An odd observation over break

I have found it interesting that among the blogs I read and the blogs I write, this winter's break has caused a general hiatus from blogging and posting comments on other blogs. It seems that web logs are an interesting means of diversion from life within the higher educations system, yet they hold no real tangible aspect of lives that involve family, friends, and so-called vacation. Anyone agree?

Once school starts again, all too soon, I am most sure, a plethora of posts will clutter cyber space once again and people will stay more "in touch" with their not-so-near associates. Adieu

Home!

And I seem to have brought big gusts of wind with me! Its warmer here, so the wind doesn't hurt, but still... Colorado is supposed to be a paradise of weather. Well, sorta...

Its so nice to be home~ I can sleep all day, and hang out with people all night, and there are no hairdryers, cellphones, or loud conversations near my room, and there is something to do at night, and good friend with which to do it.

We went to IHOP last night. Now that is some good Hollandaise sauce~ they really know how to do it right there! Then we rented The Godfather and worked on a puzzle till 1:30 am. Joy and rapture! Of course, those 8am classes kinda mess with the system, and I was awake by 9... Save me! I am turning into a morning person!

Now its time to go wrap Christmas presents... A flurry of paper, scissors, and tape. ~no productivity involved, of course, and then go shopping. Why don't I ever have any money?

The hot apple cider is calling my name, I must go follow the wafts of its sweet aroma, and bid the internet farewell. BYEBYE

Its Over

Finally~ Finally finally finally finally finally!

Its over its over its over its over!

I took my last final today... And the first three pages of the essay were bunk, the thesis was the last line, and i made up a whole lot of stuff about Ferdinand and Isabella and other medival or Renaisance dudes. But its out of the way. Its out of the way, and I am thankful. With that guys grading, I'll probably get the test back in March, three weeks after the research paper that I turned in last friday...

Home tomorrow. That shall be fun, more later.

Last Day

Hooray
Hooray
It is the last day!

One class left, and three finals to go!

I'm not all that excited. As a matter of fact, I'm about as worn out and apathetic as they come. I mean, yeah, I know that the human condition can involve much more trauma and suffering than this, but I still feel like I a huge weight is being repositioned on my shoulders. Right now, as they lift it up to resettle it, I am feeling happier and freer, but next semester will only be worse. No good. No happy.

Its time to review. There are plenty of study sessions, tomorrow is reading day, and everyone and their grandma are having Christmas parties cuz its the last free day before finals. I don't know if you can call it a free day any more, but its the day of cramming, sleeping in, or selling back your books. (Meggers, can you help me do that?)

Naptime. I must enjoy this last bit of time I have been granted to sleep for two wonderful hours in The Dive. G'day all.

BTW, I'm jealous of every one of you that has your finals out of the way.

A Perfect Night for a Drive

Its one of those cold and clear nights, when there isn't a cloud in the sky, the wind scours your body beneath every layer, and any water you spill while filling your car's battery turns to ice instantly. In Siberia, this weather would be typical; welcome even. Here at the North American latitudinal equivalent of Siberia, where the northern lights dance around the wings of planes approaching Minneapolis, this weather is met with moans and a flurry of donned scarves and mittens.

Tonight, driving back from my favorite coffee shop, after the trial of push-starting my car, I took the long way home in an effort to re-charge Gus the Volvo's battery. Driving up SH 169, headlights piercing the utter darkness, I caught a glimpse of a star, shining alone in the pitch black sky from out of my passenger window. Inspired, I opened the sun-roof, and gazed up into the deep. Stars twinkled like I had never seen before. The sky was so clear--- I did not know that you could see that many stars in one area from below the manually opened sun roof of a 1981 Volvo! It was the most amazing sight. It is lamentable that I have no one to share that view or feeling with.

