tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48116487203767023452024-03-13T04:03:13.616-04:00PeacelightInspiration and insight from Tufts UniversityBrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01961531244374047105noreply@blogger.comBlogger240125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4811648720376702345.post-36993094565884443992014-05-08T15:25:00.000-04:002014-05-08T15:31:11.892-04:00Finals Stress? Let it Go.Procrastination for finals this year - combined with the knowledge that, as I prepared to graduate, the class of 2018 was getting ready to come to Tufts - led me to draft this parody of <i>Let it Go</i> from Disney's <i>Frozen</i>. A quick Photoshop job later, I was looking at over one-hundred "likes" on the Tufts 2018 Facebook page and, to my great pleasure, a recorded demo. I'm still waiting for the new Jumbos to release a full-length music video. Until Disney makes us take it down, of course.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://imgur.com/rIztlYS" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugAKHYK_Mrx_LckEFBkSB7TUVosHG6hUzr9D-i8YeeLUghP2l5oBXEMvKKdxCsoa0zXPior0cC_KDx_CgWr9AHiNGi1AuWptuItQt8yU-8Cb6XuIwNY5-VykIEtrsjE51TDnsFnkPTAU/s1600/2014-05-08_151924.jpg" height="209" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Get the full image <a href="http://imgur.com/rIztlYS" target="_blank">here</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a name='more'></a>Here's the video that Chloe recorded:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/QCvhfi3VO30?rel=0" width="480"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
And, for your enjoyment, the full lyrics:<br />
<br />
<b>I Don’t Know</b><br />
(to the tune of “Let it Go” from Disney’s Frozen)<br />
<br />
The clock ticks slow in the classroom today<br />
Not a smile to be seen<br />
Another examination<br />
And the teacher’s pretty mean<br />
<br />
The sun is shining and I want to play outside<br />
Couldn’t concentrate since I first applied.<br />
<br />
They let me in, wrote back to me<br />
Accepted at Tufts University!<br />
But I’ve got tests, so I sit tight<br />
I think I’ll write:<br />
<br />
I don’t know, I don’t know<br />
Can’t concentrate anymore<br />
I don’t know, I don’t know<br />
What are senior finals for?<br />
<br />
I don’t care<br />
If I don’t get an A<br />
I’ve enrolled at Tufts<br />
I sent my deposit in yesterday.<br />
<br />
It’s funny how in high school<br />
You always feel so small<br />
But soon I’ll be a Jumbo<br />
Can’t wait until next fall…<br />
<br />
For four long years – before that, too,<br />
Taking tests and quizzes; well I’m through.<br />
Senioritis? That sounds like me.<br />
Break free!<br />
<br />
I don’t know, I don’t know<br />
Can’t concentrate anymore<br />
I don’t know, I don’t know<br />
What are senior finals for?<br />
<br />
I don’t care<br />
If I don’t get an A<br />
I’ve enrolled at Tufts…<br />
<br />
I want to stand up,<br />
trash the test, and make a scene.<br />
It’s time to graduate,<br />
go brown and blue twenty-eighteen!<br />
<br />
My inner Jumbo shouts out<br />
Like a trumpet blast<br />
I’m never going back,<br />
Once high school’s in the past.<br />
<br />
I don’t know, I don’t know<br />
Can’t concentrate anymore<br />
I don’t know, I don’t know<br />
What are senior finals for?<br />
<br />
I don’t care<br />
If I don’t get an A<br />
I’ve enrolled at Tufts<br />
I sent my deposit in yesterday.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01961531244374047105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4811648720376702345.post-49620642612019118022014-04-01T15:00:00.000-04:002014-04-01T15:00:00.242-04:00No More JumboCash for Class of 2018In a rare and unprecedented change to university tradition, Tufts University will be altering the JumboCash system stating next fall. Instead of using the JumboCash name, Tufts will be transitioning, selling the credit under a new brand: Peanuts<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">™</span>. The change should go relatively unnoticed for the incoming class of 2018, according to Dean of Admissions Lee Coffin. "The freshmen will grow up on Peanuts<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">™</span>," said Coffin, "and we think once other students see that it's butter [sic], acceptance will spread."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5aQhD-KAPLZaYWech6oN-7XSQu3dY_GhKLTwpKCCOLTkexNUQjFQ7xvoDpW8YwspK9lPo1pwx36mhwrbbN9zOjlOvKLZ_z2odA3jeeFh0koZhJbbkVcNMDeXhgwbdN6QJZ0sfGruOPSc/s1600/131016_12507_coffin022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5aQhD-KAPLZaYWech6oN-7XSQu3dY_GhKLTwpKCCOLTkexNUQjFQ7xvoDpW8YwspK9lPo1pwx36mhwrbbN9zOjlOvKLZ_z2odA3jeeFh0koZhJbbkVcNMDeXhgwbdN6QJZ0sfGruOPSc/s1600/131016_12507_coffin022.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dean Coffin explains thoughts behind the transition</td></tr>
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<br />
<a name='more'></a>Asked to comment on why the change was made, Coffin explained. "In a nutshell, when we sat down and really thought about <a href="http://www.tuftsdaily.com/news/tufts-tuition-estimated-to-rise-nearly-four-percent-next-year-1.2859821" target="_blank">the exorbitant amount of money students pay to attend the university</a>, we realized the money spent on laundry machines and ice cream bars was, in comparison, well... Peanuts<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">™</span>."<br />
<br />
As expected, the Tufts Association Against Allergies and Allergen Appropriation (<i>pronounced: AAAAA</i>) was up in arms outside the Mayer Campus Center. Activists held signs reading "Are You Nuts?" and "Put Your Nuts Back Where They Belong!" Student protesters variously blamed the patriarchy, the pachydermy, and postmodernism for pressuring the change in university policy. "I think that the de facto socioeconomic plight of peanut farmers qua peanut farmers, situated along historically complex cultural fault lines, vis-a-vis the international community, needs to be addressed in less of an extemporaneous ad hoc basis!" shouted one breathless activist upon spotting a fellow student walking out of Jumbo Express with a can of Planters. Daily reporters and English professors are working tirelessly to find actual and symbolic meaning in the inspired outburst.<br />
<br />
Despite concerns about introducing allergens into such frequently-used locations as the residence hall laundry machines, vending machines, and on-campus eatieries, the Office of Residential Life and Learning and Tufts Dining Services seem to be embracing the new university decision. "I like Peanuts<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">™</span>," said ORLL director Yolanda King, "I think this is a good thing. And if this means that juniors with peanut allergies need to live off-campus, or really <a href="http://www.tuftsdaily.com/news/rising-juniors-have-difficulty-securing-on-campus-housing-1.2816630#.Uzr8z_lkTYQ" target="_blank">if any juniors want to live off-campus</a>, rather than living on campus, whether or not they like peanuts, I walnut [sic] dissuade them." <a href="http://kingofdewick.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Jeff from Dewick commented on the change via a posted note</a> after his one-year hiatus. "The timing of this announcement is really perfect for other changes coming to Tufts Dining, including the release of the <a href="http://www.tuftsdaily.com/news/dining-services-currently-holding-naming-competition-for-kosher-deli-1.2853349" target="_blank">name for the new Kosher Deli</a>," Jeff said. "I can't release the name at this point, of course, but I can tell you we turned down a lot of good submissions - 'Have it Yahweh' was a favorite of mine - in order to really bring the best quality to the students."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSF0K7nK_8sY4B0ypuVrG1oZAIMX-tzK19uFEzxx26j1l2kzKchLTuOsl173BerkxtMmRAjHumRdAGqD_fDw2XVBRyW9glYht9cqA0NAvOZLw3svSEahFDRuEoMhgk59w2IcXRitQx6U/s1600/20131126_120348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSF0K7nK_8sY4B0ypuVrG1oZAIMX-tzK19uFEzxx26j1l2kzKchLTuOsl173BerkxtMmRAjHumRdAGqD_fDw2XVBRyW9glYht9cqA0NAvOZLw3svSEahFDRuEoMhgk59w2IcXRitQx6U/s1600/20131126_120348.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The yet unnamed Kosher Deli will begin accepting Peanuts™ this fall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
President Monaco is expected to announce that the destruction of the long-standing JumboCash tradition will be compensated with the reinstatement of either the <a href="http://www.tuftsdaily.com/news/ostrich-statue-permanently-removed-after-vandalism-1.2858668" target="_blank">Tufts Ostrich</a>, <a href="http://www.tuftsdaily.com/bacow-ends-naked-quad-run-1.2512711" target="_blank">Naked Quad Run (NQR</a>), or <a href="http://www.tuftsdaily.com/news/fall-gala-to-replace-fall-ball-1.2832674" target="_blank">Fall Ball</a>. Unfortunately, his Twitter feed has been relatively quiet of late, <a href="https://twitter.com/TuftsGhost" target="_blank">leading Tufts Ghost to Tweet</a>, "<a href="https://twitter.com/MonacoAnthony" target="_blank">@MonacoAnthony</a>: Tradition reincarnation? No comment? #elephantInTheRoom".<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjrlPohxYU6lqbU4GinB_ujT4ajlZu9VqI6f8LfkZp_T-WLuPODsk2mC7Wmie1Vm3rEUUelaONzXtdzd7WVyuUdQg2tWN1WTO_82inqYRkNkNuLGSkbmiB6MC8jgnOBEa1zjpziDKdkA/s1600/ghost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjrlPohxYU6lqbU4GinB_ujT4ajlZu9VqI6f8LfkZp_T-WLuPODsk2mC7Wmie1Vm3rEUUelaONzXtdzd7WVyuUdQg2tWN1WTO_82inqYRkNkNuLGSkbmiB6MC8jgnOBEa1zjpziDKdkA/s1600/ghost.jpg" height="138" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">President Monaco has yet to respond.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The real test, according to Tufts Athletic Director Bill Gehling, is whether or not Jumbo would have approved of the name change. "Sure, they're taking the 'Jumbo' out of 'JumboCash'," he said, "But Jumbo likes Peanuts<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">™</span>. Everybody knows that. That's why he asked us to <a href="http://www.tufts.edu/home/get_to_know_tufts/history/jumbo/" target="_blank">keep his remains in a peanut butter jar for all these years</a>. In a lot of ways, it's what the big guy would have wanted."<br />
<br />
iSIS is now rumored to be considering a re-branding of its own, in part to avoid being confused with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isis" target="_blank">Egyptian god</a> and the recent <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant" target="_blank">terrorist network</a>, but mostly so that new students don't continue to believe the rumors of the system as a poorly-designed out-of-touch technology with good intentions but <a href="http://www.tuftsdaily.com/news/minor-glitches-plague-new-isis-1.2834944" target="_blank">terrible practical functionality for everyday life</a>. The name currently under consideration is IvoryTower.<br />
<br />
Peanuts<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">™ </span>is expected to roll out by this fall, or, like the <a href="http://www.tuftsdaily.com/sports/green-line-extension-project-begins-construction-in-medford-1.2819869" target="_blank">Green Line Tufts stop</a>, April 1, 2020.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01961531244374047105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4811648720376702345.post-10755481841311327622014-02-28T13:11:00.000-05:002014-02-28T13:11:04.134-05:00Legal, BriefI've been making fun of Harvard since the day I chose to come to Tufts University. We all know the Tufts cannon is aimed at the school we look down upon from atop our hill; you only need a $32 billion endowment if you're compensating; and if you want to get to Tufts, you have to take the Red Line and literally pass MIT and Harvard before reaching your true destination. Simply put: there's really only room for one elite liberal arts school five miles outside of Boston. Besides, our mascot is a big, heroic, dictionary-shaping elephant, and theirs is, apparently, an old man. But this one-sided rivalry (in all likelihood, Harvard doesn't know there <i>are</i> any schools further down the Red Line) may not be meant to last. Because when I applied to law schools, I applied to Harvard. And, as of last week, they said yes.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTuhXFGc820ofmcM5y1OM7OLniWwskxj9WKUet_5UpZqKkToVnPRroZcfZstRxFA-3PEzlazf-coLv3DdR4z3XP6kR5ArtKiqJ7X6m6UMk-tuTWnfZitaERSbpHt-YAuMc2R3hq5HkyaY/s1600/20140223_215822.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTuhXFGc820ofmcM5y1OM7OLniWwskxj9WKUet_5UpZqKkToVnPRroZcfZstRxFA-3PEzlazf-coLv3DdR4z3XP6kR5ArtKiqJ7X6m6UMk-tuTWnfZitaERSbpHt-YAuMc2R3hq5HkyaY/s1600/20140223_215822.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My residents are fantastic.</td></tr>
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<br />
<a name='more'></a>Harvard really must have phenomenal name recognition, because the moment I posted this on Facebook, the likes started pouring in. I didn't know I <i>had</i> 300 friends until they registered their social networking mark of approval on my status (I've since checked: I have about 700, and so now I'm wondering about that silent majority...).<br />
<br />
And, of course, as with other schools, I now have more email addresses to check and keep track of. Good thing I studied computer science.<br />
<br />
The hardest part about all of this? Not navigating the financial aid process. Not figuring out which school is the best choice. Not weathering the endless Legally Blonde references. No.<br />
<br />
The hardest part? Pretending my homework still matters.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01961531244374047105noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4811648720376702345.post-78433537060670462752013-11-28T11:38:00.000-05:002013-11-28T13:43:47.743-05:00Deli-cious Hanukkah TreatHappy Thanksgivukkah, everybody! At least, <a href="http://thanksgivukkahboston.com/city-of-boston-thanksgivukkah-proclamation-by-mayor-menino/" target="_blank">that's what Boston mayor Thomas Menino is officially proclaiming the holiday</a>. It's the coinciding of the beginnings of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah, which, according to the proclamation, "will not happen again for more than 79,000 years" (notably, this is a disputed calculation, since it seems likely that the Jewish calendar will be adjusted sometime between now and then to keep the holidays aligned to the seasons). Regardless of whether or not this Thanksgivukkah is unique, Tufts is celebrating with the unofficial opening of a brand new kosher deli on campus, located just inside Jumbo Express.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE8bzqT9KWUB3GPd_s6lnJ4CSCjctpRHOAk8KTbYKv0JgmtuFWd2r-9L7z8sXp8Z0cQCM-9QHzLzys1rc0rXyx4z02Jc5C4wj_2-jhXNO_LzIMSyPvTrgCr8n-vz3M1x2te0DeSqAVlyM/s1600/20131126_120701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE8bzqT9KWUB3GPd_s6lnJ4CSCjctpRHOAk8KTbYKv0JgmtuFWd2r-9L7z8sXp8Z0cQCM-9QHzLzys1rc0rXyx4z02Jc5C4wj_2-jhXNO_LzIMSyPvTrgCr8n-vz3M1x2te0DeSqAVlyM/s320/20131126_120701.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
That's right, folks: contrary to popular belief, Hanukkah comes <i>early</i> this year. Jumbo Express is open for lunch (noon-2pm) for the remainder of the year, and will commence will full hours and a fuller menu starting next semester. Currently, lunch items include cold sandwiches, pickles, coleslaw, potato salad, macaroni salad, and chips. They accept both JumboCash and <i>dining hall meals</i> in addition to the usual payment options, making the deli (as far as I can tell) the second location (see: Hodgdon) outside of the actual dining halls to accept the Tufts meal plan.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEjX2sb51iCgDDP5HsUdVUMPJi_EnnZQiRMf8R1A6uGO_dPGYBut5qLJXz1UV8Y5z78lzhE7vfwAv81hGYLhharZaSXMeYyvHEPo3VHYA7D4wK-0lQWyqXV4US2X1ueqY0btsodwLHo3Q/s1600/20131126_120449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEjX2sb51iCgDDP5HsUdVUMPJi_EnnZQiRMf8R1A6uGO_dPGYBut5qLJXz1UV8Y5z78lzhE7vfwAv81hGYLhharZaSXMeYyvHEPo3VHYA7D4wK-0lQWyqXV4US2X1ueqY0btsodwLHo3Q/s320/20131126_120449.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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According to unnamed sources working the counter, the deli will soon feature kugel, latkes, knishes, hot dogs, baked beans, and hot sandwiches for dinner. For now, you can stop by and pick up your corned beef on rye, which looks like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8XVR4TifXv3x3L2YUejN8PXz_oc7FhIQhvbtEpd72ayGWny36t5qwzjx9g45t2fsMrwueNlKlydrpQ2pIV6eLmNJ5u4F49jUP8LCaFeQSt5bl1_HAx0Ff5d0TRgRa69mGQoXhgcHeiU4/s1600/20131126_122105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8XVR4TifXv3x3L2YUejN8PXz_oc7FhIQhvbtEpd72ayGWny36t5qwzjx9g45t2fsMrwueNlKlydrpQ2pIV6eLmNJ5u4F49jUP8LCaFeQSt5bl1_HAx0Ff5d0TRgRa69mGQoXhgcHeiU4/s320/20131126_122105.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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For non-freshmen, the pricing is something to watch. While prices may yet change over time, the current structure puts kosher sandwiches as the most expensive a la carte sandwich on campus. But then again, regular consumers of kosher meat won't find that unusual.<br />
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So, while you're stuffing yourself with kosher turkey this Thanksgiving, just remember: "No ma, I don't need to shlep any back to Tufts; I can nosh at the deli now."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxSYF7evu0zFj_L93-ze5HPR1PRuwteOd4WCMhkb3lLY3bmZot3eYbCqb7fAIAnfrbPhIu2qLKSr1NZTgoPAuY402rQQL1IrILPRxUQnSFTZvd8SkSUBzqaWqMkXmMj2rZnmR3QlCJKc/s1600/20131126_120348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxSYF7evu0zFj_L93-ze5HPR1PRuwteOd4WCMhkb3lLY3bmZot3eYbCqb7fAIAnfrbPhIu2qLKSr1NZTgoPAuY402rQQL1IrILPRxUQnSFTZvd8SkSUBzqaWqMkXmMj2rZnmR3QlCJKc/s320/20131126_120348.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01961531244374047105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4811648720376702345.post-41078378370311124222013-11-11T14:12:00.000-05:002013-11-11T14:12:00.042-05:00Chocolate Peanut Butter MeltLast month, I solicited the help of friends on Facebook in order to compile a list of campus "secrets" for use on a bulletin board on my hall. You know, things like "Carmichael has a hidden stash of popsicles across from the pizza station," or "You can ride the elevator from the bottom of Downling Hall to the top of the hill, even after the building is closed." But the real value of having lived on this campus for so many years comes from learning the ins and outs of our dining halls. In a rush during Stir-Fry night at Carm? Microwave your own "stir-fry" with the help of the sauces they keep over there. Not gonna wait in line for a Dewick Sundae Sunday? Fill a bowl with whipped cream, add fruit from the salad bar, and go crazy at the toppings station. But here's the gem of dining hall cooking: the chocolate peanut butter cookie sandwich melt.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOnoL3BGvAUGZt_9U5N5Xz4S4Xb4Qc7lNoUzsk75BKw_hATQgLLp__QrSQkRWWhn3E4btFYZt30jvCnTdVGrSWQuBhwraKy2uWT0DEMDxEFONBi943FUx6nfjRkjpz9Hj1Ea2Uy7b9J0/s1600/20131014_130933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOnoL3BGvAUGZt_9U5N5Xz4S4Xb4Qc7lNoUzsk75BKw_hATQgLLp__QrSQkRWWhn3E4btFYZt30jvCnTdVGrSWQuBhwraKy2uWT0DEMDxEFONBi943FUx6nfjRkjpz9Hj1Ea2Uy7b9J0/s320/20131014_130933.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh yes. This.</td></tr>
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<b>Step 1</b>: Procure two chocolate chocolate-chip cookies. They should be soft.<br />
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<b>Step 2</b>: Spread peanut butter between them. Smush into sandwich.<br />
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<b>Step 3</b>: Take to the microwave. Heat for 30 seconds.<br />
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<b>Step 4</b>: Add ice cream, if desired.<br />
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<b>Step 5</b>: Eat with a spoon. Because nothing on that plate will hold together.<br />
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That's right. I see you increasing your meal plan. Tufts Dining: I accept JumboCash as a thank-you.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01961531244374047105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4811648720376702345.post-80850922409379609692013-11-08T09:13:00.000-05:002013-11-25T16:37:30.370-05:00How (Not) to be Open-MindedThis week, I invited one of my friends to come see the new "Ender's Game" movie, the recent film adaptation of one of my all-time favorite books. Her reply: "I'm conflicted. I want to see it, but there <i>is </i>that boycott." As it turns out, Orson Scott Card (the author of the Ender's Game series and one of the best writers of our time) is conservative when it comes to social issues. Specifically, he's anti-gay. And for that reason, LGBT activists and allies are calling for a boycott of the movie. In the name of tolerance, we should not watch a movie which profits an intolerant person. In the name of openness, we should close ourselves to anything produced by people with bad views. I humbly submit: Poppycock.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEuUfI94I_jLZse3S5Li7IhkmGQ0AxeWjFRxkFJQ4G80jVGq2JYgcLqK_486E2K2aKw_80liGGTkvVEJn1ZgG-Nky7nd-5GdOFTy7pSv9Y71WyOTKlodeai9Ir3cYByTBt5FTtmXNPQgs/s1600/enders_game_command_school_not_cover_art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEuUfI94I_jLZse3S5Li7IhkmGQ0AxeWjFRxkFJQ4G80jVGq2JYgcLqK_486E2K2aKw_80liGGTkvVEJn1ZgG-Nky7nd-5GdOFTy7pSv9Y71WyOTKlodeai9Ir3cYByTBt5FTtmXNPQgs/s320/enders_game_command_school_not_cover_art.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ender's Game is about kids in space. Sort of.</td></tr>
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What message are we asking society to send by boycotting movies like this? The movie, mind you, isn't about gay rights. It isn't about marriage. It's about space aliens. So again, I ask: What message does boycotting this movie send? Something along these lines: If you have bad thoughts, if you have regressive views, if you're not changing with the times, you don't deserve to be a part of our culture. You don't deserve to produce books, or movies, or gadgets. The good, progressive people should refuse to buy whatever you peddle, because we're not letting you play in our sandbox. You're wrong, so go away.<br />
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If that's the view of the open-minded liberals, then maybe I need to register Republican. That doesn't promote open-mindedness and tolerance. That promotes asking every salesman and schoolteacher, "Pardon me, but before I accept your services, I'm going to need to know what your personal views on the following social issues are. Because if I don't like them, I going to have to ask you to leave." When the conservatives did this with Darwinism in the educational system, we thought they were mad. Tables turned, are we taking the moral high-ground?<br />
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What if I were to say something non-progressive? What if I came out against Jews, or blacks, or gays? I suppose that means that, in protest, people shouldn't hire me for a job. (Wait, wait - that's illegal.) They shouldn't buy anything I help market. They shouldn't read anything I write. Cause if they did, they'd be supporting me and my bad views. People with bad views are still people, and it doesn't make you a better person to protest <i>their very existence </i>by boycotting <i>anything they do</i>.<br />
