I guess though I might as well get used to it. In a month or so, -11 will actually be balmy then...
Today is Civil War. We're playing the Ducks at Oregon. Gonna have roast duck tonight! Go BEAVERS!!!!!
Saturday, 30 November 2019
Time for Winter Jackets. Also, kill those Ducks!
Woke up this morning to a balmy -11 Celcius. The temperature dropped something like 8 degrees from yesterday. I am not liking this.
I guess though I might as well get used to it. In a month or so, -11 will actually be balmy then...
I guess though I might as well get used to it. In a month or so, -11 will actually be balmy then...
Thursday, 28 November 2019
Dressing up for school?
Thinking about walking into a feminist studies class wearing this t-shirt...
Wednesday, 27 November 2019
intimidation?
Read stories about pro-china bastards on college campuses Pro-china bullies intimidating those siding with hong kong protestors.
Ok, so I put this patch on my backpack. It's the old (non China) British Hong Kong flag. The flag I was born under.
Wonder if some of them fucking commies might want to come try to intimidate yours truly. I feel like hurting somebody today.
As Stephrn King would say, a man who is not true to himself gets constipated. So, screw you, China.
Monday, 25 November 2019
Interesting conversation and other shit
Waiting in the business building for my US history class to start... what a strange locale for a history class.
Pretty nice setting, though. And I love those tiered lecture halls.
Overheard this conversation:
Gal: You know that question about the island?
Guy: What question?
Gal: Name one of two islands in the Pacific where very bloody fighting took place in 1945 between US and Japanese forces?
Guy: Oh, yeah, that one. What about it?
Gal: I wrote "Rhode Island." Was I right?
Guy: You did what?
Gal: Rhode Island. It's right, isn't it?
Guy: (Laughs). You really fit that stereotype (continues laughing).
Gal: What?
Guy: You're blond...
Chunski didn't say a word.
**********************
If you think reading management crap is mind-numbing, try this:
"The structures constitutive of a particular type of environment...produce habitus...structured structures predisposed to function as structuring structures, that is, as principles of the generation and structuring of practices and representations...(Chunski gave up at this point)" z z z z z z z z z z
Pretty nice setting, though. And I love those tiered lecture halls.
Overheard this conversation:
Gal: You know that question about the island?
Guy: What question?
Gal: Name one of two islands in the Pacific where very bloody fighting took place in 1945 between US and Japanese forces?
Guy: Oh, yeah, that one. What about it?
Gal: I wrote "Rhode Island." Was I right?
Guy: You did what?
Gal: Rhode Island. It's right, isn't it?
Guy: (Laughs). You really fit that stereotype (continues laughing).
Gal: What?
Guy: You're blond...
Chunski didn't say a word.
**********************
If you think reading management crap is mind-numbing, try this:
"The structures constitutive of a particular type of environment...produce habitus...structured structures predisposed to function as structuring structures, that is, as principles of the generation and structuring of practices and representations...(Chunski gave up at this point)" z z z z z z z z z z
Idea Laundering
Read this piece in the WSJ today. Yes, yes, I don't like the WSJ generally, and opinion pieces -- opinions are like assholes, everybody has one.
But sometimes I do agree with their assessments. Take this article for instance
https://www.wsj.com/articles/idea-laundering-in-academia-11574634492?mod=e2fb&fbclid=IwAR3ieGcvenba8UEZjz6cEpN3LXU0S1g4zk6_P4ZNvDfh3iw0gM-_6-xezmQ
Having gone through some of these agenda-heavy courses, I know what the person was saying. And generally speaking, I agree.
On the other hand (I am NOT an economist, but they don't have a monopoly on having one hand here and the other hand there), I think the person has a misguided view of what academia is like. The knowledge industry is NEVER value free. Any contrarian view is always met with dissent and hostility. Just ask Gallileo, or Newton, or today, even Freud. If you dare contest the existing paradigm, there's hell to pay.
So the idea that "real" academic research has this air of objective scientific inquiry etc is actually bullshit.
That's just the way the world is. Vested interested is nothing to sneeze at. So maybe it requires idea laundering, as the writer says, to actually get one's point across. Sort of like revolutions in the real world. If people don't buy into the dominant logic, what choice do they have but to rebel and resist? Using any means possible? Of course, if one were part of the dominant ideology, the elites in power, one takes a dim view of these things. But if you're not...
Wonder what your thoughts are.
But sometimes I do agree with their assessments. Take this article for instance
https://www.wsj.com/articles/idea-laundering-in-academia-11574634492?mod=e2fb&fbclid=IwAR3ieGcvenba8UEZjz6cEpN3LXU0S1g4zk6_P4ZNvDfh3iw0gM-_6-xezmQ
Having gone through some of these agenda-heavy courses, I know what the person was saying. And generally speaking, I agree.
On the other hand (I am NOT an economist, but they don't have a monopoly on having one hand here and the other hand there), I think the person has a misguided view of what academia is like. The knowledge industry is NEVER value free. Any contrarian view is always met with dissent and hostility. Just ask Gallileo, or Newton, or today, even Freud. If you dare contest the existing paradigm, there's hell to pay.
So the idea that "real" academic research has this air of objective scientific inquiry etc is actually bullshit.
That's just the way the world is. Vested interested is nothing to sneeze at. So maybe it requires idea laundering, as the writer says, to actually get one's point across. Sort of like revolutions in the real world. If people don't buy into the dominant logic, what choice do they have but to rebel and resist? Using any means possible? Of course, if one were part of the dominant ideology, the elites in power, one takes a dim view of these things. But if you're not...
Wonder what your thoughts are.
Shakespeare?
There's a Jacobean Shakespeare course offered in winter 2020. But it's a third year course, and I'm not sure if I'd be over-reaching if I were to take that.
