Moving Time

i'll be posting from Morgangster.tumblr.comfrom now on. woop.

yeah for a new home!

notes from the laundromat

One of the only places in Juan Les Pins that has free internet is the laundromat a few blocks from our apartment. The song "New Soul" by French artist Yael Naim just came on the radio and it made me feel like writing because in that moment, things made a lot of sense to me.

I'm a new soul
I came to this strange world
Hoping I could learn a bit bout how to give and take
But since I came here, felt the joy and the fear
Finding myself making every possible mistake

See I'm a young soul in this very strange world
Hoping I could learn a bit bout what is true and fake
But why all this hate? try to communicate
Finding trust and love is not always easy to make

I got on the wrong train today and ended up very far from where I wanted to be. Since the next train wasn't coming for about 45 minutes, I took the opportunity to explore a little on my own for the first time on the trip. Here's what I found:

French graffiti is more beautiful, I think, than in America.

If you look genuinely confused, people will go out of their way to help you.

If you look mildly confused, people will assume you know what you're doing and are just choosing to be annoying.

Loneliness doesn't have anything to do with how many people are surrounding you.

Bonjour from France!

France is awesome! Getting here was quite an adventure, but I feel really accomplished after battling a language barrier and really ridiculously confusing layouts of airports/trains/streets. Customs in Nice were a joke. We serisously just showed them our passports, they stamped it, and we were in France. I kept looking around for someone to ask us some questions or frisk us or spit at us for being American, but they didn’t. No one was begging to help us, though, either. We finally figured out where to go to get our bus tickets to Juan Les Pins, but the ticket counter lady gave us all the wrong tickets and then refused to refund us when we told her they were wrong. The infrastructure for a lot of things, we would soon find out, isn’t really great here. There is no “upper management” to deal with complaints or customer service or anything, so we had to bite the bullet on the really-expensive-wrong-ticket even though I know we asked for the right ticket and she printed the wrong one. Makes me think they might do this to a lot of Americans because they know we can’t argue out of it.
We took a bus to Juan Les Pins, where our apartments are, and hauled all of our luggage down the tiny streets of the town. Everything is so tiny here! The streets are tiny, the shops are tiny, the cars are really realllly tiny… the people aren’t tiny per say but they aren’t fat. Very lean and lanky and tan. Which, to be honest, is really strange because all these people do is drink, smoke and eat bread. No lie. I don’t understand how everyone isn’t 400 billion pounds. I guess it’s from all the walking. The town of Juan Les Pins is exactly what you might expect from a small Mediterranean French town. Our apartment, the Couleours Soleil Residences, is about two blocks from the sea. Right next door is a little café called “Non-Stop Pain Sandwiches” which we still haven’t quite figured out. The food is good, but all I’ve had the nerve to order there so far is a ham and butter sandwich (though in all honesty I didn’t know that was what I was ordering at the time!) It is amazing how many phrases you can pick up pretty quickly just because you’re hungry. I realized pretty soon that if I didn’t learn some French, I was going to starve. But like I said, everyone here eats bread. I thought that was just a French cliché… that people walked around carrying baguettes and yelling “Bonjour!” to everyone, but they really do. I mean, everyone carried bread and is always saying hi. Strange phenomenon.
We discovered the best bread place in town. Actually, Allison, our director, told us about it, but we actually found it by ourselves yesterday. It’s called artisan and I don’t think I’ve ever had a better croissant. The lady who runs it is really nice, and she appreciates us trying to speak French I think. A common trend with the French is that they like to try to guess where you are from when you try to speak to them. They think it’s cute, or something, because they will laugh at you and then tell you where they think you are from. Surprisingly and thankfully, I guess, most people haven’t right off of the bat guessed “American, no?” So far we’ve gotten Italian (weird, right?), English and Dutch. Most people can tell just by looking at us though that we are not French, so that’s kind of nice. They usually give up trying to speak French to us and start speaking other languages until we understand.
