It's a beautiful (and warm) dare-I-say, spring day? It's 40 degrees, but it feels like it's summer again. Of course, it won't last, considering that we're in Ithaca, and it will probably be snowing again tomorrow.
While in the dining hall this morning for brunch, I realized something.
Dirty dishes in
A dining hall are a sign
Of pure apathy
Really. It's their way of saying "we know that we can keep our food bad and keep our dishes dirty and you'll still come to us." This morning at RPC I looked through about 20 different cups before being able to find a single moderately clean one. The same happened with each piece of silverware I wanted. I swear, their dishwashers could spit in each and every cup and we would never notice. Most of the time, I'm pretty sure that the dish-washing is more detrimental to the cleanness of the dishes than it is helpful- I find things in my cups that definitely don't come from any drink people might have. Of course, the other dining halls do a more-or-less better job. I think it's their way of saying "we know we don't have a stir-fry bar, but if you come to our dining hall you can have shiny silverware guaranteed to not contain thousands of germs and diseases."
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Leeches!
The sky is blue today! I cannot believe it! It was blue for most of the day yesterday too, but two days in a row? What an honor for the sun to have graced us with its presence. Probably the 3rd day of it since we got back.
It's Friday. Finally. And I sure am glad.
The other day in my etymology class, I learned something (well, a large number of things) interesting about word histories. The word "leech" used to refer to doctors, and what we now know as leeches are only dubbed so because doctors would use them in their practice of "medicine" (if you could call it that). I have a haiku about this.
Though leech may not mean
Doctor, that doesn't mean that
Doctors aren't leeches
Really, have you been to a doctor's office lately? It's insurance this, copay that. You get scheduled for the same time as 6 other patients, your doctor ends up being an hour late and then spends five minutes with you. They really are leeches, trying to suck the money out of you and as many other patients as possible with as little effort as possible. Of course, not all doctors are leeches. It varies from office to office, and profession to profession. For instance, in a pediatrician's office, they most likely won't be time leeches because that's exactly what the kids want to happen (and we can't have that). On the other hand, in a primary care office they'll use all sorts of tricks such as misdirection to make your appointment as short as possible ("hey, look a bear!" the doctor then runs out of the room). And then there are doctors who I'm pretty sure are actual leeches, considering the sheer amount of blood they take.
It's Friday. Finally. And I sure am glad.
The other day in my etymology class, I learned something (well, a large number of things) interesting about word histories. The word "leech" used to refer to doctors, and what we now know as leeches are only dubbed so because doctors would use them in their practice of "medicine" (if you could call it that). I have a haiku about this.
Though leech may not mean
Doctor, that doesn't mean that
Doctors aren't leeches
Really, have you been to a doctor's office lately? It's insurance this, copay that. You get scheduled for the same time as 6 other patients, your doctor ends up being an hour late and then spends five minutes with you. They really are leeches, trying to suck the money out of you and as many other patients as possible with as little effort as possible. Of course, not all doctors are leeches. It varies from office to office, and profession to profession. For instance, in a pediatrician's office, they most likely won't be time leeches because that's exactly what the kids want to happen (and we can't have that). On the other hand, in a primary care office they'll use all sorts of tricks such as misdirection to make your appointment as short as possible ("hey, look a bear!" the doctor then runs out of the room). And then there are doctors who I'm pretty sure are actual leeches, considering the sheer amount of blood they take.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Quothe the Raven 'Nevermore'
Yesterday, while looking online for a book I want to buy, I came across a page where the Kindle price was less than half of the standard price. And I remembered: "Oh yeh, those exist." I had never really given e-books much thought before, because I can't stand reading on screens. However, for some reason I felt compelled to click on the "what is a Kindle" button, and I did.
