Tuesday 31 December 2019
Friday 27 December 2019
Long Train Ride
Took a long train ride, on a train that must have been built in World War 2. See the lamp on the table? They treated us well though. Served breakfast and lunch in the span of six hours. And though it's not a high speed rail, we were going at an average rate of 90mph+. No too shabby.
And so we arrived to an unseasonably warm Quebec City. Global Warming ain't a joke this year! Nice architecture here, even though I think the province is full of racist idiots. Here's a pic of their city hall. Pretty neat eh?
The Morning After, a view of the Plains of Abraham, where the Brits kicked French butts and took over Quebec! Long Live the King! A constant reminder to the Frenchies: YOU FUCKING LOST! So stop your bitching and moaning.
On a lighter note, Christmas Tree displays at the Chateau Frontenac. I especially like this one, with the big bear...
And so we arrived to an unseasonably warm Quebec City. Global Warming ain't a joke this year! Nice architecture here, even though I think the province is full of racist idiots. Here's a pic of their city hall. Pretty neat eh?
The Morning After, a view of the Plains of Abraham, where the Brits kicked French butts and took over Quebec! Long Live the King! A constant reminder to the Frenchies: YOU FUCKING LOST! So stop your bitching and moaning.
On a lighter note, Christmas Tree displays at the Chateau Frontenac. I especially like this one, with the big bear...
Thursday 26 December 2019
Too Much Food Over Christmas!
Gained four pounds over Christmas!!!!
Working my butt off to get rid of them...to no avail.
Working my butt off to get rid of them...to no avail.
Tuesday 24 December 2019
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
IT
is that wonderful time of the year!
Merry Christmas to all!
Come Join Me Down Here. Everything FLOATS!!!!!
Wednesday 18 December 2019
Sunday 15 December 2019
Another Semester Done
The other night I went with a friend to the dining hall for dinner. $16.50 all you can eat. What a deal (you may recall how much I enjoy that place). Anyway, at the entrance, the lady asked my friend (a girl), "Is he your father?"
Haha! It would be so embarrassing if I were trying to date the girl. What is this pedophile doing?
When I told her no, she got so embarrassed. It's quite funny. Good thing I have no such interest. I can just imagine...
**************************************
Well, dear friends, tomorrow is when my last take home is due, and this semester officially ends. Can you believe I've been doing this school thing for three semesters now?
I had started out thinking I would take the entire four years to finish the degree. I do have that option, since it's up to me to use my advanced standing credits or not. But then I found out that while I can take course that "don't count," they do weigh into my GPA. So for instance, if I took an Introduction to Funny Mushrooms 101 course, which won't count towards graduation, the grade I get in it will be part of my GPA. So I end up with a B, say, then that B goes into my GPA. And could work against me. Of course, if I get an A+, it works to my advantage too, but that means unless I get an A+ in EVERY one of those courses, my GPA goes down.
Anyway, so that's why I decided I would take the advanced standings and finish in three years instead. Officially, then, or well, technically, I am half way done!
This semester I had started thinking I might be able to end up with all A+. As the semester progressed I thought maybe more realistically, I'd get two A+ and two As. Now at the end of the semester, I am hoping for one A+, and really hope to be able to keep an A in the rest. But I won't know for a while yet.
Lemme tell you, this A+ business is not as easy as I thought/hoped. I suppose on the one hand I am gratified to know that so far, in every course I have taken, the class average has been around C/C+. Grade inflation has not been a very big deal here, it seems.
OTOH, that just makes the A+ so much more difficult to get. I need an average between an A and an A- to keep my scholarship. While that is not that hard to reach, wanting a predominance of A+ would seem quite a challenge.
So, to all those UOttawa students who achieved GPAs between A+ and A, kudos to you.
*********************************************
And hey, how about those Lady Beavers again? 9-0! And now #4 in the country!
And the men are doing okay too, at 8-1, though they are unranked.
************************************************
Speaking of ranking, Times Higher Education has placed UOttawa law school at #92 in the world. That's pretty cool. It also means UO law school is number 5 in Canada! Incidentally, U Toronto is first in Canada at #10, and McGill is second at #20.
Why am I telling you this? Well, remember I told you a while back that I might try law school after this? Well, if I do, it would only be UOttawa that I would try. Not keen to leave Ottawa. But then I thought, hell, even at UOttawa, law school tuition is 20K a year. I am going to spend that kind of money on something for fun? I could instead take a long trip to the UK every year, staying at the Savoy, dining at Gordon Ramsay... you know what I mean. So I doubt that I will do the law school thing. Will still take the LSAT though, since I already paid for it...
********************************************
I think winter is finally having its revenge. We've had pretty mild weather the last few days. Today we will get a windchill of -14, and it will get colder as the week progresses. Time to bring out my real winter jackets!
*******************************************
OK, till my next drunken stupor then!
Haha! It would be so embarrassing if I were trying to date the girl. What is this pedophile doing?
When I told her no, she got so embarrassed. It's quite funny. Good thing I have no such interest. I can just imagine...
