Bit of Ivory

ometime between getting up to take my shower starting to get dressed this morning, I threw my back out. It hurts. Is annoying. And since I have to work today (having skipped work on Tuesday because of my paper, not to mention the short hours last week, and we’ve got a deadline that we’re already behind on), there’s no way I can get into the chiropractor. Dang. I did stop and get one of those Thermacare wraps and some Advil Liquigels, but so far they’ve helped only slightly.

Although, considering the last time my back went out was Thanksgiving of last year, I’ve been pretty lucky in the back department.

But why, oh why, did it have to come RIGHT BEFORE FINALS?!?!?

Grrr

Today’s Foxtrot? Hilarious:

Am sorely tempted to put this on my Christmas cards, even though I am SO not a math person. (That is, if I manage to get Christmas cards out at all. . .)

In other news, have been insanely busy. I finally made my survey inactive after recieving 3,366 responses. o.O. Needless to say, most of that data did *not* make it into the paper I turned in yesterday. I shall have to sit down soon and analyze it all.

I turned in my Sorting Hat essay as a semester project in my Intro to Grad Studies (English 600) class rather than my critical theory class (since he made the paper optional in that class and I needed something good for the other class), but my critical theory teacher ended up reading it anyway, since my 600 teacher farmed out our projects to other facutly members. I passed, but just barely. Dr. Muhlestein really liked my ideas (luckily he’s read HP), but said (rightly) that the paper was a bit unfocused, and that the issue I was dealing with is actually a lot larger than just the Sorting Hat, which is definitely true. He also said that I knew a lot more than I was putting into the paper (which is also true). The more I think about this idea, though, the more I find to say about it. I really think it could be my thesis topic– analyzing the ideology not just of Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw, but the ideology of Hogwarts, the ideology of the British Ministry, the ideology of Durmstrang, the ideology of the Wizarding World in general. I can talk about the pureblood ideology as a kind of residual hegemony, which Slytherin house especially helps to perpetuate. I can talk about *so much.* Now comes the problem of selling it. Fantasy isn’t really all that in in the academic world, at least not as a main pursuit. Can I really get into a Ph.D. program on the strength of a Harry Potter thesis? I don’t know. Anyway, I’m definitely going to try to rewrite the paper so that it’s a bit more coherent, maybe over Christmas break. I think I could submit it to more than just The Witching Hour, if I do it right.

So, two papers down, a big group project and a short essay on Austen and The Beggar’s Opera to go. Then finals. And then A BREAK. A MUCH NEEDED BREAK.

Does anyone know where I should look to find the production history of The Beggar’s Opera?

L&L&S (Lisa&Laura&Sarah) have been bugging me to get these up, and since I fnally have the time, here we go. Click on the thumbnail for a larger image:

Laura in her Galadriel dress. Note: the beading isn’t complete yet. Eventually it will be completely hand-beaded.

Lisa in her Eowyn dress. The belt is made out of metal rings and Sculpey. Really!

Sarah in her Arwen dress. Sarah’s just the perfect height for it, too. She’s holding The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter.

The three of them together.

Was getting sick of “Vote for Pedro.”

Plus, this will get me hyped up for RotK:EE. Not that I really *need* to get hyped up.

I have no creativty to continue the filk, so the title is all you’re going to get.

Remember a couple of weeks ago, when I annouced that we bought a new parakeet and named it Tonks? Well, poor Tonks was depressed. It would eat, and sleep, and sit on the perch. No looking around, no moving about, no playing with toys, nothing. Now, new birds will be like that for a few days. With this one, it had been 3 weeks. Not good. So yesterday, we bought another parakeet in the hopes that it would cheer it up.

It’s adorable, too. It’s also quite young– under 6 months. Although it’s harder to tell with this one, because it’s completely white. Its name is Moody. As soon as we introduced it into the cage, Tonks perked up. After a couple of hours, they started pecking each other. Today they’ve been chirping back and forth and grooming each other. Tonks is more animated than we’ve ever seen it. Even though this means that both birds are likely to be less interactive with us, we feel like we made the right decision. And we should still be able to train them to come out and play with us.

