good one. It's the wild west out there.

Kucinich:


He is THE reason to watch the debates. Some highlights:
"Everyone should have health insurance? I say everyone should have health care. I'm not selling insurance."
"I am running for President of the United States to enable the Goddess of Peace to encircle within her arms all the children of this country and all the children of the world."
From his website: If you love Joe Biden, you’ll love Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Richardson, and Dodd – but not Kucinich

Plus, who doesn't want another crazy Ohioan to be president?

So, any of these people would be just fine by me.

That brings us to the real news: why I wouldn't mind if a republican won.
Mike Huckabee:


or, as I like to think of him: "red" Jed Bartlett. I want him to beat Giuliani and Romney so badly! He rocked the YouTube debate last week. If he were the republican nominee, I really wouldn't be as scared next fall. Plus, who wouldn't want to vote for an American who's LOST weight? I heart Huckabee.



Sorry, John- I just don't think it's going to happen.