Last Day Ahead...

I said a while back that I'd post practicum updates. Well, that hasn't exactly happened as I'd hoped. Guess I've been busy blogging about other things.

Basically it's been a good experience. Very interesting, sometimes fun, sometimes draining. It makes for incredibly busy Wednesdays. The classroom experience has been valuable, and I've seen good things.

Tomorrow is my 10th and final session. I'm not sure whether to be excited or sad. Maybe a little of both. I really wonder how the students will react to my departure. Will they miss me or be glad to be rid of the pesky tutor? I don't really know.

Here's looking forward to tomorrow...

Follow Up

Remember this post...

Well, after further reflection I have revised that piece. It now ends:

"The question I’ve asked myself is pretty open ended. Yes, I write a lot about many different subjects, and in many different genres. My writing varies based on the situation. I like to write, and I do it well. I don’t write for money or status. I don’t intend to write a book. If that means I’m not a “real writer,” so be it. In the end, my status as a writer can only be defined by me, and I view myself as a writer. Therefore, I am a writer."

So there.

About Time

After 74 games, and more than $ 2.5 million won, Ken Jennings finally lost on Jeopardy. About time someone else gets a chance. At any rate, it's a nearly impossible record to break, seeing as they usually "cap" you at five shows...guess that rule went away for the 20th anniversary.

Possibly the Dumbest Blog Ever...

Is right here.

An entire blog comprised of pictures of dishes. Harvard Law students must have more time on their hands than we think.

The Holiday Season: Consumerism Gone Mad?

Joe and Jenny Smith wake up at 5 am on the day after Thanksgiving. Joe heads to the end of the driveway and picks up the paper before waking the rest of his family. They have a busy day ahead. The kids are piled in the van, and they are off!

Like millions of other Americans, the Smith family will go shopping on this Black Friday, as it is dubbed by retailers. They will visit department stores, electronics stores, and specialty retailers selling every item under the sun. Perhaps they will visit one of Minnesota’s many malls. If the Smiths live in the suburbs, their stops might even include the mother of all shopping fortresses: the Mall of America.

No matter where they go, the Smiths are likely to encounter long lines, crowded aisles, and a noticeable lack of open parking spaces. You see, the day after Thanksgiving is huge, a day in which a store can make 80 percent of its profits for the entire year. It’s do or die. Why? Because the passage of Thanksgiving means there is only a month to go until Christmas.
That’s right, Christmas. And Christmas means gifts, which means people will buy things. People buy more stuff in the weeks before and immediately following Christmas than any other time of year. Toys, clothes, even big ticket items like cars. If it’s made, it sells on Christmas…even worthless, gimmicky crap, like singing and dancing Santas and Billy the Big Mouth Basses (remember those)?

So Joe, Jenny and the kids go to the jam packed mall, where they encounter store owner Stan. Stan wants the Smith family to shop at his store. But how does he get them to choose his over the hundred others under the mall’s roof? Simple, he offers a free gift just for being one of the first hundred in the store. Then, he gives them a free gift with purchase. But Stan doesn’t stop there, he offers door buster deals and deep discounts on all his merchandise. The better the deal Stan offers is, the more likely the Smiths are to spend their hard earned cash in his store.

Stan and the Smith family are symbolic of today’s society; materialistic and consumer driven. We want stuff, and retailers will do almost anything to get us to buy it. It doesn’t really matter what the stuff is, because the same scenario could play out in any store in the USA. Don’t blame the retailers, it’s their livelihood. Don’t blame the Smiths, they’re just doing as most of the rest of us do. Shopping for deals is commonplace, and so is gift giving.

And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. After all, a gift once in a while is nice, as a token of appreciation or a reminder that someone cares. I can’t help but wonder, however, if our consumerist and materialistic ways have gotten out of control. Stores undercut prices, and shoppers literally fight over merchandise. Every year, cameras catch footage of people being trampled as they attempt to rush into the just-opened door of their favorite store. It’s downright pathetic.

How do we fix this epidemic? I don’t know. Maybe we need to take a step back and look at what the holidays are supposed to symbolize. Last time I checked, they were about giving thanks and spending time with those we care about, not about making and spending dollars. Think about it.

BSU Email is Evil

The BSU student email seems to be out of commission...AGAIN! I don't realize how much I rely on my email until I don't have it. It is, after all, my main form of communication. What a pain!

