Tag, You are It.

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As I was leaving from the last day of class of "Current, Moral, and Social Issues" earlier today, (which is a class I was quite interested in taking but turned out to be quite disappointing), the professor said something profound.

He ended the class talking about how important the issues we discussed in this class were and that the debate and the conversation on such topics should never end and then said: "this is the most important game of tag you will ever play... and YOU are it."

While I didn't enjoy the class altogether, the quote did make me smile and has had me thinking of its validity. There are so many issues we are each passionate about, but how many of us actually speak up for them?


 P.S. Don't forget to leave me a comment below on your thoughts! As always, I'd love to hear from you.

Friday Fun

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The semester is quickly coming to an end, which means I find a lot of my time being consumed by writing papers and studying (Monday is my last day of classes and I also have an exam that day). It is so unbelievable that Monday is my last day of classes as an undergraduate student! Where has the time gone??

Aside from the end of the semester, my cousin Maria is getting married at the end of May - so all of the preparations and events have been a lot of fun and a big part of the weekends nowadays. I can't believe how fast everything is going by! Her bridal shower was last Friday, and it really got everyone in the wedding festivity mood because of how little time is left.

Part of my gift to her was a slideshow - with a montage of pictures, written messages, and video messages from family and friends - and it turned out pretty nice. I had NO clue how much work it was to make one!!

Yesterday, a bunch of my girl cousins and I went to NYC to hang out. It's so funny that we live so close, yet hardly get a chance to go and actually do stuff. But it was a fun day! We went on the Staten Island Ferry too, and I still can't believe it's free, especially considering how expensive everything else is in NYC... but I'll take it. The view from it is spectacular, and the weather was great too.

My goal has been to post at least once a week so I have it to look back on later, so this is a quick recap. Hopefully, soon I'll have more time to blog.


 P.S. Don't forget to leave me a comment below on your thoughts! As always, I'd love to hear from you.

Snowy February

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We're in the midst of another snow storm!!!!! Can you sense my excitement? It's absolutely gorgeous outside and looks so pretty! I'm enjoying every minute of this.

We've had more snow in the February than the rest of the winter combined so far. This is the first time in many years we are actually having a snow-y winter, so I'm definitely enjoying it and remembering what our winters were like when we were in Canada... even though where we lived in Canada isn't getting much snow this year.

I only had one class this morning and the professor let us go as soon as we were done with our quizzes and so I was out in ten minutes. Ten minute classes - now that's something I could get used to.

I was surprised that Rutgers didn't end up canceling classes altogether when I woke this morning considering how bad the walkways were on Livingston Campus - they were so slippery. I almost slipped twice leaving my classroom building and so did others walking out. They did cancel classes for the evening since the snow is supposed to get heavier, so I guess that's something.



P.S. Don't forget to leave me a comment below on your thoughts! As always, I'd love to hear from you.

Snowmageddon - 1, Rutgers - 0

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The snow hasn't even started yet, but Rutgers canceled classes for tomorrow because of the snow storm we are expecting overnight. Not only am I looking forward to the snow, but looking forward to some time to catch up on some school work that I had been neglecting while studying for the LSATs.

We are expecting somewhere from 10 - 20 inches and I hope it happens. ONE big snow storm per season is all I ask for!!

My cousin sent me this picture from this past weekend outside their house (they live in VA- where after having 30 inches of snow, they are expecting another 20 inches):

Wishful thinking, I know, but can we get something like this? :)

Update (8:01 P.M.) - it just started snowing very lightly! Doesn't this happen to me a lot? :)



P.S. Don't forget to leave me a comment below on your thoughts! As always, I'd love to hear from you.

Battling New Jersey's Budget Deficit

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In one of my classes we have been talking about how we would erase New Jersey’s $9 billion budget deficit. We did various activities, including a poll in our class and writing plausible lead stories amongst other things.

Today, we did this Budget Calculating activity as a class using the same aspects we used for all the other activities and it was interesting and shocking at the same time to see how knee deep we are. We are always saying we want the government to do more in providing funding for higher education but at the same time cut taxes and whatnot.... and this really helps put things in perspective.