It was only then that I was introduced to the entire world of e-books. I discovered pages talking about the sheer number of trees that can be saved with e-books, the ease of buying books, the number of free books you can get (thousands of classics), the money you can save buying books, and the fact that you don't have to carry them around in your backpack (which can be ridiculously heavy). I also realized that you can read PDFs on them, meaning that course packets would be unnecessary, and I would have saved almost $130 on course packets alone already. I did come to a conclusion after a little bit though:
Not until e-books
Can emit an old book smell
Will they be mainstream
Right now, I can grab about a third of the books in front of me, open them up and smell the wondrous smell of old books. I can turn the pages, I can see the remnants of prior readings on folded down pages and underlined passages, and, most importantly, I can feel the feel of having a book in my hand. With that, I formed my opinion on e-books. E-books are fantastic. But for certain things. If I need to buy hundreds of dollars of books for a semester's worth of classes, I could probably save hundreds with e-books, as well as getting to keep them, and not having to carry them around. I can still mark and highlight pages, and streamline work needing to be done for school. I can avoid buying course packets and wasting hundreds of pages of paper printing handouts sent to me by teachers. It's really a fantastic tool for certain scenarios. But, at the end of the day, if I want to curl up with a nice book by the fireplace- I'm not going to read a Kindle. I'm going to grab my 30 year old copy of The Lord of the Rings, with dog-eared pages and the fantastic feel that having a nice book in your hands gives you. Books will still be alive for years to come, because e-readers simply cannot fully replace the satisfaction that reading a book gives you, and they certainly don't give you the feel of bookmarking a page and saying to yourself "look at that, I've read 2/3rds of the book." In my world, the two are not and do not have to be mutually exclusive.
It was only then that I was introduced to the entire world of e-books. I discovered pages talking about the sheer number of trees that can be saved with e-books, the ease of buying books, the number of free books you can get (thousands of classics), the money you can save buying books, and the fact that you don't have to carry them around in your backpack (which can be ridiculously heavy). I also realized that you can read PDFs on them, meaning that course packets would be unnecessary, and I would have saved almost $130 on course packets alone already. I did come to a conclusion after a little bit though:
Not until e-books
Can emit an old book smell
Will they be mainstream
Right now, I can grab about a third of the books in front of me, open them up and smell the wondrous smell of old books. I can turn the pages, I can see the remnants of prior readings on folded down pages and underlined passages, and, most importantly, I can feel the feel of having a book in my hand. With that, I formed my opinion on e-books. E-books are fantastic. But for certain things. If I need to buy hundreds of dollars of books for a semester's worth of classes, I could probably save hundreds with e-books, as well as getting to keep them, and not having to carry them around. I can still mark and highlight pages, and streamline work needing to be done for school. I can avoid buying course packets and wasting hundreds of pages of paper printing handouts sent to me by teachers. It's really a fantastic tool for certain scenarios. But, at the end of the day, if I want to curl up with a nice book by the fireplace- I'm not going to read a Kindle. I'm going to grab my 30 year old copy of The Lord of the Rings, with dog-eared pages and the fantastic feel that having a nice book in your hands gives you. Books will still be alive for years to come, because e-readers simply cannot fully replace the satisfaction that reading a book gives you, and they certainly don't give you the feel of bookmarking a page and saying to yourself "look at that, I've read 2/3rds of the book." In my world, the two are not and do not have to be mutually exclusive.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Real Research
That's right, Wed Nes Day is here. It's snowing again. I'm used to it. And I have a paper due today (which I have already finished and turned in. Definitely because I'm studious and not because I misread the date and thought it was due last week), as well as another essay and a reading response due tomorrow. My essay's almost done, so that's good I guess. I just need to write my conclusion, introduction, and body (but only actually the first of those).
One thing about essays (and research ones in particular) that many people hate is footnotes. I don't exactly understand the hatred, since I really don't mind citing my sources (especially since I am boss when it comes to finding good sources. And no, Wikipedia does not count).
People tend to think
That Google provides all of
The research needed
Really, it's amazing what some people do. The internet is a reputable source, if you know where to go. Wikipedia, blogs, random sites that you've never heard of, and forums do not look good on a paper. However, JSTOR, GoogleBooks, some news sites (I especially like using FOX as a source when my paper topic goes against what they stand for), and various trusty polling sites (if you want to wow people with statistics).