Anyway, now we’ve got two cute little birdies in the corner, and we’re just thrilled to pieces about it.

2 Nephi 32:8-9

And now, my beloved brethren, I perceive that ye ponder still in your hearts; and it grieveth me that I must speak concerning this thing. For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray.

But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.

Prayer is man’s means of communicating with his Heavenly Father, the Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. Only the deceived and the fool refuse to pray. An urgent need today is for more prayer–secret, individual prayer; family prayer; prayer in organizations, associations, and meetings generally, and in schools, and in government bodies. People of all nations need more prayer. We need to be on our knees. (Ezra Taft Benson, The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1988], 421 – 422.)

he smog is gone!

Here along the Wasatch front we’ve been living under a temperature inversion for the past week or so. It’s one of the few drawbacks to living in a mountain valley. But we had a nice storm front come through and blow all the icky smog away, and I can see all the way to Antelope Island (in the Great Salt Lake) again! Yay! Plus my breathing has cleared up. My throat has felt strange for the last few days, too.

My presentation yesterday went pretty well. The “We Love Harry Potter” video was hilarious–I’m going to have Joseph make me a copy– and the panel was fun. I hated watching myself on the video, though. My mouth looks really really ugly when I talk. It’s because the space between my nose and my upper lip is really small, so my upper lip barely covers my gums, leaving my lower lip to cover all of my teeth. When I talk all I can see is lots of gums and gigantic teeth sticking out. It’s not noticable when my mouth is closed, but open it an TADA!! big teeth. Ever since I watched that video I’ve been so self-conscious about my mouth. I try to picture myself standing in front of a class and lecturing, and I don’t like the feeling I get. Then I imagine being a student in one of my classes having to watch me as I lecture. BLEH.

*sigh* Most of the time I can forget that I’m not very pretty. I hate being reminded that this is not the case. :

Hey, all!

This is a shout-out for help. As many of you know, I’m a first-year grad student, studying British Literature. I’m taking a class right now called “Tolkien and Friends in Text and Film” (I know, I know, reading The Lord of the Rings for homework is a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it), and for my semester paper I’m writing about characterization in the Harry Potter films, especially of the Trio.

That’s where you come in.

I’m trying to gather some fan responses to the movies. To that end, I’ve created a short survey. It should take no more than 5-10 minutes, all the responses remain completely anonymous, and it’d be a very big help to me.

This is important: Anyone who has seen any of the HP movies can participate. They do not have to have read the books. In fact, I’m really interested in getting the viewpoints of people who haven’t read the books, as a sort of control group. So if you have any friends who haven’t read the books, please pass this information on to them.

The survey can be found here:

http://www.questionpro.com/akira/TakeSurvey?id=185313

I’d like all responses to be in by Monday, November 22 to give me time to synthesize the information.

Thanks a ton, and spread the word!

To do this week:

• Write the ideology of the Sorting Hat paper, due Monday at 5
• Spread the word about HP survey, gather and analyze responses (paper due Tuesday after Thanksgiving)
• Simplify ideas of Firstness in Piercean narrative criticism so that it may be presented in one minute, due at 5 this evening
• Compose and clarify ideas about fear in PoA for group presentation Thursday
• Read History of the Life & Adventures of Mr. Anderson for 18th century lit
• Write letter of intent for Research/Editing Assistant position with Dr. Gloria Cronin for next semester
• Make up reading on Feminist Biocriticism that I ignored this weekend
• Avoid soft drinks, eat more healthily
• Watch spending so I don’t overdraft my checking account
• Get more sleep
• Do laundry
• Try not to go crazy

Hmm. I think I could take on another paper or two, don’t you?

In other news, my brother is engaged! It’s been official for a week or so now, but I keep forgetting to blog about it. Date is set for January 14th at the Bountiful Temple. We’re all thrilled. I’m going to have a sister-in-law! :O

Mosiah 4:30

But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not.

“There is no recess in the struggle to discipline and school our spirits. Ours is the struggle of a lifetime. Even to the New World Twelve, Christ said: ‘Ye must watch and pray always, lest ye be tempted by the devil, and ye be led away captive by him’ (3 Nephi 18:15).” (Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, 4 vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1987-1992], 2: 168.)