| ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) jidimus or angevin2, if you're around, you probably have some idea about this.
For a graduate application:
1. WTF is a statement of purpose? Is this like an undergrad application essay, only preferably better and more geeky and detailed?
2. What will probably look better: participation in a research project for pay, 1-2 credits independent study undergrad, or 1 credit grad research? And are these kinds of things usuall pass or fail? Also, would any of these compensate for, say, a 2.5 in a regular undergrad course the same semester?
3. There is no three. I just liked the number. :P /#thebreach-#streamerfun-Laoise-just about everybody else ref
Thanks much. | comments: Leave a comment   |
| I discovered yesterday that my extended family has a homophobia thing. An issue, or whatever. During dinner (we've been having Thanksgiving over there on Friday for the last few years when we can, it's quite nice), the issue of places to just generally shop inevitably arose between, I think, my eldest cousin and her sister-in-law. They're both very nice people, I should emphasize, as is that whole side of the family, really. They're quite nice and very religious and firmly believe that the Christian way is best for everyone, as far as I can tell, although they're not on the annoying end of the spectrum about it.
Anyway, places to shop. My eldest cousin S noted across the table to D that she had been trying to avoid shopping at Wal-Mart because she heard that they were giving money to... and here she kind of mouthed/whispered 'homosexual', and continued that she just didn't want to knowingly give her money to that sort of thing. For a second, I was actually hoping it was over outsourcing or the accusations that Wal-Mart treats their workers like crap, or whatever the thing was going around a couple of years ago, but nooooo. I didn't quite get it till my dad asked her to repeat (he was sitting a couple of seats down and didn't hear), and my mom was all like 'something she didn't want to say out loud'. (FTR, when she clarified, she said 'homosexual agenda'.) Naturally, till S repeated it I thought she meant whorehouses or sweatshops or something that actually, you know, seriously matters.
That was... a little bit of an eye-opener, and probably accounted for my reluctance to speak with anyone or engage in conversation for most of the rest of the day. I should have gone out to the van and gotten my Petrology book or my notebook with notes on my story, except then I might have had it open to the wrong page and they might have discovered that one of the characters is GASP SHOCK OHMYGOODNESS HORROR SIN a lesbian.
Now, it absolutely could have been worse. S wasn't joining any anti-homosexual groups or expressing pure hate; I'm not sure it's really in her nature to hate people. She's just, in effect, boycotting a company which I believe is pretty well off because she doesn't like something they might be doing, and was advising a relative of said alleged activity in case they might want to do the boycott thing too.
Nevertheless... I mean, really. 'Homosexual agenda'? Seriously? WTF? The right to, uh, live in sinfulness once they've been told about a million times they're sinful and are going to hell for it? The right to have something resembling marriage so that they have family rights and benefits? Wow, that's certainly worth boycotting. For such kind people, the judgmental-ness of the comment was kind of... staggering. More than that, it was hurtful. It was hurtful because I was thinking of the fact that I know people whom S passed judgment on yesterday that she doesn't even know, and probably doesn't want to know because of that one little... well, Josh will kill me if I say 'quirk' because it's got letters in common with 'queer', but... you know, that one difference. And the fact that she wouldn't say it aloud... I realize that her mother, her father, her mother's mother and about six children ten and under were at the table, but for real? Honestly, S, are you afraid that if they hear the word 'homosexual' they're going to become it or that they'll suddenly want to watch gay porn or meet a homosexual or ask them what it's like? Have you so little trust in your own faith and the faith in which you're raising your children that you won't even step outside the safe boundaries even enough to say aloud something you believe is a sin? Or was it just not dinner-table conversation? In which case, it could have waited... it's not like D was gonna get up right then and go shopping.
But it hurt; the inflexibility hurt, because S is pretty smart, and so is D. It hurt because if I ever have a friend offline who's homosexual or bi or transgender and is comfortable enough to tell me so, I'll never be able to bring them within shouting distance of any of my cousins, because while the adults might be quite polite (I'm, like, one of the least polite people in the family), they'd all keep the kids away and give my friend funny looks, and it'd be awkward for both of us and not in the least friendly, welcoming, or non-judgmental. It's amazing how much else of the Christian doctrine and the American spirit goes out the window when there's something you just have to announce is A Bad Thing.
What really made me all quiet and uncomfortable, though, was that this confirmed for me something I hadn't even thought about yet. I can never, ever be bisexual, as I've suspected for some time now. I can never make my extended family aware of it, because they will shake their heads and look shocked and S will give me that wide-eyed kind of puppy-dog look and D and A, having no obligation to me by direct relation, will look away, and Aunt M and Uncle B will murmur something about not approving of it but they still love me and my male cousins G and E will probably be confused and hurt, and it'll just generally be... I don't know. Just generally awful and uncomfortable and neither free nor free from judgment.
But this... this will forever make the liberal/conservative fussing with regard to Ex Isle's Orbis Terrarum irrelevant. Family is something you have no choice in; with friends and even acquaintances, you do have a choice; you have a choice to communicate with them or not. And being told so baldly that a segment of the population, some of whom you know personally, is not worthy of having rights or wanting those rights, makes the ganging up shit from OT look like absolutely nothing. Because the people in OT aren't relatives of each other; they can decline to communicate and remark on certain subjects or whatever, whereas S and I, or for that matter any member of my extended family and I, can never discuss certain subjects, like this one, without an effective disowning at the end of the discussion.