They Should Offer...

A class called Cooking 101 for hall residents.

Cold Weather + Fire Alarm Caused by Burnt Food =NO FUN

Back in Brrrrmidji

I'm back in town again. Actually surprised by how little snow there is. No more, or possibly less, than in the cities. That's ok, because I hate the stuff.

Now, to do some writing...

Thanksgiving Recap

Our Thanksgiving was good. Pretty low key. We were visited by a few friends and neighbors and called the grandparents. My parents cooked two turkeys even though we only had 5 people (Me, Mom, Dad, sister Jena and her boyfriend Adam). Needless to say, there are lots of leftovers.

After dinner, went and saw "Without a Paddle" with Jena and Adam. It was ok, good for a few laughs. Worth the rate at the discount theatre ($2).

Also watched "Farenheit 9/11" last night after the theatre. It was alright...pretty much what I expected. Moore painted Bush as a bumbling fool with way too many ties to the Saudis. I don't like Bush, but wouldn't call myself a Moore fan either. I guess the movie is good if you're cogniscent of the bias that exists, and can take it with a grain of salt.

Home

I feel like such a slacker! I haven't blogged in TWO DAYS! What a shock!

Well, I'm home for the Thanksgiving holiday. The house is quiet, since they are both at work and my sister won't be home from Duluth until later this afternoon. It was weird...even though I know she's up there, my mind half expected her to walk through the door last night after having been at some friend's house.

Trying to get some work done today, although I don't have much battery power, so I better get offline and charge the ol laptop before it dies.

Don't know what else is in store for the weekend. Maybe a little more blogging...told Mom I'd show her what blogs are, since she's never seen one. That's right, never seen a blog.

Right on the Money

Once again, Julie has proven she's a smart one. Her comment on my previous post, "Cool Teachers," was as follows:

"I'd rather be respected than liked. My job is not to make people like me -
it's to educate them. "

She's exactly right. A teacher's job is not to be liked or popular. I can be successful at educating students even if they do not "like" me. I can earn respect if they do not like me.

If I have students who DO like me, it's an added bonus.

Cool Teachers

Saw a skit on SNL last night that's got me thinking. All of us going into education want to be well liked by students. But what exactly constitutes a "cool" teacher?

Wal-Mart

The other day I came across this scathing evaluation of Wal-Mart. Wow. Almost makes me feel guilty for shopping there.

And as he also points out, how in the world can K-Mart afford to buy Sears. Last time I checked, K-Mart was headed down the toilet faster than a dead goldfish.

Business will never make sense to me.

So Much To Do

I need to be productive. I have so much to do. It's almost the end of the semester, and I am totally not ready. Papers, papers, and more papers. The craziness never ends. Hopefully, I'll knock a few more things off the old to do list tomorrow.

Swearing

I've often said Advanced Writing is a crazy class. It's also a place where colorful language is sometimes used in papers and general conversation. It's just the general makeup of the group. Not to mention that people cussing is a fact of life.

Today I said "shit" --Lindsi was surprised. She said it was the first time she'd ever heard me swear. I found this funny, because I actually do it fairly often, maybe it's just not in public. Who knows...

It got me thinking about the newest "game" in the office, which seems to be to get me to cuss. People think it's hilarious because I can never seem to get the words off my tongue without laughing...especially when I'm around people. Maybe it's because swearing implies anger and I'm not an angry person.

I did have to mention that my language goes downhill when the website isn't cooperating. You shoulda heard me when I was transferring pages...plenty of shits, damnits, and even the dreaded F-Bomb.

So yes, even I, swear.

Senate Website

Just in case you haven't clicked on the Web Team blog lately, here's an invitation to check out the new and improved Student Senate website! We've been workin our tails off. It is A LOT of work transferring web pages. Whew!

Check us out at http://www.bemidjistate.edu/studentsenate

Real People

Senate had it's once-a-semester supper at Q's tonight. It was great. We all chatted and joked and had quite a good time. It's nice to see those people (President, VPs) out of the University "element" on occasion. We still talked business, but not as much or as formally as is usually the case. And they told us some hilarious stories.

Nights like this serve as reminders that these people are "real", not just stuffed shirts on 3rd Floor Deputy, but real, genuine people. It's great to see.

Small World!

By now, I've mentioned several times that I frequent the U of M's blog site. There are a few blogs on there I read pretty regularly. Every so often, I'll click on something random in the recent posts list just for fun.

