Sunday, January 30, 2005

Could you get any geekier?

I am such a geek that not only am I currently reading The World as I Found It, a fictionalized biography of Wittgenstein, for pleasure, but I am also seriously wanting to write some Ludwig Wittgenstein/ Bertrand Russell slasher fiction. I dunno, I'm just sensing some tension, that's all I'm saying.

Thursday, January 27, 2005

Things That Have Been Making Me Happy

  • Frege's "On Sense and Nominatum." You rock, Frege. Way to be my first assigned reading for two of my classes.
  • Kings of Convenience. Mellow, pretty, Scandinavian. Uncle Scott says they sound like early Duran Duran, but Uncle Scott looks an awful lot like William Shatner, so there.
  • Getting paid to work as a substitute at Nonotuck. Sure, I'm happy to volunteer there every week, but an extra paycheck never hurt anyone, either. A substitute! Just like a real grownup!
  • Nighttime sledding with Jess, Lisa and Susan on Hospital Hill, the most amazing sledding hill I have ever experienced. These people brought their pack of excitable dogs who ran around and got in the way and tried to rescue us with disastrous results. Floss and Lillian, come visit me and I'll take you sledding. Floss, come February 11 and I'll even take you to see Enter the Haggis at the Iron Horse, which is so small you can totally touch them. One time offer, act now.
  • Seeing professors at the gym. Always entertaining, if alarming. Also, watching ER on the treadmill.
  • Jay G_rfield's examples in class: "Say there is a militant republican liberatarian who is adamantly opposed to the monarchy. Call her Frida. She has decided she never wants to be in the presence of any royalty. But Frida, for reasons known only to herself, is also a devoted afficianado of Welsh corgis, and would love nothing better than to get the autograph of the most famous breeder of Welsh corgis in the British empire... whoever that might be." Also, props to Jay for insisting we ask questions the moment we feel the faintest flicker in our understanding. When I'm a teacher I'm going to totally be like him, only with significantly less jewelry.

Wednesday, January 26, 2005

My semester

I know I say this at the start of every semester, but OH MY GOD I love my classes. Here's the rundown:

Set Theory- how much do I love Jim H-nle? On Monday in class he showed us a system of base 4 notation he'd invented. One is left arm at a 90 degree angle to the body. 2 is left arm above head. Bigger numbers involve the legs and really big numbers involve jumping around. He calls it Semi-four. 'Nuff said.

Chinese- I also utterly love Zhao laoshi, just because she's sweet. Our books still aren't in so I can't peek ahead but I'm predicting wedding bells for Gao Dezhong and Lin Meiying!

Meaning & Truth- taught by a Hampshire professor I like a great deal. He's clear, he's funny, he's interesting, and semantics may be what I've been looking for all along.

Wittgenstein- This is going to be my hardest course, and I'm okay with that. I am prepared to devote fanatical amounts of time to picking apart Ludwig's theories and writings. I'm also going to go to the library and check out one of his biographies, just for fun.

Ah, I tell you- where would you rather be than right here, right now?

Monday, January 17, 2005

Karma

Oooohhhhh, that is not the Phantom of the Opera soundtrack coming through the wall. That is so not okay.

Saturday, January 15, 2005

My dad quit smoking because of KRAC

Went to the gym yesterday, where I ran on the treadmill (only palatable when listening to OK Go) and used a weight machine thing. I wanted to go swimming but the swim team was in the pool. Watching them, I was freshly aware of what a messy, slow, sputtering swimmer I am, but I will nevertheless attempt to use the pool at some point. At the gym I saw my drawing teacher and my painting teacher, who are married to one another. I was wearing my new Keith Richards Athletic Club shirt, and my drawing teacher, Katy, asked me what it was.
"Oh, it's this club my dad and his friends made up on the premise that Keith Richards is basically the worst role model an athlete could have. It's also ironic because they're so badass, they're like three lawyers and a librarian and they're ostensibly living this rockstar lifestyle."
"That's awesome! I want one!" said Katy.

Seeing Katy and Dave is one thing, I suppose, but Nina, who works at the gym, says that J G-rfield often works out in the mornings. I don't want J G-rfield to see me running on a treadmill, or, god forbid, in my bathing suit. And I would say it goes both ways.

Evidently the Tegan and Sara concert was cancelled. I'm terribly disappointed. Maybe I'll go see Sideways instead.