A few weeks ago the hard drive on my laptop failed for the second time in nearly four months. This is a little too frequent for my liking. While the first failure didn't surprise me too much (hard drives die from time to time), the second came out of nowhere.
After spending a few days taking it to different places to get repaired and hours on the phone with Best Buy to try to find out how they would pay for it (it's on warranty with them), I finally came across a place that would be suitable under Best Buy's little deal. There is no Best Buy in town, and only one place in town was accredited by them to fix my computer.
After waiting a few weeks to get it repaired, the computer guys told me that the probable cause for the hard drive failing was that Best Buy had given me a 'refurbished' (used and repaired) hard drive when my first one failed in September. This is pretty bothersome. Luckily these new guys were smart enough to give me a brand new one.
I learned two valuable lessons from this experience. The first: When buying a new computer, check to see if there is a similar store in your place of residence to make sure you don't have to go through all these annoying phone calls and store visits.
The second: Ask Best Buy (or any company really) to replace any failed parts with brand new parts rather than shabby, cost-cutting, used parts that have a much higher probability of failure.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
You're no hero
Just because you're good at Guitar Hero does not mean you are good at guitar. Just thought I'd let you know.
Perhaps we should open our own eyes...
I recently stumbled upon a rather amusing poster on campus. It read:
Scared? Lonely? Conservative? We are here to help.
It was an advertisement for the school's Conservative Campus Association, directly affiliated with the provincial and federal Progressive Conservative and Conservative parties. This didn't come as a shock to me considering the incredibly liberal reputation that is rightly associated with my school. We have numerous student groups on campus that address a variety of issues I hadn't seen addressed in such a degree anywhere else during my life. But almost all of them have fairly left-leaning political views.
The advertisement I saw was not only intended to be funny, but it was also an unfortunate and complete truth. Conservative-minded thinkers at this school are more often than not induced into hiding their true identity similarly to an atheist living in rural Utah. The environment at the school is overwhelmingly anti-conservative that any conservative views are usually blown straight out of the sky by a parade of angry, reactionary voices.
Although my politics may not be in line with those of the Conservative sort, I certainly respect any views they may have. Alienating individuals who share conservative ideals (of which there are far more here than people think) is by far one of the more dangerous approaches a school could take, especially considering the level to which conservatism plays a part in the global arena. If we're taught that simply denouncing and ignoring conservatism rather than understanding and working with it is the best way to save the world, we're in for one hell of a wake up call when we step out of our utopian undergraduate bubble.
It's a true shame that a school that prides itself on diversity and acceptance of others can so blissfully enjoy the ignorance of its own hypocrisy.
Scared? Lonely? Conservative? We are here to help.
It was an advertisement for the school's Conservative Campus Association, directly affiliated with the provincial and federal Progressive Conservative and Conservative parties. This didn't come as a shock to me considering the incredibly liberal reputation that is rightly associated with my school. We have numerous student groups on campus that address a variety of issues I hadn't seen addressed in such a degree anywhere else during my life. But almost all of them have fairly left-leaning political views.
The advertisement I saw was not only intended to be funny, but it was also an unfortunate and complete truth. Conservative-minded thinkers at this school are more often than not induced into hiding their true identity similarly to an atheist living in rural Utah. The environment at the school is overwhelmingly anti-conservative that any conservative views are usually blown straight out of the sky by a parade of angry, reactionary voices.
Although my politics may not be in line with those of the Conservative sort, I certainly respect any views they may have. Alienating individuals who share conservative ideals (of which there are far more here than people think) is by far one of the more dangerous approaches a school could take, especially considering the level to which conservatism plays a part in the global arena. If we're taught that simply denouncing and ignoring conservatism rather than understanding and working with it is the best way to save the world, we're in for one hell of a wake up call when we step out of our utopian undergraduate bubble.
It's a true shame that a school that prides itself on diversity and acceptance of others can so blissfully enjoy the ignorance of its own hypocrisy.
Alternative idea for the Mighty Maples...
The Leafs suck. It's true. I love them, but they really suck. They're sitting in the basement of the NHL and are showing all the signs of a team poised to miss the playoffs. Again.
Numerous theories are running rampant throughout Ontario as to what to do with the ailing club. Some say blow it up completely and restart, others think we should get rid of the old guys like Sundin and Tucker.
I'm no expert on the situation. They have enough money to do whatever they want and it won't make any difference to media contracts or ticketsales whether they win or lose. But at least they made the right move getting rid of Ferguson Jr. The next step is finding a permanent GM. Perhaps the guys at Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment should sleep over one night at the ACC and catch a glimpse of a Raptors game. They'll spot the well-dressed Bryan Colangelo hanging out in the corner of the arena, watching the team he rebuilt.
He may not be a hockey man, but the Leafs need something. Why not fork out some cash and see if he can build another division champ?
Numerous theories are running rampant throughout Ontario as to what to do with the ailing club. Some say blow it up completely and restart, others think we should get rid of the old guys like Sundin and Tucker.
