Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Me Against the World
And I won! HA!
My day: Boring stuff, class, studying, blah blah, then comes time for pre-calc. We get the the exams that we took yesterday back today! I get a 72/100 which is curved to a B+. The median was 58/100. Yeah. What a great assessment of the class's skill. But wait! I check over the answers that were marked wrong on my test, find one that I think was incorrectly marked wrong, show my teacher, and I got it right. That gives me 3 more points, so now I get an A-! I was so afraid that I was going to fail this exam, and I got the best grade in the class.
Then I grab a bite from Panera and head over to the Aveda Institute to get my hair dyed dark brown again. My previous stylist graduated, so I had to try someone new this time, and boy was I sorely disappointed. The girl basically ripped my scalp apart with her nails, didn't rinse my hair properly, and the blow dried my hair while brushing it with her hand, tearing up my scalp even more! She was really nice though, and totally someone I'd be friends with, but just not my cup of tea when it comes to hair styling. I have really thin hair which is hard to work with, so perhaps she just didn't know how to handle it. The instructor that was checking her work was kind of an ass, too. Anyways, I left Aveda feeling not too great.
I hurry out to the bus stop thinking I'll be just in time for the bus, and its cold and raining outside so I'm glad that I won't have to wait long. I missed it. The next one wouldn't come for an hour. I go to the nearest campus building and try to get in. Locked. I go wait in the Michigan Union for awhile, and then a half hour later I go out, just to make sure that there wasn't a bus coming. And sure enough, there was one just reaching the nearest bus stop! I ran and caught up with it, helped along by a girl who was crossing the street in front of the bus so it couldn't leave yet, and made it to the doors. The bus driver opened the doors and told me the bus wasn't in service. Capital F. What luck! So I was like, eff you, you conniving little bus, I'm walking home. So I walked home. 2 miles, in the cold rain, without an umbrella, wearing ballet flats. As I reached my door and turned the key in the lock, I saw the bus pull up at the stop right in front of my subdivision. But I still beat it home, so eff you bus, I don't need you!
Then I got in the house and my wonderful boyfriend gave me a huuug and a kees, got my wet clothes off me, threw me in a hot shower, then rubbed me all dry and fluffy, put some warm clothes on me, made some hot tea and crumpets, plopped a kitty in my lap, and then settled me down on the couch to relax. Or at least that's what he said he would've done had he been home, but he's up-north for the week. The words were almost as good, though. :)
Now to write a research paper.
My day: Boring stuff, class, studying, blah blah, then comes time for pre-calc. We get the the exams that we took yesterday back today! I get a 72/100 which is curved to a B+. The median was 58/100. Yeah. What a great assessment of the class's skill. But wait! I check over the answers that were marked wrong on my test, find one that I think was incorrectly marked wrong, show my teacher, and I got it right. That gives me 3 more points, so now I get an A-! I was so afraid that I was going to fail this exam, and I got the best grade in the class.
Then I grab a bite from Panera and head over to the Aveda Institute to get my hair dyed dark brown again. My previous stylist graduated, so I had to try someone new this time, and boy was I sorely disappointed. The girl basically ripped my scalp apart with her nails, didn't rinse my hair properly, and the blow dried my hair while brushing it with her hand, tearing up my scalp even more! She was really nice though, and totally someone I'd be friends with, but just not my cup of tea when it comes to hair styling. I have really thin hair which is hard to work with, so perhaps she just didn't know how to handle it. The instructor that was checking her work was kind of an ass, too. Anyways, I left Aveda feeling not too great.
I hurry out to the bus stop thinking I'll be just in time for the bus, and its cold and raining outside so I'm glad that I won't have to wait long. I missed it. The next one wouldn't come for an hour. I go to the nearest campus building and try to get in. Locked. I go wait in the Michigan Union for awhile, and then a half hour later I go out, just to make sure that there wasn't a bus coming. And sure enough, there was one just reaching the nearest bus stop! I ran and caught up with it, helped along by a girl who was crossing the street in front of the bus so it couldn't leave yet, and made it to the doors. The bus driver opened the doors and told me the bus wasn't in service. Capital F. What luck! So I was like, eff you, you conniving little bus, I'm walking home. So I walked home. 2 miles, in the cold rain, without an umbrella, wearing ballet flats. As I reached my door and turned the key in the lock, I saw the bus pull up at the stop right in front of my subdivision. But I still beat it home, so eff you bus, I don't need you!
