Thursday, August 31, 2006
Oops
I had a post here a few hours ago talking about my sister's boyfriend, who is an artist. I posted a few of his paintings, but it was pointed out to me that this is copyright infringement, so I took them down. I'm going to ask his permission, and if it is given I'll put them up yet again.
Two Men in a Boat (to say nothing of the two boys, two girls and one woman)
Jan wrote about this, so I'm going to be brief. But...
We went on a canoe trip with the St. Margaret's Youth last weekend. There were seven of us: Jan and myself and Kevin as leaders and four youth, two girls and two boys (names withheld to protect the innocent).
It was a very enjoyable trip. Seven (as those of you with mathematics training will be able to calculate) does not divide evenly into two, so one canoe had an extra person in it. This turned out to be a very good thing, as it gave the tired and weak a chance to rest.
Lowlights:
I brought my camera, but forgot to bring film. No pictures.
The Assiniboine river has NO landmarks. We never knew where we were.
The coyote incident.
I got home tired and kinda burnt.
Highlights:
All four of the youth were awesome.
I think they all bonded a little more with each other.
A fire on the beach.
Swimming in the Assiniboine river.
Everyone listened to the campfire talks.
Everyone participated in the devotions (especially the second day).
Seeing herons and cranes and hawks and (I think) a golden eagle.
Saying "somebody clean these dishes" and watching it actually get done!
We went on a canoe trip with the St. Margaret's Youth last weekend. There were seven of us: Jan and myself and Kevin as leaders and four youth, two girls and two boys (names withheld to protect the innocent).
It was a very enjoyable trip. Seven (as those of you with mathematics training will be able to calculate) does not divide evenly into two, so one canoe had an extra person in it. This turned out to be a very good thing, as it gave the tired and weak a chance to rest.
Lowlights:
I brought my camera, but forgot to bring film. No pictures.
The Assiniboine river has NO landmarks. We never knew where we were.
The coyote incident.
I got home tired and kinda burnt.
Highlights:
All four of the youth were awesome.
I think they all bonded a little more with each other.
A fire on the beach.
Swimming in the Assiniboine river.
Everyone listened to the campfire talks.
Everyone participated in the devotions (especially the second day).
Seeing herons and cranes and hawks and (I think) a golden eagle.
Saying "somebody clean these dishes" and watching it actually get done!
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Bandaged
Jan's parents gave me a Cutco French Chef Knife for my birthday. It's great, but I have cut myself twice already. They should come with some kind of warning.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Worldwide(web) Search
Check out the St. Margaret's Youth webpage for an ongoing contest. I've been searching the web for good church webpages. That includes everything from anglican.ca to a specific church's youth group webpage. I need help from people throughout the web, so spread the word and contribute your nominations!
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Poor little rich kids
Geez magazine has a parody of Make Poverty History—Make Affluence History. I will admit out front that I have a few issues with Geez magazine, with their approach, their philosophy and their mission. This parody exemplifies some of what I think is wrong with Geez and their ilk.
Make affluence history is a clever parody of make poverty history. It raises some important points succesfully shifts my perspective and shatters some assumptions. It is indeed true that the children of wealth need prayer by virtue of their wealth. There is an intention here that I admire. However, the practical result is to allow self-satisfied people to smugly stop supporting the poor in favour of mocking the rich. A parody like this belittles the efforts of people who are doing the work of God--supporting the needy. A parody like this encourages people to stop supporting the poor. It makes the rich—and let's face it, the people writing this parody, the people producing Geez magazine, for all their talk about simplicity are rich in comparison to most of the world simply by virtue of living in Canada and the people viewing the parody are rich in that they have access to the internet; those who practice voluntary simplicity are still rich in that their simplicity is voluntary—feel better about themselves and do less to help the poor.
Make affluence history is a clever parody of make poverty history. It raises some important points succesfully shifts my perspective and shatters some assumptions. It is indeed true that the children of wealth need prayer by virtue of their wealth. There is an intention here that I admire. However, the practical result is to allow self-satisfied people to smugly stop supporting the poor in favour of mocking the rich. A parody like this belittles the efforts of people who are doing the work of God--supporting the needy. A parody like this encourages people to stop supporting the poor. It makes the rich—and let's face it, the people writing this parody, the people producing Geez magazine, for all their talk about simplicity are rich in comparison to most of the world simply by virtue of living in Canada and the people viewing the parody are rich in that they have access to the internet; those who practice voluntary simplicity are still rich in that their simplicity is voluntary—feel better about themselves and do less to help the poor.
Friday, August 18, 2006
Sunday, August 06, 2006
So here's what happened...
After much soul-searching, I decided a while back not to go back to the U of M's faculty of Education. Instead, I applied to the Pre-Master's program with the intention of getting a Master's, and later a PhD in English.
It was Monday June 12th that I decided this, and the deadline for application was Thursday June 15th. My application package needed to include my academic transcripts, two letters of recommendation from previous English professors, a sample of my academic writing, as well as the completed application forms. Jan and I were leaving for a road trip on Tuesday morning. Yikes.
