Hello everyone,
I come to you from the depths of whatever insanity I have fallen. The weather is nice here. I would send you all a postcard except most digital cameras can't capture what exists in my schizophrenic little world.
Putting aside the degrading state of my mental capacities. I want to continue with my mission of journaling my little life for the sake of posterity. You may all treasure these musings to share with your small children and grandchildren in your venerable age.
First, let me say that this semester is unique in the fact that I have not changed my rather sober demeanor, but I seem to have become something of a "normal" in the history realm of Fredonia. Not only do my fellow students now realize my existence, they actually can carry on conversations now. It is truly interesting that in this week I have had more social interaction than I did the entire previous semester. go figure. This could be a good thing, adding to my "contacts" and "friends", or it could be a terrible thing, adding to my frustration and annoyance. However it turns out, this semester will no doubt be interesting.
Here is my course list for those interested.
Calculus: *Lightening flashes illuminating the horror stricken face of your truly* "Calculus!" The strained voice utters. *Thunder crashes tremendously, trailing off into the dark silence as the windows rattle with wind and rain.*
Is this a completely over dramatic representation of what really happened? Yes. Does it accurately portray what I am feeling right now? Yes! I suppose I knew deep down that all those times complaining about "learning something that I will never use again" and "doing problems that are even more stupid than they are useless" would finally catch up to me. Call it divine providence, but the one person who hates calculus and math more than any other living individual must now suffer under the tyranny of square roots, secants, slopes, derivatives, and algebraic problems with more Greek and Latin letters than a seminary course on Biblical languages. It is of course a necessary evil for the purpose of my economics credentials, and I am sure that it will come in handy, if only for the future stats class I will have to take.
Of course, I will say that this class isn't all bad. In proof that misery loves company, the rest of the victims...er...students are extremely friendly. In truth, I think that groups have formed around the smart people, and the parasites (yes that would be me :D ) have settled on the talented to sponge off of them. The prof is also decent. She is very helpful, and she is very open that she knows that most of us aren't math majors, so she explains things in small terms.
There was one extremely interesting event that occurred in this class. I, Math hater extraordinaire, found a mistake in the math book. I asked a fellow student, and it turned out that the book gave the completely wrong solution, and even the professor said that it was wrong. VIVA LA TEXT BASED LEARNERS!
Honors: History of Revolutions in Western Thought: This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship or a terrifying semester. In order to earn an honors cord when I graduate, I need to take a certain number of Honors seminars. They are okay, but they are basically basic courses with an emphasis on discussion and class participation. the hitch comes in two forms. Sometimes students really shouldn't be encouraged to speak. Sometimes students should be muzzled in order to save the rest of the class from suffering horrible, brain numbing, migraines. I am not talking about those students who don't care, who are basic learners, or just asking honest questions. I am talking about those individuals who decide that they are going to enlighten everyone to this wonderful idea they had during in the shower this morning.....no joke.....He says something like that every CLASS!
The other problem, and this is more of a problem for me, is that I have two classes back to back with the exact same professor and there is a lot of overlap. The problem is knowing when and what to say and in which class to say it. I mean what do I do if I have something to say about a subject in the first class, but it is also being covered in the second class? Do I say it twice? Do I save it for the second harder class? sigh
Anywho, this class is pretty fun. you can't go wrong with the Renaissance, Reformation, Enlightenment, Scientific Revolution, and Modernity. Intellectual and theoretical history is fun, especially when you have a large amount of non-history majors in the room, Mwhahahaha!
(The quote at the top the page is just such an incidence.)
Christian Theology and History P.II: This is the most the fun I have had in college EVER! Besides being able to answer all the BASIC SUNDAY SCHOOL questions, walking into a class knowing that there will be inherent opportunities to talk about the most important thing ever, my faith, is invigorating to say the least. Plus, I believe the professor, the same one mentioned above, is a liberal Roman Catholic. Which means that, although we might not agree on much, she probably won't dismiss me out of hand.
