Here’s the thing….I heart math. I really do. I see the beauty and poetry of it, it seems like magic, but anyone can join the world of math. I’m just not very good at it. Now I suspect I’m not very good at it because either a) I’m not smart enough, or b) I don’t put the work in.
Work is important. For example, Ichiro, one of the best hitters in baseball I hear puts in hours of practice in batting practice.
I don’t want to accept that I’m not smart enough to do math. Cuz, for better or worse, when I was a kid, someone told me I was smart. And being a foolish kid, thinking that adults actually are truthful and/or know things, I believed them. Since then I’ve had a few tiny examples where I actually think it is proof that I am smart. But I have lots more examples of being dumb. For instance my scars from crossing the street. But maybe that is lack of wisdom, or lack of street smarts.
And remember, I believe anyone can enter the world of mathematics.
Wanting to be smart, I want to prove to myself that I can accomplish something that is intellectually challenging. Like math. So, my college transcripts are littered with Fails and Withdrawls and NoCredits from various calculus classes. One of my life goals is to finish the first year calculus series. (I already have “written” a novel, and “run” a marathon.) So I keep signing up for math classes.
Now, a few years ago, I took a pre-calc class. I did pretty decently. I followed with 1st quarter of calculus, and I think I learned a thing or two, and I actually got like a B out of it for a grade. (Not that I trust grades automatically mean anything.) But, I relaxed, and had a month off, and bought a house, then signed up for 2nd quarter, and was moving and stuff and not studying, and after the first exam, realized, “wow, I need to study, I don’t remember much from 3 months ago.” Had to drop it. But hey sportsfans…I was doing OK in math for like two quarters. There is a glimmer of hope for me.
Last year…cuz people at my work do biology stuff, I took an Anatomy/Physiology class. It was fun, I like the prof, I got a B-. So then I took part 2, same prof, same great time, this time I got B. The prof taught an ecology class in the spring, hey I like bugs, I got a either a B+ or A-. Notice, grades going up. It was fun, I was learning. Biology is cool. To keep in mental shape I took “tough” Microbiology course in the summer. I got an A-, and remember my thought on grades, well, here’s proof, the teacher was horrible, I didn’t learn much, (not really proud of myself for that, heck, I knew what I should be doing even if the exams were like pieces of candy).
I am trying to learn how to focus. But a lifetime of letting my mind wander don’t really help the old memorize the stages of photosynthesis.
Which leads us to today. Well, this quarter. Since I’m an old man, I got to get a move on, I foolishly decided to take chemistry & Biology. Idiot. I have friends that have done more, I don’t know how, maybe they’re super-heroes. But I have to stick with my plan, because a) push myself/learn discipline/carpe diem b) time’s a wastin’, I need a Bachelors degree at least to pad my resume, especially in the town I live in, and c) most importantly, I bought the books, and can’t return them, and am getting a little tired of having to buy a new edition every couple of years. Sometime I should show you my collection of first year calculus books.
Today, sadly, not dressed up as a tie-rack at work for Halloween. I am vacationing to study for my Bio exam tonight.
Here’s the problem.
NaNoWriMo starts in less than 12 hours.
My friends are doing it. I wanna do it (again) too.
Let’s see this entry is 729 words, I wrote it in 23 minutes. So I would need 50+ minutes a day of writing.
Only a fool would try.
...as you may know, I've been trying to cook a smoked pork, Lu'au style that I like. I keep getting closer, but so far not what I want. But recently I got another dose of knowledge.
I friend from long ago just had a wedding Lu'au reception.
the pork was the yum, ....smoky, tender, flaky, tasty, moist
recently I read that BBQ was created to deal with a real problem, poor dental hygene, leading to lack of teeth, so the meat had to fall off the bone...and poor cuts of meat, because you were poor and had to eat the entire pig, so the long process to make it tender...
my friend, he cooked the pork the day before, and the day of Lu'au put the pork, wrapped in banannananna leaves, in a home made smoker. I believe he got instructions from Alton Brown.
The best part. The smoker was a big cardboard box.. The pork was on a rack in the box. He put a hot plate w/ applewood chips in a pan in the box, had a small fan in the box, and every now and then would open the box for oxygen.
What is even funnier, a co-worker the other day explained how she can make campfire baked brownies in a card-board box.
Cardboard, evidently the essential outdoor cooking tool.
Who do you trust?
Favorite Quote: “You’re breaking out. I’m breaking in. Star-crossed.”
Things I liked: that while V was trying to break into the sorority she was almost exposed by Dick & some dude, who both know V is up to no good. It’s good that she already has the reputation as a trouble maker.
Questions: What’s up with “Cordelia”. Sure, we think she was shot, but we haven’t seen a body yet. And I’m still a bit confused, why did “Cordelia” give the painting to Keith, and who exactly was she scamming, and who shot her and who killed him? I need a chart.
