Joey-dear, thanks for the challenge, but I think I will get to it next weekend. I need to do a little research. If it was the Silmarillion…. I could just pop out my answer, but this could be difficult. But it looks like I might have to look at the “Five Ages of Man.” Hesiod appears to be my main source… which is just fine with me. I loved reading Hesiod despite the gender theorists in my life believing that he was a sexist.
In the meantime, I’ve been contemplating the problem of “understanding.” I find it somewhat interesting in Bible study… We share prayer requests, and they are often quite personal… It’s sometimes hard to empathize with an event/ situation that I haven’t personally experienced. However, at other times, it seems way too easy to empathize. I might think I understand what a person feels like because of my own experience… but in reality, my experience is often clouding my understanding of their experience b/c I impose my conceptualization of my own situation onto what somebody else is going through. Since I don’t often know all the details, I can often assume things that are unsaid that should not be assumed.
Well, I don’t feel right giving examples…. sometimes I feel a little misunderstood myself… which is probably while I recognized the “understanding dissonance.” But I feel the understanding gap in my job as well when I transcribe interviews. Once again, I’m not allowed to share any direct examples, but it is entirely strange at times to realize that while I’m trying to objectively type the conversation word for word… there are places that I am mentally/physically unable to do so. Sometimes I cannot hear a word that I do not know. Sometimes, b/c of the recording, it’s impossible for anyone to hear. But for example, I don’t hear swear words. It’s like I’ve spent my whole life tuning them out… Often on the recording, I completely miss the exchange b/c I don’t understand, comprehend what’s going on… It’s out of my conceptual framework.
It’s also kind of strange b/c I listen to my professors interviewing/ analyzing their subjects. Meanwhile, I’m analyzing my professors, and I’m wondering what their purposes are for a certain question or line of thought. Was a question asked for personal reasons? Was it asked for the research only? In the end, is all research personal?
In Dr. Noll’s class, we came to the conclusion that nobody researches something that they are not interested in. (Well, unless they are forced, but that’s not where I’m headed). Yes, all research is subjective b/c of that fact, but at the same time, it is not necessary to dwell on biases b/c we can begin with that as a basic assumption. By matter of being a dedicated Christian, I’m going to do history on things that are good examples of Christianity and try to justify or distance myself from examples of bad Christianity (i.e. certain acts during the Crusades, the Salem Witch Trials, etc.). Meanwhile, a communist, who doesn’t believe in the supernatural, will not feel the need to write about reports of miracles but will focus on cases of inequality caused by capital.
Okay, if I’m thinking this deep, I should be studying. So good night, good luck, and thanks for all the fish.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
Let us rejoice in Lettuce
It might appear to my faithful readers that I’m a bit of a bigot. A bigot against leafy vegetables. It is true that decorative cabbages are a despicable plant for a flower garden, but I am really not against cabbages for food. In fact, a cabbage ready for picking is a beautiful thing.
I’m also quite fond of lettuce. I had a very nice salad today. So check out this BBC news article lettuce. Today in Israel, the Palestinians are celebrating the 14th Annual Festival of Lettuce. Simply lovely. Sparkling.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7346683.stm
(previous blog comments)
JoeyGirl Says:
April 18th, 2008 at 11:06 am
:) I had a salad in honor of…
I would very much like you to write another blog, so here is your challenge, my leafy love:
Write a discussion about LOTR the book vs. LOTR the movie and the relationship each has with mythology.
I’m also quite fond of lettuce. I had a very nice salad today. So check out this BBC news article lettuce. Today in Israel, the Palestinians are celebrating the 14th Annual Festival of Lettuce. Simply lovely. Sparkling.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7346683.stm
(previous blog comments)
JoeyGirl Says:
April 18th, 2008 at 11:06 am
:) I had a salad in honor of…
I would very much like you to write another blog, so here is your challenge, my leafy love:
Write a discussion about LOTR the book vs. LOTR the movie and the relationship each has with mythology.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Upping the Ante…
Wow. I’m sitting in my apartment on a Friday evening after a busy week. Whew!
