Wednesday, March 31, 2004

OK, I think we all agree that George W. Bush is stupid, right? (If you don't, get the hell outta my cyberspace!) Well, I have a theory that he's been making us stupid, too. I believe it was around the time he was "elected" (or rather, sentenced to 4 years of presidential duty by the Supreme Court) that my grades starting slipping. It was a gradual process, but yes, I too, emulated my fearless leader and became stupid. Yes, Dubya, I blame you for my bad grades. Now on the eve of the end of our regime, uh I mean, first Bush administration, I feel suddenly enlightened, as if the intelligence is returning to my neurons. Will John Kerry save me from stupidity and make me smart again? Well, he's no messiah, but I guess he'll do for now.

(Ladies and gentlemen, let it be known that the prior post was very uncharacteristic of prettydoc, yet she felt inspired to satirize and now feels satisfied. We will now return to your regular scheduled pseudovoyeurism, already in progress.)



On : 4/1/2004 5:46:00 PM Tiffany (www) said:

Dubya is not my cup of tea at all, but lately, it seems as if Kerry isn't putting up much of a show either. Kerry was balking at the raise in gas prices which stem from the government refilling the reserves which Clinton used to prevent a climb, without a real emergency occurring. This is just one situation, but it's an important one in my opinion. Maybe to a certain extent Dubya, or his just his advisors, realize that gas is a non-renewable resource and we should save up on this stuff since OPEC is being a jerk and shows no signs of changing.

Maryam, I'm sorry for leaving such a long comment, but I have some thoughts about this, and I haven't been able to voice them. Kerry seems like an intelligent person, but he just seems to be pandering to whatever audience he's speaking to. I think Kerry needs to be more than a Bush-hater to win my vote.

Take care!

On : 4/1/2004 6:13:01 PM prettydoc (www) said:

Tif, I agree and you have no need to apologize. I feel like Kerry's not the leader I envision my country to have, but from day one I hated Bush. He was a lousy of governor and ran the Texas education system in the ground. He has a pattern of demolishing what his predecessors worked long and hard to build. He did it to Ann Richards and to Clinton, both people who I love and admire. I agree that Kerry needs to add more to his platform that being anti-Bush and pro-gay marriage. I'm sorry, but gay marriage only affects a small portion of the American population and has nothing to do with me. I care about education and the economy, things that Kerry has yet to address.
I got my O Chem test back. I got a 50! Since I now have a 58 in the class, I figured it was drop time. So I met up w/ my advisor and dropped that sucker. I'm still in the lab, so that's cool. Now I just have to figure out whether I want to retake it at CCCC (6 wks) or UTD (8 wks). I got an A on my Contemporary Approach to Lit paper and an A on my Brit Authors 2 test. That made me feel smart again. Since I got As on both my Contemporary Approach to Lit papers, I'm exempt from the 3rd paper, which is a revision of 1 of the previous papers. Cool beans! So now I'm enjoying my 13 hrs and the burden that's been lifted off my shoulders. I can finally concentrate on Cell Bio and hopefully give my O Chem lab a strong finish. We have our last lab tomorrow and a lab final in 2 weeks. Plus, my Psych prof canceled our final, so I'll only have 3 final exams. WooHoo!


On : 3/31/2004 9:22:59 PM diego (www) said:

awesome. although I haven't dropped any classes my semester has taken a turn for the better the last couple of weeks too. see, maybe all that positive thinking is paying off. well, that and the fact that I started paying attention in my sci. comp. class

On : 3/31/2004 10:05:54 PM gp (www) said:

seems to be a good week in academics. i found out i can probably graduate this summer, assuming i can get into the right classes with late enrollment.

On : 3/31/2004 11:09:29 PM prettydoc (www) said:

Yay! We're all getting smarter!

Tuesday, March 30, 2004

My boss for TA assigned us lab reports to grade at home this past week. We were supposed to turn them into the kids today. Well, I left my at home and didn't realize until I was on campus. I told my boss and she told me to go back to Plano and get them. I called my mom and she agreed to meet me 1/2 way with lab reports. On my way there, there was a car accident a couple cars ahead of me, but I made it before my mom. Once she got there she handed the reports to me and told me not to drive too fast. On my back to school it seemed like every light was red. But finally, I made it to school in record time (1 hr, I'm being sarcastic, sort of). Plus I got a perfect parking space. My boss was happy, I was happy, and all was right with the world.

Monday, March 29, 2004

I took the O Chem test. Now I'm crazily checking my prof's website for my grade. I'm guessing he'll put it up tomorrow night. Cross your fingers! It's funny how my dieting posts generate more feedback than anything else. Unfortunately, almost anyone can relate to weight issues in this country. It really is an epidemic. At the doctor's office, we are to assume that all patients are obese until their BMI proves otherwise. Crazy, huh? Tonight I'm hooking up with ABC and watching The Haunting and 20/20. Ah, the perfect antidote to an O Chem test.


On : 3/29/2004 10:27:19 PM Jenny (www) said:

I love the haunting. I chose to watch Call Me, the rise and fall of Heide Fleiss, it was suprisingly good, even if it was just a step off being a soft porno... 21st century entertainment!

On : 3/30/2004 5:41:55 PM prettydoc (www) said:

The Haunting was pretty good, even if some of the stuff didn't add up. I wanted to see Call Me, but I know they'll rerun it all the time.

Sunday, March 28, 2004

Diet Update: I lost 5 lbs. this week! That makes a total of 10 lbs in 2 weeks! Yea!!! I love this diet. I bought more of their products today (Soups!). I've been studying all weekend for the big O Chem test tomorrow at 7:15 am. This is the one that determines whether I drop and take it at a CC or stay in the game. Wish me luck! (This post officially hosts the record for most exclamation points!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)



On : 3/28/2004 7:35:28 PM Will K (www) said:

I guess i am with you in diet land. Here are my expereiences with my "eating style".

As a result of my stopping cooking my eating patern shifted. Coming back from spring break i weighed 170, and now i weigh 150. 20 pounds in two weeks. I really dont think thats "good" but whatever.

You might want to look into creating your own meals instead of purchasing the slim-fast(tm) meals if you plan to stick with it for awhile. It seems it would be easier and cheaper, not to mention it would free you from dependence on a certain product. Without being dependant on slim-fast products you will find your diet is much easier to maintain in the long run.

Diet as we use it is more accuratly described as "change in diet" and not "diet" which is the representation of your intake.Today my diet included JCI!

On : 3/28/2004 7:36:24 PM Will K (www) said:

Oh yea, I am glad you are happy with your results. Results are so rewarding. It sure is nice when we can see them instantly. :P

On : 3/29/2004 5:57:38 PM gp (www) said:

for once i agree with will. the simpler your meals, the better. yay for results.

On : 3/29/2004 10:25:35 PM Jenny (www) said:

Well, I'm proud of you M, I couldn'e be bothered less about the way my body feels/looks, not a good way of thinking but it keeps me from doing anything stupid! I'm glad the diet's working! KEEP IT UP!

Saturday, March 27, 2004

Sup, drrty. This morning I went to an O Chem help session (yes, on a Saturday). We practically begged the prof for one b4 the test Monday, and this is what we got. I've been studying my flash cards ever since I got home, but my confidence is waning. Speaking of confidence, I just got back from my weekly Macaroni Grill binge and am fixin to watch "Confidence." Haha, I said "fixin"; I'm so Texan, y'all.

Friday, March 26, 2004

OK, after being called "uppity" one too many times (seriously, it seems like anytime I type/say/do anything I'm called uppity), I decided to finally look up this strange word. I thought uppity meant emotional or excited, but check this out. It means "putting on or marked by airs of superiority : ARROGANT, PRESUMPTUOUS." What the hookie! Since when am I this? I don't get it. Just because I'm smarter, prettier, and more entertaining than anybody else this side of the Rockies, doesn't mean I'm arrogant.
Today I found out that there was a Persian contestant on America's Next Top Model! She made it all the way to episode 7! Why didn't I hear about his before the show ended on Tuesday? Her name is Sara Racey-Tabrizi. Check her out.
Wow, read this. Sara has an interesting blog past.
"Orlando's word "pretty" probably carries the primary meaning, now obsolete, of "clever, skillful, apt" (OED 11.2a), referring to the witty conversation that has just taken place. But the word pretty in Shakespeare is almost always used to describe either women or children."

