When Worlds Collide

Two planets in a far away solar system COLLIDED!! This article -- from space.com, says that they were similar to Earth and Venus and that there could've been life on at least one of them. A similar situation is said to happened in our solar system. It's speculated that the moon was created by an object as big as Mars colliding with Earth. There's also a "small probability for collisions of Mercury with Earth or Venus sometime in the next billion years or more" but as the article adds, "by then, the sun will have expanded and we might be toast anyway." 

Halloween Costume

I want to be: Maleficent!

I think the costume would be releatively easy to make. It is described here: Maleficent appears in the form of a tall, green skinned woman with yellow eyes and massive horns, symbolic of her evilness. She is clad in a black and purple robe with bat wing-like edges, and wears a gold ring with a large circular black stone in it. She has a pet raven called Diablo, and a legion of goblins and troll-like entities at her command. In addition to this she carries a staff with a glowing green orb at the tip, through which she casts her spells, which include an ability to teleport herself from place to place or send bolts of lightning at enemies. She is also capable of shape shifting at will into numerous forms, including a will-o-the-wisp and a massive black and purple dragon. Despite this, she is in fact a fairy rather than a sorceress like the other three fairy godmothers in the movie. She is also renowned as being somewhat beautiful in a macabre fashion.

I can't wait!!! What are you going to be for halloween?

Over the Terrible Teens, Burn After Reading

Yesterday, (10 minutes ago) was my 20th birthday. I don't feel older, not at all, but I do feel more at ease when saying how old I am. Since July, when introducing myself, I've been saying that I'm 20. It just seems and sounds better than "nineteen". 

I'm so excited (slightly sarcastic, yet not completely) to read this: 

Real Life, Real Love: 7 Paths To A Strong, Lasting Relationship

This being one of the delightful gifts my mom gave me for my birthday. She spoils me, really. This ties with an IPOD stereo. But really, I read the introduction and this seems like a great book. It even comes recommended from Shakira and Andy Garcia. Father Albert Cutie' is Floridian with his own television show, radio show, and weekly column. I'm interested to read his advice. Hopefully it will be easier to follow than Dr. Phil.

This past week I've been ever researching colleges and application deadlines, and as I was searching for University of San Diego (Catholic) otherwise known as USD, I came across University of South Dakota. It looks like a nice school...and I just might apply there with an out of state tuition cheaper than some in-state California Universities at a whopping $4000. As a History major, I don't really need to choose a school based on the programs, although they are important, however, it's not as important as a school of Engineering. My choice of school should be more about what campus and campus life will fit me. Sarah, you have 5 sentences to convince me of Louisiana's appeal. The fried okra alone, but then there's those silly hurricanes and the humidity! 

Speaking of Louisiana, HBO has this wonderful new show called True Blood set in small town Louisiana... 

It's about vampires, which I love. It's a bit racy, then again it's HBO, but I love how the show makes fun of vampire/human love stories, while at the same time managing to sustain a serious drama of it's own. In the first two episodes, a melodic piano love song played every time the mortal human girl and 150 year old vampire saw each other for the first time... it was hilarious. Definitely hate the cliffhanger endings though. We're on the third episode and each one so far has had a Grey's Anatomy-end-of-season-type cliffhanger ending. Sweet suspense. Anna Paquin plays the main character, Sookie, and she looks totally different. You barely recognize her except for the gap in her front teeth. She's blonde and tan and very cute. The show is especially interesting because in the show's universe, Vampires have "come out of the coffin" and are demanding government rights. Can you imagine Vampire lobbyists? Yikes. 

I'm preparing to go to the Bi-Annual California Republican Convention down in Anaheim. A few of us from the DVC club are going down, as well as other Bay Area CRs. I'm driving, hopefully with a few other people, Thursday afternoon. Saturday night's banquet offers speakers Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA) and California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner (who I have met! Although he probably doesn't remember me). Sarah Palin was supposed to make an appearance but she completely cancelled her trip to California! *tear*

I absolutely adore Italian Sweet Creme coffeemate. 

Now that college has returned full swing, so has my caffeine and coffee addiction. To save money at the expense of Starbuck's (I think they'll survive), I've started brewing coffee at home, and even taking it with me to school in a nifty to-go mug. Although the only class I need coffee for is Geography at 9:30 am, my teacher is so enthusiastic and animated, it would be hard to fall asleep. Did I mention he also looks like John Malkovich? It's very eerie. He sounds nothing like him though. 

I saw the Coen Brothers film Burn After Reading on Friday night. It was hilarious. Definitely something fresh and different from the stuff coming out the past few months. I love films in Washington, D.C., and this one was all over Georgetown. It also featured very stupid people being taken very seriously. It is worth $10 to go see.  Best line of the movie (not really a spoiler): 

"Report back to me when it makes sense." (Spoken by a CIA superior). 

Isn't that life? :-)

finite.

Burst of Joy

Last night I went to San Carlos for a Republican rally at the Hiller Aviation Museum. There were various speakers, most of whom, I had heard before, but the main speaker was Air Force Colonel Robert Stirm. He is a Vietnam Veteran and P.O.W. survivor. John McCain served one more day in prison than Stirm who was shot down October 27, 1967. This photograph, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1974, is of Lt. Colonel Robert Stirm returning after being released on March 14, 1973. He and McCain spent over 5 years as Prisoners of War and survived very harsh treatment. It was very interesting to hear Stirm talk about what John McCain was like in prison. I guess he was given the duty of cleaning the other prisoners' waste buckets. Apparently after 3 years, he was finally in a cell next to McCain, and for the first time since his capture, he laughed after McCain told a joke. Just a detail I found interesting. Also, he made a point to say that there were no secrets there, because you didn't know if you were going to live to the next day. He said that McCain had never expressed the desire to run for public office, and that it was only after he returned as  P.O.W., and realized he had a dim future in the navy (because of the injuries he'd sustained in Vietnam), that he opted for a political career. 

Colonel Stirm was sincere in his support for McCain because he knew him, in fact, he has known him very intimately since Vietnam. Even after being released, they visited each other and kept in contact. Stirm even met McCain's parents. I think this is one of the first times in the past few years when someone has spoken out and there is no doubt in your mind that they are speaking sincere words about the candidate they are endorsing. 

(Burst of Joy is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photo taken on March 17, 1973 at Travis Air Force Base by Slava Veder.)