Semester Ends

 Like so many fingerprints on old handrails, another semester has come and gone.  How was my first semester in the MA program?  I'd say the reviews are mixed.

I started with three classes, then dropped one because I couldn't stand the prof.  Since I am in no hurry to finish the degree (if I even do), that's fine.  But that experience left a bad aftertaste, sort of like having had some Folgers coffee.  Or worse.  Yes, you all know I am a coffee snob.

Anyhow, so I only had two classes this semester.  Amazing, because it just made the experience so much more enjoyable!  Like the feeling one might get from watching The Father over and over and over again.  Not that both classes are equally good.  The one on political sociology was fine, but I find the subject matter a bit too left wing and radical even for me.  Maybe I shouldn't say "even for me," since I am not exactly a leftie to begin with.  If you know me well, you'd know that I am maybe middle of the road with a 5% tilt to the left.  After all, I did teach business.  In political sociology, at least at uOttawa, the agenda is quite radical -- talks of decolonization (oh how I hate that whole thing), especially --- even though I don't dispute all of the stuff.  What I find most annoying is that the material is long on criticisms and grievances, but very very short on actionability.  And well, the latter is my big thing, no?  If something isn't actionable, then you are just pissing into the wind.

But the other class I simply loved!  It's medical sociology, and it really opened my eyes to so many new angles and a vast pool of knowledge.  I absolutely loved it, and not only because the prof was really cool and responsive.  We usually got our assignments graded by the next class.  Haha, does this remind you of something you perhaps know?  And she's just super nice.  If she offers another class, I'll take it with no hesitation.  Particularly during this whole covid shitshow, the class was poignant and impactful.

We didn't have exams, thank goodness.  If we did, I am sure I'd flunk political sociology, since I resisted so much of the material that I couldn't even take it in.  But in grad school, we write papers.  And I love writing papers.  I am actually quite pleased with the paper I wrote for political sociology -- and by the end of it I could almost convince myself that I felt that way!  Creative writing, indeed.

So the semester is done.  And another one starts in a few weeks.  I have yet to settle on exactly what I will take in the winter.  Nothing really catches my fancy, let me tell you.  That's not a good sign.  But I will use the Christmas holidays to figure things out.

Had my booster shot yesterday.  Now I have some muscle aches, and my left shoulder is sore.  If this is the worst then I think I'm fine.  People told me I should feel more the side effects in the afternoon.  Oh boy.  I guess for sure I won't be going to the gym today.  And since we have a freezing rain warning tomorrow, guess I'll be staying put then as well.  More cake, anyone?

Speaking of vaccination, I just found out that someone I know lost his job because he refuses to get vaccinated.  I didn't ask him why -- not my business.  I like him personally, and I feel bad for him.  But it's his choice.  And I guess we make choices and we go in with eyes wide open.  Of course I have read about these things happening, but that was the first time I actually know someone who lost his job because of not getting vaccinated.  That piece of information kind of unsettles me.  Mixed emotions, you know, like seeing your mother-in-law driving down a cliff, in your brand new car.  But seriously, if I am ever that, I don't know what is going to happen to him and his family.  And I feel sad about that.

But it's the holiday season, no?  Hell, for all we know, 2022 will never come.  Omicron will kill us all.  Did any of you SERIOUSLY think we were out of the woods?  Dream on.  I think Covid will be with us forever.  And I'd be happy if we can keep it sort of under control, like the flu etc.  That, too, may be wishful thinking.  But I doubt that we will see the day when Covid vanishes.  If we can give everyone in the world, and I mean including the poorest countries, triple doses (of the real vaccine, not that Chinese and Russian crap), maybe.  But capitalism and self-interest will see to it that only those who can afford it will get vaccinated (that's assuming they even want to).  So, there you go.  We are fucked.  Like the Omega Man.

And with that happy thought, here's to wishing you all a happy holiday season.  Hope it's not our last.  Happy Holidays!

REMEMBRANCE DAY -- Lest We Forget

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the immortal words of Wilfrid Owen,

  

 

No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells; 

      Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,—

The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;

      And bugles calling for them from sad shires.

 

Sadly we never learn.  Not long after the war to end all wars, we had WW2.  And then Korea.  Vietnam.  Afghanistan.  Iraq.  Not to mention all the other conflicts that have maimed and killed untold millions.  And as we step part ways now into the 21st Century, are we soon witnessing "In the nightmare of the dark, all the dogs of XXX bark"?

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Well, folks, looks like winter is on its way.  It's just below freezing now, though today's high is going to a balmy 6 degrees Celcius.  Not bad for mid November.  People say this will be a horrible winter.  I hope not.  After the mild winter we had last year, I'm just not prepared for a typical brutal Ottawa winter season.  I must say though that I have enough winter coats to withstand the cold.  But I don't want to have to.

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Decolonization is a favourite word these days.  Hear it all the time.  It's like one of those really popular things, you know, like Taco, Pizza, and Sex.  Well, maybe not the last one.  But unlike them, these populist terms have a shelf life that's significantly shorter.  Wait and see.  Not that I have any issue with the idea of decolonization.  I agree with it, actually.  Like toxic masculinity, another one of those things.  I agree that it's bad.  But I guess I've lived long enough to not jump on bandwagons.  I mean, seriously?  We talk about decolonization in Canada all the time, to the point where some actually say we should not celebrate Canada Day, before the country is built on colonization etc etc.

Fuck you!

People should put their money where their mouth is.  If one thinks Canada is so bad, that it's a shame that the country was formed the way it was, then one should give up one's citizenship and move to a place where it's all la-la land.  Like China, maybe?  Or Russia?  Or Iran?  You can't have the cake and eat it, too.  Travel the world using the passport of a country you despise?  What a fucking hypocrite!

And then there are those who lament capitalism.  You know, I think unbridled capitalism is bad as well.  Look at the wealth gap in some of these places!  But I don't see a better alternative, do you?  Really?  You want communism?  Remember how many people Stalin killed?  Remember how many Mao starved to death?  And if communism is so good, maybe you should move to fucking China.  But more on my point about hypocrisy.  These same people have no trouble drinking their SBUX while commenting on capitalism, or texting on their iphones, or dressed in the latest torn jeans, etc etc.  Again, go fuck yourself.

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Oh wow, Chunski, you sound so pissed off.  Why?  I'm not, not really.  I just didn't sleep very well last night and have been up since 3.  Haha, though some of you might remember that once upon a time, a long long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, I used to get up at three EVERY SINGLE FUCKING DAY to go to that college in PA.  What wonderful days!

So I will leave you with this thought:  MORE COFFEE PLEASE!  

 

 

 

 

A Story Worth Repeating, AND an inane marketing message

I believe I told some of you via Facebook about this.  But anyway, it's worth repeating.  If you were a former student of mine, you know how much attention I pay to punctuation marks.  Well, a man in Australia was sued for defamation (and will likely lose) for exactly that -- for want of an apostrophe, the guy could be $180,000 poorer.

Here's the story: https://globalhappenings.com/technology/22954.html

The difference in question was the word employees versus employee's.  Sometimes, it really pays to be careful.

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Today I received a marketing email from a certain credit card company.  Great, just the kind of shit I need.  As a former marketing prof, I LOVE getting marketing junk so I can criticize other people's stupidity.  Here's one from good old A#*&$, of all people.