Perhaps I should try to get some of them to join OT to make it more balanced, though. | | comments: 35 comments or Leave a comment |
| The fuschia/purple on my LJ background is, like, radioactive on this computer. Ow. It's a very new HP LCD, I think... owowow..... :p
In other news, am wibbling over the possibility of feedback on my fanfic going straight to hell in the next couple of weeks..... almost enough to make me wish I'd done the 'good' version first, but if I had, I'd never have wanted to do this one. Which is why I'm doing it first. | | comments: 4 comments or Leave a comment |
| SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
OMG SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
I don't CARE if that shot of Sam in the previews was from season 4, which I think it was.
I don't CARE if.... yeah, I don't care.
We're getting RESOLUTION, baby!
Excuse me. I need to go take a very very cold shower, and then watch this episode again.
Also, I'll need some chocolate to get over acting like a thirteen year old fangirl.
West Wing, bring it on! | | comments: Leave a comment |
| | I tried posting with this before and it wouldn't show, which is really kind of confusing as well as annoying, since it's a really funny icon if you know where it comes from. | | comments: Leave a comment |
| | Subject: | PSA | | Time: | 12:43 pm | | Current Mood: | ![[mood icon]](http://stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/niaha/kitty/ankhappyp.gif) excited |
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| This is just for fans, present and former of The West Wing that happen to be reading.
It's back on this Sunday, March 12. Do not miss. Please. | | comments: 2 comments or Leave a comment |
| Everyone. Go get it. ;)
Two reasons:
1. The outtake reel is six minutes long, and is freaking hilarious. ;)
2. Joss Whedon's intro is quite lovely, especially the part where he says 'so if it sucks, it's your fault.' Heee.
On another note: Mmm, shiny spring break. :p | | comments: 8 comments or Leave a comment |
|  | You scored as Babylon 5 (Babylon 5). The universe is erupting into war and your government picks the wrong side. How much worse could things get? It doesnâ??t matter, because no matter what you have your friends and youâ??ll do the right thing. In the end that will be all that matters. Now if only the Psi Cops would leave you alone.
Babylon 5 (Babylon 5) | | 81% | Serenity (Firefly) | | 69% | Millennium Falcon (Star Wars) | | 69% | Moya (Farscape) | | 63% | Deep Space Nine (Star Trek) | | 56% | Andromeda Ascendant (Andromeda) | | 56% | Nebuchadnezzar (The Matrix) | | 56% | Enterprise D (Star Trek) | | 56% | SG-1 (Stargate) | | 50% | Galactica (Battlestar: Galactica) | | 50% | FBI's X-Files Division (The X-Files) | | 50% | Bebop (Cowboy Bebop) | | 44% | </td>
Your Ultimate Sci-Fi Profile II: which sci-fi crew would you best fit in? (pics)
created with QuizFarm.com |
I can't remember what I scored last time, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't Babylon 5.
Is this, perhaps, a sign I should watch it at some point? ;) | | comments: 6 comments or Leave a comment |
| | Subject: | Brrr | | Time: | 09:25 am | | Current Mood: | ![[mood icon]](http://stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/niaha/kitty/anksadp.gif) cold |
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| Cold, very cold... it's 5 degrees F or something like that here... brrrrrrr....... BRRRRR!!!!
At least the car started. I could even open the driver's door, probably because it was so COLD and the humidity is so low.... or maybe because I went out and ran the car last night for a couple of minutes.
Anyway, brrr. At work. I'm surprised that as many as two students have come in. | | comments: Leave a comment |
| | Subject: | *headdesk* | | Time: | 08:21 am | | Current Mood: | ![[mood icon]](http://stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/niaha/kitty/ankangryp.gif) frustrated |
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| When I got in, I noticed that there was a sub sheet on the desk.
This is the third Monday in a row. I have had this person exactly 1/4 of the Mondays they are supposed to be here. And the hours are FREAKING NOT COVERABLE.
Then one of the support staff called and told me that the person I'm supposed to open with is ALSO sick. Fortunately, that's just the morning.
Don't these people know I'm supposed to be studying for an exam while they do all the work? :p
K, burst of intolerant frustration over. | | comments: 2 comments or Leave a comment |
| Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
*headdesks*
*facepalms*
Urk.
Two geology exams on Tuesday.
Exam one is on Mineralogy and Geochemistry, primarily focusing on the feldspars, amphiboles, and pyroxenes.... also how temperature and pressure influence rock formation.... I believe I also need to know about quartz and mica... perhaps a tad of olivine.... which ones are the most structured, etc. Also some chemical formulae. (Mg)2Si04.... blah, blah.... Si02, etc. Drawing ternary diagrams. End members vs intermediate..... etc.
Exam two is on glacial geology. Um, help? I did print out the exam from last year that he loaded onto the website, though. Firn, glacial ice, ice sheets, ice caps, Quarternary boundary, valley glaciers, hanging valleys, medial moraines, lateral moraines, end moraines, whalebacks, scouring.... um... snowflakes are usually hexagonal.... yeah, meep. | | comments: 2 comments or Leave a comment |
| I've created a writing journal here for fan fiction. Don't expect sci-fi there for a while... my current West Wing fanfic is at 62,000 words or so, and likely to run to 150,000 unless I get stuck.
Dammit. Now I've got to go outside, turn around three times, and spit, and it's cold.... | | comments: Leave a comment |
| When I drove to work a couple of hours ago, it was drizzling, foggy, and about 35 F (2 C across the pond?)... anybody else have gross weather right now?
We're supposed to get snow later today, though. I'm hoping the change will be as painless as possible. | | comments: 4 comments or Leave a comment |
| This post is for John Spencer.
And for Leo McGarry. "We're gonna raise the level of public debate in this country, and let that be our legacy." And so, so many more scenes.... spoken and unspoken.
"The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels tonight..."
Farewell, sir. May you never fall down a hole again--or if you do, only to rescue a friend. | | comments: 1 comment or Leave a comment |
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anxious