4 Political Thoughts (Plus 1)

1. Thank you, Bernie Sanders, for endorsing Joe Biden, and to both of you for reminding us that human dignity in politics is still hanging in there.

2. If you live in Kentucky, please consider electing a non-dirtbag for senator. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/04/20/how-mitch-mcconnell-became-trumps-enabler-in-chief

3. The West Wing has actually led me to have more respect for my fellow Americans of the Republican persuasion. Ainsley Hayes kicks debating butt!

4. I can't tell anymore whether Trump is more of an arrogant, blustering idiot or a manipulative, power-hungry a-hole. I have a great deal of trouble feeling good about either possibility.

ADDITIONALLY: Thank you to all the people who are working to keep us alive and sane during this pandemic - especially the healthcare workers, of course, but also the entertainers, the researchers, the criminally under-appreciated Instacart workers, the perhaps even more criminally under-appreciated sanitation workers, and so many others.

Fun Fact

The popular conception of the Senate "talking filibuster" is not a requirement and is nowadays relatively rare. Today, filibusters are ubiquitous but on the most part rather boring (and, many would say, especially other senators kept waiting, annoying). This is because around the 1970s, the Senate decided that they needed to be able to have more than one bill on the floor at the same time, so now debate will often simply switch over to another bill during a filibuster (Source: New York Times). 

Quarantine Schedule

Assuming a worst-case scenario, in which America is under quarantine for months on end, I have things planned out. I will finish revising my novel, write and revise at least five short stories, keep up my GPA in an online format, get good enough on the guitar to proficiently coherently play the introduction to "Crazy on You" (which will take a lot of effort), finish bingeing The West Wing (after which I will re-binge Alias, then re-binge The West Wing, then repeat until quarantine is over), and become that friend who seems to always know what to say (which will take even more effort than the "Crazy on You" goal).

Wow, I'm booked. I guess I should probably be doing schoolwork to keep up that GPA/writing said short stories/playing the guitar/watching The West Wing/being a good friend instead of posting on here! Nah, still gonna post.

New Blog

While I am now several years older than I appear in the pictures on this blog, you might have guessed that I'm a little young to be writing the way I sometimes do. I've started a new blog to catalogue the gifted side of me, both the general experience of giftedness the way I see it and my life as an actual "college kid." The blog is called Diary of an Actual College Kid, and you can check it out here.

A Few Good Things I've Gotten Off Quarantine

I have calluses from hours of playing guitar that I probably wouldn't have spent if not for this. I also have renewed motivation to finish revising and publish my first novel. I have more candid communication, and more communication in general, with my friends in the midst of all that's happening around us. I have an obsession with The West Wing, though nothing could quite eclipse my obsession with Alias as it stood the last few months while I watched it for the first time. I have the ability to watch The Good Place with my little brother and The Breakfast Club with my mom due to VidAngel's temporarily offering its services for free. I have a profound appreciation for my family's continued health and safety, as tragedy puts things in perspective. To keep things positive, I won't spend much time on the increased anxiety I also have and the food that I don't have (hello, dehydrated refried bean flakes). My heart goes out to all those who really are suffering from this, but while I'm cynical about the current state of the world, I am (almost) always the optimist when it comes to my personal situation, so I feel the need to look on the bright side of quarantine to maintain my sanity.

10 Things NOT Having Toilet Paper is Good For

Short on TP? Yeah, you probably are. Aren't we all (unless you're one of those ultra-prepared hoarders of paper products)? Look on the bright side, though. Let's face it, toilet paper is a luxury that even many Americans can't afford. Not having it is distinctly a first-world problem. Face it, there are worse things yet to come, and worse things still that are already happening. Here are 10 reasons to celebrate your TP shortage:

1. When the true apocalypse arrives, there's a chance that the zombies will be attracted to large stockpiles of toilet paper. A very small chance, but still.

2. If everyone is short on toilet paper come October, you need not worry about TP'ers this year. 

3. Nobody will want to come over to your house. I know, people have been ordered to socially distance anyway, but no toilet paper deters the rule-breakers! 

4. You'll have all the more room to store your twelve industrial-size cases of Purell.

5. You won't be bitten by a black widow while digging for that pack of toilet paper in the deepest, darkest depths of your garage that you haven't dared enter in months. Why? Because you'll know it doesn't exist.

6. You can rest easy knowing that between your lack of TP and your lack of paper towels, many trees are being saved by your misfortune. Wait, though, most people won't care about that, and they sure won't be thinking about it ... Well, start thinking about it.

7. You needed something to do with all those leftover napkins from that Christmas party anyway.

8. Your kid/younger sibling will have to stop collecting the empty cardboard toilet paper rolls, which will, again, clear up more room for the Purell.

9. You won't have to worry about your kid/younger sibling unraveling the toilet paper rolls through the house.

10. You're in good company, because guess what? I'm out of toilet paper too.

(If you found this mildly funny, please share. In a world without toilet paper, I'm learning to appreciate the small things.)

A Retrospective: Why I've Given No Opinion on The Rise of Skywalker

I know what you're thinking: She hasn't seen it yet. No, of course I've seen it! I still call myself a Star Wars fan. No, it was much better than critics claimed, if not (in my humble opinion) quite as good as its two predecessors, but at the time I saw it, a different masterwork of J. J. Abrams had captured my attention. No, not Lost - Alias, a show you might have already seen me mention time and time again. With all its crazy sci-fi elements, it might be a guilty pleasure for some, but not for me. I have no guilt: I absolutely love it (given that I'm a teen girl, though, there are way more embarrassing things I could like, comparatively). The thing is, though, we saw The Rise of Skywalker on a crisp winter Monday morning. I saw a particularly riveting episode of Alias on Friday night. Some sort of interference I have no memory of on Saturday and my family's Sabbath observance on Sunday meant that my viewing of part 2 of said episode was delayed until Monday night. Needless to say, I was a little distracted during ROS. So, J. J. (not that you're reading this), the reason I haven't given ROS as much love as I have previous Star Wars movies is merely that by far the most addictive and thrilling TV show I've ever watched, and one of your creation, has captivated me. I've already started rewatching Season 2 (because I already finished rewatching Season 1). And in case you're curious, while the Kashmir two-part episode is also awesome, I'm referring to "The Box" (we call them the Tarantino episodes around my house, though we could also call them the Die Hard episodes or the "saving SD-6, even though we're working to destroy it, because this is the only way to save the people in it" episodes - and whew, I need to take a breather). A review of The Rise of Skywalker will hopefully come forth soon...