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A little while ago, <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.com/2013/10/one-outta-nine.html" target="_blank">Antony Scalia (conservative Supreme Court justice) came to campus</a>, and someone pointed out to me something rather true about young liberals like ourselves: We love to claim that we're open-minded. So open-minded, in fact, that we proudly pounce on anyone who is close-minded. Conservatives? Intolerant people? Bigots? They're wrong, you see, and they shouldn't be allowed to have their closed-minded views. They need to be open-minded, like us. Well, that's a bit misguided. If we were truly open-minded, we would be interested the views of others. We would listen to them when they spoke. We would try to understand them. But it's so tempting, so attractively noble, to instead shout out against the "backward" thinkers, to line up outside the Scalia lecture and protest, to tell people why their views are too <i>offensive</i> to publish, why they shouldn't be <i>allowed</i> to say that <i>on this campus</i>.<br />
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That's not to say I disagree with the notion of protest. If someone makes a movie about how gays are evil, by all means, <i>boycott that</i>. If the movie theater doesn't want to let gays see the movie, <i>boycott that</i>. But we use boycotts to get people to change their practices. We get companies to stop using cheap child labor, or stop using paper from the rain-forests. Boycotts aren't meant to punish people for having bad views. If John Doe happens to think Christianity is the only true religion, or that English is the only language we ought to speak, or that men are better than women, who is society to turn around and say: Mr. Doe, we only do business with tolerant people. (Anyone picking up on the irony here?) It's bad enough to censor a film based on its <i>content</i>; now we want to censor what we watch based on the types of people involved in producing it?<br />
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I'm not saying you have to go out and see "Ender's Game" this weekend. If science fiction isn't your thing, by all means, "The Book Thief" got great reviews and was also an enjoyable read. But to the so-called liberal activists out there: If you think that refusing to associate with people who disagree with you makes you more progressive, more tolerant, and more open-minded, you're doing "liberal" wrong. Even if, when it comes to the issues, you're so <i>right</i>.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01961531244374047105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4811648720376702345.post-36064243227826060112013-11-06T15:15:00.000-05:002013-11-06T15:15:00.828-05:00Fall Photos and Painted PumpkinsNow that November is here and the colder weather is coming, let's take a quick look at what fall looked like at Tufts... mostly through macro-shots of leaves and pumpkins.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjV31RFxYni2lCYoxDuZ5GygLdu4JOA3oo2uYCAVQ-ptiPyKTp_fIbrQ-nWvYzL8hlNkXrXeT6q_8qzM5BI9jnP6qSTnNDCGdHtahk7ijE8UFN8G2L7uxcHMAMthjmGOFP_c3mpAAU3JA/s1600/friends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjV31RFxYni2lCYoxDuZ5GygLdu4JOA3oo2uYCAVQ-ptiPyKTp_fIbrQ-nWvYzL8hlNkXrXeT6q_8qzM5BI9jnP6qSTnNDCGdHtahk7ijE8UFN8G2L7uxcHMAMthjmGOFP_c3mpAAU3JA/s320/friends.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notably, not a close-up of a leaf. </td></tr>
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<b>LEAVES</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwrvMAQNvhsbZByyYcIyBW2Wx3l-PmqXVZu-uXBbLI4sV1qXzW-lAsAnip5VcnfTtlQTtMOk2OMo_85lVcoWt2TXfjFg2OnmhaPQOj_myfT4DsHAWhldAMJmK-s4L4mWXSjFkgVCt5NY/s1600/20130924_113622.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwrvMAQNvhsbZByyYcIyBW2Wx3l-PmqXVZu-uXBbLI4sV1qXzW-lAsAnip5VcnfTtlQTtMOk2OMo_85lVcoWt2TXfjFg2OnmhaPQOj_myfT4DsHAWhldAMJmK-s4L4mWXSjFkgVCt5NY/s320/20130924_113622.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look prefrosh, our New England university is pretty and sunny. It won't get cold. #indenial</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSrNnxrRh0zsmp8lhHs8lpHOZxQLI4rHBJO-VuN-qSrbGucJi4_WO-Ss_PqD3SxzZodXBuiLpKs1z62GThEr_qM3G7p0xKQ4V_H0sNrejMfxIOXDk8TD_8bUu-_ugmi_AnUk6sMCVVug/s1600/20131007_120833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSrNnxrRh0zsmp8lhHs8lpHOZxQLI4rHBJO-VuN-qSrbGucJi4_WO-Ss_PqD3SxzZodXBuiLpKs1z62GThEr_qM3G7p0xKQ4V_H0sNrejMfxIOXDk8TD_8bUu-_ugmi_AnUk6sMCVVug/s320/20131007_120833.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Because if your camera can focus on water droplets, who wouldn't take the picture?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0b-jisgCnRs1cuU8VnartUhWwN4aRttiFJhfSZikw_hGDJzRKL0CKhK3SqmjVcTcjAKNO9mpkNfAeyK_IUr4x597Yk5TpMeDDWtNZIm8CBFoke-Lzmh32jN8WMDR4maXmKUrer_4cqjg/s1600/20131024_153710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0b-jisgCnRs1cuU8VnartUhWwN4aRttiFJhfSZikw_hGDJzRKL0CKhK3SqmjVcTcjAKNO9mpkNfAeyK_IUr4x597Yk5TpMeDDWtNZIm8CBFoke-Lzmh32jN8WMDR4maXmKUrer_4cqjg/s320/20131024_153710.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Step 1: Capture sun's rays. Check. Step 2: Bottle for winter. Uhh...</td></tr>
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<br />
<b>THE MAGICAL UPHILL RAINBOW</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibUza65_kR1oXURaOrsPWCkmLlYVh6oqZwe5YzBLo0zBjoDSMoGJAbzI6MTYpDi5C3Wfr0OFk4-3GUjy4QJrg-5s_hLCWjTnAFav5Nbc7WXiFGj_UNCkMqbfBsJqh51Xylwf5FbwF-XYw/s1600/20131022_174427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibUza65_kR1oXURaOrsPWCkmLlYVh6oqZwe5YzBLo0zBjoDSMoGJAbzI6MTYpDi5C3Wfr0OFk4-3GUjy4QJrg-5s_hLCWjTnAFav5Nbc7WXiFGj_UNCkMqbfBsJqh51Xylwf5FbwF-XYw/s320/20131022_174427.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was magical.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVieUX1GlAmCjbSbyK00ZZguFwZYQz8cyMwjvs0N2om-dUFS1eLdQnZ2x08kmAVpd-RuTXj7M3wn40rh-MnfSdtBonrv_9pZnaSc2ay03PhQSKT4Usd-KWepybA3gye7pwFXYXJU2YI4g/s1600/20131022_174831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVieUX1GlAmCjbSbyK00ZZguFwZYQz8cyMwjvs0N2om-dUFS1eLdQnZ2x08kmAVpd-RuTXj7M3wn40rh-MnfSdtBonrv_9pZnaSc2ay03PhQSKT4Usd-KWepybA3gye7pwFXYXJU2YI4g/s320/20131022_174831.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And it was massive.</td></tr>
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<b> PUMPKIN PAINTING IN MILLER</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmfqBR8LWKUu25LuMRQfiETk69VuQ9nud0ohTXOEnmc14s_eiAn3Cmj2sEW0FbNDaDH6ejKCNKZ0vcjoxMgtLv7gy3ElxhYg6y38Hh-Vu-y8Sh5E2IiDroqRYZKrQVdOKPyNPrJ2fsi78/s1600/20131031_154900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmfqBR8LWKUu25LuMRQfiETk69VuQ9nud0ohTXOEnmc14s_eiAn3Cmj2sEW0FbNDaDH6ejKCNKZ0vcjoxMgtLv7gy3ElxhYg6y38Hh-Vu-y8Sh5E2IiDroqRYZKrQVdOKPyNPrJ2fsi78/s320/20131031_154900.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pumpkin Potter and the Half-Baked Pie</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1lXbI_ZlkqFf5jL6cMs6rGL46R6c220A8XlQYiej-vENp51me_7f3dfnNEHVFY7ZmKgmJY_EQo3xCJn4T29jwdqv7A5OFrmNyWqXc3VnBuWr4pLQwLEBH8GoKNSNJekKIuS8CI-qm3Vg/s1600/20131031_163533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1lXbI_ZlkqFf5jL6cMs6rGL46R6c220A8XlQYiej-vENp51me_7f3dfnNEHVFY7ZmKgmJY_EQo3xCJn4T29jwdqv7A5OFrmNyWqXc3VnBuWr4pLQwLEBH8GoKNSNJekKIuS8CI-qm3Vg/s320/20131031_163533.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heat of the Pumpkin!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPteh1YOru63s4x_CyGuJzsEXDuVgQxVCfYxhGANKFF7I4FQ-leUv0LYzZNS3KIqv1v3x3D4tNkBVSbmqlE3tY3Op4K5WgEmmLgE05QPRY2QfYOjbOvizDWEzpea1ElY9p07Bw3ZfOFv0/s1600/20131031_163830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPteh1YOru63s4x_CyGuJzsEXDuVgQxVCfYxhGANKFF7I4FQ-leUv0LYzZNS3KIqv1v3x3D4tNkBVSbmqlE3tY3Op4K5WgEmmLgE05QPRY2QfYOjbOvizDWEzpea1ElY9p07Bw3ZfOFv0/s320/20131031_163830.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can't take credit here. Someone else made this masterpiece...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpx68uFc_ZZcqqYguVW7hMwFUuNrdGxw7f0BO4xlKJAWXBskZmCv-_jd98MjI2C_fT8jGxgo-ZWMK_LQhLL9rY8Uuu0j2DC3XvZ3Jy9bXK4yET8G2bwnrbiYhhh7kfPeaFH1cRXhDVzfI/s1600/20131031_170407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpx68uFc_ZZcqqYguVW7hMwFUuNrdGxw7f0BO4xlKJAWXBskZmCv-_jd98MjI2C_fT8jGxgo-ZWMK_LQhLL9rY8Uuu0j2DC3XvZ3Jy9bXK4yET8G2bwnrbiYhhh7kfPeaFH1cRXhDVzfI/s320/20131031_170407.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...which I then borrowed inspiration from.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmyrHe11kcM4HPSIVcthll9Z97ZlNfn4sh2AGf8weL-6z-LWli2EGv-sLXYaWSeRKFZC4QapXCi1smGHWeJyWteFR8meHviSaTJC4bumsF-t38d7CtZVW5lbnCr_wJF99ZbIodqX6jP0/s1600/20131102_135208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmyrHe11kcM4HPSIVcthll9Z97ZlNfn4sh2AGf8weL-6z-LWli2EGv-sLXYaWSeRKFZC4QapXCi1smGHWeJyWteFR8meHviSaTJC4bumsF-t38d7CtZVW5lbnCr_wJF99ZbIodqX6jP0/s320/20131102_135208.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boo!</td></tr>
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Despite Halloween being over, fall is officially still running for another six weeks. There's still Thanksgiving and even Hanukkah to be had before winter comes. Let's just hope Boston doesn't decide to grace us with its little ice age early this year.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01961531244374047105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4811648720376702345.post-50262562268077072522013-11-03T16:14:00.001-05:002013-11-25T16:37:14.868-05:00Fonts from Your Dorm Room "It looks like the kind of font they'd have on a top-secret envelope, marked CONFIDENTIAL," Andrew said. I nodded in agreement.<br />
"But does it say, 'I'm going to kill you?'"<br />
"I think so. It's good."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgydJFdOf_n4TIJiDtxqnBTd3-VWwmIX9D7JPxmkmNLjWiqeFzos3evCtTVgUIh2hN-k1urqwDAb8JtWB6S9y_Jkegxg5_cVV7AMyVb8OXDu5ay-2l36YBPs_2wfjpe-wIrD5ZZ4lqEMwA/s1600/20130926_121514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgydJFdOf_n4TIJiDtxqnBTd3-VWwmIX9D7JPxmkmNLjWiqeFzos3evCtTVgUIh2hN-k1urqwDAb8JtWB6S9y_Jkegxg5_cVV7AMyVb8OXDu5ay-2l36YBPs_2wfjpe-wIrD5ZZ4lqEMwA/s320/20130926_121514.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wacom Bamboo writing tablet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
As a web designer, I'm often hunting down fonts on the web to use in my projects. I'm no typography expert, but I've always been attracted to the perfect handwriting of the occasional classmate or the bizarre typeface on a new poster. So when I was starting to edit the look and feel of a website <a href="http://abcinnovations.com/" target="_blank">Andrew and I</a> are building for an upcoming <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassin_(game)" target="_blank">game of Assassins</a>, I had to find the fonts to convey the perfect mixture of casual, spooky, and murder-mystery. But where do fonts come from? But if I had a little more artistic skill, could I make my own fonts? And what in the world is sans-serif? That, dear reader, is contained below.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLn3stgcFKeESFbrfKgXoV_VURS24Gv1fWhbTFIc-vo3b2oY_hHkw-4FcisfQDiZ7_FcTN3P8AA5QVQLos-s0hxkCC7afEylaMuhDv1IAQ-IYtxeSbw9k-4YJ9suqRKXj6qtVrgY7JTM/s1600/assassins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLn3stgcFKeESFbrfKgXoV_VURS24Gv1fWhbTFIc-vo3b2oY_hHkw-4FcisfQDiZ7_FcTN3P8AA5QVQLos-s0hxkCC7afEylaMuhDv1IAQ-IYtxeSbw9k-4YJ9suqRKXj6qtVrgY7JTM/s320/assassins.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Assassins website (note the fonts)</td></tr>
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<br />
It used to be the case that web designers were taught to use a standard set of "web-safe" fonts, things like Arial, Comic Sans, Courier New, Georgia, Times New Roman, Trebuchet MS, and so on. These handful of basics were considered "safe" in the sense that most people, regardless of the operating system, make, or model of their computer, should already have these fonts installed. So when your website came up, they would be able to see the words.<br />
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More recently, however, programmers have figured out how to show people fonts that they don't even have installed, by hosting those fonts on the web. Google, for example, has begun hosting <a href="http://www.google.com/fonts" target="_blank">hundreds of quirky fonts online</a>, with the promise that they will continue to keep those files free and available indefinitely, so that web designers can use them. But their selection is limited, and there's really no guarantee that "Merriweather Sans" won't be gone tomorrow.<br />
<br />
That's why I like to host my own fonts for my sites. With a little bit of file conversion and some CSS, you can put almost any font into a site. So that's pretty cool... but what about fonts you can't find online? What about your own handwriting, or a cool new design you've dreamt up? Then it's time to create your own font.<br />
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If you're a PC user, you just need <a href="http://download.cnet.com/My-Font-Tool/3000-18483_4-10628468.html" target="_blank">Microsoft's freely downloadable My Font Tool</a> and a writing tablet. There are other ways, to do with scanning and things, but really a graphics tablet is the way to go, if you can get your hands on one. Just plug it in, fill out all your different letters and symbols, and viola - instant fontification:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiaHm3ALPNPP4JS0l573iScEk38Yk3k1mxal3OGLlWPt3J0NafNqiFi5XcTR2uESnxiaY7LpjFOYFifWpH5IjwGCqCF2-aORFKrTyLqJmY1l4013F0h6RIoAFPn4OU5oM_tWIsIe-QTGk/s1600/2013-09-26_121050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiaHm3ALPNPP4JS0l573iScEk38Yk3k1mxal3OGLlWPt3J0NafNqiFi5XcTR2uESnxiaY7LpjFOYFifWpH5IjwGCqCF2-aORFKrTyLqJmY1l4013F0h6RIoAFPn4OU5oM_tWIsIe-QTGk/s320/2013-09-26_121050.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"BrianHand" and "BoldStroke", the two first things I came up with</td></tr>
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These are real fonts now - as real as any font is. I can install them, use them in Microsoft Word or Photoshop or whatever, and even maybe get them onto a website. But I'll probably want to put a bit more effort in on a third or fourth attempt before putting these out into the wild.<br />
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That "quick brown fox" stuff, by the way, is called a panagram. It's a sentence that uses all letters of the alphabet, so that you can see what each and every one of your letters look like. The common one is "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog," but plenty of others will do. In the above example, I'm favoring some of the following:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>The quick brown fox jumps over a glazed jelly donut.</li>
<li>The job requires extra pluck and zeal from every young wage earner.</li>
<li>Five or six big jet planes zoomed quickly by the tower.</li>
<li>All questions asked by five watch experts amazed the judge.</li>
</ul>
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All of those are legitimate panagrams, some of them stolen from <a href="http://infinityandbeyond0.tripod.com/id15.html" target="_blank">this website</a>. Got any of your own?<br />
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And don't think I've forgotten - I promised to clear up some terms in the field. Very well: A brief lesson.<br />
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<b>Serif </b>fonts have little tails (or whatever you want to call them) attached to the letters. An easy example is Times New Roman. <b>Sans-Serif </b>skips the cutesy bits; think Arial or Trebuchet.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__-ckFwHehhvoJsp3le8eCoAaKG3uuEa7Y6RtTfQd_lf7jaYtJsqvyutc7WTUtctwp6INEYATNHYLsaMTzcUpTYRUmYuk4BmuLleMwn9VmzxP3ub_ctSphJ2cE8OaZOZcZNp3aLA0lJ0/s1600/2013-11-03_155102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__-ckFwHehhvoJsp3le8eCoAaKG3uuEa7Y6RtTfQd_lf7jaYtJsqvyutc7WTUtctwp6INEYATNHYLsaMTzcUpTYRUmYuk4BmuLleMwn9VmzxP3ub_ctSphJ2cE8OaZOZcZNp3aLA0lJ0/s320/2013-11-03_155102.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.urbanfonts.com/blog/2013/02/serif-vs-sans-the-final-battle/" target="_blank">This infographic</a> does more than I ever could on the matter.</td></tr>
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<b>Fonts </b>are collections of symbols, but when you look at the way the design looks, you talk about <b>typefaces</b>. The font is the literal package, but the typeface is the creative work. Just as you wouldn't listen to a new hit mp3, you wouldn't be delighted to type in a new font <a href="http://fontfeed.com/archives/font-or-typeface/" target="_blank">[source]</a>. So I've probably done a terrible job using these properly throughout, but at least <i>you'll </i>know better.<br />
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Oh, and kerning has to do with the space between the letters. Relevant XKCD:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZnAE8W1B-Y9ARdIeAWbABBnpbzsRsy-_WXVgzeNEqTd3x4DIuoD6vr3L8BB4LcjGUIMYSrtPhx4MMIHBjr2KtAumFx6TMzPP6wvaf9DHjkWMAYuOLvSv6vjDHilxM9bIxQagNg058h2U/s1600/kerning.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZnAE8W1B-Y9ARdIeAWbABBnpbzsRsy-_WXVgzeNEqTd3x4DIuoD6vr3L8BB4LcjGUIMYSrtPhx4MMIHBjr2KtAumFx6TMzPP6wvaf9DHjkWMAYuOLvSv6vjDHilxM9bIxQagNg058h2U/s320/kerning.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://xkcd.com/1015/" target="_blank">[source]</a></td></tr>
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Excellent. Now you know everything you need to get the following <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3k5oY9AHHM" target="_blank">humor</a>:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/i3k5oY9AHHM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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The take-away from all of this font stuff? Make your own, and you'll never have to hand-write a letter again.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01961531244374047105noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4811648720376702345.post-29576958314833388152013-10-03T09:16:00.000-04:002013-10-03T10:52:32.971-04:00One Outta NineAntonin Scalia takes the podium wearing a grey suit, a funny look for a man expected to be seen in black robes. The suit gives him an unfamiliar appearance of normality, as though he is a journalist, or a sports coach, or perhaps a visiting professor. He smiles on the stage set up for him in Tufts' gymnasium complex, and begins by complementing Tufts on its campus; he had never been here before, he admits. His pleasant tone and comfortable disposition begin to dissolve the tension in the room. Yes, this man is a conservative Supreme Court justice coming to speak to a largely liberal, activist student population. But he isn't here to fight; he's here to lecture. And his lecture comes in stories and jokes, asides and imitations, the type of performance one expects of a grandfather in a living room. And, like a grandfather, this man has some orthodox ideas, but, even if you didn't agree with him, you can't help but like him.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOD67eHBJ5J28t28JE0LDYc8ZKvFpKZUV1NmW6QkgGzdHxtFT-reWvF5dvYqJlwTY6cukKKMLTnfP0tVTrTKGW5pL9r7vJwDKF0ntXoLnKJakj-Lo9ZQjmPLn4vwUOM4p7MOR6PPpcbrI/s1600/622x350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOD67eHBJ5J28t28JE0LDYc8ZKvFpKZUV1NmW6QkgGzdHxtFT-reWvF5dvYqJlwTY6cukKKMLTnfP0tVTrTKGW5pL9r7vJwDKF0ntXoLnKJakj-Lo9ZQjmPLn4vwUOM4p7MOR6PPpcbrI/s320/622x350.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo shamelessly stolen from Josh Reynolds</td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a>Justice Scalia's speech is on interpreting the Constitution, and his thesis goes something like this: I am an Originalist, which means I care about what the people who made the law meant when they made it. And if they didn't mean it, I won't pretend they did.<br />
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The current longest-serving justice on the court, he has seen the Originalists fade away over time, but in his day, Originalism was all there was. "When did you become an Originalist?" people ask him, as though asking, "When did you start eating human flesh?" The audience laughs at his lightheartedness. He didn't <i>become</i> an Originalist, he argues, it was orthodoxy; it was there first.<br />
<br />
Scalia derides the notion that societies "mature and never rot", claiming that new interpretations and new intentions can be a dangerous, slippery slope when applied to the Constitution. We have a Bill of Rights, he says, to protect our rights as Congress makes new laws, because we know we can mess up the new laws. He mocks those who would reinterpret the Constitution, or any law: "It used to mean that, it just doesn't mean that anymore. Why? Because we don't think it ought to." As his argument goes, if we want to change policy, Congress should have to pass new laws; it isn't up to the Court to deem "unconstitutional" anything society doesn't want anymore. From his point of view, nowadays, the Court legislates.<br />
<br />
He draws on the eighth amendment as an example, a topic that intrigues me: cruel and unusual punishment. For Scalia, there are no "evolving standards" in the definition of cruel and unusual. The words mean what the founders wanted them to mean, and in those days, they were fine with hanging people. So nothing less can be cruel or unusual. Certainly not the electric chair, or lethal injection, in his view <i>more</i> humane.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWU5YxtgRQ6Uk612MiHEQTG6O4z-90fIIRDfFpn0dZHo7_HA5rUa65HTefMwtln_p7f0DekOg3OLtuF2nAYklU7y0UKp9o-lrsT-id_Wfx3tv27ADBJ-F20xpDetrTUNnpcn2LGSkm4v0/s1600/founding-fathers-of-discourse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWU5YxtgRQ6Uk612MiHEQTG6O4z-90fIIRDfFpn0dZHo7_HA5rUa65HTefMwtln_p7f0DekOg3OLtuF2nAYklU7y0UKp9o-lrsT-id_Wfx3tv27ADBJ-F20xpDetrTUNnpcn2LGSkm4v0/s320/founding-fathers-of-discourse.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Originalism: Because the founding fathers knew what they were doing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Take the nineteenth amendment; women's suffrage. No one came to the Court asking for that right; the Constitution was <i>amended</i>. And that, he argues, is the way it should be. But as long as a law stays on the books, it isn't up to the Court to change it. "It is entirely possible," he says, "for a law to be really stupid, but constitutional." Yet these days, "if there's anything you really hate, it <i>has </i>to be unconstitutional!"<br />
<br />
The justice gives a brief account of the Constitution as a living organism, using flowery language that drips with disdain. He smiles broadly. "The Constitution is not a living organism. It is a legal document." He rejects the "so-called living Constitution," arguing that <i>his</i> Constitution is the "living" one, as it keeps alive the original intentions of those who drafted and ratified it. Turning back to the death penalty, referring to legislating in Congress rather than in the Court, he argues: "Under my system, you can go back and forth. If you find out there are too many murders, you can reinstate it." But once it's "unconstitutional", there's no easy going back.<br />
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He pokes fun at the court, and lawyers in general, in generous proportion, often referring to himself and his colleges as "nine lawyers," men and women who shouldn't have the power or responsibility to determine what society's new needs may be. "What do I know about the evolving standards of decency? I'm afraid to ask." The audience laughs. "You know who knows? Congress." Pass a new law; don't wait for the Court to find new meaning in the old ones.<br />
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Most importantly, he says, Originalism is a way of "controlling judges." If you force judges to rule based on the laws, they can't take too many liberties; if you let them go beyond that original intent, what limits their power?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlyw9f575DJGmUEJNM9ArnDxv8LDYOlxp5s6Kmct0D97C2WZmhYRTAPMoWUnP8WMCicG3bpK7MADHJjPc0RauwZr8BM1a3o6_F2oJKv3YckRYprCtDV5Z5YNRFO5panMrwIU4nPDIs1Q/s1600/KeefeM20041007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlyw9f575DJGmUEJNM9ArnDxv8LDYOlxp5s6Kmct0D97C2WZmhYRTAPMoWUnP8WMCicG3bpK7MADHJjPc0RauwZr8BM1a3o6_F2oJKv3YckRYprCtDV5Z5YNRFO5panMrwIU4nPDIs1Q/s320/KeefeM20041007.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">According to Scalia, when the justices can legislate, it becomes a game of political appointments.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
