Family

The situation with your uncle sounds like a total nightmare, and I wish I could have been there to support you. I miss you terribly but I AM SO FRICKING EXCITED that you are coming to visit.

Meanwhile, I am waiting for my autoclaved sterilized paper to reach under 100 c degrees so that I can used it for drying strawberry leaves.

It's all fun and games at the lab. I froze a glove in liquid nitrogen the other day, and my friend laura and I have made it our goal to make dippin' dots before the end of the summer. Maybe you'll be here to partake!

Meanwhile, baby cousin has made friends with guys I learned are heroine addicts.

Awesome.

Let's run away to the galapagos islands and ride tortoises all day?

yes?

<3 M

Save the Date

I wasn't sure where to post this: under my personal blog or this one. Obviously, I decided on this one because I wanted to talk to you about it.

Today was awful and I really wanted/needed all you birds with me. You know how my family isn't exactly eye to eye politically? And even though we aren't, I love them. I love them so much. Well, I got into a huge yelling fight with my uncle and it was just AWFUL. So much so that tears are still making their way down my face. I was already tired when I arrived and didn't feel like putting up with the insenstively politically biased jokes he makes even knowing that there are other people in the room who don't share the same opinion. Thus, I left the dining room in which he was loudly voicing his remarks. Well, he follows me. He followed me into the living room to my seat, stood over me, bent down till his face was a foot from mine, and yelled out rhetorical questions such as: "What's wrong with the second amendment Raven?! You don't like free speech? You don't like the constitution? I'm 'pro-law.'" I put my hand up in front of my face and repeated five times in an elevated voice, "Get out of my face." No, he kept on and on, harassing and provoking me. So, I lost it. I started yelling about how those "pro-law" views are aligned with anti-immigration reform and other racist policies. I yelled about how "pro-law" views are rigid and lack compassion. And I mean, I'm sure I called him some other things but still he just kept yelling and yelling, even when at one point I stopped and calmly apologized for referring to him as racist. His mannerisms were just so aggressive and that of a bully. At one point he accused me of not having an open discussion about issues with him but his type of joking doesn't invite dialogue and his behavior surely didn't. I was so upset and flustered that I couldn't even think of things to say at one point. Not that he would have heard through all his ranting.
It's not that I'm "anti-law." It's that I'm pro-human rights. I'm pro-peace.

ON A HAPPIER NOTE: I talked to my mom today about visiting and it seems as of now, the date is June 23rd. I'm so happy for you and L! Your perseverence and commitment is amazing and inspiring.

I

miss you M-bird.

Love, Blackbird singing in the dead of night

Pursuit of Happiness

"...I'm on the pursuit of happiness and I know everything that shine ain't always gonna be gold. I'll be fine once I get it. I'll be good...(Ratatat comes in with their solo) beeee ya duh day duh doooo duuuh beeee ya duh day duh doooo duuh..."

Despite the many allusions to drug use, I love this song. It's been on repeat since last night. It's just what I did with that other certain song that you couldn't stand, remember? Except I don't think this song will annoy you in the least, I hope. Whoever thought to put together Kid Cudi, Ratatat, and MGMT is a visionary. Amaazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z_Ys3BO_4M

Don't you love it when Hare Krishna chants come on your iTunes and you're momentarily confused?

Oh, that doesn't happen to you?




Huh.




I thought everyone had three hours of Hare Krishna chants on their iTunes.



No?



Huh.

Yay Research

Salvatierra v. Del Rio ISD
http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/DD/jrd2.html

Cisneros v. Corpus Christi ISD
http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/CC/jrc2.html

I like this next one:

http://www.jstor.org/stable/2112268?&Search=yes&term=Education&term=democracy&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3DEducation%2Band%2Bdemocracy%26wc%3Don%26dc%3DEducation%26submit%3DSearch&item=3&ttl=3961&returnArticleService=showArticle

And finally,

http://www.jstor.org/stable/2131003?&Search=yes&term=limits&term=equal&term=access&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dlimits%2Bto%2Bequal%2Baccess%26gw%3Djtx%26prq%3D%2528Texas%2Bhispanics%2529%2BAND%2Bjid%253A%2528j100241%2BOR%2Bj100772%2BOR%2Bj101302%2BOR%2Bj100225%2BOR%2Bj100893%2BOR%2Bj100127%2BOR%2Bj100369%2BOR%2Bj100126%2529%26hp%3D25%26wc%3Don&item=12&ttl=23545&returnArticleService=showArticle

Cartoon

Yay statistics jokes!