Thursday, November 29, 2007

Neighbours

I am a very privileged person. I have some great neighbours. One of them called me and asked whether or not I would like some soup that they made. Of course, I answered in the affirmative. A few minutes later, he came over with two containers of great home made soup. I would like to acknowledge the help that my neighbours have given me over the last several weeks. They have been very understanding and supportive. Thank you.

Privacy

The builders have left and I have my privacy back. Now I just have to clean the house which is dust from top to bottom. They cleaned up the area that they worked in, but the furnace spread dust all over the house. I'm glad that we got them in to do their work and I really like the new floor and paint job upstairs. The basement no longer looks like a basement. It is nicely finished and painted. I'll start moving some things down there in a couple of weeks. It will be a slow process, but there is no rush. I usually celebrate occasions with some music and this one calls for just the right music but I have no idea what I want to listen to tonight.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Friends

I told another friend about my problem and was, only mildly, surprised to hear that person tell me about a similar experience. I've talked to four friends and all of them have experienced something similar to what I've gone through. Maybe my problem is not as unusual as I think that it is. I just don't know.

It seems that there may be a resolution to it in the works. Things are tentative and will not be resolved soon, but there is movement in that direction.

I find talking about the event to be very tiring. I usually feel wrung out and drained afterwards, but I feel better for having shared my experiences with other people. It also helps to explain some of my behaviour over the last couple of months. Quite a few of my friends and classmates know that something happened and have been wondering what it was. They have all been very supportive. Some of them were willing to help in any way that they could, without even knowing what happened. It is nice to know that there are many good people out there. I am lucky enough to have several of them as friends.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Winter Weather

Forget about global warming, winter is here. The snow is falling and it is going to get cold tonight. I think that I've found a use for my down filled jacket. I used to wear it when I went out for walks at -30 and colder. It always kept me very warm. I am going to wear it to school. When I am standing around outside in the cold waiting for buses I can get very chilly. Not that I have to wait very long; at worst it is about fifteen minutes, when I just miss the bus to my neighbourhood on my way home. Still, that is a long time to stand outside on a cold winter day.

From my perspective, the best thing about taking the bus to the university, in the wintertime, is not having to clear the snow and ice off my car and then, driving in a cold vehicle half way to my destination. The buses are always nice and warm.

Valley Speak

One feature of Valley Speak is the use of high rising terminals. That is what makes it sound as if everything is a question? (I did that one on purpose) The voice goes up at the end of a statement, just as if it were a question. The use of HRTs is quite widespread and has been creeping into written English as well as being used in spoken English.

I noticed that one of my posts is written using an HRT. I could not believe my eyes when I saw it, but there it is in the last line of Wild Weather.

Monday, November 26, 2007

Sitting In The Dark

The power went off this afternoon while a few of us were waiting for stats class to begin. We sat in the light of the emergency system for a few minutes and discussed our options. One our class mates said that we could all go to their flat and, either study or party. We decide that the party was our preferred option, but before we could plan our escape, the lights came back on. Another great plan foiled. The whole episode put us in a jovial mood that lasted through the hour. It doesn't take much to get a bunch of stats students excited. We need to get out more.

Friday, November 23, 2007

A Little Bit Of Everything

It is Friday evening and there is just over a week of classes before we break for exams and Christmas. I get all of my exams over with in one week. I have four days to study after classes end before I write my first one. I write the hardest one first; I like that.

Our late Friday afternoon stats class is getting quite restless by the end of the hour. Our prof has a hard time with us. We just want to get out of there and go home for the weekend.

I got lucky this afternoon; there was a bus coming as I crossed the street to the bus stop. It was one of the extra buses, so it left right away. I had driven my car and parked it close to the campus this afternoon, so I got home in record time for a Friday evening.

I've been finding it easier to spend longer spans of time at homework or studying; just in time for exams. I spent an hour and a half at stats, took a half hour break and went back for another half hour of studying before class. I am quite happy to be able to do that. I've had such a hard time concentrating on anything for any length of time. I am beginning to feel much better; just a bit short of breath because of my lung infection. Oh well, as long as my brain is in gear, I won't complain.

The builders are coming along quite well. No significant problems, so far. It will be great to get them out of here. I like my privacy and the house is a mess; plaster dust on everything. It s cold enough that the furnace is running a lot and it spreads the dust throughout the house.

