On aging and other things

Now that I turned 21 I'm pretty much legal to drink everywhere in the world except for some parts in India while I've pretty much been legal to do so for 3 years now. I could remember when I was 17 and hoping one day that the legal age limit would be lowered but when I approach 30 I have a feeling I'll still be carded anyway.

How do I feel? Well still the same, not any taller, weight constantly shifting, nothing amazing happened the moment I woke up, just another ordinary day. Just one more year older.

There are others like me who have birthdays around this time of the year and I personally can't speak for everyone (and I have no idea who comes here to read whatever babbling I put down). Personally there are hits and misses to having birthdays around a holiday:

• You can have your party on the same day you were born whereas if it's during the school year on a weekday you pretty have to schedule it for the weekend. The downside to this is your guests may not come because their family is visiting or they are visiting family and pretty much like the rest of the school kids the best idea is to schedule the party on another day. I had one of my first birthday parties at school because my mom wasn't sure who would come and kindergarten classes were pretty small.
• Mainly applies for those around Christmas (or on): double the presents from family and close friends. The downside is like Christmas it only comes once a year and it's at the end of the calendar year so when you're a kid it's pretty much a long wait (almost forever) but as one gets older time goes by so fast.
• Age limits: it's more of a miss (and sucks even more for those born on the 31st) as you have to be a certain age before you can legally purchase alcohol, smokes, lottery tickets or go to places that say <insert age> + only. While your best buddies are already going to places that have these restrictions you're still waiting for that day you can join them (unless somehow you've been using fake I.D.'s without getting caught or asking someone older to get things for you)

When I was young I couldn't wait to get older so I could do all the things the adults or older kids were doing but once reaching that certain age you kind of get told that you're too old to do something. How I see this: getting older may allow you to access pretty awesome things but gives you a certain time frame on how to act and to behave.

That's all for now.

Holiday Stuff

Yes I said holiday and not Christmas. I'm not sure who is still sensitive to saying of "Happy Holiday" and "Seasons Greetings" versus "Merry/Happy Christmas" (depends of what English speaking country you come from) and possibly writing down the holiday as Xmas or saying it as "eks-mas" versus the whole word but it's not something to fuss about whether one is religious or not.

a little look at some of these words:

First: holiday. The word originally means "holy day" as in a day to celebrate religious festivities and nowadays it also applies to taking time of to either rest or when people are given some time off from school or work.

Christmas I believe is "Christ's mass" with the Old English suffix -mas meaning "a holy, sacred day"

Xmas is a shortening of Christmas and I can't remember where I've heard this but there's this idea of taking the "Christ" out of "Christ"mas with some people. First of all this is useful when one doesn't have a lost of space to write out Christmas and with texting messages to one another takes less time to punch in those letters. Secondly don't think of X as being said as X in English. You have Χριστός (Christos) in Greek and Христос (Xristos) in Cyrillic. Think of the X as coming from those (the X in Cyrillic makes a "kh" sound more or less) so if anyone really cares about this wrap your minds around this idea.


As for saying Happy Holidays vs. Merry Christmas: Happy Holidays speaks out to everyone while Merry Christmas seems to speak to a few. It's a personal choice whether to say one or the other (or whatever greeting one chooses) so don't take too much offence if you're religious and someone says Happy Holiday instead of Merry Christmas (same goes for a non-religious person when someone greets Merry Christmas or whatever).


Anyways so whatever you do around this time of the year stay safe and Merry/Happy <insert holiday here>


because I'm to lazy:http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/holiday
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Christmas
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Xmas

edited on December 23, 2010

Snow on a Sunday morning

I woke up this morning to snow.

 Because I discovered sepia tone on my camera

Green, Green, Grass of Home

This is not a reference to some Tom Jones song, but a song I've discovered this morning

The title of the song can translate to "The Grass At Home" or "The Grass Near Home" since the preposition "у" in Russian can mean "at" like the French "chez" or "near" as in "I have 5 bucks on me" near (there are other words in Russian that mean near but I won't ramble on about that)

As for what going on in the song I believe it's about cosmonauts in space who dream of home. One thing about exam time since I haven't made the decision to rent myself a place is that I look forward to is going home. Though I may not be a cosmonaut in space who is many many kilometres far from the Earth I spend most of the year on an island in which there is a 1.5 hour time difference between here and home. Me being in 4th year university I'm already used to being on my own but when the days get closer and closer to coming home for the holidays I do get the homesick feeling. Sure the grass at my home in my hometown may not be green (covered in who knows how many metres of snow by now) and I'd pretty much try to avoid people once I get back I pretty much miss the comfort of not having to worry about waking up early for class and a bed that doesn't feel like foam.

as for a translation of the lyrics, a version can be found in this video

Not sure who comes by here often but anyone have their say on homesickness?

"December" songs

Taking a break from my studies (which I've been on for a long time) and felt like posting something.


December. The twelfth month in the Gregorian calendar even though the root here "decem" means 10 in Latin. December also happens to be a host to a number of festivals and holidays (which one can look through here) the major one being Christmas.


I haven't been listening to the radio much since most of my music listening time is devoted to youtube or an internet radio station but once it's a month away radio stations pump out the Christmas music (mostly the easy listening and top 40 stations) and so do the shopping malls. Some people like Christmas music, some are sick of it, personally if it's not the same song repeated 3 times a day no matter what version of the song is played. If Christmas songs aren't your thing, how about some songs with "December" in the title? From the ones I can think of from the top of my head, they have nothing to do with Christmas.


"Once Upon A December" from "Anastasia", an animated movie detailing what if Anastasia Romanova survived. December was when the events that the character Anya recalls from her memories as she suffers from amnesia.




"My December" by Linkin Park. From my viewpoint it's dealing with the loss of someone (whether he or she died or walked out of your life). I guess there could be some undertones of the holiday season thing since Christmas is one of those times of the year where families and loved ones get together ("And I give it all away/Just to have/Somewhere to go to/Give it all away/To have someone/To come home to"). Also to point out that December 21 (or is it 22?) when the shortest amount of daylight is present so I guess that could also set the tone for this song. Josh Groban has done a cover of this song for one of his concerts.

"December" by Collective Soul. I have no idea what to think of this song other that it carries the title "December" and there's no mentioning winter or Christmas stuff.

"December 1963 (Oh What A Night)" by Frankie Vallie and the Four Seasons. Guy falls for a girl whom he saw back in December of 1963 is how I see it, but this page says something else

These are what I can think of from the top of my head. Pretty sure there are more December songs out there than these ones.

Advice for the young grasshopper starting university -- Instructor feedback and the final exam

Last week of classes brings about two things:

• Exams are coming up
• Instructor feedback forms

The instructor feedback forms (called CEQ's at my university which stands for Course Evaluation Questionnaire) are meant to be use to gather information on how the course you are taking is being taught. From these things the instructor can either change the way the course is taught (like changing the textbook which changes how the course will be taught in the future) or continue on teaching the way he or she has been for the past who knows how many years (I will be saying something on instructors in my next post related to this series).