He argues the case for Originalism well, despite a few slips (like calling gay rights "homosexual sodomy" in passing). The whole speech, and the lengthy question-and-answer period to follow, is filled with jokes and self-deprecating humor. One audience member begins a question with, "I'm with the Boston Herald, fair warning," to which the justice replies, "Can't scare me. I have life tenure."<br />
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A question on Obamacare is met curtly with "Not my business," and a concern about the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)'s search practices is countered with, "I think the reasonable person would rather be searched than blown up. You ask them which they prefer and they'll say 'search me'. [laughter] Ha, ha. I like that." Does he try to err on the side of state's rights or people's rights? "I try not to err at all."<br />
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The justice is a supporter of state's rights, jokingly wondering what the use of a Federal Republic would be. Different people should be allowed, he reasons, to create different rules in their different states. And when it comes to protecting minorities, he finds that "we are a tolerant democracy that makes exceptions for deserving minorities," and that if a minority can't find any means (other than activist courts) of getting things changed to their way, they probably don't have a very legitimate claim to change things.<br />
<br />
But the Justice doesn't see his position as necessarily the popular one, nor does he see his role as particularly powerful in shaping the future of the country. "I'm just one outta nine," he complains, "You ever been in a committee of nine people?"<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
* * * * *</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Throughout the lecture, I couldn't help but rack my brain for responses to Scalia's arguments. His defense of Originalism was sound, but my devotion to ending the death penalty and my instinctive rejection of traditional values made me want to fight back. Although I didn't quite muster the courage (or formulate the sentences in time) to participate in the Q&A, what follows are my musings on the Originalist argument:<br />
<br />
So the drafters of the Constitution were okay with hanging people. Fair enough. Clearly, they didn't write "cruel and unusual" with the intention of abolishing their death penalty in their time. But that isn't the end of the story.<br />
<br />
Our founders knew nothing of electric chairs or lethal injections, and while today's thinkers may conclude that these means of execution are not <i>more</i> cruel than hangings, we do have to ask ourselves what this implies. We create new technologies, new ways for society to function, that extend beyond anything that could have been anticipated in the 1700s. They didn't know that free speech would need to protect websites, or that "arms" available to citizens would one day include rocket launchers. It is not a simple matter of applying what they intended at the time to modern technology; we also must consider whether or not their intentions <i>would have changed</i> in the face of a different society with different capabilities and different social norms. Is it fair to hold modern society to standards codified so long ago?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK42qt74c7iBrXqHMynyvstBwigjwMjX-dPp19JUy1SBbiscFM9RJutZY7T64-RlWIrwMHMJsBLpb7KyFMJ73GymLFTG0KcOwOn3Xnh86R3nDCzcEL5lM7Ry9sRlZwiYWnsUozJlL92BY/s1600/487846_456571051043984_1709049532_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK42qt74c7iBrXqHMynyvstBwigjwMjX-dPp19JUy1SBbiscFM9RJutZY7T64-RlWIrwMHMJsBLpb7KyFMJ73GymLFTG0KcOwOn3Xnh86R3nDCzcEL5lM7Ry9sRlZwiYWnsUozJlL92BY/s320/487846_456571051043984_1709049532_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who <i>knows</i> what the original intent was?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Scalia would argue that change could come, but it ought to come from the legislature. Sick of the death penalty? Pass a law. Need new protections from wire-tapping? Pass a law. Invented the internet? Pass a bunch of laws. But wait! Scalia <i>also</i> argues that the Bill of Rights exists to limit our capabilities in passing laws, to limit the damage we may do. The protection against searches and seizures afforded by the fourth amendment should mean that we the people are protected from laws that would otherwise infringe on our security in person and belongings. So why do we now need the same government who will seek protection <i>from</i> to <i>extend</i> our constitutional rights through <i>new legislation</i>? Why trust Congress to "update" our protections? Isn't the real intention of the Bill of Rights to protect us <i>from</i> what Congress may wish to do? Isn't it up the the courts to update those protections, to apply them to our society in our time, <i>despite</i> the laws that the legislature may attempt to sneak through?<br />
<br />
And it is true that Originalism provides a convenient restraint on the judges, limiting their room for finageling and twisting the rules of our nation. But <i>why</i> should original intent be the standard by which we keep the judiciary objective? Simply because it <i>can </i>be? Why should we put so much stock in the intentions of Jefferson and Madison, who, as was aptly pointed out by an audience member today, are white Christian men living centuries ago. Whatever their good intentions, they created a system built to favor their values, made intentionally difficult to amend - especially if the people we're asking to amend it were elected under the old laws. Scalia sees this as a necessary component of our democracy, but why hold the system is such high reverence? Who cares what "cruel and unusual" meant in the eighteenth century; the spirit of the law is to protect the people from an overreaching government, and in today's world, execution is no standard.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">The founders didn't intend <i>a lot </i>of things. Are we ready to reevaluate by their standards?</td></tr>
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The argument that we should live in a checkerboard of state governments may have sounded good to early revolutionaries, but the modern United States of America is a unified fifty-state polity. Today, we can cross from Boston to Philadelphia in an afternoon, not a fornight, and it seems unreasonable that stepping over those barely-noticeable boundaries should transport an individual from a world in which he is safe from execution to one in which the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania can sentence him to death. Americans do not see themselves first as Virginians or New Jerseyans, as they once did. They are citizens of one country, across which the highest court of the land can and should have the power to unify the laws, at least the Constitutional rights.<br />
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At least, that's where I am with this right now. As I prepare to take the LSAT this weekend, I can't help but wonder if a few years of law school will completely change my mind. Maybe, one day, I'll be an old man fighting for traditional values from a bench. Or maybe I'll still believe in the courts as a source of change, the kind of change that gave us "separate is not equal" and "Miranda rights". Heck, the Court's own function was interpreted - by the court - in Marbury v. Madison. No one legislated that. Even the Constitution doesn't intend it. The Court went ahead and filled that new role.<br />
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Or we can play it safe in the judiciary and wait for new laws before we acknowledge the changing values of our society. But if we're waiting on <i>Congress </i>to embrace our future, we're in trouble. Because the last thing Congress did for our government was <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/30/politics/government-shutdown-up-to-speed/index.html" target="_blank">shut it down</a>.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01961531244374047105noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4811648720376702345.post-14023251472528195632013-08-28T14:44:00.000-04:002013-11-25T16:37:59.864-05:00The Prefect WelcomeI'm back on campus and back in the business of RAing, this time in a freshman-and-sophomore dorm. Typing at my laptop by an open window, I can hear the matriculation ceremony already underway. The class of 2017 has arrived, and those living on my floor in Miller Hall are in for a magical surprise.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit to Alina for some of the fancier art</td></tr>
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Every RA is responsible for creating themed door tags for the hall, along with informative or interactive bulletin boards. And because <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.com/2010/12/school-of-witchcraft-and-wizardry.html" target="_blank">Tufts is basically already Hogwarts</a>, I couldn't help but give in to the pressure from friends (and my younger brother) to theme the hall. Let's have a look:</div>
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<b>Door Tags</b></div>
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I'm not supposed to play favorites, but some of these tags may be the best:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvkcchpeH8vyMVsV5F9fX2T3iEFoykHohqzBoDojsf_28Nzy7C0HNVMhnOIZ_BGOW4Y0lUa6oc8D2c6qvBFnjx8BLCbK4GdbSnhu2CNnIcfVNzRiWiArnNXOefRJW8YDyet-WTHqxagM/s1600/20130824_213828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvkcchpeH8vyMVsV5F9fX2T3iEFoykHohqzBoDojsf_28Nzy7C0HNVMhnOIZ_BGOW4Y0lUa6oc8D2c6qvBFnjx8BLCbK4GdbSnhu2CNnIcfVNzRiWiArnNXOefRJW8YDyet-WTHqxagM/s320/20130824_213828.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPEPC65zDBLkZkQSvO9d26bqrVtx4Jp-eRs7DsEamTul3sCotPzQVChW8szzNThJ96prtQg_KqXnDGpZ6zvJOqOAg-tQT9gxJVW12BLf88uHpQ-yGZfms1d_Sg_XZLb7_pj8PDkgPsrjo/s1600/20130824_214639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPEPC65zDBLkZkQSvO9d26bqrVtx4Jp-eRs7DsEamTul3sCotPzQVChW8szzNThJ96prtQg_KqXnDGpZ6zvJOqOAg-tQT9gxJVW12BLf88uHpQ-yGZfms1d_Sg_XZLb7_pj8PDkgPsrjo/s320/20130824_214639.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>My Door</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5NiVlzYZHs0AUeBpoi5LXMPKctBNOXJRSC-lFqD1JdaSgry2B-13wFq3wUwyd8_DLAk1scU9R6axSHQdlQIsA1IB9FZqrDSLKG4xHAmOgnGpnGCKSz39Zs33Zr1lxaOBORBgH58zKoU/s1600/20130824_220242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5NiVlzYZHs0AUeBpoi5LXMPKctBNOXJRSC-lFqD1JdaSgry2B-13wFq3wUwyd8_DLAk1scU9R6axSHQdlQIsA1IB9FZqrDSLKG4xHAmOgnGpnGCKSz39Zs33Zr1lxaOBORBgH58zKoU/s320/20130824_220242.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Bulletin Boards</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sort Yourself: Tell us something about yourself, and then self-sort!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_N7h-wM2BbHkEX6TYalZlpFlslu-ZGVI5-Qtta7TUSb_B9S0nLM8i9Y-dF2C9G-yGF9-vRVTfikwstgiTNwsFtf3GEAfnptNWfJVZzmdz7tEcOzgz1aNM9s9Z3zBCoUxghf_y9FIQKyk/s1600/20130827_200537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_N7h-wM2BbHkEX6TYalZlpFlslu-ZGVI5-Qtta7TUSb_B9S0nLM8i9Y-dF2C9G-yGF9-vRVTfikwstgiTNwsFtf3GEAfnptNWfJVZzmdz7tEcOzgz1aNM9s9Z3zBCoUxghf_y9FIQKyk/s320/20130827_200537.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Famous Jumbo Cards: Alumni and chocolate frogs go well together.</td></tr>
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<b>Bathrooms</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wizards should go down the hall.</td></tr>
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Now remember, kids: No hall-Quidditch indoors, no Butterbeer if you're under 21, and there are no towels in the bathroom, so you'll have to learn to handle a dry spell.</div>
Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01961531244374047105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4811648720376702345.post-67753477503203763592013-03-29T18:05:00.000-04:002013-03-29T18:05:27.205-04:00Tufts in 17Welcome baby Jumbos! Today, emails go out to the brand new Class of 2017, and those emails come with two crucial implications for someone like me. First, it means new students will be swarming campus with their parents (as though they haven't been already!) - which means I'll get to listen in on all sorts of hilarious tour-guide stories, drop subtle hints that the 2017'ers should join Tufts Mock Trial, and take in my first impressions of the (potential) new classmates. But perhaps more importantly, 2017 decisions mean I'm <i>getting old</i>. This is my third year, 6th semester, and 231st blog post. So the environment seems ripe for a brief retrospective. Presenting: Tufts University, in 17 photographs.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNoAedzCKco6_OuEYnaHiZFfe0nL8joTaSb3DndCWsw8W4lkgk81GaKU6acwZbdw-WA2ry1E_Twb8nXh80CxzhFV1rbXKWG8L7u_YuJBDTEeOSH7HVrYEQrZshYssCg62UziD4c1JMxR8/s1600/montage1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNoAedzCKco6_OuEYnaHiZFfe0nL8joTaSb3DndCWsw8W4lkgk81GaKU6acwZbdw-WA2ry1E_Twb8nXh80CxzhFV1rbXKWG8L7u_YuJBDTEeOSH7HVrYEQrZshYssCg62UziD4c1JMxR8/s320/montage1.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Need more photos? See everything at <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.com/view/mosaic" target="_blank">Peacelight Mosaic</a>.</td></tr>
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#1.<a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.com/2010/09/brief-montage.html" target="_blank"> September 2010</a>: Tufts Free Compliments. One of my first impressions of Tufts was this guy, standing outside of the library, shouting out "You have a nice smile!" or "I like your shoes!"</div>
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#2. <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.com/2010/10/tufflepuffs-take-field.html" target="_blank">October 2010</a>: Tufts Quidditch. The first Quidditch game I saw was on campus; the Tufflepuffs were playing in the rain, but we sat through it, just to see how college Quidditch worked.</div>
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#3. <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.com/2010/10/rally-to-restore-sanity-andor-fear.html" target="_blank">October 2010</a>: Rally to Restore Sanity (and/or Fear). It's only a 9-hour bus ride down to D.C. (each way!), so someone organized a Tufts trip to the Stewart/Colbert rally. Sounded like a good use of the weekend.</div>
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#4. <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.com/2010/11/pretzel-night.html" target="_blank">November 2010</a>: Pretzel Night. My first show at Tufts was an all-freshmen production, a student-written and student-directed comedy. I didn't end up being best friends with any of the actors, but we still all know each other, and we did organize a reunion dinner.</div>
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#5. <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.com/2010/12/happy-holidays.html" target="_blank">December 2010</a>: Hannukah. Teaching dreidel to my non-Jewish friends has become a yearly tradition; it started with spinning for gelt and candy canes freshman year.</div>
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#6. <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.com/2011/02/snow-day.html" target="_blank">February 2011</a>: Snow Storm. Winters have been more reasonably recently, but the first time around, I was convinced that Boston was all-snow, all the time.</div>
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#7. <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.com/2011/02/jury-has-reached-verdict.html" target="_blank">February 2011</a>: First AMTA Mock Trial Tournament. Taking third place at my first regulation mock trial tournament was thrilling, and Tufts Mock Trial only got better from there. I still compete with most of the people pictured above.</div>
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#8. <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.com/2011/04/holi-at-tufts.html" target="_blank">April 2011</a>: Holi. Upper-classmen tipped me off that Holi was one of the most fun spring events on campus. Ever since, I've been begging every freshman I meet to try it. Worst realization of the week: this year, I won't be on campus for it!</div>
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#9. <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.com/2011/04/tufts-mock-trial-3rd-in-nation.html" target="_blank">April 2011</a>: 3rd Place at Nationals. In a shocking victory (and we, too, were surprised), Tufts placed third in the nation for mock trial my freshman year. Plus, who wouldn't be excited for their first trip to Iowa?</div>
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#10. <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.com/2011/04/passover-on-campus.html" target="_blank">April 2011</a>: Passover at Dewick. Eating in the dining halls? No problem. I soon learned that unlimited meals meant kosher-for-Passover food all week long. It's like they've thought of everything.</div>
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#11.<a href="http://admissions.tufts.edu/blogs/inside-admissions/post/speaker-for-the-dead/" target="_blank">September 2011</a>: Death Penalty OpEd. By no means my first OpEd, my article in the Tufts Daily protesting executions was my first piece to spark a response (for a death penalty <i>advocate</i>; apparently they exist). And then, to my surprise, a student took up my position in a counter-counter-opinion.</div>
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#12. <a href="http://admissions.tufts.edu/blogs/inside-admissions/post/weekend-update/" target="_blank">December 2011</a>: Giant Crossword Puzzle. As a Resident Assistant for an all-freshmen hall, I awoke one morning to find one of my bulletin boards had been destroyed overnight, undoubtedly thanks to the influence of certain suspicious beverages. So I held a contest for the most creative replacement idea, and I selected this: A giant crossword puzzle for the residents to solve. The same night I put it up, they figured it all out.</div>
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#13.<a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.com/2012/02/bring-on-socks.html" target="_blank">February 2012</a>: Assassins. The most fun the RAs - and perhaps the residents - had all year could easily have been our dorm-wide games of Assassins, which featured phenomenal promotional material (if I do say so myself) and a pretty sweet online kill-reporting leaderboard.</div>
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#14. <a href="http://admissions.tufts.edu/blogs/jumbo-talk/post/how-to-do-spring-break-montreal-edition/" target="_blank">March 2012</a>: Spring Break in Montreal. When my friends suggested driving up to Canada from spring break, I was suspicious. But it all worked out; we planned out a vacation, found reasonably-priced accommodation, and made it across the border... both ways!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUjDFyD5cdJwzRcoDakt-h8cnwr9xkh8wFUbi7n6jHGKIIedVuAJQ2CkEltAvM6fALyJyEuY0q6cT6CEWTjt_hhHBF5UF1kDbBG3vKV1tIYRmz-Mx_Um5nOJp6K26fGN4sZXzi3X0SHc/s1600/P5020047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUjDFyD5cdJwzRcoDakt-h8cnwr9xkh8wFUbi7n6jHGKIIedVuAJQ2CkEltAvM6fALyJyEuY0q6cT6CEWTjt_hhHBF5UF1kDbBG3vKV1tIYRmz-Mx_Um5nOJp6K26fGN4sZXzi3X0SHc/s320/P5020047.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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#15. <a href="http://admissions.tufts.edu/blogs/inside-admissions/post/paint-it-blue/" target="_blank">May 2012</a>: Paint the Cannon. I first painted the cannon as a freshman, but sophomore year, I organized the event with TMT. The next day's rain rendered the artwork all but illegible, but we had fun anyway.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgY1N1Pc1Sg-bq6qGCSfP97-qF4wRdaEYNczPYjqv9GVjV8VtetAG3InPbeGjKKWMU1L9rkLTuArOXpmjmyYGyz6RXJVL54K3Xs-xpBbHwq98EsHZ4pe0FSyUOoyz2HO8o4nUlc-UUbls/s1600/magic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgY1N1Pc1Sg-bq6qGCSfP97-qF4wRdaEYNczPYjqv9GVjV8VtetAG3InPbeGjKKWMU1L9rkLTuArOXpmjmyYGyz6RXJVL54K3Xs-xpBbHwq98EsHZ4pe0FSyUOoyz2HO8o4nUlc-UUbls/s320/magic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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#16. <a href="http://admissions.tufts.edu/blogs/jumbo-talk/post/tilton-the-gathering/" target="_blank">May 2012</a>: Learn Magic the Gathering. I first learned how to play Magic (the card game) on campus, and a friend gave me cards to use (and keep!). I'm still terrible, relative to anyone who plays regularly, but I was able to drop in on a Magic event earlier this year, just to go a few rounds with the pros.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVyw50zmJ2FWPJ0LewTuKdj6ItfPUTBU1hjYGAeuAMzvTwq2riD7plRVlyX0XluWJtvEsustdaLB7Q_9-eCnjjCOXWYosGSufKiaqCm872e3lG3RNSkvQx6oKl6FqfuP97bHM0RiOL5Yg/s1600/PA070238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVyw50zmJ2FWPJ0LewTuKdj6ItfPUTBU1hjYGAeuAMzvTwq2riD7plRVlyX0XluWJtvEsustdaLB7Q_9-eCnjjCOXWYosGSufKiaqCm872e3lG3RNSkvQx6oKl6FqfuP97bHM0RiOL5Yg/s320/PA070238.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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#17. <a href="http://admissions.tufts.edu/blogs/inside-admissions/post/hairy-coo-a-highlands-visit/" target="_blank">October 2012</a>: Study Abroad in Scotland. It might not be Tufts, but it's part of my college experience: Junior fall at the University of Edinburgh. There's too much to say in a caption, but check out my old posts and you can read all about it.</div>
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There you have it, class of 2017; 17 images from Tufts, so far. But hey, I'm nowhere near done yet. I've still got Nationals, finals, and a nice long senior year. So you can expect a whole lot more pictures, and many more posts, in the weeks and months to come. The baby Jumbos may be coming, but the university isn't asking us older elephants to pack up our trunks just yet.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01961531244374047105noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4811648720376702345.post-14040654537466376272013-02-25T10:35:00.000-05:002013-02-25T11:54:04.702-05:00#4bids: TMT Monopolizes TournamentsEach year, over 600 teams compete in the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA)'s nation-wide tournament. The season opens with regional competitions in February, where teams strive to come out in the top 7 of 24, earning their way to the next round. Many schools are quickly eliminated. Some send two teams, or three, or even four into the fray, hoping that some combination of members can form a strong enough force to break into the top seven. Each year, Tufts sends four teams into battle, and for the past few years, the Jumbos have stolen a bid, or even two, from New England neighbors. But for the first time in the school's history, Tufts Mock Trial won an unprecedented four bids this month. Every team to compete qualified. Every member of the organization won.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tufts B and C' celebrate #4bids at the Boston awards ceremony</td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a>With <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.com/2013/02/tufts-mock-trial-dominates-in-season.html">one regional completed</a> and another in Boston this weekend, members from non-competing teams came to observe and support their teammates.<br />
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The first round was Friday night, leaving both Tufts teams 2-0. Saturday morning brought more good news, with Tufts B picking up both ballots (4-0) and Tufts C' splitting (3-1). Saturday evening brought mixed results, with Tufts B taking a loss and a rare tie, while Tufts C' took both ballots for a surprising surge:<br />