I would have longed to drive forever, cranking the heat up, and driving through the chill Minnesota night with the sunroof open, staring into that abyss, in which the heavenly bodies twinkle and meteors arch across the horizon. But I returned to my existential void and managed to find a space in the close(r) lot, right next to someone I know who can give me a jump start tomorrow so I can go buy a new battery.

An Old Joke

This one has been around the block a few times. Nevertheless it is a good joke, and a classic. Have a few laughs. And remember: Though I go to Gustavus, I don't drink and I have never owned anything by J. Crew!

How many Minnesota college students does it take to change a light bulb?

At Carleton, it takes two. One to change the bulb and one more to explain how they did it every bit as well as any Ivy Leaguer.

At Hamline, it takes three. One to change the bulb and two to phone a friend at St. John's to get instructions.

At Macalester, it takes four. One to screw in the bulb and three to figure out how to get high off the old one.

At St. Mary's, it takes five. One to change it and four to talk about how they would have done it in Chicago.

At Gustavus, it takes six. One to change it, two to mix the drinks and three to find the perfect "J. Crew" outfit to wear for the occasion.

At Augsburg, it takes seven and each one gets four semester credit hours for it.

At St. Thomas, it takes eight. One to change it and 7 to bitch about how they wouldn't have gone to St. John's/St. Ben's even if they could have gotten in.

At Concordia, it takes ten. One to figure out how to screw it in and nine to find an ugly enough lampshade to match their school colors.

At St. Olaf, it takes 100. One to change it, 49 to talk about how they do it better than Carleton, and 50 who realize it's all a lie.

At Bethel, it takes none. They don't screw.

At St. John's, it takes 3, one to change the light bulb and 2 to talkabout how much brighter it shines during football season.

At St. Ben's, it takes 4, one to change the light bulb and 3 to figure out how it will help them meet their future husband.

At Mankato State University, it takes 1, but it takes him 6 years.

At St. Cloud State University, "who gives a shit....let's drink"

At Winona State University, it takes 3, if they're lucky one of them has taken the course at Rochester Community College.

At Moorhead State University, it takes 3, one to change it and 2 to crack under the pressure.

At Bemidji State University, none, Bemidji doesn't have electricity yet.

At University of MN Duluth, the whole student body, there's nothing else to do in Duluth on the weekends.

At University of MN Morris, it takes 1; he just holds the bulb and waits for the world to revolve around him.

At the University of MN St Paul, none, downtown St. Paul looks better in the dark.

At the University of MN Twin Cities, i, one to change the bulb, and three to write up a complaint to the Board of Directors stating that they could have gone to a better school if they had wanted.

A New Countdown

Its Friday! My Research Paper is due today; next period in fact. That means with the paper I turned in yesterday, and the week having passed, I am onto a new countdown.

3 final exams
2 papers
1 week

It helps put things into perspective, knowing what all is left. Only having three class days left really puts the stopper on it... Knowing that you are so close, but that you still have to get up for 3 more 8am classes... And so, I am prepared to sleep in this weekend, and to write two papers and study for three final exams, thinking not at all about my time left here.

Thankfully, There Were No Deer

So, I was blogging in my religion class this morning, we were going over 1 Corinthians today, so I wasn't paying attention. I am pretty sure we already went over that last class, but then again, I wasn't paying attention that time either. Alls I know is that something besides 1 Corinthians was on the syllabus for today. So anyways, I was blogging, and I had a good vein going, and then I hit Ctrl X instead of Ctrl B, and I closed the window. How frustrating! Now I have to start over... grr...

I went for a drive last night. That feeling of "I gotta get outta here" really kicked in. And so I left, put about 100 miles on my car, and knocked the gas gauge down to half a tank. Bummer, I just filled up Monday and I don't get payed again till next week sometime. So anyways, there was this big animal thing lying in the middle of the road. It looked like a giant possum or a 'coon or something. I swerved, not desireing to flip my car. If you, your pet, or your farm animal is dead, please don't lie in the middle of a dark country road in the middle of the night! I managed to get back to campus at 11:30, about the time that the library closes... so my roommie, who has pinkeye, suspected nothing. Tis good, that!