-- Marjorie Garber, "The Education of Orlando"
Hi, everybody. Today I took my English test. I learned my lesson from last time and just wrote down everything I knew about everything as quickly as possible. I hope that helped. After lunch, Diego and I were walking to class and these frat guys at the counter in Hughes-Trigg were asking us if we wanted to donate to a worthy cause. We both said, "Uhhh" and kept walking. As we turned the corner, the guy yelled out, "Yeah, y'all can keep living in the lap of luxury!" I yelled back, "You should see my house!" (Stupid comeback, I know). Then Diego and I started going on about how those guys are so stupid. You don't get people to donate by insulting them. These guys didn't have signs or anything. There are a lot of frats on campus that want you to donate to their frat, but call it a "worthy cause." I'm not against charities, just against phony fratboys. I don't need the Man keeping me down. I was like, "I'm gonna blog about this!" So I have. Well, that was anticlimactic.

Thursday, March 25, 2004

Listen to this:

You belong in the movie Power Rangers the Movie. With a courageous look on life, you are sometimes corny and live off of big events. Making lifelong friends is hard for you to do, but the ones you have are golden. Hmm, tres interressante. BTW, big thanks to Tifster for the link. I love online quizzes.

CWINDOWSDesktopPowerRangeres.jpg
Power Rangers Movie!


What movie Do you Belong in?(many different outcomes!)
brought to you by Quizilla
The doctor I was scribing for today wouldn't let me change out of my scrubs before I left for school. He said since I was to scheduled to work till 12, I had to work till 12, not 5 min. before so that I could change. Therefore, I came to school in my stylish scrubs. Every person who commented on them said that I look "cute" in them. I found it hilarious that every person said cute. I guess it must be true then. I made sure to change right before O Chem lab, though. Today's lab consisting of dying fabric strips every color imaginable. It was actually kind of fun for a lab. The ammonium smell was starting to get to me though. I was kind of choking on it. Ah, the hazards on the road to the white coat.


On : 3/25/2004 6:37:28 PM persianguy (www) said:

Cute is synonymous with "fat and hairy" -- i.e. my cat is cute...

On : 3/25/2004 7:25:33 PM prettydoc (www) said:

According to the dictionary, cute means "attractive or pretty especially in a dainty or delicate way." Sounds good to me.

On : 3/25/2004 9:14:31 PM Jenny (www) said:

You looked fine in your scrubs hun! It proves you at least intend to do something with your time and life! That is definitely more than some people I know! I would have stayed in them if it were me, for rebellion's sake!

On : 3/25/2004 9:58:39 PM prettydoc (www) said:

Indeed, Jenny. I refuse to be a slave to societal norms and fashion. Long live the era of Scrubs!

Wednesday, March 24, 2004

Today was pretty cool. It was the last day of lecture material for the O Chem exam (gasp!). Then I got some Grade A advice from one of my best girls (Solidarity Sisters!). My diet became yet another topic of conversation today. I guess everybody has an opinion on it. Then I got to Psyc and relished in the fact that for the first time in while I didn't have to meet with anybody after class. I actually got to come home at a decent time. Time to prelab and study for the English test.


On : 3/25/2004 2:50:56 PM Ric the slick (www) said:

I didnt' know for a long time that this is you. I was like, who's prettydoc? Anyway, I appreciate you reading my blog. This is actually the only time I had for long to actually play around in teh pc. Hope all your classes are doing well.

On : 3/25/2004 5:59:06 PM prettydoc (www) said:

haha, that's so funny, slickster. Follow the magic links...

Tuesday, March 23, 2004

So my boss for TA said that I'd only have to stay until 3 today. Somehow that turned into 5 pm! WTF! I can't handle this. I've got to write one more lab report. Then I have to study. I have an English test Friday and the big O Chem test Monday. Something interesting happened at the hospital today. One of the patients was an old woman who only spoke Spanish, so her son had to translate. Everything was going smoothly until it was time for the rectal exam. The doctor told the son what he was going to do and told him to tell his mom. Well, he didn't, even when I told him that he really did need to tell her. He just walked out of the room. So, the doctor tried to tell her to stand. He then had to pull down her underwear himself and told her he was doing "el recto." After he finished, the lady was visibly upset. I tried to be comforting to her, but I don't speak Spanish so all I could do was look sympathetic. The poor thing started crying and when we sent the son back in the room, he didn't even say anything to her. Poor thing. I must learn Spanish so that none of my patients will ever have to go through that.



On : 3/24/2004 12:33:49 PM persianguy (www) said:

[Zardieman az to, sorkhee eh to az man. That means "give me your red color and take my yellow pallor."]

Uhm, that means my "yellow is yours, your red is mine" -- in reference to the fire. Anyways, fire hopping isn't Islamic, dear... Hope you had a nice new year!


On : 3/24/2004 3:47:13 PM prettydoc (www) said:

Yeah, I know it's Zoroastrian, but the Koran doesn't say that we can't do it. I hope you had a nice new year, too, persianguy. You have a way of popping up at interesting times.

On : 3/24/2004 9:31:03 PM persianguy (www) said:

The Qur'an doesn't say you can't give oral sex to a stranger on a bus in Cancun, but neither does it make it permissible to do so. Nawroze itself is permissible to practice, but things like haftseen or fire-hopping should be ignored.


And as far as my popping up is concerned, I just got done with my finals. So I decided to drop by and see what you're upto, and as always...nothing good.


On : 3/24/2004 10:54:08 PM prettydoc (www) said:

Oh, are you on the quarter system? What school do you go to? I thought the Qur'an said that sex should only be done in the way in which children could be produced, therefore oral sex is prohibited. I may be wrong, but I seem to remember reading that. In modern Iran, the mollas allow haftseen and ateeshbazee, so I guess it's okay. I think it all comes down to your neeyat, or intention. I participate in these events out of tradition, not because I believe in Ahura Mazda as my God. I will try to make my life more interesting for you next time.

On : 3/25/2004 6:36:02 PM persianguy (www) said:

Actually, oral sex is permissible...but only to/for your spouse. The Mullahs don't let it, I think Nawroze was officially legalized for the first time this year in 25 years. And yes, I hope you do make things more interesting.

As far as my school goes....

On : 3/26/2004 3:51:41 PM prettydoc (www) said:

The government has given a Nowrooz address every year since the revolution. Khomeini and Rafsanjani did them when they were in office, and Khamanei and Khatami do them today. I've watched them give the addresses for years on the satellite feed from Iran (Jaam-e-Jam 2). They do it right after the new year begins, about 5 min. into it. First they show one of Khomeini's, then Khamanei does his live, followed by Khatami. The government has always supported the Persian calendar. When they wanted to change to an Arab calendar after the revolution, it caused such an uproar that they had to support the Persian calendar and its New Year.
Now people lovin' me and hatin' me, treatin' me ungratefully
But not knowin' that they ain't makin' or breakin' me
My life I live it to the limit and I love it
Now I can breathe again, baby, now I can breathe again

Now people screamin' what the deal with you and so and so
I tell them n---, mind their biz, but they don't hear me though
Cause I live my life to the limit and I love it
Now I can breathe again, baby, now I can breathe again

I'M REAL, WHAT YOU GET IS WHAT YOU SEE
WHAT YOU TRYING TO DO TO ME?

Monday, March 22, 2004

Wow, today is my sister's birthday. Today my sister turns 17 (R rated movies and no city curfew!).Birthdays are so fun. I got my sister a Coach purse. I think she'll like it. We got a chocolate cake (score!) and Spinach Alfredo pizza (double score!). I guess y'all don't respond much to Shakespeare. Oh well, no biggie. It probably just reaffirms my previous hypothesis regarding quotes on blogs. I finally got to meet with my Cell Bio teacher today. He gave me some good pointers. Apparently, if I retype my notes, I'll make an 85 on the next test. Or something like that; I hear what I want to hear. Happy Birthday, sis! <:)

Sunday, March 21, 2004

Read this.
My middle school years are finally justified. All the more reasons to bring back boy bands. Diet update: After just one week on the Slim Fast plan, I am 5 lbs lighter. WooHoo!



On : 3/21/2004 8:37:58 PM gp (www) said:

how long does the slim fast plan work? you can't continue diets for longer than a month or so before they become ineffective.
my advice to you once you get off is the three-twenty work out. three days a week of twenty minutes of different types of exercise. meaning, one day of twenty minutes of biking, one day of twenty minutes of running, etc. if time is an issue, do one day with two different exercises and walk more often. you'll increase your metabolism tenfold, then you can eat whatever you want.

On : 3/21/2004 9:13:20 PM prettydoc (www) said:

It works for quite a while. Just read this study:
http://www.slim-fast.com/medical/research.asp

On : 3/22/2004 10:49:31 AM gp (www) said:

uhh.. its published by slim fast. probably paid for and sponsored by them too. its not a valid study.

On : 3/22/2004 4:50:32 PM prettydoc (www) said:

They say the same thing on WebMD. This was just faster for me to find. WebMD backs this diet big time.