In addition, there is actually going to be intelligent/stupid argument in this class. You see I have a certain history major sitting behind me (For Erika's sake, I will say that she has changed her hair color back to blonde. You know what I mean Jimmy.), and if all variables hold constant (arghhh calc has gotten into my head) she will be somewhat challenging to argue with. On the other hand, we also have the militant atheist in the front row of the class. He will be fun in a totally different fashion. I would like to think of it as delicious destruction of his faulty logic. So, let the theology begin!!!!
Comparative Economics: The next step in my economic education. Thankfully, I got the same professor that I studied macroeconomics with last semester. which is good because he is a good prof, but it is bad because....well....he knows me. It is a cool class because there are no windows, and the lights are all connected to one switch. So, when he want to use the projector, 90% of the time, he has to turn off all the lights, and he is completely silhouetted in front of a square of light on the wall. It is all very scary when you can't see his features, and the dark shadow suddenly turns towards you and asks you a question in his heavily Indian accent. It reminds of nothing more than an interrogation room or maybe the Shadow of Sauron.
The best so far has been this quote he gave for quick references on economic systems.
"You have two cows:
in Socialism: "and the government forces you to give one to your neighbor."
in Communism: "and the government takes them from you and sells you the milk."
in Anarchism: and "you shoot the government agent and steal someone else's cow."
in Chinese socialism: "and you paint your donkey white with black spots and sell it as a cow."
in Capitalism: "and you sell one and use the money to buy a bull."
in American Capitalism: "and you Clone them."
in Naziism: "and you shoot them."
Of course, this is simplified, but it also somewhat holds true.
Doing History: Brown vs Board of education: This is definitely going to be the most time consuming class. It involves alot of writing and group projects....plus the prof makes us sit in a circle. (WHY!? T-T) But, this course is important because it introduces me to what I am going to be doing for the rest of my life (Lord willing that I become a History Professor). We are researching, writing, and citing the life out of Brown vs Board of Education.
I do wish that the class could've been about something more interesting than this court case. (I don't fancy getting called racist again.) It has been interesting though. The discussion has already veered onto babysitting habits, the definition of equality, religious basis for law, and just how much pain the human body can take. It is fruitful discussion.
Of course, there are complications. One of which is dealing with a certain class mate who enjoys to hear himself talk. (yes Erika, it the one from music class.) I think you all might be realizing by now that I have problems dealing with people who have the same characteristics as I do. :)
End of Class Synopsis
Well, that is my class load this semester. I do hope to be able to keep up the weekly updates a little better than last time. It might happen as long as Dad doesn't have another heart attack. Yes, I am using my father's afflictions as an excuse instead of my own laziness.
Goodbye faithful readers
Friday, January 31, 2014
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Monday, December 16, 2013
Veni, Vidi, Didici - The Final Stretch, and How I Plan to Spend Blessed Release
It is true that hindsight is 20/20, but in this case my foresight was equally as good. Back when this semester started, I made a few assumptions about the upcoming academic quarter, and I am glad to say that nearly all of them were correct. Here are a few.
Self Musings of the Gryphon upon the Fall-2013 Semester:
1: It is going to be a peaceful...er....boring semester without a wingma....um...woman to keep things lively. (it was machine like, punctual and everything. Erika, you would have died) check
2: Higher level courses should be fun (I know I'm a nerd). check
3: Without a pressure valve for myintellectual musings mentally challenged mutterings, they were most likely going to come out explosively in class. They did. ( I have been called rascist, sexist, elitist, and even morbidly logical.HEY! Stop laughing! It's true!) check
4: Being there after three semesters, my reputation would begin to proceed me. It did. (twice, I was met with the phrase, "hello my name is Jordan Reed." "OH! You're Jordan!" from professors. I aim to be memorable.) check
5: I would blog. check
6: Something unexpected would happen. (hmmmm.....heart attack, buying a dog, and two great book series rip my hopes out and crush them, yup I would think that this counts.) MEGA CHECK
7: I was going to have trouble when someone mentioned x-mas! (yes, one of my profs wrote "xmas" on the board, and after the class I went up and wrote merry Christmas under it.)
