Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Sometimes I hate this country.
I won't feel this way in about an hour or so, but it's days like this I just want to move to Canada.
Friday, September 26, 2008
I love doing Fast Food Nation homework at McDonald's.
ATTENTION CLASS: GOOGLE BOOKS HAS A FREE COPY OF FAST FOOD NATION AVAILABLE ONLINE. CLICKY CLICKY CLICKY
Ø What is your plan to get involved on campus? What are your interests? Will you or have you joined any student organizations? Which two events besides UNITED & Career Major Fair do you plan on attending?
I really don't have the time. I'd love to DJ at Radio X, but the time slots still available are in direct conflict with my class and work schedule :(, unless I want to DJ at 3-6AM on Tuesday morning before I have class from 8a-1p and work from 4p-11p. Yyyyyyyeeeeaaaahhhh.
I will be attending at least one NMU hockey game this winter, and we'll see what else I can attend. I am very surprised how few people were at United when I went (Tuesday afternoon).
Ø Fast Food Nation - Chapter 6:
Ø What are some of the problems facing cattle ranchers?
This question should be last, after all the other ones. I saved it for last, in fact.
The rancher endures not only the general economic turmoil the whole country is in, and not only what’s said below, but also the fact that the value of the beef is unknown – constantly in a state of flux, and dictated by the major corporations. Ofttimes the retail value of their product is so low that they can’t break even! Hence why so many go under.
Even worse, they can’t even sell their ranches to the big guns, because their ranches are all-in-one ranches/warehouses/slaughterhouses on huge complexes, staffed with illegal immigrants they don’t even have to pay!
There’s mention in the book of the beef industry being restructured, patterned after the chicken industry (in which those with the demand (McDonald’s, et al.) have the suppliers completely under their thumbs).
Ø What are “captive supplies” of cattle? (“The four major meatpacking companies now control about 20 percent of the live cattle in the U.S. through ‘captive supplies’” (138). (See also p. 142).
Large herds of cattle are kept in pens their entire lives, trodding on their own feces. To keep them from getting sick from stepping in poo and to encourage fattening, they're routinely given large quantities of antibiotics and hormones. Unfortunately for us, injecting these antibiotics by proxy (through our food) gives our body only partial immunity to numerous pathogens. Currently, I eat a decent amount of fast food, and I've been semi-sick for two months straight. There is a direct correlation.
Ø What was the impact of the Chicken McNugget on the poultry industry?
Anecdote: I can’t believe it took six months to research the freakin’ McNugget.
Tyson Foods was drafted in the late 70s to produce the McNugget, and actually created a special breed of chicken specifically for the production of McNuggets. OMG wow!
The advent of the McNugget inadvertently changed the entire poultry industry. Chickens were almost entirely sold whole prior to the 80s; now they are sold mostly in parts. In ’92 chicken surpassed beef as the most highly consumed food, and Tyson is now the largest producer of poultry in the world – but they don’t raise the chickens, they enlist “independent contractors” … meaning poor rural American farmers.
Ø How does the nutritional value of a McNugget compare to a hamburger?
(Source: http://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/bagamcmeal/nutrition_facts.html )
Hamburger (3.5oz):
• 250 calories
o 80 from fat
• 9g fat
o 3.5g saturated fat
o 0.5g trans fat
• 25mg cholesterol
• 520mg sodium
• 31g carbohydrates
o 2g dietary fiber
o 6g sugars
• 12g protein
• 0% Vitamin A
• 2% Vitamin C
• 10% Calcium
• 15% Iron
6pc McNugget (3.4oz):
o 280 calories
160 from fat
17g fat
3g saturated fat
0g trans fat
40mg cholesterol
600mg sodium
16g carbohydrates
0g dietary fiber
0g sugars
14g protein
0% Vitamin A
2% Vitamin C
2% Calcium
4% Iron
...I just ate 18 nuggets. LOL. I can feel my arteries clogging.
Ø How does the suicide rate for ranchers and farmers compare with the rate for U.S. citizens in general? Why?
Ranchers and farmers off themselves at a rate of three times the national average. McDonald's et al. buy beef from major meatpackers in such large quantities that the price of beef has gone so low that over a half a million ranchers have gone out of business. The high unemployment rate is stressful enough, but these people don't know any other way, having grown up on the farms since childhood, often forsaking even a complete high school education to master the cattle ranching trade; they literally have nothing else going for them. I'd consider offing myself too.
Ø Do you feel as if there is any healthy fast food available to consumers? If so, where and why? Give specific examples of products.. Please be honest and support your opinions. For example, I feel that Subway's Veggie Sub is extremely healthy due to its freshly-cut produce, cheese, and fresh-baked breads. I actually talked to a friend who works at Subway and he said in MQT, they slice their own produce. (My fear was that it arrived pre-sliced and filled with preservatives). It's not organic, but it's a start.
No, not really. But if you’re that conscientious about your health, you’re smart enough to avoid fast food anyway. There is no healthy fast food because the two completely negate each other – the whole point of fast food is quick, cheap and easy; healthy food is expensive (it has to be grown well, harvested ethically, shipped properly, prepared properly, and served properly – all these things are very time-consuming as well as money-consuming!)
Rock Togo’s subs, Toarmina’s pizza, and if you have to have fast food, rock the Beef-A-Roo! They’re supplied by Sysco (as are most real restaurants around town), the meat and produce are restaurant quality (a big step above fast food quality) and they’re owned locally.
Ø What is your plan to get involved on campus? What are your interests? Will you or have you joined any student organizations? Which two events besides UNITED & Career Major Fair do you plan on attending?
I really don't have the time. I'd love to DJ at Radio X, but the time slots still available are in direct conflict with my class and work schedule :(, unless I want to DJ at 3-6AM on Tuesday morning before I have class from 8a-1p and work from 4p-11p. Yyyyyyyeeeeaaaahhhh.
I will be attending at least one NMU hockey game this winter, and we'll see what else I can attend. I am very surprised how few people were at United when I went (Tuesday afternoon).
Ø Fast Food Nation - Chapter 6:
Ø What are some of the problems facing cattle ranchers?
This question should be last, after all the other ones. I saved it for last, in fact.
The rancher endures not only the general economic turmoil the whole country is in, and not only what’s said below, but also the fact that the value of the beef is unknown – constantly in a state of flux, and dictated by the major corporations. Ofttimes the retail value of their product is so low that they can’t break even! Hence why so many go under.
Even worse, they can’t even sell their ranches to the big guns, because their ranches are all-in-one ranches/warehouses/slaughterhouses on huge complexes, staffed with illegal immigrants they don’t even have to pay!
There’s mention in the book of the beef industry being restructured, patterned after the chicken industry (in which those with the demand (McDonald’s, et al.) have the suppliers completely under their thumbs).
Ø What are “captive supplies” of cattle? (“The four major meatpacking companies now control about 20 percent of the live cattle in the U.S. through ‘captive supplies’” (138). (See also p. 142).
Large herds of cattle are kept in pens their entire lives, trodding on their own feces. To keep them from getting sick from stepping in poo and to encourage fattening, they're routinely given large quantities of antibiotics and hormones. Unfortunately for us, injecting these antibiotics by proxy (through our food) gives our body only partial immunity to numerous pathogens. Currently, I eat a decent amount of fast food, and I've been semi-sick for two months straight. There is a direct correlation.
Ø What was the impact of the Chicken McNugget on the poultry industry?
Anecdote: I can’t believe it took six months to research the freakin’ McNugget.
Tyson Foods was drafted in the late 70s to produce the McNugget, and actually created a special breed of chicken specifically for the production of McNuggets. OMG wow!
The advent of the McNugget inadvertently changed the entire poultry industry. Chickens were almost entirely sold whole prior to the 80s; now they are sold mostly in parts. In ’92 chicken surpassed beef as the most highly consumed food, and Tyson is now the largest producer of poultry in the world – but they don’t raise the chickens, they enlist “independent contractors” … meaning poor rural American farmers.
Ø How does the nutritional value of a McNugget compare to a hamburger?
