Saturday, May 16, 2009

Why you should use "she"

In a previous, I addressed the issue of grammar. In that posted, I insisted on using the words, "she" and "her," as my pronouns as opposed to "he" or "him." I think this is the better way to go. Using the female equivalent of the pronoun makes your sentences more abstract, because it does not imply exclusivity. For instance, the sentence, "A student has to decide which of her backpacks to discard first," seems to imply that the student could be either male or female. "A student has to decide which of his backpacks to discard first," seems to imply that the student is male.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

It's process, not substance

That was the title of the paper I wrote today. Basically, I was saying, "It's okay for my paper to suck. At least I wrote it."

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Do we get a refund?

Yesterday in math class, the math professor messed up the example problem he was trying to do, thus losing the entire lecture in an act of futility. He then announced that next lecture he planned to redo that same problem. Now, at the time, it didn't bother me, because I was sleeping, and I had just woken up to this announcement. So naturally I felt quite pleased (at the nap, not the announcement).

As I was leaving class, though, my initial pleasant state of mind wore off. How can the professor just expect to get away like this without any fear of consequences? In any business, I would have gained some sort of compensation for this mishap. Why should school be any different?

Oh, and the upcoming quiz date for that class was also left unchanged.

Oppressing the minority

I think that in a disagreement (over facts, not opinions), people taking the lesser taken side should stop and reevaluate. Are you really suggesting that you're right and everybody else is wrong? That is a bold claim, and chances are, the majority opinion, or should I say, "fact," is correct.

And if the majority opinion happens to be wrong, then we're all in the same boat. So it's a win-win situation. I like win-win situations.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Inactivity on purpose

One might ask, "What is the purpose of this blog?" And one would receive no answer. The purpose, in fact, is far more sinister and self-serving than you might think. It cannot be revealed. Not now, at least.

Firstly, though, let's assume that there is a purpose, that a purpose exists. Now let's suppose that this hidden purpose is violated by some turn of events. In order to restore the sanctity of this blog, concessions must be made. And these concessions themselves are violations of the hidden purpose, but with the long-term intent of restoring the original purpose.

Perhaps, someday I may reveal the purpose of this post, or this blog. But until then, consider the lack of activity you have seen as part of my hidden agenda.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Hard work

People often seem to portray hard work and talent as different ends of the same spectrum. For instance, a gifted athlete who never lives up to her potential because of questionable work ethic is said to be talented. She is not. And by she, I mean she, even though she's probably a he... You know what I mean. I like to adhere to grammar conventions.

But people seem to forget how hard it is to work hard. It is truly is difficult. It takes inhuman discipline.

That's why when people question why I don't work hard, well, it's because I just don't have the talent!

Monday, May 4, 2009

Proof of futile resistance

I think our "stupid" mistakes are less stupid than we think. For instance, I took a math test today. On the test, I managed to see the same exact problem that I anticipated in preparation for the test. Never mind how I manage to "anticipate" that problem...

On that very problem, I made the same arithmetic error (in my head) that I did when solving it the first time around.

I guess the moral of the story is: just because something can be easily avoided, doesn't mean it will be easily avoided.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Self-proclaimed optimists

I used to be an optimist. In fact, I still might be. Who knows? Who cares. But the thing about optimism is that self-proclaimed optimists want to be happy. In my opinion, people should be unhappy for a change. Be sad. Be indifferent. Be carefree. But don't be happy all the time. That just sickens me.

I know why the caged bird owner sings

There is something awfully endearing about an animal in a cage. Not so much a tightly packed cage with no room to roam, but a spacious and comfortable enclosed area. In this way, the animal is like a toy that can be played with. It is especially endearing when one toy interacts with another toy of a different type. In the wild, though, an animal is observed. It because a visual phenomenon - one that can be appreciated for its beauty, but not as fun to play with as a toy.