Random Stuff

So I just offically wrapped up my summer job as a Queens Park intern. Normally this would mean that I have a week or two to get my stuff together before heading back to school for another year. This year is different because I graduated from my undergrad in the spring with the intention of going on to get a masters, except after spending a few weeks on the waiting list I found out that I didn't get in. Dissapointed I'd assumed this meant another year at Trent but then the minister office I've been interning in offered me a job for the fall. Given how much I've loved working there as an intern the obvious choice was to accept the job. Though now I've had a few nervous moments because my "planed" life has basically fallen appart in the face of something that's I hadn't planned for but is a way too fantastic opportunity to pass up. It also moves me out of my comfort zone as a student and into the "adult" world as someone with a full-time salary job with benifits. The only thing that could make it a bigger change was if I was also getting my own place. The only thing keeping me from getting a place is that I still plan on getting my masters degree in a year so I don't know that I'd be staying in Toronto. I'd also much rather buy a place and be paying a morgage instead of paying rent/a lease on a place, especially given that I have the money to put a downpayment on a condo thanks mostly to my grandpa.Property is also always a great investment, especially now with interest rates so low and property value lower then its been in years. Mind you, if living with my parents (read as my mother) starts making me too crazy I might cave and rent an appartment.

So this has now been quite a long ramble as I try to adjust to the idea of a real job and basically adult status. If you've read this far I applad you as this has mostly been a ramble written on my blackberry while riding the go bus home as I try to sort everything out in my head.

When I think back to first year all I can think of is how much work I used to put into these tiny assignments and labs worth 2 to 5% of our final grade. Now if an assignment is worth that little I do it an hour or two before its due. The ironic thing is that I've been putting less work into my assignments every year and yet my average has been going up. Also, classes like psych that I put next to no effort into are my highest marks. Then this semester because I'm so close to graduating that I haven't been able to actually focus on assignments so they've all been done at the last minute with little effort I've only gotten 2 marks less than 80%. So either the work has gotten easier over 4 years, I've gotten a lot smarter, or I should just never put any effort into anything if I want good results.

It's e-day in Canada so everyone GO VOTE!!! Let's kick Harper out!

"The Prime Minister said in the Throne Speech that he is inspired by the North Star. I think he is much more inspired by the 50 stars on the American flag." - Gilles Duceppe (why is he funnier in english then french?)

With the release of the final Harry Potter book upon us, I thought I’d have some fun predicting the outcome. When I’m done reading it this weekend I’ll compare how close I was with the final results.

1) Voldemorts fate – unless this is going to be one of those rare books where the bad guys win, he’s a goner.

2) The 7th Horcux – is going to turn out to be Harry

3) R.A.B. – is Regulus Black

4) Harry’s fate – while it seems obvious that he’ll die (especially if he is a Horcux) I’m going to bet against the obvious and say that he lives except something happens like he looses his powers.

5) Ron and Hermione – both live as we need some sort of love story

6) Snape – is a) still a good guy, b) lives, c) ends up as Headmaster of Hogwarts at the end based on the final wishes of Dumbledore which are told to us by his portrait simply because I think Snape as Headmaster would be hilarious

7) Ginny – dies as it makes sense for someone close to Harry to be killed, and I don’t think it’ll be either of his sidekicks

8) Other Weasley’s – unless something nasty happens to Percy because he’s a jerk I think we’ll see the Weasley family make it to the end of the book

9) Hagrid – lives, though I think he’s the most likely one to be targeted by Voldemort after Ginny

10) McGonagal, Lupin, Tonks, Mad-Eye and other Order members – all live to see the end of the book, mostly because I can’t see them having much of a role

11) Neville – while some people have predicted Neville’s death, I somehow doubt he’ll be one of the one’s killed

12) Luna – lives, as I see no real purpose in killing her

13) Draco – given the fact that we found out at the end of the last book that Draco isn’t really evil, he’ll survive the final book

14) Lucius – wont make it to the end of the book based on no evidence other then the fact that I’d like to see him killed

15) Bellatrix –will be done in by Neville because that would be poetic justice

16) Wormtail – dies protecting Harry as he owes him a life debt

And if you’ve read the copy that was leaked onto the internet, don’t you dare spoil the book for me as I’m avoiding spoilers at all costs.

