Not as weird as last Thursday, but still…

Left my gloves in Arabic this morning. Losing useful possessions isn’t usually my strong suit.

Thursday lunch with grandma at the typical spot. First time I’ve examined the receipt closely though. Our server was “Pookie SexyGal”? Really?

I am now reading Freud for a history class. A Middle Eastern history class. To be fair, a ‘cultural studies’ approach to most topics could probably allow for Freud.

(With apologies to “Casablanca” and Capt. Renault)

Uneventful day for me, NYU student. Class. Schoolwork. Disappointing attempt at sunset photography (not enough haze for good colors). Visit to a camera store in search of the holy grail of cameras (small, ergonomic, full-featured SLR body with similarly specced lenses). Dinner. More schoolwork. And so on.

Elsewhere, the range of presidential possibilities has decreased markedly. John Edwards is out. We can forget about a campaign against poverty and Wall St. now. Good news for the establishment. Bad news for us.

On the bright side, now that there’s no progressive in the race, I don’t have to feel guilty about not being able to vote in the primary due to a county screw-up. Although writing-in George McGovern seems increasingly appealing.

Oops, have to run now. Story of my day.

Still, it’s nice when everything somehow manages to fit itself into the time allotted. Nice and rare. Paper-chase, Arabic homework, presentation and so forth.

All is not flowers and sunshine though (both in short supply at the moment here). Crazy Mac (John M) wins Florida’s primary and Nikon fails to announce any nice new camera bodies before PMA ’08. Armageddon and grainy images are likely consequences (respectively).

First Monday of last semester (I hope) at NYU. Got that?

Languages are weird. What does one call a language that is written, largely as it is spoken, with some added formalisms to improve style, in a different script from the standard written language? Judeo-Arabic (12th century edition).

Otherwise, the day frittered itself away nicely on unfruitful pursuits like reading, reading and reading.

Sunday afternoons I hate. Especially.

The only thing worse are Sunday evenings, spent feverishly typing and editing, at the library. After a morning and afternoon spent doing the same.

P.S. Washington Square is a mess right now. Whoever thought fencing off most of it and ripping out the central fountain was a bright idea clearly hates America, apple pie, and what’s left of my sanity.

Barack Obama wins South Carolina primary. Celebrates.

Darius Jahromi types a lot, deletes a lot, and types some more. Feels like a chump. Does not celebrate.

Even the afternoon walk was gray.

After remarkable events, unremarkable events are inevitable. Also preferred, in this case.

Pleasantly unremarkable day during which early-20th century peasants and raging hordes of techno-pundits competed for attention. Peasants were the victors, relegating camera news (Photo Marketing Assoc. 2008 expo) to the background. Now there’s progress.

Not a day that unfolded according to plan.

Through a series of unfortunate events, wound up with a relative at NYU Hospital’s emergency room. Nothing as serious as it sounds, but the phrase ‘ordered chaos’ now has new meaning. Computer systems down. Cots, doctors and nurses in short supply. If you didn’t speak up, it seemed like you’d probably be forgotten there for at least a few days. And this was in a good hospital. Ahem.

(Not intended as a knock on NYU Medical. I’m sure it’s far worse elsewhere. The problem is the system.)

Fingers crossed that I will remain safely outside such places for the foreseeable future.

Shouldn’t complain, in principle. Only one class today (Arabic). Hard to get back in the swing of working consistently though. Trying to arrange for more quality time in the library (got a locker again).

Also sort of miss having the apartment all to myself. The roommate’s a nice guy, but it is an adjustment.

Guess I need two countdown clocks: 5-10-08 in addition to 1-20-09 (graduation and the end of the Bush era, respectively).

Happy Birthday me. Or something. The real celebration was last week anyways, with the folks back in California. Guess we’re a long way from 1984, either way. I do share the day with an awesome ad though (thanks Apple, Super Bowl XVIII)!

First day of classes, spring semester. Chose classes idealistically rather than pragmatically. Stupid me.

Arabic instructor is better (than last semester), but class is earlier and requires a lot more work. Seminar was chosen for its topic (Arab-Jews, memory). Preparing for a 14-week onslaught of postmodern abstractions.

Coming up on the 31st anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Can’t say why it is still an issue today. If you don’t like abortions, don’t get one. Forcing someone to act as an incubator for a fetus they don’t want is stupid and cruel. Appropriate adjectives for the whole ‘pro-life’ movement.

Sad news: Heath Ledger is dead. A talented actor who played (well) an impressively varied collection of roles. Only 28 years old. A real shame.