"There's too much confusion" - Jimi Hendrix

I know you've dying to know what other crazy stuff I've been learning in my 304 class and more. Here are some more interesting notes from last week:
*The more educated you are, the more conformist you become. We know this from projective personality testing (i.e. Rorschach's, TAT, etc.) For example, if you were to describe this image as a certain something it means you are normal, which also means you are more than likely educated, which also means more than likely you are a conformist because every other "normal" person out there said the same thing = one big perpetuated cycle. If you said it looked like something else, it means you are eiher uneducated to a significant degree, a child, rebelling against what you actually think it looks like, or schizophrenic. I am not going to disclose what either of the keywords are for either diagnosis; nevertheless, I am curious what you would say it looks like.
*Based on the way the test is scored, if you ever take the Rorschach test, just know that the more you talk, the crazier you look. Keep this in mind when responding to what you think this ink blot looks like.
*Up to half the normal people who took the Rorschach were considered to have emotional problems. So don't be too shocked when I say that the Rorschach test is absolutely ridiculous.
*Apparently there is a character named Rorschach in the movie/comic The Watchmen. I now have a desire to watch the movie just so I can make dorky psychology connections from this character to what I know about this test. And to appreciate the soundtrack, which apparently is full of '60s music, and you could have probably guessed they would use Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower. What a good idea for a freaky looking character with a rich historical background. Makes for some sweet character development. Any movie with a masked vigilante gets an A in my book. (Examples: V for Vendetta, Batman, Spiderman, Zorro - that may be pushing it - Robin Hood - he was masked sometimes...)
*Horoscopes are based on The Barnum Effect = broad sweeping statements that almost everyone can apply to themselves.
*According to the American Heart Associations and other well reputable sources, gender plays a huge role in your risk for heart attacks and other heart diseases. This led to a very important question: what gendered risk category does a transvestite fall under?
*One of the slides read the following: "Higher prevalence in African Americans and whites." Does anyone else see the unparallelism happening in this sentence?
*On hormone replacement therapy: "Trials had to be stopped because suddenly participants were at a greater risk of dying." How many people had to die in order for the test trials to be stopped I wonder?
*Study: Male and female participants go into a doctor's office with identical symptoms. Males were treated more aggressively than women. Same study done with SES, race, and age. Results: older, poorer, non-whites, and women were treated less aggressively than anyone else.
*Hypertension heart rate cut-off: 140/90. The first thing my weight lifting coach said to me on Monday was, "Let's get moving! Get those heart rates to 140, come on!" Not knowing a whole lot about hypertension, this led me to believe I would thoroughly freak out if my SITTING heart rate was the same as if I was running a mile at 8:52 pace.

*Alex and I attended the magnificent Hindu party known as The Holi Festival, which happens every year at the end of March. This year's winning picture:

Aren't we just so cute in our easter egg colors?

*I saw Benjamin Button at the dollar theater this last weekend. Reminded me a lot of Forrest Gump, and I'm not sure if it's because Alex told me it reminded him of that before the movie started or because it genuinely reminded me of that movie, but I would give it 1 1/2 thumbs up. It's really long. I teared up at The End.

"I practice every day to find some clever lines" - Frank & Nancy Sinatra

Something Stupid - Frank & Nancy Sinatra


******Editor's Note:
After the request of adding George Michael and Maeby Funke to the list, I went perusing through Google's images, only to be left very disappointed with the lack of usable pictures of the couple (which by the way, I am pretty sure that I spoiled the rest of season 3 for myself). Alas, no picture. I settled for Buster instead. However, while checking out various sites, I stumbled upon this guy's blog and the BRILLIANT way in which he proposed to his fiance'. Random, but I'm glad I saw it. This re-instilled my faith in the male gender to cleverly pop The Question. Read his post and make sure of course to watch the video. Tell me that isn't genius. I dare you. You'll get sucker-punched in the face.

"Et je t'aime tellement que j'hallucine" - Malajube

I know I've talked about this before, but I really really want to be bilingual. I would like to know French or Japanese or both. Maybe Sloveen so I could talk to Alex. Definitely not Spanish. And definitely not German. Yikes. I forget sometimes that I have this burning desire to be more accessible to those who I could speak, to become more than the average American, to expand my knowledge of other cultures; and amidst these thoughts the occasional reminder will come up and scream, "YOU ONLY KNOW ENGLISH FOR A REASON, YOU MORON!" as if I didn't already know that. I usually ignore the screaming reminder, but this last time 2 days ago...I sang along.
Meet Malajube. They have a few hits, but Montreal -40C is particularly catchy.

