…is not my life. If anyone who stumbles across this blog (or, gasp, follows it closely) is not aware, I am currently pursuing a degree at the University of Kentucky. Though there were a handful of institutions I would have rather attended, I chose this school for no other reason than its geographical accessibility — it was the closest college to my original place of residence. After my first semester, I knew I had made a terrible choice. But I pressed on, keeping my eyes leveled on my goal: a degree. Liking the program in which I’m enrolled, or the people who attend this university, is not as important as graduating.

This semester, however, has been a horrific experience. I have seen so many unsettling things, and I honestly loathe the fact that I have three more school-terms to survive (four, if you count the summer session… and I don’t, just to keep my blood-pressure within normal range).

TL;DR version: If you’re thinking about going to the University of Kentucky, don’t. Do yourself a favor and mark it off your list immediately. If you’re at all interested in reading the reasoning, though… click through.
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According to the USPS, we have a new person living with us here in #83. Some cat called Terrance Johnson. Well, I’m sure this fucker is a nice fella, and I hold nothing against him (which isn’t really readily apparent from the fact that I called him a “fucker” just now, but if he’s old enough to be living outside his parents domain, I suppose he is old enough to technically be a “fucker”). Just drop it in the outbox with a small note that says “wrong fucking address, fucktards”, and that’s the end of that.
Well, until I check the mail today. Nothing for our new “imaginary roomie”, but the mailman saw fit to tag our box with a little card that lists the residents. The first name being this “Johnson” fucker. Then mine and Kev’s. And they misspelled Kev’s name. Now, this in and of itself is not really a big deal, and it is something I imagine I’ll get very much used to in future days, but it was the fact that they fucked it up so badly, AND decided that they were absolutely RIGHT about this Johnson-fucker living here, SO VERY RIGHT about it that they listed him as the FIRST RESIDENT OF THE GODDAMNED RAGE SPIT HATE AND RRRRRRRRRRGH.
Yeah. It just kind of… pissed me off.
So I kind of ripped up the little “residents” card and left them a nice note. Which is much much nicer than the first two (the absolute first being a rather delicious collection of four-letter no-no words).

I hope this is the end of the whole “Johnson” debacle, because the next time this happens, I’ll likely be carted off to jail for defacing a mailbox.

The news of the day isn’t all bad. I finally got around to dropping by sQecial to pick up a carton of cloves. I really wish I could’ve bought a second, but hopefully we’ll find a friendly overseas supplier before we run out entirely.

Alternatively titled: X-Mess Wrapping.

Final grades are all in.  Two As and two Bs.  Not what I hoped for, but about what I expected.  Actually, if we can be honest here, I expected to do much worse than a B in German, considering just how much I slacked off after midterm.  Actually, I slacked off pretty freakin’ badly in all my classes after midterm.  Half of my SW lectures were slept-through or missed altogether, and I generally skipped Micro when I missed SW.  Didn’t finish required reading in Ecology.  So I should be very satisfied with what I got, and extremely frustrated at how much I didn’t do in order to get those marks.

I could be a better person if I just tried at it.

So now all I have to worry about are the holidays.  I’m still trying to figure out what all I need to pack.  It’s sort of strange that the less I have to pack, the more confused and flustered I get with it… constantly feeling as if I’m forgetting something.

Clothes? Check.  Chargers? Check.  Tits?  Double-check.

I just hope some of the drama simmers down for the holidays.  The forum for which I serve as an admin has had two punches over the last few, one very recently in the way of an article filled with copious amounts of misinformation and flat-out ignorance that directly quoted from us out of context, so I’ve been lurking pretty heavily and trying to put my best-face-forward on that front.  It’s all fun and cupcakes til you realize there are people out there who derive some perverse sense of joy from belittling a peaceful spiritual community.

I’d wager these are folk who try and pretend they didn’t see the Salvation Army bell-ringers when they walk out of a store.  Or worse, pretend they can’t afford to spare a dollar when they’re carrying out $500 in merch for their ungrateful brat-children.

And finally, how wrong is it that 800 miles of latitude separates two temperature ranges by 50F?  Words cannot describe the frustration.

I only occasionally check the Kernel… only when I am very, very bored, but one of my campus talk-to’s told me about this, and I just had to face-palm.  I mean, seriously.  It amazes me how stupid people are.  Since when does your belief Christianity define how a country without a state religion should be run?  But ah, well.  Of course this dude is afraid of transgendered and transexual people being given “special rights”… it’d challenge the monopoly on special rights that Christian[-variant]s have enjoyed since Day One of American History.