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Tufts B drops one ballot and ties one for 4-1-1 and C^2 wins both for 5-1 going into the final round of <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23AMTARegionals">#AMTARegionals</a>! Great job,<a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Jumbos">#Jumbos</a>!<br />
— Tufts Mock Trial (@tuftsmocktrial) <a href="https://twitter.com/tuftsmocktrial/status/305464989047734274">February 23, 2013</a></blockquote>
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But it wasn't until the closing ceremony, after the thank-yous had been given and the tension slowly built, that the news was broken:<br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
AND TUFTS MOCK TRIAL EARNS 2 MORE BIDS TO ORCS! Both B and C^2 Teams come in the top 7 at <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23AMTARegionals">#AMTARegionals</a>!<br />
— Tufts Mock Trial (@tuftsmocktrial) <a href="https://twitter.com/tuftsmocktrial/status/305753813959192576">February 24, 2013</a></blockquote>
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<br />
In honor of this historic achievement, I present to you the official Tufts Mock Trial infographic: "Understanding Results of Tufts Mock Trial (2013)".<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://zoom.it/oHpg#full" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="1449" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4giTNaGU8ud-24feToTmsq0Tt_bTMvPT4tR8VK6MwgHyVyWlqdhBWCUu1ZLUbJui-3DFwE3ifZc0aai9R8T8mOyrqBrYKLNXPicVlFbDRJbnMkWRRdoVltjjdcZSR579HcsRaCtjESk/s1600/results-v1.png" width="520" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://zoom.it/oHpg#full" target="_blank">Zoom in</a> for a better look</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Unfortunately, AMTA caps schools at two bids, so despite quadruple qualifying, Tufts will only have two chances at the Opening Round Championship Series (ORCS). With any luck (and a whole lot of practice), Tufts will qualify for nationals, bringing Jumbos to the nation's capital for the ultimate contest.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01961531244374047105noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4811648720376702345.post-10370239139959332122013-02-08T15:54:00.000-05:002013-02-08T15:54:41.130-05:00Tufts Mock Trial Dominates in Season Opening"All arise!" The sound of pretrial chatter is replaced with sudden silence. The quiet is short-lived, as fourteen seats squeak across the tiled floor and the competitors scramble to their feet. The judges have arrived; court is in session. As the judges unbutton their coats and begin to examine their ballots, attorneys at defense and plaintiff counsel-tables begin to eye one another. If they hadn't done so already, they are sizing up the competition. Behind each team's three attorneys stands a witness, dressed in anything from formal court-wear to an elaborate costume, offering perhaps a hint of the character each will play on the stand. Two time-keepers sit in a box by the judges, clearing their stopwatches and double-checking their time cards. "You may be seated," begins the judge. "Does the plaintiff have any preliminary matters?"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlP0AzBiaZCH_aJkCF8MkdzMha1pa_UTSjGx8moOUyPpUZ0_mGPOQsA63LmM3eOf0YD_kVfM7n3XqiIfg0_K-ljHLhCM1S12fgwnP9Yke4ft4l8e8EAXCpY0jAQU67i9lFGcucoxKzlM/s1600/379636_4694925085111_1257187605_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlP0AzBiaZCH_aJkCF8MkdzMha1pa_UTSjGx8moOUyPpUZ0_mGPOQsA63LmM3eOf0YD_kVfM7n3XqiIfg0_K-ljHLhCM1S12fgwnP9Yke4ft4l8e8EAXCpY0jAQU67i9lFGcucoxKzlM/s320/379636_4694925085111_1257187605_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>Such begins any one of the four trials in a mock trial tournament, and such began the series of matches <a href="http://www.anselm.edu/Current-Students/Student-Activities-and-Leadership-Programs/Programs-and-Events/Mock-Trial-Tournament.htm">this weekend in Manchester, New Hampshire</a>, comprising the <a href="http://www.collegemocktrial.org/">American Mock Trial Association</a> (AMTA)'s Regional competition. The weekend marked the beginning of the 2013 mock trial season, where <a href="http://www.collegemocktrial.org/about-amta/member-schools/">600+ teams</a> competing nationwide will have the opportunity to win their way to the <a href="http://www.collegemocktrial.org/tournaments-/national-championship/">National Championship in Washington D.C.</a><br />
<br />
The tournament structure is three-tiered: First, Regionals, held in 25 locations nationwide. The top 7 teams from each advance to one of 8 Opening Round Championship Series (ORCS). The top 6 teams from each ORCS win bids to Nationals, to compete for the championship title.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83rY81m6xaNZqcTrW-yGuVE4f4NdHG4Uion9SIMgq1c1BZyfquA15P343ka98KrcHRlhyphenhyphenMvDgbey5wKLwn9K5-oJUiU6wv24-ZPjN7xQ3gUcTGnxLIC91rM9F2e_yy_CIUNSxiaH6PGo/s1600/tmt2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83rY81m6xaNZqcTrW-yGuVE4f4NdHG4Uion9SIMgq1c1BZyfquA15P343ka98KrcHRlhyphenhyphenMvDgbey5wKLwn9K5-oJUiU6wv24-ZPjN7xQ3gUcTGnxLIC91rM9F2e_yy_CIUNSxiaH6PGo/s320/tmt2.png" width="256" /></a></div>
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This weekend marked the first Regionals of the season, with schools competing in Rhode Island, North Carolina, Minnesota, California, and, most notably, New Hampshire. Tufts, which enters four teams (A, B, C, and C', the latter two stacked to roughly equivalent chances of success) into the tournament, sent Tufts A and Tufts C to Saint Anselm College for the first round of competition.<br />
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I live-tweeted the tournament on the <a href="https://twitter.com/tuftsmocktrial">Tufts Mock Trial Twitter account</a>, syndicated on the <a href="http://www.tuftsmocktrial.org/">official Tufts Mock Trial website</a>. Here are the highlights:
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<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
TMT just arrived at Manchester for <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23AMTA">#AMTA</a> Regionals! We'll live tweet results for A and C teams all weekend. Good luck! <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23RIPLeeAllen">#RIPLeeAllen</a><br />
— Tufts Mock Trial (@tuftsmocktrial) <a href="https://twitter.com/tuftsmocktrial/status/297427010286927872">February 1, 2013</a></blockquote>
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The results from the rounds, as they came in:<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
First round: Tufts C goes 2-0 vs. Trinity, and Tufts A goes 2-0 vs. BC. An amazing start to the tournament!<br />
— Tufts Mock Trial (@tuftsmocktrial) <a href="https://twitter.com/tuftsmocktrial/status/297556830903750656">February 2, 2013</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
After a morning matchup against UMass Amherst and Brandeis, Tufts C is 2-2 and Tufts A is 3-1. Time for <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23LyonsMode">#LyonsMode</a><br />
— Tufts Mock Trial (@tuftsmocktrial) <a href="https://twitter.com/tuftsmocktrial/status/297768623768997888">February 2, 2013</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
And the round 3 results are in! Head-to-head against Colby, Tufts C grabbed both ballots, jumping up to a 4-2 record by Saturday night.<br />
— Tufts Mock Trial (@tuftsmocktrial) <a href="https://twitter.com/tuftsmocktrial/status/297847717999288321">February 2, 2013</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
And Tufts A takes it farther with 2 ballots off UMass Amherst for a 5-1 record before the final round. <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23justKeepSwimming">#justKeepSwimming</a><br />
— Tufts Mock Trial (@tuftsmocktrial) <a href="https://twitter.com/tuftsmocktrial/status/297850942903164928">February 2, 2013</a></blockquote>
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And then, of course, the awards ceremony:<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Witnesses awarded from <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23TMT">#TMT</a>: Mario Feola (16) and Alex Gottfried (17)<br />
— Tufts Mock Trial (@tuftsmocktrial) <a href="https://twitter.com/tuftsmocktrial/status/298150376698441728">February 3, 2013</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Attorneys awarded from <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23TMT">#TMT</a>: Nick Teleky (17) and Brian Pilchik (17).<br />
— Tufts Mock Trial (@tuftsmocktrial) <a href="https://twitter.com/tuftsmocktrial/status/298151643558576129">February 3, 2013</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Spirit of AMTA (sportsmanship) goes to Tufts A!<br />
— Tufts Mock Trial (@tuftsmocktrial) <a href="https://twitter.com/tuftsmocktrial/status/298152848192049152">February 3, 2013</a></blockquote>
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With stunning team results:
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Tufts A takes 3rd! We're going to ORCS!<br />
— Tufts Mock Trial (@tuftsmocktrial) <a href="https://twitter.com/tuftsmocktrial/status/298153234097401856">February 3, 2013</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Tufts C wins 6th! <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23twoBids">#twoBids</a>!<br />
— Tufts Mock Trial (@tuftsmocktrial) <a href="https://twitter.com/tuftsmocktrial/status/298153675724058624">February 3, 2013</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Four individual awards. Two bids to <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23ORCS">#ORCS</a>. One <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23SpiritOfAMTA">#SpiritOfAMTA</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23TMT">#TMT</a>, takin' home all the things. <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23nailedit">#nailedit</a> <a href="http://t.co/IPsZaovy" title="http://twitter.com/tuftsmocktrial/status/298294018784260098/photo/1">twitter.com/tuftsmocktrial…</a><br />
— Tufts Mock Trial (@tuftsmocktrial) <a href="https://twitter.com/tuftsmocktrial/status/298294018784260098">February 4, 2013</a></blockquote>
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<br />
The results were phenomenal. With a 7-1 record, Tufts A took third place, securing a bid to ORCS. The dropped ballot (the "loss" in the record) went to Brandeis, a 1-1 round which left their team, similarly, with a 7-1 record (and second place). Incredible rapport and civility on the part of both Boston schools led Brandeis to recommend Tufts A for the Spirit of AMTA, the tournament's sportsmanship award. Our team walked away with a bid, SAMTA, and three individual achievement awards.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8DMf6q8s0STvLzrQeT9MiDg0b_tSZioG3-SoV3HYDPxIa1-oDPiovxh8t3pYPCDjMz5taXhcFjXZW-WQnV-caw70kJsw1bzoonRw-RJF2lsxTDvV6U2dBH1ragKDNoh2nkd9EEAPDQms/s1600/2013-02-04_221549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8DMf6q8s0STvLzrQeT9MiDg0b_tSZioG3-SoV3HYDPxIa1-oDPiovxh8t3pYPCDjMz5taXhcFjXZW-WQnV-caw70kJsw1bzoonRw-RJF2lsxTDvV6U2dBH1ragKDNoh2nkd9EEAPDQms/s320/2013-02-04_221549.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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But the real thrill came after the top teams were announced, when the more contentious bids were awarded. With a stunning 6-2 record and an individual award of their own, Tufts C brought a second bid home for Tufts University. The Jumbos went wild.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANdMQRLsjsqBykGkPRfuGB2khcDdPLx-aKXXcPmhyrM9QF-_GhwfLnRREDop2onN86cARCqih2peUkTBNN884iw3sazDaf8GiNbhkvlXvtsjpj2Pu0cO0CditO2Y0q7zgzB7P_79CDLY/s1600/2013-02-04_221432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANdMQRLsjsqBykGkPRfuGB2khcDdPLx-aKXXcPmhyrM9QF-_GhwfLnRREDop2onN86cARCqih2peUkTBNN884iw3sazDaf8GiNbhkvlXvtsjpj2Pu0cO0CditO2Y0q7zgzB7P_79CDLY/s320/2013-02-04_221432.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The double-victory comes as an incredible compliment to the entire organization. As Tufts C co-captain Nick Teleky put it, "TMT doesn't have just one group of really good people; we have an entire program full of incredible talent." That's easy enough to say, but with results to back up the claim, TMT is poised to succeed this year, and in years when those current freshmen and sophomores are running the show.<br />
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Next up, Tufts B and 'the other' Tufts C will head down to Boston for their Regionals later this month. We're expecting big things.<br />
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Meanwhile, it's time for our team to prepare for the next stage of competition. AMTA will introduce some changes to the case, and our strategy will need to evolve (both to keep up, and because, like everything a perfectionist attempts, it's never "finished"). It's our job to decide how to improve. "Unlike other programs that rely on a coach, our team works through a
collaborative process, older members sharing their knowledge with
younger," explains Tufts C co-captain Andrew Copland. This system of peer-mentorship and collaborative decision-making gives us the chance to cultivate and perfect our members' best ideas and tactics. But more importantly, it enhances the sense of teamwork and friendships that keeps mock trial fun. That's right, we have fun preparing for court.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSs7z7gxcX5NKy59cjj4gOpVwpCexV_TAPx6OGy3xRCe_0jvydSgEziIjkgPKrfftb9LflYexpJH5TzomfYGle4b-DKKoPmeTJhsjuk7q1JvuYeFrNd7oa-gZpJ6aH2fLVLgXWwlpW-s/s1600/2013-02-03+14.56.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSs7z7gxcX5NKy59cjj4gOpVwpCexV_TAPx6OGy3xRCe_0jvydSgEziIjkgPKrfftb9LflYexpJH5TzomfYGle4b-DKKoPmeTJhsjuk7q1JvuYeFrNd7oa-gZpJ6aH2fLVLgXWwlpW-s/s320/2013-02-03+14.56.03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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But we know there's there's plenty of work ahead, and so we're grateful to have the incredible motivation of this weekend driving us forward. The gleaming trophies, the photos on Facebook, and the memories of competition are certainly inspiring. But perhaps the best fuel for our fire comes from a post one coach left on an online mock trial forum:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3w_d3luVwZs1XSCYdFJtObNX6ZJ28RAhLdPd2c7h5etVuVudTwXMO-iij64_2ljvLMnelfwNH91k_v39uV9FFQgjHuziq-4SpynABNyWKZmGBC8Npkhyphenhyphen7xeNynYONX7i3RKi9ykvzdQ/s1600/2013-02-08_153407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="70" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3w_d3luVwZs1XSCYdFJtObNX6ZJ28RAhLdPd2c7h5etVuVudTwXMO-iij64_2ljvLMnelfwNH91k_v39uV9FFQgjHuziq-4SpynABNyWKZmGBC8Npkhyphenhyphen7xeNynYONX7i3RKi9ykvzdQ/s320/2013-02-08_153407.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It reads: "Boston College's A team was going 3-3 into round 4 and had the misfortune of drawing Tufts A. That type of nightmare scenario could happen to the best of us."<br />
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But drawing Tufts A isn't a nightmare. Drawing Tufts-<i>anything</i> is.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFy_ihx1WxA7REiKJtsLEW3svbQoKNWC3kqAu4Ck9qJ6vFJWnmrRdJgVEA64JfkduXsvjBaoym3wLftDqjcGau1B1sgcOyQEcEDWXyvnoxfR-V7DLI5CGT5XblxtdlWFNkRwB0oxdzsEw/s1600/2013-02-08_153421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="67" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFy_ihx1WxA7REiKJtsLEW3svbQoKNWC3kqAu4Ck9qJ6vFJWnmrRdJgVEA64JfkduXsvjBaoym3wLftDqjcGau1B1sgcOyQEcEDWXyvnoxfR-V7DLI5CGT5XblxtdlWFNkRwB0oxdzsEw/s320/2013-02-08_153421.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The 2013 season of mock trial has begun. The court is in session. You're rising to your feet. You glance over at the other table.<br />
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And then you see us. Tufts Mock Trial. Or should we say, #nightmareScenario.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01961531244374047105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4811648720376702345.post-82740728302476282662013-01-11T11:52:00.000-05:002013-01-11T11:52:28.928-05:00Isn't There Some Jewish Holiday This Week?In discussing Hanukkah, a friend recently noted (with approval) that Judaism seems to have quite a lot of holidays. "<i>We </i>only really have Christmas and Easter," she said, almost longingly. I smiled. "Well, ours are pretty much all crammed into September." I was thinking back on my first month in Edinburgh, with Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and several Shabbat dinners undoubtedly leading my flatmates to believe I was some kind of religious zealot. (When Simchat Torah rolled around a few days later, I munched my candied apple discreetly.) But on my way home from that conversation, I thought about what I had said. Were our holidays really all in September? Because Hanukkah obviously isn't. Neither is Passover. Nor Purim. I began to make a list.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgm63rjAQK2yHGCxiK-pGEY3LXe3OZLjVREZvjhgfN6Du1TjJMZoHkDWIJTGylRHiwHYJuUQbbhERIRjcEYl-hktoY3gkGKYa__hD1qDTFPBXr2ace6m1S9I4GZ3epbg4OzHf68HAmqzQ/s1600/00222920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgm63rjAQK2yHGCxiK-pGEY3LXe3OZLjVREZvjhgfN6Du1TjJMZoHkDWIJTGylRHiwHYJuUQbbhERIRjcEYl-hktoY3gkGKYa__hD1qDTFPBXr2ace6m1S9I4GZ3epbg4OzHf68HAmqzQ/s320/00222920.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(From right to left:) Rosh Hashanah, Simchat Torah, Sukkot (x2)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><a name='more'></a>According to the internet, Jews celebrate holidays year round. And no, I'm not just talking about Shabbat, which is every Friday. We've got Tu B'Shvat in late January, Lag B'Omer in early May, and even Tisha B'Av in late July. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_calendar">Jewish holidays follow a lunar calendar</a>, not the January-December Gregorian Calendar, so my date-ranges are approximate.) But some of those sound a little obscure; at least, <i>I</i> don't know what they all are. So I recompiled the list, focusing on the holidays with which I was familiar.<br />
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I came up with eight traditional holidays, plus two historical holidays, and finally, the weekly Sabbath Shabbat. In approximate order of Gregorian Calendar appearance:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG0lr1Ss9AT88-IfXJQi9gryGJ_DiItBqToTdXHYUOpaH9n6t0D7XateEUbfkuNP3lEEl8yBuX11dy9a87v2oenwfgbf4yfMPmg2C_hkbDOodB_XqP8YFAgmOuPQv-sVvWqWFaEv5Obmk/s1600/holidays-multiple-443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG0lr1Ss9AT88-IfXJQi9gryGJ_DiItBqToTdXHYUOpaH9n6t0D7XateEUbfkuNP3lEEl8yBuX11dy9a87v2oenwfgbf4yfMPmg2C_hkbDOodB_XqP8YFAgmOuPQv-sVvWqWFaEv5Obmk/s320/holidays-multiple-443.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Traditional<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Tu Bishvat</b>: A winter holiday for trees. Traditionally, eat dried fruits and nuts, such as apricots and almonds.</li>
<li><b>Purim</b>: A spring commemoration of survival despite an evil plot. Important characters include Queen Esther (a good guy) and Haman (a bad guy). Traditionally, eat <a href="http://lipkinsbakery.com/shop/hamantashen.html">hamantashen</a>.</li>
<li><b>Passover</b>: A spring festival celebrating exodus from slavery in Egypt. There are seders, <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.com/2012/04/on-pesach-dont-pass-over-tufts-dining.html">bread-free diets</a>, and ten plagues. If you've seen <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120794/">Prince of Egypt</a>, and/or understand what the Last Supper actually was, you're in good shape. Traditionally, eat matzoh, matzoh-ball soup, and gefilte fish.</li>
<li><b>Rosh Hashanah</b>: The Jewish new year, <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.com/2010/09/that-which-is-easy.html">in the fall</a>. Which, let's be honest, makes way more sense to any student than the January date. Traditionally, eat apples and honey.</li>
<li><b>Yom Kippur</b>: The Day of Atonement; a somber occasion. Traditionally, eat and drink absolutely nothing for 25 hours.</li>
<li><b>Sukkot</b>: A fall harvest festival with links to wandering in the desert. One typically constructs a sukkah (temporary booth-like dwelling) and uses a lulav and etrog when reciting Sukkot blessings. Traditionally, eat in the sukkah.</li>
<li><b>Simchat Torah</b>: The commemoration of having completed one cycle of reading the Torah, after which begins the cycle again. Traditionally, we have caramel apples.</li>
<li><b>Hanukkah</b>: A winter celebration of miracles and the preservation of Jewish identity, this Festival of Lights consists of candles, <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.com/2011/12/i-made-it-out-of-c.html">dreidels</a>, and presents. Traditionally, eat <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.com/2013/01/one-latke-two-latke-green-latke-blue.html">latkes</a>, sufganiyot, and gelt.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfh5bhAsQJCTXWIvrkzypFb2WjXQxeJITlv5vrtNJu2Ro6gbEg-pT-cxwnzLTShyphenhyphenbmWz1xERl3VTgyTpE1q-SO4QtiWFWokd-2w6D8FtcOerwnH6DyKFg79qSqiYOolV0hPZqX3Pt8mU/s1600/image.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfh5bhAsQJCTXWIvrkzypFb2WjXQxeJITlv5vrtNJu2Ro6gbEg-pT-cxwnzLTShyphenhyphenbmWz1xERl3VTgyTpE1q-SO4QtiWFWokd-2w6D8FtcOerwnH6DyKFg79qSqiYOolV0hPZqX3Pt8mU/s320/image.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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Historical*</div>
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<ul>
<li><b>Yom Hashoah</b>: Holocaust Remembrance Day, as observed in Israel in the spring. This includes sirens blaring, flags at half-mast, and the lighting of yellow candles in commemoration of the 6 million Jews exterminated during World War II. The holiday also recalls the heroic efforts of Jews and non-Jews alike who helped protect those persecuted and ultimately ended the massacre.</li>
<li><b>Yom Ha'atzmaut</b>: Israeli Independence Day, commemorating the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. Independence was declared at the expiration of the British Mandate on May 14th; the holiday, following the lunar calendar, therefore falls near that date.</li>
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*Arguably, my historical holidays aren't exclusively Jewish. But hey; the traditional ones aren't exclusive, either. And the historical ones commemorate important events for the Jewish people: an unparalleled tragedy and the creation of a Jewish state in the holy land.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_N02GnpLmMLQxqXx4bUBZ92IHFYhcK2seSxL_7psxwGEKySCg1FObwxnXZRA3GgnPdu0ACKqxrMWO1vk4X_mtXkuynSnbfaHPYe5xRPIEzQ1lOsh6zFkAiWcNA6Tn6mmIK-a-YQXsVg/s1600/ShabbatChallah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_N02GnpLmMLQxqXx4bUBZ92IHFYhcK2seSxL_7psxwGEKySCg1FObwxnXZRA3GgnPdu0ACKqxrMWO1vk4X_mtXkuynSnbfaHPYe5xRPIEzQ1lOsh6zFkAiWcNA6Tn6mmIK-a-YQXsVg/s320/ShabbatChallah.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Shabbat</b>: The weekly Sabbath, or Day of Rest, from Friday to Saturday night. Traditionally, eat challah and drink wine.</div>
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* * *</div>
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So, we have a bunch of celebrations, and they tend to involve food. When should you expect the next Jewish holiday? If you're ever confused, just visit <a href="http://www.isitajewishholidaytoday.com/">www.isitajewishholidaytoday.com</a>. For people who prefer to plan ahead, be sure to check a <a href="http://www.chabad.org/calendar/view/month.htm">Jewish (Hebrew) Calendar</a>.<br />
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Shabbat Shalom, everyone. Next Shabbat, we're back at Tufts.<br />