**************************************
Well, dear friends, tomorrow is when my last take home is due, and this semester officially ends. Can you believe I've been doing this school thing for three semesters now?
I had started out thinking I would take the entire four years to finish the degree. I do have that option, since it's up to me to use my advanced standing credits or not. But then I found out that while I can take course that "don't count," they do weigh into my GPA. So for instance, if I took an Introduction to Funny Mushrooms 101 course, which won't count towards graduation, the grade I get in it will be part of my GPA. So I end up with a B, say, then that B goes into my GPA. And could work against me. Of course, if I get an A+, it works to my advantage too, but that means unless I get an A+ in EVERY one of those courses, my GPA goes down.
Anyway, so that's why I decided I would take the advanced standings and finish in three years instead. Officially, then, or well, technically, I am half way done!
This semester I had started thinking I might be able to end up with all A+. As the semester progressed I thought maybe more realistically, I'd get two A+ and two As. Now at the end of the semester, I am hoping for one A+, and really hope to be able to keep an A in the rest. But I won't know for a while yet.
Lemme tell you, this A+ business is not as easy as I thought/hoped. I suppose on the one hand I am gratified to know that so far, in every course I have taken, the class average has been around C/C+. Grade inflation has not been a very big deal here, it seems.
OTOH, that just makes the A+ so much more difficult to get. I need an average between an A and an A- to keep my scholarship. While that is not that hard to reach, wanting a predominance of A+ would seem quite a challenge.
So, to all those UOttawa students who achieved GPAs between A+ and A, kudos to you.
*********************************************
And hey, how about those Lady Beavers again? 9-0! And now #4 in the country!
And the men are doing okay too, at 8-1, though they are unranked.
************************************************
Speaking of ranking, Times Higher Education has placed UOttawa law school at #92 in the world. That's pretty cool. It also means UO law school is number 5 in Canada! Incidentally, U Toronto is first in Canada at #10, and McGill is second at #20.
Why am I telling you this? Well, remember I told you a while back that I might try law school after this? Well, if I do, it would only be UOttawa that I would try. Not keen to leave Ottawa. But then I thought, hell, even at UOttawa, law school tuition is 20K a year. I am going to spend that kind of money on something for fun? I could instead take a long trip to the UK every year, staying at the Savoy, dining at Gordon Ramsay... you know what I mean. So I doubt that I will do the law school thing. Will still take the LSAT though, since I already paid for it...
********************************************
I think winter is finally having its revenge. We've had pretty mild weather the last few days. Today we will get a windchill of -14, and it will get colder as the week progresses. Time to bring out my real winter jackets!
*******************************************
OK, till my next drunken stupor then!
Saturday 7 December 2019
Lady Beavers and Losing my email account
How about those Lady Beavers, eh?
8-0 now. Just moved up two spots to #5. Go Beavs!!!!
*********************************************
When I left Etown, I had planned to switch from my etown email address to something else. Redirect my various subscriptions, alert my contacts, save my stuff, and so on. I was told, not to worry, you can keep it forever!
So nice of them. I had been using that for 14 years, so it was a relief to know that I didn't need to switch. And so I kept using it.
Year and a half on, I received a letter in the mail. Snail mail, yes. Not electronic, though it pertained to my email. Ironic. The college has decided to rid their email accounts of retirees.
Why? Because it's hard for the college to monitor and enforce whether retirees use proper security protocols to prevent hacking and other bad things. What is left unsaid of course is an assumption that somehow the college can manage to monitor and enforce whether current employees and students use proper security. Knowing some of my former colleagues, I doubt if they knew what internet security is even if it hits them in the face.
Funny little thing, too, is that Rider in her letter even said, oh but we would love to hear from you, so be sure to tell your NEW email address.
Fuck that.
Anyway, just so you know, my old etown address will no longer work come January. If you want to keep in touch via email, please shoot me an email and I will send you a reply using a different email. How's that?
**************************************************
8-0 now. Just moved up two spots to #5. Go Beavs!!!!
*********************************************
When I left Etown, I had planned to switch from my etown email address to something else. Redirect my various subscriptions, alert my contacts, save my stuff, and so on. I was told, not to worry, you can keep it forever!
So nice of them. I had been using that for 14 years, so it was a relief to know that I didn't need to switch. And so I kept using it.
Year and a half on, I received a letter in the mail. Snail mail, yes. Not electronic, though it pertained to my email. Ironic. The college has decided to rid their email accounts of retirees.
Why? Because it's hard for the college to monitor and enforce whether retirees use proper security protocols to prevent hacking and other bad things. What is left unsaid of course is an assumption that somehow the college can manage to monitor and enforce whether current employees and students use proper security. Knowing some of my former colleagues, I doubt if they knew what internet security is even if it hits them in the face.
Funny little thing, too, is that Rider in her letter even said, oh but we would love to hear from you, so be sure to tell your NEW email address.
Fuck that.
