Brüno

So, last night I went to go see Brüno. One word: WUNDERBAR!

As you probably know, it takes a lot to shock me. Things that disgust most people interest me. I'm weird like that. And Brüno was no exception. I was excited to find people I could actually go with, seeing as H. really isn't interested in that sort of thing. Come to think of it, most people I know aren't, seeing as they're normal and all. But I laughed the entire time.

I really couldn't believe, though, that they played this movie in Germany. There were so many cracks at Nazi Germany I thought people would get up and walk out. The second misunderstood Austrian in the last century? Wow. Saluting at the US military by giving the Nazi salute? My goodness! And going on an African American talk show with your "gayby" O.J.? Priceless.

Some may call it tasteless. And when I say some, I mean the other 99.9% of the population that aren't mentally sick, like me. But I think Brüno did an excellent job of saying what everyone is thinking. And somehow, he did so and made it out of the Middle East alive. King Obama looks like a homeless Santa Claus? Yikes.

If you don't scare easily/have any morals, go see Brüno. And if you aren't into that sort of thing, be horrified that there is actually a portion of the population that is demented enough to find this sort of stuff funny.

My rating? 3 dildos up (one white, one black, and one strap-on)

Charlaine Harris - My Newest Literary Obsession

I can honestly say that before Twilight, I had no interest in fantasy/sci-fi novels. And really, I still don't. I don't particularly care for flying uniforms or characters with funny names. Yet three series have captured my attention, namely Harry Potter, Twilight, and now the Sookie Stackhouse novels.

There's something to be said about ongoing series that are purely escapist. Anyone who knows me would know I suffered years' long bout of Harry Potter obsession. Back in the day, I could describe any character, any event, anything really. In hindsight, it was pathetic, I admit it. But let's face it -- Harry Potter was absorbing. Completely. But after the Deathly Hallows came out, I went cold turkey, knowing staying so obsessed just for the crappy movies really wasn't worth it. And I got over it. Twilight was easier to get over, seeing as there were only four books in the series, and they were already all published by the time M. forced me to read them. So, no desperate obsessing over what would happen next.

But knowing my obsession for Twilight (read: Edward), H. bought me the Sookie Stackhouse novels for my birthday. Okay, they were an early birthday present, but still. Ten books and a week later, I'm stuck twiddling my thumbs until May when the next book comes out, and I can find out what's going to happen next. I hate waiting, really. I really don't like it. But maybe it's just what I need -- something to look forward to in the book world. Shame I'm sitting around waiting for almost a year for a book I'll finish in a couple of hours...

I even tried satisfying my err... craving by watching True Blood. Yuck. The books are a lot less bloody in my head, I'll tell you.

So that's me in a nutshell. Compulsive reader always in search of instant literary gratification. Oh, who am I kidding? I hate waiting. Period.

Moi moi!

Hei!

Well, my trip in Finland is now coming to a close. What a week it's been! When I first got here, I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I definitely wasn't expecting everything to look like Canada! Yet, it does. So I feel oddly at home here, which as a plus. E. and L. have been great hosts, as were E.'s parents and siblings.

Our visit was split into three: a couple of days in Oulu where I did homework during the morning while E. worked, and then four days in Kemijärvi, followed by another two in Oulu. Oulu has been fun with a lot of bike riding and live-music listening. Kemijärvi was beautiful and warm, minus all the mosquitos -- I'm covered in bites. My foot has not only bites all along it (on the bones, too), but on the sole as well. How that happened, I'm not sure.

I'll be honest though. I'm pooped. There's something about twenty-four-hour sunlight that really impairs the sleep cycle. Although I'll be sad to leave, I'm definitely looking forward to my bed with the fan on, and rollies pulled down tight so I can sleep in the dark.

Also, I thought about giving a play-by-play of my trip. Maybe I still will. Maybe I'll do it in pieces, posting about one day at a time. But as I sit here, tired both mentally and physically, I really don't think I can manage. When I think about the enormity of such a task, I just want to roll over and sleep. Then again, I suppose it would be a fun thing to do when I'm homework-procrastinating. Hmm... seems like a good idea!

Wow... I've really got to get to bed, even if it is only 10:00! I've got a big day of travelling tomorrow (yuck).

Bis später...

