Gearing up for the winter semester

I took the boys back to their mother on new years, amazed again at the ability of my two and almost eight year old to endure ten hours plus on the road with minimal fuss. I am rather depressed they are gone, talking on the phone every day just doesn't hold a candle to snuggles, reading to them in person, being peed on post bath or even having same two year old wander over to the corner to crap in his diaper five minutes after spending twenty five minutes sitting on his potty holding it in. I will also miss the sledding - post tooth coming out and emergency oral surgery actually included. While it was rather horrific, it is also better now and another experience shared with eldest.

But they are back with momma (for now) and I am getting ready for another semester.

I am really excited about my classes this semester, even the bloody math. I am taking abnormal psych, cross culture communications, American sign language, intermediate algebra and language and culture. The last three are four credit classes, making this an eighteen credit semester. I am a little reticent about the load, but ultimately I think it will be pretty easy going.

Abnormal psych is with a rather brilliant instructor and I can expect to write one paper, tests making up the rest of my grade. I am pretty comfortable with my knowledge of abnormal psych going into this class, so I don't expect any problems with tests and most regular readers of my blog know how I feel about papers...For those who don't - I bloody well love writing papers.

Cross culture communications is an online class - something I have never managed to deal with well before. But the instructor is my instructor for interpersonal communications and he made it clear that he is available personally and that he not only has message board discussions, but actually takes part in them. And most excitingly, there are only two tests (IIRC) and the rest of the grade is pretty much wrapped up in three - yes three papers!!!

I am taking intermediate algebra with the same instructor who taught my remedial algebra class and have every confidence that this will be just as great as that was. He was very instrumental in helping me understand concepts that I have had a totally shit time with in the past. He also is very available before and after class, as well as during rather more extensive office hours than a lot of instructors.

American sign is going to be pretty awesome - I actually dropped it last semester, after a couple of sessions for personal reasons, but have every confidence that this will be a great experience. The instructor is great and given my limited experience with her, someone I can totally deal with. She is very pleasant, very warm - without being saccharine, at the same time she is also very strict - a combination I am very fond of.

Language and culture is something I am really looking forward to for several reasons. First and foremost, I am really looking forward to the instructor - I would have taken any class she happened to be teaching this semester. She is the head of the humanities department and there are several things that I am interested in discussing with her - things she has a fair expertise in. And joy of joys, the only class she is teaching this semester is something I very much wanted to take. I am approaching the study of language from a very science oriented perspective - I think it will be valuable to look at it from a humanities perspective, extremely valuable really. I have been reading Terrence Deacon, who among many other things makes a solid case for approaching symbols/language/icons from a broader angle than science really allows for, when engaging the study of language and cognitive/neurological evolution.

And honestly, I have to admit that I am excited about having the opportunity to write a couple of papers in MLA. There is something rather relaxing about the MLA format - not to say that I don't appreciate APA - I do. But I will totally admit to being something of a whore when it comes to writing styles and there is just something rather sexy about MLA...

With all of my paper writing this semester, I am hoping I will be encouraged to write more blogposts - though they will be rather topical to the papers I happen to be working on at a given point. I know that we will get the parameters for our communication papers within the first week - so those will probably be the first ones that I hit on. I also expect to get the psych paper parameters early on as well. I am not all that sure when the humanities paper parameters will come out, but don't expect them until a specified time before they are due. The paper for sign-language will be available right away, but we won't have the background for it until we are well into the semester (I believe that one might be MLA too!!!).

All in all, I am really looking forward to the upcoming semester. It looks out to be totally big fun and excitement through and through (ok, so I am rather less excited about math, but still)...Good times will be had by all!!!

I'm Such A Happy Boy!!!

I get to get up extraspecially early tomorrow, to make sure I get my morning time, before I get on the road for Flint. I am heading for the airport, to pick up the most beautiful and brilliant Juniper. I am then spending almost a whole week with her, wherein we will spend a lot of time outdoors and doing fun and wonderful things, like simply sitting quietly together and enjoying each other's presence. Things that many people take for granted, but which we never get to do.

It is a beautiful day today and no matter how much it rains tomorrow, it will be a beautiful day tomorrow as well...

(I might find some time to blog this next week....)

FOR THE RECORD, I AM HEADING OUT IN ABOUT AN HOUR TO GET HER FROM THE MOTHERFUCKING AIRPORT!!!!111!!@!!!11!@#

I love to be loved...

Not sure exactly who is sending it - it may even be the company that makes them, but I am extremely grateful to whoever decided that I should have the newer generation e-cigarette. I got an email from the company a couple days ago, confirming the order to my address. Kind of freaked at first, because the order is for the E9 with several cartridges - an order totaling about $100 including shipping, thinking there was a mistake that I was going to get charged for.

There wasn't. I emailed them and was simply told that it was not charged to my account. They didn't say that they actually sent it, but given the language issues and that they use a third party for "help" questions, that doesn't rule it out. And I had mentioned to them that I have been writing about their E9m, which is a very different model, they may have decided they wanted me to write about the new generation nicotine vaporizer.