But back to the whole “French infrastructure” as Allison calls it. Things just aren’t really efficient here. Cell phones don’t have plans, you just buy minutes and type a code into your phone. They don’t have big companies that run things like that. They also have random holidays when they feel like it. Most everything is closed every Sunday and random Mondays they have “bank holidays” where everyone decides they will take a holiday as well. The French don’t really seem to work that much, either. It is the law that everyone take a break between 12-2 and everyone gets 2 months paid vacation. Also, you can’t fire someone. It takes like 5 years to fire somebody, so some people really don’t care about their jobs. Very strange mentality. We were also told that the doctor and dentist are really, creepily cheap. Apparently some kid last year had to get his appendix out and was in the hospital for a week and it was only 35 euro or something ridiculous. On that note, things are otherwise kind of expensive here for Americans. If the dollar was more equal to the euro, things would be awesome! But the dollar is about .6 euro, so it’s hard to remember that when something costs 3 euro, it’s not 3 dollars. It’s more like 5.50. it’s really easy to forget sometimes.
It’s really nice being so close to the beach. Lots of enjoyable people-watching. The water is waaaay too cold for my liking, but the air is about 70 degrees and it’s really really sunny. Women, especially old women, like to go topless, so that’s a little disturbing and guys of all ages rock the speedo. Yikes.
We went into Cannes yesterday to get a look around before the festival starts. The trains like I briefly mentioned earlier are really confusing. Partly because the schedules are in French, partly because the times are writing in military time, and mostly just because things don’t really make a lot of sense here. My most common thought is “there has GOT to be an easier way to do this!” but really, there isn’t. French things are just complicated. We finally made it to Cannes and looked around, but most places were just getting ready for the festival. Building stages, putting up banners and signs and barricades… the festival starts Wednesday morning. Cannes has the McDonalds that I vowed I would never go into, but seriously it’s the nicest Mcdonalds I’ve ever seen. I didn’t buy anything, simply out of principle, but some of the guys wanted to try mcdonalds’ beer. Yep, they have beer. And apparently it was about what you’d expect from mcdonald’s beer, but they said the burgers were really good and well made. Interesting. They were playing some really funny music inside though, like destiny’s child and the quad city dj’s of “come on ride the train” fame.
A random thought… French guys looove to wear capris. They love them. It’s very strange.
A bunch of us braved the grocery store today… that was an experience. We could not figure out where everyone was getting the shopping carts or baskets so we just carried all of our stuff. The aisles aren’t labeled so you just have to guess where the different items are. Also, this is good to know… they don’t have bags. You have to bring your own. We learned this the hard way, but you can buy the big reusable kind. We also learned this the hard way. But now we know, and it’s good that the French are doing their part to save the environment. We kind of panicked, though, inside the store because things are packaged differently and there aren’t any of our family brands to go by. We bought some bread (we’re adapting so quickly) some nutella, some ham and salami, some soup and some cheese. Seriously that is all I could figure out. I wanted to buy some veggies but the whole contraption looked very complicated so I am going to wait on that one. Also something weird… orange soda here isn’t the orange soda I love from home. It’s more like sparkling orange juice. But let me tell you, it’s better here. I don’t what is in that junk from home, but we are really missing the mark.
In other “French stuff is weird” news… French showers and toilets are bizarre. Toilets have a the flusher on the center in the top and you pull up on it to flush. Showers are designed for you to sit down and they don’t have shower curtains. Things get WET. The whole bathroom gets soaked. And the water pressure is so intense! It hurts. We are managing though! Also, the whole no fitted sheets thing still gets me. I’m so glad I brought my sleeping bag!
We have a big welcome dinner tonight with the whole program and then tomorrow class starts. Then, starting Wednesday, we won’t have class again until after the festival, which ends on the 25th, even though we’ll have assignments to work on! Our classroom is on the top of our residence, in this glass-walled room on the 7th floor. It has a huge terrace around it that we can see the city and the sea and the French Andes. Not too shabby for school!
Well, I am going to see if I can go down to the Laundromat and use the free internet. I’ve been typing this letter in my room on our balcony. Our room faces a really cute little street…


More to come!

Au revoir!

Morgan

Je t'aime, Cannes!

This weekend I will be in France. Whoa. Take a deep breath, do a happy-dance, and read that again. I will be in France! You better not be dancing because you are glad I'm outta the country for a while (some friend you are). You better be dancing because I can't contain enough dance in my own body to express the joy that is within.