They told me that I now "QUALIFY TO APPLY FOR THE  XYZ CARD!"

Wait, what?  I fucking QUALIFY to apply?  How does one qualify (or not) to apply for something?  You either approve it (because I qualify for the card) or not (because I don't qualify for it).  What the fuck is this qualifying to apply?  Anyone can apply for anything.  I can fucking apply to be an astronaut for NASA.  Not that they will let me be, but I can apply.

This is the kind of shit that give marketers a bad name.  Fucking morons can't write to save their lives.  Reminds me of Alpha Hall. 

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The US is opening its land border with Canada on November 8.  You just need to be double dosed vaccinated and cross.  No more tests needed.  But to get back to Canada, you need a PCR test within 72 hours of arrival.  That hasn't changed.  And I'd rather it didn't.  Better safe than sorry is my motto.  But at least things are looking better now...till the next Covid wave, I guess.

Continuing Saga of the Research Design class and the MA

You may recall I put in a request to have the research design class waived.  Well, finally today I spoke (via Zoom) with the program director who agreed to waive this one class, but I'd have to take another class in its place.

That's fine by me, although the way things are, I am not entirely sure I will even bother taking any of the other research classes even though they are mandatory.  First, the program is flexible as to timing, so I do NOT need to have it completed in three semesters.  Second, since I am doing it for fun, maybe there is NO point taking any class I am not really interested in.  After all, it's not like I need an MA, and the whole reason for being in the program, for me at least, is just to learn more about sociology.  Not to learn about doing research.  I mean, really, I think I have done enough of that in my previous life anyway.  There is no intention on my part to do more research to publish etc.

Also, another update.  I have now been accepted into both the undergrad social science program AND the certificate in law program for next fall.  I have until April 1 to decide, but I think I am likely not to do a degree but to do the certificate instead.  The Faculty of Law confirmed to me that being in that program still allows me to take non-law classes, just not to fulfill the certificate requirements.  I'm cool with that.

So that's the latest as far as school goes.

Signs are that the fourth wave is waning in Ontario.  Lately in Ottawa, population 1 million, we average 40-50 new cases a day, which is not too bad (unless you're one of the 40-50).  It helps, I guess, that about 85% of Ottawa people have received both doses, and here masking laws are in place and enforced.  Let's hope things continue to calm down.  Maybe there is hope for Christmas yet.

Meanwhile, please take care of yourselves.  Stay healthy.  And thanks for reading!

Life After the MA?

Now that the semester got underway, my mind turns to what I'll do after this.  Assuming I finish it and pass, that is (more on that below).  Application starts now for next fall, so I've been considering what my options are.  Basically I have two, since I want to stay at uOttawa.

First, I can apply to do another undergrad, this time a Bach of Social Sciences, with two minors.

Second, I can opt to apply to do a Certificate in Law (non-degree).

Here are some more details.

The Faculty of Social Sciences has a degree option that does not entail a major or honours ( too restrictive, so I don't want to do them.  E.g.  A major requires 20 courses in the discipline, and an Honours degree requires 24.  Plus, there are numerous required courses etc.  Too much structure).  One of the minors must be in social science.  Since hopefully I will have an MA in sociology, I can't very well apply to do a minor in sociology.  Haha.  So I can do a minor in psychology, or perhaps one in Political Science.  The other doesn't have to be in Social Science, and will either be History (I just need 4 more, for a total of 10 for a minor), or in Law (for which I need 8 more).  Alternatively, I can opt for a BSS without any minor, but it's a shorter degree.

For the Certificate in Law, well, it's not a degree program, so you end up with a certificate.  Nothing wrong with that, since I need another degree like I need another hole in the head.  For that I need a total of 10 (same as a minor) but since I already have 2, I just need 8 more.  All must be in law though, so there's less variety.  I THINK I can still take other things, for the heck of it.  Not sure.  Anyhow, I can do this one PT though, so I can actually stretch it out.  And not have to worry about taking too many undergrad courses with a bunch of 18 year olds.

If you have any ideas or suggestions, I'd like to hear them.  Please share them with me!  Both sound quite interesting to me.

So that's the latest!  Now back to doing sociology... getting a bit too left wing for my taste :)

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I said earlier, assuming I finish it and pass.  What did I mean by that?

As far as stuff specific to sociology goes, I'm fine with it, even if sometimes things get a bit strangely "out-of-this-world" left.  Learning a different perspective is not a bad thing.

But there are also some REQUIRED courses that I am not interested in.  They are research courses.  Ok, well, yeah it's been a while, but I did do research courses.  So a lot of this stuff is repetitive for me, and I don't think I am learning much that's new to me.  I think I am going to approach the academic administration people to see if there's some way these can be waived.  If not, I am one unhappy camper... hence my comment on finishing it.  Plus, haha, the prof I have now on research design REALLY SUCKS!

BTW I just emailed the School.  Will let you know how things go.

How to make a name for oneself in academe

Not that I am revealing anything new, but thought you might get a kick out of this.

We all know that a lot of people, especially "scholars," tend to have an ego the size of Quebec (sorry, Texas, you're not big enough as a measure of size).  It gets to you, though, doesn't it, when some of them acquire a god complex.  But what irritates me most is how often people take every chance they have to aggrandize themselves.

For one of my papers, I am reading a crap ton of research articles on ethnicity.  As I was reading this one review article (i.e. an article that provides an overview of the "state of the art" if you will on a particular subject, in this case ethnicity.  It would look at numerous important articles in extant literature, and tell the reader where things are on the leading edge.  That sort of thing), I saw some very familiar high-powered names, as I would expect.

So big deal researchers like Alba get cited twice.  Berry, three times.  Rosenthal four times.  Glazer, surprisingly, only got one mention.  Tajfel got three.  If you don't know these people, it's ok.  Take my word for it, they are like the ethnicity research Hall of Famers.  So, no surprises there.  But wait.  The author of the review article itself (I will not say her name here) got cited FIVE times!!!!!  Yup.  This is what it looks like, right?  I am reviewing the state of the art, and I am the one most often cited as being state of the art.  Look at me, mom, I am SO fucking great!

Yeah yeah, I know that academics do often cite themselves.  But this is just blatant and crass.  And you know, I read some of the person's work, and they seem to be a constant regurgitation of her own previous work.  The same shit all over again.

So rude.

Hello Gym!

Today was the first time I went back to the gym in a year and a half (or did I go in between lockdowns, who cares).  Luck had it that I was the only one there as well (had to make appointment for one hour slots).  Well, I didn't last the whole hour.  No surprises there!  After all of 45 minutes I was drenched in sweat and about to die.

Made another appointment for tomorrow.  We'll see if I stay lucky and have the gym to myself!

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Walked through campus again today, and all the first year students doing their orientation and welcome activities.  Man, I was young once!  It's really quite a treat to see all the people having a good time and being excited about a new chapter in their lives.  No doubt all that enthusiasm will vanish in a matter of weeks.  Once assignments come due.  It ain't no high school no more.  And UOttawa academics is serious shit.  Felt like wanting to walk over and tell them that.  But why dampen their mood?  Haha.