Say's Duceppe on US/Canada relations: "Being a friend doesn’t mean you’re kneeling in front of them.”

Discussion on politics blogs then commences on whether he meant bowing/groveling before them and expressed himself poorly due to the language barrier, or if he actually meant we were metaphorically sucking the United States.

I gave in and replaced the windows laptop of doom with a mac book pro last week, now I shall never go back to a PC ever ever again. The Mac is faster, it's speakers are better, the screen gives better photo and video quality, the battery lasts longer, it doesn't attempt to burn my lap if it's been on for over an hour (it's been on all day in fact and is still only warm when you touch it), it doesn't randomly reject or eject external devices, there are no random pop-up messages of doom, there is no blue screen of death, it has a built in microphone AND camera (yes i said built in camera), it comes with a remote that allows you to control it from across the room and down the hall (i have yet to discover the distance limit on it), and running the updates doesn't cause the computer to freeze/slow down.

My only complaints are that I had to learn a new set of keyboard shortcuts, and the msn messenger for Mac doesn't have all the features of the windows one. Both are only minor annoyances compared to all the positives, the keyboard shortcuts have actually been mildly entertaining as often I find a new feature when I try using a windows one - for example I discovered that it will read to me.

So yeah, you could not give me a free PC and have me use it, and I suspect it will be painful if I ever have to use a PC at school for anything. I am in love with Apple that's all there is to it.

When asked if he was going to leave the Bloc to become PQ leader Duceppe responded:

"We're talking hypothetical situations. If my grandmother had wheels, she'd be a tractor."

One question comes to mind, was he drunk?

For some reason a writer for the Globe and Mail thought that the following sentace would be a good description of how Quebeckers might be leaning to vote in the next federal election: "The hope for the Bloc is that while many Quebeckers want Mr. Harper to stay on as Prime Minister, they will also want the Bloc in oppostion, holing him by the gonads." While the logic behind that statement is questionable, I have to admit that using the phrase "by the gonads" in a supposed news article was....interesting. Later I came across comentary on that very line on one of my favorite blogs;

"By. The. Gonads.

I, for one, require more information. Does the reporter mean “holding him by the gonads” in a negative way, as in “we might just tense up and give a little squeeze if you fail to do our bidding,” or does the reporter mean “holding him by the gonads” in a positive way, as in “tenderly.” Because it makes a not insubstantial difference. I guess the important thing is that the paper of record has established that Gilles Duceppe will soon be moving in for a reach around on the Prime Minister of Canada. Cup yourself protectively, Mr. Harper."

1) I'm a blogger, therefore I am an athority on...something. When I find out what that something is I'll get back to you, in the meantime I'll remain astaounded at the fact that the 15 people who listened to the talk I gave on blogs tonight found me both facinating and amazing and have decided that I'm the future of the Liberal party and this country. I'll also remain astounded at the number of people who I met at the Kennedy event who after being introduced to me said "oh you're the blogger" as if I was a celebrity, then they proceeded to want to spend a fair bit of time talking to be about policy. 

2) I've had over 10,000 hits on my blog as of today since I started it April of last year.

3) my old hockey team is in the provicials, given my exam schedual i should even be able to see them play :D

4) Dion is suing Duceppe. okay, he launched the lawsuit in Dec. 2005 over a Bloc pamphlet, but it makes the news now b/c lawyers are posturing.

5) Speaking of posturing ELECTION! okay, okay, not yet, but soon. harper is making massive spending annoucements, Dion is doing a cross-country tour, May is doing a cross-country tour, Layton is trying to figgure out which way is up, and Duceppe is trying to keep the PQ from crashing and burning in the Quebec election (he so should have dumped Boisclair months ago, then he wouldn't be stuck baby-sitting). Everything points to a spring election, the political junkies like me are happy.