I had a random grammatical confusion-contemplation moment today after school when I was waiting for the train to come at the University. "Can you use 'vu' when you're talking about the future? When 'voir' follows 'avoir' and 'avoir' is conjugated, you use it, right?"
I forgot about it for a while and met up with Georgeanne, whose house I'm currently at, and then we got to talking about the French Challenge exam I wrote Wednesday morning and I craved a Bescherelle to see if the past participle would be used in the future...
I am soooo cool.

Until later,
Me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNqiSkd1M6k
This is quite amusing. 300, the PG edition.

I would like to direct everyone's attention to the fact that the CBC is projecting a minority government in Quebec but it's too close to tell who'll pull in first.
The CBC has this on their website:
(http://www.cbc.ca/canada/quebecvotes2007/story/2007/03/26/qv-liberals20070326.html)

CBC News is projecting a minority government in Quebec.

The Liberal party and Action Démocratique du Québec are running neck and neck and it's still too early to tell who will form the next government.

More to come

Overall Election Results

Party	Elected	Leading	Total	Vote Share
ADQ	15	31	46	31.71%
LIB	26	18	44	31.61%
PQ	10	25	35	29.47%
QS	0	0	0	3.35%
GRN	0	0	0	3.65%
OTH	0	0	0	.20%
Last Update:March 26, 9:10:00 PM EDT

UPDATE:

Overall Election Results

Party	Elected	Leading	Total	Vote Share
LIB	46	0	46	32.81%
ADQ	42	0	42	30.98%
PQ	36	1	37	28.39%
QS	0	0	0	3.67%
GRN	0	0	0	3.90%
OTH	0	0	0	.25%
Last Update:March 26, 11:08:58 PM EDT

What does it say when I search for the "Secretary of the Treasury" on Google and the first two entries are on Wikipedia then the official US Department of the Treasury site?
BTW I'm going to WICS. It'll be a sweet weekend. And, (bonus!) extension on Poli Sci term paper until after Spring Break, as in it's due April 10th.
Back to King Lear.

Until later,
Me.

Andy Stochanky, an amazing musician guy, is on GO this morning on CBC Radio 1 and he's awesome and I think people should listen to him right now if they're in Calgary.
That is all.

Until later,
Me.

So I'm bad at leaving the computer when I say I will. I was on Wikipedia and looked at the article on sleep they have, with no sources, sadly, however I followed the link to the hypnic jerk article and looked up what makes one's arm or leg or foot or hand fall asleep. So, I am going to link to these stories and provide excerpts as I see fit.


http://www.failedsuccess.com/index.php?/weblog/comments/falling_sleep_hypnic_jerk
"This strange falling sensation and muscle twitch is known as a hypnagogic myoclonic twitch or “Hypnic jerk” If this has happened to you on more than one occasion, don’t worry, you are not alone. Close to 70 percent of all people experience this phenomenon just after nodding off, according to a recent study at the Mayo Clinic.

Most experts agree that this is a natural part of the sleeping process, much like slower breathing and a reduced heartbeat. The occurance is well known and has been well documented. However, experts are still not completely sure why the body does this.

The general consensus among researchers is that, as your muscles begin to slack and go into a restful state just as you are falling asleep; your brain senses these relaxation signals and misinterprets them, thinking you are falling down. The brain then sends signals to the muscles in your arms and legs in an attempt to jerk you back upright. This misinterpretation that takes place in your brain may also be responsible for the “falling” dreams that accompany the falling sensation. These “dreams” are not really normal dreams, as they are not produced from R.E.M sleep, but rather more like a daydream or hallucination in response to the body’s sensations."

http://health.howstuffworks.com/question552.htm

Usually, you feel this familiar sensation after you've been putting pressure on part of our body -- sitting on a foot, sleeping on an arm, etc. When you apply this pressure for a prolonged period of time, you actually cut off communication from your brain to parts of your body. The pressure squeezes nerve pathways so that the nerves can't transmit electrochemical impulses properly. Nerve impulses carry sensation information from nerve endings in the body to the brain, as well as instructions from the brain to the parts of the body. When you interfere with this transfer by squeezing the nerve pathways, you don't have full feeling in that body part, and your brain has trouble telling the body part what to do.

