The Pumpkin Controversy: When Things Get Serious.

So, I have this pumpkin.

And today when I got back from class, he had a note taped on him.

The note read:

"Good job! You appreciate the pumpkin for who he is, without trying to change him, or to impress your idea of "right" on his fleshy skin. He is beautiful--some would argue more beautiful--just as he is. I hope you continue with this lesson and apply it to other areas of your life. Sincerely, NAAP (National Association for the Advancement of Pumpkins)"

So I replied with a note of my own.

I said:

And then, I carved it.

JERRY POTTER!

This is the Honors Life, y'all. 

HaLlOwEeeeEeeEeEEEeEEN!

Halloween is almost upon us, which means one of my favorite holiday seasons is in full swing! Not only is it getting chilly (which is kind of great, except the fact that my room is also freaking cold and I have the cold tolerance of an iguana), but it's HALLOWEEN, which means--

Day of the Dead Festival!

And Zombies! 

And Costume Parties!

(PacMan & Co.)

(Gangnam Styling Psyduck)

And me dressed up as a strawberry!

(Talk about last minute costumes. Ahem.) 

And half-priced vegetarian Sushi!

(Not really Halloween-related, but still. YUM.)

And also a pretty darn good haunted house in Bruce, which taught me that when I am fun-scared, I laugh instead of scream. And the zombie apocalypse taking over campus.

Oh, and voting, of course!

Banananananana

SO MUCH BANANA IN MY DORM ROOM. O_O

It's seriously a little ridiculous. 

We have bananas, banana pudding, banana bread (right), and banana chocolate chip bars (left).

OH YES!

Seriously, though. You should make the banana chocolate chip bars. It's a freakin' banana miracle.

Banana Chocolate Chip Bars

3/4 cup butter

2/3 cup white sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla 

1 cup mashed bananas (about 3)

1 3/4 cup flour (all-purpose or wheat)

2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup chocolate chip (any variety)

To make: Cream butter and ALL THE SUGAR! With one hand, gracefully break the egg into the bowl. Do a backflip. Add vanilla (with generosity). Throw in flour, baking powder, and salt and mix together. Add as much chocolate as your heart desires. Bake for 20+ minutes (seriously, it takes forever) at 350F in any cake pan, preferably one that's unicorn shaped. Eat with your face. 

On another good note, I am all registered for classes next semester! :D God I love early Honors registration. 

I am taking American Literature from 1870 to Present, Advanced Readings in French Literature, Organizational Behavior, Honors Technical Writing, and Physics of the Solar System. Wheehoo! 

PS - My professors are Conn for American Lit, Lawler for Physics, Powell for Organization, and Kaplan for French, in case you know anything about any of them (I'm looking at you, Alex). 

The Lead Pipes - Put Me Down

Watch and subscribe to these awesome guys. 

Guitar/vocals - Winston Rose

Guitar - Jackson Strecher

Bass - Preston Stalter

Drums: Shane Wilson

© copyright 2012 by The Lead Pipes

Life Update

So not much of the "exciting" variety has been happening the last couple of weeks. Mostly studying and Netflix and half-price sushi. But here are just a couple of things because I haven't posted in forever.

The guys played possibly their best show at one of the most awesome Open Ranges yet. 

I went to see my mom's beautiful new pedestrian bridge open up to get the students to the stadium, which was pretty awesome.

\

I explored the tailgating labyrinth with all of these people (AKA, basically every frat boy and sorority girl at UNT). 

And I got to watch the nationally televised football game from the (incredibly nice) President's box, even though I only stayed for about 90 seconds of the action playing. 

 

And finally, I got to watch George Watsky perform his famous spoken-word poetry on his tour, which was seriously incredible. I was also impressed by the spoken-word talent here at UNT. Such a cool art form.  

Watching Watsky, it really hit me what kinds of things my generation is doing for culture. Thirty years ago, a twenty-two-year-old kid like George Watsky (who's an Emerson College grad, by the way) wouldn't get the chance to travel around for a living, performing original poetry for college students and getting paid for doing it. But because of the Internet, because of the sheer power of YouTube, this kid--and many others like him--are exposed to millions and millions of people, opening up a whole mine of new audiences with an inexhaustible hunger for new art, new words, new opinions and perspectives. Maybe one in a thousand people like spoken word poetry. Maybe that's not enough to give it a location-specific home. But today, location is irrelevant. Our networks connect us instantly with everyone in America--in the whole world--who share our tastes, which gives small-time artists a chance they never would have had in any other time. 