Be careful what you write on these forms. The instructor may recognize your handwriting so if you have something negative to say about the teacher do not write it down and keep it to yourself. As for funny comments . . . I guess I could leave it up to you but I suggest that you keep your comments to the point or don't comment at all and just rate the course.

Just for fun some students at a university in Singapore wrote comments for some instructor. I'm not sure if any other instructor does this:


Now for the final exam. Not all courses have final exams but out of all the first year courses I've been through there is a final exam. I could say the final exam is like the midterm where you might have a closed book, take home or an essay. Depending on what courses you take there might be other components that are set before the exam period like interviews or dictations for language related courses, but there are some things that make the final exam different than a midterm:

• the final lasts between 2 to 3 hours whereas the midterm is completed during class time
• the final is scheduled some time between the exam period so you might have to write it either on a Saturday morning or a Wednesday evening whereas the midterm is usually completed on a day where you normally have a lecture
• the final covers the major things you have learned over the semester whereas the midterm only covers thing learned up to that point
• finals tend to be worth more than midterms, it could even be worth the whole course if no midterm was ever given in the first place
• the final may or may not be held in a classroom. Most first year finals I've encountered are usually held in some large auditorium or gymnasium while the higher level courses are usually held in classrooms. You will most likely be in a classroom if your class is the only class that is there or if the combined number of people from more than 1 section is small. Also if your class had lectures in a lecture hall it will most likely not be in a classroom.

Like high school you pretty much show up to campus when you have an exam. There will also be other reasons you may show up on campus such as you're still working on that essay that counts for your final mark or you want to get away from some distractions and study at the library. Also you want to keep note of when your exam takes place and where it's located because the exam proctor may or may not be your course instructor and may not be lenient in giving you extra time. If for some reason you cannot make your exam on the scheduled date and time consult the instructor and university regulations as there you can get information on deferring an exam.

Just because the final is worth a lot and can be the make it or break it to passing your course, try not to worry too much. It's okay to feel nervous but just don't let fear take control of you (in the famous words of the bene gesserit: fear is the mind-killer). Same as the midterm don't overexert yourself with studying and do take breaks in between. Try to get enough sleep and eat something too as you don't want your mind to be thinking about sleep or what you want for lunch.

Hopefully this has been of some help. Good Luck! Bonne Chance! Ни Пуха Ни Пера!

Note: I've only seen the Dune movies and may have played some old DOS game so my Dune knowledge is quite limited.

Are they human? Or a machine that dials your number?

For about three weeks now I've been getting a phone call everyday at around the same time (+/- 11:00 A.M.) from some 1-800 number that belongs to some debt collector agency. The thing is my cell phone, which these people or the machine have been calling, is one of those pre-paid ones and the number is recycled.

I don't bother to answer as whether I make a call or receive one on my cell phone I get charged 25 cents per minute and toll free numbers aren't exempted. If I don't pick up or don't answer them due to not having my cell phone around me I'll get a voicemail message. I don't answer those either as answering voicemail costs +/- $1.35. This process repeats every day since I've been getting a call from this number.

So here's my two cents: When will these guys give up? I mean if there's no answer from the number you're trying to reach then stop calling. With a recycled phone number one never know who it came from (maybe a name or two if you answer calls for these people) or where it will end up. Heck it could end up on one of those firefly phones for kids. I mean how is an 8-year-old owing money to some company? Even if the number doesn't get recycled the person the debt collector is calling could be dead.

Every time I receive I missed call from these people I keep thinking the next time they call I'll tell them to f--k off. Yet again, is it worth it if it's a machine on the other end.

and now for some Weird Al

Two essay due on the same day . . . say what?!?!?

 . . . and I make a blog post. Having two things due on the same day, whether it's a lab report, some sort of project or in my case right now two essays due on the same day (though they're for different classes) seems to be a common thing once anyone starts having different teachers for different courses.

Elementary school for some (and at least for me) there were two teachers: one taught almost all your courses (math, sciences, English, religion since I went to Catholic school, visual arts, physical education) and one taught French and one subject, usually history or geography, in French. Sure I'd get homework for almost all of my subject but there would only be one major project going on at one time. Things started to amp up in grade 7 as that was the year I've had more than one teacher and each would specialize in teaching you something (sometimes you might have the same teacher for one or two subject). From that year on I've been getting more than one project assigned as well as homework from each of the classes and that when I started to think that each teacher believes that their course is more important than the others.

I remember back in grade 12 my chemistry teacher believed in the x number of homework hours should be assigned per grade (something like 30 minutes of homework per grade) so she would assign 2 hours worth of homework for the class. That semester I had only three courses and even with three courses I had trouble keeping up with the assignments. Besides school I had music and dance lessons and even though I didn't practise a lot it would still take up most of my after school time. It was also during that same year and semester I had to make two slideshow presentations and both were due around the same time. Somehow I was able to complete those on time. I mean I'm already a 4th year university student so I should be able to do it.

Now back to the present, the two essays I have to do: one for history and one for a linguistics course. The history essay was assigned at the beginning of the semester and had things like a topic proposal, a(n annotated) bibliography and an outline (called a historiography which I have no sweet clue what it is, only taking the history course as an elective) as assignments. With something assigned to you at the beginning of a semester start as soon as you have enough background information to start the essay, especially if it's n x 1000 words (n being a number between 1-9). That way if you're good at essays you have time to make a draft that can be looked over by the prof or some writing tutor or if you're slow at least you're getting things done bit by bit. The essay I have to do for my linguistics course (though the prof mentions it's not but I'll refer to it as one) was assigned just recently so I assume there's not a lot to be done.

Anyways since I've procrastinated too much:

• if something is assigned to you don't leave it until the last minute whether it's a two question weekly assignment or an n page paper
• if you find yourself distracted try to distance away from things that may distract you.
• also if it seems that having too much work/assignments is forcing you to become some sort of hermit you are allowed to take breaks. you're the one responsible for starting/completing your assignment so it's totally up to you to decide when to do these assignments, but make sure it's sometime soon rather than the day before it's due.

How TV series should end their seasons

I may be behind in this but one of the summer filler showed I enjoyed watching, "The Gates" apparently has been axed after only one season and the last episode HAD A CLIFFHANGER. Just to warn to to those who come upon this blog and read it, there may be spoilers for those who haven't seen the series that will be mentioned here (Heroes, The Gates, Moonlight and Carnivale) but if you don't care about spoilers then read on (but most of the time you might not have a clue to what's going on).

image found here

So the basic plot of "The Gates" if I can recall is about a family who moves into a gated community as the father gets a job a chief of police. The thing is that the town is a haven to supernatural creatures, most of them are vampires and werewolves but you also got witches, a succubus and someone under a voodoo curse. Almost all the main characters had some sort of storyline associated with them. I won't mention all of them but I'll just say what I feel needs closure and that is what happened to Charlie Monohan and what is Devon's purpose. Charlie is in love with a succubus named Andie. In the last episode Andie and Charlie "make out" (as in american prime time tv show make out) but Andie drains too much of Charlie's life force which leaves him in a coma that's impossible to get out. The family turns to Devon who's somewhat an expert in black magic that promises to help Charlie at a price which is not known. The family agrees and as soon as Charlie recovers Andie breaks up with him. This causes him to become really upset and something else.

