This is what happens when Ver doesn't post for a month- monster entries. D:
☀I've been hearing a lot about the Sims 3 lately- some of it complimentary, some of it not. I haven't been sure if I could play it on my computer, since I'm clueless about whether this video card is better than that video card and that sort of thing... but I found this great site that lists several new or newish games and looks at your specs and tells you whether you can play the game or not. Perfect. On the upside, it turns out that I can, in fact, run Sims 3 even past the recommended level. Yay! On the downside, it fails some other games I was interested in (Age of Empires III and Civilization IV for example)... solely for my video card. It's great on everything else. Bah. Just as well. I don't need any more games.
Speaking of games... 358/2 Days. Guh. I'm so addicted to that thing. Doesn't help that there's competition involved since I'm trying to stay ahead of my sister. Which gets challenging at times because she's on the easy setting and I'm not. ^_^;;;
☀Ai already linked this, but because I think it's worth sharing: The Danger of a Single Story. It's a fantastic lecture and really makes you think. I remember in my high school psychology class, my teacher telling us about a student he had in one of his American History classes (he was primarily a history teacher). This student was shaken to the core when told that Abraham Lincoln was a racist, as most white people were back then. He didn't understand how Lincoln would "want" to free the slaves but still be a racist. I have to admit that I was shocked too. It's a failure of our educational system, I think, that we're given single stories of so many people in history- Abraham Lincoln being just one of them. Christopher Columbus is another big one. Now... I was very lucky to have some FANTASTIC teachers, especially one American History teacher in paticular who has been recognized nationally on multiple occasions, and I can STILL hear his voice in my head on certain things. But even the best teachers can fail us when they're not allowed to teach certain things or if they're not given adequate time to cover particular subjects. This is too often the case. They're told exactly what they can and can not teach, and they're given a huge list of things to cover in a very short amount of time. This doesn't really give teachers the opportunity to give us any more than a single story of anyone- they simply don't have the time in the cirriculum. It's a shame, really. We as a society would really benefit from hearing multiple stories as children, not just the ones that white upper class men have approved.
☀Despite the fact that I can't cook for crap, I've discovered that I can at least bake on a basic level- I've learned how to make brownies. From a box, but still, progress. I add stuff to them and they are awesome, if I do say so myself. :D I brought a pan into work for Halloween and actually had people fighting over the last one. O_o
Also, note to self: Betty Crocker >>>>>>>>>>>>> Duncan Hines. Not even any comparison. But hey, maybe this could help with Christmas, too! I could make some things! Also helpful is the fact that my sisters and I have decided to take it easy on Christmas this year. :D :D :D :D :D
☀Finished the Soul Society arc in Bleach... fucking finally. I will say that I didn't really appreciate the first... what, half of the last episode? I didn't need a recap on the arc I just finished watching, thankyouverymuch. Honestly. It was a complete waste of time.
☀Been fighting off a cold for the last several weeks. I've been taking vitamins and it seems to be helping. I still don't feel good- I seem to be caught in that lovely space where you're not sick yet but you don't feel well- but it's a hell of a lot better than what it would've been otherwise, let me tell you.
☀I'm done repaying money to the savings account as well. Totally in the clear, right in time to spend money for the holidays. XDDD Of course, some of that money will have to come out in the near future (probably this week or next week?) because I -have- to get my passport taken care of soon. Need to locate my tripod so I can deal with the picture thing. Ugh. I can't tell you how much I don't want to do that. Of course, I could avoid that altogether and just let them take it. It costs more, but I'd be getting it done instead of putting it off like I have been. :/ The government website says processing applications is currently at 4-6 weeks. It's probably going to increase for the holidays. At this point, the plan is for me to go up and see Aki at the end of January, so... I just want to make sure that I don't get screwed over on the passport thing. I don't want to not be able to go because I don't have the damn passport yet, you know?
☀Speaking of holidays, probably going to put up the Christmas card post in a few days, possibly today if I can get my crap together, since I need to know these things ahead of time. As per usual, you'll see it when I put it up, and I'll remind you guys about ten million times before I actually send the things. XD
☀I need to use up the rest of my vacation time. Since really the only time available where I wouldn't be overlapping someone else's vacation is the end of November, and that is clearly a Bad Time, I'm taking mondays off for a while. Three day weekends, yay~! This should also put me in a good position to get the vacation time in January I want without everyone getting all pissy. Three day weekends are good, but mostly I'm angling for the January thing. Ulterior motives much?
There are a couple of exceptions though- next week since Scott is on vacation and the week of Thanksgiving, as I'm trying to get Black Friday off instead. XDDD And that takes me to mid December! :D
☀Facebook has gotten rather awkward- my mother joined and friended me. I locked her out of everything I could, but... meh. :/ Also two guys I was friends with in high school friended me... one of which I stopped trying to talk to after he wouldn't respond to any letters or e-mails for months. Awkward.
