Okay.
This may take a little while.
It’s finals time here at The University of Maryland, and I’m in Hell. The current weather in hell is: 
Seriously, however, those of you who visit commonly (all 2000 of you) and those who don’t, this is my week: I have a paper due on MIS systems and their applications; a final in Statistics, which are evil; a Marketing final (I like marketing); and a Japanese final.
I suck at Japanese. This entire semester sucked. I need an 80 on my final to get a C in the class…anything lower, and I’m completely screwed – I’ll probably commit seppaku or hari kari or some other form of ritual suicide to avoid the dishonor to my family.
The strange thing about Japanese is that I love it, even though I’m failing it. I don’t like DIS, and I did just fine. Why do I fail the thing that I love? I think maybe I put too much thought into it on the exams, or something. You know, this time, I’ll go by intuition – rather than sitting there, terrified that I got every answer wrong, I’ll just go with the flow. Ni no ashi o funai! (I can’t hesitate!) Or, as my teacher said “Benkyoo-site! Ude o migaite!”, which literally means “Go Study! Polish your arms!”.
Figuratively, it means “to improve at one’s craft or skills”. I need to do well. No, it isn’t a need. I wish to be happy, and so a step on the way is doing well now.
So, who’s up for some happy?
In addition, here’s some links of the day:
Students Who Speak Out Against War Find Themselves Battling to Be Heard
How Spanky Ashcroft Used To Feel About Secret Evidence
How Curious George Bush Felt About Secret Evidence
Closing Down Debate: Ashcroft’s Attack on Dissent (including analysis of Mindy Tucker’s even more objectionable follow-up)
jargon watch: tendentiously vague language lets you deny everything
Testimony of Attorney General John “Spanky” Ashcroft, December 6, 2001
Oh, and in case you didn’t get it, Ashcroft is insane:
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/08/opinion/08RICH.html
http://www.msnbc.com/news/668757.asp
http://www.post-gazette.com/forum/20011209edashcroft1209p2.asp
http://www.sacbee.com/content/opinion/story/1287465p-1355952c.html
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/
http://desmoinesregister.com/news/stories/c5917686/16696895.html
I hear he’s even trying to re-enact the Alien and Sedition Act.