The Cannes Film Festival is a once in lifetime chance. I read some travel books at the bookstore that say the everyday person's (read: non celeb's) chance of getting into the festival is almost zero. "Almost" because, well, I-- along with 24 of my fellow UGAers, will be in attendance. One book said "you have a better chance of winning the lottery, getting struck by lightning, and seeing Big Foot all in the same day than getting into the Festival."

Well dang. Updates from Cannes to come... until then...

Au Revoir!

when nerds protest

saw this on neatorama and laughed. and then cried because laughing at it meant that i am a big nerd, too.

Planet Party Crashers: Pluto's back with an entourage

I would like to think that our generation's vocal disapproval of the removal of Pluto from the Planets has something to with why our favorite little planet is back. Facebook groups and t-shirts reading "When I was your age, Pluto was a planet" were most definitely a driving force in the return of Pluto.

But news flash: Pluto is back with friends. Yes, Pluto is a "dwarf" planet and he's brought two other dwarfs with him, Ceres and Eris.

WHAT!

Are you kidding me?

There was even a contest to make up a new mnemonic device for remembering the new line-up. The winner: My Very Exciting Magic Carpet Just Sailed Under Nine Palace Elephants.

I will never remember this. Never. For the rest of my life, My Very Educated Mother will have just Served Us Nine Pizzas. There will be no magic carpets! No elephants! And absolutely no palaces! Just Pizzas! Nine of them! Served by My Mother! Who happens to be Very Educated!

In response to this growing outrage by all people who have already graduated the 5th grade, I will never consent to these new planets.

Ceres, Eris... You are dead to me.

Baby Mama Opens Today!

I have been waiting so long for this moment! Someone pinch me.

Watch the trailer!

100 Things: Part 2

picking up where I left off... part 2 of my list of 100 things I want to do in my life!

26. sleep every night in a hammock
27. develop photos in a dark room
28. write a novel
29. deep-fry a turkey
30. experience zer0-gravity
31. dance in the rain
32. meet Donald Miller
33. be in a band (or have Poppyseedchicken make it big)
34. live in a yellow house (soon!)
35. build a canoe
36. fall in love
37. perform stand-up comedy for an audience
38. learn how fireworks work
39. ride a unicycle
40. go glacier climbing
41. watch sea turtles lay eggs
42. make crème brûlée
43. see Singing in the Rain on stage
44. work in a bakery
45. learn to make stained-glass things
46. re-learn to play the piano
47. own a cupcake courier
48. blow bubbles off of the Eiffel Tower
49. read the New Testament in Spanish
50. complete a perfect March Madness bracket

stay tuned for the ever elusive 100 Things: Part 3!!!

100 Things: Part 1

I've been tinkering with the idea of posting this for a while, and then I read from mightygirl that it was sooo the cool thing to do. Hopping on that bandwagon, here's part one of my list of 100 things I'd like to do before I die.

1. paint a mural
   
2. go barefoot for a year
3. float in the Dead Sea
4. share the Gospel in a foreign country
   
5. milk a cow
   
6. write a play
   
7. go to the Cannes Film Festival (soon! so soon!)
   
8. smoke hookah ha ha
   
9. shave a sheep
   
10. work on a ranch out west
    
11. own a business and hire all of my friends
    
12. make a phone call from a British phone booth (the red ones)
    
13. see the northern lights
    
14. use my Spanish in a Spanish-speaking country
    
15. get paid to be a photographer
    
16. witness a total solar eclipse
    
17. meet Tina Fey
    
18. write thank you notes to my teachers
    
19. go a whole week without the computer
    
20. catch a fish and cook it for dinner
    
21. hike the Appalachian Trail
    
22. be the instigator of a massive food fight
    
23. zip-line through the forest in Costa Rica
    
24. read all of the books on my "Books to Read" list
    
25. sit front row at a Sufjan Stevens concert
    

Part Deux: Coming soon!

"Veterinarian/Taxidermist...

Either way, you get your dog back."

I need something like this. Something awesome. Something intriguing. Something that people will look at and laugh and remember.

I need to make business cards for myself for when I go to France this summer. We have to have them to hand around to famous people and bouncers at the Film Festival. Seems pretty weird, I know, but nonetheless, I've gotta do it.

