Things that Aren't Healthy that I Do

I've spent the last 15 minutes or so watching various versions of "If I loved you" from Carousel. As one does. Maybe someone out there LOVES ME. Here's various versions, ranked by how much I wish they were sung to me.

5) Hugh Jackman.

I always forget that Hugh Jackman can sing. This version is pretty lo-qual bootleg and I'm not really attracted to Hugh Jackman, also I think he might be gay, and I def don't need that. So I'd be flattered if he sung this to me, but overall ehhh.

4) Mandy Patinkin

I <3> Mandy but I'm just not really into him. Too old.

3) Elvis.

I'm not into Elvis. But I really like the piano in this. I also like what he does with the end of it. Also he doesn't intimidate me with his masculinity, so it might work. Plus, Elvis and I share a love of food so it would probably work out. We could be overweight together. That's Love.

2) the film version with Shirely Jones and Gordon MacRae.

This extensively features Julie and their witty banter, so I an imagine myself in the role more. But I'm not too into Gordon, though his voice is fab. He also styles his hair in a way that doesn't please me. But, the chemistry is fab. And he exudes masculinity in a way that kind of scares me. I want someone to love me like how he loves Julie! I think I would be scared to love him.

1) Patrick Wilson.

Excuse me as I vomit from extreme love. I would lose any sense of the morals that I have if Patrick revealed his love to me by singing this song. What a beautiful, talented man. And we would have such beautiful babies. And I bet he's a great dad to the children he had with another. Ahhhhhh. If I was there that night I think I would have started crying/hyperventilating. SO WONDERFUL.

Aaannnnddd that was a lot of procrastinating...

Goodbye my Lovers

Sparkly Toms Shoes RIP 28 February 2010.

Age: about a year and a half

Cause of Death: English weather.

The foul scent was definitely my shoes. Hopefully I'll have my National Insurance number soon so I can buy a replacement pair. Tears.

To Do List

- Do something productive- preferably research methods reading or stuff for FP analysis paper

-Stop having imaginary arguments in my head.

-Take a shower blah.

-Figure out why my room smells (sparkly Toms?).

-Decide whether or not it's time to say goodbye to my sparkly Toms.

-Semi-Clean my room.

- Forge in the smithy of my soul the uncreated consciousness of my race.

- Skype with my parents.

I just want to say that I'm 3 songs into Frightened Rabbit's new album and it IS AMAZING. I'm so proud of my favourite fully Scottish Band (I thankfully can't count Belle and Sebastian in this category because conveniently one of the members is from Northern Ireland. Thanks Bobby Kildea for my making my favourite fully scottish band decision easier). Anywho, the album comes out March 9th but NPR's amazing All Songs Considered is kindly legally streaming the album now. AMAZING. Check IT OUT.

PS- the image is from the Frightened Rabbit concert Lianne and I went to at the Rock & Roll hotel in DC the night before the Inauguration.

Issues Right Now

- My sparkly toms smell awful after being exposed to a day of rain. They even started disintegrating. I think I'm going to have to reward myself with a new pair in April. Ah they smell SO bad!

-My national insurance stuff hasn't come yet, so I'm going to have to call on Monday ughhhh.

- It took my an hour to get back after getting into London from Oxford because so many lines were closed. I should have waited and gotten off at marble arch but nooo I got off at Notting Hill Gate. BAD idea.

- I have to figure out how to research my dissertation topic tonight while my friends are at a food party.

- I have no money, still.

- I have a lot of angst.

- I keep having imaginary arguments where I have the courage to say what I actually want to say instead of smiling and nodding and being passive aggressive.

Good things right now:

- I got to hang with Clare and Ruth this weekend.

- I'm going to Glasgow next weekend :) .

- I'll going to start getting paid.

I'm glad the negatives vastly outweigh the positives. YEY.

Song to get through days of rain

Wowwww...

My new fav british politician? Yes.