Then I got in the house and my wonderful boyfriend gave me a huuug and a kees, got my wet clothes off me, threw me in a hot shower, then rubbed me all dry and fluffy, put some warm clothes on me, made some hot tea and crumpets, plopped a kitty in my lap, and then settled me down on the couch to relax. Or at least that's what he said he would've done had he been home, but he's up-north for the week. The words were almost as good, though. :)
Now to write a research paper.
Monday, November 15, 2010
The Week From Hell
This week: midterm pre-calc exam, research paper rough draft, history of modern India midterm due. When? Well the pre-calc exam was today, and it's already over with,thankfully, and I think I did fine. But the other two assignments are BOTH due tomorrow. The India midterm is an essay, almost half finished right now. The other paper....well, I haven't even finished doing the research let alone have anything written. Not to mention the myriad personal issues that keep coming up...ugh.
The good news: My professor for Epistemology (theory of knowledge) said that I can turn my research draft in a day late if I must, PLUS she gave me a lot of advice and help on writing my paper today, so thank you Professor Aarnio!
I've also applied for graduation, ordered copies of my transcripts, and started apps to 4 graduate schools in the UK: University of Liverpool, Newcastle University, University of Sheffield, and King's College London.
I'm thinking of going into journalism, which is something I wanted to do a couple of years ago, and then I found out UM doesn't have a journalism program. So it's off to graduate school to get a Masters in journalism instead! Hooray for life changes! Plus I'll get to go to England, which has been my dream for years.
The good news: My professor for Epistemology (theory of knowledge) said that I can turn my research draft in a day late if I must, PLUS she gave me a lot of advice and help on writing my paper today, so thank you Professor Aarnio!
I've also applied for graduation, ordered copies of my transcripts, and started apps to 4 graduate schools in the UK: University of Liverpool, Newcastle University, University of Sheffield, and King's College London.
I'm thinking of going into journalism, which is something I wanted to do a couple of years ago, and then I found out UM doesn't have a journalism program. So it's off to graduate school to get a Masters in journalism instead! Hooray for life changes! Plus I'll get to go to England, which has been my dream for years.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Get Your Priorities Straight: A Response to Mort Zuckerman and Anyone Who Agrees With Him
This post is in response to this article from US News and World Report: http://politics.usnews.com/opinion/mzuckerman/articles/2010/11/05/mort-zuckerman-americas-love-affair-with-obama-is-over.html
Specifically in response to Zuckerman's question: "Why did Obama put his health plan so far ahead of the economy?"
Obama put healthcare above the economy because he believes lives to be of more worth than money. First of all, everyone knows it is not Obama's fault that our economy is in shambles. He inherited this problem, and it is certainly not an easy fix, if it can be fixed at all. We might need to accept that perhaps our economy is never going to recover, and there is nothing that can be done about it because the entire world's economy is changing, and when the world is changing how could our little piece of it stay the same?
Let's say Obama did start working on our economy straight away, and forgot about his healthcare plan. He might gradually be able to make things better. Keyword: MIGHT. There is no certainty in anything having to do with our economy. Meanwhile, all the people who lost their jobs due to our floundering economy would no longer have the healthcare provided by their employers, plus they would lose their source of income and would be unable to pay for a private healthcare plan. If these people were to become sick, sustain an injury, or need some kind of surgery they would be completely SOL. Perhaps some of them would die or become permanently altered because of the inability to receive medical treatment. Doesn't this seem terrible? Do you think that things like this were not happening, with hundreds of thousands losing their jobs each month? Or do you just not care?
Obama's healthcare plan comes to the aid of these thousands of people who are victims of our current economic situation. Next time you want to accuse him of disregarding our economy, think of this. He might not be making stocks go up, but he is making the crisis much easier to deal with for the people who are affected the most.
As an end note, many of the people who commented on Zuckerman's article also pointed out that Obama has far from ignored our economy. He saved the auto industry, for crying out loud! He saved American banks and financial institutions! Honestly, does everyone just forget everything he has done just because the media no longer focuses on it? Use your minds, think for yourself, don't believe everything you read just because it comes from some reputable news source.
And a worthwhile website: http://whatthefuckhasobamadonesofar.com/
Specifically in response to Zuckerman's question: "Why did Obama put his health plan so far ahead of the economy?"
