whatever... anything and everything i feel...

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Karen in a Nutshell
Location: Changes. Usually can be found in Berkeley, CA, Chicago, IL, or out traveling.
Age: 23.
Political: Leftist
Religion: Nothing formal. Very earthy.
Favorite Food: A toss up between bagles and chocolate. I am a vegetarian.
Favorite Band: Indigo Girls
Favorite Book of the Moment: Hokkaido Highway Blues by Will Ferguson

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i'm off...

i may be updating the ol' blog while i'm abroad, so check back!

posted by Crazy Karen at 11:49 AM

so today i leave for france and great britian.

it doesn't feel like i leave today.

yes, i am excited to go. excited to get the hell out of here. excited to see kristin. excited to get back to paris.

for some reason i am not excited about going to london. now, i am sure that will change. we'll be in paris this weekend, and are leaving for london sometime on monday.

i'm sure on sunday night, i'll be stoked. but for now, all i can think of is paris, paris, paris.

i have a worry. what if i hate london? i went to madrid, spain once after going to paris. i hated madrid because it ,well, it wasn't paris.

but i am older now. besides, everyone who goes to london raves about it. i know quite a few people who just don't like spain (or southern europe in general). but london, london is supposed to be fantastic. and how can a city that offers its visitors a jack the ripper tour not be fabola?

whatever. i am just having fucked up predeparture thoughts. i should really be spending my energy on finishing up my packing.
posted by Crazy Karen at 8:48 AM

yeah... i got the random indigo girls quotes java script generator working!

so everytime (or at least 50 or so) you visit this blog, you will be welcomed with a new ig quote!
posted by Crazy Karen at 12:41 AM

believe it or not i am almost packed.

wow. pretty damn good for me considering i procrastinate all the damn time.

i have thrown (er. neatly folded. again, no joke!) everything black and gray that i own into my wheeley flight attendant suitcase. besides my black and gray wardrobe, i remembered to pack pajamas, toothbrush/paste, shampoo, soap, etc. and tampons. i think i'd have a hard time buying my unbleached, natural tampons in europe.

oh, and for the music.... since i could only bring a few cd's, here is what i am taking:

indigo girls: radiobox: a retrospective
indigo girls: strange fire
indigo girls: indigo girls
indigo girls: nomads*indians*saints
indigo girls: rites of passage
indigo girls: swamp ophelia
indigo girls: 1,200 curfews
indigo girls: shaming of the sun
indigo girls: come on now social
gotta have the whole ig collection. of course, i am leaving 4.5, back on the bus y'all and my boots at home...
michelle malone: homegrown
michelle malone: beneath the devil moon
mary chapin carpenter: come on come on
U2: achtung baby
U2: a sort of homecoming
rose polenzani: anybody
christine kane: a thousand girls
carrie newcomer: the age of possibility
carrie newcomer: my true name
a mix containing my favorite dar williams songs
another mix of rare indigo girls tunes

i think that's it. doug has all of my dar williams cds, so i am not bringing any of those.

hummm...what does my music selection say about me?

also, the reason for the two U2 cds is that U2 has always been my "european soundtrack band." achtung baby and a sort of homecoming remind me of europe better than anything else. so yes, they are the lone males in my mobile cd collection.

i just can't fucken live without my indigo girls studio releases. damn, i wish i had room to bring indigo girls boots...
posted by Crazy Karen at 7:45 PM

so tomorrow i am off...

i have a shitload of things that i need to do today:

pack
go over to my storage shed
go buy lots of gray and black (northern european fashion)
clean (yeah right)
do laundry
get a crash french lesson

i can't believe that i leave tomorrow! i remember the first time i went to europe, i had a countdown going a month before i left. this time, (like my 8th time), i am just going to europe. no biggie. it's not like i am going back to australia or even japan.

i know, i am spoiled....

but it hasn't hit me yet.

maybe once i get my ass in gear and start packing...
posted by Crazy Karen at 10:18 AM

the gre is over!

