The Good News Bible

Ha. Didya think I was gonna come back and explain my absence by saying I just got out of a camp and I’m ready to spread the good word? Not a prayer.

I think that whole “good news” movement was an offshoot of the weird, christian, “go thou amongst the hippies and convert” thing that happened in the 60’s and 70’s. “Oh you feel lost? Confused? Well did you notice how much like a hippie Jesus was? No? Well let me tell you.....”
I think that that is a devilish part of some of the “religious issues” we are experiencing these days. A lot of those people got evangeled pretty hard core and became pretty hard core themselves, then married hardcore and bred hardcore and there you are, right down the line to Jesus Camp.

Anyway, no, it’s finals and that’s all the excuse I have.
But I thought I would drop by and relay that I just got word that I received an A in Poli. Sci. Which means that technically I earned my degree today.

I know there are plenty of other people, with plenty of way better sounding letters after their names from plenty of way prestigious universities, but, it feels real weird, tingly, exciting, pretentious and slightly embarrassing to be a little giddy about saying to myself, “hey! I’ve earned a degree”. Oh and I earned hell out of it Honey.

The other thing that is noteworthy is that today I am trying to make a major inroad in the reduction of the amount of nicotine my body expects daily. Having stressed myself up to over a pack, something aggressive needs to be done. So I got me some Zyban and a kitchen timer and I’m pulling serious Mrs. Lafayette DuBois action. 1/2 a cigarette every 50 minutes today, then only every hour tomorrow. Then Weds. I am in class or on the bus for almost 12 hours straight anyway. So by Thurs. I might be able to get it down to 10 a day. I bin watchin’ that timer so far today though....

Can’t focus, need chocolate

• The student 'zine apparently now hates me, they print only one, of my worst poems, each time. I’m starting to feel patronized.

• Perhaps we shall hear the pitter of little patters? The vet has spoken that Little ghee likely needs a boy toy. We begin a searing and painful search this week.

• Thursday, Thursday, Thursday. Last day before holiday break. Christ you know it ain’t easy....

• I think I’m a senior Betty.

• Chilean Sea Bass. Lightly panfried, HOT PAN, after rolling in herbs, spices and flour then baked at 500, HOT PAN, for 6 minutes = Frickin’ totally fabulous.

• (A • C) ~ (C v A) write a truth table for that! (You only need 4 lines).

• Thursday, Thursday, Thursday. Kant vs. Mill in the battle of the centuries, @ the my brain arena, blood WILL spill. (Probably from my ears).

• The Eye Of The Sybil by Phillip K. Dick, soon to join Ridley Walker by Russell Hoban, in “The Best Things College Has Exposed Me To Hall Of Fame”.

It’s nice to be heard, and thank you

Did I call for divine intervention? Was it granted? Yes and yes.
Opened up shop on the computer this am only to find that due to a water main break there is no school today! Whoot!

AND I had just finished up all my homework, so other than reviewing for exams for next week and a little light sci-fi reading for Monday I’m cool on all that. Paid all the bills and got the paperwork dealt with which is a major anxiety weight off my shoulders. As well as that while I may be technically broke, what money there is, is mine all mine.

Think I’ll go wrap the wedding present that has been hanging fire, getting that out of the way while it’s early, then actually get the dining room table cleared of all the nagging that had been.

Now we gotta think of something cool to do. I’m for going to the water of some kind. Down to the river or something.

So, later skaters, I’m off to do some stuff to make my life work.

School shite

It turns out that I have somehow miscalculated some things. It’s not a huge deal but frustrating. I am one credit hour short of my requirement for the math/sci portion of the MACRAO transfer agreement (which applies to both EMU and Concordia). I will now have to make that up taking Field Geology in winter semester. Not a terrible thing as I am rock crazy. I have a whole room full of rocks upstairs after all.