However, perhaps one of the greatest resources does not come from the internet. You see, here at Cornell, we have a little something called a library. In fact, we have a couple dozen of them. It's really not that difficult to walk into one and find a couple of books relevant to your topic. And really, sometimes you can even avoid that with the right essay topic. For instance, when I get to choose an essay topic (as I have emphasized in previous posts), it usually means that I can cite at least one book sitting on the shelf directly in front of me (and in the case of this essay, the book was Freakonomics). In any case, getting a good grade on a research paper means doing research. And doing research means doing work that a twelve year old can't do by typing a word into their search bar.
One thing about essays (and research ones in particular) that many people hate is footnotes. I don't exactly understand the hatred, since I really don't mind citing my sources (especially since I am boss when it comes to finding good sources. And no, Wikipedia does not count).
People tend to think
That Google provides all of
The research needed
Really, it's amazing what some people do. The internet is a reputable source, if you know where to go. Wikipedia, blogs, random sites that you've never heard of, and forums do not look good on a paper. However, JSTOR, GoogleBooks, some news sites (I especially like using FOX as a source when my paper topic goes against what they stand for), and various trusty polling sites (if you want to wow people with statistics).
However, perhaps one of the greatest resources does not come from the internet. You see, here at Cornell, we have a little something called a library. In fact, we have a couple dozen of them. It's really not that difficult to walk into one and find a couple of books relevant to your topic. And really, sometimes you can even avoid that with the right essay topic. For instance, when I get to choose an essay topic (as I have emphasized in previous posts), it usually means that I can cite at least one book sitting on the shelf directly in front of me (and in the case of this essay, the book was Freakonomics). In any case, getting a good grade on a research paper means doing research. And doing research means doing work that a twelve year old can't do by typing a word into their search bar.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Products Entitled Nincompoopedly In Society
Good lord! It's Tuesday already? Where did the week go. If only I could say that. But I can't. So there.
I learned something interesting yesterday. "Canola" is from an abbreviation. This explains the lack of a "canola tree" or anything of that type where the oil comes from. The full name for it is "Canadian Oil Low Acid," which is meant to promote its good qualities. So why exactly don't they just name it after the plant? You might ask. Well, there's pretty good reason for it.
If a product name
Makes it sound illegal, you
Should rethink your plan
The reason that canola oil isn't named after its plant, is because the plant is called the "rape plant," which grows from a "rape seed." Which means that the oil would be called "rape oil," which probably would not sell too well, if I had to guess (I can think of a number of possible misconstrued meanings for that). So there's a couple morals to this story. First of all, don't name a plant after something that would make people not want to plant it (keep that plant away from kids!), no matter how innocent your intentions may have been. Second, try to do the same with products. So, if you're gonna make a type of energy drink, I would recommend not calling it "Reinvigorating And Propelling Energy Drink."
And no, there's no hidden irony in my title.
I learned something interesting yesterday. "Canola" is from an abbreviation. This explains the lack of a "canola tree" or anything of that type where the oil comes from. The full name for it is "Canadian Oil Low Acid," which is meant to promote its good qualities. So why exactly don't they just name it after the plant? You might ask. Well, there's pretty good reason for it.
If a product name
Makes it sound illegal, you
Should rethink your plan
The reason that canola oil isn't named after its plant, is because the plant is called the "rape plant," which grows from a "rape seed." Which means that the oil would be called "rape oil," which probably would not sell too well, if I had to guess (I can think of a number of possible misconstrued meanings for that). So there's a couple morals to this story. First of all, don't name a plant after something that would make people not want to plant it (keep that plant away from kids!), no matter how innocent your intentions may have been. Second, try to do the same with products. So, if you're gonna make a type of energy drink, I would recommend not calling it "Reinvigorating And Propelling Energy Drink."
And no, there's no hidden irony in my title.