WTF of the Early Afternoon

Whhhaaaaaaatttt is thisssss story. You just have to read it. Hint it involves a middle aged "vampire" aka a creepy looking man who looks like a less hot Tommy Wiseau (yeaaaaa), proposing to a 16 year old via youtube. Then snatching her away from her family and going on the run together. She has since been reunited with her family. But WHAT THE EFF!

Here's the proposal video. I hope I get proposed to in the exact same way.

I thought the new heinz ketchup packets with the biggest innovation of the year. I was wrong. May I present you with, bags of milk.

working 9 to 5

Today was my second day of work. I'm not going to go into much detail about the place I work in case this blog becomes super famous and I get fired for talking about it, ha ha ha like any of those things would happen. I'm going to be working 20 hours a week in "the city" aka the financial hub of London. 9-6 Mondays, 9-5 Tuesdays and 9-12 Wednesdays. Yey money.

I can deal with waking up early. What I can't deal with is the morning commute. I read an article a while back on the BBC about how lots of people have to use intense mental preparations to take the tube. Now I see why. I knew it would be bad, I just didn't realise HOW bad. For the two times I've taken it, I've had to get the second train that comes through bc there was no way I could get on the first. Both times after the first passed through I ended up in the front. But once the second train comes it's everyone gets in no guts no glory mode. I'm not good at it yet. Then on the train it's so crowded it's probably illegal. It's basically like a giant hostile group hug. Then I'm so bad at knowing where to move when people need to get off. After I get out of the train today I felt like I needed a drink. It was so intense!

When Lianne was here she remarked that New York subway trains are a lot wider, I remember the DC ones being wider too. So it's basically the same volume of people going in the New York subway but on much narrower trains. Bahhh commuting. I feel so real!

Tomorrow is my first day of work and I have an almost consistent record of not being able to fall asleep the night before my first day of work. Please let tonight not follow the pattern! I already have a slightly nervous stomach ache- fabulous. And I can't call my parents and have them soothe my mind because they're flying back from Mexico today. Wahhhhh! Well, hopefully I'll be able to fall asleep before 2! Wahhhh!

Here's one of my favorite going to bed songs, vintage Coldplay:

Fail of the Day

I went into Superdrug to buy some hand soap. EVERYTHING WAS ON OFFER (discounted). I walked out with shampoo, conditioner, lotion that will gradually make me look tan, body wash, face wash and hand soap. FAIL. I have most of these items already, albeit most of them are either close to running out or items I'm not satisfied with. STILL. I also should not be spending money because though I have a job, I may not receive my first paycheck for a few weeks (long story). But, all those purchases, brand name items too (!), cost under 12£, which I suppose is pretty good. Right?

Things Wrong Right Now

1- I gained four pounds during Lianne's visit. Which pretty much takes away all my hard dieting work. Hopefully I can lose it as fast as I gained it (one week!) so I'm not a huge fatty at the party I'm going to in Oxford on Friday. Probably won't happen, sigh. It feels like there's a huge rock sitting in my stomach.

2- I couldn't fall asleep last night until 2 and I forced myself to get up at 830 so I can get back on my sleep schedule. This one is alright for today, I just hope I can sleep tomorrow night before my first day of work!

3- I've had so much heartburn lately, probably because of the weight gain.

4- I have a mountain of work to conquer and even though I did work for 11 hours yesterday (with breaks obviously), I can't see the summit. Wahhhhhhhhh

5- It's raining. Blah.

Stressful stressful stressful day. Not because I actually did anything, I just read from 9am-8pm. FUN.

Here's a good song. I'm not sure why that Steve McQueen film I forgot the name of is playing in the background... At least I'm pretty sure it's Steve McQueen and a film I once saw. Way.Too.Tired.

Yes, Please

I really really want to see this:

Daily Mail story of the mornin'

Gwyneth Paltrow is apparently "Piling on the Pounds." Wow, maybe she weighs like 118 now instead of 115. FATTY.

