Manhole Covers

Well, perhaps manhole is not right word these days, but that's the term I grew up with.  Anyway, on my walk today I noticed how different manhole covers have different looks.  And for want of something more interesting to share with you, I thought I'd give you a glimpse of an underappreciated aspect of Ottawa -- its manhole cover designs.

Here goes.  You can guess what each one is for, so I will just let the pictures speak for themselves!

See what your city/town does on its manhole covers.  They tell quite an interesting tale, I think.

Till next time!

There's Nothing New in the World

Yesterday one of the major internet/wireless providers in Canada had a massive outage that lasted most of the day.  Tens of millions went without cell/internet service, and multiple companies, including some banks and government agencies, came to a halt.  This even got reported on BBC and NPR, so I guess it's a really big thing.

But in the overall scheme of things, it's just another one of those "shit happens" things in life, ain't it?

As Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet:

For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
The oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely,
The pangs of despised love, the law’s delay,
The insolence of office and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,

Indeed, if you consider the context, the shit that happened everyday was so much worse 400 years ago in Shakespeare's time.   Yet people lived and moved on.  They probably had different expressions for it, but essentially it comes back to "shit happens," no?

And face it, this type of thing is all around us.  One minute you are doing your thing, and next thing Russian bombs and missiles fall on you just to satisfy fucking Putin's fantasy of rebuilding the Russian Empire.

One moment you are chilling on the beach, and next thing a tsunami brings to an end everything you know and love.

Or, closer to home, one day you were living a regular day, and next thing you know the killjoy that is Covid stopped the music.

When the internet/cell outage happened, I recalled that scene in Stephen King's The Mist, when power was out and no technology worked and people had no idea what to do anymore.  Those who live by the sword, I guess, die by the sword.  Last night we went out to dinner.  The restaurant's payment system was down due to the wireless debacle.  They found this old credit card machine.  You remember the old days when they mechanically slide this gadget across your credit card and give you a carbon copy?  Like in the 70s and 80s.  Haha.  What a blast from the past!  But they couldn't figure out how to use it!  So they had to manually copy down all the credit card information from each customer, and actually write out the amount etc.  Oh what fun.  Especially when people tried to figure out how much to tip, or when they wanted to split the bill!  There is a reason why we learn arithmetic.  Fucking A.

And of course so much for a cashless society.  Stopped at a gas station, and they had a sign up, CASH ONLY.  A lot of people don't even carry $5 cash on them.  And, haha, bank machines didn't work either!

Instead, why not take it as a chance to live without the fucking cell for a day.  Detox from the shit.  We don't really to be surgically attached to the phone all day long, no?

Interesting, this attachment to and fascination with new technology is nothing else, notwithstanding each generation's fervent belief that THEIR technological advancement is the only marvel.   Some 600 years ago, noted Samuel Pepys in his famous diary, when watches first came to being, he could not stop checking his watch ALL DAY LONG.  Prior to that, of course, people didn't really care what time it was.  But once the watch was invented, telling time became a "necessity."  But is it really?  Is the cell really a necessity?  You be the judge.

Or, if it's this bad, killing oneself may help, though as Shakespeare also wrote,

But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscover’d country from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;

Yeah, things could be worse where you're headed.

All this is nothing new.  Step back and chill.  Life, as bad it is, goes on with or without you being happy.  So, to be or not to be?  Your choice.  Maybe better to just CARRY ON and DRINK SOME TEA.

SUMMER READING

I don't think I'm getting OLD, but some of my earliest memories is the mid-life crisis...

 

Finally I have kind of settled into a summer routine.  Since I'm not taking courses in the summer, I'm doing my usual edX online courses (which I audit) for fun.  And, again, decide to start a summer reading plan.  Now, I KNOW for sure I won't get to complete the list this summer, but it doesn't hurt to have an ambitious plan nonetheless.  Are you interested to know what the list is?

Here we go:

Re-read 1984.  (done)

The Swerve: how the world became modern, by Stephen Greenblatt.  (done)

The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve, by Stephen Greenblatt.  (done)

Marvelous Possessions, by Stephen Greenblatt.  (just starting)

(btw, do you get a sense that I am big Greenblatt fan?)