Saturday, March 20, 2004

Think not I love him, though I ask for him.
’Tis but a peevish boy; yet he talks well;
But what care I for words? yet words do well,
When he that speaks them pleases those that hear.
It is a pretty youth: not very pretty:
But, sure, he’s proud; and yet his pride becomes him:
He’ll make a proper man: the best thing in him
Is his complexion; and faster than his tongue
Did make offence his eye did heal it up.
He is not very tall; yet for his years he’s tall:
His leg is but so so; and yet ’tis well:
There was a pretty redness in his lip,
A little riper and more lusty red
Than that mix’d in his cheek; ’twas just the difference
Betwixt the constant red and mingled damask.
There be some women, had they mark’d him
In parcels as I did, would have gone near
To fall in love with him; but, for my part,
I love him not nor hate him not; and yet
Have more cause to hate him than to love him:
For what had he to do to chide at me?
He said mine eyes were black and my hair black;
And, now I am remember’d, scorn’d at me.
I marvel why I answer’d not again:
But that’s all one; omittance is no quittance.
I’ll write to him a very taunting letter,
And thou shalt bear it.
I’ll write it straight;
The matter’s in my head and in my heart:
I will be bitter with him and passing short.
I had fun last night ringing in the new year. This morning started out fine. Then something bad happened, and I sat in my car in the driveway crying for 10 min. I composed myself and drove to the salon for (surprise!) threading. The pain inflicted on me purged me of my inner pain (ooh, paradox), and I left with knowledge of how to remedy the situation. Bonus: When I finished threading, the threader said "You've lost weight. What's your secret?" Who doesn't love hearing that! Well, when I got home everything turned out all right (never underestimate the power of flowers). I chilled a bit, then started reading William Shakespeare's As You Like It. For a comedy, I'm not doing much laughing. Later, my remedy was reciprocated (never underestimate the power of new shoes). Tonight we're going out to dinner for my sister's birthday on Monday. I still haven't bought her a present. This is bad.


On : 3/20/2004 10:09:39 PM gp (www) said:

why crying?

On : 3/21/2004 11:02:04 AM prettydoc (www) said:

I disappointed someone that I love, but I think everything's okay now, at least for awhile.

On : 3/21/2004 11:21:22 AM Will (www) said:

And how did you do that?

On : 3/21/2004 1:39:05 PM prettydoc (www) said:

That person asked me to do something that I did not feel that I could do in good conscience. Therefore, in that person's eyes I was ungrateful. I felt terrible for disappointed someone that I love so much.

Friday, March 19, 2004

"Ladies, you know what I'm talking about. When a man gets in your soul, and he won't let go!"

Wow, J. Lo, that sounds painful. Anyhoo, tonight is Persian New Year, better known as Nowrooz. After I thoroughly embarrassed myself in front of one of Persian homies (he'll never look at me the same way again), I figured the damage had been done, and it was time to tell him about this site. Hi there! So, tonight is the biggest night in our culture. It's starting to lose the excitement that it use to bring me, but I think that's true for any holiday. I know that once the clock strikes 12:48:30 am I'll be just as excited as I was when I was a little girl in my new dress waiting to get her $20 from the Koran. Ah, holidays are so nice when you're young.



On : 3/19/2004 6:46:14 PM Will (www) said:

Qur'an, holder of all things sacred, US Currency.

On : 3/19/2004 8:00:33 PM prettydoc (www) said:

It signifies that the money is "clean money" and blessed by God so that we can use it in good conscience. Only observant Muslims use their Qur'an to hold it. Other people will either just hand out money or place it in their own respective holy book (Avesta [Zoroastrian book], Taurat [Torah], or Injeel [Bible]).

On : 3/20/2004 12:02:50 AM gp (www) said:

this reminds me of the first time i got drunk... it was at a passover dinner and i was drinking cup after cup of sweet manishevitz wine. i was twelve years old and i woke up with a hangover.

On : 3/20/2004 1:29:35 AM prettydoc (www) said:

HAHA! You know, today our place setting is called "Haftseen" because we use 7 items starting with "S" or "seen". But in the old days, it was called "Haftsheen" and was made up of 7 items starting with the letter "Sh" or "sheen." One of these items was "sharab," or wine. Well, then Persia became Muslim, so no more alcohol. That's when Haftsheen became Haftseen and the rest is history. So before, there were plenty of Zoroastrian kids getting drunk off the sharab!

Thursday, March 18, 2004

"Brass monkey, that funky monkey. Brass monkey junky, that funky monkey"
I got to hear that song on the radio today and memories started flooding. Don't you love it when that happens. Music rocks! (literally)

Work was good. My lunch break was okay, nothing great happened. The laptop across from me was playing sock-puppet porn, so it was an average day. I don't like when abnormal people make normal people feel that they're abnormal. I was really tired all day today and the 3 hr o chem lab didn't help. My cell bio teacher said that he had forgotten to write down that we were meeting yesterday, so he didn't show. Well, that's just dandy. I'm meeting w/ my tutor tomorrow and then with the cell teacher on Monday. I also have to find out who my English advisor is and meet with him/her. Ah, what a crazy time of year.

I have a new favorite song. It bumps Blue October's "Calling You" to number 2. I heard it on the radio today. It's Hoobastank's "The Reason." I think we all know somebody that we wish would say this to us:

i'm not a perfect person. there are many things i wish i didnt do
but i continue learning. i never meant to do those things to you.
and so i have to say before i go, that i just want you to know

i've found a reason for me, to change who i used to be
a reason to start over new, and the reason is you

i'm sorry that i hurt you, its something i must live with everyday
and all the pain i put you through, i wish that i could take it all away
and be the one who catches all your tears, thats why i need you to hear

i'm not a perfect person, i never meant to do those things to you
and so i have to say before i go that i just want you to know

i've found a reason for me, to change who i used to be
a reason to start over new, and the reason is you
i've found a reason to show a side of me you didnt know
a reason for all that i do, and the reason is you


On : 3/18/2004 9:28:43 PM diego (www) said:

good lyrics.

ah the sock puppet video...kamal is disturbing america's youth one step at a time. i must admit it was super funny though.

"who's your puppet?"

On : 3/18/2004 10:34:53 PM prettydoc (www) said:

"Say my name!" "PUPPET!!!"

On : 3/19/2004 12:21:51 PM Jenny (www) said:

Sock puppets! I'm further mentally scarred for life! That was just the start of the insanity yesterday!

Wednesday, March 17, 2004

I met with my advisor today (it took 30 seconds and this is the 1st time I've ever met the guy, too!) Here is the results of my Fall 2004 scheduling extravaganza:

MWF 9-10 PSYC 3341 Social Psychology
10-11 CF 3314H Social and Intellectual History of Europe
TTh 9:30-11 HIST 2323 Russian Culture
11-12:30 PHYS 1407 General Physics
12:30-2 ENGL 3341 Victorian Gender
W 12-3 Physics Lab
MF Work from 11:30-5 (Tentative)

So, as you can see, I have a very diverse schedule full of old friends (English!) and new ones (History!). I think with this schedule I'll actually have a chance of pulling off a 4.0 term GPA. Today in the lounge, I rid us of a message of criticism and replaced it with a message of love...that nobody can read. It says "Noroozetan piruz, harroozetan norooz." That means, "have a happy new year, and may all days be like your new year," happy that is. When I was having lunch, these 2 guys came in looking for the "computer lounge." They were acting really awkward and then we realized that they were in a band that's performing at UTD and they were passing out their demo CD for free. These guys were the dorkiest, most out of place people I have seen on this campus, and that's saying a lot. It wasn't their clothes or anything appearance-wise. It was just that they were so awkward and trying to make jokes but just coming out really lame. "Microwaves are sort of like computers, but you can't check your email." Yeah, really funny, guys. I had made an appointment today to meet with my Cell Bio teacher and go over the test questions that were really right, but that he marked wrong. I waited at his office for 15 min., but there was no sign of him. Don't you just hate when that happens? Now I'm gonna have to find another way to track him down. Grrr...



On : 3/17/2004 7:03:21 PM Tiffany (www) said:

Do you already have your enrollment appointment?

On : 3/17/2004 8:39:32 PM diego (www) said:

maryam, you're way ahead of the ball. i barely have time to worry about what's going on right now - let alone what classes i'm supposed to take in the fall.

On : 3/17/2004 9:41:55 PM prettydoc (www) said:

My favorite time of the year is scheduling classes. "Heard melodies are sweet, yet those unheard are sweeter." --Keats
Enrollment Appointments will go up next week.