(Source: http://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/bagamcmeal/nutrition_facts.html )
Hamburger (3.5oz):
• 250 calories
o 80 from fat
• 9g fat
o 3.5g saturated fat
o 0.5g trans fat
• 25mg cholesterol
• 520mg sodium
• 31g carbohydrates
o 2g dietary fiber
o 6g sugars
• 12g protein
• 0% Vitamin A
• 2% Vitamin C
• 10% Calcium
• 15% Iron
6pc McNugget (3.4oz):
o 280 calories
160 from fat
17g fat
3g saturated fat
0g trans fat
40mg cholesterol
600mg sodium
16g carbohydrates
0g dietary fiber
0g sugars
14g protein
0% Vitamin A
2% Vitamin C
2% Calcium
4% Iron
...I just ate 18 nuggets. LOL. I can feel my arteries clogging.
Ø How does the suicide rate for ranchers and farmers compare with the rate for U.S. citizens in general? Why?
Ranchers and farmers off themselves at a rate of three times the national average. McDonald's et al. buy beef from major meatpackers in such large quantities that the price of beef has gone so low that over a half a million ranchers have gone out of business. The high unemployment rate is stressful enough, but these people don't know any other way, having grown up on the farms since childhood, often forsaking even a complete high school education to master the cattle ranching trade; they literally have nothing else going for them. I'd consider offing myself too.
Ø Do you feel as if there is any healthy fast food available to consumers? If so, where and why? Give specific examples of products.. Please be honest and support your opinions. For example, I feel that Subway's Veggie Sub is extremely healthy due to its freshly-cut produce, cheese, and fresh-baked breads. I actually talked to a friend who works at Subway and he said in MQT, they slice their own produce. (My fear was that it arrived pre-sliced and filled with preservatives). It's not organic, but it's a start.
No, not really. But if you’re that conscientious about your health, you’re smart enough to avoid fast food anyway. There is no healthy fast food because the two completely negate each other – the whole point of fast food is quick, cheap and easy; healthy food is expensive (it has to be grown well, harvested ethically, shipped properly, prepared properly, and served properly – all these things are very time-consuming as well as money-consuming!)
Rock Togo’s subs, Toarmina’s pizza, and if you have to have fast food, rock the Beef-A-Roo! They’re supplied by Sysco (as are most real restaurants around town), the meat and produce are restaurant quality (a big step above fast food quality) and they’re owned locally.
Mnemonic for wristbones
I'm never going to forget this.
You're going to have to highlight this, because of its objectionable content ;)
Sally licked Tom's penis. He came three times.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA OMFG HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Scaphoid Lunate Triquetrum Pisiform. Hamate Capitate Trapezoid Trapezium.
First row from thumb to pinky, second row from pinky to thumb.
You're going to have to highlight this, because of its objectionable content ;)
Sally licked Tom's penis. He came three times.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA OMFG HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Scaphoid Lunate Triquetrum Pisiform. Hamate Capitate Trapezoid Trapezium.
First row from thumb to pinky, second row from pinky to thumb.
HAHAHAHA OMFG
So I'm sitting in McDonalds enjoying some chicken nuggets right now.
On the label, it encourages you to look at http://www.mcdonalds.com/qualityfood to "see what we're made of!"
So I have to look. I click on the chicken sandwich and i'm reading through the Chicken subcategory (shortcut: here.), reading the q&a, and the answer is always about how it's "supplied by
On page two, there's something like this:
I clicked "See Ingredients"...
And laughed my ass off.
On the label, it encourages you to look at http://www.mcdonalds.com/qualityfood to "see what we're made of!"
So I have to look. I click on the chicken sandwich and i'm reading through the Chicken subcategory (shortcut: here.), reading the q&a, and the answer is always about how it's "supplied by
On page two, there's something like this:
Your southern style chicken sandwich is delightful! But I was wondering what the coating on the chicken was made from.
We're happy to hear that you enjoy the New Southern Style Chicken Sandwich®. The chicken is battered and breaded with, among other ingredients: wheat flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, corn flour, and spices like paprika. For a full list of ingredients, please see ingredients.
August 2008
August 2008
I clicked "See Ingredients"...
And laughed my ass off.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Amendment on Blog #3
I have to share something, and make an amendment on how I answered this.
Ø “I knew it when I studied it, but I forgot it on the test.” How can students study differently to prevent this from happening?
EAT BREAKFAST.
Anatomy lab is the only class I have on Friday; therefore I normally sleep in a couple hours. Well, yesterday I woke up at 10:34, which literally gave me enough time to throw on clothes, grab my backpack and leave. No coffee, no toast, no cinnamon roll from Holiday gas station...and I didn't do very well, although I knew (and had studied) everything that was on the quiz...but when quiz time came, I kept drawing a blank. I got six wrong that I know about (out of 25? that's a C+). The week prior, I woke up around 9:30 (which I usually set my alarms for on Friday) and ate breakfast, and got a 24/25.
See, without nutrients, your body can't function properly - that goes for the mind too. I personally find that when I skip breakfast, I get a lot more brain farts than I do when I eat before class.
So do yourself a favor and EAT BREAKFAST.
Ø “I knew it when I studied it, but I forgot it on the test.” How can students study differently to prevent this from happening?
EAT BREAKFAST.
Anatomy lab is the only class I have on Friday; therefore I normally sleep in a couple hours. Well, yesterday I woke up at 10:34, which literally gave me enough time to throw on clothes, grab my backpack and leave. No coffee, no toast, no cinnamon roll from Holiday gas station...and I didn't do very well, although I knew (and had studied) everything that was on the quiz...but when quiz time came, I kept drawing a blank. I got six wrong that I know about (out of 25? that's a C+). The week prior, I woke up around 9:30 (which I usually set my alarms for on Friday) and ate breakfast, and got a 24/25.
See, without nutrients, your body can't function properly - that goes for the mind too. I personally find that when I skip breakfast, I get a lot more brain farts than I do when I eat before class.
So do yourself a favor and EAT BREAKFAST.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Blog assignment #3
Ø Describe your ideal Instructor/Professor.
My ideal professor...
Space out your study times - six one hour sessions will allow you to retain more than one six hour session.
Ø How do you study for quizzes/tests?
I study by taking really good notes on my laptop, and taking notes on the chapters. Then I quiz myself on my notes, or have Kasey quiz me on them.
Ø What do you have trouble with on quizzes/tests?
I go too fast and I second-guess myself a lot.
*Please go to the website listed below, which is a "Letter to McDonald's" from a former employee. Read it and write at least a paragraph reaction on your Blog site.
http://www.aboutmyjob.com/main.php3?action=displayarticle&artid=3141
Um, well, I've bitched about my job too. Cathartic, yes. Poignant? Not really. I've worked McDonalds too, I know how BS the management is. But what I've found is that it's like that EVERYWHERE YOU GO. Employment is like a tree full of monkeys: the monkeys on top see a bunch of smiling faces, the monkeys on bottom see a bunch of assholes. There were a couple times I was like "yup, that's so true!" but for the most part, at the lowest levels of society, management is horrible everywhere you go, work sucks no matter where you go, and I'm in college so that I can enter an industry where the people who work there sought to work there for the common good (or at least for the money) - the medical field - and not just because they need a job to pay for rent and booze.
I did, however, like the quip about how when the hat comes off the common sense goes with it. :D
My ideal professor...
- ...is knowledge and passionate about their subject, and treats it as their life's work.
- ...is approachable and congenial, and genuinely cares about their students' achievement.
- ...projects a relaxed atmosphere conducive to critical thinking and friendly open discussion.
- ...sees people for what they can be, not what they are.
Space out your study times - six one hour sessions will allow you to retain more than one six hour session.
Ø How do you study for quizzes/tests?
I study by taking really good notes on my laptop, and taking notes on the chapters. Then I quiz myself on my notes, or have Kasey quiz me on them.
Ø What do you have trouble with on quizzes/tests?
I go too fast and I second-guess myself a lot.
*Please go to the website listed below, which is a "Letter to McDonald's" from a former employee. Read it and write at least a paragraph reaction on your Blog site.
http://www.aboutmyjob.com/main.php3?action=displayarticle&artid=3141
Um, well, I've bitched about my job too. Cathartic, yes. Poignant? Not really. I've worked McDonalds too, I know how BS the management is. But what I've found is that it's like that EVERYWHERE YOU GO. Employment is like a tree full of monkeys: the monkeys on top see a bunch of smiling faces, the monkeys on bottom see a bunch of assholes. There were a couple times I was like "yup, that's so true!" but for the most part, at the lowest levels of society, management is horrible everywhere you go, work sucks no matter where you go, and I'm in college so that I can enter an industry where the people who work there sought to work there for the common good (or at least for the money) - the medical field - and not just because they need a job to pay for rent and booze.
