Summer Movies 2009

This summer, thus far, has been an incredibly good movie season. This is coming from the girl who never goes to the theater....ever. I will admit it, I hate the theater! I hate the kid behind me kicking my chair, the guy next to me munching on popcorn and crinkling the bag, the teenager in front of me texting on her cellphone, or the old couple 10 rows away who comment on every scene. The mere fact that these summer movies were able to lull me away from my couch and get me to sit in a huge auditorium with hundreds of other people, well that is saying something.

Movie #1: X-Men Origins: Wolverine
With all due respect to my friend Tom, I disagree with his assessment of Wolverine. I thought of the now 4 X-Men movies, this one to be the best. I enjoyed the introduction of previously unseen characters and the storyline wasn't half bad. Discovering where our favorite X-Man came from was entertaining! I will admit, however, that I am easy to please, throw something on screen that is flashy, sounds amazing, has fantastic graphics and muscles, and I am a happy girl...

Movie #2: Star Trek
There is a division in our household regarding this movie, I give it two thumbs up, Matthew gives it two thumbs down. We both can agree that the graphics and sounds are stellar and the choices they made to fill the roles of the Enterprise crew were uncanny and perfectly selected. We also agree that the use of time travel is a complete cop-out in science fiction and is an old and tired storyline. Overall, however, we disagree. Matthew is disappointed that director J.J. Abrams single-handedly changed the timeline of Star Trek forever, essentially making the past 40 years of TV and movies not exist. I, on the other hand, could think of no better way to reinvigorate a science fiction juggernaut like Star Trek than to change history and create an "alternate" timeline. I don't feel cheated out of 40 years of Trek (I embrace that past), but I feel that there are endless possibilities ahead now without the weight of so much history!

Next on the list:

Terminator Salvation and Transformers 2

Reid Park Zoo

Yesterday was a beautiful, unexpectedly cool, dreary day in Tucson, so I decided to take the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. I have been wanting to go to the zoo and haven't been able to find anyone to go with me, so I decided to go on my own.

Overall, I very much enjoyed the experience. I don't typically like doing things by myself but I enjoyed going at my own pace and seeing what I wanted to see. The temperature was perfect and I went as soon as the park opened, so it wasn't packed. Most importantly, it was a trip down memory lane. My sister and I spent a lot of time at the zoo when we were little and it seemed so big back than. It hasn't changed much over the years, but it sure seems smaller now.

My only complaint was the "Disneyland" atmosphere. There were strollers everywhere and I mean everywhere! You could hardly walk without running into someones disorderly child. I recognize that the zoo is a very inexpensive option for families and that it is summer time, so I shouldn't be surprised that there were so many moms and children...BUT my patience is wearing thin when it comes to public places and the children who run them!

I had the opportunity to feed the giraffes. This is Denver, one of three giraffes at the zoo.


Connie, the Asian Elephant


Zibulo or Yebonga (not sure which one), Southern White Rhinoceros

Zeke: The Miniature Schnauzer

This evening Matthew and I went by the Humane Society to take a look at Zeke, a miniature schnauzer who has been there for almost a week. Zeke is an owner released dog who is about 2 years old. As you can see from the picture, he looks a lot like Lily. We took him out into the play yard and romped with him for a bit, unfortunately, he became very attached to me very quickly. He began to get angry with Matthew and tried to bite him on a number of different attempts to touch him. He also got aggressive whenever Matthew tried to touch me. It was such a very sad situation, as he was obviously abused by a man before and was very territorial. After a long and difficult discussion we decided that Zeke wasn't the right fit for our house, he just presented too much aggression and we didn't have the heart to subject our dogs to that. I know he will make a great companion for a single lady without kids, or dogs/cats, or a husband...poor little guy got a raw deal in life...I just wish that we could give him a forever home.

Another Name Added to the List

A motorcyclist killed in an accident Sunday night on the south side was an off-duty Tucson police officer.

