Older Rumble

I thought it was about time to give you some updated pictures of Rumble. Grampa was here this evening and commented on how big he's gotten, and it occured to me that you all are probably thinking of this tiny kitten...


Isn't he tiny? Look at what a baby he used to be! This is a picture of him in August, when he was a wee 2 month old baby.












Now, at almost 5 months of age, look at how much he's grown!


Can you believe it's the same cat? He's thickened up a lot, and he's taller as well.














(Here he's stalking the camera. "What is that thing, and can I play with it?")

TGIF

Friday at last. I thought I would never get through these last two weeks. At this point all my assignments and midterms are done, and all I have to look forward to are essays and one presentation (and exams, of course). November is looking pretty good.

I slept in today, spent some time cleaning my room and organizing my notes, and now I'm waiting for Grampa to arrive. He had some business in the area, so he's coming by so we can go out to supper. It'll be good to see him.

I was sitting in my applied anthropology class the other day, and something hit me. I suddenly realized that I have a huge issue with the anthropological focus on "other"s. It seems to suggest that we don't have any issues of our own worth studying. While I realize that we generally study the other to offer comparison to our own situation and potentially solve problems here, what if people only see the "otherness", and not how it relates to home? Could we be inadvertently providing people with support for their ethnocentrism? I wonder if this is part of the reason that urban anthropology appeals so much to me - because I'd be looking at problems within our own cities. I'll have to put some more thought into this.

Masters Admissions

I'm in class right now. Good old Communication Studies 310. Yippee. I'm bored, so I thought I'd take advantage of the opportunity to blog. It's the danger of having wireless internet access.

We had an interesting meeting of my Applied Anthropology class this evening. It's my seminar course in which there are 7 of us students, and our professor insists that we call her Dee. It's strange to be treated at such a level of equals. We're definitely not. I don't have my PhD. I don't have years of fieldwork experience. I haven't worked directly under Richard Lee (famous anthropologist). Anyhow...

We were originally discussing our major presentations that are coming up in the next month. The annotated bibliography is due next week. We were supposed to be discussing things that we could help each other with, and addressing questions about the presentations. While we did that for a while, we ended up discussing application to Masters and Doctoral programs.

Holy cr*p.

I always thought that I was pretty much guaranteed a placement. All I've been getting from profs are compliments and encouragement, to the point where I suppose I thought I was somewhat privileged. When I think of the fact that in Dee's year over 200 people applied to the PhD program, and only 6 got in, that's just completely overwhelming. Do I really think that I'm that privileged?

What if I don't get in?

I have the confidence to know that I can do it (complete a PhD), but I don't have the confidence to know that I can convince someone else that I can do it. If I can't convince the admissions board, then what?

I know I have one more year before I can start applying (even if I defer acceptance for a year to do the CIDA thing), but I'm absolutely terrified. If I don't get into a masters program, I don't know what I'll do.

I have to know what I'll be studying. I have to apply with knowledge of what the faculty specializes in so that I can know whether they could supervise me. This is going to be so much more work than I thought it would be.

Presentation

Tomorrow afternoon (okay, really later today, but I haven't slept yet so it's still tomorrow) I have a group presentation to give. I hate group presentations. Give me a solo presentation or an essay over this junk anyday. There are always people that don't pull their weight, people that freak out, people that mess up, people that lose your points. I know that teachers do it so that they have less marking, and to build group skills, and get kids that don't do as well with "leaders".

Being a leader myself, I have to say that I HATE it. I don't need some idiot to bring me down. Why should my grades have to suffer for his/her incompetence? Yes, it's a selfish attitude, but darn it, I deserve the grades!

Sigh. Oh well. I'll get through this yet. And it's the last group presentation I have this term so it's really not as bad as it could be. I'm actually kind of excited, but mostly I want to just have it over with. We're doing it on Gang Baptism as a rite of passage. ie: gang initiations.

I'm making an overhead that reads "gang baptism" in graffiti to use as a stencil so I can write it on the board (creative, no?). And then we have pictures of alcohol, drugs, tattooing, beating, etc to put up too. Not to mention movie clips from 3 films. We're rocking it really.

I'll let you all know how it goes!

Talk About Productivity!