and thanks to santos (sensei's husband), i did quite well on the math part.

whee whoo!

we won't discuss the analytical...

but i did well on the analytical the first time i took it, so maybe my schools will take the better of the scores. (i can only hope)

so now it's off to europe. well, on friday, at least. tomorrow i need to spend the day packing and getting organized in other ways. i think i'll beg doug for a crash lesson in french. i seemed to have forgotten the vast majority of my (losuy) french.

kristin called today. we will meet at port royal (a rer stop) at 10am on saturday. omg...i am meeting kristin in paris!!! i haven't been there for almost 2 years! we have a whole list of plans of things to do in paris. the first thing is the museum of erotica. no joke. of course, we're going to laugh at the whole thing.

it looks like on monday we will depart via eurostar to london. doug and alex tell me that i won't understand the accent over there, but i think that is bullshit. i had no problem whatsoever in australia. british english can't be worse than australian english, correct?

ok, well i am off to bed. if you haven't already, please read my political blog (next entry). fun stuff...
posted by Crazy Karen at 11:16 PM

i am going to post the grand ol' political blog. then i amgoing to get ready to take the gre (as i said earlier, fuck):

Item One:
From today's Chicago Tribune:

Gore keeps lead in Illinois
the latest numbers:
Gore- 45%
Bush- 35%
Undecided- 14%
Other- 6%

bear in mind that these numbers are only reflective of illinois.

Item Two:
An open letter from Ani DiFranco:

october 2000
>When I cast my vote this November, I intend to cast it in favor of
>progressive ideas and grassroots action. I'm going to support a
>genuine alternative to a closed system where two parties often act
>with a single agenda -- an agenda which simply does not address
>the daily reality of millions of citizens. I'm going to lend my
>voice to the fundamental concept that government should serve the
>needs of the people, not a handful of multinational corporations.>

>In other words, I'm voting for Ralph Nader.>

>If you're talkin' policies, my decision has never been simpler.
>Nader speaks openly against the death penalty and in support of
>women's rights, plus his environmental stand is exemplary. Nader
>and the Greens also want to cut military spending, end the drug
>war, and attack poverty at its systemic roots. They represent the
>best way to follow through on the groundswell of anti-capitalist
>activism currently uniting progressives across traditional boundaries
>of gender, class, and generation. I don't expect him to win, of
>course, but I know that a vote for him truly counts over the long
>haul, because it's helping to bust open the stifling two-party
>stranglehold on our system and bring progressive voices into the
>national political discourse which has for too long been dominated
>by moderates and hyperconservatives.>

>'Course, there's just one little hitch.>

>The way the electoral college works, a majority of votes for a
>given candidate wins the whole state, and there are certain states
>where Gore or Bush will be clear winners. In my home state of New
>York, for instance, it's easy to vote for Nader without worrying
>that I am vicariously aiding and abetting a Bush victory. But in
>the so-called swing states (currently Florida, Michigan, Ohio,
>Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wisconsin), a Green Party
>vote really does mean that Bush comes one vote closer to winning.
>While I am sensitive to the power of a symbolic protest vote, there
>are larger issues at stake in this election. It's true that
>Democrats and Republicans have grown disturbingly similar to each
>other, but there are still profound differences between their
>agendas. If I found myself in a swing state, I'd remember the record
>number of executions Governor Bush has authorized in the state of
>Texas, for instance, and I'd think long and hard about the bleak
>future of women's reproductive rights in a Republican-controlled
>White House. And my vote would go to Al Gore.>

>I firmly believe that if all of us progressive thinkers around the
>country collaborate in a thoughtful strategy, we can achieve the
>dual goals of getting the Green Party on the ballot for future
>elections and getting Gore into the White House, thereby preventing
>the tragedy of a Baby Bush administration.>

>Because my vote does count, this year more than ever. The choice
>may not be cut and dried, but one thing is obvious: I don't want
>an even dumber (can you say "inbreeding"?) Bush in office, and I
>don't want my actions to allow that to happen.>