I searched my hard drive frantically for a suitable piece of writing. It's been three years since I was taking undergraduate English classes, and our computer has undergone some drastic internal surgery since then. I didn't have anything I was proud to attach my name to. I contemplated writing a new piece. Then it occured to me that one of my former professors, Sue Sorensen, from whom I took a class on British and Irish Literature, had liked an essay I wrote on T.S. Eliot's The Wasteland so much that she had saved it. Maybe she could forward a copy to the U of M on my behalf?
I called another of my previous English professors, Paul Dyck, and begged for a letter of reference. He told me I could pick it up from his house on Tuesday morning. So Jan and I would stop by the U of M on our way out of town, drop off the letter, pick up the application forms. I could fill them out on the road, and could fax it on Tuesday evening from Jan's parents' place in Saskatoon.
I wrote an e-mail to Sue, begging for a letter of reference from her, and begging her to forward a copy of my T.S. Eliot essay. And finally, to hedge my bets I sent an e-mail to the only other English prof I've ever had, Mark Fortier, from whom I took a class on John Milton. I wasn't even sure if he would even remember me, as I was only one student in a class of 30 four years ago, but I had very much enjoyed the class, and I figured it was worth a try.
We headed west, stopping by the Dyck household and U of M on our way. At casa de Oatway I faxed in my application and faxed U of M and CMU a request to send my transcripts and to put a rush on it. It was Tuesday night, they were due by Thursday, and they claimed it took 2-4 days. If it was 2, I would be fine. If it was 4, I would be too late.
On Wednesday we moved further west, and it was out of my hands.
When we got back in Winnipeg there was a message on my answering machine saying that the English department had received my application and all related materials except my transcripts. They would give me a few days' grace, they said.
And then I heard nothing.
According to the U of M website, graduate students needed to be registered by mid-July.
It was July and I heard nothing.
July came near its end, and still I heard nothing. No rejection letter, but no acceptance letter either.
I called the English chair and asked "Yo! What's the deal?"
They were a little behind on notifying people this year, I was informed. But when I received my acceptance letter I should call to set up an appointment.
August rolled around. Still I heard nothing.
Then, this Thursday I got a letter from the University of Manitoba informing me that I had been accepted into the pre-Master's program.
I'M IN! YAHOO!
It was Monday June 12th that I decided this, and the deadline for application was Thursday June 15th. My application package needed to include my academic transcripts, two letters of recommendation from previous English professors, a sample of my academic writing, as well as the completed application forms. Jan and I were leaving for a road trip on Tuesday morning. Yikes.
I searched my hard drive frantically for a suitable piece of writing. It's been three years since I was taking undergraduate English classes, and our computer has undergone some drastic internal surgery since then. I didn't have anything I was proud to attach my name to. I contemplated writing a new piece. Then it occured to me that one of my former professors, Sue Sorensen, from whom I took a class on British and Irish Literature, had liked an essay I wrote on T.S. Eliot's The Wasteland so much that she had saved it. Maybe she could forward a copy to the U of M on my behalf?
I called another of my previous English professors, Paul Dyck, and begged for a letter of reference. He told me I could pick it up from his house on Tuesday morning. So Jan and I would stop by the U of M on our way out of town, drop off the letter, pick up the application forms. I could fill them out on the road, and could fax it on Tuesday evening from Jan's parents' place in Saskatoon.
I wrote an e-mail to Sue, begging for a letter of reference from her, and begging her to forward a copy of my T.S. Eliot essay. And finally, to hedge my bets I sent an e-mail to the only other English prof I've ever had, Mark Fortier, from whom I took a class on John Milton. I wasn't even sure if he would even remember me, as I was only one student in a class of 30 four years ago, but I had very much enjoyed the class, and I figured it was worth a try.
We headed west, stopping by the Dyck household and U of M on our way. At casa de Oatway I faxed in my application and faxed U of M and CMU a request to send my transcripts and to put a rush on it. It was Tuesday night, they were due by Thursday, and they claimed it took 2-4 days. If it was 2, I would be fine. If it was 4, I would be too late.
On Wednesday we moved further west, and it was out of my hands.
When we got back in Winnipeg there was a message on my answering machine saying that the English department had received my application and all related materials except my transcripts. They would give me a few days' grace, they said.
And then I heard nothing.
According to the U of M website, graduate students needed to be registered by mid-July.
It was July and I heard nothing.
July came near its end, and still I heard nothing. No rejection letter, but no acceptance letter either.
I called the English chair and asked "Yo! What's the deal?"
They were a little behind on notifying people this year, I was informed. But when I received my acceptance letter I should call to set up an appointment.
August rolled around. Still I heard nothing.
Then, this Thursday I got a letter from the University of Manitoba informing me that I had been accepted into the pre-Master's program.
I'M IN! YAHOO!
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
No YOU watch too much tv
Chocolate milk doesn't come from brown cows.
A&W doesn't have waiters. And charred tomato coolee sounds good to me.
"Head-On! Apply directly to the BITE ME"
For the rest of my life, I will never ever purchase Gold Bond. That is how annoying their "get the quick fix" commercials are.
United Furnature CRAP HOUSE (bum bum)
A&W doesn't have waiters. And charred tomato coolee sounds good to me.
"Head-On! Apply directly to the BITE ME"
For the rest of my life, I will never ever purchase Gold Bond. That is how annoying their "get the quick fix" commercials are.
United Furnature CRAP HOUSE (bum bum)
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