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Wednesday, October 29, 2003
Better than Blogging
Dave and the physics crowd just got into town, and I’ve gotta say, they are a great bunch. We went out for supper, and tho I might’ve chosen a further place than necessary (McKibbans, for you Montreal conaisseurs out there), we had a great time eating and drinking. I haven’t laughed so hard for weeks! I got hiccups twice: it was great.
Point being that hanging out and neglecting one’s studies is more fun than blogging. So long and goodbye!
Point being that hanging out and neglecting one’s studies is more fun than blogging. So long and goodbye!
# posted by Spot @ 11:19 p.m.
0 comments
Tuesday, October 28, 2003
Weird, no?
Well, I kinda thought having the most embarrasing thing ever happen to me would ruin my day. But it turns out that exact opposite experiences cancel each other out.
I'm not sure what the opposite of embarrasment is. And this wasn't it. Rather, I spoke to a professor who totally did the opposite of the other guy.
She's my music course professor. I just got an exam back today with yet another horrendous mark. I don't have to say what it is.. because it doesn't exist anymore! It was magicly transformed into an A-.
All I had to do is show up with my exam 5 minutes after I got it. She sat down with me and listened to my questions. Then she started quizzing me on the material. Turns out I just didn't include everything in my essay. But once she established that I really did know the material, she changed my mark.
Wow. This is a wonderful experience. I no longer feel like an emotional freak or an academic weenie. Huzzah!
I'm not sure what the opposite of embarrasment is. And this wasn't it. Rather, I spoke to a professor who totally did the opposite of the other guy.
She's my music course professor. I just got an exam back today with yet another horrendous mark. I don't have to say what it is.. because it doesn't exist anymore! It was magicly transformed into an A-.
All I had to do is show up with my exam 5 minutes after I got it. She sat down with me and listened to my questions. Then she started quizzing me on the material. Turns out I just didn't include everything in my essay. But once she established that I really did know the material, she changed my mark.
Wow. This is a wonderful experience. I no longer feel like an emotional freak or an academic weenie. Huzzah!
# posted by Spot @ 7:46 p.m.
0 comments
The most embarrasing thing ever
Well, by now you might’ve noticed that apart from being meticulously updated (thank you, Ali), my blog is also brutally honest. This might help explain why I’m about to relate the most embarrassing thing to happen to me since grade school.
I cried. In public. Oh my dear sweet jesus on a bicycle. I cried.
This might not be so bad if, say, I got run over by a car. But I think we’ll all agree that the circumstances surrounding this cry are inexcusably embarrassing: they border on the criminal.
I cried in my professor’s office. Oh, it’s as bad as you imagine. We were discussing my first essay of the course, which got a B. Objectively, I kind of need a B+ at the least. For law school reasons. But I didn’t really want to get the mark changed. I just wanted to write better next time, maybe rewrite the paper itself.
*sigh*. Defending myself in the midst of self accusation. The point is that I teared up just as the meeting was winding down. I don’t know what happened: I feel like my tear-ducts have betrayed me. But it looked incredibly bad: my prof felt compelled to assert that he couldn’t judge my work differently from anyone else. He wasn’t going to change the mark. He thought I was committing emotional blackmail. I feel like a felon.
It's like I slept with him and he just dumped me, or some such situation. I’m so embarrassed. He’s so embarrassed. It’s so incredibly awkward. I had class with him an hour after the fact. In fact, I’m writing in class now. I can’t look him in the eyes and he won’t look me in the eyes. He thinks I’m a weak girly-girl who can ‘t take criticism. I don’t blame him.
I’m going to retreat into my apartment and avoid all human contact. From now on, all communication will be through e-mail. Who knows? Next time I could freak out and punch someone, as opposed to reach out and touch someone. A danger to society.
I cried. In public. Oh my dear sweet jesus on a bicycle. I cried.
This might not be so bad if, say, I got run over by a car. But I think we’ll all agree that the circumstances surrounding this cry are inexcusably embarrassing: they border on the criminal.
