Homework of the Future

In the futureee, this blog post will be transmitted to your brain via cyborg...

Does that even make sci-fi sense? Probably not.

But for now, I am doing my math homework in the WAY OF THE FUTURE (and listening to Heads Will Roll, by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, which is kind of Music of the Future-y). So let futuristic me tell prehistoric you that math homework of the future has some serious disadvantages.

All of my math homework for Mathematical Ideas in Contemporary Society is to be completed through an online program called CourseCompass. It basically turns math homework into a computer game, which is kind of cool. You can try any problem as many times as you want, it has a calculator built into the page, you can click a button and the relevant textbook pages pop out into a new window, etc.

However, the drawback to all of this computer-y business is that the math prof has a Patriot Act level of access to everyone's homework records, including time started, time completed, time spent, attempts made, etc.

As a committed procrastinator with skills fine-tuned through years of junior high and high school practice, having my professor know when I start assignments is NOT GOOD. Especially when she is Extremely Concerned about procrastination in her class.

"Look lady!" I want to tell her, "I will complete those stupid problems about dividing chocolate cake. But it's Sunday! I have until Wednesday! Check back in at 11:45pm Wednesday night, and there I'll be, furiously punching calculator buttons. But until then, pleease stop checking when everyone has started their homework and sending out Extremely Concerned e-mails!"

I have seen the future. And it's not pretty.

Yesterday in Communication Ethics

So, number one, I was ten minutes late, again, because I missed my transfer bus after the 16. Taking the 87 after the 16 is kind of a perfect storm of inevitable failure, which is something I probably should've realized earlier. Basically, the 16 is always late. If the 16 isn't late, it's because you're getting on the bus that was supposed to be coming 15 minutes ago, and its lateness just happens to match up with the bus schedule.

The 87, on the other hand, is always right on time. Like three people ride that bus ever, and I think the bus driver knows who they are and where they get on, so he basically revs it up to a million mph in between those stops.

So what happens when you're taking a bus that's always late to get on a bus that's always right on time, if not a little early, is that (as I have now learned) you will miss your transfer bus. And then you will be stuck on the street corner like "Noooooo!"

Yeah, like that. My point on this blog was gonna be utilitarianism, but man, now I'm just fired up about MetroTransit. Unfortunately, I can't be too mad at them, because they kept my wallet when I stupidly left it on the bus (kind of like how I stupidly leave everything everywhere), and then sent me a very nice little postcard like "We have your wallet."

But seriously, I would GIVE them my wallet if there buses would run on time. They could get my Hamline ID, and even my library card. That's a bargain.

You know what's hard?

Schedules. Schedules are hard. (Life iz haaard!) (Not but srsly.) Anyway, so when I'm not whining on the internet, I do things sometimes, and for the past two weeks, I've had my classes at St. Kate's and Hamline.

Things That I Have Learned So Far:

1. You can't really have a discussion-based class if no one talks. Case in point, in Gender Politics last week: "So, if you were looking for feminist news, where would you go?" Silence. "...Okay, what if you were just looking for regular news? Anyone? News?" Awkward, especially since Sarah Palin totes did that response better. (PS: Palin 2012?? On what? The Teaparty ticket? We're all mad here-- campaign slogan? Just wondering.)
2. Math class minus math=easy! Direct quote from my extremely sweet professor: "Soo, you won't be using a whole lot of that fancy math stuff in this class. It's more... if you're good with language and problem solving, that'll help." Oh, like literacy and common sense? Oh yes, I have those. In SPADES.
3. I'm trying to think of something sassy for my Communication Ethics class, but that's actually just been a really good class so far. Although I did go on the wrong day of the week for the first class session, and then missed my transfer and ended up 15 minutes late the next week. So that was fun.

What have you learned in the pat two weeks? Also, if you live in the Twin Cities area and are in 7th-12th grade, come to the Interfaith Youth Day of Service on President's Day! Register here. I'll be there, you can stalk my whole life.

Rabbit rabbit

So, with the start of the new month comes new classes. At least, in February, that's what comes. I'm taking Mathematical Ideas in Contemporary Society and Communication Ethics at St. Kate's, and Gender Politics at Hamline. I only recently realized that this means that I will be around women ALL THE TIME. How will this impact the classroom experience? I do not know. I'm sure that it has been extensively studied, probably by people at St. Kate's, but I have not read these studies.

However, I will soon have experiential evidence, and I will report my findings back to you, the loyal consumer. I'm doing it all for science...

Speaking of genders, did you read that article in the Times on Sunday comparing Spike TV and Lifetime? It's pretty interesting, and concludes that in a lady's perfect day, as interpreted by Lifetime, "...she is kidnapped on the way back from putting the kids on the school bus but vanquishes the kidnappers in time to go for a fattening lunch with her single-mom pals, at which they lament their lack of dates before donning designer gowns to go to a school board meeting where they successfully address all major educational problems."

Sounds like Tuesday to me. But what I found interesting about the article was the idea that crime-ish (more I Escaped My Terrible Cult Kidnappers! than CSI) shows are very common on the female-centric Lifetime. Why is that? Is there something empowering about watching women consistently become victims-- but then escape with their quick wits. I'm inclined to believe that I would rather watch women not be victims at all, but I've watched my fair share of crime shows (although not on Lifetime. We no longer have cable, tragically, and when we did have it, we got, like, Univision and Food Network.) and found them pretty gripping.

On the subject of female victimization, check out this list of female comic book victims. Are comic book artists raging misogynists, or is it just a fact that everyone dies at some point in comic books? Will write more about this later.