I did, however, like the quip about how when the hat comes off the common sense goes with it. :D
Anatomical Exam
I did all right. I studied my ass off, and I did all right.
I'll find out in a few hours, but I'm pretty satisfied. I knew pretty much everything on the test, which was slightly easier than I anticipated (probably because I bought into all the hype).
I'll find out, but I'll let ya know.
I'll find out in a few hours, but I'm pretty satisfied. I knew pretty much everything on the test, which was slightly easier than I anticipated (probably because I bought into all the hype).
I'll find out, but I'll let ya know.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
My 9/11.
Last night was horrible. I got off work around 11:30, did as much anatomy homework as I could (which wasn't much), and went to bed around 1. Set my alarms for 5:30 so I could get up and finish notating Chapter 5.
Our kitty Sassy (five year old calico, seven toes on each foot! (Sassy is short for sasquatch (bigfoot) due to her ginormous paws)) suffered kidney failure in late July, and we've been injecting 250mL of a saline solution into her daily (although we've been weaning her off of it since she's been drinking on her own). However, a byproduct of the kidney failure is a lack of hormones that promote her bone marrow to produce hemoglobin...it's not a lack of iron (our water makes sure of that! LOL) but again, a failure of her kidneys. It was only a matter of time.
Her condition had been improving; when we took her to the vet in July she was very lethargic and had lost most of her body weight (going from 12-15 lb to around 5lb) and her crea and BUN levels were literally off the charts. With heavy IV injection and force-feeding special food and medicines, we were able to bring her levels back down except for her iron content. We were able to encourage her to eat and drink on her own, and everything was going good for the most part. Then the last couple days she'd been pretty down, staying on the bed and only getting up to eat, drink or use the litter box. But yesterday she hardly moved, and when she did she could not get up. I helped her get up but she couldn't walk - her muscles have atrophied to the point where they can't support her weight (which is probably around 2 lb atm).
So I was up all night until about 4:30 caring for Sassy, and my gf Kasey (she's her cat) as well. I passed out at 4:30, slept through the 5:30 alarms and woke up around 7:20 on my own. Just enough time to throw on some clothes, grab all my school stuff and zip to Jamrich for Human Anatomy.
Didn't do too badly in class today; save for Chemistry lecture I was able to immerse myself in the subjects so well that I barely even thought about it.
Our appointment to put Sassy down is at 3:40.
Then, I have to drive Kasey home, comfort her the best I can, and drive back to town, and work from 5-11.
Then I get to wake up tomorrow morning and meet my academic advisor (my appt. had to be postponed).
Wow, 9/11 sucks.
...I love you, Sassy kitty. ;_;
Our kitty Sassy (five year old calico, seven toes on each foot! (Sassy is short for sasquatch (bigfoot) due to her ginormous paws)) suffered kidney failure in late July, and we've been injecting 250mL of a saline solution into her daily (although we've been weaning her off of it since she's been drinking on her own). However, a byproduct of the kidney failure is a lack of hormones that promote her bone marrow to produce hemoglobin...it's not a lack of iron (our water makes sure of that! LOL) but again, a failure of her kidneys. It was only a matter of time.
Her condition had been improving; when we took her to the vet in July she was very lethargic and had lost most of her body weight (going from 12-15 lb to around 5lb) and her crea and BUN levels were literally off the charts. With heavy IV injection and force-feeding special food and medicines, we were able to bring her levels back down except for her iron content. We were able to encourage her to eat and drink on her own, and everything was going good for the most part. Then the last couple days she'd been pretty down, staying on the bed and only getting up to eat, drink or use the litter box. But yesterday she hardly moved, and when she did she could not get up. I helped her get up but she couldn't walk - her muscles have atrophied to the point where they can't support her weight (which is probably around 2 lb atm).
So I was up all night until about 4:30 caring for Sassy, and my gf Kasey (she's her cat) as well. I passed out at 4:30, slept through the 5:30 alarms and woke up around 7:20 on my own. Just enough time to throw on some clothes, grab all my school stuff and zip to Jamrich for Human Anatomy.
Didn't do too badly in class today; save for Chemistry lecture I was able to immerse myself in the subjects so well that I barely even thought about it.
Our appointment to put Sassy down is at 3:40.
Then, I have to drive Kasey home, comfort her the best I can, and drive back to town, and work from 5-11.
Then I get to wake up tomorrow morning and meet my academic advisor (my appt. had to be postponed).
Wow, 9/11 sucks.
...I love you, Sassy kitty. ;_;
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Sociology exam.
So I flew through my sociology exam at a ridiculous - and I mean ridiculously fast pace. 34 questions in 11 minutes.
And I got an 88%. Four wrong.
I should have gotten a 96%. There was one question I flat out didn't know and just guessed on. The other three? Well, I SO HAD THE RIGHT FREAKING ANSWER SELECTED and then got stupid and second-guessed myself.
Lessons learned:
1. Slow down.
2. Don't second guess yourself.
And I got an 88%. Four wrong.
I should have gotten a 96%. There was one question I flat out didn't know and just guessed on. The other three? Well, I SO HAD THE RIGHT FREAKING ANSWER SELECTED and then got stupid and second-guessed myself.
Lessons learned:
1. Slow down.
2. Don't second guess yourself.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Anatomy Study Group
YOU NEED TO GO.
It was sweet - we reviewed everything we learned in class, the tutor passed out a list of everything that (should) be on the exams, and all the questions I didn't ask in class were answered. Oh, and even better - we compared how Froiland and Cumberland differ and what we're learning vs. what they're learning.
Seriously. Go to the study group. There are no excuses.
LRC 311, Mondays 3-5 or 5-7.
It was sweet - we reviewed everything we learned in class, the tutor passed out a list of everything that (should) be on the exams, and all the questions I didn't ask in class were answered. Oh, and even better - we compared how Froiland and Cumberland differ and what we're learning vs. what they're learning.
Seriously. Go to the study group. There are no excuses.
LRC 311, Mondays 3-5 or 5-7.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Blog assignment #2
Ø Reiterate a term or concept you learned in Anatomy this week.
Visceral - the surface of a membrane proximal to the organ. I missed this in my lab quiz on Friday, mostly because I drew a blank.
Ø List a few pleasant events that happened during your first weeks at NMU.
1. I played a song on guitar for Seminar and it was a blast. :D
2. I formed a mini-study-group with Chris, we meet Mondays at 2pm, and then we're heading up to LRC 311 for the official Anatomy study group at 3pm.
3. I'm still infatuated with my coloring book.
Ø Where do you want to be (academically) in six months?
I want to be at a 4.0 or damn close for the first semester, and do really well on my second midterms.
Ø List habits you already possess that make you successful in college.
1. I get up in the morning when I have to.
1a. I go to bed at night when I have to get up in the morning.
2. I do my homework as soon as possible once it's bee assigned - that way I don't have a giant backlog the day before all my crap is due.
3. I take a ridiculous amount of notes, even on material I think I already know - that way I know it for sure. Besides, I'm paying enough to rent this laptop, I might as well get my money's worth.
Ø List habits (timewasters?) you can change or modify, or need to lose.
A. I need to get a filing cabinet so I can organize my papers, bills, etc.
2. I need to be less profane in my daily speech.
D. I need to leave my house earlier because traffic always seems to clog just as I approach town, and finding a parking spot in either lot is quite the nuisance. (See, I could've said "quite the bitch" but I didn't! ^_^ I'm improving already.)
Ø Explain how you approach studying your a) textbook and b) notes.
A. I read my textbook as I would a novel - I get in my comfy chair with a blanket, put something inert on the television, and read. When my mind turns to jelly (usually two pages before the end of the chapter, lol) I force myself to finish it and then put it down.
...With my anatomy book, the night before lecture I read the chapters being discussed and take notes from the book on my laptop. That way, Dr. Froiland's lecture is a LOT easier to comprehend.
B. I quiz myself on my notes. I read something from my notes (i.e., the six facets of nonmaterial culture in sociology for my test today), minimize it, distract myself for a couple minutes, then try to recite them all from memory. It usually takes 4-5 passes before I get it (although memorizing the first 36 elements took a few more than that! haha and I didn't even need to go to that length. Phooey.)
