colly strings

Because this is one of my favorite songs--like, ever--and I will continue to spread knowledge of it even when it has absolutely no relevance to whatever I happen to be doing at the time. So, there you go.

Staying up doing the first draft of that research paper was one of the toughest nights I've had, homework-wise, not only this year so far but in all my years of school. Twelve hours, I think, pretty consistently working on that damn thing. So, the lesson learned that is that I should probably be more vigilant about recording my sources. Also, use fewer articles that are totally insidious and biased. Not that that's anything to do with my horrible time-keeping strategies, but it's just something to start bearing in mind anyway. The topic was tough and the research was complicated and I still struggled to come to much of a conclusion on the matter, so I can't say it's the most fun I've ever had with one of these things. I like writing essays, not entirely sure why or how many people are with me on that one. But this essay I didn't like. And that's just the first draft! Fabulous. It was a completely wasted exercise too--the following day we were told to edit these papers amongst ourselves, and nobody did it, so I got to do algebra homework for most of the time instead. I actually stayed after school the Friday of that week to have my teacher edit my paper. Not unexpectedly, he wrote "PROVE IT" in the largest writing he could fit onto the pages several times. And, it just happens that model UN meets in that room at that exact time?And I was sort of at the front of the room rather than the back? And I was offered candy I don't like but felt obliged to eat? It was weird.

And then the next two days in that class we just talked about World War 1 or something, I can't entirely remember. We were given this really awful activity where the desks(we have six round desks in the classroom) were turned upside down to make 'trenches' and we were assigned a side and a German or French name and stupid activities proceeded to replicate trench warfare. Once again I'm faced with another example of experimental teacher not quite working. This happens an awful lot.

And we're using microscopes in bio! I hate using technology of any sort in school. Reason A for this is, of course, the knowledge that if anyone were to break the 200-dollar microscope, it would be me. Reason B is this weird thing where it really bothers me if I do not know all of the functions on something i'm using, like I just wanna sit down and work out why all the knobs we're not using are there if they seem so pointless. It's hardly practical, I know, but all the same it bothers me no end. Presumably it's the same thing as one of the answers you get when you ask someone how they go about learning the rules of a board game, if they wing it or read the rules in depth, etc. Anyway, we're three or four slides in and so far I don't owe the science department any amount of money to pay for lenses absentmindedly smashed against stages or anything, which I think qualifies as success in my mind. We started off with making wet mounts of thing link ink on newspapers, and then progressed to things like bacteria and stuff. We've a lot of stuff left to go, and it's really interesting(microbiology is, Bradly speaking, my favorite area of science and if I ever did go into science, this is what I'd do. Preferably I'd have a job with as minimal contact with microscopes as possible. yep, as a microbiologist). There's even a few moving slides we get to look at later, I think they're protists. I've never looked at a moving slide before, it sounds cool though. Do I sound endearingly interested in this stuff, guys? cause it really is pretty cool.

Another few days, and another few experiences in English classes with being passively interested in Gatsby discussions. I've decided, in contrast to my last post, not to complain about this element of the class--since it is not forced acting or speaking or drawing(yes, that happens. I'm in an honors sophomore English class, guys, I don't understand why this is happening). On the plus side, I don't seem to be falling asleep as often as the 90-minute lectures might suggest I would.

Apparently the rule is that if you didn’t make much of an effort to get involved with extracurriculars in freshman your, sophomore is the year to do it(or else you’ll never get into college or get a job and you’ll be homeless and starving and die alone and no one will ever love you, or so has been implied to me). And while extracurriculars really aren’t my thing, I was sort of coerced into going to debate club a couple of weeks ago. The only other things I do outside of school are playing piano and going to my school’s philosophy club(which, dysfunctional though it is, I could never give up on), so this is good. Turns out you really don’t have to do anything in debate. Someone brought in cookies, I ate some of the cookies, we were put into teams to plan and I spent the time listening to two acquaintances talk about buying clothes in China and what accents they think they can do, and then you have the debate and listen to three or four senior guys out of the forty odd people there go on about something. Hey, if it requires minimal effort and doesn’t make me look like I spend my time on the internet, I’d say I’m up for it—though that might make me a hypocrite, in terms of attitude towards extracurriculars? Although maybe not, cause hanging around the school in the evening and eating cookies is in some ways fun if I'm not too tired, and fuck college that’s not what I’m in it for. So, there.

Since last night was hell with all the homework and everything, might see if I can get a few extra hours sleep now.