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<i>Celebrate Judaism differently? Celebrate different cultures or beliefs altogether? Share your favorite holidays, traditional foods, or crazy family stories below. Bonus points if you include recipes or pictures.</i><br />
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Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01961531244374047105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4811648720376702345.post-46341834621120046372013-01-03T14:54:00.000-05:002013-01-03T14:54:30.067-05:00Europe, in Maps and PhotographsIf your geography is anything like mine, the most you know about Europe is that it's across the ocean to the <i>right</i>. Prior to this semester, I would not have been able to locate the Netherlands, place Scotland in the United Kingdom, or determine whether Paris or Madrid was closer to London. Thanks to a bit of European travel, some of these deficiencies have been remedied. I will take this opportunity both to show off my favorite photos from my semester abroad, and to improve American terrestrial literacy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0yCOM0Y4VoHvrEuoWE8-copNiHj4jhYd3N7ZH2CXzhjrQ2ONxFy_HCApCGkDvy1Y-gLyRgJYKutCOc-lN-kpsifk4-dQ4Sbm44PR6595n76ulvgl5lDUXYeZDYG8IZJiESKfmuLuNHbI/s1600/europe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0yCOM0Y4VoHvrEuoWE8-copNiHj4jhYd3N7ZH2CXzhjrQ2ONxFy_HCApCGkDvy1Y-gLyRgJYKutCOc-lN-kpsifk4-dQ4Sbm44PR6595n76ulvgl5lDUXYeZDYG8IZJiESKfmuLuNHbI/s320/europe.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a><b>Geographical Background</b><br />
I spent the semester in Edinburgh, a city in Scotland. Scotland used to be its own country; it joined with England (and Wales) in 1707 to create Great Britain. Talks of breaking away into an independent Scotland continue to this day. Great Britain has since added Northern Ireland (distinct from the Republic of Ireland) to form the United Kingdom. Today, the United Kingdom is one country, and Ireland (less Northern Ireland) is another.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKbuZCf4c4VzQmfX2xQekyMFrjH4Coo6DuMCzDtfmDS0ALHKWC6O1bLScrnBcrWe6ZOftTkGJ5uyiR7iQXhDFWTDCclK64E_h8u0Gkzim0xgl5jJ7d-bMf8U6J2Sif-TlpdBjtqUSHPNk/s1600/uk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKbuZCf4c4VzQmfX2xQekyMFrjH4Coo6DuMCzDtfmDS0ALHKWC6O1bLScrnBcrWe6ZOftTkGJ5uyiR7iQXhDFWTDCclK64E_h8u0Gkzim0xgl5jJ7d-bMf8U6J2Sif-TlpdBjtqUSHPNk/s320/uk.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ireland (*Dublin) and the United Kingdom (*Inverness, *Stirling, *Edinburgh, *London)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>Edinburgh, Scotland</b><br />
The capital of Scotland, Edinburgh was my home base for my time abroad. I studied politics at the University of Edinburgh, student population 28,000. In Edinburgh, I tried <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haggis">haggis</a> (vegetarian, I'm afraid), saw the <a href="http://www.rsno.org.uk/">Royal Scottish National Orchestra</a>, and <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.com/2012/11/b-for-bonfire.html">celebrated Bonfire Night</a>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5qbsEsLmC_rQYTxliANFYk1B1ME6GZBN1QElX3ZWuKRkAwGcAh93nU3QsIEYQ1Y7i6hf1ZQ5XYfMpGX6sLQ0gY5d6FIduBJqt5pmpL-RcHa9sEkFCSXHa6vAUAKTejN6aCp7YMdljjg/s1600/P9110093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5qbsEsLmC_rQYTxliANFYk1B1ME6GZBN1QElX3ZWuKRkAwGcAh93nU3QsIEYQ1Y7i6hf1ZQ5XYfMpGX6sLQ0gY5d6FIduBJqt5pmpL-RcHa9sEkFCSXHa6vAUAKTejN6aCp7YMdljjg/s320/P9110093.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edinburgh Castle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgty0z-tQlJbtdubm77eNCloyYcdwklzxxHDDHVdHYavgTzp7tI2rjMeEaAut3wwE0v7ZkdH6GLwqLCFkFnqml2J4DCTkxQkA5WKRxUx8MlnIA-12gEOyv3EhrYQPC-7xy8c0SYviu4GZA/s1600/PB050048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgty0z-tQlJbtdubm77eNCloyYcdwklzxxHDDHVdHYavgTzp7tI2rjMeEaAut3wwE0v7ZkdH6GLwqLCFkFnqml2J4DCTkxQkA5WKRxUx8MlnIA-12gEOyv3EhrYQPC-7xy8c0SYviu4GZA/s320/PB050048.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bonfire Night</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Izkxi233MY-XMvuXeYfC6449ETszMMfhwlOQikGzbN5fMGcuFK2sEh0xx2kNmNg0wJ0M-IdtPHFPMwKc0a97gxhD2Qfh1u94uxqK60V-ofw2LNQ3kQufnm3PE9IQFbywtGzM8c98Qgw/s1600/edinburghChrsitmas+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Izkxi233MY-XMvuXeYfC6449ETszMMfhwlOQikGzbN5fMGcuFK2sEh0xx2kNmNg0wJ0M-IdtPHFPMwKc0a97gxhD2Qfh1u94uxqK60V-ofw2LNQ3kQufnm3PE9IQFbywtGzM8c98Qgw/s320/edinburghChrsitmas+(1).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas Market</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>Inverness, Scotland</b><br />
Up in the remote Scottish highlands, Inverness is home to just 72,000 people (compared to Edinburgh's half-million or Philadelphia's 1.5 million). Visiting for an extended weekend, I toured whiskey distilleries, visited a sheepdog farm, and spotted the Loch Ness Monster.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWj_1vr9zbDZgid8pepLJb1Q16N5EigpqLpn4MjtXJ6IRR7d6i6QHSTVaLbQaAXsr4nYiqykOwlIiovvGXGtQygKS6RFmttNSYshdjAN1E2Dd4ffEx5978YQoas5bK51bJEOnpkknRDvE/s1600/PA060129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWj_1vr9zbDZgid8pepLJb1Q16N5EigpqLpn4MjtXJ6IRR7d6i6QHSTVaLbQaAXsr4nYiqykOwlIiovvGXGtQygKS6RFmttNSYshdjAN1E2Dd4ffEx5978YQoas5bK51bJEOnpkknRDvE/s320/PA060129.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheepdog Farm</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7doOEUpc57U5_yIEf4a-5IHnxZes1cFTpaBDN8rOVUUyMpxEQLpvhiGDokRauRbpvJvSjploZTPmklp-wobB5400k3UEnjERlYowe9zSxEovaOde5Bw_lQU1la1xmXPMaI73NtSxduP8/s1600/PA070187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7doOEUpc57U5_yIEf4a-5IHnxZes1cFTpaBDN8rOVUUyMpxEQLpvhiGDokRauRbpvJvSjploZTPmklp-wobB5400k3UEnjERlYowe9zSxEovaOde5Bw_lQU1la1xmXPMaI73NtSxduP8/s320/PA070187.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nessie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8qv-mYM51ShKg1N_EvaoKyPzyJniWOKEaEWVWEC4jALGERAA5qc11bwqdjZdlXsCXqZ_6HLpsAoTmaxxwAuqOmICTCKdkMbbo14fGIPgDjpV0kcpzRbdpUnKhZPT9n9jzENgfk3bi5ZE/s1600/PA070238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8qv-mYM51ShKg1N_EvaoKyPzyJniWOKEaEWVWEC4jALGERAA5qc11bwqdjZdlXsCXqZ_6HLpsAoTmaxxwAuqOmICTCKdkMbbo14fGIPgDjpV0kcpzRbdpUnKhZPT9n9jzENgfk3bi5ZE/s320/PA070238.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Urquhart Castle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>Stirling, Scotland</b><br />
Stirling was the site of a weekend home-stay with a sweet elderly couple. The experience involved climbing the <a href="http://nationalwallacemonument.com/">Wallace Monument</a>, visiting <a href="http://www.stirlingcastle.gov.uk/">Stirling Castle</a>, and watching a lot of BBC.<br />
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<b>Dublin, Ireland</b><br />
My first out-of-country trip was to Ireland, a quick RyanAir flight away. The incredible <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Trinity%20College%20Library&sugexp=chrome,mod%3D10&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=w9DlUNSdKar20gG6oIDoDw&biw=1366&bih=643&sei=4tDlUNnJHobr0QHv14GQCQ">Trinity College Library</a>, national museums, and outdoor food markets distinguished the trip.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOWuRBAInxUBDpZI7doDwHwbXYImJwYjeACqCMRvv-ZX_Zzja17A8YbZiEoLq3y-NRV0XIkUl5DODS6K2O0D6mleZvrfGPWzovS7u0qroD2PNNaw7QrX4SZMVY8xmigLike_L3bG-waUo/s1600/PB100004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOWuRBAInxUBDpZI7doDwHwbXYImJwYjeACqCMRvv-ZX_Zzja17A8YbZiEoLq3y-NRV0XIkUl5DODS6K2O0D6mleZvrfGPWzovS7u0qroD2PNNaw7QrX4SZMVY8xmigLike_L3bG-waUo/s320/PB100004.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Spire</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbzn-vOMLWvabR2pvVArFhOdTiJ5_yFHPi9U4V-RUcP6Pe7Z1gZcfZFMfD7q2F55yq2VcpeYu_Fk0hV8YWG448ejWAHgfueY-xplrBjxV5nKw3tc2rqjaRfPOyI5Nj_ohF6klxhRnixIw/s1600/PB100031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbzn-vOMLWvabR2pvVArFhOdTiJ5_yFHPi9U4V-RUcP6Pe7Z1gZcfZFMfD7q2F55yq2VcpeYu_Fk0hV8YWG448ejWAHgfueY-xplrBjxV5nKw3tc2rqjaRfPOyI5Nj_ohF6klxhRnixIw/s320/PB100031.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Merchant's Crafts</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_eSobRNk_zX1W1-iGqOypDZbpG6ri54pjbZs9ZDYxmpUvICa08RFmdLyi_WLa2GSO8jdfvnkVjYq5uON8kIk9ePP5oZWRyatyY3b5KQ2u_6yS9M5HxSd-4gfJMOJlM0S5VuJt6D6T2I/s1600/PB110129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_eSobRNk_zX1W1-iGqOypDZbpG6ri54pjbZs9ZDYxmpUvICa08RFmdLyi_WLa2GSO8jdfvnkVjYq5uON8kIk9ePP5oZWRyatyY3b5KQ2u_6yS9M5HxSd-4gfJMOJlM0S5VuJt6D6T2I/s320/PB110129.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Oscar Wilde Statue</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>London, England</b><br />
One of my favorite destinations this semester, London was so exciting, I went twice. Home to 221 Baker Street, Shakespeare's Globe, and the unforgettable Tower of London, it was certainly well worth the return.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPywRX0OCZmHwF6LzlFa7XaSQ8L2QzUVAnszgPt3r7LbZrqC5ilsQ8C0DbqMBKJBFI_WzxFV0Xi601-HJC1a45gkFEa0LvpuzgJhuKU7PGHWWbgEMq_2T6OqyDVQVWZnhqDtLW3eXK-eE/s1600/PB180117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPywRX0OCZmHwF6LzlFa7XaSQ8L2QzUVAnszgPt3r7LbZrqC5ilsQ8C0DbqMBKJBFI_WzxFV0Xi601-HJC1a45gkFEa0LvpuzgJhuKU7PGHWWbgEMq_2T6OqyDVQVWZnhqDtLW3eXK-eE/s320/PB180117.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">London Eye</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfoM8noT9e29qpyOj6q3b83b1DYySKaEBpt9Wp9DB_jb2rM8PB-AsGr_vfIumWGLT_AGRqrbbvv__LyQNLL-7SAYAHSUhjMXN_f7ZOLqJEn084s_6RF_qP7dNJSfMknMHnaxj07Q5Pnvc/s1600/PB180157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfoM8noT9e29qpyOj6q3b83b1DYySKaEBpt9Wp9DB_jb2rM8PB-AsGr_vfIumWGLT_AGRqrbbvv__LyQNLL-7SAYAHSUhjMXN_f7ZOLqJEn084s_6RF_qP7dNJSfMknMHnaxj07Q5Pnvc/s320/PB180157.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dragon at the Tower of London</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrjIL80qP28lKGsp8QD74DWA21Q90AkHQwDkoOGK-uAJKf-EMKteJjXEVVwo_22Ti6c6F6jFMfNuj0sPn83CncfJYwIEzSe62t466xBU_3P8DxKp2F-Hmt3-XNS3gaMP8t1Tv4slwZECY/s1600/PB210136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrjIL80qP28lKGsp8QD74DWA21Q90AkHQwDkoOGK-uAJKf-EMKteJjXEVVwo_22Ti6c6F6jFMfNuj0sPn83CncfJYwIEzSe62t466xBU_3P8DxKp2F-Hmt3-XNS3gaMP8t1Tv4slwZECY/s320/PB210136.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shakespeare's Globe (3rd Construction)</td></tr>
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* * *</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_DndmKri5GdJtv_y9CIsppKayQjkwKa50UmgATMhUUBYKSdT4KF33qwvFy-TlZzO_UsgjYZria-0364bUukbdxDSVeVF58hOwzfa-qALEtWiSt0gcYva-XcP3RURF4BDe12yBawgiww/s1600/france.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_DndmKri5GdJtv_y9CIsppKayQjkwKa50UmgATMhUUBYKSdT4KF33qwvFy-TlZzO_UsgjYZria-0364bUukbdxDSVeVF58hOwzfa-qALEtWiSt0gcYva-XcP3RURF4BDe12yBawgiww/s320/france.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">France (*Paris)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>Paris, France</b><br />
Meeting my family in Paris over Thanksgiving was certainly a treat, with the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and Notre Dame highlighting the experience.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2LSTsZzb5o40UqTQPfXl0by-7ZiFScWIuvatRp4xG3PkqKLiTjOxzodl_HD77ep68YhTqoS_EGfBnnv2jL_SaUaUf26AhQIjZ-gjZz3CK9Xw_qnrDUlK7xUHHN4AFcY61vzo_kXfNxw/s1600/PB240063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2LSTsZzb5o40UqTQPfXl0by-7ZiFScWIuvatRp4xG3PkqKLiTjOxzodl_HD77ep68YhTqoS_EGfBnnv2jL_SaUaUf26AhQIjZ-gjZz3CK9Xw_qnrDUlK7xUHHN4AFcY61vzo_kXfNxw/s320/PB240063.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Louvre</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_-OyynpSUXQRRXQYX2-FJnbZiUL03DkYldEfeGzL3ECQMyAuiwD7_7pmogCs9CqQJINTfWOl6OHHQVRh5DMj0SuMCHJljiobj5Yep3vlB0V2TheVgomCzWpLV39qTZ1EUYn62QI7wBI/s1600/PB250173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_-OyynpSUXQRRXQYX2-FJnbZiUL03DkYldEfeGzL3ECQMyAuiwD7_7pmogCs9CqQJINTfWOl6OHHQVRh5DMj0SuMCHJljiobj5Yep3vlB0V2TheVgomCzWpLV39qTZ1EUYn62QI7wBI/s320/PB250173.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Eiffel Tower</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRqQc5yW5DXfgPyiI6Ov8L9GcyKU0Z0dddGLkIh_GtqjOr_ZV2wR6GIL9_tSEeML7qrKM0HfuohvO6G73ONW2w1114q47oTiBaf5UKeJmuEzJgqlcmT7wqWIrv5Yi7pX6EISE-LAw6tc/s1600/PB250155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRqQc5yW5DXfgPyiI6Ov8L9GcyKU0Z0dddGLkIh_GtqjOr_ZV2wR6GIL9_tSEeML7qrKM0HfuohvO6G73ONW2w1114q47oTiBaf5UKeJmuEzJgqlcmT7wqWIrv5Yi7pX6EISE-LAw6tc/s320/PB250155.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notre Dame Cathedral</td></tr>
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* * *</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv7z9VWH9rHyfsOwAbSCW7I807OcVKK8IwzziTkNWC5g7Juqj_3ttaMH5DJsrmfOrm1aMeSnUhyphenhyphenMWgzigBIePPJ4B7Jf3tFzXc0bcTjsG-kmmWdlmLORKY7EXedZADJFb-I14Df3J2PSU/s1600/spain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv7z9VWH9rHyfsOwAbSCW7I807OcVKK8IwzziTkNWC5g7Juqj_3ttaMH5DJsrmfOrm1aMeSnUhyphenhyphenMWgzigBIePPJ4B7Jf3tFzXc0bcTjsG-kmmWdlmLORKY7EXedZADJFb-I14Df3J2PSU/s320/spain.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spain (*Madrid, *Barcelona)</td></tr>
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<b>Barcelona, Spain</b><br />
By far my favorite getaway, Barcelona was (comparatively) warm, colorful, and tasty. Here I tasted paella, saw magnificent architecture by Gaudi, and finally heard the language I studied for so many years being spoken practically. La Segrada Familia (during the day!) and the Magic Fountain (at night!) were sights that everyone should see at some point in their lives.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkA3C9SRBUkA65tb2PJ_JFmZ1L3W7_oqmbzXLsGr34VyZJmWStlvAtss5wWgndeoZhc2mSGhbEB4md5q0nhkfx5Fc3JRtWHCUmgW8ADQYigVk58jG7Mq-iR6fafk4lHHd1ZOPZSnQfaMM/s1600/PC010018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkA3C9SRBUkA65tb2PJ_JFmZ1L3W7_oqmbzXLsGr34VyZJmWStlvAtss5wWgndeoZhc2mSGhbEB4md5q0nhkfx5Fc3JRtWHCUmgW8ADQYigVk58jG7Mq-iR6fafk4lHHd1ZOPZSnQfaMM/s320/PC010018.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Segrada Familia</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs14n_oGUJtoTkfkaOpdPUCA2Yh_CWCV9H6doSKG5yK_r1jbYgkvGW9j0ThZjzrm7ZWMEMAyp4V6BbKmx0q15agK9ds3ncOKfO9aT4QdKGwUXgdtVaCMKNoW_m-wdqhtR1UFWq2qp-7bE/s1600/PC010089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs14n_oGUJtoTkfkaOpdPUCA2Yh_CWCV9H6doSKG5yK_r1jbYgkvGW9j0ThZjzrm7ZWMEMAyp4V6BbKmx0q15agK9ds3ncOKfO9aT4QdKGwUXgdtVaCMKNoW_m-wdqhtR1UFWq2qp-7bE/s320/PC010089.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waterfront</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8ca_XWMzwBbS6aNDav1PhigoxixoK3qgJOD6G-Wa_jYSGF8XkM1DPHfRIgIQcznio7p8nH0bYZlKwwNzomB1qC24aGCno9JZqsF-pI1QbcTHeC-Z9BCFkrypOCUDJSdfMtKc9qFSbNg/s1600/424971_10151355345892238_1516317766_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8ca_XWMzwBbS6aNDav1PhigoxixoK3qgJOD6G-Wa_jYSGF8XkM1DPHfRIgIQcznio7p8nH0bYZlKwwNzomB1qC24aGCno9JZqsF-pI1QbcTHeC-Z9BCFkrypOCUDJSdfMtKc9qFSbNg/s320/424971_10151355345892238_1516317766_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">National Museum of Art, Near the Magic Fountain</td></tr>
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<b>Madrid, Spain</b><br />
Finally, a trip back to Spain to stay in Alcala and see Madrid. Meeting my friend's host family, eating plenty of churros, and discovering a medieval market were just a few favorite memories.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC3CnYJngU9uKF1pBxi6Ss8ViVoDbbGK05Xa4duQJhRn9UbUCXLny7N2DCVmVdr_ggccF9ijra2WfdOL2As-Dz73E4htg3mIv4oln5SvTIOT7XBjSQH6oQEEAr1pDFuThTOtHNWuEXLTM/s1600/PC070009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC3CnYJngU9uKF1pBxi6Ss8ViVoDbbGK05Xa4duQJhRn9UbUCXLny7N2DCVmVdr_ggccF9ijra2WfdOL2As-Dz73E4htg3mIv4oln5SvTIOT7XBjSQH6oQEEAr1pDFuThTOtHNWuEXLTM/s320/PC070009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Medieval Market, Alcala</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVEmc9IF6QlPQAq7aoIGeb4tGe4bl2DZRKxURC-O5Fx3O-A86sBgLjonBY6u1U8PawHDMdMolcxbctwaKs0_EEsiG07vJd4D6_awVUwVINSzgAH2oOwnMU8CCIWoZqCGDGiRcpGbfMXF0/s1600/PC080065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVEmc9IF6QlPQAq7aoIGeb4tGe4bl2DZRKxURC-O5Fx3O-A86sBgLjonBY6u1U8PawHDMdMolcxbctwaKs0_EEsiG07vJd4D6_awVUwVINSzgAH2oOwnMU8CCIWoZqCGDGiRcpGbfMXF0/s320/PC080065.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buen Retiro Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HKZSa4gtX6Q5IujEM_cFadEayzwjWP5HkQdFsalhU_95pchYZV7g2pvIxOkqrXx_8zLAZl8xAInQWW7j-eGheMEtDweRAIfi4LLaYiBpoqM9-L5hH6VRdP8x6hqE94KrapY9xHbM6xE/s1600/PC080102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HKZSa4gtX6Q5IujEM_cFadEayzwjWP5HkQdFsalhU_95pchYZV7g2pvIxOkqrXx_8zLAZl8xAInQWW7j-eGheMEtDweRAIfi4LLaYiBpoqM9-L5hH6VRdP8x6hqE94KrapY9xHbM6xE/s320/PC080102.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palacio Real</td></tr>
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<br />
So, after all of that, would I recommend studying abroad? Absolutely. It's scary, of course, picking up and moving to a new country for a while. But it's fun. And it's eye opening. And it's worth it.<br />
<br />
I remember talking to upper-classmen about studying abroad, and I kept hearing the same things from the ones who hadn't: they wished that they had. If you have the opportunity, I'd say: go for it. But the choice is all yours. In the words of the great Dr. Seuss:<br />
<br />
You have brains in your head.<br />
You have feet in your shoes.<br />
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.<br />
You're on your own.<br />
And you know what you know.<br />
And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01961531244374047105noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4811648720376702345.post-77284675796151213872013-01-02T17:34:00.000-05:002013-01-02T20:50:17.718-05:00One Latke, Two Latke; Green Latke, Blue Latke<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
For those unfamiliar with the Hanukkah treat, a latke is a "potato pancake", a food fried in oil to celebrate the burning of oil in the holiday story. It's made of potatoes and onions, primarily. Since I was away for Hanukkah, it only made sense to have a belated latke-making event once I got back home. My dad left us the recipe, and we got cooking. And then, we found the food dye...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibP4FECtSZHm3onDe49v3yMc83AxTP-pJuAzKmdl0UGL535_qi97XuXy91eUF25TmY3Tju9t1lgvxLVzcypNyS9IfC0vecrVC_mSPrP3u3yJ80zGxAwqBuOA3Fv_nSh83X2l_wGTofleY/s1600/PC240008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibP4FECtSZHm3onDe49v3yMc83AxTP-pJuAzKmdl0UGL535_qi97XuXy91eUF25TmY3Tju9t1lgvxLVzcypNyS9IfC0vecrVC_mSPrP3u3yJ80zGxAwqBuOA3Fv_nSh83X2l_wGTofleY/s320/PC240008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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No, latkes aren't typically colorful. But Hanukkah candles are, so hey, why not? Our masterpieces looked like this:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I do not like green eggs and ham, but colored latkes? Well hot damn!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU2JVRh3PthJMGEJeRJiT2cjwOR-G2AJOiMELE3Sc-nLJO_-FT89gI8uZxdfKm1_-oRWZ0vhJATuGzo2A9RmB4XLMBehyr8Hi_F9nawI44wJ5GUB0GUKcpX_3zvVgV4TdzEdi9N07aeNQ/s1600/PC240005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU2JVRh3PthJMGEJeRJiT2cjwOR-G2AJOiMELE3Sc-nLJO_-FT89gI8uZxdfKm1_-oRWZ0vhJATuGzo2A9RmB4XLMBehyr8Hi_F9nawI44wJ5GUB0GUKcpX_3zvVgV4TdzEdi9N07aeNQ/s320/PC240005.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We found green, yellow, and blue food coloring.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So we used all three.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgkmHuKsH1_Jw0Anhwub6TeD1SqAUiBycUypL5-pnP1RaTBbZusBV5f_935D7J2PXAd-u6gy_yvvFsw8cVF9JZzoN6_3A39sM_hj3tydjJQGS4HkCE2bdI4JDEuHhaEWsxMorAZ3f38A/s1600/PC240014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgkmHuKsH1_Jw0Anhwub6TeD1SqAUiBycUypL5-pnP1RaTBbZusBV5f_935D7J2PXAd-u6gy_yvvFsw8cVF9JZzoN6_3A39sM_hj3tydjJQGS4HkCE2bdI4JDEuHhaEWsxMorAZ3f38A/s320/PC240014.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These may <i>look</i> like normal latkes, but they're dyed yellow! Gotcha!</td></tr>
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The <a href="http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/412261/potato-latkes">family latke recipe has been added to BigOven</a>, along with <a href="http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/307069/Hamantashen">the best Hamantashen</a> you've ever had (sorry, <a href="http://lipkinsbakery.com/">Lipkin's Bakery</a>, but there isn't a non-compete clause in our website design contract). Have your own latke recipe? Or a different family favorite? Comment below.</div>
Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01961531244374047105noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4811648720376702345.post-78651395986082351532012-12-19T17:55:00.000-05:002012-12-19T17:55:36.137-05:00Shoot First, Write Essays Later"Under what conditions, if any, may a country wage a preventive war of self-defense?" That's the first question on last semester's War and Justice exam at the University of Edinburgh. In layman's terms: When can you go to war in order to address something not happening now, but something you expect to happen later? It's a very practical question. In 1941, Japan struck Pearl Harbor, presumably to prevent the U.S. navy from being able to strike at them. In 1967, Israel launched the Six-Day War by decimating Egyptian air fields in anticipation of a massive Egyptian-Jordanian-Syrian-Iraqi invasion. In 2003, the United States went to war in Iraq in order to prevent - in advance - the use of weapons of mass destruction. Wars are often justified in terms of self-defense, but does it count when the defense happens <i>before</i> the attack? Thanks for tuning in; it's philosophy night.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>First off, a warning about Just War Theory. If you're a pacifist (you don't think we should be going to war in the first place) or a realist (you don't think it matters whether a war is right or wrong; it's going to happen anyway), you'll have to put that aside for a while. We're talking about <i>justice in war</i>; whether or not that's possible, we're talking about what it would look like if it were.<br />
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<b>Preventive War</b><br />
American philosopher Michael Walzer explains preventive war as a war fought to prevent an anticipated change in the balance of power. The 2003 Iraq War is a good example; the U.S. feared that Iraq was developing weapons which, at some point in the future, could pose a threat. Preventive wars are justified on fears, often backed by the arguments that fighting them will preserve long-term peace and that fighting <i>early </i>will save more lives than fighting later. Similar logic could be used to justify an invasion of modern-day Iran, under fear of their developing nuclear program.<br />
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But Walzer argues that preventive wars are something of a slippery slope. It's hard to tell what might happen a long way down the line, and allowing war every time someone <i>thinks</i> something might go wrong can lead to a whole lot of "frivolous" fighting.<br />
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Law professor David Luban agrees. After all, how are states to judge just how much 'threat' is enough to justify preventive war? Maybe if your enemy is amassing troops along the border, that looks pretty bad... but what about when they're just increasing their military budget? Or just their general budget? Or what if they look at you funny at the UN?<br />
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If fear is all it takes, India and Pakistan should launch the missiles <i>now</i>. And they'd both be justified, too. After all, they could argue they were just preventing the other side from launching the preventive war <i>first</i>! Clearly, an allowance for preventive war has the potential to spiral out of control.<br />