Monday, March 1, 2010
I Spy Stupid Wasteful Spending With My Little Eye
You know, there's something perverse about our priorities here at Cornell. Last night, while walking across the Arts Quad I realized something. Looking to my right into Goldwin Smith, I noticed that I could see into each and every classroom. Why? Because the light in each and every classroom was on. I turned to my left, looked into White Hall, the same thing. In front of me, in Sibley, the same thing. All around me, the building were lit up as if partaking in a Christmas festival. And this is on a Sunday night. Here was my reaction:
Cutting arts funding
Just seems silly when you can
See wasteful spending
If I can physically use my eyes, and say "we don't need to be spending money there," it seems like that should be the first place we cut down on funding. Oh, and in case you didn't know- Cornell is talking about majorly cutting funding to Theatre, Film, and Dance. For a school that already is weak in the arts, that really seems like shooting ourselves in the foot. Just because the school is good academically, doesn't mean it can't be strong in the arts. Just take a look at Yale (and yes, I know that they get no tail). Fantastic theatre program, fantastic music conservatory, and fantastic academics. You can't say that about Cornell. Sure, we have a great hockey team, but it's not the same.
If you want to help, take a look here: http://www.savecornellarts.com/
Also, I'd like to point out the fact that as soon as the article in the Sun came out saying "decline of Swine Flu," the school took away our Purell. Now that's what I call taking good care of your students (and an unfortunate occurence for germaphobes)..
Cutting arts funding
Just seems silly when you can
See wasteful spending
If I can physically use my eyes, and say "we don't need to be spending money there," it seems like that should be the first place we cut down on funding. Oh, and in case you didn't know- Cornell is talking about majorly cutting funding to Theatre, Film, and Dance. For a school that already is weak in the arts, that really seems like shooting ourselves in the foot. Just because the school is good academically, doesn't mean it can't be strong in the arts. Just take a look at Yale (and yes, I know that they get no tail). Fantastic theatre program, fantastic music conservatory, and fantastic academics. You can't say that about Cornell. Sure, we have a great hockey team, but it's not the same.
If you want to help, take a look here: http://www.savecornellarts.com/
Also, I'd like to point out the fact that as soon as the article in the Sun came out saying "decline of Swine Flu," the school took away our Purell. Now that's what I call taking good care of your students (and an unfortunate occurence for germaphobes)..
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Ice Forts
It's Sunday, but I probably don't have to tell you that. Tomorrow is classes again, which is a shame because I've barely had a chance to play in the snow.
Yesterday afternoon, there were a few college kids in the courtyard building amazing forts. First, they piled up a mass of snow, dug inside, and made themselves a little shelter that fits three people. Then, I guess they decided that it wasn't epic enough (which it totally was), and they decided to make an igloo. So, using dorm room recycling bins (incredibly resourceful if you ask me), they build one up, with an arch, a keystone, and everything. I'd attach a picture, except apparently it collapsed. In any case, it was truly amazing, and it made me realize something:
Funny how igloos
Are built for survival or
With too much free time
Think about it. If you're building an igloo, one of two things is happening. Either you're trapped in the wilderness (or in my case at one point, trapped on a Boy Scout trip) and are building an igloo to survive the night without freezing, or you have way too much time on your hands. In case of the latter (the more likely of the two), it is actually a good way to spend your time (hard work that your dad could never pay you to do (shoveling) becomes fun!) and the outcome makes it all worth it (providing it doesn't fall over). And at least it's more productive than a snow penis (usually people who build these just have too free time- it has little to do with survival).
Yesterday afternoon, there were a few college kids in the courtyard building amazing forts. First, they piled up a mass of snow, dug inside, and made themselves a little shelter that fits three people. Then, I guess they decided that it wasn't epic enough (which it totally was), and they decided to make an igloo. So, using dorm room recycling bins (incredibly resourceful if you ask me), they build one up, with an arch, a keystone, and everything. I'd attach a picture, except apparently it collapsed. In any case, it was truly amazing, and it made me realize something:
Funny how igloos
Are built for survival or
With too much free time
Think about it. If you're building an igloo, one of two things is happening. Either you're trapped in the wilderness (or in my case at one point, trapped on a Boy Scout trip) and are building an igloo to survive the night without freezing, or you have way too much time on your hands. In case of the latter (the more likely of the two), it is actually a good way to spend your time (hard work that your dad could never pay you to do (shoveling) becomes fun!) and the outcome makes it all worth it (providing it doesn't fall over). And at least it's more productive than a snow penis (usually people who build these just have too free time- it has little to do with survival).
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