I'm no expert on the situation. They have enough money to do whatever they want and it won't make any difference to media contracts or ticketsales whether they win or lose. But at least they made the right move getting rid of Ferguson Jr. The next step is finding a permanent GM. Perhaps the guys at Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment should sleep over one night at the ACC and catch a glimpse of a Raptors game. They'll spot the well-dressed Bryan Colangelo hanging out in the corner of the arena, watching the team he rebuilt.
He may not be a hockey man, but the Leafs need something. Why not fork out some cash and see if he can build another division champ?
8th time's the charm...
As a wild and rebellious university student, I figured it appropriate to fill my weekly quota for reckless and inebriated behavior by taking a night out with a group of friends. Much to my dismay, the night was less than enjoyable.
We approached the downtown core of the city where the main nightlife is to be found. Our first venture was to a local bar resembling someone's basement that their father had hopelessly tried to renovate right before he had kids. It was a popular hangout, which proved to be our downfall, as it was full. But we were not to be discouraged.
After a rather lengthy walk, we ended up in our favorite little pub. We found a quaint little table and were ready to bask in the lively, pocket-emptying night. But all failed when a friend of mine made a comment to the waitress, which she found weirdly offensive (believe me, it wasn't offensive at all). An akward cloud fell over the table immediately afterwards and it was decided that any potential enjoyment at this place was dashed to pieces. So off we went.
Since we're students, it goes without saying that we're cheap. Therefore, when faced with paying a cover charge we quickly dart away with our tails between our legs. So much for the third place.
Places 4 & 5 were full, which didn't come as much of a surprise. The most irritating attempt was attempt number six. We ventured over to the local '40+' hangout. As you may imagine, we were growing slightly desperate. It looked fine until we were asked to show our IDs. We didn't figure this to be a problem as we were all of legal age, and most of us got in without a snag. But when it came to myself & my friend, we were prohibited from entering because our IDs weren't issued from the Ontario government. We are both out-of-province students, carrying valid, government issued driver's licenses. But apparently these are a little too 'suspicious', so we had to be on our merry way. Again.
We decided to try one of the places that was full before, and we got in. But it apparently smelled like natural gas, so we were forced to leave. Zero for 7. We were certainly not batting well that night. Luckily, we decided to try one more place which turned out to be fine.
For a city that boasts a wonderful student-centred nightlife, we certainly seem to have missed the memo.
We approached the downtown core of the city where the main nightlife is to be found. Our first venture was to a local bar resembling someone's basement that their father had hopelessly tried to renovate right before he had kids. It was a popular hangout, which proved to be our downfall, as it was full. But we were not to be discouraged.
After a rather lengthy walk, we ended up in our favorite little pub. We found a quaint little table and were ready to bask in the lively, pocket-emptying night. But all failed when a friend of mine made a comment to the waitress, which she found weirdly offensive (believe me, it wasn't offensive at all). An akward cloud fell over the table immediately afterwards and it was decided that any potential enjoyment at this place was dashed to pieces. So off we went.
Since we're students, it goes without saying that we're cheap. Therefore, when faced with paying a cover charge we quickly dart away with our tails between our legs. So much for the third place.
Places 4 & 5 were full, which didn't come as much of a surprise. The most irritating attempt was attempt number six. We ventured over to the local '40+' hangout. As you may imagine, we were growing slightly desperate. It looked fine until we were asked to show our IDs. We didn't figure this to be a problem as we were all of legal age, and most of us got in without a snag. But when it came to myself & my friend, we were prohibited from entering because our IDs weren't issued from the Ontario government. We are both out-of-province students, carrying valid, government issued driver's licenses. But apparently these are a little too 'suspicious', so we had to be on our merry way. Again.
We decided to try one of the places that was full before, and we got in. But it apparently smelled like natural gas, so we were forced to leave. Zero for 7. We were certainly not batting well that night. Luckily, we decided to try one more place which turned out to be fine.
For a city that boasts a wonderful student-centred nightlife, we certainly seem to have missed the memo.
So much for textbooks...
In first year university courses there are usually hundreds if not thousands of students enlisted in one class. Try to imagine the workload faced by the professors of these courses, especially if they lack sufficient teaching and/or marking assistants. Unfortunately, when put in these situations, profs may be tempted to cut corners. I encountered such a situation recently.
I provide tutorship to a first year student at the university which I attend, and while aiding this student with problems in an assignment we happened across certain 'helpful hints' on Google. It turns out that the questions posed on the assignment (for which there was only one correct answer) were all on the internet, along with the answers. All my student needed to do was type in the first few words of the question and voila!
Don't worry, we only used the internet answers for checking his answers, but other students may not have been quite as disciplined.
I know that being a professor is a tough gig, especially if its only one part of someone's very hectic life. But if you're going to cut corners, you should probably re-think your strategy.
