The Ignorant Edema

You know what's funny about starting off a sentence with "You know what's funny about x"? It's just that, if you don't know what's funny about x you really don't have anywhere to go with that sentence. I say this only because I started typing "You know what's funny about" and I didn't really have anything in mind, so I just wrote this circuitous little justification for me starting out like that. Now I suppose I can get on with things that are actually things.


Does this link work?
What about this one?
In a perfect world, you can click on those words and they will take you to whole new worlds, shining, shimmering, splendid. The first attempted link is really awesome but I completely understand if you have no desire whatsoever to plumb its depths. The second one is merely another testament to the correctitude (this is now a word) of my senior project thesis from last year, which which I think Nicole still disagrees. Perhaps she is destined for perpetual incorrectitude.

It's that time again. I'll keep it brief. (Writing this parenthetical in retrospect, it's not that brief.)
There was a point in December, six weeks ago, when the Ducks were nineteen points out of a playoff position. After last night's shutout win against the Southeast Division-leading Florida Panthers, The Ducks are now five points out of a playoff position. For the mathematically challenged among you (I won't name names), that means they have made up fourteen points during those six weeks, which leaves me to believe that five points in the remaining seven weeks is not an insurmountable task. I ought to note that, according to my considerable knowledge of hockey history, no team has ever come back from 19 points down to make the playoffs, at least not in modern times. Will history be made? Stay tuned.

With this goal yesterday, Teemu Selanne moved into 12th on the all-time NHL goal-scoring list. For the sake of context, over 6,000 people have played in the NHL. I repeat, he is 12th. Ever. And counting. Also, he's leading the Ducks in scoring this season (again), and he's 41 years old. I shouldn't have to explain that this is what players are supposed to be doing when they're 25. In case you didn't read between the lines here, let me spell it out for you: He's the fucking man.

Le hockey game.

Back to my life. (That was a joke, because it implied that the Ducks are not my life. Get it? Ha? Shut up. Nobody's making you read this.) On Saturday I went to a sporting event. No points for guessing what it was. Our team ended up beating the team from my second-choice school while I was touring last April by the score of 2-1. Their regular season ended with another game (yesterday, a loss to Amherst, unattended by me), and they'll host Wesleyan (we know someone there) next week for the first game of the playoffs.

Oh yeah, and I got sick on Friday and stayed sick on Saturday and that was fun and by fun I mean not fun and yeah and oh great really cool way to go immune system, that's what, the fourth time I've gotten sick up here? Thanks.

I seem to be going in reverse chronological order. I see nothing wrong with this. I don't see anything particularly right about this either. Well, seeing as I've discussed the weekend that just came to an end and nothing but it, I suppose I ought to move on to what's left, i.e. the weekdays. And what do weekdays mean? Classes! Hurray for knowing that weekdays mean classes. Once you've all given yourselves a nice pat on the back for figuring that out, we can move on.

. . .

Ahem.

. . . . . .

Jason, pat your damn back, you're holding everyone up here.

Thanks.

If you recall, and it matter not if you do not because I'm about to remind you, last week was the first week of my spring semester, and because I post on Mondays and because we have an add/drop period, much like American's (see, I pay attention), you do not know the four classes that I am taking. Well, unless you really enjoy not knowing that, you may as well read on and find out.

I don't think the one on the right is a fig leaf . . .

First and not worst, Biblical Literature. I took this course partly because it's being taught by the same guy who taught my seminar last semester and he generates awesome, and partly because I want to know more about the damn book. I have not been disappointed. Today we spent ten minutes of class looking at artwork based on the first few chapters of Genesis, which included a few things Gunnin showed us last year, and it also included the rendition you see here.

Now let's talk about Physical Reality and Human Thought, a.k.a. Bullshit Science Class for the Liberal Arts Student. To be honest, that title is more self-deprecating than it needs to be. The name of the class makes it sound lame, but the class itself should be pretty cool. Unfortunately, the first two weeks of the class are devoted to classical physics (Galileo, Newton, et al.), which means I'm not going to learn anything new until next week, but starting then we are going to take a look at relativity and quantum theory, so that ought to be worthwhile.

Ready for some British History, 1603-1815? Picture the most stereotypically English person you can. Mid-fifties, graying hair, thin-rimmed spectacles, slight belly, old vest, tweed jacket, and a penchant for using all those funny little phrases that all of us American came to know and love through Harry and his classmates. Except without the English accent. Disappointing, right? He tries so hard, though. A for effort.

And on that note, let's finish up with an Introduction to World Literature. I read Gilgamesh over the weekend; I suppose the class is starting with the same stuff that world civilization did. Tomorrow I'm going to a lecture on how the composers of the Pentateuch, specifically Genesis, copied those of Gilgamesh, which should be interesting and informative for the sake of both my World Lit class and my Biblical Lit class. Speaking of which, does anyone remember this little nugget of multimedia wonder that I have laid upon your table? A few days ago I picked up my copy of The Wise Man's Fear and read a number of randomly picked pages, including those that are home to Chapter 49, which happens to be one of my favorites. I think some people I know here would be well served to read such a chapter. On the topic of reading outside of class, I must admit I have slowed down on the Hitchens book, which has a lot to do with the fact that I now have a workload of considerable proportions. Since the book is a collection of essays, though, I'm not worried that I'll loose the plot. I'll close with a snapshot I took of something I saw on a wall on my way to a class today. Why, you wonder, did this composite satellite image catch my eye? Look closely, and ye shall garner the truth of the matter.