I cried in my professor’s office. Oh, it’s as bad as you imagine. We were discussing my first essay of the course, which got a B. Objectively, I kind of need a B+ at the least. For law school reasons. But I didn’t really want to get the mark changed. I just wanted to write better next time, maybe rewrite the paper itself.
*sigh*. Defending myself in the midst of self accusation. The point is that I teared up just as the meeting was winding down. I don’t know what happened: I feel like my tear-ducts have betrayed me. But it looked incredibly bad: my prof felt compelled to assert that he couldn’t judge my work differently from anyone else. He wasn’t going to change the mark. He thought I was committing emotional blackmail. I feel like a felon.
It's like I slept with him and he just dumped me, or some such situation. I’m so embarrassed. He’s so embarrassed. It’s so incredibly awkward. I had class with him an hour after the fact. In fact, I’m writing in class now. I can’t look him in the eyes and he won’t look me in the eyes. He thinks I’m a weak girly-girl who can ‘t take criticism. I don’t blame him.
I’m going to retreat into my apartment and avoid all human contact. From now on, all communication will be through e-mail. Who knows? Next time I could freak out and punch someone, as opposed to reach out and touch someone. A danger to society.
# posted by Spot @ 12:11 p.m.
0 comments
Complaining: it works
That's right, folks. I complained on the internet about a lack of recognition, and I got results. Today our DU prez publicly thanked me for my efforts. Now that this topic is thoroughly dead, let's never mention it again.
I do have something useful to say. After thanking Jesse for his, well, thanks, I asked him about Winter Carnival and Nationals.
Now, from what Dave has told me, nationals is uber expensive. I'm not sure why, but I've got a feeling it has something to do with the fact we didn't want to host it. Just a feeling.
So I guess all you UNB people out there are trying to make up a budget for the year, wondering what tournaments to keep and which ones to skip. I have news which might help make a decision, specificly news about the Molson Room.
This is gonna come as a surprise, but word on the street [or from Jesse] is that *neither* tourney is gonna have the Molson room. Not even winter carnival. I guess something's happened: we pissed them off, they're overbooked, they're overpriced...something, but we're not doing it anymore.
That's bad. But Jesse followed up with this jem: the winter carnival banquet will have an open bar. So really, nothing's lost. Even better, this banquet will probably not be in the middle of nowhere: we all win.
That's good. On the other hand, Jesse could give me no assurances about nationals. He said they haven't got any banquet arrangements yet, which makes me think it won't have an open bar.
That's bad. So my advice: come to winter carnival over nationals. It's cheaper (I think) and it has unlimited liquor. Either way, I'll be here. You can't lose! Unless, of course, I cause heart attacks through my mere presence...
I do have something useful to say. After thanking Jesse for his, well, thanks, I asked him about Winter Carnival and Nationals.
Now, from what Dave has told me, nationals is uber expensive. I'm not sure why, but I've got a feeling it has something to do with the fact we didn't want to host it. Just a feeling.
So I guess all you UNB people out there are trying to make up a budget for the year, wondering what tournaments to keep and which ones to skip. I have news which might help make a decision, specificly news about the Molson Room.
This is gonna come as a surprise, but word on the street [or from Jesse] is that *neither* tourney is gonna have the Molson room. Not even winter carnival. I guess something's happened: we pissed them off, they're overbooked, they're overpriced...something, but we're not doing it anymore.
That's bad. But Jesse followed up with this jem: the winter carnival banquet will have an open bar. So really, nothing's lost. Even better, this banquet will probably not be in the middle of nowhere: we all win.
That's good. On the other hand, Jesse could give me no assurances about nationals. He said they haven't got any banquet arrangements yet, which makes me think it won't have an open bar.
That's bad. So my advice: come to winter carnival over nationals. It's cheaper (I think) and it has unlimited liquor. Either way, I'll be here. You can't lose! Unless, of course, I cause heart attacks through my mere presence...
# posted by Spot @ 12:25 a.m.
0 comments
Monday, October 27, 2003
Contractual Obligatory Post
It's a shitty day in the neighborhood. Rainy and colder than the ninth circle of hell [it's the best metaphor there is!]. The good news is that I can't mope about it too much because Dave is gonna be here in 2 days! Wheeeee! The bad news is impairing cold is keeping me in: I am not crazy enough to go jogging in this weather, so it looks like I'm gonna lose any progress I've made.
