Today I stayed home because I figured that I'd be less distracted and able to get some work done. I also figured that I'd been neglecting Chaos lately so she'd appreciate the company for most of the day.
As far as how much work I was able to do at home as opposed to at school was negotiable. I think it would have been about the same to tell the truth. I was just as distracted here as I would be at school. Chaos got to go for not one but two walks today. She's pretty exhausted right now, so that's a good thing.
I would have been just as distracted at school, mostly because there'd be a face down the hall that I could talk at, or I'd find someone to take a break with or some other book to read. At least here, I got to stay in my pyjamas and drink beer while I completed my presentation for tomorrow's Water Management class and tried to write my take-home midterm
I did get some progress, I got a solid start on 4 of 7 questions and about 4 or 5 beer in (I lost count....oops....but it's so delicious). I think it could just be a matter of sitting down to write the stupid thing. I guess I did get about 6 or 7 solid hours of work in. I managed to get groceries and stock up my fridge.....with beer. I should be good to go for a few days.
I figure I can get 1 or 2 more beer and a few more hours of work in before I call it a day.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Well, so much for that plan.
Here, I thought I had 3 solid days to do SCIENCE! (aka my proposal) before the weekend hits and I have to build 3 hours worth of class material, 1 lab and start marking again. My saving grace.....I don't have Water Management assignments to mark this weekend.
Too bad my Spectroscopy Prof didn't know about my plan and how much work I actually do compared to the other students in my class. I think I took on too much. Only 9 more classes....only 9 more.
At least all my prep for RCM 300 is done for the rest of the term. That helps out a little bit, but not enough. Maybe I'll just focus on building one lecture worth of material by Tuesday, finish the midterm and finish the 2nd lecture and the lab for Thursday after I've handed in the Beast. New Plan. I don't like New Plans. They take all the fun out of my Old Plans. Shit.
He gave us a take-home midterm to do this week. I kind of get it, being that it's not difficult but tedious. I had a look at it tonight anyways, mostly because with building my Water Management presentations and case studies, my weekend is shot. I'm pretty sure it'll just be a matter of sitting down and writing it, but if the recent assignments are any indication of how much reading and work is involved, I'm going to need more than a week. It took me a SOLID 3 days to tackle the last assignment, including a full-out curb-stomping. Turns out in class today that I did most of it right, but I really don't have time to go back too deeply and do corrections. I think I'm going to correct what's on the surface and call it good. The midterm is worth more anyways. The first question is about 7 or 8 pages of writing already. I think if I make my energy diagrams really big, that might help me out.
Funny thing, I had 3 different students e-mail me asking me how I tackled the last assignment. Honestly, I have no idea why they're asking me and not my Prof. I'd go ask my Prof.....if I actually had time to ask him questions that is. It's not like I know what I'm doing. Maybe I'm just hiding the ass-kickery better than the average student in our class. Who knows....??
Either way, tonight I had mentioned that I had finished the assignment, lived through the beating and was ready to hand it in. I had mentioned that it's taking me a little longer than I'm used to to catch onto the concepts. After my "Industry Time" with "Table, Formula, Go!", having to go back and re-learn (or in this case newly learn quantum chemistry) takes more time than I had anticipated.
I got the comment, "What do you mean 'Table, Formula, Go!'? You don't have to derive anything from basic principles?" (On the side there was - "Dude, that should totally be on a t-shirt: 'Table, Formula, Go!' with a little checklist....that'd be epic").
To which I replied, "No, someone's already done that for me. They're called 'Researchers' ('or Grad Students', as I expressed under my breath)"
"So, all this stuff we're doing is bogus?"
"Yeah, if you can't put it in a table with a simple equation it's pretty useless to anyone in the 'Real World'." (QED)
"Hmmmm, I wondered what people with actual jobs did."
At this point I just shook my head, face-palmed and moved on. Obviously someone who had no experience outside of a University. Academia at it's finest! Go team!
Bottom line: I'm really looking to buy some time. I've committed myself to going out on Friday and Saturday night. Looks like I may not sleep until next Wednesday. Hopefully insomnia sets in at the optimum times this week. I can only hope. Either way, I'll get my latte IV set on "High Drip".
On the plus side, my love-life...or maybe-there-could-be-something-going-on-here...is cut off, severed, in the toilet and back to being non-existent. The kind, blue-eyed butterflies were cool while they lasted, but I was willing to invest and he wasn't. I guess if it was really meant to happen he'll come back (it seems like we're still on good terms....he's THAT nice of a guy....I could be kicking myself in the ass for letting that one go) but I'm pretty sure that I probably killed all hope of something happening even before it maybe had the chance. Shit. Kicked in the junk by Passion and Timing again! Yay!