Had my first class today.  Everyone else in the class (all 7 of us) was on the thesis stream, except for me who is doing the coursework option.  Felt a bit overmatched, since they all seemed to have been sociology majors or something like that.  Oh well, unlike the undergrad degree, this time around my goal is just to do enough to graduate.  No more shooting for A+ and such.  So hopefully things will work out.  

Am I still rather unmotivated?  Yes and no.  The idea of learning new things is exciting.  But after having the summer off, and having gone through all that online learning shit, the idea of yet more online courses (all my classes are online this term, more on that below) is not overly appealing.

Why are my classes all online?  Not that I don't have a choice.  But I had to pick my classes, and many of the 7000 level (MA level) classes have this "gender and" thing in front of them.  Like Gender and Race Relations.  Gender and Aging.  Fuck.  I can't deal with all that gender stuff.  Nothing against it, but my experience has been that anything that is Gender and this and that ends up being summarized thus:  "Men are bad.  All men are bad.  Men are just bad.  And repeat."  I don't think I can sit through that shit.  So, I am left with only so many courses to choose.  And the ones I picked are all online. So...

While on the subject of school, I am really not impressed with how the graduate program in sociology is run.  Let me elaborate.  Last Thursday I received an email saying that there was an Orientation and Information session on FRIDAY!  Fuck.  Seriously.  They do this every single fucking year, no?  You go and tell people on a Thursday to attend a virtual meeting on Friday of Labour Day Long weekend?  WTF?  What planets are they from? I was on the road, but I could have stayed in the hotel for that session.  But you can guess what I did.  I declined the meeting.  OF FUCKING COURSE!  Morons!

And now, two of my classes will meet this Thursday and Friday.  As of this moment, there is nothing on Brightspace (the online portal we use) as to syllabus, zoom links, reading list, nothing.  Nada.  That's crazy.  For those of you who had me as a prof, you will remember that I sent out my fucking syllabus three months before classes began.  No three hours!

So you can see how much I hold these people in disdain.  Not a way to start a new semester, surely.

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We're having a general election in Canada.  The campaign lasts about a month.  I can do advance polling starting this Friday, though official voting date is Sep 20.  Think I will go and vote on Friday or Saturday.  I don't understand why they called an election.  The governing party did not need to call one for another two years.  And polls do not suggest they will win a majority.  So what's the point?  I don't want them to lose, but then I also think they should pay for their hubris.  Oh well, I will do my part, and we'll see how the chips fall.

A New School Year, A New Chapter

Folks,

After a long hiatus, school starts again.  This new school year marks a new chapter in my post-retirement adventure, now a graduate one.  As you know, I finished my undergraduate, and will now embark on an MA in sociology.  Wish me luck.

I have been rather ambivalent about this new phase.  Unaccountably I've been quite unmotivated.  Indeed till today I had harboured the idea of not even going through with it.  What changed?

I went on campus today (more on procedures for that later), and it's "welcome week" with all its companion activities.  The energy, the excitement, and the community feeling of the place cut through my mental haze.  The short sojourn through campus brought back a modicum of enthusiasm in me, and when I got home I started putting together my notebooks etc.  Interesting how quickly things changed.

Earlier I mentioned something about the procedures to get on campus.  You have to upload your vaccine records, and then EVERYDAY you have to fill in a screening app thing.  A bit tedious, yes, but in reality it only takes 2 minutes.  But unless there is some form of enforcement, what exactly is the point?  I am pragmatic by nature, so I often question the efficacy of any measure unless it is enforced.  Anyway, just thought I'd share that.

Today I went to my health club, with the view to empty my locker and give up the membership.  Then I chatted with the club manager, and instead of cancelling, I actually renewed it!  Talk about a change of heart.  We'll see if I end up regretting this.

Anyhow, classes start on Tuesday, right after Labour Day.  As it turns out, ALL my classes are online (unless they change it) even though the majority of the university's classes are in-person.  We'll see how that goes.  Not a fan of online stuff, as you well know.

I'm not sure if ANYONE even reads the blog anymore, especially since the email update is no longer available.  So, if you DO read it, or even just happen upon it, would you mind leaving a comment or emailing me to tell me so?  If no one is actually reading my blog, then I might simply abandon it.  So, please help!  Thanks :)

So much for now.  More once classes start up.  We'll see how my ever-switching mood evolves.

Ta-da!

IT'S OFFICIAL!

 Today I am officially an University of Ottawa alum!

Graduated with Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude.  And, won the University Silver Medal for Arts (for having the second highest cumulative GPA in the Faculty of Arts).

And so, four in my pocket now.  Hopefully, in a year, I will be collecting my fifth.

And with that, my undergrad adventures are over for now.  Thank you for reading, and for commenting when you did.

Best,

Chunski

Don't Brainwash Me!

 

The photo has nothing to do with the post.  Just thought I'd share it with you, that's all.  Something pleasant on an otherwise gloomy day here in Ottawa.

On my walk today I came upon a group of maybe a couple dozen people protesting outside Parliament.  They were anti-maskers who protested against the government violating their freedom.  Not many in attendance, and passers-by hardly gave them a second glance.  I was walking past them when I saw a newcomer about to join her fellow protestors.  She carried quite a few big signs, with slogans like Don't Brainwash Me!  (hence the title of the post).  Another sign said mask mandates are government violating people's freedoms, that people should be able to do as they please.

Nothing unusual there, and in a sense I can appreciate the sentiment.  As Pierre Trudeau (former PM and father of the current one) once said when asked whether the government would prosecute homosexuals, "the government has no business in people's bedrooms."  Or something to that effect.

What's ironic, at least to me, about the scene was that said young woman (the one with the signs) stopped at the crosswalk.  She then pressed the walk button and waited patiently for the light to change before crossing the road to join her friends.

Do you see the irony in that?  Or am I just the perpetual cynic?

All Good Things Must End

 

If you receive this via email, you have subscribed to notification by email from Feedburner.  Well, now that Google has bought the service, they are stopping the email subscription feature.  Some time later this month, you will no longer get an email notifying you that a new post has been published.

For some of you, this may be a relief, since you won't have to deal with more junk emails.  But for those who actually use it to know about new posts, SORRY!  You will have to check the blog now and then if you want to see if there's been a new post.  Or abandon this blog.  Here's the URL for the blog: https://chunskiundergrad.blogspot.com/

Maybe it's a sign that I should stop the blog for good.  I thank you for your readership over the years (can't believe it's been three years!).  I will likely keep it going now and then, so if you are curious, please do check the blog every so often.  If not, I bid you farewell :)

Some say the world will end in fire

Some say in ice

For this blog, maybe it will end in the era of Covid.

 Cheers,

Chunski 

This is why one must read the actual article and know the data

 

 

I don't consider myself an alarmist, but when I read something repeatedly, it starts to get worrisome.  Lately the news in Canada is about how Covid infections are totally out of control, that there are more infections per capita in Canada than is in the US, etc.  Of course, that is worrying, because it wasn't that long ago that the rates in Canada were five times lower than those in the US.  And we're now in the midst of the third wave, so infections have skyrocketed in Ontario.

Well, I have no control over what may or may not happen with the Covid.  Maybe we're doomed.  But, having the intelligence exceeding that of a houseplant, I am not merely going to take news headlines as gospel.  Take this recent headline for example:

Canada is outpacing U.S. for new COVID-19 cases per capita 

That's right.  It's reported in major news media.  While it's good to hear that we are actually beating the US at something, this is not the kind of thing one wants to win in!  But I said to myself, wait, I know things are bad, but really?

