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[Jace]

I was at work, chewing Trident Tooth-Strengthening gum of all things, too.

Clearly you tried going up to 300 when you were only at a chewing capacity of 285.

[Bastardous Bassist]

Dear Blog,
I took a three hour test over E&M, quantum mechanics, math methods and Fourier optics.  I followed it up by studying for six hours for tomorrow's test on laser systems, geometrical optics, radiation and detectors and instrumental optics.  I'm having trouble seeing straight (not an exaggeration), and tomorrow I have to do it all again, except I'll be studying for non-linear optics, optical materials, optical tolerancing and testing, spectroscopy, solid state physics and optical fibers.  Why did I decide that optics was the way to go instead of physics?

[JD]

You have to post that picture

mmmkay

Also I got sun burns on my arms and legs during rowing oh god i am so white

[Jace]

I have no money and my checking account is $300 in the negative and I still am not looking for a job because I want to fail in life.

[ummmkay]

i'm graduating next may and cannot sleep for trying to figure out what the hell i am going to do with my life

[David_Dovey]

Conversely, I am having trouble not falling asleep. I am house sitting and sleeping in an unfamiliar bed is fucking with me, especially when I'm getting home at 11:15pm and have to wake up at 6am.

Hey Blog Thread, is the Apple website (particularly the downloads section) bein' super fucking slow for everyone else or is it just me? It is frustrating!

[Barmymoo]

My college have done a press release about me, and in the "quote" (it's an amalgamation of things I've said to them on feedback forms and over the phone) they have made a spelling mistake and also writted a sentence that makes no sense whatsoever. So I am yay and grr.

My friend stayed over last night and I just walked her down to the bus stop with the dog. Poor creature is now absolutely wiped out and asleep on the floor; we walked him down to the village and back yesterday too, it's about a half hour round trip up a steep hill and he is only little.

[chowburger]

Dear Bloggy Thing,

Today I got an e-mail from the Writing Centre in my university, who want to pay me money! To talk to people about writing! Every week! This is the awesomest job ever.

[Drill King]

hurt hurt hurt hurt hurt hurt hurt hurt >:c

[ackblom12]

So, fun times. Kat has been on a Road trip with a chinese friend of hers the last few weeks. Before they left Kat had her car taken into the mechanic to get a once over because we've had problems with it. We'd had 2 or 3 other things fixed before and we wanted to make sure it could survive a road trip. Mechanic said it was fine other than brake pads, which got replaced. Last week the car started acting up and stalled on them in Utah. Managed to get it to a mechanic and had to wait till Monday to finally get the source of the problem fixed, the fuel pump. When they got in Monday the mechanic talked to her and informed her that while he was giving it a once over he noticed that metal was poking through the tires that we bought in January.

While being angry and a bit confused as to how the mechanic from home had missed it, it sucked but they made it to Colorado and found a Sears because the tires were still in Warranty. Come to find out they were not covered under warranty because the back shocks were bad and that's what caused the quick wear and tear. So they've now been basically stranded for the last week of their trip in 2 tiny unexciting towns, basically so we, in total, spend $2k over the course of 3 months to keep a $3k car roadworthy and so they can miss the last 3rd of their road trip.

Fucking cars.

[Bastardous Bassist]

My college have done a press release about me, and in the "quote" (it's an amalgamation of things I've said to them on feedback forms and over the phone) they have made a spelling mistake and also writted a sentence that makes no sense whatsoever. So I am yay and grr.

I feel your pain.  The city paper once did a write-up of one of my bands and they got every fact wrong (we were apparently influenced by bands that don't exist and play songs that we'd never heard of) except that our rehearsal space was the keyboardist's office, which was a converted supply closet in the Jewish temple.

[Elizzybeth]

Today I got an e-mail from the Writing Centre in my university, who want to pay me money! To talk to people about writing! Every week! This is the awesomest job ever.

Yes!  I've worked in writing centers at two different universities.  It is the awesomest job.  Congrats!

[Barmymoo]

I just got an email about my summer introductory assignment! I was looking forwards to getting it so I'm quite pleased. The downer is that I just had to spend £20 on a textbook in order to start this assignment, and it might not arrive until mid-September. I WANT TO START LEARNING NOW, DAMMIT!

[Zingoleb]

I feel your pain.  The city paper once did a write-up of one of my bands and they got every fact wrong (we were apparently influenced by bands that don't exist and play songs that we'd never heard of) except that our rehearsal space was the keyboardist's office, which was a converted supply closet in the Jewish temple.

