I can't believe it ... 5 am has become the best part of my day. That ain't right.

I've been thinking of renaming this blog, since it's turning into a running bitch session about that one Journalism class. What about: "How many weeks left to the term?" or "Me + Hate + Fear = J204". This is way worse than Info Hell.

Our first project is due today and I feel like crying. You know on Halloween and it's the 5th grade when you're fully socialized, but you're double-digit age so the pressure that will be 6th grade is already coming on, but you're still in the last year of play-school so you want to have fun, but you don't want to be a loser? You know that feeling? So it's Halloween and you dress up for school and the entire way there, walking with your brother whose class didn't dress up, you're sure that you're going to be the only person in a costume.

And that feeling haunts you every time you have to dress up for a social function.

This project is like that. I know that there are fellow students out there that have thrown this thing together, because they started on Tuesday and had no idea what they were doing. Their projects probably look cheated and half-ass. They may even be in the Mac lab now trying to fix them before class. On the other hand, I feel like I'm forgetting something (primarily: that we needed 2 copies of it to turn in, or that we needed to fill out some form somewhere to go with it that explains our type style use or something) and, as far behind as the others are, they will all have done that forgotten something.

(And I'll be standing there dressed as a gypsy and it's only October 29th.)

Okay, so maybe this a lesson to kids about the "real world" where clients, bosses, etc... don't always give you all the information you need to complete the project. Okay, I concede that point, but in the "real world" you can re-work the project to the client's/boss's, etc... liking. Here we turn it in and it's graded and there's no fixing. Bogus.

mmmmm crow

I didn't intend to post again about the InDesign class, but...

When signing up for this class we were barked at about the following:
- be there or miss out (which I've blogged about already).
- be there on time and if you're in one of the 8am classes, don't party the night before, because the information is intensive. It's 4 hours to learn detailed design software.
- eat before you come, because the class is 4 hours long.
- make sure you can log in to the system by logging in to one of the other computers in the lab BEFORE you take the class. The IT guys don't work on Saturday and if there are any problems you need to know before you show up.

Yesterday I heard the following student remarks, one after the other:
"Dude, I'm so tired." "I know. I'm totally starving."

and, my favorite, which caused real student tears and almost made me sad, but not quite:
- I can't log in.
- Did you go to the lab to log in before this class?
- No.
- Then you can't take this class today. You won't be able to open the programs.
- But!
- I can't help you. You were told to log in 2 weeks ago.
- I know, but!

Conclusion: students really are as stupid as the professors think they are.

Quote of the Week

The class was TV Sleuths (man, I love that class) and the topic was "Why have police?" as in what prompted the government/people/Man to set up a formal police force.

Answer: "Because God is dead."

Side Note: If you have Turner Classic Movies, watch "In Caliente" tonight. I swear my grandmother's in it. This is based on a 5 second clip from a Busby Berkeley documentary, but the movie's not on video/DVD, so there's no way to prove it ... until now.

Side Note to the Side Note: I dreamt last night that I was watching television with my grandmother. We were watching a series of deleted scenes from "8 1/2" while my grandfather talked to Jean Renoir about what clothes to wear to church. Best dream in a long time.

Okay, I'm not quite over it. Here's the punchline to Saturday's rant:
(from class today -- this is with reference to the InDesign classes over the weekend:)
"Some of you who signed up for Sunday didn't show up to class. I took roll, so I know who you are. You can't sign up again. If I see your name on the list for next weekend, you will be bumped for someone who missed class on Saturday. I didn't get an email from anyone. Did you get an email Dr. X?" "I didn't get any emails." "We didn't get any emails."

Yeah. Hey, by the way we didn't get an email either.

all done.

I'm over it now. The online overview of InDesign is pretty helpful -- it's not telling me how to use the thing, but it's got a run-through of a lot of the great functions. I had no idea Adobe was responsible for PageMaker. Dude, I used that 15 years ago. Nice to know it's still around and can upgrade into CS2.

Flip. It snowed again. Better put on the long underwear. In some ways this weather's great, because the houses all look like they have frosting on them, but standing at the bus stop waiting to go to school kinda blows. But ... it is so pretty and when it comes down in those Hollywood flakes and it's so quiet ... yeah ... that's nice. And it's like having seasons. Sure, it killed the anemone, but there will be others. Maybe I'll try again to swipe the seeds of our neighbor's Iceland poppy.

R.I.P. 2003 - 2007

My Big Fat Ugly Rant

Today I was supposed to take a class on InDesign. This is for the Visual Communications class. The class where we're all idiots, blow-its and full of "young ideas." Twice we were told that it was our responsibility to show up to the InDesign class and to be on time. If we did not make it to the class we could not make arrangements to take it again. This was it. Be there and be on time or else.

Fine.

I get there today and there's a sign on the door: "InDesign class cancelled due to family emergency."

It's Saturday. This is my only day off, so this class was something I set aside my limited personal time for. It's been hovering around 25-30 degrees all day. Buses don't run to the University on Saturday. I live across town.