In our class poll, we had to rank the ten aspects in order for which we would be most to least likely to do to counter the nine billion dollar budget deficit we are in. It was no shock that, as students, over half of us ranked cutting the higher education aid as what we would least prefer. From these ten aspects of the budget - how would you rank them to erase the budget deficit with 1 being your most preferred choice, 10 your least preferred?

You guys should try it. I found it pretty neat. The link above is, of course, only for New Jersey... but I'm sure you can find it for states as well online.

Oh and guess what? We are expecting ANOTHER snow storm tomorrow into Wednesday. This time I want it so it better happen (so just watch us not get any snow at all)! We got around seven or eight inches Friday night into Saturday and it's forecasted to be in the 10 - 18 inches this time - i don't even care if we get that much... just something substantive.



P.S. Don't forget to leave me a comment below on your thoughts! As always, I'd love to hear from you.

My Last First Day of College!

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Tomorrow is my last first day of college! Classes at Rutgers actually began today, but I have no classes on Tuesdays and Fridays this semester - so tomorrow will officially be my first day of the semester. It will definitely be a long day with work in the morning and then classes from 1 to 7:30 P.M and Mondays are going to be even worse (I have classes ALL day from 10 A.M. to 7:30 P.M), but then I only have one class on Thursday mornings - so it makes up for it. I've been working pretty much all day every day for the last few days, so to say that i'm tired is an understatement.

Let's get the negative out of the way first - one thing I'm definitely not going to miss about Rutgers is the scheduling annoyance i faced EVERY SINGLE semester. This time was no different. Seriously, I can't remember (um, because it didn't happen) one semester where I had no problems scheduling classes for the next semester. The frustration and the stress during planning my schedule, registration, the week leading up to class and the first week of classes were something I will not miss. Neither will my family as I'm pretty sure I drove them crazy every time for all of those times I just mentioned all eight semesters long. I'm sure a lot of other Rutgers student will agree with this problem as well.

Okay, enough of the negative.

I'm one of those people that are sentimental/emotional and cherishes the 'moments'... and this is definitely one of them. It's amazing to think that in a few short months i'll 'graduate' into the real world. Whoa. Pretty scary, huh?

Sure, i have graduate school ahead of me - but that's just different.

Time sure flies by, doesn't it? The last seventeen years of schooling (kindergarten through 12th grade and these past 4 years to get my B.A.) sure have. I was actually just looking at old photos from back when we were little kids this past weekend when my aunt and uncle were over and talking about old memories - I don't know about you, but I LOVE looking at old pictures and reminiscing.

While I don't actually remember my first day at school, I definitely remember my first day of school. You know - school bag on my back, wearing the school  uniform, crying like crazy as my mom takes me to school? Ha.

Hopefully this semester goes by smoothly. Not that I'm expecting it to, considering my last seven semesters at Rutgers... but I guess, that's part of the 'experience'. More importantly, I hope that I make the most of this last semester at Rutgers. In hindsight, sure there are things I would have done differently - but wouldn't most people? One thing is for sure, everything can be a learning experience if you choose to look at it like that.


P.S. Don't forget to leave me a comment below on your thoughts! As always, I'd love to hear from you.

Snow Storm Forecasted

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I don't know about you, but i LOVE snow! Actually, i think that is the biggest understatement ever haha (and anyone who knows me can attest to that). Since i woke up this morning and read/heard that we were expecting a snow storm, i've been anxiously looking forward to it (and hoping it won't dissapoint). My brother, Ayaz, was just teasing me some time ago that we'll probably just end up getting an inch or two of snow (or less), but i hope not! All i ask for is one big snow storm a year... is that really too much to ask? ;)

I just LOVE snow as it's falling, and the white blanket of snow on the ground with a storm/blizzard.... until it gets dirty and slushy. then, it's not so cool. I could do without the incredibly cold temperature that comes with it though haha. I guess part of the reason i love it so much has to do with me growing up in Canada, but i don't know about that since the rest of my family isn't too fond of it (or most of extended family in Canada).

