Claire: What's wrong with the belt?
Jerry: I went to the movies last night, I went to the bathroom and I unbuckled a little wobbly and the buckle kind of banged against the side of the urinal. So…(throws away belt) that’s it!
Claire: So, you're insane?*
Okay. So maybe it wasn't a belt buckle. But it was still disgusting, I had to rip the dangly hem off the bottom of my jeans (left leg) because it dragged on a WET bathroom floor. It was as disgusting as it sounds. Trust me on this one.
Deep Thoughts. More along the lines of Jack Handey
I miss Thorn. If she was here and not in Paris I would have dragged her to see Daara J with me. They were in Toronto a few days back. When I was in Senegal they were really popular, I thought I'd meet some Wolof speakers at the show. How fun would that have been? Granted I'm a bit rusty, but the looks on peoples faces would have been priceless. (As they have been in the past).
Why does The Edge play such crappy music sometimes? I'm listening to a remixed version of Metric's Dead Disco. Why ruin something that's good?
I read this on a fellow Sri Lankan's blog and thought it was funny. Especially the dialogue that ensues in the comments section. It's all so sadly funny.
I need a new pair of sneakers. Well, when do I actually need a new pair of shoes? I got some back GST/HST cheques in the mail. Which means I have cash to blow on sneakers. But I need your help. Should I go with this, this or this?
(Un)fortunately I completely missed the whole Live 8 dealeo. I was stuck in three different airports in the course of the day, on my way home. I happened to catch the tiniest bit of it on one of the many screens in Heathrow, it was altogether uninteresting to me. However, I love the Kaiser Chiefs and unbeknownst to me they played Live 8 Philly. AOL has so kindly put up clips of all the performances. Bless them. But what's with the randomness that played in Rome?
Why is it so hot outside? Someone throw an ice cream cone at my head and call me a unicorn. Please.
Our new deck is almost finished. 3 months later.
I find this whole thing deplorable. That man's life has essentially been ruined and for no good cause. And let's not even get started on this.
I want to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I don't mind going solo, but feel weird going alone to a kids movie. Seems a bit pedophile Pete-ish doesn't it? Thus Alby has been enlisted to go and watch it on Simcoe Day.
Oliver smells like popcorn today, and he ate a rubberband this morning.
And this was the most random post. Ever.
*Seinfeld Episode 158: The Voice
Friday, July 29, 2005
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Umesh old boy, I think you've met your match
*disclaimer* This post is full of vitriol
I hate tutorials. I don’t think there’s anything worse in the university experience next to tutorials. Sitting there in a room full of pseudo-academics who actually think I care to know what they think. Oftentimes the poor un-offending PhD student who has to mediate these sessions of verbal diarrhea get caught up in the crossfire. You’d think that if these undergrads who are actually there to learn they would listen to the freaking PhD student at least right? But no.
I have discovered that there is one thing more heinous than a 50 minute tutorial. Enter the two hour tutorial. Some of you might not be familiar with the way the tutorial system works at U of T. So I shall enlighten you. Usually there’s fifteen students and one teaching assistant, we’re supposed to discuss the course readings for the week in a 50 minute session. Out of the fifteen students there’s usually about 5 who think they’re experts on whatever topic is being spoken about. They’re longwinded, egomaniacal and downright boring. Most of the time I just sit there and space out. Sometimes someone will be so exceptionally irritating that I find the need to wade into the fray.
Meet Umesh. He was in my politics of development course last year and I had the unwanted pleasure of being in a tutorial with him. There are a lot of things that bug me about Umesh.
1. The use of rhetoric: I’m sure that he’d LOVE to think that he’s an original thinker, but everything that Umesh said was just rhetoric. He’d make a good spin doctor after he graduates
2. The use of ebonics: Umesh is Indian. I wasn’t aware that Indians could speak in ebonics. I don’t think I need to elaborate on this point
3. Nobody cares Umesh: Going along with the general vibe of bs-ing in tutorials, ultimately no one cares what happens in them. (Myself discluded I guess, if I’m making a post on them.) My little friend would often think it his duty to apologise for his in tutorial behaviour, and to tell people not to “take it personally.” Maybe if he was saying something that was totally controversial and offensive then I could see the need to apologise. But no. He just talked out of his arse. And while that is a sin that deserves years spent in purgatory, no one wants to keep hearing his voice, even for an apology.