42-year-old Peter Mannino was hit at the intersection of Palo Verde and Benson Highway as he was going home from work at about 7:15.

Investigators say he was heading south on Palo Verde when a car going north on Palo Verde turned left onto the Benson Highway and the two collided.

Investigators say Mannino was wearing a helmet.

Monday afternoon the Tucson Police Department officially announced the death of one of its own.

The announcement was made at the Midtown Division where Mannino worked.

Members of Mannino's squad listening tearfully as their commander said they all were there to express "our sorrow and to honor his memory."

Mannino's friend and classmate at the police academy, Sergeant Al Guinee, said Mannino "never hesitated to put a smile on my face."

Guinee said Mannino was an exceptional person.

Midtown Division Commander, Captain David Neri, said, "He was the kind of officer every commander wants in their division. He was the kind of officer every sergeant wants in their squad and the kind of officer every other officer wants in the vehicle next to them."

Neri added, "On duty, he served as an example to his peers. He served as a field training officer and as a highly regarded mentor to many of our junior staff. Off duty he was the kind of man who kissed his two sons goodnight every night and told them that he loved them before he went to sleep."

Mannino is survived by his wife, DeAnna, and his sons, 16-year-old Vincent and 22-month-old Johnathan.

A date and time for services have not been set yet.

Pima County sheriff's deputies are investigating the crash because it happened in the county.

The driver of the car has not yet been cited.

Office Peter Mannino died on May 17, 2009



Officer Erik Hite passed away on June 2, 2008

Miko, a K-9 officer, was killed on May 27, 2006

Deputy Timothy Graham was killed on August 10, 2005

Officer Patrick Hardesty was killed on May 26, 2003

It's in the Books...

The worst semester of my academic career is officially over as of today and I couldn't be happier! This has been the longest and most difficult semester yet and although I have so much more to go, I feel very accomplished today.

Final grades are not posted yet so I don't have any final tallies for you, so I thought I would look back to my post on January 21st, where I prophesied what the semester would be like. Won't you join me? The blue text is from January, the red text from today.

ANTH 235 - PRINCIPLES IN ARCHAEOLOGY

• The teacher is hilarious and very well educated in his field. The tests are not cumulative which gives the students the advantage but there is a 12 page paper due by April 30th. I anticipate that I will enjoy this class tremendously.
• This teacher wasn't just hilarious, he was absolutely brilliant! I mean literally brilliant, he graduated with his PhD before he was 21 years old. He changed my world when it comes to archaeology. Additionally, he is just an outstanding human being. The tests were difficult but fair and the paper was a true challenge.
  

MCB 182R - INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY II

• Again, the teacher is hilarious and loves plants (a little too much if you ask me, plants just aren't that interesting). I have heard his tests are tricky but all the material comes from his Powerpoint presentations. This class focuses on biology at the macro scale rather than the micro scale like last semester. Thus, I anticipate that I will enjoy this class about 50% of the time (unlike last semester which I enjoyed the class 0% of the time).
• I will be honest, I didn't like this class much more than I did the first biology class. Perhaps that is just another reason why switching my major was a good move. His tests were VERY tricky and difficult, which I think is not an accurate assessment of your knowledge of the material. Switching one word of a sentence tests your ability to MEMORIZE, not your ability to conceptualize the material.
  

MCB 182L - INTRO BIOLOGY II LAB

• I have formed no opinion at this point as the class begins tomorrow and I haven't yet met my TA (teaching assistant).
• I formed a very close friendship with my lab partner in this class, a friendship I hope to continue for a long time. Other than that, this class was a joke. The dissections were kind of cool, but ultimately I have a difficult time rationalizing the deliberate murder of harmless animals. English was not my TA's native language, so understanding her was an extreme challenge. She was nice, but not organized.
  