It was not until a month later that this show was reported to be cancelled. There are a bunch of shows out there that more or less ended this way with a cliffhanger and are never brought back to life for a second season. I personally think that TV shows that haven't been given a green light for a second season during the run of the first should have an ending where every plot has an ending but is a sense that if the second season comes around it can be picked up from there.

as of this post the nbc
website is still active so
I got this from there

Let's take Heroes for example (long story short it's about people with superhero abilities fighting other people with superhero abilities). It ran for 4 seasons and even though there are like about a billion plot holes by the end the way the show ended was with the world knowing that people with powers exist and the main villain Sylar somewhat becoming a good guy. End of story. But if the plot were to continue one could see how the world deals with people with powers, more Sylar development, and possibly filling up those plot holes. I'd sure want to see that.

The third show I want to talk about is Carnivale. It's been a while since I've seen it but it's an old HBO tv show/miniseries set in the depression era about a guy named Ben, a man who can heal people at the cost of taking the life of something like plants and animals, travels around the southern part of the USA with a travelling carnival and Justin, a methodist priest who can control people. It's one of those good vs. evil things (and one which wikipedia can explain). The show ends with Justin apparently killed by Ben and one of the people formerly part of the carnival turns out to have the same healing powers as Ben revives Justin (cliffhanger again). I didn't discover this series until probably a year or two after it ended but it would've been nice if this series continued.

Lastly I want to talk about Moonlight. This series was starting to get better towards the end but it got cancelled after only one season (Now with shows like True Blood and The Vampire Diaries floating around with more than 1 season in tow, I think it was a bad decision for CBS to cancel). This came out the year the writer's guild went on strike so why this didn't get another season might have been solely on the ratings and the strike or a combination of both (though I haven't seen Pushing Daisies I could put that in the same boat even though it lasted a season longer). The show also won a people's choice award but not even that could save the series. Anyways about the ending, Mick and Beth somewhat break-up/make-up and their story ends but there is the list of vampires that was given to the district attorney so the overall story is not complete in my opinion as there is the question of "who gave him the list?". I would also like to see what happened to Coraline if she's assumed dead or someone is still alive.

Overall if a TV series has a less likely chance of continuing for another season don't leave any plot holes and just end the story at the last episode. If it's uncertain of continuing for another season end the story in a way that there is closure but have some sort of plot twist upon knowing that there is another season. Leave cliffhangers and unfinished plot if for certain that there is another season. Though major critics may say that <this tv show> sucks there will be a bit of a fanbase that would want to see the series until the end.

Thanksgiving is still Thanksgiving turkey or no turkey

Both Canada and the United States celebrate Thanksgiving with the exception of when it's celebrated. The United States celebrate it at the end of November while in Canada it falls on the same day as Columbus Day. As for why it's set up that way it beats me, but I think Wikipedia or some site found with Google can explain it better than I can.

American TV shows of course will air their Thanksgiving episodes when their Thanksgiving comes around but it still serves the same purpose. You have the the family sitting around a table, either saying some sort of prayer or what they're thankful for, or something like this scene from Smallville (it won't allow me to embed this clip) which I find kind of superficial. Not everyone can afford the fancy dinner and not everyone can make it home for the holiday. Heck some people may not even care for the holiday either.

Describing my situation I could travel back home for Thanksgiving but I usually choose not to because of

1. The airfare
2. Time spent with the parents is too short
3. I usually get slammed with some sort of assignment/midterm that is due or occurs after the break

and with something like number 3 I'd probably be thinking about those things the whole time I'm home.

If I still have a meal ticket and access to the campus dining hall I'd be guaranteed a turkey dinner. Also for those living on campus there may be a charity turkey dinner for those who stay for break. If some friends decide to ask me out for supper I'd take the offer.

If there's no turkey why fret? It's a huge bird that takes a lot of work to prepare so why not go for something simple if you can't do the turkey? You could probably go for something smaller like chicken, or pork chop (if meat is not your thing you've pretty much go yourself covered with vegetarian dishes of some sort), or even a meal consisting of toast, jelly beans, pretzels and popcorn


(Snoopy is being a bit of a douche for keeping the turkey dinner to himself and Woodstock)

The important thing is to be thankful for what you have whether it's canned soup or the lavish supper and that you're still alive and kicking.

Advice for the young grasshopper attending first year university -- the midterm

About now-ish as this is published midterm tests/exams/whatever you want to call them are going on. A semester lasts between 14-16 weeks and around week 7 or 8 the midterm usually pops up. Depending on your course you may not have a midterm or may have one that hasn't come up yet as some courses may like to have 2 tests and have one each month or you only have 1 test and that comes up in November. Whatever the case is here's some advice.

Have you been keeping on top of things? That is you do set aside some time to read whatever notes you have or make your own from the textbook? The midterm usually covers whatever has been covered in class or whatever your instructor says it covers. This is why you shouldn't skip out on classes as there could be valuable information given out. If you tend to skip classes be sure to have someone reliable who can take notes or tell you what you've been missing. Also you don't want to put off they studying till the last minute unless you somehow can remember things in the past 12 hours.

• Don't overexert yourself

Take a break from studying once in a while. Stretch those legs, have a snack, walk the dog, but don't take too long of a break. Time flies when your having fun so if you decide to take a 1 hour break don't make it a 2 or 3 hour break. Also have plenty of rest the night before. If your midterm is in the morning you wouldn't want to feel exhausted from the night before or sleep past your alarm to end up missing writing the midterm. Even if your midterm is not in the morning you'll probably feel tired the whole day. You might want to have some sort of breakfast that's not just coffee in the morning or some sort of lunch at noon time. Writing on an empty stomach will make you think about food unless somehow you can do things on an empty stomach or depending on how the calendar works you're fasting for religious reasons (yet something is still eaten beforehand) or medical if some sort of appointment comes up after your test.

• YOU CANNOT AND MUST NOT SKIP OUT ON A MIDTERM

The only way you can get out of it is if someone in your family dies and have to be there for the funeral or have a medical reason with a doctor's note. Your university should have something outlined along the lines of "if the student misses a test without a valid reason for missing it the student will receive a mark of zero" so if you really care about passing then you cannot miss out on a midterm.

