Courses I will be taking this semester:
CMPT 275
Software Engineering - Introduction to the realities of working in the computer industry. A scientific study of working in groups with incompetent people and sharing marks with them.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 10:30-11:30
CMPT 300
Operating Systems - Cutting edge programming techniques for operating systems… At least, they were cutting edge… back in the 80’s and early 90’s. My prediction is that a select few geeks will ace this course and everyone else will be clinging to their “D” for dear life.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 9:30-10:30
PHIL 203
Metaphysics - A pretty standard philosophy course - Basically, the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How of philosophical questions. The What is the basis, but the Why is most important and if I had to bet, most of the exam questions will be on the Who, When, and Where. Why? I have no idea. That’s just how philosophy works. Who knows How I’m going to pass it. Whatever. At least I know When it is:
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, 11:30-12:30
WSLR 101
Introduction to Whistler and Blackcomb. I have concerns that with such a large ammount of terrain to cover, I may not get through it all this term. This course skims over rails and boxes, flies through jumps, but goes more in depth in powder.
Tuesday, Saturday, or Sunday 8:30-4:00 *whenever I’m not working*
BUSS 200
Advanced Bus Taking in Modern Society - An overview of advanced bus riding techniques including “UPass flashing” and “seat choosing”. Other topics span winning games of eye tag and avoiding other riders’ coffee spills. Required reading includes poorly written daily metro papers.
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, 8:30-9:30 and 12:30-1:30. Times may vary depending on traffic. Classes canceled at the first sign of snow.
Girls, I have a small request. Please stop using the word “girlfriend” to describe your friends that happen to be girls. I know it is technically correct, but the word carries some different connotations for guys (and most people I assume). When a girl says “I went to the mall with my girlfriend” she (usually) means that she went shopping with a good friend, not her lesbian lover.
Men don’t have this problem. You don’t see a guy talking to someone saying “hey, I’m going to go to the bar with my boyfriends”. That would be awkward and confusing. Girls on the other hand, seem to have some strange understanding that “girlfriend” takes on a new meaning when used by another girl.
When a guy hears “girlfriend”, there is always a split second double take where we think “wait, does she mean??… oh.. oh that kind of girlfriend.” I can assure you this happens pretty much every time you use that word. If you don’t believe me, the next time you use “girlfriend” in front of a guy, just watch for the quick eye-squint or the questioning glance followed by a sigh of relief and/or disappointment.
I realized recently, that I’ve either been working too much or shopping too little. This dawned on me in Walmart as I was buying blank CD’s. After picking up the pack of CDs, I instinctively pulled the next pack forward so that it was in line with the rest of the cases on the shelf. Then, as I was walking out to pay, I overheard some woman asking her husband where the blank DVDs were and I almost turned around to help them out.
Then I stopped myself. I don’t work for Walmart. I definitely don’t get paid to help people find things in their electronics department.
It came as a bit of a shock to me, but I think my job is turning me into some kind of human-customer-service-machine. I actually have to consciously try not to be helpful and friendly while shopping just to blend in with all the other jaded consumers.