Speaking of transgender issues, November 20th is Transgender Day of Rememberance.  An email was sent through the OUTsource circuit with names, CODs, and their dates, with a link to the case of Duanna Johnson. Reading about her attitude, pride, and defiance against the local po-po made me smile… but of course bit at my sides to know that such wit and strength was wasted, stolen, and destroyed for no good reason.  That I have friends that could meet the same fate for the same reasons absolutely terrifies me… it makes me sick to the heart and head to know I live in a world where people I love are in such danger…

Last on my big gay agenda: HOLY SHIT I NEED TO WRITE MY SW PAPER.  Due first thing in the morning.  I suppose, with all this, I should be able to write easily on why the GLBT community needs advocates in the field of Social Work, but ease isn’t as much an issue as time.  I can’t even start on that til I whip out my German homework, which is due tonight at midnight.  There isn’t enough coffee in the world to save me.

Three more days to plow through before my flight out to Tamparrrrgh… two more class days.  Once I get this paper done, it’ll be a breeze.  A breeeeze right into Kev’s warm, strong, loving and very nommable arms.  Arms and hands and smile and gaze and LEIJFLIJGLEIRIEWK!!!1  I start thinking like that, and three small days seem like three months of time between.  Hurry hurry.  I mean, after I get to sleep tonight, hurry.  I don’t mind having the time to wait while I need it to do class-things, hah.
Mmmm… ahhhh.  AAAHHH!!

Good news is that I’m only really missing one lecture next week, since everyone else pretty much decided to cancel classes on Monday and Tuesday.  German still meets, but it’s a “fun day” where Lissi has decided to have a Q&A and teach everyone to curse in German.  On the one hand, I’m glad I’m not missing testable lecture.  On the other, GODFUCKINGDAMMIT that’s what I wanted to know most!! XD

Not in general, but perhaps about the College of Social Work, and what I’ve observed within it.  And what I’ve observed, so far, is that these people are fucking douchebags.  Have a complaint about how business is conducted?  Bitch while you can, hope some people listen, before the complaint is wiped from the record completely.  Looking for help?  Ask away, but expect condescending remarks directly after your problem is addressed.  I think I might be at the wrong fucking University for this sort of program, if this is what peer-support is like.  Peer support in fucking Social Work for chrissakes… you know, a field of work where you’re supposed to, oh, I don’t know, help people?  Nurture and support those in need?  Be an advocate for small voices?  Right.  Right…

I realize I’ve been rather hypersensitive over the last few, but I think this would grate my nerves under the swellest of circumstances.  Maybe not to this extent… the extent of thinking of changing schools or perhaps even major… if I am indeed going for my Master’s, why not just do Psychology?  The only reason I decided on Social Work was so I could find BA-level employment, after all, where a BA in Psychology would have me as good as flipping burgers.  BUT… yeah, that’s something to think about when I’m not so hypersensitive and pissed off at the world.

Then again… maybe I should consider it before I commit myself to potentially useless classes next semester.

I didn’t really get much sleep last night… as those who follow my LJ already know the reason as to why.  Cos of SNUGGLES this weekend! YAAAAY.  My squealing, sighing, happy warm glee of warmth and glee had me tossing and turning in bed (hugging myself between flip-flops) for about two hours.  I think, anyway.  I don’t have a clock by my bed, so there’s really no way of knowing.  Hopefully I’ll be more successful in sleeping tonight.

Not sleeping wasn’t an excuse to sleep in, though.  So I get up, roll out, and hit campus by ten-after-eleven, have a smoke and a sit-down before going down to the OUTsource.  Chatter a bit, then I’m left to man the station til one… and it’s three before anyone shows up again.  I missed my class (a rather critical pre-exam review), and was quite displeased with this until I shrugged and decided it wasn’t a big deal.  It probably isn’t a big deal.  I don’t see myself having any trouble with the exam… *shrug*

What did upset me, however, was the fact that I didn’t have to miss the class… if I had just been put on the key list, I could’ve locked up and went to class.  And if I am on the key list, it would’ve been nice to have been informed.  I’ll just have to make certain to have a chat about this before next week.

But you could decide to see the good in it, which was: I clocked three of four required volunteering hours for my SW class.  Tuesday next week will have it covered.  Sweeeeeeet.  And I put a dent in my Micro (the class I’ve been doing the best job of slacking in).  As to what’s left… the rest of Micro, and my SW paper, which I’m not clear if it’s due Tomorrow or next week.  Cos of lost my fucking syllabus.  Haaaaay I’m smart *facepalm*

In short, today has been mostly unproductive, but not entirely fail.  I guess that’s somewhat “win” but not really.  Perhaps maybe?  Almost certainly.

