"french is the language that turns dirt into romance" stephen king

last thursday - first airwave show for the fall at WRHU. was very very VERY rusty. played obnoxious electronica mostly. greg sat in for my last hour and we took cute mic breaks together. he played black sabbath for me during Aggressive Edge, the slot he dj's for right after mine.

---- earlier that day Amy Goodman spoke as part of the Educate '08 series. mind blowingly insightful about the role of media in today's society

last friday - finished watching "Hero" in Chinese Literature. consumed 1/2 triple lindy burrito from Moe's afterward, then played hostess that night

last saturday - Hofstra's homecoming. pamela and i got breakfast at 10 am, then wondered why we got up that early for a 1 pm game. we bitched and moaned until after half time and left. consumed other 1/2 of Moe's burrito. wandered about that night looking for a place to socialize. got to drive a bmw home.

past sunday - work, burrito from Chipotle. was not productive. asleep by 9:30pm. madmen was a repeat

yesterday (monday) - became deathly ill overnight. tylenol allergy medication + kleenex + 1.5 cartons of minute maid orange juice. watched gossip girl, finally got interested after 1.5 seasons

today - feeling better. proceeded with classes. it's 11:27 pm and i still haven't read the paper.
dammit

i wish i had something exciting to share, but currently my attention is focused entirely on french notecards.

i had an urge to listen to Rilo Kiley's "Always" from Take-Offs and Landings and could NOT find it on youtube, nor with any google search. i've procrastinated enough from studying for french so i must abandon my search. if some one is feeling generous....

i should have office hours. professors and RA's alike are required to have them; I should be required to get them. Just my reading routine repeated periodically throughout the day (order of importance and most likelihood to actually be read) includes:
e-mail
facebook
ny times (online, sometimes physical paper)
pitchfork
google reader (includes twitter search of jack cafferty and rick sanchez, jack cafferty's blog, gawker, and random art blog)
this blog
links on this blog
twitter
search for new and interesting sites
look up areas of interest

i feel i forget the big picture. or sometimes show signs that i am not entirely sure what place i am at nor what age i am. in one day, i will talk about meetings, clients, research, and reading up on the news, and do all that while eating 5 chocolate chip poptarts and dreaming about my sailor moon halloween costume

everything comes with time

Today was another Wednesday where I was too tired to shower. I overcompensated by thinking "what would a french anime character wear?" I even wore leggings, which despite the fact it is a popular article worn by many LI girls, when worn correctly I think they might overshadow the existence of the obvious bags under my blue peepers.

This morning I had to attend a PR Majors meeting during CH. Supposedly it was mandatory, which is why about 75 of the 200 odd majors showed up. Simply put, more Cosco oatmeal raisin cookies and Strawberry Flavored H2O for me. The majority of the meeting was about how the requirements for the major changed AGAIN and how the Holy Trinity of PR (Prof. Geyer, Berman, and Frisina) deserve pats on the back for having our courses renamed to "PR" instead of "JRNL". It matters, indeed. As PR majors, we should also be proud to say we are from Hofstra. I already feel proud that despite my ridiculous accent (NY/DE/Midwest/Proper English Pronunciation), "Hofstra University" rolls so easily off my tongue.

Some PR students also talked about thier summer internships, including my friend Dani from PRSSA who introduced the concept of social networking to the travel agency she was interning at and my friend Sara Knee, who I regard in my heart as a Hofstra PR super rebel. She is starting this Friday at Edelman Digital, a sect of Edelman Group (one of the top three PR agencies in the world and one of my first loves). Sara owned the meeting. While the PR courses at Hofstra were not "doing it for her", she went out on her own to intern at a digital media agency. What I lack in tech-savyness she more than makes up for with her adorable yet badass demeanor. Sara and I enjoy ranting about how in a way we are PR outcasts who both agree that Perez is NOT our homeboy. With her standing up front, talking about her success, gave a glimmer in hope that for PR rebels like her and myself, we will be okay.

I also talked to Frisina afterward (she is writing my letter of rec for my study abroad in Venice next January) about how Sara and I rant together since we both relate to feeling like PR outcasts. Frisina gave a knowing look and a whispered it was because we are two of "the smart ones". Frisina, thank you for making my schedule with me during Freshmen Orientation '06 - I would probably still be a Journalism major and plague the Chronicle Office. Disclaimer - there is no offense whatsoever in that statement; I have written pieces for the Hofstra Chronicle that are currently in my portfolio. I really am not worthy.

Other news - Catholicism made the front page of NY Times.
Yet again, another instance of reassurance. Evidently, there are such things as progressive Catholics.
My favorite part of the article: “I think that one of the teachings of God is to take care of the less fortunate,” said Susan Tighe, an insurance lawyer who identified herself as “a folk Catholic, from the guitar-strumming social-justice side” of the church.
It's true. Of anything I took away from expensive private Catholic education (the reason I sometimes had to bring peanut butter fold overs to school for lunch), is that it is more important to be an ethical and moral person who is open and caring to others than following ancient religious doctrines (often misinterpreted by those "Crazy catholics").