I wear my tattered heart on my sleeve because that's the only way I know how to wear it...exposed for all the world to see. Imperfections and all. It's in pieces and I'm cool with that. It's who I am. What you see is what you get. No games. It makes me Awesome!
It makes me Too Awesome! Too Amazing! Too Unattainable! It makes me Damaged Goods. Deep-down, I am Damaged Goods. It's going to take a very brave and equally Awesome, Passionate and Well-Timed guy to patch it all up. I'm waiting. Come find me.
If you're out there, I'm right here; behind my quantum chemistry curb-stomping ass-kickery, immersed in peer-reviewed journals on bone-breakery, reading Petroski's "To Engineer is Human" for S's and G's, building presentations on an area that isn't even in my research interests, crushing dreams, telling students that they're not trying had enough, trying not to completely neglect my adorable dog, desperately fighting to keep it all together and hoping and praying that Passion, Timing and Awesome don't kick me in the junk again.
On the plus side, I got offered to teach RCM 300 again next fall. They're talking about signing me on as a permanent lecturer if there's enough students to teach. That's cool. I'll stick with the RCM department as long as they'll have me.
Too bad my Spectroscopy Prof didn't know about my plan and how much work I actually do compared to the other students in my class. I think I took on too much. Only 9 more classes....only 9 more.
At least all my prep for RCM 300 is done for the rest of the term. That helps out a little bit, but not enough. Maybe I'll just focus on building one lecture worth of material by Tuesday, finish the midterm and finish the 2nd lecture and the lab for Thursday after I've handed in the Beast. New Plan. I don't like New Plans. They take all the fun out of my Old Plans. Shit.
He gave us a take-home midterm to do this week. I kind of get it, being that it's not difficult but tedious. I had a look at it tonight anyways, mostly because with building my Water Management presentations and case studies, my weekend is shot. I'm pretty sure it'll just be a matter of sitting down and writing it, but if the recent assignments are any indication of how much reading and work is involved, I'm going to need more than a week. It took me a SOLID 3 days to tackle the last assignment, including a full-out curb-stomping. Turns out in class today that I did most of it right, but I really don't have time to go back too deeply and do corrections. I think I'm going to correct what's on the surface and call it good. The midterm is worth more anyways. The first question is about 7 or 8 pages of writing already. I think if I make my energy diagrams really big, that might help me out.
Funny thing, I had 3 different students e-mail me asking me how I tackled the last assignment. Honestly, I have no idea why they're asking me and not my Prof. I'd go ask my Prof.....if I actually had time to ask him questions that is. It's not like I know what I'm doing. Maybe I'm just hiding the ass-kickery better than the average student in our class. Who knows....??
Either way, tonight I had mentioned that I had finished the assignment, lived through the beating and was ready to hand it in. I had mentioned that it's taking me a little longer than I'm used to to catch onto the concepts. After my "Industry Time" with "Table, Formula, Go!", having to go back and re-learn (or in this case newly learn quantum chemistry) takes more time than I had anticipated.
I got the comment, "What do you mean 'Table, Formula, Go!'? You don't have to derive anything from basic principles?" (On the side there was - "Dude, that should totally be on a t-shirt: 'Table, Formula, Go!' with a little checklist....that'd be epic").
To which I replied, "No, someone's already done that for me. They're called 'Researchers' ('or Grad Students', as I expressed under my breath)"
"So, all this stuff we're doing is bogus?"
"Yeah, if you can't put it in a table with a simple equation it's pretty useless to anyone in the 'Real World'." (QED)
"Hmmmm, I wondered what people with actual jobs did."
At this point I just shook my head, face-palmed and moved on. Obviously someone who had no experience outside of a University. Academia at it's finest! Go team!
Bottom line: I'm really looking to buy some time. I've committed myself to going out on Friday and Saturday night. Looks like I may not sleep until next Wednesday. Hopefully insomnia sets in at the optimum times this week. I can only hope. Either way, I'll get my latte IV set on "High Drip".
On the plus side, my love-life...or maybe-there-could-be-something-going-on-here...is cut off, severed, in the toilet and back to being non-existent. The kind, blue-eyed butterflies were cool while they lasted, but I was willing to invest and he wasn't. I guess if it was really meant to happen he'll come back (it seems like we're still on good terms....he's THAT nice of a guy....I could be kicking myself in the ass for letting that one go) but I'm pretty sure that I probably killed all hope of something happening even before it maybe had the chance. Shit. Kicked in the junk by Passion and Timing again! Yay!