Around the World in 80 Books, by David Damrosch.

Lectures on Shakespeare, by W. H. Auden.

The Age of Anxiety, by W. H. Auden.

Dishonesty is the Second Best Policy, by David Mitchell.

Klara and the Sun, by Kazuo Ishiguro.

Let's see how many I get done by summer's end.  Not even half, that would be my guess...

And what about you, dear reader.  What are you up to this summer?  Wanna share your plans?

Decision Made

For a while now I've been agonizing over the question of whether to stay in the MA program or to switch to the law program.  Well, I've now filed the paperwork to officially withdraw from the MA, so in the fall I will be enrolled in the law program.

What finally decided the issue?

As I've told you before, there's a paucity of course offerings in the summer (and I am technically required to stay enrolled in every semester).  So I registered for a course on Social Change.  Unfortunately it's taught by a prof I had as an undergrad, and I found him wanting.  It doesn't seem appropriate that I take another class with him.  After all, I am doing this for fun, and that guy is quite unacceptable.

But I still waited, hoping perhaps that the course offerings for next school year would be better.  The courses came out a couple of days ago, and they are the same offerings as this past year, taught by the same people.  So the good ones I already took, and the others were ones I didn't like or ones I dropped.  There's no point staying, is there?

I filed the paperwork this morning.

To clarify, I am not enrolling in law school.  No point in that either, since I am really interested in the technicalities of law.  This certificate in law program is a part time program, so I can just take one class at a time.  And the courses include a great many that are from a socio-historical perspective.  Just the sort of thing I get a kick out of.  Imagine a social science approach to legal matters.  As an added bonus, I can also enrol in other undergrad classes as long as I have the pre-reqs.  These non-law classes won't count towards the certificate, but that's ok.  And oh yes, the certificate is counted as an undergrad program.  Even the JD program is not considered a graduate program in Canada.  Only JDs who choose to teach consider themselves as having graduate degrees.  Wrongly so, but that's another story.  Sorry, Captain!

By the same token, MDs are not considered graduate degrees in Canada either.  So there.

So thanks for bearing with me as I agonized over the decision.  Now onwards to a different chapter.  Guess I should change the title of this blog back to Chunski's Undergraduate Adventures!

I should say, quite without any kind of humility, that I did manage to squeeze three A+ in the three MA courses that I did take. Haha.  For whatever that's worth.

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Bought a proper dutch oven the other day.  Finally gave in.  Pretty cool though.  Made a beef short rib dish with it, and then baked a loaf of bread as well.  Very versatile.  And so nice-looking.  Got a sky-blue one.  Just to brighten things up as we now head into summer.

If you enjoy cooking, and don't own one, I highly recommend it.  Get a real one though, not those lookalike things.  I got a Staub.  Very nice.  Built like a tank.  Not a Russian tank, hopefully.

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Till next time!

Goose and Gander

Apparently Ukraine sent a couple of helicopters and bombed an oil depot inside Russia.  Now Russia is accusing Ukraine of this, and warns that this may impact negotiations with Ukraine.

What's good for the goose is good for the gander, no?  

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I didn't follow the Oscars, but even I know about the slap that Will Smith administered on Chris Rock.

I'm actually surprised it's only a slap.  Which begs the question, what would I have done under the circumstances, had I been in Smith's shoes.  What would YOU have done, dear reader?

Toxic masculinity and all that.  I get that.  It's easy to say how wrong it is to physically attack another person.  I don't disagree.  But are there no circumstances under which that may be at least understandable?

So the question remains, what would I have done?  No, I won't call myself a peace loving man who is a pacifist and all that.  I do believe sometimes brute force is needed.  But what "times"?  When someone makes a joke in public about your wife's health condition, is that reason enough?  Or does that someone has to come over and do something physical first?

So let's alter the question a bit.  What if Rock had gone over and say, "brushed" the wife's head.  Does that justify action by Smith?