The kinds of midterms you may encounter are as follows:

• closed book 
• open book
• take home
• essay
• online
• interview (a component for a second language course)

Closed book is pretty straightforward: no textbooks or notebooks present. Open book and take home can be the same as you're allowed to look at the textbook or your notes but with the take home you're not sitting in a classroom and your test period lasts 3-7 days. The essay you'll most likely encounter in English where you have to write and essay based on some topics based on whatever material is covered in class. Some other courses may offer the essay exam too but again it's pretty straightforward. Online is also like the take home that you're not in a classroom with other people but the time window for taking this midterm is much shorter so if the midterm lasts from 9am to 9pm on a Saturday and only takes about 2 hours to complete you can complete the midterm anytime during that period (I haven't had any midterms online, this is just from what I hear). The interview is usually part of a language course. Pretty much you're either reading some sort of site passage or answering some questions.

That's all I have to say for now. Any questions, comments, feel free to leave them below.

Good Luck!

What sucks about having a cold

Stuffy nose while sleeping: you try to clear that one nostril blowing your nose but as you toss and turn in your sleep the once empty nostril gets stuffed up while the clogged one drains.

Sore throat: whether it is laryngitis or pharyngitis it hurts to talk (laryngitis) or not talk (pharyngitis). Pharyngitis by the way is usually the pharynx that gets sore when having a sore throat.

Coughing: annoying as hell when getting chest pains from it. When this happens I fear that I may throw up my meds.

Being in constant relax mode: I like sleeping but not when I have somethings important to do (or else the procrastination kicks in).

So far what I'm doing to combat this: resting, hot tea with honey, steam showers, vapour rub/vicks, cold medications. Maybe I should try vodka and see how that works out.

Just because I'm a girl do I have to be told that I look like my mom?

I'm not sure if anyone out there has had this said to them (most likely someone who has known you or knows of you for a long time) that you look like your mom if you're a girl or your dad if you are a guy (unless you don't know who your biological parents are then this may or may not apply to you).

When I was little I didn't mind it (more or less was okay with it) being told how much I looked like my mom. Before I delve into this my background consists of Croatian and Polish on my dad's side while I have Spanish and Filipino on my mom's side. I'm quite the interesting mix. Now that I'm older I'm slightly annoyed by being told that I look like my mom. Why is it that I'm not told that I look like my dad (there was one point I was but it's a totally different story)? Is it because of my gender?

In terms of identity I see myself as Canadian as I was born and raised here. Secondly with being part Asian I don't really see myself neither as "white" nor Asian. I guess I could see myself as Eurasian in the sense that I'm a mix of European and Asian, but that's not the point I'm trying to make. There was a point in time I'd think that I would look like my dad because I do share the same hands and feet and hairline whereas I took my mom's eyes, nose, and recessive brown hair gene. Sure I have traits from my parents but just because I'm biologically their kid does not mean I have to take on the fact that I look like one of them. I personally see myself as an individual. My image is my own: it does not reflect either my mother or my father so why do I need to be told that I look like mom?

Looks aren't the only thing but there's behaviour as well. That I do notice as I have picked up something from both of them whether they be good habits or bad. I'm not sure if my extended family thinks that I share a lot of things with my parents but here's how I differ:
Both of my parents are Catholics and naturally I was raised in that religion. I was about 14 when my religion textbook (I kid you not) introduced the concepts of atheism, agnosticism and individualism. I'm pretty sure the book is explaining why one should embrace religion instead of these ideas but that's not the point I'm trying to make (and my fallout with religion is a whole different story). I don't think my parents have told any of their friends about my beliefs (of if they did they probably say something else) but for those who don't know probably assume I share the same religious beliefs and values as they do (this happens to come from an e-mail from a relative who believes that I have grown up to a God-fearing woman). A habit I picked up from my dad is his quietness and keep-to-oneself-ness. From my mom it's probably her talkativeness. How does that work out? See Newton's first law or if I feel that it's too eerily quiet I'll try to start up a conversation.

So anyways anyone who reads this: do you find that because of your gender you're appearance tends to look a lot like your mom (girls) or your dad (guys)? Or is it the opposite for you?

Just because it's a first year course doesn't mean it's going to be easy

It's been over a week since I started my fourth year so I'm somewhat settled in now. So one of the courses I'm taking this semester is a first year level history course (courses at my university are usually listed as 1XXX, 2XXX, etc.). The reason I need one is because in order for me to get my BA degree I need some electives in research/writing and a humanities type course. With the rest of my courses being third year level I'm hoping this would be one of the easiest but I'm no so sure on that.

The majority of people taking first year level courses are either fresh out of high school or fresh out of their long break out taking the year off before starting post-secondary education. Then you have people like me who have been in university for some time (at least a year or two) who need some sort of elective or finally have the time to take the course because the other needed courses got in the way. There are also some grad students and adults way into their late 40's and early 50's there two depending on what class you take.

There are three types of first year courses: the first one is no experience required, the second one is hoping that you've done related courses in high school but still okay if you didn't do them, and the third one is you needed to have done theses courses or else you're screwed.

Type one I would put in there the foreign language courses. If someone has taken it in high school before hand it may pose as an advantage but the majority of people taking the course either need it for a language other than English requirement or majoring in it so there shouldn't be anything too hard. Depending on what language you take you will already know some words as they are loaned or mean the same in English (for example кот in Russian means cat, компьютер is computer) or borrowed from the language itself (like apparatchik, vodka). I'm not sure if psychology, sociology, anthropology and archaeology would fit in there two as I haven't taken those courses. Religious studies would go in here too.

Type two would be anything that requires you to write an essay and some science courses. There are science courses that are designed for those who couldn't get into the advanced level first year courses (which are usually required if you're going into the heavy stuff like engineering or physics or chemistry) and for those that need a science credit. Something like history if you have taken it in high school would be very helpful as you can understand what's going on otherwise you have some serious catching up to do.

Type three would be math, sciences, computer programming and music. Though there may be some music courses that don't require you to know anything about music it goes in this category as majors are most likely doing a degree in vocals or an instrument. Math like calculus would require that you've taken a course in it before in high school or a prerequisite university course. I think there usually is a math course specific for those who don't need calculus or some form of advanced trigonometry.  Science courses like chemistry and physics if they are the advanced first year level ones.

So anyways I mentioned that one of the courses I'm taking this semester is a first year history. It's been almost 4 years since I did a history course. Though not much has been going on except for being slapped with an essay due in 2 months I'm starting to think that this course will not be as easy as it looks. Advice/lesson learned from this:

• Try completing your electives not related to your course early or find an elective that fits the categories you need but hopefully it doesn't require knowledge you gave up 4 years ago.

Villain Song (or songs that I think that would be playing if the antagonist was the protagonist)

Before reading, not sure who does read this exactly, I found these videos on Youtube that allowed embedding. Not sure if some of these will be taken down from there in the near future but I'm placing videos for convenience finding the song and listening without opening another window. This is just for enjoyment purpose so if there is an issue with these appearing here let me know.

I was listening to the song "Behind Blue Eyes" by The Who and recently found out that the song was intended to be part of a rock opera that was in the works by band member Pete Townshend. This got me thinking of what songs could be played as the main antagonist's theme song or if a movie or story followed a day in the life of an antagonist (maybe anti-heroes too). The comments may or may not match up with the literal meaning of the songs as this is for entertainment purposes.