Anywho, I have been planning what I wanted to write about for my next blog posts, and I have I decided to try something a tad bit more ambitious for an amateur historian. I want to do a series of posts on the four kings of the Reformation, Henry VIII of House Tudor, Francis I of House Valois, Charles V of House Hapsburg, and Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire. Hopefully, I will complete these in a somewhat systematic fashion, and they will be of higher quality than what you all are used to seeing from me, but no promises.
Let's see now what else?
ahh yes!
For the purposes of enjoying your holiday season to the fullest extent, I have compiled a College Hobos Guide to Christmas Vacation. Before we dive into it though there a few guidelines one must remember in order to implement this plan effectively.
1. NEVER say you're bored!!!!!!!! Remember parents can smell lethargy. If you give "I'm bored" as a response to anything, it will mean the end of everything we are building here. The parent can always think of something else for you to do, and a parental task will take you farther than you want to go and keep you longer than you want to stay. Remember, being bored is a privilege that thousands of generation of our ancestors would've killed for. Embrace the boredom!!! (p.s: Make sure to complete chores and responsibilities, but consider being bored as an act of fun in itself.)
2. Turn guiltometer to "0". I have noticed that at times I guilt trip myself over having fun....don't....just don't. The key to overcoming this annoying habit is to view having fun as a serious business. I have prepared the whole year, studying and working, and it all comes down to this moment. I need to draw as much fun as I can out of this experience. (P.S: This isn't to say fun should be forced. Sleeping and lounging can be fun.)
3: Embrace your inner geek. Computers are the culmination of thousands of years of technological development. Don't let things like being ridiculed as a computer geek keep you from utilizing their beauteous opportunities. (p.s: Human interaction should be used to supplement technological enjoyment.)
SO
JORDAN'S COLLEGE HOBOS GUIDE TO SYSTEMATICALLY ENJOYING CHRISTMAS VACATION IN AN EFFICIENT AND ENJOYABLE FASHION.(please note that exaggerations are evident.)
Step one: food coma- This is required for Christmas. You starve yourself in the upcoming weeks just to prepare for the one day when you get to taste the angelically delicious delicacies brought down via venerable traditional recipes.
Step two: enjoy gifts- I maintain that the amount of fun gotten from a gift comes from the person receiving the gift. For this reason, there is never a reason why gifts can't be enjoyed, no matter what they are. This step will usually take up most of Christmas Vacation if done right, but I realize that this is an advanced skill.
Step three: Free to play games- Find a few. They are free and usually only require an internet connection.
Step four: READ- If you get a book on christmas, you are obligated to finish it within the week. Even if it takes you day and night, YOU MUST FINISH IT!
Step five: Enjoy the snow- YESSSSSSSSSS! We have snow for Christmas in WNY! ENJOY IT!
Step six: Blog- Well, this should come after the other steps, but sure why not?
Step seven: Look up every single Christmas song you can think of on youtube and play with family- I would suggest: Trans-siberian orchestra (a bit of a rocky take on Christmas favorites.), Feliz navidad, Angels we have heard on high, Chipmunks Christmas, A miser brothers Christmas, and basically every Christmas Carol that can't be misconstrued to point towards anything except the real reason for Christmas.
Step eight: sleep-nuff said
Step nine: sleep- if it's worth saying once.
Step ten: Board games- If all the family is present, a board game simply must come out at some point. Massive multiplayer computer games also count. Note: this is also true for friend get togethers.
step eleven: find a new tv show or movie and watch it a million times. May I suggest The Count of Monte Cristo, Thor 2, Ender's Game
That's that. Please let me know how you are planning on spending your Christmas vacation. You will probably want to comment relatively quickly, cuz after Christmas, I may not be on for a little (long) while.