>- --ani difranco>

>PS. Here are a couple of articles that helped to shape my thinking on>the
>election:>>Eric Alterman, "Bush or Gore: Does It Matter? The Power of the
>Presidency," The Nation, October 16, 2000
>Katha Pollitt, "Presidential Politics, Cont'd., Cont'd.," The
>Nation, October 9, 2000

Karen's Thoughts:

not that i am a huge fan of ani difranco, but i think she is really
looking at this issue from an idealistic, yet realistic point of view.
i think her point about the electoral college is very well put. if you
are still deciding between gore and nader (a VERY difficult decision.
is it good to be an idealist when SO much is at stake during this
election? or are gore and bush so similar?).

maybe illinois isn't a swing state. maybe a vote from me for nader
(if i do decide to go green and vote nader. . .)
will not translate into a vote aganist gore and a vote for GW.

i think ani is right on the money. voting idealistic is great, but with SO
much at stake during this race, i think we should all examine where we live
(educate yourself on your state's voting patterns and polls) and if a vote for nader
will really go for nader and help the greens, or if a vote for nader would be a vote
cast aganist al gore, helping baby bushie win the presidency.

remember: bush's record is that of an anti-choice, right to bear concealed
weapons, pipeline in the alaskan wilderness, adament death penalty supporter fanatic.

sure gore ain't all great, but at least he a) is pro-choice and b) is somewhat of an environmentalist
and c) doesn't execute "on demand."

and not to even mention the bush/cheney stance (and voting records!) of lesbigay and civil rights issues...

voting for the lesser of two evils really bites, but if you live in oh, pa, or, fl, or any other
"swing state," it may be the most progressive stance to take...

and that said, i myself am still undecided...
posted by Crazy Karen at 12:19 PM

it's gre day.

fuck.
posted by Crazy Karen at 9:02 AM

sorry for the lack of blogging.

i am taking the gre tomorrow.

i hate standardized tests. i ain't ever gonna use that shit in real life.

but all i want is to go to graduate school.

the gre is just one nasty stop on the highway to grad school.
posted by Crazy Karen at 9:52 PM

just studying studying studying for the gre.

santos' crash course in algebra was a huge help.

the verbal section should be no problem. my math scores will suck (although i am sure santos did help me raise them) because my math skills such. and the analytical section will be luck of the draw. if i get any freaky hybrid games, i am fucked, but if i get a bunch of grouping and sequence games, i will be fine.

after wednesday, i can worry about more important things... like leaving for london!
posted by Crazy Karen at 9:47 PM

hi. i'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaack.

i have mixed emotions at this moment. one one hand, i just returned home from a kick ass weekend and am leaving for london on friday. but on the other hand, that will be my last indigo girls show for a while (they are taking a loooong -- and well deserved -- break from touring) and at this moment i miss sensei like hell.

the weekend was great. as it worked out, sensei didn't come to the show with me. my friend ted came instead. but it all worked out for the better because ted really enjoyed the show and i spent friday afternoon and night with sensei and santos (her spanish husband. he is so cool!). it gave sensei and i a much needed chance to talk and get caught up. and santos even gave me a crash course (at 2am. hehe) on gre algebra. and their house was so comfortable to stay at. they were both super warm and welcoming.

it's a weird thing. i miss the woman so much -- more than anyone currently at witt. and i haven't seen her in forever. but whenever we get together, i never sense that moment of ackwardness -- you know, that one moment of weirdness when friends who have been seperated for a while reunite. i feel such a strong bond with her. i don't need to hide anything from her. i have a feeling that she is one woman who i met in college (and a professor! not even a college student) who i will be friends with for life. i hope, at least.

so if you can't tell, i am going through amy christiansen withdrawl.

oh, so you wanna hear about the IG show? ok. here is my review: (sorry, i was getting all wrapped up in discussing amy christiansen (aka sensei)). this was my post to the IG list.