ANTH 395D - SPECIAL TOPICS IN BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY

• Oh dear God, I think I might die. This class is all about Charles Darwin's life and legacy. We are currently reading his first book, "The Voyage of the Beagle" of which I have read over 200 pages in the first week. The remainder of the book will be completed next week (supposedly). The three other books of Darwin will be completed by the end of the semester. In addition a 20 page paper is due at the end of the semester as well as an oral report. This class is crazy but the teacher knows Dr. Dobyns, so it can't be all bad. I anticipate this class kicking my butt!
• Wow, I wasn't too far off on this one. This class did kick my butt, the lecture material was dry and boring a majority of the time, the books were a snooze, but the presentation/20 page paper was actually the highlight of the semester. We were allowed to choose our own topic, of which I picked forensic anthropology. I am fascinated by the subject which made the presentation and paper a breeze.
  

CHEM 241B - LECTURE ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

• Would it be bad to say "oh dear God, I think I might die" again? The professor is witty and is always out to make fun of people, which pleases me. On the other hand, he is TOUGH to the extreme. I have been told his tests are ridiculous and the averages are very low. On the other hand, I have learned more in the first two days in his class than I did in O Chem all last semester. He claims we will learn over 300 reactions and the class will be all-consuming. I anticipate getting a 'C' in this class and that will be by the grace of God.
• I will be retaking this class in the fall. The professor was witty and lectures were fun but his tests were impossible. I am not exaggerating, impossible! There was no good way to prepare them and every technique I used to try to study for them always failed miserably. I hope to have a different teacher in the fall.
  

CHEM 243B - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY LAB

• This class is taught by a TA who has dreadlocks and piercings in his face. I must admit, in my old age, that I was slightly taken-aback. However, once the initial shock wore off, he seems to be a nice guy. He stayed after class today to help a few of us with some questions and he likes to play music during the labs to break up the monotony. I anticipate this class will be difficult but laid back.
• The class was difficult and laid back but the TA was a complete jerk. He is in his early twenties and already in the chemistry PhD program, so he thinks he is hot stuff. He deliberately singled me out and was difficult on me in terms of grading because he sensed my nervousness and uneasiness. He was kind of like the bully who picks on the smallest and weakest to make himself feel better. Towards the end of the semester I started being a real jerk back to him and he laid off. Just goes to show you that the school yard politics don't change just because you are in college.

Well that sums up my semester in a not very short post. I enjoyed this little experiment and may do it again next semester, we'll have to see!

Garden Update

A couple of weeks ago I decided to start a vegetable garden. Since our backyard is very small and the owners will not allow us to plant anything, my vegetable garden is being grown in pots. I currently have 2 pots of radishes, 1 pot of lettuce, 2 pots of green onions, 1 pot of cucumbers, and 1 large pot of corn. Well, at least I did have corn. I went out this morning to water to find that my dogs (I suspect Trudy) had eaten all my corn plants. I was worried about pests, I didn't know I needed to be worried about the four-legged kind. Now we are on to plan B....how to keep the dogs out of my veggies!

Baby Bird Update...but Not Really

I called the animal rehabilitation center this morning to check on the status of my baby bird. Unfortunately, the woman who runs the establishment said that she had no idea if my baby bird survived or not since she keeps all the birds together and doesn't tag them and visually cannot tell them apart.

Well that was kind of anticlimactic...

I guess I will just have to believe that he survived...

Just Another Day Trying to Save Every Animal in the World

My biology lab partner and I worked on our final experiment/lab report/presentation all last week, and during the course of collecting data, I ran across this sad, broken little bird which fell out of a Saguaro cactus near my house. I brought him home, phoned a place called "Wild Forever" where they rehabilitate wild animals and release them back into the wild. I dropped him off and gave the sanctuary some money, hoping that it was enough to temporarily get him fixed up. I haven't heard from them yet regarding his condition, but I am praying that he survived. Isn't he tiny and adorable?