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<b>Window of Opportunity</b><br />
But surely we can't commit our armies not to fire unless fired upon. It sounds like a good policy for policemen, but this is <i>war</i>. Enemies have the capacity to launch nuclear warheads, capable of destroying entire cities in one go. You want to wait until <i>after</i> they've launched before you take out the targets?<br />
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When the Israelis launched Operation Opera in 1981, destroying an Iraqi nuclear reactor with an air strike, they argued that they were preventing a nuclear threat while they still had the chance. Much longer, goes the logic, and it could have been too late to act. (The Iranians, who had damaged the same nuclear facility months prior in a similar operation, made the same argument.) Surely, then, there are practical reasons for needing to be able to strike ahead of time: to maintain an element of surprise, to destroy a weapon before it can be deployed, to strike before reinforcements arrive, and so on.<br />
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But, as we've seen, justifying just any old preventive attack is dangerous. So what kind of conditions can we set up?<br />
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<b>Preemptive Strikes</b><br />
Walzer draws a distinction between preventive war and so-called preemptive strikes. If you want your operation to count as a preemptive strike, you have to meet the qualifications:<br />
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1) Enemy has intent to injure<br />
2) Enemy has taken preparations, making the intent an imminent danger<br />
3) Failure to act increases the risk of danger<br />
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If that's the situation, then you can launch a <i>preemptive strike</i>, which Walzer considers justified. There's a threat, it's imminent, and doing something about it now is better than not. Fire away.<br />
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That's pretty good, but there's still ambiguity. How do we know if the danger is imminent? Take Iran, for example. It's talked about destroying Israel (intent), and it's funded militant groups like Hamas and Hezbollah which carry out attacks against Israel (acting on intent). Now it's developing a nuclear program (preparations). So is a preemptive strike justified? Or is the intent just talk; are the preparations just clean energy initiatives? Would it really be so risky to leave them alone?<br />
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Maybe we need more restrictions. In an effort to avert excessive confrontations, Luban suggests that only "rouge states," that is, militant states with violent track records and a growing capacity to threaten, are legitimate targets of preemptive action. Hitler's Germany is the poster child here. But rouge states are hard to define. This is starting to sound more like a don't-do-it-unless-there-are-Nazis exception than a broadly applicable principle.<br />
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<b>Third Parties</b><br />
Supposing we manage to work out which threats are imminent or rouge, is it then alright for just anyone to step in and do something about it? Luban suggests that only those states threatened can launch the preemptive attack. This is interesting.<br />
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On the one hand, it's a rather unfair restriction. If your country is weak, you'll have a rough time taking down your enemy's nuclear facility. Why can't your powerful ally help you out? Such a restrictive policy would advantage wealthier, more capable states, both offensively and defensively.<br />
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On the other hand, argues Luban, allowing preemptive war on behalf of third parties encourages a great deal more war. Weak states would begin asking for assistance far too often, as they would not bear the cost (financial or lives-lost) of their allies' operation. Meanwhile, strong states would encourage weak allies to "ask" for protection any time they sought an excuse to go blow something up. Ergo, a more violent world.<br />
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But there are problems with this reasoning. Firstly, weak states would not necessarily be led to seek preemptive assistance more frequently. Should their strong allies fail (or even should they not), they could easily provoke the enemy into war, resulting in great danger to the weak state. Moreover, just because the weak state <i>asks</i> doesn't mean the strong ally will go for it. The strong ally has the costs to consider. Does it really want to commit to wars every time one of its little friends gets in a fight on the playground?<br />
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As for the tendency for the strong to seek new excuses, this is a legitimate concern. But going to war with the wrong intention (that is, under pretenses) is already unjustifiable under <a href="http://www.iep.utm.edu/justwar/">Just War Theory</a>. Besides, the strong states would need to find a weak state in actual imminent danger of attack. And if there's a weak state in imminent danger, all the better that it be defended.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWidC0rlCGb6ABoPNELJJArlNh6Ru-DfntzmGG2m43OCv-1976ikqGu6TV3HFDAieKeB6iA5fg4i4p19JtYocn14Du2J6FMdnoAvBeJVoIkp4ru_d9rZZZoUhPcrk9VL59uIMAsjWoFCo/s1600/chi-crime-report-image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWidC0rlCGb6ABoPNELJJArlNh6Ru-DfntzmGG2m43OCv-1976ikqGu6TV3HFDAieKeB6iA5fg4i4p19JtYocn14Du2J6FMdnoAvBeJVoIkp4ru_d9rZZZoUhPcrk9VL59uIMAsjWoFCo/s320/chi-crime-report-image.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Borrowing from a domestic analogy: If someone is about to be murdered, and you can kill the murderer, may you? Surely the aggressor has forfeited his right to life, and the victim may shoot him, had he the means. Any hesitance to allow vigilante interference surely stems from a belief that the law enforcement is best qualified to make life-and-death judgement calls. But in the arena of states under anarchy, there only law enforcement comes from one another. If one state is threatened, its lack of military means shouldn't amount to a forfeit of its rights.<br />
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<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
It's true that we can't launch preventive wars against every possible danger, in part because we cannot anticipate all possible dangers, but importantly because far too much war would result. However, we can attack before 'they' do, so long as conditions are met. An imminent threat seems like a good, albeit inexact, requirement. It echoes the <a href="http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/war/#2">Just War</a> sentiment of last resort; because the threat is so near, there's no time to resort to anything else. It's kill or be killed, and 'be killed' is worse.<br />
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As for only using preemptive strikes against certain types of states, or only so long as third parties do not get involved, such measures would certainly reduce the numbers of preventive strikes, but without good reason. They are fairly arbitrary restrictions on who can take defensive measures against whom. The weak should not be deprived of their allies in preemptive war when they would be permitted to call upon them in other defensive wars.<br />
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The bad news is, this question didn't show up on the exam, despite my having written this mock-essay-disguised-as-a-blog-post Sunday night.<br />
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The good news is, a different question did - and in preparation for that, I had a 35-comment discussion on Facebook with some mates. Looks like slacking off online counts as studying, after all.<br />
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<b>Learn British</b>: Sorted. To work out, get settled. As in, "I didn't understand how to do the assignment, so I went to the tutor and got it sorted", or, "Are you all sorted to go home this weekend?"Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01961531244374047105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4811648720376702345.post-1824506477857837332012-12-17T09:36:00.000-05:002012-12-17T09:41:05.499-05:00How to Scam Tufts (for Dummies)It's Sunday, 3:52pm EST. It's nighttime in Edinburgh, and I'm typing away at my computer, <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.com/2012/11/study-break-war-and-profit.html">studying for upcoming exams</a>. Suddenly, an email notification. The subject reads: "(Suspension Of Your Email Account)*". The message claims to come from "noreply@tufts.edu". That seems pretty legitimate. There's a link... it wants me to submit my Tufts username and password. "Failure to comply will lead to the termination of your email email account in the next 48 hours." Scammer, let's get a couple things straight, here. This was pretty good. You probably picked up a few email account passwords. But you weren't exactly the brightest hacker of the bunch. I've got a few pointers for you.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqT_vFfT0SJ5uZLefjOnoBmoc2YsRC1PybUOBdQW-CpLzWdEYWlvynFlH6nj_fgFaYT9_YsUA0uzQ4kVhzxd0eRf6EFxUOBq7LnsKoNmRmiPqvVMP3UpkJDWf05lJ-CxslAnAjhyphenhyphen5VYuk/s1600/scam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqT_vFfT0SJ5uZLefjOnoBmoc2YsRC1PybUOBdQW-CpLzWdEYWlvynFlH6nj_fgFaYT9_YsUA0uzQ4kVhzxd0eRf6EFxUOBq7LnsKoNmRmiPqvVMP3UpkJDWf05lJ-CxslAnAjhyphenhyphen5VYuk/s320/scam.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a><b>This Isn't "24"</b><br />
The fact that you gave your victims 48 hours to submit their personal information is a little excessive. If Jack Bauer can diffuse nuclear warheads in 24 hours, how long do you think it honestly takes for us to figure out your scam? Tufts University Information Services took nearly 10 hours to send out a warning to the Tufts community, which is admittedly embarrassing (considering students like me reported this to them within 6 minutes of the attack), but why cast your deadline so far out? Next time, demand the information within no more than a day.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIccBrLWd_IjjvfOulalJFv4-7DlPvJ1LFQac2I2c3JZsZhbakQMMIv39zH_-hFp4nR_LGBpfp6gLj1KXi7URxJ5rxT4fUJGeQB-QLLyzZtjBFQ1uDmzpRpPrduLpifPzfeQLgeZQU3QA/s1600/fb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIccBrLWd_IjjvfOulalJFv4-7DlPvJ1LFQac2I2c3JZsZhbakQMMIv39zH_-hFp4nR_LGBpfp6gLj1KXi7URxJ5rxT4fUJGeQB-QLLyzZtjBFQ1uDmzpRpPrduLpifPzfeQLgeZQU3QA/s320/fb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, President Monaco is on Facebook</td></tr>
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<b>Mr. President, We Have a Situation</b><br />
It was impressive that you managed to hit so many tufts.edu account holders. Maybe even all of them (check your spam folders, people). But you didn't really think this through, did you? When your email went out to everyone, that included President Monaco. By the time I chatted with him on Facebook, he had already received the email. That's like sending a fake "Wells Fargo Bank" email <i>to the Wells Fargo CEO.</i> Next time, be more selective. Recent graduates, students abroad, and freshmen are perhaps most likely to believe that there is an issue with their email accounts. The people in the IT department? Not so much.<br />
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<b>Wait a Week</b><br />
Your timing was almost perfect. You chose a weekend, when you expected the university to be closed; very good. This limits the ability of the university professionals to warn students that your email is a scam. But guess what? Someone at UIT was around at 5:30pm on a Sunday to answer my emails. Guess techies work weekends. Next time, wait for winter break. Sure, fewer students may check their emails, but at least most of the first-responders will be out of the office.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjksaZ17yDggHwBYCtQ4jF7yZUzCua47TamNxHMLNc-Fn6o8ej9vYkAtk56zO2y9PjS0x9J9qhawbGt39EqlQtpA6vBP9woXQS8Fu0r1hwWOHpfFe70X68G_oLRAfZ4udIuBLSOo-orQfE/s1600/form.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjksaZ17yDggHwBYCtQ4jF7yZUzCua47TamNxHMLNc-Fn6o8ej9vYkAtk56zO2y9PjS0x9J9qhawbGt39EqlQtpA6vBP9woXQS8Fu0r1hwWOHpfFe70X68G_oLRAfZ4udIuBLSOo-orQfE/s320/form.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">A screenshot from the linked Google Form</td></tr>
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<b>Google is Not Your Friend</b><br />
A Google Form for phishing passwords, honestly? Any eight-year-old with a laptop could've pulled that off. If you're going to trick people into doing something, at least put in an appropriate amount of effort. Next time, make the form look nice, make the URL seem authoritative, and don't use a service that lets users "Report Abuse" via a link along the bottom. If <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/show-google-some-love.html">Google</a> hasn't taken down your form already, it should soon. And you better have your fingers crossed that the university isn't working with Google to track you down. You're currently eligible for criminal charges, and if you have any relationship to the university, you're also in violation of their UIT Email Policy.<br />
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<b>What are You Gonna Do, BCC on Me?</b><br />
Collecting email addresses and passwords isn't exactly the most daring heist. If you're going to risk serious consequences, at least collect something profitable, like credit cards, social security numbers, or Amazon logins. What were you going to do with my Tufts email address, rate my professor? Next time, go big or go home.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEvOqQ_iHHA1QTqZeluBHdaV1SN0KDVrYgZxIU1tAeZ04esbgqslX3-CU5_nimKgSHvDIsPblKze9IbRZ60k94plI55zWSZJOhlC9Bpv8Bdw1gN1bZ_Y6v5rJni6NcDOe-jCaOKrBDADM/s1600/email.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="101" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEvOqQ_iHHA1QTqZeluBHdaV1SN0KDVrYgZxIU1tAeZ04esbgqslX3-CU5_nimKgSHvDIsPblKze9IbRZ60k94plI55zWSZJOhlC9Bpv8Bdw1gN1bZ_Y6v5rJni6NcDOe-jCaOKrBDADM/s320/email.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The scam email</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Messin' with My Generation</b><br />
But whether or not you executed your scam well, and whether or not it was worth the pay-off, one mistakes rises above the rest. You tried scamming <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/old-words-new-hi-tech-meanings.html">tech-addicted</a>, <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/facebook-privacy-settings.html">socially-networked</a>, <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/95-theses.html">hyper-communicating</a> college students, many of whom have friends <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/back-to-binary.html">earning university degrees in computer science</a>. Of all the possible populations in the world, you targeted one of the most tech-savvy, not to mention best-able to cross-check the validity of your message with internet sources, friends, or <a href="http://abcinnovations.com/">technology gurus</a>. I'm dying to know your success rate, but I know; it's probably too embarrassing to publicize. Next time, don't come after us with a technology scam. Try our grandparents. (Grandmom, don't click on strange links).<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
* * *</div>
<br />
<b>Jumbos: Listen Up</b><br />
For any non-scammers reading my post, I'll throw in some advice for you, too.<br />
<br />
1) Email addresses can be faked. My time <a href="http://www.abcinnovations.com/">solving computer problems through Andrew & Brian's Computer Innovations</a> has certainly taught me that. Just because the email says its from "tufts.edu" doesn't mean it is. This one wasn't.<br />
<br />
2) Never give out passwords or other secrets online. It's that simple. If you have to type sensitive information online (for example, to log into something), make sure you sought out the website yourself. <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/be-careful-what-you-click-for.html">If you clicked a link in an email to get there, it's likely a scam</a>. And some of them look way more convincing than a Google Doc.<br />
<br />
3) Check with a savvy friend (like me!) before doing something that doesn't feel right. (I'm talking about <i>technology</i>, people. Don't reinterpret this.) At least one of my friends forwarded me the email when she got it, asking if it was legitimate. Other people read Facebook posts warning against the scam. Do that. While our technology is a potential vulnerability, it's also <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/click-smarter.html">our best tool to combat misinformation</a>.<br />
<br />
Oh, and this part is key. If the email you received asks you to "fill the required information's", don't do it. Anyone with that kind of grammar doesn't work for Tufts University.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01961531244374047105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4811648720376702345.post-75497859648945141382012-12-13T15:10:00.000-05:002012-12-13T15:10:57.795-05:00A Highland HanukkahScotland isn't exactly known for its Jewish population. Despite <a href="http://www.tartansauthority.com/tartan-ferret/display/7615/jewish">the recent creation of a Jewish tartan</a>, you can tell the Jewish communities aren't too large by the mere fact that one organization, the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities, represents <i>all </i>of them. (Aside: Excerpts from <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/voices-of-grandchildren.html">Voices of Grandchildren</a> were recently published in the December 2012 issue of <a href="http://www.scojec.org/4cs/4cs.html">their Four Corners newsletter</a>). But the fact that 0.1% of Scots identify as Jewish (2001 census) doesn't stop the Hanukkah celebrations from happening, even during our exam weeks.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxg3u8JzjhXYz8ad6BZbdYCjE52SlwdK-3OAf2UIXp1TqWtDA1pDolH6nXaj5zld2ASXKfB6Kj8096k3OoUGtvRmshlxRwmetYwWhnuKSoQOnk_IPS3xMmg-YV5EFqXobfIO2j66m9PlI/s1600/PC130007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxg3u8JzjhXYz8ad6BZbdYCjE52SlwdK-3OAf2UIXp1TqWtDA1pDolH6nXaj5zld2ASXKfB6Kj8096k3OoUGtvRmshlxRwmetYwWhnuKSoQOnk_IPS3xMmg-YV5EFqXobfIO2j66m9PlI/s320/PC130007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Thanks to a Hanukkah menorah from Chabad, nightly candle-lighting has been possible. Couple that with some latkes, dreidels, and gelt, and we're ready to party.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZqx3lBbjwX-K98RgsKosrAj_CbyYX2QdsyKhGymgCH4WrnsU1MKH3wbT1FXoMJ5Ku4N0IbtOwrJmvJkMrUX2Qhrl_PPcz5Tr2x02iZ8d-Oe8bgYMsaeSyv8Qwz2sk6KelZJWVLp44zGs/s1600/PC100145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZqx3lBbjwX-K98RgsKosrAj_CbyYX2QdsyKhGymgCH4WrnsU1MKH3wbT1FXoMJ5Ku4N0IbtOwrJmvJkMrUX2Qhrl_PPcz5Tr2x02iZ8d-Oe8bgYMsaeSyv8Qwz2sk6KelZJWVLp44zGs/s320/PC100145.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teaching new friends dreidel has become a new Hanukkah tradition.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHITJtt35uorfL-ZhxbudZvwlJEMY-_si73Ji7GFADfeMxMd09-QfS2iuhDO4dBt-KMwOZ6kFr99CVxSaNeou-T7QV070l9n6B8nPE2K7yiwhNTqOqT0RFpsRP7JYLhSOgWhtFlBg3tEI/s1600/PC100148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHITJtt35uorfL-ZhxbudZvwlJEMY-_si73Ji7GFADfeMxMd09-QfS2iuhDO4dBt-KMwOZ6kFr99CVxSaNeou-T7QV070l9n6B8nPE2K7yiwhNTqOqT0RFpsRP7JYLhSOgWhtFlBg3tEI/s320/PC100148.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wasn't the only one with a hannukiah.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWet_g54bBKBrh3mCkmuRxl_exut6Bf8dmq2woG4b8GH2tZgpu0fssBaSA9aDrm6_GKHcs-IEebzGTo77TnZ1PJDdo3l1WWgCq4GpVYdaqMiwT-XpqT9DmASEZ68JDwDtzVwXJvPg6qRY/s1600/latkes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWet_g54bBKBrh3mCkmuRxl_exut6Bf8dmq2woG4b8GH2tZgpu0fssBaSA9aDrm6_GKHcs-IEebzGTo77TnZ1PJDdo3l1WWgCq4GpVYdaqMiwT-XpqT9DmASEZ68JDwDtzVwXJvPg6qRY/s320/latkes.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://youtu.be/mvY337zKttA?t=1m47s">Latkes, fresh and delicious</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOrv-dkCRt-9cXwjiv9fIisOyAzLMnKKMKpJEkRbKK8tpGDENFTTlJKIsVpulcu97Ks5sqinfnn9up85RULXAi30h6bKVBJXLHeah8yD9kSUd6lWfZadIdvRk_lxsUisTQ7oee_XuvtJo/s1600/PC120006+(Custom).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOrv-dkCRt-9cXwjiv9fIisOyAzLMnKKMKpJEkRbKK8tpGDENFTTlJKIsVpulcu97Ks5sqinfnn9up85RULXAi30h6bKVBJXLHeah8yD9kSUd6lWfZadIdvRk_lxsUisTQ7oee_XuvtJo/s320/PC120006+(Custom).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's red and white and way cooler than a candy cane?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6s65TARUx3NxxyoLltiriTbhyphenhyphentWzh93LC_aNtQOD_S_PVpqf3MhMiw1oUPENWZNSdRJBRZUKXNtCnu2IeAdypF5ioCY_NsvkKA1gyl8Et6G9TnfolLcd3HNb1HPy-oX7Mm761cEaY220/s1600/PC110003+(Custom).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6s65TARUx3NxxyoLltiriTbhyphenhyphentWzh93LC_aNtQOD_S_PVpqf3MhMiw1oUPENWZNSdRJBRZUKXNtCnu2IeAdypF5ioCY_NsvkKA1gyl8Et6G9TnfolLcd3HNb1HPy-oX7Mm761cEaY220/s320/PC110003+(Custom).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They also come in rainbow colors.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOw2bkGt8iWNl0Tsb51QZDx6h-tMOpColYmdfv60eVmS39G2WaIeULHVd5uqaDLBrFIhmNdlIexmmcpmrJF1-9EeWVmQhUiw2pzyHoAS5uokwF1tDO2nk7E7d42fG8IGHN-8sL8E3Vps/s1600/PC130002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOw2bkGt8iWNl0Tsb51QZDx6h-tMOpColYmdfv60eVmS39G2WaIeULHVd5uqaDLBrFIhmNdlIexmmcpmrJF1-9EeWVmQhUiw2pzyHoAS5uokwF1tDO2nk7E7d42fG8IGHN-8sL8E3Vps/s320/PC130002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And then, who can resist the window menorah?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCyz9wnginRV8J3VV2C0lvGweK0qtXPL2mzlT4LHtZllO3w7wlk21m3AbMmZtaxW7VNyvZKtRim1TquQ6J4AW6PIwiWuZH65UUptFT6XkZ04r6XCUX6KDSlbD4lcA0FOMPixfGSZvp30/s1600/PC130004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCyz9wnginRV8J3VV2C0lvGweK0qtXPL2mzlT4LHtZllO3w7wlk21m3AbMmZtaxW7VNyvZKtRim1TquQ6J4AW6PIwiWuZH65UUptFT6XkZ04r6XCUX6KDSlbD4lcA0FOMPixfGSZvp30/s320/PC130004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(right outside the building entrance)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So while all of you study<br />
for finals tonight,<br />
Happy Hanukkah all;<br />
May your candles burn bright!Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01961531244374047105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4811648720376702345.post-61252547998555364422012-11-30T20:34:00.000-05:002012-11-30T20:34:00.685-05:00Study Break: War and ProfitThose familiar with my end-of-semester study habits are aware that I enjoy experimenting with a wide variety of study techniques. One which tends to show up about this time of year is study-by-blogging, a process by which I take something I'm trying to learn and turn it into a post for all to see. Sure, it's added pressure if my professors happen to follow me online, but it embeds the information in my brain in a way that flashcards can't compete with. This time, I'm not designing <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/be-rational.html">inspirational philosophy posters</a> or <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/middle-east-timeline.html">personifying historical characters in mock-Facebook chats</a>, nor will I be <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/how-to-study-with-facebook.html">applying new-found vocabulary to Restaurant City</a>. For this term's study break, I will take a closer look at the board game "Settlers of Catan." Well, three closer looks, to be precise.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfspe1d9hWT_hCYGD2JGZIyYeMhC2ZzK4FzcqcCzOj4TIJjSlnnhX_Wd2Dx1IOaORAt7FAdDFYzOmGm4_mQukJx3vlFXoZmgkS7qFV20tEf8JrEAhfqD3L3_8j_XQPnZPFuqklsWyCxgo/s1600/catan+(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfspe1d9hWT_hCYGD2JGZIyYeMhC2ZzK4FzcqcCzOj4TIJjSlnnhX_Wd2Dx1IOaORAt7FAdDFYzOmGm4_mQukJx3vlFXoZmgkS7qFV20tEf8JrEAhfqD3L3_8j_XQPnZPFuqklsWyCxgo/s320/catan+(3).jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>In International Political Economics, we use three major perspectives to examine political economy. Known as Economic Nationalist, Liberal, and Critical perspectives, these guide much of the analysis of international behavior. But that sounds complicated, right? We're going to make this much more fun. Let's play Settlers of Catan with three players: Eric the Economic Nationalist, Lindsey the Liberal, and Chris the Critical. Don't worry, it gets cornier. For our three-player game, we'll assign players red, blue, and white, respectively. If the IPE references sail over your head, no worries; here's all you need to worry about: which player are <i>you</i>?<br />
