Jibar's Random Banter #137: Return of the Cat-Muffin

[Dragonrider]

So. Tired.

Things to do this week:

-read chapters 1-6 of Augustine's Confessions.
-read 85 pages of The Medieval World View.
-read the letter from Pliny to Trajan, the Nicene Creed, and something titled "Ciceronian Dream'
-read the first two chapters of some writing book.
-begin a three-page paper.
-plan a 25-page research paper I will be writing over the course of the semester.
-find a journal article on which to write a 5-page paper.
-Spanish homework
-oh yeah - attend classes



I'm interested in all these things, but every week for the rest of the semester is going to look like this. I read an entire book on the French Revolution today.

[someonenonotyou]

I just had a weird thought why do we have eyebrows what do they do, besides help show expressions, really why do we have them?

[Dallas-Dakota]

We have them so that the sweat from our foreheads didn't/don't drip too much into our eyes.

[Recaiden]

I just had a weird thought why do we have eyebrows what do they do, besides help show expressions, really why do we have them?

Keep water and sweat out of the eyes, as well as the expressiveness. Either is a perfectly sufficient reason on its own.

[someonenonotyou]

We have them so that the sweat from our foreheads didn't/don't drip too much into our eyes.

oh right that...

[Zeb The Troll]

So. Tired.

Things to do this week:

-read chapters 1-6 of Augustine's Confessions.
-read 85 pages of The Medieval World View.
-read the letter from Pliny to Trajan, the Nicene Creed, and something titled "Ciceronian Dream'
-read the first two chapters of some writing book.
-begin a three-page paper.
-plan a 25-page research paper I will be writing over the course of the semester.
-find a journal article on which to write a 5-page paper.
-Spanish homework
-oh yeah - attend classes



I'm interested in all these things, but every week for the rest of the semester is going to look like this. I read an entire book on the French Revolution today.

And this is why I fear I'll never get any sort of graduate degree. I am NOT a fast reader. Any two of the first four things on your list would take me the whole week to do. And the doing would cause me to not have any time to do anything stress-relieving.

In Other News: I just got shafted at work. As most of you probably are aware, I work the midnight shift in a 24/7 support office. There are three of us on this shift. My schedule is M-F, roughly midnight to 8am. My two cohorts work Su-Th and Tu-Sa. This provides full time coverage every day of the year. Today I learned that our Tu-Sa guy is changing shifts. "But wait!" I say to anyone who'll listen, "Who's going to work Saturdays then?" The answer, I am now going to have to start working weekends. It's yet undetermined whether I'll pick up the Saturday morning shift, or if the Sunday guy will change and I'll get that one. Either way, it sucks and I'm NOT happy about it. Neither is Sunday guy because, in addition to there not being a M-F guy anymore, this means that instead of working every third holiday, we'll have to work every other holiday until such a time as a replacement is hired and trained up well enough to handle the desk by themselves.

[Coidzor]

So are you stuck away from Alarra on V-Day now?

Sorry to hear about that. I wish you luck in dealing with the secondary effects.

ION: My face turned into goosebumps after shaving off my beard in rage and frustration. @_@

[Zeb The Troll]

So are you stuck away from Alarra on V-Day now?

Sorry to hear about that. I wish you luck in dealing with the secondary effects.

ION: My face turned into goosebumps after shaving off my beard in rage and frustration. @_@

Well, it's not like I don't get to come home after my shift is over. It's just that now my weekends don't fall on the traditional weekend anymore, without our having any say in the matter. Extra fun is that now, with the reduced staffing, four days of the week there will only be one person scheduled to be in. That means planning for a vacation that includes a weekend will, invariably, mean that it will either be denied for lack of coverage or that the other person will have to cover the vacationing person's shift as well, possibly making for 8-10 days without a day off.

[Coidzor]

Oh yeah, I didn't even think of that. ...Something tells me that their hiring practices leave much to be desired upon realizing that and that they had a three-man system up like that.

[Zeb The Troll]

Yeah, we've been telling them for two years now (since we lost our fourth) that they needed to have another person on our shift to insure proper coverage but apparently we amn't so smert as they be.

[KuReshtin]

Yeah, we've been telling them for two years now (since we lost our fourth) that they needed to have another person on our shift to insure proper coverage but apparently we amn't so smert as they be.