A Sign from the Great Beyond

Matthew and I went to a celebration at a local bar and grill last night to commemorate Joe Titone's 35th birthday. There was family, friends, beer, pool, and music, altogether a night Joe would have really enjoyed. At 5:50 PM, the exact time Joe was born, we toasted to his memory. At that same exact moment on the jukebox Jimmy Buffet's Margarittaville song came on. Joe was a huge Jimmy Buffet fan! None of us requested the song, nor did we find anyone who did. If you ask me it was Joe letting us know that he was there!!

Don't be Fooled by the Commercial...

This post is for all the women out there who read my blog, although you men should care about this too. It is in regards to this pharmaceutical called Gardasil. Gardasil apparently prevents cervical cancer and is being pushed to young girls and women as some sort of miracle vaccine.

I want to urge all of you to not get this vaccination. At least not right now!

1. Gardasil hasn't been out that long and hasn't been tested to know its long term side effects or consequences.

2. The average age of woman who are diagnosed with cervical cancer is 48, so why is the drug being pimped to young women and girls who have a very, very, very slight chance of getting it? Why not to women in the age bracket most likely to be affected?

3. Merck's agenda should be closely scrutinized as they are also trying to push legislation that would require this vaccine be given to all girls above middle school age. Again, why?

4. The vaccines (a course of 3 shots) are extremely expensive ($360), most insurance companies will cover it, until the woman turns 18, than it isn't considered necessary.

5. The vaccine doesn't work for life. There are booster shots that need to be administered. Of course, these booster shots would be at the woman's expense (after age 18) if she chose to continue treatment.

6. I have been unable to find any proof that cervical cancer, in any way, has been avoided in the age group of 9-26.

Further studies and long term consequences of this drug need to be investigated before mass legislation is passed to require this vaccination in all young women and girls. I urge any of you who are considering this vaccination to do a little research and read about it...don't just trust what the commercial tells you!

Where is My Bail-Out Mr. Obama?

There is an old saying that "knowledge is power". I am beginning to believe that knowledge leads the way to hopelessness and despair. I say this only because after listening to two weeks of Jerry Doyle (see the previous post) and getting the straight skinny on what is happening in the world of politics and our federal government...well...we ALL are so screwed.

Remember all those billions of dollars the taxpayers "agreed" to give to the banks, TARP money as it is called? Remember how that was supposed to help the common person? Remember how people were going to keep their houses and their jobs? Remember how this bail-out was going to keep kids going to college?

Well, from my vantage point in little ol' Tucson, Arizona, that isn't happening!

I just got my financial aid notice for next year. Hey, guess what, the Federal Government (with whom I get my student loans) has offered me money, but not enough to cover the outrageous tuition hike that U of A imposed on its students. Thanks!

Oh, and Bank of America has decided that my 7% interest rate on my credit card (used for buying school books, additional fees that U of A secretly adds that loans won't cover, and parking permits) isn't enough money for them, so they have notified me that they will be increasing my interest rate to 14% effective May 1st. Might I add that this isn't just me, this is thousands upon thousands of loyal and trustworthy consumers who have never missed a payment and have never been late. This is 100% a money making decision (and a desperate attempt to screw over the consumer before legislation is passed that would prevent exactly this happening)...OH, AND BANK OF AMERICA ACCEPTED TARP MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT! Why exactly do they need to raise their rates if they received bail-out money????

So, Mr. Obama, I don't have enough money to go to school next year and I can't use my credit card, so where exactly is my bail-out?

Jerry Doyle

Part of my birthday gift from hubby this year was a year subscription to the Jerry Doyle radio program. This entitles me to download his radio program to my iPod so that I can listen at my convenience, since I am NEVER in the car when he is broadcasting.

Most of you have probably never heard of him (you ubber geeks out there will remember him as Michael Garibaldi from Babylon 5), and I am guessing most of you probably won't like what he has to say, but I think he is fantastic. He says what he thinks, he pulls no punches, he cowers to no one, and he is about as politically incorrect as you can get on the radio. I love it.