Behind Blue Eyes
 Artist: The Who
Lyrics

I feel this is a bit of a walk a mile in my shoes type of song ("No ones knows what it's like to be hated, to be hated, to telling only lies). I also find that this would give human characteristics to a villain ("If I shiver, please give me a blanket keep me warm, let me wear your coat"). The villain (or villainess) I see this would follow would be someone that is connected to the hero ("No one knows what it's like to feel these feelings like I do and I blame you").

A Criminal Mind
Artist: Lawrence Gowan
Lyrics

I believe would be befitting for an antagonist who is looking to repent. He (or she) tries to be good many times but has failed ("They tried to reform me but I'm made of cold stone"). I also see this as something that would show the human side.

Monster
Artist: Skillet
Lyrics

I could see this be a bit more for an anti-hero than an antagonist. Probably this would befit a Jekyll/Hyde character with the protagonist struggling with himself or maybe even a werewolf (human side is good and caring, animal side runs around killing everything in its path). I am aware that Skillet is a Christian band (I mean it in the sense of their religious affiliation) so the lyrics could be allegorical and carry a religious meaning but who says that someone who listens to bands like Skillet are or have to be Christian?

Lay Down
Artist: Priestess
Lyrics should appear in the video

I would find this befitting for a male serial killer that preys on women. Another one this would fit could be a guy who just murdered some girl he had feelings for whether it may be illicit or not. I haven't seen the movie or read the book "The Lovely Bones" but if anyone has would it fit the guy who killed the girl? ("Lay down, sleep my little darling I'll be nothing when you're gone")

Monster in Me
Artist: Blind Dog Circus
Can't find any lyrics.

I find this a cross between "Lay Down" and "Monster". I would put this for the antagonist that doesn't reveal him or herself until the very end. This can be that serial killer that everyone is searching for who has been right under the protagonist's nose. At the same time it could be one of those anti-hero vampires or werewolves or one of those antagonists that is looking to reform.

Walking In My Shoes
Artist: Depeche Mode
Lyrics


This is something I wouldn't restrict to an antagonist or an anti-hero but can also be tied to the protagonist. Here I would find the antagonist again looking for some redemption but at the same time it could carry the same meaning as "Behind Blue Eyes" saying that "in order to understand me try to be me for a day" ("I'm not looking for absolution, forgiveness for the things I do, but before you come to any conclusion, try walking in my shoes"). The antagonist here could also be luring the protagonist to the "dark side". Which leads us to . . .

LiesArtist: Evanescence
Lyrics

The antagonist for this song is the kinds that would like to lure the protagonist to join him or her at his or her side as they take over the world or something ("Rest in me and I'll comfort you I have lived and I died for you Abide in me and I vow to you I will never forsake you.") Though the quote from the song I provided most likely refers to Jesus (I'm not religious but anyone who has studied Christianity can figure it out) but in a nutshell it's "I can offer you everything or anything if you join me" kinda thing.

How Can Heaven Love MeArtist: Sarah Brightman
Lyrics

Whereas "Lies" seemed fitting for an antagonist wanting to be with the protagonist in terms of taking over the world this song would sort of be the opposite where the protagonist has feelings for the antagonist. The antagonist here could be some sort of fallen angel or some heavenly creature that strayed from the righteous path or something of that sort.

Well that's all I can say at the moment. Note that this is for entertainment purposes only.

Why I have a dislike for extremists, synecdoche and metonymy -- Florida Pastor and the Quran (additional info)

Just merely days ago (more or less longer than that as I just heard about it on Thursday) a pastor from a small "christian" congregation in Florida, USA announced that on the anniversary of the planes crashing into the World Trade Center would also be Burn a Quran day. Just recently the guy who started this said that he would postpone it.

The important message is whether your anti -<insert name of religious group here> is big or small pulling off something like destroying anything or everything held sacred to <religious group>, can bring about an uproar.

Picture taken from motifake.com

Why I have a dislike for extremists, synecdoche and metonymy -- Florida Pastor and the Quran

Well I'm sort of taking a big risk in doing this post (depending on who comes to this baby of a blog) but this issue kind of irks me.




and more info here

So this guy, Terry Jones (who happens to bear the same first and last name of a Monty Python cast member) wants to hold a day (I think it's September 11) to burn copies of the Quran (there's more than 1 spelling for this and I'll stick with this one) in return for the World Trade Center which was destroyed by suicide bombers who happen to be Muslims. Basically I see this as one of those "eye for an eye" kind of things.

University is one of those places where you get to see people from all over the world and different religions. I have met people (mainly girls though) who are Muslim and they are nice people. The ones that appear on television/hear in the news tend to be the extremist groups and it is the extremist I find to be vocal about their causes. Also the media will put a spin on things to show what they want their audience to see and hear. If the media is backed by a political organization or someone who supports some political organization the news coming out of the tube or read in the paper will carry their ideas and views as well. So with people over in the countries who have a majority of Muslims hear about something that is offensive, more or less harshly criticizing their beliefs and what is held sacred, it is natural to say "I don't like what you're doing, that's not very nice." Same goes for those living abroad. Doing something radical like this after what that Danish cartoonist did will give the impression that people outside of <insert name of country here> don't have tolerance for Islam.

Here is where I would like to bring in synecdoche and metonymy. Apparently Jones's congregation is very small compared to the rest of the population of the United States. Yes there are people in the there who are anti-Islam but still that doesn't represent the whole of the population. Not entirely sure how large the Taliban is compared to Jones's congregation and any other group that shares similar views but again any small group or one person doesn't necessarily represent the view of everyone (the same goes for a majority as it reflects the views of most but still not all).

I may not be religious but I do believe it is a bad idea to destroy any religious text. I don't really believe that the content in any of the holy books is propaganda (more or less guidelines, following them being an option) but the people who use it as a tool for propaganda make it propaganda. The reaction I see to this seems to me like taking something irreplaceable and destroy it right in their faces. Sure holy books can be produced in mass production but I'm going to take a stand on the golden rule here. Don't mess with them and they in return won't mess with you.

Not sure if I have anything else to say on this topic but I quote Homer Simpson here:

"Because in the end, aren't all religions the same? They tell us what to eat, when to pray, that this lump of clay called Man can somehow shape himself to resemble the divine. But we can't learn to live together if we have hatred in our hearts . . . We all have our differences. Some of us don't eat pork. Some of us don't eat shellfish. But we all eat chicken . . . So spread the word: peace and chicken" 

Kid Drawings

I'm not sure if anyone when they were in their last years of elementary school and maybe some high school too remembers this. There was always an assignment where you had to draw something like a title page for . . . let's say science class and the next topic being covered in class is the sound and light unit. Sure it's the easiest thing to do as all you do is doodle something and hand it in, but I actually hated doing it. I hated for either one of two reasons (maybe both at times):

• I have no idea what to draw
• I am a bad artist

I never knew the reason why title pages had to be done for science, gym class (this only happened in grade 7) and history class (again I think this only happened one time). I assume this was part of the visual component of the grade but wouldn't a simple model of something suffice?
The title pages are also evaluated. Drawing very little would get you somewhere between no mark to just made it mars. Meeting the minimum requirements no matter how good or bad you draw would get you average near complete marks. Creating something that has more than the minimum requirements as well as having some artistic ability on hand would get the full marks as well as a sticker. When I was in grade 4 there would be some sort of contest where everyone would vote on whose title page is the best and winner gets some sort of prize (either candy or a pencil, something of that sort). The winner was usually someone who had top notch artistic ability, even though it may not be the same person each time.