On : 3/17/2004 11:02:01 PM gp (www) said:

i guess you like developmental psych. =)
im graduating next semester, my registration time is a few days after spring break, and i have no clue what classes i want or need to take. on top of that, my advisor is booked till next year. blah.

On : 3/18/2004 6:14:08 PM prettydoc (www) said:

I love Developmental Psych! Thanks so much for the recommendation, gp. If Social Psych works out for me, I might consider a Psych minor.

On : 3/18/2004 6:55:17 PM Tiffany (www) said:

Oh...I took Social Psych! Who's the prof? It was an interesting class, but the prof taught straight from the book. It wasn't very intellectually stimulating, plenty of power point.

Tuesday, March 16, 2004

Today is Char Shanbeh Soori. That means it's the last Tuesday night of the Persian year. The most important event of today is when we set up fires and jump over them saying: Zardieman az to, sorkhee eh to az man. That means "give me your red color and take my yellow pallor." It's how we rid ourselves of the pains of the previous year and gain strength for the year ahead. The rest of the night we eat nuts. In Iran, this is like Halloween. Kids go door to door doing "ghashoghzadee". They grab a spoon and bang it against a pot at each house asking for candy/nuts. I say "/nuts" because back in the day (6000 years ago), there were no Hershey's. Candy wasn't prevalent; people ate nuts for snacks. Of course, we can't do that stuff here (or can we?) Every year my dad sets up 3 small fires in our backyard and we jump over them saying the words above. And yes, I do eat lots of nuts. Today this guy came into the lab I TA. He told the prof that he couldn't make lab at 7 because tonight is Charshanbeh soori. So I had to explain to the prof that it was a legit holiday. Then that started the ball rolling as to "who the hell are your people and how come I've never heard of these crazy ass words?" So I started explaining to her that our holiday is coming up and she asked what we do and yada yada yada. I even played her my Persian ring tone. Well, my Persian student decided to come out of the closet and proclaim his heritage as well. Apparently, it suddenly became "in" to be foreign 'cause everybody started saying "I'm Columbian, I'm Russian, I'm Pakistani..." Soon, the stereotype of the "typical SMU student" was shattered, and I turned westward towards home feeling...well, I don't really know how to describe how I felt. Are we more divided or closer as a people? Hmmm...

Monday, March 15, 2004

So, I went back to school today. It was nice to turn in my papers, until my teacher handed me a 300 word assignment due Friday. When will it end?! I got a 95 on my Psych test. Woohoo! The tutor I was supposed to meet w/ today canceled on me, so I won't get to meet w/ her until Friday. Ain't life grand? I started my Slim Fast diet today. It's great b/c I can incorporate salads and fruit into it. I'm going to make this diet as healthy as possible. Hopefully, it will work for me. Then my mind can be off food and back on my studies.



On : 3/15/2004 4:35:36 PM diego (www) said:

awesome. it looks like both our semesters are looking up cuz i got a 95 on my western religion essay.

sucks that you have to write another 300 word essay for Friday. reason number 573 why i'm not an english major. :P

On : 3/15/2004 4:36:09 PM diego (www) said:

awesome. it looks like both our semesters are looking up cuz i got a 95 on my western religion essay.

sucks that you have to write another 300 word essay for Friday. reason number 573 why i'm not an english major. :P

On : 3/15/2004 4:36:29 PM diego (www) said:

haha. stupid me, i double posted.

On : 3/15/2004 6:02:16 PM prettydoc (www) said:

Thatz ok. It just makes me look really popular.

On : 3/15/2004 11:33:00 PM Will (www) said:

Whoa. The grammar is slipping. First the s's turn into z's and then we change because into cuz. Its a slippery slope. Stop it now. Dont turn the internet into a trash bin.
A guide to Grammar We must all be vigilant, i kow my grammar am no good, but lets not "try" to ruin the english language.

On : 3/15/2004 11:33:17 PM Will (www) said:

Whoa. The grammar is slipping. First the s's turn into z's and then we change because into cuz. Its a slippery slope. Stop it now. Dont turn the internet into a trash bin.
A guide to Grammar We must all be vigilant, i kow my grammar am no good, but lets not "try" to ruin the english language.

On : 3/15/2004 11:34:55 PM Will (www) said:

Damn, you have html disabled?
Well at least I am making you appear "popular".

On : 3/16/2004 5:57:58 PM prettydoc's stomach and tastebuds (www) said:

dont feed me poison

On : 3/16/2004 6:42:59 PM prettydoc (www) said:

Ha Ha! That's funny.

On : 3/17/2004 3:43:40 PM Tiffany (www) said:

What made you decide to do Slim fast?

On : 3/17/2004 4:35:00 PM prettydoc (www) said:

Their weight loss system works very well with my schedule. Another big deal for me is that I can eat (almost) any kind of dinner. Since I have Persian food for dinner almost every night, it's hard to conform to a diet, so this lets me have my ethnic food as well as other foods that I can control.

Sunday, March 14, 2004

Well, the good news is the papers are done. The bad news is now I'm behind in everything else. Tomorrow I have to return to college life. That just means getting even more assignments dumped on me. I was looking at my calendar, and it's so full already. The O Chem test is just 2 weeks away, and I'm counting on this tutor to be able to help me pull off a B on the test so I can decided whether I should drop or not. There's just so much academic drama goin on. I think I'm gonna read 20 pages for English and then spend the rest of the night working O Chem problems. After I watch American Dreams and Alias tonight I won't be watching anymore TV for the rest of the week. Thank God for the VCR. I will suppress my urge to watch the new Average Joe. It's too damn addictive and once I start I won't be able to stop. This Saturday is Persian New Year, so of course there's plenty of holiday stress as we try to get everything together. I hope our wheatgrass doesn't get moldy like it did last year. That stuff really stank up the place. Well, good luck to everybody on your first week back. Hopefully we'll be ready to kick ass for the rest of the term.


On : 3/14/2004 3:55:38 PM diego (www) said:

what do you use wheatgrass for during a new year's celebration?

On : 3/14/2004 5:07:36 PM prettydoc (www) said:

We grow it and then place it on our table to symbolize fertility. Then on the 13th day of the new year the oldest daughter releases it into a flowing brook so that she will be the first to find a husband.

On : 3/15/2004 12:16:02 PM diego (www) said:

oh. cool

On : 3/16/2004 8:55:33 PM prettydoc (www) said:

Hehe, something tells me you weren't expecting that answer.

Saturday, March 13, 2004

I've been spending all day comparing Linton and Hareton from Wuthering Heights. I'm so tired of this. My paper has to be 1200 words and I'm up to 870 right now. I'm thinking of quitting on the body of the paper and writing up the intro and conclusion and calling it a day. I think 5 hrs of paper-writing should be sufficient, don't you agree? The party was fun last night. I got to meet a lot of my sister's friends. I have some pictures my sister took of me before the party and of the cake if y'all are interested. Who knows, I might just wind up sending them to y'all just for the heck of it. This Spring Break offered almost no relaxation for me. The best part was sleeping till 10 (yes, that's considered sleeping in for me these days. How pathetic is that!). I lost 2 days to work/dentist and 1 day to dentist/party. So I've got today and tomorrow to finish this paper and work on O Chem. I'm meeting with my new tutor on Monday, so I need to have something for her to work with. Hopefully this tutor will help me get a B in the class. On a sad note, I got a 73 on my Cell Bio test. I'm thinking of switching my Bio major to a minor and taking SMU Bio classes senior year instead of next year. I'll still take the bio classes at CCCC to up my Sci GPA, but the SMU Bio department sucks. I think I'll have better luck just dealing with Physics next year and bulking up on liberal arts classes. I'm not saying that they're easy; I just perform better in those kinds of critical thinking classes. If I do that, I may be able to pull off a 4.0 next year. That would be so sweet!

Friday, March 12, 2004

Today my mom wanted a consultation with a dentist friend of hers in Grapevine. It's pretty far from where we live so I printed out directions from Mapquest and headed out with her on the long, lonely highway. We could follow the directions pretty well until we were on 121 S and the directions said to get on 26 W. OK, I swear there is no 26 W. We went all the way to DFW airport and nobody we asked knew where 26 W was. We exited on 26 S and got into Grapevine Mills Mall. I called the dentist's office, and she said that she was located near the mall. OK, that was a huge lie because she's actually a good 10-15 min away from the mall. We just kept driving and driving through these long stretches of highway with no signs of civilization until we finally arrived to the office. It took us an hour to get there and then the dentist talked to us for 20 min. telling us stuff we already knew! So we got on 121 N (big mistake) and head back home. Once we reached Plano, we breathed a sigh of relief. Ah, civilization! On a fun note, tonight is my sister's birthday party. Her real birthday's on the 22nd but tonight was the best night for her to have a party. She wants to show off my superior dancing ability to her friends. All I want to do is sleep. I see a conflict of interest. Of course, the show must go on, and I won't let down my main girl on her 17th bday party. I'll save a slice of cake for ya.


