Context is everything

On Tuesday, I had to go see a professor to discuss my final paper topic. Waiting in the hall, I could hear that the person ahead of me in the office was handing over a first draft. When I was told to go back to the drawing board and develop a different (better) topic, my [...]

Tell the one about your computer’s built-in cup holder!

Wow. Mad props to the Tribune for giving the task of writing up “fast takes on Web news” to someone who apparently is woefully out of touch with the ol’ tubes. Click to read:

I mean, really. I feel like someone just walked up to me wearing neon parachute pants and suggested we order some ‘za [...]

A late Memorial Day offering

We do not now have in this country a National Army Museum, but there is one in development, and they now have a promotional video on their website. The video is called “I have a story to tell” and is worth watching, I think. The museum won’t be open until 2013, which would be sad [...]

They all think I’m smart until the end of the quarter

Alas, alas, woe is me, etc. Once again my utter inability to come up with a decent final paper topic on my own rears its incompetent head. I like to think I’m not a moron, but my total suckitude at this very basic element of academic life makes that pretense hard to uphold.

Let it be known

If I don’t have to make a research trip this summer, I’m going to buy myself a new laptop (and make a profit this summer, the way the exchange rate is).

This could be interesting

The University of Pittsburgh has some points to take into consideration when choosing a roommate:
Will the apartment be the place where you want to study or party or both? What are the prospective roommate’s habits? Does he or she smoke? (Do you?) What about alcohol or drug use? What about musical tastes? Does reggae or [...]

Why I am a History major, and not studying English Lit

Want to read something utterly fascinating? Let me recommend to you Bab: A Sub-Deb, a title described by James Lileks as “sound[ing] like a novel written entirely in the voice of someone with a head cold”. The premise is that Barbara (“Bab”), a 17-year-old itching for her debut, has written essays and diary entries about [...]

I take it back; I don’t want it to be summer after all

Big round of applause goes out today to whoever had this room before me. Specifically, whoever thought it was a good idea to throw a cigarette butt into the radiator. I’m sure that’s not the only reason the A/C makes my room smell bad, forcing me to keep the window slightly open in spite of [...]

We each of us have our own burden to carry

I was walking into the building this afternoon, when I noticed a girl coming in behind me grasping a 24-pack of Diet Coke. She was fairly petite, so this was a substantial load. I held the door for her. “Thanks!!” she squeaked.
“No problem,” I say.
“This is so lucky! I didn’t know how I was going [...]

eeeeeeeeeeee

The carpet in the hallway is wet and squishy! … And now my feet are sticky. WTF?