Saturday, November 19, 2005
Today's "religion": The Jehovahs
WTF???
Here's what I don't get: why we still bother to be polite to them. I even was, about 10 minutes ago. Perhaps because they appear to be fine, upstanding young men or children and they seem so polished and friendly, and here I am in my sweats, hair a mess and doing laundry.
(ok I know he's a mormon in Orgazmo - but the door to door thing still applies)
The problem is this solicitation of religion.
IT IS OFFENSIVE TO EVERYONE ELSE!!!!
WHY? Because we're NOT ignorant idiots!
"Have you heard of Jesus?"
Does anyone actually say "no - but he sounds like a cool guy - do tell!"
This is what I wish I could say:
them: "Hi how are you today? We just woke you up on your weekend off to talk about The Latter day saints"
me: "you both look like tools in those suits."
them: "Do you want one of our books?"
me: "Do you realize that a TREE died for that thing? MURDERERS!"
them: "Would you like to come to church with us?"
me: "No I'm planning to be hungover. Good-day to you."
Honestly guys, believing in something is fine. Door to door solicitation has made your "religion" the laughing stock of all people like me. It makes it CHEAP and EASY.
Maybe I should tell them I'm a Scientologist. That would scare the pants off of ANYONE.
Here's what I don't get: why we still bother to be polite to them. I even was, about 10 minutes ago. Perhaps because they appear to be fine, upstanding young men or children and they seem so polished and friendly, and here I am in my sweats, hair a mess and doing laundry.
(ok I know he's a mormon in Orgazmo - but the door to door thing still applies)
The problem is this solicitation of religion.
IT IS OFFENSIVE TO EVERYONE ELSE!!!!
WHY? Because we're NOT ignorant idiots!
"Have you heard of Jesus?"
Does anyone actually say "no - but he sounds like a cool guy - do tell!"
This is what I wish I could say:
them: "Hi how are you today? We just woke you up on your weekend off to talk about The Latter day saints"
me: "you both look like tools in those suits."
them: "Do you want one of our books?"
me: "Do you realize that a TREE died for that thing? MURDERERS!"
them: "Would you like to come to church with us?"
me: "No I'm planning to be hungover. Good-day to you."
Honestly guys, believing in something is fine. Door to door solicitation has made your "religion" the laughing stock of all people like me. It makes it CHEAP and EASY.
Maybe I should tell them I'm a Scientologist. That would scare the pants off of ANYONE.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Scientology
I'm becoming a Scientologist.
The plan is, we're gonna infiltrate all the scary religions/cults in the world, and pretend to get all hooked-like, and then GO PUBLIC with everything!! muahaha!
...scary.
Why can't we talk and NOT drink??
Overall, my presentation went allright yesterday although I was a bit nervous visibly. Got good marks overall, except by the jerkhole main organizer of the seminars - who marked us pretty harshly, especially compared to the crap-ass poor presentations given by others!! Doesn't matter otherwise though, it's a pass or fail class, and it's done!
Our lab meeting went OK too. I found out that I need to apply to present at the Grad Student General Research Conference on my birthday. (yay??) I figure I can ham it up and make jokes during my speech. Why not have some fun? After our meeting, a couple of us stuck around the Grad house for a few pints.
I discovered Picaroons Winter Warmer, which is 9% alcohol, but still tastes like normal beer! You can't get it outside of NB, HAHA! Afterwards, headed to the Snooty Fox where four of us ordered a bunch of appetizers and ate them ALL! It was sooo tasty!
And Lost - honestly, not impressed. They're LOSING ME as an audience member! LOST IS LOSING ME. (OK not funny, I know...)But really, they already have a ton of characters; more are not required!
Today was a quiet day, and even research methods, our normally stressful discussion class, wasn't too bad!
We're supposed to be going to a Johnny Cash tribute band tonight but a lot of us are tired. We'll see what happens...
Our lab meeting went OK too. I found out that I need to apply to present at the Grad Student General Research Conference on my birthday. (yay??) I figure I can ham it up and make jokes during my speech. Why not have some fun? After our meeting, a couple of us stuck around the Grad house for a few pints.
I discovered Picaroons Winter Warmer, which is 9% alcohol, but still tastes like normal beer! You can't get it outside of NB, HAHA! Afterwards, headed to the Snooty Fox where four of us ordered a bunch of appetizers and ate them ALL! It was sooo tasty!
And Lost - honestly, not impressed. They're LOSING ME as an audience member! LOST IS LOSING ME. (OK not funny, I know...)But really, they already have a ton of characters; more are not required!
Today was a quiet day, and even research methods, our normally stressful discussion class, wasn't too bad!
We're supposed to be going to a Johnny Cash tribute band tonight but a lot of us are tired. We'll see what happens...
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
augh
I woke up with a bad headache this morning - so I took some advil and went back to sleep for a few hours. Not sure why - it was very weird. I always feel bad going in late, but I know if I had leapt out of bed and headed to school I wouldn't have shaken the headache for days. (I can't encourage it - and it's always visually triggered, in my case).
Just having my coffee (I'm aware of the irony) before I head in to school. I'm a bit nervous about my seminar, in part because I'm dressed so professionally (it's necessary) and in part because of scary questions that will follow.
We're going to have a lab meeting after that. Should be fun - apparently the agenda today has one item: "beer". Yes!
Just having my coffee (I'm aware of the irony) before I head in to school. I'm a bit nervous about my seminar, in part because I'm dressed so professionally (it's necessary) and in part because of scary questions that will follow.