I wear my tattered heart on my sleeve because that's the only way I know how to wear it...exposed for all the world to see. Imperfections and all. It's in pieces and I'm cool with that. It's who I am. What you see is what you get. No games. It makes me Awesome!
It makes me Too Awesome! Too Amazing! Too Unattainable! It makes me Damaged Goods. Deep-down, I am Damaged Goods. It's going to take a very brave and equally Awesome, Passionate and Well-Timed guy to patch it all up. I'm waiting. Come find me.
If you're out there, I'm right here; behind my quantum chemistry curb-stomping ass-kickery, immersed in peer-reviewed journals on bone-breakery, reading Petroski's "To Engineer is Human" for S's and G's, building presentations on an area that isn't even in my research interests, crushing dreams, telling students that they're not trying had enough, trying not to completely neglect my adorable dog, desperately fighting to keep it all together and hoping and praying that Passion, Timing and Awesome don't kick me in the junk again.
On the plus side, I got offered to teach RCM 300 again next fall. They're talking about signing me on as a permanent lecturer if there's enough students to teach. That's cool. I'll stick with the RCM department as long as they'll have me.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Some Stumblin'....
I've decided that I'm bored and have gone to the internets as a substitute for actual human contact....that and it's 8:30 on a Sunday night, no one really isn't going to want to go out right now in all honesty.
I have a Spectroscopy assignment to do for Tuesday, but I really don't feel like getting my ass kicked and then handed to me on a rusty meat poker. I'm going to do it tomorrow and hope that I'm able to finish all of it before Tuesday night.
Here's what I've Stumbled on tonight.....
Also...I' just finished watching Star Wars IV. It might be the oldest one, but in my opinion, it's the best.
I have a Spectroscopy assignment to do for Tuesday, but I really don't feel like getting my ass kicked and then handed to me on a rusty meat poker. I'm going to do it tomorrow and hope that I'm able to finish all of it before Tuesday night.
Here's what I've Stumbled on tonight.....
"Date a girl who reads"
I Stumbled on this blog this afternoon, after I finished planning my classes for this week. I had put in an 8-hour-day before 3:30, I deserved to Stumble.
I think it embodies how I feel some days; hell, most days.
If I would add anything to it, I'd change the last line. I'd add SCIENCE! I think guys should date girls who read and love SCIENCE! The world.....or my world at least....would be a better place.
I think it embodies how I feel some days; hell, most days.
If I would add anything to it, I'd change the last line. I'd add SCIENCE! I think guys should date girls who read and love SCIENCE! The world.....or my world at least....would be a better place.
Friday, March 4, 2011
So I've become kind of a tree hugger and a hippie since my Ag days.....sue me.
Today in my Water Management class we discussed what a water footprint is and if it's a significant tool to keep an eye out for. I have a feeling this could go down to become something like the next "carbon footprint". Either way, it looks like it could be something that they could be dealing with in the next 5 years or so, so I figured that it would be a good thing to discuss and keep them on the lookout.
Because of my "foresight", I may have come across as a tree-hugging-hippy in class today. You know what.....deal with it!
After calculating my "water footprint" according to the on-line tool, I decided that I'm going to cut down my meat intake over the next 3 weeks to see if it's possible for me to reduce my personal water footprint. Right now, I'm consuming about 4 meals per week that include meat. The rest of my protein I get from pulses and dairy products (I will never give up cheese or lattes....ever). Either way, I figured that my personal water footprint was a little high and I was going to see if I could reduce it. It takes about 21 days to develop a habit, so instead of eating 12 meat-intensive meals before the end of March, I'm going to cut it down to 4. For me, THIS IS HUGE!! (so huge that I may get disowned.....ouch)
I figure that life is an experiment and that we shouldn't be afraid to challenge what we know, practice or believe. I'm not afraid to try new, different or crazy things. I'm not afraid to get my mind blown. I think it's because I've been on my own for about 10 years and have yet to "find something that works", so I'm willing to "try it all" to get there. Also, I'm not afraid to challenge others in making them think differently.
I think the fundamental idea about a university is to challenge the norm. I'd like to see students come out of a class and have some fundamental and useful tools. Tools that they'll be able to use when they tackle the big, wide world of post-grad. Big world of being a competent professional. Either way, I want them to come out of this class and start thinking for themselves. Personally, I don't think that kids these days ponder enough. I blame the internet.
