Woes, Wonders and Wishful Thinking: Biology Edition

A very blurry picture of the Campbell bio textbook  with the deceptively cute  fiddlehead fern on the cover. Evil in disguise. And yes, the blurriness is obviously me trying to show you how the information in this book looks to me when I am cramming for a test at midnight. And you thought that I was bad at photography. Ha! Random metaphorical artistic descriptions always win.

I have a weakness for alliteration, so now I have decided to post my woes, wonders, and wishes every Wednesday. So this week, biology is the bane of my existence. Don't get me wrong, it is a fascinating subject, but still, some things about it vex me. Woefully, the subject is not all about memorization, but you still need to have a great memory. I mean, how can I be expected to both memorize strange terms and understand their significance? I can only do so much! And speaking of strange terms, I wonder, how do terms like oviparous, ovoviviparous, and viviparous help anyone? I find it rather amusing, and rather annoying, that the terms are so hard to learn. No doubt that they all have Latin and Greek roots and therefore make perfect sense to the budding linguist, but to the less cultured people of society, like myself, prefixes and suffixes stemming from dead languages are useless. I, for one, support the use of hyphenated adjectives to replace nouns. For example, instead of saying my name is Asilia, I would like to say that my name is aspiring-blogger-and-frustrated-student-who-loves-fashion-and-books-and-good-music. Makes perfect sense, right? Well, I am a genius, so no need for you to reiterate the obvious fact. And finally, I wish that I were one of the perfectly punctual people, those people who do not start blogs centered around the art of procrastination. But hey, blogging over biology any day. I mean, why do today what you can do tomorrow? (I think that is how the saying goes.)

BTW, you must excuse the weirdness. My excuse is that it's a Wednesday. And tomorrow, my excuse for the weirdness will be that it's a Thursday. Glad we got that cleared up.

My favorite diagram in the book is the one that shows an experiment in which the "heavy weight" is depicted by  the textbook itself. My teacher says that textbook is better than using an actual weight. ! (Sigh)
The worst part, I still do not understand this concept from about 20 chapters ago. 

Musical Monday: "How to Save A Life"

OK, I know this song is old, but it randomly popped into my head on Saturday and I have not been able to get it out since. And also, us nerds tend to receive information about the world of pop culture late. I think 5 years might be a personal record of how behind I am in music, but hey, better late than never. So I looked up the lyrics because, you know, I kind of need to know what the singer is actually saying. I love the song, but honestly, I had no idea what the words were until yesterday. The song is beautiful because it is catchy, and its message is poignant and very, very important. If someone can make a song that people want to hear that actually has an important message, he is pretty amazing. I mean, there are way to many songs out there that are meaningless or have a horribly shallow and at times repulsive meanings. True, this is coming from a girl who loves Handel's arias and sings opera, so you may think I am peculiar (I like to think cultured, but my opinion of myself tends to be very flattering.) But in the end, I think we can agree that there are some bands that have yet to produce quality music (LMFAO anyone?).

Appraisal of the Academy Awards

On the red carpet last night, there were many bold fashion choices. I saw many glittery gowns and exquisitely crafted and sculpted dresses. Here are a few of the red carpet dresses that I either felt strongly about (remember, hate is a passionate feeling) or was completely and totally on the fence about.

Love List

 Jessica Chastain

Jessica's black dress with gold detailing was absolutely gorgeous. The gold overlay was intricate and exquisite, while the black and gold combination complemented the hair of this star of "The Help" perfectly.

Penelope Cruz

Penelope's dress had this beautiful lilac-periwinkle color that was completely different from some of her prior gown's colors. The off-the-shoulder style and train made the dress princess-like while the wispy fabric and floatiness made it ethereal. I loved the dress because of its beautiful color that reminded me of the color of Herminone's dress at Bill and Fleur's wedding (in the book, not the movie) and at the Yule Ball. Lovely.

Rooney Mara

 Rooney's dress was almost angelic and wispy, not at all like something her disturbed character Lisabeth Salander would wear in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." While her red lip was perfect for the look, I wish she had chosen a different hairstyle. The blunt bangs and chignon seemed too harsh.

Glenn Close

This "Albert Nobbs" star was stunning in her forest green gown with a slight trail. The tuxedo-esque blazer made the look special and unique and the color was refreshing.

