Monday, December 19, 2011
I Came, I Saw...
I have finished 1/4 of my Steubenville education! I am judging this by semesters, not by credits. (I haven't bothered to do the math involving my prereq classes.) Papers are turned in, exams are taken, grades are posted! It turns out I'm still good at being a student. Which is something of a comfort, even if it will do me no good once I actually reach the goal of my efforts. Stay posted for my summary of the semester, but this past week, I've been recuperating. Tuesday I finally got past the SLEEP FOREVER stage and started taking responsibility for life again, so I'll be back blogging regularly again.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Chemistry Question
Okay, science-minded friends, I have a question for you about the world around us. I experienced an interesting phenomenon yesterday.
I have had a water bottle (of the plastic, disposable variety... I know, awful) in my car for a few days. I have observed it with curiosity as I scrape ice off my car each morning, because it remained half-full (I'm an optimist) of liquid water, despite sitting outside for hours in freezing temperatures. (We get into the 20s at night.)
Yesterday morning, I was thirsty, so I decided to drink it. I opened it -- and watched a whiteness spread from the top of the water through all the liquid as it froze into a soft slush. I have no idea how this happened. Why did the water not freeze over the past few nights? Was it exposure to the air or a change in pressure that caused the freezing, or something else entirely?
I have had a water bottle (of the plastic, disposable variety... I know, awful) in my car for a few days. I have observed it with curiosity as I scrape ice off my car each morning, because it remained half-full (I'm an optimist) of liquid water, despite sitting outside for hours in freezing temperatures. (We get into the 20s at night.)
Yesterday morning, I was thirsty, so I decided to drink it. I opened it -- and watched a whiteness spread from the top of the water through all the liquid as it froze into a soft slush. I have no idea how this happened. Why did the water not freeze over the past few nights? Was it exposure to the air or a change in pressure that caused the freezing, or something else entirely?
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Day-Maker #53
A spreadsheet created by a friend to figure out the optimal time for TWAMPy Christmas break.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Making God Laugh, Part II
I posted not too long ago about God's sense of humor. I've encountered it again.
I start praying for some virtues lately, because, let's face it, I'm in need of some virtues. Plus I've heard that they are good thing for which to pray. Here's the thing though: virtues aren't commodities. They're habits. So when I started praying for virtues, God didn't snap His fingers and make me virtuous. Instead He did this sneaky thing where He gave me the occasion to practice the virtues. Unfortunately, since I do not yet have them, can you guess what's the first thing that I do?
That's right: complain to God about it.
I hope it makes Him laugh, because I, at least, can see the humor in it. I'm asking for an "A" on the test, and God's giving me a study guide. Which I don't like, because it means I have to work! He's answering my prayer, just being sneaky about it. As Sister Helen Prejean once said, "We need to seriously dwell on the sneakiness of God." Amen, Sister!
I start praying for some virtues lately, because, let's face it, I'm in need of some virtues. Plus I've heard that they are good thing for which to pray. Here's the thing though: virtues aren't commodities. They're habits. So when I started praying for virtues, God didn't snap His fingers and make me virtuous. Instead He did this sneaky thing where He gave me the occasion to practice the virtues. Unfortunately, since I do not yet have them, can you guess what's the first thing that I do?
That's right: complain to God about it.
I hope it makes Him laugh, because I, at least, can see the humor in it. I'm asking for an "A" on the test, and God's giving me a study guide. Which I don't like, because it means I have to work! He's answering my prayer, just being sneaky about it. As Sister Helen Prejean once said, "We need to seriously dwell on the sneakiness of God." Amen, Sister!
Friday, December 2, 2011
More Ways to Procrastinate
I had a fun (for me at least) idea of a new way to procrastinate as I write my paper! I am going to "live blog" my paper (by length, not time). I have banished myself from Facebook between breakfast and dinner, so this is my alternative to obnoxious status updates every 10 minutes as I write.
The Topic: Jesus as the Lamb of God. I wanted to write about covenant curses; then I could write about women eating their children and other such cheery topics. However, that topic was rejected. There is not enough scholarship on it: evidently few scholars are as morbid as I am.
Blank page: My topic is too facile. I should change it. I don't have time to change it! I fail at life!
3/4 of a page: You know how when you look at a word for too long...? I'm already starting to pronounce it "lam-B" in my head.
One page down: Am I proving myself wrong? My thesis doesn't have any support! How can an idea be self-evident and wrong? Can an idea be self-evident and wrong?
1 1/4 pages: Googling names that appear in other books, to make sure I am not quoting heretics. Good news: I am quoting saints.
2 pages: Realizing I can type without looking at the keyboard OR the screen. I didn't believe it when they told me in elementary school computer class that this was actually possible.
Just over 4 pages: I MADE IT ONTO THE FIFTH PAGE! I'VE WRITTEN SO MUCH! .... I still have so much to write....
4 1/2 pages: This is circular logic. I wonder if I should point it out. Or maybe I can just hide it. Does circular logic invalidate my argument if no one notices its existence?
5 pages: I begin considering the fact that I am rewarding myself for paper-writing with housework. Question: Which is a bigger problem -- that I think this is a good idea, or that it works?