Previous students said they just made stuff up, like they were these famous movie producers or something. Apparently it can help at the festival if you appear to 'be somebody."

Now, while I'm not condoning lying... I do think it would be pretty sweet to have something hilarious on the card. Any suggestions?

Morgan Cogswell.
Baller.

I'm not sure the French would get that.

Stuff Christians Like

Lamphere showed me Stuff Christians Like, a parody of the blog Stuff White People Like today whilst hanging out in our office (aka the Mac lab at the SLC) today. Yeah, it's funny, but it's also, like, totally true. OMGosh.

But seriously.

While I can sit back and laugh at that blog because of its hilarious social commentary, it also calls my attention to how some people view Christians. It's important to be in the world but not of it. We need our faith to be real and our love for Jesus fervent. If we have a love for Christ flowing through our veins, shouldn't we want others to have it as well? We can't just hang out with our Christian friends in our Christian bubble... doing stuff christians like... and expect change to come about.

Like my dear friend Anne Story says... Until All Have Heard.

jake and amir

I think I love this guy.

March Madness Video

UGA VISION is becoming clear

The website that I have been toiling away on for the Admissions Department is finally up and running.

And there was much rejoicing.

Of course, there is still much to do. Videos to make, pictures to take, and adventures to be had. But it is a start.

Let me know what you think!!!

UGA Vision

Fireworks

if you’ve never

punted the butt of a cigar,
you should at some point.

the only downside i can think of
is the black spot it leaves on your boot.

and even that’s not so bad.

Hot in Herrre

This is my dream! Seriously, Poppyseed Chicken is the next big thing. Thank you, Lamphere, for sending this to me, and thank you Jenny Owen Youngs for being my hero. Watch the video!

townies and soundies

Jason filmed a couple of music videos last week and I was able to tag along and get some behind the scenes pictures. Nate Nelson and Cortright did two soundies (continuous shot, raw sound videos) and Hope for Agoldensummer did a full video, complete with a blue bird that delivers messages (SWEET)!

Look at more of the soundies! They are awesome.

Eggstravaganza 2k8...

... the greatest Easter event ever! Well, maybe a close second to the resurrection of our Lord and Savior. But seriously, it was a great, triumphant, pastel-colored day. Thanks for the memories, Inglewood.

Here's the facebook invite info:

Let me tell you the story of easter...

Once upon a time there was a bunny. She ate a lot of candy and blew up like a balloon. Her chicken boyfriend broke up with her because he thought she was fat, and she was very upset. Miss Bunnie crawled into a hole and stayed in there to hide her blubbery body. But then all of her chicken and rabbit friends gathered around the hole and told her she was beautiful, and they gave her lots and lots of candy. So Miss Bunnie creeped out of the hole, and rose again. And that my friends, is why we celebrate easter.

Basically we just wanted to create an excuse to relive our childhoods, and we want you to come over and have fun doing it with us! (doesn't that sound dirty? i didn't mean it to... but its funny so it stays)

Easter egg hunts, pinatas, and good friends- what more could you want? COME OVER!

wear your easter dresses and khakis and sweater vests and little suspenders with rabbits on them.

For more pictures from the glorious day, click here.

How it Ends

Life really is a musical, I'm convinced of it. I don't necessarily believe that my ipod can read my thoughts or predict the future, but I do think that God has something to do with it.

I've been having so much uncertainty lately about things (silly things, really) and when I woke up this morning I prayed that God would just assure me that things are going to work out alright (which, I know deep down they will.) Sure enough, I turn on the ipod and hear song of comfort after song of comfort. And that's on shuffle. The first song was DeVotchka's "How it ends" and the lyrics go like this: (Seriously, read them.)


"Hold your grandmother's Bible to your breast.
Gonna put it to the test.
You want it to be blessed.
And in your heart,
You know it to be true,
You know what you gotta do.
They all depend on you.
And you already know.
Yeah, you already know how this will end.

There is no escape,
From the slave-catchers' songs.
For all of the loved ones gone.
Forever's not so long.
And in your soul,
They poked a million holes.
But you never lettem show.
C'mon it's time to go.

And
You
Already know.
Yeah, you already know
How this will end.