Been milling over some things, and listening to other people, and for once, I actually have something to say in relation to the political arena.  Not that I’m political myself — to be honest, I couldn’t give a rats ass about all these cheats and liars.  But there are a lot of ways in which I am just bumfuddled.

Point A… hai doodz, the economy was a problem long before WaMu took it up the ass.  We’ve been saying it for ages, and what did you fellas up on Capitol Hill do?  Basically, told us we’re all insanely paranoid and there’s nothing wrong.  “Recession?  What recession?  Stop talking like you know anything and go back to studying your navels.”  Which I found mildly annoying.  Then everyone else starting catching on, and I’m wondering what took them so long to figure it out.  And now, it’s an overnight “crisis”.  Now it’s finally being taken seriously (and taken as if it’s all their idea, and we said nothing while we were suffering down on “main street”).  And I find this highly fucking offensive.

And what got us here?  The government’s unwillingness to discuss these topics openly… the idea that if you ignore a problem, it will go away.  Which brings me to point two: McCain’s ribbing Obama about open-ended talks with other world leaders that may have policies that we find unsavory.  Question, McCain: How is it that refusing to talk to someone until they agree to our terms encourage them to agree to our terms?  How are we supposed to work things out unless we talk openly?  The “my way or the highway” does not work.  “Surrender or we’ll fuck you up” does not work.  On a micro level, taking a small-scale hostage situation into consideration, that approach is a fine way to come up with a handful of dead hostages.  On the macro level where world-powers with nuclear-powers are concerned, well, you get the picture.  Yet if we make the effort to come face to face and discuss the matters at hand as real people, with flesh and breath rather than faceless demands in confusing documents, you come to better understandings.  Again, on a micro level, evidenced with my online/offline experiences with people.  It’s much easier to argue your point, and much harder to be cocky when you’re dealing with an actual person rather than faceless ideas.  Does that work in world politics… well, I’m not sure, but I do have the crazy idea that politicians are human, and it works on humans.

As far as open-talks giving the impression that we agree with opposing viewpoints… I still don’t see where that idea comes from.  Sorry, it’s just ridiculous to me.  Someone explain how diplomacy is the same thing as saying “dude, I so agree with you”, eh?  I don’t know about you guys, but I know there have been many times where I’ve had to sit down with people I did not agree with at all just for the sake of getting their side of the story, calming them down, and hoping to find some sort of resolve that would, at least temporarily, bring some peace on both sides of the fence.  I’d say most of us have done that sort of thing.  It’s not a bad strategy… and in some cases, it’s the only strategy.  You have to be willing to grit your teeth, swallow the bile, and be civil.

There’s also the energy crisis issue.  Energy independence, ra!  Which I agree with.  Something has to be done about that.  I, for one, would love to see shitloads of windmills thrown up around the country.  We’ve got us some real wind-tunnels, peeps.  Stand out by the POT on campus and you’d know what I’m on about.  Solar energy?  Good, let’s go for it.  Ethanol… retarded and inefficient, seeing as it takes 1.3 gallons of petrol to make 1 gallon of ethanol.  Scrap that idea right out, folks.  Offshore drilling?  Sure, if you want to wait til 2030 to see any benefit from it, if we see any at all (consdering that oil could easily be sold overseas), and fuck an already volatile marine ecosystem.  Nook-yoo-lar… right, call me old fashioned, but I’m not keen on the idea that McCain seems to be pushing.  Not that the idea of nuclear itself is bad.  It is cleaner and safer if done correctly, but pardon me if I refuse to believe it will be done correctly, with all the Homer Simpsons that really DO exist in the good ol’ US of A.  Besides that, since we are still a “Nevar Forget!” nation, imagine the destruction that could be done if we had 45 more targets on our backs.  If someone can plane the Pentagon, there’s no reason they can’t take out some power plants.   Yeah?  Yeah.  Amazing how so many people say “nevar forget!1!” and yet… they do.
Then again, if they really gave a shit about targets on home ground, the gubment might stop cramming their thumbs up their asses about the accident-waiting-to-happen in Richmond.

FInally, I’ve heard it so many, many times already… that McCain didn’t look at Obama even once.  Which I understand, considering his limited mobility.  I doubt severely that it was personal… dude just got fucked when he was a POW.  Although it does make me think of how great it would be to see McCain cut loose and do the robot.  It’d be hi-larious.  You know it would.

Now, now now now… we have the VP debate to look forward to.  I, for one, will love the chance to see Palin go all, “duhhhhh, whut?” again.  She wouldn’t be so bad if she would just stop talking.  Just stand there and look pretty, Tits… c’mon.  That’s really all you’re good for here.