On : 3/12/2004 8:36:34 PM diego (www) said:

getting lost blows. glad to hear you were able to make your way to your destination though.

happy b-day to your sis, too.

On : 3/12/2004 10:55:35 PM prettydoc (www) said:

Thanx, man.

On : 3/13/2004 1:28:21 AM gp (www) said:

one is not truly found until they have been lost. maybe ill buy some cake mix tomorrow. that sounds good.

Thursday, March 11, 2004

So apparently there was a mix-up at work and there was only one person scheduled to work afternoons instead of the usual 2. So, the girl working this afternoon got on my case about how she was technically covering for me. That's so not true b/c I was never on the schedule to work the PM shift. I was only scheduled to work the AM b/c I've had this dental appointment scheduled way in advance, and everybody knows about it. So my coworker hassled me, and I was like, "Whatever, I have to drive really far away right now and get tortured so I can't talk about this with you anymore." I just hope she doesn't try to make me look bad in front of the doctors when I was gone. Well, then I went to the CCCC dental hygiene place and got my teeth cleaned for real this time. All I can say is there was lots of scraping, water, and blood. It was like a warzone in there. I left with a goodie bag filled with tons of fun teeth stuff (you should see the little baby floss and the generous complimentary Listerine).

Wednesday, March 10, 2004

Scar tissue that I wish you saw, Sarcastic mister know it all...

The scar tissue on my soft palate makes it really hurt to talk. Ugh, at least it's a good reminder of a song from one of my favorite albums of all time, "Californication." I was just reading the lyrics (I haven't heard this song in years) and don't remember them being so graphic before. Oh, well, it must be my old age. I'm thinking about getting back on the old Slim Fast plan. Since my mom has been having tooth problems, she's been drinking those shakes. Seeing those familiar cans takes me back to my senior year of high school. I used to drink those puppies during AP English and while I walked to the library during lunch to study. Yes, a far cry from Chick-fil-a in the lounge. Our office manager at work is on the Slim Fast plan and it's a lot different now than it was back when I was on it. Now they have all sorts of bars, ice creams, soups, and even pasta. It's almost like you're not on a diet at all. It would be easy to stay on at school (they sell those stuff on campus), but my only deal is if I could follow it when I'm working at the hospital. I can barely stay alert as it is, the last thing I need is to faint cuz I'm hungry. Maybe I can follow it on the other days and keep my strength up on those 2 days I'm at work. Sigh, I have to figure something out. I'm thinking of ordering the Bellydance Slim Down DVD, too. I love the Arms and Abs workout, and Pilates is just getting too easy and boring. I don't feel like I'm working everywhere like I would in a cardio workout. Now that I'm part of a fast-paced commuting lifestyle, staying fit just isn't as easy as it used to be.



On : 3/10/2004 6:45:20 PM gp (www) said:

don't eat less. if anything, eat more and do more to stay at an ideal weight. but what you eat is important. no fast food. avoid ridiculous amounts of sugar (ie. two servings of dessert a week, eat fruit instead). avoid eating late at night, and if you have to, make it something natural and easily digestable. the problem with many of those slim fast things is that they substitute things for fat and carbohydrates that are believed to be much worse than fat and carbohydrates. make sure you know whats going into your body before you put it in there. im not one of those trustafarian assholes that only shops at co-ops, but i do ingredient shop like an asshole. a good rule is to avoid foods with ingredients that are difficult to pronounce. saturated fats are to be avoided. if this means you cant enjoy life, then dont listen to me, but its really easy to buy 100% fruit juice instead of the sugary substitutes.
speaking of food, i really want enchiladas right now. i hate colorado. =(

On : 3/10/2004 9:11:36 PM prettydoc (www) said:

That's funny, cuz my sister made enchiladas for dinner tonight. Thanks for the advice, gp. I just have such a crazy schedule balancing b/t school, work, and the endless driving I seem to be doing. It makes it hard for me to eat the way that I want to.

On : 3/10/2004 11:53:47 PM gp (www) said:

im on campus for long hours with no lunch break, so i hear where you're coming from. i usually make a huge sandwich with lots of meat and cheese and some good fresh vegetables. always a banana or an apple, sometimes i bring a protein bar if im going to be too busy to get a proper dinner. also, i always have a big bag of nuts and dried fruit. this week its pistachios, peanuts, raisins, hazelnuts and chocolate chips... just to give you some ideas. its not that difficult to eat healthy on the run unless you just dont like eating this kind of stuff.

On : 3/11/2004 5:26:58 PM prettydoc (www) said:

I like the trail mix idea. It would be great for me to carry around in my scrub pocket while I'm on rounds. It's hard to keep my energy up running around at 6 am.
Here's some quotes from real guys in this month's issue of a famous magazine:

"I make a girl think I don't like her, so she feels insecure--and I have more control"

--Sam, 15, Washington, D.C.

JERKS OF THE MONTH

Hot and Colder

"I'll go up to the girl and get her attention with compliments. Then, like two weeks later, I'll back off a little and start to act like I'm not interested. This gets her to try and make some moves so I come back. Then when we start dating, I'll make her feel like she's the only person in the world. But every once in a while I gotta be a little mean so she won't walk all over me and she knows what's up."

--Steven, 17, Tallahassee, FL

Friend or foe

"I always go for my best friend's girl. That way it's a challenge. I act sweet and nice by flirting with her and giving her compliments, but I work in how my best firend is a player. I say how he is so out of touch with his feelings--and I always end up getting some action."

-- Travis, 17, Kansas City, MO

Wow, unbelievable, right? If you want to read some more, lemme know. I've got plenty more of these.

Tuesday, March 09, 2004

Hey, y'all, how's it shakin'? I emailed my prof a draft of my Gawain paper last night, yet no response has arrived. I fear she may not accept drafts over the break. Oh Fie! I set off for work this morning and started falling apart at about 10 am. I was getting light-headed, blurry eyed, and nauseous. So while the Dr. was in w/ a patient, I snuck into the nutrition room and grabbed a Shasta. All I can say is Shasta McNasty, that hit the spot! I suddenly awoke refreshed and ready for some hard core typing about 2/6 murmurs heard at apex or MRIs revealing absolutely nothing. Yeah! As soon as I was done w/ work, I head on over to CCCC to get my teeth clean. Yes, you read that correctly; I went to Collin County Community College Central Campus in McKinney to clean my teeth. You see, my mom has a friend who's a hygienist and said that we could come in. What my mom failed to mention was that she actually teaches dental hygeine at CCCC and that students would be cleaning my teeth. Community college students. Well, suppressing the Plano snob in me I went today, and I actually enjoyed it. The learning atmosphere was great. There was a student, her teacher, my mom's friend, and a dentist all devoted to me! Didn't I feel special? Today was actually just examination for 3 hours. The most painful part was getting X-rays. The plastic biting thingies (thatz the technical term) were too big for my mouth and kept cutting my palates (hard and soft). Thursday will be the actual cleaning. The big result of today was that I found out I have to have all my wisdom teeth removed (ouch!). Now I'm on the prowl for an oral surgeon. If you know any good ones, let me know.


On : 3/9/2004 7:45:16 PM diego (www) said:

Dr. Nix pulled out all 4 of my wisdom teeth freshman year. It was quick and painless - due to the fact that I was knocked out.

The only annoying thing was that the first day I had no control over my mouth due to the anaesthesia so I had troubles drinking liquids without them spilling all over myself. oh, and i had a super sore throat too but that was cuz I got sick 2 days before my surgery.

Monday, March 08, 2004

We be chillin at da Holiday Inn...

OK, so I've been spending today at home writing my paper on feminism in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is my spring break 2004. I'm 1/2 way done with it and have been taking my fair share of breaks to chat, eat, and watch TV. Once this paper is done I can move on to my paper on Wuthering Heights: who's better Linton or Hareton? Um, why don't they have normal names? Tonight will be a full night of TV watching. I'm gonna watch 20/20 with interviews with Johnny Depp (yum!), Clay Aiken (haven't heard from him in a while), and Oksana Baiul (wow, I don't care about her at all). Then I'll flip on over to NBC and catch Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Charlie's Angels. There's plenty of jigglin and "Farrah, Farrah, Farrah!" The Jaclyn Smith actress is a dead-ringer.


On : 3/9/2004 2:57:53 PM diego (www) said:

spring break + english paper(s) = insanity.

not that my break has been the definition of fun, but at least i'm not writing papers on Sir Gawain and whatever-mahcallit.

