A Good Day In My World

I am almost done with this semester.

I worked ahead, and it feels great.

I have one more presentation for my classes, which is due next Wednesday, but it's done. I simply have to give it.

My Independent Study is done.

My paper for Historiography is done.

My Readings Seminar paper is almost done -- only two more pages to go.

I think I'll be done by Thursday at the latest. I'm excited.

Posted at 03:15AM Apr 23, 2008 by James Sabata in General | Comments[0]

The McCain Conspiracy

Today, one of my friends informed me that the latest conspiracy theory making its way around America is that McCain, if elected, will seek to lower the drinking age to 18. This is because of his wife's family fortune in the beer industry. This will be his way to make billions more than he is currently pulling in, apparently.

I love it.

I wish it was true. It would be fabulous.

I can't help but wonder, would he wage a larger war on drugs to keep us drinking rather than shooting up?

Will Nascar races be rigged so only beer cars can win?

Can a Silver Bullet stand up to the National Guard?

Will we nuke Milwaukee?

I guess we'll have to wait and see... Too bad he's not running against Kerrey. I'd love the whole "Beer V. Ketchup" war that would follow.

Posted at 02:38AM Apr 16, 2008 by James Sabata in General | Comments[0]

TERRIBLE JOKES

Here's a collection of the worst jokes I've heard lately... Granted, they're all probably from the same guy... but they're still the worst jokes I've heard lately. This is how they were told to me:

A dyslexic man walks into a bra.

So I said to the Gym instructor "Can you teach me to do the splits?". He said "How flexible are you?". I said "I can't make Tuesdays".

I saw this man and woman wrapped in a barcode. I said, "Are you two an item?".

A priest, a rabbi and a vicar walk into a bar. The barman says, "Is this some kind of joke?"

There was a man who entered a local paper's pun contest. He sent in ten different puns, in the hope that at least one of the puns would win. No pun in ten did.

There you have it -- crappy jokes to brighten your day.

Posted at 12:55PM Apr 14, 2008 by James Sabata in General | Comments[1]

There's Just Nothing Like A Male Soap Opera

Hey everyone, if you're crazy like me, and can still openly admit that you watch wrestling, go check out the blog my friends and I occasionally post to: http://wrestlingwithwords.wordpress.com

If you're into it, we could always use more people to post stuff. Let me know.

Posted at 04:36PM Apr 12, 2008 by James Sabata in General | Comments[1]

Volante Stuff

Since I never know these days what will and will not still be on the Volante the next time I click on it, I thought it would be helpful to just post my favorite comment right here on my blog.

BACKGROUND: Someone went off on the T-Spot this week, calling her some things that were less than pleasant. I won't get into details, but the comment was offensive enough to be taken down by the Volante staff. So the same guy wrote a bunch of comments going off on his stuff being taken down, while other offensive comments, such as the word, "Negro," people being "overweight," and everyone insulting T-Liggz constantly are left. So, Samantha Jorgenson wrote this response, which was one of the most reasoned arguments I had read in a while. Given that, I figure it will be gone soon.

So, here it is:

Posted by Samantha Jorgenson on www.volanteonline.com:

EVERYONE should have a right to comment here, and if we're going to occasionally ban people or their comments, there should at least be a set of guiding principles that ALL are required to follow.

I don't really know why the Volante is complaining so much about this. Everyone on campus is talking about it, so the Volante is probably getting better hits than usual because of it all.

Last time I checked, on every single issue of the Volante, there is a caption that reads, "I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

Either mean it or don't, but don't change the rules for each person. Either every inappropriately rude comment should be ripped off the site or none should be. Perhaps the Volante should just moderate ALL comments rather than allowing us to take cheap shots at one another and then "silence our voices."

Oh, and for the record, anyone can comment on my blog. I don't mind.

Posted at 01:05AM Apr 10, 2008 by James Sabata in General | Comments[2]

IDEA CRAP

As an instructor of a Peace and Conflict capstone, I am assaulted on a daily basis with questions of why the Idea program sucks so much, why students are forced to take it, whether it's just another way for the administration to make more money, etc.

I've read countless complaints.

I've listened to them in my class.

I really don't have a lot I can tell you.

So instead, I thought I would ask a simple question:

Out of anyone who has taken the idea program, did ANY of you have a positive experience with it? I'm not even talking about the process as a whole. I'm asking whether you have one day that meant something to you, where you learned something, or went somewhere and helped some people that you never would have otherwise.

I really just want to hear something positive.

However, I do fully agree that it doesn't work quite as it was actually intended... I'm sure that will be a rant for another day. Probably shortly after finals week, when I'm no longer employed by the University of South Dakota.

But if you have comments, positive or negative, I'd like to hear them.

Posted at 03:01AM Apr 08, 2008 by James Sabata in General | Comments[2]

Random Observations

1. If you’re going to sing karaoke on Wednesday nights at Maya Jane’s, please make sure your zipper is up. It’s quite distracting if you’re gyrating your hips, but all I can stare at is your zipper.

2. The University seems like it could have save a lot of cash by just demolishing the Coyote Student Center, paving the area, putting little yellow lines all over it, and giving me a new place to park. I’m sure the new one will be nice, and I’m sure that every day, people will stand in it, complaining that they couldn’t find a parking spot.

3. I admire anyone with the guts to have a sexual encounter in the study rooms in the library, but for god’s sake, get one without a window. My eyes are still burning.

4. Everyone thinks it's "normal kids" V. "non-trads," but much like Republican V. Democrat, there are those of us who do fit comfortably into either group.

5. More teachers should have the last day of class at Carey’s. Just a thought.

6. If your ringtone annoys you, you probably shouldn’t have it. Yet, I constantly hear people complaining about how much they hate their own ringtones. What the hell?

Posted at 01:56AM Apr 06, 2008 by James Sabata in General | Comments[2]

Intellectual Intercourse