I dropped Daniel today. He was in my backpack which was a lot heavier than I thought, and it slid right off my back and accelerated at a speed of 9.8 m/s^2 and slamming into the linoleum with a very loud thud. Poor Daniel! There are two more cracks in his case, and a part of the screen, a very very small part, mind you, is looking a very odd and bright color. I can live with that. Its time to pull the duct tape out again. Hmm... I think i need to get a new roll of that.

We read and discussed Boccacio today. I wonder what it would have been like discussing that in a Catholic school, and/or my high school. As I recall, we were supposed to read some of that for senior AP English, but no one did. So we didn’t ever do anything with it. One of my biggest regrets, other than not looking into the PSEO program.

I don’t wanna go to Spanish! That’s ok. I’ll nap first. So will Daniel. He’s got low batteries, and this comfy leather couch is nowhere near the nearest outlet.

Sleep, or work?

I choose sleep!

Horrible Horrible Heat

Its not freezing out side, for crying out loud. The snow that was on the ground two days ago is about gone, and the weather is so nice that one needs not worry about a jacket, mittens, or a hat. Yet the building that I live in for today is as warm as a Minnesota summer, minus the humidity! Something is wrong with this here! Oh wait, I'm in Minnesota. Its winter, and the people don't like it cold. Thus, the dizzying heat.

I gotta do something about this! There is no way that I am going to strip to feel comfortable in a classroom. As a matter of fact, even if I did strip, I doubt that I would feel any better. Breathing in the overly warm air is suffocating enough.

I've got it! I'm gonna open a window. Hopefully my revolutionary action will not earn me any ostracision, or any stares, or cruel comments from the teacher. Hooray for breaking from cultural norms! Wait, is warmth and shelter a norm or a desire?

The Beginning of the End

Amen, Jens. The time is near. It is December 6th. After the 21st, I will be done! There's not that much time left both to suffer here, and to finish up work. I would celebrate but we are not done yet. I have four papers and three final exams between now and the end of the end.

Redemption of the Bathroom Literature

If you believe in redemption, or bathroom literature, or comedy.

-What do you call people who are afraid of Santa Claus? Claustrophobic

-The Supreme Court has ruled that they cannot have a Nativity Scene in Washington D.C. This wasn't for any religious reasons. They couldn't find three wise men and a virgin. ~Jay Leno

-Why does Scrooge love Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer? Because every buck is dear to him.

-The complaint of the Christmas Shopper is one of long standing. ~Unknown

- I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph. ~Shirley Temple

-Christmas is a race to see which gives out first - your money or your feet. ~Unknown

-The Magi, as you know, were wise men - wonderfully wise men who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. ~O. Henry

* I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. ~Charles Dickens, Ebenezer Scrooge, A Christmas Carol

If Intentions were Ponies...

...Slackers would ride.

I have 3 papers to write. I have started two of them, and I intend to finish them all. Just... not now.

Somewhere I Belong

I was happy today.

This proves that I must indeed be busy to be happy. A job or service project -one I feel comfortable and competent in doing - is the keystone to happiness. From there it matters not that I have friends. A good co-worker is sufficient. A few people to say 'hi' to or to chat with in passing is an auxiliary pleasure.

The feeling of accomplishment from doing all the homework I did today with out the customary negative emotions accompanying the work, while being obligated to complete other duties (dust-mopping the gym floor, emptying trash cans, checking bathrooms) is a splendid emotion; one that sets the mind at ease. I have not experienced a feeling like that since high school, as I filled my free time with a paid position and fulfilled my duties as a student.

I know that I cannot simply go and sit in the Custodial Break Room and spend the afternoon of any day enraptured in schoolwork, but on those days when I must work for a majority of the day, I know that I will come away from the shift in a much better mental and scholastic place. This is proof that the spirit of the place has little to do with its associated homework-productivity quota, but that the positive results come from within. Within this person lies a deep need to be working, to be busy, to be happy.

