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I just got into California State University, San José! As of -this- moment I'm ready to run around jumping up and down. Whee! It's no PhD program, but hell, the professors at CSUSJ look better than most of the professors at the PhD programs I applied to.
So! I'll be getting my MA in philosophy! This has too many exclamation points! OMG!Current Mood:  ecstatic Current Music: Violent Femmes - Add it Up |
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I will be presenting my paper, "Harry Potter and The Reason Why I can't Enroll at Hogwarts" on Tuesday, April 25th at 10am-12pm. It is at CSUS in the University Union, Hinde Auditorium.
The essay describes how fictional characters lie, as we believe that they can.
More information can be found here: http://www.csus.edu/indiv/m/mayesgr/Beautlies.htm
I'm super stoked. :D
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I've had a very long and exhausting day, and it feels like my brain has been boiled. More on that later. Thus, if something appears to be worded strangely, I apologize. I'm tired.
First, I have to say that Cirque Du Soleil is one of the prettiest shows ever (I saw Corteo). It really was not only beautiful, but enchanting. The music, the lighting and the performers.. are indescribably good. They tell a story in not so many words, but also draw you in to show you that shows also have feelings. The way a good movie or piece of music affects us. The show takes you on a trip, and I'm simply amazed at what the human body can do sometimes. It's really cool. I'd highly recommend seeing it for nothing but the fun of the show. Plus, it was in San Francisco, which is always fun to just hang out at.
As to why I'm so tired - I've recently started volunteering to do suicide prevention (Thanks Dr. Buckenmeyer!). 16 hours of training in 2 days, and I've still got 24 more hours to go. On top of that, I have 16 hours of training 'on-line' with a teaching assistant. It's been a real eye-opener, but damn. The training is just really intense. It's not only a bunch of information just thrown at you, it's you dealing with emotions, and learning how to communicate and listen effectively, etc.
I'm proud of myself for doing it. I'm not even half-way through the training though, and I'm just jam packed with information and techniques and ... yadda yadda.
Anyways, it's fun. I enjoy it. It's just long and intense.
ps: The ex-TV show, "Firefly" is really decent.Current Mood:  exhausted |
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School's over and I'm completely amazed at how much one person can accomplish in 16 weeks. I've written more this semester than I ever have before. This has its benefits and it's detriments.
First: I wrote a huge paper I'm really proud of. It was for my Theory of Knowledge course, which is really nothing but a pretty name for Epistemology. Anyways, the point is my term paper, my research paper, my pièce de la résistance is a paper all about mysticism. Mysticism as the subtle jab at the analytic philosophy tradition.
Second: owww. My fingers!
Warning: Analytic Academic Philosophy
Anyways, I hope to have it up (online) soon. I've got a little bit of grammar editing, and then I turn it in! The entire paper's about if mystical experiences can generate true knowledge. Half of the paper is dealing with people who don't accept mysticism as a means for knowledge before looking at the evidence. The rest of it's pretty much saying that if you're the mystic then any knowledge you get from your experiences is good, but if you're not the mystic, you can't really ever accept the mystic's testimony for any piece of knowledge. Only in super rare, and so far non-existant circumstances is it cool to accept the mystics testimony.
One thing still bothers me that I didn't bring up in my paper. If I'm right, and it's irrational to accept the mystic's testimony in most cases, then wouldn't that shut out a lot of actual mystics who didn't fall into my set of criteria for acceptance? Lets just say that a mystic had an experience of God saying, "Don't eat any more crackers". The mystic can't back it up empirically, and if she were to tell me that God spoke to her, I'd call her crazy. But, that's all the evidence she's really got. No one can back her up, she can't prove it in any meaningful way to anyone, and for all I know, she could be making it up.
But, God really did speak to her. What's up? We should believe things that God says, right? I don't think there's a good way out of it. Unless you just say, "God doesn't exist lol". And for you non-Godians, just substitute God with whatever supreme version of reality you want to, it won't affect the argument at all - unless it's not-God for you semantic logical bastards out there, but we don't count you as people. :P
And if you don't see the problem, compare this mystic who has an actual experience of God to another mystic who merely claims to have had an experience of God, but didn't. Both people have the same levels of justification to others, but we should believe the first mystic, and not the faux-mystic in the second case.