In any case, I will have the opportunity to write about the E9 within the week.

But if one of my readers decided I should have one, I would like to say thank you ever so much. And just in case anyone was wondering, I really love books. I am all about the books really. Especially books by people who want to send them to me and find out what I think about their books. In fact, if anyone sends me their book to review - I would be all about reading and reviewing it.

I almost forgot to give an update on the smoking, while I am on the topic...

I am still smoking, having steadied at about 3-5 cigarettes a day, sometimes only two. I had a couple of days that went to six, but have been doing less far more than more. I do seem rather stuck on the last few, but that is far better (and cheaper) than the average of 20+ I was on before. Mine does seem to be a common experience with the e-cig, though there are plenty of folks who manage to quit tobacco altogether rather quickly.

If you gotta Godwin: A rule for Anti-vax loons and other Denialists

Orac is getting rather bored with the damned Hitler references already. Now I can't say that my new rule - more a suggestion really, will get you much further than calling anyone Hitler will. But lets try to get creative about it, 'k? In the spirit of turning over new leaves, of entering exciting new realms of hyperbole, I thought I would help you folks out. Lets stop being so generic. Hitler is so very early millennium - socialism is the new fascism.

Keep in mind though, many of these will easily apply to those of us loons who are rather more keen on evidence than hysteria. And they needn't be restricted to vaccine denialists either. These work just as well for cancer denialists, HIV/AIDS denialists, even psychiatry denialists. I am pretty sure the more creative among you - and there is a lot of creativity amongst the denialists - can even work it for 9/11 denialism and other non-medical woo.

1) Chairman Orac and his merry band of Maoist poison peddlers!!1!11!! (or Chairman Tara and her...)

2) Pal Pot, the anti-smoking mass murderer and pharma shill!!!11! (sorry, but I don't think that one really works for anyone else)

3) McCarthy Hoofnagle thought crime investigator!!!11!!

4) Mike the murdering Bolshevic!!1!11!!!

5) PZ Stalin - Christian baby eating Cthulu worshiper!!1!!!1!

6) Ed Satan and his dispatches from hell!!1!11!!

7) Osama Greg Laden - Islamosocialist terrorist!!1!!111

8) DrugCaligula evile cloner of human/lab animal hybrids!!1!!11!!

9) Bad Ass Cylon destroying the human race!!!1!!1!11!! (stolen from the Science Pundit)

10) Jason Chavez, totalitarian commie gun thief!!!11!!1!!!

11) Imelda Podblack, laughing in her million dollar wardrobe, while poor babies are injected with toxic sludge!!!11!!!!1! (Mike Haubrich, FCD)

12) Dave and Greta Mussolini, with their propaganda rag, the Communist Daily!!1!!11!!! (Lousy Damned Canuck)

13) Jamestiltskin on his Island of the Damned, dragging down teh human race one royal firstborn at a time!!1!11!!!1 (Stolen from that Damned Canuck)

14) Stephanie Genghis Zkhan, barbarian warlord, murderer of peasants and pusher of wordiness!!1!!!!1!! (Osama)

15) Mike Jong-Il, repressive socialist sociopath, who probably hangs people who aren't "rational"!!!11!1!!!!!

16) Greta M Hari, flaunting evidence, sexuality and erototoxins - she's into that toxic sludge marinading too!!!1!!111!!!

17) Lucretia Sci Borgia, the treacherous temptress of science, injecting the poison directly into your BRAIN!!!11!1!!

18) Ben Goldtorquemada, turning the tables on the inquisition!!!11!111!! (David D.G.)

Come on, lets make this list longer, so we can provide an exhaustive reference for those times when irrational arguments are wearing thin and only a Godwin will do!!! Help a loon out - or if you are a loon - get creative!!!

And if someone calls you Hitler, you can send them this way!!!11!!!1!!

DuWayne's New Addiction

A friend has loaned me most of the "new" Battlestar Galactica with the rest to be loaned as I finish the first seasons. I may be in trouble now - blogging could suffer (because school can't) as might my socialization. The sure sign of an addict - when they spend time alone with their addiction, instead of with friends and loved ones.

So if you'll excuse me, I need to be alone with my new crack...At least until the most wonderful women to ever grace my life calls.

Big Excitement That I Can't Talk About Yet

I'm going to have to apologize, but I am not going to be getting the posts up today that I wanted to. I am suddenly very, very busy with something that is of the utmost importance in my life. If all goes well I will have some very exciting news to post in the next couple of days. I would explain, but if it does not work out, talking about it now could have negative legal repercussions.

Suffice to say that I am excited enough to pee myself.

I would like to wish Juniper a very happy birthday, while I am here for a moment. And I would like to just clarify that I have never had the urge to prance around in an Edwardian tea gown, I swear.......