Self Musings of the Gryphon upon the Fall-2013 Semester:
1: It is going to be a peaceful...er....boring semester without a wingma....um...woman to keep things lively. (it was machine like, punctual and everything. Erika, you would have died) check
2: Higher level courses should be fun (I know I'm a nerd). check
3: Without a pressure valve for my
4: Being there after three semesters, my reputation would begin to proceed me. It did. (twice, I was met with the phrase, "hello my name is Jordan Reed." "OH! You're Jordan!" from professors. I aim to be memorable.) check
5: I would blog. check
6: Something unexpected would happen. (hmmmm.....heart attack, buying a dog, and two great book series rip my hopes out and crush them, yup I would think that this counts.) MEGA CHECK
7: I was going to have trouble when someone mentioned x-mas! (yes, one of my profs wrote "xmas" on the board, and after the class I went up and wrote merry Christmas under it.)
Anywho, I have been planning what I wanted to write about for my next blog posts, and I have I decided to try something a tad bit more ambitious for an amateur historian. I want to do a series of posts on the four kings of the Reformation, Henry VIII of House Tudor, Francis I of House Valois, Charles V of House Hapsburg, and Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire. Hopefully, I will complete these in a somewhat systematic fashion, and they will be of higher quality than what you all are used to seeing from me, but no promises.
Let's see now what else?
ahh yes!
For the purposes of enjoying your holiday season to the fullest extent, I have compiled a College Hobos Guide to Christmas Vacation. Before we dive into it though there a few guidelines one must remember in order to implement this plan effectively.
1. NEVER say you're bored!!!!!!!! Remember parents can smell lethargy. If you give "I'm bored" as a response to anything, it will mean the end of everything we are building here. The parent can always think of something else for you to do, and a parental task will take you farther than you want to go and keep you longer than you want to stay. Remember, being bored is a privilege that thousands of generation of our ancestors would've killed for. Embrace the boredom!!! (p.s: Make sure to complete chores and responsibilities, but consider being bored as an act of fun in itself.)
2. Turn guiltometer to "0". I have noticed that at times I guilt trip myself over having fun....don't....just don't. The key to overcoming this annoying habit is to view having fun as a serious business. I have prepared the whole year, studying and working, and it all comes down to this moment. I need to draw as much fun as I can out of this experience. (P.S: This isn't to say fun should be forced. Sleeping and lounging can be fun.)
3: Embrace your inner geek. Computers are the culmination of thousands of years of technological development. Don't let things like being ridiculed as a computer geek keep you from utilizing their beauteous opportunities. (p.s: Human interaction should be used to supplement technological enjoyment.)
SO
JORDAN'S COLLEGE HOBOS GUIDE TO SYSTEMATICALLY ENJOYING CHRISTMAS VACATION IN AN EFFICIENT AND ENJOYABLE FASHION.(please note that exaggerations are evident.)
Step one: food coma- This is required for Christmas. You starve yourself in the upcoming weeks just to prepare for the one day when you get to taste the angelically delicious delicacies brought down via venerable traditional recipes.
Step two: enjoy gifts- I maintain that the amount of fun gotten from a gift comes from the person receiving the gift. For this reason, there is never a reason why gifts can't be enjoyed, no matter what they are. This step will usually take up most of Christmas Vacation if done right, but I realize that this is an advanced skill.
Step three: Free to play games- Find a few. They are free and usually only require an internet connection.
Step four: READ- If you get a book on christmas, you are obligated to finish it within the week. Even if it takes you day and night, YOU MUST FINISH IT!
Step five: Enjoy the snow- YESSSSSSSSSS! We have snow for Christmas in WNY! ENJOY IT!
Step six: Blog- Well, this should come after the other steps, but sure why not?
Step seven: Look up every single Christmas song you can think of on youtube and play with family- I would suggest: Trans-siberian orchestra (a bit of a rocky take on Christmas favorites.), Feliz navidad, Angels we have heard on high, Chipmunks Christmas, A miser brothers Christmas, and basically every Christmas Carol that can't be misconstrued to point towards anything except the real reason for Christmas.
Step eight: sleep-nuff said
Step nine: sleep- if it's worth saying once.
