So I went up to the U today, for no other reason than to check some books about algebraic geometry out of the math library. I ended up with four, and I realized as I was driving home that I was totally excited to read them.
I also picked up my Muss t-shirt, so I'm not a total geek.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Finals
Analysis takehome final: 4/6 - the last two are buggers. Due Wednesday at noon.
Algebra practice prelim (ungraded): While I didn't do as well as I'd hoped, the mistakes I made were ones I'm sure I could have rectified given enough time, so it was a confidence booster in my algebraic abilities. \o/
Complex variables final: Thursday.
Topology final: Friday.
Grading activities:
Math 1050 departmental final: Tomorrow starting at 8.
Calculus final: Picking it up tomorrow at 3.
And now you know why my Facebook status says "Spencer is finals week."
Also, my dad had eye surgery today. Eventually I'll get off my dead butt and post pictures, because he looks really funny. :)
Algebra practice prelim (ungraded): While I didn't do as well as I'd hoped, the mistakes I made were ones I'm sure I could have rectified given enough time, so it was a confidence booster in my algebraic abilities. \o/
Complex variables final: Thursday.
Topology final: Friday.
Grading activities:
Math 1050 departmental final: Tomorrow starting at 8.
Calculus final: Picking it up tomorrow at 3.
And now you know why my Facebook status says "Spencer is finals week."
Also, my dad had eye surgery today. Eventually I'll get off my dead butt and post pictures, because he looks really funny. :)
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Mitt hjerte alltid vanker
The following are the lyrics to Mitt hjerte alltid vanker, a Norwegian Christmas song, here translated into English.
My heart doth always wander
To Jesus' manger bed.
His lowly birth I ponder;
To Him my thoughts are led.
My yearning finds assurance,
And faith renews so bright,
When I recall with reverence
That blessed Christmas night.
Ah come, dear Lord, be with me,
And in my heart reside.
Sweet comfort Thou shalt give me;
Come, Jesus, here abide.
To my heart be no stranger -
Thy home it e'er shall be.
And as within the manger
My love shall cradle Thee.
Thy holy crib I'll honor
And round it palm leaves lay.
To Thee alone, dear Savior,
I give my life each day.
Come, grant me heav'nly pleasure
And true delight impart.
For Thou art my soul's treasure,
Born deep within my heart.
My heart doth always wander
To Jesus' manger bed.
His lowly birth I ponder;
To Him my thoughts are led.
My yearning finds assurance,
And faith renews so bright,
When I recall with reverence
That blessed Christmas night.
Ah come, dear Lord, be with me,
And in my heart reside.
Sweet comfort Thou shalt give me;
Come, Jesus, here abide.
To my heart be no stranger -
Thy home it e'er shall be.
And as within the manger
My love shall cradle Thee.
Thy holy crib I'll honor
And round it palm leaves lay.
To Thee alone, dear Savior,
I give my life each day.
Come, grant me heav'nly pleasure
And true delight impart.
For Thou art my soul's treasure,
Born deep within my heart.
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Grading
Yep, that's pretty much accurate.
If you were grading an English paper written by a junior in college, and they spelled clock "klox", would you be dismayed?
If you were grading an English paper written by a junior in college, and they spelled clock "klox", would you be dismayed?
Monday, November 17, 2008
The nature of God
I ran across a post today on a web forum I frequent. In it, the poster expressed his view that God created us, got bored, and moved on to more interesting things. I couldn't disagree more.
The God that I know is a God of miracles. Yes, even today. He is a God who answers prayers, who knows and loves each one of us individually and by name.
The God I know is the Creator, Preserver and Upholder of the universe, yet cares enough about my infinitesimal concerns to speak to me personally through His Holy Spirit, and I claim that this grand, sublime experience is available to all who will in faith call upon Him.
The God that I know is my heavenly Father, the epitome of fatherhood. Imagine the best possible Father ever - do you think such a Father would abandon His children? I don't, and I assert that He hasn't, and never will.