Also - I have been reading this book for the past month. At the point I'm at, the protagonist Leigh-Cheri has made her attic bedroom into a prison cell since her boo, Bernard, is in real prison for blowing stuff up with home made bombs. For shame. Not only is it smartly written, quotes such as these make me want to cuddle with it every night. This is Leigh-Cherie in "prison":
"'When we're incomplete, we're always searching for somebody to complete us. When, after a few years or a few months of a relationship, we find that we're still unfulfilled, we blame our partners and take up with somebody more promising. This can go on...until we admit that while a partner can add sweet dimensions to our lives, we, each of us, are responsible for our own fulfillment. Nobody else can provide it for us, and to believe otherwise is to delude ourselves dangerously and to program for eventual failure every relationship we enter. Hey, that's pretty good. If I had pencil and paper, I'd write that down.' Alas, she had no pencil, while the roll of paper that sat by the chamber pot was destined for a different end.

the cross is a present from Nicaragua from my sister Tree and is a shoutout to Catholicism. The cymbal banging monkey is for kicks.

comment appeliz vous?

friday i woke up too tired to care about hygiene. it was a band t-shirt day minus washed hair plus crankiness. still, the entire ensemble encouraged more people to say hi to me. my grandmother like sunglasses probably attract too much attention. the exciting portions of my french class consisted of seeing the line "qu'est ceque ces" on the board (from the chorus of psycho killer by the talking heads) and experiencing first hand the fun of french pronunciation and the toll it takes on your facial muscles.

saturday morning started better - contrary to the fact i had another late night i found the ability to get all spiffified for the first Debate '08 training session at ten. while doing the exact opposite of what i was supposed to be doing (listening) i was flipping through the wonderful "this is hofstra" publication orginally intended to inform all about our glorious university (it's 12 pages long). the most savory piece of information was the distinguished alumni list which included Lou Berger, head writer of Sesame Street from the class of '72 and Francis Ford Coppola, who is just the Oscar winning director of one of my favorite movies THE GODFATHER (gahhh!) from '60. My Hofstra pride increased steadily.

Due to certain social circumstances, I went to White Castle for the first time ever today. I wish I had the excuse that I had some odd check list of random fast food joints to visit. Sadly, I don't. I just wanted to fulfill the wish the fellow from California I met last night.

Sara, always the informer, sent me this beauty:
Evidently indie kids have low self esteem despite the presence of their pretentiousness.
i knew it all along.

sunday times today was not interesting.
i ate amazing sushi in long beach.
and i wish i didn't miss mad men last week
i also bought stegosaurus bookends -- all voids in my life are filled.

like a caged animal i is

during the lazy days of summer, where the sun through your windows is your alarm clock, it's hard to not wish for the eventful structured days of the new york and the academic year. how silly i was to be sitting in a t shirt and shorts eating cereal in front of my kitchen tv and long for the days on campus when i felt like somebody. how silly indeed.

as of now the only thing i have learned since coming back to Hofstra is that is is impossible to read about media relations and public relations research while listening to girl talk's feed the animals.

the kick off class for media relations consisted of professor bloom sparking a heated discussion about the train wreck spears. it's subjects such as spears and tabloids that are of popular discussion amongst pr majors at hofstra that make me question whether i'm in the right major. my friends, who range from film and art majors to poli sci and anthro, question why i'm in pr. despite the obvious dreams of working in the pretentious but amazing world of art, my only answer is that pr is something i feel i could be sickenly good at, as overly confident as that sounds. it's too late in the game to change majors now. the only hope is to score the internships i dream about in my sleep (because i am that dedicated). also the prospect of grad school is becoming a major consideration of mine. we shall see.

other areas of interest this week include the Rage Against the Machine incident at the RNC. They were scheduled to play, but because of thier tendency to have violent audiences (like every one of my favorite live performances in the past few years) they were prevented from doing so. what transpired was an impromptu acapella performance involving hand clapping and a bullhorn.

also, my friend sara showed me the blog she and her friends created: Buy Or Don't Buy

it's perfect for when the cynical mood strikes....when doesn't a cynical mood strike anyway?

plans for next week - first PRestige agency meeting and first FORM meeting. also training at LICM

whenever i am at the arts alliance to monitor the gallery, i usually spend my time on the beautiful iMac in the office. i have never been a "web surfer", spending hours on the internet. when i do find the time, i am often at a loss of what to look for, so i do the last thing that an undergrad does during the summer.

i start looking up graduate programs.

