Because I hate plastic, I bought a Dunkin Donuts travel mug. (I include a link because I love their Korean advertisement, which you can watch on their site.)
I also took tupperware to the kimbop lunch place for the first time.
I have yet to figure out how to tell Paris Baguette not to wrap my pre-made, pre-wrapped sandwich. I can't really imagine cutting them out of my life. Paris Baguette is the best thing about South Korea.
Finally, I've been considering unplugging my fridge, because that's the number one electricity consumer in the average household. The only thing that wouldn't like it is the eggs. Besides which my fridge is built in and possibly impossible to unplug.
Hmm. If you have any ideas, they're welcome.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
No Doz (ing Through College)
I want to go back to school. I'm torn between two different colleges. I've tried listing the pros and cons of each, and there's a clear "obvious" choice, but there are a lot of emotions tied up that don't translate well to a pros/cons list...
[This entire post is basically a response to Liz's College...again post, and her question about what makes college great. One of the things that makes it great is the opportunity to meet people other than those who simply happened to be born in your county. People like Liz. Check out her blog.]
College is pretty great. Not only do you restart your friend base, you restart yourself. Not that it's easy to change from who you were into who you want to be, but here's your first real chance to try (that is, if you never transferred grade schools, which I didn't.)
And it's remarkably social. I'm grateful for the education I received in the classroom, which is one of the main reasons I'm drawn back to Oswego--but I valued even more the education I received at parties, social outings, shared apartments... Growing up never really ends, as far as I can tell (though I'm only 22, so I'm not sure I'm qualified yet to make that decision, but I do know that when I was 12, 22 was adult) but a lot of growing up happened in college. Realizing what matters in your life, sorting out what was important to you in the past only because it was important to your parents, teachers, peer group... A lot of the stupid stuff falls away.
That's not to say that college is a fantasy world. I gritted my teeth and got through high school--which is strange, because for the most part I actively enjoyed high school--with the thought that when I got to college, I would basically be walking on to the set of Friends. I assumed my friends would all read the same books as me and we'd sit around talking about philosophy over steaming cups of organic tea.
Reality was pretty far from my dreams. Oh, don't worry--I found a group of friends who I related to on a very deep level. I just wasn't the person I had always believed. My friends and I took part in such educational activities as hitting the bars every weekend, playing darts and sharing pitcher after pitcher of the cheapest beer in town. We took turns crushing No Doz pills for bumping off of each others' rippling abs, a body image achieved through ritualistic group purging. Kidding! But we did have the occassional crazy party, with the too-occassional alcohol poisoning. I can't say that we really passed around any books. Wait, yes, we passed around the textbook for Kestas' chem class...we shared the textbook for Intro to Astronomy...
And when I eventually realized that we weren't conforming to the image of "literary university students" to which I had jacked off long ago (not literally!), I heaved a sigh of relief. Because we meshed well together the way we were. Because we helped each other get through the issues associated with living on our own for the first time. Because, as crazy as it seems, we didn't need help from a TV show to figure out who we really were.
A lot of my favorite times were at the end of the day when Jenna and I would talk about what all the crazy people said when they spoke up during class. Or at the catering job I had with Jessica and Dana. A few more were when we went to watch Rachel, Catherine, and Mackenzie play hockey. Or our coed hockey team with Kevin. Or getting 3 hour rides home with Ben and making him teach me about chemistry.
Part of what makes me want to go back to Oswego is the thought that if that awesome group came together once, something like it could happen again... Another part tells me not to force the issue, and to look for new friends in a new place. Then again, Jenna's headed to that part of the state. WHAT WILL I DO?
Good thing there're still a few more months to ruminate on this choice. The one thing I do know--this time, I'm looking forward to a bit more scholarly learning, having gotten enough (maybe) out of my first social education. Though, come to think of it, every day is a new lesson in social education. This year, I'm stuck in a class that's bound to help me in my future interaction with kids (hopefully my own, someday) but that isn't really advancing my other goals.
However: here's to being debt-free by the time I start picking up college classes again!
[This entire post is basically a response to Liz's College...again post, and her question about what makes college great. One of the things that makes it great is the opportunity to meet people other than those who simply happened to be born in your county. People like Liz. Check out her blog.]