I wonder if I would break within a 48 hour period for a class? I would like to think not, especially under the circumstances of the class experiment. On the other hand, if some one could inflict pain on me, yes I would break. So, how does one best get someone to crack? I really like the way Wallace got it done. Just trick them into thinking the experiment is over and that they won, then just ask.
But seriously, how best to torture under the rules of the College Convention? Maybe loop “Mmm-Bop”, allow them to eat only WonderBread ™, solitary confinement, sleep deprivation. Under that I might crack, but I also don’t think I would be able to remember the address of where the bomb was. Heck, I have a tough enough time remembering my own address.
I liked how Logan did bits to keep the morale of the prisoners up, and how he helped Horschak. He almost seemed likable. Must remember, he’s not a good person. (Unless one believes that a bad man can be redeemed by the love of a good woman.)
I’m glad the pot-growing sorority house is gonna get busted. Remember, we are still in a “war” on drugs, and the more privileged white people that get busted, the sooner we can quit this pointless “war”.
The moral of the story, you get people to trust you, then you can betray them to get what you want. The sorority trusted V. Keith trusted Cordelia’s killer. The prisoners trusted the clock.
Who do you trust?
Well, on the Island, everyone has a secret. Even the Island has a secret. It’s like a great big old onion of secrets. Or a parfait of secrets.
My favorite quote: Sawyer, “You taste like strawberries.” Kate, “And you taste like fish biscuit.”
Things I liked. Jack didn’t talk. I like him much better that way.
I liked Sawyer’s performance. From easy going, happy-go-lucky country bumpkin, to the glare of “I will peel the flesh from your bones.” I like him, always a quick one-liner to break the tension.
Let’s see, Sayid lied to stay and set the ambush. Which, naturally, went poorly.
We find that Sun cheated on Jin, made me sad. Did the English teacher jump to his death, or did Sun’s father have someone follow Jin, to make sure the job got done properly? I think the second.
The chance for prison break? Looks good so far. I like how Sawyer got himself beat up to get some good intelligence on the capabilities of the enemies. (Wolverine would be proud.)
Now that I think of it…can we match/compare the X-men to Lost cast?
Sawyer – Wolverine
Jack – Cyclops
Kate – Jean Grey/MarvelGirl/Phoenix? DarkPhoenix?!?!
Locke – Beast
National Novel Writing Month
You can do it! We have talked about it.
and you, I know you got crazy plans...
and you, you know you want to, you really really do...
and you, what else are you doing these days?...
and I think you can too. (yes, I am talking to you my dear sports fans.)
Sorry, I'm a bit booked for time.
You see, here's the thing, I am taking two classes this quarter, and well, between work and school, I also need time to study. (new concept for me, I'll try it out, see how it works)
But I promise to get my novel from last year published. This year.
I gotta say, I’m starting to feel that the show is a bit of a chore. If it didn’t come back on the air, I don’t think I much would care.
But it’s back.
(Notice, they didn’t change their theme-song.)
spoilers…
Oh boy a Jack intensive episode.
Jack bores me. I kinda hope he dies. Or, in a nice twist, maybe he gets paralyzed, and then he can’t go off on the adventures. I tell you what, if I’m ever “Lost” I strongly vote for keeping the islands only doctor safe at camp.
Seriously, in a survival situation, stick with your strengths. You don’t send the doctor into the burning building. Even if there are no firefighter around. Sheesh, it would be like letting Deanna be in charge of the Enterprise.
I am afraid that the creators of Lost, may be a little like Chris Carter. And they don’t have an end, they just keep making up weird stuff to toss into the mix.
Favorite line: “I asked for that cage, but they wouldn’t give it to me,” Sawyer to Kate.
Along time ago
We used to have a theme song
But it hasn’t rocked much lately
What the freck?!? I am always nervous when they change the theme song. Drew Carey show started to go down hill when it changed.
Did MASH ever change theme song?
Seinfeld?
Friends?
Buffy?
Dear producers, don’t change the theme song. Use your muscle, toss the band a royalty point so you have rights in perpetuity instead of a cash payment for a couple of years. Then, if the show gets canceled, you owe nothing. And if it makes it big, they still get money.
Seriously.
So about the episode…
spoilers follow
How dumb is V? She wants to not make any enemies? Then why doesn’t she just play along in class with the stupid game, instead of showing off how smart she is.
I don’t really need to see Logan in after-glow.
Did Dick rape & shave the head Mac’s room-mate? Is that gonna be the overriding mystery this season? Who’s been raping the college girls?
So, “Cordelia” got shot and killed by her lover? How will Keith ever get out of this pickle?
Not so much gripped by the episode.
Favorite part,… “Freck”
...there's nothing like a pop quiz to destroy some one's sense of confidence.
Good thing it was just a quiz, and not a midterm.