 

So, being inquisitive, of course Chunski decides to read the damn article and analyze its data.  And somewhere towards the bottom of the article is this gem:

 

 Comparing US states and Canadian provinces infection rates

   

You can click on it to check out the latest statistics, if so inclined.  

 

Having done so, I must say, yes, it is quite disconcerting.  Seems like there's no end in sight, and of course, being in Ottawa, the rising infection rates are pretty scary.  But outpacing the US, I think not.  That headline is as valid as the product life cycle.

 

But that's not the point of my post, is it?

 

No, all I am doing is to show how inadequate it is for us to just read the headlines and assume the substance of the story.  It is irresponsible for media to mislead people with headlines, but even more so, it is unforgiveable on our part as intelligent people to not explore further.

And that, my friends, if you recall (for those who took 416 with me), has always been my motto.  Look at the data, don't just let the rhetoric fool you.  What do the numbers show?  If one or two of you remember that from 416, and apply it in your daily lives, that makes it all worthwhile for me.

 

Carry on investigating!

When you don't know your ass from your elbows

Hm, I wonder what these people sell...

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You would expect, wouldn't you, to find me ranting about this and that periodically.  What?  Chunski the extremely mild-mannered teddy bear ranting?  No!  But true, I do when I've had a bit too much coffee (as in ten cups before noon).  These Covid days seem to exacerbate matters, as you can imagine. What with the monotony of how everyday seems like Groundhog Day.  Oh well.

Today I'd like to share with you a couple more of my beefs.  No surprises there.  First, the Oxford comma, or its disappearance.

Why the fuck do people not use the Oxford comma?  Seriously?  A recent headline goes: "Microsoft, Zwilling and Nike among the best deals."  The story itself is unimportant.  But why not have a comma after Zwilling?  After all (and that's TWO words!), it's not as though Zwilling and Nike form one brand name!  You do it out of what?  Space-saving desires?  Bullshit.  You don't think, that's why.

Oh, this is just chicken shit, you think?

Take for example this sentence:  We invited the strippers, JFK, and Stalin.  What does it mean?  You invited JFK, Stalin, as well as the strippers.  But what happens if you don't use the Oxford comma?  It reads:  We invited the strippers, JFK and Stalin.  Its (right, and it is NOT it's) meaning?  The strippers are called JFK and Stalin.

Maybe that's what you meant.  I doubt it.

The Oxford comma saves all this confusion.  Most people who don't use it don't consciously exclude the comma.  They just don't think about it.  Well, they should use their brains sometimes then.

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Here's a second beef.  People like soundbites.  They don't think about what they are saying.  Just that it sounds good.  They are morons.

The misuse of marketing to mean advertising has always bugged me, as many of you well know.  That's just plain stupidity on the part of the speaker.  But there's another similarly insidious misrepresentation of meaning.

Recent headline: "This government is only concerned about its brand."

Meaning what, exactly?  Aren't we all actually concerned about our branding?  Isn't it why people who see themselves as environmental warriors buy electric vehicles (or they bike, or better yet, they walk) and bring their own shopping bags to grocery stores?  At the same time they go to Starbucks and use their throwaway coffee cups.  Or buy plastic garbage bags and use them since no one actually sees them doing it.  And of course, no problem buying fast fashion and add to the landfill every couple of weeks.  Their brand is the environment.  And they want to sustain that.

Or take someone whose brand is a successful executive type.  Oh, gotta have the wardrobe, eh?  And the bimmer.  And if I can't afford one, I'd get a 1-series.  So long as it's a bimmer.  Or something equivalent.

That's what we do!  So a government that is concerned about its branding is simply being human.  And besides, maybe it's better.  Because we want a consistent self-image, so that government would actually pursue policies that are consistent.  Instead of some random shit.  Is that not a good thing?

But of course people who use the term don't mean that!  They actually mean the government just want to sway with the wind, and change course however public opinion changes.  THAT is not branding.  THAT is bullshit stupidity.  Like a liberal arts college that says, let's get rid of our theatre program.

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Is there a theme here?  I hope so though I'm not sure what it is!  Seriously, the theme is it is important to understand what we are saying before we say it.  Otherwise, we'd just be idiots pissing in the wind.  And that, my friends, is a stinky business. 

Ignorance is Bliss?

 

 

Canada's vaccine problems are becoming very vexing, and have even found their way into the international media.  I wrote about it a bit earlier, you know, how we don't have the capacity to make the vaccines domestically anymore etc.  But when the rubber meets the road, so far only about 15% of the population (or 19% of the eligible population -- i.e. those over 16) have received at least a first shot.

This compares with something like 32% in the US, at last count.  And something like 55% in the UK.  So, yeah, Canada is definitely lagging way behind.  The fact that we are doubling the rate in Germany (10%) and France (13%) is lost in the conversation, but that's another story.

Along with this "debacle," of course, comes finger-pointing.  Ontario (the largest province) for example is blaming the federal government for not shipping them enough shots.  Federal government says, fuck, you have only used 75% of what we sent you!  And so on.  And citizens join in the shouting match, complaining about this and that.  Conservatives (they run Ontario) blame the Liberals (they run the country) for the fail, and Liberals say the Conservatives fucked up.  I will only use Ontario as an example.

What is lost in the shuffle is that by our constitution, healthcare is a provincial jurisdiction.  Ottawa has no jurisdiction over how each province chooses to deal with the pandemic.  One might not like it, but alas, that's what the constitution says. So yes, which Ottawa has jurisdiction over procuring the vaccines and sending them to provinces, what the latter do is up to them.

The fact that Ontario (and some other provinces too) are slow to administer the vaccine can hardly be blamed on Ottawa, if the feds are actually sending them the supplies needed.  Just saying.

But people like to express their opinions, however uninformed.  That's one of things I don't like about the Political Science class I am currently in.  People say things.  But opinions are like assholes, everybody has one.  Uninformed opinions are bullshit.  Sigh.

Anyway, I actually booked my vaccine shots today.  The process was rather smooth, I thought.  And it went quickly.  Got my appointment for the first shot coming up in ten days.  Based on my own experience, I also don't understand all the complaints people have about the scheduling process.  I actually thought it was very nice.  They even showed a tracking thing telling you how many people are ahead of you and when they will get to you, etc.  Pretty neat.

The media wants sensational stories so they can sell advertising.  It's much better to be informed instead of relying on media for facts.  By media, I don't even mean just social media (we all know that is stupid), but mass "mainstream" media as well.  There is no such thing as objectivity in life.  Everyone has an agenda.  It is up to each of us to discern bullshit from facts.  

 

Too much conceit, Chance encounter, and Pour Moi? Variment?

It's a gorgeous day today, sunny with a high of 9 degrees Celcius!  Spring is in the air.  I really don't mind saying goodbye to winter for a few months.  Though, to be fair, it has been a rather mild winter in Ottawa this year.  We never once had a -30 day!

 

 

CONCEIT

Do you notice how much conceit there is out there?  A medical doctor introduces herself and says "My name is Dr. Joyce Officious."  Some of you will remember this as one of my favourite beefs.  Similar to a prof introducing himself as Dr. (or Professor) Joe Blowhot.  Fuck, your name is what's on your ID or birth certificate.  I bet it doesn't say Dr. on it.  Or any other title for that matter.  Stop this verbal masturbation already!