Now you've seen His face.
And you know that there's a place,
In the sun,
For all that you've done,
For you and your children.
No longer shall you need.
You always wanted to believe,
Just ask and you'll receive,
Beyond your wildest dreams.

And
You
Already know.
Yeah, you already know
How this will end."

You may think it's silly that I believe the Lord played this song for me this morning... but is anything too small for our God? You already now how this will end. :)

my itunes keeps playing this song every time i put it on shuffle.

Oh no
Love just leaves you bruised
If you want to know
Find something to lose

The world won't turn until something breaks
Who will make the first last mistake?
You say good things come to those who wait

Into the spiral
Your world and my world
It's never final
Love just leaves you bruised

I went because you said you'd be there
A box of candy
Smoke in your hair
I didn't know
I didn't care
Now I know
Love just leaves you bruised

photography for social change!

There are two things that I've aways wanted to be "when I grow up." A writer and a photographer. Unfortunately, these are two really hard things to do and do well. (And be able to live off of.) Recently, I've been feeling really discouraged in my endeavors.
Journalism seemed like the practical way to be a writer, but I don't think it's really my calling. And photojournalism seemed like a practical way to be a photographer, but I don't think that's my calling either.
What, Lord, could this mean? What do you have planned for me?
I have these desires and passions for writing and photography and so I know it must mean something for the plan that the Lord has for me... but I am not sure.
The unknown is terrifying and yet at the same time, I am excited that I serve a God who is faithful and merciful even amidst confusion and my own doubtful heart.

So where am I going with all of this?

While I'm not exactly saying that I have an idea to change the world or cure diseases, I feel like the Lord has placed this idea into my head and that I have to do something about it. I want to use photography and writing as a means for social change. My photojournalism teacher recently talked about the fact that sometimes when you photograph people... that is the first and possibly last time they will have their picture taken. When your picture is taken, you feel like you belong to something. One of the greatest feelings in the world is to have someone make a piece of art for you. It's a part of you and once it is put into a tangible form... it can be life changing.
My mom painted a portrait of me recently and I can't describe the way it felt to look at that painting, something deep within me stirred. Since we are made in the image of God and God is the Creator, it makes sense that we would love to create things as well.
I'm not sure what this feat will look like. It may mean me going overseas or to rural areas with my camera and taking pictures of people and giving them to them. My mind has been racing thinking about it, but I think using photography to highlight issues and bring to life the fact that not everyone lives in a house and owns a car and has a facebook account. All I know is that something has sparked inside me...

Begging the Question and Starlight: The Last Email

From time to time I like to send out emails. Like massive, group emails to cool people in my life. Here's the latest.
----------------------------

Well, hello, there.

It's been what feels like a year since I've written. I really should be studying for a mid-term that I have tomorrow (whoops) but I was inspired to send out email since it's been so long. I have this theory that I shouldn't have to study because I should learn everything I need to know in class, so I'm really not worried. But I'm kind of worried... so this begs the question-- what kind of theory is it if the theorist doesn't even believe in it?

(I do not really know what "begs the question" means. People use this phrase all the time, especially on college campuses, and I believe they use is incorrectly. I do not know if they are using incorrectly, though, because I myself don't know how to use it. I just have an innate sense that the usage is all wrong.) --EDIT-- I googled "begs the question" and I found a truly hilarious article. Check it out here... you'll be rolling in laughter. http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/the_nonexpert/begging_the_question.php --END EDIT--

Most of you I haven't talked to in a very, very long time and for that, I am deeply sorry. Sometimes I get really sad when I think about how close we used be (emotionally, and by location) and now so far away. This is my lame attempt at an apology and a little update on what's been going on with me in the many months we've had of this break in communication.

The short version of the last couple of months, take one:

I'm a junior in college, which is not very much different from being a junior high school except everything is magnified. Looking back, junior year was the hardest for me in high school. Classes were difficult, many friends had already left for school, and the choices of colleges and universities daunted me. Now... it's not much different. Classes are really hard (fun, challenging... but so demanding!) and friends are getting engaged/married, and the choices of the real world daunt me. It's a weird feeling.