You'll notice immediately they are singing in French. And if you are anything like me, you want to know what the words mean, right? Right. So I've taken the time to make a quick google search just for you, my valiant readers:

Much too poor for pills,
I however make (can afford?) the whore - I am null
and all these things which I ejaculate,
I run against the clock (time?)
I run but I come back

Montreal you are so cold,
a polar bear in the bus
I take as a starting point worse to enrich me
and I love you so much that I hallucinate

papapapapadapada
I overlook your arrogance
you keep the rhythm
you put to me in a trance

papapapapadapada

I have what I deserve
and which pleasure

Your face on my magazine
your prize list of concubines

Montreal you are so cold,
a polar bear in the bus
I take as a starting point worse to enrich me
and I love you so much that I hallucinate

The cat purrs (whirrs?)
and you speak in your sleep
and yet me
I do not manage to close my eyes

Nothing too extraordinary but I'm keeping these guys on my playlist.

"The Garden Meeting" - John Williams

Ok, so I saw Twilight. And wow, definitely didn't wait long enough to see it. Absolutely defiled the books, the way movies are made...utter disgust was on my face the entire time except for when I was having my back scratched. Save your money and time.

Also, as I was trying to fall asleep (and couldn't) I thought of my favorite poem, which was a nice reminder of how good literature/prose (i.e. everything the Twilight movie is not) should be. This semester I had to write a paper about a word in a poem and how it elevates the poem to a higher level of understanding based on the multiple definitions of the word, etc. I chose this poem and the word FLAY. 2 pages later, I realized that FLAY had to have been created for this poem, not the other way around. It is the perfect word to describe the scene: A+ for James Wright. Go on, I dare you to look it up and read every definition found in the OED (BYU students can access it through HBLL library for free). I've alluded to this poem before, and I think I'm ready to finally unveil it's deliciously rich verbage on you, allowing you to experience how deep some words really are, and for me to remember what good entertainment really is. And on that note, one of my absolute favorite soundtracks is Memoirs of a Geisha. Another genius album by John Williams. The music is serene, mystical, undertones of sadness, darkness...I can't describe it, so watch the movie. AND read the book, because BOTH are amazing. This is a case of double the pleasure. I think I would add this movie to my Top 10 favorites, by the way. I may have to do some rethinking on my list. At any rate, I think the mood this song emanates is one that may set the stage for the intensity this poem presents.

Written by James Wright (1927-1980)

Saint Judas

When I went out to kill myself, I caught
A pack of hoodlums beating up a man.
Running to spare his suffering, I forgot
My name, my number, how my day began,
How soldiers milled around the garden stone
And sang amusing songs; how all that day
Their javelins measured crowds; how I alone
Bargained the proper coins, and slipped away.

Banished from heaven, I found this victim beaten,
Stripped, kneed, and left to cry. Dropping my rope
Aside, I ran, ignored the uniforms:
Then I remembered bread my flesh had eaten,
The kiss that ate my flesh. Flayed without hope,
I held the man for nothing in my arms.

"Double the pleasure, double the fun" - Chris Brown

This whole Chris Brown/Rihanna scandal really has me upset. I'm not the biggest hiphop/r&b fan, but I like Chris Brown. He's an incredibe dancer, singer, and dang it. He had to screw it up by getting all physical. I'll tell you what though, I will still love this song. And this song. But from now on, I'll have that bell go off in my brain that reminds me the lyrics to these songs mean nothing to him. Kind of like every Elton John song - I just imagine him singing his love ballads to men, and immediately I can't stand listening. *Shudder. Why do I even care about that? I have no idea. But clearly there is some sort of connection between the lyrics and singer that matters to me. I know what you're thinking: "But Martha, what about all those pop singers who sing other people's songs?" My answer to that is, "Unless proven otherwise, I just imagine they're singing their own songs."

