So, it's reading days, and instead of studying or writing a paper or working on my mondo problem set, I've decided (after mucking around with my student webpage for about twenty minutes) to write yet another long-overdue room blog post. I feel this post consists mainly of internet potpourri - stuff I've been wasting my time on, which I felt was worth spreading virally, especially among peers avoiding academics even half so successfully as I am.
First order of business: watch this video. When I applied to live in the language house, I swore to propagate the language and culture of Germany, and the below fulfills more than my quota for this term.
Second, get a twitter account. It's like facebook, but better, because nobody invites you to join their facebook-causes, or challenges your movie knowledge, or tries to gift you a hatching egg - there's just statuses.
Third, start reading dinosaur comics. If you're put off at first, push forward - they kind of grow on you, and the consistency is a real comfort in this uncertain economic climate.
Fourth, check Google Trends (bi-)hourly. At its best, it's like having your finger on the pulse of the (english-speaking-internet-accessible) world; at its other best, it's like national, anonymous gossip.
Fifth, when the existing internet seems to dip below its useless-crap equilibrium, do your civic duty and proliferate. Write a student webpage - this is the greatest time-suck I am yet aware of.
Last, start f*ing commenting. And I don't mean "this was a really great post, you guys"-sorts of cop-out commenting. A blog is meant to be an exchange.
PS: http://jhdg.ytmnd.com/
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Poll
Please take part in the Vier Teufel in der Schlafhöhle interactive poll, in the right sidebar. Your answer will help us with institutional measurement and improvement. Thank you.
Der Prospy der Hölle
Hello Loyal Readers. Parish 103 would like to issue the following statement:
The harrowing events of October 30th and 31st are related to the appearance of Cody, the prospy from Hell, in our gracious household. We magnanimously agreed to host said prospy. According to the email we got, "He is SUPER interested in languages and would really lake to stay in Parish house where he could experience that environment". We politely declined to note that "lake" is not a verb but rather a noun.
Said prospy arrived on Thursday, the day before Halloween. Cody spoke German the whole time, even if you spoke English to him. This was okay, but slightly obnoxious. Cody bragged that he had gotten a bajillion points on his IB exams. Cody was voted "best German speaker" in his grade at his Orange County school. Cody corrected any perceived mistakes in German anyone made. These things could have been written off as trying to be helpful. The worst was yet to come.
When I was in Germany, I had an adorable host brother named Paul who was eight years old. I rarely saw him because of a nasty divorce situation. On the last day I was there, Paul made signs in adorable little kid handwriting and bad grammar that said in German, "stop", "halt", "I don't want you to go. Don't go. You may not go", etc. It was the most heartwarming thing anyone had ever done for me, especially considering I hardly knew him.
I kept those signs and they're on our door now. A few days after Cody left, I noticed something peculiar. Someone had taken a red pen, crossed out the misspelled words on Paul's signs, and corrected their grammar and spelling. Unbelievable. The audacity of it. Somehow, Cody, Prospy from hell, had thought that these signs clearly written by a eight year old on our door were there for him to critique and correct. Now my keepsake of the memory of Paul, cutest eight year old ever, is defiled. I think its fair to say that Cody, who was obnoxious, had raised himself to status of "shitty human being". Congratulations, Cody. May you never come to Carleton. We'll do our part to make sure of that.
-Kevin
Parish 103 is honored and flattered at the burgeoning readership of "Vier Teufel in der Schlafhöhle". Parish 103 would like to apologize for the absense of writing over the last two weeks. Please understand that with the harrowing events of October 30th and 31st, the aggregate writership of the weblog has been incapacitated by shock and horror. Thank you.It is worth noting that our readership has truly burgeoned, as reported by scientific estimates of the "Vier Teufel in der Schlafhöhle" Scientific Polling and Quantified Measurement Acquisitional Method Appropriation Team (VTidSSPQMAMAT) . Reports from said group show readership growth from approximately three people to at least four, including an overseas contingent. Thank you all.
The harrowing events of October 30th and 31st are related to the appearance of Cody, the prospy from Hell, in our gracious household. We magnanimously agreed to host said prospy. According to the email we got, "He is SUPER interested in languages and would really lake to stay in Parish house where he could experience that environment". We politely declined to note that "lake" is not a verb but rather a noun.
Said prospy arrived on Thursday, the day before Halloween. Cody spoke German the whole time, even if you spoke English to him. This was okay, but slightly obnoxious. Cody bragged that he had gotten a bajillion points on his IB exams. Cody was voted "best German speaker" in his grade at his Orange County school. Cody corrected any perceived mistakes in German anyone made. These things could have been written off as trying to be helpful. The worst was yet to come.
When I was in Germany, I had an adorable host brother named Paul who was eight years old. I rarely saw him because of a nasty divorce situation. On the last day I was there, Paul made signs in adorable little kid handwriting and bad grammar that said in German, "stop", "halt", "I don't want you to go. Don't go. You may not go", etc. It was the most heartwarming thing anyone had ever done for me, especially considering I hardly knew him.
I kept those signs and they're on our door now. A few days after Cody left, I noticed something peculiar. Someone had taken a red pen, crossed out the misspelled words on Paul's signs, and corrected their grammar and spelling. Unbelievable. The audacity of it. Somehow, Cody, Prospy from hell, had thought that these signs clearly written by a eight year old on our door were there for him to critique and correct. Now my keepsake of the memory of Paul, cutest eight year old ever, is defiled. I think its fair to say that Cody, who was obnoxious, had raised himself to status of "shitty human being". Congratulations, Cody. May you never come to Carleton. We'll do our part to make sure of that.
-Kevin
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