I didn't directly challenge them to become vegetarians, but I did try to challenge them to consider changing their lifestyle....that's all...to consider changing it....then to write a paper about it. Bottom line, because it's a new tool, I want them to think critically about it. I want them to use whatever space is between their ears and come up with an opinion. They're allowed to challenge me. Hell, they're allowed to dislike me for making them read about something that's completely new and unproven.
Is it risky?....For sure. I knew that going in.
Is it correct?...Maybe. Only time will tell.
Is it useful?......Possibly. If this concept goes the same way as carbon credits, then they should thank me for the heads-up.
Is it wreckless?......Could be, but honestly, I really have nothing to lose. I thought that the underlying principle of a university was to develop unique, well-thought-out arguments. I thought the purpose was to advance scientific and political thought....to boldly think where no man has thought before!
Either way, I want to encourage individual, independent thought. I want these kids to come out of this class with a backbone. I want them to build an argument and find VALID reasons and evidence to support it, mainly because if they don't have evidence when they hit industry, they're sunk.
Maybe I've been away from the farm for too long and have forgotten who I'm talking to. My Trophy Wife mentioned that I may have forgotten my audience (points for her for applying RCM theory....if I was teaching her, I'd sure give 'em out). I may have forgotten that these kids are 2 to 3 years removed from the farm....not 10 or 11 like me.
They haven't seen the streets of Montreal, Toronto and NYC. They haven't seen agriculture in Arizona, Colorado, Kentucky or Kansas. They haven't been exposed to many different people of many different backgrounds. They may not share the same open mind that I'm very proud to make my own. They may not have really good friends (or family members) that study policy, law, sociology, philosophy, ethics, medicine, biology, toxicology, chemistry, physics, engineering, plumbing and all the other technical trades. They may not have the same diverse background that I have. That's OK....for now.
I guess I'm OK with being perceived as a tree-hugging-hippy afterall. As much as I hate to admit it, I do believe in recycling, environmental sustainability, organic farming, footprint reduction and giving back more than you're taking. Maybe this is the first step in sharing the joy.
Because of my "foresight", I may have come across as a tree-hugging-hippy in class today. You know what.....deal with it!
After calculating my "water footprint" according to the on-line tool, I decided that I'm going to cut down my meat intake over the next 3 weeks to see if it's possible for me to reduce my personal water footprint. Right now, I'm consuming about 4 meals per week that include meat. The rest of my protein I get from pulses and dairy products (I will never give up cheese or lattes....ever). Either way, I figured that my personal water footprint was a little high and I was going to see if I could reduce it. It takes about 21 days to develop a habit, so instead of eating 12 meat-intensive meals before the end of March, I'm going to cut it down to 4. For me, THIS IS HUGE!! (so huge that I may get disowned.....ouch)
I figure that life is an experiment and that we shouldn't be afraid to challenge what we know, practice or believe. I'm not afraid to try new, different or crazy things. I'm not afraid to get my mind blown. I think it's because I've been on my own for about 10 years and have yet to "find something that works", so I'm willing to "try it all" to get there. Also, I'm not afraid to challenge others in making them think differently.
I think the fundamental idea about a university is to challenge the norm. I'd like to see students come out of a class and have some fundamental and useful tools. Tools that they'll be able to use when they tackle the big, wide world of post-grad. Big world of being a competent professional. Either way, I want them to come out of this class and start thinking for themselves. Personally, I don't think that kids these days ponder enough. I blame the internet.
I didn't directly challenge them to become vegetarians, but I did try to challenge them to consider changing their lifestyle....that's all...to consider changing it....then to write a paper about it. Bottom line, because it's a new tool, I want them to think critically about it. I want them to use whatever space is between their ears and come up with an opinion. They're allowed to challenge me. Hell, they're allowed to dislike me for making them read about something that's completely new and unproven.
Is it risky?....For sure. I knew that going in.
Is it correct?...Maybe. Only time will tell.
Is it useful?......Possibly. If this concept goes the same way as carbon credits, then they should thank me for the heads-up.
Is it wreckless?......Could be, but honestly, I really have nothing to lose. I thought that the underlying principle of a university was to develop unique, well-thought-out arguments. I thought the purpose was to advance scientific and political thought....to boldly think where no man has thought before!
Either way, I want to encourage individual, independent thought. I want these kids to come out of this class with a backbone. I want them to build an argument and find VALID reasons and evidence to support it, mainly because if they don't have evidence when they hit industry, they're sunk.