The forecast has changed from 12 inches, to 1 or 2 inches, to currently being at 8-14 inches in the span of less than 12 hours... so we'll see how that plays out. Currently, it is forecasted that the snow will start around 1 or 2 A.M. and get heavier around tomorrow evening, and end by Sunday 6 AM. We'll see how that changes and progresses. It's already started snowing in Virginia and the surrounding areas (even though it was forecasted to start tomorrow sometime), so the snow is definitely coming... just not sure how much of it!

anyhow... let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

On a side note, things i'm looking forward to in the next few days: 1) tomorrow is the bowl game for the Rutgers football team (the last RU football game i'll watch as a RU student); 2) monday is my last final for this semester (i hope the snow doesn't mess with the exams schedule on monday since it is supposed to snow until sunday morning); and 3) which means winter break starts monday evening and i'm off from classes until jan 19, 2010 when classes resume (which will be my last semester for my undergraduate degree! :/ ). Not quite sure how i feel about that just yet - i'm excited about being done, but have mixed emotions about it as well... so we'll see.

Snow, Classes, RU Football

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It FINALLY snowed today for the first time this season! When i read in the newspaper a couple of days ago about the forecast for snow for today, i'll admit i got super excited for it - but i didn't really think it would end up snowing... or that if it did, it wouldn't snow a lot and definitely not stick (considering it was almost seventy degrees two days ago).

the rain this morning, however, quickly turned into wet snow... and then snow that stuck... so we have a nice blanket of snow outside! I LOVE snow as it is falling and the blanket of white snow on the ground, until it starts getting dirty. it was only an inch or two of snow, but it was great nonetheless. I hate the cold temperature that comes with the snow, but LOVE snow - i guess because i grew up in Canada (actually i don't know about that reasoning since the rest of my family is not so fond of snow).

On a different note, this coming week is my last week of classes - just days more days of classes! I also have two of my exams on thursday, and i will be done with exams and all on december 21st. As the semester draws closer to an end and the fact that i had my senior photos yesterday, the realization that i have only one semester left at Rutgers as an undergraduate is finally hitting me. I can't believe how fast the past three and a half years have gone by, and i'm sure my last semester will go by just as fast.

Ttoday was also the last rutgers football game of the regular season ( the bowl game happens in a few weeks). i didn't get to go to today's game even though it was a home game, but it was a great game.  it would have definitely been nice to have gone, considering it was my last game as a student, but oh well. it may be just as well considering the weather and the temperature - risking getting sick right before finals would not have been too great. anyhow, we played against west virginia university (who has beat us every year since 1994, unfortunately). we didn't win, but the game was close with the final score being WVU - 24, RU - 21.

Thoughts: Registration, RU Football, LSATs

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It's so unbelievable, but i registered this past Monday (November 9th) for my last semester as an undergraduate at Rutgers University! I can't believe it! It doesn't feel like I have been here for so long (three and a half years at this point!) and now am just months away from graduating in May. While each individual semester has seemed to drag on forever, it has in general flew by pretty fast. It hasn't been the easiest few years by any means, but i can honestly say it has been worth it. The roller coaster ride with the combination of the stress, challenges, agony, and the feelings of accomplishments have been nothing short of interesting, to say the very least.

I can't believe how fast time is flying by! I've been meaning to write a blog post on my mom's hospital stay/surgery from the beginning of October (over a month ago!), and i just can't seem to get some free time together. Hopefully in the next few days i will since i finally finished my midterms, papers, and projects this past week. Besides a few papers and a project, I don't have much extra school work due until the final exams period which is about a month away.

I also got my LSATs score back near the end of October, and i didn't do nearly as well as i would have liked or as well as i thought i would have done with all the studying time i put it. Needless to say, i was (and still am) quite frustrated and flushed. For the first few weeks, i was pretty upset (quite an understatement). I'm going to retake the LSATs in February and see how i do. People have been telling me not to let it get to me, but after all the studying, how can i not let it to get to me? It's something i've been thinking about and aspiring towards since the eighth grade! I know if it's meant to be, it'll work out... and if it's not... that's alright too... but i CAN'T just not give it another try. i guess i'll re-evaluate once i get my scores back from the LSATs from February and see what i want to do. I've been in the law school frame of mind for so long, that the thought that it may not be for me is quite upsetting. I'll be off for about three weeks in between the fall and spring semester that starts mid January so i'll have to get some hard core studying done then to prepare for the February LSATs.