I told my classmate with the health problems (we are getting to be friends, I think) about my idea for a reverse Pandora's box. (See the comment that I left) She wants one. I do too. Maybe we can share one.

I wish that I had no scruples. I heard lots of nice, juicy stuff yesterday but, because I respect the privacy of others, I cannot write about it. @^^@%&%*&#@#!(&(!!! Among other things, suffice it to say that one of our classes, next term, will have a self identified, very interesting violent offender. I think that he may just be trying to impress impressionable young women, but who knows. He just might be for real. His reputation precedes him.

I have to start thinking about something to eat. I've been goofing off since I got home. I've had too many pizzas and need a healthy meal. I bought some veggies and fruit this afternoon and have some cooked rice in the fridge. A stir fry sounds good to me.

I am listening to Norah Jones and Diana Krall as I write this post. I like their singing. Norah Jones is accompanied by the Peter Malick Group. There is a nice contrast between Norah Jones and Diana Krall. I find Norah Jones to be energetic and Diana Krall to be very mellow. The computer is playing their music randomly, so there is a nice mix of mellow and energetic music.

My partner is doing well. We have been talking a lot on the phone and she is feeling a lot better. It has been very good for her to spend time with her brother and sister-in-law. She will also be visiting her daughter for a couple of weeks, from the middle of December until the end of December.

I got her a something that she will appreciate for Christmas. A Mose Scarlett CD that we don't have. May be he will come out with another one before next Christmas. I hope so.

I will miss her this Christmas, but I think that it will be great to see my mum and the rest of the gang. I miss them too. It is always nice to see my grandchildren. I am looking forward to spending time with them. A week is not long, but it is long enough to be able to spend a fair bit of time with them.

I've told my profs about my problem; they have been very supportive and understanding. I have slipped a bit over the last three weeks, or so, but I have time to get it together before I write my exams. I am taking two half courses and will have to concentrate on them to make sure that my final mark is decent.

My friend, who entered the poetry contest with me, came up with some music to go with one of my poems. It sounded quite nice. I asked about the tune and she told me that she had just made it up on the spot. I really envy people with that ability.

My medication was interfering with my memory and I found it very disconcerting. I could not recall information very well. I was quite upset about it. Thank goodness that the effect was temporary.

I have never understood why I can remember stuff that I've read in texts, or heard in class, but I can forget to get a roll of paper towel two times after going upstairs to get one. I get distracted and do something else and come back downstairs without the roll of paper towel that I went upstairs to get.

Yeah! I finally remembered the paper towel and some Kleenex for the kitchen.

I've been writing this post for about 35 minutes. I hope that, those of you, who are suffering from post withdrawal, get your fix tonight, because I think that I have said it all. You know who you are.

If I were smart, I would have turned this into three posts. I'm not that smart, I guess. Judge for yourself.

Okay, that is quite enough for one post. Goodnight all.

Rob

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

All Dressed Up And Nowhere To Go

My friend and I enjoyed our evening of poetry. We had great seats near the front and another friend joined us for a while. She has to get up at 5:15 tomorrow morning so she left early. The two of us sat there until the last poet was announced. Neither of us was called. We both entered online, so we are wondering if there was some problem with their online system. We were disappointed but there was nothing we could do about the situation. We will definitely complain about being left out. Next time. I will use the old fashioned paper entry form.

Important Discovery

While travelling along a route frequented by many of the students on their daily movement to and from their gathering place, I discovered a possible adaptive change in the behaviour of some of them. Several of the students, who did not have umbrellas, had gathered underneath the overhang of a building to shelter themselves from the rain. It seemed to be quite effective.

I also discovered an ingenious, two hooded jacket system that was being used by one of the more creative students. She used the inner hood to shelter herself from the elements and used the outer hood to catch the rain for later use. I am sure that she had gathered enough rainwater to meet her needs for the rest of the afternoon.

It is said that some students are adept and quick to learn. Perhaps, this behaviour will spread. In that case, I would expect their survival rate to increase.

Upon our arrival at the main gathering spot, we were greeted by several chanting students who gave each of the refugees, from the storm, free hugs. I had to hug three of the group before they would let me continue. I am not sure what they meant by free hugs. I've never had to pay for hugs before, but maybe that is the custom here.

I ventured throughout the student gathering places this afternoon and have learned many things but I must end my report here. It is time to go and take part in a group ritual. It involves getting up in front of a group of students and presenting one or more poems for their enjoyment. I don't know what happens to the presenters who do not satisfy the crowd, so I am a bit apprehensive.