Step ten: Board games- If all the family is present, a board game simply must come out at some point. Massive multiplayer computer games also count. Note: this is also true for friend get togethers.
step eleven: find a new tv show or movie and watch it a million times. May I suggest The Count of Monte Cristo, Thor 2, Ender's Game
That's that. Please let me know how you are planning on spending your Christmas vacation. You will probably want to comment relatively quickly, cuz after Christmas, I may not be on for a
Thursday, December 12, 2013
My Dragons
My sister was recently reading the book Eragon, and there was a picture of the dragon Sapphira on the cover. I was taken aback, truly astounded at what Paolini considered his dragon to look like. Then there is the different dragons shown in How to Train Your Dragon. Don't get me wrong I loved the movie, but I just can't accept a dragon that doesn't look cool. I come from a long line of fantasy. My earliest memories are sitting on my father's lap, watching him slay dragons on our antiqued Windows 94. For this reason, I have been collecting pictures of Dragons from across the internet to show what dragons should look like. (This is also partly because I am hoping they do Smaug correctly in the next hobbit movie. Fantasy is a serious business.)
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| BTW: This is a phoenix and a dragon and an apophis like snake creature. They are no doubt rushing at each other in order to hug. |
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| A night wing. Particularly fashionable this year with the night owl who likes to party above the clouds with glowing swords. |
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| Don't mind Chapman over here. This Black Dragon is really a softie at heart. |
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| This is what Sapphira should look like. |
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| It must be a drag blowing out your birthday candles. |
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| If you look very closely, you can see bob's next meal on the outcropping in front of him. |
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| I don't even want to know how uncomfortable riding that thing would be. |
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| I like to think that he is saying "HHHHHEEEELLLLLOOOOOO!!!" |
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| This big fella takes getting a tan a little too seriously. |
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| This wyvern will heroically fly into the sunset. |
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY TO THIS!?
It is official folks. Amazon has announced that starting in 2015, optimistically (pffffttt I am a realist, so it will more than likely be 2020 or something.), customers will be able to choose a "30 minute shipping policy", and your package will be delivered right to your front door by your friendly neighborhood.....drone?
Yup! Feel free to read that again folks.
The new Amazon Air Prime division of the global shipping company will be able to deliver certain packages right to your doorstop with remote controlled drones!
Caveat Ein: This announcement by Amazon has been met with with a lot skepticism so it may not even fly anyway. (get it, "fly"?) But, I would just like to say that if this does go through, I plan on putting a giant magnet on my property to bring the little buggers down, and then reprogram them to be part of my little drone army. (Plus, I would happily help myself to any little souvenirs they may be carrying.)
Great Idea: Numero Zwei In order to help streamline the government, I suggest we disband the intelligence service, and instead America could subcontract espionage with Amazon Drones. That way, the terrorists could get good service while we are scoping them out for a cruise missile to the cranium. (Hey, I am just being humanitarian. Terrorist scum should at least be able to order the latest video games.)
Question Drei: I hate just calling these little darlings amazon drones. What would you call them? Amarones? Dromazon? Your Friendly Neighborhood Delivery Drone? Amazon's Delivery Helicopter Dreadnoughts (ADHD for short)?
Yup! Feel free to read that again folks.
The new Amazon Air Prime division of the global shipping company will be able to deliver certain packages right to your doorstop with remote controlled drones!
Caveat Ein: This announcement by Amazon has been met with with a lot skepticism so it may not even fly anyway. (get it, "fly"?) But, I would just like to say that if this does go through, I plan on putting a giant magnet on my property to bring the little buggers down, and then reprogram them to be part of my little drone army. (Plus, I would happily help myself to any little souvenirs they may be carrying.)
Great Idea: Numero Zwei In order to help streamline the government, I suggest we disband the intelligence service, and instead America could subcontract espionage with Amazon Drones. That way, the terrorists could get good service while we are scoping them out for a cruise missile to the cranium. (Hey, I am just being humanitarian. Terrorist scum should at least be able to order the latest video games.)
Question Drei: I hate just calling these little darlings amazon drones. What would you call them? Amarones? Dromazon? Your Friendly Neighborhood Delivery Drone? Amazon's Delivery Helicopter Dreadnoughts (ADHD for short)?
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