I always write my notes on my laptop, because I type 80-100 wpm (record: 129 wpm, 100% acc) and I write on paper like 10 wpm. LOL. In Anatomy alone I've racked up about 30 pages of notes, single spaced, 12 pt font. Then, I format them in Cornell for credit in my Seminar course.
Ø Explain how you determine what to write down in notes during lectures.
If it sounds like it might be useful, it probably is, so I type it down. Besides, I can always ignore it when I review my notes later.
For Dr. Froiland, I'm basically a stenographer. For Ms. Li, I tend to only write what is outlined in her presentation, because I'm already familiar with the material. For Dr. Lorentzen, I'm somewhere in the middle. She usually flags what's important with "write this down" and then repeats it. Those things, I flag with fancy formatting (i.e. italics, bold, colours, etc.)
Ø FAST FOOD NATION:
Ø Watch this short 1980’s McDonald’s commercial. McD’s reps have actually claimed they do not target children in their ads.. Pay attention to the tagline: “The Hamburglar is very clever and very sneaky!” Why is this ironic?
Because McDonalds is using subversive tactics in its advertising.
Ø Over the last several decades, fast food companies have aggressively targeted children in their marketing efforts. Should advertisers be permitted to target children who lack the sophistication to make informed decisions and are essentially being lured into eating high fat, high calorie food through toys and cute corporate mascots?
Yes, and I think Joe Camel should come back too. Parents need to watch out for their children, and part of that is making sure they don't grow up stupid, rendering them susceptible to marketing techniques. My dad made sure I saw through the tv ads, and I'll do the same for my kids. I'm reminded of a very relevant Incubus lyric, from a song called "When It Comes" off Make Yourself:
Visceral - the surface of a membrane proximal to the organ. I missed this in my lab quiz on Friday, mostly because I drew a blank.
Ø List a few pleasant events that happened during your first weeks at NMU.
1. I played a song on guitar for Seminar and it was a blast. :D
2. I formed a mini-study-group with Chris, we meet Mondays at 2pm, and then we're heading up to LRC 311 for the official Anatomy study group at 3pm.
3. I'm still infatuated with my coloring book.
Ø Where do you want to be (academically) in six months?
I want to be at a 4.0 or damn close for the first semester, and do really well on my second midterms.
Ø List habits you already possess that make you successful in college.
1. I get up in the morning when I have to.
1a. I go to bed at night when I have to get up in the morning.
2. I do my homework as soon as possible once it's bee assigned - that way I don't have a giant backlog the day before all my crap is due.
3. I take a ridiculous amount of notes, even on material I think I already know - that way I know it for sure. Besides, I'm paying enough to rent this laptop, I might as well get my money's worth.
Ø List habits (timewasters?) you can change or modify, or need to lose.
A. I need to get a filing cabinet so I can organize my papers, bills, etc.
2. I need to be less profane in my daily speech.
D. I need to leave my house earlier because traffic always seems to clog just as I approach town, and finding a parking spot in either lot is quite the nuisance. (See, I could've said "quite the bitch" but I didn't! ^_^ I'm improving already.)
Ø Explain how you approach studying your a) textbook and b) notes.
A. I read my textbook as I would a novel - I get in my comfy chair with a blanket, put something inert on the television, and read. When my mind turns to jelly (usually two pages before the end of the chapter, lol) I force myself to finish it and then put it down.
...With my anatomy book, the night before lecture I read the chapters being discussed and take notes from the book on my laptop. That way, Dr. Froiland's lecture is a LOT easier to comprehend.
B. I quiz myself on my notes. I read something from my notes (i.e., the six facets of nonmaterial culture in sociology for my test today), minimize it, distract myself for a couple minutes, then try to recite them all from memory. It usually takes 4-5 passes before I get it (although memorizing the first 36 elements took a few more than that! haha and I didn't even need to go to that length. Phooey.)
I always write my notes on my laptop, because I type 80-100 wpm (record: 129 wpm, 100% acc) and I write on paper like 10 wpm. LOL. In Anatomy alone I've racked up about 30 pages of notes, single spaced, 12 pt font. Then, I format them in Cornell for credit in my Seminar course.
Ø Explain how you determine what to write down in notes during lectures.
If it sounds like it might be useful, it probably is, so I type it down. Besides, I can always ignore it when I review my notes later.
For Dr. Froiland, I'm basically a stenographer. For Ms. Li, I tend to only write what is outlined in her presentation, because I'm already familiar with the material. For Dr. Lorentzen, I'm somewhere in the middle. She usually flags what's important with "write this down" and then repeats it. Those things, I flag with fancy formatting (i.e. italics, bold, colours, etc.)
Ø FAST FOOD NATION:
Ø Watch this short 1980’s McDonald’s commercial. McD’s reps have actually claimed they do not target children in their ads.. Pay attention to the tagline: “The Hamburglar is very clever and very sneaky!” Why is this ironic?
Because McDonalds is using subversive tactics in its advertising.
Ø Over the last several decades, fast food companies have aggressively targeted children in their marketing efforts. Should advertisers be permitted to target children who lack the sophistication to make informed decisions and are essentially being lured into eating high fat, high calorie food through toys and cute corporate mascots?
Yes, and I think Joe Camel should come back too. Parents need to watch out for their children, and part of that is making sure they don't grow up stupid, rendering them susceptible to marketing techniques. My dad made sure I saw through the tv ads, and I'll do the same for my kids. I'm reminded of a very relevant Incubus lyric, from a song called "When It Comes" off Make Yourself:
It's comin' around again
they're letting it out again, again.
It's comin' around again
they're letting it out again, again.
When it comes, it comes abrupt.
When it feels, it feels like trading brains with an imbecile... for real.
Yes I feel emphatic about not being static
and not buying philosophies that are sold to me, at a steal.
Just when you thought it was safe to think,
in comes mental piracy!
What I'm looking for cannot be sold to me.
I wish they all would stop trying
cause' what I want and what I need,
is and will always be free.
It's comin' around again
they're letting it out again, again.
It's comin' around again
they're letting it out again.
When it comes, it comes unannounced.
And it feels like a matador is taunting me with his reddest red cloth and
...I am the bull.
Yes I feel emphatic about not being static
and not eating the bullshit that's being fed to me
No more, cuz now I'm full.
Just when you thought it was safe to think
in comes mental piracy!
What I'm looking for cannot be sold to me.
I wish they all would stop trying,
cause' what I want and what I need
is and will always be free.
they're letting it out again, again.
It's comin' around again
they're letting it out again, again.
When it comes, it comes abrupt.
When it feels, it feels like trading brains with an imbecile... for real.
Yes I feel emphatic about not being static
and not buying philosophies that are sold to me, at a steal.
Just when you thought it was safe to think,
in comes mental piracy!
What I'm looking for cannot be sold to me.
I wish they all would stop trying
cause' what I want and what I need,
is and will always be free.
It's comin' around again
they're letting it out again, again.
It's comin' around again
they're letting it out again.
When it comes, it comes unannounced.
And it feels like a matador is taunting me with his reddest red cloth and
...I am the bull.
Yes I feel emphatic about not being static
and not eating the bullshit that's being fed to me
No more, cuz now I'm full.
Just when you thought it was safe to think
in comes mental piracy!
What I'm looking for cannot be sold to me.
I wish they all would stop trying,
cause' what I want and what I need
is and will always be free.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Caturday night.
So it's Caturday night and I'm chillin' on the couch posting in my blog, which will consist entirely of randomosity.
I've colored the first nine assignments in the coloring book (32% done of what needs to be handed in at the end of week 4!) and I have to say, I've never had this much fun doing homework.
Road construction is annoying, but not quite as annoying as roads that very badly need construction but never seem to get them. (i.e. almost any given road in the city of Hancock.)
Scales may be boring, but they make your playing a lot faster, and since I've been practicing scales for about six months now I've seen my guitar skill double, maybe even triple, in speed and accuracy.
I can't wait for the Lions game tomorrow.
I really enjoy driving with the radio off.
It's amazing how much Call of Duty 4 really resembles footage from the war in Iraq.
It's also amazing how every show on Hallmark, Lifetime and Spike TV have equal amounts of talent, which is about par to the amount of talent you'd find in the fish tank aisle in your average Wal*Mart.
Only old people prefer to shop at ShopKo. Warum ist das?
I can't freaking wait for tomorrow's game.
I always thought "Last Dance With Mary Jane" would be tougher to play than it is. It's almost too easy.