i promised i would post tonight, so here i am. :-)

i just (literally *just*) got in from the columbus show.

first off, before i forget, this is important: for ANYONE going to the west virginia show tomorrow, sulli is BEGGING for a copy of the latest xena episode. (I think it is called heart of darkness). if ANYONE has it on tape, she would be grateful if you would bring it to her. she said that she will bring "good things" to anyone who brings her the tape. :-)

ok, the show...

lemme start off with the set list first.

opener: michelle malone (awesome as always)
(i didn't write down her setlist, but she did avalon, strength for 2 (w/ emily), brand new dream, my green thumb, etc)

indigo girls:
get out the map
jonas and ezekial (!!!)
cold beer remote control (w/ michelle)
i don't wanna know (w/ michelle)
ghost (the setlist has andy listed, but they changed it)
reunion
power of two
devotion
river (emily piano solo!!!)
go
closer to fine
romeo and juliet
leaving
gone again (w/ michelle)
least complicated
chickenman (w/ michelle)
wild horses (encore...w/ michelle)
galileo (encore...w/ michelle)

quite a setlist. only three songs from come on now social. lots of oldies (though nothing from nomads*indians*saints... :( ) the highlits were river, jonas and ezekial, and leaving.

to start with, the girls were EXHAUSTED. they were not really chatty. i don't blame them...so far they have done five shows in a row. and of course they're off to continue their tour tomorrow. and they have been touring for soooo long. they need a break. i could see it in amy (and emily, but moreso amy).

we got there around 4:30pm. since we had preshow tix, (which they let us in an hour late for! i was a bit pissy!) we got right up front on amy's side. i was on the railing, so that was cool.

michelle's set was great. i always love michelle. and i needed to hear "brand new dream" tonight.

the girls were up next. just amy and emily. no carol issacs (she was w/ them for a few HTE dates). michelle and her bassist joined a and e on stage for a few songs.
as i said, they were tired. so exhausted. and the set list seemed really short (just 18 songs). they didn't add anything in at the last minute (though they replaced andy with ghost).

another thing is, i have never cried so hard at an IG show. they just played the three songs that seem to spark my emotions the most (especially today for other reasons)..."ghost" "power of two" and "leaving." i was bawling (good thing, i needed to hear those songs!) throughout those three.

after the show, we stayed around for pics and setlists. i got a setlist. then we went to michelle malone's table and i had her sign "homegrown." she is also such a sweetheart. :-) finally, we went to the bus.

sulli was out there just drinking a diet coke and chatting with 2 fans, so we went to her. we were just chatting it up while we waited for the girls (maybe the trucks were already loaded?). sulli told us about her college days and how she had booked a ticket from australia to new zealand...before amy had appendix problems (the new zealand ticket was cancelled...). sulli is just SO COOL (deidre and i want to start a sulli fan club. hehe).

then the girls came out. no photos, or handshakes, but they did sign autographs. they were just so tired. emily signed some stuff first (including my setlist) and then got straight on the bus. amy also signed my setlist and a few other things (some people were disappointed because amy didn't get around to everyone) and then also got on the bus. they both looked WORN OUT. and i can see why...they tour more than any other band. and they have really been on tour (with small breaks for holidays, health reasons (amy... :( ), studio sessions, etc) for an entire year (more...). they need this break. and they deserve it.

if i am sounding really negative (emphasising how tired a and e were), i don't mean to be. tonight's show was still excellent and powerful. i just felt sorry for amy and emily.

anyway, i really really need to get some sleep now. i am driving back to chicago tomorrow morning. but i wanted to post right away.

and remember, if you are going to the WV show and have that xena episode, sulli would love you for it.

g'nite, all... if i can think of anything more to say, i will post tomorrow when i get home...

yeah. so not the best show i've been to. but indigo girls shows are like sex. even when they're "bad" they're good.
posted by Crazy Karen at 10:11 PM