"See these guns? I kill you!"- Chris Brown

Now, for the avid Seinfeld watchers, I have to tell you I have been living in 2 episodes of late. The first one is where Jerry meets a girl who is exactly like him in every way, that at one point in the show he goes, "I've swept myself off my feet!" Hahaha, so good. I feel that way especially right now. However, I have a good feeling it won't end in disgust as it did in the show. The second one is where George thinks Seven is a good name for his future daughter, and after he told his married friends about his brilliant name for a girl, they steal it and name their own daughter Seven. George gets pissed off and cuts off their friendship. How this relates to me: my friend Jess from back home just named her daughter Genevieve, a name that I had previously told her I loved. And now that it's taken, I've got to come up with something else. Let me just say it right now, that if anyone takes Carmen I'm going to be a little upset. And I'm going to name my child that anyway. That's right, I just called Dibs. Don't mess with me.

Tonight I am finally going to watch Twilight, the movie. I am surprised at how nonchalant I have taken this movie by the way, because I was all about waiting till 2 AM to get my first copy of Breaking Dawn. You'd think the movie after reading the book would be double the pleasure, but...I guess I'm just a little worried I'm going to be disappointed, and if you know me at all, I'm all about having low expectations, always, and so waiting it out like this is perhaps my way of allowing sufficient time for my expectations to be lowered. For the most part, waiting it out usually works, just FYI.

I don't remember where I found this, but knowing my history with The Colonel, one must know how dear this image is to my heart.
"Da da da daaaa!"

And can I just say how happy I am to know what I'm doing this summer finally? The plan as it stands: stay here in Utah and get a job. Whew, glad that decision is over. Life is pretty easy when you have a secure goal. Goal for today: Always have a secure goal.

"It Had To Be You" - Frank Sinatra

We created a class character, Frank. E. Olfelson. Here is his description, followed by my story of him.

Meet Frank E. Olfelson.
60 years old, from North New Jersey where he was born and raised. Danish ancestry, he is first generation American and gets his name from Frank Sinatra (he also has blue eyes). Thick and wavy white hair (he is proud of and doesn’t wear hats). He loves black salty licorice. He is a Taxi Driver, but hates his job because he wants to be a music teacher (he plays the sax but lacks confidence). He was married at 19 to Gloria, a feisty Italian woman (who dies of cancer at age 47) She had a cat, Miko, who occasionally shows up. Gloria is the love of Frank’s life, she was a waitress, and pursued him because he is shy. They have a son, Sam E. Olfelsen (named after Sammie Davis Jr.) Frank has a fellow taxi driver friend that he confides in. He is Lutheran in name, a smoker, tall 6’0”, kind of paunchy from sitting all day. He notices people from the cab and compares them to instruments. (p.s. the cat does not have AIDs).



“I can't believe it Miko,” Frank mumbled with a cigarette pressed between his thinned lips. They use to be thick with collagen, and now just a rim to his big mouth.
“All these years...” he trailed off. The Very Best of Frank Sinatra was playing in the bedroom. Sam, his son, had gotten him the CD for his birthday last year. For the last 129 days of listening to it once a day, it reminded him of his parents sitting by the fire place listening to their record player, holding hands and letting Mr. Sinatra say all there needed to be said; memories of him as a kid running around in New Jersey alley ways with sweat dripping, heart thumping during the summer; but mostly of Gloria and the cafe they met.
He stared in the half fogged mirror, making his lips form around the imaginary sax mouth piece, pretending to play the sax part of the song. With a grunt, he looked at his wizened face, noticing the wrinkles around his face, his hair now white, his ears which seemed too big. He reached for his cigarette carton that held the few toiletries he had, and rubbed his freshly shaved face with some Old Spice aftershave, careful not to touch the scar left on his neck of that young fellow who almost got away with his taxi. Thank goodness for Charlie.
“She asked me personally to pick her up...I don't even know how to do this anymore,” Frank could see Miko out of the corner of his eye, walking around rubbing his back on the window which hadn't been shut for years.
“One of these days, cat, you are going to fall out of the window and you won't be alive to hear me say I told you so. I mean, what am I, a limo driver? I'm no young buck anymore...” His thick Boston accent left a ring of smoke in the air which mingled with the steam. At that moment, Frank Sinatra's “It Had To Be You” came on, coming from his bedroom.
“That's it, I'm telling Charlie to pick her up.”

"Come on skinny love, just last the year" - Bon Iver

My life is so amazing right now, mostly because of him. One huge question mark: what is life like after college? It's incredibly exciting. Bon Iver says it best: "I told you to be patient, and I told you to be fine." Amen brother. I'm trying.