This pressure can also squeeze arteries, stopping them from carrying nutrients to body cells. Without these nutrients, the nerve cells may behave abnormally, which can further interfere with communicating bodily sensations.

Due to both these factors, the information transmitted from the body part becomes somewhat jumbled, and the brain receives strange messages. Some nerve cells don't transmit any information and others start sending impulses erratically. This causes you to feel a strange tingling sensation, which actually serves an important function. Your foot falling asleep for 10 minutes doesn't pose any health threat, but if you were to cut off circulation for an extended period of time -- several hours -- you could suffer serious nerve damage. The initial tingling sensation tells you that you might want to readjust your position.

Once you do move your foot, stretch your legs, or roll over off your arm, the nerve impulses begin to flow properly again. You don't regain feeling right away, however. There is a certain amount of re-adjustment time before the nerves transmit impulses correctly again. This increases the intensity of the tingling, causing the familiar "pins and needles" sensation.

If this has ever happened to you, you know that there are actually a few distinct sensations you go through as your body part "wakes up." The tingling may be followed by a more uncomfortable burning sensation, before your body part finally returns to normal. This happens because the nerves in your body are made up of separate long nerve cells that carry different sorts of impulses. These nerve fibers have different surrounding structures. Some nerve fibers have thicker "insulation" around them and so take longer to begin transmitting impulses properly after they've been squeezed. The fibers that transmit pain and temperature information are relatively thin, so you feel the tingling situations pretty quickly. Motor control fibers are thinner than the ones carrying touch information, so you can move the body part before you've regained complete feeling in it. Eventually, all the nerve fibers return to normal and you regain full use of the sleeping body part."

Alright, so the second one was almost all of the second article, but I thought it was interesting and was wondering.

So there.

Bye for now,

Me.

It is silly to have parent-teacher interviews on Thursdays because they screw up the rest of my week. The whole other day.
Hello all. I think it's not a good idea to schedule such things such days, but that's just me.
I'm sitting here in my room listening to Stars, Elevator Love Letter currently, typing away here with nothing really substantial to say. I think this will end up being a real blog update like I haven't in a while.
My right foot is somewhat asleep right now. I don't like that feeling when you try and wake up a sleeping foot, or appendage generally.
The line that is the name of my blog was just sung in its song. Just thought I'd share that.
I like that my blog isn't one of the productive or important ones out in the blogosphere, but a random collection of stories and opinions and quizzes and different such things.
I went over to Meghan's house for the first time in forever today after school. It was fun and good to reconnect with her. I have people I haven't spent time with lately and I want to rectify that and I feel like I moved towards that today.
I like Garou. Joseph got me one of his cds when he went to CANIMUN and I listened to it before I put on Stars (Heart). He is a joyful Frenchman.
Also, I like gum. Gum is very handy and delicious. I have... four packs of 14, two of which are open, right now. It's a good addiction I think.
My foot is no longer asleep if anyone was wondering.
I did the monologue I posted earlier today in English. One of my favourite lines is "When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions", because it's applicable in both the play and real life. Events and assignments and stresses and annoyances tend to snowball or avalanche or drop like single snowflakes. I prefer the snowflakes that melt as they hit the pavement because the temperature is bordering on warm and cool and fizzle out quickly, that is, problems that aren't very large ones and can be solved easily, not snowballs that trigger avalanches. Thankfully, that isn't really happening now, only a snowball or two. Nothing major.

Things to do:
-read Act I of King Lear for Monday and know absurd details for the test in English
-start really writing my Poli Sci paper
-find poetry for the Bohemian Fridays we're going to start in English soon
-review review review math
-gardening with Mum tomorrow
-remember to relax within reason
-learn how to properly play Settlers of Catan with people because it's a fun game
-get some tea soon because I think I want a hot cuppa
-not be mean to Joseph when the occasion presents itself. He's bugging me about being acidic and nasty and saying he bets my friends don't like it when I snip at them. At least he hasn't called me snippy in a long time, that word really annoys me and he used it a lot for a while and it was used excessively and drew comments about my snippiness from me in sniping tones.