Ohhh Ryan Air... such a classy customer oriented airline! They stranded passengers on THE WRONG ISLAND. Awk. Thankfully I'm flying easy jet to Glasgow (less than two weeks!). I often wonder if Ryan Air would succeed in America. I don't think they would because our governmental system would unlikely allow them to not tax, though maybe. Also, I don't know if Americans could deal with the COMPLETE lack of hospitality. I mean, I know American airline companies aren't known for being amazing, but next to Ryan Air they're like a three star hotel compared to a crammed hostel. But, Ryan Air is soooo cheap.

help me

I've lost all motivation. I just want to eat and nap and not work. And look at People of Walmart. Best.Website.Ever.

And...

I'm BACK!!!

I must spend the next three days doing constant work (ie lots of blogging breaks) but for right now, a quick list of:

This Week's Highlights

- CUDDLING/HANGING WITH LIANNE FOR A WEEK!

- Eating so so so so much food (permanent food baby!).

- Having a wonderful time exploring Brighton- such a nice place!

- Seeing Ruth and Stacey.

- Buying new clothes.

- Watching My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding- EPIC.

- BEING OFFERED A PART TIME JOB!!!! I start Tuesday. So happy my employment woes are over! Well, until I have to start looking for a real job. argh.

More updates soon! Hopefully my readers will return now that I'm back!

Program Interruption Notice

Due to Lianne's arrival in sunny London, posts will either be few or non existent this week. Don't miss me too much! xoxoxo

Another Roger Ebert Post

Roger Ebert posted this cartoon on his twitter... I had a good LOL.

In other news, in around 12 hours I'll be reunited with LIANNE!!! So excited!

Really cool Roger Ebert blog entry with a bunch of videos of London from 1896-2009. Pretty awesome.

If you have 10 minutes to spare, watch this 10 minute film of views around London in 1927 in color! There's no sound so I recommend adding your own soundtrack.

Mah New Jam

Thanks to Sam (who I don't think reads this blog) for telling me to listen to Hot Chip's new album. oxxoxo this song

Okay, okay Roger Ebert gave Valentine's Day only two stars and pretty much slammed it. But this will be a rare occasion when I go against critical guidance. I really really want to see Valentine's Day and I will force Lianne to see it with me. It just looks so good in an obvious chic flick way. ROMANCE! I hope I don't regret going against the lovely Roger.

this takes me back to my "youth"

Amazing, amazing song.

But now I'm dry of thoughts, wait for the rain
Then it's replaced, sun setting

And suddenly you're in love with everything

Snickers is on a ROLL!

Wow. Amazing. Though, I do love anything that involves Liza.

I was excited about this and considered buying it until they listed the price.

$49.95?!?!?! Highway Robbery!

Yummy Yum

Breakfast for lunch today. Porridge cooked with 1/2 skim milk, half water in the microwave (gourmet!), topped with banana and raw sugar. Man oh man, while it may not look like much (at least the remnants of it) what a delicious combo.

Laugh of the Morning

Thank you India Knight for a posting a link to this blog on your blog. The Nether Regions covers local news stories around England and they are, not surprisingly, HILARIOUS. This post in particular, which is a letter an angry pensioner (ie retired person) wrote about his trip to Nottingham is soo effing funny.

And I quote:

"He told us that I could not take a souvenir picture of my partner in the bus station, as it was “private property”.

I told him that I had lost two uncles in the war, fighting Hitler. And now we were breeding little Hitlers like this idiot.

He managed to sour the taste of a great two days in Nottingham. We will not return to be insulted by such people.

We will spend our money in Cambridge instead."

Wow. It's definitely a must read, especially for the glimpse of English culture that hardly ever infiltrates across the proverbial pond.

Too Real.

Last night I had a dream explicitly (hard word to spell!) about the color gray. Something about me wearing only that color or something. Well, this morning on MSNBC (via Jezebel) I've learned that people with a lot of anxiety associate with the color gray. I definitely have a lot of anxiety. Apparently now it's infiltrating my dreams.