We're going to have a lab meeting after that. Should be fun - apparently the agenda today has one item: "beer". Yes!
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
not that I'm not enjoying myself...
...but I wish there was more time in the day. At least more "I'm awake" time. I can't physically forego sleep - it's just not an option.
Had a sweet day. At least once a week, our lab heads down to the Cellar, the campus bar, for lunch and beer. This happened today. Post-Cellar work usually means monotonous stuff, like examining foam traps. With the weather changing, I need to get my foam egg traps out onto the roof so they can get into diapause. Meaning - I need to work faster! boo for nature.
I also attended a fellow student's thesis defence today - it can be pretty intimidating, even if all the profs are rooting for you! The girl did quite well though! :)
Argh, tomorrow I have to give a seminar for my massive seminar class. It wouldn't be so bad if there weren't about 50 students who seem to know more about everything examining you. I'm not terribly worried though. It's pass or fail, and it's very rare that people fail. I still need to practise tonight though!
I'm also hoping to clean the kitchen and exercise a bit. Better get a move on!
Happy 50th birthday to my mom!! :D
Had a sweet day. At least once a week, our lab heads down to the Cellar, the campus bar, for lunch and beer. This happened today. Post-Cellar work usually means monotonous stuff, like examining foam traps. With the weather changing, I need to get my foam egg traps out onto the roof so they can get into diapause. Meaning - I need to work faster! boo for nature.
I also attended a fellow student's thesis defence today - it can be pretty intimidating, even if all the profs are rooting for you! The girl did quite well though! :)
Argh, tomorrow I have to give a seminar for my massive seminar class. It wouldn't be so bad if there weren't about 50 students who seem to know more about everything examining you. I'm not terribly worried though. It's pass or fail, and it's very rare that people fail. I still need to practise tonight though!
I'm also hoping to clean the kitchen and exercise a bit. Better get a move on!
Happy 50th birthday to my mom!! :D
Monday, November 14, 2005
new resolution...
Now playing - The Last of the Mohicans Soundtrack (Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman)
I resolve to update my blog somewhat more regularly. I'm aware that there are people out there who actually rely on this to know how my life is going - and I owe it to you all to actually keep it up to date. And also because it's fun.
My mom came for a long weekend to spend some much-needed time with me. I got to cook some delicacies for her, and we also went out for dinner to the blue door and also to Caribbean Flavas. Who said that Fredericton lacks style and culture? Both restaurants were delicious, although I have to say that the atmosphere in The Blue Door really was sweet. (Love that music on the Flavas website - I'm sort of dancing to it right now...)
I'm reading the novelization of Mutiny on the Bounty. I'm captivated by the descriptions of early Tahiti before "settlement". I need to get away, honestly. I'm sick of civilization again already - the field season has done little to quell my overall loathing of infrastructure and so many people.
Conversely, I'm looking forward to Christmas. What I want most are to see the lights downtown by the Rideau Centre - to drive by the throngs of holiday shoppers on the bus, and to take it all in. Then to get back to NB, back to the backcountry, back to the lack of bustle and people.
One thing I have discovered is a certain degree of relaxation here . We have work, deadlines and the same stressors as in undergraduate, but I don't feel stress in the same way. The attitude here is that we all have our things to do, and we are all capable of getting them done. Success, I think, is in finding a balance - being diligent enough to work, being confident in yourself enough to not get "stressed out", and being good enough to yourself to relax when you get a moment. Anything else in grad school isn't really acceptable. :)
Also, the lack of scary pre-meds helps. Everyone here does what they do because they want to be doing it. (That's not a personal dig to your med school preppies, it's a dig to the scary ones - you know, the ones who cry when they get 99.9 rather than 100).
Life is too short for anything but that. Anything except doing what you love, and finding almost an absurd peace and happiness.
I am so happy - and I am so lucky.
I resolve to update my blog somewhat more regularly. I'm aware that there are people out there who actually rely on this to know how my life is going - and I owe it to you all to actually keep it up to date. And also because it's fun.
My mom came for a long weekend to spend some much-needed time with me. I got to cook some delicacies for her, and we also went out for dinner to the blue door and also to Caribbean Flavas. Who said that Fredericton lacks style and culture? Both restaurants were delicious, although I have to say that the atmosphere in The Blue Door really was sweet. (Love that music on the Flavas website - I'm sort of dancing to it right now...)
I'm reading the novelization of Mutiny on the Bounty. I'm captivated by the descriptions of early Tahiti before "settlement". I need to get away, honestly. I'm sick of civilization again already - the field season has done little to quell my overall loathing of infrastructure and so many people.
Conversely, I'm looking forward to Christmas. What I want most are to see the lights downtown by the Rideau Centre - to drive by the throngs of holiday shoppers on the bus, and to take it all in. Then to get back to NB, back to the backcountry, back to the lack of bustle and people.
One thing I have discovered is a certain degree of relaxation here . We have work, deadlines and the same stressors as in undergraduate, but I don't feel stress in the same way. The attitude here is that we all have our things to do, and we are all capable of getting them done. Success, I think, is in finding a balance - being diligent enough to work, being confident in yourself enough to not get "stressed out", and being good enough to yourself to relax when you get a moment. Anything else in grad school isn't really acceptable. :)
Also, the lack of scary pre-meds helps. Everyone here does what they do because they want to be doing it. (That's not a personal dig to your med school preppies, it's a dig to the scary ones - you know, the ones who cry when they get 99.9 rather than 100).
Life is too short for anything but that. Anything except doing what you love, and finding almost an absurd peace and happiness.
I am so happy - and I am so lucky.