6 pages: I am so over this paper. Why did I give up Facebook during the day? Google + has never looked so appealing.
6 1/2 pages: Spell check wants me to change "Eucharistically" to "Eucharistic ally." Which is wrong, but an interesting concept.
6 3/4 pages: People really need to use Google + more.
7 pages: I HAVE A GOOGLE + NOTIFICATION!
8 pages: Holy crow! I made it to 8 pages!
8 1/4 pages: The excitement runs out. I start researching what food group mushrooms are in.
8 3/8 pages: My sticky-note tore a thin layer off a page, removing the words I need to quote. I didn't know that was even possible.
8 1/2 pages: I have a love-hate relationship with Taylor Swift, Scott Hahn, and myself.
8 3/4 pages: I miss sociology papers. At least if I was wrong there, I would just be an idiot, not an idiot and a heretic.
9 pages: I got to use "penultimate" in a sentence! That's awesome!
9 1/2 pages: I give up and go to a study party at Tim Horton's (think Dunkin' Donuts of Ohio), that appears to be more party than study. Coffee at 11pm!
10 pages: I have developed a thumb twitch. I think this is a variation of the TWAMP eye-twitch.
11 pages: Coffee finished and "Taylor the Latte Boy" appears.
12 pages: I hit the word limit! I still have so much to do. THANK YOU, JESUS, that Dr. Hahn will let us go over!
At this point, however, the bulk of my paper is "done"!
The Topic: Jesus as the Lamb of God. I wanted to write about covenant curses; then I could write about women eating their children and other such cheery topics. However, that topic was rejected. There is not enough scholarship on it: evidently few scholars are as morbid as I am.
Blank page: My topic is too facile. I should change it. I don't have time to change it! I fail at life!
3/4 of a page: You know how when you look at a word for too long...? I'm already starting to pronounce it "lam-B" in my head.
One page down: Am I proving myself wrong? My thesis doesn't have any support! How can an idea be self-evident and wrong? Can an idea be self-evident and wrong?
1 1/4 pages: Googling names that appear in other books, to make sure I am not quoting heretics. Good news: I am quoting saints.
2 pages: Realizing I can type without looking at the keyboard OR the screen. I didn't believe it when they told me in elementary school computer class that this was actually possible.
Just over 4 pages: I MADE IT ONTO THE FIFTH PAGE! I'VE WRITTEN SO MUCH! .... I still have so much to write....
4 1/2 pages: This is circular logic. I wonder if I should point it out. Or maybe I can just hide it. Does circular logic invalidate my argument if no one notices its existence?
5 pages: I begin considering the fact that I am rewarding myself for paper-writing with housework. Question: Which is a bigger problem -- that I think this is a good idea, or that it works?
6 pages: I am so over this paper. Why did I give up Facebook during the day? Google + has never looked so appealing.
6 1/2 pages: Spell check wants me to change "Eucharistically" to "Eucharistic ally." Which is wrong, but an interesting concept.
6 3/4 pages: People really need to use Google + more.
7 pages: I HAVE A GOOGLE + NOTIFICATION!
8 pages: Holy crow! I made it to 8 pages!
8 1/4 pages: The excitement runs out. I start researching what food group mushrooms are in.
8 3/8 pages: My sticky-note tore a thin layer off a page, removing the words I need to quote. I didn't know that was even possible.
8 1/2 pages: I have a love-hate relationship with Taylor Swift, Scott Hahn, and myself.
8 3/4 pages: I miss sociology papers. At least if I was wrong there, I would just be an idiot, not an idiot and a heretic.
9 pages: I got to use "penultimate" in a sentence! That's awesome!
9 1/2 pages: I give up and go to a study party at Tim Horton's (think Dunkin' Donuts of Ohio), that appears to be more party than study. Coffee at 11pm!
10 pages: I have developed a thumb twitch. I think this is a variation of the TWAMP eye-twitch.
11 pages: Coffee finished and "Taylor the Latte Boy" appears.
12 pages: I hit the word limit! I still have so much to do. THANK YOU, JESUS, that Dr. Hahn will let us go over!
At this point, however, the bulk of my paper is "done"!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
You Know You're Too Tired When...
... flipping through a stack of notebooks, you discover a 20-page paper that was due before Thanksgiving and have a five-second panic attack because you can't figure out how you didn't turn it in. Before you realize that you did turn it in and have already gotten it back, graded.
I am currently swamped by papers and exams as the end of the semester draws suddenly near. So I've been contemplating this statement, from the Building Cathedrals blog:
I am currently swamped by papers and exams as the end of the semester draws suddenly near. So I've been contemplating this statement, from the Building Cathedrals blog:
Women aren’t wired simply. When our mental, physical and emotional tanks are drained, they don’t just stay dry until we find rest. They immediately begin refilling themselves with all kinds of poison–first impatience and anxiety or sadness which quickly give way to self-doubt, guilt, blame, jealousy, irrationality, hysteria and panic, hatred. Rest is the solution...
The good news: I get rest in less than two weeks! The bad news: everything that needs to be done in less than two weeks!
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