Obama put healthcare above the economy because he believes lives to be of more worth than money. First of all, everyone knows it is not Obama's fault that our economy is in shambles. He inherited this problem, and it is certainly not an easy fix, if it can be fixed at all. We might need to accept that perhaps our economy is never going to recover, and there is nothing that can be done about it because the entire world's economy is changing, and when the world is changing how could our little piece of it stay the same?
Let's say Obama did start working on our economy straight away, and forgot about his healthcare plan. He might gradually be able to make things better. Keyword: MIGHT. There is no certainty in anything having to do with our economy. Meanwhile, all the people who lost their jobs due to our floundering economy would no longer have the healthcare provided by their employers, plus they would lose their source of income and would be unable to pay for a private healthcare plan. If these people were to become sick, sustain an injury, or need some kind of surgery they would be completely SOL. Perhaps some of them would die or become permanently altered because of the inability to receive medical treatment. Doesn't this seem terrible? Do you think that things like this were not happening, with hundreds of thousands losing their jobs each month? Or do you just not care?
Obama's healthcare plan comes to the aid of these thousands of people who are victims of our current economic situation. Next time you want to accuse him of disregarding our economy, think of this. He might not be making stocks go up, but he is making the crisis much easier to deal with for the people who are affected the most.
As an end note, many of the people who commented on Zuckerman's article also pointed out that Obama has far from ignored our economy. He saved the auto industry, for crying out loud! He saved American banks and financial institutions! Honestly, does everyone just forget everything he has done just because the media no longer focuses on it? Use your minds, think for yourself, don't believe everything you read just because it comes from some reputable news source.
And a worthwhile website: http://whatthefuckhasobamadonesofar.com/
Thursday, October 28, 2010
To Maura Kelly's dissenters about her recent "Fatty" post:
I disagree (but not totally) with many you for a multitude reasons. I'm sick of everyone having to be politically correct, tiptoeing around, trying not to hurt anyone's feelings! Maura, like all of us, is human and she told everyone how she honestly feels about a certain situation. If people disagree with what she's said, they need to give her a counterargument to make her realize how she is wrong instead of just whining about hurt feelings or tossing insults back at her. The real bullies are the people who are telling her things like "you are a terrible person" and "you are just like those bullies who made those gay people commit suicide" or "your face looks like a dog." I think there is a lot of ignorance in her post, but everyone is ignorant about many things and what can always help is the sharing of information. Throwing insults around doesn't help anything, especially when it is obvious that the perpetrator (Maura) did not have such vindictive intentions.
I think that the show "Mike & Molly" is just another dumb sitcom and a total gimmick. Why do we need shows starring specifically fat people? Why can't we NOT put ANY emphasis on weight by having shows with people of ALL SIZES in them and not spotlighting one or the other? There are so many factors that go into a person being fat: genetics, environment, or monetary issues and it is PERFECTLY OKAY as long as a person isn't harming herself, and you cannot tell a person that their fatness is their fault under these circumstances. This is the problem that scholars today are trying to make mainstream (see "Fat Rights" by Anna Kirkland). Being obese is not bad in itself; it depends on the circumstances.
Obesity rates are highest, I believe, among minorities. This is due largely in part to demographics. Many minorities live in poor communities, and eating healthy comes at price, literally. Highly processed, unhealthy foods are the cheapest, and if a provider doesn't want his or her family to go hungry, the cheapest might be the only option. These communities might also not allow for their inhabitants to get any regular exercise--many are unsafe for adults or children to spend much time outdoors, or the communities do not have many recreational centers or amenities, like playgrounds, parks, or sidewalks.
Genetics is also a huge factor in the obesity issue. Can we blame someone for what their genes proscribe? When we see an ugly person do we go "Oh my god, how ugly, I can't believe she let herself get that ugly!" No! That would be terrible! And so it should be for fatness (genetic fatness, that is). People have a natural weight that, if left alone, they will fluctuate around for their entire lifetimes. Some are more prone to gaining weight easily, and some are not. What matters is that one is eating healthy. Don't starve yourself and don't be a glutton. Like Aristotle teaches, let's find the mean between starvation and gluttony and try to follow it.
