Zhaf and the Cellar

Monday, March 31, 2003

So it Begins

Today is the first day of school after the break, and I have already been to my first class. The most interesting thing that I learned today was that the exchange student from Japan lives with his girlfriend in a cheap apartment in town and has a male cat named butterfly. However, the cat's name is in Japanese so it still sounds cool. He said that he thought the cat was female when he named it, which I think is - frankly - hilarious. Somewhere in town, a male cat named cho-cho, which apparently means butterfly, and who also understands Japanese, wanders and - despite his effeminate name - is one tough "hombre." Beware!

:: z. 1:29 PM [+] Permalink ::

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Friday, March 28, 2003

Break Update!

Thought I wouldn't make it back here to include something before monday, didn't you? Well, the truth is neither did I. The ol' computer lab was open, so I thought I'd drop by and update. After hours of web research (read: killing time), I've come to the conclusion that the real purpose of these web logs is not to give accounts of daily life, but to provide viewers with essays on passing thoughts, certain themes, or general culture - much more like a Magazine. Unfortunately, I'm not too sure how to do that yet. Check here later for better ideas and an eventual evolution. For the time being, I'm going to push the web log aspect more than the magazine prospect, so expect more self-centered ramblings as I wend my way through another term of undergrad school, eventually transitioning ramblings about going to grad school. (For the time being, I'll work on changing the web format of my page, if I'm able.)

:: z. 3:37 PM [+] Permalink ::

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Friday, March 21, 2003

Done and Gone

As of four a.m. last night, I was finally finished with all of the papers that I had to do. Most of the Spanish studying I did was after I woke up. Admittedly, because most of my papers were written at the last minute, it is not my best work. However, I still hope that my professors think it is good enough to earn decent grades. (Okay - better than decent.) Writing is hard work, and if you are going to do it well, you have to give yourself enough time to go through all of the writing process stages: planning, drafting, revising, editing, and etc. I knew this. Yet, I clearly did not do that this time. I know I could have used more time for revision.

On that note, I think this will be the last post I'm going to make for awhile. I'd love to post some thoughts on the war and such, but after my final this afternoon, I am done and gone. Spring break is upon us, and as for me, I fully intend to relax and do nothing to fullest extent I possibly can. You'll not soon hear from me. (Unless, of course, I change my mind.)

:: z. 11:03 AM [+] Permalink ::

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Thursday, March 20, 2003

Deadlines and Nerd-vana

There! - About an hour ago, I finally turned in my final paper for the Melville seminar I am taking. Ahab loses his head looking for Moby-Dick, and I nearly lose mine trying to finish my paper. Now, I only have my business writing paper towering over me. After that, I'll have to spend hours completing Spanish homework, so I can cram for the final tomorrow morning. All I have to say to that is - Hooray! Now, I never have to stop working! Lookit me! I'm writing my paper - at night! Seriously, college is not easy sometimes. No kidding. It really isn't. Nevermind that bilge water I was spouting yesterday about playing all of the free web video games that I could stand. College is a lot like baseball sometimes - you may train all year just to spend hours in the outfield. But when the ball comes your way, look out! Or else you're gonna get beaned.

It should also be mentioned that when I turned in my paper, the professor, noting my stack of idex cards with my notes on them, made the comment, "Ah note cards. You have a great future as nerd." I told him that I had years of practice. Although I'm sure he meant it as a compliment, I take some measure of solace in the fact that he is a slightly bigger nerd than I am, because he doesn't own a television, and I do. Good ol' television. The great equalizer. Seriously though, I have to envelop my self in a study cocoon now, or else I'll get a scarlett letter "F." See you on the other side.

:: z. 5:57 PM [+] Permalink ::

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Masks

Instead of returning to the computer lab early in the moring like I thought I was going to, I watched the news late last night, and then I watched it again this morning before coming into the lab at noon. I remember watching the news during the first "Gulf War," and I was pretty astounded by what I saw then. For me, one of the most memorable images from that war was, while I was watching the coverage on CNN (I think), a very large bomb struck near a hotel and terrified the reporter inside, just before he was knocked off the air. It was pretty intense and dramatic. (He was okay.) So, I guess I thought that there wouldn't be much of anything that would surprise me this time. Yet, I must admit that I was mildly surprised to see how close all of the reporters are to the actual war this time. Their closeness means that we too are close. Consequently, we here in America, can hear the air-raid sirens, watch reporters don their gas masks, follow reporters as they travel along with the ground troops in the back of assualt vehicles. Frankly, I find it all a little surreal. Again, living in this rural area, I have not noticed too much of a reaction in my home town. Except to say that the senior center, a place that I walk by on my way to school everyday, and which is normally a quiet place, was fairly crowded this morning.

If you are interested in following some of the audio coverage of the war on the internet (for free of course), check my the link for NPR on the left. Last night, they had some free covereage on MSNBC, but I could not follow it for very long, because I think they could not support so many people tyring to do the same thing I was. If you guys hear of better (possibly video) coverage of the war, which is free of course, let me know.

:: z. 1:04 PM [+] Permalink ::

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The End of the Beginning

Well, that's a night - I'm finally finished with my first paper (unless my professor thinks I'm not). I'll be returning to the ol' computer lab early next morning to continue working on my other paper for Business Writing class (WR321). The lab has now become my second home, as I have been here more often than the students who work behind the counter. Now, I'm going home to call my girlfriend, eat some junk food, and watch some of the news. I pray that I'll be done with all of my papers by Thursday afternoon, so I'll be ready for my Spanish final. If anyone has actually cared enough to read my blogging experiment, I offer you my humble thanks. Even in spite of burdensome finals, I think I'll have time to post more tomorrow.

:: z. 12:29 AM [+] Permalink ::

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Wednesday, March 19, 2003

The Late Shift: the same day

Okay, after doing nothing with my paper, I went home and got some dinner. I was just in time for the war in Iraq to start. Even though I'm living in a small town, and going to school at a relatively non-political campus, I was curious to see if I could notice a difference among the people I saw. The only change I noticed was that the other students seem to be on the their cell phones at a higher percentage than usual; one of the students I overheard was talking to her Mom. For the most part, exams appear to be foremost in everyone's mind. To be honest, I expected a lot of them would be home watching it on television; but if they're anything like me, they're working on their papers too.

:: z. 9:08 PM [+] Permalink ::

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Loomings

This is my first blog; and it shows! However, partly because I'm actively trying to avoid finishing my final paper on Herman Melville and Deconstruction, I thought I would give blogging a try. I have a friend who blogs seriously, and I guess I was little jealous. What am I doing? Not much. At this exact moment, I'm in the computer lab at the college, listening to BBC radio one. I have just finsihed playing all of the free web video games I could stand. As one of my professors put it, I'm experiencing a "senior slump." I think that the upcoming week of spring break, combined with my upcoming final term as an undergraduate, will help me break out of it. We'll see.

:: z. 5:13 PM [+] Permalink ::

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