Wild Weather

It's November 21 and pouring rain. Global warming at work again, I guess. The buses were packed this morning and could not pick up everybody at the stops. There were more people getting on than were getting off until we got to the first main campus stop.

I came home to do some work and get ready for the poetry contest tonight. I might even get dressed up a bit. Make an impression, maybe, in case my poetry doesn't. I've had two people look at it and they both liked it but they are prejudiced. I trust their opinions though.

While I was waiting for a bus, I watched the other people there. Several of us had umbrellas and most of the others had jackets with hoods, so they were somewhat protected from the elements. I began to wonder what the protocol was for sharing umbrellas with other people that one does not know. How bad does the rain have to get? I find myself preoccupied by these sorts of very important questions from time to time and I need some answers so that I'll do the right thing the next time. Is there anybody out there who knows the correct umbrella sharing protocol? Or, is it another survival of the fittest test? The ones who forget their umbrellas die out and don't reproduce?

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Striking a Balance

I find that the life of a student is a hectic one. It is almost like being isolated from the world in some ways. It is like being on a carousel of lectures, reading, studying, assignments and tests. You finish one ride and get right back on for another one. Don't get me wrong; I signed up for this. I just had forgotten how myopic and hectic the life of a student can be. It is easy to get caught up in the struggle for grades and success. I am trying to strike a balance between doing well and having a life. Just how to do that is the problem. I know that all of us face this struggle no matter what we are engaged in. One way that I keep some sanity is by meeting regularly with a group of older students. We share our stories, have a few laughs and forget about the carousel for a while.

Monday, November 19, 2007

A Poem About Losing Things

The author of this poem was inspired by my blog about losing things. The author has given me permission to post this untitled work.

Where did I put it?
Where did it go?
Did I leave it behind?
Did I leave it at home?

Is it at my seat
In that lecture hall?
Did somebody steal it?
Imagine the gall!

I am sure that I grabbed it
When I hurried out
I remember it clearly
Without a doubt…

But wait...I don’t know…
Did it ditch me in Stats?
Did it jump out of my bag?
My memory...oh drats!

My belongings seem to
Have a mind of their own
They look at my pack
And they seem to groan

“I’m not going in there…
If I may be so blunt -
It’s so dark and cramped
Even at the front”

“I’ll just wait right here,
This is such a fun game
The scavenger hunt
That drives people insane

Where did I put it
Where should I look
The classroom, the office
Where is that damned book?

A Good Day

Today was a good day, not a great day, but a good day. I am happy with good days. I managed to work on an assignment this morning for about 90 minutes without taking a break or being distracted. It has been a long time since I have been able to do that.

I saw my counsellor this morning after working on my assignment. We had a very good session in which I began to understand just why I get so angry for so long.

I took a break after that and had a hot chocolate. I managed to get very relaxed, which is what I needed. I even worked for another hour on some homework that isn't even due until Thursday. I almost finished it which is even better.

While I had a good weekend and a good Monday, my classmate with the health problems did not. She ran into an animal which caused a lot of damage to her car. She was not injured, just upset at the death of the animal and the damage to her car.

The mood of my last class of the day was a bit different today. It is a half course which will end in just two weeks, and a bit. Anyone who was out in the hall may have thought there was a party going on instead of a class. We were doing some group work and were talking to each other as we solved our problems. It was very relaxed and enjoyable. There was some friendly banter and a few laughs. I don't think that our prof had planned it that way, but the situation was very conducive to learning. All in all, a very good day.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Quick Update

I have been very busy over the past few days and will be this weekend. We are getting someone in to do some work in our house and I had to clear out the basement for them to work down there. I also have to finish tiling the bathroom and do other preparatory work that I said that I would do before they begin. They are starting the job on Monday morning, so I have to get to it.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Losing Ground

I find that I am starting to call female students 'girls'. I have been opposed to referring to adult females as girls for decades. It started in the 1960s when women began to protest the way they were treated. I have been adamant about referring to female adults as women. Many women call each other girl and I cannot remember hearing anybody refer to another student as a woman. I have had several conversations on the topic with other students and they appreciate why I refer to adult females as women. Nevertheless, it is difficult to maintain my linguistic practice in isolation. so, if 'girl' slips into my blog from time to time, you will know what is going on. My beliefs have not changed, just my language. But, that leads us to the theory that language shapes our actions. And I just might end up calling a vigilant feminist a girl. I'll be right back to square one.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Writing