Then, I furthered my "scientific" research by looking at dream websites about colors in dreams. One told me:

1) I want to shield myself from those feelings. 2) I feel emotionally distant, only an observer. 3) It is as if I am standing aside, watching myself mechanically go through the motions. 4) I want to remain uncommitted, non-involved, shielded or separated from the situation. 5) I do not want to make a decision that will require my emotional involvement. 6) I have put up with too much and wish to avoid any further emotional stimulation. 7) I am trying to escape an anxious situation. 8) I am compensating for something.

Wowwww. Not all of those pertain to me but I would say 5-8 do on varying levels. Well, I hope gray isn't the color of the day. If only I could afford a baked good to comfort eat away my sorrows. I guess it's better for my bodily health that I can't.

FML

Preface: Sorry for this whiney, depressing post.

I'm so stressed about money right now that I think I'm going to develop an ulcer. I went to tweak my CV to apply for another part time job and it got all messed up formatting wise and I almost cried. I hate pages. Seriously. Then I booked an appointment at the Apple Store so they can show me how to format a CV.

It's just bringing me down so much and making me stressed. I know it's my fault because I should be pounding the pavement. I could make up excuses, but it's obviously mostly all my fault. So because of that I feel more like shit about myself and then I start feeling depressed and the cycle continues! It's just making it really hard to concentrate on other things. Cause then I start wondering if being here is worth it. It definitely is. But maybe I should have worked at Michaels (biggest FML of ML) for a year and saved up enough money to actually be able to enjoy life out here. I guess it's too late now!

I need a babysitting job or something. Where do I find one? Alternatively, I need a money tree.

I guess I should just go to bed and format my CV on word in the computer lab. It's not like I'll get the job anyways.

this is the cutest thing I've seen in a while

1- Amazing

2- Theo is what I dream my babies will look like/be like

3- cute overload!

Liz Lemon... too real

I'm glad that I finally have a real role model. Tina Fey (who I think of as Liz Lemon) has for the past few years written a character that I can really relate to, though that might be a tiny bit sad.

What kind of country is this?!?!

Tonight I'm just sitting in my room alone watching clips from Broadway musicals as normal people do. I wanted to listen to the classic song from "You will Never Walk Alone" from Carousel for life inspiration, but when searching it I found this:

What the Deuce? I wonder if these burly men know that the song originates from a musical. Nevertheless, amazing. And kind of inspiring. And odd. Ohhhh England.

This is Why I'm Single

This song kills me on so many levels. It's so sad! And I relate to it, except I never make it past the I loved You Once in Silence part in my own life. Story.of.my.effing.life.

Quotes that get me through Winter

It snowed today. I thought winter was ending, but today was freezing and snowy. The snow didn't stick, but still. Also, as my previous post showed, I have lost all will to do work. I occupy by time doing stupid, random things that are probably aiding me in becoming obese. But I know Spring will be here soon. And then Summer and hopefully I'll be in London this summer, though that's looking increasingly unlikely with my financial situation. Blergh.

Anyways.

In people's eyes, in the wing, tramp, and trudge; in the bellow and the uproar; the carriages, motor cars, omnibuses, vans, sandwich men shuffling and swinging; brass bands; barrel organs; in the triumph and the jingle and the strange high singing of some aeroplane overhead as what she said; life; London; this moment in June. - Virginia Woolf Mrs. Dalloway

I can't wait for June.

Whoopi is such a lucky woman.

Wow

Wow I'm really glad next week is reading week because for the past few days the only things I have been able to productively do are:

- Eat a variety of foods including new recipes such as: Hayley's Trail Mix Cookies version 2 aka Dark Chocolate Banana Oatmeal cookies (which I made again today, but this time with more sugar!) and Grilled Cheese Baggette with mustard. I don't have a fancy name for that one.

-Facebook stalk everyone I have ever known.

-Stare out the window.

-Think constantly about food.

-Hit refresh over and over on my fav blogs.

-Think about Star Trek.

- Worry about money.

-Invent a new Astronaut Mike Dexter (I will never describe these because they're pitiful and truly exhibit why I'm single).