Or to go further, what if Rock had gone over and pretended to be shaving her head?  What then?

I guess my question is, where does one draw the line?  In fact, I'm sure that even if Rock had physically gone over and did something physical, and Smith slapped him, there will still be outcry over Smith's reaction.  Such is the PC world in which we live.

Am I on Smith's side?  I don't know.  But I do know that if I were to act, I would not have just slapped him.

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Some Schools Build Gyms

Spring is here.  I hope it stays a while and not let winter creep back in any time soon.  For my walk today, I decided to take a detour and go to the site of uOttawa's second campus, also where the football field is.  It's called Lees Campus, since it's located a few miles away from the main campus and is located on Lees Avenue.  Part of it is now a big construction site.

Well, some schools build gyms.  Others build academic buildings.  Here is the future home of uOttawa's Faculty of Health Sciences.  It's going to be a LEED Platinum building, so should be quite neat and sustainable as well.  Will it get done before I am done with school here?  Probably, at the rate I am going, haha.

I will post more updates as to progress as I go by over time.

So, Social Science has a new building.  Business has one, which is also where History is.  Engineering has one.  STEMS has its own.  Law has its own building, which is not new but not too old.  Medical school has its own at the Ottawa Hospital.  Which makes me wonder when they will get around to constructing a new one for Arts!  As a graduate of the Faculty of Arts, I would like that very much.  Currently Faculty of Arts is housed is several buildings, all old, apart from History.  It's time we had a glorious new home!!!  I'll even contribute $50 to it!  Hey, I am a poor retiree!

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Waiting to find out what courses are offered in the summer/spring term.  I will have to decide before April 1 whether to continue in the MA or switch to the certificate in law.  Decisions, decisions.

Well, these are minor problems, eh?  I remember a while back, when I was still teaching, and students were complaining about stuff, I used to say, "be thankful you're not in Syria."

Now, be thankful I'm not in Ukraine.  I passed by the Russian Embassy yesterday evening, and even at that late hours there were protestors outside waving the Ukrainian flag and lambasting Putin.  What the fuck is the matter with that asshole.  Doesn't the world have enough misery already, what with Covid and shit like that.  

Back in the 40s and 50s, the US should have listened to MacArthur and Patton.  Alas...

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I'll leave you with this which I heard today.

I used to date an optician.

When I told her I couldn't see her anymore, she moved closer and said, "Is this better?"

Stay healthy.

Maybe a bit esoteric

As one does in school, one reads a lot of academic papers, and particularly in a graduate program.  It's actually very hard for me, because I can't resist engaging with the articles as if I were a reviewer.  So much of what I read I find frustrating, and I often wonder how journal reviewers and editors let some of these papers get published.

Personally I think making higher education more accessible is full of good intentions.  But the execution is not well-thought out.  When the global North decided to widen access to higher education, it created wider demand for faculty.  Where would they come from?  Consequently many more PhDs were minted, many by schools that have no business granting doctorates.  But as you may guess, some of these accreditation bodies are a joke.  All they care is that the Ts are crossed and the Is are dotted.  And long-winded essays are written in some obtuse fashion so as to prove the school's worth.

Anyway, as far as I'm concerned, many so-called PhDs give fellow doctorate holders a bad name.  I mean, seriously, if one can get a PhD in three years, and one is nowhere near a genius, well....  If dear reader, you are one of those, let's just assume you are a genius.

Take research.  I am simply amazed that even in the 21st century, so many published articles still report only alphas on their instruments.  We have known since the 70s that demonstrating reliability isn't enough.  If a measure is not valid, it's bullshit.  And a measure can be reliable but not valid.  A study that only reports reliability means absolutely zilch.  I would have thought that today editors and reviewers would have totally DEMANDED validity data.  But oh no.  WTF.

And I was reading this article, and they reported all this statistics etc.  Only then I notice that despite all that so-called statistical significance and elaborate math, the R-squared reported was, get this, 0.07.  No shit.  Their fucking elaborate model is able to explain 7% of the variance.  A monkey throwing darts can do better.  And it's published.  And morons reading these things will just take note of the idea that A and B contribute to C, and so on, and miss the fact the model does fuck all.