The students may be happy as they walk away with higher than expected grades, but seriously, you're only hurting them in the long run.
I provide tutorship to a first year student at the university which I attend, and while aiding this student with problems in an assignment we happened across certain 'helpful hints' on Google. It turns out that the questions posed on the assignment (for which there was only one correct answer) were all on the internet, along with the answers. All my student needed to do was type in the first few words of the question and voila!
Don't worry, we only used the internet answers for checking his answers, but other students may not have been quite as disciplined.
I know that being a professor is a tough gig, especially if its only one part of someone's very hectic life. But if you're going to cut corners, you should probably re-think your strategy.
The students may be happy as they walk away with higher than expected grades, but seriously, you're only hurting them in the long run.
The trouble with Beck...
There's just something about Glenn Beck. If you're like me, you may have found yourself flipping through the various American news channels during the highly entertaining American presidential nominee races. You may have also stumbled onto CNN's back-burner station, CNN Headline News, and found yourself face to face with one of their conservative pundits, Glenn Beck.
Beck hosts a talk show on CNN Headline News where he offers his right-wing insights into the going-ons of the world. To put it in a simple Canadian context, he makes PM Harper look like a raving socialist, and Beck will be the first to admit it.
Glenn Beck and I disagree on a wide variety of issues, yet I still find myself drawn into his show. By no means do I rifle through the TV Guide looking for his schedule, but when I run into his show I feel inclined to pay attention. The mystery of why this happens to me has been nagging at me for the past few months.
His show is not especially exciting. He doesn't have entertaining skits; his guests seem to be remarkably boring (and usually in total agreement with Beck); he doesn't have special effect-enhanced visual graphics to awe his viewers. Quite simply, it is Beck talking. He is very one-sided and not afraid to offend anyone, be it liberals or conservatives.
Watching him seems to ignite something inside me, which is perhaps why I'm inclined to watch his show. More often than not I question why I'm watching his 'anti-liberal' rants, similarly to the way that I may question why I'm watching Jerry Springer. But with both of these highly controversial hosts, I just can't seem to turn away very easily. Perhaps it is Beck's politics that fascinate me, or maybe even that someone can believe so strongly in things I believe so strongly against. The uniqueness of Beck is that he is the only one of these conservative talk show hosts that I can't seem to evade. Nancy Grace is just annoying and seems to make accusations rather than report on issues, making it very easy to turn away. The ramblings of Rush Limbaugh are met with the same fate. But Glenn Beck just has a weird gravitational pull.
I can only imagine the scope of Beck's conservative audience (he mentioned his best-selling book for the umpteenth time just this night) but I'm quite curious whether Beck attracts a good number of more left-leaning viewers, or whether I'm simply an entranced phenomenon.
Beck hosts a talk show on CNN Headline News where he offers his right-wing insights into the going-ons of the world. To put it in a simple Canadian context, he makes PM Harper look like a raving socialist, and Beck will be the first to admit it.
Glenn Beck and I disagree on a wide variety of issues, yet I still find myself drawn into his show. By no means do I rifle through the TV Guide looking for his schedule, but when I run into his show I feel inclined to pay attention. The mystery of why this happens to me has been nagging at me for the past few months.
His show is not especially exciting. He doesn't have entertaining skits; his guests seem to be remarkably boring (and usually in total agreement with Beck); he doesn't have special effect-enhanced visual graphics to awe his viewers. Quite simply, it is Beck talking. He is very one-sided and not afraid to offend anyone, be it liberals or conservatives.
Watching him seems to ignite something inside me, which is perhaps why I'm inclined to watch his show. More often than not I question why I'm watching his 'anti-liberal' rants, similarly to the way that I may question why I'm watching Jerry Springer. But with both of these highly controversial hosts, I just can't seem to turn away very easily. Perhaps it is Beck's politics that fascinate me, or maybe even that someone can believe so strongly in things I believe so strongly against. The uniqueness of Beck is that he is the only one of these conservative talk show hosts that I can't seem to evade. Nancy Grace is just annoying and seems to make accusations rather than report on issues, making it very easy to turn away. The ramblings of Rush Limbaugh are met with the same fate. But Glenn Beck just has a weird gravitational pull.
I can only imagine the scope of Beck's conservative audience (he mentioned his best-selling book for the umpteenth time just this night) but I'm quite curious whether Beck attracts a good number of more left-leaning viewers, or whether I'm simply an entranced phenomenon.
A self-imposed welcome
Hey Kids,
So here we are. As you can imagine I will write about things that come across my mind. I offer no specific focus on any themes, but this may very well happen in time. I am a Canadian university student, and it is through these eyes that I will convey my ideas. I sincerely hope you enjoy and contribute.
So here we are. As you can imagine I will write about things that come across my mind. I offer no specific focus on any themes, but this may very well happen in time. I am a Canadian university student, and it is through these eyes that I will convey my ideas. I sincerely hope you enjoy and contribute.
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