But the future is promising. I still have my internship with the Admissions department here and I love it. I don't know if this would ever turn into a Real Life Job, but I've talked about it. I know it is certainly not something I'd like to do FOREVER, but I do love it and UGA and I'm all about working for something I love. And besides, who doesn't love wearing a University of Georgia polo shirt and a sweet magnetic name tag? I'm all about it!

The friends and I are in the midst of trying to find a house for next year which has led me to the conclusion that house hunting might be my least favorite thing I've ever done (right below getting my wisdom teeth out but just before taking the SATs.) It's seriously not fun at all. We would finally find a house we like, and then it would have to be in "the hood" or next door to "questionable inhabitants." Whatever. I'd sleep in my hammock in a field if it meant I didn't have to look at another 4BR/2B house listing again in my life.

This Friday is the beginning of Spring Break and you know what that means: New York. No, you probably didn't know that's what it means, but this year, for us, it rings true. I'm off to the Big Apple for the first real time (I've seen Lady Liberty and been to Ellis Island, but only for the day. Weird, but true.) and we have a 15-page itinerary. If we can get ourselves up and organized enough to see a tenth of the stuff we've planned, I will be a happy tourist. And if I see Tina Fey just chillin' out outside the NBC studios, I might die of excitement. So if you never hear from me again, it's possible that this is what happened.

Oh, and I am going to the Cannes Film Festival in France this summer. Look for me on the Red Carpet lookin' supa-fine and swanky in my red carpet getup. I'll be right there, hopefully friends with Tina by then.

Well. I do need to get some sleep because it's super late and I have a test tomorrow. All theories are bust. Which begs the question... what is the point of busted theories???

Good night sweet friends and fellow email/gmail lovers.

MORGAN
Jesus Loves and Jesus Lives!

PS. Pray that a lovely house will fall into our hands. (Or better yet, pray that it falls into a nicely landscaped yard just a few hops from campus. And, it magically has free cable. And hottie neighbors. And a cupola with a spiral staircase. And appliances that run on dreams and starlight.)

Ahhh, Molecules

My body completely rejected me this weekend. It threw in the towel. Something like this:

Me: Come on, let's go!
Body: No, thanks, Self. But I am not moving today. Or tomorrow. Sunday's not looking so bright, either.
Me: Oh, well, thanks a lot, White Blood Cells for NOT WORKING!

On a lighter note, being sick did allow me to get reacquainted with my love for sleeping. I kind of wish there was a way that I could watch myself sleeping WHILST actually sleeping, because I think that could be really enjoyable. Just imagine... dreaming about yourself sleeping! How relaxing! Instead I usually dream about studying or cleaning and then wake to find that I was only dreaming and I have to actually do it now that I am awake. Terrible.

In the midst of being sick, my mind wandered to such thoughts like "What could scientists POSSIBLY be doing with their time that they haven't found the cure for the Flu yet?!" and other thoughts like: "I wonder what is inside Nyquil that makes me feel so wonderful..." when I came across this headline at the New York Times:

Ahhh, the Seductive Fragrance of Molecules Under Patent

So this is what all those Scientists are up to. I may have the flu... but at least I smell good.

Stilettos, Pumps, In The Club

"Stilettos, pumps, in the club, whoeva thought that these girls could get crunk!?!"

I've noticed lately that there are an abundance of songs about shoes these days. There are boots with the fur, stilettos and pumps, new shoes that are on, air force ones...

But what about The Real Shoes of Our Lives? Where are the raps about Chacos, the ballads about TOMS, the pop-synth hits about Rainbows or the techno beats about Wallabies?

Anyone who is willing to jump on this bandwagon, we should start composing. I think it could be monumental.

"Chaco, funk, in the club. Who ever thought that shoes smell so yuck?"

I think I'm on to something here, people.

The Cannes Can-Can

Hoorah! I am headed to Cannes... le Festival international du film de Cannes... one of the world's most prestigious film festivals... and needless to say... I am pumped. All I want to do is dance for joy! (Appropriately, I want to dance the Can-Can.)

So I'll be over here, dancing, and yelling HOORAH for France, HOORAH for Films, and HOORAH for Cannes!