Oh, haven't I mentioned this fad of mine? Turns out my mom's side of the family is consumed by 2 concepts: hair and weight. Having had a haircut, I'm working on the fitness thing.
Now, I've promised myself I won't become a celery eating, raisin sharing, jealous-of-a-Qtip freak. But I've gotta admit, it's kinda fun to be able to run for 10 minutes without breaking a sweat. Lots of fun, actually. Here's to a heart-attack free future!
Oh, haven't I mentioned this fad of mine? Turns out my mom's side of the family is consumed by 2 concepts: hair and weight. Having had a haircut, I'm working on the fitness thing.
Now, I've promised myself I won't become a celery eating, raisin sharing, jealous-of-a-Qtip freak. But I've gotta admit, it's kinda fun to be able to run for 10 minutes without breaking a sweat. Lots of fun, actually. Here's to a heart-attack free future!
# posted by Spot @ 4:00 p.m.
0 comments
Sunday, October 26, 2003
Remember the time...
I love daylight savings. Or at least, I love it now. I hate it in the spring. This reminds me of the time I was in F'ton, visiting Dave and we both forgot about daylight savings. He had work and I had to hop on a bus so off he went...and came back in 15 minutes, to my delight. It's my opinion that daylight savings was invented just for us, so that we could enjoy an extra 1/2 hour of each other's company before going our separate ways again.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Eddie: I know exactly how you feel. I too had to submit to pressure from friends and family. I *gasp* got a haircut.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Eddie: I know exactly how you feel. I too had to submit to pressure from friends and family. I *gasp* got a haircut.
# posted by Spot @ 1:11 p.m.
0 comments
Saturday, October 25, 2003
Interflower
Coincidences are cool and disturbing. Have you ever had a thought dwelling at the back on your mind, and then it confronts you in real life?
Last night I was reading a book for class and thinking to myself that I miss having the kind of friends I can call up for no good reason. Hang around with all the time. And then I read the following: "Not until you reached college, where everyone started fresh, did you begin to pick up the tricks of winning friends and influencing people." (pg 47)
This is supposed to happen in college? Shit. The last time that happened to me was High School. Unless the students at McGill are all snobs.
That must be it.
Seriously tho, I miss my friends. I also wonder what I'm doing wrong. I have a theory, but it seems somewhat irrational. Maybe
*coincidental*. The truth is, my frienship/social life index fluxuates pretty regularly. Every time I change schools, in fact. Just look at the evidence:
Pre K-grade 4: ok, I don't really remember that far back :)
5-6: liked by all
7-9: my friends are my enemies
10-12: an overabundance of loyalty and truth
U0-U3: adrift in a sea of girly-girls and manly men.
The good news is that according to this analysis, my upcoming years at law school should yield another round of people I'm proud to know. But *gasp* they'll be lawyers. The ultimate paradox.
PS: speaking of coincidences, real ultimate power keeps coming up. The other day I was browing member portfolios and found it was Sam-I-Am's homepage. It's hilarious, and I was surprised I hadn't heard about it before. Then, two days later it appears again ...in a completely unrelated place. Creepy.
Last night I was reading a book for class and thinking to myself that I miss having the kind of friends I can call up for no good reason. Hang around with all the time. And then I read the following: "Not until you reached college, where everyone started fresh, did you begin to pick up the tricks of winning friends and influencing people." (pg 47)
This is supposed to happen in college? Shit. The last time that happened to me was High School. Unless the students at McGill are all snobs.
That must be it.
Seriously tho, I miss my friends. I also wonder what I'm doing wrong. I have a theory, but it seems somewhat irrational. Maybe
*coincidental*. The truth is, my frienship/social life index fluxuates pretty regularly. Every time I change schools, in fact. Just look at the evidence:
Pre K-grade 4: ok, I don't really remember that far back :)
5-6: liked by all
7-9: my friends are my enemies
10-12: an overabundance of loyalty and truth
U0-U3: adrift in a sea of girly-girls and manly men.