On a quite different note, this past Thursday i also went to another Rutgers Football game - RU vs USF. Unfortunately with everything going on, it  was only the second game i have been able to attend this season (i went to the RU vs. Howard really early in the season). I was hoping i would be able to attend more considering it's my last year as a RU student, but oh well. Hopefully, i'll at least be able to go to the last home game of the season against West Virginia. RU vs. USF was an amazing game, and i had a great time - so even if it is the last game i attend as the student, it was great. The final score was RU - 31 and USF - 0. I was hoping for a great game with a huge win, but i didn't think the ranked USF team would end up not scoring at all!

2009 NJ Governor's Election Prediction

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So as i said in my earlier post from this morning, my project for my 'Elections and Participation' course at Rutgers this semester was to predict the voter turnout rate and who will win in Somerset County (and with what proportion).

I just submitted our prediction, and we predict a tight race between Christie and Corzine in Somerset County, with the following percentages:

Jon Corzine - 47%
Chris Christie - 45%
Chris Daggett - 8%

for the voter turnout aspect, we predict: around a 55% turnout rate of the REGISTERED voters (not voting age population). There are 193,345 registered voters right now in Somerset county, so 55% of that would be: 106,340.

I'll update later in the week with our explanation for the basis of our prediction as i'm still organizing all of our information. Or perhaps when i take a look at the actual results for comparison. I forgot to mention in the earlier post that that is also part of our assignment. When we present next week, we also have to include the actual results, and how much the actual results varied from our predictions and possible reasons and whatnot. So at this point, our assignment is only partly over.

This was (is) definitely a fun, interesting (and hard!) assignment, and I'm quite anxious to see the results tomorrow.

On a general state level prediction, i think Corzine will end up winning (but with a very small margin) the election.

again, a quick reminder : don't forget to go out and vote tomorrow!

UPDATE (7:45 AM on 11/03/09): the grad student that teaches our course sent out the overall predictions from our class, summing up all the counties. Here's the data:


The class expects to see approximately 2,643,282 votes tomorrow (51% of registered
voters) and the final tally to divide statewide:
Corzine: 45.95% of the vote
Christie: 41.65% of the vote
Daggett: 6.21% of the vote


It'll be interesting to see how close we got as a class - as political science students!


Based on an anonymous class vote taken in class yesterday:
80% expect Corzine to win the election
20% expect Christie to win the election


And:
65% would vote for Corzine
20% would vote for Christie
14% would vote for Daggett
1% would vote for Evgeni Malkin (i asked my brother who this was.... because i had no idea... and it's apparently a hockey player).

Election Day is Tomorrow!

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just a friendly reminder that TOMORROW is Election Day!

Don't forget to vote and remind your friends and family to do the same. Just because it is not a presidential election does not mean it is not important for you to cast your votes!

I am definitely interested in what happens in the Governor's election here in New Jersey, and it's implications! To make things even more interesting, my project for my 'Elections and Participation' class is to actually predict the voter turnout and who will win in the governor's election, and with what proportion. We were divided into groups, and our group has to predict for Somerset County, New Jersey.

September at a Quick Glance

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So i've been MIA from blogging recently (for like a month!), but that's because a lot has happened (and has been happening) that has been keeping me quite busy!!

Anyhow, i took my LSATs this morning! The morning started off rough with having low air pressure in one of the tires of the car... and when i eventually got to the building where my exam was... there's a note telling us to go to a completely different building. I mean i go to Rutgers, so getting to the other building wasn't such a big deal for me... but for everyone that came to take the LSATs at Rutgers but doesn't actually go to Rutgers... it was a challenge! One kid, candidly, suggested it was actually a practice logic game to help our brains focus :). Thank goodness i left early to leave ample leeway time.

I've been sick since monday, so i didn't get too much studying done in the week leading up to, but i hope i did fine. If not, i can always retake them in December... i hope i don't have to though! I HATE being sick ( i KNOW no one likes being sick!), and this constant weather change is driving me crazy... and is definitely the root of me being sick.