Anyway, just so you know, my old etown address will no longer work come January. If you want to keep in touch via email, please shoot me an email and I will send you a reply using a different email. How's that?
**************************************************
Thursday 5 December 2019
chilling...
Chilling by the health club pool before hitting the books again.
Wish they set up a bar with snacks here. That would be so cool.
I have the pool area all to myself. How cool is that?
Monday 2 December 2019
A Whole New Appreciation
When I first went to college, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, I really didn't give it much thought. Yes, there was work and projects, and there were deadlines and such. But the four years went by rather quickly, without much of a hitch. Computer games, especially "Star Trek," occupied most of my time, and Hockey Night in Canada took care of the rest. It was all fun and games.
Anyway, fast forward to now. In the last couple of years I have met some fellow students. Some are really horrid students, but they just carry on and be happy. But some seem to be having a real tough going.
I know this guy, let's call him Adam, he's really having mental distress over the deadlines and stuff. One can say, well, maybe he should have started sooner, and not let the deadlines hang over him. But different people have different styles, I suppose. And writing essays and stuff apparently is not a very "natural" thing for some folks.
Adam had this paper due about ten days ago, on a Friday. When I saw him on Wednesday, he had written a total of four pages. And the following Monday he had another one due, and he had not even started on that one the week before. And so on.
Apparently he is so stressed out that he had to leave campus today. Couldn't bear being there. So he texted me and asked me to send him the notes for today.
This gives me a pretty "front line" observation of how rough things could be for some. College is not always a joy ride.
I think, though, that in many respects, high schools are not doing their job. I really don't think most high schools adequately prepare people for college. For the kind of rigour demanded in college. For the kind of mindset one needs. Forgive me for being old fashioned. I think high school is too fucking easy.
So I hope Adam rides it out and manages to navigate through his issues. I wish there were something I can do to help. I asked him if I could help, but he said no. What else can I do?
And for all the other Adams (and Eves) like him, I hope they manage to pull through too. Pretty sobering thought today.
Anyway, fast forward to now. In the last couple of years I have met some fellow students. Some are really horrid students, but they just carry on and be happy. But some seem to be having a real tough going.
I know this guy, let's call him Adam, he's really having mental distress over the deadlines and stuff. One can say, well, maybe he should have started sooner, and not let the deadlines hang over him. But different people have different styles, I suppose. And writing essays and stuff apparently is not a very "natural" thing for some folks.
Adam had this paper due about ten days ago, on a Friday. When I saw him on Wednesday, he had written a total of four pages. And the following Monday he had another one due, and he had not even started on that one the week before. And so on.
Apparently he is so stressed out that he had to leave campus today. Couldn't bear being there. So he texted me and asked me to send him the notes for today.
This gives me a pretty "front line" observation of how rough things could be for some. College is not always a joy ride.
I think, though, that in many respects, high schools are not doing their job. I really don't think most high schools adequately prepare people for college. For the kind of rigour demanded in college. For the kind of mindset one needs. Forgive me for being old fashioned. I think high school is too fucking easy.
So I hope Adam rides it out and manages to navigate through his issues. I wish there were something I can do to help. I asked him if I could help, but he said no. What else can I do?
And for all the other Adams (and Eves) like him, I hope they manage to pull through too. Pretty sobering thought today.
Sunday 1 December 2019
Winter Courses Revisited
It's quite unlike me to go back and forth on any decision. Typically I make a quick choice and stick with it. For some reason (and perhaps my friends in psychology can help) I find myself going over my Winter semester course selections again and again.
On the other hand, I guess new information gathered over the course of THIS semester sheds more light on what I should take next term. In any event, here's what I come up with so far:
History of British Empire
Comparative Politics
Rock Music and Society
Jacobean Shakespeare
Classical Theories in Sociology
I don't really like the time of the Sociology course. I like the prof as a person, but I think sociology is starting to wear me down, what with all its communistic tendencies. So I'm not 100% sure about that one.
Jacobean Shakespeare I like, but I am just worried that I may in way over my head. After all, I am no English major, and this is a third year English course... I do like the shit though.
I have some options:
Demography
Sociology of the United States
History of 20th century Europe
Decisions, decisions...
***********************************
On a slightly different subject, too bad the BEAVS lost to the damn DUCKS yesterday. Well, there's always next year!
On the other hand, I guess new information gathered over the course of THIS semester sheds more light on what I should take next term. In any event, here's what I come up with so far:
History of British Empire
Comparative Politics
Rock Music and Society
Jacobean Shakespeare
Classical Theories in Sociology
I don't really like the time of the Sociology course. I like the prof as a person, but I think sociology is starting to wear me down, what with all its communistic tendencies. So I'm not 100% sure about that one.
Jacobean Shakespeare I like, but I am just worried that I may in way over my head. After all, I am no English major, and this is a third year English course... I do like the shit though.
I have some options:
Demography
Sociology of the United States
History of 20th century Europe
Decisions, decisions...
***********************************
On a slightly different subject, too bad the BEAVS lost to the damn DUCKS yesterday. Well, there's always next year!
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