Furry

Rose arrived home yesterday crying as if the adoption fair was the most traumatic experience of her life. According to the others though, she wasn't so bad...a little shy, but not too bad for her first day there. I got her another bag of chicken treats because of a strong suspicion that further approaches to the cat carrier will only be made under heavy bribery.

The fire alarm only chirped four times this morning, therefore allowing me to sleep almost undisturbed until eight and it felt like heaven. Okay, that was an obviously gross exaggeration, but after a few days of headache long hours of slept does feel rather wonderful.

Made brownies and cornbread yesterday. Oven possibly too hot for brownies and I don't think they're baked all the way through, but it still tastes so good--as in something that's over-saturated in chocolate good.

Rose says 'hi'. She's feeling clingy both literally and metaphorically this morning. A while ago she was in my lap, with her front paws on the desk in front of my laptop, between my arms and her head under my chin, watching me type. Then she fell asleep in my lap and then nearly fell off, which caused her to try to save herself by digging her claws into my leg which is very painful, by the way and I think Kate's right--Rose'll need another claw trim soon.

I'm not entirely sure what she's doing right now--I think she's trying to groom my jeans actually. Maybe she's mistaking it as an extension of her body because she'd shed all over it, so it's fur-covered anyway but the fuzziness!

[edit 10:36]
Rose's adoption bio is online! (And yep, she's a kisser, which is why I'll never buy her fish flavored treats because I've finally decided that rotting chicken is preferred over putrid tuna.)

It's chocolate cake day

...or so 123greetings informed me earlier. I think I'll make brownies later today to celebrate. In any case they seem to be safer than German chocolate cake.

Rose's going to her first adoption event to day and was upset with the entire stuffed - in - a - carrier - early - in - the - morning - car - ride. She cried all the way to the kitty taxi pick up and cried the entire time the kitties were being loaded into the taxi. There were too many kitties today, and therefore I couldn't go along, so I called Charleen just now to check up on Rose but she didn't pick up so--! I guess we'll find out this afternoon how she did.

Also had to make a adoption bio for Rose, this is one of the pictures I included:


I do my laundry on Fridays, but whether or not that makes a difference depends on the friendliness of the cat, and this is why. Rose usually contributes to about half of the content of the lint trap in the dryer.

Recent events had the fire alarms chirping randomly, usually starting at around 5am in the morning and continuing to about 9am. Inspection told me that I can't do anything about it, further inspection by maintenance people told us that they can't do anything about it either, until they buy new fire alarms, at least. Therefore I get to wake up at five on consecutive days and spent literally hours trying to get back to sleep. And fail, resulting in daily headaches that settle in usually around 2pm, peak at 5ish, and make me want to crawl into bed by 8pm. No one else seems affected by the chirping at all except Lucy on the first day it happened and then Kate asked me if I knew why Lucy was stomping. Then Lucy got used to it and never stomped again. I need to get used to it.

Started Cicero in Latin this week, and probably will cover the o tempora o mores!

In the name of science

Last week's physics involved microwaving water in a mug and then deducing the cooking power of the microwave oven. Today's lab presented the fact that only a handful of people actually bothered with the experiment, and only two people had relatively precise data, and out of the two I was the only one with a reasonably accurate data. Your microwave's power usually max at 200-400 grams, kids! Aside from that, I think my physics class is making me depressed. And far too sarcastic for my own good.

Though, how many other classes ask you to do calculations based on microwaved mugs? I was in the kitchen doing just that when Kate entered to make tea and she commented, I quote, that I was "contaminating the kitchen with science."

While I'm quoting Kate, I might as well as add that Rose has taken attention begging to another level and Kate has developed what she's been calling "the petting of hate." Mostly it features Kate petting Rose and calling her things ranging from "little monster" to "traitor" to "shameless twit" and Rose sitting in her lap purring along the lines of "I don't know what you're saying but so long you keep scratching me right there, I don't care either."

Compared to last quarter, this quarter's been down right soothing so far. Oops, did I just jinx myself? Very well, I've jinxed myself.

Temporal issues

To quote one of my classmates, "Having a day that's a Monday, a Tuesday, and a Wednesday all at the same time is too much."

Today is, by the calendars at large, a Wednesday. It feels like a Tuesday because we didn't have school on Monday. It is a conventional Monday because the all-mighty deans have decided that today's going to follow Monday's academic schedule. Somewhere between all this my sense of time would've gotten confused if it weren't for the fact that the only difference between my Monday schedule and my Wednesday schedule is an extra bio discussion on Wednesday-- which the teacher have moved to today, an academic Monday, because it's still Wednesday (try saying THAT to the next innocent passerby). Therefore it REALLY feels like a Monday to me-- if it weren't for the fact that yesterday there was an FFO meeting so I was at school for slightly over twelve hours, and my brain can most definitely register THAT.

In response to one of the info cards I've filled out at the meeting, I've received the reply that Rose's officially recorded birthday is on June 5th, 06, which makes her approximately 7 month and 12 days old.