Anyways, that was my meaningful update for today, with maybe more in a while or not.
I have to go wash a few pots and utensils from supper and replenish the supply of toilet paper for the main floor and upstairs bathrooms.

Bye for now!
Until later,
Me.

I am officially in at U of C!

Provs.

So I just got back from Provincials in Okotoks about a half hour ago, so maybe not just. But anyways, they were lots of fun and I'm still quite happy from them.
Trevor and I were, as I found out yesterday afternoon shortly before I left to get home for Trevor to come pick me up, that we would be debating in Bilinguals (so all but the rebuttal in French).
Thankfully we had former Worlds topics, so we opened with a bang with "THBT globalization perpetuates social inequalities". We were OPP and Anne and Erica were PROP and after a good debate, we won.
Then I drove back with Kate and Gee and Erin with Gee's dad and had a good random conversation.
More details to come.

Until later,
Me.

I should not be allowed to do silly quizzes like these but they're fun so I will.

Your Birthdate: July 16

Calm and understated, you struggle to express your love with words. Over time, your partner learns to recognize your passion by the actions you take. You're good at wooing someone slowly, without them even realizing it! Number of True Loves You'll Have: 5 Number of Times You'll Have Your Heart Broken: 1 You are most compatible with people born on the 7th, 16th, and 25th of the month.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean For Your Love Life?

You Date Like a Woman

According to studies on dating, you date like a woman. You tend to take romance seriously, and you're not really out for a fling. A mental and emotional connection always comes first for you. And rushing the physical stuff is likely to turn you off. You're highly selective when it comes to dating, and some may say you're too picky. You know what you want, and when you find it, you're ready to commit.

Do You Date Like a Man or a Woman?

Your Unique Costume is a Rasta Mon

Where's da party mon?

What Totally Unique Halloween Costume Should You Wear?

Your Lust Quotient: 67%

You are a very lustful person - and it sometimes gets the better of you! You know how to hold back, but you hardly ever do.

How Much Lust Do You Have?

Never Date a Cancer

Clingy, emotional, and very private - it's hard to escape a Cancer's clutches. And while Cancer will want to know everything about you, they're anything but open in return. Instead try dating: Leo, Sagittarius, Gemini, or Aquarius

What Sign Shouldn't You Date?

You Are A Realistic Romantic

It's easy for you to get swept away by romance... But you've done a pretty good job keeping perspective. You're still taken in by love poems and sunsets You just don't fall for every dreamy pick up line!

Are You Romantic or Realistic?

You Are Surrealism

Dreamy and idealistic, you've created a world that is all your own. It's very likely that you've either dabbled in drugs or are naturally trippy. You are always trying to push beyond the boundaries of your culture and society. You believe that art, love, and freedom can change the world.

What Art Movement Are You?

If You Were Born in 2893...

Your Name Would Be: Iara Umoro And You Would Be: A Robot Hunter

If You Were Born in 2893

You Are the Very Gay Bert and Ernie!

Two grown puppets living together, sleeping in the same room? They've even got coordinating striped shirts!

What Gay Childhood Icon Are You?

Your Russian Name Is...

Cheslav Faddei Popov

What's Your Russian Name?

Your Dating Purity Score: 75%

You are an under-experienced dater. This doesn't mean you're unexperienced - far from it. It just means that there's a lot of romance left to discover!

Dating Purity Test

What Your Sleeping Position Says

You are calm and rational. You are also giving and kind - a great friend. You are easy going and trusting. However, you are too sensible to fall for mind games.

What Does Your Sleeping Position Say About You?

And I'm done with silly quizzes for now, those things were overdue and will not, hopefully, happen again for a while.

Until later,
(PROVS TOMORROW!!!!)
Me.

Hamlet is the definitive emo story.

Oh wow. We're reading Hamlet in English and it's the third piece of literature I've read in the last two years of English AP that I have gotten mad at, or rather, I have gotten sincerely mad or disappointed with the characters or author and/or playwright.
I'm working on memorizing a mini-speech the King gives talking to his wife, the Queen Gertrude, who is his murdered (actually, the current king, Claudius, killed him, Hamlet Sr.) brother's wife, about how he regrets the daughter (Ophelia, who Hamlet was going to marry until he started acting insane) of his murdered (Polonius, dead by Hamlet) advisor's insanity, spurred on by Hamlet's rejection of her and her father's death and her brother's abscence.