The good news is that according to this analysis, my upcoming years at law school should yield another round of people I'm proud to know. But *gasp* they'll be lawyers. The ultimate paradox.
PS: speaking of coincidences, real ultimate power keeps coming up. The other day I was browing member portfolios and found it was Sam-I-Am's homepage. It's hilarious, and I was surprised I hadn't heard about it before. Then, two days later it appears again ...in a completely unrelated place. Creepy.
# posted by Spot @ 11:03 p.m.
0 comments
I smell pretty
Kudos to John for making an excellent point. I forgot that CUSID is based on exclusion. Here's my post from the McGill forum:
Um, I wasn't going to do this, because I like to appear modest, but if I wait any longer it'll be too late. I wrote an article about the speech for the DU and it appeared in the Daily last Thursday. Read it before Monday's issue comes out, or you'll miss it.
-Hey, Sarah, thanks for writing that article for us.
-Oh, well, don't mention it. Wait, no, do mention it.
Basking in public praise,
~Sarah
I'm gonna get ostracized. Just like Dave is gonna get ostracized if he doesn't wash out that smart mouth of his. Shape up buddy, or that which you seem so intent to praise will be seriously lacking in Montreal.
Um, I wasn't going to do this, because I like to appear modest, but if I wait any longer it'll be too late. I wrote an article about the speech for the DU and it appeared in the Daily last Thursday. Read it before Monday's issue comes out, or you'll miss it.
-Hey, Sarah, thanks for writing that article for us.
-Oh, well, don't mention it. Wait, no, do mention it.
Basking in public praise,
~Sarah
I'm gonna get ostracized. Just like Dave is gonna get ostracized if he doesn't wash out that smart mouth of his. Shape up buddy, or that which you seem so intent to praise will be seriously lacking in Montreal.
# posted by Spot @ 4:21 p.m.
0 comments
Friday, October 24, 2003
Sweet Release
I feel better. Turns out lambasting someone in private just doesn't do it for me. So I posed a toned down version of my "F-U, DU" post to CUSID. It's subtler, and doesn't bring up some of my past reasons for resentment, but I think it'll do the trick.
This brings me to a sort of moral/ethical/philosophical question. You know that South Park episode where the kids rail against directors changing their movies? I need a barometer of opinion on changing the content of my posts.
I mean, I obviously wrote the F-U, DU post when I was in a bad mood. It was a cathartic exercise. But now that it's been out there for a few days and everyone knows how I felt, I feel the urge to baleete it. Or at least edit it and make it much less inflamatory.
I guess I'm concerned about disclosure. This is a public blog. And as mad as I was a Theo, I wouldn't want him to read it.
Or maybe I'm just backing down....'cuz I'm a big pussy. Which is the reason I'm a member of the DU anyway.
PS: I hate the 'P' word. Don't ever use it in my presence. I just can't misquote my favorite movie.
This brings me to a sort of moral/ethical/philosophical question. You know that South Park episode where the kids rail against directors changing their movies? I need a barometer of opinion on changing the content of my posts.
I mean, I obviously wrote the F-U, DU post when I was in a bad mood. It was a cathartic exercise. But now that it's been out there for a few days and everyone knows how I felt, I feel the urge to baleete it. Or at least edit it and make it much less inflamatory.
I guess I'm concerned about disclosure. This is a public blog. And as mad as I was a Theo, I wouldn't want him to read it.
Or maybe I'm just backing down....'cuz I'm a big pussy. Which is the reason I'm a member of the DU anyway.
PS: I hate the 'P' word. Don't ever use it in my presence. I just can't misquote my favorite movie.
# posted by Spot @ 11:51 p.m.
0 comments
Quick but Slow
You know what I've noticed? Although I'm pretty quick on the uptake, I'm increadibly slow when it comes to making up my mind. It takes, like, an hour for me to decide to go out, stay in. I'm an object at rest that stays at rest. Inertia personified. This is part of the reason I'm home this weekend instead of debating in Toronto. It might also help explain my incredible capacity for sleep: 11 hours happens all the time. Maybe I should start a caffeine addiction.