<br />
<b>Eric the Economic Nationalist (Red)</b><br />
Eric sees a game of Settlers as a zero-sum game; his gains are relative losses to the other plays, whereas their gains are relative losses to him. After all, everyone's trying to get to 10 points, right? There are limited resource cards, a race to the finish, and direct comparisons between his points and theirs.<br />
<br />
For Eric, gameplay will be shaped by political power. He will only want to trade with others when he is in an advantageous position; he sees it as dangerous to give anything up to players who are ahead in the game. He would much rather trade with allies, especially weak allies, than players with whom he is competing for Longest Road, Largest Army, and that little sheep port in the corner.<br />
<br />
Always cautious, Eric knows not to depend on other players for any of the game's five resources. He was careful to get access to each of them early in the game; trusting other players to supply ore, for instance, is risky business, since they could cut him off at any time.<br />
<br />
Eric hopes to become the hegemon: the dominant player in the game. Then, he'd be willing to trade with anyone, since any new resources put him that much closer to claiming victory. In order to win, Eric hopes to keep the other players pitted against one another while he captures the Road and Army achievements. It's all about having more than his opponents.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirMOwWYUW19PfCbG-gowsJOfZFqfm-XGHERAxeDqyLR5m1wibCfc5YHUDsxO-5fOcr2B_SmU6k0QKd4FhWEH_4iQNmb2sifeMudM8U0e0GJ-ejwjsba0yIaFAVeB7y0K579pSl_fiuLrI/s1600/catan+(6).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirMOwWYUW19PfCbG-gowsJOfZFqfm-XGHERAxeDqyLR5m1wibCfc5YHUDsxO-5fOcr2B_SmU6k0QKd4FhWEH_4iQNmb2sifeMudM8U0e0GJ-ejwjsba0yIaFAVeB7y0K579pSl_fiuLrI/s320/catan+(6).jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Lindsey the Liberal (Blue)</b><br />
Lindsey likes to trade. She thinks that trading with the other players makes them like her better, and discourages them from cutting off her roads and placing the Robber on her tiles. After all, if they need something from her, they wouldn't want to hurt her, right?<br />
<br />
She sees Settlers as a game where everyone can get what they need from everyone else; there's always more to go around. After all, that bank full of resources is pretty hard to deplete, and there's no reason why mutual exchanges can't be mutually beneficial.<br />
<br />
Lindsey likely didn't gain access to all five resources in the early game, so she depends on others to provide the ones she lacks. In return, she's prepared to trade away the excess of the few resources she's especially adept at procuring. By specializing, she believes both she and her trading partners can benefit.<br />
<br />
Overall, this blue player is looking to build up her supply of resources and begin building a thriving community of settlements and cities. Her long-term victory plan is to develop the board, bringing allies along with her until, of course, the last possible moment.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwxtfYeCeBBf2HKcM2M2g_rVHpGstHYdzposRKa6hAfm06qH6cjPavFtlFIvIb2O5OuqBwLbwovFHSslIX6WBoYCW6i8jKK67qxY0GpSRmSKlQ5KTb3aODhmHKvCu5lGCkMqGQJIJptI/s1600/catan+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwxtfYeCeBBf2HKcM2M2g_rVHpGstHYdzposRKa6hAfm06qH6cjPavFtlFIvIb2O5OuqBwLbwovFHSslIX6WBoYCW6i8jKK67qxY0GpSRmSKlQ5KTb3aODhmHKvCu5lGCkMqGQJIJptI/s320/catan+(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Chris the Critical (White)</b><br />
Chris never really agreed with the rules of Settlers in the first place. He sees the whole board-game as unfair toward newer players, since it seems like the same old champions always win.<br />
<br />
For one thing, he can't seem to get the hang of the game setup. He always manages to have an uneven distribution of resource access relative to his opponents, and that always leads to back-and-forth Robber wars as everyone attempts to steal what they need from others.<br />
<br />
Not to mention the fact that someone always ends up with so many cards in their hands, but nothing to do with them. And then he never knows if the Robber is going to come along and destabilize everything all at once, so he ends up taking advice from the veteran players on resource management. But they're just in it for themselves, aren't they?<br />
<br />
He's tried writing a set of New and Interesting Edits Ordinance, but everyone just kept using the original Settlers guidebook instead. No luck there, white player.<br />
<br />
As long as he's stuck playing, Chris is hoping the rolls of the dice will even things out, and maybe give him a shot. He's investing in Development Cards whenever he can scrape together the resources, and keeps hoping to catch up soon.<br />
<br />
<b>Your Turn</b><br />
Are you striving to dominate, like the red team? Do you seek alliances, like the blue player? Or are you taking the paths less traveled with white? This all relates back to class somehow, but that's not important. What's important is this: What happened to orange player?Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01961531244374047105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4811648720376702345.post-19181037383203194652012-11-26T20:22:00.000-05:002012-11-26T20:22:40.231-05:00I Have a Little PlaylistChristmas is December 25th this year (and every year). But sure enough, as soon as no more holidays stand in the way between the present day and nativity celebration, Christmas music is sure to be played on radios and laptops everywhere. With no Thanksgiving here in the U.K., that means we've been listening to it for weeks. Well, Hanukkah is December 8th this year (the 25th of Kislev, just like every year, my Dad reminds me), which means I say it's about high time we start blasting the Hanukkah music. And I'm not just talking about Hebrew prayers; there's a whole world of Hanukkah pop out there. Presenting: Peacelight's Favorite Hanukkah Tunes, 2012.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DOiCl4mNQfsu3L1iYcZwnqHKd_Yfg8uHy8rE-k8_urYUNjwKdcO8P_GLa5b8jkyJvg2oVGQ-6Fx6-MxNMyLIOJoEzPzIIbLFyLXemnp79kfH4XsuAq1XsFJaEfy1yLR4GMYG5OMT25w/s1600/hanukkah_latkes_-2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DOiCl4mNQfsu3L1iYcZwnqHKd_Yfg8uHy8rE-k8_urYUNjwKdcO8P_GLa5b8jkyJvg2oVGQ-6Fx6-MxNMyLIOJoEzPzIIbLFyLXemnp79kfH4XsuAq1XsFJaEfy1yLR4GMYG5OMT25w/s320/hanukkah_latkes_-2011.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When Hanukkah comes early, are Christmas plans foiled?</td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a><b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSJCSR4MuhU">Candlelight</a> (The Maccabeats)</b><div>
Yeshiva University's Jewish a capella group does an incredible job with this parody of Taio Cruz's "Dynamite."<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oa0S5xjTpBg">Light Your Lights</a> (David Brody)</b><br />
This quirky spoof on "Live Your Life" by T.I. brings some variety to a collection otherwise favoring male voices, featuring male and female vocals.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dom_X7YXf8s">Miracle</a> (Matisyahu)</b><br />
An original work, Jewish pop artist Marisyahu presents this Hanukkah composition, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHwyTxxQHmQ">redone soon thereafter by the Maccabeats</a>.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jzh-TKzXN2k">Light Up the Night</a> (Fountainheads)</b><br />
This Israeli group has created a variety of original holiday pieces. With a great mix of English and Hebrew lyrics, their Hanukkah piece is another excellent production.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvY337zKttA">I Light It</a> (Six13)</b><br />
Finally, a variety of parodies from NCSY, working with such musical masterpieces as "Baby" by Justin Bieber, "Heartless" by Kanye West, and "I Like It" by Enrique Iglesias.<br />
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Not enough for all eight nights? A fun sampling of parodies can be found in the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyKWUpSMegE">Jewish Rock of Ages</a>, and what Hanukkah collection would be complete without <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd1Pyu9_rxo">Adam Sandler's Hanukkah Song</a> (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOegH4uYe-c">covered by Neil Diamond</a>)?</div>
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<div>
Charity Opportunity: Want to share the light this holiday? <a href="http://www.hope4hanukkah.org/">Hope 4 Hanukkah</a> is organizing toys, donations, and messages to be sent to children in Israel this Hanukkah. Donate, or at least <a href="http://www.hope4hanukkah.org/">write a quick online message</a> (click "Where You Can Send Your Toys") - they'll put it on a card and send it to the holy land!</div>
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Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01961531244374047105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4811648720376702345.post-88959683897413725282012-11-07T12:43:00.000-05:002012-11-07T12:43:03.578-05:00Back to BinaryWith my Facebook page flooded by classmates posting their schedules, I figured it was only appropriate to reveal mine here. Despite having <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/uk-take-on-us-election.html">stayed up past 5am to watch the US presidential election</a>, I was up by 8am Eastern (okay, you caught me; that's like the middle of the afternoon here) to register for courses at Tufts. Whereas in Edinburgh I tell people I'm a "politics" student, my return to Boston will be marked by a fairly dramatic shift back to my other major: computer science. In part to compensate for this semester, and in part to compensate for a late overall start in the field, I'm loading up on a schedule that's 75% informatics, 25% government, and, of course, 95% <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Mock%20Trial">Tufts Mock Trial</a>. Can you tell I haven't taken math in a few months?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXJ1NzprTb5OqxfqHD4M_4o_Rpilb98GqcECB70yt6edQb9P59RWn-FSrAZBmN41Kj1b9KDPomaAmUe5jUU9IEWiqaZMLT9GJ1DVNnftqsuxmRlH9O7bsTX2RDVsxEvbo_0iDjxJhIhCQ/s1600/halligan-path.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXJ1NzprTb5OqxfqHD4M_4o_Rpilb98GqcECB70yt6edQb9P59RWn-FSrAZBmN41Kj1b9KDPomaAmUe5jUU9IEWiqaZMLT9GJ1DVNnftqsuxmRlH9O7bsTX2RDVsxEvbo_0iDjxJhIhCQ/s320/halligan-path.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Halligan: Home of Computer Science (and me, most days next semester...)</td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a><b>COMP-40: Machine Structure and Assembly-Language Programming</b> (Sheldon)<br />
Notoriously the hardest class in computer science, the recent introduction of a new professor may make COMP-40 manageable. But if the painful screams of my classmates taking it currently are any indication, maybe not.<br />
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<b>COMP-150-02: Special Topics: Visualization</b> (Chang)<br />
This is as close as I may get to combining computer science at politics: the study of "techniques for creating effective visualizations, incorporating principles of graphic design, cognitive and perceptual psychology, data analysis, and human factors evaluations." Plus, the professor is supposed to be fantastic.<br />
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<b>COMP-170: Theory of Computation</b> (Blumer)<br />
Maybe, if we theorize enough in the course, I can pretend I'm taking philosophy, instead of another computer science class. Notably, we'll be studying the "halting problem," which asks whether a <strike>student</strike> program will finish <strike>studying</strike> running or continue to <strike>study</strike> run forever.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyN24gISjUFamkv0BYi8ZzFslN4U42WGbd9qSvJ4I-0mO66rxLUPJaamBCLW7e4XhhFtMU16Si8sjmtn-WtweYKoVbNght1J0Ri_fooFncJ3Gh2X5KOj9qKYfWItAFSwWuJazkhJZzS8I/s1600/computerlab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyN24gISjUFamkv0BYi8ZzFslN4U42WGbd9qSvJ4I-0mO66rxLUPJaamBCLW7e4XhhFtMU16Si8sjmtn-WtweYKoVbNght1J0Ri_fooFncJ3Gh2X5KOj9qKYfWItAFSwWuJazkhJZzS8I/s320/computerlab.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My view for 5 months (artist's graphic representation, or <i>visualization</i>)</td></tr>
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<b>PS-181: Public Opinion and Foreign Policy</b> (Eichenberg)<br />
Whew. I think we were all worried one of these wasn't going to come along. Not to worry; nuclear weapons, military interventions, and the mass media are back in play with a course so wonderfully non-computational that I'm willing to get up before noon, just for this.<br />
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And that's a wrap. If SIS stops reminding me I can fit another 1.5 credits in my schedule, I'd stop feeling so unaccomplished here. But COMP-40 is honestly supposed to suck the life out of me, and if I plan on spending my spare time with the <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/jumbo-justice.html">best mock trial team in Boston</a>, I'm going to need... well... spare time.<br />
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Did I take any of <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/15-best-courses-at-tufts.html">the "best" courses at Tufts</a>, as recommended by my own research? Nah. Who trusts polls? You gotta use instinct. That's how one <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/uk-take-on-us-election.html">predicts a Barack Obama electoral sweep</a> despite pollsters clamoring about a statistical tie.<br />
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Besides, you didn't really think I'd publish data encouraging students to fill up courses that I <i>wanted </i>to take, did you?Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01961531244374047105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4811648720376702345.post-71511551318468480452012-11-06T10:27:00.001-05:002012-11-08T20:57:56.562-05:00UK Take on US ElectionI walked into my politics lecture at 11am, set my bag down beside me, and began to take out a notebook. "Hello everyone," began the professor, "Thank you all for coming out this morning, taking a break from your essays and the US election." Only, this wasn't an American professor, and I wasn't sitting in an American Politics class. I wasn't even in America. This was all taking place at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom. Whether we realize or not, the American election is big news worldwide. So, on the suggestion of my American colleagues, I've set up shop here in Edinburgh to provide live coverage of the US election... as seen by the UK. This will be my first live-blogging experience (I'm <a href="http://peacelight14.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/jumbo-justice.html">a more versed live-<i>tweeter</i></a>), so get your finger on the refresh button (starting perhaps 6pm EST) and let's see what happens.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwsFlHvXcv6Dzi_19i1oon1D6Jj0bjpqFsqgukQoLsXEdUWOg6F_OVS5OGy1dql7g1DAyXCqUDrHoCNeo9pMPdn_GdAa4S-YX6oA4bS7pRDUkNd5EEMq1rhPES-2yeLYWldy8idEPoSR0/s1600/bbc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwsFlHvXcv6Dzi_19i1oon1D6Jj0bjpqFsqgukQoLsXEdUWOg6F_OVS5OGy1dql7g1DAyXCqUDrHoCNeo9pMPdn_GdAa4S-YX6oA4bS7pRDUkNd5EEMq1rhPES-2yeLYWldy8idEPoSR0/s320/bbc.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's BBC homepage is overflowing with US election material</td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a><i>Thanks to support from Tufts University, this post was updated live through the Tufts Admissions website. I have since migrated the live coverage back to Peacelight. The original article can be found here: <a href="http://admissions.tufts.edu/blogs/jumbo-talk/post/live-uk-take-on-us-election/">Tufts Admissions - Live: UK Take on US Election</a>.</i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Please note that all times will posted in Edinburgh local time, which is 5 hours ahead of EST. Whereas polls close at 8pm EST in New Hampshire, you'll see a 1am time-stamp when it happens.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><strong style="font-family: inherit;">Feed appears below:</strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Wed., 1:50pm (8:50am EST)</strong><br />The UK is cheering Obama's victory, projecting the American Flag onto the US Embassy in London. The Scotsman (publication) <a data-mce-href="http://www.scotsman.com/news/analysis-eddie-barnes-on-obama-s-victory-1-2618119" href="http://www.scotsman.com/news/analysis-eddie-barnes-on-obama-s-victory-1-2618119" target="_blank">wonders where Obama could stand in the upcoming 2014 Scottish independence bid</a>, while British PM David Cameron congratulates Obama. Opposition leader Ed Miliband of the Labour Party also <a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/Ed_Miliband/status/266098156075376641" href="https://twitter.com/Ed_Miliband/status/266098156075376641" target="_blank">congratulated the American President, via Twitter</a>, tactfully calling his victory "based on building a fairer economy".</span><br />
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<img alt="" data-mce-src="http://admissions.tufts.edu/files/resources/guardian-custom.jpg" data-mce-style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="http://admissions.tufts.edu/files/resources/guardian-custom.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Among other things, Britain certainly has a vested economic interest in the outcome of the US election; 18% of the country's credit and 14% of its debit flowed through the States last year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Wed., 1:35pm (8:35am EST)</strong><br />After an exciting night, the results are in: Obama is the president, Democrats keep the Senate, and Republicans keep the House. Specifically:<br /><br /><em>President</em>: Obama won both the popular vote (by roughly 2.6 million votes) and Electoral College vote. As of this posing, Florida has still not yet been called, but everyone from Fox News to CBS has Obama in the slight lead (by roughly 50,000 votes). Virginia went to Obama.<br /><br /><em>Senate</em>: Democrats pick up 3 Republican seats (or thereabouts, depending on who you ask), moving from a 53-47 majority to a 56-44 majority (to be fair, 2 of those Democrats identify as Independents expected to lean left).<br /><br /><em>House</em>: Before the election, Republicans held a 242-193 majority. Results appear to still be coming in, so I can't quite tell the numbers, but Republicans will hold their majority, perhaps by the same margin.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>5:47am</strong><br />Huffington Post, ABC News, and Politico follow the NTY in calling Virginia for Obama. Looks like that could actually be happening.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>5:44am</strong><br />Gay marriage proposals look like they're passing in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>5:27am</strong><br />This room's suggestions for helping the Republican party revamp for a better shot next time around: give up the fight against gay marriage, acknowledge climate change, and pick a running mate <em>less</em> ideologically polarizing than yourself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>5:03am</strong><br />Colorado legalizes marijuana, the first state to do so. But this completely contradicts federal law. Wonder what that'll mean. "The amendment would allow those 21 and older to purchase up to one ounce of the drug at specially regulated retail stores. Possession would be legal, but not public use. Adults could grow up to six marijuana plants in their homes." - Denver Post</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In other news, the New York Times is calling Virginia for Obama - which I did not expect. Let's see which other news outlets follow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>4:54am</strong><br />If the President takes Florida and Virginia, can we call this election "<a data-mce-href="http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/obama-mocks-romney-getting-tough-big-bird-165202158--election.html" href="http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/obama-mocks-romney-getting-tough-big-bird-165202158--election.html" target="_blank">Big Bird's</a> Revenge"?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>4:48am</strong><br />Colorado is called blue by Huffington Post. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>4:38am</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The bigger the margin of victory, the more the mandate: let's see where Florida and Colorado go later tonight. Meanwhile, Maryland votes to legalize same-sex marriage.</span><br />