O, this is the poison of deep grief. It springs
All from her father's death, and now behold!
O Gertrude, Gertrude,
When sorrows come, they come not single spies,
But in battalions: first, her father slain;
Next, your son gone, and he most violent author
Of his own just remove; the people muddied,
Thick, and unwholesome in their thoughts and
whispers
For good Polonius' death, and we have done but
greenly
In the hugger-mugger to inter him; poor Ophelia,
Divided from herself and her fair judgement,
Without the which we are pictures or mere beasts;
Last, and as much containing as all these,
Her brother is in secret come from France,
Feeds on his wonder, keeps himself in clouds,
And wants not buzzers to infect his ear
With pestilent speeches of his father's death,
Wherein necessity, of matter beggared,
Will nothing stick our person to arraign
In ear and ear. O, my dear Gertrude, this,
Like to a murd'ring piece, in many places
Gives me superfluous death.

-William Shakespeare, Hamlet, (IV.iv.79-103)

In other news, Trevor and I really sat down today to figure out what we're doing for a case for Provs on Friday and Saturday in Okotoks.
And we have our choir concert at Kiwanis tomorrow afternoon so that should be an experience if nothing else.

I'm off to work on Poli Sci and math and memorize that lovely speech, with a much more depressing one where the Queen details one of the characters' deaths.

Bye for now,
Until later,
Me.

So on Saturday I was unhappy...

because I didn't qualify for Provs in French or English. But today at lunch Poirier told me I have so I'll be going to Okotoks with Trevor for Provs!
w00t!
Until later,
Me.

The random article...

button on Wikipedia is my friend. I've gone from the Economics of the 2000s to the tubrose to Nuada Necht, apparently a legendary Irish from the 2nd century, to CD Elgoibar, a football club in the Spanish Basque region.
I love it.
Until later,
me.

PS, aren't I productive with my good and worthwhile posts today? :P

International Women's Day

Happy International Women's Day.
More to come later.
Until then,
Me.

Why I subscribe to Der Spiegel's email list.

Translation is a funny business, making sure words work in one language or another and that they don't lose their significance or power or emotion. I read an article on Spiegel Online just now that perfectly captures this sentiment and talks about a professional letter writer.
Enjoy.

SPIEGEL ONLINE - March 7, 2007, 12:52 PM
URL: http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,470114,00.html

THE MAN WHO WRITES LOVE LETTERS

A Day with Saigon's Last Public Letter Writer

By Fiona Ehlers

A polyglot public letter writer in Ho Chi Minh City bridges different worlds -- connecting people across the planet with his fountain pen. His profession may be dying, but in his 60 years on the job, he has created many marriages.

Fiona Ehlers / DER SPIEGEL

Letter writer Duong Van Ngo: "Love usually wanes between the continents."

The main post office in Ho Chi Minh City is close to the Saigon River in the quieter part of town, where skyscrapers don't yet jut into the clouds and where no mopeds buzz over the streets like swarms of hornets.

It lies across from Notre Dame cathredral and is housed in an old colonial building from 1886. It looks like the old market halls of Paris, painted apricot, with electrical fans humming between ornamental pillars and spots of sunlight falling through a window in the roof. It's a timeless place -- the most beautiful post office in all of Asia.

Duong Van Ngo, a wiry 77-year-old man, parks his bicycle in the shadow of the sycamore trees, whose trunks are painted white as if they were wearing gaiters. He greets the post card vendors and shuffles through the archway with the station clock. It's eight o'clock on a muggy February morning, the start of his workday.

Ngo sits down at the end of a long wooden table underneath a mural of Ho Chi Minh. He produces two dictionaries and a directory of French postal codes from his briefcase. Then he slips a red armband over his left sleeve to make sure he's recognized immediately. He sets up his sign: "Information and Writing Assistance."