College is pretty great. Not only do you restart your friend base, you restart yourself. Not that it's easy to change from who you were into who you want to be, but here's your first real chance to try (that is, if you never transferred grade schools, which I didn't.)
And it's remarkably social. I'm grateful for the education I received in the classroom, which is one of the main reasons I'm drawn back to Oswego--but I valued even more the education I received at parties, social outings, shared apartments... Growing up never really ends, as far as I can tell (though I'm only 22, so I'm not sure I'm qualified yet to make that decision, but I do know that when I was 12, 22 was adult) but a lot of growing up happened in college. Realizing what matters in your life, sorting out what was important to you in the past only because it was important to your parents, teachers, peer group... A lot of the stupid stuff falls away.
That's not to say that college is a fantasy world. I gritted my teeth and got through high school--which is strange, because for the most part I actively enjoyed high school--with the thought that when I got to college, I would basically be walking on to the set of Friends. I assumed my friends would all read the same books as me and we'd sit around talking about philosophy over steaming cups of organic tea.
Reality was pretty far from my dreams. Oh, don't worry--I found a group of friends who I related to on a very deep level. I just wasn't the person I had always believed. My friends and I took part in such educational activities as hitting the bars every weekend, playing darts and sharing pitcher after pitcher of the cheapest beer in town. We took turns crushing No Doz pills for bumping off of each others' rippling abs, a body image achieved through ritualistic group purging. Kidding! But we did have the occassional crazy party, with the too-occassional alcohol poisoning. I can't say that we really passed around any books. Wait, yes, we passed around the textbook for Kestas' chem class...we shared the textbook for Intro to Astronomy...
And when I eventually realized that we weren't conforming to the image of "literary university students" to which I had jacked off long ago (not literally!), I heaved a sigh of relief. Because we meshed well together the way we were. Because we helped each other get through the issues associated with living on our own for the first time. Because, as crazy as it seems, we didn't need help from a TV show to figure out who we really were.
A lot of my favorite times were at the end of the day when Jenna and I would talk about what all the crazy people said when they spoke up during class. Or at the catering job I had with Jessica and Dana. A few more were when we went to watch Rachel, Catherine, and Mackenzie play hockey. Or our coed hockey team with Kevin. Or getting 3 hour rides home with Ben and making him teach me about chemistry.
Part of what makes me want to go back to Oswego is the thought that if that awesome group came together once, something like it could happen again... Another part tells me not to force the issue, and to look for new friends in a new place. Then again, Jenna's headed to that part of the state. WHAT WILL I DO?
Good thing there're still a few more months to ruminate on this choice. The one thing I do know--this time, I'm looking forward to a bit more scholarly learning, having gotten enough (maybe) out of my first social education. Though, come to think of it, every day is a new lesson in social education. This year, I'm stuck in a class that's bound to help me in my future interaction with kids (hopefully my own, someday) but that isn't really advancing my other goals.
However: here's to being debt-free by the time I start picking up college classes again!
Friday, February 22, 2008
Tetris is REAL!
I'm currently in recovery, but there was a time when I could honestly say that I was addicted to TETRIS.
Now I just make my students play Human Tetris. I think it's pretty great but I get mad when they don't blink and disappear when I make lines.
In the midst of all the hours we spent playing the Super Nintendo version in college, I remember convincing Jenna to cut class so we could keep playing Tetris and Dr. Mario. Good times.
If you want to see a youtube video that represents the most common game show on South Korean television, check out this next video.
...Actually, that's a little less silly than most of the ones we see. Also, is that a pool of honey they're falling into?
This marks weekend #2 sans alcohol. Have a great one!
Now I just make my students play Human Tetris. I think it's pretty great but I get mad when they don't blink and disappear when I make lines.
In the midst of all the hours we spent playing the Super Nintendo version in college, I remember convincing Jenna to cut class so we could keep playing Tetris and Dr. Mario. Good times.
If you want to see a youtube video that represents the most common game show on South Korean television, check out this next video.
...Actually, that's a little less silly than most of the ones we see. Also, is that a pool of honey they're falling into?
This marks weekend #2 sans alcohol. Have a great one!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
The earth not the Earth. To be not to Be.