So I emailed the prof this morning to ask her opinion. Wow, she replied in half an hour! A full professor at that. I'm very impressed. Won't bore you with the details, but she promised to send me a copy of the syllabus once she has it finalized. I am very interested, but I do worry that I would be at a major disadvantage in the class (I am guessing most of the folk will be literature majors...)
We shall see. But half an hour! And so very polite as well.
So I emailed the prof this morning to ask her opinion. Wow, she replied in half an hour! A full professor at that. I'm very impressed. Won't bore you with the details, but she promised to send me a copy of the syllabus once she has it finalized. I am very interested, but I do worry that I would be at a major disadvantage in the class (I am guessing most of the folk will be literature majors...)
We shall see. But half an hour! And so very polite as well.
Saturday, 16 November 2019
Heard on the Street
A: You look so stressed. Are you ok?
B: Yeah, I'm going nuts. So many papers due next week.
A: Oh, how are they coming along?
B: Haven't started.
A: Oh.
B: That's why I like profs who are ok with giving extensions.
A: But you knew the deadline since September 6?
B: Yeah, I can't work till the last minute.
A: Right.
************************************
Prof: So traditionally, in schooling, there are schools that cater to the working class, the middle class, the professionals, and the elites. Four major categories. Can you relate to this model from your own experience?
A: Well, where I was from, all the schools were the same.
B: I went to an IB school, so I guess that's for elites.
C: Swearing under his breath.
Prof: So you think IB schools fit into the elite category? As in it's where the elites of society send their kids?
B: I think so, because those are so much better than other schools.
C: Deep sigh. More swearing inside.
Prof: I see. That's very interesting.
A: I think the elites send their kids to French Immersion school.
C: Rolls his eyes.
B: Well, only if they are IB.
C: starts checking his emails on the phone
****************************************
End of class. Student A approaches the prof.
A: So, about that paper due next Friday.
Prof looks up: yeah? How's that coming along?
A: Can I email you my idea some time and see what you think?
Prof: It's due next week.
A: Yeah, about that... Can we work something out, like getting an extension or something?
Prof: Why? What's wrong?
A: Just been busy, you know.
Prof: Why wait till now to start it?
A: (mumbling something)
C was out the door at this point.
**********************************************
Day of a midterm.
A: Man, there's so much material.
B: Yeah, and we're supposed to know what he talked about in class?
A: Like we're supposed to take notes or something. Like, we have to come to class?
D: Yeah, like, the book is so long too!
A: What book?
B: The textbook? Oh, I didn't even get that.
D: You don't have the textbook?
A: Me neither.
D: Well, there's like 200 pages to read for this.
B: And lecture notes.
A: How are we supposed to know all this?
C: rolling his eyes.
****************************************
In history class. Prof always starts the class by noting what other important things happened on this day in history.
A: I hate this shit.
B: what?
A: this day in history shit.
B: oh?
A: what does this have to do with anything?
B: it's a history class, right?
C: choking on his Diet Coke.
*********************************************
A: I don't like the way the government is handling this issue.
B: Did you vote in the election?
A: No.
B: Why not?
A: I just didn't like it.
B: And you're not happy with the government.
A: Yeah, I think we need a change.
B: But you didn't vote.
A: Nah, it's my right not to.
******************************************
B: Yeah, I'm going nuts. So many papers due next week.
A: Oh, how are they coming along?
B: Haven't started.
A: Oh.
B: That's why I like profs who are ok with giving extensions.
A: But you knew the deadline since September 6?
B: Yeah, I can't work till the last minute.
A: Right.
************************************
Prof: So traditionally, in schooling, there are schools that cater to the working class, the middle class, the professionals, and the elites. Four major categories. Can you relate to this model from your own experience?
A: Well, where I was from, all the schools were the same.
B: I went to an IB school, so I guess that's for elites.
C: Swearing under his breath.
Prof: So you think IB schools fit into the elite category? As in it's where the elites of society send their kids?
B: I think so, because those are so much better than other schools.
C: Deep sigh. More swearing inside.
Prof: I see. That's very interesting.
A: I think the elites send their kids to French Immersion school.
C: Rolls his eyes.
B: Well, only if they are IB.
C: starts checking his emails on the phone
****************************************
End of class. Student A approaches the prof.
A: So, about that paper due next Friday.
Prof looks up: yeah? How's that coming along?
A: Can I email you my idea some time and see what you think?
Prof: It's due next week.
A: Yeah, about that... Can we work something out, like getting an extension or something?
Prof: Why? What's wrong?
A: Just been busy, you know.
Prof: Why wait till now to start it?
A: (mumbling something)
C was out the door at this point.
**********************************************
Day of a midterm.
A: Man, there's so much material.
B: Yeah, and we're supposed to know what he talked about in class?
A: Like we're supposed to take notes or something. Like, we have to come to class?
D: Yeah, like, the book is so long too!
A: What book?
B: The textbook? Oh, I didn't even get that.
D: You don't have the textbook?
A: Me neither.
D: Well, there's like 200 pages to read for this.
B: And lecture notes.
A: How are we supposed to know all this?
C: rolling his eyes.
****************************************
In history class. Prof always starts the class by noting what other important things happened on this day in history.
A: I hate this shit.
B: what?
A: this day in history shit.
B: oh?
A: what does this have to do with anything?
B: it's a history class, right?
C: choking on his Diet Coke.
*********************************************
A: I don't like the way the government is handling this issue.
B: Did you vote in the election?
A: No.
B: Why not?
A: I just didn't like it.
B: And you're not happy with the government.
A: Yeah, I think we need a change.
B: But you didn't vote.
A: Nah, it's my right not to.
******************************************
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