"You're approximately 7 month and 12 days old, Rose," I said to her at the time, since she's sitting by my feet.

"Eek," said Rose.

There are times where she is quite unbelievably eloquent.

Now-- onwards to physics, o-chem, and all things preternatural.

The backup proof of my complaints

This "hypothetical conversation between a physics 7A student and a TA" is brought to you by Albert, who had TAed for the 7 series in the years past.

At the second lecture the teacher was still going over how we- are- not- here- to- teach- you- you- are- to- learn/think- on- your- own. (leik zomg)

---

Physics 7A TA: Hi there. How may I help thee?

Physics 7A student: Well, I'm stuck on problem 3 on the FNTs. I read over my notes from the last DL, when we talked about thermal energy and bond energy..I looked
at my lecture notes, and at the poor excuse for course notes, but I'm lost. Can you please help me on this problem?

Physics 7A TA: Young lady, I'm not your father.

Physics 7A student: Excuse me?

Physics 7A TA: Young lady, you are asking me to spoon-feed you information!! This class is the first time in your whole life you've actually had to think!! THINK!!!! THINK!!!! USE THE MODEL!!!! USE THE MODEL!!! Remember, models are our friends. They are what we think with!!!!

Physics 7A student: Okay, I understand that we use models...But can't you just do your job? Can't you give me some kind of hint to help me on the homework?

Physics 7A TA: Young lady, I'm not going to short-circuit your thinking by giving you the answer! You are asking me to hold you by the hand and think for you, and I won't do it!! This is the first time in your whole life you've actually had to think. THINK!!!
THINK!!! USE THE MODEL!!!

Physics 7A student: But just take a look at this problem...You see, what are they asking for? Look at the second sentence in the FNT...what system are they referring to? What are they asking for?

Physics 7A TA: If I tell you the answer, I'm cheating you of your education. I know it's hard, but you have to think.

Physics 7A student: But can't you give some guidance or some clue to help me solve the problem?

Physics 7A TA: That's the problem with our whole education system...right through grades K thru 12...Your whole life, you've had teachers doing your thinking for you. This is the first time you've actually had to do mental work....

Arctic in the Meditterranean?

It is irony that after so soon an introduction to the supposed "Meditterraean weather" of Davis that I should receive, immediately after, so many warnings about the Arctic freeze that's coming our way. According to the UCD Botanical Conservatory the most questions they've gotten in the past few days were in the categories of "Okay, so I heard there's this big freeze coming up--what should I do with my plants?"

I'd like to take a moment to point out that this's, mostly, a question of common sense. Most of the houseplants are so selectively bred and green-house pampered that they're really quite fragile and have something like 1% (number made up with absolutely no scientific basis) of the original environmental resistence of their ancestors. In other words: if you're going to get cold standing outside, your plants probably will too. You put on a wrap when you go outside because it's cold, ergo, wrap your plants.

End of tangent and yes, the freeze has come down (well, had came down really, since it felt like the air started freezing over pretty much since yesterday) (a gross exaggeration, of course, and only allowed because I'm from bay area, California). My room is currently hosting me, Rose, Lucy, and a heater and mornings have never been more exciting. I get to make the bed with Lucy thumping in her cage and Rose wailing outside the door (she wanted to be fed NOW) and if only they could get a better sense of rhythm we could possibly even get a band going.

I've tried to post the updated schedule to Lunatics several times with no result, which I took to mean yet another unresolved glitch between the new and the old system of blogging. Mostly though I'm less busy (so far) this quarter. I think I'll try to be online regularly (since it actually does seem plausible at this stage). Possibly 8:30-9:30 time frame.

Over and out. For now.

Whining

Today's physics lab was two and a half hours. That alone isn't bad. Even the fact that I have another one at 8am on Wednesday that's also two and a half hours long isn't bad. What is bad is the lack of teaching and coherent text of the class, coupled over some over-enthused ideas about group work.

And the lab experiments/worksheets themselves of course. Those were mind boggling.

Example: First thing we did today after getting into groups was "triggering" a heat pack (i.e. one of those re-usable ones). Activity one that we must write down on the board and discuss, I quote: "Observe what it does during the first fe wminutes after triggering. What seems strange about the behavior of the pack?"

I sat there and thought: "You must be kidding me" while my group memembers argued about whether the temperature of the heat pack increased or decreased. They were confusing the definition of heat with temperature (Q vs. T, respectively). (I did try to explain, but as the other three were all talking over each other no one bothered to follow along with the explanation.) Unfortunately, the writer of the text was not in a joking mood. He (and yes, I know for a fact the author is male) is completely serious. By the way, kids, the correct question to "what seems strange" is "it changed into a solid and produced heat."

The heat pack produced heat. What a NOVEL idea.