Not-Philosophy
Though I'm glad school is out for the semester. I can finally catch up on those all-important video games, music and moves that I need to. I haven't seen the last Harry Potter movie yet! Nor have I seen the last Wallace and Gromit, or the Corpse Bride, or or or..
I'm also trying to volunteer with the Suicide Prevention Hotline, because of Camus and Dr. Buckenmeyer. And helping people is good for you (empirically!). They haven't called me back in like 3+ weeks though. Grr.
giddity-giddity-gooCurrent Mood:  giggly |
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I just got the following email from the True Love mailing list.
...it's done. It's official.
As of 2:30 this afternoon, Al and I have have signed the lease
agreement to the 2 story building at 2315 K Street.
We have found the future new home for the True Love,
part/chapter/version 2.
It's going to be months and months before we get open. From now until
whenever, we have much planning, renovating, permit-getting and quite a
bit of manual labor (digging, hauling, painting, planting) to do.
Anyone out there a planner? Architect? Plumber? Electrician? Local
politician? We need some help :)
We now have an old C2-zoned house that we need to turn into a funky,
vibrant, night-time coffeehouse.
Who's in?
For more information, check out the True Love Coffeehouse 2 blog at:
http://truelovecoffeehouse2.blogspot.com
Thanks for all your support, thoughts and prayers!
-Kevin & Allyson
True Love Coffeehouse
Sacramento, CACurrent Mood: ecstatic |
| » Fun times at Richmont high |
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I was just laid off of my very nice Graphic Design job. The reason they gave was that there should only be one person in the department. I'm really bummed, since I enjoy graphic design and I want to continue doing it in the future. They said they'd look for an alternate position in the company for me, and I'm guessing they're going to put me in the IT department, but to be honest, I'd rather stay in Graphic Design. Oh well.
So, I'm looking for graphic design jobs. They're sparse, but they're out there. I think I'm a bad enough dood to get one, but else-wise I'm gonna take some shitty retail or something else job.
So, if you know of any positions open or soon-to-be open for graphic design, or anything else, I'd appreciate if you'd let me know. I can forward my resumé & portfolio too. :)
Aug. 21st, 2005 @ 04:42 pm
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| » New computarr |
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So, I now officially own a Macintosh Powermac. It's purty, and tiger is pretty slick. I'm totally broke though - Powermac and I picked up Adobe Creative Suite CS2.
What's bothering me is that I have a wonderful copy of Office XP sitting next to me, and I can't use it on my mac. Granted, I haven't called Microsoft - but it seems that since I own the license, and they make a Mac version of the software, why the heck not just make the software dual platform from the start? Also, I can't find a good ACDSee replacement, but jview and ViewIt seem to be a good replacement when put together.
CS2 kicks ass though. Seriously. I'm also enthralled with my mac, expose is better than I thought it would be.
=D
May. 20th, 2005 @ 08:30 am
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| » dust e man |
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Absolutely Clear
Don't surrender your loneliness
So quickly.
Let it cut more deep.
Let it ferment and season you
As few human
Or even divine ingredients can.
Something missing in my heart tonight
Has made my eyes so soft,
My voice
So tender,
My need of God
Absolutely
Clear.
Hafiz
Apr. 14th, 2005 @ 10:40 pm
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| » Salutations: Accecpted. |
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I've tried to post to livejournal to just update peeps on stuff, but it all boils down to: dood, it's livejournal - no one cares. 'Course, I have an account, so I must. My last entry was sorta depressing, so for anyone that missed it: Wulf died Jan. 12th.
So, here's a short rundown on my life since:
still fat.
Wulf died, I freaked out (natürlich) - for a bit I was considering dropping out of school for the semester so I could handle myself. Why? Last semester I took 15 units, a fairly easy load, but due to either the type of classes, the first semester nevriousness, or whatever, it was a shitload of work. I didn't know if I could handle it at the time. I also was delving into my new minor, creative writing. When the semester began, I was still a little (a lot) off from Wulf's death. After about a week of classes I dropped my creative writing classes and the minor, to concentrate on Philosophy. I was left with 9 units, which I feared for because my health insurance requires a minimum of 12 units for me to still recieve coverage without paying a whole crapload more. To this day I'm left with 9 units.