Well, a couple weeks ago, I happened upon a blog entitled "Obst's Blog." It appeared to be a blog written for some kind of upper level writing course. There were links to blogs of other people in the class. I looked at a few entries, and it appeared to me that thse students are working as tutors in a writing center.

Sounds pretty run of the mill...just one of likely hundreds of class blogs being kept at the U. Except for one thing--I realized I had attended high school with someone by the same name as the blogger. Being that I am from the cities and a large number of people from my graduating class went on to the U, it was not beyond the realm of possibility, but still a long shot. I left a comment anyway for the sheer fun of it.

Well, as it turns out, they looked up my blog in class (Which in itself is rather cool) , and the blog Dan Obst IS the same Dan Obst who I went to high school with. Of 772 blogs at the U, I came upon one of someone I know, at random.

Proof that even the Blogsphere is a small world.

Funny Definitions

Something funny I saw on Lindsi's blog. And my Ed Psych prof showed it to us in class, I think.

Definitions from the Washington Post. Once a year they have readers submit made-up alternate meanings for words.

1. Coffee (n.), a person who is coughed upon.
2. Flabbergasted (adj.), appalled over how much weight you have gained
3. Abdicate (v.), to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach
4. Esplanade (v.), to attempt an explanation while drunk.
5. Willy-nilly (adj.), impotent.6. Negligent (adj.), describes a condition in which you absentmindedly answer the door in your nightgown.
7. Lymph (v.), to walk with a lisp.
8. Gargoyle (n.), an olive-flavored mouthwash.
9. Flatulence (n.) the emergency vehicle that picks you up after you are run over by a steamroller.
10. Balderdash (n.), a rapidly receding hairline.
11. Testicle (n.), a humorous question on an exam.
12. Rectitude (n.), the formal, dignified demeanor assumed by a proctologist immediately before he examines you.
13. Oyster (n.), a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddish expressions.
14. Pokemon (n), A Jamaican proctologist.
15. Frisbeetarianism (n.), The belief that, when you die, your soul goes up on the roof and gets stuck there.
16. Circumvent (n.), the opening in the front of boxer shorts.

Am I A Writer?

Have you ever asked yourself a question you weren’t sure you knew the answer to? I tend to do that a lot. Recently, I’ve had a new question going through my head. That question is simple: am I a writer?

At first blush, the answer to that question should be simple. I’m in Advanced Writing class. That alone should be an explanation, for why would one who is not a writer take a class for advanced writers? Isn’t being a writer at the very core of the course? And if it is, then why am I questioning my status as a writer?

Well, it’s simple. Obviously, most of my friends know that I’m an English major. To me, being an English major kind of automatically implies that you write. Imagine my surprise, when during a recent conversation about majors, one looked at me and asked “Do you write?” Initially, it seemed to me to be, well, a stupid question. Of course I write, I am an English major for goodness sake. Maybe Biology majors don’t think like me.

But then I realized something. Josh’s question was actually a very good one, and the answer is more complicated than a simple yes or no. It really depends on what he meant by write. In truth, writing has many definitions.

If he meant academic writing, then yes, I write. I write papers for classes all the time—research papers, personal essays, projects, you name it. I write hundreds if not thousands of words on a daily basis to fulfill class requirements. Writing academically is a fact of life in college.

If he meant professionally, the answer is also an emphatic yes. In three years on Senate, I’ve learned to write bills, memos, reports, and letters to so-called important people. I can come up with countless well done examples of this type of writing. Again, it’s something I need to do on a daily basis. A huge part of being a good leader is having the ability to communicate well both in person and in writing.

If he meant personally, as in a journal, you bet I do. My new found addiction to blogging is proof of that. The blog is a great outlet for feelings, thoughts and musings on the state of my life and the world as a whole. That type of writing just works for me. I probably write as well, or better on my blog than I do anywhere else. I’ve been told as much.

But does that mean I truly write? I don’t write the things a “writer” is supposed to. No poetry. No short stories. No novels. No fiction of any kind. I don’t know why, I just never have. In fact, I rarely have time to do much writing for fun outside of my blogging, and that’s only come about in the last few months.

Yes, I’m an English major who professes to love writing, but doesn’t actually do it for fun. It makes no sense. I feel as if I should do more, but then it wouldn’t be for fun because I’d be forcing myself to write in all these mediums just because I should. And a writer who writes forced isn’t a very good writer.

