I took a little break (Past Three Weeks), but now I’m getting back into the swing of things. Finished my first week of the Spring Semester, which is shaping up to be quite an undertaking.
- Modern Physics-
We’re gearing up to pick back up where we started. Seems like things should be more applied though, which suits me more than the crazy theoretical stuff. - Mathematical Physics-
By some miracle, I’ve seen everything on the first half of the syllabus for this class previously. That should help to offset the fact that we move at break-neck pace, and Taner “…likes to give hard tests.” ehhhh…. - Ordinary Differential Equations-
My mathematics professor from last semester’s husband is teaching my math course this semester. How odd. This stuff seems difficult, but it is probably my last hourah/foray into formal Mathematics, so I can’t help but be a little excited. - Intermediate German II-
Another final surge in a given discipline, this is my last German class. Thank god. I’ve progressed too far and learned too little… eventually they’re going to figure out that I don’t belong in there. Hopefully I can keep up the charade just a little longer. - General Chemistry II-
Speaking of “last time I will ever do this ever”, this is a similar case to the above. My last formal Chemistry course, and I don’t know quite enough to be in it. I have about a month’s worth of material to self-teach myself before I’ll be comfortably caught up with the class, by my estimate.Also I haven’t done Chemistry in seven months because I hate it.
I like the new teacher though… Dr. Baughman makes the occasional Star Wars Joke, which I to respect, regardless of how it’s executed.
So we were eating some meal a few days ago, and I noticed some ROTC kid in his camouflage (a word I still rely on the computer to spell correctly for me…), and I noticed something that had kinda been bothering me for a while. When I was growing up, camo looked like this. It’s all big and blotchy, and in non-military settings, tacky as hell. (SEE: Every third patron of the Kirksville Wal-Mart…)
This guy though… he looked like he fell through a PhotoShop hackjob. His camo was all pixelated. Which seemed odd to me. I know the Army was all about being super high-tech (Thanks, Don Rumsfeld), but digitizing the camo seemed a little excessive to me, if purely for the sake of. However, a little research revealed that this is not entirely the case.
There’s apparently actually some advantage of looking like a blown-up thumbnail image, so good for them.
I still think camo’s ugly, but if it gets them less shot, maybe that’s an acceptable trade-off.
[I would like you to note here my support of the troops, for future political purposes]
In other news, since coming back with my guitar, Ian and I have been working on some songs. We’re putting together a pretty rockin’ Radiohead cover set that spans nearly all of their albums. I’m really excited about it. If we do a good enough job, eventually at the end of the semester, we’re going to give recording it a shot.
After that, who knows? At this point, the premise of our musical endeavor [please note the lack of the use of the word “band”] is do this Radiohead thing. If that goes well, we might pick another artist, and pick our favorite stuff from their catalog, and cover it. I’m really excited for it to work, plus it’s got me playing guitar regularly for the first time since before I left for college, which is a skill I’m glad hasn’t deteriorated too terribly. Not that I rocked that hard before, but I do enjoy playing.
Tonight was the Nevada/South Carolina double-header of the Primary season, which was pretty anti-climactic. I turned the TV on at around 8:30, and everything had already happened. Go Hillary, because I think you’re awesome, and you won! Go Huckabee because you’re a hillarious tool who almost won! Go Rudy Guliani for phoning yet another crucial primary in!
But more on that later.
I’ve got a gigantic political segment brewing, chronicling my journey to Iowa Caucus earlier this year, up through the present when I post it. It’s been tumultuous and pretty fun to watch, and I’ve got plenty to comment/complain on, so get excited.
Sorry for the delay again.
Once I get that next entry out, we should be getting a good pace started for the new year.
Or at least I’ll try.
Becuase it’s worked so damn well the past six years I’ve tried to make that a New Years Resolution thing.
[For future reference: This year’s goals were to remove a certain curse word from my vocabulary permanently (it’s a bad one I hardly ever say, but feel terrible when I do, and it never gets the hilarious reaction I’m going for, so off with it!), and to floss more, as well as previously mentioned: blogging more.]
ALSO: If my grades are really awesome by mid-terms, I’m thinking of applying for a job that I could hold through the summer when I’ll be here for additional classes. In case you were wondering: THERE ARE NO TOWER CLEANERS IN KIRKSIVLLE.
…thank heavens…
tom, i finally appreciate how hard it is to keep up with blogging. kudos to you for doing it for six years. speaking of six years, something just occurred to me: we’ve been friends for more or less five and a half years. fuck. we’re getting old.
Gen. Chem II: WORST CLASS EVER!!…honestly, Organic Chemistry is easier than that class. Good luck, my friend.
And…on the camoflauge: I don’t remember the tactical reasons they changed the camo they used, but personally I think the BDU’s looked better (that’s the old camo). The up side of the ACU’s (new camo) is that they don’t have to be starched or ironed – you can wear them as is. That was done so that no one looked better, thus encouraging the uniformity of the military. The down side, however, is that everyone looks like CRAP in them – and they’re not so durable. And…they have a few design flaws. The BDUs had all buttons for the pockets, pants, jackets, and such, which was time-consuming and a pain in the butt, but the ACUs have zippers and velcro. Handy, but just imagine you’re laying in the field and need something from your pocket. Don’t even THINK about it – open that pocket and everyone will hear you and your cover is blown. so…that’s my story. My boyfriend was really excited to get his ACUs, until he wore them and the first time he set foot outside, he came back with a rip in his pants, and his boots had holes in them.
So, my vote is to combine the good qualities of both…
Emily-
I feel really, really old. I remember “When Clinton was president…” and that’s like… nearly a decade ago. Getting there anyway. I have the occasional freak-out over feeling not-twelve anymore… which is an issue becuase I suppose I still act like I’m twelve.
Becca-
Wow.
You know an AMAZING amount about camouflage. I suspect that has something to do with your enlisted man-friend, whom I have never met, but good for him. I hope that he is pleased with whatever combination of deployment/not-deployment he receives. Is he a marine?
If yes, are all marines like the marines in “The Rock”? I am interested to know.
Thanks so much for keeping up guys!
-Tom
haha!! Tom, you make me laugh!
And I really do only know anything about camoflauge because of my “man-friend,” but I regret to inform you he is certifiably in the Army, not the Marines. But now I’m curious as to what the Marines in “The Rock” are like…I might have to watch it.