That sounds like our situation here at the moment.
I just found out yesterday that the newest recruit at our desk has resigned and will be leaving in February. Apparently, he'd filed his resignation last week sometime, and no one had felt it necessary to tell us on the lines. No, not even he felt it necessary to tell us.
So that will leave our desk with 3 people, where the optimal head count should be 5. This will definitely hamper our possibilities of getting holidays approved, and considering one of us already has a trip to Japan booked and the holiday approved, that means tht if they can't get another person hired, we'll be down to 2 once he's going away for that three week vacation.
This also means that the job opportunity that was pre-announced just before Christmas will be something I can't apply for once it gets officially announced, because even if I apply for it, and they accept me for the position, my current department won't allow me to leave until they have a new guy up and running that can take over after me.
Which won't happen, since the starting salary is so crap that no one wants to start working here.
[/rant]

[CurlyKitGirl]

So. Tired.

Things to do this week:

-read chapters 1-6 of Augustine's Confessions.
-read 85 pages of The Medieval World View.
-read the letter from Pliny to Trajan, the Nicene Creed, and something titled "Ciceronian Dream'
-read the first two chapters of some writing book.
-begin a three-page paper.
-plan a 25-page research paper I will be writing over the course of the semester.
-find a journal article on which to write a 5-page paper.
-Spanish homework
-oh yeah - attend classes



I'm interested in all these things, but every week for the rest of the semester is going to look like this. I read an entire book on the French Revolution today.

Wow. I always seem to forget that American universities have multiple classes on at once. Here's hoping you'll be able to sleep at some point this term.You've probably already worked this out but try and finish your research paper really quickly then you can have some small time to yourself later on.
My term is erratically busy, so it's not so bad. Essays are still the worst part, this time because while you can read the translation, they expect all quotations to be in Old English, so the half-line you want in particular means you have to translate the whole sentence to make sure it means what you think. Still have four and a half of seven real books, three real journals and cyber ones to read. At least it's only chapters of those books I have to read, not the whole thing.
I have also decided that Michael Swanton is a good essay and book writer. As is Edward B. Irving Jr - most of the time. I do like his interpretation of The Dream of the ROod though.
. . . Aaaand I babble.

I blame last night. Went out for what I thought would be a hour's birthday party. Which after that became going out (moneyless!) for a birthday meal at Noodle Nation (I love their chicken udon!) and then more hours at Brithday Girl's room. All in all, six hours well spent.
I love socialising.

[Dragonrider]

Wow. I always seem to forget that American universities have multiple classes on at once. Here's hoping you'll be able to sleep at some point this term.You've probably already worked this out but try and finish your research paper really quickly then you can have some small time to yourself later on.

Yeah. Four at once, usually. I think I like your system better.

I've been doing some planning, though, in that I got the syllabi for all four of my classes and wrote out when I was going to do what. For my reading, I hang out in the section lounge (common room for my floor, basically) and pretend I don't have three times more work than my friends. That would be because most first years have a relatively light load and I chose to transfer my college credit to be a second year so as to graduate sooner . . . .

I already know what I'm doing for the research paper, though, and I'm meeting with my professor this afternoon to talk about it. He has to sign off on it (to ensure there's sufficient primary source material to draw on) and he'll also recommend a place to start looking for articles.

And this is why I fear I'll never get any sort of graduate degree. I am NOT a fast reader. Any two of the first four things on your list would take me the whole week to do. And the doing would cause me to not have any time to do anything stress-relieving.

It's an undergrad . . . and I'm not planning on grad school; though I like reading and writing and learning things, they're as fun to do on my own as in school.

[Castaras]

Hehe. On facebook, someone tried to add me who I've never met before. He lives in Cástaras, the place. Made my day.

[SMEE]

One would think that finding a full playboy bunny costume for sale would be easier...

[CurlyKitGirl]

Yeah. Four at once, usually. I think I like your system better.

A bit like UK College then in lesson load. The mind remains boggled.

I've been doing some planning, though, in that I got the syllabi for all four of my classes and wrote out when I was going to do what. For my reading, I hang out in the section lounge (common room for my floor, basically) and pretend I don't have three times more work than my friends. That would be because most first years have a relatively light load and I chose to transfer my college credit to be a second year so as to graduate sooner . . . .