The local newspaper did a write up on my father. They said he worked primarily in oils (false) and quoted him as saying, "I've never been an artist." (also false).

They set up a photoshoot having him look directly into the sun, and the resultant face made him look like Jack Nicholson, and due to poor design, it made it look like the headline was "Teen Confesses to Rape Charge".

[Bastardous Bassist]

That's really rough.

So, everyone.  I'm 2/3 done with my preliminary exam.  Tomorrow is going to be six subjects that I haven't taken classes about (the previous eight I have taken).  Fortunately, one of them is about waveguides, and my research area is...fibers!  Which is a type of optical waveguide, in case you're wondering what I'm on about.  I still think I'm going to fail, but I'm not giving up.  As soon as I digest my dinner a little bit, I'm back to the library to study a bit more.  Wish me luck, everyone.  I think I'm going to need it.

[JD]

Break a leg

[loco_banana]

That's really rough.

So, everyone.  I'm 2/3 done with my preliminary exam.  Tomorrow is going to be six subjects that I haven't taken classes about (the previous eight I have taken).  Fortunately, one of them is about waveguides, and my research area is...fibers!  Which is a type of optical waveguide, in case you're wondering what I'm on about.  I still think I'm going to fail, but I'm not giving up.  As soon as I digest my dinner a little bit, I'm back to the library to study a bit more.  Wish me luck, everyone.  I think I'm going to need it.

Quoth our urban compatriots: let's get it!

[Jimor]

Hopefully the nature of those exams is more "You haven't taken these classes yet, you failed this part of the exam, you need to take these classes (duh)" rather than "you failed these things you've never taken classes for, get out of this school NOW, we only teach you this shit if you already know it." Tell us when you get to Negative Refraction Index Metamaterials.

Meanwhile, my classes so far are much less intense. The video editing class with Final Cut Pro isn't really anything I haven't done before for my show or screwing around with my $90 amateur software, it's just that I'll be learning the specific techniques, workflow, and artistic choices that the professionals use. The Adobe After Effects instructor is really laid back and the class is structured that way. Basically, if I show up, do the projects in class and pay attention, these should both be easy A's and I'll be learning some cool practical shit. Still have to go to the first Video Camera Operation class (I'm posting this from campus, which for some reason is far cooler to me than it should be), but I imagine it will be much the same. Only $100 for textbooks so far (I only said that so the rest of you Uni people can hate me).

[celticgeek]

Wish me luck, everyone.  I think I'm going to need it.

Best of luck from another physicist!!

[Bastardous Bassist]

Hopefully the nature of those exams is more "You haven't taken these classes yet, you failed this part of the exam, you need to take these classes (duh)" rather than "you failed these things you've never taken classes for, get out of this school NOW, we only teach you this shit if you already know it."

It's a little of both.  They expect us to learn a reasonable amount of the material on our own, but we're only competing against the other people in the program (competing as in, don't be on the bottom, not only a certain percentage of the people pass).  I plan on never seeing a few of the subjects we've already covered ever again, let alone some of the ones covered tomorrow.

Tell us when you get to Negative Refraction Index Metamaterials.

Those are really sweet!  I don't know about why, but I've discovered what it means to have a negative refractive index.  We learned a little about them in both my math class and when I sat in on non-linear optics, which was really fucking hard, and is on the test tomorrow.  Spoiler: the materials don't violate causality, though it really seems like they do.

Thank you everyone.  I'm off to the library to learn a few more things.

[Aimless]

Dear Blog Thread,

there is so much to say that about recent events that have all somehow drained into/culminated in this lovely day, but I will limit myself to what I believe are the highlights:

It was a lovely summer evening in Sthlm. I met old friends, and we walked down a path we hadn't been near in years. I walked with one of my oldest friends, and we stole some yellow plums. From whom, I don't know. Perhaps from God, because they were by far the best plums I have had in years.

She just reached in through the wire fence and plucked the ripest sweetest just most perfectly juiciest fruits, and in doing so it was as if she'd reached in through my ribcage and plucked out my heart. I was a willing accomplice to both deeds.

Okay I'm kidding, but not about the plums

[Zingoleb]

Blaggy,

I ran into an old friend today who used to live in Arizona and now lives in Western New York. His name is Justin or Quinn (he seems to change between the two) and the first time I met him he was singing Andrew Jackson Jihad at an open mic.