The first person to come to his stand is a man from the Mekong Delta. He's got a letter with him, addressed to a businessman from Europe. He's his chauffeur, and he's been driving him to business meals and meetings for a year. He asks in writing if the man can get him health insurance and asks for a $200 advance. Ngo translates the letter into English. "Dear Sir," he writes with his fountain pen, "might I politely request, sincerely yours." Or would it better to say "affectionately"? No, that's too intimate. The man hands him a bill. Ngo slips it between the pages of his dictionary without ever looking at it.

Ngo is a mediator between worlds -- a professional letter writer of the sort that used to exist in the old days. He chooses each word carefully, formulates cautiously, polishes the style of the letter. He knows how important words are and what harm they can do. Ngo doesn't just translate. He bridges the distance between people, advises and comforts them, discreetly and with perfect attention to form.

Ngo has worked at the post office since he was 17. He says he never missed a day of work, not even during the wars. He speaks the languages of the former occupiers fluently to this day. He learned French in school and English from American soldiers.

The second person to come to his stand is a young woman with red lipstick, long gloves and a little hat to shield her from the sun. She hands Ngo her Nokia mobile phone and shows him some text messages. They're written in French and sound romantic. Ngo translates spontaneously: "When I come and visit you, you'll show me Vietnam and teach me your language, I can hardly wait." The woman smiles with embarrassment. She met the Frenchman via a contact Web site on the Internet. Tomorrow she'll come back and compose an answer with help from Ngo.

The women at the service counters call him the man who writes love letters. He's set up many a marriage, they say, and he's a poet. Well, says Ngo, "maybe two or three marriages. Love usually wanes between the continents, what with two languages, two cultures -- you know. It's not so easy."

Ngo has heard thousands of such stories, some beautiful and others tragic. He searched for the children of US soldiers and relatives of Vietnamese citizens who escaped as boat people after the war. He's witnessed much suffering. He's not giving any details. His customers pay him for his silence.

Sometimes Ngo receives mail himself. The thank you letters arrive from all over the world and they are addressed to "Letter Writer, Main Post Office, Saigon." Ngo never receives e-mails. He hates computers and mobile phones, too. "Words that come from a machine have no soul," he says, adding that people who use such machines have lost all politeness and sense of proper style. During his lunch break, Ngo walks along the street where Vietnamese who live abroad sit in cafes wearing large sun glasses. They've arrived for the New Year's celebrations. They order latte macchiatos as sprinkler systems spray cool water vapor on their faces. Ngo orders noodle soup at a food stall.

Japanese tourists arrive in the afternoon and photograph him as if he were a fossil in a museum. The ladies at the post office counters staple the pages of faxes together and chat. In the middle of it all, new customers wait to be helped at Ngo's desk. They hand him their address books, as well as parcels for their relatives overseas. "Vitogo," says a woman who works in the market and wears a rice straw hat. "The street is called Victor Hugo," he says and rolls his eyes briefly, "like the famous writer." He writes the address on the shipping ticket.

Would Ho Chi Minh up there on the mural have liked what he does -- "connecting people" via his fountain pen? Ngo smiles. Politics, he says, is outside his province. He says he used to be observed by the police because he was suspected of betraying secrets to enemies of the state. Thankfully, that's over, he says. Today, Ngo adds, Vietnam has gone global and the world has become a complex and unpredictable place. This also means that there is greater demand for his work these days than there used to be.

Ngo is now the last letter writer in the city formerly known as Saigon. The penultimate one, his colleague Lieng, died 10 months ago and was not replaced. Ngo thinks the world could use more people like Lieng and himself.

Alas, he says, "It just doesn't want to pay the money for us any longer."

The math test went fairly well. I wasn't sure about how to use my calculator for one of the written answers but I think it was a good test over all and I knew what was happening. The test was on trig functions, btw.
We'll see when I get the mark back.
Until later,
Me.

MATH MAKES SOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH SENSE!!!!!!!!!
:D:D:D
Until later,
Me.

Happy 50th Birthday Ghana!!!

Ghana celebrates first 50 years

Tens of thousands of people have thronged to Ghana's Independence Square in the capital, Accra, to celebrate 50 years of independence from Britain.

President John Kufuor has lit the independence flame to the cheering of the crowds decked in national colours.

More than 20 heads of state are attending the events, alongside popular figures including the footballer Pele.