-Check my email every 3 seconds.

Things I have not been able to do- anything that will further my knowledge/degree, make me slimmer or improve my chances with men. OH WELL.

Daily Mail story of the mornin'

aahahahahahahhahahaha. This article compares Victoria "Posh" Beckham to Gollum hahahahahah. Where do they come up with this stuff?

Another Laugh of the Morning

God I'm sad I missed the Super Bowl commercials

Laugh of the Morning

WIN or FAIL?

On Friday I went to an "International Potluck Dinner." IE- you were supposed to bring dishes that represented your homeland. I was going to make peanut butter cookies, but in the end I decided to go with a healthier alternative. A twist on "Hayley's Super Trail Mix Cookies" that I used to make last year. Essentially they were almost vegan dark chocolate banana oatmeal cookies. They were pretty good, but kind of bland. I didn't have any measuring cups so I had to do everything by guestimate and in the end I don't think I put enough sugar in them ughhh. But now I know! I think I'll make them soon for when Lianne visits.

Also, while cooking them I think I ate 1/3 of the raw dough. And that started a weekend of constant poor food choices. FML... or Win?

Literary Lol of the Day

McSweeney's funny with famous authors "predictions" of the Super Bowl results.

"James Joyce:

Thusly and thricely slaked he uptrod the spiral staircase and fancied for himself only a briny frieze.

— Give out, Jesuit, or forever in peace may you lie.

Sardonic, sardonic was the smile then adopted. It can twist forever (if the vicars will allow, if the oxen pull the plow).

— Dearly beloved, he quipped through shut mouth, did not Rapunzel cry from on high?

She skipped with a slow whistle to the first stone slab. As at Young Colin's, on the eve of Fata Morgana, all rose quietly. How could it be remiss?

Thanatopsis. Requiescat In Pace.

Prediction: Unclear"

Hahahahahahahahahahah

This is Why I'm Single

I watched Star Trek AGAIN tonight. Thankfully not by myself. I once again continually thought up ways Jean-Luc can show up at the end of the next film. Please let it happen! And I thought about this classic Next Generation moment:

I don't know why...

Song of the Day

Wow, I'm really into Jens Lekman.

I think you're beautiful
but it's impossible
to make you understand
that if you don't take my hand
I lose my mind completely
Madness will finally defeat me

Things to Look Forward to

One Week until Lianne's visit

One Month until I visit Patrick in Glasgow.

Two months till I visit Gemma in Manchester.

Almost two months till I journey to Florida with my family!

Let's see how long my money can last!

Weatherman Freaking Out Over DC Snowpocalypse
by TheDlisted

Jim needs to CTFD (calm the eff down). This is weather is what we call "March" in Rochester. No seriously, we've had worse weather than this in March. Behold, the Rochester Ice Storm of 1991. Also, it sucks for DC residents that this storm occurred on a Friday evening. No Snow Day!

1- I wish my grandma was in it.

2- I want to hang with these ladies.

3- In 50 years or so, I want to be these ladies.

Really interesting HuffPo article about Development, the IMF and Haiti. A lot of the points covered in it (in relation to development in general) were covered in my Political Economy of Development lecture this morning. Basically, the article covers how the IMF has caused so many devastating problems (famine, poverty traps, slums, etc.) in countries and how public action has ensured that Haiti won't fall further into that trap with the 100 million dollar loan the IMF is offering Haiti. Because of public activism (through facebook!) the IMF will free the loan of the huuuuugggeeee conditions that usually accompany IMF loans. Anywho, it's a really interesting read for those who aren't familiar with IMF development projects and for those who are.

Laugh of the Morning

Joe Mande, creator of the blog Look at this Fucking Hipster's (ooooo swear word! But very very funny blog) review of Tyler Perry's new live show. It is hilarious, especially the pictures of his face. Though, as Mande states, I don't think he was any where close to being the target audience for the show.

I'm in Love.

