Building a Better Band

This morning, a bit of ennui made its presence felt. To combat such boredom, I decided to create a new band in Rockband, and try to conquer the world.

I can already complete most of the guitar tracks on expert. So, to challenge myself, I decided to play guitar and sing simultaneously. There are three problems with that:

1) It can be a bit difficult to sing whilst playing. I have a new appreciation for bands that successfully implement such an arrangement. But, with a little patience, I am sure I can manage to get my mouth and hands working in concert toward beneficial ends (nudge, nudge, know what I mean, say no more).

2) I actually don't know the lyrics of most of the songs. The songs are familiar enough for me to recognize when played, but my vocals contained a lot of "hmmm hrrrrm aaah you got another thing coming."

3) I can't carry a tune in a bucket with an armed security escort. I think my singing might be similar to something like a walrus in heat. I have no idea what a walrus in heat sounds like, but I can't imagine a randy walrus sounds pleasant to anything other than additional randy walruses (walri?).

Even with those obstacles, I managed to have fun. I did well enough on a predictable selection of songs. Weezer, The Clash, Stone Temple Pilots, and other songs leaning toward the simple side of the lyrical spectrum.

Still, James Hetfield has nothing to worry about from my musical prowess (only 30% completion. Once the vocals started, I was done.).

Summer Quarter

It's over!

Summer quarter has finished, and I can try and relax. The quarter was much more stressful than I thought it would be. To be fair, things did start out a bit toward the distracting end of the spectrum. There was still a plethora of academic responsibilities, to the point that I felt actual, physical pressure building up inside my head. Rationally, I know my head wasn't about the split open from the mental stresses, but there is always that lingering thought. What if?

It is akin to finding out that particular people continually refer to the Republican presidential candidate as "John McClane." The meaning is understood, but the idea of Bruce Willis in the Oval Office is still amusing.

Not so Final, After All.

Evidently my calculus final was a bit of a misnomer.

I have another chapter to work through on conic sections, and the corresponding test on the material.

The good news is that there does not appear to be a written assignment portion for this chapter, and my online scores have been satisfactory. I am already a bit ahead of where I need to be for this chapter. I've spent all day drawing parabolas (for some reason I am surprised that this is an acceptable plural. I would have expected parabolae, or something.) ellipses, and circles. Tomorrow, if things go according to plan, I will be done.

Crap. Even before I finish the post, plans are disintegrating. I have a birthday party to go to tomorrow. I would try to beg off, but it's family. They know where I sleep. Maybe I can squirm my way home at a reasonable time and take care of things.

If not? Sunday, then.

PS - I did some digging around, and found that both parabolas and parabolae are acceptable plurals. Since the word origin is Greek, I think "parabolae" is the appropriate form. Take that, auto-spellcheck!

The Moebius Stirp of Confidence

I finished my calculus final this afternoon. The thing was quite a beast. One hour yesterday, and another three hours today.

I feel that I performed rather well, and therein lies a dilemma.

As I mentioned earlier, performance in this class seems to be running counter to the confidence I have in my grasp of the material. So, I feel I did well, but I am worried that the established trend will continue. Thus I am worried that I did not do well. But the trend would indicate that such worries mean acceptable performance.

Ah, the wonders of a feedback loop.

Hooray for Finals!

It's that time again. Finals are starting up for me. And I am predictably stressed. I know I will be fine on the other end of this, but that doesn't alleviate the current stress any.

Tuesday begins my two-day calculus final (it's actually precalc II, but that doesn't sound nearly as prestigious). Next week I have a two-day biology final.

For some reason the school recommends that every student take a stress management course as part of the degree program. Seems to me that finals and midterms are forced application of stress management.

Trotsky and Age

The Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky once said "Old age is the most unexpected of all the things that can happen to a man." He likely said this more than once, actually, but probably in Russian. I think I first heard that about thirteen years ago, during my first attempt at the college life. At the time, I didn't understand. Age is not only inevitable, but completely predictable. Every year, in April, my age ticks up another interval. Now, I begin to see instances where this adage holds true.

I know I'm not an old man, no matter how much my knees and shoulders would like me to believe otherwise. However, with increasing frequency, I am being reminded that more time has passed than I might have thought. Hearing bands like Pearl Jam and Metallica on classic rock stations can cause a double-take. My academic life is where most of the reminders of my relative age appear.

I have mentioned previously that college makes me all too aware of my age. When I walk into a classroom, the first assumption people have is that I am the professor. Conversations with college students can lead to surprising moments where I just feel so incredibly old. Last week, I was studying in the cafeteria, when Kid Rock's "All Summer Long" started playing. Listening to the piano intro, I apparently asked out loud if we were listening to Kid Rock or Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London." I was met with blank stares from my study partners.

The adage is that you are only as old as you feel. Instances like these make me feel about 70.