The roast of Bob Saget is equally as funny with the bleeps still in it.
Yeah, that's about it. Sleep, church, LIONS GAME, homework. That will be my Sunday.
I've colored the first nine assignments in the coloring book (32% done of what needs to be handed in at the end of week 4!) and I have to say, I've never had this much fun doing homework.
Road construction is annoying, but not quite as annoying as roads that very badly need construction but never seem to get them. (i.e. almost any given road in the city of Hancock.)
Scales may be boring, but they make your playing a lot faster, and since I've been practicing scales for about six months now I've seen my guitar skill double, maybe even triple, in speed and accuracy.
I can't wait for the Lions game tomorrow.
I really enjoy driving with the radio off.
It's amazing how much Call of Duty 4 really resembles footage from the war in Iraq.
It's also amazing how every show on Hallmark, Lifetime and Spike TV have equal amounts of talent, which is about par to the amount of talent you'd find in the fish tank aisle in your average Wal*Mart.
Only old people prefer to shop at ShopKo. Warum ist das?
I can't freaking wait for tomorrow's game.
I always thought "Last Dance With Mary Jane" would be tougher to play than it is. It's almost too easy.
The roast of Bob Saget is equally as funny with the bleeps still in it.
Yeah, that's about it. Sleep, church, LIONS GAME, homework. That will be my Sunday.
Friday, September 5, 2008
What Grinds My Gears 1
The difference between a blog and a journal is that blogs typically have a purpose. If this were a journal, I'd tell you about my day, how class went, what I'm up to this evening and the weekend, etc. And there will be posts like that.
This is a section I'm gonna call "What Grinds My Gears", shamelessly ripped off of a Family Guy episode where Peter gets a segment on the local news called "What Grinds My Gears", where he tells people in the 1890s to get with the times, etc. etc. But I'm gonna rant about things that bother me. Some of them are critical, and some so trivial you can't really be bothered by them except to fill your blog, and some will be downright humorous. Feel free to comment and share your own.
So here are a few things that irk me, in no particular order:
This is a section I'm gonna call "What Grinds My Gears", shamelessly ripped off of a Family Guy episode where Peter gets a segment on the local news called "What Grinds My Gears", where he tells people in the 1890s to get with the times, etc. etc. But I'm gonna rant about things that bother me. Some of them are critical, and some so trivial you can't really be bothered by them except to fill your blog, and some will be downright humorous. Feel free to comment and share your own.
So here are a few things that irk me, in no particular order:
- When you're done peeing and you zip up your fly, only to have your boxers catch in the zipper. My work pants catch my boxers every time. Bothers the hell out of me.
- When people in the library talk on their cell phones.
- When you're in class and somebody's cell phone rings. (I was guilty today of forgetting to put 'er on silent. It bothers me even more when I do it.)
- There's this mentally challenged guy in church whose watch goes off at 11:45 EVERY WEEK, and he either doesn't want to acknowledge that it's him or he's completely oblivious to the fact. Either way, it goes "meep meep, meep meep, meep meep" ad infinitum for the full 60 seconds, annoying everyone around him. What's worse is that he's "special", so no one feels they can inform him of the disruption.
- When someone you're stuck next to for a good long while expresses zero interest in conversing with you despite several attempts to break the ice and befriend them. Swear to god, I tried for a good half hour to find some sort of common ground with this one particular person, and they deadpanned every answer.
Moi: "So, what kind of music are you into?"
Elle: "Oh, everything."
Moi: "Like what?"
Elle: "I dunno."
Moi: "Who's your favorite band?"
Elle: "Don't have one."
.........*awkward silence*
That bothers me. I know I can be a bit overbearing and annoying at times, but if we're stuck together for two hours (you know, like on a greyhound bus or a chem lab or the same machine at the plant or a Dan Fogelberg concert or something boring like that) then damnit, treat me like a human being. I have the same social context you do at the moment, and the least we can do is be amiable instead of stonewalling every attempt I make to converse with you. - When your coffee hits that critical point where it's no longer warm and just tastes like bleeeeech and you still have half of it left and you don't want it to go to waste because it cost you a dollar to fill it up.
- When religious radio stations (namely 95.7 WHWL) broadcast programs that preach politics, and try to politically assassinate Barack Obama with rhetoric so incredibly biased that a mole could see it. No wonder the Religious Right is so blindly against anything remotely unRepublican (note: not Democratic, but unRepublican).
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Behaviour in Various Classes
I've always been an amateur sociologist at heart, ever since I learned about it from my high school history teacher (Mr. Robert Davidson (Bobby D)). The idea fascinates me, and I often find myself studying the behavior of those I'm around instead of paying attention to the subject being conversed about. Think of it like this...at the end of the Matrix, after Neo gets plugged and resurrects and looks down the hallway and it's all the green letters and stuff rendering in 3D:
Whenever I look at a room of people talking, I seldom if ever hear what's actually being talked about, I see their behavior - their posture, their body language, their aura (if you will), the energy being exuded, their respective moods, their alpha/beta positions (observe two frat boys walking together, and one will always be alpha and one will always be beta to that alpha). I have to actually pay attention to what's being said and deliberately ignore my automatic observations of everything BUT the subject at hand - which is a very difficult task for me.
Well, today during sociology I was listening and taking notes as usual, and I somehow stepped outside myself and saw how I was behaving: I noticed that my posture had slumped, that my legs were crossed at the ankle, that I was tapping furiously and must look very silly, bouncy and animated from anyone else's POV, and upon looking back I noticed about four people watching me (three were girls, woo!), as though my fidgeting was more interesting than Dr. Lorentzen's lecture. I sat up, corrected my posture and tried to remain still.
I continued to take notes, but while I was listening to and recording on Word the points of lecture, I thought back and examined how I behave in all my classes:
In Anatomy I sit as far front as possible (front row seat today), stage right, laptop in hand, backpack at my feet, and take notes very deliberately and effectively. It's the only class where I pretty much ignore Chris (who always seems to sit right next to me!) - not to be a dick, I'm just paying a lot of attention to Dr. Froiland because when it comes to Anatomy, I'm not f'king around. I'm gonna pass this class with a vowel or damn close. My attention is drawn completely into what's being lectured, and I barely look at the clock all damn hour because I simply can't afford to drop my attention. My making the cut absolutely depends on this class, because it's the one subject i'm taking right now in which I know diddly freaking squat.
Chemistry, however, is a piece of cake thus far. I have it right after Anatomy so my brain's on overdrive, and my spot is in the second row, stage right, aisle seat, and Chris sits right next to me. Dr. Li makes the lecture interesting, but the subject is so easy to me (so far, this is stuff I learned in grade 11!) that I tend to faze out despite her attempts to captivate the audience; it's the only lecture in which I find myself resorting to self-entertainment: fidgeting with my freeware periodic table software (Freshney.org's periodic table - download this!) or something...just because (and not to be conceited) chemistry is like playing tee-ball to me. All that said, I refuse to sell out and go on Facebook or Myspace or anything like that during class (it's hard, lol!)...but that's the personal integrity I require out of myself during class hours.
However, I did spend about 2-3 hours last night making sure I had memorized the first 36 elements of the periodic table, to the point where I can recite them all by memory (almost in a constant feed!) and for what? The chemistry quiz this morning was ten multiple choice questions, all but one of them I was able to breeze through in under a minute (sometimes less than 20 seconds)...so I did all that extra work for naught. But that's okay, because now I know them.
Chem lab is fun. Besides being a dumbass and forgetting my coffee mug in there today (BTW: don't bring beverages into labs, it's a bad idea. Even if you don't get harped on by your instructor, you end up losing your mug - karma dictates that you should know better!) - I get to run around and help people. I have people request my help and that makes me feel good inside. ^_^ Mr. Dorh appears to be a TA around my age (25) so I'm not sure whether to view him as a professor or as a peer; the social dynamic between him and me is awkward right now but I'm sure it will come out good. I'm one of only three guys in the class, and one of them is Chris (whom I've known for years), so the dynamic is complex and being surrounded by all these girls, I find myself automatically acting out to entertain them. (That's what I love to do: entertain girls. That's why I'm a musician! LOL)
I tend to sit (and by sit I mean lean on the table because there's like nine stools for sixteen students) in the front nearest the door, both weeks thus far on stage left, and Chris sits right next to me. LOL.