I tried to be nice. I smiled a lot. I did my best to keep my sarcasm under control and hope I didn't come across to anyone as arrogant. It was all very hard when my group members have just spent ten minutes arguing about something and generally talking over me and then later, have TA pull out the same solution that I suggested ten minutes ago. I tried to be nice. I tried to be helpful. I want to work by myself for the rest of the quarter and I'm pretty sure it's not just because I'm something of a misanthrope.

End whining. Thank you, I feel much better now.

The price of happiness

According to NY Times today Mr. President is STILL thinking of sending more troops to Iraq. It will increase jobs, the report said. Well yes, if you count being enrolled in the army as jobs. If the entire country is controlled by the military, in fact, and the entire population recruited for total war why then-- that means everyone will have a job, doesn't it?

I've read an article last quarter about why Republicans win in politics or, more precisely, why the Republican party was able to defeat the Democratic party on two occasions when people clearly thought that no, it should be the other way around. I think it's called "Why Voters Like Value"--a fairly short article that, after you skim through it, sums the entire issue down to: Democrats loose because they are depressing.

It's psychological. (Are you really that surprised?) The Democrats insist on being open-minded, on listening to both sides. They insist on the lack of pre-drawn-lines and on the morally grey area that, when you come down to it, people are really uncomfortable with. Now the Republicans, on the other hand, can paint everything in black and white. It's either right or wrong; we are right and they are wrong. If you are not with us, you're against us, et cetera. People like to know they are right, they like to have a clear goal to work towards and an obvious enemy to fight. The Democrats, with their wishy-washy "maybe there's no absolute right or absolute wrong", just doesn't sell in an arrogantly self-assured, dangerously jaded yet strangely psychologically insecure nation. The Democratic platform makes people uncomfortable because it will make people question about where they stand and really--what IS Right and what is Wrong? People hate that. They hate the self-questioning because they do it enough, subconsciously, already, and they REALLY don't want to be forced to do it consciously.

No one WANTS to be wrong.

So Republicans.

When people choose they will make the decision that they believe will be more likely to make themselves feel good. It's in the moral fiber of the country, after all: "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." --which is fine, just fine.

All I ask is for the people, as they travel their paths in the pursuit of the happiness, to take a minute and ask themselves what is the PRICE of this happiness.

It's okay, most of them will come up with something, say that it's totally worth it, and get on with it anyway.


*No, despite of what you may think, this is not an Anti-Republican rant. This is an Anti-War rant.

Breathe

The new Latin room is located in the same building, but it's on the other side of the building. However, the room arrangement, as a result of the imaginative nature of whoever designed the place, is exactly the same--same boards, same set of chairs, same set of windows--except it's a mirror version of the other room. Where the window was on the left last quarter, it is now on the right. Aside from the minor confusion in directions, everything else was...familiar.

I had my usual seat by the wall.

A different guy sits behind me this quarter. He makes me think of Darth Vader.

No, no, that gave the wrong impression. He is not dressed in all black and he does not wear a face mask. He is, however, tall but then again, from my point of view most guys are tall. No. What I was referring to is the sound he makes. Maybe he always gets up late and Latin is his first class in the morning (unlikely since the class starts at noon) so he has to do his last minute cross-country biking right before class. Maybe he ran. Maybe he smoked and/or had breathing problems. I don't know. But for the past three days I've spent my class time listening to his harsh breathing noises, half expecting that in the middle of the class he might suddenly stand up and declare "Luke, I am your father."

Or, given the fact that this is in Latin, possibly "Luce," (or maybe Lucius, I have no idea) "Ego pater tuus sum." And possibly he might then add, "Perii." I've learned that when in doubt writing a Roman play, you add "perii." It means "I perish" or, more literally, "I'm done for." It's either that or calling someone a rotten mushroom. Somehow, "perii" sounds more fitting.

In the blur of emails and forms and new classes my clearest recollection of this week will be Darth Vader sounds.

It seems like magic

Two days of classes. I have concluded that the o-chem professor is a little annoying, but not too bad, that physics course setup is annoying, and that WILL be bad (com'on, we don't even have actual TEXT and our material is model-based and says "it seems like magic" within three chapters of the first page and I've already lost confidence in it). Latin was, at least, reassuring similar with the same teacher and many people that I recognize. My only point with it is that at this point, I think, all the non-liberal-arts /classics major have dropped out so yesterday, when one of the girls found out that I am technically a "life-sci" major she blurted out, all genuine astonishment "What are you DOING in this class?"

Also, I like the fact that each of the major science classes I've taken so far (chemistry, biology, physics)have tried to impress on me that This Disciplne of science is the All Encompassing Science and all the others are just Sub-branches of this Very Important Subject. It is, after so many science classes, just a little over done. In fact I believe the only topic that is more over done than this is the Special Properties of Water which, if I recall correctly, I must've gone through about seven times already in separate chemistry and biology classes. I will cause myself serious bodily harm if I have to sit through it again but, thankfully, I don't think I have any classes this quarter that will require another coverage of adhesion, cohesion, and the oh-so-unique polarity / hydrogen bonds in H2O.

Good riddance.