Now, I understand that family emergencies come up. There's nothing you can do about them. You've got to take care of it. But, ya know, an email this morning or last night would have been considerate. Maybe then I wouldn't have put on 4 layers of clothing to go out and walk through ice to get to a locked door. Not only that, but if I went to professor and said that I couldn't make it to the class due to a family emergency, what do you think? Think I'd get a tutorial on how to use InDesign on another day that was convenient for me? Hardly.

Bitter. Isn't. Pretty.

And I have a cold now. I'll get really sick. That'll show 'em. yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

First Week Roundup

It's only Thursday, so maybe this is bad luck ... maybe not.

Italian -- ma dai! I love this instructor and it's getting easier to participate in class. That said, the fall is bound to come soon ... like when I take the first oral exam and sit there trying to remember the word for "go" ... but for now it's fun fun.

Chinese Religions -- Rules About Taking Classes From People You Know. Rule #1: Don't take classes from people you know. I met Dr. Cline at a New Year's Eve party and now not only does it seem weird to address her as Dr. Cline instead of Erin, but when she calls roll I have this strong inclination to answer "Hey! How are you?" instead of "Here." Class-wise, it's going to be really interesting. This tortoise-shell/bone divination stuff is cool. I've got to find a volunteer tortoise and a burning stick.

Journalism/Visual Communication -- I just don't know ... it's a required class for the major, but the professor is one of these superior types who talks down to the class and assumes that all of the students are party-ers and morons. Dude, that's my job. Anyway, we get to learn Photoshop and InDesign, so it's not all bad.

English 399/Television Sleuths -- It really is a class, yes. I'm doing my final project on "Taggart" for those who want to know. The professor is great fun, but the class is especially worthwhile for people-mocking. There are the dudes, who say their favorite detective is Inspector Gadget ("heh, yeah, dude!") or Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers ("ho, TOtally, dude. yeah.") and on the other end of the spectrum are the two Philosophy/English majors who despise television. My favorite is the one who claimed that she hadn't watched television since she was 12 and then later made the bold, shocking statement that sitcoms were really programming meant to conform the masses into predisposed ideals of sociological norms (I'm paraphrasing, of course). Why the f@*&! are you in this class? Is it to confirm your superior status above the brain-washed pedestrians who watch this stuff? Or are you so insecure about your intelligence that you've got to validate yourself with pretentious blow-hole posturing that will show us all how really superior you are?

I'm glad someone else has taken on the posturing job. I was getting tired of it.

Puzzle Place

This was on my Journalism professor's office door. You may post your answers in comments.

How many headlines can you make from the following words:

1. Boy
2. Mother
3. Weds
4. Alligator
5. Raised by Apes

(You have to use all the words, but I don't think it's fair to be limited by them: Mother of Boy Raised by Apes Weds Alligator)

It Rubs Off

This is a bad man.

At least according to maxboxing.com's headline:
Jim Lampley Arrested for Domestic Violence

You hang around with Mayweather long enough ...

According to the accuser (a former Miss California ... yeah, with Lampley ... go figure) he was drunk and "also high on pot" (!!)

I can't wait to see follow-up stories featuring Lampley takin' it out on Larry Merchant or Emmanuel Stewart. The next time Stewart uses "himself" incorrectly Lampley's going to reach over and paste him one. Merchant's kind of a sucker target. He's usually so lit up on gin that he'd be a one punch k-o.

Gosh ... Has watching boxing made me a violent person? Makin' bets on who will get hit next? Look at Lampley. He's a smiling, upstanding guy. They even let him sit in the lodge and boss the Olympics. If he can turn ugly anyone can, even me!

Of course ... this kind of behavior may have been in him all along. We did see him spit over the rail at the Rose Garden in Portland. Bad, bad, bad.

No mugshot yet at www.thesmokinggun.com.

RNR with PBNJ

All this week I've been trying to decide if it's harder to work from 6am - 5pm or to work from 6am - 11am and then go to school from 12pm - 5pm. It's the same amount of time spent out of the bed or off the couch, but the work is all in one place and school is going from place to place to place to place.

This being the last day of my vacation (which means the last of the 10 - 11 hr work days -- thanks cold and flu season!), I've come to the conclusion that work is harder. At least at school I can go outside and sometimes there's even time for a pop-in to Starbucks. At school people don't constantly bitch at me and call me a liar ... as much ... At work I get paid, but that's all it's got going for it, really. If they paid me to go to school it would be totally ideal.

But when I think things have been tough for me, I remember that tomorrow is the return of the cousin/roommate from Hawaii.

Current Honolulu temperature: 74, feels like 74.
Current Eugene temperature: 37, feels like 29.

That's got to suck.

Back to my sammich. Peanut butter is a good, good thing.

P.S. what the ...? The brother's supporting my man, Obama? Is this a sign of the apocalypse? Welcome to our side, brother mine.