Delorean!

Alright, everyone knows Back to the Future is an awesome movie. Even the 2nd and 3rd have their merits (unlike other Hollywood series.) The only thing I don't understand is... why don't all of our cars have gull-wing doors now? Whatever.

Inspired by my friend Amanda, who received the Blu-ray Boxset recently and decided to have a Back to the Future movie night, I have decided that I have to blog this.

Did Inspector Gadget drive a Delorean?

What? Where did this come from? Well, I happened to be watching the French version of the Inspector Gadget cartoon opening theme when it hit me.

If your impatient or you just don't like the sound of the French ruining a nostalgic show intro, go ahead and skip to the 40 second mark. Go ahead. I'll wait.

No, I won't. Here:

Two great pictures of the Gadget-mobile as a wonderful police car. Looks like a Delorean right?

No so according to a thread started here. There are several other cars that it could be or even a completely made up car. (Although, if you really think cartoon animators are as original as they appear to be, maybe you shouldn't be reading this.) Commentors listed several possibilities, but I've narrowed it down to two others besides the Delorean.

1974 Bricklin SV1 (Has gullwing doors.)

Mitsubishi Starion

So, dear reader, I ask you. What do you think? Blast from the past? Original cartoonist rendition?

UPDATE!

Thanks to commenter torque5, my mind is at ease and I can get back to pondering more important things. (Like why my homework continues to pile up the more I ignore it.) Wonderful!

Visuals!

Worst Month.... Ever.

Do you know what it's like to be lower-middle class? Honestly. It's worse than being lower class. There's just no breathing room. Welcome to my family.

This month has been the worst. Between the school troubles in the middle of the semester and everything that's happened since just before Thanksgiving break... My life has broken. Trying to pay the bills, do my school work, help my family, and maintain some sort of sanity despite it all has been nerve racking to say the least. Here is an interesting article, In Entitlement America, The Head Of A Household Of Four Making Minimum Wage Has More Disposable Income Than A Family Making $60,000 A Year. 

Half of my family supports my decision to quit full-time work and pursue an education. This is the half that listens to me complain about homework, lets me do my laundry for free at their house, lets me piggyback on their internet when I'm in town, and feeds me when I just can't seem to get my kitchen cleaned up. It's not the monetary support that I desperately need for reassurance but it does wonders to save myself from daily stress. I couldn't be where I am now without them.

However, there is a catch. I love the dearly but we are poor. So when my mom's car stops dead in it's tracks, I have no choice but to come to her rescue. She's been there for me for 23 years. It's the least I could do to take a day off of school and help her get to work so she can pay the bills. Without her job, her and my siblings would be in trouble. It just couldn't come at a worse time. I'm two weeks behind in my homework (or at least it feels like it) because I had to pick up holiday retail hours to pay my bills.

On top of my regular bills (cell phone, power, and rent,) I have to worry about food. I let my food stamps run out and haven't had time to get the paperwork together. I've really, honestly, been THAT busy. Shower, school, work, sleep, repeat. Eat occasionally, wash clothes, care for cats. You'd be surprised how draining that can all be when you're worried if you'll have enough to pay the electric bill next month.

Then there's the other half of my family. There is a ringleader to this mentality, but apparently it's a bad idea to give up a really crappy, soul-sucking job in "this economy" to go to school full-time. I think they just wanted to get out of helping me with school, after they spent my college savings on the down-payment for the house that went into straight back to the bank after 3 years. Real smart on their part.

So now I have a week left before exams. 22 hours of work this week. A loving family without a car, who may end up in a bad spot if I can't help. And a load of homework that makes me want to cry, crawl under the covers, and hope I die in my sleep. Really. ... No, not really. But close.

Wish me luck!

Link Spam

Yes, as promised to myself in another bloggers comments I'm posting a bunch of links. Why? Because it's my blog and I can. Also, they're amusing. At least they are to me. I will post a somewhat descriptive title so you're not walking into any crazy weird places that make you fear for your life (or sanity.) Fear not. There may be multiple links per entry to emphasize certain points.


This author is an English teacher's worst nightmare. Apparently, however, people actually like his stuff! I'm thinking conspiracy theorist meets Pre-K.

For your musical amusement I present Failing Hard Drive Sounds. When you get multiple tracks going it sounds very techno. Try it out!

I love Flow Charts. They make me happy. There are some good ones online, but I prefer XKCDs version.

I'm not a huge English-y, poetry, yada yada fan. But I do love one author and her fellow Deadline Dames. They write urban fantasy. Lilith Saintcrow's single greatest achievement however is her Squirrel Terror blogs. If you want to laugh until your sides hurt and you share a fear/amusement of squirrels, you can check them out on her blog here. (Make sure you check the dates and start from the beginning.)

I love sarcasm. I actually thought this article was real until I thought about it... Is Your Son a Computer Hacker?