NYU has this great program for art administration and sounds like my cup of tea. however, it suggested a "strong background in art history". i assume they imply a major in art history...which i will not have. i was a little heartbroken.

today at work i was talking about my dilemma with my co-workers (camp counselors) and it led to a discussion about majors in general. "the colonel" wondered what one could do with a major in art history. "jail bait school boy" answered 'to be a snob'.

at first i was a little appalled, and then i realized the culture differences between new york and well, the rest of the country. one of the issues i have with coming home has been the attitude of the average citizen of my small town. most go to college here in order to stick around with the friends they made in high school, marry some one they meet in college. settle down, start working, have kids, and the cycle repeats itself. it seems like only in new york (and probably other metropolitan cities) the family and home and friends are last priorities compared to having a career, being success, and living up to the cultured norm. a degree in art history is interesting and respected in a metropolitan area. in small town america...or just maybe my small town, a degree an art history gets you laughed at.

but that is besides the point.

i also realized that i could finally identify a previously unnamed conflict i had when first starting school. a majority of the people i met and the friends i made in ny would be regarded as snobbish and pretentious to the people i know from home. the norm at home believe in doing what is practical. somehow i have gotten myself associated with people who insist that the luxuries of life are worth having and sacrificing that is preposterous. some at school have had more experience in seeing the world and understanding the luxury of culture than my friends from home could ever dream of. maybe that is the point, that to be cultured is a luxury.

it seems often enough to be true that an appreciation for art and culture goes along with status and wealth. i could only hope that it would not be so, that art is something that should be appreciated by all. In this modern age, above anything else, culture had become the voice of the masses. the majority of the masses are not the select and privileged view.

the united states is criticized for lacking culture compared to Europe. the best way to promote the arts is with an understanding of the average patron of our society.

therefore.....i think NYU should let me in to the visual arts administration program without needing a silly art history major.

the end

oh...pitchfork in 2 weeks!

good golly miss molly

gah!!!!
i have had a fondness for reading andy warhol biographies for the past year. i have this weird fascination with his celebrity and how his lifestyle progressed into it's own kind of art form. in the past year i have always had a little shock whenever i saw an original at the moma or met.

lo and behold, while checking my e-mail...i come across this lil headline :

Hofstra University Museum Receives Unprecedented Gift of Andy Warhol Art

oh yes, IT IS TRUE

Today's press release from University Relations says the Hofstra University Museum received "an unprecedented gift of Andy Warhol art from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. The gift, made through the Andy Warhol Photographic Legacy Program is in honor of the foundation’s 20th anniversary. The Museum will take ownership of its gift of 103 Polacolor prints and 50 Black and White Gelatin Silver Prints valued at $150,300 at the beginning of July. The Hofstra University Museum is one of 183 college and university art museums that will receive some of the 28,543 original Warhol photographs valued in excess of $28 million. Each institution is slated to receive approximately 150 original Polaroid photographs and gelatin silver prints selected by Jenny Moore, curator of the Photographic Legacy Program."

here's the link for the entire press release from the Hofstra University website

home again

i came home for the summer in order to save money for studying abroad next year. while my fellow pr peers have big fancy schmancy internships in huge metropolitan cities, i work at a day camp talking to nine year olds about iron maiden. at least i technically have a title: "arts and crafts director". yes parents - i am the one your 4 year old refers to as "the art lady". i can think of at least twenty creative things to do with leaves alone. it's an easy enough job - one week down and i'm all the rage in the parks and rec department of my hometown.

i'm also kinda interning kinda volunteering at this non-profit arts organization in my town. they have their main gallery, the shop, a million art classes and various different events throughout the summer. my boss is a little scatterbrained - sometimes i have to remind her about the full page resume i gave her in may that sats, yes, i'm an art minor and yes, i do have pr experience (granted, one course and one year in PRSSA isn't that legitimate but something is better than nothing). however, how can you not love the free spirited graphic designer turned art advocate/official muralist of my town with "Bleecker Street: Greenwich Village of the '60's" (contemporary covers of folk music) in her gallery who also gives great advice on how best to utilize oil pastels?

one of my best friends, gallo, is spending his summer at his school in Virginia, having a glorious old time while leaving me slightly stranded here. i gave him my "best american short stories of 2005" to remember me by (which isn't actually mine - it was a loan from a guy i dated last year. whoops) elizabeth sold her soul to nannying for this 10 and 12 year old who could def take care of themselves and mike is galivanting throughout the area being the stud that works at Dick's Sporting Goods and dates girls from jersey. that leaves me trying to awkwardly reconnect with friends from high school and hang out with my fellow day camp counselors outside of work trying to not talk about camp.

there are the comforts of home to consider though such as the family and sleeping in the room i've had since i was born (not to mention i finally have my turntable set up. my proudest purchases as of far have been neutral milk hotel's "aeroplane over the sea" and the live recording of orson welles' "war of the worlds" from 1938)

i can't complain and home has been splendid - but i'm still biding my time until i get back to new york.

oh - and pitchfork in chicago will be glorious as well.