PS: as an excellent example of what I'm talking about, I finally found a come-back to Eddie's excellent burn: "Things can happen is we stay" may be spelled correctly, but takes some grammatic licence. Burn!
PS: as an excellent example of what I'm talking about, I finally found a come-back to Eddie's excellent burn: "Things can happen is we stay" may be spelled correctly, but takes some grammatic licence. Burn!
# posted by Spot @ 6:37 p.m.
0 comments
Thursday, October 23, 2003
Shameless self-promotion
I've been published! I’m including a link to one of our campus newspapers in my sidepanel over here, to the left. It’s the best paper, because I’m in it.
As Dave [aka the lush(ous) wonder] can testify, I wrote this article in 56 minutes. I perfomed second revisions in 23 minutes. The daily called me 3 times to get it all right, twice after I’d fallen asleep. I like being a writer: I got more attention and phone calls last night than I usually get in a week. It’s great!
At Sydney Academy I once asked our excentric art teacher for career advice. I didn’t [and still don’t] have a calling, and I honestly didn’t know what to do with myself. He suggested journalism. I think I’ll make journalism my ongoing career affair. Law will be the sugardaddy job.
PS: To answer my own trivia question from yesterday, Tom Wolfe is the author of "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test". He alludes to his work in an article for Harper's [pg 279, no 1674. November 1989].
As Dave [aka the lush(ous) wonder] can testify, I wrote this article in 56 minutes. I perfomed second revisions in 23 minutes. The daily called me 3 times to get it all right, twice after I’d fallen asleep. I like being a writer: I got more attention and phone calls last night than I usually get in a week. It’s great!
At Sydney Academy I once asked our excentric art teacher for career advice. I didn’t [and still don’t] have a calling, and I honestly didn’t know what to do with myself. He suggested journalism. I think I’ll make journalism my ongoing career affair. Law will be the sugardaddy job.
PS: To answer my own trivia question from yesterday, Tom Wolfe is the author of "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test". He alludes to his work in an article for Harper's [pg 279, no 1674. November 1989].
# posted by Spot @ 6:33 p.m.
0 comments
Wednesday, October 22, 2003
2 degrees of academic separation!
Hey everyone: who knows where the title for Ali's blog comes from? I found the answer while studying for my Modern American Literature exam... Whoever answers first in 24 hours gets a free meal when next they come to Montreal.
That's right. I bribe for comments. Even when I don't need to.
That's right. I bribe for comments. Even when I don't need to.
# posted by Spot @ 5:10 p.m.
0 comments
Would You Like Fries With That?
Well, I'm fresh out of the exam: she's ok, folks! I'm also fresh out of an Arts Grad Career Fair [slogan: your degree wasn't a waste!] where I talked to many law schools and one education school. Things are looking pretty good. It's a little disconcerting how they all say the same thing, though. "Do you have a pulse? You should apply!". Well, great, but I want to know what may chances are. I mean, it's gonna cost more than $400 to apply to Ontario alone. Meep!
You know, I hadn't realized what a sweet deal education could be. As a career option, I mean. With an arts degree, it'll only take 8 months to get my teaching degree at a few of these places. So it's my back-up. In case no law school in Canada accepts me, I'll take teaching for a year. I mean, the degree is recognized everywhere in Canada: even some places in the States. I definitely wouldn't be a loss.
This kinda reminds me of the time Ingrid told me she'd be doing an arts degree. I said "what can you do with an arts degree?". I thought she was going to kill me :)
Still, I don't think my question was that far off. I mean, according to our career fair, we onlly have three options: Law, Education, and MBA. Brilliant job there, career office! It's not like you could become a journalist or a civil servant or dozens of other things I just can't think of right now.
You know, I hadn't realized what a sweet deal education could be. As a career option, I mean. With an arts degree, it'll only take 8 months to get my teaching degree at a few of these places. So it's my back-up. In case no law school in Canada accepts me, I'll take teaching for a year. I mean, the degree is recognized everywhere in Canada: even some places in the States. I definitely wouldn't be a loss.