Leaving on a Lentokone

Toyvottavasti!! (Hello... I think)

Well, I am one point five hours away from leaving Deutschland, and going to Finland! Juhu! I am sure that I will be bombarding you with pictures... maybe even later today! Who knows! I'm just hoping FinnAir has better luck than most of these planes lately that are either crashing, having cockpit fires, or having the pilot die of "natural causes" in the middle of the flight. I don't mean to make light of it, but I seriously hope none of that (or worse) happens on my flight, or any more flights for that matter.

Oh, I'm all a flutter. I'll have to post back when I've calmed down (in Finland!!!)

Hope your day is treating you well!

Hyvästi!

Way Number Six to FAIL as a Professor

Yes, you heard right. I'm going on a complaining binge again today!

So, the winner for World's Favourite Professor just upped the ante yesterday when he finally returned my term paper. I got 87%. If you know me, you will know this is cause for a full-blown panic attack. Yeh, you heard right. I'm the girl that almost cried because I got 102% on a Chemistry exam out of a possible 104%. Yes, I know.

Anyhoo, you know why I only received that grade? Because a bunch of my information was false. Where did I get this information, you ask? From a web-page perhaps? Au contraire, my friends. I found this wonderful information in my textbook. Yes, my professor not only told me that the information in the assigned text was COMPLETELY false, but that I should've known better. My heart rate is rising again just thinking about it.

And so here it is: Way #6 to FAIL as a Professor:

6. Sometimes textbooks print inaccurate information. Cool. Nothing new there. But if you're asking us to write a paper on a specific topic, it may help to mention that the text is inaccurate. Especially when it's inaccurate in such a way that it somehow still corresponded to the information I found in scholarly journals. I'm not a mind reader. I'm also not a PhD student that "should've known better." If you think a text is full of baloney, don't assign it. Seriously.

It's my sincere hope that my "Ways to FAIL as a Professor" end with this douche. For some reason, though, I have a feeling I may end up adding to it in the future. I also have a sneaking suspicion I may add to the list once I get my final exam and final grade back. Who knows? Maybe I'll make it into a series, or something. It's a good thing this was only a 100-level requirement and not some 400-level history class to take right before graduation, though. Because then this would REALLY suck.

Back to the Grind

Well, finals are over, term papers have been handed in, the new semester has started, and I'm already knee-deep in Plato's "Symposium" and questions about marginal analysis. Fun, eh?

Last weekend was the Army Ball. I've got to say, it totally wasn't worth it! H. came home late every night for two months for what? So we could sit there for three hours, eat a mediocre meal, and

so I could laugh at the Americans' view of US history? Seriously? We're lucky someone else bought our tickets, or else there's no way I would have paid 70 euro for that!

In other news, I fly to Finland next week. I'm quite excited! And then finally I'll have good pictures to put up! I'm a little sad about leaving Maxie, but it'll be a nice break; he's been on such a power trip lately, and he's getting on my nerves. Luckily, E. works during the morning, so I'll be able to catch up on schoolwork while she's at work, and then we have the afternoons to hang out! I really hope her BF speaks English, though. Because of the five languages I could get by in, Finnish is definitely not one of them. It just looks like äääöölllliiihhä to me...

I guess it's back to reading for me... African American history and Plato, here I come! *insert rolling eyes here*

Five Ways to FAIL as a Professor

I know you get it at every university: retarded professors. But some really just take the cake, like one of my professors from this past semester. Here goes:

1. Identifications are an important part of the class. Cool. But please don't give us an identification that has different meanings depending on the time period. And if you do, please hint at which time period you're thinking of. When your class covers the events spanning a couple of millennia, don't give me a zero, saying I "picked the wrong date." You didn't give me anything to work off of.

2. I appreciate you giving us hints as to what's on the final. I really do. But please don't say to study a certain group of things and then say we don't need the other stuff. Then, you go and put that 'other stuff' on the exam. Lying isn't funny. Maybe it was an amateur mistake on my part, trusting the professor. Lesson learned. But in all honesty, I'd much rather you say "learn it all." Because then I WILL learn it all.

3. I get that you fall ill and have computer troubles. So do I. So does everyone else. But you, the professor, are weeks behind on everything. If you want us to keep up with the class, you should keep up, too.

4. If our reading is from pages 400-450 and you say the questions are from pages 400-450, please don't have the questions coming from pages 280 and 630. Yes, I can go to those pages to find what I need to answer your questions. But it goes back to that lying thing. I don't like it.

5. Please do not drag our semester into the next semester. My next classes start on Monday. I do not need to be catching up on work that can be done before this date. Participation isn't just me speaking my piece, but responding to others. If they don't do their part by Monday, I can't finish mine. And I'd much rather be moving on with my life.