| Torontonians: anyone have a PC laptop? |
[Mar. 15th, 2009|10:10 am] |
It seems that lately my appearances on LJ have to do with asking favors of y'all--apologies for that. Here's the issue: does any Torontonian have a PC laptop (is that the right term? Not the most technology-savvy person here :{ ) that I can borrow for Tuesday? I'm giving a lecture for the class I'm TAing this week in Scarborough, and I went to check out the electronics/AV stuff a few days ago and found that apparently it only works with PCs rather than Macs. Guess which type of laptop I have? Argh! If anyone has a PC laptop and wouldn't mind letting me use it this Tuesday, that would be awesome and I would love you forever. Or at least pretty close to forever--we can negotiate.
I really need to get on here more often and do general updates, as opposed to just when I need stuff. I've got a little knot of anxiety bumping around in my stomach these days and it's kinda sorta related to my thesis which is pretty much way WAY behind. Ok, actually it very much has to do with my not-happening thesis. Plus it's just about time for committee meetings, and I am not looking forward to convening mine this year. Probable conversation:
Committee: Long time no see! (me: *cringe*) So what have you been doing?
Me: Um... OH LOOK ROBARTS IS BURNING DOWN *hurls self towards door, knocking down hapless committee member blocking path to freedom*
Good times. |
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| (no subject) |
[Jan. 12th, 2009|07:16 pm] |
A favor to ask of my readership: does anyone know of where one can find out what conferences are being held or planned for a specific geographic region? I've been asked by someone to find out what literature conferences are being held in February and March in and around Toronto, or at least Ontario. I know that's quite broad--the inquiry itself was quite vague, so the answer will have to cover a lot of ground. Many thanks--I'm going to scour around myself, but thought it would be wise to ask just in case there's a good source I don't know about.
In other news, I'm in quite an advanced case of paralysis/lack of motivation regarding thesis writing. I don't know what's up, but I just can't bear the thought of sitting down and doing the reading and researching for it. I think part of it is that I suspect there isn't enough of a basis for my thesis, and it will fall apart during the course of my research. Ugh. I really wish I could hire someone to kick me in the butt and force me to just do it. |
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| Calling U of T-ers--ROSI account balance question |
[Dec. 3rd, 2008|04:35 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  silly | ] |
Question about ROSI account balances--if you're TAing during the fall or winter terms and are getting that money by direct deposit into your bank account, are you supposed to pay that money to U of T via ROSI yourself? I got this "you've got an account balance" email, and am totally confused about what I'm supposed to do.
On another note, I finally got off my lazy arse and got cable internet--watch out peoples, here I come hahahahaha :B |
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| Am drowning |
[Oct. 23rd, 2008|01:44 am] |
in a sea of papers to mark. Partially my own fault, I admit, but it doesn't make it any better. Sleep is apparently optional :( . On the other hand, I think I've actually come up with a New Year's resolution early this year.
I'm a bit grumpy right now as well, because apparently a lot of my students think that basic proofreading isn't something they need to worry about. I'd be willing to bet that certain papers I've read were typed at warp speed:desperation, ripped out of the printer, and handed in as is, without even taking a second glance at what's on the page. Some of the nonsensical constructions are actually funny and I would be more amused, except that I'm annoyed after having to slow waaaaay down to make really obvious grammatical corrections, on top of trying to figure out what the heck they're trying to say. Grading = buckets of fun, oh yes!
PS--And apparently Mary Boleyn is a total whore. Who knew?? |
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| grrrrr orbitz and cheaptickets |
[Oct. 14th, 2008|04:48 pm] |
I've been trying and trying to buy my Christmas plane ticket on Orbitz and Cheaptickets, but every time I try to select a ticket, I get this "due to rapidly changing availability your choice no longer exists" message. Every. Time. I think I must have clicked on about 15 tickets by now, and I'm not kidding. Is anyone else having this problem?? I have so far successfully resisted the urge to (1) bash my computer, or (2) reach through the screen and bash the jerks responsible for the glitch (or, if not directly responsible, haven't noticed the glitch and fixed it yet, although it's been about two weeks since my last unsuccessful attempt. Which also consisted of clicking on a bunch of tickets in vain and ate 2.5 hours of my life). If this happens again, my computer may not survive unscathed. Have any of you bought plane tickets online recently, and if yes, what sites did you use? This is ridiculous, y'all, ridiculous.
On the other hand, yesterday could not have been any nicer outside than it was. Talk about gorgeous weather! It was the perfect fall day--lots of sunshine, just cool enough without being chilly, relatively empty streets, the few people out and about being very relaxed, and so on. Made me think that it can't be too hard to persuade the country to agree to a few more holidays like this one. Right? :) |
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| (no subject) |
[Sep. 30th, 2008|12:46 pm] |
Just need to vent because I am full of rage that yet another book I really need is listed in the U of T catalog as on the shelf in Robarts, yet it is NOT THERE. And there is only one copy in the library system. This is possibly the 5th or 6th book within the last week that this has been the case for me. I. Am not. Amused. |
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| Saved from my own naivety |
[Sep. 23rd, 2008|04:35 pm] |
A couple weeks ago, I was sitting around the CMS Great Hall dining room table with a bunch of CMS folks, talking about this and that. At some point I mentioned in passing that I had gotten a TAship with about 45 students, or 3 sections. Not knowing the difference between the notification letter alerting me to the TAship (which was what I had received), and the actual contract (which I had not yet received), and mistaking the latter for the former, I also casually mentioned that I thought I was getting 50 hours for this appointment, as the letter stated that I was getting 50 hrs minimum.
The indignant roar that arose from the table caught me by complete surprise, but also kind of really warmed my heart. From the ensuing heated discussion I gathered that (1) 50 hours for 3 sections of students is tantamount to slave labor, (2) I owe it to myself and TAs everywhere to report this atrocity if this should indeed be the case, and (3) everyone really looks out for each other round these parts. I must say how grateful I am for (3), cause even as I was telling the group gathered around the table what I thought my workload/hours ratio was, I had no idea that that was even unusual, let alone flat-out ridiculous. I was totally prepared to just accept it, no questions asked.
Anyway, I assured everyone that I would keep them posted about the outcome--I finally got my contract this week, and it turns out that I got 170 (maybe 175? Can't remember, but in the 170s anyway) hours for 3 sections. Much more reasonable :), so thank goodness for that, but more importantly, many thanks to all of you (LJers and non-LJers alike) who totally stuck up for me and made sure I knew what I should be getting. Although it ended up not being the case here, and (hopefully!) hardly ever happens, if you guys hadn't stopped me and said something, I could have been taken advantage of pretty badly. Thanks again <3 |
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| (no subject) |
[Sep. 12th, 2008|11:23 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | home, unfortunately. | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | irritated as hell | ] |
| [ | music |
| | my neighbor's. Thanks a lot. | ] |
So I'm really frikking annoyed right now at my living circumstances. When I first moved into this apartment, which is more like a triplex (small building, so I have a unit of neighbors upstairs and a unit across from me), the other two units were each occupied by working professionals. In other words, people who were very good about keeping noise levels and such to a reasonable level. Over the past year though, my original neighbors in both units moved out and were replaced by, as it seems, students. Undergraduate students. Meaning noise levels suddenly spiked, lots more banging around upstairs and downstairs, and the disappearance of quiet hours, for lack of a better term. Last winter my across-the-hall neighbors had an all-night party, which would have been fine except that they literally kept me up until 6am. To be fair, they were usually not THAT bad and were relatively tame during the daytime, so I was willing to tolerate it until 4am even, but when it hit 6 I was livid and went and banged on their door. At that point they were still going strong, shouting the lyrics along with a song they were blasting. Yeah, at 6am.
Well, they moved about two months ago and were replaced by... more undergraduates! Imagine my joy. My present neighbors are a couple with some serious communication issues. They don't talk, they fight. All. The. Time. I met the guy a few days ago, and he was actually quite nice, but it's like a completely different person, the way he hurls verbal abuse at the girl and the things he calls her. I know it's none of my business, but if I were the girl (or the guy for that matter--who knows who's causing what), I would seriously get the hell out of the relationship, because that kind of interaction cannot be healthy in any way.
Aaaaand, my upstairs neighbors, two undergrad girls. Pretty sweet girls, but when they have parties, they really like to blast the music, in a the-full-volume-mark-is-just-a-suggestion-blowing-out-the-speakers-is-much-more-fun kind of way. Right now their system sounds like it's parked right at my door, meaning that I'm getting an involuntary clubbing experience in the comfort of my own room. And they're yelling over the music, which just adds to the ambience.
What's even better is that all of us have a shared storage space and backyard, which are adjacent to my (very thin-walled) bedroom. So if either of the neighboring units feel like it, all they have to do is linger outside and they can keep me up all night.
Crap, now they're spreading outside too. So I've currently got dance music pounding upstairs, and people shouting over it, and more yelling outside.
So much for a quiet night in. I had gotten a few books this afternoon in hopes of getting in some quality reading, but looks like that's not going to happen. If they're still going past 4am I'm really going to pop an artery. Call me a grumpy old woman, but undergrads are starting to seem more like an infestation to me than anything else. Someone hold me back, I'm two steps away from having heads roll right now. |
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| (no subject) |
[May. 7th, 2008|12:40 am] |
... don't... want... to give... this damned conference paper! *temper tantrum* !@##@$*^&pieceof!@#^)$*crap#$@^&*@#*&ass@#$&(*screwed@#$(*!@#(*%!!!!! |
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| Anyone knowledgeable in Middle English pronunciation? |
[May. 6th, 2008|01:37 am] |
Hey y'all, is there anyone who knows something about Middle English pronunciation and would be willing to give me a super-quick crash course, either tomorrow (er, technically today, Tuesday, May 6) or sometime before Thursday (this is for my Kalamazoo paper)? I'm having a last-minute panic attack of a minor sort, cause I've got a few phrases I'm not sure about, like these:
"To teche vertew and connynge, me thynkethe hit charitable/ For moche youth in connynge/ Is baren and fulle vnable"
"Be of so gode disposission to avertes and avyse me to leve all folly... for I fere me that, tylle that tyme that that youkke of wedlokke ly in my nekke,... youth shall rene in me"
and one or two others. Originally I was just going to read these aloud and modernize the pronunciation, but now I'm thinking of putting these in a handout, so I HAVE to read the original Middle English. Oh, the little buggers that pop up as one is trying to finalize things like this. Suggestions? Maybe I should just modernize the pronunciation anyway? I would be enormously grateful to anyone who can save me from sounding like a unschooled buffoon in my session.
I'm going to be so relieved when I finish presenting my paper. Seriously. |
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| (no subject) |
[Apr. 24th, 2008|04:52 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  cranky | ] |
Ugh, so annoyed. I just posted a little musing thought that had been rolling around lately in my brain about Bocelli. Maybe I was a little harsh, granted. Came back a little later to find a particular comment that clearly disagreed with what I had to say. That's fine, I have no problem with people having differences of opinion. But when someone is rude about it, and, on top of that, comments anonymously, I mean, what the hell? Like I said to Anonymous in my response, I think I can manage to not hold it against you if I know you, so at least have the courtesy to say who you are. Not identifying yourself makes you come off as a coward, frankly, and does a lot to devalue the comment you've left. Especially if it's a rude one.
God, spent way more time on this than it should have taken. |
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| A call to Torontonians re: eye doctors, and an Andrea Bocelli rant |
[Apr. 24th, 2008|02:10 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  why is PIMS library freezing? | ] |
Has anyone had to go to an optometrist/opthalmologist (sp?) in town recently to get new contact lenses? I'm looking for recommendations for a good eye doctor who charges reasonable prices for contacts. Also, does anyone know how U of T insurance covers costs for contacts and such? I thought I heard that our student insurance does cover costs with certain limitations, but I can't remember exactly what those limitations are.
