elanya

For my lecture next Tuesday, I want to talk about subcultures and counter-culture movements, both in the US and elsewhere. Any suggestions as to interesting groups I could look at briefly? :)

The point really is to show that culture is dynamic and people respond to cultural pressures in different ways.

I can has one for next term. Now.... what to do over the break, hrm. I want to go to Canada, but I need pet sitters. Or magical money to fall from the sky so I can afford to bring my babies with me.

hrm hrm hrm.

I need to sort out what I am doing with my artifacts now that they are here :V Obviously I need to create a more comprehensive catalogue. I have some ideas, but honestly my experience with these things is limited :x

I need labeling supplies at least - clear nail poilish and some microns for the ceramics. I can write right on most of it. I'm going to bring in the camera and tripod as well so i can get images. I'll need some black fabric as well, but the light in here, at least in the morning, seems like it should be good to work with.

The gist of things is that I think I'm going to have my lunch, and then go home so I can go out and do a bit of shopping :p And work on the paper I owe Ben this afternoon.

I hate how international students are treated at this university. I hate how *I*'m treated as an international student, and I am at least familiar enough with the American bureaucratic system to recognize that the way we are treated represents the worst of the dehumanizing aspects of the systems in play.

Example one:
When you need to have something done at ISS, you have to take a number. Literally, a little number off a reel. And you're called up and dealt with by number whether you have an appointment or are just dropping off a letter. The only other places I've ever had to deal with this was at the Social Security Office and the DMV, whose jobs it is to literally condense your identity to a number. Yeah. ISS says that this is so they can keep track of how many people they help. I know your desk monkey undergraduates are a bit dim, but they're incapable of counting? Really?

Example two:
So, because they're dicks, they automatically signed everyone up for their health insurance plan, and put the onus on the students to provide proof they have other coverage. Of course, I *do* have other coverage - I have had coverage since 2007! But for some reason their system does not see this., However, that is them being dicks, not necessarily dehumanizing.

Eventually, and with great annoyance and pointless running around and so forth, I was told what I needed to do - send an e-mail saying 'I have an assistantship" to X address. Which I did. And got a response back today! Saying that the system does believe me. Well, screw them, first of all. And screw them harder for replying to my e-mail, which has my name in it twice, as well as my UIN, with "Dear International Student." Assholes. You know, if you are going to copy and paste a response that frankly doesn't make sense in light of the information *I* have about my status, and my status as an employee over the summer, etc., you could be at least bothered to take the two seconds to copy and paste *my name* as well. I know it would *almost* be like effort though, and apparently it is easier not to deal with us like people.

So I replied to "Dear Health Insurance Employee", and signed it ""International Student" # (my UIN)"

Dicks >:|

For all the times I've dealt with them, I can count maybe once it has gone smoothly.

Ugh

Went to the gym this AM with tethys123, locker FAIL. Things *eventually* got sorted. Did 1/2 hour on elliptical despite not gyming since the end of spring semester. Survived! Decided to do legs. Went to do squats, decided to aim for a meager 75 lbs on account of... not gyming since the end of etc. Didn't seem to bad, but due to not stretching or warming up properly(?), pulled something in my inner thigh on the first set. Bleh. Did back/side hyper-extensions and a ton of yoga and stretches instead.

Megan nicely took me to Goodwill, where I nabbed a VCR for $10. let the screening of anth films begin :V

Came home, went to Shipleys, ate doughnut while arseing on the internet, passed out for an hour.

Woke up. Showered. Tried to make myself do work. Got some books out. Made some toast. Ate some toast. Arsed around on the internet. Did a little bit of work. Passed out (sort of) for another hour.

Lather, rinse repeat. -_-

Just was forced out of what was closer to a 2 hour lie down by J who wanted out. Took her out briefly. I an still exhausted. I haven't been sleeping well, but my naps (when I can actually sleep during them, as opposed to just lie there like a legless zombie) have not been very successful. On top of just being *tired* now I'm physically tired from the gym as well. I have.... revised about a paragraph of the article I owe Ben for the end of the month. I don't have either the mental or physical energy for anything. I don't even know :/ This morning I had an epic idea for a really cute short story that wouldn't take me long to write, but I've forgotten most of it and don't have time anyway. too much work, too many other half-fulfilled writing projects...

Bleh. I don't think I've been eating poorly. I don't think it is bees. I don't know, maybe it is just the start of term. :/ I definitely need a new mattress (ha, how long have i been saying that? :P), but I don't think that can really account for all of it.

Bleh.

So.... here's my list for today:

Pay fees
Check about lab space/

-look through cult anth book for readings
-look through and organize receipts once I break up what I'm claiming from who for my research
-re-package artifacts
-movie?

In other news - met some first years, saw some other fellow grads, met with Tom and talked about teaching. All is well. Going home now.

Having my own office is sweeeeet.

Today my boss is leaveing for his field season. He wished me well this season, and also told me I was one of the best TA's he's ever had. I am flattered! However part of me keeps thinking 'really?' and wondering what was wrong with the rest of 'em :o

In other news, for some reason, at school with this new connection, the TAMU pages all load super slowly. This is not true of any other sites. So I guess it gives me an excuse to look at/update lj while I'm waiting for my e-mail to load? Maybe it is a time-of-day thing, but it is odd.

Something like half my peeps here left over the weekend. School is dead :/

I have a week to finish and submit my permit application. Wish me luck!

I also need to mail stuff to other peeps, and get some new camping gear. I need a new air mattress for Buttermilk!

I may add more random stuff to this throughout today, as I am a slave to google translate for the rest of my time here. Whee!

Tomorrow I am supposed to give Kevin a bibliography of the article I am supposed to be wriihg about the social use of space on ships.

What I have done so far is put all the bibliographic info I have from the paper i wrote my first term here in to endnote.

I think I had planned to focus on 18th century vessels. I feel like I'm cheating.

I can add some stuff that I read for my prelims that I think will be useful, but really..... yeah. I feel like a fraud :x

I also feel like I'm not actually done with this yet and ack!

Stupid brain-eating Star Trek.

As an aside, does ST fandom just not like angst? Is that it? Only it can't be, because new! Spock is all full of half-Vulcan angst. But I mean really, I have found only one other person online who has even conceived of Nero/Ayel. Hot Romulan on Romulan man action! Seriously - they are *in prison* for like 25 years! :V

And this is why I can't get any work done, and also why I am a bad person.

Ugh. I sleep now.

Yeah.

If I never have to do that again, it will be too soon.

Fortunately, I never will.

Well save at the defense. But that's a different ball game really. :x

I keep thinking I should feel more accomplished..... But I still have so much crap to do -_-