I had decided this fall to actually get the available degree so as to have it on hand. Well if I was to try to take it in liberal arts I would have to take yet another 100 level math class. As I pointed out to the counselor, with the choices being Intermediate Algebra, Statistics or Mathematical Analysis, at this time, I would not be successful. I mentioned the 4 tutors I burned through last Algebra class. I think they all killed themselves or something.
So she did some fancy maneuvering and came up with a grandfathered from 1991 (the first year I took a college class and did not dropout) Gen. Ed. degree for which I am only lacking a Poli Sci. requirement. This is annoying, cheering and kinda sweet. What it means is the crazy irony that in my last semester at this school I will be taking my last required class from the instructor who, in my first semester of college waaayyy back in 1982, said to me something to the effect of “You really piss me off. All you do is sleep through class but your homework and papers are immaculate. I wish I could throw you out”.

The other weird thing is that unless I actually get into the UM non-baccalaureate masters program, which would get me a masters in 5 years total, it will take me those same 5 years to get a bachelors. Shite.

Blame it on the boogie

Blame everything on the yard sale
No really. It really is it’s fault. It put me so far behind in everything:
School reading
Housework (and created extra)
Bill Paying
Eating properly
Blogging

I have had to just get my hyper-focus on all week and put my life back together. So that’s that and that’s all done. Now I have to go uptown and try to undue some of the damage neglecting the bills has done. I may have lost my safe deposit box. That would really suck.....

i haven’t even had time to read the newspaper since Sunday. I keep buying ‘em, they keep piling up, maybe tomorrow.....

Shoooo-ee Dang!!!

Thank you Jeebus, jofus and Ramy it’s over! (For now).
I really don’t know why it’s so hard. Because it’s not that hard. But yet it’s really, really, really hard. And stressful.

In a way it’s been really interesting to learn so much (not just the schoolwork but) about my obsessive self. I have spent the last two years trying to learn a whole new balance with a newly unleashed, facet of my personality. As always when the one facet is in dominance other facets must, of necessity, retreat or ooze their way around the emergent one forcing new pathways and channels for their expression. It’s always fascinating to watch.

I suppose some would think that it’s vaguely creepy to be so interested in my own “stuff”. My feeling is, how else would I learn “stuff” if not by watching my own “stuff” and picking it apart down to the very fibrous, matted, and fairly gooey nap?

The thing I am not so skilled at (yet) is time management. Therefore I apologize to those of you I have somewhat blown off, particularly in this last month. I’ll see you next weekend and do my best to make up for it.

Incidentally I finally figured out where that Burton Cummings earworm came from. So very sad to say, but it’s currently being used as a jingle for a french fry commercial. Sigh, I am SO lame.

Holy Spumoni

Almost everything is done except the damnable paper! 8 pages, at least 15 bibliographical sources, at least 5 works cited, MLA style, due Thursday, no late papers accepted. My topic - Why vice prohibitions don’t work.: Exemplified by a brief history of the mafia and the street gangs of Detroit. I will be back to blogging after I sleep for about a week.

Nigel - did you know at least one major mafia kingpin lived in Mt Clemens and there was even an enclave in Dexter?

Yesterday and today

Yesterday’s earworm was “Welcome to the House of Fun” - Madness. Todays was “Stand Tall” -Who is that? The Raspberries? BTO? Either way neither has any precedent. No reason I can think of for either to pop.
That is the weirdness of the earworm machine (or sprite) in my head. Sometimes it’s clear why that came up, I heard it or thought of it in the previous month or so. Others it’s completely obscure, haven’t heard it or thought of it in ages.

In the meantime, I already have major finals stress occurring and have had to run all over town looking for someone who (a) even has my cigarettes (b) isn’t charging 9 dollars a pack. Found a new source finally. Smoky’s Tobacconist are rockin’ my world right now.
As well as:
This morning, eating the same breakfast I’ve eaten everyday for over a year, my fucking tooth broke. God blast it. I can’t tell you how difficult dental care is to find and provide for financially when you are completely broke. This sucks.

Next week:
3 Exams
8 Pg. research paper
1 Quiz
2 Oral presentations
1 Poetry reading
Fagghhh

Blogster on the fly

I am not good at this student thing. I can make it all look good on paper, but what I go through and the amount of stress it causes me is feeling out of proportion to the results.
Midterms - feh. 3 exams, 2 essays, a quiz and a paper all this week. Time management skills? Not so much.....

