Yesterday (my birthday party) was an absolute blast. Myself and 25 (omg i knoes) of my closest friends (and significant others) sang karaoke all night and play Movie Taboo (gurl power!) and pretty much rocked all night long.

Spent all day today (my actual birthday) chasing little babiez around a studio, trying to make them smile. It was super exhausting. And then I had to fight my way through downtown post-football game traffic (damn you, Vols!) and crazy UTPD who were blocking off MAJOR HIGHWAYS TO CAMPUS (i.e. Cumberland, Neyland Drive, and KINGSTON PIKE WTF) and almost drove myself crazy going in circles.

And then I had dinner with the Beaver family and it was great. I love birthdays and I love life. Thank you all who made this past year great. I could not have survived college without you.

What? I’m not ashamed.

1. Karaoke Revolution (any game except Country or American Idol)

2. Books

3. Movies

And for those who don’t want to get me anything specific, I would take:

Giftcards from

1. Forever21

2. Target

3. Delias

4. Borders

5. Threadless

6. or any retail store :3

Objective: Practice and utilize key grammar, vocabulary, kanji, and other terms from Lesson 12.

(basically, me and my partner Patrice pwnt this shiot). Mahagi-sensei said I was very dramatic and a good actress. Haha. I basically pretended to cry the whole time.

Skit

?????????????????????

????????????????

????????????????????

???????????????????????????????

????????????????????????

???????????????????????????

?????????????????????????????

(??????? laughs)

???????????????

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

??????????????????????????

???????????????????????????????????

?????????????????????

[English translation]

Linda: (sigh) My morning wasn’t very good/I did not have a good morning.

Patrice: What happened?

Linda: My heart hurts…

Patrice: Huh? Did you eat too much? Is it heartburn?

Linda: No. I got into a huge fight with my boyfriend. (starts to sniffle)

Patrice: Oh no! Did you break up with Takashi-san?

Linda: …Yes. He…he called me fat! (starts to cry)

Patrice: (giggles)

Linda: It’s not funny!

Patrice: (a little sarcastically) ..Yeah, that sounds bad. Well, you should talk to him because Takashi-san is a good guy. You guys shouldn’t break up!

Linda: Shut up! I have got to go home.

Patrice: Hey, wait a second! It’ll be better if you talk to him.

Linda: No, it wouldn’t be better! (stomps off)

Conservatives contend Sarah Palin as GOP’s salvation

Linda Nguyen

Politically Moderate American-in-Chief

Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin (Alaska-R) has recently joined the Republican ticket as Senator John McCain’s (Ariz.-R) vice president. Many speculate whether or not Palin’s experience will strengthen or hurt their chances in the upcoming presidential election.

In a release statement on her website, Sarah Palin stated, “It is a great privilege to be John McCain’s running mate to be considered by the American people for the Vice presidency. This honor is a testament to the reforms and progress we have made together in Alaska. Now is the time to take that spirit of reform to Washington.”

Last Wednesday when Palin addressed the GOP party, she introduced herself as a “hockey mom,” an advocate for mothers with special needs children, and a fighting contender for this election. As the first woman in history to accept the VP nomination for the Republican party, Palin is completely willing to “accept the challenge of a tough fight.”

But are Americans ready to receive Sarah Palin? At the GOP Convention, several senators have already decided. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney said the McCain-Palin ticket “will keep America as it has always been: the hope of the world.” Meanwhile, Democrats criticize Palin’s speech as empty with no expected changes and an echo of George Bush’s early speeches.

In response to critics who claim Palin is simply unqualified for this role, Palin stated, “If you’re not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate for that reason alone. But I’m not going to Washington to seek their good opinion. I’m going to Washington to serve the people of this great country.”

Common mistakes from Journalism 200

(also known as Reasons Why Newbie JEM students Suck)

To borrow a lead from a classmate, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” and Tennessee football sucks. But you know what’s worse? Sports writing.

- Don’t overuse “When asked…”

WRONG – “He only had 19 completions.”

RIGHT – “He had only 19 completions.”

- Sports teams are not plural. For example:

WRONG – “Tennessee scored their touchdown…”

RIGHT – “Tennessee scored its touchdown in the 2^nd quarter.”

- Appositives are friends! Use them, love them.

WRONG – “The kicker, Daniel Lincoln…”

RIGHT – “Kicker Daniel Lincoln…”

I wrote a 960 word paper in only 2 1/2 hours. GO ME!

————-

Anarchy in International Relations

formally known as “IR paper that will probably destroy my soul”

According to Bruce Bueno de Mesquita in his book Principles of International Politics, “international relations may be best understood as the interaction of power, preferences, and perceptions: the desire to remain in power greatly influences leaders’ decisions, as what they perceive to be the truth about a particular situation” (1). A major factor in international relations is anarchy. However, not all perspectives support the idea of an anarchic system. Because states act in so many different ways, there are several perspectives that interpret how international relations are developed and performed. Among these include the Neorealist, Liberal, Marxist, Interest Group, and Strategic theories.

———–

No, but seriously. I’m pooped. The paper is godawful, but I don’t really care. I’m just proud of myself for being able to write, proof, and get it over with…which basically means this semester is going to suck. For some reason, all my classes (well all but Japanese 251) ended up being writing intensive. This is just the first of many, many more papers.

..dammit.

Hello, hello. Went to Trivia Night (hosted by the Honors Events Committee) in the UC today and I must say, it was a total blast! My awesome team, rightfully named “Team Hardcore” (Me, Dieu, Sophie, and Emily) basically owned all of it…getting 5th place and all.

Here are some hawt pics from the night: