Hit the Road Jack

Despite me saying that I would blog more, I haven't. I fail, but I fail in a semi-good way. Cause school has started and I have been super busy. But also losing the desire, and gaining more desperation? Just seeing all of school as a bigger chore than it should be, honestly. So I'm just not excited. Partly because I am behind because of my own procrastinations...

So honestly, this is more for me than anyone else. But by having it in writing makes it more substantial. Rather than just thinking it in my head.

So here it is, my goals for the semester;
1. Be more energetic at least about school work. Yes, the calculus is tough and so are the other classes, but I need to be at least energetic about it.

2. Put school work first. No Solitaire, no facebooking or twittering or reading some online comic first. School work comes first.

3. Despite being discouraged, I will take a small breather and jump back into the work.

4. And finally I will catch up on what I am behind in, use the full hours of the weekend too (while trying to be somewhat balanced socially and all). And once caught up I will get ahead so I am not stressed by due dates and deadlines.

So this is me trying to survive a semester of school. Have a nice day.

Elections of the Student Kind

I will probably sound anti-school spirit on this post, but frankly, it is student election time. A time where students can vote for who will plan out next years' dances and social activities. And pretend that it isn't a popularity contest or has zero impact outside of school.

But let's take a look at the candidates. We have Andrew and Deidre, Chris and Sterling, and Kristina and Dan.

Andrew and Diedre:
1. Intramural finals in the Marriott Center
2. Fundraiser for world-hunger
3. Improve internet on campus
4. submit a proposal to improve BYU's rank
5. Reach out to Provo City to build a relationship

Chris And Sterling:
1. Uphold an Open Door Policy
• Expand BYU/SA Human Resources to allow students the opportunity to serve in other organizations on campus besides BYU/SA.
2. Connect School and BYUSA Calendar
3. Reinstate Honor Week
4. Collaborate to Improve Campus Map
5. Enhance Provo Connection...

Kristina and Dan:
1. Free health programs on campus and an online sign-up sheet for these programs
2. Improvement of the clubs.byu.edu website to help students find the right groups for themselves.
3. True blue Tuesdays where everyone is encouraged to wear blue to promote unity and a sense of belonging among all students

Let's look at #5 of the first two; working with city government. This is an empty promise that they cannot do, because school administration won't let them work with city officials. Some students had to create a group that had nothing to do with BYU to work with city officials. So right there is a strike.

For Andrew and Deidre, my question is what is stopping intramural finals from being held in the Marriott? Do they just mean basketball? Why have it be in the Marriott Center and cause the school to lose more money than having intramural finals in the RB sports building?

Submitting a proposal to get BYU's academic rank improved is a good idea. But that is the only thing BYU/SA can do about it. The Administration can doubtfully improve the ranking except by hiring better professors and improving the learning material. So this does not fly for me as a reason to vote for A&D.

Improving campus internet is another issue apparently. Unless maybe students are in some basement, I have not had problems with getting internet on my laptop. It works well inside buildings as well as out. And is not a cost that BYU/SA would cover either. They can only suggest where better can be. Why vote for them for that?

But the fundraiser idea is a good idea and one they can carry out. So 1 out of 5 proposals are things that they can do.

For Christ and Sterling; I automatically don't want to vote for them because I believe Sterling represented Cindy Richards in the election debate last October and he came off wrong.

As for their proposals, #2 and #3 are things they can actually do and are good ideas. #4 they cannot do because they are not in charge of it. Their first proposal sounds unnecessary. More hours in the BYU/SA office is well and dandy, since I doubt they are being paid, but beyond that, it just sounds like a recruiting ploy to me.

And then you have Kristina and Dan. They obviously know their purview of what they can and cannot do. It is like a refreshing bit of honesty. All three things they can do, as it all falls under their purview. They know they do service stuff, they know they are over the activities and clubs. They know what is what.

I thought of bashing their policies, but considering that is what they can do and they are honest about it, if I do vote, I will vote for them. Although their #3 about a sense of belonging by just wearing blue? Weird, but fine, whatever. They are the school cheerleaders trying to get people to have school spirit and have fun at college. It is what they do.

But that is if I do vote, cause honestly? It does not matter or affect me all that much. I like the club suggestion by Kristina and Dan the most, but beyond that, nothing strikes me as life changing by voting for them.

Except their record will look nice with that title.

And that is my rant on school elections. Sorry to burden you all with that.

Dear Religion Profesor,

You have all probably heard this, and he has too, probably. In fact I should have switched out of the class as soon as I read the syllabus.

But needless to say, my dear religion professor, you are a bit demanding of your classes. I understand there needs to be some academic focus, but since I have roughly written a paper a week in your class, I think I am entirely justified. It is a two credit class, for crying out loud.

Am I slightly procrastinating my paper now? Yes. But that does not matter. I understand researching and knowing what all has been said in commentary is all well and good, but cmon.

I see your point to see what what non-lds commentators have said, but really, a paper a week? And not just three paragraphs or so, but a well researched paper documenting all I can find on a verse of scripture. This, my man, is lunacy. I do not have this type of time. Not when I have have two tests this week and a major lab assignment due.

And my dear religion professor, yours is a general ed, two credit class. I should have to put in a couple of hours a week reading the scriptures you want me to read. Not worrying and writing a single spaced two page paper. We both know I am going to bs it anyway.

So why give it to us? Really? Do you really want to grade that much paper? I honestly have more important classwork to work on. You know, stuff that is pertinent to my major?

I appreciate all you teach professor, but this is slightly ridiculous.

...


And yeah, I am off to get back to my paper. :(

Nuthun

I really wish I had something to say. I don't. Class work is taking up way too much time. Although... I did punch my Calculus test in the face though. So I can tell that tale I suppose.

The Challenger was tired, for the past weeks the champion had been mocking him. The Champion laughed at the challengers face and boldly pronounced that the Challenger was not worth the fight, that it was not a fight. That the Challenger would be taken downed in the first round. But the Champion was wrong.

The Champion was unaware that the Challenger was studying up on the forms, how to get between the curves and calculate the volume between them, to know the force of impact his punches would land. The Champion was unaware that the Challenger was not wallowing in pity, but was encouraged by friends, and a super foxy friend. The Champion regarded her not, thought her just a faceless fan. He knew not the strength of friendship and luck she bestowed upon the Challenger.

The Champion had faced the challenger and knew of previous defeats, using his special sine and cosine 1-2 punch to knock out the Challenger.

But this time, this time was different. This time, the Challenger came prepared.

As the Challenger entered the ring, his super foxy friend blew him a kiss and cheered him on with the enthusiasm of 12 super bowl games combined. The momentum of the cheers caught the Champion temporarily off guard and allowed the Challenger to enter in and start throwing punches, using derivative force to counter the Champion's and raging like a wild animal. The Champion was off surprised and being beaten. The Champion tried to his his integral evade maneuvers or derivative counters.

The Champion grew desperate and launched a series of punches he knew the Challenger had lost to before, flowing with the curves of a sine or cosine integral function, but though the Champion managed to strike the Challenger, his blows were not as powerful as expected. The Challenger managed to divert enough of the energy to still stand. A little bruised, but still standing. Smiling.

The Challenger on the other hand had a black eye, blood on his face and a possibly broken nose. As they went to lunge for each other again, the bell rang. The match was up.

Although the official score was not yet at the ready, it looked like the Challenger was clearly the victor.

And so the Challenger strode to his super foxy friend and together they strode out of the auditorium to await the results of the match.


In other words, I think I did well on the Calc test, but I do not have my test scores yet.

Lookie Lookie I Got Hookie!

Classes have started, and though this may prove my geekiness, I get to play around with something that looks like this in one of my classes.

Will this semester be awesome? I think so. (And super stressful too.)

Quick, in Brief

To the blogger world, well mainly to those who do not follow my every movement on Twitter, I am now part of the employed world again.

I was let go a year ago because it is a university student job and I didn't qualify as a student for a little bit, I couldn't work there. (Slacked in school. Not going to happen again.)

And so I am hired back where I worked a year ago. I had a decision between a programming job where I have barely looked at the code to make a final decision and my old job where I gained SQL experience, some php and html job experience and good computer skills. Only high level engineers got paranoid about the power we students held and stripped us of our access to the back end, looking at the inner core of the programs worked with. Restructuring has occurred, and needless to say, I am an over glorified telephone operator, complete with LDS chapel directory assistance.

But the good thing is that things are very laid back, so there is some free time from day to day to relax. That's the good thing. However, it's not as active as I'd like. Upon being hired I felt that the Universe was righted somehow, that things are back in motion, and this is a fun place to work, I'd rather not stay in this department for too long. I have to up my programming skills so I can transfer to a team that actually programs, or one of the centralized teams that deal with hardware and actual resolving of computer issues. So that is always good.

Also, for a heads up for one of the next posts, I may post a video. I was hanging out with some guys in my ward and one of the guys was prepping to talk to an old girlfriend to go out again. We recorded what he was going to say, it was hilarious. We may put it on Youtube, and if we do, I will display it here.

If not, if they don't want it online, then I'll just post the transcript. It is a hilarious, hilarious movie. Gave me a freaking asthma attack too!

Have a merry Christmas,

Sammy!

Tales of Victory

Jumping out of bed, with a rhythm in his head. A slow pounding if you, an announcing of trumpets, possibly. Hints of grandeur and possibly of great things to come.

Months of sweat and hard work. Frustration and bitterness. Late hours and long days, battling it out for survival. All leading up to this point.

With the beginnings of the tune in mind, and breakfast in stomach, went the lad. Up, up, up the stairs of the southern walkway , walking full on confidence for the final bout. Go time. Passing other students, being silently cheered on, a whisper in the air, cheering for Sam to have a KO match. Marching on, passing the Marriott and seeing a last flight of stairs to reach the Independent Study building. Climbing, or rather running up, to jump in anticipation and excitement of reaching the top.

Running, and entering, hearing the cheering again. Hearing "Eye of the Tiger." Hearing the shouts of "Yo, yo, Adrian!"

Meeting the rival. taking time to size up the opponent. 63 questions of pure agony sure to come. But ready to rise to the challenge.

Sitting down, and given a sucker punch or two. A more readied and hidden defense. 63 questions. 58 Multiple choice. Most of that true false. Cockiness for a brief second before the punches flew. Carefully crafted questions, one after another, left a wishful thought that more studying should have been done. But battled on, persisted. Question after question, blow for blow. Until finally a few calculation problems. Though winded, the would-be champion glanced at this opponent again, and threw a few more punches. And down went the opponent. Completed. Handed in. Ready to be files and graded. Wasn't a perfect fight, but signs pointed to victory. The official tally and review still going on, the final outcomes of the match to be released in a week or two.

But the Champion didn't care. He strode out of the building, the "Eye of the Tiger" winding down and new music shaped. Music of victory.

And with a shout in the crisp fall air, the Champion shouted, "VICTORY!!!"
Twas a good day, a good day for the match.

--
So yes, I finally finished my Linear Algebra independent study class. Hazzah!

To The BYU Football Defense

Dear BYU Football's Defense,

You Stink. Now don't act all surprised, but all of campus and everyone who watched tonight's game against TCU is thinking it. You simply stink.

Now don't let my words fool you, I'm a devoted fan, I may not attend the games in person but I try to watch or listen to every single game. And so, as a fan, I have got to say that you really dropped the ball tonight. Yes, there was the blowout loss against Florida, but we all supposed that maybe it was just a bad night for you, and that you'd come back swinging. But tonight merely confirms your mediocre talent and playing ability.

Now I don't mean to say that TCU isn't good, cause they are very good, they are a very talented team. But is that really an excuse to lose this bad against TCU? I don't think so. You could have given them a point for point battle, but you didn't. Instead TCU steamrolled over you.

And you know what's worse, my hope in you guys, as a team, is shot for this season. Yes, BYU will beat Wyoming and New Mexico, but that's a given. What I'm talking about is the game that matters, the BYU VS the Utes. Would I like to see BYU beat the Utes? Yes! But these two disappointing and humiliating defeats have shattered my hope that we can defend against them.

So there you BYU Defense, you shattered the hope of a fan that BYU can beat their rivals up north. How are we as students and fans of BYU supposed to view the rivalry game now? How are we supposed to enjoy in the traditional rivalry shenanigans when we know that you're just going to flop around and get your butts kicked?

Maybe you can pull off a miracle and restore confidence in the team and defense, but with how you're playing, I don't think it is likely.

So, one word of advice Defense, don't let us be completely decimated against the Utes. That's all I ask.

Crocodile Hunter Math Teacher?

The young lad was in the hallowed halls of learning, or rather being the Math Lab, the Unhollowed halls of learning.

He and his fellow despondent co-patriots valiantly struggled against the horrors that consist of Linear Algebra. As they toiled in their understanding, the pressures and horrors of this inexplicable system of math finally got to them, and started converting Linear Transformations into Transformer jokes, saying they expected to hear a matrix say, "Transform and roll out!".

But then something odd occurred as the young man read the text, from the wording of some the text in his textbook, i.e. "The proof of this theorem and some other interesting properties of orthogonal matrices are left to you to be discovered..." (emphasis mine). Upon reading this text, the young lad heard the voice of Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, in his head narrating the text as he read, complete with the "Crikey!"

The young man chuckled all the more as he pictured the crocodile hunter giving a math lecture, laughing at the accent and laughing at what the Crocodile Hunter would say if he messed his lines up.

And so now the Crocodile Hunter's memory lives on, as one of the few people would could have taught math on TV with enthusiasm.

Beginnings

School begins anew, no job yet, but at least the T.A.'s are in the math lab. So it's time to get down to business. I am about halfway done with Math and a little less than halfway done with English. I am just beginning Biology unfortunately. All this means I am taking these classes over independent study, and thus with luck and hard work I will be back in regular day time classes come Winter Semester.

Which means I have to make programming a hobby, something to work on an hour or two a night to get back into the groove of things.

There was also an awesome road trip to Rexburg this past weekend, which I may divulge more information about at sometime in the future.

Anywhat, I'm out. I'll post something later. And I'll try to make it funny.

Oh, and this just has to be included:

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

linear Independence

When in the Course of mathematics it becomes necessary for one vector to clarify the non-trivial bands which have separated them with each other and to assume among the powers of the polynomials, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Gaussian Elimination algorithm entitle them, a decent respect to the formulation of matrices requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

Heretofore we declare Linear Independence....




Ok, I admit it. I am bored and decided to try and do something fun with what I'm studying.
Have a great day.

Progress

As of this procrastinative moment, I am now finishing chapter 6 of 21 of my English 316 and starting Chapter 3 of 10 of Math. Much to do still, much to do.


Oh, and Naazju, I should be ashamed. I haven't seen The Half Blood Prince yet...

The Matrix

Ok, maybe it is the inverse matrix. That's what I am working on in Math class. I have no clue how they pertain to real life applications really, but somehow they do and I have to learn about them.

Also I don't like how my math text handles things. I start out the section and it does crazy stuff. It shows the inverse matrix of a matrix and I'm wondering how that happened, how they got it to work. It detracts from what they're trying to say, detracts from the example that it shows because I wondering how they got the inverse matrix in the first place.

And then it shows an extremely hard way that is used to get the inverse matrix. And then a page later the book goes "ha ha, that way is way too long and complicated. Here is a simpler way to do it." Why can't it just show the simple way to get the problem done? I'm not majoring or minoring in math, so I don't care about the proof, of how it works. Obviously it works or I would not be taught it. Heck I'm not even sure why it is important enough to learn, but yet I learn it.

So why teach me the proofs? Yeah it is a good thing to know that yes it can be proven that it works, but beyond this chapter, or even this class, I'm not going to need how to prove how it works. It doesn't matter.

Unless someone can answer me how my life will be benefited by knowing how to prove it works. And no, answers resulting in time travel to introduce it (while cool) or colonizing another planet and needing it somehow will not be accepted.

Maybe I'll ask the 100 Hour Board. Well, look in the archives first and then ask. I bet Laser Jock could answer why it is good to know the proofs of stuff like that.

Because in my point of view, though learning the hard way first and then the easy way can be a good type of history lesson to prove how Newton and others had it hard, I don't think it has much application in our individual lives to know how to prove how some higher functions of math work.

Of course. I could be wrong.

Fred! You read this blog, right? What's your opinion on this? (Considering you're going into electrical engineering and need lots of math and what not.)

Two Birds With One English Lesson, er Stone

I am taking English 316, technical communication, so prepared to be bored out of your minds while I take the time to share some rules/guidelines to help me with my class.

• Avoid Ambiguous Pronoun References: You know, he she it, they and all that referring to the proper thing so everything doesn't get all confused. Make it clear. It's like the facebook status thing; if you stick to 3rd person pronouns, things are bound to get confusing if you mention something else.
  
• Avoid Ambiguous Modifiers: Words like 'only', you know, "only press the button in an emergency." You don't know if only refers to emergencies or the button. Not clear. That's a no-no. We also know that you only press the red button to launch a nuclear missile. So please don't press it.
  
• Just say no the stacking modifying nouns. You put too many on and everything gets crazy confusing.
• Word Order: Apparently each sentence builds on the previous sentence to build up to next sentence. It's like they're plot-layout happy. So just keep things connected and familiar. So new information, unfamiliar stuff should be near the end of the sentence, just to keep people happy. Imperative or commands are the exception. They're allowed to go at the beginning of the sentence to get all up in your business.
• Use Active Voice Whenever possible: Cause passive voice is for ninnies. There's also more to read and it's more direct. So whatever it is, you should just do it, not have it be done by you. That's passé. It is also unethical because it can be confusing. Hence it is for ninnies. active voice has power. Notice that when a Jedi uses the mind-trick, he never uses passive voice. And don't use both in the same sentence, if you do a grammar fairy dies somewhere. And that's the truth!
• When to use Passive Voice: When you're a ninny! Actually the correct answer is selectively. So it's like selective evolution, passive voice always gets left out of the loop. Apparently passive voice is used on a need to know basis, or when it is obvious who is doing it. Like that Mr. Jones who was brought to the emergency room. Most people assume it is a doctor or nurse that brought him there and thus people don't care and passive is OK. Or when the object, like a Ring of power that was thrown into a fiery volcano. The object is more important than the subject. Again: Ninnies! And as ninnies like to be indirect and inoffensive, they use it to avoid offending people. Instead of saying you didn't pay the bill, you say the bill hasn't been paid. Peaceful! Also in describing actions, like someone ratting out Joey the Rat, the person doing the ratting out wants protection and so all that is said that Joey the Rat was ratted out.
• Overstuffed Sentences: Don't take them to the buffet line, it gets ugly if you do. Things get messy and people get dizzy if too much information is stuffed into one sentence. (Look at 3:20-3:34)
• Editing for Conciseness: Apparently it is a crime to be inconcise. Transmit the most information using the fewest words possible. Use the drafting process.
• Avoid Wordy Phrases: Reduce phrases like 'due to the fact' and 'the majority of' to 'because' and 'most'. It means no laziness in writing essays, you have to think more and be more efficient in your writing. No filling up space for the word count!
• Eliminate Redundancy: Don't say things twice. You only need to say it twice. However, this is only for the English language, cause Spanish is inherently redundant. It means you can't use some descriptive words. After all, this is technical documents, not a novel!
• Avoid Needless Repetition: Doesn't that count as a type of redundancy? Or maybe this is to block subliminal messages. So don't say things over and over again and no superhero will think you're trying to hypnotize people into doing your bidding.
• Avoid There Sentence Openers: We openly discriminate those who use 'there' to start a sentence. It is also weak and for ninnies. Be manly and don't say that there is something to going to happen, say that it will happen, you ninny! Although it should be noted that you are allowed by proper context to be a ninny sometimes.
• Don't use It to start sentences either: It is vague, unclear and I just broke my own rule. So use 'it' responsibly if what it is, has been established in a previous sentence. So don't drink and start sentences with 'it'. This is for your own protection.
• Delete Needless Prefaces: Monologueing if you will. Or self narration. Don't say what you are doing, just get to the point. For example: 'I am writing this letter because...' Unnecessary! Get rid of it!
• Avoid Weak Verbs: They're for ninnies. You want a verb that specifies an action, not something like 'am', 'was' and other ninny verbs.
• Avoid Excessive Prepositions: Reduce, reduce, reduce! After all, everybody in this economy is doing it right?
• Fight Noun Addiction: Wow. I didn't even know you could be addicted to nouns. This sounds dangerous. Very dangerous indeed. Someone should conduct a study on the addictiveness of nouns! Resist the temptation to turn verbs into nouns. Addiction is not pretty.
• Make Negatives Positives: So, we've moved from English to altering the laws of physics have we? On the English side of things, don't use words like do not, like I just did! Tell people what they can do, what they can not do.

Hmmn, I think this is enough grammar guidelines for now. Hope you learned something. Enjoy your weekend.

Okonkwo

Tomorrow I finish my history class once and for all. I thought to commemorate that I would put one of the papers I wrote here, a book response to Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. For those of you English majors/grammar enthusiasts please, be brutal.

Is Okonkwo a tragic hero or a cowardly failure? Would you be heroic or suicidal if overpowering invaders, for whom resistance was futile, destroyed your culture and turned your children against you?
In classifying Okonkwo as either a tragic hero or a cowardly failure, it is to be asserted that Okonkwo is a tragic hero. He is a tragic hero because through his work and diligence he strived for prominence in his clan, seeking to do right by his culture, seeking to protect it from those invaders who desire to end centuries of tradition and culture. However, by acting through his hubris of strength, or the avoidance of appearing weak, he instead helps perpetuate the end of his clan’s culture and becomes what he sought to avoid in life: a disgrace to his tribe.
Okonkwo is characterized by embracing all that is manly and strong, while viewing and eschewing any characteristic that his father had as weakness, even gentleness. Though he is strong and made a name and reputation for himself, he is driven by the fear of appearing weak, of being associated with his disgraceful father. This fear had swallowed him up since his youth and though it helped him achieve what he became in his clan. It was through allowing himself to be driven by that fear and the need to appear as strong that he was prone to rashness, such as when he killed Ikemefuna. Regardless of the rash impulses detailed in the book, he obeys the traditions of his clan, and until his seven-year exile, views his tribe as manly and strong.
It is his seven year exile that feeds his hubris; he views his motherland as weak, sees himself as stronger than them, and longs to return to his own clan. Because of his less-than-grandiose return to his clan, combined with the Christian presence, he viewed his tribe as changed, as weak due to their inaction in the face of drastic change. His hubris had gotten a hold of him and he longed for the days of glory and battles long past. Because of his hubris and the cruelties inflicted by the District Commissioner, he longed to chase them out and thus tragically fell. He is a tragic hero because he hastily killed the messenger at the meeting, and saw the fear from the crowd from the result of his actions. The other messengers had escaped. He failed his clan and through that action endangered the clan.
To cement his failure he hung himself, not out of fear of punishment, but of his own failures. Like his father he now disgraced the town and thus hung himself. Okonkwo’s death is more than just the fall of a tragic hero, but also symbolizes the spirit and energy that the clan is now bereft of. The laws of the clan state that only strangers can take down a hanged man’s body. This, however, is symbolic of the death of the clan and their traditions, their defeat and powerlessness in the face of an adversary that divided them to overwrite their laws and customs. The clan could not now govern itself, and so is ruled over by others. They were driven and divided, their spirit as broken as the body that hung in the tree and could now not do a thing to prevent the loss of their own customs and traditions. Okonkwo’s suicide was not a cowardly act. He was not afraid to go and defend that which he loved.
He constantly expressed his bravery, either through his four trips to the cave to rescue Enzinma if necessary, to his expressed desire to fight against the invaders. He was a warrior through and through but was perceptive enough to recognize that his clan and people were not ready or willing to drive off the strangers that dared change their customs and laws. Had he the ability to speak, to arouse his people to action, he would have tried to persuade them to go to war following the killing of the messenger. But he did not have the ability to give others courage. He could only fight for freedom, and he would have done so had he not seen defeat and fear in the eyes of his clansmen. He saw them divided and weak, which broke his spirit. He hung himself not because resistance was futile, but because there was no spirit in resistance. So the option came down to hanging himself, dying by his own choosing, rather being caught, tried, and killed by the hands of foreigners. Through strength and will he rose to fame in his clan, but by rashness and fear he fell to disgrace.

Darn

I'm just not in the mood to do school work this week it seems. Anybody willing to crack the whip over me to get me going?

Tonight

I know I've been busy. But I do have some good news to report.

I went in to the academic counselor Monday afternoon to find out more about evening classes. The next day the attendance people called me again and told me that once the whole Fast-Track back thing was done, that I could indeed take day classes in the fall. Hazzah!

I also am almost done with History. I should be completely done next week.

I am also attending a concert tonight with 'Lyssa. We're seeing Cowboy Mouth. Lyssa kept talking about them and so apparently they're pretty good. I'll inform you tomorrow about that. There may be pictures if I decide to take my bulky camera.

I say things are pretty good.

And in past news, I'm hoping the vampire is dead now. I'm not sure if it is yet. But it looks like it. Happiness and Joy!

World War One Angst

I've been reading about World War One today, and been commenting on Twitter some things I noticed and ranted about concerning that war. I'll post my comments for you here to read:

"I think the well-to-do were high off something in the early 1900's."

"The cause of WWI lowers my view of the human race."

"Gosh people are stupid. WWI breaks out and people cheer with parades and waving of their flags."

"France: Oh lets throw our brightly colored troops at Germany in half-hearted effort to cross it's border w/o knowing their war preparations"

"You know... if you're going to go to war, be more creative than throwing your army at the other one hoping the other side has less men."

"Britain acts smartly in WWI, they subvert the Ottoman Empire from within, starting an internal power struggle."

"And then complications arise, namely the Balfour Declaration."

"And here I thought French and German tactics were stupid. But then I find out that Russian Generals sent their troops unarmed into battle."

Ha! The February revolution started in March!

@luvlyssa "And the Feb Revolution started in March for the Gregorian calendar, but February in the old Russian calendar."

"Back to reading the biased textbook story of the Russian Revolution under the Bolsheviks."

"Why was the old Russian Calendar 13 days behind ours?"

"Treaty of Brest-Litosvsk signed March 3, 1918 creating independent republics such as Latvia; birthplace of Dr. Doom."

"Idea: We'll make a peace treaty with just Britain, USA and France, ignoring other countries like Italy who helped us in the war. Sound good?"

"You know, you think everybody would have had enough death after WWI, but no. You give Russian Revolutionaries weapons and 3 million more die"

So yeah. Basically the Austrian heir to the throne gets knocked off by a Serbian, Austrians are ticked and Germany thinking it has the best and biggest stick on the continent encourages Austria to declare war on Serbia. Russia, thinking they are Serbia's big brother, declares war on Austria and drags France with it since they are allied. Germany then declares war, thinking it can defeat France quick enough to move onto Russia and that Britain won't join in quickly. They're wrong. Millions die. America finally joins and Germany is defeated. They devise a treaty that is a failure for not punishing anyone or causing reconciliation. Festering wounds ensue. Everybody are idiots. British slightly redeemed cause they caused the political downfall of the Ottoman Empire. Causing to fall from within.
Then influenza kills millions, and Russian civil war causes famine and disease, helped along by France, Britain and the USA and millions more die. Such distasteful ways at ruling the world. They receive a D- for their inability to govern the world.

What a joyful period isn't it?

All For Nothing?

Well as you all know I have been attempting to do the Fast Track back option to attend regular day classes in the Fall with standing of previous. Well looks like that won't happen.

Apparently my ecclesiastical endorsement arrived after the March 1st deadline, so even getting the four independent study courses done, there's nothing that can be done. I mean I can take evening classes. But that's about it.

So pretty much there is no reason to have to work my butt off to get these four classes done. I mean I'm going to complete them, but now I don't have to be in such a rush. I'm going to go up and talk with them, but even so, unless a miracle happens, that I am praying for, there's no point in trying the fast track back option.

Hazzah

I got a B- on the History Mid-term. That's pretty good.

Though why I thought Lisbon was in the Philippines and not the capital of Portugal is beyond me.