I'll find a new topic soon, but just a couple more things about our one and only home, the earth:
1. You don't have to capitalize "earth" if you use "the" before it. Also, you don't generally have to capitalize it unless you also mention another, capitalized, celestial body in the same sentence, such as "Earth and Jupiter." Don't worry about it too much, though--most of us are clueless.
2. Plastic does suck. Recycle. An albatross' stomach was cut open to reveal about a pound of plastic, including a cigarette lighter. Buy refillable ones!
3. You can always find something new to implement in your life, even when you feel like you're just hearing the same thing again and again. I mean, how many times have we all heard that batteries simply aren't landfillable, and how many of us take the trouble to find out how to recycle them? (I've heard Staples will recycle them.)
4. How do you pass the time here on earth? Any ideas that don't include drugs will be welcome--I believe compiling a list of such activities is going to be one of the new big crusades in my life. (I'm not knocking drugs, I just don't require any suggestions in that arena.)
1. You don't have to capitalize "earth" if you use "the" before it. Also, you don't generally have to capitalize it unless you also mention another, capitalized, celestial body in the same sentence, such as "Earth and Jupiter." Don't worry about it too much, though--most of us are clueless.
2. Plastic does suck. Recycle. An albatross' stomach was cut open to reveal about a pound of plastic, including a cigarette lighter. Buy refillable ones!
3. You can always find something new to implement in your life, even when you feel like you're just hearing the same thing again and again. I mean, how many times have we all heard that batteries simply aren't landfillable, and how many of us take the trouble to find out how to recycle them? (I've heard Staples will recycle them.)
4. How do you pass the time here on earth? Any ideas that don't include drugs will be welcome--I believe compiling a list of such activities is going to be one of the new big crusades in my life. (I'm not knocking drugs, I just don't require any suggestions in that arena.)
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Calvin and Hobbes are Jenious.
I love Calvin and Hobbes an extremely huge amount. If you're not capable of stumbleupon'ing it for yourself, here's a link to some great snow art from the strip.
It's more than a comic. Consider the names of the main characters--two great philosophers.
At least, I think that's who they are. I've never really bothered to read anything by either one.
By the way-that's how I saw one of my students spell 'genius.' What she actually wrote was "I am jenious."
I love this job.
You should see some of the doodles I've collected.
It's more than a comic. Consider the names of the main characters--two great philosophers.
At least, I think that's who they are. I've never really bothered to read anything by either one.
By the way-that's how I saw one of my students spell 'genius.' What she actually wrote was "I am jenious."
I love this job.
You should see some of the doodles I've collected.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Red, Reading, Will Reed
I was recently disturbed by Zeitgeist, the movie about the three interrelated topics of religion, 9/11, and the US Federal Reserve Bank. I'd like to be blase on this one and act like I knew everything that movie had to tell me, but I really didn't. Straight through, I was pretty wide-eyed.
I recommend watching it. (Just don't take it as gospel. Obviously.)
This is totally different from how I also recommend She's The Man.
I just finished reading Rubbish by Richard Girling. I don't recommend it. I'll let you know where it takes me, though. It was about on the same level as The Green Book by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen. The Green Book at least had the benefits of being very short and packed full of easily applicable tips.
Now I'm back to the hilariously titled Fiasco: The American Military Adventure In Iraq, by Thomas E. Ricks. I've got to struggle through this mammoth tome in time for the election. At some point, I'll have a few pages of quotes, a distillate of the book so you don't have to read it--let me know if you're interested in receiving them.
And now I'm reading my students' essays. They continue to be the bane of my existence.
Peace.
I recommend watching it. (Just don't take it as gospel. Obviously.)
This is totally different from how I also recommend She's The Man.
I just finished reading Rubbish by Richard Girling. I don't recommend it. I'll let you know where it takes me, though. It was about on the same level as The Green Book by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen. The Green Book at least had the benefits of being very short and packed full of easily applicable tips.
Now I'm back to the hilariously titled Fiasco: The American Military Adventure In Iraq, by Thomas E. Ricks. I've got to struggle through this mammoth tome in time for the election. At some point, I'll have a few pages of quotes, a distillate of the book so you don't have to read it--let me know if you're interested in receiving them.
And now I'm reading my students' essays. They continue to be the bane of my existence.