Likewise, these people who set up departments and called themselves the Office of this or that.  They like to think of themselves as Federal Agencies or something.  The Office of the Attorney General or something grandiose like it.  But, seriously, the Office of Marketing and Communications at Etown College?  WTF is that?  For fuck's sake, stop this egomaniacal bullshit.

You may be wondering what brought this on.  It's actually a bit of an accident.  I was just cleaning up my inbox, and noticed a prof had sent out an email to the class (it's not an important one, and besides, I hate her with some passion).  The address says FROM THE DESK OF ELOHSSA DEAHTIHS.  OK, granted this is really quite common.  But why do people do that?  It's from YOU, not from your fucking desk, unless a previously inanimate object grew hands and started writing.  And why desk?  Maybe you sent it while you were sitting on the throne.  In which case would you change it to FROM THE TOILET OF...?

Yeah, I do get carried away...

CHANCE

As I walked out one morning (sorry, Auden, couldn't help it), I saw a man coming towards me.  So, in the name of social distance in these Covid times, I crossed to the other side of the street.  To my annoyance, so did he!  I swore under my breath, but hey, it's a free country (Canada is so NOT China).  Anyway, I was prepared to go out onto the road as we passed each other, since the sidewalk was not 2 meters wide.  Then he stopped, smiled, and say, "Pretty chilly this morning, eh?"  I didn't know him, nor he me.  So I stopped too, and mumbled some reply.  We exchanged pleasantries, wishing each other (notice that since there were just the two of us, it's each other.  More than two, it's one another -- sorry, the teacher in me can't help myself) a good day and stuff.  Waved, and went our separate ways.

But the beauty of it?  It really makes your day, doesn't it?  I mean, stuff like this, little things, can change your mood.  Thank goodness for these little gestures to help us stay sane, stay civilized, and stay positive.  The moral of the story, go ahead, go out there and smile at strangers passing by.  Just be kind.  Won't the world is so much nicer if people were just kind, and not self-serving assholes?

POUR MOI?  VRAIMENT?

Looks like I am getting an award!  Got a call from the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Arts the other day.  They give a student award to whoever has the highest GPA in their respective areas (mine being Interdisciplinary Studies).  Haha, me?  Well, I certainly didn't go into the program with that in mind.  It's nice to be recognized, but unfortunately there's no money involved.  Darn it!  I asked her whether it would make more sense to give it whoever had the second highest GPA, if the person were a young person starting their career.  But rules are rules, she said.  And she admitted, besides, that it would be good for PR to show that there's more than one path to higher education.  OK, well, it's pretty cool.  Just wish there were money in it!  But you know, I feel this pressure now to make sure I don't do too poorly this last semester and make them wonder about giving me the award, haha.

Hey, folks, this is a big deal for me.  I have NEVER EVER won any award in school.  NEVER!

Well, till next time!  Stay sane!  Be kind!

Life After BA and Random Stuff

Some of you know that I will be pursuing an MA in sociology in the fall.  I guess either I will close down the blog, or rename it or something.  No matter.

Typically I go to Baltimore when school's out, but with the border closed and Covid still a thing, I don't know what summer will be like.  So I decided to sign up for a random course for fun.  It's online anyway, so even if I go back to Baltimore, I can continue with it.

It's Oceanography.

You may wonder why on earth I am doing that.  Well, a picture paints a thousand words, as they say.

With my luck, instead of a mermaid, I might find these folks

 

 

Anyway, course starts May some time.  So we shall see.

 

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A somewhat different note.  On my daily walks I notice that most people swing their arms when they walk, especially if they are going at a good pace.  Most, I believe, swing their arms up and down.  You know, like they do when soldiers march?  But I see some people swing their arms sideways.  I mean, left to right instead of up and down.  Their arms are in front of them, and they go left and right.  Very interesting.  Not sure why or if it's even a thing.  I also notice that certain types of people are more likely to do that.  But in these days of political correctness, I shall not mention what type I am referring to.  If you observe the same, drop me a note.  Maybe I am just imagining things. Or maybe not.

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So what's with this Anti-Asian hate attacks taking place, often against lone old ladies or old guys.  Seriously.  Did you read about that 76-year old woman who was punched in the face in San Francisco?  She ended up beating the attacker unconscious.  The guy had to be carted off by stretcher when the cops came.  Good for her.  But seriously, couldn't these people pick on someone their own size and age if they are so fucking brave?  Anyway, in case you miss the story, here's the link.

 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-56453806

You can even see the attacker being carted off on a stretcher.  Fucking shithead.

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To my faithful readers -- by that I mean all three of you -- stay safe, stay happy.  And chill!

On the perpetual myth of private enterprise efficiency

Most of us grew up in an era of Neoliberalism.  Part and parcel of this hegemonic ideology is of course that private enterprise is better for society, that it's more efficient, and make people more productive and the economy more robust.

And all that is a load of bovine excrement.

What private enterprise excels in is to make their senior executives rich.  Period.  Everyone else can go fuck themselves.  And that includes so-called shareholders.  Let me elaborate.

Executive compensation.  I will not recite all the stats about the multiples that senior execs of large corporations make versus what an average worker makes.  What's the point?  Are we any more sanguine if the multiple were 200 instead of 500?  Hell no.  If I am selling shoes at minimum wage, and less than full time at that, it really matters not to me if some senior head honcho makes $10 million or $40 million.  I am fucked.  Basically.  With no benefits to boot.

And of course when senior execs get the can, as they sometimes do, they walk away with tens of million in severance.  If you and I get canned, we walk away with... Oh wait, nothing.  Such is life.  So very fucking Charles Dickens.  Which also tells us that nothing much has changed in the last 150 years, by the way.

As for efficiency, sure, Amazon gets you your Made in China shit crap gadget in a day.  Hurrah.  Hey, guess what?  They do that how?  Making sure workers need to work more and more just to buy bread.  Ever wonder why the Roman navy ships were fast?  Fucking slaves rowed them, no?  And if they slacked off, they got whipped to death.  Nothing has changed in two thousand years either.  Just recently an Amazon warehouse outside Toronto was ordered to shut down.  Why?  Because there were hundreds of cases of Covid detected.  And how did that happen, you think?  Because Amazon cares so much about the welfare of their workers?  Right.  And if you believe that, I have some swamp land in Florida that would be perfect for your dream vacation home.

Efficiency, eh?  Hospitals in the US are privatized.  How's that coming?  Once upon a time my wife had to go in for a surgery.  They actually marked the WRONG SIDE of her body for the operation.  Lucky she was awake and told them so.  Are you fucking kidding me?  Are you happy with airlines who somehow manage to lose your bags all the time despite all this tracking technology?  How about Ford's (another) recall of hundreds of thousands of vehicles of wait, what, LEAKY airbags and tires?  All made by private enterprise.  Are you quite happy with all the produce recalls because of this and that bacterial infection?  All private enterprise as well.  How about car rental companies?  We must love them, eh?

I won't bore you with all these examples.  Let's just say so-called efficiency isn't all that's efficient or effective.  What it's good at is to enrich the senior execs.  That's all.