So even though the art assignments are easy getting good marks on them is not. Maybe the reason I'm ranting about this has to do with how I take criticism and with something that has to do with my childhood. Don't really remember what year it was but I think it might have been grade 2 or grade 3. I was colouring something like the sky or the ocean and the teacher goes to check on me and notices that I was colouring in different directions and tells me that I should colour in one direction. This makes me wonder why abstract artists make a lot of money for painting something like this while something that has more than just a line across the page (ex. trees, animals, a boat maybe) but tell me that I should colour something in one direction? (------ instead of -----||||||)

Then there is visual arts class from grades 7 and 8. I think I might have enjoyed it to some extent as even though the artwork you had to do in that class had to be reflective of something being taught in that class at least you had some creative control over it like the snakes picture below.

Just for fun, craptastic artwork form back in the day:

Grade 8 Heath assignment

This was done for grade 8 gym class for the health class component. The assignment was to create two magazine advertisements: 1 for showing the dangers of drugs and alcohol, and 1 ad targeting young people into smoking and drinking. This happens to be the latter. As you can see one arm is shorter than the other. The copyright 2003 at the bottom was mainly to give it the magazine ad look. Other than that it's a total kid drawing.

Grade 7 Snakes on a spider web assignment

The second one, which I really like, was done back in grade 7 art class. I'm thinking it was more of an activity than an actual assignment. The idea was to draw snakes on a spider web. I think it was originally supposed be snakes upon a zigzag spider web and it eventually became black and white banded snakes on a rainbow explosion. This was displayed as one of the student artworks for open house that year.

Grade 8 Art Class: Mythical Creature

And finally this one. One of the projects was to draw a mythical/imaginary creature. The art teacher wasn't clear if we had to make up the creature or not so I decided to go with the phoenix. Unlike the other two craptacular drawings which were done in coloured pencils, this was done in pastel. The flaming toupee (I'm not sure what to call it) was a suggestion by a classmate of mine (whom I haven't seen in ages). The wings are coloured kind of oddly but it was good enough for the teacher to say "Go find a spot on the wall if you can."




I'm not much of a visual artist and probably the only time I can be caught drawing something is during a lecture when I'm bored. Enjoy these old kid drawings.

Advice for the young grasshopper starting university -- Adjusting to campus life (and a little blurb on textbooks)

Roommates
Student Residences
Making Connections

One thing I like about university is how some days you don't have to get up early. This is of course depending on what one's schedule is like. Also depending on what type of degree you're heading off for you may have all your classes in one day to having one day free with no classes. You may have classes all morning but have some sort of 1.5 to 3 hour lecture at 7pm. Whatever your schedule is like one thing less to worry is being sent to detention for arriving late or skipping lectures and you don't need permission to leave the room while someone is talking. But still . . .

• Be respectful to both the instructor and the other students.

Even though you may be bored with the lecture and start talking to your buddy the lecturer has the right to kick you out of the room for being disruptive. Also if you do decide to leave early or come in late do it discreetly as some in the room may be bothered the constant opening and closing of the door. A course may count participation as part of the course so whether you ask a lot of questions in class or sit quietly in the corner showing up for class may count towards that.

Although attendance is not necessarily taken every day there are certain days which you CANNOT and MUST NOT miss UNLESS YOU ARE ILL OR HAVE A DEATH IN THE FAMILY:

• Labs
• Midterms, quizzes and tests
• Giving a presentation

A doctor's note or a death certificate will excuse you from these things. Not sure if any other university has this policy but missing/skipping out on labs could mean failing the lab portion of a course. Sometimes when a lab isn't scheduled it may become a help session for assignments. If these sessions don't count for grades it's up to you to attend them or not but at least here people from the help centre will cater specifically to your course whereas at the help centre they cater to all levels.

Speaking of help centres these places are useful when you're stuck on a problem or need help understanding something like why the derivative of x^5 is 5x^4 (it's been a while since I touched calculus and probably would not touch it with a 10 foot pole (Edit January 2012: A semantics course I took during the Winter 2011 semester involved something called lambda calculus. My 10 foot pole must've been too short. Mind you this is a 3rd year level linguistics course and not a beginner calculus course.)). Having trouble with <insert language here>? Unless your friend speaks that language and is willing to help go to a help centre! Some language courses have conversation classes which are free (and may be counting towards your grade just for attending them). Help centres may also have books that the library may not have. I don't think first year labs require too much research for the questions but if they do the help centre is one place to go. Help centres don't run 24/7 so instead of heading off for a 4-hour nap use those breaks between classes to try to visit the help centres.

Some courses require books. Some books you can get after the first class like a textbook but some books, like lab manuals, you need before the first class or lab session. Now some instructors on the first day jump right into the textbook so if you're the type who wants to keep up on things you can buy the book. Some teachers say that the book is optional so if you really feel the need to get the textbook then get it, otherwise save your money.

Textbook are expensive brand new. Unlike secondary school (I am assuming it's the same for all secondary school otherwise tell me) the books are provided for you as they are paid for by the school and the only time you have to pay for the text is if the book is lost or damaged. So if you are strapped for cash:

• Share of borrow from a friend or sibling
• Buy it used

With the first option if you have a relative that has taken the course or is taking the same course at the same you can share and probably won't cost you a thing. Your friend may or may not charge you but that too is an option but if your friend lives in another part of town or in a different dorm room you may end up getting any work done that involves the book. The library may also carry a copy of the book (even older editions) but there is the lending period to consider and the number of copies available so your best bet is to have your own copy.

If you're someone who is concerned about the environment getting a used book is one of those benefits. The drawback to getting a used book is either one of two things:

• The book came out with a new edition in which all older editions are deemed useless
• The department decided to change the textbook this year and are basing the course on said textbook

Sometimes instructors may allow you to use an older edition or the old book but double check with them first. When buying used you can either go to a used book store (whether it's the one on campus or around the city) or from other students. The difference is that buy from other students you're not paying any tax (unless the person you're buying from decides to but I haven't encountered anyone who does that) but usually cash only.

That's all I have to say now that you should be fully integrated into campus life. Anything missing just mention it.

A painted sky

As the sun was setting I looked out my window and was in awe with the shades of blue I saw. The clouds looked like they were painted onto the sky.

Mystery Orb Spider

This spider has been making it's living in the garage for some time. There are actually two of them but they're about the same species anyway. So far this is the largest spider I've seen that is not displayed in a museum or pinned up and frame.

