anthropology v. religion v. Tuesday
It feels like Thursday, but that's never stopped it from being Tuesday before, so I suppose my hope that I'll wake up tomorrow and find that it's Friday is in vain. And, wow, a lot of people on LiveJournal had a lot of stuff to say today. The prospect of hanging out online is infinitely more attractive than doing yet more schoolwork - I've been at life since about five this morning, after a whopping four hours of sleep, so I'm getting kind of tired of the whole situation - but the priorities list demands otherwise so as to avoid a repetition of my marathon reading of three textbook chapters, two appendices, and four articles in two hours and one cup of coffee. Y'all may read an article from my anthropology class here, if you'd like - the others weren't nearly as amusing, and are in protected directories, besides.
Speaking of anthropology, I love that I go from a class that could - and perhaps ought to - be titled "Religion as Western Politics" (or some such thing) to my anthropology class, in which the instructor makes statements like, "Eh...people say a lot of stuff is about religion, but it's really not. That's a gross oversimplification. Saying someone in Ireland is Protestant or a Catholic in the Balkans is just shorthand for the vast realm of political beliefs that individual probably holds." I doubt that either view is completely correct - and the one that discounts religion almost entirely bothers me, as a hell of a lot of people involved in both examples seem to think it's at least partially about religion - but it amuses me to imagine the two professors trying to have a discussion about, well, anything.
Also, for the sociology majors stationed in the library who seem strangely reluctant to shut up and read a book: it's "Balkanize" (or "Balkanise", I suppose), not "Vulcanize". You are making yourselves look silly by failing to comprehend the difference between polymer chemistry and politics, and those of us who regularly use both terms are indeed laughing at you - not with you - when you continue to use the wrong word after having seen maps labeled "The Balkans" and having had the term explained to you several times. Please stop before someone herniates something by trying not to laugh too loudly.
Speaking of anthropology, I love that I go from a class that could - and perhaps ought to - be titled "Religion as Western Politics" (or some such thing) to my anthropology class, in which the instructor makes statements like, "Eh...people say a lot of stuff is about religion, but it's really not. That's a gross oversimplification. Saying someone in Ireland is Protestant or a Catholic in the Balkans is just shorthand for the vast realm of political beliefs that individual probably holds." I doubt that either view is completely correct - and the one that discounts religion almost entirely bothers me, as a hell of a lot of people involved in both examples seem to think it's at least partially about religion - but it amuses me to imagine the two professors trying to have a discussion about, well, anything.
Also, for the sociology majors stationed in the library who seem strangely reluctant to shut up and read a book: it's "Balkanize" (or "Balkanise", I suppose), not "Vulcanize". You are making yourselves look silly by failing to comprehend the difference between polymer chemistry and politics, and those of us who regularly use both terms are indeed laughing at you - not with you - when you continue to use the wrong word after having seen maps labeled "The Balkans" and having had the term explained to you several times. Please stop before someone herniates something by trying not to laugh too loudly.