Which still leaves the question open: What the hell does it mean to be a writer? It must be more than simply “One who writes.” And whatever that definition is, do I fit it?

New in Berne's World

Just in case you didn't notice, I thought I should mention that there are several changes to the sidebar on my blog that have been made in the last week or so:

About This Blog:
New section, contains a link to my copyright notice, and the new Creative Commons license now being used for the blog.

Wikis:
I thought two Daybook links were redundant, so I removed one. The former Blogs and Wikis section is now simply "Wikis"

Blogs I Read:
Three additions to the blogroll-

• My Malleus Maleficarum- Michelle's blog. Lord knows where she came up with that name or what it means
• BeaverFever- Angie's new blog.
• Morgan's Log- It seems more than appropriate to recognize the guy whose class got me hooked on blogging.

BlogBooks

So, I've got this one friend who keeps telling me that some of my more "profound" postings are really good, and that if I wrote more stuff like that I could get published. Frankly, I've always thought she was nuts...I mean, my stuff is not that good, and if we're talking blog posts, who the hell would want to read a blog in print?

Well, we had a discussion in class the other week, and Morgan mentioned that people have started to publish blogs in print. Still, it seemed odd to me. Isn't the whole point of blogging to be web based? Plus, I had never run across one of these blog-book conversions.

Tonight, upon signing into Blogger, I found proof in the Blogger News section, apparently, this man has published his blog in book form: Tea For One: Zen And The Art of Blogging.

Proof that BlogBooks do exist.

Holidays

Just finished watching Home Alone, which puts me in kind of a holiday mood. I like this time of year. On the other hand, it is hard to believe it is Mid November already. So much to do.

And... the prize for earliest Christmas tree putter-upper goes to: Michelle

(Yeah, I'm an English major and I just used the word "putter-upper")

Feeling Better

Well, the evil Ed Psych test and my observation assignment are completed and turned in. That feels good. I'm sitting in the office. Could go home but don't feel like it. Seems so quiet around here today, I think people took the day off. It's almost eerie on campus.

More profound post later...maybe :)

Procrastination is a Bitch

So, I've gone almost 2 days without blogging. I didn't yesterday, and this post is just under the wire for today. I feel almost guilty.

Got up way too late today. Haven't been nearly as productive as I had hoped. It's almost midnight, and I am still working on Ed Psych take home test and observation assignment. I should have typed up the observation stuff when I did it, which was nearly a month ago, but I procrastinated. Typical college student I guess.

The exam's not due till 3 tomorrow, so if need be I can finish in the AM.

I'm hungry and have no snacks...ugh.

Back to work...

Another Humorous Political Graphic

Divided States

Gotta love em. Sad thing is, this is probably true right now. And likely will be for some time.

Good old USA.

One of Those Days...

Today was one of those days when I was stressed and just utterly ticked off. I have been frustrated the last two days to begin with, and this afternoon's cabinet discussion of the conference policy draft was kinda aggravating. I got mad, which I never do in meetings. It felt pretty crappy.

I'm human, I'm imperfect. I have bad days too.

Thanks also to Julie for convincing me to go home instead of to movie night. I'll watch "The Gathering Storm" some other time.

I'm lucky to be surrounded by people who look out for me on my bad days :)

Losing Touch

I was chatting briefly with a friend from high school on AIM tonight. I hadn't chatted with her in some time. Turns out she is now in school in New York.

This conversation made me realize something. I am in touch with virtually no one from high school. If it weren't for IM programs I probably would not be in contact with people at all. And most of those people I do hear from are from the classes after mine, not my graduating class. Mostly, I'm lucky to hear from people a couple of times a year. There are a few I send Christmas cards to, but that's it.

I'm reminded of this lost touch occasionally, such as last year when I was given the sad news that one friend had passed away following a tragic motorcycle crash...I hadn't seen, spoken or written to her since graduation.

Or, realizing that it's only since Nolan joined Senate that I've seen him for more than a moment or two at a crack while moving about between classes and what not. This campus isn't that big, and yet before this year, I'd probably only had a half dozen "hey, what's up" exchanges with him in the last two. Nothing wrong with that, but it certainly illustrates that losing touch is easy...even if you're in the same place.