Some exciting things happened this week, but for this blog, I’m going to stick to one subject: Weight Watchers. …You might have heard about my adventurers with a Dr. Pepper fast during Lent. It went pretty well. I cheated several times, but on the whole I did pretty well. And after some initial Dr. Pepper bingeing, I haven’t had much since.
Well, I decided to up the ante. Dr. Brown assigned a class project that involved observing a large group of people… It could be a study group, a club, a Bible study…. Well, I decided to do Weight Watchers. So this whole week, I’ve been dieting. Oh, I hate that word…”dieting.” Let’s call it “academic eating.” The way I’m doing it involves computers, math, science… There is a whole new field of literature involving cookbooks and eating strategies. By golly, I actually cut up broccoli for lunch the other day. I just realized it.
So one week down. 29 points…which is almost 50% more points than someone else I know. (I’m suddenly very glad for being tall.) I was able to keep to the plan, and the first week I succeeded. Hopefully, I will continue to succeed. But should I brag? I lost 5 pounds this week. That’s the most I’ve ever lost in a week. I’ve only dieted once before to fit into a bridesmaid dress, but that was horrible. It was low carb, and I was emotionally bummed for weeks. It worked, but I didn’t like it. Well, God be praised. We’ve been talking together for awhile about my eating habits, and this seems to be his work…not mine. So surely it will prosper. [This is sounding dorky, but I hope it’s true.]
(Comments for a Previous Blog)
JoeyGirl Says:
April 13th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Hi, darling.
I’m not going to call tonight. I have a headache the size of the collective ego of the state of Texas. So. I’m going to try to finish writing the seniors Jane Eyre test and go to bed.
But I love you, and I’ll give you a call during my HEB run tomorrow.
Some exciting things happened this week, but for this blog, I’m going to stick to one subject: Weight Watchers. …You might have heard about my adventurers with a Dr. Pepper fast during Lent. It went pretty well. I cheated several times, but on the whole I did pretty well. And after some initial Dr. Pepper bingeing, I haven’t had much since.
Well, I decided to up the ante. Dr. Brown assigned a class project that involved observing a large group of people… It could be a study group, a club, a Bible study…. Well, I decided to do Weight Watchers. So this whole week, I’ve been dieting. Oh, I hate that word…”dieting.” Let’s call it “academic eating.” The way I’m doing it involves computers, math, science… There is a whole new field of literature involving cookbooks and eating strategies. By golly, I actually cut up broccoli for lunch the other day. I just realized it.
So one week down. 29 points…which is almost 50% more points than someone else I know. (I’m suddenly very glad for being tall.) I was able to keep to the plan, and the first week I succeeded. Hopefully, I will continue to succeed. But should I brag? I lost 5 pounds this week. That’s the most I’ve ever lost in a week. I’ve only dieted once before to fit into a bridesmaid dress, but that was horrible. It was low carb, and I was emotionally bummed for weeks. It worked, but I didn’t like it. Well, God be praised. We’ve been talking together for awhile about my eating habits, and this seems to be his work…not mine. So surely it will prosper. [This is sounding dorky, but I hope it’s true.]
(Comments for a Previous Blog)
JoeyGirl Says:
April 13th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Hi, darling.
I’m not going to call tonight. I have a headache the size of the collective ego of the state of Texas. So. I’m going to try to finish writing the seniors Jane Eyre test and go to bed.
But I love you, and I’ll give you a call during my HEB run tomorrow.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Purple and Green make Spring
It’s that time of year. The little green weeds with purple coloring are springing out of the ground while yard-owners unmercifully try to hack them away. (By the way, I loves these weeds. I hate the decorative cabbages that people plant, but I love the weeds.) Soft, tender, light-green leaves are gracing the tries, and the red-buds are blooming in full purple, magenta splendor. In Oklahoma, purple and green really do mean Spring.