All in all, though, aside from work being a bitch and random awkwardness, things have been pretty okay. And I'm going to shut up now before this gets any longer since it's already ridiculous.
Speaking of games... 358/2 Days. Guh. I'm so addicted to that thing. Doesn't help that there's competition involved since I'm trying to stay ahead of my sister. Which gets challenging at times because she's on the easy setting and I'm not. ^_^;;;
☀Ai already linked this, but because I think it's worth sharing: The Danger of a Single Story. It's a fantastic lecture and really makes you think. I remember in my high school psychology class, my teacher telling us about a student he had in one of his American History classes (he was primarily a history teacher). This student was shaken to the core when told that Abraham Lincoln was a racist, as most white people were back then. He didn't understand how Lincoln would "want" to free the slaves but still be a racist. I have to admit that I was shocked too. It's a failure of our educational system, I think, that we're given single stories of so many people in history- Abraham Lincoln being just one of them. Christopher Columbus is another big one. Now... I was very lucky to have some FANTASTIC teachers, especially one American History teacher in paticular who has been recognized nationally on multiple occasions, and I can STILL hear his voice in my head on certain things. But even the best teachers can fail us when they're not allowed to teach certain things or if they're not given adequate time to cover particular subjects. This is too often the case. They're told exactly what they can and can not teach, and they're given a huge list of things to cover in a very short amount of time. This doesn't really give teachers the opportunity to give us any more than a single story of anyone- they simply don't have the time in the cirriculum. It's a shame, really. We as a society would really benefit from hearing multiple stories as children, not just the ones that white upper class men have approved.
☀Despite the fact that I can't cook for crap, I've discovered that I can at least bake on a basic level- I've learned how to make brownies. From a box, but still, progress. I add stuff to them and they are awesome, if I do say so myself. :D I brought a pan into work for Halloween and actually had people fighting over the last one. O_o
Also, note to self: Betty Crocker >>>>>>>>>>>>> Duncan Hines. Not even any comparison. But hey, maybe this could help with Christmas, too! I could make some things! Also helpful is the fact that my sisters and I have decided to take it easy on Christmas this year. :D :D :D :D :D
☀Finished the Soul Society arc in Bleach... fucking finally. I will say that I didn't really appreciate the first... what, half of the last episode? I didn't need a recap on the arc I just finished watching, thankyouverymuch. Honestly. It was a complete waste of time.
☀Been fighting off a cold for the last several weeks. I've been taking vitamins and it seems to be helping. I still don't feel good- I seem to be caught in that lovely space where you're not sick yet but you don't feel well- but it's a hell of a lot better than what it would've been otherwise, let me tell you.
☀I'm done repaying money to the savings account as well. Totally in the clear, right in time to spend money for the holidays. XDDD Of course, some of that money will have to come out in the near future (probably this week or next week?) because I -have- to get my passport taken care of soon. Need to locate my tripod so I can deal with the picture thing. Ugh. I can't tell you how much I don't want to do that. Of course, I could avoid that altogether and just let them take it. It costs more, but I'd be getting it done instead of putting it off like I have been. :/ The government website says processing applications is currently at 4-6 weeks. It's probably going to increase for the holidays. At this point, the plan is for me to go up and see Aki at the end of January, so... I just want to make sure that I don't get screwed over on the passport thing. I don't want to not be able to go because I don't have the damn passport yet, you know?
☀Speaking of holidays, probably going to put up the Christmas card post in a few days, possibly today if I can get my crap together, since I need to know these things ahead of time. As per usual, you'll see it when I put it up, and I'll remind you guys about ten million times before I actually send the things. XD
☀I need to use up the rest of my vacation time. Since really the only time available where I wouldn't be overlapping someone else's vacation is the end of November, and that is clearly a Bad Time, I'm taking mondays off for a while. Three day weekends, yay~! This should also put me in a good position to get the vacation time in January I want without everyone getting all pissy. Three day weekends are good, but mostly I'm angling for the January thing. Ulterior motives much?
There are a couple of exceptions though- next week since Scott is on vacation and the week of Thanksgiving, as I'm trying to get Black Friday off instead. XDDD And that takes me to mid December! :D
☀Facebook has gotten rather awkward- my mother joined and friended me. I locked her out of everything I could, but... meh. :/ Also two guys I was friends with in high school friended me... one of which I stopped trying to talk to after he wouldn't respond to any letters or e-mails for months. Awkward.
All in all, though, aside from work being a bitch and random awkwardness, things have been pretty okay. And I'm going to shut up now before this gets any longer since it's already ridiculous.