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<img alt="" data-mce-src="http://admissions.tufts.edu/files/resources/art-map.jpg" data-mce-style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="http://admissions.tufts.edu/files/resources/art-map.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Curious as to how this election compares to '08? For one thing, North Carolina and Indiana turned red this time, but beyond that, we'll need to see more battleground turn-outs before we know more.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>4:33am</strong><br />Obama tweets: "We're all in this together." #HighSchoolMusical?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>4:26am</strong><br />The British flat-mates rush into the room in their pajamas: "Have you heard? We expected screaming!" The election is called: Four More Years. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>4:23am</strong><br />Sources from Penn State University are reporting chants of "four more years"; I can only imagine the celebrations around the country - and around the world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>4:21am</strong><br />Fox News and MSNBC call Ohio for Obama; this should mean the election is over. He won. Obama tweets: This is because of you; thank you!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>3:58am</strong><br />Regarding ballot initiatives: Politico is calling Oklahoma as voting to ban affirmative action (Question 759), North Dakota should be banning smoking in all indoor workplaces, and Florida should be restricting abortion funding and religious school funding.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<img alt="" data-mce-src="http://admissions.tufts.edu/files/resources/smokefree-copy-custom.jpg" data-mce-style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="http://admissions.tufts.edu/files/resources/smokefree-copy-custom.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>3:44am</strong><br />CNN is calling the House as remaining in GOP control, and based on the few Senate seats the Democrats have picked up recently, I'm thinking the liberals keep the Senate, as well. If everything stays the same (Executive and Legislature), are we doomed to 4 more years of gridlock? I say no way; whereas the House was unwilling to compromise leading into the election, if the country puts the President back in power, I don't think there'll be nearly as much incentive to oppose his every move...or vice versa.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Real Clear Politics" gives the Democrats 49 Senate seats, 44 Republicans, with 7 toss-ups. But of those, CNN is calling victories for Democrats in Massachusetts and Indiana. That's over the 50% mark, if they're right.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>3:35am</strong><br />Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown is expected to win re-election in Ohio. A foreshadowing of the presidential election? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>3:27am</strong><br />Wisconsin to Obama; dropped by Romney according to ABC. He also had a summer home in the state, "a real loss for Mitt Romney." Hilarious.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>3:23am</strong><br />This is the most expensive election in US history... but then again, they get more expensive every year, so there's no surprise there. And with Super-PACs in this election (groups that campaign for/against candidates without spending limits), we were expecting it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Battleground Updates<br /><em>Colorado</em>: leaning Obama (~2%)<br /><em>Ohio</em>: leaning Obama (~3%)<br /><em>Virginia</em>: leaning Romney (~3%)<br /><em>Florida</em>: way too close</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Iowa</em>: leaning Obama (~30%)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>3:07am</strong><br />First battleground state called: New Hampshire goes to Obama according to the New York Times.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>3:01am</strong><br />Tufts graduate Scott Brown (R) appears to be unseated as Senator from Massachusetts by Elizabeth Warren (D), likely due in part to the votes of Tufts Jumbos themselves. Guess <a data-mce-href="http://www.tuftsdaily.com/editorial-brown-and-warren-both-strong-candidates-but-warren-deserves-seat-1.2789423#.UJnOuMUmTfU" href="http://www.tuftsdaily.com/editorial-brown-and-warren-both-strong-candidates-but-warren-deserves-seat-1.2789423#.UJnOuMUmTfU" target="_blank">that Daily editorial worked</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>2:45am</strong><br />Politico and Huffington Post have swing-state Colorado leaning Obama, but only with 9% reporting. I've only been to the Denver/Boulder area, so I have to imagine it's going blue - but apparently, there's more to the state than that. Still, Obama carried the state by almost 9% last election. Then again, George W. Bush took it - twice - before that. But we might not get to see Colorado's outcome before this election is called, with it being a few hours behind the east coast. On the other hand, if Florida, Virginia, and Ohio take too long to count, the order of results will be up in the air. Meanwhile, we'll also want to watch CO Prop 64: Marijuana legalization. CBS puts that as a "Yes" vote based on exit polling as of now.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<img alt="" data-mce-src="http://admissions.tufts.edu/files/resources/times-custom.gif" data-mce-style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="http://admissions.tufts.edu/files/resources/times-custom.gif" style="border: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Different parts of the country close polls at different times: While polls have closed in New York and Texas, they're still open in Iowa for 15 minutes, for example.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>2:35am</strong><br />So get this: In Mississippi, Al Gore (no, not the previous vice-president, just someone else with the same name, oddly enough) is running for Senate, and in Nebraska, Bob Kerrey (no relation to John <em>Kerry</em>) is running for Senate. It's amazing how much name recognition - even false name recognition - matters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>2:30am</strong><br />Fun fact: The election is held the first Tuesday in November, unless that falls on November 1st; All Saints' Day. In which case, we go to the second Tuesday. Or maybe there's a coin toss. I don't remember. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>2:23am</strong><br />And my home-state of Pennsylvania is official called for Obama! Brings back memories of the 2008 election. (ABC now directs us to coverage on a "cracked iPad" for details...)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>2:21am</strong><br />While everyone's paying close attention to the presidential election, let's keep in mind that there are Senators, Congressmen, and Governors up for election. Here's what ABC is calling in terms of senate elections: PA Senator Casey should win, Mississippi goes for the Republican, CT for Murphy (Democrat). After tonight, we'll see what the Senate looks like - there's an opportunity here for either party to be in power.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>2:13am</strong><br />According to BBC, Florida contains 5 general types of voters: (1) richer Republican upscale voters with a second home, (2) retirees on the West Coast, (3) military, (4) rural, and (5) southern cities. With such a complex electorate, who knows what's going down.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>2:07am</strong><br />Foreign observers here are occasionally surprised that winning a small majority of votes in any given state (e.g. 51% of the popular vote in, I dunno, Florida) would give the <em>entire</em> state's electoral votes to the candidate. Kind of strange, no? But that's how the electoral college works; it's not just the total number of votes overall, but the ability to secure majorities in specific parts of the country with specific interests. In its defense, the system may well protect minority or regional concerns.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Notably, however, Nebraska and Maine are willing to split their votes in the event of a close election. But with only 9 votes at stake between them, it's not going to matter much.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">BBC says: "Just remember Red: Republican; you'll be fine." British struggles.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>1:47am</strong><br />A student from Singapore just wandered in. If 1 is a representative sample (it isn't, people; take a stats class if you don't believe me), Singapore is rooting for whoever keeps the US dollar down - beyond that: apathy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>1:37am</strong><br />Point of interest: The electoral college distribution has changed since the 2008 election, thanks to the 2010 census. Specifically, Texas (red) picked up 3 votes, Florida (tossup) picked up 2, and we have +1 gains in Arizona (red), California (blue), Georgia (red), Nevada (tossup), and Utah (red). Meanwhile, over in the losers category, -1's go to Illinois (blue), Iowa (tossup), Louisiana (red), Massachusetts (blue), Missouri (red), and Pennsylvania (blue). Meanwhile, New York (blue) and Ohio (tossup) dropped 2 points, all based on population. Overall, that's an 8-point gain in red states over blue, but the tossup states can still matter big-time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>1:26am</strong><br />Lots of people are worried about the "wrong" candidate winning the presidency. We have people claiming they'd "pull a V-for-Vendetta" or "move to Canada", which I suppose works if you're into treason (or universal health care). But in reality, what's the worst that can happen, people? Congress can swing back the other way to compensate, and there's another executive election in 4 years. It won't be the end of the world for most of us. Now, if your job is appointed by the president (I'm looking at you, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu), you can start to panic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>1:05am</strong><br />Not really convinced that Edinburgh is pro-bama? Check out this pics taken earlier today by my friend Stephanie in a local cafe:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><img alt="" data-mce-src="http://admissions.tufts.edu/files/resources/cafe-custom.jpg" data-mce-style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="http://admissions.tufts.edu/files/resources/cafe-custom.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>1:02am</strong><br />No one here can call the swing states - no one anywhere can call the swing states - but let's call 'em just for fun, eh? Let's see what this looks like:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><img alt="" data-mce-src="http://admissions.tufts.edu/files/resources/mymap-custom.jpg" data-mce-style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="http://admissions.tufts.edu/files/resources/mymap-custom.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In other news, the Empire State building will be lit tonight, blue (Obama) or red (Romney) depending on the outcome.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>12:52am</strong><br />Lots of people wondering how they can "call" states like West Virginia (Romney) or Vermont (Obama) with less than a few percent of ballots counted. But with states that are so predictable (I'm looking at you, Texas), it probably just takes a few votes to reassure pollsters that nothing strange is going to happen in that state. Again; we're really watching OH, VA, FL, and maybe NH, WI, and IA in the early parts of this election.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Meanwhile, this room is full of "Go-bama!" cheers and strange suggestions for election-related games - including watching for every time a commentator pretends to know something that's going to happen... and again when they're wrong.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>12:46am</strong><br />According to my source on the inside, the student center here is full of students cheering on Obama in the election. "Teviot's clappin' for obama...lots of energy." Of course, whether that's British or American students, we may never know.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>12:32am</strong><br />Morning kids; back awake and ready for a late night. Okay, the latest from the British: conservatives are represented by blue in UK elections, so our UK observers should be aware that blue is liberal here in the US. An important distinction.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In other news, it looks like key east-coast states Ohio, Florida, and Virginia could essentially decide the election long before the nation's votes are counted (or, at least, that's what those in the room who don't want to stay up all night are hoping). I'm calling Florida and Ohio for Obama, with Virginia as the possible drop to Romney. Thoughts from the viewer audience?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>9:55pm</strong><br />Currently, the <a data-mce-href="http://local.stv.tv/edinburgh/magazine/198591-edinburghs-american-students-cheer-on-race-between-obama-and-romney/" href="http://local.stv.tv/edinburgh/magazine/198591-edinburghs-american-students-cheer-on-race-between-obama-and-romney/" target="_blank">University of Edinburgh North American Society is hosting an election-watching event</a> in our student center, at which they will be serving "Barack-O-Burgers" (and the less-cleverly named "Romneyburgers").</span><br />
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<img alt="" data-mce-src="http://admissions.tufts.edu/files/resources/196072_494039440640433_207787126_n-custom.jpg" data-mce-style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="http://admissions.tufts.edu/files/resources/196072_494039440640433_207787126_n-custom.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">They're expecting at least a few of the city's 1700 North American students to turn up. Whether or not any of them are dedicated enough to stay up through the evening (we may not have results until midnight EST, which means 5am here) is another story. For my part, I'm going to take a quick nap, right about now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>9:24pm</strong><br />Just checked the status of my Absentee Ballot online (for fun, really). Ballot Mailed from the UK: September 30th, Received in US: October 23rd. Status: Vote Recorded. Brilliant.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>8:01pm</strong><br />If waiting for the outcome of the presidential election isn't interesting enough for you, keep an eye on California's Proposition 34: a call to end the death penalty. Here in Europe, no country (except Belarus) executes criminals, and the American practice is seen as quite barbaric. Earlier this year, Edinburgh University's Amnesty International was focused on campaigning to end the death penalty worldwide. California may become the 18th US state to abolish it as a result of tonight's vote, bringing the country one step closer to a near-worldwide consensus. That's something to look for.</span><br />
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<img alt="" data-mce-src="http://admissions.tufts.edu/files/resources/safeca-procession.gif" data-mce-style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="http://admissions.tufts.edu/files/resources/safeca-procession.gif" style="border: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>7:51pm</strong><br />BBC just informed me that New Jersey voters can vote by email thanks to Hurricane Sandy. I'm not saying I'm envious of New Jersey (that's impossible for a Pennsylvanian), but that's pretty sophisticated of them. Unless the reason they can't vote in person is that they're stuck at home with no power. In which case, email's not going to do that much good. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>4:40pm</strong><br />An <a data-mce-href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/04/us-election-international-poll_n_2066972.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/04/us-election-international-poll_n_2066972.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false" target="_blank">article in yesterdays' Huffington Post</a> revealed what those of us studying abroad had already figured out: The world would vote for Obama in a land-slide. Here in the UK, <a data-mce-href="http://globescan.com/commentary-and-analysis/press-releases/press-releases-2012/245-global-poll-obama-overwhelmingly-preferred-to-romney.html" href="http://globescan.com/commentary-and-analysis/press-releases/press-releases-2012/245-global-poll-obama-overwhelmingly-preferred-to-romney.html" target="_blank">65% of those polled preferred Obama</a>, with only 7% going for Romney. The other 28%? I think they were hoping we'd rejoin the union.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As for the other world nations, Israel (not polled) is <a data-mce-href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/02/haaretz-supports-barack-obama_n_2064964.html?utm_hp_ref=world" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/02/haaretz-supports-barack-obama_n_2064964.html?utm_hp_ref=world" target="_blank">projected to be Romney-friendly</a>, but that's disputed. Pakistan would apparently go Republican. A tip from a Norwegian national led me to data indicating that in Norway <a data-mce-href="http://tundratabloids.com/2012/11/93-5-of-norway-would-vote-for-obama.html" href="http://tundratabloids.com/2012/11/93-5-of-norway-would-vote-for-obama.html" target="_blank">the scales tip decisively toward the Democrat (93% in favor)</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For many countries, especially those with far more progressive policies than are to be found in the US (our student president here is a self-professed Socialist, and that's <em>normal</em>), the choice is obvious: the more left-leaning, the better. Because US "liberals" barely fit on their spectrum... and US "conservatives" would be off the charts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>4:29pm</strong><br />For fun, I'm calling the election in advance: A sizable Obama victory of near-2008 proportions, carrying Florida and Ohio to a Democratic victory. Yikes - I wonder if my Political Science degree is on the line of I get that one wrong!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>3:22pm</strong><br />Welcome to live coverage of the US 2012 Presidential Election. Updates will appear below; please refresh throughout the evening to see them.</span>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01961531244374047105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4811648720376702345.post-56541891130673107912012-11-05T17:16:00.000-05:002012-11-05T17:16:32.783-05:00B for BonfireYou're walking the halls of English Parliament. Little do you realize that under your feet sits 36 barrels of gunpowder, guarded by a man named Guy Fawkes. And he's prepared to blow the place. Such was the case in 1605, on the eve of the Gunpowder Plot, midnight, the fifth of November. But the plot was foiled, Fawkes hanged, and a British celebration born. But was is really so clever for me to be walking through Scottish Parliament on the anniversary of the plot?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Debating Chambers, Scottish Parliament</td></tr>
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I started the day with a guided tour of Scottish Parliament, focused on everything from architecture (it's built to resemble elements of Scotland, from leaves, to boats to St. Andrew's crosses) to function. England holds most of the power (e.g. taxation, national security), but the Scottish Parliament still gets to make their own policies for education, environment, agriculture, and the like. And they do it in a pretty fancy, modern building - with no air conditioning (effective natural ventilation!) and loads of abstract symbolism.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_vQseXlok6fQb3kA6P5ZiSQ3W9TlvVq10k9z8enTYw7ub2AEktyT2sT0uWIOEUfNMf_S-Sjo0zCOAJMWybI0Z8bWStYmWXKYrfY7t91ONHtNR8KJyM-qFTEf54tXVndzODuQp0DzrLls/s1600/PB050008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_vQseXlok6fQb3kA6P5ZiSQ3W9TlvVq10k9z8enTYw7ub2AEktyT2sT0uWIOEUfNMf_S-Sjo0zCOAJMWybI0Z8bWStYmWXKYrfY7t91ONHtNR8KJyM-qFTEf54tXVndzODuQp0DzrLls/s320/PB050008.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The exterior of the buildings is quite modern (some would say an eye sore; I wouldn't, but I don't look at it often)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWu14DaHUrA83eBOJWW_qjQfwsR_iMLOrzhmGkrFiqldLmsGfH7IQIN4MtDxZxjmiv3CJ9Ty56urdw5Kne1cncCYI2lFRrBfprCNzXCmkgyVTk78sxAWmfG0mpkeHhFTUGAJMDGpWq0Xo/s1600/PB050010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWu14DaHUrA83eBOJWW_qjQfwsR_iMLOrzhmGkrFiqldLmsGfH7IQIN4MtDxZxjmiv3CJ9Ty56urdw5Kne1cncCYI2lFRrBfprCNzXCmkgyVTk78sxAWmfG0mpkeHhFTUGAJMDGpWq0Xo/s320/PB050010.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whole process is open to the public, via seating and live broadcast. Even the committee sessions are transparent; as are the many glass doors into various conference rooms. One building has window decor in the shape of curtains "permanently drawn"; they take government accountability seriously.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aside from being made of pretty sweet wood, these members' seats have digital devices which they log in to with their ID cards, and allow them to vote. Hacking that system could have big impacts, no?</td></tr>
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Then, off to classes until the evening for Bonfire Night. Nowadays, Guy Fawkes Day (or Bonfire Night, as everyone actually calls it) is celebrated with fireworks, bonfires, and, <i>supposedly</i>, effigies - though we saw floating lanterns instead.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">People lighting a candle-powered lantern (like a hot air balloon)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sparklers! It's British 4th-of-July!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our view from the top of the hill</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fireworks against the National Monument</td></tr>
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I wouldn't want you to miss it, so here's a blurry, shaky video of the fireworks:<br />
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Thus concludes November 5th! I must say, though, walking around the debating chambers of Scottish Parliament that morning, I couldn't help but <a href="http://www.potw.org/archive/potw405.html">remember, remember...</a><br />
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<b>Learn British</b>: Sweets. They don't have candy here; just sweets. And chocolate isn't a sweet (they're quite concerned whenever anyone calls chocolate candy, as well). Chocolate is chocolate. Sweets are sweets.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01961531244374047105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4811648720376702345.post-35195106866856390352012-11-01T20:35:00.000-04:002012-11-01T21:32:35.180-04:00It's BananasHere's the problem with sharing a kitchen with four other flat-mates, having no minutes on your foreign phone plan, and passing a supermarket on the way home from class every day: Bananas. Last week, my flat-mate and I each independently realized the flat needed more bananas; so we each bought them. The result? One week later, we were staring at 11 over-ripening bananas. What does one do when faced with such fearsome fruit? Rather than go bananas, we came up with a few creative solutions.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>That's right: We cooked. Our bananas became one loaf of peanut-butter-chocolate-chip banana bread, one loaf of cranberry banana bread, and one batch of chocolate coated frozen banana slices.<br />
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For those cooking at home, the basic banana bread recipe is easy. Start with a preheat to 350 F (175 C):<br />
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<ul>
<li>Soften 1/2 stick of butter (113 grams)</li>
<li>Add 2 eggs</li>
<li>Add 2-3 ripe bananas, mashed</li>
<li>Stir in 2/3 cup of sugar (134 grams)</li>
</ul>
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If you're cooking in the UK, you'll want to get conversions for grams. Or, if you're cooking with Americans who brought their own measuring cups, you won't bother.<br />
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Meanwhile, combine:<br />
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<ul>
<li>1 and 1/3 cups all-purpose unbleached flour (160 grams)</li>
<li>3/4 teaspoon salt (4 mL)</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon baking soda (3 mL "bicarbonate of soda")</li>
<li>1/4 teaspoon baking powder (1 mL)</li>
</ul>
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Yep, we're ripping this recipe off <a href="http://www.thefreshloaf.com/recipes/bananabread">TheFreshLoaf.com</a>.<br />
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Mix 'em together, add your chocolate, peanut butter, or berries, and pop in the oven for 30 minutes or so.<br />
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As for the chocolate bananas, we just melted down some baking chocolate, used some vegetable oil to thin it, coated some bananas, and put 'em in the freezer on wax paper. It ended up kind of gloppy, but it still tasted good.<br />
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And, if you still have bananas that you don't know what to do with, throw 'em in a frying pan with some butter and sugar to make these, like I did a few weeks ago.<br />
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<b>Learn British</b>: Get on. Nope, this isn't what you say when your lifeboat drifts past a lonely survivor, clinging to a fragment of shattered wood as he freezes in the midnight ocean. To get on is to get along with, as in, "Her parents and me? Oh, we get on just fine," or, "They've just met, but they seem to get on great!" This is not to be confused with the phrase "get it on," which differs in meaning.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01961531244374047105noreply@blogger.com3