Anyways so I went to Google to search for spiders in Ottawa. The first result was the sculpture outside the art gallery while the second result on the page was a bit more resourceful only to find that most of the images were gone. Yet it led me in the right direction to search for orb spiders.

Now I don't really trust Wikipedia for scientific information but I find it useful for the photos it provides (and detailed TV show and movie recaps though those things constantly change too). So the page says that these things are named after the shape of their web which is round. The webs are also wheel-shaped. Though the web is faintly shown I could say it's wheel-shaped.

Anyways so I also compared it to one of the images in the gallery and this one seemed close enough to it. As for the specific kind of orb spider, probably the Argiope but the I didn't take note if the web has some specific design or not. Well if someone out there knows anything about spiders hopefully someone can give me some insight.

Advice for the young grasshopper starting university -- making connections

Roommates
Dorm Life
Campus Life and textbooks

Out of my friends whom I haven't seen in ages I was one of the few that moved out of my hometown to go to university. Even though my hometown has 2 universities and a bunch of colleges the advantage I find for those remaining there is you at least know someone whether you're taking the same courses or not. Going away to another city or country can have an advantage if you have relatives or a friend or two there. Other than that you're pretty much starting at square one. Whether or not you're a stranger or someone who is known to a lot of people connect with others.

One place to start is within your own residence. Attend a bunch of activities planned by the house or your housemates and who knows you might make a friend or two. Not everyone you meet will be a social butterfly or hang out with the housemates. Also you can't stay in your room all the time and spend all your time studying. So if the people in your residence are not the type of people you hang out with then get out there!

There are sports teams you can try out but if you don't make it or it's not your thing attend one of those clubs and society fairs. It might be paired up as part of the orientation events or have its own day. Here you can find clubs and activities that may interest you. Every campus usually has some sort of religious society, student versions of groups like Amnesty International and Oxfam, geekdom, watching films, and many more. It was during one of these fairs I discovered fencing. I knew the sport existed but had no knowledge of places where these things could be done and through a clubs and societies fair I was introduced to it. So even if you are a beginner at some sort of activity or never had any experience join up. Who knows, you may find something you like and even meet someone who has connections. If none of the clubs and societies interest you, try to make your own or contribute to finding one.

Then there are the societies formed by the various departments on campus. Let's say you're studying chemistry you can probably join up and learn from others taking the same courses or who have been through the same situations as you and may give you help or advice as you go through your studies. Again if you can't find a society that suits you try to make one or help in the creation of one.

Maybe your interests lie off campus. If you have the means (and the funds) to get there and the time, go for it. Take caution though if you are in unfamiliar territory. Even if you are adventurous play it safe. Other than that look at the message boards around campus and who know, you might find something that interests you or whatever it is that you usually do back home.

Don't really have anything more to say on this topic. Not sure who reads these things but if someone happens upon this and wishes to leave a comment, feel free to do so.

Next up: Campus life and comparing it to high school.

Advice for the young grasshopper starting university -- Dorm Life

Introduction and Roommates
Connecting with others
Campus life and textbooks 

Every University should have on-campus student residences. Some may choose to live off-campus or have someone they know living in the city providing a room for them, others, like me, chose to live in the student residences. The university I attend has two different types of student residences: dormitory and apartment. I'll mention those when I go through some things. Some student residences have single gendered housing while some are co-ed but all usually participate in the same activities.

Each student residence has proctors and resident assistants (R.A.'s). Proctors are like the landlord/landlady of the residence. The only time I've ever seen the proctor for proctor related business was for room arrangements (whether I was getting a new roommate or have to change rooms or whether I was returning to the residence next year) or if I was having some problems with a roommate or people on the floor. R.A. are just like their title says, they're there to assist you. Both share the same roles in a way. Houses have certain hours when you can blast your stereo and make sorts of loud noises but once quiet hours settle in they are wandering the halls warning you or slapping a fine that you have to pay. Other than providing a sense of security they sometimes organize various activities.

Each residence has an academic don (A.D.) or some sort of advisor that deals with academic stuff. Say you're failing your courses or need to know something like dropping out of a course the A.D. is one to turn to when the campus offices are closed. The A.D. also organizes some various activities as well.

The various activities organized can range from trips to a museum, bowling, bingo and trivia, pub crawls, scavenger hunts, some sort of party to some sort of movie night. Not all of the activities mentioned are organized by the house staff but also other people living in the house too. This is one way you can meet the others in your house as well at the same time score some free food.

• If you are planning to return to the same residence next year participate in some of these activities

Some residences not only require that you have a certain grade point average (GPA) to remain but also how much you are involved in school/residence life. Usually the dry events, the ones that don't include alcohol, count towards your involvement.

Another thing to add to that involvement is intramural sports. The sports I have encountered are soccer, basketball, t-ball/baseball, volleyball, Ultimate Frisbees, badminton, water polo, hockey, road race/some running activity and bowling. Depending on how many people sign up your house might have either a single gendered team or a co-ed team.

• You don't have to be good at any of these sports in order to participate

I am not very athletic and I wasn't into sports when I was a kid but if you do sign up for, let's say soccer, but aren't very good at it or haven't played before you will be placed in a team of people with the same experience. Eventually you will have to play against the more experienced teams but whether or not you win the games at least you will be scoring points for your house. If you can't play due to injury or not really interested in playing sports you can show up for support and that may count towards participation points. Want to join in on the action but not sure if it fits into your schedule? You can be a back-up team player so if someone decides to go home on the weekend his or her team is playing a game you know what to do, or someone can find you.

Now that you're all sweaty from playing a game it's time to hit the showers. Living in the apartment style residence it's usually one bathroom per 2-4 people living there while in the dorms if the one on your floor is full or broken you can go to another floor. Some may have the stalls, some may have the one attached to a bathtub, and some may have both. Whether you use the stalls or the bathtub:

• Wear some foot protection
• Don't leave anything behind

Who knows when was the last time the floors have been cleaned and sometimes you might encounter sharp objects, people might have spat in there, gum, and probably some gross unmentionables.

The last thing I'll mention is initiation. Usually this is planned by the senior students as they have (unless someone went home for the weekend) gone through it. I'm not going to say what exactly happens but it can involve some silly crazy things, but nothing too defiling but if it something that makes you feel uncomfortable or for some medical reason can't do whatever activity it is they'll probably won't let you do it or find some sort of alternative. At the end you get a "Congratulations! You are now a member of <insert house name here>"

That's all for now. Next up: clubs, societies and meeting people.

Advice for the young grasshopper starting university -- Intro & Roommates

So starting in September it will be my fourth year attending university. Four years is what it takes to obtain a degree? Not for everyone and not for me.

University may be a big step for some. I have seen people drop out halfway through the first year because they feel unprepared or it's not right for them. Another reason may be that they're not fitting in. Later on they either resurface whether it is the same university they attended or switch to another university, even take things down a notch by going to college, or eventually they found a job somewhere and are on the road to becoming a manager of something of that sort. Others are okay with the transition and still continue with everyday life.