But hey, what about shareholders?  The OWNERS of the corporation?  If you believe that as a shareholder you are a part owner, you should get your head examined.  Say you owned a share of Amazon.  Try going to their headoffice and take a brick from the building.  Tell them you are a owner and see how far that gets you.

The stock market is no more than a fucking casino.  You are placing a bet.  You get lucky, and you may win some.  You get unlucky and you are screwed.  You really think market fundamentals have anything to do with market performance?  You really believe EPS drives stock prices?  Seriously?  Read the news instead of your textbook.  Get real.  It's a setup, and you're a tosser if you think it's actually a free and efficient market.  The efficient market hypothesis?  Haha, right.

Folks, we have been brainwashed by the neoliberalism ideology, and sold down the river by this revolting propaganda about the efficiencies of private enterprise.  No, I am not against private enterprise, but I don't think it's the cure-all it's pretending to be.  Examine the facts and your beliefs.  Don't let ideology (of any persuasion) control your intelligence.  Don't be sold snake oil.

Triumph of the Scientific Method -- Or, Don't Drink Water

I know, I know, for many of us, the last time we took a science course was ages ago back when we were in high school.  And knowing how high school curricula have been watered down over the years, some only ever had the one course in science and it took place while one was playing with (and smelling) glue.  But here's a tribute to the scientific method, which informs everything we do.  Or at least it should.

Remember that idiotic thing called BRICS? Yeah, that one.  As some of you know, that whole concept was devised by some guy sitting in an office (not a researcher by any stretch of imagination) playing with himself.  By now we all know (or should) how dumb that whole thing was.  But that's not the focus of this post.  It serves, however, as a useful illustration of what happens when the scientific method is not consulted.

Things we take for granted are often things that we just repeat enough times to ourselves.  Maybe we read about it a lot, see it in print or the internet.  Give it enough exposure, voila we start believing its veracity.  Yup, that's how those fucking advertisers screw consumers, yeah?  I mean, why do we think we need a car with 500 hps?  Because we were told so!

Ever heard the adage that people have different learning styles, that some are visual and some are verbal?

Read this article then.  https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/04/the-myth-of-learning-styles/557687/  (you can click on the link and it takes you there)

The guy who came up with the idea was a school inspector.  He thought people had different learning styles, and came up with a scale to measure it.  Before long, because it sounds so plausible, people started believing it, and school counselors tell kids they have this style and that style.  Sorta like that other stupid piece of shit calls Myers Briggs thing that is still being sold.  I even know a professor who has made it his THING to do Myers Briggs.  Snake oil.  Anyway...

Well, back to learning styles.  If you have read the article, you'd realize that some people have decided (at long last) to actually TEST the fucker.  Guess what.  In a nutshell:  It ain't true.  The scientific method says:  Take two samples that are the same in every respect.  Give one the treatment, and the other one no treatment.  What is the different in outcome between the two.  Remember that?

The upshot of the scientific tests that are done:  people who are supposed to be visual learners perform no better than those who are not, when given lessons visually.  I am paraphrasing here, but you know what I mean.

Otherwise, don't drink water, because it's the most poisonous thing on earth.  Everyone, but EVERYONE, who drinks water dies.  Period.

The [busted] pipe dream of Globalization

When you go to college, you read your textbooks and listen to your lectures, and learn many things.  And your profs, the EXPERTS, would tell you what is and what is not, and you are tested on your ability to memorize the shit.  Define XYZ and show its application in this or that context.  Sound familiar?  No doubt.

But what if the thing you're learning is actually full of shit?  Does the prof tell you that?  Take the product life cycle, for instance.  It's a given that it is taught in every single Marketing class (except MINE!).  And the consumer decision-making process.  Same shit.

Well, here's another one.  Globalization.  Yep.  Remember?  Every.  Single.  Business.  Student. has been taught that.  I hope you realize by now that it's all bullshit.

For decades, most of us have been sold this snake oil called Globalization.  According to Ted Levitt, who made the term popular circa 1983 with his "The Globalization of Markets" article in HBR, nation-states are on the wane, and the world is one big market serviced by manufacturing products where cost is lowest, and made efficient by supply chains that know no national boundaries.

"The products and methods of the industrialized world play a single tune for all the world, and all the world eagerly dances to it."  So wrote Levitt.  And since then, indeed companies have followed that creed and drank the Kool Aid.

As you all know, if you tell yourself the same shit enough times, you'd start believing it, too.  Sure enough, it's almost taken as a truth that this Globalization shit is for real, and is REALLY the best thing since sliced bread.  Many a business guru book has been published since then, all singing from the same song sheet.  Kenichi Ohmae's The Borderless World, for instance, set the business community on fire in 1990.  And if you are a business major, you have no doubt been told that Globalization is it.

Only it isn't, is it?

Sure, we can all buy cheap shit from China courtesy of Walmart and Amazon, and in the process add to the pile of land fill crap because that shit doesn't last.  You know what I mean?  Remember how a Made in US t-shirt could last you through college and beyond?  Now you can buy some poorly made garbage from that evil empire and it lasts two months, tops.  Not only are we adding to the landfill problem, we are also enabling the use of slave labour and encouraging human rights violations.  Enough said.

But this is really brought into focus with the fucking Covid.  Remember how there was this lack of N95 surgical masks?  There still is, apparently.  The damn thing was developed by 3M, yes?  Out in good old Minnesota.  Hey, but we make them in places that are cheaper, no?  And when the shit hit the fan, guess what?  There's none to be found here.  And then we have counterfeits to boot.

In Canada, the government (and here don't blame Trudeau and the Liberals, because this agenda was set during the Harper Conservative years) decided in their infinite wisdom that we don't need a vaccine making capability anymore.  We can rely on other countries to supply us as long as we pay.  Globalization, you see.  And look at what happens now.  We can't make any vaccines, and the new facility won't be ready till at least 2022.  Great.  So we are at the mercy of countries that actually make the thing.  And of course they look after their own first.  Who can blame them?  So we signed contracts to buy tens of millions of doses, only to be told now that shipments are delayed and we won't get them that quickly.  Yeah, we bought enough to vaccinate everyone in Canada, but without the actual shipments, that's gonna take a while.  According to (optimistic) estimates, even though yours truly is over 65, I won't get vaccinated till maybe June or July.  If you're in your 20s, fuck, maybe 2036?

This lamentation is not only about Canada.  You can thank Levitt and gang for a lot of the ills of society.  The income gap, for example.  Remember the GINI index?  Let's not even go there.

Nation states are the most important players in the world.  Period.  Rumours of their death have been greatly exaggerated, to paraphrase Mark Twain.  Just consider the uselessness of the UN, for example.  Countries violate treaties they subscribed to, and then simply say fuck off to the UN.  Sure, I signed the UN Declaration of Human Rights, but if I violate it, what are you going to do about it?  Invade me?  I'd like to see you try!  Oh, you want to try my officials in the International Court of Justice, sorry, but I don't recognize your jurisdiction.  Seriously, as Mao once said, power is derived from the barrel of the gun.  Indeed.  Might, unfortunately, is right in the real world.

