In terms of academia, I have 2 loves: neuroscience and ethnic studies. To me, abnormal/clinical psychology, i.e. the general public's only perception of psychology-- Freud, mental disorders, schizophrenia, etc-- is unbelievably frustrating. There are so many different theories on causation and treatment that you wonder if patients can ever really be completely cured. Also, take into account the cultural aspect of abnormal psychology. The U.S. is probably the foremost nation in terms of mental health diagnoses and awareness, but does that mean a) other countries don't accept and shoo away the mentally ill, or b) our society overdiagnoses its people? I don't mean to belittle those who are mentally ill and I do think that mental diseases are real, but it makes you wonder if some people who are labeled with a certain disease really are severe enough to be labeled.

In any case, today I felt like reading the latter love, so I Googled a thought-provoking topic I studied in the one ethnic studies course I took in college (wistfully thinking I should have taken more of those classes when I had the chance, but at least I can still read books on the subject, which I do): hegemony and the "melting pot" myth. What is hegemony, you ask? Here's Wikipedia's definition:

Hegemony is the dominance of one group over other groups, with or without the threat of force, to the extent that, for instance, the dominant party can dictate the terms of trade to its advantage; more broadly, cultural perspectives become skewed to favor the dominant group.

I'm feeling sleepy, so I'll continue this post later. Stay tuned!

Clee's to-do list:

1. Practice Clair De Lune and be able to play it to performance-level.
2. Finish The Da Vinci Code
3. Read more!!
4. Go to dance class more often. My new Grishkos are sitting in front of me now screaming to be danced in. I still haven't sewn all of the straps... laziness kicks in.
5. Wash my car and vacuum out all the pug hair.

More and more I look forward to the weekends. It's great that this is a long weekend. More time to relax and sleep in!

My package from Overstock was waiting for me when I came home! Actually, it was 2 packages-- 1 held my brand-new goose down comforter and the other held Freakanomics (book) and a Thievery Corporation CD (The Richest Man In Babylon album). It's funny because I bought a comforter cover sometime last year and always meant to buy a comforter but never did due to my usual procrastination. I love my CD as well. If you read my earlier blog entry on my new musical tastes, you'll understand why I chose this purchase.

My dad bought a new digicam, which is a welcome upgrade from my current digicam (purchased in 2002, 2.1 megapixels, very ancient I know). I've been having fun playing around with the movie feature and shooting various movie clips of no importance. However, I do have one I want to share with all of you because it showcases Nickey saying "I love you". Check it out!