You get the drift. Now you can imagine my horror when Umesh walked into the summer course that I’m taking, intro to African history. I was thanking God when the first day of tutorials rolled along and he was absent from mine. My joy was short-lived. Since it’s a summer course, the tutorials are 2 hours long, and my current tutorial only has FOUR people in it. Four people and one of the students happens to be a female version of Umesh. But more irritating, if that’s even possible. Her downfall is her ‘friendliness’
Umesh-a-like: So, are you an anthropology major?
Me: *wondering what sin I had committed to deserve a conversation with her* Um. No, I’m doing a joint specialist in political science and history
Umesh-a-like: Oh cool, so are you doing developmental studies?
Me: Yeah I am.
Umesh-a-like: I could totally tell.
Me: *suddenly warming up to Umesh-a-like. Maybe she could tell through the amazing comments I made in tutorials that I’m down with the third world?* Wow. How did you know that?
Umesh-a-like: You just look like it. You know. The way you dress and stuff
Me: *Suppressing feelings of homicidal rage* The way I ‘dress and stuff’? *fake laugh.* You’re lucky that I have to go now, or you’d have to explain that one to me
And with that I made a hasty and contrived getaway. Can you imagine? People still get typecast by the way they dress! And it’s not even like she’s an old person either, you’d expect such prejudicial behaviour from someone who’s 80, not 21!
Eek.
I have finished.
I hate tutorials. I don’t think there’s anything worse in the university experience next to tutorials. Sitting there in a room full of pseudo-academics who actually think I care to know what they think. Oftentimes the poor un-offending PhD student who has to mediate these sessions of verbal diarrhea get caught up in the crossfire. You’d think that if these undergrads who are actually there to learn they would listen to the freaking PhD student at least right? But no.
I have discovered that there is one thing more heinous than a 50 minute tutorial. Enter the two hour tutorial. Some of you might not be familiar with the way the tutorial system works at U of T. So I shall enlighten you. Usually there’s fifteen students and one teaching assistant, we’re supposed to discuss the course readings for the week in a 50 minute session. Out of the fifteen students there’s usually about 5 who think they’re experts on whatever topic is being spoken about. They’re longwinded, egomaniacal and downright boring. Most of the time I just sit there and space out. Sometimes someone will be so exceptionally irritating that I find the need to wade into the fray.
Meet Umesh. He was in my politics of development course last year and I had the unwanted pleasure of being in a tutorial with him. There are a lot of things that bug me about Umesh.
1. The use of rhetoric: I’m sure that he’d LOVE to think that he’s an original thinker, but everything that Umesh said was just rhetoric. He’d make a good spin doctor after he graduates
2. The use of ebonics: Umesh is Indian. I wasn’t aware that Indians could speak in ebonics. I don’t think I need to elaborate on this point
3. Nobody cares Umesh: Going along with the general vibe of bs-ing in tutorials, ultimately no one cares what happens in them. (Myself discluded I guess, if I’m making a post on them.) My little friend would often think it his duty to apologise for his in tutorial behaviour, and to tell people not to “take it personally.” Maybe if he was saying something that was totally controversial and offensive then I could see the need to apologise. But no. He just talked out of his arse. And while that is a sin that deserves years spent in purgatory, no one wants to keep hearing his voice, even for an apology.
You get the drift. Now you can imagine my horror when Umesh walked into the summer course that I’m taking, intro to African history. I was thanking God when the first day of tutorials rolled along and he was absent from mine. My joy was short-lived. Since it’s a summer course, the tutorials are 2 hours long, and my current tutorial only has FOUR people in it. Four people and one of the students happens to be a female version of Umesh. But more irritating, if that’s even possible. Her downfall is her ‘friendliness’
Umesh-a-like: So, are you an anthropology major?
Me: *wondering what sin I had committed to deserve a conversation with her* Um. No, I’m doing a joint specialist in political science and history
Umesh-a-like: Oh cool, so are you doing developmental studies?
Me: Yeah I am.
Umesh-a-like: I could totally tell.
Me: *suddenly warming up to Umesh-a-like. Maybe she could tell through the amazing comments I made in tutorials that I’m down with the third world?* Wow. How did you know that?
Umesh-a-like: You just look like it. You know. The way you dress and stuff
Me: *Suppressing feelings of homicidal rage* The way I ‘dress and stuff’? *fake laugh.* You’re lucky that I have to go now, or you’d have to explain that one to me
And with that I made a hasty and contrived getaway. Can you imagine? People still get typecast by the way they dress! And it’s not even like she’s an old person either, you’d expect such prejudicial behaviour from someone who’s 80, not 21!
Eek.
I have finished.
Monday, July 18, 2005
I'm BAAAACK
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