Anatomy lab, well, I'll get back to you on that one; first impressions are that it's gonna serve mostly as a review of what I learned in lecture. I've only had it once so far, and you can't plot a line on a graph with one point.
UN100: well, I'm one of only two guys in the class, and the other is Chris, with whom I go way back (his sister dated my brother for a couple of years; in fact, his sister set Kasey and me up on a blind date back in '04; our fourth anniversary is 9/15! ^_^ ) and so the pecking order among the males is already long since established, and to be honest I've never been the alpha male in a group this size before, so it's a new experience. (In fact, I got a song out of pondering that!) Again, Seminar is Chris and me in a room full of girls, and I find myself (also) acting out to entertain them. Hence why I brought my guitar last week. :)
Also, I sit second row stage right, and Chris sits right next to me.
How I behave in Sociology intrigues even me. I sit in the front row (her rule, it's the only way you can use your laptop to take notes), stage right (see a theme?). Dr. Lorentzen is a fantastic public speaker, very passionate about her subject, and being right in the front row it's easy to feed off her energy and get amped up (especially when you're abnormally empathic and neurotic such as I am) and I find myself leaning inward, rotating my chair to face her, and fidgeting more than I do in any of my other classes (simply due to the amount of energy being projected; imagine standing next to the tower of PA speakers at a concert, wouldn't you move to the beat too, if even subconsciously?) - it doesn't help that I absolutely love sociology and take an active interest in what's being said.
Every once in a while she'll derail and talk about some personal story and whatnot, and I tend to slip into my own little world because whenever she gets personal, she turns down the psychic volume (because everyone's a little bashful about revealing personal things) and I can ponder other things (such as this!). But then she gets back on track and projects with the fervour of a conductor of a symphony. Needless to say, I'm silently taking public speaking lessons from her (aka not hiding behind the podium, using good posture, using hand gestures (although I've been told this is bad form, it WORKS) and wearing comfy shoes).
And yeah, I behave differently in every classroom environment because every class has a different feel. I'm not sure exactly how this relates, but I'm pondering it...and you should do a little self-reflection too, and discuss this and see what we have in common!
Whenever I look at a room of people talking, I seldom if ever hear what's actually being talked about, I see their behavior - their posture, their body language, their aura (if you will), the energy being exuded, their respective moods, their alpha/beta positions (observe two frat boys walking together, and one will always be alpha and one will always be beta to that alpha). I have to actually pay attention to what's being said and deliberately ignore my automatic observations of everything BUT the subject at hand - which is a very difficult task for me.
Well, today during sociology I was listening and taking notes as usual, and I somehow stepped outside myself and saw how I was behaving: I noticed that my posture had slumped, that my legs were crossed at the ankle, that I was tapping furiously and must look very silly, bouncy and animated from anyone else's POV, and upon looking back I noticed about four people watching me (three were girls, woo!), as though my fidgeting was more interesting than Dr. Lorentzen's lecture. I sat up, corrected my posture and tried to remain still.
I continued to take notes, but while I was listening to and recording on Word the points of lecture, I thought back and examined how I behave in all my classes:
In Anatomy I sit as far front as possible (front row seat today), stage right, laptop in hand, backpack at my feet, and take notes very deliberately and effectively. It's the only class where I pretty much ignore Chris (who always seems to sit right next to me!) - not to be a dick, I'm just paying a lot of attention to Dr. Froiland because when it comes to Anatomy, I'm not f'king around. I'm gonna pass this class with a vowel or damn close. My attention is drawn completely into what's being lectured, and I barely look at the clock all damn hour because I simply can't afford to drop my attention. My making the cut absolutely depends on this class, because it's the one subject i'm taking right now in which I know diddly freaking squat.
Chemistry, however, is a piece of cake thus far. I have it right after Anatomy so my brain's on overdrive, and my spot is in the second row, stage right, aisle seat, and Chris sits right next to me. Dr. Li makes the lecture interesting, but the subject is so easy to me (so far, this is stuff I learned in grade 11!) that I tend to faze out despite her attempts to captivate the audience; it's the only lecture in which I find myself resorting to self-entertainment: fidgeting with my freeware periodic table software (Freshney.org's periodic table - download this!) or something...just because (and not to be conceited) chemistry is like playing tee-ball to me. All that said, I refuse to sell out and go on Facebook or Myspace or anything like that during class (it's hard, lol!)...but that's the personal integrity I require out of myself during class hours.
However, I did spend about 2-3 hours last night making sure I had memorized the first 36 elements of the periodic table, to the point where I can recite them all by memory (almost in a constant feed!) and for what? The chemistry quiz this morning was ten multiple choice questions, all but one of them I was able to breeze through in under a minute (sometimes less than 20 seconds)...so I did all that extra work for naught. But that's okay, because now I know them.
Chem lab is fun. Besides being a dumbass and forgetting my coffee mug in there today (BTW: don't bring beverages into labs, it's a bad idea. Even if you don't get harped on by your instructor, you end up losing your mug - karma dictates that you should know better!) - I get to run around and help people. I have people request my help and that makes me feel good inside. ^_^ Mr. Dorh appears to be a TA around my age (25) so I'm not sure whether to view him as a professor or as a peer; the social dynamic between him and me is awkward right now but I'm sure it will come out good. I'm one of only three guys in the class, and one of them is Chris (whom I've known for years), so the dynamic is complex and being surrounded by all these girls, I find myself automatically acting out to entertain them. (That's what I love to do: entertain girls. That's why I'm a musician! LOL)
I tend to sit (and by sit I mean lean on the table because there's like nine stools for sixteen students) in the front nearest the door, both weeks thus far on stage left, and Chris sits right next to me. LOL.
Anatomy lab, well, I'll get back to you on that one; first impressions are that it's gonna serve mostly as a review of what I learned in lecture. I've only had it once so far, and you can't plot a line on a graph with one point.
UN100: well, I'm one of only two guys in the class, and the other is Chris, with whom I go way back (his sister dated my brother for a couple of years; in fact, his sister set Kasey and me up on a blind date back in '04; our fourth anniversary is 9/15! ^_^ ) and so the pecking order among the males is already long since established, and to be honest I've never been the alpha male in a group this size before, so it's a new experience. (In fact, I got a song out of pondering that!) Again, Seminar is Chris and me in a room full of girls, and I find myself (also) acting out to entertain them. Hence why I brought my guitar last week. :)
Also, I sit second row stage right, and Chris sits right next to me.
How I behave in Sociology intrigues even me. I sit in the front row (her rule, it's the only way you can use your laptop to take notes), stage right (see a theme?). Dr. Lorentzen is a fantastic public speaker, very passionate about her subject, and being right in the front row it's easy to feed off her energy and get amped up (especially when you're abnormally empathic and neurotic such as I am) and I find myself leaning inward, rotating my chair to face her, and fidgeting more than I do in any of my other classes (simply due to the amount of energy being projected; imagine standing next to the tower of PA speakers at a concert, wouldn't you move to the beat too, if even subconsciously?) - it doesn't help that I absolutely love sociology and take an active interest in what's being said.
Every once in a while she'll derail and talk about some personal story and whatnot, and I tend to slip into my own little world because whenever she gets personal, she turns down the psychic volume (because everyone's a little bashful about revealing personal things) and I can ponder other things (such as this!). But then she gets back on track and projects with the fervour of a conductor of a symphony. Needless to say, I'm silently taking public speaking lessons from her (aka not hiding behind the podium, using good posture, using hand gestures (although I've been told this is bad form, it WORKS) and wearing comfy shoes).
And yeah, I behave differently in every classroom environment because every class has a different feel. I'm not sure exactly how this relates, but I'm pondering it...and you should do a little self-reflection too, and discuss this and see what we have in common!
Au revoir pretty NMU coffee mug.
I could tell when I grabbed my coffee mug this morning and filled it with coffee that something wasn't right...that it would be the last day I saw this mug that I spent $12 on in the bookstore.
So I guarded it preciously all day.
Then I made it to my Sociology class after Chem Lab and realized that...shit, I forgot it. In the chem lab. I had set it aside because you're not allowed to have beverage cups in the lab. And yeah, I totally spaced it on the way out. After Soc class, I swung over to NSF 3216 to see if I could find it, and alas, I could not.
Goodbye pretty coffee mug. Guess I should be more cautious with regards to my possessions.
So I guarded it preciously all day.