Necessity is the mother of invention, or in my case the inspiration for writing. Or maybe I was just in a writing mood. I wrote three posts yesterday and then went on to write three poems. Two of them are good. I may enter one or both of those in the poetry contest. The third poem was inspired by a comment someone made about a post of mine. I turned Lost and Found into a poem. It is okay, but it needs some work. All of the poems that I wrote last night were more than four lines. One is eight lines only because the first line, and every second line after that, is only one or two words. I did that for effect. I wanted the poem to be hesitant and uncertain because it is about not knowing. I am quite happy with the second one which is about the fall and losses and new beginnings. I would post them here but that would reduce the field of potential publishers. I do intend to submit the first two and some others as soon as I am sure that they are right.

These are only the second, third and fourth poems that I have composed at the computer. It turned out to be easier than it has been for me in the past. I will definitely do more of my poetry writing on the computer.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Driven To Distraction

I have decided to write about what I have been going through. In particular, I will write about how I have been affected and leave out the details of the event itself.

Just one week after I returned to university, a life altering event occurred. The most immediate effect was a demand on my time and energy that could only be met by spending almost all of my waking hours on dealing with the aftermath of that event.

I ended up dropping one course and taking an elementary French course instead of the intermediate French course that I had been placed in. I was probably improperly placed in that French class to start with, but I did not protest because I knew that I could do the work. Between these two changes, I reduced my work load by at least 25%.

I went to see a counsellor within a few days and I am still in counselling. It is helping, but I have a long way to go yet. I ended up being very angry and depressed. Apparently it is quite normal for someone in my situation to get depressed. I was prepared for that, but I did not count on my being so angry. Usually I get angry and express it and get over it within a few hours at most. I have been angry for days at a time and I just don't know how to deal with it. Under normal circumstances I would engage in vigorous exercise and meditate. I injured myself this summer and that rules out vigorous exercise. I do meditate but I have great difficulty doing it for very long at all. My blood pressure, which was in the high normal range, has shot up to dangerously high levels. I am taking medication for that and for the depression. Those medications are not fine tuned yet and I still have problems with some of the effects. I am more distracted than usual. That is why I left my books behind today.

I am blessed with having a very understanding family.
They have helped me by being there whenever I needed to call them to talk. And talk, I did. It kept me going. Thank you.

Men aren't supposed to get depressed. We are supposed to tough it out and just keep on going. I am not unrealistic enough to really believe that, but it is an expectation that people have of men. Sometimes I feel like I should just be tough and repress my feelings and get on with life.

There have been some good things come out of this and there will be more. I know that, but it is the here and now that I am living in and it is tough. Generally, I am a happy person and I know that I will get back to being myself someday, maybe not soon, but someday.

Strange Google Rankings

I've noticed some odd rankings of my blog on Google, but this one is one of the weirder ones. dark glass for car. Somebody in England found my blog with that search. Actually I've had quite a few people find their way to my blog with similar searches, but my blog has never been ranked third on these kinds of searches before today.

Poetry Contest

I went and entered a poetry contest and only have a few days to come up with (write) something that I want to present in front of a live audience. I have performed in front of quite a few people in the past, but it has been a while. I don't have a whole lot of new poetry, just three or four short ones that are okay but not outstanding. We have a three minute limit so I should have no problem staying under that since most of the poetry that I write is only four lines long. I thought of presenting two poems that are related to each other. I wrote a longer poem about 17 years ago and I wrote another that is related to the first one just a few weeks ago. I would prefer to present something current so I had better get started. Actually. I have several poems started. I just can't seem to finish any of them. I wonder how a presentation of bits and pieces would go over? I started a poem about the onset of dementia. Maybe I could piece it all together and demonstrate the process. Sometimes I feel like I am losing my mind.

Speaking of losing things, I had three classes today and I brought a text to two of the three classes. I left behind both texts. Luckily, I am surrounded by people who are more aware of their surroundings than I am and got one returned right away. The other is in the department office waiting for me to pick it up. On the bright side, I had made sure that I had my jacket and my backpack when I left those classrooms. I just have to remember to put my books into my backpack before I leave.