I just think that's so cool. 

In Honor of International Skeptics Day...

Watch this video!

To Vote or Not To Vote? (It's really not a question.)

I would just like to take a moment to refute something I heard some hipster chick in my hall say today, which was, "I'm pretty sure the point of living in a democratic nation is that we all have the right to choose whether or not we vote."

Now. I'm not sure if this is a common misconception or if this girl (did I mention she's a hipster?) just wants to feel special and draw attention to herself, but either way--it's wrong.

Americans have the coveted right to vote, that small contribution to our politics and influence as a country. This right is an enormous privilege that I'm not sure a lot of the people of my age group understand, for our decisions as the People of America have global ramifications--but it's also a duty. There's that old epithet, "With great power comes great responsibility"--and the right to vote in American elections is, though it may often not feel like it, a great power that many people have worked hard to earn. Do you know what it takes to become a citizen of this country? As the daughter of a naturalized British-American, I know it's tough. And most of us here were born into that advantage. Wow.

Personally, I feel like I owe it to the world to vote. Even though, as a Democrat in a red state, my vote will just add to the electoral college reject pile and barely make a ripple in the actual decision. Still, it's worth a shot.

But see, there's more to it than that--voting just isn't enough. Whoever's name you check in all those little boxes on the ballot, you should know who they are, know what the choices you make mean. You should educate yourself, because there is no pride in ignorance when that ignorance is inexcusable. With the internet at your fingertips (hey, you're sitting there reading this blog), your reasons for not knowing the issues dwindle. Ultimately, the only answer is your own laziness.

Now, I get it. I've heard all the whining about how much politics suck and how all the candidates are insincere and lazy and insane. Sometimes that's true. If you want to avoid the whole thing because it's scary or stupid or mainstream or the whole world sucks except your enlightened self--fine. But the reality is that someone is going to sit in the White House, someone is going to go to Washington to represent you, and someone we elect this season is going to, at some point, have an effect on your life.

If anyone still thinks voting is a waste of their time, that's their problem. But until the next election, they kind of forfeit their right to complain about politics.

So vote. Or don't. But seriously, vote.

Mail Comes in All Shapes and Sizes!

You know, coming to college five feet away from my house, I didn't really expect a lot of care packages. Or mail at all, really. I didn't even really intend on getting a mailbox at UNT, actually. 

But oh, am I glad I did. 

Not only did I fail to take into account that I have awesome friends who for some reason love the US postal service as much as I do, but I also forgot how fantastic my parents are. 

They are apparently the kind of people who send me care packages from across town, just because it's a college experience they think I ought to have. :D

And it's a pretty badass care package too. 

So now I have this amazing t-shirt from my uncle's brewery in California:

(which also happens to match my room... oh, and hi, Doctor Who poster!)

And this book: 

(Is it bad that it took me until now to realize that my computer obviously thinks it's a mirror and all this stuff is backward? Yeah...apparently I have beast backward-reading skills. So good, in fact, that I could hardly even tell what was wrong.)

And these brilliantly creative bookmarks, which I couldn't help but keep on taking pictures of:

 And a sticker and a leaf, both things I appreciate:

And, of course, this beautiful bird candleholder:

Which, because candles are taboo here in Honors, I will instead use it as a flopping-penguin transport vehicle. Because everyone knows penguins wish they could actually fly. 

"Okay, now go, go, go!"

  

And finally, postcards from Canada and lovely notes. Thanks Mom and Dad! :)

Stuff stuff stuff

So I haven't posted in a while, mostly because I haven't done much worth taking pictures of, and I always feel like I have to have pictures or this is boring.

But I have a few pictures, so here you go:

This is the result of my trying to decide which Study Abroad program to do. There are so many options, and after the study abroad fair I was literally carrying around thirty pounds of brochures and catalogs all day. Bluuuuugh.

This is what happens when the cafeterias use swords instead of toothpicks. How can you not want to stage a two-dimensional pirate fight?

This is the whole of Honors lounging together to watch and discuss the first presidential debate. I love the smart people I am surrounded by. :)

This is Jena looking like the Doctor at IHOP after we went and saw the babies in Holes back at DHS. I am super proud of you guys and was really impressed! Also, Anna was there, so that was amazing. I MISS YOU ALREADY! Agh. Friends are great.

Not pictured: Jena looking bee-yoo-tee-ful in dresses at the mall yesterday, and me losing painfully at grocery bingo. Sigh...