Peace.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Rubbish is Rubbish
Now two-thirds of the way through Richard Girling's book Rubbish: Dirt on our hands and crisis ahead. I'm thinking there's a lot in this book I could have gone without--the entire 20-page section on how great apples and cheese used to be, for example. Then again, it begs the question of how often we need to hear something repeated before we actually do something about it.
I've gotten three implementable ideas out of this book so far.
1. Go to farmer's markets. Buy local. Avoid supermarkets. Not only does this support local economy and (probably) better humanitarian/environmental business practices, it also reduces the transport of the goods you're buying, which helps the environment out a lot.
2. Reduce your personal waste stream. Everything you use goes somewhere. Be more conscious of what you use in a day. For example: how was your lunch packaged? I should be bringing a tupperware container to the restaurant I get kimbop at, but I haven't yet, which means every time I get lunch there, I throw out a plastic bag, a square of tinfoil, and two wooden chopsticks.
3. Do more research about energy production. I don't actually know how feasible wind power is--but I do know that Denmark gets about 20% of its electricity from wind turbines. This book's reminding me of what a false savior nuclear energy is, considering we don't know what to do with it besides bury it (the book is about the UK), and it's going to be around for way longer than we can reasonably guarantee safe storage.
So...my goal of learning about waste disposal and energy production has not been met by reading this book, but it did help me to refine what it is that I want to learn more about. Sweet!
I've gotten three implementable ideas out of this book so far.
1. Go to farmer's markets. Buy local. Avoid supermarkets. Not only does this support local economy and (probably) better humanitarian/environmental business practices, it also reduces the transport of the goods you're buying, which helps the environment out a lot.
2. Reduce your personal waste stream. Everything you use goes somewhere. Be more conscious of what you use in a day. For example: how was your lunch packaged? I should be bringing a tupperware container to the restaurant I get kimbop at, but I haven't yet, which means every time I get lunch there, I throw out a plastic bag, a square of tinfoil, and two wooden chopsticks.
3. Do more research about energy production. I don't actually know how feasible wind power is--but I do know that Denmark gets about 20% of its electricity from wind turbines. This book's reminding me of what a false savior nuclear energy is, considering we don't know what to do with it besides bury it (the book is about the UK), and it's going to be around for way longer than we can reasonably guarantee safe storage.
So...my goal of learning about waste disposal and energy production has not been met by reading this book, but it did help me to refine what it is that I want to learn more about. Sweet!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Trash Vortex Update
Not really that surprising that Greenpeace has something to say about this.
Not really surprising that I don't know what more to say.
Recycle!
On to a new topic. I've finished The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene, both in book form and in the Nova made-for-TV movie form that's available on the internet.
My conclusion: while it did serve to get me interested in physics (reference my anticipated shipment of Einstein's paper on his theory of relativity--and another book to explain the Einstein) it's kinda lame and really cursory. Though maybe that's as it must be. The book was about 400 pages and the movie, three hours. Who could even start if either were longer?
Reminding me of resolution #7. Be less verbose.
Guess I recently notched it up to 8--no alcohol this year.
Reminds me of a great friend from college who'd always give up Bud Light for Lent.
Not really surprising that I don't know what more to say.
Recycle!
On to a new topic. I've finished The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene, both in book form and in the Nova made-for-TV movie form that's available on the internet.
My conclusion: while it did serve to get me interested in physics (reference my anticipated shipment of Einstein's paper on his theory of relativity--and another book to explain the Einstein) it's kinda lame and really cursory. Though maybe that's as it must be. The book was about 400 pages and the movie, three hours. Who could even start if either were longer?
Reminding me of resolution #7. Be less verbose.
Guess I recently notched it up to 8--no alcohol this year.
Reminds me of a great friend from college who'd always give up Bud Light for Lent.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
we're all Deer in the Headlights of this one
When I stumbleupon'd the plastic soup twice the size of the continental united states that is afloat in the pacific seas, I was reminded of why we need to chuck our disposable culture.
I've always had the hope that our huge ocean rafts would be more intentionally created. (Reference one of my favorite sci-fi novels, Snow Crash.)
What do we do about this? It's one of those "Oh, man.." kind of problems.