J-Walking, or, Why I Don't Want to be a Journalist

About two weeks ago there was a mysterious rumor about a fellow UGA student getting hit by a transit bus while crossing in a crosswalk on Baldwin. (Rumor proved false: he actually fainted. Or something. But no bus.) This kind of information spreads very rapidly around here. Even at a school with over 25,000 undergraduates, I heard about it within 20 minutes and had not even left my house for the day yet.

I kept hearing little whispers about it all day-- speculation over whether it was indeed a bus hitting a boy or a bike running over a stray cat (I was totally hoping for the cat... heh) or whether anything happened on Baldwin Street at all besides the usual mass-j-walking occurrences in between classes.

When I finally got to my journalism class later in the day, talk had started to die down. No one could confirm anything and the people who originally claimed to have seen it disappeared. But since it was a journalism class, everyone was curious about the real scoop. One person in my class had apparently been hiding under a rock or in a cave somewhere and had no idea what we were talking about. He proceeded to get very excited about the prospect of a student getting hit by a bus as it would be a great front page story for the school paper. He was happy about the off-chance that this terrible accident could be a good selling piece for the newspaper.

It was in that moment that I decided I don't think I want to be a journalist.

I don't ever want to be excited about someone getting hit by a bus.

another night with Happy China

Another Night with Happy China

Birds can’t knit, my silly darling sapphire!
Their birdy legs are much to short to reach the wool from the shelf!

Hands to floor and knees to chin I listened. My mother’s voice was thick and breathy, like that Of a woman in love! she said.

Tears do nothing unless we’re watering the flowers, Bee!
Don’t waste them on the sheets!

Head to pillow and palms to quilt I remembered. My father’s house was down the street, To give us more space to explore! she said.

A band is nothing without a tambourine!
It’s the heartbeat and the loose change we find in our pockets!

Feet to floor and arms to chest I watched. My mother always swayed when cooking Because even rice needs rhythm! she said.

An uneaten cookie still has a fortune!
Gotta trust it to come true without you!

Hand to fork and mouth to food I ate. My father always ordered take-out dinner Because only your Mother knows how to cook! he said.

Nerd Love

I love this.

The card, not chemistry class. Let's be for real.

On a similar yet completely unrelated note, I just finished the book Geek Love and it has nothing to do with what you might think. Two nerdy kids on computers IMing eachother smilie faces and LOLing? Wrong. In fact, you are so, inexplicably wrong. Because it's weird. Really weird. I mean, really, really weird. Deliciously weird. I-want-to-read-it-again-because-I'm-not-sure-what-happened Weird.

Yonder Mountain Valentine

The man standing next to me at the Yonder Mountain String Band concert last night reeked of a fun night in downtown Athens. You know what I'm talking about. His date appropriately had a flower tucked into her hair, and they were swaying back and forth to the music. Oh my, were they swaying. Love might not have exactly been in the air, but something sure was. Everywhere, people were fist-pumping for the glory of bluegrass music and finding camaraderie on St. Valentine's day with the help of some illegal, smokable substances.

It. Was. Awesome. Until I decided I'd had enough of hippie fest and was ready to get into my nice warm bed.

Before we left, the man I mentioned earlier tapped me on the shoulder. He asked me if anyone ever told me I looked like Molly Shannon, of Superstar fame. At first, I didn't know whether to be offended or honored. Sure, she's hilarious and got the sweet moves. But my glasses sooo much cooler than hers.

In the end, I decided to find it flattering and proceeded to do the Superstar Dance to the next song, just for my newfound hippie friends.



Man, I love Valentines day.

I Should Have Checked the Weather

I have an unnatural fear of being kabob-ed by an umbrella.

On rainy days like today, they are everywhere-- swirling discs of death with eight prongs of eye-pokers...

Be careful with that thing! We have two eyes each for a reason... one is not a spare just waiting in case the first gets skewered.

Also, silly girls, don't put eye-liner on whilst on the bus. You're asking for it. And I don't think there's a detergent that gets Brain out of clothes.

Why You Should Want to Be in J-School

For my newest photo-story I am working on a profile piece of UGA student Jason Miller, who owns his own production company called Eikon and does other various cool things, like Campus Movie Fest. Basically, I get to hang out with him all semester and take pictures and write a story about him. Journalism is fun. J-School 4 Life.

Here's his video from the festival... sweeeeet eh?

I Love My New Camera