The God I know provides wise, loving guidance through my trials, if I only ask for it.
The God I know gives us wise commandments, not as fences or restrictions, but as guideposts and safety rails, to warn us away from things that will harm us.
The God I know possesses perfect love, all knowledge, and all power, and invites us to join Him and become like Him.
This is the God I know, and I invite everyone who reads this to come to know Him as I do.
The God that I know is a God of miracles. Yes, even today. He is a God who answers prayers, who knows and loves each one of us individually and by name.
The God I know is the Creator, Preserver and Upholder of the universe, yet cares enough about my infinitesimal concerns to speak to me personally through His Holy Spirit, and I claim that this grand, sublime experience is available to all who will in faith call upon Him.
The God that I know is my heavenly Father, the epitome of fatherhood. Imagine the best possible Father ever - do you think such a Father would abandon His children? I don't, and I assert that He hasn't, and never will.
The God I know provides wise, loving guidance through my trials, if I only ask for it.
The God I know gives us wise commandments, not as fences or restrictions, but as guideposts and safety rails, to warn us away from things that will harm us.
The God I know possesses perfect love, all knowledge, and all power, and invites us to join Him and become like Him.
This is the God I know, and I invite everyone who reads this to come to know Him as I do.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Prophets in the land
"Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and years ahead, events are likely to require each member to decide whether or not he will follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions. (See 1 Kgs. 18:21.)
"President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he had 'never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional or political life'. This is a hard doctrine, but it is a particularly vital doctrine in a society which is becoming more wicked. In short, brothers and sisters, not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not being ashamed of the prophets of Jesus Christ!"
- Elder Neal A. Maxwell, "A More Determined Discipleship", Ensign, Feb. 1979
I see more and more members of the Church saying things like, "I think it's wrong that we are fighting against gay marriage. I think gay people should be allowed to marry. There's nothing wrong with that." Of those people, I ask, is President Monson the prophet of God, or isn't he? Are you going to follow the prophet or no? As for me, I will follow the man whom I sustained as the prophet and President of the Church, because I asked God if he is truly the man who should be the prophet here and now, and He answered me in the affirmative.
"President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he had 'never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional or political life'. This is a hard doctrine, but it is a particularly vital doctrine in a society which is becoming more wicked. In short, brothers and sisters, not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not being ashamed of the prophets of Jesus Christ!"
- Elder Neal A. Maxwell, "A More Determined Discipleship", Ensign, Feb. 1979
I see more and more members of the Church saying things like, "I think it's wrong that we are fighting against gay marriage. I think gay people should be allowed to marry. There's nothing wrong with that." Of those people, I ask, is President Monson the prophet of God, or isn't he? Are you going to follow the prophet or no? As for me, I will follow the man whom I sustained as the prophet and President of the Church, because I asked God if he is truly the man who should be the prophet here and now, and He answered me in the affirmative.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Proposition 8
With all the furor surrounding the passage of Proposition 8, I thought it would be apropos to give you all the view of one member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Many have said that the Church is anti-gay. We're not; we're pro-traditional marriage. There is a difference. We strive to love as Christ loved: unconditionally and universally.
Many have said that the Church promotes a double standard. We don't. The standard is the same for everyone, and it's called the law of chastity. Simply stated, the law of chastity prohibits any and all sexual activity outside of the bonds of marriage between one man and one woman. Those with homosexual inclinations can live the law of chastity thus defined.
With sufficient desire and the help of the Lord Jesus Christ, those with homosexual inclinations can change. To categorically deny this is to deny the efficacy of the Atonement and, more to the point for those who don't believe in God at all, the power of the indomitable human spirit.
I hope anyone who reads this will respect my views, even if they don't agree. Remember, prejudice against the religious is just as unjustifiable as any other kind.
Many have said that the Church is anti-gay. We're not; we're pro-traditional marriage. There is a difference. We strive to love as Christ loved: unconditionally and universally.