On another note, i began my senior year of college early this month! I can't believe i am a senior in college... where has the time gone?! I remember my first day of school ever, starting second grade in canada once we moved there, then seventh grade when i moved to new jersey, starting high school, then college... and now it's almost over! I really wish it would slow down a little! To think that in May, i will be a college graduate is AMAZING and weird!

All of this, of course, means that i have started looking at law schools and have began the process that goes along with it (letters of recommendations and whatnot), which has been a little nerve-wracking. All of it seems so surreal.

Oh, and Rutgers Football season is well underway as well! I've only been to one of the games so far... and haven't really been following it to well this year because of the time constraint, but it's still been fun when i do get the chance. Hopefully i'll get a chance to go to a couple of more games this season... especially since it's the last year i'll be a student here.

Last Day of Classes for Junior Year!

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Today was my last day of classes of my junior year of undergraduate!! Am I ecstatic? YES! Sad? Definitely! Where has the time gone? I can still remember freshly my first day of school ever (and crying hysterically as my mom walked me to school), my first day of high school, orientation for college, my first day of college, and now I have just finished my sixth semester here at Rutgers.

Tonight was also my first of four final exams, and now I am 3/6ths done with my classes (have already turned in a paper for one class, and am done the paper due this coming Friday for another class)… I know I have said this many times, but May 13th couldn't come fast enough! I am so ready for a few months off (aside from studying for the LSATS of course – which I REALLY need to do this summer).
With just one year remaining here at Rutgers as I pursue my undergraduate degree, I hope I can make the most out of it. While each semester has been full of challenges and a lot of stress (and feels like forever sometimes), overall it has just flown by so far. In one (very) short year, I will inshallah have my bachelor's degree… UNBELIEVABLE!

This means, I really need to start figuring out stuff for law school and stuff soon… until now, it all seemed so far away!

As if I wasn't feeling old enough already and thinking how fast time is going by, my twenty-first birthday is about two and a half months away! Oh, to be a kid again!

Technology

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Gotta love technology... (sometimes).

So as i am currently sitting here deciding whether to start working on one of my papers, my lab report, or my presentation first... i figured i would rant a bit to release some of my frustration.

So throughout my whole college career, i have always typed all my notes in all my classes (it's more efficient, organized, and legible)... and never have i had a problem... until today. As always, i was sitting in my class typing my notes away... and then attaching/emailing it to myself. But for some reason it didn't attach in the email, the file became corrupt, and the backup was deleted... so i'm completely out of luck... and of course, it has a lot of stuff i needed for my final for that class.

The thing is that in this class (cognition lab) we are all sitting at our own computers, so i don't use my own laptop in this class only... so i couldn't even do a system restore to try and attempt to get back the file! how frustrating!!!

But then again, i don't know what i would have done with my laptop as i typed up FORTY-TWO typed pages of outlined notes for one of my classes in the span of two days this past weekend. My hands were killing me typing that much, so if i had to resort to writing it all out... i probably would have never even done it.

Or for the millions of other papers i've written. Or without my cell phone (for texting, especially). Or without wireless internet (or internet just in general).

Three Weeks and Counting...

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In exactly three weeks, i will have officially finished all my exams for my sixth semester at Rutgers... I CANNOT WAIT! In three short weeks, i will unofficially be a senior at Rutgers!! Where has the time gone?

Time.. anyone have any to spare?

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Haven't posted in forever.. even though so much has gone on... but just have absolutely no time! No matter how much you do, you just never seem to have enough time!

I'm sure I'll have more time to post when classes and exams are done. Right now, my life is basically writing papers or studying :(... and friday night hang outs with a few of my cousins (but hey, i NEED that break!)

At the end of this semester, I'm going to be 22 credits away from GRADUATING as an undergraduate! It's absolutely crazy how fast time is flying by!

Rant

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What a week! Actually, January in general has been a-not-so-great month for us.

But first of all, I want to wish my brother, Ayaz, a very happy 24th birthday!

January 1st - on the way back from my cousin's house after his anniversary party, we barely avoided what could have been a very horrendous accident, which I still can't believe we were able to escape - thank goodness!