In another article, the researchers report on a pretty massive quantitative study involving more than 500 subjects.  These subjects were videotaped and different observers watched the tape and coded the behaviours.  The article reports inter-rater reliability (i.e. whether different observers report the same thing) at 15-20%!  Fuck!  Two monkey throwing darts would give you 50% agreement!  And it gets published.

What the fuck were the reviewers doing?

Now for something that I simply HATE.  Why do people not use the Oxford comma anymore?  In what fucking way is it better to say blue, green, red and white, than to say, blue, green, red, and white?  Why do we need to give the possible confusion that "red and white" is one item?

It's just me.

I guess aspiring academic writers are glad that I am no longer reviewing papers.

Specious Arguments

If I were still teaching, this passing conversation I had with a neighbour would be a great example to use in class.

I was walking down the stairs, and a neighbour was coming up.  Said hi to him, as one does.  "How's it going?" I asked, not really wanting a dialogue.  He stopped.  Now that's  a bad sign.  I know he likes to talk....  Oh well, I made my bed, so I guess I had to sleep in it.

I can't repeat the whole conversation.  For one thing, I didn't record the thing, so I don't have a transcript.  And another, it would take five days of blog entry to encompass all that.  But here's some highlights.

"You know this situation in the Ukraine," he started.  "I follow these geo-political things," he continued, as though it somehow affords him some kind of authority in the matter.  "Russia is Russia," he explained.  Whatever that means.  "Biggest country in the world, and 150 million people.  4,000 nukes."

I'd be real impressed if I were born yesterday, but okay.  Then he muttered something else (He's from Quebec, so most of the time I have no clue what he's talking about.  In Quebec they don't speak French French, and they don't speak actual English either.  Well, you know how I feel about Quebec.  Conquered people, so shut the fuck up).  Anyway, I "think" the idea is that the world should just accept that Russia will take Ukraine and leave it at that.

"Their Foreign Minister," he went on, "is very smart.  Knows his stuff.  When a reporter asked a question in French, he replied in fluent French!"  Okay, so the guy speaks French, is that supposed to give him some magical power?  Does the fact that he speaks French mean something?  Well, yeah, it means he speaks French.  So, pardon my French, who the fuck cares?

"And their Finance Minister," the neighbour found his groove now, "has a PhD from Oxford."

Excuse me, what the fuck does that have to do with Ukraine?  Or anything, for that matter?  I don't have any statistics, but I am sure there are many Oxford PhDs out there, and I'm sure a fair number of them are morons too.  Just like I'm sure there's a fair number of smart people from Quebec.

And then suddenly, he changed the subject to the truckers protesting in the city.  "If the trucks don't work, we will have no food," he said.  Does it matter that fewer than 10% of truckers are actually affected, and every single trucking group has come up and denounced the protest?  "This government is stupid," he said (or something to that effect).

"I know what his father was like, too," he continued.  Okay, now, any Canadian who knows anything about government knows Justin Trudeau's father, he being one of the longest serving Prime Ministers, and the one who brought the Constitution back to the country.  And the one who faced down the fucking Quebec terrorists called the FLQ (who kidnapped a British official and put bombs in public places).  See some Frenchies never forget THAT.  How dare a PM, who was from Quebec, impose martial law on the province.  So what if it's under domestic terrorist attack!  Anyway, so I guess you know where I stand.

But back to our conversation (actually more like a monologue).  "I know about his father," he reminded me.  Well, here's the thing, any Canadian over the age of say, 45, would have been around when he was Prime Minister.  So knowing about Pierre Trudeau is like saying I've watched hockey.  Duh!

"Yeah, so do I," I finally said.  "I even voted for him.  And for Justin as well!"

He looked surprised.  Was he surprised I actually know Canadian politics?  Or surprised that I voted Liberal in every single fucking election?

In for the kill.  I continued,  "And I think NATO should send troops to Ukraine.  And the US should freeze Russian assets.  Yeah they are a big country with lots of bombs.  They also have an economy smaller than Canada's.  But that's just my opinion."  I chuckled, and said, "and you know, opinions are like assholes, everybody has one."