Yay old friends!

[Lines]

So today I woke up and had the strongest gut feeling that today was going to completely suck. And people wonder why no one wants to stay at this company for more than a year.

[BrittanyMarie]

there is a rumor that low is playing for freeeeeeee at a health care reform rally here... i am so so so intrigued. also i think i caught a fraudster trying to con a little old lady today! so i am proud of myself.


update: low are playing for freeeeeeeee at a health care reform rally but it is when i work! i will be so mad if i can't get someone to trade a shift

[KvP]

Tomorrow is the anniversary of my birth. I'm really kind of bummed because I had bought a ticket to see Nine Inch Nails play one of their last shows tomorrow in NYC and I was making plans to go see them, but because of Ticketmaster's motherfuckery the ticket I bought was entirely useless. They say Bowie might make an appearance. If that happens I will, as they say, choke a bitch.

[Elizzybeth]

Dear Blog Thread,

How much is too much Super Mario Galaxy?  This question is not rhetorical.

Thanks,
Elizabeth

(P.S. Happy birthday, KvP!)

[Liz]

update: low are playing for freeeeeeeee at a health care reform rally but it is when i work! i will be so mad if i can't get someone to trade a shift

What.

What.

I fucking work.

Ugh.

PEOPLE.

[Eris]

I had a job trial today, with the owner of the cafe, rather than the manager (his niece). He sat me down at the end of my shift (I worked for 4 hours until closing) and said that he is not confident in me enough to roster me on straight away, but I have a lot of potential, so will be putting me on as an extra worker on his shifts until he is more confident in me. My next shift is on Friday.


I have a job! Fuck yeah!

[pen]

Woo, congrats!!!

Hi bloggert.  I just discovered the wonder that is the health and wellness center in my work.  Instead of taking a half day when i'm not feeling great and driving forever to get home to maybe catch my doctor, I can just take 20 minutes to go downstairs, get shit done and get my free prescription and get the hell out.  So easy!  I'm in love...

[Bastardous Bassist]

Well, I finished my prelim, and I can think of no scenario in which I didn't fail.  The third day consisted entirely of stuff I didn't know about those subjects (which, for some of the subjects, is a very small subset of the material).  I really don't want to take this goddamned test again next year, especially because I'd been planning to go to Europe with my friend when he gets out of the Air Force end of next July.  I'll keep my fingers crossed, but it'll take a miracle, and I'm fairly certain I used up all of my miracles for life just getting into this school.

Time to drown my sorrows with alcohol.

p.s.  Two of the question sheets we got today had the answers attached (we were honest and didn't look at them as far as I know), after the first day in which one of the professors had written the question wrong.  I feel like maybe I should be held to the same standards as the professors.

[celticgeek]

Going in to some final test or other (physics class), one of my friends made the comment "I can't think of a single question that he can ask that I can answer", which pretty well summed up our feeling about the class.  (I did pass, though). 

[loco_banana]

Dear Blog Thread,

How much is too much Super Mario Galaxy?  This question is not rhetorical.

Thanks,
Elizabeth

(P.S. Happy birthday, KvP!)

Are you turning down social times for it?
Are you yelling Shine get! if you find a coin on the ground?

No? Woo, keep playing.

[Alex C]

due to poor design, it made it look like the headline was "Teen Confesses to Rape Charge".

Yeah, when I worked at a newspaper it seemed like the grammatical and layout errors were precisely calibrated to be as awful as possible; I often got the impression that the editors were a pinch too reliant on spell check. For example, the paper did a short blurb on support group for rape and molestation victims with the noble intention of helping them get the word out about their group sessions and new hotline. Unfortunately, they primarily used the acronym for the organization, provided little context and ended the passage with "Call 1-800-Whatever to contact (Acronym that I can't remember) members working to support rape in our area". Bad, bad time to forget the word "victims."

[Lines]

So, last night our server at work crashed while I was backing it up for the day. I left work around 7ish and got back here at 9:30 this morning and it was still down. It was being fixed, but it didn't come back up until 11 today. Bwaha.

[jhocking]

our server at work crashed while I was backing it up

you broke it

[Lines]

I broke it by punching it in the face.

[Bastardous Bassist]

Going in to some final test or other (physics class), one of my friends made the comment "I can't think of a single question that he can ask that I can answer", which pretty well summed up our feeling about the class.  (I did pass, though). 