Monday, November 12, 2007

Stats to the Rescue

Some people really make a difference in others lives and they are probably not even aware that they have done so. I ran into one of my profs in the hall this morning, the same corner as in the previous post. This time the interaction was much better. We talked about how I was doing in my other courses and we touched on the events of the last couple of months. It was a positive experience. Later, just before class, I talked to the classmate with the health problems. She is still quite upset. She and her friend know that I have some personal problem which is causing me a lot of grief right now. We commiserated and talked about well-meaning people who say the strangest things to try and make you feel better. She made me chuckle when she said she was putting her knowledge of stats to good use. She has had several things go wrong this fall and she claimed that her recent troubles are a statistical anomaly and that it is highly probable that things will get better. I like her attitude.

Moody Monday

Enough alliteration yet?

Anyway, I am not the one who was moody this morning. I was walking through a very busy hallway in the student centre, one of the busier parts of campus and saw someone I know from a group of older students that I meet with about once a week. We started talking about our experiences at university. We were having an interesting and enthusiastic conversation that was acceptable for the location There was a young woman sitting at the same large table. She had her books out in front of her and had her laptop running. She was studying, or at least she was trying to, as she made very clear to us after about twenty minutes. The first indication that we got that we were bothering her was when she swore at us and said that she had a mid term in two hours and that we were rude and inconsiderate people. Both of us apologized, and I added that she could have said something sooner. She agreed that she could have, but by then she was angry and she left. We could have gone somewhere else to talk if we had known how much we were bothering her. Maybe she was unwilling to say anything until she lost her cool. Both of us are old enough to be her parents. If she doesn't do well on her midterm, she might have a few more choice words for us. I'll probably avoid that corner for a while.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Sunny Saturday

It's a lovely fall day here, too nice a day to have to write an exam on. Oh well, I was done in just over an hour so I did not have to be indoors away from natural light for very long. I saw a couple of students from my section and talked to one. It turns out that he and I have at least one thing in common. We are both renovating our older houses. I didn't see my classmate with the health problem, but I could have missed her in the crowd quite easily. Hope she is okay.

I ran a couple of errands on the way home and got here just after noon. I have the whole afternoon ahead of me and one small bathroom to tile. I may get the toilet back in as well. It just depends on how the tiling and trim installation goes. No school work today. I need a break anyway. At least that's my excuse for taking an afternoon off. I think that I'll treat myself to a couple of glasses of wine with supper tonight, play a little Mose Scarlett and veg out.

One of my friends is in the military and made the paper in a story about Remembrance Day. I was quite surprised to see her pictured in her uniform. She comes to school in civvies.

It made me feel guilty about not wearing my poppy today. I seem to have lost it in my travels. I can add that to my list of things that I have lost. I almost added another jacket as well, but I remembered it in time to go back and get it. I had my cellphone and calculator in the pocket, so I would have been able to add three items all at once.

It is a good thing that I have a good memory, or I would have no possessions left. I even managed to lose my runners once, but that's another story.

Friday, November 9, 2007

Funky Friday

I'm in a bit of a funk this evening, so take anything that I say with a grain or two, or maybe a bag, of salt.

Our stats prof posted a practise test for us on the class website. Today, she reviewed the questions that students identified as being problematic. Most of the solutions were straight forward and there were very few questions when she showed us how to get the solution. That is, except for one. We had to calculate the minimum sample size required to meet a given confidence level. We were dealing with discrete objects and there is no way to take a fraction of a sample but the majority of the class rounded the calculated answer down and were very surprised when our prof said that that answer was incorrect. Anyway, I am not the class genius and maybe I am being too hard on everybody.

There has been more fallout from the events of the last couple of months and that is colouring my writing tonight. Also, one of my stats classmates told a couple of us that she has a medical problem and that she has to go for a diagnostic test tonight. She has talked to our prof and has permission to write the exam later if she chooses. She was noticeably distressed.

It seems that each time I think that things are getting together, they start coming undone again. I have to write my stats test tomorrow and I have to get on with my work at university. I need to find some way of keeping my personal life out of my school life. Writing this post is helping, I just cannot say too much, because there is the privacy of others to consider.

I seem to be drawn to people that have gone through hard times. I don't actively seek them out, but I have only told three students about what happened this fall and all three of them have had experiences that are very similar to mine. Maybe it is just chance. I have no idea what the probability is and I am not going to try to calculate it.

One of the student student survival foods is on the menu tonight. Pizza. It's quick and easy. So it's pizza, and maybe some Diana Krall to mellow things out.