Then I made it to my Sociology class after Chem Lab and realized that...shit, I forgot it. In the chem lab. I had set it aside because you're not allowed to have beverage cups in the lab. And yeah, I totally spaced it on the way out. After Soc class, I swung over to NSF 3216 to see if I could find it, and alas, I could not.
Goodbye pretty coffee mug. Guess I should be more cautious with regards to my possessions.
Anatomy With Dr. Froiland
Tips to beat Froiland:
Oh yeah, and:
6. BRING LOTS OF COFFEE!
- SHOW UP EARLY.
- READ THE EFFING BOOK.
- TAKE NOTES ON THE BOOK.
- SIT IN THE FRONT.
- TAKE NOTES ON YOUR LAPTOP.
Oh yeah, and:
6. BRING LOTS OF COFFEE!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Bored at the library
I think this is the first time since school began that I've actually felt bored. Therefore, I'm posting a blog!
I'm at the Peter White Public Library killing time until my girlfriend gets done with her 6-9:20 class.
Anyway, a lot of people are going to use this blogging assignment as, well, just that. An assignment. I wonder how many of the sixteen of us are actually going to do any actual blogging: that is, opine whenever the urge demands it about whatever you've gotta get off your chest.
I don't have any one major thing this time, just a bunch of little things that merit comment.
1. At UN 100 on Tuesday, the class began with a presentation by these three girls from Superior Edge trying to recruit us as volunteers. I really hate my current situation sometimes; I really wish I had the time to volunteer, but between a full load at college and working full time, sleep, church, a girlfriend and a band, there really isn't a whole lot of time left. I want to see just how much time I have available say, week 6 or 7 before I consider committing myself to volunteering. It's difficult enough just trying to balance school and work without short-circuiting. I love the idea of volunteering, but I felt like I was being put on the spot and when I passed the sheet back without signing up, the looks I got from the presenters made me feel like a douchebag and I wasn't very appreciative of that.
2. Parking is very difficult to find in lot 17 (the commuter lot across the street from JXJ and WS), and I find myself every day being forced to leave earlier and earlier just to get a halfway decent parking spot. I can't imagine how hard that's going to be come inclement weather.
3. How'n the hell am I going to afford snow tires? I totally need them bad (learned that one last year) and you do too!
4. When you're in the library, STAY OFF YOUR F___ING CELL PHONE. IT'S ANNOYING. I DON'T CARE THAT YOU LEFT YOUR PHONE AT THE PEIF AND THAT'S WHY SOME RANDOM DUDE ANSWERED IT. I CARE ABOUT MY ANATOMY HOMEWORK AND I DON'T NEED TO HEAR YOUR YAPPING, YOU STUPID FREAKING PREP! *ahem* Sorry. Seriously people, have some common courtesy!
5. Speaking of common courtesy: my sociology class in JXJ 104, MTWR 12:00pm. I have extra time before this class every time and am usually loitering in the halls of Jamrich waiting for the other class to leave. Now I, being the good guy that I am, always hold the door open for the exiting class. When someone opens the door for me, I say thank you, because I was raised with common decency. But I hold that door open and about 75 people walk through each of the two doors...so far my record is THREE people who've said thank you, and only one person who's said thank you to me repeatedly. I mused to Mrs. Lorentzen about this, and she explained to me this concept: the diffusion of social responsibility.
Now, the diffusion of responsibility (READ IT!) is a social phenomenon which, after a crowd reaches a nonspecific aggregate size, responsibilities become blurred and people do things they wouldn't do by themselves.
Examples:
Wow...that sunset is REALLY pretty. It looks like the clouds are on fire!
Hmm. Well, I've ranted enough for now.
I'm at the Peter White Public Library killing time until my girlfriend gets done with her 6-9:20 class.
Anyway, a lot of people are going to use this blogging assignment as, well, just that. An assignment. I wonder how many of the sixteen of us are actually going to do any actual blogging: that is, opine whenever the urge demands it about whatever you've gotta get off your chest.
I don't have any one major thing this time, just a bunch of little things that merit comment.
1. At UN 100 on Tuesday, the class began with a presentation by these three girls from Superior Edge trying to recruit us as volunteers. I really hate my current situation sometimes; I really wish I had the time to volunteer, but between a full load at college and working full time, sleep, church, a girlfriend and a band, there really isn't a whole lot of time left. I want to see just how much time I have available say, week 6 or 7 before I consider committing myself to volunteering. It's difficult enough just trying to balance school and work without short-circuiting. I love the idea of volunteering, but I felt like I was being put on the spot and when I passed the sheet back without signing up, the looks I got from the presenters made me feel like a douchebag and I wasn't very appreciative of that.
2. Parking is very difficult to find in lot 17 (the commuter lot across the street from JXJ and WS), and I find myself every day being forced to leave earlier and earlier just to get a halfway decent parking spot. I can't imagine how hard that's going to be come inclement weather.
3. How'n the hell am I going to afford snow tires? I totally need them bad (learned that one last year) and you do too!
4. When you're in the library, STAY OFF YOUR F___ING CELL PHONE. IT'S ANNOYING. I DON'T CARE THAT YOU LEFT YOUR PHONE AT THE PEIF AND THAT'S WHY SOME RANDOM DUDE ANSWERED IT. I CARE ABOUT MY ANATOMY HOMEWORK AND I DON'T NEED TO HEAR YOUR YAPPING, YOU STUPID FREAKING PREP! *ahem* Sorry. Seriously people, have some common courtesy!
5. Speaking of common courtesy: my sociology class in JXJ 104, MTWR 12:00pm. I have extra time before this class every time and am usually loitering in the halls of Jamrich waiting for the other class to leave. Now I, being the good guy that I am, always hold the door open for the exiting class. When someone opens the door for me, I say thank you, because I was raised with common decency. But I hold that door open and about 75 people walk through each of the two doors...so far my record is THREE people who've said thank you, and only one person who's said thank you to me repeatedly. I mused to Mrs. Lorentzen about this, and she explained to me this concept: the diffusion of social responsibility.
Now, the diffusion of responsibility (READ IT!) is a social phenomenon which, after a crowd reaches a nonspecific aggregate size, responsibilities become blurred and people do things they wouldn't do by themselves.
Examples:
- Oh, I don't have to say thank you to the nice fella holding the door open for this; all the other people will thank him.
- Bah, there's a bunch of people here at this concert, no one will give a shit if I litter my chili dog tray and pop cup.
- Wow, that dude's broken down on I-75 in a snowstorm and we're in bumper to bumper traffic. Well, someone more qualified will help him, so I'll just keep on putzin' to the Soo.
Wow...that sunset is REALLY pretty. It looks like the clouds are on fire!
Hmm. Well, I've ranted enough for now.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
First Post
Assignment 1
bØ List your own quote, favorite saying, song, or other expression of your feelings today.
Just wrote this one last week, it's called Bumblebees. i'd be happy to perform it:
Ø Now that you made it to NMU – why are you here?
To get a degree in pre-radiology and become an X-ray tech, before specializing in (probably) nuclear medicine.
Ø How did you choose this school?
Through Michigan Works' "No Worker Left Behind" program. If I pay for the first year and make the cut, the state pays for the last two years.
Ø List initial observations of your new environment.
It's college - in some ways it's harder than my last attempt but I'm a lot more mature now and I'm not quite as overwhelmed. Plus, Flint's a big scary place and Marquette not so much. ;)
Ø List initial observations of your classes.
Human Anatomy (BI-201) was the only class that really overwhelmed me the first day. Dr. Froiland projects an air of unapproachability about him - the forced distance is intended to make you work harder to earn his favor. He knows that the anatomy class is required and that half of his 150-someodd biology class is gonna peter out and half of the remnants are gonna barely squeak by with a C, and the first week he doesn't know who's gonna pass against who's going to fail. I have made it a point to sit in the second row, and take a ridiculous amount of notes, and study those notes (I've never actually studied-studied in any of my classes before - it's working.) and work my ass off to ace this class. This is the class that's going to make or break my entrance into the final cut.....and it doesn't help that it's at 8:00 AM either, eh?
Anatomy lab will be fun; being on Friday after I've soaked up what I can from the lectures, it also serves as a review of that, which helps a lot.
The chemistry (CH-105) I'm taking is the level below the one I wanted to take, but that's okay. The first week all we learned is stuff I already learned in 10th grade, but that's okay. It's immediately after Anatomy, and my brain's in overdrive from having woken up halfway through Anatomy (LOL!) so it's all coming back to me quickly. Besides, Ms. Li's accent is awesome and although others find her difficult to understand, I comprehend her just fine.