And on a completely unrelated note, let it be known to all that I think Andrea Bocelli is a conspicuously mediocre singer/tenor/voice artist/whatever you call him. Every so often some radio station will play a piece he has recorded, and every time I wince because I can hear his voice falling short on multiple levels. First, his voice is just not strong or powerful enough to measure up to other singers whom he is often considered the equal of: it's noticeably thin, and he often strains it, especially when he's trying to hit a rather high note or when the piece he's singing has a broad range. Second, it's not very flexible, if that's the word. There's a particular piece (the name currently escapes me) that requires the singer to jump quickly between notes in a rather staccato fashion; when he sings it, his "jumping" is too sluggish, and, again, strained. I'm sure it's very difficult to do well, but a top-level singer should be able to make it seem effortless, and he visibly struggles. Third, it's not, well, colorful or dynamic. Sometimes I feel like I'm listening to someone sing in monotone--like the acoustic version of watching black-and-white TV or something. I don't really understand how or why people think he's so great. I mean, he's got some talent, sure, but in my opinion, he falls quite short of the standard other singers have been held up to. Can't wrap my head around the Andrea Bocelli mania. |
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| (no subject) |
[Apr. 20th, 2008|11:13 pm] |
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I love little surprises as one goes about one's daily life. Managed to drag my butt out of bed today for a morning run before church, albeit an hour later than planned (a familiar theme in my everyday doings). Anyway, was hauling said reluctant butt (image: wading underwater), past Christie Pits when I ran into gleodream, looking spiffy and on her way to church :D E, ya totally made my morning *love*! Plus I haven't seen you lately, so that was doubly nice. |
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| TMI |
[Feb. 20th, 2008|02:38 pm] |
Ok, could my downstairs neighbor stop getting it on with her boyfriend, like, every afternoon/evening/whenever I'm home? Or just be a little more subtle about it? I swear, every time I'm quiet in my apartment, I hear them through my vents. I mean, do what you gotta do, but that doesn't mean I want to share the experience all the time, you know?
At least my neighbors are a group of girls rooming together so I don't know who it is. That would be even worse. My virgin ears! Ok, that was pretty awful. Sorry. |
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| (no subject) |
[Jan. 17th, 2008|12:17 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  oh nooooooooooooooo | ] |
An email was circulated to CMS folk a while ago offering the chance to brush up on reading German. I've really been feeling my language skills drop lately, especially German, so I responded with some excitement. The prof coordinating the reading group recently emailed those interested to confirm a meeting time--and I realized that (1) the rest of the group consists of Super Smart and Advanced PhD-ers who are almost certainly way beyond my skill level, and (2) I've REALLY forgotten how to read German, no joke. Too bad the professor wants to do some sight passages, um, tomorrow at our first meeting. Scroooooooood. Damn, how do I always manage to put myself in these situations?! |
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| Am back, yarrrrrrrr |
[Oct. 26th, 2007|01:40 pm] |
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Slightly jetlagged, left arm hurts from pulling fat and heavy suitcase, smelly and have a hammer pounding my brain. A nap is in order, I think. See everyone soon! |
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| (no subject) |
[Aug. 31st, 2007|05:35 pm] |
WHY do my next-door neighbors like to yell instead of talk? Seriously, the wife yells something at the husband who yells something back, which apparently pisses the wife off cause she yells back even louder. Or maybe that's just their way of talking. And whatever daycare they're running in their backyard isn't much better cause the kids don't talk, they scream. All. Freaking. Afternoon. So yes, a daytime power nap is pretty much not an option. Grrrrrrr.
On another note, those cats my other next-door neighbors have are so durn cute. The other day, I walked to the backyard and saw the quieter of the two cats sitting in my neighbor's lawn. Thinking I might as well be friendly, I squatted down and wiggled my fingers at her. She came over and meowed--actually, i think she's been taking a few cues from her fellow housemate, cause she rolled over, then meowed at me, just like the first cat. She did this a few times before apparently figuring out that I couldn't actually pet her--I stuck my fingers as far as I could through the fence, but chain links are not exactly conducive to human hands, so the most I could do was wiggle my fingers at her. So she came over and put her head where my fingers were so I could scratch the area above and around her ears. *love!* Makes me want to get a kitten or rabbit or something so bad. But my hours are too irregular for having a pet. :( Ah well. There is a certain dog named Nora waiting for me back in Illinois. Bearish, she does remember me, right? |
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