Today I decided that with all the stuff going on at home (general chaos) that I would work better elsewhere. I had supper, did some emailing and stuff, and then headed off to the 24 hour lounge on campus at about 8. This also, coincidentally, happens to be where the walksafe office is. I set myself up in the corner and began the work. I read all my articles that I'd pulled off the library online bookshelves and picked out key points and quotes. Then I began the task of putting together an essay outline that's due Thursday. Half way through this, The Guy came in to do his shift. Yes, I knew he was on shift tonight. Yes, that had something to do with the choice of location. I was thrilled - positively thrilled - when he waved hello to me before anyone else in the lounge. Small, silly, but nonetheless an exciting gesture. He sat down across the way from me to do his own essay work.

I took a small break to play a couple rounds of euchre with some friends on walksafe, and The Guy went out on a call. I went back to work. He came back, I went and chatted with him for a minute or two on the way to the washroom. We established that he's much more qualified to write the essay that I'm doing than I am, it being a communications paper, and him being a communications major. I went back to work.

Triumph! I finished my outline. It was by then almost 1am, but I was done the stupid thing. I went and talked to The Guy some more. He was very cheerful and friendly. I had butterflies. Then I went to get a walk home, and just so happens that it was his teams turn for a walk! So he walked me home (along with his female walk partner).

Now I'm home, happy and having completed a major assignment to boot! I think I'm going to have to work at the lounge more often!

Fall Time

You Are Apple Cider

Smooth and comforting. But downright nasty when cold.

What Part of Fall Are You?

1 am Freak Out

STRESS

I hate midterms. I hate household tension. I hate research. I hate essays. I hate having to tippy-toe around a certain member of my household.I hate chronic sleep deprivation. I hate having every minute of every day devoted to something. I hate that clutter invades every aspect of my life. I hate that I have no groceries, and yet no time to buy groceries.

I hate how much I have to hate right now.

that is all

Too Darn Nice

I was scheduled as on walksafe patrol for the Thursday late shift, which runs from 10:30 pm to 2:45 am. On the message board there was a note from a girl desperate to get rid of her Friday late shift, so I offered to pick it up for her. Heck, I like being on shift, what did it matter if I did two nights in a row? Then, last night, I went in to the office to get a walk home after my night class (10 pm) and they said "Oh good! Someone didn't show up. Can you walk tonight?". So I did.

So now I'm going to have walked Wednesday 10:30-2:45, Thursday 10:30-2:45, and Friday 10:30-1:45 this week. And I'm already exhausted.

I'm just too darn nice.

Thanksgiving

Today is our official Thanksgiving dinner day. I'm official chef, and Emma is playing the role of su-chef. We spent hours peeling and chopping and stuffing. The turkey is in the oven with stuffing on the side, potatoes, squash, turnip, and giblets are boiling on the elements. Apple pie is waiting to be heated. Gravy will be the last touch.

Emma has set the table, and Dad is singing in the background while he reorganizes. Periodically we get quizzed: "Emma, who sings this one?" Emma's pretty good, although she needs some subtle suggestion from her big sister occasionally. (psst, Emma! Ella Fitzgerald!)

Grampa is rearranging things in his apartment. Having moved in just at the beginning of the month, things are a little strewn around looking for homes. He and I sat down this afternoon and looked at the rings and things that Gramma had. I was allowed to keep a few beautiful rings, and her gold cross that she wore quite often.

Now I have to go stir things, and mash things, and prep things. I love Thanksgiving!

Anthropology and Religion

Today's topic will be an Anthropological look at religion. This is not coming as seemingly out of nowhere as you might think; there is a rather fascinating debate going on at Simply Put, the blog belonging to my step-father. Since what I have to say is rather lengthy and not entirely on the same topic as his discussion, I decided to post my own blog rather than simply comment.

One of the basic premises of anthropology is something called functionalism. Functionalism arose in the 1920s and basically asks what the function of any given thing is to a society. That is, what culturally defined needs does the item or concept in question satisfy? This is often used in anthropology in combination with, or in opposition to, structuralism which asks how the meaning of that item/concept is produced.