These issues in the world of fatness, however, do not seem to be the ones that are being portrayed in "Mike and Molly." They are two middle-class white people. They are not poor, they are not cut off from getting any exercise due to their environments, they simply are overeaters. Overeating is unhealthy, no matter if you are fat or skinny, but whatever, do what makes you happy. But, giving fat people a voice in the media and showing them that it is okay to be just the way they are is a good and refreshing message. BUT, I do not think of this sitcom is very helpful to changing the country's view of fat people. Instead of showing people that fatness is not a choice in a lot of cases, this show stars people who are fat because they eat too much. I wouldn't be surprised if this show was funded by the industries that make the most money off of overeating. "Overeaters anonymous"? Please. As a wise character in a movie once said: "What's the answer to 99 out of 100 problems? Money." (Vanilla Sky)
So, Maura does have a point about "Mike and Molly" being stupid show, but it is NOT gross, and her comments about it in that regard were extremely insensitive, yet there is not one ounce of hate in that article. I admire her candor and her humanness and her bravery in posting something that is controversial and not politically correct. She could have worded things differently, but then, would we still be getting a truthful account of her feelings? Would we rather have someone tell us only what we want to hear, what is not hurtful, or have them tell us the truth? (By truth I mean the truth about her own feelings, not the truth about reality.) The only thing a person can do when someone says something hurtful or disagreeable is find out what they know, and if they are ignorant, inform them, and then let them make a decision. Maybe they will change their minds.
I think that the show "Mike & Molly" is just another dumb sitcom and a total gimmick. Why do we need shows starring specifically fat people? Why can't we NOT put ANY emphasis on weight by having shows with people of ALL SIZES in them and not spotlighting one or the other? There are so many factors that go into a person being fat: genetics, environment, or monetary issues and it is PERFECTLY OKAY as long as a person isn't harming herself, and you cannot tell a person that their fatness is their fault under these circumstances. This is the problem that scholars today are trying to make mainstream (see "Fat Rights" by Anna Kirkland). Being obese is not bad in itself; it depends on the circumstances.
Obesity rates are highest, I believe, among minorities. This is due largely in part to demographics. Many minorities live in poor communities, and eating healthy comes at price, literally. Highly processed, unhealthy foods are the cheapest, and if a provider doesn't want his or her family to go hungry, the cheapest might be the only option. These communities might also not allow for their inhabitants to get any regular exercise--many are unsafe for adults or children to spend much time outdoors, or the communities do not have many recreational centers or amenities, like playgrounds, parks, or sidewalks.
Genetics is also a huge factor in the obesity issue. Can we blame someone for what their genes proscribe? When we see an ugly person do we go "Oh my god, how ugly, I can't believe she let herself get that ugly!" No! That would be terrible! And so it should be for fatness (genetic fatness, that is). People have a natural weight that, if left alone, they will fluctuate around for their entire lifetimes. Some are more prone to gaining weight easily, and some are not. What matters is that one is eating healthy. Don't starve yourself and don't be a glutton. Like Aristotle teaches, let's find the mean between starvation and gluttony and try to follow it.
These issues in the world of fatness, however, do not seem to be the ones that are being portrayed in "Mike and Molly." They are two middle-class white people. They are not poor, they are not cut off from getting any exercise due to their environments, they simply are overeaters. Overeating is unhealthy, no matter if you are fat or skinny, but whatever, do what makes you happy. But, giving fat people a voice in the media and showing them that it is okay to be just the way they are is a good and refreshing message. BUT, I do not think of this sitcom is very helpful to changing the country's view of fat people. Instead of showing people that fatness is not a choice in a lot of cases, this show stars people who are fat because they eat too much. I wouldn't be surprised if this show was funded by the industries that make the most money off of overeating. "Overeaters anonymous"? Please. As a wise character in a movie once said: "What's the answer to 99 out of 100 problems? Money." (Vanilla Sky)
So, Maura does have a point about "Mike and Molly" being stupid show, but it is NOT gross, and her comments about it in that regard were extremely insensitive, yet there is not one ounce of hate in that article. I admire her candor and her humanness and her bravery in posting something that is controversial and not politically correct. She could have worded things differently, but then, would we still be getting a truthful account of her feelings? Would we rather have someone tell us only what we want to hear, what is not hurtful, or have them tell us the truth? (By truth I mean the truth about her own feelings, not the truth about reality.) The only thing a person can do when someone says something hurtful or disagreeable is find out what they know, and if they are ignorant, inform them, and then let them make a decision. Maybe they will change their minds.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)