So why have I lost touch with so many? I don't know, maybe it's natural. My life is much different than it was, and most of it is here, not back home. My good friends are here (or I met them here and they've moved on). So in one sense, it's sad to lose touch, but in another sense it's just part of life.

What a difference two years can make.

Some Political Humor

Check out this graphic.

Help For Blogaholics

Everyone calls me a Blogaholic. Michelle says I need Bloggers Anonymous.

She sent these links:

Central Vermont Blog Addiction Treatment Center

Are you a Blogaholic? Quiz

Strangely enough, the quiz claims I'm only a casual blogger. Even I admit that's bunk!

Doozy of a Sentence

"Sometimes in the past we've passed bills just to pass bills."

-Me, just now on MSN Messenger. And I'm supposed to be an English major?

A Reminder

Had a great conversation on MSN with Julie tonight. One of those chats that reminds me why I do what I do, and how far I have come in the last couple of years. I'm on the right course, I can make a difference.

If only the rest of my existence would fall into place so well, I'd have it made.

Sunday Afternoon Fun

Helped cheer on runners at World Run Day with a few of the other senate folks. Quite a good time, and for a good cause.

Plus, it proves I actually did something worthwhile on a weekend.

Read more on the Senate Blog.

Midterm Reflection Done!

Ufda! That took a long time. Read it here.

She's Where?

Mom called tonight. Apparently Jena and Friends road tripped from Duluth to Lawrence, KS to watch a friend in a KU Dance Team competition. And it's 90 and sunny...

Wonder how much class she's skipping for that trip?

Blogger Conspiracy

So I just spent about an hour fiddling with my blog template. I wanted to switch to "Thisaway Blue", but that template must've been messed up because not even my profile would show up on the sidebar. Thank god I saved the coding from this one so I could revert back.

The Blogsphere Claims Another

I must welcome another friend to the wonderful world of blogging. Nicole, one of our new rock stars on Senate, and a fellow Secondary English Ed major, has started a blog.

Check out her blog, Don't Burn The Day.

Yeah, I wondered about the title too. Guess it's a Dave Matthews song.

Politics...A 7th Grader's View

While I was at the middle school today, I had the following conversation with one of the 7th graders:

Student (Head down): I'm tired
Me: Yeah, me too. I was up till 2 am.
Student: Doing what?
Me: Watching election returns on TV
Student: Did you want Kerry to win?
Me: Well, yes, I'm fairly liberal
Student: Me too.
Me: Do you know what liberal means?
Student: Well, no.

Kids say the darndest things. More than likely, he'd heard parents or teachers talking politics, and copied them. I don't think ideologies form that early...still, I had to smile at a kid talking politics.

A future voter in the making.

The Day After...

So the election did not go as I hoped. Life goes on.

My fingers are crossed for the next four years...

Election Day's Number One Quote

"Too close to call"

For Some, Election is More Than Just Politics

As I sit here, reading blogs and watching election returns, I am reminded that for some voters, this election is about more than war, the economy, or even politics. It's much more personal.

I came across this post on one of the UThink blogs I read fairly regularly, in regards to family values. An excerpt:

" ...the whole conversation started when i said why i wasn't voting for bush. bush's idea of family values is so warped and archaic, they would do much more detriment to today's family's than good. i see my survival and happiness as my main goal in life, and thwarting Bush is key to succeeding in that. What's worse, if he wins, I see it as reaffirming the policy of keeping homosexuality in the shadows, as something that is inferior and isn't talked about.

If Kerry wins, I'm gonna tell my parents."

For this particular blogger, the results of this election will be key to making a big decision in his life...be truthful, or stay in the shadows.

No matter what your beliefs, it's an awfully powerful statement about the difference who's in office can make for so many people. Mr. Bush seems to want to regulate the unregulatable...morality.

Morality and politics should not mix.

8 Hours and Counting

Well, it's nearly midnight, only about 8 hours to go till the polls open. Thank God! As much as I enjoy politics, this election has worn me down. Constant ads on TV and radio...almost impossible not to hear about it all the time. And there has been so much mudslinging, name calling and bad blood. Every candidate has been guilty, none innocent, even down to state and local races.

Soon it will be over and we can move on. We shall see what tomorrow brings.

Finally, no matter your perspective, ideaology or whatever you want to call it...Exercise your rights tomorrow! VOTE!

Addiction

So, even Dr Morgan says I may be becoming a blog addict. Oh well, at least I'm not on crack!