I already know what I'm doing for the research paper, though, and I'm meeting with my professor this afternoon to talk about it. He has to sign off on it (to ensure there's sufficient primary source material to draw on) and he'll also recommend a place to start looking for articles.

Ah, the lackadaisical facade; how amazing it is. It does mean pulling a few most-of-the-nighters though. Hooray for the heavier load and graduating at the same time as me! Weren't you also looking into spending some time abroad as well? Or is that just me?

If I masy ask, about what are you planning on doing your research paper? I hope you'll be allowed to do it. Redirected coursework, if only on a minor point, is still annoying.

It's an undergrad . . . and I'm not planning on grad school; though I like reading and writing and learning things, they're as fun to do on my own as in school.

I'm planning post graduate studies. I want a Doctorate. Curly should not be allowed out of the academic life, she would have a terrible time if she was unleashed upon the 'real world'.
Hah, I'll be Dr. Curly [half an alphabet] by the time I'm through.

@Cassie:

ION:
Urrrrrgh. The building work on the carpark outside finished today. Now I have the wonderful aroma of bitumen and asphalt covering my room. Gag me with a spoon please.

Furthermore; my essay must be finished by Sunday evening. Tomorrow morning is three hours of lectures (supernatural in Shakespeare (and two things I can't mention on the boards) here I come!), followed an hour later by a ninety minute class on some poems and analyses thereof. I'll probably have finished off my reading for then.
Most of Saturday then will be the writing of said essay.
I also have the opening thirty-one lines of The Wanderer plus commentary to do by Thursday next. Plus more poems for Friday CLass to do. I'm having around three lectures a day as well for the next three or so weeks.
The weekend will be busy. I'm thinking spend all Sunday on the translation?

And my new book hasn't arrived yet. :smallpout:
And I just burnt my tongue on my tea. Ow.

[randman22222]

Wait. What's this about UK schools not having more than one class going at the same time?

...I knew nothing about this, but still applied to Strathclyde...

On that note, I'm in touch with them. I've sent them some more stuff they needed, and they're processing my application right now.
*Crosses fingers, puts a single double bass note () on top of a drum roll for suspense.*

Just so I can end another sentence in a smiley face.

[bosssmiley]

Hah, I'll be Dr. Curly [half an alphabet] by the time I'm through.

Several years hence: CKG doesn't have a CV. She just hands over a tin of Alphabetti Spaghetti.

ION: My face turned into goosebumps after shaving off my beard in rage and frustration. @_@

What's the craich with the defuzzification mate? Are you going Trollslayer or something?

[Dr. Bath]

Wait. What's this about UK schools not having more than one class going at the same time?

'Class' in the sense of general subject I guess, in which you stick to one subject area almost exclusively here, but can pick and choose whatever in the US. See, I do Physics, but that is then sub-divided into 5 modules (and lab, but we don't like talking about lab), these modules are more like the US 'classes' as far as I can discern.

Hum. I should really do some Astrophysics for the exam tomorrow. And not sit here reading Scott Pilgrim (again) while listening to Explosions in the Sky. Welp. What can you do.

[Dragonrider]

Ah, the lackadaisical facade; how amazing it is. It does mean pulling a few most-of-the-nighters though. Hooray for the heavier load and graduating at the same time as me! Weren't you also looking into spending some time abroad as well? Or is that just me?

If I masy ask, about what are you planning on doing your research paper? I hope you'll be allowed to do it. Redirected coursework, if only on a minor point, is still annoying.

Oh. Heh. I want to do an essay on the means the English used to conquer and oppress the Welsh in the middle ages. I don't know if I should start or end with the death by treachery of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd in December 1282, the last Welsh Prince of Wales, or if it should just be in the middle. There's also the aspect that Edward I kept winning over Llewelyn's younger brother Dafydd and using him to get at the Welsh. And the whole excommunicating the entire country. That's more morale, though. But eh . . . I need an argument for the paper but I can't form one till I've done some research, I think

A note: this subject *is* sort of cheating because my mum wrote a *novel* about Llewelyn (not the one that's up for publication, but more recently) and while it's obviously fiction, she is always going on about the things she's researched and I've picked up a lot that way. But I'd love to do it formally. Not that I'm bashing your folks or anything, Koorli.

Wait. What's this about UK schools not having more than one class going at the same time?