I got an opportunity to listen to him speak yesterday at the Desert Diamond Casino and very much enjoyed it. I even convinced my sister and Tim to come along and they seemed to really respond to what he had to say.

If any of you run across his program (in Tucson on 104.1 FM) I urge you to give him five minutes of your time, I think you will learn a lot.

Thirty and Exhausted

I refuse to believe it has been over a month since I last posted. It feels like just yesterday. So much has happened since than.

#1, I turned thirty.
I didn't think it was much of a big deal until a week before it happened and Matthew was ribbing me about how I was going to be old now, and I broke down crying. I don't know who was more surprised, him or me. I had a great birthday with family and friends, and I must admit everyone was so wonderful to me, there was very little "over the hill" talk or greeting cards speaking of geriatrics. For that I am most grateful!

#2, I had a nervous breakdown. Not the hospitalizing kind, just the kind that prevents you from functioning like a normal human being. In hindsight this was probably exacerbated by the whole thirty thing, but mostly it was school. I 100% underestimated the toll the U of A would take on my sanity, my time, my confidence, but mostly my relationships. I honestly don't know how people do it. Every waking hour of my day is preparing for tests, studying for quizzes, writing papers, doing presentations, and writing lab reports. I have nothing else in my life and it drove me (and continues to drive me) crazy.

This, of course, brings me to #3. I changed my major and minor, or more accurately, I flip-flopped them. My major is now Anthropology and my minor is Biology. This came about for more reasons that I can begin to list, but mostly because I love anthropology and archaeology and I am tired, after 2 (full time) years at Pima and 1 year at U of A, of taking very few classes that I like. Plus, if I have to take another minute of chemistry, I might start taking hostages. I don't love biology but anthropology requires that I establish a minor and since I already have so many biology classes, it makes logical sense to make that my minor instead of starting over. The switch doesn't decrease, nor does it increase my time at the U of A, which is still estimated at 2 more years. If I was going to make the switch, now was the time.

I have to thank Matthew and my sister for being the voice of reason over the past month and for tolerating my incessant whining and crying. They stayed positive, reasonable, and understanding when I probably didn't deserve it, and for that I am eternally grateful. It is those two who lifted me up and dragged me along until I could support myself.

#4. [removed by request]

#5, as many of you have already heard, is the news that Matthew's Grandma Eileen and Aunt Sharon were hurt terribly in a car accident in New Mexico almost a week ago. Matthew is driving to Albuquerque as I write this to be with his family. The prognosis is better today than it was just a few short days ago.

The information, as I have it is, that Aunt Sharon was driving (Grandma Eileen the passenger) on the freeway, when either a collision or a near collision caused Aunt Sharon to swerve. The swerve caused them to enter the ditch in between the lanes of traffic, where the car flipped. The air bags did not deploy.

Grandma Eileen has a broken vertebrae in her neck (which they will be unable to fix due to her young age of 89), her arm is broken in 3 places (it is our understanding it is all three bones in one arm), and she had bleeding on the brain. Grandma's surgery on her arm took place yesterday and she did astoundingly well!

Aunt Sharon is considerably worse. She had multiple lacerations to her face due to broken glass, her jaw is broken in two places (they intend to repair this today, I believe), both eye sockets are broken, and a bone which leads from the cheek to near her ear is also broken. Due to this broken bone they are concerned about deafness. Until yesterday she was under heavy sedation, although I am told she woke up yesterday, very confused, and when asked if she was in pain, she nodded her head. This is so good on so many levels, she can hear (at least out of one ear) and her brain hasn't been affected to such an extent that she cannot communicate.

They both remain in critical condition and we anticipate their recovery to be long and arduous.
Your thoughts and prayers are much appreciated at this time, as we all hope they make the type of recovery that will allow them full and happy lives.

As you can see, never a dull moment in the Phillips' household.

I shall take my leave now, and promise to update again soon, but I am sure most of you have been around long enough to know, that is a lie.

Until Next Time!