Ghana was the first sub-Saharan country to break with colonialists, prompting many others to cut their ties.

Ghanaian authorities have spent $20m (£10.4m; 15.2m euros) on the commemorations, which are due to continue for the next 12 months.

The celebrations kicked off at midnight when, in the centre of Accra, there was a re-enactment of the day in 1957 when the British flag was lowered and the Ghanaian flag raised.

Revellers

The BBC's Will Ross in Accra says Ghanaians are clearly enthusiastic about marking this 50th year of independence.

He says some revellers are wearing nothing but underwear and have painted themselves top to toe in the colours of Ghana - red, gold and green.

President Kufuor has inspected a massive guard of honour and hundreds and hundreds of school children all parading around the square, he says.

Many in the crowd - who are waving miniature Ghanaian flags - have been there all night.

"We've been here since 0100," Nii Armah, who is at the celebrations with his eight-year-old son, told AFP news agency.

"My wife is angry because we didn't sleep at home. She said it would be shown on TV but I wanted to see with my own eyes."

Some Ghanaians, including Abusi, have returned home from abroad especially for the anniversary.

"Everybody is happy, there is a big sense of unity, ecstasy, enthusiasm, national sense of pride," he told the BBC.

"People are really, really happy, full reconciliation across the party lines. Everybody is just welcoming the 50th anniversary."

Pride

On 5 March 1957, Britain formally transferred power to independence leader Kwame Nkrumah.

When you look at how our friends have suffered, by God's grace we are here, we have reason to be proud Nora Kattah

The Duke of Kent is the British representative at events to remember the occasion, which triggered a chain reaction as other African nations moved towards independence.

African leaders, including South Africa's Thabo Mbeki, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and Olusegun Obasanjo from Nigeria, are attending the ceremonies.

Singer Stevie Wonder is expected to perform a version of his track Happy Birthday dedicated to Ghana.

In the capital and beyond, the country's Black Star flag is fluttering from electricity poles, car windows and palm trees.

On the streets of the city, many are celebrating. "When you look at how our friends have suffered, by God's grace we are here, we have reason to be proud," Nora Kattah told Reuters.

Dissent

Our correspondent says many of the years following independence were like a rollercoaster, with coups and economic meltdown, but recent stability has offered hope.

The country is often cited as an example of stability, steady growth, and low inflation, with increases in its output of major exports including cocoa and gold.

But others have questioned the wisdom of holding lavish celebrations while many in the country remain without basic services.

President Jerry Rawlings, who ruled for almost two decades, has criticised the events and is boycotting them.

In a statement, he said he would not share a stage with "the same people who have taken every opportunity to denigrate us".

"Politically our leaders have failed us," Accra resident Emmanuel Danso said.

"Only politicians or people who know people live well in this country," he added.

Ways to Listen WINDS OF CHANGE - PART ONE

The Architect of Independence

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Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/6421421.stm

Published: 2007/03/06 12:57:34 GMT

© BBC MMVII

Today was the 54th anniversary of Josef Stalin's death.
Thought I'd share that.
Me.

Swiss in Liechtenstein 'invasion'

The traditionally neutral Swiss army has staged an unplanned invasion after troops blundered into Liechtenstein.

A 171-strong Swiss company got two kilometres into its neighbour before realising the mistake and heading back.

Liechtenstein authorities made light of the intrusion, saying they only knew about it when the Swiss told them.

In 1985, the Swiss had to pay Liechtenstein compensation when rockets fired by its army went astray and set a forest ablaze.

'All so dark'

The latest incident began on Wednesday night during a routine training exercise for the infantrymen in the Alpine forests close to an unmarked section of the border.

The company commander led his men in the wrong direction in bad weather but gave the immediate order to return when realising the error.

"It was all so dark," one soldier told the Swiss newspaper Blick.

A spokesman for the Liechtenstein authorities said: "It's not like they invaded with attack helicopters."

The BBC's Paul Legg says the incident is embarrassing for the Swiss but not as bad as the one in 1985.

The countries became embroiled in a lengthy dispute when the protected forest was set on fire.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/6415531.stm

Published: 2007/03/03 15:48:40 GMT

© BBC MMVII