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Stereotypes

Despite all of the negative connotations of stereotypes, they are useful to us. We sort people that we meet into categories based on past experience and, then interact with them as a member of a class. We do not have to determine how to interact with strangers that we meet on a case by case basis. Having said all of that and, also, saying that I am very open minded and non judgemental, I do sort people that I meet according to stereotypes, at least, in a minimal way. After all, it is a useful strategy, except when it does not work.

There is one class that I take that has a very high proportion of younger students. One of the female students, who is still in her teens, acts just like the stereotypical teenage girl. She does not volunteer answers to questions, she acts a bit juvenile around the guys and otherwise made me think of her as just another flighty teenager.

So, who did I run into the other day when I sought out a quiet corner to study stats. You guessed it. The flighty teenager was there studying for her upcoming math test. She started talking to me and we ended up talking for almost an hour about school, life and future plans. The flighty teenager became a serious young woman who had a good idea of what she wants out of school and out of life. She just hides it rather well most of the time.

I started thinking about all of the other people that I may have met over the years that got slotted into some category or other and reduced to a stereotypical caricature of who they really were. There were, most likely, many. I wonder how many opportunities we all miss from day to day when we don't give people the chance that they deserve.

Coincidentally, we are studying gendered behaviour in one of my other courses. Today, we were discussing the double bind that females are in. If they talk in a stereotypical female way, they are dismissed as not being serious, but when they talk more like males, they are dismissed as being aggressive and too masculine.

So, am I ever going to categorize people according to stereotypes again? Yes, I will. It is just being unrealistic of me to say that I won't. Will I think of my recent experience when I do so? I will and, perhaps, that will make all the difference.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

A Dark and Stormy Night

It turns out that my time spent "studying" optical illusions may have been productive after all. Our psych lecture, today, was about vision and perception. Our prof was quite emphatic that checking out the optical illusions website was a very worthwhile activity. He said it about three times, so maybe I should do some more "studying", just to be sure that I really understand optical illusions. When he emphasizes something like that it means we are going to be tested on the concept.

My new printer, an HP F4180, is up and running. No real difficulty getting it going on my Linux (Debian Etch) desktop, although the automated script ran into a problem and would not download some files. I did that manually and then everything went as it was meant to. One feature that I love is that the printer photocopies directly, without using the computer. It does it quickly and does it quite well. I haven't had time to scan anything yet, but that is not a really important feature for me, although it is nice to have on occasion.

My favourite librarian was off sick all summer. she is back at work now, sporting a new, very short, hairdo. It was great to see her back.

It will be a dark and stormy night tonight, a good evening to batten the hatches and curl up with a good book and... oh, I mean stats text and practise doing the kind of problems that we will be tested on this Saturday.

Monday, November 5, 2007

French Results

I got the results of my French mid term. An A+, so I am happy. I had expected a good mark, just not quite as high as I got.

I am swamped with an assignment and studying for a stats test this Saturday and my printer just died. I've been busy researching printers that will work with my Linux desktop without too much fuss. I think that I've found an HP printer, scanner and fax combo that works well, out of the box. I'll pick it up later today. I need to print my assignment which is due tomorrow. I'm not finished it yet, but I have transcribed the dialogue, which is the hardest part, now I just need to analyze the conversation and write up a report.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Random Stuff

I posted a link to a neat website, Optical Illusions and Visual Phenomena.
Do not go there unless you have some time to spare. I found it fascinating, and irresistible. I occupied myself, in between kids at the door, last night, with the illusions on that website. It is related to what we are studying in psych, right now, so I justified the time spent as studying. I hope that there are lots of questions about optical illusions on the next exam. How about a couple, at least, so that I get something out of the two hours I invested in "studying" optical illusions.

On a more serious note, I got a solid A in the mid term that I wrote last Thursday. I don't know how well I placed compared to others students, but I am fairly sure that I did relatively well.

We got the topics for our psych project today. It is worth 10% of our final mark, so it is worthwhile doing a decent job of it.

In class today, during a discussion about compliments and who gives them to whom, a young woman said that it made her feel creepy when she got compliments from old men. I've never talked to her, but it felt a bit weird. I don't think of myself as an old man, but I am sure that she would.

Our prof got mixed up about the time today and handed out our quizzes early. We usually leave after we are done our quizzes, so he had a minor rebellion on his hands. We had gotten our signal that the class was over for the day and there was no going back. We were like little kids given the promise of free time. We had a short discussion about the value of time spent in class compared to the degree that we expected to get. Most students valued the degree more than they valued the education. We left early.