All in all this list just reminds me that I have to get all of my bookmarks in one place. I have PostIt notes and folders full of references I need to organize. Not to mention my old laptop needs to be cleaned out and have the preferences transferred to my new one (which should have happened over a year ago, but I'm forgetful like that.) And on my new computer I have bookmarks in FireFox and Chrome. Really. How am I supposed to keep track of these? (Not to mention all the links I share on my Facebook.)

So, dear reader, what do you think? How do you manage your favorite sites online? Do you have a jumbled mess of bookmarks like I do?

Burning Out

College life is stressful. No matter how you look at it. Social situations, homework load, finals.... How's a person supposed to keep up?

It happens the same every semester and I fear it's going to keep occurring.  Catch yourself staring at the same page for 10 minutes or more? Not absorbing any information, just trying to trick your brain into comprehending that one paragraph? Putting off that assignment until you feel better? Get a grip on the idea? Skipping class? Making excuses?

Well, the days of excuses are coming to an end. That week is coming, whether you like it or not. It's unavoidable. Better just grab a cup of coffee (as in my case) and get to it. There's not more running come finals week. Sink or swim. Yeah, I went there? Is it wearing on you yet?

Besides just grabbing the nearest caffeinated beverage at buckling down, what else can you do?

Relax. Sounds difficult, even counterproductive, but it does wonders. Start small.

1.When your brain starts to feel like it's trying to claw it's way out of your skull, take something for the pain and switch tasks. Cleaning my apartment and watching an hour or two of TV do wonders for me.

2. Feel like skipping class? I don't condone this kind of behavior but I'm going to say it anyway: It's okay. As long as you're not habitual and you don't feel like you'll miss much, sometimes we just need a break. Just don't make that break detrimental to your studies. No sense skipping a review day if you really feel like you're not ready for finals.

3. Homework been piling up for weeks? Prioritize. Some of those short assignments add up to a lot of time. Time you could use perfecting that paper you have to turn in in two days. Those little points add up but it's much worse to miss those papers that could cause a more serious dent in your grade. Still worried? Talk to your professors. Sometimes they can offer advice and guidance you wouldn't normally think of. Most are even understanding. Remember: They were college students once too! (Scary, right?)

Above all, you should remember that it's not the end of the world. Stress only begets more stress when you think about it. Keep your eye on the prize, friends! Christmas vacation is only a few short weeks away!

*headdesk*

Yes, I just titled my blog with an action. Get over it. It's Monday and I have homework to think about so I'm going to be giving you another scrap from my pile of nothings like I promised.

Enjoy!

He stopped halfway across the room. The globe shattered as it sailed past his head and crashed into the wall behind him. Before she could pick up something else to throw at him he was standing above her. Fury boiled in her veins. She raised her right fist to hit him in the chest but his hand grasped her wrist firmly above her head in mid-swing. Her left leg, the one not attached to a chain to the bed, automatically swung out to kick him instead, but was also stopped by a steel grip on her ankle. The red in her vision refused to abate, so she took a deep breath to start shouting at him. Perhaps, if she released the screaming in her head, he would understand.

Glaring at him with her amber eyes, she started to exhale. Before her breath could form a single sound, his lips were covering hers and she was flat on her back. The soft whumph of the bedspread barely reached her ears before the blood started rushing through her ears. No! He is not going to get away with this! Her right hand still held fast in his grip, she started punching him away at with her left. The heavy bracelet and chain wasn't helping, but it gave her the extra couple of inches to break the kiss and take another breath.

His eyes found hers a split second before she could release her next attempt at a verbal assault. The heat in his gaze made her swallow her words whole. His dark eyes bore into hers and for a moment she forgot who she was and why she was furious. The liquid glimmer in his gaze flitted in and out of sight before she could catch it. A new numbness seeped into her limbs.

"As much as I admire your jealousy, you would do well to learn the difference between love and duty."

She had to blink a couple of times before she realized the heavy weight of him on top of her was gone and she was alone on the bed. A soft clink made her look down and lift her left hand. The bracelet fell off and the chain coiled on the coverlet. She looked around but he'd left the room. The sound of running water from the other room told her he was in the washroom.

The fury inside reduced to a simmer. A cool feeling spread through her mind like aloe on a sunburn. Glancing again at the entrance to the washroom, she debated on whether or not to take advantage of her newly freed hand. Without the bracelet cutting off the power to her fingertips and the chain limiting her range of motion, she was free to start weaving some tricks of her own when he came back.

No. He would expect that. He was probably even hoping for it, since they were both tired of her failed escape attempts. She could only try so many physical and mental jailbreaks before getting tired of being caught. She was bored out of her mind. But now if he wanted to give her the freedom to start weaving her magic again... who was she to argue.