...I knew nothing about this, but still applied to Strathclyde...

On that note, I'm in touch with them. I've sent them some more stuff they needed, and they're processing my application right now.
*Crosses fingers, puts a single double bass note () on top of a drum roll for suspense.*

Just so I can end another sentence in a smiley face.

Well, good luck!



I'm away to Spanish class!

[CurlyKitGirl]

Wait. What's this about UK schools not having more than one class going at the same time?

...I knew nothing about this, but still applied to Strathclyde...

On that note, I'm in touch with them. I've sent them some more stuff they needed, and they're processing my application right now.
*Crosses fingers, puts a single double bass note () on top of a drum roll for suspense.*

Call it a subect then. I do English Language and Literature. I take modules and only do exams on topics related to that degree. No math, no science, just juicy vaguely related to English topics.

*wishes more luck with Strathclyde*

Several years hence: CKG doesn't have a CV. She just hands over a tin of Alphabetti Spaghetti.

Exactly!
I cannot be alone in thinking of Red Dwarf when I read "Alphabetti Spaghetti" can I?

Hum. I should really do some Astrophysics for the exam tomorrow. And not sit here reading Scott Pilgrim (again) while listening to Explosions in the Sky. Welp. What can you do.

Read Scott Pilgrim (again) while listening to Explosions in the Sky? And think about eating.

Oh. Heh. I want to do an essay on the means the English used to conquer and oppress the Welsh in the middle ages. I don't know if I should start or end with the death by treachery of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd in December 1282, the last Welsh Prince of Wales, or if it should just be in the middle. There's also the aspect that Edward I kept winning over Llewelyn's younger brother Dafydd and using him to get at the Welsh. And the whole excommunicating the entire country. That's more morale, though. But eh . . . I need an argument for the paper but I can't form one till I've done some research, I think.

My first thought: define your use of the 'middle ages'. Do you mean from the Norman Conquest the time generally agreed as being the beginning of the Early Modern period (i.e. ca. 1550)? Before then? After then? WHY? Cannot emphasise the WHY? enough.
Do you mean to make your focus range from the point Wales ceases being a 'real country' and becomes a 'province' type thingy? Because you can argue the Welsh are still being oppressed now.
Can you talk about ways the Welsh fought back, or even got their revenge by rising up in notability as far as nobility, academia, politics etc. can be concerned? How about how it's represented as a minority? Because then dipping into Shakespeare's a good bet - Henry V for example with their four man band of nations making up the overall country.
For that matter, how and when does Wales shift from country to [Insert] and back. Has it ever been treated as both at the same time?
How are you going to discuss opression? Thematically? In which case: geographically, politically, religion, language, literature etc? ANd how does it compare to now? Impact of Welsh Medieval Literature on the rest of the continent? They were quite well known.
Would it be a good idea to discuss how far people accepted the 'opression'? Whether it was a minority that say it as opression or the majority.
And the impact of the Welsh on English politics - positive or negative? I'm thinking the Battle of Bosworth Field here.
And then you have the inclusion of the Welsh. When recruiting for the first or second crusade the Archbishop of Canterbury (don't cite me on this) went into Wales, showing respect for them by getting a traslator to repeat what he was saying so they understood what he was saying.
ANd as for that matter: would it not be the Anglo-Normans opressing the Welsh? Was there any difference between how the 'pure' (or less noble) Anglo-Saxons were treated when compared to the Welsh considering most of their lords were Norman or Anglo-Norman?
And what about the treatment of Welsh nobles/people of note/traditions/literature of note when compared to other minorites?
Scots? Irish? Cornish? Manx? Breton? Territories in France? Technically, the majority group (the Anglo-Saxons) should be included here as the nobles were of Norman descent.
NOTE: Religion, literature of is a big indicator. At what point was here a Welsh Bible? Was there ever one? Note that between Norman Conquest and Henry VIII Bibles had to be in Latin. Pre- and post- they were aso available in Old English and English. Unofficial English Bibles existed before then (cf. WIlliam Tyndale), were there Welsh ones? Why? Why not?
Welsh impact on European/non-English politics? Welsh as dangerous to English?
How does the conquering and opression in the middle ages (term to be defined) differ from pre- and post- then? Was there any opression pre- and post-middle ages? How? Why?
Romans? Angles? Saxons? Jutes? The Celtic Fringe - Scots; Manx; Cornish; Irish; Welsh. When, where, how, why? When convert to Christianity? Forced or not?