I've talked to people now (in addition to getting drunk) and apparently everyone passes.  I will be testing that theory.

[Reed]

Really? Usually fewer than 50% of the people who took ours passed.

[Bastardous Bassist]

Apparently ours is more hazing than actual test.  Optics is apparently not a popular field.  Hell, I got into the damned school.  *Jeremy Clarkson voice* Optics.  How hard could it be? */Jeremy Clarkson voice*

[jhocking]

I would never go to any school that would accept me, nyuk nyuk nyuk.

[Bastardous Bassist]

An actually good thing that happened to me today was that I apparently have been assigned a new research project.  One of the graduating students discovered a way to measure something about helical fibers, but was graduating so he couldn't pursue it.  Well, my adviser looked and saw that no one has measured such things before (sorry for the vagueties, I'm drunk), so apparently I'm going to do so.  That means, I do something that people know how to do, and get a publication out of it.  AWESOME!  Now I have to go prepare my apartment, because apparently, my place is the staging point for people going out tonight.

[Zingoleb]

Yeah, when I worked at a newspaper it seemed like the grammatical and layout errors were precisely calibrated to be as awful as possible; I often got the impression that the editors were a pinch too reliant on spell check.

This may be true. My favourite headline that I have ever (personally) seen was regarding the Whitewater - "Scandal at Waterwater!"

Blaggy,

So I think I may have mentioned that I have been doing some logging awhile back. Well, the guy won't pay me, and on top of that, has revealed himself more and more to be an ageist*, condescending, homophobic, conservative prick. So I'm trying to get in with a friend of mine to pick apples on his orchard and making up fliers for guitar lessons/guitar repair. Oi.

*I generally find this term to be overused, but he keeps bemoaning the fate of the future because we have no Beatles and too many laws. Also, he told me once, "Let me put this in a way you can understand it: Life is like a video game—" at which point I tuned him out because he was so insulting to me. This man used to also be my Boy Scouts troop leader, if that explains anything

[Jace]

"Let me put this in a way you can understand it: Life is like a video game—"

What you didn't realize is that after that he said "—You can take the hooker to the back alley, fuck her in your car, then when she gets out, run her over a few times and take back the money you paid her. Don't worry, if anything the cops will get a little bit mad, on a 1 to 6 scale its like a 1, and they'll forget about it if you just drive around town for a few hours."

[Zingoleb]

I did listen to what he had to say. It was basic common sense stuff that he was saying in a very condescending manner.

He then went on to tell me how homosexuals are unnatural and will die.

(-1 to me for killing your joke, sorry 'bout that)

[Yayniall]

Blug thread!
My 21st is less than a week away and I dunno what to do for it, besides drinking.
Any suggestions?

[ackblom12]

A short while after leaving the latest mechanic in Colorado, apparently they managed to get a surprise leak in the goddamn coolant and the head gasket on the engine fucking busted. This will cost $1,500 to rebuild/replace the engine and another $1,000 in labor. We can't afford not to do this because we can't afford the kind of carp payments we would have to pay with no trade in nor with our credit scores and at most we could scrap the car for $800 and no one in that area is willing to purchase it. So Kat and Huiming are having to look up flights home, in an area with no bus stations or an airport anywhere nearby, so that Kat can fly back next week to pick up a $3,000 car that has had $4,500 wroth of repairs in the last 3 - 4 months. There is no other option because we live in Rochester, NY and if we don't have a car by winter we are totally fucked.

tl;dr - The car has been totalled and we are having to fucking get it fixed because we cannot afford not to what the fuck.

Edit - I forgot to add in another $1,000 for the plane ticket. This has officially doubled our debt. Fantastic.

[Scandanavian War Machine]

i got home from work yesterday to find my bedroom literally completely covered with feathers, and my cat lying on the floor with a big, headless bird in her mouth. i know it's hard to tell with cats (espescially when their mouths are full), but i'm pretty sure she was smiling at me too.

i thought entrails, corpses, half-dead baby bunnies, and gigantic writhing beatle larva were bad enough but goddamnit feathers are really hard to clean up.

[Zingoleb]

New pillow?

[nobo]

Sounds more like the cat had a pillow fight with a bird and knocked its head off

[Demonic Angel]

Dear Blogosphere,

Where hath the debate forum gone?