Hi all from Spokane where I am sitting on the couch and watching Ben play video games while I figure out our Spring semester schedules and do my laundry. I’m home, I’m home, I’m home…

Thailand was fantastic and hopefully there shall be pictures up soon that you can peruse.

Ben and I had a good time in Seattle, but because of my body clock and his sleep patterns for the past three weeks, we decided to leave after one day instead of two and drive home. This did mean cutting out the visit with TJ which prompted many tears on both sides, but we hope to see him soon either back in Seattle or in Spokane.

While in Seattle we grabbed a bite to eat with my mom and wandered around IKEA and Pike’s Market. The mission that was assigned to us by Ralph was completed successfully and the all documentation has been destroyed. After 24 hours I was already missing Thai food so we went in search and were victorious. My mom delivered Ben’s Christmas presents and he is now the happy owner of martini and wine glasses as well as random wine accessories. Leave it to my mom to help my boyfriend be a lush.

Kris, I hope to hear about the camera soon, my mom got one as well and Ben is walking around with a look of pride on his face as he thinks he has started some kind of digital camera revolution.

Nina, I hear you have left for bootcamp and I assume all is well with that. Ben and I both would like to hear how things are going with you. Make sure and take care of yourself and let us know where we can send you a care package.

And now it’s off to fold more clothes and maybe go to the grocery store… All those domestic chores that I love and do so well as Ben can attest.

While this may be a bit premature, here’s a nod and a toast to the return of Katie. I’m quite eager to hear all about your travels in Thailand and I’m hoping there’s some good pics that shall perhaps soon grace Ben’s website. Hopefully the stay in Seattle was a good time for all–even if the temp only increased a few degrees from standard Spokane glacial chill.

In other news…my Canon S400 Digital Elph arrived today from Amazon and I’m thrilled with this little camera so far. Taking video’s w/ sound is such a cool aspect of the camera. Now I just need to find a “home” on the web for all my creative undertakings…

Also, USC/UCLA tennis tourney is this Friday. Check out my sister’s profile here:

http://usctrojans.ocsn.com/sports/w-tennis/mtt/magnani_luana00.html

That’s it from here.

Whitworth got hit with the Novarg virus…or the mydoom virus…whatever. I can’t wait to see who wins…Network Assoc. or Symantec. Who has the greater penetration in the consumer market? Only CNN can decide.

Here is my question. I got a notification from Whitworth’s “Symantec Mail Security” that a message I sent had “detected an unrepairable virus” to Kelly M McCoy. I don’t know a Kelly McCoy, nor did I send her a message at 17:18. Now, does this mean that someone has unauthorized access to my Whitworth account? Maybe. Perhaps someone has configured their personal information mistakenly as mine. Possible. Here’s an even more plausible scenario. When Walt shut down the campus internet at 16:30 and screamed bloody murder, he forgot to turn off the TEST function in Exchange 2000 that goes off when you rebuild the system, adding to the campus congestion.

If you missed my last blog, go read it and check out the Off-Campus webpage . Why, you ask? Katie’s clearly in several photos at the bottom and Monday’s journal entry is fantastically written by Emily Haxton.

I just got snowtires for the first time in my life and I’m fascinated with how easy it is to stop with those little metal studs grinding the road. No wonder there are so many potholes up here, everybody is grating the road like so much cheese. Still, I feel very safe now on the road and actually enjoy going over small clumps of ice that litter my path to and from school.

As you can tell, I am up quite late and missing Katie quite a bit. She gives me a sense of calm and complete serenity while winding me up at the same time, which is what love does to you, I suppose. The point is, I miss her and am counting the days until she returns to me.

In case you were wondering, yes, Thailand is 15 hours ahead of PST, or another way to say it is +7 Greenwich Mean Time. My official timekeeper, for the curious.

As well, for the two of you who read this site, the quote is Katie’s. Isn’t she amazing?

-Ben

As well, I’m just excited to read her upcoming journal entry in the next few days, so cut and paste the above link and bookmark it to see the exciting, interactive conclusion to this blog entry. (Sarcasm included)

-Ben

http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/13/film.oscar.screeners.ap/index.html

So, is it any surprise that the news of another Academy screener “leaked” to the internet has surfaced today? No, it isn’t. My earlier blog puts it all in perspective, but the MPAA and Jack Valenti insist it is the members of the Academy who are leaking these screeners. The WSJ article today cites that an unidentified Academy member is being investigated. What should be looked at is the general well-being of the employees of the studios. These movies online that are released before their premieres can only come from one source, the studio. Having worked in a studio atmosphere several times, I can speak from experience that there is a general feeling of ambition and intense focus during all stages of production. This drive fosters one type of person, someone who will do whatever they can to succeed. The business demands it. This drive can be turned inward upon itself and result in corruption. This is not hard to believe, given my pessimistic stance toward human nature, although, I am not alone in this estimation. I’m positive there are some individuals in studios who have been cheated, lied to, or endured some mean-spirited person’s wrath and in response will attack the source. As well, there are very nice people who just want the thrill of doing something bad. The point is, an overwhelming majority of “movie people” deal with other people’s shit and shovel out their own shit in return. G.I.G.O.

http://www.apple.com/ipodmini/

http://creative.com/products/product.asp?prodid=110

A lighter subject is the new iPod mini and its rather hefty $249 price. Several articles in Slashdot and WSJ have speculated that the price is for the non-techie person who is dazzled by flashy colors and small form factor. May I introduce the Creative Nomad Muvo? For $100 you get 128 MB of flash memory and its SMALL, really small. You could swallow it, if you’re not careful and really hungry. This is what I think of when the word “mini” is used. Of course, for me, I think I’ll need several different kinds of mp3 players for different occasions. *Note: These products do not exist at the moment.

80GB – iPod: For those long trips and car rides. Ideally, this would play not only AAC, MP3, WMA, but Vorbis as well.

Ultra-mini-mp3 player: For a quick walk somewhere or thrown in a bag to be discovered when needed. This would have only 256MB or 512MB, but not much more, as well as all the requirements of the 80GB player.

So, I obviously don’t have my ideal, but perhaps that is why they are ideals.

As the title implies, I am in a “Human Genetics” class this Jan Term and in class today I learned that during the maturation of the fetus, the gonads (precursor to sex organs) are unformed. This means that a chemical signal has to happen from the Y chromosome at a crucial point otherwise the fetus defaults to making ovaries, a uterus, and other “feminine plumbing,” as my teacher referred to it. Before 7 or 8 weeks into it, the fetus has no sex.

During this class, so far, I was vaguely concerned about the X and Y chromosomes and I couldn’t put my finger on it until today. I think I feel X chromosome envy. Now, it is true that I, a male, have both an X and Y, and I am perfectly content with that. Its that females have two X’s that really gets me. The X chromosome is wholly necessary for life, it has all the genetic makeup for producing a human being, while the Y chromosome has one job, so far as I know it, and that is to fire away at that crucial juncture to signal to make testes and consequently, produce testosterone. That seems rather one-sided to me. As well, physically, the X chromosome is much larger than the Y. So, the X can not only think for itself without the Y, but its bigger too. I think I’m intimidated.