And with Spring, a young girl’s fancy turns to thoughts of… paranoia… Nah. But what is wrong with my brain this week? Perhaps when cabbages bloom, they release hallucinogenic fumes that keep good graduate students from reading their homework. Actually, this is the first week in over a month, that I’m not writing a paper or agonizing about a test or something. So I’m being social… and you guys know how hard that can be for me. =) I went to Sarah and Matt’s on Tuesday, Impact group on Wednesday, now I’m having the girls over tonight. Tomorrow, I have a reception with the SLIS Department, and then Sunday, Lauren and Eddie are coming up to go to the Renaissance Fair with me! This is all amazing fun and wonderful. It’s Spring!
But Spring and homework don’t mix. So tomorrow, I’m dedicating myself until four to homework. I’m not going to watch basketball or cartoons. I’m not going to play on my email or my blog. I am going to finish my homework for my class, Organization of Information.
But just to brag…I got a scholarship from the College of Arts and Sciences (and it’s just about enough to cover my medical bills from the last two months). So… I get to go to a rewards ceremony. I’m hoping it has tasty free food, and I’m allowed to invite anyone I wish. So if anyone actually wants to sit through a potentially boring list of alphabetized award winners, tell me, and I will sign you up. It’s on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 12.
Have a good weekend. Enjoy Spring.
(former comments)
glenn Says:
April 4th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
…yeah, and IN spring, wind shear, dry lines and combatting air masses make tornadoes, you lucky, plains-dweller. I’m not a bit envious.
Just seeing how you’re doing…seems to be fairly well, I see. Take care and blessings to you…
Susannelein Says:
April 7th, 2008 at 6:37 am
Woah - a scholarship! Congratulations! What for?
jen_archaic Says:
April 7th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
It’s a scholarship for good self-propaganda skills. =) The essay was on how my world view is affected by OU. I had a fun time getting to brag about my home state and my current university.
And with Spring, a young girl’s fancy turns to thoughts of… paranoia… Nah. But what is wrong with my brain this week? Perhaps when cabbages bloom, they release hallucinogenic fumes that keep good graduate students from reading their homework. Actually, this is the first week in over a month, that I’m not writing a paper or agonizing about a test or something. So I’m being social… and you guys know how hard that can be for me. =) I went to Sarah and Matt’s on Tuesday, Impact group on Wednesday, now I’m having the girls over tonight. Tomorrow, I have a reception with the SLIS Department, and then Sunday, Lauren and Eddie are coming up to go to the Renaissance Fair with me! This is all amazing fun and wonderful. It’s Spring!
But Spring and homework don’t mix. So tomorrow, I’m dedicating myself until four to homework. I’m not going to watch basketball or cartoons. I’m not going to play on my email or my blog. I am going to finish my homework for my class, Organization of Information.
But just to brag…I got a scholarship from the College of Arts and Sciences (and it’s just about enough to cover my medical bills from the last two months). So… I get to go to a rewards ceremony. I’m hoping it has tasty free food, and I’m allowed to invite anyone I wish. So if anyone actually wants to sit through a potentially boring list of alphabetized award winners, tell me, and I will sign you up. It’s on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 12.
Have a good weekend. Enjoy Spring.
(former comments)
glenn Says:
April 4th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
…yeah, and IN spring, wind shear, dry lines and combatting air masses make tornadoes, you lucky, plains-dweller. I’m not a bit envious.
Just seeing how you’re doing…seems to be fairly well, I see. Take care and blessings to you…
Susannelein Says:
April 7th, 2008 at 6:37 am
Woah - a scholarship! Congratulations! What for?
jen_archaic Says:
April 7th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
It’s a scholarship for good self-propaganda skills. =) The essay was on how my world view is affected by OU. I had a fun time getting to brag about my home state and my current university.
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