>.>
<.<
I should stop now. But as you can see from my many questions, I love the idea of it. A lot.

A note: this subject *is* sort of cheating because my mum wrote a *novel* about Llewelyn (not the one that's up for publication, but more recently) and while it's obviously fiction, she is always going on about the things she's researched and I've picked up a lot that way. But I'd love to do it formally. Not that I'm bashing your folks or anything, Koorli. [/QUOTE]

Sounds like a great way to become fascinated with a period of history.
And trust me, you're not bashing my folks.
I'm Cornish. The vast majority of Cornish people couldn't speak a word of English until Henry VIII had the Bible translated into English officially. I'm a Celtic minority, same as the Welsh.

[Coidzor]

What's the craich with the defuzzification mate? Are you going Trollslayer or something?

Mostly out of anger at myself for sleeping with a girl. craich is an interesting word though. Not sure what you mean by Trollslayer.

Man oh man though.

I just had like... 5 dreams in one night. @_@ Usually there's just the one dream.

One was an alternate universe where I was a more failtastic version of myself, somehow inspiring feelings of rage and homicidal tendencies in people at random due to being inexplicably creepy, even when just buying a sandwich from a sandwich shop.

Then another one I was a pair of breasts.

Then I was a ninja-in-training and a mutant in a nsfw and weird way.

Spoiler

Show

You know about, well, **** nipples?

And I just lost the last two from writing this little snippet about the others... Wiggy how that works.

[Dr. Bath]

Read Scott Pilgrim (again) while listening to Explosions in the Sky? And think about eating.

Pff. It is all about Decemberists now, get with the times. Ahaha, my diet is so nutricious. They called me crazy when I made a chunky peanut butter, branston and nutella sandwich, but who is laughing now?! It is not them because they are asphyxiated by a horrible sandwich stuck in their gullet.

AHAHAHahem.

The english obviously won due to having a lower valley:people ratio. Very important in war.

@Coidzor: How very Freudian.

[Coidzor]

@Coidzor: How very Freudian.

Yeah. The fact that I ended up killing a man either by accident or on purpose in each one was rather odd.

That, and apparently the only thing I was capable of doing right was entertaining small children in the first dream. Which is amazing because I wasn't even able to walk properly and yet I didn't accidentally dash out their brains.

[Dr. Bath]

Note to self: don't be Coidzor's father OR be wary for murder Done and done.

Each and every dream you have described both confuses me, and fills me with dread.

The subconcious is proper messed up. Well. Yours is at least.

[Coidzor]

Note to self: don't be Coidzor's father OR be wary for murder Done and done.

Each and every dream you have described both confuses me, and fills me with dread.

The subconscious is proper messed up. Well. Yours is at least.

Yes, yes it is.

Though to be fair, I was being trained to kill people as an assassin in the ninja-dream.

I'm still not sure why or how that piano got there in the first one. It was much more comedic and slapstick than usual.

And I'm kind of filled with dread right now and may not leave my bed today due to how paralyzed with fear I am right now.

[CurlyKitGirl]

Pff. It is all about Decemberists now, get with the times. Ahaha, my diet is so nutricious. They called me crazy when I made a chunky peanut butter, branston and nutella sandwich, but who is laughing now?! It is not them because they are asphyxiated by a horrible sandwich stuck in their gullet.

AHAHAHahem.

Peanut butter and nutella? Very yes. Branston? *dies*

The english obviously won due to having a lower valley:people ratio. Very important in war.

I went all Englishy-Historian mode and specific and picky when I read DeeRee's question! I don't know why!
But yes, valley:people ratios are very important. As are pot noodle mines and choirs.
What should I have for dinner tonight?

[Dr. Bath]

Branston pickle and peanut butter makes the best sandwich.

MY WORD IS FINAL.

[Coidzor]

I'm just always surprised that you guys have peanut butter now.

I always heard that you european-types were disgusted by the very idea of peanuts.

[DraPrime]

I'm just always surprised that you guys have peanut butter now.

I always heard that you european-types were disgusted by the very idea of peanuts.

That's gotta be one of the weirder stereotypes that I've heard of.