Whether people read this or not here will be some advice from my experiences dealing with:

1. Roommates
2. Dorm Life
3. Connecting with others
4. Campus stuff (includes info on textbooks)
5. Mid-Terms and Exams

Everyone experiences university or the college life differently. For me I chose to attend a university that is not in my hometown so this will be based on one who traveled to another part of the country to get an education. I guess I can put it halfway between the experience of someone who has stayed in their hometown as I haven't left the country and an international student as I have sort of entered a strange new world.

I haven't watched a lot of TV shows or movies that revolve around the university lifestyle but as you know a lot of things on TV are exaggerations of real life, except for Harry Potter which I can make a comparison to in terms of the houses. Though there is no magic involved the houses on campus compete in intramural sports and various activities that win the house either free pizza or money that goes towards purchasing furniture for the TV room. The dining hall even has separate tables for the houses.

So if you chose the path of living in the on-campus residences, chances are you're stuck in one room with another boy or girl who is around the same age as you are, or you may have your own little room and have to share a bathroom. In this days and age of e-mail and Facebook you can get to know your future roommate(s) or you can wait until you meet for the first time. Will you get along the first time? It's hit and miss. Some advice:

• If you have a sick roommate who is non-stop coughing, understand that they're just as annoyed as you, possibly even more because he/she has the bug.

From personal experience, at the start my first year I had a really bad cold. I was given penicillin before I started my first year and that wasn't working. I eventually got better meds and still I was coughing but getting better. The coughing was not only keeping me awake but my roommate too. She complained the whole time I was sick and every time I coughed violently she would think I was getting sick. My advice to you is to wait it out and sooner or later (provided that the meds are working) you may get some peace and quiet.

• If possible, take your phone calls elsewhere

This mostly applies to the roommate that communicates by cell phone, and possibly webcam. If your buddy says to take it outside, then take it outside. Unless your roommate's family is halfway around the world, if you have to talk to someone at 2 in the morning and your roommate wants to get some sleep take your phone call out of the room. Speaking of activity at 2 in the morning . . .

• Earphones are your best friends

Even if you and your roommate(s) like it loud you may want some quiet time. If you want to listen to music or watch a movie on the laptop at 2 in the morning while your roommate wants some shut-eye just plug in some earphones, whether they're from your mp3 player or the cheap ones from the airplane. If for some reason your earphone jack is busted, you can always go for the USB headsets. They may cost more but at least you can live it loud while the others around you can get some sleep.

• Do your share of cleaning the room.

You may have requested the roommate that doesn't really care about cleanliness and ended up with one that does, do your share of sweeping the floor every . . . well often. Maybe then your roommate(s) won't complain that they're always doing the work.

• Make sure that your roommate(s) are okay with you bringing in people and certain items

You may not be sexually active but if you feel uncomfortable with your roommate bringing in someone, tell him or her that you feel uncomfortable. Chances are they probably won't be screwing each other while you're in the room but if it gets too far and the roommate goes "it's my room too you know", take it to the proctor, saying that you have problems with your roommate. Same goes with bringing in items that you may not want in the room.

• Respect your roommate(s)' religious views and cultural stuff

Disclosing your religious beliefs can help you match up with someone who has the same religious beliefs. Again with the cleanliness point there could be the chance that you may be matched up with someone who may hold different beliefs. Also if you're with someone from another part of the world, whether English is their first or second (maybe even third) don't disrespect them. So what if they're different than you, you can probably learn a lot of what you don't know from them, just don't shove your beliefs down their throats.


My third and most recent year I moved to the apartment style residences where instead of having 2 people in 1 room it is 4 individual rooms in 1 room sharing bathroom and kitchen. All 4 of us got along well and I am looking forward to seeing 2 of them and a new roommate this coming September.

Next up: What's it like in a dorm

Miss Universe 2010

Last night was the Miss Universe beauty pageant where 83 (the amount of competitors this year) women from all across the globe compete for the title. The reason I would watch these beauty pageants is for what the models wear, especially the cultural costumes and evening gowns.

One thing I want to know is who pre-selects the top 15. All those women are beautiful I must say but the top 15 was composed of 7 Europeans, 1 African, 1 from Oceania, 3 North Americans, 1 South American, 1 Central American, and 1 Asian (Russia spans over 2 continents but I'm grouping it in the Europe category). I'm sure the proportions change each year but it would be interesting to see a country that has never placed in the top 15 place there at least once instead of having some of the same countries that have been in the top 15 for many years.

The issue I want to bring up is Miss Philippines, Venus Raj. She made it all the way to the top 5 and finished in fifth place. She probably would have placed higher if she either had a different question that what she was asked (which makes me wonder what Criss Angel's question was) or if she gave a better answer.

Here is what she was asked and what she answered:

"One big mistake that you made in your life and what did you do to make it right?"

We all have made mistakes in our lives. If a big mistake is too personal to say on live television just say that it's too personal. I'd probably say something like, "I have made many big mistakes in my life and even though I do not want to talk about any of them I have learned from them. Anyone involved I have made amends with them." I think the contestant is only given like a minute and a half to answer (if I'm wrong I know it's a short amount of time). The purpose of the question I believe is to show humility and that the next Miss Universe is human. After all, besides being a supermodel the titleholder is also a humanitarian role model.

On the other hand I am just a spectator. With the question round the top 5 must be under a lot of pressure as how they answer affects who gets the prize. They're up there not knowing what question they're going to get. I'm also thinking that these women have been in smaller competitions which follow the same format so the pressure may not be as much but are prepared.

Not sure if I have anything more to say. Other than that though you can sit around and criticize how someone looks and what someone says, but one experienced one gains an understanding.

Introduction

Well, while I am learning the ropes might as well say something here. I might as well give the origins of my username, Queen_Raiden, and why I named my blog Quenching Karma v.2.

Queen_Raiden came from two things that I liked when I was around 14, 15 years old. Queen came from one of my favourite bands (and I still like them to this day thought I don't listen to them much). The song "Bohemian Rhapsody" would be stuck on repeat on my cd player. Raiden comes from the character I would pick for Mortal Kombat (and Christopher Lambert, the actor who played him in the first movie). I have Queen_Raiden as my Windows Live username and for my accounts on fanfiction.net and fictionpress.com (Whatever is on there will never be updated or have a slim to no chance of being cleaned up. I may, one day, post something that in my opinion will be better than what is on there.) Currently, I use it as my gaiaonline and interpals usename and now whatever is connected to my google account.

Quenching Karma v.2 came from what I named my Windows Live Spaces page which had some form of a blog on there that is no longer updated as I began to use Facebook. Quenching Karma itself came from a phrase that I created with magnet words (or whatever you call those things) on my aunt's fridge "quench your karma". Not sure if it made sense back in the day and probably will not make sense now.

Well, that's all I have to say at the moment. So far the visitor account will only increase due to me trying to figure out how this blog site works.