Many have said that the Church promotes a double standard. We don't. The standard is the same for everyone, and it's called the law of chastity. Simply stated, the law of chastity prohibits any and all sexual activity outside of the bonds of marriage between one man and one woman. Those with homosexual inclinations can live the law of chastity thus defined.
With sufficient desire and the help of the Lord Jesus Christ, those with homosexual inclinations can change. To categorically deny this is to deny the efficacy of the Atonement and, more to the point for those who don't believe in God at all, the power of the indomitable human spirit.
I hope anyone who reads this will respect my views, even if they don't agree. Remember, prejudice against the religious is just as unjustifiable as any other kind.
Monday, November 03, 2008
Lifestyle
As I was kicking back in the recliner after a long hard day of school, homework and grading, relaxing with a Caffeine-Free Diet Coke and watching an episode of NUMB3RS, I reflected on how fundamentally different my lifestyle is from "the norm".
And I'm fine with that. :)
And I'm fine with that. :)
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Manuscript paper
I want to give some free advertising to BlankSheetMusic.net. I needed some manuscript paper for this Wexford thing, so I googled up some sites for printing manuscript paper. BlankSheetMusic.net was the first result, so I clicked. It's highly customizable - you can decide how many staves in a set, add clefs, key signatures and time signatures, and even put measure bars on if you like. So if you randomly need some manuscript paper and you don't have any, check out BlankSheetMusic.net.
*goes back to arranging*
*goes back to arranging*
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Late
It's 1:09am, I just finished my analysis homework, I have a pile of probably close to 100 calculus midterms to grade by Monday, and I have a funeral to attend on Saturday, for which I am apparently playing a piano number.
Yeah my weekend's gonna be fun.
Yeah my weekend's gonna be fun.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Spelling, pt. 2
Today we received in the mail three very official-looking envelopes from Millcreek Township. On the front, they read as follows:
"YOUR COMMUNITY COUNCIL ELECTION BALLET IS ENCLOSED"
I do hope it's a Tchaikovsky.
"YOUR COMMUNITY COUNCIL ELECTION BALLET IS ENCLOSED"
I do hope it's a Tchaikovsky.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Politics
So I usually don't go in for political armchair quarterbacking (but when it comes to football armchair quarterbacking, COUNT ME IN!!), but I saw these on my friend Yakko Warner's blog, and thought I should share them.
No, the media's not biased.
Okay, so maybe a little.
NEWSFLASH: Biden is a moron. If Sarah Palin had made that comment, do you think the media would have ever let her live it down? Yeah, me neither. But when Biden says it, ohhhh, it's just Biden being Biden, ha ha, what a card, like for some reason it's okay that he's an idiot.
And if this was just an isolated occurrence, I would probably let it slide. But Hoover was president in 1929, not FDR, neither of them used TV to talk to the starving masses during the Great Depression (because nobody really had a TV until the late 1930s, and even then it was certainly not the starving masses), neither we nor the French ever drove Hezbollah out of Lebanon (and I doubt we ever will), and every time Joe Biden opens his mouth, I wait with bated breath for him to say something else retarded so I can laugh at him.
And this is the guy that Obama hired to bring experience (especially on foreign policy - right, Lebanon?) and wisdom to the campaign? Give me a break.
No, the media's not biased.
Okay, so maybe a little.
NEWSFLASH: Biden is a moron. If Sarah Palin had made that comment, do you think the media would have ever let her live it down? Yeah, me neither. But when Biden says it, ohhhh, it's just Biden being Biden, ha ha, what a card, like for some reason it's okay that he's an idiot.
And if this was just an isolated occurrence, I would probably let it slide. But Hoover was president in 1929, not FDR, neither of them used TV to talk to the starving masses during the Great Depression (because nobody really had a TV until the late 1930s, and even then it was certainly not the starving masses), neither we nor the French ever drove Hezbollah out of Lebanon (and I doubt we ever will), and every time Joe Biden opens his mouth, I wait with bated breath for him to say something else retarded so I can laugh at him.
And this is the guy that Obama hired to bring experience (especially on foreign policy - right, Lebanon?) and wisdom to the campaign? Give me a break.