On : 3/9/2004 4:15:03 PM Will (www) said:

Kill your TV!

On : 3/9/2004 5:49:43 PM prettydoc (www) said:

Blasphemy! I will never part with Telly, never never!

Sunday, March 07, 2004

I have come to the conclusion that people don't like quotes. I can picture y'all opening my site in anticipation of exciting news or defilement of someone and being utterly disappointed by the quotes. Yeah, I'm picturing y'all thinking "quotes = snore." So, I'll hold off on them a little unless I find some really good ones. OK, so persianguy opened up the success of Iran prior and post revolution for discussion (or he already decided, I'm not sure). Well, all I can say is that Iran is very multifaceted. My heart is in Iran, but in that sense I don't know what I mean: the country, the culture, the people, the history? As far as my political affiliation, I guess I don't really have one. There's no point in my having one because I can't it to change anything. If I lived there, I could theoretically join a party and change or support whatever I wanted. The last time I was in Iran was in 1997; this is the experience I use to guage the success of the country. I did not have a good time there. OK, let's remove factors such as family members. Maybe they were the reason for not having a good time. OK, so now we're left with times when I walked in the streets/bazaars/restaurants/parks. The events that occurred in those places is the bulk of why I strongly disliked being in Iran. I never felt more devalued as a human being and reduced to nothing more than a sex object than when I walked down the streets of the 3 largest cities in Tehran as a 13 year old. After going through that for 2 months, I cannot even begin to imagine going through it for my entire life. There were nice times and memories I have from going there, but those were largely reserved to familial influence. Once that factor was removed, there was nothing left for me but pain. While all the things you say about Iran's success may be true, I don't think we can ignore the fact that a lot of people have been hurt by it's government, and it has changed the people there. A lot of people were hurt by the Shah's government too, but I think it is impossible to say that no problems exist in the current Iran. It is far from a utopia.



On : 3/7/2004 8:44:13 PM diego (www) said:

your words on Iran are really interesting. I have my own experiences going back to Mexico on vacation - which I do at least once per year. My heart is split between the US and Mexico. In Dallas I feel I have complete liberty and personal security as well as a bright economic and professional future. Then there's Mexico City that has all the culture and urban life that I could ever want - at the expense of feeling safe walking down the street late at night and always feeling like I'm being judged by seedy characters looking to make some cash by robbing me....but I'm still intrigued by how my life would change if I decided to move there.

Hehe, I feel like i'm hijacking your blog, so I think i'll reflect more on this tomorrow and post on my blog. I guess what I wanted to say the most is that I understand how your heart can be torn between your ancestry and your present.

On : 3/7/2004 9:06:23 PM prettydoc (www) said:

Diego, that is so beautifully said! That's exactly what I'm trying to convey. Please, hijack away. I'm so glad you understand.

On : 3/7/2004 9:30:58 PM diego (www) said:

hehe ok. well here's more...

exhibit A of diego being torn: watching the US play Mexico in any sport. I always end up rooting for Mexico because i can't stand the arrogant way US players act. We all know they have all the money in the world, they don't have to be uppity about it. All of which is why i got really depressed when the US beat Mexico in the World Cup in 2002...I mean soccer used to be the one sure thing where Mexico used to wipe the US out.

Then there's the part of me that feels really guilty about going against the US cuz I live here and this country's given me all I have.

On : 3/7/2004 10:04:25 PM prettydoc (www) said:

I totally get it. When I went to the Wrestling World Cup in 1998, I was rooting for Iran the whole time. The US players were just so cocky, while the Iranian teammates were so nice. We even got to hang out with them for a while ( I played fooseball with one!). When they lost to the US, I was so upset the whole ride home. But when Iran beat the US at the Soccer World Cup, I went crazy with joy that the US had gone down. That then scared me because I live in America, so I probably shouldn't feel that way. But I do, so I guess I'll have to deal with it.

On : 3/8/2004 3:05:26 PM gp (www) said:

i like this post. its the most personal of all the blog entries ive seen in this little community. i wish all of you would share like this instead of talking about what you ate and how frustrated you are in your love lives. daily events are ungodly boring. a journal is private for many reasons. lets try and not make this about daily events? or how about this. make it into a narrative instead? add an interesting fictional twist? make up names? i dunno. its just that there are literally millions of these types of blogs and they all basically say the same thing. the day breaks and a conflict develops. the hero makes themselves out to be more pathetic (or more heroic) than they actually are. the conflict remains and instead of dealing with it, the internet hears about it. =)
im not going to argue that im any better. this is just a suggestion which i should take as well. im not a voyeur, but this expoundment of daily events make me feel like one. does this make sense?
just a suggestion. feel free to ignore me. =)

On : 3/8/2004 3:22:20 PM prettydoc (www) said:

I get what you're saying gp, but sometimes it's hard to come up with deep stuff to say. If we tried to make everything deep, we'd wind up w/ stupid stuff like how dryers are obsolete. There has to be the lame diary entries so that when a real gem shows up we can appreciate it. Thanks for the compliment and I'll try to bring some culture to the blog community in the future.

On : 3/9/2004 2:59:51 PM diego (www) said:

haha. yeah, we can't be deep all the time. i'm afraid short flashes of brilliance are all you can ask from us gp.

On : 3/9/2004 4:31:55 PM will (www) said:

You and the ten thousand other decendants of a thrice defunct regime. Iran this, Persia that.

I want to hear more about dryers. Since you seem to be taking suggestions.

On : 3/9/2004 5:52:28 PM prettydoc (www) said:

OK, dryers are warm and inviting. When you use a Bounty sheet, your towels smell like heaven.

On : 3/9/2004 7:42:27 PM diego (www) said:

oh God, not the dryer debate again.

Saturday, March 06, 2004

"I wouldn't be surprised if someday some fishermen caught a big shark and cut it open, and there inside was a whole person. Then they cut the person open, and in him is a little baby shark. And in the baby shark there isn't a person, because it would be too small. But there's a little doll or something, like a Johnny Combat little toy guy---something like that."
-- Jack Handey [Deep Thoughts], Recurring Saturday Night Live comedy bit

"A baby is God's opinion that life should go on."
-- Carl Sandburg (1878-1967), American writer known for free verse, "Smoke and Steel"

"Our children are here to stay, but our babies and toddlers and preschoolers are gone as fast as they can grow up-and we have only a short moment with each. When you see a grandfather take a baby in his arms, you see that the moment hasn't always been long enough."
-- Saint Clair Adams Sullivan

"If one feels the need of something grand, something infinite, something that makes one feel aware of God, one need not go far to find it. I think that I see something deeper, more infinite, more eternal than the ocean in the expression of the eyes of a little baby when it wakes in the morning and coos or laughs because it sees the sun shining on its cradle."
-- Vincent Van Gogh (1853-90), Dutch postimpressionist painter, "The Potato Eaters," "Starry Night"
OK, so I went to work this morning with my favorite doctor and had a blast. Well, as much of a blast as rounding on a Saturday morning can be. The doctor gave me some great recommendations for Venezuelan restaurants (that's where his wife is from). I eager to try out Tres Meridas in Frisco (have you been there, Diego? You seem to be all about Stonebriar). I think I would like Venezuelan food. Well, then I came home, picked up some pizza, and had a picnic in the park with my family. It's so nice to live with your family and spend a pleasant afternoon with them. Then we went shopping and I bought a great pair of shoes for $2.50!! That's not a typo. They're gorgeous heels and all the ladies in line were so jealous that I got the last pair! I then came home and watched all the shows that I had to tape this week b/c I was studying (Gilmore Girls, The OC, and The Apprentice). It was great fun. I'm checking out deals on TIVO; tapes can be such a drag. Empress Farah Pahlavi was on 20/20 last night. My parents taped it for me while I was at the Talent Show. The best part of the interview was the clips from old Barbra Walters interviews with the Shah in Iran. I'd never heard him speak English before. It was pretty emotional for us. On the Gilmore Girls episode I taped, Emily buys a set of dishes that had been hand-made for the "Shah of Persia in 1856." That was when my family's dynasty was ruling. My mom gave me this nostalgic look and held my hand. All together now: Awwwww. I really want to read the empress's new book. It's from the same publisher as Queen Noor's memoir. I read that last year. It was well written and interesting, but made the Shah appear weak and empowered King Hussein. Most Iranians see things the other way around. But anyway, the book should be a good read and provide insight into then end of a monarchy, and in some sense, a nation.