I will let you think about why I said this conversation would have been a great example for class.  How best to avoid stupid logic, aka, specious arguments.  If any one of you teaches, feel free to adopt this example.  No copyright.  Haha.

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On an unrelated note, I have decided to drop the ethnic class.  As one of my readers (thanks, Mr. Tightend) said, "the prof is an idiot."  I agree.  Let's not waste time with him.

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Well. it's an absolutely balmy day with a forecast of -15 at noon.  Perfect day for a nice walk.  I hope the truck protestors froze to death last night when it hit -30.  Good riddance.

Don't Believe It

Typically, a person who lives in a cold place (e.g. Ottawa) says to someone from a warmer climate (e.g. Miami), "don't worry, you'll get used to it," and then adds condescendingly, "in time."

Don't believe them.

Sure, you can wear 45 layers of clothing and go outside looking like the Michelin Man.  Hell, if you wear enough layers of t-shirts you'll be warm enough too.  But that's not the point, is it?  Shit, if you can't function "normally" (whatever that means), then you're not fucking "used to it."

I continue my walks.  But in the winter I just can't go as far or for as long as I would in the summer.  It's either too damn cold, when the wind cutting right through your hoodie and then your toque, and on through your skin into your brain, it's a bit much.  Or you're wearing insulated boots and heavy wool socks, and after a couple of hours you feel your toes freezing, it's a bit much.  Or if you feel the arctic freeze through your winter coat, your sweat shirt, your scarf, and your merino wool base layer, it's a bit much.  And I am only talking about days when it's only -20.  When it gets to -30 and beyond, and that's not counting windchill, fuck, you wanna be back indoors.

Used to it my ass.

Of course it's all relative.  For someone from White Horse or Churchill, Ottawa weather is downright tropical.  But for someone whose coldest home had been Toronto and Green Bay, this Ottawa winter shit is, well, as cold as Putin's blood.  And this is now my fourth winter here.  Hell no, I ain't NEVER gonna get used to this.

And when will summer come?  Hell, May?  It'd be so nice to go out in shorts and t-shirt again...

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As you know I am down to two courses now.  One (Lifecourse) I am okay with.  I'd give it a 7 out of 10.  The other, on inter-ethnic relations, is not as palatable.  I'd say a 5 out of 10 at best.  Every time I do the readings or the assignments for this second course, I keep telling myself to drop the fucker.  It doesn't help that the prof is hopeless (useless?) as a teacher.  Shit, we are down to three students in the class now.  Everyone dropped out.  Last Tuesday I was scheduled to do a presentation.  He fucking forgot.  I had to remind him, by which time he had talked about half of what I was going to say.  What nonsense.  I had thought that, well, ethnic identity stuff is my cup of tea, so at least I should get a kick out of the subject matter.  No such luck.  The way the course is structured, it reifies ethnicity to the point where everything is ethnic.  I guess if all you have is an ethnic hammer, there's ethnic nails everywhere.

I'll give you an example.  One of the readings for the coming week has to do with ethnic representation in the Canadian parliament.  You know, the % of this group and that group.  And how that changes from year to year, etc etc, and how that doesn't mesh with the % of ethnic minorities in the population.

Consider that for a moment.

Why, oh why, should it matter?  I have voted in every fucking single general election that I was eligible for.  That's going on 35 years.  I have never had cause to vote for anyone based on their ethnicity, self-ascribed or not.  Yet I have never felt that the MP is not reflecting my interests BECAUSE of ethnicity.  Is it just me?  Why the fuck would my interests be isomorphic with my ethnicity?  Or that of my MP?

And since when is ethnicity fixed?  It's situational, dynamic, negotiated, and subjective.  And this is a sociology course.  This being the case, why does the course presume an unchanging and fixed ethnicity, or that it matters all the time?

And if you know me, you know it fucking never matters to me.  The only thing Chinese about me is that my parents were born in China.  Am I the only one who feels this way?