A quite well-known anthropologist, Bronislaw Malinowski, did a significant amount of study on the function of religion, among other things. According to Malinowski, religion is a social process which helps to order and to give coherence to society and which provides its members with meaning, unity, peace of mind and the degree of control over events they believe possible. This social process is the instituted development of interaction among members of a society, and between them and the universe as conceived of in their cosmology. The functions of religion, then, are:

1) Validation of the social order
In the simplest of terms, the rituals involved in religious acts heighten solidarity among society's members. It is what, by and large, all societies base their legal, social, and economic systems upon. It brings people together under a common belief system, and by that I don't mean just faith-based belief, but a system of shared values and morals. It lends a type of morality and structure to an otherwise catastrophic type of existence.

2) Explanation for existence
Every human has to struggle with the question of who they are, why they are here, and what their life's purpose is. Religion offers a way to deal with these questions that gives meaning to the individual and to their society.

3) Reinforcement of our ability to cope
Religion allows believers a way to ease out of the pains of life and explain the questions as to there exists pain/death/starvation/etc. It takes the responsibility for these things out of the individual's and society's locus of control and gives them hope and reassurance. It puts a stop to the psychological damage humans could cause themselves were they to become obsessed with the feeling that they needed to explain and stop these things from occurring.

The one term that kept popping into my head while I read the comments debating back and forth over atheism vs Christianity was this: essentialism. Essentialism is "a theory which stresses indispensable conceptual characteristics and relations of things as opposed to existence as particular experienced actuality" (lecture by Walsh: 2004). To boil either atheism or Christianity down to a set of characteristics is to miss out on the most important feature: the experience of belief. Each individual member within either of these circles will have their own system of beliefs that will both simultaneously agree and disagree with the general consensus of what their respective belief groups should honour as truth. It is thereby futile to argue over the validity of any individual's beliefs based on the characteristic beliefs of their religious (or non-religious) group.

It must not only be asked "what does this individual's religion believe?", but "what does this individual believe of their religion, what have they rejected of their religion, and why?". It is specifically in the why aspect that we come to the most interesting and stimulating parts of the equation.

Now, in response to Q's original question, which I feel was rather overlooked in the comment section: "When science fails, then what?"

When science fails, the victim is thrown into a dark place. They have to face the questions of "why is this happening to me?" and "why now?". They lose their ability to cope. They lose hope.

To me, the obvious solution is to turn to religion, in whatever form it may take in the society the person happens to live in, simply based on the 2nd and 3rd functions of religion as stated previously. Religion can once again put a sense of understanding and control into the hands of the victim - if not control over their own fate, at least control over their emotional state. Religion, by offering an explanation for existence, also offers an explanation for the loss of existence (death).

I believe that if a patient believes that science has failed them, they should be allowed to return to their own religious practices, and alternative healing. Furthermore, I believe that the patient should have the right to refuse scientific healing all together in preference for alternative. This should be the perogative of the ill, and should not be left to anyone else to tamper with. Nor should anyone else be punished for their inability to cure, assuming they did their best and it is what the patient truly wished to undergo. Isn't this akin to what the Good Samaritan Act is all about? Given, the act specifically refers to emergency treatment, but isn't the underlying principle the same? If someone tries, at the request of another, to provide healing, even if they fail, should they not be protected from lawsuits? I was appalled that the priest was charged.

Responsibility's a Curse

I wish I wasn't so responsible all the time!! Last night I had an opportunity to go to a concert in Toronto with a guy that I've got a thing for and I didn't go because I had to work this morning and wouldn't have gotten back in time. DANG IT. If only I didn't have such a conscience! If only I could be the stereotypical wreckless teen, just for one night. But no. I know that if I had gone I would have been worrying and feeling guilty. Sigh.

Tonight I have night class, and then am going to the 24 hour lounge to study and visit walksafe people. Afterwards I will get one of my many friends there to walk me home where I will do laundry and pack! Yay packing! My plan is to bring all the stuff I keep meaning to bring back home, and then go shopping at Value Village for long sleeve shirts (I currently have all of 6). It could work in theory.

Burning the Post-Midnight Oil

It's 2:48am. Why am I awake? Because I just finished writing a critical article summary that's due tomorrow afternoon. I completely forgot about it this weekend (too caught up being sick I guess) and had to do it tonight. It's not a big project really; I just have to read the thing and write a page about it. I took it to my walksafe shift with the idea that I could work on it then - wrong! Tonight was busy. We were going directly from one walk to the next all night long. I walked for almost 3 hours straight. Good exercise, but not conducive to homework!