Feh

Todays earworm
I’m Back in Baby’s Arms - Patsy Cline
Sorry, that is all, midterms over the next 4 weeks. Maybe after spring break starts on Fri.

Any day now

I’m really supposed to be doing homework. Wonder if that is really going to happen? I suppose as I kinda want to go to Swank’o’Rama tonight I probably should.

I need to get out a little, this for me is the first of the horrordays festives. This one is not so much about the season as much as about my friend who owns several businesses doin’ a little do for a combination of friends and clients.

Some of her clients are classic examples of the neauveau riche, I have come close to drink, face, throwing, activities at these things previously due to their outrageously gauche and idiotic snobbery. But even that is entertaining in it’s own fashion.
I could probably have some fun with a little class war drama. And considering the shit I’ve been seeing my working class friends dealing with the past couple years, throwing a drink or two and possibly indulging in some light fisticuffs with some republicans might be cathartic.
I wish Nitro and Eva Destruction were going though. It would be nice to have a few buds around. I already know you guys aren’t coming. I’m just psychic that way.

All right off to compare and contrast various poems and poets against other ones and write “breaking down an essays arguments in the critical thinking vein” papers and read South American mythology and read “The Rose Tattoo” and continue my Ginsberg project and on and on and on.

When semester break comes I get 20 days off with no freakin’ homework. Any day now.

And into the home stretch

When I go back tomorrow finals start. Seems like I just finished midterms. Oh wait that’s because we JUST finished midterms. Fuck it seems like it never ends. So I’m being a fairly good kid and trying to stay abreast as it were. I’ve basically completed two major projects either on time or ahead of time and only have two more major projects and a recital to complete by the eighteenth, both projects I am starting as soon as I finish this and read the Sunday paper.

I am tired though. Still sick and just really over it all. Next semester will be tough (math again) so I need to be rested and ready. I’m already ready already for winter break. I need more sleep. Apparently cats don’t believe in people sleeping, only themselves.

Suddenly

I really put it all together in my head while moaning about my workload to Jerseygirl and Uncle Bunny, three exams in four days this week. And another paper due next week while resubmitting today the paper I want those extra five points on. Oh yeah, right, it’s midterms.

Variations on variousnesses

• Have you noticed how you can look at certain people, you don’t even have to be able to see their eyes, and you can just tell from their physical demeanor and the way they are holding themselves that they are totally batshit nuts and/or close to going postal?

• My new best friend is the Library. He has a good CD collection and as long as I stick with classical the discs aren’t all scratched up from too many debauched and drunken nights. When he thinks I’ve had them long enough he just sends a polite and non-confrontational email asking for them back. I only wish he liked Erik Satie.

• My bathroom is so very awesome now. It has gone from the dingy room with corroded brass lights, too much wood and a water damaged overlarge cabinet sink, (who puts all that brass and fibreboard in a principal bathroom anyway?) to a beautiful pedestal sink, cool gray-white walls, lovely, ember red sconces, and forest green and ember red throw rugs. All due to MaintMan who is really starting to earn that free rent.

• We also have an actual working light over the kitchen sink as well. Soon we’ll have a freshly painted kitchen ceiling with a hanging pan rack and new ceiling fan. The old fan got broken the day I moved in 14 years ago. Sigh.

• The kittens use the drum wall area as their secret cave. They sleep cuddled up, hidden, behind the front wall. I suppose that might change when band practice starts up again tonight.

• I had no frickin’ clue what I was letting myself in for when I signed up for critical thinking. Those one sentence summaries in the catalogue are completely useless. I’m not sure what I thought, that maybe we’d sit around reading newspaper articles pointing out the unused portions of most peoples minds and trashing Bush or something I guess. I had no idea that I was going to have to learn all these new and formal definitions for words which basically constitutes learning a new language with the conceptual ideas as well. All these diagrams and truth tables and 3 kinds of syllogisms wahh! But it’s good, I can tell it’s good inside my brain, just really, really intense.

• We are at that time of year when I can’t get enough of light. But not just any any light, specifically that afternoon, sideways, slanting, westering, cool, fall sunlight. Send it shooting through a bunch of green, gold and red leaves and it’s one of the most beautiful things on this planet.