Maybe I've been away from the farm for too long and have forgotten who I'm talking to. My Trophy Wife mentioned that I may have forgotten my audience (points for her for applying RCM theory....if I was teaching her, I'd sure give 'em out). I may have forgotten that these kids are 2 to 3 years removed from the farm....not 10 or 11 like me.
They haven't seen the streets of Montreal, Toronto and NYC. They haven't seen agriculture in Arizona, Colorado, Kentucky or Kansas. They haven't been exposed to many different people of many different backgrounds. They may not share the same open mind that I'm very proud to make my own. They may not have really good friends (or family members) that study policy, law, sociology, philosophy, ethics, medicine, biology, toxicology, chemistry, physics, engineering, plumbing and all the other technical trades. They may not have the same diverse background that I have. That's OK....for now.
I guess I'm OK with being perceived as a tree-hugging-hippy afterall. As much as I hate to admit it, I do believe in recycling, environmental sustainability, organic farming, footprint reduction and giving back more than you're taking. Maybe this is the first step in sharing the joy.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Makes. My. Night.
If you don't follow this "webcomic", you should start:
I've used the term "webcomic" loosely, because some call it a blog, others a series of photos, others yet just plain vanity. I call it concentrated AWESOME!
It's complicated....
No, not that kind of complicated, a different kind of complicated.
Maybe it stems back to being a passionate person. I'll be the first to admit it. I'm a passionate person. It doesn't take me long to become fully immersed and invested in something. Sometimes it's helpful, but most of the time I end up getting burned. You'd think I'd learn, but I don't. Passion has it's price, but I wouldn't want to live a life without it. When I run out of steam, it's Passion that pushes me.
Passion complicates things. I don't know of a better way to put it. I think it all stems back to my standard of never doing anything half-assed. Either you're in all the way, or you're out. There's no wishy-washyness allowed around here. It bites me in the ass. I guess that's OK. I guess.
Another thing I was really thinking about today was Timing. Sometimes timing is everything. Timing is what got me into grad studies. Timing is what got me 2 teaching positions. Timing is what pushed me into the awesome-career-building group that I'm immersed in every day. I think I owe a lot to Timing.
As much as I owe to Passion and Timing, sometimes I wish they could just take a backseat and let me try to live my life, or at least try not to let me get distracted. Right now, my life is just where I want it, minus one thing, and I'm sure if Timing and Passion wouldn't get in the way I'd be one step closer. Just one step. One little step.
Maybe this is the life that I'm meant to live. Me, Passion, Timing, Science.....and Chaos. Maybe, just maybe.
Am I satisfied with it? Not really. Can I change it? Not really. I think that's what frustrates me most.
(To think I got this deep at the office, between marking papers. I'd hate to see how deep I'd get with a little weed and some Zepplin. Good thing I don't roll that way. I have a hard time handling me right now, let alone if I'd swing there.)
Maybe it stems back to being a passionate person. I'll be the first to admit it. I'm a passionate person. It doesn't take me long to become fully immersed and invested in something. Sometimes it's helpful, but most of the time I end up getting burned. You'd think I'd learn, but I don't. Passion has it's price, but I wouldn't want to live a life without it. When I run out of steam, it's Passion that pushes me.
Passion complicates things. I don't know of a better way to put it. I think it all stems back to my standard of never doing anything half-assed. Either you're in all the way, or you're out. There's no wishy-washyness allowed around here. It bites me in the ass. I guess that's OK. I guess.
Another thing I was really thinking about today was Timing. Sometimes timing is everything. Timing is what got me into grad studies. Timing is what got me 2 teaching positions. Timing is what pushed me into the awesome-career-building group that I'm immersed in every day. I think I owe a lot to Timing.
As much as I owe to Passion and Timing, sometimes I wish they could just take a backseat and let me try to live my life, or at least try not to let me get distracted. Right now, my life is just where I want it, minus one thing, and I'm sure if Timing and Passion wouldn't get in the way I'd be one step closer. Just one step. One little step.
Maybe this is the life that I'm meant to live. Me, Passion, Timing, Science.....and Chaos. Maybe, just maybe.
Am I satisfied with it? Not really. Can I change it? Not really. I think that's what frustrates me most.
(To think I got this deep at the office, between marking papers. I'd hate to see how deep I'd get with a little weed and some Zepplin. Good thing I don't roll that way. I have a hard time handling me right now, let alone if I'd swing there.)
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