Michelle Williams

Michelle does truly look flawless in red. Her dress was the perfect blend of trendy and classic, with its peplum waist and lovely red-orange color. The neckline was sweet and the dress had enough texture to add an element of interest. And I will never ever ever cease to be amazed by her pixie cut. It is true perfection in its simplest form.

Sandra Bullock

While many thought this look was a failure, I really liked it. The detailing on the shoulders and the "belt" was beautiful, and I thought the black-and-white combo and the draping in the back were daring. The high ponytail was the perfect hairstyle to let the simple yet unique dress shine.

Emma Stone

Emma's dress was very bright, and the high neck with the bow added just enough elegance to her fantastic look. The shape of the dress was simple, making the look that much more perfect. And she was able to prove once and for all that red heads can wear red, in the form of fuchsia at least.

On the Fence

Viola Davis

This emerald green dress complemented her gorgeous skin tone, but the intricate beading seemed incomplete. On another note, I loved her in "The Help."

Angelina Jolie

How could I write about the red carpet and not mention Angelina? While her dress was beautifully structured, the slit was a bit much. And her pose, while amusing, was a tad ridiculous. Just my opinion.

Natalie Portman

This former best actress was wearing another red/pink gown this year, a nod to her usual color choice. While the dress was adorable and her jewels were stunning, her dress was a bit to "cute" for the red carpet. Still, her box clutch managed to counter this cuteness quite nicely.

Ellie Kemper

Ellie's look struck me the most among looks of the cast-members of "Bridesmaids". While I loved the rusty color and sparkles, (what can I say, I am a girl who has a weakness for sparkles; Taylor Swift and I would be best friends) the dress + the clutch+ the bracelet was way too much. Still, I loved the bold dress, the fact that it matched her hair, and the earrings. The look, while it was a bit too sparkly, was still well-coordinated.

Bernice Bejo

Bernice's dress had beautiful beading, and the mint green was so lovely, complementing her red hair very well. However, the sleeves were a tad awkward, so I don't really know how much I liked her look.

No Offence, But No, Just No

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer's dress was, in my opinion, strange. We know that she is toned to perfection, so there is no reason for her to keep reiterating that point. And also, the pattern was reminiscent of an optical illusion of some sort. Adding shininess made the dress that much more in-your-face. While I admire her gall, I was not a fan of her look.

Penelope Ann Miller

While many loved her look, and I loved the pale pink color of her dress, I thought the sparkles were too disorganized. It seemed too thrown together. And while I loved her cuff, the dress was busy enough without it. I also did not like the shape of the dress. I feel that the color plus the pattern plus the shape created a dress that was just not quite right. The style would have looked better if the dress was monotone.

Nostalgia

 Photo Credit

There is almost nothing in the world that can compare to a Disney movie. I mean, when we were kids, the movies were appealing because they were colorful, filled with upbeat music, and often had happy endings. Now, when we watch the films, we notice the beautiful lyrics, the heart-wrenching conflicts, and the hilarious, clever, and symbolic one-liners. "The Lion King" has always been my favorite Disney classic because of its amazing music and beautiful storyline (and the fact that the main characters are lions). Watching it now, I realize that it has such a deep story. What is especially interesting is the psychological conflicts in the film. Scar represents the id, the power-hungry, maniacal aspect of our minds. Simba's guilt is representative of how children are easily manipulated and impressionable. The whole film is about how the past remains with us and how we try to deny traumatic events instead of learning from them. As for Timon and Pumbaa, well, they are just awesome. I mean, Pumbaa's best line was definitely "When I was a you warthooooog!" He is really quite the singer. And Timon's cockiness is rather amusing. And of course, Scar has the best one-liners ever. My favorites include "I am surrounded by idiots" and "Oh Simba, it's to die for." Profound and dripping with his wonderfully-evil sarcasm. And honestly, need I talk about Rafiki...? Finally, "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" makes me tear up every time. And then Timon and Pumbaa sing, so artfully and poignantly, "In short, our pal is doomed." Bravo, bravo.