Getting off the bed she used both hands this time to test the anklet that was the last obstacle between her and freedom. The anklet was seamless just as the bracelet had been. Of course, only his thoughts would open the anklet and release her. The chain was made of a similar fashion but the tight links made no room for getting anything between them to wedge them apart or break them. Several yards in length, she found she had length enough to circle the entire room. She was chained to the bedpost closest to the washroom. Judging the distance, she could probably go into the washroom. This was just a guess, but he was in there. There is no way she would willingly walk into the same room as him right now.

The desk across the room had several drawers at the bottom where she found masses of old papers and ancient looking scrolls in the majority of them but the last contained another orb like the one she'd thrown at him and a small knife. She carefully pulled the knife out to examine it. The blade was not quite the length of her hand, made of a copper colored metal, and sharp on both edges. More like a dagger. The next time he saw fit to chain her up, she would need something sharp to throw at him. She quickly scanned the room. No suitable hiding places to keep her new find so she placed it back in the drawer and took out the orb. It was a bit dusty. Odd, because no matter what someone always had use for an orb. That was why it was so easy to find one anywhere you went.

She closed the drawer and passed the orb from hand to hand as she paced along the wall farthest from the washroom. It was a little heavier than a normal, water-filled orb even though it was half full. Never before had she seen one with a cloudy opaque surface. Normally, orbs were prized for their clarity. Only the best magicians could fashion them from the purest materials. Apprenticeships took years. What she held in her hands now resembled a perfectly shaped, but failed, attempt. She did not like the idea of testing her abilities through an imperfect orb, guessing the backlash would be horrible.

Walking back and forth, minutes passed as she stared into the orb. The chain still attached to her ankle made a soft swish across the floor as she first went one way and then turned, stepping over the chain, and continued her trek.

Comments or suggestions are appreciated! They fill me up better than a bag of chocolate chips cookies. :)

Dangerous Week

So far this week, I've encountered the worst lack of luck. This is not to say I've been unlucky. I'm still alive, okay? I just wish the weather hadn't gotten all crappy.

First, we get thunderstorms Monday with a Tornado Watch. Yep. Tornado watches right before Thanksgiving. Welcome to Central Illinois folks, where the weather holds schedule for no holiday. After sitting tight at my mom's house and watching my little sister, I was just ready to go home. In the cold. And the wet. Yuck.

Tuesday was interesting as well. I had to work out at the mall, but before that I decided to go donate blood. You know what that means, right? No more annoying phone calls for another 2 months! I think the Red Cross has a volunteer phone bank to rival tech support in India. Always from a different number and those ladies sound so nice. "Yes, ma'am. Sign me up for 2pm on Saturday. Thank you." *grinds teeth*
I got lucky. They were having a giveaway so I got a free pie for donating. Pumpkin pie, no less! It's sitting in my fridge waiting for me to devour it. Pie makes everything better. Except for the fact that this 80-year-old lady has a vein in her arm like the Hulk and tried to race me to see who would finish first. I would like to say I beat her hands down but my vein was no match. She got done a full two minutes before me. Makes me appreciate that if I have a life threatening injury I may not bleed out as fast as most people. Just saying. I have morbid thoughts like that.

Wednesday rolls around and I'm greeted by freezing rain. Splendid. Match that with 4 hours spent trying to spew word-vomit for a website I'm working on and you have a very unhappy English Major. We're book people. We prefer warm spots to sit and read where no one demands too much of us. Winter is brutal for us because everywhere you turn there is this glaring reminder that it's really, really cold outside. Enter hibernation mode.

Stay tuned next time for the motley adventures of Brandi's Thanksgiving holiday. Complete with multiple family reunions, Black Friday, and PIE!

Take a Breath

Good morning! Finally. The last day of class before Thanksgiving break. 

I survived American Lit. Dr. O'Conner is really passionate about Huck Finn. I love the story but I just wish I had more time to read it! I'm definitely going to go back through the book for my comparative essay and highlight more important passages. I started off each reading session with the SparkNotes. It made me feel better about the plot. Then it was mostly sit down and read for all the important parts. I liked knowing what was coming next in each section because it was so easy to get lost and confused in some of dialogue. Twain's rendering of all the different dialects is really amazing. If you want brownie points with Dr. O'Conner, speak up during the Huck Finn discussions! It's not so hard. I was really happy when some of the jocks spoke up about their observations.

Methods in Secondary English. Christin is doing a mini-lesson on Thinking and Graphics. Lucky her. Doing mini-lessons is so fun, especially when you have to build a lesson around something as interesting as incorporating graphics. If I were doing the lesson I would design something around an advertisement or movie poster. Helping students interpret all the media advertising that surrounds them is really important. There are a lot of ways to incorporate graphics into a classroom. Whether you're thinking using graphics, thinking about graphics, or displaying your thoughts using graphics, our world is so much more visual now than it was 20 years ago. It really teaches them something about their perceptions.

Adam Miller had his senior recital tonight! It was beautiful. Millikin has some of the most talented people I will ever have the pleasure to meet. If you know Adam, but didn't get a chance to go, you should still tell him congratulations. :)

More literary scraps from my hard drive coming soon!