On : 3/6/2004 7:50:54 PM diego (www) said:

i've been to Tres Meridas. The food was great. The name of the restaurant comes from three Meridas (cities). One is in Spain, a second in Mexico and the third in Venezuela. They have food from all 3 regions; we had the Mexican specialties and they were good. My favorite part about Tres Meridas is that instead of giving you chips and salsa they give you fried plaintains with aioli dip (ailoli is kinda like a garlicky mayonaisy dressing). It sounds odd but they its a really really good combination.

On : 3/6/2004 10:03:33 PM prettydoc (www) said:

I love plaintains! I think I'm gonna like this place. I thought ciudad = city.

On : 3/6/2004 10:59:41 PM diego (www) said:

you are right. i guess i confused you - i meant to say that Merida is the name of a city.

On : 3/7/2004 12:05:12 AM prettydoc (www) said:

Oh, I get it. Merida, Mexico, Merida, Spain, and Merida, Venezeula. That's pretty clever.

On : 3/7/2004 9:42:34 AM persianguy (www) said:

FUCK THE SHAH. Do you know how much they screwed our vatan? They took hundreds of millions of dollars, and left to America. She's not an Empress, to be an empress you need to have a following and a nation, not 30,000 sell-out Iranians in L.A.

On : 3/7/2004 11:25:43 AM prettydoc (www) said:

Well, I'm not saying either side is right. I'm just saying that when you see images of the past, it's easy to see how your life would have been. It creates nostalgia for those who lived at that time and can't return to it and a feeling of "missing out" for those who will never see it first hand. The past regime and current regime both had/have their problems, I agree. I think Farah concedes that she's not an Empress, since she used the byline "Farah Pahlavi" on her book whereas she used to call herself "Empress Farah" in previous books.

On : 3/7/2004 1:44:54 PM persianguy (www) said:

No, there is nothing wrong with the current government (regime is such a dirty word), if only U.S, the royal family, and the Wahabis tried so hard not to bring the Islamic Republic down, then they would be doing fine. I really hate the Shah and his family, look at them...they collect donations for "Children of Iran" but use it to fund terrorists in attacking Iran, horrible. They sit here in the U.S. living lavish life styles running their satellite networks doing nothing constructive for Iran but bitching about what the current gov. is doing and what they're not doing. Hell, the current government is doing well as far as the economy is going (it's moving up, despite all attempts to bring it down), they've managed to make scores of improvement as far as Iranian technology goes (and moves Iran towards self-sufficiency as far as this department goes), and for education, today Iran has the highest literacy rate it had ever (and the highest for any predominately Islamic nation). Now compare this to the Shah...who accomplished what exactly? 6 figure prostitution numbers in Tehran? Reliancy on foreign governments? Killing Modaressi who was Iran's first democratically elected President (prior to his capturing of the kingdom...) Even today these "hardliner" Mullahs are still keeping the Republic alive. Ashura only strengthens what we stand for, as an Iranian nation in diaspora.

Nobody is holding you back from going. You can go back, it's not like there is some Pasdaren at the airports, or Hezbollah at the taxi-cab waiting to pounce on you. You may live in America, my dear, but your heart should always be in Iran.
Last night I went to the SMU Indian Student Association Talent Show. It was pretty cool. I like Indian dancing. I remember when the International Channel showed Bollywood movies every Sunday, and I'd watch them with my dad after Sunday school. I even have a DJ Punjabi ringtone (one group danced to that song at the show!). There was one song that was in Farsi, but was sung by an Indian singer and set to Indian music. Now, I was always the first to say that all Indian guys were ugly (heck knows it got me in trouble on SDN!), but I retract that statement. I'm very much attracted to guys who can dance, and these guys could move! The cuter ones were the ones who looked more Persian that Indian; I think that had a lot to do with it. But the dance sequences were really cool and had a theater quality to them. All in all a fun night.


On : 3/6/2004 3:34:42 PM Bill Sardell (www) said:

Tell a friend you have bean Bill Sardelled!

On : 3/6/2004 6:33:48 PM prettyface (www) said:

I have no idea what that means.

On : 3/9/2004 4:03:49 PM Will (www) said:

Heck only knows.
uhm, gets your religio-linguistics straight. :P

On : 3/9/2004 10:22:52 PM prettydoc (www) said:

Once again, I have no idea what you're referring to.

Friday, March 05, 2004

Woo Hoo! It's Spring Break. Time to relax and unwind and forget all my troubles. Well, not so much. I'm working, getting my teeth cleaned, writing 2 papers, writing a lab report, and studying O Chem. Whew! Just saying it makes me nervous. What kind of a break is this? On a happy, hopeful note, I think I did well on my Cell Bio test. I finished it in time to make it to English, where I snuck in a couple insightful phrases which won me plenty of "yes, that's very good...yes, indeed!" Woo Hoo! Okay, I have this feeling that I've been scaring some of you into thinking that I'm a hateful person who wishes death on those around me. I really am very nice, but like all nice people, there's a dark side. I just apologize for making anybody feel uncomfortable by my rantings, but realize that they have a justification for their existence. Just don't take them personally unless they're about you, in which case please take them personally and try to be a better person.



On : 3/5/2004 11:27:01 PM prettyface (www) said:

hey maryam!!!!!!!! ummm....this is boring bye! oh and 1 more thing, can i make that website!!!!!

On : 3/5/2004 11:34:34 PM prettydoc (www) said:

no!!!!!1

On : 3/5/2004 11:35:03 PM prettyface (www) said:

ouch! i think i need 2 make some of ur friends convince u 2 let me!

On : 3/6/2004 3:58:26 AM Tiffany (www) said:

This is a little random, but Ric recently acquired a blog and doesn't not how to make it so people can comment. Since I technically don't have a blog, I can't give him good advice on that.

Ric's email: daviric@yahoo.com
blog: smuguy@blogspot.com (I think that's right)

I'm sure he'd appreciate your help. Take care!

On : 3/6/2004 12:31:31 PM persianguy (www) said:

spring break doesn't start for another 2 or 3 weeks...

On : 3/6/2004 3:09:08 PM diego (www) said:

doesnt it feel awesome to know that you won't have to spend sunday nite cramming for a test or doing hw?

On : 3/6/2004 3:17:10 PM prettyface (www) said:

Oh, it totally does!

Thursday, March 04, 2004

"Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so."
-- Douglas Noel Adams (b. 1952), British author, "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"

"You live and learn. At any rate, you live."
-- Douglas Noel Adams (b. 1952), British author, "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"

"Example is the school of mankind, and they will learn at no other."
-- Kurt Herbert Alder (1902-58), German chemist

"More important than learning how to recall things is finding ways to forget things that are cluttering the mind."
-- James Waddell Alexander, II (1888-1971), American mathematician, founded branch of math called topology

"Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It's not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything."
-- Muhammad Ali (b. 1942), [Cassius Clay] American prizefighter

"A blog without comments is like fat-free ice cream--less calories, but too bland to enjoy."
-- Prettydoc (b. 1984), exiled Qajar princess and shameless blogger

On : 3/5/2004 5:15:42 PM Will K (www) said:

Yes, comments am good, but too much of a good thingy is a bad thingy.
-Will K (b. 1981), Supreme Overlord of .... well, Everything.

On : 3/5/2004 5:24:14 PM diego (www) said:

"Yes, comments am good, but too much of a good thingy is a bad thingy.
-Will K (b. 1981), Supreme Overlord of .... well, Everything."

and Mr. Modest himself.
I went to work today; nothing special happened. Scrambled to complete lab reports with lab mates during lunch. Got to lab and started so that I would complete quickly. Suddenly, Hurricane Andrew Part Deux begins outside the window, and everybody stops the lab to stare outside. The commuters start freakin out cuz we don't have our notes to study for the cell test if w're gonna be stuck on campus. We all start praying that it will be over before we finish lab. Thankfully, it is, and the sun never shone brighter than when I drove home today. I've got tons of studying to do for the Cell Biology test tomorrow. The class is from 11-12, but he decided to make the test from 10:30-12:30 and in the business school no less! Yes, craziness abounds, but once I take the test I can go home and begin the glory that is Spring Break.


On : 3/4/2004 9:19:27 PM diego (www) said:

good luck on your test maryam. my break starts tomorrow at 10am, bwahaha.