At work I've been just chugging along, from October/November I was the only Graphic Designer at my job, which caused a lot of stress for the company as I had to take a few weeks off for Wulf's death, along with being part time (20 hours a week..). Last month we hired a young lady who graduated from CSUS with a degree in Graphic Design - the few faults I can find with her is that she doesn't hold to my stringent cleanliness standards. ;) Oh, if you go to a Rivercats game this year, look at all the signage - it's all mine. Yes, beer prices will be outragous, and if you want tickets to a Rivercats game this season, gimme a call - I'll see what I can do.
Home life has been strange, the house is much more empty. My role as a decision maker has been greatly increased - we have to put in a new deck (the old one is being eaten by termites - so it's an ASAP thing). The sewer system is kinda fucked (long story) and I'm faced with the new challenge of having to help make decisions on what needs doing, when and how. I know I'm old enough to do things like that, but it's just weird. I know that I'm the child, but I feel a little required to take care of my mother. This is her second husband that has died, and she's not doing well with that little fact. I find myself at home quite a bit more, which is putting a little stress on my relationship with Melanie. Although she says it's fine, I still feel a little bad for having her come over here all the time.
My relationship with Melanie is still going strong. We've been together a little over a year now. The more I get to know her the more I find little things that just amaze and/or amuse me about her. I still enjoy waking up next to her. She's been quite a help to me in these times too, I can't say how much help she's been just to be there and talk through some of the dumb decisions I made when I was in the midst of grief. The only thing I find myself conserned with is that people will start to see us as attatched - what I mean is that I'm (and have been) seeing Melanie so much she's butted other people out of my life and when I'm invited someplace they'll just assume Melanie is coming along. There's nothing wrong with being a couple, and doing things as a couple, but I know that there needs to be some seperation in order to remain sane.
My friends have grown a little closer, and a little farther. I've grown apart from some people and closer to others. I went rock climbing with Matt last week. I must admit, I was pretty nervous at first, going over there, learning how to scale giant walls and then fall. It was pretty damned fun though, and more than once I've considered giving up my gym membership to go over to the pipeworks, but I'd be giving up long gym hours and going to the gym with Melanie and Josh&Chris. Only problem is though that I'm super weak in my upper body, so I could only do it for a short time, but the little that I did I enjoyed emmensly. I'm really looking forward to coaxing Matt or Stephanie into going with me again.
Speaking of friends, I threw a little shindig for my close friends last Saturday (Sorry Nick, that's why I didn't go to yours!). I wanted to just hang out with people and make them some food. I made Tapas y Paella. Pretty good, I enjoyed myself. Here's the only picture of the evening:
No, he didn't get the hint, but he enjoyed himself. :)
From L->R: Angel, Matthias, Stephanie.
That's about it. I'm being deadly serious here: I have a crapload of beer. I don't want it. If you want beer, it's yours. Call dibs. Please. Take my beer. I can't drink it all.
Mar. 29th, 2005 @ 09:48 pm
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| » Wake up! Makeup! Keys! |
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What is up on this Christmas eve thing!
Schools out, and I'm still freakin' busy as fuck. It's not as hair pulling as the semester was though, so I suppose I have that to be thankful for. Christmas, for me, has been an interesting time of year ever since I moved to California. It could simply be that people are the same everywhere and that the difference is age - I just think Sacramentins are angry for not having snow. Either way, it seems none of my friends like Christmas. For them, it's a festival of consumerism, or some other sick disease that Americans are inflicted with.
Even Melanie's parents are getting into the bah-humbug of it all this year: no tree! It's shameful. As Thor would say, it's sick and wrong.
Anyways, I have a feeling I've been meaning to hang out with some people that I haven't gotten a chance to. It's one of those, "I'll get to it when life calms down" type things. The question is - Does life ever calm down?
Dec. 24th, 2004 @ 07:45 am
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