Spelling
Yeah, so I haven't updated for almost two weeks. What are you going to do, call me names in a comment? JOKING
So anyway, the real substance of the post. Today has been a day full of spelling errors. I have witnessed, on this very day alone: seperable, carnaval, repel (when they mean rappel - and on an ad for Snow College, no less!), and √(a2+b2) = a + b. Yes, I know, this last one is not really a spelling error, but it annoys me all the same.
The following is an open letter to everybody.
Dear Everybody:
√(a2+b2) ≠ a + b.
Love,
Me.
So anyway, the real substance of the post. Today has been a day full of spelling errors. I have witnessed, on this very day alone: seperable, carnaval, repel (when they mean rappel - and on an ad for Snow College, no less!), and √(a2+b2) = a + b. Yes, I know, this last one is not really a spelling error, but it annoys me all the same.
The following is an open letter to everybody.
Dear Everybody:
√(a2+b2) ≠ a + b.
Love,
Me.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Biking and barn dances
So this morning I was biking from the Institute parking lot down to President's Circle. It was pretty cold, and I was wearing fingerless gloves. In retrospect, this was probably a bad idea, and I'm going to be shopping for better gloves soon. Anyway, I was coming down the hill between the business building and the library, and I see a guy walking along the plaza. Well, I don't *really* want to hit him (unless he's a Democrat or a BYU fan or something JUST KIDDING), so I adjust my course to give him like a five-foot berth. Apparently he hears me coming or something, because he like half-turns around, then freaks out a little and goes, "WHOA, SLOW DOWN DUDE!!"
With that rather lengthy introduction, I now reach the main point of this post, which is to categorically refute this person's command.
a) Granted, I'm going rather fast, but
b) I totally saw you,
c) I gave you a five-foot berth,
d) I am riding under control
e) with a helmet on, and
f) it's like 7:45am on the Friday before spring break and therefore you're one of approximately thirty-six total people on campus. Therefore,
g) no, I'm not going to slow down, because
h) there is no rational reason to and also
i) I am rather enjoying my speedy morning bike ride.
All of that went through my head in approximately 1.3 seconds (a completely bogus and unscientific guesstimate), after which I said "whatever, man!" and started pedaling faster.
Also, it should be noted that barn dances totally rule.
With that rather lengthy introduction, I now reach the main point of this post, which is to categorically refute this person's command.
a) Granted, I'm going rather fast, but
b) I totally saw you,
c) I gave you a five-foot berth,
d) I am riding under control
e) with a helmet on, and
f) it's like 7:45am on the Friday before spring break and therefore you're one of approximately thirty-six total people on campus. Therefore,
g) no, I'm not going to slow down, because
h) there is no rational reason to and also
i) I am rather enjoying my speedy morning bike ride.
All of that went through my head in approximately 1.3 seconds (a completely bogus and unscientific guesstimate), after which I said "whatever, man!" and started pedaling faster.
Also, it should be noted that barn dances totally rule.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Twitch?
My left eyelid has been twitching today. Like, once an hour or so, it will suddenly decide that it's TIME FOR A LIGHT SWITCH RAVE and will spaz out for a few seconds. Then it stops, and quietly sits there as if nothing ever happened. What the heck, eyelid?
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
EPIC WIN
Today, I:
1) Got paid
2) Took my black suit coat to get it altered to fit more better
3) Finished my algebra homework (w00!)
4) Finished grading for the one Foundations class
5) Started AND finished my complex variables homework
6) Biked down a huge hill
All of these are in chronological order, except for one. Can you guess which element is out of order, and where it should really go?
1) Got paid
2) Took my black suit coat to get it altered to fit more better
3) Finished my algebra homework (w00!)
4) Finished grading for the one Foundations class
5) Started AND finished my complex variables homework
6) Biked down a huge hill
All of these are in chronological order, except for one. Can you guess which element is out of order, and where it should really go?