World AIDS Day

Today is World AIDS Day. I've been dreading it since I walked by the Chapel Monday morning and saw all the wooden crosses stuck into the ground. Since I go to an ELCA Lutheran school, I knew it couldn't be in memorare for something important, like war casualties, victims of Abortion, the slaughter of Christians in Africa, or any other important social issue. Nevertheless, when I passed the sign that said-

"December 1st is World AIDS day. These crosses commemorate all the Minnesotans who have died from AIDS since 1985. One cross represents 50 Minnesotans."

my heart stopped beating, my head started spinning, and I began to detest the idiots and their ignorance here more than ever.

Why are we commemorating people who have died from AIDS? They have fought no greater battle than a supermodel with an eating disorder, a smoker with lung cancer, or someone with skin cancer addicted to a tanning booth. AIDS is just another disease, one that people die from. Moreover, it is one that people inflict upon themselves. Aside from the almost eliminated cases of contracting HIV/AIDS through a blood transfusion, AIDS is only transmitted through the exchange of bodily fluids. When do people exchange bodily fluids? When they have sex! When do people have sex? Whenever they feel like it! With whom? Anyone who is around, especially a significant other who has been someone else's significant other who has been someone else's...!

Why are we commemorating Minnesotans who have died from AIDS? There are so many more people in the world who suffer, AIDS or otherwise than a few Minnesotans with an STD. In Africa alone, due to the World Health Organization's scandalous practices, millions of people suffer from AIDS, from being orphaned, or from malnutrition, lack of immunizations, unsanitary drinking water, and discrimination. We should be remembering them- those ignorant citizens of 3rd world nations who are being brainwashed by fearful industrialized nations into believing that it is OK to fuck promiscuously as long as a condom is used. Yesterday, in front of the Cafeteria, a group of students was collecting "food and condoms for Uganda." That, folks, is education and "awareness" at its best!

If each of those crosses that represent 50 Minnesotan sinners were to represent the amount of babies killed by Planned Parenthood in the 2004 fiscal year, each cross would represent thousands. If each cross represented the amount of people harmed by the social injustice resulting from the 8 years of Bill Clinton's presidency, it would represent hundreds. If each cross would represent the number of students who have graduated from college in America since 1985 without an education or good formation in a personal code of values, it would represent millions.

Its time that the ELCA, the office of Peer Assistants, and the American people analyze what they stand for, and make some drastic paradigm shifts!

Beware the Bathroom Literature!

According to the pamphlet in the bathroom stall today, there is a shortage of condoms in Africa. Men are getting only 3-4 free condoms a year from the WHO. Apparently this is a disaster? People haven't needed condoms for thousands of years, not even ONE! Why do people need more than four now? So, if you feel like oppressing the third world countries into extinction, by all means, donate little rubber blobs to the "World AIDS Day awareness drive" today.

I hope Margaret Singer is burning in Hell for this along with her idiotic and malinformed counterparts worldwide!

A New Friend

I made a new friend last night. I was sitting at dinner with the friend of a friend, and I said: "Elledge is incomptetent." Her face lit up, and she beamed at me. "I like you," she said. Apparently, she too has classroom experience with the most un-religious man with the worst teaching style that I have yet encountered in the religion department. Can we say that, for the first time, something good is coming out of his class if I am improving my social life?

The quiz today... weird. I have never seen the man give a 7 question quiz! I also am captivated by the potential for cheating as he says "grade youself." Then we spent a whole heck of a lot of time on the Q source dude. I think Elledge has a penchant for" source and author studies" when it comes to the Bible. That would explain the tendancy of his to exclude major parts of the Bible that he doesn't seem to like or care about. On that vein- I am surprised we covered Mark while skipping Matthew. And why did we not go over Luke- another dude involved in the Two Source Theory?