I've always had the hope that our huge ocean rafts would be more intentionally created. (Reference one of my favorite sci-fi novels, Snow Crash.)
What do we do about this? It's one of those "Oh, man.." kind of problems.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Drowning In Waste
I'm about a third of the way through Rubbish by Richard Girling, and my favorite parts so far have been the tours he's taken me on in management facilities for our three primary wastes: bathroom waste, recycled waste, and unrecycled waste. I was actually most surprised by the recycling section, because I had slightly higher hopes for what's being done in that sector.
Worry number one: Why aren't more things recyclable? This doesn't even come from the book, it just comes from looking around. Can we recycle CD jewel cases? Can we recycle plastic bread bags? Can we recycle the screw-on tops of our water bottles? In most cases, the answers I've found have been NO. WHY?? And why don't we listen to people who tell us not to buy things that aren't recyclable?
Worry number two: Why aren't things recycled more efficiently? If I have a first-edition PET bottle, never before recycled, why does it have to become a gutter in its next life? Why can't it be washed out and reused the way it is? Or at least cleaned, melted, and reused as another PET water bottle? What is the deal with making our recyclables into disposables after only a few cycles?
Worry number three: Why aren't more people worried about this? I mean...how much more room do we really have for landfills? And isn't anyone worried about this modern-day version of 'sweep it under the rug'? I've heard the argument that we can just store our garbage on the moon, or shoot it into the sun, so why get up in arms...but I've also heard the argument that it costs between $5,000-$10,000 per pound just to get something into orbit, so that doesn't really seem all that feasible of a solution. Besides which, siphoning off resources out of our closed planetary system just because we don't want to go without our chuckable water bottles seems like an awfully shortsighted idea.
Worry number one: Why aren't more things recyclable? This doesn't even come from the book, it just comes from looking around. Can we recycle CD jewel cases? Can we recycle plastic bread bags? Can we recycle the screw-on tops of our water bottles? In most cases, the answers I've found have been NO. WHY?? And why don't we listen to people who tell us not to buy things that aren't recyclable?
Worry number two: Why aren't things recycled more efficiently? If I have a first-edition PET bottle, never before recycled, why does it have to become a gutter in its next life? Why can't it be washed out and reused the way it is? Or at least cleaned, melted, and reused as another PET water bottle? What is the deal with making our recyclables into disposables after only a few cycles?
Worry number three: Why aren't more people worried about this? I mean...how much more room do we really have for landfills? And isn't anyone worried about this modern-day version of 'sweep it under the rug'? I've heard the argument that we can just store our garbage on the moon, or shoot it into the sun, so why get up in arms...but I've also heard the argument that it costs between $5,000-$10,000 per pound just to get something into orbit, so that doesn't really seem all that feasible of a solution. Besides which, siphoning off resources out of our closed planetary system just because we don't want to go without our chuckable water bottles seems like an awfully shortsighted idea.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
There's a Limit to my Universe
Being on vacation for six days sounded like just what we all needed. And it didn't seem too ludicrous to whip up a fresh to-do list out of all those things I've been putting off. Some things ended up getting accomplished, and some didn't.
Still To Do:
-Planning of a trip to Thailand (I did buy Fodor's Guide, though).
-Planning of another two years at SUNY Oswego.
DONE:
-Planning of a trip to the Adirondacks (Top 4 High Peaks, here I(we?) come).
-Major weeding of my "Currently Reading" list. Now I'm actually reading one.
-Quitting drinking alcohol.
It's not that I feel the need to purge myself of all my vices this year (reference resolutions), it's just that some things are important and some people matter enough to forget about your own Charlie-Browning.
The book I'm currently reading: The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene. Pretty wild.
Still To Do:
-Planning of a trip to Thailand (I did buy Fodor's Guide, though).
-Planning of another two years at SUNY Oswego.
DONE:
-Planning of a trip to the Adirondacks (Top 4 High Peaks, here I(we?) come).
-Major weeding of my "Currently Reading" list. Now I'm actually reading one.
-Quitting drinking alcohol.
It's not that I feel the need to purge myself of all my vices this year (reference resolutions), it's just that some things are important and some people matter enough to forget about your own Charlie-Browning.
The book I'm currently reading: The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene. Pretty wild.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)