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Buyer's Remorse
So today on my way home from the university, I decided to stop by the local music store and pick up a Snow Patrol CD. I like the Snow Patrol CD I have, I reasoned, so I will probably like whichever other Snow Patrol CD I end up buying. So I used about thirteen of my hard-earned tutoring dollars to purchase Songs for Polarbears, which I believe is their third effort (I own their sophomore album, Final Straw, which I hold to be musical genius).
As I was walking back out to my car, trying to free the music from its plastic-wrapped confinement, the thought momentarily crossed my mind that CD's are kinda like cars, inasmuch as the moment you drive them off the lot (or, as it were, open the plastic wrap), they lose unreasonable amounts of value. I shrugged the thought off, though, fully expecting to enjoy the music, and never expecting to want to return it.
Well, as you may have guessed from the title of this post, I was wrong.
I put the CD in the car's CD player and pulled out the liner notes to do my customary glance over the lyrics. I like lyrics, in general. They are often the finest poetry the modern day has to offer. But, speaking as a man of religious and moral convictions, they are often objectionable. I was rather surprised to find that this was the case with Songs for Polarbears - my cursory examination revealed two instances of the "f-bomb", as the kids are saying these days, as well as sexual innuendo out the wazoo. That gives the album an immediate black mark in my book, because I simply don't enjoy listening to people swear at me, no matter how good the music is.
Which brings me neatly to my next point. It's not that good. The music, that is. I'm up to track 11 now (of 23 - you have to give them credit for trying), and I still haven't heard a song I genuinely like. The magic of Final Straw is distressingly absent. I can't put my finger on what's missing, or perhaps what there's too much of, but I am not enjoying the sound. It's like suddenly they revived Nirvana in their more sedate moments, and I keep hearing things that remind me of Death Cab for Cutie, but I'd really rather listen to the Death Cab song the Snow Patrol song reminds me of.
And so, I have buyer's remorse. But the worst part is, because I was kinda dumb and didn't do the proper iTunes-assisted research beforehand, I'm out $13, and I can't get a full refund. I doubt that I can even exchange it straight across for something I might like better. So I'm up a creek, but at least I can warn other people not to direct their watercraft up this particular creek.
(Apparently I'm just not a polarbear)
As I was walking back out to my car, trying to free the music from its plastic-wrapped confinement, the thought momentarily crossed my mind that CD's are kinda like cars, inasmuch as the moment you drive them off the lot (or, as it were, open the plastic wrap), they lose unreasonable amounts of value. I shrugged the thought off, though, fully expecting to enjoy the music, and never expecting to want to return it.
Well, as you may have guessed from the title of this post, I was wrong.
I put the CD in the car's CD player and pulled out the liner notes to do my customary glance over the lyrics. I like lyrics, in general. They are often the finest poetry the modern day has to offer. But, speaking as a man of religious and moral convictions, they are often objectionable. I was rather surprised to find that this was the case with Songs for Polarbears - my cursory examination revealed two instances of the "f-bomb", as the kids are saying these days, as well as sexual innuendo out the wazoo. That gives the album an immediate black mark in my book, because I simply don't enjoy listening to people swear at me, no matter how good the music is.
Which brings me neatly to my next point. It's not that good. The music, that is. I'm up to track 11 now (of 23 - you have to give them credit for trying), and I still haven't heard a song I genuinely like. The magic of Final Straw is distressingly absent. I can't put my finger on what's missing, or perhaps what there's too much of, but I am not enjoying the sound. It's like suddenly they revived Nirvana in their more sedate moments, and I keep hearing things that remind me of Death Cab for Cutie, but I'd really rather listen to the Death Cab song the Snow Patrol song reminds me of.
And so, I have buyer's remorse. But the worst part is, because I was kinda dumb and didn't do the proper iTunes-assisted research beforehand, I'm out $13, and I can't get a full refund. I doubt that I can even exchange it straight across for something I might like better. So I'm up a creek, but at least I can warn other people not to direct their watercraft up this particular creek.
(Apparently I'm just not a polarbear)
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