Now I'm finally done the summary, and will go to bed. Sleep is heavenly, especially since I'm aching from yoga yesterday and walking tonight.

Drinking 24/7

This post is partially in response to Mum's joking comment about my gaining drinking skills. Not too long ago, Jessie and I were discussing our social situation. We're part of a small, closely knit social circle, which is fine, but there are times that it would be nice to go out with a larger group of people. We were discussing how these people got to the popularly point where they would always have groups of people to hang out with. More specifically, we were talking about the people who go out and drink every day. Note: this is not a behaviour that I would want to partake in, the conversation was mostly for argument's sake.

Jessie said that since they spent a lot of time in the bars, they were probably spending a lot of money in the bars as well.
I suggested that in all likelihood they were spending their parents' money in the bars, but that we would have to get jobs in order to support our drinking habits, were we to take part in the 24/7 drunkenness.
Jessie then pointed out that if we were working that much to make enough money to drink every night that we'd have no time to go out to the bars.
Or, I pointed out, to hang out with large groups of people. We'd be too busy.
So there we have it. We don't have enough money to be "popular", but if we worked to have the money, we wouldn't have enough time.

In other words, all parental units out there can breathe a sigh of relief. Neither Jessie nor I will be becoming alcoholics in the years to come.

And yet...

I Am a Strawberry Daiquiri

I'm a fun, playful drinker who loves to party. I may get totally wasted, but I'm always a happy drunk!

What Mixed Drink Are You?

Anti-Bush Labels

Did anyone hear about this? It's the label that appeared on several tote bags and laptop cases manufactured by Tom Bihn, an American company located in Port Angeles, Washington. The company's website explains that "[t]he 'secret' message began as an inside joke among seamstresses and staff at the Tom Bihn factory,and was apparently intended to poke fun at company's founder and president, Tom Bihn."

The president of the company told the Associated Press that he's "going with the idea that it's a joke about [him]" and that "clearly when you use the word 'idiot' and 'president' in the same sentence people jump to other conclusions."

Gimmie a break, we know it was a shot at Bush. And funny to boot. I want one of these tote bags! For more info, check out the company's website: http://www.tombihn.com/page/001/CTGY/CARELABEL

Kiss Me, I'm Irish

Your Inner European is Irish!

Sprited and boisterous! You drink everyone under the table.

Who's" Your Inner European?

Tagged

I was tagged by Mary Poppins, and so according to the rules, here's the 5th sentence of my 23rd post: "I really enjoyed it, perhaps too much."

Strange...

CIDA?

Cancel that thing about me feeling better. I think, although I don't have a thermometer, that I've now been running a fever for 2 days. I feel kind of confused and tired, but I can't sleep - probably because I can't breathe. I took an Advil last night to bring my fever down, and I think it worked, but I'm starting to feel hot and cold at the same time and sweaty again. Fun. I took a decongestant this morning so now I can semi-breathe again. Absolutely gross. At this rate I'm calling in sick tomorrow and going to the campus health centre. Hopefully I'll be better by Thursday, otherwise the trip home will be horrible.

On that note, I'm getting the bus on Thursday. The plan was originally to take the 6:30 bus out of here and be home by 2:00 am, in order not to miss classes Thursday, but now I'm considering taking an earlier trip anyways. I'll have to check with my profs and check the bus schedules again. The 6:30 bus wouldn't be bad because I'd just sleep on the trip, but the idea of getting home that late and having to get a ride from the bus terminal and everything is just icky.

I've been thinking about what I want to do when I graduate (a year from now) and I think I might apply for an internship with CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency). They're bound to love anthropologists, and I've been recently thinking that development, or some other kind of applied work is more my thing than pure academics. I can always still teach with that kind of experience if I wanted to, but I think it might be more fun to work out in the field.

The internship is designed for post-secondary graduates between the ages of 19 and 30 to give them experience and help bridge the gap between academic studies and the workplace. It would be 5-8 months working with a development team somewhere in the world. The location depends on which jobs you apply to, obviously. There's a wide range of job placements, going from agricultural work, to women's leadership, to health work, to law and political work. It's quite something, and (here's a bonus) I can apply for relief from interest on my student loans while I do it. Cool eh?

Well, this took a lot of energy. Back to lying down...