This kinda reminds me of the time Ingrid told me she'd be doing an arts degree. I said "what can you do with an arts degree?". I thought she was going to kill me :)
Still, I don't think my question was that far off. I mean, according to our career fair, we onlly have three options: Law, Education, and MBA. Brilliant job there, career office! It's not like you could become a journalist or a civil servant or dozens of other things I just can't think of right now.
# posted by Spot @ 4:45 p.m.
0 comments
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
Less Time
Holy shit on a shingle. I've spent 3 hours re-coloring this place. Dave's right: I am turning into a girl: cooties! I've got an exam tomorrow. What the hell am I thinking?
# posted by Spot @ 11:04 p.m.
0 comments
Time
“...And time goes by so slowly”. The10th circle of hell is the never-ending class. It’s moments such as these when I take refuge in that bastion of technology: the laptop computer. Which leads me to voice my acclaim for technological evolution. I mean, 100 years ago I’d be wasting my time by doodling on paper. Meaningless little drawings of trees, Le Petit Prince, DNA and funny faces. Now I spend this same time doing something constructive: authoring a Blog.
Start rant about education:
Is this still a waste of time? No. It’s a waste of money, if you believe that the tuition you pay is supposed to grant you knowledge though your continued attention in class. However, I’ve come to believe this isn’t the case. More and more, the tuition I pay is an installment of a payment plan for a very expensive piece of paper.
I’m of the opinion that education is either a completely individual or completely interactive activity. Nothing in the middle, and my classes are all about the middle.
I read a book, an article, an opinion, an idea on my own. If I’m unsure about meaning, I ask questions. But this bullshit lecture style of teaching is less than useless. My professors are forced to re-digest and regurgitate ideas for me and blah them to me for hours. They aren’t answering my questions, they’re repeating what I already understand, they’re way beyond me, whatever the case: lectures are rarely on the money. [read: rarely. Sometimes they are. On the money. This is not unreserved criticism]
Why not do away with them? Why not assign the readings for three months, the assignments for three months, and set aside so many hours of individual time with my professors. It would be time well spent.
Of course, this might not be entirely rational, but my rants rarely are. I know there are holes in this argument, but that’s what makes it debatable.
End rant.
Anyway, as I was saying: this is a constructive activity. This is one of the few reasons I honestly think laptops are preferrable to paper. It’s a double-edged sword, of course. For every student writing a blog when they’re bored in class, there are 4 who play solitaire instead. Funner wastes of time.
At least I look industrious. And isn't that what being a student is all about?
Start rant about education:
Is this still a waste of time? No. It’s a waste of money, if you believe that the tuition you pay is supposed to grant you knowledge though your continued attention in class. However, I’ve come to believe this isn’t the case. More and more, the tuition I pay is an installment of a payment plan for a very expensive piece of paper.
I’m of the opinion that education is either a completely individual or completely interactive activity. Nothing in the middle, and my classes are all about the middle.
I read a book, an article, an opinion, an idea on my own. If I’m unsure about meaning, I ask questions. But this bullshit lecture style of teaching is less than useless. My professors are forced to re-digest and regurgitate ideas for me and blah them to me for hours. They aren’t answering my questions, they’re repeating what I already understand, they’re way beyond me, whatever the case: lectures are rarely on the money. [read: rarely. Sometimes they are. On the money. This is not unreserved criticism]
Why not do away with them? Why not assign the readings for three months, the assignments for three months, and set aside so many hours of individual time with my professors. It would be time well spent.
Of course, this might not be entirely rational, but my rants rarely are. I know there are holes in this argument, but that’s what makes it debatable.
End rant.
Anyway, as I was saying: this is a constructive activity. This is one of the few reasons I honestly think laptops are preferrable to paper. It’s a double-edged sword, of course. For every student writing a blog when they’re bored in class, there are 4 who play solitaire instead. Funner wastes of time.
At least I look industrious. And isn't that what being a student is all about?
# posted by Spot @ 8:40 p.m.
0 comments
Descartes
This site has a post... and therefore it is!
# posted by Spot @ 12:27 a.m.
0 comments
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