Yeah, nation states don't matter until they matter.  Borderless worlds indeed.  Remember that big debacle about a new NAFTA last year?  Most of you ain't old enough to actually remember the whole point of NAFTA back when Reagan/Bush and Mulroney signed it.  The idea was we would eventually be like the EU (sorta, though not completely).  Like hell.  That ideal, my friends, was as much PR as was driven by shitheads like Levitt and company.  Globalization was the way of the future, after all.  The whole world was going to dance to it.  Only when they don't.

 

A bit of News, plus "Fighting Received Wisdom"

Well, my friends.  I have finally made a decision about next year, and officially accepted the offer to pursue the MA in Sociology starting this coming Fall.  I don't have much more detail than this for now.  Maybe once the powers-that-be processed my acceptance, I will hear more from them regarding logistics and so on.

My sense is that the Fall will be online once again.  I just don't see this Covid shit stopping in its tracks.  Perhaps we will all get vaccinated by then (I think I am tentatively getting mine some time June-July, but who knows).  But even then, who's to say it will do the trick?  UOttawa has announced that summer school will be 100% online.  I think they will play it safe and do the same for the Fall.  We shall see.

Not for it, of course.  This online shit is getting on my nerves.  I think learning suffers, and there's no replacing in-person classes (assuming the prof is not a total ass or an absolute bore).  Such is life, eh?  Again, look at the bright side, I suppose.

*********************************************

I was watching a video about this particular group of people who speak "Piraha."  It's only spoken by 400 people or so.  It will probably die away in a few decades.  Sadly.  But what's interesting is that these folks can whistle the language to each other.  They can hum the language.  They can also speak it in the normal way.  Pretty cool, eh?  Also, they have no numbers.  No past or future tense.  And a lot of these interesting stuff.

Here's the link to the video if you are interested.

 

It's really cool.  But you know, the reason I share this is not that it's interesting.  The researcher who "discovered" this language also challenged one of the linguistic universals.  

 You may have heard of Noam Chomsky.  Well, he's a god in linguistics, and many have staked their whole careers on everything he says.  Anyway, one of his universals (i.e. every language has this) is that languages have recursions.  By recursion, think: "I feel that he feels that I feel that he feels that I feel that he feels that I feel that he is a shit."  Got it? 

OK.  Well, according to the research in the video, this Piraha language has NO recursion.  Thus, recursion is NOT a universal!

OMG, alarm bells ring everywhere.  Someone is challenging Chomsky!  How impertinent!  And they all ganged up on this researcher (Dan), badmouthed him, and even managed to get the authorities to ban him from visiting the tribe again! What a bunch of god damn motherfuckers!

You know, though, that these things happen.  It's just human nature.  Many moons ago, when doing my doctoral dissertation, I had data to show that the conventional way marketers measure ethnic identity was bogus.  As in unreliable and thus invalid.  Wrote papers about it and all that.  Guess what?  It has NEVER EVER been picked up and pursued or even mentioned by anyone!  Why?  The guy I said was wrong was a big name dude from a big name school who published regularly in big name journals.  You got the picture?  I was in fact lucky no one trashed my work!  Maybe they took one look at me and said, let's not piss him off.  Who knows.

The moral of the story?  If you dare to rock the boat, be prepared to deal with the shit that will come your way.  People are just assholes, plain and simple.

The Pragmatic Sort

Before I get into the main topic of my post today, I want to let you know that this afternoon I sent in my registration for graduation this spring.  Hurray!  Assuming I pass everything, I'll be receiving my fourth degree in May/June :)

Now, for the main feature.

This post is about Indigenous rights in Canada.  So if you are not interested, don't read on.  And if you do, be forewarned that I might very well offend your sensibilities.  But you know that I do have a habit of offending people with things I say.  And I don't fucking care.  Anyway, here goes.

I don't know enough about the US situation to comment, so my post is restricted to what's happening in Canada.  One of the things I've learned is that the First Nations here were never conquered.  No 7th Cav charging the Reserves, that sort of thing.  What happened was that the Brits and the French actually signed treaties with sovereign First Nations people, on a nation to nation basis.  And then went back on their words.  Furthermore, much of the land was not even covered by said treaties.  And in the last couple hundred years, Indigenous peoples have suffered greatly, and so on.  So, that's the background.

Personally I think that's really nasty, and some kind of reparation should be made, and the First Nations should be recognized their due status, and so on and so forth.  But what irritates me to no end is all these bleeding hearts in Canada for whom the only thing is life is to bitch and moan about how Canada (and the British Crown before Canada was a thing) had been asshole evil.  Yes, I get that.  I agree.  Can we move on now?

Here's my pragmatic side coming in.  What is to be done?  I see no point just saying how bad things were.  Let's do something about it, eh?  Now, if you're not Canadian, you can be excused for whatever, because you have nothing at stake, right?  But if you're Canadian, are you talking from both sides of your mouth?  I shall elaborate.

So they want John A MacDonald (the first Prime Minister) demonized, because his quest to build Canada meant doing great harm to First Nations in a racist kind of way etc.  OK.  But what about the Canada he built.  Should we not, lest we be hypocrites, also give up everything we know about Canada?  I mean, seriously, the RIGHT thing to do is to leave the fucking place, and everyone who is not First Nations goes back to whatever hell hole they or their forefathers came from.  I mean it.  "This land is not OUR land.  It belonged to the First Nations."  So, let's put our money where our mouth is, and fucking get the hell out of Dodge.

No?  Don't want that?  It doesn't matter how many generations one's family has been here.  You are not fucking First Nations, and everyone you have is built on stolen land and shit.  What do you have to say about that?

Well, you know me, I also feel that extreme positions bring out the clarity of an argument.  A person who only trashes, but offers no solution to the issue, is a simple asshole expressing their opinion.  And opinions are like assholes.  Everybody has one.

Sort of like those who trash the government for not bringing in vaccines fast enough.  What the FUCK would you have done differently?

So back to the Indigenous question.  Instead of bitching about it, as if you meant business, why not come up with ways to deal with the problem?  What will make things right?  What can we afford to do?  Can we not have the parties meet and come up with a middle ground?  And get the thing dealt with once and for all?  Oh, and if one (as in a non-Indigenous person) says I'm not willing to give up ANYTHING, then well, that person has no fucking right to criticize the past.  But, hopefully, enough Canadians will acknowledge that a great wrong was done, and will want to make things right.  

The government likes to apologize and shit.  Fucking senseless.  A First Nation chief said in an interview, You keep asking for forgiveness.  I will forgive anyone who is stepping on my feet, as long as you remove them right away.  But if you keep stepping on me, how do I forgive you?

Instead of saying "sorry," find out from First Nations what should be done.  Find out from non-Indigenous Canadians what CAN be done.  Hire a bunch of business professors, who are not interested in mouthing off shit and never doing anything, have them try to help negotiate a meeting ground.  In a sincere way.  No rhetoric.  Just deal with the issue.

Now of course none of this matters to you if you aren't Canadian or don't care.  But I think the theme of my post is applicable to a whole spectrum of issues.  Too much bullshit rhetoric in this world.  Let's see action instead of constant complaining.  As most of you know by now, I am pretty left of centre.  But I am not an idealist.  Let's be pragmatic for a change.

Taking stock of my undergraduate adventure

 At this point, folks, I am leaning towards going for the MA.  That means that once I finish this current degree in spring, my undergraduate adventure is over for the time being.  Unless I change my mind, of course.