I was going to write on my friend Sara's facebook wall and suggest that she may consider Scott Fujita to love for a little bit instead of Tim Tebow. But then I read this jezebel profile and fell in love with him myself. He's a super intelligent, progressive, forward thinking man with a master's degree. Sorry Sara, I just don't know if Tim could fit all those elements. I recognize that Fujita isn't nearly as attractive as Tebow but wow... what a man.

Fujita on the Bible, Jesus and homosexuality (from HuffPo):

"I completely respect everyone's choice of religion. Just because I'm not a very religious guy doesn't make me right or wrong, or them right or wrong. Everybody has a right to believe in whatever they want. But, I don't like when people use God or Jesus Christ in this whole debate, if you could even call it a debate. Jesus Christ to me, is probably the most compassionate and revolutionary thinker of all time. Look at his teachings. Look at what he preached. He would not endorse any type of inequality, this type of inhumanity. He would not be on board with that. So please, spare me that argument and saying that hey, the Bible says that it ain't right, or hey, Jesus Christ wouldn't buy into this kind of thing. Don't give me that. That's not even an argument."

Fujita on the Tim Tebow ad and on his standing up for Gay rights (from NYT):

“The idea of focusing on the family — who wouldn’t agree with that?” Fujita said. “But the means of doing so, he and I might not see eye to eye all the way.

“It’s just me standing up for equal rights,” Fujita said. “It’s not that courageous to have an opinion if you think it’s the right thing and you believe it wholeheartedly.”

Wow. I think I'm in love. Even though he is married with twin babies. Though I'm still not going to watch the Super Bowl.

Millennium by Tom Holland

I just finished Tom Holland's fabulous dense book Millennium, not surprisingly a historical rundown of the European situation in the years surrounding 1000 a.d.. The book, was super interesting even though it took be about two months to read because of it's density. Basically, while I'm a huge fan of Medieval art, I had no idea so much was happening in the world around the first millennium. I thought things picked up around the 1200s or so. True, I did know the central premise, that in the years leading up to 1000 a huge amount of people were certain Jesus's return was eminent. And when that didn't happen, they had to adjust plans and Western culture began accelerating. What I didn't know was all the details and progress that was occurring in the period. Also, I started the book a few days after I was told that Jesus is coming back soon NOW, so it was a fitting parallel that in the last millennium people thought the exact same thing and had lots of interpretations of scripture to back up their claim.

While, I'm not sure about Jesus's return in this millennium, well I do know what I think (see Marcus Borg), I can definitely see why people in the year 1000 ad thought he might be coming back. There world was pretty awful in the run up to 1000. However, as Holland narrates, things started getting better, modern Europe began developing. Most interesting for me was the relationship between Pope Gregory VII and the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV, which exemplified the church's struggle to maintain power over the state. Since, prior to this period the Holy Roman Emperor was able to elect bishops and dispose popes.

Also interesting were the lengthy chapters on the Normans. I never realised how crazy they were, like in a blood thirsty and ruthless way. AKA I never realised that they were another name for the vikings, like Normandy was a viking colony. Fittingly, I read part of these chapters while flying to Iceland. Also, the Norman invasion is covered extensively, another area of history that I knew the gist of but never the solid facts. Now I know allll about pre-Norman English history and the Battle of Hastings. Fun times!

Anyways, I don't want to spoil the book for all of you who are going to run out and buy it, but it was a good read that showed me how much was happening in the year 1000.

My next read: 1599: A Year in the Life of Shakespeare by James Shapiro.

American take on the most recent English sports scandal. John Terry is a naughty man and all round scumbag. Though, perhaps not as bad as Tiger. Mostly because Tiger seemed so wholesome.

Photo from my Archives

Critter in London. 26 May 2008

Laugh of the Morning

From the Best Week Ever Blog. Hilarious. Well, hilarious if you watch Lost.

Daily Mail story of the mornin'

HOARDER! Oh Lindsey, how far you have fallen, how far you have fallen.

