20 April 2007

Super Stition!

Last night I was looking over my syllabus for Russian 102. I didn't get much sleep Wednesday night, so I was looking at the homework for the 26th, instead of the 19th. Now our Friday Russian class is usually a discussion (we're watching a long movie in small pieces), so we don't typically have work to hand in. However, next Friday (and oddly enough, today, too) we have homework to turn in. Why? Because, according to the syllabus, there's this Russian суеверие (superstition) that says:

If you fail to do your work for the last Friday in April your nose will drop off!

Now: is that not the greatest superstition you've ever heard? Beats the heck out of black cats walking around.

15 April 2007

Classical Equation

So, between an Oberlin Orchestra concert earlier this year, and the senior recital of my fellow Minnesota Obie, Jenny Lang, which featured First Rhapsody (Folk Dances): Prima Parte (Lassu) and Seconda Parte (Friss), I have stumbled upon a truth.

Bela Bartok = cool!

Also, in the spirit of the day:
Jenny Lang = cool, too!

05 April 2007

Yarn curse?

I went to Ben Franklin today... and discovered some bad news. Turns out, Red Heart's Tweed line has been discontinued. Bah.

My dad has this weird relationship with aftershaves. He'll find one he likes, and then they'll discontinue it. It's happened several times, from what I understand (though his latest choice seems to be doing well).

The woman at Ben Franklin did describe a similar sort of phenomenon: they discontinue yarns that sell well in Oberlin.

So I could spend $15 and get three skeins of the stuff from eBay. However, I think I'll just figure out where the rest of the skein went and unravel some of those things.

Hopefully Ben Franklin is cursed, and not me.

04 April 2007

mmm...cranberry

So I've described this fingerless mitten that's gone missing. I'm still looking for it, but am starting to look around to find the yarn (Red Heart Tweed - Cranberry) to knit a replacement. However, this is much more difficult than it should be. I tried the internets. It's not really helping. I only need a small part of a skein. Here are my options:
1. Spend $15 on eBay and get 3 skeins.
2. Request that Ben Franklin order more.
3. Knit it in a different color (which I really don't want to do).
4. Try to figure out what I used the rest of that skein for and unravel those things and reuse the yarn.

It's such a cool yarn, and judging by the limited presence of it, they might be discontinuing it... or maybe it's just a lesser known brand of theirs.

I did find one site that appeared to have it, but the prices and other colors weren't showing up.

I am sick and tired of clicking on links, thinking I've found a seller, and it's only another search engine. Gah!

01 April 2007

Epiphany: Revolutionary Style

So I'm happily reading the chapter in DeFronzo about the Revolution in Nicaragua, and he talking about how the Reagan administration were a bunch of lying, corrupt jerks who acted in ways that the whole rest of the world disagreed with, pretty much. I knew that already, though not in so much detail. Then in two sentences:

"The contras had received tens of millions of dollars in the two-year period during which Congress blocked U.S. government funds. It was disclosed in 1986, 1987, and 1988 that Reagan administration personnel had sold weapons to Iran (involved then in its war with Iraq) at two to three times the cost, evidently diverting some of the huge profits to the contras."

WHOA. I totally have a minute understanding of what people mean when the refer to 'Iran-Contra'. Even if I learn nothing else for the rest of the year, my semester will have been worth it.

April Fool's (Birth) Day

So, today is my brother's birthday. Woo!

Also, today is the birthday of Fred and George Weasley. A thought: In the wizarding world, does the day on which a person is born have an influence on their personality? I'm pretty sure it doesn't in the muggle world (unless you believe in that whole Chinese New Year business where everyone born in the same year has the same qualities). I suppose there aren't that many days that seem to have a unique character, but April Fool's certainly is one that does. In other words: are the Weasley twins jokesters because they were born on April 1st, or is that a coincidence?


Thoughts?

Tradition...?

Sleep in and miss church the second weekend of spring break (even if it's Palm Sunday)?

Check.

(Damn!)