On : 3/4/2004 9:23:12 PM prettydoc (www) said:

lucky ducky

Wednesday, March 03, 2004

"Everyone admits that love is wonderful and necessary, yet no one agrees on just what it is."
-- Diane Ackerman (b. 1948), American-born author, writer

"You say that love is nonsense....I tell you it is no such thing. For weeks and months it is a steady physical pain, an ache about the heart, never leaving one, by night or by day; a long strain on one's nerves like toothache or rheumatism, not intolerable at any one instant, but exhausting by its steady drain on the strength."
-- Henry Brooks Adams (1838-1918), American historian, writer

"Some pray to marry the man they love, my prayer will somewhat vary: I humbly pray to heaven above that I love the man I marry."
-- Anouk Aimée (b. 1932), French actor

"Doubt of the reality of love ends by making us doubt everything."
-- Henri-Frédéric Amiel (1821-81), Swiss philosopher, poet


On : 3/3/2004 9:26:08 PM Jenny (www) said:

Love is a gift that is given to few, those that recieve it should feel blessed. But other than that i feel it is a grossly exagerated emotion, that almost inevitably ends in anguish and frustration. How paradoxical that the ont thing that clais it will make us eternally happy, also can distroy our very essence of joy? Hell even forever doesnt last that long anymore.
Hello, everyone. I took my Psych test today and am confident that I totally aced it. At least I'm confident about something. I've got to work on my lab reports (they're already over 1/2 way done). I was so tired this morning that I decided to skip O Chem at 8 am. I had almost forgotten how nice the drive is to SMU at 9 am when all the school zones are no longer active. I texted one of my friends to pick up my test for me. The grade was still 65. I was hoping the online grade would conflict, but no chance. So now I'm faced with the decision of whether I should drop this class and take it somewhere else or keep on keeping on. A D in his class is a C, so I'm not technically failing, but I still don't want another C on my transcript. W definitely beats C anyday. If I dropped it, I would take it at a community college during Summer 2. I've got to figure something out. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.



On : 3/3/2004 4:14:11 PM diego (www) said:

i think you've answered your own question. i wish i had the luxury of dropping classes cuz i know of one that i'd definitely drop right now.

good luck w/whatever decision you make.

On : 3/3/2004 6:56:33 PM prizonerofscience (www) said:

u prolly dont care what i think but u shouldn't drop it. ppl frown on w's on ur transcript especially in classes related 2 ur major. also if others r doing bad in the class they might curve grades at the end!
STICK IT OUT

On : 3/3/2004 9:22:39 PM Jenny (www) said:

i had to ponder this slightly longer this time but i came up with no answer. It is whatever will help you sort everything out, and whatever makes you feel most confident. I wouldnt drop, but then again i have never been in this sort of situation so my advice is useless! Sorry

On : 3/4/2004 7:24:19 PM persianguy (www) said:

community college might not be as easy as you believe...especially if you're used to a private institution.

Tuesday, March 02, 2004

I'm exploding with rage, so here's a warning that you might need an umbrella. START RANT: STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT! I won't let you make a fool out of me. I'll live my life how I want it, and it's none of your damn business to judge me as inferior to you. I don't deserve any of your crap. I work long hours, study hard, and raise children to build character; you can't say any of that. Don't think living like hundreds of other people makes you special. Open your eyes and take a look at yourself before you go around judging others. I living your lifestyle means I'll wind up like you, then I want no part of it. And the next time I'm nice to you, don't piss all over it. END RANT. Ah, much better now. It's great to blog; it releases a lot of pent up frustration. OK, so after I ran around the hospital and "socialized" at school, I went to TA and my boss kept us an extra hour. I didn't get out till 6 o'clock! I dropped my friend/coworker off at the train station and headed home. I remarkably and by the Grace of God made it home in 1/2 hr. My mom had already left for religious services held tonight (it's Ashura). This is probably the holiest Shi'a "holiday," but instead of getting to spend the night praying, I'll be spending it studying Developmental Psychology for the test tomorrow. I had two Diet Cokes with Lime for lunch, and I'm still nodding off as I read. I had to take a break to chat with y'all and unwind a little. Most people have the luxury of sleeping after working from 6:45 am to 6 pm, but I am not most people and have to put in more hours of study. Thus is the justice of life.



On : 3/2/2004 8:38:35 PM prizonerofscience (www) said:

highway 2 the anger zone
take up some hobby 2 relieve tension u should try drinking alcohol it is the best!

On : 3/2/2004 9:00:38 PM Will K (www) said:

Television says drink bud light. :P

On : 3/2/2004 9:21:40 PM prettyface (www) said:

el stupido!!!!!!!!!! I'm definitely talking about prizonerofscience!!! What's ur problem!!!!! Y r u such a retard? 1st u steal my names and then u tell my sister 2 do unhealthy things!!! She's a premed 4 heavens sakes!!!! Im outtie, im really mad maybe i should sip bacardi like its ma birfday. And to that meanie out there, stop being such a doodoohead to my sister!

On : 3/2/2004 9:56:58 PM Jenny (www) said:

Hmm, i think there is too much hostility on these blogs now for my health. Especially when people are taking the piss and not allowing retrobution. WTF if going on? All of this talk about immaturity and noone is behaving any older, just more childish! POS you really are a dumbass and i hope that i have never met you/will have to meet you in the future. C'etait impossible pour une fille de mon age a compris pourquois tu est bete! Sorry minute french ranting helps. Sorry M, but i agree childish insults and subtle backstabbing have got to stop! Hell!

On : 3/2/2004 10:02:10 PM sara (www) said:

Since you've had a buys day, I thought I'd fill you in on what happened in Iraq & Pakistan at Ashura events there....[alink=http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/03/02/sprj.nirq.main/index.html]Karbala Tragedy[/alink]...those horrible ppl.........
don't worry about that fool, I vote for slapping him, though violence never solves anything and looking at the context of the day it may seem like an oxymoron, he needs a wake up call. He probably is upset at not being the intellectual equal of a [i]girl[/i].

On : 3/2/2004 10:05:18 PM prettydoc (www) said:

Jenny, I didn't know you spoke French, mon amie! Je parle le francais aussi! We have so much in common. Ma soeur apprends le francais aussi. Seriously, Jen, people need to "save the drama for yo mama" because I don't need to deal with this crap. It's a tough enough world out there with white men getting you down.

On : 3/2/2004 10:22:29 PM prizonerofscience (www) said:

u peepz r 2 serius lighten up a bit 4 heaven sakes

On : 3/2/2004 10:42:26 PM prettydoc (www) said:

Sara, you seem like a nice girl. You should email me sometime. You know the saying, "Everyday is Ashura and everywhere is Karbala?" Well, it certainly has a lot of resonance in light of today's events. There certainly is some kind of a war raging; the sides are just not clear yet. The Ashura attacks this year are deplorable. When will all this insanity stop? It just shows that Imam Hussein (pbuh) was fighting for a real cause that is worth fighting for.

On : 3/2/2004 10:45:29 PM prizonerofscience (www) said:

o yea i saw passion of the christ 2day GREATEST MOVIE EVER go 2 see it now ok u wont regret it yay!

On : 3/2/2004 10:48:04 PM Jenny (www) said:

La gurre du monde retourne parce que les hommes avec pouvoir sont trop bete ou plus bien irrisponsable de visioner le future pour les autre payes! I hate politics, it creates a world full of lies and deciet!

On : 3/2/2004 11:15:05 PM prettydoc (www) said:

Yeah, I like Christ movies. I want to see it too.

On : 3/2/2004 11:38:19 PM Jenny (www) said:

i wanna see "passion" but it has been declared a waste of time by oap's so will have to bribe my dad to go with me on spring break, sigh

On : 3/2/2004 11:39:46 PM gp (www) said:

yowzers... vous etes aliene. je parle francais aussi. mais je n'ai pas parle dans un long temps. i wonder if thats correct.. its been so long i dont even know. you people and your blogs.

On : 3/3/2004 9:19:41 PM Jenny (www) said:

lmao eventually we are going to discover everyone speaks frenc, i love this! C'est incroyable! (ps je n'ai parle pas )

On : 3/4/2004 11:52:21 AM persianguy (www) said:

It's those IDIOT sunnis that go around blowing up Masjids. They have no adab whatsoever. In Afghanistan, however, the Shi'as attacked the Sunnis after they spat on a banner that read "Imam Hussein."

Monday, March 01, 2004

Today I watched The Mystery of Natalie Wood. As I've said before, West Side Story is my favorite movie, and I love Natalie Wood. She's always intrigued me. Her death is so tragic; I cried when the film reached that end. She was so beautiful but plagued with many inner demons. Sometimes I think if I could have been her friend I would have been there for her and supported her. The poor thing. It happened right when she'd gone back to the love of her life Robert Wagner, and she finally had children. It was the time in your life when everything should be perfect. She also shared a love for Romantic poetry, especially William Wordsworth. Her favorite poem was his 1807 poem Ode and Intimations of Immortality from Reflections of Early Childhood:

Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendor in the grass, of glory in the flower
We will grieve not, but rather find
Strength in what remains behind.


On : 3/2/2004 2:04:40 AM prizonerofscience (www) said:

celebrate ur celebreties!
u hold ur title well!