Thinking back, this last three years as an undergraduate has been fun.  Overall, I have enjoyed my experience at UOttawa.  I really like the school, as a matter of fact.  Academically, it's been both fun and challenging.  I seriously didn't expect to work as hard as I did.  But that's good, no?  Professors, well, I've had two that I absolutely detest.  One in the current semester, no less.  At the same time, I've had some very good ones.  Two in particular I really love.  As for the others, they were either "fine" or "pretty good."  So, in three years, I've only had two that I really really absolutely detest.  Pretty good odds, I'd say.  I wonder how your own previous experience was like, how you feel about your profs, and so on.

And the folks in administration at UOttawa are by and large very pleasant to deal with.  The people at the Faculty of Arts (where my degree is from) are super friendly.  And beyond my own faculty, everyone I've dealt with, from parking permit to building maintenance, to librarians, IT people, campus security, they have all been great people to deal with.  What more can I ask for?

No wonder Alex Trebek liked his alma mater so much that he gave $10 MM to the school!

If I had that kind of money, I would do the same.

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Enough of advertising for UOttawa.  I am just trying to find something positive to say in the middle of this fucking pandemic.  If you know the song "Alone Again, Naturally" you will know how I feel these days.  Many a times I have thought about the line about visiting a nearby tower.  If you don't know that song, well, Youtube it.  It's great.  And so fucking appropriate.

And that reminds me of the good old days when you had to pay to use the public toilets.  I remember what someone wrote on the wall of one of the stalls -- "Here I sit broken hearted.  Paid a dime, and only farted."

That is essentially the ethos of life these days...

Decisions, Decisions

 

 

Well, dear reader, I have a decision to make.  And soon.

I got word today that I have been admitted to the MA Sociology program.  Deadline to respond is March 2.  Earlier, if you recall, I have been admitted to a Bachelor of Social Sciences program as well.  Now it's decision time.  And I have less than a month to make it.

What to do... 

Would welcome any ideas you have!

Canal fully open for skating

Disclaimer:  I don't even skate, hahahahah

 

 

The canal finally looks to be fully open for skating.  On a snowy Sunday, where else is there to do?  You can see the Chateau Laurier (a hotel) in the distance.  Not as crowded as it used to be, due to social distance restrictions (there are actually officers on patrol to enforce the bylaw).

Welcome to the world's largest skating rink!

 They have finally opened the canal for skating!  Well, not all of it.  They typically set up about five miles of it for skating, with food stalls and stuff along the way.  I don't know if they will still have food stands this year, given Covid.  And there's about half a mile that they didn't open yet.  But I passed by the canal today, and sure enough people were skating on it.  In normal times, people who live along the canal would even skate to work downtown.  But, alas, these are different times.  Still...

That's a comfort station or something you see in the photo.  Do you see the clutter of trees in front of the building?  They are little pine trees in pots.  Pretty nice.  I think the red building on your left is a food stand, but I can't be sure.

Same thing from another angle.  Sorry, the sun was right in my eyes.  But you can see people skating along the canal.  I wonder how busy it gets on the weekends.  Skaters have to wear masks, and unless you are a family you have to keep at least six feet apart.  

With the weather supposed to warm up a bit the next few days, I wonder if the ice will still be thick enough for this.  The last few days we've had some -20-ish temperatures, so that's not an issue.  But with temperature expected to get all the way to just -3, I wonder if they will have to shut it down again.

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On a different subject, this is my fourth week of classes.  Not overly motivated this semester.  I guess all this online stuff and the lockdown etc. is finally getting to me.  But this is my last semester towards the degree, so this particular chapter will be over in a few months.

What will I do next?  Not sure yet.  I have applied to and been accepted into another undergrad program, this time in social sciences.  And I am still waiting to hear from the MA program to see if I get in.  I have till March to let the undergrad people whether I will enrol in the fall, so I will give the MA folks till end of the month, and then I'll make a decision.

This being my last semester, I just need to not let my semester average fall too low so as to graduate summa cum laude.  Pretty excited about that, really.  The first time around as an undergrad, I missed the cut and only got magna. So this will be a first, haha (Oh, grad school doesn't do the cum laude stuff).  Will keep you posted!

Still going out for walks, though when temps drop to -20 the going gets tough.  Actually had to wear longjohns and base layers to go out walking.  And of course after an hour or so I start to boil.  Not the most pleasant experience.  But with gyms closed (I am not sure I'd go even if they reopen), what else can one do?

Meanwhile, dear reader, be safe!  Let's hope this shit clears soon...

2021 Off to Another Anemic Start

Well, folks, here's a warm welcome to a new year.  I can only hope that 2021 won't be a rerun of 2020, or worse.  If the last few days is another gauge, however, I'm not holding my breath.

Adjacent to Ontario, the province of Quebec has just announced a curfew starting tonight.  No one is allowed outside their homes after 8 pm.  There are exceptions, such as those going to and from work, essential workers, etc.  But strangely enough, as only Quebec could muster, homeless people are not exempt from the curfew.  If you need a second to digest this....  Anyway, just exactly what does the province expect the homeless to do?  Across the river from Ottawa, in Gatineau, Quebec, homeless shelters are running at 95% capacity already.  So, are they now going to ticket homeless people who violate the curfew?  But then, it is Quebec, and nothing they do surprises me, however moronic.

Here in Ontario, we continue with our current lockdown at least till end of January, although there are hints that the lockdown may be extended.  Not that it seriously disrupts life.  I mean, I don't typically go eat at restaurants anyway, nor do I enjoy shopping at stores.  And I can do without the gym.  Apart from that, one can still get groceries, see doctors, go to drugstores, get takeout and delivery (if so choose), and walk around town any time one chooses.  No haircuts or beauty salons, though, so I image a lot of bad hair days in the province which will continue...  But then it's winter, so everyone's going around in toques and such anyway.

It's been a VERY mild winter for Ottawa.  The coldest we have gotten so far was around -15.  Today is a balmy -8.  I'm not complaining.  And I'm sure real winter will come back with a vengeance.  But if I need more proof of climate change....  Even Ottawa's famous Rideau Canal, which typically becomes one giant skating rink in winter, and people could skate to work etc. (the skatable part usually covers some 5 miles distance), has not been open so far because the ice isn't thick enough.  Maybe soon we will be going out in shorts and t-shirts in winter!

School starts in a couple of days for me.  All online again.  This is the last semester for the degree I'm working on.  With all that's been happening, I find myself a bit less enthusiastic than usual.  With just two days to go, I still can't seem to get settled on my exact course schedule.  Kept changing my mind about this course and that.  It doesn't help that most profs haven't yet posted their syllabi, which would have been a great help in gauging whether a particular course is right for me.  I remember how I used to post my syllabi months ahead.  But I guess that's not common.

I'm still waiting to see if the application for the MA in Sociology gets accepted.  I have been admitted for another undergrad degree at UOttawa, this time in the social sciences.  So if I get into the MA, I will have to make up my mind.  Well, I'll deal with that when the time comes.

I hope, dear reader, that the new year finds you well and healthy.  I hope that this will be a much much much better year than last, for all of us.  If hope can influence reality, we will all be having a remarkable time in 2021.  Let's keep those positive vibes coming!

Meanwhile, stay positive, and stay healthy.  Remember, no matter how bad things are, they can always be worse.  

HAPPY NEW YEAR!