LOST

My fav show is finally back. Tonight's episode was 2 hours of WTF moments. The biggest WTF for me was the Temple, who knew the island was hiding an exclusive resort/health spa. Also idk about the parallel world stuff. The producers told Doc (Jeff) Jensen at Entertainment Weekly:

1) You are not as confused as you think. The questions you are asking are questions you should be aski

ng. (2) You will

get answers to these questions — but patience will be required. (3) The temptation will be to dismiss the sideways story as ''W

hat if...?'' trivia

, but we should trust that we're being shown this story for a reason, and so we should take the leap of investing in its reality. From EW.

Well Alright. I hope that's true. What I do know is true is that my two fav Island

hotties were in the episode.

Richard

and

Desmond

I can't believe this is the last season.

Dear Itunes,

Please put up last night's season premiere of lost so I can purchase it and watch it right away. I could just go and watch it illegally, but I really want to watch it in quality HD. However, you are taking way too long to put it online and it's stressing me out.

kisses,

Hayley

Diet Woes

I gained a pound. Ugh. I've seriously been trying really hard to be healthy, keeping track of everything I eat and walking a lot. I'm doing really well with the eating, I think my issue is that I don't count the calories in drinks. It's not like I'm drinking whole milk lattes 4 times a day, but Monday I had a white Americano, various cups of milky tea and coffee and a large glass of red wine. And yesterday I had a flat white, which apparently has roughly 225 calories and who knows how much fat. Plus, tea and coffee with milk (skimmed, but still). Clearly I need to stick to green tea and one cup of coffee with milk in the morning. Plus, only Americanos with a touch of milk when I go out for coffee.

It's just so frustrating! Like I feel fine, more toned than when I was home (obviously bc of all the walking), but the weight has stopped going down since I arrived. I know I have to keep with it and have patience, but I really want to see the numbers drop! Bahhh. And today I'm getting a jacket potato for lunch. FAIL.

Daily Mail story of the mornin'

A 24-year old woman was ID'd at Tesco when she tried to buy a slice of quiche.

Tesco's response: 'We're at a loss to say what happened here."

LOLZ. But seriously, WTF.

A 9 year old girl in China gave birth, so tragic and horrific. Underneath that article there was a link to a Daily Mail article about Britain's youngest mum, aged 11. It's a tragic and horrific story on a whole other level:

"The girl smokes 20 cigarettes a day despite being eight months' pregnant. She conceived aged 11 when she lost her virginity to a boy of 15 on a drunken night out with friends... The girl, who has shoulder-length dark hair, began smoking at nine and started drinking tonic wine and vodka cocktails at ten. She claimed her cigarette habit was not harming the health of her unborn child.

She said: "I can give up smoking at any time, but I don't find it affects my pregnancy."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-385968/Girl-11-Britains-youngest-mother.html#ixzz0eRGlQfss

Oh dead, this article pretty much describes the often used phrase "broken Britain."

I kind of love Adm. Mike Mullen.

From the Huffington Post: "No matter how I look at the issue," Mullen said, "I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens." Noting that he was speaking for himself and not for the other service chiefs, Mullen added: "For me, it comes down to integrity – theirs as individuals and ours as an institution."

Agreed.

Sometimes I feel so happy... Sometimes I feel so sad.

Classic.

I had a dream last night where I was pregnant and possibly in jail. But I didn't look pregnant, most chubby. So clearly there's some meaning in there. Also Ruth was a barrister for another prisoner, until she got replaced by this guy in my program. Oh dreams!

One visiting student's take on being an American in London. I don't know why they didn't ask me to write it! But seriously, it's a pretty good and I'm sure universal take. While I've found living/adjusting to living in London to be not too difficult, that's probably because I spent 9 months already adjusting to the British character. And Oxford was so so so much worse. But like subtly, so maybe it was all in my head. But probably not considering how long it took and how hard I worked to make British friends there. That might also just be the visiting student experience. Maybe it's different now that I'm an "actual" student and therefore on a level playing field. I don't know. It's probably way too early for me to be writing this much.