Photo Credit 1,  Photo Credit 2

Photo Credit 3

Raindrops and Ripples

Around this time of year, I am usually trekking through the snow, or at least wearing more than just a blazer. However, there has been a (tragic) lack of snow this year. Instead, it has been raining quite a lot. While I enjoy watching rain, I loathe traveling when it is raining. Rushing to the door with my hand protecting my face from the freezing raindrops is downright depressing. To combat the rain, I chose to put on dress with a pattern that resembles ripples, a pair of leggings, and a trusty old blazer. This outfit, plus a pair of ridiculous, pink, piggy socks, is enough to restrain from retreating back into the covers on a dreary morning.

Aeropostale dress, Talbots blazer

Talbots rain boots

Book Review: The Millennium Series

A while ago, a trilogy by Stieg Larsson took the world by storm. Everybody wanted to read about Lisabeth Salander and journalist Mikael Blomkvist in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Yesterday, I completed the last book of the trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest. Overall, the trilogy was, in my opinion, close to spectacular. Salander's story is not just another gory tale, despite its gruesome reputation. The graphic details help to educate the audience about very real crimes that are directed against women, to show us the harsh realities that we refuse to see. Larsson crafted these novels in such a way that they both tell of wicked crimes and show us the psychotic nature of these crimes. The novels are also good reads because they are written in such a way that the reader cannot just abandon the novel. To retain peace of mind, the reader must finish the novel before rushing out to the nearest library to borrow the next one. Finally, the novels are interesting because of the characters. There is Salander, a petite, tattooed girl who is vicious despite her small stature. She is  interesting, however, because she is not the typical woman who fights crime (and falls in love with a male hero along the way). She is apathetic, asocial, and seemingly amoral. Then there is Mikael Blomkvist. He is not the typical knight-in-shining-armor who comes in to save the day. He is , in fact, neither perfect nor a hero. The Millennium Series is interesting because it mixes nail-biting action with psychologically-tormenting violence with moral issues with some romance. It is gripping and it is exciting and it is even the fodder of nightmares. If you would like to read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, you will have no choice but to finish the trilogy, so my advice? Borrow all three books at the same time and start reading early. They are not the kind of books you should be reading right before you sleep, trust me.

Musical Monday: "Shake it Out"

For my first musical post, I decided to share a song by one of my lesser-known favorites, Florence and the Machine. I mean, all of us know what it feels like to sit down with a box of truffles listening to Adele's heart-wrenching lyrics while sobbing over lost love, but not everyone has heard the overpowering vocals of Florence Welch. Her voice is amazingly powerful. It is one of those voices that seems other-worldly, for I cannot fathom how that voice could possibly come out of a mere human. This voice, her inspiring lyrics, and her unrestrained background percussion all make her songs seem larger than life. Florence's original vocals also translate into her vintage-inspired day outfits and her Grecian-inspired performance costumes. Florence Welch's songs are both haunting and uplifting, ethereal and applicable to daily life, which is what makes them so inspiring and beautiful.

The Girl with the Patterned Scarf

Like Rebecca Bloomwood started her financial column under the epithet "the girl with the green scarf" in Confessions of a Shopaholic, I decided to start off my blog by showcasing a new scarf. Like Rebecca, I bought this scarf while I was supposed to be doing something else, namely, buying a gift for my friend. Yes, it was her birthday, but I happened to be celebrating Reward-Yourself-for-Being-Such-A-Great-Friend day. Haven't you heard of it? Well anyway, at least I didn't make up any ridiculous reasons why I needed the scarf like Rebecca did. In fact, I tried to convince myself not to get it. Oddly enough, that didn't work. So here I am, $11 poorer with my head held high and a new scarf tied around my neck. Do I regret the purchase? Maybe. But think of it this way: this black, patterned scarf can elevate any jeans-and-a-tee outfit, and it matches every shirt in my plethora of drab, plain shirts. By buying this scarf, I have practically expanded my wardrobe possibilities tenfold! And no, I am not rationalizing. My reasons for buying the scarf are perfectly justifiable. Stop accusing me.

Oh and the hat, I added that for color. It may be absolutely impractical and a tad uncomfortable, but hey, all girls know that pain is beauty and that cuteness justifies any purchase. I mean, we wear heels, don't we?

Cejon scarf, Ralph Lauren jeans, Charter Club jacket,

Nine West flats, Ann Taylor Loft hat