Chem lab will be interesting as well; besides the intrigue of burning metals on Bunsen burners and seeing all the pretty pretty colours ( <3 !!! ) I ran around and helped six people do basic math. It was fun - I'd almost consider tutoring if I didn't have to work full time as well.
Freshman Seminar (UN-100). I'll admit, I took this course begrudgingly, seeing as I'm 25 now and have done the whole freshman thing already, but I figured it's 2 credits and I can sit through some videos and dorm life assignments and activities and stuff. I've been pleasantly surprised - it's involved and I've already had one chance to express myself through music. how many more surprises will there be? I went from mildly dreading to actually looking forward to this class.
Sociology - I love love love love sociology, and have been an amateur sociologist since my high school history teacher introduced me to it (our high school had nothing of that sort - hell, they didn't have AP courses until 2001, about oh, a year too late!). I've heard both good and bad things about Lorentzen, but so far my experience has been positive.
Ø What observations have you made about other students?
In Sociology, they don't seem to hae a sense of humour. :( I made a funny last Thursday; Prof. Lorentzen asked us hypothetically what would have happened if the Confederacy had successfully seceded from the Union, and I replied "We'd never have to listen to country music again!" ...she and one other person found it funny and snickered. The rest of the class? DEAD SILENT. So heh, apparently I'm weird.
Other than that, eh, they're all really young and have a loooot to learn about life. I've learned a lot just in the last week, watching how the other kids behave and interact, about how I was when I was 18-19 years old and why I didn't succeed in school the first time.
Ø About your instructors?
I already mentioned my thoughts on Dr. Froiland. The first couple days I looked upon the distance with disdain; only this week did I realize, after sitting closer to the class and feeling the energy up front, why he conducts the class the way he does. The massive download of information and the way he only glancingly blows the chapter (but tests on all of it) is meant to intimidate the half-assed student taking a med class because he wants to become a doctor in God-knows-what and make lots of money but is really interested in the Sigma Epsilon Xi and the drinking, and the person who has the drive to ace, or at least B+ the course.
Ø What do you think will be your biggest challenge(s) academically this semester?
Anatomy, by a long shot.
Ø Finally, name one goal (personal, academic, etc..) you have for yourself next week.
Next Wednesday I will be meeting with my academic advisor, to get to know him before I actually need his services and show up out of the blue. The social relationship needs to exist in order for us to mutually benefit one another.
bØ List your own quote, favorite saying, song, or other expression of your feelings today.
Just wrote this one last week, it's called Bumblebees. i'd be happy to perform it:
Six years ago I didn't have a clue in the world
Six years ago I didn't have a clue about the world
I was just a fumblin' bumblebee
Stumblin' blindly around the world
Refrain:
But you've shown me that I have
All of the wherewithal to be a man
So I'm doin' the best I can
Yeah I'm doin' the best I can
Six months ago I didn't have a clue in the world
Six months ago I didn't have a clue about the world
I was just a fumblin' bumblebee
Stumblin' blindly around the world
R
Six minutes ago I didn't have a clue in the world
Six minutes ago I didn't have a clue about the world
I am just a fumblin' bumblebee
Stumblin' blindly around the world
R
Six billion people here don't have a clue in the world
Six billion people here don't have a clue about the world
We're all just fumblin' bumblebees
Stumblin' blindly around the world
We're all just fumblin' bumblebees
Stumblin' blindly around the world
Six years ago I didn't have a clue about the world
I was just a fumblin' bumblebee
Stumblin' blindly around the world
Refrain:
But you've shown me that I have
All of the wherewithal to be a man
So I'm doin' the best I can
Yeah I'm doin' the best I can
Six months ago I didn't have a clue in the world
Six months ago I didn't have a clue about the world
I was just a fumblin' bumblebee
Stumblin' blindly around the world
R
Six minutes ago I didn't have a clue in the world
Six minutes ago I didn't have a clue about the world
I am just a fumblin' bumblebee
Stumblin' blindly around the world
R
Six billion people here don't have a clue in the world
Six billion people here don't have a clue about the world
We're all just fumblin' bumblebees
Stumblin' blindly around the world
We're all just fumblin' bumblebees
Stumblin' blindly around the world
Ø Now that you made it to NMU – why are you here?
To get a degree in pre-radiology and become an X-ray tech, before specializing in (probably) nuclear medicine.
Ø How did you choose this school?
Through Michigan Works' "No Worker Left Behind" program. If I pay for the first year and make the cut, the state pays for the last two years.
Ø List initial observations of your new environment.
It's college - in some ways it's harder than my last attempt but I'm a lot more mature now and I'm not quite as overwhelmed. Plus, Flint's a big scary place and Marquette not so much. ;)
Ø List initial observations of your classes.
Human Anatomy (BI-201) was the only class that really overwhelmed me the first day. Dr. Froiland projects an air of unapproachability about him - the forced distance is intended to make you work harder to earn his favor. He knows that the anatomy class is required and that half of his 150-someodd biology class is gonna peter out and half of the remnants are gonna barely squeak by with a C, and the first week he doesn't know who's gonna pass against who's going to fail. I have made it a point to sit in the second row, and take a ridiculous amount of notes, and study those notes (I've never actually studied-studied in any of my classes before - it's working.) and work my ass off to ace this class. This is the class that's going to make or break my entrance into the final cut.....and it doesn't help that it's at 8:00 AM either, eh?
Anatomy lab will be fun; being on Friday after I've soaked up what I can from the lectures, it also serves as a review of that, which helps a lot.
The chemistry (CH-105) I'm taking is the level below the one I wanted to take, but that's okay. The first week all we learned is stuff I already learned in 10th grade, but that's okay. It's immediately after Anatomy, and my brain's in overdrive from having woken up halfway through Anatomy (LOL!) so it's all coming back to me quickly. Besides, Ms. Li's accent is awesome and although others find her difficult to understand, I comprehend her just fine.
Chem lab will be interesting as well; besides the intrigue of burning metals on Bunsen burners and seeing all the pretty pretty colours ( <3 !!! ) I ran around and helped six people do basic math. It was fun - I'd almost consider tutoring if I didn't have to work full time as well.
Freshman Seminar (UN-100). I'll admit, I took this course begrudgingly, seeing as I'm 25 now and have done the whole freshman thing already, but I figured it's 2 credits and I can sit through some videos and dorm life assignments and activities and stuff. I've been pleasantly surprised - it's involved and I've already had one chance to express myself through music. how many more surprises will there be? I went from mildly dreading to actually looking forward to this class.
Sociology - I love love love love sociology, and have been an amateur sociologist since my high school history teacher introduced me to it (our high school had nothing of that sort - hell, they didn't have AP courses until 2001, about oh, a year too late!). I've heard both good and bad things about Lorentzen, but so far my experience has been positive.
Ø What observations have you made about other students?
In Sociology, they don't seem to hae a sense of humour. :( I made a funny last Thursday; Prof. Lorentzen asked us hypothetically what would have happened if the Confederacy had successfully seceded from the Union, and I replied "We'd never have to listen to country music again!" ...she and one other person found it funny and snickered. The rest of the class? DEAD SILENT. So heh, apparently I'm weird.
Other than that, eh, they're all really young and have a loooot to learn about life. I've learned a lot just in the last week, watching how the other kids behave and interact, about how I was when I was 18-19 years old and why I didn't succeed in school the first time.
Ø About your instructors?
I already mentioned my thoughts on Dr. Froiland. The first couple days I looked upon the distance with disdain; only this week did I realize, after sitting closer to the class and feeling the energy up front, why he conducts the class the way he does. The massive download of information and the way he only glancingly blows the chapter (but tests on all of it) is meant to intimidate the half-assed student taking a med class because he wants to become a doctor in God-knows-what and make lots of money but is really interested in the Sigma Epsilon Xi and the drinking, and the person who has the drive to ace, or at least B+ the course.
Ø What do you think will be your biggest challenge(s) academically this semester?
Anatomy, by a long shot.
Ø Finally, name one goal (personal, academic, etc..) you have for yourself next week.
Next Wednesday I will be meeting with my academic advisor, to get to know him before I actually need his services and show up out of the blue. The social relationship needs to exist in order for us to mutually benefit one another.
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