The more I write about this, the more I wanna drop the fucking course.  Maybe I should stop complaining.  I mean, things could be worse.  This could well be a fucking gender studies class....

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So a bunch of fucking moron trucker are protesting in Ottawa against a vaccine mandate.  Basically, the US and Canada both instituted vaccine mandates for cross-border truckers.  In other words, you cannot truck across the border unless you are vaccinated.

These truckers (apparently about 10% of truckers) don't want to get vaccinated, and couch it as an infringement of their rights via regulations.  Yep, damn right it is.  Just as it is an infringement of my right to force me stop at a red light.  Or "pretend" to drive at the speed limit on the highway.  Or to even have a fucking license!  But less frivolously, the trucking industry is always heavily regulated.  How many hours you can drive.  What sort of health checks you must have.  And so on and so forth.  So it's not like this is anything new.  Hell, I respect anyone's right not to get vaccinated.  Just like I respect anyone's  right not to pay taxes.  But every action we take has consequences.  Live with it.

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Someone said, you should look after your health.  Why?  Being healthy just means it takes you longer to die.

Welcome 2022!

It's a bit late, I know.  But hey, better late than never, eh?  So here's a Happy New Year wish to all you faithful readers who miraculously have stayed with the blog for so long!  Thank you, and I hope 2022 will be a much better year than the one prior.

I am writing this in the morning, when it's so frigid cold outside that I am in hurry to dash out for my walk.   Not that it's unusually cold for Ottawa.  Just the typical -20 Winter day in the capital.  Haha.  There IS a reason why people invented thermal underwear.  Sunny skies today, which usually means fucking cold.  And at least today this holds up.  Think I will just go for a short little walk today, like an hour and a half maybe, lest I turn into an icicle.

A new year also brings a new semester, my second in the MA program.  This semester looks worse than the previous one due to a paucity of appealing courses to take.  I am officially enrolled in five, but due to various reasons (e.g.  I don't like the prof, I don't like the contents, I don't like the timing, etc. etc.) there is only ONE that I actually am semi-interested to take.  Bummer, eh?  To make things worse, this semester there are only 6 English MA level sociology courses available (I am registered in five of them), two of which still list "staff" as the instructor.  So likely adjuncts who get dragged into it last minute.  AKA gonna suck.

The way it looks, I might end up dropping all but one.  Yeah, this puts me way behind schedule, but I don't think I will finish this degree.  As it turns out, uOttawa sociology is (1) very theoretical, (2) very radical and revisionist, and (3) very French.  This latter point means there are lots of courses in French, and not as many in English.  I think I will be hard pressed to only take courses I am interested in and still have enough credits to graduate.  Just won't happen.

And that brings to mind why I am doing this.  To have fun.  Well, I won't have fun taking courses I don't enjoy, right?  Not like I need the degree.  Already have four, thank you very much.  So, once my full-ride is over after the three semesters, I will just withdraw from the program and begin something else in the fall.  We shall see.

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Ontario is under a semi-lockdown again.  Indoor dining is closed.  Gyms are closed.  But it's not a full lockdown like we had before.  So it's still not too bad.  This omicron shit is pretty wild.  You know, though, that as long as the First World countries keep all the vaccines to themselves, leaving Third World countries to their own devices (or to use stupid Russian and Chinese vaccines) there will continue to be variants and shit like that.  And we will all end up getting "boosters" every other month till we all become addicts.

And when I say First World and Third World, I am using the terms as they were originally coined, not the bastardized version to mean rich and poor etc.  So don't start cursing me for not being politically correct.  And no, don't get me started on that either.

And on the subject of Covid, what do you make of that tennis player who is being kicked out of Australia?  I know celebrities have egos the size of Texas, but this to me is a case of just being tone deaf.   You may be able to get around the law, but at least have the common sense not to flaunt it.  Prima Donnas will be prima donnas though.

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School starts Monday.  I will let you know how things go, and how many of the five courses I end up keeping (maybe none, haha).  Meanwhile, stay safe.  Live long and prosper!  And Happy New Year!

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?