On the 2nd, my grandfather fell and hurt his leg... and then just now, we found out that our grandfather's foot is actually fractured! When he fell about two weeks ago, he had an x-ray at the hospital (which came out clear), but then had an MRI this week - which just revealed the fracture.

My mom was in the hospital earlier this week from Monday morning to Tuesday night, which was an ordeal in itself. My mom didn't finally get a room until about over 12 hours later and then would you believe the hospital personnel decided at 2 AM that I couldn't stay in the hospital with my mom overnight? I have ALWAYS stayed with my mom every time she is admitted, so I found it a little ridiculous... especially after the long day we just had! But I have to give credit to the nurses - they are absolutely amazing, and I can't even imagine how they do this day in and day out.. and especially the amount of patience they have!

It was quite a shock to me that, considering my mom went to the E.R. for chest pain and shortness of breath, she still had to wait in the waiting room for like 3 or more hours before she was actually taken to the emergency room to be seen by the doctors and what not. You would think a patient going in for chest pains would be immediately checked out because of the dangers of heart-related problems. Undoubtedly, the population is rapidly growing and therefore there are a lot more patients, but it's still interesting to note - and a bit worrisome. Fortunately, after MANY tests it didn't look like it was anything serious (though I think not being able to figure out what's wrong is even worse in some situations) in my mom's situation - but what about the other patients?

I wish the rest of the year runs a lot smoother than the month of January has so far!

Tuesday is the first day of classes for the spring semester (which I'll be missing because it's also inauguration day and when Barack Obama will officially be the President of the United States). I can't believe how fast my break flew by (and of course, I got like absolutely no studying done for the LSATs! :/ )

I didn't get much time to just relax this break, which is definitely a bummer.. and I'm not looking forward to most of my classes for the coming semester either because they seem pretty boring, but I guess I'll see how they turn out.

Two Years Down... Two Years to Go

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I am DONE! After a very LONG semester... I am finally done my second year of undergraduate! My sixth (and last) final was yesterday and in six days, my brother and I will be going to Norway ... so I am extremely excited about that. Looking forward to the trip has made the last month and a half unbearably long... but at last, it's only a few days away. :)

It's so weird to think that I just finished my second year at Rutgers ... time is literally flying. I am definitely big on reminiscing and it is so weird every time I do so. It seems as if it was just a few years ago where it seemed as if college kids were "old", and all we worried about was the trivial things in life. To think, that in two years I will (hopefully) have my Bachelor's degree makes it sound unreal.

This summer should be quite busy, and quite fun with all the weddings and what not in the family, but I hope it doesn't go by too fast.

Dean Says One Must Drop Out

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Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean said today that either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama must drop out of the Democratic presidential race after the June primaries have ended so that the party can be unified by the convention and win the general election in November. On an interview on Good Morning America, Dean said that, "We want the voters to have their say. That's over on June 3".

On a side note, classes end next Monday and my last final is on May 13th! It's about time. This semester has dragged on long enough. This summer should be amazing...exhausting, but amazing.

Pennsylvania Primary Results

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School has definitely taken over my life this semester...I don't recommend taking six classes to anyone...unless at least a few are extremely easy or 100 level classes. It's just way to exhausting and near impossible to keep up with. Fortunately classes end in just under two weeks..and then finals.

On to the Pennsylvania primary results: A few minutes after eight and with the polls in Pennsylvania just having closed, the race was too close to call! :) The optimist in me definitely made me think for a second that Barack Obama has a chance for the race to be very close. Even though I am by no means expecting Obama to win the primary tonight, how close it is will definitely be a factor in the long run.

Around 8:35 P.M., MSNBC announced a change in terminology. According to the MSNBC network, it is now "too early to call", meaning Clinton is in the lead... but it is too early to call it a victory for Hillary Clinton.

Around 8:55 P.M., MSNBC did in fact announce that Clinton had won Pennsylvania. That was expected...now the wait is for by how much? That is the important factor. We'll see how long it takes for all the results to come in.

On to their speeches tonight. Can Clinton get any worse or cornier? "Yes we will"? Are you kidding me? At least come up with something on your own and not copy off of Obama after bashing him continuously. It was definitely an attempt at mocking Obama, but please.